Here We Go Again

You’ve probably heard about the 28-year-old Siberian lab tech, Darya Shipilova, by now, eh? On September 25th a test tube filled with live samples of pneumonic plague broke in her lab. She was taken to the hospital on the 29th and died two days later. WTF?! 

If caught and identified quickly pneumonic plague is supposedly easily treatable with antibiotics. 

Well, I’ve got questions:

• Wouldn’t the Antiplague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East have medical personnel, antibiotics and other meds on hand in case of emergency?
• Why did it take four days to get Darya to a hospital?
• Was the test tube unlabeled? 
• Did she NOT know that she’d just dropped Yersinia pestis pathogens all over the damn floor and was now breathing in that shit? 
• Was she NOT masked up? If not, WHY not? I mean, did she not know the dangers of the pathogens she was working with?
• In the days since her dropping the test tube, releasing the plague, and her death, have any of her coworkers left the building, the area, the country? Are they being tracked?
• Are the workers there scientists or just Homer Simpson types? 

189 to 200 contacts are currently being quarantined. Is that everyone who was exposed?

Pneumonic plague spreads from person to person when an infected individual coughs or sneezes, releasing infectious respiratory droplets into the air that others inhale. The incubation period of pneumonic plague following inhalation can be as short as +1 day. (source) 

Disingenuously, Russia has called what killed Darya a "pneumonia of unknown origin.” Sure man.

No worries here in the USA — Brainworm Bobby’s sure to keep us all safe … right?

Looks like we may be in for another Trump Plague. Maybe … maybe not but, given this mashed pea brained administration, we’re pretty much fucked. It’s time to stock up on N-95 masks and remember how we got by during COVID lockdown days. Hint: stay away from other people, especially MAGAts and other anti-science morons.

While pneumonic plague is treatable with antibiotics, you can bet your sweet antimicrobial ass that the rich will be treated first. Meds will be prioritized and stockpiled for them. They don't buy all those congresscritters for the good of the nation, ya know!

Us peasants? Horse paste, bleach cocktails, god fraudster Jim Bakker’s extra special colloidal silver as a dietary supplement, having that grifting televangelist Kenneth Copeland summon "the wind of God” (yahweh farts? divinity toots? creator air biscuits?) to exorcise the plague and, of course, vitamin supplements. Maybe some crystals and "spiritual vaccines” (at the low, low cost of the $100 to see $400 per “dose”) too.

What exactly is pneumonic plague? 

“While the circumstances of this reported case remain unconfirmed, plague is a serious bacterial disease that is treatable with antibiotics, particularly when recognized and treated early,” a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. “At this time, there is no indication from available reporting of a broader threat to the United States.” (source) 

Sounds like the usual let’s-not-panic-the-public semi-plausible government happy talk. In Russia, while they're putting out the usual Newspeak, they seem to be taking this wicked seriously.

Regional authorities are implementing a “comprehensive set of anti-epidemic measures,” according to Maxim Modin, the mayor of the Shelekhovsky district in eastern Russia, near the Mongolian border.

The inpatient facility at the hospital where the worker was treated has been placed under quarantine, and several departments have stopped discharging or admitting patients, Modin said. Other hospitals in the region have also been closed, according to local media reports. (source) 

IF this plague gets out of control as COVID did, how many will die because of Trump's lies and inaction this time? Think Trump’s cult will buy that it’s a hoax, that it’s only a few isolated cases, this will all be over in a couple weeks malarkey a second time? 

They were stupid, gullible, and trusting enough once. I'm sure a fair amount will double down on the dim yet again.

And here’s something rather concerning (to put it mildly):

Earlier this year scientists in the US used AI to create 16 new viruses from scratch in a move that experts hailed as both a “significant breakthrough” but one that posed significant biosecurity concerns.

While there is no evidence that the Russian lab currently under the spotlight was handling anything other than a regular plague pathogen there are concerns over what is happening in the country’s military labs.

During the Cold War the Soviet Union developed a covert biological weapons programme that only came to light when some of its scientists defected to the west.

Vladimir Pasechnik, a scientist who defected to Britain in 1989, described working on an aerosolised strain of plague and putting it on a cruise missile at a laboratory near Leningrad, now St Petersburg. (source)

On that insane note, I think I’m gonna go shower and then look for a big bag of cookies that need to be decimated. Yup, that’s the ticket!

This and That

Listen here, I’m now convinced that strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is, in point of fact, a fine basis for a system of government. And yes, you can wield supreme power simply because some watery tart threw a sword at you!

Still, I’m voting in the midterms and I hope to fuck you are too. If you’re voting by mail, do it early and I seriously recommend using the drop boxes versus the USPS. Mail service is totally fucked up lately. e.g.:

• My credit union sent me a new debit card a month ago — never arrived. They sent another one last week — still not here. I’ll have to go in to pick one up which is an arduous effort for yours disabled truly. 
• I sent off my credit card payment as soon as I got the bill. They started sending me late notices and then I got another bill with a late charge added on. Yes, did they finally get and cash my original check but not until after I’d sent off a fresh one.

By the by, not all states allow drop boxes for submitting ballots. Check here to see if your state is cool or not. 

Be sure to double and triple check that you are still registered to vote. Also, arrange NOW for a just-in-case ride for early voting in the event that you do NOT receive your mail-in ballot.

Remember, Prez Pedo and his greedheaded, soulless, renfieldian Republican billionaire buddies (I’m looking at you MusKKK, Jeff Yass, and Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein to name just a few, are looking to banjax the fuck out this race.
~~~
Wish I still had hearing. Okay, that’s a given — it’s, pretty much, how I feel every damn day BUT last night I stumbled on a Substack post by Bob Massey that heightened that (Massey's a former Washington Post journalist, an LA screenwriter, and author of the memoir Dead Virgins for America).  Bob wrote about Su Tissue, (AKA Sue McLane, the singer from Suburban Lawns, a late ‘70s new wave band from Long Beach), who made a three-movement experimental album that sounds like Steve Reich collaborating with the Cocteau Twins. 

Mein Gott! I absofucking LOVE Steve Reich and the Cocteau Twins. WHY can’t I listen to this album?! NO FAIRS!!!
~~~
Five corporations control 90% of the US media.

Airlines have merged from 12 major carriers in 1980 to 4 today.

A handful of companies control the pharmaceutical industry.

Four giants control 80% of meat processing.

The evidence of corporate concentration is everywhere.
~ Robert Reich

To add to what Reich said:

• A country run by banks will always be in debt.
• A country run by health insurance companies never be healthy.
• A country with government controlled/influenced media (Hello Fox “news,” OANN, Newsmax, etc.) will never know the truth. 
• A nation heavily invested in building weapons of war will always be at war.

As of September 3rd, Pedo's Epstein Distraction war in Iran has cost U.S. taxpayers $43.6 billion, 25 dead Americans, and tens of thousands of dead Iranians and Lebanese people.

We live in a Plutocratic Corporatocracy

Plutocracy: a system of government or society controlled exclusively, directly or indirectly, by people of great wealth

Corporatocracy: a system where business corporations or corporate entities direct government policy, laws, and economic priorities to favor private gain over public need

BRING ON THE WATERY TARTS!

Cats and Random Excrement

Nurse Cake has been working serious overtime this week. Between all my MRIs, another goddamn foot procedure, and miscellaneous appointments, this poor kitten hasn’t caught a break. 

Can I please just become a cyborg now? Fer reals. My organic parts are all way past warranty and no one makes replacement parts for a ’58 Donna anymore. Cake’s been a very good, supportive boy and clearly deserves ALL the treats and naps!
~~~
Ya know how Christian nationalists are their movement's worst salesmen? Instead of attracting people to their brand of white, het, alpha male, ultra republican Jesus, they’re repelling folks. The stone hypocrisy between their actions and their claimed savior's words kind of turns most folks with functioning brains off. Honestly, if you want to convert a crowd of faithful Sunday morning churchgoers into agnostics who wake, maybe go for a walk on the beach, and then phone bank for their local Democratic candidate, have them spend an hour with a Christian nationalist.

A new study by Samuel L. Perry, the Sam K. Viersen Presidential Professor of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma looks at the correlation between those who are unable to thoroughly or carefully think and being a right-wing Jesus fool/tool. There's a good clear article on it in PsyPost, an independent science news website. It's titled Lower cognitive ability is linked to stronger Christian nationalist views, even after accounting for education.

A new study indicates that Americans with lower scores on a vocabulary test commonly used to measure cognitive ability are more likely to endorse Christian nationalist beliefs, even when accounting for their overall level of education. The findings suggest that the appeal of this political and religious ideology relates to underlying cognitive resources rather than just differences in schooling. The research was published in Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. (source) 

Can’t say this comes as a surprise.
~~~
More absolute insane hypocrisy, stupidity, and cruelty from the Shit for Brains Administration — he’s trying to deport an anti-Zionist Hasidic Jew “home” to Israel.

The Trump administration is trying to deport Yehonatan Ovadia, a Satmar Hasidic religious teacher in Rockland County, New York. His alleged offense: taking part in a 2023 protest against an Israeli flag flown outside a town hall. Ovadia, who says he did not remove the flag, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a fine, but then his religious worker visa was revoked and he was detained by ICE. If the government wins, he may be sent to Israel, the country he was protesting. (source) 

Yeah, that sounds real safe. Pedo, of all people, is judging this Hasidic Jewish man, claiming that he’s an antisemite. 

Trump is no stranger to passing judgement on Jews. This is the smooth brained, anus mouthed, vulgarian who accused Jews who vote for Democratic candidates of being disloyal to Israel. 

The mini mushroom dicked pedo is a prime example of complete cognitive failure and moral bankruptcy. DUH!

~~~
Cornell University president, Michael Kotlikoff, has said the school will take steps to prevent more frat gang rapes from happening. I wonder how they plan on doing that – more essays? Will part of frat initiation be to write on a chalkboard 100 times, “I will not drug and gang rape women”? Maybe he’ll just form committees, who will meet with frat boys, asking them, ya know, what can we do to encourage you to stop raping vagina-having students.

The university would seek input, he said, from students, alumni and others on how to “preserve what is valuable about Greek life while strengthening individual accountability, transparency and a culture in which every member understands their responsibility to protect the safety and wellbeing of others”. (source) 

Yup, sounds like that’s the wholly milquetoast-y, doomed-to-fail, just-for-show plan. 

Jane Doe’s lawsuit against Cornell, seven fraternity members and others, alleges that the school failed to adequately punish ‌some of the accused students. Oh yeah, that’s a fucking understatement.

Tennessee Fail

Christa Pike is a murderer. There’s no getting around that. In 1995 she and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, tortured and murdered Colleen Slemmer. An anonymous tip was phoned in — Pike and Shipp were snatched up within a few days.

18-year-old Christa was sentenced to death via electronic chair (the only option available in Tennessee in1996). Tadaryl was 17, a minor — not ‘eligible’ for the death penalty. He got life with the possibility of parole.

In the 30 years since Christa was sentenced to death it’s been discovered that the brain is still developing at 18. Other mitigating factors include:

• she had been physically and sexually abused throughout childhood
• raped by a neighbor when she was just 11
• shuttled around between various relations in West Virginia and North Carolina.

Not exactly a peaceful, safe, stable upbringing. Christa was only diagnosed as having bipolar disorder a few years after she was already in prison.

Given that the Slemmer’s murder happened and was tried in the burning red state of Tennessee, the verdict would likely be the same today as it was 30 years ago. I’m NOT saying Christa should’ve gotten a slap on the wrist. Fuck no! I’m saying the death  penalty shouldn’t have been on the table. Save that for genocidal corporate autocrats. You know who I'm talking about.

So, Pike was finally being executed after 30 years on death row but, guess what, Republicans can’t be trusted to do anything right. They demonstrate this BIG and BOLD every goddamn chance they get.

Christa Pike remained hospitalized, unconscious and on a machine helping her breathe after her failed execution in Tennessee, her attorneys said in a court filing Friday.

The attorneys said hospital staff were working to save Pike’s life and clear the pentobarbital she was administered from her system as of late Thursday.

Pike received two doses of the drug in a failed attempt by the state of Tennessee to execute her on Wednesday. (source) 

She did not lose consciousness during the attempted execution. Her heart continued to beat. Right now, she's alive and unconscious, on a ventilator in a Nashville hospital. 

Tennessee is one of those proud, devastatingly stupid, and willfully ignorant, “pro-life” states that has banned all abortions. It’s illegal from the point of fertilization. There are no exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomalies. Doctors who perform abortions to save a woman or a child’s life face felony charges, loss of their medical licenses, and heavy fines. Given this threat, docs are reluctant to place themselves in jeopardy until it’s abundantly clear that the woman will die without intervention. Often enough, they’re too damn late. 

ALSO, F-fucking-YI, consider a pregnant 12 year old who has been raped — odds of this young girl, this victim, successfully surviving pregnancy and birth with mental and physical health intact are slim. A child’s mind and body aren’t mature enough to handle this birth shit. So, Tennessee is gonna violate this child a second time and quite possibly sentence her to a painful death or lifelong disability? Yup, that’s real pro-life of ya, babes.

Back to Christa’s case, Tennessee was actively, legally trying to murder her. They botched the job and now they’re jumping through hoops to save her life? DUDES, make up your fucking minds! Do you want her dead or alive?

East Tennessee attorney Marcos Garza stated that the authority of the state correction officials ended the moment doctors took over.  

 Why does this not work for a pregnant woman in distress? WHY does a pregnant woman in distress, who has NOT committed a crime, have to be holding hands with the grim reaper before it’s safe for a medic to swoop in and do his damn job? WHY is the heartbeat of a fetus (whose needs you’re going to totally ignore the second it’s born) more important than the mother? Answer me that you cattle fuckers!

This is Tennessee’s second banjaxed lethal injection since the state tried to off Tony Carruthers in May. They going for a Guinness World Record?

 According to US News and Word Report Tennessee ranks 31st in education and 39th in healthcare. 

Wallet Hub has Tennessee at 39th in education and 42nd in healthcare. 

Tennessee — every bit as hypocritical as an evangelical TV preacher whose been caught with a stack of cash, a bag of coke, and three sex workers of various genders (one of which may have already ODed).

Friday Thoughts

How’s that glorious Reflecting Pool “upgrade” going? Doesn’t look so hot to me.

Atlantic first acknowledged its mistakes in a 14 August report and provided additional details in early September, according to the documents. As a result of “human oversight”, the company said crews failed to spray enough primer to properly bond the liner’s layers in certain places.

The company also said the design spelled out in the contract called for two chemicals to be used in separate layers of the liner even though the products ultimately proved incompatible. The chemical sprayed on top became hotter than the material below it could tolerate, causing the material underneath to blister and separate. (source) 

The Pants Shitter in Chief claimed that the damage caused by his no-bid bestie contractor’s mistakes were limited to “a very small area” and were “relatively inconsequential.” Sure Pedo. I’m deaf, not blind. Originally Pres Liar, Liar Pants On Fire said the pool’s repair would cost 1.8 million of our taxpayer buckos. So far? The bills up to $16 million to nearly $18.7 million and the job’s not done. Of course, he also repeatedly lied, saying that the damage was caused by vandals with box cutters. Sheesh!

This is on top of Trump’s Epstein Dance Hall, his Arc de Trump, ripping out Jacki Kennedy’s Rose Garden and replacing it with a cheesy mall food court set up, the extra special fancy granite helipad, his ongoing, temper tantrum attempts to tear down the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Pedo’s proposed sculpture garden for his "national heroes" in West Potomac Park … ALL of these vanity projects at taxpayer’s expense. Everything he touches becomes ruined.

There MUST be some way to recover every dime he’s stolen from the American people so that we can begin to build a better nation where devastating catastrophes like Trump, Miller, Reagan, Musk, The Heritage Foundation, Fox “News” and billionaires in general can’t exist.

Now then, it’s Friday. The sun is finally out and it’s gonna be in the 70s today. Better still, I have NO doctor appointments today — YEA! 

In lieu of more ranting, I give you comics.

Yur welcome.

Berkeley Breathed

War and Peas

A Couple Thoughts

Does it really make sense to have 80 and 90 year olds making laws for a country? Should an 80 year old man, especially one who’s never been in the military, let alone seen combat, be able to send our sons and daughters into his war of choice?

I believe term limits and quite possibly age limits MUST be instituted in order to avoid disasters like the ones we're currently experiencing.

The ultimate example:

Prez Dementia Don — yes, it can certainly be argued that he’s always been this astoundingly stupid and insane. I would never dispute that. Possibly it’s just more obvious now because he’s on the world’s stage all the damn time. Still, dementia can remove a person's social filter by damaging the brain’s frontal lobe — this manages self-control. Not that old DD ever had decent social filters or self-control to begin with. He does appear to be much worse this second term. Maybe that's just me?

Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was clearly fading long before he became Zombie McConnell.
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) died in office at the age of 90 after a long decline in her health. I guess she was Mitch’s role model. 
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is 93 and contemplating running for another term in 2029. If he’s still alive in ’29, he’ll be 96-years-old. Does a wealthy 96-years-old white man understand the needs, struggles, the daily lives of the average Iowan? I think the fuck not.

Also, two people can be in their 80s and have wildly different levels of physical and cognitive function.

Fer instance, Bernie Sanders is 85. He’s around six months older than Glitch McConnell, who’s cruelly being Weekend-at-Mitch’s for reasons that only makes sense if you’re a lockstep member of the Republican cult. Bernie is still all there mentally and he’s physically fit for an old guy. People age at different rates. Should Sanders retire? Is he standing in the way of fresh, charismatic, dynamic Democratic Socialists or other progressives? Is the fresh blood growing old, wasting away in the wings or no?

We had sort of the same issue here in Massachusetts with the recent primary. Incumbent Senator Ed Markey is 80. He’s a progressive, co-authored the Green New Deal, co-authored the American Clean Energy and Security Act, was the principal author of the 2007 energy independence law that raised vehicle fuel economy standards, etc. His opponent, Seth Moulton, is young, wealthy, a center-right Democrat, and ran a campaign that was 85% “Markey’s old!” Yeah Dude, he’s old but he’s got more on the ball than you and he represents Massachusetts’ citizen's interests a whole fuckton better." Markey won by an overwhelming amount.

Obviously you can be older, or in a wheelchair, needing a seeing eye dog, require voice to text tech or other communication assistance and still be a brilliant senator, representative, judge, president, whatever. It’s what’s upstairs that counts. How’s your brain functioning?

There should be a team of completely independent medical experts to determine the functional standards necessary to do these jobs. Elected officials deserve some medical privacy, but we deserve to know that these people, making big fat decisions on our behalf, are or are NOT fully capable of doing their damn jobs.

Testing needs to be done and NOT just the simple-ass cognitive testing where you identify which animal is the lion and which one's the camel. How about a citizenship test — same one that immigrants have to take — and a thorough test on the Constitution and all the Amendments? Ya know, for starters.

Term limits and medical guardrails address different problems. A younger member can become seriously ill, while an older member can remain capable. Medical standards shouldn’t be based completely on age. I mean, look at Fetterman. He’s young but his stroke clearly tipped him totally over the edge.

And, fer fuck’s sake, this isn’t even considering the Supreme Court. TERM LIMITS!!!!

Criminal Clarence Thomas is 78 
Always-On-The-Take Alito is 76  
Constitution Violator John Roberts needs to GO 
Brett Gang Rapist Kavanaugh
Horrifically Callous Gorsuch
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was 87 when she died of cancer while still on the Supreme Court. Had she retired in 2010 when she was 77, President Obama could have replaced her. Instead, Trump replaced her with the very young, unqualified, religious cult belonging whack job handmaiden.

Another thought ...

Maybe universities don’t need to have rape factories. Sorry, I meant to say fraternities.

Here’s an interesting commentary/comparison of Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes versus Artemisia Gentileschi’s version found on Threads. I wouldn’t find the author’s real name but here’s a link to her page.

The first is Caravaggio’s Judith Beheading Holofernes.… Look at Judith. Delicate arms. Mild expression. She almost looks inconvenienced or bored. Her maidservant, an aged afterthought.

Now look at the second, Artemisia Gentileschi’s version.

Artemisia was a woman painting in the 1600s who had been raped by her father’s colleague, Agostino Tassi.
....
When she testified against him, she was tortured during the trial to “verify” that she was telling the truth.

Now look at HER Judith.

Knitted brow. Forearm muscles engaged. Body weight behind the sword. Her maid is helping restrain him. These women aren’t decorative witnesses to violence. They are physically, furiously acting.

Same biblical woman. Same act.

But one was painted by a man imagining female existence. The other was painted by a woman who understood female rage. 

Not all men but enough so that women would be total fools to trust any dude until he’s been seriously vetted.

Bear With Me

A winner has been declared in Katmai National Park and Preserve’s Fat Bear Week. I hear you asking, ’the fuck is Fat Bear week? It’s an annual online tournament-style competition where people vote for the brown bear from Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve that has packed on the most poundage to prep for winter hibernation.

The winner, at right, is the handsome gent, Backpack. His boring-ass government name is no. 89.

Why are fat bears important?

Mother bears need ample body fat to survive hibernation, but they also must feed, nurture, and protect their cubs. Single adult females get fat in preparation to give birth to cubs in mid winter and nurse them without eating until they exit the den in spring. Older bears get fat while trying to compete with younger bears for preferred fishing spots. Large adult male bears maintain their high rank in the hierarchy by challenging competitors. Cubs and subadult (teenage) bears grow proportionally more each year than even the biggest adults, while they learn the skills to survive.

~~~
Katmai’s brown bears are fattest in late summer and early fall. It is the result of a summer-long effort to satisfy their profound hunger and prepare for winter hibernation. During hibernation, bears do not eat or drink and lose one-third of their body weight. Their winter survival depends on accumulating ample fat reserves before entering the den. 

To get fat, bears gorge on the richest and most accessible foods they can find. In Katmai National Park that often means salmon. (mmmmm, salmon) Dozens of bears gather at Brooks River to feast on salmon from late June until mid October. Perhaps no other river on Earth offers bears the chance to feed on salmon at one place for so long. (source) 

Backpack’s name comes from his habit, as a cub, of climbing onto his mother's back when the pair swam in the river. His mother, Holly, was the 2019 Fat Bear winner.

"After nearly two decades at Brooks River, Backpack's journey from an injured cub riding on his mother's back to a formidable adult male has made him one of the river's most recognizable bears," Fat Bear Week organizers said in a Sept. 29 news release. (source) 

Some brown bear facts:

• Brown bears once lived all over the damn place, including Morocco, Algeria and Mexico. Today they mostly hang in North America, Asia and Europe. They’re the national animal of Finland. In addition to Katmai National Park in Alaska, brown bears can be found in Yellowstone Park.

• They’re fast – they can outrun a horse! 

• Brown bears communicate by scratching and rubbing on trees to say “HEY, this is my place” and highlight their willingness to make whoopee. 

• Hibernation lasts from October/December to March/May. If I could hibernate? It’d definitely be December through April. 

• Amazing true fact — brown bear mums give birth in their sleep! Cubs born during hibernation make their way to the mother’s chest and nurse until she is ready to wake up. Imagine that! Too bad humans don’t have this option.

• The biggest threat to brown bears (any bears for that matter) is habitat loss caused/created by humans. It’s our reckless expansion into the bears’ homes with logging, mining, road construction, and other bullshit development. Our insanely selfish, entitled inability to share the damn planet is killing all that makes this planet heaven.

Cheers to all the fat bears and their cubs! May they have a peaceful, undisturbed hibernation.

Always the Bride

Guess who's in the news again — it's Alina Habba the wholly incompetent parking garage lawyer who served as Trump's personal lawyer and ornament. Her signature move is publicly embarrassing herself — her one true talent. Just a few recent examples include:

• In an effort to diss Kamala Harris, Habba showed that she wasn't aware that civil rights icon, the Reverend Jesse Jackson and baseball player Reggie Jackson weren't/aren't the same person. 
• Alina went on some podcast and stated that she’s a "big fan" of pedophile, rapist, human trafficker Andrew Tate.
• ALL the frivolous amateur hour lawsuits!

Our girl has clocked through two marriages between 2011 and 2026 and just started her third. Turkish billionaire Turhan Mildon is her new patsy and is only 29-years-old. I hope he has a prenup. Habba, by the by, is 42. I’m certainly not one to throw stones at big age differences but this one does seem a bit whiffy.

Here’s an interesting potential reason for the smell of three day dead cod. Word is, Mildon has various political connections and only just met Alina a few months ago. Apparently he’s been love bombing her with $30G pink ostrich Hermes Birkins and 23 carat diamond rings. Why do you think that is?

Mildon comes from a prominent Turkish business family and has reportedly developed connections with political leaders in countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Venezuela through his business interests. His family has also been reported to have ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (source) 

Attending the wedding were always-up-for-a-party Patel (no word on the species of his date), Todd Blanche (his Hair Trigger Temper couldn’t make it but I understand his Equivocations were there wearing some off the rack schmatta), and Margo Martin, a special assistant and communications adviser to Trump (good luck getting a job outside of Newsmax and OANN once Pedo’s gone) amongst other administration dimwits and losers.

The groom, naturally, rejected the very idea that their marriage had anything to do with politics, saying: “This marriage has no political purpose.” 

Yeah sure Babe, you sound real convincing. Habba might have bought it but then, she’s a radish brained Trump acolyte.

Back to the stink of cod left out on the counter over a hot July weekend, there’s some dispute over young Mildon’s age. He says he’s 29 but this certificate of incorporation, gives his birth month and year as December 2000 — that makes him 25. He’ll be 26 in three months. Where there’s one lie, you can damn well bet there’s a whole fucking infestation of 'em.

Alina claims to be a devout Catholic. Yup and I’m Santa Maria del Pozzo. You can meet me down the basilica any day but Thursday. I’m there around 11 for my usual caffè latte and biscotti.

The serial bride, by the by, has two kids from her first marriage. They can’t be more than 13-years-old, at most, now. I wonder if they ever see dear old mummsie. I don’t imagine she has actual custody. Seems she’s a bit busy collecting husbands, exes, plastic surgeries, and unflattering headlines to bother herself with pesky adolescents — even if she did give birth to them. Honesty, for their sake, it’s best if she just sends them a nice fruit basket — maybe one of those fancy ones with chocolates, crackers, and nuts. She should probably check with their father or nanny to see if they have any food allergies. Ah, who am I kidding — her assistant will do that.

I have questions (not that it’s any of my business):

• The Church allows divorced Catholics who have not remarried to receive Holy Communion. Habba’s divorced and remarried twice — is she receiving the sacrament?
• A valid sacramental marriage is permanent and can’t be dissolved by a civil divorce. So, were Habba’s first two marriages non-sacramental or, in the eyes of the Church, are they still in effect and she’s a three time bigamist?
• Did she get her first two marriages annulled? If so, what were the grounds? Which partner was found to have committed fraud, bigamy, or found to  be lacking sufficient brain power (okay, we know the answer to the last bit)?

Habba’s benefactor, the felon and adjudicated rapist responsible for putting her on the world stage, couldn’t be at her latest wedding because he was supposedly attending a football game in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ummmmm. Sure. Just like he couldn’t be at his own son’s second (third?) wedding because … was that a football game too? Whatever. The weddings aren’t all about him so why would he make an effort?

She sez she’s open to being Pedo’s new press secretary now that Karolyn' Leavitt’s resigned. Funny how the pants shitting orange old man hasn’t snapped Habba up on that yet. Maybe she’s not young and blonde enough? Doesn’t look enough like Ivanka? Maybe Donnie's still pissed about all the money she cost him? 

Was Turhan Mildon counting on her getting the press secretary gig, on him having a big in to the White House? Is that why he love bombed and married a woman 17 years his senior just 4-5 months after meeting her? 

Young Turhan, in his 25 short years, has a history of dating and marrying women from powerful families. He dated the daughter of Remigio Ceballos, a well-connected Venezuelan admiral who is now Venezuela’s ambassador to China. Turhan married Betul Gursoy, daughter of the late owner of Gursoy Group, which built Istanbul's Camlica Mosque. This was a BIG pet project, commissioned by Pres Erdoğan himself. Going after Habba, thinking it would give him entrée to the White House (politically or financially) seems to be pretty obviously on brand. 

Dude needs to buy himself a metric fuckton of subtlety and artfulness with healthy side of smooth. Only a moron wouldn’t see through his moves. We’re talking about Alina Habba, Trump's idiot parking garage lawyer, though. She can start shopping around for husband #4 any time now. This one’s over the second Turhan realizes Habba can’t do anything for him.

I Can’t Stand the Rain

Woke up with Ms. Ann Peebles singing in my head.

I’m starting to think that it has always been raining here in Valhalla. Sure, the winds have calmed down but it’s still wet and nasty cold outside.

Whine, snivel, kvetch.

It’s a fine day to hunt up some flickers of hope, some light, some motherfucking good news. NO doomscrolling today!

🌊 🌊  🌊  🌊  🌊 
Have you heard about the High Seas Alliance? It is a coalition of more than 70 non-governmental organizations and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) working to protect the global ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction. 

BBNJ stands for Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction — more commonly and succinctly known as the High Seas Treaty. 100 nations have now signed on to this legally binding international agreement. Australia, Brunei, Canada, Germany, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe are the latest to ratify the treaty. 

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There’s a new test in town.

Current tests for endometrial cancer (AKA womb cancer) often rely on procedures like transvaginal ultrasounds and tissue biopsies in order to evaluate the uterine lining. These are invasive (yeah, no shit!) and no goddamn fun to say the extreme least. 

The new test just takes a swab of cells from your vag (if you, ya know, happen to have one). No uncomfortable, painful speculum (AKA hooha umbrella) needed! 

🗽 🗽 🗽 🗽 🗽 🗽
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su, and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine scored an historic win for regular working folk last week. They announced a $131.5 million enforcement action against DoorDash for systematic violations of New York City's Delivery Worker Laws.   

HOLY SHIT! 💩

The settlement will deliver more than $115 million directly to delivery workers and more than $16 million in civil penalties and costs. It will provide relief to more than 260,000 workers who were underpaid by DoorDash, including workers who were not paid at all or were paid late for work they had already performed.   

This is the largest worker settlement in New York City history and the largest settlement involving food delivery workers in the United States.  

“When a worker earns a wage, they deserve to be paid that wage —  not tomorrow, not after a lawsuit, but on time and in full,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “DoorDash underpaid more than 260,000 workers, and today we are getting that money back. This is what it looks like when City government stands with working people: We find the violations, we enforce the law and we make sure workers get what they’re owed. No corporation is above the law, and this administration will keep fighting until every worker gets the pay and protections they deserve.”  (source) 

Yeah Baby! Is Mamdani the greatest OR WHAT!!!

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For as awesome as my electric MINI is, I wish the battery was more Earth friendly. It uses a lithium-ion battery.

Lithium mining is environmentally damaging because it consumes huge amounts of water, pollutes local ecosystems, and generates high carbon emissions. Still better than coal, oil, and gas but not wonderful.

Well waddyaknow, according to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute and the University of Münster in Germany, sodium-ion batteries are on the verge of market readiness. That’s sodium as in salt as in what you shake onto your mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts. 

Compared with lithium, sodium can be extracted in a much more environmentally happy friendly way. Cool!

I think I’m gonna keep on looking for more good news today. It’s still raining here and I don’t need to read any more of Pedo’s fecal mouthed spewings, Cornell’s protections of gang rapist frat barbarians or Fetterman’s admission that he’s been a lifelong Republican (Hey mainstream media, theat wasn’t a “gaffe” on his part. He just, maybe accidentally, let us all know his plans to switch parties — his intention to join his home team). 

Maybe I’ll have a snack and then take a nap first though.

I Can’t Stand the Rain, Tina Turner 

I get the news I need on the weather report

I *think* we’re past the worst of the nor’easter here in coastal Massachusetts. The storm’s not wholly done with us BUT wind gusts have climbed down from their peak of 65 mph in our relatively calm neighborhood. We’re down to about 30 mph now. No trees have toppled but a couple branches came down. No damage to house or cars though. YEA us. AND we haven’t lost power! More yea.

Apart from dashing next door to watch teevee last night, I haven’t been outside. My balance is already banjaxed to Hell and back. I don’t need to give Mother Nature a shot at toppling me. As much as I’ve absolutely LOVED watching the bodacious breakers in the past, just standing in awe of them, I’m now just fine looking at pictures, thenkyouverymuch.

I gotta ask WHY, during these big storms, does the news always focus on Scituate, a town about 17 miles down the coast from us? Wouldn’t it be more dramatic to get shots from P-town or the Vineyard? Ya know, farther out into the ocean? Jen’s sister and fam, by the by, live in Scituate but, wisely, NOT on the coast. 

Yesterday on the coast in Scituate

Just so ya know, Scituate is pronounced "SITCH-oo-it" (or Sih-chew-itt). It’s the anglicized version of the Wampanoag word for "cold brook.”

As you may remember, Valhalla is located one house back from the seawall. We’re on a bay so we don’t often get the crazy kind of mini tsunami action that they see in Scituate.

The worst that happened yesterday was, weirdly, our water pressure was low so I didn’t get a shower. Yes, I could have just gone outside BUT I’m not insane – it was cold out there!

Paul Simon’s song Only Living Boy In New York came into my head for obvious nor’easter-y reasons this morning. When I looked up the lyrics I found the meaning, the inspiration. It’s about Garfunkel breaking up the duo to become an actor (which didn’t ultimately work out for him). It’s about Simon's loneliness, maybe feeling abandoned, and wishing your ex well. Can you say POIGNANT!

Tom, get your plane right on time
I know your part’ll go fine
Fly down to Mexico
Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da-da and here I am,
The only living boy in New York

I get the news I need on the weather report
Oh, I can gather all the news I need on the weather report
Hey, I’ve got nothing to do today but smile
Da-n-do-da-n-do-da-n-do here I am
The only living boy in New York

Half of the time we’re gone but we don’t know where
And we don’t know where
Here I am
Half of the time we’re gone, but we don’t know where
And we don’t know where

What a great song. I can hear it in my head. 'Scuse me now, I gotta grab that long overdue rain room time.