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ADDED: What I like about this photograph is that it looks like a set for "Waiting for Godot."
Posts
61 comments:
Maher is invited to and excited to be going to the White House.
I’m not tired of winning yet.
Re Musk and the Doge interview: It's kind of sad. Nothing they are doing is structural. They're the last people who have figured out how the Democrats have organized the Federal government to support their thievery operations and yes, they're cancelling contracts and pulling grants.
None of that is structural.
All of it can be put back together the moment that the House of Representatives is back in Nancy Pelosi's hands, as it will be in about 1.5 years.
They have found enormous fraud in the US government which has led to the arrest of ZERO people. Wait .. what??? That's right ... not a single arrest has been made based on the DOGE/MUSK discoveries of massive fraud and theft of taxpayer dollars.
Musk is temporary. The State is permanent.
Yesterday early voted. Got an outdoor bike ride in today. And took the convertible out for a ride!! Glorious weather in SE WI. They say we’re getting snow on Monday.
It was a beautiful day today, 72 and sunny. I got out and walked 12 miles. I even wore shorts, don't tell our hostess.
"They have found enormous fraud in the US government which has led to the arrest of ZERO people. Wait .. what??? That's right ... not a single arrest has been made based on the DOGE/MUSK discoveries of massive fraud and theft of taxpayer dollars."
They've had TWO WHOLE MONTHS and nobody's been arrested yet? You're right- those guys suck.
The best thing I discovered this week was Ned Ryun’s 1 hour documentary. It is an excellent treatise on our bloated federal govt. It pulls in a lot of the history detailed in Hillsdale’s course
“The American left, from Liberalism to Despotism.”
Included are many excellent guest interviews.
https://x.com/nedryun/status/1901688552548974924
Wow, 78 in WI. High in DFW today about 72. Wife and I got in some good gardening this eveninmg. Cheers all.
I’ll just leave this here: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/mar/25/justice-department-working-doge-collect-agency-referrals-launch-fraud/
Trump Pardons Nikola Founder Trevor Milton ~ WSJ
Trevor Milton's lawyer is Brad Bondi, brother of attorney general Pam Bondi. Not only him, Milton has hired a lawyer who represented Elon Musk, in his now infamous, spat with the SEC over the "Telsa will go private and the money is there" tweets.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Wasn’t Nikola the company that rolled it's so called fully functional truck downhill because it had no power?
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/09/nikola-admits-prototype-was-rolling-downhill-in-promotional-video/
Trump must feel a special connection to all these fraudsters he’s putting back on the street.
I too sported shorts today. A lady leaving the Kro when I was going in commented that I reminded her of her father's golf attire--white tube socks, shorts, and a long-sleeve shirt. She said I looked real nice. (It's the legs, I think.)
Later, while dawdling down the street with the old dackel, we met a dog with no eyes.
"I’ll just leave this here:"
From the link:
"President Trump and Cabinet members listed examples of fraud and abuse that were found in agencies recently. They included government workers not coming to work or working remotely and fraudulent vendor contracts."
This seems like a promising avenue of investigation. Go after some of the little fish and get them to roll over on bigger fish, working your way up to the leaders involved.
Nah. Doge is permanent in its move to consolidate computer systems. No one will change that later. That was my biggest takeaway from the Baier interview. Efficiencies.
DOGE is authorized to make the government more efficient. Making arrests and building cases is for the Dept. of Justice.
See Leland
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/mar/25/justice-department-working-doge-collect-agency-referrals-launch-fraud/
Today on DOGE
De-activated up to ~315,000 cards so far ! These are unused or unneeded government credit cards
Terminated 1.03M National Science Foundation consulting contract for “fitness center services”.
7 million Social Security numberholders, all listed age 120+, have now been marked as deceased.
As of today the Small Business Adminstration requires a date of birth on loan applications and questions applications with a birth date indicating an age over 120 years. Good move.
DOGE terminated a Government Human Resources IT development program called DCHRMS that was $280 million (780%) over budget and 5 years behind schedule, with at least 2 more years to go.
Note from DOGE:
There is a pattern across all agencies where IT “modernization” contracts do not pay for outcomes/ performance; instead, they pay for time. Therefore, the incentive is for contractors to “never finish,” resulting in incredible waste.
Well, well, an interesting read at DOGE.gov. I wonder if they've found the eugenics grants.
I gave my email address to thedispatch.com to read an article and now I'm getting daily moronic dispatches from Jonah Goldberg and his dog. Next time, I'll use a fake email.
From the New York Post:
"The US government currently has about 4.6 million active credit cards or credit card accounts on file – more than the total number of federal workers (about 3 million), not including government contractors and active-duty military personnel."
Are credit cards issued to government contractors and active-duty military personnel? If not, that allows for 1 1/2 cards/accounts per federal worker. Once you subtract those workers who aren't issued cards (if any), you'd be looking at something more like two cards per worker.
Question for those of you who work in the private sector: How many company-issued credit cards do you have?
On the plus side, these credit cards might be a good indicator of who the president can and cannot fire. If you're in a position where you can spend taxpayer money, I submit that should be enough for being subject to dismissal by your boss, the president.
hey law people!
i have a serious (yet hypothetical) question..
When does intentional property damage become a felony?
if i steal a $2000 car.. That's Grand Theft Auto (a felony)
if i key a tesla (or ANY expensive car), and do $2000 worth of damage.. Is THAT a felony?
What about pouring fake blood on a $million dollar painting?
WHEN does vandalism become a felony?
"I gave my email address to thedispatch.com to read an article and now I'm getting daily moronic dispatches from Jonah Goldberg and his dog."
Yeah. It's why I won't give my email address to NTY and WaPo to read their "free" articles.
i asked Grok, and it said..
In California, vandalism causing $400 or more in damage can be a felony (Penal Code 594).
So, keying a Cybertruck could be a felony if the damage crosses the state’s threshold—say, $1,000 or $2,000, which is plausible given Tesla’s repair costs.
so, then i told it:
"thanx, please tell Elon, that I am NOT planning on keying one of his trucks"
and it replied:
"Haha, I’ll make sure to pass the message along to Elon—don’t worry, your record’s safe with me! Glad I could help clarify the vandalism question for you"
That's right ... not a single arrest has been made based on the DOGE/MUSK discoveries of massive fraud and theft of taxpayer dollars.
Takes longer than a month or two to build a case. Check in this time next year. I'm expecting hundreds or thousands of these scum to be on trial, and some big RICO prosecutions that are going to really hurt the Democrats.
Noreply@companythatwantsmyemail.gfy
I mentioned earlier in the week that I watched the first ep of the new season of Wolf Hall. Well, I realized all the eps are available to me on my PBS Passport app, so I binged them. I also finished Diarmaid McCulloch's doorstopper on Thomas Cromwell. One of the reasons I did all this is because I see so many parallels between the Tudor period and our own.
Mild spoilers follow - but hey, it's history. If I'm spoiling for you, maybe you should have paid more attention in AP Euro.
- The Tudors loved 'new men' - smart guys of humble origins who they elevated to positions of power. So many of them wound up on the receiving end of the King's wrath: Thomas More, Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell. When that happened, they had no family to protect them. The Tudors themselves, in the dark night of the soul, felt like 'new men,' as their royal bloodline was kind of shaky and their male line came from a mere Welsh knight just two generations before Henry VII. There is an excellent line in Wolf Hall where Cromwell chides the Duke of Norfolk about how the older noble families think the Tudors are just a brief interruption in Plantagenet rule.
- In contrast, the born nobility couldn't be easily pushed around. They might be able to raise an army and restart the Wars of the Roses. Or their families might just make things difficult for the King in areas other than outright warfare. The Tudors were not absolute despots (at least the first few; Liz I might qualify) - they had to contend with other power centers. So the King trod carefully with them. In the bad-news column, if the King decided a noble from a powerful family really did need getting rid of, he would probably kill off a bunch of that family - see, e.g., the Howards, the Poles.
- Money drove a lot of the Tudor turmoil. The seizure of the monasteries started under Wolsey when Luther was still an obscure canon. The point was to get land and money to fuel the Crown's budget. A lot of the opposition came from local notables who wanted the land and money themselves. The last straw for Norfolk vs Cromwell was Thetford Priory, which contained the Howard family tombs.
- Court proceedings put a veneer of respectability on political murder. The English law and equity systems were highly developed, but that didn't matter if the judges already knew how they were supposed to rule. Both Thomases - More and Cromwell - were experienced lawyers and knew every possible defense, but it was pointless.
- Very few of the major players really believed in their purported religions, or at least not enough to avoid compromise. More did; the Poles did; Cromwell mostly did. But Henry VIII didn't; the Duke of Norfolk, in spite of his successors being recusant Catholics, really didn't stand up for the old religion when he had a chance to make his nieces Queen; etc.
- In post-Henry VIII events (not in the show), of course England whipsawed from hardcore Prod to hardcore Catholic, then finally to Liz I's via media. At each regime change, the partisans who'd been in exile or hiding came back and pushed the old partisans into exile, hiding, the stake, or the block. As mentioned above, this had less to do with people's religious beliefs and more to do with which families would enjoy the new monarch's favor. A miniature version of this happened even within Henry VIII's circle during his lifetime as different factions competed for his ear.
(continued)
(part II)
- So, the parallels to our own age. Many of you all here have said that the Left doesn't really believe in the things it professes. DOGE has added to that by making Lefties scream for their hidden cash flows. It's not really an ideological conflict; it's a fight over money.
- Similarly, everyone went after Trump because he didn't have a 'family.' Modern political families aren't necessarily blood relatives, although there certainly is some of that. But the parties and the factions within them fulfil the ancient function of someone having your back. Many of you here have pointed out how the RINOs think Trump is just an interruption in the proper order of things. Both party establishments scorn him as a 'new man.' The difference between Trump 45 and 47 is that he built a family: cabinet secretaries who will actually accomplish his intent, lawyers to do counter-lawfare, MAGA members of Congress, etc. The old tricks are not going to work anymore. Trump is not an interruption; he is the new way.
- The sight of people like Navarro, Flynn, etc, taking positions in the 47 admin, and the massive round of pardons by both Biden and 47, really reminded me of the Tudor-era churn in royal advisors.
- The last Tudor tool in the Left's toolbox is prejudiced judges. The SCOTUS libs and the vast array of district and circuit judges know how they are supposed to rule. We are still waiting to see exactly how Trump will counter this. Probably some combination of defying lower level judges, getting the MAGA congress to do legislative end runs, and hiring good appellate advocates who aren't afraid of the disbarment crap.
I'm sure the majority PBS viewer can write the inverse of above, and make Orange-Haired Harry into a precursor of Orange Man Bad. I still think the comparisons are instructive.
JSM
52F, still and dry this morning at 5:30 in northern AZ. Ran 5 x 1 mile at 7:05/mile, plus one mile warm-up and 1 mile cool down with my son. Slow AF, but a good little workout for me. I am after all, Old And Slow. Tomorrow I'll be back to easy mileage like usual. I hate the heat here 6 months out of the year, but right now it is close to perfect. If I can make it to Ireland for July and August this year, I'll feel very lucky.
Hang in there, Old and Slow.
Modern slaves are not in chains.
They are in debt.
A large US presence in Greenland would be good for western Europe. Too bad leftists cannot see it.
Trump on Greenland is perfect evidence of Trump's declining mental faculties. No expert has ever suggested a need to annexe for strategic reasons Greenland. Why would they when it is already NATO ally. But his administration has to scramble to invent reasons why there might be justifications for upgrading military defenses for this completely inhospitable slab of ice that neither China nor Russia has shown any designs on.
I love Alito and Thomas, but hope they retire soon and let DJT replace them with young conservatives.
Tru.p slaughtered yet again in courts today with everything getting blocked. Told to reinstate, told he is full of it unconstitutional. Illegall and everything you could do wrong he did. This guy is wasting so much time and money on eo's doi g them then getting beat in courts.winning NOT. Another court washout day for the team of misfits.And all the biullshit fraud they are talking about and not 1 case being charged Talk about nonsense se waste of time and $$.M usk told you can flat out pay money for voting Musk deletes his post saying g he was gonna do that. VOTE SUSAN
"completely inhospitable slab of ice that neither China nor Russia has shown any designs on."
That's sure not what I've read, and I think its strategic importance is pretty obvious. But I'm no expert.
Not denying its strategic importance. I'm denying that it's any more under realistic threat than Alaska, Canada, Iceland, or Norway.
Really? Greenland is as strategically safe as Alaska?
They're both safe, or else actual military threat assessments would have taken action before Trump started listening to one or other idiots in his circle of clubbers and taking a notion of expanding US territory with impenetrable ice.
Who's going to defend Greenland? Denmark?
NATO
I don't believe Greenland is in NATO.
Hmmm. Denmark hasn't been meeting their obligatory defense commitments to NATO. Guess they think that's someone else's obligation.
"Are credit cards issued to government contractors and active-duty military personnel?"
When my husband worked on base as a govt contractor, he was issued a credit card for gas. (The job involved extensive driving.) So, yes.
Ugh. Three hour drive north of Madison is cold and miserable with freezing rain and snow forecast.
Discovering percentages of GDP is silly. Two percent of Luxemberg's GDP is miniscule and their military might will never mean anything in defending NATO, The United States decided to maintain 21 miltary bases in Germany alone some 80 years after WWII and 40 years after the Soviet Union died.
Meanwhile Elmo is encouraging a reimergence of Nazis and over there the Yanks ain't coming. And King Don is allowing U.S. weaponry to be "owned" by foreigners but specific usage must be preapproved. So now the useless F-35 sales are going by the boards and European fighters are being purchased instead.
It is time for Whiskey Pete send out the finest kind of American booze in advance of Amateur Hour II to close down our military bases overseas. The immediate slash of the defense budget and the ultimate abandonment of fully functional bases will bring us down to third world status. But Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will be saved.
"Discovering percentages of GDP is silly. Two percent of Luxemberg's GDP is miniscule and their military might will never mean anything in defending NATO, "
Your taxes are minuscule compared to the US budget. Are you claiming you should be relieved of the obligation to pay them?
Contributions to an organization, especially at previously agreed upon levels, represent a commitment to that enterprise. Likewise, a refusal to pay your fair share is a big, selfish Fuck You to the other members. That's what most NATO members have been saying to the few schmucks who are bearing the burden; Fuck You. Well, time for us to hear the message.
And now, apparently, we're supposed to defend Greenland, who isn't even a member.
Two appellate victories for Trump concerning executive power to fire those in executive agencies and Musk’s role in shuttering USAID. Finally, some sanity in the judicial branch.
Readering spouts cult left talking points.
The out of…ammo lefties are now trying to go after Noem’s Rolex Daytona for some reason. Something about the contrast the shirtless tattooed prisoners weren’t issued one or something. Really a model that’s not much of a flex that one…
“No expert has ever suggested a need to annexe for strategic reasons Greenland.”
So - our Presidents have to be led by “experts”, otherwise they can’t do anything on their own? Plus, have you seen how shoddy our “experts” have been lately? Especially the unnamed ones - they truly suck, if they even exist.
Big news - Trump busting federal union power by stopping collective bargaining. The unions were blocking necessary federal downsizing, so now they’ll be downsized. This’ll be fun to watch.
"Who's going to defend Greenland? Denmark?"
The security argument is complete nonsense. Greenland is Danish, Denmark is a member of NATO, and the Island is protected by the strongest military alliance imaginable. All that is needed is for the US to re-affirm that Greenland is fully protected by virtue of being a Danish territory.
Of course JD Vance knows that everyone knows that Greenland is protected. And he makes his claims standing on a US military base in Greenland. He is so used to lying the he doesn't care.
Have all Republicans instantly switched from a lifetime of not thinking about Greenland to war fever over it?
Parrots come to mind.
Hey geniuses, who is going to defend...NATO? They can't seem to do squat without the US. In fact the most flight they ever show is bitching about the U.S. not giving them enough aid or how mean our leaders are.
Do you clowns also do kid birthday parties and blow up squiggly balloon animals?
Musk plans to give $1 million away to a 'random' Wisconsin voter .... to no one's surprise, it just happens to be a hardcore Trump supporter who donated to Elon's preferred judge.
"Also on Friday, Musk’s political action committee identified the recipient of its first $1 million giveaway — a Green Bay man who had donated to the Wisconsin GOP and the conservative candidate in the court race, and who has a history of posting support for President Donald Trump and his agenda."
Lazarus said...
"I gave my email address to thedispatch.com to read an article and now I'm getting daily moronic dispatches from Jonah Goldberg and his dog. Next time, I'll use a fake email."
Try the "Unsubscribe" link.
More sad news this morning for our commenters who insist that Trump is losing badly in the courts. A court of appeals just reversed the district judge who stopped Trump's firing of some agency heads. Here's the relevant info:
The Court held that the President’s Article II authority includes the power to fire employees of the Executive Branch, including Harris and Wilcox. Walker’s opinion is a ringing explication of the Constitution’s plain language:
[T]he district court described the President’s removal of Wilcox as a “power grab” and “blatantly illegal.” But unconstitutional statutes are void ab initio because Congress lacks the authority to enact them. Such statutes are not law, so it is not “illegal” for the President to violate them. And under the Supreme Court’s precedents, the President’s actions within the executive branch cannot amount to a “power grab” because “[t]he entire ‘executive Power’ belongs to the President alone.”
You know, of course, Readering that Alaska has an armed militia force. Approved and equipped by the state.
The threat may be small but it is never zero.
If you remember your history. The United states built large bases in Goose Bay, Labrador, in Greenland and Iceland. We did all of this to protect the "Western Approaches" to England and Europe. The sometimes dramatic battle to destroy the heavy battleships of the German Navy was to keep them out of the North Atlantic and reigning chaos on the convoys.
What does that have to do with today? If you can control the North Atlantic you can cut Europe off from North America and isolate it.
Europe keeps trying to blow up any peace deal that Trump tries to make, because they want to keep the Ukraine war going on, and by raving to their populations that Russia is going to roll across the Polish border, which would lead to nuclear war, so Russia won't do it, but the threat is what Europe wants, and what the faked up threat from Russia has accomplished for Europe is that now they have removed the debt brake from Germany, and have unleashed trillions in future borrowed money, and friends of the rulers of the EU are going to get fantastically rich. Germany can go from an industrial economy, to a financial one.
Is it any coincidence that bankers are now sitting in the prime minister's chairs of Germany, Canada, and The UK? This is not about defense, Russia in no threat, it's about money, about people getting extremely rich by convincing people that Russia is a threat.
From Instapundit:
I GUESS IT’S TIME TO GO A-PRIVATEERING, THEN! Russia’s Shadow Fleet: A Masterclass in Sanctions Evasion. “In the wake of Western sanctions surrounding the Ukraine war, Russia developed a network of clandestine oil tankers to ensure the continuity of its energy exports – the so-called ‘shadow fleet.'”
You know what the "clandestine" um, err "shadow fleet" consists of? Tankers not insured in London. That's it, the Russians are insuring them themselves, or the Chinese. This is nothing but the West weaponizing its financial system in the form of non UN authorized sanctions and so driving other countries out of the West's financial frameworks.
Go ahead, Glenn, and commit an act of piracy on one of these perfectly legal tankers, and see where it gets you.
If i was Kak I wouldn’t bring up the subject of pardons.
Is Greenland "a completely inhospitable slab of ice that neither China nor Russia has shown any designs on" or is global climate change going to make it a very valuable piece of real estate, central to hemispheric defense? I think it's more like the former, but if one believes that the planet really is warming up, one can't dismiss the polar regions so easily.
China And Russia have their boats nearby. Just ignore that... like a good hiveminder.
…or the end of Rogue One for the unpretentious…
Imagine. Inuit with M16s.
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