On May 2, 2025 the U.S. Secretary of Commerce was quoted that; “the new model’ is factory jobs for life—for you, your kids, and your grandkids”. I’m just wondering, where exactly that went. A reason for charging extra taxes (tariffs) was because there was supposed to be some kind of job boom.

Trump and the Republican Party have managed to accomplish what Al Qaeda failed to do on 9/11.

This is who is paying for the destruction of the White House East Wing, per @wsj.com Altria Group Inc. Amazon Apple Inc. Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. Caterpillar Inc. Coinbase Global Comcast Corp. Hard Rock International Google HP Inc. Lockheed Martin Corp. Meta Platforms Inc. 1/3

Why does everyone keep calling it “The Epstein Ballroom?” Please stop repeating “The Epstein Ballroom” because it is not called “The Epstein Ballroom!” Don’t tell the news that it’s called “The Epstein Ballroom” and please don’t repost this!!!!!

No Kings in Pittsboro, North Carolina

I'm attending No Kings's event, “NO KINGS Pittsboro” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

A lifetime fraudster & convicted felon is a Law & Order POTUS The most openly corrupt POTUS in history will end government corruption Man who can’t grasp Intro to Econ vocab will save the economy POTUS who alienates allies & bombs Iran is a peace POTUS The POTUS w/ no deals is a master dealmaker

No Kings Asheville, North Carolina

May 20, 2025

Taxpayer-data security at risk, former IRS officials warn, as roughly half of agency Ieadership departs - Bloomberg Law

The final honor guard for Pope Francis included migrants, prisoners, transgender people, the homeless and others selected by the Vicariate of Rome as a symbol of the late pope’s mission of inclusion and outreach. Read more from the funeral: wapo.st/3YdDGqM

I know it’s been asked before, but how does one avoid despair when the clouds of darkness are gathering so during these times?

Exclusive: Immigrants falsely labeled dead by the Social Security Administration are showing up at field offices with documents proving they are alive, leading staff to reinstate nearly three dozen people over the past week, according to records obtained by The Post.

Trump is claiming the powers of a tyrant. Not an exaggeration, not a joke. Literally what his administration has argued in court. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/o...

It will be interesting to see the next quarter’s numbers. iPhone sales are about to surge…watch!

Thom Tillis casting the deciding vote to confirm Hegseth, and his shameful silence yesterday, should be a major issue in the 2026 NC Senate race.

You can control where your dollars go and who you associate and do business with. Paul Weiss has decided to bend the knee and be a complicit partner to this authoritarian Trump regime. Fine. Shame them, mock them, abandon them. Invest in the law firms who stand up for democracy and rule of law.

"Until this weekend..." www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03...

Postcards Of Protest March 15

🇺🇸New American Tourism Ad: Come to America, don’t forget to pay your tariffs, and if you stay our fascist regime will detain you in one of our beautiful ICE centers where you will be separated from your family and cut off from the world. Plus, we made the PRESTIGIOUS, Global Human Rights Watch list.🤬

music.apple here’s my new music playlist for today. Looks pretty interesting, any thoughts?.com/us/playlist/new-music-mix/pl.pm-20e9f373919da080fbe22be5ba3f638d

RFK Jr. says Texas doctors had seen “very, very good results,” he claimed, by treating measles cases with a steroid, budesonide; an antibiotic called clarithromycin; and cod liver oil, which he said had high levels of vitamin A and vitamin D. Source NY Times RFK JR. is going to get people killed.

I will not be watching the Orange autocrat this evening. That is all.

“Dept. of Govt. Efficiency” Rampant Bird Flu - fired employees at CDC, NIH, FDA, and the team tackling bird flu at the USDA only to say whoops, we’re trying to rehire them. U.S. Nuclear Weapons - fired DOE employees including nuclear weapons staff, but whoops, you guessed it trying to rehire.

'You should've never started it': Donald Trump FALSELY claims Ukraine started war with Russia www.cnn.com/2025/02/18/p...

Any good strategies for surviving the next couple of years?

I’m back. I’d forgotten my password and was too lazy to go through the steps of recovery. At any rate, I was also getting tired of social media provided by billionaires.

162 years ago, 38 Dakota men were hung in the largest mass execution in our nation’s history. The sacrifice of these riders reminds us to recommit to accountability and healing for the Dakota people. www.mprnews.org/story/2024/1...

Wow, cold water was thrown on that Bear/seahawks game and it didn’t even help

I hope our allies know how to handle dementia patients. apple.news/AnF-GAtp1T0e...

Happy Festivus everyone. Always amazed this crazy episode birthed a real celebration that seems to be enjoyed by so many around the world. So may your feats be strong and your grievances few. Enjoy.

The 39th time we've had to post this, and this time about The Onion's original hometown.

Finished grading! Four classes with over 100 students.

Enjoyed a moderately early run on the treadmill while listening to the latest London Review of Books. I especially enjoyed the review of Perri Anderson‘s latest work. Did about 4 miles.

Bitcoin 100K — but still, after 15 years, no legitimate use cases www.ft.com/content/31b9...

The world’s richest man is now America’s biggest political donor - Bloomberg

Democracy can be both resilient and fragile at the same time. Don’t think that it can’t happen here. That’s what makes it fragile.

Can’t sleep. Took a few melatonin gummy‘s. Going to read some Haruki Murakami, and see what happens. Can’t sleep, tookaa few melatonin gummy’s. The week ones. Now going to read some Haruki more coffee for 10 or 15 minutes and see what happens.

South Korea is a fascinating example of how a democratic country can and should defend its democracy against autocrats trying to drag it off the cliff into authoritarianism. Many Western countries (ahem, my own) could learn a lot from this.

Just started reading Haruki Murakami‘s latest.

Construction industry braces for one-two punch: tariffs and deportations - The Wall Street Journal

Good morning, hot coffee on a crisp seasonably cold North Carolina morning. Again my thoughts turn to: how will we survive the next four years as a country? How can we still remain hopeful? Suggestions?

Thank you, President Biden

And so we move into the darkest month of the year. Metaphorically, the darkness will continue to gain power. It seems.

Major problems yesterday trying to update my jaw screen reading software at work. Over seven hours spent with tech-support. Still not fixed.