Tag: retirements

Personal: Some updates

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

I’m slowly working on a follow-up to my previous post, Down the Rabbit Hole: Preface. It’s almost finished except for the screenshots and videos, which I have more to search for. I think that most of the videos are on my memory cards from my previous Android tablet.

I’m considering retiring this blog when my web hosting service plan expires in April. I’ve been feeling more physically worn out than usual. Posting drains a lot of energy from me. Even reading is exhausting anymore. Damn you, fibromyalgia!

I can barely keep my eyes open, so I’m going to bed early. Have a good night!

Wisconsin Republicans withhold university pay raises in fight over school diversity funding +

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)
WisPolitics

Wisconsin Republicans withhold university pay raises in fight over school diversity funding

Related:

University of Wisconsin is shutting down in-person instruction at two branch campuses

Wisconsin Senate passes $2B tax cut package, though Evers veto likely

Evers had called on the Legislature to pass a package that included $365 million in new child care funding; a $65 million boost in University of Wisconsin funding; $200 million to pay for a new engineering building at UW-Madison; $243 million to create a new 12-week family medical leave program for Wisconsin workers and millions more for workforce education and grant programs.

The Republican bill would also create a state tax credit for families paying for child care; increase income tax deductions for private school tuition; make professional credentials granted to workers in other states valid in Wisconsin; and prohibit state examining boards from requiring counselors, therapists and pharmacists pass tests on state law and regulations. 😳

Uber Russia-hawk Victoria Nuland rises to acting Deputy Secretary of State

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

In a little-remarked move, the Biden administration announced Monday that Victoria Nuland will take over as the acting second-in-command at the State Department. She replaces Wendy Sherman, who plans to retire at the end of this week.

Nuland’s appointment will be a boon for Russia hawks who want to turn up the heat on the Kremlin. But, for those who favor a negotiated end to the conflict in Ukraine, a promotion for the notoriously “undiplomatic diplomat” will be a bitter pill.

Uber Russia-hawk Victoria Nuland rises to acting Deputy Secretary of State

As if things couldn’t get worse: Realists, inside the Biden Regime, are being replaced with Neocons

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Recently several administration official who were working on China and Ukraine policies announced to step back or retire. The people in question were not neo-conservative China hawks like Secretary of State Anthony Blinken or National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The unexpected loss of top sane hands has me concerned that there is some big move in planning that will damage U.S. relations with China and Russia even more than they already are:

Why Are These Biden Officials Leaving Their Top Posts?

America’s $52 Billion Plan to Make Chips at Home Faces a Labor Shortage + manufacturing chips in the US could make smartphones more expensive

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

America’s $52 Billion Plan to Make Chips at Home Faces a Labor Shortage

Another possible fix would be to keep people in the workforce longer, by raising the age at which workers can begin collecting Social Security or tapping into their pensions or 401(k)s. Yet Harry Holzer, a former US Department of Labor chief economist now at Georgetown University, says that neither feels politically feasible right now. Immigration has been a toxic issue in American politics for years, and Social Security has long been an untouchable entitlement. “None of that is doable,” Holzer says, which means “our labor force growth is going to continue to be modest.”

Related:

How manufacturing chips in the US could make smartphones more expensive

Morcos says a top concern of his is the narrowness of the CHIPS Act. Without bringing related device manufacturing back to the U.S., such as device batteries, sensors, cameras, antennas, and hundreds of other components, the manufacturing process could require the most critical component to be produced stateside, then shipped overseas to be assembled with hundreds of other components into a device that is then shipped back to the U.S. for the American consumer.

Work longer, for less pay, and you still won’t be able to afford the latest smartphone or laptop?! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Feinstein

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Feinstein

Lot of credit here goes to Katie Porter for breaking the barrier where no real leading California politician would dare challenge her. When it was clear to Feinstein’s backers, since I doubt she even really understands the situation at this point, that she was going to have to run in a real primary next year, they naturally backed away.

Also, Dianne Feinstein has been a terrible senator from Day 1. Literally any Democrat from California will be better.

French police attack Yellow Vests protesters in rally against Macron’s economic policies

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

French police have attacked Yellow Vests protesters, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at thousands of demonstrators, who took to the streets to denounce French President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies and pension reform.

French police attack Yellow Vests protesters in rally against Macron’s economic policies

Related:

Emmanuel Macron presses ahead with pension reform as French discontent swells

Macron: French health sector problems could deepen in coming years

BASF seeks ‘permanent’ cost cuts at European operations

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

FRANKFURT – BASF said costs at its European sites must be cut to a “permanently” smaller size because of a triple burden of sluggish growth, high energy costs and over-regulation, with the German industrial giant’s boss throwing his weight behind a planned expansion in China.

BASF seeks ‘permanent’ cost cuts at European operations

Brandon’s handlers are going to be disappointed! Businesses are supposed to move to the US! Time to twist Olaf’s arm (again)! Maybe tell him that Germany needs to decouple from China, as well?! /s