By David Futrelle
News overload! We have a Category 4 hurricane bearing down on the coast of Texas that promises to dump massive quantities of rain as it pushes its way inland. The situation looks dire, and the chances that the Trump administration will be up to the challenge of dealing with it are essentially nil.
Meanwhile, Trump seems to be using the hurricane as cover to announce two, let’s say, controversial acts: the implementation of his straight-up hateful transgender ban, and a pardon of the despicable Joe Arpaio.
Oh, and Sebastian Gorka is OUT of the White House, meaning that the creepy pics of him I posted a week ago WORKED. I guess I’ll have to do Stephen Miller next.
Plus new news on the Russia investigation, and North Korea fires more missiles.
Let’s start with the literal hurricane.
"Rainfall of this magnitude will cause catastrophic and life-threatening flooding." https://t.co/bsXWMJFxP1
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) August 25, 2017
This is scary. I have never seen a rainfall forecast like this in my entire career.
Texas will be recovering from #Harvey for years. https://t.co/2l4agI5WfC— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) August 25, 2017
Texas mayor: If you're not evacuating before #HurricaneHarvey, write your name and SocSec number on your arm https://t.co/X48bSjYpwD pic.twitter.com/zXKVicrkO7
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) August 26, 2017
National Hurricane Center on the impact of Hurricane Harvey: "Locations may be uninhabitable for weeks or months.” https://t.co/aBPMA4uqr7 pic.twitter.com/0s8BGAyR3i
— CNN (@CNN) August 25, 2017
https://twitter.com/justinjm1/status/901222278066733062
As #Harvey Threatens Texas Coast, Immigration Checkpoints May Cost Lives, @reportbywilson at @Rewire_News: https://t.co/kG8HjjzWeC https://t.co/pE4oCbyIYV
— Rewire News Group (@RewireNewsGroup) August 25, 2017
https://twitter.com/owillis/status/901114037152477184
Anything to say to the people of Texas?
"Good luck."
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄pic.twitter.com/rDcVcvcWRh— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) August 25, 2017
But wait, there’s more:
Trump pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio
No better distraction than a #HurricaneHarvey to cover up a bad decision
This is a travesty of justice pic.twitter.com/qtsUvHtql7
— Ted Corcoran (RedTRaccoon) (@RedTRaccoon) August 26, 2017
DOJ had no role in Arpaio pardon per source with knowledge — this did not follow typical Office of Pardon Attorney process
— Laura Jarrett (@LauraAJarrett) August 26, 2017
There's no difference between Trump pardoning Sheriff Joe and telling his supporters he'll pay their legal fees for assaulting people.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) August 26, 2017
FRIDAY DOCUMENT DUMP: Trump Signs Transgender Ban As Hurricane Coverage Dominates All Networks – https://t.co/b7TfvKrilX pic.twitter.com/yZGqOpmPkX
— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) August 25, 2017
Trump's transgender ban is a vicious hate crime on a federal scale. Most Americans are against it.
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) August 25, 2017
Doing a heckuva job, Donnie pic.twitter.com/u9etITxDo6
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) August 26, 2017
But we’re not done yet!
Another one bites the dust.
❌Gorka
❌Bannon
❌Scaramucci
❌Reince
❌Flynn
❌Spicer
❌Manafort
❌Page
❌Dubke
❌Epshtyn
❌Short
❌Harvey#ImpeachTrump— Scott Dworkin (@funder) August 26, 2017
Woah. IT WORKED. Gorka is OUT! I guess I'll do Stephen Miller next, then work up to Trump. https://t.co/l3tgp9tcKw
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) August 26, 2017
Gorka resigning in the middle of so much horrible news is like finding a $20 bill on the street before getting hit by a bus.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) August 26, 2017
#BREAKING: Special counsel investigating whether Flynn tried to obtain Clinton emails from Russia: report https://t.co/IAi2hMLNAT pic.twitter.com/w7RIADX87H
— The Hill (@thehill) August 25, 2017
And if that weren’t enough:
UPDATE: North Korea tests 3 short-range missiles. 2 failed in flight, 1 "appears to have blown up almost immediately." – @PacificCommand
— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) August 25, 2017
ahh the familiar trans military ban category 4 hurricane joe arpaio pardon seb gorka resignation north korean missile news cycle
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) August 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/profmusgrave/status/901238685391360001
Trump administration—I know I don't ever have any Friday night plans, but it would be nice if you didn't just assume
— joel tyler (@joeltyler_) August 26, 2017
"Mr. President, Texas is facing total devastation and North Korea just fired a missile, what do you want to do"
"Let's pardon the racist"
— Ashley Feinberg (ashleyfeinberg.bsky.social) (@ashleyfeinberg) August 26, 2017
And a sort of kicker: Alt-right organizers in San Francisco have cancelled their original plan for a rally because they didn’t like the restrictions on things that could be used as weapons that the police were imposing on them. So now they’re planning an unsanctioned rally closer to where the counterprotesters will be. Clearly this isn’t about free speech. They want violence, and hope the violence will intimidate the left.
My statement on extremists' decision to cancel permitted rally at Crissy Field and to hold an illegal, volatile rally at Alamo Square. pic.twitter.com/MtN2T2fvDt
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) August 25, 2017
These are straight-up Nazi SS tactics.
I think we need a few cute animals right about now.
https://twitter.com/shibesbot/status/901140115266957313
https://twitter.com/zboah/status/901085820236464128
https://twitter.com/ReIatable/status/899198085771014144
https://twitter.com/bestcataccount/status/900877595092430849
EDIT: Added the stuff on the San Francisco rally.
EDIT 2: Added a few more tweets.
I wonder how a successfully-implemented trans ban would affect a draft.
“Uh, I’d love to serve in Trump’s war, buuuuut…turns out I’m trans. Yep, totally trans. So I can’t be in the military, ’cause of the whole ‘trans’ thing. Sorry!” x100000
—–
Reminder to donate, give blood and (if you are in or near the affected area) volunteer to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey as you are able. https://www.redcross.org/donate/hurricane-harvey?campname=Harvey&campmedium=aspot
SADISTS AND BULLIES! Someone needs to set THEM on fire!
All those people that Arpaio and his assholes hurt need to be SUED! BLEED THEM DRY!
The thing is, they probably would have set (Latino) people on fire and laughed about it if they thought they could get away with it.
I’m also wondering how the banning of transgender recruits will work. If the interviews and questionnaires and paperwork don’t mention the issue, how will they know?
(I rather suspect that the military knows a multitude of bureaucratic manoeuvres – totally beyond the ken of Trumpelthinskin – that would reduce the “ban” to a nod and a wink version of don’t ask, don’t tell that will get everyone through until a new, sensible administration is back in charge.)
@ Tov01
That’s sickening, but not surprising. The correlation between animal abuse and sociopathy* is well established.
But thank you for bringing that to my attention. It may be there’s something practical that can be done if the perpetrators can be identified. I’ll set things in motion.
(*I know we don’t go for armchair diagnosis generally, but the link is well established and in the legal world ‘sociopath’ is a description of personality rather than a medical diagnosis so hopefully that’s ok. Apologies if not.)
And not only did they make a puppy burn to death but it was part of the most over the top, unnecessary, amateurish, Keystone Cops-worthy, SWAT Raid that literally blew up an entire house. The whole scene would be ALMOST darkly comical if it wasn’t for the fact that the cruel killing of an innocent doggie was involved.
The dog thing is ironic since Arpaio was supposedly a big champion of fighting Animal Cruelty and arresting evil animal abusers. Considering that he was perfectly fine with this situation of his personal group of dumb orcs and their wanton house-destruction, disregard for proper safety or protocol and cruel forced pooch-cremation….this one “saving grace” in Arpaio’s career (fighting Animal Cruelty and tough on animal abusers) may be suspect as well.
THE INCIDENT IN A NUTSHELL….
* A guy named Eric Kush (with no real criminal record) who lived with a bunch of other youngsters in one big house was falsely fingered by a guy he knew (who did have a criminal record) for having an alleged cache of arms. He didn’t. He only owned an old relic of a hunting rifle that belonged to his dad and likely was never being used anymore.
* Arpaio’s Goons, rather take the proper precautions, check out if the “lead” was true, secure the area, prepare properly, evacuate the neighborhood, etc. Simply donned their haphazard armor out in the open and crashed right in with tear gas, flash grenades and guns a-blazin’ like they were teenage 1980s-era commando-themed action-flick wannabees!
* Mr. Kush hid in the attic out of fear of these oafs trashing the place. The resulting din and the tear gas canisters caused a blaze. Kush, a few other occupants and a Pit Bull puppy named “Dre” got the heck out!
* But poor little Dre was intercepted by some goons and forced back into the house so it could burn to death. As the poor little pooch’s dying yelps were heard, the dumbass Arpaio-Troopers of Doom laughed while needling our Eric Kush and his girlfriend, Andrea about it (as they were cuffed on the ground and helpless).
* When it was over; The house looked like London after “The Blitz” and these freaks didn’t allow the occupants inside until DAYS after….and the remains of Dre were in there the whole time….in over 100-degree Summer heat….and the place now stunk with both burn house AND dead dog.
* Then Joe Arpaio had the NERVE to blame the fire on an alleged “SCENTED FUCKING CANDLE” rather than admit that his “Deputies” are a bunch of violent dumbasses who have doughnuts where their brains should be….even after they needlessly murdered a dog (Remember; Arpaio was ‘Mr. Anti-Animal Cruelty’, I guess it’s either all the sham or he makes exceptions when it comes to Pit Bulls named after famous rappers….”How ghetto! Kill it!”)!
I hope Eric and Friends sue these cretins to death! Since Arpaio is no longer in charge of anything, a won lawsuit would affect HIM and not taxpayers! The best time to sue him is when he’s just some old civilian who yells at Mexico-shaped clouds.
Just putting in a request for our Texas peeps to send us a all clear if they can. Having lived through Andrew I know that day 1 after the storm can be pretty dangerous too and am worried about you guys.
I don’t know if we qualify for an “all clear” just yet. Mr. Parasol’s parents had trouble calling us today, and they were feeling frantic. Not that my father-in-law would admit it; he’s a German-American Midwesterner who worked for NASA, so “stoic” is kinda his default mode.
Winds are about 30 mph right now, but the rain hasn’t been too bad. We’re thinking of making a supply run tomorrow, since more rain is expected later in the week.
Annnnnnd I can’t get hold of my sister who’s finishing up her residency in Louisiana. Hope she’s okay.
Is the storm affecting LA already? I thought that wasn’t forecast for a few days yet.
I’m seeing Houston now forecast to get 40″ of rain, locally up to 50″ of rain. I know what 50 centimeters of snow looks like — it’s pretty bothersome. I can’t conceive of 25x as much humidity falling as *rain* would look like.
PS:au I suggest swapping the parasol for a parapluie for the next few days? Seems somehow more à propos.
LA is getting rain today, though not like we are. Of course, a lot of this is me being a fretful big sister.
I hope all you Texans, here (you and your family members and friends), are safe and sound
There is a theory that cats do not understand that it’s the same outside, whether you look out the front door or the back door. To cats, your house is surrounded by magic portals to different worlds. I do not know if this is so; I am convinced I have seen cats follow intruders or potential prey from one window to another. If it is so, cats must think that squirrels teleport.
Considering the bits and pieces we are getting in Miami, be safe Parasol. Remember that most of the injuries actually occur after the storm from downed wires or damaged roads or issues with contaminated water. You got our fond wishes over there Texan’s. Just hold on.
@Petal
That’s awful. I was unmedicated through most of college, so let me think what helped with that.
* Allowing myself to get less than a 4.0 (top grade here in US, not sure if that’s the same where you are). My anxiety gets really bad when grades are involved, and I was pushing myself 120% and it was unsustainable. Even after I started allowing myself to get less than 4.0 my grades didn’t suffer all that much – I got 3.75 overall, but my mental health improved a lot.
* Avoiding drinking. Occasionally I would indulge but my tendency is to use it as self-medication and that can get out of hand fast. Find better ways to feel better. (This may not apply to you, as it’s pretty individual. I think the most important thing here is to look for and recognize negative coping mechanisms and avoid them where possible.)
* Taking time to relax. It’s easy to get stuck in this rut where you feel like you can’t take a break until your work is done, and at least with the program I was in you’re never able to catch up completely. That assignment will take less time to complete if you take 15-20 minutes to unwind first, whether that means playing a game, taking a bath, taking a quick nap, etc.
* I didn’t have this when I was in college, but maybe try CBD oil? I recall pot being illegal where you are, but here in the U.S. it’s only the THC that’s illegal, so CBD oil is perfectly legal. It may or may not help; it’s pretty individual.
* Take some time out of each day to surround yourself with positive energy, in whatever form that takes for you. Happy movies/shows, music, blogs, etc.
* Lean on your loved ones and classmates, when needed. I had times where I was really sick and didn’t feel like I could handle driving, but could handle class, so my husband drove me and waited in the common area for me. Also had times where I leaned on my teammates on a project for help if I got stuck or ran out of time. I also pitched in extra where I could, so no one minded this.
That’s about all I can think of. Good luck. You got this.
@Dormousing
Thanks! I’m so fed up with all the meds I take for various things, now I’ve cut down to the bare minimum I need to survive. I’ll see what I can do, but it’s likely I get back on SSRI once I feel up for it.
@kupo
In our system, there’s only fail, pass, or pass with distinction. GPA isn’t a thing at all. It looks cool on a diploma to have passed every class with distinction, but other than that it doesn’t seem to matter much. I also get obsessive about acing tests, though. I often start out getting top scores from everything for a semester or two, then drop to barely passing grades for another semester, then suddenly stop showing up and fail everything.
We’re actually in an extended zero alcohol stretch right now. For my wife it’s mostly about calories, and for me it’s solidarity (although I was definitely having too many beer calories). I do think it will be helpful. I tend to be knocked tfo all weekend if I drink more than a beer or two.
As for relaxation, my problem is that I take too much time off and indulge too much. I procrastinate at a world class level. I can always find something I need to do before even opening up the book I should be reading. It’s ridiculous. This is the main reason why I’m waiting for psych evaluation, along with terrible time management skills.
I have no idea about the status of CBD oil (or what to do with it). Should probably look into that.
I actually got into a tiny special group of 20-25 students who will be studying at a different location and doing field work at the same time. I am happy about it, but also worried since it’s supposed to be more work than regular campus studies. There’s a bit of pressure to not fuck this up, since these are just 20+ spots from 2000+ applicants. I don’t actually know if this will be a good or bad thing for my mental health. It does mean that people will instantly notice if I stop showing up for class.
I promise that the cats will be getting a lot of hugs and intense cuddles!
@Petal
CBD oil is just one of the cannabinoids suspended on oil. It can help with arthritis, which I believe you said you have, and with anxiety. I take it, but in a form that also contains THC (legal in my state) and it helps me.
As for how to stop procrastinating, that’s a tough one. At some point in my life a switch flipped and I went from being a procrastinator to just not being one anymore. Back when I used to procrastinate it was compulsive and I couldn’t stop even though I wanted to. Sometimes having background noise while working on homework helped me focus.
Procrastinating can be pretty context-sensitive, as well. I think I’ve noted before about the time when I was so actively procrastinating on a story I was writing for a ‘zine (with a deadline a week away) that I actually went out and mowed the lawn rather than write.
Sometimes, all you need to ‘avoid’ procrastination is to have multiple things you can rotate between, so you can do one of them while convincing yourself that you ‘should’ be doing another.
Not that that always works either, of course.
Just catching up with the state of the world after a long weekend offline (making salads for a fundraiser, MCing the fundraiser, cleaning the hall up; sitting in a field telling stories at a festival; sleeping late, cleaning out a couple of drawers, staggering to the beach, sleeping on the beech, early night).
At some point in that I heard on the radio that Gorka toast and I took my hat off and cuddled the cat in honour of your awesome powers, David. Congratulations! Who next?
And love, luck, best wishes and stay safe to everyone in or near this hurricane.
I procrastinate enormous amounts. As I do so, the deadlines loom, which makes me stressed, which makes me procrastinate even more.
I don’t have a solution, but I sympathise completely.
Stormfront has followed Daily Stormer in being kicked off the net.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/29/stormfront-neo-nazi-hate-site-murder-internet-pulled-offline-web-com-civil-rights-action
Facebook are the worst now, they accept promoted pages from users advocating violence because they are paying money to target users with their propaganda. I was targeting as a potential customer for Politically Cracked T-shirts, a page which facebook doesn’t consuder a violation of their policies.
Please report this image!
https://www.facebook.com/politicallycrackedtees/photos/pcb.867432883422834/867432643422858/?type=3&theater