Friday Night

Rock on.

Sure Why Not

 1/6 of the population gets a monthly check, much of which gets passed on to banks/landlords/nursing homes.

Acting Social Security commissioner Leland Dudek said Friday that he is consulting with agency lawyers and the Justice Department as he threatens to shut down the agency in response to a court ruling blocking Elon Musk’s team from accessing sensitive taxpayer data.

Rip The Bandaid

I don't know if this is it - a stock market crash would be better - but something horrendous that can be reversed might be better than the slow march to hell.

Stopping Social Security payments might be a bit too catastrophic.

Afternoon

Busy with some stuff.

Some Of Our Faves

Fear of being sued makes me always talk about this carefully, but Epstein's pedo island was visited by many important people!

Talking Their Book

Years ago, during peak Blog, I had a chat/lunch with a reporter.  Decent guy, but he was obsessed with the then in vogue concerns about bloggers having undisclosed conflicts of interests (the blogger ethics panel era).

I asked him if his paper's opinion page adequately informed readers about the financial interests of all their contributors.  He stuttered something about the editors knowing but he realized I got him.

Obviously transparency is good, but at that time journalists were trying to impose standards on random people on the internet that they didn’t apply to themselves.  

I don’t know if it is worse now or if I am more aware of it, but so many people in The Discourse are talking their book.  The money sloshes around, and not to lefties!

Morning

again

Happy Hour

One hour.

Shocked Face

The savvy are the easiest marks.

Gotta Get Down On

Might disappear for the afternoon! Or not! We will see.

Ladies

 Google "Bradley Bartell" before you swipe right.

A man who voted for President Donald Trump says he does not regret his decision, even after federal immigration authorities arrested his wife as the couple returned home from their honeymoon.

Bradley Bartell's wife, Camila Muñoz, is a Peruvian citizen who overstayed her initial visa but was working toward obtaining permanent residency in the United States.

My Queen

Elon's daughter Vivian.

It's Happening Again

 NYT 1976

Morning

Go

Happy Hour

Get happy

I Am Uncomfortable When We Is Not About Me

I recently had a conversation with a smart German friend  - historian - who put into words more clearly than I could something I had thought before.  She had taught in the US and had to explain to her colleagues that the basic American world history survey  - Greek/Roman history -> Magna Carta -> Renaissance -> some other bits of English history -> French Revolution ->  American revolution -> somehow made America the protagonist.

All of (one strand of) human history led to America.

Travel Ban

It will take a bit of time but people will stop coming.

United States: French researcher expelled for expressing "a personal opinion on the policies pursued by the Trump administration"

The French research minister expressed his "concern" on Wednesday following the decision by the American authorities. The CNRS researcher was reportedly subjected to random checks upon arrival, before his computer and phone were searched.

Chicken Eugenics

Sure why not.

Kennedy’s Alarming Prescription for Bird Flu on Poultry Farms

The health secretary has suggested allowing the virus to spread, so as to identify birds that may be immune. Such an experiment would be disastrous, scientists say.

How can an objective editor put "alarming" in the headline?

Lunch

Eat

Stay Away

Anyone without a US passport should