(no subject)

[gwydion]

* "Dems raise concerns over Bolton’s ties to Russia:" https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/20/john-bolton-russia-connections-hosue-democrats-789451

* "Brennan considering legal action:" https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/19/brennan-court-trump-security-clearance-788164

* "New outcry over Trump's revocation of Brennan security clearance:"https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-clearances/new-outcry-over-trumps-revocation-of-brennan-security-clearance-idUSKCN1L515D

* "Embracing Conspiracy Theory, Trump Escalates Attack on Bruce Ohr:" https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/us/politics/trump-conspiracy-bruce-nellie-ohr.html

* O.o "Georgia lawmaker says he would have no problem if Trump used n-word in the past:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/18/politics/georgia-senator-trump-racial-slur-cnntv/index.html

* "John Dean example haunts Trump but may guide McGahn with Mueller:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/john-dean-example-haunts-trump-but-may-guide-mcgahn-with-mueller-1303087683571?v=railb

* "Trump claims he allowed White House counsel McGahn to 'fully cooperate' with Mueller probe:" https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/18/trump-mcgahn-mueller-probe-788040

* "John Dean: 'I think Trump has got a real problem' after McGahn's interviews with Mueller:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/20/politics/donald-trump-john-dean/index.html

* Someone needs to explain to Republicans that Orwell's 1984 was intended as a warning, not to be aspirational. "Giuliani: ‘Truth isn’t truth’:" https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/19/giuliani-truth-todd-trump-788161

* "Cohen could be charged by end of August:" https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/19/politics/nyt-cohen-investigation-bank-fraud/index.html

* "U.S. special counsel recommends six months in prison for Papadopoulos:" https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-papadopoulos/u-s-special-counsel-recommends-six-months-in-prison-for-papadopoulos-idUSKBN1L3015

* "Scott Pruitt Made Just 1 Phone Call To White House From His $43,000 Booth: Report:" https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/scott-pruitt-phone-call-white-house_us_5b7b1d97e4b018b93e96990f

* "Trump's power plant plan could release hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 into air:" http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-power-plants-20180818-story.html

* "A top Trump fundraiser is reportedly under investigation:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/08/elliott-broidy-investigation/

* "Trump Speechwriter Fired for Speaking at Conference With White Nationalists:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-speechwriter-fired-for-speaking-at-conference-with-white-nationalists

* "Brett Kavanaugh had graphic questions for Bill Clinton about Lewinsky affair:" https://www.theguardian.com/law/2018/aug/20/brett-kavanaugh-bill-clinton-questions-1998-memo-trump

* Please, Please, vote. I'm terrified not enough of us will come out in November. "Midterm map poses particular challenges for Democrats:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/midterm-map-poses-particular-challenges-for-democrats-1303010371738?v=railb

* "Gov't: Parents of 154 kids 'waived their right' to get kids backGov't: Parents of 154 kids 'waived their right' to get kids back:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/gov-t-parents-of-154-kids-waived-their-right-to-get-kids-back-1302996547569?v=railb

* I'm not kidding about how bad it is right now. "In Washington state, smoky skies, hazardous air:" https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/in-washington-state-smoky-skies-hazardous-air-from-wildfires/816952692

* The air is scary bad today. I didn't realize how bad when I first went out, as one of the advantages of living in a wind tunnel is that even the tiny bit of breeze coming in off the Bay is funneled through my neighborhood very specifically. The sky is bruised looking from the fires, but it's bearable though not healthy for a few precious blocks, one of which is mine. Then I got three or four blocks out and I could literally see particulate clouds moving through the heavy air, the atmospheric conditions making everything thick and oven like. "Oh shit!"I thought, "I should have worn a mask!" Too late to go back though as I was already in the turn lane for the feeder to the highway, so I carried on to forage, to get meds with almost exactly the last of the cash in my wallet (I've some small change left, nothing more), and to the Library. I was meant to be picking up my box of protein, but I spaced it. It's likely good as my ribs are still borked and I had no help carrying today. Luckily forage was light: two bags of food plus my back pack of books. (There were four things we specifically wanted/needed, but not much else). I had to lung right away on getting back as I'm now coughing up what I breathed in from the fires, but the temprature's not too bad now I'm safe in the house of winds again.

After I put forage away, I went into heavy filtration to sort meds and books and to make a long phone bureaucracy call. This would have been great, except there wasn't enough electricity, so i had to turn it all off again. Sigh. So I'm back out here for the evening as there won't be enough electricity until after nightfall. I need to make some sort of meal anyway.

* Today's news firehouse is complex enough my brain is exploding a little.

* Thanks to a benefactor, I’m only $75.00 behind on covering bills.

Want to chip in? Paypal Lethran@gmail.com or paypal.me/Gwydion

* So I lived with formerly abused rescue cats that had for real very nearly starved to death for most of two decades, one of whom exhibited extreme scavenging behavior and massive anxiety around food and absence of food. I'm talking would drag wet food off and hide it like a squirrel for later, steal food from anyone including guests while they were eating, breaking into cupboards, trash cans etc. to steal the food, ten hour howling jags because he saw the bottom of the food bowl while eating, would flip out if he couldn't see enough can foods on the shelves even if it was just the soup shelf because cats can't read, would not be able to settle down when I bought kibble until he saw it safely decanted into the canisters and got to eat off the top to verify the kibbles were really there, etc.. (The girl cat had a rough two years, but figured out she was really for real safe and calmed down. The boy cat got a lot better than he started, but struggled with PTSD all his life. We loved them both very much).

Anyway, I was just appreciating to day how different it is living with three cats who've never legitimately starved. LM is ancient and grumpy and picky about her food, but she's never known real fear or privation. Tavy has some horrible behaviors I've spent literally years trying to train out of him from being improperly socialized in his use + issues relating to having come from a large colony while having a disability. We are working on it and he's soooo much better than he was, but again, he's never in his life gone hungry. His original factory colony was amply fed with kibbles, plus they had all the rodents they could eat. The people who rescued him fed him and treated him well. he's never been abused or starved or been traumatized. Livia Sweet was an accidental the cat got out while in heat situation and has been properly loved and cared for her whole short life. LM's known grief and never was the same after her brother died, but all three of them have lived good lives.

They don't steal food even if you leave it unattended. Not one of them has pried the lid off and jumped into the big kitchen garbage can to get at Squirrel's chicken bones. They have on occasion eaten all or most of the kibbles while I was asleep, but completely secure in the knowledge that there are always more kibbles, they didn't bother to wake me up to complain. Livia may beat the shit out of their busy box to get the last treat if she's hungry and bored while I'm asleep, but the world doesn't end if there are no treats to find. Oh LM with thump and complain if she's hungry and Squirrel is out, but I generally turn up quickly with her goosh and it's more cranky elderly cat than poor Hector's soul searing howl of distress.

I adjusted to not having to hide/secure all food, but I still think of Hector every time I discover the kibble is very low in the bowls, habit still making that a rare thing given how often one had to check and rotate all those years with Mache and Hector to try to limit that as a trigger. I miss them still, my Mache and Hector, even though in a lot of ways this is easier. I still remember the first time hector trusted us enough to let us see him sleep, the first time Mache realized it was safe to come all the way up to sit on my torso when I was lying in bed. I loved those cats; I love these cats, it's just the difference startles me sometimes.

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

* "Fires in Greece: how to help:" https://medium.com/@theo.k/fires-in-greece-how-to-help-41ad32fc9232

* Practical ways to protest with scripts. "On the Helsinki summit, election integrity and Mueller:" https://medium.com/@Celeste_pewter/on-the-helsinki-summit-election-integrity-and-mueller-b8ed1acde2c0

* Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is doing a fundraiser for legal defense of refugee children in ICE detention. https://blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-category/activism/deliver-them-from-the-hands-of-the-wicked/

* Want to contribute directly to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services fund? "Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services:" https://www.raicestexas.org/

* Support Kids at the Border: http://brigdh.tumblr.com/post/175022384240/support-the-kids-at-the-border

This has a call script to help you talk your Republican Senator into voting for the Keep Families Together Act: http://rockinhamburger.tumblr.com/post/175022988673/captacorn-marvelsmostwanted-heres-a-call

* How to help Rohingya refugees: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/world/asia/rohingya-aid-myanmar-bangladesh.html?emc=edit_nn_20171012&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=50784086&te=1&_r=0

* A list of organizations to help you run for office: http://lovingmyselfishard.tumblr.com/post/167330144634/psst-hey

* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.

* This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/

* Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/

* This is a cool person and the swimsuits are being made from an ethical source. LGBTQIA+ swimsuits: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NerdyKeppie?ref=l2-shopheader-name§ion_id=24021616

* Help pay for cat food, litter, meds, medical copays: Paypal Lethran@gmail.com or paypal.me/Gwydion

* Birthday/Solstice master list: https://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/1925021.html

* Want Game of Thrones without the creepy? We need new players. We are very inclusive. "Game of Bones MUSH:" gobmush.wikidot.comn