Just a few days left–before classes begin next week; before the drastic slowdown of the last 5 years’ insane Trump-based headlines; until the start of a rebuild of rationality in the White House; until the beginning of some coordinated actions against the pandemic; and more, of course, in the broad world and in your life.

Today’s headlines [look anywhere, though my stop is nytimes.com] say it all. Trump talking about “totally appropriate” comments; McConnell and Cheney noting his actions as impeachable; more detailed reports emerging about the horrors of January 6; the participation of members of our military, law enforcement, even Capitol police, politicians, and the level of violence much worse than originally reported. Let alone the execution of someone who’s so completely incompe...

As if last week wasn’t enough; it’s clear that this chapter is far from over.

This and perhaps even more frightening, the implications noted re DOD and Capitol police here

____________

Here at home, finally beginning to accelerate towards the start of classes next week.

Not much of a Schwarzenneger fan, but this is worth seeing.

Here’s a telling page from today’s local paper. Our sycophant representative justifying his actions, followed by letters from the community. Note, in particular, the editors statement in italics at the bottom right–no letters of support were written on behalf of this traitor.

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-8-2021

If you’ve not been reading this Prof’s “Letters from an American” newsletter, it’s quite good. I find it a refreshing source of not-too-heavily slanted presentation of a day’s events.

___________________________

This morning’s video-call with Jackson…part of his morning routine involves making coffee with dad. During our call I was making coffee, so we did the obvious with our respective coffee filters–

Just wonderful to talk politics with Joe, and then get back to basics with Jackson.

What more can be said? So many brilliant minds and wonderful writers have said it all. We’ll look back on January 6, 2021 as a day of a failed Coup d’Etat in the U.S.A. Here is but one source among so very many.

Watching the news yesterday, non-stop from ~2pm through the evening, was among the most horrifying such sessions in memory. 9/11/01, the Challenger, and reaching back to the beginnings of my memories, assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and then Robert Kennedy.

So much about the day’s events stood out, not the least of which was watching thousands of white folk storming the Capitol, seemingly with little resistance–and told to go home. Is there anyone who doesn’t see the contrast with protests–PEACEFUL protests–that aren’t organized by the right, by white folk?

Call them what they are: Coup plotters:

Read this

For the life of me, I don’t understand how anyone continues to support the criminal-in-chief. What is the logic involved? And what will be the cost to our basic electoral system? I cannot help but assign all of the blame here to our weakening system of k-12 education, a system that hasn’t included, for many years now, educating students to the fundamentals of our governmental structure.

We are doomed, and continue to doom ourselves.

____________________

On a brighter side, yesterday we enjoyed a little riding lesson…Pattie really did well, and gained a bit of comfort. More sessions, for sure, and thankful that the parking lots at school are so completely empty.

Nice video-call with Jackson this morning, though the molars coming in are giving him some grief, lack of sleep, etc. As usual, though, he perks right up at the sight of Frankie:

_______________________

If this isn’t a moment to find examples of exactly why politicians get so little respect, just remind your self of this slimeball’s ability to have his own family villified…and then become his insulter’s biggest supporter. How many faces must a politician have to make it to the U.S. Senate?

This day, not the landmark so many wish it will be, began with comfortable temps, and a beautiful fool moon on display as Frankie and I went out this morning:

On Tuesday I went to New Bern to get Pattie something she’s been wanting for some time now…

______________________

Just heard an interview on Morning Edition with Nora McInerny, the host of Terrible, Thanks for Asking. I don’t yet know this podcast, but she’s certainly won me over. Perhaps this will be the biggest takeaway from the year past. Will listen to this today, will listen hard.

Hoping the final day of this calendar year brings something bright to your day.

The year ahead? It really is a huge question ma...