WELCOME
TO THE EVENING SHADE
A SANCTUARY OF SANITY AFTER A LONG HARD DAY OF FIGHTING FASCISM
YOU WILL FIND in the DIARIES a LOT of POLITICS
(Or NOT As the CASE MAY BE)
AND EVEN MORE CRITTERS
THE PERSON who MAKES the FIRST COMMENT WILL GET TWO CRITTERS
EVERY PERSON WHO COMMENTS WILL GET A CRITTER
RULES IN THE DIARY
WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING in the DIARY that you LIKE
YOU CAN REPOST IT AS COMMENT in the DIARY
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PostingADiary
CritterHerding
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Today's news on whatever the he!! Is going on in the Middle East.
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Pete Hegseth: “War is hell and always will be.”
Tommy Tuberville: “It’s war, it’s gonna git worse before it gets better.”
Markwayne Mullin: “War is ugly.”
Mike Johnson asked why War Powers Act is being ignored: “It’s not a war because it’s defensive in nature and design.”
— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) March 3, 2026 at 3:58 AM
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I'm sorry, if you're going to make a big show about how you've got a Department of WAR helmed by a Secretary of WAR and staffed by WARfighters, it's totally inane to then claim that your massive bombing of a foreign country constitutes something other than a war.
— Matthew Gertz (@mattgertz.bsky.social) March 3, 2026 at 7:37 AM
Here I am agreeing with MTG. Again.
I would think one of the things one would take into account when planning a war is the evacuation of one's citizenry from the affected area.
Not to mention, it's soldiers and front line personnel.
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On the 6 US service members who were killed: “Prior to the attack, there were discussions on the ground about whether the tactical ops center should not be used, as it concentrated too many troops in a location that wasn’t defensible.” www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-st...
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— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) March 3, 2026 at 5:42 AM
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White House's "War Powers Report" to Congress for attack on Iran.⬇️
Two conspicuous absences:
1. The word "imminent" appears nowhere. There is thus no justification in the Report for proceeding without prior congressional authorization.
2. No reference to wellbeing/protection of Iranian people.
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— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Then there's this:
As a reminder, broken clock, dumber than a sack of rocks Gooberville still manages to get it right once in awhile.
Oh and WTF? How is he planning to grift off pay for this? From the Tariff Rebate Fund?
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Trump: "I have ordered the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to provide political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade through Gulf. This will be available to all Shipping Lines. If necessary, the Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait"
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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 3, 2026 at 12:09 PM
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Whereas back home:
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In other news, DHS Barbie testified on Capital Hill today. Some lowlights:
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WELCH: Mr. Yoho is also the husband of your former spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin?
NOEM: Yes
WELCH: So your former assistant and her husband are the ones that got the DHS no bid contract for $143m. Any dispute about that?
NOEM: No.
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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 3, 2026 at 10:37 AM
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BLUMENTHAL: Does Corey Lewandowski have a role in approving contracts, and if so, what is that role?
NOEM: His role is a special govt employee, um, and special govt employees work for the White House
BLUMENTHAL: So he does have a role
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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 3, 2026 at 8:24 AM
It wasn't just Democrats who went after Cosplay Barbie. Performance Evaluation. www.dailymail.co.uk/…
A Republican senator has issued a scorching rebuke to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her deadly immigration crackdown.
Senator Thom Tillis branded Noem's leadership a 'disaster' and demanded her resignation during a Senate Judiciary committee hearing on Tuesday.
Noem remained silent throughout Tillis' intense grilling and declined to comment after he publicly called for her resignation.
It's about 10 minutes long, but an epic takedown. Tillis pulls no punches.
If you dont have time to watch the whole thing, here's a terrific snippet.
Also, here's a bit of insight into the kind of pressure Tillis has been facing for doing his job standing up to the badministration.
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Today is Primary Day in Texas, Arkansas and North Carolina. In Texas, this man wants to become senator and...push his agenda nationally.
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1. This morning, Texas AG Ken Paxton just released a chilling new declaration:
Mental health therapists, counselors, and psychologists must cease affirming trans youth - using their name and pronouns - or potentially face child abuse charges and loss of licensure.
Its a horrifying escalation.
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— Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com) March 2, 2026 at 10:44 AM
Texas AG Paxton Declares Therapists Affirming Trans Youth To Be Illegal And Child Abuse. www.erininthemorning.com/…
Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas announced on Monday a new interpretation of state law that would extend the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors to mental health providers, declaring that any therapist who affirms a trans youth's gender identity is "facilitating" illegal treatment and committing child abuse. Under his interpretation, therapists, counselors, psychologists and social workers who provide gender-affirming mental health care would be barred from receiving any public funding, including Medicaid, and could face revocation of their licenses and criminal penalties. The opinion also invokes mandatory reporting requirements, meaning therapists could be legally obligated to report colleagues and potentially the parents of transgender children as well. The announcement came one day before the Texas Republican primary for U.S. Senate, in which Paxton is running against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, and carries echoes of his 2022 child abuse declaration that led to sweeping state investigations attempting to remove transgender children from their supportive families.
“Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued a legal opinion declaring that the prohibitions under S.B. 14 making it illegal for health care providers to ‘transition’ kids does apply to ‘mental health care providers’ licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council,” says a press release issued by the attorney general’s office. The release describes therapists who affirm transgender youth as “activists providing mental ‘health care’ designed to confuse children about their gender,” and claims that the path to children being “transitioned” is actually “unethical indoctrination” and “child abuse.”
He's not the only one. This is horrifying.
The Trump Administration is Testing Conversion Therapy By Medically Experimenting on Trans People in Prisons. transitics.substack.com/...
The Bureau of Prisons is subjecting trans people to conversion therapy and denying them care with the goal of helping them "recover." It's trying to prove dangerous conversion practices can work.
I need a brain cleanse (very long)
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Remember that story yesterday about how the badministration would no longer pursue it's lawsuits against major law firms?
Ha! Faked you out!
Trump Administration, in Reversal, Tries to Continue Fight Against Law Firms. www.nytimes.com/…
The Trump administration indicated on Tuesday that it planned to renew its defense of executive orders that it had leveled against law firms, a sharp reversal a day after asking a court for permission to abandon the fight.
In a motion filed with the appeals court in the District of Columbia, where the cases are playing out, the Justice Department formally asked to withdraw its request on Monday to dismiss the cases against four law firms. It was not immediately clear how the court would respond; the department is scheduled to file a brief in the case on Friday.
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On Monday, the administration, in a court filing, asked an appeals court if it could walk away from its appeal of victories the firms had won against the White House. The move was a significant concession by the White House that it could not stand behind its orders.
But on Tuesday morning, the Justice Department abruptly changed its position. In an email to the four firms contesting the executive orders, a department official apologized for the short notice and said it would file a motion to withdraw its voluntary dismissal.
The email was sent to the firms shortly after 10 a.m. The Justice Department asked the firms to indicate whether they planned to oppose its attempt to reverse course by 10:30 a.m.
Nearly two hours later, the Justice Department formally filed a motion to withdraw the motion from the previous day. The firms opposed the motion, according to the filing, calling it an “unexplained request to withdraw yesterday’s voluntary dismissal, to which all parties had agreed.”
TC;DC. Too Confusing; Don't Care. If someone does figure it out, do let me know.
So later in the day, I found this, which may explain things. Kind of.
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If I read this correctly, DOJ waited until just before its brief was due to ask to dismiss, then about-faced the next day and is going to try to use that to get an extension on its brief.
There are less humiliating ways to get an extension on your brief, like saying you needed emergency ass surgery
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— Virtually Unlimited Supply of Popehat (@kenwhite.bsky.social) March 3, 2026 at 9:43 AM
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In some good news, hardworking preservationists are trying to stop the monstrosity ballroom.
If you have time on Thursday:
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Evening Shade Seekers! Happy World Hearing Day!
Which segues nicely with World Wildlife Day!
Happy Simplify Your Life Day!
Simplify Your Life Day is a chance to press pause on the noise and focus on what makes life feel lighter. It’s about clearing clutter, yes, but also about trimming the invisible tangles that pile up in a modern routine: too many commitments, too much screen time, too many “shoulds,” and not enough breathing room.
The idea is not to strip life down to something bare or boring. It’s to make deliberate choices so the stuff, tasks, and habits left behind actually support the way a person wants to live. A simplified life tends to be easier to manage, easier to maintain, and surprisingly easier to enjoy.
Although...it's also Happy National What If Pets Had Thumbs Day.
Happy National Soup It Forward Day
National Soup it Forward Day on March 3rd encourages us to deliver love and kindness by the bowlful. We all know a warm cup of kindness comes in many forms.
Happy Mulled Wine Day! Well, it does have herbs and spices…
Happy National Pancake Day!
Happy Birthday Chief Joseph (1840-1904)
Happy Birthday Alexander Graham Bell (1947-1922)
Happy Birthday Jean Harlow (1911-1937)
Happy Birthday James Doohan (1920-2005)
AND Happy Birthday George Miller, Screen Writer and Film Director (b. 1945)
Tomorrow is National Snack Day and Natuonal Dance The Waltz Day. Enjoy!
