Nec Hoc Nec Ilud

* I'm not really all the way back yet. My arm and hand get too tired, but this is part of the slow ramp up on the Aggregate.

---

* This was wildly illegal. "Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria killed 2 generals and 5 other officers, Iran says:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-airstrike-iranian-embassy-edca34c52d38c8bc57281e4ebf33b240

* "Iran launches drone attack against Israel:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/13/iran-israel-attacks-00152116

* Well, fuck. "Israeli missiles hit site in Iran, ABC News reports:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-missiles-hit-site-iran-abc-news-reports-2024-04-19/

* Food aid to Gaza for Ramadan: https://support.anera.org/a/ramadan-2024

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

* Fundraisers for Gaza: https://www.tumblr.com/el-shab-hussein/742344297699999744/hi-if-its-okay-i-saw-you-were-boosting?source=share

******

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* "Germany arrests two for alleged military sabotage plot on behalf of Russia:" https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-arrests-two-alleged-military-sabotage-plot-behalf-russia-2024-04-18/

* Extended Interview with Christiane Amanpour:

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* "DeRay on the ‘wild case’ against him and how the Supreme Court responded:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/deray-on-the-wild-case-against-him-and-how-the-supreme-court-responded-209220677932

* "‘Despicable:’ Hayes blasts Sen. Tom Cotton for ‘incitement of violence’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-despicable-hayes-blasts-sen-tom-cotton-for-incitement-of-violence-209122373514

* "Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Wild Strategy to Delay Foreign Aid Package:" https://newrepublic.com/post/180799/marjorie-taylor-greene-amendments-ukraine-israel-aid

* "New report shows role of Republican useful idiots in weakening U.S., advancing Putin's goals:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/new-report-shows-role-of-republican-useful-idiots-in-weakening-u-s-advancing-putin-s-goals-209230917612

* They sent articles without naming a crime or evidence of a crime, which you need to do to impeach someone.
"With impeachment dud, House Republicans fail to produce political stunt Trump needs:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/with-impeachment-dud-house-republicans-fail-to-produce-political-stunt-trump-needs-209130565525

* "GOP makes clumsy effort to superimpose anti-woke political games onto campus antisemitism debate:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/gop-makes-clumsy-effort-to-superimpose-anti-woke-political-games-onto-campus-antisemitism-debate-209230917808

* "Embattled Mike Johnson kept in check by conservative House 'FART' team:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/embattled-mike-johnson-kept-in-check-by-conservative-house-fart-team-209310277916

* Stop the government censoring queer and other minority voices off the Internet in the US : https://www.stopkosa.com/

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

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
To get your Critters' numbers to call direct: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

* The Indivisible Guide: "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/20220104_Indivisible_%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Defeating%20MAGA.pdf

* "Combat training for election workers? Arizona braces for Trump-addled election deniers:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/combat-training-for-election-workers-arizona-braces-for-trump-addled-election-deniers-207675973604

* "U.S. foes exploit Trump's divisiveness with fake MAGA accounts; China adopts Russian tactics:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/u-s-foes-exploit-trump-s-divisiveness-with-fake-maga-accounts-china-adopts-russian-tactics-208122949678

* "Big Lie 2.0: Johnson joins Trump to concoct new false narrative for 2024:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/big-lie-2-0-johnson-joins-trump-to-concoct-new-false-narrative-for-2024-208911429682

* "'Gentleman's Big Lie': Hayes rips MAGA attempt to sanitize stolen election lies:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-gentleman-s-big-lie-hayes-rips-maga-attempt-to-sanitize-stolen-election-lies-208900677944

* Primaries are ongoing:

NOTE: There is a call for people to vote "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary as a protest against Biden's Israel policy. The time to pressure Biden with your vote is now, not in November. The pressure from all the different types of protests do seem to be working, if far slower than we'd like.

NOTE 2: There is a similar protest against Trump where people vote for a candidate who isn't running. Check your state to see who people are promoting.

Puerto Rico (Republicans): 4/21/24

Pennsylvania: 4/23/24

Puerto Rico (Democrats): 4/28/24

Indiana: 5/7/24


Know your state's schedule and where to vote. Make sure you and your friends are registered. If you are voting in person, plan how to get there.

If you live in an open primary state consider voting strategically. Otherwise, vote your heart in the primary. Remember how all those votes for Sanders and Warren pushed Biden and the party platform further left?

Remember to vote in all the races, not just the top of the ticket even if it's in a separate primary (as it is in my state). Who runs congress, your state, and your local government really matters. In some states this is a separate primary. Check the rules for your state.

Never, ever sleep on a chance to vote.

It is always better to vote for someone who will listen to us than to let someone who is actively trying to kill us.

* "Elizabeth Warren: Biden will go after tax cheaters. Trump won't. :" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/elizabeth-warren-biden-will-go-after-tax-cheaters-trump-won-t-209175621599

* "Why Republicans are hiding behind the politics of personality:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/why-republicans-are-hiding-behind-the-politics-of-personality-208600133609

* "Bernie Sanders slams Trump for using Israel-Hamas war to play ‘stupid politics’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/bernie-sanders-slams-trump-for-using-israel-hamas-war-to-play-stupid-politics-208749637839

* "Media whiffs on the news in Trump's abortion statement as Dobbs becomes weaponized on global scale:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/media-whiffs-on-the-news-in-trump-s-abortion-statement-as-dobbs-becomes-weaponized-on-global-scale-208599621503

* "Meet the far-right extremist plotting Trump's second term:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/meet-the-far-right-extremist-plotting-trump-s-second-term-208480837542

* CW: CSA "The 'unbelievable' story behind Arizona's 1864 abortion ban:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/the-unbelievable-story-behind-arizona-s-1864-abortion-ban-208823877973

* "'They know they are losing': Democrats call GOP's bluff on repeal of Civil War-era abortion law:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-they-know-they-are-losing-democrats-call-gop-s-bluff-on-repeal-of-civil-war-era-abortion-law-208836677709

* "Kari Lake abruptly dumps past support for old abortion ban; exposes ignorance of child tax law:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/kari-lake-abruptly-dumps-past-support-for-old-abortion-ban-exposes-ignorance-of-child-tax-law-208917573523

---

* "The Trump Trials: Trump’s jury seems nearly set. How we got here:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/18/trump-jury-selection-latest-news/

* "Judge scolds Trump for ‘intimidating’ potential jurors on Day 2 of New York trial:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/judge-scolds-trump-for-intimidating-potential-jurors-on-day-2-of-new-york-trial-209117765761

* "More than mere media bias: How New York prosecutors see Trump's scheme with the National Enquirer :" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/more-than-mere-media-bias-how-new-york-prosecutors-see-trump-s-scheme-with-the-national-enquirer-209054789666

* "The real DOJ corruption scandal at the heart of Trump's criminal trial in New York:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/the-real-doj-corruption-scandal-at-the-heart-of-trump-s-criminal-trial-in-new-york-209055301586

* "Bank with a checkered past and a deep history with Trump raises red flags:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/bank-with-a-checkered-past-and-a-deep-history-with-trump-raises-red-flags-208601669804

---

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* "What stops rain from flooding your city?:"

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* "How (And Why) Europe Is Removing Its Dams:"

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* "Public toilets in Japan are CHEAP… in comparison to Canada:"

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* "A More Perfect Union:"

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* "Faith Ringgold, quilt and visual artist, dies at 93:" https://www.npr.org/2024/04/13/685930840/faith-ringgold-quilt-and-visual-artist-dies-at-93

* 4/12/24: Today they sent a hard working my ageish Quebequois gentleman who was willing to mop and everything. I was his first gig on the app. He was charming to chat to, has children and a cat at home, was worried about my safety on the wet floors.

He flashed me the sweetest little smile when I asked if he was Quebequois, pronouncing it right, which he remarked on. Most Americans don't. We talked about his home city, which I'd visited and the beautiful diversity of French regional accents as well as educational reform and the feeding of cats.

I suspect his wife is a lucky woman.

Today also the swelling had gone down enough to wear the beautiful octopus shirt. This brings me up to three wearable shirts. I found another looking for something in my drawers for a housewarming gift for a Millennial Wednesday. This means i have three other shorts to try out to see if my arm fits okay in them instead of two.

I have clean sheets. Both tent shirts are in the wash as I type this, which is good as I got soup on one and had to fish the dirty one out to wear last night. the cats are having a nice afternoon watching birds and puttering about.

I got six hours of sleep most nights this week and eight on Thursday. I hadn't had eight hours since before the operation.

* 4/26: I expect to be about 50ish short on the up coming car repair and about 150 short for bills.

Not ideal, but could be worse.

Want to chip in? https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

* "Can Trump Get A Fair Trial In New York? | Tracking Truth Social’s Share Price | Data-Hungry AI:"

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* "Arizona Turns The Clock Back To 1864 | Trump’s Abortion Dodge | NCAA Women Rule:"

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* "Meanwhile… Eclipse Glasses Recall | New Jersey Beach Trash | Nutmobile Drivers Wanted:"

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

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* I don't approve of the Shrek joke about Tunkasila Sakpe Paha, but I am posting anyway as the rest is important. "Medicaid: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

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* "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar:"

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* "Chipotle’s Guac Robot:"

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* "The Late Show Band Nabs Endorsement Deals:"

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* "The Late Show Offices Fell Prey To A Hawk Attack!:"

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* "Mansfield Park, Part II:" https://www.thechatner.com/p/mansfield-park-part-ii?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=5&post_id=143598868&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=ykw2&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

* The Locked Tomb: On John Gaius' erasure of memory: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/748154025072017408/is-it-better-if-john-erased-their-memories-or-if?source=share

* "Sunday Sweets Is All About April:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-is-all-about-april-2024

*****
* 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.

* People have been asking for ways to help trans people in West Virginia, given the scary shit going on there. So far this organization is suggested. I'm keeping an eye out for more ways to help. If you have suggestions, please let me know. "Fairness West Virginia:" https://fairnesswv.org/donate/

* To track more general LGBTQIA+ Legislation: https://www.lgbtmap.org/

* "How you can support queer and trans kids in Oklahoma after Nex Benedict’s death:" https://www.advocate.com/news/how-to-help-trans-kids

* An organization for the parents of trans youths: https://transparentusa.org/

* "2024 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From!:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/2024-trans-girl-scouts-to-order-cookies

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

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

* Fundraisers for Gaza: https://www.tumblr.com/el-shab-hussein/742344297699999744/hi-if-its-okay-i-saw-you-were-boosting?source=share

* Help Queer Folks in Ghana: https://www.silentmajorityghana.com/donate

* "Library of Congress Launches New Website for Americans to Share COVID-19 Stories:" https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/library-of-congress-launches-new-website-for-americans-to-share-covid-19-stories/s/d5739534-fec6-4e13-9f16-68d6117ee94b

* "We’re looking for English-speaking neopronoun users (aged 18+) to participate in a paid linguistics study.:" https://allthingslinguistic.com/post/741780492503990272/kirby-conrod-is-a-cool-linguist-whos-done-neat

( More Links Underneath: )

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* "Palestinians say Israeli troops fired at people seeking food. Israel says scene was deadly stampede:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-29-2024-f9b5a62a80d8b83eac4946d3c85af58b

* "Israel’s Cultural Genocide Is Destroying Gaza’s Very Memory:" https://www.thenation.com/article/world/gaza-cultural-genocide/

* "US military aircraft airdrop thousands of meals into Gaza in emergency humanitarian aid operation:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-airdrop-humanitarian-assistance-f8bc071193f89906abf21478bc70a084

* "'One step away from famine' for more than 500,000 people in Gaza, UN official says:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/half-million-people-gaza-one-step-from-famine-un-official/story?id=107630405

* "These babies were rescued from Gaza. What future awaits them?:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/15/gaza-babies-shifa-hospital-egypt/

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

* Fundraisers for Gaza: https://www.tumblr.com/el-shab-hussein/742344297699999744/hi-if-its-okay-i-saw-you-were-boosting?source=share

******

* "Israel and Hamas indicate no deal is imminent after Biden signals Gaza cease-fire could be close:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-27-2024-e17abedeaf5a005fcd5e7095fecacb7a

******

* "Two Years of War in Ukraine:" https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2024/02/photos-two-years-war-ukraine/677519/

* Republicans are playing politics with Ukrainian lives and freedom by siding with Russia. "Surprisingly Weak Ukrainian Defenses Help Russian Advance:" https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/02/world/europe/ukraine-defenses-avdiivka.html

---

* "Billionaire politicians have become ‘shockingly common’ around the world, new study finds:" https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/26/billionaire-politicians-shockingly-common-study.html

* "Why the 2024 elections will be a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights all over the world:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/maria-sjodin

* "It’s official: Sweden to join NATO: Hungary finally lets Sweden into the military alliance, dealing a blow to Russia.:" https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-to-join-nato/

* "Russians embrace hope amid despair as Alexei Navalny says his final goodbye:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-alexei-navalny-funeral-c67cba86f99c0190cb3640c9e3fe67e8

* "US: Ex-FBI counterintelligence agent aided Russian oligarch:" https://www.kcra.com/article/ex-fbi-counterintelligence-agent-aided-russian-oligarch/42627263

* "A Canadian family moved to Russia to escape ‘wokeness’ and LGBTQ+ people. It did not go well:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/21/canadian-family-moved-to-russia-to-escape-wokeness/

* "An online dump of Chinese hacking documents offers a rare window into pervasive state surveillance:" https://apnews.com/article/china-cybersecurity-leak-document-dump-spying-aac38c75f268b72910a94881ccbb77cb

* "Something’s Fishy About the ‘Migrant Crisis’:" https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/asylum-seekers-migrant-crisis/677464/

* "Texas law allowing police to arrest migrants suspected of being in country illegally blocked by federal judge:" https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/29/texas-arrest-migrant-illegal-senate-bill-4-blocked/

* "FTC and 9 states sue to block Kroger-Albertsons supermarket merger:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/26/1232948796/ftc-lawsuit-krogers-albertsons-grocery-merger

* "Out State Dept. official Ned Price to be deputy to U.N. ambassador:" https://www.advocate.com/news/ned-price-deputy-ambassador

* "Supreme Court justices appear skeptical of Texas and Florida social media laws:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/26/1233506273/supreme-court-social-media-laws

* "Supreme Court leaves sanctions in place against Sidney Powell and others over 2020 election suit in Michigan:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-trump-sanctions-lawyers-sidney-powell-2020-election-michigan/#:~:text=Washington%20%E2%80%94%20The%20Supreme%20Court%20on,election%20was%20rife%20with%20fraud.

* "Bump-stock ban comes before Supreme Court:" https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/02/bump-stock-ban-comes-before-supreme-court/

* "SCOTUS torn on 'shooting device so horrifying even Trump wanted it banned':" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/scotus-torn-on-shooting-device-so-horrifying-even-trump-wanted-it-banned-205314629675

* End of April! Fuck!!! "Supreme Court agrees to consider Trump immunity claim in further delay of election interference trial:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-decide-trumps-immunity-claim-election-interference-case-rcna139026

* "‘The fix is in’: Coup trial delay reveals Supreme Court ‘in cahoots’ with Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-the-fix-is-in-coup-trial-delay-reveals-supreme-court-in-cahoots-with-trump-205146693530

* "‘This is B.S.’: Maddow shreds ‘cravenness’ of Supreme Court delaying Trump trial:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-this-is-b-s-maddow-shreds-cravenness-of-supreme-court-delaying-trump-trial-205144645897

* "'Historic proof': If the Supreme Court wanted to move quickly it could:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-historic-proof-if-the-supreme-court-wanted-to-move-quickly-it-could-205232709938

* "'Republicans in robes': Supreme Court critics see politics behind action on Trump immunity case:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-republicans-in-robes-supreme-court-critics-see-politics-behind-action-on-trump-immunity-case-205156933869

* "Chris Hayes Extended Interview:"

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* "Exxon, Chevron ask US Supreme Court to toss ruling in Honolulu climate change suit:" https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/exxon-chevron-ask-us-supreme-court-toss-ruling-honolulu-climate-change-suit-2024-02-28/

* "Republican states can't join appeal in abortion pill case, Supreme Court rules:" https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/republican-states-cant-join-appeal-abortion-pill-case-supreme-court-rules-2024-02-20/

* "145 GOP Members of Congress Ask Supreme Court to Slash Access to the Abortion Pill:" https://www.jezebel.com/145-gop-members-of-congress-ask-supreme-court-to-slash-access-to-the-abortion-pill

* "Justice Samuel Alito wishes homophobia was acceptable:" https://www.advocate.com/news/samuel-alito-supports-homophobia

* "Samuel Alito is afraid of being called a bigot? Jim Obergefell has heard far worse (exclusive):" https://www.advocate.com/people/alito-jim-obergefell-homophobia

* "The Scandal of Clarence Thomas’s New Clerk:" https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-scandal-of-clarence-thomass-new-clerk?utm_social-type=owned&mbid=social_twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_brand=tny&utm_source=twitter

* "These are the regressive work culture trends currently fuelling the unfair LGBTQ+ pay gap:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/01/lgbtq-pay-gap-2/

* "Feds cite meatpacking cleaning company for 'oppressive child labor' practices:" https://abc7chicago.com/feds-cite-meatpacking-cleaning-company-for-oppressive-child-labor/14458692/

* "A Life Without a Home:" https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/02/21/opinion/homelessness-crisis-america-stories.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XE0.FDQj.MKmUIJ2sijGj&utm_source=DamnInteresting

* "Congress passes stopgap spending bill, preventing a partial government shutdown:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/28/1234679367/congress-spending-deal-government-shutdown

* ""The clue phone is ringing. Pick it up.": Rep. Balint hammers GOP for failure to draft long-term spending deal:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/-the-clue-phone-is-ringing-pick-it-up-rep-balint-hammers-gop-for-failure-to-draft-long-term-spending-deal-205345349602

* "Russian Dolls Trump has finally remade Republicans into Putin’s playthings.:" https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/donald-trump-republicans-vladimir-putin-puppets.html

* "Poland warns US House speaker: you're to blame if Russia advances in Ukraine:" https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/west-must-help-ukraine-more-prevent-spillover-polish-fm-says-2024-02-26/

* "Nearly two dozen European parliament leaders urge Johnson to act on Ukraine aid:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/28/congress/international-plea-for-johnson-ukraine-aid-house-republicans-00143828

* Extended Bernie Sanders interview: https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-we-need-to-do-more-sanders-calls-for-increased-pressure-on-netanyahu-to-ease-suffering-in-gaza-205318213937

https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/where-sen-bernie-sanders-finds-optimism-amid-dismal-politics-205320773852

* "Ex-FBI informant will remain in jail while awaiting trial on charges of lying to FBI about Bidens:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/26/fbi-informant-smirnov-hearing-california-00143335

* "Mitch McConnell will step down as Senate minority leader in November:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/28/1163447619/mitch-mcconnell-steps-down

* "Enabling Trump, distorting the Supreme Court define McConnell legacy as he exits leadership:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/enabling-trump-distorting-the-supreme-court-define-mcconnell-legacy-as-he-exits-leadership-205159493682

* "Hyde-Smith blocks Senate vote on federal IVF protections:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/28/congress/blocks-ivf-vote-gop-senate-protections-00143918

* "Pelosi rips GOP anti-IVF bill: They 'need a lesson in the bird and the bees’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/pelosi-rips-gop-anti-ivf-bill-they-need-a-lesson-in-the-bird-and-the-bees-205236293634

* "GOP spins in circles to reconcile anti-abortion zeal with public IVF support:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/gop-spins-in-circles-to-reconcile-anti-abortion-zeal-with-public-ivf-support-205322821774

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

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
To get your Critters' numbers to call direct: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

* The Indivisible Guide: "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/20220104_Indivisible_%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Defeating%20MAGA.pdf

* "New York Democrats reject bipartisan congressional map, will draw their own:" https://apnews.com/article/new-york-congress-redistricting-house-elections-4b8768b63e0ab7a05d184a52f8979968

* "The first trans voting centre in the US is set to open in Los Angeles:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/02/vote-centers-in-los-angeles-county/

* "Wisconsin ethics panel recommends felony charges against Trump committee, lawmaker:" https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wisconsin-vos-ethics-7d5dd7fd8d2da6001634a747b683b748

* "Federal judge affirms MyPillow’s Mike Lindell must pay $5M in election data dispute:" https://apnews.com/article/mike-lindell-election-denial-arbitration-award-a9b27dd8d37eab1d0f22111566feba93

* "Elon Musk Is Spreading Election Misinformation, but X’s Fact Checkers Are Long Gone:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/us/politics/elon-musk-election-misinformation-x-twitter.html

* "Calls to 'fight' and echoes of Jan. 6 embraced by CPAC attendees:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/jack-posobiec-jan-6-2024-cpac-rcna140225

* "MAGA Republican Pledges “End of Democracy” to Rabid Cheers at CPAC:" https://newrepublic.com/post/179247/jack-posobiec-democracy-cpac-2024

* This IS the Republican Mainstream now. "Nazis mingle openly at CPAC, spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories and finding allies:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nazis-mingle-openly-cpac-spreading-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-fin-rcna140335

* "Matt Schlapp: “We have to intimidate, in the nicest of ways, all these elected officials that continue to flout the law”:" https://www.mediamatters.org/charlie-kirk/matt-schlapp-we-have-intimidate-nicest-ways-all-these-elected-officials-continue-flout

* "New Matt Schlapp Subpoenas Target Document-Shredding at CPAC:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-matt-schlapp-subpoenas-target-doc-shredding-at-cpac

* "Ohio Law Requires a Transgender Man to Use His Deadname on State Legislature Ballot:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/02/ohio-law-requires-a-transgender-man-to-use-his-deadname-on-state-legislature-ballot/

* "Republican Opposition to Birth Control Bill Could Alienate Voters, Poll Finds:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/26/us/politics/republicans-birth-control-ivf.html

* "Maddow: With each new election cycle, Republicans accept Russian help with greater ease:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/with-each-new-election-cycle-republicans-accept-russian-help-with-greater-ease-204987461939

* Presidential Primaries are ongoing:

NOTE: There is now a call for people to vote "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary as a protest against Biden's Israel policy, I have voted that way in my up coming primary. The time to pressure Biden with your vote is now, not in November. The more of us who do this the more likely he'll actually do something.

District of Columbia: (Republicans), 3/3/24

North Dakota: (Republicans), 3/4/24

Alabama, Alaska (Republicans), Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa (Democrats), Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, American Samoa (Democrats): 3/5/24

Hawaii: (Democrats): 3/6/24

American Samoa (Republicans): 3/8/24

Know your state's schedule and where to vote. Make sure you and your friends are registered. If you are voting in person, plan how to get there.

If you live in an open primary state consider voting strategically. Otherwise, vote your heart in the primary. Remember how all those votes for Sanders and Warren pushed Biden and the party platform further left?

Remember to vote in all the races, not just the top of the ticket even if it's in a separate primary (as it is in my state). Who runs congress, your state, and your local government really matters. In some states this is a separate primary. Check the rules for your state.

Never, ever sleep on a chance to vote.

It is always better to vote for someone who will listen to us than to let someone who is actively trying to kill us.

* "Magician says political consultant hired him to create AI Biden robocall ahead of New Hampshire primary:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/magician-says-political-consultant-hired-him-to-create-ai-biden-robocall-ahead-of-new-hampshire-primary

* "Biden's substantive border visit exposes hollow Trump stunt:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/biden-s-substantive-border-visit-exposes-hollow-trump-stunt-205246021788

* "The push to vote 'uncommitted' to Biden in Michigan exceeds goal:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/27/1234279958/biden-uncommitted-democrats-michigan-primary-election-2024-

* "Inside the Democratic rebellion against Biden over the Gaza war:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/inside-democratic-rebellion-against-biden-over-gaza-war-2024-02-27/

* "'He needs to listen to us': Gaza ceasefire activists make statement in Michigan Democratic primary:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/gaza-ceasefire-activists-make-statement-as-uncommitted-in-michigan-democratic-primary-205070917730

* I have already done this. "Push for WA Democrats to vote ‘uncommitted’ instead of for Biden in March 12 primary picks up steam:" https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/push-for-wa-democrats-to-vote-uncommitted-instead-of-for-biden-in-march-12-primary-picks-up-steam/

* "Washington state’s largest labor union endorses ‘uncommitted’ over Biden:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/washington-states-largest-labor-union-endorses-uncommitted-biden-rcna141139

* "Colorado "noncommitted" campaign launches Biden protest ahead of Super Tuesday primary:" https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/02/29/colorado-noncommitted-primary-vote-biden-protest-super-tuesday

* "Trump's 'rambling and incoherent' victory speech leads to Maddow bestowing new nickname:" https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/-uncle-ramble-standers-see-maddow-shred-trump-s-messy-south-carolina-victory-speech-204867141905

* "Trump wins Missouri, Michigan and Idaho caucuses, CBS News projects:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-wins-missouri-michigan-idaho-republican-caucuses/

* "Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis rule out being US election running mates as their bickering continues:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/27/donald-trump-ron-desantis-not-running-mates-2024-election/

* "Illinois judge rules Trump ineligible for Republican primary ballot over Jan. 6 riot:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/illinois-judge-rules-trump-removed-republican-primary-ballot-jan-6-rio-rcna141065

* "The Pro-life Movement’s Not-So-Secret Plan for Trump:" https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/02/donald-trump-abortion-limit-republicans/677540/

* "Inside Trump's plan for mass deportations: 'America is going to target people who are not white':" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/inside-trump-s-plan-for-mass-deportations-america-is-going-to-target-people-who-are-not-white-204901957994

* "'Burn it all down': Rule-of-law stands as bulwark against Trumpian lies, so he attacks it:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/rule-of-law-stands-as-bulwark-against-trumpian-lies-so-he-attacks-it-204991557767

* "An RNC member is trying to stop the party from paying Donald Trump’s legal bills:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-republican-national-committee-stop-legal-bills-ff51a7ae8b5d872344e64a9a18851350

* The Republican War on Bodily Autonomy continues. "An uptick in state personhood bills fuels growing fears over IVF restrictions:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/personhood-bills-ivf-restrictions-alabama-rcna140228

* "Alabama Senate and House pass bills to protect IVF after court ruling:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/alabama-senate-house-pass-bills-protect-ivf-rcna141184

* "The anti-trans legislation risk map: A state by state breakdown:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/anti-trans-laws-by-state

* "Wyoming bill could take trans kids from parents:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/wyoming-bill-could-take-kids

* "Mississippi bill would let those incarcerated sue state over trans inmates:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/mississippi-bill-trans-inmates

* "Florida LGBTQ+ activist is forcibly removed at a House hearing on gun laws:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/florida-lgbtq-activist-removed

* "LGBTQ+ community marches to Florida capitol en masse in powerful protest against Trans Erasure Bill:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/29/lgbtq-community-marches-to-florida-capitol-in-powerful-protest-against-trans-erasure-bill/

* "Good news: Utah kills bill banning LGBTQ+ Pride flags in classrooms:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/27/good-news-utah-kills-bill-banning-lgbtq-pride-flags-in-classrooms/

* "Montana issues rule banning gender marker changes on birth certificates:" https://www.advocate.com/news/montana-bans-trans-birth-certificates

* The Republican War on Marriage and Freedom continues. "Tennessee GOP quietly overturns marriage equality by giving officials the right to refuse:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/tennessee-marriage-licenses-officials-lgbtq

* CW: Suicide "West Virginia Republicans want to prevent suicidal transgender youth from receiving care:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/west-virginia-trans-care-suicide

* "Michael Whatley officially announces for RNC Chair:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/26/michael-whatley-officially-announces-for-rnc-chair-00143364

* "America's first Black gay statewide elected official on being authentic and confident:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/erick-russell-black-gay-trailblzer

* "Virginia lieutenant governor misgenders trans senator Danica Roem, calling her ‘sir’:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/27/virginia-lt-gov-winsome-earle-sears-misgenders-trans-senator-danica-roem/

* "Fury as Oklahoma senator calls LGBTQ+ people ‘filth’ after being asked about Nex Benedict’s death:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/26/oklahoma-senator-tom-woods-lgbtq-filth-nex-benedict/

* "Utah governor condemns, censures transphobic school board member:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/utah-governor-condems-natalie-cline

* "Anti-LGBTQ+ congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s son arrested for alleged Colorado crime spree:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/28/anti-lgbtq-congresswoman-lauren-boeberts-son-arrested-for-alleged-colorado-crime-spree/

* "Watch Libs of TikTok’s Chaya Raichik exposed in stunning, cringe-worthy interview:" https://www.advocate.com/news/taylor-lorenz-chaya-raichik-interview

* "PETITION: Remove Libs of Tik Tok (Chaya Raichik) From Oklahoma Library Board:" https://www.fightforthefirst.org/petitions/petition-remove-libs-of-tik-tok-chaya-raichik-from-oklahoma-library-board

---

* "Appellate judge refuses to halt Trump’s $454 million fraud penalty while he appeals:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-james-appeal-bond-fraud-new-york-3093352e94274f9daba3d84f0c43467e

* "Architect of Trump's social media deal sues to block transaction:" https://www.reuters.com/legal/architect-trumps-social-media-deal-sues-block-transaction-2024-02-29/

* "Trump Wants a Break on $464 Million Judgment. The AG Says Trump Is Sneaking Assets to Florida.:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-wants-a-break-on-dollar464-million-judgment-the-ag-says-trump-is-sneaking-assets-to-florida

* "Scrambling to keep his fortune from being stripped away, Trump may have gone too far:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/scrambling-to-keep-his-fortune-from-being-stripped-away-trump-may-have-gone-too-far-205246021886

* "Donald Trump’s team tries to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels testifying at hush-money trial:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/28/donald-trump-stormy-daniels-block-testimony-hush-money-trial/

* "“More indictments await”: Experts say Jan. 6 architect’s secret tweets may lead to "felony charges”:" https://www.salon.com/2024/02/27/more-indictments-await-experts-say-jan-6-architects-secret-tweets-may-lead-to-felony-charges/

* "True the Vote fails to reveal evidence of Georgia voting fraud claims:" https://www.ajc.com/politics/true-the-vote-tells-court-it-has-no-records-to-back-up-fraud-claims/77FJUQMWBZFYHEYVF6M54BUBDQ/

* "Listen to Fani Willis' fiery testimony: 'You lied':" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/listen-to-fani-willis-fiery-testimony-you-lied-204455493616

* "Key Witness Against Fani Willis Completely Crumbles on the Stand:" https://newrepublic.com/post/179339/key-witness-georgia-fani-willis-crumbles

* "Judge: I may not need more evidence to decide:" https://www.ajc.com/politics/judge-i-may-not-need-more-evidence-to-decide/3PXR5GV2AZEEJKU35XOCJM4B6A/

* "Judge Cannon signals doubts about Jack Smith’s timeline for Trump trial in Florida:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/01/judge-cannon-signals-doubts-about-jack-smiths-timeline-for-trump-trial-in-florida-00144449

* "'Ice her': The likely scheme behind Trump's proposed start date for his classified documents trial:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-ice-her-the-likely-scheme-behind-trump-s-proposed-start-date-for-his-classified-documents-trial-205248069764

---

* "More than 60 religious institutions have been targeted for supporting LGBTQ+ rights: report:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lgbtq-religious-institutions-report

* This is from several years ago, but I've been thinking about it lately. "You’re My Line:" https://storycorps.org/animation/youre-my-line/

* "WHY THE MOST EDUCATED PEOPLE IN AMERICA FALL FOR ANTI-SEMITIC LIES:" https://archive.is/20240216133850/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/jewish-anti-semitism-harvard-claudine-gay-zionism/677454/

* "How American Gun Culture Fuels Anti-Immigrant Politics:" https://www.thetrace.org/2024/02/us-gun-culture-immigration-politics/

* "'It is historic': US poised to see record drop in yearly homicides despite public concern over crime:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/homicide-numbers-poised-hit-record-decline-nationwide-americans/story?id=105556400

* "Debunking the right-wing myth of the ‘migrant crime surge’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/debunking-the-right-wing-myth-of-the-migrant-crime-surge-205235269880

* "Man convicted in first federal hate crime trial based on gender identity for murder of Black trans woman:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/federal-hate-crime-gender-identity

* "Charges dropped against Florida family accused of blinding gay man in brutal assault:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/makarenko-family-charges-dropped

* "Watch alarming video of Nex Benedict explaining to police that they were bullied:" https://www.advocate.com/news/nex-benedict-police-video

* "Federal investigation opens into Owasso Public Schools after death of Nex Benedict:" https://www.advocate.com/news/federal-investigation-nex-benedict

* "In Oklahoma, a bathroom law and other policies endanger transgender residents:" https://www.advocate.com/transgender/oklahoma-bathroom-law-dangers

* "Karine Jean-Pierre ‘absolutely heartbroken’ over Oklahoma teen Nex Benedict’s death:" https://www.advocate.com/news/white-house-highlights-nex-benedict

* "How you can support queer and trans kids in Oklahoma after Nex Benedict’s death:" https://www.advocate.com/news/how-to-help-trans-kids

* "Historic $1 Billion Donation to N.Y.C. Medical School Means Students Won't Have to Pay Tuition Anymore:" https://people.com/usd1-billion-donation-n-y-c-medical-school-students-are-tuition-free-8600732

* "West Virginia Republicans want to prosecute 'pedophile librarians' over 'obscene' material:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/west-virginia-obscene-matter-books

* "Texas high school faces backlash after cancelling upcoming LGBTQ+ play The Laramie Project:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/29/matthew-shepard-play/

* CW: Rape, CSA. "Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens ‘should never have been a police officer’, inquiry finds:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/01/sarah-everard-wayne-couzens/

* CW: CSA "Police officer quits after sending ’14-year-old boy’ Grindr messages: ‘Let’s see this skinny bod’:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/01/anthony-french/

* CW: Sexual Assault. "Conservative anti-gay movement built on foundation of questionable credibility:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/conservative-anti-gay-movement-built-on-foundation-of-questionable-credibility-204988997940

* CW: Sexual Assault "Album producer accuses Diddy of sexual assault and forcing him to sleep with sex workers:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/27/sean-diddy-combs-accused-sexual-assault-male-producer/

* "Women take part in Japan’s Naked Man festival for first time in 1000 years:" https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/women-take-part-in-japans-naked-man-festival-for-first-time-in-1000-years/BG5RWUZ5HFE5VMO3TPRDKM6RTU/

* It IS work. "Most British people think that sex work should be legal, but is it ‘real work’?:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/01/most-british-people-think-that-sex-work-should-be-legal-but-is-it-real-work/

* "World’s largest psych organisation says ‘damaging’ gender affirming care bans are wrong:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/29/gender-affirming-care-report-american-psychological-association/

* "Family planning and fertility services grind to halt in Alabama after devastating ruling:" https://www.advocate.com/news/fertility-services-alabama

* "‘Wake up, America’: Birth control, IVF in jeopardy under GOP, warns Porter:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-wake-up-america-birth-control-ivf-in-jeopardy-under-gop-warns-porter-205312069829

* "A South Carolina woman was forced to leave the state for an abortion. Now, she's suing:" https://www.advocate.com/south-carolina-woman-abortion

* Help Queer Folks in Ghana: https://www.silentmajorityghana.com/donate

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* "Richard Lewis, Comedian and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Star, Dies at 76:" https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/richard-lewis-dead-comedian-curb-your-enthusiasm-1235925744/

* I have lost track of how many missed cleaning appointments there were. It's been weeks. I've been scheduling twice a week since November in hopes of getting one a month. Which is annoying, but not nightmarish right now, but gets ugly fast in March, when Goth Millennial is going to burn through all their hours fast taking care of me post surgery.

The Millennials are working out a cooking schedule between them, but this is a huge load on Goth Millennial's shoulders.

Basically the company Medicare is out sourcing to is falling apart because treating their contract workers like shit and lying to them about things like mileage compensation when hiring them is a terrible business model in this economy on top of being an incredible shitty way to treat humans. My decision to start calling them the Asshole Agency within a week or two of starting to deal with them continues to be vindicated. The workers there need a union since the company is devoted to it's assholery, but I get why it's easier to quit.

The system is collapsing, basically. The Medicare advantage people know this and are "discussing options."

So Friday I spent hours playing phone tag with local volunteer organizations trying to get six weeks of help, but those systems are already flooded with people who are supposed to be getting Medicare advantage help, but can't because the Asshole agency isn't sending people and hasn't been for months. Still, I was hoping a short term acute need might get me in. The secular one got right back to me. They are full up. No word yet from the Catholics and the group that coordinates a bunch of protestant organizations.

I have been told over and over to try to get a church involved, but I'm not Christian and it feels weird, especially since most of my contacts with Christian strangers in the last couple decades involve aggressive proselytizers. I have Christian friends who are cool. I have no beef with the Quakers or the Unitarians or the Episcopalians or the Catholics who are trying to change things from within (Nuns on a Bus, queer friends trying to push their parish left) or what have you. I do have a beef with extremists, which most evangelicals are and the more conservative strands of catholic, orthodox, and Protestantism and there are a lot of door to door Mormons, Jehovah's witnesses, etc. in my part of the country.

Look, a had late family members who were very involved in their churches who were decent people with reasonable views. I was a Queer Medievalist and I have some sexy late medieval saint pin ups to prove it mixed in with all my other art, some of which references assorted other religions, despite never having been Catholic. I have a Quaker friend closer to me than my own sister.

I just... Christian religious strangers in my house make me uncomfortable as a queer non-Christian in a country where Christo-fascists are trying to make me literally illegal.

I know it would likely be fine. I did fine and made lots of friends at University which doing a major that is mostly Catholics, Ex-Catholics, and people in the process of converting. I come from a debate culture. I can quote scripture like Satan. ;) I was in Philosophy before I dropped out and moved west and switched to History in one form or another. I can talk theology across a whole lot of denominations and the major "heresies." I just don't want to anymore and I haven't wanted to for a long time. That was long ago and far away when I wasn't so exhausted and in pain.

I should have started looking last August or October.

I am likely fucked because I waited too long.

Sigh.

In other news, I've been really doing well on the massive number of now mostly advanced physio things I have to do every day.

Sunday I was about a third of the way in when my arm noped out of about another third of Sunday's quota. I am trying to do all the remaining ones that don't move my arm that way, but I'm not sanguine.

I forgot to do my blood work Friday. I have an afternoon pre-op appointment Monday. Let us hope I remember then. I am so tired and it all hurts so much.

* Sunday the Millenials helped me make bread, as kneading's been beyond me for years, but I've been wanting fresh baked bread for weeks. I got started way later than intended, and then discovered my yeast was too old which added yet more delay so they went home before it was rteady, which saddened me, I was trying the recipe from B. Dylan Hollis's cookbook that went against every instinct in my body as someone who grew up poor and who's mom baked bread a lot. Like I've been involved in bread making since I was a toddler. The instinct is a well worn groove.

I made some small modifications because 1. I don't put that much salt in anything. (I put in some salt, just not as much as one is supposed to). 2. There was more yeast in it than intended as I added the fresh ayeast on top of the mostly exhausted yeast I'd already put in. 3. I wanted a round loaf rather than a loaf shape, so YMMV.

The yeast did not perform the way I am used to, which I theorize is do to the weird slurry situation they have going on instead of the classic water/sugar/yeast and wait situation I'm used to. As a result it is possible my yeast was mostly fine, but I didn't know that at this stage. Indeed, at no point did this bread rise the way I am used to bread rising, which both I and the Millenial who'd also grown up baking bread found vaguely unnerving. Like it did rise some, but not even close to our expectation.

This bread is dense. Super dense. Even knowing the ingredients and predicting it would be dense from the rise pattern, I was not remotely ready for the texture of the finished product. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad texture, just way closer to cornbread than bread bread despite the comparatively small amount of corn meal in it. I knew this was a molasses heavy bread and was expecting it to be slightly sweeter than normal bread. I don't think I had quite envisioned the particular way the molasses shifted the flavor profile. Again, not bad, just different and with the unexpected texture I took a while to adjust.

It's very filling to the point where I'm not convinced we can eat a whole loaf before it turns. Like armies could march on this. It is exactly a thing that would be good to feed people plowing a field with horse or ox. It's hearty in a way I associate with early modern and 19th century food. I need to think about what to pair it with besides the butter I already tried on it. I'm not sorry I tried it as it is interesting. I'm not sure I'd make it again as I like other breads I know how to make better.

* The Catholics are a no go on helping. I am now waiting on the Protestant Coalition to see if they will send anyone to help. In related news, the nice lady in charge of my disability aide stuff has put in for a bunch of extra hours for Goth Millennial for March, given how much help I'm going to need. We should here back from the supervisor soon so Goth Millennial can plan. I am thinking I'm going to up reservations with the asshole agency to four a week or so after my first forty eight post surgury in hopes of getting two cleaning sessions a month instead of one. I need to think about distribution for when we have our no one is coming again conversation Friday morning.

I have done my pre-op consult thingie. It looks like as the surgery is less extreme than what had initially been projected they won't need to completely immobilize the arm, just severely limit it. I am hoping "can move it slightly in an up and down fashion" will really help with the trousers on and off situation when I need the bathroom. It is a small thing making a massive difference. I will see if I will be able to type at all when we get there.

It took me three days, a ridiculous amount of time, energy, gas, and most of the oil in my car to get the blood work they wanted. It was an infuriating saga. Hospital won't take blood work from the normal easy to access lab. The one I was sent to consists of a collection of chairs and a sign directing me to what two hours of driving through the street maze north of a certain middle school suggests is a mythical location. waited an hour with an annoyingly loud loop blasting directions in a tiny windowless waiting room to be sent home to try again. That site had the wrong hours listed on the internet and was closing also indefinitely.

This left literally two open slots at the one remaining site, which was the basement of a very pretty craftsman house with no signage visible from the street. I parked in the right place, but the person in the building proper had no idea they had a phlebotomist in the basement, so I spent the next 20 minutes driving up and down and eventually systematically trying unmarked buildings on foot until a kind older gentleman led me to the secret vampire basement. Then I had to hobble up hill back to my car.

This could have easily been solved by a larger sign instead of a tiny one half hidden by landscaping, or one of those tent signs closer to the street. Just saying.

So they have their four vials of blood.

I've had my phone consult with the hospital about meds and things, during which I discovered that the intake lady at the formerly Extremely Catholic Hospital now owned by an Evil Corporate Conglomerating that has successfully enshitified healthcare across broad sectors in at least two counties knows nothing at all about gender confirmation surgeries, literally didn't understand what I was talking about without a five minute explanation, and had no way to enter such a thing into the computer so had to hand write it into my previous surgery list in vague terms because her google fu wasn't up to trans stuff and there was no medical code for it in the computer. O.o

And this is why I never feel safe at that hospital even though I'm pretty sure they stopped having everyone drop whatever they were doing including surgery prep for mandatory prayers when the Evil Corporate Overloard took over. I trust neither super Christian hospital not evil corporate hospital that fires whistle blowers, and wish we were doing this at the modern hospital one county south, but here we are.

I do have trust in my surgeon though. The person who did my swabs, BP, and med list at the surgeons place was clearly trans. I wasn't sure which direction they were going or if they were nonbinary, but it made me feel safer. They weren't weird about my botched surgery situation when I had to partially disrobe for swabs. He also has good recommendations for joint surgery from the physios because the outcomes are excellent without much in the way of complications. My interactions with him show he listens and takes problems seriously. I am comfortable with no nonsense, which he is.

I am going to hate being mostly helpless. The rehab will Suck, but it would be harder to suck more than physio already is. I am already thinking about maybe trying for a new hip next year or the year after. Best to start cycling through the process on big four since I've already started, and that left hip is deteriorating noticeably faster than the right.

My car needs to go in Monday. I need to make a mental note that oil is now three times a year. Sigh. And jiffy lube won't touch anything under my hood for liability reasons. I am trying not to stress out about housing tax, as right now I just need to focus on doing as much physio as my arm can take, laying in supplies for March, getting through what is about to be a terrible, terrible month.

I would like to thank the donor who sent some funds to allow me to order out a couple times while I'm laid up, and the Millennials who are organizing Batch Cooking so I will have things I can heat up to eat.

* Friday I kept being awakened by medical phonecalls, as has been the case all week, but it was 8 or 9 today, which feels like a lot. Nevertheless, I think I am actually getting a handle on the last two batches of advanced exercises, which is a relief.

I think I figured out why the Emperor has been so anxious and Livia's been extra cuddly. They think something is very wrong with me from how I'm moving, poor buttons. They spent most of the week trying to herd me back into bed every time I leave it.

* "Supreme Court Ethics: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

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* "Michigan Dems Vote “Uncommitted” | Biden Talks Ceasefire Over Ice Cream | GOP Targets Birth Control:"

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* "Meanwhile… Subway Surfer Sex | Airplane Mode Unnecessary | Stephen Tries KFC’s Chizza:"

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* "What’s Going On Over There? The Late Show's News From Around The World:"

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* "Trump Victory Party Cold Open - SNL:"

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* "The Republican Hip-Hop Task Force:"

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* "Call The Joe Biden Phone Sex Line:"

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* "Mitch McConnell Steps Down:"

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* Matthew Peary vs Matthew Henson: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=208

* "Sunday Sweets Brings You SKULLS ON PLATTERS:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-brings-you-skulls-on-platters-2024

*****
* 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.

* People have been asking for ways to help trans people in West Virginia, given the scary shit going on there. So far this organization is suggested. I'm keeping an eye out for more ways to help. If you have suggestions, please let me know. "Fairness West Virginia:" https://fairnesswv.org/donate/

* To track more general LGBTQIA+ Legislation: https://www.lgbtmap.org/

* "How you can support queer and trans kids in Oklahoma after Nex Benedict’s death:" https://www.advocate.com/news/how-to-help-trans-kids

* An organization for the parents of trans youths: https://transparentusa.org/

* "2024 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From!:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/2024-trans-girl-scouts-to-order-cookies

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

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

* Fundraisers for Gaza: https://www.tumblr.com/el-shab-hussein/742344297699999744/hi-if-its-okay-i-saw-you-were-boosting?source=share

* Help Queer Folks in Ghana: https://www.silentmajorityghana.com/donate

* "Library of Congress Launches New Website for Americans to Share COVID-19 Stories:" https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/library-of-congress-launches-new-website-for-americans-to-share-covid-19-stories/s/d5739534-fec6-4e13-9f16-68d6117ee94b

* "We’re looking for English-speaking neopronoun users (aged 18+) to participate in a paid linguistics study.:" https://allthingslinguistic.com/post/741780492503990272/kirby-conrod-is-a-cool-linguist-whos-done-neat

( More Links Underneath: )

* Not even close to all the news, but this week was HARD.

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* "Israel stages airstrikes across Gaza, makes arrests at hospital:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-stages-airstrikes-across-gaza-makes-arrests-hospital-2024-02-17/

* "Israel raids main Gaza hospital as Rafah concerns grow:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-raids-main-gaza-hospital-rafah-concerns-grow-2024-02-15/

* Note: I don't trust a thing Netanyahu's government says, given how often they've lied before to justify war crimes in the last few months. "Israeli forces storm the main hospital in southern Gaza, saying hostages were likely held there:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-15-2024-d3a25caf6b60fe560e1a31d4f8f6b45e

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

* Fundraisers for Gaza: https://www.tumblr.com/el-shab-hussein/742344297699999744/hi-if-its-okay-i-saw-you-were-boosting?source=share

******

* *glares at Biden while tapping my watch* "Biden disparages Netanyahu in private but hasn’t significantly changed U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/biden-disparages-netanyahu-private-hasnt-changed-us-policy-israel-rcna138282

* "Israeli strikes hit Rafah after Biden warns Netanyahu to have ‘credible’ plan to protect civilians:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-02-11-2014-785309c668e15728c6aac9905f290b4d

******

* "Ukrainian civilians vanish and languish in Russian-run jails:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-government-donetsk-business-prisons-59837e2f8006bfd1dc3347522e87efc5

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* "Out of options, Rohingya are fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll:" https://apnews.com/article/rohingya-migration-bangladesh-myanmar-boats-c03221ad9bf90a9467bf4030b961dbd3

* "Shehbaz Sharif to be coalition candidate for next Pakistan PM -spokeswoman:" https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/independent-members-welcome-form-government-if-they-can-show-majority-pakistan-2024-02-13/

* "Imran Khan’s ‘Victory Speech’ From Jail Shows A.I.’s Peril and Promise:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/11/world/asia/imran-khan-artificial-intelligence-pakistan.html

* "Head of French farmers union says protests could resume:" https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/head-french-farmers-union-says-protests-could-resume-2024-02-13/

* "India's controversial plans for untouched Nicobar Isles:" https://news.yahoo.com/indias-controversial-plans-untouched-nicobar-041530890.html

* "The Shompen face obliteration: they urgently need your support:" https://act.survivalinternational.org/page/128615/action/1

* "Panama denies Nicaragua's request to allow ex-Panamanian president's exit:" https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/panama-denies-request-nicaragua-ex-president-martinellis-exit-2024-02-10/

* "The London Overground lines have been renamed – and one line honours a piece of LGBTQ+ history:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/15/the-london-overground-lines-have-been-renamed-and-one-line-honours-a-piece-of-lgbtq-history/

* "Venezuela orders UN human rights office to close, accusing it of anti-government activity:" https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-un-human-rights-ordered-closed-baea877b4ab2cf2891d8c5743fb2e3ed

* "Venezuela defends military buildup, accusing neighboring Guyana of granting illegal oil contracts:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuela-defends-military-buildup-accusing-neighboring-guyana-granting-107142331

* "Whereabouts of Venezuelan human rights attorney and her family remain unknown days after detentions:" https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-human-rights-activist-arrested-maduro-ca2f380379806338109aa74c2785aa1a

* "US says it’s taken possession of a Boeing 747 that Iran sold to a Venezuelan firm:" https://apnews.com/article/argentina-venezuela-iran-justice-department-boeing-e2066c62c48654a2aace58d23baafa22

* "Alexei Navalny, galvanizing opposition leader and Putin’s fiercest foe, died in prison, Russia says:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-dead-opposition-leader-2d11644f7ae5332587b39150f1fd1738

* "'Democratic superhero': Russian journalist reacts to death of Alexei Navalny:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-democratic-superhero-russian-journalist-reacts-to-death-of-alexei-navalny-204393541606

* "How the US is preparing for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan:" https://www.reuters.com/world/china/logistics-war-how-washington-is-preparing-chinese-invasion-taiwan-2024-01-31/

* "Russia Is Boosting Calls for ‘Civil War’ Over Texas Border Crisis:" https://www.wired.com/story/russia-disinformation-campaign-civil-war-texas-border/

* "The ‘disturbing’ intel roiling the Hill is about Russian nukes in space:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/14/house-intel-national-security-threat-russia-space-power-00141473

* "Tucker Carlson Promised an Unedited Putin. The Result Was Boring:" https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/tucker-carlson-promised-an-unedited-putin-the-result-was-boring

* "Poland Angrily Responds to Putin's Claims About Hitler and World War II:" https://www.newsweek.com/poland-angrily-responds-putins-claims-about-hitler-world-war-ii-1868707#:~:text=During%20Putin's%20controversial%20interview%20with,of%20part%20of%20its%20territory.

* "Putin is cashing in on his ‘enormous’ investment in Trump, says Hayes:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/putin-is-cashing-in-on-his-enormous-investment-in-trump-says-hayes-204170309597

* "Illegal border crossings from Mexico plunge after a record-high December, with fewer from Venezuela:" https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-security-migrants-homeland-security-1c6e9f612dff721191c0254f980947a5

* "‘Massive benefit’: Immigration surge set to boost U.S. economy by $7 trillion:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-massive-benefit-immigration-surge-set-to-boost-u-s-economy-by-7-trillion-204283461708

* "Kamala Harris marks 20 years since first officiating same-sex marriages and reunites with gay couple she wed:" https://www.advocate.com/news/kamala-harris-gay-marriages-anniversary

* "Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin cancels overseas trip following hospitalization:" https://www.reuters.com/legal/ex-fbi-informant-charged-with-lying-about-biden-his-son-special-counsel-says-2024-02-15/

* Rightly so. Those things were stolen and belong to the descendants of people they were stolen from.
"Museums close Native American displays after new regulations take effect:" https://www.npr.org/2024/01/27/1227434311/museums-close-native-american-displays-after-new-regulations-take-effect

* "Special counsel urges Supreme Court to end Trump’s delay of federal election trial:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/14/special-counsel-scotus-trump-delay-00141561

* "Trump is Not Immune from Prosecution, Duh.:"

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* "Over 500,000 workers went on strike in 2023 — double from last year:" https://www.businessinsider.com/strikes-striking-workers-surge-2023-actors-writers-teachers-uaw-contribute-2024-2

* Well played. "Uber, Lyft, DoorDash drivers in the U.S. to strike on Valentine’s Day for fair pay:" https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/uber-lyft-doordash-drivers-us-strike-valentines-day-fair-pay-rcna138450

* "Disneyland cast members announce plans to form a union:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/disneyland-characters-union-actors-equity-association/

* "Alaska Air flight attendants authorize strike for first time in three decades:" https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/flight-attendants-join-hands-picket-outside-30-airports-better-pay-2024-02-13/

* "How African-Americans get left out of conversations about the American working class:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/how-african-americans-get-left-out-of-conversations-about-the-american-working-class-204026437515

* "The Paradox of Stay-at-Home Parents:" https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2024/02/stay-home-parents-support-working-parents-social-security/677400/

* "Senate passes $95B aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan despite Trump attacks:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/13/senate-aid-package-ukraine-israel-taiwan-00141135

* "Why 22 Senate Republicans defied Trump and voted for aid to Ukraine:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/22-senate-republicans-defied-trump-voted-aid-ukraine/story?id=107193651

* "J.D. Vance’s sloppy effort to turn MAGA world against Ukraine funding:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/12/jd-vance-ukraine-funding-trump/

* "Ukraine Aid Bill Faces Hurdles in the House Amid G.O.P. Opposition:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/13/us/politics/ukraine-aid-bill-house.html

* "Biden warns opposing Ukraine funding plays ‘into Putin’s hands,’ but faces resistance in House:" https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-aid-congress-senate-5fdcf8cb1964681dcce0f4fe7b9a0f86

* URGENT: Ukraine Aid Bill

Ukraine is literally running out of bullets.

Trump has ordered Mike Johnson to block Ukraine Aid in the House of Representatives, which he is doing.

The only way to get Ukraine aid is a discharge petition which requires a couple Republican votes to pass.

Yes, the Aid Package is not ideal and there are things I wish weren't in it, but we can't amend at this point and it is likely life or death for Ukraine. A discharge petition is the only way to do an end run around the Putinists blocking the normal process.

If you have a Republican Congress critter in the House, please let that critter know you support the discharge petition for Aid to Ukraine.

* "Marjorie Taylor Greene responds to David Cameron’s call for US to aid Ukraine: ‘Kiss my ass’:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/16/marjorie-taylor-greene-responds-to-david-cameron/

* "'Put the bill on the floor': Dem rep calls on GOP to stop blocking Ukraine aid:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-put-the-bill-on-the-floor-dem-rep-calls-on-gop-to-stop-blocking-ukraine-aid-204395589709

* "Rep. Garcia: GOP hardliners "don't want solutions" on border security, foreign aid:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-garcia-gop-hardliners-don-t-want-solutions-on-border-security-foreign-aid-204424262001

* Matt Gaetz is shocked that his actions occasionally might have consequences. "Matt Gaetz says he misses Kevin McCarthy after House GOP's humiliating week:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/matt-gaetz-says-he-misses-kevin-mccarthy-after-house-gop-s-humiliating-week-204014661632

* "FBI informant charged with lying about Joe and Hunter Biden's ties to Ukrainian firm:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/15/1231884999/fbi-informant-charged-lying-joe-hunter-biden-ukraine-burisma

* "‘Amazing turn of events’: Raskin reacts to arrest of GOP's Hunter Biden ‘informant’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-amazing-turn-of-events-raskin-reacts-to-arrest-of-gop-s-hunter-biden-informant-204318789912

* Republicans refuse to name any crime, let alone produce evidence of one. "Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas impeached by House Republicans:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/13/1230977868/house-impeachment-mayorkas-border

* "House Republicans impeach Mayorkas by the margin of a medical absence:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/house-republicans-impeach-mayorkas-by-the-margin-of-a-medical-absence-204173893994

* "House Republicans are 'obsessed' with attacking LGBTQ+ people, say Democratic lawmakers:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/equality-caucus-republicans-obsessed

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

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
To get your Critters' numbers to call direct: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

* The Indivisible Guide: "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/20220104_Indivisible_%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Defeating%20MAGA.pdf

* Special elections are important. I'm so happy people turned out for it. "Pennsylvania Dems seal House majority with special election win:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/13/pennsylvania-dems-house-majority-special-election-00141340#:~:text=to%20the%20left.-,Jim%20Prokopiak's%20election%20to%20the%20Bucks%20County%20seat%20will%20give,win%20kept%20it%20in%20place.

* "'Voting integrity is on the line': PA special election winner shares insights for fellow Democrats:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/-voting-integrity-is-on-the-line-pa-special-election-winner-shares-insights-for-fellow-democrats-204423237633

* "Democrat Tom Suozzi wins George Santos's seat in House of Representatives:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/tom-suozzi-wins-special-election

* "'Losing streak': GOP refuses to learn lessons from ‘crushing’ election losses:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-losing-streak-gop-refuses-to-learn-lessons-from-crushing-election-losses-204243525585

* "Trump endorses new RNC chair and Lara Trump as co-chair:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/12/trump-republican-national-committee-chair-whatley-00141061

* NOTE: The RNC normally distributes the money strategically to various state parties and candidates. "Lara Trump vows ‘every single penny’ of RNC funds will go to Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/lara-trump-vows-every-single-penny-of-rnc-funds-will-go-to-trump-204321861629

* "Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is running for the U.S. Senate:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/10/1230600501/former-maryland-gov-larry-hogan-running-us-senate

* "Gallagher says he won’t run for Congress again after refusing to impeach Homeland Security chief:" https://apnews.com/article/mike-gallagher-retirement-impeachment-mayorkas-wisconsin-a125c50142905225ae58f7f36f9bd1e1

* "Senate GOP campaign arm endorses Kari Lake:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/13/kari-lake-nrsc-endorsement-00141107

* "'Full-on, the MAGA party': Election deniers advance as Trump plots RNC takeover:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-full-on-the-maga-party-election-deniers-advance-as-trump-set-to-take-over-rnc-204179525687

* "DACA recipient resigns from Biden administration, runs for office:" https://www.axios.com/2024/02/05/daca-recipient-biden-administration-runs-office

* Presidential Primaries are ongoing:

Republicans: South Carolina votes 2/24/24

Michigan: All vote 2/27/24

Know your state's schedule and where to vote. Make sure you and your friends are registered. If you are voting in person, plan how to get there.

If you live in an open primary state consider voting strategically. Otherwise, vote your heart in the primary. Remember how all those votes for Sanders and Warren pushed Biden and the party platform further left?

Remember to vote in all the races, not just the top of the ticket even if it's in a separate primary (as it is in my state). Who runs congress, your state, and your local government really matters. In some states this is a separate primary. Check the rules for your state.

Never, ever sleep on a chance to vote.

Remember, it is always better to vote for someone who will listen to us than to let someone who is actively trying to kill us.

* "West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announces he won’t run for president in 2024:" https://apnews.com/article/joe-manchin-2024-presidential-run-8377c2c336b14c660807941fe943b3b7

* It's worse than the headline makes it look. "Trump’s NATO-bashing comments rile allies, rekindle European fears:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/02/11/trump-nato-russia-invade/

* Everything is transactional with him. "Top Senate Dem reacts to Trump’s alarming NATO Comments:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/top-senate-dem-reacts-to-trump-s-alarming-nato-comments-204025413656

* "Nikki Haley blasts Donald Trump’s threat to dump NATO allies behind on bills:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/14/nikki-haley-donald-trump-nato-russia-attack/

* "G.O.P. Officials, Once Critical, Stand by Trump After NATO Comments:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/us/politics/trump-nato-republicans.html

* "Trump exposes true allegiance, worrying U.S. NATO allies:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/u-s-allies-fear-a-faithless-america-under-trump-in-thrall-to-putin-204102725539

* "As Republican sounds alarm on Russian threat, GOP makes excuses for Trump attacks on NATO:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/as-republican-sounds-alarm-on-russian-threat-gop-makes-excuses-for-trump-attacks-on-nato-204254789782

* "Trump Wants an Abortion Ban Based on the Weirdest Logic Ever:" https://newrepublic.com/post/179097/trump-16-week-abortion-ban

* "‘Trump is losing it’: New scrutiny on Trump’s ‘gibberish’ at campaign rallies:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-trump-is-losing-it-new-scrutiny-on-trump-s-gibberish-at-campaign-rallies-204170309716

* "One in five Americans believe Taylor Swift is part of plot to help Joe Biden win election, poll finds:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/15/taylor-swift-joe-biden-conspiracy-theory-2024-election/

* "‘He Gets Us’ Ad Sponsors Don’t Believe in the Jesus They’re Selling:" https://www.texasobserver.org/he-gets-us-campaign-superbowl-jesus/

* "Republican Tennessee goes after marriage equality:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/1961062.html

* "New gun, abortion, prevailing wage, right-to-work repeal laws take effect in Michigan:" https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2024/02/13/new-michigan-abortion-gun-labor-laws-take-effect/72576434007/

* "Reporter asks Ron DeSantis why he can affirm his height with lifts, but stands against gender-affirming care:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ron-desantis-shoe-lifts-presser

* "Marjorie Taylor Greene calls LGBTQ+ people ‘groomers’ as she backs LibsofTikTok:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/15/marjorie-taylor-greene-calls-lgbtq-people-groomers-as-she-backs-libsoftiktok/

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* "Trump hit with $354.9 million penalty, 3-year ban in NY civil fraud case:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/maxwell-frost-credit-card-pulse

* "'He is a cheat.': Devastating court penalty shatters myth of Trump business savvy for good:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-he-is-a-cheat-devastating-court-penalty-shatters-myth-of-trump-business-savvy-for-good-204398661867

* "Trump meets his match in U.S. justice system with another staggering court loss:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/trump-meets-his-match-in-u-s-justice-system-with-another-staggering-court-loss-204403269637

* "Trump's New York hush money trial will start March 25:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/15/1231707111/trump-hush-money-case-new-york-trial

* "Stormy Monday: More than just a hush money case, Trump's first criminal trial gets a date:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/stormy-monday-more-than-just-a-hush-money-case-trump-s-first-criminal-trial-gets-a-date-204328517812

---

* "Kansas City police link Super Bowl rally shooting to dispute, not extremism:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/police-seek-clues-kansas-city-mass-shooting-with-3-people-custody-2024-02-15/

* "Livid Kansas City congressman rips thoughts-and-prayers Congress for doing 'nothing at all' on guns:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/livid-kansas-city-congressman-rips-thoughts-and-prayers-congress-for-doing-nothing-at-all-on-guns-204251205598

* "‘I’m pissed off’: Jason Kander reacts to mass shooting at Chiefs Super Bowl parade:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-i-m-pissed-off-jason-kander-reacts-to-mass-shooting-at-chiefs-super-bowl-parade-204241477785

* "Fox News and GOP politicians falsely claim Lakewood Church shooter was transgender:" https://www.advocate.com/news/false-transgender-claim-texas-shooter

* "Four high school students shot in Atlanta:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/four-high-school-students-shot-atlanta-2024-02-14/

* "13-year-old accidentally shoots 11-year-old sibling in Whatcom County:" https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/13-year-old-accidentally-shoots-11-year-old-sibling-whatcom-county/H6JSPMYSDFDIJMETWJ5OWD7SSU/

* "Transgender people are being killed at an alarming rate, especially in the South:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-homicides-alarming-rate

* "Libs of TikTok loses it after Kansas university participates in ‘Glitter Ash Wednesday’ event:" https://www.advocate.com/news/kansas-university-glitter-ash-wednesday

* CW: Sexual Assault. "Kandy Muse assaulted & groped at a club — shares details of what happened:" https://www.advocate.com/news/rupauls-drag-race-kandy-muse

* "The Campus Wars Aren’t About Gender … Are They? Recent Ivy League dramas have made women leaders in academia wonder how far they’ve really come.:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/us/colleges-antisemitism-gender.html

* "Trans 18-year-old sues hospital for last-minute cancellation of gender-affirming surgery:" https://www.advocate.com/trans-teen-sues-hospital

* "Polish state TV host: Our anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric was shameful:" https://www.advocate.com/news/poland-tv-host-apologizes-homophobia

* "Greece approves marriage equality:" https://www.advocate.com/world/greece-approves-marriage-equality

* "Transgender teen girl stabbed 14 times at roller rink birthday party:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-girl-stabbed-14-times

* "Florida man arrested for defacing Pride intersection painted to honor Pulse nightclub victims:" https://www.advocate.com/pride-intersection-burnout-florida

* "New York Times continues to fail on trans issues one year after demands made:" https://www.advocate.com/transgender/new-york-times-transgender-fail

* "Meet the newscaster in drag making LGBTQ+ history in Mexican television:" https://apnews.com/article/drag-queen-mexico-tv-barraza-verdrag-4fc003d08a24cef9a9427431004d784b

* CW: Suicide. "Black trans, nonbinary youth have higher suicide risk than cisgender queer peers:" https://www.advocate.com/youth/black-youth-suicide-risk-trevor

* CW: CSA, Sexual Assault, Suicide. "Three Days of Tragedy: How a VA Clinic’s Inability to Help Veterans in Crisis Destroyed Two Families:" https://www.propublica.org/article/when-veterans-cant-access-the-psychiatric-care-they-need

* A good summary of current prevention advice. "The Swiss Cheese Model of Covid Prevention:" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/742090895497773056?source=share

---

* "If the Atlantic Ocean Loses Circulation, What Happens Next?:" https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/if-the-atlantic-ocean-loses-circulation-what-happens-next/

* "Up to 47% of Amazon Rainforest At Risk of Collapse by Mid-Century Due to ‘Unprecedented Stress’ From Global Warming and Deforestation:" https://earth.org/up-to-47-of-amazon-rainforest-at-risk-of-collapse-by-mid-century-due-to-unprecedented-stress-from-global-warming-and-deforestation/

* "Climate change is erasing previous gains in air quality — fires are mostly to blame:" https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/12/24066572/air-pollution-quality-climate-change-wildfire-smoke-smog

* "The Perverse Policies That Fuel Wildfires:" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/02/05/the-perverse-policies-that-fuel-wildfires

* "Hurricanes are getting so intense, scientists propose a Category 6:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/02/05/hurricanes-category6/

* "Victorian fires live: Half a million Victorians without power as bushfires, storms wreak havoc:" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-13/live-blog-vic-fires-watch-and-act-warnings-grampians-wimmera/103459362

* "Blizzard conditions bear down on central US, closing schools and highways:" https://apnews.com/article/winter-storm-weather-09d8e810fc5d80a34ef8bf008bfec7a1

* "Los Angeles’s Floods Show Why Sewers Matter:" https://newrepublic.com/article/178814/sewers-floods-california-climate

---

* "Driver dead, 5 injured when vehicle crashes into emergency room in Austin:" https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/1-person-killed-and-10-injured-when-vehicle-crashes-into-emergency-room-in-austin/3461627/

* "Climate change is fueling the disappearance of the Aral Sea. It’s taking residents’ livelihoods, too:" https://apnews.com/article/kazakhstan-uzbekistan-aral-sea-drying-climate-change-cb565954d5bd2ef72c02a1db8231800d

* "Demand for minerals sparks fear of mining abuses on Indigenous peoples' lands:" https://www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1226125617/demand-for-minerals-sparks-fear-of-mining-abuses-on-indigenous-peoples-lands

* "The Case for Destroying Old Forest Roads:" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/case-destroying-old-forest-roads-180983693/

* "Instagram and Threads won't promote ‘political’ content. No one knows what they define as ‘political’:" https://www.advocate.com/business/instagram-threads-no-longer-politics

* "Elon Musk demands users stop ‘deadnaming’ Twitter after Stephen King trolls the billionaire:" https://www.advocate.com/news/elon-musk-stephen-king-deadname

* "Ingenuity Mars helicopter mission ends after 72 flights:" https://spacenews.com/ingenuity-mars-helicopter-mission-ends-after-72-flights/

* "Zoozve — the strange 'moon' of Venus that earned its name by accident:" https://www.space.com/venus-quasi-moon-zoozve-radiolab-nasa

* "Japan's space agency says it may now have clues about the origins of the moon:" https://www.npr.org/2024/02/15/1231636892/japans-origins-of-the-moon

* "Big, dead European satellite will crash back to Earth this month:" https://www.space.com/european-space-agency-ers-2-satellite-reentry-preview

* "The ‘Unthinkable’ New Reality About Bedbugs:" https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/02/bedbugs-pesticide-resistant-tropical/677415/

* "James Holman, the “Blind Traveller”:" https://daily.jstor.org/james-holman-the-blind-traveller/

* "LOST PHOTOGRAPHS OF BLACK AMERICA:" https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/03/ernest-cole-true-america-photographs/677169/

* "How a Nuclear Weapons Lab Helped Crack a Serial-Killer Case:" https://undark.org/2024/02/09/wilo-serial-killer-nuclear-lab/

* "Steven Ostrow, creator of NYC's legendary Continental Baths, dead at 91:" https://www.advocate.com/obituaries/steven-ostrow-continental-baths-dead

* "In this centuries-old English pancake race, ‘you just have to go flat out’:" https://apnews.com/article/britain-pancake-race-england-3e6e2c1ed8b9aefefe7d13e9944009cb

* The decoy computer is not working as a decoy, but he likes sitting in front of it and staring at the cardboard "screen" as if contemplating how to reply to important email when Goth Millennial and I are on the sofa.

Monday, I was an hour later leaving for bureaucracy than intended, basically because my limbs were barely working. This turned an hourish errand into a two and a half hour errand. (Does not count the commute.) This ate nearly all the spoons I had. I ended up eating bread and the forage bananas for first meal, because I had the shakes and nothing left really for even cup of soup prep.

I took my eat with food meds and went to lie down, alarming the cats because this was a break in routine. They did settle down with me. Eventually. I was in far too much pain to sleep. sometimes you just have to lie still and see if it helps. after an hour or so, it became clear I'd need the strong meds and lying down was actually making the pain worse, so up I got to try to sort things. I couldn't even Start physio exercises until well after midnight and couldn't complete.

Tuesday is better, but not great. Sigh. Torture appointment is Wednesday.

And then a computer hiccup ate an evening's worth of work. I recreated most of it in about two hours. And then Firefox crashed wiping all my tabs. I spent an hour trying to recreate what I could as they weren't in history: recently closed pages for some reason. I lost so much data tonight and wasted so much time and energy. *facepalm*

I am seriously worried that I won't get enough rehab done in time.

* Wednesday's arm torture appointment was a nightmare. The new exercises are incredibly hard and painful. I was such a mess that I took home Goth Millennial early so I could go to bed eightish.

I am still slugglish to stand for more than a minute, which is really fucking with Thursday physio exercises, about half of which require standing. My system is under to much stress for my always barely function body temperature regulation to work. I keep getting the shakes and had trouble getting spaghetti to the table. I still have a bunch of sets to go as of this writing at 8:15PM. I outright couldn't do more than seven of the worst of the new ones and have nixed it for the night.

* "Carnival in Brazil: Scenes from the Sambadromes:" https://www.reuters.com/pictures/carnival-brazil-scenes-sambadromes-2024-02-12/

* "The 2023 Hugo Awards: A Report on Censorship and Exclusion:" https://file770.com/the-2023-hugo-awards-a-report-on-censorship-and-exclusion/comment-page-1/

* "Postgame Time:"

( Embed: )

* "Miss Universe National Costume 2023:" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/742216698580566016?source=share

* "Superb Owl Sunday Sweets:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/superb-owl-sunday-sweets-2024

*****
* 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.

* People have been asking for ways to help trans people in West Virginia, given the scary shit going on there. So far this organization is suggested. I'm keeping an eye out for more ways to help. If you have suggestions, please let me know. "Fairness West Virginia:" https://fairnesswv.org/donate/

* To track more general LGBTQIA+ Legislation: https://www.lgbtmap.org/

* An organization for the parents of trans youths: https://transparentusa.org/

* "2024 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From!:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/2024-trans-girl-scouts-to-order-cookies

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

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

* Fundraisers for Gaza: https://www.tumblr.com/el-shab-hussein/742344297699999744/hi-if-its-okay-i-saw-you-were-boosting?source=share

* "Library of Congress Launches New Website for Americans to Share COVID-19 Stories:" https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/library-of-congress-launches-new-website-for-americans-to-share-covid-19-stories/s/d5739534-fec6-4e13-9f16-68d6117ee94b

* "We’re looking for English-speaking neopronoun users (aged 18+) to participate in a paid linguistics study.:" https://allthingslinguistic.com/post/741780492503990272/kirby-conrod-is-a-cool-linguist-whos-done-neat

( More Links Underneath: )

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* "Photos of life in war: Palestinians flee south in Gaza, Israel mourns dead soldiers:" https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2024/01/29/1225728725/israel-gaza-war-photos

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

******

* "Document spells out allegations against 12 UN employees Israel says participated in Hamas attack:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-29-2024-4c49c2fb89c3bfd4963f2260b34943c1

* Sigh. "US says its Israel policy unchanged after report on leveraging weapon sales:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us-says-its-israel-policy-unchanged-after-report-leveraging-weapon-sales-2024-01-28/

* "State Department reviewing options for possible recognition of Palestinian state:" https://www.axios.com/2024/01/31/palestine-statehood-biden-israel-gaza-war

******

* "Enemy drone that killed US troops in Jordan was mistaken for a US drone, preliminary report suggests:" https://apnews.com/article/jordan-drone-attack-attack-confusion-f175962e058b9b6f668303faf248d8e6

* "U.S. blames Iran-backed militia for deadly attack, leaving Middle East on edge:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/u-s-blames-iran-backed-militia-for-deadly-attack-leaving-middle-east-on-edge

* "Hayes on the ‘looming threat’ of a widening Middle East conflict:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/hayes-on-the-looming-threat-of-a-widening-middle-east-conflict-203279941771

******

* "‘Kharkiv is their priority’: Deadly Russian attacks hit Ukraine’s northeast:" https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/29/kharkiv-ukraine-intensified-shelling

* "Russian mayor orders quote from ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov on choreography school wall to be replaced by ‘words of a true patriot’:" https://meduza.io/en/news/2024/01/29/russian-mayor-orders-quote-from-ballet-dancer-mikhail-baryshnikov-on-choreography-school-wall-to-be-replaced-by-words-of-a-true-patriot?utm_source=email&utm_medium=briefly&utm_campaign=2024-01-30

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* "The right-wing’s latest manufactured outrage? An EU inclusive language toolkit from 2019:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/29/european-union-language-gender/

* "Why has the Maori king of New Zealand called a national meeting?:" https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/19/why-has-the-maori-king-of-new-zealand-called-a-national-meeting

* "China's ageing population threatens switch to new economic growth model:" https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-ageing-population-threatens-switch-new-economic-growth-model-2024-01-18/

* "FBI director warns Chinese hackers aim to 'wreak havoc' on U.S. critical infrastructure:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/fbi-director-warn-chinese-hackers-aim-wreak-havoc-us-critical-infrastr-rcna136524

* "Two LGBTQ+ women may soon be confirmed as lifetime judges: 'It's crucial right now':" https://www.advocate.com/news/federal-judge-lgbtq

* "Lost Highway: The trials of trucking school:" https://harpers.org/archive/2024/02/lost-highway-emily-gogolak/

* "Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady as consumer confidence improves and inflation slows:" https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/federal-reserve-interest-rate-decision-january-2024-increase-decrease-rcna136429

* "Trump slams deal that would give Biden authority to close border:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/27/trump-dunks-on-bipartisan-senate-border-deal-00138210

* ""Chaos Caucus in Action" GOP split over tanking border deal for Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/-chaos-caucus-in-action-gop-split-over-tanking-border-deal-for-trump-203113029829

* "House GOP turns immigration issue into political theater:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/house-gop-turns-immigration-issue-into-political-theater-203382853700

* "Wyden Slams Backroom Scheme to Cut Social Security, Medicare as Bill Clears House Committee:" https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/wyden-slams-backroom-scheme-to-cut-social-security-medicare-as-bill-clears-house-committee

* "Can Federal Transit Operations Funding Foster Healthy, Thriving, Sustainable Communities? Yes, Here’s How.:" https://cleantechnica.com/2024/01/19/can-federal-transit-operations-funding-foster-healthy-thriving-sustainable-communities-yes-heres-how/

* This is some more racist bullshit in hopes of distracting people from the fact the Republicans are backing an adjudged sexual predator for president. "House Republicans unveil Mayorkas impeachment articles:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/28/house-republicans-mayorkas-impeachment-articles-00138235

* "Rep. Maxine Waters: Mayorkas impeachment inquiry all comes back to Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-maxine-waters-mayorkas-impeachment-inquiry-all-comes-back-to-trump-203112005996

* "Gay Democratic reps demand Pentagon resolve cases of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ dishonorable discharges:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/dont-ask-dont-tell-pentagon

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

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
To get your Critters' numbers to call direct: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

* The Indivisible Guide: "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/20220104_Indivisible_%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Defeating%20MAGA.pdf

* We are fucked if the Supreme Court doesn't reverse this decision. "US court will not revisit ruling limiting voting rights lawsuits:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-appeals-court-will-not-reconsider-ruling-limiting-voting-rights-laws-scope-2024-01-30/

* "Rep. Nancy Mace's former chief of staff files to run against her in South Carolina:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nancy-mace-former-chief-of-staff-daniel-hanlon-south-carolina/

* Early voting has already started in a few places.

Democrats: South Carolina votes 2/3/24

Democrats: Nevada votes 2/6/24

Republicans: Nevada votes 2/8/24
Republicans: Virgin Islands votes 2/8/24

Know your state's schedule and where to vote. Make sure you and your friends are registered. If you are voting in person, plan how to get there.

If you live in an open primary state consider voting strategically. Otherwise, vote your heart in the primary. Remember how all those votes for Sanders and Warren pushed Biden and the party platform further left?

Remember to vote in all the races, not just the top of the ticket even if it's in a separate primary. Who runs congress, your state, and your local government really matters. In some states this is a separate primary. Check the rules for your state.

Never, ever sleep on a chance to vote.

Remember, it is always better to vote for someone who will listen to us than to let someone who is actively trying to kill us.

* I forgot to mention I voted the other day. No, not in the Primary. My state is late in the calendar and has a tiny delegate count. No, it was a local special election.

A lot of people ignore special election and local elections, but as I keep saying, a lot of really important things for quality of life happen in local elections.

In this case, it was a pair of really important school funding measures, including one that made sure kids had access to modern computers.

This stuff feels small, but education funding is an important investment in the future.

Wherever you are, if you can legally vote, vote every chance you have.

* "Biden planning post-UAW endorsement trip to Michigan:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/30/biden-uaw-endorsement-trip-michigan-00138594

* "'Booming' Biden economy forces GOP to shift focus to new 'shiny object':" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-booming-biden-economy-forces-gop-to-shift-focus-to-new-shiny-object-203368517740

* "Haley, shy with Trump attacks, reaches for alternative opponents:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/haley-shy-with-trump-attacks-reaches-for-alternative-opponents-203380805772

* "Trump stays on Illinois’ ballot as the election board says it lacks power to remove him over Jan. 6:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-14th-amendment-insurrection-ballot-illinois-8709a8dbf12f845ed30fce22c9bff469

* "Trump Urges States to Send Troops to Texas Border:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/01/trump-abbott-border-send-troops-national-guard-texas/

* "'Extraordinarily destabilizing and dangerous': 10 GOP Governors answer Trump’s call to send troops to border:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/-extraordinarily-destabilizing-and-dangerous-10-gop-governors-answer-trump-s-call-to-defy-biden-and-send-troops-to-border-203102277701

* "Trump calls UAW president a ‘dope’ after union endorses Biden:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/29/trump-uaw-president-dope-biden-00138310

After all, Biden has merely stood with worker's his whole career and fought for union and worker's rights, while Trump has done the massive work of doing a few photo ops and made lies and hollow promises while helping the posses and trying to repeal things workers need.

What a dope for Fain to side with the interest of the people he represents instead of against them, like Republicans generally do.

* "Report: Trump spent $50 million in donor money on legal bills in 2023:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/report-trump-spent-50-million-in-donor-money-on-legal-bills-in-2023-203285061707

* "Trump Allies Pledge ‘Holy War’ Against Taylor Swift:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/donald-trump-more-popular-taylor-swift-maga-biden-1234956829/

* "Right-Wingers Say Super Bowl Is Rigged So Taylor Swift Can Endorse Biden:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/taylor-swift-targeted-conspiracies-chiefs-super-bowl-1234955940/

* "Utah is the latest state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus and in government:" https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/utah-is-the-latest-state-to-ban-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-efforts-on-campus-and-in-government/

* This is a fundamental safety issue. "Florida criminalizes changing gender on driver’s licenses in latest attack on LGBTQ+ rights:" https://www.advocate.com/news/florida-criminalizes-changing-gender

* Republicans want you to know that as Pro-life Christians they believe in taking food out of the mouths of children for both the pleasure of it and political gain, just as Jesus would have wanted. "Republican governors in 15 states reject summer food money for kids:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/01/10/republican-governors-summer-lunch-program/

* "Ohio, Michigan Republicans in released audio: 'Endgame' is to ban trans care 'for everyone':" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ohio-republicans-ban-trans-care

* "Michigan’s GOP Chair Drama Takes Another Nasty Turn:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/ousted-michigan-gop-chair-kristina-karamo-now-claims-the-rnc-is-colluding-against-her

* "Arizona GOP boss quits after leaked tape shows him floating a job for Kari Lake to skip Senate race:" https://apnews.com/article/jeff-dewit-resigns-kari-lake-recording-bribe-07319f36b057f804f880a7e07f8d16b1

* "Oklahoma GOP rescinds censure of Sen. Lankford, calls meeting 'illegitimate':" https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklahoma-gop-censures-sen-lankford-for-open-border-deal-collaboration-with-democrats-rep-jacob-rosecrants-border-security-illegal-immigration-anthony-ferate-republican-party-bipartisanship-oath-constitution-ok-politics-chuck-schumer

* "Oregon’s newest Republican lawmaker says LGBTQ+ support is akin to child abuse:" https://www.advocate.com/dwayne-yunker-oregon-lawmaker-gop

* "Judge tosses Disney suit claiming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis retaliated over 'don't say gay' critique:" https://www.advocate.com/law/disney-desantis-suit-dismissed

* "Nancy Mace said she wanted to 'get punched in the face' by rioters on January 6 for attention:" https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-mace-wanted-to-get-punched-in-the-face-by-a-rioter-on-january-6-2024-1

---

* "Trumps Throw Tantrum Over Court Monitor’s Financial Bombshell:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-throw-tantrum-over-court-monitors-financial-bombshell

* "Bad timing for Trump as court-appointed monitor flags accounting of tens of millions of dollars:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/bad-timing-for-trump-as-court-appointed-monitor-flags-accounting-of-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-203297349831

* CW: Rape "E. Jean Carroll says she plans to use $83 million on 'something Donald Trump hates':" https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/jean-carroll-plans-83-million-donald-trump-hates/story?id=106751516

* CW: Rape "Don't fear Donald Trump, say the women who won an $83 million damages award:"
https://www.advocate.com/news/jean-carroll-trump-is-nothing

* CW: Rape "Why E. Jean Carroll's legal defeat of Donald Trump matters :" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/why-e-jean-carroll-s-legal-defeat-of-donald-trump-matters-203201605654

* "‘We beat Donald Trump’: E. Jean Carroll and lawyers on Trump's fallibility:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-we-beat-donald-trump-e-jean-carroll-and-lawyers-on-trump-s-fallibility-203205701999

* "Criminal prosecution of Trump in Georgia bogs down with attacks on Willis:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/criminal-prosecution-of-trump-in-georgia-bogs-down-with-attacks-on-willis-203382853919

* "Meet the woman who secretly taped Trump saying, ‘I need 11,000 votes’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/meet-the-woman-who-secretly-taped-trump-saying-i-need-11-000-votes-203286085898

---

* "Arson at Georgia gender-affirming care clinic investigated as hate crime:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gender-care-clinic-arson-georgia

* "Some supporters of a far-right convoy headed to the Texas border are calling for civil war:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/supporters-far-right-convoy-headed-texas-border-are-calling-civil-war-rcna136058

* "An Idealistic Cop, a Forbidden Ticket and a Police Career on the Brink:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/16/nyregion/mathew-bianchi-nypd-traffic-tickets.html

* "Pennsylvania man rants about ‘LGBTQ+, woke-left mob’ in YouTube video with his father’s severed head: report:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/pennsylvania-beheading-youtube-rant

* "Charlie Kirk's 'Black Pilot' Remark Sparks Fury:" https://www.newsweek.com/charlie-kirk-black-pilots-racism-accusations-1863546

* "Florida LGBTQ+ advocates slam ban on sociology, DEI at state’s universities:" https://www.advocate.com/news/dei-florida-lgbtq-advocates

* "Experts say that gender-affirming care bans amount to 'abuse.' Why won't lawmakers listen?:" https://www.advocate.com/gender-affirming-care-bans-abuse

* "Trans patient makes hundreds of paper stars to represent others receiving gender-affirming care in hospital:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/01/paper-stars-trans-patient/

* "Health workers call to make morning-after pill available ‘for everyone’ in shops and petrol stations:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/31/morning-after-pill-supermarket/

* "Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act must be stopped. Now.:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/uganda-anti-homosexuality-law-voices

* "Germany’s transgender community confronts surge in far-right disinformation:" https://www.advocate.com/news/german-transgender-law-disinformation

* "Doctor blames man's chronic back pain on gay sex, couple says:" https://www.advocate.com/news/doctor-blames-pain-gay-sex

* "Seattle gay bars raided over ‘lewd conduct violations’:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/30/seattle-gay-bars-raided-lewd-conduct/

"SAW director Madison Zack-Wu told Capitol Hill Seattle: “These regulations that are so paternalistic, that control people’s bodies and sexualities, pretty much only affect marginalised communities and non-conforming people."

* CW: Harassment. "New York pizzeria to pay $25,000 to settle harassment suit by transgender cook:" https://www.advocate.com/law/trans-cook-settles-pizzeria

* "Are transgender athletes allowed in the Olympics? The truth behind the myths:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/29/are-transgender-athletes-allowed-in-the-olympics-the-truth-behind-the-myths/

* "Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas files lawsuit against World Aquatics:" https://www.advocate.com/sports/lia-thomas-sues-world-aquatics

* "Amber Glenn becomes the first out queer woman to win the US Figure Skating Championship:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/29/amber-glenn-figure-skating/

* "Transgender women have a higher risk of HIV infections. A new CDC report reveals why:" https://www.advocate.com/news/transgender-women-hiv-infections-discrimination

* I can't donate, but if you can, consider doing it. "Red Cross declares an emergency blood shortage, as number of donors hits 20-year low:" https://www.npr.org/2024/01/09/1223734878/red-cross-blood-shortage-national-blood-donor-month

* "Drinking black tea linked to longevity:" https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/drinking-black-tea-linked-to-longevity#:~:text=A%20large%20study%20published%20online,associated%20with%20a%20longer%20life.

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* "Girls, ages 13 and 14, save tourists from riptide in Barbados:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/01/17/teens-save-tourists-riptide-barbados/

* "Elon Musk says he's 'Jewish by association' after Auschwitz visit, sees 'almost no antisemitism':" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/elon-musk-says-jewish-association-auschwitz-visit-sees-almost-no-antis-rcna135271

* "LGBTQ+ people have been arrested through social media. Meta must protect them, says human rights groups:" https://www.advocate.com/news/meta-lgbtq-digital-targeting-hrw

* "Stunned devs left scrambling for livelihoods in wake of yesterday's layoff bloodbath: 'In the end the contributions didn't matter':" https://www.pcgamer.com/stunned-devs-left-scrambling-for-livelihoods-in-wake-of-yesterdays-layoff-bloodbath-in-the-end-the-contributions-didnt-matter/

* "‘Serious Sketchball’: How a Crypto Pastor Scammed His Flock:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/colorado-crypto-pastor-was-always-a-serious-sketchball-acquaintances-say#:~:text=This%20month%2C%20Colorado's%20Securities%20Commissioner,misappropriated%20for%20their%20personal%20benefit.

* "Japan becomes the fifth country to land a spacecraft on the moon:" https://apnews.com/article/japan-moon-landing-jaxa-probe-slim-845d4868636df5ced2e1818c588f29a4

* "In World First, Horned Oryx Upgraded from Extinct in Wild to Endangered Owing to Decades of Zoo Work:" https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/in-world-first-scimitar-horned-oryx-upgraded-from-extinct-in-wild-to-endangered-owing-to-decades-of-zoo-work/

* "Alligators get more intimidating after study reveals they have an amazing ability:" https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article284329364.html

* "‘Incredible.’ Mangled shark off Florida took just months to repair fin, study says:" https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article283553633.html

* "Grizzly Bears Are Mostly Vegan: But humans made them more carnivorous.:" https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/01/grizzly-bear-california-carnivore-meat-eating/677070/

* "Billions of cicadas will emerge in the US this year in a rare double-brood event:" https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/billions-of-cicadas-will-emerge-in-the-us-this-year-in-a-rare-double-brood-event/3317523/

* "Megalodon didn't look like a 50-foot great white shark, controversial study claims:" https://www.livescience.com/animals/extinct-species/controversial-study-claims-megalodon-didnt-look-like-a-50-foot-giant-great-white-shark

* "Broadway legend Chita Rivera dies aged 91:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/30/chita-rivera-movies-and-tv-shows/

* "Pioneering LGBTQ+ activist Ann Maguire has died at 80:" https://www.advocate.com/obituaries/pioneering-activist-ann-maguire-obituary

* Tuesday torture appointment was terrible, but not quite as bad as Thursday. Apparently the Medicare Advantage covered para-transit is also a lie as I discovered when I got picked up. Luckily I had a dollar left. so now I need to call around again to various social services that claimed it was a thing and find out WTF.

Being disabled is exhausting.

In other news, I'd forgotten our little storage closet is upstairs. Next to the elevator. The one that filled entirely with water and they had to pump out that still isn't safe to use.

So after physio I hobbled upstairs to check. There is zero chance of me pulling everything or much of anything out by myself, let alone carrying it all downstairs without an elevator. There is no one to help. Still I had to check in case I needed to try to work something out immediately. Asshole Agency Maybe? Idk.

The carpet just inside the closet was dry as were the boxes in front. There is no telling what's going on in the back. We'll still need to pull it all out and move it when they do damage inspections, but I have a little more time. Maybe the elevator will be fixed by then and we can use a dolly? Where to store it idk.

It was encouraging that the cleared and damaged ones were all closer to the waterfall, and the damage didn't look that bad. I am hoping that the closets on the other side of the elevator shaft were spared or partially spared by the water pouring down the shaft.

I think it's mostly paper records in the back in case of need, the ones that are oldest need recycling anyway as you only need to keep the seven years. I am hoping the missing photo album is further front. If the tax stuff sucked up any water it is not a loss. If it's old letter and the like, it's irreplaceable.

We are incredibly lucky. Most of the upper floors of two buildings have mostly been without electricity. some without water. People lost everything and have been living out of hotels. Dire damage happened in the apartments next door; We had a slow drip in the laundry closet that stopped on it's own.

It is apparently much worse in the other building.

Seriously, every time I look up at the darkened upper windows I think of how catastrophic this has been for so many people.

* "Meanwhile… How To Pronounce “Kelce” | Highway Horse | MTA’s $700k Fare Hack:"

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* "Trump Is Big Mad At Nikki Haley | White House Pharmacy Scandal | Many Loose Bolts Found On Planes:"

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* "Sound of Science: Skinny Sharks | Why Dogs Wag Their Tails | Blame Gen Z For The Blood Shortage:"

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* "Taylor Swift Inspires Super Bowl Conspiracies | Trump Ordered To Pay $83M | Biden Blasts Snickers:"

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* "GOP Backs Out Of Border Deal | Abbott’s Texas Rebellion Moves U.S. Towards Civil War:"

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* "MAGA’s Holy War On Taylor Swift | Elmo Taps America’s Angst | God’s Army Convoy Limps Toward Texas:"

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* "The Late Show’s I’s On Edjukashun: Furries Rumor Debunked | Florida’s Ban On Pride Flags:"

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* "The Late Show Presents: “The Twilight Zone: Just The Twists”:"

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* "Alaska Airlines Updates Its Fleet:"

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* "New From Hasbro: Trauma Me Elmo:"

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*****
* 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.

* People have been asking for ways to help trans people in West Virginia, given the scary shit going on there. So far this organization is suggested. I'm keeping an eye out for more ways to help. If you have suggestions, please let me know. "Fairness West Virginia:" https://fairnesswv.org/donate/

* To track more general LGBTQIA+ Legislation: https://www.lgbtmap.org/

* An organization for the parents of trans youths: https://transparentusa.org/

* "2024 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From!:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/2024-trans-girl-scouts-to-order-cookies

* "Tell your Representative to Support Rep Tlaib's Resolution for a New Streaming Royalty:" https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-representative-to-support-the-resolution-for-a-new-streaming-royalty/

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

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

( Links Underneath: )

*

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* "Journalism groups and family reject Israeli accusation that Gazan reporters killed were ‘terrorists’:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/journalism-groups-family-reject-israeli-accusation-gazan-reporters-kil-rcna133666

* "Gaza Journalist Wael Al Dahdouh to Pres. Biden: Listen to Both Sides, Not Just One:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/gaza-journalist-wael-al-dahdouh-to-pres-biden-listen-to-both-sides-not-just-one-201913925535

* "Shot in ‘cold blood’: Killing of Palestinian grandmother sparks outcry:" https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/13/shot-in-cold-blood-killing-of-elderly-palestinian-woman-sparks-outcry

* "Looming Starvation in Gaza Shows Resurgence of Civilian Sieges in Warfare:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/11/health/gaza-israel-hunger-starvation.html

* "Gaza Is Starving:" https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/gaza-is-starving

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544
******

* "Blinken urges Israel to engage with region on postwar plans that include path to Palestinian state:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-09-2024-017066376ac06026622ee0b83dc2b65e

* "US, allies attack Houthi targets in Yemen in response to missile barrages in the Red Sea:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/11/u-s-attacks-houthi-targets-in-yemen-in-response-to-missile-barrages-in-the-red-sea-00135203

* "American intel officials warn of risk of Hezbollah attacking U.S.:" https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/10/american-intel-officials-hezbollah-u-s-attack-risk-00134874

* I have serious concerns. "U.S. and allies launch military strikes on Houthis in Yemen in 'major escalation':" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/u-s-and-allies-launch-military-strikes-on-houthis-in-yemen-in-major-escalation-201807941709

* "South Africa accuses Israel of genocide against Palestinians at top international court:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/south-africa-accuses-israel-of-genocide-against-palestinians-at-top-international-court

******

* "US Fails to Fully Account for Arms Sent to Ukraine, Watchdog Says:" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-11/us-fails-to-fully-account-for-arms-sent-ukraine-watchdog-says?sref=MIBMEEoj

* "White House says U.S. Ukraine assistance has ‘ground to a halt’; UK announces increased drone funding:" https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/12/russia-ukraine-war-updates-for-jan-12-2024.html

* "Putin believes Ukraine will fall within just months without new US aid, says Senate Intelligence Chair:" https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-believes-ukraine-will-fall-months-without-us-aid-senate-2023-12

* "How the Russian Government Silences Wartime Dissent:" https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/29/world/europe/russia-ukraine-war-censorship.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Jk0.byu7.btH7bbrwVA_a&hpgrp=k-abar&smid=url-share

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* "The ruling-party candidate strongly opposed by China wins Taiwan’s presidential election:" https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-china-election-cbf44565b771cddfb60c2a26d2014b0c

* "Macron appoints gay French PM’s ex-partner as foreign minister:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/12/france-emmanuel-macron-gabriel-attal-stephane-sejourne/

* "Inside The Russian Propaganda Mill Beaming Out Of A Florida Strip Mall:" https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/inside-the-russian-propaganda-mill-beaming-out-of-a-florida-strip-mall

* " Ukrainian refugees fall victim to ‘sophisticated’ UK visa scams:" https://news.yahoo.com/media-ukrainian-refugees-fall-victim-133212717.html

* "Gay couple left ‘heartbroken’ after cruel Home Office decision:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/15/gay-couple-denied-partner-visa-uk/

* "Eight ways the UK government ‘eroded’ human rights in 2023, according to damning new report:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/13/uk-government-has-eroded-human-rights-damning-report-finds/

* "Biden administration rescinds, replaces Trump-era 'license to discriminate in health care' rule:" https://www.advocate.com/news/right-to-discriminate-rule-repealed

* "The White House Just Announced a $623 Million EV-Charging Bonanza:" https://www.wired.com/story/white-house-623-million-ev-charging-bonanza/

* "The Supreme Court Will Decide if States Can Force Hospitals to Let Women Die:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/supreme-court-states-emergency-abortion-1234945425/

* "A New Mexico Republican was removed from office just last year for the same reason that Trump was ordered off the 2024 Colorado ballot:" https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-colorado-14th-amendment-couy-griffin-new-mexico-2023-12

* "Johnson flails as Republicans demand consequences for conservative hijacking:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/01/11/congress/conservatives-push-johnson-00135080

* "Congressional leaders agree to deal to extend government funding deadlines:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/congressional-leaders-agree-to-deal-to-extend-government-funding-deadlines-201899077616

* "GOP fight over budget negotiations is 'the same old chaos' -House Minority Whip Katherine Clark:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/gop-fight-over-budget-negotiations-is-the-same-old-chaos-house-minority-whip-katherine-clark-201914949938

* Republicans did this cruel and terrible thing; Democrats want to undo it. "Congress saddled scam victims with taxes. A new bill would change that.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/10/scam-victims-taxes-raskin-bill/

* "A former White House scientist was scammed out of $655,000. Then came the IRS.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/12/14/cyber-crime-scams-irs-taxes/

* "Opinion: The GOP’s abandonment of Ukraine makes me ashamed to be an American:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/12/08/ukraine-gop-congress-aid/

* "Rep. Crockett: GOP’s Hunter Biden spectacle is about ‘pleasing Trump':" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/rep-crockett-gop-s-hunter-biden-spectacle-is-about-pleasing-trump-201720389886

* "Rep. Clarke on Mayorkas impeachment threat: 'This is all about political theater':" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-clarke-on-mayorkas-impeachment-threat-this-is-all-about-political-theater-201898565810

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

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

* The Indivisible Guide: "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/20220104_Indivisible_%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Defeating%20MAGA.pdf

* The Republican War on Democracy continues. "Republicans threaten Carson, Douglas over voter rolls:" https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2023/dec/10/republican-national-committee-threatens-to-sue-carson-douglas-over-voter-rolls/

* "Wisconsin false electors admit their actions were used to ‘improperly overturn’ the 2020 presidential election:" https://wausaupilotandreview.com/2023/12/06/wisconsin-false-electors-admit-their-actions-were-used-to-improperly-overturn-the-2020-presidential-election/

* I don't understand why trying to overthrow the government isn't disqualifying for all public offices. "Wisconsin secretary of state calls for removal of fake Trump elector from elections commission:" https://wausaupilotandreview.com/2023/12/11/wisconsin-secretary-of-state-calls-for-removal-of-fake-trump-elector-from-elections-commission/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

* "Kellyanne Conway is selling the GOP a dream that's destined to backfire:" https://www.salon.com/2024/01/08/kellyanne-conway-is-selling-the-a-dream-thats-destined-to-backfire/

* Early voting has already started in a few places.

Iowa caucus is literally on Mon. as in 1/15/24.

New Hampshire votes 1/23/24.

Know your state's schedule and where to vote. Make sure you and your friends are registered. If you are voting in person, plan how to get there.

If you live in an open primary state consider voting strategically. Otherwise, vote your heart in the primary. Remember how all those votes for Sanders and Warren pushed Biden and the party platform further left?

Remember to vote in all the races, not just the top of the ticket. who runs congress, your state, and your local government really matters.

Never, ever sleep on a chance to vote.

Remember, it is always better to vote for someone who will listen to us than to let someone who is actively trying to kill us win.

* "Malcolm Kenyatta on breaking barriers and making Pennsylvania Black queer history:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/malcolmn-kenyatta-auditor-general-interview

* "Trans candidate Arienne Childrey is running for Ohio House and against the state's drag ban sponsor:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trans-ohio-candidate-legislature

* "‘Terror as a tactic’: Threat of MAGA mob looms over 2024 Republican primary:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-terror-as-a-tactic-threat-of-maga-mob-looms-over-2024-republican-primary-201873477564

* "Welcome to the Loser's Ball: The incentives explain why Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are trying to avoid catastrophic success.:" https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/welcome-to-the-losers-ball

* "Fears of a NATO Withdrawal Rise as Trump Seeks a Return to Power:" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/09/us/politics/trump-2025-nato.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ek0.Crv9.kgti-D2IvVIJ

* "Inside Trump’s Plot to Corrupt the 2024 Election With ‘Garbage’ Data:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-election-plans-corrupt-voter-registration-eric-eagleai-1234920083/

* "Raskin demands Trump return $7.8M foreign governments paid his companies during presidency:" https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4404911-raskin-trump-foreign-emoluments/?utm_source=hill_app&utm_medium=social&utm_content=share-link

* "‘We want it back’: Raskin demands Trump repay $7.8m from foreign governments:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-we-want-it-back-raskin-demands-trump-repay-7-8m-from-foreign-governments-201874501620

* "Evangelical leaders lose influence as followers find new savior in Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/evangelical-leaders-lose-influence-as-followers-find-new-savior-in-trump-201883717562

* "Trump mainstreams political violence with normalizing repetition:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/trump-mainstreams-political-violence-with-normalizing-repetition-201885765596

* I don't understand how this is legal. "New Florida law blocks Chinese students from academic labs:" https://www.science.org/content/article/new-florida-law-blocks-chinese-students-from-academic-labs

* "Missouri Republicans pivot from attacking LGBTQ+ lives to focus on childcare and education issues:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/missouri-gop-lgbtq-issues-backseat

* Republicans are winning their war against freedom and bodily autonomy. "10 States That Passed the Worst Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws in 2023:" https://www.advocate.com/law/worst-anti-lgbtq-laws-2023#rebelltitem1

* We warned you this is where this is going. "West Virginia Republicans want to ban transgender people from public spaces, call them ‘obscene’:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender-obscene-cured-west-virginia

* "Ohio Republican implies opponents of her trans bathroom bill should be drowned:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ohio-bathroom-bill-republican-drown

* "Moms for Liberty school board member resigns after Target shoplifting arrest:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/12/moms-for-liberty-school-board-keri-blair-target-shoplifting-arrest/

* "Sen. Ron Johnson stunned when CNN asks him to back up his MAGA lies:" https://boingboing.net/2023/12/12/sen-ron-johnson-stunned-when-cnn-asks-him-to-back-up-his-maga-lies-video.html

* "Roger Stone Plotted Assassinating Democrats, Bombshell Report Says:" https://newrepublic.com/post/177935/roger-stone-audio-assasinate-democrats-swalwell-nadler

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* "Why the judge in Trump's fraud trial may have a heavy penalty in mind:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/why-the-judge-in-trump-s-fraud-trial-may-have-a-heavy-penalty-in-mind-201806917704

* "Donald Trump defies judge, gives courtroom speech on tense final day of New York civil fraud trial:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-new-york-closing-arguments-b36abe2fd695d0172e71f8ef9c5ee7f3

* "Trump caps New York civil fraud trial with courtroom tantrum:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/trump-caps-new-york-civil-fraud-trial-with-courtroom-tantrum-201809989639

* "Trump recorded pressuring Wayne County canvassers not to certify 2020 vote:" https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/21/donald-trump-recorded-pressuring-wayne-canvassers-not-to-certify-2020-vote-michigan/72004514007/

* "George Conway: Trump’s lawyer walked into ‘nasty’ trap at immunity hearing:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/george-conway-trump-s-lawyer-walked-into-nasty-trap-at-immunity-hearing-201720901757

* "Hayes: We are already living with a version of Trump’s 'SEAL Team 6' argument:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/hayes-we-are-already-living-with-a-version-of-trump-s-seal-team-6-argument-201801285543

* "Sen. Schatz warns of 'new turn' for Trump with 'Seal Team 6' claim:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/sen-schatz-warns-of-new-turn-for-trump-with-seal-team-6-claim-201801285783

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* "Bomb Threat Made at Home of Judge in Trump’s Bank Fraud Trial:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/arthur-engoron-bomb-threat-made-at-home-of-judge-in-trumps-bank-fraud-trial

* "Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. surged after Oct. 7 Hamas attack, advocacy group says:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/antisemitic-incidents-us-jumped-360-oct-7-hamas-attack-advocacy-group-rcna133104

* "Maryland man sentenced for threats to America's largest LGBTQ+ rights group and several lawmakers:" https://www.advocate.com/maryland-man-sentenced-threats-hrc

* "Ohio prosecutors broke rules to win convictions and got away with it:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/14/1216111092/ohio-court-prosecutor-misconduct-due-process-rights?utm_medium=JSONFeed&utm_campaign=news&utm_source=press.coop

* I am too furious for words. "Families in disbelief after hundreds of bodies found buried behind Mississippi jail:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/families-in-disbelief-after-hundreds-of-bodies-found-buried-behind-mississippi-jail

* "Tennessee Republican wants to ban 'political' flags in schools after being triggered by LGBTQ+ Pride:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/tennessee-flag-ban-schools

* "In Kentucky, LGBTQ Student Clubs Go Underground as SB 150 Goes Into Effect:" https://truthout.org/articles/in-kentucky-lgbtq-student-clubs-go-underground-as-sb-150-goes-into-effect/

* "Book ban lawsuit moves forward as Florida district removes over 1,000 titles:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/book-ban-lawsuit-moves-forward-florida-district-removes/story?id=106292183

* "Nearly 700 books have been removed from classroom libraries in one Florida county:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/21/1221040451/nearly-700-books-have-been-removed-from-classroom-libraries-in-one-florida-count

* "The dictionary pulled from Florida school district due to Ron DeSantis book ban law:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/11/dictionary-book-ban-florida-school-escambia-county/

* "You won't be finding these books at West Ada Schools:" https://www.kivitv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/eagle/you-wont-be-finding-these-books-at-west-ada-schools

* "Colorado conservatives call for law enforcement action to ban books:" https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/next-with-kyle-clark/colorado-conservatives-law-enforcement-action-ban-books/73-43e3164b-e750-40e1-bfc5-430b99a2942e

* "Dictionaries a casualty of right-wing book ban panic:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/dictionaries-a-casualty-of-right-wing-book-ban-panic-201887813607

* CW: Rape. "Florida GOP chairman Christian Ziegler’s rape investigation expands to video voyeurism:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/christian-ziegler-rape-investigation-expands

* "‘The Eunuch Maker’ pleads guilty to role in live-stream castration cartel:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/eunuch-maker-pleads-guilty

* "Priest who ‘organised gay orgy’ where man overdosed on erectile dysfunction pills faces jail:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/12/priest-gay-orgy-erectile-dysfunction-pills-poland/

* "Gender-neutral toy aisles required under new law in California:" https://www.advocate.com/law/gender-neutral-toy-aisles-california

* "The New Lisa Littman Study on ROGD and Detransition is a Total Mess:" https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/the-new-lisa-littman-study-on-rogd-and-detransition-is-a-total-mess

* "Gender dysphoria diagnoses are steadily increasing. Here's what that means:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gender-dysphoria-diagnoses-increase

* "Seattle hospital sues Texas AG over demands for details on trans minors:" https://www.axios.com/2023/12/22/gender-seattle-children-hospital-texas-ken-paxton-lawsuit

* "Alabama can enforce law criminalizing gender-affirming care, court rules:" https://www.advocate.com/law/alabama-felony-trans-care-ban

* "Republican Officials Openly Insult Women Nearly Killed by Abortion Bans:" https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/01/republican-abortion-bans-pregnant-women-deaths.html

* "African Catholics tell Pope Francis they reject same-sex blessings:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/12/african-catholics-pope-francis-same-sex-blessings/

* "Police release photo of man after clubber targeted with homophobic abuse:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/12/sheffield-gay-club-homophobic-abuse-hate-crime/

* "Michigan transgender man Jean Butchart shot and killed in series of attacks:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-man-shot-killed-michigan

* "Kentucky homophobe Kim Davis, who denied gay couples marriage licenses, must pay over $360,000:" https://www.advocate.com/law/kim-davis-attorney-fees-damages

* "USA Boxing issues strict rules on trans inclusion, but conservatives still complain:" https://www.advocate.com/sports/usa-boxing-transgender-inclusion-restrictions

* "Our country's dark history of persecuting people with HIV:" https://www.hivplusmag.com/stigma/us-history-hiv-criminalization

* "Book event disinvites queer author because his disability aid makes others “uncomfortable”:" https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/01/book-event-disinvites-queer-author-because-his-disability-aid-makes-others-uncomfortable/

---

* "United Airlines plane makes an emergency landing after a warning about a possible door issue:" https://apnews.com/article/united-airlines-plane-door-light-airbus-1390b31462497889eba7c8bf79a54d1b

---

* "U.S. battery storage capacity expected to nearly double in 2024:" https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61202#

* "Renewables grew rapidly in 2023, but must grow faster still to meet climate change target, IEA says:" https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-cop29-renewable-energy-fossil-fuels-2df7406c071ad0a828b428bb0cede955

* "Researchers find a massive number of plastic particles in bottled water:" https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223730333/bottled-water-plastic-microplastic-nanoplastic-study

* CW: CSA. "AI image-generators are being trained on explicit photos of children, a study shows:" https://apnews.com/article/generative-ai-illegal-images-child-abuse-3081a81fa79e2a39b67c11201cfd085f

* "Facebook Is Being Overrun With Stolen, AI-Generated Images That People Think Are Real:" https://www.404media.co/facebook-is-being-overrun-with-stolen-ai-generated-images-that-people-think-are-real/

* "Elon Musk claims cis is a ‘heterophobic word’. He’s entirely incorrect:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/11/elon-musk-cisgender-slur/

* "Monumental ancient map re-emerges in new Rome museum:" https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/monumental-ancient-map-re-emerges-new-rome-museum-2024-01-11/

* "A missing person with no memory: How investigators solved the cold case of Seven Doe:" https://apnews.com/article/seven-doe-remains-missing-persons-reba-bailey-1d2edeacf3e6b6605ad4b509d4cc7be2

* "The Soloist: At fifty, Mikhail Baryshnikov reflects on how ballet saved him.:" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/01/19/profile-mikhail-baryshnikov

* "Beloved Virginia Beach-area LGBTQ+ advocate killed by drunk driver, police say:" https://www.advocate.com/news/virginia-beloved-activist-killed-crash

* "The female marines Japan is training for war:" https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/japan-defence-women/

* "Snapping The Cable:" https://tedium.co/2024/01/06/cable-tv-2024-decline/

* "The Last Days of the Barcode:" https://archive.is/pXMkH#selection-570.0-570.1

* "Mongolians Are Circus Stars All Over the World, Except at Home:" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/25/world/asia/mongolia-circus-acrobats-marinelli-bend.html

* Aidan drained, but didn't reboot. I am losing hope.

It is actually cold here and even snowed a little. O.o

The simpler of the shirts my Aunt bought me arrived and it is much nicer than I expected. The texture is lovely, like the hurts I used to get from International Male in the '90's. I bought it two sizes up on the grounds that I wanted lots of extra fabric for comfort post surgery and zero drama getting it on and off, since I have enough trouble with button down shirts without one arm immobilized. It is gloriously tentlike, and I am now wondering if I can can just drape it over the arm and sling and only stick the other arm through an arm hole. I have options!

I ordered the fancier shirt two sizes up on the same principal. I like too large. Too large is so much easier with my sensory and mobility issues. I am actually excited for it.

* Saturday was incredibly challenging for us. The cats and I were having a nice sleep in my bed when we were jarred awake by the skull splitting alarm. It's hard enough on the rest of us, but Livia is super sensitive by cat standards. She hid of course, and there is no chance of us ever evacuating her in a fast emergency as it would be a three person job. This worries me, but it's a problem without a solution.

I could barely walk and it's bad cold outside. It took ages for me to dress and hobble out to the bench by the curb. (I certainly wasn't going out there naked, and it's too cold for me not to need to bundle up. I learned a long time ago you always grab the keys and go bag just in case). I could tell from the fact that it was still going while I struggled to get the shoes on that it was real, but also the fire engines didn't have the siren on. There was no smoke smell, and it was the non-fire emergency light that flashes for the deaf, so I guessed water emergency. Except when it's a false alarm or test, it's always been a water emergency. They want us to walk through the corridors and gather in the parking lot in the way of the fire engines in emergencies. This has always struck me as madness, so I hobbled out the back door. The gimp to the curb took ages and was incredibly painful. I said fuck this to going all the way around to gather with the others and grabbed the bench.

From there I watched the denizens of the other buildings walk dogs, etc. and glance occasionally at my ringing building. I saw a lot of dog owners sensibly evacuate their dogs into their cars with blankets, which made sense. Seriously, the blizzard missed us, but I think this is the coldest it's ever been where I lived since I moved west in the early '90's. We are talking unsheltered people freezing to death weather. This kind of thing is extra dangerous here because we barely even get snow normally in our weird little micro-climate, so a lot of unhoused people from nearby areas migrate here for cold weather precisely because it's safer than the plains or the mountains because, while it gets chilly it generally doesn't freeze much. (We fucking need housing first in this town with full social support services, because there's no excuse for people being forced to sleep rough when the area is this well off). We are talking when I took Goth Millennial home later, my fingers went numb in fifteen minutes with the car heater on cold. It wasn't quite that bad with the sun out, but it was close. I watched firefighters go in and out. I saw squirrel chatting with the firefighters, but they didn't see me. I read for a bit. The bench was a really good idea. I couldn't have stood that long and the wheelchair would have taken ages to get out given how bad my shoulder and hip joints were functioning. We got the all clear and I hobbled back in.

I decided to try to sleep clothed just in case. Tavy and I were settled back in bed, when squirrel popped in to tell me it was yet another water emergency involving an indoor waterfall, this time involving building pipes rather than a bad water heater or maintenance error (Previous causes of indoor/outdoor waterfall. There was a really impressive one from a forth floor balcony once when the guys replacing the roof had an ooopsie). As I wrote this, he came out to tell me that my suspicion it was frozen pipes was correct. Get this, they hadn't insulated the main building pipes for the forth floor so they burst. Duh. There is a reason they won a massive lawsuit against the guy that built this place. Indoor waterfall through four floors of maintenance area and out the front door to freeze in the parking lot. O.o. I think there is water in the wall between my bathroom and the hall. There is water in the carpet approximately where my washer and dryer are. I can't see water, but I can smell wet plaster in there. I have Concerns.

One of the other buildings had the same thing happen last week. I hope they quick wrap the pipes in the third building.

Livia had just emerged from the secure hide for her reassurance pet and was about a minute in when the alarm went off again. Cats panicked. I figured it was the inevitable multiple retriggering sequence after a water emergency. They shut off all the building alarms for the duration after the second retrigger. I didn't see Livia again until about 8. (I have furnished her favorite hide with a multilevel sleep complex and toys in the lower level. She's fine in there. Sometimes she sleeps in there for fun.

Fucking Low Bid contractors.

Update: Apparently the upper floors had to lose their electrical for safety reasons overnight, and the elevator shaft filled up with water which needs pumping out. Remediation is going to be expensive and time consuming.

I am horrified all those people are dealing with this in the kind of weather we've been having because asshole low bid contractor decided to save a few bucks by not wrapping the pipes. I'm furious he was hired to build this place given his reputation for exactly this sort of thing.

* "Judge To Trump Lawyer: Control Your Client | Christie’s Hot Mic Moment | Belichick Exits:"

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* "Meanwhile… Gillian Anderson’s Vulva Dress | Wienermobile Seeks Driver | Giant Shakira Statue:"

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* "Ligeia to go (Poe in 2 minutes, English version):"

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* "RIP queer TV: Every LGBTQ+ show we’ve lost in recent memory:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/01/13/lgbtq-tv-shows-cancelled-2023-2024/

* "Trump Delivers His Closing Argument:"

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* "Die For You - The Weeknd ('70s James Bond Style Cover) starring Tatum Langley:"

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* "The Chain - Fleetwood Mac ('70s Jazz Cover) ft. Tawanda:"

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* "2024 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From!:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/2024-trans-girl-scouts-to-order-cookies

* "The queen of a fairy tale kingdom, got cursed to give birth to a princess who’s going to live her life isolated in a tower the first 20 years of her life.:" https://www.tumblr.com/elidyce/185279756723/you-the-queen-of-a-fairy-tale-kingdom-got-cursed

* "Roleplay Is Not Dead Nor Doth It Sleep:" https://www.tumblr.com/steampunktoy/739352031505104896?source=share

*****
* 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.

* Help the Lenape Nation get recognition from Pennsylvania: https://www.lenape-nation.org/

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

* Verified charities to help Palestinians: https://cleolinda.tumblr.com/post/737312194805612544

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

( Links Underneath: )

---

* Blood is absolutely on our hands too. This is a war crime and we are complicit. "Israel used U.S.-supplied white phosphorus in Lebanon attack:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/12/11/israel-us-white-phosphorus-lebanon/

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

******

* "US vetoes Israel ceasefire resolution at the UN:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/08/us-vetoes-un-israel-ceasefire-resolution-00130911

* "U.N. General Assembly votes in favor of cease-fire resolution 153-10; U.S. and Israel vote against:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-us-israel-increasingly-isolated-growing-rcna129223#rcrd27851

* "Former US ambassador to Israel says Netanyahu is a ‘clear and present danger’ to Israel :" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/10/martin-indyk-israel-says-netanyahu-is-a-clear-and-present-danger-to-israel-00130992

* "Israel-Gaza live updates: Israel pumping seawater into some Gaza tunnels:" https://www.yahoo.com/gma/israel-gaza-live-updates-idf-054343233.html

* "US still unclear on what happens when the fighting between Israel and Hamas ends:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/10/blinken-fighting-between-israel-hamas-ends-00130977

* "Biden says Netanyahu must change, Israel losing global support:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-israel-starting-lose-support-over-indiscriminate-bombing-gaza-2023-12-12/

******

* "A Russian missile attack on Kyiv wounds at least 53 as Ukraine pleads for more European support:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/multiple-injuries-reported-nighttime-missile-attack-ukrainian-capital-105609551

---

* "COP28 kicks off with climate disaster fund victory:" https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/cop28-summit-opens-with-hopes-early-deal-climate-damage-fund-2023-11-30/

* The fix is in. "Greens erupt as fossil fuel ‘phaseout’ is dropped from proposed climate deal:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/11/fossil-fuel-phaseout-dropped-cop28-00131066

* "Scientists skip COP28 to demand climate action at home:" https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03829-2

* "A record number of fossil fuel representatives are at this year's COP28 climate talks:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/07/1217504214/a-record-number-of-fossil-fuel-reps-at-cop28-climate-talks

* "Oil-Rich Saudi Arabia Tries to Claim Clean Energy Is Bad for the Environment:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/cop28-saudi-arabia-renewable-energy-bad-environment-1234919483/

* "Protesting at UN Climate Talks Is Becoming Increasingly Difficult, Activists Say:" https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08122023/todays-climate-protest-cop28-uae-free-speech/

* "Donald Tusk becomes Poland’s prime minister with the mission of improving European Union ties:" https://apnews.com/article/poland-government-tusk-cabinet-transition-44e67f596c617e1f55b77bbafab2bbfb

* "Meet Spain’s first transgender senator:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/11/carla-antonelli-spains-first-transgender-senator/

* "Argentina’s far-right president scraps diversity ministry days after being sworn in:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/14/argentina-president-scraps-diversity-ministry/

* "Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has gone missing, his spokesperson says:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/11/1218578685/russia-navalny-missing

* "Tory approved list of overseas GRCs includes countries forcing trans people to be sterilised:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/08/conservative-approved-list-gender-recognition-sterilisation/

* "Five times Kemi Badenoch has proven she’s no ally to the LGBTQ+ community:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/11/kemi-badenoch-lgbtq-rights-gay-trans/

* "Asylum seeker dies on Bibby Stockholm: ‘UK Government must take responsibility’:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/12/asylum-seeker-dies-on-bibby-stockholm-uk-government-must-take-responsibility/

* "Court finds in Tory government’s favour over blocking Scotland’s gender law reforms:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/08/uk-government-scotland-trans-gender-law-reform-court/

* "Welsh first minister and LGBTQ+ ally Mark Drakeford resigns:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/13/welsh-first-minister-and-lgbtq-ally-mark-drakeford-resigns/

* "Tory deputy makes cruel comment about trans election rival:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/08/conserative-deputy-chair-rachel-maclean-trans-green-party/

* "Zelenskyy says Putin is ‘inspired’ by Capitol Hill deadlock on Ukraine:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/11/zelenskyy-says-putin-is-inspired-by-capitol-hill-deadlock-on-ukraine-00131145

* "Biden announces $200M in aid for Ukraine as Zelenskyy meets GOP skepticism in Congress:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/zelenskyy-biden-meet-ukraine-aid-package-stalls-congress-rcna129179

* "Zelenskyy visits D.C. as Republicans block Ukraine aid:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/zelenskyy-visits-d-c-as-republicans-block-ukraine-aid-200079429828

* "Trump lawyers' 'juvenile' argument tips hand on weak confidence in case:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/trump-lawyers-juvenile-argument-tips-hand-on-weak-confidence-in-case-200190021536

* "Supreme Court will review scope of obstruction law that Trump is charged with breaking:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/13/supreme-court-will-review-scope-of-obstruction-law-that-trump-is-charging-with-breaking-00131514

* "Thomas's Trumpworld entanglements prompt calls for recusal in Trump Jan. 6 cases:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/thomas-s-trumpworld-entanglements-prompt-calls-for-recusal-in-trump-jan-6-cases-200291397545

* "Supreme Court to hear abortion pill case:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/13/1218332935/mifepristone-abortion-pill-supreme-court

* "Supreme Court takes abortion pill case, opens door to further encroaching reproductive rights:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/supreme-court-takes-abortion-pill-case-opens-door-to-further-encroaching-reproductive-rights-200190021968

* "'Staged': Remember Trump's constant propaganda about the economy?:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-staged-remember-trump-s-constant-propaganda-about-the-economy-200273477897

* "GOP rep admits Biden impeachment is about ‘Trump 2024, baby’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/gop-rep-admits-biden-impeachment-is-about-trump-2024-baby-200178757821

* "Emulating Trump, Republicans adopt fundamental indecency as core principle: Rep. Schiff:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/emulating-trump-republicans-adopt-fundamental-indecency-as-core-principle-rep-schiff-200187973796

* "Johnson vs Johnson: Republican speaker shreds his own argument for Biden impeachment:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/johnson-vs-johnson-republican-speaker-shreds-his-own-argument-for-biden-impeachment-200088645552

* "There isn't any evidence of any wrong doing- Ian Sams, WH Spokesman on GOP Biden impeachment inquiry:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/there-isn-t-any-evidence-of-any-wrong-doing-ian-sams-white-house-spokesman-on-gop-biden-impeachment-inquiry-199877189640

* The stated reason for the impeachment by the Republicans is that despite a massive amount of time and money spent investigating Joe Biden since his inauguration, they have not been able to find even a shred of proof of wrong doing, which is in itself a high crime and misdemeanor requiring immediate impeachment.

IDK, it makes no sense to me either.

* "George Santos Makes History (By Getting Expelled):"

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* "Maddow: 'This Congress is pitiful.'; Historically weak output from a vital institution :" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-this-congress-is-pitiful-historically-weak-output-from-a-vital-institution-199993413869

* "Reject online censorship. Tell lawmakers to oppose KOSA!:" https://www.stopkosa.com/

* "TELL CONGRESS, SAY NO TO BAD INTERNET BILLS:" https://www.badinternetbills.com/

* "You Can Help Stop These Bad Internet Bills:" https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/you-can-help-stop-these-bad-internet-bills

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

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

* The Indivisible Guide: "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/20220104_Indivisible_%20A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20Defeating%20MAGA.pdf

* I hope they clean him out. He ruined their lives. "Giuliani's race to rock bottom sets stage for pending Trump trials:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/giuliani-s-race-to-rock-bottom-sets-stage-for-pending-trump-trials-200291909682

* "'Be bold': Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shares his advice ahead of 2024:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/-be-bold-minnesota-gov-tim-walz-shares-his-advice-ahead-of-2024-199875141967

* "'Viewing their faith through the prism of politics': How Evangelicals ended up in the Trump camp:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-viewing-their-faith-through-the-prism-of-politics-how-evangelicals-ended-up-in-the-trump-camp-200091205556

* "Critics sound the alarm over the possibility of a second Trump term:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/critics-sound-the-alarm-over-the-possibility-of-a-second-trump-term-199840837614

---

* CW: Sexual Harassment "Trump's Worst Lawyer, Alina Habba, May Be Disbarred For This:"

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* "'The need for speed': Jack Smith adds specialist to shortcut Trump delay tactic:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-the-need-for-speed-jack-smith-adds-specialist-to-shortcut-trump-delay-tactic-199993925535

* "‘Bizarre whining’: Trump lawyers call Jack Smith the Grinch in new court filing:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-bizarre-whining-trump-lawyers-call-jack-smith-the-grinch-in-new-court-filing-200182853629

---

* When can we start treating literal NAZIs as the terrorists they are? "Nazi flags and SS history book found in Ohio Walmart shooter's house, records show:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nazi-flags-ss-history-book-found-ohio-walmart-shooters-house-records-s-rcna126700

* "Black trans and gender non-conforming victims remembered after Ohio shooting:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/12/black-lgbt-remembered-ohio-shooting/

* "Federal judge prohibits separating migrant families at the border:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/08/1218336878/immigration-family-separation-judge-settlement-border

* "Migrant families separated by Trump win major court victory though indelible trauma remains:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/migrant-families-separated-by-trump-win-major-court-victory-though-indelible-trauma-remains-199824453997

* I never liked Adams, but he gets worse and worse. ACAB. "Exclusive: 'The new Ellis Island': Migrant influx tests New York City's humanitarian ideals:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/-the-new-ellis-island-migrant-influx-tests-new-york-city-s-humanitarian-ideals-199823429527

* "‘Way wrong’: Chris Hayes debunks the myth of ‘organized’ shoplifting:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-way-wrong-chris-hayes-debunks-the-myth-of-organized-shoplifting-199816773504

* "The Drag Queens Fighting Performance Bans in Texas:" https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-southwest/the-drag-queens-fighting-performance-bans-in-texas

* "Right-wing fake history is making a big comeback — but it never went away:" https://www.salon.com/2023/11/04/right-wing-fake-history-is-making-a-big-comeback--but-it-never-went-away/

* CW: Rape. "Sex scandalized GOP official reportedly cites Trump values as new Republican standard:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/sex-scandalized-gop-official-reportedly-cites-trump-values-as-new-republican-standard-199825477984

* "Supreme Courts in 3 states will hear cases about abortion access this week:" https://www.npr.org/2023/12/11/1218357869/state-supreme-courts-abortion-wyoming-new-mexico-arizona

* Exceptions in the bans are lies. Republicans continue to win their war against freedom and bodily autonomy. "Texas Supreme Court rules against woman who sought abortion hours after she says she’ll travel out of state:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-woman-sought-abortion-court-order-leave-state-rcna129087

* "Reality of women and pregnancy complications leaves GOP flummoxed:" https://www.msnbc.com/alex-wagner-tonight/watch/reality-of-women-and-pregnancy-complications-leaves-gop-flummoxed-200290885902

* "Texas abortion ban, Republican politics drive woman out of state for life-saving care:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/texas-abortion-ban-republican-politics-drive-woman-out-of-state-for-life-saving-care-199998533754

* "Texas woman ultimately had to flee state for abortion:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/texas-woman-ultimately-had-to-flee-state-for-abortion-200076357984

* "A Man Plagiarised My Work: Women, Money, and the Nation:"

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* "Russia declares ‘international public LGBT movement’, which does not exist, an extremist group:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/11/30/russia-supreme-court-lgbtq-activism/

* "Russian riot police raid another gay bar under ongoing crackdown on ‘LGBT movement’:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/13/russian-riot-police-gay-bar-lgbt-movement/

* "Odhrán Kelly: Police keeping an ‘open mind’ in murder investigation:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/07/odhran-kelly-murder-investigation-northern-ireland/

* "Brianna Ghey trial: Murder suspect admits ‘dark fantasies’ about torture and serial killer obsession:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/09/brianna-ghey-trial-dark-web-accused-torture-fantasies/

* "Man Fatally Shot Transgender Women in the Head Moments After Sex Act, Police Say :" https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-killed-minneapolis

* "Loved ones remember trans woman Savannah Ryan Williams killed in ‘hate crime’ shooting:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/08/trans-woman-killed-hate-crime/

* "Another Man Is Charged in Torturing and Brutally Murdering an Arizona Gay Man:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/bernardo-pantaleon-alleged-killers-fourth

* "Florida Murder Trial Begins of Marriage Equality Pioneer Whose Body Was Found in a Landfill :" https://www.advocate.com/crime/jorge-diaz-johnson-murder-trial

* "Five things I wish I knew before starting hormones as a trans person:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/10/hrt-hormone-therapy-trans-gender-affirming-healthcare/#page/2

* "Ricky Gervais’ ‘heartless’ Netflix special sparks a fierce backlash over ableist language:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/07/ricky-gervais-heartless-netflix-special-sparks-a-fierce-backlash-over-ableist-language/

I hated him for decades over the fatphobia and misogyny. Then I hated him for the transphobia. I am not surprised in the least he's ablest.

* "New sickle cell treatment sparks feelings of hope and some hesitancy among Black patients:" https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-sickle-cell-treatment-sparks-feelings-hope-hesitancy-black-patient-rcna128116

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* This was likely the coolest year I will experience for the rest of my life. "UN weather agency says 2023 is the hottest year on record, warns of further climate extremes ahead:" https://apnews.com/article/climate-changetemperature-increase-424df9320b443a311727f0733631974b

* "Nations made bold climate pledges. They aren’t close to meeting them.:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/11/15/un-climate-cop26-pledges/

* "Climate change affects your life in 3 big ways, a new report warns:" https://www.npr.org/2023/11/14/1206506962/climate-change-affects-your-life-in-3-big-ways-a-new-report-warns

* "Study warns about climate change misinformation during extreme weather:" https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/misinformation-climate-change-latin-america-extreme-weather-study

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* "Rising sea levels threaten hazardous waste facilities along U.S. coast:" https://www.axios.com/2023/12/10/sea-levels-hazardous-waste-climate-change

* "The Solar-Panel Backlash Is Here:" https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/10/solar-power-duck-curve-waste/675842/

* "Elon Musk's Thermonuclear Defamation Suit Is a Dud:"

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* "Elon Musk reinstates conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on X:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/10/elon-musk-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-x-twitter/

* "Elon Musk has boosted the 'pizzagate' conspiracy theory five times in the last two weeks:" https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/elon-musk-boosted-pizzagate-conspiracy-theory-rcna127087

* "The Washington Post Will Pause Its Advertising on X:" https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/11/28/the-washington-post-will-pause-its-advertising-on-x/

* "Oops! Elon Musk’s AI chatbot is proving him wrong about trans people:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/11/elon-musk-ai-chatbot/

* "Trans woman warns of dating app danger after Tinder abduction:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/09/south-africa-dating-app-abduction-grindr/

* "One in five Women’s World Cup players has faced sexist abuse online:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/12/12/womens-world-cup-online-abuse/

* "How Vikings Buried Their Dead:"

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* "The London History Show: Pocahontas & John Smith:"

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* "45 Years Ago, Gay Activist Anthony Adams Was Murdered. Utah Police Are Still Missing Evidence:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/anthony-adams-murder

* "Remembering Norman Lear and His Pioneering LGBTQ-Inclusive Shows:" https://www.advocate.com/people/norman-lear-remembered

* "Andre Braugher, star of ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ and ‘Men of a Certain Age,’ dies at 61:" https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-12-12/andre-braugher-dead-brooklyn-nine-nine

* "Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andre Braugher Is Dead at 61:" https://www.advocate.com/obituaries/andre-braugher-dead-61

* "The Gävle Goat: A Struggle Of Tradition and Mischief:"

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* Torture appointment actually let out early because my shoulder was being a douche. I was still pretty chewed up when I set out for MRI in full dark of Northern winter morning. It ended up being a drama because the branch location is so new I've only been once so was unclear on it's location which i discovered after I left. Morning rush hour traffic jams in the dark are the worst in my opinion. In an evening in the dark traffic jam people are properly awake and respond better to sudden breaking after going 50-60 for a while. I got there ten minutes after check in time, which put me ahead of the appointment time and in any case there was the usual wait on the person ahead of me.

I have no phobias, which is helpful. It still really fucks up my body because immobilized and squeezed into a tube where it is very loud and sound chaotic is rough on my joints and my sensory system. So I don't like it, but I can handle it fine, if you follow. It is boring as I can't think properly in that sound environment, and there is a dramatic increase in pain and fall risk afterword. It is not even close to the worst thing that happens medically in a given year.

This one wasn't to bad as these things go, says a person who had their entire spine surveyed more than once. Fifteen minutes. I lucked out a little on the music as three of the five songs were actually both good and very familiar, if not things I'd pick myself.

My arm was too fucked up for home physio before bed and in any case I was too tired. I was good and did a little phone bureaucracy, but I was in extreme pain and completely worn out when I went to bed to try to catch the fivish hours of sleep I was allowed today.

Bwahahaha! No. Every time I tried to drift off the phone rang for the next twoish hours. One required me to get dressed and let people in, since I'm the person on my floor Amazon can reach. It was at this point I gave up and slept in my clothes even though the seams and confinement and wrinkles make it so much harder to sleep. I feel like eight phone calls in two hours is really excessive, but this is what sleeping while disabled is like.

I was so exhausted I ended up going back to bed after errands to sleep until dinner.

I had one of my complicated speculative fiction dreams. The special effects were Amazeballs. Good on you subconscious CGI!

This just in: The really elaborate surgery is now off the table. They think a classic total joint replacement is enough. So go me!

* My car broke yet again in late October and again in early December. As I feared in October, it was the hose that keeps the engine cool. Why feared? It's in the middle of all the gear under the hood. Hose and fluid replacements are cheap. an hour and a half of labor to take it all apart then put it back in is incredibly expensive.

As I suspected the December failure has turned out to be a different part of the computer/sensor system going with similar results as to one of the breakages last spring. This is also about an hour of labour and a part they need to order that costs about as much as the labour. It is again, a part hidden in the middle of the car. Sigh.

The good news is two generous donors turned up Thursday and Friday with the result that I not only have enough to cover the repair when the part arrives, but I can pay the most urgent and largest of the non-housing bills I pay every month, plus the car insurance auto withdraw. I'm about $100 short for the month, but that's dramatically less dire. (Thank you donors! I went to bed Friday terrified I wouldn't be able to pay the mechanic and woke up rescued.) Yes, this is the fifth repair this year. My car is about 25ish years old. I can't afford to replace it, nor can I do without it, being disabled.: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

* I would like to thank people for sending Squirrel gas money. He should be okay until his first paycheck comes.

* An old friend of mine's beloved dog needs money for vet bills and special food. They are $75.00 short of goal: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pay-rosies-dental-bills

* Regulations are written in blood. We need a lot more of them, not less. "Freight Trains: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:"

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* "GOP’s Evidence-Free Impeachment | Milk Debate In Congress | Oprah Surprises Stephen’s Audience!:"

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* "‘Doctor Who’ Gets More Than 100 Complaints Over “Inappropriate” Transgender Character:" https://deadline.com/2023/12/doctor-who-complaints-bbc-transgender-character-1235658283/

* Side Note: I found the show entirely unwatchable and bailed fast. I admire his fortitude in dragging himself through the whole thing. "We Need to Talk About The Winter King: A "Gritty" King Arthur TV series...👀:"

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* "Jane Eyre to go (Brontë in 10.5 minutes):"

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* "The Great Gatsby to go (Fitzgerald in 10 minutes, English version):"

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* "It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - James Stewart - George Bailey's Speech to Potter & the Loan Board:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ne13Zft9Q

* "‘Good Omens’ Renewed for Third and Final Season at Amazon:" https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/good-omens-season-3-renewed-final-season-amazon-1235837682/

* "Gigi the Christmas Snake:"

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* "ShopTV Christmas - SNL:"

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* "Old Friends - SNL:"

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* "Is Christmas Turning Gay? Grace Kuhlenschmidt Investigates The Gay Nutcracker | The Daily Show:"

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* "Macho Nutcracker:"

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* "Drink Mammal Milk:"

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* It amused me on 30 Coins when there was an exchange along the lines of "What's Paco doing?" "Paco's being clever. Me: How do they not realize that Paco being clever is proof something is terribly wrong with our beloved Himbo?

* CW: Suicide. "Death and Change in OFMD:" https://www.tumblr.com/izzysillyhandsy/733279845888458752/death-and-change-in-ofmd

* OFMD: Frenchie: https://www.tumblr.com/brigdh/736179894366650368?source=share

* OFMD: Stede and Buttons: https://www.tumblr.com/brigdh/736606691553165312?source=share

* Gälve Goat Poem: https://www.tumblr.com/hasgavlebockenburneddownyet/736704010808098816

* More Gälve Goat Poems: https://www.tumblr.com/mayasaura/736737562668957696

* "Midnight Pals: Ladies of Llangollen:" https://www.tumblr.com/bitterkarella/736165452375523328/midnight-pals-ladies-of-llangollen?source=share

* "Midnight Pals: Prog:" https://www.tumblr.com/bitterkarella/736436325477236736/midnight-pals-prog?source=share

* "Midnight Pals: Prog Harder:" https://www.tumblr.com/bitterkarella/736527954468798464/midnight-pals-prog-harder?source=share

* Midnight Pals: Charles Dickens' Raven: https://www.tumblr.com/bitterkarella/736709127001276416/charles-dickens-ok-guys-today-im-gonna-tell-a?source=share

* "Sunday Sweets: Art Deco:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-art-deco-2023

* "Sunday Sweets: Modern, Funky, Cool!:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/?offset=1692018000806

* "Sunday Sweets For Book Lovers Day:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-for-book-lovers-day-2023

* "Sunday Sweets: 11 Magical Castle Cakes:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-11-magical-castle-cakes-2023

* "Sunday Sweets Gets Crafty:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-gets-crafty-2023

*****
* 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.

* CW: Animal Death. Fundraiser to cover costs of final treatment. "Dine's expenses for Olivier's last week:" https://www.gofundme.com/f/dines-expenses-for-oliviers-last-week

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

* This is one of the innocent, unarmed young men shot for taking a walk after dinner by an islamaphobe. "Support For Hisham's Recovery:" https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-hishams-recovery

* "Now feels like a good time to plug the organizations that the Kissinger Death Tontine accepted donations-as-submissions from!:" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/735458103739465728?source=share

* Where to donate for non-violent causes in Gaza and Israel: https://soc-puppet.dreamwidth.org/867894.html

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

* My car broke yet again in late October and again in early December. The repairs ate most of my bill money for both months. Yes, these are the forth and fifth repairs this year. My car is about 25ish years old. I can't afford to replace it, nor can I do without it, being disabled. The car is back as of 12/13. I need about $100.00 to cover bills in the back half of the month: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

* An old friend of mine's beloved dog needs money for vet bills and special food. They just need $75 more.: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pay-rosies-dental-bills

* Cool Blackwork Embroidery Patterns for Beginners: https://www.etsy.com/shop/thehaberdasheress/?etsrc=sdt

* If you would like to help support me and the Cats: paypal.me/Gwydion

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

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