Wednesday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Wednesday, October 18, 2023
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25 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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Have to give Jim Jordan and his allies props for working the press so well over the weekend that just about every journalist was reporting he had the speakership all but in the bag, and that his opponents were dropping one by one.
But that’s as much props as he gets. What a shock that a thug who has never passed a bill in 16 years in congress and has never worked together with anyone to achieve a constructive goal lacks the tools to bring the people who hate him over to his side.
It’s a cliche by this time to marvel over Nancy Pelosi’s remarkable political skills, but Jordan is going to make us admire Kevin McCarthy’s…
Not even a dirty adult diaper.
Some potentially good news: Boebert behind in fundraising, faces primary challenge.
https://www.denverpost.com/2023/10/18/lauren-boebert-adam-frisch-jeff-hurd-congress-fundraising/
Reasons to question some of the punditry about the Israel-Hamas war:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2023/10/israel-palestine-war-hamas-gaza-misconceptions/675675/
It’s just one goddamned thing after another. I was due to be released from surgical rehab today, but this a.m. I tested positive for Covid.
@wr: Nope. I’m able to despise the incompetence of both at the same time.
@CSK: ouchies!
@CSK: Oh, NO. Am I remembering correctly you had a rough turn with covid before? I hope your case is mild this time and passes quickly.
@CSK: Sorry I am for this turn of events.
My local Costco, which I am a member of, had to close due a bomb threat last Saturday. One of my wife’s co-workers was there at the time. Customers had to wait and couldn’t drive off in their cars.
I have a rather jaundiced view of bomb threats. If you’re going to bomb a place, why call it in? I went through three bomb threats* when I worked at the hospital. None were true but all three were disruptive to patient care.
Currently I live across the street** from a Jewish temple. I wouldn’t be surprised if I go through another some day.
And today on the way home from errand running, I had three complete morons driving out the entrance of the condo parking lot. Even though it is clearly parked wrong way. One of these dangerous idiots started yelling at me because I was blocking his way as I drove in.
This is a recurring problem where I live. My condo’s parking lot is for two buildings, and people who live in the other building plus the occasional visitor here, drive out the entrance because it is close to their condo building. I’ve been in a head on accident and seen the catastrophic injuries that have happened to people involved in these. People who drive the wrong way are complete morons like I wrote above.
*- The second of which was done by a recently fired employee. He was arrested.
**- Open my front door and you clearly see the temple.
The Head Xitter can rationalize and spin this as he wants, but he comes across as someone with a faulty business model begging for money to pay for his ill-conceived investment.
@CSK:
That really sucks.
Can you get Paxlovid?
@Bill Jempty: It has been a tactic of many freedom (terrorist, depending on your perspective) groups to plant a live bomb in some significant infrastructure and then call it in, giving the authorities enough time to evacuate. We really have no choice but to treat a bomb threat as real.
@just nutha:
Tell me about it.
@Jen:
Thank you.
@OzarkHillbilly:
Me too.
@Kathy:
I think so.
Bombs Away!
The riots on campus and in town at Southern Illinois University were in full swing in the spring of 1970. One evening me and some friends were sitting in the trailer where Susan and her boy friend who everyone called Foot were living. Susan had to go to a night class as me and Foot and another guy were debating if we should call in a bomb threat to the 12 story women’s dormitory right next to the trailer court so we could watch all the girls come out of the building…again. Bomb threats to campus buildings were common. Susan was against the whole idea and let us all know what a bad plan it was and how we’d all get in trouble. She was adamant!
“Don’t do it you guys! Don’t do it!” she said as she left for class. I don’t really know what stopped us but we never did.
About an hour later Susan burst in the door and went straight for the phone and dialed the Campus Police. “There’s a BOMB in NEELY HALL!” she yelled into the phone and slammed down the receiver.
We were stunned!
She said she had just seen a cop beat up on some student who hadn’t done anything and she was PISSED!
Another tale of the radicalization of otherwise docile students by the cops. Before it was over there were 7000 in the street the night the University finally shut down.
For some reason I’m thinking about chicken milanesa pizzas.
The idea is oven baked breaded milanesas with a layer of refried beans, and topped with browned onions, tomato sauce, and a little cheese.
It sounds good, and probably would be tasty enough. But I’d have to keep the beans and toppings separate the whole week, then prepare them at lunch before nuking them in the microwave. That can get complicated…
For a starter I’m thinking again of lentil, rice, and kasha soup with pasta.
@CSK:
Damn. Bad luck.
Best wishes.
Memo to self: “get the winter covid and flu jabs booked, John, and stop fannying about!”
@CSK:
That sucks pretty hard. Get the Paxlovid. It knocked my Covid right down.
@JohnSF:
My doctor strongly advised me to get jabs in the following order: Pneumonia, Shingles, Covid latest, Flu and RSV. So far I’ve done the first two and did not have fun. My only real phobia is about needles, so the fact that I drove myself to CVS to get two shots at once is a personal growth milestone. Let’s see if I’ve grown enough for the next round. Maybe when my shoulder stops hurting every time I raise my arm.
@Kingdaddy: @CSK: @CSK, I’m so sorry. I hope it’s so mild you hardly cough.
@Kingdaddy, Boebert has hit the skids over here on the Western Slope. Last week she and her now ex-hub went through their final divorce hearing. Prior to the public hearing there was a closed door conference in which screeching and yelling could be heard through the door. She showed up carrying her toddler grandchild, spawn of her 18 yoa son. Politically she’s toast. When the hardcore Mesa County commissioners (2) endorse someone else then you’re gone. Of course the person they endorsed has the same fringe outlook but is at least civilized.
@Michael Reynolds:
Ditto on dislike of being needled; but I was happy enough last few times.
Just need to get the GP to give a time, as I qualify for free jabs for flu and covid, on account of being an old git.
Past 60 = “vulnerable”.
@Mr. Prosser:
But will he have the same entertainment value?
@CSK: That sucks. Wishing you the best.
Ukraine has apparently used the new ATACMS to destroy 9 Russian helicopters and air defense assets. As they say, slava Ukraini, and well-done Lockheed Martin.
Next I expect little Donnie will be admonished for chewing gum, then made to stand in a corner with his back to the courtroom.
Free advice to Cheeto Jr. Javanka, and whatshisname: don’t wait for the donor money to reach maximum, and file the conservatorship papers ASAP.
@Michael Reynolds: Won’t be much entertainment, Jeff Hurd is more a Koch type minion and a commercial and regulatory attorney (energy producers). He’s a member of the Federalist Society. Dull and dangerous.