A while back I did a post on who we
are, or perhaps, who I thought we were. Maybe the more appropriate
question is who we want to be? In years past we have fought a civil
war, we have fought for voting rights, we have fought for woman's
rights, we have fought for civil rights. My readers and I have been
arguing in the comments section for weeks now about immigration and
what should be done in various countries to alleviate some of the
problems caused by mass immigration. It is during the times of
greatest stress that people are forced to examine themselves and
their country's values.
I finally got around to watching a
movie that had been recommended to me a while ago. It is based on a
true story which took place during the United States civil war. It
is a story I hadn't heard before, and I suspect neither have many
others. It takes place in Mississippi and follows the events that
occurred when a small group of people decided they didn't like what
was being done to them in support of the Confederacy. They began to
fight what amounted to a guerrilla war against the southern troops
who were conscripting people and supplies for their war effort.
Even long after a war is won, it is
still being fought. This really is a case of voter fraud.
Everyone struggles within themselves to
find the right path, even with the small things. When it comes to
the larger tests in life it becomes a true test of character.
Nearly
all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's
character, give him power.
Abraham
Lincoln
193 comments:
You shouldn't just take all those Hollywood productions as gospel Lynnette. There was much more to the story than the film lets on.
http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/free-state-of-jones/
In many of these new blockbusters based on a true story they twist the plot quite a lot. It's kinda like that recent story 'bout how it was three black women who put america on the moon. Of course that was not a reality, but it did make for an emotional film.
It was white male mathematicians and engineers who put you on the moon, and them black women did fact checking ans solved equations handed to them. A vital part, but not anywhere near as important as Hollywood portrays it to be. But the reality doesn't score as well at the box office.
That said, obviously slavery is an absolute evil and abolishing it was a good thing.
[Lynnette]: "Now if Petes were still around he might be interested in this. The Gregorian chant, best known as the solemn music sung by robed monks of old, is enjoying a 21st-century revival — and the Twin Cities are at the heart of it this week. Experts and students of the ancient sacred music from across the globe have gathered for what is billed as “the most in-depth teaching conference ... on sacred music in the world.” They’re honing their musical skills and bringing the solemn choral notes to several St. Paul churches."
Way ahead of you ;-)
In fact, I'm just on the way to the airport to pick up my lil' sis' who's been studying Gregorian chant pedagogy in Washington DC (as she has done each June for the last three years courtesy of her generous older sibling). Back here she runs her own schola, teaching young kids to read neumes and sing Gregorian chant at a local parish.
"It was white male mathematicians and engineers who put you on
the moon…"
That's not quite true. When the project was still restricted to only white male participants the best they managed to accomplish with the technology was to drop explosives rather indiscriminately into each others civilian population centers.
That's a step along the road to the moon at best.
In many of these new blockbusters based on a true story they twist the plot quite a lot.
Actually it appears, after reading your link, that the film followed quite closely the events that transpired. The major difference was in creating a single composite character out of a multiple real people.
Nice to see you Petes. Hope the weather has been treating you well over there. It's a gorgeous day here today. A nice day to work in the garden for a little bit.
I was rather surprised when I saw that article in my paper as I didn't realize that Gregorian chants were alive and well and living in Minnesota. lol!
Gregorian chant never went away... just took a back seat to kum-ba-yahs and Dylan songs for a while, courtesy of the now aging baby boomer generation ;-) It is still officially the recommended music of the Catholic liturgy.
Weather here has been pretty tolerable all year. No storms or floods, generally dryer than normal, but hints of the so-called European monsoon this last week. We had temps in the mid-twenties in early June, but they've returned to a more normal 18-20 now (I can hear you shiver).
(I can hear you shiver).
lol!
If that is Fahrenheit, definitely. But Celsius is tolerable. We are set to hit the 90's (Fahrenheit) again towards the end of the week. I prefer the 70's or low 80's myself.
Possibly worsening situation in the Phillipines.
A decade after his release from prison, a former henchman of ISIS' leader in Asia predicts the battle unfolding in the southern Philippines city of Marawi won't stop there.
Abu Jihad -- not his real name -- retains a seriousness about him. His hair is short and neat, and these days streaked with white. He sports a neat goatee and is considered and thoughtful when he speaks.
He predicts the Marawi siege is only the beginning of a wider jihadist war in the region.
Okay, this is just so annoying. Does anyone know how to prevent the videos attached to these articles from automatically starting when you access the page? Or am I forever going to have to click on pause when they start?
Yup. Super-annoying ... some of the browser-specific remedies here might help.
... but they'll probably have side effects you don't want too. Just black-list the offending sites. Everyone complains about the CNN site. (It's not just Trump ;-)
*sigh*
I don't really want to download stuff, nor do I want to blacklist CNN, as I usually like their site.
I guess I will just have to put up with it. Maybe I can write a complaint to CNN. Not that that would do any good. It might make me feel better though. I've gotten very good at complaining. ;)
"I don't really want to download stuff, nor do I want to blacklist CNN…"
In that case, turning off ‘scripting’ (javascript) in your browser will work for the CNN site. (This assumes you know how to disable javascript in your browser.) You have to have it enabled for the main CNN page to download--they won't show you anything on their main page if you disable java before you go there. But, after you've loaded the main page (WWW.CNN.COM), you can then disable java and it will load the linked pages you click on from there, but the clips won't run. (Minimize and hide the main page and you can check back on it later if you want.) But, you'll want to remember to turn the javascripting back on after you're done with CNN, because there are other pages that will also object to you having the java shut off.
""I don't really want to download stuff…"
Why not? (Perhaps I can help address that problem too.)
Check your e-mail, by the way; I sent you a e-mail on this subject earlier today. Maybe do this discussion out of the public eye?
I wonder if Bridget is still a fan of Chris Christie?
He seems to be imploding fast.
It's hard to imagine worse optics than the scene Chris Christie painted for the July Fourth holiday weekend.
Aerial photos showed the governor and his family partying on the sand at Island Beach Park, the sole occupants of the 10-mile beach thanks to a government shutdown Christie ordered.
Funny, his rather arrogant behavior reminds me of someone.
Check your e-mail, by the way; I sent you a e-mail on this subject earlier today.
I haven't had the chance to check personal stuff today until now. Right now I'm kind of falling asleep, so I'll have to check later...
"…so I'll have to check later..."
You'll find two e-mails then. ‘Til later…
Shorthands is once again trying to tweet the Chinese into fixing his North Korean problem for him. TrumpTweets This is the Trumpkins' version of how to Make America Great Again; our Fearless Leader begs somebody else to fix our problems for us.
Gotta figure the dedicated Trumpkins will eventually notice that this ain't workin’ and Trump ain't Great.
Gotta figure the dedicated Trumpkins will eventually notice that this ain't workin’ and Trump ain't Great.
Well maybe if he stumbles into a war with North Korea they might actually notice. Obviously his stance on the Russians isn't going to do it, despite the fact that that mess smells to high heaven.
Hmmm...looks like Alaska went for Trump by a good margin, 51.3% to 36.6% for Hillary.
Happy 4th of July to my American readers, or perhaps I should say reader. lol!
Quality over quantity.
"Obviously his stance on the Russians isn't going to do it…"
My guess is that it will come up in 2020. I'm expecting he'll draw a Republican primary opponent who'll make a stink over it, and some Republicans will decide they can notice the stink ‘cause it's a Republican making noise about it and not a Democrat.
Score one for CNN.
The Reddit user who initially claimed credit for President Donald Trump's tweet that showed Trump tackling CNN issued an apology Tuesday for the video and other offensive content he posted -- one day after CNN identified the man behind the account and attempted to make contact with him.
Trump, zero.
Well it looks like we are going to find out what the world looks like without US leadership. Bruno will be thrilled, I am sure.
Foreign policy, increasingly, is what is happening around the world while the United States is making other plans.
More than five months into Donald Trump's presidency, American adversaries and allies alike are adjusting to a new era in which Washington seeks its own idiosyncratic and unpredictable "America First" path.
Lynnette:
"Score one for CNN.
The Reddit user who initially claimed credit for President Donald Trump's tweet that showed Trump tackling CNN issued an apology Tuesday for the video and other offensive content he posted -- one day after CNN identified the man behind the account and attempted to make contact with him.
Trump, zero."
The criminal bastards at CNN chased down and threatened a 15 YO boy Lynnette. Funny how a 15 YO white boy is suddenly a "man" in your and your chosen media's eyes when a 25 YO Afghan lying about being 17 is always a poor child.
Probably a crime acccording to Assange:
https://twitter.com/JulianAssange/status/882430554544713728
Also from Reddit:
"CNN can track down a random guy from Reddit, but they totally have no idea how Donna Brazile got the debate questions.?"
Lynnette, this was not a win for CNN at all. This will add to the white hot rage many people feel towards them. Disgusting behavior. The backlash will be severe.
Looks like he wasn't 15 after all. With all this fake news going around it's hard to know what to believe.
Well, one of the things you can believe is that Trump found him first.
And, another thing you can believe is that Assange, who most certainly does not have any interest in Making America Great Again, keeps coming out in the defense of Trump. (And Sean Hannity, one of FoxNews' most dedicated Trumpkins, keeps trying to rehabilitate Assange with the FoxNews crowds.)
David Ignatius opines, in the Washington Post, that we ought to coöperate with the Russians in Syria, at least to the extent of granting the Iranians control over that corridor they want to establish from Tehran to Beirut.
I tend to disagree.
Looks like he wasn't 15 after all. With all this fake news going around it's hard to know what to believe.
That's all right, Marcus, from his behavior anyone could have been fooled.
That was an interesting article, Lee. Perhaps pragmatism is what is called for when looking at Syria.
Within your article there was another that was also good.
One city offers a preview of Syria's future
“This is not a work of beauty. This is pragmatism,” says Maj. Gen. Rupert Jones, the British deputy commander of coalition forces in Iraq and Syria who accompanied McGurk here. The United States and its partners are supplying potent Special Operations forces for training and air support. But the Syrian Kurds and their Arab allies are doing the fighting and the dying on the ground, and for better or worse, it’s their vision of governance that will take hold as the Islamic State falls.
Lynnette:
"That's all right, Marcus, from his behavior anyone could have been fooled."
First of all the behavior of a random guy on Reddit is not news. What's news is Trump tweeting that clip he tweeted.
Also, note that the Reddit-guy may have first created the meme, but he created it as a .gif file. A .gif has no sound and the meme Trump tweeted had sound so it wasn't even the Reddit guy's specific content Trump Tweeted, it had been at least altered.
That meme was funny, and interpreting it as a "threat to journalists" is dramatic over-interpretation even while coming from the most butthurt and thin-skinned professional corps in all of society - journalists.
Trump tweeting it on the other hand was not Presidential and makes him too look thin skinned, ridiculous and stupid. CNN should have pushed that and staid with that. Then they would've come out on top.
Instead they directed their investigative team into outing, obviously threatening and coercing (no one buys their alternative explanation) a random nobody trying to be funny on the Internet into making an act of public grovelling and apologizing under threat of exposure as a hater in worldwide media coverage. Exposes them as the bullies they really are.
Millions of people will hate them intensely for that. There's severe backlash in the court of public opinion already. Trump? Not phased at all. His involvement is not even the issue any longer, it got lost in the storm about the #CNNBlackmail story.
You seem to think CNN scored a win against Trump and you could not be more wrong. Trump just walked away while CNN shot itself in the foot, maybe both feet, that's the outcome of this whole deal.
"Perhaps pragmatism is what is called for when looking at Syria."
As a general statement of principles, it's hard for me to be against pragmatism. In the case of Syria, the creation of a Shia corridor between Tehran and Beirut, running right through the middle of Zeyad's longed for Sunnistan, is hardly a recipe for peace and stability in the future.
The locals won't like, and we may include the local Sunni powers including Egypt and Saudi Arabia and beyond.
And, Tehran wants the corridor to enable it to make mischief in the region. Also not a recipe for peace and stability.
Prior to his meeting with Putin, Trump has made sure to reiterate his position that ‛it could have been anybody’ interfering with our last Presidential election and ‛nobody knows’ if it was the Russians. (The unanimous opinion of our intelligence services to the contrary.)
Here's a former NY prosecutor voicing his opinion about wether the CNN doxx threat was legal:
http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/assange-accuses-cnn-of-committing-crime-with-trump-wrestling-story-he-might-be-right/
Here's senator Ted Cruz giving his opinion on Twittter:
https://twitter.com/thedcpolitics/status/882464270851555330
Lynnette, do you still believe that CNN threthening to doxx a random Internet user amounts to a win for CNN and a loss for Trump?
What's news is Trump tweeting that clip he tweeted.
Yes, and apparently that is the way of the "modern" President, as Trump likes to call himself.
...the Reddit guy's specific content Trump Tweeted, it had been at least altered.
Yes, because Trump has an obsession with CNN.
That meme was funny, and interpreting it as a "threat to journalists" is dramatic over-interpretation even while coming from the most butthurt and thin-skinned professional corps in all of society - journalists.
Somehow I don't think of journalists as being thin-skinned. Trump, yes, journalists, no. Whether that video was funny is open to interpretation. But then I am not one who believes in the "modern" President. I actually prefer the old-fashioned kind that actually gives some thought to how actions may be interpreted.
Trump tweeting it on the other hand was not Presidential and makes him too look thin skinned, ridiculous and stupid.
I see you do get it.
Instead they directed their investigative team into outing, obviously threatening and coercing (no one buys their alternative explanation) a random nobody trying to be funny on the Internet into making an act of public grovelling and apologizing under threat of exposure as a hater in worldwide media coverage. Exposes them as the bullies they really are.
If there was nothing wrong in what he has done then there is no threat in exposing his identity.
Millions of people will hate them intensely for that.
I haven't gotten that impression, but then I've not read too much on social media regarding this. I don't spend a lot of time there.
#CNNBlackmail story
Again, if he did nothing wrong then there can be no blackmail. If, however, people actually do feel he was wrong then CNN's promise to take action if he ever does this kind of thing again should only be interpreted as helping police the internet.
In the case of Syria, the creation of a Shia corridor between Tehran and Beirut, running right through the middle of Zeyad's longed for Sunnistan, is hardly a recipe for peace and stability in the future.
I can see where many people might not care for Iran's footprint becoming larger in the region.
When I talked about pragmatism I meant with regard to talking to the Russians or making sure that our presence doesn't over shadow local people who have to live there.
Lynnette, do you still believe that CNN threthening to doxx a random Internet user amounts to a win for CNN and a loss for Trump?
But he wasn't random, Marcus. He was the worst kind of troll. As to who won, yes, I still believe that CNN had the high road in this case.
(I don't really care for Ted Cruz either.)
Nobody's come forward claiming to have been ‘threatened’ by CNN.
That got imagined up by the right-wingers.
Add that to the also imagined up notion that CNN had ‘chased down…a 15 year old boy’.
The right-wingers are makin’ stuff up here. They're obviously not doing that because Trump wins over CNN with the truth.
Lynnette: "should only be interpreted as helping police the internet."
OK, we might differ in opinon then. I myself love the Internet because it's free. I think you should be able to say things in anonymity without having a "police" there to doxx you if you get out of line. And I really think you would agree if it wasn't for the fact that YOU are not threatened by that police at this given time in history.
CNN, a private company, with its own agenda, IMO has no business at all policing the Internet.
Lynnette: "But he wasn't random, Marcus. He was the worst kind of troll."
I have no knowledge about anything of that individual than he created the .gif that somebody later altered to a .WebM and that Trump ended up Tweeting. Maybe he posted worse stuf. I don't know. If you know then provide hard evidence or your point is mute.
You wanna dig up haters on the Internet I bet there are far, far worse out there.
In THIS case however, the news was Trump's tweet and the content of that. Threatening a random guy is the worst kind of over-reach here.
And I still maintain Trump sailed away from his stupid Twittering unscatched because CNN went for a nobody and it blew up in their face.
Lee: "Nobody's come forward claiming to have been ‘threatened’ by CNN."
Blah bla. You're too old to know how the Internet works anyway, you know nothing about twitterstorms and social media wins or losses. Stick to WaPo old man, you're better served by that.
Lynnette:
"Whether that video was funny is open to interpretation. But then I am not one who believes in the "modern" President"
You're mixing the two together. I said the meme WAS funny. But I also said it was non-presedential and ridiculous of Trump to tweet it. Fact of the matter I question wether Potus should have a twitter account at all. I think there maybe should be a #WhiteHouse account and only for important issues regarding politics.
Trump's tweeting is an embarrasment. That's the story. That's what CNN should've stuck with. Then they would see the more sane party.
But no, they had to go out and chase and threaten individual Internet users in order to try to get their point across. That's where they lost.
"You're too old to know how the Internet works anyway…"
You expose yourself here as a clown, a buffoon. There is no privacy on the internet; no anonymity. The right-winger desire for an anonymous presence is fantasy. (The feds may grant it for campaign donations, but, no matter how much you wish it were otherwise, there is no anonymity except for when nobody gives enough of a damn to bother to track you down.)
Anyway, the point was that your side is making up shit on account of the real story doesn't suit them. You being a fool is hardly a story here.
And, I suppose there is the possibility that a few folks who might want to track ya down don't know how, but relying on that is a fool's move.
Looks like Trump and Putin had a long heart to heart talk. Tillerson seems to be letting out juicy tidbits of information. Trump raised the possible meddling by the Russians in our elections and now Tillerson is talking about Assad eventually leaving power. Whether there is anything of substance really comes from those two things remains to be seen. Perhaps Trump has been well rehearsed?
Trump's tweeting is an embarrasment.
That's a fact.
Lee: "You expose yourself here as a clown, a buffoon. There is no privacy on the internet; no anonymity. The right-winger desire for an anonymous presence is fantasy. (The feds may grant it for campaign donations, but, no matter how much you wish it were otherwise, there is no anonymity except for when nobody gives enough of a damn to bother to track you down.)"
Of course anyone knows that. Just poining it out means pointing out the obvious which means you didn't know everybody knew. Whatever.
The thing is what do we want? Do we really want private enntities like the CNN to doxx folks on the grounds of a non-PC remark?
How far off is that of Orwells dystopia in 1984?
You, right now is on the same page as the MSM for the most part, but what if you weren't?
Or what if the pendulum swings? What if you were born in North Korea? You still feel it is importany not to be non-PC? You still say: OK be non-PC if you like?
Lee: "And, I suppose there is the possibility that a few folks who might want to track ya down don't know how, but relying on that is a fool's move."
Oh, I'm easy 'nuff to find. No worries there. Even YOU could prolly pin me down in you went throgh my posts and set your mind to it - which you obviously won't because why would you.
I've told: my real first name, my age, my gender, my current livelihood, my well known former employer, the city I live in, and probably more stuff I can't reccolect. I'm doxxed. No doub't 'bout that.
I myself love the Internet because it's free. I think you should be able to say things in anonymity without having a "police" there to doxx you if you get out of line.
Actually, maybe this is really the point of this whole mess with the doctored Trump video.
Yes, the internet is a wonderful way to exchange ideas and learn things we may not normally have any knowledge of. I have enjoyed, despite some of the wild west kind of things that have went on in comments sections, the access to other's ideas and opinions.
Free speech is something I as an American hold dear. As do many others out there. But, and this is a strong but, does that give anyone the right to infringe on others' rights? Do you believe it is okay for someone to stand on the corner in London espousing extremist Islamic views? Should videos taken by Daesh be accessible by anyone browsing the net? Do you believe it is okay for someone to vilify another who is just doing his/her job? Yes, sometimes the press takes things too far. I well remember when I first heard about the death of Princess Diana, who was basically hounded to her death by paparazzi. But the press have a special role to fill in that they are the eyes of many people who are not present during important events. In the States they are the voters eyes and ears. To blindfold them willy nilly is to blindfold the voters. So when you have someone in a very important position, like Trump, use the internet to further his agenda of vilifying the press the internet is being used as a propaganda tool. I have no problem with CNN for fighting back the only way they could.
Gotta run for now...off to mow grass.
" Do we really want private enntities like the CNN to doxx folks on
the grounds of a non-PC remark?"
You seem to be persisting with the misconception that what you want in this regard matters. I already addressed that point. It does not matter.
Marcus Eriksson
Fersens väg 16
21142 Malmö
Age : 42
Gender: male
Political alignment: far right, not nazi but further to the right than "conservatives".
Wanna write me a letter Lee? Think I fear docxxing? I never did.
Lynette:
"Free speech is something I as an American hold dear. As do many others out there. But, and this is a strong but, does that give anyone the right to infringe on others' rights? Do you believe it is okay for someone to stand on the corner in London espousing extremist Islamic views? Should videos taken by Daesh be accessible by anyone browsing the net? Do you believe it is okay for someone to vilify another who is just doing his/her job? Yes, sometimes the press takes things too far. I well remember when I first heard about the death of Princess Diana, who was basically hounded to her death by paparazzi. But the press have a special role to fill in that they are the eyes of many people who are not present during important events. In the States they are the voters eyes and ears. To blindfold them willy nilly is to blindfold the voters. So when you have someone in a very important position, like Trump, use the internet to further his agenda of vilifying the press the internet is being used as a propaganda tool. I have no problem with CNN for fighting back the only way they could."
On the whole I agree with you, except for that last sentence.
There was a public interest story 'bout Trump tweeting like a child in a sandbox. But researching and thretaning random meme-poster on the Internet was way out of bounds.
That guy created a meme for fun and most likely only for "likes" in his online community. For a Global syndicate to go after him and threeten him is IMO several steps too far.
"But researching and thretaning random meme-poster on the
Internet was way out of bounds."
Once again… Nobody has made any claim to having been ‘threatened’. Your boys just made that part up because they wish it were true, because then they'd have something to bitch ‘bout; so they pretend it's true even though they just made it up themselves.
The reason they did this is because the truth didn't suit ‘em.
Let's do that again in caps, so you'll maybe notice it when you sober up.
NOBODY has made a claim to being threatened by CNN.
He was obviously threathened Lee. He did a complete 180 over at Reddit before he just shut down. And CNN themselves said that if he would go back to hat he'd been doin' they'd doxx him. Of ourse he did that 180 under threat. You imagime he just changed his mind?
Lee:"NOBODY has made a claim to being threatened by CNN."
Well duh.
The threat itself was to doxx him if he didn't play along. Once he's made that deal, to protect himself and his family, he can't very well go on the offence agaist CNN, can he?
"The threat itself was to doxx him if he didn't play along."
That's something you've imagined up. (Or joined ing somebody else's imagining.)
Me and a couple million people on the Internet Lee. You know the ones who got Trump elected. You know the ones you are just too old and boring to connect with.
You should relish our friendship with mee. Lee. I serve as the bridge between your old school thinking and this new age. I can tutor you Lee, but you have to becoe a willing pupil before that to happen. We're not there yet, I fear.
"Me and a couple million people on the Internet Lee."
Ah, so now you have a couple million imaginary friends, instead of a couple of really noisy friends. So, who did the count for ya?
" I serve as the bridge between your old school thinking and this
new age."
No, you do not so serve. Xenophobia and fascism are neither one ‘new age’ stuff--just the same old tired philosophies from yesteryear, making the masquerade as new to people don't know history.
You just call it bad names but NATONALISM is on the rise Lee. Old monicers are just that, and we'll just toss 'em aside.
Nthing you can ever say will make me think many million Asian and/or African immmigrats into Europe is a good idea. Nothing.
You wanna call that Hitler or Nazism or whatever, I still will feel like: no we shoudn't replace our fols with African folks just because they cannot function on their own continent.
I mean no. Just no. If there was any doubt 'bout that then no. No.
""Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism,
when hate for people other than your own comes first."
Charles de Gaulle
Lee i really could help you. Really. I would like to do so. You do need it. In your heart of hearts you know that to be true.
I will be there, Lee. I will. Promise. No joke based on our previous joking, I will be there for you.
you just gotta let go....
Just to make the point clear… ‘Nationalism’ is also an ‘old moniker’.
"Perhaps Trump has been well rehearsed?"
In general Trump does not rehearse. And, the story out of the White House, including from an apparently unapologetic H.R. McMaster, was that Trump didn't rehearse nor bother to study up for this meeting, that he was just gonna ‘wing it’.
I'm not expecting the results to prove beneficial for our side. Perhaps I'll be surprised.
"Nthing you can ever say will make me think many million Asian
and/or African immmigrats into Europe is a good idea."
Gotta wonder from where the hell did you imagine up the notion that I was going to try to tell you that allowing ‘many million Asian and/or African immigrants into Europe is a good idea’. Where the hell did that come from?
(And why are so many of your ideas drawn up from whole cloth from your obviously too fertile imagination? Why can't you deal with the real world? But, first things first, and the first thing is…) “From where the hell did you imagine up the notion that I was going to try to tell you that allowing ‘many million Asian and/or African immigrants into Europe is a good idea’?”
Political alignment: far right, not nazi but further to the right than "conservatives".
You will no doubt find it rather amusing then that when I first met you I got the impression you aligned more to the left.
For a Global syndicate to go after him and threeten him is IMO several steps too far.
Well, we all have a right to out opinions, Marcus.
You just call it bad names but NATONALISM is on the rise Lee.
That does seem to happen when people are worried about the future, or feel threatened by some occurrence. Trump is a symptom of that, I think. But nationalism has never succeeded in making things better. What is that saying? Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it.
I'm not expecting the results to prove beneficial for our side. Perhaps I'll be surprised.
Hope is always nice.
I'm not expecting the results to prove beneficial for the world, either. But perhaps I'll be surprised.
Just a brief change of subject. Does anyone know a sure fire way of keeping deer out of a garden? Besides a gun, that is. It is so annoying and frustrating to have plants start to come back after first being nibbled on only to have them again be the target of marauding teeth. I not only lost more tomato plants last night, but a really nice pepper plant.
The only ‘sure fire’ way is adequate fencing (or a good dog), as deer are intelligent enough to eventually learn that non lethal repellents are actually not lethal. So, what keeps ‘em back is whatever they've not yet learned ain't gonna kill ‘em after all. What they've learned depends on what they've already been exposed to.
Start with urine--human urine, kept in a jug at room temperature for a few days to ripen, and then poured near the plants (not on the plants). The advantage is that it's free. They'll eventually learn to ignore it, but it's free and it's a start. You can move to experimenting with the various store-bought repellents after they've learned to ignore your free stuff.
Well, the G20 meeting is over and it can generally be seen as a rousing success for Vladimir Putin. Although, Shorthands did not give back Alaska, so there's that.
You can move to experimenting with the various store-bought repellents after they've learned to ignore your free stuff.
Hmmm...I think I'd rather spring for the store bought stuff. lol! I did try chopped up onions last night, since they don't seem to bother the onions, except to step on. I was thinking of garlic. I know there are various plants they don't seem to like, according the the internet, like lavender. We have been keeping the back floodlight on, and haven't noticed them nibbling on those nights. But they just seem to step over the solar lights. It's a rather large garden, so I don't want to do fencing. And the apple trees aren't in the garden. It's kind of weird. We've been here for years and have never had this kind of problem with deer. I wonder if their usual food sources are drying up or if the population has risen? Maybe I can hope that he/she will disappear over the winter and next year will be back to normal. One positive thing is that they don't seem to like strawberries or raspberries. Those have been producing well and I haven't
really noticed any plants disappearing.
Well, the G20 meeting is over and it can generally be seen as a rousing success for Vladimir Putin.
Somehow I'm not surprised. It also appears that Trump is abdicating any leadership role in the west the US might have had in the past. But perhaps I should not have used the term "also", because I rather think that Putin's agenda is connected with that occurrence. I am sure he would like nothing better than to see a rift between the US and her allies. Yes, indeed, a job well done by Putin.
"I was thinking of garlic."
They don't like garlic. They also don't like cayenne pepper. They don't like peppermint. They also don't like eggs (couple or three eggs beaten up until well dispersed into a gallon of water and sprayed on the plants you want to protect--add garlic powder and maybe cayenne pepper); old folks remedy, but in an environment where the deer has plenty of other food sources available to turn to.
One of the local hippies mentioned that he uses bone meal on and around his special plants (buys it by the bag), but he didn't report back on how well it worked out for him.
Now those ideas I might try. Although I'm guessing my special plants aren't quite the same as your hippies special plants. lol!
Iraq is declaring Mosul mostly liberated. Now the really tough work begins..getting the social fabric knit back together.
"Now those ideas I might try."
In that case, remeber that the eggs should be mixed with a smaller amount of water when you're first breaking them up (hard to get good homogenization if you use too much water at first). Then you add additional water to the beaten egg/water mixture. (Think of ‘tempering’ eggs for a custard.) The egg will also help the garlic powder and/or cayenne to stick to the plants, in addition to providing its own deer repellent properties.
Another unreported meeting between Team Trump and the Russians, prior to the election, has surfaced in the NewYorkTimes. This one was attended by Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner, and Donald Jr.
Lynnette: "You will no doubt find it rather amusing then that when I first met you I got the impression you aligned more to the left."
Actually National Socialism is Socialism and the "right" stamp it has got is desevedly for its more diabolical cleansing ways which I do not support.
But the thing is I can be very "ritght wing" on socal matters, imigration, etc. and still be leaning towards leftism in our domestic affairs.
I say the only possible way to uphold a "leftist" wellfare state is through a right wing foreign policy.
Lynnette: "Just a brief change of subject. Does anyone know a sure fire way of keeping deer out of a garden? Besides a gun, that is. It is so annoying and frustrating to have plants start to come back after first being nibbled on only to have them again be the target of marauding teeth. I not only lost more tomato plants last night, but a really nice pepper plant."
Not sure if it works but used up coffe beans is said to keep 'em away. I never had any experience with this myself but a co worker says he starved deer off his gardens with used coffe beans.
"Actually National Socialism is Socialism…"
Actually National Socialism is no more socialism than is North Korea a ‘democratic people's republic’. You are apparently unaware of how broadly Germany's corporate capitalists prospered under Nazi rule.
It appears that Donald Jr. has just made an admission that would amount to the first direct evidence of collusion between Team Trump and the Russians during the Presidential campaign. Politico.com
It appears that the howls of outrage have penetrated the White House bubble, and now Shorthands is backing away from his G20 plan to give the Russians insider access to our national cyber-security programs. Trumptweets Little Vlad must be disappointed.
Well, I actually broke down and bought a deer/rabbit repellent my cousin recommended, and sprayed that around all over. Too impatient to mix my own. I also bought Milorganite, a fertilizer that my other cousin uses around her apple trees, which the deer don't seem to like either. We'll see.
It's funny you should mention the coffee grounds, Marcus. When I planted my first tomato plants I put a mixture of used coffee grounds, eggshells, potting soil and a little 10/10/10 (a fertlizer) in with them. My cousin then brought a couple others. The deer ate those but mostly left the ones I had planted alone. They must still have had that mixture in the soil, which acted as a repellent. I thought it odd at the time that they didn't bother those.
It's not just me, though, that is having this problem. Others are having deer issues too.
It appears that the howls of outrage have penetrated the White House bubble, and now Shorthands is backing away from his G20 plan to give the Russians insider access to our national cyber-security programs. Trumptweets Little Vlad must be disappointed.
Seriously, Trump just doesn't get it. There are a lot of Americans out there who DO NOT TRUST PUTIN. A President who lets the fox in the hen house door is rather out of step.
It appears that Donald Jr. has just made an admission that would amount to the first direct evidence of collusion between Team Trump and the Russians during the Presidential campaign.
*sigh*
Are these people stupid? Or do they just think we are stupid? It's like watching the Keystone Cops.
The weekend revelations about Donald Trump Jr. have apparently gotten Shorthands all wired up again. He's done another Twitterburst accusing all kinds of folks of all kinds of things. What caught my eye was his accusation that James Comey had been leaking classified information. Trumptweets Looks like the New York Times article's got him rattled, and he's trying hard to grab the headlines and change the subject. (Personally, I think he's gonna have problems finding anything outrageous enough that he can say and that would trump the New York Times revelations--pun intended. He's been to that well too often; it's losing its novelty value.)
Even the slowest of people are starting to catch on to his strategy of diversion. Those who don't are just willfully ignoring it because he is doing something they support.
The NewYorkTimes is now reporting that Donald Trump Jr. was told in advance of his meeting with the Russian lawyer that the Russian government was interested in working with him to advance Shorthands' prospects in the election. Supposedly there's e-mail documentation of this.
Junior may be in a bit of trouble here. He may need a Presidential Pardon from the old man.
The offer of assistance from the Russians in Shorthands' election had Donald Jr. all excited last summer. Quote ‘I love it…’ NYT (They drop a little bit more every day; stringing it out like a summer serial.)
Sean Hannity is currently announcing that Donald Junior will be his guest on tonight's show on FoxNews network.
The offer of assistance from the Russians in Shorthands' election had Donald Jr. all excited last summer. Quote ‘I love it…’
Sounds like he knew what he was doing. Kind of late to play dumb.
(They drop a little bit more every day; stringing it out like a summer serial.)
Hmmm...probably someone there saying.."I love it.."
Sean Hannity is currently announcing that Donald Junior will be his guest on tonight's show on FoxNews network.
Ahh...yes, they'll want to squirm their way out of this.
Well, Donald Junior apparently got tired of them dropping a little more every day and decided to just release what he says is the entire e-mail thread. It's got enough in there to interest Robert Mueller.
In what appears to be an attempt to grab headlines away from the Trump/Russia story, the House Appropriations Committee has just issued a bill from Committee which will fund $1.6 billion toward the building of The Great Wall of Trump. TheHill
This was dead just yesterday, but today it's raised up like a zombie. It'll never survive the Senate, probably won't pass the House, but it does give ‛em a diversionary issue to maybe move Junior's troubles off the front page a little faster. (And, of course, it'll make Marcus' black heart go pitty-pat.)
It's got enough in there to interest Robert Mueller.
Or anyone else who has suspected there was fire underneath the smoke.
It's like the more you dig the more dirt you find.
Rumors are that the fact of this meeting was given up by Paul Manafort. If that's true it may mean that Manafort's decided to coöperate to save his own ass. If that's true Shorthands may already be in serious trouble. Junior will likely go down alone rather than give up Shorthands to the prosecution, and Shorthands has already shown sign of letting him take the fall alone. But, Manafort's another matter entirely.
TrumpTweets: Shorthands has broken away from his minders and he's loose with his twitterphone again. Junior is the victim here; it's all a witch hunt, or so he says. (Gotta known that brief period of twitter silence wasn't gonna last.)
Lee: "Well, Donald Junior apparently got tired of them dropping a little more every day and decided to just release what he says is the entire e-mail thread. It's got enough in there to interest Robert Mueller."
I read that email thread. Is there in your opinion anything illegal about it? I don't know US law on the matter but isn't it pretty normal campaign work to meet up if someone claims to have dirt on your opponent?
Also, I've read that Hillarys campaign did prrety much the same but on a way bigger scale with the Ukraine, in an attempt to get dirt on Trump from the Ukraine. Would that then als have been illegal?
http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/10/everybody-is-forgetting-that-clinton-allies-did-the-same-thing-as-don-jr/
I mean, is it even illegal? Has anyone broken the law here?
Lynnette: " They must still have had that mixture in the soil, which acted as a repellent. I thought it odd at the time that they didn't bother those."
Another thing good with old ground used coffe beans is cats won't shit in the places you put them. My mom uses that because several of her neighbors have cats and while she's got nothing against them felines she's not too fond of them shitting in her flower gardens. Coffe beans, and the cats will go elsewhere.
Lynnette: "It's not just me, though, that is having this problem. Others are having deer issues too."
They do taste good though, deer do. So if there's a whole lot of 'em... just sayin'. (I imagine this might even be a case where Lee and I would agree, and there aren't too many of those so again, just sayin'.)
"Is there in your opinion anything illegal about it?"
Nothing illegal per se in the e-mails themselves. Not that I've seen yet. However, if there were illegalities involved, the e-mails make it clear that Junior was an eager conspirator. We have motive clearly established. And there's the problem of disclosures of such contacts, which are called for under the law and which didn't happen. And, that is illegal, doin’ it and not tellin’ is illegal.
"…isn't it pretty normal campaign work to meet up if someone claims
to have dirt on your opponent?"
So long as those someones are Americans, yes. Different rules for foreigners and especially for foreign governments.
"I've read that Hillarys campaign did prrety much the same but on a
way bigger scale with the Ukraine…"
I've heard those allegations as well. Problem is twofold. First, the persons pushing the allegations got no way of knowing, seem to have pretty much made it up out of whole cloth. Second, Trump had no particular connections with the Ukraine to be investigated. (And this aside from difference in going and looking for stuff on ones own accord, and getting all eager to collude with a foreign power who comes to you hoping to meddle in our elections.)
Post Script:
Oh, yeah, and there's this: If the Russians had given Team Trump stuff they'd pulled off of the DNC computers that would have been illegal; receiving stolen property, computer heist, that sort of illegal--and if it becomes clear that's the stuff Junior was expecting to get, then just trying to get it is a crime--don't have to actually get away with the money to be charged for attempted robbery ya know. And setting up to fence the stuff puts ya in cahoots with burglar for the full criminal enterprise, even if ya never actually get your hands on the goodies.
Lee: "So long as those someones are Americans, yes. Different rules for foreigners and especially for foreign governments."
Obviously it's a different thing when foreign governments are involved. And there ARE signs in the DJ Trump emails that point to government involvment or alleged such. And he should maybe have treated that in a different manner (I bet he wishes he did).
But also remember he's in a campaign he got thrown into, he get's a tip off 'bout something that might help his dad, he's clearly a political novice and he takes a meeting which nothing comes out off.
I say he might could've handeled it better, but I also say that can be excused by him being a novice. Unless there's a law that was broken I say it's just more of the same shit, the MSM dying to hang a Russia conspiracy on Trump for ratings and to sabotauge him.
Lee: "Oh, yeah, and there's this: If the Russians had given Team Trump stuff they'd pulled off of the DNC computers"
Wasn't it just days ago it was more or less estaablished that that "hack" was dome on premises, most likely someone loading data onto a USB stick and not an actual hack via the Internet? You think the DNC itself was infested with Russkies do you?
I don't think being a novice is gonna fly. It's pretty widely known that ya don't accept campaign help from foreign powers. He's making claim to an extraordinary degree of stupid. Gonna be hard to convince people be that stupid and still be able to drive a car and tie his own tie and such as that.
The hack was done when Leon Podesta opened an e-mail he shouldn't have.
Lynnette:
https://www.rt.com/viral/395988-population-bomb-un-predictions/
Just a pointer at you who is concerned 'bout the environment that maybe, just maybe, the population increase (that was the topic de 'jour up until the 90's when it became politically incorrect to speak of) might have some kind of lil' 'ol impact after all.
Lee: "I don't think being a novice is gonna fly. It's pretty widely known that ya don't accept campaign help from foreign powers. He's making claim to an extraordinary degree of stupid. Gonna be hard to convince people be that stupid and still be able to drive a car and tie his own tie and such as that."
I actually agree it seems stupid, after that exchange of emails, to go to that meeting. Dumb. But was it illegal?
It may be perfectly legal to drive ones car. That does not make it legal to drive it as a get-a-way vehicle, hustling the fellas away from the bank they just robbed.
Why he went to the meeting, what he was up to there does matter. And he's made his intentions real clear.
Speaking of driving cars. Why did this shitbird kill an innocent father of three:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4686714/Illegal-immigrant-drunk-crashed-killing-man.html
Because there's no wall yet.
If there had been a secure wall this shitbird would not have been able to just enter the USA on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on again after being deported in the first and seven more fucking times.
That man's death is on the anti-wall folks.
Don't you morons get it? The worst scum will never stop trying to get at 'yall unless there's a physical barrier that prevents it. (along with armed teams and drones and whatnot - I realise a wall in itself is not a complete solution but it goes a damned long way)
Also: there WILL be a wall.
Lee: "Why he went to the meeting, what he was up to there does matter. And he's made his intentions real clear."
I get that too. He went because he thought a Russian attorney had dirt on Hillary that he could use in the campaign to smear Hillary. My question remains - was that illegal?
Wall don't help unless it's patrolled. They patrol those empty spaces they don't need the wall. It ain't like Mexicans can pretend to be jackrabbits and disappear into the crowd of jackrabbits.
We already got wall where we needed wall. Been up for years.
Trump's wall is a waste of time and money.
"…Russian attorney…"
Russian government agent. Try to get it right; he was told he was going to meet with a Russian government agent because the Russian government wanted to assist Trump and hinder Hillary.
Yeah, that'd be illegal if he took any concrete steps to further that plan. (Which is why he denies that part of it.)
I looked for the part where you provided some evidence, any evidence, even a little bitty bit, that The Great Wall of Trump would have stopped Nemias Garcia-Velasco from coming north. You seem to have left out that part. Please correct your failure in that regard.
We'll wait.
Lee: "We already got wall where we needed wall. Been up for years.
Trump's wall is a waste of time and money."
You gonna get it though, and it's gonna be Great! And Green! Solar panels on the southern side so it's even gonna be rreally "green". Just to fuck over Libruls who will have a hard time protesting a green wall in the streets and also deanding a more "green" society over all. It's gonna be lulz. And if you can't do it for the lulz, don't do it at all.
Lee: "I looked for the part where you provided some evidence, any evidence, even a little bitty bit, that The Great Wall of Trump would have stopped Nemias Garcia-Velasco from coming north."
That's akin to sayin' "I don't see how the walls around Rikers Island keep all them prisoners in, because if it was ONLY the walls there they couldv'e escaped."
Of course you need more than a wall. But a physical barrier is basicall the first step you take. Ask the Israelis. What about THEIR wall? You think that ineffective too?
Then you could go ask the Saudis 'bout their wall to Iraq.
Then you could go back in time and ask if the Berlin wall was of no significance.
Then you could just look at your own damed home and think about wether you need all them walls there are in it.
So, no evidence then that a wall would have deterred Nemias Garcia-Velasco. And you're hopin’ I'll bite on the distractions.
Nope.
TrumpTweets: Shorthands tells us that he doesn't watch much TV.
Our President is an apparently compulsive and quite probably pathological liar.
They do taste good though, deer do. So if there's a whole lot of 'em... just sayin'.
lol! While I don't hunt I do know people who do. Believe me the thought has crossed my mind!
Massive iceberg breaks away from Antarctica
Experts said a 5,800-square-kilometer (2,239-square-mile) section of Larsen C was confirmed to have broken away between Monday and Wednesday by NASA's Aqua MODIS satellite.
"We have been anticipating this event for months, and have been surprised how long it took for the rift to break through the final few kilometers of ice," professor Adrian Luckman of Swansea University, lead investigator of the MIDAS project said in a statement.
He told CNN the team believes the iceberg has remained intact adding, "This is part of the normal behavior of ice shelves. What makes this unusual is the size."
I'll have to read your population link tomorrow, Marcus.
Our President is an apparently compulsive and quite probably pathological liar.
As is, I suspect, his son.
What is rather scary, though, is that the Trump family seems to be putting their relationships with their business associates before their relationship with their country. They seem to trust people who have been useful to them in the past without considering that those same people have ties to others who do not have America's best interests at heart.
Lynnette:
"I'll have to read your population link tomorrow, Marcus."
The facts are that the populations of America and Europe are pretty much stable. The populations of Asia are set to decline. But these are just small numbers. The population of Africa is set to explode. This very day another 100.000 afrkicans were added.
100K PER DAY, every day Lynnette. I know that sounds insane and I didn't believe it myself, but I got to the UN sources. Yes Africa adds abou 36 million a year which is 3 million a month which is 100.000 a day to the world populace.
If they are "fleeing" already, how do you think that will pan out in 10-20-30 years time?
You think open borders is a good thing?
Lynnette: "Experts said a 5,800-square-kilometer (2,239-square-mile) section of Larsen C was confirmed to have broken away between Monday and Wednesday by NASA's Aqua MODIS satellite"
Yeah, that happens once every ten years or so. But in ten years we add another Billion people on earth. Which is the bigger issue?
I suspect, Marcus, that the Earth has its way of regaining balance. The population issue and the climate change issue may interact in a way that finds that balance. We just may not like it much.
So far there's been some signs the deer are still around, but not much nibbling has been going on. It's a good sign.
I noticed that the Trump defense to the Russian collusion allegations switched basis yesterday in France. Shorthands abandoned his original ‘fake news’; “This is just a BS faerie tale that the Democrats have imagined up to explain why they lost the election”. As of yesterday the Trump defense became “Oh that, well that's nothin’ to be bitchin’ ‘bout; everybody does that”; “No harm; no foul”.
These are incompatible defenses. Team Trump just admitted they were bullshitting everybody the first time, and the dedicated Trumpkins will not care; don't bother them at all that Trump was bullshitting them too.
The truth has become unimportant to the dedicated Trumpkins.
As of yesterday the Trump defense became “Oh that, well that's nothin’ to be bitchin’ ‘bout; everybody does that”; “No harm; no foul”.
See, here's the deal, besides the fact that going to an adversary for info on a domestic matter smells a little rotten, not everybody would trust the Russians to tell the truth. That Trump & Co. would makes me question their loyalty to the US.
On another matter, it seems that the Russians are really, really anxious to get back their buildings that were confiscated earlier on. I would question why? If I were in our intelligence community I would be interested in finding out exactly what was left behind there. If they haven't done so already.
So now the Russians are threatening to retaliate. Now we see if Trump rolls over.
The Dems are pushing to revoke Kushner's security clearance. Personally I wish we could revoke Trump's.
"The Dems are pushing to revoke Kushner's security clearance."
Yeah, I saw that. I think they're spinning their wheels there. Trump's holding at around 40% favorability rating, which is higher than the Congressional Republicans' favorability rating. Until Trump drops into the mid to low 30s, and stays there awhile, they're not gonna cross him.
And the Democrats ain't got the votes in Congress.
Lee: "Until Trump drops into the mid to low 30s, and stays there awhile"
Not gonna happen I think. He wobbled a bit there at one point but seems to stay on his program now, for the most part. So the persuaded ones are gonna stick by him. The only real danger he faces is by changing his ways to appease the opposition and/or the MSM. He will then risk losing some core supporters and he will never pick up any new ones from the other side anyway.
He could invent the cure for cancer and the libs would still hate him. His best bet is to just stay Trump as Trump is and was. Which is what he'll do too. That secures at least 40% or so. Which is enough for a full term in office and a decent springboard for a second if he wants that.
Lynnette: "I suspect, Marcus, that the Earth has its way of regaining balance. The population issue and the climate change issue may interact in a way that finds that balance. We just may not like it much."
Oh I'm quite sure "mother nature" has some surprises in store for us in the coming decades. Remember the bubonic plague in Europe. Started with over crowding and unsanitary conditions.
Lynnette: "So far there's been some signs the deer are still around, but not much nibbling has been going on. It's a good sign."
Again: deer taste good. They taste better than moose and we shoot 300.000 moose every year in Sweden. I eat moose a couple times a year, but I never buy moose meat myself. I would rather buy deer, but mostly I tend to get pork because it's the most delicious meat and I have to take every opportunity to eat pork before it's considered haram and thus forbidden.
"The only real danger he faces is by changing his ways to appease
the opposition and/or the MSM."
Not true. Eventually it's gonna become clear that he can't deliver on his promises. For a lot of them that'll not be a deal-breaker either, but there's probably about a third of ‘em, maybe up to a half of ‘em, who expect him to deliver.
When it becomes apparent that he ain't got that in ‘im, they'll bail. They ain't gonna keep puttin’ up with his bullshit, keep making excuses, keep being embarrassed by him and by the bullshit they have to pretend to believe, just to see him turn out to be one more Republican who can't deliver on the Republican faerie tales.
Correction: ‘When it becomes apparent that he ain't got that in ‘im, a fair chunk of them will bail.’
Lee: "Not true. Eventually it's gonna become clear that he can't deliver on his promises. For a lot of them that'll not be a deal-breaker either, but there's probably about a third of ‘em, maybe up to a half of ‘em, who expect him to deliver."
But he DOES deliver Lee. He's been delivering a lot to date and he'll keep on delivering.
Granted he can't deliver all he promised. But he does deliver in that direction.
Why do you think his main enemies keep on about this Russia gobbledygook? It's because he can't attack him on actual policy - meaning his policy is mostly good.
Lee, you underestimate the force of someone who turned. Like here in Sweden. The Sweden Democrats (whon do have a nazi origin but is not close to nazi now) got 5.6% in 2010, then 13.2% n 2014 and I am very sure they will top 25% in 2018.
The thing is if you go over to a non PC alternative you DO NOT go back. The non PC voters are the ones most safe for their party. It took a lot for them to head intgo the camp of the villified ones and now they're grounded there.
You think Trumpists might be swing voters? No - they will almost all of them have doubed down in their beliefs since the election.
"But he DOES deliver Lee. He's been delivering a lot to date and
he'll keep on delivering."
Only in the faerie tale land of Trumptweets. In the real world his Muslim travel ban has been restricted down to almost irrelevance. In the real world his Supreme Court appointment belongs to Mitch McConnell (and Mitch will claim it back when he needs it).
In the real world he's not gonna sign any health care bill; he's not gonna build a wall; he's not gonna bring back mining and manufacturing jobs. Etc.
They're gonna notice eventually. The pleasure of pissing off their ‘enemies’ is only gonna hold ‘em for awhile. Won't get him to the next election.
Eventually it's gonna become clear that he can't deliver on his promises. For a lot of them that'll not be a deal-breaker either, but there's probably about a third of ‘em, maybe up to a half of ‘em, who expect him to deliver.
Or, if they find out that his promises, if actually implemented, aren't going to bring about the results they are wanting it may sink in that he is not the messiah they were looking for.
Remember the bubonic plague in Europe. Started with over crowding and unsanitary conditions.
Famine starts with ruined crops due to drought or floods.
I think they're spinning their wheels there.
Possibly so. But perhaps the idea will be a warning to those who may think working with the Russians, to the detriment of the US, is a good idea.
"…it may sink in that he is not the messiah they were looking for."
I don't know that many of them went that far with it. But they did expect him to break the gridlock. It didn't occur to them that gridlock is not the result of bipartisan biases, but is instead the intended state that many of their Republican legislators were playing for. They will learn. The Republicans will gridlock themselves. The mess they've created with their ‘repeal and whatever’ efforts is just the precursor to what's coming when they get into pure financial matters. They'll lock up tighter than a drum.
The thing is if you go over to a non PC alternative you DO NOT go back. The non PC voters are the ones most safe for their party.
I don't know if I can agree with that. I have voted that way before, for Jesse Ventura as Governor of Minnesota. I am more cautious now with my vote, even if it is just one vote.
" But perhaps the idea will be a warning to those who may think
working with the Russians…."
At the very least it will expose the Republicans as much less concerned with the security of the nation than they might be, at least not much concerned when such concerns might obstruct their plans for additional tax cuts for the wealthy.
The mess they've created with their ‘repeal and whatever’ efforts is just the precursor to what's coming when they get into pure financial matters.
I'm already starting to see analysis of the Trump budget. It doesn't seem to be impressing people. They are saying it won't balance the budget or grow the economy. So if passed perhaps those dedicated Trumpkins will find they were mistaken in thinking Trump was the answer.
It didn't occur to them that gridlock is not the result of bipartisan biases, but is instead the intended state that many of their Republican legislators were playing for.
Yup. And once you start down that path you alienate those on the other side of the aisle so they won't work with you either.
In any case, all that's gotta happen is Shorthands loses about 20% of what he's got left. That happens he's in impeachment territory. He's already on the ropes for a reelection.
[Chumpy]: "Eventually it's gonna become clear that he can't deliver on his promises."
[Lynnette]: "...it may sink in that he is not the messiah they were looking for."
So, no worse than the last guy?
Too easy. I'll let Lynnette take the first shot.
The Pope takes on the American religious right
Two close confidants of Pope Francis have written an article in a Jesuit journal that strongly criticizes some American religious supporters of President Donald Trump for their fundamentalist views, which the authors say demonize others and create fear and hatred.
So, no worse than the last guy?
I don't know, Petes, I don't remember Obama and his supporters pissing off the Pope. (Pardon my language)
Obama campaigned on ‘Hope’. Trump's claim was that ‘I alone can fix it’.
All he needs is one of those little mustaches...
ObamaCare is working best in blue states where the state government tried to take advantage of the program.
It is working the worst in red states where the state government tried to sabotage the program. (They were usually at least partially successful.) LATimes
This means that if they are unsuccessful in repealing ObamaCare they're gonna be pressured to coöperate finally in trying to fix it. That is not something they want to do. That'll piss off a whole bunch of their ‘base’ voters.
Lynnette: "Famine starts with ruined crops due to drought or floods."
Usually no. It starts with a dysfunctional country/region and internal strife and/or war. THEN when a drought hits there's no backup at all.
Jemen is said to be the next in line for a severe famine and a huge choler outbreak. That's not because of any flood or drought, that's because of war.
To actually feed the global population is not (yet) a very big problem. Hell, you could just dismantle Mugabes Zimbabwe and turn it back into white Rhodesia and that country alone could feed all of Africa as it once almost did.
[Lynnette]: "The Pope takes on the American religious right"
LOL. That headline is the equivalent of Sean Hannity writing a diatribe against the left, and claiming Trump said it.
"Two close confidants of Pope Francis have written an article...".
I stopped reading at "Antonio Spadaro". He's a dyed-in-the-wool hyper-leftie, like many of his Jesuit confrères. That article is about as predictable as "Donald Trump tweets a message".
Or famine starts with insane political projects. Do you know that Mao, when the US and Soviets went nuclear back in the day, ordered EVERY village in China to have a steel furnace? Well Mao wanted to catch up and he wanted nuclear armed submarines but he needed steel. And to get steel in a communist fashion he thought it good if every damned village was forced to participate in making steel.
The result was they had less time to spend in the fields and the crops fell, and also the steel they did produce was crude iron not at all of the needed quality.
Anyway, there was a famine and comminist logics decided the fault laid with starlings. Starlings ate some of the crop you see. So every fucking farmer all over China got a quota of starlings to catch and kill - and they did because not filling their quota might have gotten 'em sent to camps.
So the farmers made iron and chased starlings and had even less time to focus on bringing in the crops. And what happened next? Seems the starlings not only ate some small portion of the crops but mostly bugs, pests for the Chinese crops- Starlings gone the pests flourished. The crops dwindeled and about 60 million people starved to death.
So no Lynnette, it's not drought and storms that bring on famine, it's always almost entirely an made scenarios. (that and population explosions in areas that cannot sustain a growing populace).
Hiya Pete! What have you bee upto? Your apperance here is rarer than a hens teeth.
[Chumpy]: "Obama campaigned on ‘Hope’. Trump's claim was that ‘I alone can fix it’."
Bait and switch. To refresh yore dismal memory, the point was about achievements, not promises:
[Chumpy]: "Eventually it's gonna become clear that he can't deliver on his promises."
Obama's campaign rhetoric is even more empty in the light of his mediocre performance. Trump has a few more miles to tread before he is similarly judged on his record. I expect he will disappoint, as all politicians do. With Obama, we don't have to speculate.
Hiya Marcus, I've just been gettin' on with gettin' on. Finished my studies and have started writing some software for a charity that promotes super-gigantic uber-Catholic families in the third world. (Ok, that's just a little joke for Chumpy's benefit ... it's actually a rather left wing charity concerned with HIV testing ;-)
Got a bit bored here with the Trump whinge fest, I'm afraid. He may well turn out to be Looney Tunes but there are other items of interest on God's green planet.
Planet's more blue than green and what "God" has to do with it all I'm way less than certain of. Anywho, good to hear your doin good Pete. Stay sharp.
[Lynnette]: "I don't know, Petes, I don't remember Obama and his supporters pissing off the Pope. (Pardon my language)"
That's because your news channel of choice thought it unseemly to report on it. Here is CNN reporting on a meeting between Obama and Pope Benedict. It makes out that Obama and the Pope were broadly in tune, and refers back to Obama's commencement speech at U. Notre Dame two months earlier where he addressed the abortion question.
In actual fact, the Vatican slammed Obama over abortion six months earlier. And yes, this time it actually was the Vatican, in the person of the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life ... not some Jesuit journalistic hack who CNN choose to refer to as "the Pope" this time round. The CNN article also fails to mention that dozens of US bishops who denounced Notre Dame for even inviting Obama to speak, let alone confer an honorary degree on him.
Let be real: if a foreign newspaper criticised an American president and his supporters, and that president happened to be Barack Obama, there would be uproar from the likes of CNN. When it's Donald Trump and his supporters, then suddenly the foreign newspaper hack is elevated to the office of Pope for the purpose of story embellishment.
;-)
"Bait and switch."
Nope, not even…
"…the point was about achievements, not promises:"
The point was that he'd promised specific achievements (partially list at Lee C. @ Fri Jul 14, 12:28:00 pm, supra ↑↑; just a couple of examples). And, he ain't gonna through for ‘em. (I know what the point was, bein’ as it was my point.)
They didn't vote for him on account of he's such fine upstanding man. They voted for him because he promised specifics that he now can't deliver, and when he don't keep those promises he's got nothing to fall back on with a fair chunk of ‘em. They won't stick with ‘im on account of they admire him so much, cause lot of ‘em don't.
Sounds to me like the sort of healthy skepticism that should be applied to every politician. Makes ya wonder what the Obama sycophants were seeing in him.
Jemen is said to be the next in line for a severe famine and a huge choler outbreak. That's not because of any flood or drought, that's because of war.
I think that Yemen is already in the grip of a serious famine and cholera outbreak, and yes, it seems to stem from war.
However, it is possible to speculate on which came first. Food scarcity caused by drought caused by climate change could very well be part of the reason for the unrest we see today.
This means that if they are unsuccessful in repealing ObamaCare they're gonna be pressured to coöperate finally in trying to fix it. That is not something they want to do. That'll piss off a whole bunch of their ‘base’ voters.
Somehow I don't think that is a bad thing.
Obama's campaign rhetoric is even more empty in the light of his mediocre performance.
History will judge. But I suspect that Obama was the right man for the time he served as President.
Trump has a few more miles to tread before he is similarly judged on his record.
That's if he actually develops a record. So far it's not looking promising. Possibly a good thing...
Got a bit bored here with the Trump whinge fest, I'm afraid. He may well turn out to be Looney Tunes but there are other items of interest on God's green planet.
I am quite happy to discuss other topics if anyone were to bring them up. Marcus has been known to talk about immigration problems in Sweden which we have discussed at length, since they are of concern to him. If you have any topics you would like to discuss, feel free, Petes.
...the Vatican has condemned Obama's Jan. 23 repeal of the ban on U.S. funding for foreign family-planning aid groups that offer abortion services.
Isn't that the funding they always flip flop on? I mean, if it's a Democratic president the funding is on and if it's a Republican president the funding is off? I'm thinking that Trump eliminated the funding now.
Yes, I could see where the Pope might not approve of Obama's choice. But really all he had to do was wait. Personally I support what Obama did, so I guess I wouldn't be in good standing with the Pope either.
"Sounds to me like the sort of healthy skepticism that should be
applied to every politician."
Then you still miss the point. It was a transactional approach that applies uniquely to Shorthands in modern American politics. They don't admire him; they didn't vote for him because they liked him.
They voted for him because he was going to build The Great Wall of Trump and then round up all the Hispanics and Muslims and toss ‘em back over the wall, or bring deep tunnel, labor intensive coal mining back to West Virginia, or bring the repetitive-motion factory jobs back to their mid-western communities (so they don't have to learn new skills, a prospect which troubles them), etc. For a certain percentage who, in fact, suspended all healthy skepticism because they wanted to believe in the faerie tale, it was a purely transactional vote.
"Makes ya wonder what the Obama sycophants were seeing in him."
That's because ya still miss the point, which point didn't apply to Obama. (I think you probably need to quit worrying about Obama.)
"Somehow I don't think that is a bad thing."
It does bring more urgency to their vote to repeal ObamaCare. They're gonna havta decide whom among their own voters to piss off. (This is not a position politicians like to be in, but it does bring increased urgency to their votes to repeal ObamaCare.)
By the way, Carrier, the Indiana air-conditioner manufacturer briefly in the news back when Shorthands was just moving into the White House and was tweeting about how he personally kept those jobs in America, Carrier is currently in the process of moving six hundred plus, almost seven hundred, factory jobs to Mexico. It is going on unremarked by Shorthands, no tweets about Carrier these days. The factory workers and the community affected are noticing this.
The factory workers and the community affected are noticing this.
It is inevitable.
Op-Ed in the NYT about expanding Russian influence in the Middle East. (Petes will want to avoid it, as it is critical of Trump, by name.)
Just as Shorthands has begun to roll out some new ‘theme weeks’ on ‘Hire American’ and ‘Made in America’ themes, his administration is also adding another 15,000 H-2b visas to the mix so that those Republican ‘job creators’ that FoxNews keeps talkin’ ‘bout can pick up some seasonal help. WaPo Turns out there's not enough illegals sneaking across the border anymore, and the employers (who vote Republican) are going to have to go get some and bring them over, and that requires paperwork makin’ legal.
...expanding Russian influence in the Middle East.
Considering Trump's isolationist stance it should probably come as no surprise that he would not bother to verse himself in the nuances of Middle Eastern politics and sensitivities. That Russia would seek to fill that void also should come as no surprise.
But, there is one bright spot, and that is our supply of oil is larger than what it was thought to be. There are also large reserves of natural gas. So we have a measure of independence. Unlike others. But no man is an island and no country can really go it alone forever. So it would have been wiser for Trump to keep his fingers still and not rock the boat any further. Unfortunately he doesn't know when to shut up, so we are where we are and will have to attempt to mitigate the harm Trump has done to our alliances and our standing in the geopolitical chess game we play with the Russians.
(Of course, events may play out where this all may look irrelevant.)
...his administration is also adding another 15,000 H-2b visas to the mix so that those Republican ‘job creators’ that FoxNews keeps talkin’ ‘bout can pick up some seasonal help.
lol! Apparently reality has caught up with him a little bit. It would have helped if he had actually studied up on who actually used those visas. He might have noticed that they are used to fill in shortages that we have in some sectors.
[Chumpy]: "Op-Ed in the NYT about expanding Russian influence in the Middle East. (Petes will want to avoid it, as it is critical of Trump, by name.)"
I've no problem with criticism of Trump. He's demonstrably an imbecile on some issues. You, on the other hand, seem overly keen to agree with any criticism. If I remember right, you were in favour of no US interference in the M.E. at all, so they can duke it out between themselves. Now you seem to be hitching your cart to a horse that calls for intervention to stymie Russia. One suspects you'd agree with anything that adds to the Trump whinge fest.
"If I remember right, you were in favour of no US interference in the
M.E. at all, so they can duke it out between themselves."
I presume you mean the term ‘the M.E.’ to refer to Syria and their ongoing civil war. In that context, I've long advocated for clearer and more open support for the Kurdish rebels. Erdoğan's objections be damned. For all their warts, they seem to be the only remotely civil society involved. The intra-Arab sectarian fight doesn't really seem to have any good guys involved, and I don't see any beneficial outcome likely if we involve ourselves too deeply in that.
"Now you seem to be hitching your cart to a horse that calls for
intervention to stymie Russia."
Did you bother to read the New York Times piece I linked? His premise was that Trump made a mistake by jumping into the Saudi/Qatari fight on the side of the Saudi and that the Russians will be the beneficiary of that mistake. Not jumping into the Saudi/Qatari spat, showing a little restraint instead, is not an intervention under any definition of the term with which I'm familiar.
"One suspects you'd agree with anything that adds to the Trump
whinge fest."
So, you are going with your prejudices and suspicions and contrary to the evidence. I'm not much surprised.
This time the Minnesota cops killed an unarmed white woman (and it was a dark skinned Muslim cop--Muslim name anyway). This is gonna make a stink.
If they get a conviction on this one when Minnesota juries won't convict for cops killing black folks then there's gonna be another stink.
TrumpTweets: In a move I'd have to characterize as ‘not smart’, Shorthands has again indicated his intention to crash ObamaCare with no replacement at hand. The Democrats aren't going to let him forget this one later.
Shorthands has until Thursday to decide if he wants to try to pull the ObamaCare subsidies for August.
Trump had second conversation with Putin at the G20
John Kirby, a CNN diplomatic and military analyst who was a spokesman for the State Department during the Obama administration, said smaller, informal meetings were common and were often where "heavy lifting" could get done. But he also pointed out potentially problematic aspects of the meeting.
"While smaller pull-aside meetings are common, it is strange that a pull-aside with someone like Putin -- especially Putin -- would not include at least another national security official and a translator," Kirby said.
He pointed out that the lack of a US translator or other support meant the US would be without a scrupulous translation or a record of what was discussed.
It is that last bit that bothers me.
This is gonna make a stink.
He was the first Somali-American police officer on the force. Yes, it will.
If they get a conviction on this one when Minnesota juries won't convict for cops killing black folks then there's gonna be another stink.
Oh boy, you can say that again?
I mentioned earlier that, when the time came and he needed the credit, Mitch McConnell will claim back the credit for getting Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, effectively leaving Shorthands with no accomplishments to speak of. Well, time's not come yet for McConnell to go frontpage with it, but…
"When he faced reporters on Tuesday, McConnell bristled when
asked about the lack of accomplishments for the GOP-run Senate. He
cited Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court as the biggest
Republican win, which likely ranks as the high point of McConnell’s
tenure atop the GOP conference."
Politico.com
Time will come when McConnell decides to go frontpage with that claim.
"It is that last bit that bothers me."
Shorthands is upset that folks found out. He's tweeting again. He doesn't make it easy to trust him. (Although, the dedicated Trumpkins seem more than willing to overlook any possible dangers there; just not a factor for them.)
Since you haven't been up in the latest comments section, I will post this here too:
Why the reaction is different this time
There's a predictable pattern to the aftermath of too many deadly police shootings: Neighbors and anti-police brutality groups take to the streets. Groups supporting the officers stand up for them. Social media lights up over whether the victim "did something" to provoke the officer.
But none of that holds true in the case of Justine Ruszczyk, a white Australian bride-to-be who was killed by Mohamed Noor, a Somali-American black police officer in Minneapolis.
And that, say experts, speaks volumes about the state of America today.
He doesn't make it easy to trust him.
Frankly, nothing he has done makes it easy to trust him.
"Since you haven't been up in the latest comments section…"
Gives you time to chat with Petes.
White House spokesman, Marc Short, has said that the August ObamaCare subsidy payments would be made. No promises for after that.
Running through the morning after reports and analyses I've noticed that the Republican pundits are haltingly taking notice of the fact that Trump was of absolutely no help at all in getting TrumpCare passed to repeal ObamaCare (and maybe replace it, or maybe not).
He was pretty much clueless on the subject and so was not able to lobby his Republican legislators. More importantly, he was not able to settle the arguments over differences on approaches. So, there was nobody to decide which Republican faction should win--the ones who didn't want to replace ObamaCare, or the ones who did.
There has been a consensus among the establishment Republicans that they should not notice these defects in The Leader in public, but some of the pundits are starting to grumble about it anyway.
Mueller seems to be digging deeper into Trump's financial dealings. It was inevitable...
Trump is getting a little nervous, suggesting that deviating from an investigation into collusion into something else may be a firing offense.
Seems there was a deal way back when involving a house in Florida that Trump bought for $41 million and subsequently sold to a, wait for it, yes, a Russian oligarch, for $96 million.
Probably the tip of the iceberg.
[Petes]: "I was suggestin' that there is collectively a diversity of concerns."
[Chumpy]: "Doesn't read that way. Reads like you're trying to waffle on what ya said. Not that you waffling is either new or, in this case, relevant."
Yeah, don't let the fact that it dudn't make any sense for me to change my mind about what I meant colour yer (characteristically poor) judgement.
[Chumpy]: "A fairly high percentage of Trump's voters didn't like him. That makes it all the more important that he deliver on his promises."
Sounds good ta me. No Hilary-style sycophants. Though plenty of people were grittin' their teeth to vote for her too, I noticed. Problematically for her it included some of her core support in minority communities. The only candidate who actually seemed to be well liked by their whole constituency was Sanders. Anyway, if Trump gets judged on his actions in office it'll be no bad thing. Hopefully will set the tone for the next administration.
[Chumpy]: "He [McCain] is as honorable a man as it is possible to be and also be a successful American politician."
If that's a voting criterion for y'all, makes one wonder why ya'd consider Hilary a good candidate. Anyhow, no matter. For what it's worth I agree with y'all about McCain. For some time I would have said the same about Elizabeth Warren. Unfortunately she seems to have subsequently drunk the Democrat Kool-Aid.
[Chumpy]: " Roger Simon threatens real, actual, blood in the streets, Civil War if Mueller discovers Trump to actually be in Putin's pocket... We've got cult behavior developing here."
Found this pretty disturbing also. But probably no more so than the extremes of the cult of Hilary.
[Lynnette]: "I for one do not want to live in a country where the government does not represent ALL of the people."
Wasn't it that precise situation under Obama that created Trump?
[Lynnette]: "I suspect that Sean Spicer may have difficulty ..."
Even he had to admit (to Hannity) that Melissa McCarthy produced some funny-ass moments ;-)
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