deevalish

[Hopefully to drag me out of my apathy, if not the brain fog.]

The Good News Report....and as always, good news is often in the eye of the beholder.

1.Appeals Court blocks Louisiana law forcing Ten Commandments displays in classrooms. Separation of church and state is the law of the land. Shoving Christianity in kids' faces through their public schools is still, for now, illegal.

NBC News

Honestly, it's not as if the idiotic Republicans are following the commandments anyhow, why are they insisting on wasting money fighting for them to be taught in public schools?

2. A fundraiser organized to protest Colorado’s 568-day backlog for processing sexual assault forensic exams resulted in a $6,000 award to the state this week to urge faster action.

Denver Post

3. Washington D.C. residents honor Juneteenth with a Jubilee and Freedom Walk on the very path where enslaved people once escaped to freedom.

Washington Post

4.Barrington, Rhode Island : Members of the Town Council vote unanimously to adopt a resolution declaring it a sanctuary town for transgender people and all members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

East Bay Rhode Island

5.New York, NY: More than 75% of the city’s municipal vehicles—about 21,500—are now green (hybrid, electric, or running on renewable biofuel).

https://gothamist.com/news/some-positive-climate-news-for-once-nycs-vehicle-fleet-is-75-green

6.Communities in Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Charlotte, San Diego, Boston, Houston, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Worcester, MA, and other cities show up publicly in support of their neighbors facing unjust ICE raids, detainment, and deportation.

7.Four top lawyers leave the Paul Weiss law firm to start their own firm in protest of its leader’s deals to dodge an executive order that would have limited its business.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/more-partners-leave-paul-weiss-join-new-law-firm-2025-06-09/

8.Dementia prevalence among older adults was significantly lower among individuals born more recently (1944-1948) compared to those born earlier (1919-1923), with a more pronounced decline in women, a new study conducted in the US, Europe, and England showed. - SOURCE: This study was led by Xiaoxue Dou, Centre for the Business and Economics of Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2834750#google_vignette

9.Dan Mancina, a blind skateboarder, creates the world’s first adaptive skatepark in Detroit, Michigan.

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/adaptive-skatepark-dan-mancina

10.The EU will provide emergency funds to pro-democracy media outlet Radio Free Europe after the U.S. president cut its grants.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/05/20/eu-to-provide-55mln-in-emergency-funds-to-help-keep-radio-free-europe-afloat

( the rest of the 49 )

Good night and Good Luck, and in case you didn't find anything good enough to make you smile above?

Here's a picture of some flowers on my walk today to the grocery store.

1. Feeling much better - the sickness is gone, finally. No cough, no runny nose. Still feel a bit wiped, but for the first time in a week - I ate something other than chicken vegetable soup or chicken broth.
( photo of chicken soup )
As you can see it was homemade. The store bought variety has things like yeast, corn starch, etc in it.

Although I did buy the broth - I've never the energy or time to make my own broth.

Had eggs this morning and a gluten free english muffin. It should sustain me until noon. I'm hoping to vote in the primary this mayoral primary this weekend.

2. Wales apologized. I explained my issues regarding what she said about COVID, by laying out my experience with it and how it had affected my life, and she apologized and thanked me for taking the time to explain.

I think people forget that everyone's body is different, and illnesses affect all of us differently.

3. Even though our mass media is attempting to downplay the number of people who protested during No Kings Day to roughly 5-6 million as opposed to 12-13 million as Alt National Parks (the coalition of 5051) stated, I'm going with Alt National Parks number for the following reasons:
( Read more... )

4. Buffy Rewatch...S3 so far has no duds, I've not skipped or groaned through an episode.

And damn, by episode 7, I really wish someone would kill off Xander. ( ugh Xander )

Oh, I've been paying attention to the credits here and there, and discovered something interesting? There are about five to six producers who are not writers. Also various people involved who don't write for the show and are editors. The credits are lengthy. Sandy Gallin and Gail Berman produced, along with the Kuzuies, Gareth, and David Solomon, and then Whedon and Greenwalt as show-runners. This was in S3. David Solomon was a director - not really a writer. And did a lot of the second unit directing for the series. Gallin was with Sand Dollar - which is Dolly Parton's production outfit. Gail Berman was with Fox and the WB.

If you think Buffy was just a Whedon show? You aren't paying attention to the credits. It really wasn't just Whedon's or Mutant Enemy's. Also ME and Whedon didn't own the rights to it. Fox, the Kazuis and Dolly Parton did.
Whedon had to ask their permission to continue with it. Fox's rights are now Disney's, Disney bought all of Fox's entertainment properties.

Also, here's the writing process as of 2003, per Jane Espenson, who was in the writer's room at the time:
( the Writing Process by Jane Espenson )

Note that was in 2003. In 1997-1999, the head writers were David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon, and the studio and network had more of a say and Berman was more involved. When the show jumped over to UPN, Fox still had a say (that's the studio), but the network didn't care. So, what Espenson is leaving out - is the network and studio notes, which may or may not have existed on Whedon shows. The writing team was continuously changing, with various writers jumping from one Whedon Show to another one.

Carpenter made it clear during a con - that there's no reason to feel guilty loving Buffy, because of Whedon, since the show was a collaboration and Whedon's involvement, while heavy at times was by far not the main ingredient or the main oversight. It's not a novel, and it's not a series like Andor that is written and directed by one auteur. It's also not like Doctor Who, where the vast majority of episodes are written by one person and to a large part even directed by them.

This is an American Broadcast Television Series - they have about 400 people involved, we have editors, directors, guest directors, stunt coordinators, etc. To say Whedon had limited control over the proceedings, is a gross understatement. No one was purely in control over it.

Actually in my re-watch, I can now tell when they are using stunt doubles.

I'm far behind on the June Question a Day Meme...so this is me, catching up:

7. When was the last time you thoroughly dusted and polished your furniture?

My furniture isn't really dust-able? It's cushioned. But I did dust the shelves, tv stand etc, last weekend.

8. Have you ever been fishing?

Yes. The appeal is completely lost on me. I feel sorry for the fish. I really don't like looking my food in the eye or seeing it caught. I'm more gatherer than hunter. Also, I'm not a fan of most fish, so there's that.
Did it once with my brother and father - in the lake in front of the Grand Tetons. My brother finally caught a fish, but had to throw it back, after it had been half-suffocated to death, because it wasn't the type of fish we could eat. I forget the name. And I remember thinking - that poor fish. I'd rather learn to paddle board (I don't paddle board).

9. Is there something that someone close to you does which really irritates you, but you’ve never said anything to them about it?

If it really irritates me - then I will tell them. Rarely does any good, so not entirely sure why I bother? Half the time, I just hand-wave it - because it rarely does any good. Some things folks can't help doing, they aren't aware of it and it is just them? Pointing it out doesn't help or change it, and it just hurts them to do so. Also we all have ticks and irritable behaviors that others must endure.

There are other things - that people can choose not to do and stop doing, or at the very least while others are around, which I've noticed pointing out to them - helps. Such as my mother played a very noisy video game version of Mahjon when I visited her last year, and she switched to Sudoku which was quieter, when I visited her in the Spring of this year.

10. Have you ever made mayonnaise from scratch?

Yes. I'm not really a fan of mayonnaise though. And don't use it at all on anything. But I have done it.
( the rest )

Adding a question which is not part of the meme:

What is your current comfort television series or book series, which you've seen multiple times, or read multiple times, but continue to engage with?
[Note - not a new discovery, but something you've seen more than once, and go back to watch every few years? Or a book series, which you've read multiple times, listened to on audiobook or even graphic audio - more than once?]

Television Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Why? It's a series about how tough life is, but you can't give up, and it's worth it to keep trying no matter what. Also about fighting your own demons. And done with metaphors. I think metaphorically - so this works for me. And it has a very strong female protagonist who is the central point of view. It shows how people's relationships evolve and change with time, friendships change and don't necessarily always last, and loved ones die or change and move away. And it's important to help each other and others no matter how scary it might be. Helps that I love all the characters, and adore urban fantasy as a genre.

Book Series: Kate Daniels Magic Series by Illona Andrews (a writing couple)

Why? It's also a series about how tough life is, but you can't give up...and features a bad ass female protagonist. It's among the few that shows how relationships evolve and change, friendships don't always last for various reasons, and how it is important to help others, no matter how scary it might be. [See above.]

Do you have anything that you return to over and over again for comfort? Be it a book series, a television series, movie, or song or album?

[Note, I'm home sick or under the weather at the moment, so apologies for typos, etc - due to brain fog.]

As always, Good News is more often than not in the eyes of the beholder. So mileage may vary.

1. 13.14 Million or 4% of the population of the US came out and protested for "No Kings". "We’re honored to announce a final count of 13.14 million in attendance across 2,300+ No Kings protests nationwide. It took a little longer to finalize due to the sheer scale, but the turnout was historic!
So far, 71 MAGA agitators have been arrested, with 62 additional investigations still underway. We’re actively reviewing online threats and working on escalating where needed. If you see something, say something." - per Alt National Parks.

What does this mean: The 3.5% Rule or How a small minority can change the world
( excerpt )

2. 81% of U.S. adults say that if a federal court rules that an action is illegal, then Trump has to follow its ruling, per NBC poll. Among Trump supporters, 50% agree.

3. From limiting who can purchase most semiautomatic rifles on the market today to raising the minimum age to buy ammunition, Colorado Democrats in the Colorado legislature were busy this year imposing new gun regulations - specifically in the state of Colorado.

The 12 gun bills passed by the Colorado legislature this year and signed into law

4. Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of committing a sex crime by a jury in New York, more than a year after the state Supreme Court overturned his 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges. ( Read more... )

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/harvey-weinstein-guilty-retrial-sex-crime-new-york-rcna202460

5.The House approves four nominees to the governing board of the Office of Congressional Conduct, providing the board with enough members to operate and continue its role of investigating and uncovering misconduct by Congress members.

https://campaignlegal.org/update/win-ethics-clc-partners-succeed-preserving-office-congressional-conduct

6.Library of Congress employees uphold the Constitution’s separation of powers by not admitting two DOJ officials appointed by the president to lead the agency who have not been confirmed by the Senate.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/12/politics/library-of-congress-trump-justice-blanche?bt_ee=2QgjkqKxaHyuagkHOeb0m6RbI2h%2FZ9394%2B4e4zEovFoF9q%2BF2LTnhSUP%2BuXHEzeX&bt_ts=1747140898649

7.A federal court orders the administration to promptly facilitate contact between Widmer Josneyder Agelviz Sanguino and his lawyers after immigration enforcement illegally deported Sanguino to a notoriously abusive prison in El Salvador.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/venezuelan-man-admitted-us-refugee-sent-salvadoran-prison-rcna207642

8.Six weeks after being seized off the streets and detained under a false claim by DHS, doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk is released from ICE detention to resume her studies and live in the community while attorneys seek reinstatement of her visa.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/09/us/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-bail-release

9. Attorneys general from 20 states file two lawsuits against the administration over its threats to illegally withhold billions of congressionally allocated funds from states if they don’t meet federal immigration enforcement demands.

https://thehill.com/homenews/5298257-20-states-sue-trump-administration-grants-immigration-enforcement/

10. Colorado becomes the ninth state to pass a state-level Voting Rights Act into law.

https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/05/12/polis-signs-voting-rights-act-colorado/

11.Florida: A bill that would have required proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote fails to advance in the legislature.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/05/08/the-failed-florida-election-bill-that-angered-voting-rights-and-voting-integrity-advocates-alike/

( the rest )

Okay, I found 98 items. And I'm tired.

[I feel at times that reading through the news is akin to watching a television serial with a really annoying villain, and I keep thinking, come on writers, kill it already. But alas no, they kill off the characters I like instead. I want new writers. That said, it's not all doom and gloom, there's spots of good news in there - actually more good than bad if you know where to look - and depending on your perspective. I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer - and it's not only weirdly comforting for a horror series, but also made me a bit hopeful and optimistic.]

Good night and Good Luck all.

I'd cough you to sleep, but I think that would be a tad discomforting? So here's a photo of a flower instead:

On the day that a wannabe king held a military parade (allegedly) in favor of his seventy-ninth birthday [in reality it was for the Army's 250th Birthday and the army was in very poor spirits, shuffling down the road - they also protested in their own way by marching to Creedence Clearwater's Fortunate Son] - across the United States, in all fifty states and territories, and in and around Europe inclusive of London, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, etc, people marched and protested against the wannabe king, and all dictatorships, fascism and kings, peacefully, side by side, carrying signs and singing songs in protest. Shouting so all could be heard: This is what Democracy Looks Like!

Over 11 million [ETA: actual headcount is now 12.1 Million] or 3.5% of the overall population showed up in the US alone [as reported by Alt National Parks and those who counted on the ground and provided reports as they happened - they use drones, and handcounters apparently, and multiple by size of crowd and square footage of the area], more than any other protest on record in the United States. They marched in solidarity and peacefully. Waving signs. They marched in the rain. It was pouring in New York City and in the sixities. They marched in scorching heat, across the Southwest and in California and in Florida, and Mississippi, and Texas. Veterans marched up the Capital Steps, and elderly women from nursing homes came out in their wheelchairs and canes and walkers, to march in their small communities. They stood on sidewalks in Metropolitan DC waving signs, and along highways, in towns. They formed signs with their bodies along the beaches of California. And in Mountain Towns they shouted down the slopes. They came out in droves. Filling city blocks for as far the eye could see.

All chanting. No Kings. Impeach. Remove. This is What Democracy Looks Like.

From sea to shining sea. Every single State across the country showed up and protested the wannabe king. Every one.

While very few attended the military parade, which had prepared for 200,000 and got maybe 10,000 [ETA:8,900 was the official count, don't trust the broadcast news media - they are lying. It was 8,900.] if that. And many were people protesting it, discreetly.

NYC outdid itself, with about 25,000 by 9 am, after noon, it had risen to well over 50,000, among the largest protests in its history astonishing those who've gone to them. San Francisco got creative and made Human Banner that can be seen from the sky ...



The police stood silently by. Some helped and marched with them.



They protested in small towns across America. They protested on Long Island. They protested in Alaska. They protested in Boise, and they protested in Grand Rapids. They protested in Arizona and in Texas. They protested in Nashville, Tennessee, and Talahassee, Florida. They protested in Red States and in Blue States. They came out rain or shine.

The people came and stood shoulder to shoulder, shouting and waving signs.
No Kings! No Kings! No ICE! Everyone is legal here! This is what true Democracy Looks Like!

And those of us who watched, cheered them on, and were there in spirit if not in body.

Links:

NBC NEWS - No Kings Day Protests

ABC NEWS - No Kings

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2025/06/14/livestream-video-of-no-kings-protests-from-across-the-us-how-to-watch/84200645007/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-kings-day-demonstration-protest-rally-trump-military-parade/

ETA:Mid-year estimates: U.S. pop is 345,275,807. Which puts 12 million at 3.5 percent. (If 3.5% of the population protests continuously, studies state they win. )

ETA:*Note a No Kings Rally wasn't held in Washington DC - and held instead in Philly, which had over 100K show up. Also people did protest in DC, they stood on the sidewalks holding signs in the Metropolitan Area, and some went to the parade to protest discreetly, but bravely, making their voices heard.

ETA: per the headcounters in their towns - posting on FB, it's reliable. They were on the ground and counting and got it from their local outlets.
( the headcount in various cities, towns and villages across the US for the protests - pretty much all the towns and cities came out to protest on Saturday, regardless of weather. Do not trust the broadcast networks - they are run by corporations. )

Somewhat sleep deprived, but hanging in there?

I'm still in a reading slump. It may be somewhat affected by the amount of technical information I have to read at work daily on a computer screen. Very dry technical and legal information. Things like how many cubic yards of Permeable low-density cellular concrete (PLDCC) is required for a job, and what a credit should be in cost savings for not installing that many cubic yards. Add to that contractual information, which is a lot less interesting than the technical data, not to mention editing financial documentation and legal documentation.

Yeah, that may have an effect. And it probably explains why I am doing lots of fantasy audio books. Finished Crooked Kingdom - the sequel to "Six of Crows", which was a long, but ultimately satisfying conclusion to Six of Crows. I kind of fell for Kaz Brekker and Inej. The others, I was ambivalent about. Similar to the television series Shadow and Bone, actually. Although I think it would have been better if it had just focused on the Crows. The audio book works because it has different narrators for each characters perspective in the books, of which there are eight, two villains. Some are better than others - the Inej narrator is by far the best, and I kind of wish they were reading Kaz's pov instead of the guy reading Kaz's.

Struggled to find something to follow it with. Tried Peter Watts Blindside, a sci-fi novel about a group of oddities who are sent into space to confront an alien presence. Part philosophy, part morality, part hard sci-fi. It was dirt cheap, but also hard to listen to. The Narrator is good, but it's not holding my attention. Nor did Susannah Clark's follow up her popular novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel (which I also tried to read, gave up on, and watched the mini-series instead), Piransi. What is it about? I have no idea, I gave up after two chapters. Here's what I found on Google: ( Read more... ) Which I guess explains why I gave up on it? My brain has no room for it.

Finally decided on Graphic Audio Dramatization of another of the Kate Daniels novels, which basically have an entire cast - it's like listening to a radio play of your favorite books. And I've forgotten most of the story by now, so...

These are rather cheap - just cost me $9.99 a month. Because I have a subscription and with that you get a credit each month, and I had about five credits. So, I have about fifty books to listen to, plus free podcasts, etc.

Am plodding my way through Remarkable Creatures - I don't get why people recommended it as delightful and funny, and a happy book? Right now, it's very depressing, no one is happy, all the characters are trapped, frustrated, angry and lonely, and it just keeps jumping points of view. I thought it would just be two points of view? But noooo, it's about four to date. It may be more. Each time I think it's done with character pov, it adds another one. (Reminds me of Eternity Station in that respect, also GRR Martin). And outside of Tova and the octopus, I'm not really interested in them, and want to go back to Tova and the octopus. I've decided that maybe Cameron is Tova's missing son, but that doesn't quite work, so maybe not.
Look, I don't need to read a book - to get frustrated, trapped, angry and lonely...or mundane. Escapism it's not. We'll see how long I stick with this.

I'd read the Faire Folk book - but it's bigger, and not an e-book, so not conducive to reading on subways.