Benjamin Orr

Two very different examples of The Cars' bass player and vocalist, Benjamin Orr. Sadly, he died too early from pancreatic cancer.

“Drive” by The Cars remains one of the most beautiful, bittersweet songs ever recorded. Soft, haunting, and somehow still comforting.pic.twitter.com/2iXZZUAwev

— Music and lyrics! 🎙️🎵🎸🎼🎹🤘 (@somethingrand77) February 20, 2026

The damage

There's been a lot in the news about the ways the Trump administration has caused damage to Americans, but one that I've been noticing lately is the damage to our health. Here are just a couple of examples ...

Trump administration eases limits on coal plant emissions of mercury and other toxins

Trump seeks to boost controversial herbicide glyphosate [Roundup], drawing MAHA ire

Why are Republicans in Congress letting him do this? I don't anymore expect them to care about the population in gemeral, but do they really believe that their money and power will save them and their loved ones from the health disaster Trump is creating?

Tariff decision

Supreme Court strikes down Trump's sweeping tariffs, upending one of his key policies

Here's the unhinged and misleading response to the Court's decision ...



Businesses and consumers can breathe a sigh of relief, but for how long?

Kathryn Ruemmler

I first heard Kathryn Ruemmler mentioned in connection to Epstein in a podcast by Ezra Klein.

What struck me was that she was the White House Counsel under President Obama. How did someone with such an important job, a job where she tells the priesident what's ethical, pass as a normal human? How did Obama choose someone, almost make them Attorney General, who called Epstein "Uncle Jeffrey"?

Ugh!

Here's a bit from the Wikipedia page ...

After departing her White House counsel position, and while she was once again employed as a partner at Latham and Watkins, Ruemmler was a close associate of, and met with, Jeffrey Epstein on dozens of occasions between July 2014 and May 2019 .....

Ruemmler called Epstein "wonderful Jeffrey," "sweetie," and "Uncle Jeffrey," and wrote "I adore him" in a December 2015 email exchange which appears to show Epstein booking and paying for her first-class trip to Europe. In other back-and-forth messages with Epstein, Ruemmler expressed gratitude for her "friendship" with Epstein as well as concluded her messages with "xo" and "xoxo." Other emails show her asking Epstein to help her land a job with Facebook and giving him advice as to how to respond to the coverage that his crimes were receiving in media. She also conveyed to Epstein that she was romantically involved with a married associate of his ...

Bernie

Bernie speaks in CA about income inequality and the consolidation of every kind of power, including political, by those who are the most wealthy.

It's rare in America to hear discussions about this stuff - we are a capitolist country where people are supposed to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and no one is supposed to challenge hard gotten gains.

The thing is, life isn't fair. Some people inherit wealth, some steal it, some are doomed by circumstance to never have enough. A society worth its salt tries to give its citizens a fighting chance, but the US is ranked 29th on the inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (at the top, Scandanavian countries, and at the bottom South Sudan and Somalia).

Makes me think of philosopher John Rawls, whose idea of social justice was to try to give everyone equal rights and equal opportunities, no matter what their original situation is.

Sad billionaires

- Sergey Brin

Bernie Sanders and Gavin Newsom become adversaries over push to tax California billionaires

Opponents of proposed California wealth tax ramp up their campaign

Wealthy guys like Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Governor Gavin Newsom are against the idea of taxing CA billionaires 5% of their wealth just one time in order to help the less fortunate.

It is very expensive to live here in California, at least it is for people who aren't doing well. Since January of this year, I have had my SNAP benefits lowered and Medi-Cal has stopped paying for one of my medications, because the state says the budget doesn't have enough money.

But still, the poor billionaires! ... sound of tiny violin playing sad music ... It would be sooo unfair to ask them to help just one time. I mean, they might move away from California to some better place if we aren't attendant enough to their every need. And then what would we do without them?!

Let's find out.

Daily briefing

The Times of Israel's daily briefing discusses the US/ Iran conflict, what's happening in Gaza with Hamas, and also the upcoming Board of Peace meeting tomorrow in DC.

John Oliver

Getting rid of Hamas

The Israeli people do not want to return to war.

But as more hostages reveal how they were held as sex slaves in Hamas' dungeons, we will not let the Hamas Rapist Regime exist mere meters from Israelis' homes.

Either diplomacy finds a solution, or we will have to. pic.twitter.com/QypjmkBvG5

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 16, 2026

Top Netanyahu aide: Hamas will have 60 days to disarm or IDF will ‘complete’ mission

As far as I can tell, the "board of peace" has no realistic plan ... none ... for how to disarm Hamas. There will be troops from countries like Indonesia, apparently, but those troops are not going to be fighting with Hamas, they will be doing "strictly humanitarian" work, not combat. No country has agreed to actually take weapons away from Hamas by force.

Jared said Hamas would be disarmed by a Palestinian police force trained by Egypt and Jordan, but this force still does not actually exist ... Who will disarm Hamas under Trump’s ‘Board of Peace,’ and how?

The "board of peace" disarmament plan is a plan built on avarice and fear - the idea that you can bribe people and threaten people into doing your bidding. This is Trump's plan for every endeavor, from tariffs to Greenland. Thing is, it won't work on fanatics (or people who see through you). I think they actually have a final fallback plan ... leave Hamas in power and pay them to be nice. Utter fail.

So, it will have to be up to Israel to get rid of Hamas, because they do need to be gotten rid of.

Valentine's Day

Think Valentine's Day stinks? Then the stinking corpse lily is perfect for you! It may look beautiful, but its rotten-flesh scent will make you think twice before gifting it to your sweetheart. Its pungent smell is a come-hither to carrion flies, which spread pollen. pic.twitter.com/J6g7QEYoB8

— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) February 14, 2026

Eeeek! ;)

Epstein's people

Ezra Klein talks to Anand Giridharadas about the Epstein files. They discuss the many different kinds of people Epstein knew ... the rich, the famous, politicians, academics, left wing, right wing, movers and shakers, low profile people behind the scenes, almost all men ... and how they wanted something that Epstein could provide.

I realized what Epstein's circle reminded me of ... high school. Guys, trying to impress other guys, using girls as currency-widgets to improve their standing amongst themselves. Pathetic, and given their relative power, dangerous to us normal people.

Mayor Jacob Frey

Chris Hayes talks to the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey ...

Robert Palmer

Song in my head today ...

Robert Palmer turned attitude into a song.
pic.twitter.com/MhxnfIBPBA

— Music and lyrics! 🎙️🎵🎸🎼🎹🤘 (@somethingrand77) January 23, 2026

More on the EPA change

From CNBC ...

EPA climate regulation

EPA abandons the foundation of greenhouse gas rules

This decision will be devastating for the health and wellbeing of people/animals and for the sustainability of our physical environment.

I guess Trump and his toadies don't give a poop about the future for anyone, even their own grandchildren, as long as they themselves can be ever more rich and powerful.

I don't doubt but that this will be contested and will end up in the Supreme Court, but the conservatives rule there.

Another victim

Evidence Shows Feds Lied To Justify Shooting Marimar Martinez, Lawyer Says

I recall when this incident was in the news. The government said she had rammed their car, that she was a domestic terrorist. They shot her five times ... an American citizen and a teacher ... and then joked about it on social media.

Bye bye billionaires

Startup founder behind San Francisco pro-billionaire rally

There are about 214 billionaires that reside in California, but none of them attended the March for Billionaire’s rally held this week to honor their hard work ....

One of the state’s largest labor unions crafted a proposed wealth tax, which would be a one-time 5% income tax on the state’s wealthiest residents. The proposal is in the signature collection phase and if it garners 874,641 signatures, as required by state law, it qualifies for the ballot this November ...

I think the tax ix a good idea. It is only a one time tax ... just one time ... and just 5% of their vast fortunes, to make up for cuts to programs for California's needy by Trump's "big beautiful bill".

But Gavin Newsom, a multimillionaire himself, is against the idea - another reason I would not want to vote for him for president. And the ultra-rich are threatening to leave the state because of this one time tax.

Go ahead, billionaires. Leave the most wonderful place to live in the US because you were too selfish to use 5% of your untold wealth to help those less fortunate, just one time. I won't miss you.

Ezra Klein - the internet

An interesting conversation about the internet with Tim Wu and science fiction writer Cory Doctorow. They talk about how the internet has changed from when they were kids, how optimisitic they felt then about it, and how that feeling has changed.

My first computer at home was in the mid 90s, when my sister loaned me her Macintosh Color Classic. We felt so enthusiastic and hopeful about the internet back then, even about Amazon - I placed my first order there in 1999. I still like the internet, but it has become more human over the years, with all of our frailties represented.

The video

Trump’s racist post about Obamas is deleted after backlash despite White House earlier defending it

The Republicans in Congress could impeach Trump, but they will won't, no matter what terrible things he does. Republican lawmakers, I hope you rot.

25 or 6 to 4

Chicago, 1970 at Tanglewood, 25 or 6 to 4. One of my favorite Chicago songs. Peter Cetera is singing. I'm always intrigued by his teeth - his jaw was once broken in a fight and had to be wired shut for a time, thereafter making him wary of opening his mouth very wide.

Renee Good's brothers

Renee Good's brothers and a woman shot five times by CBP decry DHS' tactics



No Republicans attended the hearing.

All the best people

The recent release of Epstein documents by the DOJ has revealed the names of many more famous people. It's discouraging to see the names of people I had once respected or liked. And it reinforces some of my worst beliefs about the wealthy and powerful.

People will say, of course, that just having a name mentioned doesn't mean that person participated in wrongdoing. I would say that the company a person keeps reveals who they are - if you simply enjoy the company of a man like Epstein, there is something effing wrong with you.

Thought experiment. Imagine someone saying "Yes, I was friends with Hannibal Lecter, often visiting his home, but that doesn't mean I knew he was a cannibal or that I ever helped him murder and eat people. I just loved his witty repartee and his amazing recipe collection."

Anyway, read a who's who in this article from CNN - There are many famous names in the Epstein files

See a more complete list of Epstein's buddies at Wikipedia: Epstein files

Won't Get Fooled Again

I have this song in my head today ...



Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who, 1971.

Rafah border crossing open