12.10.2025 – restore decorum

restore decorum
professionalism, changing …
its standard typeface

From the United States Department of State Offical as quoted in the article, Font of ‘wasteful’ diversity: Trump’s state department orders return to Times New Roman credited to Reuters that states:

But a state department cable dated 9 December sent to all US diplomatic posts said that typography shapes the professionalism of an official document and Calibri is informal compared to serif typefaces.

“To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface,” the cable said.

“This formatting standard aligns with the President’s One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations directive, underscoring the Department’s responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications,” it added.

The change to Calibri in 2023 was recommended by diversity and disability groups in the US government, according to US media reports. Some studies have suggested that sans-serif fonts, such as Calibri, are easier to read for those with certain visual disabilities.

A friend recently posted a screed by someone who listed all of the reasons that someone should not support the current administration and that feller in the Oval Office.

At the end, though, this someone said despite on in spite of all those reasons, this someone whole heartedly and devotedly, supported that feller in the Oval Office because this someone felt that, finally, the feller in the Oval Office ‘fought for the someone’s in this world.‘

For myself, I find it difficult to identify with any of the fights that feller is having but there you are.

That fight, I guess, includes the efforts to restore decorum and professionalism to the Department’s written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program, the Department by returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface.

This formatting standard aligns with the President’s One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations directive, underscoring the Department’s responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications.

I am reminded of the line from My Cousin Vinny where Lisa comments on deer hunting while Vinny is concerned about what pants to wear. Lisa says:

Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water… BAM! A fuckin bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you give a fuck what kind of pants the son of a bitch who shot you was wearing?

Imagine you are the leader of a country.

And you get a cable from the United States Department of State.

Maybe its a birthday greeting?

Maybe its a list of problems?

Maybe its a declaration of war?

Now I ask you?

Would that leader care what font was used?

Fighting for me?

I had no problem with Calibri.

But while you were out the room, I lost my mind trying to deal with this.

12.8.2025 – was pretty busy

was pretty busy
yesterday didn’t follow
lot of the news

Last week, a reporter asked Johnson about one of the bigger scandals since Trump again took office. The Washington Post reported that a military commander, following a directive from the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ordered a follow-up strike to kill survivors of a US attack on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, which, according to some lawmakers, potentially constituted a war crime.

In this rare case, even some Republican lawmakers raised concerns about the incident. Leaders of the House and Senate armed services committees said they would conduct “rigorous oversight” to determine what happened.

Meanwhile, Johnson’s response was: “I’m not going to prejudge any of that. I was pretty busy yesterday. I didn’t follow a lot of the news.”

From the article, Ignorance is BS: speaker’s stock answer on Trump’s misdeeds is ‘I don’t know’ by Eric Berger.

12.6.2025 – the happiness he

the happiness he
gives, is quite as great, as if
it cost a fortune

When the clock struck eleven, this domestic ball broke up. Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig took their stations, one on either side the door, and shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas. When everybody had retired but the two “Prentices, they did the same to them; and thus the cheerful voices died away, and the lads were left to their beds: which were under a counter in the back shop.

During the whole of this time, Scrooge had acted like a man out of his wits. His heart and soul were in the scene, and with his former self. He corroborated everything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything, and underwent the strangest agitation. It was not until now, when the bright faces of his former self and Dick were turned from them, that he remembered the Ghost, and became conscious that it was looking full upon him, while the light upon its head burnt very clear.

“A small matter,” said the Ghost, “to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.”

“Small!” echoed Scrooge.

The Spirit signed to him to listen to the two apprentices who were pouring out their hearts in praise of Fezziwig; and when he had done so, said,

“Why! Is it not? He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money—three or four, perhaps. Is that so much that he deserves this praise?”

“It isn’t that,” said Scrooge; heated by the remark and speaking unconsciously like his former—not his latter—self. “It isn’t that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome: a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ’em up—what then? The happiness he gives, is quite as great, as if it cost a fortune.”

A Christmas Carol in Prose : Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.

Autograph manuscript signed, December 1843 from the JP Morgan Library.

12.5.2025 – does the grain of sand

does the grain of sand
know it is a grain of sand
in any order

Does the grain of sand
know it is a grain of sand?
Will secrets fly out of me
when I break open?
Are the stars standing
in any order?
Is supplication
useful?
Exactly.

Riprap #8 as published in The Leaf and Cloud by Mary Oliver (Da Capo: New York, 2000)

In the fly leaf to the copy of The Leaf and Cloud that I have is written:

AN ASTONISHING book-length poem in seven parts from the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award With piercing clarity and craftsmanship, Mary Oliver has fashioned this unforgettable poem of questioning and discovery, about what is observable and what is not, about what passes and what persists.

Questioning and discovery.

About what is observable and what is not.

About what passes and what persists.

My regular readers know how I love to brag that when I am in the office, I get to spend my lunch hour walking the beach on the Atlantic Coast of South Carolina.

I take a sandy path through a salt marsh and then beach grass to the waters edge.

Its the same every day.

It is different every day.

It passes.

It persists.

It is observable.

It is unseen.

Does the grain of sand know it is a grain of sand?

Are the stars standing in any order?

Is supplication useful?

Observable or unseen?

There is a story told that back in World War 2, at one of the summit meetings of President Franklin Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Marshall Josef Staling, Mr. Churchill mention that the point of view of the Pope should be considered on some point.

Mr. Stalin famously rebuked Mr. Churchill, saying something like, “The Pope, how many divisions does he have?”

Most historical accounts stop there.

But some do include Mr. Churchill’s response.

He said, “Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

Are the stars standing in any order?

Is supplication useful?

Observable or unseen?

EXACTLY!

12.4.2025 – but what is it then

but what is it then
that is here, here in this world,
and … and yet not here?

But what is it then that sits in my heart,
that breathes so quietly, and without lungs—
that is here, here in this world, and yet not here?

Book of Time #7 as published in The Leaf and Cloud by Mary Oliver (Da Capo: New York, 2000)

Park road at Sunset on Pinckney Island, November 2025

The sunset is within 30 days of its lowest point on the horizon and it’s just before 5pm.

The sun shine off to one side and the road curves away.

Here and not yet here.

There is a silence that breathes so quietly and without lungs.

The park closes at 5 p.m.

Well.

The park closes at sunset and today, that is 5 p.m.

The park closes at sunset and the park closes at 5 p.m. both are correct.

They say that the gates will open when you approach from the park side after hours.

But have never wanted to test out this theory.

As the Sheriff in Fort Myers, Florida said about crime after Hurricane Helene, “We have a very active natural night life that discourages after hours looting.”

Time to go.