Saturday, November 23, 2019
Pedo Guys
Hard not to conclude that every Republican member of Congress has kiddie porn on their computers and someone has evidence.
Morning Thread
Let's write a spy novel, where a sitting congresscritter is on the offensive over some illegal activity, only to discover at the end, that said congresscritter is actually the guilty party.
Nah, no one would believe it.
Nah, no one would believe it.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Don't Have A Cow, Man
People are weird.
A lawyer for an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani tells CNN that his client is willing to tell Congress about meetings the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee had in Vienna last year with a former Ukrainian prosecutor to discuss digging up dirt on Joe Biden.
The attorney, Joseph A. Bondy, represents Lev Parnas, the recently indicted Soviet-born American who worked with Giuliani to push claims of Democratic corruption in Ukraine. Bondy said that Parnas was told directly by the former Ukrainian official that he met last year in Vienna with Rep. Devin Nunes.
In The Old Times
I know I am repeating myself, but that our system has a lot of corruption is not new. We miraculously define corruption of other governments in ways that excuse us! Funny how that works. But "put a bag of cash on my desk" corruption is actually new and bad and if we let Trump get away with it...
We Are The Priests Of The Temples Of Syrinx
There are more important things in the world since Elon has (I think) mostly failed at his recent grift attempts but wow is he dumb and we all need hobbies.
The @Tesla #Cybertruck 'Armor Glass' demo didn't go exactly as plannedpic.twitter.com/gl88Yhs35b
— Engadget (@engadget) November 22, 2019
LOL
Nobody *expects* the Cybertruck pic.twitter.com/khhYNFaVKs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 22, 2019
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Ancient History
I am mad that "but the Iraq war!" invites "ok Boomer" now.
It was a long time ago. But they are all still here because... Boomers.
It was a long time ago. But they are all still here because... Boomers.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, As Written
I've done a lot
God knows I've tried
To find the truth
I've even lied
God knows I've tried
To find the truth
I've even lied
I have been watching people making phone calls my entire life. My hearing is, and has been, great. Never have I been watching a person making a call, which was not on speakerphone, and been able to hear or understand a conversation. I’ve even tried, but to no avail. Try it live!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2019
The Not Lost Stoppard Play
As written:
Bernard: Ezra wasn't a botanist! He was a poet!
Hannah: He was not much of either, but he was both.
Bernard: Ezra wasn't a botanist! He was a poet!
Hannah: He was not much of either, but he was both.
The Lost Beckett Play
Didi: can we have nice things?
Gogo: no because a billionaire might rub against those nice things
Didi: can we tax them
Gogo: oh no
Didi: well? shall we go?
Gogo: yes, let's go
[they do not move]
Gogo: no because a billionaire might rub against those nice things
Didi: can we tax them
Gogo: oh no
Didi: well? shall we go?
Gogo: yes, let's go
[they do not move]
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
From The Right From The Right From The Right
I don't like these debates because they mostly involve centrist pundits trying to box Democrats in from the right. One doesn't have to think they have a sinister agenda to think this. It is just how DC media people think. Nice things? Without a 38 page eligibility form? This is the kind of madness which will turn us into France, where I vacation often!
Debate
None of the candidates are perfect because the only perfect candidate is the one who AGREES WITH ME ABOUT EVERYTHING which would be me and also I would be a horrible candidate. It's complicated. I get even if I don't like Biden. I don't get Mayor Pete.
THE CALL WAS PERFECT
I get a lot of what goes on in mushbrain's mushbrain. A lot of it isn't supposed to make sense, just a kind of vapid slogan for the MAGAs. Could be "FRITOLAY!" But sometimes it seems like he's trying to make sense, and bragging about the phone call being PERFECT repeatedly never made any sense to me.
What Was It All About
There isn't going to be much soul-searching from New York Times journalists about how they, specifically, were the marks for this Ukraine stuff.
Donald Trump is the stupidest man in America, but he is smart enough to know that the New York Times would run with "battling accusations of corruption" every time they mentioned Candidate Biden.
And I mean the New York Times. They were the target. Whether they are active players or dumb saps is another question.
Donald Trump is the stupidest man in America, but he is smart enough to know that the New York Times would run with "battling accusations of corruption" every time they mentioned Candidate Biden.
And I mean the New York Times. They were the target. Whether they are active players or dumb saps is another question.
The Job Is Basically To Go On Fox, Right?
This is too much for a dumb blogger, but I recommend someone smarter than me write a good piece about how being the incentives for being a hardworking member of Congress - especially but not just in the House - are lacking in that there isn't really all that much good (or EVIL) work for any individual member to devote themself to. I have a sense of why this has changed. There are many reasons. But the incentives - ON BOTH SIDES - for either doing nothing or going big with theatrics trump trying to accomplish, well, anything.
Treason
I don't know if this is true (either my memory or that if I did actually hear/read it the person saying it knew it was true), but I have this memory of someone communicating that during the Plame Affair, people started throwing the word "treason" around and Ari Fleischer was scared shitless that he was going to be executed and ran as fast as he could to Fitzgerald's office.
Maybe I had a dream, maybe it was a joke, but it always gives me a chuckle.
Maybe I had a dream, maybe it was a joke, but it always gives me a chuckle.
Progressive Taxation
Any politicians who say we can't have "free" health care or education or whatever because what if the children of BILLIONAIRES get it for free is just lying to you. In theory billionaires pay a lot of taxes - or should - and they can drive on the highways without paying an extra toll, too.
As for education specifically... there is a huge problem with the whole concept that we tie higher ed aid to parental income. Also, too.
As for education specifically... there is a huge problem with the whole concept that we tie higher ed aid to parental income. Also, too.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
The Real Problem, You See, Is Penn
Fair.
(quote from)
a wild mayor pete quote pic.twitter.com/MTaGeN7fbQ
— Max Foley-Keene (@MaxFoleyKeene) November 20, 2019
(quote from)
Shared Responsibility
A truly unifying vision of America.
...and we can vote against them! Good point.
In a campaign in which rivals Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders launched to the front of the primary pack — and stayed there — by railing against big corporations and promising massive structural change, it remains to be seen whether Patrick’s approach will catch fire with Democrats. On Monday night, he stood by his pro-business stance when asked if he believes corporations bear any responsibility for income inequality in the nation.
“I think we all have responsibility for inequality. We vote for the people and have voted for the people who have supported some of these strategies,” he said, pointing to tax policy that has favored the rich over the middle class.
...and we can vote against them! Good point.
Can't Have A President Who Does This Many Crimes
We are fortunate that mushbrain's imagination is still apparently bizarrely limited, but a slightly more ambitious crimeing president operating under the same principles that our beloved Attorney General thinks applies to all Republican presidents would basically have limitless power to do crimes.
Monday, November 18, 2019
The Lies
As I said before, I'm fine with giving My Big Wet President some privacy. He doesn't actually have to tell us he had an emergency hemorrhoid procedure, or whatever. "The president needed minor medical attention and he is now perfectly fine" would be acceptable to me. But that the press just runs with whatever lies they dish up every day as if yesterday they didn't lie about something else is astounding.
See How They Smile Like Pigs In A Sty
A truly bizarre thing is the hesitation to call what has happened in Bolivia a "military coup." One doesn't have to have opinions on whether Morales is Good or Bad or really any opinions about Bolivia at all to get that when the military steps in to force the leader to leave... It's a coup. Maybe it's a good coup! Maybe it's a coup on top of a coup! If you think Morales is somehow illegitimate than he did the coup first! Fine, whatever, but...
Drugs Are Bad, MMMKAY
I certainly don't think drugs and abortion are the same thing, but the impulse to outlaw them is similar for some people. There's a segment of the population who aren't really motivated by anti-abortion politics, but if you ask them if it should be outlawed, or outlawed under various circumstances, they'll say yes. Then if you ask them what the criminal penalty should be, they have a hard time answering. So that's really the question. If being a member of the choom gang should be a criminal offense, what should happen to choom gang members?
It hasn't been good, folks.
It hasn't been good, folks.
Running Out Of Time
I rarely make predictions, especially about the future, but one I did make is that Trump wouldn't be in office for 4 years.
Punchlines
The bad reporting is so predictable. Impeachment hearings are BOOORRRIIING. People who say they like Trump like Trump.
And on repeat.
And on repeat.
What About The People Who Support Trump
The New York Times has another one.
Don't any of their reporters ever just say...enough! This is fucking ridiculous!
Don't any of their reporters ever just say...enough! This is fucking ridiculous!
Sunday, November 17, 2019
In It To Win It
I of course don't love conservative Democrats, but I distinguish between the ones who are basically "Morning Joe Democrats" and ones who actually try to win over the locals who are, you know, the ones who vote.
A bad thing about Morning Joe Democrats (Hi Claire!) is their thing is basically, "I would have won if not for AOC and annoying liberals on twitter." It isn't enough that they are annoyingly conservative (or "moderate"). They blame their failures to win elections on people trying to win elections, and their voters, elsewhere, even if they aren't being explicitly criticized by them.
It's fair for the Joe Manchins to say, "lay off, I got this." Because he does! But the Morning Joe Democrats...often don't.
A bad thing about Morning Joe Democrats (Hi Claire!) is their thing is basically, "I would have won if not for AOC and annoying liberals on twitter." It isn't enough that they are annoyingly conservative (or "moderate"). They blame their failures to win elections on people trying to win elections, and their voters, elsewhere, even if they aren't being explicitly criticized by them.
It's fair for the Joe Manchins to say, "lay off, I got this." Because he does! But the Morning Joe Democrats...often don't.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
I don't think all people are good (I, too, am bad), but I like to think the need for self-preservation - if a somewhat exaggerated of version of what that really means (no man can survive with just one yacht!) - drives some of it. Understandable selfishness, I guess.
But imagine being not just a rich local car dealer, but a real billionaire (I don't mean Trump), or similar Richie Rich, and devoting your life to increasing the suffering of the rest of the population. Or just thinking "wow $8 an hour is too much for the THOSE PEOPLE."
Other people are weird.
But imagine being not just a rich local car dealer, but a real billionaire (I don't mean Trump), or similar Richie Rich, and devoting your life to increasing the suffering of the rest of the population. Or just thinking "wow $8 an hour is too much for the THOSE PEOPLE."
Other people are weird.
Why Can't A Democrat Be More Like A Republican
Roger Cohen has what has to be a parody of the genre in the NYT, but of course isn't, which is basically "why can't Democrats appeal to the people least likely to vote for them?"
In this case it is literally a 78-year-old lifelong Republican, former Republican politician, from New Jersey, who it seems has never voted for a Democrat in his life and of course voted for Trump. He might still vote for Trump! But only if Democrats go with... well... anybody they will nominate, because that's always how it works. I doubt he'd even vote for Democrat-for-President John Kasich.
One thing that should jump out is that this guy lives in New Jersey which means that his nonvote for Bernie Stalin isn't likely to matter much.
But generally this is "centrist" pundit thing which is that what Democrats should be is Republicans-without-the-gross-stuff. The shorthand for this is "economically conservative (no taxes for rich people and no nice things for anybody) and socially liberal." But they aren't really socially liberal, either. They think obvious explicit bigotry is offensive, but they're as suspicious of any attempts to correct structural and institutional racism (etc) even that committed by the state. Stop and frisk is sadly necessary, black people. "Rich ladies should be allowed to get abortions" feminism.
These are also the people that love to imagine liberals/lefties live in some imaginary hippie commune bubble. But to write a column like that without any awareness of how fucking absurd it is...
In this case it is literally a 78-year-old lifelong Republican, former Republican politician, from New Jersey, who it seems has never voted for a Democrat in his life and of course voted for Trump. He might still vote for Trump! But only if Democrats go with... well... anybody they will nominate, because that's always how it works. I doubt he'd even vote for Democrat-for-President John Kasich.
One thing that should jump out is that this guy lives in New Jersey which means that his nonvote for Bernie Stalin isn't likely to matter much.
But generally this is "centrist" pundit thing which is that what Democrats should be is Republicans-without-the-gross-stuff. The shorthand for this is "economically conservative (no taxes for rich people and no nice things for anybody) and socially liberal." But they aren't really socially liberal, either. They think obvious explicit bigotry is offensive, but they're as suspicious of any attempts to correct structural and institutional racism (etc) even that committed by the state. Stop and frisk is sadly necessary, black people. "Rich ladies should be allowed to get abortions" feminism.
These are also the people that love to imagine liberals/lefties live in some imaginary hippie commune bubble. But to write a column like that without any awareness of how fucking absurd it is...
Doctor, Doctor
I'm actually someone who thinks that aside from "likely to become incapacitated soon" we don't actually need regularly updates on the medical conditions of the president, but lol at going to Walter Reed suddenly for phase 1 of his annual physical.
They just lie about everything.
They just lie about everything.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)