Thank you, Laura. I'm glad Skinner is okay (I somehow initially missed that in the flood of awful that seems to be hitting everyone.)

I've thought about it, but right now with the protests still actively happening (thank God last night was peaceful other than some idiot kids throwing rocks and fireworks at houses) it feels like I have to keep up just be safe. Nothing has gotten closer than a mile from our house at far, but I had to talk my wife down the other night about not packing up the car and fleeing to my grandmother's house because there were rumors on social media that a bunch of people were coming from out of town to set our schools on fire (we love 4 houses down from an elementary school). It's just exhausting. (Normally were great at being each other's voice of reason, but this year has been too much for her.)

THat must be very hard, Kalshane. Stay safe

Thanks. I know there's a lot of people in the city and elsewhere having a way harder time than we are. Venting helps a bit, I think. (Oof, the typos in my posts are atrocious. It almost pains me to leave them be, but it seems silly to edit when I got my point across.)

{{{Kalshane}}}

Pretty sure we can all agree that NOBODY wants riots. Pretty sure not even rioters want riots.

I'm not crazy, right?

I saw a post this morning, urging people to bring guns to an "anti-protest" to "shut them down in our city."

Our city. OUR city.

As if minorities and their allies don't live there, too. It's ridiculous and racist and stupid.

Timelies all!

Hugs and ~ma to all who need/want them.

Someone stole my mom's Biden sign out of her yard last night, which has turned me into Wile E. Coyote today. If Mom puts another sign up, the next person walking into her yard better be wearing steel-soled boots.

Pretty sure we can all agree that NOBODY wants riots. Pretty sure not even rioters want riots.

Not according to some of my friends on Facebook, unfortunately. There is a section of the Left that has gone fullbore "burn it all down, it's the only way for change to happen" and it's downright scary, especially since I've known some of these people in facespace for years.

I do think we have a bunch of people coming in from out of town and/or out of state just to make trouble. There's a reason they've been closing all the Kenosha area exits off 94 the last few nights. I think they setup additional roadblocks last night, too, to try to thin the outside traffic coming in.

I couldn't fill up my car on my way home from work last night because all my usual gas stations closed at 6pm. They also sent out an emergency alert last night around 7 or so asking all gas stations in the area to shut off their pumps. I know the police scanner mentioned them arresting multiple people with gas cans the order night.

David, that's amazing that a firefighter did that. I guess I would never expect someone fighting a fire at my residence to grab stuff, so I'm really floored.

The way I tend to think of it as the rioters don't want such a pressing reason to riot. However when you are watching your people get killed over and over again there hits a point where the only seeming way to even get the attention of the world at large it to go out and make some noise.

Many grateful thanks to that firefighter, David.

Matt, when you plant the next Biden sign in your mom's yard? Poke it down into the dirt in the middle of a set steel trap? Might give a stupid sign thief pause. Maybe.

Laura I'm sorry about Skinner. May he heal fast and keep the lesson in mind.

And Kalshane,I'm sorry. The whole world seems to have gone chugging 'round the bend. I have no cure, more's the pity.