Its election time!

The mid-term elections are right around the corner, and while elections always matter, this one feels like it is more consequential than any in recent memory. 

It seems clear that our country will go through another change as a result of the outcome: either we slide further into some sort of dictatorship OR we see the pendulum start to swing back toward a middle ground.

I'm hopeful that the latter option shall come to pass and we can move forward with better days ahead.  

But to get there, we need to ensure that EVERYONE we know gets out and votes.  Its important to not take this for granted, and to take action!  So get people you know motivated and VOTE BLUE.  

Let's get the next phase started. Of course, we will still have a ways to go, but at last we can be on a different path than we are today.

An enjoyable show

I've been watching Tucci's tour of Italy on Disney+, and I am finding it most enjoyable.  Yes, the food aspects are fun, but its so much more.  Tucci takes on cultural aspects and human interest stories that are timely and topical.

A few examples: he talks about a same-sex couple that adopted a boy, but can't get the country to recognize that they are the parents due to some recent law changes.  There's a story about immigrant communities in an ever-changing landscape, and how everyone comes together to get to know one another by sharing foods from their homelands. And there are threads of Italy's history under Mussolini that are presented from the point of view of people living in the country.  

It's worth a watch IMHO

The joys of scientific discovery

There is a group of people, in cooperation with Purdue University, looking for Amelia's Earhardt's plane.  They've poured over the transmissions, satellite images, maps, and other available data and they thought they had a lead.

Among the reasons were a satellite image that looked like maybe it was a plane, and a transmission fragment where Earhardt says "New York" ... and a shipwreck for the SS Norwich was found nearby. So maybe she was giving a location in a way?

The researchers went in cautiously optimistic, but same up empty.  The "plane" turned out to be fallen trees. And there was no evidence to support her having been on the island.

The researchers were disappointed, but took it in stride, and will examine what they did find to try and learn something about our oceans and how things flow through them. And they will continue to look for the plane.

Maybe they came up empty, but they are still learning something, and attempting to solve a nearly 100 year old mystery.

Bride-to-be calls off wedding, invites homeless to her reception | 13newsnow.com

This happened a while ago but it’s a great story.  In short, the woman thought that the money she already spent on the wedding shouldn’t be wasted, and the food should do some good. 

So she invited 150 homeless people to attend what would have been her reception, arranged for them to get clothes to get dressed up, and bussed them to the venue. 

I live everything about how this turned out in that sense. 

https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/bride-to-be-calls-off-wedding-invites-homeless-to-her-reception/291-456685013

Short video here. 

https://www.cincinnati.com/videos/news/humankind/2017/07/17/bride-invites-homeless-reception-after-wedding-called-off/103767290/

In 1864, a photographer captured haunting photos of the last living soldiers from the Revolutionary War. - Upworthy

This is an interesting look at 6 of the revolutionary war veterans who sat for a photo (a new invention!) and told their story to an author. 

And intriguing that this happened during the civil war. 

https://www.upworthy.com/in-1864-a-photographer-captured-haunting-photos-of-the-last-living-soldiers-from-the-revolutionary-war-ex1/

Super Bowl prediction is shaping up

At week 5, we see the teams that are emerging with the highest point differential. 

In a few weeks, some of these teams will differentiate themselves. 

But as of right now, the 49ers, jaguars, Vikings, and chiefs are standouts. 

Context: https://bitchindave.blogspot.com/2026/02/super-bowl-predictions.html

Disney Springs Enforces Dress Code Ban And Then Apologizes After Telling Guests To Turn Their Logos Inside Out

There was this weird - and poorly written! - story last week about a dress code enforcement issue at Disney springs. 

Apparently, there was some kind of meeting of police officers from around the state at a local hotel. And some wandered over to Disney springs wearing polos with their police department name on it. 

And Disney police told them they couldn’t enter, unless they took off their polos, or turned them so that the logo couldn’t be seen.  

Their rationale was that a group of officers might cause some kind of panic among the guests. 

Cue the stupidity. Dumb rhetoric and idiots scoring imaginary points for their cause. 

Then the Lieutenant governor for Florida steps in, meets with Disney (and tells them they are just wrong)..

And Disney apologizes and tells the police they are welcome. 

Sheesh. What a strange world we live in. 

https://www.thetravel.com/disney-springs-enforces-dress-code-ban-police-told-to-turn-their-logos-inside-out/