I do know almost all of that, but it doesn’t change my point about place names being funny indicators.
That’s true. You are of course correct that most of the current state of Rhode Island is not an island today.
Hidden to not get any more off-topic…
It lives up to its nickname of “Ocean State,” though. It has one of the highest ratios of coastline to land area of the U.S. states.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S.\_states_and_territories_by_coastline
The Hill: Spending bill blocks Trump plan to politicize grants
A spending bill unveiled Sunday by Senate Republicans would temporarily block the Trump administration’s proposal to give political appointees control over hundreds of billions of dollars in scientific grants.
The provision contained in the continuing resolution marks a rare instance of congressional Republicans standing up to a controversial Trump administration policy.
Essentially, the Trump administration wants to completely politicize the grant process. They want to dispense with decades of precedent, and frankly to flagrantly break the law (because whether money can be spent on grants is solely the purview of Congress, not the POTUS). Basically, the Office of Financial Management was given a mandate to review grant proposals and verify that they aligned with Trump’s policy goals, and reject any that don’t. They expressly are seeking to end “DEI” and end what I’d heard one official call a support of liberalism from grant money. This would potentially end such things as funding for Sickle Cell research, as that is a disease that disproportionately affects Black people, and so it falls afoul of the anti-DEI mandate.
Yes, it’s sick and racist and awful. The OMB’s official role is only to look for fraud, and that’s it. This proposed change would amount to censorship, which is also a flagrant First Amendment violation.
Anyway, the reason I’m putting it here is that even Republicans can’t stomach something this bad. At least not yet. And they’ve temporarily blocked it. Hopefully this means that it will stay blocked until they lose total control of the legislature, and Democrats might be able to block it until the end of Trump’s term.
I’m sure Trump is fuming about this “betrayal” from his own side.
I see the CEO’s of the oil companies visiting the White House with solid gold replikas of their balls, tied up with red ribbons.
President Donald Trump said Monday that ExxonMobil and Chevron made “too much money” on rising crude oil prices due to the Iran war.
“They’re making too much money based on a shortage,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I don’t like it."
…
“Chevron, too much money. ExxonMobil, too much money,” Trump said. “They’re going to give some of that back to the public and they better cut the retail price, the consumer price.”
Translation: they made too much money without giving me a piece.
Me and thousands of my fellow scientific colleagues submitted almost half a million comments against this policy, about 10-20 times more comments than are typically submitted. We also inundated our representatives with thousands of calls, emails, and letters.
They got scared, especially looking at how the midterms seem to be going.
However this is only a temporary reprieve. We need to keep them scared.
good for you! there is so much to be afraid of, but the attempt to tear down everything to do with science (because it’s woke!) might be the very worst.
The Trump Endorsement Curse™ strikes again:
President Trump’s handpicked congressional candidate lost his primary to someone who dropped out weeks ago.
Amir Hassan, a veteran and self-proclaimed “America First Patriot,” was touted by Trump as the preferred GOP choice to represent Michigan’s 8th district in the House of Representatives.
“Amir Hassan has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Michigan’s 8th Congressional District,” Trump posted on Truth Social Monday. “Election Day is Tuesday, August 4th. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR AMIR—HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Voters didn’t agree, as Hassan lost handily to Thomas Smith by over 10,000 votes, securing just 33.2 percent to Smith’s 50.4 percent. Yet despite his name being on the ballot, Smith had dropped out of the race last month and ceased all campaigning, The Detroit News reported.
Reports vary as to whether Smith will reenter the race, or how his “victory” stacks up against incumbent Kristen McDonald Rivet. But for now — 
.
In the endorsement, Trump didn’t refer to the candidate as Amir HUSSEIN Hassan?
Repeating for emphasis: the Trump-backed guy lost to someone not even in the race.
The racism is strong in the GOP - can’t vote for a Muslim, even to please the God Emperor.
Well, it’s not quite up there with John Ashcroft of Missouri losing a Senate race to Mel Carnahan, who just happened to be dead (from a plane crash) too late to take his name off the ballot, but it’s still a nice little bit of Schadenfreude.
Press on.
I feel pretty bad but the wording of that post made me bust a gut laughing!
Unfortunately, we wound up with Ashcroft as AG under Dubya, which might not have happened if he had won.
Well, I’d take Ashcroft back over Blanche in a heartbeat. I abhor his politics, but he had a set of morals that I believe he followed (most of which I disagree with), as opposed to blind obedience to Trump.
The Asian parable, The old man lost his horse in action.
The parable tells the story of a farmer who lives with his father close to the border with the barbarian territories. Without his fault and without being able to influence them, the farmer goes through various situations which all have important consequences for him:
- His horse, a considerable part of his property and livelihood, runs away. Neighbors and friends offer condolences, but the farmer exclaims “Who knows if there’s a silver lining in this?”
- After weeks, his horse finds its way back and brings along other horses from the barbarian territories, thus increasing the farmer’s property. Neighbors and friends offer congratulations, but the farmer exclaims, “Who knows what misfortune this foretells?”
- Trying to ride one of the wild horses, the farmer’s son falls and breaks his leg - which reduces his physical capacities. Neighbors and friends offer condolences yet again, but the farmer replies “Who knows if there’s a silver lining in this?”
- When the barbarians attack the borderland, the injured farmer’s son was not drafted and did not take part in battle where many young men died - by staying back the son and the farmer survived and escaped together.
- Fortune and misfortune are intertwined just like all life stories are intertwined, such is the mystery of life.
Of course with King Merdes in charge the clouds don’t have a silver lining but rather, gilt.
I just call it “failing upward”. We’ve seen it over and over with these clowns.
Th latest juvenile “point and laugh” hullabaloo concerns Trump’s hair: it looks like he’s resorted to donning a wig.
At taxpayer expense, I’m sure.
More gender-affirming care…