Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

I desperately hope that, yet again, i am wrong.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

The revolution will be supervised.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

‘Museums aren’t America’s attic for its racist shit.’

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

You cannot shame the shameless.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

So many bastards, so little time.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

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    108Comments

    5. 5.

      cain

      I could easily see Cole doing the same thing.

      Then again all his recent posts have had this guy’s vibe !

      Reply
    8. 8.

      John Revolta

      My favorite guy was a guy who used to work the cars at Houston St. and the Bowery with a cardboard sign that said “I am trying to raise 1,000,000.42 for Wine Research”

      Reply
    9. 9.

      Jeffro

      One of our local panhandlers has recently been displaying a sign that says “NEED $$$ FOR WEED”.  Not sure if that works better than the usual appeal or not, but hey.

      Anyway, speaking of ‘fuck it’, That Paper published an op-ed today by some no-name professor calling for liberals to have their own ‘Project 2029’…(HELLZ YEAH!!!1!)…which would mostly consist of promising better customer service from government at all levels (um WUT).

      Because, you know, that’s what most Americans are thinking about when they enter the voting booth.  “I am voting for improved customer service!”

      There are not enough eyerolls in all the world…

      Reply
    10. 10.

      scav

      My rhyming find of the day.

      One Robert Winter, 68 of Rush twp, Centre co, PA in the 1800 census. Lists himself bluntly as a hermit.

       

      oddly enough, so does GW Kaiser, 60, of the same household.

      Reply
    13. 13.

      TBone

      @scav: we live not far from R.B. Winter State Park here in central PA, but the R in that case stands for Raymond.  Possibly related (everyone else around here seems to be, sometimes).

      The park was originally called “Halfway Dam State Park”, but was renamed “R.B. Winter State Park” on May 23, 1957, to honor state forester Raymond Burrows Winter, who was instrumental in establishing the park and had worked there and the surrounding state forest for 45 years.

      But we have a real (?) hermit named Hairy John with his own park site.

      https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/02/hairy-john-legendary-hermit-who-had.html?m=1

      The legend of Hairy John Voneida is a little like a choose your adventure story.  Would you like him to have tried to enter the Mexican American War, or the Civil War?  Either way, the legend has him denied because of his “short stature”, even though he was an excellent marksman

      Reply
    15. 15.

      lowtechcyclist

      There is a road named Rural Road there?

      We’ve got a road named Country Road (take me home) here in Calvert County, so why not, I guess.

      Reply
    16. 16.

      Jackie

      This:

      “The White House has become an arm of the Kremlin. Every single day you hear from the National Security Advisor, from the President of the United States, from his entire national security team, Kremlin talking points.”

      — Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), on CNN.

      Coupled with this:

      “The Trump administration has publicly and privately signaled that it does not believe Russia represents a cyber threat against US national security or critical infrastructure, marking a radical departure from longstanding intelligence assessments,” The Guardian reports.

      And, this:

      Gizmodo: “It appears that the U.S. no longer considers Russia a significant cyber threat, according to multiple new reports on a drastic policy reversal that has taken hold under the new Trump administration.”

      “The policy shift represents a complete 180-degree turn from America’s posture over the past decade, which has consistently considered Russia one of the top cybersecurity threats. Credible reporting and government investigations have shown that Russia has hacked into U.S. systems countless times.”

      Reply
    18. 18.

      Nelle

      Last night, I took my husband to an urgent care for a rapidly worsening eye infection..he’s a pilot and needs those eyes.  Anyway, we finished there about 8:30 pm and there are only two places in the Des Moines metro where we could get the needed Rx on a weekend night.  We headed to the outpatient pharmacy at a downtown big hospital.  We had to enter through the ER entrance and it was as if there had been a mass casualty event.  No seats.  People had commandeered wheelchairs to avoid sitting on the floor.   Many looked quite ill or injured.  The pharmacist said it’s been that way for a month.  A neighbor fell on the ice last month, breaking his femur and some ribs.  It took over 24 hours in the hall before they could find a room and schedule surgery.  Is it this bad across the country?

      Reply
    19. 19.

      WaterGirl

      @Nelle:  That’s unexpected.

      Any idea what that is about?  Did they share any speculation

      P.S.  Should have said something about his eye!  How does one get an eye infection?   I have never heard of an eye infection other than pink eye, and i know how you get that.  Are the drops helping?

      Reply
    21. 21.

      Another Scott

      Laughter is good. I hope he finds a way to get through this (with any luck) temporary rough patch.

      Meanwhile, a short Fritschner thread …

      https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k7eezr2ybq7cxtptak2q4uhp/post/3ljg4ml2km223

      Aaron Fritschner
      ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬

      Politico Playbook spinning a Third Way retreat as a Democratic Party Official Response for rage clicks and getting them in massive quantity speaks to a systemic issue with Bluesky.

      It’s just insanely easy for them and Axios et al to do this, and they know it, which means they’ll just keep doing it.

      March 2, 2025 at 1:59 PM

      ‪Aaron Fritschner‬ ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬
      2h

      I mean it’s not just here, it’s also happening on other sites, but there’s a huge market for this content here specifically and they’re going to exploit it as long as that remains the case, which seems unlikely to change anytime soon. Getting that engagement on here is like shooting fish in a barrel

      ‪Aaron Fritschner‬ ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬
      2h

      My point isn’t to finger wag or mock people who are upset at that story, you feel your feelings, I’m just talking about a larger dynamic that I think is at least worth mention. I understand why it’s happening, people are legitimately mad, I just wish it was otherwise. It makes me sad but I get it

      ‪Aaron Fritschner‬ ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬
      2h

      My personal opinion is that they are pretty manipulative but whether these stories are your jam or not, I guess the note above that I would leave you with is they 100,000% know what they are doing here

      Playbook: Democrats in Despair
      POLITICO

      ‪Aaron Fritschner‬ ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬
      1h

      It isn’t true in the sense that what they want you to believe based on the words they wrote are actually factual and correspond to people and events in reality. But it FEELS true and it aligns with your worldview and really, what’s the difference?

      bsky.app/profile/them…

      Dictionary: truthiness

      the quality of seeming or being felt to be true, even if not necessarily true.

      ‪Aaron Fritschner‬ ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬
      1h

      Which campaign staffers met there? Which elected officials? Which party leaders? The story doesn’t name literally a single one, it could be any of them. It could be all of them even. Maybe this asshole Fritschner was there

      (this asshole Fritschner was not there)

      ‪Aaron Fritschner‬ ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬
      1h

      A lot of people want to hold onto that anger and aren’t gonna let it go despite the manipulative framing of the story. That’s fine, let me meet you halfway. Aren’t there enough things we are doing badly right now that you don’t need to go making up fictional ones?

      ‪Aaron Fritschner‬ ‪@fritschner.bsky.social‬
      31m

      If you dislike my premise that’s fine, but this is a measurable fact. Adam Wren has 38K followers on Twitter, a site with 20 times as many users, and less than 2K on Bluesky, yet an identical post got far more engagement on Bluesky. The dynamic I’m talking about is real bsky.app/profile/prin…

      ‪[…]

      All “Free” social media is all about “engagement”. Their business model depends upon manipulating you. Bluesky being not-X doesn’t make it somehow better in this regard, and monsters can figure out how to manipulate it just as they did on Twitter.

      Read carefully, and think before you let them rile up your lizard brain. (I’ll try to do the same.)

      Best wishes,
      Scott.

      Reply
    23. 23.

      Nelle

      @WaterGirl:The NP said that the sinus is blocked and the infection is likely from that.  He’s either had a cold or a mild case of Influenza A (we were caring for a grandchild that had that).

      As far as the ER is concerned, I suspect it is a lot of flu, but not sure.  I’m just thrilled that RFK Jr (What does that F stand for?) has cancelled the research meeting to decide what strains to prepare for next year (sarcasm, of course).  I had hoped to go to Winnipeg in June (as someone who used to live off the north coast of Alaska in summers, I still try to get as far north as possible for summer solstice.  I love the long light of summer), but now I may try to go in September, if there isn’t a flu vaccine here.

      Reply
    26. 26.

      jonas

      @Jackie:  “The policy shift represents a complete 180-degree turn from America’s posture over the past decade, which has consistently considered Russia one of the top cybersecurity threats. Credible reporting and government investigations have shown that Russia has hacked into U.S. systems countless times.”

      I’m sure that’s because Putin told Trump that and — whaddyagonnado? — Trump “took him at his word.”

      *takes a moment, punches nearby wall repeatedly, collects self, returns*

      My bet is that before this is all over, we learn Russia has acquired key access to most US government, military, and infrastructure computer systems and can basically fuck with us at will — shut down Pentagon communications, plunge cities into darkness, etc.  As someone put it, think of anything Trump would be doing differently right now if he weren’t a straight-up Russian agent on assignment to destroy the US.

      Reply
    28. 28.

      Jackie

      @Baud: From your link

      House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) publicly distanced himself from President Donald Trump on Sunday, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “threat to America” and warning of a dangerous new alliance forming between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea—what he described as a “new Axis” of hostile nations.

      In an interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Johnson firmly stated, “I think Vladimir Putin is an old-school communist, a former KGB agent, and he’s not to be trusted and he is dangerous.” He added that these nations, including Russia, are aligning against the U.S. and that the situation under Trump’s watch could lead to severe consequences. “Let’s be crystal clear about that,” Johnson emphasized.

      Written by the famous Staff Writer of the Daily Boulder.

      Reply
    30. 30.

      Miki

      I adore effective signage like this.

      Hmmmmm. Apropos of this morning’s post, someone should choreograph sign flipping during the SOTU on Tuesday. E.g., every time the Orange shit stain mentions peace in Ukraine, a row of Dems should flip up signs that say “Apologize to President Zelensky.” Every time he says “fraud/waste/abuse,” a row should flip up signs that say “Dump Elon.” Every time he starts his rambling “weave,” the entire Dem side should flip up signs that say “Donny! Wake up!  You’re lost!” 

      Yeah. Ain’t gonna happen but it would be fun.

      Reply
    35. 35.

      sentient ai from the future

      @Another Scott: that’s not exactly what’s going on here though. it’s politico, a profit-making corporation, using the venue bluesky provides as a public benefit corporation, to drive rageclicks to their site.

      it’s not like this is happening on mastodon, and in large part because that’ not where the people are.

      i think the nut of your criticism is correct, but i’ve also long been an advocate of us building the infrastructure of our own liberation, including tech infrastructure. most people seem to think that that’s the domain of weirdos or is too hard, and it’s both, but it is absolutely critical that we build our own tools for liberation, whatever they look like. the blogosphere was a case in point.

      Reply
    37. 37.

      sentient ai from the future

      @jonas: it’s all but guaranteed that DOGE has already done this. nation-state level APTs have, to an absolute certainty, already pwned everything DOGE has set their grubby little hands on.

      why attack an adversary when you can cause an “accident” through control of their computer systems? stuxnet, but for the entire federal government.

      Reply
    38. 38.

      Nukular Biskits

      @Baud:

      I have to assume Putin fluffing isn’t polling well among the base. We’ll see.

      Given “the base” seems to be comprised of a lot of bots and Russian trolls, I’m not sure I agree with you on that.

      Reply
    44. 44.

      Raoul Paste

      @Nukular Biskits:   And yet, Johnson urgent Democrats to give an ovation to Trump at the SOTU.  As a total weasel, he will speak out of both sides of his mouth

      ETA. And by “he“, I mean Johnson

      Reply
    45. 45.

      Nukular Biskits

      @Baud:

      This is odd. Calling Putin out for what he is when nearly every other Republican is has either gone on radio silence about Russia/Putin or full Trump sycophant.

      I wonder what prompted it.

      Reply
    46. 46.

      lowtechcyclist

      @Baud:

      Seems like we shouldn’t blame MAGA for falling for propaganda if our side is no better.

      Getting baited into rageclicks is nowhere near as bad as falling for an entirely fictitious world view.

      Reply
    51. 51.

      JoyceH

      @Jackie: But then Johnson also said that Zelenskyy needs to resign to move the peace process forward. Say WHAT? How’s about PUTIN resign (or get dragged out) and whoever replaces him pulls Russian troops out of Ukraine, all of Ukraine, and yes, that means Crimea. Then let’s sit down and talk about peace.

      Reply
    52. 52.

      bbleh

      So here’s a thing.  The coordinated talking point about Zelenskyy being “disrespectful” (unlike Elmo, maybe because he didn’t pick his nose) seems now to be getting echoes from Rep Congress-critters encountering negative audiences at “town halls” and describing them afterwards as “rude.”

      It would seem that our Betters are displeased with the behavior of the rabble!  But one wonders why they need to make it public.  Maybe feeling a little heat?  Maybe got nothing else to fall back on?

      Reply
    53. 53.

      JoyceH

      @Raoul Paste: I call BULLSHIT on that! The Democrats had damn well better not give Trump an ovation! That’s Congress, dammit, not the dining room at Mar A Lago.

      Reply
    54. 54.

      TBone

      @Nukular Biskits: they didn’t want to hear it from Zelensky.  Something is up that needs distraction, running of interference.  They fired half of the workers from the Social Security Admin., maybe they’re afraid of that blowback.

      Reply
    56. 56.

      Ocotillo

      Looked it up, the “F” in RFK is Francis although I concede to some other commentors there is a better “F” word for him.

      Reply
    60. 60.

      Jay

      @bbleh:

      Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦
      @IAPonomarenko
      12h
      FYI, Zelensky’s semi-military official attire represents a very, very important aspect of life in Ukraine right now—tactical clothing and various gear that is worn by everyone who has any connection to the war and combat operations.

      Over the years of war, an entire subculture of tactical clothing has developed in Ukraine, along with popular domestic brands such as M-Tac or Talan, and at times, we have as many military surplus stores as shawarma stands (often owned and run by veterans).

      Pants, T-shirts with Velcro patches for insignia, jackets with multiple pockets, tactical backpacks, caps, knives, boots—demi-season, summer, winter—ballistic glasses, gloves, multitools, all kinds of accessories for body armor, weapons, and gear. Black, gray, olive, navy, coyote, every possible camouflage pattern, and everything else.

      You could go on forever.

      The culture of military patches, both official and unofficial, where there’s space for the wildest imagination and exercises in wit, is a whole separate topic, worthy of thick books.

      Many soldiers are constantly buying extra gear to supplement or replace the standard-issue military clothing and equipment provided by the state. Many newly mobilized recruits rush to military stores and buy everything they see, even if they are drafted as accountants, only to later realize they have no idea what to do with piles of tactical gloves and night vision devices.

      Tactical clothing is also worn by journalists, demobilized veterans, instructors, volunteers—many people involved in the war, supporting the army, and working in the combat zone.

      Yours truly, for example, has not parted for years—from the days of the “ATO” in Donbas to the battle for Bakhmut—with my black “police-style” jacket worn under body armor, as well as black tactical pants, a backpack, and M-Tac coyote boots. They were with me even in the rainy equatorial forests of East Africa.

      It’s not just incredibly practical, it’s also a statement—I’m not a soldier, but I am part of the common cause of defending the country from the aggressor, of saving our nation and our way of life, and I am making my contribution.

      Here’s an example: at the start of the battle for Kyiv, when Russian troops were already storming the outskirts of the capital, many who remained in the city were preparing for bloody urban combat. And many were stocking up on tactical clothing and gear (just because you’re in a battle doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look fabulous and well-equipped, right?).

      I was among them—and when I arrived at one of the major tactical stores still operating in the city, I was taken aback because I found a line stretching half a kilometer long.

      This is an important aspect of life in Ukraine, visible every day in cities across the country. It’s also important to buy from Ukrainian brands, supporting veteran-owned businesses, as well as to wear national symbols—such as the Tryzub of Prince Volodymyr the Great.

      One crucial rule—civilians (unless they are demobilized veterans) have no moral right to buy and wear camouflage clothing, whether it’s Multicam or our Ukrainian military patterns like the army’s “pixel.” In this community, it is considered immoral and unacceptable. Camouflage is a mark of honor for a soldier. Want to wear it? Take the oath and join the military.

      But if, for example, a civilian involved in the war effort wears tactical clothing in black, gray, dark blue, olive, or beige—there’s no issue. It’s practical, and it fits the times.

      This is exactly what Zelensky does when he meets world leaders in front of the cameras in semi-military tactical attire. He represents a fighting Ukraine, where millions of people are not just serving in the armed forces but also contributing to the country’s defense for the sake of a common future in their homeland.

      And Zelensky does it the right way—he deliberately avoids wearing an official military uniform or camouflage, which other politicians have shamelessly and absurdly used for self-promotion.

      Yes, he is the Commander-in-Chief, but he is not a soldier, and even he does not have the moral right to wear camouflage, which is sacred, because it is in that uniform that Ukrainian soldiers shed their blood for our country and heroically fight against one of the largest and most ruthless armies in history.

      All of this is far beyond and far greater than those petty, sneering giggles “Do you even have a suit?”
      Mar 2, 2025 · 10:16 AM UTC

      https://nitter.poast.org/IAPonomarenko/status/1896142621615272013#

      Seem to be fine enough clothing for the King of England.

      Reply
    61. 61.

      bbleh

      @JoyceH: I wouldn’t worry.  Nancy SMASH has already opined publicly that they should be cool, not pull some juvenile “YOU LIE!” stunt, and cohere on a single, simple message, and I expect they will have the discipline to do that.

      But stand and applaud?  You mean, like Republicans did routinely for Obama?  HAHAHAHAHA!

      Per above comment, I have no doubt that there will be HIGH dudgeon and GREAT offense at Dems’ RUDENESS and lack of RESPECT.  Fine.

      What I hope they DO, short of provocative antics, is express themselves loudly in body language.  Smirks, laughs, pointing and grinning, all quietly of course.  He needs to see and know how little people DO respect him, and I think voters on both sides need to see it too.

      Reply
    64. 64.

      WaterGirl

      ‘Pastor’ Johnson is an odious authoritarian little creep.

      He surely lies a hundred times before breakfast.  He is not to be believed.  Except when he’s preaching his religious takeover of the government.  That is sincere, even if it’s part of his grift.

      Reply
    67. 67.

      bbleh

      @Jay: oh the “no suit” thing is utter BS, just like the “you’ve never said thank you” thing.  Some MSM did a count and came up with 33 occasions on which Zelenskyy has said thank you, INCLUDING when he delivered an address to a joint session of Congress, where he wore the SAME clothes he wore to the Oval, and where Vance himself was in the audience!

      And imho someone who has led his country MAGNIFICENTLY through THREE YEARS of being attacked by a neighboring power can fkin wear anything he wants to, and Cadet Bone-Spurs and his one-time press-officer mini-Me can politely ask to kiss his ass.

      Grrrr

      Reply
    69. 69.

      Chief Oshkosh

      My alarming finding of the day is to discover how deeply some of my acquaintances are convinced that Musk is actually finding and cutting government waste and fraud.

      Godammned but these people are way, way down the rabbit hole.

      Reply
    70. 70.

      JoyceH

      @Jay: the “tactical clothing” reminds me of the WWII craze of the “siren suit”. This was a response to the Battle of Britain. When the air raid sirens sounded at night, Londoners had the choice between scrambling down to the tube station in their Jammies or risk their lives to get properly dressed. Solution was the siren suit, basically an adult onesie that could be quickly scrambled into. The Brits loved their siren suits and they weren’t just for air raids anymore. Churchill had a whole set of very martial looking bespoke siren suits – and wore one to the White House to meet FDR.

      Reply
    71. 71.

      Dorothy A. Winsor

      @Nelle: I’ve been to the ER several times in the last few months and it’s not crowded like that. Of course, you were there on Saturday night.

      Also there are lots of hospitals in this NW Chicago suburbs area. The one in Des Moines may be where everyone from all the little towns go.

      Reply
    73. 73.

      Sister Golden Bear

      A tactic other folks near other national parks, forests, etc. with live webcams should emulate. BTW, the article has a nice photo of Half Dome with the protest sign in the foreground.

      At Yosemite National Park, signs have been spotted on at least four different webcams throughout the park. On Saturday afternoon, a sign placed in front of the park’s High Sierra webcam reads, “Stand Up! 4 Public Land + the People Who Protect It” as a snow-dusted Half Dome looms in the background. A sign in front of the webcam at the Badger Pass Ski Area says, “Go Badger Your Reps,” with the phone number for the office of Congressman Tom McClintock. McClintock is the U.S. representative for California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes the park. A sign shared on social media by a San Francisco Chronicle reporter, from earlier in the day in front of what is presumably the park’s Turtleback Dome webcam, which is often used to assess air quality in the area, said, “Billionaires Don’t Care About Clean Air.”

      Like the one-day boycott and Tesla protests it’s more symbolic than anything else, but it’s easy to do, and if it helps people start building their activism muscles, that’s a Good Thing.

      Reply
    79. 79.

      Jay

      @JoyceH:

      Before and after the war, they were known as “boiler suits” and were common factory wear. A worker could just put them on over their street clothes to keep their street clothes clean.

      Reply
    82. 82.

      NutmegAgain

      @Jay: Not only, but also, you’ll notice that none of the magat universe started barking when Elon Musk hung out in the Oval office wearing jeans, t-shirt & stupid hat. Consistency much?

      Reply
    84. 84.

      evodevo

      @Baud: ​
        Yes. This. At this particular time…they don’t do ANYTHING for no reason…be interesting to find out the backstory.

      Reply
    85. 85.

      Other MJS

      @NutmegAgain:

      Not only, but also, you’ll notice that none of the magat universe started barking when Elon Musk hung out in the Oval office ran a Cabinet meeting wearing jeans, t-shirt & stupid hat.

      Reply
    86. 86.

      John S.

      I don’t know if anyone has seen this or posted it yet, but Rep. Keith Self from TX-03 got shredded by his constituents in a town hall yesterday.

      Here’s the video.

      Now his staff can try to claim these were all Democrats causing disruption (and they did of course), but this guy is in a ruby red district. There are pissed off Republicans in that crowd for sure.

      ETA: Sen. Roger Marshall also got his ass lit up at a rural town hall in KANSAS. Reap what you sow, motherfuckers.

      Reply
    94. 94.

      Suzanne

      @raven: When I moved there in 1988, the 51 freeway had an offensive name and had just opened. And there was nothing east of Power Road.

      Reply
    96. 96.

      Another Scott

      @Baud: I vaguely remember Johnson making noises that:

      Of course he was in principle in favor of the $105B October 2023 Biden Supplemental that would quickly fund quickly Ukraine; everyone wanted to make sure Ukraine quickly had what it needed, etc.  But they’d have to look at the details to see what made sense, what offsets would be needed, etc.

      Oh, and it couldn’t be like the bipartisan Senate bill.  No.  That was no go, of course.

      Everyone wants Ukraine aid, Israel aid, Taiwan aid.  The sensible thing is to have 3 separate votes, amirite??

      6+ months later, in April 2024, when it was clear that Ukraine was in desperate straits, he finally had a 5 minute vote and the House finally and overwhelmingly passed the tweaked $95B bill.

      [ groucho-roll-eyes.gif ]

      TL;DR – Johnson can and does say anything.  What matters is what’s in the bills he lets reach the House floor.

      Grr…

      Thanks.

      Best wishes,
      Scott.

      Reply
    97. 97.

      Chacal Charles Calthrop

      @scav: 0h c’mon, that guy already has flowers in full bloom.

      Here we’re still hoping for the snowdrops & crocuses

      Reply
    101. 101.

      frosty

      @The Pale Scot: ​That website was great; nothing I would ever have seen on my own. And I’m so glad I’ve never run into anyone like this in my own life. I’m either clueless or lucky!

      Reply
    102. 102.

      TBone

      Here’s video evidence to support my hypothesis about interference running by Mike Johnson about the Social Security Admin SNAFU.

      Very telling:

      https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3ljfz2hdhql2v

      Mike Johnson on Elon Musk: “We meet late into the night in his office and we’ve looked at that. What he’s finding with his algorithms crawling through the data of Social Security system is enormous amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse.”

      Immediately after that, he denies the contrary facts presented to him. “Don’t believe it!” is a direct quote.

      Scroll up one at the link for the real deal video.

      Reply
    103. 103.

      Kat

      @Nelle: I highly suspect yes. My (extremely large, academic) hospital has had 0 of >100 ICU beds available multiple days last week. Like, not even the beds we usually try to reserve for heart attack, stroke, and trauma. On some days, we would have had a few beds…if there had been any rooms available in the rest of the hospital where we could move patients out of the ICU.

      COVID and (especially) flu are really, really bad right now – both prevalence and severity. Like, ECMO, high-dose pressors eventually causing ischemia/amputations, one ruptured esophagus from COVID-associated vomiting.

      But sure, let’s gut the nation’s entire medical infrastructure. Seems like a great time.

      Reply
    105. 105.

      Bill Arnold

      @Kat:
      FWIW, influenza A and B test-positives both peaked in the USA in the last few weeks. Hospitals should be observing this in the next few weeks. From CDC, 2024-2025 Season:
      Week Total A Total B Percent Positive A Percent Positive B Total # Tested % Positive
      202501 24614 660 17.74 0.47 138730 18.21
      202502 23766 697 17.86 0.52 133000 18.39
      202503 32477 923 23.17 0.65 140167 23.82
      202504 39219 1279 27.6 0.9 142086 28.5
      202505 50163 2051 30.16 1.23 166298 31.39
      202506 50169 2777 29.55 1.63 169764 31.18
      202507 38355 2888 25.93 1.95 147870 27.89
      202508 21095 1433 22.95 1.55 91904 24.51

      Reply
    107. 107.

      sab

      @Kat: I am still masking everywhere and everytime I go out in a public space. I have a bad heart and husband has early stage emphysema. We can’t risk Covid or Flu.

      I live in a blue city and I shop on the side of town where most black people live, so I have only been challenged for masking once, and every grocery visit I see lots of masks, mostly older minorities, employees and customers.

      Reply
    108. 108.

      WTFGhost

      @Another Scott: You raise one of the points I wanted to make. These ads are targeted so precisely, because they have so much information about you, and plenty of people to focus group stuff like “does this make people angry?”

      Right now, there’s no way to immunize people against clickbait and microtargeting, so it needs to be used on both sides.

      Manipulation doesn’t have to be *bad*. Reminding people that America usually stands with democracies under attack is a great ad right now – that’s good manipulation. Reminding people of compassion for the needy, including veterans, that’s good manipulation, and, it can help seed a lot of other good ideas. The goal is to find the right message for the right group of people, that really resonates. For gun nuts, “TRUMP BANNED BUMP STOCKS!” might b the message that none of us might think of.

      Anyway… my language processing went to crap while I paused in posting so I really hopwl aldy ckryl hdu che, (wkcutlwhcy thek!!!)

      Because that would really be confuzzy.

      Reply

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