Yes, as a matter of fact, that is a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe, in the middle of a bike path, in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Note the tiny Juan Diego under the Virgin. As I write this, sitting in a campground far to the south of this shrine, a pair of British overlanders are parking their rig near mine, and the man who is directing his wife could be a double, in posture and appearance, to Wallace from Wallace and Gromit.
I have a bunch of photos and thoughts to share, but I’m working on this trip and I’m naturally lazy, so those thoughts and photos will have to wait until I’ve had my fill of tequila and fish tacos. Until then, here’s another strange fact. Did you know that John Lewis had a set of graphic novels written about his life, and that he would attend Comic-Con in San Diego, dressed as he had been when crossing the Edmund Pettus bridge, and lead a march through the convention floor? Here’s the first graphic novel in the series:
And, yes, these images are large. Open thread.
Another Scott
Hey, MM, thanks for checking in. Hope you are doing well. Enjoy your “work”. ;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
Benw
I went to see Slash and his band last night and they ruled!
Darkrose
The March trilogy was one of my recommendations for the library’s Black History Month book rec video. Since we didn’t have it, I bought a copy, which promptly went in a display case, so I haven’t actually had a chance to read it yet.
Betty Cracker
Oooo, tequila and fish tacos!!!!
I did not know that fact about John Lewis. Thank you for sharing it!
Gin & Tonic
@Betty Cracker: Fish tacos are great. Tequila, um, no, since that one time ….
Yarrow
Is he on a cheese holiday?
susanna
My son and girlfriend were there in December, hiking, biking and diving. They loved it. I’d rather go there than the other Baja places like Cabo.
The visual of John Lewis dressed for ‘a’ parade, then making his own at Comic-Con makes him more endearing, and fearless. Good story
Enjoy your vacation!
Martin
@Gin & Tonic: Boy, everyone has that ‘one time’ with tequila, don’t they?
susanna
@Martin: God, yes and no memory of it whatsoever was great!
debbie
@Martin:
It pretty much made me quit drinking altogether.
Martin
So, Russias plan is that the Russian market can’t crash if it never reopens. I mean, it worked in 1917 – sort of.
Martin
@debbie: I didn’t stop, but I did slow way the fuck down.
raven
I pattern my doggie graveyard after the Our Lady Shrines made of bathtubs. I use wheelbarrows but I got the idea in Baja!
Bohdi
Lil Bit
Cameron
Vladimir Putin claims this is Ukrainian/American propaganda:
https://youtu.be/P2v8IgJdsm4
Martin
My dad and his buddies go to this little practically non-existent town in Baja to go surfing. We’re talking ‘town has a bar/restaurant that’s open when the women who owns it isn’t busy doing other stuff’ small. He says everyone moves at a glacial pace and he loves it.
Old School
Since they were mentioned, I’ll add that Nick Park is making a new W&G film scheduled for release in 2024.
frosty
@susanna: Here’s the story of John Lewis at ComicCon; the most accurate cosplayer in the building.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/07/13/the-real-origin-story-behind-how-rep-john-lewis-became-the-hit-of-comic-con/
Raoul Paste
@raven: That is impressive
Lapassionara
@raven: these are wonderful!
Martin
@raven: That’s really sweet. We only have graves for our pocket pets. Each one gets a a little section under the patio bricking where we have a sitting bench, so we can sit and spend time with all of them. Speaking of which, I see we need to freshen up the paint a bit on their names.
HeleninEire
@raven: OMG that’s great. Do you have one for Raven too?
raven
@HeleninEire: Yes and I was pouring through my 30,000 picture Flickr trying to find it!
Gin & Tonic
@Martin: My pro tip: never go drinking at a place called “Speedy’s.”
raven
@HeleninEire: Here’s all three together but you can’t really see the wonderful mosaic for Raven.
raven
@Raoul Paste:
@Lapassionara:
After the Bodhi died went to an antique shop and they had a “1st in Show” trophy that was enough like him that we put it with him.
WaterGirl
@raven: Lil Bit is so Lil Bit
catclub
One of the complications of Cuba opening up is all the US based companies that will be suing to restore their property rights from 1956.
jnfr
Listening to MSNBC and it seems that the British are confirming that Putin is deliberately targeting civilians who try to leave, as the Ukrainians have charged.
Kalakal
@raven: That’s lovely. I used to plant a small tree or shrub over ours. Now their ashes will be buried with us.
HeleninEire
@raven: I can see all 3. Post when you find Raven’s mosaic.
jnfr
@raven:
They’re all really beautiful, raven. You’re so creative and clearly loved them so.
Gin & Tonic
@jnfr: Vladimir Putin is not aiming the artillery, ordinary Russians are. So the correct formulation here would be “Russians are deliberately targeting…”
Sure Lurkalot
La Paz is a great place to go diving and snorkeling. A longish boat ride to Los Islotes, where you can frolic with sea lions and dizzying schools of fish and explore sea walls with starfish everywhere.
My friend Mary and I ate chile rellenos all over town. They were all good!
grandmaBear
My golden, Mac, crossed the rainbow bridge on Sunday. He’s on the April page of one of the calendars, forget which. He was a very good boy. It’s so hard to see them go. We’ll put his ashes in a wooded area behind the house and plant a pine tree there, as we did with Gibby a couple of years ago. The house feels very empty without them.
debbie
One of my aunts had a number of Peruvian retablos. No religious-themed ones; mostly daily living types of altars.
Old School
@grandmaBear:
My condolences, grandmaBear.
jnfr
@Gin & Tonic:
Very true, though I’m sure it’s all with Putin’s direction and approval.
CaseyL
@raven: Those are wonderful, heart-touching memorial tributes.
As someone without a yard, I have as collection of ceramic ash urns. I call it my Kitty Necropolis, sitting on a mirrored tray on my dresser. I should create a proper cabinet or table or something for them.
WaterGirl
@grandmaBear: I’m so sorry grandmaBear, it’s so hard.
raven
@Kalakal: My dad is buried in the Phoenix National Veterans Cemetery with his lab Molly!
raven
@Sure Lurkalot: Ever read “The Log of the Sea of Cortez” by Steinbeck and Ricketts?
raven
@grandmaBear: Sweet pup.
HinTN
@Martin: Oh, yes!
https://youtu.be/IU5I9CWFFek
Gin & Tonic
@raven: Oh, wow, that’s really nice.
HinTN
@raven: Sweet!
raven
@HeleninEire: Finally ! This was a long time ago!
raven
@Gin & Tonic: I didn’t know it until we were leaving for the cemetery and my step-mom handed me the urn and said “he wanted to be buried with her”! This was a guy that I begged for years to get a dog and he resisted until he was in his 70’s, then he went bonkers!
Kayla Rudbek
@catclub: already started Bacardi trademark
Kalakal
@raven: That’s beautiful
Dan B
@HinTN: The Brothers Osborne just won an award and TJ got up and kissed his boyfriend. It was very sweet.
Sure Lurkalot
@raven: No, but many thanks for making me aware! And your memorials to your beloved dogs are beautiful tributes to the lives you had together.
raven
@debbie: I love those! We made this one for Día de los Muertos. The our Lady is one of those 3d jobs where the eyes follow you around the room!
Gin & Tonic
@raven: Great story.
CaseyL
Umm – I just saw something about the Pentagon nixing the Polish jet swap deal for fear it might cross Putin’s “red line.” Does anyone here know anything about that?
raven
@Sure Lurkalot: It’s a great story of the expedition they took on The Western Flyer
It’s being restored as an educational platform.
Gin & Tonic
@CaseyL: The Pentagon says no, not sure they gave a reason. Seems people are getting pretty far out over their skis.
But … Poles really want Ukraine to get those MiG’s. Ukraine really wants them. I won’t be surprised if they get there. Maybe the Pentagon needs to look the other way.
raven
@CaseyL: I saw that too, to me the risk is that he’ll draw one and unload if it gets crossed. . .unlike, um.
Baud
@CaseyL:
ETA:
Is providing planes different from providing other weapons?
Sure Lurkalot
@raven: I just put a hold on the ebook from my library…looking forward to reading it!
CaseyL
@Gin & Tonic:
@raven:
@Baud:
Well, fuckity fuck. That is seriously fucking fucked, and I am not at all happy about it.
ETA: I do have to say, though, the shell game of offloading title to the US, and then the US can offload the jets to Ukraine, rather than Poland giving them to Ukraine directly, did strike me as needlessly complicated. Putin would be enraged if Poland gave Ukraine its fighter jets, but not if the US gave Ukraine Poland’s fighter jets? That… made not a whole lot of sense.
grandmaBear
@Baud: I wonder if the dismissal might be for the sake of deniability. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t want this done openly.
zhena gogolia
@CaseyL: So you prefer a nuclear war?
raven
@Gin & Tonic: This was my old man with Ethalu. I don’t know why but we had to give her up and it killed him for years.
raven
@Sure Lurkalot: Cool, I re-read it last year and it sparked me to learn more about the boat and I found the Flyer Foundation.
NotMax
Holiday dinners at the Reffitt household bound to be super ultra mega tense.
Dan B
@Baud: Awful news. Putin is making the US look cowardly. Imagine what it would feel like if Zelensky was killed and Ukraine leveled.
CaseyL
@zhena gogolia: I’m really the wrong person to ask that of. The correct person to ask that of is V. Putin – you know, the one threatening a nuclear war if he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed.
zhena gogolia
@CaseyL: And the Pentagon has to take that into account.
Baud
@Dan B:
Yeah, well, while I don’t pretend to know the right way to manage this, I don’t think anything we decide to do should be based on our being made to feel unmanly. I would like U.S. foreign policy to move away from thinking with our dicks.
zhena gogolia
@Baud: We lost four precious years of dealing with Putin correctly. Make it 12, because that wasn’t Obama’s strong suit, TBH.
Dan B
@zhena gogolia: That is an assumption. If Russia’s advance fails Putin is likely to resort to “tactical” nukes. He is cornered.
debbie
@raven:
Nice! But those eyes would freak me out.
Scout211
The postal service reform bill passed in the Senate.
Baud
@Scout211:
Damn. Nice job, Dems.
debbie
@Baud:
The BBC just reported very positively about that proposal.
germy
Baud
@debbie:
So Poland should send the jets to UK.
debbie
@Scout211:
Can DeJoy veto it? //
debbie
@zhena gogolia:
Serious question: What would be the correct way to handle Putin?
Mousebumples
Late to the thread, but I highly recommend March. I’ve donated the trilogy to a few local school libraries. John Lewis’s acceptance speech, accepting a National Book Award for the series is wonderful too – https://youtu.be/8TwGBxRaLDQ
jnfr
@Scout211:
This is really good news!
Baud
@debbie:
With six pallbearers.
frosty
@Martin: I had the “one time” experience. It took me a year before I could smell a lemon without feeling queasy.
Brachiator
@Dan B:
Sometimes looking cowardly is the bravest thing you can do.
Roger Moore
@NotMax:
Eek. I hope there’s some kind of plan to protect that teenage son from his parents.
debbie
@Baud:
??♀️
NotMax
@Baud
Park them along the border, figuratively leave the keys inside and head off to an extra-extra-long coffee break.
“First, it was BOGO day at the coffee bar. Second, Casimir habitually plays polkas on the jukebox so loud we wouldn’t notice if a herd of elephants were stampeding outside.”
//
HinTN
@Dan B: Excellent! I read that the fans took his coming out in stride. Damn fine band.
debbie
@NotMax:
Wasn’t this the patriot (?) who was going to grab Pelosi by her hair and drag her down the Capitol steps, making sure her head hit every step?
Kay
Tracking women and curtailing travel:
Horrifying. Starting to get a little nervous yet?
Volunteer far Right religious police will be watching you.
Steeplejack
@grandmaBear:
? ? ?
Baud
@grandmaBear:
My condolences.
Kay
What if you’re pregnant and want to get out of Missouri and move to a state that still has rights for women? Can the self-appointed religious police sue you and drag you back to Missouri to stand trial?
Baud
@Kay:
Lots of fun lawyer questions coming our way soon.
Brachiator
@Kay:
We will see what evil the Supreme Court might allow, but we have been here before. Instead of the Fugitive Slave Act, it will be the Fugitive Woman Act. Aiding the woman trying to exercise her rights will be a crime.
Kay
@Baud:
I’m horrified.
When asked if the measure was constitutional she smugly pointed to the SCOTUS no longer enforcing womens rights. She’s right. That’s exactly what happened. They no longer recognize voting rights either.
Kay
@Brachiator:
Women better start paying attention, is all I can say. I know the issue is all but ignored by media but they aren’t going to stop until they control every aspect of womens lives.
debbie
@Kay:
This strategy of getting people to sue each other is not going to end well.
J R in WV
@debbie:
With a .45 pistol…
Eta… And the 6 pallbearers
Baud
@Kay:
Did you see the the Republican justices want to stop state gerrymandering reforms now?
Kay
@debbie:
It’ll work fine for the Right. They’ll set up a donor funded litigation machine. All they’ll do is change the parties in the caption for each lawsuit. It won’t be difficult legal work at all. They can paper thousands of people, cheap. Churn them out. Hire right out of religious law schools, pay them next to nothing, and give them what will be essentially a form.
Old School
@debbie:
Apparently the way W. did.
(Sorry, you said “serious.”)
Kay
@Baud:
Oh, that’s funny.
Brachiator
@Kay:
I agree. We all have to pay attention.
I suppose that we will have to fight the culture wars again.
Shana
@debbie: My husband got horribly drunk on tequila the night before his father’s funeral, partly because we were drinking at the bar owned by a high school girlfriend’s family and they kept pouring whether we wanted them to or not. He hasn’t touched it since then and it’s been over 30 years now.
Somewhere there are pictures of John Lewis, dressed in his beige raincoat with the backpack he wore then, at ComicCon leading a bunch of kids on a march through the arena. Beautiful.
Zeecube
@grandmaBear: Sorry for your loss.
grandmaBear
Thanks to all for your condolences. It’s been a difficult week, but the BJ jackals are a comfort.
HeartlandLiberal
Yes, wife and I got to meet John Lewis on tour to promote his books with artist and writer. We grew up in Alabama at time of Civil Rights Movement, so Rep. Lewis and we held up the signing line while we reminisced and introduced ourselves. How wonderful to have shaken the hand of such a giant of a man.