6/10/2025

 Tuesday, June 10, 2025

D+195/138/1320

1898 US Marines landed in Cuba during the Spanish–American War

1942 Nazis killed all the inhabitants of Lidice, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (now Czech Republic) which had been implicated in the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, Nazi controller of Bohemia and Moravia, to “teach the Czechs a final lesson of subservience and humility”; more than 170 adult men were executed by firing squad on site, women and children were sent to concentration camp gas chambers, and the village was burned down and plowed under

In bed at 10:30, awake and up at 3:50, worked on the Gauguin self-portrait until 4:20 before moving to the TV room, where I lit my Kitty candle.  Old habits die hard, or don't die.  Every time I even say the words, I think of her, and again when I light it, and every time I look across the room at it.   53°, high of 72°, partly cloudy day.

Kevzara, day 1/14 at 10:30 a.m.; Eye scrub, 4:50 a.m. and 5 p.m;  Eye mask, 5:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; other meds at 6:30  a.m.  Blink pill at 6:15 a.m.    

I don't know what to think of this knock-off of one of Gauguin's many self-portraits, but I greatly enjoyed doing it using a light board, medium-weight watercolor paper, a graphite pencil, and watercolor pencils.  I would not have been displeased if I had stopped before applying any color to the face and jacket, but I'm not displeased with this semi-final result; I'll probably mess around with it some more before calling it quits.  I very much enjoyed working with the watercolor pencils and will probably keep using them.  One big advantage over painting with acrylics on canvas is that all my acrylic supplies and equipment is in the basement, and getting up and down the basement stairs is increasingly a challenge, whereas the gouache and watercolor work I can do on the desk in my bedroom.  I realize I'm no more sophisticated, creative, or artistic than a kid with a coloring book and a box of crayons trying to stay within the lines, but painting provides me much the same kind of pleasure that golfing or attending various sporting events provides to other guys, and it's a lot cheaper and it's never dependent on the weather.  I'm a lucky man (in many more ways than this.)

I'm not writing much today.  I was so blown away this morning by Trump sending Marines into Los Angeles that I thought I should write something about it, at least in this journal and perhaps something on Facebook.  I was stymied, however, when I wondered what I should say, and why I should say anything.  It would just be more words, more carping and kvetching in the face of the raw exercise of power.    Words and laws (more words) seem to lose all meaning in this environment of brute power.  As Trump would say to Zelenskii, he's got all the cards and we have none.  He and his myrmidons learned well from his first term.  All that counts for a president is to put only amoral, subservient, loyalists in positions of power in the government.  He is a mob boss, he's in charge, and he has another 3 and 1/2 years to work his evil will on the nation.  What will be left after him and his wrecking crew?    

In additon to his sending 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marine into Los Angeles, RFK, Jr. has shitcanned every single member of the CDc's 17 member Advisory Commitee on Immunization Practices.  They had all been appointed by Joe Biden. I suppose that was reason enough to can them from JFK, Jr.'s point of view and that of his boss in the Oval Orifice. Still, we can be pretty sure of what kind of "experts" Kennedy will replace them with and how this stunt will affect childhood vaccination utilization throughout the U.S.  Also, behind the scenes manipulation and bribing is going on to get the Republican senators on board Trump's 'big, beautiful, budget bill' that shamelessly increase the national debt, deprive millions of Americans of health insurance (and cause many of them to die prematurely and unnecessarily), and cut the Food Stamp and many other programs - all to enable more tax 'relief' for billionaires.  AND, on Saturday, Trump will preside over a military parade supposedly celebrating the 250th birthday of the US Army, but really celebrating Trump's coinciding birthday, all at a cost of about $45,000,000.

From the lakes of Minnesota

To the hills of Tennessee

Across the plains of Texas

From sea to shining sea

From Detroit down to Houston,

And New York to L.A

Well there's pride in every American heart

And its time we stand and say

And I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me

And I'd gladly stand up

Next to you and defend her still today

'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land

God bless the USA

Thank you, Lee Greewood.  I suppose this will be played a lot on Saturday.

Geri came home today with a sore throat. She didn't want to stay at Steve's while feeling poorly so she came home.