Mrs Whiggins

Awesome! Kristine Blazevica blazed right into the lead winning the 800 meters, the final pentathlon event! Women's Pentathlon 800m: Kristine Blazevica (1) 2:13.89 (908 pts) Overall Pentathlon result: Kristine Blazevica (1) (4430 pts) scoring 10 points for the Longhorn Team Score.

Blazevica is currently in second place overall with 3522 points in the pentathlon, seventeen points behind Angel Richmore of OU with just the 800m race to go. IIRC, Richmore used to run for SFA. Also: Women's 60m Hurdles (prelim): Emelia Chatfield (2) and Akala Garrett (5) both qualify for Saturday's final. Men's 60m Hurdles (prelim): Kendrick Smallwood (5) and Kody Blackwood (7) also qualify for Saturday's final, barring any unseen problems with the final result.

I am sitting here with my tongue rolling over my teeth wondering exactly what MTG is going to do with the word, "disgorgement" in her hot twitter take.

Blasphemer. It's Prefontaine, aka 'Pre." RIP to one of the greats.

Running events have begun as have some field events while the pentathlon and heptathlon are ongoing. The women's long jump results are being finalized but it appears that Blazevica placed second in that event, with just the 800m remaining. Men's Heptathlon High Jump: Brock Lewis (12) 1.81m/5' 11 3/4" (636 pts). Phillip Frank of OSU placed first--1.99/6' 6 1/4" (794 pts) Lewis has 2697 (-616) points overall and at the conclusion of today's Heptathlon events is in twelfth place. Overall leader is Grant Levesque of Houston with 3313 points.

Women's Pentathlon Shot Put: Kristine Blazevica (4) 12.91m/42' 4 1/4" (721 pts). Urte Bacianskaite of Kansas State placed first--15.42m/50' 7 1/4" (889 pts). Blazevica's point total is now 2623. The long jump is in progress so the overall standings are a bit messy right now. She will be in the top three most likely. **Right now she is 57 points behind Richmore of OU for the overall title.** Hook 'em!

It's also rather sad that the social media 'experts' are so blind to their perspective that they cannot conceive that a school might have a larger indigenous population (some of whom may be from several demographic categories). One of the teachers at my HS was elected chief after he retired from education. He was a good man.

Some results from the Big Twelve Indoor Champs meet thus far.... The pentathlon and heptathlon began this morning and several of those events have concluded. Women's Pentathlon 60m Hurdles: Kristine Blazevica (1) 8.42 (1035 pts). Blazevica was in Heat 5. High Jump: Kristine Blazevica (6) 1.71m/5' 7 1/4" (867 pts) Angel Richmore of OU placed first--1.80m/5' 10 3/4" (978 pts) Blazevica currently has 1902 points and is fourth overall. Men's Heptathlon 60m: Brock Lewis (12) 7.31 (775 pts) Grant Levesque of Houston placed first--6.70 (992 pts) Long Jump: Brock Lewis (9) 6.66m/21' 10 1/4" (734 pts). Grant Levesque of Houston placed first--7.03m/23' 0 3/4" (821 pts) Lewis totaled 1509 points after that event for eleventh place. Shot Put: Brock Lewis (11) 11.10/36' 5" (552 pts). Grant Levesque of Houston placed first--14.08m/46' 2 1/2" (733 pts) Lewis currently has 2061 points and is in twelfth place. The women's shot put results are not yet final, but it looks like Blazevica may be second (to Richmore of OU) in the overall pentathlon points when that event is concluded.

Well, it's like this. While some of the Ledge & Lanai dwellers were discussing the GOP plan regarding the systematic erosion of rights for specific demographics, the GOP was engaging in a very flashy campaign against drag queens, CRT, books, and whatnot. That rightfully got a lot of attention because it was a multi-pronged attack against various groups whose rights are endangered but it also deflected from some of the culture that has been hiding in plain sight, so to speak. Twenty (or more) Kids and Counting aired for seven years (but ultimately couldn't survive the Josh scandal); Sister Wives began over a decade ago and is still airing. So, yes, after the reproductive years are completed, women are supposed to continue caregiving for the babies, and step aside for whomever man has chosen as the replacement. Her sex life is done but he's got the little blue pill and God's blessing to continue because..... reasons. The Civil Rights Act really really got their underwear in a twist, every step forward from that to scratch and claw for equal protections and rights under the law just affirmed their belief that everything wrong with (their) world is due to these "others" not bending to their will (which is interpreted as God's will) and they've been slowly gaining steam. "It's bad when (insert other religion here) do it, but we are a Christian nation and when we do it, it's justified." Like Carville stated, this is a deeply held belief, and yes, the American version of religious extremism is going for broke.

Are we in agreement that the Dutch should be shunned?

Big Twelve Indoor Championships *Current athlete list, may change. Please pardon any unintentional mis-spellings. Friday Events List (Prelims & Finals; Pentathlon is just overall entry) WOMEN Pentathlon: Kristine Blazevica (Jr) Weight Throw: Kiana Lowery (Jr) Pole Vault: Kaeli Thompson (Sr) Mile (prelim): No Longhorn athlete listed 60m Hurdles (prelim): Akala Garrett (Fr), Emilia Chatfield (Jr) 60m (prelim): Kenondra Davis (Jr), Ackelia Smith (Jr) 600 yards (prelim): Mackenize Brown (Fr), Akala Garrett (Fr) 400m (prelim): Ziyah Holman (Sr), Dejanea Oakley (So), Lauren Lewis (Fr) 1000m (prelim): Amity Ebarb (Jr) 800m (prelim): Olivia Howell (Sr) Long Jump: Aaliyah Foster (Fr) , Ackelia Smith (Jr) 200m: Dejanea Oakley (So) , Kenondra Davis (Jr) 5000m (final): Eva Jess (So) DMR: Mackenize Brown, Emilia Chatfield, Amity Ebarb, Ziyah Holman MEN Heptathlon: Brock Lewis (Fr) 60m Hurdles (prelim): Kody Blackwood (So), Kendrick Smallwood (So) 60m (prelim): John Rutledge (Fr), Nolton Shelvin (Jr), Marcellus Moore (Sr) 600 yards (prelim): Cole Lindhorst (Jr), Elijah Mosley (Jr), Chris Brinkley (So) 400m (prelim): Brian Herrron (Jr), Logan Popelka (So) 1000m (prelim): Yusef Bizimana (Sr), Christopher Riley (Fr) 800m (prelim): Daniel Howells (Jr) Long Jump: Kelsey Daniel (Jr), Jathan Belaire (Sr), Leo Neugebauer (Sr), Solomon Washington (So) Weight Throw: Jeremiah Nubbe (So) Pole Vault: Connor Boenig (Jr) 200m (prelim): Marcellus Moore (Sr), John Rutledge (Fr), Nolton Shelvin (Jr) 5000m (final): Haftu Knight (Sr), Isaac Alonzo (So) DMR: Christopher Riley, Emmanuel Sgouros, Cole Lindhorst, Chris Brinkley Saturday Events (excluding finals that had Friday Prelims) WOMEN Shot Put: Kiana Lowery (Jr), Nina Ndubuisi (Fr), Chrystal Herpin (Jr), Marilyn Nwora (Sr) Triple Jump: Ackelia Smith (Jr) High Jump: Trinity Tomlinson (Jr) 3000m: Elizabeth Pickett (So), Haley Harper (Fr), Eva Jess (So), 4x400 Relay: Emelia Chatfield, Kenondra Davis, Amity Ebarb, Akala Garrett MEN Triple Jump: Solomon Washington (So), Jathan Belaire (Sr), Kelsey Daniel (Jr) Mile: No Longhorn athlete listed; this event had no prelim unlike the women's. Shot Put: Leo Neugebauer (Sr), Patrick Piperi (Sr) High Jump: Dylan Lineberger (So) 3000m: Emmanuel Sgouros (So), Haftu Knight (Sr), Isaac Alonzo (So) 4x400 Relay: Brian Herron, Elijah Mosley, Logan Popelka, Marcellus Moore

Perhaps because we are no more a monolithic group than any other. I can think of so many reasons why some women do not view it as 'against' other women as well as why some women do view it thusly and are fine with that. I could soap box on this for four paragraphs but perhaps not today. It's pretty sad but again, there will always be pushback when marginalized groups advocate for their rights and those who do not wish for certain groups to have agency will never stop trying to remove that agency.

I shouldn't have laughed but I did. On point. @YGIFS I wish I knew. As a random guess, seems that many women just don't pay enough attention; specifically to the long term consequences and outcomes of voting/not voting/supporting specific policies. You'd think they would, but if they're in the 'burbs, the insulation of 'well that won't affect me' takes root (until it does), or the inertia of actively confronting the discomfort of "I never vote Democrat" and/or "I'm X (insert some identity be it religious, single issue, monetary, subservient) therefore I vote GOP" is too much with whatever else they have going on in their lives. If they attend a church that has gone political, then it's heard from the pulpit. If they belong to a Mom's group, a PTO, a Yoga pod, etc then they have to go against them and the social ramifications if it is GOP leaning. I think it was @pyrohornIII or someone else that recently commented on how difficult and lonely it can be to swim upstream against the gerrymandered and small mindedness of Texas communities and I have to believe that exists in a lot of places, not just Texas and including ones where right leaning candidates are in the minority. For some, it spurs activism but others are going to go to the poll and vote how they vote. The word "feminist" has successfully been turned into a pejorative by those in power even though its meaning is simply that societies prioritize the male view/perspective and that women are treated unjustly in these types of societies and thus advocate for change. The wheel keeps on turning.

Shame that Marjorie's phone works; was kind of hoping that the outage would have provided some much needed calm to the cellular seas.

I've been fighting against the idea that all suburban women vote that way, but it's amazing how many women fret over the supposed grooming by people in drag costume reading books to their children but are blind to the numbers of ecclesiastical abuses perpetrated by youth pastors, camp counselors, and the church leaders who provide cover for the abusers and lack of oversight over any of the programs. The queen promoting literacy in a library surrounded by witnesses is around a child/children for thirty minutes only occasionally (if one even chooses to attend) but the youth pastor is spending every week with that child/teen sometimes multiple times a week. Parents are frequently elsewhere participating in other church events, or have dropped the child off at camp, or it's an after school program such as Young Life or something similar. Most of these children attend schools that are predominately higher SES and yet, the idea that immigrant=thug amongst their parents is endemic.

Embarrassment in what way exactly? Our allies have been quite supportive of the current administration whereas Putin has been determined to regain the independent republics that the former Soviet Union lost. Other authoritarian led countries have also been anxious because the WH no longer has the pay to play sign out. Economically, coming out of a global pandemic plus quite a few climate disasters, things are uncertain but still better than what was initially forecast what with several wars ongoing, rise of 'antidemocratic' rulers, and corporate greed and enshittification (SEE: the DT thread which says it all). Congress is not earning their salary at this point in time. Why are we not demanding that they do so? So much reform is possible with immigration, healthcare, employment (hello families?), and consumer protections from the monopolization of goods and services and bought politicians (thank you so much Citizens United and the reprobate majority justices) but now everything is performative, grifting nonsense that keeps those foreign authoritarian leaders and home grown oligarchs drooling over the spoils that are sure to come if we turn to the 'law and order' authoritarian leader on the home front. Because the law will bind many but only the foolish think they will emerge unscathed as being 'above the law,' should that come to be.

It's also why (before BSC Musk ruined twitter) the hashtag RepealTheNineteenth was trending for awhile. The same group(s) don't want women to vote. Here they turn chalices into swords and helmets and sell the blood of Christ by the bucketful; here Cross and Thorns are exchanged for shields and lances, and even Christ himself is losing patience. But if he ever dared to show his face, they'd send his blood spurting up to the stars, since here at Rome they sell his very hide, and all the paths of righteousness are barred. Everything old is new again, as @BevoAbyss points out. The above verse is part of a sonnet written by Michelangelo, irked at Pope Julius II and his war-like ways and the funds necessary to finance them. Some of today's Christians are no less martial, going to war against 'others' in the name of God and patriotism but Julius did have a redeeming feature: he was an ardent supporter of the arts (bullying the same Michelangelo to paint that wonderful ceiling) and education, something that is anathema to the modern religious crowd who would rather usher in a Dark Age instead of lighting a path towards peace and understanding.

Maybe not, but @PenelopeWitherspoon's travel posts on the coast were amazing. You realize you need to be blogging here either during or post trip so we can 'see' too.....

Big 12 Indoor Championships begin tomorrow in Lubbock. Start lists not yet available, but the meet will be airing both Friday (10 AM CST) and Saturday (11 AM CST) on Big12Now on ESPN+ for those that would like to watch w/o going to Lubbock. (If you do care to attend in person, tickets are $10 per day for general admission.) Per usual the pentathlon and heptathlon will open the meet Friday morning followed by running/field events in the afternoon going into the evening. @Rickylovesweed--the DMR final is the last event on Friday, women followed by men. BYU and Okla State have faster squad times for the DMR than Texas (men) currently, but w/o knowing who is running what, hard to say how that's going to go. Hopefully exciting; I enjoy a good relay. Once the start lists are out, I may try and post the Longhorns competing.

Yes, indeed. The taste is spectacular.

They are, but Alabama is playing the game of wait and see. (See if the country is still fifty states by the time the effects of the drain are felt). It's not like they could regress a whole lot farther, and it pains me to say that, even though I have no ties to the state. But once that human capital is born, to some--those humans are disposable.

Oh, I know. And you know I know. The dehumanization and 'othering' has been supercharged and empowered and with the Christopher Rufo et al types and the legal system/judges/talking heads leading the way, it is horrific the damage that has already been wrought and I fear the worst is yet to come.

These are all good points. However, indulge the red state males only women-hating club counter argument: 1. Brain drain--we didn't want all them ivory tower snotty people anyway. They're weird, actually read books, and can figure exact change even though they have a bank card. No one needs all them useless degrees that don't make money anyhow and critical thinking is only one step removed from critical race and that just leads to BLM and Antifa in our state. 2. The ability to take your talents to Georgia or California or Massachusetts--not Georgia, they're going to go right along with 'Bama just as soon as Marjorie figures out that in vitro is not a nutritional supplement and can lean on her state legislature to propose a bill. 3. If you're a woman who has an education and may consider possibly being something other than a baby-incubator, you're going to seriously think about locating your life and career elsewhere. Just stop right there. First off, no woman should be educated enough to where she can think seriously. We like that Afghan education policy but we're willing to extend it to a high school diploma if the gal doesn't get knocked up first. That's why we don't want women going to college anyway, then they can't leave because where the hell they gonna go with no education , all these kids that I don't really take care of, and no money? But if a guy decides he needs a new model and gets a divorce then she can go be poor like God intended; serves her right for only having girl babies when she knows sons are better and I wanted sons. What's that about genetics? Uppity female telling me how chromosomes work. Us alpha males don't need those Xs and Ys, we don't need the ABCs, we got deez..........nuts.

No. No. No.