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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 2h

Plus the trauma of “fired” “not fired” delivered by emails outside of working hours.

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 5h

Americans are a preternaturally violent bunch, and so well armed.

grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 6h

Mere reality doesn’t restrain these people.

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 6h

Oh, don’t. We drive through the Midwest monoculture, we see the problem. The stuff that isn’t going to gasahol is fattening food animals. Not such a good energy return, either.

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 6h

Of course they did. What a surprise.

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 6h

Because the RFK jr HHS could not find its agencies or their own asses without assistance. Their mode is “break it, then see what else falls apart “.

grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 6h

Well, she is the relevant intellectual for this time.

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 6h

When I see counter- revolution with this, my brain sees counter-reformation, with woke heretics burning in city squares. Vought is that unrestrained and zealot-like. One cannot underestimate how much these people demonize the technocrats that run the US government.

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Reposted

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 7h

Sunday reading:

I wrote about the aggrieved extremist who is currently firing thousands of federal workers and ravaging state capacity based on conspiratorial nonsense - and about mainstream media’s infuriating tendency to sanitize Russell Vought and the regime he serves.

This week’s piece:

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy

steady.page

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 7h

But you also have to get rid of his underlings. They are also click-whores, and drive bad policy. I am not optimistic.

grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 7h

Nope. Given the wealth of sci fi movies with this plot, you think they might have a clue.

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 7h

This inspires such confidence. This is the administration that will protect us from H5N1.

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...

Trump Administration Is Bringing Back Scores of C.D.C. Experts Fired in Error

www.nytimes.com

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 18h

After 9 months of this, only widespread pain that can’t be hidden by the media will affect the situation. Only their own personal experience is going to convince people.

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 20h

Don’t forget the trauma. This fine Christian wants federal workers to be in trauma. He has been quite open about it.

grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 22h

Of course he was going to land somewhere. Of course there is a revolving door. ( Take a look where Congressional committee chairs and top generals land) But I would rather have him inside with his experience than sitting in his basement in DC.

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Eli Lilly taps former US FDA official Peter Marks to head infectious disease

Peter Marks, the former top vaccine regulator who was ousted from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year, has joined Eli Lilly , the drugmaker told Reuters on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 23h

Because…. of course. If we ever have good federal epidemiology again, someday, the measles related morbidity and mortality from all this will be documented.

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...

C.D.C. Layoffs Included 2 Top Measles Experts Amid Rising Cases

www.nytimes.com

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 1d

Predictable. Also note who got flu and Covid vaccines prior to leaving the country. Because he wants to gamble with your health, not his own.

www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Hundreds of U.S. students quarantined amid measles outbreaks

At least 270 unvaccinated kids are staying home from school as measles continues to spread nationwide. "Expect more," one expert said.

www.nbcnews.com

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 1d

And it continues

Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 1d

It was yet another rough night for CDC employees: Dozens — possibly hundreds, they are still self-surveying — were let go late at night, including those who worked on the prestigious MMWR reports

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials

www.nytimes.com

grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting analysis of the surprisingly fragile and important chip supply chain, and the risks and pressures Taiwan has in it. You can play it out like a chess game, but I don’t think any moves let Taiwan win in the end.

www.stimson.org/2025/why-tai...

Why Taiwan Fears ‘America First’ Risks Eroding Its ‘Silicon Shield’ • Stimson Center

U.S. efforts to onshore advanced semiconductor manufacturing are raising concerns in Taiwan about the strength of its “silicon shield”.

www.stimson.org

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 1d

Someday, Russell Vought will have to defend his actions. At least I f$&king hope so.

www.statnews.com/2025/10/10/h...

HHS employees to be fired as White House enacts mass terminations it blames on shutdown

Federal health employees are being fired as the White House makes good on a promise to terminate federal employees en masse because of the shutdown.

www.statnews.com

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Reposted

JudithFlanders @judithflanders.co.uk · 2d

Fascism in Europe destroyed the then greatest university system in the world. Fascism in the US well on the way to replicating the original.

*list above (apart from Fermi) from pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...

The scientific exodus from Nazi Germany

Beginning in 1933, hundreds of physicists and other academics fled the country, transforming their lives and the global scientific landscape.

pubs.aip.org

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 1d

Oh, we can expand our concentration camp network to go with our homegrown Gestapo. “ we were only following orders “ of the government.

grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 3d

A Catholic who adheres to the actual teaching of Christ.

www.reuters.com/world/pope-l...

www.reuters.com

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grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 3d

Like adjuncts today. But so few people could read and not just write, but write “in a fine hand”. Became women’s work, in time.

grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social @grumpyoldscientist.bsky.social · 4d

Cratchit was a knowledge worker, an educated clerk. Several tiers above a farm worker, or even a skilled laborer. And even he was struggling.

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