TGIF and Some Good News From the Resistance

Taking today off from work. It is allegedly National Strike Day, but I think they all forgot about it? But Both Breaking Bad and I decided to take it off and not work today. (although I am getting X-rays).

Also, have to get knee x-rays, and a chest x-ray, so there's that.
And I'm seriously considering dumping Optimum for Verizon - the spotty internet and cable service is beginning to get on my nerves. It's every few days now.

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Anyhow, without further ado - some good news, although this was harder than usual - I had to remove the bad news and wander about hunting for the good, and not let the bad (and it is insanely awful - some of it satirically so, I feel like this is a hostile takeover written by a SNL writer and I want to change the channel).

1. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FEDERAL WORKERS GET THEIR JOBS BACK.
Trump team lost big in court. Judge William Alsup ordered the Trump admin to immediately rehire tens of thousands of federal employees from the Defense, Treasury, Energy, Interior, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs departments who were terminated by Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts.
The Judge continued with his scathing ruling: “I tend to doubt that you’re telling me the truth. I’m tired of seeing you stonewall on trying to get at the truth. It is sad, sad day when our government would fire some good employees and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie.” and “You will not bring the people in here to be cross-examined. You’re afraid to do so because you know cross examination would reveal the truth.”

You can read the Judge's decision HERE

2. Robert Morris, the Dallas-area Gateway megachurch pastor who was Trump’s spiritual advisor, was indicted in Oklahoma for 5 counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child. In 2020, Morris hosted Trump for a “Roundtable on Transition to Greatness” that was also attended by several other Republican officials including then-AG Bill Barr. At the conference, Trump said this about Morris: “I want to thank Pastor Robert Morris. He’s great people with a great reputation.” Morris was also involved in mobilizing grass roots evangelicals for Trump in 2024.

[The good news, in case you missed it - is Morris was indicted.]

3. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that 57% of Americans think Trump’s handling of the economy has been “too erratic.” 70% said they think Trump’s tariffs will cause prices to rise, while only 31% believe that American workers will benefit from them. [Now if we can only convince the 31% that they need to get their heads out of their toilets and stop flushing them, this is not the fun trick they think it is, and get off the meth.]

4. Tesla’s largest market outside the US is China, and their sales have been getting crushed by domestic competitors - but unlike boycotts in Europe and the US it has more to do with his cars than his politics. NYT reports that Tesla dominated sales of EVs in China for years, but “now that market is a bloodbath of competition from Chinese rivals. Chinese drivers that once flocked to Tesla are turning more and more to local brands that offer more efficient cars with better technology, sometimes at half the price.”

Tesla’s biggest competitor in China is BYD. So far this year, BYD’s sales are up 75% over this time last year, while’s Tesla’s are down 14%. Buyers in China said that BYD makes basically the same car at half the price.

5.Trump's economic troubles put Republicans on defense. His policies have forced his allies to fight from a defensive posture — explaining his plans after they have been executed — and has raised alarms in his Republican Party that it could all end in a wreck. The concerns are particularly acute when it comes to the economy, with the stock market slumping and many economists projecting either slower growth or a coming recession. Those fears haven’t deterred Trump from continuing to impose tariffs on foes and friends — which figure to raise prices on U.S. consumers — and slash federal government jobs, grants and contracts.

Stock market latest: The S&P 500 fell 1.4% Thursday, making its decline since its February all-time high greater than 10%. It has now fully erased all its post-November election gains and is back to levels last seen in September.

6.The White House withdrew the nomination of former Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just before this confirmation hearing this morning. The anti-vaxxer did not have the votes.

7.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is neurodevelopmental and impacts 5.4 million Americans. There is no approved treatment but many seek help for the intense symptoms. Many autistic adults report consuming cannabis for relief from sensory overload and other symptoms of the disorder.
A startup in the United Kingdom is funding a clinical trial to figure out how the active compounds in cannabis may help children with ASD. The current data is inconsistent, but recently published research added a layer to support the hypothesis that cannabinoids could help autistic children.

8. There was a major anti-Musk protest at SpaceX

9.Massive crowds in NYC are growing and not letting up, demanding the immediate release of Columbia student being kidnapped for protesting for Palestine. "We want justice. We say how. Free Mahmoud right now!"

The Judge has extended the stay on deporting Khalil.

Huge crowds of protesters from Jewish Voice For Peace occupy Trump Tower to protest the detainment of Mahmoud Khalil.

A multigenerational group of Jews pushed back against the U.S. detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a green-card holder who protested the Israel-Gaza war. Over 90 protesters were arrested. Lawyers say the arrest and attempted deportation of Khalil is a First Amendment violation designed to intimidate others. Khalil’s immigration hearing is in two weeks.

10.Courts in three states have issued nationwide injunctions blocking the implementation of the order purporting to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented parents or parents who have lawful but temporary residency status.
( the rest of the 25...only could find twenty-five today, tough week. )

Friday needs to call it a night and go to bed...

Well, the x-rays told me what I pretty much already knew - so I was right about that at least. No pneumonia, heart is fine, I've the mild beginnings of disc degenerative disorder, and mild beginnings of osteoarthritis in the knees, etc.

Kind of already knew that. I knew I was doomed to spine and back and arthritic issues when I was in my teens and twenties, it's why I've done yoga sporadically most of my life. (I despise yoga, it's boring, I'm not flexible, floor exercises are painful and impossible with the curvature that I've got, and I'm six feet tall - and most of that is in my legs, making yoga hard to do - it's not designed for giants. It was designed by cultures that tend to be shorter or smaller in stature.)

Anyhow...more February Memage:

( February Memage )

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Mother thinks the Dems did the right thing by not shutting down the government, shutting it down would have made it a hundred times worse.

I don't know. I'm Switzerland on this. (Although apparently even Switzerland is annoyed by the Doofus. Honestly, I've been annoyed since 2010, I'm long past annoyed - I want him guillotined already.)

Meanwhile Canadians on Bluesky are telling Americans to fuck off and solve their own problems, they can't be bothered. Well, as much as I hate to break this to the Canadians? Canada is the US's next door neighbor - ignoring the fact that 79 million idiotic Americans decided to set their house on fire by electing the Doofus and his minions or rather the Republicans and their Minion the Doofus (whichever way works for you), isn't possible. Any more than you can ignore the fact that your neighbor set their house on fire. ( Read more... )

Actually this is everybody's problem. If you don't think it is? Now is a really good time to brush up on your history?

I shouldn't joke. Or be wickedly sardonic (particularly since it's really hard to pick up on the internet). But seriously, this whole thing is just patently absurd. If someone told us all this was going to happen a century ago, or even ten years ago? We'd have laughed in their face. I can just imagine getting in a time machine and trying to warn folks, and getting absolutely no where. Heck some idiots don't believe it is happening now.

Mother: I thought you were staying away from all this stuff?
ME: I tried. I can't. I have too much of the social scientist in me -
Mother: No, you have too much of your father in you -
ME: that too.

Then of course there's more evidence coming out that Facebook contributed heavily to Trump winning, and it was deliberate and Zuckerberg was complicit in it, and even had people helping with the campaign, and the marketing. (This shouldn't come as surprise to anyone? I mean if you saw The Social Network - and know the background of FB, you know Zuckerberg is a tool aka evil marketing guy. Actually 90% of the tech billionaires are.)
This is all from a new "tell-all" book entitled Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams, which Meta tried to stop from being published. (Not sure why, most of us already knew all of this? I guess some people didn't?)

I went to B&N today, discovered I was a member? I apparently am a member of three area bookstores. I'm collecting book store memberships.

Today, I bought Rick Rubin's book The Creative Act - a Way of Being by Rick Rubin. It's a lovely little hardback book with short chapters. Rick Rubin is a music producer and wrote a book about the creative process based on his years in the music industry. But it's not about the music industry per se. Amazon Link to the Book.

I told Wales about it, and she responded: the music producer? Oh he's so cool.

I had no idea who he was. I'm not that knowledgable about art or music, I just do art (the actual act of creating it) and listen to music.