Category Archives: Uncategorized

Trump Threatens a U.S. Exit from the World’s Mail System

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‘Trump Is Having His Own Brexit’: The Race to Prepare for a Potential U.S. Exit From the World’s Mail System

Illustration by Joe Magee for TIME

BY ABIGAIL ABRAMS 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

As an American, Jeanne Glenz prizes her right to vote. But, because she lives near Munich with her German husband, exercising that right isn’t always easy. This year, it could get even harder, depending on the results of an obscure international meeting scheduled to take place in Geneva on Sept. 24-25. If the Trump Administration doesn’t get what it wants at that summit, the United States is set to withdraw from an arcane treaty that governs global mail delivery—leaving commercial shippers and military mail managers fretting, and election officials concerned that millions of overseas Americans will struggle to cast a vote.

You can read the full article HERE.

Fall Color: Flower of the Day, Sept 21, 2019

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For Cee’s FOTD

Earth Bound

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What we braved to reach Sanderson’s Store.

 

Earth Bound

Autumn is myopic—blinded by fallen leaves—
yet under its blindfold, a suppressed serpent heaves.
Winter seeks to placate beneath comforter of snow,
but what the serpent dreams of no mortal mind can know.

Those qualms of lying dormant under the frozen banks
may be released in springtime, when nature earns our thanks
by mopping up the snow flow and pushing out the flowers,
covering the naked limbs with buds and leaves and bowers.

The world so carefully balanced between its two extremes
that each and every moment is much more than it seems.
The coin of life that’s minted by a larger mind
may in microcosm seem to have us in a bind.

That great hand of nature flipping the coin at will.
One side giving birth while the other’s sure to kill.
This irony of opposites that ties us to this ground
is the majesty of nature––both cruel and profound.

Prompt words today are autumn, myopic, placate, qualm and mop.

Friday Fun: Comic Cats

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Mexico, 2002, Lulu teaching Annie how to climb the screen door.

For Friday Fun: Comic

Stacked

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One out of every two stacks in my house involves cats. Paper stacks are prevalent, as well. Then there is that fridge!

A Photo a Week Challenge: Stacked

Double Identity

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IMG_3308Double Identity

Sometimes she’s  an angel. At other times a witch.
There is no way to know when her personae’s going to switch.
When an angel, she’s gregarious, obedient and sexy,
but during her more bitchy days, she’s silent, dark and hexy.
No x-ray can determine which one she’s going to be.
There is no test to indicate which one she’s going to see
when she wakes up each morning and stumbles to the mirror
to see which one she’ll be today–the feared one or the dearer.
I’m always the first one to see what side of her will win,
for each day the face she chooses is the one that I’ll be in!

 

Prompt words for today are switch, gregarious, obedient, indicate and x-ray.

Beau on the First Amendment

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Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 9.12.12 PM

 

Well, Beau’s steaming and this time it’s regarding the first amendment. Forgottenman has published a link on his blog. You can find it HERE.

Flower of the Day, Sept 18, 2019

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For Cee’s FOTD

Pull up a Seat, Week 36

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Tlaquepaque Mexico, 2019 jdb photo Click on any photo to enlarge all.

For Xingful Mama’s Pull up a Seat Challenge. Week 36

Information Overload

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IMG_1309Information Overload

I garner information in the library from books.
Determine facts from faces––from grimaces and looks,
antagonistic letters and notes pinned up on fridges,
in the garden, piles of dirt and lawn pushed up in ridges.

But all the little signals the world puts out today 
are more complicated than they were in Grandma’s day.
Emails, texts and messages sent us through the air
sometimes are just more than one person’s meant to bear.

In light of all this input, I’m afraid I’m going to snap,
so I think I’ll grant me clemency and go down for a nap.
Skype, WhatsApp and Facebook can’t intrude upon my sleeping.
I’m safe away from “to do” tasks and all the world’s sad weeping.

Sleep gives retreat from telephones and all that information
that’s leading me to bouts of excessive consternation.
It’s the one place left to hide, or so, at first, it seems
until I get there and I have to put up with my dreams!

The prompt words for today are library, clemency, antagonistic, garnered and continued.