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MADNESS TRUMPS ALL NEWS

It is very hard for a train to go off the rails when it is just about to leave the station. But President Donald Trump has done so during his wild first two months of his second term.

Trump's whiplash, bipolar proclamations have people reeling in confusion. CNBC's Steve Liesman has had it with President Donald Trump's ever-changing trade policies. When Trump announced he would hike tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel while once again claiming that the US' northern neighbor will become “the 51st state,” it seemed like an imperialist call for submission. Trump said if Canada became a state then all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. “I'm going to say this at risk of my job,” Liesman said, “but what President Trump is doing is insane. It is absolutely insane. It is about the eighth reason we have had for the tariffs. And now he's saying he's putting 50 percent tariffs on Canada unless they agree to become the 51st state. That is insane. There is just no other way of describing it.” Liesman's colleague, CNBC's Jim Cramer flipped out on Trump's behavior tanking the Stock Market --- calling the President manufacturing a recession. The market has been volatile and down more than 10 percent as retirement portfolios crash farther. In just 20 days in office, Trump has put the nation on a collision course with higher inflation, lower savings and economic recession.

While Trump uses tariffs to drawn the spotlight to him and make world leaders cringe, his minions are running around causing more havoc. Elon Musk's dodgy DOGE Department of Government Efficiency) has been in court more than a pro tennis player. Its unsanctioned mission to cut vast amounts of government waste by summarily firing workers and closing federal agents is being made without legal authority. These jobs and agencies have been created and funded by Congressional action. Only Congress can change those matters. Besides, the actual reduction in waste is suspect. Fox News contributor and Republican strategist Karl Rove warned that Trump's revelry in DOGE's supposed uncovering of hundreds of billions in government fraud will backfire when Democrats start to demand prosecutions. DOGE, on its official website, reports an estimated $105 billion in savings through fraud detection, contract and grant cancellations, real estate lease terminations, and other cost-cutting measures, but independent verification of that figure remains elusive. Publicly available records on DOGE's website only account for approximately $18.6 billion in documented savings.

All of these actions have not held up well in court. A federal judge in Baltimore lambasted Musk's attempt to access all Social Security personal information as an unwarranted violation of personal privacy laws. In more than a dozen cases - - - and in three major rulings in one week alone - - - a federal judge has ruled that the administration either has violated the law or has probably done so. The total works out to one such finding about every four days. The cases in which a judge has reached such a ruling span Trump's efforts to freeze federal funding, fire federal workers, restrict diversity efforts, overturn birthright citizenship, and, most recently, limit transgender rights and deport certain immigrants without legal review. Trump's DOJ lawyers' arguments in these cases would make even AI blush.

The problem is that Trump does not care. He must believe that as a sitting President, he is immune from any liability for his actions. When Trump started demanding impeaching judges who rule against his policies, even Chief Justice Roberts told him to back off. Historians point to this wild government upheaval as being similar when populist outsider Andrew Jackson became president.

But Trump has gone farther than anyone could imagine. He bullied and shook down Columbia University to change its WOKE policies, stop anti-Semitism protests and comply with his mandates in order to preserve $400 million in federal funding. The trustees and school complied with his demands, setting off a wave of criticism that money is more important than free speech, academic freedom and existing contractual laws. But Trump did not stop with universities. His manhunt also included going after people who were his enemies . . . Democrats who opposed him in 2016 and who prosecuted him after office. President Trump signed executive orders seeking to severely punish several major law firms like Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block by stripping its lawyers of security clearances and access to government buildings and officials - - a form of payback for its legal work for Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign. He signed a similar memorandum attacking Covington & Burling, which has done pro bono legal work for Jack Smith, who as special counsel pursued two separate indictments of Trump. Law firms are worried that Trump's power play to stop lawyers' access to federal buildings, officials and jobs in a way that could cast a chilling effect over the entire legal profession. An attack on lawyers who were doing their job, and getting rulings against Trump, is a attack on one of the pillars of American constitutional checks and balances, the judicial branch of government. It is a ballsy third world dictator move to silence and punish critics with both professional and monetary losses.

One would think that other Republicans would reign in the wild child President from doing constitutional damage. But Speaker Johnson doubled down in support by claiming that Congress could legislate away all federal district courts leaving just the Supreme Court. It would be a way to eliminate those pesky federal judges who rule against MAGA policies. The notion of eliminating an entire branch of government is a cue for lawlessness as the new American principle.

It is a crazy time in America led by a crazy man surrounded by crazy, blind followers. It has been generations since the US had a measles outbreak, now it is common place as the anti-vaccination conspiracy nuts are now setting public health policy. The VP is running around the world insulting countries that will not give up sovereignty to Trump. The defense department cannot keep assault plans a secret. The average person cannot keep up with all this nonsense. And maybe that is the entire Plan.

cyberbarf

QUICK BYTES CYBERCULTURE

MAKJANG. Last month's story on Kim Sa-Ron's suicide has turned into the worst king of makjang drama. Her family and ex-BF's agency have been throwing crazy allegations back and forth like a tennis match. It was bad enough with claims of grooming, dating a minor, exploiting a girlfriend for business, and dumping her during a crisis but then allegations against the victim about a secret marriage, abortion and a family after money. It is so bad that when Korean stars get into trouble, they keep their career afloat by going to China. But Chinese citizens are more upset about this scandal than Koreans.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE CRICKET FIELDS. Baseball is back, with a whimper. The old national pastime is not getting the fanfare of the start of spring. It may come to pass like other staples from the past like horse drawn wagons and affordable groceries. The nagging issue is that baseball fans are created through their parents' love for the sport. By taking kids to games, they absorb, appreciate then play the game. But latter generations seem to be more apt to play on a computer than play ball in a school yard.

KARMA. There was a news story from China about a banker who objected to his son's girlfriend. He said she was unsuitable for the family as she was only after the family's wealth. The father disapproved of his son's marriage plans. His son broke up with the girlfriend. But just six months later, father married the son's girlfriend . . . making her his son's stepmother. This caused the son serious health problems and a hospital stay. As we know, karma can be a bitch: shortly afterward, the banker father was charged and convicted of bribes and illegal loans and was sent to prison. The public was outraged by this story of family loyalty, betrayal and abuse of power.

CRY WOLF. An Indian dog breeder recently purchased the most expensive dog in the world. The Sun (UK) reported the man spent 4.4 million pounds to purchase a wolfdog, an animal that is part Caucasian Shepherd and part actual wolf. The Caucasian Shepherd is a large, northern climate guard dog that has been used to protect livestock from wolves. This hybrid is a massive animal: at 8 months it stands 30 inches tall and weighs 75kg. One has to question what kind of disposition the wolfdog will have with it being both very wild and domesticated against wild animals.

iToons

cyberbarf

FOUND BUT NOT LOST ON THE INTERNET

South Korea will spend $327 million over the next five years to combat “lonely deaths.” Apparently, there has been a large increase in middle age men dying alone, going unnoticed and creating health concerns due to increased social isolation. The program is meant to add counseling services, in-home visits, community activities and other events to get people outside and interacting with others. It seems like a way to get people to make adult friends which is hard to do even if you are an introvert.

Source: various sources

Baseball caps have been a long term fashion statement to show team loyalty (and in some parts, gang loyalty.) But this idea of the “double caps” with multiple insignia is just plain dumb and ugly. It looks like a terrible misprint. Who would want to wear one? Someone who likes to get laughed at?

Source: neatorama

AI permeates just about everything now, including internet daily games. In this one, the operator creates an AI generated image with a double prompt with a common word. A viewer needs to guess the prompt (what the image mash-up is about.) Can you guess the answer? Do you care what the answer is?

Source: coachpotatosalad

cyberbarf

THE WHETHER REPORT

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STATUS

Question: Whether Trump's first days in office will damage the constitutional framework of the US?

* Educated Guess

* Possible

* Probable

* Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

* Doubtful

* Vapor Dream

Question: Whether Congress have the back bone to stand up to Trump?

* Educated Guess

* Possible

* Probable

* Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

* Doubtful

* Vapor Dream

Question: Whether Trump's diplomacy of dissing allies will cause more global chaos and conflict?

* Educated Guess

* Possible

* Probable

* Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

* Doubtful

* Vapor Dream

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