Sunshine and Sore Fingers

We've picked up a new family activity - we're all learning to play instruments. I'm doing the easiest, of course - I'm learning to play guitar (strumming). Swicky is playing piano, Coconut and DH's brother are learning guitar (fingering), while DH is learning banjo.

So, yeah, Bluegrass.

So far, DH, his brother, and I can play "You Are My Sunshine" okay. I mean, it's two chords, so I'm really just having to learn to switch between the two, and also MY FINGERS HURT SO MUCH!

That's been my day, anyway.


Links!

• Libraries, Books, Writers, & Suchlike
• A Golden Era for Young Readers: The Story Behind Little Golden Books 
• Marvel's newest superhero is a preteen girl genius with a T-Rex sidekick 
• How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Revived Modern Myth-Telling 
• Net, Tech, Health, & Science
• Researchers Who Provided Key Evidence For Gluten Sensitivity Have Now Thoroughly Shown That It Doesn't Exist 
• Education
• Why Sesame Street’s Move to HBO Is Both Great and Extremely Depressing 
• Authority Issues
• Law Enforcement Officials and Prominent Defense Attorney Arrested for 2012 Murder "They were among nine people arrested in the 2012 disappearance and killing of Korey Kauffman, stemming from the belief that he was stealing the attorney’s antiques, law enforcement officials said at a news conference Friday in Modesto, California."
• The Bail Trap "Every year, thousands of innocent people are sent to jail only because they can’t afford to post bail, putting them at risk of losing their jobs, custody of their children — even their lives."
• Politics
• Why don’t Americans vote? We’re “too busy.” 
• Ben Carson says Black Lives Matter advocates are 'creating strife' "African-Americans, he continued, need to return to 'faith and family, the values and principles that got black people through slavery and segregation and Jim Crowism.' Without those values, he said, there are higher rates of poverty, single-parent homes, and dependency on welfare programs: 'As we throw those things away, we're seeing terrible crimes occurring in our communities.'" So...not systemic racism at all - it's the black community's fault that black people are suffering? 
• Donald Trump to Report for Jury Duty "The New York Daily News reported Trump received a $250 fine earlier this year for missing five jury summonses since 2006." Civic duty is not his strong suit, I suppose? 
• Bernie kicking into overdrive 
• Louisiana
• New Orleans ranks first in pest-infested cities, newspaper reports Yay? Yet another reason to have a cat, really.
• International
• To Cut Food Waste, Spain's Solidarity Fridge Supplies Endless Leftovers
• Other (Serious Stuff)
• It’s unconstitutional to ban the homeless from sleeping outside, the federal government says 
• Scott Walker OKs $250 million in taxpayer dollars for sports arena Not-so-coincidentally, that's how much he cut from the University of Wisconsin budget. Because a new basketball stadium is obviously more important than higher education... Related: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Stadiums  
• Other (Randomness)
• Alert: New Pecan Pie-Flavored M&Ms Have Officially Hit Store Shelves 
• Why Letting Women Take Tea Breaks Was Once Considered Dangerous "If women had time to sit down and enjoy a tea break, this must mean they were ignoring their domestic duties and instead, perhaps, opening the door to political engagement or even rebellion." Oh, noes!