I made it to Michigan last night. My parents have both retired this year since the last time I stayed with them, so now I'm the one going to bed early and up before they are, and basically being all, "Some of us have to work, you know!"

Also, people are uneducated sheep. We had 12 Amendments on the Florida Ballot. On all 12 the Yes won, because who wants to read all that stuff. I just checked my ballot and I had 6 Yes and 6 No. One the Yes had to have a supermajority so the No won despite the auto Yes voters.

Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been hospitalized after a fall. [link]

I just saw that news, Laura. Horrific.

I am thinking of trying to squeeze protest attendance in between work and dance practice today. I have a much more visceral appreciation for the theory behind Theater of the Absurd and Dadaism these day's than when I was in graduate school, I tell you what.

Have new lego-ish tanks for my desk!

[link]

It's a Britsh Mark I heavy and a French FT-17 light tank.

The Mark I is famous for being the first tank. It was basically a big metal box with either cannons or machine guns mounted in side sponsons, designated as male or female tanks respectively. Inside the box you'd have eight men, the engine (just out in the open) putting out heat and fumes, the crankshaft spinning merrily, ammunition, pigeons, spent casings, and yet more fumes from the guns. It moved along at about walking speed which is just as well as it had no suspension. It was designed specially for the western front of World War I and didn't have much influence on future tank designs.

The French Renault FT-17 was also a World War I tank and had a ton of influence on future tank design. In fact the first tanks produced by both the United States and Russia (not the Soviet Union yet) were copies of this tank. It had a crew of two, a rotating turret, a sprung suspension, and a separate engine compartment. It rattled along at the pace of a brisk walk. These little tanks were used in World War I, a number of inter-war conflicts and even in World War II in a limited capacity.

It reminds me of aircraft in a way. The first aircraft were made in the United States, but it was the early French aircraft that looked like aircraft as we know them now. Same with tanks, the British had the first tanks, but it's this little early French tank that looks like what the tank would become. The French really don't get enough credit for innovation.

No! I cannot bear the thought of danger to RBG!

All the ~ma possible headed toward RBG! It sounds like she is okay, but we need her more than ever.

I just looked over my sample ballot. We scored 50% overall on the 30 items. Three are too close and have to recount! The Senator race, which may suffer from voter suppression issues in Broward. My state rep district, and the apparently hotly contested Commissioner of Agriculture. Half my Judge picks won and half didn't. Half my amendment picks won and half didn't.

I was definitely more inconsolable in 2016, now more a combo of disheartened and encouraged.

RBG broke three ribs. STAY HEALTHY! Argh.

Unless you are a Baltimore City resident, in which case he goes out of his way to fuck us over. Only reason he hasn't done worse is the state congress has enough #s to veto & does

Yeah, exactly. I have no patience for the "but Hogan's a moderate Republican" line. He's shit all over my city.