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.
Cory Booker. He felt he had to do something and he did. Good man. Good news about Wisconsin too. I do hope our scientists can take their work elsewhere and continue their research. The world cannot afford to lose so much learning.
ReplyDeleteI knew that Florida would let us down. I am pleased about Wisconsin. We saw Pennsylvania swing to a (small) majority. Goughnour's win was not unexpected. Pittsburgh area is pretty strongly democratic. But in Lancaster County, Malone's win was a big sign of change. Lancaster is strongly republican and has not elected a democratic state senator since the late 1800s. For all the money that republicans and Musk threw at Wisconsin, a democrat won there too. Things will never change as fast as we hope, does it. Take heart, sistah. Take heart.
ReplyDeleteAmerican tourism and universities are really feeling the pinch now. However, the blind will never see.
ReplyDeleteI am seeing articles about professors moving from the US to Canada, one titled "the States' Brain Drain is Canada's Brain Gain". I do hope some of your top scientists will do the same.
ReplyDeleteIt's very windy here today, coming out of the east.
ReplyDeleteFlorida was a given but their margin was cut drastically. What does MAGA mean by 'great'? Because they are destroying everything that made this country a world leader. Life expectancy here is going to plummet. I've read that France and Canada are wooing our scientists.
It's not going to go well, but you already know that. Too bad the republicans aren't smart enough, or ballsy enough to figure this out.
ReplyDeleteThe Repubs won in Florida, but as I understand it, their margin was not as great as expected. I think people are slowly waking up from their state of MAGA hypnosis.
ReplyDeleteWe will lose all the Academics to other Countries since the imbeciles in charge here only Love the Uneducated and those they can easily Con, which is what most Dictatorships prefer, ignorant populations easily manipulated and controlled. All his Cabinet are Nepotism Hires and most are as ignorant as he is. He once said Belgium was a nice City... and well, a Host of other Statements that make it clear that all the Money his Daddy had couldn't Buy his Son any Smarts. You can't fix Stupid.
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