Rebecca Bratten Weiss writes for the National Catholic Reporter:

Politicians who are ignorant about women’s bodies — and unaware of the many complicated, deeply personal, often traumatizing situations women face in reproductive health — think they can make abortion go away simply by denying access. But they can’t. Abortion will not vanish because of bans, even when those bans come with heavy penalties. Studies indicate that abortion rates in nations where it is legal and nations where it is illegal are about the same. What appears to be a greater driver of abortion rates is income level. Lower income nations where abortion is illegal tend to have much higher abortion rates than higher income nations where it is legal.

Anyone who is serious about reducing abortion rates will focus on building a strong economy that serves the working and middle classes, with robust safety nets and accessible, affordable resources. This is not new information. People, myself included, have been writing about this for years.

So why do pro-life leaders refuse to listen? Roe has been gone for more than two years and pro-life leaders have done nothing to increase health care access or financial protections for low-income women. Should we assume that they are not serious about dealing with abortion, since they haven’t put any effort into doing the things that actually work? Are they, perhaps, actually invested in harming women, since that’s one area in which these bans are effective?

The entire article is worth-reading, especially if you are religious.

111 Republican officials endorse Harris:

Donald Trump cannot be trusted “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic… and bear true faith and allegiance to the same.” We believe that Kamala Harris can, and we urge other Americans to join us in supporting her.

It is not too late to recognize that Trump is “unfit to serve as President, or indeed in any office of public trust.” Let’s be clear. Trump is not a Republican. He single-handedly took over the Republican Party. Trump is also not a Democrat. If Trump were the nominee for the Democratic Party, I would vote for a Republican candidate as well.

Ladies Love Cool James is back in full frequencies of real creative energy. The hip-hop veteran has been in the game for almost 40 years and he had to relearn to rap and the craft of writing rhymes.

Nevertheless, LL is still an old-school storyteller even though Producer Q-Tip supplies him with fresh-ass beats. He still has a straightforward flow. Even when he tried to switch it up on “Murdergram Deux,” he couldn’t keep up with Eminem. Then again, Em is the metamorphosis of flow. LL is more compatible with Nas on “Praise Him.” LL is at his best when he just kicks back: “Duke Ellington dexterity, I’m truly a rarity / I’m the sound of Miles Davis, it’s impossible to bury me” (“Black Code Suite”).

Of course LL can’t resist getting his freak on, “I make the panties drop like the elevator cable prop / Gym trainer when I stretch you on the table-top,” he rhymed on “I pull out my stick and invite you to play some tonsil hockey / I put the box in the penalty / Love it when you try to score goals on me mentally.” Uncle L still indulges his own sexual “Proclivities.”

The FORCE arrives just in time to distract from the presidential election, which I really need.

Scientific American makes a second endorsement for a presidential candidate in its 179-year history:

At the top of the ballot, Harris does deserve our vote. She offers us a way forward lit by rationality and respect for all. Economically, the renewable-energy projects she supports will create new jobs in rural America. Her platform also increases tax deductions for new small businesses from $5,000 to $50,000, making it easier for them to turn a profit. Trump, a convicted felon who was also found liable of sexual abuse in a civil trial, offers a return to his dark fantasies and demagoguery, whether it’s denying the reality of climate change or the election results of 2020 that were confirmed by more than 60 court cases, including some that were overseen by judges whom he appointed.

One of two futures will materialize according to our choices in this election. Only one is a vote for reality and integrity. We urge you to vote for Kamala Harris.

If you want to find out the differences in policy and decency from both candidates, you should read the entire essay.

Early Voting in Virginia will begin on Friday, September 20, 2024. Since I will be working from home on Friday, I will try to get my vote in early.

If you come to this blog, you know who I will vote for and why. I don’t discuss politics in real life. I don’t discuss politics on any social media platform. This blog’s my only outlet.

Voting is a privilege in America. No matter who you will vote for, do your diligent research. There are lots of misinformation and disinformation on the internet, make sure you get your information from credible, reliable sources.

On January 21, 2020, I skied for the first time in my life at the age of 42. I took a beginner lesson at Whitetail Resort and fell in love with skiing ever since. Our family (2 adults and 4 kids) has become Epic Pass holders for three consecutive years. Between Whitetail and Liberty, which are close to where we live, these resorts are our family’s winter playgrounds.

I can ski my ways down the green, blue, and double-black trails. In the coming winter, I would like to work on my carving. In addition to skiing, I fell in love with snowboarding. In the winter of 2022, I decided to learn snowboarding to challenge myself. Picking up snowboarding at the age of 44 was not easy, but I overcame the steep learning curve. Now my snowboarding skills are as good as skiing skills. My goal in the coming winter is to learn carving on snowboard as well.

Thanks to the wonderful instructors who had taught me to get started on snow sports; therefore, I would like to share my experience with anyone who is interested in trying out skiing or snowboarding or both. Since coming to both sports fairly new, I still have the learning experiences fresh in my mind. I understand the importance of ski postures and snowboard stances. I can help new learners avoid the mistakes that I had made so they can progress much faster. I would love the opportunity to put my passion to work.

I am getting hit with another gout attack even though I have been on my best behavior. I haven’t drank much. I haven’t consumed beef. I have been take Allopurinol for 12 days straight.

I consult Dr. Google and he tells me that Allopurinol is the culprit. It is working; therefore, I am getting a flare up before my uric acid level balances out. I hope this is the case.

I am out of commission again. No more rollerblading for a few days.

Roxane Gay writes in The New Yorker about the pet-eating ludicrous conspiracy theory:

This is all ridiculous to hear. It is ridiculous to even speak of. And it is ridiculous that Trump and Vance’s lies, which in another era would be disqualifying, have seemingly propelled them. Some prognosticators are even suggesting that by inflaming xenophobic passions, Trump and Vance have secured a victory in November. Politicians have always lied, but now they run for office—and hold office—while shrouding themselves in ludicrous conspiracy theories, and they are lauded for it.

What’s even worse is how this story has, so quickly, become a cultural punch line among people of every political persuasion. This is often how extreme conservative rhetoric works. Republicans soften the ground by making outlandish or incendiary claims. They do it over and over until their narrative breaches the perimeter of their little enclaves and bleeds into the mainstream. The bad actors keep repeating these statements. We hear them so frequently that they become part of our vernacular. We capitulate and treat the discursive dominance of the extreme right as an inevitability that we cannot resist, even though we absolutely can. And then we joke about red hats and making America great again and “fake news” and tiki torches and seasoning pets. There’s an endless parade of memes—further capitulation, letting Republicans know that you’re fine with allowing them to dictate reality. You’re letting them know that you, too, believe Haitians are acceptable targets for mockery. You’re welcome to play by their rules. Anything can be fodder for humor. But this is not about having a sense of humor. It’s about having a sense of decency.

In Real Clear Polling, Harris beat Trump in Virginia by more than 5 points (49% to 43.7).

Real Clear Polling’s Electoral College advanced Virginia and its 13 Electoral College votes toward Harris and predicted Harris led Trump by 221 to 219, with 98 tossup votes in 8 swing states.

In a survey from The Washington Post/Schar School, Harris beat Trump in Virginia by 8 points (50% to 42).

In a Virginia Commonwealth University poll, Harris led a significant 10-point lead over Trump (46% to 36).

Obviously these numbers are just forecasts and predictions. We need to show up to vote. If you haven’t registered, do it now. We need to beat Trump with votes—not bullets.

Mấy tháng nay tôi không ngủ bằng máy CPAP nữa, mà bằng tiếng nhạc nhè nhẹ ru từ chiếc loa nhỏ Bose qua Spotify trên iPhone. Nhiều lúc ngủ quên đến ba, bốn giờ sáng mà vẫn nghe tiếng nhạc.

Hôm nọ đang chập chờn ngủ bỗng nghe ca khúc “Ngày chưa giông bão” (Phan Mạnh Quỳnh) qua một tiếng hát êm dịu và đầy quyến rũ. Hơi lạ là cách phát âm của cô. Tuy cô ca tiếng Việt nhưng cách luyến láy của cô như tiếng Anh. Cách cô lướt chữ nghe hơi kỳ quặc nhưng có chút dễ thương.

Cô tên ngắn gọn là Trinh. Chỉ thế thôi. Tôi không biết gì về cô cả nhưng hiếu kỳ muốn nghe thêm. Với phong cách acoustic, cô trình bài “Mùa thu cho em” (Ngô Thụy Miên), “Xin lỗi“ (Hồ Tiến Đạt), và “Phố mùa đông“ (Bảo Chấn) rất có hồn.

Trinh chưa phát hành album nào cả, mà chỉ tung ra singles trên Spotify. Trong những bài thu âm của cô có một ca khúc tiếng Anh với tựa đề “Never Be the One”, lời Anh của ca khúc “Em về tình khôi” (Quốc Bảo). Cô hát tiếng Anh khá rõ lời và tôi đã hình dung ra được tại sau cô hát tiếng Việt theo phong cách của cô.