Don't fear the reaper?

RFK Jr. Dismisses Measles Outbreak As ‘Not Unusual’ After Child's Death

This is only the beginning.

Republicans and Medicaid

Yep, Republicans plan to gut Medicaid in order to fund their tax cuts for the rich.

Medicaid is what I use to pay for the 20% of my medical expenses that Medicare will not cover. Medicaid is what allows me to afford to pay for my prescription drugs. Medicaid is what I use to pay for dental expenses, which Medicare doesn't pay for at all. I'd like to say that Medicaid is what I use to pay for my prescription eyeglasses, but even here in California, Medicaid will no longer cover eyeglasses for adults.

I've read that the Republicans believe everyone who uses Mediccaid is on Welfare. That's their excuse for why it's ok to cut it.

I'm not on Welfair. I am officially "disabled" (legally blind) and I actually worked for 20 years before my vision deteriorated, paying into Social Security for the benefits I now receive.

But anyway, what kind of country doesn't want poor people, those who may be on Welfare, to get health care? Answer - a stupid and cruel country, one obviously run by Republican politicians.

I have news for those politicians ... a lot of your constituents are on Medciad, and they will stop voting for you if you take it awasy from them.

Go Now!

The first song I can remember hearing from The Moody Blues was this one - Go Now! - in 1964. It was sung by Denny Laine, seen above in the video. Later Denny left The Moody Blues and was replaced by my favorite Moody Blues member, Justin Hayward. Eventually Denny joined Paul McCartney's band, Wings, and thus we see him above with them, doing his old Moody's song.

Junior's Farm

Paul McCartney and Wings performing Junior's Farm in 1974 on BBC's Top of The Pops.

"The ongoing horror show"

The daily briefing of The Times of Israel discusses how the recently returned hostages were treated in captivity, some chained hand and foot, some kept in total darkness, underfed, the Muslim hostage, already mentally disturbed, kept completely alone for about a decase.

And then there were the two hostages who were not yet to be released, Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa Dallal, who Hamas brought to the "ceremony" last weekend and told to beg for their lives, filming it all as propaganda ...

Hamas’ most psychotic propaganda yet:

It took two hostages to watch today’s hostage parade and filmed them begging for their lives.

pic.twitter.com/GVmOOEb1NW

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 22, 2025

:)

Watch these cheetah cubs and put your doomscroll on paws ⏸️#TheWayOfTheCheetah is now streaming on @DisneyPlus! pic.twitter.com/KLtvG2Uygz

— National Geographic (@NatGeo) February 22, 2025

Shiri Bibas home

The body of Shiri Bibas was identified overnight at the Abu Kabir forensic institute, her family says.

Hamas returned her body last night, 504 days after she was abducted alive with her two young boys Ariel and Kfir. All three were murdered in captivity, according to Israel.

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) February 22, 2025

Shiri Bibas’s body returned to Israel; officials assess she was ‘brutally’ murdered with sons in Gaza

“with their bare hands”

Fate of Bibas Family Recalls Trauma of Oct. 7, Renewing Fears for Gaza Truce

[...] Early on Friday morning, the Israeli military announced that the body of Ms. Bibas — nominally returned, along with those of her sons, by Hamas to Israel on Thursday — appeared to be that of someone else. And an autopsy of the two boys, aged 4 and 8 months at the time of their abduction, revealed that terrorists killed them in Gaza “with their bare hands,” the military said ...



Meanwhile ...

Despite everything, many Gazans still think October 7 was the best day of their lives. pic.twitter.com/1aloFxspst

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 21, 2025

Where is Shiri Bibas?

Kfir and Ariel Bibas were brutally murdered in captivity.

We don't know how Shiri Bibas died, or even whether she's really dead, because HAMAS SENT BACK A RANDOM CORPSE INSTEAD OF HER BODY. pic.twitter.com/kARHUfvFNk

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 21, 2025

Israel says Bibas boys were among the dead bodies returned by Hamas – but not their mother

Israel says it has identified two of the dead bodies returned by Hamas on Thursday as Ariel and Kfir Bibas – but tests show another body that was expected to be that of their mother Shiri is not hers – and does not match any other Israeli hostage. The Israeli military also said forensic evidence and intelligence suggested the boys were murdered ...

Ghouls

At the publicity event this morning of the hand-off of the bodies of the dead hostages ...

In the video below, you can see Gazan civilians singing, dancing, celebrating the deaths of an Israeli woman and her two babies and an elderly peace activist.

Reminds me of the middle ages, when people would take their families for a fun day viewing a public execution.

They're all celebrating the murder of Jewish babies. I can barely believe my own eyes.

pic.twitter.com/4a3yBgj60M

— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) February 20, 2025

The hostages' bodies

There were at least three different terrorist groups at the publicity stunt of giving over the coffins of the hostages they murdered to the Red Cross - apparently you can tell them apart by the differing colors of their ninja outfits.

Shown below is a poster set up on a stage there by the terrorists, depicitng Netanyahu and the hostages.

The Hanford nuclear site

Rachel Maddow talks about the firing of specialized nuclear safety workers at places like the Hanford Site by Musk and his creep team .

DOGE targets Hanford Nuclear site for more federal layoffs

- H reactor at Hanford after its nuclear entombment

God help us all :(

Twitter

Yes, I'm still calling it that. Many people have left it for all kinds of reasons, but I still visit a few sites, mostly to look at the photos and videos those sites post. Here are some of my favorites ...

Have you ever seen the eyelash viper? This colorful snake's common name refers to the fringe of scales above its eyes. Heat-sensing pits between its nostrils help this serpent track down prey like frogs, lizards, bats, and rodents. pic.twitter.com/IlQMNp770l

— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) February 17, 2025

Bon anniversaire à Louis XV, né le 15 février 1710 ! 👑
Le Louvre conserve la couronne personnelle du roi de France dans la Galerie d'Apollon.
À découvrir salle 705, aile Denon.

🌎 Happy birthday to Louis XV, born February 15, 1710! 👑
The Louvre preserves the personal crown… pic.twitter.com/uHsoxO6XL0

— Musée du Louvre (@MuseeLouvre) February 15, 2025

“Love is the greatest refreshment in life.” —Pablo Picasso
Happy Valentine's Day to all of our lovely readers and followers! We hope that your day is spent with cherished companions, sweet treats, and plenty of tea.
Royal Albert Lady Carlyle china courtesy of Replacements Ltd. pic.twitter.com/J9DwXKpUtd

— TeaTime Magazine (@TeaTimeMag) February 14, 2025

🐳 Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here?

Today is #WorldWhaleDay! Dive in and learn all about these gentle giants with our Marine Life Encyclopedia: https://t.co/Yb51Vm9xka pic.twitter.com/tNbyMR4pGT

— Oceana (@oceana) February 16, 2025

In the yard

The yellow fowers are back ...

Prince Wendell tries to groom his back :) ...

Fig gives me the gimlet eye ...

Weird mushrooms are growing on the dead tree ...

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! 💕

Meet this lovely pair of Tawny Coster butterflies enjoying a nectar feast on Indian Camphorweed. Spot them during your stroll in the Singapore Botanic Gardens! 🦋🌼

📷: Terence Chia pic.twitter.com/xclmUWtbnE

— National Parks Board (@nparksbuzz) February 13, 2025

The stupid

From The New York Times ...

Hamas Makes Gaunt Israeli Hostages Thank Captors Before Release

Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for 183 Palestinians jailed by Israel, in a staged handover where rifle-toting Hamas fighters prodded their gaunt captives to give short speeches, effectively at gunpoint, thanking the militants who had held them captive for 16 months ....

In a statement on the hostage release, Hamas said, “This confirms that our people and their resistance have the upper hand.” But if Hamas saw the scene in the city of Deir al-Balah as propaganda for its claim to have treated its captives benevolently, it had the opposite effect in Israel, where many people found the images almost unbearab ...

If Hamas thinks their treatment of the hostages and their show of force will cause Israel to give up on the war, they are not only evil, they're also f*cking stupid.

Three hostages released

Reuters: Hamas frees three hostages, whose frail condition shocks Israelis

The returning hostages have been starved into unrecognizability. Come stand with the hostages’ families. pic.twitter.com/hkgcC42Yc8

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 8, 2025

Hamas staging a sham ceremony with the hostages ...

Qatari state media had an exclusive on the hostages’ first interview, because both Al Jazeera and Hamas are Qatari assets. pic.twitter.com/8JH1TnsPjK

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 8, 2025

The hostages

Hostage Eli Sharabi is expected to be released in Phase 1 of the ransom deal.

His brother will have to tell him his whole family was slaughtered on October 7. pic.twitter.com/2GMGOYACPD

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 7, 2025

Eli Sharabi: to be released, but without his family to come home to

Marianne Faithfull: RIP

Marianne Faithfull, British singer and actress whose hits included ‘As Tears Go By,’ dies at 78

I remember Marianne Faithfull, but I didn't care for her. Her voice, compared to other female artists at the time like Joan Baez or Judy Collins or Dusty Springfield, seemed weak. Mostly I recall that she hung around with Mick Jagger and became a heroine addict. The BBC video filled in the gaps in my memory.