Real headline, major paper:
Okay — I can believe Santos didn’t perform “45 minutes ago.” But on his way to Congress, it was one long costume performance, and a total drag. I can’t wait to see his version of the Orange Jump Suit Perp Walk Two-Step. (Now, how do you say that in Portugese?)
Need directions to Gilead? Easy: march past the offices of the Federalist Society, and turn right; ignore Constitution Avenue, then turn far right, and wave at the RNC offices. When you get to the Main Court plaza, mask up against the rotten stench, and turn extreme right; it’s the only way to go.
Washington Post:
An “Amicus” Limerick:
Well the Supremos just can’t find their leaker,
Like the House couldn’t find a real Speaker.
Who’ll be next — Sam or Ginny?
—To spill us the real skinny,
Making life on their bench even bleaker?
But outside the Beltway, down here in Flyover Country we too had our share of excitement:
Boone county NC police received several calls about a man who was erratically driving a John Deere tractor.
Ronnie Hicks, 43, was driving the stolen tractor in a parking lot, attempting to hit pedestrians and several vehicles, police said.
When officers attempted to stop Hicks, he drove the tractor down US Highway 421 south, leading police down several interstates and highways.
The pursuit reached blistering speeds of 20mph (32 km/h), according to the Watauga Online.
Soon other police vehicles joined in, with Watauga sheriff’s deputies and North Carolina state highway patrol troopers assisting Boone police in chasing down Hicks.
At one point, tire deflation devices were deployed in an attempt to stop Hicks, but “were not terribly effective on the tractor”, said LeBeau, blowing out the tractor’s front tires but failing to stop him.
Along the way, Hicks struck a Boone county police car, a dumpster, a church and several vehicles, though no injuries were sustained.
Eventually he pulled into a private drive, abandoned the stolen tractor, fled on foot, turned, brandished a knife, was Tased by officers and arrested.
Videos of the pursuit were posted across social media. “How many Units does it take to track a Deere?” asked one Facebook user. . . .
Hicks, whom police said they were “very familiar with”, was arrested on several charges including reckless driving and driving while impaired
And finally, do I repeat myself? Very well, as Walt Whitman wrote, I repeat myself:
Chuck, do you ever sleep? From Crosby to Santos to a Boone parking lot tractor crisis to Zora Neale Hurston to… all the seemingly unrelated mentions in your Letters of recent days to the not so subtle insistence that every bit of what interests you and compels you to write is life, LIFE, and therefore worth pondering and giving us (me) the chance to ponder too… .
Just writing that incomplete sentence wore me out, but maybe within it you can see that I’m grateful for A Friendly Letter and your calling such bits and pieces of life to my attention.
But you ought to sleep occasionally!
Hi Judith,
Actually I sleep a fair amount, especially naps. But I’m still curious and rummage through the news & a lot of other stuff (e.g., Annie Dillard, who is not “news” right now that I know of, but still compelling to me). And I like “offbeat” items, like the Great Carolina Tractor Chase, or a Supreme Court leaker limerick. . . . If it makes me smile or my jaw drops, then why not share it? And then those like David Crosby, whose voice still echoes thru the lives of many of us, numerous warts & all . . . .