Picture This

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Picture Credit: Blue In Dallas (Las Vegas)

Orlando Sentinel running this on Father’s Day:

“We were saddened to hear of the death on May 3 of Bill Crawford, 93, who was the subject of our Flashback in September 2019, about his role constructing the original Interstate 4 — Florida’s first interstate. Crawford had first seen the Sunshine State when he served in World War II and his Navy ship traveled through the Panama Canal to the Naval Air Station at Green Cove Springs. Hitchhiking to beaches and to Silver Springs, he took a good look around, and like so many others, came back in the 1950s. His wife, Tabitha “Toby” Craig Crawford, was a beloved teacher at Oak Ridge High School. The Crawfords were married for 65 years until her death in late 2015. They raised a son, journalist Craig Crawford, former Washington bureau chief for the Sentinel, and became part of the generation who helped to build modern Florida — in his case, quite literally.” — Joy Dickinson, Orlando Sentinel

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44 thoughts on “Picture This”

  2. something different* for a change from the guardian today:

    The advert painted an idyllic picture of White’s Island.
    For $449,000 you could buy 143 acres of forests with sweeping views of the rugged shoreline of Big Lake in Maine, on the east coast of the United States. “[It’s] a unique property … steeped in history … with only two owners in the last 95 years,” wrote the real estate agent from privateislandsonline.com.
    In fact, Kuwesuwi Monihq, or Pine Island, is its original name, and it technically has just one true “caretaker”; the Passamaquoddy: a small tribe of 3,700 Native Americans who had lived there for at least 10,000 years.
    It’s a spiritually important place for the tribe, filled with graves from devastating smallpox, cholera and measles outbreaks caused by white settlers.
    In 1794 it was officially granted to the tribe by Massachusetts for their service during the revolutionary war. But after 1820, when Maine became its own state, colonialists changed its title, voiding the treaty. In the 1851 census there were 20 Passamaquoddy living there, in 1861 there were none.
    By 2021, they had not only lost all but 130,000 acres of their original 3m. They hadn’t stepped foot on Pine Island in 160 years.
    “The land was stolen from us and it’s been every chief’s goal ever since to return it,” said chief William Nicholas, 51, leader of the tribe’s Indian township reservation for the last 11 years, who spotted the advert on a shop noticeboard on 4 July last year.

    In March, with a grant from conservation charities, the tribe raised $355,000, and finally bought the island back.

    Donald Soctomah, the tribe’s historic preservation officer, added: “Our concept of land ownership is that nobody ‘owns’ land. Instead, we have a sacred duty to protect it. This is like finding a lost relative.”
    […]
    For the Passamaquoddy, who lost members to Covid-19, reacquiring Pine Island during a pandemic is significant.
    It was during the “Great Dying”, when 90% died from European diseases between the 1500s-1800s, that the island came to their rescue.
    In an act of self-sacrifice, infected members quarantined on the neighboring island of Muwinuwi Monihk, that was renamed “Gordon’s Island” by the colonialists who took it, but which was returned by a paper company in 2003.
    Corey Hinton, a young Passamaquoddy lawyer who has just welcomed a new baby, told the Guardian: “It made me realise that my people have lived and died on that island since time began. When the pandemic is over, we will return to dance with our ancestors again.”

    *usually the old story is white men buy sacred land for a little wampum.

  4. wapo:

    Facebook plans to announce Friday that it will no longer automatically give politicians a pass when they break the company’s hate speech rules, a major reversal after years of criticism that it was too deferential to powerful figures during the Trump presidency.
    Since the 2016 election, the company has applied a test to political speech that weighs the newsworthiness of the content against its propensity to cause harm. Now the company will throw out the first part of the test and will no longer consider newsworthiness as a factor, according to a person familiar with the company’s thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to speak publicly.
    But Facebook doesn’t plan to end the newsworthiness exception entirely. In the cases where an exception is made, the company will now disclose it publicly, the person said — after years of such decisions being closely held. And it will also become more transparent about its strikes system for people who violate its rules.
    […]
    It also recommended that the company publish a report about its role in the Jan. 6 riot and make changes to its newsworthiness exception. The company has committed to responding to the board’s recommendations within 30 days.
    The Oversight Board ruled that Facebook was right to suspend Trump in the moment. But it said that Facebook had not provided a better rationale for the indefinite suspension, noting that indefinite suspensions are not part of Facebook’s policies. That rationale needed to be clear and transparent, the board said.
    Publicly, Facebook executives have deflected blame for the events at the Capitol onto other companies. The Washington Post and others have reported that rioters used Facebook to help organize.
    [continues]

  6. That story will be a nice tribute to Mr. Crawford in next week’s Sentinel.   (I wish I had snapped a picture of Toby in the cargo bay of that van before Craig convinced her that it wasn’t a safe way to travel the streets of Vegas.)

  9. What a great picture!
    Your parents were obviously loved by many…  they are happy together now.

  10. I had the good fortune to spend more than a few hours with Bill on his screen porch drinking Wild Turkey “one-oh-one;” that’s how Bill would name it.  My hope is that Wild Turkey was a life extender for Bill as I continue the tradition and allow time to tell.

  11. For those of you who’ve paid any attention to Tucker Carlson’s meme that reporting on the lower percentages of vaccination among white republican men and his conflation of white men overall with that group, there is a better measure to throw in his face.  Comparing vaccination rates in states that voted republican in the 2020 election with those that voted democratic tells a story in stark terms.  Of states that are above the national average for having one dose of the vaccination, all 23 states above the average for single doses voted for Biden, and 26 of the 28 below the average voted for Dumbass.  Of states that are above the national average for having both doses of the vaccine (which would presumably include the J&J vaccine), 21 of the 24 states above the average for fully vaccinated folks voted for Biden, and 23 of the 26 below the average voted for Dumbass.  

  12. pogo, any statistics showing rates of infection in those goper/low vaccine states compared with dem/higher vaccine states?

    yesterday KY positive rate was 2.5

  13. If the rate of infection is lower than it used to be in red states, it is thanks to those of us who were smart enough to get vaccinated and who continue to mask up and maintain our distance.   

    The Baptist mega-church in Dallas hosted a vaccine drive, which surprised me as it’s super-conservative.

  14. https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/03/us/paxton-smith-texas-valedictorian-speech-trnd/index.html

    “I cannot give up this platform to promote complacency and peace, when there is a war on my body and a war on my rights,” Smith said during her Lake Highlands High School graduation speech, which came two weeks after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the so-called “heartbeat ban” abortion bill into law.“

    “Although Smith said she was hesitant about changing her speech to address a political issue, she knew the platform of being valedictorian was too big to pass up.“

  15. BiD, altho’ KY did vote overwhelmingly unfortunately for that former guy, gov andy is a democrat and has done a good job through out the pandemic mandating every cdc requirement, pushing the vaccines  and generously delivering on the rescue act $$.   he should be acknowledged for accomplishing the success.  he’s had an uphill battle given the likes of moscow mitch & rant to contend with,

  16. by george (and he should know) on cnn today:

    “ This is a man who has no limits in terms of what level of depravity and falsehood he would pursue in order to remain in power.”

  17. In Response to Oversight Board, Trump Suspended for Two Years; Will Only Be Reinstated if Conditions Permit – About Facebook (fb.com)

    […]
    At the end of this period, we will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded. We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest. If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.

    When the suspension is eventually lifted, there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr. Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts.
    [continues]

  18. speaking of rats

    except this particular rat is a “heroRAT” who sniffs out landmines & unexploded ordinance

    PDSA Gold Medalist Magawa Retiring (apopo.org)

    the hill:

    Over his career, Magawa sniffed out 2.4 million square feet of land.
    “During his illustrious five-year career, HeroRAT Magawa’s work has directly saved the lives of men, women and children who were impacted by hidden landmines and other deadly remnants of war. Every discovery he made reduced the risk of injury or death for the people of Cambodia,” the announcement states.

  21. “Honor Thy Father and Mother” was not a decree to benefit the parent.  It was to benefit the child.  Everyone needs to come to terms with what was good about even the worst of those who gave us life and various talents & defects.  

    Craig was one of the lucky ones in that there was so many reason to honor.

     

  22. Manhattan DA brought Trump Organization controller to testify before special grand jury: Sources

    McConney, who serves as a senior vice president and controller for the Trump Organization, is the first employee of the former president’s company called to testify, the sources said, and his testimony is a sign that prosecutors have burrowed deep into the company’s finances.
     
    https://abcnews.go.com/US/manhattan-da-brought-trump-organization-controller-testify-special/story?id=78088595

     

  23. The great economic lesson of the  “Black Death ” , ………………….  It smashed  the old order,  labor  had the power coming out of it.
    It is no accident the Renaissance  followed shortly after things began to settle out. 
    Our jobs numbers are pointing that same way. 
    The Taco Bell near me has a sign in the drive thru window  for help . 
     $13 Bucks an hour. 
    The Republicans won the war on Unions along time ago. 
    Covid 19  has placed a lot of power in the hands of labor. 
     
    My first  food job , I made 65 cents  an hour frying chickens on Sunday.  Youngblood’s Chicken , a sit down restaurant .
    On the plus side I saw my first stripper  there. 
    On the down side , I gained  access to beer. 
     

  25. So , code enforcement  sent me a letter ,  about the shaggy nature of my grounds. 
    Front, back, and alley. 
    The fly in the honey is , I and my neighbor  have been under attack for years  by the –
    Tree of Heaven
    Though its name makes it sound divine, the invasive tree of heaven is no angel. Learn all about this devilish invader………………
     
    https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/indiana/stories-in-indiana/journey-with-nature–tree-of-heaven/
    “Urban Logging”  is now underway here.  I am using a chair and chain saw. 
    Our monsoon is over  everything is growing like crazy. 
     

  26. I went to the Grub Farm today.  First time to see it.  And met the players. 
    I gave them 6 yds. of compost  with my Nancy Money. 
    I was treated like  a rich guy. 
    The guys I met were all young  fuzzy copies of me  all those years ago.
     
    I have  a lot of  stuff to donate  to them ,  Wood chipper,  wheel barrow, water storage barrels.  tomatoes cages ,  3 folding chairs.  a chop saw.  My “Salad Bar”  idea , and the way to do it. 
     
    God Bless Code Enforce . 
     
    I have the bit in my gums.

  27. patd – as to positivity rate by state, it’s all available at the Johns Hopkins Covid site, but being lazy, here’s a link that doesn’t require a deep dive into a dense site. 22 of the highest 27 were Trump states. 19 of the lowest 23 were Biden states. (Don’t rely on my math – I suck at it).

  29. All those years ago , when we ran off to the woods.  We had our own social network , it was  made of newsprint. 
    The Whole Earth Catalog . 
    Today , I saw all the fruits  of Stewart Brand’s dream all those years ago. 
     
     

  31. O Man – travelling around the Mid-Atlantic states back country I get to see a lot of signs for help.  Big signs stating such and such is only open for dinner time because nobody wants to work for them.  Little signs with “up to $15 per hour”, Manager Training up to $15“.  In all signs the “up to” was very tiny, the “15” in big bold.  No matter how loudly shouted, people retired, people from other countries have not been allowed in the U.S., people changed their lives and no longer need or want minimum wage.  School is not out yet so that cohort is not trying to find summer jobs.  They hype, hand wringing and tears are the same crap the gqp has been doing for decades. 

  32. I have slides of one of   the only two stores that were based the “Whole Earth Catalog” . 
    This one was at 940 Pearl Street , Boulder, Colorado. 
    We sold tipi’s , wood stoves ,  kerosene lamps ,  and books.  We sold the  Humboldt Atlas of Galaxies .
    Getting a print from a slide these days is $ 5.00 .
    Hard to believe that pain in the ass way of saving art ,  i.e.   slides  is dead as boot. 

  33. All the old deck of cards  spewed  into the sky.  
    Now we’re all playing 52 card pick-up. 
    The GOP is totally  blind to this , they think  apple pie is coming back. 
     
    More like coconut cream . 

  34. This new  age is just starting , we are a very long way from it’s conclusion. 
    The murder rate  in Lubbock is up 105 %.
    We issue Glock 9 mm.  pistols to fetuses. 

  35. I used to tease  Craig about his readers , we were his lab Rats. 
    He did not like this at all , but I was right .
    All these years here was an unending stream of “data” .
    And that is what a lab rat does.
    Now everyone is a lab rat.

  37. George Socko –
    April of 70′  
    “Bob if you forget everything I have ever  taught you, remember this,  No matter where you go there you  are.” 
     

  40. One last thing  tonight –
    A new paper says the oceans rose 18 meters  in 500 years. 
    That was nature , now we all have our feet on the gas. 
    Do not buy Miami .

  41. https://reasonstobecheerful.world/louisiana-sea-level-rise-coastal-communities/

    OM – All is not lost. It may be like bailing out the ocean with a bucket, but it’s not nothing. I suspect folks will need to move inland eventually, but they are trying to save the place they call home. My great-aunt was from Buras, LA (her maiden name was Buras), and, I imagine her family is still down there. She lost everything to hurricanes, once to Camille and also to Alicia, I believe. There was no thought of moving. The wetlands had already started to erode, which gives hurricanes a chance to make landfall with more intensity. If these folks can slow the erosion, maybe it will be their kids or grandkids who have to move inland.

  42. https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/04/congress-texas-voting-bill/
     

    “Since the Supreme Court invalidated key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, Texas has passed, defended, and implemented a number of election laws that have added barriers for communities to access the ballot box,” the members of Congress wrote.

    “… The bills that the Texas legislature is prioritizing this session would close polling places in communities of color, foster intimidation of voters with disabilities as well as those who have limited English proficiency, and reduce opportunities for early voting.”

    “The 2021 redistricting cycle will mark the first time in nearly half a century that lawmakers will have a free hand at drawing the next congressional and legislative maps without the possibility of the Justice Department preemptively overruling their district lines.“

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