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So far it seems it is all women who are responding tonight in these first ten minutes. I just watched the PBS NOVA program title Picture a Scientist which is about discrimination of women in science. An excellent program I can relate to as a woman engineer (that is not an oxymoron) who graduated from M.I.T. For example, I was showing my M.I.T. class ring to a small group and one man said. "Oh, I didn't know spouses could have class rings." One think I love about M.I.T. is when the "Study on the Status of Women Faculty at MIT" was published by the female faculty with all the scientific rigid they put into their own fields it was acknowledged by the President of M.I.T., Chuck Vest, with the quote: 'I have always believed that contemporary gender discrimination within universities is part reality and part perception. True, but I now understand that reality is by far the greater part of the balance.' At M.I.T. you take the scientific evidence, acknowledge it and then act on it. When I was there the student population was about 6 or 8% women, now it is 46%.

One reason I found the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" so distasteful is that I didn't want to have to live through breaking the glass ceiling again. Been there, done that. I recommend the program even though ironically a major sponsor of NOVA is David Koch....

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Spot on, Cathy! Your prescient comment regarding "6 or 8% women in your undergraduate classes at MIT is reminiscent of the awe and wonder among us undergrads at the University of Minnesota's (then) Institute of Technology 60 years ago when the first female undergrad strolled into the engineering students' lunch room!

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I graduate in 1977 over 40 years ago. Although M.I.T. has had women students since 1870 when the daughter of a professor was allowed to enroll. They didn't allow her to pay tuition so they could kick her out if she was too disruptive to the male students. She was even given a separate lab to use.

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That saved the daughter from being disturbed by the "boisterous, attention grabbing" of the silly, inattentive boys!

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Here's an excerpt from Smithsonian Magazine on Ellen Swallow Richards: Richards was thrilled to be pursuing her research at MIT, but the university had a different perspective. In his biography of Richards, Ellen Swallow, Robert Clarke writes that Richards was an “experiment” that the school’s administrators were certain was going to fail. They accepted her in order to show that women weren’t cut out for higher learning, in order to maintain their all-male student body status. As one faculty meeting observer recorded: “she was put on trial for all women.” Richards was treated like a pariah and relegated to a solitary lab. Circumstances were daunting, but Richards made the space her own by carrying out her interest in chemistry, particularly as it applied to the home." ... A few silly inattentive boys were the least of her worries it would seem. She should be greatly admired for her resilience under such negative conditions. The arrogance of patriarchy! The "natural" order of things. YUCK!

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MIT now honors Dr Richards properly on campus. She's also prominent in the wall art of the Kendall/MIT subway station. Better late than never.

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Good to know.

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Yuck, yuck and yuck again. Stupidity is very resistant!

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Thank you.

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Apr 18, 2021
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How often have we all been part of a conversation where a woman makes an astute observation that is ignored. A few minutes later a man makes the exact same observation and is applauded for his insight. Maddening!

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I worked at MIT in the early 1980s. The stereotype of the student body was "few women, many weirdos." It even appeared in the Tech Talk campus paper.

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The thing that was neat about M.I.T. was it was OK to be different, even expected. It was fine I liked classical music and flew model airplanes. M.I.T. was the world tiddly winks champions for a number of years around the time I was there.

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Where's the woman super hero?

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You should try flying them nowadays - a whole different world.

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I just looked it up and looks very much the same since I flew Free Flight F1A gliders. When I was a teenager we went to the National Model Airplane Championships each year at a different Naval Air Station across the country. Great fun.

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Apr 18, 2021
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Thank you for this. Wonderful! I shared it with my daughter, Katherine, who was named after two of the strongest women I could think of - Katharine Hepburn and a friend of my mother's. I figured a little sympathetic magic

couldn't hurt! And boy, is she strong-willed and a proud geek, to boot.

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Looking forward to more poetry (and prose) from Gparis.

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WOW! May I share with my daughter?

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Apr 18, 2021
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Thank You!

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When I was an undergrad at the University of Minnesota in 1973, I thought about switching from Liberal arts to the College of Biological Sciences to pursue a degree in Wildlife Biology. The professor I talked to, who would have been my advisor, spent two hours giving me all kinds of reasons why Wildlife Biology was no place for a woman. Discouraged, I went home on the weekend and talked to my mom. She about blew a gasket. That was the only time I ever heard her swear - she was a science and math teacher but had wanted to be a scientist. She taught me a very valuable lesson that day. Be who you are - without her very strong support, I might have floundered for years about what to do but with her help, made a good choice for myself that served me well (journalism with a minor in biology)

Can’t imagine any student at the U of MN being denied access to a program based on gender these days. Especially not in IT or biological sciences. Thank God!

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That prof was a mere moth beside the bright flame of Jane Goodall.

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Of course, who among us is more than a moth when compared to the eminence of Jane Goodall?

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Dr Goodall is a larger than life figure, a world treasure, but has long diverged from research for the more pressing task of primate conservation. I met her once on the lecture circuit; the highlight is her speaking chimpanzee-speak.

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Cathy, I’m so glad you mentioned the PBS program Picture a Scientist... I found it to be an excellent program...the women scientists interviewed were eloquent and honest and their actions were brave and well researched... and not without risk.

My engineer daughter plans to live stream the program with her own daughter, a brilliant scientist who is a graduate of Brown University.

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Congratulations to your daughter and granddaughter on becoming engineers. Actually, they were already engineers who are now recognized as such by their degrees. My mind is definitely an engineer's mind. For a long time I thought I had a man's mind trapped in a woman's body. Fortunately, I got over it.

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Good Mom, Margaret--congratulations!

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I happened upon this program too last night. It is pretty "horrifying"! And what was it that was so "Great" about America, that we need to have it back? (Needless to say I have my suspicions!) I have learned and am learning (courtesy of HCR) "some" of the good things about US history, but the rest...? I look forward to learning.

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Did you know that Heather taught at M.I.T and was denied tenure? She went from there to UMass/Amherst until BC offered a tenured position. I'm sure people at M.I.T. are king their heads at the loss of such a fine historian.

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Actually, people don't go to M.I.T. to become historians so in a way maybe not getting tenure at M.I.T. put her in a better position for her career at BC. M.I.T. does value the arts and humanities and considers it important to a well educated person. They require you to have a concentration of study in one area of humanities in depth -- not just survey courses like most universities do. I was very proud of the Music professor I had had for chamber music (coaching a student string quartet) when he was recognized as an Institute Professor a few years ago recognizing his career in music as equivalent to the best science and engineering professors. Of the nine Nobel Laureates at MIT only one of them is an Institute Professor so he is in very rarefied company. That M.I.T. recognized the arts in this way made me love the place all the more.

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When I was in grad school at Harvard, I hung with a group of geeky, chess-playing scientists who **loved** classical music. They took me to my first performance at the Met in NYC (Parsifal). So memorable!

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No doubt there are relatively few history PHDs from MIT, but it's not the dept's fault. It has many distinguished historians.

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They sure should be.

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I am in awe Cathy. Though I tried, I never found the math side of my brain. My magic carpet was literature.

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I love Mark Twain's quote --"We are all ignorant, just on different subjects." Let's value our differences.

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A friend concludes emails with "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars."

[This comment was sent from stolen land]

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I like this quote especially from stolen land. Can't wait to see what a Native American Secretary of the Interior will be able to do over the next four years (or longer). Then, of course, there is "If you feel in a rut, quit digging."

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What type engineering Cathy ?

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Hi Diane! It was good meeting you and other folks on Heather's Herd yesterday.

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Thanks TPJ, nice to put faces to the names.

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I too watched the program and which coincided, time-wise, with my reading a NYTimes article that celebrated the 50th anniversary of “The Women Who Made NPR”. The rampant discrimination and harassment of women in the scientific community certainly mirrored that which occurred in many (if not most!) businesses and academic institutions. It was an uphill battle for so many women. I won’t go into some of the more disgusting things I experienced on the job. As an investment professional, I was often one of a few women in a meeting/seminar/conference. When I was pregnant with my first child in 1983 (which I concealed for 5 months-tough given the bouts of morning sickness!) I was “marched up” to

HR, where I was promptly told “no investment officer has ever done this to us before”.

As far as NOVA goes (I too note the irony of Koch sponsorship), I knew Paula Apsell socially years ago..... an incredibly down-to-earth bright lady who created and managed a media model of science programming that continues to inspire. Places that provide opportunities to women benefit greatly as does society. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_S._Apsell

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Yes, for years and years I would usually be the only woman in a meeting. Some of the men would act like I was the one having the unusual experience. I was rather amazed at the speech Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown on his thoughts as the experiences of a black man after George Floyd was killed. So much of that speech I could have substituted the word woman for black and given almost the same speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brQLhb_4fqs

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While some of my experiences as a woman align with CoS Brown's experiences they certainly don't equate to the horror of the life-threatening experiences in black lives. I do hope this is now the time we get democracy right and it is We the People, ALL of Us This Time most especially the right to life!

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Apr 18, 2021
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There are 8 black children who call me Grandma (I became part of their Dad’s lives 20 years ago when they arrived as teenage refugees). Their kids are now 1 yo to almost 10. After the age of 5, I stopped buying them hoodies. I wish that a life solution were that simple. I too have seen the change in people’s reactions as they have grown from cute babies to adorably funny, goof ball, interesting kids who burst my heart with joy and love. Their families are well aware of the racism they face because of the color of their skin and we have to talk about it. A completely different experience than when my biological (white) sons grew up. I lie awake at night worrying about their future.

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Black youth who are tall or large for their age are notably at risk, They have the experience and judgement of children, but the size of grownups, and are seen as menacing adults.

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That is just so sad. I can’t imagine living scared and fearing for ones life, just for being a certain color.

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Just read her bio. I think she was in high school with my husband who grew up in Marblehead, MA, and was 2 years older. We were married in Marblehead. Small world.

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My dad liked to say that there are three MA towns named after former gov Endicott Peabody: Endicott, Peabody and Marblehead.

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""Oh, I didn't know spouses could have class rings." How in the world did you stop yourself smacking the $hit out of him?

A dear friend went to Catholic school in Miami. Her guidance counselor (who should have been fired for malpractice), told her to go to a nice secretarial school. She was fascinated by the nascent computer era, graduating in 1965, and pursued that. At 25 she was head of data processing of one of Miami's largest hospitals. She went on to form her own company, in another state, and provided services to many SC businesses, but specializing in not-for-profit hospitals. So much for secretarial school!

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I worked as a secretary for a couple of years when my husband was studying for his Master's degree. I came home one day and told him my mind was rusting. He replied, "Well, why don't you go back to school and get an engineering degree?" I said "YES!!" and took a semester at UMass while he finished his Master's in Electrical Engineering and then transferred into MIT when he got a job in the Boston area. The rest is history. In the corporate world I always treated the secretaries with the respect they deserved. One time I took a manager - secretary team building course at my company. My secretary was late and so one of the other managers (all male except me, of course) asked me where my boss was. I didn't skip a beat and told him my secretary was running late but will be here soon and, yes, she is the boss. And, another story I was invited to speak to the Board of Directors of my Fortune 100 company (on three days notice over Easter weekend) and to have lunch with them since I was to speak right after lunch. So while waiting as they finished their morning session I was helping the CEO's administrative assistant get the lunch ready. My secretary had come in on Easter Sunday to help me prepare the presentation and find conversation topics for me for each Board member. That's when I found out how powerful an executive's assistant can be in terms of access to the manager they support. I always had great access to the CEO.

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Cathy, I certainly didn't mean to diss secretaries, having worked as one myself, as did my mother. I know how much work they accomplish behind the scenes and often unremarked!

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I understood that wasn't your intent. Think my message was around the value of respect for every person no matter what position they may be stuck in in our society. In my first round of college the choices for women were nursing or teaching. So, I started a degree in music education. It was awful. The only thing that was drilled into you was how to justify your job since music is one of the first things cut. Why did I want a job you had to justify all the time!? So I went into music performance and spent three summers in Aspen performing in the Aspen Music Festival. It was a Renaissance place -- beautiful and full of learning including some great musical moments.

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It is no surprise to me. A great many women relegated to the role of secretary ended up being the earlier programmers and developed many of the foremost computer languages. When computers first began to be introduced into the field I was in at the time (hydrogeology and land form), the software was developed and finetuned by a former secretary who became the lead on EPA's programming. The reason for this is because (wait for it) the men couldn't type, and the women weren't going to wait around, explain everything, and then wait for the guys to figure it out. I am SO happy to see those women being acknowledged. I was disgusted when little nerdy boys were dissing (and harassing women to keep them out of their sacred sanctuary). The switch from women to men was too fast to be coincidence: it was a concerted effort.

Along those lines, glad someone mentioned MIT. My granddaughter opted to take a gap year after college. We've known since she was wee that she would be an engineer of some sort, but she needed some sorting out time after high school. Spent her summer sort of interning and studying with a family friend who was an IT and also built computers. Then went to work in a small factory that is owned and run by an engineer.

Turned out to be a great decision. Pandemic hit. Her best friend had t be brought back from college. The factory, because of the way it is designed, needed only minor modifications to make it safe for workers. NO Covid cases there at all. And my granddaughter is learning more about on-hands engineering and systems while earning money for college AND establishing creds. She is aiming for computer science and I'd love to see her get into MIT. Yeah, I know, fussy grandma but it is exciting to watch. Ultimately, she (and access to financial aid) will decide.

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If you haven't watched the movie Hidden Figures I highly recommend it to all women engineers. Again it is intersectionality with black women having to deal with both sets of prejudice and the third that they had highly mathematical minds. Love it that it was the black women who took the initiative to learn how to program the new computer and were then 10 steps ahead of their white counterparts.

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Highly recommend "Hidden Figures" and intersectionality to all people!

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Yup. Saw it with my granddaughter.

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Apr 19, 2021
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That's the one that really pisses me off, because it happened to me.

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The women made history while the men expected them to count paperclips.

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Likewise, I'm nonplussed when I see that Koch or his foundation sponsored a NOVA or other PBS program.

But thank you for the thought provoking comment and the implied question - why were the bulk of the prompt comments from women?

The NYTimes article about Prof Richardson from a few months ago noted that the bulk of her Facebook and Substack subscribers and supporters are women.

It's a great thing.

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I think it's pretty cool that people like me "get it" also.

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Donating their way out of purgatory. It won't work.

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DO watch the documentary on Netflix "Coded Bias" - a fascinating and disturbing companion piece to "The Social Dilemma". It shows what happens to systems constructed by White males...

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Hey, hey, Cathy! Bill here. I am an officially certified “guy-type” man. But I don’t actually mind being included with all you women. It’s actually something of an honor.

But as to the issue of gender, my officially certified womanly wife will testify, I think, to my maleness. I don’t think I’ll be able to locate any pre-wife girl friends if the Boss...I mean, my wife, isn’t willing to back me up.

And so it goes...

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Please note that your comment was posted after mine. In the first ten minutes it was all women commenters so I was not inadvertently including you. Glad you don't mind.

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Well, if you insist on fact-stuff, and realityishness, and truthiness, and so forth and so on...

Love ya!

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Hey, I'm an M.I.T. tool! (a tool is M.I.T.s word for Geek or Nerd). Love ya too!

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Hi Cathy and Bill...and all! The expression is not so funny for a lady in English slang as it would at least put in question your gender!

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I just observed all female names in the early commenters, nothing more, nothing less, no innuendo, no question behind the statement, not questioning anyone's gender.

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But that such expressions have difficulty crossing linguistic and political borders. In 1974 i worked with the Canadian Olympic committee on behalf of their primary financial sponsors...for the youth olympics they were organizing. The committee's name... which to any Argentinian amongs us would have a particularly masculine connotation in the plural.

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I think my thoughts on this wouldn't be complete without telling my story of being personally discriminated against by the U.S. Navy. I mentioned flying model airplances each summer at the National Model Airplane Championships which were sponsored by the U.S. Navy as a recruitment setting for young naval aviators at a Naval Air Station around the country. One of the things they offered to the Juniors (under 16) and Seniors (under 21) if they won a first place was a day on a air craft carrier. The Navy would fly you down to Penescola right after the end of the NATS, take you out on an aircraft carrier the next day and fly you back to the nearest NAS to your home. My brother had done it and had a wonderful time. In 1968 I was a 19 year old Senior competitor. The first day Monday was the towline glider event with 7 rounds of flying. We were at the Olathe NAS in Kansas that year. It was a windy day but being from Kansas I knew very well how to fly in those conditions. I did very well. In fact, I had not only set the national record for the 6 foot wingspan towline glider event in the Senior age class, I had the top time over all 200 contestants of all ages in this event even beating a former World Champion. I was the 1968 National Model Glider Champion with a three foot silver perpetual trophy to put my name on in perpetuity and keep until passing it on to the next winner. That evening the had a talk by an astronaut I went to. I went up to a couple of Naval Officers and naïvely told them how thrilled I was to go on the carrier cruise. The two officers looked at me and said with an indulgent patronizing tone that you had to have won an event to qualify. When I had answered I already had they looked a little astounded. The next morning all the flyers that had been up around the station announcing the carrier cruise open to all Jr and Sr winners had been replaced by All Jr and Sr BOYS. I was uninvited. I still feel the Navy owes me a carrier cruise! A few years later they did start taking girls. ... I'm in a story telling mode so one more. A few weeks later my brother was competing in the US team selection and I volunteered to help out by timing flights. The Contest Director made me his Assistant in recognition of being the current National Champion. One guy saw that he was about to be assigned a young woman to time his flight went to the CD and complained. The CD replied, Ya, you'd be better of letting her fly it! Always loved that line.

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Disgraceful. You were dis-invited, Cathy, which is worse than uninvited.

I bet that some of those officers were part of the Navy's Tailhook Convention scandals, i.e. institutionalized harassment of female officers.

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You can't take people out of the context of their time. I think Navy men were still superstitious about having women on ships at all even in the late 1960s although it was changing.

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Guy-type guy here. Sorry to be late to the party. Do I get to catch up?

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Sure, Come on! I just ordered a t-shirt that says "Underestimate me; it will be fun" It was always fun to be underestimated by male colleagues when I was an engineering manager. It was nice because they would ignore me and then do a double take when I pulled whatever off.

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I suspect you and my friend, who is also a engineer, whose last Navy job was when she was OOD bringing the USS Missouri into dock in Long Beach harbor back in 1986, who used to wear a T-shirt "Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist" at TRW. Afte4r she retired early, she built her own Nieuport 17 (a World War I figher) and flies it when she isn't flying championship mountain soaring. I love being out socially with her, because in addition to all that, she gets "second glances" from those who don't know who/what they're dealing with.

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This is sort of like saying "I have black friends."

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How so? I heard TC say something complementary about a woman. Um, I have black friends, and the other day I was so impressed with something he'd accomplished against odds (in the political world, where everything you accomplish is against odds these days) that I had to point it out to other people, not only so they could see what is possible, but look who did it. I respect this man immensely and I admire the other men and women who worked with him to pull it off.

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I love your story Cathy! Thanks. You remind me of my kick-a** mechanical engineer daughter! Graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology. She is a math and physics wiz. Smart as hell and can hold her own. Her stories of work troubles are pretty much the same, but she she refuses to put up with that crap. She adds her people skills (my contribution) and just shows them what she can do! One extremely proud mama here!

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Cathy, I appreciated being part of Heather's Herd yesterday. Still not sure how you trained those cows to stand perfectly still in the background for so long.

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Way to go!

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Always

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😀

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In light of this film, a worthy new book for our children and/or grandchildren. As Rachelle Burks t-shirt meme shown in the film suggested, "Support your local girl gang."

"Real beauty is about being your authentic self and owning it. Kate T. Parker is a professional photographer who finds the real beauty in girls, capturing it for all the world to see in candid and arresting images." "Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves." https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761189130?tag=amigi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

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I love seeing young girls playing in Super Girl outfits!

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Indeed!

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Remember, Pope Leo X, one of the worst of the corrupt Renaissance popes, commissioned and paid for the Sistine Chapel.

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Many humans throughout history contributed much while having feet of clay.

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Thank you for the reminder. I just watched “Picture a Scientist”. As a woman in the financial industry, I found so many similarities to what the women in STEM have faced. The latest statistic of my profession is 84% men / 16% women. And shockingly, this stat has not changed in the last 30 years either.

The iceberg analogy reveals there is so much difficulty that women face under the surface in our society. I still wonder how a blubbering fool, a white male with a very public reputation of cheating in business and in life, could have won the 2016 Presidential election against a very accomplished woman with far fewer flaws.

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And, I can't understand how Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh wasn't withdrawn from consideration after his emotional blubbering "I like beer" in his confirmation hearing. No woman would have survived that kind of show of emotion in that setting!

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The fix was in for Brute Kavanaugh. There's almost nothing he could have said or done to derail his nomination. Well, maybe shooting someone on 5th Ave, but then Brute's not a New Yorker.

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I'll bet you were too much of a cultured and intelligent woman not to have kicked his teeth down his throat where they belonged. :-)

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Please know that today’s “useless” words are far outweighed by the thousands of words you’ve given us to put this complex world in perspective. We are lucky to receive your words.

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Thank you for “March”, Peter Ralston. I don't want to go backward a month, but still enjoy that close line holding up a lot washed garments. It's a touch of levity after a terrible week. Rest well Heather. In addition to the ups and downs of daily life, America is a heavy burden. I identify with your frustration. From the record of this week's activity, my life hasn't changed but it has. I feel more than frustration. The Chauvin trial and the deaths by guns, the agony of the families, in the streets and in our minds is a constant. We go about our lives with a shadow attached. It is the sorrow of America. We are in spring; there are the gifts of nature, of fellowship, faith and family and then there is America.

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It has been a very rough week. It ended at midnight; on to the next, hopefully better one.

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I can testify to the fact that the week has indeed ended; and it's on to...Morning, TPJ!!

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Morning, Lynell and morning, TPJ.

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AfterMorning, David's, as TPJ would say.

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Morning to David, Lynell, and . . . well, everyone!

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Ah, the triplets are well-ahead of me, today (most days actually). But I did attend Meeting this morning. Good early afternoon to all of you.

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I actually am a twin. Are you saying it's really quadruplets? It'd be nice having Lynell and David in the family.

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Lynell(VA by way of DC)just now

Yes, Everyone.

A few weeks ago, Coca Cola was in the spotlight not in a nice way. But that little jingle of theirs years ago (borrowed from the New Seekers) kept reverberating in my head...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IBqfqNhDqg

They were selling a wonderful idea as well as a product. (No smirking over the ad, fellas!)

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We'll see. It may be different for you than for me. To your spirit; may it travel.

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Good Morning, Lynell. You are a friend.

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I agree, Fern. This last week has left me with a heavy heart, filled with sorrow for those who have lost loved ones to the rampage of guns. Filled with fear at what the outcome of the Chauvin trial will bring. Ongoing frustrations at the people in this country who are anti-vaccination or anti-mask. And, to add to the week from hell, we had 3+ inches of snow on Friday. Some areas in the higher elevations got a foot+. Spring will be welcome when it finally arrives for good.

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So jealous! Snow! Shoveling is one of my favorite sports! When my grandmother was 92, she called my dad and said, "Put me in a home." And he said, "Why? You are still healthy and strong." She replied, from Buffalo, NY, "I can't shovel the snow over my shoulder anymore. Put me in a home." Which he did. Once settled in, she organized a parade of okd folks with canes and walkers to march through the facility every morning.

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Old not "okd" folks. Although that's a thought OK to be OLD!

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Nobody's old, just less young.

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We got our April snow last week - not as much as last years mid April (5-6 inches) but should be good now till May - got one of those last year too. I have to say, tho, this year was like a normal winter used to be - snow - very little rain/ice like we have gotten the past few years. I can live with winter snow - as long as there is actually a spring!

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P.S. She died at 101 after they told her she was too old for a new heart, or so the legend goes.

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Thanks for this feisty image MaryPat! It put a feisty smile on my face envisioning this!

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Wonderful story, MaryPat! Thank you. I love snow too, and wish the rain we are having here in Vermont was snow. Probably higher up in the mountains it is. The clouds will clear later and I hope I can get a peek to see if it is. (I live in the foothills of the Greens, with the lower Taconics cross valley.)

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Annie, we still have some snow. Near Morrisville. I bring our firewood in on a kid's plastic sled, and I was still able to use it yesterday. Not today, though.

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Sled is such a good idea. My house is on a hillside, and the barn is downhill (it originally was a carriage barn). So I have to use a cart, which needs repair right now. My arm & shoulder muscles are pretty buff.

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Beautiful country you live in!! One of my favorite trips was through the Green Mountains with my best friend!

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You can have the mid-April snow. No need to shovel as it was all gone by the next afternoon. We've been spared the usual snow dump that we can get during Jan/Feb. Wish I could post pics of shoveling I've had to do in the past when we might get 2 feet of snow in a 2-3 day period. That's when I knew it was time to move to a condo!

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That’s a great story, and one formidable and fabulous woman.

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Pam, As I lifted my head from sleep this morning, a single question stormed through. Has the Democratic Party, President Biden and a large group of Republicans done enough to expose the BIG LIE and the major players behind it, beginning with Trump? These traitors have poisoned our well. Retired Republicans, those who lost elections, Democrats, historians and regular folks report how dangerous it is out there. Damage and threats to Democratic society are part of our realty. Families, friends, co-workers and neighbors are angrily split, finished with one another. We are not addressing a fringe group or the disgruntled White working class. According to reliable data, Trump did not draw a large number of working class voters to the Republican Party. We are confronting Americans of all walks of life. They have been captured by the BIG LIE, White Supremacy and conspiracy theories. Can we just wait it out expecting this divide to wilt? Will the careful and needed moves by the Biden administration wear it down? I think Heather has been asking this question? Who are the American people now? I am afraid that just beneath the gunfire and tragic deaths, there may be much more heat ahead.

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It is and will be a problem and you are right, we've got to face it. "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled" (supposedly Mark Twain). While Vermont is a very progressive bubble I did see a sticker in the grocery store parking lot yesterday: " Hate America, Vote Democratic." This, by the way, is very rare here. I maintain connections with several rather pathetic right wingers that i knew as a youth in high school.(elsewhere) All of the hate material they put up are reposts. Whenever appropriate I chide them gently with 'You didn't write that did you Mike" They always apologize ..so far.

I think arrests, convictions, and opportunities to admit might be a hopeful path.

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It is indeed easier, because the foolers tell the fools what they want to hear, not what they need to know.

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Bruce, Thank you for this response. We both know that our society has not sufficiently confronted the threats to Democracy. You are living in a state least likely to rebel against democratic principles, in contrast, a model, perhaps, for other small states, such as New Hampshire. Nevertheless, you saw a sticker 'HATE AMERICA, VOTE DEMOCRATIC, planted prominently where grocery store customers could easily see it. Did you ask the store owner about it? I don't ask as a challenge to you but, generally, to ask why was it there?

Walls against Democracy have been built by Trump; The Republican Party; State Legislators; Social Media; The Donor Class; Fox News; extreme rightwing Radio; calls to Freedom and Individuality; Civil Society confronts Freedom of Speech; Gun Control Advocates face the Second Amendment (A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.) The forces against Democracy, equality, democratic institutions, Climate Change, governmental functions, health, safety, welfare, trust and truth are momentous. How do we dismantle the BIG LIE, without fail?

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Hi Fern. Here's a wild thought. What about letters to Romney? He was just 3.5 million votes shy of defeating Obama in 2012. He has already said "stop lying to the American people" (or words to that effect, about the election) This attack on democracy is not going away and it is poisonous and, frankly, treasonous. I have some trepidation about this idea as Romney could be a strong candidate in 2024 and, though courageous and moral, is still a Republican. Bit of history: when Vermont was solidly Republican, the party had two factions, progressive and conservative. Senator Aiken(R), the first national figure to oppose the war in Vietnam, was VERY progressive and never had to spend a dime on his campaigns.

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No one should have to spend a dime on their campaigns. Public financing is sorely needed.

Romney said "The best way we could show respect for the voters who are upset is by telling them the truth."

Sometimes I admire Romney, but then consider his voting record. Except for his symbolic votes in the two impeachment trials, it's pure GOP. He is a classic country-club Republican.

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A group of HCR Substackers has formed to turn great discussion into action, including how to write an effective letter. You can email heathersherd@gmail.com

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Bruce, I thought of Romney, too, but not with the focus you have suggested. I don't care that he is a Republican. I will act on your idea, sticking to the threat of the Big Lie. A petition to him as a strong appeal for the truth and the welfare of country might be considered. All of us would need to contact sources in order to galvanize these options. Thank you, Bruce.

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Fern, I fear the answer to your question about the BIG LIE is no, we have not exposed any of the lies and conspiracy theories that abound. And, I read a headline earlier today suggesting that there is less and less bipartisan support for an independent investigation into the Jan 6 insurrection. Most of all, I agree with you that "beneath the gunfire and tragic deaths, there may be much more heat ahead."

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Pam, you pointed to a story doubting that there will be an investigation of the 1/6 insurrection, which triggered more apprehension about where we may be headed. In peace and fortitude we will keep working for the good. I will take a long walk in the park soon. We look to sources of clarity and purpose from one another.

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Fern, walks are the best to relieve your mind from the chaos going on inside. I started walking more regularly when Covid hit, and I have found that looking around at what's in front of me takes my mind off the things that can be troubling. It's amazing what one can "see" if one takes the time to look. Enjoy your walk in the park.

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Yes, seeing, learning, taking well considered action and spirit, such as yours lighten the day. Thank you.

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So well said, Fern.

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So well said, Fern.

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Thank you, Professor Richardson for putting one foot before the other and continuing to move forward.

The paragraph you’ve shared this morning encapsulates a theme that runs through your Letters – that even when things seem darkest, there is hope.

And you saved this Ralston photo for such a day. A brilliant image of “getting on with it”.

All good your way.

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Well said. These were my thoughts too.

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I suppose April in Maine is about the same as March down here in Connecticut; confused.

We now have screaming yellow forsythia everywhere and maple blossoms are adding a pale green tint to the brown hills. Soon they will be covered in infinite hues of pale green growing darker and deeper every day. There are some gaps which one assumes to be the ash trees we have lost to that little bug. Mother Nature will fill in the gaps in her own way.

In the orchard the apricot trees are in full glorious bloom and the apple trees are close behind ready to burst into pale pink glory.

Happy Spring, HCR and to all who read and write on these pages.

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Thank you Ralph for painting such lovely images for my mind’s eye. Here in Florida spring makes a far more subtle entrance. First azaleas greet us followed by the intoxicating scent of orange blossoms.

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"Soon they will be covered in infinite hues of pale green growing darker and deeper every day" these few days go by so quickly and are so treasured. and thank you for the images!

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Sounds good, Ralph. NB, we can hear the forsythias screaming up here in the Boston area.

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Rest well and thank you for the perfect photograph. Air dried clothes, sheets and towels smell so good and save energy. I find it meditative pegging things on the line in the sunshine.

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These 119 words are quite beautiful and refreshing. Thank you, Heather.

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As is the picture, and the words provide a bonus.

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The words are quite a picture in and of themselves.

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"both" "and" Thanks for all your comments, too.

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I hope you’ve saved those “useless words.” I suspect you’ll find a very useful place for them in the coming days. Or, you could share them with “aspiring”—over several decades—writers like me to bolster our efforts to communicate via letters and words...and whatall. In any case, thank you for your sanity and clarity, and have a glorious day to yourself and your loved ones.

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"83 trips around the sun aboard this little blue marble." by Bill Willis, Writer, 4/13/2021 (recalled by a fan!)

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Thanks Ellie, that was very kind, very generous.

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Very memorably put, Bill. ThanxYerDaBest.

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Awwwww!

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Rough draft of immortal words

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my thoughts too Bill!!!

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Girrrll. Go to bed. Even the greatest warriors need to re-charge. Please Self-Care. I've had so many times that I've written something so heart-wrenchingly honest & authentic & bold & true only to discover that I somehow in my genius DELETED IT .... just go to bed. I say, for the rare night like this? Pour a dram of Scotch or Whiskey, turn off the lights, lock the door, & go to sleep. We'll all be here, problems-a-plenty, in the morning. :)

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It’s spring. A time of promise and discontent. Line dried clothes are a balm.

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If only everyone who can hang their clothes out, did so. The energy wasted on tumble driers is incredible - and hanging clothes out can be very therapeutic in these times of troubles (and you are helping, in a little way, to combat climate change).

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The fresh outdoor smell when putting them on is the best part, and as in the photo the ocean air is even better!

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And your Levi 501s don't shrink either. :)

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Au contraire, Bill; they shrink in the drawer. It can't be me getting larger . . . can it?

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I can buy two pair of 501s that I wear for special occasions with a tie, shirt, and jacket, and good boots. One pair is perfect and the pair is slightly snug. It is a what the heck, moment.

Buy a packet of 5 t-shirts with the one pocket so I can place my glasses in them. The dark blue and gray fit perfect and the light blue and red are snug. I know it is how they set of the machines to stitch the darn things in Vietnam or Philippines, etc.

I don't need tight shirts anymore. My muscles shifted.

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I'm not larger, but my shape has shifted somewhat.

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I'd forgotten - so many places prohibit the hanging (or airing) of laundry, on the grounds that "it makes the place look untidy, reduce property values " etc. Maybe a project would be to make the Body Corporates aware and responsible for associated CO2 emissions (from dryer use). Find a good environmental lawyer or two.

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I was just thinking about that. A homeowners association in Bend, OR fined a woman for putting a clothesline in her back yard. They had exactly the kind of ordinance you mentioned, Hugh. She moved the line into her garage, and left the door open so the clothes could dry in the breeze. They fined her for that too- drying clothes could not be visible. She took it to court, and there I lose the narrative, as that is when I moved to Colorado and lost track of Oregon for a few years. Personally, I can't imagine not having a clothesline. And now I live in Vermont, a place that would not look right without clotheslines.

The issue seems to derive mostly from homeowners associations, though some municipalities seem to have bought into the ridiculous idea that clothes lines are somehow unsightly. Definitely some class issues and just plain irrationality going on.

Just now did a search and to my surprise, this issue has not been resolved, though there may be an inadvertent "save" in federal law. Clotheslines, it turns out, are solar devices, and thus may be protected. Link below to article.

https://www.sightline.org/2012/07/09/legalizing-clotheslines/

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Thanks for that - and that's 2012 - wonder what the changes might be now. I still have memories of being in Palo Alto - the dryer was next to the washing machine, and it was blazing sun outside (and they had clotheslines - but didn't use them).

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That is weird about Palo Alto. I sometimes wonder about Californians. Some of them anyway.

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All the recent articles refer back to Bend- that is the iconic reference. Not much has changed, and there are actually MORE homeowner associations with this silly rule now. I apologize for not giving that context in my post, because that fact is the reason for my surprise. I picked that article to post because it gave the best overall summary in spite of its age. I did not do a deep search, but I did do a thorough search.

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I lived in Florida for a time, in a restricted community. Laundry lines and gardens were forbidden, but at some point the state(?) law changed, and these restrictions were removed, though I think the association was still allowed to specify that they could not be visible from the road. This HOA was always full of strife and pettiness. People moved away because of it.

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Even Lincoln worked on a rough draft of the Gettysburg Address.

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I suspect your muse realized it’s Saturday, when you usually simply post a lovely photograph. I also suspect your mind will figure out some use for those 3,000 words.

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Early in our courtship (1983) I visited my future wife in her apartment and noticed a magnet on her refrigerator. It said- “Any woman who wants to be equal to a man is not ambitious”. I guess I noticed that. Her father, a leader in the medical field and mentor to many women, taught his three daughters that the sky’s the limit. They’ve done quite well but have also encountered others who didn’t emulate their father’s example.

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It is such an incredible blessing to find your words at the end of the day - any words!

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Peter’s work is inspiring, what a keen vision - a reminder of the beauty and gentleness we can find in the world.

Betcha there’s something in those 3000 words, maybe their usefulness has yet to be discovered.

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A picture like that easily speaks at least 3,000 words. Thank you.

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