Bread and Circuses

     We need to be worried, y'all. And the reason we need to be worried is twofold: The Supreme Court shouldn't have a split decision on a very basic Constitutional question; and  The Constitution of the United States was never meant to be a static document.      On the first point, it very simply doesn't matter what Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito or Neil Gorsuch feels  about birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was very specifically drafted and adopted on July 9, 1868. A 91 page temper tantrum does not negate that two thirds of the Congress ratified this specific amendment. And the job of the Supreme Court is to decide "....Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution..." I guess we have to say the loud part out loud right now, but the 14th Amendment of the Constitution says this:  Persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of ...

       I don't know, y'all. It's a billion degrees outside, and there is  no  breeze. This is my 21st summer in the deep south, so it's not like I don't know what to expect. It's going to be hot and humid and uncomfortable. I'm never going to be completely dry. My hair doubles in volume every five minutes I'm outside until I start looking like Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons. So I wear natural fibers in very loose configurations, and try not to worry about how sweaty I look constantly. I drink all the water I can get my hands on.        At least, that's how I used to cope. This summer is a completely different beast, because I'm deep into perimenopause now. I have hot flashes that make me feel like I'm a human volcano. I haven't had a good night's sleep in months. My new baseline is 'uncomfortable and cranky.' Add in a typical summer in the south, and I'm wandering around feeling vaguely homicidal all the time.       L...

                I don't know if she's a mom. She for sure didn't know that I am not a mom. I can understand the instinct to make sure that any potential mom be included in the recognition of Mother's Day. For me, however, it felt like someone confused me for a military veteran. The stolen valor of it all made me cringe inside.       Being a mom is one of the hardest things anyone can do. The thought of being responsible for the complete well being of another human? That is an enormous burden for anyone to take on. I have nothing but respect for anyone who chooses to be a mother. In our world today, it is a thankless task (Hallmark holidays aside).        On this Mother's Day, I'm thinking about how we could make motherhood less burdensome and more rewarding for moms. Perhaps, instead of everyone panic buying a weird assortment of "gifts" (oh, yeah, I saw y'all at the store yesterday), we could...

       I was at The Health Nut this morning when I received this text message from my mom:      I was begging for someone to sell me some supplements that might alleviate even one of the perimenopause symptoms I'm currently experiencing. Seriously, any one will do. It will help me sleep all the way through the night? Sold! It will eradicate the hot flashes that turn my face as red as a tomato at random times throughout the day? I'll take it! It will help me stop wanting to breathe fire and rip someone's head off the moment they make a benignly stupid comment? I will buy five. Just point me in the right direction.     What I ended up buying: a bottle of Black Cohosh supplements, a bar of turmeric soap, and some Thai crystal roll-on deodorant. We'll see if any of this does what it's supposed to do. Then it was back out into the hot car and Saturday traffic to call Mom back about this nightmare text.     Here's what you need to know ab...

    We sprung forward one hour this morning, and to no one’s surprise at all, the future doesn’t look much different, just darker. This has to be one of the dumbest things we still do each year. Last week, Beanie and I were out walking every day before work, saying hi to the rest of the neighbor dogs before I had to leave for work. Now it’ll be another month or so before we can safely take those morning walks again. Good thing I’ll have an hour more of daylight at my…paralegal job.     Daylight savings is just a reminder of how the U.S. loves to hang on to policy choices that no longer serve the majority of us. Other notable holdovers include the Electoral College and a Supreme Court with only nine Justices. 15,000 U.S. farms declared bankruptcy last year, but we’re all going to keep springing forward and falling back to stay in line with an agricultural calendar that hasn’t been relevant since I was a child. Good times.     This blog serves as a place for ...

      Happy Bacchus Sunday/Joe Cain Day to all who celebrate! Here we are, on the last Sunday of the Mardi Gras season. Here in Mobile, there were fears that it would be a rainy day, but the storms rolled through overnight and now it's sunny and breezy- perfect weather for everyone going to the parades today. We'll be sticking close to home, getting chores done and making some ramen for late lunch.     Today, I'm basking in the peace that comes from having made a big ask that I've been dreading for a couple of months. A warning in advance: this is going to be pretty vague, because there's still a lot of details to work out, but what I want to focus on is the ask itself, rather than what I was requesting. If all goes to plan, I'll have awesome news to share soon!     Those of you who know me, know how much I hate to ask for help. For example, when I was moving from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, my movers fell through, and I had to ask for friends and fami...