Hell no, Heather. You get your butt out here and write all night long. I purposely set the alarm to get up and read your stuff. Put that Dag gone kyack away and write.
Hee hee just kidding. I hope you toasted marshmallows on the open fire.
So, I would like to open up a friendly conversation - for once - did anyone enjoy a unique vacation; did anyone attend a wedding or special event; did anyone compete in an Iron Man Triathlon or cycling century; a baptism or a cook out on the deck. Did you just enjoy a relaxing weekend.......???
''The Maple Leaf War: When America Ran Out of Villains and Picked Canada''
America has defeated dictators, stared down nuclear superpowers, and spent decades warning the world about global threats.
So naturally, after an exhaustive search for the next great enemy, Washington has arrived at the obvious conclusion:
Canada.
Yes, Canada. The nation of maple syrup, hockey, polite apologies, and people who say “sorry” when you step on their foot has apparently become the latest threat to American greatness.
Forget hostile regimes with missiles. Forget cyberattacks. Forget climate disasters and a national debt larger than anyone can comfortably imagine.
The real danger is a truck crossing the northern border carrying Canadian lumber.
The battle plan is breathtaking in its strategic genius: announce tariffs, hold angry press conferences, and stare dramatically toward Ottawa as though Canada is secretly preparing an invasion force armed with hockey sticks and Tim Hortons coffee.
Somewhere, a Canadian official is probably sitting in a government office asking, “Wait, did we accidentally offend them by being too polite?”
This is the great irony of modern politics. When there are real problems demanding attention, the easiest solution is apparently to create a new villain. And if you cannot find one, simply look north.
The Maple Leaf War will be remembered as the moment America’s greatest military, economic, and diplomatic machine turned its attention toward the country most famous for apologizing.
History may not record who won this battle.
But it will remember who started it.
And somewhere in Canada, someone is probably writing the response:
Rest well. The well rested will be well tested. I used to think that only applied to kids in school preparing for aptitude tests. Now I believe it applies to the adults paying attention to the hellscape being created daily by this presidency. We are all being tested!
Imagine the possibilities for expression now open to you! We will deluge them with combinations of emojis that will confound them and befuddle them and bring them to their knees begging for mercy.
Thank you so much for that beautiful picture. My late husband went to a boys camp in Maine very often, Flying Moose Lodge on Craigie Pond. He canoed many rivers in Maine, and portaged, back when canoes were wood and very heavy. No electricity at that camp. We were sailors together and we sailed in Maine many times and so your picture reminds me so much of some of the lovely small harbors we would go into and spend wonderful evenings. And if we were lucky a lobster man would go by and come over when we waved at him and sell us two fresh lobsters right out of the water for not much money. Like heaven. Sleep well!
Hope you had a lovely time on the water. And yes, a break tonight is well deserved. Gratitude to you.
Wish we could all go kayaking with Heather. She is a national treasure. I wrote a song for her, inspired by her wisdom and bravery: https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/heather-cox-richardson-song-letters
Hey, You're good!!!!!!!
Love this song, PS! Thanks for reposting.
This is very good! Thank you for sharing your talent!
Hell no, Heather. You get your butt out here and write all night long. I purposely set the alarm to get up and read your stuff. Put that Dag gone kyack away and write.
Hee hee just kidding. I hope you toasted marshmallows on the open fire.
So, I would like to open up a friendly conversation - for once - did anyone enjoy a unique vacation; did anyone attend a wedding or special event; did anyone compete in an Iron Man Triathlon or cycling century; a baptism or a cook out on the deck. Did you just enjoy a relaxing weekend.......???
Still a good day for a relaxing satire...
''The Maple Leaf War: When America Ran Out of Villains and Picked Canada''
America has defeated dictators, stared down nuclear superpowers, and spent decades warning the world about global threats.
So naturally, after an exhaustive search for the next great enemy, Washington has arrived at the obvious conclusion:
Canada.
Yes, Canada. The nation of maple syrup, hockey, polite apologies, and people who say “sorry” when you step on their foot has apparently become the latest threat to American greatness.
Forget hostile regimes with missiles. Forget cyberattacks. Forget climate disasters and a national debt larger than anyone can comfortably imagine.
The real danger is a truck crossing the northern border carrying Canadian lumber.
The battle plan is breathtaking in its strategic genius: announce tariffs, hold angry press conferences, and stare dramatically toward Ottawa as though Canada is secretly preparing an invasion force armed with hockey sticks and Tim Hortons coffee.
Somewhere, a Canadian official is probably sitting in a government office asking, “Wait, did we accidentally offend them by being too polite?”
This is the great irony of modern politics. When there are real problems demanding attention, the easiest solution is apparently to create a new villain. And if you cannot find one, simply look north.
The Maple Leaf War will be remembered as the moment America’s greatest military, economic, and diplomatic machine turned its attention toward the country most famous for apologizing.
History may not record who won this battle.
But it will remember who started it.
And somewhere in Canada, someone is probably writing the response:
“We are sorry you feel this way.”
Amen
Breaks are a positive reaction to so much stress. Thx for a recess. Sleep tight.
I had a hunch Heather would call a break tonight! God knows she deserves one, as do we all. Peaceful kayaking and a good night's sleep to all....
Yes, a break "far from the maddening crowd" but, I can easily see; I see Professor Richardson's true worth.
Rest well. The well rested will be well tested. I used to think that only applied to kids in school preparing for aptitude tests. Now I believe it applies to the adults paying attention to the hellscape being created daily by this presidency. We are all being tested!
And Phil is objecting strenuously. (:) (That's meant to be a smile - where are the emojis on this thing?)
When in the comment field, right click and scroll to the top. 😉
Thans Bob Caster!
You are welcome. I live to be of some service, no matter how insignificant.
😌
I had no idea where the emogis were, always nice to have options! Thanks so much!
You are welcome.
As we are engaged in this battle, it is good to have command over all the tools on offer.
Go forth! Use them often and use them wisely. 😵💫
(Hey - it works! see below!)
Good!
Imagine the possibilities for expression now open to you! We will deluge them with combinations of emojis that will confound them and befuddle them and bring them to their knees begging for mercy.
🤩
Confound...befuddle... a whole new armory! Let them look to their kneecaps. ✌😎✨
🎯 .... on my Mac Air click on 'Edit' to get to the drop down menu: 'Emoji & Symbols' & other digital hieroglyphics.😉
Well, if I decide to move to Mac (increasingly likely, all things considered) I'll know what to do! Thanks!🥏(whoops, appears to be meaningless...)
A-L L, my Mac reports to me "sites-you-visit-often" such as NIH studies with more than 100 citations.
Design your own News-you-can-Use URLs.
Thank you so much for that beautiful picture. My late husband went to a boys camp in Maine very often, Flying Moose Lodge on Craigie Pond. He canoed many rivers in Maine, and portaged, back when canoes were wood and very heavy. No electricity at that camp. We were sailors together and we sailed in Maine many times and so your picture reminds me so much of some of the lovely small harbors we would go into and spend wonderful evenings. And if we were lucky a lobster man would go by and come over when we waved at him and sell us two fresh lobsters right out of the water for not much money. Like heaven. Sleep well!
That's lovely! Memories like that are worth resurrecting...thanks...Heather too!
Rest well, Heather and everyone!
Tomorrow back to resistance, protests, and persistence for democracy.
Thank you always, Heather!
Yes, indeed, we surely do. 🙏
Rest well, Dr. Richardson!
Appreciate you and your letters so very much! Thank you!!!
Thank you. Mother Earth is often so beautiful. We humans have work to do...
Yes. Just woke up 2 AM Monday, 8/24, to the UK's The Guardian warning headline:
"CDC reportedly expands scope of US cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states, including Arkansas and Missouri"
ALERT:
"Six (6) additional states caught up in investigation after Michigan reported first two (2) US deaths ☠️☠️ linked to the disease."
Thee is a point at which return-to-normalcy becomes a matter of life and death.
You deserve every break you take! Thank you for bringing some level of sanity and calm to this chaos.
yes, thank you for the photo and break
The photo is superb. Colour, depth, as seen from water-level. You can almost hear it.
You always works so hard and yet give us examples of taking breaks in nature to recharge, reset and replenish. Thank you so much!!!!
Sleep well, Heather.
Enjoy your peaceful time away from the chaos of the world.
Thank you, Heather. Enjoy your break.