pa lib blogs

Senator McCormick Responds

David — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:30:30 -0400

I received this last weekend. This is the first chance I've had to blog about it.

On March 12, 2026, I pondered this:

Maybe we can get a comment out of our pair of Pennsylvania Senate bipartisans on how, during Donald Trump's war on Iran, a school filled with school children was demolished by a US Tomahawk missile.

Well exactly one month later (see above, this was last week), I received exactly one response from one of our Pennsylvania Senators. Sen. Fetterman, where are you on this?

This is how Sen McCormick responded:

On February 28, 2026, U.S. and Israeli forces commenced military operations against Iran during which a strike occurred at or near the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab. The school is located adjacent to the Sayyid al-Shuhada military complex, which serves as the headquarters of the IRGC Navy’s Asif Brigade and is a key operational site near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media has reported approximately 165 fatalities, most of them girls between the ages of seven and twelve, along with their teachers. U.S. Central Command has acknowledged reports of civilian casualties and has announced an investigation.

I am deeply proud of America’s military men and women and how they conduct themselves with honor every day. The loss of innocent life, especially that of children, is a tragedy. As a former servicemember, I take reports of civilian harm very seriously. At this stage, it is important to allow the military’s investigative process to proceed before drawing final conclusions. The U.S. Armed Forces have maintained established legal and operational procedures for assessing incidents of this nature, and it would be premature to render judgment before those processes are complete. I expect the Administration to be fully transparent with Congress and the American people once the investigation concludes.

So he acknowledges the event (and states that it's a tragedy) but holds off going any further, stating that reaching any "final conclusions" until the military has completed its investigation would be premature.

That's a disappointment, what is he expecting the military investigation to find? The school wasn't destroyed? It wasn't a US Tomahawk missile?

Let's move on to see what else Sen McCormick could have said (but chose not to):

Reuters:

U.S. military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion or completed their investigation, ‌two U.S. officials told Reuters.

Sen McCormick does say that he "expects" the Trump administration to be "fully transparent" about this investigation.

Does Sen McCormick even understand what the phrase "Trump administration" means? How many Inspectors General did he fire in the first week of this administration? What does the term "transparency" mean to an administration that's playing fast and lose with the Epstein files?

But I digress. Perhaps I am being paranoid (Paranoia, that kinky destroyer.), perhaps not.

Let's take a larger look at the framework around that investigation.

The Reiss Center on Law and Security, at NYU Law school, hosts Just Security, an "editorially independent, non-partisan, daily digital law and policy journal" wrote:

In our research, we found that the prevailing command environment can significantly shape both the scope and outcome of an investigation. This environment is expressed through formal and informal signals of a commander’s intent. One retired military member interviewed reflected that, “the command environment is going to shape what the commander deems worthy of inquiry.”

In the case of the Minab school strike, it is appropriate and expected that the Pentagon has announced a formal investigation. However, it is also important to consider the command environment created by senior military leaders. Secretary of Defense Hegseth has famously denounced “stupid rules of engagement.” He has spoken of giving “no quarter” in Iran, an approach that is specifically prohibited under international humanitarian law. In the context of the Minab strike, he has repeatedly made comments stressing that the United States does not target civilians. However, deliberately targeting civilians should not be the threshold for serious concern and inquiry into civilian harm events, nor is it required for an incident to constitute a violation of IHL or war crime. Recklessly doing so, or killing civilians through gross negligence, could also rise to that level.

So there's that.

In any event, Sen McCormick pivots to the real villains here:

The Department of Defense’s process for investigating reports of civilian casualties stands in sharp contrast to the regime in Tehran, which has a record of targeting civilian infrastructure and population centers across the region. Iran has also consistently placed military assets, such as missile launchers, drone systems, and command facilities, within densely populated areas, including neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals. The IRGC’s use of civilian areas for military purposes appears intended to complicate lawful military operations and to exploit resulting casualties for propaganda. I unequivocally condemn the use of civilian sites to shield military activity, as well as any attacks that deliberately target civilians across the Middle East.

Let's assume that everything Dave wrote above is true (and let's face it, this is Iran we're talking about - that's not a big assumption) and that Iran is guilty of setting the IRGC buildings and the school so close together that the latter is, in fact, a "shield" for the former.

Doesn't change things much.

This is from Article 57 of the Geneva Conventions:

1. In the conduct of military operations, constant care shall be taken to spare the civilian population, civilians and civilian objects.
2. With respect to attacks, the following precautions shall be taken:

(a) those who plan or decide upon an attack shall:
(i) do everything feasible to verify that the objectives to be attacked are neither civilians nor civilian objects and are not subject to special protection but are military objectives within the meaning of paragraph 2 of Article 52 and that it is not prohibited by the provisions of this Protocol to attack them;
(ii) take all feasible precautions in the choice of means and methods of attack with a view to avoiding, and in any event to minimizing, incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects;
(iii) refrain from deciding to launch any attack which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated;

But yea, let's avoid saying anything until the investigation from the department headed by Sec Hegseth releases its final report, avoiding saying anything about what Hegseth has said about these rules of engagement:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made contempt for what he calls “stupid rules of engagement” — limits meant to reduce risks to civilians — central to his political identity, and has boasted that he unleashed the military to use “maximum authorities on the battlefield” in the Iran war.
“Our warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly,” Mr. Hegseth said at a briefing four days after the war started. “Our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it.”
This and similar statements are now the backdrop to a body of evidence that the destruction of an Iranian elementary school during the opening hours of the war was likely caused by an American missile strike. The preliminary finding of an ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States was responsible, The New York Times has reported.

Senator, you can do better than this. At least you should.

The letter:

Senator McCormick Responds! TWICE!!

David — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:22:22 -0400

Let me clarify - I got the same email response twice. One about 2 minutes after the other.

So it's just one response, sent twice.

Just to clarify.

He starts:

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the United States military strikes on Iran and the ongoing conflict in the region. Your feedback is essential as we work together to shape policies that benefit Pennsylvania and our country, and I recognize that many Pennsylvanians hold strong and differing views on this issue.

Ok, so it's about Iran.

I've already asked the senator about Iranian school destroyed by a US Tomahawk cruise missile and here is his response.

And here's how he characterizes our current situation in Iran:

After giving the Iranian regime until off ramps through peace negotiations, on February 28, 2026, the United States, in coordination with Israel, conducted a series of precision military strikes targeting elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, military assets, and senior regime leadership. These strikes resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior IRGC officials. The Administration has stated that these operations were conducted in response to Iran’s continued advancement of its nuclear and missile programs and its longstanding support for terrorist proxy forces that threaten the United States, Israel, and partners throughout the Middle East.

My heart goes out to the families of the American servicemembers who have lost their lives. Their courage and sacrifice in defense of our nation will never be forgotten, and we must remain steadfast in supporting those who serve in uniform.

Of course this is the case. However let's remember that more than 100 children were killed by a US Tomahawk missile.

[As I was writing this blogpost, I received from the senator's office a response to that bombing - so we'll note that and move on. I'll address this latest letter letter.]

The senator continued:

I believe the President acted within his constitutional authority, consistent with the War Powers Resolution of 1973, and following precedents set by administrations of both parties. The President has a responsibility to protect American national security interests, defend our allies, and respond to direct threats when necessary. Members of Congress were briefed in advance of these operations as well as after they commenced, in compliance with US law, and I expect the Administration to continue providing regular updates so Congress can fulfill its oversight responsibilities.

Let's put some context into the whole "Members of Congress were briefed..." part as it requires a lot of context.

From Time:

The White House said that the so-called Gang of Eight, the bipartisan group of top House and Senate leaders and intelligence committee chairs who are briefed on the nation’s most sensitive security matters, were notified by Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly before the strikes began. Administration officials had also briefed congressional leadership and intelligence committee heads earlier in the week on escalating tensions with Iran. But those notifications fell short of formal authorization from Congress, which the Constitution assigns the power to declare war under Article 1.

And:

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer added in a statement that the Trump Administration had not provided “critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat,” urging Congress to reconvene quickly to reassert its constitutional role.
Many rank-and-file lawmakers from both parties echoed that message and told TIME this week that they had received little information about the Administration’s objectives or legal rationale before the strikes were carried out, reinforcing complaints that Congress was again being asked to respond to military action after the fact rather than debate it beforehand.

So if, when the senator wrote "Members of Congress were briefed in advance..." you thought (as I suppose the senator wanted you to think) that all members of Congress were fully briefed, you'd be wrong.

Imagine how would it have looked had Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick instead written:

Only some members of Congress were briefed but with incomplete information.

Which one is closer to the truth? And which one did my senator go with ?

See my point?

Then there's this:

I support President Trump’s efforts to hold Iran accountable, eliminate the growing threat it poses, and commend the close coordination with Israel and regional partners. The Iranian regime has the blood of Americans, our allies, and its own people on its hands. For decades, the ayatollahs have threatened our destruction and funded global terror. In my view, these strikes represent a necessary response to a regime that has continued to advance its nuclear ambitions and support violent proxy forces. President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign is hitting hard and the regime is crumbling: its economy is in ruins, its military decimated, and its people are rising up. The United States and our allies must continue to squeeze.

There is no doubt about the crimes committed by the Iranian regime (on its own people, on others). They are not guiltless. But this does not excuse any misdeeds by the United States.

For example, I asked both Pennsylvania Senators about Trump's threatened war crimes and have yet to receive a response. Is the threat of wiping out a whole civilization just simply a "maximum pressure campaign" as the senator characterizes it?

But isn't genocide a war crime, Senator? That's what he threatened.

You never seem to answer that question, sir. Why not?

The letter:

Reaching Out To Pennsylvania Senators (Again)

David — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:33:28 -0400

This time, it's about this:

The New York Times points out:

Under the Geneva Conventions, striking power plants and bridges that are used primarily by civilians is off limits; they are not considered military targets. Administration officials are already beginning to make the argument that hitting them would not be a war crime because they are also crucial to the missile and nuclear programs. But that loophole could apply to almost any piece of civilian infrastructure, even water supplies.

The Protocol I, Article 54 (of the Geneva Convention) states:

It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works, for the specific purpose of denying them for their sustenance value to the civilian population or to the adverse Party, whatever the motive, whether in order to starve out civilians, to cause them to move away, or for any other motive.\

So let me ask a straightforward question, Senator.

Do you think what President Donald Trump threatened constitutes a war crime?

If so, why?

If not, why not?

Contact Senator Dave McCormick

Contact Senator John Fetterman

Senator McCormick Responds!

David — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 09:33:55 -0400

Yes, I got an email response from Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick.

I'm just unsure as to what he's responding.

Let's take a look at what he wrote (full image of his text will be posted at the bottom of this page).

After a few paragraphs of introduction, the senator wrote:

At the Pentagon, Secretary Hegseth has prioritized restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence. I share these goals and intend to do my part as a U.S. Senator to further them.

Our military faces its most precarious moment since the Cold War. The United States and our unmatched network of allies and partners are confronting a new axis of authoritarian aggressors. It is critical to shift our focus away from previously proposed inflation-adjusting budget cuts, DEI initiatives, and climate change programs, and instead prioritize lethality and deterrence in the next generation of warfare. Our adversaries have a clear plan to reshape the U.S.-led international order and are rapidly advancing critical military technologies. Our response must be equally focused and resolute.

Now, let's go see to what this is a response.

There's this letter from December 8, 2025, wherein I asked:

I'll point out again that you took an oath when you became Senator to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic" and, as you know, that's basically the same oath all officers in the United States Army take.
I'll make this week's questions simple.
Did Secretary Hegseth (or anyone under his command) commit war crimes by ordering the destruction of any of those alleged cartel boats in the Caribbean? This would include the story as reported in the media of the killing the two people clinging to the already destroyed boat.

That seems a little both a little too long ago (almost 4 months!) and a bit too specific for a general defense of Hegseth response.

Maybe it's this from March 15, 2026 (only 20 days ago), wherein I asked:

In a discussion about Trump's war on Iran, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said (among many other things) this:
With every passing hour, we know and we know [Iran knows], that the military capabilities of their evil regime are crumbling. They can barely communicate, let alone coordinate; they're confused and we know it.

Our response? We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.
It's that "no quarter" that's troubling.

And I go on to point out the potential war crime that might be threatening.

That seems closer.

SecDef/War Hegseth is mentioned more or less in passing in this blogpost from March 12, 2026. That blogpost was more about a letter signed by most of the Democrats in the Senate (though not Senator Fetterman) demanding an investigation into destruction of a elementary school in Iran by a US Tomahawk missile.

So it's probably not that one, either. But it's probably the one in the middle.

So think of that - when asked about Hegseth's threatened possible war crimes, Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick defends him by pointing out how he (Hegseth) "has prioritized restoring the warrior ethos."

Adding:

I share these goals and intend to do my part as a U.S. Senator to further them.

And:

It is critical to...prioritize lethality and deterrence in the next generation of warfare.

But not adherence to the Constitution or international law, apparently.

BTW, this would also apply to either of the other two examples. Ask about the destruction (without due process) in international waters of boats by Hegseth's DoD/W?

He's "prioritized restoring the warrior ethos" and I support him. - Dave McCormick.

Ask about the killing of school children by Hegseth's DoD/W?

He's "prioritized restoring the warrior ethos" and I support him. - Dave McCormick.

Thanks, Dave. Thanks for letting us know.

This Weekend, In Case You Missed it.

David — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:28:07 -0400

The lyrics:

Through the winter's ice and cold, down Nicollet Avenue
A city aflame fought fire and ice 'neath an occupier's boots
King Trump's private army from the DHS, guns belted to their coats
Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law or so their story goes

Against smoke and rubber bullets, in the dawn's early light
Citizens stood for justice, their voices ringing through the night
And there were bloody footprints where mercy should have stood
And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets, Alex Pretti and Renee Good

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice singing through the bloody mist
We'll take our stand for this land and the stranger in our midst
Here in our home they killed and roamed in the winter of '26
We'll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis

Trump's federal thugs beat up on his face and his chest
Then we heard the gunshots and Alex Pretti lay in the snow dead
Their claim was self-defense, sir, just don't believe your eyes
It's our blood and bones and these whistles and phones against Miller and Noem's dirty lies

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice crying through the bloody mist
We'll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis

Now they say they're here to uphold the law but they trample on our rights
If your skin is black or brown my friend you can be questioned or deported on sight
In our chants of "ICE out now!" our city's heart and soul persists
Through broken glass and bloody tears on the streets of Minneapolis

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice singing through the bloody mist
Here in our home they killed and roamed in the winter of '26
We'll take our stand for this land and the stranger in our midst
We'll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis
We'll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis

Another Question For Senator Dave McCormick

David — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:16:40 -0400

Today, MAGA-Republican President Donald J Trump posted this on Truth Social:

(Note that this is after dropping untold tons of bombs onto Iran.)

Time will tell if Iran has, indeed, been dealt a death blow but for the sake of this discussion, let's assume that The Donald is correct - I am sure he certainly believes that he is. So let's go with that.

Now he's declared his political opponents to be the next great enemy to the United States.

Do you, Senator McCormick, agree with Donald Trump on this? A simple yes or no will suffice.

You once wrote to me:

I also believe that we must all work to lower the temperature of our public discourse.

Adding that "inflammatory rhetoric" puts others at risk. In that example you were discussing law enforcement officials. I am wondering if you'll be denouncing Donald Trump's "inflammatory rhetoric" regarding the Democratic Party any time soon.

In that same email you wrote:

While strong disagreements are a part of our democratic system and should be debated vigorously...

It seems that the leader of your party doesn't hold that same position when it comes to the opposing political party.

He just bombed Iran for no obvious reason (indeed the reasons keep shifting). Will you agree that declaring the Democratic Party as the next great enemy of America to be "inflammatory rhetoric"?

Donald Trump Is A Wanker

David — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:39:43 -0400

Text (mostly from Psalm 10, or so I am told):

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak
who are caught in the schemes he thinks up.
For the sinner boasts of the desires of his soul
and the wicked blesses himself.
His mouth is full of foul language and bitterness and deceit,
under his tongue are mischief and pain.
He sits waiting to ambush with his wealth in secret
to murder the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for the poor,
he lurks in cover, like a lion in his thicket.
He lurks to catch the poor,
to catch the poor and drag him in his net.
Trapped, the victim is crushed and collapses
as soon as he has him in his might.
For he says to himself:
"God has forgotten,
he turns away his face so that he never will see."

The last line translates to:

Donald Trump is in the Epstein files.

Donald Trump is a wanker.

Reaching Out (Again) To Pennsylvania's Senators

David — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 16:42:14 -0400

So far nothing from this post.

Let's reach out again.

This time about this.

In a discussion about Trump's war on Iran, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said (among many other things) this:

With every passing hour, we know and we know [Iran knows], that the military capabilities of their evil regime are crumbling. They can barely communicate, let alone coordinate; they're confused and we know it.

Our response? We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.

It's that "no quarter" that's troubling.

In 1909, the US Senate ratified the Hague Conventions. Article 23 of those conventions reads (in part):

In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden...
To declare that no quarter will be given;

As this has been ratified, it's the law. The Contitution says so:

This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land;

And what exactly does "no quarter" mean?

The International Committee of the Red Cross defines it this way:

This term is used in such expressions as “to give no quarter” or “cry quarter”; in regard to hostilities by land, sea or air, denial of quarter means refusing to spare the life of anybody, even of persons manifestly unable to defend themselves or who clearly express their intention to surrender.
International humanitarian law prohibits the use of this procedure, that is, ordering that there shall be no survivors, threatening the adversary therewith, or conducting hostilities on this basis.

And that's clearly what Secretary Hegseth did.

Senators, your august legislative body ratified that treaty more than a century ago. And it's been the supreme law of the land ever since.

Any comment on Secretary Hegseth's threatened war crime?

Reaching Out To Pennylvania's Senators

David — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:41:59 -0400

About this:

The Feb. 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building was the result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part, the preliminary investigation found. Officers at U.S. Central Command created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, people briefed on the investigation said.
Officials emphasized that the findings are preliminary and that there are important unanswered questions about why the outdated information had not been double checked.

And:

Striking a school full of children is sure to be recorded as one of the most devastating single military errors in recent decades. Iranian officials have said the death toll was at least 175 people, most of them children.

But didn't President Trump, early on, raise the possibility that the Iranians did this themselves?

Yes, he did.

On the other hand:

U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) says he supports President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran, saying Iran is the “most significant state sponsor of terror in the world,” which has killed thousands of Americans.

And on the other, larger, balder, more tattooed hand:

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said Wednesday he believes the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has been "effective" and is moving toward an "appropriate outcome."
"I think, overall, what's accomplished is remarkable," Fetterman told CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett in an interview Wednesday.

Does that include killing 175 people at a school - most of them children?

And let's not forget:

An effort to constrain President Donald Trump’s power to continue the war in Iran failed Wednesday in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and other Republicans in voting against advancing the war powers resolution, allowing the conflict to continue.

Yay. Bipartisanship.

And then there's this:

A group of 46 mostly Democratic senators on Wednesday sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking answers on the bombing of a school in Iran.

An Iranian school for girls near a naval base in Minab was hit on Feb. 28 in the first wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. More than 100 children were killed in the strike, which U.S. officials say they are investigating.

And:

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has been largely supportive of the operation against Iran, did not sign the letter.

Of course not.

Maybe we can get a comment out of our pair of Pennsylvania Senate bipartisans on how, during Donald Trump's war on Iran, a school filled with school children was demolished by a US Tomahawk missile.

Have at it.

Contact Senator Fetterman.

Contact Senator McCormick.

This Happened To Sundas Naqvi, US Citizen - Born In Illinois

David — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:30:12 -0400

Let's start here first:

No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

That's the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution. It applies to everyone.

And yet, it didn't apply to this US Citizen - born in Evanston, Illinois.

From WGN in Chicago:

Outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Broadview on Sunday, Sarah Afzal spoke on behalf of her 28-year-old sister, Sundas Naqvi, who goes by Sunny.

Elected officials, family members and Sunny’s attorney stood alongside her, sharing their accounts of what they say happened after Sunny returned to Chicago.

Afzal says Sunny, a U.S. citizen born in Evanston, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport while returning from Turkey on Thursday.

“Detained with no cause. All she was told was that there was curious travel history,” said Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison.

US Citizen, detained with no cause.

But wait. There's more.

Family members say that after more than a day of detention at O’Hare, Sunny’s phone signal was tracked to the ICE facility in Broadview. That led to a protest outside the facility, where family members, community activists and elected officials gathered demanding answers.

But the family says federal authorities insisted Sunny was not there, despite her phone’s location.

Hours later, around 2 a.m. Saturday, they say her phone turned back on and pinged from an ICE facility in Wisconsin. Once again, her family says federal authorities there denied she was being held.

“We know she was there because it kept showing her location right in the middle of the facility, and they were like, ‘We don’t know what to tell you,'” Afzal said. “Then we got a phone call while standing in the place.”

It was Sunny on the other end of the line. Afzal says Sunny told her she had been released and walked from the ICE facility to a nearby gas station around 5 a.m.

From there, Afzal says a stranger offered Sunny a ride and took her to a hotel, where her family was finally able to reunite with her.

Wait. What?

How is any of this OK?

As Expected, Sen Fetterman [Fill In The Blank]

David — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 07:28:44 -0500

From WHYY:

An effort to constrain President Donald Trump’s power to continue the war in Iran failed Wednesday in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and other Republicans in voting against advancing the war powers resolution, allowing the conflict to continue.

Best buds.

Some background on Fetterman's "reasoning":

Every member in the U.S. Senate agrees we cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

I’m baffled why so many are unwilling to support the only action to achieve that.

Empty sloganeering vs. commitment to global security — which is it?
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) March 2, 2026

But what about this, Senator?

From a White House statement dated June 25, 2025 (posted with a headline that reads):

Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Have Been Obliterated — and Suggestions Otherwise are Fake News

Donald Trump said:

Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!

So was it or wasn't it obliterated less than one year ago, Senator?

Let me remind you, Senator, of something that happened during the conflict that you're supporting.

At least 175 people, most of them likely children, were killed in a strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran on Saturday, health officials and Iranian state media said.

And:

Several videos and images verified by The New York Times showed that at least half of the two-story school was destroyed in the explosion. Emergency workers with the Red Crescent could be seen alongside families desperately combing through the rubble, which was littered with schoolbooks and book bags covered in blood and ashes. Portions of the building jutted out from the rubble, with bits of colorful murals visible on what were once the walls of the school. Desks were piled with debris.

Donald J Trump's war - and now yours.

This is the Trump train you're on now, Senator:

Intentionally attacking a school, hospital or other civilian structure is a war crime, and indiscriminate strikes also violate the law. Even if schools are used for military purposes, the law requires armed parties to avoid or minimize harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Any comment, Senator? Anyone else, feel free to send this to Senator John Fetterman.

I am pretty sure a group of your constituents will be at your office in Pittsburgh tomorrow. Maybe you want to justify the slaughter of 175 schoolgirls to them?

Another Question for Sen McCormick

David — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:11:54 -0500

While the rest of the world is focused on Iran, I wanted to run this one by Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick.

It's about this:

Watch the whole thing, if you can.

And now we turn to Dave.

On a number of topics (most notably, on the killings of Renee Goode and Alex Pretti), Sen McCormick has warned against "irresponsible rhetoric" leading to violence.

But he's very careful not to point in any one political direction. Readers can read into that what they wish - both in what how he avoids specificity and how I described it.

On the other hand, here's a few examples from last night, posted by CBS:

Our reporting found hundreds of threats were left on judges voicemails. This one after a judge ruled the president had violated the First Amendment:
Recording of threat: I hope your whole family and everybody you love is raped in front of you and has their heads cut off.

That president being Donald J Trump, of course.

And before anyone "both sides" this:

Judge Jones: The national rhetoric from both sides has probably gotten worse over time. However I would not concede that the Democratic party or or that Democratic office holders have conducted themselves in any way that's similar to what this is administration is doing with respect to the federal judiciary. There's simply no evidence of that.

Judge Jones (a retired federal judge from Pennsylvania and a George W. Bush appointee) also said:

In very plain English: if we're not careful we're gonna get a judge killed. It's just that stark.

So if Senator McCormick was sitting across from me right now, I'd ask him, plainly and starkly, if he'll denounce the irresponsible rhetoric coming out of the White House, rhetoric that is an obvious threat to the nation's judicial system.

What say you, Senator?

I'll be contacting the Senator's office with this in a minute or two.

If you feel so compelled, perhaps you can, too.

Watch This

David — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:46:08 -0500

I found this on FB.

Science

David — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 06:38:48 -0500

We'll start with the anti-science from RFK Jr (as reported by the Beeb):

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cancel $500m (£376m) in funding for mRNA vaccines being developed to counter viruses that cause diseases such as the flu and Covid-19.
That will impact 22 projects being led by major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, for vaccines against bird flu and other viruses, HHS said.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic, announced he was pulling the funding over claims that "mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses".

This was published August 5, 2025.

And now the science from a few months later (as published by JAMA):

In this national cohort study of 28 million individuals, the results found no increased risk of 4-year all-cause mortality in individuals aged 18 to 59 years vaccinated against COVID-19, further supporting the safety of the mRNA vaccines that are widely used worldwide.

Specifically, the study was to answer this question:

Are COVID-19 mRNA vaccines associated with the long-term risk of all-cause mortality?

So it seems that science has an answer and, simply put, that answer is "No."

Science.

ICE Mistreats Women

David — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 08:13:49 -0500

Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick is on the record regarding ICE, saying:

I support ICE officers and other federal law enforcement personnel who risk their lives daily to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law.

I'm wondering if this "devoted husband and father of six bright young women" is fully aware of what ICE officers are doing to some women in this country - particularly in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

From The Minneapolis Star Tribune:

The young Muslim woman was shackled at the ankles. For 24 hours, she was locked inside a bathroom with three men at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, she said. They were given no bedding or pillows. Meals consisted of one sandwich a day.
The sink faucet did not work, but the single toilet did. When the men pulled down their pants to use it, the woman hid her face.

For context, this unnamed woman is a legal refugee waiting on a green card.

There's more:

After the young Muslim woman spent nearly 24 hours locked in the bathroom with the three men, agents moved her to a different locked bathroom in the building’s basement, she said.
When she had her period, agents told her to use toilet paper. When she felt dizzy and vomited twice, agents did not grant her request for medical care. When they gave her a sandwich, she didn’t eat it, fearing it contained pork.

And then after all that, this is what happened:

On the fifth day, agents drove her and two other recently released detainees to a light-rail station near Whipple. They took off her handcuffs and told her to call an Uber, even though she didn’t have a phone. She borrowed one from another detainee.
As they released her into the cold, she recalls their simple words: “You are good to go.”

The Star Tribune also reports about two other women:

The lead plaintiff in an ACLU lawsuit said she was knocked into a snowbank by ICE in December while observing ICE arrests from a sidewalk in her neighborhood. The woman, Susan Tincher, a longtime resident of Minneapolis’ Near North neighborhood, was detained at Whipple, where she said federal agents cut off her wedding ring and parts of her clothes. She believes her treatment was retaliation for protesting ICE activity.
She was released without charges.
One detainee described to the Star Tribune seeing a Somali grandmother be denied access to her diabetes medication. A 24-year-old Somali American woman, a U.S. citizen born in Hennepin County who asked her name not be used, described agents ignoring requests for medical help from a fellow detainee with a broken finger.

The Fifth Amendment states:

No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

I'll note (again) that it does not say "no citizen." It says "no person."

Senator McCormick, explain to me how any of this falls under an appropriate definition of "due process."

And more importantly, Senator, how can you possibly be OK with any of this?

ICE OUT

David — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:32:05 -0500

From Huffpost:

Some text:

Italian street artist Laika has taken aim at the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement staffers at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a new artwork in the host country's capital, Rome.

The Cover-up Continues - More Details Emerge

David — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 17:14:38 -0500

I am not sure if yinz missed it (what with all the Epstein file deflection and all) but The New York Times reported something quite chilling this weekend.

After point out that hours after the shooting of Renee Good, FBI agents sought a warrant as part of a "standard civil rights investigation" into the shooting, the paper reported this:

But later that week, as F.B.I. agents equipped with a signed warrant prepared to document blood spatter and bullet holes in Ms. Good’s S.U.V., they received orders to stop, according to several people with knowledge of the events who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The orders, they said, came from senior officials, including Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, several of whom worried that pursuing a civil rights investigation — by using a warrant obtained on that basis — would contradict President Trump’s claim that Ms. Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer” who fired at her as she drove her vehicle.

So after they obtained a signed warrant to document blood spatter and bullet holes (did you catch that?) they were told to stand down. After they'd already obtained the warrant.

Renee Good was killed on January 7, 2026 - which was a Wednesday. ABC has the time at about 9:37am (local time). So that's 10:37am Eastern. Trump set the limits for the investigation about 3:30pm (Eastern) that day with this. That's only about 5 hours later.

The Times noted that the investigators were told to stop "later that week."

Good to surmise that that's sometime before the following Monday, January 12.

The Times also reported that, after investigators were ordered to stand down, DOJ "officials presented alternative approaches" including:

Getting a new warrant for the vehicle - as part of a criminal investigation into Renee Good and whether her killer was assaulted by her, and then
Opening an investigation into Becca Good, Renee's partner, about their confrontation with ICE agents that day.

On the 10th, The Times reported:

The Trump administration blocked Minnesota officials from investigating the death of the woman shot on Wednesday by a federal agent, then quietly offered this explanation: Local investigators simply could not be trusted to conduct a fair inquiry.
The investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37, federal officials said, would be the exclusive province of the F.B.I., which is overseen by a director, Kash Patel, who has described President Trump as an unerring boss, and even a king.

On January 13, Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick has emailed me that while he supports ICE he's also believed that the "tragic events in Minnesota are deeply concerning and warrant a full and transparent investigation to ensure the facts are clearly established and public confidence is maintained."

Considering what we've just learned, it's seems highly unlikely that there's a "full and transparent investigation" into Good's killing.

I'm wondering if Dave still thinks so.

Feel free to contact Senator McCormick's office and ask him.

I know I will.

Spooky, 2009 - 2026

D.B. Echo — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 03:24:35 -0500

Spooky died in my arms at 4:30 AM on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Spooky, July 23, 2025

Spooky was the last of his cohort of cats. We took him in on January 1, 2010, when he was already about six months old. He wasn't the last one we took in back then - that was Spooky's littermate Homer, who joined us in July 2010. and was the last cat we took in until Bojangles in 2019, who was rapidly followed by his mother Mama Cat and his sister Spumoni. Homer died several years ago. All of the other cats from that era have died, most recently Spooky's littermate Amber in May 2024, and Peaches in October 2023. Now all that remain are the newcomers Bojangles, Mama Cat, and Spumoni.

Spooky, December 30, 2024

I snatched Spooky from where he was sleeping on our back porch on New Year's Day in 2010. He and his siblings were sleeping in a plastic shoe storage bag my mom was throwing out. They had stuffed themselves into the bag and were packed together tightly. I couldn't understand how they weren't suffocating jammed in there. But I knew that fate and humans are unkind to feral cats, especially feral black cats, and since I knew we could only take in one more cat, he was the one I targeted.

He did not appreciate it.

We had set up the bathroom as an isolation room for new cats, until they could be medically cleared by the vet. After clawing the hell out of me - I should have worn gloves - he proceeded to tear the bathroom apart, something that Spumoni would do again nine years later. But he soon came around and realized the benefits of having a safe, warm house.

Spooky, March 19, 2010

For most of his life he was a quiet cat who lived in the shadows. That was the way of things - usually one cat at a time would get to be my mom's special cat, and the others would stay back. Toward the end of her life Babusz was the special cat. When Babusz died, Amber moved to take her place. Peaches gravitated to me.

After my mom died, Peaches became my special cat, always sitting by my side. I could tell her life was coming to an end, and I always justified not doing things because I had something more important to do - namely, pet Peaches.

After Peaches died, Amber moved to take her place. Amber had lost a lot of weight after my mom died - my mom had a habit of overfeeding the cats, and without her leaving bowls spilling over with treats all over the house, all of the cats began to lose weight. Amber was extremely overweight when my mom died, but I made a point of feeding her exclusively. She also inherited the lickable treats that Peaches had enjoyed - specifically Temptations Purrrree with Chicken. Amber was the special cat for just over six months until her sudden and untimely death due to saddle thrombus.

Spooky moved into the special cat spot by my side. Not just by my side - throughout 2024 and until we were ordered to return to the office full-time in February 2025, he would make a point of walking in front of my face while we were doing our weekly online meetings, much to the amusement of my coworkers. (I explained to them that he was used to hearing me talking on the phone or tapping away at my keyboard while I was working, so when I fell silent during a meeting he assumed I was dead and wanted to check on me.) I took to breathing into his fur whenever he did that and he came to really enjoy it. About three months ago he started to follow that by curling up on the left side of my chest, over my heart, and falling asleep there for an hour or more.

Spooky also inherited the lickable treats, which he was always happy to share with fellow black cat Bojangles, as well as the exclusive Fancy Feast feedings, which he shared with everyone after he had eaten his fill.

Bojangles, Mama Cat, and Spumoni always had exclusive feeding of their own: a "midnight feast" (usually served between 1:30 AM and 3:00 AM) of a can of Friskies split three ways. Spumoni is very food aggressive, and would always push her mother and brother aside to get to the first bowl - and then the second, and then the third, abandoning each to the other cats in turn. Spooky never had any interest in the midnight feast until recently. Some nights he would show up as I set out the three bowls. Some nights he would show up in time for me to split the can four ways. Sometimes he would be fed last, but in his last few days he was fed first. Spumoni respected his seniority and would not try to steal his bowl, and neither would the other cats. Sometimes he left some food in his bowl for the others, other days he would eat everything in his bowl and nibble at anything left over by the others.

Joining the midnight feast wasn't the only change in Spooky's behavior lately. Several times in the days before he died, he would jump in the empty bathtub in the morning while I was in the bathroom. Now that I think of it, Spooky might have done it a few times when I wasn't in the bathroom. I don't know what this meant. Peaches spent the last few weeks of her life living in the bathtub, to the point that I was feeding her there. After she died, Amber kept checking the bathtub to see if she might be hiding there.

We had a schedule of sorts. I would wake up between 9:00 and 10:00 AM and have breakfast. Around 11:00 AM I would move into another room and get a tube of treat and a can of Fancy Feast. Spooky would jump up and sit at my right side waiting for his treat, and Bojangles would sometimes jump up on my left. Spooky always got first crack at the treat, but then would share with Bojangles. Afterwards I would cut wedges of the Fancy Feast pate, half the can, and put them in a bowl where Spooky would eat his fill and leave the rest for everyone else. We would repeat the ritual a few hours later just before I left for work, or when I got home from work.

The last week of January I was home every day. Monday and Tuesday we were working from home because of heavy snow. Wednesday I called off because I hadn't finished digging my car out, wasn't feeling that great, and didn't feel like making the effort to go into work. Thursday and Friday I had scheduled off, two of the only selected days I was able to get. So I got to spend lots of time with Spooky those days.

Wednesday, February 4 was a good day. Spooky enjoyed his treat and his food and spent time sitting with me. The sun came out and he jumped into the front bow window to bask in the sunshine for a few hours. While I was taking my shower I heard him crying, and then came out to find him sitting outside the bathroom waiting for me. He ran out to his spot and positioned himself for extra treats, which I gave him gladly.

All this week I had dreaded coming home. Despite my best efforts, Spooky was getting older. His spine was becoming more prominent. I could tell his time was drawing near. I worried that I would come home to find him dead. I thought about where to look for him: in the chair where he liked to sleep, in the bathtub, in one or two other spots.

I came through the door and found him waiting for me to serve the midnight feast.

I put out his food first. Spumoni made no efforts to steal it.

I got ready for bed. I lounged in the chair where I would feed him treats, where he would sit by my side, where he would sleep on my heart. He came up and sat by me for a bit. We dozed there for an hour or so. Then he got up, scrambled over me, and went off to do cat stuff.

About 4:15 AM I got up to go to the bathroom one last time. I found Spooky sleeping in an unusual spot on the floor and had a bad feeling. The night he died years ago, Thor had curled up in front of the back door, something he had never done before. I had picked Thor up, said "No, not here," and took him to sleep with my mom. He died in her arms shortly after.

On my way back from the bathroom I stooped down and picked Spooky up. If this was the time, I wanted him to be in the chair where he liked to sleep, not some dark corner of the floor.

He struggled against me. He dug his claws into the carpet, into the curtain. He looked at me with a shocked, surprised expression. I held him against my chest and laid him down on the chair cushion.

He landed stiff and still, his forelegs pointed in one direction, his legs in another, his head in another.

I might have killed him picking him up. His heart might have given out struggling against me.

I picked him up again. He was dead weight. I sat in the chair and held him against my chest. I could feel his breath, faint, and his heartbeat, fading. I made my goodbyes. Told him soon he would be with his mommy and Amber and Peaches and everyone else. Told him I loved him, that he would always be my little tiny buddy. That I loved all the time we had spent together, all the times he had slept curled up on my heart. After a while his breathing stopped, his heart stopped. It was around 4:30.

I pulled a blanket over us and slept there for the next four hours, holding him.

When I woke he was still dead.

I laid Spooky out on a soft towel. Spumoni spent a lot of time staring at him. I don't know what she was thinking.

With much difficulty I removed his collar, the collar with a bell. He was the only cat in the house who wore a collar. When I heard the bell at night I knew he was around, coming to steal my pillow from me in bed, so I would wake up with him on my pillow and my head flat on the bed - to the point that I bought two identical pillows, one for each of us, though he would often stretch out across both of them. I put the collar in a baggie, along with some plucked hairs.

I took him to our vet to be cremated on the way in to work Thursday. I will pick up his ashes in a few days.

Spooky's Kubrick Stare, October 3, 2023

Hell of a year so far

D.B. Echo — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:45:21 -0500

One of the major functions of blogging, like the diarists of old, is street-level history written as it happens. I've neglected that responsibility. Left it to the social media microblogging platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky, where so much of the record is subject to redaction by the site owners, or will be buried pebble by pebble under an avalanche of trivial crap.

But street-level history has become dangerous. Write the wrong thing - about ICE, about the Epstein files, about the Trump regime, about whatever is deemed a forbidden subject - and you'll be arrested, banned entry into the country, or find your passport has mysteriously disappeared from the system.

So. Shall we talk about the weather?

Winter settled upon Northeastern Pennsylvania early in December with substantial snow and cold temperatures. Snow covered the ground until shortly before Christmas - we actually had a green Christmas this year and no one complained. A day or two after Christmas we had an ice storm. This was followed by more snow and more freezing temperatures throughout January. The ground stayed snow-covered until Sunday, January 25th, when twelve inches of snow dropped on Nanticoke. (We were fortunate to avoid the ice and freezing rain that fell on top of this snow in other areas.) We are still digging out in some places. Temperatures have generally been in the teens and single digits since then, and we're not expecting anything in the 30s for at least a week. Word is that this isn't a reversion to typical weather patterns of decades gone by, but is rather the result of a disrupted polar vortex, with a region of unusually warm air sitting over the North Pole pushing the polar vortex that rings the pole to points south - specifically, the midwest and northeast of the U.S.

The upshot of this is, we're going to be cold for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, citizens and non-citizens alike are being snatched off the streets, out of their cars, from their schools, from their workplaces, from their places of worship, from their homes. ICE and CBP are murdering people in cold blood. Society continues to collapse into an authoritarian dystopia, with a ruling class straight out of Pasolini's "Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom."

Once again, I'm glad my mother is dead.

In Case You Missed It

David — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:49:33 -0500

I saw this on FB.

It leads to this story at TribLive:

Harriett Flores, 38, said her husband took Lily outside and was warming up the car when he was approached by two Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents.

“The ICE agents came up to him, showed no warrant. They just shackled him,” Flores said through an interpreter. “They said he was getting arrested because he was illegal in the country.”

When she tried to ask questions, one of the agents told her to shut up because her daughter was present, Harriett Flores said.

A video Harriett Flores took of the incident shows, Jose, 47, being shuttled to an unmarked vehicle by the agents shortly after 10 a.m.

Some important context:

Flores said her husband has no criminal record. A TribLive search of state and federal court databases showed no criminal record nor pending charges against Jose.

State Rep. Joe McAndrew, D-Penn Hills, said in a social media post Friday that Jose’s immigration status is legal. He called the incident an abduction.

Harriett Flores said she and Jose each have five-year work visas. Both are employed, making the visas valid. They also both have Real IDs, valid driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers.

And so on.

This is the social media post from State Rep McAndrew:

Last time I checked, the Fourth Amendment:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

And the Fifth Amendment:

No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

And the Fourteenth Amendment:

...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Are still the law of the land.

Perhaps our friends in ICE should read (can they read?) this posted at Congress.gov:

ICE was established following the creation of DHS in 2003. The authority for ICE officers to arrest and detain aliens believed to have committed immigration violations derives primarily from 8 U.S.C. §§ 1226 and 1357.

Section 1226(a) provides that, upon issuance of an administrative warrant (otherwise known as an ICE warrant), an immigration officer may arrest and detain an alien pending a decision as to whether the alien is subject to removal. An ICE warrant is issued by certain immigration officials who have been authorized or delegated such authority and is exclusively for use by immigration officers who have successfully completed immigration law enforcement training. Unlike judicial warrants issued in criminal cases, ICE warrants do not require a detached and neutral magistrate; instead, ICE warrants require the officer to establish that "there is probable cause to believe" that the individual named in the warrant is subject to removal.

What was the "probable cause to believe" that he was subject to removal?

The man's skin tone and name are not enough.

And Now, The Boss

David — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:44:11 -0500

Lyrics:

Through the winter's ice and cold
Down Nicollet Avenue
A city aflame fought fire and ice
'Neath an occupier's boots
King Trump's private army from the DHS
Guns belted to their coats
Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law
Or so their story goes

Against smoke and rubber bullets
In the dawn's early light
Citizens stood for justice
Their voices ringing through the night
And there were bloody footprints
Where mercy should have stood
And two dead, left to die on snow-filled streets
Alex Pretti and Renee Good

Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
We'll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
Here in our home, they killed and roamed
In the winter of '26
We'll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

Trump's federal thugs beat up on
His face and his chest
Then we heard the gunshots
And Alex Pretti lay in the snow dead
Their claim was self-defense, sir
Just don't believe your eyes
It's our blood and bones
And these whistles and phones
Against Miller and Noem's dirty lies

Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We'll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

Now they say they're here to uphold the law
But they trample on our rights
If your skin is black or brown, my friend
You can be questioned or deported on sight
In our chants of "ICE out now"
Our city's heart and soul persists
Through broken glass and bloody tears
On the streets of Minneapolis

Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
Here in our home, they killed and roamed
In the winter of '26
We'll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
We'll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
We'll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

ICE out (ICE out)
ICE out (ICE out)
ICE out (ICE out)

The names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis:

Renee Good
Alex Pretti

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Herr Mozart!

David — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:13:45 -0500

Note: Peter Schickele passed away in 2024.

What Colbert Said

David — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:43:21 -0500

On January 24, 2026, members of Donald Trump's ICE/DHS occupying force killed Alex Pretti, a US citizen, after disarming him.

The agents involved in the shooting have been transferred out of Minneapolis and are still working for ICE/DHS - moved out of the area for their safety.

Watch How Trump's DHS Lies About Killing Alex Pretti - US Citizen

David — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 07:05:50 -0500

She's head of Trump's DHS. If she didn't know the facts, she should not speak as if she did. If she did know the facts and yet said what she said, she's lying.

BTW, while he's seemingly calling for a full investigation into the shooting, Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick points the blame elsewhere (he also does not even bother to mention Alex Pretti's name or the manner of his death):

As I have often said, I support the Border Patrol, ICE, and the critical work they do to enforce our laws. Irresponsible rhetoric and a lack of cooperation from Minnesota’s politicians are fueling a dangerous situation.

I also agree with the NRA and others — we need a full…
— Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) January 25, 2026

Donald Trump's ICE/DHS shot and killed a US citizen - a man with a permit to carry a weapon in an open carry state and who had no criminal record.

This Happened To Alex Pretti, A US Citizen With No Criminal Record

David — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:55:35 -0500

From The New York Times:

Videos on social media that were verified by The New York Times appear to contradict the Department of Homeland Security’s account of the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.
The Department of Homeland Security said the episode began after a man “approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun” and they tried to disarm him. The statement did not specify whether the gun was in the man’s hands or merely on his body.
Footage shows Mr. Pretti was clearly holding a phone, not a gun, before the agents took him to the ground and shot him.

Specifically:

A small group of protesters stands in the street, speaking to a federal agent as whistles sound. Mr. Pretti appears to be filming the scene with his phone and directing traffic.
An agent begins shoving the demonstrators, and squirts pepper spray at their faces.
At this moment, Mr. Pretti has both hands clearly visible. One is holding his phone, while he holds the other up to protect himself from pepper spray. He moves to help one of the protesters who was sprayed, as other agents approach and pull him from behind.
Several agents tussle with Mr. Pretti before bringing him to his knees. He appears to resist as the agents grab his legs, push down on his back and strike him repeatedly.
The footage shows an agent approaching with empty hands and grabbing at Mr. Pretti as the others hold him down.
About eight seconds after he is pinned, agents yell that he has a gun, indicating that they may not have known he was armed until he was on the ground.
The same agent who approached with empty hands pulls a gun from among the group that appears to match the profile of a firearm DHS said belonged to Mr. Pretti.
The agents appear to have him under their control, with his arms pinned near his head.
As the gun emerges from the melee, another agent aims his own firearm at Mr. Pretti’s back and appears to fire one shot at close range. He then appears to continue firing at Mr. Pretti, who collapses.
A third agent unholsters a weapon. Both agents appear to fire additional shots into Mr. Pretti as he lies motionless.
In total, at least 10 shots appear to have been fired within five seconds.

ICU nurse Alex Pretti, a US Citizen who had no criminal record was shot at least 10 times after he was disarmed and after he was beaten by Trump's ICE/DHS ground troops currently occupying a US city.

Have our two US Senators (Senator John Fetterman and Senator Dave McCormick) denounced the government's killing of Alex Pretti yet?

Ask them if they will be making such a statement and if they won't, ask them why not.

The cost of Rocks

D.B. Echo — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:07:38 -0500

I've decided to make Rocks again this year. A few months back I found a frozen stash I had made years ago and enjoyed them more than I thought I would. So I decided to give them another try this year.

I started to buy the ingredients this weekend. I sat down and looked at the receipt. Crap, these things are expensive.

Medjool dates, pitted (12 ounces): $7.99 (recipe calls for 16 ounces)

Raisins (32 ounces): $10.99 (recipe calls for 24 ounces)

Walnuts, shelled (16 ounces): $7.49

I still need to stock up on eggs, baking soda, brown sugar, and fresh butter. I have enough flour, I think. Some whiskey will take the place of brandy.

I'd better not overbake these.

A brief encounter, and the sad aftermath

D.B. Echo — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 17:55:55 -0500

Tuesday, December 2nd was our first significant snowfall this season. Temperatures have rarely risen above freezing since then. Just after midnight Friday morning temperatures dropped to 16F, and then dropped further to 9F by 9:00 AM. Friday saw a bit of a warmup, so temperatures were around 27F when I left work at 12:40 AM Saturday morning.

It has been my habit lately to drive past the cemetery on my way home from work to see if the candle on my mother's grave (easily visible from the road) is still lit. I replaced it on Sunday, and it had still been burning the previous morning. It was out. From repeated observation, these candles only last five days.

This path home takes me through some densely forested areas. Most of Northeastern Pennsylvania is heavily forested, so this is not unusual. Still, deer, skunks, rabbits, and other woodland critters (including bears) pose a collision hazard year-round, and can unexpectedly step out of the woods.

Coming down the Sans Souci parkway into Nanticoke I had to brake hard and swerve as a thing walked directly into my path. Black fur with white on the belly. Nearly as long as a deer but much shorter. Weirdly-shaped head. Too many legs. ...two tails?

It was two dogs walking briskly across the parkway side by side, pressed against each other, one walking a few inches behind the other. They paid me little heed as they passed from the direction of Tractor Supply towards the railroad tracks, towards the vacant building that used to be Dundee Gardens.

Where did they come from? Where were they going? What were they doing outside in subfreezing temperatures? I don't know. I'm just glad I didn't hit them.

...at least, I didn't know until I saw this:

Please hold your animal friends close and don't let them roam. Bad things can happen to them if you let them roam.

First significant snowfall, December 2, 2025

D.B. Echo — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 01:29:58 -0500

I won't call it a *major* snowfall. Only about three inches or so - but three inches of wet, heavy snow. I don't think I had to shovel once last year, except maybe on Super Bowl Sunday; otherwise the snow was generally light, fluffy stuff that could be dealt with with a pushbroom. But today's snow called for a shovel.

It was a work-from-home day, the first since we were all ordered back into the office five days a week in February. Odd that when it works in The Company's favor, when there would usually be mass absenteeism due to weather or even a building closure, work-from-home is suddenly perfectly acceptable. No snow days for us. But the cats were happy to have me home, and I was happy to spend the day in their company.

The Littlest Turkey 20th Anniversary Edition!

D.B. Echo — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 03:07:44 -0500

Some twenty years ago my office mate told me he had just picked up his free turkey with the coupon our employer had given us. Because he was getting it last minute, all that was left was a single small turkey, but he figured that would be enough since it was just him and his wife having Thanksgiving that year.

"Awww," I said. "You got the Littlest Turkey. Now it won't be left behind all alone for Thanksgiving!" And thus a story was born.

Enjoy this extra special 20th Anniversary Edition of The Littlest Turkey! (Originally published November 16-17, 2005.)

THE LITTLEST TURKEY
by
D.B. Echo

Once upon a time there was a farm where turkeys lived. All of them were young and plump, big and strong and proud. All of them except one. He was smaller than all the other turkeys. He was called the Littlest Turkey.
The Littlest Turkey wanted to run and play with the other turkeys, but they didn't want to play with him. "Go away, Littlest Turkey," they would say. "Come back when you've gotten bigger."

But the Littlest Turkey was sure he was as big as he was going to get. He tried to eat as much as he could, but he never seemed to get as big and plump as the other turkeys. And he knew that unless he got big and plump like the other turkeys, he would never get to go to the Laughter House.

The Laughter House was a wonderful place. The Littlest Turkey had never been in there. He knew that only the big and plump turkeys would get to go inside the Laughter House. He had seen them go in once, and had heard their squawks and gobbles of laughter for a little while. It must be wonderful in there, the Littlest Turkey thought. All those turkeys go in to laugh, and none of them had ever come out again. How much fun they must be having!

The Littlest Turkey decided that, big and plump or not, he would get into the Laughter House the next time they let the turkeys in.

*********

THE LITTLEST TURKEY
Part 2
by
D.B. Echo

The weather started getting cooler, and the leaves on the trees started to change colors. All the turkeys knew that soon it would be time for the biggest holiday of the year, Turkey Day.
"Just before Turkey Day is when they take the big and plump turkeys into the Laughter House," thought the Littlest Turkey. "But this time I'm going to get in there, too!"

It wasn't long before the big day came. All of the big and plump turkeys lined up to go into the Laughter House. The Littlest Turkey waited near the entrance of the Laughter House, then squeezed in between two very big and plump turkeys. No one noticed him because he was so little.

The Laughter House was dark inside, and there was a sort of moving sidewalk there that was taking turkeys into another room, where he could hear gobbles and squawks of laughter. One by one the turkeys hopped up to ride the sidewalk. The Littlest Turkey hopped up, too.
The turkey in front of him, whose name was Tom, turned around. "Go away, Littlest Turkey," he said. "Come back when you are bigger."

"Yes, go away," said the turkey behind him, whose name was also Tom. "They do not want little turkeys at the Market. Only big and plump ones."

"No," said the Littlest Turkey. "I want to go to the Market with you." He had never heard of the Market, but he realized that it must be even better than the Laughter House.

A Man spotted the Littlest Turkey. "Go away, Littlest Turkey," he said. "Come back when you are bigger."

"Oh, please, Mr. Man," said the Littlest Turkey. "I do so want to go to the Market with the other turkeys."

"Very well," said the Man. "We've got a quota to meet, anyway."

The Littlest Turkey rode the sidewalk into the other room. He wondered what things would be like at the Market.

*********

THE LITTLEST TURKEY
Conclusion
by
D.B. Echo

The Littlest Turkey was cold. He was colder than he ever remembered being before. But then again, it was hard to remember much since they had chopped his head off.

He was in a case with the other turkeys, the big and plump turkeys. Turkey Day was coming soon, and people were coming to the Market to pick turkeys to take home.

They always seemed to want the big and plump turkeys. One time a little girl had seen him in the case. "Mommy, mommy, look at the little turkey," she said. "I want to take home the littlest turkey."

"No, dear," her mother said. "We are having many people over for Thanksgiving. We need a big, plump turkey."

One by one the other turkeys left the Market to go home with people. Turkey Day was coming soon, and people were taking away more and more of the big and plump turkeys. But no one wanted the Littlest Turkey.
Finally, the day before Turkey Day came, and the Littlest Turkey found himself all alone in the case.

"How sad," he thought. "No one wants to take me home."

It was late in the day, and the Manager was about to close down the Market for the night. Suddenly a Man came into the store.

"I have a coupon," he said, "for a free turkey. Do you have any left?"

"You're in luck," said the Manager. "I have one left." He showed the Man the Littlest Turkey, all alone in the case.

"It's a little small," the Man said. "But I guess beggars can't be choosers. Besides, it's just me and my wife this year. A little turkey might be just what we need."

The Manager took the Littlest Turkey out of the case and traded him to the Man for the coupon he was holding. "Happy Thanksgiving!", he said to the Man.

"I'm not going to be left behind for Turkey Day," thought the Littlest Turkey happily as the Man put him in the trunk of his car. "I'm so happy. But I'm so cold." He rolled around a little as the car pulled out of the parking lot. "I sure hope I'm going someplace warm."

THE END

Kim

D.B. Echo — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:52:21 -0500

"Too bad we don't have the key to these," you said, twirling the handcuffs on your finger.

I was tired. We were tired. We were young. It was a warm afternoon in Scranton. We were both worn out by a grueling week. Nothing happened.

Other things happened after that. You fell out of my life. After that I only heard about you second-hand.

I looked you up, as I do from time to time. I do it with a lot of people I know. See how they're doing. See how they've distinguished themselves.

I knew you were married. Knew you had kids. Knew you had moved out West. Knew you were the editor of a local magazine.

I didn't know you died four months ago.

Cancer. Multiple myeloma. Diagnosed ten months earlier.

Goodbye, Kim. I have regrets, but life is too short for regret. You did well.

Goodbye.

First snow, November 11, 2025

D.B. Echo — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 01:18:11 -0500

As we left work this morning after a particularly brutish night of calls, we were greeted by flurries. Not much, and it didn't last long - the flurries were done a few minutes after I left work - but, hey, it counts. First snow in the books for the 2025-2026 season.

But the clouds stuck around, keeping me from seeing tonight's amazing auroras that are being viewed all over the country. Oh, well.

COVID

D.B. Echo — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 01:13:13 -0400

Haven't posted all summer. Summers have gotten to be particularly tough for me the last few - many - years. Generally I'm OK through the third week of June, basically to the Solstice. But after that point temperatures tend to spike, humidity soars, rain becomes an almost daily event. Blueberries and grapes ripen and sit on the bush or vine, to be eaten by birds or just wither. And I become a summertime hermit, staying inside with a fan on and the drapes drawn, hoping not to need the air conditioner.

This year, Summer ended abruptly on Labor Day. Suddenly it was Autumn, three full weeks before the equinox. Temperatures plummeted. The air turned crisp. Leaves began to change color. And suddenly, I was released from my hermit status. I could go back outside and do things. Unless something else came up.

Something else came up.

Since we returned to the office full time earlier in the year, we've been looking for little things to boost morale. Potlucks have helped. Many people - not everybody, which is actually a good thing - bring in something, and we have a daylong feast. There is more than enough to go around, with plenty for everyone. Offerings range from pizzas and chips to elaborate homemade meals and desserts. It's disappointing if your contribution doesn't get devoured, and everyone takes a wide sampling of foods.

We had one of these last Wednesday, for the first night of football season. I brought in tortilla chips, queso, and salsa. I filled my plate with a huge variety of foods for both of my breaks and my lunch. At the end of the night I joked about calling an Uber to get to my car, and shared a concern that I would regret this in the morning.

I did.

My diet has become fairly simple and routine. Breakfast is a bowl of bran cereal in the morning half-filled with fruit - either chopped apples with cinnamon, or a sliced banana and strawberries, paired with a protein - plain Greek yogurt with honey, cottage cheese with grapes, or some eggs. A second lunch-ish meal usually featuring chicken, pork, or shrimp and potatoes or rice, or maybe spaghetti and meatballs with vegetables on the side. For "lunch" and snacks at work I take nutrition bars. I used to take ZonePerfect Chocolate Mint bars (which tasted just like Thin Mints) until the entire ZonePerfect line was discontinued last year. Since then I have experimented with many different replacements, but have settled on Clif Chocolate Mint bar (which contain caffeine) to keep me going at the start and end of the day, and a lemon zest Luna bar with tea for lunch. When I get home after work I treat myself to a before-bed snack of cheese or ice cream.

The party food disrupted all this, of course. I anticipated some digestive issues in the morning. I was not disappointed.

I was extremely ill for several hours Thursday morning. Eventually it seemed I had purged the entire feast from the previous day from my system, and then some.

Everything was back on track Thursday and Friday, and I advised my coworkers that I would be off on Monday to observe what would have been my mom's 92nd birthday, but I would be back on Tuesday.

I woke up Saturday with a fever.

I didn't think much of it. Saturday was a busy day. I did many loads of laundry. I made plans for the rest of the weekend. I got a lot of stuff done.

Sunday I woke up with a painfully sore throat. Oh crap, I thought. COVID.

I dug out my stash of COVID tests . How old were they? I couldn't remember. The expiration dates indicated January 2023. We were told that they would still be good for a while after that. Every previous test I had taken came out negative. Could I trust a positive result on an old test?

I pulled out the kit and followed the steps. Waited fifteen minutes. Squinted to see if there was any hint of a little faint red line. If I looked at it juuust right and used my imagination a bit - yes, there it was. OK, now what?

I let my family know. My primary care physician retired a few months ago. If I wanted confirmation, treatment, or official documentation, I would need to go to an ER or a walk-in clinic on Monday.

Monday morning I woke up with a runny nose, very sore throat, and laryngitis. Even though it was my day off, I let my supervisor know. I've never used sick days before, except for appointments, so I wasn't sure how they worked. She advised I could use up to three consecutive days before I needed a doctor's note. That would take me through Thursday without it. It didn't seem safe to come back Friday, so I decided I needed a note.

Monday afternoon I went to the local clinic for the regional megahospital. After some delays, it was finally my turn to be seen. I told the admissions nurse I was there because of COVID. She went in the back, and then came back and told me that they didn't do any testing for COVID. In fact, she advised me, there was no vaccine, no treatment, no cure, and I should just leave.

I really wasn't prepared for that. I asked if there was anything they could do for me, and she said no.

I walked out furious. I got on the family chat and raved a bit. I was going to go to the cemetery to calm down. My sister-in-law would drop off some fresh tests. I resolved to go to a different clinic on Tuesday.

My test on Monday was a little less ambiguous.

Monday night I slept very little. My nose was running all night, and I had to keep getting up to blow it. On Tuesday afternoon, after some misadventures, I got to another clinic. As I walked in I was greeted with a sign advising that they did COVID-19 testing, but only by appointment. It gave a phone number to call for testing.

I was the only client there, so my wait was minimal. This time, instead of immediately stating I was there because of COVID, I described my symptoms, then added that I had tested positive for COVID. The admissions nurse told me that the information I had been given previously was accurate, they did not test. I told her about the sign, and she asked me where I had seen that. I told her it was just outside the door next to us. She went out to check, and called over the rest of the staff to have a look. They considered taking it down, but in the end decided to defer to management. She explained to me that they had just gotten a directive advising that they were not testing anymore because insurance is no longer paying for tests - something new from the Trump/RFKJr regime, I suppose. But they would be able to do a basic checkup and write me a note.

All of my vitals were perfect, as usual. Temperature 98.0 degrees. Oxygen saturation 98%. Blood pressure 118/68. Lungs sounded clear. No throat irritation visible. If I didn't know I was sick, and if I weren't so woozy and tired, I would think I was healthy. The PA wrote me a note taking me through Friday, told me to keep up with the regimen of fluids and the occasional Tylenol that I've been following, and go to the ER if things take a turn for the worse. I will retest on Sunday and if I am still positive, we will take things from there.

So. Five years and nine months after the pandemic started, two and a half years after it killed my mom, I have finally contracted COVID. We'll see how it goes from here.

Poem: Ghosts of Nanticoke

D.B. Echo — Wed, 28 May 2025 16:35:39 -0400

Diamond's Candy Shoppe, October 30 2004. Closed since 2011.

I can still smell the candy in Caszh's store

sugar and flavorings permeating the air

The meat at Mike Weiss's grocery and butcher shop

where my grandmother would send me to pick up the weekly order

tick book in hand

On the walk to the Tiny Tot playground there was a yard with a gazing ball

that would shine bright as the sun

(twenty years later I bought one of my own)

I remember the day they paved the brick road in front of my grandmother's house

the bricks are still there, you can see them through the potholes

Woolworth's was a place where you could buy a bag of used stamps

Mexican jumping beans

a cheap 35 millimeter camera

and the latest KISS album

I saw Bambi at the State Theater, my first movie

and Star Wars a few years later

Chocolates from Diamond's

Comics from Koronkiewicz's

or MacDonald's newsstand

or Wadzinski's, once or twice

there was a brown and white horse and a bright red boar

that you could ride at the IGA

Burgers and fries from Carroll's came with a little toy

(My father liked to eat at the Blue Bird sometimes)

The Card Shoppe was an archive of ancient cards and little porcelain statues

Mr. Bohinski would sell the cards at the price marked on them thirty years earlier

and then give a discount on top

while telling me stories of my grandfather courting my grandmother

when he was a foreman at the Duplin Mill

The Leader Store had a chain track system for taking money to the main office

Leventhal's displayed posters featuring the latest menswear styles from the 70s well into the 90s

gone, all gone

homes and vacant lots

empty buildings or new construction

living in memory until they are forgotten

ghosts whose stories will no longer be told

Untold stories: Farewell to the Tercel

D.B. Echo — Tue, 27 May 2025 17:57:23 -0400

I bought my first car, a two-door 1990 Toyota Tercel, in 1992. It lasted four years until an unfortunate incident involving an oil change that apparently was only done partway - they never got around to putting oil back in the engine, as I found out a few days later. (It was on Holy Thursday in 1992. I remember growling "Tomorrow had better be a Good Friday, because it's been a lousy Thursday.")

I bought my second car shortly afterwards. It was new off the lot, a Nightshade Blue four-door Tercel DX. It was roomy and comfortable, even though it was one of the smallest cars available. It served me well for over twenty years. It started to show its age after about ten years, and began to have issues after about fifteen. By the 20 year mark, after well over 375,000 miles, it was clearly in need of replacement. I only drove it a few times a year after that to make sure the battery still worked, but eventually it took up permanent residence in our driveway. I knew I had to get rid of it, but couldn't bring myself to do it - until I was advised in June 2023, four months after my mother had died, that I had to.

Stripped of its license plate and ready to be hauled off. I had to send the plate to the state to prove that I no longer needed to carry insurance.

I made arrangements with one of those groups that would haul away your car and donate the resale or scrap value to a charity - in this case, WVIA, the local NPR affiliate. I had to strip the interior of the car, which was a real deep dive into my personal history. I found some stuff in there that dated to around the time I bought my previous car.

Homemade window stickers featuring an alien, Garage Mahal (a friend's band), and the classic Alfred E. Neumann portrait from MAD Magazine. I don't remember what the missing sticker was for.

I had wanted to be there to witness them taking it away, but the truck arrived much later than promised. By then my work-from-home job had started for the day, and I could only listen to the distant sounds of the car being manhandled onto a flatbed. I was most concerned it would simply snap in half as they tried to haul it off, but it didn't, as far as I could tell.

The Tercel had clearly seen better days. I was afraid it would crack in half when they came to haul it away. Note the homemade window stickers featuring the cover of My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" and the Hubble Space Telescope Deep Field.

It was a good car. It served me well, and was exactly what I needed. I still have a hard time parking the Toyota Camry I drive now.

This was a 2016 Tercel DX, a Deluxe model. I believe at the time that meant it had four doors, an automatic transmission, and power steering and brakes.

I realized last night I had not posted about my car since 2015. I decided I didn't want it to just fade away without some note of it passing. So, here it is.

Note the good old-fashioned manual climate controls.

376,483 official miles - plus a few more, since the speedometer and odometer stopped working sometime in 2016 or so. The velcro was for a small tap light I used to illuminate the speedometer when it was working - the dashboard light burned out around 2012. Apparently the Tercel went to its grave with nearly a full tank of gasoline. Fun fact: gasoline loses its functionality as a vehicle fuel after sitting around for a few years.

The Flowers of May 2025

D.B. Echo — Mon, 26 May 2025 19:15:01 -0400

I have been trying to observe and photograph flowers in my yard throughout the month of May. Unfortunately, some bloomed and faded before I could get to them, like the Daffodils, Irises, and white Azaleas. Here are the ones I did manage to photograph, arranged from latest in the month to earliest.

Double Delight rose

Clematis

Blaze rose

Lily of the Valley

Comfrey (based on a reverse image search)

Royal Highness rose

Rhododendron

Azalea

Buttercup

Violet

Grape Hyacinths, April 19-20, 2025

D.B. Echo — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 00:15:09 -0400

Grape Hyacinths are among the first Spring flowers to make an appearance, blooming after the crocuses, daffodils, forsythia, and cherries. The three images above are from April 19, 2025, of Grape Hyacinths growing under a tree adjacent to my family plot at Saint Mary's Cemetery on Middle Road in Hanover Township, PA. They are tiny things, about two inches (five centimeters) tall, and appear as wildflowers. A few will sometimes pop up around our tombstone itself. Like the ones under the tree, these will eventually get mowed down or weedwhacked by the groundskeepers.

Grape Hyacinths from my back yard, April 20, 2025. These are growing on a hill between a Royal Highness rosebush and a cherry tree. I sought them out as I was heading to have Easter dinner with my cousins. These too will probably be lost in the first lawnmowing this week.

Cherry blossoms, April 8, 2025

D.B. Echo — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 02:25:56 -0400

Last week was warm, but that didn't last. This past weekend was particularly rainy, and then temperatures dropped back into the 30s and 40s on Monday and stayed there. Still, the cherry tree buds have been prompted to blossom, finally starting to unfurl today. Will the birds allow me to have any cherries this year? Or will they once again eat them all before they fully ripen? Time will tell.

Forsythia, March 29, 2025

D.B. Echo — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 03:32:58 -0400

Forsythia are one of the first things to bloom in my yard each year. (Daffodils were already in bloom a week or so ago, but I didn't get any photos and they're probably spent already.) When I came home early Saturday morning I saw that the buds on the bush by my back steps were ready to burst open. Saturday's temperatures in the 70s gave them the push they needed to open completely - many of them, at least.

Soon the irises will blossom, and the cherry trees, and the azaleas, and the rhododendrons. Maybe I'll try to document them once again.

The crocuses of 2025

D.B. Echo — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 20:49:25 -0400

I am realizing that the crocuses at our family gravesite are a good indicator of the arrival of Spring and the changing Springtime climate. Eighteen years ago I was surprised to see them poking up by March 28, while this year they are already in bloom by March 18th, 2025.

(Note the simple solar vigil candle above. That's a spent wax candle with the top part of a dollar store solar stake light stuck inside. The bottom third of the candle is weighed down with clear glass beads, also from a dollar store.)

I've decided to add a "Crocus" tag to all of my posts featuring the crocuses. At least one of them needs some work - photos loaded directly from Facebook have a way of becoming unviewable - but this should be easy (if tedious) to fix.

Greetings

D.B. Echo — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 17:17:43 -0500

Two years ago tomorrow, six days after she died, we buried my mom. But today, another bit of her has passed away.

For two years I have resisted changing the message on our house phone's voicemail. It was just her saying her name - with a touch of annoyance, because it took us about six tries to get it recorded. Yesterday I got a message from my phone company that they had modified the voice messaging system, and I would now have to record a new greeting. So from now on callers to our house will hear me, not her. Her voice is gone.

Two years gone

D.B. Echo — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 14:27:56 -0500

My mom died two years ago tonight.

I still miss her every day.

Strange tales: The rocket

D.B. Echo — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:51:29 -0500

I got to thinking about an event from September 24, 2022. I realized I never recorded it here. I was able to track it down on Facebook, but there's a lot more to the story:

I was standing outside talking to a friend about 7:40 tonight when we noticed a glowing thing moving across the southern sky from west to east at the speed of a slow plane , but with tails like a comet (but pointing towards the sun) or an outgassing rocket. Cold war nuclear jitters are back, so that seemed like a possibility, too. Turns out it was a Space X launch from Cape Canaveral (to release more Starlink satellites.) I got lousy video of it, with me breathing heavily and saying "WHAT THE F**K IS THAT?!" Here are some excellent photos NOT TAKEN BY ME that I collected from Twitter, taken by people from all over the Northeast.

My mom and the legal weed store

D.B. Echo — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 17:50:35 -0500

Ever since my mom's car was t-boned at an intersection as she was driving to church back in 2000, she had suffered from chronic pain. She sought help with it from many sources, including chiropractors, nerve blocks, and regular visits to pain specialists. When medicinal marijuana was legalized in Pennsylvania, her pain specialist suggested that she consider giving it a try.

It took some doing, but eventually we got her a medical marijuana license. We went to the store recommended by her pain specialist. It was a little storefront in a strip mall that I had never noticed before. The store itself consisted of a small waiting room, a receptionist, a tiny consultation room, and a larger back room. I was with her for the consultation, making sure she wasn't getting ripped off or otherwise taken advantage of. The place seemed adequately legitimate. Only she was allowed into the back room to be presented with the available product, so I waited in the waiting room, perusing the printed catalogue with product names that sounded straight out of a drug dealer's vocabulary (the one I remember was "Birthday Cake," though another one I remember involved a gorilla.) I watched a television loop through presentations on issues facing today's marijuana enthusiast community hosted by two likely-looking guys, and learned how to make hemp milk with hemp seeds. I flipped through the stack of marijuana-related magazines. Eventually my mom emerged from the back room with a medicine bottle containing a few gelatin capsules with what was purported to be just the right ratio of THC to CBD.

She wasn't especially happy with the results, which made her feel spaced out but didn't particularly address her pain issues. We went back a few more times to try different formulations. It was always a bit of an outing for us: somewhere new and strange, different from anywhere we usually went. I tried to observe and absorb as much of the environment as I could. Eventually the catalogue went away, and then the TV, and then the magazines that had articles about artistic macrophotography of marijuana buds and the science of terpenoids and aromatic terpenes, the pungent scents associated with unburned marijuana and some other things, including citrus fruits. (I have learned that some marijuana preparations include artificially adding citrus terpenes to give them a characteristic scent.) In the end - I think this was before I had a smart phone - it was just me and my thoughts, and the other people in the waiting room.

I remember the last visit pretty clearly. It was a cool and rainy day. The waiting area was fairly crowded as I waited for my mom to emerge from the back room. I listened to the conversations around me - the burly motorcyclist with chronic back pain, the 20-something woman who announced how wonderful the smell of marijuana hanging in the air was as she entered - but eventually I heard the tap-tap-tap of my mother's cane as she prepared to exit from the back room. I rose up out of my tiny cramped plastic chair, stretched out my spine to my full height, and squared my shoulders. The door opened and my mom came out, a little old lady in her mid-80s, immaculately dressed, tapping along with her cane. The room was filled with murmured "Awww"s and a "How cute!" from the 20-something as I approached my mom and gave her my arm to walk her out of the shop.

Her license expired soon after that and we didn't renew it. She was never happy with any of the formulations she tried, and we decided that the bother and expense were not worth it. Still, I have my own fond memories of the place, and the smell of marijuana-associated terpenes - even from a peeled grapefruit - remind me of my mom.

(This post was inspired by a Twitter post by Dr. Ally Louks, Ph.D. about the scent-associations of cigarette smoke, and a response regarding the particular smell of marijuana smoke.)

Another Monkey Consumer Price Index, 1/25/2025

D.B. Echo — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:23:20 -0500

(Yes, I realize I just did one of these for a shopping trip two weeks later. But this one has some items that I want to start tracking - produce and, most especially, eggs. We're currently in the early stages of an Avian Flu pandemic, and egg-laying chickens are being culled by the millions, so egg prices are rising dramatically.)

Groceries purchased at Weis, 1 Weis Plaza, Nanticoke PA, 1/25/2025

Weis Quality Flour, All-Purpose, 5 lb bag: $2.39

Sunkist Navel Oranges, 5 lb bag: $9.99

McIntosh Apples, 3 lb bag: $4.99

Celery, bunch: $1.99

Red Seedless Grapes: $3.49/lb

Onions, 3 lb bag: $2.99

Iceberg Lettuce, head: $2.49

Dozen Large Eggs, Weis: $6.59

Gas prices for 2/16/2025, 87 octane unleaded:

Sam's Club, Wilkes-Barre: $3.09/gallon

Food Express, Sans Souci Parkway, Hanover Township (nearest): $3.26/gallon (Cash price; credit is $3.36/gallon)

Recipe: English Muffin Bread

D.B. Echo — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:16:55 -0500

I don't particularly like English Muffins. But a while back I remembered I do like English Muffin bread. I had only ever had one type: Cholmondley's.

I don't remember how old I was the first time I had this. It's a heavier sort of bread, full of holes that recreate the "nooks and crannies" of Thomas's English Muffins, and it has a unique taste. I last had it a few years ago, probably before the COVID-19 pandemic began. I looked for it again in my local supermarket recently and simply couldn't find it. I tried looking it up online and found it available from a few scattered shops, but the price plus shipping was ridiculously high. So then I decided to look for some recipes online. I found one that looked easy enough and used only a few ingredients. I tried it out - I haven't tried making bread in about 30 years - and the end result was delicious. I've made it every weekend since then, gradually refining my process, and it has never failed to please.

Last week's loaves

The recipe is from Restless Chipotle. She expresses a personal preference for glass loaf pans, but I have found that my nonstick aluminum pans work best for me - the loaves pop right out and cleanup is simple.

The end result of this recipe is more a batter than a dough - she describes it as "goopy." It should be beaten by hand with a wooden spoon to the point that the dough drips off with some initial reluctance. Today I think I beat it a little too long and the dough began to toughen a bit. All the rising takes place in the pans.

English Muffin Bread (from Restless Chipotle)

Makes two loaves

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water at 110 degrees F

2 Tablespoons active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon honey

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 cups milk at 110 degrees F

butter (for greasing pans)

cornmeal (for dusting pans and sprinkling on top)

loaf pans

instant-read thermometer

small, medium, and large mixing bowls

medium ceramic or glass bowl

wooden spoon

regular teaspoon

cookie sheet

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F

2. Put warm water in small bowl. Sprinkle on active dry yeast. Add honey and mix together. Set aside bowl in warm location for about 10 minutes while you follow the next steps. (I put it on the stovetop as the oven preheated.)

3. Grease loaf pans with butter. Sprinkle in cornmeal and tilt and tap to spread evenly around bottom and sides of the pans.

4. Scoop flour into medium bowl. Add salt and baking soda. Sift, whisk, or mix to combine evenly.

5. Heat milk to 110 degrees F. For me, the easiest way is to put it in a medium ceramic bowl and heat in microwave 1:45 - 2:00. Check temperature and heat or allow to cool.

6. By now the yeast mixture from step 2 should be foamy and at least doubled in volume. Pour into large bowl. Add warm milk and mix. Mix in one cup of the flour.

7. Add the remainder of the flour gradually. Mix gently by hand with a wooden spoon. The goal was described by the author as a "goopy" dough. It should really be a lumpy batter that drips reluctantly off the wooden spoon. (Her page includes links to an illustrative video.) If you beat it too much, to the point where the lumps are all gone, the bread will have a finer texture without the "nooks and crannies" you are looking for and may not rise properly.

8. Add the dough/batter evenly to the loaf pans. Set aside in a warm location (I used the stovetop again) and allow the dough to rise for about 30-40 minutes, until it fills or is slightly higher than the top of the loaf pans.

9. Dust the risen loaves with cornmeal and place in 425 degree oven for 15 - 25 minutes. Longer bake times will result in a browner crust.

10. Allow to cool before slicing.

I have not yet made a loaf that rose significantly above the top of the loaf pan. My first attempt rose on the edges but collapsed in the center. When I sliced it open it had large pores and some very large voids at the top. In this case I had begun preheating the oven only after the dough had risen in the pans, following the directions in the original recipe. This meant that the dough had extra rise time. It also meant that the kitchen temperature where the dough was rising was only about 70 degrees F - it is currently Winter and quite cold outside. I had also allowed my yeast to "proof" a lot, probably tripling in volume. The second time I started the proofing step later and began the preheat a little earlier. Those loaves had smaller pores but still had voids at the top, suggesting the dough had risen faster at one point than others. (The voids cause slices to fall apart inside the toaster.) This third time I started the proofing early, but only after I had begun pre-heating the oven. This way the proofing and rising would be in a warmer environment. Unfortunately I think I over-mixed the dough, resulting in a smoother, stickier dough. The pores on these loves are smaller than ever, but there were no large voids. The slices hold together well in the toaster, and the end results had crisp toasted crust and soft centers with crisp highlights.

Overall - and I hope my grandmother will forgive me for saying this! - this is the best bread I've ever had.

Another Monkey Consumer Price Index, 2/8/2025

D.B. Echo — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:32:14 -0500

I may start doing these more often. My last one was in June of 2024.

This wasn't a big shopping trip, so I'm listing everything here.

Weis Quality Whole Bran Flakes (17.8 ounces): $2.50

Maier's Seeded Italian Bread: $3.49

McIntosh apples, 3 lb. bag: $4.99

Red Seedless Grapes: $3.49/lb

White Potatoes, 5 lb. bag: $4.99

Turkey Hill Ice Cream: $3.99

Weis Quality Cottage Cheese: $2.89

Weis Quality Whipped Butter: $2.79

Weis Quality 2% milk, gallon: $4.39

Gas prices as of 2/11/2025

Sam's Club, Wilkes-Barre: $3.08/gallon

Food Express (nearest): $3.26/gallon (Cash price; credit is $3.36/gallon)

Exchange rates for 2/11/2025 from xe.com

$1.00 =

0.96642477 Euros
0.80473 GBP (Great Britain pounds)
1.43047 CAD (Canadian dollars)
1.58922 AUD (Australian dollars)
152.348 JPY (Japanese yen)
7.30753 CNY (Chinese yuan)
11.1973 NOK (Norwegian krone)
20.5648 MXN (Mexican peso)
95.8292 RUB (Russian ruble)

Neil and David

D.B. Echo — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 06:09:02 -0500

This week saw the deaths of two great and beloved storytellers. Problem is, one of them is still living.

Neil Gaiman was a widely revered and admired writer. His comics, short stories, novels, and TV episodes have inspired millions. He was a master of the power of imagination, the magic of words. Many lonely and isolated readers read his words, watched the episodes of Babylon 5 and Doctor Who that he wrote, watched the movies based on his stories, and thought: I can do that. I want to learn how to do that. For many years, his New Year's Eve messages filled readers with hope and strength to face the coming year.

David Lynch was a filmmaker. He was seen by some as an absurdist, by others as a transcendentalist. I suspect he saw himself as a realist. His films dug into the best and worst of humanity. The struggles, the dreams, the nightmares, the crimes, the love, all excised and laid bare and exposed to wind and sunlight. His movies and TV shows inspired both cult followings and enormous unease and confusion among many viewers. Time and again people who worked with him came away loving him.

In 2024 allegations emerged about Neil Gaiman, allegations that he had used his wealth and position to force sexual favors from women he had drawn into his orbit. On January 13, 2025, an article in New York magazine's Vulture ("There Is No Safe Word") revealed the enormity of these acts, and fleshed out these allegations in sickening detail, revealing a perverse and manipulative monster behind the mask of floppy hair and soft, gentle voice. The Neil Gaiman that fans thought they knew was dead.

David Lynch developed emphysema after a long smoking habit, and had isolated himself in his Los Angeles home throughout the ongoing era of COVID-19, knowing that contact with the unmasked public posed a threat to his life. The Los Angeles area wildfires in early January 2025 spared his home, but the smoke-filled air forced him to evacuate. It was all too much. On January 15, 2025, David Lynch died.

The revelations about Neil Gaiman resulted in two days of scorn and condemnation, which ended only when news of David Lynch's death came out. David Lynch's death has resulted in an outpouring of love and appreciation, with fans sharing their favorite scenes and clips, co-workers telling loving stories of time spent with him, and many people telling tales of random encounters with him in public.

The loss is enormous. David Lynch's work will live on, a testament to his vision of the world. Neil Gaiman's works are being tossed aside, their characters and stories forever tainted by the true nature of the man who wrote them.

* * *

I was never a huge David Lynch fan. I enjoyed his Dune, an admirable attempt at making a film of an unfilmable story - if anything, I thought it was too conventional, too willing to condense complex details into simple action tropes. My friends were fans of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet, which I felt were trying too hard to be weird for the sake of being weird. I enjoyed Wild at Heart and Mulholland Drive. I didn't know too much else of David Lynch's work, though I seem to recall in the early 2000s he had gotten heavily into furniture refinishing. But he has long had a persistent and enthusiastic fanbase online, and over the past few years I have learned to love him as a man and a creator through the clips they posted and anecdotes they told.

I was a pretty big Neil Gaiman fan. Not at first - I never got into the Sandman comics, and I only learned decades after I had bought it that he had authored "Don't Panic! The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion." My first intentional purchase of a book by him was a used copy of American Gods from the Vintage Theater , the meeting place of my writing group, when the owner briefly experimented with used book sales. (Turned out the copy I bought was donated by a woman in my writing group. I eventually lent it to a girl I liked, who then gave it to someone else before she moved to Florida.) I later bought several of his short story collections in my first shopping outing after the release of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, and bought Anansi Boys in my first out-of-the-darkness shopping trip about six months after my mother's death in 2023. I enjoyed his "Silver Age" continuation of Alan Moore's Miracleman comics. I also enjoyed Bitter Karella's characterization of him in the Midnight Pals online series, where he was a brilliant but tedious magician of imagination - to the point that I considered auditioning to play him in the audio podcast. Neil Gaiman's name became a password among writers and poets, a way of showing that you were good and enlightened and willing to face the terrors of the world with love. In some readings I appended a passage* from his Hellblazer story "Hold Me" as a coda to my poem "Hands," and then ended by holding up the comic book from which I had just read Gaiman's words. All that is gone now. Neil Gaiman is gone now.

* "When we hold each other, in the darkness, it doesn't make the darkness go away. The bad things are still out there, the nightmares still walking. When we hold each other we feel - not safe, but better. "It's all right" we whisper, "I'm here, I love you." And we lie: "I'll never leave you." For just a moment or two the darkness doesn't seem so bad.”

A Few Notes on Josh Shapiro

AboveAvgJane — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 18:01:03 -0400

I followed Josh Shapiro's campaigns for a number of years. Here are a few things I learned about him:

He's ambitious. It is pretty much a job requirement in politics. In his case, since he wanted to move up to higher office he kept his nose clean. There is an old saying "if a man thinks he has a chance of becoming head of a company he won't steal as much as a postage stamp." I may have the details wrong, but you get the gist.

He really does work in a bipartisan fashion. I have seen him compliment and praise Republican office holders at public meetings, and work across the aisle. in a number of ways.

He really does do what he thinks is right. I remember him as AG saying if people didn't think they had a lawyer, he was their lawyer. He meant it.

These are not bad qualities to have.

Why I Voted for Conor Lamb

AboveAvgJane — Sun, 15 May 2022 22:10:47 -0400

There are three good choices for Senate on the Democratic ballot. While I haven’t been active politically the last few years I have kept an eye on what’s going on. Not a close eye, mind you, but an eye. This post will not debate the qualifications of all three or compare them; you should do your own work on that. I’m just sharing why I decided to vote for Congressman Conor Lamb. [congressional site: lamb.house.gov ; campaign site: www.conorlamb.com]

I looked at websites, read some articles, and attended a Lamb event. I was trying to decide between Lamb and another candidate. There were a few things that pushed me towards Lamb. Here they are:

He’s a veteran. This isn’t the sole reason I vote for a candidate, and I don’t vote for every vet solely for that reason. But PA does have a high percentage of veterans, and military service forces people to work together even if they have significant differences; handy experience in elected office. If I’m deciding between two candidates and one is a veteran that person gets extra point in my book. Not every person in the service sees active duty in a war zone, but every person in uniform could, and they know it. On any given day any one of them could be given orders to go anywhere. It isn’t the only way to demonstrate patriotism or serve your country, but it is one way. I haven’t been in the military, though many of my relatives have, and it is something I respect.

He is pragmatic. This isn’t a popular word right now, so this isn’t a quality a lot of people would look for, but it is one I value. You work for things you can get done, and play a strategic, sometimes long game, on others, keeping an eye open for opportunities. But day to day you look for things you can get done. When I heard him speak he mentioned about raising the wage cap on Social Security deductions. For those who don’t know, there is a dollar wage limit on how much of your salary is taxed for Social Security. Raising that limit would help solve any long-term issues with Social Security funding. I don’t think he brought this up but I’m mentioning it here – paying people with stock options means Social Security taxes aren’t deducted, because that isn’t a wage. (see this site for an explanation of this https://www.thebalance.com/taxation-of-employee-stock-options-2388965)

He has experience in federal government; I think that tends to help. It isn’t a necessity and I have definitely supported candidates who didn’t have this experience, but, for me, it is usually a plus. He's currently serving in the US House, in a district that often votes Republican. Being able to pull in R votes is another plus. Some people split their votes; let's give them a reason to do that.

Some of the things he discussed are adding vision, dental, and hearing aid coverage in Medicare (blogger’s note, for a list of things Medicare doesn’t cover see this site, note that insulin, other than an insulin pump, is listed: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage?coverage_search=dental). I think these things are priorities as well. You focus on the issues that can bring the largest number of people together to get something passed. I admire passion and ideological purity but you can only pass what you can get the votes for.

He supports things that are important to me – voting rights and women’s bodily autonomy.

This last thought is most decidedly an old-fashioned one these days. He practices civil discourse. He doesn’t seem to engage in name calling or smack downs. I imagine things get livelier in a general election, but when he was asked about his primary opponents, he pointed out differences in a straightforward but polite manner.

So, there you have it. That’s why I voted for Conor Lamb. [Full disclosure I also donated a small amount to his campaign.] You may decide differently. I can easily support any of the candidates in the general election.