Connie and I were celebrating her mother’s 91st birthday in Prescott this last week so a bit thin on ye ol’ dispatch today. Here are a few of her images from our vehicle of the big sky (shot from Fain Road) of the Verde Valley with the Black Hills of Yavapai County in the background. Tucked away on Mingus Mountain, going down the other side, is the mining town of Jerome.
Quote for the day from Boog Highberger, Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from LFK: “Jeff Bezos, upon descending from his trip to the edge of space yesterday, reconfirmed his commitment to fighting climate change.” In related news, Bob Smith, after drinking a 30-pack of Coors Lite in 37 minutes, reconfirmed his commitment to staying sober.
1.
Just a reminder that Rand Paul will say anything to get some publicity. The Washington Post’s Fact Checker examined Paul’s previous claim that Fauci had overseen NIH funding of gain-of-function research in Wuhan and found it to be exaggerated and misleading, awarding it “Two Pinocchios.” That’s big-nose lies for you young’uns…
To be fair, Josh Rogin, a columnist for the Washington Post proposed that “Both men were playing to the cameras, but many scientists think Paul actually does know what he’s talking about. One of them is Rutgers University microbiologist and biosafety expert Richard Ebright, whom Paul quoted as saying this research ‘matches, indeed epitomizes the definition of gain of function research.’ “
So many experts, so little time.
2.
On the other end of the human spectrum, there was a short and sweet interview in the Sunday New York Times Magazine with Jane Goodall.
“I sometimes think it is like an experiment which has culminated in this strange, confused creature that is human beings, and we seem to be lost. Who are we? What are we? Why are we here? I don’t know what the meaning of life is. The meaning of my life is to give people hope because without hope you give up.”
3.
“Unfortunately, a mask shields our humanity, and because God created us in His image, we are masking that image.” So says the Resurrection School in Lansing, Michigan. The Washington Post reported that, “The school’s lawsuit argued that in addition to physically blocking God’s image, face coverings make people anti-social and interfere with relationships. The Catholic faith teaches that people are relational beings and that these relationships mirror the relationship between God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit — believed to be three people, but one God.”
4.
Best headline in a major newspaper (Washington Post): Paul Gosar was a beloved dentist. Now he’s a MAGA congressman. His former patients need a spit bowl.
“It’s really awful,” said Joseph Harte, a retired Episcopal priest who had a tooth yanked by Gosar. “To think of him putting his hands in my mouth just gives me the creeps.”
In the meantime, Nick Fuentes, the leader of a white nationalist group referring to the name of his movement, a group that aims to preserve white, Christian identity and culture, has stated, “There is some hope, maybe, for America First in Congress, and that is thanks to — almost exclusively — to (Arizona) Representative Paul Gosar.”
…except for this…
I'm getting really weary of 'masking' my humanity with clothes. Preparing a vow...
I read it…..can I like it? 🤮. When Jane Goodall feels she has lost her way, what hope do any of us have. I’ve been doing a whole lot of TWD (thinking while driving) will share before I forget it all.