. The Northeast is again blanketed with wildfire smoke said to be extremely unhealthy to breathe. For the most part, I've been wearing a mask when having to run out for an errand, and not spending any unnecessary time outdoors, though yesterday I joined a friend for lunch and we were enjoying each other's company so much that as we walked out, I suggested we go for a walk, and so we did, with her dogs. We were in woods with a lot of shade, so I'm hoping the dense canopy above us helped to filter that dirty air. It smelled fine to me, but then, small particulate matter doesn't need to smell to be harmfull.
My self-enforced don't go out routine here is reminding me of what it felt like to be cooped up during Covid. Very isolating.
The day we went for lunch was the ONE day local forecasters said we would have a day of clean air, but the National Weather Service issued another unhealthy air warning at 3:30 pm that day, to extend through Sunday, and we were out walking from around 5-6:30 pm. Oh well. The cheesecake dessert was the best part of the meal.
I successfully switched my Medigap policy carrier from Cigna (aka, HealthSpring) to Aetna (aka, FirstHealth). I was facing a rate hike from Cigna starting next month and since the coverage provided is by law identical for every Medigap Plan N (or whatever plan you have), it made sense to switch, and I'll be paying a few dollars less each month than what I'm paying Cigna now even BEFORE their rate hike becomes effective.
My back door(s) replacement project will take place next week. I'm not at all looking forward to the process, since it took them 5 hours to do the front door last year, the entryway was mostly open during that time, letting bugs in, and no use running the AC then, so it could be really uncomfortable. And I don't relish having them tromp around, in and out, through other rooms. It is what it is. I told them to come as early in the am as possible, because by noon, the back patio, where the doors are, really bakes. It's in the shade before then.
The back patio...I have an umbrella for that table but must've taken it down for a rainstorm when I took the photo.
Like many communities across my state and the US, my town is having a big debate over the use of Flock cameras. Most people are against them because unlike normal traffic enforcement cameras already operating at key intersections, the data collected is not quickly erased but possibly shared with other law enforcement agencies, like ICE. Some towns here got them, then backed out after the outcry.
July 19th, 2026 at 04:06 pm 1784477189
Yeah, it certainly doesn’t feel good to be too isolated. Even though I am mostly a homebody that is trying to stay frugal, I admit it can also be a bit of a challenge, especially in this summer heat, to find ways to get out and do something without spending too much money, and not get baked by the sun at the same time. This one is still a work in progress for me….
Your back patio looks amazing! It must have taken a lot of work to get it to looking like that, eh?
Ah yes, FLOCKs are indeed highly controversial. Technically, I’m not against traffic cameras in public spaces. There are legitimate uses for them that helps in a lot of circumstances that can help track missing persons (or suspects), monitoring safe traffic, and even helping to solve crimes.
That said though, I disagree with this current iteration. The AI used in these new cameras are flawed, and can create false positives. As such, innocent people are being charged for crimes they did not commit, and the way the system is currently set up, it’s on the people to have to waste their own time and money to come forth and defend themselves. Granted, infractions typically require a highly simplified procedure relative to cost, so I get that, but I say please either stop using AI, or have humans double check all the hits made by the AI. Actually, all charges should all be reviewed by humans anyway, regardless of AI, but I’ll bet they were skipping this part as part of their cost-cutting.
As for information-sharing amongst all the law enforcement agencies… well, this part has been standard practice since 9/11. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing per se, as the information-sharing makes it harder for bad guys to elude capture. The problem right now has to do with agencies like ICE that has decided they will now hire anybody with a pulse and a slight penchant for white supremacy. And then, Trump has decided ICE is also his own personal do-all Gestapo, ranging from stomping on anyone who dares to speak up against him (such as blue cities and states) to, what, running metal detectors at airports like the TSA? Absolute misuse of a Federal agency for his own personal benefit.
Unfortunately, most in these agencies are also Trump supporters… if only because they will support anyone who will basically support them, and that’s usually the extent of their logic. It’s crazy but, as capable as they are or can be in their related field, unfortunately, being well-informed in matters of PolySci isn’t part of the hiring requirement…. Some don’t even have college degrees, and it’s OK, but it’s also hard to talk to these guys sometimes. It’s actually a small part of the reason why I left, because the environment is just full of ignorant, politically toxic people who have no idea that they are agreeing to a leadership that is so willing to trample on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and most definitely don’t forget the Bill of Rights! Literally everything that made America actually great, and everything that the Founding Fathers risked their lives to create, is getting trampled by Trump and his supporters in a bid for personal power and profit.
Uh, but I digress. My point is, for what it’s worth, the information-sharing is an understandable concern, but to fix the real root of the problem means to fix agencies with lax or corrupted standards, like ICE. And that means getting rid of corrupt yes-men that is currently installed in the top leadership positions. That means getting rid of the guy who appointed them in the first place, which is Trump. But THAT means convincing the rest of the 28% of Americans who somehow still support Trump for some insane reason, that supporting him is sheer madness and is completely UnAmerican. And yet, right now, that’s the reality we live in.
Oh and nice random cucumber picture by the way haha.