My mother loved graveyards. Passed it on to me. Our specialty is bizarre tomb inscriptions all over New England. My favorite, “she was a bad wife.” That was somewhere in Connecticut.
Wandering the old cemeteries around here and reading (or trying to read) the usually morbid poetic epitaphs is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I don’t think you’re strange at all for liking cemeteries!!
One of my faves:
Remember me as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so you shall be
Prepare for death and follow me.
It definitely puts you in the mood to try to live your best life each day, doesn’t it?
Sen. Bill Cassidy lost to a Trump backed candidate, then yesterday he flipped his vote on a bill to hold Trump accountable for his war against Iran. It is not a profile in courage, maybe a profile in petty revenge, or maybe it is a turn away from political cowardice, but whatever the motive as Trump presses his continued vindictive attacks against his own base he becomes more vulnerable to actual accountability.
Or if you’ve done the wrong thing and want to make it right, the first thing you need to do is a real apology. If Cassidy came out and said he supported Trump and RFK Jr., etc, out of fear of losing his seat, and that he now regrets his selfishness and cowardice, it would go a long way to not only restoring whatever good name he had, but it might even shame a few others who know in their heart of hearts that they are just as wrong.
More good news on journalism, the Lake George Mirror announced a new effort:
“We are pleased to announce the launch of "Local Matters," a new project of Adirondack Community Foundation and the Lake George Mirror to support consistent and continuous reporting from communities within the Lake George watershed.
The project allows anyone to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the hiring of editors and reporters to cover the news of municipal boards, schools and civic groups.”
It looks like the future of local journalism may be community supported as we are seeing with NCPR and Substacks like this one.
The most corrupt indeed. The IRS will vow to never again audit the Trump Crime family. Republicans should be outraged. They're silent and compliant. If our local candidates support this lawless regime, they're not fit for office nor worthy of our vote. As saying goes "all politics are local". Let's begin at the local level and work up the ladder.
There should be an avalanche of lawsuits against this typical Mafia-like corruption to stall such a deal until this POS is out of office -- one way or the other -- and his entire family and all oligarchs such as fElon Musk, Bezos, et. al. are sent to prison -- or worse. Seize all assets and return them to the U.S. treasury. There just aren't any more words to describe the treasonous actions and words of this criminal enterprise.
Here's a good start against the filthy deal. From Reuters.
May 20 (Reuters) - Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol from rioters on January 6, 2021, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to halt President Donald Trump's nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of political "weaponization."
In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges alleged Trump has "created a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name."
The lawsuit seeks a court order blocking payments from the fund, calling it "the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century."
Maybe the medical societies and/or licensing boards will grow a pair and revoke all his credentials so that can be included in his eventual obituary or gravestone (hint-hint, Ken). I'm still waiting for all the blue states to take whatever action is necessary to revoke the law licenses and disbar any legal eagle employed by this criminal cabal administration. Rudy Ghouliani isn't enough.
This past winter, heading west on US90 out of Uvalde TX, I noticed a small sign indicating the grave of John Nance Garner was just ahead. Of course I had to go see it. A compact little area with a marker that related Garner's life story. When I tell others about this, the first thing I always hear is "who's John Nance Garner?" Let's see who knows his most famous quote. Post your answer.
I often wondered why President Ulysses Grant was buried in NYC. When visiting Grant’s Tomb I learned upon Grant’s death, his family wanted to have his final resting place at West Point, however, his widow Julia Dent Grant nixed that idea because upon her death she wished to have her final resting place with her husband and at that time women were not permitted to be buried at the military cemetery at West Point. At the time of Grant’s death he had been a resident of NYC and the then NYC Mayor suggested that Grant be interned at Riverside Park cemetery. Mrs. Grant approved. Upon her death she too was buried there. Grant’s Tomb is a federal historical site protected by the U.S. Park Service and it is reputedly the largest mausoleum in North America.
It has been said that you die twice, once at your physical death and again the last time someone mentions your name. All those you mentioned have lied another day.
Shed no tears for Cassidy, despite being one of the few U.S. senators who voted to convict Diaper Donny after impeached by the House. He got thrown under the vengeance tour bus despite his otherwise cowardly support of a 34-time convicted sex abuser; he's got plenty of decomposing roadkill company as demanded by his MAGAt-in-Chief. His apologies for confirming most, if not all, of DD's criminal cabal cabinet ring hollow. I'm sure any review of Cassidy's finances will show him leaving as a multi-millionaire, despite his "paltry" $174,000 salary. Next up: a book, speaking tour, TV appearances ..... If he really wants to make amends, he should run as an independent in the general election, just to siphon votes from his Repuglican candidate and just maybe get a Dem or independent elected to his seat.
There are times when I believe Lincoln should have allowed the Confederate states to peacefully secede and operate on their own. Just free the slaves and other depressed minorities so they could leave for the Union and see what the Southern bigot Whiteys could accomplish when they'd have to do all the work of their Aryan nation. All of those lives saved from the Civil War right through modern day. Ken Burns' historical documentaries reminded me the Civil War wasn't fought initially over slavery but that Lincoln as the war ensued was prompted by his advisors to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and bring the abolition of slavery into the mix. Who knows, maybe Canada would have liked to join the Union to make up a different United States. I'd take Montreal over Orlando every time.
For 10 years, I lived around the corner from the tomb of Warren G. Harding and his wife. It's as massive as some monuments in Washington, D.C., and was paid for with pennies from children across the country - or so says one of the plaques on the grounds. I would imagine that it is the only presidential grave where couples go to take pictures on prom night and before weddings. It is also one of two sledding hills in notoriously flat Marion, Ohio. There is a sign prohibiting sledding, but on snowy days, it is always filled with kids and cold moms and dads. I never thought about it, but when I chaperoned the 8th-grade Marion Middle School trip to Washington, D.C. and toured Mount Vernon, we had a talk with the kids about being reverent as we approached and viewed Washington's Tomb. I wonder if the kids thought it was weird because they grew up playing around a president's tomb at home.
I know, I have a photo of my dad sticking his face between the bars on the gate.
As I recall they open it up once a year or so, to place wreaths and clean up. I think around his birthday.
His father and mother's graves are across the street; they are small markers on the ground, while his father-in-law's is a giant obelisk on a hill towering over the Hardings. His father-in-law never liked Harding because there were rumors of African blood in the Harding family.
I don't think they do it anymore, but my favorite Harding-related event was the annual Teapot Dome Rugby Scandal tournament. I think I have a T-shirt.
As a teenager I worked on concessions in the Polo Grounds before one Giants moved West. I'm sure it that a contributing factor to Mel Ott's many home runs were the short porches. A home run down the left field line was under 300 feet! Another guy named Dusty Rhodes also hit a lot of homers that way.
All the constitutional guardrails on an executive dictatorship are contingent upon the legislative and judicial branches have enough pride - and frankly ego - to do their jobs and preserve their own branch's authority. We are where we are because both of those branches have largely neutered themselves.
Cassidy learned what the rest of us already knew: you can't be with Trump 99% of the time. You are either with him 100% of the time or you are his enemy. Like so many others who thought they were clever enough to pull it off, Cassidy learned that this kind of hedging never works.
My mother loved graveyards. Passed it on to me. Our specialty is bizarre tomb inscriptions all over New England. My favorite, “she was a bad wife.” That was somewhere in Connecticut.
Good thing the husband waited for wifey to die to inscribe that; otherwise, they'd be trading places.
Wandering the old cemeteries around here and reading (or trying to read) the usually morbid poetic epitaphs is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I don’t think you’re strange at all for liking cemeteries!!
One of my faves:
Remember me as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so you shall be
Prepare for death and follow me.
It definitely puts you in the mood to try to live your best life each day, doesn’t it?
I read one in a rural cemetery in Tennessee that simply stated ‘ I told you I was sick’
Sen. Bill Cassidy lost to a Trump backed candidate, then yesterday he flipped his vote on a bill to hold Trump accountable for his war against Iran. It is not a profile in courage, maybe a profile in petty revenge, or maybe it is a turn away from political cowardice, but whatever the motive as Trump presses his continued vindictive attacks against his own base he becomes more vulnerable to actual accountability.
Cassidy should have stood up and voted against RFK Jr. but he cow-towed to Trump. You can't do the right thing part of the time.
Or if you’ve done the wrong thing and want to make it right, the first thing you need to do is a real apology. If Cassidy came out and said he supported Trump and RFK Jr., etc, out of fear of losing his seat, and that he now regrets his selfishness and cowardice, it would go a long way to not only restoring whatever good name he had, but it might even shame a few others who know in their heart of hearts that they are just as wrong.
That is exactly what he should have done.
More good news on journalism, the Lake George Mirror announced a new effort:
“We are pleased to announce the launch of "Local Matters," a new project of Adirondack Community Foundation and the Lake George Mirror to support consistent and continuous reporting from communities within the Lake George watershed.
The project allows anyone to make a tax-deductible donation to help fund the hiring of editors and reporters to cover the news of municipal boards, schools and civic groups.”
It looks like the future of local journalism may be community supported as we are seeing with NCPR and Substacks like this one.
The most corrupt indeed. The IRS will vow to never again audit the Trump Crime family. Republicans should be outraged. They're silent and compliant. If our local candidates support this lawless regime, they're not fit for office nor worthy of our vote. As saying goes "all politics are local". Let's begin at the local level and work up the ladder.
There should be an avalanche of lawsuits against this typical Mafia-like corruption to stall such a deal until this POS is out of office -- one way or the other -- and his entire family and all oligarchs such as fElon Musk, Bezos, et. al. are sent to prison -- or worse. Seize all assets and return them to the U.S. treasury. There just aren't any more words to describe the treasonous actions and words of this criminal enterprise.
Here's a good start against the filthy deal. From Reuters.
May 20 (Reuters) - Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol from rioters on January 6, 2021, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to halt President Donald Trump's nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of political "weaponization."
In a complaint filed in federal court in Washington, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges alleged Trump has "created a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name."
The lawsuit seeks a court order blocking payments from the fund, calling it "the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century."
Not mentioned regarding Senator Bill Cassidy is that he is also a medical doctor. So he goes along with Trump and votes to confirm RFK Jr. How craven.
As a doctor, it was malpractice.
Maybe the medical societies and/or licensing boards will grow a pair and revoke all his credentials so that can be included in his eventual obituary or gravestone (hint-hint, Ken). I'm still waiting for all the blue states to take whatever action is necessary to revoke the law licenses and disbar any legal eagle employed by this criminal cabal administration. Rudy Ghouliani isn't enough.
This past winter, heading west on US90 out of Uvalde TX, I noticed a small sign indicating the grave of John Nance Garner was just ahead. Of course I had to go see it. A compact little area with a marker that related Garner's life story. When I tell others about this, the first thing I always hear is "who's John Nance Garner?" Let's see who knows his most famous quote. Post your answer.
Maybe the bigger question is what were you doing in Uvalde, TX.
Passing through, heading for Sanderson TX to photograph the least used Amtrak station in the USA.
You should talk to my colleague Greg Colleague, another passionate train buff.
Is it OK to use AI to find the answer?
I often wondered why President Ulysses Grant was buried in NYC. When visiting Grant’s Tomb I learned upon Grant’s death, his family wanted to have his final resting place at West Point, however, his widow Julia Dent Grant nixed that idea because upon her death she wished to have her final resting place with her husband and at that time women were not permitted to be buried at the military cemetery at West Point. At the time of Grant’s death he had been a resident of NYC and the then NYC Mayor suggested that Grant be interned at Riverside Park cemetery. Mrs. Grant approved. Upon her death she too was buried there. Grant’s Tomb is a federal historical site protected by the U.S. Park Service and it is reputedly the largest mausoleum in North America.
And of course Grant died in Wilton at the little cottage up on Mt. McGregor. If you haven't visited, it is worth it. Great story.
I had to look it up, but maybe another hint, Garner was FDR's first vice president.
It has been said that you die twice, once at your physical death and again the last time someone mentions your name. All those you mentioned have lied another day.
Well put.
I really love reading about your varied interests! Thanks for sharing.
Shed no tears for Cassidy, despite being one of the few U.S. senators who voted to convict Diaper Donny after impeached by the House. He got thrown under the vengeance tour bus despite his otherwise cowardly support of a 34-time convicted sex abuser; he's got plenty of decomposing roadkill company as demanded by his MAGAt-in-Chief. His apologies for confirming most, if not all, of DD's criminal cabal cabinet ring hollow. I'm sure any review of Cassidy's finances will show him leaving as a multi-millionaire, despite his "paltry" $174,000 salary. Next up: a book, speaking tour, TV appearances ..... If he really wants to make amends, he should run as an independent in the general election, just to siphon votes from his Repuglican candidate and just maybe get a Dem or independent elected to his seat.
There are times when I believe Lincoln should have allowed the Confederate states to peacefully secede and operate on their own. Just free the slaves and other depressed minorities so they could leave for the Union and see what the Southern bigot Whiteys could accomplish when they'd have to do all the work of their Aryan nation. All of those lives saved from the Civil War right through modern day. Ken Burns' historical documentaries reminded me the Civil War wasn't fought initially over slavery but that Lincoln as the war ensued was prompted by his advisors to issue the Emancipation Proclamation and bring the abolition of slavery into the mix. Who knows, maybe Canada would have liked to join the Union to make up a different United States. I'd take Montreal over Orlando every time.
For 10 years, I lived around the corner from the tomb of Warren G. Harding and his wife. It's as massive as some monuments in Washington, D.C., and was paid for with pennies from children across the country - or so says one of the plaques on the grounds. I would imagine that it is the only presidential grave where couples go to take pictures on prom night and before weddings. It is also one of two sledding hills in notoriously flat Marion, Ohio. There is a sign prohibiting sledding, but on snowy days, it is always filled with kids and cold moms and dads. I never thought about it, but when I chaperoned the 8th-grade Marion Middle School trip to Washington, D.C. and toured Mount Vernon, we had a talk with the kids about being reverent as we approached and viewed Washington's Tomb. I wonder if the kids thought it was weird because they grew up playing around a president's tomb at home.
Great story. Harding's grave is impressive but they don't let you inside.
I know, I have a photo of my dad sticking his face between the bars on the gate.
As I recall they open it up once a year or so, to place wreaths and clean up. I think around his birthday.
His father and mother's graves are across the street; they are small markers on the ground, while his father-in-law's is a giant obelisk on a hill towering over the Hardings. His father-in-law never liked Harding because there were rumors of African blood in the Harding family.
I don't think they do it anymore, but my favorite Harding-related event was the annual Teapot Dome Rugby Scandal tournament. I think I have a T-shirt.
As a teenager I worked on concessions in the Polo Grounds before one Giants moved West. I'm sure it that a contributing factor to Mel Ott's many home runs were the short porches. A home run down the left field line was under 300 feet! Another guy named Dusty Rhodes also hit a lot of homers that way.
I know Mel Ott mainly because he is often used as an answer in crosswords.
All the constitutional guardrails on an executive dictatorship are contingent upon the legislative and judicial branches have enough pride - and frankly ego - to do their jobs and preserve their own branch's authority. We are where we are because both of those branches have largely neutered themselves.
Cassidy learned what the rest of us already knew: you can't be with Trump 99% of the time. You are either with him 100% of the time or you are his enemy. Like so many others who thought they were clever enough to pull it off, Cassidy learned that this kind of hedging never works.
I extracted this from the DOJ website. He's gotten so brazen that he filed it late. Reportedly, the fine was $200.
https://extapps2.oge.gov/201/Presiden.nsf/PAS+Index/405E4EC4E27BE8D185258DF7002DD1C0/$FILE/Trump%2C%20Donald%20J.-05.08.2026-278T(2).pdf