I've been checking this site for science news. It seems to be real science, nothing overblown, so it seems reliable.

And, as an example of people's attitude to science, I saw a brief video clip (from a while ago, I assume) - a bunch of young woman in a large elevator, music going, jumping around and dancing. The elevator stops, the door opens ... and Bill Nye gets on. The women stop dancing, stand up straight and one says "wow".

Lily Bean will be going to the vet for her 1 year vaccinations today. She's officially a grown up cat! I expect she will grow and mature some more during the next six months. I think it's hilarious that she is so much taller and bigger than my senior girls. Thank goodness she is gentle while she's persistent about chasing and playing.

This morning she managed to steal an omega-3 capsule off DH's breakfast plate. We can't find it anywhere, so that might be more exciting than we like.

Fish oil?

For a moment I thought Lily Bean was your daughter's nickname and tried to figure out why you'd take her to the vet. Then I realized ...

Btw, Toddson, PG&E out here in San Francisco will send somebody out to check your gaslines, and turn on your pilots and certify everything is okay. You should check to see if your utility will just send somebody out and show you how to light that pilot. You shouldn't have to live off cold cuts.

Also, I expect the maintenance man in your building would light your fire. [no innuendo!]

[I figured. Dang it.]

The men in my father's family were all Republicans, but Dad began to grow to grow disillusioned with the GOP, in 1980. For days after that election, every once in a while, he and my mother would say to each other, "Can you believe Ronald Reagan is President?" I suspect he voted for Carter in 1980 (but Ford in '76), but he'd never admit it. Everyone comes out at their own pace. I know he voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 and '96, and Al Gore in 2000. Dad thought W was a tool.

Dad would have loathed every single thing about Donald Trump, and I don't *think* my grandfather would have liked him either, but I suspect Dad's the only one of them who would have voted for HRC in 2016.

Dad's twin died in 1986. My grandfather died in 1990. Dad died in 2003. His oldest brother died 2010. Their youngest brother died in 2017 (and voted for Trump in 2016).

On my desk, I have a picture of them all standing together in front of that youngest brother's shed. I was there, when it was taken on Father's Day, 1985.

Every once in a while, it gets knocked over. As of late, I've taken to shouting, "THE REPUBLICANS HAVE FALLEN!" before picking it back up.

It's the little things, you know?

Maybe get a picture of your father, put it by your work space, and flick his nose or something, when the need arises. You'll feel better.

I saw an article that in California, someone is putting up fake ballot deposit boxes ... sigh ....

Not someone, that's California GOP, the actual party. They've confirmed that they are doing it, and they are refusing to stop.

I guess I shouldn't be shocked that it's the actual GOP but I am. It's just so flagrant

Nothing like committing voter fraud so that you can prove it exists.

Everyone comes out at their own pace.

That brings to mind something that came up during discussion of ballot procedures with my family not long ago.

My great-great-grandfather Zachariah S. Hastings (1838 - 1925) wrote his autobiography and sent copies to his sons in 1911. In it, he describes voting in 1860:

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page 27

Chapter Eight - First vote. Oldest brother. War. Return to Indiana. In Tophet again. First Baptism. Clarksburg meeting.

About this time I was, [for] the first time privileged to exercise my right as a voter.

The question was whether the state of Missouri should secede from the union. Brother and I voted in the negative.

Then during the same year, 1860, November the 6th, we were privileged to vote for a President of the United States. The candidates were A. Lincoln, S. A. Douglas, J. B. Breckenridge and John Bell. Brother voted for Bell for he thought Bell was the only one that would save the union. I voted for Douglas because I thought his election would save from the impending war. The manner of voting was then quite different from what it is now. The judges of election sat in the school house by a lower open window and the voters would file up to the window on the outside. For instance when I appeared at the window to vote, a judge from within asked, "What is your name?" I replied, Z. S. Hastings. "For whom do you vote," asked the judge. I vote for Stephen A. Douglas," was my reply. The judge then said in a loud voice, "Z. S. Hastings votes for Stephen A. Douglas." The clerk recorded it. That was all. The next president I voted for was Abraham Lincoln. And, as it is said, of some Democrats who are still voting for Thomas Jefferson, I am still voting for Abraham Lincoln, that is to say, these Democrats are still voting for some of the principles that were taught by Thomas Jefferson, and I am still voting for some of the principles held by Abraham Lincoln.

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Wikipedia tells me, "In the U.S., voting by secret ballot was universal by 1892...."

[link]

I thought it was interesting, anyway.