Green Mountain Meandering Missives

Update regarding a previous blog post of mine, concerning homelessness and related matters, entitled Supreme Dilemma (p hoto: Person living unhoused outdoors resting on a bench in Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont; photo shared with the direct consent of the person pictured; image credit: Morgan W. Brown): On Friday (June 28, 2024), in a 6-3 decision, a majority of the US Supreme Court sided with Grants Pass, Oregon and against the plaintiffs, known as Johnson in the case, people living unhoused (aka homeless) outdoors, here (via SCOTUS blog; Independent news and analysis on the US Supreme Court). According to the National Homelessness Law Center, the US Supreme Court decision will make homelessness much worse and the law center demands real solutions to solving these and related matters, here . Meanwhile, closer to home, WPTZ -- Channel 5 TV -- News reported on the decision (via YouTube): WCAX -- Channel 3 TV -- News also reported on how the decision could impact Vermont, here...

Recently, because I had mentioned to someone about my having been exhausted, they had asked me if I had ever heard of the seven spoons of energy (aka Spoon Theory ; via But You Don't Look Sick).  Had not heard about spoon theory previously and find it to be very interesting, particularly as it helps to describe and explain my own constant as well as ongoing struggles with lack of energy as well as exhaustion over the years, decades actually. The fact is, I have been experiencing a certain amount of exhaustion again of late, including currently. It seems that I've been using up my limited daily supply of spoons (of energy). Yet it's not merely the number of spoons available, but also the size of the spoon as well. More about spoon theory, here  and here (via Psychology Today ).

  Photo caption: Person living unhoused outdoors resting on a bench in Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont (photo shared with the direct consent of the person pictured). Image credit: Morgan W. Brown (circa: 11/2/2022) Anticipated to be handed down sometime shortly by the US Supreme Court is its decision on Johnson versus Grants Pass : On April 22nd 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States heard the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass . This sets the stage for the most significant Supreme Court case about the rights of homeless people in decades. At its core, this case will decide whether cities are allowed to punish people for things like sleeping outside with a pillow or blanket, even when there are no safe shelter options. A decision will be made by June 30th, 2024. Besides the above quoted information and source, this  Harvard Law School  article has more about the case, here . Meanwhile, Common Dreams has a recently published related opinion piece concerning the ...

Lost Cat in Montpelier (Vermont):  If you live or work in Montpelier, please keep an eye out for Washington, the Cat. He had moved into a new home a couple of months ago after his human had died and was adopted by someone else. He had been kept inside for the last couple of months, however managed to get outside last night. If you come across him, please contact me, via direct message (email). Please include location details as well as, if possible, take photo(s) so it can be determined if it is him. Thank you in advance.

Howard Dean (2024): I Have a Scream Speech:   ... I'm sure there are some disappointed people here, disappointed in the current state of affairs in how the State of Vermont is currently being run. You know what? You know something? You know something? If you had told us two years ago that in 2024 we were going to consider running for Governor of Vermont again, we would have said, “hell, no!”. And you know something? You know something? Not only are we going to run for Governor of Vermont in 2024, we are going to win in Chittenden County ... we're going to win Washington County and Windham County and Windsor County and Rutland County and Bennington County, and we're going to win in Caledonia County and Orleans County and Addison County. And we're going to win in Lamoille County and Orange County and Franklin County and Essex County. And then we're going to Montpelier to take back the Governor’s Office. Yeah! We will not give up. We will not give up Vermont. We will n...

Am wondering about, now that certain Vermont hotels and motels had exited unhoused guests from their properties to free up rooms for higher paying guests who were visiting the state to view the total solar eclipse, how many hotels and motels might opt to no longer participate in the hotel/motel program in order to rent rooms to tourists and the like for the Spring as well as coming Summer and Autumn seasons instead? Likewise, how many hotels  and motels might take unhoused guests back in until the end of June? Posed rhetorically, however, these are among the top concerns and questions that have been keeping up at night of late. Photo: Vermont State House in Springtime (taken by Morgan W. Brown;  Saturday, May 6, 2023).

  Screenshot: Vermont total solar eclipse path map Vermont Total Solar Eclipse Naked Watch Party Among the various watch parties being held on Monday, April 8th in communities across the entire path of the total solar eclipse within Vermont, will be ones where residents and visitors would be gathering outdoors in order to view the celestial event wearing nothing except their solar eclipse viewing glasses. For those not already in the know, although disrobing in public is not legal, nor is lewd or lascivious behavior, as long as one disrobes in the privacy of one’s home, lodging or other indoor establishment or facility before exiting, it is legal in Vermont to go around bare naked in public. Since for many, this is a once in a lifetime event, there are those who are planning on making it an even more memorable one by being naked during it. Besides, except for before as well as afterwards, while wearing their solar eclipse viewing glasses during the event, it is not like anyone will...