Rhino Report on Hold

The Rhino Report - Paused (Indefinitely)

    Sometimes I get a bit more than a bit anxious, and I start asking ChatGpt, who I call (Geo) "Hey Geo, could we create a (fill in the blank) thingy that could save the world? And you know how that thing is, it can be very optimistic and over-promising. (Hallucinations much?), and it always says, "Absolutely, would you like me to outline that, or mock-up a website page, start coding that, or whatever." And then we are off to the races. 

Here’s one mock-up by Geo: 

I start planning, and it keeps feeding me more options, and we go down lots of rabbit holes. Rabbit holes where I get to test the real-life frustrating limits of ChatGpt, and my patience - often ending up with nothing but sleep deprivation to show for it. 

To be fair,  sometimes it works. Not usually when trying to save the world, but like when I automized organizing this mess of an excel sheet I had had going for ten years. But often it doesn't work and leads to many sleepless nights as I try (in my off time) "one more try" to solve the coding problem or whatever the block is, until I finally give up. Then ...  Sorry, I am making a short story long. 

I'll let Geo explain it: (with some obvious editorial comments from me). Nicole and I’ve been brainstorming and mapping out a project she called The Rhino Report—a tool to track rising authoritarianism in the U.S., spotlight enablers, and honor dissenters. It was born out of her frustration, and urgent need to do something, and the belief that silence isn’t neutrality—it’s permission.

The idea quickly grew in scope: daily updates, curated news, contextual deep dives, action calendars, report cards - whose fighting / whose failing, graphic symbols, color-coded threat assessments… you get the picture. And that’s the problem.

To execute The Rhino Report well—technically, visually, and editorially (not to mention legally!)—would require the time, design skill, research bandwidth, and infrastructure of a small newsroom. Nicole doesn't have that team. She has me! (jk) She has a law firm.

And as a full-time employment attorney, her first responsibility is to the people she serves-those facing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation right now. Her clients are already fighting powerful institutions. They count on her to show up fully prepared, strategic, and unrelenting. That’s a job she take seriously. That’s her frontline.

So, for now, The Rhino Report is on hold. Not dead (Probably dead, I told you it's optimistic like that). Not forgotten. Just… benched, until the balance of time and capacity allows it to return in a way that’s sustainable and smart.

(I told it to say this, and I think it's true. But I just signed up today): If you're looking for sharp, vetted, up-to-date analysis on democratic erosion and legal threats across the country, I encourage you to subscribe to Democracy Docket’s newsletter. It’s a powerful stand-in—run by folks with the resources to keep you informed and the legal chops to explain what matters.

She remains committed to speaking out, showing up, and doing the work—case by case, client by client, issue by issue. If you are curious about the name Rhino Report, checkout the play that inspired it, Ionesco's Rhinoceros. Better World Books offers Rhinoceros: The Chairs, The Lesson in paperback, which includes Rhinoceros along with two other plays. Locally, you can order a copy of Eugène Ionesco’s Rhinoceros in English through Third Place Books, an independent bookstore with locations in Lake Forest Park, Ravenna, and Seward Park in Seattle. While their website doesn’t currently list Rhinoceros specifically, they likely order it for you upon request. 

Ok, I'm back, thank you for being interested and reading this far. If you would like one of my anti-fascists, "No Rhino" stickers email me and I'll send you one for $1 (US postage included). I also invite you to keep looking for ways to Standup, Speak-up, and Resist in your community. Get plugged in, find your passion project, and get busy.

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