The Bob Cesca Show: The Candyman

HumorApril 2018 • Views: 36,699

Today’s program from our podcasting affiliate, The Bob Cesca Show:

The Candyman — NSFW; Jody Hamilton from the Stephanie Miller Show is here; Mike Pompeo confirmed as Secretary of State; Bill Cosby convicted; Ronny Jackson withdraws his name from consideration; Ronny Jackson and the opioid crisis inside the White House; Trump went nuts on Fox and Friends this morning; Donnie Motormouth; Trump admits Cohen has done very little work for him; Trump copycat Don Blankenship; Trump wants to review documents seized from Michael Cohen; and much more.

Bob Cesca Podcast

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370 comments

HappyWarrior Apr 26, 2018 • 9:42:37pm

This is a good point I’ve seen. Trump has paid more attention to Kanye for kissing his ass than James Shaw who saved lives.

Eclectic Cyborg Apr 26, 2018 • 9:43:03pm

Obligatory:

Hecuba's daughter Apr 26, 2018 • 9:50:25pm

re: #1 HappyWarrior

This is a good point I’ve seen. Trump has paid more attention to Kanye for kissing his ass than James Shaw who saved lives.

Trump is a solipsist; if it doesn’t directly involve him, it’s as though it doesn’t exist. And his deep-seated racism leads him to ignore minorities unless he can use them to benefit him personally.

austin_blue Apr 26, 2018 • 10:05:43pm

re: #3 Hecuba’s daughter

Trump is a solipsist; if it doesn’t directly involve him, it’s as though it doesn’t exist. And his deep-seated racism leads him to ignore minorities unless he can use them to benefit him personally.

Just a drive-by, we are leaving early for a gig in Houston tomorrow at the Hobby Center with Oliver Rajamani for his Indian Flamenco show, but what you are describing is a sociopath, an individual who cannot imagine that his needs should EVER be subject to the good of anyone or anything else. It’s pathological. It’s all about me me me.

Night all! If you are in Houston, come see the show. She Who Must Be Obeyed is playing stunt harp, and she’s damn good at it. I’ll be in black and working production back stage.

Kragar Apr 26, 2018 • 10:08:29pm

Weak consumer spending seen restraining U.S. growth in first quarter https://t.co/BGP3AOZeVp

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 27, 2018

You mean people aren’t rushing out to blow their extra $3 a week they got from the GOP tax cut? https://t.co/FR5xecW3vb

— Kragar (@Kragar_LGF) April 27, 2018

Targetpractice Apr 26, 2018 • 10:13:11pm

re: #5 Kragar

[Embedded content]

“Liberal press” already working to provide a cushion when the numbers show that the Tax Scam is not leading to the runaway growth that was predicted.

Joe Bacon 🌹 Apr 26, 2018 • 10:15:04pm

re: #5 Kragar

[Embedded content]

After the “tax cut” my paycheck went down due to my health insurance premium rising by double digits…

Skip Intro Apr 26, 2018 • 10:25:51pm

More music.

Dire Straits-Sultans Of Swing Gayageum ver. by Luna

wheat-dogg Apr 26, 2018 • 10:27:00pm

re: #8 Skip Intro

I love her music. Arranging rock tunes for that instrument cannot be easy.

Hecuba's daughter Apr 26, 2018 • 10:32:51pm

re: #5 Kragar

Kragar
@Kragar_LGF
You mean people aren’t rushing out to blow their extra $3 a week they got from the GOP tax cut?

Weak consumer spending seen restraining U.S. growth in first quarter https://t.co/BGP3AOZeVp

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 27, 2018

…
12:08 AM - Apr 27, 2018
Replies 2 2 Retweets 2 2 likes

It’s been spent on the sharp increase in gas prices.

Skip Intro Apr 26, 2018 • 10:34:31pm

I feel sad for all the people who weren’t around when all of this was going down. What a ride it was

Chuck Berry Greatest solo on Johnny B Good & Bye Bye Johnny (1972)

Joe Bacon 🌹 Apr 26, 2018 • 10:40:52pm

re: #11 Skip Intro

I feel sad for all the people who weren’t around when all of this was going down. What arise it was

[Embedded content]

Got to see the great ones live—Chuck, James, B.B., Howlin Wolf & Screamin’ Jay.

Skip Intro Apr 26, 2018 • 10:46:31pm

re: #12 Joe Bacon 🌹

And there was Wolfman Jack broadcasting from that billion watt station in Mexico. What a time.

Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel Apr 26, 2018 • 10:50:59pm

For all intensive purposes, this is the death nail of our society, as the teaming millions hurdle toward illiteracy.

I cannot. Apr 26, 2018 • 10:52:30pm

re: #14 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

I hate you.

bratwurst Apr 26, 2018 • 10:55:41pm

Good morning from Warsaw. I am feeling pretty good, and the weather has mostly cooperated so far.

This is a very complicated place. While I couldn’t put it high on a list of “must visit” spots in Europe, I find the people to be well above average.

HappyWarrior Apr 26, 2018 • 10:57:10pm

re: #16 bratwurst

Good morning from Warsaw. I am feeling pretty good, and the weather has mostly cooperated so far.

This is a very complicated place. While I couldn’t put it high on a list of “must visit” spots in Europe, I find the people to be well above average.

Good to hear. Hope you’re enjoying pierogis and kielbasa. I’m going to Krakow this summer myself.

fern01 Apr 26, 2018 • 10:59:34pm

re: #1 HappyWarrior

This is a good point I’ve seen. Trump has paid more attention to Kanye for kissing his ass than James Shaw who saved lives.

If he was a white guy with a gun who had disarmed/killed the shooter he would be dining at the White House, with the NRA, the GOP congress and Ivanka present.

Single-handed sailor Apr 26, 2018 • 11:06:35pm

re: #8 Skip Intro

More music.

[Embedded content]

She needs to team up with the girl on drums.

Amazing Girl Drummer Does BIGBANG - Fantastic Baby Street Performance

HappyWarrior Apr 26, 2018 • 11:07:29pm

re: #18 fern01

If he was a white guy with a gun who had disarmed/killed the shooter he would be dining at the White House, with the NRA, the GOP congress and Ivanka present.

Really says a lot that the right is praising Kanye’s “bravery” for speaking nicely of Trump while saying nothing about Shaw.

Single-handed sailor Apr 26, 2018 • 11:10:16pm

re: #19 Single-handed sailor

and a couple of cellos…

2CELLOS - LIVE at Arena di Verona 2016 [FULL CONCERT]

wheat-dogg Apr 26, 2018 • 11:18:08pm

re: #19 Single-handed sailor

She needs to team up with the girl on drums.

[Embedded content]

That’s S.White from Taiwan. She and her buddy Vela Blue have turned their street performing into viable musical careers.

The Cup Game Featuring Drummers S White & Vela Blue! FUN~!

wheat-dogg Apr 26, 2018 • 11:21:13pm

Here’s a mini-bio of Vela Blue, with her playing drums and stuff.

Today’s Featured Artist Taiwan’s Beautiful & Talented Street Drummer Vela Blue !

Single-handed sailor Apr 26, 2018 • 11:29:50pm

I’m still listening to Luna. She covers some songs better than the orignal.

ZZ Top-La Grange Gayageum ver. by Luna

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 26, 2018 • 11:43:13pm

re: #10 Hecuba’s daughter

It’s been spent on the sharp increase in gas prices.

Now, a President cannot be directly blamed for increased gas prices (even though Obama was repeatedly) but the point is that people in rural areas who have longer distances to drive and no public transport option are going to feel these increases a lot more than folks in urban areas.

Single-handed sailor Apr 26, 2018 • 11:44:57pm

re: #25 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Now, a President cannot be directly blamed for increased gas prices (even though Obama was repeatedly) but the point is that people in rural areas who have longer distances to drive and no public transport option are going to feel these increases a lot more than folks in urban areas.

Actually you can directly tie the increase in gas prices to President(sic) Trump’s policies.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 26, 2018 • 11:47:59pm

re: #26 Single-handed sailor

Actually you can directly tie the increase in gas prices to President(sic) Trump’s policies.

They blamed Obama for not drill-baby-drilling enough. I believe there is a direct link but it is not one you can hang on him.

For that, there are enough other things to take him to task over.

Point is that his supporters (the “real Americans” in rural areas) are feeling the pinch more than those who did vote for him (the “urban elites”)

Single-handed sailor Apr 26, 2018 • 11:53:59pm

re: #27 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

They blamed Obama for not drill-baby-drilling enough. I believe there is a direct link but it is not one you can hang on him.

For that, there are enough other things to take him to task over.

Point is that his supporters (the “real Americans” in rural areas) are feeling the pinch more than those who did vote for him (the “urban elites”)

Well they get gas at $2.50/gal in Missouri, and we get it at $3.50/gal here in California. Fuck them.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 26, 2018 • 11:58:48pm

re: #28 Single-handed sailor

We also need to look on not just the total price price of gasoline, but its price as a share of overall wages and how much it has increased by.

And remember that urban folks have the more options for using public transportation.

Single-handed sailor Apr 27, 2018 • 12:00:20am

re: #29 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

We also need to look on not just the total price price of gasoline, but its price as a share of overall wages and how much it has increased by.

And remember that urban folks have the more options for using public transportation.

What country are you in?

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 12:00:49am

re: #24 Single-handed sailor

Since we’re sharing videos of Asian women covering Western music …

12 Girls Band - Take Five

This is 12 Girls Band, from China, playing erhu and guzheng.

Cheechako Apr 27, 2018 • 12:03:20am

re: #26 Single-handed sailor

And the increase in gas and diesel prices will have a devastating effect on the agricultural businesses in farm states who voted for trump. That on top of a disappearing foreign market for their products.

Single-handed sailor Apr 27, 2018 • 12:03:40am

re: #31 wheat-dogg

Since we’re sharing videos of Asian women covering Western music …

[Embedded content]

Video

This is 12 Girls Band, from China, playing erhu and guzheng.

There’s my cellos!

Single-handed sailor Apr 27, 2018 • 12:04:25am

re: #32 Cheechako

And the increase in gas and diesel prices will have a devastating effect on the agricultural businesses in farm states who voted for trump. That on top of a disappearing foreign market for their products.

…and seasonal field hands.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 12:06:09am

re: #30 Single-handed sailor

What country are you in?

In Germany, where we are currently paying € 1.46 per liter, lessee…at the current exchange rate that comes to 1.78 per liter times 3.78 liters/gal = $ 6.69 per gallon.

Single-handed sailor Apr 27, 2018 • 12:09:30am

re: #35 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

OK, compared to you I’m a whiner on gas prices. ;) I don’t know about EU prices but ours have gone up since Trump was elected.

Cheechako Apr 27, 2018 • 12:13:22am

Up here in SE Alaska, gas is $3.59/gal. We’re always being ripped off due to “High transportation costs”.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 12:16:24am

re: #36 Single-handed sailor

OK, compared to you I’m a whiner on gas prices. ;) I don’t know about EU prices but ours have gone up since Trump was elected.

They have gone up here considerably, just in recent months

I believe that America would go to war before it would pay European prices for gasoline.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 12:17:21am

re: #37 Cheechako

Up here in SE Alaska, gas is $3.59/gal. We’re always being ripped off due to “High transportation costs”.

Can’t you just pop over to Russia to gas up cheap?

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 12:17:26am

re: #36 Single-handed sailor

I wonder how that trend line correlates with Trump’s tweets about the Middle East and trade wars.

Single-handed sailor Apr 27, 2018 • 12:23:28am

re: #37 Cheechako

Up here in SE Alaska, gas is $3.59/gal. We’re always being ripped off due to “High transportation costs”.

They say that here too. We also have “special formulation” gasoline, and we just raised the gas tax to put some more money into road repairs. My only complaint is we charge sales tax on state and federal excise taxes. I think that’s a (expletive deleted) move.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 12:57:50am

re: #41 Single-handed sailor

They say that here too. We also have “special formulation” gasoline, and we just raised the gas tax to put some more money into road repairs. My only complaint is we charge sales tax on state and federal excise taxes. I think that a (expletive deleted) move.

they charge taxes on taxes? that is some sick sh*t all right…

I thought you were supposed to deduct taxes

teleskiguy Apr 27, 2018 • 1:31:28am

If you missed Trump’s Fox and Friends interview, here is a summary. pic.twitter.com/VW4v3EUD4p

— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) April 26, 2018

Single-handed sailor Apr 27, 2018 • 1:36:18am

re: #43 teleskiguy

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - #1 - Intro Scene / Bat Country

Cheechako Apr 27, 2018 • 1:41:17am

re: #39 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Can’t you just pop over to Russia to gas up cheap?

Still waiting for the bridge. I think it’s part of the Infrastructure Bill.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 1:53:18am

re: #44 Single-handed sailor

One of my favorite books and one of the few cases where the film version does justice to novel.

I also love the way they referenced it in the Johnny Depp animated film, Rango

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:01:27am

re: #45 Cheechako

Still waiting for the bridge. I think it’s part of the Infrastructure Bill.

I recall filling up on gasoline in Russia in 1992 for 148 Rubles around $1.50…the price of gas tripled after that and the exchange rate shot from 50 Rubles to the dollar to nearly 700, but it was still cheap.

I guess the current price is more on our US level: around $2.40 per gallon but still dirt cheap compared to Germany.

Once the Ruble hit 700, they lopped off the last two zeros, now it is back up to 62

Scout Apr 27, 2018 • 2:03:55am

It seems something big may be coming out of the Korean summit. NHK has broken into regular programming.

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:04:03am

Ironic since you’re only Democratic Presidential candidate to ever openly attempt to persuade the Superdelegates to overturn the Primary voters.

— 🏴‍☠️ (@goddamnedfrank) April 27, 2018

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:06:05am

re: #48 Scout

It seems something big may be coming out of the Korean summit. NHK has broken into regular programming.

They are preparing a joint declaration that Trump is an orange-skinned ignoramus?

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:12:34am

re: #48 Scout

It seems something big may be coming out of the Korean summit. NHK has broken into regular programming.

BREAKING: Korean leaders agree to hold reunions of war-separated families and set up liaison office in North Korean border city.

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 27, 2018

Scout Apr 27, 2018 • 2:15:28am

re: #48 Scout

“Freezing of nuclear weapons”

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:15:39am

Interesting. I still do NOT see NK denuclearizing. As far as Un is concerned it’s his nuclear weapons that forced this deal through.

BREAKING NEWS: North and South Korea will sign a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War later this year, 65 years after hostilities ceased https://t.co/pN8ufDTtYd pic.twitter.com/e0KD0qhSAs

— CNN International (@cnni) April 27, 2018

Scout Apr 27, 2018 • 2:16:42am

Japanese analysts want to see “the content of the joint agreement” before committing to opinions. Interesting.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:18:10am

re: #54 Scout

Japanese analysts want to see “the content of the joint agreement” before committing to opinions. Interesting.

I cannot imagine Donald Trump doing either…namely reading the content or withholding comments.

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:20:10am

re: #52 Scout

“Freezing of nuclear weapons”

What exactly does that mean though? If it means no more tests then that’s not really a concession since Un has already made his mountain test facility geologically unstable through overuse. NK can also test their designs with computers now like everybody else does.

Scout Apr 27, 2018 • 2:22:04am

re: #56 goddamnedfrank

What exactly does that mean though? If it means no more tests then that’s not really a concession since Un has already made his mountain test facility geologically unstable through overuse. NK can also test their designs with computers now like everybody else does.

Sorry, it’s all coming out just now, and my Japanese isn’t so hot. But they’re saying no nukes on the peninsula by the end of the year.

Of course, no one knows how this will play out in reality.

For now, I choose to be cautiously optimistic.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:23:57am

re: #57 Scout

Sorry, it’s all coming out just now, and my Japanese isn’t so hot. But they’re saying no nukes on the peninsula by the end of the year.

Of course, no one knows how this will play out in reality.

For now, I choose to be cautiously optimistic.

so this will turn any summit between DT and Kim Jong-Un into an afterthought…

Amory Blaine Apr 27, 2018 • 2:24:02am

This is good news. For a change.

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:32:55am

The really interesting thing about this now is that Trump can only fuck it all up.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:36:54am

re: #60 goddamnedfrank

The really interesting thing about this now is that Trump can only fuck it all up.

He is ready to because it all happened without his participation and makes him look irrelevant.

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:37:32am

Man it sure would be nice if we had a functioning State Department and an ambassador to South Korea right now.

— 🏴‍☠️ (@goddamnedfrank) April 27, 2018

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 2:38:43am

re: #60 goddamnedfrank

re: #61 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

the yam will still take credit for it, just like he did for the Olympics.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:38:59am

re: #62 goddamnedfrank

Man it sure would be nice if we had a functioning State Department and an ambassador to South Korea right now.

we all know that government employees are all useless parasites, Trump is just saving us taxpayer money

I cannot. Apr 27, 2018 • 2:39:23am

re: #61 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

He CAN make the claim that its happening only because he was TUFF [tm]…but then Bolton will talk to him and shit will get fucked up and all, and then Mattis will talk to him and shit will calm down yo…then Bolton will talk to him…

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:40:16am

re: #65 I cannot.

He CAN make the claim that its happening only because he was TUFF [tm]…but then Bolton will talk to him and shit will get fucked up and all, and then Mattis will talk to him and shit will calm down yo…then Bolton will talk to him…

spin vs counterspin. enough to make anyone queasy

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 2:42:35am

reporting from this side of the globe:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks after announcing that the Korean War will be formally ended: “It took a long time for the two Koreas to come together… South and North Korea are the same people, the same blood, they cannot be separated” https://t.co/YKepJhJ2uB pic.twitter.com/4AkRyHeSdA

— CNN (@CNN) April 27, 2018

The Latest: Koreas agree on denuclearization of peninsula: https://t.co/fQvZLpwsPe

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 27, 2018

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:42:54am

re: #61 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

He is ready to because it all happened without his participation and makes him look irrelevant.

It would also play right into Un’s hand. He’s positioning himself as the one who wants peace and reconciliation. Casting America as the external warmonger whose presence is inimical to peace on the peninsula would be a classic North Korean propaganda win for him.

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 2:43:07am

Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in smile and hug after announcing that North and South Korea will formally end the Korean War later this year https://t.co/wrTabHJcff pic.twitter.com/SLk6HwMSDt

— CNN International (@cnni) April 27, 2018

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 2:43:28am

re: #60 goddamnedfrank

The really interesting thing about this now is that Trump can only fuck it all up.

I suspect the Koreas will just ignore him. This is a monumental event in this part of the world. Asians could care less about what the Yam thinks.

I cannot. Apr 27, 2018 • 2:44:01am

re: #66 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

I mean, I’d almost be OK with letting him claim credit if this is as good as it COULD be, whether or not he actually did anything.

God knows its been a long time coming for Korea.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 2:44:36am

re: #70 wheat-dogg

I suspect the Koreas will just ignore him. This is a monumental event in this part of the world. Asians could care less about what the Yam thinks.

They cannot ignore our military presence there, which is still a major tool that DT can use to impose himself on developments

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 2:46:54am

re: #67 Backwoods_Sleuth

Hard to remember with all the news out of Washington, DC, but just a couple of weeks ago, Kim made an unannounced, secretive trip to Beijing where he met with Xi JinPing. Clearly they talked about ending the state of war with South Korea and establishing some sort of regional peace. One wonders if it was Xi’s idea, or Kim’s. In any event, by the time Trump meets with Kim (or his lieutenants) it will be a done deal — all without Trump’s direct involvement.

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 2:48:12am

re: #72 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

They cannot ignore our military presence there, which is still a major tool that DT can use to impose himself on developments

Well, the last time Trump said he was sending “an armada” to the Korean peninsula, the US Navy was in fact steaming in the opposite direction.

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 2:50:25am

The Latest: North and South Korea agree to stop all hostile acts in “land, sea and air” that can cause military tension and clashes. https://t.co/a1kfP7HeyF

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 27, 2018

Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel Apr 27, 2018 • 2:54:22am

Really sounds like Kim is hinting at not just reconciliation but reunification. It seems incredible but remember how quickly German reunification followed the fall of the Berlin wall and the opening of the border. It is often forgotten today that most observers expected reunification to take many years, possibly decades.

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 2:54:51am

re: #72 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

They cannot ignore our military presence there, which is still a major tool that DT can use to impose himself on developments

Except Trump has been pretty vocal about wanting to pull us out of SK or make them pay for our protection. Iran is probably pretty nervous right now.

One huge hurdle I can’t wrap my head around though is who verifies North Korean compliance with denuclearization? More to the point, who does Un allow to verify it. China maybe, but Un is going to want a shit load in return. A related problems is what fool would have any real confidence that all of the nuclear devices have been given up? This looks good on paper and sounds nice but it’s really hard to see how this plays out in reality.

Also, unless NK has experienced some utter fuel / food disaster I’m unaware of, or China has more pull than the regional experts seem to think they have it’s hard to see what would make Un actually denuclearize. Like I said he has lots of PR reasons to make it seem like he wants to be the great peacemaker, but not much visible motive to actually follow through.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 3:02:42am

re: #76 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

Really sounds like Kim is hinting at not just reconciliation but reunification. It seems incredible but remember how quickly German reunification followed the fall of the Berlin wall and the opening of the border. It is often forgotten today that most observers expected reunification to take many years, possibly decades.

It was not reunification, it was annexation.

According to the West German Constitution, a new, reunited Germany was supposed to be reconstituted as an entirely new nation with a new Constitution. Instead, East Germany simply joined the West much as the Saarland province of France did in 1956.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 3:06:27am

re: #73 wheat-dogg

Hard to remember with all the news out of Washington, DC, but just a couple of weeks ago, Kim made an unannounced, secretive trip to Beijing where he met with Xi JinPing. Clearly they talked about ending the state of war with South Korea and establishing some sort of regional peace. One wonders if it was Xi’s idea, or Kim’s. In any event, by the time Trump meets with Kim (or his lieutenants) it will be a done deal — all without Trump’s direct involvement.

No question that China played a major role in initiating and implementing this. I assume this is also part of their own geopolitical repositioning/restructuring.

I can understand that there was a time when they did not want a major capitalist economy bucked up square against their border, but they have much more to gain from making NK a joint development venture with SK than they have to fear from creeping capitalism.

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 3:10:25am

re: #76 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

Really sounds like Kim is hinting at not just reconciliation but reunification. It seems incredible but remember how quickly German reunification followed the fall of the Berlin wall and the opening of the border. It is often forgotten today that most observers expected reunification to take many years, possibly decades.

It could happen, but not while Kim is leader. In North Korea, the Kims are adored as demigods. Reunification with the South would require he step down or at least relinquish much of his power, which would destroy the cult of personality the Kims have fostered for the last six decades. OTOH Hirohito relinquished his godhood at the end of the Second World War, to the astonishment of his people, but Japan quickly recovered from that shock. So, anything is possible.

I’m really flabbergasted at this turn of events. After all his sabre-rattling, Kim has decided to be a statesman instead of a warmonger.

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 3:11:16am

re: #79 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

No question that China played a major role in initiating and implementing this. I assume this is also part of their own geopolitical repositioning/restructuring.

I can understand that there was a time when they did not want a major capitalist economy bucked up square against their border, but they have much more to gain from making NK a joint development venture with SK than they have to fear from creeping capitalism.

Hell, China is a capitalist economy, though with “Chinese characteristics.”

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 3:13:03am

re: #81 wheat-dogg

Hell, China is a capitalist economy, though with “Chinese characteristics.”

I assume that is what they want to establish in North Korea. Needless to say, there is a lot of room for development.

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 3:15:15am

re: #79 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

No question that China played a major role in initiating and implementing this. I assume this is also part of their own geopolitical repositioning/restructuring.

I can understand that there was a time when they did not want a major capitalist economy bucked up square against their border, but they have much more to gain from making NK a joint development venture with SK than they have to fear from creeping capitalism.

They also probably see an opportunity in Trump’s tariffs & trade war to drive a hard wedge between the US and Japan / South Korea. China is advertising their steady growth and stability within their geographic sphere of influence at the same time that we are showing the entire world our ass. It feels like everybody but Trump is looking six moves ahead.

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 3:15:34am

re: #82 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

I assume that is what they want to establish in North Korea. Needless to say, there is a lot of room for development.

There is already an underground capitalist economy along the northern border with China. People smuggle goods in from China and resell them under the noses of the North Korean authorities (or with substantial bribes to look the other way).

Patricia Kayden Apr 27, 2018 • 3:15:52am

re: #55 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

I cannot imagine Donald Trump doing either…namely reading the content or withholding comments.

He’s going to claim that he alone is responsible for any and all breakthroughs in the Korean Peninsula and start demanding that Oslo give him this year’s Nobel Peace prize.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 3:38:48am

re: #83 goddamnedfrank

They also probably see an opportunity in Trump’s tariffs & trade war to drive a hard wedge between the US and Japan / South Korea. China is advertising their steady growth and stability within their geographic sphere of influence at the same time that we are showing the entire world our ass. It feels like everybody but Trump is looking six moves ahead.

Trump says whatever comes into his mind at the moment and expects his people to keep up with him…

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 3:48:51am

he’s awake

Is everybody believing what is going on. James Comey can’t define what a leak is. He illegally leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION but doesn’t understand what he did or how serious it is. He lied all over the place to cover it up. He’s either very sick or very dumb. Remember sailor!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 3:50:02am

Congratulations to the Duchess and Duke of Cambridge on the birth of their baby boy - might I suggest it’s time for a royal Larry?

— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) April 23, 2018

Louis is pretty close to Larry - I’ll chalk that up as a win. https://t.co/Zp5j5Q1T0f

— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) April 27, 2018

I cannot. Apr 27, 2018 • 3:52:45am

re: #87 Backwoods_Sleuth

Remember sailor!

What the actual fuck is that shit supposed to mean?

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 3:53:27am

re: #89 I cannot.

What the actual fuck is that shit supposed to mean?

no clue

Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel Apr 27, 2018 • 3:56:33am

re: #78 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

It was not reunification, it was annexation.

According to the West German Constitution, a new, reunited Germany was supposed to be reconstituted as an entirely new nation with a new Constitution. Instead, East Germany simply joined the West much as the Saarland province of France did in 1956.

That is Article 146 of the Basic Law. There was also an Article 23, under which “any new prospective Länder could adhere to the Basic Law by a simple majority vote.” This is what happened on August 23, 1990, when the GDR parliament passed a resolution “declaring the accession (Beitritt) of the German Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany.” It is under Article 23, rather than Article 146, that reunification. It IS reunification, too, since the separate parts of a previous whole are now re-united.

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 3:58:42am

re: #89 I cannot.

What the actual fuck is that shit supposed to mean?

‘Remember sailor’: Donald Trump tweets bizarre message to James Comey

Message may be a reference to a pardoned submariner

The two words at the end prompted widespread confusion and mockery, as people scrambled to understand what he meant. Some suggested it was a strange warping of the expression “hello sailor”, or that it was a reference to Japanese series Sailor Moon, which is what came up when searching the phrase on Google.

In fact, the phrase appears to be a veiled threat to prosecute Mr Comey over what the president considers the leaking of classified information.

The phrase appears to be a reference to Kristian Saucier, a Navy submariner who was pardoned by Donald Trump last month. He had been accused of illegally taking pictures from inside a navy vessel.

Mr Trump sent a tweet using the same words in January this year, explicitly referencing Saucier. That appears to confirm what the strange message is a reference to - though not exactly what it means.

“Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents,” Trump tweeted in January. “Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail!”

Bubblehead II Apr 27, 2018 • 4:01:13am

re: #85 Patricia Kayden

He’s going to claim that he alone is responsible for any and all breakthroughs in the Korean Peninsula and start demanding that Oslo give him this year’s Nobel Peace prize.

Quick drive by.

He already is.

KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

Colère Tueur de Lapin Apr 27, 2018 • 4:04:02am

re: #89 I cannot.

What the actual fuck is that shit supposed to mean?

The only “Sailor” that pops into my mind is Moon…

Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel Apr 27, 2018 • 4:05:22am

re: #80 wheat-dogg

It could happen, but not while Kim is leader. In North Korea, the Kims are adored as demigods. Reunification with the South would require he step down or at least relinquish much of his power, which would destroy the cult of personality the Kims have fostered for the last six decades. OTOH Hirohito relinquished his godhood at the end of the Second World War, to the astonishment of his people, but Japan quickly recovered from that shock. So, anything is possible.

I’m really flabbergasted at this turn of events. After all his sabre-rattling, Kim has decided to be a statesman instead of a warmonger.

He may have just decided that he did not like being dictator. He didn’t really ask for the job after all. I had not thought of the Hirohito analogy. It is a good one though. Both Hirohito and Kim had godlike status created for them largely by others. This is in contrast to Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and a variety of lesser cutthroats who consciously created their own personality cults.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 4:08:05am

re: #91 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

That is Article 146 of the Basic Law. There was also an Article 23, under which “any new prospective Länder could adhere to the Basic Law by a simple majority vote.” This is what happened on August 23, 1990, when the GDR parliament passed a resolution “declaring the accession (Beitritt) of the German Democratic Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany.” It is under Article 23, rather than Article 146, that reunification. It IS reunification, too, since the separate parts of a previous whole are now re-united.

That is all valid but ignores the original premise of creating a new state out of the two previous ones.

And Allianz Insurance, one of Germany’s biggest corporations, one which holds major, interlocking interests in most of Germany’s other major corporation, quickly and quietly assumed a controlling share of the East German State Insurance Company, thus pretty much “annexing” the insurance market there.

They also accepted a favorable exchange rate for East German Marks, which was a great deal for all the small private account holders, but left most of their corporations so far in debt that they needed to be bailed out by the West.

it was economic annexation.

Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel Apr 27, 2018 • 4:08:22am

I still cannot believe that the actual President of the United States is chattering like a drunken teenager on a public forum, and is doing so about substantive policy issues. It is scary how quickly we have grown accustomed to this bizarre and absolutely unprecedented breakdown of decorum and dignity.

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 4:09:28am

re: #97 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

I still cannot believe that the actual President of the United States is chattering like a drunken teenager on a public forum, and is doing so about substantive policy issues. It is scary how quickly we have grown accustomed to this bizarre and absolutely unprecedented breakdown of decorum and dignity.

I really wonder if we will ever be able to recover from this.

Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel Apr 27, 2018 • 4:12:02am

re: #98 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

I really wonder if we will ever be able to recover from this.

The only precedent was Andrew Johnson telling a heckler to go fuck himself, and that happened only once./

100

Colère Tueur de Lapin Apr 27, 2018 • 4:13:56am

What’s surprising (not) is that the right-wingers are fine with this toddler in the White House. Just a few years ago apology tours, tan suits, and mustard on hamburgers were considered to the end of respect for ‘merika.

101

Dr Lizardo Apr 27, 2018 • 4:18:02am

re: #100 Colère Tueur de Lapin

What’s surprising (not) is that the right-wingers are fine with this toddler in the White House. Just a few years ago apology tours, tan suits, and mustard on hamburgers were considered to the end of respect for ‘merika.

I have a feeling the next POTUS really is gonna have to do some kind of worldwide apology tour.

102

jeffreyw Apr 27, 2018 • 4:18:53am

Imgur

Good morning!

103

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 4:21:10am

re: #95 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

He may have just decided that he did not like being dictator. He didn’t really ask for the job after all. I had not thought of the Hirohito analogy. It is a good one though. Both Hirohito and Kim had godlike status created for them largely by others. This is in contrast to Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and a variety of lesser cutthroats who consciously created their own personality cults.

Maybe Kim could just retire young to some cushy island somewhere, safe in knowing his military won’t try to assassinate him had he stayed in power.

104

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 4:31:29am

re: #101 Dr Lizardo

I have a feeling the next POTUS really is gonna have to do some kind of worldwide apology tour.

If it is a Democratic President, it will be spun that way by the Conservatives, but it will simply be a worldwide reassurance tour that we can and will do better than under Trump. Even a Republican President will have to do that…

105

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 4:33:00am

re: #101 Dr Lizardo

Those two Hawaiian ukelele players Skip Intro mentioned will be Czech Republic this summer. I was looking at their website and checked (ha!) their calendar of events. Thought you might want to know.
honokaandazita.com

July 27-28, in Czechia, Czech Ukelele Festival

106

Dr Lizardo Apr 27, 2018 • 4:40:37am

re: #105 wheat-dogg

Those two Hawaiian ukelele players Skip Intro mentioned will be Czech Republic this summer. I was looking at their website and checked (ha!) their calendar of events. Thought you might want to know.
honokaandazita.com

July 27-28, in Czechia, Czech Ukelele Festival

Looks interesting. Might have to see about going to that.

107

b.d. (Perfect Smokey Eye) Apr 27, 2018 • 4:47:05am

re: #102 jeffreyw

[Embedded content]

Good morning!

[bird] HEY! CAN WE GET SOME SERVICE AROUND HERE!?!? [/bird]

108

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 4:49:13am

re: #107 b.d. (Candy Man)

[bird] HEY! CAN WE GET SOME SERVICE AROUND HERE!?!? [/bird]

Those two blackbirds have not ordered anything, call the blue jays!

109

b.d. (Perfect Smokey Eye) Apr 27, 2018 • 4:51:10am

re: #108 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Those two blackbirds have not ordered anything, call the blue jays!

/

Pooping on the picnic table is for customers only

110

Big Beautiful Door Apr 27, 2018 • 4:58:42am

re: #34 Single-handed sailor

…and seasonal field hands.

And Trump told them he was going after their foreign markets and workforce, and they voted for him anyway. Now a lot of the farmers don’t want him reelected.

111

steve_davis Apr 27, 2018 • 4:59:42am

re: #32 Cheechako

And the increase in gas and diesel prices will have a devastating effect on the agricultural businesses in farm states who voted for trump. That on top of a disappearing foreign market for their products.

not just gas/diesel. we put an enormous amount of oil on fields to get stuff to grow. i seem to recall reading somewhere that the amount of oil it takes to grow the corn that goes into ethanol makes it a really pathetic attempt at an alternate fuel.

112

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 5:04:38am

re: #111 steve_davis

not just gas/diesel. we put an enormous amount of oil on fields to get stuff to grow. i seem to recall reading somewhere that the amount of oil it takes to grow the corn that goes into ethanol makes it a really pathetic attempt at an alternate fuel.

That was in a Harper’s article from 2004: The Oil We Eat

worth a read, in fact, I am about to re-read it…

113

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 5:13:44am

‘Morning, Lizardim!

So, I check the news on my phone, and there’s a story about how Says Who Cohen once bragged that he was part of the Russian Mob! I left my surprised face out in the truck…

Henceforth, I shall refer to him as Говорит, кто.

The wife and I went to the Gramercy Theater in NYC last night and saw Glam legends The Sweet. Such a fun night, it was one big rowdy-ass singalong.

What else is shakin’ around here?

114

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 5:22:52am

re: #63 Backwoods_Sleuth

the yam will still take credit for it, just like he did for the Olympics.

Morning!

Just reading through the thread after hearing the big news this morning.

I still need to read the rest of the thread…but I already heard the words Nobel…Peace and Prize.

For Kim Jong Un, Moon Jae-in and…Donald F’n Trump.

No!!!!!!

I don’t think we can take the ego flare up that would cause.

Let’s give it time for Trump to screw it all up before we get ahead of ourselves.

115

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 5:32:15am

Kim could also be making overtures only to back out later. Not the first time. He could also be hoping to head in China’s direction, and be a more open dictatorship. “Of course we can reunify, you just have to become part of North Korea.” And when it doesn’t happen, he can tell his people the South was foolishand if we have to, we will take it by force.

116

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 5:33:47am

For a very brief time, a hacker exploited a bug in an Ethereum-based token’s code and became the richest man or woman on Earth. He transferred the equivalent of $5.4 x 10^57 into his Ethereum wallet. He’s been locked out of his account, but not before he was able to sell some of them for other tokens.

medium.com

117

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 5:35:35am

re: #102 jeffreyw

[Embedded content]

Good morning!

Jeffrey…the birds are waiting!!!

Where are you?

118

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 5:36:19am

re: #116 wheat-dogg

You coders may appreciate this technical analysis of the vulnerablity. medium.com

119

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 5:36:29am

Then again, maybe Kim just didn’t want America at the table. We will see.

120

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 5:40:22am

So Trump’s erratic behavior and inconsistent threats may actually pay off in terms of peace? I just can’t — especially if it allows him to win a second term.

OTOH, during Bush 41, the wall fell in Berlin, Germany was united, and we won a war against Iraq. Yet Bush was not re-elected. But he wasn’t the leader of a cult, didn’t brag about everything, and was unfortunate to face a 3-man race for the presidency, where the third candidate was a person of renown, wealth, and knowledge who had real ideas about the economy (well, at least one real idea)

121

Barefoot Grin Apr 27, 2018 • 5:41:26am

re: #115 Belafon

Kim could also be making overtures only to back out later. Not the first time. He could also be hoping to head in China’s direction, and be a more open dictatorship. “Of course we can reunify, you just have to become part of North Korea.” And when it doesn’t happen, he can tell his people the South was foolishand if we have to, we will take it by force.

It’s true. The Koreas may be increasingly subject to China’s gravitational pull. In a few years we may see US military out of not only SK but also Japan (though in Japan’s case that would make them feel isolated and vulnerable and perhaps more likely to stay under US umbrella). Interesting times. No one knows.

122

Big Beautiful Door Apr 27, 2018 • 5:45:13am

re: #94 Colère Tueur de Lapin

The only “Sailor” that pops into my mind is Moon…

Popeye

123

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 5:45:45am

re: #121 Barefoot Grin

It’s true. The Koreas may be increasingly subject to China’s gravitational pull. In a few years we may see US military out of not only SK but also Japan (though in Japan’s case that would make them feel isolated and vulnerable and perhaps more likely to stay under US umbrella). Interesting times. No one knows.

SK may have decided China is now a better role model than the US. China certainly may have taken advantage of the world concern about Trump to push NK into this alliance with SK. Will we be facing a unified Korea under Chinese domination?

124

Big Beautiful Door Apr 27, 2018 • 5:46:45am

re: #95 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

He may have just decided that he did not like being dictator. He didn’t really ask for the job after all. I had not thought of the Hirohito analogy. It is a good one though. Both Hirohito and Kim had godlike status created for them largely by others. This is in contrast to Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and a variety of lesser cutthroats who consciously created their own personality cults.

Yeah, I’m not buying Kim as a statesman; I’m pretty sure this is another propaganda ploy. I’ll believe in real North Korean concessions when I see them.

125

I cannot. Apr 27, 2018 • 5:50:25am

re: #116 wheat-dogg

That’s…$5.4 nonillion decillion dollars if I’ve got that correct…or 6.9 x 10^43 times the entire world economy.

126

Amory Blaine Apr 27, 2018 • 5:51:20am

I wonder if the NK people have any idea of the news.

127

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 5:53:39am

re: #119 Belafon

Then again, maybe Kim just didn’t want America at the table. We will see.

He must have delighted at the thought of elbowing him out…Knock-it man!

128

Patricia Kayden Apr 27, 2018 • 5:53:51am

re: #104 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

If it is a Democratic President, it will be spun that way by the Conservatives, but it will simply be a worldwide reassurance tour that we can and will do better than under Trump. Even a Republican President will have to do that…

I really don’t give a dang what Conservatives, Republicans, Rightwingers say about anything or anyone after how they’ve cozied up and coddled Trump. When the next Democrat President is elected, I’m going to shout “Trump” whenever the other side tries to criticize him/her.

129

Barefoot Grin Apr 27, 2018 • 5:54:14am

re: #123 Hecuba’s daughter

SK may have decided China is now a better role model than the US. China certainly may have taken advantage of the world concern about Trump to push NK into this alliance with SK. Will we be facing a unified Korea under Chinese domination?

I’d give it a better than 50% likelihood.

130

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 6:00:07am

re: #120 Hecuba’s daughter

So Trump’s erratic behavior and inconsistent threats may actually pay off in terms of peace? I just can’t — especially if it allows him to win a second term.

OTOH, during Bush 41, the wall fell in Berlin, Germany was united, and we won a war against Iraq. Yet Bush was not re-elected. But he wasn’t the leader of a cult, didn’t brag about everything, and was unfortunate to face a 3-man race for the presidency, where the third candidate was a person of renown, wealth, and knowledge who had real ideas about the economy (well, at least one real idea)

Trump isn’t going to suddenly win Democrats because of this.

131

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:00:28am

re: #125 I cannot.

That’s…$5.4 nonillion decillion dollars if I’ve got that correct…or 6.9 x 10^43 times the entire world economy.

Tax man tries to collect:
“You realize, of course, that I could just buy this entire country and then fire you, right?”

132

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:04:00am

re: #123 Hecuba’s daughter

SK may have decided China is now a better role model than the US. China certainly may have taken advantage of the world concern about Trump to push NK into this alliance with SK. Will we be facing a unified Korea under Chinese domination?

China is a powerful neighbor. Trump-merica is isolationist and an ocean away. Trump has abdicated the role of the USA as the leader of the free world. and is basically giving China carte blanche here. Under those circumstances, South Korea may have decided to take its chances with China.

133

William Lewis Apr 27, 2018 • 6:07:55am

re: #14 Shiplord Kirel, Friend of Moose and Squirrel

For all intensive purposes, this is the death nail of our society, as the teaming millions hurdle toward illiteracy.

[Embedded content]

Embedded Image

That is the goal of the GOP war on education; the creation of a generation of people who can not think so that they can seize power forever. That’s why they hate the kids from Marjory Stoneman Douglas so intensely - well educated POC are their worst nightmare.

134

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 6:10:58am

re: #132 wheat-dogg

China is a powerful neighbor. Trump-merica is isolationist and an ocean away. Trump has abdicated the role of the USA as the leader of the free world. and is basically giving China carte blanche here. Under those circumstances, South Korea may have decided to take its chances with China.

Do you really think that after 65 years of relying on help from the U.S. and the west South Korea would make a move to work with China just because of 1+ year of Trump America?

That seems an awful large chance to take based on what may hopefully be a hiccup by America.

135

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 6:11:59am

As if the world isn’t nuts enough already - ABBA has reunited after 35 years.

Abba have announced that they have written and recorded their first new songs since they split in 1983.

The Swedish four-piece, who had nine No 1 hits in the UK between 1974 and 1980, and who have sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide, announced on Instagram that they had recorded two new songs for a project in which avatars of the band will perform.

The band said in a statement: “The decision to go ahead with the exciting Abba avatar tour project had an unexpected consequence. We all felt that, after some 35 years, it could be fun to join forces again and go into the recording studio. So we did. And it was like time had stood still and we had only been away on a short holiday. An extremely joyful experience!”

One of the two new songs that resulted, called I Still Have Faith in You, will feature in a TV special to air in December.

I’m not up on my bible studies, but isn’t this one of the signs of the End Times?

136

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 6:12:58am

re: #132 wheat-dogg

China is a powerful neighbor. Trump-merica is isolationist and an ocean away. Trump has abdicated the role of the USA as the leader of the free world. and is basically giving China carte blanche here. Under those circumstances, South Korea may have decided to take its chances with China.

This is the point: with America in the hands of a hapless braggart, other powers are free to assert themselves in ways that were previously not possible.

137

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 6:13:28am

Greets and saluts from the Resistance in the NYC metro area. Economic data is out, and while the banks are wallowing in piles of cash thanks to the tax scam, the overwhelming majority of the nation isn’t seeing the economic growth.

Shocker. Trump economy isn’t taking off. Corporate profits goosed by tax scam aren’t leading to more jobs or economic activity. Just more profits for shareholders and millionaires like Trump.

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) April 27, 2018

Everything Trump and GOP did was predicated on higher economic growth resulting from the tax scam. That means that the debt will end up being even bigger because of the resulting shortfall (difference between what was expected for economic growth/revenues and what we are seeing) will be even worse than what the CBO had projected for the tax scam.

The GOP doesn’t care, because their corporate masters got what they wanted and the burdens got shifted to everyone else.

It’s what they do.

138

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 6:13:45am

re: #134 ObserverArt

Do you really think that after 65 years of relying on help from the U.S. and the west South Korea would make a move to work with China just because of 1+ year of Trump America?

That seems an awful large chance to take based on what may hopefully be a hiccup by America.

I wish it were a only hiccup…

139

I cannot. Apr 27, 2018 • 6:13:58am

re: #134 ObserverArt

Not necessarily abandoning the relationship, but at least moving to broaden their options. Their Facebook status now says “Its complicated”

140

Barefoot Grin Apr 27, 2018 • 6:13:58am

re: #134 ObserverArt

Do you really think that after 65 years of relying on help from the U.S. and the west South Korea would make a move to work with China just because of 1+ year of Trump America?

That seems an awful large chance to take based on what may hopefully be a hiccup by America.

It’s a good question. Listening to a podcast with experts on the subject a couple of weeks ago: China and SK have much closer and warmer relations than China and NK (close business, pop culture, ed ties). Hard to say though. There would be strong push back from SK’s conservatives.

141

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:17:22am

re: #134 ObserverArt

Do you really think that after 65 years of relying on help from the U.S. and the west South Korea would make a move to work with China just because of 1+ year of Trump America?

That seems an awful large chance to take based on what may hopefully be a hiccup by America.

A fair point, but China is right next door. SK can’t ignore its powerful neighbor.

142

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:18:30am

re: #135 makeitstop

As if the world isn’t nuts enough already - ABBA has reunited after 35 years.

I’m not up on my bible studies, but isn’t this one of the signs of the End Times?

ABBA is the Four Horsemen?

143

Unshaken Defiance Apr 27, 2018 • 6:19:36am

Meanwhile back home…
latimes.com

ICE held an American man in custody for 1,273 days. He’s not the only one who had to prove his citizenship

Since 2012, ICE has released from its custody more than 1,480 people after investigating their citizenship claims, according to agency figures. And a Times review of Department of Justice records and interviews with immigration attorneys uncovered hundreds of additional cases in the country’s immigration courts in which people were forced to prove they are Americans and sometimes spent months or even years in detention.

144

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:19:38am

re: #136 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

This is the point: with America in the hands of a hapless braggart, other powers are free to assert themselves in ways that were previously not possible.

And we still don’t have an ambassador to South Korea.

145

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 6:19:46am

re: #141 wheat-dogg

A fair point, but China is right next door. SK can’t ignore its powerful neighbor.

And the potential market is far greater. China is a power in ascendance and we are a power in rapid decline, thanks to the ignorance/malice/greed of 46% of the voting population.

146

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 6:20:48am

re: #144 wheat-dogg

And we still don’t have an ambassador to South Korea.

what I meant about a hapless braggart who made a dismissive comments about “saving the taxpayers’ money”

147

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 6:20:55am

re: #138 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

I wish it were a only hiccup…

“This is the space my comment about negativity would be if I made the comment.”

: )

148

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 6:21:31am

re: #143 Unshaken Defiance

I am not surprised. The uncouth one only wants people who look like him (his type) anything else is an immigrant.

149

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:22:23am

re: #145 Hecuba’s daughter

And the potential market is far greater. China is a power in ascendance and we are a power in rapid decline, thanks to the ignorance/malice/greed of 46% of the voting population.

Trump is just a representative of a strong isolationist movement in the States. His view that America should just worry about America and not try to export democracy is common among most Republicans in Congress.

150

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 6:22:37am

Guy in the booth next to me: “Democrats are just going to give your money away.”

151

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 6:23:41am

re: #149 wheat-dogg

Trump is just a representative of a strong isolationist movement in the States. His view that America should just worry about America and not try to export democracy is common among most Republicans in Congress.

They dream of being able to export goods and amass a trade surplus…

152

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 6:24:47am

re: #149 wheat-dogg

Trump is just a representative of a strong isolationist movement in the States. His view that America should just worry about America and not try to export democracy is common among most Republicans in Congress.

And was that way before both world wars. The business party has always been isolationist.

153

jeffreyw Apr 27, 2018 • 6:25:10am

re: #117 ObserverArt

Jeffrey…the birds are waiting!!!

Where are you?

I sent a rep out, heard there were complaints.

Imgur

154

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:25:19am

re: #150 Belafon

Guy in the booth next to me: “Democrats are just going to give your money away.”

This has been Republican FACT since the 1960s, or maybe the ’30s. No matter if it is demonstrably false. It’s just that the GOP gives your money to people who don’t need it, and the Dems “give it” to people who do.

155

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 6:25:25am

re: #142 wheat-dogg

ABBA is the Four Horsemen?

Well, there are four of them! :)

Fun ABBA facts:

They were the first band to forego being paid currency in the Soviet bloc (because they couldn’t accept rubles), opting instead to be paid in commodities like oil.

They were offered a billion dollars to reunite in 2000 but turned it down! As if they needed the dough - that band had a license to print money for a while.

156

Unshaken Defiance Apr 27, 2018 • 6:25:47am

re: #148 PhillyPretzel

I am not surprised. The uncouth one only wants people who look like him (his type) anything else is an immigrant.

Much as Trump shares blame lately, this goes back years and years. ICE did not obey Obamas directives to increase deportation of criminal violators. They just cranked it up to 11 and ignored the critics.

157

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 6:26:04am

Trump also spent part of the morning crowing about the Korean handshake.

It’s worth pointing out that the Koreas have had handshakes before and it’s come to nothing. In fact, after the last handshake in 2000, North Korea began weapons testing and missile testing in earnest.

North Korea isn’t giving up its nukes. They are okay giving up testing nukes because they have a design that works (recall that the US and Soviets entered into a test ban treaty because they both know that their designs work and haven’t had to conduct tests to verify their work for decades). They are also willing to give up the testing because they’ve got issues with their current test site. There are reports that the site the North Koreans chose is geologically unstable after the last round of tests, and that any further tests there could result in significant releases of nuclear material into the atmosphere. US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies disputes that report saying there’s no evidence of a collapse or the end of work there.

If the latter is to be believed, then the North Koreans and Chinese are playing everyone - because they’re continuing to work all while holding talks. If the former is to be believed, then the North isn’t giving up anything it hasn’t already expended all it can on.

158

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:28:37am

re: #151 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

They dream of being able to export goods and amass a trade surplus…

They’re dreaming. America is no longer positioned to be an exporter of manufactured consumer goods like clothing, shoes, and household bric-a-brac.

re: #152 Belafon

And was that way before both world wars. The business party has always been isolationist.

My thought exactly. Roosevelt fought hard to enter WWII and had failed until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

159

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 6:30:14am

re: #156 Unshaken Defiance

True.

160

Interesting Times Apr 27, 2018 • 6:30:30am

re: #150 Belafon

Guy in the booth next to me: “Democrats are just going to give your money away.”

Ask him how he feels about paying for Polluting Pruitt’s trips to Disneyland.

161

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 6:31:06am

re: #158 wheat-dogg

They’re dreaming. America is no longer positioned to be an exporter of manufactured consumer goods like clothing, shoes, and household bric-a-brac.

My thought exactly. Roosevelt fought hard to enter WWII and had failed until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Trump is exhibit A on both counts.

Trump family businesses run manufacturing overseas to make their clothing. They chose that route instead of doing production domestically. Why? Because they wanted higher profits to themselves, even if they were positioning themselves as a luxury brand that could command higher prices from being produced stateside.

Trump is a craven opportunist who will lie and mischaracterize policy and positions. It’s what he’s good at.

162

William Lewis Apr 27, 2018 • 6:32:40am

re: #78 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

It was not reunification, it was annexation.

According to the West German Constitution, a new, reunited Germany was supposed to be reconstituted as an entirely new nation with a new Constitution. Instead, East Germany simply joined the West much as the Saarland province of France did in 1956.

Interesting. Would the results have been any different, do you think? How would that have impacted Germany and the EU as well, I wonder… My visits to Germany (Bavaria) with the US Army were a decade apart - 82 & 93 - and my main memory of the 93 visit was that the roads were in much worse shape and that even by then there were far fewer GI’s when I visited Munich. My haircut really stuck out :D

163

mmmirele Apr 27, 2018 • 6:34:18am

re: #44 Single-handed sailor

[Embedded content]

Video

This is completely off the subject but this was filmed neither in California or Nevada. (And I know from reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas they were headed from SoCal to Vegas.) It was filmed somewhere here in Arizona, because saguaros only grow in the Sonoran desert and the Sonoran desert is mostly in Mexico, and the parts not in Mexico are only in Arizona. I don’t know how I missed this before. I wish filmmakers would find something else besides “saguaros = desert” to indicate desert.

164

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 6:35:50am

re: #161 lawhawk

That is exactly what he is. He is president just to make money especially for himself and his family and we can tack on his friends.

165

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:36:07am

re: #161 lawhawk

Trump is exhibit A on both counts.

Trump family businesses run manufacturing overseas to make their clothing. They chose that route instead of doing production domestically. Why? Because they wanted higher profits to themselves, even if they were positioning themselves as a luxury brand that could command higher prices from being produced stateside.

Trump is a craven opportunist who will lie and mischaracterize policy and positions. It’s what he’s good at.

A true Trump luxury brand would be bespoke or handcrafted in the USA by artisans. In reality, all the Trump brands (save the wine) are bought from jobbers abroad, labelled as a Trump product and marked up to a “luxury” price that no one but wannabe rich people would buy.

I find it interesting that Ivanka does not wear her own clothing line to White House functions. She knows it’s that bad.

166

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 6:40:32am

re: #165 wheat-dogg

And her clothes are now sold on the discount racks because they aren’t moving elsewhere.

167

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 6:40:37am

re: #165 wheat-dogg

It is a case of what is good for me is not good for you. You will have to pay to have my name on your items.

168

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 6:45:06am

re: #155 makeitstop

Well, there are four of them! :)

Fun ABBA facts:

They were the first band to forego being paid currency in the Soviet bloc (because they couldn’t accept rubles), opting instead to be paid in commodities like oil.

They were offered a billion dollars to reunite in 2000 but turned it down! As if they needed the dough - that band had a license to print money for a while.

I know that they were popular in the ‘States, but in Europe they were right up there with the Beatles as far as musical godhead.

169

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 6:45:26am

As I said earlier, my surprised face is out in the truck.

“I am a lawyer, and I am an informant,” she said. “Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general.” https://t.co/75W5HtrntM

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) April 27, 2018

170

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 6:46:16am

re: #166 lawhawk

And her clothes are now sold on the discount racks because they aren’t moving elsewhere.

The Trumps as a family have zero class. In the future, no one will remember the brand Trump as anything but a crass simulacrum of respected, world-renowned brands that spent decades building their reputation.

171

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 6:47:57am

re: #156 Unshaken Defiance

OT By the way have you gotten that fire sprinkler problem fixed?

172

Sir John Barron Apr 27, 2018 • 6:53:50am

re: #135 makeitstop

As if the world isn’t nuts enough already - ABBA has reunited after 35 years.

I’m not up on my bible studies, but isn’t this one of the signs of the End Times?

Is Trump taking credit for this yet?

173

fern01 Apr 27, 2018 • 7:01:55am

re: #62 goddamnedfrank

Man it sure would be nice if we had a functioning State Department and an ambassador to South Korea right now.

I believe whoever was nominated as the ambassador to Australia has been waylaid & is going to SK instead.

174

dirkdigglerjr Apr 27, 2018 • 7:04:00am

re: #135 makeitstop

The fact that there is a sequel to “Mama Mia” coming out in less than 3 months probably played a role as well.

175

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 7:04:37am

re: #172 Sir John Barron

Is Trump taking credit for this yet?

It’s still early.

176

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 7:05:23am

re: #173 fern01

I believe whoever was nominated as the ambassador to Australia has been waylaid & is going to SK instead.

I’d forgotten about that.

177

Dave In Austin Apr 27, 2018 • 7:05:37am

Did you know??

This is George Stinney Jr, a 14 yr old black male; a child.

He is the youngest person EVER to be executed by way of the electric char.

It is said that he was so small that his feet dangled while he cried in the chair.

This wasn’t a lynch mob, this was done by the state. pic.twitter.com/iw0P4wpyMx

— 📚👨🏾‍💻Michael Reny Taylor🗣 (@RenyTay) April 25, 2018

178

wheat-dogg Apr 27, 2018 • 7:07:24am

re: #172 Sir John Barron

Is Trump taking credit for this yet?

I have trouble imagining Trump listens to music, much less to a Swedish pop band’s tunes, no matter how popular worldwide.

179

dirkdigglerjr Apr 27, 2018 • 7:08:28am

re: #153 jeffreyw

Oh, no! Not The Terminator!

180

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 7:09:07am

re: #172 Sir John Barron

re: #178 wheat-dogg

When it appears on FOX he will then form an opinion and tweet it.

181

Sir John Barron Apr 27, 2018 • 7:10:11am

re: #178 wheat-dogg

I have trouble imagining Trump listens to music, much less to a Swedish pop band’s tunes, no matter how popular worldwide.

Oh that won’t stop him.

182

Jay C Apr 27, 2018 • 7:23:54am

re: #172 Sir John Barron

Is Trump taking credit for this yet?

No, but I’m sure we won’t have to wait too long.

This news from Korea has the potential to be an international BFD (though, like most things involving the folks north of the DMZ - “~~grain~~ 55-gallon drum of salt” and “wait and see” are usually valid watchwords) - but what I think is the most obvious point is that these developments have happened in spite of, rather than due to US efforts: and that the Chinese have probably been the main movers of policy here.

I say “obvious”, but it’s likely to only be obvious to the rest of the world: I’m sure the domestic US media will be only - too sadly - likely to swallow whatever self-aggrandizing line the Administration (i.e. Trump, via tweet) is going to be pushing.

ADD: Well, Trump may not be “taking credit” for the Korean talks yet, but his fluffers are already out there giving it to him: This bit of disgusting hackery is already out (though as a sort of “Op-Ed”) on NBC’s site. Bleccch.

183

Unshaken Defiance Apr 27, 2018 • 7:26:05am

re: #171 PhillyPretzel

OT By the way have you gotten that fire sprinkler problem fixed?

On hold while they research the situation. So we wait and see.

184

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 7:26:57am

re: #183 Unshaken Defiance

That is the hardest part next to paying for it.

185

Jenner7 Apr 27, 2018 • 7:33:34am

Trump, Xi, Moon and Kim together get my vote for the Nobel Peace Prize.

— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) April 27, 2018

What is happening?!?!

186

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 7:35:22am

re: #185 Jenner7

Please pardon me for being cynical but it sounds like someone is sniffing airplane glue and drinking too much Kool-aid.

187

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 7:40:10am

Friendly reminder: Any plaudits Trump may get for Korea makes none of his legal troubles go away.

Robert Mueller gives not one fuck about Korea.

188

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 7:41:57am

re: #187 makeitstop

Another case of do not look over there but look here at what I have done.

189

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 7:42:06am

So much winning. Snerk.

Dr. Ronny Jackson is Donald Trump’s 24th failed Senate-confirmable nominee.https://t.co/G9WikcDHdV

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 27, 2018

190

Jenner7 Apr 27, 2018 • 7:42:07am

re: #187 makeitstop

Also, he’s a shitty negotiator and a liar who goes back on his word on a whim.

191

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 7:43:09am

re: #185 Jenner7

I’m curious how you have forgotten the last dozen times the Kims have made and walked back these kinds of announcements.

— (((IntheNumbers))) (@ItsNumbersMan) April 27, 2018

192

Ace-o-aces Apr 27, 2018 • 7:43:37am

Yeah, it’s not like Trump has a history of taking credit for things he had nothing to do with.

— aceoaces (@aceoaces) April 27, 2018

193

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 7:44:29am

re: #189 makeitstop

So much winning. Snerk.

Dr. Ronny Jackson is Donald Trump’s 24th failed Senate-confirmable nominee.

This will just be held up as proof of “obstructionism” on the part of Senate Democrats.

194

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 7:47:06am

I wonder what will happen if Trump, Xi, Moon, and Kim all sit down at a table together.

I suspect that Xi will manipulate Trump with a skill that no other President has been manipulated.

The Koreas have an arc of history that binds them so tightly that they will wobble together regardless of any disaster we make for them. Yet I can’t help but fear for South Korea if Trump is supposedly on their side at such a table.

195

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 7:48:26am

How was he able to give a multimillion dollar loan for this when he had to take out a line of credit to cover the $130k payment to Daniels?

The smell test is getting a workout.

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) April 27, 2018

196

Jay C Apr 27, 2018 • 7:48:29am

re: #186 PhillyPretzel

Please pardon me for being cynical but it sounds like someone is sniffing airplane glue and drinking too much Kool-aid.

Oh, this is probably just the start of the (no doubt well-coordinated) cheerleading. The participants and enablers of the corrupt and incompetent Trump Administration* are desperate for any sort of “good news” and “positive developments”: heaping plaudits on the Talking Yam for his “tough” “brave” and “decisive” “diplomacy” in doing whatever they imagine he’s done to push the two Koreas towards talks is just too good an opportunity to pass up. Even if said congratulations aren’t particularly grounded in reality - the latter being, of course, an extraordinarily flexible concept for the Trumpistas….

*including most of the “mainstream” media

197

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 7:48:56am

Hmm. This is odd. I went to yahoo to see some of the top stories of the day. A banner at the bottom of my screen said that yahoo, AOL and Verizon have formed a partnership called Oath and that they have some new rules. I went to WaPo instead.

198

Unshaken Defiance Apr 27, 2018 • 7:52:29am

If (massive if I admit) there is a secret sauce that went into the Korean rapprochement, it’s a deathly fear Trump was gonna get millions killed. Period.

199

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 7:52:55am

re: #196 Jay C

Oh, this is probably just the start of the (no doubt well-coordinated) cheerleading. The participants and enablers of the corrupt and incompetent Trump Administration* are desperate for any sort of “good news” and “positive developments”: heaping plaudits on the Talking Yam for his “tough” “brave” and “decisive” “diplomacy” in doing whatever they imagine he’s done to push the two Koreas towards talks is just too good an opportunity to pass up. Even if said congratulations aren’t particularly grounded in reality - the latter being, of course, an extraordinarily flexible concept for the Trumpistas….

*including most of the “mainstream” media

The one thing to remember is that the news stream surrounding Trump moves extremely quickly.

For any bit of good news (for him), it’s quickly washed away by revelation of further bad acts.

And as a lot of people have already pointed out, this ‘progress’ is by no means a lock. Of the four participants (counting China), fully half are known bad actors.

Let them cheer. There’s a 50-50 chance that they’ll all end up looking pretty stupid - and worse for Trump, looking weak.

200

Dave In Austin Apr 27, 2018 • 7:53:58am

re: #192 Ace-o-aces

What’s with the #UsvsThem Hashtag??

201

goddamnedfrank Apr 27, 2018 • 7:54:57am

The infinite credulity white men will extend to other white men never ceases to amaze.

You’re not stupid enough to actually think North Korea will get rid of the nuclear weapons that finally forced the US and South Korea to the negotiation table though, are you? All Trump deserves credit for making Un look like a legitimate, mentally stable statesman in comparison.

— 🏴‍☠️ (@goddamnedfrank) April 27, 2018

202

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 7:56:46am

I’ve been listening to the Weird History podcast series on Korea. Like all that podcast’s series, definitely worth the listen.

The reason Korea has remained split for all these years is so tied to the actions of the world in the middle of the 20th century that it is not reasonable to think that a US President can “fix” the problem.

Rather, the problem is fixing itself, or not, with some influence from China but only some.

Trump is just surfing the events of time.

I can easily see Xi manipulating Trump simply by telling Trump that a peace treaty between SK and NK would be a Nobel Peace prize in the making for Trump. All that the US has to do remove all the US military from SK and end the agreement the US has to protect SK. After all, Xi could argue, what does the US get out of the current arrangement other than a huge bill for military expenses?

It’s not hard to see Trump going for this argument.

203

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 7:57:27am

re: #197 PhillyPretzel

I found it. Leave it to Wiki to have this information.
en.wikipedia.org.

204

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 7:57:29am

re: #160 Interesting Times

Ask him how he feels about paying for Polluting Pruitt’s trips to Disneyland.

The GOP and their base are fine with lavishing their money on rich white people; they just don’t want anything going to the “undeserving” poor, especially those who are not white.

205

HappyWarrior Apr 27, 2018 • 7:57:40am

re: #201 goddamnedfrank

The infinite credulity white men will extend to other white men never ceases to amaze.

[Embedded content]

He whines about that. What about those of us who didn’t think HRC was this monster even though more people voted for than Trump or Bernie.

206

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 8:00:19am

re: #197 PhillyPretzel

I mentioned this about a week ago when I got bunches of emails from Yahoo telling me the Oath thing was going to change the rules of my email accounts and I’d need to login to each one under the new rules.

This is life in the 21st century.

A century that appears hell-bent on turning into a fascistic, corporate dystopia.

207

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 8:01:53am

re: #200 Dave In Austin

What’s with the #UsvsThem Hashtag??

It’s facile, an attempt to mimic real understanding of the conflicts in our society.

208

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 8:05:18am

re: #206 freetoken

I have not had yahoo mail in a long time. When I got Verizon I switched to their mail service and it was wonderfully free of &^%$ spam. A little while ago they got out of the email business and I have had g-mail since. That could explain why I did not know of this stuff. But then again I am a Verizon customer so I must have missed something.

209

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 8:05:21am

Y’all do realize the Koreas and UN can declare the war over, but North Korea doesn’t have to give up their nuclear program right?

Right? One has nothing to do with the other.

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) April 27, 2018

What’s unprecedented is that Trump gave up US leverage against North Korea and elevated a democidal dictator to an equal with the president of the US; other countries will see that having nukes will enable to them to do the same.

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) April 27, 2018

This makes the world less safe, not more safe.

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) April 27, 2018

210

plansbandc Apr 27, 2018 • 8:05:37am

We no longer live in the age of reason. We live in the age of the flaming asshole.

What a time to be alive.

211

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 8:06:15am

#UsVsThem is facile, an attempt to mimic real understanding of the conflicts in society.

— freetoken fights fecking fascists (@freetoken) April 27, 2018

212

HappyWarrior Apr 27, 2018 • 8:08:04am

re: #211 freetoken

[Embedded content]

Is UvT just a bunch of Trumpers whining about how mean people are to them?

213

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 8:09:05am

re: #212 HappyWarrior

Is UvT just a bunch of Trumpers whining about how mean people are to them?

I looked briefly at the stream of tweets using that hashtag. Nothing really stood out other than people trying to make it a thing.

214

HappyWarrior Apr 27, 2018 • 8:09:49am

re: #213 freetoken

I looked briefly at the stream of tweets using that hashtag. Nothing really stood out other than people trying to make it a thing.

Ah ok.

215

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 8:18:57am

re: #185 Jenner7

[Embedded content]

What is happening?!?!

Insanity. It’s what’s for breakfast.

I mentioned the talk about Nobel Peace Prize earlier. Seems rather soon to be talking about it when we have no real idea what is going on and if today’s announcement will actually amount to much.

And this will also come up because Obama getting it when first in office upset a lot of conservatives. So, they will be loud about this because Trump actually brought peace.

And The Don will strut.

216

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:20:55am

so, I took a nap and the yam blathered a bunch of nonsense during that time:

Please do not forget the great help that my good friend, President Xi of China, has given to the United States, particularly at the Border of North Korea. Without him it would have been a much longer, tougher, process!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

Kanye West has performed a great service to the Black Community - Big things are happening and eyes are being opened for the first time in Decades - Legacy Stuff! Thank you also to Chance and Dr. Darrell Scott, they really get it (lowest Black & Hispanic unemployment in history).

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

Look forward to meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany today. So much to discuss, so little time! It will be good for both of our great countries!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

Just Out: House Intelligence Committee Report released. “No evidence” that the Trump Campaign “colluded, coordinated or conspired with Russia.” Clinton Campaign paid for Opposition Research obtained from Russia- Wow! A total Witch Hunt! MUST END NOW!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

217

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:23:09am

thread:

House intelligence report on Russia recommends a variety of ways for states to improve election security https://t.co/zBzlAHvZpJ pic.twitter.com/oOQhSun4ll

— Sam Levine (@srl) April 27, 2018

this bit:

This appears to be a very weird typo in the House Intelligence report, saying there was collusion with Russia: “However, questionable contacts like the
Trump Tower meeting resulted in collusion, conspiracy, or coordination with the Russian
government.” pic.twitter.com/jejuVgVIVx

— Sam Levine (@srl) April 27, 2018

218

Aucun pays pour les vieux ennemis Apr 27, 2018 • 8:24:54am

Corrupt Devin Nunes House Intelligence Committee. “Witches” have already admitted that they’re guilty. The law is closing in on you, and there’s nothing you can do to evade justice.

— Jeff “We call BS” Furlington (@FurlingtonJeff) April 27, 2018

219

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:26:01am

Felix Sater and Keith Schiller’s names are redacted in House report as well in places where it’s obvious that’s who they are talking about.

— Kim M. ☮️ (@Blacklace40) April 27, 2018

220

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:27:05am

The Latest: Authorities say three people have died in a medical helicopter crash in Wisconsin. https://t.co/W770bcDY9A

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 27, 2018

221

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:29:32am

From House report: “Manafort became campaign manager after the campaign removed [redacted] on June 20, 2016.

Why would they redact Corey Lewandowski’s name? Wasn’t he the campaign manager before Manafort? Weird.

— Kim M. ☮️ (@Blacklace40) April 27, 2018

222

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:30:43am

Pres Trump says Pompeo wasn’t supposed to meet with Kim Jong Un while in North Korea Easter Weekend, but “they arranged” the get together “to say hello.” On @foxandfriends today, Pres revealed the existence of the photos and called them incredible. pic.twitter.com/yRWrW2raPM

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 26, 2018

North Korea’s nuclear test site was damaged by a series of earthquakes last year and Kim Jong Un realized he was in no position to do more nuclear tests, especially after China and US warned against it. Mother Nature/Gaia should get lots of credit if lasting peace does prevail. https://t.co/idwm9BGHc0

— Adam Khan (@Khanoisseur) April 27, 2018

223

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:31:57am

NBC reporting NRA exec served as conduit between Putin & Trump campaign. Which is just perfect. They check every box when it comes to evil.

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) April 27, 2018

224

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 8:32:45am

re: #221 Backwoods_Sleuth

It’s all a work.

225

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 8:32:49am

If President Trump’s doctor, Ronny Jackson, handed out Ambien to people on flights abroad, he broke the law, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman said https://t.co/wkwoPCIzSe

— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) April 27, 2018

226

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 8:36:44am

Speaking of “a work”, I decided to take a peek at the livestream of the WWE pre-show from Saudi Arabia.

So weird.

No women on the set.

The stadium is arranged so that the only floor seats are comfy (filled cushion) chairs arranged so that most of the floor of the stadium is empty.

Single men in the audience are quarantined to specific stadium seating sections.

WWE is getting millions of dollars for this show. I wonder very much how much Jared’s trips to the Middle East were really about marketing for Trump’s friends.

227

danarchy Apr 27, 2018 • 8:37:56am

re: #213 freetoken

I looked briefly at the stream of tweets using that hashtag. Nothing really stood out other than people trying to make it a thing.

Us Vs Them is the title of Bremmer’s new book.

228

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 8:41:25am

This might be the best ‘Closer Look’ so far.

Trump Goes on Fox & Friends and Freaks Out About Michael Cohen: A Closer Look

229

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:41:37am

Chance the Rapper spurns Trump after president thanks him: ‘I’d never support anyone who has made a career out of hatred, racism and discrimination’ https://t.co/WUSZj7xLuZ pic.twitter.com/d9bVblDR5C

— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) April 27, 2018

230

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 8:42:30am

re: #229 Backwoods_Sleuth

That rapper has his head on straight. :)

231

Mike Lamb Apr 27, 2018 • 8:43:11am

re: #217 Backwoods_Sleuth

thread:

[Embedded content]

Can’t even see Trump’s lips moving when Nunes speaks. Impressive.

I mean good dog…Kushner said there was no collusion so there must have been no collusion…mmmmkay.

232

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 8:44:21am

re: #225 lawhawk

NYT Politics
✔
@nytpolitics
If President Trump’s doctor, Ronny Jackson, handed out Ambien to people on flights abroad, he broke the law, a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman said nyti.ms
10:01 AM - Apr 27, 2018

People who are not doctors similarly share this medication. 15 years ago I traveled to the UK with a girlfriend, who kindly provided a tablet one night when I was suffering from insomnia. Probably it was illegal — but would law enforcement actually go after someone (even a physician) who provided Ambien on an occasional basis?

233

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 8:46:37am

re: #232 Hecuba’s daughter

Two things:

1) he’s a doctor, and he’s a member of the US military. He knows or should know the law.

2) failing to properly prescribe medications as required by law repeatedly is a big no-no. People go to prison for it.You can lose your accreditation for that.

Jackson is (1) and did (2).

234

I Would Prefer Not To Apr 27, 2018 • 8:47:01am

Too good not to share

This brings me so much joy ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EPO2sYkWF4

— UnsilentMajority 🌹 (@The_UnSilent_) April 27, 2018

235

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 8:49:31am

re: #210 plansbandc

We no longer live in the age of reason. We live in the age of the flaming asshole.

What a time to be alive.

Every dog has it’s day.

Can we hasten the length of the day? Say maybe 20 minutes on Feb. 29th?

236

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 8:51:52am

Dem’s Russia report shows that @NRA was conduit for establishing a back channel between Trump campaign and Putin. #NRARussia #TrumpRussia pic.twitter.com/OSLkHFGy5e

— CSGV (@CSGV) April 27, 2018

237

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 8:57:11am

re: #201 goddamnedfrank

The infinite credulity white men will extend to other white men never ceases to amaze.

[Embedded content]

re: #227 danarchy

Us Vs Them is the title of Bremmer’s new book.

re: #185 Jenner7

[Embedded content]

What is happening?!?!

If Bremmer’s new book shows the same level of insight as his tweets, it’s probably not worth reading.

238

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 9:01:34am

re: #236 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

So, Jeff Sessions was a part of the NRA connection between Russia and Trump Campaign. I hope the little rat burns for this.

I wonder what the elder NRA members will think of all this? That would be the ones that served in the military during the cold war years. Many of them are most likely Trump and NRA supporters.

239

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 9:02:59am

re: #232 Hecuba’s daughter

People who are not doctors similarly share this medication. 15 years ago I traveled to the UK with a girlfriend, who kindly provided a tablet one night when I was suffering from insomnia. Probably it was illegal — but would law enforcement actually go after someone (even a physician) who provided Ambien on an occasional basis?

The way I read the reports on that, he was giving them Ambien to let them sleep, and then giving them another (don’t remember which) drug to wake them up.

Like I said yesterday - no wonder they’re all fucking crazy. They’re gobbling pills on every overseas trip. That’s gonna fuck you up after a while.

240

Colère Tueur de Lapin Apr 27, 2018 • 9:06:25am

re: #232 Hecuba’s daughter

People who are not doctors similarly share this medication. 15 years ago I traveled to the UK with a girlfriend, who kindly provided a tablet one night when I was suffering from insomnia. Probably it was illegal — but would law enforcement actually go after someone (even a physician) who provided Ambien on an occasional basis?

It is egregious for a physician to hand out prescription drugs to random people. It is violative of their DEA license. It’s not a “well, it’s ok, here, because friend.” It’s pushing the legal (and, by that, I mean it’s illegal) limits even when a spouse writes a scrip for mate. There is zero acceptability for a physician to hand out Schedule IV drugs (which is what Ambiem is) without an exam and prescription.

Ed-Scedule, not class

241

Mike Lamb Apr 27, 2018 • 9:07:27am

re: #238 ObserverArt

So, Jeff Sessions was a part of the NRA connection between Russia and Trump Campaign. I hope the little rat burns for this.

I wonder what the elder NRA members will think of all this? That would be the ones that served in the military during the cold war years. Many of them are most likely Trump and NRA supporters.

If he’s not burning for blatantly perjuring himself on multiple occasions, I suspect this will get a big yawn.

242

William Lewis Apr 27, 2018 • 9:07:45am

re: #238 ObserverArt

So, Jeff Sessions was a part of the NRA connection between Russia and Trump Campaign. I hope the little rat burns for this.

I wonder what the elder NRA members will think of all this? That would be the ones that served in the military during the cold war years. Many of them are most likely Trump and NRA supporters.

Won’t care because it’s all fake news created by libruls to hurt the ~~Glorious Leader~~ President.

Let’s face it, possibly aside from the ones who get free membership cards in the gun box, the membership of the NRA is quite happy with the evils they do.

243

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 9:12:26am

re: #242 William Lewis

Won’t care because it’s all fake news created by libruls to hurt the ~~Glorious Leader~~ President.

Let’s face it, possibly aside from the ones who get free membership cards in the gun box, the membership of the NRA is quite happy with the evils they do.

NRA members are like NRA leadership: they appear to be all on board with Putin. Putin isn’t a communist, he is a white oligarch whose goal is to enrich the rich, who murders those who oppose him, and who rules with an iron fist. From the NRA perspective, what’s not to like?

244

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 9:17:18am

re: #239 makeitstop

The way I read the reports on that, he was giving them Ambien to let them sleep, and then giving them another (don’t remember which) drug to wake them up.

Like I said yesterday - no wonder they’re all fucking crazy. They’re gobbling pills on every overseas trip. That’s gonna fuck you up after a while.

As others have said, since Jackson is a physician, what he did was wrong and he probably should lose his license over it, but if his only distribution was a single Ambien and a single upper on flights, that would not explain why they are crazy. It’s not these drugs, it’s their actual philosophy that poisons them.

245

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 9:17:36am

So…since I returned to LGF, I notice a large number of posts are Tweets now.

All I was getting was a blue-and-white rectangle with the text, and had to open it up in a new tab to see images, etc.

Then I noticed that if I started Firefox anew, the full tweets showed up. Great! But…any new comments were the same way—just the bare rectangle.

Finally started up Safari, and it displays all tweets like they should be.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to force Firefox to do the same? (I should point out I’m on FF 52 ESR, because the new crippled FF is unusable.)

I would really like to not have to have two browsers running at once, and I’m absolutely dependant on a number of FF extensions that the new version has abandoned. Safari extensions are worthless, and no—I’m not going to use Chrome.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

246

Barefoot Grin Apr 27, 2018 • 9:19:14am

At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all, since family names come before personal names in east Asian cultures, it’s most common to refer to someone like Kim Jong-un by Kim (but add the personal name Jong-un if a distinction has to be made; admission: I don’t know if the “un” should be capitalized). I remember American media continually flustered by Ban Ki-moon’s name: sometimes calling him Ban Ki, sometimes Ki-moon, sometimes Ban.

247

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 9:19:26am

Currently in Saudi Arabia:

It’s so odd.

There has not been a segregated (officially segregated) wrestling show in the US in several decades. Yet here is a show running on WWE today where the women can only attend with their husbands/family (note: no females on the set), single men who go to the show without their families are quarantined to particular sections, and the floor seats are comfy seats that an ordinary person couldn’t buy (presumably only royal family members and guests or otherwise very rich people), another form of social segregation.

248

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 9:21:29am

re: #245 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

So…since I returned to LGF, I notice a large number of posts are Tweets now.

All I was getting was a blue-and-white rectangle with the text, and had to open it up in a new tab to see images, etc.

Then I noticed that if I started Firefox anew, the full tweets showed up. Great! But…any new comments were the same way—just the bare rectangle.

Finally started up Safari, and it displays all tweets like they should be.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to force Firefox to do the same? (I should point out I’m on FF 52 ESR, because the new crippled FF is unusable.)

I would really like to not have to have two browsers running at once, and I’m absolutely dependant on a number of FF extensions that the new version has abandoned. Safari extensions are worthless, and no—I’m not going to use Chrome.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

People were having issues a few months back with Tweets. Many seemed to clear all that up with a clean up of your cache.

249

Aucun pays pour les vieux ennemis Apr 27, 2018 • 9:22:12am

Claims by Joy Reid’s Cybersecurity Expert Fall Apart

The Daily Beast investigated the MSNBC host’s claims that someone hacked her old blogs to make her appear homophobic and found that the evidence provided crumbles under scrutiny.

250

PhillyPretzel Apr 27, 2018 • 9:22:12am

re: #247 freetoken

It is Saudi Arabia. They are still in the dark ages. This is what DT and his cronies are trying to take us back to.

251

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 9:22:34am

re: #247 freetoken

Is anyone going to ask the WWE what values it stands for and take them to task for allowing itself to be used like this?

252

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 9:25:00am

re: #250 PhillyPretzel

It is Saudi Arabia. They are still in the dark ages. This is what DT and his cronies are trying to take us back to.

This also gives us a distorted view of Islam: a lot of Americans assume that since the Saudis are our allies, they must be the “moderate” Muslims and other nations even worse.

We ignore how they finance and spread the teaching of Wahabism, one of the most fundamentalist and virulently anti-Western strains of Islam in the world.

And we sure like to overlook how 15 of the 19 9/11 assailants along with Bin Laden himself came from there

253

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 9:25:25am

re: #244 Hecuba’s daughter

As others have said, since Jackson is a physician, what he did was wrong and he probably should lose his license over it, but if his only distribution was a single Ambien and a single upper on flights, that would not explain why they are crazy. It’s not these drugs, it’s their actual philosophy that poisons them.

It is not helping.

254

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 9:25:49am

re: #251 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

There has not been a segregated (officially segregated) wrestling show in the US in several decades. Yet here is a show running on WWE today where the women can only attend with their husbands/family (note: no females on the set), single men who go to the show without their families are quarantined to particular sections, and the floor seats are comfy seats that an ordinary person couldn’t buy (presumably only royal family members and guests or otherwise very rich people), another form of social segregation.

Is anyone going to ask the WWE what values it stands for and take them to task for allowing itself to be used like this?

McMahon’s son-in-law and deputy-guy-in-charge is part of the show and fielded questions from some media. His talking point is pretty standard, that this is just the beginning, change comes slowly, etc. etc. etc.

But WWE is running Saudi propaganda with their promotion of this show. This show’s propaganda is a whitewashing of the real KSA, while the images of the show I just put up tell another story, yet because of the glitz some people will buy into the propaganda anyway.

255

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 9:26:10am

re: #247 freetoken

Currently in Saudi Arabia:

[Embedded content]

It’s so odd.

There has not been a segregated (officially segregated) wrestling show in the US in several decades. Yet here is a show running on WWE today where the women can only attend with their husbands/family (note: no females on the set), single men who go to the show without their families are quarantined to particular sections, and the floor seats are comfy seats that an ordinary person couldn’t buy (presumably only royal family members and guests or otherwise very rich people), another form of social segregation.

I will admit, I’m going to watch the show when I get home today. On one level, I’m hoping HHH is right, that this sort of deal can be a shoehorn to help move Saudi Arabia toward modernization. On another, I’m curious to see how the crowd reacts to the show. And on another, I’m a (s)mark and want to watch wrestling.

256

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 9:27:24am

re: #250 PhillyPretzel

It is Saudi Arabia. They are still in the dark ages. This is what DT and his cronies are trying to take us back to.

Many in this country have remained in the Dark Ages all along. Trump invited them to step out in the light and be counted as his supporters.

257

Aucun pays pour les vieux ennemis Apr 27, 2018 • 9:29:08am

re: #239 makeitstop

The way I read the reports on that, he was giving them Ambien to let them sleep, and then giving them another (don’t remember which) drug to wake them up.

Like I said yesterday - no wonder they’re all fucking crazy. They’re gobbling pills on every overseas trip. That’s gonna fuck you up after a while.

Uppers and Downers

258

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 9:29:44am

re: #248 ObserverArt

People were having issues a few months back with Tweets. Many seemed to clear all that up with a clean up of your cache.

That’s interesting, but I’m constantly cleaning my cache anyway, just to free up disk space. (Can you tell I’m poor?)

259

Blind Frog Belly White Apr 27, 2018 • 9:30:43am

You know, to me KJU’s actions suggest less a man who has been successfully threatened into negotiating, and more a man who finally holds the cards he feels he needs.

We’ve had the ability to overthrow the NK regime since the 50s. It always came with a price, but that price - for us - was mostly limited to troops we had in SK. There was always the possibility we’d decide the price was acceptable.

Now, for the first time, NK can credibly threaten an attack on the US mainland that could kill millions. Right up until the large, successful Hydrogen bomb test last September and the successful test of a missile that could reach anywhere they seemed to be rushing headlong towards conflict.

Then they stopped, and started talking about peace. Trump, desperate for anything he can use to show how great he is, accepts an invitation for a summit. All the years NK’s nuclear program has been going on, and all the years before that, no American President agreed to meet. Now that NK presents a credible threat to us, NOW we agree to meet.

Trump wants people to see this as a strong leader using a credible threat to get a recalcitrant opponent to bend to that leader’s will. And it sure looks like it. Except the strong leader with the credible threat is Kim Jong Un, and the recalcitrant opponent who bends to his will is Trump.

260

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 9:31:33am

re: #257 Aucun pays pour les vieux ennemis

[Embedded content]

Now I gotta find that Puppy Uppers™/Doggy Downers™ SNL commercial….

261

dangerman Apr 27, 2018 • 9:31:48am

re: #239 makeitstop

The way I read the reports on that, he was giving them Ambien to let them sleep, and then giving them another (don’t remember which) drug to wake them up.

Like I said yesterday - no wonder they’re all fucking crazy. They’re gobbling pills on every overseas trip. That’s gonna fuck you up after a while.

So many times I said
I’d rather be dead
Than takin’ “downs” to go to bed
And “ups” to clear my head

sweetwater texas - charlie daniels band

262

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 9:33:05am

re: #252 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

This also gives us a distorted view of Islam: a lot of Americans assume that since the Saudis are our allies, they must be the “moderate” Muslims and other nations even worse.

We ignore how they finance and spread the teaching of Wahabism, one of the most fundamentalist and virulently anti-Western strains of Islam in the world.

And we sure like to overlook how 15 of the 19 9/11 assailants along with Bin Laden himself came from there

I used to call them “our friends” the Saudis. Our inability to hold our allies in the region to account (Saudi Arabia and Israel at the top of the list) for bad actions has been a key component in creating the mess that currently exists in the region.

263

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 9:33:10am

re: #251 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

There has not been a segregated (officially segregated) wrestling show in the US in several decades. Yet here is a show running on WWE today where the women can only attend with their husbands/family (note: no females on the set), single men who go to the show without their families are quarantined to particular sections, and the floor seats are comfy seats that an ordinary person couldn’t buy (presumably only royal family members and guests or otherwise very rich people), another form of social segregation.

Is anyone going to ask the WWE what values it stands for and take them to task for allowing itself to be used like this?

Capitalism at its finest — this is not the U.S. so they are not prohibited from excluding customers based on race/religion/gender. My sister has a friend visiting from Spain; the friend moved there in the 1970’s and visits here with her husband every couple years for several weeks.

She doesn’t understand why businesses are barred from discriminating based on whatever characteristics offend them; her view is private companies should be free to do what they want. She also didn’t understand why people would want to patronize an establishment that didn’t want them; as an example she gave a restaurant that they went to that had political signs that offended her, so they left.

We tried to explain that there is a difference between a customer refusing to give business to a company, and a company that refused to offer this business. She was young during the Civil Rights movement here and apparently never really learned the history of this country.

264

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 9:33:50am

The Air Force One theme song:

5:15 - Quadrophenia - The Who

265

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 9:34:32am

re: #260 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Now I gotta find that Puppy Uppers™/Doggy Downers™ SNL commercial….

never found drug humor very entertaining…not out of any moral sense, just too cheap a laugh

266

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 9:34:47am

re: #259 Blind Frog Belly White

Earlier I referenced the Weird History podcast series on Korea.

In it, the host/historian makes strongly the point that after WWII that North Korea was indeed better off than the South, which was mostly agricultural, and that dichotomy would continue through the Korean Conflict.

And given that, the leaders of NK since then have used that historical knowledge in the NK population to be able to sell the propaganda.

Given all of that, I strongly suspect that Kim knows that the ability to propagandize off of information from 60 years ago is waning.

So, Kim needs to be able to create a new story for his political/power apparatus.

267

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 9:36:59am

re: #263 Hecuba’s daughter

Capitalism at its finest — this is not the U.S. so they are not prohibited from excluding customers based on race/religion/gender. My sister has a friend visiting from Spain; the friend moved there in the 1970’s and visits here with her husband every couple years for several weeks.

She doesn’t understand why businesses are barred from discriminating based on whatever characteristics offend them; her view is private companies should be free to do what they want. She also didn’t understand why people would want to patronize an establishment that didn’t want them; as an example she gave a restaurant that they went to that had political signs that offended her, so they left.

We tried to explain that there is a difference between a customer refusing to give business to a company, and a company that refused to offer this business. She was young during the Civil Rights movement here and apparently never really learned the history of this country.

There is also a difference between a public business that uses public thoroughfares and infrastructure to grant access to its clientele and a private club or organization that can be selective but at the same time not openly accessible.

268

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 9:37:17am

BREAKING: Judge tosses ex-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort’s civil case challenging special counsel’s authority in Russia probe.

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 27, 2018

The odds Manafort flips just increased. This was always a longshot, but his lawyers at least had a strategy and a client who would listen to what they say.

They’re probably warning Manafort that his best strategy to avoid a terminal stay in federal prison is to flip on Trump, Kushner, and all the rest.

269

wrenchwench Apr 27, 2018 • 9:38:07am

re: #258 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

That’s interesting, but I’m constantly cleaning my cache anyway, just to free up disk space. (Can you tell I’m poor?)

So I just cleared my cache, closed Firefox and reopened it, and I still have the problem you described. I’ve switch to Chrome, and don’t have the problem there, but I would like to go back to Firefox. With tweets at LGF.

270

William Lewis Apr 27, 2018 • 9:39:06am

re: #254 freetoken

McMahon’s son-in-law and deputy-guy-in-charge is part of the show and fielded questions from some media. His talking point is pretty standard, that this is just the beginning, change comes slowly, etc. etc. etc.

But WWE is running Saudi propaganda with their promotion of this show. This show’s propaganda is a whitewashing of the real KSA, while the images of the show I just put up tell another story, yet because of the glitz some people will buy into the propaganda anyway.

To paraphrase an old atheist saying, change will come to the KSA when the last member of the royal family is strangled with the intestines of the last Wahhabi cleric … no, not literally, but the two aren’t going to let go of their power willingly.

271

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 9:39:07am

re: #267 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

There is also a difference between a public business that uses public thoroughfares and infrastructure to grant access to its clientele and a private club or organization that can be selective but at the same time not openly accessible.

Even private clubs rely on public thoroughfares and infrastructure for its clientele.

272

dangerman Apr 27, 2018 • 9:39:15am

re: #268 lawhawk

[Embedded content]

The odds Manafort flips just increased. This was always a longshot, but his lawyers at least had a strategy and a client who would listen to what they say.

They’re probably warning Manafort that his best strategy to avoid a terminal stay in federal prison is to flip on Trump, Kushner, and all the rest.

YouTube

273

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 9:39:56am

After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018

Trump thinks they got here because of Trump and maximum pressure.

Kim thinks they got there because of Kim and completion of the nuclear force.

Their summit will show who is right. https://t.co/TtDKSWJOMH

— Vipin Narang (@NarangVipin) April 27, 2018

Yeah pretty much this. Sets stage for one or both sides making impossible demands. And only one side’s done homework https://t.co/kPYduNvKsC

— Zeddy (@Zeddary) April 27, 2018

274

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 9:40:09am

re: #259 Blind Frog Belly White

You know, to me KJU’s actions suggest less a man who has been successfully threatened into negotiating, and more a man who finally holds the cards he feels he needs.

We’ve had the ability to overthrow the NK regime since the 50s. It always came with a price, but that price - for us - was mostly limited to troops we had in SK. There was always the possibility we’d decide the price was acceptable.

Now, for the first time, NK can credibly threaten an attack on the US mainland that could kill millions. Right up until the large, successful Hydrogen bomb test last September and the successful test of a missile that could reach anywhere they seemed to be rushing headlong towards conflict.

Then they stopped, and started talking about peace. Trump, desperate for anything he can use to show how great he is, accepts an invitation for a summit. All the years NK’s nuclear program has been going on, and all the years before that, no American President agreed to meet. Now that NK presents a credible threat to us, NOW we agree to meet.

Trump wants people to see this as a strong leader using a credible threat to get a recalcitrant opponent to bend to that leader’s will. And it sure looks like it. Except the strong leader with the credible threat is Kim Jong Un, and the recalcitrant opponent who bends to his will is Trump.

The conventional wisdom that North Korean leadership was just irrational always seemed to strike me as foolish. There is a very rational reason to pursue nuclear weapons. Countries with nuclear weapons don’t get invaded or otherwise have their governments overthrown. Countries without nuclear weapons have a less successful track record: South Africa; Libya; Iraq; Afghanistan.

And I’m not sure the sanctions on top of sanctions on top of sanctions approach was useful either. You force North Korea outside the normal world order, they can do as they please. If they’re better integrated into the world order, it’s harder for them to do things like constantly threaten war.

But diplomacy is hard and bombing the shit out of people is easy, especially with our military.

275

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 9:40:47am

re: #268 lawhawk

[Embedded content]

The odds Manafort flips just increased. This was always a longshot, but his lawyers at least had a strategy and a client who would listen to what they say.

They’re probably warning Manafort that his best strategy to avoid a terminal stay in federal prison is to flip on Trump, Kushner, and all the rest.

As others have said previously, Manafort is not going to flip; he’d rather go to prison than suffer a fatal dose of polonium.

276

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 9:41:00am

re: #269 wrenchwench

So I just cleared my cache, closed Firefox and reopened it, and I still have the problem you described. I’ve switch to Chrome, and don’t have the problem there, but I would like to go back to Firefox. With tweets at LGF.

Yeah, I’ve pored over Firefox preferences (which are very sparse anymore, compared to how they used to be) and can’t find anything that could be causing it.

277

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 9:42:11am

re: #274 KGxvi

Cyberwarfare and hacking make dropping bombs less necessary to do regime change/overthrow governments/change governments.

And for a fraction of the cost too.

278

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 9:43:17am

re: #274 KGxvi

The conventional wisdom that North Korean leadership was just irrational always seemed to strike me as foolish. There is a very rational reason to pursue nuclear weapons. Countries with nuclear weapons don’t get invaded or otherwise have their governments overthrown. Countries without nuclear weapons have a less successful track record: South Africa; Libya; Iraq; Afghanistan.

And I’m not sure the sanctions on top of sanctions on top of sanctions approach was useful either. You force North Korea outside the normal world order, they can do as they please. If they’re better integrated into the world order, it’s harder for them to do things like constantly threaten war.

But diplomacy is hard and bombing the shit out of people is easy, especially with our military.

Especially when Trump has decimated our State Department.

279

Blind Frog Belly White Apr 27, 2018 • 9:48:24am

re: #266 freetoken

Earlier I referenced the Weird History podcast series on Korea.

In it, the host/historian makes strongly the point that after WWII that North Korea was indeed better off than the South, which was mostly agricultural, and that dichotomy would continue through the Korean Conflict.

And given that, the leaders of NK since then have used that historical knowledge in the NK population to be able to sell the propaganda.

Given all of that, I strongly suspect that Kim knows that the ability to propagandize off of information from 60 years ago is waning.

So, Kim needs to be able to create a new story for his political/power apparatus.

Right. But if you’re a tinpot dictator over an impoverished country, and you need to ‘join the community of nations’, the last thing you want to do is go to them hat in hand. You need leverage. He sees what went on with Gaddafi after he gave up his nuclear program, and now with Iran after they struck a deal with us to give up theirs. Trump made it clear that the US can’t be relied on to honor a deal, that once you give up the leverage, you’re at our mercy. But it’s not just Trump - the GOP made it abundantly clear they didn’t want to honor the Iran deal, so you can’t trust a deal with us, even without Trump in the picture.

The last year or so, I figure, has been a high stakes game, where KJU gambled that he could get a credible deterrent in place before we freaked out enough about it to attack him. To me, it seems like he won that bet.

NOW, he can deal from a position of strength. NOW, he can make it look like he’s stepped back from the cliff. He can even let Trump have his little victory dance.

280

William Lewis Apr 27, 2018 • 9:49:14am

re: #245 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

I know you don’t want to hear it but Firefox has sucked so badly for years that I gave up on it ages ago. I think the only thing I still have Firefox on is also 52.0 ESR my Sun Solaris 10 (SPARC not i386) machine and that’s only because someone did the dirty work to build it (and then got laid off by Oracle) and I’m not up for porting Chromium.

Chrome, OTOH, pretty much “just works”.

281

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 9:49:26am

re: #268 lawhawk

[Embedded content]

The odds Manafort flips just increased. This was always a longshot, but his lawyers at least had a strategy and a client who would listen to what they say.

They’re probably warning Manafort that his best strategy to avoid a terminal stay in federal prison is to flip on Trump, Kushner, and all the rest.

Now he has to weigh the relative merits of a long stretch in Club Fed against the possibility of getting a polonium cocktail.

Like Simon and Garfunkel said, ‘Any way you look at it, you lose.’

282

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 9:49:54am

re: #277 lawhawk

Cyberwarfare and hacking make dropping bombs less necessary to do regime change/overthrow governments/change governments.

And for a fraction of the cost too.

True, but countries with nuclear weapons is still less likely to face the threat of regime change. Loose nukes aren’t good for anyone

283

William Lewis Apr 27, 2018 • 9:50:35am

re: #281 makeitstop

Now he has to weigh the relative merits of a long stretch in Club Fed against the possibility of getting a polonium cocktail.

Like Simon and Garfunkel said, ‘Any way you look at it, you lose.’

Witness Protection Program?

284

Blind Frog Belly White Apr 27, 2018 • 9:51:23am

Because both sides are the same, we should expect Elizabeth Warren to organize an open letter to Kim Jong Un warning that a future Congress will renege on any nuclear deal, and 46 Democrats will sign it, right? Consistent efforts to sabotage negotiations?

— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) April 27, 2018

285

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 9:51:56am

re: #281 makeitstop

Now he has to weigh the relative merits of a long stretch in Club Fed against the possibility of getting a polonium cocktail.

Like Simon and Garfunkel said, ‘Any way you look at it, you lose.’

There’s also the potential for a pardon and one way flight to Kerch.

286

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 9:52:11am

Even if—and I’m thoroughly unconvinced—NK has succeeded in testing a two-stage device, they could only possibly have so much plutonium from their tiny reactor in the time it was operating. The tests they’ve done must have used up a very large fraction of it, and if they are making two-stage bombs, remember now they need plutonium for the secondary’s spark plug as well. (We use Pu for the primary and U-235 for the spark plug, but they have no isotope separation facilities at all.)

They’ve put on the show they intended to put on, and it’s worked a treat—the West has fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

287

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 9:52:22am

Another thing to consider in the Manafort judge’s decision is that Gates may now see that Manafort isn’t playing, and that he might turn instead.

288

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 9:53:46am

re: #283 William Lewis

Witness Protection Program?

he would really have to disappear to some obscure mountain hamlet or deserted island

289

Hecuba's daughter Apr 27, 2018 • 9:55:51am

re: #284 Blind Frog Belly White

Brian Beutler
✔
@brianbeutler
Because both sides are the same, we should expect Elizabeth Warren to organize an open letter to Kim Jong Un warning that a future Congress will renege on any nuclear deal, and 46 Democrats will sign it, right? Consistent efforts to sabotage negotiations?
10:31 AM - Apr 27, 2018
4 4 Replies 195 195 Retweets 660 660 likes

The Democrats don’t need to do that; Trump has already demonstrated you cannot rely on any commitment from one administration to survive the next administration. Our word is no longer our bond.

290

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 9:58:45am

re: #283 William Lewis

Witness Protection Program?

That may be the greatest indignity of all, for a high roller like Manafort.

He might just shrug and say ‘Gimme the damn polonium.’ :)

291

Blind Frog Belly White Apr 27, 2018 • 10:00:15am

re: #286 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Even if—and I’m thoroughly unconvinced—NK has succeeded in testing a two-stage device, they could only possibly have so much plutonium from their tiny reactor in the time it was operating. The tests they’ve done must have used up a very large fraction of it, and if they are making two-stage bombs, remember now they need plutonium for the secondary’s spark plug as well. (We use Pu for the primary and U-235 for the spark plug, but they have no isotope separation facilities at all.)

They’ve put on the show they intended to put on, and it’s worked a treat—the West has fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

The IAEA seems to think differently Or am I missing something here?

292

Blind Frog Belly White Apr 27, 2018 • 10:01:02am

re: #289 Hecuba’s daughter

The Democrats don’t need to do that; Trump has already demonstrated you cannot rely on any commitment from one administration to survive the next administration. Our word is no longer our bond.

Hence KJU’s headlong rush to put a credible threat in place.

293

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 10:02:00am

re: #289 Hecuba’s daughter

The Democrats don’t need to do that; Trump has already demonstrated you cannot rely on any commitment from one administration to survive the next administration. Our word is no longer our bond.

Remember Bill Clinton negotiated the Agreed Framework, where we allowed China and SK to send NK enough food and fuel that they wouldn’t starve or freeze, and they agreed not to start up their little educational reactor and make any plutonium.

First thing Bush did (under the influence of John Bolton) was renege on that—and here we are.

P.S.: I don’t think Bolton will settle for any peace in the peninsula that doesn’t involve massive bloodshed.

294

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 10:02:19am

re: #289 Hecuba’s daughter

The Democrats don’t need to do that; Trump has already demonstrated you cannot rely on any commitment from one administration to survive the next administration. Our word is no longer our bond.

I keep thinking about the story of Trump wanting to negotiate a nuclear deal with the Soviets in the 80s and how he told the guy who actually got to negotiate the deal what he would do…

Apparently, Trump told the ambassador that what he would have done was get the Soviets in a room, get them comfortable, then walk in, yell “fuck you” and walk out.

I can see this meeting with Kim going the same way. At which point, I have no idea what we do, beyond what Jimmy Buffett said in Waiting for the Next Explosion - just dive under your desk and kiss your ass goodbye.

295

FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 Apr 27, 2018 • 10:10:58am

re: #286 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Even if—and I’m thoroughly unconvinced—NK has succeeded in testing a two-stage device, they could only possibly have so much plutonium from their tiny reactor in the time it was operating. The tests they’ve done must have used up a very large fraction of it, and if they are making two-stage bombs, remember now they need plutonium for the secondary’s spark plug as well. (We use Pu for the primary and U-235 for the spark plug, but they have no isotope separation facilities at all.)

They’ve put on the show they intended to put on, and it’s worked a treat—the West has fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

I’ve heard rumors that the extensive tunnel collapse following shortly after the last NK warhead test was more damaging to the program than initially considered. Suggesting that a number of chief scientists and technicians were killed in the accident.

296

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 10:13:16am

Developing: “Mass firings” at @RedState today. It’s about money and politics. Source says “they fired everybody who was insufficiently supportive of Trump.” https://t.co/h1aBVTlFHI

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 27, 2018

It is a cult of personality.

Trumpworld/GOP is now one huge cult totally divorced from reality, and this is just another symptom.

297

b.d. (Perfect Smokey Eye) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:13:39am

Happy Friday Lizards

‘Mass firing’ at conservative site RedState

money.cnn.com

“They fired everybody who was insufficiently supportive of Trump,” one of the sources who spoke with CNNMoney said, adding, “how do you define being ‘sufficiently supportive’ of Trump?”

298

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 10:14:19am

re: #296 lawhawk

Also, Salem Media is a supposedly “Christian” company that runs several religious websites.

So of course they’d go all-in with Trump.

299

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 10:14:52am

re: #295 FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀

I’ve heard rumors that the extensive tunnel collapse following shortly after the last NK warhead test was more damaging to the program than initially considered. Suggesting that a number of chief scientists and technicians were killed in the accident.

I’m not convinced they didn’t just blow up their entire remaining stockpile at once to convince the West that they finally were able to get more than their 6-8 KT yields they were previously stuck at—and that blew up the tunnel.

300

b.d. (Perfect Smokey Eye) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:15:29am

re: #296 lawhawk

[Embedded content]

It is a cult of personality.

Trumpworld/GOP is now one huge cult totally divorced from reality, and this is just another symptom.

The fired RedState guys can get some of those brand new coal mining jobs.

301

Weaselone Apr 27, 2018 • 10:17:09am

re: #273 lawhawk

I just assumed that this was brought on due to a change in the power dynamics. Kim’s ace in the hole was always that if a war occurred, millions of people in Seoul and the rest of South Korea would die (whether by nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and/or standard artillery). That was unacceptable to both the US and South Korea.

The Trump admin has made it clear that the deaths of millions of South Koreans means little to them if they can score a win. That’s still unacceptable for South Korea and it leaves North Korea with an ineffective hostage. The result is that both countries are making efforts to establish some sort of new status quo to replace the old one.

302

The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge Apr 27, 2018 • 10:17:14am

re: #296 lawhawk

[Embedded content]

It is a cult of personality.

Trumpworld/GOP is now one huge cult totally divorced from reality, and this is just another symptom.

Wasn’t Earwig sunna Earwig a never-trumper?

303

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 10:17:36am

re: #296 lawhawk

[Embedded content]

It is a cult of personality.

Trumpworld/GOP is now one huge cult totally divorced from reality, and this is just another symptom.

Fewer cranks writing fewer cranky wingnut bullshit is probably a net positive for the world. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.

304

Aucun pays pour les vieux ennemis Apr 27, 2018 • 10:17:37am

Trump supporters are a cult. They can’t handle being around reality-based people.

— Jeff “We call BS” Furlington (@FurlingtonJeff) April 27, 2018

305

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:18:07am

https://t.co/eylKaGWQOo
Veselnitskaya is suspected of being an intermediary for Russia’s Intel service

— Olga Lautman (@olgaNYC1211) October 4, 2017

Apparently the Republicans on House Intelligence Committee think meeting Russian spy Natalia Veselnitskaya by Trump Jr is just unfortunate. Unfortunately we knew last year she was a Kremlin stooge. https://t.co/CMtN0KaCxM

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 27, 2018

306

HappyWarrior Apr 27, 2018 • 10:21:47am

re: #305 jaunte

[Embedded content]

Meanwhile the House Republicans do think Diamond and Silk complaining about how hard it is being Trump lackeys on FB is.

307

Scottish Dragon Apr 27, 2018 • 10:22:24am

The rumors are true. There has been a mass firing at RedState, and those let go (including me) are all Trump critics. His supporters remain.

— Patterico (@Patterico) April 27, 2018

Wow. An ideological purge at RedState……

308

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 10:24:12am

re: #307 Scottish Dragon

[Embedded content]

Wow. An ideological purge at RedState……

Religions specialize in these things.

309

HappyWarrior Apr 27, 2018 • 10:25:48am

re: #308 freetoken

Religions specialize in these things.

So do ideological cults. Who’s running RS now? I was going to make a crack about so much for Erickson being anti-Trump but he’s not there anymoer IIRC.

310

Barefoot Grin Apr 27, 2018 • 10:27:39am

“Let a hundred schools of thought contend!”

311

Dr Lizardo Apr 27, 2018 • 10:28:07am

re: #307 Scottish Dragon

[Embedded content]

Wow. An ideological purge at RedState……

Just curious if there new chief editor’s name is Josif Vissariyonivich Dzughazvilli?

312

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 10:28:21am

re: #310 Barefoot Grin

“Let a hundred schools of thought contend!”

we tried that, but didn’t like the outcome, so fuck y’all get out

313

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:28:36am

this is just a shockingly irresponsible chyron from NY1 pic.twitter.com/Orq6dKwYAK

— David Mack (@davidmackau) April 27, 2018

TRUMP CLEARED IN RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION RUN BY MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENT’S OWN PARTY WHICH DEMOCRATS CALLED UNFINISHED AND WHICH WAS ACTUALLY ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH

— David Mack (@davidmackau) April 27, 2018

314

MsJ Apr 27, 2018 • 10:29:14am

re: #287 lawhawk

Another thing to consider in the Manafort judge’s decision is that Gates may now see that Manafort isn’t playing, and that he might turn instead.

Manafort won’t turn. He knows he’ll wind up falling off a balcony or being hit by a car or worse. He’s too far into Russia. And I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be safe even in witness protection.

315

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 10:29:37am

re: #311 Dr Lizardo

Just curious if there new chief editor’s name is Josif Vissariyonivich Dzughazvilli?

All members are now required to call each other Tovarisch.

316

Dr Lizardo Apr 27, 2018 • 10:29:41am

This looks promising. Opens this summer nationwide in the USA (June 1st, I believe):

Hereditary | Official Trailer HD | A24

317

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:30:21am

GOP Rejects Bid To Probe House Chaplain’s Firing https://t.co/nxSCIWaJp6 via @TPM

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 27, 2018

318

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:30:22am

re: #313 Backwoods_Sleuth

for chryon out loud

319

freetoken Apr 27, 2018 • 10:31:20am

re: #313 Backwoods_Sleuth

Just like “USA Radio News”, so many outlets are running highly propagandized versions of what is happening.

I get the feeling that the atavists and hate-right are in the process of tripling-down on Trump.

It’s as if they know that if Trump goes down bigly, that the majority of Americans will turn very much against the so-called self-identified “conservatives” that make up these groups.

320

Barefoot Grin Apr 27, 2018 • 10:31:32am

New House report has this ominous outreach email from longtime NRA official opening backchannel with Russia to Trump campaign Senior Advisor: “for reasons that we can discuss in person or on the phone” (see pg 23) https://t.co/Q2cpwW6iVC

— Eric Schultz (@EricSchultz) April 27, 2018

Actually on page 22, according to the thread.

321

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:31:47am

When the GOP leadership purges a chaplain for praying for the poor, you know there is no bottom.

322

HappyWarrior Apr 27, 2018 • 10:32:00am

re: #311 Dr Lizardo

Just curious if there new chief editor’s name is Josif Vissariyonivich Dzughazvilli?

And if they’ve erased the photos of the anti-Trump writers from past RS staff photos. Funny how RS sees this as okay but loves to cry about how the left “censored” Kevin Williamson.

323

HappyWarrior Apr 27, 2018 • 10:32:21am

re: #320 Barefoot Grin

[Embedded content]

NRA is crooked as shit. Lock em up.

324

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:32:33am

And there’s no reason to spend a millisecond listening to them talk about comity, respect or morality.

325

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:33:35am

They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
They eat us hungerly, and when they are full
They belch us.

— William Shakespeare (@Wwm_Shakespeare) April 27, 2018

326

b.d. (Perfect Smokey Eye) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:34:49am

First they came for the RedState writers

and I lmao.

327

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:37:28am

Raccoon 1: “Here’s the plan, you go in the house, act like a cat and they’ll give you food?

Raccoon 2: “what are cats like?”

Racoon 1: “I don’t know, just act natural”

Raccoon 2….

8/10 pic.twitter.com/BLuZxmozi7

— shit_reviews (@shit_reviews) April 18, 2018

328

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:37:45am

I love that all animals are friends with capybaras and scientists’ best explanation is “they’re very social animals,” which still doesn’t explain why they’re CHILL WITH LITERALLY EVERYTHING pic.twitter.com/JMDzkbCGWm

— rae paoletta (@PAYOLETTER) April 27, 2018

329

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:38:54am

re: #328 Backwoods_Sleuth

I love that all animals are friends with capybaras and scientists’ best explanation is “they’re very social animals,” which still doesn’t explain why they’re CHILL WITH LITERALLY EVERYTHING

they’re related to guinea pigs, which are very social animals

and they are large enough that they have few natural enemies

330

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 10:41:37am

Shot:

The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada & Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. It would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid. Why should we be supporting these countries when they don’t support us (including at the United Nations)?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2018

Chaser:

FIFA pointed to its rules governing the selection of the 2026 World Cup hosts on Friday, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump questioned supporting countries that lobby against a joint North American bid.

The governing body’s code of ethics prohibits government interference in all member countries’ respective national soccer federations, and the bidding regulations also warn against “any undue influence on the outcome.”

Maybe he’ll go to the World Cup in Russia this year (even though the USMNT didn’t qualify) and just fucking stay there.

331

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:44:10am

re: #330 KGxvi

The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada & Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. It would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid. Why should we be supporting these countries when they don’t support us (including at the United Nations)?

what kind of mindless choadwheedle is this? Countries lobby in their own interests, business and political, to convince FIFA to pick them as a World Cup location.

And what the fuck does that have to do with any other considerations outside of soccer?

332

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:47:41am

these outlets helped lie us into war. they spread racist filth about obama. sexist ideas around clinton. just an overall degradation of american life. they could have advocated for party and cause without doing those things. they never did. DIAF.

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) April 27, 2018

333

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:47:47am

“yes it’s a very interesting tacklebox sir, but… there’s no water around here” pic.twitter.com/GpL4nqI4O1

— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) April 27, 2018

CAN YOU TEACH ME HOW TO TEACH A SOCIALIST TO FISH? pic.twitter.com/anIdNYIzjH

— Ann Laabs (@AnnLaabs) April 27, 2018

all of the responses are hilarious.

334

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 10:47:50am

I’m watching the Twitter TL of a fired Red State writer, who looks as though he’s about to nuke Erick Son Of Erick from space.

Erickson’s apparently not taking calls today.

335

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:51:10am

re: #333 Backwoods_Sleuth

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

336

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 10:51:49am

re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

what kind of mindless choadwheedle is this? Countries lobby in their own interests, business and political, to convince FIFA to pick them as a World Cup location.

And what the fuck does that have to do with any other considerations outside of soccer?

Joint bids are becoming a thing in the World Cup. So the 2026 bid has the US hosting 60 games and Mexico and Canada get 10 games each. For this year’s tournament, there were two joint bids (Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands) and there is talk of Uruguay/Argentina/Paraguay doing a joint bid for 2030.

As to your second question: nothing, but in Trump’s mind, everything because America first or something.

337

Scottish Dragon Apr 27, 2018 • 10:52:09am

Very proud to be launching an amazing new cologne in our Duty Free shop. Limited stocks. Strictly first come, first serve. pic.twitter.com/px6L6kTLG1

— Stansaid Airport (@StansaidAirport) April 27, 2018

338

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:52:20am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

my best guess is that it has something to do with “give a man a fish….teach a man to fish…” however that phrase goes.

339

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:53:02am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

I cannot help but think of Brokeback Mountain...the wives knew the protagonists were up to something because their tackle boxes were unopened…DT and his partner are making sure they cover their tracks.

340

William Lewis Apr 27, 2018 • 10:53:08am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

“Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat every night.” A favorite fantasy of the right wing bootstrap people. I like to fuck with them by changing the last bit to “Teach a man to fish and he’ll drink beer all day.”

341

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:53:10am

re: #338 Backwoods_Sleuth

Oh yeah. “Give a man inherited wealth…”

342

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 10:53:22am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

I’m guessing it’s a play on ‘teach a man to fish…’

343

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 10:53:53am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

I don’t know, but I love how there’s just a book titled SOCIALISM.

344

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:54:50am

I wonder if they’re about to pull fish out of public waters.

345

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:54:51am

re: #343 KGxvi

I don’t know, but I love how there’s just a book titled SOCIALISM.

that was my first clue

346

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 10:55:17am

re: #338 Backwoods_Sleuth

my best guess is that it has something to do with “give a man a fish….teach a man to fish…” however that phrase goes.

then remove environmental controls so that all the fish die

get a job!

347

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 10:55:59am

Teach a man to dig and operate his own fish farm, and he’ll eventually pollute everyone’s water downstream unless we band together and tell him he can’t.

348

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 10:57:02am

re: #334 makeitstop

I’m watching the Twitter TL of a fired Red State writer, who looks as though he’s about to nuke Erick Son Of Erick from space.

Erickson’s apparently not taking calls today.

Apparently Erickson has invited all the fired writers to join him at his latest venture.

349

Joe Bacon 🌹 Apr 27, 2018 • 10:57:33am

re: #306 HappyWarrior

Meanwhile the House Republicans do think Diamond and Silk complaining about how hard it is being Trump lackeys on FB is.

Did Cheetolini pardon them yet?

350

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 10:57:35am

Former colleagues @msnbc @nbcnews say management is considering firing @joyannreid for alleged lies over her inflammatory blog history. Several talent have also argued the Reid controversies aren’t worth a weekend show whose ratings are “less than spectacular.” #media

— David Shuster (@DavidShuster) April 26, 2018

Are you still salty after being fired from MSNBC? https://t.co/LW9fB4TeSH

— GEEZY (@GRYKING) April 27, 2018

351

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 10:58:31am

re: #333 Backwoods_Sleuth

Give a man fire, and he’ll stay warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he’ll stay warm the rest of his life.

352

Barefoot Grin Apr 27, 2018 • 10:58:42am

re: #347 jaunte

Teach a man to dig and operate his own fish farm, and he’ll eventually pollute everyone’s water downstream unless we band together and tell him he can’t.

Teach a farmer to use banned pesticides and it’ll flow with rain into the fish farm killing all the fish. Teach a man to find a lawyer….

353

Joe Bacon 🌹 Apr 27, 2018 • 10:59:33am

re: #308 freetoken

Religions specialize in these things.

More proof that there is no difference between the Christian Right in the US and The Communist Party of the ol’ USSR.

354

Belafon Apr 27, 2018 • 11:00:43am

re: #350 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

When were these posts supposed to have been written?

355

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 11:01:27am

re: #354 Belafon

When were these posts supposed to have been written?

something like 10 years ago

356

Blind Frog Belly White Apr 27, 2018 • 11:02:07am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

McNaughton has a gift for unintentional self-parody

357

KGxvi Apr 27, 2018 • 11:02:22am

re: #351 Belafon

Give a man fire, and he’ll stay warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he’ll stay warm the rest of his life.

He’ll even stay warm for a bit after his life.

358

Backwoods_Sleuth Apr 27, 2018 • 11:02:31am

Mark? President Trump goofs up Lawrenceburg skier Nick Goepper’s name https://t.co/wJmj3HdN8b pic.twitter.com/MnxsdSynPG

— WCPO (@WCPO) April 27, 2018

WASHINGTON — We all need a do-over sometimes.

During a celebration for U.S. Olympic athletes at the White House Friday, President Daniel…er, Donald Trump mistakenly called Lawrenceburg skier and silver medalist Nick Goepper “Mark Goepper.”

He quickly corrected himself.

“Mark Goepper. Where’s Mark? Nick! Come here,” Trump said. “Nick! Nick! Where are you, Nick? Earned a silver as a slopestyle skier.”

Goepper, 23, laughed off the goof-up.

359

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 11:02:58am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

Isn’t that a salt water rig, maybe for shore/surf fishing?

360

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 11:03:14am

re: #356 Blind Frog Belly White

McNaughton has a gift for unintentional self-parody

It is kind of impressive how everything in his paintings has the same texture.

361

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) Apr 27, 2018 • 11:03:46am

re: #356 Blind Frog Belly White

McNaughton has a gift for unintentional self-parody

Bless him, he has a market who look on his artwork as deep and meaningful and pay him to turn it out so we can have fun parodying it…

362

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 11:03:47am

re: #333 Backwoods_Sleuth

Better a tacklebox than a shine box.

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) April 27, 2018

363

Joe Bacon 🌹 Apr 27, 2018 • 11:03:56am

re: #335 jaunte

What on earth did McNaughton intend this to mean? And, does he seriously think Trump has ever touched fishing tackle?

He’s equating Trump with Jay-Zuss the “fisher of men”…

364

Sir John Barron Apr 27, 2018 • 11:04:52am

re: #330 KGxvi

Shot:

Chaser:

Maybe he’ll go to the World Cup in Russia this year (even though the USMNT didn’t qualify) and just fucking stay there.

You’re incorrectly, inappropriately taking dTrumpf legally, literally not figuratively or metaphorically or categorically and also drump just not doing business as usual MAGA.

365

Mike Lamb Apr 27, 2018 • 11:05:29am

re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

what kind of mindless choadwheedle is this? Countries lobby in their own interests, business and political, to convince FIFA to pick them as a World Cup location.

And what the fuck does that have to do with any other considerations outside of soccer?

I just find it funny that two of the most corrupt organizations on the planet are sniping at one another about ethics and fairness.

366

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 11:06:28am

Patrick Meehan is resigning after previously saying he wouldn’t seek another term. He’s also agreed to paying back $39,000 for the severance payment he made for a previous harassment claim. https://t.co/j3us4VovVN

— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) April 27, 2018

367

makeitstop Apr 27, 2018 • 11:07:12am

re: #359 ObserverArt

Isn’t that a salt water rig, maybe for shore/surf fishing?

They’re goin’ to the beach once Trump teaches the Socialist to fish. Don’t you libtards know anything?

368

jaunte Apr 27, 2018 • 11:07:37am

pic.twitter.com/FodTgVximy

— Jack Hamilton (@jack_hamilton) April 27, 2018

369

lawhawk Apr 27, 2018 • 11:15:06am

re: #368 jaunte

Left: What’s Eli Manning doing meeting with Alec Baldwin dressed as Trump?
Right: Jesus comforts bug-eyed kitty who just witnessed the Manning-Baldwin meetup.

370

ObserverArt Apr 27, 2018 • 11:16:02am

re: #355 Backwoods_Sleuth

something like 10 years ago

Did I read a post earlier that implied it has been proven her blog was not hacked and that the comments in contention were homophobic?

Sounds like she is a bit of a jam. I like her, but I wondered a bit when the “I was hacked” excuse came out. That is so well worn now that it falls flat as an excuse almost from the get-go.

So, I just did a search and there was this: Vox - The Joy Reid controversy, from homophobic blog posts to a hacking claim, explained

The posts, for example, suggested — without much, if any, evidence — that Tom Cruise, Karl Rove, and Chief Justice John Robert’s son are gay. Other posts made derogatory remarks about gay people, claiming that “most straight people cringe at the sight of two men kissing” and that “adult gay men tend to be attracted to very young, post-pubescent types.” One post acknowledged, “Does that make me homophobic? Probably.”

These are different from previous blog posts that Reid apologized for in December 2017. In those past posts, Reid wrote that then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was gay, nicknamed him “Miss Charlie,” and claimed that he only married a woman for political purposes. Reid said her comments were “insensitive, tone-deaf and dumb. There is no excusing it — not based on the taste-skewing mores of talk radio or the then-blogosphere, and not based on my intentions.” Crist, who’s now a member of Congress, accepted her apology.

Instead of apologizing for the blog posts that were recently resurfaced, though, Reid has denied that she posted them altogether. In a statement to Mediate, Reid said that the blog posts were the work of hackers and “part of an effort to taint my character with false information by distorting a blog that ended a decade ago.”

There’s reason to be skeptical of the claim. For one, the blog posts were archived by internet crawlers and, in those archives, really dated to the mid-to-late 2000s — a time when Reid wasn’t an MSNBC host or even a widely known national figure, raising questions about why someone would bother hacking her. Some of Reid’s claims have also fallen apart under scrutiny. This has helped elevate the controversy further, as even some of Reid’s supporters have questioned why she didn’t just apologize instead of making assertions that many find literally unbelievable

As with many things in modern American life, this has also been highly politicized. Reid has become a major target of the left due to her criticisms of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during his bid against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, as well as conservatives due to her criticisms of President Donald Trump. Many of these critics have leveraged the current situation to try to end Reid’s career, while those who agree with her political positions have become some of her biggest defenders.

To understand how we got to this point, though, let’s start with the original blog posts..

…more ugh to the story at link…

Spy Auto

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