The jury in the local police stop murder trial have been deliberating for about 20 hours over 3 days, and they told the judge at noon that they couldn't come to a unanimous decision. She sent them back in to deliberate more and basically said "Figure it out."

So the news is at the court, because the jury had another question -- wanting to know if the police officer literally said the words "You're under arrest" before the man he killed allegedly tried to flee. The judge said she can't answer something that wasn't presented at the trial, and sent them back in to keep deliberating. It's after 5:00 on a holiday Friday. This is weird.

What's kind of freaky is that when the judge and jury went in for that question, there were 8 deputies standing in the middle of the courtroom, between the table for the defense and the table for the prosecution and all the families. I feel like they're expecting an acquittal or a hung jury.

Holy shit, y'all! I just found out that a friend of mine in NYC dated Trump decades ago. She is terrified by the prospect of him being President—unsurprisingly, he had a monstrous ego and was a complete asshole way back then.

Holy shit! I found out earlier this year that my cousin-in-law was one of the many journalists who got SPY magazine sued by the Donald back in the early 90s (he wrote the fabulous Ivanarama! article that introduced the verbal tic of "the Donald"! and the two of you who actually followed this shit as obsessively as I did will know what I'm talking about!), but that's nowhere near the same level of creepy or Holy Shit as OMG DATING. And yet, still far too few degrees of separation for my taste.

I feel like I'm coming unhinged. I am just seething with rage.

I'm so sorry, Glam. I am right there with you. It is all too much. DH felt he had to drive me to Ft. Lauderdale today for my dentist appt because he didn't think I was well enough to drive. I didn't argue.

Holding close the things and people I hold dear. Buffistas. My DH and kids. Focus only on the positive and continue my news blackout. About to go for Thai with son and his GF and her Cuban mom in the bluest community in the area. And drink sake.

You are clearly in the right, Sparky1

I feel like I'm coming unhinged. I am just seething with rage.

Yeah. I'm only coping by starting some grassroots radical community organizing with fandom. And figuring out how to save money so I can donate more to strategic charities.

Is it weird that that is a stronger motivation for me to whip my budget into shape than just reducing my own debt? Counterintuitive.

Is it weird that that is a stronger motivation for me to whip my budget into shape than just reducing my own debt?

I think it's not that weird from a human psych perspective. I motivate more for an appointment with someone than for an appointment with myself.

I've been with students pretty much constantly since the election, including being in Indianapolis with them currently for a journalism convention. And one of my students is from a Trump family. So not only do I have to keep it together and put on a happy, hopeful face, I also can't show my utter despair and disgust about Trump himself. I thought I was doing okay until tonight. The students are at a talent show and I'm off for the night, and I find myself lying on my hotel bed and fighting off a panic attack. I'm not okay.

Is it weird that that is a stronger motivation for me to whip my budget into shape than just reducing my own debt? Counterintuitive.

Not at all--it's getting involved in a larger cause instead of just doing one of those things you know you should do because it's Good For You. "Do this for the cause" appeals to my inner warrior/vampire slayer/etc. "Do this because it's Good For you" makes my inner three-year-old dig in her heels and say, "Don't wanna."

ION, I decided to make chicken with 40 cloves of garlic tonight. I'd forgotten what a simple recipe it is, really. Get 3-4 heads of garlic. Peel them. Which is boring and fiddly, but a good time to listen to music or a podcast. Brown chicken pieces (that you've salted and peppered generously) in olive oil. Pour yet more olive oil over the chicken, throw in the garlic, throw a bunch of sprigs of thyme on top, cover the pan, and roast at 350F for 90 minutes. And an hour and a half from now, I'll have tender chicken and a bunch of sweet, buttery garlic to spread on bread.