I’m not going to link to it because you all know it, but I am deeply, deeply stressed about this Garcia case and El Salvador, and I will just leave it at that.
It was over cast and in the 80’s today, so I tried to catch up on moisturizing. Moisturizing in the southwest is no damned joke. Back in West Virginny if you are white like me you can skip a day or two and be ok, but down here you skip a morning or evening session you are going to wake up itchy and chalky as hell. It’s a constant struggle. If you see a black woman or any woman of color down here with glowing skin, you need to understand the amount of work they are putting in to keep their skin looking like that.
Speaking of personal care, I was on facetime with my mom the other day and before she said anything like “Hello” or “How are you” she came out the gate with “Oh God are you going to do something about that beard?” She opened strong. So, tomorrow I have a hair appointment to get cleaned up to go back to… West Virginia.
Lots going on in the news. I’m not going to think about it much the next few days. It will be there when I get back east.
MobiusKlein
Ah mom, she knows what must be said.
A Ghost to Most
This is as good a place as any. If you had told me 20 years ago that this place would become the home of christian enablers, apologists, and appeasers, and that you would be their kapo, I would have laughed. But here we are. AMF.
dww44
@A Ghost to Most: Are you visiting Earth from Mars?
Sister Golden Bear
We demand before and after pics!
Jay
Beard itch, and hair itch are a thing as an old, if you have naturally curly hair.
1/4″ is fine.
3/4″ itches like crazy as the curls dig back into the skin.
1 1/2″, fine, hanging down, no longer poking you constantly.
Gary K
Hey, it was fun to figure out how to make direct contact with another occasional commenter here who goes by the nym Ohio Farmer. We’re in adjacent counties of the north central area. This is a full-service blog!
Chetan Murthy
Damn, so I’m not the only one! @Jay: yeah, I get beard itch, hair itch, and ….. when I swim, basically my forelegs (and some of my thighs is a desert. Gotta slather on that moisturizer with a spatula (not exaggerating here). Never had to do that, back in Boston. But here in SF, yeah.
Gloria DryGarden
@Jay: is that why curly hairs itch?
eta I had a client who said he only shaved every third day, because it hurt. The exfoliation?
Gloria DryGarden
@Gary K: direct contact can be such a delight. Very happy for you.
Jay
@Chetan Murthy:
That’s what “beard oil” is for.
Caring for and nurturing a beard, moreso if you want to augment your SS by playing Santa, is more work than just shaving every other day.
It’s like a garden of lost hope and food leftovers.
sukabi
Mom’s, setting you on your back foot, whether you need it or not…
Chetan Murthy
@Jay: heh, I never knew that existed. Though, I’ll admit that I don’t have a “beard”. What I have, is “5 days of growth, b/c I didn’t get around to shaving ….” The solution for that is to just damn well shave daily, and hell, it’s faster and easier that way to boot.
But when I get depressed, I don’t even brush my teeth (or get dressed) so ….. sigh.
tobie
Deleted my post. You folks were having a pleasant discussion of self-grooming and self-care. I’ll just say I found a new skin cream that I like a lot.
Jay
@Gloria DryGarden:
Probably not. Guys are bad at changing blades. Most likely, the blades are dull, pulling the whiskers out rather than cutting them.
Suzanne
May I recommend making a coconut oil scrub for use in the shower? Mix coconut oil with sugar u til it’s pasty, add some extract or essential oil so it smells nice, and use it all over. Helps with that dry desert air.
ETA: this stuff is also better than shaving cream.
Ohio Mom
@Gary K: That makes me happy — your mini-meet-up is a result of the announcement of the upcoming meet-up which I am helping organize. I accomplished something, today was several things blowing up in my face otherwise.
Jay
@Chetan Murthy:
Yeah, I go in cycles. Normally, it’s a well trimmed goatee and mustache, but when I am off, I can’t bother. I just can’t. A shower is an event.
Sucks, right.
YY_Sima Qian
There is a global slide in liberal democracy. In this case, a right wing reactionary winning, one does wonder if Trump’s CIA provided a helping hand (gift link to NYT article):
sukabi
@Suzanne: have to be careful though, the coconut oil tends to recongeal as it moves through the plumbing…. ALWAYS run HOT WATER for a few minutes to clear the drains / pipes until it gets far enough down to be someone else’s problem…
mrmoshpotato
@tobie: You shouldn’t have. It’s important to remember the horrible things the Kremlin’s orange fascist shitstain is doing.
cain
@Suzanne:
That’s what us Indians have been doing for a long while..we use that in our hair and then use ground lentils as an exfoliate where we use a coconut husk to apply.
No fancy applicator and the ingredients are easily obtainable.
Suzanne
@sukabi: Yes. I am usually in the shower for a while so it gets hot water chasing it! I also mix or substitute with olive oil in winter. I also put Vitamin E oil in it sometimes. Much, much less expensive than fancy body care stuff. Just as nice.
mrmoshpotato
@Suzanne: Scrub a dub dub, coconut your bones in the tub. Yumm-o!
cain
@YY_Sima Qian: not surprising. The CIA has done incalculable amount of political damage for short term interests
Ohio Mom
@Chetan Murthy: Heve you considered better living through chemistry, I.e., antidepressants?
Suzanne
@cain: Homemade scrubby stuff + Salux washcloth = smooth and moisturized, even in the damn desert.
Chetan Murthy
@Ohio Mom: I’ve read enough about SSRIs and SNRIs that I simply don’t trust them. I -did- employ old-fashioned means — black tea — and that seems to work. But recently my doc told me to go off it as an experiment (eliminating variables to find the cause of a bad test result). Hopefully I can start back on black tea b/c yeah, “better living thru chemistry” indeed.
Elizabelle
Excellent Red Wine & Blue Zoom tonight with Heather Cox Richardson and Jasmine Crockett tonight. I will post the link to video as soon as they send it out. Organizers mentioned they had a lot of new people after the April 5 rallies. Yay.
Jasmine Crockett was inspiring and plain spoken, as always. HCRichardson asked her how she was so good at explaining, and she answered well.
My takeaway — on another issue — Jasmine mentioned you do not need to persuade people of your views. It is enough to ask them how things are working out for them (bring up the things Felon and F Elon are destroying and spoiling).
Made sense to me. We get into fights on this blog, where we are probably 92% in agreement. Meet people where they are, and ask how it is working out for them. Def good advice for Texas, but for anywhere, really.
HCR brought up how divided the Felon administration actually is. F Elon wants immigrants. Stephen Miller does not. Etc.
Redshift
Hey, JGC, Ms. Redshift has become a big fan of your BlueSky!
Bitchin’ Camaro!
Elizabelle
@mrmoshpotato: @tobie:
And we are, ostensibly, a political blog. Or used to be. Not a lifestyle blog. But. Carry on.
mrmoshpotato
@Elizabelle: I guess we aren’t a full service blog anymore according to you.
Elizabelle
@mrmoshpotato: I never thought we needed to be.
Gloria DryGarden
Politics girl emergency announcement
back to politics and urgency, dated today
she says this is the line, it’s impeachable
I’ll be calling in the morning
Gloria DryGarden
@Suzanne: what about olive oil? I’m noting the congeal in the pipes issue. But I like coconut oil on my skin, actually, a lot.
mrmoshpotato
@Elizabelle: Well, good for you. Complain to Cole about his post.
mrmoshpotato
@Gloria DryGarden: Just watched that on my YouTube feed, and she is absolutely right.
Gloria DryGarden
@mrmoshpotato: thank you. I just reposted it on blue sky as well. (And to my carefully curated Facebook friends.)
Elizabelle
@mrmoshpotato: I know. In all caps.
Jay
@Gloria DryGarden:
I like olive oil.
Jackie
@Elizabelle:
I thought we were a full service blog? Politics, gardening, travel adventure, pets, the occasional recipes… I don’t disagree with JC’s grooming posts :-D
Jay
@Ohio Mom:
It’s tough. Even the newer SSRI’s can have issues, based on the individual. T’s regimen works for her. 40 years now. After 20 years, I am still looking. Some turn me into a zombie, the others make me want to kill myself.
Gloria DryGarden
@Jackie: and, respite threads for balance and cheer, a light in the bloody darkness
Jackie
@Gloria DryGarden:
That, too :-D
Gloria DryGarden
@Chetan Murthy: depression.
here are things I’ve used, w some benefit.
Tyrosine. Inositol. 5 htp for sleep. Or tryptophan. Essential oil of grapefruit. Writing. Ceremony/ ritual/ dance. Burning things in a fire (not actual peoples houses) L theanine, which is a happy chemical in chocolate, also available in supplements. Any kind of art, creativity, movement. Nice smells, even ground coffee.
walks, which are very hard to initiate when it’s at th3 toothbrush I g stage.
it’s sad that so many of us know this kind of trouble.
if I had one, I’d try a weighted blanket.
mrmoshpotato
@Gloria DryGarden:
Definitely.
Gloria DryGarden
@Jackie: a Row of heart emojis and hug emojis, w frog and dolphin and mermaid ones too.
to mr moshpotato, too. Even if that’s too darned girlie. Suck it up.
candles as light in the darkness emojis
eclare
@sukabi:
That also sounds like it would make my ancient porcelain tub incredibly slippery. I’m already scared of falling in that thing, even though I have stickers on the bottom.
Gloria DryGarden
@eclare: i like to mix sea salt w a few drops of lavender oil, and scrub that on soapy skin. After the shower, lotion or oil after I dry off.
there, slippery situation solved. Skin, glowing.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Gloria DryGarden:
I’ve thought of calling my Senators or Rep but they’re all Republicans now. Do they ask for personal information to verify if you live in the district/state? I recall Omnes answering me on this a long time ago, but I can’t recall what he said
NotMax
@Jackie
I’m shocked , shocked to find there’s politics going on here.
//
Jay
@eclare:
Lay down a cheap, disposable plastic drop cloth, (or cotton if your are up for washing).
Have somebody else rub the oil and scrub of your choice on all your body.
Place a towel on the bottom of your tub, soap up and wash off.
Take a hot bath after removing the towel.
Sell pay per view on Only Fans.
Clean tub after.
Jay
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Postal code pretty much.
Depends, (DJTdiot’s favorite brand).
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Jay:
If that’s all, whatever. I wouldn’t give my full address or something like that
Jay
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
They may want an email, etc to send you blegs, but if you are coming in hard, they just want to know, at best, that you are a voter in their district, and not a Soro’s plant
“cause, you know,………………………….
frosty
West Virginia deserves the best you that you can be. Me I’m getting a haircut tomorrow, first one since January.
Gloria DryGarden
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I think even republicans need to be pressured. Are they for democracy? Are they ok w tariff games as a way to create insider trading opportunities? Is it ok to deport citizens with no due process, over beliefs, opinions or skin color? This deportation thing, into camps paid for with our tax dollars, it’s so close to the auswich nazi thing from the recent past.
when I called,
l think they may have asked my first name, perhaps a zip code.
others here have called more often than me. Surely someone else knows.
frosty
@Chetan Murthy: Shaved every day when I was working. Retired … every third day? If I let it go longer than that I have to get the clippers out to cut it down to where the razor would work.
The clippers give me that 3-day growth hipster look. Perfect! Except that when the beard is gray it gives you that Crazy Guy on the Street with the Shopping Cart look.
frosty
@Jay: Changing blades? Haven’t done that since I was in college, which was about the time I switched to a straight razor. These days I just pick up a pack of 10 Gillette throwaways, feeling bad about it.
Jay
@frosty:
Just For Men,………………
I have a Gillette cartridge, about 20 years old. Change the blades about every month. Might switch to a “Green Strip” as my hair has gotten thinner and sometimes the blades don’t cut it, they just comb it.
Have a trimmer, cut my own hair, not that there is a lot of it.
I have more hair in my ears, back and nose, than my head.
frosty
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Fetterman wants my name spelled out so I give him Foxtrot Romeo Oscar etc etc. Plus address and phone number. McCormick isn’t quite so anal; but yes, you have to give them something so they know you’re in their district.
frosty
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I have Republicans too. I’m taking a hint from someone here and I’ll ask (tomorrow): “Do you think the Trump administration should obey a Supreme Court order?”
Yes or No
ETA or some variation of “Let’s be clear: You Republicans have surrendered their power. I truly cannot explain it. Why put in all of this effort to run for office to represent your state, only to give up all of your power to a wannabe king and his billionaire friends?”
frosty
@Jay: Reminds me of a line from the Mothers of Invention: “Hair growing out every hole in me.”
Sorry, that should have come with a warning!
RaflW
“Lots going on in the news. I’m not going to think about it much the next few days. It will be there when I get back east.”
Funny, that’s about what I said to the BF tonight on the phone (except I’ll be back in the upper Midwest). I’m repatriating my Subie to Minnesota on Wed-Thurs. Today was my next-to-last day snowboarding this season, tomorrow last + cleaning up the condo.
I generally enjoy my solo road trips, but my mind is usually less burdened by voluminous bullshit than it might be this time. I may have to skip some of my NPR binge-listening.
Anyway, good night all.
RaflW
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I was surprised the other day that a S.C. staffer for Sen. Klobuchar didn’t ask for any details. I’m sure they have caller ID, and I do have a MN area code, but these days, people often move several times and just keep their numbers.
If I leave VMs, I say my first & last name and my zip code, since neither Amy K nor Tina S seem to ask for much identifying info in their outgoing msg.
Melancholy Jaques
@Elizabelle:
The number one reason why this is the only political blog I read is that we talk about things other than politics. I think it helps us build & maintain more human connections. Also, I’ve really enjoyed Not Max’s recommendations.
eclare
@Jay:
It’s gold, Jerry, gold!
sentient ai from the future
I have shit to do in the afternoon, but my plan is to take a pot and a wooden spoon to the ICE jail near me and just walk it’s perimeter shouting his name
I don’t talk much at work anyway.
NotMax
@Melancholy Jaques
::blushes, swishes toes across the grass:: Aw, shucks. Thanks for that.
:)
sab
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): My experience with our current Ohio senators is that they don’t even answer the phone. The answering machine is all full and never cleared.
satby
@Elizabelle: especially when a lot of the “lifestyle advice” is not very good.
Waiting for the first person to breathlessly announce they’ve discovered the latest internet trend: skincare made with tallow.
Soprano2
@sukabi: I have so many thoughts about this. I’ve seen the results of causing this problem. I saw a TV of a house connection to the sewer where it looked like the resident had poured a whole fryer full of grease down their sewer connection. Whoo boy…… they make products for exfoliation that don’t clog the pipes.
Soprano2
@eclare: i got a mat that I can put down on the bottom of the tub. It works well, and I didn’t have to stick anything to my tub.
Barry
@A Ghost to Most: buh-bye!
Paul in KY
@Gloria DryGarden: I like a nice fire. Hoping to have a nice big one this Friday.
Gary K
@Ohio Mom: Yes you did, and thanks! I think Ohio farmer is going top make it to the Columbus meet-up, and I may ask him to circulate my contact info there. Wish I weren’t out of the state on that date.
Seanly
I cannot grow a beard to save my life. The best I can do is a Van Dyke..
Off topic, my wife doesn’t like crowds so we elected to not go to the Bernie/AOC Boise rally on Monday. My wife has been on edge about the terrible things being done by the current admin and I think AOC’s speech plus seeing over 12k Idahoans cheering for AOC would’ve helped put my wife at ease. (I watched the speech last night on YT).