I know it will be SHOCKING, SHOCKING I tell you, that one can dither about and waste a LOT of time sitting in front of a screen. It is such a temptation to join in amazement of POTUS and the amazing things he says, thinks and does.

For example, on NPR today there was a segment on the amount of money his company makes from the hotel in D.C. with his name on it. And the hope that being in his building will help curry favor for their project or need. An ongoing investigation will reveal how severely his colleagues will deem this blatant conflict of interest.

Louise Mensch, " a former Conservative Party Member of Parliament" has "publicly accused the President of the United States Donald Trump of engaging in sexual acts with victims of human trafficking."

http://londonwebnews.com/2017/08/06/a-former-british-politician-has-made-very-serious-allegations-against-trump-this-could-damage-trump-or-damage-the-accuser/

Our infrastructure is decaying, on but money is earmarked for a behemoth wall despite enormous environmental problems.

Two NPR commentators took the test for a refugee to get on the list to be admitted. Of the score of 30 apparently having a Nobel Prize adds big points. The woman's master's in an appropriate topic for what she is doing gave her no points at all. She would not get on the list.

And there's always "Ways to Tell if Your President Is a Dictator Just because the United States is a democracy now, it doesn’t mean it will stay that way." (VOICE10 Ways to Tell if Your President Is a DictatorJust because the United States is a democracy now, it doesn’t mean it will stay that way.)

The election of such a supremely unqualified person boggles the mind. After only a few months it is amazing that so many days can produce these sorts of scandalous articles.

On the other end of this seesaw is seeing a video of a beloved house pig, much bigger than expected, prompting a move to the country so the pig, Ester, can have a better lifestyle. There are pictures of her with a coat in the snow, listening to a bedtime story...(typing Esther the Wonder Pig will bring up articles).

There's also a story about a decade long study in which residents of a small African town are being given $22 a month for twelve years to study the effect on poverty. One father is saving so his children will be able to go to high school. One small girl isn't crying all the time because shes is hungry. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/08/07/541609649/how-to-fix-poverty-why-not-just-give-people-money

Pictures of sunsets, little kids going back to school, recipes, art pieces, invitations, an astounding piece of architecture (https://www.trendfrenzy.net/reading-between-the-lines-church/)

and a section on the extraordinary strength of Mayor Barry in speaking publicly about her recent loss are all ours for the reading.

You see, I was going to just sit here a moment and then get up and sort and finish listening to the Paula Poundstone (overdue at the library, of course!).

I mentioned this to a woman (online of course) and she admitted she liked PP, too. This brought me to state that I am dismayed by the language she seems to use in front of her children. When I dropped the girls off at East and was leaving the sound blaring from the window next car over was "Motherfucker." I have known this word for a long time, but it is not something I would intentionally say in front of a young person, and I shudder when mothers use this or other similar words to their small children. In the past these words had mystery and weight. My list has been longer...my mother found "belly," and "pop." (as in soda) vulgar.

That's where my evening (and all the plans I MEANT to get to) have gone. And the almost worst part...there's that much more tomorrow...this is what addictions are like, I'm sure. BUT THE worst part is that I used to only be addicted to NPR and now I've taken on computer screens, too. Maybe as smokers use hypnosis I could, too, not be sucked in as the Sirens were in Greek mythology.

So, I'm off to play my two Solitaire games (you know when I have already admitted two addictions that I'm not going to stop at two card games). It is 12:45 a.m. My sitter is tired. Good night.