Marian

Updating my LEGO White House

After Trump got his Covid shot, he chose to fire the scientists protecting the rest of us from diseases.

No Kings As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

Make your plans for #NoKings. October 18th. Free speech is action. Please join in. You'll see me at one of the events.
www.nokings.org

A classic case of irresponsible both-sidesism from the NYT. The story is that Trump and MAGA propagandists are lying about Portland to incite a conflict, not that there are different views of the matter.

A screenshot from Publisher's Lunch: Jennifer L. Armentrout and Hellmann's In a promotion designed for BookTok enjoyment, Jennifer L. Armentrout’s just-published THE PRIMAL OF BLOOD AND BONE is available in a special, limited-edition "garlic-scented copy, infused with Hellmann’s Garlic Aioli to create a one-of-a-kind, Craven-proof book." They explain: "This exclusive edition is printed with garlic-infused ink, designed to ward off Armentrout’s bloodthirsty monsters, the Craven. While humans may dread garlic breath, Hellmann’s has cleverly transformed this social faux pas into an unexpected – and delicious – form of supernatural protection."

no no the publishing industry is doing fine, why do you ask

Tick tock. Tick tock. RFK Jr.'s time is running out. Today, Senators Cassidy and Sanders both challenge RFK Jr's reign of (t)error at HHS. Call your Senators and Representatives. U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

AI guzzled millions of books without permission. Authors are fighting back. Authors are appealing for help from Congress and the courts after Meta and Anthropic used millions of books to create AI technology, without seeking consent.

Tech firms torrented millions of pirated books to train their AI models. Now authors are fighting back.

My story on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com: www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Transmitting this from "over there." Pretty interesting perspective on Mamdani and the faux identity issue thrown into the NYC mayoral race. Note to big paper editors: it's amazing what one can find when you look beyond what you're seeking.

I'm just glad one of these men has the nuclear codes and the other has all our personal data.

“I was hungry” and you cut SNAP.

“I was thirsty” and you cut funding to ensure clean water.

“I was sick” and you cut medicaid.

“I was a stranger” and you deported me.

“I was in prison” and you just left me there to rot.

“Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.”-Jesus

Blurbs attributed to "Lisa Ko, author of the leavers" for Elmore Leonard, Sidney Sheldon, Joyce maynard, Peter Maas, Amy Tan, and Patti Smith

The AI book list and general enshittification reminded me that I've been credited as blurbing hundreds of books I never have, including books by Patti Smith, Amy Tan, Sidney Sheldon, Joyce Maynard, and Elmore Leonard? And I can't get these fake blurbs taken off publisher and bookstore websites?

your energy actually is finite and spending time fighting about the former president while the current president is putting this country in a wood chipper seems like a bad use of it

President Declines Gift of Holiday Apple Pie WASHINGTON, Oct 27 - AP - President and Mrs. Coolidge have declined an offer from the Girls' Club of Vermont University of a large apple pie for the White House Thanksgiving dinner. Although no reason was given for declining the pie, apparently it was refused because acceptance might have been taken as an endorsement by the president of the proposed apple week to be held about that time. This might be regarded as a precent for endorsement of similar movements in other parts of the country. The telegram tendering the pie said it was designed to be a part of the apple week program. --The Fresno Bee, 27 Oct 1925

President Declines Gift (1925)

Please do not confuse the legal requirements for the crime of bribery with the concept of corruption.

Pope Bob from Chicago. Amazing stuff.

That's the fifth older Democrat who's announced they're retiring in the last two months. This is leadership! This is passing the torch with dignity and creating space for the next generation to step up! We want more of this!!

The White House cites an NPR feature that states "banana slugs are hermaphrodites" as a reason to cease public funding of the network.

But banana slugs literally are hermaphrodites! Like that is just a scientific fact!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_...

Bring back *everyone* who was sent from the U.S. to CECOT in El Salvador. *No one* should be sent there. ALL their rights were violated. ALL of them should come home.

yeah man, please make my 85 year
old great aunt prove her citizenship to vote in rural georgia, this definitely isn’t reminiscent of anything in the american past

The Evermaskers The isolation of people who take precautions against COVID has only gotten more intense.

"The COVID-conscious people have not abandoned science, It’s the opposite: They’ve come to think that science has abandoned them."
People who are taking precautions, some of whom are immunocompromised, should not be mocked or discriminated against
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

Scientists have just cured pancreatic cancer in some patients with personalized mRNA vaccines. Pancreatic cancer. And this Trump administration wants to throw it all away.

They’re throwing away a cure for cancer.

I've talked about this elsewhere, as have others, but THIS is why Trump and all of the others are trying to make their moves through (illegal, overreaching) executive orders: They can't actually pass this hate as legislation. Here, the anti-trans sports bill was stopped in its tracks.

We the People are pissed! #50501movement #FiftyFiftyOne #BuildTheResistance #PoliticalRevolution #NoVoiceUnheard #NoKings #VoicesOfFlorida #VoicesUnheard @polrev.bsky.social

democrats won’t admit it, but my family’s economic outlook has gotten a LOT better since Trump took office. but what do i know? i don’t have a fancy economics degree, i’m just a regular guy who runs an airplane scrapyard

Why is the richest man in the world cutting cancer research?

Airbnb’s co-founder is joining Elon Musk’s DOGE Gebbia, a close friend of Musk, has praised DOGE’s work and defended it against criticisms on social media

Time to evict AirBnB from your life, if you have't already.

The greatest political scandal today is not what Trump is doing. It is the fact that congressional Republicans have given up their role in the constitutional system as a check on the executive branch. If we are in a constitutional crisis, it is as much on Mike Johnson and John Thune as anyone else.