Perfect example of a useful idiot

There's no ICE accountability without ending qualified immunity.

They're murdering people. There won't be justice for the lives they've stolen, but there must be accountability.

My bill with @markey.senate.gov would ensure families can sue the agents murdering their loved ones.

I can't help but believe Trump and his cronies are happy to kill each and every American who doesn't simply shut up and do as they're told. They clearly have no remorse for any lives they've taken so far; indeed, they're full of righteous satisfaction despite the brutality. I guess that's the point.

Man, I bet the NRA is going to be furious when they hear that jack-booted thugs from the federal government executed a law-abiding citizen for exercising his Second Amendment right to carry a handgun.

Any second now, I'm sure.

He was a white guy, if that helps?

Hello? NRA?

Trump makes history by pardoning a corporation Companies involved in financial crimes don’t have to worry about accountability under this president, as least when it comes to crypto, for reasons that he has no incentive to ever make known.

Of all the corporations Trump can "make history" by pardoning, a foreign cryptocurrency firm enabling financial corruption is the most on-brand.

ground.news/article/trum...

I started sometime in the late 1990's and am now up to book 8

#WheelOfTime is a better show than #RingsOfPower

DEI isn't about keeping the smaller fish, it's about casting a wider net.

Don't fall for the lies.

Image showing the vote tally for the motion removing all City DEI programs: Kwasman - Yes McAllen - No Whitehead - No Borowsky - Yes Littlefield - Yes Graham - Yes Dubauskas - Yes

As expected, the council was not interested in listening to the community they have pledged to serve. Motion to adopt the ordinance to remove DEI passes.

Image showing the vote tally for a work-study: Kwasman - No McAllen - No Whitehead - Yes Borowsky - No Littlefield - No Graham - No Dubauskas - No

Motion to discuss the topic further with a work-study session, to find specific problems (if they exist) and address them specifically... fails.

So almost 90% of the electronic feedback is against removing DEI, only 2 of almost 50 in-person speakers support removing DEI.

The people of Scottsdale have clearly spoken, and they don't want DEI programs to be scrapped. What will the council do?

and getting truer by the second

bsky.app/profile/virt...

Public comments from emails and the web are here, and the numbers don't lie: of the over 220 comments, almost 90% are against removing the DEI program. Let's see if what the public wants even matters to the new Council members.

Corporate “DEI” is an imperfect vehicle for deeply meaningful ideals I have not thought or said much about DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) over the years. Not because I don’t care about the espoused ideals — I suppose I do, rather a lot — but because corporate…

I have a new blog post up: "Corporate 'DEI' Is An Imperfect Vehicle for Deeply Meaningful Ideals" charity.wtf/2025/02/10/c...

I know a lot of people are feeling incredibly scared and demoralized right now. I get it; I am too. (Who knows if my marriage will still be valid in two years?)

The End of Programming as We Know It

This is a great article.

"AI will not replace programmers, but it will transform their jobs."

"What programming *is* will change."

"Junior developers who master the tools of AI will be able to outperform senior programmers who don’t."

www.oreilly.com/radar/the-en...

Excerpt from the Atlantic article "Trump and Musk Are Destroying the Basics of a Healthy Democracy": No one likes bureaucracies, even if they must acknowledge that modern states cannot function without them. But Trump’s contempt for government employees is not driven by some sort of noble, reformist instinct: He distrusts public service because he does not understand it. The president has a solipsistic and binary view of the world in which everything revolves around him, and other people either support him or oppose him. He is unable to comprehend the principle of an apolitical service that must obey the Constitution and the law over the wishes of Donald J. Trump. In Trump’s world, service—including military service—is for suckers and losers. Only saps forgo personal benefit and miss out on a chunky payday in order to be part of something bigger than themselves. The president and his MAGA allies, accordingly, have portrayed diligent government employees as schemers who are part of some nefarious ideological project. In a titanic act of projection, Trump has convinced millions of Americans that their fellow citizens are scammers just out for themselves.

Trump doesn't (cant?) understand that people can be altruistic; all he sees is through a veil of narcissism.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs. Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST). For USAID personnel currently posted outside the United States, the Agency, in coordination with missions and the Department of State, is currently preparing a plan, in accordance with all applicable requirements and laws, under which the Agency would arrange and pay for return travel to the United States within 30 days and provide for the termination of PSC and ISC contracts that are not determined to be essential. The Agency will consider case-by-case exceptions and return travel extensions based on personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons. For example, the Agency will consider exceptions based on the timing of dependents’ school term, personal or familial medical needs, pregnancy, and other reasons. Further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming. Thank you for your service”

USAID’s website has been deleted, all that is left is a note saying all personnel are now on administrative leave and personnel outside the US are to be brought home. Completely illegal, no act of congress or even executive order was signed to dismantle the agency

A memo listing all of the clubs eliminated by USMA.

The United States Military Academy has just eliminated all Cadet clubs and activities for POC. Most of these have existed for decades like the Society of Black Engineers. They were there when I was a Cadet in 1987. All of the religious ones remain. This isn’t DEI. It’s white Christian Nationalism.

Where I'm from the media is talking about the *legislation* that intends to terminate the DoE

www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...

A portion of an upcoming City Council Meeting agenda. It reads: Merit-Based Employment and Discontinuation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs Request: Adopt Ordinance No. 4662 to: 1. Ensure city employees are hired, evaluated, and promoted based on merit, protecting City of Scottsdale employees from unlawful and anti-meritocratic forms of discrimination, and ensuring that residents and taxpayers are served by the most qualified city employees. 2. Discontinue the use of city funds for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) systemic programming, to include the Office of DEI, DEI programming and trainings, and other initiatives that could arguably violate A.R.S. § 41-1494. Training and prevention of unlawful discrimination remains encouraged and shall continue. 3. Direct the City Manager, or designee, to reassign the Diversity Program Director and ADA/Title VI Compliance Coordinator to an appropriate department and position; reflect these changes in the city’s organizational chart; and make the necessary budget transfers and amendments necessary to carry out the intent of this Ordinance. Note: This item was added to the February 11, 2025 City Council Meeting agenda at the request of four or more members of the City Council. Return to In-Person Office Work Request: Adopt Resolution No. 13353 directing Charter Officers and the Presiding City Judge to consider all positions working remotely and develop a plan to return employees to work in a timely manner, at their discretion. Note: This item was added to the February 11, 2025 City Council Meeting agenda at the request of four or more members of the City Council.

Scottsdale (AZ) city council going full-on MAGA 😞

Excerpt from the 2025-02-11 Council Meeting Agenda.

You should follow @robwords.bsky.social if you like that kind of thing

Grammar rules you can stop sticking to YouTube video by RobWords

The more you learn about English grammar, the more rules you become familiar with. Hopefully, then you dig deeper, and you learn many of those rules are not rules at all.

youtu.be/BccyQaNKXz8?...

‘Aliens’ and ‘animals’ – language of hate used by Trump and others can be part of a violent design Hateful language used to demonize particular groups of people had been used long before the era of Donald Trump, including by the Nazis.

Language of hate

theconversation.com/aliens-and-a...

Pardoning 1500 Insurrectionists Is An Insult To America YouTube video by LegalEagle

Pardoning the insurrectionists is an assault on our democracy.

youtu.be/X0OWDMv57cQ?...

Trump’s Anti-Trans Executive Order Is Unscientific Nonsense The Trump administration is taking a brute-force approach to push trans people out of public life.

theintercept.com/2025/01/22/t...

Trump has signed an executive order eliminating all funding for diversity and inclusion in the federal government, sending home DEI staff who will then be laid off. The historical echo for this is when Woodrow Wilson resegregated the federal government in 1913. We have reached the second nadir.

I mean you cannot change your ascendancy. You can respec points within your chosen ascendancy.

I think it's pretty hard to respec your first char. You just don't have enough resources to experiment much. Once you have one character past the campaign and have done a few maps, it becomes much easier. You cannot respec your ascendancy, though.