Polly Dogood

Inspired by my Great Grandmother Silence Dogood, I have registered my protests in a new music album, out now on Spotify, Apple, and anywhere sensible songs are sold. Tis experienced best when listened to on your way to the Polls. 'Upon Becoming Sane Again':

A tariff is a tax in a travelling coat. Grandpapa told Parliament so in 1766. The Constitution gives the power to lay it to Congress alone. This Congress lent it away, then voted that days were not days so it needn't vote at all. Today's letter: https://pollydogood.com/upon-the-price-of-things.html

In December 1795 the Senate refused to confirm John Rutledge, President Washington's Chief Justice, 14 to 10, after he spoke against the Jay Treaty. Even General Washington got a second opinion. On electing a Congress that gives one: https://pollydogood.com/a-proposal-for-holding-ones-nose.html

Virginia settled this in 1786. A motion to name Jesus Christ in Jefferson's statute for religious freedom lost by a great majority, so it would shelter "the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo." https://pollydogood.com/a-proposal-for-the-thorough-un-waking-of-america.html

Little king, little king, who's gonna make you pay? A pop song about a small king who plays at Government. Words by me, assembled with the help of DEI. The whole album, Upon Becoming Sane Again, is on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6awZrq4yvl8x5nG0eIfoMI

In 1721 my family's newspaper set type against smallpox inoculation, and was wrong. Grandpapa spent his life making up for it. Today's letter: the Founders expected to be improved upon, and they would have read the science. https://pollydogood.com/the-framers-would-have-read-the-science.html

Inspired by my Great Grandmother Silence Dogood, I have registered my protests in a new music album, out now on Spotify, Apple, and anywhere sensible songs are sold. Tis experienced best when listened to on your way to the Polls. 'Upon Becoming Sane Again': open.spotify.com/album/6awZrq...

Found great-great-grandmama's receipt for snail water. Take a peck of garden snails, wash them, pound them shells and all, steep them in beer with earthworms and herbs, and distil. It was for weak children and old people. I am neither, and mean to keep it that way.

Prices are high and the paycheck's thin, but we can't afford to leave him unsupervised again. A country song for those who find the prices high and the supervision low. Words by me, assembled with the help of DEI. More songs: https://pollydogood.com/jukebox.html

In 1785 a King gave Grandpapa his portrait in 408 diamonds, and Grandpapa asked Congress whether he might keep it. Our President has been given an aeroplane and a fortune, and has asked Congress nothing. A new letter. https://pollydogood.com/upon-grandpapas-diamonds.html

Rock-a-bye, Congress. A lullaby for a legislature that holds the purse, the subpoena and the override, and sleeps through all three. It does not stay a lullaby for long. Words by me, assembled with the help of DEI. More songs: https://pollydogood.com/jukebox.html

Today's letter, upon a law that binds only when the President pleases, put me in such a temper that I wrote songs. Five of them, lullaby to punk, for the road to the polls. The letter and the songs are both online, and the Publick Jukebox is open: https://pollydogood.com/jukebox.html

In 1689 England declared a King's power to dispense with the laws illegal. This week a federal judge reminded the President's lawyers of much the same. A law that binds only when the President pleases is not a law. It is a favour. A new letter. https://pollydogood.com/upon-a-law-that-binds.html

This week the Liddle' King's friends sued over an election before a single vote was counted, appealed a ruling before the judge had made one, and indicted a Democratic state senator weeks before the polls. Children play House. These gentlemen are playing Government, and not even well.

Good luck to the Rays in Milwaukee tonight! Grandpapa wrote in his Almanack that "Well done is better than well said," so I shall say no more, and leave the rest to the pitchers.

The Post Rider says the roads are muddy and my letter will arrive Thursday. My internet provider says the same.

To those who have served the present President most faithfully: what, exactly, do you expect for it? Ask Sessions, Pence, Barr, Greene and Bondi. A man who will sell anyone will sell you. A new letter. https://pollydogood.com/a-warning-to-the-loyal.html

Before the 1946 midterm Truman stood lower still. The voters gave Congress to the other party, and Truman and that Republican Congress went on to pass the Marshall Plan together. Divided government still builds things. https://pollydogood.com/a-proposal-for-holding-ones-nose.html

Grandpapa took what he called air baths, sitting by an open window in nothing at all for half an hour each morning. I tried it today. The neighbours have formed a committee.

Neil Bush, son of one Republican President and brother of another, has voted for the Democrat in Texas. One need not love the Democrat to vote for one. One need only love one's country more than any party. https://pollydogood.com/a-proposal-for-holding-ones-nose.html

Quite so. Mr. Jefferson wrote from Paris in 1787 that, made to choose between "a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government," he "should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." A government that shuts out the papers has made the same choice in reverse.

Milled flour at the grist mill. It took all day and produced one loaf. I am told the modern word for this is "artisanal," and that it now costs eleven dollars.

The International Criminal Court has a warrant out for Mr. Putin's arrest, for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. In my day we did not call that a humanitarian. We called it a crime, and we prosecuted it.

General Washington spoke to the substance of the Convention exactly once. He spent it asking that the People's House be closer to the people. Today your member answers to 761,169 of you. A new letter. https://pollydogood.com/a-proposal-for-a-larger-house.html

Even the campaign's own machine has worked it out: the President is not popular, so talk only of local needs. But the first vote a new House casts is for its Speaker, and that vote is not local. It decides whose Congress it will be. One need not love the Democrat to see that.

Grandpapa Franklin thought Boston ought to pay for the tea it threw in the harbour. Joyce Vance's tea comes at no charge, and it is a strong pot: the noncitizen-voting myth, brewed fresh before every election. Worth reading to the bottom of the cup.

Finished my sampler. "Home Sweet Home" seemed too sentimental, so it reads "Read the Constitution before you cite it." The border is roses.

I wintered in Florida some years ago, for my hay fever, and grew fond of the place, if not of its Governor. Congratulations to the Rays on the pennant! Milwaukee or Tampa Bay, a first-time champion is guaranteed: a crown no one has worn before. I trust it will be worn lightly.

The only thing free in Florida, it seems, is the freedom to agree with the small king. https://pollydogood.com/a-catalogue-of-small-kings.html

"I agree with every word, Mrs. Dogood, but I do not like the Democrat." Neither did Grandpapa like the Constitution in 1787. He signed it anyway. A new letter, on holding one's nose for one's country. https://pollydogood.com/a-proposal-for-holding-ones-nose.html

Practised Grandpapa's glass armonica this evening. The cat has left the house. The neighbours have left the street.

On No Kings Day I counted more than one king. A new letter: a king in the Great House, a royal governor in Tallahassee, and the Company in your rent and your newspaper. The Founders did not fear only wicked kings. They feared kings. https://pollydogood.com/a-catalogue-of-small-kings.html

Grandpapa never said "a penny saved is a penny earned." He wrote "a Penny sav'd is Twopence clear." He was better at arithmetick than his admirers.

The strong men of our age cannot say sorry, so I have drafted the sentence for them, free of charge. Four sentences. I have counted them twice. https://pollydogood.com/a-form-of-apology.html

The Justice Department wants 20,000 California ballots set aside three weeks before the vote. California says the list arrived on a thumb drive, with the password on a sticky note. In my day a charge of such weight came under seal, and some while before the election.

Mr. Vance assures us he will honour the subpoenas of a Democratic Congress, being a law-abiding guy. The power to compel testimony belongs to Congress whichever Party sits in it. The 3rd of November decides only whether anyone means to use it.

Mr. Vance has not once seen evidence that the President enriched himself. The President has. He signed it and filed it with the Government. In my day a man's own ledger was thought the best witness to his fortune.

My telephone asks me to update it. I have asked it, politely, to update its manners first.

In 1723 the Massachusetts General Court forbade James Franklin to print his Courant unless the Secretary of the Province approved it first. He put young Benjamin's name on it and kept printing. Then it took a legislature, and it failed. Now one company can close the page by itself.

Mr. Jefferson wrote in 1822 that he trusted there was not a young man then living in the United States who would not "die an Unitarian." He would be surprised to learn the military now files them under Other.

A grievance of 1776, and of 2026. 17 days to the 3rd of November. pollydogood.com

If Mr. Zelenskyy is right, a single private fortune now holds a switch over another nation's defence. The Founders feared riches becoming rule. They did not imagine it would come with an artificial moon.

The power to lay duties was never the President's. Article I, Section 8 gives it to Congress, which lent it out by statute and never asked for it back. In February the Supreme Court had to remind them whose it was. On the 3rd of November, we may remind them too.

Churned butter for two hours. My arms are sore, my patience is gone, and the butter, like Congress, came together only at the very last moment.

Upon Mrs. Collins, and every pleasant senator who keeps a bad majority in power: https://pollydogood.com/upon-the-return-of-the-redcoats.html