The Bob Cesca Podcast: The Late Great Hannibal Lecter

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

The Late Great Hannibal Lecter — Michael Cohen’s testimony in Trump’s criminal fraud trial continues. Trump says he won’t be “on the market” long if Melania left him. Why Republican cronies are showing up in court. That crazy NYT poll. Steve Bannon is going to prison, for real. Katie Britt proposes a database of pregnant people, and Trump will sign this into law. Contrarian voters throwing women and democracy under a bus because of their pet issue. Why Barron isn’t attending the RNC after all. Trump inexplicably praises Hannibal Lecter. Why was Trump campaigning in New Jersey? With Buzz Burbank, music by Matt Jaffe, Matt Springfield, and more!

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393 comments

silverdolphin May 14, 2024 • 2:31:10pm

Killed another thread. So here it is:

Dr. Stabby Calls For Overturning No-Fault Divorce Laws

It’s all about removing the agency of women. They will not be allowed to control their bodies or their marriages. Some are even discussing repealing thwe 19th Amendment giving women the vote.Just amazing.

Dangerman May 14, 2024 • 2:34:23pm

re: #1 silverdolphin

Killed another thread. So here it is:

Dr. Stabby Calls For Overturning No-Fault Divorce Laws

It’s all about removing the agency of women. They will not be allowed to control their bodies or their marriages. Some are even discussing repealing thwe 19th Amendment giving women the vote.Just amazing.

wait.
don’t states get a say in this? //

Colère Tueur de Lapin ✅ May 14, 2024 • 2:38:45pm

re: #128 silverdolphin

Had to check on the 3/4 states thing.
What does it take to repeal a constitutional amendment?

The Constitution’s Article V requires that an amendment be proposed by two-thirds of the House and Senate, or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. It is up to the states to approve a new amendment, with three-quarters of the states voting to ratifying it.

Nerdy Fish May 14, 2024 • 2:38:57pm

re: #2 Dangerman

wait.
don’t states get a say in this? //

Yes. Good, God-fearing, Christian states get a say. Those godless heathens in blue states are wrong and shouldn’t get a say in anything.

BeachDem May 14, 2024 • 2:45:55pm

HuffPo continues to have the best headlines.

CRINGE CAMEO: MAGA MIKE BOOTLICKS OUTSIDE COURT!

The Ghost of a Flea May 14, 2024 • 2:57:58pm

Louisiana moves to add abortion pills to list of controlled dangerous substances

Louisiana may soon become the first state in the country to pass a bill adding two common abortion pills to the state’s list of controlled dangerous substances, leading individuals who are caught with the drugs and lack authorization to potentially face years in prison.

Like the rest of the US deep south, Louisiana already bans almost all abortions. But recently, when a house committee in the Republican-controlled legislature debated a bill to ban people from performing abortions on people without their consent, lawmakers added an amendment to reclassify mifepristone and misoprostol, the two drugs typically used in medication abortions, as Schedule IV drugs.
Orange boxes and zip-loc bags in a basket
New laws help people in US states with bans get abortion pills: ‘Most people don’t know it’s available’
Read more

Under that amendment, a woman who obtains the drugs “for her own consumption” would not face penalties, but anyone who possesses them without a prescription or outside of normal medical practice could.

Eclectic Cyborg May 14, 2024 • 2:59:12pm

re: #6 The Ghost of a Flea

These cruel ass fuckers.

calochortus May 14, 2024 • 3:06:22pm

re: #1 silverdolphin

Killed another thread. So here it is:

Dr. Stabby Calls For Overturning No-Fault Divorce Laws

It’s all about removing the agency of women. They will not be allowed to control their bodies or their marriages. Some are even discussing repealing thwe 19th Amendment giving women the vote.Just amazing.

Well that should persuade women to avoid getting married.

Nerdy Fish May 14, 2024 • 3:08:24pm

re: #8 calochortus

Well that should persuade women to avoid getting married.

“Why won’t women have sex with us,” ask men who spend all their time making laws that punish women for having sex.

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 3:10:24pm

extremely boss move of the artist to paint him literally burning in hell

— Alice (@starinthetitle.bsky.social) 2024-05-14T21:40:12.060Z

gocart mozart May 14, 2024 • 3:11:25pm

Donald Trump in 2018: “Michael (Cohen) is a good person.”

We hope they play this in court. pic.twitter.com/oFb9p534dE

— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) May 14, 2024

calochortus May 14, 2024 • 3:12:27pm

Speaking of marriage, it’s Mr. C.’s and my 47th wedding anniversary. How could it have been that long?
I will be making sear-roasted salmon with beurre blanc, asparagus, and brown rice. Yum.
(No, we won’t be going out-he’s celiac and the risk of cross contamination of even gluten free items is just too great. Some years he cooks. Some years I do.)

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 3:13:12pm

I’ve noticed that if a Bluesky embed doesn’t appear correctly, you can click the post number to go that page and it often shows there.

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 3:14:43pm

I’m gonna have to complain again about the rate limits, because it just seems counter to the whole embedding concept for there to be rate limits. The point of embedded posts is to increase your visibility across the entire internet, you can’t have them failing to display properly this often.

Egregious Philbin May 14, 2024 • 3:15:30pm

re: #10 Charles Johnson

Looks like a new episode of “Night Gallery”

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 14, 2024 • 3:17:30pm

You have come a long way baby.

The Ghost of a Flea May 14, 2024 • 3:18:03pm

re: #10 Charles Johnson

You know, as a portrait I actually like it.

Kind of weird for a king, but it’s a bold choice to just sort of be adrift in magenta.

Joe Bacon ✅ May 14, 2024 • 3:25:44pm

re: #16 PhillyPretzel ✅

[Embedded content]

You have come a long way baby.

1975…I received a scholarship to get this…

Ace Rothstein May 14, 2024 • 3:26:19pm

re: #11 gocart mozart

Yeah, but that was before he did this.

Eclectic Cyborg May 14, 2024 • 3:26:44pm

re: #14 Charles Johnson

Please do. I hate that the embeds don’t currently work on mobile.

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 14, 2024 • 3:27:00pm

re: #18 Joe Bacon ✅

And if I recall correctly it ran off of a 9 volt battery.

A Three Hour Tour May 14, 2024 • 3:32:49pm

re: #16 PhillyPretzel ✅

I still prefer using an actual pocket calculator than the calculator function on my Fire tablet.

Joe Bacon ✅ May 14, 2024 • 3:34:11pm

re: #21 PhillyPretzel ✅

And if I recall correctly it ran off of a 9 volt battery.

It had a Ni-Cad rechargeable battery pack that lasted 45 minutes…

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 14, 2024 • 3:34:23pm

re: #22 A Three Hour Tour

I understand. That is why I have held onto the old TI-30 Solar.

retired cynic May 14, 2024 • 3:42:01pm

Jay C May 14, 2024 • 3:43:56pm

re: #22 A Three Hour Tour

I still prefer using an actual pocket calculator than the calculator function on my Fire tablet.

I feel the same way about the calculator app on my iPad: at least the cheap pocket machine doesn’t barrage me with ads…

EstebanTornado1963 May 14, 2024 • 3:44:31pm

Ari, letting some trump sycophant try and paint cohen as the bad guy and not to be believed as but a liar. Another loser trying to blame shit on everybody else except trump.

sizzzzlerz May 14, 2024 • 3:46:09pm

re: #22 A Three Hour Tour

I still prefer using an actual pocket calculator than the calculator function on my Fire tablet.

We, the members on the Anachronistic Society for the Preservation of Old Timey Stuff, do hereby scoff at your “pocket calculator”, preferring a slide rule for our mathematical figurin’. Batteries not required.

gocart mozart May 14, 2024 • 3:46:56pm

How did I not know this existed and why does it sound like shit?

Jimi Hendrix & John McLaughlin - Record Plant, New York, March 25, 1969

gocart mozart May 14, 2024 • 3:58:00pm

A White man harassing a Black American woman at the supermarket, and she let’s him know…”she’s not the one!”. pic.twitter.com/cS7VNPPSF4

— Cornbread Mafioso 🖕🏾 (@Soulful1865) May 14, 2024

Yeah Sure WhatEVs May 14, 2024 • 4:01:09pm

re: #30 gocart mozart

And she uses a mobility scooter! Still knocked his MAGA ass out. You go girl! 😂😂😂😂😂

Vicious Babushka May 14, 2024 • 4:02:08pm

NOT THE PITCHBOT

Mastodon

Jay C May 14, 2024 • 4:06:44pm

Back in the day….

images.app.goo.gl

I used one of these when I was in college: I got one from my father’s company: he had purchased some at the “bulk” price of a mere $79.95 each (in 1974 dollars). I lucked out: the school (USC) had only just allowed the use of electronic calculators in classes/exams: the main argument being that they were just electrified versions of the already-permitted slide rules…

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 4:13:28pm

re: #29 gocart mozart

How did I not know this existed and why does it sound like shit?

[Embedded content]

Yeah, it isn’t great. That’s why you never heard of it.

Dangerman May 14, 2024 • 4:30:20pm

re: #24 PhillyPretzel ✅

I understand. That is why I have held onto the old TI-30 Solar.

So you can calculate when the power’s out

TedStriker May 14, 2024 • 4:36:11pm

re: #19 Ace Rothstein

Yeah, but that was before he did this.

[Embedded content]

“And, now, it’s all over.”

Vicious Babushka May 14, 2024 • 4:38:01pm

NYT thinks Mango Mussolini’s lawyers aren’t putting up a good defense, so they are going to do their (the lawyers) jobs for them.

Mastodon

wrenchwench May 14, 2024 • 4:39:59pm

re: #37 Vicious Babushka

NYT thinks Mango Mussolini’s lawyers aren’t putting up a good defense, so they are going to do their (the lawyers) jobs for them.

[Embedded content]

I hope the jury was instructed to not read the NYT until the trial is over.

Dangerman May 14, 2024 • 4:42:03pm

re: #38 wrenchwench

I hope the jury was instructed to not read the NYT ~~until the trial is over~~.

jeffreyw May 14, 2024 • 4:43:55pm

roger rabbit-ass car. beep beep here i come driving to work in toon town and all the gay flowers are waving to me

— merritt k (@merrittk.com) 2024-05-14T15:22:57.027Z

Dangerman May 14, 2024 • 4:44:50pm

It was a remarkable moment in modern American politics: The House speaker amplifying Trump’s defense and turning the Republican Party against the federal and state legal systems that are foundational to the U.S. government and a cornerstone of democracy.”
“Johnson, who is second in line for the presidency, called the court system ‘corrupt.’”

Well that’s what tfg said as president

Dangerman May 14, 2024 • 4:47:21pm

Rando

“Never before in history have so many Ahabs lashed themselves so firmly to such a monstrous Moby Dick. Harpoons away, me hearties! Never fight uphill, me lads!”

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 4:48:28pm

Never change, New York Times.

Dangerman May 14, 2024 • 4:48:49pm

re: #41 Dangerman

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) not pulling any punches re: Speaker Mike Johnson appearing at Trump’s NYC trial. pic.twitter.com/gKeDrUqD8Z

— Riley Rogerson (@riley_rogerson) May 14, 2024

The Ghost of a Flea May 14, 2024 • 4:50:32pm

re: #44 Dangerman

Fundamentalist theocrat and adjudicated sexual assailant con man are the two real genders.

wrenchwench May 14, 2024 • 4:55:18pm

Mom is feeling better. She told me there is now an organization in California tracking the murders of children involved in custody cases. I don’t know what year, but one recent year, there were 93 such murders. 50 of those involve a judge’s decision for the child[ren] to be with the murderer (almost always the father). Mom had a long career in family law, and I can tell she’s feeling better when her stories start with somebody saying to her, ‘I know you’re not practicing law any more, but…’

Unabogie May 14, 2024 • 5:03:38pm

re: #32 Vicious Babushka

NOT THE PITCHBOT

[Embedded content]

Do any of his defenders ever claim he never paid the hush money or had the affair(s) while his 3rd wife had his kid?

I mean, I’m older but not that old and I distinctly recall them making a huge deal out of the “Clenis” and how “character matters.”

Unabogie May 14, 2024 • 5:04:38pm

re: #46 wrenchwench

Mom is feeling better. She told me there is now an organization in California tracking the murders of children involved in custody cases. I don’t know what year, but one recent year, there were 93 such murders. 50 of those involve a judge’s decision for the child[ren] to be with the murderer (almost always the father). Mom had a long career in family law, and I can tell she’s feeling better when her stories start with somebody saying to her, ‘I know you’re not practicing law any more, but…’

My wife’s aunt is a retired investigator of elder abuse in nursing homes. She’s pretty freaking jaded.

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 5:06:24pm

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:06:46pm

Michael Cohen is amazingly composed these days. I never would have thought he had it in him, from the first time I saw him acting like a total fucking asshole for Trump.

Unabogie May 14, 2024 • 5:08:18pm

re: #50 Charles Johnson

Michael Cohen is amazingly composed these days. I never would have thought he had it in him, from the first time I saw him acting like a total fucking asshole for Trump.

I still have a massive distrust of all of these Trump turncoats. They were happy to help That Creature until they got shoved out. There is no cookie for doing the bare minimum in opposing a monster.

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:10:22pm

re: #51 Unabogie

He’s still a jerk, no doubt, but he actually did time for his crimes and I have to give him credit for coming out the other side of that and trying to make things right.

jaunte May 14, 2024 • 5:12:39pm

re: #37 Vicious Babushka

the only personal account tying the former president to falsified documents

How Does Organized Crime Work

Unabogie May 14, 2024 • 5:13:34pm

re: #52 Charles Johnson

He’s still a jerk, no doubt, but he actually did time for his crimes and I have to give him credit for coming out the other side of that and trying to make things right.

I get that. I find myself listening to The Bulwark podcast, and there are tons of folks on there like George Conway and Michael Steele. I think Tim Miller seems like a decent guy I could argue politics with, but he was clear-eyed about MAGA from the start. Anyone who would follow a guy like Trump, in the sycophantic way Cohen does, is probably just swapping one grift for another.

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:14:02pm

I still encounter people occasionally who think I’m the biggest fucking asshole on the internet, so hey.

danarchy May 14, 2024 • 5:15:14pm

re: #52 Charles Johnson

He’s still a jerk, no doubt, but he actually did time for his crimes and I have to give him credit for coming out the other side of that and trying to make things right.

He doesn’t give a damn about “making things right”, He wants revenge and to maybe get his probation lifted. For the moment his goals have him pointed in the right direction.

wrenchwench May 14, 2024 • 5:16:46pm

Mom also told me an old client story. A woman went to her priest after 10 years of marriage, to tell him she can’t handle it any longer. He tells her she has to stay, ‘for the children’. She sees this priest 20 years later, and he says, ‘I’m sorry! I was wrong!’ Mom’s not a great story teller, but the point is, most people can learn. It might take them a while…

gocart mozart May 14, 2024 • 5:17:01pm

New data shows this has not improved since last year. If anything it’s stayed exactly the same. We need to seek solutions and some people might not like it, but we have to do something. https://t.co/9qBL40FdUD

— Rep. Jack Kimble (@RepJackKimble) May 14, 2024

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:17:08pm

Crow vs. Cat

Crow annoys cat

Unabogie May 14, 2024 • 5:18:06pm

re: #55 Charles Johnson

I still encounter people occasionally who think I’m the biggest fucking asshole on the internet, so hey.

I thought about this as I typed that, and I definitely know that minds can change. I just don’t think Michael Cohen is a good person like you are.

wrenchwench May 14, 2024 • 5:18:15pm

re: #55 Charles Johnson

I still encounter people occasionally who think I’m the biggest fucking asshole on the internet, so hey.

At least very few of those are registered here these days.

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:21:09pm

re: #61 wrenchwench

we hope!

teleskiguy May 14, 2024 • 5:22:38pm

Picked this up in Steamboat Springs today. Close friend sold it to me for a criminally low price.

Mastodon

Rightwingconspirator May 14, 2024 • 5:23:46pm

re: #62 Charles Johnson

we hope!

Trust it is so. The demise of that other site tells the tale.

Jay C May 14, 2024 • 5:24:01pm

re: #55 Charles Johnson

I still encounter people occasionally who think I’m the biggest fucking asshole on the internet, so hey.

Relics from the ancient, Pre-Enlightenment LGF, or fools still confusing you with Floor-Pooping Chuckie…?

Romantic Heretic May 14, 2024 • 5:25:12pm

re: #58 gocart mozart

GQP’s response to that chart: Excellent! Before long Americans will be perfect serfs. Ignorant and happy to be lead by the nose.

Patricia Kayden May 14, 2024 • 5:25:18pm

wrenchwench May 14, 2024 • 5:27:54pm

re: #59 Charles Johnson

Crow vs. Cat

[Embedded content]

Video

@MadCanuk

Image library, page 32

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:28:44pm

re: #65 Jay C

Relics from the ancient, Pre-Enlightenment LGF, or fools still confusing you with Floor-Pooping Chuckie…?

They come from all walks of life. If you’re on the internet not trying to hide your identity and enough people agree with your political opinions, there will inevitably be the other ones who hate you until they die.

wrenchwench May 14, 2024 • 5:29:20pm

re: #63 teleskiguy

Picked this up in Steamboat Springs today. Close friend sold it to me for a criminally low price.

[Embedded content]

Works with or without snow!

jaunte May 14, 2024 • 5:31:40pm

“…In a review of commenters’ posts on three pro-Trump websites, including the former president’s own Truth Social platform, Reuters documented more than 150 posts since March 1 that called for physical violence against the judges handling three of his highest-profile cases - two state judges in Manhattan and one in Georgia overseeing a criminal case in which Trump is accused of illegally seeking to overturn the state’s 2020 election results.”

reuters.com

William Lewis May 14, 2024 • 5:33:11pm

Florida Panhandler May 14, 2024 • 5:33:21pm

re: #44 Dangerman

[Embedded content]

We need a Democratic full court press full of this.

Full blast.

Both barrels from now to Election.

William Lewis May 14, 2024 • 5:33:26pm

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 5:34:56pm

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:35:19pm

There are probably still people out there who hate me for something I said when I was an Atari software developer. Srsly.

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:37:44pm

We need a gag order on the whole fucking Republican Party.

— Charles Johnson (@charles.littlegreenfootballs.com) 2024-05-15T00:32:39.000Z

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 5:39:44pm

re: #76 Charles Johnson

There are probably still people out there who hate me for something I said when I was an Atari software developer. Srsly.

Missile Command rocked…even if it was 8 bit. Space Invaders cassette was also good.

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 5:41:52pm

Nikki coming in at a cool 25% right now with a quarter of the vote counted in Maryland.

Charles Johnson May 14, 2024 • 5:45:16pm

I am doing my best to ignore all polls because they are all shite now.

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 14, 2024 • 5:46:12pm

re: #80 Charles Johnson

Same here. It is not easy.

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 5:49:00pm

re: #80 Charles Johnson

I am doing my best to ignore all polls because they are all shite now.

I just like seeing the orange turd losing 1 in 4 Republican votes. Gives me hope for November.

wrenchwench May 14, 2024 • 5:50:34pm

re: #80 Charles Johnson

I am doing my best to ignore all polls because they are all shite now.

But we’re going from the ‘small, weeping feces’ to

‘healthy, pretty poop’

Decatur Deb May 14, 2024 • 5:53:12pm

re: #58 gocart mozart

A whopping 25% of American students in the bottom quartile on standardized tests
Image

Except in Lake Woebegone, where all the children are above average.

Patricia Kayden May 14, 2024 • 5:53:18pm

Yeah Sure WhatEVs May 14, 2024 • 6:01:00pm

re: #56 danarchy

He doesn’t give a damn about “making things right”, He wants revenge and to maybe get his probation lifted. For the moment his goals have him pointed in the right direction.

Perfect encapsulation.

jaunte May 14, 2024 • 6:02:21pm

Greg Abbott helped take over the Houston Independent School District in order to begin destroying teachers’ unions and public education. Naturally, they couldn’t wait to start the looting:

Texas teachers unions are calling for the resignation of HISD Superintendent Mike Miles and a federal investigation after an explosive report from Spectrum TV news alleged that state taxpayer funds had been funneled into charter schools in Colorado that Miles helped to found.
…..

After abruptly leaving office as the superintendent of Dallas ISD in 2015, Miles went on to lead a chain of charter schools called Third Future, operating in Colorado, Texas and Louisiana. In 2023, the Texas Education Agency tapped Miles to lead the Houston ISD, but he stayed on Third Future as a consultant, Spectrum reported. Spectrum alleged that during Miles’ time with the charter school network millions of dollars in state education funding meant for Third Future’s Ector College Prep in Odessa instead went to the company’s cash-strapped charter schools in Colorado.

Anderson called the news an “outrageous betrayal of trust.”

“The corruption of this deal stretches beyond just Mike Miles - the board of managers is also complicit in this shadowy scheme by failing to provide oversight and transparency,” [Houston Federation of Teachers president Jackie] Anderson continued. “Greg Abbott’s takeover of our schools has failed. Teachers, students and their families deserve better.”
https://www.lmtonline.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/mike-miles-charter-school-funding-19457376.php

Axolotl May 14, 2024 • 6:06:40pm

re: #58 gocart mozart

[Embedded content]

Wow

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 14, 2024 • 6:14:08pm

This dropped today:

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power - Official Teaser Trailer | Prime Video

..

And as we should expect, the comments to that are off-the-scale dude-bro whining.

The Chrome utility I have to reveal the thumbs up/down ratio, which I realize is never accurate, currently shows 50k up, 183k down, quite the ratio.

I’m not even going to bother to go on Shitter and look at the whining.

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 14, 2024 • 6:16:13pm

Who knew that having dark skinned elves and dark skinned dwarves would provoke a global existential crisis?

Nerdy Fish May 14, 2024 • 6:17:27pm

re: #90 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus

Who knew that having dark skinned elves and dark skinned dwarves would provoke a global existential crisis?

Wait, this show is old news. Or did they pick it up for another season?

William Lewis May 14, 2024 • 6:31:14pm

Let’s say I need to find a machinist to do a small bit of work for me. How do I go about finding a good one and how do I determine a fair price for the work I’m looking to get done?

Decatur Deb May 14, 2024 • 6:33:48pm

re: #92 William Lewis

Let’s say I need to find a machinist to do a small bit of work for me. How do I go about finding a good one and how do I determine a fair price for the work I’m looking to get done?

Local Astronomy club or classic car club.

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 14, 2024 • 6:48:25pm

re: #91 Nerdy Fish

Wait, this show is old news. Or did they pick it up for another season?

It’s the season 2 trailer, released today.

Nerdy Fish May 14, 2024 • 6:49:28pm

re: #94 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus

It’s the season 2 trailer, released today.

Yeah, they were mad about it when the season 1 trailer dropped. I’m not surprised it’s more of the same. I’m actually surprised they went through with season 2, after all the outcry about how Black Dwarves are ruining their white power fantasy.

Vicious Babushka May 14, 2024 • 6:57:58pm

Mastodon

William Lewis May 14, 2024 • 7:03:23pm

re: #95 Nerdy Fish

Yeah, they were mad about it when the season 1 trailer dropped. I’m not surprised it’s more of the same. I’m actually surprised they went through with season 2, after all the outcry about how Black Dwarves are ruining their white power fantasy.

Going to be even BIGGER shrieks of hatred about the Asian elves in season 2. Count on it. The Wig comments on the trailer are already mind mindbogglingly stupid.

(((Archangel1))) May 14, 2024 • 7:05:09pm

I’ve seen enough: Angela Alsobrooks (D) wins the #MDSEN Dem primary, defeating David Trone (D).

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) May 15, 2024

Nerdy Fish May 14, 2024 • 7:09:31pm

re: #98 (((Archangel1)))

I don’t know anything about this race, is there good context somewhere?

100

Jay C May 14, 2024 • 7:11:41pm

re: #95 Nerdy Fish

Yeah, they were mad about it when the season 1 trailer dropped. I’m not surprised it’s more of the same. I’m actually surprised they went through with season 2, after all the outcry about how Black Dwarves are ruining their white power fantasy.

Most likely, Amazon consulted the ancient Elvish scrolls wherein the lore of the budgets be inscribed, and figured out that since they had already committed enough treasure to make Smaug’s Hoard look like pocket-change, they might as well go ahead and produce the rest of the planned material (ISTR three seasons?? Probably wrong) - Tolkienophile pedantry and racist maunderings from the dudebros notwithstanding.

Maybe a minority opinion, but I actually liked RoP: to be sure, it wasn’t *really* Tolkien; but outside of that, it was impressive enough. And with a Prime subscription, worth the cost…

101

Nerdy Fish May 14, 2024 • 7:14:01pm

re: #100 Jay C

Maybe a minority opinion, but I actually liked RoP: to be sure, it wasn’t *really* Tolkien; but outside of that, it was impressive enough. And with a Prime subscription, worth the cost…

I thought it was okay. I wasn’t wowed by it in the manner of the Peter Jackson epic trilogy, but it told a good story and generally (with a few quibbles in detail, but such is Christopher Tolkien’s style) kept to the theme handed down by the original author.

102

Colère Tueur de Lapin ✅ May 14, 2024 • 7:19:32pm

re: #99 Nerdy Fish

Trone is a mega owner of big liquor. He’s been burning his money in an attempt to buy political power. We laugh.

103

BeachDem May 14, 2024 • 7:24:16pm

re: #99 Nerdy Fish

I don’t know anything about this race, is there good context somewhere?

washingtonpost.com

104

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 14, 2024 • 7:24:33pm

re: #100 Jay C

Maybe a minority opinion, but I actually liked RoP: to be sure, it wasn’t *really* Tolkien; but outside of that, it was impressive enough. And with a Prime subscription, worth the cost…

In the LotR appendices, the one appendix which was the outline of the timeline of the Ages, Tolkien had in the year 1000 of the 2nd Age that Sauron established Mordor.

That is what season 1 was about, that one entry in the timeline.

So the RoP writers had to expand on a scenario that could make that happen.

The problem is that RoP wanted to compress the timeline, so the end of the 2nd Age is happening simultaneously with the establishing of Mordor in the middle of the 2nd Age.

In my opinion, what hurt RoP season 1 was way too much mystery boxing by the showrunners. Instead of having the drama carry the story they wanted the mysteries to carry the story.

And fundamentally, Prime Video demanded something that could not be sufficient: they only wanted to pay for 8 episodes which was insufficient for the size of the cast and the scope of the story.

I couldn’t buy-in to any character because they were on the screen for too few scenes. In the end I didn’t really care what happened to any character.

It was the perfect storm of a studio which had its own agenda, and showrunners/writers with too big of ideas.

105

William Lewis May 14, 2024 • 7:25:37pm

re: #101 Nerdy Fish

I thought it was okay. I wasn’t wowed by it in the manner of the Peter Jackson epic trilogy, but it told a good story and generally (with a few quibbles in detail, but such is Christopher Tolkien’s style) kept to the theme handed down by the original author.

Not as good as LotR or even the bloated Hobbit but still better than the stink of Wheel of Time to me.

106

(((Archangel1))) May 14, 2024 • 7:28:06pm

re: #99 Nerdy Fish

I don’t know anything about this race, is there good context somewhere?

Alsobrooks is the Executive of Maryland’s Prince George’s County. She’s the more liberal Democratic establishment candidate, and her rallies included high-profile Dems both in and out of the state.

Rep. David Trone is the current U.S. representative for Maryland’s 6th congressional district. A co-founder and co-owner of Total Wine & More (which has $6 billion in annual revenue), he self-funded his primary campaign, spending over $51 million compared to Alsobrook’s $6 million.

Having won the primary, Alsobrooks will now go on to face former Republican Governor and never-Trumper Larry Hogan, who won the GOP primary, in the elections.

107

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 14, 2024 • 7:28:23pm

Warner Bros also announced a LOTR new movie.

Andy Serkis is directing, Peter Jackson is the producer.

It’s supposed to be about the search for Gollum, done by a younger Aragorn.

Due out in 2026.

108

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 7:30:44pm

Kiss your ass good-bye.

Click to Reveal

109

Eclectic Cyborg May 14, 2024 • 7:35:13pm

re: #80 Charles Johnson

I am doing my best to ignore all polls because they are all shite now.

Same. I’m also hoping the Gaza people don’t fuck things up for us all.

110

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 7:42:22pm

re: #109 Eclectic Cyborg

Same. I’m also hoping the Gaza people don’t fuck things up for us all.

I think Americans are so disconnected from world issues anymore that a little genocide in Palestine won’t move the needle, as pathetic as that may sound. One of Trump’s legacies (with a little help from social media saturation wearing out every concern or traumatic event with even more gore to explore). Hell, we’re at the point where a mass shooting doesn’t hold the headlines for more than a day unless it’s still happening.

111

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 7:49:54pm

Mastodon

112

Vicious Babushka May 14, 2024 • 7:55:03pm

Mastodon

113

Vicious Babushka May 14, 2024 • 7:57:06pm

re: #112 Vicious Babushka

stupidass embeds.

114

jaunte May 14, 2024 • 8:01:38pm

re: #113 Vicious Babushka

“They told me there would be candy.”

115

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 8:02:42pm

re: #112 Vicious Babushka

I got some interesting behavior: the post was cut off, but I could click on the top of the image. When I did, it showed up tiny, but when I closed it, then the embed expanded to full size.

116

BeenHereAwhile May 14, 2024 • 8:03:37pm

re: #92 William Lewis

Let’s say I need to find a machinist to do a small bit of work for me. How do I go about finding a good one and how do I determine a fair price for the work I’m looking to get done?

Farmer’s Co-Op, small engine repair shop, independent garage; those should give you some leads of where & where not to go.

117

DodgerFan1988 May 14, 2024 • 8:08:17pm

MAGA is big mad that Secretary of State Antony Blinken teamed up with Ukrainians in the band 19.99 at a bar in Kyiv and performed Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.”

Rock on, Tony!

🍿 pic.twitter.com/fJsBbDniGU

— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) May 14, 2024

118

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 8:08:43pm

re: #92 William Lewis

Let’s say I need to find a machinist to do a small bit of work for me. How do I go about finding a good one and how do I determine a fair price for the work I’m looking to get done?

My neighbor’s got some fancy ass machinist tools in his garage. When he was installing a bidet in their bathroom the threading on the unit wasn’t right, so he re-threaded it.

He gave a set of dies away recently that he had duplicates of…to me he gave a 100+ piece drill bit set ( I posted a pic here a few months ago ).

He’s a good neighbor.

119

Vicious Babushka May 14, 2024 • 8:11:20pm

re: #115 Belafon

I got some interesting behavior: the post was cut off, but I could click on the top of the image. When I did, it showed up tiny, but when I closed it, then the embed expanded to full size.

Doesn’t work for me (Firefox in Windows 11)

120

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 8:12:58pm

I’d love to catch one of these NY&CH shows…just raw energy.

Mastodon

121

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 8:15:02pm

re: #120 darthstar

I’d love to catch one of these NY&CH shows…just raw energy.

[Embedded content]

Closest he’s getting to me is Bend, Oregon. 9 hour drive.

122

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 8:21:01pm

I should have entered Milo as a Yorkshire Terrier…

123

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 8:25:28pm

Imagine what it must be like to be Destiny’s child…

124

Captain Ron May 14, 2024 • 8:32:35pm

re: #119 Vicious Babushka

Doesn’t work for me (Firefox in Windows 11)

If you reload the whole page the post is complete.

125

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 8:33:14pm

re: #119 Vicious Babushka

Doesn’t work for me (Firefox in Windows 11)

Interesting. It worked on Chrome in both Windows 11 and Android.

126

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 14, 2024 • 8:45:05pm

re: #100 Jay C

Most likely, Amazon consulted the ancient Elvish scrolls wherein the lore of the budgets be inscribed, and figured out that since they had already committed enough treasure to make Smaug’s Hoard look like pocket-change, they might as well go ahead and produce the rest of the planned material (ISTR three seasons?? Probably wrong) - Tolkienophile pedantry and racist maunderings from the dudebros notwithstanding.

Maybe a minority opinion, but I actually liked RoP: to be sure, it wasn’t *really* Tolkien; but outside of that, it was impressive enough. And with a Prime subscription, worth the cost…

I watched about half of the first series and didn’t bother to continue. My Tolkienophile pedantry is such that I would rather read the real thing than watch this (YMMV if you like it, feel free).

127

retired cynic May 14, 2024 • 8:55:49pm

re: #119 Vicious Babushka

Doesn’t work for me (Firefox in Windows 11)

Worked for me that way, in Safari. Also, sometimes the full window will show if I just reload the comment.

edited

128

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 14, 2024 • 8:55:50pm

re: #115 Belafon

I got some interesting behavior: the post was cut off, but I could click on the top of the image. When I did, it showed up tiny, but when I closed it, then the embed expanded to full size.

I’ve been doing that for a while now. It often works, and if it doesn’t, you can at least see the image.

129

darthstar May 14, 2024 • 8:55:56pm

Who names their bird “Dagmar”?

Mastodon

130

DodgerFan1988 May 14, 2024 • 9:02:23pm

Harrison Butker is what I call a Toddler Christian, meaning he ignores all of Christ’s teachings that may be even slightly inconvenient (non-judgment, grace, kindness, vulnerability) and obsesses over condemnation of others, which is an incredibly lazy + pathetic spiritual life. https://t.co/TNcZtfHmUe

— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) May 14, 2024

Harrison Butker competing with Aaron Rodgers on who’s the most batshit crazy in the NFL.

131

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 14, 2024 • 9:02:32pm

In other news, the protesters on the Berkeley campus encampment have folded their tents and quietly gone away, with, really, none of their demands met (Administration: We’ll talk about it). This suggests that they might have a few brain cells to bat around, which is heartening.

132

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 9:03:32pm

re: #130 DodgerFan1988

Please, Harrison, show me when Biden did that.

133

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 9:04:33pm

re: #131 A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS

In other news, the protesters on the Berkeley campus encampment have folded their tents and quietly gone away, with, really, none of their demands met (Administration: We’ll talk about it). This suggests that they might have a few brain cells to bat around, which is heartening.

You mean the school administration didn’t attack them?

134

goddamnedfrank May 14, 2024 • 9:05:10pm

re: #100 Jay C

Most likely, Amazon consulted the ancient Elvish scrolls wherein the lore of the budgets be inscribed, and figured out that since they had already committed enough treasure to make Smaug’s Hoard look like pocket-change, they might as well go ahead and produce the rest of the planned material (ISTR three seasons?? Probably wrong) - Tolkienophile pedantry and racist maunderings from the dudebros notwithstanding.

Maybe a minority opinion, but I actually liked RoP: to be sure, it wasn’t *really* Tolkien; but outside of that, it was impressive enough. And with a Prime subscription, worth the cost…

Normally I’d say there’s a fair bit of sunk cost fallacy at play but one key thing to keep in mind is that the copyrights for all the underlying source material will expire in the next couple decades. The stakeholders have only so many swings left at these particular piñatas.

135

Hecuba's daughter May 14, 2024 • 9:12:49pm

re: #58 gocart mozart

[Embedded content]

Initially thought it was some idiot but then realized it’s the infamous parody account. Good work again, Jack!

136

William Lewis May 14, 2024 • 9:14:56pm

re: #134 goddamnedfrank

Normally I’d say there’s a fair bit of sunk cost fallacy at play but one key thing to keep in mind is that the copyrights for all the underlying source material will expire in the next couple decades. The stakeholders have only so many swings left at these particular piñatas.

Eh, they’ll Disney it and get another century to squeeze blood from that rock.

137

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 9:15:03pm

re: #117 DodgerFan1988

[Embedded content]

So is Adam Silverman at Balloon Juice.

138

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 9:16:42pm

re: #136 William Lewis

Eh, they’ll Disney it and get another century to squeeze blood from that rock.

Disney lost the rights to Steamboat Willie, remember?

139

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 14, 2024 • 9:22:42pm

re: #133 Belafon

You mean the school administration didn’t attack them?

No, just waited them out. (The semester ended Saturday.)

140

Belafon May 14, 2024 • 9:23:29pm

re: #139 A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS

No, just waited them out. (The semester ended Saturday.)

Seems there are a few more brain cells in that administration than most.

141

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 14, 2024 • 9:26:05pm

re: #140 Belafon

Seems there are a few more brain cells in that administration than most.

Or more experience. Berkeley is no stranger to unrest, and they’ve learned some lessons the hard way. Mainly that students just can’t keep these things up forever, they have bills to pay and lives to plan.

142

teleskiguy May 14, 2024 • 9:27:32pm

Power went out for 20 minutes. Probably some varmint that went out with a bang at some transformer.

143

silverdolphin May 14, 2024 • 9:28:55pm

re: #132 Belafon

Please, Harrison, show me when Biden did that.

This is apparently what they are talking about. Seems very inocuous to me. Only RW media is upset.

144

GlutenFreeJesus May 14, 2024 • 9:29:52pm

re: #120 darthstar

I’d love to catch one of these NY&CH shows…just raw energy.

[Embedded content]

Saw them back when Ragged Glory was released. Such an underrated album.

145

GlutenFreeJesus May 14, 2024 • 9:34:21pm

re: #143 silverdolphin

This is apparently what they are talking about. Seems very inocuous to me. Only RW media is upset.

Doesn’t the Catholic Church have more pressing matters to be mad about? Oh wait. They’re the ones covering it up, so neverfuckingmind.

146

silverdolphin May 14, 2024 • 9:36:24pm

re: #145 GlutenFreeJesus

Doesn’t the Catholic Church have more pressing matters to be mad about? Oh wait. They’re the ones covering it up, so neverfuckingmind.

Yep, you would believe from their reaction that Biden is the devil, that he has betrayed the church, and this is why Catholics are leaving him in droves. Makes their coverup so much easier.

147

teleskiguy May 14, 2024 • 9:36:46pm

re: #144 GlutenFreeJesus

Saw them back when Ragged Glory was released. Such an underrated album.

One of the OG grunge albums. Mirrorball is fantastic, he worked with Pearl Jam on that one.

148

mmmirele May 14, 2024 • 9:41:16pm

re: #87 jaunte

Greg Abbott helped take over the Houston Independent School District in order to begin destroying teachers’ unions and public education. Naturally, they couldn’t wait to start the looting:

Based on my experience here in Arizona, charter schools are the biggest fucking scam. We have multimillionaires (including a former state senator) who became so because of the money they got from the state for their charter school chains. I still can’t get over how one of the charter school owners (not the former state senator) mortgaged his schools up to the hilt and took the money and basically ran. Of course, the state isn’t doing JACK about it, because the charter school laws allow charter schools to be fucking lawless.

149

GlutenFreeJesus May 14, 2024 • 9:41:56pm

re: #147 teleskiguy

I was 16 when it was released and went to the concert. Thanks to my older brother for exposing me to all that awesomeness. I was absolutely amazed.

150

William Lewis May 14, 2024 • 9:48:38pm

re: #148 mmmirele

Charter schools exist solely for the purpose of destroying public schools by bleeding them white. If the schools have no money they can’t teach them reality that the fascists hate. That it pads the pockets of their friends and allies is simply gravy.

What people forget is that back when there were “separate but equal” schools, white kids schools were generally shitty too because it was expensive to run two separate systems. But the powers that be didn’t mind - rich & powerful folks kids always went to private schools anyway so it didn’t matter that public schools were shit.

The fascists are just trying to get back to pre Brown v Board.

151

teleskiguy May 14, 2024 • 9:49:31pm

Neil Young is alright.

152

mmmirele May 14, 2024 • 10:07:16pm

re: #131 A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS

In other news, the protesters on the Berkeley campus encampment have folded their tents and quietly gone away, with, really, none of their demands met (Administration: We’ll talk about it). This suggests that they might have a few brain cells to bat around, which is heartening.

Well, at least here at ASU, school is out for the summer, so I suspect that is the case at Berkeley. And I believe the powers that be at Berkeley just decided to let it be, didn’t send in the cops, didn’t (mostly) rile people up.

153

retired cynic May 14, 2024 • 10:21:55pm

re: #135 Hecuba’s daughter

Initially thought it was some idiot but then realized it’s the infamous parody account. Good work again, Jack!

Well, blush. He caught me.

154

piratedan May 14, 2024 • 10:35:20pm

I think that our policing problem and gun problem go hand-in-hand. There’s a justifiable claim that police are scared that they may be outgunned on the streets and in certain respects that is true. The problem is that the police profiles of who is a danger to them are completely off. This isn’t to say that anyone could be a threat, regardless of race, creed or color, yet which cohort owns all the guns? no one ever dives into that do they?

Other thoughts come down to the excessive force that is used and the idea that police must automatically be respected… are they feared, yes, respected, no. Part of that issue comes down to the interactions that we observe and see reported. Police in most instances refuse to believe that they have an issue in the way that they are perceived by society and are even more reluctant to change as they continue to recruit people to perpetuate their undesirable behavior.

Part of the way that this can change is to stop supporting copaganda in the media, TV shows and movies that make the police to be what they are not. Are they solving crimes, if so, what kinds?

It’s not an easy issue, especially when those that are the source of the issue refuse to acknowledge it, much less recognize the authority that elected officials have over them.

155

Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines May 14, 2024 • 10:55:30pm

Where it all started.

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

156

Captain Ron May 15, 2024 • 12:23:30am

🚨WARNING: this clip is NSFW, thanks to Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/cd1ZVMFosf

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 15, 2024

157

William Lewis May 15, 2024 • 1:46:26am

158

William Lewis May 15, 2024 • 1:46:49am

159

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 1:49:56am

re: #29 gocart mozart

How did I not know this existed and why does it sound like shit?

I had that Hendrix & McLaughlin album as well and I can only assume they were both stoned off their asses and just having fun jamming.

160

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 1:56:01am

re: #90 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus

Who knew that having dark skinned elves and dark skinned dwarves would provoke a global existential crisis?

Granted, it is not consistent with Tolkien’s intent and vision or recreating lost European mythology, but in the end it is a creative choice on the part of the production company.

And it still beats taping Mickey Rooney’s eyelids back in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Chuck Connors as an Apache Indian…

161

sagehen May 15, 2024 • 2:36:35am

or John Wayne as Genghis Khan.

162

Teukka May 15, 2024 • 2:36:37am

re: #158 William Lewis

[Embedded content]

Obligatory soundtrack:

Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe (Official Audio)

163

William Lewis May 15, 2024 • 2:39:57am

re: #161 sagehen

or John Wayne as Genghis Khan.

The irony of the fallout contamination was rather intense there though…

164

William Lewis May 15, 2024 • 3:19:11am

Rereading classic MicroSFF stories this morning:

2022-05-19
“You shall have the promised reward,” the king said.
“My daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“Ah,” the hero said, “may I have a private word?”
The king gestured for them to approach, and listened.
“Hm. I see. I’ll have to ask.”
“Of course.”
The king motioned for a page.
“Fetch my son.”

2022-05-19
The most common question raised by Galactic
Federation students of uncontacted sophonts is “Why
did they do that?” and it is almost always asked about
Earth Humans.
The common answer is “To show the impossible is
possible”.
The follow-up question “So is it?” has no firm answer.

165

Colère Tueur de Lapin ✅ May 15, 2024 • 3:32:52am

Dur on line three.
Wordle 1,061 4/6

Click to Reveal

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟨⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟨⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

166

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 3:35:48am

Soggy hump day drive time music!

Ibibio Sound Machine - Pull the Rope (Official Music Video)

167

Patricia Kayden May 15, 2024 • 3:36:10am

168

steve_davis May 15, 2024 • 3:55:46am

re: #30 gocart mozart

[Embedded content]

it always interests me how many knockout punches I see on twitter or youtube where the punch doesn’t really look all that clean. I guess it kind of demonstrates that toggling the “off” switch is more about joggling somebody’s skull just right rather than cleanly tapping the jaw.

169

steve_davis May 15, 2024 • 4:04:11am

re: #58 gocart mozart

[Embedded content]

lol! Wait until he considers the ramifications of 100 being an “average” IQ.

170

steve_davis May 15, 2024 • 4:16:47am

re: #97 William Lewis

Going to be even BIGGER shrieks of hatred about the Asian elves in season 2. Count on it. The Wig comments on the trailer are already mind mindbogglingly stupid.

I will admit to finding literal black Russians in A Gentleman in Moscow a bit odd, but of course, it’s fantasy. We’re not to imagine that there actually was a “man without a country” living in a swank hotel in Moscow for 30 years after the revolution, so black russians aren’t really that odd of a leap.

171

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 4:21:38am

I mean, there weren’t a lot of options left, but I admit I wasn’t expecting that.

Click to Reveal

Wordle 1,061 3/6*

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

172

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 4:22:39am

re: #100 Jay C

Most likely, Amazon consulted the ancient Elvish scrolls wherein the lore of the budgets be inscribed, and figured out that since they had already committed enough treasure to make Smaug’s Hoard look like pocket-change, they might as well go ahead and produce the rest of the planned material

Other people have hinted that they needed a big tax write-off, hence the dragon hoard-sized budget.

I found it entertaining enough but not a patch on the original LOTR material.

173

steve_davis May 15, 2024 • 4:24:59am

re: #122 darthstar

I should have entered Milo as a Yorkshire Terrier…

[Embedded content]

Sage looks like he’s getting ready to say “Your kung fu is good, but my iron paw technique will put you in your place!”

174

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 4:27:39am

re: #107 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus

Warner Bros also announced a LOTR new movie.

Andy Serkis is directing, Peter Jackson is the producer.

It’s supposed to be about the search for Gollum, done by a younger Aragorn.

Due out in 2026.

So basically a full-budget version of this fan fiction film: The Hunt For Gollum - The Fan Film (2009)

175

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 4:29:08am

re: #117 DodgerFan1988

MAGA is big mad that Secretary of State Antony Blinken teamed up with Ukrainians in the band 19.99 at a bar in Kyiv and performed Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.”

I hope Free-World Neil will remember: MAGA Man don’t need him around, anyhow!

176

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 4:30:37am

re: #126 A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS

I watched about half of the first series and didn’t bother to continue. My Tolkienophile pedantry is such that I would rather read the real thing than watch this (YMMV if you like it, feel free).

I must admit that I didn’t really actively watch most of it, just had it on as background ambience.

177

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 4:33:22am

re: #132 Belafon

Please, Harrison, show me when Biden did that.

seems he did:

President Biden’s decision to make a sign of the cross during a Florida abortion rights rally isn’t sitting well with the Catholic Church’s leadership.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois joined Bishop Jose Ignacio Munilla, bishop of the Orihuela-Alicante Diocese in Spain, in condemning the president’s use of the gesture as “sacrilegious.”

I gotta admit that it was not the best move to make on Biden’s part.

178

A Cranky One May 15, 2024 • 4:35:27am

179

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 4:37:54am

re: #170 steve_davis

I will admit to finding literal black Russians in A Gentleman in Moscow, but of course, it’s fantasy. We’re not to imagine that there actually was a “man without a country” living in a swank hotel in Moscow for 30 years after the revolution, so black russians aren’t really that odd of a leap.

There were a number of black Americans who moved to the USSR to live and work, and Russia’s greatest Poet, Alexander Pushkin is reputed to have been a descendant of The Moor of Peter the Great.

180

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 4:56:07am

It was a paw-sitively fabulous night.
Sage the dapper poodle took home the title for “Best in Show” at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday evening.

The 3-year-old miniature poodle from Houston won the top prize at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens after beating out more than 3,000 pups across three riveting days of competition.

nypost.com

181

Eventual Carrion May 15, 2024 • 4:56:30am

re: #165 Colère Tueur de Lapin ✅

Dur on line three.
Wordle 1,061 4/6

[Embedded content]

3/6 here this morning

Click to Reveal

Wordle 1,061 3/6

🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

182

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 4:58:13am

re: #177 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

seems he did:
.. blockquote>

If they have to reach from a bishop in downstate Illinois to a provincial bishop in Spain, they’re not getting much of the RC’s 5600 “leadership”.

183

William Lewis May 15, 2024 • 5:01:35am

re: #177 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

seems he did:

President Biden’s decision to make a sign of the cross during a Florida abortion rights rally isn’t sitting well with the Catholic Church’s leadership.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois joined Bishop Jose Ignacio Munilla, bishop of the Orihuela-Alicante Diocese in Spain, in condemning the president’s use of the gesture as “sacrilegious.”

I gotta admit that it was not the best move to make on Biden’s part.

Pft. That’s reflex. Even a Lambeth boy like me would probably do it.

184

lawhawk May 15, 2024 • 5:02:16am

re: #37 Vicious Babushka

The problem is that Cohen corroborates all the evidence submitted previously, and further fills the gaps to connect Trump directly to the plot to fraudulently cover up the payments by signing off on the whole thing. Trump’s a micromanager, and I know billionaires who are like that - they think they’re billionaires precisely because they micromanage, even though in Trump’s case he was born in to wealth and had to fuck it all up to lose money (and he tried… yes he tried repeatedly - with multiple bankruptcies).

His entire existence has been one long con, and surrounding himself with the likes of Cohen shows how he operates. He’s still operating this way except that he’s even more insistent on fealty and obedience, because as we all know - almost to a person, every single person from the prior administration thinks he is unqualified to be in office, and should not run.

It’s the rest of the GOP that is propping up this criminal, showing up at his trial to spew bulkshit, and to distract/deflect from his ongoing malfeasance.

185

Belafon May 15, 2024 • 5:09:20am

re: #177 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

seems he did:

President Biden’s decision to make a sign of the cross during a Florida abortion rights rally isn’t sitting well with the Catholic Church’s leadership.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois joined Bishop Jose Ignacio Munilla, bishop of the Orihuela-Alicante Diocese in Spain, in condemning the president’s use of the gesture as “sacrilegious.”

I gotta admit that it was not the best move to make on Biden’s part.

8s the sign for the church or God?

186

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 5:09:50am

re: #183 William Lewis

Pft. That’s reflex. Even a Lambeth boy like me would probably do it.

The Catholic Church already hated Biden, and some bishops even tried to deny him communion just for being President while a Democrat. Rome wound up smacking them down, but they have not tried to hide the fact that they think he is unworthy of the Church.

187

jeffreyw May 15, 2024 • 5:13:58am

burritos and chips

Good morning!

188

Eventual Carrion May 15, 2024 • 5:19:09am

Perfect! Connections

Click to Reveal

Connections
Puzzle #339
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪

189

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 5:27:46am

Biden will still be in office when the good bishop is “aged-out”. Sensitivity to interference in US church-state matters works both ways at the Vatican. That’s one of the reasons we maintain a sinecure embassy there.

190

A Cranky One May 15, 2024 • 5:28:54am

191

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 5:29:53am

re: #186 Nerdy Fish

The Catholic Church already hated Biden, and some bishops even tried to deny him communion just for being President while a Democrat. Rome wound up smacking them down, but they have not tried to hide the fact that they think he is unworthy of the Church.

I still remember our Catholic priest getting up right after the Roe v Wade decision came down and calling for the Catholic SCOTUS judge who voted for it to be excommunicated.

I was only about 14 years old at the time but even back then I was annoyed that they still got a tax exemption despite such blatant political speech.

192

jeffreyw May 15, 2024 • 5:35:57am

oh my god I’m screaming
www.theguardian.com/business/art…

— Ketan Joshi (@ketanjoshi.co) 2024-05-15T11:02:55.048Z

193

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 5:40:17am

re: #192 jeffreyw

She is a billionaire and a prominent public figure and wants to use her influence because she is offended at how someone potrays her?

It gets better: “Rinehart is listed as a friend of the National Gallery after donating between $4,999 and $9,999 to the institution.”

She is rich enough to buy the entire wing and have it remodeled with a wall in front of her portrait…

194

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 5:44:39am

re: #192 jeffreyw

[Embedded content]

I think the artist captured her eyes perfectly!

195

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 5:47:32am

re: #192 jeffreyw

I can see that the artist, Mr. Namatjira, decided he’d go with the “capture the essence of the subject” approach.

196

Randall Gross May 15, 2024 • 5:52:45am

From Art21

New from Art21
David Altmejd in “Boundaries”
art21.org/watch/art-in…

— Randall Gross (@randallgross.bsky.social) 2024-05-15T12:49:19.726Z

197

jeffreyw May 15, 2024 • 5:58:54am

Justice Department says Boeing violated deal that avoided prosecution after 737 Max crashes

It is now up to the Justice Department to decide whether to file charges against Boeing. Prosecutors will tell the court no later than July 7 how they plan to proceed, department said.

198

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 6:04:18am

re: #197 jeffreyw

Justice Department says Boeing violated deal that avoided prosecution after 737 Max crashes

C’mon, those were not rules, just, well, guidelines…

199

Randall Gross May 15, 2024 • 6:05:37am

Do states have rights to place reasonable modern safety restrictions on guns or will 5 year olds be able to buy assault rifles?
Another important gun case in Colorado:
Colorado urges 10th Circuit to reinstate age cap on gun purchases
www.courthousenews.com/colorado-urg…

— Randall Gross (@randallgross.bsky.social) 2024-05-15T13:00:32.174Z

200

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 6:06:55am

Anyone else seeing this on certain Bluesky links (not all, just some)?

201

Randall Gross May 15, 2024 • 6:08:19am

re: #200 Nerdy Fish

It appears ok here using latest chrome browser

202

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 6:08:51am

re: #148 mmmirele

Based on my experience here in Arizona, charter schools are the biggest fucking scam. We have multimillionaires (including a former state senator) who became so because of the money they got from the state for their charter school chains. I still can’t get over how one of the charter school owners (not the former state senator) mortgaged his schools up to the hilt and took the money and basically ran. Of course, the state isn’t doing JACK about it, because the charter school laws allow charter schools to be fucking lawless.

Illinois charter schools are public schools. They are described as follows:

Charter schools are publicly funded, privately managed and semi-autonomous schools of choice. They do not charge tuition. They must hold to the same academic accountability measures as traditional schools. They receive public funding similarly to traditional schools.

That’s the way to do it.

203

steve_davis May 15, 2024 • 6:09:43am

re: #179 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

There were a number of black Americans who moved to the USSR to live and work, and Russia’s greatest Poet, Alexander Pushkin is reputed to have been a descendant of The Moor of Peter the Great.

yes, but a black Russian who grew up alongside the main character and was going to marry his sister, a member of the aristocracy, in which all marriages were approved by the czar? No. Or one who was the Minister of Cultural Affairs? Nyuh-uh.

204

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 6:10:54am

re: #200 Nerdy Fish

[Embedded content]

Anyone else seeing this on certain Bluesky links (not all, just some)?

I run in Spy mode. It appears to be doing the same thing as some YouTube embeds; when I reload the page, it appears in its full size. I am wondering if something is up with Charles’s dynamic resizing code and running in Spy mode.

205

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 6:14:24am

re: #203 steve_davis

yes, but a black Russian who grew up alongside the main character and was going to marry his sister, a member of the aristocracy, in which all marriages were approved by the czar? No. Or one who was the Minister of Cultural Affairs? Nyuh-uh.

No, not at all.

But as mentioned earlier, the whole story is a contrived fantasy. (Have not seen the adaptation, just rad the novel)

I enjoyed it mostly for the political and historical references, but then again, historical fiction is my favorite genre (even if it is only loosely based on history)

206

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 6:14:34am

Holy shit, someone just tried to assassinate Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico. He was apparently shot several times by a would-be assassin, who (naturally) was promptly tackled and taken into custody.

207

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 6:14:50am

‘Desperate’ Trump got played for a ‘sucker’ by billionaire investor

Donald Trump may have gotten played for a “sucker” by a billionaire donor who’s trying to save his stake in the TikTok social media company, according to a journalist.

Billionaire investor Jeff Yass and his privately held Susquehanna International Group hold a 15-percent stake in TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, but president Joe Biden signed a law last month that would force the company to sell off the social media platform to an American owner or get banned from the U.S. market - so he’s turning to Trump for help.

“Jeff Yass is a based in Pennsylvania, and he’s the largest single political donor this cycle, has yet to donate to Trump’s campaign,” Vanity Fair reporter Gabriel Sherman told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “What does Jeff Yass own? His firm is the single largest American investor in TikTok, so connect the dots. Donald Trump flips his position, throws his weight behind this investment, perhaps seeking to get a donation. This boils down to a very simple thing: Donald Trump looks at politics through the prism [of] what helps Donald Trump. It’s not about ideology, it’s not about policy. It is about what advances his own personal and financial agenda.”

Trump had tried to ban TikTok himself as president in August 2020 but reversed his position after meeting in March at Mar-a-Lago with Yass, who himself reversed his position on the former president - whom he personally cautioned against running for re-election, and the investor showered millions of his own money on Republican primary challengers.

“This is what’s fascinating,” Sherman said. “Jeff Yass came up through the world of professional gambling, that’s kind of his framework for investing, and in gambling you always try to play the sucker, right? So Jeff Yass has gotten Donald Trump to flip his position on TikTok to support his investment without having to donate to the campaign. I mean, who’s the sucker here?”

Susquehenna, however, holds the largest institutional investment in Digital World Acquisition Corporation, which recently merged with the former president’s foundering social media company, although the firm issued a statement denying its stake was motivated by politics, but Sherman said Yass was gambling on Trump’s desperation for campaign cash to save his position on TikTok.

“He’s not given, and as I reported in my piece, his team says he doesn’t plan to give,” Sherman said. “He has all the leverage over Donald Trump. He’s dangling his money to get Trump to flip on TikTok.”

Co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski laughed incredulously, pointing to Trump’s self-mythologizing book that presents him as a master businessman.

05 15 2024 06 45 00

208

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 6:25:00am

MN lawmaker: Public schools engage in “censorship” by not teaching Creationism

State Sen. Glenn H. Gruenhagen demanded his religious mythology be taught in science classes

According to that radical Xtian stupidity needs to be taught in schools…

friendlyatheist.com

209

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 6:25:58am

Here’s the Guardian with some live coverage of the assassination attempt against Slovak PM Fico.

theguardian.com

“Fico” is pronounced like “FEE-tsoh”, BTW.

210

lawhawk May 15, 2024 • 6:26:47am

Greets and saluts from the soggy NYC metro area. The Trump criminal trial is off today, which means we get to catch up on other things today. Trump returns to the courthouse tomorrow, when Cohen is crossed, and the defense is set to start their presentation. That means that we could see closing arguments and jury instructions by Friday (because I don’t expect the defense to put on any witnesses - for as much as Trump claims he wants to testify, he is afraid to do so - and his lawyers have probably warned him of the legal jeopardy of doing so).

211

mmmirele May 15, 2024 • 6:31:13am

re: #177 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

seems he did:

President Biden’s decision to make a sign of the cross during a Florida abortion rights rally isn’t sitting well with the Catholic Church’s leadership.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois joined Bishop Jose Ignacio Munilla, bishop of the Orihuela-Alicante Diocese in Spain, in condemning the president’s use of the gesture as “sacrilegious.”

I gotta admit that it was not the best move to make on Biden’s part.

I’d tell these guys to stop worrying about what was likely an automatic gesture by Biden and deal with the church’s ongoing child sexual abuse problem. But then again, I’m rude.

212

dat_said May 15, 2024 • 6:32:16am

I know we had a surprisingly in-depth conversation about a month ago on garbage collection, but I was just reminded of it again. There are four houses on my short dead-end street and garbage is collected by three different outfits. We just had a garbage truck traffic jam as three tried to pull in at the same time (not enough street to turn around so they have to back up to get out).

Seems somewhat inefficient.

213

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 6:33:05am

re: #208 Joe Bacon ✅

State Sen. Glenn H. Gruenhagen demanded his religious mythology be taught in science classes

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster would like to have a voice in this matter…

214

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 6:37:05am

215

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 6:39:17am

re: #214 Joe Bacon ✅

For Your Royal Consideration

216

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 6:40:18am

...

217

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 6:42:13am

re: #216 Dr Lizardo

From Czech television:

Fico is a fucker but I cannot condone or applaud any form of violence for political ends.

218

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 6:42:49am

re: #216 Dr Lizardo

Scratch that - Czech TV just retracted it as an unconfirmed source.

219

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 15, 2024 • 6:43:30am

re: #209 Dr Lizardo

A decision by the EU to start accession talks is likely to be indefinitely postponed if the foreign agents law comes into force, three EU officials told the Financial Times.

“We have been very clear . . . this is a showstopper,” said a person briefed on the discussions between Georgian and EU officials.

Hmmm…

220

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 6:43:52am

re: #217 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Fico is a fucker but I cannot condone or applaud any form of violence for political ends.

Fico is a Mafiosi-connected POS, but yeah, assassination is over the top.

221

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 6:44:03am

Work related, nothing too exciting.

Click to Reveal

I wonder what hit that pole? That is Albany International in the background.

She got a little pregnant on the bottom

222

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 6:44:19am

re: #219 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus

Hmmm…

Right in line with the Kremlin’s plans.

223

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 15, 2024 • 6:48:06am

re: #165 Colère Tueur de Lapin ✅

Dur on line three.
Wordle 1,061 4/6

[Embedded content]

Yeah, me too. But I’ll take the partridge.

RldmZXlKcURpU1hPY1BFUytOUWYwOVhsV01iNjZ2L1Bhay9nQ2JvNnozeVV5Zy9nUitUSXhqR0c3UWgzSitkNXJyRWM3L05OTTdjVjFEVXU5VWIyM1Z2WnExQUNDYWFOdURHR1R4MWNYNVpGaU9PdW5aZUx5NXRPK2g3RXl0OFNLenQyZTE1cXNRYkJ2Y2d3N3BjRmJRPT06OheyJKXxYi/zc691oQU7eLU=

224

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 6:48:37am

re: #213 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster would like to have a voice in this matter…

But they’re not the One True Religion, so they don’t get a voice in the matter. Only Christianity is allowed to be taught; not FSM, not Satanism, not science. Only White American Jesus is The Way.

225

sagehen May 15, 2024 • 6:50:34am

re: #186 Nerdy Fish

The Catholic Church already hated Biden, and some bishops even tried to deny him communion just for being President while a Democrat. Rome wound up smacking them down, but they have not tried to hide the fact that they think he is unworthy of the Church.

which is just plain fucking weird.

Spain, Italy and Ireland are very very Catholic. Like 90% maybe? Yet the church doesn’t give them any grief at all about taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, divorce, etc. It’s not even an issue.

226

No Malarkey! May 15, 2024 • 6:55:01am

Inflation cooled in April.

227

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 6:55:09am

Decent inflation numbers:

cnbc.com

228

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 6:57:32am

re: #225 sagehen

which is just plain fucking weird.

Spain, Italy and Ireland are very very Catholic. Like 90% maybe? Yet the church doesn’t give them any grief at all about taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, divorce, etc. It’s not even an issue.

Two bishops out of 5600, and had to go offshore for that.

229

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 6:57:33am

re: #225 sagehen

which is just plain fucking weird.

Spain, Italy and Ireland are very very Catholic. Like 90% maybe? Yet the church doesn’t give them any grief at all about taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, divorce, etc. It’s not even an issue.

It’s because the American bishops are completely off the reservation. Even Rome acknowledges that. They tolerate the crazy to a degree because American Catholics tend to be old and rich, but it feels like several times a year I read an article about a representative of the Pope condemning some dumb thing a prominent American clergyman has said or done.

230

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 6:57:52am

Breaking: Spy Mode.

231

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 6:59:05am

re: #226 No Malarkey!

Inflation cooled in April.

Don’t expect a rate cut.

232

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 6:59:29am

re: #229 Nerdy Fish

It would be a lot more concerning if the US bishops were lockstep. They’re not, even when applying the same doctrines.

233

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 15, 2024 • 7:02:02am

re: #179 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

There were a number of black Americans who moved to the USSR to live and work, and Russia’s greatest Poet, Alexander Pushkin is reputed to have been a descendant of The Moor of Peter the Great.

Not reputed. Peter the Great was given him by the Ottomans, he became a general and noble of the court. Pushkin was one of his great grandsons.

234

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:03:57am

re: #232 Decatur Deb

It would be a lot more concerning if the US bishops were lockstep. They’re not, even when applying the same doctrines.

Exactly. I think Rome has just come to acknowledge that there’s a percentage of the US faithful that are completely fucking nuts, and that as a result there will be clergymen who are completely fucking nuts, and as long as they don’t make the news and keep their craziness on the down low, they’ll put up with it.

235

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 7:06:49am

re: #234 Nerdy Fish

The width of the US Catholic spectrum is often ignored. There are commie Nuns on Busses, there are fascist bishops, and somewhere in the middle is labor-immigrant Democrat Joe Biden.

236

dat_said May 15, 2024 • 7:07:08am

The Dakota Scout: And then there were two: Seventh Native American tribe bans Gov. Noem

Seven of Nine of SD’s Native American tribes have now banned SD Gov Kristi Noem from coming onto their tribal land with Crow Creek Sioux Tribe being the most recent. Lower Brule and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe remain with Lower Brule expected to consider a similar resolution this coming June.

I guess you get banned from 20% of the land in your state when you baselessly accuse people of working with Mexican drug cartels

237

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 15, 2024 • 7:09:06am

re: #236 dat_said

She is certainly unpopular.

238

🐈 Crush White Christian Nationalism 🐈 May 15, 2024 • 7:09:32am

re: #234 Nerdy Fish

Exactly. I think Rome has just come to acknowledge that there’s a percentage of the US faithful that are completely fucking nuts, and that as a result there will be clergymen who are completely fucking nuts, and as long as they don’t make the news and keep their craziness on the down low, they’ll put up with it.

There are people at the Vatican who are completely nuts. Don’t let the reasonable Pope out front fool you. The next could be a nightmare.

239

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:12:53am

re: #235 Decatur Deb

The width of the US Catholic spectrum is often ignored. There are commie Nuns on Busses, there are fascist bishops, and somewhere in the middle is labor-immigrant Democrat Joe Biden.

Those who are not fond of Rome often refer to “Catholic Democrats” as if Catholics were a unified bloc. Nothing could be further from the truth. As we’ve seen across the board, some religious beliefs are more predictive than others of what a person believes politically, but the only truly accurate indicator of a person’s political beliefs is how they vote.

240

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:15:11am

Great Moments in AI translation:

A cell phone translation prompt sets off a massive law enforcement response.

Train splitting or exploding?

Train separations can be a tricky situation for many train riders - especially for those who don’t speak German and possibly even more so for translation apps. A man from Iraq encountered such a problem while trying to communicate with a fellow passenger. Things took a turn for the worse. Afterwards, the train came to a complete stop.

241

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 7:16:20am

My favorite flavor of Catholic is the Catholic Worker Movement, co-founded by Dorothy Day. She was busted in 1917 for fighting for women’s suffrage. She was busted in 1973 for picketing with Cesar Chavez. She was busted a lot in between. Her peeps are having some success in having her declared a saint. If so, she’ll be the first saint with an abortion.

en.wikipedia.org

242

gocart mozart May 15, 2024 • 7:18:26am

“Your mom drinks out of the toilet.”
“Your breath smells like goat anus”
“If you’re the boss of me, why ain’t I picking up your poop?”

— Edwin Mix (@EdMix13) May 14, 2024

243

No Malarkey! May 15, 2024 • 7:18:47am

The Trumpettes in matching outfits:

244

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 7:20:43am

This was just posted by the admin of Robert Fico’s FB page:

Slovak Prime Minister R. Fico was the victim of an assassination attempt today. He has been shot multiple times and is currently in life-threatening condition. At this moment he is being transported by helicopter to Banská Bystrica, because it would take too long to get to Bratislava due to the medical necessity of emergency procedures. The next few hours will decide.

245

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:21:19am

re: #244 Dr Lizardo

This was just posted by the admin of Robert Fico’s FB page:

Oh shit. That’s not good.

246

Eclectic Cyborg May 15, 2024 • 7:24:18am

re: #171 Nerdy Fish

Wordle 1,061 4/6

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

247

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 7:25:43am

re: #245 Nerdy Fish

Oh shit. That’s not good.

Yeah, that’s not good at all. Of course, as always, the 24-hour rule applies.

Provided he survives the next 24 hours, that is. On a side note, looking at the Czech internet commentariat, seems that most Czechs reckon that Fico had it coming. He’s notoriously corrupt, and it’s widely believed by most Czechs (and more than a few Slovaks too) that he was behind the murder of a Slovak investigative journalist and his girlfriend a few years back.

248

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 15, 2024 • 7:26:39am

re: #232 Decatur Deb

It would be a lot more concerning if the US bishops were lockstep. They’re not, even when applying the same doctrines.

Here’s more evidence that they’re not (outside a Catholic Church and school — note the rainbow):

249

Eclectic Cyborg May 15, 2024 • 7:27:28am

re: #211 mmmirele

Religious symbols I use are between me and God, not any church.

250

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:28:19am

re: #249 Eclectic Cyborg

Religious symbols I use are between me and God, not any church.

Guns and US flag lapel pins are also Religious symbols.

251

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:30:17am

re: #247 Dr Lizardo

I am by no means saying that this guy is anything but a shitstain. I’ve only seen a few comments here and elsewhere about him; I’d literally never heard his name before today. (Hooray, American isolationism!) But I wouldn’t even condone an assassination on Trump, who is on my short list of people I would be glad to see dead; let alone this asshole.

252

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 7:31:00am

re: #181 Eventual Carrion

3/6 here this morning

[Embedded content]

Par here

Click to Reveal

Wordle 1,061 4/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜⬜🟨🟨
🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Group: 3,4,4,4

253

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:34:26am

re: #251 Nerdy Fish

I am by no means saying that this guy is anything but a shitstain. I’ve only seen a few comments here and elsewhere about him; I’d literally never heard his name before today. (Hooray, American isolationism!) But I wouldn’t even condone an assassination on Trump, who is on my short list of people I would be glad to see dead; let alone this asshole.

violence for political ends never produces beneficial results

254

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 7:36:06am

re: #248 A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS

Here’s more evidence that they’re not (outside a Catholic Church and school — note the rainbow):

(No graphic came through here—FF under Ubuntu.)

255

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 15, 2024 • 7:37:57am

re: #247 Dr Lizardo

The AP is reporting the same.

256

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 7:39:23am

re: #188 Eventual Carrion

Perfect! Connections

[Embedded content]

Exactly the same here

Click to Reveal

No way I could solve the purple — once again default for 4th category to the rescue!

Connections
Puzzle #339
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪

257

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 7:40:27am

re: #251 Nerdy Fish

re: #253 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Ironically, just last week my Wednesday morning class was debating the political and moral implications of tyrannicide. All in all, a thoughtful debate, with the general consensus being that tyrannicide is morally justifiable under a very limited set of circumstances, for instance, if the person in question is someone along the lines of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pol Pot, etc., in other words, an absolute totalitarian dictator with a penchant for genocide and/or democide.

Needless to say, as odious as Fico is, he doesn’t even remotely qualify.

258

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 7:41:14am

re: #256 Hecuba’s daughter

I went GYBP, and parred the wordle. Got both pangrams, and 1:26 on the mini x-word.

Time to walk the dogs.

259

Mike Lamb May 15, 2024 • 7:42:11am

re: #228 Decatur Deb

Two bishops out of 5600, and had to go offshore for that.

And US bishops might as well be a different sect of Roman Catholicism.

260

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 15, 2024 • 7:42:41am

re: #254 Decatur Deb

(No graphic came through here—FF under Ubuntu.)

The upload came in sideways. Every attempt I made to fix it was still sideways. Finally had to rotate the uploaded image one step at a time, save each image, then edit the post with the final image. You should see it now.

Better living with computers.

261

GlutenFreeJesus May 15, 2024 • 7:42:56am

Oh have this to look forward to in the mail today. 😂😂😂

If there’s a postage paid return envelope, I will get include a sticky note telling them to fuck off.

262

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:43:50am

re: #259 Mike Lamb

And US bishops might as well be a different sect of Roman Catholicism.

Ditto for most German bishops.

263

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:44:07am

re: #261 GlutenFreeJesus

[Embedded content]

Oh have this to look forward to in the mail today. 😂😂😂

Judicial Watch? Oh, for FUCK’S sake.

264

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 15, 2024 • 7:45:14am

re: #259 Mike Lamb

And US bishops might as well be a different sect of Roman Catholicism.

Not all of them… (or at least they realize they’d better shut up if they want to keep their congregations).

265

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 15, 2024 • 7:47:55am

re: #247 Dr Lizardo

re: #255 PhillyPretzel ✅

Now CBS is reporting this. And also noting that they are referencing the AP story. The BBC is also mentioned.

266

Unabogie May 15, 2024 • 7:48:44am

re: #261 GlutenFreeJesus

[Embedded content]

Oh have this to look forward to in the mail today. 😂😂😂

If there’s a postage paid return envelope, I will get include a sticky note telling them to fuck off.

If there’s a return envelope, just tear up the contents and mail it back to them. It probably doesn’t accomplish anything, but it feels good!

267

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:48:46am

re: #257 Dr Lizardo

Ironically, just last week my Wednesday morning class was debating the political and moral implications of tyrannicide.

Killing can be seen as morally permissible only when there exists an immediate threat to other lives that cannot be mitigated any other way.

Such as when a black person accidentally knocks on your door in the dark…

268

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:49:52am

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

Killing can be seen as morally permissible only when there exists an immediate threat to other lives that can be mitigated no other way.

Such as when a black person ~~accidentally knocks on your door in the dark…~~ exists.

FTFY

269

Eventual Carrion May 15, 2024 • 7:50:59am

re: #256 Hecuba’s daughter

Exactly the same here

[Embedded content]

Same for me on that one

270

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 7:51:27am

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has condemned the attack on Slovak PM Fico:

The attack on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is appalling.

We strongly condemn this act of violence against our neighboring partner state’s head of government. Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form, or sphere.…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 15, 2024

Needless to say, this has provoked widespread condemnation across the political spectrum here in Europe.

271

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:51:36am

re: #268 Nerdy Fish

FTFY

Remember the George Floyd shooting and the Fox commenter’s response?

“Those hands were lethal weapons!”

272

GlutenFreeJesus May 15, 2024 • 7:52:14am

re: #266 Unabogie

With a sticky note 😂

273

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 15, 2024 • 7:52:20am

It’s a good year for weeds, too.

274

Eclectic Cyborg May 15, 2024 • 7:53:06am

re: #270 Dr Lizardo

Zelensky is one of my all time favorite politicians. Dude is just awesome and so damn good at doing what needs to be done.

275

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:53:47am

re: #274 Eclectic Cyborg

Zelensky is one of my all time favorite politicians. Dude is just awesome and so damn good at doing what needs to be done.

But I do not envy him his job in the least…

276

A Cranky One May 15, 2024 • 7:54:01am

re: #273 A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS

It’s a good year for weeds, too.

[Embedded content]

Thanks for sharing your weed, dude.

277

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 7:54:24am

re: #271 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Remember the George Floyd incident and the Fox commenter’s response?

“Those hands were lethal weapons!”

Yeah, but according to FNC and RWNJs, all black folks look just like this:

278

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:54:26am

re: #271 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Remember the George Floyd incident and the Fox commenter’s response?

“Those hands were lethal weapons!”

How could I forget? I heard it all, I live here.

279

A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS May 15, 2024 • 7:54:29am

re: #268 Nerdy Fish

FTFY

Does that represent the opinions of your town? Or state? Because it’s not the case around here.

280

Decatur Deb May 15, 2024 • 7:55:03am

Off to the eye doc.

281

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 7:56:17am

re: #279 A hollow voice says: Abort SCOTUS

Does that represent the opinions of your town? Or state? Because it’s not the case around here.

Considering that the original post was intended to be a hyperbolic exaggeration of a stereotypical Republican’s beliefs, and I was merely building on top of that, no. While the Republicans who live here are shitheels in the extreme, they are a minority and do not represent most of the people in my state. They may be a majority in my local area, but it’s one of the few places in the state where that would be true.

282

Vicious Babushka May 15, 2024 • 7:58:38am

283

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 7:59:05am

re: #277 Dr Lizardo

Yeah, but according to FNC and RWNJs, all black folks look just like this:

and our inner cities look like Osaka after a kaiju attack

284

Vicious Babushka May 15, 2024 • 8:00:51am

re: #283 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

and our inner cities look like Osaka after a kaiju attack

All of Detroit looks exactly like the ruins of the Packard plant which closed in…*checks notes* 1957, when a white Republican was mayor.

285

wrenchwench May 15, 2024 • 8:02:06am

Birbie. Wordle 1,061 3/6*

Click to Reveal

🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

286

Romantic Heretic May 15, 2024 • 8:02:50am

re: #250 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

And the more and larger of them a person possess demonstrates how faithful they are.

287

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 8:03:40am

re: #229 Nerdy Fish

It’s because the American bishops are completely off the reservation. Even Rome acknowledges that. They tolerate the crazy to a degree because American Catholics tend to be old and rich, but it feels like several times a year I read an article about a representative of the Pope condemning some dumb thing a prominent American clergyman has said or done.

A MAGAt friend said recently that Francis is not his pope. It really is Republican Jesus they worship — not the one depicted in the New Testament and certainly not the message. (We remain friends because we don’t discuss politics).

288

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 8:05:13am

The would-be assassin in Slovakia has been identified. He’s a well-known Slovak author and poet.

In spoiler tag:

Click to Reveal

The attacker who shot the Slovak prime minister is the writer and poet Juraj Cintula. He is 71 years old and presents himself on social networks as a “writer, poet and malcontent”.

Juraj Cintula being taken into custody by Slovak police

289

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 8:06:22am

re: #287 Hecuba’s daughter

A MAGAt friend said recently that Francis is not his pope. It really is Republican Jesus they worship — not the one depicted in the New Testament and certainly not the message. (We remain friends because we don’t discuss politics).

They literally don’t get a choice in the matter. The pope is, allegedly, ordained by God and chosen by the College of Cardinals in one of the most amusing electoral processes for any sovereign nation. It’s either Francis or they’re a heretic, in the most literal sense of the word.

290

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 8:08:40am

re: #289 Nerdy Fish

It’s either Francis or they’re a heretic, in the most literal sense of the word.

Organized Religion was invented to allow us to have our cake and eat it, too…

291

wrenchwench May 15, 2024 • 8:15:24am

Mastodon

292

BeachDem May 15, 2024 • 8:18:50am

Number of articles Maggie Haberman wrote or contributed to involving Hillary Clinton’s emails, between 1/1/2015 and 12/31/2016:

265

Number of articles she wrote about Trump’s post-presidency relationship with Kim Jong-un or his flushing docs down the toilet:

ZERO

Per Jeff Tiedrich:
I hope Haberman’s Pulitzer Prize throws up whenever Maggs walks into the room.

293

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 8:19:20am

re: #257 Dr Lizardo

Ironically, just last week my Wednesday morning class was debating the political and moral implications of tyrannicide. All in all, a thoughtful debate, with the general consensus being that tyrannicide is morally justifiable under a very limited set of circumstances, for instance, if the person in question is someone along the lines of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pol Pot, etc., in other words, an absolute totalitarian dictator with a penchant for genocide and/or democide.

Needless to say, as odious as Fico is, he doesn’t even remotely qualify.

Putin probably does.

294

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 8:20:58am

re: #258 darthstar

I went GYBP, and parred the wordle. Got both pangrams, and 1:26 on the mini x-word.

Time to walk the dogs.

GYBP??

295

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 8:23:16am

re: #293 Hecuba’s daughter

Putin probably does.

Problem with assassinating guys like Putin is that his successor would probably be as bad or worse.

296

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 8:25:26am

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

Killing can be seen as morally permissible only when there exists an immediate threat to other lives that cannot be mitigated any other way.

Such as when a black person accidentally knocks on your door in the dark…

Or an Asian person en.wikipedia.org

Or a car pulls into the wrong driveway

297

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 8:26:00am

re: #291 wrenchwench

[Embedded content]

Damn, five jump cuts in that.

298

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 8:27:03am

299

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 8:28:54am

re: #298 Joe Bacon ✅

Their original name was Confederate News Network, the first (telegraph) cable news outlet in the South.

300

Unabogie May 15, 2024 • 8:29:22am

On a lighter note, this is the best account on Mastodon.

Mastodon

301

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 8:30:19am

re: #300 Unabogie

On a lighter note, this is the best account on Mastodon.

So do rocket scientists do their work in laboratories that are in orbit?

302

wrenchwench May 15, 2024 • 8:32:42am

re: #297 Shropshire Slasher

Damn, five jump cuts in that.

What’s a jump cut? Editing?

Here’s the sequel:

Mastodon

303

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 8:32:50am

ooooooooo I ❤️ Stacy as she rips Gym Shorts to pieces!

Stacey Plaskett rips Jim Jordan’s ‘weaponization’ hearing

304

Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines May 15, 2024 • 8:33:01am

re: #298 Joe Bacon ✅

[Embedded content]

Not sure about Lincoln but William Tecumseh Sherman certainly had problems with the media.

Sherman was famously no fan of reporters.

“I hate newspapermen,” he once attested. “They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. If I killed them all there would be news from Hell before breakfast.”

305

Eclectic Cyborg May 15, 2024 • 8:33:06am

re: #296 Hecuba’s daughter

Man, the end of that article about Hattori is sobering:

The Hattori family donated some of the $100,000 they received to gun reform groups and launched the Yoshi Foundation, an exchange program for American high school students to spend a year in Japan where they can experience life without gun violence.

306

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 8:36:39am

re: #304 Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines

Not sure about Lincoln but William Tecumseh Sherman certainly had problems with the media.

General George Meade once ran a journalist out of camp on the back of a mule, for which his name was never mentioned in any new reports for the rest of the war, and although he was commander of the Army of the Popmac throughout the Wilderness Campaign, Spttsylvania, Petersburg, etc., (Grant was the overall Commander of the Army qand kept his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac) we only hear of Grant and never of Meade

307

BeenHereAwhile May 15, 2024 • 8:38:19am

re: #129 darthstar

Who names their bird “Dagmar”?

[Embedded content]

en.m.wikipedia.org

308

Dangerman May 15, 2024 • 8:41:30am

took mrsdm to the airport this am
we’ll meet up saturday at pom-in-law’s in NJ

so my run was late.
stats came back:
fastest 6k in a year
fastest 4mi in 6 months
fastest mile split in 6 months
fastest km split in 6 months
best performance in 6 months

did i mention it was also the hottest run in a year at 93 degrees?

how did i ever do this for 6 hours in 10 degrees hotter?
(and why?)

eta: sorry - pom is ‘poor old mother’. it’s a family thing i do without thinking

309

🐈 Crush White Christian Nationalism 🐈 May 15, 2024 • 8:45:06am

re: #300 Unabogie

On a lighter note, this is the best account on Mastodon.

[Embedded content]

The alternative is bending down too far for too long to do it with their hands, so they use their feet. There is no other option.

310

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 8:46:31am

there’s always some New York Times reporter all too willing to chuck journalistic integrity right out the window and collude with the world’s worst monsters.

remember Judith Miller? during the run-up to the Iraq war, Bush Administration flunkies would feed pro-war disinformation to Miller. she would then dutifully type up whatever they told her — and there on the Times front page would be some bullshit story about aluminum tubes, or whatever the Bushites were pushing on any given day. warmongers like Condi Rice and Donny Rumsfeld would then go running onto Fox News and cite the very disinfo they’d given Miller as proof that Saddam Hussein was a menace who needed to be dealt with, stat.

Judy Miller is long gone, disgraced — Fox News hired her for a while — but her ‘fuck the truth, I have access’ spirit lives on in Maggie Haberman.

it’s been painfully obvious for a long time that Maggs has been in the tank for Donald Trump — but yesterday, during the Big Trump Falsified Document Campaign Fuckery Trial, we got concrete proof.

jefftiedrich.com

311

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 8:47:18am

re: #293 Hecuba’s daughter

Putin probably does.

I’d agree. There’s simply no legal or electoral recourse to send him packing.

312

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 8:49:05am

re: #304 Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines

“I hate newspapermen,” he once attested. “They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. If I killed them all there would be news from Hell before breakfast.”

Someone call the burn unit.

313

KGxvi May 15, 2024 • 8:49:41am

re: #58 gocart mozart

the last 20 years have so broken my brain, I don’t know if this is a joke or a serious post.

314

wrenchwench May 15, 2024 • 8:50:21am

Mastodon

315

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 8:51:38am

re: #313 KGxvi

the last 20 years have so broken my brain, I don’t know if this is a joke or a serious post.

“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”

-George Carlin

316

Egregious Philbin May 15, 2024 • 8:52:46am

re: #300 Unabogie

On the same line of thought…. Good podiatrists don’t need to advertise, they rely on foot traffic.

317

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 8:53:58am

re: #291 wrenchwench

No audience is key. The focus should be on the candidates, not the fan base.

318

KGxvi May 15, 2024 • 8:54:43am

re: #317 darthstar

No audience is key. The focus should be on the candidates, not the fan base.

I don’t believe them when they say they’ll cut the microphones

319

FFL (GOP Delenda Est) May 15, 2024 • 8:58:25am

re: #318 KGxvi

I don’t believe them when they say they’ll cut the microphones

Whoever runs the debate wants spectacle, not a civil discussion of policy and differences between the candidates.

320

wrenchwench May 15, 2024 • 8:59:29am

re: #317 darthstar

No audience is key. The focus should be on the candidates, not the fan base.

I refreshed my comment, and got the updated post! Cool, but it makes my next comment redundant.

321

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:00:40am

Mastodon

322

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 9:01:47am

re: #319 FFL (GOP Delenda Est)

Whoever runs the debate wants spectacle, not a civil discussion of policy and differences between the candidates.

exactly. and we can expect the subsequent discussion and analysis to center around the most superficial aspects of how the two candidates appeared and interacted, not about the substance of anything they said

323

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:01:56am

re: #294 Hecuba’s daughter

GYBP??

Green, Yellow, Blue, Purple - connections order

324

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 9:03:41am

MAGA Takes Manhattan

325

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:04:44am

re: #320 wrenchwench

I refreshed my comment, and got the updated post! Cool, but it makes my next comment redundant.

I’m surprised Trump accepted so fast…someone must have caught him off guard and said, “President Biden is challenging you to a debate in June” and he shot back, “I accept” before realizing he doesn’t get to control the stage.

326

prairiefire May 15, 2024 • 9:05:38am

Hope everyone is well today !

327

Dangerman May 15, 2024 • 9:06:12am

re: #224 Nerdy Fish

But they’re not the One True Religion, so they don’t get a voice in the matter. Only Christianity is allowed to be taught; not FSM, not Satanism, not science. Only White American Jesus is The Way.

Which “Only White American Jesus is The Way”?

328

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 9:07:08am

re: #327 Dangerman

Which “Only White American Jesus is The Way”?

Well, mine, obviously./

329

FFL (GOP Delenda Est) May 15, 2024 • 9:07:24am

re: #325 darthstar

I’m surprised Trump accepted so fast…someone must have caught him off guard and said, “President Biden is challenging you to a debate in June” and he shot back, “I accept” before realizing he doesn’t get to control the stage.

It’s usual to see initial acceptance and then one party or the other backs out once the details are set and they are unhappy with the forum, how the questions will be handled, etc. etc. I expect Trump to take exception to something and bail out while blustering that everything was rigged in Biden’s favor.

330

Captain Ron May 15, 2024 • 9:08:57am

GOP school board member campaigned against indoctrinating kids — then she read curriculumhttps://t.co/qzvjuSI3dr

— Raw Story (@RawStory) May 15, 2024

331

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 9:09:16am

re: #325 darthstar

I’m surprised Trump accepted so fast…someone must have caught him off guard and said, “President Biden is challenging you to a debate in June” and he shot back, “I accept” before realizing he doesn’t get to control the stage.

He’s not likely to be sentenced and in jail by then, is he?

332

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 9:09:47am

President Biden realizes that Trump will be in jail, so no need to debate.

333

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 9:11:05am

re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

He’s not likely to be sentenced and in jail by then, is he?

He could be sentenced by then, though the case will undoubtedly be on appeal to the Appellate Division if a conviction has been handed down.

334

BeachDem May 15, 2024 • 9:14:47am

re: #332 Shropshire Slasher

President Biden realizes that Trump will be in jail, so no need to debate.

Maybe they can hold it in the prison yard. I hear they’re pretty big.

Per Trump “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds.”

“Just tell me when, I’ll be there,” he continued, before referencing a tag line from professional boxing. “‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”

As always, it’s just a big show to him.

335

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 9:16:42am

Trump will have to hire a new chemist to amp up for the debate.

336

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 9:17:17am

re: #334 BeachDem

Maybe they can hold it in the prison yard. I hear they’re pretty big.

Per Trump “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds.”

“Just tell me when, I’ll be there,” he continued, before referencing a tag line from professional boxing. “‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”

As always, it’s just a big show to him.

Secret service will never allow it.

337

Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines May 15, 2024 • 9:18:10am

Aviation stuff:
South African Air Force to retire C-47 Dakota fleet after 80 years of service

Image via Shutterstock

According to reports appeared in the South African media, the South African Air Force (SAAF) is about to retire its last C-47 Dakota squadron after more than 80 years of uninterrupted service.

The SAAF currently has eight C-47TP Dakota aircraft, although they haven’t flown in the last two years due to the inability to find a technical support provider.

Remarkably, the oldest of these airframes was delivered in 1944, at the peak of the Second World War and has been in uninterrupted service since then.

Of the eight remaining airframes it is believed that at least five are in a flyable condition. These were upgraded in the 1990s and had their original piston engines replaced with Pratt and Whitney PT6A 65R turboprops.

The C-47 was the military version of the DC-3 and by far the most numerous version of the iconic transport.
The South African update is very similar to the Basler BT-67 update from the United States. This provides new engines, updated systems throughout (electrical, hydraulic etc.) and some structural strengthening. The fuselage is also lengthened by 30 inches to maintain center of gravity with the much lighter engines.
Basler is still performing this upgrade and just recieved a contract from Argentina for several BT-67s for Antarctic support.

338

KGxvi May 15, 2024 • 9:19:25am

re: #330 Captain Ron

After Gore reviewed hundreds of pages of the school curriculum, she was shocked that the pervasive indoctrination she had railed against as a candidate did not exist.

you know, call me crazy, but surely, reviewing school curriculums is something someone who was running for school board would do before they ran, instead of waiting until after they were elected on a bullshit platform…

339

🐈 Crush White Christian Nationalism 🐈 May 15, 2024 • 9:20:33am

re: #335 Shropshire Slasher

Trump will have to hire a new chemist to amp up for the debate.

I don’t think putting more juice through burned out circuits is going to do any good. If the drugs still worked, Trump wouldn’t be having episodes of aphasia at his wackjob rallies.

340

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 9:21:15am

re: #338 KGxvi

you know, call me crazy, but surely, reviewing school curriculums is something someone who was running for school board would do before they ran, instead of waiting until after they were elected on a bullshit platform…

When Fundamentalist Christians decided to take over America, they knew that insinuating their people into leadership positions in education, public administration, the military, etc., was key. So ideological orientation was more important than actual professional competence.

341

Egregious Philbin May 15, 2024 • 9:21:59am

re: #337 Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines

I’m an aviation geek and retired airline worker (office stuff, not the cool stuff). I had the opportunity to fly on a beautiful DC 3 in Anchorage once, the plane was done up like it would be in the 1940’s, magazines, flight attendant uniform, etc. It was great, and I got to go up to the cockpit. DC 3 is a very manual plane to fly, not easy!

342

KGxvi May 15, 2024 • 9:23:08am

re: #339 🐈 Crush White Christian Nationalism 🐈

I don’t think putting more juice through burned out circuits is going to do any good. If the drugs still worked, Trump wouldn’t be having episodes of aphasia at his wackjob rallies.

trump glitching and/or blue screening in the middle of a debate will probably kill his campaign more than anything short of admitting in open court that not only did take classified documents but he also sold them to foreign governments.

343

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:23:41am

re: #333 Nerdy Fish

He could be sentenced by then, though the case will undoubtedly be on appeal to the Appellate Division if a conviction has been handed down.

I hope the appellate division puts the appeal in the stack in the order it was received. No expedited appeals for common criminals. If it doesn’t happen until after the election, then maybe he shouldn’t have worked so hard to delay the trial.

Live by the delay, die by the delay.

344

wrenchwench May 15, 2024 • 9:25:44am

re: #338 KGxvi

you know, call me crazy, but surely, reviewing school curriculums is something someone who was running for school board would do before they ran, instead of waiting until after they were elected on a bullshit platform…

She deserves credit. she was swayed by bullshit to run, got in, looked at what they were complaining about, found out it’s bullshit, and now is working with the woman she defeated in her race. Here’s the Texas Tribune link. Yay, non-profit news!

345

Dangerman May 15, 2024 • 9:26:06am

re: #315 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

“Think of how stupid the average person is and recall that half the population is even more stupid!”

-George Carlin

Way more than half the country is of below average intelligence.

Yes I know how it’s supposed to work
This is “danger’s law”

346

KGxvi May 15, 2024 • 9:27:15am

re: #344 wrenchwench

She deserves credit. she was swayed by bullshit to run, got in, looked at what they were complaining about, found out it’s bullshit, and now is working with the woman she defeated in her race. Here’s the Texas Tribune link. Yay, non-profit news!

I’ll give her half credit. I think if you’re going to make a decision to run for public office you should probably study/investigate the issues important to the office and voters before you jump in, rather than doing the “well what now?” routine after you win.

347

Dangerman May 15, 2024 • 9:27:49am

re: #318 KGxvi

I don’t believe them when they say they’ll cut the microphones

It’ll be automatic.
Based on the agreed upon talk time
Part of the terms

348

Dangerman May 15, 2024 • 9:29:09am

re: #328 Nerdy Fish

Well, mine, obviously./

There’s the rub

349

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 9:29:18am

re: #330 Captain Ron

[Embedded content]

So it turns out that after falling for the propaganda and working on behalf of fanatics, she finally did “her own research” and discovered she was in error — and then was shocked to discover the MAGAts poisoning our nation were not interested in truth or reality but only in promoting their false narrative,

350

wrenchwench May 15, 2024 • 9:29:25am

re: #346 KGxvi

I’ll give her half credit. I think if you’re going to make a decision to run for public office you should probably study/investigate the issues important to the office and voters before you jump in, rather than doing the “well what now?” routine after you win.

Celebrate the victories.

She may not have chosen her starting place. She lives in Texas.

351

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:30:44am

re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

He’s not likely to be sentenced and in jail by then, is he?

I’m just looking forward to the headlines if he gets convicted. GUILTY!! across the top of the fold on newspapers around the world with his mug-shot underneath.

352

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 9:31:38am

re: #331 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

He’s not likely to be sentenced and in jail by then, is he?

But Trump is likely to back out when he discovers that the June debate is hosted by CNN.

353

KGxvi May 15, 2024 • 9:32:19am

re: #350 wrenchwench

Celebrate the victories.

She may not have chosen her starting place. She lives in Texas.

eh, she is/was the “co-host of a far right online talk show” according to the article. it’s better than her continuing on with the bullshit, so again: half credit.

354

Jay C May 15, 2024 • 9:32:31am

re: #343 darthstar

I hope the appellate division puts the appeal in the stack in the order it was received. No expedited appeals for common criminals. If it doesn’t happen until after the election, then maybe he shouldn’t have worked so hard to delay the trial.

Live by the delay, die by the delay.

Just MHO, but I don’t think an expedited *appeal* is as much of a problem as the possibility of an expedited *reversal*.

355

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:32:49am

Mastodon

356

jeffreyw May 15, 2024 • 9:33:59am

Mastodon

357

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:34:24am

re: #354 Jay C

Just MHO, but I don’t think an expedited *appeal* is as much of a problem as the possibility of an expedited *reversal*.

Reversal has to wait for the headlines - GOP Candidate for President is a Convicted Felon. Good luck putting the toothpaste back in that tube.

358

Shropshire Slasher May 15, 2024 • 9:35:54am

re: #356 jeffreyw

That is some very smart packaging.

359

Dr Lizardo May 15, 2024 • 9:39:20am

Dune: Prophecy trailer just dropped.

Dune: Prophecy | Official Teaser | Max

360

Dangerman May 15, 2024 • 9:40:05am

re: #355 darthstar

[Embedded content]

Nate Silver:

You’re supposed to be the candidate who stands up for norms and traditions and now you’re ducking this tradition?

“The President will not be participating in the Commission of Presidential Debates’ announced debates.”

Ffs Nate
Scientology is older than this “tradition”

361

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 9:42:00am

re: #360 Dangerman

Ffs Nate
Scientology is older than this “tradition”

Forget it, Jake. It’s Nate Silver.

362

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 9:42:35am

re: #345 Dangerman

Way more than half the country is of below average intelligence.

Yes I know how it’s supposed to work
This is “danger’s law”

“My son is at the very top of the Bell curve!”

363

Dangerman May 15, 2024 • 9:42:45am

Democrats Say They Won’t Save Mike Johnson Next Time

Cause of yesterday’s stupidity

364

Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light)) May 15, 2024 • 9:43:22am

re: #356 jeffreyw

[Embedded content]

seen that before, purke marketing genius

365

Hecuba's daughter May 15, 2024 • 9:43:25am

re: #360 Dangerman

Ffs Nate
Scientology is older than this “tradition”

Didn’t the Trump team already announce weeks ago that they weren’t going to participate in those debates?

366

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 9:44:33am

re: #363 Dangerman

Democrats Say They Won’t Save Mike Johnson Next Time

Cause of yesterday’s stupidity

Margarine Tater-Greens is drafting another privileged motion as of this writing, probably.

367

PhillyPretzel ✅ May 15, 2024 • 9:47:20am

re: #366 Nerdy Fish

I have no doubt about that. MTG is probably writing it up now.

368

Jay C May 15, 2024 • 9:47:35am

re: #357 darthstar

Reversal has to wait for the headlines - GOP Candidate for President is a Convicted Felon. Good luck putting the toothpaste back in that tube.

Naaah, the Trump campaign is more likely to just smear out the whole tube of toothpaste and sell off little dabs of it to the MAGA rubes at $50 a drip for his “defense fund”. All the while shrieking a litany of self-righteous victimization and loudmouthed whining about his “martyrdom” at deafening volume.
Remember who we’re dealing with.

369

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 9:57:11am

re: #365 Hecuba’s daughter

Didn’t the Trump team already announce weeks ago that they weren’t going to participate in those debates?

Yes, but blaming President Biden gets more attention.

370

lawhawk May 15, 2024 • 9:57:30am

We’ve got some rare new Trump trial polling. Americans say:

-52-22 that Trump falsified records to conceal hush money
-47-24 that he committed a crime in doing so
-49-37 that they approve of the indictment/trial

All have risen since last month.https://t.co/mSUdza6XoI pic.twitter.com/ektYGBTsZA

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) May 15, 2024

371

Joe Bacon ✅ May 15, 2024 • 9:58:55am

And now folks we’re gonna get down and funky with our version of “Sweet Adeline”!

372

lawhawk May 15, 2024 • 9:59:02am

re: #360 Dangerman

I’ve also received and accepted an invitation to a debate hosted by ABC on Tuesday, September 10th.

Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024

373

Markm1960 May 15, 2024 • 10:04:09am

re: #271 Wendell Zurkowitz ((slave to the waffle light))

Remember the George Floyd shooting and the Fox commenter’s response?

“Those hands were lethal weapons!”

George Floyd? Or was it Michael Brown?

374

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 10:06:28am

re: #370 lawhawk

Somebody should tell him his poll numbers are rising!

375

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 10:06:54am

re: #373 Markm1960

George Floyd? Or was it Michael Brown?

Brown. Floyd had the lethal airway.

376

Orange Impostor May 15, 2024 • 10:07:05am

re: #89 Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus

This dropped today:

[Embedded content]

Video

..

And as we should expect, the comments to that are off-the-scale dude-bro whining.

The Chrome utility I have to reveal the thumbs up/down ratio, which I realize is never accurate, currently shows 50k up, 183k down, quite the ratio.

I’m not even going to bother to go on Shitter and look at the whining.

Given that it’s going to be competing with Peter Jackson’s installments on the backstory of Gollum (hollywoodreporter.com), some might consider this a bit of overkill since the prior AmazonPrime adaptation was considered, to put it kindly, underwhelming.

377

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 15, 2024 • 10:12:00am

re: #376 Orange Impostor

Season 2 of RoP was already bought when season 1 was done, and it has been in production since then.

The trailer release date, though, may have been intentional to exploit the announcement by WBD.

378

Love-Child of Cassandra and Sisyphus May 15, 2024 • 10:14:05am

There’s still a chance that Amazon and Comcast will come in and carve up WBD.

Amazon could take all the WB stuff (including the rights to the LOTR theatrical releases), while Comcast will take all the TV stuff.

379

darthstar May 15, 2024 • 10:14:30am

Bad year for bridges…

Mastodon

380

HRH Stanley Sea May 15, 2024 • 10:14:58am

For WW. These are incredible photos.

Solitary sandpiper at the pool in Central Park early yesterday morning (14May24). #birdcpp #birdnerd #Nikonphotography pic.twitter.com/y8fXyHGeY6

— EJ Bartolazo (@ejbarto1) May 15, 2024

381

FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 No Capt'n 😷 Trips May 15, 2024 • 10:19:49am

Here’s where Biden and Trump stand on Jan. 6:https://t.co/VeIFcI8kFr pic.twitter.com/JXU7wDDgM4

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) May 15, 2024

382

sagehen May 15, 2024 • 10:21:01am

re: #274 Eclectic Cyborg

Zelensky is one of my all time favorite politicians. Dude is just awesome and so damn good at doing what needs to be done.

which definitely falls into the category of “nobody could have predicted…”

Youtube Video

383

KGxvi May 15, 2024 • 10:29:08am

re: #382 sagehen

I watched a couple of episodes of the show that made him famous in Ukraine - Servant of the People (it was on Netflix, not sure if it’s still there) - and he was pretty good in it. And it was weird because he was the president of Ukraine by the time I saw it, but you could see the hints that he could have a political career if he wanted.

384

Jay C May 15, 2024 • 10:30:20am

re: #381 FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 No Capt’n 😷 Trips

Is this a matter of media bias? I notice NBC uses the stock, smiling cameo of President Biden, while TFG’s picture looks like his booking mugshot from GA….

385

dat_said May 15, 2024 • 10:31:11am

MPR News: New MN Flag Debuted This Weekend

And whack jobs are incensed.

Already heard some drunk rant about how it looks like the flag of Somalia (not even close) and read Mike Lindell thinks it’s part of a plot to implement Islamic law in the state.

386

jaunte May 15, 2024 • 10:32:19am

re: #385 dat_said

Mike Lindell thinks it’s part of a plot to implement Islamic law

Local man fears moon.

387

Nerdy Fish May 15, 2024 • 10:32:57am

re: #385 dat_said

MPR News: New MN Flag Debuted This Weekend

And whack jobs are incensed.

[Embedded content]

Already heard some drunk rant about how it looks like the flag of Somalia (not even close) and read Mike Lindell thinks it’s part of a plot to implement Islamic law in the state.

It’s the North Star State. That’s the state’s official nickname. It’s not a difficult concept, unless you’re a fucking moron.

388

Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines May 15, 2024 • 10:33:18am

re: #386 jaunte

Local man fears moon.

literal lunatic?

389

Vicious Babushka May 15, 2024 • 10:35:31am

re: #388 Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines

literal lunatic?

That would be lunaphobe.

390

jaunte May 15, 2024 • 10:38:42am

The loon
with a tic
about luna
hides his head
beneath a bigot’s
bolster

391

Eventual Carrion May 15, 2024 • 10:48:02am

re: #379 darthstar

Bad year for bridges…

[Embedded content]

Damn. I used to go over that way on the island a lot when I lived in Baytown and Houston. I would go to Stewart beach most times to hang out and party. But probably only ever went over that bridge a couple times.

392

Yeah Sure WhatEVs May 15, 2024 • 11:13:14am

re: #251 Nerdy Fish

I am by no means saying that this guy is anything but a shitstain. I’ve only seen a few comments here and elsewhere about him; I’d literally never heard his name before today. (Hooray, American isolationism!) But I wouldn’t even condone an assassination on Trump, who is on my short list of people I would be glad to see dead; let alone this asshole.

As I’ve said before, you’re a far better person than I.

393

TedStriker May 15, 2024 • 1:43:49pm

re: #261 GlutenFreeJesus

[Embedded content]

Oh have this to look forward to in the mail today. 😂😂😂

If there’s a postage paid return envelope, I will get include a sticky note telling them to fuck off.

Wrap it around a brick and send it back.

Spy Auto

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