If you’re buying pickles in the US this week, just know that Mt. Olive Pickle Company did humanity a solid and pulled out of the Trump fair bullshit when they learned that North Carolina’s booth had a confederate battle flag on it (which, incidentally, was never flown over North Carolina during the confederacy…).
And thus why so few of us are feeling it today.
Whereas, in 1976, I was standing on a stage with a mandolin in a large group of amateur actors and singing my heart out to an appreciative audience.
I hadn't been too excited about being drafted into the production, but once the momentum kicked in so did the feels. And there were tens of thousands like us all over the country.
Beat that Trump…
[fin]
Whereas here in 2026 I haven't heard about anything like that. I assume there are local celebrations and productions of some kind, but they aren't being publicized to the same extent. Instead the only thing anyone has heard about was an over-produced and under-attended 'National State Fair' where all the headliners are professionals. (And most of them pulled out.)
And, tellingly, the event itself was partially cancelled because of Climate Change! How ironic is that?
[contd]
My sister? Yeah, she was one of the headliners. Us 'orchestra' were on the playbill though, at the bottom.
It was actually a lot of fun and I enjoyed learning the music — although today I couldn't play you a note of the songs. Still it remains a good memory, even if I did get too drunk at the blow out after the last show.
Thing is? Compare and contrast today to then: In 1976 the government offered a large number of small grants for local celebrations; mostly by amateurs like us.
[contd]
And, just to make it harder, he wanted us to play on historical instruments where possible, although much of it was piano and guitar. Meaning I learned enough mandolin and banjo to be passable and my friend, who was actually quite a good musician, got to show off his ability with a number of instruments.
We were even on stage for two ensemble songs.
We started practicing in March and our first show was in late June. We did two shows a week through July, with decent attendance.
[contd]
It turned out he had written the musical himself and had gotten a grant to produce it locally. It was a fairly large production with every ex and current student he could round up, which told the history of the USA for the past 200 years.
And, yes, the 'orchestra' for this bloated production was two guys who's only experience was a failed rock and roll band and a piano player.
Aside from intros and outros the music was all actual historical songs. Which we proceeded to learn to play.
[contd]
I had been a member as well, ever since the day I was essentially drafted by the school drama teacher because I was there the day my sister joined three years before. So I knew everyone involved, including the teacher.
Anyway, my sister asked me to call the teacher in question, which I did. And he proceeded to draft me, and one of my friends who I had been in a band with, to be the 'orchestra' for a Bicentennial musical to be held at a community theater.
[contd]
Everyone is talking about the 1776 Bicentennial, mostly as a comparison to the shitshow happening in DC this day.
So, I guess I should tell my Bicentennial story…
I had just turned 19 and by the end of the year I would find myself suddenly in the Air Force. But right then I had no such inklings of the future, I was just a guy with his first apartment working a crap job and partying too much.
Then my sister contacted me. She was still in High School and a member of the Drama Club.
[contd]
Heh. Trump is worried about the commies. Buddy, you need to be worried about the middle aged, middle of the road folks like me who are becoming socialists by the hour in response to your nazi nonsense. We were raised on a steady diet of Freedom (TM), underdog stories, and DEI armies saving middle earth from an evil bastard hellbent on our destruction.
No. I agree with Baldur. You’ve misread the post and are being a dick about it to boot.
9. The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power – ?
The first episode of this Cinderella romance story wasn't very good. Bad writing, IMO, and the animation was only meh. But it's good enough to give it the three episode test and hope. I'd like to like it.
[fin]
7. Draw This, Then Die — 👍️️️
Loved the first episode of this slice-of-life about a neurodivergent kid who is saved by manga (especially a certain one which was cancelled after only one volume) and decides to become a manga artist. The kicker? Her pain-in-the-ass teacher is secretly the mangaka of that special manga.
8. Grow Up Show — 👍️️️
A girl raised in a circus, who hates circuses, is forced to join a circus because of her deadbeat dad. You know, that old story. I'm hopeful for this.
[contd]
6. Please Excuse My Younger Brothers — ?
Slice-of-life about a girl suddenly finding she has four step-brothers. I've read the manga and I know it turns into a romance between her and the oldest step-brother. Which would be more of a turn off, except (a) the comedy works well, (b) she does everything she can to deny her feelings, and (c) denying her feelings leads to more comedy.
My continuing to watch is entirely dependent on whether they can sustain the connection to the manga.
[contd]
4. The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System — ?
Battle-oriented power fantasy Isekai game world with status screens and ridiculously over-the-top animation by Gohands. Feeling this might not survive the three episode test.
5.The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects — 👍️️
This one gets a thumbs-up only because I read the manga and enjoyed it. It's a relatively simple fantasy story with a rather simple main character, but there are hidden depths exploring colonialism.
[contd]
2. The Cat and the Dragon — 👍️
Cute fantasy with cats and dragons, what's not to like?
3. Heroine? Saint? No, I'm an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! — 👍️
I've been reading the manga. This is sticking to it so far. It's an Isekai to a game world with a twist: The main character is refusing to go along with the program because she's a maid otaku and wants to clean and cook.
3. The Villiger of Level 999 — ?
Giving this power fantasy the three-episode test.
[contd]
RE: https://rustedneuron.com/@jackwilliambell/116836482435378333
A quick rundown on new Summer season #anime I've watched this week.
1. The World is Dancing — 👍
This looks to be one of the standout shows of the season.
My longer review quoted below:
[contd]
hmm.
a 55+ consulting firm in which nary a degree is allowed.
technology solutions delivered by the minds that took pattern to tech at the onset of optimization.
you know, the humans who understood why 'optimize or die' was the least and last worthwhile solve.
i bet you we'd fucking EAT.
more if they must be neurodivergent.
i'd fight that battle, you betcha.
win it, too. try me.
(calculating potentiality.... TBD) 🖖
#TIL about #ScribesAndMakers.
First time I've seen a hashtag game as a community in a trench coat, although I suppose there are many more.
They have a sort of blog.
> https://scribesandmakers.mataroa.blog/
I might follow because #writing and #making are my wheelhouse, but I'm not the kind of person who 'plays' hashtag games.
Weekly monitoring of 368 Finnish children through the first year of life found that those from families with dogs had fewer respiratory infections and required fewer courses of antibiotics. Three dog-associated bacterial genera explained 25% of the protective effect. Protection may also be provided by aspects of the dog-owning lifestyle.
Summary: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-early-dog-exposure-babies-infections.html
Original paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pai.70408
Programmer types following me: Does anyone have experience with Mojo?
I'm curious about it for a number of reasons and I like the syntax a lot: Just Pythonic enough to give you a head start, but doesn't slavishly copy #Python syntax. And it has metaprogramming. (Yay!) Although no macros. (Boo!)
If Mojo fulfills all promises this #C-coder might finally start using another language for systems projects.
NOTE: They push it for AI, but it's general use.