July 10, 2023

Afternoon Update:

** From the New York Times Ukraine/Russia liveblog, also linked below: "Turkey agreed on Monday to clear the way for Sweden to join NATO, a sudden reversal just hours after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the European Union should first advance his country's bid to join the E.U. bloc. NATO's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced Turkey's decision from Vilnius, Lithuania, where the alliance was preparing to open its annual summit on Tuesday.... The statement said Mr. Erdogan met on Monday with Mr. Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden to discuss the country's bid.... In return, Sweden and Turkey would continue to work bilaterally against terrorism, Sweden would help reinvigorate Turkey's application to enter the European Union, and NATO would establish a new 'special coordinator for counterterrorism,' he said.... Hungary is the only other NATO member that has yet to approve Sweden's bid, but Hungarian officials have said that if Turkey's position changes, they would not obstruct the process." MB: Given all the hoohah that preceded Turkey's decision, this is a BFD.

So this morning we learned that Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was hinging his support for Sweden's entry into NATO on the U.S.'s willingness to see F-16s to Turkey. Apparently that was not enough: ~~~

     ~~~ Blackmailer-in-Chief. Ben Hubbard of the New York Times: "President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance's efforts to expand. Mr. Erdogan's latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO's two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member."

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "David C. Weiss, the federal prosecutor in Delaware who has led the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, on Monday rebutted a key element of testimony to Congress by an Internal Revenue Service official who said that Mr. Weiss complained about being blocked from pursuing the case the way he wanted. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Weiss said that he had never asked Justice Department officials to give him special counsel status to pursue the case, contradicting testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee by the I.R.S. official, Gary Shapley, who said Mr. Weiss had sought that status and been turned down.... Mr. Weiss added in the letter to [Sen. Lindsey] Graham that he had 'never been denied the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction.'... He [did not] explicitly address a key assertion made by Mr. Shapley: that Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in California and Washington had blocked Mr. Weiss from prosecuting Hunter Biden on felony tax charges...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The headline here should be something like, "Another GOP Conspiracy Bites the Dust." But this one won't bite the dust just because Weiss has denied some of Shapley's testimony. Jim Jordan is a bulldog, and like the bulldog my grandparents' once had, he will hang on the bull's chest as long as Joe Biden is President.

Jeremy Peters & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Of all the distortions and paranoia that Tucker Carlson promoted on his since-canceled Fox News program, one looms large: a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man working as a covert government agent incited the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol to sabotage and discredit ... Donald J. Trump and his political movement. What's known about the man -- a two-time Trump voter named Ray Epps -- is that he took part in demonstrations in Washington that day and the night before. He was captured on camera urging a crowd to march with him and enter the Capitol. But at other points, he pleads for calm once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent.... [There is no video evidence he ever went inside the Capitol.] Federal prosecutors have not charged Mr. Epps with a crime..., [but he] could still be indicted.... For more than 18 months, Mr. Carlson insisted that the lack of charges against Mr. Epps could mean only one thing: that he was being protected because he was a secret government agent.... He repeated Mr. Epps's name over and over -- in nearly 20 episodes -- imprinting it on the minds of his viewers.... Now lawyers representing Mr. Epps and his wife are proceeding with plans to sue Fox News for defamation.... First Amendment experts say Mr. Epps has a viable case for defamation...."

Kara Scannell of CNN: "A New York judge has ordered Steve Bannon to pay his former attorneys nearly $500,000 in unpaid legal fees for work on various legal matters, including his fight against a subpoena by the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack. The law firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP sued Bannon in February alleging he failed to pay his legal bills for work the lawyers did for him on the congressional investigation as well as criminal investigations into his efforts to crowdfund a wall along the southern US border. In a six-page order issued Friday, Judge Arlene Bluth ordere Bannon to pay $480,487.87 in unpaid bills as well as 'reasonable legal fees' to his former lawyers who brought the lawsuit." MB: What a surprise! Bannon the Scammer doesn't pay his lawyers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Toluse Olorunnipa & William Booth of the Washington Post: "President Biden kicked off his high-stakes visit to Europe with a stop in London, where his meetings on Monday with King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were expected to be among the least contentious of his five-day trip.... White House officials have sought to project a sense of unity around Biden's five-day trip, which will also include meetings at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and a confab with Nordic leaders in Finland.... [BUT] His meetings this week threaten to expose major rifts in the coalition of countries that has spent much of the past 500 days pushing back against Russia's aggression in Ukraine." ~~~

     ~~~ The Guardian is liveblogging President Biden's visit to the U.K. The New York Times is covering Biden's meetings in its Ukraine live updates, also linked below.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Mark Landler of the New York Times: President Biden and King Charles III of Britain will meet at Windsor Castle today. They have a lot in common! "The two men ... waited decades for their dream jobs, projecting a sense of normalcy and unity when they finally reached their thrones. They both prefer to ditch executive palaces for their respective retreats. And they share a passion for confronting threats to the environment. The men ... are also united by their challenges. They both face a public increasingly dubious of their institutions. And they both battle skepticism over whether they are the right people to lead the increasingly diverse groups over which they preside. 'As older men in the pinnacle of their careers, they need to redefine what it means to be an older person,' said Arianne Chernock, a professor of history at Boston University..., adding, 'They need to find new ways to connect with a younger multicultural generation.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I've got news for Prof. Chernock. These two men -- Charles in particular -- have done more connecting with people of other cultures than practically anyone in the world. Other than marrying someone from a remote area of Zambia or moving to a yurt in Mongolia, I don't know what "news ways" either could find to connect.

Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post: "The White House is moving to constrain use of skimpy health plans that ... Donald Trump touted during his administration as an affordable means of insurance -- and that Democrats, including President Biden, have derided for years as junk. The proposal, part of a presidential recitation Friday of recent federal steps to improve Americans' health care, comes after congressional Democrats and consumer-health advocates have pressed Biden as long as he has been in office to act on a long-standing pledge to reverse his predecessor's expansion of the short-term health plans, which are designed as limited-duration products.... The short-term plans charge lower monthly premiums than standard forms of health insurance in exchange for scanty benefits. The plans do not need to comply with consumer protections provided under the Affordable Care Act, including equal treatment of patients with preexisting medical conditions and coverage of 10 categories of health benefits, such as maternity care, mental health services and prescription drugs. The plans also sometimes impose yearly limits on coverage."

Simon Romero, et al., of the New York Times: "... Instead of surging as elected officials and immigration advocates had warned, the number of migrants trying to enter the United States has plummeted following the expiration in May of a pandemic-era border restriction. The unusual scenes of relative calm flow from a flurry of actions the Biden administration has taken, such as imposing stiffer penalties for illegal border crossings, to try to reverse an enormous jump in migrants trying to reach the United States. But it is also the result of tough steps Mexico has taken to discourage migrants from massing along the border, including transporting them to places deep in the country's interior.... The harsh conditions [Mexico imposes] attracted a global spotlight following a devastating fire in March at a Juárez migrant detention center that left dozens dead." MB: For better or for worse, this does kind of deflate Republican blowhards' favorite fear-mongering issues. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "Nearly two years after Congress finalized the first in a series of measures to improve the nation's aging infrastructure and combat climate change, some of the GOP lawmakers who originally tried to scuttle the spending are now welcoming it. They have privately courted newly available federal money to improve their local roads, bridges, pipes, ports and internet connections, and publicly celebrated when their cities and states have secured a portion of the aid. The dynamic has created some uncomfortable contrasts, since those same GOP lawmakers still maintain that President Biden's legislative agenda has served as a drag on the nation's economy, worsening inflation. The White House, meanwhile, has seized on Republicans' shifting tone as part of its new campaign to promote 'Bidenomics,' which took Biden and his top advisers to Michigan, Ohio and other 2024 election battlegrounds over the past week to tout their work.... 'All those members of Congress who voted against it suddenly realize how great it is, and they're bragging about it,' Biden said [in South Carolina Thursday]." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Kaffeinating the Kids. Jake Offenhartz of the AP: "An influencer-backed energy drink that has earned viral popularity among children is facing scrutiny from lawmakers and health experts over its potentially dangerous levels of caffeine. On Sunday, Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by the YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that has become something of an obsession among the influencers' legions of young followers.... Backed by two of YouTube's best known stars, PRIME was an immediate sensation when it launched last year, prompting long lines in grocery stores and reports of school yard resale markets. Advertising itself as zero sugar and vegan, the neon-colored cans are among a growing number of energy drinks with elevated levels of caffeine; in PRIME's case, 200 milligrams per 12 ounces, equivalent to about half a dozen Coke cans or nearly two Red Bulls. That high content prompted bans from some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia where some pediatricians warned of possible health impacts on young children such as heart problems, anxiety, and digestive issues." The company that produces PRIME also makes "a separate sports drink, known as PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine at all."

** Linda Greenhouse of the New York Times: "To appreciate [the Supreme Court's] transformation ... [during John Roberts' tenure as Chief Justice], consider the robust conservative wish list that greeted the new chief justice 18 years ago: Overturn Roe v. Wade. Reinterpret the Second Amendment to make private gun ownership a constitutional right. Eliminate race-based affirmative action in university admissions. Elevate the place of religion across the legal landscape. Curb the regulatory power of federal agencies.... By the time the sun set on June 30, the term's final day, every goal on the conservative wish list had been achieved. All of it. To miss that remarkable fact is to miss the story of the Roberts court." Greenhouse points to several cases to show what legal sleights-of-hand the Court's confederates used to accomplish their medieval-facing goals. Well-worth reading in full.

Dimwitted Trumpy Judge Wreaks Havoc on Plans to Ensure Election Integrity. Cat Zakrzewski, et al., of the Washington Post: "A July 4 injunction that places extraordinary limits on the government's communications with tech companies undermines initiatives to harden social media companies against election interference, civil rights groups, academics and tech industry insiders say. After companies and the federal government spent years gutting their content moderation staffs, researchers are pulling back from studying disinformation and key government communications with Silicon Valley are on pause amid unprecedented political scrutiny. With voting in the 2024 primaries just months away, tech companies also are facing new election threats as leaps in artificial intelligence give bad actors new tools to create fake videos, photos and ads. Amid that rapidly changing social media landscape, civil rights groups say U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty's order will be a boon for election lies." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That's the bad news. The good news is that if Trump is around to scream election fraud in 2024, he'll be right. Always look on the bright side. ~~~

     ~~~ Nick Robins-Early of the Guardian: Doughty's ruling "was a significant milestone in a case that Republicans have pushed as proof that the Biden administration is attempting to silence conservative voices. It is also the latest in a wider rightwing campaign to weaken attempts at stopping false information and conspiracy theories from proliferating online, one that has included framing disinformation researchers and their efforts as part of a wide-reaching censorship regime.... The GOP-controlled House judiciary committee has demanded extensive documents from researchers studying disinformation, and rightwing media has attacked academics and officials who monitor social media platforms. Many of the researchers involved have faced significant harassment, leading to fears of a chilling effect on speaking out against disinformation ahead of the 2024 presidential election.... Research has found that allegations of anti-conservative bias at social media companies have little empirical evidence, with a 2021 New York University study showing that these platforms' algorithms instead often work to amplify rightwing content." And there this about Doughty:

Terry "Doughty, who was appointed by Trump and previously ruled against Biden administration mask and vaccine mandates, is a jurist Republicans specifically seek out when shopping for a favorable forum. He has overseen more multistate challenges to the Biden administration than any other judge, Bloomberg Law reported, despite previously being a little-known justice based in a small city of less than 50,000 people. Legal experts questioned Doughty's injunction against the Biden administration this week, the Associated Press reported, saying that the wide scope of the ruling meant that public health officials could be prevented from sharing their expertise."

Tamia Fowlkes of the Washington Post: "For many voters under 35 years of age, especially those on the left, the Supreme Court has become a political issue in the same way that climate change, gun violence and immigration have over the course of the past two decades, some political scientists and organizers have said.... The court's recent rulings, along with last year's decision striking down the right to abortion established in 1973's Roe v. Wade, could prompt more young people to be active in next year's presidential and congressional elections, some observers predict." (Also linked yesterday.)

Surprise! A Sporty Rich Guy with Integrity. Rick Maese of the Washington Post: "Former AT&T executive Randall Stephenson resigned his position on the PGA Tour's influential policy board in a letter dated Saturday, writing that he had 'serious concerns' about the tour's controversial partnership with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Stephenson's resignation suggests the partnership faces significant hurdles if it is to move forward. The first step to the deal getting finalized is securing the approval of the 10-member policy board. Stephenson had been a member of the policy board since 2012, and in his resignation letter he said the framework of the deal 'is not one that I can objectively evaluate or in good conscience support, particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report concerning Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.'... The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), is holding a hearing Tuesday and will be questioning Jimmy Dunne, the policy board member who helped broker the deal, and Ron Price, the tour's chief operating officer.... The tour sent a memo Sunday evening to its members about Stephenson, thanking him for his service but making no mention of the reasons behind his resignation." The Hill has a summary report here.

Jim Waterson of the Guardian: "A former CNN reporter is suing the news channel for unfair dismissal and racial discrimination after she was severely injured while on assignment in Israel. Saima Mohsin was left disabled after an accident while reporting from Jerusalem on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Her cameraman ran over her foot in a car, causing severe tissue damage that has left the British-Pakistani journalist struggling to sit, stand and walk or return to work full-time. After the incident in 2014 the foreign correspondent claims she requested alternative duties and support for rehabilitation but CNN refused. She also alleges that she asked CNN if she could switch to a presenting role in order to reduce the amount of time spent travelling but was told 'you don't have the look we are looking for'. Three years later the channel terminated her contract. She said she had decided to bring the employment tribunal claim, which is due to be heard in London on Monday, because the network had failed to support her after the life-changing injury." Mohsin is also suing for disability discrimination.

Beyond the Beltway

Zach Montellaro of Politico: "Over the past year and a half, eight Republican-led states quit a nonpartisan program designed to keep voter rolls accurate and up to date. Top Republican election officials in those states publicly argued the program was mismanaged. The conspiracy theorists who cheered them on falsely insisted it was a front for liberals to take control of elections. But experts say the program, known as the Electronic Registration Information Center, was among the best nationwide tool states had to catch people trying to vote twice in the same election. Now, those Republican-led states who left -- and other states who lost access to their data -- are scrambling to police so-called 'double voters' ahead of the presidential election in 2024." MB: As for me, I'm looking forward to voting in all those Republican-led states. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

California. As the Tables Turn. Blake Jones of Politico: Three religious-right school board members in a suburb of Temecula, California, in inland Southern California, are facing backlash after "they banned critical race theory and rejected social studies materials that included LGBTQ rights hero Harvey Milk.... After just six months in office, those officials face a recall effort on top of a civil rights investigation launched by the state's Democratic-led education department. Students have held protests, and irate parents and teachers are swarming the board's meetings.... The booing and shouting at a recent public hearing grew so loud that the board president -- who appeared to be wearing a bullet-proof vest under his sweater -- cleared the room.... [There are] other parts of California where social policy pushed by the religious right has met organized resistance." Top state officials, including the governor, AG, & state school superintendent, got involved in the Temecula situation after one of the board members called Milk a pedophile.

Here's a fun story that appeared in the Independent, a former U.K. broadsheet that now appears only online. MB: I don't consider the paper's reports particularly reliable, but this one probably has basis in fact:

Michigan. Now, This Is Disarray! Oliver O'Connell of the Independent, republished by Yahoo! News: "Tensions boiled over within the Michigan Republican Party on Saturday resulting in an altercation at a hotel to which the police were called. The GOP's state committee came together for a meeting at the Doherty Hotel in Clare as members have been feuding over the party's direction and the leadership approach of the new chairwoman, Kristina Karamo, The Detroit News reports. Some Michigan Republicans ... were frustrated to find the meeting was limited only to members of the state committee and was taking place behind a locked door. In an interview with The Detroit News, James Chapman, a Republican from Wayne County, said he had travelled to Clare for the meeting but was forced to listen to it through a locked door. Mr Chapman said he and others said the Pledge of Allegiance together in the lobby outside the meeting, after which he jiggled the doorknob of the meeting room. It was then that Mark DeYoung, chairman of the Clare County Republican Party, approached the door, saw someone flip him off through a small window, and opened it. 'He kicked me in my balls as soon as I opened the door,' Mr DeYoung said, adding that Mr Chapman ran at him and slammed him into a chair. Mr DeYoung gave his account to the outlet over the phone from an emergency room where he said he was being treated for a broken rib. For his part, Mr Chapman alleges that Mr DeYoung had swung at him and said: 'I'll kick your ass.' Mr DeYoung denies this happened. Continuing, Mr Chapman says he removed his glasses, took Mr DeYoung by the legs and knocked him down...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Monday is here: "Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin in Moscow five days after his failed mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news conference Monday. The three-hour meeting on June 29 between the two men -- once close allies -- was called by Putin and attended by other Wagner commanders as well, Peskov said.... [President] Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed Turkey's resistance to Sweden joining NATO in a phone call, Turkish state media reported. The cost of Turkey's acquiescence, officials and analysts say, appears to include a tentative $20 billion deal for American F-16 fighter jets." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So Turkey is blackmailing the U.S. in order to secure Turkey's acquiescence to admitting Sweden to NATO. Not a good look, Erdogan. If this all goes down, it's one instance where I hope the poobahs of our military-industrial complex overcharge for their product. Overcharging for military equipment is their specialty, so I have no doubt my hopes will be realized. ~~~

     ~~~ A breaking New York Times story, by Paul Sonne, on the Putin-Prigozhin meeting is here.

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden said in an interview that aired on Sunday that Ukraine was not ready for membership in NATO and that it was 'premature' to begin the process to allow Ukraine to join the alliance in the middle of a war. In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Mr. Biden said that he did not 'think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now,' and that the process could take place only after a peace agreement with Russia was in place." The Hill's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

AP: "Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing Olympic and college female gymnasts, was stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another inmate at a federal prison in Florida. Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press the attack happened Sunday at United States Penitentiary Coleman. The people said he was in stable condition Monday."

New York Times: "People across the South and the West have been scrambling to find relief [from the heat] over the past week, a task that could get even more daunting as a new blast of heat threatens to settle over the Southwest over the coming week. The heat wave, caused by a 'heat dome' of high pressure, is now stationed over the desert Southwest. Experts estimate that more than 50 million people across the United States live in the areas expected to have dangerous levels of heat. A range of excessive heat warnings and heat advisories were in place across the region over the weekend. On Friday, the National Weather Service said that the conditions in Arizona were 'rivaling some of the worst heat waves this area has ever seen.'"

New York Times: "A slow-moving storm system brought heavy rain across a wide section of New York State on Sunday evening, flooding streets, prompting dozens of rescues for drivers whose vehicles were stranded on inundated roads and causing at least one death, the authorities said. The Hudson Valley was the most affected by the storm system on Sunday, with sections of the area getting between five and eight inches of rain, the Nationa Weather Service said.... Trooper Steven V. Nevel of the New York State Police described the search-and-rescue efforts on Sunday night as an 'all hands on deck' endeavor, saying that several bridges had collapsed and many roads were impassable.... Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Sunday night that there were additional 'missing individuals' in Orange County, saying that in one instance a house had been swept away into a stream. She declared a state of emergency for Orange and Ontario Counties on Sunday night." ~~~

     ~~~ Update: The New York Times is liveblogging the "torrential rainfall" in the Northeast.

Comments

[Ken Winkes]

Still early here, which might explain why I still have one foot in yesterday.

Agreed with both Marie and P. D. Dowd was stirring up trouble, but isn't that what columnists often do? And Marie, was right. The child is blameless. It is the maneuvering by the adults to deny her the Biden name connection or name (should she want it) that is embarrassing.

I repeat: Nothing to get too hoity-toity about here. We are all bastards or descended from them. As I said the other day, one drop of bastard blood.

And now that I think of it, this fascination with our bloodlines and our parentage, whether it be pure or pure white, somehow related to royalty or some other distinguished forebear, or traceable all the way back to the Ark or Adam and Eve is an anti-democratic tendency we--Americans especially-- would be well shed of.

Taking pride in simply being born is meaningless. Everybody does it. It's time we recognized that and lived our lives accordingly.

[Frank Wilhoit]

"...projecting a sense of normalcy..."

There is no such word as "normalcy". It was an inadvertent coinage by Warren Harding, who either blanked momentarily or (more likely) did not even know the correct word, which is, of course, "normality". "Normalcy" initially gained currency by being used as a code word to mock Harding. It never had any differentiated connotations and there is no reason to use it today.

[Ken Winkes]

Apropos history:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/10/bucharest-2008-nato-summit-history-vilnius-putin-georgia-ukraine-membership/?

[Marie Burns]

@Frank Wilhoit: I would not use the word "normalcy" myself, and the Times copy readers should know better. However, language is always evolving, and I expect "normalcy" soon will be considered acceptable by all. Merriam-Webster already seems happy with it.

[ForrestMorris]

July 10th is National Pina Colada Day. How many would it take to
make one pretend that everything is right with the world and that
normalcy will prevail?

[Marie Burns]

@Ken Winkes: I totally agree with you in principle, but here's the thing: agreeing with you did not stop me from spending lots of time researching my ancestry. I did not take any particular pleasure in finding connections to a royal lineage, except in that finding such a line makes it possible to go back further in history. However, as you suggest, those lines are not necessarily accurate. Our rich ancestors didn't have teevee and tractor pulls to entertain them, and while some sublimated their sexual desires by writing poetry or listening to troubadours singing love songs whilst their royal hubbies were off fighting in the Crusades, others were less constrained. Ergo, many of our "ancestors" are ancestors in name only. Genealogists have some euphemistic term for this, but it is what it is.

Absurdly, I suppose, I found the genealogical research fascinating. I mean some of it was preposterous. When earlier "researchers" reached brick walls, they often just took leaps of faith and "decided" who somebody's daddy was. I have noticed that some of the ancestry Websites accept those leaps of faith as true and correct. But most are, at best probablies. The other place earlier "researchers" took leaps and bounds of faith were on the illustriousness of our ancestors. For instance, I found many references to my ancestral Warren family as a noble Norman family called the De Warrens. In fact, it's more likely that my supposed noble ancestor Warren came from a family of hare-raisers: they kept rabbit warrens.

As much as I think the DAR is idiotic, I did think of joining one ancestry org for which I am qualified. I don't know if they exist any more, but the group was called "Descendants of the Bastard Kings of England." Oh, get me a tiara & count me in.

[ForrestMorris]

I can relate to the article above: Michigan. Now, this is disarray,
because it was the first town we moved to in Michigan from East
Texas (Dad was looking for oil and gas).
I was 11 years old and got beat up a number of times by the brutes
who thought I talked funny. Guess they are the same ones now still
fighting among themselves.
I found a solution by joining a gang of tough girls and that was the
end of my problems (had to help them with their homework though).

[Ken Winkes]

As often as my conservative bent (primarily associated with the environment, finances and language) rears its head, I have to acknowledge, sometimes kicking and screaming, that things do change.

McWhorter sometimes drives me nuts with his near "anything goes" approach to language, but on the whole, I have to admit he's right, even if I don't like it.

Things do change. Certainly language does.

Too bad the Originalists have never cottoned to that. Because they haven't, by trying to state still, they grow increasingly absurd as the world moves on without them.

[Whyte Owen]

Here's ancestry with perspective: I remember my great grandfather, whom I am named after, quite well. He remembered the end of the Civil War. Not so much time has passed.

[Marie Burns]

@Whyte Owen: Quite right. Along that same vein, Harrison Ruffin Tyler is still living. He is the grandson of President John Tyler, who was president from 1841 to 1845.

[Patrick]

It is enough to know that all we Irish are descended from kings, we don't need to know who, where or when.