Clare Ireland
@clareireland.bsky.social
From the earth to the moon.
In the middle of an unprecedented government shutdown, in the middle of an unprecedented drought, after a year of unprecedented federal funding freezes, after two years of unprecedented flooding, while the government seeks to label my law-abiding friends as terrorists and wage war on its own people.
October 1, 2025 at 8:30 PM
In the middle of an unprecedented government shutdown, in the middle of an unprecedented drought, after a year of unprecedented federal funding freezes, after two years of unprecedented flooding, while the government seeks to label my law-abiding friends as terrorists and wage war on its own people.
Spending a lot of time thinking about Ulysses S. Grant these days.
i don't know that the U.S. ever produced a finer general than U.S. Grant
“was Lee or Grant a better general” is a question with an obviously correct answer that a whole lot of people get wrong
September 12, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Spending a lot of time thinking about Ulysses S. Grant these days.
"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty."
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
May 22, 2025 at 9:32 PM
"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty."
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
Climate change is only "controversial" if your livelihood doesn't depend on the land or the weather. I don't know a single farmer, wildland firefighter, or emergency manager who doubts climate change or our need to adapt. Only people who don't have to get their hands dirty think this is political.
Facing lawsuit, USDA says it will restore climate change-related webpages
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to restore webpages related to climate change after it was sued earlier this year over the deletions.
apnews.com
May 20, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Climate change is only "controversial" if your livelihood doesn't depend on the land or the weather. I don't know a single farmer, wildland firefighter, or emergency manager who doubts climate change or our need to adapt. Only people who don't have to get their hands dirty think this is political.
Re: Grok and literally all AI tools:
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." -- Frank Herbert
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." -- Frank Herbert
May 15, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Re: Grok and literally all AI tools:
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." -- Frank Herbert
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." -- Frank Herbert
Oh noooo, did you realize what the USDA does? 🙄
After forcing resignations, USDA tries to walk back staff cuts and calls frontline workers ‘vital’ investigatemidwest.org/2025/04/24/a...
After forcing resignations, USDA tries to walk back staff cuts and calls frontline workers ‘vital’ investigatemidwest.org/2025/04/24/a...
After forcing resignations, USDA tries to walk back staff cuts and calls frontline workers ‘vital’ - Investigate Midwest
After forcing the departure of several hundred U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists and inspectors who prevent invasive pest and disease outbreaks, the Trump administration is trying to reverse c...
investigatemidwest.org
April 25, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Oh noooo, did you realize what the USDA does? 🙄
After forcing resignations, USDA tries to walk back staff cuts and calls frontline workers ‘vital’ investigatemidwest.org/2025/04/24/a...
After forcing resignations, USDA tries to walk back staff cuts and calls frontline workers ‘vital’ investigatemidwest.org/2025/04/24/a...
I might be accidentally writing for McSweeney's in a sleep-deprived haze.
Fisher-Price Recalls the Deluxe Kick 'n Play Piano Gym for Having Too Many Bops www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/fis...
Fisher-Price Recalls the Deluxe Kick 'n Play Piano Gym for Having Too Many Bops www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/fis...
Fisher-Price Recalls the Deluxe Kick ’n Play Piano Gym for Having Too Many Bops
Here at Fisher-Price, children’s safety is our highest priority. But we also care deeply about you, the parents and caretakers of the kids who use ...
www.mcsweeneys.net
April 25, 2025 at 10:46 AM
I might be accidentally writing for McSweeney's in a sleep-deprived haze.
Fisher-Price Recalls the Deluxe Kick 'n Play Piano Gym for Having Too Many Bops www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/fis...
Fisher-Price Recalls the Deluxe Kick 'n Play Piano Gym for Having Too Many Bops www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/fis...
I'm thinking of starting a running series called "Favorite New Ban" where I list my favorite banned words and phrases under federal grants. New favorite? "Safe Drinking Water." Because apparently, water that you can drink without dying is an ideological issue.
April 8, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I'm thinking of starting a running series called "Favorite New Ban" where I list my favorite banned words and phrases under federal grants. New favorite? "Safe Drinking Water." Because apparently, water that you can drink without dying is an ideological issue.
Popping in to report that the administration still has funds illegally frozen in spite of multiple court orders. My bills have not been paid. $500,000 and counting for staffing alone, not including project costs to contractors.
April 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Popping in to report that the administration still has funds illegally frozen in spite of multiple court orders. My bills have not been paid. $500,000 and counting for staffing alone, not including project costs to contractors.
Monday we furlough half our staff. In spite of multiple court orders, we're still not getting paid.
“Farmers thrive on predictability,” said Anson Tebbetts, secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. “But we’re not in that space right now. So I think everyone is taking it day to day.”
Vermont agriculture community reels from federal funding changes - VTDigger
“Farmers thrive on predictability,” said Anson Tebbetts, secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. “But we're not in that space right now. So I think everyone is taking it day to day.”
vtdigger.org
March 14, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Monday we furlough half our staff. In spite of multiple court orders, we're still not getting paid.
Just had a meeting where I got to tell most of our staff that we have to furlough them because the federal government won't pay its bills.
a man sits at a desk in front of a computer with a picture on it
ALT: a man sits at a desk in front of a computer with a picture on it
media.tenor.com
March 10, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Just had a meeting where I got to tell most of our staff that we have to furlough them because the federal government won't pay its bills.
You know how DOGE ordered federal employees back to in-office work? They're now selling those office buildings and terminating those office leases WITH NO PLAN FOR WHERE EMPLOYEES SHOULD GO. Leases have ALREADY BEEN TERMINATED without informing agency leadership or the employees that work there.
elmo from sesame street is standing in front of a fire with his arms outstretched .
ALT: elmo from sesame street is standing in front of a fire with his arms outstretched .
media.tenor.com
March 5, 2025 at 5:34 PM
You know how DOGE ordered federal employees back to in-office work? They're now selling those office buildings and terminating those office leases WITH NO PLAN FOR WHERE EMPLOYEES SHOULD GO. Leases have ALREADY BEEN TERMINATED without informing agency leadership or the employees that work there.
So I'm all for resilient local food systems, but the reason backyard chickens went by the wayside is because they are disease vectors. The problem is bird flu. Adding more disease vectors in response to a disease outbreak is like responding to a fire by throwing gasoline on it.
Trump’s Sec of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says the solution to high egg prices for Americans is to get some chickens and raise them in your backyard.
March 4, 2025 at 12:37 AM
So I'm all for resilient local food systems, but the reason backyard chickens went by the wayside is because they are disease vectors. The problem is bird flu. Adding more disease vectors in response to a disease outbreak is like responding to a fire by throwing gasoline on it.
Just to explain how stupid and wasteful the administration's censorship is, they've censored terms that agencies use to comply with federal law.
March 2, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Just to explain how stupid and wasteful the administration's censorship is, they've censored terms that agencies use to comply with federal law.
The vice president is skiing this weekend.
All this security, you'd think he was driving through Ukraine.
All this security, you'd think he was driving through Ukraine.
March 1, 2025 at 12:07 AM
The vice president is skiing this weekend.
All this security, you'd think he was driving through Ukraine.
All this security, you'd think he was driving through Ukraine.
Cosign all this. It's bad.
President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to face deadly consequences when big blazes arrive this summer.
stateline.org/2025/02/18/t...
stateline.org/2025/02/18/t...
Trump’s cuts to federal wildfire crews could have ‘scary’ consequences • Stateline
ISSAQUAH, Wash. — President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to fa...
stateline.org
February 19, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Cosign all this. It's bad.
Keeping track of my "favorite" random federal firings. New favorite? APHIS airport staff. Who are they? They're the folks who keep geese and other migratory birds from hitting airplanes.
Because what this country needs right now is more random plane crashes.
Because what this country needs right now is more random plane crashes.
February 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Keeping track of my "favorite" random federal firings. New favorite? APHIS airport staff. Who are they? They're the folks who keep geese and other migratory birds from hitting airplanes.
Because what this country needs right now is more random plane crashes.
Because what this country needs right now is more random plane crashes.
Fritz Lang's 1920s anti-capitalist sci fi is giving life right now.
"For the human mind, there is no never, only a NOT YET." -- Thea von Harbou, Woman in the Moon
"For the human mind, there is no never, only a NOT YET." -- Thea von Harbou, Woman in the Moon
February 16, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Fritz Lang's 1920s anti-capitalist sci fi is giving life right now.
"For the human mind, there is no never, only a NOT YET." -- Thea von Harbou, Woman in the Moon
"For the human mind, there is no never, only a NOT YET." -- Thea von Harbou, Woman in the Moon
The feeling when you realize your country is being run by people who read a bunch of cyberpunk without realizing it's dystopian.
a black and white drawing of a woman 's face with the words [ razorgirl intensifies ] below her
ALT: a black and white drawing of a woman 's face with the words [ razorgirl intensifies ] below her
media.tenor.com
February 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM
The feeling when you realize your country is being run by people who read a bunch of cyberpunk without realizing it's dystopian.
Mom Achievement Unlocked: timing an entire day of daycare closure baby activities so naps perfectly align with my schedule of testimony in the legislature. HAVE IT ALL.
a man is saying never give up never surrender !
ALT: a man is saying never give up never surrender !
media.tenor.com
February 14, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Mom Achievement Unlocked: timing an entire day of daycare closure baby activities so naps perfectly align with my schedule of testimony in the legislature. HAVE IT ALL.
Trump's Ship of State is basically one of those libertarian sea nations that flame out spectacularly every so often: incompetent, an obvious grift, full of a surprising number of engineers, and probably smells terrible.
February 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Trump's Ship of State is basically one of those libertarian sea nations that flame out spectacularly every so often: incompetent, an obvious grift, full of a surprising number of engineers, and probably smells terrible.
Funny thing about tradition: my cultural tradition is progressivism. When your ancestors tried to kill Hitler, were executed by the English in the fight for Irish independence, were executed as witches, and published abolitionist newspapers, the least I can do is tell MAGA to go fuck itself.
February 11, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Funny thing about tradition: my cultural tradition is progressivism. When your ancestors tried to kill Hitler, were executed by the English in the fight for Irish independence, were executed as witches, and published abolitionist newspapers, the least I can do is tell MAGA to go fuck itself.
Invoices under existing federal contracts for ALREADY INCURRED EXPENSES are not being paid under the funding freezes, meaning Trump has figured out how to screw over not only HIS contractors, but ALL contractors everywhere.
Really appreciate his consistency on the "Fuck People Who Do Work" front.
Really appreciate his consistency on the "Fuck People Who Do Work" front.
February 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Invoices under existing federal contracts for ALREADY INCURRED EXPENSES are not being paid under the funding freezes, meaning Trump has figured out how to screw over not only HIS contractors, but ALL contractors everywhere.
Really appreciate his consistency on the "Fuck People Who Do Work" front.
Really appreciate his consistency on the "Fuck People Who Do Work" front.