central scrutinizer
central scrutinizer's JournalOne year anniversary
One year ago I invited a family of Ukrainian war refugees to share my house. Dad, mom, two middle school age sons and a five year old daughter. I don’t know if they were able to get any of their money out of Ukraine when they fled to Poland. I don’t pry into their personal life. My house is paid off so I don’t need or even want rent income. It would just complicate my taxes.
More people use more water and more electricity so the utility bills are a little larger. They qualified for food stamps and the Oregon health plan. We share cooking and cleaning duties. We respect each other’s boundaries and have built up mutual trust.
Both dad and mom are working and the kids are in school. Like most immigrants they work hard and are assets to the community.
I figure I have saved them at least $25,000 in rent and utilities at almost no cost to me. They have enriched my life.
Mobile Passport Control app
If you’re traveling internationally, this app is a godsend. It allows you to complete the customs and immigration questionnaires as soon as you land back in the US. We were returning from Japan and as we were taxiing to the terminal, we turned our phones back on, submitted the forms and were sent a QR code. There were hundreds in the regular passport control line but only three in the MPC line. They scan the QR code and your passport. We were done in five minutes.
New guidelines regarding eligible blood donors
I’m a regular Red Cross donor and received this update today:
Excerpt:
“Here’s what to know about the new FDA guidance:
All potential donors will see new non-gendered questions when they come to donate.
All potential donors, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will be asked the same questions and be assessed for blood donation eligibility based on individual risk factors.
The FDA’s previous blood donation eligibility criteria based on sexual orientation, which restricted sexually active gay and bisexual men from giving blood, has been eliminated.
We celebrate this significant progress that eliminates policies based on sexual orientation and moves to a more inclusive process that treats all donors with equality and respect while keeping the blood supply safe.”
More info on aiding Ukrainian refugees
I posted earlier about the Ukrainian family I’m hosting. Thank you all for your kind words. In a serendipitous convergence, there was a PSA on a local station today about a neighborhood support team starting. I’d never heard of this organization. This might be an option for people who want to help but don’t have the room or resources that I am fortunate to have.
https://www.welcomenst.org/
My house is full again
I was feeling guilty about having empty bedrooms when there is a housing crisis here. Not enough options and many are overpriced. I joined a home share website and one posting caught my attention.
A Ukrainian refugee family, mom, dad, two tweener sons and a four year old daughter, looking for housing. I had three vacant bedrooms. It’s tight but they’ve moved in. I love the new energy. My crotchety old cat isn’t too thrilled, though. She’s not getting her normal 22 hours of sleep.
They sent the kids to Italy for safety right after the Russian invasion and only recently got out themselves and came to the US. Their stories of living in an active war zone are sobering.
Talking Heads lyrics: “Sound of gunfire off in the distance, I’m getting used to it now… You should know not to stand by the window, someone will see you up there.” popped into my head.
Looking for jobs, checking the kids into local schools for the two months before summer vacation.
I’m charging them $50/month to pay for the added utilities (showers and laundry).They’ll need any money they have and can save so eventually they’ll have their own place. I hope they’ll feel comfortable enough to stay for at least the rest of the year because I have travel plans and finding reliable house sitters can be a challenge.
This hasn't aged well
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/01/politics/kevin-mccarthy-nancy-pelosi-gavel/index.htmlExcerpt:
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy joked at a Saturday night event that it “will be hard not to hit” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with the speaker’s gavel if Republicans take control of the chamber in the 2022 midterms and he becomes speaker.
“I want you to watch Nancy Pelosi hand me that gavel. It will be hard not to hit her with it,” McCarthy said in audio posted to Twitter by a Main Street Nashville reporter.
Add icicles to the cold weather warnings
Hate to be a buzzkill, but… Don’t let your kids lick icicles. Birds (and squirrels, raccoons, opossums, etc.) shit and pee on your roof, rain moves the shit slurry down to the eaves, where it can form into icicles. Ewwwww.
Stressed about last minute shopping?
For many years, our extended family has had stressless end of year gatherings. Nobody needs or wants more stuff so we put money (sliding scale) in a hat along with the name of a progressive nonprofit. Before we draw a name, anybody can make an impassioned plea for their nonprofit. Once we have reached consensus on a name, the money is bundled and sent. The only exception is hand crafted items like hats or scarves.
Boebert losing!
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-colorado-us-house-district-3.html50.9% Frisch
49.1% Boebert
86% counted
Bwah hah hah
Question about the timing of Biden's speech
At this point, primaries are over and many of the sane Republicans lost to MAGAts. Would it have been better to do this speech earlier in the year? Or would it have galvanized the cult even further and we’d still be in this same place?
Although Biden appealed by name to sane Republicans, the real audience must have been the independents, the undecideds, the apathetic, the both-parties-are-the-same crowd.
Hopefully, his timing, two months before the election, was spot on and will help with GOTV. Too many Americans have a notoriously short attention span.
Thoughts?
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