Litsy

The Presidential Elections of Trump and Bolsonaro, Whiteness, and the Nation | V�nia Penha-Lopes

There are many candidates for a #ranttime but I‘m going to bring up the potential tariffs on Brazilian goods. Because they‘ve put his tropical counterpart on trial. Because he attempted a coup after he lost an election. 🤔

As a #longtimefed and in my personal travels, the only place I‘ve had any trouble at Customs was Brazil in 2002. We were delayed and our luggage thoroughly searched. This was retaliation for US restrictions after 9/11.

Susanita Brazil doesn‘t play around: https://apnews.com/article/brazil-trump-tariffs-bolsonaro-lula-us-d45722a041324a... 16h

Aims42 Fascinating!! I love your POV as a longtime Fed, thank you for sharing!! 16h

Amiable Echoing @Aims42 —appreciate your insights! 15h

36 likes3 comments

Susanita

University of Virginia Bookstore | Charlottesville, VA (Bookstore)

For today‘s #ranttime here are a couple stories that may have gone under the radar:
1. University of Virginia President resigns under pressure from the federal government because of “DEI” compliance. Note that UVa is a PUBLIC university.
2. Applicants for federal jobs will be asked to submit answers to essay questions. As a #longtimefed I can tell you this is stupid in addition to being troubling.
Links in comments.

Susanita University of Virginia President‘s statement: https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-president-jim-ryans-statement-community 2w

Susanita Federal application process (note that Stephen Lynch represents Massachusetts and not Maryland as the article indicates.) https://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/upcoming-questions-on-federal-job-applications-d... 2w

Aims42 Ugh. This week sucks 😒👎 2w

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Amiable @Aims42 Every day is somehow stupider and worse than the previous stupid and terrible days. 😖 2w

Aims42 @Amiable sooooo true!! 😩😩😩 1w

ncsufoxes The UVA thing is ludicrous. Last year when my husband applied to his job through the government but he‘s a contractor, one of the questions was “have you ever been convicted for trying to overthrow the government.” I‘m guessing that question is no longer on there 1w

Susanita @ncsufoxes Hah! Right? 1w

AnnCrystal Bravo James Ryan for standing up for DEI, even while it meant having to resign.

#2 Really?! That's insulting

Thank You for sharing these stories ✊🏼🦅✌🏼🙏🏼💝. (edited) 1w

kspenmoll 😱 1w

35 likes9 comments

Susanita

Untitled | Untitled

I‘ve been blocked! I guess I should be flattered? I wrote a #haikuaday about it.

Friendly reminder:
You can mute tags you don‘t like
No need to block me

In this case, the tags to mute are #ranttime & #longtimefed and I‘ll try to keep the blatant political “stuff” contained to those. I have to say, though, that blocking is the “nuclear” option, when unfollowing serves the same purpose.

I explained my rationale before. I‘ll still speak my mind.

Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, Mimi28, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Reggie, vivastory, Itchyfeetreader, jdiehr, CBee, dabbe, kelli7990, Jari-chan, lil1inblue, julieclair, AnnCrystal, bellabella, BooksandCoffee4Me

lil1inblue Well, I, for one, appreciate your posts! Especially the perspective from a long time fed! Keep doing you! 🥰💓 2w

CBee I appreciate every post you make. Even more so, I appreciate YOU as a human and someone who has the right to say and post whatever the hell they want. Keep it up ♥️ 2w

Tamra I also appreciate you sharing your thoughts. Times are tough - let‘s not be alone in them. 2w

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julieclair My goodness! The #BlockedClub is getting bigger! And lots of my favorite Littens are members. 💙 2w

Jari-chan I'm really glad for your posts, because I do learn a lot. Thank you for that. 2w

Eggbeater Silly question. How do you know if you've been blocked? 2w

ImperfectCJ Wow! It's never even occurred to me to block anyone on Litsy, not when unfollowing and muting hashtags is so easy. I think of blocking as an option to employ in a case of active harassment, not just posting things I don't like, but it sounds like others use it more broadly. (For the record, I do like your posts, and if I didn't, I wouldn't block you.) 2w

ImperfectCJ @Eggbeater I have the same question! 2w

CBee @ImperfectCJ it‘s an extreme reaction. This person (or people) doing the blocking wants Litsy to be all shiny happy people and that just isn‘t realistic. I for one don‘t want to see these perfectly coiffed posts all of the time. I want real shit, real feelings, and if you want to block someone for being human and having emotions, you must live in a very small world indeed 😢 2w

Read4life @CBee 👍🏻 @Eggbeater I, too, am curious how one knows when they‘ve been blocked. @Susanita I appreciate your perspective and learn things or are made aware of issues through the various #ranttime posts. Thanks for posting! 2w

Karisa Knowing that others see the surreal in this moment in history helps keep me sane. Plus so much of it does affect reading + life in general (book bans, freedom, healthcare)—how can we not be affected? @Eggbeater I‘m wondering that now too. 2w

CBee @Read4life ♥️ 2w

kspenmoll Thanks for being you! 🩵 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures The SCOTUS decision yesterday throws hundred if not thousands of children into chaos that will lead to them being unable to go to school to learn to read. Everything about us is political. It is frustrating to see people being so callous and ignorant about our current situation. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @CBee I agree so extreme! I have unfollowed people before due to myself being annoyed at what they post, but why block? I agree with @ImperfectCJ I would only use it if harassed, but maybe this person (people) are so ideology fragile they see facts that don't align with their world view as harassment 2w

BarbaraJean Ugh. For what it‘s worth, I really appreciate your posts and your perspective! I‘m really curious about the ins and outs of unfollowing, muting, and blocking on Litsy. I‘ve never blocked anyone (seems extreme to me!!) but I‘ve had people‘s posts still show up in my feed after I‘ve unfollowed them 🤷🏻‍♀️ And muting only works when people spell hashtags correctly 😆 2w

Susanita @Eggbeater @Karisa @Read4life @cbee @ImperfectCJ Long story short, if you go to their profile, you won‘t see anything and you can‘t follow them. How did I know to check? Let‘s just say I had spidey sense. 😎 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Susanita I know there is someone who made a big to-do about politics and a post about leaving the site (I cannot remember the screen name). The person didn't just leave the whole site did they? It just feels so weird that people are going around blocking all of the sudden. Like we all were not very vocal during the election and inauguration. I personally feel like they don't need to announce their exit. 😂 2w

JenlovesJT47 I really don‘t understand people. Excellent haiku. 🫂💙🩵💙 2w

Susanita Thanks everyone for your support! I‘m off to drink some wine now but will BBL with more thoughts. 2w

AnnCrystal 🫂🙏🏼 they feel the need to “make a point.“ Consider it a badge of honor and remember, you are on the right side of history. Continue being you, we like you just the way you are 😘🦅💝🐝💝🐝💝.

Just realized I've neglected to include my unrelated2books hashtag on my own posts 🤦🏽🤗. (edited) 2w

Deblovestoread I was surprised to be blocked rather than unfollowed as well. And everyone has the option to scroll on by if the content doesn‘t suit but let‘s face it those that drank the kook aid can‘t face any dissent of their choice to be in the cult. Please continue to post your perspective, it matters! 2w

dabbe We both earned some #blockedbadges this week! 🙌🏻 I gave them #ranttime; you gave them #longtimefed, and that still wasn't enough. 🤷‍♀️ I have learned so much from you and truly appreciate your insider perspective. Keep keepin' it real, m'dear. 💙✊🏻💙 Spot-on haiku. 🖤🐝🖤 2w

squirrelbrain I‘d see it as a badge of honour. And keep on doing what you‘re doing. (edited) 2w

CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures exactly. Just unfollow. There is no need for this blocking nonsense. But sadly, yes - it‘s them trying to make a point - however misguided and misinformed it might be 😢 2w

Tamra @julieclair I‘m sure I‘m in it and well, I just don‘t have any f*cks left to give. 😜 (edited) 2w

CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures trust me, it‘s only a small handful (if that) of people. Since they are in the minority here, I guess blocking gets them more attention 😂 2w

CBee @dabbe I‘m over here trying to figure out how to get myself blocked now 😂😂😂 2w

Tamra @Deblovestoread 😂 “kook aid” 2w

Deblovestoread @Tamra When unintended spelling error fits the bill to T 🤣 2w

dabbe @Tamra 🩵🎯🩵 2w

dabbe @CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures So does announcing to the entire Litsy community that you're leaving because of the political posts. I think I know who you're referring to, @ChaoticMissAdventures, and their handle is still on here. 🤷‍♀️ 2w

dabbe @CBee 😂😂😂 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @dabbe I think you can leave and not delete your profile. Just chose not to log in any longer? Maybe that is what they mean. In my olden days as a moderator for a FB travel club we just to just put “This is not the airport, you don't need to announce your departure“ and then turn off the comments which I sort of miss the ability to do now 😂 😂 2w

jdiehr 😄 2w

jdiehr Just to be clear - I laugh because you wrote an awesome haiku about it 😗 2w

dabbe @ChaoticMissAdventures I guess I thought if you make an announcement like that that you are exiting the building for good and taking your id with you. But what the heck do I know? 😂 I love your airport story! 🎯🩵🎯! 2w

CBee @Deblovestoread I totally thought you did that on purpose because I mean, spot on 😂😂👏🏻👏🏻 2w

Tamra @Deblovestoread perfection! 2w

Susanita I‘m out in the boonies and can‘t really tag anyone, but I appreciate ALL of your comments. I‘ve been here nearly nine years, and I could tell pretty quickly that it‘s not “just” books. It‘s a community, and we need community now more than ever. Even if we disagree. What‘s interesting to me is that person was one of the first to befriend and welcome me, and as far as I can remember we‘ve had nothing but pleasant interactions one on one. ⬇️ 2w

Susanita I think it‘s some kind of perverse “solidarity” with their close friend. Yes, a point was made. 😏 2w

Read4life @ChaoticMissAdventures “This is not the airport…” 😂😂😂 2w

BarbaraBB Wow I am shocked. I didn‘t know about blocking instead of unfollowing - and I admit to having unfollowed some people. However I do enjoy your posts and rants and to me they are a way to keep catching up with American politics and news that doesn‘t automatically make it to where I live. 2w

Amiable I‘m apparently also a member of the #BlockedClub now. 🙄😄 I had to go check because I wasn‘t following either person anymore—I was a grown up and just unfollowed them ages ago without pitching a public hissy fit about it. 🙄 And @Deblovestoread , I don‘t care if it was a typo or not —“drinking the kook aid” is the best thing I‘ve ever seen and it is now officially a thing. 🙌🏼 2w

BarbaraJean Well, THIS is interesting. I checked profiles for the people I thought this might be about. Based on your description of profiles from the blocked person's perspective, one of them seems to have blocked me. I've had little to no interaction with her and unfollowed her years ago—no drama, I was just tired of too many game-type posts. Meanwhile, I'm over here with maybe one post in the last month that even mentions anything political-adjacent. 🙄 2w

Susanita @BarbaraJean I learned about muting tags because of the holiday games. 😉 2w

BarbaraJean @Susanita Hahaha—me toooo! 2w

Librarybelle I was posting the #LiteraryCrew questions this morning through the Litsy website and discovered I too was blocked by at least one person! I‘ve got to say, it‘s really upsetting. @Susanita @Deblovestoread @dabbe @Amiable @BarbaraJean ⬇️ 2w

Librarybelle ⬆️ I came back to this post for commiseration 😂 2w

Amiable @Librarybelle We consider it a badge of honor for speaking the truth! Some people can‘t handle the truth because it contradicts what they prefer to believe instead. ✊🏼💪🏼 2w

dabbe @Susanita This is EXACTLY what happened to me, too! #badgeofhonor 💙✊🏻💙 2w

dabbe @Amiable @Deblovestoread Welcome to the #blockedclub! And best hashtag eve: #kookaid 2w

dabbe @BarbaraJean Welcome to the #blockedclub! 😎 2w

dabbe @BarbaraJean @Susanita Same here! All those game posts! 😱 2w

dabbe @Librarybelle It is. But now I find it liberating, and I hope you will, too. And you're now part of the #blockedclub with us! We rock. 😎 2w

dabbe @Librarybelle 💙✊🏻💙 2w

dabbe @Amiable 🎯🩵🎯 Well said, sista! 2w

Librarybelle @Amiable @dabbe I‘ll get there eventually…this year has been so tough, and honestly it‘s a bit of a mental shakeup. But, I‘m in excellent company in the #blockedclub , and if people are offended that I‘m all for the truth in history and not the Disney version, then so be it. History is not meant to be pretty. And libraries matter. And I‘ll keep posting about my cats (if that was the cause of the block)! 😂 2w

BarbaraJean @dabbe Haha—thanks for the welcome!! And seriously, all those game posts 😫 I usually just mute the tag, but when people misspell tags or don‘t use them, so the posts STILL land in my feed—and the games are almost all that person posts? That‘s an unfollow for me. But not a block. 😂😂 2w

BarbaraJean @Librarybelle It feels like an extra level of offense to me that a person would block someone who‘s leading a buddy read they‘re part of! So petty. Long live truth in history (and cat posts)! 2w

Librarybelle @BarbaraJean The person was not in a buddy read, but because I was logged in through the website, I saw their name as a suggested follow, which I thought was odd. Clicking on it showed me that I was blocked, so apparently their name will appear as a suggested account to follow though it‘s really blocked. I would not have known otherwise! 2w

Amiable @BarbaraJean @Librarybelle I‘m totally here for ALL the cat posts —bring ‘em on! 🐱🐈🐈‍⬛😻 2w

BarbaraJean @Librarybelle Oh, that‘s fascinating!! And kind of blindsiding, too. ☹️ FB works similarly (or at least it used to)—I‘ve had people “unfriend” me and then show up in “People You May Know.” 🙄 2w

dabbe @BarbaraJean 🩵🎯🩵! 2w

46 likes64 comments

Susanita

The Pentagon: A History | Steve Vogel

As a #longtimefed I know that the Defense Department was created/consolidated in 1949. The name change had nothing to do with political correctness. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/25/trump-war-department-def...

lil1inblue I'm reading An Indigenous People's History of the United States and learned that the Department of Indian Affairs began as part of the War Department. I can't help thinking about that as I read about this name change. 2w

KadaGul @Susanita, I feel bad for Mango 🥭 Syndicate, Trump, who is doing so much work with his useless brain 🧠, which is at full 2 % capacity. SMH 🫨 2w

Susanita @lil1inblue I‘m not sure if I knew that, but it definitely tracks. 2w

AnnCrystal 🧐🤔😐 that seems weird...I mean, with everything that's going on... 2w

40 likes4 comments

Susanita

Government for the Public Good | Max Rashbrooke

Nothing says Public Service Recognition Week like arresting a mayor for trying to inspect a facility in his own city.

There‘s been so much happening, I never shared this thought from a measly three months ago. I agree that the government is already too small for the size of the population and the complexity of issues faced. Just my two cents as a #longtimefed but you can read the article via the link in the comments.

Susanita https://cepr.net/publications/federal-government-is-too-small/ 2mo

TheBookHippie Agree. 2mo

Bookwormjillk Yup. Very worried about cybersecurity also. 2mo

TieDyeDude And they'll say that states should be stepping up, but there is so much corruption and mismanagement of funds at the state level, I can't imagine what it would look like with no federal oversight. This stuff takes years to coordinate, you can't just flip a switch and say “Figure it out.“ 😡 2mo

37 likes4 comments

Susanita

Official Congressional Directory | United States. Congress, W. H. Michael

There‘s a little bit to unpack from last night‘s town hall with my congresswoman. As a first-term representative from a blue state and district, she acknowledged that she has limited tools at her disposal at the moment, but she‘s definitely using them.

She mentioned the importance of phone calls no matter what color your district is, and that including a personal story provides more impact. So let‘s keep it up! #longtimefed #psrw

Librarybelle My rep refuses to have a town hall meeting. The phones also go unanswered to his office, so it‘s so sad. I‘m glad there are reps out there willing to stand up and hear the voices of all of their constituents. 2mo

Nebklvr @Librarybelle Of my reps, only one has someone to answer phones consistently and one sends replies to reiterate the party line. However, I use 5 calls and try to call multiple times a week. If they are going to make me miserable then i will return the favor. (edited) 2mo

Susanita @Librarybelle @Nebklvr Another feature of 5Calls is that you can keep tagging your rep as unavailable so it contributes to their aggregate stats. As well as being a pest. 😎 2mo

Librarybelle Good to know! 2mo

AlaMich What a bunch of cowards they all are!! 2mo

42 likes5 comments

Susanita

Library of Congress | Washington, DC (Library)

I realized late last night that I hadn‘t made a post for #psrw and #longtimefed but I was tired and needed to go to bed. Today I‘ll post twice! As I wait for the start of a town hall with my congresswoman at the library, I‘m absorbing the news that Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, has been fired. Not a surprise I guess, but nonetheless I‘m done with the National Book Festival for the foreseeable future. I‘ll BBL with another post.

TheBookHippie Such sadness. I feel just awful for her. 2mo

Librarybelle I was so numb when I read the news. Such a travesty. 2mo

charl08 😱 2mo

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Chrissyreadit I suspect there will not be a national book festival this year tbh. 2mo

Chrissyreadit When can we take our country back… 2mo

ncsufoxes My mom & I were going to plan on going this year since I now that live close to DC. I suspect that there won‘t be one since these bottom feeders don‘t like books. If there happens to be one I‘d support if the resistance was in charge of it not them peddling Vance & Hegseth‘s books. These people are 🤬 2mo

kspenmoll 😱 so sad. @Chrissyreadit That is the question… 2mo

Susanita @ncsufoxes @Chrissyreadit I have wondered about that too, but for what it‘s worth I‘m already getting emails about it since it‘s the 25th anniversary. No authors announced yet, and some may now decline to participate (a la Kennedy Center). 2mo

StaceGhost @Chrissyreadit this is completely surreal it was such a beautiful event last year 2mo

Chrissyreadit @Susanita or it will be a republicans/right wing fest of major propaganda proportions 2mo

Chrissyreadit @StaceGhost @Susanita @kspenmoll @TheBookHippie @ncsufoxes @Librarybelle @charl08 We need an ALTLibrary (like the altnationalparks) And to have the National Book Fest focus on banned books and authors- !!!! 2mo

Susanita @Chrissyreadit I like the idea of Alt LOC. Alt NPS, Alt Dept of Education, and Rights and Reason (FKA Alt Smithsonian) have good info too. 2mo

Chrissyreadit Ah!!! i did not know they all had alt sites! hoping on IG - any substacks? although sometimes i‘m overwhelmed like the roof is caving and foundation crumbling simultaneously 2mo

Chrissyreadit @Susanita @ncsufoxes @Bookwormjillk maybe we should consider a bookstore crawl meet up? 2 then lunch then 2 more? I had fun going to a couple different ones with @wanderinglynn (edited) 2mo

Bookwormjillk @Chrissyreadit fun! 2mo

ncsufoxes @Chrissyreadit I‘d be up for a meet up/bool store crawl. I‘m in Frederick, MD & don‘t mind driving towards DC or where there are more bookstores. 2mo

Susanita @ncsufoxes @Chrissyreadit I would be up for that! Frederick is in the middle between us and has the Curious Iguana. 2mo

Susanita @Chrissyreadit I don‘t know about instagram but some are on Facebook and Bluesky. Maybe Substack too… 2mo

TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit YES!!!! ALT everything!!! Ughhhhh 2mo

Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie come spend a weekend here for a book crawl! I will make my daughter give up her room for you! 2mo

TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit if my next testing is a -okay I‘m cleared for travel by car & train! 2mo

Susanita @TheBookHippie I hope you can come! 2mo

ncsufoxes @Chrissyreadit @Susanita I‘d be up for meeting anywhere: MD, VA, DC. Doesn‘t have to be Frederick. I love The Curious Iguana but it‘s the only bookstore here besides B&N 2mo

46 likes23 comments

Susanita

Soul of the First Amendment | Floyd Abrams

Apparently it‘s “terrorism” to expect due process for all? Fun fact! As a #longtimefed I had a passing acquaintance with Seb G when he worked for an organization downstairs from my office. He struck me as a bit grumpy and kinda “out there.” He has some books in the Litsy database, but I‘m not going to highlight them in any way.

Bette Huh. Soooo, if you go to a protest and have a sign that says: Free Garcia…you could be arrested? Just wondering as protests are coming up, like the “No Kings” one in June. 🙋‍♀️⁉️ 2mo

Leftcoastzen Disgusting! They keep doubling down on absurdity and lies! 2mo

TheBookHippie Ughhhh 2mo

Suet624 Disgusting 2mo

ncsufoxes I just can‘t with these people anymore. I‘m trying to be all about peace & happiness but also saying 🤬off 🤬under my breath daily. I‘m over here cursing again with RFK & trying the Autism registry thing again but using Medicaid & Medicare data. 🤬🤬🤬 2mo

38 likes5 comments

Susanita

Take Charge of Your Federal Career: A Practical, Action-oriented Career Management Workbook for Federal Employees | Dennis V. Damp

I worry about this too. When we finally get this 💩show behind us, there will be a lot of work to do. Who would want to work for such a capricious employer?
#longtimefed #psrw

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/lawmakers-fear-doge-cuts-will-drive-aw...

AmyG Trump just wants loyalists in everything. He doesn‘t care if they are qualified or not. 2mo

Susanita @amyg At least he‘s drained the swamp 🙄 2mo

Bookwormjillk I agree. Who would ever consider that a viable career path now? 2mo

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ncsufoxes I keep saying all these people don‘t want the federal government but once all of their services are gone or harder to get they‘re going to realize how important government is. Also people don‘t realize how much the government does for them till it‘s not there. And/or their state taxes get more expensive (FDA, EPA). It is sad too to know how much expertise is being lost. 2mo

ncsufoxes My son is a junior in college & he was really interested in studying invasive species in grad school. He said he‘s not going to go that direction because the main place to get jobs in that area is the USDA & right now he feels the government won‘t be a reliable place to get a job in the future. 2mo

marleed As a retired federal employee (army) I feel so defensive of today‘s civil servants. I saw a statistic somewhere of who‘s lost federal jobs and a large percent are women or people of color. I don‘t think Doge cares who is hired next so long as they are MAGA. So much for the HATCh Act. 2mo

Susanita @ncsufoxes I feel so bad for young people right now, such as your son and my niece, who are looking for jobs and the rug has been pulled out from under them. And you‘re right, I think a lot of people don‘t really understand the interplay of state and federal functions and especially budgets. 2mo

Susanita @marleed Yeah, the Hatch Act is one more restraint he‘s just obliterating this time around. 🤬 2mo

37 likes8 comments

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