Ann retweeted
The stated position of the Trump administration is that the President of Russia is a humanitarian and that the President of Ukraine should be removed from office.
The American electorate have a chance to make their feelings about this known in less than two weeks.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as "a humanitarian" following the release of U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard on Wednesday. During a meeting in St. Petersburg, Witkoff thanked Putin for freeing the American ā whom the U.S. government had declared wrongfully detained ā and lauded the Russian autocrat, who ordered the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost five years ago.
Witkoff was in Russia as Trump administration and Russian officials were set to have talks focused on the Ukraine war.
Ann retweeted
It's a good time to restate: Trump CANNOT and DOES NOT see beyond himself - EVER. He is NOT strategic - he is transactional. He does not think, he feels. He's an amalgamation of impulses and cravings. Freud would call him a "human id."
He is now owned by his disorders. What I mean by that, is that his impulses and cravings outweigh even his self-interests. This is why it often seems as though he is trying to lose. He simply cannot pivot, he will almost always double down, he sees enemies in all disagreements, and he can never shut up or stop.
In his addled mind, there is no you or me. There is no America. There are no high prices. There is no future of the planet. There is only him, right now, in a zero-sum game. There is only his grandiosity, and again - his impulses and his cravings, and they comprise his reality. And if you're a reporter not reporting his reality, stay away.
This is a dangerous malignant narcissist, impatient and defiant, old and fearful of his own mortality, frustrated that he's no longer able to force-feed his concocted reality, and terrified that all he is and all he ever said he was, could be exposed and crumble like a House of Cards, forever.
He knows he is in decline, and he knows he is losing. He WILL get worse, and - footnote to Republicans - he will NOT want to go down alone.
Ann retweeted
It was a long night. Birdie woke up every 90 minutes or so barking.
Had to figure out which bark meant she was thirsty etc. She was also a bit scared in new surroundings I think.
Her power is still very limited. (1/2)
Ann retweeted
Trump says a lot of things just to foment outrage, project grandiosity, and hear himself bloviate. He feels that when he outrages normal people, it juices the abnormal contingent of his base, which is plentiful. He also uses hyperbole and ambiguity to make his point, and he uses stupidity both because he's stupid, and because he often has no point, beyond driving emotion, or misdirection, or diversion.
Here's a clue to help you process outrage: Ask yourself if something he says that is upsetting is flawed on its surface. If it IS fundamentally flawed, they you know it is being said for effect, and/or as a diversion.
EXAMPLE: Recently, he threatened California election officials - and in that threat, he claimed if they didn't do as he says, they will "go to jail for a long time."
Well, the only way someone goes to jail is if they are sentenced to jail by a judge. And the only way they are sentenced is if they are convicted. And the only way they are convicted is if they are indicted. And the only way they are indicted is if there is cause, or alleged cause.
The more Trump is cornered, defensive, and desperate, the more he overreaches with hyperbole. His bullshit aimed at California is similar to the "lock her up" chants of what probably seems, to Trump, as yesteryear.
Don't let his diversions outrage you. If you see they're flawed, smile to yourself and know he is flailing.
Ann retweeted
This is pathetic. Ukraine tested Starlink speed restrictions in Europe and had no issues - the restrictions only exist in Ukraine.
The Trump administration is actively helping Russia kill Ukrainians - and risking the lives of US and NATO advisors in Ukraine.
Latest: āZelenskyy tells reporters over WhatsApp that restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink systems remain. Interceptor drones can't function, logistics and operations hobbled. The maximum speed is 161 kph; "exceeding this limit causes the Starlink connection to cut out completely, resulting in the loss of the drone."
He says Ukraine has done tests to determine whether SpaceX is truly facing technical issues, as has been told Kyiv by the US side, or if this is a "deliberate operation... to restrict us, cut us off, and prevent us from defending ourselves and protecting our people, both at the front and among the civilian population."
He says Ukraine "sent a couple of vehicles equipped with Starlink terminals into European Union territory."
"They moved at speeds exceeding 180kph, and the Starlink systems worked perfectly. We have the relevant logs and evidence to prove this."
He adds: "The conclusion is clear: the restrictions are in effect within Ukraine but do not apply within the European Union. In other words, this is a planned operation."
Ann retweeted
Little Birdie had a small turn yesterday. I think thatās only a UK and Ireland saying.
Basically she collapsed as an old lady and we nearly lost her.
Iāve brought her home to my house tonight as I didnāt want her to be aloneā¦ (1/6)
Ann retweeted
An update on Abeā¦
šŖØ Still freezes like a rock and wonāt move
š„ Goes for a huge complicated operation to try save his leg on Tuesday.
Slowly slowly starting to see that he has a future ahead of him. Still extremely nervous
Ann retweeted
I donāt think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it.
Iāll take @ellalangleymsic over Kacey Musgraves any day.
And if Iām choosinā Texas, Iāll take Ken Paxton over James Talarico.
Ann retweeted
We got a call about a dog in desperate need of our help.
Probably one of the worst cases Iāve ever seen and thatās saying a lot.
We moved mountains to get him. Hopefully we can turn his life aroundā¦ (1/8) š§µ
Ann retweeted
Who remembers Rocky when he first came in very close to death?
Letās check in on his progress in his new home (1/4) š§µ
Ann retweeted
BREAKING: HELL YEAH! Trump gets NIGHTMARE news about his absurd "Triumphal Arch" as the Arlington County government unleashes a massive lawsuit to block its construction.
And it gets even better...
In their suit, the county's board asserts that the White House ignored a crucial review process in their deranged, rushed efforts to begin working on the President's vanity project. Since the proper process was not followed, construction should not be allowed to proceed.
Specifically, the administration failed to properly evaluate the possible environmental impacts of the arch and such analysis is required under the National Environmental Policy Act. Arlington is accusing the MAGA-controlled National Park Service of performing nothing but a "cursory" and "truncated" review of the project.
It should come as little surprise that this regime, as adversarial towards the environment as it is, would try to circumvent this key step. Unfortunately for them, the law is the law.
The arch ā one of several construction projects that Trump is desperately scrambling to erect in the hopes that he might fashion a semblance of a legacy for himself amidst the ashes of his failed presidency ā is supposed to go up on an island in the Potomac River that is officially part of D.C., but sits just a few hundred meters from Arlington. The suit urges the court to block any demolition or construction until an āappropriate environmental reviewā is conducted.
Hopefully, the judge sees the light of reason and grants Arlington this injunction. Once Democrats retake Congress in November, we'll have more power to throw up lasting roadblocks to this idiotic waste of tax dollars.
Pop quiz: What "triumph" is Trump even hoping to commemorate? The Iran War is a historic, economy-crashing failure and his domestic policies have been just as bad. This man does not have a single real victory to his name and yet he wants to be remembered like Napoleon. Pathetic doesn't even begin to describe it.
Please ā¤ļø and share if you support this lawsuit!
Ann retweeted
Everyoneās talking about Governor and Senator races, but if this wave is as big as data shows, thereās going to be a LOT of unexpected Democratic state executive victories downballot too.
Ann retweeted
A Democratic group is spending millions in MS after Republicans started spending millions in SC.
Either the data is all wrong and both parties are wasting millions based on faulty data OR weāre in for a historic election result.
Folks, @American_Bridge is launching ads today in districts Republicans SHOULD have locked down.
But they don't. š
Ann retweeted
Trump's lying has increased in its severity, hyperbolism, and defensiveness. Have you noticed? He's always claimed to be the best "this" and the smartest "that," and yesterday he actually said: āI know more about everything than anybody in this room. Anybody. Anywhere in the world.ā Yes, he really said this.
This signals a functional deterioration, born of distress. Some psychologists use the term "pseudologia fantastica" to describe it - in most cases, the person is unaware they are doing it, and unable to stop. It's persistent, compulsive, absurd, and a precursor to panic.
When a narcissistic sociopath is trying to force-feed his alternative reality, and they notice it's not working, and they see their predicament getting worse, they become increasingly desperate - and they put forth fantastical and unfiltered absolutes.
This is a deception pattern that rarely works to deceive, because it is so exaggerative and cartoonish. It also often consumes the subject, in an uncontrollable way that more people notice - even some who haven't noticed it before, like people in Ohio just did.
Trump is decompensating --- and decaying --- and more people in more places now notice the decline.
Ann retweeted
For just a moment, the world saw their true nature.
This is a real photo.
F*cking chilling.
Ann retweeted
Here's my Saturday psychological interlude:
As many have heard me (and others) opine, Trump has Cluster B disorders, as referenced in the DSM-V, including narcissism (narcissistic personality disorder) and sociopathy (anti-social personality disorder).
Before the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders), there was, obviously, the previous version - the DSM-IV. They classified disorders somewhat differently.
The cocktail of disorders Trump possesses, according to the earlier DSM-IV, are Axis II disorders, which are disorders most commonly acquired in childhood or early adolescence.
Axis II disorders are also characterized as being nearly irremediable, since the pathology itself makes the victim inherently resistant to treatment.
Personal story: About 30 years ago, long before Trump entered politics, my good friend Jay, with whom I'd studied, told me he had a harrowing experience trying to treat a client with severe Axis II disorders (this was during the days of the DSM-IV), and I've never forgotten what he said to me:
"Iāve never before dealt with a patient who manifested all the symptoms before. I found it worse than talking to a wall ā it was more akin to talking to a really angry, psychotic wall with an incurable need to be right, a compulsion to wound others, manipulative all the way through, and with zero self-awareness."
I spoke with Jay a week ago; first time in a couple years; he lives abroad now. I reminded him of the story. He said he remembered it too, and before I could say anything more, he asked me: "So, I bet you never expected having that as your president, did you?"