Janet Morrison's Blog, page 7

The Book I Read in July 2025 & Why It Stood Alone

You know a reader is in trouble when the only book she read in the month of July was a cookbook! The Scottish Cookbook: Hebridean Baker, by Coinneach MacLeod This was a fun read. I doubt I’ll try any of the recipes, but the recipes are interspersed with stories about the islands in the Outer … Continue reading The Book I Read in July 2025 & Why It Stood Alone →

AI, Copyright Infringement, Trump, and Mark Twain

I would love to rant about the 90,000-square-foot $200 million gold ballroom that is to replace the East Wing of the White House beginning in September, but I won’t chase that rabbit today. I had already planned to write about artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright infringement today. I hate to have to “beat a dead … Continue reading AI, Copyright Infringement, Trump, and Mark Twain →

More Matters of Concern

Here are some items I did not have room to include in this morning’s blog post. Artist cancels showing at Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery The artist of a 2018 portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama has withdrawn from her schedule showing at the National Portrait Gallery after being told one of her paintings was … Continue reading More Matters of Concern →

A Few Matters of Concern

For those of you who cannot watch the news any more “because it’s too sad,” I apologize. You might not want to read this blog post. There is just something deep down inside me that compels me to comment on the continuing dismantling of our democracy. Some doctors in the United States are now telling … Continue reading A Few Matters of Concern →

“Bonus Army” Evicted from DC in 1932

I had never heard of the “Bonus Army” or this incident until I stumbled across it while looking for blog topics I could write about on or near — their anniversary dates. This one belonged on yesterday’s blog but got crowded out by the 157th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment to the … Continue reading “Bonus Army” Evicted from DC in 1932 →

#OnThisDay: 14th Amendment Ratified in 1868

Today is the anniversary date for two events that warrant our attention. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on July 28, 1868 – 157 years ago today. And on July 28, 1932, U.S. President Herbert Hoover ordered the U.S. Army to remove the protesting World War I veterans from Washington, D.C. To … Continue reading #OnThisDay: 14th Amendment Ratified in 1868 →

Books Banned at U.S. Department of Defense Schools

Not to be outdone by the State of Tennessee (see yesterday’s blog post: https://janetswritingblog.com/2025/07...), the U.S. Department of Defense is doubling down on books in the schools it operates for children of military personnel. On July 14, 2025, the Defense Department banned 596 books from its schools. Here’s an article about it: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2.... Here’s a … Continue reading Books Banned at U.S. Department of Defense Schools →

Public School Libraries in Texas and Monroe County, Tennessee

I was flabbergasted a couple of weeks ago to learn that a law had passed in Texas that will turn public school library book selection on its head. As of September 1, 2025, school boards in Texas will select all books for public school libraries instead of professional librarians. I’ll bet the Texas state legislators … Continue reading Public School Libraries in Texas and Monroe County, Tennessee →

Political Jokes and the First Amendment

In the old days, if a king didn’t like the court jester’s jokes, he could have him executed. In some countries, that might still be the case. But in America, we have First Amendment rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution… or so we thought until last Thursday. That was when CBS announced the May 2026 … Continue reading Political Jokes and the First Amendment →

The Immigration Debacle in the United States

I couldn’t say all I wanted to say in yesterday’s blog post. Ready or not, here comes more…. Immigration was not handled well during the first Trump Administration (i.e. people put in cages and children separated from their parents without a means of identification). Immigration was mishandled by the Biden Administration (i.e. too lax about … Continue reading The Immigration Debacle in the United States →