Election Season

I ran across this article last week that's a filling out of a long BlueSky thread chain. I thought it was interesting, so I'm sharing: 

What Happens When Fascists Realize They Might Lose?: The attack on Ilhan Omar’s home, the desperation of an unpopular fascist administration, and the long fight ahead.

But my big project for the week was to look at my ballot and get my voting done. I'm in California, and they mailed our ballots to us at the beginning of the month. There are many propositions to go through, plus there are a bunch of judicial races that I always have to look up. Oh, and we're voting for a new governor. 

Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I got that done, got my ballot filled out, and I got it sent back in. (As of this writing it hasn't made it to where it gets counted, but I got notification that it's in the system and on the way.) 

If you're in the LA area, I found an interesting voter's guide that explained all those persnickety judicial races that I never know who to vote for in. It also explained in plain English what those ballot propositions were actually about. So I could make up my own mind. (They had the way they were urging us to vote, but they explained their reasoning, which helped.) 

I guess this week's post is about voting. Make sure to vote in this midterm election (if you are in the US). If we can flip the House and flip the Senate, we can urge those officials to put a stop to the shenanigans that the regime is getting up to. These are the checks we need for all the awful things they're doing. 

Just for fun, a little ad for CA-34 that's kinda fun. (I have no skin in this race as I'm in CA-41.) 

And this one from Mississippi: 

Make sure to vote. 

How Goodhart's Law Explains Why Social Media Is So Bad

It was a hot week. I caught some sort of stomach bug (more of a minor irritation than anything that knocked me down for the count). And I've just been trying to hold on. I wasn't really paying attention to, you know, everything. 

Although, if a certain someone gets outside forces to take out Los Angeles, that's me. I'm not in Los Angeles proper, but a good nuclear blast would be close enough to take out my city. So, that attack was personal. 

Anyway, I'm being lazy this week with a video I stumbled across. It talks about Goodhart's Law, which states, "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure". In this video, at about 3:54, they say something very interesting about how they started measuring social media engagement, and discovered that outrage keeps people online longer. This explains a lot about our current online issues. Food for thought. 

But I can't leave this post without some "resisting" content, so from Rachel Maddow, the word most picked by people to describe you-know-who is corrupt. Unsurprising, really. 

I hear there are No Kings protests coming this weekend. Just a heads-up in case you hadn't heard (like I hadn't until just before writing this post). 

One Burning Question

Last week there was one topic all over social media. The first time I saw anything about it, it was a post that sounded like this was an issue that had been known everywhere for weeks. But I got up to speed pretty quickly. 

I'm talking about the Cornell 7. 

And if you're unfamiliar, that link goes to Wikipedia. That's a pretty good summary if you're unfamiliar. I'm not going to delve into it here. 

But I do have one "hot take". Most of social media has hit most of the good talking points already, so there's no need for me to rehash. However, there is one thing I have not heard that I've been thinking. 

I've been thinking about the whole "but we can't ruin these young men's lives" people. I have one question for them: 

What terrible assault did you commit as a young man that you got away with? 

Because, seriously, if they're identifying with the perpetrators in this scenario, that does not bode well for their humanity. 

This is not really "resisting" content, though, so here's a "resisting" video. Warning: adult language. 

This video is from August, but he's been posting hot takes like this daily. 

11,000

Did you see the MN Stolen Neighbors Quilt? 

Yeah, so in Minnesota, they put together a quilt of 11,000 squares to demonstrate how many people were kidnapped by ICE in the state. That's... that's a lot of people. Just going about their lives. And then they were ripped from them, horribly, and... 

It's all very horrible. And still going on. I wonder how big the quilt for California would be. Or how big one for the whole country would be. 

Just my weekly reminder that this regime is awful, and they need to be stopped. 

There's a bill that went through the California state legislature seeking to ban police and such taking side jobs with ICE. As of writing this, I hadn't heard if Gov. Newsom signed it. Or not. 

Pregnancy Danger

Abortion bans kill women. 

I stumbled upon a thread in Bluesky last week about how the rate of ectopic pregnancy deaths had more than doubled in recent years. TL;DR: Abortion bans are at least partially to blame. There was an article in ProPublica all about it. 

Pregnancy can be dangerous anyway. Abortion bans make it worse. 

But that's what a certain segment of the population wants, and the regime is pandering to them. It's in the authoritarian playbook. Control women. If it kills them, so what? So long as the men keep their power. 

So, let's have the EPA test for abortion pills in the water. It's not like there's anything else they need to do. *stares meaningfully* 

Maybe I'll write postcards to swing districts. It's something, anyway.

Lies and More Lies

Apparently there was some sort of midterm "convention" in Texas that the regime decided to have. And it was just as cringey as you'd expect. 

But this worries me. Especially that sound bite that got out, the one about them promising $5000 to everyone if they win. 

We know this is a lie. We know this is completely ridiculous. The problem is, those low-information voters do not know this. 

This reminds me of the whole "free IVF" thing that got floated before the presidential election. We all knew it was hogwash. And yet, after, I saw news reports of deluded women saying they voted for him because they had heard that and believed it. 

We need to make it crystal clear that the $5000 thing is a lie. Because there are people out there that heard that sound bite, and now they think it's really a thing in play. Can we get the Dems to put out something similar? It doesn't have to be true. It just has to get to the ears of those who would believe it. 

Breaking USPS

My current* congressman sent out a fundraising email and referenced a threat to vote-by-mail. Via NPR: 

The U.S. Postal Service could "derail" the midterm election if it continues rushing out "untested" technology as part of President Trump's push to restrict mail-in voting, a newly released whistleblower report warns.

With voting by mail for the midterms set to officially start this week, key parts of the USPS plan for carrying out Trump's directives, including requirements for states to comply, remain blocked for now by a court order in the legal fight over the president's executive order.

Still, the mailing agency has been preparing for months to launch an online portal that would allow state election officials to submit absentee voters' names and ballot envelope barcodes required by the now-blocked rule.

This is worrying in California as they mail us all mail-in ballots. I have really enjoyed this convenience. Because of course they want to break all the good things that we have. 

People are fighting back, and hopefully these new rules won't be implemented this year. It's all about making new rules to break the system. They claim it's to prevent voter fraud, but voter fraud is such a minor problem. It's just an excuse. 

So, pay attention if you're doing vote-by-mail. They want to disenfranchise you. Don't let them. 

*After this election he'll be my former congressman as the redistricting puts me in a different district. 

In the Hands of ICE

I got another fundraising email from my current congressional representative. (I'm a little irked, though, as I learned in the primary election that come January I will no longer be in his district.) And it contained information I had not heard. So, I looked it up, and, via AP News: 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has awarded a $16.7 million contract to purchase 6,000 pairs of gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks, saying officers would use them to control detainees and protesters who resist.

ICE moved forward with the purchase despite opposition from civil rights advocates and Democratic members of Congress, who said ICE officers cannot be trusted to use them appropriately.

Now, that's chilling. (You can find the full article here.) 

And those things can kill people. (Although, ICE has been killing people just fine without them.) I mean, tasers aren't as safe as we think they are... 

My congressperson had a petition to sign. You might want to call your reps and let them know of your displeasure over this.

Ignorant

What's going on in the world? No, seriously, I'm asking. Last week I got buried with back to school, and I have no idea what the idiots got up to. 

This got me thinking, though. This must be what it's like to be a low-information voter. One of the blissfully ignorant multitudes who have been going through life not watching everything we ever believed about our country crumbling around us. 

And I wondered how we reach those people. How do we wake them up to what's happening? 

We can't be overt about it. If they wanted to pay attention, they would. But can we be sneaky? Can we just slip things into conversation in such a way that they're not aware we're trying to wake them up? Can we mention things in passing that would shock them? And when they disbelieve, we can let them know that they just have not been paying attention. 

I don't know. Is it even worth the effort? 

But it is kind of nice to not be aware of all the shenanigans, just for a little while. It'll be there once I'm out from under the back to school crush. 

Unsurprising Turn of Events

Just a little post today to link to an article: Opinion | Executive Order on Vaccines Bypasses Evidence-Based Process That Has Kept Kids Safe.

If I had more time, I'd spend it writing a longer post bemoaning the anti-vaxxers. I might even have pondered the anti-science people and how the regime is pandering to them (although, I think many of them believe some of this stuff). There are studies that show right-wingers are more likely to react to things from a position of fear, and the whole anti-vaccination push feeds into those fears. 

I have such high hopes for myself when it comes to writing Tuesday blog posts, and then when it's time to write the post, I chicken out. Maybe next week? 

I might be a bit scarce this week as school started, and, well, I have a feeling this week is going to be kind of busy for me. Explanations should be forthcoming next week.

Women Losing Jobs

Why were July's jobs numbers so terrible? Because women are losing jobs. Women lost 32,000 jobs in July while men gained 9,000. 

I guess making America great again means relegating women back to housework. 

Remind me why feminists are the problem. 

Withholding Help

It's three times harder to get disaster relief funding under the current regime if you're living in a blue state as opposed to a red state. It's not supposed to work like that. It doesn't matter who your reps are or who your governor is, you should get help if a disaster befalls you. I would not wish such a thing on my worst enemy, and yet, here we are, dealing with the fallout of a manbaby throwing a tantrum about helping fellow Americans in need. 

FEMA said yes, but the manbaby said no, so it became no. And now, with the wildfires in Oregon, the senators are demanding why FEMA won't help them out. Why are we paying into a system that denies helping us when we need it? 

(Although, the same could be said of our healthcare system...)

Since we can't rely on the government, it's time to look into mutual aid organizations. Donate if you can. When you hear about disasters in blue states, make sure to amplify any group that's helping, as that might be the only help that's coming. 

And make your displeasure known to your representatives. They know this is wrong. Remind them that they work for us, not the other way around. It's their job to stand up against the executive branch. They're supposed to be a check, not a rubber stamp. 

Only Marmots

Did you know it's illegal to wager on an election you're casting a vote in (in Wisconsin)? 

(I would hope that this wasn't isolated to Wisconsin. Time to call your state reps to get this law on the books. *looks up phone number for my California state rep*)

It turns out that those prediction market betting apps don't like this law, so they're pushing back. (Because those prediction market betting apps are horrible. If you want to gamble--please gamble responsibly--use a bookie like an adult.) 

It turns out the road to fascism is paved by idiots pursuing riches. Deep sigh. 

Speaking of scams, let's talk about all the research funding that was cut to provide tax cuts for billionaires. Or rather, let's talk about Daniel Blumstein, whose funding for studying marmots had been cut, so in an effort to raise money (and awareness), he started an OnlyFans for marmots called OnlyMarms. 

It's a great idea. It's too bad that science funding has had to resort to this sort of thing. 

Immigration Enforcement Database

While I was out of town, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents killed some more people. Because that's what they do now. Kill people. 

Via my Member of Congress: "Fear does not secure our border. Violence does not secure our border. Terrorizing our communities does not secure our border."

There's a list of all the terrible things they've done here. There's also a place to report instances of misconduct if you've witnessed any. (I believe I've linked to this resource before, but it bears repeating.) 

We need to keep pushing. Keep witnessing. Keep protesting. 

Someday we'll (as a nation) regain our sanity, and those responsible must be held accountable. Right now all we can do is keep the records. The records will be needed later. 

(I have to believe that the records will be needed later.) 

Let people know about the Immigration Enforcement Database. The more people who know about it, the more useful it'll be. 

The Pros of Bad Leadership

I haven't really been following the news lately. So much bad news. But, there is some good. 

This clip from Rachel Maddow's show last week talks about all the things that are good about having a bad president. Mainly, his incompetence is making it harder for his policies to be implemented. 

I mean... not great. But it's something. Keep pushing back. It's us pushing back that's helping. 

America250

I only found this out recently, so some of you may also be unaware. 

This July 4th is our semiquincentennial (that's 250th). And now that I've been seeing things about it, I wondered about who was organizing this thing. Turns out that ten years ago a bipartisan congressional committee was formed to organize the celebrations. 

Here's the official website. 

Very forward thinking of them. Very organized. They're ready to go. 

But, a certain someone who has to be the center of everything signed an executive order to create his own little party. (Here's an article explaining this.) It's called Freedom 250. And we get to ignore it.

Because the official celebration stuff is America250. 

(That concert that was announced? And then all the acts backed out? Yeah, that was the fake celebration.) 

I hope this clears things up.

Make the Big Things Fail

Did you hear? They're taking his name off the Kennedy Center.

I couldn't find video of it completed (on Sunday), but if you go on YouTube you can find an eleven hour video of the workmen setting up the equipment to get the job done. (I considered putting that video here, but meh. It doesn't get done in the video, so why bother?)

And then one more video:

I hope we hear more about the little acts of resistance that made the big things fail. I'm sure they're out there. 

I wish you a week of little acts of resistance to help make the big things fail. 

The Tantrum

He's a toddler, and we're placating a toddler. How did we get here? 

You probably already saw the infamous Meet the Press interview where he stormed out. In case you haven't: 

Or, if you're like me and can't listen to his voice, you can find a quick overview here. 

Election Day

It's primary election day here in California. This is your reminder that all elections are important, not just the presidential ones. 

It's the local municipalities that have done the resisting. The national offices have basically rolled over and let this regime do what it wants. But the various state and local governments, depending on affiliation, have done much in the way of pushing back. They've sued. They've resisted. They've sent people to check the concentration camps. 

Local races matter. Make sure to vote in November, even if the only national race is for Congress. (All the representatives are up for reelection this year.) Who your governor is matters. Who your mayor is matters. Who your state reps are matters. 

Let Washington know we're pissed. Effectively end the regime by making sure those checks are in place. 

More Worried About the Boom

Remind me... It is a good thing or a bad thing when randos keep coming at you with guns? I think it might be a bad thing...? 

While the national news media has been fixated by that latest debacle, locally my corner of California is a bit more concerned by a potential environmental catastrophe. By the time you read this, hopefully the tank has finally blown up or cracked open. 

A tank at an aerospace company is leaking methyl methacrylate, a volatile and flammable liquid used to make acrylic plastics. This links to the story in the picture. The good news is I'm not in the evacuation zone. The bad news is if this thing does explode, I'll definitely feel the after effects. 

As for the rest of the country, our primary election is June 2nd (which I need to sit down and get my ballot filled out. We get mail in ballots, and I've had mine for almost a month now). 

When the Speaker of the House admits on right-wing TV that losing the midterms would end Trump's presidency... that's not a warning. That's a TO-DO LIST. Challenge accepted. 

"If we lost the midterms--heaven forbid--it would be the end of the Trump presidency in real effect." --Mike Johnson