Sadness is Us

Currently we are heart sick.  Among the departments to be cut; HIV research, Lead Surveillance, Head Start, more SSA employees, and this. 

The New York Times is now reporting that General Timothy D. Haugh, the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), and Chief of the Central Security Service (CSS), who was removed earlier tonight from all of his civilian and military leadership roles, was one of the many officials who far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer called for President Trump to fire, during a meeting with him yesterday in the Oval Office. According to officials, General Haugh was traveling on work when reports came out earlier today about his removal, with neither him nor his Deputy at the NSA Wendy Noble being told the reason for their removal by President Trump.

How in the name of all that is holy, did Laura Loomer get a meeting with 47.  What the hell research was she able to bring to get him to fire General Haugh, a four star general?  Look at that list of responsibilities he had.  After their meeting, he call Hegseth and told him to fire him.  

After tanking the markets with his stupid tariffs, 47 went to Florida to play golf with the Saudis.  He should have been at Dover AFB to receive the bodies of the four soldiers who died in Lithuania.  He sent Hegseth, it's not good enough.  The president should have been there.

This was the scene in Vilnius when the four soldiers were taken to the airport.

I am so embarrassed to be a US citizen.

LIberation Day

He's imposing tariffs on all countries except Russia and North Korea.  Make of that what you will.

The penguins are not happy about this.

For once I agree with something Mike Pence said.

The stock market has spoken.

This will be bad.  We're going to be sick and poor when this administration is done with us.

Windy Hike and More Badness

Today was a very windy hike.  We got close to the top of the trail, but turned around, too windy.  The gusts were bad, it raises hell with my contact lenses.  So, we surrendered and went back.  It's a good hike.  It's all up hill on the way out.

This is some sort of left over rock formation from Tucson's volcanic era.

The ocotillos are still blooming, all except for ours.  This is a particularly good specimen.  The hummingbirds love these things.

Senator Cory Booker filibustered for 25 hours and 4 minutes, breaking Strom Thurmond's old record.    I'm not sure if it was a standing filibuster, or a floor speech, I've seen it  called both .  Doesn't matter, he made his point that what's being done is wrong.

This is a substack you should read, it will acquaint you with the horrible people who will be running "health care" in this country.  We are well and truly doomed. 

RFKJr laid off a lot of people out of HHS today.  Food inspection, vaccine development, cancer research, and much much more have been gutted. The lead FDA veterinarian working on bird flu - gone.  A scientist developing a Parkinson's treatment - gone.  Europe and Canada have noticed that scientists and doctors are heading for the doors.  Our loss, their gain.  We lost a devastating knowledge base today.  Given what's happening with the universities, I don't know how we're going to recover.  Soon, they'll be teaching that the world is flat.  47 and his friends do not seem to understand the monetary value of research and being a world leader in science.  That will move somewhere else, and we'll be a back water.

It's very depressing today, usually I can keep it at bay, but the HHS cuts really ripped it for me.  As a parting gift, the released people were given a name and phone number to call if they felt their dismissal was unjust, the person to call died a year ago.  

In news of the good, Susan Crawford has won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, NBC News projects, allowing liberals to maintain their narrow majority on the battleground state’s highest court — and defying Elon Musk after he spent millions of dollars to oppose her.  Unfortunately, the two Florida races were won by the republicans.