Friday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Friday, May 26, 2023
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39 comments
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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Good morning everyone. 3-1/2 hours until sunrise. But the coffee’s got and it’s a quiet night on the veranda. Unseasonably hot for May in Puddletown.
Quiet night at OTB. My only news feed item this morning is the volcano Popocatepetl.
Ash settles on Central Mexico as Popocatepetl vol…: https://youtu.be/DIKVqj1lEm8
So I guess we are going to find out exactly how crooked do you have to be in order to get impeached from a statewide position in Texas.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/25/ken-paxton-20-articles-impeachment/
Well, I never thought I’d see the day. Ken Paxton is under threat of impeachment. I guess speaking of House Squealer Dade Phelan’s drunken display on the House floor was a bridge too far.
It sure as shit isn’t any of the 20 articles of impeachment with which they are charging him, everyone of which all of Texas has known of for quite some time. Have I mentioned lately that he has been under federal indictment for fraud for almost 8 years?
Maybe his chickens are finally coming home to roost. FAFO. Consider my Fruede to be thoroughly schadened.
Want to recommend a totally lightweight entertaining piece of fluff for your viewing pleasure.
We watched Jury Duty on FreeVee last night. FreeVee is Amazon’s free ad-supported streamer which used to be called IMDB TV. We laughed out loud a lot. Premise is that the jury is participating in a documentary about juries. Only one jury member is legit and unaware the whole thing is a setup. The rest are actors. It plays out like a combination of the Truman Show and The Office. Not sure how much is scripted and how much is improv but we couldn’t stop laughing at the sight gags, the banter, etc. Also has James Marsden playing himself as a reluctant Hollywood star who doesn’t want to be there but was not excused as a juror.
@OzarkHillbilly: @Rick DeMent: They have to vote this weekend because the legislative session ends Monday. Then a special session would have to be called. BTW, Paxton’s wife Angela (who he cheated on) is in the Texas Senate. It is like a bad episode of Dallas.
Trump says the LIV tournament is “great publicity for Saudi Arabia.”
@Scott: So in other words, all Paxton has to do is make a sizeable contribution to Abbott’s super pac and he will skate again. No wonder Abbott isn’t making any public statements, it’s all part of the shakedown.
ETA: by the by, ever since JJ made the change to the edit function, this unregistered commentor gets it with every comment I make.
I think that the Open Forum may be the appropriate place to post this today.
The closing of Man who debunked Mike Lindell’s ‘blatantly bogus’ data wants his $5m
Sheeeit, I could’ve told you that. Of course, I would have also told you that no rational person would ever vote for trump.
Dennis Aftergut is always worth reading. Trump and MTG should beware.
plus.thebulwark.com/p/four-messages-stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers
Although I can see the point of former CIA Director John Brennan’s comment that Trump doesn’t really get that he’s in serious trouble.
Why should he? He’s almost 77 and has gotten away with every other sleazy/criminal thing he’s ever done in his life.
I think this qualifies as proof it runs in the family and starts early:
“Trump has the charisma of a mortician and the energy that makes Jeb Bush look like an Olympian,” Trump Jr said on his online show
@Mister Bluster: Sad to relate but that fear of being bested by the soviets (it was always the soviets behind the mischief) was THE overriding concern of American presidents after (my memory) the Berlin airlift. The was no seriously considered foreign policy alternative.
The McGovern candidacy (alas) did succeed in breaking the logjam.
@Kathy:
Oh, dear. When someone brings this monster gaffe to Daddy’s attention he’s going to be distinctly unhappy.
@CSK:
Like, what does a narcissist does when he realizes his son takes after him and looks awful?
@Kathy:
I don’t know. All I can think of is Trump’s response after Ivana told him she wanted to name the baby boy after his father: “What if he turns out to be a loser?”
@JohnMc:..The McGovern candidacy (alas) did succeed in breaking the logjam.
The 1972 election was the first President USA ballot that I could cast. I was two months shy of my 21st birthday in November 1968, the legal voting age at the time. Never mind that the government could shanghai your 18 year old ass to get your head blown off in the jungle and you could not vote the bastards out of office who were doing this to you.
I had a McGovern for President bumper sticker on my car and I still take pride that Jackson County was the only county in Illinois that went for McGovern.
I avoid reading news and commentary of upcoming shows and movies in order to keep from getting spoiled (it’s happened). Still, here’s a look at Mariner and Boimler in live action on the set of Strange New Worlds.
They’re played by the actors who voice them in Lower Decks, Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid.
@Mister Bluster: My first vote was in ’68. I was in country flying on choppers in support of Naval River Forces in the delta. I voted for Dick Gregory. In ’72 I voted for McGovern which, unfortunately, was no different than voting for Gregory.
@Kathy:
There’s been research into the subject that demonstrates that while most people say they hate spoilers, if you actually measure it, knowing what’s going to happen makes people enjoy a story more.
One example was a study where two randomly selected groups were given short stories to read and then rate how much they enjoyed them, but one group was told the ending of the stories before hand. That group consistently rated the stories higher than the group going in unaware.
What people actually want is novelty, but many people confuse novelty for surprise.
@Stormy Dragon:
If you know the ending, then you can look forward to it.
@Mr. Prosser:..I was in country flying on choppers in support of Naval River Forces in the delta.
I’m glad you didn’t come home in a body bag.
@Kathy:
For some reason, these lyrics popped into my head:
@Stormy Dragon:
I really don’t like spoilers. I prefer to either try to guess on my own where the story is leading, or to be surprised by developments.
Back in the 70s, the word of mouth synopsis for Soylent Green was “food is made of dead people.” This totally negates the impact of the reveal at the end of the film, and much of the narrative as well.
The problem is I do want to know something about a movie or TV show before I watch. When it comes to a franchise, that’s more or less known, or unnecessary. Otherwise, one needs to read a little to get a notion. Often, though, you get hit with spoilers.
@Mister Bluster: Thanks, otherwise somebody would be jamming a flag in the ground in front of my headstone. Even in these times being alive is good.
@Mister Bluster: I hope in one piece as well. Too many came back looking like a jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing.
More Texas legislative stupidity.
Texas Legislature averts $100 million consequences of 2021 law requiring nonexistent election technology
@Scott: Heh. I guess the Texas lege decided a little voter fraud was a thing they could live with.
Man, what a day to rent a car. I’m glad a made a reservation two weeks ago. This location is mobbed and the car I’m renting isn’t even here.
Once I get it, we’re driving to Detroit for a big Techno festival. I do wish it was a little warmer. The plan is to dance, enjoy myself, and wave at the bridge where my dad entered the U.S. illegally.
@Mr. Prosser:
Absolutely.
@CSK: In the fair number of books and stories that I read (and rate) on Kindle, I’m more inclined, for “unspoilered” stories, to rate the story lower if I could predict how the story would end, whereas in “spoilered” stories, I find it interesting to watch how the author/narrator got the audience to the climax and denouement.
Unless it’s really lame, of course. (And, sadly for authors out there, I live in a universe where there are almost no 5-star rated books. 🙁 )
(And I don’t think I’ve read any of them either. 🙁 🙁 )
@just nutha:
Sometimes I mind a spoiler and sometimes I don’t. Oddly, I think I mind spoilers far less with movies. I don’t know why. Perhaps movies are more predictable, so I can anticipate what’s coming anyway.
@Beth: Wait, wait…
I didn’t know there was a Detroit, TX on the Rio Grande. Still, hope you have a good time!
I was all set to make meatballs with rice and potatoes again, when I got the notion of instead mixing rice with bean sauce. Two dishes with rice seems redundant.
I thought maybe barley with the meatballs instead, which sounds good. Then I thought kasha would be even better. I’ve never cooked it, but ti seems simple enough.
The problem is there’s none to be had in any store I can think of or look up online. Not so I can get it by tomorrow. I can order it form online sellers, but it won’t get here until Monday, more likely Wednesday.
So, barley it is.
@just nutha:
Lol, I’m an anchor baby
@Beth:
“Tied down with battleship chains,
Fifty foot long and a two ton anchor…(baby)”
😉
I’ve heard this story before and it still astounds me. One of the greatest scenes in all of moviedom, and there is no way one could ever fake it. Pure genius.
eta: John Hurt knew, probably the science officer had a hint or 3, but everybody else… gawd damn… you can’t pretend that.
Getting in, or for that matter out, through the window is not as easy or neat as it sounds.