A.D. Carson

MAGA, even you are betrayed. The promised tariffs will cost you at the pump and at the grocery tomorrow, if not today. The tax proposals in congress COST YOU MONEY, and give relief to the millionaires. ACT - you are screwed with the rest of us.

Federal Marshals - you are getting orders to aid and abet a criminal enterprise (DOGE). It is your time, now, to decide who you work for and if your orders are legitimate.
CONT

Act! Sue! LEAD. Protest! Gather the people. Police - unauthorized agents are in the Treasury, in USAID. Theft is in progress. Act! Arrest and detain these criminals. Civil service, you are the bulwark currently under attack. Resist. Stay in your offices. Resist.
CONT

I see the campaign and donation requests. No. Prove yourselves worthy! ACT!!!!! There is a coup in progress now. Congress, the executive branch is usurping your constitutional powers. Prohibit DOGE - today! Democrats, you aren't actually fighting ANYthing.
CONT

The potential for destruction and thievery here boggles my mind.
This ought to be the signal, already, now, for clogging the streets in Washington. Congress should be sending agents of the FBI to remove the DOGE operators from the offices.
This is bad, really bad, folks.

(which hits me where I live, month to month), all payments issued through Treasury are now in executive, essentially private hands.
In a word, DOGE, which is solely Elon Musk, has laid siege to and taken over the US Treasury department.
Continue

The report is that DOGE, a completely rogue invention of the President, has taken over Treasury disbursements. This is how the Federal government pays out obligations. Medicaid, Medicare (which writes check for my bills), Social Security
Continue

Per the just resigned head of Treasury, agents for Elon Musk, now DOGE, have required and gained access to the Treasury department payout systems. Under protest from staff, they have brought in their own DOGE servers, locked staff out of their usual accesses and work.
Continue

There is a lot to choose from. Tarrif insanity, firings at the FBI, Justice Department. It is very hard to focus. That is the intent, I think. But focus I will.
Atrocity du jour for Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. The thing that has me trembling is the Treasury Department.
Continue

Mr. Trump per his comments wants to condition the national response in California on his politics - a fictional water solution somewhere in his well fed imagination and with the politics of voter restrictions in state policy.

An atrocity of intentions, tonight.

There are always frustrations - there are people waiting too long in North Carolina now, still, four months later. There are and will be frustrations in LA.
Continue

A state can't keep that sort of resource in reserve. What you get in terms of ongoing assistance is complicated. What you don't get from FEMA is a litany of abuse and fraud. Real help, eventually, gets where it is needed.
Continue

My damage was very slight, which meant waiting for FEMA, weeks and months later, wasn't the way to get it done.
What you get with a national response to disasters is a focussed, national presence for immediate help when needed.
Continue

FEMA is fast on the scene, non-partisan (which Trump doesn't like - listen to him politicise aid to California), and then slow. I've experienced a small taste of FEMA back when Milwaukee had a 6" rain event that affected my neighborhood.
Continue

"I'd like to see the states take care of their own disasters," he said in Ashville today.
No state in the country can handle a Carolina hurricane flood. Nor the LA wildfire storms. Nor a New Orleans hurricane. Or an New Jersey shore perfect storm. On and on. Continue

On tap for Friday, Jan. 24, 2025 as an atrocity du jour are Trumps comments about FEMA and disaster response. He is 'considering' - which means we know not what, eliminating FEMA altogether.
Continue

She says in effect she was wrong to participate, she plead guilty before an impartial judge, and it would be wrong to accept the pardon - negate her pennance, as it were. Good for you, Ms. Hemphill, and thank you for your honesty and forthright stance.

It's the response to an atrocity that caught my eye tonight. Pamela Hemphill, convicted of a misdemeanor offense in the January 6 riots (her word) has refused the pardon offered to her by President Trump.
CONTINUE

YouTube video by PentangleVEVO Pentangle - Rain And Snow (Set Of Six ITV, 27.06.1972)

This one features Jacqui McShee's beautiful voice. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cago...

YouTube video by Pentangle - Topic Helping Hand

Excessive musicology tonight. I've been working to add this to memory in my take with me everywhere juke box. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs4W...

Quote the Sandman, "Hope never dies." My hope is quite thin, though. Will 47 take the blame if it goes south, either Sunday or 60 days out (in March) when it IS all on his 'watch'?

nothing to do with these chances for success or failure in Gaza.

The atrocity tonight is that it's all - still - on the brink. So many of us hope it will take hold on Sunday, and that once in place it will lead to Phase 2 and Phase 3 in a timely and reasonable way.
CONT

So the truce accord phase one is teetering on the brink. It may happen. It may come crashing down in glass shards before it has a chance to work.

The United States, under ANY leadership, has almost
CONT

- The claim is out that Hamas is demanding additional concessions in Phase one that are not part of the signed agreement. Hamas denies this, but - well - they don't have spectacular record of being truthful.
CONT

bombing raids and the usual civilian casualties today, it seems no one is safe until unless the cease fire takes hold (which both parties would have to absolutely observe).
CONT

(doubtless as you read this post) to (we do hope) ratify the agreement. There are factions and infighting in Israel overnight that may threaten that ratification.
- Israel continues on offensive, there are reports of
CONT

tonight's atrocity is that the accord is so fragile, we are worried that it won't actually take place this Sunday.
- Israel's cabinet is balking at ratification - they postponed their meeting today and are meeting Friday
CONT

Atrocity du jour for Thursday, January 16, 2025 isn't actually about the man to be inaugurated in 5 days. He does, because his ego demands it, take credit for the pending
truce accord in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. No,
CONT

YouTube video by The Beatles - Topic Within You Without You (Remastered 2009)

It's a musical night. Another phrase that fills my world view also comes from a song. "Life goes on within you and without you." This is where you heard it -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsff...

YouTube video by Carly Simon Carly Simon - Anticipation

Even on the darkest day, I do wrap myself in Carley Simon's refrain. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NwP...