Phil Landmeier @shuttersparks@social.cleverlibre.org

Make no mistake: Trump was the main force behind the near shutdown. Why?

Because Trump calculated that a shutdown would play to his advantage. He operates on chaos.

It's likely he’s already at work trying to torpedo the next funding measure needed. Be warned.

I’m increasingly convinced that all services and most jobs would be improved with more staff. Literally, just more people.

More people sitting around getting paid with nothing to do, until there is in fact something to do.

Pay people to staff all those windows at the post office and bank and then celebrate no lines. Pay people to bus the tables, and other people to seat the guests, and still more people to take the orders and run the food.

I’m so tired of seeing one person doing it all

If you ever need a reminder of how the Democrats are the party of the rule of the law and the Republicans are the party cowed by a mob boss, during the “impeachment inquiry” hearing in the House, the panel was asked to raise their hands if they believe that both Hunter and Trump should be held accountable if they are found guilty. The Democrats all raised their hands. None of the Republicans did.

From this morning's walk along Boulder Creek, a Red-breasted Sapsucker-

#Birds #Birding

Workbenches in an abandoned china factory slowly making their way through the floor.

Photos of collapsing areas of buildings never seem to perform as well in terms of social media metrics which is somewhat baffling to me, as I find the mechanics of structural deterioration endlessly fascinating.

Anyway, here's the gallery for this place in case you'd like to see more: https://www.abandonedamerica.us/shenango-china

I've been talking about how AI will directly lead to an Idiocracy (2006) scenario for some time, but today's update to the "can you melt eggs?" saga is as clear an illustration of how as I think it's possible to ever have.

Quora's AI answers made up the melting point of eggs, and then Google picked it up and responded affirmatively that you can indeed melt eggs.

Then people wrote articles about how stupid it is that Google says eggs can melt. The Google fixes the answer.

Then Google ingests an article about how stupid it is that Google says you can melt eggs, and suddenly Google starts answering affirmatively again that you can melt eggs, citing the article about how stupid Google is for thinking you can melt eggs.

Rand, Paul stated if we want to avoid a government shutdown we need to discontinue it to Ukraine

I’ll let John McCain handle this one

"[Rand Paul] has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO, that is under assault from the Russians.

“So I repeat again, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin."

The Banned Wagon is coming to Houston to give out free copies of banned books.

#news #books #reading #bannedbooks #readbannedbooks

https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2023/09/27/banned-wagon-book-bans

This is weird.

Remember the assassination of Shinzo Abe?

Apparently the assassin wanted to attack the Unification Church (the Moonies) but couldn't reach them. However the assassin thought Abe was deeply involved with the Moonies...

And it turned out to be true.

The assassin was angry because his mom had fallen under the sway of the moonies and donated all of their families money to the moonies bankrupting their family and forcing them into severe poverty.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/10/shinzo-abe-assassination-japan-unification-church-moonies/675114/

Dangerous cartels
Blocking roads, cutting power lines
Soldiers intervene

#mexico #drugcartels #militaryintervention #haiku #poetry

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexican-army-sends-troops-helicopters-convoys-towns-cut-103548806

Sending text messages old school.

#NTS #RadioGram #AmateurRadio #MorseCode

Republicans passed a ~$2 trillion tax cut for the rich and added $7 trillion to the national debt under Trump. And we're supposed to believe they're risking a shutdown because they care about "fiscal responsibility"?

It's all just a game to them.

It's amazing how shitty people are to service workers. These people will scoff at service workers being paid a fair wage. They'll be incensed when service workers don't act like it's a privilege to take their orders. They'll point at them and tell their kids to do good in school or they'll end up like them. Yet, despite all of this, these same people will lose their shit when these jobs are understaffed and just blame the problem on "People not wanting to work."

The media will never show you these real Americans giving Trump Tower the finger.

A reigning homecoming queen in Texas wore a Mexican heritage stole to her graduation. Now, her school says she can't crown her successor. | https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/us/texas-homecoming-queen-mexican-heritage/index.html

Recommendation regarding 'curated' accounts @ClimateMigration and @AstroMigration

Some users do not like how these accounts flood their home feed. Here is a suggestion. You can now remove the contents of a List from your home feed. Create a new list, add the curated account, and go to settings (slider bar icon at top right) and toggle "Hide these posts from home". Your home feed will no longer receive boosted posts from this account, but you can still view them by clicking on the list.

When he realized red is the good part of the watermelon.. 😅

@lovelylovely [Trump voice:] "You put up signs saying, Vote for Trump — big, beautiful signs, three feet wide at least — and right after the first rainfall you see it, the paint washes right off, and those stupid signs suddenly say, Republicans for Biden. It is such a disgrace. Biden got money from Ukraine, and they bought all the sign companies, and now Hunter Biden is printing those signs in the basement of a pizza parlor using the laptop from hell. And the signs are rigged! They are rigged!"

"Even Satan is using a fan"

Brazil Bakes in Unprecedented Spring Heatwave With Devastating Ferocity!

The country, with a tropical climate and the most populated in Latin America, is under the effects of a phenomenon of extreme temperatures in a large part of its territory, with devastating effects in the southern region, where the passage of a cyclone left 50 dead.
#AureFreePress #News #GlobalWarming #climatechange

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Brazil-Launches-Maximum-Alert-for-Unusual-Heat-Wave-20230923-0002.html

David McCallum (1933-2023) — Emmy-nominated star of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and NCIS.

He also appeared in movies like THE GREAT ESCAPE and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD in a 70-year career.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/david-mccallum-dead-ncis-man-from-uncle-1235598793/ #RIPDavidMcCallum