Chetzemoka

Just finished Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. That first chapter might be the most horrific thing I've ever read in my life, only because I fear it's actually possible. Also perhaps the best depiction of PTSD I've ever read. Other than that, honestly I found the writing style kind of annoying with all of the shorthand, truncated sentence fragments. Overall I felt like it was a good summary of the real challenges that the climate crisis presents.

Now I just started Project Hall Mary by Andy Weir. His writing style is just so easy and accessible; it's quite a contrast.

Also I'm super happy to see Leviathan Wakes on the list from last month. I love the Expanse universe so much; it makes me happy to see people are getting into it.

"he said he vetoed this bill because the fund the state uses to pay unemployment benefits will be nearly $20 billion in debt by the end of the year.

The fund the state uses to pay unemployment benefits is already more than $18 billion in debt. That’s because the fund ran out of money and had to borrow from the federal government during the pandemic, when Newsom ordered most businesses to close and caused a massive spike in unemployment. The fund was also beset by massive amounts of fraud that cost the state billions of dollars."

The reasoning and background, if anyone is curious

Vedanta philosophies from India propose exactly this:

"According to Advaita Vedanta, these different categories of consciousness are classified as absolute consciousness (brahma-caitanya), cosmic consciousness (īśvara-caitanya), individual consciousness (jīva-caitanya), and indwelling consciousness (sāksi-caitanya)."

https://www.hindupedia.com/en/Consciousness_in_Advaita_Vedanta#:~:text=According%20to%20Advaita%20Vedanta%2C%20these,consciousness%20(s%C4%81ksi%2Dcaitanya).

I usually see this word expressed in Western characters as "chaitanya" rather than "caitanya" if you want to go Google things.

I've been deeply arachnophobic since I was a young child, and I always found jumping spiders cute lol. It's so odd

My car is currently parked on the street instead of in my driveway because it's officially "spiders fall on your car with the leaves" season up here in New England. So yeah, arachnophobia.

I've done a lot of self-directed deconditioning work over the years though, and it's much better now than when I was a kid. I don't jump and run away anymore. Still don't want them in spaces I occupy though lol

And I think you seem to be unaware of how much the presidency has changed since Roosevelt's time. I don't think it's realistic to think Biden has the kind of influence just by existing that Roosevelt did. Minimally, Roosevelt was working with two Congressional parties who actually wanted what was best for the country who were capable of being ashamed. Biden... doesn't have that.

Like, imagine for three seconds Biden threatening some of the things Roosevelt did. There's just no way:

"Never before had a President threatened "to seize and operate a major industry"

http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/essays/1901-/theodore-roosevelts-broad-powers-erin-ruth-leonard.php

He needs more than words. Words alone are useless. But believe what you want

You have to be able to back it up with real legislative threats to be a bully pulpit. A president with no legislative cooperation can say whatever they want, but when everyone knows they can't do anything, corpos will just laugh it off. Bully pulpit is really when you have enough power to be able to say, "You fix this or else we'll fix it for you."

He doesn't have a bully pulpit yet. Republicans barely control the House and the Senate is gridlock 50/50. Give him a supermajority and see what he can get done

I'd also advise a larger litter box. I used to have this problem with my giant tom cat (he weighed 17lbs not obese!), but never with my little Siamese. Got a larger box that the big guy was more comfortable using and never had the problem again

Dear Google, stop trying to make YT Music happen. It's not going to happen.

Just downloaded AntennaPod