lemy.lol

Also, I was totally a solar panel in college. Except instead of electricity, I made bad decisions.

The patch is small, about a fingernail in size.

Elsewhere on the packet they used two colors of ink: a very dark blue (this) and a lighter blue. I expected it to be some kind of alignment pattern, by only one of the inks seems to have been used here, so that's not it.

What is it for, why would they bother printing it? An ink+paper resolution/absorption test?

The fiscal 2026 NDAA provides $800 million for Ukraine - $400 million in each of the next two years - as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays U.S. companies for weapons for Ukraine's military.

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/14237

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization vehemently condemns the Trump Administration’s illegal seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Trump has violated yet another international law by having U.S. forces seize a defenseless commercial vessel. As nationalized oil, it belongs to the people of Venezuela. We denounce the U.S. imperialists’ use of violence to steal what they want. In this case, it looks like U.S. Coast Guard piracy.

To be certain, no matter what you read in the corporate press, this Venezuelan oil seized by Trump was bound for socialist Cuba. Venezuela views Cuba as its sister country in the struggle for independence and sovereignty. Venezuela’s leadership admires the Cuban Revolution, and Cuba provides medical professionals by the thousand to the health care system that covers all Venezuelans, not just the wealthy.

The Cubans, year after year, resist the ruthless U.S. embargo on their economy, overcoming hardships and deprivation with creativity and innovation. Venezuelan oil helps their economy tremendously, on an island with few energy resources. With U.S. war threats against Venezuela, the Cubans are on high alert.

U.S. decline and failures make it dangerous

The decline of U.S. imperialism continues at a more rapid pace. Trump recognizes this, and covers it over with his desperate cries of “America first!” Trump is more and more willing to flaunt international laws and lash out due to the shrinking U.S. advantage on a world scale.

Now after 25 years of U.S. coup attempts, sanctions, electoral interference, vote stealing, infrastructure destruction, and assassination plots in Venezuela, the U.S. is ramping up toward war. That would be bad for millions of Venezuelans, and a huge mistake for the U.S. ruling class. The U.S. certainly will not “win” and may even face a defeat worse than the one in Vietnam, or more recently Afghanistan.

Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution remains steadfast. In the face of U.S. attacks, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and President Maduro’s popularity grows stronger by the year. Trump is being forced to start a modern medieval siege because all the other dirty coup plots and vicious tricks have failed.

Almost 25% of U.S. naval forces with dozens of aircraft totaling over 15,000 military personnel are stationed near the country with the largest oil reserves in the world. The oil and mineral corporations on Wall Street are frothing at the potential bounty if they can take what is not theirs.

The lies spewed by Trump, Rubio, and Hegseth are wearing thin. Nearly 80% of people in the U.S. do not believe Trump’s lies about the U.S. Navy missile strikes on boats in the Caribbean. This latest seizure of oil is meant to make Trump and Hegseth look strong again, after failing to cow Venezuelan President Maduro.

This week saw other escalations in Trump and Hegseth’s aggression and war threats. On December 9, two F/A-18 Super Hornets flew deep into the Gulf of Venezuela, violating Venezuela’s airspace and sovereignty. The U.S. also sent EA-18G Growlers for electronic jamming and an MQ-4C surveillance drone.

Then on December 10, Trump bragged about the U.S. seizing the oil tanker. Next Trump announced new sanctions on members of the Maduro family and a Panamanian businessman whose tankers move Venezuelan oil. Trump also announced he is planning to seize more oil tankers. At the same time, Chevron oil tankers continue to come and go unmolested from Venezuela to the United States.

Maduro stands tall

Every day that Maduro stands stall is an embarrassment to Trump’s plans. Every day that the people of Venezuela remain free to decide their own affairs is another day that angry and bitter Miami reactionaries are harassing Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to start a war.

It is more and more apparent as the corporate media and most Americans learn about this situation that Trump, Rubio and Hegseth are vicious, lawless and soulless. The White House is seething mad that socialist Cuba, independent and progressive Nicaragua, and Bolivarian Venezuela stand strong as leaders of the anti-imperialist movement.

Maduro and Venezuela remain unyielding to imperialist aggression

In Venezuela, on December 8, President Maduro committed to expanding democracy and popular power with a plan called “Communal Transition Government to Socialism.” This would engage the existing communal structures of popular power and community banks and seek to more than double their number across the country, especially into areas that have been without.

By doubling the number of armed Venezuelans in the popular militias and moving to broaden participation and political power in the hands of citizens, Maduro and the PSUV are advancing the revolution. They are meeting the goals of President Chavez into the next phase. The FRSO applauds this advancement of the Bolivarian Revolution as our friends and comrades in the anti-war movement around the country roar full-throated: “No U.S. war on Venezuela!”

The FRSO stands in solidarity with President Maduro, the PSUV and the Bolivarian revolution!

Wall Street hands off Venezuelan Oil!

No to Trump’s missile attacks and war!

Bring the U.S. warships and Marines home now!

#International #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #FRSO #Statement #Featured

From Fight Back! News via This RSS Feed.

Easy, 0.7-1.75 mi out and back

36 ft elevation gain (I wandered it up to about 700 ft)

Hiked 12/23/23

Flickr Album

A short hike filled with panoramic views of the vibrant cliff walls located within Capital Reef NP, which get lit up by the setting sun. Trail has ample areas to extend hike, incl. heading over to Goosenecks overlook with its steel scaffolding and stairs for views of the deep canyon below.

Looking down into the steep canyon near Sunset Point, the soon to set sun no longer lighting up the valley below. Incredibly strong winds were blasting up from the canyon below in this winter location.

The moon rises over a tall rock wall seen from Sunset Point, with green branches in the lower right corner of frame.

Looking east at sunset towards a large red rock structure with a trail leading around it. Behind it on all sides are various cliff walls showcasing some of the color variation seen at Capital Reef National Park. A glow along the horizon is also visible due to the setting sun.

GRS

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/14221

Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York City owed no small debt to Palestine activists, many of whom mobilized behind his campaign. But how will this relationship fare once he enters City Hall? There are some early tests that will let us know.

From Mondoweiss via This RSS Feed.

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/14235

John M. | Red Phoenix correspondent | Colorado– In the sweltering heat of late October, the Atlantic Ocean birthed a monster. Hurricane Melissa, the thirteenth named storm of an already punishing 2025 season, exploded from a disorganized tropical wave into... Read More ›

From The Red Phoenix via This RSS Feed.

Makers beware!

Much like with common household chemicals used for cleaning, such as bleach and ammonia, improper use of these can produce e.g. chlorine gas, which while harmful is generally not lethal. Things get much more serious with brake cleaner, containing tetrachloroethylene. As explained in the video, getting brake cleaner on a rusty part to clean it and then exposing it to the intensive energies of the welding process suffices to create phosgene.

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/14218

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As major anti-transgender bills loom and Congress prepares to vote on sweeping restrictions on transgender healthcare over the next two days, Representative Sarah McBride gathered with reporters outside the Capitol to denounce what she called the Republican Party’s “obsession” with transgender people. McBride was joined by Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Johnson for the press scrum, which comes at a critical moment: two high-profile bills—one proposing a national felony ban on trans youth healthcare and another seeking to bar Medicaid coverage—are expected to receive floor action, alongside anticipated moves by the Trump administration to pressure hospitals nationwide through Medicaid restrictions.

“So, we are two legislative days away from the Affordable Care Act tax credits expiring, when millions of people will see their healthcare premiums skyrocket, And GOP leadership, with that deadline fast approaching, has decided to schedule two votes on anti-trans bills and precisely zero votes on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” started McBride, before turning to Republican obsession on transgender people.

“They would rather have us focus in and debate a misunderstood and vulnerable one percent of the population instead of focusing in on the fact that they are raiding everyone’s healthcare in order to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent. All Republican politicians care about is making the rich richer and attacking trans people. They are obsessed with trans people. I actually think they think more about trans people than trans people think about trans people. They are consumed with this and they are extreme on it.”

McBride’s comments come as Congress weighs two major anti-transgender bills. The first, introduced by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, is expected to be heard today. The bill would enact a nationwide ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, imposing penalties of up to 10 years in prison on those who provide such care. With amendments expected, the bill could extend its reach beyond doctors to parents as well, a move that would be devastating for transgender healthcare nationwide. While the bill is not expected to survive the Senate, it will function as a high-stakes messaging vote—particularly for Democrats facing pressure from political consultants to shift right on transgender issues, and for Republicans representing more moderate districts. Notably, Democrats recently secured major electoral victories in races where transgender rights featured prominently, a political reality that may give some Republicans pause before embracing the measure.

The second bill, introduced by Representative Dan Crenshaw, would ban Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care nationwide. The proposal is expected to be framed as a more “moderate” alternative to Greene’s felony ban—an apparent effort to peel off support from centrist Republicans and potentially even some Democrats. Like many recent Republican proposals, Crenshaw’s bill also embeds a rigid definition of sex, legally grounding it in reproductive capacity, language the party has increasingly attempted to codify across federal legislation related to gender.

McBride focused on the extreme nature of the bills, including the parental jailing provisions, stating, “They are bringing forward a bill that would put parents and providers at risk of being jailed—literally jailed—for affirming their transgender child and following medical best practices. t is already hard enough to raise a family today. It is already hard enough to be a kid today. And families with transgender young people are navigating complicated and complex situations, making deeply personal healthcare decisions. And regardless of what decision you might make as a parent, government should never insert itself into the personal healthcare decisions of patients, parents, and providers. That is a basic principle and a basic right that should be afforded to all Americans, including transgender people and their families.”

The language marked some of the harshest criticism McBride has leveled at Republicans to date over their targeting of transgender people. She has herself been the subject of Republican attacks, including a bathroom ban advanced earlier this year by Rep. Nancy Mace that appeared aimed directly at her. While McBride has faced criticism since her election—over interviews and statements on transgender rights, including from myself—her forceful posture and visible pushback against this legislation are likely to be received as a welcome sign by transgender people who want to see Democrats in Congress meet these attacks with more than quiet resistance.

You can contact your representatives today to urge them to vote against the anti-transgender provisions. At least one Democrat has expressed uncertainty on how she will vote, Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), and several other Democrats have voted for anti-trans provisions this year, including: Henry Cuellar (TX), Donald G. Davis (NC), Cleo Fields (LA), Shomari Figures (AL), Laura Gillen (NY), Jared F. Golden (ME), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Adam Gray (CA), Susie Lee (NV), John W. Mannion (NY), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), Kim Schrier (WA), and Thomas R. Suozzi (NY).

Erin In The Morning is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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It just happend to not work lol

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/40341414

Gearsy is so precious! I'm in love with her outfit.