Save Our Bacon

California and Massachusetts have passed laws that you can’t sell pork in those states if pig growers use gestation crates.  These are crates for the pregnant sows that are so small the pigs can’t even turn around.  They are not given straw to make a bed, and, in my view, are treated in cruel and inhumane manner.

Now the Republican House has passed a bill to override the state laws.  The legislation has been given the cute name of “Save Our Bacon,” but it really is a law to legalize cruelty.  Pigs are incredibly intelligent animals much smarter than horses.  But Big Pork has lobbying power.

Here is another solution.  If you must eat pork, then buy it from local butchers who buy their pigs from local farms that raise pigs in traditional ways.  Or forego pork entirely.  Eat eggs.  You don’t need to kill the chickens to get the eggs.

Ten Endangered Rivers

Every year the American Rivers organization puts out a list of the ten most endangered rivers.  The criteria are that the rivers can be saved if public pressure is brought to bear; if the river has significance to people and nature, and if the threat will harm the river and its communities.  Here’s the list and the threat:

Potomac River.  Threat–data centers

San Joaquin.  Threat–mining

Boundary waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  Threat–mining

Lumber River (NC).  Threat–forever chemicals and feed lot waste, mostly 

from pig farms

Rogue River.  Threat–mining

Chilkat River (Alaska).  Threat–mining

Nissequogue River (NY).  Threat–a dam

Dan River (VA and NC).  Threat–pipeline projects

Amargosa River (Nevada).  Threat–mining

Suwannee River (FL and GA).  Threat–excessive water withdrawals and 

pollution

Here is the problem.  The Trump Administration is a cheerleader for the mining, pipelines, and pig farm interests.  The Potomac is already over-burdened with data center issues, and the North Carolina pig farms are not about to stop using huge manure lagoons which often overflow.  People are still moving to Florida.  Perhaps the dam on the Nissequogue can be stopped, but environmentalists don’t seem all that popular or powerful these days.  

I would have added the rivers that flow into the Great Salt Lake.  The lake is drying up.  That will be an environmental disaster.

How to tell if they are members of the MAGA cult

Not all Republicans, even the ones who voted for Trump in the past, are true believers willing to follow him anywhere.  There is an easy way to tell if they are MAGA cult members or just normal voters who were either misguided or perhaps not too bright.  

Just ask them:  Do you think Trump won the 2020 election?  If they say yes and claim he actually was cheated out of the presidency, they are cult members.  If they say no, Biden won that election, they are at least rational people who haven’t bought Trump’s conspiracy theory.  Try it.

Democrats are really bad people

My friend John C. was working the polls on election day and a Republican at the polling place was also handing out literature.  Her cards had this message:

If you haven’t figured it out yet, Democrats have chosen

The enemies of Israel, over Israel

Muslims over gays

Rigged elections over democracy

Communism over capitalism

Criminals over police

Globalists over America

Wall Street over Main Street

Illegal Aliens over citizens

Transvestites over men and women

and Satan over God

I don’t quite get the “Muslims over gays” thing.  The “Wall Street over Main Street” is also kind of weird.  And “criminals over police” is dumb in light of the “slush fund” for cop killers at the Jan. 6 riot.  Do Republicans really believe this junk?  I guess many of the MAGA types do.  Scary stuff.

Trump continues to wreck our national parks

President Trump by executive order has lifted the ban on off-road vehicles in national parks.  You can now drive your ATV, dune buggy, snow mobile, or dirt bike in our national parks.  Go off-roading.  Scare and run over animals.  Make loud noises.  Tear up the environment.  It will be fun.

And for those of you opposed to this move, buy clothes line and tie it across off road vehicle trails at neck height.  Dirt bike riders shouldn’t be the only ones who enjoy some fun.

Cruelty for its own sake

The Trump administration has cut off all kinds of government programs and services for documented immigrants including medical care, tax credits, financial services, educational programs, and jobs.  The goals are to force immigrants to leave the country and to make this country less welcoming to anyone moving here.  

Even housing is taken away.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to bar mixed families (where some members are citizens and others are residents not yet citizens) from living in public housing.  About 20,000 families will be kicked out.

The Small Business Administration says it will back loans only to businesses fully owned by American citizens.  Green card holders will be excluded.  

Head Start programs have been removed for immigrant children.  Federal tax credits will be taken away from kids who are American citizens if their parents are undocumented.  

In the meantime we have money for arches and and reflecting pool painting and cage fighting domes and SpaceX rockets and ballrooms.  

What an embarrassment: Trump's cabinet kisses ass

It is hard to believe that adult men would fawn over Trump.  Trump loves it, of course, but I don’t see how these grown-ass men can live with themselves.  The Times devoted two full pages to detailing the sucking up that occurred at the the last cabinet meeting earlier in the week.  Here are three sickening examples:

“You have saved the country.”  Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary

“You’re the only leader in the planet that can bring two sides together.”  

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

“He is willing to take a bullet for all of you.”  Lee Zeldin, E.P.A. administrator