One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is natter.

Regarding the right's wish to implement the "arm everybody (but the black folks)" plan, I've been kind of stewing in, "...but, what about 'thou shalt not kill'? Does that only apply to 'those like us,' and not to 'them'?"

Yes, I have seen much discussion that the quick road to gun control is for blacks to start carrying, everywhere. Which freaks me out completely, because I am freaked out by anyone carrying other than like on a shooting range, or mountainside during hunting season.

Thought it was nice that Dick's Sporting goods is changing policy. No doubt a corporate decision well researched and completely $$ related and not a moral decision, but works for me. The corporations shedding their NRA affiliations is cool too.

eta: Gud's explosives kinda look like my doorbell

Gud's picture does kind of look like the place is wired to go splodey. Glad it's deceiving.

And yes! Dick's Sporting Goods. Also yes! Lehigh University for rescinding 45's honorary degree.

No doubt a corporate decision well researched and completely $$ related and not a moral decision

I'm going to give them credit and say it might be a moral decision, businesses do make them. They found out one of their stores sold the killer a gun, not the one used in the shooting, but still they sold to him. That's the type of thing that can lead to a crisis of conscience in a CEO and those things do lead to change. I know that I am not much more likely to go into a Dick's if I need anything they might carry.

Dick's made the same announcement in 2012, after Sandy Hook, but they say this time will be different.

Out of wine comes truth

Out of truth the vision clears

And with vision soon appears

A grand design.

From the grand design

You can understand the world

And when you understand the world

You need a lot more wine.

And in more guns in schools news, a teacher in Georgia just barricaded himself in his classroom and started shooting. No deaths, but it does give a little more context to the "arm the teachers" theory. [link]

Regarding the right's wish to implement the "arm everybody (but the black folks)" plan, I've been kind of stewing in, "...but, what about 'thou shalt not kill'? Does that only apply to 'those like us,' and not to 'them'?"

I was always taught that a more accurate translation is "Though shalt not murder." So there's your loophole. (And the fact that these people are about as far from "Biblical Christianity" as you can get, with the possible exception of the judgier bits of Leviticus, etc.)

I'm going to give them credit and say it might be a moral decision, businesses do make them.

I sincerely hope you are right. I hope that the pendulum has swung so far into crazyland that it is headed in the sane direction.

I watched Rachael last night for the first time in a while. I get such rage overload that I can't handle the quantity of news that I used to ingest. Her opening was questioning which of the half dozen or so stories to focus on for the one day when any of them should be a full week's worth of news. The quantity of never happened before occurrences is completely overwhelming.

Damn, Calli. Deep dive on the Sondheim.

Yeah, I also hope this sticks with Dick's and other companies. Unsurprisingly, Ryan and whatnot don't want to budge, but if enough companies and state legislatures start agitating, that might make a dent.

In a completely frivolous change of subject, is there a good reason why I shouldn't buy this hammock stand & hammock to put up in front of my big window and nap in as the weather warms up? [link]

I'd be using Amazon gift cards that I've earned filling out surveys, so it's basically spending free money.