The backlash is cranking up

I'm leaving tomorrow to my mother who is living with my brother in Texas. It will be a long weekend. I will return on Monday. I booked the trip several weeks ago. Since then it looks like one of the topics of discussion is how to handle Mom's care. And a memory facility is part of the discussion.

I've had Dad's cell phone since last summer. When it came time for renewal in December I paid for January, then never used it. I knew it would be useful, at least to call my brother from the airport, so I went to the renewal website. The site told me his phone is only 2G, which they're phasing out. I could get a free phone from them, but not before tomorrow. To verify if I am eligible for the free phone the site wanted the phone number and the end of the serial number. It then told me they don't match. So no phone this trip.

Beside, is it worth $10 to make a call I should be able to make from a pay phone for $1 (yeah, if I can find a pay phone)?

I pulled out my netbook computer, the one I use to check email while traveling. Apparently, I hadn't used it since August. I let it sit and update virus protection and such. After a while it sat at 100% cpu and 87% memory. I didn't have time to call the virus company to see what is wrong. So maybe I won't check email until I get back.



Lots of legislative activity:


Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed that state's Religious Freedom (license to discriminate) bill.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed that state's Religios Freedom bill. State Senator Mike Crane called for an override.

The North Carolina law to ban laws to protect LGB people and to ban trans people from bathrooms of their choice was signed last week. LGBT rights groups threatened a lawsuit and have now followed through by filing one. The suit says the law violates both the Constitution and Title IX. And Roy Cooper, the state Attorney General, has announced he will not defend the law in court.

The NBA awarded the 2017 All Star game to Charlotte and the NBA is now annoyed that North Carolina has passed that nasty law. Atlanta says we vetoed our law, so give the All Star game to us.

The Mississippi Senate approved a sweeping religious freedom law, likely the worst of the bunch. The vote was 31-17, along party lines. It goes back to the House for a procedural vote (the Senate had made it nastier by granting the state immunity from lawsuits), then on to the gov. We aren't holding our breath for a veto.

Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina tried damage control over his signature of the state's new anti-gay law. He says it isn't like the Indiana bill. Well, actually it is. He says criticism of the law is just "political theater." Nope. When you look like a woman but the law says you must use the mens room it is an invitation to be beaten. That isn't theater. That's our lives. He says NC hasn't lost any business. Well, not yet. But companies are talking. He says he's the victim of a "calculated smear campaign." Our reply: sorry, fresh out of tears.

And in Michigan a lawmaker is responding to the suggestions by the Department of Education by saying we need one of those license to discriminate bills too.