#Russia #Lebanon #HumanitarianAid #Evacuation
Critique of war on civilians
Kushner has LONG ties with Netanyahu; he is NOT a neutral arbiter
realignment of influence because US has abdicated moral and diplomatic authority.
Friday, April 24, 2026
Justice Thomas Speaks and ....
#SCOTUS #USA250
Expect LOTS of public reflections on US history as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of Independence approach.
RantWoman here presents SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas recent speech at the U of TX at Austin and several strands of commentary as is, without in-depth commentary by RantWoman.
The Clarence Thomas Lecture at The University of Texas at Austin
Freedom comes with responsibility
Judge Luttig goes scorched earth.
"one of the most intellectually dishonest speeches from a sitting Supreme Court Justice that i have seen."
what the interplay between Thomas and the comments.
"Woodrow Wilson favored administrative progressivism"
"God uses people through government."
"Historically, contrary to what Justice Thomas says, it has been the federal government thatforces states to live up to the principles of the declaration of Independence."
And stashed for reference, regarding the shadow docket
Pope Leo's visit to Africa
#PopeLeo
Pope Leo's Full Press Conference on Return Flight from Africa | EWTN News
Speech in Italian without subtitles. Questions in Italian, Spanish, English
Questions and Answers in English
"Very kind, Very smart, no pushover."
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Earth Day plus or minus earth
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| Jessie, Aka "RantMom" with a picture of the farm where she grew up |
Grieving sucks, okay. If RantWoman were not frazzled enough by news timelines, there is always RANTMOM to keep one awake.
Saturday was 3 months to the day since RantMom departed to other realms. RantWoman had an in-person gig that went well, thanks be to God, despite RantWoman giving in at 2:30 am to waves of RantMom battering any attempt to sleep.
Then yesterday was one month to the day since RantMom's memorial. RantWoman unintentionally spent the night before on an all-night YouTube news binge and had a lovely walk in balmy weather before breakfast. RantWoman was basically a zombie all day.
Today is #EarthDay so bless us all with too much to say and a sort of ragged reflection that is half annotated playlist from the memorial, half tribute to all kinds of things, and half just attempting to ride today's waves of whatever is going on.
As for the playlist, there is a site called something like Hymnary that has a ton of interesting info but RantWoman wants some audible experience opportunity. Hence links, and sometimes several per hymn.
Cope.
This list is only the ones RantWoman remembers; Little Sister contributed some other suggestions which RantWoman will look up. The RantSisters did well about each other's preferences. Plus neither one of us wanted Amazing Grace. If Little Sister had wanted Amazing Grace, RantWoman would to have the drums from RantMom's church that she did not entirely relate to as part of worship. The whole playlist and modern renditions is a bit of a timewarp and in several cases RantWoman has vivid memory of considerably more old-fashioned renditions. But this is YouTube.
RantMom, basically tone-deaf herself, was unflagging in her support of RantDad's music. Music has always been part of the backbone of RantWoman's experience of God. YouTube is quite the fountain of musical performances, though in a couple cases RantWoman notes that it seems to be fashionable not to perform some verses.
Now the playlist
In the prelude. Who one earth puts perfectly lovely hymns in the prelude? Little Sister. That's who.
RantWoman wanted For the Beauty of the Earth on the hymns list partly because it is lovely and simple, partly because we also had it at RantDad's memorial.
Asterisk about European song festival tradition andsinging of hymns as resistance during Soviet times.
More overdone than RantWoman is used to but ....
RantWoman does not remember the other hymns in the prelude or the first hymn, a requested solo from the music director at Little Sister's church because he sang it solo over li-ve-streamed services during the #Pandemic
There was another hymn and then Little Sister spoke.
Next,
RantWoman decided to stop at one version.
A favorite from Baptist Sunday school but also a lead-in to RantWoman speaking about she and RantBrother inheriting RantDad's congenital cataracts. It never occurred to RantMom that thick glasses should interfere with expectations about making our beds, doing dishes, and other chores.
Also a bit about God at work in the form of others from her church in Billings who also had, um, challenged adult children.
Then before an invitation to others to speak a hymn about the People of God. RantWoman is not familiar with the tune and might have preferred something more inclusive than just Jesus. But RantWoman was grateful for all who attended regardless of faith.
Next, after many memories, especially of how RantMom made newcomers feel welcome at her church or in her retirement communities:
with cello
with choir
LOVE THS VIDEO. It's long and the story speaks deeply.
Then Pastor Jane spoke.
There is a whole thread about RantMom and PastorJane and #COVID
Pastor Jane also elegantly dispatched emotional landmines about RantBrother who, as Pastor Jane put it, RantMom just had to hand to God.
And in the postlude, again all instrumental
two other hymns RantWoman does not remember and How Great Thou Art. RantWoman in general has heard too many way too dirge-like renditions of How Great Thou Art but the Google says that is where a verse about "Bread of Heaven...Feed me til I want no More " can be found.
The bread of heaven part is important because of MANY frustrations about RantMom not wanting to eat, trying to feed herself, and other details that tore at RantWoman's heart as she read about a weighty Friend's parallel journey out of this world.
still no feed me till I want no more.
a gorgeous view
RantWoman has other #EarthDay reflections and of course more, more, more reflections of RantMom but this is what RantWoman has to offer today.
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| What's left of RantMom in her new home |
President of the UN General Assembly welcomes 25th forum on Indigenous Issues
#UnitedNations #Indigenous
This seems like a good item to post on #EarthDay just on principle
Israel is begging for a ceasefire after it's entire northern command got battered
#Iran #Israel
Posted without further commentary except to note that there are multiple contradictory narratives about practically every thread of the situation in the Middle East.
"The biggest threat to peace and stability in the Middle East is the US working with Israel."
"Iran is NOT an existential threat..the US and Israel are making the problem worse and risk collapsing the international economy."
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Schrodinger's strait. Open? or Closed?
#Iran #StraitOfHormuz #China
What the US naval blockade is accomplishing with respect to China
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