Michigan Dems from the Governor on down have already gone on the record in support of Abdul. I was surprised that the Upper Peninsula voted for him in large numbers. There's a large population of Chippewa Native Americans and people of Finlander (They don't call themselves Finnish.) descent there who were likely receptive to his message and unafraid of his name. The best jobs in the UP have always been government jobs even though it's a mineral rich area.
DC may have gotten shabby chic over the years, but it never looked like an outsized archeology dig like it does now with all of Trump's vanity projects disarrayed before the world. With all that cheesy gilding of statues, I can only hope the DC birds will continue to do what birds do.
You have admirable literary stamina, TC, because keeping your head down over your keyboard and knocking these summaries out every day has to take its toll. If the ICEstroopers show up at your door because you made them cry, remember that might be enough to at least get you nominated for a Pulitzer. (Independent writers on Substack and elsewhere really do deserve an award roughly comparable to the Pulitzer because you guys truly do fly by the seat of your shorts. The Kilroy Award, maybe.)
And your description is so fitting when you say “…keeping your head down over your keyboard and knocking out these summaries…” - just so visual and, I have to believe, accurate.
Kitties nearby? Does a kitty ever drape him- or herself across the keyboard? We’ve all had our experiences…
I love that Tom has taken to including two perks per day with the kitty pics, and some are populated by more than one kitty… It really adds to the charm! They are so adorable and it’s just… Sweet. Love all the different names. It’s wonderful he’s created and maintained such a lovely photo collection.
TAFM is magical in some ways compared to other accounts I most certainly read with daily dedication…
When friends ask about my interests and activities, and I try to find the words to describe participation on SUBSTACK… It’s just such an experience because you never know what you’re going bump into. There’s excellence lurking in so many spots, but our days and hours are finite, albeit relentless in their predictable advance… so we must be selective and that can vary per person, of course.
My mother used to say “ ‘Everyone to her own taste,’ said the old lady as she kissed the cow.” And then we three kids would be trundling down the front sidewalk and piling into our two-tone green ‘41 Packard sedan (I learned to drive in that car!), heading to the dentist in Beverly Hills, where Mom preferred the doctors and dentists - and she’d forget something and have to run back inside the house… when we were all in the car and finally set off, she’d declare, “Well, we’re off as any fool can plainly see!”
Since I’m already a bit off-topic, I’ll take a chance and share a link I encountered on SUBSTACK while doom scrolling, as they call it… It’s a 30 minute listen basically, but I accomplish that when driving, eating a meal, or doing menial chores.
It has nothing to do with anything here in Tom’s post, but I find it fascinating with so much validity yet so much erasure… So I’ll share the link in case some of you want to take a peek.
When sharing with friends, I wrote about February 2025 when Renée Fleming came to Stanford Bing auditorium and performed an awesome concert, 50% of which featured her work with the oceanic portion of National Geographic researching links between our oceans and health. I wish I could remember more details.
But the next day she moderated a panel of five Stanford neurologists on the topic of music and health, interrelationships.
The following Wednesday there was an orchestral concert featuring a professional cellist who had abandoned his instrument for four years due to long Covid, but then had come back to play and while not in total recovery, they presented a theme of vibrations, music overall, but also playing the instrument itself, held close to the body, positive health effects he knew he was experiencing. All simply fascinating.
But the link I’m sharing speaks of architecture and more physical evidence from hospitals of a century or two back. See what you think.
Forgive me for perhaps almost abusing the privilege of putting on record a comment… Unrelated.
Preaching to the choir here, but I have an "ear worm" (not to be confused with Bobby Brainworm's issue) that keeps going through my head: that being "what if BIDEN had done (insert just about anything)"!!
I knew Trump 2.0 was going to be ridiculous, but I thought--silly me!--that responsible journalists might actually call him out. But then I realized, nope--they can't do it. There's too much every single (bad word!) day.
Indeed, I have! I have suggested that Jeff start a GoFundMe to award the first one to take it on, but sadly, he's never done that. That journalist would be set for LIFE!!
A huge topic. I wonder if anyone will write a book or do a study, almost a line item comparison, exploring the psychological and political dynamics involved… It’s a huge topic. Unwieldy. Outlandishly, ridiculous and yet… It’s really happening.
We speak of consequences and holding people to account once we get the stampede under control and round them all up, funnel them into a secure corral, and begin to take care of business…
But such a comparison would explore, bring to light and show evidence of huge ripple effects across society (regionally, nationally, and globally)… and I would say ripple is too benign a term, that in some cases, tsunami. Great remark, Miselle.
Next up on Trump & Co.'s agenda is crying about how every Democrat hates baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet. Anything to distract from the Trump/Epstein files.
In other snooze, Fat Boy Donnie doesn’t like the new $5M helipad being constructed on the South Lawn on the White House and ordered that it be torn up and done over, guess at whose expense? Now His Flabbiness wants the work to proceed around the clock to be finished next month for a scheduled visit by China’s Xi Xinping. Guess he hasn’t learned that rushing work that requires concrete to cure properly over a set time to prevent cracking later on doesn’t matter, just like the botched rushed sealant job on the Reflecting Pool debacle. Fat Boy never worked on any construction job in his life to know that you either get a good job or a rushed job, but you can't get both.
Thank you TC for TAFM today. I guess I am going to have to find a big box if I get the kitty life! Whatever did we do to deserve Trumpty Dumpty and Teddy Cruzz! Remember when you go to the polls to vote BLUE no matter who! That is except for Fetterman or someone like him!!!!
Tom, I’ll just add in the each of the topics you are covering daily is so vital. Thank you!
I really hope this money laundering pattern is something that gains traction …and was it Michael Sellers? Maybe Christopher Armitage… reporting that there’s a memo by the Capital One bankers that is very specific and telling, and it could be exposed through a particular congressional committee that has subpoena power, and… Bingo!
He has seen it described, but not the actual memo itself, but it is described in some of the info recently released.
Your research, very full detail, and skilled writing telling us what is related to what and to whom and where and why… You describe and report in ways distinct from any other SUBSTACK author.
And thank you for the double dose of kitty pics in recent days… Like a double scoop ice cream cone, double treat! I already mentioned it when responding to Judith. So sweet. Really lovely.
Love the kitties. Fed up with Republicans and hoping they all lose. Dems in Michigan will handle this well. Both candidates are qualified and can support one another. Losing hurts. But joining forces to defeat a MAGA wingnut w be worth it. 👍
Michigan Dems from the Governor on down have already gone on the record in support of Abdul. I was surprised that the Upper Peninsula voted for him in large numbers. There's a large population of Chippewa Native Americans and people of Finlander (They don't call themselves Finnish.) descent there who were likely receptive to his message and unafraid of his name. The best jobs in the UP have always been government jobs even though it's a mineral rich area.
DC may have gotten shabby chic over the years, but it never looked like an outsized archeology dig like it does now with all of Trump's vanity projects disarrayed before the world. With all that cheesy gilding of statues, I can only hope the DC birds will continue to do what birds do.
You have admirable literary stamina, TC, because keeping your head down over your keyboard and knocking these summaries out every day has to take its toll. If the ICEstroopers show up at your door because you made them cry, remember that might be enough to at least get you nominated for a Pulitzer. (Independent writers on Substack and elsewhere really do deserve an award roughly comparable to the Pulitzer because you guys truly do fly by the seat of your shorts. The Kilroy Award, maybe.)
Judith! Your post is amazing! Absolutely amazing.
And your description is so fitting when you say “…keeping your head down over your keyboard and knocking out these summaries…” - just so visual and, I have to believe, accurate.
Kitties nearby? Does a kitty ever drape him- or herself across the keyboard? We’ve all had our experiences…
I love that Tom has taken to including two perks per day with the kitty pics, and some are populated by more than one kitty… It really adds to the charm! They are so adorable and it’s just… Sweet. Love all the different names. It’s wonderful he’s created and maintained such a lovely photo collection.
TAFM is magical in some ways compared to other accounts I most certainly read with daily dedication…
When friends ask about my interests and activities, and I try to find the words to describe participation on SUBSTACK… It’s just such an experience because you never know what you’re going bump into. There’s excellence lurking in so many spots, but our days and hours are finite, albeit relentless in their predictable advance… so we must be selective and that can vary per person, of course.
My mother used to say “ ‘Everyone to her own taste,’ said the old lady as she kissed the cow.” And then we three kids would be trundling down the front sidewalk and piling into our two-tone green ‘41 Packard sedan (I learned to drive in that car!), heading to the dentist in Beverly Hills, where Mom preferred the doctors and dentists - and she’d forget something and have to run back inside the house… when we were all in the car and finally set off, she’d declare, “Well, we’re off as any fool can plainly see!”
Since I’m already a bit off-topic, I’ll take a chance and share a link I encountered on SUBSTACK while doom scrolling, as they call it… It’s a 30 minute listen basically, but I accomplish that when driving, eating a meal, or doing menial chores.
It has nothing to do with anything here in Tom’s post, but I find it fascinating with so much validity yet so much erasure… So I’ll share the link in case some of you want to take a peek.
https://youcantmakethisstuffup.substack.com/p/its-all-about-the-frequency?r=45vym&utm_medium=ios
When sharing with friends, I wrote about February 2025 when Renée Fleming came to Stanford Bing auditorium and performed an awesome concert, 50% of which featured her work with the oceanic portion of National Geographic researching links between our oceans and health. I wish I could remember more details.
But the next day she moderated a panel of five Stanford neurologists on the topic of music and health, interrelationships.
The following Wednesday there was an orchestral concert featuring a professional cellist who had abandoned his instrument for four years due to long Covid, but then had come back to play and while not in total recovery, they presented a theme of vibrations, music overall, but also playing the instrument itself, held close to the body, positive health effects he knew he was experiencing. All simply fascinating.
But the link I’m sharing speaks of architecture and more physical evidence from hospitals of a century or two back. See what you think.
Forgive me for perhaps almost abusing the privilege of putting on record a comment… Unrelated.
Amen!
Preaching to the choir here, but I have an "ear worm" (not to be confused with Bobby Brainworm's issue) that keeps going through my head: that being "what if BIDEN had done (insert just about anything)"!!
I knew Trump 2.0 was going to be ridiculous, but I thought--silly me!--that responsible journalists might actually call him out. But then I realized, nope--they can't do it. There's too much every single (bad word!) day.
See Jeff Tiedrich's long-standing challenge to journalists.
Indeed, I have! I have suggested that Jeff start a GoFundMe to award the first one to take it on, but sadly, he's never done that. That journalist would be set for LIFE!!
I love your idea and I would gladly contribute to that.
A huge topic. I wonder if anyone will write a book or do a study, almost a line item comparison, exploring the psychological and political dynamics involved… It’s a huge topic. Unwieldy. Outlandishly, ridiculous and yet… It’s really happening.
We speak of consequences and holding people to account once we get the stampede under control and round them all up, funnel them into a secure corral, and begin to take care of business…
But such a comparison would explore, bring to light and show evidence of huge ripple effects across society (regionally, nationally, and globally)… and I would say ripple is too benign a term, that in some cases, tsunami. Great remark, Miselle.
Next up on Trump & Co.'s agenda is crying about how every Democrat hates baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet. Anything to distract from the Trump/Epstein files.
Yes, anything to distract!!!!
In other snooze, Fat Boy Donnie doesn’t like the new $5M helipad being constructed on the South Lawn on the White House and ordered that it be torn up and done over, guess at whose expense? Now His Flabbiness wants the work to proceed around the clock to be finished next month for a scheduled visit by China’s Xi Xinping. Guess he hasn’t learned that rushing work that requires concrete to cure properly over a set time to prevent cracking later on doesn’t matter, just like the botched rushed sealant job on the Reflecting Pool debacle. Fat Boy never worked on any construction job in his life to know that you either get a good job or a rushed job, but you can't get both.
Has Don tha Con-Felon EVER worked in his miserable, worthless, petty life?
And Xi would be a fool to have his helicopter land on it.
Thank you TC for TAFM today. I guess I am going to have to find a big box if I get the kitty life! Whatever did we do to deserve Trumpty Dumpty and Teddy Cruzz! Remember when you go to the polls to vote BLUE no matter who! That is except for Fetterman or someone like him!!!!
On a positive note, Keith Olbermann's podcast returns tomorrow morning. It will be the first time since May 11.
Tom, I’ll just add in the each of the topics you are covering daily is so vital. Thank you!
I really hope this money laundering pattern is something that gains traction …and was it Michael Sellers? Maybe Christopher Armitage… reporting that there’s a memo by the Capital One bankers that is very specific and telling, and it could be exposed through a particular congressional committee that has subpoena power, and… Bingo!
He has seen it described, but not the actual memo itself, but it is described in some of the info recently released.
Your research, very full detail, and skilled writing telling us what is related to what and to whom and where and why… You describe and report in ways distinct from any other SUBSTACK author.
And thank you for the double dose of kitty pics in recent days… Like a double scoop ice cream cone, double treat! I already mentioned it when responding to Judith. So sweet. Really lovely.
Love the kitties. Fed up with Republicans and hoping they all lose. Dems in Michigan will handle this well. Both candidates are qualified and can support one another. Losing hurts. But joining forces to defeat a MAGA wingnut w be worth it. 👍