#appointment cancellation policy

[golden42]

Lazy Loading Page Speed Optimization: Efficient Practices & Tips

Key Takeaways

Lazy loading can significantly improve page speed by loading only necessary content initially, reducing initial load times.

Implementing lazy loading can save bandwidth, which is crucial for users on limited data plans.

This technique enhances user experience by ensuring faster interactions and smoother scrolling.

SEO can benefit from lazy loading as search engines prefer faster websites, potentially improving rankings.

To effectively implement lazy loading, use browser-native features and ensure compatibility across different devices.

Enhancing Web Performance with Lazy Loading

In today's fast-paced digital world, web performance is more critical than ever. Slow websites can drive users away, impacting engagement and conversions. One powerful technique to boost performance is lazy loading. By understanding and implementing lazy loading, you can optimize your website's speed and efficiency, keeping your visitors engaged and satisfied.

Understanding the Need for Speed

Users expect websites to load quickly and efficiently.

Slow loading times can lead to higher bounce rates.

Improved speed enhances user satisfaction and retention.

Most importantly, speed is not just a luxury; it's a necessity. Users are increasingly impatient, and a delay of even a few seconds can cause them to abandon your site. Therefore, ensuring that your site loads swiftly is crucial for maintaining user interest and engagement.

Lazy loading offers a solution by optimizing the loading process. Instead of loading every element of a page at once, lazy loading prioritizes essential content and defers non-essential elements. This approach can make a dramatic difference in how quickly your site feels to users.

Lazy Loading: A Game Changer for Web Efficiency

Lazy loading is more than just a buzzword; it's a transformative technique for web optimization. By deferring the loading of non-essential elements, such as images and videos, until they are needed, lazy loading reduces the initial load time of a webpage.

Images and videos load only when they enter the viewport.

Reduces server requests, enhancing page speed.

Particularly beneficial for mobile users with limited bandwidth.

Besides that, lazy loading helps in conserving resources, which is particularly beneficial for mobile users who might be on limited data plans. By only loading what's necessary, users experience faster interactions and smoother scrolling, which can significantly improve their overall experience.

Eager Loading: When Immediate Isn't Ideal

Eager loading, the opposite of lazy loading, involves loading all page elements at once. While this approach might seem straightforward, it can lead to longer initial load times, especially on content-heavy pages. Therefore, eager loading is not always the best choice, particularly when dealing with large images or videos.

Lazy loading, on the other hand, ensures that your website delivers essential content swiftly, making it an ideal choice for optimizing page speed and improving user experience.

Benefits of Lazy Loading

Lazy loading isn't just about speed; it's about creating a seamless and efficient user experience. Let's delve into the various benefits it offers.

Faster Initial Load Times

By loading only the necessary elements initially, lazy loading significantly reduces the time it takes for a page to become interactive. Users can start engaging with the content almost immediately, without waiting for all elements to load.

This immediate engagement is crucial in retaining user interest. For instance, if your homepage loads quickly, users are more likely to explore further, increasing the chances of conversion.

Additionally, faster load times can have a positive impact on your website's bounce rate. Users are less likely to leave if they don't have to wait for content to load, which can improve your site's overall performance metrics.

Loading Images Efficiently

Images often account for the majority of a webpage's load time. By implementing lazy loading for images, you can significantly improve your page speed. This involves loading images only when they are about to enter the viewport. As a result, users won't have to wait for all images to load before they can interact with your content.

To do this effectively, you can use the loading="lazy" attribute in your image tags. This attribute tells the browser to defer loading the image until it is close to being visible. Additionally, consider using responsive image techniques to serve different image sizes based on the user's device, further optimizing load times.

Handling Videos and Media Content

Videos and other media content can be resource-intensive, causing significant delays in load times if not managed properly. Lazy loading can also be applied to these elements. By embedding videos with lazy loading techniques, you ensure they only load when a user scrolls to them.

For example, instead of directly embedding a video, use a thumbnail image with a play button overlay. When the user clicks the play button, the video loads and plays. This not only saves bandwidth but also improves the initial loading speed of the page.

JavaScript and CSS Deferred Loading

JavaScript and CSS files are essential for modern web applications, but they can also be a bottleneck if not handled correctly. Lazy loading these resources involves deferring their loading until they are needed. This can be achieved using the defer and async attributes for JavaScript files.

The defer attribute ensures that the script is executed after the HTML document has been parsed, while the async attribute allows the script to be executed as soon as it's available. For CSS, consider using media queries to load stylesheets conditionally based on the user's device or viewport size.

Tips for Optimizing Lazy Loading

Implementing lazy loading is just the beginning. To truly optimize your website's performance, follow these additional tips and best practices.

Use Browser Native Features

Modern browsers offer native support for lazy loading, making it easier than ever to implement this technique. By using native features, you can ensure compatibility and reduce the need for third-party libraries, which can add unnecessary overhead.

To take advantage of these features, simply add the loading="lazy" attribute to your image and iframe tags. This simple addition can have a significant impact on your page speed, especially for image-heavy sites.

Besides, using native features ensures that your site remains future-proof, as browsers continue to enhance their support for lazy loading and other performance optimizations.

Minimize Default Image Size

Before applying lazy loading, it's crucial to optimize your images for size. Large images can still slow down load times, even with lazy loading. Use image compression tools to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality.

Optimize Animations

Animations can enhance user experience, but they can also impact performance if not optimized. Use CSS animations instead of JavaScript whenever possible, as they are more efficient and can be hardware-accelerated by the browser.

Ensure that animations are smooth and don't cause layout shifts, which can negatively affect user experience. Test your animations on different devices to ensure they perform well across the board.

Remember, the goal is to create a seamless experience for your users. By optimizing animations, you can enhance the visual appeal of your site without compromising performance.

Test Across Multiple Devices

It's essential to test your website on a variety of devices and screen sizes. What works well on a desktop might not perform the same on a mobile device. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze your site's performance and identify areas for improvement.

Regular testing ensures that your lazy loading implementation works as intended across different platforms, providing a consistent experience for all users.

Overcoming Common Lazy Loading Challenges

While lazy loading offers numerous benefits, it's not without its challenges. Addressing these issues ensures that your implementation is successful and doesn't negatively impact your site.

Dealing with SEO Concerns

Lazy loading can sometimes interfere with search engine indexing if not implemented correctly. To ensure your content is indexed, use server-side rendering or provide fallbacks for search engines that may not execute JavaScript. For more insights, check out how lazy loading decreases load time and increases engagement.

Ensure all critical content is available without JavaScript.

Use structured data to help search engines understand your content.

Regularly monitor your site's indexing status in Google Search Console.

These strategies help maintain your site's visibility in search engine results, ensuring that lazy loading doesn't negatively impact your SEO efforts.

Addressing Browser Compatibility Issues

While most modern browsers support lazy loading, some older versions may not. To ensure compatibility, consider using a polyfill or fallback solutions for browsers that don't support lazy loading natively.

By addressing these compatibility issues, you can provide a consistent experience for all users, regardless of their browser choice. Regularly updating your site and testing on different browsers can help you identify and resolve any issues that arise.

Troubleshooting Loading Delays

Even with lazy loading implemented, you might encounter loading delays. This often happens when elements are not optimized or when there are too many third-party scripts running on your site. To troubleshoot these issues, start by identifying the elements that are causing delays. Use tools like Google Chrome's Developer Tools to pinpoint these elements and analyze their loading times.

Once you've identified the culprits, consider compressing images, deferring non-essential scripts, and minimizing the use of third-party plugins. By doing so, you can significantly reduce loading times and improve the overall performance of your website.

The Future of Lazy Loading in Web Development

Lazy loading is set to become an integral part of web development as websites continue to grow in complexity and size. With the increasing demand for faster and more efficient websites, lazy loading offers a practical solution to enhance user experience without compromising on content richness.

"Lazy loading is not just a trend; it's a necessity for modern web development. As websites evolve, so do the techniques we use to optimize them."

As more developers recognize the benefits of lazy loading, we can expect to see advancements in browser support and new tools that make implementation even easier. This evolution will ensure that lazy loading remains a vital component of web optimization strategies.

Emerging Technologies that Support Lazy Loading

Several emerging technologies are poised to enhance lazy loading capabilities. For instance, progressive web apps (PWAs) and server-side rendering (SSR) can work alongside lazy loading to deliver content more efficiently. PWAs offer offline capabilities and faster load times, while SSR ensures that content is rendered on the server, reducing the load on the client's device.

Additionally, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning could further optimize lazy loading by predicting user behavior and preloading content accordingly. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize how we approach web performance optimization.

The Growing Importance of Mobile Optimization

As mobile usage continues to rise, optimizing websites for mobile devices has become more critical than ever. Lazy loading plays a crucial role in this optimization by reducing data usage and improving load times on mobile networks.

By implementing lazy loading, you can ensure that your mobile users have a seamless experience, regardless of their network conditions. This is particularly important for users in regions with slower internet speeds, where every byte counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lazy loading is a powerful tool, but it can also raise questions for those unfamiliar with its implementation. Here are some common questions and answers to help you better understand lazy loading and its impact on your website.

These insights will help you make informed decisions about implementing lazy loading on your site and address any concerns you may have.

"Lazy loading can seem daunting at first, but with the right guidance, it becomes an invaluable asset for web optimization."

What is lazy loading and how does it work?

Lazy loading is a technique that defers the loading of non-essential elements, such as images and videos, until they are needed. This reduces the initial load time of a webpage, allowing users to interact with the content more quickly. By only loading elements when they enter the viewport, lazy loading conserves resources and improves performance.

How does lazy loading affect page speed and SEO?

Lazy loading can significantly enhance page speed by reducing the number of elements that need to be loaded initially. This not only improves user experience but also positively impacts SEO. Search engines favor faster websites, which can lead to improved rankings.

However, it's essential to ensure that lazy loading is implemented correctly to avoid any negative impact on SEO. This includes providing fallbacks for search engines that may not execute JavaScript and ensuring that all critical content is accessible without JavaScript. For more insights, check out this beginner's guide to lazy loading.

By addressing these considerations, you can harness the benefits of lazy loading without compromising your site's visibility in search engine results.

"Faster websites are favored by both users and search engines, making lazy loading a win-win for performance and SEO."

Therefore, lazy loading is an effective strategy for enhancing both user experience and search engine rankings.

What types of content should be lazy loaded?

Lazy loading is particularly beneficial for large images, videos, and other media content that can slow down a webpage. By deferring these elements, you can ensure that users only load what they need, when they need it.

Additionally, lazy loading can be applied to JavaScript and CSS files, further optimizing load times. By prioritizing essential content and deferring non-essential elements, you can create a more efficient and user-friendly website.

Are there any drawbacks to implementing lazy loading?

While lazy loading offers numerous benefits, it does have some potential drawbacks. If not implemented correctly, it can interfere with search engine indexing and result in missing or delayed content. To mitigate these risks, ensure that your lazy loading implementation is compatible with search engines and provides fallbacks for non-JavaScript environments. For more insights, check out Boost Your Website Speed With Lazy Loading.

How do I verify if lazy loading is working on my site?

To verify that lazy loading is working, use browser developer tools to inspect the network activity. Check if images and other media elements are loading only when they enter the viewport. Additionally, tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you analyze your site's performance and confirm that lazy loading is functioning as intended.

By regularly monitoring your site's performance and addressing any issues that arise, you can ensure that lazy loading continues to enhance your website's speed and user experience.

[naamahdarling]

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[chronicallycouchbound]

If your cancellation policy doesn’t involve a compassionate check in to see how someone is doing, it’s just another barrier to keep chronically ill people away from you.

[musings-ludicrous]

Today was pretty horrible. Argued with my dentist over an appointment I requested to cancel on Thursday, which she charged me the cancellation fee for anyway because she closes at 1 on Thursday, is off on Fridays, and I requested the cancel at 1:30 on Thursday so it wasn't within 48 business hours. In the hour I was arguing with her I missed a therapy appointment and didn't realize it until four hours later. Then I realize that while I was arguing with the dentist I also forgot to refill the cat's feeder and she went without food for half the day.

Fuck that dentist. (And daylight savings)

[oldbutchdanielcraig]

fuck my life just realized my therapy and psych appointments are booked for the SAME TIME tomorrow. i think i’ve got it figured out (disappear from my therapy appointment for 5-7 minutes and claim i’m having “internet issues” while i talk to my psych) but unfortunately i’m going to be nauseatingly anxious until it happens

[sirpeppersto]

why does the patient paperwork at my optometrist ask for my hobbies and interests

[julianbashir]

A major hospital in New York City, NYU Langone, cancelled several appointments for transgender children following the executive order threatening to withhold federal funding to hospitals that provide gender-affirming treatments. [wayback machine backup link]

Not only is this a gross violation of LGBT rights, the New York Attorney general has stated that this move would be a violation of state law. (letter published by the attorney general) [EDITED 4:14 PM EST]

There are many ways you can take action.

Contact Dr. Robert Grossman, the CEO of NYU Langone Health, and demand that they resume care for trans youth.

Call the following number: +1 (212) 263-3269, with the provided script under the 'read more'. Call from 9 AM - 5 PM EST on weekdays. Ask for the CEO's office, and leave a message.

You can email robert.grossman@nyulangone.org. You can also send an email using the linked website template.

If you are in the area, there is a demonstration at 6:30 PM at St. Vartan Park at 1st Ave & E 35th St. This demonstration is being endorsed by 16 organizatons, including the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, ACT UP, PFLAG NYC, and more.

[Updated as of February 3rd, 2025, 4:14 PM EST]

Hello, my name is [Name], and I'm a concerned [patient/parent/trans person/ally/New Yorker]. I'm calling about NYU Langone's reported cancellation of gender-affirming care appointments for trans patients under 19.

This preemptive policy change, in response to an executive order that is not settled law, is harmful and cruel.

I urge you to reverse this policy immediately and reinstate care for trans adolescents.

This decision directly contradicts your hospital's mission to provide exceptional care and your oath to do no harm.

It is very likely illegal under Article 1, Section 11 of the New York Constitution as amended in 2024 by the equal rights amendment.

The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics consider this essential care. Gender-affirming care is proven to be life-saving. A 2022 peer-reviewed study published by the AMA found that it reduces depression by 60% and suicidality by 73% among trans youth.

Canceling these appointments puts the mental and physical health of trans youth at serious risk.

As someone who [is trans/cares for a trans person/wants New york to remain a safe place for trans people], I want to emphasize how vital this care is. I urge you to act now to protect trans youth. I hope to see NYU Langone lead with integrity by reinstating these appointments immediately.

Thank you.

[potofsoup]

i love your fourth of july comics every year but this years feels extremely optimistic about biden’s abilities in the face of him letting roe get overturned and funding a gen*cide at worst or letting it happen at best by taking the bare minimum of regulatory action… i mean can he really be trusted at all anymore to do the right thing or act in line with the people’s demands? and how do we know the people behind project 2025 won’t just rig the election again to get in under false pretenses?

Hihi! Thank you for reading and enjoying my July 4th comics every year! I am in a non-US airport en route to a month-long trip in a place with sketchy internet, so sorry in advance for sloppiness in my response (and potentially going radio silent).

But:

I don't think he "let" Roe get overturned, since that was the Supreme Court's overwhelming conservative majority, which really started with Mitch McConnell refusing to approve Obama's appointee and forcing it into a 2016 election issue. The fact that Trump got to appoint 3 Supreme Court Justices is what got us here.

Re: Biden and the Israel/Hamas war ... on the one hand, there's definitely more that he could have done, but on the other hand, they are a whole other country over there. It's Hamas that initiated the Oct 7 attacks and took the hostages. It's Netanyahu and his right-wing government who decided to retaliate to such extreme extent. Biden can talk about how he would really like Netanyahu to stop fighting and step down, but at the end of the day that's not his call, any more than he can stop the Sudan fighting that is near-genocidal either.

So, to come to your question #1: "Can he really be trusted at all anymore to do the right thing or act in line with the people’s demands"?

For me, it's a resounding YES. Guyz, he has passed so much good domestic policies. My spouse works in green energy and the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act halved his anxiety and gave him legitimate hope. The tumblr post I linked to in my comic has links to many of the other great things that Biden has done. Tbh I voted for him in 2020 because "a moldy onion is still better than Trump", and I've been pleasantly surprised. Like how he tried to cancel student loans, the Supreme Court overturned it, and then he came back 6 months later with a different way to do it that didn't lead to a court challenge.

Is he perfect? Hell no. There's tons of stuff that I wish he did more about, or he went further on, but also he's just one guy heading one branch of government who is heading into an election year. (Just like FDR promising not joining WWII, while behind the scenes doing all the Lend-Lease Act stuff). And "the people" have lots of demands, many of them conflicting.

I'd also like to push at the unspoken part of your question... "Can he really be trusted to do the right thing..." compared to whom? Because right now the answer is "compared to Trump." And compared to Trump... I don't even trust Trump to respect the results of a legitimate election. Heck, he might just take his favorite state secrets, sell them to the highest bidder (or just show them off to someone for funzies), and then claim Presidential immunity. A decent Democrat who got stuff done vs someone who probably wants to pardon himself and all his friends and do Project 2025 stuff is not even on the same level. (Do I wish that there was a viable Democratic alternative to Biden? Sure! But who?) Heck, at this point -- imagine if it's Kamala Harris vs. Trump. Who would you vote for?

As for your question #2: "How do we know the people behind project 2025 won’t just rig the election again to get in under false pretenses?"

We don't. But also what can we do besides showing up to vote?

Actually, I need bullet points for this:

The 2022 midterm elections brought in fewer-than-expected election-deniers into crucial electoral offices at the state level, which means that hopefully most state electoral boards will continue to have integrity

Yes, voting is harder but at least we can still vote. So it's about getting out there and getting your vote counted. For some states, it involves waiting in 8 hour lines. For some states, it involves bringing 2 forms of ID. Document. Track. Make sure it's dropped off in a real ballot box and not a fake one. Don't believe messaging that the voting is happening on a different day or location, etc.

A 50.1% majority is easily challenged. A 55% majority, less so. Which means getting people out to vote.

The more people know about and think about the reality of a second Trump term (versus being disappointed by a Biden term), the more they will be motivated to vote against Trump.

Finally, let's be real here: I'm braced for a 2nd Trump term. That said:

I'm still going to go and vote for Biden, because the only way to prevent a 2nd Trump term is to vote.

A Trump term where either the House or Senate is controlled by the Democrats will be *very* different from a clean Republican sweep.

Even with a clean Republican sweep on the federal level, States have so much more power now, and voting the state level stuff will help shore up Democratic goals for the future. States get to draw voting districts however they want. States get to decide on abortion policies. If you live in a deep Red state, there still might be things to vote for that make it easier to live in now, and turn it purple a few elections down the line.

So at the end of the day, it's "Vote AND". Vote and keep living your best life. Vote and tell others about Project 2025. Vote and have hope. Even if Trump wins, at least you'll have voted against him. Vote and stay to build up a progressive wave for the next election.

[mariacallous]

At noon ET on Monday, the US presidency changed hands, and one of the largest governments in the world rearranged itself in service to the petulance and vulgarity of the nation’s new president.

At the Pentagon, a portrait of a general who Donald Trump had found insufficiently deferential to him in his first term was removed from a wall; photographs of the empty spot circulated on social media. Trump was set to sign a bevvy of executive orders, pledging to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement, to revoke policies promoting wind energy and electric cars, and to exert executive powers to speed up the construction of oil pipelines.

He was scheduled to revoke federal acknowledgement of transgender identity for the purposes of civil rights law, declaring in his inaugural address that “there are only two genders”. And Reproductiverights.gov, a federal web site aimed at helping women navigate abortion access, immediately went offline.

CBPOne, an app used by migrants to the US to manage their interactions with immigration officials, went dark when Trump was sworn in. An announcement posted on the programs website said that all existing appointments had been cancelled, leaving tens of thousands of people in the lurch. The press has reported that the new administration plans a series of high-profile raids in major cities this week, in search of immigrants to deport.

Latino businessowners in Chicago reported lost revenue as their clientele stayed home out of fear; a friend from college, a New York City public high school teacher, shared the instructions from her school administrators on how to protect her students in the event of an Ice raid. Meanwhile, Trump’s aides said he would issue an order ending birthright citizenship for the US-born children of immigrants, a move that would create a class of hundreds of thousands of un-Americans and move the concept of US citizenship from a legally protected status to something more akin to an inherited one.

It is not clear what authority, exactly, Trump has to do this; birthright citizenship, after all, is enshrined in the United States constitution. Like much of the inauguration’s declarations, the statements may be for show – grand pronouncements that will be muddled and eroded by the reality of policymaking, the grind of bureaucracy, the whittling-down of lawsuits.

Stephen Miller, the longtime Trump adviser and anti-immigrant crusader, has planned, according to the New York Times, a sort of shock-and-awe approach, hoping to issue as many executive orders and pursue as many maximalist policy changes as possible within the first days of the administration, hoping to terrify and exhaust the opposition. As is always the case with Trump, his statements are much grander than his actions. That doesn’t mean that his actions will not hurt people.

Trump returns to power with more loyal followers and more skittish, deferential and frightened enemies. The Republican party has been reshaped in his image, and so have the courts: just last summer, the US supreme court, including all three of Trump’s first-term nominees, voted to make him virtually immune from criminal prosecution for acts taken in office.

He has pledged to pardon all the convicted January 6 insurrectionists, and to halt prosecutions of those not yet convicted. And he is likely to use his authority over federal law enforcement to pursue civil and criminal proceedings against his enemies. On his way out the door, Joe Biden made a point of pre-emptively pardoning lawmakers who had investigated the January 6 attack, to protect them from Trump’s reprisals. The Democrats are weak, fractured, embittered and scared; the same consultants whose advice lost them the 2024 election are now telling them to defer to Trump, abandon resistance, and shift to the right. So far, many of them appear to be listening. The others are pointing fingers at one another.

Right now the money is on Trump, and the money is substantial. The three richest men in the world – Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg – all sat in the front row at Trump’s inauguration. (His cabinet members were in the second.) The men are there to court lucrative government contracts and discourage regulation of their businesses, but they also appear willing to commit themselves to Trump’s ideological project, especially with regards to gender, and to wield the massive communications platforms that they control to further his culture war agenda.

Bezos has intervened at the Washington Post to tilt the editorial slant in Trump’s favor; Zuckerberg has removed many sex, sexuality and gender protections from the content moderation policies of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. Musk, meanwhile, is reportedly slated to be given an office in the West Wing, though he has no official government job. Speaking at a rally of Trump supporters held at an arena after the official inauguration ceremony, the billionaire effusively thanked the crowd in his mealy South African accent. Musk then jerked a flat hand from his chest into the air, in a gesture that resembled a Nazi salute.

There is something broken in the soul when such spectacles can no longer shock you. But I confess that they no longer shock me. America is ruled, now, by men who are extremely psychologically transparent: their resentment and greed, their desperate, seeking needfulness, their insecurity and rage at those who provoke it; these things seep off these men, like a stench. They are evil men, and pathetic ones: mentally small, morally ugly. They are relentlessly predictable.

Here is another prediction: these men will not succeed in all their schemes. They will not deport as many people as they say they will; he will not change the law as much as they pledge to; they will not, cannot, capture the institutions as completely, or bury dissent as successfully. They cannot do everything they aim to do. Because politics is not over; because our institutions are not all collapsed; and because the existing institutions are not the only methods of resistance and refusal.

The Trumpist movement that ascended to power on Monday is relying on a tired, defeated America, one too diminished to do anything but submit to their demands and schemes. But the American spirit is indefatigable: it loves freedom and equality, abhors tyranny, values minding your own business and hates, above all, to be told what to do. When Trump was last in office, Americans found, at the end, that they did not like it. They will not like it now, either, and that dislike, however tardy, will have political consequences.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joyce Vance at Civil Discourse:

Is it really a coup if it doesn’t feel like one? If your day-to-day life hasn’t changed? Can it be a coup if I can still write posts like this? What we’ve seen over the last two weeks and accelerating over the weekend looks like a coup, a hostile, undemocratic takeover of government. Merriam-Webster says a coup is “a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics and especially the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group.” No violence so far because this is a coup fueled by tech bros, not the military. But we’re watching the alteration of government happen before our eyes. Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat calls it “a new kind of coup,” writing in Lucid about Elon Musk’s seeming power sharing with Trump: “And here is where the U.S. 2025 situation starts to look different. The point of personalist rule is to reinforce the strongman. There is only room for one authoritarian leader at the top of the power vertical. Here there are two.” It is unusual, but it is still an effort to use extra-legal, undemocratic practices to radically alter American democracy, undoing the balance of power the Founding Fathers established between the three branches of government by consolidating power in the hands of the presidency as a complacent, Republican-led Congress looks on.

Monday night, Heather Cox Richardson started her nightly column by explaining that if Republicans wanted to do away with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the federal agency the Trump administration suddenly shuttered over the weekend, they could do that legally. Republicans now control the White House and Congress. There is a 6-3 majority of justices appointed by Republican presidents on the Supreme Court. But instead of doing it lawfully, with Congress passing a bill for Donald Trump to sign, Richardson writes, “They are permitting unelected billionaire Elon Musk, whose investment of $290 million in Trump and other Republican candidates in the 2024 election apparently has bought him freedom to run the government, to override Congress and enact whatever his own policies are by rooting around in government agencies and cancelling those programs that he, personally, dislikes.”

Richardson concluded: “The replacement of our constitutional system of government with the whims of an unelected private citizen is a coup. The U.S. president has no authority to cut programs created and funded by Congress, and a private citizen tapped by a president has even less standing to try anything so radical.” So, “coup” is the correct way to label the transformation of government we are living through. But with so much continuing normally, it’s easy to doubt what you’re seeing. Even experiencing it from the perspective of historians who understand this moment through the lens of history, it doesn’t seem quite real.

[...] Why damage the American experiment as we near the celebration of its 250th anniversary? Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy had some thoughts about that as he joined his colleagues outside of USAID’s closed offices on Monday. Suggesting this was not the time to pull punches, he called it a move to benefit the oligarchs who lined the front rows at Trump’s inauguration. “Elon Musk makes billions of dollars based off of his business with China. And China is cheering at [the destruction of USAID]. There is no question that the billionaire class trying to take over our government right now is doing it based on self-interest: their belief that if they can make us weaker in the world, if they can elevate their business partners all around the world, they will gain the benefit.” Senator Murphy also suggested that by closing agencies and cutting back the federal workforce, conservatives could “create the illusion they’re saving money” while they pass giant tax cuts that would benefit “billionaires and corporations.” Sunday night, I called it a coup as well, writing in exasperation that “Musk and his crew of men barely out of their teens haven’t taken an oath to serve, and they are not accountable to the public. They are not a ‘Department’ of anything. They’re a private army that has taken over. Presidents can set up private advisory groups, but they have to function according to the rules, which include transparency. That’s not what’s happening here.” Worse still, there is little reason to believe that what starts in USAID, Treasury, and the FBI won’t continue to spread to other agencies that are in disfavor with Trump and Musk.

This Joyce Vance column lays it all out: Elon Musk’s coup feels like a coup in a lot of senses.

See Also:

The Present Age (Parker Molloy): The Media Is Missing the Story: Elon Musk Is Staging a Coup

Slate: Elon Musk’s Power Grab Is Lawless, Dangerous, and—Yes—a Coup

Tristan Snell: Trump already broke the law 23 times?!

[what-even-is-thiss]

so are you going to vote for biden?

Yes I am because I don’t want to vote for trump. And if you sent me this ask to send me a follow-up ask with something along the lines of “oh so you support genocide then?” No I do not but I do firmly believe that trump would make the situation over in Gaza and Ukraine and China and everywhere else we’ve got our fingers in even worse. He already did that while he was President. He made stable situations go unstable. He made our relationship with several countries go even more sour than they already are. And I’m also not putting up with trump potentially appointing more Supreme Court judges and ruining all of our lives for the next 50 years. I’m voting for the least bad option that has a chance of winning. And if you can’t see why I’m focusing on harm reduction I doubt you’re looking at the whole picture. Besides, Biden has done some good things. That doesn’t cancel out the bad things, but I’d also rather keep his good policies in place for as long as possible. And for the foreseeable future the only way to do that is to keep him in office even if I’d rather have somebody else.

Tbh I’m never gonna 100% like any candidate for President because the sort of people who would willingly take on that much power and make the kinds of tough decisions presidents have to make are not the sort of people I’d actually want to have that job but they’re also the only people that are going to be doing that job so I’ll have to pick the least bad one.

Also, President isn’t the only thing on the ballot in November. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll be living in November because I’m job searching right now but wherever I end up I’ll also be voting with that same mindset for everything else. Pick the least bad option. Because that’s how democracy works. I’m not abstaining from democracy just because my country is doing bad things. My country is always doing bad things. If liberals and progressives only vote when all available options are good then they’ll never vote and conservatives and fascists will run this country and that’s just how it is. I’d rather have a guy that’s not doing the best job on the international relations front than give the nuclear codes back to Don.

[getosbigballsack]

Testing the waters to see if you all would like to see something like this.

Trust fund baby Gojo x Older woman reader!

"I wanna make it up to you, Satoru. I'm sorry." He pouts at you cutely, but he still pulled you from your knees, spun you around and pressed your breast against the bathroom glass.

"Then spread your legs if you wanna make it up to me mommy."

How did you end up like this, getting railed by your client Gojo Satoru. Let's get into it.

...

Trust fund baby Gojo Satoru, who is completely smitten with a woman who is twice his age. Nobody knows about this rich boy’s secret. Hiding beneath the flashing lights, tabloids, and rumors about him, nobody knows about the nights he spends locked up inside his apartment wrapped up in your arms and snuggled between the plush, cushions you call breasts. He’s in heaven when he’s with you.

Sucks to say, though, you weren’t his to hold for no longer than what he paid for. You weren't his. You didn't belong to anyone as a matter of a fact. You're just a quote unquote "whore" who provides escort/prostitutional services to young men who are in need of a woman who is older than them.

A woman who they can proudly relay on and call mommy.

A woman who the trust fund baby Gojo Satoru can proudly call mommy.

No one needs to know about the hidden kink he hides beneath his smile. It's the one thing he keeps private. It's the one thing that truly brought him peace. He's so happy laying here right now with his head in your lap and your fingers threading through his hair. Both in nothing but those matching silk robes and a bowl of fruits at the side of his head. Candles lit in the dark room, the rosy scent filling up the room. It's perfect. He only wishes moments like this would last.

"Satoru baby?" You called out to him, breaking him away from his wild train of thoughts. He slowly opened his eyes to stare at you. The small crinkles appearing at the corner of your eyes as you smiled down at him awaiting for him to answer.

"Yes... mommy?"

You chuckled a bit, fingers gently massaging his scalp before leaning forward to press a kiss on his pointy nose. "Do you plan to keep me here like this all night?"

"Would you rather if we do something else. I'm quite comfortable like this you know," He answered as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Well this not on a schedule for tonight."

"And so! What's the rush. I'm sure we can lay like this for a few moments, can't we?" He asked you.

"I have another client to attend to Satoru," you informed him, still combing through his hair, all while watching as his brows dipped and his cheek bones hardened a bit.

"Another client?" He asked, he eyes slowly reopening to stare up at you. You gave him a light nod. "Oh!" He whispered before lifting his head from your lap and quickly stood up.

A deep, heavy sigh fell from your lips. However, you followed suit and stood up as well, just waiting for what's about to come next. You knew that he would probably say something a bit out of normal terms of agreement, you were prepared to answer or to just comment on anything he had to say about your session with any trust fund baby like himself.

But what he said next, shocked you.

"Cancel it!" Pink lips pouting ever so cutely as he stared down at you with glossy blue eyes just wait for you to answer.

"Wh... what?" You stuttered.

"I dont want you to go. Cancel it!"

"Satoru, you know I can't do that." You reminded him. Of course, he knew that you never cancel an appointment with a client for a selfish trust fund baby like himself. It's in the contract that he signed with you, along with a few other things that he promised not to do, things that he had already done, and you allowed him to.

"Why can't you? Is it because of the money?" He asked. A gasp fell from your lips as you looked up at the pouting boy before you.

"No, Satoru. It's just my policy. I provide you with the service that you're paying for, then move on to the next client. You know this, too."

And he did know, but did he care? No. "I don't care, I said fucking cancel it."

"No!"

"I can pay you for his session Y/N. Just fucking cancel it. I booked you for the whole night."

"No, Satoru, you booked me for a session," you reminded him.

"No, you said it's for the whole night," he argued.

"I never said such thing," you argued back. You were about to say something else when Gojo whipped his phone out from the pockets of his robes. He unlocked it, found whatever he was looking for, and started reading.

You: Hey, baby boy, mommy's not busy tonight. Would you like for us to have a session for the whole night.

Gojo: yes, you promise?

You: I promise. Tonight is gonna be just for us.

"You promised the whole night," he said as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, bent down to pick up grapes before standing up straight to glance at you. "I don't give a fuck about policy or whatever the fuck it is you just said. It doesn't change the fact that you promised. It's not fucking fair for you to do this to me. Haven't I been a good client enough to deserve this one night?"

You said nothing only stared at him. How could you forget about a promise like that?

"You not gonna answer me?" He said as he turned away from you and headed to the door. "Fucking fine then, you can leave. I don't need you any more. I don't wanna do this anymore. You got another client to go fuck off with."

"I'll transfer the money back to your account."

"Don't! You clearly need it more than I fucking do."

Then he left, leaving you standing there in the middle of the room, where he took so much time preparing for the both of you. Guilt washes over you as you began collecting the pieces of garment that Gojo hurriedly stripped from your body earlier during makeout sessions.

You felt bad for breaking your promise to him. You remember him asking weeks in advance, and today, you sealed the deal. You told him that he'll be able to have you for night. So why did you break your promise.

You sighed as you stripped from the silky robe, and as you were about to get dressed, you heard him turning on the shower and the sound of his adorable little whimpers in the bathroom.

What were you gonna do?

...

Cancel the appointment with the next client, of course. After all, you did promise Gojo that tonight it's just going to be you and him. Thats how you ended up on your knees before him, with his massive cock in your hand, gently pumping your fist up and down on his length. You wasted no time taking his entire length down your throat, gagging as you stared up at him with teary eyes. And despite him fight as the pleasure your mouth provided him with, Gojo was some how that you cancel the appointment with the other client.

But you sucking his cock won't change his mood. So after a few word exchange and Satoru has you standing on both legs that were spread wife enough for his cock to abuse your pussy. He did just so, wasted no time thrusting into you hard and fast. Holding you firmly against the glass. Watching as you giggling ass recoil with each thrust of his hips.

He was gonna keep you like this in shower until he's satisfied after all Trust Fund Baby Gojo, gets what he wants and right now he wants fill your pussy with his cum, even though he was 25 years old and you're nearly forty.

...

[dangeroustaintedflawed]

i am so fucking sorry for americans. i just read that trump is declaring a two-gender policy n my heart is fucking breaking for trans people in the country. he’s also cancelling appointments of migrants trying 2 legally enter the US.. fucked up doesn’t even begin 2 describe this shit. society is regressing while all we can do is sit n watch. this feels so fucking hopeless </3

[qqueenofhades]

I'm a little confused by the left's repeated assertion that they're "trying to hold Biden accountable" and push him left, things they've been talking about since before he was elected, and the ramifications of that at this point in time. I do think we need to be calling out things we disagree with and making our feelings known, but seeing people like Nina Turner complain about student loan forgiveness when it's been made abundantly clear Biden is doing all he can and he can't actually cancel anything as just the President (without being sued or having it reversed by Republicans - please correct me if I'm wrong and there's more he could do here?) doesn't feel like it's that? I just don't understand the logic behind people on the left adding to this narrative that he isn't trying hard enough on what we want, rather than the Republicans are preventing things from being done. We need to not sit back and get complacent, yes, sure, but I feel like the line where it goes from helpful and necessary to harmful and more beneficial to the right was crossed a while ago.

The thing is, you're confused by it because it's a bad-faith argument. Actually "holding someone accountable" means honestly assessing what they can do, what they have done, what they can be expected to do in the future, and if they haven't done it, what's stopping them (i.e. have they just not done it or are they being actively stopped from doing it by factors beyond their control)? It doesn't mean "constantly moving the goalposts to constantly criticize someone if they don't magically get everything done immediately, regardless of reality." The way Online Leftists use it, "holding Biden accountable" means "relentlessly criticize him every instant he doesn't magically transform into the Socialist Messiah overnight, the end." That's not actually a useful, honest, reliable, or constructive metric.

This is also the case because their version of good policy is "someone thinks the Correct Thoughts all the time and any failures to achieve it means they are not thinking the Correct Thoughts hard enough." I'm not sure how anyone could have missed what SCOTUS is doing right now, but Online Leftists remain determined to discount, minimize, or otherwise totally ignore its role, because that would mean a) there is in fact a difference between the parties, b) Hillary Clinton would not have made the same appointments Trump did, and c) they might therefore have some responsibility in not voting for her, none of which can be countenanced. As such, if Biden has failed to wave a magic wand and get all student debt erased for everyone overnight, He Is Just Not Trying Hard Enough. SCOTUS very notably outlawed his first forgiveness program? BIDEN'S FAULT!

Even though Biden extended the Covid-era payment pauses as long as he could (it was Congress that passed the law mandating an end to them, because THE PRESIDENT IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE MONARCH!), and even though he's now rejiggered the entire repayment program so that your monthly payments can get lowered to $0, these count as payments, and no interest accumulates as long as you "make" them, which in practice adds up to full forgiveness -- this still isn't good enough for the Online Leftists, because it happened after trial and error, is a partial solution, doesn't snap its fingers and erase everything, and relies on slow and careful policy work. And yet, it's going to be a lot harder for SCOTUS to overturn than just "the president forgives your debt," which was the first thing he tried to do and it didn't work! With a different SCOTUS, it might have! But we have this nightmare court BECAUSE OF TRUMP, and all the Pure Thoughts in the world won't get rid of it!

Biden is the most liberal president we have ever had, period, full stop. It's not sexy and it's not exciting and it's not something the Online Leftists will ever acknowledge, but it's the truth. And whenever he is actually and extensively pushed, he goes more left, not less. I suspect at least part of the recent negative press barrage he's gotten is because he's openly come out with a plan to raise the tax rate on billionaires to 25%, and the corporations and oligarchs that own the mainstream media Really Don't Like That. (They've always been unfair to Democrats, but look for it to be especially so.) That would be, BY FAR, the highest the top-rate tax bracket has been since Reagan. Biden is the first president ever to actually address the scam of "Reaganomics" and take credit for "Bidenomics," which actually does represent a major rearrangement of the way capital is envisioned and distributed in this country for the first time in the 40+ years since Reagan wrecked it. That's why the capitalist media is really, REALLY determined to muckrake him as much as possible, and to do Kamala even dirtier than they did to HRC in 2016.

Anyway also: Holding someone accountable also implies that you're working with them and will reward them (i.e. voting for them, engaging with them) if they do the things you expect, which is another thing the Online Leftists won't do. So yes. This. The end.

[manyeels]

Apparently when I was off my ass on tranquilizers to get dental work I wrote this prompt in my notes section

What the Cold Boys were up to 9/11

Little: Slept in til 2 and straight up missed it all

Irving: Goes into a wide-eyed trance the entire day

Collins: was off his ass on edibles and shrooms the night before, wakes up at 11 and is glued to the TV all day trying to figure out if it’s a war of the worlds style hoax. Goodsir drops by in the afternoon and gets him to eat something.

Goodsir: Goes to donate blood knowing that it won’t do anything, goes to check on his friends in person since it’s hard to get through on phones. People suddenly treat him like an expert on building collapses and he keeps explaining he is a mere anatomist.

Tozer: Cries a bunch. Spends the rest of the day in his bathrobe googling how he can get deployed to the Middle East ASAP

Armitage: Shows up at Tozer’s place to use comforting him as an excuse to hug and cuddle him a bunch. Dissuades him from trying to go into combat (Armitage can’t join up bc of his bad ear) and eventually unplugs his computer router.

Crozier: Is able to get Fitzjames on the phone for an inappropriate whisky-fueled rant that is somehow both anti-US foreign policy and vaguely Islamophobic.

Hodgeson: instantly knew Bin Laden did it because he just finished a book on the Mujahadeen.

Stanley: Shows up to work like usual and is annoyed that his coworkers are glued to the TV and patients keep cancelling appointments. Reorganizes his office all day since people aren’t showing up and then takes a 4 hour bike ride after work.

Fitzjames: Yells at Crozier on the phone a bit but shows up at his place with a bottle of port that costs more than his mortgage to commiserate. They end up taking a long horny-sad shower together.

Pilkington: would go to a rave about it

Sir John: Learns about the attacks from Lady Franklin but soon after asks her to turn off the TV. Spends all day writing a sermon for Divine Service. Definitely knew someone in the Pentagon but is Not Thinking About That right now. Will support the invasion of Iraq before anyone even proposes it.

Hickey: Rushes to short airline stocks. Insinuates that the Egyptian failson neighbor he buys adderoll from knows something about the attacks and gets in a screaming fight that ends with Billy dragging his ass away.

Gibson: Keeps brewing endless pots of tea which has a lot of lifting to do now that Cornelius has lost their addy plug. Manically cleans the entire house and bickers with Cornelius while folding towels.

Jopson: After making sure the Captain is well and not alone, he opens up the prepper vault in his basement and whistles as he unloads his shortwave radio and MREs and tapes plastic over his windows in case of a biological weapons attack. He then curls up with a nice book.

Des Voeux:

[27moremoons]

Female prisoners are facing catastrophic conditions in "Damon" Prison, where 94 female prisoners are held, following the appointment of a new zionist prison director.

Female prisoners conveyed this information to the Prisoners' Commission lawyer:

Their abayas, hijabs, and niqabs were replaced with a "gray tracksuit" without a hijab, and they are subjected to random strip searches daily at dawn. They are detained for hours in the "yard." In the yard, or when going to the clinic or lawyer visits, the prisoners are forced to borrow shoes from each other.

Their simple belongings, such as empty plastic containers used as cups, are confiscated, as well as threads and needles used to repair torn clothes. The very last needle they owned was confiscated.

The female prisoners are also experiencing a shortage of cleaning supplies and blankets as winter approaches. Each only has one set of "summer clothes."

Two weeks ago, the Damon prison administration deliberately installed light switches outside the prisoners’ cells and canceled the internal switches, allowing the guards to control the lighting times at their discretion. Further, the Commission reported that the starvation policy adopted by the prison has led to hormonal changes and side effects among the prisoners.