Linkee-poo has got nicotine stains on my fingers, I've got a silver spoon on a chain

The Bestseller Experiment podcast interview with Joe Hill. So, sure, that sounds easy.

We have always fought. The onna bugeisha, or women samurai. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

A storified tweet storm about exo-planets. (Grokked from Dan)

"A University of Wisconsin-Madison student who once served prison time for setting fires at two predominantly black churches is recruiting on campus for a local chapter of a national pro-white party, enraging students searching for ways to improve race relations."

The EFF Surveillance Delf-Defense Guide. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)

Note-to-Self podcast launches their Privacy Paradox project. "We've heard so many stories from you, listeners. You love the convenience of living online. But you want more control over where your personal information goes and who can see it. Researchers call this the Privacy Paradox… Our 5-day plan, starting February 6th, is here to solve that digital dilemma."

So, how goes the struggle? "The American Civil Liberties Union raised more money online this weekend than it normally gets in a year." That's good, cause I suspect they're going to need it. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

Ah, those big government grants that all those global climate change scientists are living high on the hog from… only there's the actual reality of the economics. So, a $1.1m grant basically pays for 1 of the 4 grantees to have a graduate student help for 4 years and to pay to publish one paper. Yep. That's pretty much how is goes (note, while this is just quick accounting, there's also no expense included to cover the person who helps write the grant application and helps manage the money and reporting aspects (waves at friend who has that job). (Grokked from Laura J. Mixon)

I've seen reports about how many of our Russian intelligence contacts (not US citizens) have been showing up dead, but so far no reporting, until this. "A former KGB chief suspected of helping British spy Christopher Steele compile his lurid dossier on President Donald Trump was found dead late last month in the back of his car in Moscow." (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)

"Now, another Utah politician is introducing legislation to do just that. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has introduced legislation that would sell off nearly 1 percent of the Bureau of Land Management area in 10 states…" Repeat after me, the National Debt is not like a credit card or loan. Can you "prepay" the debt? Yes. You can buy back bonds… as long as the holder is willing to sell. And then you can retire the bond. Also, selling hard assets to pay soft debt is a very bad economic choice. (Grokked from Laura J. Mixon)

On the theory that the previous weeks EOs were "the trial balloon for a coup d’état against the United States. It gave (Trump's inner circle) useful information." (Grokked from Brent Bowen)

"You may think Donald Trump isn't a candidate any more, but you'd be wrong." And there are SuperPACs ginning up for the 2020 election. Welcome to the permanent campaign. (Grokked from Vince O'Connor)

So in the twitter wars (formerly the Flame Wars) a lot of the comments fired at me (and my friends) concern either hints that the writer has been watching some pretty disturbing porn or focuses around our liberal "tears" and how they won't do anything or hurt them. Okay, so how about a tear gun? Take that, trolls. (Grokked from Dan)

Tweet of my heart: ‏@AnaMardoll Reminder: There is no form of protest that will not have a butterfly effect of mildly inconveniencing someone innocent. (Grokked from Merrie Haskell)

How I spent my Saturday

From


To


So for the family and friends who have ridden with me, yes, I now have remote door locks.

Linkee-poo, let's get to the point, let's roll another joint

2016 movie scrips for the downloading. In case you're interested. (Grokked from Ken McConnell)

The Hidden Brain podcast, episode 56 on Getting Unstuck. I really suggest listening (as the description isn't the full story).

"Two groups followed (Norman) Yao's blueprint and have already created the first-ever time crystals. The groups at the University of Maryland and Harvard University reported their successes, using two totally different setups, in papers posted online last year, and have submitted the results for publication." (Grokked from Marie Vibbert)

The Periodic Table with indications of where these elements were made. (Grokked from John)

Our border agents are now asking for social media handles for people coming into the US, including citizens. (Grokked from John)

Jim Wright on Trump and the advent of martial law. "This is typical of the same mindset that thinks you can carpet bomb other countries into democracy by dropping freedom from B-52s."

Their starting to fall. "The chief of the Border Patrol has left the agency that's in charge of securing America's borders with Mexico and Canada." (Grokked from Dan)

"On the morning after Donald Trump’s inauguration, acting National Park Service director Michael T. Reynolds received an extraordinary summons: The new president wanted to talk to him… In a Saturday phone call, Trump personally ordered Reynolds to produce additional photographs of the previous day’s crowds on the Mall, according to three individuals who have knowledge of the conversation. The president believed that the photos might prove that the media had lied in reporting that attendance had been no better than average." The president is unhinged. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)

Linkee-poo, who can turn the world on with her smile

Mary Tyler Moore is no more. And so it goes. She was an early influence on my development. It's no wonder I like confident women. I'm not sure who the new generation look to for this other than the former first-lady.

"The PDFs listed below are, after an extensive search of copyright records, all PUBLIC DOMAIN." SFFAudio page of PDFs of books in the public domain. Four-thousand titles so far. (Grokked from Vince O'Connor)

"George Orwell's tale of a sad, grim future, the book 1984, has experienced a recent resurgence, climbing to the top of Amazon.com's bestseller list of books." Yep. (Grokked from Vince O'Connor)

"Turn your passive participation into active resistance. Facebook likes and Twitter retweets don't create the change you want to see… Spend 5 minutes, make 5 calls." 5Calls.org. (Grokked from Merrie Haskell)

So how's it going in the field? "Protesters climbed a 270-foot construction site crane just blocks from the White House on Wednesday and unfurled an orange and yellow banner calling for resistance to President Donald Trump." Some may call it silly, but as someone who works with symbolism all day, this is great. When that lowly employee has to make a decision to either follow orders or follow their conscience, they might remember that sign. Symbols are important. (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)

Think that outcry and indignation directed (and expressed in person, in a way difficult to ignore) isn't effective? "The US Department of Agriculture rescinded an order stopping scientists and other employees at its main research division from publishing documents meant to explain science to the public." It lasted less than… One. Day. Speak out, speak up, resist. Note, it's still not an open system. The department heads are still holding the reins. But the needle was moved back to where it was before. (Grokked from Michele)

Another mental health professional comes out. "I am writing this because it strikes me that a man with all the outward symptoms of fairly extreme (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) has become president of the United States. This is not a formal, clinical diagnosis: My thoughts here are self-admittedly nothing more than conjecture, since Donald Trump is not my patient." And I specifically recommend reading the part about Narcissistic Injury. (Grokked from John)

Remember the "but her emails" thing? Remember when using a private email server was a Bad Thing™. "Senior Trump administration staffers including Kellyanne Conway, Jared Kushner, Sean Spicer and Steve Bannon have active accounts on a Republican National Committee email system, Newsweek has learned." History may not repeat, but damn if it doesn't have a hard rhyming scheme. "The system (rnchq.org) is the same one the George W. Bush administration was accused of using to evade transparency rules after claiming to have 'lost' 22 million emails." (Grokked from Marie Vibbert)

"With racist and discriminatory acts on the rise since Donald Trump’s election, Barnard Center For Research On Women and members of Project NIA created a video that offers six simple tips for what to do if you witness a verbal or physical assault."

So, besides the fact of the hiring freeze mostly affecting the VA and their ability to provide care for veterans, there is this. "'Freezing federal hiring sounds good on the campaign trail, but it does not make government smaller like some people think it does,' (National Federation of Federal Employees President Randy Erwin) said. 'All it does is lead to the hiring of more federal contractors which tend to cost taxpayers more than federal employees and are less accountable.'" Yep. But, if you're going to steal, might as well as make some of your cronies rich providing workers for the federal government. (Grokked from Ann Leckie)

"As of writing, there are four demonstrated examples of people committing voter fraud during the 2016 general election." And most of them were voting for Trump. Also, many of Trump's people are registered to vote in two states (like Bannon and even Tiffany Trump). (Grokked from Jim Wright)

"I don’t know if this is a word of hope or warning or rallying, but here’s the thing with this sudden flurry of activity from Trump and Congress: as those of us who have lived under radical GOP rule can tell you, 'shock and awe' is definitely part of the program." The word you're searching for is "Machiavellian". Yes, there is too much coming through the pipeline. Choose which parts matter to you and act on them. There's enough of us to cover everything. Also, stop shaming people for caring about something that you think is a distraction. For them, your issue is the distraction. Say, "Rock on! Don't forget to do something about it," and walk away. (Grokked from Cherie Priest)

"Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s job running the State Department just got considerably more difficult. The entire senior level of management officials resigned Wednesday, part of an ongoing mass exodus of senior foreign service officers who don’t want to stick around for the Trump era… Then suddenly on Wednesday afternoon, Kennedy and three of his top officials resigned unexpectedly, four State Department officials confirmed… All are career foreign service officers who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations… Kennedy will retire from the foreign service at the end of the month, officials said. The other officials could be given assignments elsewhere in the foreign service." That's gonna leave a mark. While these positions are typically replaced in a new administration, the current people usually stick around to help insure the person following them knows WTF they're doing. (Grokked from Maureen Johnson)

Linkee-poo, to dumb to give up, to stubborn to change

That NPS thing? Here's BadIandsNPS (with a capital I) and the BadlandsNPS (with a lower-case L) twitter feeds. (Grokked from John)

The writing productivity pipeline. (Grokked from Mer Haskell, who shares her own version)

"It’s difficult to say these things out loud to new writers, that most of the books you write will mean a lot to some people, but that they won’t make you rich. They won’t even pay enough for food and health insurance. You will have to work two jobs, novels and day job, until you retire. And maybe even still then. We want to talk about the six or seven figure book deals, the breakout hits, the fairytale stories. But the majority of writers face only this: writing the next book and the next book and the next book, building an audience from scratch, from the ground up, hustling out a living just like everyone else does, cobbling together novel contracts, Patreon money, day jobs, and freelancing gigs." Kameron Hurley on disappointment in success and not quitting the day job.

"I have given quite a few speeches since the election and inevitably some variation of this 'reaching out' issue is raised in the form of a question, and my answer is always the same: The Enlightenment must never bow to the Inquisition." Remember when the political right was "pissed-off" and that became the Tea Party. As I remember, the Tea Party never had a turn out like last week.

Ima just leave this here. "Aetna executives backed up those arguments by citing poor financial performance as a reason for its withdrawals… But internal company communications suggest that, in three states, Aetna had other motives: It was trying to win approval of its controversial bid to merge with Humana… Some of the plans that Aetna shut down were actually making money, the documents indicate. And Aetna remained optimistic that Obamacare plans would be profitable in the long run." (Grokked from Michele)

The growth of CO2 in the atmosphere. We're boned. (Grokked from Kelly Swails)

Look at those pages while you can. "U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the climate change page from its website, two agency employees told Reuters, the latest move by the newly minted leadership to erase ex-President Barack Obama's climate change initiatives." The good thing, if you want to call it "good", is that we are experiencing climate change's effects right this moment. It's going to be hard to hide the weather. (Grokked from Lisa N. Morton)

"Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency who want to publish or present their scientific findings likely will need to have their work reviewed on a 'case by case basis' before it can be disseminated, according to a spokesman for the agency's transition team." They have no clue as to the magnitude of work that is done at the EPA. But I think that's also part of the plan, because if they can't get a review, that's just as good as suppression. Again, those who critiqued the Obama Administration for not being transparent enough are about to be reminded just how opaque and agency can be. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)

I remember a pre-election article that basically said that if Trump won the presidency, he still wouldn't get what he desires the most. "Donald Trump holds the most powerful office in the world. But he's dogged by insecurity over his loss of the popular vote in the election and a persistent frustration that the legitimacy of his presidency is being challenged by Democrats and the media, aides and associates say." Pre-election, Omarosa Manigault said on camera, "Every critic, every detractor, will have to bow down to president Trump… It’s everyone who’s ever doubted Donald, who ever disagreed, who ever challenged him. It is the ultimate revenge to become the most powerful man in the universe." How's that working for you, Donald? (Grokked from Dan)

It's pretty early for the cracks to start showing, but as a reporter who went to both "DeploraBalls" shows us, the drive to monetize their loyalty to Trump is now on display. Also note the Darwinian musical chairs game being played in the politics of the group. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

Just in case anyone tells you the right is so much more civil and wouldn't punch anyone. "Top Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway allegedly punched a tuxedo-clad man at an exclusive inauguration ball just hours after the new commander-in-chief was sworn in, according to a witness." Okay, I didn't see that plot-twist. Who's writing this thing anyway? (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"The man who told police he shot and wounded another man during a violent demonstration over the appearance of Milo Yiannopoulos at the University of Washington sent a social-media message to the Breitbart News editor just an hour before the shooting." It would have been nice for the Seattle Times to clarify the statement of the witness who used general pronouns and it's not exactly clear to me who was doing what. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

The REINS Act politics explained. Do you know why regulatory agencies write rules? Because Congress doesn't have the time to research and pass actual legislation. So the law is the intent of Congress, who then leaves it up to the agencies to write the rules and regulations to make it happen. (Grokked from Joe Hill)

Tweet of my heart: @MichaelClear: Dystopian science fiction writers must be embarrassed they never thought the resistance would be park services and Teen Vogue.

Linkee-poo made up my mind to make a new start, going to California with an aching in my heart

While I'm not a fanatic about it, sometimes I like to check my stats for the blog (especially after last Summer's fun). At least for one tracker Russia has dropped off the major list. Imagine my sad face that the trolls are gone (note: not all the Russian traffic were trolls, I consistently get a number of hits from Russia, but when my traffic from Russia spiked by 1000x - yes, that's actually a little low in fact - it was pretty clear where that traffic was coming from). They were so cute with their purple and orange spiky hair and whatnot. However China, Slovenia, and Ukraine have taken up the slack. Good for you, guys. Also a big wave to my friends down in Brazil. How's the summer going for you all?

"New projections say Louisiana is losing land much faster than officials thought. Each mile of land that washes into the Gulf of Mexico costs the state; industry, infrastructure and populations are all disrupted… Now, it has a plan to fight coastal land loss, but needs an estimated $90 billion to do it." Suing the energy industry to recoup from the damages they've caused.

And so begins the vilification of those who organized the Women's March. Not for anything real, but because they've shown themselves to be able, capable, resourceful and worst of all, successful. This is something the left needs to learn to do better, but we are often hampered by our intrinsic belief in the good of our fellow humans. This is part of a playbook (and working on our side's beliefs is part of the right's playbook). (Grokked from Saladin Ahmed)

A Leah Bobet tweet storm on what exactly happened Saturday. It was a promise to be there when it counts. Not everybody can be, be you saw the potential pool on Saturday. Hopefully enough can show up for the other work.

"An Indiana state senator is under fire for a Sunday post on his Facebook page that referred to women who gathered at the massive Women's March on Washington as 'fat,' The Indianapolis Star reported." He then goes on to use the "they just send you that porn" defense after making his Facebook page private. Good one. You go with that. Then another Indiana lawmaker gets in trouble for posting a meme about pepper spraying protestors with the line, "Participation Trophies, Now in Liquid Form1". And after he drew heat from that posted picture of puppies, complained that the left just doesn't get him, and it was all a joke. In line with my tweet storm about hitting Nazis, it's my suggestion the good people of Indiana demonstrate to Rep. Jim Lucas (R) that they get his humor by pepper spraying the asshole every chance they get. A good joke should be shared often.

"Folks at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service received an email Monday morning from their chief of staff telling them not to talk to the public about their work… The ARS solves agricultural problems, like balancing fertilizer and water use, developing healthier plants, and protecting the beloved honeybees. The email seems to join other attempts by the Trump administration to stifle executive agency communications." I guess we don't want those developing countries to get research for free or something. I'm sure this, along with the EPA halt on public-facing documents, is all normal. Nothing to worry about here. Nothing to do with the increasing evidence that we're hosed because of climate change. Remember the criticism Obama took because his administration wasn't totally "transparent" like he promised? I get we get to have a reminder on just how transparent it was. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

"Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) was repeatedly interrupted by constituents concerned about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act during a packed Tuesday town hall in Grand Rapids, MLive.com reported." Holds up lighter for the people of Grand Rapids.

"U.S. government sources tell CBS News that there is a sense of unease in the intelligence community after President Trump’s visit to CIA headquarters on Saturday… An official said the visit 'made relations with the intelligence community worse' and described the visit as 'uncomfortable.'… Authorities are also pushing back against the perception that the CIA workforce was cheering for the president. They say the first three rows in front of the president were largely made up of supporters of Mr. Trump’s campaign." Just like he did with his "press conference." How fucking insecure is this guy? (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention canceled a climate change and health summit months in the making without offering an official explanation, multiple news outlets reported Monday." The self-censoring begins.

"The Affordable Care Act includes special provisions that make the process of getting black lung benefits easier for coal miners. If the ACA is repealed, gaining these benefits could become much more difficult, effectively harming a group of people that President Trump has promised to protect." There is also discussion (not in this article, but I point to it because of the pull quote) about stopping using the word "Obamacare" and instead use "ACA" in an attempt to "save it." In this article you see that, the law is always referred to as "ACA", not "Obamacare."

"A common refrain among Republicans is that the people who live in big coastal cities like New York, Washington D.C., and San Francisco are out of touch with 'real Americans.'… On Saturday, photos from hundreds of protests and marches across the country in opposition to Donald Trump’s day-old presidency countered that notion." Oh, and the "dissatisfied, poor, rural whites" nonsense is also a lie. (Grokked from Cat Rambo)

"'The committee will not be holding a second hearing on the Education Secretary nominee,' an aide to committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said in a statement." I'm sure this decision has nothing to do with her glaringly bad performance. (Grokked from Michele)

"New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Wednesday that part of the reason he declined a role in Donald Trump’s administration was his wife’s refusal to move to Washington, D.C." Uh. Yeah. Because he loves his wife… except he would have gone had they offered him a more "exciting" position. I guess coffee-lackey isn't exciting.

Linkee-poo, let me hear that Rock 'n Roll music

It's a basic "division of labor" issue. It's a shocking development when just one person does a "terrible" thing. While the overall task looks like an insurmountable mountain to climb, if we all just punched one neo-nazi we would be that much further along.

Alanis Morissette’s update “Ironic” for a Late Late Show appearance. (Grokked from Dan)

Wanna know how and when your representatives vote on things? there's an app for that. "Once you've shared your opinion (they have a poll of if you agree with your representative's vote), you can send email or call your legislator directly from VoteSpotter to keep them accountable." A little retro in action, but interesting. (Grokked from John)

"Research funded by the DoD Suicide Prevention Office shows how information on social media can provide an important window into a person’s state of mind. Social media platforms provide potential opportunities for individuals to connect to support or treatment they need. For instance, social media posts that convey messages of despair or a pattern of increasing hopelessness over a period of time could spur outreach from peers, who in turn can help connect a friend or teammate to commanders and professionals." This really isn't rocket-science, folks. When someone says they're depressed, believe them. When they make threats against themselves, believe them. If someone you care for (or others) shows signs of isolation, depression, and thoughts outside the norm, reach out to them. It may even be only a "like", which can say "I see you." It can be difficult in these times to sort out some of these signals, but make an effort for the people close to you. (Grokked from Fran Wilde)

Neuroscientists apply some of their methodologies to a computer. With somewhat predictable outcomes (our methods don't show the whole picture and can lead to false positives). Again, the brain is not a computer. (Grokked from Dan)

That traffic-camera ticket and a court case to dismiss it. Or how when we're not watching, those in government will tray almost anything in the name of "law and order." (Grokked from John)

"A bill that would require public officials in Indiana to dispatch law enforcement swiftly to remove any protesters blocking traffic by 'any means necessary' prompted uproar on Wednesday." It's fine, I'm sure it's fine. (Grokked from somebody, lost the link, sorry)

"While most of the world is still buzzing with positive energy from the Women's Marches on Saturday, several Republican legislators have been working hard to potentially make future peaceful protests a punishable offense." Jeebus, Teen Vogue is one thing, but when you've lost Cosmo you've really gone off the deep end. But the conservatives are just following the 12th Commandment, "That shall not embarrass or inconvenience the people in places of power." It's there in the Bible. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)

Scenes from a Confusion

Man was it foggy coming home from Confusion. Which, BTW, great time, but not enough of it (or mental power) to catch up with everyone I wanted to be with. It's like every year I have to pick friends whom I don't spend time with (but mostly it's who is available when I have mental power). So, good time. Maybe more later.

Because I can be there or here

In spirit.

Linkee-poo before Confusion

Just a few things. But about to head to Confusion, my annual time to confer, converse, and otherwise hob-nob with my writing friends. So don't expect anything until Monday. Sorry. I know that Friday and Saturday are going to be yuge and bigly. But blissfully I will be unawares of things (probably not, I apologize in advance for any untoward cursing and shouting that may occur spontaneously). Relax. Do what you can. Pay attention. Stay hydrated. Take care of yourself and others. I'm sure there will be things to discuss on Monday.

Okay, sorry, this was supposed to publish yesterday (and it's still scheduled, for yesterday). But it allows me to add one more.

All mention of climate change has been removed from the White House website. Doesn't have time to vet cabinet members or hire a staff, but time enough to do this scrub. Priorities. (Grokked from Jeff VanderMeer)

So what do I really think? Well, as usual I have smart friends to tend to put things better than I can. For example, here is John Scalzi on the end of the Obama era and the start of the Trump reign.

Ima just gonna leave this here. "Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s office won’t say who is paying for the Hawaii Democrat’s controversial trip to Syria and Lebanon this week… This isn’t the first time Gabbard has defied her party or conventional norms. She criticized the Obama administration's actions on Syria, endorsed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and was one of the first Democrats to meet with President-elect Donald Trump… Gabbard, who sits on both the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees is opposed to U.S. military intervention in the war-ravaged country." (Grokked from Xeni Jardin) So, remember those Carrier (and Rexnord) jobs? "All told more than 1,600 jobs are leaving that Trump vowed to save." Yep, their still screwed. Also, the workers who are staying still haven't seen what the deal is. There are also a few workers who voted for Trump, who are losing their jobs, but they have faith Trump will bring them back. My advice, look what that kind of optimism did for coal. If you can move, move. Because the jobs aren't coming back, folks. Trump may capitalize on the re-shoring trend already in progress, but while the numbers of widgets out the door have increased, with automation the number of jobs are about a tenth of what they were. (Grokked from Michele)

Tweet of my heart: @KAmorphous It's not just a Farewell Address from Obama. It's a Farewell Address from the America I was starting to have hope in. #ObamaFarewell (Grokked from Shiela)

Linkee-poo, black water keeps rolling on past just the same

Hmm, I see some of our friends from Russia are still here. But man have you guys been overtaken by China. (Debates adding ads and starting a turf war between Russian trolls and China link farmers)

"Oxfam's accounting works like this: your net worth is your assets minus your debts… That means if you are debt-free, and have one penny, you are richer than the poorest 40% of the Earth: 2,800,000,000 people." What it really means is that those who are least able to afford debt, are the ones who carry the most. And here in the US, much of your debt is indexed against your FICO. The lower it is, the more you will have to pay (and that includes everything from not being able to get a good paying job, to what you pay for insurance, to your interest rates on loans - if you're even able to get a loan).

"The newly-minted chair of the House Appropriations Committee said Monday that both House and Senate leadership, as well as the incoming Trump administration, had made a “promise” to have a replacement ready for Obamacare as soon as it is repealed." Would you trade Obamacare for what's behind Curtain Number 3?

"Under this (legislative) proposal (from a conservative controlled legislature), if a utility provided energy produced by a large-scale wind or solar plant to Wyoming residents, it would be fined $10 per megawatt sold. Only energy from coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, oil and small-scale, privately-owned solar panels and wind turbines could be sold without repercussions." Remember when Republicans where the "free-market" party? (Grokked from John Scalzi)

"Generally, this model forces insurers to take fewer risks so that they can still make money. They do this by excluding preexisting conditions and paying fewer claims. In such a market, fewer people are helped, and when they are able to get insurance, they pay a lot more for it than if they were part of an employee-sponsored plan… The Affordable Care Act changed all of this. Companies were required to stop doing these bad things. In exchange for taking on substantially more risk of less healthy patients, they were promised more business by getting access to more potential customers." On what went wrong and why repealing will not lead to a replacement. (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)

"U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, faced a skeptical and at times testy crowd Tuesday as dozens of people arrived at an afternoon meeting to make sure he knew they would not let the Affordable Care Act end without a fight." He still supports repeal. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"Millionaire president-elect Donald Trump tweeted at @Ivanka, but that ain't his daughter. Even better, Ivanka Majic smacked him down for good measure." It's. His. Own. Fucking. Daughter. Drunk tweeting again. (Grokked from Dan)

The DeVos confirmation hearing train wreck. I guess "extreme vetting" isn't for internal consumption. This is what happens when you choose people for ideology, especially when it's a one-trick-pony kind of ideology (school vouchers/dismantle public education). Mrs. DeVos is all over that. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"Conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham says she's considering a 2018 challenge to Democrat Tim Kaine for a U.S. Senate seat representing Virginia." Oh please let us see that salute at the RNC 1000x over creating another "I'm not a witch" moment.

"In response to Donald Trump’s pending inauguration, Shepard Fairey has designed a series of posters featuring groups he considers traditionally marginalized. The “We the People” series is the work of Fairey — with contributions from artists Jessica Sabogal and Ernesto Yerena — and it has raised several hundred thousand dollars to purchase full-page ads with the posters in the Washington Post to make a statement on Inauguration Day." Stands and salutes. (Grokked from Dan)

So, with only a few days left, how is the transition going? Opens door. "The Obama administration has written 275 briefing papers for the incoming Trump administration: nearly 1,000 pages of classified material on North Korea’s nuclear program, the military campaign against the Islamic State, tensions in the South China Sea, and every other kind of threat the new team could face in its first weeks in office… Nobody in the current administration knows whether anyone in the next has read any of it." Closes door. To be fair, there's a lot that needs to happen for the transition, and almost no modern transition has been without hiccups (you might remember the stream of Obama appointees who had tax issues). But, yeah, sorta wow. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

Tweet of my heart: @Attervar If you feel like you're in the wrong universe, remember all this weird crap only started after they turned on the Large Hadron Collider. (Grokked from Joshua Parker)

Scenes from a Commute

Yes, it was that blurry.