books and a knitting project and protest news

i'm listening to brain lehrer again this morning . . he's been talking with listeners and writer jamiles lartey about police response to protests. lartey has been writing about how a disproportionate use of force can cause peaceful protests to become violent. one officer called in to share how the ability to stay calm can be based on the mental health of an officer and the kind of support he gets at home. another listener called in to share that when things were heating up at one of the protests at washington square, the head of the police was able to calm everything down by talking to the crowd and taking the knee in solidarity.

a listener from australia called in to share that mr. floyd's death has inspired protests in her country, which is helping to focus attention on the increased deaths of indigenous people in custody. she intimated that there is now talk of forming a new council of investigation.

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i recently finished the curious world of calpurnia tate, jacqueline kelly's sequel to the evolution of calpurnia tate, which i enjoyed just as much. this time, callie vee turns thirteen and she realizes that the options available to a young girl in 1900 in texas are very different from that of her brothers. of course, she is much smarter than most of her brothers, able to outwit them when needed, and also has the support of her grandfather, with whom she explores the woods surrounding their home, learning about the flora and fauna, and keeping notes in her nature journal. this support, and the strength of her conviction, points to a future that might not be as limited as the time period implies. jacqueline kelly also sets the scene for the earthquake of 1900 in galveston with the visit of a seagull two hundred miles inland, that calpurnia observes in her drive, along with the significantly lower pressure on the barometer she recently made with her grandfather. it's a fun and exciting read and i loved learning about the texas of 1900. i hope the author writes a third book in this series.

in regard to knitting . . i finished the first sock with my olive yarn dye company yarn i purchased at vogue knitting live in 2018. it's actually a little short in the length . . but will have to do. i find it difficult to size my socks correctly.