A Wandering Mind: 2025

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Trump Fails on Immigration

More than 100 federal judges have now ruled at least 200 times that the Trump administration’s effort to systematically detain immigrants facing possible deportation appeared to violate their rights or was just flatly illegal, according to a POLITICO review.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/31/trump-administration-mandatory-detention-deportation-00632086

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Vought Reverses Biden Policy Excluding Medical Debt from Credit Reports

" ... more states — including several in conservative regions of the Midwest and Mountain West — have been considering similar protections, spurred by bipartisan concerns that medical debt on a credit report can make it harder for people to get a home, a car, or a job.

Nationwide, about 100 million people have some form of health care debt, with millions burdened by $10,000 or more in unpaid bills.

But in the new guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asserts that federal law bars states from restricting medical debts from credit reports, arguing that only the federal government has this authority.

“Congress meant to occupy the field of consumer reporting and displace state laws,” the bureau concluded in an “interpretive rule” signed by Russell Vought, the White House budget director and acting head of the CFPB."

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/medical-debt-trump-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-reverses-credit-protections/?utm_campaign=KFF-This-Week&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--FGcqYxnMtyPQUUqQGEGM-C9pSRr_ogx93SuYdNXKmC6bUiIQ5MLJzXkzKHWkEONB7Zyxsge9G6j2G6ROHuTIaGQGQ8Q&_hsmi=387806171&utm_content=387806171&utm_source=hs_email

Saturday, October 25, 2025

The Murder of Public Health is Measurable

Disregard for expertise can kill people. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/adult-non-flu-vaccines/quality-decisions-made-cdc-vaccine-advisers-has-nose-dived-former-voting

Friday, October 24, 2025

yup.

Autumn

On This Date

On October 24, Frodo awakens in Elrond's house in Rivendale.

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Epstein Ballroom

Dental Deserts

https://stateline.org/2025/10/23/in-a-small-alabama-town-a-dentist-weighs-whether-to-stop-treating-kids-on-medicaid/?emci=67ee9dc3-02b0-f011-8e61-6045bded8ba4&emdi=91560d09-17b0-f011-8e61-6045bded8ba4&ceid=31377

Hope Springs Eternal ...

Colorado Republicans are an optimistic bunch, choosing candidates for governor and all.

Monday, October 20, 2025

Artillery Shell Explodes over California Highway

Vance is like "Ima gonna shoot live artillery over the I" and Newsom be like "Dude, that ain't safe" and Vance says "Be quiet, pussy" and Newsom is all "I don't believe you and Ima gonna close that highway while you jack off with 155mm shells" and Vance be like "Whatever snow flake" and then the bomb goes off over the I and hits Vance's security car and Newsom says "Told ya bitch" and Vance is all "It wasn't me it was the Marines."

Friday, October 17, 2025

NOLA FunkFest 2025 Day 1

Skipping the 2nd line. Trying the vodka strawberry lemonade - it's a contender. Found a shade tent overlooking the river toward Algiers Point.

Date: 2015-10-17

Venue: Spanish Plaza

With: Terry

Food:

Breakfast at the Ruby Slipper, Florentine omelet, peach Bellini. Tried the crab cake poboy at the fest, good cakes but poboys were small and therefore expensive. Terry had crawfish pie, which was much better.

Vibe:

Warm day but decent breeze. Security focused on keeping the fest perimeter intact & separating the VIP/Super VIP from us peasants.

Intense sun through the afternoon. Lack of grass didn't help.

Show Notes:

The Original Pinettes Positive Vibration Stage ⭐ ⭐

Started with a 2nd line before hitting the stage.

"Ain't No City Like the One I'm From"

Soul Project AOS Stage. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Funk is in the House (W Washington)

Can't Stop Loving You (W Washington)

Put Your Voodoo on Me (Neville Bros)

Someone Like You

What Have We Got

While Lotta Love

Jamal Battiste Band Positive Vibrations Stage ⭐ ⭐

? Feat Sweet Tea

(Food Break: crab cake poboy. Expensive)

Mississippi River Revival AOS stage ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Heart of Steel (v. Jennifer Hartswick)

I'm a King Bee

So Swell When You're Well (James Booker)

? (Feat. Original Sorry Dozen Brass Band horns)

Shallow water ? (feat Big Chief Pardo)

Jesus on the Mainline

Hard to Handle

Skipped Erica Falls at Positive Vibrations stage

John Clearly & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen AOS stage ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

When You Think Back

Everywhere I Get the Blues ?

? It's on new record

Zulu Cocoanuts

Lottie Moe

Boneyard?

Professor Longhair Blue Rhythm ?

Uptown Downtown ?

Hey about the Way ?

Called it a day after this set. Tired, feet swollen, dehydrated. Back to hotel for a shower, wine, and Black Rabbit.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

NOLA Day 1

We're in New Orleans for FunkFest, continuing our streak of never missing one of these delightful festivals. The weather is predicted to be hot & humid, to no one's surprise, until the weekend, when rain is a distinct risk.

Previously held at the Jazz Museum, this year its moved to the Spanish Plaza, over which we have mixed feelings. The shade and grass at the Museum was welcome, so the move to a concrete, shadeless location seems like a downgrade, at least in theory. It starts tomorrow, more of that later.

Dinner last night was at Drago's, famous for charbroiled oysters. Of course, we started with a half dozen of those. For the entre I can't recommend the grialldes and grits enough.