This one is from 16 years ago. It was taken in front of my place in the Mission District of San Francisco where we all used to gather. Pictured are my six kids and first grandchild, then an infant. He’s now headed into his senior year in high school.
The issue of families seems to be on the ballot this year, courtesy of one very confused J.D. Vance. This is an issue I know something about. My kids are divided into two groups of three from separate marriages that ended in divorce.
So it’s a big complicated family with me as a somewhat dubious and unlikely patriarch. As of now there are eight grandchildren, a couple spouses and a couple partners.
A lot has changed for us since 2008. A lot’s changed for me. I know longer have my own flat where we could have gather and I miss those days a lot.
But I got ill. Then the pandemic happened.
Someone used to say if you were a friend of one person in my family you were a friend of all of us. I’m not sure that still is true — there’s a natural entropy that sets in over the years and some people move on, never to return. We miss them.
But I have a word of advice for J.D. Vance and his ilk: We like cats. We like ladies. We like “cat ladies.” We like all of the people, single or attached, whether parenting or “childless.” Those types of distinctions hold no meaning for us.
As for your political rhetoric that is meant to divide people and turn them against each other, I have two words:
Shut Up!
And while I’m at it, lay off the race card. Our family is multi-racial and proud of that as well.
HEADLINES:
Trump proposes alternative election debate, Harris says no (Reuters)
Harris campaign says Trump is ‘running scared’ (CNBC)
Harris vs. Trump Polls: Kamala’s Gains Are Now a Trend, Not Just a Bounce (New York)
Kamala Harris Leads Trump in Three Pivotal Swing States: Polling Average (Newsweek)
Judge sets Aug. 16 hearing in Trump’s federal election interference case (ABC)
U.S. forces move toward Israel as Iran threatens to attack (WP)
Netanyahu, Defiant, Appears to Have Gone Rogue, Risking a Regional War (NYT)
Far-right protesters clash with police in UK cities as unrest spreads (Al Jazeera)
Every Generation Is the Anxious Generation (Slate)
Big Tech’s AI Promises Become a ‘Show Me’ Story For Investors (Bloomberg)
Method prevents an AI model from being overconfident about wrong answers (MIT)
Why have the big seven tech companies been hit by AI boom doubts? (Guardian)
Tech Bosses Preach Patience as They Spend and Spend on A.I. (NYT)
Single Woman At Game Night Paired With Dog Again (The Onion)
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