Brian Chiu

‘See you in Valhalla’: how the FBI director waded into the far-right’s obsession with the Vikings Was the FBI chief sending a message to white supremacists? It’s more likely Patel’s Valhalla reference was a clumsy attempt to call Kirk a hero.

theconversation.com/see-you-in-v.... FBI Director Kash Patel, repeating the sign-off that racist neo-Nazi mass shooters say in their manifestos/suicide notes before they gunned down people of color. Kash, my Asian brother, you might be trying a little too hard to assimilate to America.

Finally checked out the super-local independent coffee shop 2 years after moving here in Sanxia (三峽). And wouldn't you know it... They have the carrot cake! I used to have got all the way to Taipei for that. Local coffee rules!

Speaker Johnson: Stop lying. Stop stalling. Release the files now!

We have to switch from being shocked-and-awed when (not if) this regime actually does the unlawful things it already said it's going to do, to full on "F*ck you, make me!". People left and right should get used to challenging this regime. This puts agency and power back in the hands of the people.

I like this protest message that's empowering with recent Jimmy Kimmel showdown: "Fuck you. Make me." Succinct. Fits easily on a sign.

MAGA playbook: Just publicly say you're against something beforehand, and you'll get away with doing it.

Ah, reaching the part in DuoLingo where I'm learning very familiar words: "en grève" (on strike), "manifester" (to protest). Gonna enjoy this!

Fascists in power use shock-and-awe tactics. They COUNT on us not wanting to imagine what comes next. We must anticipate their next steps, however unpleasant it is to think about them. And we must act on that anticipation, if we are to defeat them in the long run.

When Tragedy Becomes Theatre - Don’t Let Them “Horst Wessel” Charlie Kirk The warning isn’t about equivalence; it’s about a tactic. Authoritarians turn death into myth, grief into mobilization, they are experts at turning funerals into furnaces. Resist the myth-making

beingliberal.substack.com/p/when-trage...

The inevitable outcome of the Trump note in the released Epstein birthday book: Deny. Defend. Depose.

It'd be awesome if someone spreads a rumor that J.D. Vance is involved in a conspiracy to get rid of Trump. MAGA is conspiratorial in nature. So regardless of how public the passing of the torch from Trump to Vance is, this will plunge MAGA into years of infighting. And that's good.

WTF is a Cracker Barrel? This Californian wants to know. Actually I don't. Just laughing it up seeing how people are freaking out over something we don't even know exists. Now let's return to the regularly scheduled Epstein files already in progress.

"Remember this: Try!"

Island-wide air raid drills this week in Taiwan. For northern Taiwan it's Thursday 7/17, 1:30~2:00pm. Certainly a new reality/experience for me.

Poll shows how U.S. views of immigration have changed since Trump took office Since taking office, Trump has called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do all in its power to deliver “the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

Record high: "79%, say immigration is 'a good thing' for the country today"
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...

In addition to yelling at ICE agents, also provide ICE agents with a card with links to info and resources on how to to quit their jobs and find another (despite having "ICE" on their resumes).

Just heard a good one: Title of Bondi's autobiography: "Listless". (from Pod Save America)

Just made the decision to stop posting in Facebook. I'll still be present and contactable. Just not posting there, purely as management of my social medial footprint. Self-censor by posting "safe" topics or sign off? I choose the latter. Rather not obey in advance.

Yo-Yo Ma Finally Works Up Courage To Tell Parents He Quitting Cello CAMBRIDGE, MA—Taking a deep breath and straightening his back, Yo-Yo Ma finally worked up the courage to tell his parents that he was quitting cello, sources confirmed Friday. “Mom, Dad, this is it—I quit,” said Ma, who exhaled and then winced as his parents immediately reacted to the consequential words by simultaneously exclaiming “But you […]

Yo-Yo Ma Finally Works Up Courage To Tell Parents He Quitting Cello
theonion.com/yo-yo-m...

I miss the days when people talked about concentration camps with regret, not glee.

theonion.com/no-one-sure-...

This is what he's selling: privilege at other people's expense. Heinous buyers!

Massachusetts Tesla charging stations intentionally set on fire, investigators believe The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's office says a fire at a bank of Tesla charging stations is believed to have been intentionally set and is being investigated as suspicious.

I looked it up: Littleton MA is on the outskirts of Boston. So umm... Boston Tesla Party? Tsk tsk... property destruction in the face of tyranny... how uniquely un-American. What would the Founding Father have to say about this!

www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/...

Trump just reversed his order to fire federal employees, at least until September. We need to CLAIM CREDIT for this reversal now! Why? Because it's true. The opposition has the people's backs. And because if we don't, he's going to claim credit for fixing the problem he created.

The emperor has no clothes. We can all see that.

"X (Twitter) is dead"

It's a simple message, easily sharable, takes no time for us to write, yet much more for them to defend (scalable campaign). And it's true, metaphorically. Repeat everyday until it sticks. This is how we take down that propaganda network.

Please phrase that in the form of a strategy.

"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst". Yes. But at the rate of what's been happening, we should: "Expect the worst so we're not shocked into reacting all the time". That is their strategy. But they're nothing if not predictable. Let's make use of that!!

[Strategy] Starting a website where U.S. expats and soldiers overseas can post everyday prices they see. Expats are already posting prices of eggs they see, so family/friends back home wouldn't be gaslit by propaganda, e.g. "egg prices are up everywhere". Not true. $1.69 a dozen in Taipei here.