"All Witches, Please Raise Your Hand"

Facebook post:

One of my friends told me about a powerful lesson in her daughter's school class recently. They're learning about the Salem Witch Trials, and their teacher told them they were going to play a game.

"I'm going to come around and whisper to each of you whether you're a witch or a regular person. Your goal is to build the largest group possible that does NOT have a witch in it. At the end, any group found to include a witch gets a failing grade."

The teens dove into grilling each other. One fairly large group formed, but most of the students broke into small, exclusive groups, turning away anyone they thought gave off even a hint of guilt.

"Okay," the teacher said. "You've got your groups. Time to find out which ones fail. All witches, please raise your hands."

No one raised a hand.

The kids were confused and told the teacher he'd messed up the game. "Did I? Was anyone in Salem an actual witch? Or did everyone just believe what they'd been told?"

And that is how you teach kids how easy it is to divide a community.

Shunning, scapegoating and dividing destroys far more than they protect. There's plenty of it going around.

Do not allow the ruling elite to divide and destroy us. We must remain united against those who would do so..

Unknown Credit:

I Don't Understand Southern Arizona Anymore

Gingers.

@oddumn #gingers #dontchokegingers #arizona #tucson #comedy ♬ original sound - Oddumn

I’ll Take “Windmills” Please

Punch The Bully

Another rant on Facebook:

“Your grandmother was wrong. So was your kindergarten teacher. Turns out, when faced with a bully, ignoring them and 'taking the high road' isn’t just ineffective; it’s psychologically counterproductive.

Governor Gavin Newsom figured this out. While Democrats spent years wringing their hands about 'norms' and 'dignity,' Newsom did something radical: he started fighting fire with fire. He’s trolling Trump with memes, calling his officials 'fascist cucks,' and posting TikToks that mock the president with Nickelback songs. The pearl-clutchers are horrified. The psychologists? They’re fascinated.

Research on bullying reveals an uncomfortable truth that contradicts decades of feel-good advice. Studies of children aged 11–12 found that those who 'returned hostility with hostility appeared to be the most mature.' Boys who stood up to bullies were 'judged more socially competent by their teachers,' while girls who fought back were 'more popular and more admired by teachers and peers'.

This isn’t some fringe study. It’s part of a growing body of evidence that challenging bullies directly, rather than hoping adults will intervene, actually works. The kids who fought back didn’t just stop getting bullied; they thrived socially and emotionally.

To understand why Newsom’s strategy works, you need to decode Trump’s psychological arsenal. Trump didn’t stumble into power; he weaponized specific cognitive biases. Research shows 'people intuitively think that, if you speak confidently, you know what you’re talking about.' Trump’s 'language is lower in analytic thinking, and higher in confidence, than almost any previous American president'.

Trump’s strategy uses 'emotionally charged, anti-establishment crisis narrative' that 'puts his audience in a loss frame with nothing to lose'. When people feel everything is at stake, they’ll accept more extreme responses. Trump constantly uses this 'powerful political tool that involves identifying out-groups who pose a threat to the in-group.' This 'causes in-group members to band more tightly together and become more loyal to their leader'. These aren’t accidents. They’re the psychological equivalent of precision weapons.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Newsom isn’t just standing up to Trump; he’s using Trump’s exact playbook against him. His TikTok followers jumped from just over 500,000 in March to 1.8 million. Why? Because he’s speaking the same psychological language that made Trump effective.

When Border Patrol agents showed up at Newsom’s redistricting rally, he immediately posted: 'Donald Trump has sent armed agents to our rally. We will not be intimidated'. That’s not defensive politics; that’s offensive reframing using Trump’s own crisis-narrative technique.

The psychological term is 'mirroring': adopting your opponent’s communication patterns to disrupt their advantage. Bullies rely on power imbalances. When their victims start using their own tactics, it creates cognitive dissonance and levels the playing field.

But here’s Newsom’s brilliant psychological hack: he’s using the same tactics while maintaining moral superiority. His spokesperson explicitly distinguishes their approach: 'While the Trump administration uses these tactics to demean and belittle the powerless, Gavin Newsom is using them to stand up to the powerful and call out the authoritarian methods of the current White House occupant'.

This is psychologically crucial. Research shows that social context determines whether behavior is seen as justified or aggressive. David vs. Goliath gets cheered; Goliath vs. David gets booed. Newsom has positioned himself as the David using Goliath’s own weapons.

Traditional Democratic messaging fails because it assumes politics is rational. It’s not. People rely upon 'images of reality that are built from what they see, hear and read through their networks' rather than first-hand experience.

People often say 'I’ll believe it when I see it,' but from a cognitive psychology perspective it would be more accurate to say that we 'see what we already believe.'

When Democrats respond to Trump’s attacks with policy papers and fact-checks, they’re bringing a calculator to a knife fight. The human brain doesn’t process information rationally; it processes it emotionally, then justifies those emotions with logic.

Newsom understands this. When Trump attacks California’s fire response, Newsom doesn’t release a 12-page white paper on forest management. He posts a video calling Trump 'a weak little man' and goes viral.

Newsom’s aggressive pushback feels more authentic than measured political responses. People trust fighters more than diplomats when they feel under attack.

This strategy isn’t without dangers. Critics note 'it’s difficult to discern the differences between Trump’s demands on states and Newsom’s on cities and counties'. There’s a risk of normalizing toxic political behavior.

But here’s the epistemological problem: what if 'normal' political behavior is structurally inadequate for dealing with authoritarian threats? What if the choice isn’t between 'dignity' and 'tactics,' but between effective resistance and elegant defeat?

From a purely psychological perspective, Newsom is getting more right than his critics realize. Research on anti-bullying interventions shows that having 'social referents' deliver anti-conflict messages is more effective than traditional top-down approaches.

Newsom isn’t just trolling for attention; he’s using scientifically validated psychological principles to challenge authoritarian behavior. He’s discovered that sometimes the most effective way to protect democratic norms isn’t to model them perfectly, but to prevent their opponents from trampling them completely.

Your grandmother meant well. But when dealing with bullies, psychology beats politeness every time."

~ Chris Armitage

Then Gracefully Fund Whatever California Deems Suitable

A rant on Facebook:

Oh, so NOW you care about federal funding? That’s cute.

Let’s talk about California….the state everyone loves to roast but can’t live without. 

While folks in red states rage about “liberal elites” and “big government,” California quietly cuts the check that keeps their towns running. 

Fact:

▪️California pays over $80 billion more in federal taxes than it gets back. That’s not generosity, that’s subsidizing dysfunction. Meanwhile:

▪️Kentucky: Gets $3.35 for every $1 paid.

▪️Mississippi: Basically double dips on federal aid.

▪️West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas: Inhaling federal cash like it’s oxygen.

These are the same states screaming about handouts and socialism.

You hate big government?  

Cool.

Give the money back.

But no…..

▪️red states cash the checks, build roads, fund hospitals, subsidize farmers, then hop on Facebook to lecture California about “freedom.”

▪️It’s like borrowing your neighbor’s WiFi and calling them lazy.

Now Trump wants to punish California’s universities, because students protested.

And Gavin Newsom fires back with, “Maybe we stop sending our taxes to D.C.”

And honestly?

Do it.

Pull the plug.

Let’s see who survives.

Because if California stopped sending money:

▪️Red states would collapse in a month.

▪️Farm subsidies? Gone. 9▪️Disaster relief? Sorry.

▪️Highway funding? Walk.

▪️Medicaid expansion? Never existed.

Defund the freeloaders.

▪️Let’s see who really believes in capitalism.

▪️You don’t get to scream “personal responsibility” while living off someone else’s wallet.

You’re not self-made.

You’re California-made.

And rent’s due. 

▪️Post by Maria Hernandez via Sheila Cotton-Taylor and Karin Wells

Address

On summer afternoons at the Ballet Studio in Rancho Cordova, the sunlight reflecting off automobiles in the parking lot casts a slanted shadow of the address on the dropped ceiling.

Kompromat

Most conspiracy theories aren't very useful, but this one might have legs. People have speculated for years that Putin must have Kompromat on Trump, and have generally focused on the so-called "pee tapes". The recent revelation that Jeffrey Epstein used primarily Russian banks to finance his trafficking suggests that Putin has access to Kompromat not just on Trump, but many more people besides. Very handy!:

If Russian banks processed those transactions, one can assume that they have corresponding bank account info on all the related parties to those transactions. Given his very close relationship with Epstein and his obvious propensity to abuse women, Trump’s own account info may be in there. But, perhaps of even greater interest would be learning of all the others doing ‘business’ with Epstein. 

If that information exists at all, Putin would have it, it would certainly be big-time Kompromat. Just threatening to expose it, even without actually having it, would have similar effect because it would be so plausible. This is true both for what Putin might have on Trump and, probably just as bad for Trump, what Putin may have on many of Trump’s political, business and international associates.

Tropical Storm Fernand

The Atlantic storminess has gelled into Tropical Storm Fernand, a weak echo of Hurricane Erin. No threat to Florida. 

Things look pretty calm until about Labor Day, September 1st and 2nd. There are suggestions of storminess in the Gulf of Mexico around that time - perhaps the formation of a tropical storm near Tampa, or the development of a tropical storm off the Louisiana coast, but it's still too early to say anything definitively about any of that.

Last Anticipated Tesla Protest

Today was the last anticipated protest at the Tesla dealership. Tesla salience has been dropping for awhile. I wanted to wait until Musk and his associates were forced off the Tesla Board, but we don't know when that will be. Protesters will be moving off to other projects, like banner drops. Since Palestinian salience is on the upswing, protesters will likely go there. 

My favorite moment of today's Tesla protest was when the passenger in a passing Cybertruck rolled down her window, put together her hands, and made a little heart for us. 

The "No Ice" protest at Howe and Arden continues, and seems to be getting bigger. Lots of fun over there! 

I was a bit of a badass today. We've noticed the same dark-tinted-window security vehicle repeatedly passing by us for the last several weekends. This afternoon, as the security official in his vehicle waited for the light to change, I went into the street and took photos of it, then opened the driver's side door. "Don't open the door," the security official said. "Why not?" I challenged. The security official began reaching over to retrieve his weapon. I closed the door. Later, a brief discussion was held between the security official and our people where it was promised that I wouldn't do that again. Which is good. Security officials should be in contact with the people they routinely surveil. 

Here's some video from today's Howe and Arden protest.

 

Back-To-School

The last two weeks for me have been back-to-school as a substitute teaching assistant with Montessori, at their Capitol and Carmichael campuses. So far, I've interacted only with 4th through 6th graders. I hope at some point to hang out with the kindergartners again, the most fun of kids. 

I arrived early at the Capitol campus and was surprised by the number of geese out on the playground. Even later, when they had a fire drill, there were still some geese remaining. "I'm going out to wait with the dinosaurs," I heard one boy tell a friend. 

I was pleased when the teacher announced to her class that I would be substitute TA for the day. I could hear a ripple of approval pass through the class. I had interacted with some of these students before, and they thought I was a good egg. 

At the end of the day, waiting in car line, a boy came up to me and said, "Let's dab!" I understood dabbing as a dance move, but he understood it as a ritual handshake, something I wasn't particularly good at in the Seventies, the decade of ritual handshakes. When he succeeded with me he announced to everyone, "I dabbed with an old man!" 

Montessori attracts parents with kids that have special needs. I was curious about one in particular, Anxiety Girl, hiding under her desk and shrinking into her hoodie. She avoided people and they avoided her too. At lunchtime she sat near, but apart from, her class. I hope the best for her - it's hard to be so anxious at such a young age. 

The Carmichael campus is larger than the Capitol campus and has different customs and ways. It was my first sojourn working there. I was baffled by the playground, which is partly under reconstruction. I entered the playground in confusion and wonderment and a girl leaped out in front of and said, "You're new! Let me show you around!" That was observant and nice of her. 

I found myself helping acclimate a new student to the school. The New Kid had been homeschooled in previous years and so this was his first day of school - EVER! I think it was stressful - as bad as his worst fears, he said. Still, I could sense determination. He rolled around on the floor and pitched his voice to a high squeak, which was charmingly nerdy and totally inappropriate for classroom silence. Not surprisingly, he got in trouble at lunch, when he got on top of the metal picnic table outside the classroom. A no-nonsense PE teacher dressed him down. It was a baffling experience. "I KNOW how to fall," he said, and illustrated by falling in a controlled way onto the concrete floor. I explained, "It's like the PE teacher was saying, you could fall onto other people. You could be okay but they could get hurt." So, he had to suffer for other people's incompetence. 

Science in the afternoon covered the subject of caves, and the life forms therein. I told one of my stock stories about going into a New Mexico cave, and finding a pool of water with white balls lying at the bottom of the pool. When we touched the balls the white surface of the balls popped, leaving dark central cores off of which streamed some kind of gas. It took us a long time to understand what these were. They were the remains of dead bats, wings having long ago rotted away. The kids looked at me with big eyes. "When did that happen?" one boy asked. "That was back when I was in high school," I said. The boy's eyes got even bigger, and he said, "That was a LONG, L-O-N-G time ago!!!" I wanted to explain that it was just a short time ago, but I let the matter drop. 

I could tell the afterschool Club M experience was different at Carmichael than at Capitol. Still, some of the kids were willing to play outside in the heat. I watched a kid running towards a tree; almost like towards a base in some kind of ball game. The kid's eyes stretched upwards into the tree. Suddenly, a blonde waif, about 9-years-old, fell out of the tree and flat on her back in a cloud of dust. She was fine; it was just a surprise. Who knew she was there?

The Storm Next Time

It's always hard to know with hurricanes. Two factors promote them: 1.) warm surface water temperatures, and 2.) low vertical wind shear. If you don't have both factors going for you it's unlikely you'll get a hurricane. 

Hurricane Erin is now fluctuating between a Category 4 and a Category 5 hurricane: the first Big One of the Atlantic season. All of the models have been 100% consistent that Hurricane Erin will break north, away from the Bahamas towards low pressure to the north, and miss Florida altogether. It might menace Bermuda and Newfoundland, but despite its size and strength Erin will probably affect very few people. 

I’m worried about the storm AFTER Erin. It doesn't exist yet but it’s the one to worry about. It will form farther south, causing all kinds of Caribbean misery. Current modeling suggests the storm will approach Florida. One scenario has it raking the western Florida coast from south to north on Thursday, August 28th - nearly two weeks away. A later modeling scenario shows the storm missing Florida, but slamming into North Carolina instead. The storm will be too close to the American mainland and it's bound to hit something. 

Who knows, maybe it will hit Mar-a-Lago instead?

News of the Neighborhood Animals This Summer

There is a solitary turkey that's claimed the neighborhood around 4th Avenue and 19th Street in Sacramento as its turf. Here, it's claimed the top of a vehicle as its resting place. It doesn't mess with anyone and no one messes with it.

I heard a very soft flapping in the tree,  Sure enough, it was the local neighborhood hawk, eyeing my bird-feeding spot.  I threw a stick at it and it flew away.

Even though I haven't found any more disemboweled pigeons, like I was finding two months ago, it appears that local pigeon flock is still decimated, whether by hawks, or disease, or whatever.  What I have now are lots of sparrows.  My bird seed goes a lot further now than it used to.

I generally store my bird seed in the bed of my pickup truck.  The camper shell on the truck is apparently not airtight.  Some mammal (mouse? squirrel?) figured out a way inside.  Infinite food - it was heaven!  I moved my bird seed to my other, more airtight vehicle.  Good times are now over.

Various Signs

School environments, bumper stickers, etc.

The Homicide Rate In Los Angeles Is TEN TIMES LOWER Than It Was 35 Years Ago

Source link:

Crime rates used to be so much higher. I remember being concerned about all the drug-sale activity going on in my Sacramento workplace neighborhood in 1991. Several times, I stayed at work till midnight to sabotage these sales. They'd exchange money in the workplace parking lot because there was a bright light there. I'd call in the cops whenever I saw the money flash. Sometimes, the cops even came. The drug sales moved elsewhere. I couldn't do the same today.

Interesting Thoughts on Large LLMs, and AI

@cybelecanterel Big AI companies made incredibly bad bets based on faulty assumptions and myths that don't serve anyone but themselves; now we’re all in trouble. But there are ways out of the mess. #ai #layoffs #economy #techtok #artificialintelligence ♬ original sound - Cy Canterel

Ice Cream Omen

Order an ice cream treat at Gunther's, raise an existential question. What does this omen mean?

Time moves in circles. My father belonged to Baker Company in the 666th Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army that fought in World War II, running and gunning its way across northern Germany. 

In his memoir, "Charlie of 666: A Memoir of World War II," by Nathaniel Blumberg, the question posed by 666 caused him to pause. (I also like this story because I once lived in Denver and I'm familiar with the intersection of West Colfax and Federal Blvd.)

Corporal Blumberg relates:

 

"My four assignments in the Army had provided overwhelming evidence that the military moves in mysterious ways, and we discussed the mystery. Was the choice of "666" the result of a rare example of military sense of humor, or an even rarer military sense of irony, or a premeditated military decision or simply another baffling military accident? Was Freud right when he said there are no "accidents"? Could it be one of those "coincidences" Jung insisted did not exist? …

"I went to the library in Brownwood (Texas) to refresh my memory of the "Beast" described in the Book of Revelation in the King James version of the Holy Bible. There among its prophecies, was one telling of a great beast coming out of the earth, speaking as a dragon, with two sheep's horns - or, in some interpretations, two rays - emerging from its head (Rev. 13:11). As a new artilleryman, I was taken with the prophecy that "he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (Rev. 13:13). And: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six (Rev.13:18).

"Ah, but then I noted this is the second great beast of prophecy, following an even more blasphemous and powerful beast that arose from the sea. "If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword" (Rev. 13:9-10).

"On reading that my head was spinning. The sharp memory returned….

"It was 1934 and I was 12 years old, hawking Saturday night editions of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Sunday papers to people in their cars awaiting the change of stoplights at West Colfax Avenue and Federal Boulevard. I picked up spending money by the customary practice of newsboys, paying the delivery man six cents a copy and selling them for ten cents. On the front page of one issue of the Post was an editorial cartoon portraying Adolf Hitler with a huge military machine behind him. The caption was "He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword." I had never seen that quotation before, so I asked my learned father, who said it was based on a sentence in the New Testament. Already schooled in the Old Testament, I promptly traced the quotation to its source. Years later, in the Brownwood library, I was astonished by the remembrance that brought my childhood and my life as a soldier full circle.

"But then more questions arose: Were we of 666 to be a part of the biblical Antichrist that has haunted religious history? Were we an agent of a satanic force, deceiving the faithful and even fighting on the side of evil? Were we so designated in the belief that we would strike terror in the hearts of the enemy as deputies of Satan? (I suggested that we were headed for Europe rather than the Pacific on the slim evidence that the Japanese would not be familiar with the biblical reference.)"

So, the soldiers of the 666th were a great beast: a second beast replying in kind to the greater first beast. They had the task of removing Hitler and his Nazis from power. 

Time moves in circles. My task, and the task of this generation, is to remove Trump from power. And sometimes eat ice cream treats too.

Dog Days Politics

An interesting story about how businesses use labor law and migrants to establish de facto slavery in the U.S. It’s no wonder why no one is in a hurry to change immigration law.

@skyfishreturns Big Ag economics 101 #history #laborlaw #immigration #harvest #ketchup ♬ original sound - sky fisher

Courtesy of John.

   

Better than invisible ink.

RCTC Cabaret - August 3, 2025 - Sierra 2

River City Theatre Company (RCTC) Cabaret - August 3, 2025, Curtis Hall, Sierra 2 Community Center, Sacramento, CA 

The first three videos here are from performers that were sitting at our table.

   

Note that the ruler Larry uses belongs to me.

 

Carl E. sings "Unruly Heart" from "The Prom"

Jacob W. sings "Sunset Boulevard," from "Sunset Boulevard."

Avalon C. sings "Naughty," from "Matilda, the Musical."

Cecily B. sings Cass Elliott's "Dream A Little Dream Of Me."

The performers.

There were several people in attendance who I hadn't seen in many years; for example, Debbie, Ken, and Meghan Vanderford.  It was wonderful to see them!

Also in attendance was Julie Soto (left), who, last I checked in, about 2013, was still Miss Musical Theater.  Today, she is a popular author who consistently places Number One on the New York Times bestseller list.  It was wonderful to see her and see that she is doing so well.

Ron Cisneros and Marc Valdez.  Ron Cisneros has an epic memory perfectly-suited for choreography, and is now a near-legendary figure in Sacramento Community Musical Theater.  Ron is also a cofounder of RCTC.

Protest at Immigration Court - Capitol Mall - August 2, 2025

 

I thought the Saturday morning protest was a little too sedate.  Not much traffic on Capitol Mall on a Saturday morning.  Others were itching to head out to Arden and Howe, where the public support is greater, plus you get into debates with MAGA passersby.

C.C. was there.  Apparently she's done six shows straight in local musical theater.  That's arduous for anyone!

Not many young people at this demonstration, although it was apparently mentioned by Rachel Maddow on her show.  I was surprised that S., one of the few young people present, spoke at this rally. Apparently she is much better wired into the local protest scene than I am, and basically knows everyone and runs most things.  Good to know!

The Brothers were happy when they saw that I had made it to Arden and Howe.  Numbers of volunteers were lower, given the other rally.  It was fun to perform for the automotive crowd!

My signs for this weekend.

The gathering.

Sidewalk chalk.

I Don’t Want Any More Angst In Me

Overheard. One woman speaking to another as they pass by on the sidewalk, heading the opposite direction. “…and that puts more angst in me, and I don’t want any more angst in me.”

RIP, Tom Lehrer

As a kid back in the Sixties, we had access to only three record albums: "The Nutcracker Suite," "Rhapsody in Blue," and "Songs by Tom Lehrer" (1953). Which pretty-much explains my life. 

Songs by Tom Lehrer" (1953)​ album playlist

A Clip From July 19th

Arden Blvd. in Sacramento becomes a protest alley on Saturdays, with three separate protests underway.

Come on out and participate! Psychologically, protesting is healthier for you than doomscrolling. You are doing something, in the company of people who care, and no longer a victim of old Cankles McFacist in Mar-a-Lago. 

(I make a very brief appearance here in my blue-and-yellow Ukrainian T-Shirt)

 

@obriengoespotatoes Intersectional solidarity | Arden Way, Sacramento CA. Three separate protests opposing ICE’s mass deportations, Chevron’s connection to the genocide in Gaza, and the Tesla Takedown fighting oligarchy. I got to interview an organizer at each. I’m proud of Sacramento. 7/19/25 #palestine #freepalestine #chevron #immigration #deportation #DOGE #musk #elon #trump #ICE @NorCalResist ♬ skyworld - glissey

Epstein Was A Much More Honest Guy Than Trump

I’m intrigued at 34:40 in this interview here, where Trump dimed on Epstein, because Epstein knew that Trump must be laundering money. Despite not having money himself, in 2004, Trump outbid Epstein on a house. It was because Trump was fronting for a Putin-linked Russian oligarch, Dmitry Rybolovlev.

 

Coolest July in Sacramento Since 2011 and 2012

It's been such a mild and pleasant July in Sacramento this year, but I was surprised to learn that temperatures are exactly average. That suggested that temperatures must have been above average in recent years. So, I looked at the data. 

Data from two sites are presented: the "Downtown" station (which is no longer downtown, with data available since 1877) and the Sacramento Executive Airport station (with data available since 1947). In general, the Exec Airport site is cooler than the Downtown site (further from the urban center; closer to the Sacramento River Delta). 

July 2025 seems to be the coolest July since 2011 and 2012. 

The increase in July average temperature since 1877 is due to heat island effect as the area urbanized, as well as global warming. The Downtown station has moved several times since its inception, and that might account for some of the variation.

Protesting impressions, Howe at Arden, Sacramento, CA, July 19, 2025

Project 21 - Molly Long - Poppa Was A Rolling Stone

Words just aren't adequate to describe just how good these dancers are. Wonderful Temptations hit from 1972 and excellent camera placement and editing too.

 

Disco Snails

Choreographer Hailee Payne, from Infinity Studio in Ogden, UT. The Utah dance scene is amazing! I'm not surprised good work comes from there. 

I've been waiting 46 years for this! Great choreography and great dancers. Long live 1979!

 

Barry Manilow - Last Concert Tour - July 19, 2025

Quite by accident I ended up at Barry Manilow's concert in Sacramento. 

Gabe has been sick, and so Eleanor asked me if I wanted to go with her and friend. I knew Rachel was likely a fan, and so I asked her if she wanted to go. She was interested. Then Gabe decided he would likely go. But then I had a dilemma. You can't just dangle Barry Manilow before a fan and then snatch him away. So I got two tickets for Rachel and myself. 

I've always thought of Barry Manilow as an East Coast enthusiasm. At least, that's how I was introduced to him, by the Schindwolfs, fans who hailed from Long Island, back in the day. 

I was surprised by the number of fans at Golden One Arena. He has a loyal following. Many Filipinos. 

I thought his style wasn't a good for for an arena. His show would be better for a showroom - like the Copacabana! The sound was atrocious in some ways (but better when he sat at the piano). He played some videos from the mid-70s that were quite nice. His songs were the soundtrack of the mid-70s in some way.

 

Spinal Tap "Stonehenge"

Never a bad time for this - one of the best comedic pieces ever committed to film!

 

Make Good Trouble

Amusing Story, Well-Told, About An Overheard LA Conversation

@luke.is.alive_ #lalife #laliving #losangeles #genz #hashtags #emoji #banter #funny #california #accent #accents #cali #beachlife #humor #fypage #usa #englishman #chat #follow ♬ original sound - Luke Colson

My friend Jonathan responded with this:

 

But Carlos Is So Busy

Various Impressions from Protesting at Howe and Arden on Saturday, July 12, 2025

Auburne Gallagher - One Piece Of Work!

Auburne Gallagher is apparently a MAGA influencer from northern areas of Houston. She sounds a different note in the aftermath of the flooding.  

(This is why New Mexicans loathe Texans.)