Tim Stahmer

I don’t podcast or newsletter (new verb) either, but I do blog. Does that make me more relevant? Or less relevant?

You forgot the part about it being Biden’s fault.

Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts The dramatic shift in oversight comes at a time when the U.S. has never been more reliant on foreign food, which accounts for the vast majority of the nation’s seafood and more than half its fresh fru...

Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts

"The stakes are high: Foreign products have been increasingly linked to outbreaks of foodborne illness."

Actual journalism from @propublica.org. You certainly won't read this in the Post or see it on CNN.

Well at least air travel is in the process of coming to a complete halt due to the shutdown, so the next pandemic will have to take the bus.

Virginia Democrats won in a ‘doggone tsunami’ of an election. Now what? Virginia Democrats exceeded their own expectations Tuesday. They don’t want to waste the moment, yet as they strategize how to use their power, they’re preaching restraint.

Virginia Democrats won in a ‘doggone tsunami’ of an election. Now what?

"...as they strategize how to use their power, they’re preaching restraint."

No "restraint"! Follow through on every promise made and keep pushing forward. You have the upper hand. Use it!

A lot of newly minted commies out there. :)

McLean resident who helped engineer invasion of Iraq dies at 84 | FFXnow Longtime McLean resident and former vice president Dick Cheney has died, leaving behind a legacy largely defined by his advocacy for the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq and expansion of the surveillance state...

McLean resident who helped engineer invasion of Iraq dies at 84

Not sure if this headline was written by the AP or the editor at FFXNow, but either way, I approve.

Matthew Lesko If you don't know who he is, you've probably never watched American TV in the wee hours of the morning. Wikipedia has his profile: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Lesko

Matthew Lesko. I once met the guy. Just as weird as his suit.

flic.kr/p/oBxPq

Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump takeover Nearly nine months into Trump’s oversight, sales for the three largest performance venues are the worst they’ve been since the pandemic, according to a Washington Post analysis.

Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump takeover

"Fewer patrons in chairs could lead to fewer donations..."

Based solely on the people I know, that "could" is already happening. I expect KC Honors, their largest fundraiser of the year, will be a financial disaster.

Always suspected that grilling was more of a dark art than actual cooking.

Mamdani's rise in NYC reflects generational fight within the Democratic Party Newcomer Zohran Mamdani, age 34, has used social media and big progressive ideas to shoulder past Andrew Cuomo, who's 67 and long a member of Democratic Party royalty.

NPR: Mamdani's rise in NYC reflects generational fight within the Democratic Party

"Cuomo was long a member of Democratic royalty..."

The idea of No Kings should also apply to Democrats.

And I would add "No Boomers", as well.

If all of us who turned out for No Kings refused to buy anything on Black Friday, maybe that would get some attention?

Sunday morning, came out of the Metro at L’Enfant plaza to see half a dozen National Guard. The area is completely deserted, not even any tourists with the Smithsonian museums closed. What are they protecting? I feel sorry for them being misused so TACO can feel like a king. #nokings

So if the class is fully online, would anyone know if I’m totally making it up as I go? :/

This is why I now send ProPublica the money I used to pay the @washingtonpost.com for daily delivery of their increasingly worthless rag. I'm not sure the current Post editors know how to spell "journalism", much less what it means.

The Fairfax County Office of Elections tells me that my ballot for the November election has been received and counted. Happily voted for Spanberger and the rest of the sane side of the aisle. Hopefully this fall will mark the start of some meaningful push back.

I support ProPublica for investigative journalism. Their national work is very good but they really shine at the local level. The Guardian is also an excellent source of national and foreign news.

For your grandmother, most crosswords have an option to print the online version.

My wife finally agreed to cancel the @washingtonpost.com. Today is the first since we moved to the DC area waaaay back in the previous century that an analog copy of the paper hasn't landed on our door step. I shall not miss it.

National Weather Service at ‘breaking point’ as storm approaches The National Weather Service is struggling to maintain its weather forecasting operations due to significant staffing cuts under the Trump administration.

National Weather Service at ‘breaking point’ as storm approaches

No data means no problems, right?

wapo.st/3VDCrPO

I got the COVID and RSV shots at the same time and one month later I’m still alive. Taking a risk by going back for a flu shot next week.

My ballot for the Virginia elections arrived in the mail today. It was completed just now and will be returned tomorrow. It's just that easy for anyone in the state. Request your ballot or find the early voting location near you. This election is too important to sit out. Or worse, to vote GOP.

Spanish techno? 🫤

I assume that’s a rhetorical question.

Having a hard time finding something to boycott. Can’t remember the last ABC show I watched (does Kimmel on YouTube count?). Got tired of Only Murders after third season & dropped Disney. Never liked food at Chick-fil-A or McDonalds. Don’t drink coffee so no Starbucks. Am I missing something? 🤔

I bet you can find a protest or two out there. :)

Found two nearby No Kings protests for October 18 and not sure which one to join. Maybe the one in West Springfield (www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...) since I might run into @jenorr.bsky.social. :-)

If you want to “cancel” something at Disney, skip the trip to Disney World and take the kids to Mexico, Costa Rica, Iceland, or somewhere else that’s at least a little more authentic.

Ok, Virginia, it’s time to start paying attention to the election! Early voting starts today. Plenty of time to register, vote in person, or get a mail ballot. Indifferent cynics can claim there’s “no difference” between candidates but the past nine months shows just how wrong that is. #voteblue

Repeat creepy meat problems at Boar’s Head plants draw congressional scrutiny Boar’s Head plans to reopen the plant linked to an outbreak that killed 10 people.

Repeat creepy meat problems at Boar’s Head plants draw congressional scrutiny

The "markets-can-regulate-themselves" types want to cut more regulations and eliminate even the few meat packing inspectors that are left on the job. I guess America was great when Upton Sinclair was writing.

I hope Mamdani is able to close the deal. Simply based on how many traditional politicians are nervous about him, I imagine his “dangerous” ideas will be really good for anyone in NYC who is not wealthy.