This was brilliant, if not sad that this is where we are:
florida high school class president zander moricz was told by his school that they would cut his microphone if he said “gay” in his grad speech, so he replaced gay with “having curly hair.” i am in awe pic.twitter.com/OqLbar5bwq
— matt (@mattxiv) May 24, 2022
Full speech here:
We see you, Zander. In all your curly hair bravery and greatness.
I do not have it in me to do a kindness post tonight. We’ll see how I’m feeling tomorrow. I have a few set aside, but can always use more.
This is an open thread
trollhattan
Our electricity utility has a tree crew in back, trimming our WILLOW out of the powerlines and that’s been a source of stress ever since one of our neighborhood friends (and one of the kid’s grade school teachers) had a tree trimmer electrocuted in her yard.
Other than that, happy hump day. Summer has arrived one month early.
Kropacetic
That was really touching and funny and it made me cry.
StringOnAStick
I picked up a bunch of willow tree trimmings for free online last weekend because I wanted to try my hand at making bird houses, based on what I saw on Gardeners World two weeks ago. I didn’t realize then that I was going to deeply NEED to make bird houses in order to calm my soul after yesterday. Time to go outside, play with sticks and listen to birds.
trollhattan
TBH while birds hide in it, I’ve never seen a nest in ours. Not native to the region and they might not see it as “home.”
Ours is a curly willow and I don’t see the branches being weaveable, but they look good in flower arrangements.
Betty Cracker
That kid’s speech was brilliant. What a clever way to defy the stupid “don’t say gay” edict and get his point across anyway! I was particularly impressed that he invoked the state’s suffocating humidity in a way that rang true for hair care and indicted the cruel policies that will oppress other “curly haired” kids. Bravo!
MisterForkbeard
Since this is an OT, I’m just going to put this out there: Generally I’m a chill guy. So is my wife.
We both saw Tucker Carlson’s response to the school shooting (“How DARE Biden take advantage of the deaths of these children to get more power for himself?”) and I can honestly say it’s the only time we’ve yelled at a computer in the last two years. He is literally the worst human being on the entire planet, I hate that fucker.
Thank god for this place, which gives me another outlet, and where videos like the above can actually lift spirits a little.
TriassicSands
Brilliant and moving words. I think he looks great with curly hair!
Zzyzx
I admit that I just feel defeated today. The Senate is fucked and really the Democrats would have to run the table to get to like 53 seats or so, and that includes Manchin.
If this were a game, the Senate would be nerfed and the rules would be changed, but the same flaw that makes the Senate out of control also messes up the ability to change things. Just imagine how much worse things would be without the 17th amendment.
WaterGirl
What a lovely story, and what a great young man.
Amir Khalid
I’m feeling rather pleased with myself at the moment. I just completed a small repair to my Epiphone Les Paul. The nut securing the output socket* had come loose, and the socket itself had fallen into the control cavity. So I had to put it all back where it belonged: a tiny, tiny win for me over technology, but I’ll take it.
*For some reason, all the guitar YouTubers call it an “input jack” even though it’s where the signal GOES OUT of the guitar, and even though it’s very obviously a socket and not a jack.
A Streeter
That awesome young man’s speech moves me to make my first comment on this incarnation of B-J. Thanks for posting it!
Gin & Tonic
The teevee had the TX Gov’s “news” conference on before, and there was what the chyron called a “protester,” but it looked an awful lot like Beto O’Rourke. Didn’t see the face nor catch what he was saying – can anybody fill in?
JMG
It was Beto
Gin & Tonic
Never mind, I’ve gotten caught up. It was Beto, and he was calling out Abbott.
lee
‘@Gin & Tonic
Yes it was Beto. The twit machine confirmed it.
twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1529520239444205571
It was not the sheriff that scolded Beto but the pasty white obese mayor of Uvalde
lee
Fark has this headline describing Zelenskyy’s compassion to Texas.
Zelenskyy gives his condolences to America as he too understands what it’s like to have your country regularly attacked by an organization strongly supported by republicans
WaterGirl
‘@lee
Good for Beto. He stood his ground with all those angry men on stage screaming at him.
debbie
I caught part of Abbott’s news conference while waiting in a doctor’s office, probably before Beto popped up. Abbott had nothing but tots and prayers, typically. Other than that, he gave the kind of information the sheriff would have given.
I’m so sick of everything being blamed on mental illness. It’s Abbott who has the illness, dammit.
dexwood
‘@lee I saw it as it happened on ABC. Beto called Abbot “a sick son of a bitch” and an “asshole”. well, “assholes like you” to be more accurate. My wife was cheering him on.
Gary K
Bravo Zander Moricz!
WaterGirl
‘@ dexwood
I thought it was a guy on stage who called BETO a sick son of a bitch.
debbie
WG, you’re correct. I just watched it on Twitter.
Dorothy A Winsor
dexwood
‘@WaterGirl you could be right. Beto’s back was to the camera, but I was watching him not the guys on stage. Still, Abbot is a sick asshole.
ETA: I don’t mean to spread false info.
WaterGirl
PSA: I just added the same plugin we have on the Balloon Juice site – the one that opens external links in a new tab. I tested it and it works. Let me know if you have any problems.
trollhattan
Huh. Good news for John McCain?
“May 25, 2022 at 3:32 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard
Politico: “The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday it now expects federal revenue this year to jump by a whopping $800 billion — equivalent to the Pentagon’s annual budget.”
“That translates to a 19 percent increase, the biggest one-year hike in more than 40 years, and it comes on top of an 18 percent increase last year.”
“Total receipts will amount this year to 19.6 percent of the nation’s economy, CBO says, which would be the most since 2000 when the Treasury Department was swimming in cash thrown off by the dot-com bubble.”
Barbara
What an inspiring speech. They wouldn’t let him use the word gay and he made his speech even more powerful because he was being muffled by the school. Just awesome.
Elizabelle
Florida’s “humid” environment. Indeed. Marvelous speech by a brave (new!) high school graduate.
EarthWindandFire
Lots of FL’s kids seem like good people. May they stick around and undo the damage their elders wrought. Wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t though.
smedley the uncertain
Amir Khalid: For all my years working on Military and civilian gear the audio/keying/other low voltage separations have been by a Plug and Jack regardless if direction of flow. Jacks are often designated Input/Output. Other connectors offer a lot more confusion and fun.
smedley the uncertain
Amir, sorry tried to correct but correction timed out. Just ignore.