laughingacademy

Previous poll review
In the vegetables poll, 90.4% of respondents clicked fresh vegetables (bought), 46.2% clicked frozen vegetables, and 44.2% clicked fresh vegetables (homegrown). I was surprised; I thought more people would go frozen for the convenience. (I wonder what that says, if anything, about Dreamwidth demographics.)

In ticky-boxes, hugs came first with 78.8%, followed by a tie between "hanging in there until things settle down and I can sort my life out" and "sunbeams playing in a tree, daring each other to peek around the shadowed side" with 63.5% each. Thank you for your votes!

Reading
Still going on The Horse and His Boy (I am slow and distractable) and the Guardian novel read-along (it's on a schedule). Nothing in audio.

Kdramas
We started Tale of the Nine Tailed, a sweeping epic about a powerful immortal, the reincarnated love of his life, and his bratty younger brother. (Nothing at all like Guardian the novel, why do you ask?) I'm hoping it has enough plot and worldbuilding to hold Andrew's interest; he gets bored during extended romance scenes.

More of Sell Your Haunted House with Pru. And in solo-watching, I started Heesu in Class 2; it's pretty adorable, but also Heesu is the living embodiment of Idiots In Love, and sometimes I have to watch through my fingers.

Other TV
This week's Doctor Who

was very silly and meta, set against a background of ominous racism. Hm. But I did enjoy the jokes, and Belinda is great.

Episode 1 of Sherlock & Daughter. We were just going to try out the first ten minutes to get a sense of it, but we ended up watching the whole episode. I can forgive Holmes for being a grumpy old man when he has a reason for it.

Our Deadloch rewatch-with-a-friend continues, plus Jentry Chau vs the Underworld, about which I still have no opinion.

My sister and I watched Into the Night (1985 film; Michelle Pfeiffer, Jeff Goldblum, and a vast number of film directors as extras, the only one of whom I knew on sight was Jim Henson). The caper was silly, and the romance plotline was very thin, but Goldblum and Pfeiffer are so watchable that it hung together despite the weird pacing when it lingered on random extras we were supposed to recognise. Lovely to see David Bowie in a small (albeit violently psychotic) role.

Guardian/Fandom
I archived my Murderbot flashficlet, and wow, Murderbot fans are generous with their kudosing. *hearts so much* (In my experience, some fandoms are just more kudosy than others.)

Audio entertainment
I listened my way through all of The Setup, a romance audiodrama about Juan, an anxious art museum curator in NYC, and Fernando, the con artist who's trying to steal a painting. It's great! I'm really into it. And then I got to the end of the available episodes and realised it's not finished yet, ahhhhh! I need to check these things before I start!

(Is it just me or are depictions of anxiety becoming more common in romances? I feel like there's some wish fulfilment going on: people longing to meet The One who is hot, super into them, and will also be incredibly kind and patient and give them effective tips for handling their panic attacks. Not that romances aren't all about wish fulfilment, so why not? Add dimensions to your dream partner!)

Writing/making things
My little 4k exchange fic is becoming somewhat tortured by all the writing advice I'm trying to enact on it. Hopefully I'm not engineering the spark out of the thing. Also, hopefully I emerge from this process wiser and more capable. (It could happen!) Note to self: this story still doesn't have an ending, oops.

Other than that, I'm spending a lot of my life rolling around in meta discussions, yay!

Life/health/mental state things
Oh, look, let's not even talk about it. /o\

Note to self: I had a flu jab on Saturday.

Online life
I'm switching ISPs on Friday. Wish me luck! If I disappear off the face of the internet, that will be why.

Food
Today marks my first attempt at baked potatoes in the slow cooker. *fingers crossed* I forgot to prickle them with a fork before I wrapped them in foil, so who knows.

Good things
Fandom. Writing. Lunchtime dumplings on the back deck. Cephalopod plushies. Queer audiodramas. Friends coming over to watch stuff. Guardian. Home-made salsa. Trivia quizzes. Music and kindness and laughter and love.

Poll #33020 face blindness extrapolation

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 43

View Respondents

Do you have face-blindness?

View Answers

yes
2 (4.7%)

technically no, but it's not unusual for me to get people confused
23 (53.5%)

especially when they're dressed the same
14 (32.6%)

no
12 (27.9%)

I mix up similar usernames
14 (32.6%)

honestly, they don't have to be that similar
12 (27.9%)

other
1 (2.3%)

ticky-box full of black cats slinking mysteriously in the shadows
28 (65.1%)

ticky-box full of starting a howl
15 (34.9%)

ticky-box of overthinking
21 (48.8%)

ticky-box full of squirrel-dragons with floofy tails, guarding their golden acorns
21 (48.8%)

ticky-box full of hugs
33 (76.7%)

china_shop

( One link behind the cut )

resonant

For the New House by Ursula K. Le Guin

May this house be full of kitchen smells
and shadows and toys and nests of mice
and roars of rage and waterfalls of tears
and deep sexual silences and sounds
of mysterious origin never explained
and troves and keepsakes and a lot of junk
and a flowing like a warm wind only slower
blowing the leaves of trees and books and the fish-years
of a child’s life silvery flickering
quick, quick, in the slow incessant gust
that billows out the curtains for a moment
all those years from now, ago.
May the sills and doorframes
be in blessing blest at every passing.
May the roof but not the rooms know rain.
May the windows know clearly
the branch and flower of the apple tree.
And may you be in this house
as the music is in the instrument.

gwydion

* As has been the case since January, the sort may be a little rough. News keeps moving fast, so some items may be already out of date.

*

*

* "Back to Russian gas? Trump-wary EU has energy security dilemma:" https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/back-russian-gas-trump-wary-eu-has-energy-security-dilemma-2025-04-14/

* "Saudi Arabia plans to pay off Syria's World Bank debts, sources say:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-plans-pay-off-syrias-world-bank-debts-sources-say-2025-04-14/

* "Memo shows U.S. can send migrants without criminal records to Guantanamo, despite Trump's promise to hold "the worst" there:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/guantanamo-trump-migrants-without-criminal-records/

* "ICE director envisions Amazon-like mass deportation system: ‘Prime, but with human beings’:" https://azmirror.com/2025/04/08/ice-director-envisions-amazon-like-mass-deportation-system-prime-but-with-human-beings/

* "Deporting veterans betrays America’s promise:" https://prismreports.org/2025/04/07/deported-veterans-undocumented-immigrants/

* "Hispanic Churches Groan Under Florida’s Double Immigration Crackdown:" https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/03/florida-hispanic-latino-evangelicals-immigration-persecution/

* "In the battle to keep ICE from raiding houses of worship, the grassroots needs to flex more muscle:" https://religionnews.com/2025/03/21/in-the-battle-to-keep-ice-from-raiding-houses-of-worship-the-grassroots-needs-to-flex-more-muscle/

* "Tufts student ICE grabbed off street says hijab was removed, asthma wasn't treated at Louisiana facility:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tufts-student-grabbed-street-ice-says-hijab-removed-asthma-not-treated-rcna201122

* "Don’t Take the Bait — Kristi Noem and Fascism’s Sadistic Eroticization of Power:" https://religiondispatches.org/dont-take-the-bait-kristi-noem-and-fascisms-sadistic-eroticization-of-power/

* "Immigrants prove they are alive, forcing Social Security to undo death label:" https://archive.ph/oj0SK

* "DOGE is collecting federal data to remove immigrants from housing, jobs:" https://archive.ph/pFB6F

* "Social Insecurity:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-insecurity/id1638974657?i=1000703934164

* "Pentagon chief Hegseth shared sensitive Yemen war plans in second Signal chat, source says:" https://archive.ph/x89u0

* "Pete Buttigieg calls Pete Hegseth ‘unfit to lead’ after second bombshell Signal chat leak revelation:" https://www.advocate.com/news/pete-buttigieg-pete-hegseth-unfit

* "The MAGA-fication of the Military:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-maga-fication-of-the-military/id1638974657?i=1000702094669

* "The speech police: Chairman Brendan Carr and the FCC’s news distortion policy:" https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/trumps-fcc-chair-invokes-rarely-enforced-news-distortion-policy-to-punish-media/

* "What exactly does Trump think is in the Smithsonian?:" https://archive.ph/rp6e9

* "'Please don’t tax the rich': Seattle crosswalk buttons hacked to sound like Jeff Bezos:" https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/hacked-crosswalk-buttons-altered-play-fake-messages-south-lake-union-u-district/281-a2fb5c9b-be47-40c1-bdba-8cf36316ecfc

* Our job for the next two years is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.

We are trying to build a good list of resistance resources.

Please add more below if you have them.

* Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide. https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1

* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond

* If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/

White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/

ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives

Script to complain about Elon Musk/DOGE. I also suggest contacting your AG about data privacy. "Introducing Red State Scripts, Vol. 1:" https://homewiththearmadillo.blog/2025/02/10/introducing-red-state-scripts-vol-1/

* This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/

* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/

* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share

* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

* How to render emergency aid in a riot: https://riotmedicine.net/static/downloads/riot-medicine_a5.pdf

* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely

* Avoiding Activist Burnout: https://www.tumblr.com/veluigi/771755723969478656/on-twitter-im-seeing-dozens-of-threads-from-black?source=share

* "ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/

* Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/

* Free Bystander training amoung other useful things. "Right to Be Training:" https://righttobe.org/upcoming-free-trainings/

* "Meet the Iowa Democrat challenging Sen. Joni Ernst: 'I live in the real world':" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/meet-the-iowa-democrat-challenging-sen-joni-ernst-i-live-in-the-real-world-237952581831

* "Former OneRepublic bassist announces bid for Congress:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/former-onerepublic-bassist-announces-bid-for-congress-237953093677

* "Nancy Mace yells 'F**k you!' at man she assumes is gay for asking her a question in an Ulta store:" https://www.advocate.com/news/nancy-mace-confronts-gay-man

* "Two dead, suspect in custody after sheriff’s deputy’s son opens fire at FSU:" https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article304434411.html

* "A Key Fight Over the Most Infamous Police Project in the Country Is Coming to a Head:" https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/04/copy-city-fight-future-of-journalism.html

* "A Lawyer’s Crusade Against “Copaganda”:" https://newrepublic.com/article/192070/copaganda-book-alec-karakatsanis-police-crime-statistics

* "Lawsuit alleging Alabama officials illegally harvested inmates’ organs can proceed, judge rules:" https://apnews.com/article/organ-harvesting-university-of-alabama-corrections-department-ddf8f08ccedf4998961f20e2ff0740b1

* "For the American Prison Writing Archive, a ‘Shadow Canon’ Sheds Light:" https://archive.ph/pkS6c

* "Via porn, gore and ultra-violence, extremist groups are sinking hooks online into the very young:" https://apnews.com/article/technology-parenting-terror-islamic-state-police-security-attacks-4888bab2d10502edadf787d419d45b5b

* "Whiteness rooted in place:" https://www.christiancentury.org/article/interview/whiteness-rooted-place

* "Barbarian Virtues:" https://currentpub.com/2025/04/02/barbarian-virtues/

* "Vandalism at NYU Islamic prayer room under investigation as hate crime:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vandalism-nyu-islamic-prayer-room-hate-crime-rcna199832

* "DEI? You're Fired:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dei-youre-fired-with-heather-mcghee/id1583132133?i=1000703845266

* "Top 5 LGBTQ+ books banned in the U.S. :" https://www.advocate.com/top-5-lgbtq-books-banned-2024#rebelltitem1

* CW: Sexual Assault. "The She Made Him Do It Theory of Everything:" https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/the-she-made-him-do-it-theory-of-everything-2/

* "MAGA's war on empathy exposes misogynist fears:" https://www.salon.com/2025/04/11/magas-on-empathy-exposes-misogynist-fears/

* "This reporter spent a year dating rabid anti-feminists — here’s what she found:" https://www.alternet.org/breaking-social/manosphere-cnn-papisova/

* "In Your Face: The Brutal Aesthetics of MAGA:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/03/maralago-face-conservative-girl-makeup-brutal-aesthetics-of-maga-trump-gaetz-guilfoyle/

* "Morning-after pill to be offered without charge at pharmacies in England:" https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/30/morning-after-pill-contraception-free-pharmacies-nhs-england

* "Why Elon Musk and JD Vance Are Obsessed With You Having More Babies:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/03/this-is-a-war-and-natalism-is-our-sword-and-shield-my-weekend-with-the-pronatalists/

* "NY county clerk refuses to file Texas’ fine for doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills:" https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-lawsuit-texas-new-york-carpenter-e97d5c38d9429083d03c2a7b385cbbfd

* "From Afghanistan to Malaysia, these are the 61 countries that still criminalize homosexuality:" https://www.advocate.com/news/61-countries-criminalize-homosexuality#rebelltitem65

* "Hungary passes constitutional amendment banning public LGBTQ+ events:" https://www.advocate.com/world/hungary-gray-pride-protest-lgbtq

* "Caribbean activists step up fight to end homophobic laws that ‘breach fundamental rights’:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/caribbean-activists-step-up-fight-to-end-homophobic-laws-that-breach-fundamental-rights/ar-AA1CXwL5

* "New German, Swiss, And Austrian Guidelines Recommend Trans Youth Care, Slam Cass Review:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/new-german-swiss-and-austria-guidelines

* "Trans Norwegian politician wants to give asylum to transgender people fleeing Trump's policies:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/norwegian-us-trans-asylum

* "Transgender teen can't legally change name until age 21, Mississippi Supreme Court rules:" https://www.advocate.com/law/mississippi-transgender-teen-name-change

* "Chicago Teachers Union ratifies groundbreaking contract cementing LGBTQ+ protections:" https://www.advocate.com/news/chicago-teachers-union-lgbtq-inclusion

* "Hundreds protest Pittsburgh hospital for caving to Trump and denying trans youth gender-affirming care:" https://www.advocate.com/news/hundreds-protest-upmc-trump-transgender-care

* "How doctors became providers of hope and our kids' last line of defense:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/gender-affirming-care-doctors-children

* "Anti-LGBTQ+ attacks on the rise in Los Angeles: report:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/anti-lgbtq-attacks-on-the-rise-in-los-angeles-report

* "'Kiss your kids goodbye:' Indiana mom tells teacher who flew a Pride flag in class, police say:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/indiana-mom-threatens-queer-teacher

* "Florida high school teacher loses job for using student's preferred name:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/florida-teacher-fired-preferred-name

* "Georgia mother of trans and nonbinary children forcibly removed from school board meeting:" https://www.advocate.com/news/georgia-mother-removed-school-board

* "A mom complained about a trans girl using the locker room. Hundreds turned out to support the girl:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/chicago-transgender-girl-locker-room

* "New Hampshire men can't wear anti-trans gear at their kids' school while their lawsuit proceeds:" https://www.advocate.com/news/transphobic-gear-banned-new-hampshire

* "University of Cincinnati removes 'biological' bathroom signs, wasting $16K :" https://www.advocate.com/transgender/university-cincinnati-biological-bathroom-removed

* "Right-wing extremists threaten LGBTQ-affirming religious communities: report:" https://www.advocate.com/news/extremists-target-affirming-religious-institutions

* "‘Just plain old Larry’: A Wisconsin man’s testimony about gender-affirming care went viral. Here’s his story.:" https://www.wpr.org/news/larry-jones-wisconsin-testimony-gender-affirming-care-viral

* "It takes a village to raise a child, but what if the village votes red?:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/trump-connecticut

* "Texas investigating USA Fencing Association after it disqualified cis player for refusing to play trans woman:" https://www.advocate.com/sports/texas-usa-fencing-investigation

* "Tennessee far-right pastor fears 'gay beam' airport scanner will make him queer:" https://www.advocate.com/news/pastor-airport-scanners-gay

* "I was beset by a sudden desire to know what, exactly, JKR said recently:" https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3617152.html

* "Imperfect sounds:Cochlear implants give deaf kids unprecedented access to sound. But insisting they avoid using sign language may be risky:" https://www.science.org/content/article/implants-can-help-deaf-kids-hear-many-still-struggle-spoken-language

Ya think?

* "“Not Just Measles”: Whooping Cough Cases Are Soaring as Vaccine Rates Decline:" https://www.propublica.org/article/whooping-cough-measles-outbreak-vaccine-hesitancy-trump?

* "How stress shapes cancer’s course:" https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/health-disease/2025/how-stress-affects-cancer?

* "U.S. fentanyl deaths have been plunging. Enter Trump:" https://archive.ph/70V6M

* "“Slow Pay, Low Pay or No Pay”:" https://www.propublica.org/article/blue-cross-blue-shield-louisiana-insurance-lawsuit-breast-cancer-doctors

* "Climate Violence Is Coming for Rich Countries, and They’re Not Ready:" https://thewalrus.ca/climate-violence-is-coming-for-rich-countries-and-theyre-not-ready/

* "How South Korea's largest and deadliest wildfire spread:" https://www.reuters.com/graphics/SOUTHKOREA-FIRE/movaydeneva/

* "Why We Have Lawns:" https://blog.nwf.org/2024/04/why-we-have-lawns/

* "This Interactive Map Shows You Where Your Food Comes From:" https://www.mentalfloss.com/interactive-map-shows-where-food-comes-from

* "From Daikin to Samsung, companies fight Modi over e-waste policy:" https://www.reuters.com/world/india/daikin-samsung-companies-fight-modi-over-e-waste-policy-2025-04-11/

* "Bubble Trouble: An AI bubble threatens Silicon Valley, and all of us.:" https://prospect.org/power/2025-03-25-bubble-trouble-ai-threat/

* "That groan you hear is users’ reaction to Recall going back into Windows:" https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/04/microsoft-is-putting-privacy-endangering-recall-back-into-windows-11/

* "T-Mobile Shows Users the Names, Pictures, and Exact Locations of Random Children:" https://www.404media.co/t-mobile-shows-users-the-names-pictures-and-exact-locations-of-random-children/

* "Tesla accused of using sneaky tactic to dodge car repairs:" https://www.thestreet.com/automotive/tesla-accused-of-using-sneaky-tactic-to-dodge-car-repairs

* "Mark Zuckerberg personally lost the Facebook antitrust case:" https://pluralistic.net/2025/04/18/chatty-zucky/

* "Things to post about on Dreamwidth:" https://soc-puppet.dreamwidth.org/933696.html

* "The Animals That Exist Between Life and Death :" https://nautil.us/the-animals-that-exist-between-life-and-death-1202592/

* "Scientists map part of a mouse’s brain that’s so complex it looks like a galaxy:" https://apnews.com/article/brain-map-neurons-alzheimers-autism-1a4e9db0a86c082e10da9c154546c592

* "Amazing ROV Footage of the First Confirmed Live Sighting of the Elusive Colossal Squid:" https://laughingsquid.com/colossal-squid-first-live-sighting/

* "A crow's math skills include geometry:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/12/nx-s1-5359438/a-crows-math-skills-include-geometry

* "The horses and mules that moved mountains and hearts:" https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-horses-and-mules-that-moved-mountains-and-hearts/

* "This Warrior Was Buried in Ice Under a Bone Shield for 4,000 Years and His Face Was Just Reconstructed:" https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/this-warrior-was-buried-in-ice-under-a-bone-shield-for-4000-years-and-his-face-was-just-reconstructed/

* "50 Viking Sayings That Still Hit Hard Today:" https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/50-viking-sayings/

* "Sheryl Lee Ralph Learns of Ancestors' Uncommon Love Story | Finding Your Roots:"

( Embed: )

* "Unearth the homoerotic art of Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte :" https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/gustave-caillebottes-impressionist-queer#rebelltitem16

* "Two women have sent each other the same weathered birthday card for 81 years:" https://archive.ph/Uz9HD#selection-234.0-234.1

* "Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88:" https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a

* "King of fruits:" https://worksinprogress.co/issue/king-of-fruits/

* Something has gone dramatically wrong with my bank account. I suspect paypal allowed a secret autowithdraw again at exactly the wrong time, which I will need to track down, as a bill I'd scheduled to pay with more than enough money in the account rather suddenly caused an overdraft. (I checked it wasn't Amazon prime randomly reactivating again, but it's a pain in the ass finding the right tab on paypal. I will do that next.) I had some cash I'd socked away at the beginning of the month in case I needed it for inspection cleaning. I put it back in in time to patch the hole, but when Insuarnce auto-withdraws hit, I am fucked. I think $70.00 would cover those plus fees.

Want to help? https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

* I've been behind on Tumblr scheduling since… I think Nov. 3rd 2023. On 4/20/25, I finally caught up. Guess my new system is working. O.o

I think I've finally got the workflow on computer stuff mostly settled. Finally.

I am really struggling with pain right now. Part of it is the new physio I've been working since the last visit to the ostio, part of it is the randomness of the spring weather, part of it? Who knows.

The Cats are definitively into their Spring migration pattern around the house, which means Livia is ascendant on bed pets and Tavy is mostly living in the living room. Mostly.

* ""ER" Sues "The Pitt":"

( Embed: )

* "The Hidden Meanings in Nature Art: Crash Course Art History #9:"

( Embed: )

* "How Communities Make Art: Crash Course Art History #10:"

( Embed: )

* "Bodies in Art: Crash Course Art History #11:"

( Embed: )

* "Senator Shenanigans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0sPH8N0-4w4

* "Obnoxious Octavian:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Kqi8Zl4rySE

* "Goofy Gladiators:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SzaQlQabIsw

* "The Anxious Anarchy:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_cExqCxVi90

* "Crazy Crusaders:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PZuDndcB750

* "Knaverous Knights:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yE9u-SwW50A

* "Music Mayhem:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/17mjE0alOV4

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

( More Links Underneath: )

china_shop

The Writing Excuses podcast is doing a series on voice (first, third limited, third omniscient), and mostly their discussions have been great. I've enjoyed them a lot. But I found today's episode on second person (2ndPOV) unsatisfying. They got distracted talking about video games, TTRPG, online recipe essays, and Youtube influencers, and when they did discuss fictional prose, they seemed to think the "you" character had to be a reader stand-in. (Or maybe I misunderstood? Quite possible!) Anyway, now I'm itching to ~~procrastinate on my story~~ talk with like-minded souls about the joys of second person.

Note: If you not into 2ndPOV, that's totally cool. Each to their own! But please don't chime in to tell me or explain why; I'm not interested in defending it today.

( Rambling, so much rambling. )

ION, Andrew sent me a link to Secrets of Writing Snappy Dialogue (Banter) (Youtube video). At first I was resistant, but then I watched it and now I'm overhauling my 4k fic AGAIN. This is killing me, lol.

gwydion

* As has been the case since January, the sort may be a little rough. News keeps moving fast, so some items may be already out of date.

I had to cut this one off really, really early. I keep getting bigged down in trying to catch up on things I got behind on during the week from hell.

Similarly, I really didn't have time or energy for world news.

* "Microsoft workers say they’ve been fired after 50th anniversary protest over Israel contract:" https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-protest-employees-fired-israel-gaza-50th-anniversary-c5b3715fa1800450b8d0f639b492495e

******

* "Russian missiles hit Ukrainian city of Sumy during Palm Sunday celebrations, killing more than 30:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-sumy-b034da8f4d83d08e5ea24c6033dbe3cf

* "Jalisco cartel lures recruits with fake jobs through social platforms and kills those who resist:" https://apnews.com/article/mexico-jalisco-cartel-el-mencho-drugs-sinaloa-99f755b7173f101d74e6a1eac333cd38

* "US office that counters foreign disinformation is being eliminated:" https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/16/1115256/us-office-that-counters-foreign-disinformation-is-being-eliminated-say-officials/

* "Activists stack coffins in front of State Department to protest PEPFAR cuts (in photos):" https://www.advocate.com/news/coffins-protest-pepfar-cuts#rebelltitem1

* "Trade Will Move On Without the United States:" https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/04/trump-tariffs-hegemony-decline/682323/

* "WTO slashes 2025 trade growth forecast, warns of deeper slump:" https://archive.ph/PqmZ6

* Meanwhile, JD Vance goes the extra mile to try to make the world worse: "JD Vance wants the UK to repeal its LGBTQ+ hate speech laws to secure a trade deal:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/us-uk-trade-deal-lgbtq

* "Tariffs to trigger sharp US economic slowdown; chance of recession jumps to 45%: Reuters Poll:" https://archive.ph/vv7pY

* "Fed Chair Powell sounds alarm on tariffs, sending stocks lower:" https://abcnews.go.com/Business/fed-chair-powell-sounds-alarm-tariffs-sending-stocks/story?id=120863770

Meanwhile Trump wants to get rid of the fed Chairman for the crime of knowing what he's doing and saying true things.

* "Trump hammers Federal Reserve chief Powell: ‘Termination cannot come fast enough!’:" https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-says-fed-reserve-chief-powells-termination-cant-come-fast-enough/

* "Bessent privately urges caution as Trump attacks Powell:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/17/trump-powell-fired-fed-00295552

* "California is first state to sue Trump on tariffs:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/16/california-is-first-state-to-sue-trump-on-tariffs-00292637

* "'Every day, every single customer': Tariffs hit close to home inside Asian grocers:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/07/nx-s1-5352901/tariffs-trump-asian-grocery-stores

* "Tariff-ying Times with Pete Buttigieg:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tariff-ying-times-with-pete-buttigieg/id1583132133?i=1000702978762

* "Anxious Trading Partners Promise to Buy American to Stave Off Trump’s Tariffs:" https://archive.ph/Pbsga

* "The Constitutional Crisis Is Here: Trump’s administration is only pretending to comply with the Supreme Court on the matter of a Maryland man it deported erroneously.:" https://archive.ph/7MuVP

I'm pretty sure it was when they violated a court order to illegally mass deport innocent people without any due process in the first place, but either way, here we are.

* "‘Hair on fire’: Walz says he’s ‘convinced’ Trump will ignore courts:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-hair-on-fire-walz-says-he-s-convinced-trump-will-ignore-courts-237504069634

* "Boasberg finds probable cause to hold Trump officials in criminal contempt over deportation flights:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/16/trump-deportation-el-salvador-federal-judge-00293076

* "'Criminal contempt' looms over Trump's showdown with courts over deportation fiat:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-criminal-contempt-looms-over-trump-s-showdown-with-courts-over-deportation-fiat-237682245946

* "‘It’s all made up!’: Hayes breaks down ‘sheer lawlessness’ of Trump deportation case:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-it-s-all-made-up-hayes-breaks-down-sheer-lawlessness-of-trump-deportation-case-237646917654

* "Supreme Court blocks, for now, new deportations under 18th century wartime law:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/19/g-s1-61385/supreme-court-block-deportations

* This is one of the people they were trying to send to forever prison: "Lawyer Warns Trump Is Moving to Deport Teen to El Salvador for Photo of Water Pistol:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-deport-teenager-water-pistol-1235320693/

Republicans want to remind you that having a friend who owns a water pistol is such absolute proof of gang membership that anyone who knows anyone who has one deserves to be sent abroad to forever prison without any due process or proof of any wrong doing. Yes, that applies to children.

* "Judge blocks administration from deporting noncitizens to 3rd countries without due process:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-blocks-administration-deporting-noncitizens-3rd-countries-due/story?id=120951918

* "Court denies White House appeal of 'shocking' Abrego Garcia deportation case:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/17/g-s1-61118/appeals-court-deportation-abrego-garcia

* "'Shocking': Reagan judge issues ‘stark warning’ in scathing ruling against Trump:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-shocking-reagan-judge-issues-stark-warning-in-scathing-ruling-against-trump-237787205992

* "'They can't hide the ball': Judge cracks the whip on Trump lawyers in deportation case:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-they-can-t-hide-the-ball-judge-cracks-the-whip-on-trump-lawyers-in-deportation-case-237519429580

* The reason they claim they broke the law to deport him in the first place is bullshit. "Another disgraced cop linked to Trump’s authoritarian deportations to El Salvador exposed: report:" https://www.advocate.com/news/second-disgraced-cop-trump-deporations

* "Trump Admin’s New Defense For Accidentally Sending Abrego Garcia To Salvadoran Torture Camp: We Meant To Do That :" https://www.techdirt.com/2025/04/15/trump-admins-new-defense-for-accidentally-sending-abrego-garcia-to-salvadoran-torture-camp-we-meant-to-do-that/

* "‘Chilling’: Hayes on why the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia matters to us all:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-chilling-hayes-on-why-the-fate-of-kilmar-abrego-garcia-matters-to-us-all-237505093763

* "Trump Ordered to Return Kilmar Abrego Garcia:"

( Embed: )

* "This Court Just Put The Trump Regime In Its Place | News You Missed:"

( Embed: )

* "Kilmar Abrego Garcia meets with Maryland senator in El Salvador, weeks after mistaken deportation:" https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-sen-van-hollen-meets-with-mistakenly-deported-kilmar-abrego-garcia-in-el-salvador/

* "'I felt afraid': Lawyer who traveled with Van Hollen to El Salvador details trip:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-i-felt-afraid-lawyer-who-traveled-with-van-hollen-to-el-salvador-details-trip-237892677658

* "Protesters gather outside El Salvador’s consulate in St. Paul:" https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/04/17/protesters-gather-el-salvador-consulate-st-paul

* "Trump's Deportations to El Salvador Are the Latest Stop on a Long Road:"

( Embed: )

* "Foreign students in US mount court challenges as Trump ends their legal status:" https://archive.ph/kKuMN

* "Trump plans to fine migrants $998 a day for failing to leave after deportation order:" https://archive.ph/c8O1X

Reminder: The Trump Administration is refusing to tell people their visas, permanent residence cards, etc., have been secretly illegally revoked so that people can't contest it, and then sending secret police to kidnap them.

* "There’s a Reason the Trump Administration Is Fighting to Keep Detained International Students in Louisiana:" https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/04/donald-trump-immigration-mahmoud-khalil-rumeysa-ozturk-louisiana.html

* "The controversial and obscure law being used against immigrant student protestors:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/11/nx-s1-5360605/mahmoud-khalil-gaza-protests-columbia-university-immigrant

* "A Palestinian activist expecting a US citizenship interview is arrested instead by ICE in Vermont:" https://apnews.com/article/immigration-palestine-protest-trump-deportation-columbia-fca7e73fe2cbd616c1eacf3bdececdbe

* We are now also illegally detaining American Citizens now for the crime of being brown against judges orders: "U.S.-born American citizen under ICE hold in Florida after driving from Georgia:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/us-born-citizen-detained-ice-immigration-florida-rcna201800

* Another American Citizen they are trying to illegally Deport: "American doctor receives email from immigration officials telling her to leave the country immediately:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/doctor-email-immigration-leave-country-rcna201698

* "Judge orders detained Tufts student Rumeysa Öztürk to be transferred back to Vermont :" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tufts-student-rumeysa-ozturk-rcna201954

* "Video shows ICE agent smash window to detain man in Massachusetts. Attorney says they have wrong person.:" https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/video-ice-agent-smash-car-window-new-bedford-massachusetts/

It was the wrong man, but they took him anyway.

* "Australian with working visa detained and deported on returning to US from sister’s memorial:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/11/australian-with-us-working-visa-detained-insulted-deported

* "BYU doctorate student’s visa reinstated after unexpected revocation:" https://kslnewsradio.com/breaking-news/visa-byu-student/2204681/

* "Campus activists, misidentified students, a jaywalker. Is this the deportation list the Trump administration is using?:" https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/17/metro/zionist-group-deportation-lists/

* More terrifying shit. "Feds say agents went to LA schools to do welfare check on migrant children:" https://apnews.com/article/schools-immigration-federal-agents-los-angeles-fe4d1d3ba3f6a7afe6b749cd6a7f2fcb

* "Rep. Becca Balint unloads on Trump administration for false claims against detained students:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/rep-becca-balint-unloads-on-trump-administration-for-false-claims-against-detained-students-237925445924

* "Trump Admin Tells Afghan Refugees Who Fled Taliban to Self-Deport—Report:" https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-tells-afghan-refugees-who-fled-taliban-self-deportreport-2061049

* "‘War on tourism’: Trump set to cost U.S. billions as foreign tourists stay clear:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-war-on-tourism-trump-set-to-cost-u-s-billions-as-foreign-tourists-stay-clear-237648453688

* " From Lollapalooza to Detention Camps: Meet the Tent Company Making a Fortune Off Trump’s Deportation Plans:" https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-deportations-deployed-resources-tent-company?

* "“They Don’t Care About Civil Rights”: Trump’s Shuttering of DHS Oversight Arm Freezes 600 Cases, Imperils Human Rights:" https://www.propublica.org/article/homeland-security-crcl-civil-rights-immigration-border-patrol-trump-kristi-noem?

* "UO students rally after visa revocations, urge stronger protections for international peers:" https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/12/university-of-oregon-rally-international-students/

* If you live in Vermont, now is a great time to let your voice be heard. "Vermont Senate leaders urge Gov. Phil Scott to terminate state agreement with federal immigration officials:" https://vtdigger.org/2025/04/15/vermont-senate-leaders-urge-gov-phil-scott-to-terminate-state-agreement-with-federal-immigration-officials/

* "Trump Has a New Target for His Mass Deportations: U.S. Citizens:" https://newrepublic.com/post/193669/donald-trump-target-mass-deportations-us-citizens

* "Trump exposed in 'hot mic' moment planning further abuse of power:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-exposed-in-hot-mic-moment-planning-further-abuse-of-power-237422661695

* "Trump's immigration agenda is not popular:" https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trumps-immigration-agenda-isnt-popular

* "Anti-Trump protesters rally in New York, Washington and elsewhere across the country:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-protests-hands-off-revolutionary-war-anniversary-34218e384bef12bdf3a75a40959f4ede

* "Protesters rally outside White House amid nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/protesters-rally-white-house-nationwide-anti-trump-demonstrations-rcna201993

* I can't show all the protests, but I can show you some to remind people they are ongoing.

* CW: Rape. "Justice Department wants to step in for Trump in E. Jean Carroll appeal:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case-justice-department/

* "Trump Family’s Crypto Venture Nets $25 Million Investment From Firm Suspected of Fraud:" https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/trump-family-crypto-dwf-1235318209/

* "Busted: Report paints vivid picture of Trump corruption:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/busted-report-paints-vivid-picture-of-trump-corruption-237899333688

* "Nearly 90% of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cut as Trump’s government downsizing continues:" https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-doge-cfpb-elon-musk-456b747c367fccbcf3b74d2893cd1a35

* "Judge orders halt to mass firings at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/judge-orders-halt-mass-firings-consumer-financial-protection/story?id=120951391

* "Judge orders Trump administration to tell fired workers they were not let go for poor performance:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-firings-probationary-workers-e469a427e50f205bb79803a1405dcc3c

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

* I think we found the Government Waste. "US DOGE Service Agreement With Department of Labor Shows $1.3 Million Fee—and Details Its Mission:" https://www.wired.com/story/department-of-labor-doge-usds-payment/

* Here's more of it: "DOGE Playas, their DOGE Enforcer Pals And the Security Detail You Need to Be a True DOGE-Banger:" https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/doge-playas-their-doge-enforcer-pals-and-the-security-detail-you-need-to-be-a-true-doge-banger

* So they likely have been giving Russian Hackers and who knows who else sensitive data. "5 takeaways about NPR's reporting on the whistleblower report about DOGE at the NLRB:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355895/doge-musk-nlrb-takeaways-security

* "DOGE assigns staffers to work at agency where it allegedly removed sensitive data:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5366851/doge-nlrb-whistleblower-musk-data

* "Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Getting Audited:" https://www.wired.com/story/gao-audit-elon-musk-doge-government-agencies/

* "Elon Musk’s xAI criticized over unauthorized gas turbines at Memphis facility:" https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-xai-criticized-over-182837823.html

* I can't begin to post all the protests, but I like to ink some now and then so people see they are still going.

* "‘Tesla Takedown’: Protesters gather outside new London Tesla dealership:" https://www.ctvnews.ca/london/article/tesla-takedown-protesters-gather-outside-new-london-tesla-dealership/

* "Tesla Protesters' Poster Says "Send Musk To Mars", He Responds:" https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/elon-musk-responds-to-tesla-protesters-send-musk-to-mars-demand-8166994

* "Anti-Trump protests this weekend turn focus to community action:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/19/nx-s1-5369483/anti-trump-protests-50501-tesla-takedown

* "Targeting Tesla: Scenes from anti-Musk protests:" https://archive.ph/SJDEl

* "Simulated Musk, Zuckerberg voices are speaking from hacked crosswalk buttons:" https://www.theverge.com/news/647830/crosswalk-hack-musk-zuckerberg-voices-california

* "Trump administration overrode Social Security staff to list immigrants as dead:" https://archive.ph/e4zUd

* "The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X:" https://www.wired.com/story/social-security-administration-regional-office-elon-musk-x/

* "How DOGE may have improperly used Social Security data to push voter fraud narratives:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/11/nx-s1-5352470/doge-musk-social-security-voting

* "Trump administration plans to end the IRS Direct File program for free tax filing, AP sources say:" https://apnews.com/article/irs-direct-file-tax-returns-free-trump-4bb0bca02fab9b3d06ae6f45ac67b7ab

* "20,000 IRS employees interested in deferred resignation offer as tax deadline looms:" https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/15/irs-resignation-treasury-tax-deadline-trump.html

* "DOGE Cuts Update Today: IRS Doesn't 'Have Time' for Tax Cases Amid Layoffs:" https://www.newsweek.com/doge-cuts-update-irs-layoffs-2059957

Remember, the staffing cuts at the IRS are intended to make things harder for ordinary taxpayers and also to prevent any chance of rich tax cheats being audited, which will drive up the debt, which will the justify yet more cuts to social services.

* "DOGE’s IRS cuts will cost the average American a fortune :" https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5248491-irs-doge-taxpayer-impacts/

* "Internal budget document reveals extent of Trump’s proposed health cuts:" https://archive.ph/PPYPV

* "RFK Jr. vowed to upend American health care. It’s happening faster than expected.:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/09/rfk-revamp-health-hhs-00280101

* Food Safety has already been deteriorating because of Trump's attacks on food safety last time. It's about to get so much deadlier. "US FDA suspends food safety quality checks after staff cuts:" https://archive.ph/df2sT

* "With tractor parade, Maine farmers protest USDA cuts that could leave many in debt:" https://mainemorningstar.com/2025/04/16/with-tractor-parade-maine-farmers-protest-usda-cuts-that-could-leave-many-in-debt/

* "CDC cruise inspectors laid off as ship arrives in Florida with norovirus outbreak:" https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2025/04/14/norovirus-outbreak-cruise-ship-cdc-layoffs-florida/

* "Measles exploded in Texas after stagnant vaccine funding. New cuts threaten the same across the US:" https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-vaccines-funding-cuts-5785985d6b74024b0502f6a2fc1576e2

* "Kennedy draws from misinformation playbook by touting an inhaled steroid to treat measles:" https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/kennedy-draws-misinformation-playbook-touting-inhaled-steroid-treat-me-rcna200085

* "Video shows doctor with measles treating kids. RFK Jr later praised him as an ‘extraordinary’ healer:" https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f

He was highly contagious. Children are dying and he spreads it as much as he can.

* They are cooking the books, which is terrifying. "Ex-official says he was forced out of FDA after trying to protect vaccine safety data from RFK Jr.:" https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/ex-official-says-he-was-forced-out-of-fda-after-trying-to-protect-vaccine-safety-data-from-rfk-jr/

* "Top NIH scientist speaks out, says research was ‘censored’ under RFK Jr:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/top-nih-scientist-speaks-out-says-research-was-censored-under-rfk-jr-237788229924

* "Autism rate rises in new CDC report that contradicts RFK Jr. on cause:" https://archive.ph/LVthz

* "Trump and Kennedy Spouting Dangerous Autism Misinformation:" https://autisticadvocacy.org/2025/04/trump-and-kennedy-spouting-dangerous-autism-misinformation/

* "RFK Jr. said autistic people don’t work or play sports. They say he’s wrong.:" https://archive.ph/YPwuR

* "Staffers Walk Out of RFK Jr.’s Slur-Ridden Speech About Deep State:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/staffers-walk-out-of-rfk-jrs-slur-ridden-speech-about-deep-state/

* "Actress Holly Robinson Peete denounces RFK Jr.'s harmful claims about autism:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/actress-holly-robinson-peete-denounces-rfk-jr-s-harmful-claims-about-autism-237928005844

* "'Just a big slogan and propaganda': Kennedy, Oz and Braun met with swift criticism:" https://www.thestatehousefile.com/politics/just-a-big-slogan-and-propaganda-kennedy-oz-and-braun-met-with-swift-criticism/article_d1953c5c-d5c4-431e-a5ec-48ff240775c1.html

* "Federal government to remove gender dysphoria from protected disabilities list:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/gender-dysphoria-removed-protected-disabilities

* "Doctors warn of ‘terrifying’ effects as Trump creates snitch line to report gender-affirming care patients:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-trans-kid-reporting-portal

You know the drill, folks. Try to do credible, but completely false leads they will have to waste their time tracking down. You need things that LLMs/A.I. can't easily weed out.

* "Maine Gov. Janet Mills hits back after Trump sues state for transgender sports policies:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-sues-maine-transgender-sports

* "Federal judge blocks Trump admin's gender-restrictive passport policy:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-blocks-passport-gender-restrictions

* "Military families sue Trump administration to keep their school system diverse:" https://www.advocate.com/news/military-familes-sue-pentagon-schools

* "Federal appeals court upholds block on Trump's trans military ban:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trans-military-ban-block-upheld

* "People protest proposed cuts to VA staffing:" https://www.wkow.com/news/people-protest-proposed-cuts-to-va-staffing-healthcare/article_2ae24486-789e-4b31-9e10-aabab48f0bfb.html

* "H.R. McMaster receives accidental call from President Trump:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/h-r-mcmaster-trump-accidental-call/

The Administration keeps calling the wrong people by accident.

* "Signal War Plans v.s. Hillary's Emails:"

( Embed: )

* "Beyond Showerheads: Trump’s Attempts to Kill Appliance Regulations Cause Chaos:" https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-showerheads-appliances-led-lights-regulation-energy-department-chaos?

* "National Weather Service buyouts will leave gaps as storm season ramps up:" https://archive.ph/SwTG8

* "With fewer weather balloons due to government staffing cuts, forecasts may be less accurate:" https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/weather-balloons-stop-trump-cuts-forecasts-less-accurate-rcna198055

Republicans are doing everything in their power to prevent forewarning of disasters a hamstringing disaster response. Remember, all this is necessary to justify more tax cuts for billionaires.

* "AmeriCorps members who respond to disasters and help nonprofits are let go in DOGE cuts:" https://apnews.com/article/americorps-volunteers-fema-doge-05b1d1cd53e0b5b9f64c17eaba7adf95

* "Schools lined up for help getting cleaner school buses. Then came the EPA freeze:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-electric-school-buses-districts-funding-biden-19fe231d30fc8ff606cae9f6987074c8

* "Lost in the sauce: Stories Trump probably hoped you wouldn't notice while he 'flooded the zone':" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/lost-in-the-sauce-stories-trump-probably-hoped-you-wouldn-t-notice-while-he-flooded-the-zone-237900357720

* "DOGE Visits National Gallery of Art to Discuss Museum’s Legal Status:" https://archive.ph/IBTYR

* "‘A death blow’: Filmmakers, archivists reel as DOGE suddenly cuts their funding:" https://sfstandard.com/2025/04/17/doge-neh-funding-cuts-sf/

* "DOGE cuts at National Endowment for the Humanities hit Carnegie Museums, Phipps and more:" https://www.wesa.fm/arts-culture/2025-04-17/doge-neh-pittsburgh-carnegie-phipps

* "Washington's libraries face 'deep and dramatic' funding cuts as Trump abruptly terminates federal grants:" https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-libraries-deep-dramatic-cuts-trump-terminates-federal-grants

* "Head Start advocates brace for possibility of Trump eliminating funding:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/18/nx-s1-5368248/president-trump-head-start

Head start is one of the most valuable and effective education programs that exist. It's a long term investment in children that pays off, not "waste."

* "What to Know About Head Start, the Early Childhood Education Program the Trump Administration Is Proposing to Eliminate:" https://time.com/7278480/head-start-history-effectiveness-trump-hhs-budget-funding-elimination-reactions/

* "Trans Congresswoman Sarah McBride just got Trump to reverse himself in victory for Delaware:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/sarah-mcbride-trump-reversal-victory

* "Trump Administration Retreats From White-Collar Criminal Enforcement:" https://archive.ph/cWdzs

* "Noem threatens Harvard’s ability to enroll international students:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/17/trump-administration-punish-harvard-00295445

* "House GOP probes Harvard over federal funding:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/17/house-gop-probes-harvard-over-federal-funding-00296742

* "Harvard University Announces It Won’t Surrender to Trump:" https://newrepublic.com/post/193977/harvard-university-wont-surrender-trump

* Harvard is doing the right thing instead of caving like Columbia. Other Universities are signing up to resist.

* "MSU faculty join call for Big Ten 'mutual defense compact' against Trump administration:" https://statenews.com/article/2025/04/msu-faculty-join-call-for-big-ten-mutual-defense-compact-against-trump-administration

* "These Faculty Senates Are Trying to Band Together to Stand Up to Trump:" https://www.chronicle.com/article/these-faculty-senates-are-trying-to-band-together-to-stand-up-to-trump

* "'Don't fight alone': Universities band together to defend against Trump attacks:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-don-t-fight-alone-universities-band-together-to-defend-against-trump-attacks-237521477619

* "Judge temporarily blocks Trump from retaliating against firm that sued Fox News for election lies:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-law-firm-susman-godfrey-eada6cc436533ea3b483568c8287600e

* "Trump Enforcer Shaking Down Law Firms for Billions is Unmasked:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-personal-lawyer-boris-epshteyn-is-the-one-shaking-down-big-law-firms/

* "White House shakes up press pool in apparent nod to court ruling:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/15/white-house-changes-press-pool-00292526

* "Bill Maher Had Dinner With Donald Trump, Because of Course He Did:"

( Embed: )

* "From Roe to woes, the days SCOTUS hit 'undo' on half a century of progress:" https://www.advocate.com/scotus-ruling

* Republicans are hoping the 14th Amendment to the constitution will be declared unconstitutional. "Supreme Court to hear arguments on Trump’s bid to start implementing his plan to end birthright citizenship:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/17/supreme-court-end-birthright-citizenship-trump-00296984

* "Mahmoud v. Taylor: Everything to know about the Supreme Court case to ban LGBTQ+ books:" https://www.advocate.com/news/mahmoud-v-taylor-lgbtq-books

* "ACLU and LGBTQ+ groups defend Maryland schools' LGBTQ+ curriculum in Supreme Court filing:" https://www.advocate.com/news/school-opt-out-challenged

* I do not want to go back to how it was in my youth. "What to know about the Supreme Court case that could take away your access to PrEP and other care:" https://www.advocate.com/news/supreme-court-prep-case-explained

* "The Cruelty of Medicaid Work Requirements:" https://time.com/7260543/medicaid-work-requirements-disability-essay/

* "White House to send Congress a formal request to nix $9.3B for PBS, NPR, State Department:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/14/white-house-to-send-congress-a-formal-request-to-nix-9-3b-for-pbs-state-department-00289543

Now is the time to hammer your Congress Critters phonelines about why we need NPR and PBS.

* "Lisa Murkowski Says 'We Are All Afraid' Of Retaliation By Donald Trump:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lisa-murkowski-donald-trump_n_6800fb8ae4b027910a15d38f

* "Trump’s pick to lead the IRS raked in donations to pay off campaign debt after he was announced:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/16/billy-long-irs-campaign-donations-00293051

* "Trump pick to head IRS raises red flags with sketchy ties, disappearing debt:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-pick-to-head-irs-raises-red-flags-with-sketchy-ties-disappearing-debt-237903941510

* "Minimum Wage Increase for 20 Million Proposed Under New Bill:" https://www.newsweek.com/minimum-wage-increase-20-million-americans-proposed-new-bill-2059403?_bhlid=c646c53e777103df2a00a722dd2405c8418f77fd

* "What the SAVE Act could mean for millions of voters, according to a Brennan Center expert:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5361192/house-elections-save-act-voting-rights

* "Trump and Republicans Are Leading an Open Assault on Free Elections:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-republicans-elections-voting-rights-attack-1235316895/

* "In Rural America, the SAVE Act Is a Direct Attack on the Freedom To Vote | Opinion:" https://www.newsweek.com/rural-america-save-act-direct-attack-freedom-vote-opinion-2061138

* "Dem Senators Introduce Logging Bill That Would Hand Over Keys to National Forests to Trump Administration:" https://oregonwild.org/fix-our-forests-senate-antienvironment-bill/

* "The Problems with the Fix Our Forests Act, which Aims to Totally F**k Our Forests:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1LUE2J-ujYs

* I can't remotely post all the rally/town hall stuff, I am sorry.

* "Thousands gather for 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour led by Sanders, AOC in Folsom:" https://www.kcra.com/article/bernie-sanders-aoc-fighting-oligarchy-folsom/64488745

* "‘We got ‘em scared!’: AOC and Bernie draw massive crowds in red states:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-we-got-em-scared-aoc-and-bernie-draw-massive-crowds-in-red-states-237658181542

* "Rep. Dean explains why an anti-Trump town hall moved her to tears:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-dean-explains-why-an-anti-trump-town-hall-moved-her-to-tears-237926469511

* "Anti-LGBTQ+ Texas AG Ken Paxton announces U.S. Senate bid:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ken-paxton-runs-senate

* " Georgia governor signs religious liberty law, worrying LGBTQ+ advocates who say it'll allow discrimination:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/georgia-religious-freedom-act-signed

* "Alabama House passes 'Don't Say Gay,' drag ban, and Ten Commandments bills all at once:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/alabama-gay-drag-ten-commandments

* "'Andy, that's not true:' Texas Republican mocked after admitting he doesn't know what intersex is:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/texas-republican-doesnt-know-intersex

* "Even in liberal Massachusetts, Republicans are attacking trans athletes:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/massachusetts-transgender-sports-ban-advances

* "Out gay Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs law repealing marriage equality ban:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/colorado-marriage-equality-ban-repealed

* "Budget gets bipartisan support in the Senate: Bill unexpectedly repeals caseload limitations for child protection agency:" https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/04/15/budget-gets-bipartisan-support-in-the-senate/

* Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey Interview: https://www.advocate.com/politics/pittsburgh-mayor-ed-gainey-interview

* "Judge finds Newsmax aired false and defamatory claims about voting-tech company:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/09/nx-s1-5357885/newsmax-dominion-defamation-2020-election

* "U.K. trans groups respond to high court ruling that trans women aren’t considered women under equalities law:" https://www.advocate.com/news/uk-court-definition-woman-cisgender

* "U.S. activists call U.K. anti-trans ruling 'a serious blow' to human rights:" https://www.advocate.com/news/american-activists-british-antitrans-ruling

* "When Therapists Lose Their Licenses, Some Turn to the Unregulated Life Coaching Industry Instead:" https://www.propublica.org/article/utah-therapists-life-coaches-regulation

* "Americans With Food Allergies Are Getting a Bad Deal:" https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/06/food-allergy-read-fda-warning-label/678731/

* CW: Suicide "A Disaster of the U.S. Military’s Own Making:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/19/magazine/suicide-military-austin-valley.html

* "Why isn’t extreme heat considered a disaster in the U.S.?:" https://www.npr.org/2024/06/18/nx-s1-5003785/extreme-heat-disaster-fema-climate?

* "Creating a throw-away culture: How companies ingrained plastics in modern life:" https://www.npr.org/2024/06/09/nx-s1-4942415/disposable-plastic-pollution-waste-single-use-recycling-climate-change-fossil-fuels

* "The world is drowning in plastic.:" https://www.propublica.org/article/delusion-advanced-chemical-plastic-recycling-pyrolysis

* "Traffic engineers build roads that invite crashes because they rely on outdated research and faulty data:" https://theconversation.com/traffic-engineers-build-roads-that-invite-crashes-because-they-rely-on-outdated-research-and-faulty-data-223710

* "The West Coast’s Fanciest Stolen Bikes Are Getting Trafficked by One Mastermind in Jalisco, Mexico:" https://www.wired.com/story/silicon-valleys-fanciest-stolen-bikes-trafficked-mastermind-jalisco-mexico/

* "Banks Are Finally Realizing What Climate Change Will Do to Housing:" https://www.wired.com/story/banks-are-finally-realizing-what-climate-change-will-do-to-housing/

* "Potatoes Are the Perfect Vegetable—but You’re Eating Them Wrong:" https://www.wired.com/story/potatoes-are-the-perfect-vegetable-but-youre-eating-them-wrong/

* "Inside the Slimy, Smelly, Secretive World of Glass-Eel Fishing:" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/24/inside-the-slimy-smelly-secretive-world-of-glass-eel-fishing

* "These oldest inhabited termite mounds have been active for 34,000 years:" https://apnews.com/article/oldest-termite-mounds-africa-climate-eb9b49dbbbb770c739398cef894a99a8

* "Videos Show That Leeches Can Jump in Pursuit of Blood:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/20/science/jumping-leeches.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1E0.hCBE.hbEw5KUNR8vp&utm_source=DamnInteresting

* "The Koala Paradox: Can Australia find a way to protect its most beloved animal?:" https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/07/australia-koala-crisis-protection/678493/

* "Study shows elephants might call each other by name:" https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/study-shows-elephants-might-call-each-other-by-name-2024-06-10/

* "More Than a Century Ago, Flamingos Disappeared From Florida. Now, They’re Coming Home:" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-a-century-ago-flamingos-disappeared-from-florida-now-theyre-coming-home-180984492/

* "Records of Pompeii’s survivors have been found – and archaeologists are starting to understand how they rebuilt their lives:" https://theconversation.com/records-of-pompeiis-survivors-have-been-found-and-archaeologists-are-starting-to-understand-how-they-rebuilt-their-lives-230641

* "The Curious Melodic Case of The Regina Music Box :" https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-curious-melodic-case-of-the-regina-music-box/

* "Letters Reveal the Life of a 20-Something in 18th-Century London:" https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/letters-life-18th-century-london

* "There’s a Better Way to Teach the California Gold Rush:" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/theres-a-better-way-to-teach-the-california-gold-rush-180984544/

* "No, President Trump, the Income Tax Wasn’t A Mistake. But It Was an Accident.:" https://www.propublica.org/article/history-income-tax-history-16th-amendment-trump-tariffs-great-depression

* "Bubble Girl: The kidnapping that once riveted the nation:" https://theamericanscholar.org/bubble-girl-1/

* "Worse Than Signalgate:" https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/04/world-war-i-accidental-leak/682393/

* "What is "Haute Couture"? And why is it French?:"

( Embed: )

* "The Scandalous History of the Tuxedo:"

( Embed: )

* "How the Fridge Changed Flavor:" https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/how-the-fridge-changed-flavor

* "The Best Actress Oscar Race of 1950:"

( Embed: )

* I want to thank everyone who contributed to the Squirrel Fundraiser. They think they will be all right now.

* One of the things we got out of last week's marathon bureaucracy is Goth Millennial is getting paid to be my aid again. We also carved out eight hours a month for New Millennial. They started getting paid for their work Wednesday.

Let us hope I get to keep my home care aid hours. We should find out soon.

I took them both on Wednesday errands, which was delightful. I used the motorized cart and spent as much time as possible while waiting things in the car with my seat reclined, reading. When we got back I was exhausted, but we also needed to do a full sofa change for the second day in a row because the emperor is being above and beyond destructive just now.

Them: I haven't seen you this exhausted after errands in months.
Me: I kept having to use all the spoons last week. There is a price for that.

This is a reminder for those of you who are not disabled or are recently disabled that this is what pushing through DOES when you are disabled. Yes, the Millennials got their job stuff sorted out and I'm re-certified as still disabled (Every five years I need to prove to various agencies that my spine hasn't spontaneously regenerated to a pristine state, nor my joints, nor my lungs.) and I've shored up my SSI stuff best I can, and we got the cleaning done in time for both inspections, etc., etc. But I'm pretty much going to be fucked physically for a couple of weeks and I got way behind on EVERYTHING last week because there wasn't anything left most days so I kept going to bed hungry and very early and didn't do the stuff I can normally manage.

I am going to be paying and paying and paying.

Tavy did get a nice cuddle nap on me, then go sit on Goth Millennial for a while for pettins until the humans needed to rearrange themselves for dinner.

* Something has gone dramatically wrong with my bank account. I suspect paypal allowed a secret autowithdraw again at exactly the wrong time, which I will need to track down, as a bill I'd scheduled to pay with more than enough money in the account rather suddenly caused an overdraft. (I checked it wasn't Amazon prime randomly reactivating again, but it's a pain in the ass finding the right tab on paypal. I will do that next.) I had some cash I'd socked away at the beginning of the month in case I needed it for inspection cleaning. I put it back in in time to patch the hole, but when Insuarnce auto-withdraws hit, I am fucked. I think $70.00 would cover those plus fees.

Want to help? https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

* "HP-like LGBT Books (not written by a TERF):" https://www.tumblr.com/profiterole-reads/666484154723090432/hp-like-lgbt-books-not-written-by-a-terf

* "How Tim Burton Butchered Sweeney Todd:"

( Embed: )

* "Hunger Hurts: Cannibals and Why We're Obsessed with Them:"

( Embed: )

* Interview with Chuck Tingle: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FycrHnScQ9KViVrcbdx4W?go=1&sp_cid=59b2ae97b301ef8280618aec96e6c4e8&nd=1&dlsi=5c5fb47f80f44c34

* "How Do Religions Use Art?: Crash Course Art History #8:"

( Embed: )

* "Why autism portrayal is one-dimensional—and how to change it | Chloé Hayden | TEDxSydney Youth:"

( Embed: )

* "Shop 'til You Drop: Horror's Condemnation of Overconsumption:"

( Embed: )

* "Illustrious Iliad:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/M9qW-z39hrk

* "The White Potus - SNL:"

( Embed: )

* "Medication Ad - SNL:"

( Embed: )
*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

( More Links Underneath: )

cupcake_goth

- Tuesday involved me getting up earlier than usual because I had to go to the office for an in-person working session on the thing I presented last week. We got a lot done and have a plan, yay. I also learned a non-work thing: I am WAY more sensitive to garlic than I thought, especially if it's uncooked. I felt inflammation coming on as I was heading back home in the evening, and woke up on Wednesday feeling AWFUL. When do I get the good side effects of being a vampire? When?

- I am, as usual, doing a lot of window shopping. This pink hat with black bats and moons calls to me, of course, but then I decided I could DIY something even more suited to me. Thanks to AliExpress, I have a pink hat with an even wider brim and a bunch of black lace bat appliques. This coming weekend will involve painting the hat with a darker pink alcohol dye, then attaching the appliques. And maybe wide ribbons (attached to the inside of the crown) so I can tie it on if I want.

- I'm also coveting this sterling silver choker with a giant quartz centerpiece, but it's out of my price range. But it's so pretty!

- I'm thinking of taking a day off from work and persuading the Stroppy One we should go to the zoo. The things that are giving me pause are 1) the Stroppy One is about to start deadline work, and 2) the local zoo is very hilly, and will be challenging for me. (There's a part of me that thinks making the trek to Seattle to go to Woodland Park may be a better idea, especially since I could go visit my beloved red pandas. Our local zoo doesn't have red pandas.)

- All in all, things are meh around here, but I'm trying to find things that make me happy. I hope you peeps are also finding things that bring you joy.

china_shop

( US political shitshow behind the cut (Youtube video & news link) )

And while I'm at it, ( shitty news from the UK, too )

china_shop

Previous poll review
In the Lists poll, 59.3% of respondents make to-do lists on their phone/computer/device, 40.7% use scraps of paper, and 18.5% have a planner or other organisational system. (These options are obviously not mutually exclusive.) "I park items on my to-do list so I don't have to worry about forgetting them" was the most popular purpose of to-do lists, with 61.1%, followed by 44.4% who refer to their to-do lists and try to complete the items thereon, and 24.1% who agree with me that "putting an item on the list is sort of the same as doing the thing."

In ticky-boxes, hugs came first with 75.9%, followed by a near-four-way tie. Thank you for your votes! <3

Reading
Am I reading anything except Guardian? Doesn't seem like it. ETA: Just started A Horse and his Boy by C.S. Lewis.

~~Kdramas~~ Asian dramas
I'm watching my first Japanese drama, Aoshima-kun is a Bully!, on VIKI. It's a sweet m/f office romance with a 9-year age gap. The production values aren't super-shiny, but it hangs together fine. I like older woman/younger man stories for a number of reasons; it might be the first drama I've seen where the woman is like, yes, I do like you, and it's nice when you stay over, but also I really miss having tons of alone time. And I like that the male lead keeps turning to his two step-mothers for relationship advice, aw. Non-standard family relationships for the win!

More of the Sell Your Haunted House rewatch.

Other TV
Finished The Pitt, which was as excellent as everyone's been saying. The ending felt earned, and I'm glad they gave it space to breathe. Now Andrew and I are floundering a bit, unsure what to watch next. (We've spent the last couple of evenings listening to Youtube writing lectures, see below.) We're up to episode 3 of Doc, which is fine but by-the-numbers, and suffers greatly in comparison to The Pitt.

Still watching Krapopolis. Losing interest in Ghosts (UK), though it's interesting discussing why it isn't working for us. Started The Dope Thief, but I was finding the bad decisions and impending disaster too stressful and couldn't finish episode 1. The new Doctor Who, which, the main characters were great, and everything else feels messy to me.

A friend came over, and we watched the first episodes of Deadloch (a rewatch for me) and Jentry Chau vs the Underworld which I was too tired to judge.

Also: Frankie and Johnny (1985) starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino, a romance in which the female lead should have taken out a restraining order (interesting comparing it to Aoshima-kun, in which "mature woman stays single" is presented as a viable choice, not a death sentence), and Dead Again (1991) a "neo-noir romantic thriller" starring Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh as reincarnated lovers who look identical to their past-life selves (so I couldn't help connecting the dots to Guardian in that regard). Neither film has aged well.

Guardian/Fandom
Working on my 520 Day Guardian fic. Having some lovely discussions on

sid_guardian. Didn't sign up for

bitesizedfandomsex in the end, because the sign-up summary didn't look promising. That's okay.

Audio entertainment
Writing Excuses this week was about 3rd person omniscient, and it made me go back and start to re-read this week's Guardian chapters with voice in mind. Wow, priest is so good at this. It feels very natural, even to me who mostly reads 3rd limited. The example that came to mind most when I was listening to the podcast was actually The Spear Cuts Through Water, where a lot of the omniscient/non-main-character voices are there to support the worldbuilding and theme; that works so well. But in Guardian, it's not a theme thing; priest is just telling the story.

The Daily Stoic on Virtue Ethics, which wasn't as explanatory as I was hoping.

And a bunch of Brandon Sanderson's Youtube lectures on plotting which, as I've mentioned previously, I'm trying to apply to a 4k fic. (I broke it into segments and reassembled them, theoretically with more build/progression; now let's see if this thing will fly.)

Writing/making things
My writing energy is pretty good. I'm getting things done and having a good time doing so. I have two things I want to finish this week (one is most of the way there; the other, I'd be happy if I could get a complete draft), and if I have time after that, I'll write another flashfic for the Pink round on

fan_flashworks. I'm thinking of doing something with P!nk song titles or lyrics.

Life/health/mental state things
I seem to be permanently not on top of things, ahhhhh! How is it mid-April already?? Every so often I look at my consolidated to-do list and go, "Okay, okay, I did a couple of these ~~by accident~~, I can cross them off." I don't think that's how to-do lists are supposed to work.

I did manage to get my four-year term submission in yesterday, so that's something. (It was very cranky.)

Cats
Halle's on 3x daily medication for the next 5-7 days. She is so good about it. I can't get over how chill and compliant she is, especially compared to our previous demon siblings.

Korean
I got a bilingual children's picture book out of the library, and yeah, it's above my (very low) reading level. But I've also printed out the Korean subs for episode 8 of Guardian, and that's a bit more successful, since I know pretty well how it goes. I just need to make some more time.

Good things
Biking weather. Library books. Writing. Guardian. Guardian fanart. Cooking experiments. Podcasts and Youtube. Polls. Movie night with my sister. Figuring out I can play file types that aren't supported by my TV through my Blueray player. Flowering hibiscus and fruiting lemon tree. Boy and cat.

Poll #32985 vegetables

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 52

View Respondents

In general

View Answers

fresh vegetables, bought
47 (90.4%)

fresh vegetables, homegrown
23 (44.2%)

frozen vegetables
24 (46.2%)

no vegetables
2 (3.8%)

other
4 (7.7%)

ticky-box of hanging in there until things settle down and I can sort my life out
33 (63.5%)

ticky-box of a lion librarian strangely obsessed with books/DVDs/resources on penguins
24 (46.2%)

ticky-box full of polls
25 (48.1%)

ticky-box full of sunbeams playing in a tree, daring each other to peek around the shadowed side
33 (63.5%)

ticky-box full of hugs
41 (78.8%)

resonant

If you sometimes have blood in your urine, even just a bit, even just now and then, and you test negative for a urinary tract infection, ask your doctor if you need to see a urologist. If it happens twice (especially if you smoke), TELL your doctor you need to see a urologist.

I've just had my follow-up appointment from having a small cancerous growth removed from my bladder. I'm fine! I feel fine! My prognosis is fine! But I'm glad we caught it early and wish I had gone to a specialist even earlier.

The doctor compared this procedure to removing a malignant mole from your arm or a polyp they find during a colonoscopy, so as procedures go this was a pretty simple one.

I now have to have a cytoscopy to watch for regrowth, and after four years the frequency will go down but I'll have to have them annually for the rest of my life, just another annual thing like a Pap or a mammogram.

I would have pursued more healthcare if I hadn't been scared. So if you're scared the way I was, I'll put some details below the cut; if you're squeamish, maybe don't click that arrow.

( cut for gross stuff )

gwydion

* As has been the case since January, the sort may be a little rough. News keeps moving fast, so some items may be already out of date. I had massive amounts of bureaucracy, plus Inspection Cleaning last week and my body got pushed too hard. This is both why the aggregate is late, and why it's missing a ton of stuff.

* "Exclusive: Israel hit Syrian bases scoped by Turkey, sources say:" https://archive.ph/TqPKk

* "'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This': author speaks out on Gaza:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/-one-day-everyone-will-have-always-been-against-this-author-speaks-out-on-gaza-237276741815

* "Gaza aid worker killings: One humanitarian still missing in mass grave:" https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1161736

* "'We Are In Complete Shock': Israel Bombs Last Fully Functioning Hospital in North Gaza:" https://www.commondreams.org/news/gaza-hospital-bombing

* "Israel walks back its account of Gaza medic killings after video surfaces of attack:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-walks-back-account-gaza-medic-killings-video-surfaces-attack/

******

* "Death toll from Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih rises to 19, one dead after overnight strikes in Kyiv:" https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/04/06/death-toll-from-russias-attack-on-kryvyi-rih-rises-to-18

* CW: Child Death "‘Little suns in the classroom’: Ukrainian city mourns children killed by Russian missile:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kryvyi-rih-missile-attack-63cf067166caebe68b163af6c2e1de5e

* "1 killed in Russian attack on Kyiv as death toll from earlier missile strike rises to 20:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-kryvyi-rih-strike-5d612e2dc8e311fc82c37404e204e79a

* "Russian missiles hit Ukrainian city of Sumy during Palm Sunday celebrations, killing more than 30:" https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-sumy-b034da8f4d83d08e5ea24c6033dbe3cf

* "‘Everybody is to blame’: Trump slams Biden, Zelenskyy and Putin for war in Ukraine:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/14/trump-ukraine-russia-war-00289352

* Russia invaded Ukraine in an attempt to conquer it. How is that Ukraine or Biden's fault? " Zelenskyy jabs JD Vance for ‘justifying’ Russia’s war on Ukraine :" https://www.politico.eu/article/volodymyr-zelenskyy-jab-jd-vance-justify-russia-war-ukraine/

* The plant is in Ukraine. Neither Russia nor the US are entitled to it. "Everyone wants Europe’s largest nuclear plant. Ukraine wants it back.:" https://archive.ph/gqj7n

******

* "Turkey's opposition vows to sustain protests over jailing of Erdogan's main rival:" https://archive.ph/Z0e2o

* "Serbian protesters cycle 1,400 kilometres to seek EU support against Vucic regime:" https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20250405-serbian-protesters-cycle-1-400-kilometres-to-seek-eu-support-against-vucic-regime

* "Hundreds of protesters turn out in European cities against Trump:" https://archive.ph/FN2je

* "Pentagon fires Greenland base commander after she criticized JD Vance visit:" https://www.politico.eu/article/us-military-fires-commander-susannah-meyers-greenland-base-critic-jd-vance-visit/

* "Trump says the US will hold direct talks with Iran; Tehran says they’ll be indirect negotiations:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-netanyahu-tariffs-gaza-war-israel-4d83902207c28277b22ef2a310be4a5c

* "Trump and El Salvador's president attack transgender people during White House meeting:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-el-salvador-transgender

* "Trump punts on TikTok deal — app gets another 75 days:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/04/trump-tiktok-deal-00272469

* "Exclusive: Water looms as new front in Mexico's trade negotiations with the US:" https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/water-looms-new-front-mexicos-trade-negotiations-with-us-2025-04-09/

* Sort of. For a little while. "Trump hits pause on trade war: China tariffs will go up to 125 percent while other countries get a 90-day reprieve.:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/09/trump-pauses-tariffs-00281494

* "Trump spares smartphones, computers, other electronics from China tariffs:" https://archive.ph/gHzcA

* "China Halts Critical Exports as Trade War Intensifies:" https://archive.ph/EWHN5

* "The 18 hours that changed Trump’s mind on trade:" https://archive.ph/daKf0

* "From ‘Be Cool!’ to ‘Getting Yippy’: Inside Trump’s Reversal on Tariffs:" https://archive.ph/pUTmz

* "Why Trump Blinked on Tariffs Just Hours After They Went Into Effect:" https://archive.ph/EgSaE

* "We Just Saw the Cracks in Trump’s Wall of Power:" https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/04/10/donald-trump-vulnerabilities-tariffs-budget-00283251

* "U.S. stocks slump again as euphoria over Trump's tariff pause fades:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/10/g-s1-59342/global-markets-react-trump-tariffs-pause

* Not that's it's likely to matter because SCOTUS. "Adam Schiff Calls For Insider Trading Investigation into Trump Over Tariff Pause:" https://time.com/7276234/trump-tariff-insider-trading-schiff/

* "Pete Buttigieg — bearded and blunt — calls out Donald Trump’s tariff chaos: ‘This is people’s lives’:" https://www.advocate.com/news/pete-buttigieg-blasts-trump

* "This was before the pause, but it's about Trump's goals, so I'm keeping it.:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-idiotic-trump-s-tariffs-aim-to-send-us-back-to-triangle-shirtwaist-factory-era-236875845702

* "‘Donny, do a deal’: Why 'Trust in the Dear Leader' is not an economic policy:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-donny-do-a-deal-why-trust-in-the-dear-leader-is-not-an-economic-policy-237196357588

* Proof Republicans give no fucks about how much Trump dicking around the economy harms the base. Republicans: why we can't have nice things. "House GOP leaders move to quash vote on Trump’s global tariffs:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/04/09/congress/house-gop-leaders-move-to-quash-vote-on-trumps-global-tariffs-00280922

* Lest we forget, Trump golfed while the economy burned: "As the markets fell, Trump putted:" https://archive.ph/cGfkw

* "Who is Scott Bessent? Here's the gay billionaire and treasury secretary backing Trump tariffs:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/who-is-scott-bessent

* He really gives Let them Eat Cake vibes. "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Americans looking to retire aren’t concerned about day-to-day markets, dismisses concerns about a potential recession:" https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/06/treasury-secretary-scott-bessent-markets-tariffs-recession.html

* "Lutnick’s Strategy Flummoxes Business Leaders and White House Aides:" https://archive.ph/oeazo

* "Elon Musk vs. Peter Navarro is a slugfest in the swamp of the repugnant:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/elon-musk-vs-peter-navarro

* "Fed's Powell steady on rates, warns on inflation as Trump demands cut:" https://www.axios.com/2025/04/04/fed-powell-tariffs-inflation-growth

* "Former WA candidate Joe Kent involved in Signal chat scandal:" https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/former-wa-candidate-joe-kent-involved-in-signal-chat-scandal/

* "Trump plan would slash State Dept. funding by nearly half, memo says:" https://archive.ph/PYKjU

* "500,000 kids could die without PEPFAR as Trump & Elon Musk undermine HIV aid, study warns:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-pepfar-cuts-severe-consequences

* Cruelty is the Point "U.S. aid team fired while in Myanmar earthquake zone, ex-official says :" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-aid-team-fired-myanmar-earthquake-zone-ex-official-says-rcna199886

* "WATCH: State Department says funding to some life-saving UN food programs was cut by mistake:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-live-state-department-briefing-may-address-trade-negotiations-deportation-flights

* "U.S. Slashes Many of the Aid Programs It Had Promised to Keep:" https://archive.ph/sC2Ef

* "US Army to control land on Mexico border as part of base, migrants could be detained, officials say:" https://apnews.com/article/border-trump-roosevelt-military-immigration-85974188a51593351eed70ad26291888

* "DHS revokes parole for hundreds of thousands who entered via the CBP One app:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/08/dhs-parole-revoked-app-00007326

* "IRS agrees to share tax data with immigration authorities:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/08/irs-agrees-to-share-tax-data-with-immigration-authorities-00278548

Punishing people for paying taxes seems like a terrible idea, and breaching privacy is a dangerous precedent.

* "Top IRS officials join chief in quitting following immigration data deal:" https://archive.ph/C80D7

* "'It's criminal': IRS officials quit over sharing taxpayer info; Trump cuts worsen crisis:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-it-s-criminal-irs-officials-quit-over-sharing-taxpayer-info-trump-cuts-worsen-crisis-237006917721

* "U.S. says it is now monitoring immigrants' social media for antisemitism:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/09/g-s1-59149/immigrants-social-media-antisemitism-dhs

Bet that's going to be abusive and arbitrary in the way the recent visa revocations are. Bet it's not going to target antisemitism but rather anything Trump doesn't like.

* "US Supreme Court lets Trump pursue deportations under 1798 law, with limits:" https://archive.ph/ITYbR

* "Supreme Court says Trump admin must 'facilitate' release of man wrongly deported to El Salvador prison:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-trump-admin-must-facilitate-release-kilmar-abrego-garcia-rcna200284

* "Supreme Court avoids confronting Trump so far, even when it rules against him:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-avoids-confronting-trump-far-even-rules-rcna200433

* "Supreme Court unanimously rules against Trump, orders return of mistakenly deported man:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/breaking-supreme-court-unanimously-rules-against-trump-orders-return-of-mistakenly-deported-man-237089349832

* "'Get them back': Crockett reacts to SCOTUS ordering return of wrongly deported man:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-get-them-back-crockett-reacts-to-scotus-ordering-return-of-wrongly-deported-man-237092933749

* "Trump admin says Maryland man deported by mistake still detained in El Salvador:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/trump-admin-says-maryland-man-deported-by-mistake-still-detained-in-el-salvador-237242437509

* "About 90% of Migrants Sent to Salvador Lacked US Criminal Record:" https://archive.ph/OH3ma

* "2Bad Wisconsin cop’s tattoo claim helped deport gay asylum-seeker to Salvadoran prison hellscape: report:" https://www.advocate.com/news/cop-gay-asylum-deportation

* "Deported gay makeup artist cried for mother in prison, photojournalist says:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gay-man-imprisoned-el-salvador

* "What Happens When He Ignores Court Orders?:"

( Embed: )

* No one is safe under autocracy. Stand up for the most vulnerable now. Stay noisy. "Team Trump Is Gaming Out How to Ship U.S. Citizens to El Salvador:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-el-salvador-us-citizens-denaturalization-1235315975/

* "Trump administration contends it has no duty to return illegally deported man to US:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/13/abrego-garcia-el-salvador-trump-administration-00288502

* "El Salvador's Bukele, meeting with Trump, says he won't return migrant wrongfully deported:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-hosts-el-salvadors-bukele-amid-deportation-controversy/story?id=120788481

* "'It’s just that simple': Rubio admits to jailing immigrants for their political views:" https://www.alternet.org/rubio-jailing-immigrants/

* "Federal judge to consider releasing immigration activist who took refuge in churches:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/federal-judge-consider-releasing-immigration-activist-took-refuge-chur-rcna198517

* "Attorneys for Denver immigrants' rights activist Jeanette Vizguerra say her due process rights are being violated:" https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/denver-attorneys-activist-jeanette-vizguerra-say-due-process-rights-violated/

* "Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil says his ICE arrest was an 'abduction' :" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-ice-deportation-rcna199814

* It may be more complicated than the headlines make it look. "Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil can be deported, immigration judge rules:" https://apnews.com/article/mahmoud-khalil-columbia-protester-ruling-deport-fd9e80583af3109d7de0a5264e79ea61

* "Mahmoud Khalil’s fight against Trump isn’t over:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/mahmoud-khalil-s-fight-against-trump-isn-t-over-237241413872

* Protesting works sometimes, so Stay Noisy. "Source: ICE-detained family returning to Sackets Harbor:" https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/source-ice-detained-family-returning-to-sackets-harbor/

* "Judge weighs Tufts student's bid for release during challenge to detention:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-student-ice-hearing-jurisdiction/

* "‘They’re attacking attorneys’: Lawyer representing student protestor detained:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-they-re-attacking-attorneys-lawyer-representing-student-protestor-detained-236874309541

* "Mapped: How Many People Are ICE Detaining?:" https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/ice-detentions-february-2025/

* "Noem turns Homeland Security role into cringey costume theater:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/noem-turns-homeland-security-role-into-cringey-costume-theater-236899397868

* "‘Every day is Halloween’: Kristi Noem turns DHS role into costume parade:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-every-day-is-halloween-kristi-noem-turns-dhs-role-into-costume-parade-237194309976

* "Prep for the date: April 19:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2034306.html

* "Fierce backlash against Trump's agenda seen in sweeping, nationwide protests:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/fierce-backlash-against-trump-s-agenda-seen-in-sweeping-nation-wide-protests-236780613896

* "Making a mockery of Musk: Backlash against dismantling U.S. government focuses on hatchet man:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/making-a-mockery-of-musk-backlash-against-dismantling-u-s-government-focuses-on-hatchet-man-237420613874

* "Trump says he took a cognitive test as part of his latest physical:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/11/nx-s1-5361249/trump-physical-cognitive-test

* "Appeals court clears the way for Trump to fire probationary federal workers once again:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/09/nx-s1-5357415/trump-federal-probationary-employees-firings

* "Supreme Court lets Trump remove independent regulators, for now: The cases test the boundaries of presidential power and involve Gwynne Wilcox of the National Labor Relations Board and Cathy A. Harris of the Merit Systems Protection Board.:" https://archive.ph/3FkfS

* "Exclusive: Musk's DOGE using AI to snoop on U.S. federal workers, sources say:" https://archive.ph/UhFTP

* "Trump in search of waste need look no further than his own staff:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-in-search-of-waste-need-look-no-further-than-his-own-staff-236893253817

* "The Trump administration’s conflicting messages to the public and the courts:" https://www.politico.com/interactives/2025/trump-administration-messaging-public-courts-discrepancies-tracker/

* "Dan Bongino Wants You to Know He’s Working Really Hard. Seriously. He Is.:" https://www.thebulwark.com/p/dan-bongino-fbi-deputy-director-kash-patel-wants-you-to-know-hes-working-really-hard?r=cnvx&triedRedirect=true

* "The Cabinet Secretary Who Wants His Cookies Freshly Baked:"https://archive.ph/fTUrq#selection-605.48-605.59

* "Maddow blasts Trump's 'terrible, absolutely ridiculous way to run a government':" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-blast-s-trump-s-terrible-absolutely-ridiculous-way-to-run-a-government-236899909714

* "FBI creates multiagent bodyguard team to protect Dan Bongino :" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-creates-multiagent-bodyguard-team-protect-dan-bongino-rcna199861

* "Social Security wrongly told disabled people and some seniors their benefits ended, causing alarm:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-security-doge-ssi-error-message-currently-not-receiving-payments/

* "Social Security faces thousands more job cuts even with service in tailspin:" https://archive.ph/rjUbx

* ""Total betrayal of the middle class": Rep. Balint slams GOP plan to cut benefits:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/-total-betrayal-of-the-middle-class-rep-balint-slams-gop-plan-to-cut-benefits-237275717741

* "UAW Statement on Job Cuts at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health:" https://uaw.org/uaw-statement-on-job-cuts-at-the-national-institute-for-occupational-safety-and-health/

* "Trump, Hegseth promise record $1 trillion Pentagon budget:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/07/hegseth-trump-1-trillion-defense-budget-00007147

* "Kash Patel removed as ATF director, replaced with Army secretary:" https://archive.ph/GrUiO

* "Veterans Affairs clinicians sign letter against Trump's ban on trans vets' care: ‘There is resistance’:" https://www.advocate.com/news/va-clinicians-resistance-letter

* "Meet the trans Black Hawk pilot suing after being falsely accused of role in deadly D.C. crash:" https://www.advocate.com/news/transgender-pilot-defamation-lawsuit

* " Maine Gov. Janet Mills doubles down on defying Trump’s attacks on trans rights after court victory :" https://www.advocate.com/politics/janet-mills-donald-trump-transgender

* "Justice Dept. pulls 'nonessential' funds from Maine prison system over trans inmate housed with women:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/maine-funding-withdrawn-transgender-prisoner

* "Weaponizing antisemitism makes students 'less safe,' says drafter of definition:" https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-03-20/weaponizing-antisemitism-makes-students-less-safe-says-drafter-of-definition

* "The Shocking Far-Right Agenda Behind the Facial Recognition Tech Used by ICE and the FBI:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/clearview-ai-immigration-ice-fbi-surveillance-facial-recognition-hoan-ton-that-hal-lambert-trump/

* "WATCH: Ed Sec Calls Artificial Intelligence ‘A1’ Like the Steak Sauce:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/education-secretary-linda-mcmahon-calls-artificial-intelligence-a1-like-the-steak-sauce/

* "DIRNSA Fired:" https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/04/dirnsa-fired.html

* "Trump’s EPA Plans to Stop Collecting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data From Most Polluters:" https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-epa-greenhouse-gas-reporting-climate-crisis?

* "FACT FOCUS: Trump misrepresents facts about coal as he signs executive orders to boost its use:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-industry-mining-fact-check-69bc9919c2899a87c65c4c89a84a973e

* ""Restoring shower freedom": Trump signs order to undo water pressure standards:" https://www.axios.com/2025/04/10/trump-shower-heads-water-pressure-order-obama-biden

* "Trump Administration Cuts Funding and Staff for Flagship Climate Report:" https://archive.ph/GaP77

* "White House axes land bureau pick after past Jan. 6 criticism:" https://www.axios.com/pro/energy-policy/2025/04/10/white-house-withdraws-blm-nominee-kathleen-sgammas-nomination

* "White House outlines plan to gut NOAA, smother climate research:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/11/white-house-plan-guts-noaa-climate-research-00286408

* "DOGE cuts at a Florida manatee refuge have been reversed — for now:" https://archive.ph/HBbmJ

* "Law firms’ deals with Trump roil their staff, deepen industry rifts:" https://archive.ph/AWfyo

* "'The time is now to stand up!': Eric Holder sounds alarm on Trump's war on the rule of law:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-the-time-is-now-to-stand-up-eric-holder-sounds-alarm-on-trump-s-war-on-the-rule-of-law-237110853729

* "US Justice Dept bars its attorneys from participating in American Bar Association events:" https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-justice-dept-bars-its-attorneys-participating-american-bar-association-events-2025-04-09/

* "Trump channels his inner Putin against 2 critics. That should make you sick | Opinion:" https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2025/04/10/miles-taylor-chris-krebs-trump-order-investigation/83025618007/

* "Trump administration freezes $2 billion after Harvard rejects demands:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/harvard-rejects-trump-administration-demands-threats-funding-cuts-rcna201203

* "A federal website watered down the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman's descendant wants to know why.:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/national-park-service-website-erases-harriet-tubman-history-rcna200514

* "National Park Service restores original Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad webpage:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/national-park-service-restores-original-harriet-tubman-underground-rai-rcna200298

* "Donald Trump orders Women’s History Museum to remove trans people or lose funding:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/womens-history-museum-trans-trump

* "President Trump says CBS and ’60 Minutes’ should ‘pay a big price’ for going after him:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-cbs-60-minutes-2c8a32df63f3ec50cfffe94a26436fda

* "Trump Targets NPR, PBS, Foreign Aid in $9 Billion Spending Cut:" https://archive.ph/e0dy3

* "Federal judge restores AP’s full access to White House events in victory for press freedom:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-ap-white-house-pool

* "Trump officials won't answer reporters' queries if they include pronouns in emails:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-administration-opposes-pronouns

* "Measles cases rise to 700, adding pressure to RFK Jr.:" https://www.wkrn.com/news/national/measles-cases-rise-to-700-adding-pressure-to-rfk-jr/

* "I Study Measles. I’m Terrified We’re Headed for an Epidemic.:" https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2025/04/02/i-study-measles-im-terrified-were-headed-for-an-epidemic/

* "Can vitamin A treat measles? RFK Jr. suggests so. Kids are overdosing.:" https://archive.ph/aW9zR

* "CDC’s top laboratory on sexually transmitted diseases is shut by Trump administration:" https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/05/cdc-sexually-transmitted-diseases-laboratory-closed-by-trump-administration/

* "Trump quietly purges presidential HIV advisory council, sparking public health fears (exclusive):" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-pacha-purge-worries-advisors

* "World Trade Center Health program cuts a deep concern, Schumer and Gillibrand say:" https://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/new-york-sens-kirsten-gillibrand-and-chuck-schumer-world-trade-center-health-program-x7vezod3

* "RFK Jr. says he plans to tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water:" https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-cdc-epa-6f4dbc64b5dc511f712a82cd2d252d76

* "Trump orders NIH to study gender transition ‘regret.’ Here's what we already know about it:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-nih-regret-transgender-transition

* "New Trump Medicaid directive attacks trans people's access to gender-affirming care:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-transgender-minors-medicaid-limitations

* "Trump uses child abuse proclamation to attack transgender people:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-transgender-child-abuse-proclamation

* The program is incredibly effective, so of course Republicans hate it. It helps mitigate some of the disadvantages poor children start out with. "Local Head Start employees locked out, let go due to federal program cuts:" https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/local-head-start-employees-locked-out-let-go-due-federal-program-cuts/GM5MYR7BAFHXRHVRM3DLTGDBMQ/

* "‘Who voted for this?’: Trump guts funding for kids history contest:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-who-voted-for-this-trump-guts-funding-for-kids-history-contest-237095493915

* "Consumer sentiment tumbles in April as inflation fears spike, University of Michigan survey shows:" https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/11/consumer-sentiment-tumbles-in-april-as-inflation-fears-spike-university-of-michigan-survey-shows.html

* " A Lawyer Who Helped the Kushners Crack Down on Poor Tenants Now Helps Renters Fight Big Landlords :" https://www.propublica.org/article/kushner-kushnerville-apartments-tenants-lawsuits-andrew-rabinowitz-lawyer?

* "EXTENDED - Sen. Cory Booker On America's "Moral Moment" And Why Trump Is The Last Boomer President:"

( Embed: )

* The plan is to steal people's healthcare in order to give tax cuts to billionaires. "House adopts budget blueprint for Trump's agenda after GOP leaders sway holdouts:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-mike-johnson-gop-budget-vote-trump-agenda-rcna200578

* "The House has passed the Trump-backed SAVE Act. Here are 8 things to know:" https://www.npr.org/2025/03/12/nx-s1-5301676/save-act-explainer-voter-registration

This bill is intended to deny married women and trans people the vote as they are most likely to have name changes as well as poor people who can't afford travel and extra documents.

I beg of you to contact your Senators as four Quisling Democrats voted for this in the House, knowing that Republican claims of wide spread voter fraud are a lie and that all this is going to do is steal the right to vote from American citizens.

* "Rachel Levine's potential replacement once said trans youth should undergo 'corrective care':" https://www.advocate.com/politics/rachel-levine-successor-brian-christine

Conversion therapy doesn't work and is just torture that causes long term harm.

* "Alabama's Tommy Tuberville claims ‘entire men’s teams’ are transitioning. There’s no evidence of that because it’s not true:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/tommy-tuberville-teams-turning-transgender

* "We’re Getting Dangerously Close to a Losing North Carolina Candidate Being Declared the Winner:" https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/04/bush-v-gore-supreme-court-ruling-north-carolina-election.html

Fix it here: https://thegriffinlist.com/

* "Ohio Democrats call out Republicans for targeting LGBTQ+ people in 2025-2026 budget:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ohio-lawmakers-book-trans-ban

"Republican legislators in Ohio have added anti-LGBTQ+ provisions to its 2025 budget that would officially recognize only two sexes, ban Pride flags from government buildings, and restrict the availability of LGBTQ+ books in public libraries, local media report."

Ohioans, I beg of you to protest!

* "Judge denies bail for man accused of setting fire at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence:" https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-arson-charges-pennsylvania-governor-c3ccfc0f23a40f2b10bd6ba767d53f80

* "Central Myanmar shaken by new quake in one of the biggest aftershocks since March 28 temblor:" https://www.wral.com/story/central-myanmar-shaken-by-new-quake-in-one-of-the-biggest-aftershocks-since-march-28-temblor/21957871/

* "As Bolivia floods, cows swim where they once grazed:" https://archive.ph/hgj6c

* "Flooding death toll in Congo's capital reaches 33 as officials race to help victims:" https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/2025-04-08/flooding-death-toll-in-congos-capital-reaches-33-as-officials-race-to-help-victims

* Want to Help?

Here's one way, but I'd love if people ad more reputable local based options:

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/secure/donate?type=one-time

* "Millions across Midwest and South reeling from widespread flooding as storm death toll rises to 24:" https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/storms/millions-midwest-south-reeling-widespread-flooding-storm-death-toll-ri-rcna199954

* "Officials scramble to identify victims of Dominican club roof collapse that killed at least 184:" https://apnews.com/article/jet-set-nightclub-roof-collapse-dominican-republic-d135f5c315e47f1855fd2973fc34f656

* "Perseverance rover witnesses one Martian dust devil eating another:" https://phys.org/news/2025-04-perseverance-rover-witnesses-martian-devil.html

* "Nasa’s Curiosity rover has found the longest chain carbon molecules yet on Mars. It’s a significant finding in the search for alien life:" https://theconversation.com/nasas-curiosity-rover-has-found-the-longest-chain-carbon-molecules-yet-on-mars-its-a-significant-finding-in-the-search-for-alien-life-253249?user_id=66c4bcdd5d78644b3a99cc40

* "Judge rules Florida agency violated Endangered Species Act, resulting in mass manatee deaths:" https://www.yahoo.com/news/judge-rules-florida-agency-violated-210543048.html

* "Fragments of a rare Merlin manuscript from c. 1300 have been discovered and digitised in a ground-breaking three-year project at Cambridge University Library:" https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/merlin-manuscript-discovered-cambridge

* "History of Cats 2: Creatures from Hell | World History | Extra History:"

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* "Myth Busting Elizabethan Ruff Collars: How They Actually Were Made and Worn:"

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* "King of the Fairies: Goodwin Wharton | European History | Extra History:"

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* "How To Steal The Crown Jewels (And Get Away With It): Mavericks Chapter 1:"

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* "The legacy and programs of FDR, who died 80 years ago today, are at risk of being dismantled:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/fdr-legacy-trashed-by-trump

* "Did He Rob a Bank for Love?:"

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* "A 1990s History of Style:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQL5rqupX_A

* "Secret WW2 codebreaker became passionate speaker:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g87dke588o

* "Keith St Clare, pioneering gay magazine publisher, dead at 79:" https://www.advocate.com/news/keith-st-clare-magazine-publisher

* "Why are we so obsessed with Twins?!:"

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* "Machete-wielding cinnamon bun bandit caught mid-snack, Asheville police say:" https://wlos.com/news/local/man-arrested-armed-robbery-machete-asheville-grocery-store-haywood-road-machete-cinnamon-bun

* Basically we spent all week doing large amounts of exhausting bureaucracy, and trying to clean the apartment for inspection. Together these keep taking all the spoons. Friday is also going to be terrible. We have fire inspection and I am taking two Millennials with me to the stupid hiring fair because it's been a month and they still haven't sent the rehiring paperwork. I also need to do yet more time urgent bureaucracy on the way home, plus I have a disability inspection on either Friday, Monday, or Tuesday, but I've no idea which or which time. Let us hope it's not while I am out Friday, because I have no choice, but to go.

Special shout out to Tuesday in which I nearly killed myself doing three separate bureaucracys, while my feet blew up to giant red balloons from all that time with my legs down in the car and waiting rooms, did some grocery shopping as it was across the street from one of the bureaucracies, got three hours of sleep and had to be up again trying to be coherent.

I feel terrible, the pain is stunning, and there is no rest ever.

*shakes fist at Elon Musk*

* The exhausting bureaucracy was… a bit extra Friday. Okay, I thought I'd signed us up for a 2:30PM Appointment to take the Millennials to get their aid work stuff sorted out since it had been over a month and the employment packet they said they were sending still hadn't come. (Stick a pin in them promising to mail me the employment packet). I say I signed us up, but it was actually my medical social worker because they were using some weird off brand web format that I literally couldn't figure out how to interact with. Clicking the hyperlink looking things did nothing. No buttons to click or form I could fill out. Took me ten minutes to figure out how to scroll with no scroll bar… Yeah.

So they send me a reminder email saying we were signed up for 12:30. I forwarded it to the Millennials so they'd had copies. We decided to car pool in my car as all three of us were going to make sure. I figure I must have written down the time wrong. Sick a pin in that.

Alarm got me up quarter to 11AM. I was literally taking my pills when the bone vibrating alarm weren't off, terrifying poor Livia, and signalling fire inspection had hit my floor, which was good timing, honestly. Threw on clothes. Went out and asked if they could inspect me early as I was leaving shortly, which they did. This is when Tavy's nerve broke and he too ran for cover. Finished getting ready. Called Millennials, so they could get started getting their stuff, and went over to read while I waited for them.

The place we were going is the far edge of town. I figured in things like stopping for them to get caffeine and a little something to eat and lunch rush travel time on the highway. Traffic was lighter than expected, so we sat in the car, finishing coffee or tea and getting our heads ready to deal with bureaucracy.

We showed up to check in for the stupid hiring fair appointment thingie at about 12:20. They claimed we had no appointment. There was some weird mix up about names, likely because of their shitty website. I mentioned waiting over a month for the promised packets and them having said in the email we had a 12:30 Appointment. She looked at me like I was probably senile and said we had no appointment and that they'd been a paperless company for years, and settled in to start gaslighting me.

CDWA has lied to us soooo many times before. I have zero doubt they lied to me on the phone about packets rather than saying they were paperless and emailing me a URL, because they like to lie so they don't have to email urls, presumably out of laziness. This kind of lie featured heavily in the big nightmarish jerking around of Goth Millennial March/April/May of 2024.

So I dug my fucking heels in and started stubbornly arguing back, my which point New Millennial had called up the Email on their phone and silently held it out facing her. showing they'd sent the confirmation email for 12:30. Ha! By this time their was a line forming and she gave the fuck in and agreed to accommodate us, as it was clear the scheduling issue was on their end.

They hooked us up with an IT guy. We explained the nonsense. It turned out I didn't actually need to be there, but damned if I wasn't glad I came to stubborn at them, because I am my Mother's child, and stubborning was clearly the correct solution. So he sent me and Goth Millennial out to sit in the comfy chairs in the hall while he got New Millennial sorted out. He was super nice, btw. The catasterfuck that is the privatization of home care aids means we are now dealing with five different agencies/companies instead of two, none of which they tell anyone about and the procedures are deliberately hidden which is how we got here. Goth Millennial he couldn't sort out because they'd outsources to the secret 5th company no one had told us about so they were stuck in employment limbo, but he gave the Millennials directions for sorting it out Monday, his contact information, and an appointment for Goth Millennial to get completely sorted next Tuesday.

I am furious about the level of bullishit at CDWA, because all this was super easy when it was the state doing it and there wasn't constant lying and hiding the ball and extra obstacles and general fuckery.

IT guy though? A mensch.

So hopefully all the aid worker stuff is really sorted this time.

Then we attempted to turn in my disability paperwork (I periodically need to prove that I am still disabled to state and federal agencies. This is one of those simple recertifications) to the address on the disability paperwork. I thought, Republicans have enshittified the post office and this needs to be sorted by May 1. Surely, I thought, it would be simpler to follow the turn in in person directions. Bwahahahaha! No drop box, but rather a super long line to check in. So I stood there on feet rapidly swelling into big red balloons in the afternoon heat. And stood there. And stood there.

So the paperwork lied about where it was supposed to go. They gave me a hand out of addresses. It was now 2:20PM. So we drive down town. A very polite late teen in security clothes told me I now need metal detecting. I asked if I could just leave my keys with him, them being dangerous contraband. He was nice enough to let me. Me: I'm just dropping off paperwork He gave me an understandably skeptical look. Three open windows. One other customer. Five minutes to type me in and print out a thing and off I went. Me and my crutch clomping down the hall alerted the security guard and he jumped to his feet. Him: You were fast O.o

We were blocks from the locksmith, so I replaced a key that broke last winter. Then I stopped to by bread as it's literally on the way back and I dropped them home.

The cats were Soooo glad to see me after their ordeal.

It is 7:15. The swelling's about halfway down. Tavy's having a nice desk nap; I am petting Livia with my right hand. Everyone but the fish are fed. The Plants are watered, and there is now a scratch box in the front window for cat naps.

I am soooo tired, but I need to come to terms with this weeks news after my rest.

This week's news may be a bit sketchy as most of what I managed to do before the bureaucracy and cleaning started eating all the spoons was tariff immigration stuff, and most of the tariff stuff which stopped being relevant between then and now, so now I need to work out what to post of that.

I am doing my best, but having this much incredibly physically taxing bureaucracy in one week (Tuesday and Friday) and inspection prep stuff (Sun-Thursday). Was waaaaay too many things.

Oh! The disability inspection was luckily not today. Which leaves Monday and Tuesday. My money is on Tuesday as I vaguely remember him saying something about the last allowable day, and the 15th would make sense. In my defense, he woke me up out of a sound sleep and I lost whatever I wrote the appointment on.

* Second inspection turned out to be Monday morning. It went fine as far as I call tell. (Results will appear later.

He came in scrubs, wearing a mask instead of me having to provide a mask. He started dementia assessment by rote and then was like "You don't need this," and skipped it. As he was packing up to go, I asked, "Is it Banana, Sunset, Chair time?" Him: You are fine.

Tavy looked him over and decided he was okay. Observed most of the assessment from the window box. The bit where I had to stand up and do things while the guy monitored me, Tavy found rather concerning, but otherwise it was fine and he allowed the visitor to skritch his head at the end.

The Emperor did not bite anyone.

* Some of you may remember Squirrel not being able to keep up their end during our housing crisis the back quarter of 2024. This is because they'd been tricked by a company that turned out to be stealing hundreds of dollars every month. They then had to pay a massive amount last month to get out from under them. (They have put in a complaint with the state AG, because the company out right lied to them).

The massive amount of money was their bill money for last month. If they can manage to make it through this month, they will be fine, but a bunch of things are now so overdue as to be critical. I've been floating their share of some things for March and April and am lending them gas money to get to work, but I'm on SSI, and don't have that much leeway, especially as we have no idea what happens to my SSI May 2nd.

They are panicky and about $500.00 underwater.

They say anything will help right now, as the more they can pay on the bills they are trying to negotiate partial payments for, they more likely the companies involve will let them float some of it until May.

If they lose their Internet, I lose my Internet, as that is one of the household bills they cover in lieu of rent.

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/SquirrelMH

UPDATE:
Thanks to some help and clever negotiating, they were able to put enough down on each of their bills that we get to do things like keep internet another two weeks.

Their Union may be about to go on strike so what happens in two weeks is unclear when they need to pay off balances, as whether or not they will be able to cover things then depends on if they get enough hour, and it's already dicey even without a strike.

* "Trans Athletes: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

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* "Jon Stewart on Trump's Botched Tariff Rollout & The Stock Market's Meltdown | The Daily Show:"

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* "Nationwide "Hands Off" Protests | Wall Street Panics As Trump Intentionally Crashes Markets:"

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* "Trump & Tariffs: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver:"

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* "The Stories Fascism Fears Most:"

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* "How Pedro Zamora used TV to fight AIDS:"

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* "Transphobia in Film and TV is RAMPANT:"

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* "Kevin Uxbridge and the Problem of Power | A Lesson from Star Trek: TNG's "The Survivors":"

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* "Galavanting Greeks:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HlMq92Ne2cI

* "Rumpus Romans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HTTZTF6M0p0

* "Early Romans vs Late Romans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OjOlukl_yi4

* "Broken Brutus:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S17JXO-L4G8

* "Gladiators 101:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WAmhH_FL-nE

* "Rambunctious Romans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OfiKgErSXdo

* "Romenomics:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NZrQbagSj0Y

* "Randy Roman Generals:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HGAraTpeQvo

* "Chinese Roman Relations:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_OeUERjhh9c

* "Sibling Rivalry:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tiv8HEGyleo

* "Fanatical Friendship:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zmuKP6VyoIM

* "Cavorting Court Jesters:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZPJdMVoFDxo

* "The Amicable Auld Alliance:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S_mRsXBZZp4

* "Astrophotographer Travels to Alaska for Epic Photo of Lunar Eclipse and the Northern Lights:" https://mymodernmet.com/lunar-eclipse-aurora-dan-zafra/

* "Trump Tariff Cold Open - SNL:"

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* "The Great Battle - An SNL Animated Short:"

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* "Keegan-Michael Key For FAMDUEL:"

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* "Red God Chronicles: Lucky Lapis the Rabbit Lord:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/b4sXudoVRyE

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986

( More Links Underneath: )

cupcake_goth

- The work presentation that I was working on last week that caused me so much anxiety and stress ended up going really well, and my team has approval to move forward with a dream project. Tomorrow is a big in-office working session about the project with some other stakeholders and my writer who will be driving this, which means I need to trek into Seattle. I'm not thrilled about that part, but there are some people I'm especially looking forward to catching up with.

- Because of all of this last week, I ended up having a two and a half day seesawing panic attack, which I'm still recovering from. I couldn't do my usual way of recovering from such a thing, sleeping for an extended period, because I had social obligations. WHICH WERE AWESOME, but I'm still feeling the aftereffects of last week. In other words, I want to go be a sloth on the couch and then sleep in.

- I saw my big brother this weekend and got a tarot reading. Nothing like having the powers that be drop anvils on my head that I need to stop listening to the Brain Raccoons. Thanks. Yes, I constantly need the reminder, but DAMN.

china_shop

Andrew and I were talking about the Narnia books. He hasn't read some of the middle ones, and I was all, "Oh, you should try The Silver Chair. It's really interesting, and it has a great Eeyore character."

him: Oh, yeah, Pond-drizzle.

Consider the dangers of listening to Brandon Sanderson's lectures on plot, while attempting to write a < 4k exchange fic.

My eyesight is getting noticeably worse, and I'm dreading the day I can't start the morning reading my phone and seeing the texture of my cat's russet-black fur as I stroke her, without glasses.

I realised that I listened to Me & AU (f/f podcast about two fans and their new tiny fandom) as a mood enhancer. The POV character is going through some big emotions, but her affect is upbeat in a distinctly fannish way, and I enjoy how that bleeds into my own behaviour (right up until it wears off).

I wrote a little Murderbot flashfic for petra yesterday: Known Issues (432 words, G-rated gen; fan_flashworks link). Look at me being not 100% mono/duofannish!

Speaking of which, I wrote a ridiculous mess of a fic for the last fan_flashworks round: Untitled Cat Story (The Time of Fever, Go Hotae/Kim Donghee, 2.5k, G-rated, coming out to a parent, sort of implied cat shape-shifter idek; AO3 link). Note to self: if you want to set up a shape-shifter scenario in an otherwise real-world setting, and you want to keep the story short, maybe stick with the affected character's POV, lol.

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The Laughing Academy

A Life of Noisy Desperation

Reading

Me-and-media update

US politics

Poetry month: For the New House by Ursula K. Le Guin

4/20/25 - 4/21/25 Catch Up Edition

Come speak to me of Second Person POV

4/15/25 - 4/19/25

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Signal boost: US politics

Me-and-media update

Today's medical tip

4/6/25 - 4/15/25 Not Remotely All the News

A list of random things

A number of things

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March 2022

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