Reading

Current Mood: awake
Current Music: some piece of sky syrup on the hotel PA system

Entry tags:

Frugal Friday

Welcome back to Frugal Friday! This is a weekly forum post to encourage people to share tips on saving money, especially but not only by doing stuff yourself. A new post will be going up every Friday, and will remain active until the next one goes up. Contributions will be moderated, of course, and I have some simple rules to offer, which may change further as we proceed.

Rule #1:  this is a place for polite, friendly conversations about how to save money in difficult times. It's not a place to post news, views, rants, or emotional outbursts about the reasons why the times are difficult and saving money is necessary. Nor is it a place to use a money saving tip to smuggle in news, views, etc. I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #2:  this is not a place for you to sell goods or services, period. Here again, I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #3:  please give your tip a heading that explains briefly what it's about.  Homemade Chicken Soup, Garden Containers, Cheap Attic Insulation, and Vinegar Cleans Windows are good examples of headings. That way people can find the things that are relevant for them. If you don't put a heading on your tip it will be deleted.

Rule #4: don't post anything that would amount to advocating criminal activity. Any such suggestions will not be put through.

Rule #5: don't post LLM ("AI") generated content, and don't bring up the subject unless you're running a homemade LLM program on your own homebuilt, steam-powered server farm.

With that said, have at it!

Entry tags:

9/29/25 - 10/3/25

* In the midst of everything, the Lenovo Lemon Lemoned. More details below. Basically, I can't do the aggegate under these conditions. The refurbished, while excellent hasn't the memory for it, and it's simply to much work to do with all my prep inaccessible. I'm posting the smidgen I had scaffolded now as I've no guarantee it'll be here next reboot and I'm going to try to trick Best Buy into helping free. I have 4 dollars and change in my bank account as of this writing so paying for help is impossible until social security comes.

* "Jane Goodall, famed primatologist and conservationist, dies at 91:" https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/jane-goodall-famed-primatologist-anthropologist-conservationist-dead-91/story?id=109868347

* I went to the Ostio. We are proceeding with hip physio as expected. Bonus, he did a steroid injection in my right hip joint. I had steroid injections to the hip joints more than 15 years ago. They got rid of the ground glass sensation and rolled back the pain several years. This one is already a noticeable improvement. I'm to go back for the left in a month or two.

In other news, when I tried to log on to Firefox Tuesday night everything was gone. As usual the restore previous session option was greyed out. I absolutely don't have time or energy to try to hand restore it all today or really at any time this month. Still I guess it's now on my Wednesday night's to do list. So much work has been lost, and I won't be able to get much of it back.

Plus someone I care about very much is dying and the grief keeps hitting me in waves. I don't really want to talk about it. I'm talking with him and other people who know him. I'm just explaining that a lot of my energy is going into that right now.

This fucking year.

* Wednesday, I managed to break down the living room airconditioner. It's a whole drama as everything needs to be cleaned, drained, etc.. and the metal piece that goes in the window broke early in HoA Bedroom Attack Crisis. I did my best with the good duct tape. (NOTE to self. Need more Duct tape.) These uses a lot of spoons and also involved a closet reorganization as it gets stored right in front of where the water filter is now. It's short enough to not interfere with filter access at all, but a bunch of things had ended up in the hole the air conditioner fits in so I had to pull them out and deal with the TV trays endlessly falling off their rack and make everything fit back in around the unit. At least the air conditioner has little wheels under it, but I still have to manhandle over even small obstacles and I take it out on the patio to drain.

We mostly talked linguistics over dinner.

All night, everytime I got up, I did small prep things for fish reorganization. At least it's something.

I've started try to deal with the waterfox crash, but it's going to be a slog.

* Lenovo Laptop is broken again.

Just before bed Tursday morning, the connectivity went out just on the problematic Lenovo Lemon. The one I need to do all the aggregate things because it has enough memory to do it. Squirrel's laptop and the second hand refurbished connect just fine.

I can't do the aggregate if I don't find a solution. All the prep is over there.

I tried the usual things: reboots, checking connectivity. Coming back more than twelve hours later in case it is a temporary glitch. The computer claims it's connected, but it isn't. Disconning wifi and reconnecting it. Troubleshooting tool (It has never once worked for me in 30 years). Following a complicated set of directions written for someone else with the same trouble. Running an antivirus scan.

I spent two - three hours deleting things. I'll probably keep picking at that.

I'm out of ideas.

Does anyone know how to connect a Lenovo to the Internet after it breaks like this? Is there a trick to getting the web browser to talk to the part that says the wifi is working?

* "Sunday Sweets: Gothic Elegance:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-gothic-elegance-2025

* What to help support all of us all here at the Cat Asylum? https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

Measure Twice, Cut Once

https://xkcd.com/3149/

"Measure zero times, cut zero times." --carpenter who has achieved enlightenment and realized the wood is fine where it is

https://xkcd.com/3149/

Entry tags:

confederates never learn a goddamn thing

If anyone’s wondering whether US farmers exporting to China just need a little “temporary help” to get over Trump’s trade war, read this thread from farmer Sarah Taber on Mastodon. She’s a farmer from North Carolina and deeply involved in farming issues. Read all of the thread.

If you won’t, though – if know your US Civil War history, you might know about how the Confederacy self-embargoed cotton exports, withholding “King Cotton” from the market.

They thought it would grind textiles production in the UK to a halt and force the UK to come in on their side of the war.

What happened instead was Egyptian cotton.

Trump pulled his bullshit thinking China would bow to him over soybeans; what happened instead was Brazil and Argentina. They haven’t bought a single goddamn US soybean since last spring, as South America ramped production right the fuck up.

Soybeans were the US’s largest agricultural export.

Emphasis on were.

And arguably, it gets worse from there.

So seriously, go read the thread. It’s good, knowledgable shit.

Posted via Solarbird{y|z|yz}, Collected.

Deadwood Pasture

Down at the Red Barn we have a pasture called Deadwood. At least 3 very large, old oaks have died in that pasture over the last 10 or 12 years. Today I got a call from Lily that a tree was down on the fence. Yet another huge limb had broken off and landed upside down, this time on the fence. I cut, Lily pulled brush. We got a lot done, but didn't finish getting it on the ground. All the leafy branches are off and piled in a burn pile. The big heavy part of the limb, where it attached to the trunk, is halfway to the ground and shouldn't be to hard to finish off.

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Led Zeppelin, "When The Levee Breaks"

Entry tags:

Open (More or Less) Post on Covid 215

We are now into the fifth year of these open posts. When I first posted a tentative hypothesis on the course of the Covid phenomenon, I had no idea that discussion on the subject would still be necessary all these years later, much less that it would turn into so lively, complex, and troubling a conversation. Still, here we are. Crude death rates and other measures of collapsing public health remain anomalously high in many countries, but nobody in authority wants to talk about the inadequately tested experimental Covid injections that are the most likely cause; ~~public health authorities~~ government shills for the pharmaceutical industry are still trying to push through laws that will allow them to force vaccinations on anyone they want; public trust in science is collapsing; new revelations are leaking out about just how bad the Covid vaccines are for human health; and the story continues to unfold.

So it's time for another open post. The rules have been slightly expanded due to a recent discussion here:

1. If you plan on parroting the party line of the medical industry and its paid shills, please go away. This is a place for people to talk openly, honestly, and freely about their concerns that the party line in question is dangerously flawed and that actions being pushed by the medical industry and its government enablers are causing injury and death on a massive scale. It is not a place for you to dismiss those concerns. Anyone who wants to hear the official story and the arguments in favor of it can find those on hundreds of thousands of websites.

2. If you plan on insisting that the current situation is the result of a deliberate plot by some villainous group of people or other, please go away. There are tens of thousands of websites currently rehashing various conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 outbreak and the vaccines. This is not one of them. What we're exploring is the likelihood that what's going on is the product of the same arrogance, incompetence, and corruption that the medical industry and its wholly owned politicians have displayed so abundantly in recent decades. That possibility deserves a space of its own for discussion, and that's what we're doing here.

3. If you plan on using rent-a-troll derailing or disruption tactics, please go away. I'm quite familiar with the standard tactics used by troll farms to disrupt online forums, and am ready, willing, and able -- and in fact quite eager -- to ban people permanently for engaging in them here. Oh, and I also lurk on other Covid-19 vaccine skeptic blogs, so I'm likely to notice when the same posts are showing up on more than one venue.

4. If you plan on making off topic comments, please go away. This is an open post for discussion of the Covid epidemic, the vaccines, drugs, policies, and other measures that supposedly treat it, and other topics directly relevant to those things. It is not a place for general discussion of unrelated topics. Nor is it a place to ask for medical advice; giving such advice, unless you're a licensed health care provider, legally counts as practicing medicine without a license and is a crime in the US. Don't even go there.

5. If you don't believe in treating people with common courtesy, please go away. I have, and enforce, a strict courtesy policy on my blogs and online forums, and this is no exception. The sort of schoolyard bullying that takes place on so many other internet forums will get you deleted and banned here. Also, please don't drag in current quarrels about sex, race, religions, etc. No, I don't care if you disagree with that: my journal, my rules.

6. Please don't just post bare links without explanation. A sentence or two telling readers what's on the other side of the link is a reasonable courtesy, and if you don't include it, your attempted post will be deleted.

7. Please don't post LLM ("AI") generated text. This is a place for human beings to talk to other human beings, not for the regurgitation of machine-generated text. Also, please don't discuss large language models (the technology popularly and inaccurately called "artificial intelligence" these days) except as they bear directly on the Covid phenomenon. Here again, my finger is hovering over the delete button.

Please also note that nothing posted here should be construed as medical advice, which neither I nor the commentariat (excepting those who are licensed medical providers) are qualified to give. Please take your medical questions to the licensed professional provider of your choice.

With that said, the floor is open for discussion.

Flu Shot, Range Hood, Obstacle Prep

M and I drove to Santa Rosa today. We went early and picked up the new hood for my stove. Then went up to Kaiser for my eye appointment. I got a flue vaccination, M got both flu and Covid. He usually doesn't react much but this time he definitely did.
It rained today about 1/4 of an inch. Got the windshield cleaned and back on the Gator.
Chopped up the 14 ft 2x6 lumber to make 10 foot pieces plus three 15 inch pieces per board. My waste was about 2 1/2 inches of each board, which is pretty good I think!! We will use those chunks as kindling.
Did a short lesson with Firefly. Trotting when I trotted, a bunch of yeilding and then some work with the reins. She is getting better and better about understanding rein cues. Overall she is a delight to handle.
In addition to the bridges I'm building I need to build what we used to call "apple boxes" at work. That is a term from the world of film, and I'm certain the original items were indeed wooden apple boxes! Apple boxes these days are rectangular boxes with plywood on every side. Usually there are handholds cut into the ends. They are endlessly useful, they could be a step, tucked under something to raise it up, shoved under a heavy floor unit to hold it up until legs can be attached, as a seat for stagehands and so on. I want to make several so I can use them for an obstacle. Think of a really giant beach ball. Like the office balls that people sit on instead of a chair. There is an obstacle where the horse has to push the ball through a U shaped track. In order to keep the ball from rolling away we put poles up about 1 foot high. Those poles have to be supported without sticking out into the open pathway. I think apple boxes would be perfect to hold the poles up. Light, easy to move, and I have tons of scrap plywood to make them out of. I'm really glad I've got the shop up and running! It makes building this kind of thing easy.

100% All Achievements

https://xkcd.com/3148/

I'm trying to share my footage of the full run to prove it's not tool-assisted, but the uploader has problems with video lengths of more than a decade.

https://xkcd.com/3148/

9/22/25 - 9/29/25

* Once Again I'm cutting things off short because if I don't it'll be two weeks.

* "France joins other Western nations in recognizing Palestinian state:" https://archive.ph/Frwjj

* "Trump promises Arab, Muslim leaders he won’t let Israel annex the West Bank:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/24/trump-west-bank-annex-00578051?nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nname=playbook&nrid=00000161-569f-d319-af75-779f95d20000

******

* "Backing away from Russia, Trump says Ukraine should win back its land and NATO allies should shoot down incursions:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/23/trump-nato-shoot-down-russia-00576909

* "Trump blasts the UN for not ‘living up’ to its potential:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/23/trump-blasts-un-peacemaking-00576177?cdmc=33757RXEJtLraOMn9F8cSEOvJET&refcode2=33757RXEJtLraOMn9F8cSEOvJET&refcodecdmc=33757RXEJtLraOMn9F8cSEOvJET

* "EU, WHO counter Trump's warnings on autism and pregnancy:" https://archive.ph/GKsTo

* "‘Disturbing’: Trump’s bizarre speech to UN and Tylenol tirade spark mental concerns :" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-disturbing-trump-s-bizarre-speech-to-un-and-tylenol-tirade-spark-mental-concerns-248201797702

* "After mechanical challenges, UN says Trump’s team to blame for nonworking escalator and teleprompter:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-un-escalator-teleprompter-ddfc0875301f29d71625b353f2c2f832

* "Donald Trump’s infamous escalator rides reveal a man who always goes down, never up:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/donald-trump-escalator-rides

* "Trump humiliated by UN escalator; Anatomy of a 'Donald Trump rage cycle':" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-humiliated-by-un-escalator-anatomy-of-a-donald-trump-rage-cycle-248212549524

* "Jacinda Ardern - “A Different Kind of Power” | The Daily Show:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump signs executive order supporting proposed deal to put TikTok under US ownership:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-china-framework-deal-fff6094ef7012840ec726fcf2cb68aef

This is likely a give away to more of his billionaire friends and the Right wing take over of another social media platform. Sigh.

* "Fed Chair Powell says rising inflation and slow hiring pose 'challenging situation':" https://abcnews.go.com/Business/fed-chair-powell-rising-inflation-slow-hiring-pose/story?id=125857000

* "Bureau of Labor Statistics postpones key data report:" https://www.axios.com/2025/09/19/bls-cpi-report-inflation

* "Trump would eviscerate Fed independence with Lisa Cook firing, her lawyers tell Supreme Court:" https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/25/federal-reserve-lisa-cook-trump-scotus.html

* "White House tries to tamp down corporate panic for high-skill visa holders after last-minute overhaul:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/20/donald-trump-h1b-visas-overhaul-00574345

* "Illegal Shakedown of Legal Immigrants:"

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* "Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill banning law enforcement and ICE from wearing masks:" https://www.npr.org/2025/09/21/nx-s1-5549089/gov-gavin-newsom-signs-bill-banning-law-enforcement-and-ice-from-wearing-masks

* "ICE Vows to Ignore Gavin Newsom Mask Ban:" https://www.newsweek.com/ice-masks-gavin-newsom-california-2134014

* "'This was never about public safety': NYC leader on standing up to Trump's ICE crackdown:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-this-was-never-about-public-safety-nyc-leader-on-standing-up-to-trump-s-ice-crackdown-248041541813

* "Tamale vendor arrested by ICE on Southwest Side of Chicago:" https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/tamale-vendor-arrested-ice-agents-back-of-the-yards/

* "Children’s Hospital Chaplain Jailed by Trump Administration Finally Released:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-ayman-soliman-childrens-hospital-chaplain-released-1235431374/

* "Beloved Ohio Imam released from ICE custody after 10 weeks:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/beloved-ohio-imam-released-from-ice-custody-after-10-weeks-248550981744

* Here are some ways to help Immigrants and the anti-ICE Protesters:

Immigrant Defenders: https://give.immdef.org/give/545119/#!/donation/checkout
The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/
National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory
Amnesty International: protect asylum-seekers: https://donate.amnestyusa.org/page/113080/donate/1
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
CHIRLA: https://www.chirla.org/
AL Otro Lado: https://alotrolado.networkforgood.com/projects/63833-al-otro-lado-fund
Mid-South Immigration Advocates: https://miamemphis.org/
"Know Your Rights:" https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights

* "Are Americans Eligible for Asylum?:"

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*** Illegal MILITARY OCCUPATION News ***

* "Trump’s Most Dangerous Executive Order:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/trump-order-national-guard-protests-rapid-reaction-force-1235422636/

* "Things to know about federal law enforcement activity in Chicago, Portland, Memphis:" https://apnews.com/article/portland-chicago-memphis-federal-crackdowns-trump-7a45dcf0e7e2bd7debb38603e5b4f660

* "Trump orders deployment of troops to Portland and authorizes 'full force':" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddmn6ge6e2o

* "'Way beyond the pale of reason': Former congressman slams Trump ordering troops to Portland:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-way-beyond-the-pale-of-reason-former-congressman-slams-trump-ordering-troops-to-portland-248521285786

* "UNINVITED: OR Sen. Jeff Merkley SLAMS Trump's threat to send troops to Portland:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/uninvited-or-sen-jeff-merkley-slams-trump-s-threat-to-send-troops-to-portland-248521797852

* "Memphis mayor says he got confirmation National Guard would be deployed from Trump’s TV comments:" https://apnews.com/article/memphis-national-guard-trump-29ffad97499a0995ea952f7a0e7b112c

Since this is state terrorism a surprise invasion is an important tactic.

* "Trump’s Strategy to ‘Make Memphis Safe Again’ Has Failed Once Before:" https://archive.ph/ex8lS

* "Latinos in Memphis worry about possible immigration crackdown by Trump’s crime task force:" https://apnews.com/article/memphis-trump-crime-task-force-latinos-immigration-9b69e5a1d502a6774c1af9986d39d7bc

* "Trump Memphis takeover would undermine 'freedom' & 'American norms': Tennessee mayor:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/trump-memphis-takeover-would-undermine-freedom-american-norms-tennessee-mayor-247540293733

* Trump is likely laying groundwork for another illegal military invasion of a US City: "Ukrainian refugee killed in North Carolina gets dragged into political messaging war:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/08/trump-blames-democrats-murder-ukrainian-refugee-00551419

* "National Guard members, employees run the gamut politically, based on a review of their campaign giving:" https://chicago.suntimes.com/the-watchdogs/2025/09/14/national-guard-chicago-president-trump-campaign-contributions-illinois

* "A Conversation with Gov. JB Pritzker | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart:"

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* Resistance Matters! Illinois and Chicago pushed back hard on Trump's threats to invade and he backed off! "Pritzker on bowing to Trump intimidation: The consequences of not standing up are worse:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/pritzker-on-bowing-to-trump-intimidation-the-consequences-of-not-standing-up-are-worse-247824453962

* "DC Mayor Bowser says National Guard has not driven crime down:" https://thehill.com/homenews/5510543-dc-muriel-bowser-trump-national-guard/

* "Trump Suggests Domestic Violence Isn’t Really A Crime And Critics Pounce:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/critics-shocked-at-trumps-domestic-violence-crime-comment_n_68bf048fe4b055a5037b9638

* "Trump downplays domestic violence in speech about religious freedom:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-downplays-domestic-violence

* "Trump diminishes domestic violence to support his bogus crime claims:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-diminishes-domestic-violence-to-support-his-bogus-crime-claims-247254085797

* "Army extends orders for DC National Guard through Nov. 30: Officials:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/army-extends-orders-dc-national-guard-nov-30/story?id=125266247

* "National Guard troops in D.C. share their thoughts on the deployment:" https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5543211/national-guard-troops-in-d-c-share-their-thoughts-on-the-deployment

* "Scenes from DC as federal agents, National Guard patrol capital streets:" https://www.reuters.com/pictures/scenes-dc-federal-agents-national-guard-patrol-capital-streets-2025-09-23/

* "College students in DC protest Trump administration and their own leaders:" https://wtop.com/dc/2025/09/college-students-around-dc-protest-trump-administration-and-their-own-leaders/

* "Watch Trump be called ‘Hitler of our time’ to his face during trip to fancy D.C. restaurant:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-called-hitler-dc-gaza

* "DC Juries Refuse to Indict Protestors:"

( Embed: )

*** ***

* "What Karoline Leavitt calls Trump’s 'authenticity' is abhorrent to the rest of the world:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/trump-abhorrent-united-nations-speech

* "Maddow: For a would-be strongman, Trump is profoundly weak:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-for-a-would-be-strongman-trump-is-profoundly-weak-247652933679

* " Trump says he’d consider banning LGBTQ+ Pride flags in alarming Oval Office exchange :" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-considers-pride-flag-bans

* "Trump orders removal of peace vigil site near White House:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-orders-peace-vigil-removed

* "Trump ‘Walk of Fame’ Mocks Biden With Portrait of Autopen:" https://archive.ph/cuhJn

* "Statue of Trump and Epstein holding hands appears on the National Mall:" https://www.axios.com/2025/09/23/trump-epstein-statue-dc-national-mall

* "Trump's Biggest Grift Yet:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump signs proclamation allowing death penalty in D.C. crime cases:" https://archive.ph/9bMqc

* "DOJ sues 6 states for private voter data, voting rolls:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/25/department-of-justice-voting-rolls-data-00581182

* "Why Trump REALLY Cares About Flag Burning:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump Thinks He Criminalized Flag Burning (He Didn't):"

( Embed: )

* "Trump executive order aims to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-department-of-war-8cb6fe42fee4128f5a8fcab3f49e6e41

* "Hegseth abruptly summons top military commanders to a meeting in Virginia next week:" https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-meeting-military-commanders-4ceb8026bff7c652b08c08e8afb1df99

This is incredibly expensive and compromises security and morale for something that could have been an Email.

* "Pentagon to limit journalists’ access unless they agree not to publish certain information:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/19/pentagon-limits-access-journalists-00574227

* "'Beyond comprehension': National security expert slams new Pentagon 'pledge' for journalists:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-beyond-comprehension-national-security-expert-slams-new-pentagon-pledge-for-journalists-248015941526

* "Trump aide Homan accepted $50,000 in bribery sting operation, sources say:" https://archive.ph/LMIfh

* "Democrats Open Inquiries Into Handling of Homan Investigation:" https://archive.ph/YAGJ6

* "Tom Homan "should be held accountable" for undercover FBI sting, top Dem says:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/homan-scandal-drags-out-as-trump-guts-anti-corruption-teams-248216133919

* "MSNBC EXCLUSIVE: Tom Homan investigated for accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. Trump's DOJ shut it down.:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/msnbc-exclusive-tom-homan-investigated-for-accepting-50-000-from-undercover-fbi-agents-trump-s-doj-shut-it-down-248013893853

* "'Tom Homan needs to be fired immediately': Rep. Garcia blasts border czar after new MSNBC reporting:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-tom-homan-needs-to-be-fired-immediately-rep-garcia-blasts-border-czar-after-new-msnbc-reporting-248014405765

* "DOJ Deletes Study Showing Domestic Terrorists Are Most Often Right Wing:" https://www.404media.co/doj-deletes-study-showing-domestic-terrorists-are-most-often-right-wing/

* " Feds quietly scrub transgender people from national security reports on threats to LGBTQ+ community:" https://www.advocate.com/news/feds-scrub-threat-reports-transgender

* "Former top FBI officials sue, say Kash Patel fired them to stay in Trump's good graces:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/former-top-fbi-officials-sue-say-kash-patel-fired-stay-trumps-good-gra-rcna230369

* "No one likes a hothead and a jerk, especially one who is the director of the FBI:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/kash-patel-pathetic-hothead

* "Trump's immigration fixation sucks resources from FBI's child exploitation policing:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-s-immigration-fixation-sucks-resources-from-fbi-s-child-exploitation-policing-247737413630

* "Scott Bessent threatened to punch a fellow Trump official in the 'f***ing face,' Politico reports:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/scott-bessent-threat-reports

* "Why 1 in 6 U.S. parents say they skipped or delayed their kids’ vaccines:" https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2025/09/15/why-1-6-us-parents-say-they-skipped-delayed-kids-vaccines/86162386007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=pp&gca-ds=override

* "RFK Jr.'s latest ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report calls for more scrutiny of vaccines and autism:" https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-trump-health-maha-pharma-autism-55db3f5c14a6e3a2aef2483d21ac679b

Hint: There is no connection. He's just lying.

* "CDC vaccine advisers: Remove blanket recommendation for Covid-19 shot for older Americans:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/19/kennedys-vaccine-advisers-vote-to-remove-blanket-recommendation-that-older-americans-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-00573309

* "CDC advisers punt on hepatitis B vaccine vote, after changing guidance on MMRV:" https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5542082/cdc-acip-vaccine-hepatitis-b-mmrv

* "Fired CDC head defends her reputation and vaccine science at Senate hearing:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/17/fired-cdc-head-defends-her-reputation-and-vaccine-science-at-senate-hearing-00569224

* "Sen. Mullin cites recording as he accuses CDC leader of repeatedly lying, later walks it back:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-sen-mullin-cites-recording-as-he-accuses-cdc-leader-of-repeatedly-lying-later-walks-it-back

* "Republicans flop trying to push Trump's bogus line on vaccines at Senate hearing:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/republicans-flop-trying-to-push-trump-s-bogus-line-on-vaccines-at-senate-hearing-247827525686

* "WTF Is Happening With Vaccines In America?:"

( Embed: )

* "Grandparents for Vaccines launches to share stories of life before immunizations:" https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/grandparents-for-vaccines-stories-life-before-immunizations/283-27bf3ad5-ca2f-4df8-afb6-255d25e62931

* "Trump's poor choice of health secretary bites him as states step up to lead instead:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-s-poor-choice-of-health-secretary-bites-him-as-states-step-up-to-lead-instead-247148613531

* "Trump makes unfounded claims about Tylenol and repeats discredited link between vaccines and autism:" https://apnews.com/article/tylenol-cause-autism-trump-kennedy-0847ee76eedecbd5e9baa6888b567d66

* "FDA to approve drug to treat autism symptoms:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/22/fda-to-approve-prescription-drug-to-treat-certain-children-with-symptoms-of-autism-00575580

* "Trump administration releases long awaited MAHA roadmap:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/09/trump-kennedy-releases-maha-roadmap-pesticides-food-vaccine-00552849?nid=0000018f-3124-de07-a98f-3be4d1400000&nname=politico-toplines&nrid=93b019f9-48b0-48be-9c6a-e67440b8bd3d

* "Trump Is Shutting Down the War On Cancer:" https://archive.ph/u95h7

* "Judge blocks Trump administration’s subpoena of trans kids’ medical records from Boston hospital:" https://apnews.com/article/transgender-youth-medical-records-boston-subpoena-trump-66eea046b210b18f6bac389ad7cb5652

* "Military families sue Trump administration over gender-affirming care ban:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/military-transgender-care-lawsuit

* "Maine fights Trump DOJ demand for identity of every student athlete in the state:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/maine-fights-trump-doj-demand-for-identity-of-every-student-athlete-in-the-state

* "USDA’s latest funding holdup:" https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-agriculture/2025/09/08/usdas-latest-funding-holdup-00549937

* "US Department of Agriculture Puts Some Food Researchers on Leave:" https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2025-09-23/us-department-of-agriculture-puts-some-food-researchers-on-leave

* "After cuts to food stamps, Trump administration ends government’s annual report on hunger in America:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-ending-america-hunger-report-snap-cuts-750f90757f50ab2d8bc97dfca5a917dd

* "EPA reorganization sparks fears of ‘political interference’:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/22/epa-reorganization-political-interference-00574943

* "The EPA wants to end a requirement that large polluters report their greenhouse gas emissions:" https://apnews.com/article/epa-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reporting-pollution-zeldin-124595af7b9c96818336701ffedae71d

* "Trump EPA officials order scientists at Office of Water to stop publishing research, report says:" https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-epa-scientists-water-research-b2830523.html

* "Trump Cancels Trail, Bike-Lane Grants Deemed ‘Hostile’ to Cars:" https://archive.ph/rkYdX

* "Trump to Redirect $2.4 Billion in California High-Speed Rail Aid:" https://archive.ph/nUXde

* "National park to remove photo of enslaved man’s scars:" https://archive.ph/nkzEj

* "U.S. Education Dept. unites conservative groups to create 'patriotic' civics content:" https://www.npr.org/2025/09/17/nx-s1-5544582/u-s-education-dept-unites-conservative-groups-to-create-patriotic-civics-content

* "Programs for Students With Hearing and Vision Loss Harmed by Trump’s Anti-Diversity Push:" https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dei-students-education-deaf-blind-grant-funding

* "Judge orders Trump administration to restore more than $500 million in research funds to UCLA:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/22/judge-orders-trump-administration-to-restore-more-than-500-million-in-ucla-cuts-00573975

* "UCLA enacts new campus protest rules, several that mirror Trump’s demands:" https://archive.ph/kLAhR

* "Court sides with ACLU and queer performers over federal trans funding restrictions:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/aclu-wins-arts-funding-suit

* "Gay Republican group invited by Ric Grenell heckled and booed musician Yasmin Williams at Kennedy Center:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/log-cabin-republicans-yasmin-williams-kennedy-center

* "Don’t STEAL Act:" https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5048?s=1&r=1

* "H.R.5106 - Restore Trust in Congress Act:" https://thisfinecrew.dreamwidth.org/315708.html

* Our job for the next year and a half is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.

We are trying to build a good list of resistance resources.

Please add more below if you have them.

* "Take action with Indivisible:" https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/

* Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide. https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1

* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond

* If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

And another: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

Snail Mail Campaigns: https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3622760.html

"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/

White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/

ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives

This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/

"The Public Comment Process (+ how to write effective public comments):" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/781844516804149248?source=share

Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

"Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/

Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share

Protests: "50501 Events:" https://www.fiftyfifty.one/events

How to render emergency aid in a riot: https://riotmedicine.net/static/downloads/riot-medicine_a5.pdf

"How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely

"ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/

Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/

* "Adelita Grijalva wins special election to replace her father:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/23/adelita-grijalva-special-election-00576312

* "Protesters outside Pulse angry at lack of arrest after man confronted and assaulted them on video:" https://www.advocate.com/news/pulse-protesters-driver-assault

* "Missouri LGBTQ+ center receives threat but will carry on with Pride event:" https://www.advocate.com/news/missouri-lgbtq-center-threat

* "1 detainee killed and 2 others critically injured in Dallas ICE facility, Homeland Security says:" https://apnews.com/article/ice-facility-shooting-dallas-immigration-d49f76ffc95572970ede58ef15769fe4

* "Dallas shooter sought to 'terrorize' ICE workers, official says:" https://www.npr.org/2025/09/25/nx-s1-5553470/latest-updates-dallas-ice-shooting

* I am struggling to reconcile the shooter only targeting unarmed detainees and not ICE officers with official claims that this was a targeted terrorist attack on ICE officers by the left.

Which doesn't mean it isn't, it's just wildly illogical that it would be.

Also, Kash Patel and other officials lied blatantly about the last shooting to use it to strip human and civil rights from trans people even though the shooter wasn't trans and they don't do that to target cis straight white men who do most of the mass shootings in this country.

Given the glee and volume with which they lie it is hard to trust anything officials say these days.

Again, doesn't mean it's not true, just all statements must be taken with a grain of salt.

Lets hope time will tell.

* "Judge chides Trump officials' posts about Luigi Mangione after Charlie Kirk killing:" https://gothamist.com/news/doj-statements-about-luigi-mangione-appear-to-break-court-rules-judge-says

* "Will Charlie Kirk's Assassin Get The Death Penalty? What About Luigi?:"

( Embed: )

*** Kirk/Kimmel/Related Pretextual Right Wing Terrorism and Attack on our Freedoms ***

* "House approves Charlie Kirk resolution on bipartisan vote:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/09/19/congress/house-approves-kirk-resolution-00572967

Kirk was a Neo-NAZI who was in favor of political violence. The Democrats with actual consciences voted for a resolution condemning all political violence instead.

* "Where Turning Point USA's Erika Kirk stands on gender roles, marriage, and motherhood:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/erika-kirk-turning-point-usa

* "Grindr addresses rumors of an outage linked to Charlie Kirk's memorial service:" https://www.advocate.com/news/charlie-kirk-memorial-grindr-outage

* "Is Charlie Kirk's Killer A Leftist?:"

( Embed: )

* "How RICO Could Be Used Against Leftists:"

( Embed: )

* "Kimmel jabs 'bully' Trump for restricting free speech:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/24/jimmy-kimmel-return-monologue-00576321

* "'Anti-American': Trump's free speech attacks on Kimmel backfire in ratings jump:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/-anti-american-trump-s-free-speech-attacks-on-kimmel-backfire-in-ratings-jump-248301125610

* "Kimmel makes emotional return to TV as public pressure appears to force ABC reversal:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/kimmel-makes-emotional-return-to-tv-as-public-pressure-appears-to-force-abc-reversal-248214597876

* This is why it's so important to stay noisy and keep pushing back.

* "Democrats demand answers after Jimmy Kimmel blackout from Nexstar and Sinclair media companies:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/congressional-nexstar-sinclair-kimmel-probe

* "Kimmel returns, but Trump favor-seeking corporations take viewing choice away from locals:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/kimmel-returns-but-trump-favor-seeking-corporations-take-viewing-choice-away-from-locals-248213061863

* "Sinclair and Nexstar restore 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to their local TV stations:" https://www.npr.org/2025/09/26/nx-s1-5554473/jimmy-kimmel-sinclair-disney-abc-preempt-restore-nexstar

* These are pre-Kimmel return, but show the stakes. I'm going to include the John Oliver even though I normally group him in political humor near the bottom given the circumstances.

* "Jimmy Kimmel And The Death of Free Speech:"

( Embed: )

* "Jimmy Kimmel & the FCC: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

( Embed: )

* "Using an AI Browser Lets Hackers Drain Your Bank Account Just by Showing You a Public Reddit Post:" https://futurism.com/ai-browser-hackers-drain-bank-account-public-reddit-post

* The Flu and COVID Boosters finally arrived here end of last week. Monday was the first shot day at the Poverty Clinic, so I went down to grab them because fuck knows what the Anti-vaxxer committee will outlaw tomorrow. Pharmacy lady giving shots: Yeah, my supervisor suggested we all get ours now just in case.

* Tuesday I actually remembered to turn up at the right time for new building key distribution for the Complex. I gave my apartment number and the guy was like: I know who you are! I've seen you going in and out of your apartment. Look, I was wearing my mask, but apparently he picked up on my surprise and alarm from what he could see of my expression. Him: Don't worry! I'm not stalking you! I like to look in when I walk my dog past your windows! Me: O.o Me, scrambling for a response to a HoA Board member saying that, and coming up with nothing/: My cats do like watching the dog walkers.

Was it the ideal response? No, but also, I want to keep my garden and Halloween decorations. In his defense, he seemed socially inept and well meaning, not scary, but I just… had zero social scripts for this situation. I'm not entirely sure he was trying and not succeeding at either initiating friendship and/or flirting. O.o

This Covid Booster is a lot easier than the last one. I can't tell if the Wednesday itch and low grade fever are it or the influenza jab as flu shoots generally cause those. Same with the extra tired, though it's way better than either last year. The mildly extra lung gunk is probably the COVID booster. Either way, aces. I feel a lot safer having them on board.

Wednesday I was awakened at 9:02AM by a man needing to know which patio was mine so he could clean my vents. I had no idea any vent cleaning was occurring as it wasn't in any communication from HoA or City Contractors. I directed him anyway. He's like: I need you to move all these plants.

I didn't know they were coming. I didn't know I needed to have levitated the big plant shelving with the heavy large long beds including the spearmint which is too high and heavy for me.

He said he'd contact his supervisor and reschedule.

I just spent two weeks exhausting myself rearranging the entire garden for the HoA. Now this. Where the fuck can I even move these things? How the fuck can I move these things? I suppose if they tell me which day they are coming I can get Squirrel to help me carry the beds inside for the night, but we don't really have room for this. Or Spoons. And where am I to put the shelving itself? Also, odds are this will really fuck up the spearmint which grows up through the shelf, and yeah it's end of season but spearmint is perennial. IDK. I keep hoping it's some sort of mistake, but they had my address and phone number.

* I am back to the picking away at the apartment after the Great HoA Bedroom Invasion. I put some things away Thursday on a high shelf, which is exhausting. Moved some boxes to my room for yet more starting. I am starting to really worry about the missing book box even though I know it surely must be somewhere. Friday, I did more sorting, put away forage, and changed the highest volume litter.

* I've been doing a lot of that painful precarious standing to do fiddly things with my arms up on high shelves. It is more tiring than it sounds. Pick pick pick. Next up: fish storage reorganization and resorted boxes from my room. The fish stuff is more urgent because of inspection coming up. It also involves a lot of crawling around on the floor.

* A friend in need: https://www.gofundme.com/f/small-business-creating-artistic-solutions?attribution_id=sl%3Ac83a07d3-8543-4aa5-9a29-f7ca8620c897&lang=en_US&ts=1755130502

* Squirrel Needs Help with Bills!

They've been running behind since last autumn because they got scammed, plus all the stuff with the Housing issues, plus the strike this Autumn. Now they had to quarantine for most of a week because of a dangerous exposure at work. They are fine, but it means they have a small paycheck right when all the things are due, including insurance and car payment to get to work, the Internet bill, etc..

If you'd like to help them out and help keep us both online:
paypal.me/Squirrelmh

* "Jimmy Kimmel's Suspension Was Always About Censorship (Just Ask Trump) | The Daily Show:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump Blames Autism on Tylenol While Americans Prep for the Rapture on TikTok | The Daily Show:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump Targets Broken Escalator in Off-the-Rails UNGA Speech | The Daily Show:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump Suddenly Sides with Ukraine & MAGA Spins Conspiracies About U.N. Escalator | The Daily Show:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump Trolls Biden with Autopen Portrait in WH & Sics His DOJ on James Comey | The Daily Show:"

( Embed: )

* "Leslie Jones on the Dangers of Trump Memory-Holing Slavery from Our Museums | The Daily Show:"

( Embed: )

* "Disney Reinstates Jimmy Kimmel | The Rapture Is Here | Trump's Border Czar Caught Taking $50k Bribe:"

( Embed: )

* "Escalator Justice | Trump To United Nations: You Suck | Blame Tylenol | “It Can Only Good Happen”:"

( Embed: )

* "Was It Sabotage?:"

( Embed: )

* "Kimmel Returns | Escalator Investigator | Should Trump Get A Nobel Prize? | A Dog Registered To Vote:"

( Embed: )

* "The Sound Of Science: Shark Throuple | Enigmatic Dinosaurs | Ocean Photog Of The Year:"

( Embed: )

* "Triple Sabotage At The U.N. | Biden Responds To Trump's Trolling | Hegseth: Women Can't Be Warriors:"

( Embed: )

* "Celebrating 50 years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show:" https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/08/celebrating-50-years-of-the-rocky-horror-picture-show/

* ""If It Is Wrong, It's Fine":"

( Embed: )

* "Iran Responds After Being Banned From Costco:"

( Embed: )

* "Sunday Sweets: Flights of Fancy:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-flights-of-fancy-2025

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* Call RFK Jr. to complain about him not funding vaccines ph# 202-690-7000

* CW: Suicide "These hotlines are still available for LGBTQ+ youth after Trump kills 988 services:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lgbtq-youth-hotlines-still-available

* Want to help Nathan Sage against Joni Ernst? https://www.sageforsenate.com/

* Want to help Dr. Annie Andrews beat Lindsey Graham?" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/loc_annie_fr_txt_q22025?refcode=LOC_RTL_FR_2025.05.29_Lindsey-Bad-Job_B1_C1_Pros_N_Peony_RG-T1&amount=5

* Want to help Mike Pruitt in Virginia? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mike-pruitt-1?refcode=directory

* Want to help Roy Cooper in North Carolina against Michael Whatley? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/roy_cooper_email?refcode=directory

* Want to help James Osyf in Virginia Beach? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/james-osyf-1?refcode=directory

* Want to help Omar Fateh in Minneapolis? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/campaign-fund-of-omar-fateh-1?refcode=directory
( More Links Underneath: )

Lumber

After my ride I went to town and picked up several pieces of lumber. There are only a few cuts needed to put together three narrow bridges that I'll use for an obstacle next month.

Elly

I rode Elly today. She is a small pinto mare, about 20 years old, that Carol brought along for me to ride. Carrie, Carol and I went out and did a 5 mile loop, first up to Post A and then an extended Waddington Pond Loop. We were scouting for a good route for my ETS event in October. I began my ride by doing about 2 minutes of ground exercises, asking Elly to yield to me. She was good, and it really did bring her focus to me. On the trail it was clear that Elly had babysat a lot of kids. She really walked out and wasn't very good about responding to my rein cues to slow down. She was fantastic about weight and leg cues. I did my very best to demonstrate to Elly that if she responded I would instantly stop my rein cues. As the ride went on she got better and better. Carol had apologized and said she would fuss and jig the whole way home. Nope, she only fussed for a couple of steps on two or three occasions. The rest of the time she was on a loose rein. I was quite pleased. It was a nice ride only spoiled by quite smokey skies. We are getting smoke from the Oregon fires. Hopefully tomorrows storm with help put them out, I hear that Oregon could get two or three inches of rain.

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Will Ackerman, "What the Buzzard Told Suzanne"

Entry tags:

Magic Monday

It's a little past midnight, and so it's time to launch a new Magic Monday. Ask me anything about occultism, and with certain exceptions noted below, any question received by midnight Monday Eastern time will get an answer. Please note: Any question or comment received after that point will not get an answer, and in fact will not be put through. If you're in a hurry, or suspect you may be the 341,928th person to ask a question, please check out the very rough version 1.3 of The Magic Monday FAQ here.

Also: I will not be putting through or answering any more questions about practicing magic around children. I've answered those in simple declarative sentences in the FAQ. If you read the FAQ and don't think your question has been answered, read it again. If that doesn't help, consider remedial reading classes; yes, it really is as simple and straightforward as the FAQ says. And further: I've decided that questions about getting goodies from spirits are also permanently off topic here. The point of occultism is to develop your own capacities, not to try to bully or wheedle other beings into doing things for you. I've discussed this in a post on my blog.

(The image? I've finished the sequence of my published books; while I decide what I want to do next, I have some memes to share.)

Buy Me A Coffee

Ko-Fi

I've had several people ask about tipping me for answers here, and though I certainly don't require that I won't turn it down. You can use either of the links above to access my online tip jar; Buymeacoffee is good for small tips, Ko-Fi is better for larger ones. (I used to use PayPal but they developed an allergy to free speech, so I've developed an allergy to them.) If you're interested in political and economic astrology, or simply prefer to use a subscription service to support your favorite authors, you can find my Patreon page here and my SubscribeStar page here.

I've also had quite a few people over the years ask me where they should buy my books, and here's the answer. Bookshop.org is an alternative online bookstore that supports local bookstores and authors, which a certain gargantuan corporation doesn't, and I have a shop there, which you can check out here. Please consider patronizing it if you'd like to purchase any of my books online.

And don't forget to look up your Pangalactic New Age Soul Signature at CosmicOom.com.

~~With that said, have at it!~~

***This Magic Monday is now closed, and no more comments will be put through. See you next week!***

Entry tags:

Chicagoans, post pics and video!

Fascist Trump’s allies are out today repeating the “cities are war zones” lie, so anybody in Chicago needs to get out there and starting posting pictures of their “war zone” just like Portland.

“Chicago’s a nightmare, it is literally a war zone” — Rand Paul

People you expect to know better will not, in fact know better. I’ve run into this too damn many times. People who you’d think wouldn’t bite on this bullshit absolutely will bite on this bullshit. So you need to reveal the lie through a massive flood of photographic evidence you vouch for personally, yourself.

Post your reality, Chicago. Everywhere. Starting right now.

(video with relevant quote via Aaron Rupar)

Posted via Solarbird{y|z|yz}, Collected.

Current Mood: working

Entry tags:

Hali Mary

This week's Resolution Recipe: Sesame Halibut Steaks.
( Read more... )

Current Mood: curious

(no subject)

My life: gardens and birds.

Not dead, just really tired from all the outside work. I can tell it's full-on garden season by the way my floor crunches when I walk around the house. Two people and one dog enjoying bringing the outside inside.

Currently beta reading for a friend, plus re-reading the St. Mary's series. For me, beta reading involves a whole different mindset than reading for me. I can only take so much at a time. My re-read of Jodi Taylor's St. Mary's series is great fun. I'd read the whole thing, plus her Time Police books, last year while the WBH was in the hospital. No surprise that I only kinda sorta remember it. This go 'round, all the little details and plot links make sense. I should be amused for months ahead.

Not really knitting. Summer is not a good knitting time for me; however, I need something during the WBH's radio show and thus I'm working on a sock. In worsted. Yes, totally cheating.

The garden.... All around the house are gardens, all of which require time and energy. Energy = back + elbows, with a lot of sweat and swearing thrown into the mix. It's been a season. My birthday gift to myself was a gardener, who has worse health than I do, or so it seems. She's managed about half the weeks she's been scheduled. When she's here, she's amazing, and her amazing has really helped. So, I created new projects, because what is life without projects, right? Those were going along just fine, until the Pacific Ocean decided to play really rough one day during a pelagic birding trip. There were many reports of "feeding the fishes" on the stern, while on the bow, my favorite place to be, the usual bounciness went up several notches. I went down. Twice. The second time, my shoulder and elbow took enough impact that there's been six weeks of misery. There are two more trips in a week or so, and one looks like it might be a repeat. The Magic 8 Ball suggests that staying home might be a good idea.

Currently watching Generation V, S2 which is, if possible, darker than the first season.

So, tell me what you're reading? Listening to? Watching?

Hiking

https://xkcd.com/3147/

Every downhill walk is a waterslide that might have been.

https://xkcd.com/3147/

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: George Winston, "Longing/Love"

Entry tags:

Frugal Friday

More Canning

M and I put up 27 pints of pickles today, using up all 20# of the cucumbers I harvested yesterday. 15 of the pints were Bread and Butter pickles, the rest Dill with garlic. These are the first, and only Bread and Butter pickles I'm doing this year. Have no idea what I will do with the future cucumber production but I'm done canning for the year.
Edit:
Ok, I might make one more batch of Dill Pickles for my friend Phoebe.... She needs them not to have garlic in them.

Current Mood: giddy
Current Music: Yes, "Heart of the Sunrise"

Entry tags:

The Forbidden Tome of All Forbidden Tomes

...or at least it looks like that. The deluxe limited edition of my new translation of John Dee's Propaedeumata Aphoristica, Dee's first major publication, will be released next month, and there are still copies that haven't been preordered yet. The photo on the left is the riveted leather traycase marked with Dee's hieroglyphic monad. The photo below is the volume itself, with gold leaf and brass corner protectors on the cover, handsewn signatures, ribbed spine, fine Spanish endpapers, and a sewn in satin ribbon bookmark. Yes, I know it looks like the ultimate Lovecraftian tome! Azoth Press always does a good job with its fine editions, but to my mind this one's exceptional even for them. Yeah, I'm feeling a little giddy about it.

more tome

The book itself is probably the best general introduction to the worldview of Renaissance astrological magic ever written, and I've included a commentary to help unpack it. It's also essential if you want to make sense of Dee's cryptic Monas Hieroglyphica.

The deluxe edition will set you back $550 and can be purchased here. For those whose quests into eldritch and forbidden lore aren't quite so well financed, there's also a very nice hardback edition, not bound in the skins of beasts better left unnamed, for $69, which can be ordered here.

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I've been searching for my pickle recipes. I knew I wrote them down last year. Could not find anything, no paper, nothing in the computer. Eventually it was DW to the rescue. Found the recipes posted in August of last year. They are now also on my computer.