gwydion | 6/14/25 - 6/23/25 We are at War

* News keeps moving fast, so some items may be already out of date.

* Everything is collapsing here. Explanation towards the bottom. This is also why the aggregate is so late.

* I strongly oppose this war on Iran, as I did the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq from before they even started. It infuriates me that once again too many politicians are lining up behind the war drums.

Caveat1: I'm not good at covering wars. I can't come close to doing it properly.

Caveat 2: I don't agree with everything in the items below, but the debate has value and a lot of the things are good. I have had people cherry pick things from discussions I've posted in the past (on tumblr usually), so I wanted to put in a disclaimer.

* "US inserts itself into Israel’s war with Iran, striking 3 Iranian nuclear sites:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579

* "The United States Bombed Iran. What Comes Next?:" https://archive.ph/1Dn1U

* "'Iran has been put into a corner': Engel on what happens after U.S. bombs Iran:" https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/-iran-has-been-put-into-a-corner-engel-on-what-happens-after-u-s-bombs-iran-242045509702

* "Iran weighs retaliation against U.S. for strikes on nuclear sites:" https://archive.ph/IPHGl

* "'A real divide': Yasmin Vossoughian on tensions inside Iran after U.S. strikes:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-a-real-divide-yasmin-vossoughian-on-tensions-inside-iran-after-u-s-strikes-242060869822

* "An isolated Iran looks for allies on the world stage:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/an-isolated-iran-looks-for-allies-on-the-world-stage-242062917701

* "“The big winner is Bibi Netanyahu. He is effectively functioning as our Director of National Intelligence.”:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-the-big-winner-is-bibi-netanyahu-he-is-effectively-functioning-as-our-director-of-national-intelligence-242061381855

* ""Make Iran Great Again?" Trump contradicts his top officials on potential regime change:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-make-iran-great-again-trump-contradicts-his-top-officials-on-potential-regime-change-242060869744

* "Trump 'should have put America first': Top Dem condemns Iran bombing:" https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/trump-should-have-put-america-first-top-dem-condemns-iran-bombing-242044997684

* "Stock futures fall, oil prices rise after U.S. strikes on Iran:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/stock-futures-fall-oil-prices-rise-after-u-s-strikes-on-iran-242062917635

Bet his billionaire friends make money on commodity speculation.

* For some historical perspective. "a day that will…:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2041780.html

* "Israel strikes Iranian state TV during live broadcast on the fourth day of conflict:" https://www.npr.org/2025/06/16/nx-s1-5434860/israel-iran-conflict

* "Iran attacks U.S. military base in Qatar with missiles:" https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/23/iran-qatar-missiles-us-doha.html

***I'm siloing all the Iran news from before we joined Israel's war on them because I am too busy to go through and delete what's not relevant***

* "US builds up military presence in Middle East:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/16/us-military-middle-east-00407742

* "Trump on strike of Iranian nuclear site: ‘I may do it. I may not do it.’:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/18/trump-iran-may-strike-00412260

So we may be going to war on a whim. I do not want another forever war over Republican egos. (I didn't want the other ones either).

* "Trump says the US knows where Iran’s Khamenei is hiding and urges Iran’s unconditional surrender:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-nuclear-israel-g7-132d92f3b5f4014cced1c5029d839ae9

* "Israel, Iran and Trump’s Incompetence:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/israel-iran-and-trumps-incompetence/id1583132133?i=1000713538119

* "'No such thing as one-and-done": Trump risks deeper entanglement in Israel-Iran war:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/-no-such-thing-as-one-and-done-trump-risks-deeper-entanglement-in-israel-iran-war-241810501536

* "Psaki calls out media that fell for Trump's 'two week' trick:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/psaki-calls-out-media-that-fell-for-trump-s-two-week-trick-241953349984

* "Hegseth, Gabbard sidelined on Trump administration's Iran plans: report:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/hegseth-gabbard-sidelined-on-trump-administration-s-iran-plans-report-241957445764

* "Fox News Is Demanding War With Iran. Donald Trump Is Listening:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/fox-news-war-iran-donald-trump-propaganda-1235367796/

* "'Madness': Hayes torches GOP's 'hauntingly familiar' Iran spin:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-madness-hayes-torches-gop-s-hauntingly-familiar-iran-spin-241945669534

* "See Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson brawl over Iran as MAGA infighting explodes into open:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/see-ted-cruz-and-tucker-carlson-brawl-over-iran-as-maga-infighting-explodes-into-open-241878597743

* "Massie, Democrats move to block US strikes on Iran:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/17/congress/thomas-massie-iran-resolution-war-powers-00410454

***

******

* "Shock In Ukraine As Russian Strikes Collapse Apartments, Hit Multiple Cities:" https://www.rferl.org/a/kyiv-shock-apartment-blocks-russian-missile-war/33445756.html

******

* "Russia skirts Western sanctions to ramp up its military footprint in Africa:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-africa-weaponry-ships-mali-ukraine-f3383b5bbc8120b445d3df9062bf7f14?__cf_chl_tk=U5PPs4Pt6vtyoDQJWVyRz3HeeFvXh_VIkrUAz09tA7A-1750598680-1.0.1.1-CznZbR.m_5PLjsFMz6EVsak2n8VbrSHxccvewjwUiJQ

* "Taking lessons from Ukraine, Taiwan eyes sea drones to counter China:" https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/taking-lessons-ukraine-taiwan-eyes-sea-drones-counter-china-2025-06-13/

* "Why China is eating its tiny neighbor, Bhutan:" https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/india-bhutan-border/

* "A Colombian presidential hopeful was shot. A 15-year-old is the prime suspect:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpvkgzeyxxro

* "Russia recruited a teenage spy. His arrest led to a Crypto Money Money Trail:" https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/europe-espionage-teen-spy/

* "From Pakistan to Spain via the Canaries, smugglers are using longer, more dangerous migration routes:" https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-canary-islands-spain-deadly-migration-route-ef38de1e7a7956cf4ed5f248e3eb97d8

* "Trump adviser Navarro says Mexican cartels expanding in Canada:" https://archive.ph/ZjddN

Watch on YouTube

* "Appeals court lets Trump keep National Guard in Los Angeles:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/12/donald-trump-national-guard-deployment-illegal-00404451

* "'The rule of law is clearly under attack': Fmr. prosecutor on Trump admin., state of U.S.:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-the-rule-of-law-is-clearly-under-attack-fmr-prosecutor-on-trump-admin-state-of-u-s-241632325967

* "Judge asks if troops in Los Angeles are violating the Posse Comitatus Act:" https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-protests-national-guard-newsom-trump-bf36c200b2b920dc6c4a66c13c250424

* "Mayor Bass fires back at VP Vance after his comments on anti-ICE protests:" https://abc7.com/post/vice-president-jd-vance-visit-los-angeles/16798406/

* "Vance gets the cause of fear in L.A. totally backward in trying to justify military presence:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/vance-gets-the-cause-of-fear-in-l-a-totally-backward-in-trying-to-justify-military-presence-242025029895

* "Is Trump’s Troop Deployment to Los Angeles Illegal?:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-troop-deployment-los-angeles-is-it-legal-1235364017/

* "You Can't Deploy Marines Against US Civilians:"

Watch on YouTube

* "Can The Military Refuse Trump's Orders?:"

Watch on YouTube

* "What I Saw in LA Wasn’t an Insurrection. It Was a Police Riot.:" https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/los-angeles-protest-police-riot/

* "Police deploy flash-bangs, rubber bullets on L.A. protesters:" https://archive.ph/YeBlV

* "Protesters are chasing federal agents out of L.A. County hotels: ‘A small victory’:" https://archive.ph/DSEKz

* "Anti-ICE protest leads to street takeover in L.A. neighborhood:" https://ktla.com/news/local-news/anti-ice-protest-leads-to-street-takeover-in-l-a-neighborhood/

* Snerk. "LAPD Caught in the 'Crossfire' After Being Hit by LASD's Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets While Trying to Break Up 'No Kings' Protest:" https://www.latintimes.com/v/lapd-caught-crossfire-after-being-hit-lasds-tear-gas-rubber-bullets-while-trying-break-no-552293

* "Know Your Rights:" https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights

* "A decade of Donald Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/a-decade-of-donald-trump-241633861800

* "Juneteenth Calls for Economic Justice, Not Trump’s Racially Coded Gimmicks:" https://msmagazine.com/2025/06/18/juneteenth-economic-justice-trump-racist/

* Yes, I know I'm late. In my defense, I have been pushed to my physical limit last week and past and this week will be far worse as I haven't even a place to sleep in my apartment.

I do think it's important to celebrate how massive the protests were, especially compared to the Parade.

A cynical part of me is wondering if we literally went to war with Iran in a wag the dog situation. I don't know it's the case, but wars tend to increase approval ratings for Presidents. Look what lying us into the Gulf War did for W..

Again, just speculation.

* "3 takeaways from the military parade and No Kings protests on Trump's birthday:" https://www.npr.org/2025/06/15/nx-s1-5433765/3-takeaways-from-the-military-parade-and-no-kings-protests-on-trumps-birthday

* "Trump Parade Turnout Swamped by Millions Who Protested at ‘No Kings’ Rallies:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-parade-turnout-protest-no-kings-millions-1235365602/

* "Poll: Americans disapprove of spending public funds to put on military parade in Washington:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/poll-americans-disapprove-spending-public-funds-put-military-parade-wa-rcna212779

* "Trump’s Military Parade—On His 79th Birthday—Met With Nationwide “No Kings” Protests:" https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-military-parade-birthday-no-kings-protests

* "‘No Kings’ Protests Across the United States:" https://archive.ph/seW9z#selection-4369.0-4375.18

* "Pussy Riot at L.A. ‘No Kings’ March: ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Russia’:" https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/pussy-riot-no-kings-march-los-angeles-1235365059/

* "Anti-Trump demonstrators crowd streets, parks and plazas across the US. Organizers say millions came:" https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-trump-philadelphia-los-angeles-immigration-raids-a3b67d23733cd060f8d01aef1e391dbf

* "‘No Kings’ demonstration in Philadelphia attracts thousands to protest Trump administration:" https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-no-kings-trump-ice-protest/

* I can't even come close to covering this properly. "Photos: See No Kings protests around the country:" https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2025/06/14/nx-s1-5433731/photos-no-kings-protest

* "Thousands rally against Trump at Atlanta ‘No Kings’ protests:" https://www.wabe.org/thousands-rally-against-trump-at-downtown-atlanta-no-kings-protest/

* "'No Kings' anti-Trump protests draw thousands in Cocoa and Palm Bay:" https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2025/06/14/thousands-at-no-kings-events-in-brevard-county-amid-nationwide-protests/84188950007/

"The Brevard County Sheriff's recent comments about killing violent protesters sparked controversy but didn't deter demonstrators."

* "More than 1 million descend on Boston Common for Pride and No Kings rallies:" https://www.wcvb.com/article/more-than-1-million-descend-on-boston-common-for-pride-and-no-kings-rallies/65065335

* "Defying Trump, Americans refuse to be denied their right to protest:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/defying-trump-americans-refuse-to-be-denied-their-right-to-protest-241717317604

* "After massive 'No Kings' protests, where does the Trump opposition go from here?:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/after-massive-no-kings-protests-where-does-the-trump-opposition-go-from-here-241721413748

* "Trump appears overwhelmed as opposition grows and support withers:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-appears-overwhelmed-as-opposition-grows-and-support-withers-241722437924

* "Trump reports more than $600 million in income from crypto, golf, licensing fees:" https://archive.ph/9D4wZ

* Looks like more grift to me. "Trump Organization unveils mobile phone service:" https://archive.ph/PS6Nu

* "The McMansionization of the White House, or: Regional Car Dealership Rococo: a treatise:" https://www.patreon.com/posts/mcmansionization-126873692

* "Trump merchandise sold at Fort Bragg for president's speech now under review:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-merchandise-sold-army-base-presidents-speech-now/story?id=122764288

* Another scary canary in a coal mine thing. "Trump's DOJ makes its most sweeping demand for election data yet:" https://www.npr.org/2025/06/11/nx-s1-5426097/trump-justice-department-voter-data-colorado?

* "Elon Learns About Authoritarianism The Hard Way:"

Watch on YouTube

* "JD Vance becomes the most blocked account on Bluesky after anti-trans post:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/jd-vance-bluesky-blocked

* "US judge blocks Trump passport policy targeting transgender people:" https://archive.ph/K51r5

* "Trump Considering Asbestos Ban Reversal Sparks Warning: 'Lives at Risk':" https://www.newsweek.com/trump-rolling-back-asbestos-ban-sparks-warning-lives-risk-2088221

* "The Disappearing Funds for Vaccine Research:" https://archive.ph/puA9T

* "Judge rules Trump’s NIH grant cuts reflect anti-LGBTQ+ bias and racial discrimination:" https://www.advocate.com/news/nih-grants-must-be-restored

* "Inside the Veterans Affairs Department’s underground resistance to Trump’s care ban for transgender vets:" https://www.advocate.com/news/inside-va-trans-care-resistance

* "Congress members demand that EEOC address gender identity discrimination:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/eeoc-enfocement-gender-identity-discrimination

* "Trump administration slapped with ‘impoundment’ violation for freezing library, museum funding:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/16/congress/trump-administration-slapped-with-impoundment-violation-for-freezing-library-museum-funding-00407686

* "Members of the Fulbright scholarship board resign, accusing Trump of meddling:" https://apnews.com/article/fulbright-scholarship-trump-board-resign-29128f9f80f31f2d8249bdfb88aa36a2

* Children and teens will die, which is absolutely the goal. "BREAKING: Supreme Court rules states can ban gender-affirming care for youth in U.S. v. Skrmetti:" https://www.advocate.com/news/scotus-gender-affirming-care-minors

* "5 takeaways from the Supreme Court ruling on gender-affirming care:" https://www.advocate.com/news/5-takeaways-skrmetti-ruling

* "Justice Sonia Sotomayor slams gender-affirming care ruling as 'state-sanctioned discrimination':" https://www.advocate.com/news/sotomayor-dissent-trans-youth-skrmetti

* "Supreme Court ruling on gender-affirming care for trans kids sparks nationwide outrage:" https://www.advocate.com/news/skrmetti-kids-advocates-devastated

Rightly so. They are literally trying to kill our kids. They know full well that this will dramatically increase the suicide rate. They are choosing to do it anyway.

Stay Noisy.

* " BREAKING: 9 trans rights activists arrested in front of Supreme Court while protesting Skrmetti ruling :" https://www.advocate.com/news/trans-activists-arrested-scotus-skrmetti

* This is a Trump action, but I'm grouping it with the Supreme Court decition because this is also part of Republicans hoping to kill as many queer kids as they can. "Trump Administration to close LGBTQ+ youth suicide hotline in 30 days:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/lgbtq-youth-suicide-hotline-closed

* "In a scathing dissent, Justice Jackson says the Supreme Court gives the impression it favors 'moneyed interests':" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/scathing-dissent-justice-jackson-says-supreme-court-gives-impression-f-rcna214104

* "Supreme Court takes up case of Rastafarian man seeking to sue prison officials for cutting his dreadlocks:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-case-rastafarian-man-sue-prison-officials-cutting-dreadlocks/

Looks like a 1st Amendment violation to me, but I don't trust the Supreme Court to protect the religious rights of anyone but white evangelical Christians.

* "Fed’s Powell keeps rates where they are, defying Trump:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/18/federal-reserve-fed-powell-trump-rates-00412831

* "Gay weddings have boosted state and local economies by $6 billion since marriage equality:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gay-weddings-economy-boost-obergefell

* "LGBTQ+ households earn 85 cents for every dollar — What's behind the disparity?:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lgbtq-intersex-households-lower-incomes

* "LGBTQ+ elders are more likely to live in poverty. Here's how we can change that:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lgbtq-elders-poverty-solutions

* We need to fight the Budget Bill

NOTE: Numbers subject to change.

If this budget passes, people die because they won't be able to afford the copays, especially as Trump economic policies kill jobs and keep causing prices to rise.

They are sacrificing people for the billionaires that bought them.

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND CONTACT YOUR SENATORS NOW!!!

Remind Red State Senators that they are killing their own base with this bill!

These Senators are vulnerable in 2026, so it is particularly important to contact them if they represent you:

Collins (ME)
Tillis (NC)
Sulliven (AK)
Husted (OH)
Moody (FL)
Cornyn (TX)
Ernst (IA)

They are stealing healthcare from 7.8 million in the near future and 10.9 million peopleat minimum over the next decade.

1 Million children will lose food assistance.

They are making the bottom 10% of Americans 4% Poorer.

This is all so they can make the Wealthiest 10% 2.3% richer.

The goal of this legislation is to harm or kill as many ordinary people by stealing their health care while ballooning the deficit by 3.3 trillion by giving tax cuts to billionaires.

A budget is a moral document. It says what a society's priorities are.

Not all deficit is bad. Deficit to invest in things like education or health or infrastructure is good for obvious reasons. This deficit is entirely about sucking money out of the economy and into billionaire bank accounts. It gives nothing back; it only harms.

Reminder: They are also immunizing the executive branch against Contempt of Court so they can just ignore the judicial branch in future.

* "Trump’s tax and immigration bill could add $3.3 trillion to national debt, CBO finds:" https://archive.ph/wIUMY

* "Senate Republicans seek tougher Medicaid cuts and lower SALT deduction in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-republicans-seek-tougher-medicaid-cuts-and-lower-salt-deduction-in-trumps-big-beautiful-bill

* "The Budget Bill’s Troubling AI Provision:" https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/budget-bills-troubling-ai-provision

* "Durham protesters demand Sens. Budd, Tillis vote against Trump’s budget bill:" https://ncnewsline.com/2025/06/17/durham-protesters-demand-sens-budd-tillis-vote-against-trumps-budget-bill/

* "Senate Republicans unveil long-awaited details on Trump tax bill:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-republicans-finance-committee-trump-budget-bill-medicaid-taxes/

* "‘People are going to die’: Jasmine Crockett sounds off on GOP cuts to health care:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-people-are-going-to-die-jasmine-crockett-sounds-off-on-gop-cuts-to-health-care-241795141924

* "Social Security benefits face big cuts in 2033, unless Congress acts:" https://www.npr.org/2025/06/18/nx-s1-5436828/social-security-benefits-cut-congress

* "House Republicans vote to claw back $9.4 billion in funding for foreign aid, NPR and PBS:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-vote-claw-back-94-billion-funding-foreign-aid-npr-pb-rcna211740

* RE: SAVE ACT "Do This Today: Call Senators:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2036106.html

If these are your Senators, please stop what you are doing and call now:

KELLY (AZ)
WARNOCK (GA)
PETERS (MI)
SHAHEEN (NH)
HASSAN (NH)
CORTEZ MASTO (NV)
ROSEN (NV)

* This one is a super dangerous attack on the judiciary's ability to protect citizen's rights. "H.R. 1526: NORRA of 2025:" https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr1526

* "Senate Passes Stablecoin Bill in Win for Crypto, Trump:" https://archive.ph/ZAGey

It moves onto the House.

* "Jeanne Shaheen & Susan Collins introduce bipartisan bill banning anti-LGBTQ+ bias in federal jury selection:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/lgbtq-jury-discrimination-bill

* "Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs exposes Pete Hegseth’s anti-trans hypocrisy during embarrassing House hearing:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/hegseth-trans-military-hypocrisy-exposed

* Our job for the next two years 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/

* "DNC Vice Chair Malcom Kenyatta Responds to AFT President Randi Weingarten's Resignation:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/dnc-vice-chair-malcom-kenyatta-responds-to-aft-president-randi-weingarten-s-resignation-241633349742

* "Military vet Gina Ortiz Jones becomes first lesbian elected mayor of San Antonio:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/gina-ortiz-jones-lesbian-mayor

* "Takeaways from New Jersey election: Trump looms large and signs of Democratic enthusiasm:" https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-governor-primary-trump-ciattarelli-sherrill-0c81926706154c5b7766763a703ec338

* "Why lesbian Rep. Angie Craig says she's ‘ready for the fight’ in her run to be Minnesota’s next U.S. senator:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/angie-craig-senate-run-interview

* "Iowa bans Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care for adults:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/iowa-medicaid-gender-affirming-care

* "Gavin Newsom cut LGBTQ+ health funding. The CA legislature is set to restore $40 million:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/california-lgbtq-health-gavin-newsom

* "Republican push for proof of citizenship to vote proves a tough sell in the states:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-republicans-citizenship-voting-elections-texas-b6b9298092c84266bc7515209e5aea42

* "The Right's Latest Blueprint for Authoritarian Takeover:"

Watch on YouTube

* "Muslim NYC mayoral candidate, Jewish Ohio lawmaker report threats:" https://archive.ph/0y2nJ

* "California police accused a lawmaker of DUI when she was sober. She says she was targeted because she's queer:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ca-senator-false-dui-lgbtq

* "2 arrested with arsenal and Nazi paraphernalia after base robbery were ex-military, prosecutors say:" https://apnews.com/article/nazi-white-supremacist-guns-fbi-washington-d75d09d52afbff49b7876643d54bf752

* "Former pupil kills nine, then himself in shooting at Austrian school:" https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/one-person-killed-attack-austrian-school-media-report-2025-06-10/

* "Looser gun laws tied to thousands more US child shooting deaths:" https://phys.org/news/2025-06-looser-gun-laws-thousands-child.html

* "Man arrested for killing Minnesota Democrat gave anti-LGBTQ+ speech in Africa:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/vance-boelter-anti-lgbtq-speech-africa

* "'Stuff of nightmares': Prosecutor reveals chilling details of attacks on Minnesota lawmakers:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prosecutor-reveals-chilling-details-attacks-minnesota-lawmakers-rcna213304

* "Queer Wisconsin lawmakers Tammy Baldwin's and Mark Pocan's names found on Minnesota shooting suspect's list:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/baldwin-pocan-boelter-hit-list

* "Wife of wounded Sen. John Hoffman expresses ‘profound gratitude’ for arrest of shooting suspect:" https://www.startribune.com/john-hoffman-wife-awake-minnesota-politician-shooting-hortman-murdered-suspect-vance-boelter/601373522

* "Melissa Hortman, assassinated MN lawmaker, was a champion for families and LGBTQ+ rights:" https://www.advocate.com/news/melissa-hortman-assassination-legacy

* "Minnesota lawmaker killed on Saturday served with compassion, governor says:" https://archive.ph/7IzGZ

* "Trump won’t call ‘whacked out’ Walz after Minnesota shooter charged:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/17/trump-walz-phone-call-00410141

* "Mike Lee confronted by Minnesota colleague over shooting comments: “Honestly, he seemed a little surprised,” Sen. Tina Smith said. :" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/06/16/congress/tina-smith-confronts-mike-lee-00409329

* "Coward Mike Lee Runs Away When Asked About His Assassination “Joke”:" https://newrepublic.com/post/196912/mike-lee-runs-away-asked-minnesota-assassination-tina-smith

* "Trump Jr. falsely blames 'radical transgender movement' for Melissa Hortman assassination:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-jr-transgender-melissa-hortman

* "'A huge change-maker': DNC chair fights back tears remembering Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/dnc-chair-fights-back-tears-remembering-minnesota-state-rep-melissa-hortman-241613381832

* "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fails to mention LGBTQ+ identities of Pulse victims on shooting anniversary:" https://www.advocate.com/news/desantis-no-lgbtq-pulse

* "What the data says about crime in the U.S.:" https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/24/what-the-data-says-about-crime-in-the-us/

Republicans have been scare mongering about crime waves even though crime has been going down most of my adult life.

* "The true cost of prisons and jails is higher than many realize, researchers say:" https://www.npr.org/2025/06/03/nx-s1-5413282/true-cost-of-prisons-and-jails-higher-than-many-realize

* "Juneteenth and LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations lose sponsors as companies drop DEI:" https://www.advocate.com/news/juneteenth-pride-lose-sponsors-dei

* "17 E.U. countries sound alarm over Hungarian LGBTQ laws:" https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/17-eu-countries-sound-alarm-hungarian-lgbtq-laws-rcna209197

* "Florida man arrested for bringing loaded gun to Wilton Manors Pride:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/wilton-manors-pride-arrest-florida

* "Party On: The conservative wave is hobbling Pride celebrations across the country. But in some small towns, the party’s just getting started.:" https://slate.com/life/2025/06/pride-2025-queer-lgbtq-trump-conservative.html

* "Historic Aussie-first breakthrough in fight against condition impacting 40 million:" https://au.news.yahoo.com/historic-aussie-first-breakthrough-in-fight-against-condition-impacting-40-million-221709158.html?guccounter=1

* "A new variant of COVID-19 may be driving up cases in some parts of the world, WHO says:" https://apnews.com/article/covid-variant-who-285a4e5146aa4a7ccb252e38accd5959?

* "Once a leading killer, tuberculosis is now rare in rich countries — here’s how it happened:" https://ourworldindata.org/tuberculosis-history-decline

* "Worm-inspired treatments inch toward the clinic:" https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/health-disease/2025/worm-inspired-treatments-inch-toward-clinic?

* "Japanese Scientists Develop Artificial Blood Compatible With All Blood Types:" https://www.tokyoweekender.com/entertainment/tech-trends/japanese-scientists-develop-artificial-blood/

* "Death toll from plane crash in India climbs to 270 as search teams find more bodies:" https://www.npr.org/2025/06/15/g-s1-72883/death-toll-from-plane-crash-in-india-climbs-to-270-as-search-teams-find-more-bodies

* "The battle to stop Africa’s waters being ravaged by China’s dark fishing fleets:" https://observer.co.uk/news/oceans/article/battle-to-stop-africas-waters-being-ravaged-by-chinas-dark-fishing-fleets-1

* "Cook Islands’ atoll officially rat free:" https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2024-media-releases/cook-islands-atoll-officially-rat-free

* "These vintage photos by Alice Austen depict queer life and breaking with gender of norms:" https://www.advocate.com/news/photos-alice-austen-too-good-to-get-married#rebelltitem14

* "Sally Ride told her partner it was OK to come out 10 days before her death:" https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/sally-ride-partner-comes-out

* "Juneteenth:"

Watch on YouTube

* "This Juneteenth, we celebrate the progress and power of Black Pride :" https://www.advocate.com/history/juneteenth-celebrating-black-pride#rebelltitem1

* I have had the shakes since Thursday every time I try to do anything as strenuous as get dressed, cover the bed, water the plants, etc.. The first half of the week was just way to much for me physically. Add in allergy season in full swing and the chronic pain being in monster mode, I feel terrible. As in, I literally dreamed I was coming down with yersina pestis terrible. (Me, finally looking down and spotting the buboes: Well that certainly explains everything! Now to talk someone into taking me to the hospital). Um, thanks body. I am well aware, but life isn't allowing any kind of slack right now.

We had to get everything ready for all the contractor stuff Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. There was nothing for it. Goth Millennial took the weekend off so New Millennial, who also is disabled, and I had to do all of it. I've been trying, but if I push at all I start shaking all over. It was 4:17AM as I write this and I'm not even close to done, despite heroic effort from New Millennial, who stayed way later and pushed themselves way harder than they should given how bad allergies were before we kicked up dust and dander cleaning.

And then I opened Waterfox and found all the links gone, most of them forever. I checked Waterfox's official help page, but like Firefox, the help page lies that the "restore previous session" button still exists, so I'm going to have to try recovery by hand.

I can't do it now. It is too many things. Way too many things. I don't know when I can as I've no idea if there will be any sleep tomorrow or what to expect when the fire system people come as Management gave zero clue and the time window is between 8AM and 5PM.

I've likely lost most of it forever. It was everything on that sleeve after… I think it was Medical news. I made a lot of progress before bed. If I knew all the links would go away, I could have just not slept. It would have been easier than trying to claw them back one at a time from "Library."

Fuck!

I lost some other stuff, which is annoying to me, but not catastrophic. I am so sorry. I literally didn't even do anything wrong this time. IDK.

Anyway, because there will be contractors and very little sleep, I have no idea how much news I can reasonably prep, read, and post. I will try to get the highest priority things up, but no promises beyond that given how bad things already are physically.

* Monday was A LOT. So the window for them doing the mysterious and dreaded Fire System Upgrade was literally all day. Management refused to give any other relevant information in advance. Would it be in all the rooms? If not which room. Which room was answered by me discovering a map taped to our door showing my room circled. This is literally the worst room for this to be happening in. Any other room we could clear a space under the sprinkler.

They gave us zero instructions for preparation for this "demolition," no explanation of what's involved, what they will be doing, or why. We just tried to do general decluttering and hoped.

My room is basically all bed. I have things like shelving and chests of drawers along two walls. There is clearance for me to walk between the furniture on those to sides and enough to squeeze past the open door closet side. The bed is the most expensive thing I own, as my car is a dying ancient thing and the bed was bought with the last of the small inheritance that let us move here. I bought in knowing how disabled I was and that it would only get worse and that I'm a person in extreme chronic pain who must spend A LOT of time in bed. It is large and comfortable and has drawers and shelving built into it, so I can just roll around and grab things on days when my body can't handle much. I need meds and book in reach. I need to be able to dress without sitting up. This bed is great for that.

My room set up has the added benefit that if my legs are really bad, I can use the furniture on both sides to take my weight if my legs aren't much good when I go to stand. Picture those parallel bars they use for physio only furniture at the correct height for me to use for hobbling about. The bed is tall and I am shortish. It works. I can flop my torso back on if my legs outright give way. The room looks a little odd as it's all designed with things high up to be seen or grabbed from the bed. It is beautiful and restful and comfortable in there.

What my bed in not is MOBILE. It is heavy af because it literally has drawers full of clothes and linens and such on three sides and shelving with books, meds, etc. on the third. Plus a heavy ass mattress and all the blankets, pillows, etc.. It can not me slid or internal supports will break. (Which happened the time we moved it to replace the water heater, leading to Tavy and I lying in bed later and the bed breaking and sliding us into a crack of doom under the head board shelves. It was a whole THING and I never want it to happen again as I've no means of fixing it myself).

It can't fit through the door. The people I bought it from before I moved in literally assembled it inside the room. I've zero clue how to disassemble, not could I even if I did. My dominant arm is still very week from the whole thing where they replaced my entire shoulder. Like, I have enough strength and dexterity to use chopsticks with noodles again (but not rice unless it's sticky). I was actually able to do some sweeping today (Tuesday), which I couldn't have done even a couple of month ago, but I'm not strong enough to, say, do dishes or scrub a bathtub or a fish tank. I wear out very fast and the pain can get pretty intense. The other arm's shoulder joint is deteriorating because that's how auto-immune arthritis works. It's strong, but it's got hard limits mechanically as well and also pain. See aggressive arthritis.

I can't even lift the mattress by myself. I don't know what tools I'd need to take apart the bed. I don't know how to take apart the bed. I've nowhere to put the bed in part or not except literally where it is. The bed could move about a foot and a half closer to the closet which would give them more clearance under the sprinkler which from the one picture we were allowed to see of a rectangular tarp thing around a sprinkler head in one of the stripped apartments from the indoor waterfall disaster suggests is where they will be working. This still wouldn't clear the whole space they likely need, let alone the whole room, which they seem to think they are getting, but it would be enough space to put a ladder.

There is literally nothing I could do to solve it especially as all this is news I got about 9AM for construction work the same day at a random time, so I went to bed dressed and managed about two hours of low quality sleep before one of the city contractors turned up to take a tour and get pictures to prepare their bid at 3 as planned. I was in the kitchen showing him the parts we saved from when the kitchen drawer disintegrated and trying to explain our electrical situation when two late teen turned up to "tape up" my bedroom. I did not say "Good luck with that," as they were sweet polite young men and none of this was their fault. I blame management's absolute refusal to communicate in any useful way with us peons except to threaten us with things.

Keep in mind this is the same management who wrote things like "I have no sympathy for anyone who doesn't have an extra $4000 in their bank account" at the time of the surprise illegal special assessment last August. As someone on SSI, I am not allowed to have a dollar over $2000, and it is impossible to save that what with things like housing and bills.

So I explained about being disabled and all the things about the bed that made moving it impossible. The sweet young men assessed it, realized it was waaaay above their pay grade and said they'd need to ask their supervisor. Squirrel and I finished with the contractor/bidder, who was very cool, and who Tavy liked right off which is always an excellent sign. Tavy DID decide three brand new strangers in the apartment at once were TOO MANY STRANGERS and joined Livia in the secure hide where she'd been since the first weird noises started in the hall right outside or door around 9AM. She stayed in there until after 5, when the whole building went normal quiet. Tavy came out the second the excitement was over.

It is 4:19PM Tuesday as I write this. I have heard contractors, but not seen them. I found a note when I poked my head out 1sh in pencil (very hard to read with my eyesight and the faintness an handwriting quality) asking us to move all the furniture except the bed out of the room. O.o

Where, pray tell? Also, how? With whose arms?

I had a Thing Monday night and didn't even have time or energy to check email and PMs. I went to bed 1sh without checking news much at all and just doing things like resetting action items. Which I can't swear are up to date because barely looked at news Monday, and Tuesday evening I also have commitments. This means I have all the online things I should have done last night and all today's things to do. I needed extra sleep because two hours of sleep Monday. I had to do all of it past 7:45AM dressed because they said vaguely that they'd "be back tomorrow" when they went to speak with their supervisor, but no time was given and they can just walk right in between 8AM and 5PM.

So I get the note 1ish. I still need to strip and change the sofa and start laundry because Tavy. I need to do basic stuff like eat and to lungs and take care of cats and fish. I need to somehow move the furniture because Squirrel is busy and management is delusional.

This isn't happening. It's physically impossible. What I did decide was to clear the space from bed to closet, which is harder than it sounds because there is a cat box and the bed side table that sticks into the closet and has things stored under and on top of it and was hard to move last time I did it which was a couple years before my dominent shoulder deteriorated to near uselessness. Squirrel did help by holding the dustpan for the sweeping and extracting the table once I cleared it, on break from his things, but he's also still cleaning for Thursday's contractor and has a real time online commitment going on. I did get most of the things on the table into the closet except the fragile bulky stuff like Halloween trees and Skeleton. I need to shove them into the living room where I already have the table. I need to move the things from under the table too, which are heavier. All this stuff was still piled on the bed when the shakes from the physical strain got too much for me to continue.

At least I raided the lost cat toy stash and rescued those and the floor strip is swept.

It is the best I can do. I go to move the things piled on my bed after I post this on Tumblr.

I hurt SO MUCH. Fuck those rich ass boomers in management and there zero empathy and communication!

Addendum: Squirrel, who has access to the Facebook page (I do not facebook), says there was nothing on there either about what they were doing, where they were doing it, why they were doing it, or what preparations to make.

Our theory is, the reason we got a note and it is now 3 minutes to 5PM and we have seen no workers and I only heard them in the hall once and they were gone when I got there is that as nobody else knew what they were doing, where, or what preparations to make, we aren't even close to the only ones they are having to move furniture for.

I literally heard them moving furniture in the ADA apartment above mine yesterday lunchtime. I know the gentleman sleeps above me is in fragile health and in a wheelchair with limited arm use and no use of his legs. His parents are quite elderly, and though in robust health, likely aren't in any condition to move furniture, given their size and the thinness of their arms.

Lots of elderly and disabled people live here. It is HARD to find ADA apartments that aren't assisted living in this town.

ZERO consideration was taken of that here.

Again, not the Contractors fault. It's the Privileged fucking assholes on management committee that think everyone can hire movers on an hour's notice.

* I feel like I am being held hostage in my apartment by contractors. I had things to do today.

For context the window of arrival is 8AM-5PM Everyday and if I am not here to open the door for this construction I do not want, management can fine me a lot of money I don't have. If they do not come today, I am trapped tomorrow too.

Addendum: Squirrel was able to cover Contractor watch duty long enough for me to slip out for TP, meds, and library. When I got back I could hear them working on the far end of our floor.

They did not reach us, which means I get to have insufficiant low quality sleep again tommorrow, since I am terrible at sleeping in my clothes.

* So Friday I got only three hours sleep because I couldn't sleep for ages and I needed to be up and dressed by 8AM. I was here all day. I heard noises in the hall occasionally. Went to check. No one there.

I am now living without a mounting stool which makes getting in bed Hard. My fan is on the floor so it doesn't blow correctly for keeping me cool enough to sleep well. Livia is without her perch and doesn't like jumping up onto surfaces she can't see properly, so losing the piano bench and the long table she can use for interim jumping distresses her. I didn't see her from when I went to bed until she came out of her hide 4PMish.

Stuff I need nearby when I sleep is in a basket with my bedside medical waste trash.

Nothing from the damned contractors. No knock. I have a sign up saying "We are home. Knock Louder. I was literally home and dressed and awake all day. The door was unlocked. They have a thingy on the door to let themselves in and out.

I got an email sent at 3:58PM about how I was not in the apartment so they couldn't get in despite me being here the whole time, etc., etc. I read it 4:30ish and went out to flag one down. They'd knocked off for the day. I have written back to management including a picture of the door.

They now want me to spend money I don't have to hire a moving truck to hold all my furniture during the renovation. Knowing that the last in person contact was Monday afternoon late, and the only other contact was a note Tuesday. I need my bed for sleeping. I would need to know what day and time they were coming and how long. See also I literally can't afford this.

I need my bed to sleep in. Asking me to hire a moving truck to keep my bed with no idea what day they are going to come and the fact tat thy have made zero attempt to contact me in person since the brief one after 3PM Monday makes no sense. What day and time would I need to do it? How many hours would it need to sit in the truck? What guarantee is there that I won't also spend money waiting all day with no contact given I spent five days waiting for them already?

I think that the contractors lied about me not being home Friday because on Thursday I told management about how my disabilities mean I literally can not move the bed and dressers and that they'd need to do it.

* I actually got really good sleep for once Saturday. Newest Millennial surprised me with eggplant casserole that was basically lasagna without noodles (Yum!) and dishes.

I came up with a plan Friday night to flip the monster bed on it's side and press the bottom against the closet, which would mean recruiting able bodied people because the thing is huge and heavy. Newest Millennial has recruited three so far. I suspect we really need six, but we will have to make do.

The plan is horrible, of course. We have to flip the bed Sunday night, which means no sleep. We are not sure it is physically possible or even if it is, can we do it without damaging the frame. We will likely have to store the mattress in my bathroom, cutting me off from the bath and the laundry, which means I won't be able to clean Tavy's pads. (Washing is still hot water only, which is it's own problem). I will likely be storing my bedding on top of the washer/dryer.

In the morning I camp out in the lobby and try to talk them into doing us first thing. We hope they let us flip my bed back in the evening and that we can reassemble the team of strangers to do the flipping.

I will be spending my gas money on pizza for helpers.

I have no idea at all if it will work and we're pretty fucked if it doesn't.

I hate this. The cats hate this more.

Tavy is stress vomiting and acting out in all the ways he does when he's really scared. Seven strangers/semi-strangers in the house in one week would be a lot even for him, even though he really liked two of them and two others are people who did the previous renovation so were familiar though not liked. (Renovations are loud, chaotic, and scary).

Add in all the furniture and packing related chaos. It feels like getting ready for a move for me. Neither of these cats have ever been in a move. They do know Goth Tchotchke season, where I get the big boxes out of the closet in Autumn, decorate, then put the boxes back, then do the reverse early January. This is familiar chaos and they know this isn't that. I am yanking all this stuff out of their room and things like the mounting stools (piano bench, coffee table) they use to jump up on the bed went into the living room along with other small furniture and storage boxes. I've been clearing shelves and packing things.

Watching Livia's mounting terror, I think she thinks this is like went I went away for… I think it was ten days? last Autumn. This looks way more like that as I piled all the stuff we were taking South in the living room that time too, only worse, because things like her window spot are gone.

The other night she flagged me down on the way back from the bathroom for a bed pet, then milled around in rising panic crying "Eeeeeee! Eeeeeee! because her furniture is missing and she won't blind jump or let me lift her. I ended up petting her in the office area of the living room, which is still mostly normal.

When I realized they weren't coming Friday, I unearthed the piano bench and put it in by the window for her so she can at least nap on the bed when I'm not in it. Unfortunately when I'm in the bed the fan is mostly on, and understandably doesn't want to be on a small piano bench with a fan that is on. I gave her a really long bed pet at bed time, and turned the fan off after I got up so she could get feather time and a pet before I went to eat the not lasagna.

I feel like a monster. I am giving them both pets on demand mostly in the desk and sofa area, but they really need this to be over even more than I do.

* The Queer Community came Through! A delightful and alarmingly competent collection of young queer folk turned up and actually disassembled my bed!!!

It is a little alarming as I've no idea how it goes back together, but they have promised to return to reassemble it. Parts of it are stacked along the bed room wall. Some of it is n my bathroom.

Even Tavy ended up hiding with Livia after the 5th and 6th people showed up. He did come out later when people were eating to make more friends.

They are both terrified and alarmed by the lack of bed. I don't blame them even a little. Most of their mesting spots are gone and they are milling about between reassurance pets trying to work out how to manage their new and alarming environment.

If I knew for sure that this would be done tomorrow, it would be all right, but I don't.

A goth from one of the other buildings said they were forced to sleep in the Livingroom for a month. Me: O.o

I can't even do lung treatments tonight because I don't have the energy to clear enough sofa to reach my Machine. I'm in too much pain to move boxes to fee the fish and something is wrong with my non-replaced shoulder. I had to pack up my med trays, so I'll be doing it by hand for the duration. There is literally nowhere to sleep.

I need to take pictures to send to Management, but I am so tired. I really just want to lie down, but even the sofa is closed to me.

I can't do this for a month. I just can't.

I need for this to be over.

Still, it was hugely heartening that so many young queer people came out on short notice to rescue a stranger.

* Every time I think we have reached the bottom of Construction Hell, Management finds a way to make it some much worse

This just gets more catastrophic every day. I stayed up as planned. I managed to catch the guy in charge of my building's part of the project at 8AM, but apparently he hadn't authority to come look at our room or schedule anything. He had me call main branch. I explained. She texted the guy in charge of the whole project for my complex. It is 1:45PM. I suspect this will be day six of no useful contact. Lunchish I got an email saying they would fine me if literally everything down to the art on the walls and the books on the high shelf isn't out by tomorrow.

Even taken apart, whole chucks of it can't leave.

I tried to get squirrel but they were busy and insist that somehow Management doesn't mean it and isn't doing the terrible thing that they literally said they were doing in the email and that I should just wait all afternoon. I could not see how me doing it alone after they go to game when I've been up more than 24 hours when I am dizzier and in even more pain was going to be better than starting now as I was going to have to spend a lot of time on the high ladder. I am already and in horrific pain and I can't stop crying. How is this likely to improve in the next four hours? In the next eight?

They are willing to help with furniture, but we much move fast.

I've gotten most things boxed, but I'm for real terrified of trying to take apart the TV and stereo things. I'm not convinced I can move the bed pieces safely. I'm not convinced I can lift them at all.

It has to be done no matter how badly I hurt myself doing it. If I call people in to move furniture in, I'm scared they won't come a third time to reassemble the bed and I absolutely can't do that myself. Somehow I need to get everything into Squirrel's bathroom myself. Nothing important can touch the floor in there. I am taking a meds break and then I will see if the tarp is in the closet where it's supposed to be. If it's not, I guess I'll have to find money for a new one.

I am not going to be allowed to sleep tonight either.

I don't feel safe here anymore.

It being my bedroom makes it so much worse. I put so much effort into making it beautiful and comfortable and calm. I know it sounds illogical, but being forced to entirely dismantle it feels like a kind of violation.

They still won't tell me how many days until I'm allowed to sleep.

They knew they were going to do this as early as last summer. Why are we a week into construction hell with them still dribbling out directions that change? Why couldn't we have all they directions a month ago? Two weeks ago? Last week?

This never seems to end.

At this point I can't see a solution that doesn't involve us having money we don't have.

I can't even pay the nice people who helped last night gas money if I call them again. I definitely can't afford a hotel.

Everything is impossible and I'm so so tired.

Update 3/10: We can not physically move the larger bed parts ourselves. Some of them don;t go through the door. there is literally nowhere for the headboard to be except where it is. The parts we could get out of the room are in my bathroom and on Squirrel's bed since last night. Squirrel, the lucky bastard, gets to sleep on my mattress.

We did get most of it. I left the fan and the ait filter going because dust we still need to clean. This place is by it's nature dusty (dust falls from the ceiling when there is a good blow out of Alaska), and not only these cats, but the previous clowder had been steadily losing toys under the dresser with the TV and my ancient stereo stack on it, and I physically couldn't clean under it. It is impressive really.

I can barely walk and my legs keep seizing up, then doing that cut strings on a marionette thing.

The pain is stunning.

Tomorrow we find out if they fine us and force us to pay for movers.

I wonder how many days I can go without sleep. When I was actively dying back in Summer and Autumn of '08, the answer was five. My bet is two to three with caffeine under current conditions.

My father loved Alec Guinness movies. Not counting Star Wars: a New hope, his favorite and still mine was Kind Hearts an d coronets, which I've been thinking about a lot the last month.

His favorite Alec Guinness threat, though, was from "From the Horse's Mouth," which was the movie that taught me what a foot fetish was, but I digress. It was also his favorite threat from a movie ever.

Alec Guiness' character is threatening someone from a pay phone and growls, "I going to burn down your house and cut out your tripes."

This has been floating through my head a lot lately for some reason, in my father's voice. <.< >.> I'd never do it. I'd never have done it. It's just satisfying, somehow.

* "Juvenile Justice: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

Watch on YouTube

* "Jordan Klepper Crashes Trump’s Military-Birthday Parade | The Daily Show:"

Watch on YouTube

* "Donald Trump's Chief Enemy: Stairs:"

Watch on YouTube

* I had a fascinating time watching Hazardous History's premiere episode.

My dad loved Buck Rogers and desperately wanted that ray gun. His parents were poor and he didn't get one. He used to talk about it wistfully now and then.

I'd cousins with Clackers.

I have been to Action Park (If you are curious: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/185336422032/ask-veronica-sawyer-heathers-can-i-have-the). We absolutely loved Super Bubble Elastic Bubble Plastic and were kind of bummed out when it got discontinued. (I never inhaled and didn't know it could get you high. It really did smell funny though in an impossible to forget way). It was really fun, but apparently super toxic. Ooops. My Sister had an easy Bake oven. We did not have a Creature Maker, because my parents were too bright. My Sister did have an easy bake, but lost interest as we were always baking things in the real oven. My Chemistry set was post bunson burner, glass blowing, and radioactivity eras, but it did have really dangerous chemicals in it.

My Parents looked at the lawn dart commercial and intuited someone was going to get seriously injured or die, so we dodged that dart. I am likely still alive because the really dangerous kid across the street and the other really dangerous kid in a different house across the street through some miracle didn't get them either as they were always throwing rocks at us and I'm pretty sure the only thing that would have stopped them throwing those at us would be them doing in a sibling first.

I've been both burned and cut by slides. I've injured myself flying off swings onto black top and gravel, which were ubiquitous in playgrounds. I loved the miracle Whirl, though we called it something else. Roundabout maybe? Something like that. I loved centrifugal force just generally. We'd put the little kids in the center and the bigger kids around the edges. I was a fast runner and really good at jumping on once it really got going, so I was usually last one on. The runners would go as fast as they could then jump on one by one when they started struggling to keep up. Even in the blacktop and gravel playground era, they'd put those on dirt, which meant we didn't have one in the closest playground which was blacktop entirely, but they had them several other places we'd go. I don't remember anyone getting seriously injured, just burns and scrapes, but I can see how that could easily happen.

The 20th Century toys were stupid dangerous for kids, yo.

*****
* 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.

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

* 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 Immigtrant 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/

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

* Want to help her 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

* "Asserting yourself during discrimination:" https://www.reasonableaccess.org.uk/resources/asserting-yourself-during-discrimination/

* How to fight your insurace company when they insist you take meds that don't work instead of a more expensive one that does: https://steptherapy.com/step-therapy-legislation-by-state/

* "Find Non-US Alternatives: Discover alternatives to the mainstream products, services, and companies typically found in the United States and Russia, sourced from other regions.:" https://www.bankrupttrump.org/

* Indigenous led organizationtrying to save endangered species that just lost Federal funding. "The Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance:" https://www.bnga.org/

* What to do if you are an adult who is losing your gender affirming care from your physician: https://www.tumblr.com/anonymousalchemist/774948824033673217

* Help Lambda Legal Continue their fight: https://support.lambdalegal.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app30130a?df_id=6680&mfc_pref=T&6680.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=D3311163DF16F06EEA5520010BAF90B5&_gl=1*n53ras*_gcl_au*MTMxNDYxNjc0LjE3MzgxODExMzg.*_ga*MTY0NDY4OTM4NC4xNzM4MTgxMTM4*_ga_290ZG8GMP3*MTczODE4MTEzOC4xLjEuMTczODE4MTIwMi41OC4wLjA.

* Glad Law is fighting for trans service members. Want to help? https://givebutter.com/donatetoglad?utm_src=webheader&_gl=1*1qhxi1q*_ga*NDM3MjM0Mzk1LjE3NDEwMDk5NDA.*_ga_PCJHHSV2G7*MTc0MTAwOTk0MC4xLjAuMTc0MTAwOTk0MC4wLjAuMA..

* "Donate to the ACLU:" https://action.aclu.org/give/now

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

* "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

* "Here are 26 organizations fighting Donald Trump that you can donate to:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/anti-donald-trump-charities

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

* "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund:" https://victoryfund.org/

* "Palestine Children’s Relief Fund:" https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-recovery

* "The Black Consumer Advisory:" https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory

* Want to help Virginia get a Democratic Governor? "Support Abigail's Campaign for Governor of Virginia!" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blu-asfg-2025-gs-dd?refcode=BLU_ASFG_DD_GS_NT_NTL_Q1_01&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAt4C-BhBcEiwA8Kp0CcaXXWdWpVI1uyoauFCRFgrY9hsEMA4pbxF_TO6ZPHAdhNzOmcwHTxoC8lgQAvD_BwE

* Post Joann's fabric Resources: https://www.tumblr.com/omgthatdress/777133232259989504/quilted-twins-florida-based-quilting-shop-with-a?source=share

* What to do if you encounter an immigration official. "Know Your Rights:" https://unitedwedream.org/resources/know-your-rights/

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

* "ICE Watch Programs Can Protect Immigrants in Your Neighborhood — Here’s What to Know:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/ice-watch-programs-immigrants-how-to-start

* "Legal Services for Your Reproductive Life:" https://reprolegalhelpline.org/

* "National Abortion Hotline:" https://prochoice.org/

* "Plan C: Abortion pills by mail in every state:" https://www.plancpills.org/

* "Resources for Accessing Abortion Care:" https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/resources/resources-for-accessing-abortion-care/

* "Contraception and Birth Control Resources:" https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/contraception/more_information/resources

* "Gynecologists who will perform a tubal sterilization:" https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Djia_WkrVO3S4jKn6odNwQk7pOcpcL4x00FMNekrb7Q/edit?gid=1318374028#gid=1318374028

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

* "We have a right to safety, privacy, and protest. Say no to mask bans.:" https://www.stopmaskbans.com/

* "Trans Kids Deserve Better:" https://transkidsdeservebetter.org/support

* "World Central Kitchen:" https://wck.org/

* Trans support organization: https://www.pointofpride.org/

* "Transanta: An opportunity to directly support trans youth:" https://thisfinecrew.dreamwidth.org/291573.html

* Links for various Palestinian Aid Organizations: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/750151174318112768?source=share

* "Black Alliance for Peace’s Atlanta Citywide Alliance:" https://linktr.ee/bapatlanta

* Map of Cop Cities planned or being built: https://isyourlifebetter.net/cop-cities-usa/

* Want to help Journalists without Borders? https://donate.rsf.org/us/donate/~my-donation

* How to donate to Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/secure/donate

* "The Rainbow Railroad:" https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/take-action

* "These Organizations Accept Donations To Help People in Ukraine:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/03/01/where-to-donate-help-ukraine/

* "Russia-Ukraine War: Info and ways to help:" https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/

* "Support OVD-Info:" https://beste-glatisant.tumblr.com/post/677388506851606528/hi-ive-donated-to-the-ukranian-refugees-and-now

* "War in Ukraine! Support LGBTQ people.:" https://secure.wayforpay.com/payment/s047412e502b6

* What to help fight for queer people in Africa? Try the Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest www.ISDAO.org

* Organizations to help trans folk: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620857152453640195/about-us

* Indivisible Guide for Trump 2.0 "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

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

* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely protest in person, here are some other options:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
Senate: https://contactsenators.com/senator-phone-numbers/
Congress in General: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

* "DONATE TO EMILY'S LIST:" https://win.emilyslist.org/a/donate-to-emily

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

* I admit to having a wicked good time tormenting myself and other history geeks with my polls: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydpolls

Nec Hoc Nec Ilud

Touched By a Zombie

6/14/25 - 6/23/25 We are at War

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June 2025

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