Innocence from The Figen at Mastodon.
Now our usual reliable chroniclers of today’s madcap rush to uninformed destruction:
- Brian Beutler has the best proposal to this repetitive story:
Here’s a small, easy thing Dem communicators can do: when stories like this break, call the reporters and a) ask to be contacted going forward on stories within their jurisdiction, b) give them a blistering statement, c) blast it out on all channels. www.nbcnews.com/politics/dog…
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler.bsky.social) February 18, 2025 at 8:11 PM
“Donald Trump is lying and bungling us into yet another pandemic, and when it hits it will be due to this kind of criminal incompetence.” Or whatever.
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler.bsky.social) February 18, 2025 at 8:18 PM
- Nan’s Notebook devotes a post to the Musk/Trump dismantling of Homeland Security.
Comments are especially interesting.
- Jon Cooper illustrates what happens when authoritarian arrogance combines with fundamental ignorance:
“So Elon Musk killed this program for disabled kids (illegally) because it included the word ‘transition.’ It helps them to transition from high school to work.”
H/T @palafo.bsky.social, who posted the above on another platform.
— Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) February 16, 2025 at 11:18 PM
- Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson reviews the Senate confirmation of anti-vaccine conspiracy nut RFK Jr. as Secretary of Death.
Key counterfeit:
We’re in the age of witch doctors, internet quacks, healing with crystals, essential oils, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and ingesting bleach through a plastic straw. - Disaffected and it Feels So Good looks at the ways and means now employed by RFK Jr. to destroy what has been the Department of Health and Human Services.
- tengrain at Mock Paper Scissors sees a pattern in the federal decimation of essential services. Who gets fired and who gets kept really is related to proven ability.
- Tommy Christopher covers White House confusion as Elon Musk becomes Schrödinger’s DOGEr.
Key quantum superposition:
Trump’s White House has been busy cranking out a series of contradictory explanations for what Musk’s job exactly is, referring to him as a “special employee” and the “head of DOGE” then claiming in a court filing that he doesn’t work at DOGE at all, then the “head of DOGE” again.Trump gets asked about it, and swallows his tongue.
- Julian Sanchez on how Musk is absolutely for free speech until it stings:
More of that free speech absolutism for which he is so renowned.
— Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) February 16, 2025 at 10:01 PM
- Tennessee state legislators seem to agree with the Musk approach, offering jail time to local officials who vote wrong on helping Trump deport immigrants seeking sanctuary.
- In Hackwhackers, right-wing loon Steve Bannon is on the attack, vowing to break ketamine addled narcissist Musk.
Key fond hopes:
We wish both parties much success in cutting each other down… - Sarah Cooper provides a quick lesson in the history of wealth (throughout history) and how it applies now:
- The Borowitz Report covers a new international breakthrough as Putin agrees to negotiate with Musk over ownership of Trump.
- Dave Columbo takes a dive into Trump’s head:
- Ted McLaughlin at jobsanger considers whether Trump has the mandate he tells himself he has, and finds Americans do not approve of much of anything about him.
- At The Moderate Voice Robert Levine explores the strange phenomenon of wealthy, powerful titans of industry who go all weak-kneed in fear before Trump.
Key paradox:
They made their fortunes because of their intelligence, technical expertise, scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit- because they were willing to take risks. Now, they have lined up behind President Trump and are afraid to challenge him on his policies that are bad for the nation and could be devastating for the world. - Frances Langum finds that Mapquest is providing a Name the Gulf Generator:
Key subheading:
Attach your own name to the actual Gulf of Mexico, just like Trump did - News Corpse has a few facts about the Trump holding company that owns Trump’s Twitter clone: It’s losing an astonishing amount of money.
- PZ Myers is fed up with Twitter (Okay, okay… the claptrap formerly known as Twitter) and is also fed up with those not fed up with Twitter (Yeah, yeah). Especially scientists…
Goes for facebook as well.
- North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz mourns missed opportunities when national leadership is needed: We could have had a human President.
Key defect:
In those moments, our petulant, amoral, intellectually-stunted, emotionally-fetal White House squatter sits, unable to express coherent thoughts, unwilling to be decent, incapable of basic human empathy, mortally allergic to nobility. - @whiskeywhistle98 continues to react (Sound not required)
- CalicoJack in The Psy of Life provides 5 ideas on how to turn this Shipwreck of State around.
- In Letters from an American, historian Heather Cox Richardson takes a look at the speech JD Vance made to European participants in the Munich Security Conference. Vance attacked Europe for its failure to align with right wing ideology.
Key point:
…the equal rights central to democracy undermine nations by treating women and racial, religious, and gender minorities as equal to white Christian men.
Her analysis is now available in audio format, as Richardson narrates in podcast. - Scotties Playtime provides the definition:
AND
The real historical figure for whom it was named. - Vixen Strangely at Strangely Blogged looks at Trump machinations in selling out Ukraine to Putin and sees cowardice chasing stupidity. (Think quisling)
- Juanita Jean has the most reasonable peace plan for Ukraine and Russia.
- M. Bouffant at Web of Evil chronicles how those who reflexively dislike Jews are visiting Holocaust sites to prove they don’t reflexively dislike Jews.
- Juliet at Decoding Fox News brings us a review of Fox efforts to portray Elon Musk as a selfless tech warrior devoted to lowering tax bills for everyday Americans. She adds her take on Fox and the apparent quid pro quo with New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Even more striking in podcast format.
- At Ant Farmer’s Almanac NY Governor Hochul seeks a path forward for NYC Mayor Adams (Yeah, it’s satire).
- At The Palmer Report, Donald Trump may have lost his Eric Adams gambit.
Key misfire:
But if Hochul does remove Adams, then Trump will no longer have a puppet running New York City, and he’ll have gotten Adams off the legal hook for nothing.Note:
Governor Hochul has decided, for the moment, not to remove Mayor Adams, but she has restricted his independence. - Our favorite Earth-Bound Misfit has a thought about whose thoughts ought to matter (has to do with voting).
- Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo of Rewire News Group watch new Attorney General Pam Bondi at work and go to podcast as the Trump administration comes for your access to contraception, abortion…and dildos?
Key legality:
No but actually, there’s a dusty old law on the books that could unravel reproductive health access for years to come—the Comstock Act. And it’s just waiting for someone like the recently-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to enforce it.
You may prefer a complete transcript (pdf). - We remember Stephen A. Smith from last year as the sportscaster who predicted Black people would be supporting Trump’s election because, since so many are lawbreakers themselves, they could identify with Trump’s numerous indictments.
driftglass brings us current reactions as Smith advises Democrats that the way for them to win is to stop opposing the incredibly popular Trump.
- Right Wing Watch brings us pastor Joel Webbon, who says it straight out: Christian Nationalists (like himself) must use the power of government to “terrorize, absolutely terrorize”:
Key target (Directly quoting):
Your enemies should be having nightmares every night thinking about what the Christians are going to do to them. - In The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser, atheist Bruce considers true Christianity as Christians judge each other.
Key clue:
Don’t tell me that you are a “true Christian,” show me. I know all I need to know about Christian beliefs. If you want to convince me that Christianity is true, I suggest you show me by how you live your life. - The Propaganda Professor is asked what he would accept as proof that religion is Truth.
- In Happiness Between Tails da-AL sometimes gets discouraged about life’s direction. When she feels she does not deserve success, she remembers words of Nelson Mandela.
- As researchers look for any possible contribution to reducing radical climate change The Journal of Improbable Research discovers a study into what would happen to carbon levels if we lit up tropical forests at night.
- At The Onion, a man shows unexpected courtesy: allowing all cookies so websites won’t be mad at him.
- Tamra Brown figures out paying for birthday dinner:
- Clickbait satirist Reductress provides the romantic story of a man who never makes plans more than 48 hours ahead.
- In Georgia baseball, the season may be over, but The Savanna Bananas recall their glee at getting a player on base:
- Infidel753 has a set of especially creative images on cats, design blunders, and life’s mishaps.
One favorite:
- SilverAppleQueen has cats who like to keep warm.
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