2025/03/29

doesn't really help

https://lexisantamaria.substack.com/p/sorry-nebraska-farmers-america-is

This was a tough article for me, because I very much understand how the author feels.  I'm gonna vote for the leopards. Are gonna eat my face party. But then complain when leopards are actually eating my face.  I totally get it on the others part, but.....

How is this just not further divisive talk?  Great, You were right, You voted for the right person, Good for you.  The farmers didn't.  You chastising and castigating the farmers doesn't fix the situation, it only makes you feel better about being right.  

Now the real reality is gonna set in this fall. When there's no crops to feed the country.  

I hope you feel really good about being right then.

2025/03/28

I doubt it

https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/opinion/report/032825_fema_states_op/if-fema-didnt-exist-could-states-handle-disaster-response-their-own/

voter rights

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows blasts Trump elections order

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/28/maine-secretary-of-state-shenna-bellows-blasts-trump-elections-order/

Utah bans flags

https://www.ksl.com/article/51284267/utah-is-first-state-to-ban-fluoride-in-water-restrict-flags-on-public-buildings


Interesting what the governor called out; 

"Finally, as tired as Utahns are of politically divisive symbols, I think they are also tired of culture war bills that don't solve the problems they intend to fix"

the different dump administrations

somehow this is sleep Joe's fault

I can't wait to see the mental gymnastics performed by the White House to explain how and why this is joe biden's fault.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/feds-preferred-inflation-gauge-shows-prices-increased-more-than-expected-in-february-123310140.html

2025/03/24

Medicaid cuts

Medicaid cuts could close rural hospitals, nursing homes in Colorado https://www.denverpost.com/2025/03/16/medicaid-cuts-colorado-hospitals-nursing-homes-disabilities-children/

I don't think the trumpers understand how hard this is going to hit rural areas.  In fact, I would say they lose the most things from trump in the long run 

2025/03/19

choir director this time

34 counts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil/pr/petersburg-illinois-man-sentenced-60-years-federal-prison-and-lifetime-supervision

This one could go either way......

"""
Power formerly served as athletic director, director of theater productions and director of vocal music at Our Saviour School in Jacksonville. He also was involved with youth theater productions for Theatre in the Park at Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site. Power was director of choirs for Central Christian Church in Jacksonville until his initial arrest.
"""

2025/03/18

guess which party?

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/03/18/state-senator-eichorn-arrested-suspicion-of-soliciting-a-minor

This supposedly was the same day just hours after this Senator was one of 5 signers on a new bill that would accuse trump critics of a mental illness.


2025/03/13

bias in colleges

I asked "claude" the value of political science as a major in college....


≈=========================
Political science as a college degree offers several valuable benefits for career prospects and personal development:

**Career Benefits:**

- **Government and Public Service:** Direct pathway to roles in government agencies, legislative offices, diplomatic service, and public policy
- **Law and Legal Careers:** Excellent foundation for law school with training in constitutional frameworks, policy analysis, and legal reasoning
- **Political Campaigns and Advocacy:** Skills for political consulting, campaign management, polling, and advocacy organizations
- **International Relations:** Preparation for careers in international organizations, NGOs, and global affairs
- **Research and Analysis:** Training for think tanks, research institutes, and policy analysis organizations
- **Corporate Government Relations:** Expertise for corporate government affairs and public relations roles

**Skill Development:**

- **Critical Thinking:** Training to evaluate complex political arguments and identify logical fallacies
- **Research Skills:** Ability to gather, analyze, and interpret data from various sources
- **Communication:** Strong writing and verbal communication skills for persuasive arguments
- **Policy Analysis:** Understanding how to analyze policies and their potential impacts
- **Global Awareness:** Knowledge of international systems and cross-cultural perspectives

**Personal Growth:**

- Deeper understanding of how government systems function
- Ability to engage meaningfully in civic life
- Historical context for current political developments
- Frameworks for understanding social movements and change

The versatility of political science makes it valuable in many professional contexts, particularly for roles requiring analytical thinking, institutional knowledge, and understanding complex social systems. Many programs also offer specialized tracks in areas like public policy, international relations, or data analysis to further enhance specific career prospects.

jobless numbers out

It is only a matter of time before the numbers are made up and the math don't math any more.  

We will see how long the strong Biden economy can withstand Drump. 

≈=======================

Fewer Americans file for jobless claims last week, signaling a still-healthy US labor market | AP News

https://apnews.com/article/unemployment-benefits-jobless-claims-layoffs-labor-20896cf1a39e70fd335f9e5e59bf8fe6

A good timeline of the Drump/ Canada lunacy

https://www.reddit.com/r/Maine/comments/1ja89tz/thoughts_on_this_timeline_of_canadian_annexation/

More GOP Bullshit

https://www.denverpost.com/2025/03/11/lauren-boebert-pimp-cane-al-green-resign/

The GOP would never apologize, step down, or show any contrition for anything they would say or do.  The feckless leadership of the democrats rolled over on this guy afterwards.  

2025/03/11

they really hate dei

from Baton Rouge

The article reports that Sean Duffy, President Trump's former transportation secretary, has rescinded two memos issued by the Biden administration. These memos, issued in 2021 and 2023, encouraged state agencies to integrate social justice and environmental considerations into infrastructure projects, including ensuring the involvement of disadvantaged groups in planning and design. Duffy criticized these policies, calling them an overreach and argued that they imposed unnecessary costs related to equity initiatives and greenhouse gas emissions.


energy taxes affected by tariffs

Maine energy costs go up

The Reddit post discusses a 25% increase in electricity exports from Ontario to the United States in response to U.S. trade policies under former President Trump. However, the post was removed by the moderators of the r/Maine subreddit for not being directly related to Maine. Some users still mentioned that while the issue is not directly linked to Maine, New Brunswick, which is closer to Maine, plays a significant role in electricity imports for the state.

Republican values



Christensen is a judge in Utah's 1st District Justice Court and was arrested and booked into the Davis County Jail on Thursday.

This article pins him as a potential Mormon elder .... FloodLIT

He was honored in 2023 for integrity, character, dedication

2025/03/06

Elmo's Dirty Laundry

 BREAKING: Elon Musk's former close friend Dr. Philip Low unleashes an absolutely brutal takedown of the MAGA billionaire by airing dirty laundry about his psychology — and a bizarre incident with his naked wife.

He said Musk is not a Nazi "per se" but could be something "much worse" than that...

"I have known Elon Musk at a deep level for 14 years, well before he was a household name. We used to text frequently. He would come to my birthday party and invite me to his parties. He would tell me everything about his women problems," Lowe wrote on Facebook.

"As sons of highly accomplished men who married venuses, were violent and lost their fortunes, and who were bullied in high school, we had a number of things in common most people cannot relate to. We would hang out together late in Los Angeles. He would visit my San Diego lab. He invested in my company."

"Elon is not a Nazi, per se."

"He is something much better, or much worse, depending on how you look at it."

"Nazis believed that an entire race was above everyone else."

"Elon believes he is above everyone else. He used to think he worked on the most important problems. When I met him, he did not presume to be a technical person — he would be the first to say that he lacked the expertise to understand certain data. That happened later. Now, he acts as if he has all the solutions."

"All his talk about getting to Mars to 'maintain the light of consciousness' or about 'free speech absolutism' is actually BS Elon knowingly feeds people to manipulate them. Everything Elon does is about acquiring and consolidating power. That is why he likes far right parties, because they are easier to control." 

"That is also why he gave himself $56 Billion which could have gone to the people actually doing the work and innovations he is taking credit for at Tesla (the reason he does not do patents is because he would not be listed as an inventor as putting a fake inventor on a patent would kill it and moreover it would reveal the superstars behind the work)."

"His lust for power is also why he did xAI and Neuralink, to attempt to compete with OpenAI and NeuroVigil, respectively, despite being affiliated with them," wrote Lowe, who is himself the Chairman, Founder, and CEO of NeuroVigil.

"Unlike Tesla and Twitter, he was unable to conquer those companies and tried to create rivals. He announced Neuralink just after I invited his ex-wife, which she and I notified him about, to a fundraising dinner for Hebrew University in London (The fact that she tried to kiss me — I immediately pushed her away — while taking a photo at that event, even if playfully, clearly may have added to the alienation and possible emasculation he may have felt when she spoke to me in a pool at a party when they were together and she was naked. To not be disrespectful to her or to him, I stayed but looked at the sky whilst talking to her)."

"I fired him with cause in December 2021 when he tried to undermine NV. It is ironic that years later, he clearly tried to undermine Twitter before buying it, and in my view, blowing it up and using it to manipulate the masses to lean to the far right in country after country, including the USA."

Lowe went on to outline some of the specific details about the infighting that stemmed from Musk leaving NeuroVigil — including that Musk leaked false reports to the media that he had invested more in the company than he really did. The two tussled over Musk's right to transfer stock from the company.

Soon after, Lowe sent him an email saying the two should "cut ties here" and threatened to "shove my boots so deep up your derrière, legally, that your pissing contest with Bezos will seem like it was from another life, one you want to get back to."

"Good luck with your implants, all of them, and with building Pottersville on Mars. Seriously, don’t fuck with me," Lowe added.

He then turned his attention to Elon's recent Nazi salutes, stating that he did them for five main reasons:

"1. He was concerned that the “Nazi wing” of the MAGA movement, under the influence of Steve Bannon, would drive him away from Trump, somewhere in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, rather than in the West Wing which is where he wants to be. He was already feeling raw over the fact that Trump did not follow his recommendation for Treasury Secretary and that the Senate also did not pick his first choice."

"2. He was upset that he had had to go to Israel and Auschwitz to make up for agreeing with a Nazi sympathizer online and wanted to reclaim his 'power' just like when he told advertisers to 'go fuck yourself'. This has nothing to do with Asperger’s."

"3. There are some Jews he actually hates: Sam Altman is amongst them."

"4. He enjoys a good thrill and knew exactly what he was doing."

"5. His narcissistic self was hoping the audience would reflect his abject gesture back to him, thereby showing complete control and dominion over it, and increasing his leverage over Trump. That did not happen."

"Bottom line: Elon is not a Nazi but he did give two Nazi Salutes, which is completely unacceptable," wrote Lowe.

"At some point, it matters to few people if one is a Nazi or if one acts like one. My father was a Holocaust Survivor. 32 out of 35 of his family members were murdered by Nazis. My mother’s grandparents were murdered in Auschwitz," he added.

Lowe wasn't done there, and asserted that he himself is an "actual scientist and inventor" while Musk lies about his expertise and steals credit from his employees to pretend to be a "Supergenius."

He mocked Musk for "paying people to play online games in his name to appear smart" and said that he's a "so-called inventor whose greatest invention is his image."

More bluntly, Lowe said that Musk is a "c*nt."

He ended his post by urging people to speak up against Musk and "stop working for him and being exploited by him."

Lowe concluded with a quote from Holocaust Survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel: "Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

Please like and share!

2025/03/04

OAN is around still. Thanks AT&T

 The Story -  To be clear though, I first heard this on John Oliver's show. 

 Most of the articles on this are at least 2 to 3 years old, so not certain on where this currently stands now.  That being said, this article, has 1 pretty damning fact on it.

 CLAIM: “AT&T has never had a financial interest in OAN’s success and does not ‘fund’ OAN.”

FACT: No one would have any financial interest in OAN were it not for AT&T's early and ongoing support for the company. Per Reuters, "Ninety percent of OAN’s revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned television platforms, including satellite broadcaster DirecTV, according to 2020 sworn testimony by an OAN accountant.” If that’s not what “funding” something looks like, I don’t know what does.

2025/03/03

Elmo only servers himself

Make no mistake, Elon is serving himself

"Elon Musk says we should “[get rid of all]” government subsidies, that “the government is the biggest corporation with a [monopoly on violence],” and last week [mocked] Washington for hiring more employees at the IRS. Let’s be clear: Elon didn’t build an EV company in South Africa or start a rocket company in Canada. He built Tesla and SpaceX in the United States. And both continue to be *heavily dependent on U.S. government support.* 

There would be no SpaceX without NASA, its largest customer. Tesla built its Fremont factory with a $465 million DoE loan in 2010, and its first 200,000 cars benefited from tax credit subsidies of up to $7,500. For years the company was able to report profits thanks to the “sale” of emissions credits to other carmakers. All told, the company has accepted an estimated $2.5 billion in government support."

2025/03/02

Slobbering the knob

 I need a job

This guy, was seriously slobbering the knob of trump Friday on Yahoo Finance today.  Way past rose colored glasses.

Kleptocracy in action

!!! NO VERIFICATION AT THIS TIME !!!
 
Report from the Senate Floor:

Last night in the Senate, something really important happened. Republicans forced us to debate their billionaire bailout budget framework. We started voting at 6 PM because they knew doing it in the dark of night would minimize media coverage. And they do not want the American people to see how blatant their handover of our government to the billionaire class is. 

So I want to explain what happened last night and what we did to fight back. The apex of Republicans’ plan to turn over our government to their wealthy cronies is a giant tax cut for billionaires and corporations. And they plan to pay for it with cuts to programs that working people rely on. Popular and necessary programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP, are all being targeted. In order to pass the tax cut, Republicans have to go through a series of procedural steps. Last night, they took the first step which requires them to pass an outline of their plan, but with it, any senator can offer as many amendments as we want. So my Democratic colleagues and I did just that. 

Now, we knew that Republicans would largely unanimously oppose them, but we had two objectives here. One, Republicans were forced to put their opinion on record — many for the first time — on the most corrupt parts of Trump and Musk’s agenda. Two, as I’ve been saying, I am going to make every process and procedure as slow and painful as possible for as long as my colleagues choose to ignore the constitutional crisis happening before our eyes. 

So what did we propose? We proposed no tax cuts for anyone who makes a billion dollars a year. We made them vote on whether or not Elon Musk and DOGE should have limitless access to Americans’ personal data. We made them vote on whether to protect IVF and require insurers to cover it. Every single amendment Democrats proposed was shot down. On almost every single amendment, Republicans universally opposed it. Every Republican voted against our proposal to prevent more tax cuts for billionaires. The corruption and theft is happening in the open here. 

The whole game for Republicans is taking your money and giving it to the wealthiest corporations and billionaires — even if it means kicking your parents out of a nursing home or turning off Medicaid for the poorest children. They know what they are doing is deeply unpopular. They are offering a tax cut to the most wealthy that is 850 times larger than what they are offering working people. Oh and by the way, any tax cuts for working people are going to be washed out by higher costs for basic necessities, like health care and food. It’s a fundamental injustice. 

Thanks to your pressure and support, many of my Democratic colleagues have joined my effort to do everything we can to make sure they cannot destroy democracy and steal your money in the dark of the night. We are being loud about what is happening. I’m going to continue to grind the gears of Congress down as much as possible to make it that much harder and slower to get away with this corruption. That’s why the votes lasted until nearly 5 AM. 

This is a five-alarm fire. I don’t think we have two years to plan and fight back. I think we have months. It’s still in our power to stop the destruction of our democracy with mass mobilization and effective opposition from elected officials. So we can’t miss any opportunity to take advantage of opportunities to put Republicans on the record and shine a light on what is happening. 

And you have a role to play in this as well. I need you to amplify what’s happening, support the leaders who are fighting for you to make sure they can continue speaking truth to power against Musk and Trump’s billionaire cronies, and show up at rallies and town halls. Use every tool at your disposal to send a message loud and clear about how you expect my colleagues to lead and fight in this moment.

Every best wish, 
US Senator Chris Murphy (D - CT)
 
!!! NO VERIFICATION AT THIS TIME !!! 

2025/03/01

So,.... Slack was down.....

 Thousands Reported Issues With Messaging Platform



To be truthful, I hardly noticed it.  I don't really rely on this platform, or any messaging platform for that matter.  I'm a Luddite maybe.