Kansas - Complete Repudiation of Republican Tax Policy

At the hands of desperate Republicans:

The legislation ends the “march to zero” income tax cuts that Brownback heralded for much of his time as governor…

...The Senate and House voted 27-13 and 88-31, respectively, to override Brownback’s veto…

...The override represents a blow to the legacy of one of the most unpopular governors in America, amid speculation that he may not serve out his remaining time in office but instead take a federal position.

...This isn’t just a humiliation for Sam Brownback, it’s a complete repudiation of his two terms as governor delivered by members of his own party who resent him for making the whole state “a laughing stock.”

Patriotic Hero

Reality Leigh Winner is a patriotic hero in the war against Russian control of the U.S., and for that reason, the U.S. Government will do everything in its power to bury her in prison forever:

Reports quickly emerged following the Justice Department’s issuance of a press release in the case that Winner is allegedly the source of a leaked NSA report published Monday afternoon by The Intercept documenting Russian military intelligence attempts to hack a U.S. voter registration software company and more than 100 local election officials. The NSA document is dated May 5, 2017, and the affidavit for Winner’s arrest alleges she “printed and improperly removed classified intelligence reporting, which contained classified national defense information and was dated on or about May 5, 2017.”

Draw Your Own Conclusions

So, Russian Hackers Went After Voting Machines After All!

Can one say illegitimate election?:

Though the report does not draw any conclusions on whether the cyberattack influenced the outcome of the election, it is the first piece of evidence that has come to light that not only did Russian hackers meddle in the 2016 election by stealing and distribute damaging campaign communications, but also went after America’s election infrastructure itself.

What's Up With This Insistent Dove Trying To Fly Up Under The Eaves?

Oh! Mama and baby! (Or mama and daddy.) I'll have to delay painting up there until baby is fledged!

I See Your Problem

It's Fun Seeing California Birds This Spring

Puzzled by the behavior of a pair of doves (here's one). They seemed to be house-hunting in an ivy-covered tree killed by the drought. They are usually shy, but the tree they're looking at is so close to people!

No One Wants To Be Trump's Lawyer

Better Call Saul:

Under ordinary circumstances, I can’t think of anything more prestigious for a law firm than to be able to say that when the shit hits the fan, they’re the ones who take the call from the president. But, with this president, they’re not even confident that the client won’t stiff them on their bill. They’re also savvy enough to realize that the Trump Organization is up to its ears in money laundering and that this will create a conflict with the large banking institutions they represent. And Trump is so toxic, guilty, and unsympathetic that simply advocating on his behalf would cause people to shun and disdain their whole organization. Plus, they’d lose the case anyway in part because their advice wouldn’t be followed. The result is that Trump is trying to use his divorce attorney Marc Kasowitz to represent him in a counterintelligence investigation that has the highest political stakes.

Northern California in June?

Forecasts suggest a possibility of rain in Northern California on Thursday.

Cheeto

Miranda Lambert - Mama's Broken Heart

Clever song:

Covfefe - The Broadway Medley

The Bird Family Says "Get Lost"

Some kind of a Flycatcher has been dogging me, with similar birds - its babies - in the distance. Am I in their personal space? I guess so.

I've never noticed these birds before. Clearly, dominance is a zero-sum game for the mama bird. But what kind of bird is it? A Black Phoebe, maybe?

Continuing to Paint

And paint. Small brush; large house. Working on front porch intricacies. Addison, the dog next door came over to help.

Ron in Reno offered his paint sprayer. Brush is OK for the south side, but tempted about the east and west sides.

Surreptitious Acts and Baffled Crabs

Too weird?:

A leading marine biologist interviewed about the case pointed out that the most likely cause for the crab biting the woman's vagina was that it may have mistaken it for an oyster. "In many ways, both in visual appearance and smell, the female genitals are very similar to oysters and other molluscs. Horn-eyed ghost crabs are usually very shy and don't approach humans unless threatened, so the obvious conclusion is a case of mistaken identity."

Aftermath Services

Friday was a hard day across the street. The Cleaners were hard at work.

The company is called Aftermath Services.

Recent Theater and Movie Notes

I saw a several local theater shows, and a movie, in recent weeks, but I didn't mention them at all in the blog. They deserve a mention.

I saw "James and the Giant Peach" at DMTC (05/20/17). Well done. Jack Driggers, Jack Jessen, and Amaralyn Ewey do so well.

I saw "Guys and Dolls" at the Woodland Opera House (05/20/17). Wonderful show! In particular, I liked Eimi Taormina's timing as she sang 'Adelaide's Lament.' Just exquisite! There were a few pacing difficulties at times. A little slow and ponderous. I was puzzled by the decision to put ladies in the sewer scene. I've always liked the idea of having a Lady Luck: Kris Farhood did well.

Saw "Grand Hotel" at Green Valley Theater Company (05/26/17). My initial impression was this was a Titanic that refused to sink. I found the situations absurd. Most absurd of all was Kevin Caravalho as the terminal tubercular Jewish man who chooses one last go-around at life by staying at the hotel. Absurd! Yet, there was Kevin, looking like the healthiest terminal man in the world, and clearly enjoying himself. Kevin's smiling; why aren't you? So, I relaxed and stopped worrying about it. After that, I enjoyed myself much more. Mark Ettensohn and Melody Payne were quite good.

There has been a dreadful dearth of good movies lately. Everyone wanted to see "Guardians of the Galaxy 2." I thought, "no, no, this will be dreadful." But I went anyway (06/03/17). It was pretty bad, but I enjoyed it anyway. Puzzled by the mid-1970's soundtrack. Drax had the best lines.