Drive-By

Youth Movement

No Kings protestors are getting younger and younger.

Vote Yes

I think it is important that voters understand the limits this referendum proposal would set for redrawing congressional districts. I’ve added the italicized bits to emphasize what I believe are the sensible limits. Yes, it’s partisan gerrymandering, but only for a limited time and, importantly, in response to the same GOP gerrymandering in other states.

"The proposed amendment would give the General Assembly the authority to redraw one or more of Virginia's congressional districts before 2031 in limited circumstances. In the event that another state redraws its own congressional districts before 2031, without being ordered by a court to do so, the General Assembly would then be able to redraw Virginia's congressional districts. The General Assembly's power to do so would continue until October 31, 2030, and the Virginia Redistricting Commission would reassume the responsibility of drawing the congressional districts in 2031.

The proposed district map has been approved by the General Assembly and would take effect only if the constitutional amendment is approved by the voters.

A "yes" vote would allow the General Assembly to redraw Virginia's congressional districts, since other states have done so, in addition to giving effect to the proposed district map in time for the 2026 Congressional elections, and return the responsibility of drawing the congressional districts in 2031 to the Virginia Redistricting Commission." -- Virginia Department of Elections

Kool-Aid

 

Yass

Resist, Persist, Fight for Justice

ALT+RIGHT+DEL

Speak Up, Speak Out

No Kings protest in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Organize

Organize: to form into a coherent unity or functioning whole : INTEGRATE.

No Kings III

Just back from the #NoKings protest here in the cradle of our democracy. Lots of energy! Lots of talk about the current referendum, people encouraging people to #VoteYes.

I'm as committed to ending gerrymandering as anyone else, but I will still vote yes in Virginia's referendum. If I were to vote no and Democrats were to lose the midterms, I would forever regret that decision. #NoKings #VirginiaRedistricting

Crim Dell

"The Crim Dell bridge is a wooden bridge on the College of William & Mary’s campus in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, and is considered one of the College's most visually appealing elements. Crim Dell is the pond that the bridge crosses, but the bridge is commonly referred to as Crim Dell." -- Wikipedia

Cross Path Road

I know that visually this probably is not the most interesting photo. I was just curious about the street's name as it--ahem--crosses the Norwottuck Rail Trail in Hadley, Massachusetts. I mean, it's pretty straightforward as street names go. Sort of like Main Street or High Street. There's a street near me called Center Street, which I suppose got it's name from the fact that it runs smack dab down the "center" of a subdivision, even though it is--if I might say so--rather tangential to everything else around it, now that I think about it. 

What about the street names near you? Got any zingers? :-)

Corpus Clock

This last image from England was taken just moments before I hopped into an Uber ride after dinner at King's College: 

"The Corpus Clock, also known as the Grasshopper clock, is a large sculptural clock at street level on the outside of the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, at the junction of Bene't Street and Trumpington Street, looking out over King's Parade. It was conceived and funded by John C. Taylor, an old member of the college.

It was officially unveiled to the public on 19 September 2008 by Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking. The clock was named one of Time's Best Inventions of 2008." -- Wikipedia

Great St. Mary's

From the post office in Cambridge, it was on to Great St. Mary's (aka University Church) for yet another rehearsal.and final concert.

"In addition to being a parish church in the Diocese of Ely, it is the university church for the University of Cambridge. As such it has a role in the university's legislation. For example, university officers must live within 20 miles of Great St Mary's and undergraduates within three. The church also hosts the 'University Sermons' and houses the University Organ and the University Clock. The latter chimes the 'Cambridge Quarters' which were later used by the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament ('Big Ben')." -- Wikipedia 

Boots

 

 

Boots is essentially the Walgreens of England. I found this one in Cambridge. I was particularly curious about these automated checkout counters.

Chapel Notices

It really was an unexpected privilege to be able to visit the Jesus College Chapel on my own in advance of the choir's engagement for evensong. According to Wikipedia, "When founded in 1496, the college consisted of buildings taken over from the Nunnery of St Mary and St Radegund, which was founded at the beginning of the 12th century. The chapel is the oldest university building in Cambridge still in use and predates the foundation of the college by 350 years; it also predates the university by half a century."

Jesus College

One of the rarest, if not THE rarest, moment on our trip was the morning I had free to wander into Cambridge on my own and to explore Jesus College, founded in 1496. Things must have been slow, because as soon as I passed through this impressive entrance, a security guard, hearing that I was there to scope out the place before the choir's evening performance, very generously offered to to give me my own private tour!

Steep Hill

Lincoln, England

Ripon

Another reason to eat lunch at the Royal Oak is that it is literally around the corner from the cathedral where I was headed next for rehearsal. We had so many rehearsals because the choir sang different music for each performance. In fact, most of us traveled with separate bags for the sole purpose of carrying our music and choir robes. Also, each cathedral or chapel had its own unique acoustics and physical space, requiring us to quickly settle in and adjust to the new circumstances.

The Royal Oak

So the story behind I found myself eating at The Royal Oak in Ripon begins with the dinner I enjoyed the night before in Harrogate. There the waiter, learning that I was to sing the next day at Ripon Cathedral, heartily recommended that I grab lunch here. He was right. It was a great place to eat. Plus I was welcomed there by a very cordial and, I must say, quite accommodating canine maître d'. :-)