2.25.2025

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts




The beginning on the war on trans in Texas was starting back then, and I'm not sure I fully realized it. But it was clearly going on based upon the text of the bill.  

  • It's over:  The United States is now, shockingly, an ally with Russia.  I never thought I'd see the day. 
    • At the United Nations, we sided with Russia, China, and North Korea by refusing to condemn Russia as invaders of Ukraine. The vote to condemn was 93 to 18 in favor of the resolution. 


    • Later in the day, Trump refused to call Putin a "dictator" after labeling Zelensky as one only a couple of days ago. Video.  This comes on the heels where he refuses to say Russia started the war. 

  • It's over: The Justice Department now readily admits they are Trump's lawyers. This from the U.S. Attorney in D.C. who flat came out and said that yesterday.  And he's prepared to fight the free press who does not support everything Trump says.   Mind-blowing.

  • It's over: Press conferences are now controlled by Trump Media: Yesterday, the first question that Trump took in the press conference with Macron was from the boyfriend of Marjorie Taylor Green who wanted to know how awesome Trump was: "I just want to touch upon real quickly the Harvard poll that . . . came out [that] had you up nine plus points. And all of your agenda that you ran on, you're accomplishing that. You've got the support of the American people including stopping the war in Ukraine. If you can comment on the latest Harvard poll, I appreciate that." Video.

  • DOGE's Five Bullet Point Ultimatum Update:
    • After some department heads told employees to ignore Musk's demand for a five bullet point email sent to all federal employees, and after Trump's own Office of Personnel Management told all agencies that is was OK ignore it, Trump then did an about face and told everyone in the afternoon that they will be "semi-fired" if they didn't respond. Everyone clear?


    • Later Musk decided to give everyone a second chance. 

  • Local and Texas quick hits:
    • This happened on Friday but somehow we didn't hear about it until yesterday. 

    • This is a guy who wanted to be caught and go back to prison. 

    • This was in Azle yesterday and, frankly, doesn't look like your ordinary plane. 

    • The Congresswoman better hurry or she's never going to solve that case!

    • Round-ups were beginning yesterday, but the news got buried. And, no, they aren't just targeting "violent criminals." 

    • Once Garland releases the bodycams in this case, it's going to look like the shootout in Heat. "A total of five squad cars were struck by bullets [and] . . . more than 100 rounds were fired over the course of the attack."


  • Roberta Flack died yesterday. Here is the Billboard Top 20 for February 24, 1973 - the first week at No. 1 for “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”


at 8:30 AM

2.24.2025

Random Monday Morning Thought




I got bent out of shape over the jurors running to the cameras after the guilty verdict in the "American Sniper" murder trial.  Also during the trial, Chris Kyle's widow went to the Oscars. It was all a sign of things to come. 

  • Trump, instead of reeling in Elon Musk, told him on Saturday to "get more aggressive." Musk said that he would. You do realize how insane this is, right? 

    • On that same day, Musk sent out an email to all federal workers telling them to report what they did last week in "approximately five bullet points." The deadline to answer is midnight tonight.

    • In announcing what he had done to the world, Musk added something new that wasn't in the email: "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."  That seems to be an important thing to have left out. 


    • For the first time ever there is some Republican blowback to the oligarch. It will be only temporary.  

  • On Friday night, Trump began his installation of yes-men at the top of the military by firing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Chief of Naval Ops, and the Vice Chief of the Air Force.  
 
    • But in a less publicized move at the same time, Trump also fired the top JAG officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, too. Why would you fire the top lawyers in the military, you ask? They are the ones who have the responsibility to tell the top generals whether a Presidential order is illegal.  And the Secretary of Defense on Sunday basically confirmed that Trump didn't need that pesky problem.

       
    • As of Friday night, Trump now has absolute obedience from the military, the FBI, and the Justice department to do whatever he wants. And Congress is scared to say a word. It's over, folks. 
  • Why do you do this? Only if you want officers employed who don't care about following the law.  

  • Ukraine and Europe:
    • So as Trump is trying to get $500 billion of Ukraine's mineral rights or the U.S. will effectively hand over Ukraine to Russia by cutting off future aid, Ukraine is also being told that Musk might shut off their Internet if they don't give in to the mineral deal. Good gawd. It's a shakedown right out of The Sopranos. Story

    • An emboldened Russia launched an all time high of 267 drones at Ukraine on Sunday.

    • The conservative party in Germany won in the presidential elections over the weekend (with the modern day Nazi party coming in second.) The new president-elect, Friedrich Merz, immediately said that Europe can no longer depend on the United States. We are seeing a seismic shift of the U.S.'s place in the world.

    • Edit: France's President Emmanuel Macron just arrived at the White House. Trump did not meet him at the door upon arrival -- something which is always done for heads of state. Video.
  • Musk's most recent Baby Momma filed a paternity suit on Friday with screenshots as attachments.



  • Good lord.  It got worse at the FBI last night. 
     

  • After Kash Patel was installed has the head of the FBI, Trump also made him acting head of the ATF over the weekend. Below is literally the first thing he said after he was sworn in. Video.

  • On Friday, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years for January 6th but was pardoned by Trump, went after officers who defended the U.S. Capitol. Video. This is now normal. 

  • Anti-vax Update - Measles and beyond:

    • Chaser:

    • Chaser #2:

    • Chaser #3: 

    • Let's put a local twist to it: Well, at least under this new law proposed by Wise County's state rep, the anti-vaxxers won't be going to the local feed store to buy and eat horse paste. 

at 8:30 AM

2.21.2025

It's Friday -- Let's Get Out of Here

at 2:30 PM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts




I've got to admit, President Biden (VP at the time of this photo) has been 
a little handsy over the years. There had been an even crazier photo from four months earlier. 

  •  The video is even more embarrassing than the photo. And what's with the sunglasses while indoors at CPAC yesterday?

  • What we will see is Trump winning more and more court cases because judges know he will ignore them otherwise. And if a court's orders are ignored, it loses its power -- because its only power is in the unwritten rule that orders will be obeyed. So just rule in his favor to avoid the loss of power.  It's wrong, but that's what you'll see happen.  There will be no guardrails. 





  • Trump now controls the FBI. Have I told you that no one will stop him? 

     

  • The Trump Administration continues to rewrite history as we become Russia's best friend forever.
    • They rolled out the National Security Advisor at the press briefing yesterday, and he refused to say that Russia invaded Ukraine. Video.

    • We can't even do that?

    • Even Rupert Murdock's New York Post can't believe what it is seeing.

  • Not the mail!



  • I dead serious when I say that after four years, "He ain't leavin'."
    • Yesterday.

    • State TV is on board.

  • This happened very late yesterday and seems to be a very, very big deal. There are federal statutes protecting the removal of such judges, but the Justice Department said in a letter that they've determined, on their own, that they aren't constitutional. So those laws will now be ignored -- meaning that Trump will fire them at will, (Gift link to New York Times article. Here the PDF of the DOJ's one page letter announcing the decision.)

  • It was a heck of a rant, though. “You may have replaced a swastika with a red hat, but that is what it is.” Video.


  • Texas news: The biggest threat ever to our public schools -- especially rural schools -- is now rolling in the legislature. Your text dollars are going to be funneled to unregulated religious schools unless they stop them. 

  • Lauren Whitener Clock: 5 years and 233 days. 


at 8:30 AM
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