I feel so great today. I managed to buy a cheap handcart we will take on vacation this year. It folds together like an accordion. And in going super early I avoided the worst of monday rush. I literally snatched the last shopping cart and when I drove from the lot there weren't any parking spaces left.
Then I filled my tank (1,24€/l) and even remembered to wipe away the bird shit the car had accumulated when I visited my parents last week. My second task was buying a new toilet seat. They don't sell them at the hardware store where I bought the handcart. So I drove to the next hardware store only to find out that they had closed for good. No notice, no sale signs, just closed.
It's the second store that closed this year. And here I thought their business would be booming when the other store closed down.
I checked for the location of another store but decided to postpone my shopping.
This afternoon I went for a walk and dropped into a supermarket, not expecting much since I had already shopped once today. But they had some good fruit and vegetables and I kept browsing the shelves. Wouldn't you know it? They had the item I was trying to find in the hardware store on sale. A new toilet seat for only 20€. My lucky day. Supermarkets here sell them from time to time but it's one of those "once a year and were ordered three for every store because shelf space is limited" deals.
Did I mention that I tried to buy one last week but completely fucked up the measurements, therefore not finding one that "matches" the dimensions of my toilet? The ones I looked at at two hardware stores in another city all were crazy expensive as well. 70€ so you don't sit on the cold porcelain. Ridiculous prices for something made out of plastic.
Anyway, I installed the new seat which was super easy. It also has the soft close function I was looking for.
In gardening news: just as I was about to pick up my gardening gloves I watched a bee crawl into my left one and not come out again. She was sitting in the glove and buzzed angrily in my hand when I tried to shake the glove. I hope she isn't building a nest there. It wasn't a normal honey bee. She looked like a red mason bee. Well, I guess it serves me right for leaving the gloves outside but that is something my whole family has always done and I don't think anyone ever found a bug or insect in their gloves. But how lucky that she crawled in when I was looking for the glove. A minute later I would have just stuck my hand in there and she would have stung me.
So like I said yesterday, every day for the next three weeks I'm going to try to highlight a community I found by clicking "Random Community." Today's random community is...
This looks like a tiny community (three members) dedicated to a pirate-y, swashbuckle-y adventure video game series called Monkey Island. On a quick scroll through, I saw some fic, art, recs, and videos. It looks pretty fun and light-hearted overall. Might be worth checking out if you're into this kinda thing!
This weekend I did one tiny upcycle and finished one big project.
First - I got these earrings at a local thrift store a while back. They're metal mesh and move and swing like rippling water. There aren't any maker's marks on them so I'm not exactly sure how old they are, but based on the style/quality I'm guessing 1950s-1980s. Only thing is they had screwbacks and I prefer to use my piercings. So I just swapped them out for leverbacks! The left is the before and the right is the after:
And then I finished crocheting throw blanket for my husband's cousin and his partner:
The yarn is Lion Brand Mandala Bonus Bundle in Satyrs. His favorite color is blue and her favorite color is red but I didn't want to make them anything too primary colored/flag looking. I thought this yarn was a nice compromise that would fit in with their living room. The pattern was just a basic 1 row crocheted ripple. As always, I attached my little "made by" label. :) I got them from a now defunct Etsy store and probably have enough to last me the rest of my life!
ergotism (UR-guh-tiz-uhm) - n., a condition, characterized by cramps, spasms, and a form of gangrene, caused by eating rye or other cereal that is infected with ergot fungus.
Also called St. Anthony's fire, from the tradition of praying to St. Anthony the Great for relief from several skin conditions, including ergotism and shingles, in part because monks (who often relied on rye as a staple) were often especially susceptible, and St. Anthony was considered the founder of Christian monasticism. The fungus Claviceps purpurea grows in the seed heads of rye and closely related grains, especially after cold winters followed by damp springs, and contains a family of alkaloids called ergolines. The connection between the fungus, the toxins, and the disease was untangled around 1840, though word ergot itself came into English in the 1650s, taking the French name for it, from Old French argot, cock's spur, from the distorted shape of infected rye heads.
Grappling with the reality that my lack of success is entirely a function of where, when, and to whom I was born.
There is no alternate universe me who's living the dream, because there was no springboard for me to start from. There's no left turn to take. No amount of "doing things differently" would have changed my level of success without outside, external future knowledge.
It's not that I've done something wrong, it's that I had no opportunities to do anything right, and was sabotaged at every turn.
You'd think this might be comforting, but actually it's possibly the most frustrating reality I've ever had to deal with.
All the president’s men, screengrab of presser after the incident
On Saturday night the White House Correspondents’ dinner — attended by Donald Trump and his whole cadre, including wife Melania and Vice President JD Vance — was interrupted by a shooter armed with multiple weapons who tried to blast his way in to the event being held a floor below at the Washington DC Hilton. The very same place, by the way, that then-President Ronald Reagan was shot in front of by John Hinckley Jr. in 1981. If “mentalist” Oz Pearlman hadn’t at that moment been channeling his talents into trying to read Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s mind, maybe he could have seen it coming!
Meanwhile, as the events above unfolded a level above, Trump himself kept sanguine as a lamb before being escorted away, while Vance got yoinked out by the shoulders (before Trump did, weird). Cabinet members Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Stephen Miller were left to scramble, and in the case of Miller, viral pictures sure make it look like he was using his pregnant wife as a human shield, on their way to the emergency stairwells.
Click here to see a picture of Stephen Miller guiding his pregnant wife by the right boob, like a very manly man. And then this:
So that seems pretty cringe!
The alleged shooter was identified as 31-year-old mechanical engineer and teacher Cole Allen of Torrance, California, who was also a guest of the hotel. Fox News’s Jacqui Heinrich reported:
There were no injuries to the shooter or anyone else, though a law-enforcement officer wearing a bullet-proof vest was allegedly struck by a bullet in the chest, then checked and then released from the hospital.
Immediately following the melee and upon his arrival home, Trump held a press conference at the White House blaming the shooting on the mean judge who put a hold on his $400 million donor-funded ballroom bunker, and rhapsodizing at the unity and love he felt from the room.
He also called in to The Sunday Briefing the next morning, to hit the same points he and X-bots had been hitting in the 12-something hours ever since: everyone in the room unified with love for him and cheered immediately, and PLEASE GIVE BUNKER BABY HIS BUNKER BALLROOM!
“I saw some Democrats as we were leaving, and they were generally hostile, and last night they were great to me. Politicians, congressmen, senators, they were waving and saying ‘great going’ and ‘hello.’ So there was something very nice […] I think they came together. […] As you know we’re building a very, very secure ballroom…”]
Fact check, a judge ordered dozers-down on the ballroom on April 1, and any politicians who might have taken the time to wave “great going” and “hello” at him as the Secret Service rushed them to safety, we suspect sarcasm.
Trump took to his shitty website for more of the same.
And he posted multiple pics of the suspected shooter and the takedown. Just regular presidential stuff.
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One Democratic senator did indeed rally around the Trump’s ballroom cause, can you guess who? It was John Fetterman, who posted a screenshot of a story by Mediaite editor Joe DePaolo about how lax the hotel’s security was. Guess he got the memo, somehow.
In the immediate aftermath, theories started to abound that the event was staged, that it was a setup, that it was designed to glean support and sympathy, like Russia/Viktor Orbán’s idea for a popularity-boosting fake assassination plot they called “The Gamechanger.”
Of course, that would seem like quite a stretch, quite an ask. Moreover, in Trump world, are there enough brain cells to pull something like that off, even with plenty of help? Shrug emoji!
Who fucking knows? But when the President of the United States of America gets shot at — or there’s a shooter a floor away from the president — and it is immediately a mainstream notion that it was staged, that is not a sign of a healthy, functioning democracy.
At the same time, hate it when people who traffic in propaganda and conspiracy theories wake up one day and nobody believes their official stories either!
On CNN Sunday Morning, Dana Bash practically accused Rep. Jamie Raskin of pulling the trigger himself.
Great, now it’s Democrats’ fault for opposing Dear Leader at all.
On Sunday, suspected gunman Cole Allen’s manifesto was leaked to the media. Read it if you’re interested in such things, but it kind of throws cold water on the conspiracy theories. Sorry!
Allen will be arraigned today. We’re sure the team of Todd Blanche, Kash Patel and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro are more than up to the task of finding the truth.
Alita the hedgehog is just not that into doing the exercise wheel right now. Gif by Martini Glambassador
Happy Monday!
What a weekend! On Saturday night President Donald John Trump, wife and cabinet members, including Vice President JD Vance, attended the White House Correspondents Dinner for the first time ever, at the Washington, DC Hilton hotel. Then, a man later identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher, engineer and alleged Christian-themed-manifesto writer from Torrance, California, allegedly tried to bum-rush the event doors from a level above. Allen shot at a Secret Service agent, hitting his bulletproof vest; Cole was captured and is scheduled to be arraigned today. (Al Jazeera / WSJ gift link / NPR)
Trump immediately called a press conference at the White House and took to his web site to blame the shooting on mean judges not letting his donors buy him a $400 million ballroom / bunker, and the knuckle-dragging masses of X embraced their assignment. (Fox News / New York Times)
Meanwhile, much of BlueSky was convinced it was staged:
And the alleged shooter’s manifesto targeted someone Trump thought sounded familiar.
But King Charles III’s scheduled visit today is still on! (Politico EU)
Trump wants Putin to come to the G-20 at his Doral Club. Oh. (Washington Post)
Peace talks with Iran are stalled: “Tehran and Washington are sinking into an awkward limbo of neither peace, nor war, each hoping to outlast the other in a standoff.” It also doesn’t help efforts how Israel keeps on refusing to ceasefire and keeps attacking its neighbor Lebanon. (New York Times / Al Jazeera)
Yikes, dozens of human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have issued their own travel warnings ahead of the World Cup matches that’ll be taking place in multiple cities this June and July, “in light of the deteriorating human rights situation in the United States and in the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the U.S. government.” Meanwhile, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to pull $200 million in funding from Houston, Dallas, and Austin unless they agree to make their local police forces help ICE round up soccer fans. (ESPN / Latin Times)
Sen. Thom Tillis’s backbone, returned gently used: now he says he’ll support Kevin Warsh’s nomination for next Federal Reserve Board chair, following assurances that the DOJ will only reopen an investigation into current chair Jerome Powell’s allegedly criminal building budget if the Fed’s inspector general recommends criminal charges. And when has Donald Trump ever lied to anybody? (CNBC)
“‘Absurd Corruption’: Disgust as Eric Trump Brags About Scoring $24 Million Pentagon Deal. ‘The US government is now one of, if not the most, corrupt governments on earth,’ said one critic.” As well as millions of other critics who are blessed with eyeballs, earholes and the gift of reason! (Common Dreams)
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. — a Republican representing New Jersey who is also up for-re-election — last cast a vote on March 5 but has not been seen since, how bizarre! Kean’s spokesman has now issued a statement that he is “handling a personal health matter. He will be 100% healthy and back to a full schedule soon.” Paging Velma and Daphne, sounds like a ghost is trying to cover up a mystery! (Guardian)
At least New Jersey Connecticut, (Wonkette regrets error) still has Sen. Chris Murphy alert and vigorous enough to note all the lawbreaking going on with taxpayers’ money.
Enjoy Rep. Jamie Raskin versus CNN’s Dana Bash and her bad-faith line of questioning:
New York Magazine’s got a tasty profile of US DA for DC Jeanine Pirro that traces her friendship with Trump, her husband Al’s legal troubles and ensuing MAGA-fication, and she herself even throws in quality dirt on her predecessor Ed Martin, like that he gutted the office of 150 lawyers and installed a crucifix in the DA’s office’s shower. (“I never shower in it. He had some holy stuff in there.”) What a normal guy! (New York Magazine)
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Title: No Laughing Matter Fandom: Babylon 5 Author: badly_knitted Characters: Londo, G’Kar, Minister Vitari. Rating: PG Word Count: 200 Spoilers/Setting: In the Kingdom of the Blind. Summary: Londo trusts G’Kar more than he trusts his own people. Content Notes: None needed. Written For: Challenge 513: Amnesty 85, using Challenge 360: Joke. Disclaimer: I don’t own Babylon 5, or the characters. They belong to J. Michael Straczynski.
Stayed up last night til 3:00, first reading the new Bujold Pentric and Desdemona novella, then playing solitaire and getting a snack. The novella is lovely.
Then I slept until 12:00 today. Got a text from mashfanficchick that ze wasn't going to a ball game today. Got up and put in a Shipt order cause I used up the last of my milk for breakfast. Then while I was waiting I had coffee and read my internet sites.
The Shipt order came quite quickly, faster than predicted, and after it came I took a shower and dressed, and called mashfanficchick. We agreed on plans, and I headed out.
Took the 44 bus. It was a beautiful day. We watched the bitter end to the Mets game (they lost 3 to 1) on TV and then headed out shopping.
First we went to Trader Joe's. WE got some food for snacks there and sat on a park bench and ate them. Then we went to Stop and Ship, and did a lot of shopping there.
It was getting late by then and I called Middle Brother from the bus back. He went to a park, and to McDonalds for an Oreo McFlurry.
Back at mashfanficchick's, I Teamed the FWiB and we had a very fun three way conversation. Then we had dinner. Shrimp coctail and a large green salad, very healthy.
Finally we had dessert, berries and whipped cream, and then I Ubered home.
* Yes, Firebirds won last night pushing out the series against the Condors by another games so I could watch at least one. And then they won again tonight! Condors eliminated and they are off to face the Reign.
* Watching AHL hockey as an NHL fan is weird. It's like 'yes, keep seasoning your top players, shame if they disappeared forever'. One of the announcers said that the team would look completely different without Jacob Melanson and, yeah, they are right... and sadly for the Firebirds...
* The ONE Condors game I see and no #77 on the ice? No Luke Prokop content for me? Was he a healthy scratch? I was looking forward to watching some gay hockey. ... more gay hockey, I just saw some gay hockey in Seattle. Never enough gay hockey.
* Buffalo was just very mean to Boston. Buffalo is going to be nuts next week with those final game/games of the series. The vibes have got to be insane
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bluapapilio
Read season 1 of The Villainess Flips the Script.
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![NEWS: new info on the WHCD shooting suspect, Cole Allen, from the White House. I’ll be talking with President Trump about all of this in 30 minutes on @SundayBriefFNC The suspect’s written manifesto clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials. He also had a ton of anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on his social media accounts. ALLEN’s brother had notified New London PD (CT) of ALLEN’s alleged manifesto he had sent to his family members prior to the incident. Secret Service and Montgomery County Police interviewed [redacted] ALLEN’s sister, at their residence in Rockville, MD. The following highlights from the interview: •Allen said her brother had a tendency to make radical statements and his rhetoric constantly referenced a plan to do “something” to fix the issues with today’s world. •Confirmed ALLEN purchased two handguns and a shotgun from Cap Tactical Firearms and kept them stored at their parent’s home and that their parents were unaware that ALLEN was keeping the firearms in the home. •ALLEN would regularly go to the shooting range to train with his firearms •ALLEN was part of a group called ‘The Wide Awakes’ •ALLEN attended a ‘No Kings’ protest in California at some point](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bKe9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe211eedc-0e3b-479a-916a-f1f8b06873ad_1192x1106.jpeg "NEWS: new info on the WHCD shooting suspect, Cole Allen, from the White House. I’ll be talking with President Trump about all of this in 30 minutes on @SundayBriefFNC The suspect’s written manifesto clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials. He also had a ton of anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on his social media accounts. ALLEN’s brother had notified New London PD (CT) of ALLEN’s alleged manifesto he had sent to his family members prior to the incident. Secret Service and Montgomery County Police interviewed [redacted] ALLEN’s sister, at their residence in Rockville, MD. The following highlights from the interview: •Allen said her brother had a tendency to make radical statements and his rhetoric constantly referenced a plan to do “something” to fix the issues with today’s world. •Confirmed ALLEN purchased two handguns and a shotgun from Cap Tactical Firearms and kept them stored at their parent’s home and that their parents were unaware that ALLEN was keeping the firearms in the home. •ALLEN would regularly go to the shooting range to train with his firearms •ALLEN was part of a group called ‘The Wide Awakes’ •ALLEN attended a ‘No Kings’ protest in California at some point")
