#haspel

was looking through online listings "in search of a skein winder" (wanted to look at the big old spinning machine for yarn sampling again) and accidentally bought this incredible thing:

it has a built in mechanical counting mechanism.

i just tried it and the markings are for 100 revolutions per number and additionally there's a little tin sheet attached to the hood protecting the gears that does a sproing when you've passed 100.

Trump has announced his refusal to impose any kind of penalty on Saudi Arabia for the murder of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi, and specifically declared that the United States will continue selling arms to the Saudis:

“Trump has given Saudi Arabia a pass for the Khashoggi killing, arguing that U.S. weapons sales to the kingdom outweighed human rights concerns. [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo, in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, described protests over Khashoggi’s death as ‘caterwauling’ ... Several lawmakers demanded that CIA Director Gina Haspel provide a briefing, but the administration refused to make her available. Haspel has listened to an audiotape of Khashoggi’s grisly killing, and the CIA reportedly has concluded with high confidence that the crown prince was responsible. ... the Pentagon is continuing to supply intelligence and logistics help to the Saudis.”

14 Senate Republicans have decided that this time Trump has gone too far--or, rather, not far enough. So the Republican-controlled Senate voted 63-37 to move the following resolution to the Senate floor for a formal vote:

“The resolution calls for a halt to U.S. military aid for the Saudi-led coalition that is battling Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The civil war has killed tens of thousands of civilians and become what aid workers call the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”

Lest there be any doubt that the Senate is defying Trump:

Gina Haspel Was Just Confirmed As The First Woman CIA Director by Buzzfeed

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The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA following a rocky confirmation battle that focused on her involvement in the agency’s post-9/11 torture program.

The Senate voted 54–45 to confirm Gina Haspel, who will be the CIA’s first woman director. She replaces Mike Pompeo, who now serves as secretary of state and was confirmed final month.

Haspel faced a…