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I went to a Super Bowl party yesterday at the Masonic lodge. This was my first Super Bowl party in many years. Maybe ever.

I barely watched the game. I talked with people. I ate about 75 pounds of food.

12/10 would supe again.

How many books are you currently in the middle of reading? What is the usual number for you?

American concentration camps

The US government is planning to build a network of warehouses to hold thousands of people, writes Heather Cox Richardson:. More than a thousand people turned out to speak at a local government hearing in the city of Surprise, Arizona, where one such prison camp is planned.

One of the speakers reminded the council of Ohrdruf, the first Nazi camp liberated by U.S. troops, on April 4, 1945. He said:

“The U.S. Army brought the leading citizens of Ohrdruf to tour the facility, which turned out to be part of the Buchenwald network of concentration camps. A U.S. Army colonel told the German civilians who viewed the scenes without muttering a word that they were to blame. One of the Germans replied that what happened in the camp was ‘done by a few people,’ and ‘you cannot blame us all.’ And the American, who could have been any one of our grandfathers, said: ‘This was done by those that the German people chose to lead them, and all are responsible.’

“The morning after the tour, the mayor of Ohrdruf killed himself. And maybe he did not know the full extent of the outrages that were committed in his community, but he knew enough. And we don’t know exactly how ICE will use this warehouse. But we know enough. I ask you to consider what the mayor of Ohrdruf might have thought before he died. Maybe he felt like a victim. He might have thought, ‘How is this my fault? I had no jurisdiction over this.’ Maybe he would have said, ‘This site was not subject to local zoning, what could I do?’ But I think, when he reflected on the suffering that occurred at this camp, just outside of town, that those words would have sounded hollow even to him. Because in his heart he knew, as we do, that we are all responsible for what happens in our community.”

When SAM had her final meeting with the makers, I expected her to conclude by saluting and saying nanoo nanoo.

The hoodies that the Starfleet cadets wear are a little unbelievable. Hoodies are great — I’m wearing one now — but I don’t think of them as timeless style that will endure into the 32nd Century.

On the other hand, velour sweaters and Beatle boots on the original series didn’t bother me so I’ll get over the hoodies.

The Starfleet varsity jackets also looked out of place and I want one.

I had to upload a selfie to register for the Social Security website. I think this photo is very flattering.

Sorry ladies — I’m taken.

Please enjoy this photo of Lake Murray that I snapped a year ago.

Watched: M*A*S*H S2E14, Hot Lips and Empty Arms. Margaret wigs out when she learns that a nurse she did basic training with is marrying a wealthy doctor — a man whom Margaret rejected. Margaret requests a transfer back to the US.

This is the first time we see her as a person rather than a caricature. She’s lonely. She settled for Frank Burns because he’s there. Loretta Swit shows acting chops, getting drunk and angry and revealing her character’s true thoughts. Margaret has become disgusted with the person she has become. She believes she deserves better, and she’s right.

Hawkeye and Trapper’s abuse becomes a kind of friendship. Sort of. MASH was shockingly misogynistic in its first season; now that we’re well into the second season, it’s toned down. This is one of the better episodes I’ve seen so far.

Another thing that stands out rewatching MASH in the 21st Century is the relative absence of Asians. You’d think there would be more Asians in a show set in Asia. But we don’t see a lot of Asians in MASH, and 99% of the Asians we do see are prostitutes, helpless peasants and the occasional murderous North Korean. Jack Soo and Pat Morita, who appear in early episodes, are delightful exceptions. 🍿

The Qanon cult believed political and financial elites were conspiring in a global sex-trafficking network that preyed on children, and that this conspiracy included billionaires, the Royal Family, Hollywood elites and even one of the two major-party candidates for US Presidency in 2016.

Reasonable people — including me! — found this cult to be both ridiculous and scary. Oh, come on. Those kinds of conspiracies don’t exist except for paranoid entertainment.

Plot twist! Turns out that was happening but — further plot twist! – the guy Qanon thought was the hero (Trump) turned out to be in cahoots with the chief villain (Epstein), and maybe was himself one of the top pedos.