Nine days after my first inquiry, seven days after my follow-up inquiry, I heard back yesterday from Legs4Africa.org. They're one of the charities I'd reached out to, hoping they'd take my late wife's prosthetic leg and put it to good use.

They instructed me to wrap and mail the leg to an address in Texas, and I replied perhaps too brusquely, but frustrated: With no response from your agency for more than a week, sorry, the leg went into the dumpster two days ago.

To that, they replied with an obvious form letter, explaining why they ask donors to pay for shipping the prosthetics. I hadn't asked about that, and wouldn't have complained about that.

My reply: It's not about postage. A week with no reply is why my wife's leg is headed for a landfill.

Of the three charities I'd contacted hoping the leg might walk again, Legs4Africa is the only one that's replied at all, though. I'll give 'em that, and wish I could've given them the leg.

♦ ♦ ♦

When I was a kid, almost everyone in any position of authority in America, and literally everyone with any authority over white people, was a white man.

We've made some progress — I've worked with and for blacks, Asians, women, out gays, and the disabled. Never yet worked for a black woman, or a native American, but maybe in my next job.

That's the progress so-called 'conservatives' hate about present-day America. They want to roll it back, so white people are in charge of everything again, black people stay quiet, and women work as domestics or secretaries when they're not busy birthing babies.

I love sci-fi, but seriously screw that kind of time travel.

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Got a bizarre email from my now-former health insurance, an outfit called Quartz, asking why I've let my membership lapse. I explained American capitalism to them.

They also sent a going-away survey, which I've answered honestly — 'dissatisfied' or 'extremely dissatisfied' with everything they did to me (never 'for' me). There was an open-ended question at the end, which always makes a survey more fun: "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about Quartz?"

Your corporate name is silly, and I never dealt with anyone there who gave a damn, but Quartz is no better, no worse, and no different from any of your competitors. Same as every health conglomerate, Quartz shouldn't be allowed to exist.

Low regards, Doug

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My former employer included a month of COBRA coverage as part of the severance package when I was shown the door at the end of January, but they apparently never paid it. When I picked up my prescription renewals in late February, I was charged as 'uninsured'.

Other than sending a snarky email, I didn't make a stink about it, though. The pharmacy gave me a 90-day supply of pills I asked for, when I was pretty sure they'd give me 30, max. And my ex-employer came through with my promised annual bonus for 2021 — funds enough to pay my moving expenses, and allow a little more recliner time before job-hunting, too.

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News and amusements, from my internet history for yesterday…

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I don't tweet or twirp or Twitter, but according to someone I trust, Heather Cox Richardson, Twitter has suddenly become a much saner place, with Russian assets frozen — and their paid trolls effectively laid off.

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China asked Russia to wait for Olympics to end before invading Ukraine

That makes China a co-conspirator, right? They knew in advance, did nothing to stop it, so they're the international version of the Crumbleys.

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We should condemn the Russian invasion, but also recognize that the United States has been violating other nations' sovereignty for years.

There's no excusing the invasion, but the double standards and hypocrisy coming out of Washington, D.C., are quite striking.
For example, President Joe Biden has correctly asserted that "nations have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity." The United States, however, has been the only government in the world to formally recognize Israel's illegal annexation of Syria's Golan Heights and Morocco's annexation of the entire nation of Western Sahara, both seized by force in defiance of the United Nations.

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"Russian warship, go fuck yourself," or maybe sit on a dick.

Translations are tricky.

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Trump and right-wing lawyer were part of 'criminal conspiracy' to overturn 2020 election, January 6 committee alleges

I appreciate the work the House Committee is doing, but also, I sigh.

They're not cops, and they're not a court. Everything the House investigation uncovers can be dissolved to dust, and will be, once Republicans take control of Congress after November's election.

If the goal is actually justice, the Justice Department needs to be involved, but is Attorney General Merrick Garland doing anything? If he is, he's doing it with super-stealthy secrecy that looks exactly like he's not doing squat.

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Two members of Congress spoke at a white nationalist convention. These corporations are supporting their reelection.

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Alleged crooked Democrat is indicted in Illinois

I made a typo, and the spellchecker corrected the headline to, Alleged crooked Democrat is incinerated in Illinois.

I appreciate the sentiment, but now is not the time. Maybe later.

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Texas judge grants ACLU's request for temporary restraining order on child abuse investigation of trans child and her parents

Wish I had a pithy or pissy comment, but it leaves me speechless how very, very much Republicans enjoy hurting people. It seems to be the only value the American right-wing cherishes.

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Texas Republican quits re-election campaign after cheating on his wife with a former jihadist who was once married to a commander for the Islamic State

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Even Trump isn't using Trump's Truth Social app

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Ice cream machine hackers sue McDonald's for $900-million

If you're unfamiliar with the backstory here, do click and read. It's that rare combination of corporate criminality that's both outrageous and amusing.

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Amazon gets out of the bookstore business

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Kodak 1922 Kodachrome film test, the earliest color motion picture film you will see

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Again, my apologies for not being particularly 'creative' lately. It's not writer's block, it's mover's misery.

Most of my energy is going into packing things up, hauling things away, tossing things out, making endless arrangements like some damned adult, and deciding what to keep and what to jettison. My default setting is 'jettison' but it's a lot of work, and a lot of memories.

Not much time or energy remains at the end of the day, so I surf the net and type a paragraph here and there. Hope it ain't too boring.

Can't wait for the move to be over, so's I can get settled in my recliner in Seattle, writing again.

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One-word newscast, because it's the same news every time...

• cops

• cops

• cops

• cops

• cops

• QAnonsense

• QAnonsense

• Rikers

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Mystery links — Like life itself, there’s no knowing where you’re going:

—①—

—②—

—③—

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♫♬ Sing along with Doug ♫

"Someday Soon" — Judy Collins

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The End

• David Boggs

• Autherine Lucy Foster

• Alan Ladd Jr

3/3/2022
Tip 'o the hat to All Hat No Cattle, Linden Arden, ye olde AVA, BoingBoing, Breakfast at Ralf's, Captain Hampockets, CaptCreate's Log, John the Basket, LiarTownUSA, National Zero, Ran Prieur, Voenix Rising, and anyone else whose work I've stolen without saying thanks.
Extra special thanks to Becky Jo, Name Withheld, Dave S., and always Stephanie...
Cranky Old Man