The Fluffbucket Diaries

InCoWriMo! I did this a few years ago, and I’m itching to do it again (except I didn’t know there was a no-typewriting rule then; maybe that’s new). I’m in.

Another reason I want my campaign contribution back.

I was dumb enough to contribute to one presidential candidate who washed out early after demonstrating little substance for all her flash. Then I compounded my stupidity by contributing to another who clearly states there’s no room for people with my views in his party. My deep disappointment with the latter candidate is immeasurable. (And I wish I could get my money back, frankly.) I think I’m done with wasting money on political campaigns.

Although I am not a single-issue voter, the Democrats' insistence on abortion availability without limits keeps me from being enthused about any of the existing presidential candidates. I don’t see any of the candidates being willing to make room for pro-lifers in their party, except to dismiss them as “anti-choicers” who don’t belong.

I can say unreservedly that I will not vote for the White House incumbent in the fall. Whether I can say for sure that I will vote for the Democratic candidate remains to be seen.

The old “make abortion legal, safe, and rare” stance from the Clinton era doesn’t quite align with my beliefs, either, but at least I could appreciate the “rare” part. Sadly, even “rare” is not acceptable anymore in the Democratic Party.

I’m not much of a basketball fan, but the untimely deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter saddened me deeply. And reading about how much he loved being a dad, especially of daughters, made me cry.

Posting this here for my reference; I’ll revisit this, with my self-indulgent answers, in a later post. (Retrieved from Fr. Tim Grumbach’s Twitter feed.)

Content moderators at Facebook and Twitter “are being asked to sign forms stating they understand the job could cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to reports.”

Time to cleanse the palate after too many political posts this morning.

“A Navajo baby’s first laugh is sacred — it is a symbol of welcoming the child into the greater Navajo community. The person who makes the child laugh for the first time has been chosen as the one who welcomes them with a feast for them and their family.”

Are the Bernie bros descending into Trump cult tactics? Apparently, according to this Washington Post article.

“The pro-Sanders forums focus on a range of themes, including the senator’s independence from corporate interests and his opposition to President Trump. At the same time, many of the images that fill the groups and pages are strikingly negative about rival Democrats, depicting former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg as a wine-swilling CIA plant with Republican leanings and Biden as a feckless politician who preys on women.”

“… there are already, in my view, worrisome signals that (today’s new left) are repeating some of our biggest mistakes.”

“(Louisiana state Rep. Katrina) Jackson’s presence at the event was a reminder of the importance of pro-life Democrats — that the right to life ought to be too important to leave at the mercy of partisan politics.”

I’ve never read anything by novelist Charles Yu. (I’m more of a nonfiction reader.) But his interview with The New York Times on his reading habits just delighted me, particularly the part about reading with his kids.

“More than three in five Americans are lonely, with more and more people reporting feeling like they are left out, poorly understood and lacking companionship, according to a new survey released Thursday. Workplace culture and conditions may contribute to Americans' loneliness.”

Woke up to the news that Terry Jones had died. He was Monty Python’s Spam waitress, the mother of a would-be savior, and a naked organist. He played the funniest women (“He’s not the Messiah! He’s a very naughty boy!") – or “screeching harridans,” as the BBC put it – and directed the finest piece of religious satire, “Life of Brian.”

John Cleese had perhaps the finest tribute: “I shall remember him as Mr Creosote. He is so funny in it and it’s one of the funniest things we did. So I shall think of him exploding.”

Robin Abcarian: “Almost everything he wrote in his MLK proclamation was at odds with who he always has been and what he has done since becoming president.”

("Trump’s legacy will be brutal but simple: He made it OK to be racist again," L.A. Times)

“I used to fantasize about fitting punishments for … morning people, but in the last two years I’ve seen the (morning) light, and I’ve become one of them.

“If you love staying up late but hate crawling through your mornings in a haze, here’s how you can do it too.”

I am pretty sure there’s twice as many unread work emails waiting for me. And because I’ve been cramping up and steeped in the reek of pain patches for the past couple of days, I’m hunkering down at home to sift through the post-vacation mailbox for a while.

Brought this 1970s kitchen artifact from my childhood back from California and got some fresh Tang powder from the supermarket. Needs more diluting, but it’s still drinkable.

Day off. (And yes, yay MLK, friends.) Blogging a lot this morning. Now it’s time to lie down to re-read a printout of “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” and wait for the ibuprofen to kick in. As one does. Several times a day.

Recently, I learned that a former colleague of mine – the graphic designer in the office next to mine who was laid off unexpectedly several weeks ago – was diagnosed with lymphoma. This all happened as his wife prepares for breast cancer treatments.

It amazes my colleagues and me how upbeat he seems to be. But we’re no less heartbroken and feeling helpless. Fortunately, New York Times health writer Jane Brody provides ideas on what to say and do when someone you care about is diagnosed with cancer.

There are practical ideas (“meal trains” to deliver family meals and school lunches, gifts of massages, help with child care), but also this from Lynda Wolters, cancer patient and author of the book “Voices of Cancer,” speaking of those who have no idea what to say and often avoid the patient in their lives:

“I would rather see your face and the pain and fear in your eyes than to have you feel too unsure and awkward to see me. I would rather hear about you, your work, your life, your kids and your puppy’s antics than I would about my sickness.”

I generally ignore most celebrity culture these days, but I will say that for this alone, I heart Chrissy Teigen.

A writer at Museum Hack explores whether Pope Gregory IX ordered “a medieval purge of black cats,” thus leading to the Bubonic Plague. The short answer appears to be no.

Still, says the writer: “Even those among us who love cats (not me, I like dogs) freely admit that they are mercurial and probably evil animals that deal death for fun and would eat our eyes if they got the chance.”

Deleted my Politics list on Twitter. Been so sucked into it in recent weeks, and it has depressed me and distracted me from far more important things in life. On this last day of a 3-day weekend, I desperately need to cleanse my brain and my soul.

Incredibly sad to see Philip Rivers is moving his family out of San Diego permanently. I get the idea of wanting to be close to family, but it still represents the end of an era with my former NFL team — and my hometown.

Proud of my long erstwhile colleagues who are speaking up as another death by a thousand cuts looms at the Chicago Tribune.

“Adults with high-pressured jobs are telling us they’re using Lego to disconnect from the mania of the day. They’re looking for a relaxing, calming experience.”