Am I hallucinating or isn’t the RNC supposed to help Republicans in all races, Senate and House as well as President? A quick review of Wiki is inconclusive. If I’m wrong then this statement by Lara Trump is fine, but if I’m right it’s bizarre.
Lara Trump on Tuesday doubled down on her support for her father-in-law, former President Trump, vowing to spend “every single penny” of Republican National Committee (RNC) funds to reelect him to the White House.
I don’t see the problem. Now that the RNC is part of the Lardass organization, he owns al its money and can spend it as he wants.
On other things, can the Senate dismiss an impeachment, or does it have to go through the rigmarole of a trial?
I would like to learn how many GQP senators, faced with a non-case with no evidence, would vote to convict anyway. It’s not like a Senate “trial” is a real trail bound to laws and rules of evidence.
@Scott: “Useful idiot” is not a phrase I would apply to a cold, calculating snake like Tucker whose perpetuation of Russian propaganda is pretty obviously intentional. (This could relate to our discussion about prescriptivism yesterday–maybe the phrase “useful idiot” now just means anyone implicitly assisting a cause, regardless of intent. But I digress…) That said, the interview made clear that he was seriously out of his depth. I don’t think he knows anything about Russian politics beyond a small set of talking points that are filtered through an American-centric perspective, and are primarily in furtherance of his own white, Christian nationalism in his home country.
One telling moment that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention came when Tucker asked Putin if he sees evidence of God’s work in what’s happening globally. Putin unhesitatingly said no, and said that what happens goes according to inherent laws. I think Tucker was honestly surprised by this answer. The two may view each other as allies of the moment, but that doesn’t mean they always follow the same script.
@MarkedMan: I have to admit I’m a little taken aback at how difficult it is to find what the RNC is responsible for, and what and who it spends money on (scandals excepted). I haven’t gone too deep down the google hole, but I expected a few searches would produce the results.
I am sad no one took me to task over saying Law Enforcement Caste. We are a Democracy with the Rule Of Law and No one is above the Law.
Except for Judicial, Prosecutorial and Qualified Immunity because we don’t want to overrun the courts and cost the taxpayers more money for the misconduct of the Law Enforcement Caste.
@MarkedMan: The RNC’s job is to raise money. It helps state-level party organizations, and does provide some limited material support (both cash and in-kind donations, such as loaning employees to help organize projects), but it does not provide as much direct support to candidates as many believe, the respective campaign committees for each body (the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) and the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) do more of the direct work with candidates.
The RNC is supposed to support “party building” activities, which is sort of hilarious given the current sh!tshow that is today’s GOP.
It’s fairly easy to search the FEC site for donations. Type RNC or “Republican National Committee” into the search box and you get results.
@Paul L.: Maybe more of us accept the notion of a law enforcement caste than you realize. As the continuum moves left, fewer things are as sharply partisan as was true when I was younger.
@CSK: No brainer. Kushner’s enjoying a luxurious private life as a Saudi gravy train billionaire. Give that up for another round as a public punching bag — with endless travel, sleepless nights, and potential federal charges from the requisite Trumpworld criming?
Lol no. He already got the bag and dodged jailtime. No need to tempt fate.
I am sad no one took me to task over saying Law Enforcement Caste.
Meh, as someone who occasionally works in the Criminal Legal System reform space, I learned to get over empty virtue-signaling years ago.
Except for Judicial, Prosecutorial and Qualified Immunity because we don’t want to overrun the courts and cost the taxpayers more money for the misconduct of the Law Enforcement Caste.
So long as you continue to defend and vote for someone who not only also actively wants to extend that list to include Presidential Criminal Immunity but is directly using that argument to continue to advocate for QI for police officers, I’m not going to get particularly excited about your virtue signaling on that particular issue.
WHATABOUTISM squirrel in 3… 2…
—
Edit: For the record, I will never say the Democrats are great on CLS stuff either. At best they are slightly better… or perhaps just less bad.
And I will always give credit on positive action from Republicans. I have repeatedly given kudos to Trump for the Last Step Act and I hope Justice Thomas gets his way and encourages the court to revisit QI.
I just try to be very transparent about where I stand on things and don’t try to give my “side” a pass for supporting policies that I think are harmful to society. And I really try to focus on working on changing the system rather than just being provocative for reasons. In other words, I try to avoid throwing too many stones in my glass house.
@Jen: Thanks for that, but it doesn’t really answer how much money they have spent (pre-Trump) on non Presidential candidates, i.e. Senate and House members.
What I thought would happen was that I would do a quick search and see things like, “The RNC contributed $50K to the Cruz campaign (or affiliated PAC)”, or maybe “The RNC ran $140K worth of ads shoring up Cruz’s campaign”, and then I would snarkily point out that Lara Trump was essentially saying that if elected she would cut off all the other Repub Congress Critters from the trough. But after whacking at it for 10 minutes or so, the only mentions I saw of expenditures were scandal related and fell into two general categories, “RNC pays Trump legal bills”, and “Mysterious payments to unknown contractors”. In the latter case, the whole point is they don’t know what the money was spent on.
@Paul L.: Except for Judicial, Prosecutorial and Qualified Immunity because we don’t want to overrun the courts and cost the taxpayers more money for the misconduct of the Law Enforcement Caste.
Speaking only for myself, I am most definitely not in favor of any of that, precisely because of the abuses it enables.
A couple years ago an STL cop was brought up on charges of murder for killing a known drug dealer. There were several reasons to doubt the cops story starting with the fact that the drug dealer was also known for not carrying a gun. In all likelihood, the cop planted the gun (he was filmed going back and forth from the suspects car and his cruiser) which strangely enough had no fingerprints and no DNA on it. In all my life I’ve never known a fastidious drug dealer. At the beginning of the chase the cop said something along the lines of, “I’m gonna kill that sob this time.”
The jury found the cop “not guilty”.
One more thing to note: the drug dealer had his son in the car with him, was taking him to school. IF as I recall, the cop said the DD was waving a gun around, I don’t buy that either.
@MarkedMan: Finally found a Politico article from 2014, the last Republican election that wasn’t all about Trump and scandals, and they talk about adding additional $8M for GOV in the Senate race, implying there was a substantial investment before that. And OpenSecrets.org has a breakdown of RNC 2014 spending (i.e. no Presidential race) that shows tens of millions going to various Senate (and house) efforts at the state or national level.
So, except for the GOV effort for Trump which would also benefit any other Repub on the ballot, is ol’ Lara saying all other support will be cut off?
So now the impeachment of Mayorkas moves to the Senate. Is there any idea if the Democrats can pull a Mitch McConnel and just not take up the trial like he did with Obama’s SCOTUS pick? Not if they would do it, although I would love to hear hot takes on that, but if they could get away with doing it. is there anything in the constitution that makes them duty bound to having the trial it rather then just running out the clock.
@MarkedMan: To my recollection, they never get directly involved in primaries. They do provide some support, such as making targeted lists available for purchase, but unless they’ve changed processes drastically, you won’t find cash donations to presidential primary candidates in the way you’ve outlined in your post.
Wait–sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you meant Cruz’s presidential run, not his Senate one!
Yeah, mostly what they will do is make targeted donations to the committees I mentioned, but sometimes they’ll make a donation to an incumbent’s campaign committee. Mostly though it’s other support–getting high-level names on the rubber chicken circuit to make a stop at your fundraising BBQ to get pictures taken for major donors’ wall of fame photos.
@Rick DeMent:They would never do it because of the bad press. The media accepts what McConnell did because nobody expects the Republicans to govern and respect traditions, but if the Democrats do the same thing it will be front page news for weeks.
@Rick DeMent: Does this mean we really get to see MTG manage the impeachment trial? I am actually willing to see Mayorkas dragged through all this nonsense just to see all this nonsense. I sure hope no ones teaches her how to pronounce “indictment.”
They would never do it because of the bad press. The media accepts what McConnell did because nobody expects the Republicans to govern and respect traditions, but if the Democrats do the same thing it will be front page news for weeks.
Sure but would it be possible … does it run afoul of any Senate rule??
Lee is running in a competitive Senate race to fill the seat of late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. She argues Californians cannot get by on less than $100,000 a due to the state’s cost-of-living crisis.
Lee was asked during a Senate debate on Monday how her $50 an hour minimum wage proposal would be economically sustainable for small businesses. She claimed she has been a small business owner who ‘created hundreds of jobs’ and argued employees need to be taken care of and have a ‘living wage.’
‘Just do the math, just do the math,’ Lee said during the debate.
The current national minimum wage at $7.25 an hour. The California minimum wages is $16 an hour.
In the wake of the Black Death, England enacted the Statute of Laborers (1349) to fix wages that were spiraling due to no laborers. But wage fixing by capping or setting a minimum has always been the popular with idiots in government.
@JKB:
And on the opposite side of the aisle, the Republican… Trump… same thing answer to the Democrats appears to be… Kari Lake!
Could you remind me of her political track record in statewide elections? I’m too busy shaking in my boots to research her loss in 2022–you know, during the supposed red wave?
Florida may mandate teaching history of communism to kindergartners
TALLAHASSEE — An at-times tense meeting of a House panel Tuesday exposed a simmering debate about whether a proposal to teach about the history of communism in grades as low as kindergarten is a polarizing idea or, as a supporter said, “not divisive in any way.”
The bill (HB 1349) would require lessons about communism and its history in all grades of public schools. The requirement would take effect in the 2026-27 school year, and lessons would have to be “age appropriate and developmentally appropriate” while covering certain topics.
For example, the bill would require lessons about the history of communism in the U.S. and domestic communist movements. The measure also would require teaching about the “increasing threat of Communism in the United States and our allies through the 20th Century, including the events of the Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China and other mass killings from Communist regimes.”
The Republican-controlled House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee voted 10-2 along party lines to approve the bill, with three of the panel’s five Democrats absent when the vote was taken.
Rep. Patricia Williams, D-Pompano Beach, pointed to a need to address other educational issues such as students not being able to read on grade level and said the bill’s supporters “want to put something in the classroom to divide them.”
Why don’t we try teaching them Shakespeare at this age too.
Rep. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, said lessons about communism were part of her education growing up.
“I may be dating myself a little bit here, I went to school in the ‘60s, at a time when we had Russia in our backyard, and Cuba. I have a distinct recollection of learning about Marxism, communism, the McCarthy era. It was all taught. I didn’t think it was unusual, it wasn’t divisive. I’m curious as to how we got away from it, quite frankly,” Lopez said.
What Lopez said was true. When I was a student taking American History in Florida, a state education requirement was we be taught the difference between Americanism and Communism.
That was the late 197o’s requirement and that requirement went away apparently as has the Florida literacy test* all students had to pass to graduate. Anyway the students who had to be taught that were 11th graders.
*- There is a Florida literacy test today but it is about Civics. The exam I had to take consisted of math problems, reading comprehension etc.
That woman just happened to be in Arizona. The housing prices are up everywhere due to the massive federal debt dump into the economy when Democrats bought votes in 2022.
Same happened in the 1960s as they did a cash dump on the economy, but after a year or two of people spending we had the long Stagflation of the 1970s.
But in truth, we need a Reagan. Someone who will break with the DC establishment who seem to periodically have to trash the economy
Yesterday’s news, but … Kelvin Kiptum died in a car crash at age 24. He ran the Chicago marathon last year in 2:00:35, ratified last week to be the world record. And with this unfortunate accident goes the person who had the best chance of breaking the two-hour barrier. (I will not dignify Kipchoge’s fake run here.)
That woman just happened to be in Arizona. The housing prices are up everywhere due to the massive federal debt dump into the economy when Democrats bought votes in 2022.
Hey you brought Barbra Boxer into the mix. I just figured we should look at who Trump is tapping to try and help that poor woman in Arizona.
Its odd you seem to want to turn the discussion away from Kari Lake for some reason. I’m sure you are a full on supporter of her. After all she always there to help the former President with his “I WANT TO BE LOVED!” issue.
But in truth, we need a Reagan. Someone who will break with the DC establishment who seem to periodically have to trash the economy
Sure, sure. So that means I guess we should look to Trump’s well-established record of doing that in the four years he was in office–two of which I’m told he had full control of the legislature.
Not to mention his history for hiring the right people to handle that process. Nope, absolutely no turn over or disfunction in that administration. Who again was responsible for signing off on all those great hires? I mean, there must have been a famed CEO type who ran on a track record of hiring only the best people.
Then again, given that Trump proclaims that “I WANT TO BE LOVED!” by the people around him, maybe, just maybe he’s not that great at accomplishing the shakeup you are hoping for–especially in a “Reagan-esque” way.
Either way, your preferred candidate has a hell of a track record there. I know, though, that the only reason he lost was that the country got so sick of winning. Just remember that MAGA can never fail; it can only be failed by its supporters. That’s a heavy burden for you to live with.
The housing prices are up everywhere due to the massive federal debt dump into the economy when Democrats bought votes in 2022.
This is so stunningly wrong. Absurdly so. That video is just as stupid and nonsensical. Where the hell are you coming up with this? Show your work how you get to this nonsense. I am actually curious how you can come up with something so, so, so, fundamentally wrong.
For anyone else, lol, just wait to see what happens to housing prices in Phoenix when it becomes uninhabitable in the near future. Between the heat and the lack of water, that place is going to cease to exist.
Today is Ash Wednesday or the beginning of Lent to Roman Catholics.
Many people go to church today even though it is not a holy day of obligation. They do this just to get the ashes.
For a week leading up to AW, the phone rings constantly at the church office where my wife works. Callers ask ‘When is the distribution of ashes?’ Our church only does it as part of the mass I do know however of at least one parish in the diocese where they have drive up dispensing.
This is your economy on Democrats.
Affording a house in the Phoenix area
Yes, I’ve always blamed Joe Biden for the high cost of housing in California.
Let’s be fair and honest now, doesn’t Biden also get credit for the low cost of housing in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Oklahoma?
@JKB:
Rising housing prices absolutely and inevitably lead to voting for Orange Jesus. You know, like it did in deep red California and Washington and New York.
@JKB: Worse than your usually incorrect takes. Some things to plug into “why are home prices going up in Phoenix” matrix, from someone who lived in the area:
A lot of land in Arizona is owned by either the federal government (e.g., national parks, Fort Huachuca) or by Tribes. You cannot build on that land.
Of the land that remains, you need to make sure water is accessible. This is becoming increasingly problematic, just ask the residents of Rio Verde what their year was like last year.
Because of the heat, many houses are single-story, as it’s hard on your A/C to try and cool an upstairs when the temp outside is 115 degrees. That means if you want or need a house with more square footage, you build OUT, not UP.
These factors together mean that land to build on is limited, and the easy/available property was snapped up a while ago. Homeowners insurance is another thing to consider, since wildfire risk is higher. Now add in the compounding cost of inflation on building materials (which is everywhere, not just AZ).
It’s more expensive to build a home pretty much anywhere in the country, but when you add in the limits-to-land factors in AZ, yes, OF COURSE it’s going to go up. These are market forces.
@al Ameda: @Michael Reynolds: What no one seems to talk about is that the old folks and retirees (like myself) are cheering the rising housing prices. It is a large chunk of our retirement assets. Should we be cheering the democrats for the huge increase in wealth creation?
Pretend for a moment that there is no polling on Trump vs. Biden. Instead, what you have is the following fact set:
* In 2016, Donald Trump lost the popular vote by 2.1 points.
* In 2018, Republicans lost both the House and the Senate.
* In 2020, Joe Biden beat an incumbent president and got more votes than anyone in American history. This time, Trump lost the popular vote by more than 4 points.
* Beginning in 2021, Biden passed an extraordinary amount of popular, bipartisan legislation.
* In 2022, Biden defied recent midterm election trends and gained ground in the Senate while only losing a handful of seats in the House.
* The economy has avoided what many predicted would be a recession and is now “truly excellent.”
* Democrats won the off-year elections in New Jersey and recaptured the state assembly in Virginia.
* In 2023 special elections, Democrats have been killing it—outperforming partisan leans in 38 races by an average of +10.
* In the most recent special election in NY03, Democrats flipped another Republican seat in a race that the GOP thought it could win. The Democrat saw a +16 point swing over the district’s 2022 result.
* Meanwhile, Trump is bouncing back and forth between courthouses in four separate criminal trials, facing 91 felony counts, and in at least two of those trials everyone admits that Trump is dead to rights.
When wandering Dems come back, and most will, Biden is gonna be fine.
Americans who believe the conspiracy theory that Taylor Swift is part of an elaborate scheme to help Democrats win the November election are also more likely to not believe the 2020 election results, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
Almost three-quarters of those who believe the Swift conspiracy also believe the 2020 election outcome was fraudulent, according to the Monmouth University Poll.
Here’s CNN while reporting on Old Joe’s Super Bowl shrinkflation video
Shrinkflation is a widespread practice where businesses offer less product without reducing the price accordingly. It’s a common cost-saving tactic during periods of inflationary pressure. While inflation has slowed down to a three-year low, prices are still punishingly high for many Americans, who have found themselves getting consistently less for their buck when shopping for essentials.
“There is no denying that shrinkflation is real and that it is having a measurable impact on family budgets,” concluded a December report published by Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.
The report found common household and grocery items noticeably decreased in size between January 2019 and October 2023, while unit prices rose more than 20%.
Hey, Democrats wanted the White House in 2020. And they got it, along with the blame for the economy.
In 2018, Republicans lost both the House and the Senate.
No, they maintained control of the Senate and even saw a net gain in seats. (It was largely because of a very favorable map for Republicans–a lot of Dems were defending seats in very red states with nothing comparable on the other side.) They lost the Senate in 2020.
Republican presidents create fewer jobs, slower growth, bigger deficits, and more recessions than do Democratic presidents.
Barbara Lee will not be California’s senate nominee, but Republican will nominate crazies like Kari Lake, Herschel Walker, Dr. Oz, and George Santos everywhere.
These are a few of the reasons why Republicans keep losing winnable elections. Like they just did, again, last night.
I think the one presupposes the other. If you believe that the 2020 election was stolen by Biden, then naturally you’re going to believe that Taylor Swift is in league with the globalist communists.
@Scott: Yeah, I think that people tell pollsters stuff to mess with them, but over 25 years of mostly teaching adults, I also believe that amazing numbers of people are that stupid. More than most of us realize.
@JKB: You realize, I’m sure, that consumer-facing companies are the ones engaging in shrinkflation tactics, right? Where the cereal box is the same size but the bag inside holds less…you know that Democrats have absolutely nothing to do with that (other than, of course, supporting regulations that would call out that sh!t when it happens, which Republicans are [checks notes] ardently opposed to?)
Yes, but their residents have the solace of being able to claim – incorrectly, of course – that California, with the fifth largest economy in the world, its incredible innovation culture, and its huge inventory of fabulously valuable real estate, is “not American…
I see this thread has turned into a “tell the trumper off” one. I assume all the replies consist of something like “here are some facts that show how ridiculous it is that you still support Trump despite x,y, and z.” To which all I can say is the only question that matters for this particular trumper is “Is Trump still a racist and does he make me feel righteously angry in my own racism?” As long as that answer is yes, game over.
@JKB: The housing prices are up everywhere due to the massive federal debt dump into the economy when Democrats bought votes in 2022.
No, housing prices are up nearly everywhere because we don’t have enough. It’s basic supply and demand, something that AirBnB is not helping with at all. Neither are overly restrictive codes defining what kind of housing can be built where.
housing prices are up nearly everywhere because we don’t have enough.
A look at post-1980 housing starts in California and population growth in the same time frame is instructive.
The most desirable residential real estate here had already been largely developed by 1970. By 1980, developers were building on land that they would have sneered at in 1960. That did not stop people from coming here.
Meanwhile, in the serious role, the Republican Chair of the House Intelligence Committee has gone rogue and released something big (no subscription necessary) to congress critters about a “destabilizing foreign (Russian) military capability” that constitutes a “serious national security threat”. He took it upon himself to disseminate it to everyone in Congress without checking with anyone else first.
My first reaction is that he intended it to tip off his handlers.
Can we get better trolls? I’m not looking for someone who isn’t just trying to score points, but someone who is better at it, who takes the time to know his audience and understand the fault lines. Someone who divides rather than just uniting everyone against them.
MAGA really has lowered the quality of trolling. It’s all just vice signaling and staking a claim. There’s no artistry to that. You can’t sit back and watch chaos unfold that way.
I think it’s just that MAGA is so far out of touch. They can’t take a position that is terrible, but that 15-20% of normal people will agree with, and stir that 15-20% up to start arguing for them.
Find the fault lines. Attack the fault lines. Let the people you are trolling do the work for you.
Paul tries with his ACAB thing, bless his heart, but he isn’t great at getting his message across.
And JKB? It’s just a little sad. Easily disproven falsehoods. Not even trying to twist it into “Biden is doomed because people believe these crazy things”, just trotting out the crazy things as if they were true.
I’m thinking burgers and potatoes for this weekend. The idea is to parboil some potato slices, then cook them in the oven with the burgers on top of a layer of potatoes. This works really well when I roast chicken, and I figure burgers ooze fluid, too.
No, nothing happened to the multi pot air fryer combo. It’s just not the right tool for this recipe.
To top the burgers I’m thinking browned onions with a balsamic and tomato reduction*. These do reheat well in the microwave all week, especially with a slice of gouda on top.
For a side, I don’t know. If real tangerines finally show up (I’ve been expecting them since January, but maybe climate change has other ideas), I may try a version of cabbage, onions, celery, bell pepper, and soybean sprouts, with a sauce made of tangerine juice, soy sauce, peanut butter, and maybe a bit of honey.
Speaking of climate change, I may move up the purchase of an ice cream maker, seeing as it’s getting unseasonably warm right now. I’m more torn than before between a Ninja Creami and a cheaper Cuisinart ice cream maker.
I think for the ideas I’ve in mind, the Creami would be better. I get the impression it will turn any frozen liquid into ice cream or sorbet, whereas that’s not quite the case with more conventional methods. In particular the notion of mocha Greek yogurt ice cream, and coconut lemonade (lemonade made with coconut water) sorbet.
Shots fired at Super Bowl victory parade, multiple people in custody, at least 10 people hit.
The Guardian has an article, but it contains no more information than that, so why bother with a link?
I hope it was just drunken idiots having a shootout, rather than right-wing terrorism because Biden and Taylor Swift scripted the whole Super Bowl. The mundane Wednesday In America mass shooting, rather than a special mass shooting. It’s sad that we have to worry about these things.
The agency, responsible for the protection of 2,700 federal judges and more than 30,000 federal prosecutors and other court personnel, has seen a sharp rise in threats related to the country’s bitter political divisions, the marshals director, Ronald Davis, told Reuters in a recent interview.
The threats come amid the most sustained spate of political violence in the US since the 1970s, according to a Reuters investigation last year.
Glad I am my long time running buddy Dave retired last year (he was a CSO for the Marshalls).
No. No we can’t. There are very few Ken M’s in the world, and we are too small a target for someone of that genius.
Example Ken M trolling exchange
(In the comment section of a news article titled, “I give “Happy Ending” massages to women for a living”)
Ken M: If you need to rely on physical touch to achieve climax, you are doing something wrong
Maria Y: I hope you’re not married, cause your wife would be this guys first customer
Ken M: Most women can be driven to orgasm by a bawdy tale that flies in the face of propriety
I have a Ninja Creami and I love it, but the big reason I like it better than a traditional ice cream maker is the non-frozen dessert uses: if I want to make mayo, an emulsified salad dressing, fromage fort, even emulsified sausage, I can just put the ingredients in a Creami container, freeze it overnight, run it through the sorbet cycle several times, and then let it thaw in the refrigerator.
Americans who believe the conspiracy theory that Taylor Swift is part of an elaborate scheme to help Democrats win the November election are also more likely to not believe the 2020 election results, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
This makes sense. Both from a “if you believe one incredibly stupid conspiracy theory you will believe another” standpoint, and a “both the conspiracy theories appeal to the same side” standpoint.
The fact that 18% believe the Taylor Swift Super Bowl conspiracy theory is semi-shocking, but look at how many Americans think professional wrestling is rigged.
(I would be very impressed with everyone involved if the NFL was choreographed. Getting that many people to do their parts that well, in a physically demanding activity… ballet might be harder physically, but they aren’t changing the show every week)
A vague warning by the chair of the House Intelligence Committee about a “serious national security threat” Wednesday is related to Russia and space, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The U.S. has been concerned about Russia’s advancement in space for years. While the people did not provide much in terms of details, one of them said the intelligence is related to Moscow’s weaponization of its orbital systems.
Bologna was tasked that day with “designing an operational plan to keep citizens safe, protesters safe, keep businesses safe,” and that they should not judge the officer’s actions based on a 20-second video. [where he gives a protester a wood shampoo]
The NFL is an association of the team owners, most of whom are wealthy individuals with big egos. Despite revenue sharing and salary caps, I don’t see them fixing games among themselves, when each owner wants to beat all the others on the field.
Besides, in such a large group of entitled individuals, a few malcontents are bound to blab to all that the games are fixed.
There isn’t that much that can be done from space. Off the top of my head:
1)Anti-satellite weapons. This wouldn’t be new. Some of the Kosmos series satellites the old USSR put up were little more than thrusters and explosives. Place one near a target satellite, blow it up, shrapnel takes out the target.
2) Orbital nukes. This would be easy, and you could nuke your targets faster than with ICBMs, assuming they are well positioned and so on.
3) EMP burst. This consists of detonating a nuke or three in orbit, creating an electromagnetic pulse and little else. It would disable most orbiting satellites, including Russian ones. I don’t see how this benefits them, except in a full nuclear “exchange” (gotta love the sanitized expressions for killing the whole planet). And maybe not even then.
4) It’s space. It’s scary.
I’m sure there are no mass drivers, HUGE orbital lasers, or a cabal of little green men awaiting orders to probe everyone within reach.
Ukraine claims it has evidence Russia fired an advanced hypersonic missile – one that experts say is almost impossible to shoot down – for the first time in the almost 2-year-old war.
The government-run Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise said in a Telegram post that debris recovered after a February 7 attack on the Ukrainian capital pointed to the use of a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile by the Russian military.
“Markings on the parts and fragments, the identification of components and parts, and the features of the relevant type of weapon” point to the first-ever use of the Zircon in combat, said the institute, which is part of Ukraine’s Justice Ministry.
Had a brilliant day yesterday and I’m still coasting on it. It was the ‘everything just suddenly snaps together’ day. Five main character arcs, A and B and C plots. I’ve said before that I, left brain me, is an interpreter and the ideas come from ‘him,’ over there on the right. I feel my way through a narrative, never really knowing the end point, how it’s all going to work. A week back at page 321 I knew it was coming. Yesterday, not working, finishing off a bourbon Manhattan and smoking a joint on my balcony, ‘he’ laid it all out. I wrote myself an email as it was coming. A,B,C,D,E, callbacks, payoffs, boom. Like a Rubik’s cube when everything snaps together. And I don’t know how it happens. It always does, always has, but I haven’t written a book in five years and I’m old. Like going out to the old car you haven’t turned over in five years, and it starts.
Russia used an advanced hypersonic missile for the first time in recent strike, Ukraine claims
That was my thought. It would be unsurprising if Republicans wanted to introduce an updated “Missile Gap” element into the election. We are lagging in hypersonic weapons development, but that is a problem that predates Biden. That won’t stop the GOP from blaming him.
Cruise missiles are ones powered by an air breathing jet engine, and go back to the infamous V-1 pulse jet missile. Hypersonic means it travels above Mach 4-5 or so (definitions vary). ICBM “re-entry vehicles”* travel even faster.
Yes, they’re hard to defend against. Partly because until now no one used them, and thus no one needed a defense. How many the Russians have and are willing to expend, I’ve no idea.
Cruise missiles are expensive. On the other hand, they can be launched from far away, and are very precise (now they are; the V-1 was an area weapon at best). They can be armed with nukes, with conventional explosives, and I think there’s a version specialized in wrecking runways with cluster munitions.
*In general, the gratuitous use of quotes indicates a sanitized term for a horrible thing. in this case, a nuke that will kill millions of people.
A Florida law enforcement officer shot at an unarmed and handcuffed man after mistaking the sound of a falling acorn for a gunshot, according to internal investigation documents.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigation released Friday found former deputy Jesse Hernandez used excessive force. But he and a sergeant who shot at unarmed suspect Marquis Jackson were cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, according to Sheriff Eric Aden.
The body cam video is pretty amazing. So many shots fired. One officer believed that they had been shot (by the acorn).
I’m not convinced that these officers should have guns, but at least they weren’t well trained enough to hit the man they were shooting at… so, less training for police officers?
@MarkedMan: I assume number 19 was from before the Hobby Lobby decision. And, I hope Ken_M wept as his trolling good time became a Supreme Court precedent.
A state bill in Arizona would expand the right to deny contraception health coverage for all employers who carry religious beliefs.
Ken M
american companies should be free to practice there religion too
Primewonk
Companies don’t have religious beliefs. People do.
Ken M
that kind of bigotry is what’s causing so many companies to move overseas in search of a better life
I don’t think we merit world class trolls, but a little effort would be nice. An aspiring mediocre troll would be fine.
@MarkedMan:
It’s satire, I suppose. Adult, not at all for kids. Hell is overpopulated and Satan is not a numbers guy, he’s an artist. When GTF first cast him down it was to Hades which was all gray tone. Satan made things much more interesting. He’s sent into exile in a human body on Earth. But the A plot is his replacement, a dead human CEO. And a bunch more stuff. I have a rep for gruesome, and it’s plenty gruesome. Also one hopes, funny. Should come it at about 425 pages. Hoping to get banned!
@Jen: You realize, I’m sure, that consumer-facing companies are the ones engaging in shrinkflation tactics, right?
You realize, I’m sure, that these companies are hiding inflation with shrinkflation tactics. If the amount doesn’t go down, the price goes up. Voters buy less at the higher price so end up about even, but the voters see the price inflation that usually gets blamed on the incumbent during an election.
My one concern is “fish gelatin.” Sounds positively nauseating.
Also, the “cost”of $2.23 per kilogram is atrociously expensive for rice. More so if it is production cost. For something that would contain an equivalent nutrition for one gram of beef, though, it would be cheap.
We will either see, or it will go the way of plant-based meat substitutes (brief hype and interest followed by distant indifference), or cultured meat (pretty much the same, but not many, if any, products in the market).
@Kathy:
I went with Richelieu. He’s high-status corpo (dead person), has an estate on the crater lip overlooking the Old Quarter (The Lake of Fire and Celebrity Island) and runs Hell’s sex trade. Corpos don’t need food or water, but Ricky Loo is still a Frenchman and smuggles wine into Hell.
@MarkedMan:
Gotta see if I can find a publisher first. My agent likes it. I finally decided to have an agent (sigh) as my IP lawyer retired. I’m with the number 3 Hollywood agency. Numbers one and two, no interest.
@JKB: Hey great to see you posting again. You must of missed the questions I asked a while back so here it is again. I’m really interested in your answers.
So who are the “deadbeat EU members” that paid up their NATO obligations? How much did they pay up and who are they even paying it to?
@Scott: Considering how Russian hardware has been performing I’m amazed the 3M22 Zircon made it anywhere near a target.
I feel like hypersonic missiles are overhyped. Something moving mach 8-9 is very noticeable to a wide range of sensors (while being blind itself due to the plasma build up). Also something moving that fast has severe restrictions on maneuverability resulting in an extremely predictable travel path. At that kind of speeds impacting even a small fragment of metal is fatal. For the missile to perform any sort of dodging maneuver it would have to slow dramatically to conventional speeds at which point anti-missile systems will have a field day. I could see the missile being effective against targets on the frontline of a war but once it has to penetrate a defense network effectiveness falls off dramatically (especially if said defense network utilizes satellites).
Happy VD Day everyone!
Remember, Love is fleeting.
Herpes is forever!
Well looks like the Republican’s made the right move having the impeachment vote yesterday. The Special Election “primary” seems to favor Democrats.
Democrat Tom Suozzi elected to succeed George Santos
@Rick DeMent: Doesn’t this sort of imply that Biden impeachment is dead?
@Kylopod:
One would think …
@Mister Bluster: Blecch.
Why is everybody calling Tucker Carlson a “useful idiot”?
Tucker Carlson joins long line of ‘useful idiot’ journalists helping tyrants
Hillary Clinton calls Tucker Carlson a ‘useful idiot’ in response to Putin interview
Kremlin All But Admits Tucker Carlson Is a Useful Idiot
That lets him off the hook. Seems to me he is a “fellow traveler” .
@Scott:
“Why is everybody calling Tucker Carlson a “useful idiot”?”
He’s useful (to Putin). And he’s an idiot. ‘Nuff said.
Am I hallucinating or isn’t the RNC supposed to help Republicans in all races, Senate and House as well as President? A quick review of Wiki is inconclusive. If I’m wrong then this statement by Lara Trump is fine, but if I’m right it’s bizarre.
Any know?
@MarkedMan: I would not be surprised if Lara and Eric have a couple of companies that will be receiving some of these funds.
@MarkedMan:
I don’t see the problem. Now that the RNC is part of the Lardass organization, he owns al its money and can spend it as he wants.
On other things, can the Senate dismiss an impeachment, or does it have to go through the rigmarole of a trial?
I would like to learn how many GQP senators, faced with a non-case with no evidence, would vote to convict anyway. It’s not like a Senate “trial” is a real trail bound to laws and rules of evidence.
@Scott: “Useful idiot” is not a phrase I would apply to a cold, calculating snake like Tucker whose perpetuation of Russian propaganda is pretty obviously intentional. (This could relate to our discussion about prescriptivism yesterday–maybe the phrase “useful idiot” now just means anyone implicitly assisting a cause, regardless of intent. But I digress…) That said, the interview made clear that he was seriously out of his depth. I don’t think he knows anything about Russian politics beyond a small set of talking points that are filtered through an American-centric perspective, and are primarily in furtherance of his own white, Christian nationalism in his home country.
One telling moment that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention came when Tucker asked Putin if he sees evidence of God’s work in what’s happening globally. Putin unhesitatingly said no, and said that what happens goes according to inherent laws. I think Tucker was honestly surprised by this answer. The two may view each other as allies of the moment, but that doesn’t mean they always follow the same script.
@MarkedMan: I have to admit I’m a little taken aback at how difficult it is to find what the RNC is responsible for, and what and who it spends money on (scandals excepted). I haven’t gone too deep down the google hole, but I expected a few searches would produce the results.
I am sad no one took me to task over saying Law Enforcement Caste.
We are a Democracy with the Rule Of Law and No one is above the Law.
Except for Judicial, Prosecutorial and Qualified Immunity because we don’t want to overrun the courts and cost the taxpayers more money for the misconduct of the Law Enforcement Caste.
@MarkedMan: The RNC’s job is to raise money. It helps state-level party organizations, and does provide some limited material support (both cash and in-kind donations, such as loaning employees to help organize projects), but it does not provide as much direct support to candidates as many believe, the respective campaign committees for each body (the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee) and the NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) do more of the direct work with candidates.
The RNC is supposed to support “party building” activities, which is sort of hilarious given the current sh!tshow that is today’s GOP.
It’s fairly easy to search the FEC site for donations. Type RNC or “Republican National Committee” into the search box and you get results.
https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00003418/1753625/
@Paul L.:
Did you get a ticket yesterday?
Jared Kushner declines to be secretary of state if his father-in-law is re-elected.
@Beth:
Just another day ending in day. But Thin Blue Line.
@Paul L.: Maybe more of us accept the notion of a law enforcement caste than you realize. As the continuum moves left, fewer things are as sharply partisan as was true when I was younger.
@Scott: @Moosebreath: That’s an insult to useful idiots everywhere.
@CSK: No brainer. Kushner’s enjoying a luxurious private life as a Saudi gravy train billionaire. Give that up for another round as a public punching bag — with endless travel, sleepless nights, and potential federal charges from the requisite Trumpworld criming?
Lol no. He already got the bag and dodged jailtime. No need to tempt fate.
@Jen: Thanx! It’s nice having people around here who actually know this stuff.
@Paul L.:
Meh, as someone who occasionally works in the Criminal Legal System reform space, I learned to get over empty virtue-signaling years ago.
So long as you continue to defend and vote for someone who not only also actively wants to extend that list to include Presidential Criminal Immunity but is directly using that argument to continue to advocate for QI for police officers, I’m not going to get particularly excited about your virtue signaling on that particular issue.
WHATABOUTISM squirrel in 3… 2…
—
Edit: For the record, I will never say the Democrats are great on CLS stuff either. At best they are slightly better… or perhaps just less bad.
And I will always give credit on positive action from Republicans. I have repeatedly given kudos to Trump for the Last Step Act and I hope Justice Thomas gets his way and encourages the court to revisit QI.
I just try to be very transparent about where I stand on things and don’t try to give my “side” a pass for supporting policies that I think are harmful to society. And I really try to focus on working on changing the system rather than just being provocative for reasons. In other words, I try to avoid throwing too many stones in my glass house.
@Jen: Thanks for that, but it doesn’t really answer how much money they have spent (pre-Trump) on non Presidential candidates, i.e. Senate and House members.
What I thought would happen was that I would do a quick search and see things like, “The RNC contributed $50K to the Cruz campaign (or affiliated PAC)”, or maybe “The RNC ran $140K worth of ads shoring up Cruz’s campaign”, and then I would snarkily point out that Lara Trump was essentially saying that if elected she would cut off all the other Repub Congress Critters from the trough. But after whacking at it for 10 minutes or so, the only mentions I saw of expenditures were scandal related and fell into two general categories, “RNC pays Trump legal bills”, and “Mysterious payments to unknown contractors”. In the latter case, the whole point is they don’t know what the money was spent on.
@Paul L.:
Is this you?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2xoh02ud_L/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Speaking only for myself, I am most definitely not in favor of any of that, precisely because of the abuses it enables.
But it is funny you should bring this up because I just read this this AM: Trial begins for ex-Philadelphia cop accused of assaulting protester during 2020 racial justice demonstrations. The proof is in the pudding, so time will tell.
A couple years ago an STL cop was brought up on charges of murder for killing a known drug dealer. There were several reasons to doubt the cops story starting with the fact that the drug dealer was also known for not carrying a gun. In all likelihood, the cop planted the gun (he was filmed going back and forth from the suspects car and his cruiser) which strangely enough had no fingerprints and no DNA on it. In all my life I’ve never known a fastidious drug dealer. At the beginning of the chase the cop said something along the lines of, “I’m gonna kill that sob this time.”
The jury found the cop “not guilty”.
One more thing to note: the drug dealer had his son in the car with him, was taking him to school. IF as I recall, the cop said the DD was waving a gun around, I don’t buy that either.
@MarkedMan: Finally found a Politico article from 2014, the last Republican election that wasn’t all about Trump and scandals, and they talk about adding additional $8M for GOV in the Senate race, implying there was a substantial investment before that. And OpenSecrets.org has a breakdown of RNC 2014 spending (i.e. no Presidential race) that shows tens of millions going to various Senate (and house) efforts at the state or national level.
So, except for the GOV effort for Trump which would also benefit any other Repub on the ballot, is ol’ Lara saying all other support will be cut off?
@Beth: Heh. Thanx for the laugh.
So now the impeachment of Mayorkas moves to the Senate. Is there any idea if the Democrats can pull a Mitch McConnel and just not take up the trial like he did with Obama’s SCOTUS pick? Not if they would do it, although I would love to hear hot takes on that, but if they could get away with doing it. is there anything in the constitution that makes them duty bound to having the trial it rather then just running out the clock.
@MarkedMan: To my recollection, they never get directly involved in primaries. They do provide some support, such as making targeted lists available for purchase, but unless they’ve changed processes drastically, you won’t find cash donations to presidential primary candidates in the way you’ve outlined in your post.
Wait–sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you meant Cruz’s presidential run, not his Senate one!
Yeah, mostly what they will do is make targeted donations to the committees I mentioned, but sometimes they’ll make a donation to an incumbent’s campaign committee. Mostly though it’s other support–getting high-level names on the rubber chicken circuit to make a stop at your fundraising BBQ to get pictures taken for major donors’ wall of fame photos.
@Rick DeMent:They would never do it because of the bad press. The media accepts what McConnell did because nobody expects the Republicans to govern and respect traditions, but if the Democrats do the same thing it will be front page news for weeks.
@Rick DeMent: Does this mean we really get to see MTG manage the impeachment trial? I am actually willing to see Mayorkas dragged through all this nonsense just to see all this nonsense. I sure hope no ones teaches her how to pronounce “indictment.”
@senyordave:
Sure but would it be possible … does it run afoul of any Senate rule??
This is your economy on Democrats.
Affording a house in the Phoenix area
How Democrats running for the CA senate seat propose to fight inflation
In the wake of the Black Death, England enacted the Statute of Laborers (1349) to fix wages that were spiraling due to no laborers. But wage fixing by capping or setting a minimum has always been the popular with idiots in government.
@JKB:
And on the opposite side of the aisle, the Republican… Trump… same thing answer to the Democrats appears to be… Kari Lake!
Could you remind me of her political track record in statewide elections? I’m too busy shaking in my boots to research her loss in 2022–you know, during the supposed red wave?
Or was that voter fraud too?
You got to love Florida. From the Sun-Sentinel–
Florida may mandate teaching history of communism to kindergartners
Why don’t we try teaching them Shakespeare at this age too.
What Lopez said was true. When I was a student taking American History in Florida, a state education requirement was we be taught the difference between Americanism and Communism.
That was the late 197o’s requirement and that requirement went away apparently as has the Florida literacy test* all students had to pass to graduate. Anyway the students who had to be taught that were 11th graders.
*- There is a Florida literacy test today but it is about Civics. The exam I had to take consisted of math problems, reading comprehension etc.
@Matt Bernius:
That woman just happened to be in Arizona. The housing prices are up everywhere due to the massive federal debt dump into the economy when Democrats bought votes in 2022.
Same happened in the 1960s as they did a cash dump on the economy, but after a year or two of people spending we had the long Stagflation of the 1970s.
But in truth, we need a Reagan. Someone who will break with the DC establishment who seem to periodically have to trash the economy
Yesterday’s news, but … Kelvin Kiptum died in a car crash at age 24. He ran the Chicago marathon last year in 2:00:35, ratified last week to be the world record. And with this unfortunate accident goes the person who had the best chance of breaking the two-hour barrier. (I will not dignify Kipchoge’s fake run here.)
@JKB:
Hey you brought Barbra Boxer into the mix. I just figured we should look at who Trump is tapping to try and help that poor woman in Arizona.
Its odd you seem to want to turn the discussion away from Kari Lake for some reason. I’m sure you are a full on supporter of her. After all she always there to help the former President with his “I WANT TO BE LOVED!” issue.
Sure, sure. So that means I guess we should look to Trump’s well-established record of doing that in the four years he was in office–two of which I’m told he had full control of the legislature.
Not to mention his history for hiring the right people to handle that process. Nope, absolutely no turn over or disfunction in that administration. Who again was responsible for signing off on all those great hires? I mean, there must have been a famed CEO type who ran on a track record of hiring only the best people.
Then again, given that Trump proclaims that “I WANT TO BE LOVED!” by the people around him, maybe, just maybe he’s not that great at accomplishing the shakeup you are hoping for–especially in a “Reagan-esque” way.
Either way, your preferred candidate has a hell of a track record there. I know, though, that the only reason he lost was that the country got so sick of winning. Just remember that MAGA can never fail; it can only be failed by its supporters. That’s a heavy burden for you to live with.
@JKB:
This is so stunningly wrong. Absurdly so. That video is just as stupid and nonsensical. Where the hell are you coming up with this? Show your work how you get to this nonsense. I am actually curious how you can come up with something so, so, so, fundamentally wrong.
@Beth:
For anyone else, lol, just wait to see what happens to housing prices in Phoenix when it becomes uninhabitable in the near future. Between the heat and the lack of water, that place is going to cease to exist.
@Bill Jempty:
Its called sharing.
@Paul L.: “I am sad no one took me to task over saying Law Enforcement Caste.”
Does a troll exist if he say something stupid and nobody cares?
Today is Ash Wednesday or the beginning of Lent to Roman Catholics.
Many people go to church today even though it is not a holy day of obligation. They do this just to get the ashes.
For a week leading up to AW, the phone rings constantly at the church office where my wife works. Callers ask ‘When is the distribution of ashes?’ Our church only does it as part of the mass I do know however of at least one parish in the diocese where they have drive up dispensing.
@wr:..Does a troll exist if he say something stupid and nobody cares?
Not if the troll is in the woods with no one else around and a tree falls on his head.
@JKB:
Last I checked, Lee was in third place behind Schiff and Katie Porter. This is a desperate attention grab, political clickbait. Meaningless.
@JKB:
Yes, I’ve always blamed Joe Biden for the high cost of housing in California.
Let’s be fair and honest now, doesn’t Biden also get credit for the low cost of housing in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Oklahoma?
@JKB:
Rising housing prices absolutely and inevitably lead to voting for Orange Jesus. You know, like it did in deep red California and Washington and New York.
@JKB: Worse than your usually incorrect takes. Some things to plug into “why are home prices going up in Phoenix” matrix, from someone who lived in the area:
A lot of land in Arizona is owned by either the federal government (e.g., national parks, Fort Huachuca) or by Tribes. You cannot build on that land.
Of the land that remains, you need to make sure water is accessible. This is becoming increasingly problematic, just ask the residents of Rio Verde what their year was like last year.
Because of the heat, many houses are single-story, as it’s hard on your A/C to try and cool an upstairs when the temp outside is 115 degrees. That means if you want or need a house with more square footage, you build OUT, not UP.
These factors together mean that land to build on is limited, and the easy/available property was snapped up a while ago. Homeowners insurance is another thing to consider, since wildfire risk is higher. Now add in the compounding cost of inflation on building materials (which is everywhere, not just AZ).
It’s more expensive to build a home pretty much anywhere in the country, but when you add in the limits-to-land factors in AZ, yes, OF COURSE it’s going to go up. These are market forces.
@al Ameda: @Michael Reynolds: What no one seems to talk about is that the old folks and retirees (like myself) are cheering the rising housing prices. It is a large chunk of our retirement assets. Should we be cheering the democrats for the huge increase in wealth creation?
GOP: Are You Sick and Tired of All the Winning Yet?
When wandering Dems come back, and most will, Biden is gonna be fine.
A semi-serious question and, frankly, I’m afraid to know the answer:
Are people this stupid? Or are people just inclined to mess with pollsters?
Most Taylor Swift conspiracy theorists are also election deniers, poll finds
@al Ameda:
Here’s CNN while reporting on Old Joe’s Super Bowl shrinkflation video
Hey, Democrats wanted the White House in 2020. And they got it, along with the blame for the economy.
@Kylopod:
Carlson is akin to The Evil Jester figure.
@Scott:
Yes.
I’m thinking Swift should show up at some Biden campaign events this year, rather than just endorsing him.
Alas, her tour ends after the election. But if she could find time to attend KC’s games, maybe she can squeeze in a few stops.
I seriously wonder if Biden’s campaign has approached her.
@EddieInCA:
No, they maintained control of the Senate and even saw a net gain in seats. (It was largely because of a very favorable map for Republicans–a lot of Dems were defending seats in very red states with nothing comparable on the other side.) They lost the Senate in 2020.
@JKB: 9 of the 10 poorest states are Republican.
95 of the 100 poorest counties are Republican.
Republican presidents create fewer jobs, slower growth, bigger deficits, and more recessions than do Democratic presidents.
Barbara Lee will not be California’s senate nominee, but Republican will nominate crazies like Kari Lake, Herschel Walker, Dr. Oz, and George Santos everywhere.
These are a few of the reasons why Republicans keep losing winnable elections. Like they just did, again, last night.
@Scott:
I think the one presupposes the other. If you believe that the 2020 election was stolen by Biden, then naturally you’re going to believe that Taylor Swift is in league with the globalist communists.
@Scott: Yeah, I think that people tell pollsters stuff to mess with them, but over 25 years of mostly teaching adults, I also believe that amazing numbers of people are that stupid. More than most of us realize.
@JKB: You realize, I’m sure, that consumer-facing companies are the ones engaging in shrinkflation tactics, right? Where the cereal box is the same size but the bag inside holds less…you know that Democrats have absolutely nothing to do with that (other than, of course, supporting regulations that would call out that sh!t when it happens, which Republicans are [checks notes] ardently opposed to?)
@Jen: wall of fame photos.
@DK:
Yes, but their residents have the solace of being able to claim – incorrectly, of course – that California, with the fifth largest economy in the world, its incredible innovation culture, and its huge inventory of fabulously valuable real estate, is “not American…
@JKB:
Do you remember Trump claiming that if Biden were elected, 401k’s would be worthless, and suburbs would be in flames shortly thereafter?
Just wondering…
I see this thread has turned into a “tell the trumper off” one. I assume all the replies consist of something like “here are some facts that show how ridiculous it is that you still support Trump despite x,y, and z.” To which all I can say is the only question that matters for this particular trumper is “Is Trump still a racist and does he make me feel righteously angry in my own racism?” As long as that answer is yes, game over.
No, housing prices are up nearly everywhere because we don’t have enough. It’s basic supply and demand, something that AirBnB is not helping with at all. Neither are overly restrictive codes defining what kind of housing can be built where.
@OzarkHillbilly:
A look at post-1980 housing starts in California and population growth in the same time frame is instructive.
The most desirable residential real estate here had already been largely developed by 1970. By 1980, developers were building on land that they would have sneered at in 1960. That did not stop people from coming here.
Meanwhile, in the serious role, the Republican Chair of the House Intelligence Committee has gone rogue and released something big (no subscription necessary) to congress critters about a “destabilizing foreign (Russian) military capability” that constitutes a “serious national security threat”. He took it upon himself to disseminate it to everyone in Congress without checking with anyone else first.
My first reaction is that he intended it to tip off his handlers.
Can we get better trolls? I’m not looking for someone who isn’t just trying to score points, but someone who is better at it, who takes the time to know his audience and understand the fault lines. Someone who divides rather than just uniting everyone against them.
MAGA really has lowered the quality of trolling. It’s all just vice signaling and staking a claim. There’s no artistry to that. You can’t sit back and watch chaos unfold that way.
I think it’s just that MAGA is so far out of touch. They can’t take a position that is terrible, but that 15-20% of normal people will agree with, and stir that 15-20% up to start arguing for them.
Find the fault lines. Attack the fault lines. Let the people you are trolling do the work for you.
Paul tries with his ACAB thing, bless his heart, but he isn’t great at getting his message across.
And JKB? It’s just a little sad. Easily disproven falsehoods. Not even trying to twist it into “Biden is doomed because people believe these crazy things”, just trotting out the crazy things as if they were true.
Do better.
Well hell yeah, where else were they gonna go? Mississippi?
@MarkedMan:
Let’s go off topic then.
I’m thinking burgers and potatoes for this weekend. The idea is to parboil some potato slices, then cook them in the oven with the burgers on top of a layer of potatoes. This works really well when I roast chicken, and I figure burgers ooze fluid, too.
No, nothing happened to the multi pot air fryer combo. It’s just not the right tool for this recipe.
To top the burgers I’m thinking browned onions with a balsamic and tomato reduction*. These do reheat well in the microwave all week, especially with a slice of gouda on top.
For a side, I don’t know. If real tangerines finally show up (I’ve been expecting them since January, but maybe climate change has other ideas), I may try a version of cabbage, onions, celery, bell pepper, and soybean sprouts, with a sauce made of tangerine juice, soy sauce, peanut butter, and maybe a bit of honey.
Speaking of climate change, I may move up the purchase of an ice cream maker, seeing as it’s getting unseasonably warm right now. I’m more torn than before between a Ninja Creami and a cheaper Cuisinart ice cream maker.
I think for the ideas I’ve in mind, the Creami would be better. I get the impression it will turn any frozen liquid into ice cream or sorbet, whereas that’s not quite the case with more conventional methods. In particular the notion of mocha Greek yogurt ice cream, and coconut lemonade (lemonade made with coconut water) sorbet.
*Fancier than saying “sauce.”
Shots fired at Super Bowl victory parade, multiple people in custody, at least 10 people hit.
The Guardian has an article, but it contains no more information than that, so why bother with a link?
I hope it was just drunken idiots having a shootout, rather than right-wing terrorism because Biden and Taylor Swift scripted the whole Super Bowl. The mundane Wednesday In America mass shooting, rather than a special mass shooting. It’s sad that we have to worry about these things.
Glad I am my long time running buddy Dave retired last year (he was a CSO for the Marshalls).
@Gustopher:
No. No we can’t. There are very few Ken M’s in the world, and we are too small a target for someone of that genius.
Example Ken M trolling exchange
(In the comment section of a news article titled, “I give “Happy Ending” massages to women for a living”)
Ken M: If you need to rely on physical touch to achieve climax, you are doing something wrong
Maria Y: I hope you’re not married, cause your wife would be this guys first customer
Ken M: Most women can be driven to orgasm by a bawdy tale that flies in the face of propriety
@Kathy:
I have a Ninja Creami and I love it, but the big reason I like it better than a traditional ice cream maker is the non-frozen dessert uses: if I want to make mayo, an emulsified salad dressing, fromage fort, even emulsified sausage, I can just put the ingredients in a Creami container, freeze it overnight, run it through the sorbet cycle several times, and then let it thaw in the refrigerator.
Voila, perfect emulsion with no risk of breaking
@Scott:
This makes sense. Both from a “if you believe one incredibly stupid conspiracy theory you will believe another” standpoint, and a “both the conspiracy theories appeal to the same side” standpoint.
The fact that 18% believe the Taylor Swift Super Bowl conspiracy theory is semi-shocking, but look at how many Americans think professional wrestling is rigged.
(I would be very impressed with everyone involved if the NFL was choreographed. Getting that many people to do their parts that well, in a physically demanding activity… ballet might be harder physically, but they aren’t changing the show every week)
@MarkedMan: Here’s Politico on the subject:
Warning from House Intel is about Russia’s space power
@OzarkHillbilly:
Pure copsplaining from a cop lawyer.
@Stormy Dragon:
I’ve wanted one since I first saw it. The problem is it’s worth 3 times as much as a conventional home ice cream maker.
@Gustopher:
The NFL is an association of the team owners, most of whom are wealthy individuals with big egos. Despite revenue sharing and salary caps, I don’t see them fixing games among themselves, when each owner wants to beat all the others on the field.
Besides, in such a large group of entitled individuals, a few malcontents are bound to blab to all that the games are fixed.
@JKB:
Okay, I’ll take the blame for 3.7% unemployment rate, and a 3.1% inflation rate.
@Kathy:
Key is to look at it not as an expensive ice cream maker, but as a really cheap Pacojet =3
@al Ameda:
The horror! The horror!
@Scott: “Are people this stupid?”
Intellectually I know it was just a coincidence, but I can’t help loving the fact that the first post after you asked this question was from JKB…
@Scott:
There isn’t that much that can be done from space. Off the top of my head:
1)Anti-satellite weapons. This wouldn’t be new. Some of the Kosmos series satellites the old USSR put up were little more than thrusters and explosives. Place one near a target satellite, blow it up, shrapnel takes out the target.
2) Orbital nukes. This would be easy, and you could nuke your targets faster than with ICBMs, assuming they are well positioned and so on.
3) EMP burst. This consists of detonating a nuke or three in orbit, creating an electromagnetic pulse and little else. It would disable most orbiting satellites, including Russian ones. I don’t see how this benefits them, except in a full nuclear “exchange” (gotta love the sanitized expressions for killing the whole planet). And maybe not even then.
4) It’s space. It’s scary.
I’m sure there are no mass drivers, HUGE orbital lasers, or a cabal of little green men awaiting orders to probe everyone within reach.
@Kathy: I wonder if they are referencing this:
Russia used an advanced hypersonic missile for the first time in recent strike, Ukraine claims
Had a brilliant day yesterday and I’m still coasting on it. It was the ‘everything just suddenly snaps together’ day. Five main character arcs, A and B and C plots. I’ve said before that I, left brain me, is an interpreter and the ideas come from ‘him,’ over there on the right. I feel my way through a narrative, never really knowing the end point, how it’s all going to work. A week back at page 321 I knew it was coming. Yesterday, not working, finishing off a bourbon Manhattan and smoking a joint on my balcony, ‘he’ laid it all out. I wrote myself an email as it was coming. A,B,C,D,E, callbacks, payoffs, boom. Like a Rubik’s cube when everything snaps together. And I don’t know how it happens. It always does, always has, but I haven’t written a book in five years and I’m old. Like going out to the old car you haven’t turned over in five years, and it starts.
I might go have a steak.
@Scott:
That was my thought. It would be unsurprising if Republicans wanted to introduce an updated “Missile Gap” element into the election. We are lagging in hypersonic weapons development, but that is a problem that predates Biden. That won’t stop the GOP from blaming him.
@Stormy Dragon:
Yes, but thinking of it as too expensive keeps me from getting one 🙂
Why did my last comment go into moderation?
@Scott:
That’s hardly “space.”
Cruise missiles are ones powered by an air breathing jet engine, and go back to the infamous V-1 pulse jet missile. Hypersonic means it travels above Mach 4-5 or so (definitions vary). ICBM “re-entry vehicles”* travel even faster.
Yes, they’re hard to defend against. Partly because until now no one used them, and thus no one needed a defense. How many the Russians have and are willing to expend, I’ve no idea.
Cruise missiles are expensive. On the other hand, they can be launched from far away, and are very precise (now they are; the V-1 was an area weapon at best). They can be armed with nukes, with conventional explosives, and I think there’s a version specialized in wrecking runways with cluster munitions.
*In general, the gratuitous use of quotes indicates a sanitized term for a horrible thing. in this case, a nuke that will kill millions of people.
@Michael Reynolds: What’s this one about?
Florida Police, frightened by an acorn, shoot up a neighborhood. The unarmed, handcuffed man they were aiming at was not (physically) harmed.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/02/14/acorn-florida-police-shoot-unarmed/
The body cam video is pretty amazing. So many shots fired. One officer believed that they had been shot (by the acorn).
I’m not convinced that these officers should have guns, but at least they weren’t well trained enough to hit the man they were shooting at… so, less training for police officers?
@MarkedMan: I assume number 19 was from before the Hobby Lobby decision. And, I hope Ken_M wept as his trolling good time became a Supreme Court precedent.
I don’t think we merit world class trolls, but a little effort would be nice. An aspiring mediocre troll would be fine.
@MarkedMan:
It’s satire, I suppose. Adult, not at all for kids. Hell is overpopulated and Satan is not a numbers guy, he’s an artist. When GTF first cast him down it was to Hades which was all gray tone. Satan made things much more interesting. He’s sent into exile in a human body on Earth. But the A plot is his replacement, a dead human CEO. And a bunch more stuff. I have a rep for gruesome, and it’s plenty gruesome. Also one hopes, funny. Should come it at about 425 pages. Hoping to get banned!
@Michael Reynolds: Medium rare I hope, or rare.
You realize, I’m sure, that these companies are hiding inflation with shrinkflation tactics. If the amount doesn’t go down, the price goes up. Voters buy less at the higher price so end up about even, but the voters see the price inflation that usually gets blamed on the incumbent during an election.
@Michael Reynolds:
You’ve spoken of something similar before. Does Talleyrand still appear?
@Stormy Dragon:
The idea of going through a lot of work to make ice cream seems wrong to me…somehow.
How about that. The first real Frankenfood (that I know about) is not a genetically modified organism.
My one concern is “fish gelatin.” Sounds positively nauseating.
Also, the “cost”of $2.23 per kilogram is atrociously expensive for rice. More so if it is production cost. For something that would contain an equivalent nutrition for one gram of beef, though, it would be cheap.
We will either see, or it will go the way of plant-based meat substitutes (brief hype and interest followed by distant indifference), or cultured meat (pretty much the same, but not many, if any, products in the market).
@Michael Reynolds: Make sure to let us know when it is released!
@Kathy:
I went with Richelieu. He’s high-status corpo (dead person), has an estate on the crater lip overlooking the Old Quarter (The Lake of Fire and Celebrity Island) and runs Hell’s sex trade. Corpos don’t need food or water, but Ricky Loo is still a Frenchman and smuggles wine into Hell.
@MarkedMan:
Gotta see if I can find a publisher first. My agent likes it. I finally decided to have an agent (sigh) as my IP lawyer retired. I’m with the number 3 Hollywood agency. Numbers one and two, no interest.
@Gustopher: Indeed! They should take Melania’s words to heart and Be Best.
@Kathy: I’m not a fan of chocolate/mocha flavor against the tang of yogurt myself, but let us know if it turns out well for you.
@Scott:
Sadly, yes. Yes, they are. Republican strategy has been working hard for decades to make them this stupid, and it has succeeded.
@JKB: Hey great to see you posting again. You must of missed the questions I asked a while back so here it is again. I’m really interested in your answers.
So who are the “deadbeat EU members” that paid up their NATO obligations? How much did they pay up and who are they even paying it to?
@Scott: Considering how Russian hardware has been performing I’m amazed the 3M22 Zircon made it anywhere near a target.
I feel like hypersonic missiles are overhyped. Something moving mach 8-9 is very noticeable to a wide range of sensors (while being blind itself due to the plasma build up). Also something moving that fast has severe restrictions on maneuverability resulting in an extremely predictable travel path. At that kind of speeds impacting even a small fragment of metal is fatal. For the missile to perform any sort of dodging maneuver it would have to slow dramatically to conventional speeds at which point anti-missile systems will have a field day. I could see the missile being effective against targets on the frontline of a war but once it has to penetrate a defense network effectiveness falls off dramatically (especially if said defense network utilizes satellites).