Faces

Are there any people anywhere who gather with relatives on the holidays, and leave in good spirits?

I am exhausted, from five hours spent with the family for Thanksgiving. The food was OK, there were no big arguments, even a few laughs, but I'd thought it would be an hour or two, not frickin' five hours. My sociability was drained before the time was even half finished.

Worst of all, it was merely banal, not excruciating. There's not even an interesting story to wring out of it.

Well, maybe I'll bore you briefly about one particular thing my mother said, but I'm too mentally depleted to write it tonight.

Here's me being a cranky old fart again, about the word "faces" in news headlines. "Trump faces investigation," for example, or "Cop faces suspension," or "Starbucks faces boycott," or "Microsoft faces fine from European regulators," or this headline from today: "Kremlin faces rising ire from wives, mothers of mobilized troops.

When it's in the news, "faces" often/always seems to mean that something evil and powerful "faces" a sliver of gentle, insignificant opposition that can't and won't mean squat.

Now, the news you need,
whether you know it or not

• Virginia's Republican governor talked about a mental health crisis, but avoided the words "shooting" and "gun."

• Pastor behind Miracle Mansion, a Christian theme park, convicted of fraud

• These companies ran an experiment: Pay workers their full salary to work fewer days.

• World War III averted (this time)

Regardless of NATO having dodged the bullet of compulsory defense of Ukraine this time, the world remains vulnerable to major escalation of the Ukraine war.

• Anchorage eliminates parking requirements citywide

Quickly, let's recap why this rocks, and why it ought to be happening everywhere:

Requiring that new construction must include ample parking only encourages more people to drive. Fuck those parking spaces. Without them, everyone's more likely to carpool or take the bus, which is a good thing.

• King County Metro to pause bus service Nov. 25 to honor transit operator Mark McLaughlin

• What climate change is already doing to children's brains

And it never stops, never stops...

• San Francisco Police authorized to kill suspects using robots in draft policy

And it never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops...