An NPR reporter stopped people on the street in DC today and asked their opinions on the federal takeover of DC. The reporter said that the respondents asked to remain anonymous because “they feared repercussions.”

FOR STATING AN OPINION.

This is not the US anymore. It is Trumpistan.

On a beautiful warm day like this—rare for Wisconsin in March—most people I know take advantage of it by hiking in the woods or going on long distance bike rides.

I moved from an indoor couch to an outdoor couch.

After Friday's "meeting," Trump, talking to reporters, complained that Zelensky talked about Putin in negative terms: "Putin this, Putin that. All negative things."

Let that sink in.

This may be the most deranged thing I've ever heard Trump say. And that's a very high bar to clear.

Two points that are getting lost in the discussion about Ukraine: (1) There was no peace deal on the table Friday. It was a minerals deal that did not lay out any plan or terms for peace. (2) Zelensky was ready to sign the deal on Friday. Trump kicked him out of the WH.

This is even more momentous than yesteday's sh*tshow, IMO:

CISA operatives were explicitly told not to investigate or report on any cybersecurity threats from Russia.

"The person added: “Putin is on the inside now.”"

If that last statement doesn't chill you to the bone, I don't know what will.

According to numbers from the DOGE website, the total of all the salaries of the federal workforce (excluding the military and others who they say they will not touch) is 3% of the federal budget. So all of this chaos and pain will save, at most, some fraction of 3% of the budget.

I have stopped using the online acronym IMHO because it stands for “In My Humble Opinion,” and my opinions are not humble. They are spectacularly wrong, but proudly so.

I’ve been reading a lot of murder mysteries and such, and I thought I should start taking on some more difficult and challenging texts for a change.

Then I remembered what the words “difficult” and “challenging” mean.

I have found peace by learning to appreciate the little things—a beautiful cardinal alighting on the feeder, the morning sunlight on newly fallen crystals of snow—and then, an hour later, fly into a white hot rage trying to open the goddam plastic bags in the produce aisle.

Everything in balance.

Last December, I wrote a long list of New Year’s resolutions for 2024 so I could grade my progress at the end of the year.

And wouldn’t you know it—I accidentally deleted the darn file!

I’m just going to go ahead and write down “B+”. That feels about right.

My nephew, a good and solid person, is extremely worried about seeing a lot of red and green lights in the sky. (You know, like the ones they put on airplanes?). BTW, he lives in the downstream flight path for several major eastern seaboard airports.