We’re all breathing a proverbial sigh of relief at the arrest of an Oregon man, Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, on charges of stalking Owl Chatter fave, UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers. We were certain it was our photographer Phil they were looking for. Even Phil was certain: He turned himself in to the Connecticut State Police to confess. (They ignored him. It wasn’t the first time.)
Parmalee said on social media that he intends to marry Bueckers. Consistent with that claim, he had an engagement ring and lingerie with him when he was arrested while walking along a highway near the airport in Hartford, CT. (We have turned the portion of the investigation related to the lingerie over to our Dirty Old Man Dept.) A warrant was also out for Parmalee accusing him of setting a home on fire in Oregon with roommates and pets inside. We’re guessing he’s hoping Paige is open-minded enough not to hold that against him.
Parmalee pled guilty to the stalking charge and faces three years of probation during which he is barred from entering Connecticut. A restrictive order protecting PB will remain in effect until 2064. Meanwhile, back on Planet Earth, the girls did a number on Iowa State, outscoring them 101-68 while setting a school record for three-point baskets (20). They are ranked 4th nationally and face a tough USC squad Saturday.
Before the Nazis starting killing Jews, they worked on altering the image of Jews in the German society — softening up the populace for the task to come. Goebbels was in charge of that effort. And the elements of German society that fell into line have blood on their hands.
Fast-forward to the present. Capitulating to the winds of bigotry, the Disney company has removed a transgender story line from its animated series “Win or Lose,” which is set to start streaming in February. A small step. Hardly worth mentioning. As the suicide rate for trans youth remains high — maybe just a teeny splatter of blood?
Turning to the puzzle, the best clue today was at 35A: “Sticky treats, in more ways than one?” Answer: POPSICLES. Sticky — get it? They have sticks.
Here’s Michael Franks:
I know today’s your birthday,
And I did not buy no rose.
But I wrote this song instead and I call it,
“Popsicle Toes.”
I also learned that to “post up” means to hang out for a while. It comes from basketball.
Did you know the “13th-century poet who wrote the ‘Masnavi’” was RUMI? Me neither. Lewis shared a line of Rumi’s: “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” Rumi-nate on that a while.
That expression, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned?” Well, fiddles hadn’t been invented yet. So there. He must have just “air” fiddled.
Closing the shop early tonight. See you next time!
The Wellington Files 