It’s no secret that Project 2025 serves as the ideological roadmap for a second Trump presidency. While Donald Trump himself downplays his direct involvement, the reality is that this comprehensive policy agenda is already in motion, setting the stage for a dramatic reshaping of the federal government.

From executive power expansion to sweeping reforms across key agencies, the vision outlined in Project 2025 is not just theoretical—it’s actively being built. The pace at which its architects are working suggests a level of preparation rarely seen in modern political transitions.

For those keeping a close eye on its implementation, we are at 34% as of this post (February 20, 2024). You can track its progress here.

Kevin Kelly recently shared some of the advice he’s learned over his 50+ years on the road. Here are a few of my favorites:

Don’t balk at the spendy price of admission for a museum or performance. It will be a tiny fraction of your trip’s total cost and you invested too much and have come too far to let those relative minor fees stop you from seeing what you came to see.

[…]

The most significant criteria to use when selecting travel companions is: do they complain or not, even when complaints are justified? No complaining! Complaints are for the debriefing afterwards when travel is over.

[…]

Your enjoyment of a trip will be inversely related to the weight of your luggage. Counterintuitively, the longer your trip, the less stuff you should haul. Travelers still happy on a 6-week trip will only have carry-on luggage. That maximizes your flexibility, enabling you to lug luggage up stairs when there is no elevator, or to share a tuk-tuk, to pack and unpack efficiently, and to not lose stuff. Furthermore, when you go light you intentionally reduce what you take in order to increase your experience of living. And the reality of today is that you can almost certainly buy whatever you are missing on the road.

[…]

The list of most coveted cities to visit have one striking thing in common—they are pedestrian centric. They reward walking. Better online hotel sites like Booking.com have map interfaces which allow you to select hotels by their location. Whenever possible I book my hotel near to where it is best to walk, so I can stroll out the door and begin to wander.

[…]

And finally the my favorite advice:

For the best travel experiences you need either a lot of money, or a lot of time. Of the two modes, it is far better to have more time than money. Although it tries, money cannot buy what time delivers. You have enough time to attend the rare festival, to learn some new words, to understand what the real prices are, to wait out the weather, or to get to that place that takes a week in a jeep. Time is the one resource you can give yourself, so take advantage of this if you are young without money.

Time is the great equalizer - no matter how much money you have, or the luxuries you partake in, we all have 24 hours in a day. When you go, make sure you take the time to be fully present in your new adventure.

The February 13th cartoon from The New Yorker:

Get the Daily Cartoon here.

This cartoon of Steve Bannon explaining MAGA from a prison cell is the perfect mix of comedy and dystopian nightmare fuel. It’s like a satire sketch come to life—except it’s real. The fact that a disgraced, jailed political operative is still somehow influencing a movement built on blind loyalty and delusion is beyond absurd. And yet, here we are, watching Trump corral his MAGA minions like a doomsday cult, completely immune to reason or reality. You couldn’t script a more ridiculous plot if you tried!

Lyndon B. Johnson predicted as such way back in the 60s:

If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you

That right there sums up Donald Trump’s business model.

these these fucking billionairs they they they need to be put down. You know like fucking rabid dogs. They’re like rabid with fucking greed and just going out and just dividing everybody. You know know just the the the fucking epitome of this time right now. Like how divisive we are that like you know the Gulf of Mexico is now called the Gulf of America and people get excited about it. Like how the fuck does that help your wallet? It’s an empty gesture.

– Bill Burr, “Super Bowl, Drones, Valentine’s Day Grift | Monday Morning Podcast 2-10-25”, Feb 10, 2025

Bill Burr is the George Carlin of our time.

While the billionaire class distracts us with debates over the names of bodies of water, DEI, and gender identity, they’re quietly dismantling Social Security, gutting the FBI, and trying to eliminate the Department of Education. Classic misdirection—keep the people arguing over nonsense while they rewrite the rules to serve themselves.

Jamelle Bouie video essay on his YouTube channel is an adaptation of his NY Times piece, There Is No Going Back:

Now, even if Musk had been elected to office, this would still be one of the worst abuses of power in American history. That is unquestionable. No one in the executive branch has the legal authority to unilaterally cancel congressional appropriations. No one has the legal authority to turn the Treasury payment system into a means of political retribution. No one has the authority to summarily dismiss civil servants without cause. No one has the authority to take down and scrub Americans’ data unilaterally. And no private citizen has the authority to access some of the most sensitive data the government collects on private citizens for their own unknown and probably nefarious purposes.

Professor Christina Pagel of University College London has mapped the actions of the Trump administration’s first few weeks into a Venn diagram with “five broad domains that correspond to features of proto-authoritarian states”:

• Undermining Democratic Institutions & Rule of Law; Dismantling federal government
• Dismantling Social Protections & Rights; Enrichment & Corruption
• Suppressing Dissent & Controlling Information
• Attacking Science, Environment, Health, Arts & Education
• Aggressive Foreign Policy & Global Destabilization

The information is also contained in this categorized table. And to keep upto date on the all of the Trump administration is this list of authoritarian actions that the Trump administration has taken, each with a link to the relevant news story.

So, you voted for Trump because of egg prices. He assured you that costs would drop on Day 1. Well, here we are—24 days into his presidency (as of February 13, 2025).

How’s it going? Inflation has climbed back up to 3% (compared to 2.1% when Biden left office), we’re locked in trade wars with Mexico and Canada, and—just in case you were wondering—egg prices have risen 15.2% since Trump took office.

This is what you voted for. Actions have consequences, you f*cked around, now you are finding out.

Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project:

You’re not allowed to be surprised when Trump told you the things he would do to hurt you, and yes MAGA you will be the ones who get hurt the most. I promise you. Rich people don’t give a shit.

MAGA - you are NOT allowed to be SURPRISED.

Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt the production of pennies, citing the high cost of producing one cent.

The government is set to save $179 million this year. While that might sound like a significant amount, in the grand scheme of the U.S. federal budget—projected at approximately $6 trillion for fiscal year 2025—it barely registers. To put it into perspective, $179 million amounts to just 0.00298% of the total budget.

With the potential phase-out of the penny, how will prices be affected? Economist William Dickens from Northeastern suggests that prices might actually drop in some cases.

“The item that once cost $2.99 might then cost $2.95,” Dickens says.

Ok. What’s the price of milk?. I don’t have a PHD in economics, but I can guarantee that business will round up to $3.00.

If we’re serious about saving money, here’s a thought: eliminate direct fossil fuel subsidies, which total approximately $20 billion per year. Let’s not pretend oil companies are struggling—they’re raking in record profits while still receiving government handouts.

Maybe instead of minor budget tweaks, we should start cutting waste where it actually matters.

No translation needed, but for those wondering, it translates to: “Trump pushes his way closer to recession.”

Its humiliating to be an American these days.

Donald Trump ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to open up a federally controlled flow of water in northern California that was completely unnecessary and unusable by anyone in southern California.
[…] That water is vitally important for farms and cities later in the summer.

It’s going to be a tough summer in California - and you can thank the ineptitude and stupidity of the Trump administration for it.

From the Wallstreet Journal’s Editorial Board:

If the North American leaders need to cheer about a minor deal so they all claim victory, that’s better for everyone. The need is especially important for Mr. Trump given how much he has boasted that his tariffs are a fool-proof diplomatic weapon against friend or foe. Mr. Trump can’t afford to look like the guy who lost. Ms. Sheinbaum in particular seems to recognize this, and so far she’s playing her Trump cards with skill.

None of this means the tariffs are some genius power play, as the Trump media chorus is boasting. The 25% border tax could return in a month if Mr. Trump is in the wrong mood, or if he doesn’t like something the foreign leaders have said or done. It also isn’t clear what Mr. Trump really wants his tariffs to achieve. Are they about reducing the flow of fentanyl, or is his real goal to rewrite the North American trade deal he signed in his first term? If it’s the latter, there’s more political volatility ahead.

In other words, Trump got nothing new for all his insane retoric and folded like a cheap deck of cards. It’s going to be fun watching Trump’s sycophants twist themselves into pretzels trying to claim this as a victory for the administration.

Trump administration made big moves to realign federal law enforcement in this country — purging top leaders at the FBI and multiple federal prosecutors at the DOJ.

John Fugelsang sums brilliantly sums up the current situation:

They care about their authority symbols, and they’re proving it right now. This is Joker taking over, firing commissioner Gordon and letting all the crooks out because Gotham was tired of woke Batman.

Dell is the latest tech company to announce it’s ending its hybrid and remote work policy. Victoria Song reporting for Verge:

“What we’re finding is that for all the technology in the world, nothing is faster than the speed of human interaction. A thirty second conversation can replace an email back-and-forth that goes on for hours or even days,” Dell writes.

Intersting to see how Dell will explain this stance to its remote work solutions customers who are given the official sales pitch noting that remote work offers:

benefits such as flexibility, reduced commute times, and cost savings for employees, while employers can access a broader talent pool, reduce overhead costs, and increase productivity.

Hypocrisy much?

Open Culture on an intersting video of Nirvana before they were Nirvana:

Here’s a strange home video of Nirvana when they were unknown, playing inside a Radio Shack in the band’s hometown of Aberdeen, Washington. The video was recorded on the evening of January 24, 1988, after the store had closed. In those days the group went by the name of Ted Ed Fred.

Only the day before, the band had recorded its first demo tape at a studio in Seattle. Guitarist and singer Kurt Cobain asked his new friend Eric Harter, who managed the Radio Shack, to videotape the band playing “Paper Cuts,” one of 10 songs from the demo. Along with Cobain, the video features Nirvana co-founder Krist Novoselic on bass and Dale Crover of the Melvins on drums.

They did get better.

Google announcement on X:

We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.

For geographic features in the U.S., this is when Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated. When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the U.S. quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America.

Also longstanding practice: When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.

How this will lower the price of groceries I have no idea.

A 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s epic master piece Seven Samurai is now available for streaming. You can watch it on:

• Max has what appears to be the 4K version, thought not stated that anywhere. However the image is crisp and there are no dust or scratches visible.
• Apple TV has the movie with the 4K icon
• Amazon prime video has it also - no mention of it being the 4k version - however it is linked from Criterion

If your haven’t seen Seven Saurai - it significantly influenced Hollywood cinema, specifically the Western film genre, most notably with the Hollywood remake “The Magnificent Seven” by adapting the core themes of honor, duty, and protecting the vulnerable to an American setting. You should add it to your watch list.

From Roger Bert’s review:

Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” (1954) is not only a great film in its own right, but the source of a genre that would flow through the rest of the century. The critic Michael Jeck suggests that this was the first film in which a team is assembled to carry out a mission–an idea which gave birth to its direct Hollywood remake, “The Magnificent Seven,” as well as “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Dirty Dozen” and countless later war, heist and caper movies. Since Kurosawa’s samurai adventure “Yojimbo” (1960) was remade as “A Fistful of Dollars” and essentially created the spaghetti Western, and since this movie and Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress” inspired George Lucas’ “Star Wars” series, it could be argued that this greatest of filmmakers gave employment to action heroes for the next 50 years, just as a fallout from his primary purpose.

Here’s the trailer:

Oliver Darcy posting on the Status Substack:

The anchor, I’m told, signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network after its chief executive, Mark Thompson, booted him from the morning programming lineup — a move that conspicuously coincided with Donald Trump’s return to power.

CNN brass, as we first reported earlier this month, decided to strip Acosta of his 10am show, which he has anchored to great ratings success over the last 11 months, at times even seeing higher viewership than programs in the channel’s prime time bloc.

Acosta was instead offered the less-than-desirable option of anchoring a show from midnight until 2am ET.

CNN pitched the gig to Acosta as anchoring during prime time on the West Coast and said he could move to Los Angeles to host the program. But the reality is the program would have aired at a time in which cable news viewership is at its lowest levels.

Acosta’s morning ratings were high. The only reason for CNN forcing him to midnight was to appease Donal Trump. CNN executives showing their absolute lack of journalistic integrity.