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Julia Sneden wrote: Taste: A clean mouth. Miner's lettuce, a small, wild leaf that grows in the California hills. I used to nibble on it straight out of the field, and I can still recall its astringent freshness. Turkey: For kids reared during the war, when meat was rationed and "organ meats" and Spam filled our tables, turkey was a Big Deal. I didn't know what steak was until long after the rationing ended, but turkey was on our table at both Christmas and Thanksgiving, and to this day it tastes like a treat, even the leftovers! Pumpkin pie, because of its association with holidays. Chocolate. Bread. And, again, that first cup of morning coffee, the one that gets the blood flowing and reminds me that I'm glad to be alive and in the comfort zone. more »

A few years ago interest revived in the passage of the ERA. Nevada and Illinois were persuaded to ratify. On November 5th Virginia elected a Democratic majority to both houses heightening expectations that it will become the 38th state to ratify the ERA. In the meantime a resolution to remove the deadline from the original 1972 resolution was introduced into the House by Rep. Jackie Speier (D CA). On November 13, the House Judiciary Committee marked-up the bill. Only a few Republicans attended. They all spoke against it, mostly claiming that the ERA would make it impossible to restrict abortion. "Sex" has replaced "protection" as the primary rationale against equality.  more »

Rose Madeline Mula Writes: I have had a couple of falls recently. The time before last, I broke my shoulder. When the orthopedic doctor finally discharged me after a series of follow-up visits, I asked him if I had any restrictions. “Yes,” he said. “Don’t fall.” So of course I did — at the door of my building when I got home. And of course I couldn’t get up. My phobia has extended to even very low-incline ramps. As for escalators, forget about them. Not only are the steps moving, but so is the handrail. You might as well ask me to scale Everest without the help of a Sherpa.     more »

“Mr. Morrison confirmed Ambassador Taylor’s testimony to the Committees that the Ukrainians were told that U.S. military assistance, not just the White House meeting, was conditioned on their public announcement of political investigations that the President wanted. Additionally, following the September 1 meeting between President Zelensky and Vice President Pence, Mr. Morrison confirmed that Ambassador Sondland informed one of President Zelensky’s top aides that American military aid was conditioned on the investigations. Mr. Morrison informed John Bolton of the meeting and was told by Mr. Bolton to go see the lawyers, which he did. “Ms. Williams testified that the President’s requests were ‘unusual and inappropriate’ and shed light on ‘possible other motivations behind a security assistance hold.’ She also confirmed, like Lt. Col. Vindman, that the Ukrainian President specifically mentioned ‘Burisma’ during the call, even though the White House call record does not reflect that. Importantly, Ms. Williams also testified that in mid-May, President Trump instructed Vice President Pence to cancel plans to attend President Zelensky’s inauguration before the date for the inauguration had been set. more »