Ramblin' with Roger

July rambling: Kalshification of news

How Kalshi infects the news (Kalshification)

There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of centrists who bemoan “political polarization” and call for a politics that abandons the “tribalism of left and right.”

Incarcerated People Lose Treasured Media When Prisons Change Tablet Contracts

Why most Black Americans say they never fly the American flag, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

Charlie Chaplin – Final Speech from The Great Dictator

Capitalism vs. Socialism? Get Serious.

Texas Public School Students Will Be Required to Read the Bible. The state passed what may be the first state-mandated book list for public school students. It focuses on classic literature and includes Bible excerpts.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for a ban on data centers in rural areas.

Might as well

A list of resources for people and organizations involved in, or interested in, one or more operations for the 2030 Census.

May as Well Get COVID and Flu Shots on the Same Day, Study Says — Coadministration was not associated with an increased risk of side effects

The A.I.-Design Aesthetic That’s Taking Over the Internet. How Anthropic’s new tool, Claude Design, is creating overnight web-design clichés.

Street photographer Ray Di Pietro focuses his work sharply on his adopted hometown of Nashville. With little fanfare, he has attracted tens of thousands of devotees. His images are artfully composed, spontaneous, honest, and, well, kind.

George E. Johnson, Who Built a Black Hair-Care Empire, Dies at 99

What I Learned About Masculinity at Thai Kickboxing School

‘Navigating the unknown together’: me and my idiot AI boyfriend

‘Separate in name and power’: How America reinvented English

Every John Oliver Scene on General Hospital and his debut

The Empire State Plaza Fireworks show for 2026

David Brickman’s show of color photographs at McGreevy ProLab and ProPress

Witch Way to Victory? and The 18 Month Soccer Bet and Baseball’s Brady Bunch

The return of King George III

Forget Project 2025 — he is following the royal’s playbook

Declaring War on The Declaration

Justice Department subpoenas New York Times reporters over Air Force One reporting

From Vanity to Insanity: How the White House Cheated the American People Out of Their 250th Birthday and Fireworks Fiasco Descends Into Chaos

Arsonist in chief

Plans for racist renovations to the Smithsonian

Propaganda history trucks may soon visit your neighborhood

“Islamic Republic of Japan”?

DJT airport could spell doom for Palm Beach. Via Heather Delaney Reese: The agreement gives the Trump Organization control over which vendors can manufacture and sell merchandise at the airport. It gives Trump veto power over any biographical material displayed inside the building. A non-disparagement clause bars the airport from publishing anything that could tarnish his reputation. His own staff writes the version of his story that travelers see. And the trademark applications cover watches, jewelry, collectible coins, cufflinks, purses, backpacks, suitcases, umbrellas, tote bags, clothing, robes, neckties, belts, and plastic slippers designed for use at security checkpoints. They trademarked slippers at a public airport.

Air Force officer arrested at Capitol after calling for FOTUS impeachment, a civil-disobedience story

He Bought Hundreds of Stocks the Day Before He Paused Tariffs and Sparked a Historic Rally

His Dubious Promise to End Birthright Citizenship

Caught by gangland-style squeeze play/ Damned if they do, damned if they betray. (poem)

JD Vance appears most agitated because he believes America is engaged in a civilizational struggle — and it is losing.

MUSIC

The Washington National Cathedral marked the 250th anniversary of the United States with an interfaith service on July 3. Lifting themes of pluralism and the common good, We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident celebrates the nation’s ideals alongside an honest reckoning of its history and unfinished work.

250

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around) – Bonnie Tyler, described as a “husky-voiced powerhouse vocalist” who died this month.

Ballad of Orin score by Toru Takemitsu

Favorite Songs By Favorite Artists (Series Four) #8: Eric Dolphy

Overture to Pique Dame by Franz von Suppé

The New Christy Minstrels: The folk group that lasted for centuries

Coverville 1584: The Tears For Fears Cover Story III

My Life -Billy Joel (From the 100th — Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY-March 28, 2024)

Burn The Other End – Billy Strings

Feller From Fortune, set for chorus by Harry Somers

A sizzling mix for summer listening

The recliner

Midnight’s claws

When I was a kid, I saw reclining chairs in a handful of homes, and I thought they looked like 1) fun, but 2) something only “old” people would need.

Yet, at some point after we got married in 1999, we got a recliner; not immediately because we had zero money when my wife was in grad school, but possibly in 2005 or so. I decided that I loved the recliner.

Then in 2009, while riding my bike, I had a near-collision with an automobile, managing to break my rib. Now, I loved the recliner because it was the only way I could sleep.

But my wife got rid of the recliner. It’s because Midnight, our late cat, clawed the heck out of the upholstery. But, but, but… the chair still works! Can’t we just cover it? Sigh.

My MIL had a very nice recliner, which she had purchased for her husband when he got sick in the autumn of 2019; he died in early 2020. The chair moved with her from Oneonta, NY to her senior living center near Albany in 2021. But when she moved to another facility a couple of years later, she had far less room. So the recliner came to our place.

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

This one is much fancier than the previous recliner, with an electric switch that provides heat, massage, and more. It’s SoCozi; I mean, that’s the brand.

Plugging it in

Because it was getting warmer, my daughter (mostly) and I put the air conditioner into the living room window in mid-June. We couldn’t find the wooden blocks the AC sat on outside the window. But it seemed to be holding in place UNTIL my wife decided to sweep the front porch. The broom hit the porch swing, and the swing hit the AC.

The AC was reinstalled, but for no logical reason, the recliner got unplugged. Eventually – it was harder than you would think with my MIL’s stuff crammed in the area between the recliner and the AC -the plug was found. Once again, I can use the recliner, especially during my recent ailments. (You don’t know the half of it.)

This means, of course, that I AM an old person, which, as the cliché goes, beats the alternative.

Sunday Stealing Asks Your Name

What’s your name? Who’s your daddy?

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

Impetua loved a good meme and enjoyed playing this one. Let’s see if you feel the same.

Sunday Stealing Asks Your Name. What Is Your …

1. ROCK STAR NAME (current pet and first car)? Example: If you have a dog named Max and your first car was a Chevy Malibu, your rock star name would be Max Malibu.

This is incredibly difficult in that I have never owned a car. Moreover, I don’t remember makes or models of cars, including when I was growing up. Likewise, I know the make of our current auto, but not the model. (There was a recent NYT Connections; the only Pontiac I could name was the Firebird.) My ex, when I was in college, had a Volvo 140 series, I think? So I’m going with Stormy Amazon, because the previous line of Volvos included the Amazon.

2. RACECAR DRIVER NAME (the first names of your grandfathers)?

I had three of them, so Clarence McKinley Raymond. McKinley was interested in racecars.

The Guiding Light

3. SOAP OPERA NAME (your middle name, town you were born in)?

Owen Binghamton, which is a REALLY good soap name! I used to watch the soaps with my maternal grandmother and her sister after school (Edge of Night, Secret Storm) after elementary school.

4. WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM NAME (your parents’ middle names)?

Elizabeth Harold? Harold Elizabeth?

Actually, long ago, certainly by high school, I developed my spy name, which was George N. Rowen. It contains most of the letters of Roger Owen Green. Also, the name I was most likely mistakenly called was George. There’s some visual similarity between George and Roger, which made me think that when trying to remember someone’s name, certain people go through a mental Rolodex.

5. ROMANCE AUTHOR NAME (favorite flower, favorite season/holiday)?

Lilac Thanksgiving. OBVIOUSLY, I need to start writing romance novels.

Also, I need some name songs:

Time Of The Season – The Zombies

The Name Game – Shirley Ellis

I Got A Name – Jim Croce

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

Top-Selling R&B Singles for 1966

Everything’s Alright

These are the top-selling R&B singles for 1966. It’s heavy on Motown, Atlantic, and Stax, to no one’s surprise.

*This song reached #1 on the pop charts, so I linked to it a few days ago already

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – the Temptations (Gordy), 8 weeks at #1; also #13 pop. I LOVED the Tempts!

634-5789 (Soulsville USA) – Wilson Pickett (Atlantic), 7 weeks at #1; also #13

Uptight (Everything’s Alright) – Stevie Wonder (Tamla), 5 weeks at #1; also #3 pop for two weeks. My favorite Stevie song of the 1960s.

Beauty’s Only Skin Deep – the Temptations (Gordy), 5 weeks at #1; also #3 pop

*When A Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge (Atlantic), 4 weeks at #1; also #1 pop for two weeks

*You Keep Me Hangin’ On – the Supremes (Motown), 4 weeks at #1; also #1 pop for two weeks

Baby Scratch My Back– Slim Harpo (Excello), 2 weeks at #1; also #16 pop

It’s A Man’s, Man’s World – James Brown (King), 2 weeks at #1; also #8 pop

*You Can’t Hurry Love – the Supremes (Motown), 2 weeks at #1; also #1 pop for two weeks

*Reach Out, I’ll Be There – the Four Tops (Motown), 2 weeks at #1; also #1 pop for two weeks

(I Know) I’m Losing You – the Temptations (Gordy), 2 weeks at #1; also #8 pop

#1 RB for 1 week

A Sweet Woman Like You – Joe Tex (Dial); also #29 pop

Get Ready – the Temptations (Gordy); also #29 pop

Hold On! I’m A Comin’ – Sam & Dave (Stax); also #21 pop

Let’s Go Get Stoned – Ray Charles (ABC); also #31 pop

Blowin’ In The Wind – Stevie Wonder (Tamla); also #9 pop

Land Of 1000 Dances – Wilson Pickett (Atlantic); also #6 pop

Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing – Lou Rawls (Capitoll); also #13 pop

Knock On Wood – Eddie Floyd (Stax); also #28 pop

Workin’ in a Coal Mine

20 years ago

I wrote a blog post in late spring 2006, titled Workin’ In A Coal Mine, about the NY Small Business Development Center’s move from 41 State Street in downtown Albany to Corporate (frickin’) Woods. But I never seemed to have published it, as it was still in the draft folder. The next paragraph is the wording of one of those damn self-evaluation forms we were supposed to have filled out in the midst of this chaos.

JOB-RELATED FACTORS: Outline factors affecting the employee’s performance, such as technical and human relations skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills, work commitment, and time management, which need to be strengthened during this performance period.

Early in May 2006, (library dDarrin Conroy and I stood in front of a group of SBDC advisors at the annual conference and told them how much better we at the Research Network would be at responding to their needs. The vacancy caused by Mary Beth Bobish’s departure would be filled by Amelia Birdsall. We were going to send information electronically.

Then we moved to 22 Corporate Woods Blvd.

The whole first week we were without e-mail, largely without phone. I wish I had kept track of the different messages we’ve sent to the advisors. Send requests by RN e-mail. No, we can’t access our own RN e-mail. Oh, now we can. Call our personal numbers. Oh, finally our RN number is working. Voice mail messages with requests sent on May 19 were accessible three or four weeks later. I hope we don’t lose some of our advisors who use our services amid this flurry of constantly changing directions.

Ugh

The technology in other aspects, from LAN access to the availability of copiers and printers, was also suspect. The promise of “white noise” to block conversation was laughable; while it tended to put me to sleep in the afternoon – thus the NEED for music and the headphones – I hear LOTS of talk not directed to me.

So, I’m in this soulless, boring venue. Isolated, too – you’d think so if you walked home, as I did on day two. The techno-foibles were just an added bonus.

I’m hoping our new location will not negatively affect our ability to get interns from SUNY here. And I hope the constant snafus they’ve had to endure do not translate into bad word of mouth.

On the other hand, I thought the survey we put out was useful not only for ascertaining the direction of the Research Network, but also for providing the advisors with a sense that their needs are being considered.

Working In The Coal Mine – Lee Dorsey