Laverne Cox To Young People For 2026 PRIDE
Josh Johnson Explains The Upcoming Holiday:
Political cartoons / memes / and news I want to share. 6-16-2026
“Now get back out there and sing ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President.’ ”
An update on today.
I was to have an appointment this morning with my pain clinic provider. My pain medication and steroid shot provider. But first thing this morning I called into the clinic and got a less than understanding person who would only tell me her screen was different from mine and was rude, belligerent, and not really on the same brain level as I was. The result was I had no appointment today that would give me relief and let me walk.
This was important to me because my ability to walk or even function is getting less and less, but the clinic has been in the process of moving and has been the target of anger from the largest profitable medical providing system in our county. Ron and I worked for that system. They don’t like any company that provides services they have in house or contracted doctors to do so they try to either take them over, have cooperative agreements with them (meaning they get a cut of the cash) or destroy the competition. Thier responce is to try to either ruin any competition or to fold it into their company. So my pain providers who once worked in partnership with that hospital system but then refused to submit to them agreeing to be folded into the hospital system the hospital system is endeavoring to destroy. Sadly for the hospital system the patients like me were loyal and stayed with the providers we had instead of abandoning them.
The pain group grew and merged with some other groups because they needed protection from the hospital system that runs the majority of medical services in our area and provides the only hospitals for doctors that business requires access to hospital type services. Blackmail on display for the for profit healthcare system in the US.
The building they had was far too small, so they are moving. I had my last visit on the first of June as a telehealth because they couldn’t get the city inspection certificate to allow them to use the new building. My pain doctor listened to me and said I needed the next in person visit to get muscle injections and then an appointment with my pain surgeon for spine shots.
That has led to this where I get multiple emails and texts of appointments that then never appear on my patient portal. So today I got showered and dressed and Ron put my walker in the car. But then the appointment disappeared from my patient portal list and several new appointments were listed.
Which leads me to the point of this post. I was emotionally rocked at 7:45 this morning after finding out I did not have an appointment for the relief I needed and was depending on. I went to work doing the cartoons / memes / news post for today. But by 10 I was in serious pain. I took my noon medications early. It did not help and by noon I couldn’t walk. At 1 pm I took an additional 15 miligarm extended relief morphine and another 15 miligarm instant relief.
At this point Ron had done everything all day in the house and seeing how much pain I was in wouldn’t even let me do the easiest things. Ron had been doing that for weeks now trying to make sure I did not do anything that might cause me pain even to the point of getting into arguments if I should do the dishes even though for the washing part I could use my grand rolling stool.
That did not help so at 3 pm I took another 30 miligarm exstened relief morphine and another 20 miligram backlofen muscle relaxer. That did the trick. It was slow in helping but by 4 pm I could feel the relief and the frantic desperate need for the pain to stop was dissipating. By 5 pm I felt almost pain free, as pain free as I can ever be.
So why this post you might be wondering. Several reasons. I still have to finish tomorrow’s cartoons / memes / and news posts and want everyone to understand why it might be late. But most important are the draconian laws about pain medications that have swept the country mostly driven by republicans but also some democrats that want to look tough on drug abuse since they got caught doing nothing over the OxyContin scandal. So if one company convinced doctors on lies to overprescribe medication leading to massive addiction issues when those pain drugs were withdrawn politicans with no medical backgrounds or information just started setting abartary rules which made no medical sence.
So state legislators who had no expertise started to push laws that limited the amount of medications that doctors could prescribe. I want you to understand how that affected me. I was receiving a combination of medication that made it so with all my dying bones, all my bones growing in very painful ways, my immune system attacking my own body that let me live a normal life. I could walk, I could garden, I could grocery shop.
But then those drugs were taken away or reduced by nonmedical people in the Florida legislature who wanted to look tough on illegal drugs. Remember my legal drugs were prescribed by doctors that had years of experience in pain medication. So for a politician to run for reelection on being tough on illegal drug use I had my medications reduced and restricted. That was the start. Over the years legislators who were realtors or other wealthy people with no medication criteria or education background created more laws in Florida resticted my pain medication amounts that could be prescribed to me.
Which leads me to this year. I was down to the barest amount of pain medication daily along with having to have trigger point muscle injections every two months and every 6 to 8 months having spine epidurals. That of course increased the cost of each visit to my pain doctors. Grand how the government is looking after the lower incomes. But I no longer could do any yard work, couldn’t do any real house work other than folding clothing or doing a small amount of dishes. I had been basicly reduced to sitting in my chair at my desk. Then came the new fuck you from the tRump people.
RFK Jr. decided that people like me were getting too much pain relief and all we needed to do was live like he did. So he sent out a directive to all doctors that they had to get all their patients to 100 morphine equivalent levels with the goal of taking them to less than 50 morphine equivalent levels or those that did not comply would be fined and possibly lose their license.
I was well above that limit set by a toilet seat snorting cocaine addict that made his millions refuting real medical science while playing off his family name. So I got taken down another 15 milligrams of instant release with the pain doctors having to keep every visit to justify my being over that and risking their license and practice. To day I had to dip into my saved medication to function. What am I to do when they are gone?
My primary pain doctor along with my pain surgeon has recommended and sent a referral to a neurosurgeon to have some of the vertebrae/nerves repaired. But I have to have eye surgery, Ron needs eye surgery, and all of this is not covered completely by medicare. So we are on the hook for the costs. We recently paid $2,800 for Ron’s heart catheterization, which thankfully turned out he did not have any real blockages. Was that collusion between the people who did the scan and those that did the heart catheterization?
But his eye surgery will be at least $ 1,000 and mine for my eyes will be at least twice that. So my back surgery is not going to happen anytime soon. As I let everyone know my eye doctor would not even give me a prescription for glasses as she said my vision is far too compromised. Yes I will address that issue, I promised Randy after he chewed my ass off for a long time over the issue. My point is that we have a lot of medical issues and it will take time.
That flows to my last point. Tomorrows cartoons / memes / news post. It is not done yet but I am working on it. Now that I am not in excruciating pain with every breath I will try to finish up and get it scheduled. However, and I am going to regret mentioning this. Due to the medication and pain I did eat anything but a small breakfast. I simply can not stomach food now. I know the wonderful people here will tell me to use MDavis’s grand advice to use a nutritional shake and I will do so. But I wanted to be honest as I am always here even when it is painful for me, I just can’t stomach food now. Best wishes for everyone and hugs for those that want them.
I would love to do more to accent …
I would love to do more to accent and push this story. But I am struggling to get tomorrows cartoons / memes /and news post together. My pain doctor visit was canceled and my pain levels are at a 9 making it difficult for me to think or function. I am so cold right now I am wearing a heavy sweatshirt in a room that is 80 degrees at my desk. Plus I just want want to go to sleep. But getting the information out about what the lawless Israeli government is doing not only to the Palestinians but to surrounding countries all in the name of the Jewish fundamentalist religious idea that their god gave them the right to control the entire area that they only have access to because ww2 allies did not want them in their countries is so incredibly wrong. I wish I could do more. I always wanted my blogs to be a voice for those that had none as I had no voice growing up. Hugs
Best Wishes and Hugs,
Scottie
Political cartoons / memes / and news I want to share. 6-15-2026
From The Smart Ones:
Kickass Women in History: Carlota and Fermina
by Carrie S · Jun 6, 2026 at 6:00 am
TW/CW: slavery, shackles, torture, violence
The stories of rebellion by enslaved peoples has been largely erased or occluded from history, and when these stories are told, they usually center men. In Cuba, however, two women became legends because of the leadership roles they took in rebellion. Carlota and Fermina were decisive, brave, and brutal. Both women were kidnapped from the Yoruba Nation and given the last name ‘Lucumí’, a word which refers to Afro-Cubans of Yoruba descent.
The Triunvirato sugar plantation was a fucking hellscape. By the 1840s, one third of Cuba’s population consisted of enslaved persons, almost all of whom worked in the sugar trade in some capacity. The 1840s saw Cuba utilizing steam-powered mails and railroads and engaging in massive deforestation as the economy became reliant on sugar. The Triunvirato Plantation was one of many that subjected enslaved people to a starvation diet and horrific working and living conditions.
We know very little about Carlota and Fermina. We do know, however, that on November 6, 1843, Carlota and others launched the Triunvirato Rebellion, the last in a series of uprisings across Cuba. Carlota used talking drums to communicate with other plantations, bringing the neighboring Acaná plantation, where Fermina was enslaved, as well as several others into the plan.
Fermina had recently escaped from Acaná and may have planned a June rebellion, but it didn’t happen. She was recaptured and shackled for months. Her tormentors released her from the shackles just a few days before the Triunvirato Rebellion, which she helped lead on the Acaná Plantation. In all, the enslaved people on five plantations rose up against their oppressors on or near November 6.
Here is a good overview of what we know about Carlota:
The series of rebellions that took place in 1843 (including uprisings in March and May, as well as a thwarted uprising in December) were collectively referred to as La Escalera. In response, slavers tortured and murdered so many people that 1844 became known as “The Year of the Lash”. Fermina was tortured and then killed by a firing squad. Carlota died at some point during the Trinuvirato Rebellion. Slavery in Cuba wasn’t abolished until 1886.
However, Carlota’s memory was preserved in oral legend. She became a famous symbol of resistance in Cuba. In 1975, when Cuba sent troops to support the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), they called the operation ‘Operation Carlota.’
Writing about history is a messy business. For one thing, many historical figures, especially women, and most especially women of color, have been so systematically erased that the stories we still have of them are murky. This is certainly true of Carlota and Fermina. We don’t even know their real names – only the names their slavers forced them to bear. We know for sure that they existed, and everything else is a matter of sifting various stories together and trying to figure out where they overlap.
In this column, there is also the matter of who to choose as ‘Kickass.’ Carlota and Fermina were both said to have done terrible, violent things.
CW/TW
Their story can be seen as one in which brutality begets brutality, and it can also be seen as a human being refusing to break or to become passive with despair in the face of massive crushing forces. Carlota and Fermina were clever, resourceful, determined leaders. I only wish I knew their real names.
Sources:
Would ’twere…
but, it’s The Onion. Enjoy!
FDA Recalls 40,000 Gallons Of RFK Jr. Milk
Contaminated Teats Of Health Secretary Produced Tainted Dairy Products
Vats full of milk secreted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. formed the backdrop for an FDA press conference.
WASHINGTON—In what experts are already calling one of the worst outbreaks of foodborne illness in decades, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an urgent recall Tuesday for 40,000 gallons of RFK Jr. milk.
The recall, which covers all milk produced by the body of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was issued following widespread reports of high fever, nausea, arthritis-like symptoms, and uncontrollable diarrhea among consumers. The FDA urged Americans to throw out any RFK Jr. milk they had in their refrigerators, saying those affected would be entitled to a full refund and should take a 60-day course of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin.
“If you purchased a jug of milk pumped from Secretary Kennedy’s breasts on or after Mar. 4, 2026, you may have noticed a sulfurous smell, streaks of red pus, or visible effervescence in the liquid,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, stressing that anyone who experienced blindness or vertigo after drinking the beverage should consult a healthcare provider immediately, especially if they were pregnant. “We also ask that consumers dispose of the milk by incineration instead of dumping it down the drain, which could result in the substance entering rivers and streams and cause mass aquatic die-offs.”
“We acknowledge our error in ever allowing this man’s milk to make it onto store shelves in the first place,” Makary added.
According to sources, the recalled Kennedy dairy has been sold at wellness retailers and health food co-ops in all 50 states and includes processed RFK Jr. milk products sold under names such as Bobby Butter, Hyannis Port Farms Cheddar, and Kennedy’s Curse-Reversing Longevity Yogurt. Many of these products have been touted through official channels by the secretary himself, who as a central pillar of his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign has strongly encouraged consumption of his body’s milk.
FDA officials said the RFK Jr. milk was contaminated with E. coli, salmonella, listeria, and a previously unknown pathogen scientists have named Robertococcus kenneddi, which appears to have proliferated exclusively in the squalid and unsanitary conditions in which Kennedy lives. Inspectors described “appalling” conditions in the Georgetown residence where much of his milk was pumped, citing moldy, sweat-soaked gym equipment, five-gallon buckets of rancid beef tallow, and the rotting carcasses of several unidentifiable marine mammals.
“The spread of bacteria by RFK Jr. milk has led to numerous confirmed cases of sepsis, meningitis, and necrosis of the tongue,” said FDA microbiologist Hana Steiner, adding that she had long warned friends and relatives against consuming the poorly regulated substance. “People will say Kennedy should have been pasteurizing his milk, and of course he should have, but I’m not sure it would have mattered. A lot of these bacteria have mutated in the dank, humid piles of unwashed jeans found on the floor of his home, and many have become antibiotic-resistant thanks to his frequent swims in sewage-tainted waters.”
While the FDA has ordered an indefinite halt to the distribution of RFK Jr. milk, some MAHA diehards have decried the crackdown as federal overreach, with Kennedy himself criticizing scientists who have questioned his milk’s safety.
“The probiotic cultures in my milk are a feature, not a bug, and any negative reactions people have experienced are the result of a lack of ferments in the American diet,” Kennedy said in a recent video message in which he is seen pumping and drinking a bright yellow glass of his own milk to demonstrate its safety. “There are no dangerous additives in here, just pure, natural goodness. Americans have neglected their gut microbiomes for so long that even the gentle, nourishing milk of their health and human services secretary upsets their stomachs. That’s how bad things have gotten.”
“The obvious answer is for people to drink more of my milk, not less,” Kennedy continued. “It’ll take more than some misguided recall to stop me from lactating for the health and longevity of this nation.”
PRIDE News On Monday
I think I posted about the Big Gay Market last year here on Scottie’s. It’s really cool, and it was Sunday 6/14 this year. It always makes me reminisce about, among other things, when I first came upon Scottie’s blog.
It was named “Scottie’s Toybox” at the time, with the same tagline, “Come See What I Share.” It sounded like Big Gay Fun to me, so I clicked through from MPS one time, and sure enough, there was a little big gay fun, a few resources for queer and other marginalized groups, and some issues on which people could take action if they cared to, along with a little general news. It was another time, it now seems. Anyway, Scottie transitioned to Playtime not as long a while back, I think due to Word Press anomalies, or something. I may not recall that correctly; I was a reader/sometime commenter, and it was nice. The Big Gay Market always reminds me of that, and I smile! 🏳🌈
Because of some election results and the associated removal of rights from, well, about everyone, but everyone isn’t as unsafe as those who are marginalized; and the scope of the blog has changed as well.
But on Big Gay Market day, I like to post about it. I bet everyone has a bright spot like this by them, and I know Scottie and I would like to know about those, too! Below is a report about, then the home page of Wichita’s Big Gay Market. Relax and enjoy!
A news report/interview from our local CBS affiliate.
(I dislike this channel, for its owner is an evil corporation and they’ve dumbed things down significantly, but as far as Google knows, they’re the only channel who has covered the Big Gay Market this year. For the record, I saw a short report on our local NBC affiliate at 5 PM, too, but can’t find it online Sunday evening. You can watch/listen on the page; it’s a short interview with the founder.)
ICT Big Gay Market returns for its 5th year in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The 5th Annual ICT Big Gay Market returns Sunday, June 14, bringing a full day of vendors, food and family-friendly activities to Central Riverside Park. Organizer and founder James Boyd says the event is designed to feel like a “huge farmers market” that is welcoming to all ages and packed with things to see, taste, and shop, with nearly 150 vendors expected this year.
Admission is free, but attendees can choose to purchase a Market button. You do not need a button to attend, but some vendors will offer special discounts to button holders. Button proceeds go toward a $2,000 Trades Scholarship through WSU; once that goal is reached, remaining funds will help support next year’s market.
Event details
- What: 5th Annual ICT Big Gay Market
- When: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sunday, June 14
- Where: Central Riverside Park, 720 North Nims St., Wichita
- Cost: Free to attend (optional Market button available)
Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Central Riverside Park June 14th 9:am to 4:pm
720 North Nims st Wichita, KS 67203
A Community of Makers
No Entry Fee Required !
Wether your looking for a day out and a meal, some shopping or chilling to local music this can be a fun time for everyone! Local creators from all around Wichita have come together to show support to our local LGBTQ community!
2026 has come so quickly it’s hard to believe we are celebrating our 5th season of ICT Big Gay Market!
Jeff & James put together a community scholarship that supports the futures of soon to be students at WSU TECH! Our goal is to help one person with a $2,000.00 boost to their passion. We all help out where we can, you can donate to this scholarship here:
Scottie's Playtime 