Category: Life

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The “bipartisan” immigration bill currently in Congress is a right-winger’s dream, but since Trump wants to run on anti-immigration, the GOP is suddenly opposed to it, arguing that it’s not draconian enough.

Nothing will ever be cruel enough for them, no matter how much Democrats do to appease them. Biden could do everything they asked for, and they’d still insist he was being soft on border control. They need it as a wedge issue. Appeasing them won’t win any points with their base, and it’ll alienate those on the left who want asylum seekers and immigrants in general treated like the actual human beings they are.

This bill is probably DOA at this point. But just in case, I sent a message to my rep advocating for more protections for asylum seekers, not less.

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It’s one thing to say “I make hammers, and can’t be responsible for the fact that some people use them to break people’s kneecaps.”

It’s another thing to hand out free hammers to the kneecap-breakers, or pay them to use your hammers instead of someone else’s, or hire them as spokespeople, or use their testimonials to promote your business. “So-and-So’s hammer is the best for breaking kneecaps! And you can quote me on that!”

Under those circumstances, claiming to be opposed to kneecap-breaking wears a bit thin.

Related: I canceled my paid subscriptions to newsletters on Substack, leaving this note (minus the links) on each:

I’m disappointed in Substack’s response to the Substackers Against Nazis letter. I’ll find some other way to support the author without using Substack as a middleman.

Originally posted on my test GoToSocial site.

Update: I should point out that this was a last-straw situation, as the writing was already on the wall in April when the CEO repeatedly refused to answer an interviewer who asked point blank if they’d allow overt racism on Substack Notes.

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You know the old joke about “drugs would be cheaper?”

The Adderal shortage has gotten so bad that Mexican pharmacies are selling counterfeit pills to tourists…made of meth.

(I should clarify that it’s the counterfeit pills, not the tourists that are made of meth.)

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Update: Sadly, science fiction author Terry Bisson (who wrote “They’re Made of Meat” among many other stories) died a few weeks later.