The World Today

I suppose at any point in time the world is a crazy and turbulent place. There are always wars and natural disasters. Prince William and Prince Harry are still at odds.

• The election is a month away. Who knows who will win? I think the race is close. The choices are unbearable. Harris or Trump? That's the best the most powerful nation on earth can do? I am voting (via mail) for the lesser of two evils because one of the evils is truly evil (Trump/Vance). There have been two attempts on Trump's life. I won't say what I want to say. Greater good.
• Conservative columnist George Will once wrote (referring to presidents), "we can survive anyone for 4 years." I don't like Harris, but we can survive 4 years of her. I don't think we can survive 4 more years of Trump. I voted for him twice before, but since the last election he's gone off the deep end (along with a lot of his followers). The man wants to be a dictator and tear down our country as we know it.
• I'm still a Republican, but only so I can vote in the primaries. I consider myself to be an independent. Trump (and his supporters) have highjacked the Republican Party. Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave. But, the Democratic Party doesn't get my support either. Too liberal.
• Jimmy Carter recently celebrated his 100th birthday. Wow! I don't think he was the best president, but I admire him for all he's done in his lifetime. All the other president's saluted him, save the dumb ass (Trump).
• Hurricane Helene has devastated Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee and other places. The mountains of all places. It's the worst hurricane since Katrina (in 2005). So much loss of life and property. It will take years of recovery. Some may never recover. Dolly Parton has donated $1 million (plus) to the cause. Michael Jordan's NASCAR team has donated $1 million. The NFL has donated $8 million. So glad, some rich people are stepping up. Time for more to ante up:  Lebron James, Taylor Swift, Tiger Woods, Oprah, the NBA - are you listening?
  
• The wars in the Ukraine and Israel continue. For political reasons, the US usually chooses sides: Ukraine (against Putin's Russia) and Israel (against HAMAS). Republicans agree with supporting Israel. Democrats agree with supporting Ukraine. The Republicans are especially hypocritical, condemning our support of the Ukraine, but saying nothing about how much money we spend (and have spent) in Israel. I align with the Democrats on this one.
• Rapper and music mogul P Diddy (Sean Combs) aka Puff Daddy is in jail. The charges:  years, no decades of sexual abuse. Supposedly his parties were not only wild, but criminal. Many A list celebrities will probably be caught in the net. And they should be. They either participated in or tolerated the abuse. At one point, Diddy was on suicide watch. He would be doing everyone a favor if he did it. On the other hand, he might be needed to get the rest of the guilty parties.
• I always thought that Justin Bieber was sexually and emotionally abused. He was certainly exploited. It's so unfortunate that he got caught up in the Rap/Hip Hop industry. It chewed him up and spit him out as if he was a piece of shit. Now that he's a father, I only hope that he can find some normalcy and happiness in his life. I remember when Niall Horan in his Britain's Got Talent audition said he wanted to be like Justin Bieber. He's so lucky he's not. He's found success as a solo artist (I like him a lot) and seems to have gotten to his 30's with his morality intact.
• The next round of Major League playoffs begins today. The O's were swept in the wild card round. The Nats haven't been in the playoffs since the year they won the World Series (2019). I'm rooting for the underdogs:  Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers. I want the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, and Phillies to all go down. I hate teams that buy their success. Fingers crossed.
• The Nationals ended the 2024 season in a horrific manner (they went 31 innings without scoring a run) and wound up with same record as last year, 72-90. At times they showed promise with their cadre of young talent:  CJ Abrams, James Wood, Dylan Crews, etc. Pitching is definitely improving with the likes of MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irwin, DJ Herz, and Mitchell Parker -- and top prospects waiting in the wings. Not sure if the Nats will contend next year or not. It's hard being a Nats fan. They traded away my favorite player: Lane Thomas. I understand why, but I don't like it. You're not just a fan of the team, you're a fan of specific players.
• The Redskins (aka Washington Commanders) are finding early success. They are 3-1. Their rookie quarterback (Jayden Daniels) is setting some records and turning some heads. Hope he stays healthy and focused. Wouldn't it be nice to have a decent football team to root for in DC again.? That would make my nephew Kevin very happy.
• So many celebrities died recently:  Maggie Smith, Kris Kristopherson, Pete Rose, John Amos (Good Times), John Aston (Taggert in Beverly Hills Cop movies), and Drake Hogestyn (Days of Our Lives). Poor Pete Rose never got into the Hall of Fame. I can't believe sexy John Black (DOOL) is gone. Sadly the actor who portrayed him (for decades) lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at age 70.

My world

• Next week I will put the rams in with the ewes. I am breeding 39 ewes. I might try to sell a few bred ewes to cut the flock back. My friend Steffanie and I bought two new rams:  Thunder and Lightening. We bought them from an online sale from North Carolina State University. I'll also be using a homegrown ram to breed some ewes.
• I have two litters of bunnies about 10 days old (NZR and SF) and two more litters (NZW and SF) due this weekend. Two other litters (NZR and NZW) are in the grow-out stage. All six does are in production.
• My two Nigerian Dwarf does have four kids among them. I need to sell the triplets: two wethers and a doe. The other wether (single) gets to stick around. Everybody likes him. His name is Ramen (Gabby named him). I need to figure out how to get the two does bred again.
• Next week I will be going to Virginia State University to do a field day. It will be a reunion, too, with colleagues I haven't seen in awhile. I'll be taking the kitten (K.C.) along with me. My friend Dahlia is getting him for her son. K.C. will have a good home. My friends and I will see each other again when we do a field day at Delaware State University at the end of the month.
• I've been spending a lot of time on the computer (and this blog) lately. I like writing. I've got more than 18,000 pictures on Flickr, not to mention pictures in other places. I decided to use this blog to create digital scrapbooks of my travels and showcase my best pictures. It's been fun looking back at old pictures and trips. I've been so many places. I've taken so many pictures.
• I'm looking forward to new seasons (or episodes) of the Lincoln Lawyer, Outer Banks, Cobra Kai, Virgin River, and Outlander. It takes so long for the new seasons to air that you forget how the last show ended.
• Mom and I continue to go on our drives. The last one was along the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. We ended up in Charlestown. Last Sunday, we visited friends Craig and Jennifer. Craig's mom, who I called Mrs. G, was like a grandmother to me. She passed 10 years ago. Since her death, we've become close with Craig and Jennifer. We try to visit at least once per year. Tomorrow, we're supposed to visit dear friends Ron and Sheila.
• I've been doing some cooking lately. I see recipes on Facebook. If they call for chicken, I substitute rabbit. If they call for ground beef, I use ground lamb. Recently, I made crock pot lasagna, pot pie, and a spring pesto pasta. Mom loves them, especially since casseroles always have leftovers. Another one of her favorites is meat loaf with macaroni and cheese. A Bob Evans recipe. Next, I want to try making meatballs.
• My trip to Maine with Ty was great. I finally got to see Acadia National Park. Ty was an excellent travel companion. I loved having him along. I won't hesitate to take him on another trip.
• I'm not sure what trip(s) I will take next year. It all depends on who (if anybody) goes with me. The short list still includes Scotland (Highlands), Iceland, California, and Newfoundland. Ty and I might go back to Maine or somewhere else on a road trip. I forgot how much I like road trips.
• Zak died almost exactly four years ago. I still miss him. I frequently call Ty Zak. It's been hard accepting Ty for what he is (nothing like Zak). He's so bouncy. Where Zak was calm, Ty is anxious. I lost Crissy 7 months ago. I miss her. I might have opted to keep the kitten (K.C.) if he'd been a girl. I miss Crissy's girl personality. In a few months, it will be five years since Max died. Max was my favorite all-time cat and pet. My beloved Max. I see his picture first thing every morning from across my bed.
• A few months ago, Oliver was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism at age 4. Max got it when he was older. Not sure what's going on with Oliver. His age is way outside the norm, and the last time his blood was tested, his T4 was low. He'll be retested in January. Other than vomiting (too) frequently, he's doing fine. Feisty, as ever. Cash is 1.5 now. He comes for cuddles in the mornings and nights when I'm in bed. He stands on me. I have to force him to lie down. He doesn't realize how big he is. He loves being petted and stroked. I didn't introduce the kitten to either of them, since he'll be leaving. The only time he got loose, Ty went after him.
• It's hard to believe that Dad has been gone five and a half years. He died April 14, 2019. Palm Sunday. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him. I am so much like him. We had so much in common. We were interested in the same things. He is greatly missed by all of us. At the same time he died, my brother and his family became "dead" to me. I haven't seen my brother or niece since Dad died. I saw his wife once about four years ago. I won't say what I think of any of them. I'm sure these five and a half years will turn into many more years. Our family is not unique in having estranged family members. Sadly it seems to be the norm. On the plus side, Mom recently reconnected with Aunt Ginny. They have spoken on the phone a few times. Ginny has been hospitalized a few times recently. This caused me to reach out to Gina, Ginny's daughter. I'm so happy for Mom. Maybe, one day I will reconnect with my brother's family. Not holding my breath.