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BlueDot

@[email protected]

American anti-fascist, democratic socialist, sponsor of four Ukrainian refugees, fencer. Admin of left-tusk.com. Avatar is definitely not a picture of me.

I generally don't boost toots that contain links to Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the Washington Post, or the New York Times.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. View on remote instance

@BlueDot@left-tusk.com avatar BlueDot , to random

There is no statute of limitations on crimes against humanity.

@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
BlueDot ,
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@georgetakei

This is a badge of pride that should go onto Prof. 's CV.

@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
BlueDot ,
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@georgetakei

Everything old is new again? I remember this from 1984.

"Two Iowa radio stations reported today that Senator Roger W. Jepsen [R-IA] joined a private spa in 1977 that was later shut down as a house of prostitution. ... He said that he had thought the spa was a health club, that he visited it only once and left ''immediately.''"

Yeah, sure. He thought it was a health club that promised "nude encounter sessions" on the signed membership form.

https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/07/us/senator-reportedly-joined-a-spa-in-iowa-that-was-later-raided.html

@georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

Youth is fleeting, Trump is temporary, but lies are forever.

A tweet from Spiro’s Ghost calling a young Trump spokesperson “deeply sick” and accusing her of lying for Trump. Below, a screenshot shows Aaron Rupar quoting the spokesperson saying Sen. Mark Kelly was trying to intimidate service members. The image shows the spokesperson standing outdoors speaking to reporters.
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BlueDot ,
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@georgetakei I'm hoping that 's prison sentence is also forever.

@briankrebs@infosec.exchange avatar briankrebs , (edited ) to random

Watched the Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey on an international flight recently, and can confirm this movie is still the best way to fall asleep on a plane.

Except the part where (SPOILER ALERT!) Hal (AI) goes rogue and starts killing the crew. I'm not proud of this, but I have frequent fantasies of being Dave, where I'm floating around inside AI's mind, disconnecting critical circuits while the machine gurgles "Daisy."

BlueDot ,
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@briankrebs It was mind-blowing in 1968 when I saw it in a theater. Perhaps I was easily impressed.

BlueDot ,
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@briankrebs

I always recommend that people watch any movie with Kubrick's fingerprints on it.

Paths of Glory (1957) might be my favorite.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050825/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_paths%2520o

BlueDot ,
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@briankrebs

Most recently I saw it on TCM, where there was a pleasant lack of commercials.

It's streaming on Tubi, Pluto, MGM+, AppleTV (ptui), and Prime (ptui! ptui!).

@BlueDot@left-tusk.com avatar BlueDot , to random
The Onion Trump Still Polling Well With Working-Class American Pedophiles theonion.com
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@mattblaze@federate.social avatar mattblaze , to random

Titan II ICBM, Launch Complex 571-7, Sahuarita, AZ, 2009.

All the pixels, with none of the radioactive fallout, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/4181990048/

Looking up from the bottom of a missile pointed up inside a cramped underground silo, which is lined with retractable platforms and various apparatus.
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BlueDot ,
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@mattblaze

The illogic of nuclear deterrence has always amazed me.

We're supposed to believe our adversaries will carefully and rationally weigh costs and benefits, and realize they will be destroyed by our nuclear retaliation, and therefore they must not attack us.

Our adversaries are supposed to believe we are mad enough to destroy the whole world, with ourselves and our own children in it, for revenge.

@realTuckFrumper@mastodon.social avatar realTuckFrumper , to random

Supreme Court Will Decide If Mail-In Ballots Must Arrive by Election Day https://twp.ai/E6DUUQ

BlueDot ,
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@willie1foot

A remedy, if we don't trust the mail, would be to allow voters to check online whether their ballot has been received.

@realTuckFrumper

@JessTheUnstill@infosec.exchange avatar JessTheUnstill , to random

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

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    BlueDot ,
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    @JessTheUnstill

    I'm reminded of this Key and Peele bit:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0UbVcKal3I

    @JessTheUnstill@infosec.exchange avatar JessTheUnstill , to random

    [Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

    •
    BlueDot ,
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    @JessTheUnstill

    There's a simpler way to handle it.

    I walk into a post office and whip out my ID that proves I'm over 18. I present a document, signed with my private key, that says I'm over 18 (but gives no other information about me) and the post office signs it with the post office's private key.

    It wouldn't be forgeable or transferable. It would require one trip to the post office in a lifetime. I could maintain several different key pairs for different online identities if needed.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    Hillary was right. Deplorable.

    A tweet from ABC News (@ABC) reads: “Rep. Lauren Boebert and her boyfriend Kyle Pearcy, a real estate broker from Windsor, Colo., attended a Halloween party dressed in costumes portraying a Mexican woman and an Immigration and Customs enforcement agent, photos obtained by ABC News show.” Below is a blurred photo of a man in a tactical uniform and a woman in a sombrero and Mexican-style dress at a party. The caption at the bottom says: “Lauren Boebert’s racially charged Halloween costume spar…”
    ALT
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    @georgetakei

    The outrageous thing about Lauren Boebert is not the fact that she feels she can get away with telling an overtly racist joke in public.

    The outrageous thing is that Lauren is a member in good standing of the Party, which will not kick her out, not sanction her, not scold her, not even pretend to disapprove.

    @w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

    White House credentialed media now prohibited from accessing the press secretary’s office.

    image/jpeg

    BlueDot ,
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    @w7voa

    The press secretary is a habitual liar. Why would anyone looking for the truth be in the press secretary's office? or indeed in the briefing room?

    @BlueDot@left-tusk.com avatar BlueDot , to random

    in Omaha, Nebraska.

    Woman holding a sign that says "For the Epsteinth time an 'underage woman' is a child!"
    ALT
    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    I hate to think what boys and young men are learning from watching such behavior and how it makes girls and young women. Parents need to teach that this is not acceptable.

    Tweet by Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) saying: “This is gross,” quote-tweeting Aaron Rupar. The embedded Rupar tweet reads: “Trump ignores a question from a woman reporter but says, ‘I just like to watch her talk. Good job. Thank you darling.’” Below is a photo of Donald Trump seated, speaking at a table with flags behind him, and captioned “Thank you, darling. I don’t know.”
    ALT
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    It would be one thing if Trump had something valuable to say, and White House reporters made a calculation that it was therefore worth taking abuse from the President.

    But he doesn't. His words have no reliable connection to his actions, so it makes sense to report only on his actions. The briefing room should be empty.

    @Flowermob@mastodon.social avatar Flowermob , to random


    Call your legislators and get them to amend the corporation laws to take away the power to spend on elections.

    https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-corporate-power-reset-that-makes-citizens-united-irrelevant/

    BlueDot ,
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    @Flowermob

    Let's end altogether.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    Acting as judge, jury, and executioner against civilian vessels would lead to war crimes charges with nearly any other country’s leader.

    The image is an X post by David French (@DavidAFre ) from 1 day ago, stating: "Does a Fox correspondent not know that we can stop boats at sea, search them, seize any drugs we find, arrest the crew, try them, and imprison them – while also questioning them to help investigate the cartels? The choices aren't between execution and permission." It includes a reply by Charles Gasparino (@CGA ) from 1 day ago, asking: "Why would anyone be against using US forces to stop drugs from coming into this country? Because international stipulates that we need to poison our kids? x.com/DavidAFre..."
    ALT
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    I don't think the Trump administration really thinks those boats have drugs aboard. The point is not interdicting drugs, it's killing people and bragging about it.

    I think the secondary purpose is weeding out the career military officers who might be squeamish about killing civilians.

    Capturing and interrogating the people on the boats would interfere with the mission.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    Another non-apology

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    It should start smoking any second. Also, all patients regardless of immigration status are asked to pay for emergency medical services if they are able, Karoline.

    A screenshot of an X post by Keith Edwards (@keithed ) from 15 hours ago, commenting "Kind of wild how the cross doesn't burn her," in response to a post by Aaron Rupar (@atrupar ) from 16 hours ago. Rupar's post quotes Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, saying, "When an illegal alien goes to the emergency room, who's paying for it? The American taxpayer." The image shows a news broadcast from "The White House" at 1:35 PM ET, featuring Karoline Leavitt speaking at a podium with a cross necklace, an American flag, and text indicating breaking news about a Senate shutdown vote.
    ALT
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    is lying again.

    Uncompensated care isn't paid for by the government, it's paid for by hospitals. When Republicans cut people off health insurance, hospitals have to deliver more uncompensated care, and more hospitals close as a result.

    @BlueDot@left-tusk.com avatar BlueDot , to random

    I sent this to NPR today.

    Instead of "US forces attacked suspected drug smugglers," may I suggest:

    "The U.S. military summarily executed several people in international waters, without any legal process whatsoever. The Trump administration, which lies continually, claims the victims were suspected drug smugglers. But there is no evidence even of the suspicion, let alone the truth of the suspicion.

    1/2

    BlueDot OP ,
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    "Critics say the Trump administration is using Venezuela as a way to weed out military officers who might object to extrajudicial killings of U.S. citizens."

    2/2

    @evacide@hachyderm.io avatar evacide , to random

    "Sorry I'm late, I seriously underestimated how long it was going to take to get out of that corset," is the most middle-aged goth sentence I have uttered in quite some time.

    BlueDot ,
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    @evacide

    I would say "We can put a man on the moon, but we can't put a quick release on your underwear," but that would make me sound even older than middle aged.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    I gasped aloud.

    A screenshot of an X post by @CinemarxismBret with a watermelon emoji, stating: "Ah that explains it, we're all dead and this is hell." It quotes a 1-day-old post by @torontobaddy (T.O Life) saying: "Donald Trump: '300 million people (Americans) died last year from drugs.' 😂🤣" with an image from Fox News at Morristown Airport, NJ, showing Trump speaking live at 6:43 PM ET. The broadcast includes a "Breaking News" banner with "TRUMP: TRIP TO U.K. WILL BE INCREDIBLE" and mentions "Fox & Friends" with Kash Patel airing tomorrow at 7:30 AM ET.
    ALT
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    It's not that Trump thinks 300 million people died last year. It's not that Trump doesn't care whether they did or not.

    It's that Trump wants people to stop caring about the difference between truth and lies. He has been consistently working on this for years.

    @molly0xfff@hachyderm.io avatar molly0xfff , to random

    Newsletter: I spoke to experts across financial regulation, gambling, and election law about prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. They claim to be trading platforms, they look like gambling sites, and the rules don’t fit.

    https://www.citationneeded.news/prediction-markets-oversight/

    BlueDot ,
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    @molly0xfff

    I spent a long time on PredictIt, and roughly 100% of the users understood that they were gambling, not assisting in research.

    @evacide@hachyderm.io avatar evacide , to random

    So how is OpenAI going to know that a user is under 18?

    "We’re building an age-prediction system to estimate age based on how people use ChatGPT."

    https://openai.com/index/teen-safety-freedom-and-privacy/

    BlueDot ,
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    @evacide

    In an alternate universe, you just walk into the post office and present your age ID. You digitally sign a thing that says "This person is over 18" and then they digitally sign it, and you walk out with anonymous proof of age.

    @w7voa@journa.host avatar w7voa , to random

    Fox News morning show co-host Brian Kilmeade apologizes after proposing lethal injections for homeless people with mental health issues. https://www.foxnews.com/video/6379403917112

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    @w7voa

    That was no apology.

    @arstechnica@mastodon.social avatar arstechnica , to random

    The US is trying to kick-start a “nuclear energy renaissance”
    Push to revive nuclear energy relies on deregulation; experts say strategy is misplaced.
    https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/09/the-us-is-trying-to-kick-start-a-nuclear-energy-renaissance/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

    BlueDot ,
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    @arstechnica

    "Deregulation" is misleading. Yes, safety regulations will no doubt be cleared away.

    But nuclear would never be viable in a free market, because it's uninsurable. The Price Anderson Act allows the U.S. nuclear industry to self-insure, even if the self-insurance fund isn't enough to cover the public's losses. There is an artificial ceiling on their liability.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    “Dear Lord, I pray you do not strike me down for the lies I’m about to tell the nation….”

    A screenshot of an X post by PatriotTakes (@patriottakes ) with a sarcastic caption claiming Karoline Leavitt is praying before heading out to help Trump cover up the Epstein files. The image shows a woman in a light green suit standing in what appears to be an office kitchen, surrounded by other people, with a leopard-print shirt visible, and a 0:07 video timer in the corner.
    ALT
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei Clearly that's not a thing that happens to liars.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    Careful what you say on a Hinge date! She could be an undercover right-wing media reporter exposing your entire department’s Epstein cover up…

    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    Let's wait until someone who's not a well known liar reports this story.

    https://left-tusk.com/@BlueDot/115152015062020842

    @evacide@hachyderm.io avatar evacide , to random

    You will sure be shocked to discover that I have some things to say about AI-powered "smart" glasses that give no indication that they are recording your every word.

    https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/20/harvard-dropouts-to-launch-always-on-ai-smart-glasses-that-listen-and-record-every-conversation/

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    @evacide

    Still waiting for the version of this product that gives me the name of everyone at the family reunion, but without hurting anyone.

    Name tags, I guess. Sigh.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    Excited to be returning to the Star Trek universe as Captain Sulu in the new original podcast series, Star Trek: Khan! Star Trek: Khan premieres on Star Trek Day, September 8. Follow the series wherever you get your podcasts today! https://link.podtrac.com/star-trek-khan

    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    I love you and I love your work. But I have to boycott Paramount, which I assume owns the podcast.

    @indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

    We’ve launched a new social toolkit that makes it easy to share news about Trump’s biggest failures (the ones even MAGA Republicans can’t explain away) on your preferred platforms: https://app.sosha.ai/toolkit/trump-news-headlines-media-9938

    (alongside an image of a hand holding a phone with a megaphone) TRUTH & SHARE
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    BlueDot ,
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    @indivisibleteam

    The billionaire-controlled social media are well represented on the app, but Mastodon isn't.

    @evacide@hachyderm.io avatar evacide , to random

    I cannot overemphasize to you how often law firms are targeted by hackers, sometimes employed by opposing parties in cases they are working on, and how profoundly unprepared most law firms are to defend themselves.

    https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/11/politics/chinese-hackers-suspected-law-firm-hack

    BlueDot ,
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    @evacide

    I can imagine a future lawsuit over legal malpractice, where the plaintiff argues that his lawyers should have used an air-gapped system to protect client secrets.

    @aral@mastodon.ar.al avatar aral , to random

    And then you stumble upon genocidal assholes like this.

    Apparently mastodon.social will censor posts and accounts that oppose genocide but will allow incitement of violence against a peace activist delivering humanitarian aid to a starving people in the middle of a genocide (what’s a red cross on top of a person if not a call for their murder?)

    Some Germans clearly haven’t quenched their thirst for genocide yet.

    PS. Equating criticism of genocide with antisemitism is, itself, the greatest antisemitism as it is equivalent to stating that all Jews are pro genocide, which is, of course, false.

    https://mastodon.social/@GoingNuts/114626518454764327

    BlueDot ,
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    @aral

    When I'm reporting something especially heinous, I'll make sure I archive it first at archive.ph. Then there can be no quibbling about whether we saw what we saw.

    @anarchic_teapot @dzwiedziu

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    The Confederate flag is a symbol of white supremacy and support for slavery. Full stop.

    A tweet from Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump ) posted 16 hours ago reads: "Trump just nominated this guy to run the United States Office of Special Counsel. Only the best people." It includes a tweet from Paul Ingrassia (@PaulIngrassia ) on April 28, 2023, at 12:00 PM with 614 views, stating: "In a proper country, any public building now flying the Ukraine flag would be forced to replace it with the confederate battle flag or face serious fines. Also the confederate flag is not 'hate speech' and anyone who claims otherwise is a braindead lemming who knows zilch about American history." Below the tweet, an image of the Confederate battle flag with a blue cross, white stars, and red background is shown.
    ALT
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    And he's wrong about lemmings too.

    @indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random

    In April, we took to the streets for the biggest day of civic protest in years.

    No Kings Day on June 14 is going to be even bigger, with more events in more places to reject Trump’s authoritarianism.

    Please join us at your local No Kings Day event in two weeks: https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=indivisible

    (around an image of a map of No Kings events) NO KINGS JUNE 14 - NATIONWIDE DAY OF DEFIANCE nokings.org
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    BlueDot ,
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    @indivisibleteam

    I will be bringing a friend to No Kings Day, someone who's never been at a protest before. You should too.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    Re the Tylenol murders:

    I'm usually against the death penalty, but after 43 years of struggling with packaging, I'd make an exception for those guys.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    Why are ICE agents masked to begin with? Our law enforcement officers shouldn’t be anonymous. Ever.

    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    Not only should law enforcement not be allowed to mask, they should be required to prominently display their badge numbers, front and back, large enough to be readable from across the street.

    @404mediaco@mastodon.social avatar 404mediaco , to random

    Meta previously lost its shit at 404 Media when we reported that someone had paired facial recognition tech with the company's smart glasses. Now Meta is building the invasive technology itself.

    🔗https://www.404media.co/well-well-well-meta-to-add-facial-recognition-to-glasses-after-all/

    BlueDot ,
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    @404mediaco

    If Zuckerberg is behind it, it's safe to assume it's evil. I want all my tech to work for me, not for some evil corporation.

    That said, I really really want the non-evil version of facial recognition glasses. How cool would it be to go to a wedding and be silently reminded of the names of cousins I haven't seen in years? Or people I just got introduced to? Or family I've never met?

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    What happens when neurodivergence and mental illness act as a shield from accountability? How are Trump’s insane tariffs being challenged not only politically in the Senate and soon the house, but also the courts? We’re tackling both of these questions this week over at The Big Picture. https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/week-big-picture-april-9

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    @georgetakei

    I've always argued against calling mentally ill, or demented.

    For one thing, we have no evidence. His behavior could be caused by drug abuse, or any of a number of other causes. Diagnosing people we've never met is something we rightly criticize Republicans for. See: .

    More important, there's no reason to give Trump an insanity defense in court. If he's going to claim he's mentally ill, let him prove it. Until then, he's just an evil man.

    @indivisibleteam@mastodon.social avatar indivisibleteam , to random
    What’s going on your sign for Saturday’s nationwide events?
    ALT
    BlueDot ,
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    @indivisibleteam Just an image of Musk giving his Nazi salute. No words needed.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    It cannot be stressed enough that Valentina Gomez is a member in good standing of the Party.

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    What are they gonna do when they get man-boobs?

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random

    So, Republicans want the government to dictate Americans' eating habits now. Got it. https://www.comicsands.com/rfkjr-junk-food-snap?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=infeed&utm_campaign=linkprogram

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    @georgetakei

    We already have a government program that enforces healthy food choices. It's called WIC (for Women, Infants, and Children), and it's really successful.

    Republicans are planning to make major cuts in WIC.

    https://civileats.com/2024/08/28/project-2025-calls-for-major-cuts-to-the-us-nutrition-safety-net/

    @georgetakei@universeodon.com avatar georgetakei , to random
    BlueDot ,
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    @georgetakei

    Since hosting the Olympics does lasting economic damage to the host city, along with other harms, maybe Gym Jordan should get his wish. And then take the blame.

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/26/economy/olympics-economics-paris-2024/index.html

    BlueDot ,
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    @Reverendender@sh.itjust.works avatar Reverendender

    Permanent residence in is hard to obtain, though it's far easier if you take a job, in a field where you're in demand. By government policy, the number of people getting permanent residence each year is being cut back, so even that may not be sufficient.

    I'm retired and have no hope of getting permanent status, unless Canada starts accepting asylum claims by U.S. citizens.

    1/2

    BlueDot ,
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    @Reverendender@sh.itjust.works avatar Reverendender

    My own plan, and yes it involves privilege, is to obtain shelter in Canada and then be ready to travel there intermittently. We can visit temporarily for 6 months at a time without a visa. My choice of location is determined by how far I can go by car with a cat.

    And maybe then I can find some way to help people for whom getting out of the U.S. is a matter of survival.

    2/2