Althouse: Sometimes...

August 14, 2018

Sometimes...

... there's a morning café.

211 comments:

1 – 200 of 211 Newer› Newest»

CJinPA said...: Good morning, Internet.; 8/14/18, 8:23 AM
Drago said...: From the Liz Shield Morning Report re: the National Defense Authorization Act:

"The bill "requires the president to designate a National Security Council employee to coordinate the interagency fight against malign foreign influence operations, including election interference. That is a direct response to Russian interference in the last election."

Huh. Imagine that. Mr. "Russian spy" president just signed a military bill that responds to Russian election interference. And that's not all the new NDAA does. "It includes $6.3 billion to reassure U.S. partners and allies and increase the U.S. military presence in Europe. It bars military-to-military cooperation with Russia ... And, most importantly, it ties the hands of the president in recognizing Russia’s annexation of Crimea, something that many in Congress feared that the president would do."

Nail in the coffin: "There are literally dozens of provisions that target Russian aggression specifically. It is spelled out in a way that I have not seen before."

Let's think for just a second. If Trump were truly a Putin crony and seeking to advance the Kremlin's interests, he would never sign this bill. But that doesn't help the anti-Trump narrative, does it?"

A little different than just saying "Knock it off", "I have more flexibility after the next election", here, have 20% of our uranium (and thanks for the "donations"!), would you mind sending in your armed forces to Syria (which you've wanted to do for decades) to enforce the Red Line I drew but had no intention of enforcing, etc from obambi!

LLR Chuck, as always when dems are exposed, hardest hit.; 8/14/18, 8:24 AM
Howard said...: blah blah blah. It's like russiagate is soma for Drago and his folloowers

Better news for Trump supporters:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-news-defendants-released-new-mexico-compound-20180814-story.html

This has got to be worth a couple house seats al least; 8/14/18, 8:28 AM
steve uhr said...: So Drago, it is your understanding that presidents veto bills whenever they are not in complete agreement with everything in the bill? Ever heard of compromise? Give and take?; 8/14/18, 8:30 AM
MadisonMan said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/14/18, 8:36 AM
Sebastian said...: "So Drago, it is your understanding that presidents veto bills whenever they are not in complete agreement with everything in the bill? Ever heard of compromise? Give and take?"

So, steve uhr, is it your understanding that Trump disagreed with any of the anti-Russia provisions in the new law and worked to remove them, so that "compromise" was necessary? I have not seen any evidence to that effect. If you have, please provide links.; 8/14/18, 8:38 AM
daskol said...: au lait; 8/14/18, 8:40 AM
Sebastian said...: I know it's early, but: another day, another ____ outrage:

"A man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after a car ploughed into pedestrians outside the Houses of Parliament this morning.

The silver hatchback struck two victims, thought to be cyclists, before careering towards two police officers and crashing into a barrier just after 7.30am. Armed police then dragged the driver out of the vehicle."; 8/14/18, 8:40 AM
Henry said...: Hummingbirds and goldfinches. That's my morning so far.; 8/14/18, 8:45 AM
steve uhr said...: Sebastian. The fact that trump has said dozens of times that Mueller's probe is a witch hunt in its entirety is evidence that he does not believe in sanctions based on such imaginary conduct. And if he were to veto a $720000000000 spending bill because he thought it was too tough on Russia might make him look a little .... guilty. Esp since the veto would certainly be overruled. A strong majority of democrats in both houses voted for the bill; 8/14/18, 8:50 AM
Michael K said...: Ever heard of compromise? Give and take?

You mean like Obama, Steve?

"I've got a pen and a phone."; 8/14/18, 8:51 AM
Bill, Republic of Texas said...: It our favorite hostess on the road? I'd guess Colorado.; 8/14/18, 8:51 AM
Francisco D said...: "The fact that trump has said dozens of times that Mueller's probe is a witch hunt in its entirety is evidence that he does not believe in sanctions based on such imaginary conduct."

Good Lord Steve!

You really need some training in elementary logic. That is embarrassingly absurd.; 8/14/18, 8:57 AM
Darrell said...: Look at the Althouse Lefties pretending their lies are real.
Quaint.; 8/14/18, 9:00 AM
Birkel said...: steve uhr:
It is sad that you cannot distinguish between Russian (and previously Soviet) interference in America’s domestic politics, which the government has a responsibility to stop -AND-
The attempt at a coup by forces within the permanent U.S. bureaucracy to overthrow a properly elected U.S. president that was built on partisan (and largely made up) opposition research.

Does your small brain hurt now?; 8/14/18, 9:00 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Kellie Collins, a former congressional candidate in Georgia’s 10th District, was charged with the murder of her former campaign treasurer, Curtis Cain. The allegations of murder follow Collins’ advocacy for “responsible” gun control laws during her campaign. WSB-TV reports that she argued for stricter legislation “to protect the community.”

http://thefederalist.com/2018/08/13/former-gun-control-candidate-charged-shooting-campaign-treasurer/

Democrats should not be permitted to own guns. They are far too violent and crazy.; 8/14/18, 9:00 AM
stevew said...: I love the smell of cafe in the morning...

-sw; 8/14/18, 9:03 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "And if he were to veto a $720000000000 spending bill because he thought it was too tough on Russia might make him look a little .... guilty."

Ah, so the Russia bullshit is just a ploy to spend the country into the gutter. That'd be an interesting bit of political gamesmanship...; 8/14/18, 9:10 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: So an anti-Trump liberal who ran on gun control has been charged with the murder of her campaign treasurer. And multiple women have accused Keith Ellison of domestic abuse.

The Dems sure are fielding some winners these days.; 8/14/18, 9:11 AM
Triangle Man said...: Nice photo! It's going to be a golden day!; 8/14/18, 9:13 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I saw "Sometimes,..." and this was the first thing I thought of.

Then I thought you were screwing with me.

The mind's weird.; 8/14/18, 9:24 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: So he is tough on Russia to fool all those who claim he is soft on Russia!! What diabolical cleverness!!; 8/14/18, 9:24 AM
Michael K said...: A very long but interesting article on resolving disputes, including those about Trump.

It's about a "60 Minutes" show that Oprah Winfrey hosted and how it went wrong. Pretty interesting.; 8/14/18, 9:25 AM
Sebastian said...: @steve: "Sebastian. The fact that trump has said dozens of times that Mueller's probe is a witch hunt in its entirety is evidence that he does not believe in sanctions based on such imaginary conduct. And if he were to veto a $720000000000 spending bill because he thought it was too tough on Russia might make him look a little .... guilty. Esp since the veto would certainly be overruled. A strong majority of democrats in both houses voted for the bill."

Sorry, Steve, Trump's disdain for Mueller's witch hunt is not evidence of opposition to anti-Russia provisions in the new legislation. "if he were" is not evidence that Trump did, in fact, oppose any provisions or threaten a veto.

Let me restate there issue at hand:

""So Drago, it is your understanding that presidents veto bills whenever they are not in complete agreement with everything in the bill? Ever heard of compromise? Give and take?"

So, steve uhr, is it your understanding that Trump disagreed with any of the anti-Russia provisions in the new law and worked to remove them, so that "compromise" was necessary? I have not seen any evidence to that effect. If you have, please provide links."

Of course, if there is no such evidence, a simple admission of error would suffice. It happens.; 8/14/18, 9:28 AM
Jupiter said...: Sometimes ....

all I need is the air that I breathe, and to love you.; 8/14/18, 9:31 AM
AllenS said...: Just returned from voting at the Alden Township, Polk County, WI hall. Photo ID necessary. I chose a paper ballot. Voted for all of the good guys.; 8/14/18, 9:31 AM
Drago said...: Steve Uhr: "The fact that trump has said dozens of times that Mueller's probe is a witch hunt in its entirety is evidence that he does not believe in sanctions based on such imaginary conduct."

LOL

Inga and Chuck-level performance with that one Steve.

It just keeps getting better and better.; 8/14/18, 9:34 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Michael K said...

"It's about a "60 Minutes" show that Oprah Winfrey hosted and how it went wrong. Pretty interesting."

I can see "how it went wrong" before I even watch it.; 8/14/18, 9:37 AM
Ralph L said...: For some reason, Voter photo ID is still unconstitutional here in NC.; 8/14/18, 9:38 AM
Drago said...: Sebastian: "Sorry, Steve, Trump's disdain for Mueller's witch hunt is not evidence of opposition to anti-Russia provisions in the new legislation.:

Every Trump executive policy and Trump geo-political move serves to weaken the Russians vis-a-vis the US as well as thru Russian proxies in Syria and Iran and elsewhere.

But only every single one.

Even in Turkey, where Erdogan is making noises about realigning with the Russians is a joke! And Trump knows it, so off Trump goes squeezing that piece of crap islamic supremacist and watch the Turkish Lira fall as the world recognizes that.

And just 2 days ago Iraq officially agreed to abide by US sanctions against the Russian pals in Iran, which all the Steve Uhr/LLR Chuck "geniuses" said would not happen.

Good times, good times.

And pay close attention to the reporting out of China where Chinese leaders now recognize that Trump is working against them across all sectors: military/economic and political.

You don't have to ask the Euro-weenies, since they hava already caved publicly on the car tariffs.

And the US/Mexico bi-lateral trade negotiations appear to be going very very well, with little "Justin-a" of Canada on the outs after being so stupid as to think LLR Chuck's democrat allies in the US media and Senate could put the brakes on Canada's NAFTA loop-hole shenanigans.

LOL; 8/14/18, 9:40 AM
Michael K said...: The jihadis running that camp in New Mexico were released by the judge on "Signature Bond," meaning they don't have to pay a dime.

Interesting judge. Democrat, of course, with a history of low bail for violent offenders.; 8/14/18, 9:40 AM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: The fact that trump has said dozens of times that Mueller's probe is a witch hunt in its entirety is evidence that he does not believe in sanctions based on such imaginary conduct.

The sanctions have nothing to do with the "collusion" you guys see in the collective fever dream that you can't seem to wake up from, but from some undisputed web activities, which were, BTW, not explicitly pro-Trump, or even implicitly, unless you think that you can call a quadruple bank shot with reverse spin and jumping a ball.

But you guys are still butt hurt (Oooh! Rape joke!) over the DNC leaks that showed the press for what it was and Hillary for what she was. You know who else was butt hurt about Hillary? Donna Brazille. It's in her book. So maybe you can explain why the servers didn't need to be examined by law enforcement to determine how the emails ended up at Wikileaks?

It never bothers liberals that members of the press were running columns by the Hillary campaign before they even let their editors see them, which is what Wikileaks shows.; 8/14/18, 9:41 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Liberals, you can now buy your little rug rats - the ones you haven't aborted - a Ruth Bader Ginsberg action figure for Festivus!

Fun for him, her, and xim! Watch your RBG action figure snooze during the State of the Union address!

https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2018/08/14/will-there-be-a-napping-variant-ruth-bader-ginsburg-action-figure-to-be-released-this-fall-and-omg-roflmao/; 8/14/18, 9:42 AM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: It's too nice of a day for cutting firewood, not too hot, not too sunny, to sit around and argue with people who refuse to see.; 8/14/18, 9:42 AM
Achilles said...: August 28th approaches. The Mueller team faces abject humiliation.

Democrats organized the unite the right rally but only found 25 people in the entire country to listen to Occupy Wall Street member and Obama voter Jason Kessler.

Two more weeks of covering for the implosion of their Russian Collusion narrative.

But what happens when Trump doesn’t let them off the hook?

The FISA warrant application is going to get its day in the sun soon.; 8/14/18, 9:43 AM
Achilles said...: S&P up 6% in 2018.

Emerging markets(China) down 5%.

Unemployment at record lows. Wages growing for the first time in over 10 years.

It is almost as if the United States is being run by people who put Americans and America first.

Of course the uniparty is angry. The leftists and globalist shills in the Republican Party nobody listens to anymore are clinging to their Russian Collusion lies and defending their coup attempt.

They should be treated like the traitors they are.; 8/14/18, 9:50 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/14/18, 9:57 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Well, Crack Emcee, here's a cult for you:

@GadiNBC

The children told investigators they were told Abdul would be resurrected as Jesus and instruct them on what corrupt institutions to attack. Including teachers. The children were allegedly given tactical training on how to clear rooms and taught how to shoot firearms.
3:27 PM - Aug 13, 2018

FBI says that the children told them about rituals that were performed on the small 3 year old child Abdul. Says the children reported that Siraj would place his hand on the child's forehead and repeat verses from the Koran. Says the boy died during one of those rituals in Feb.
5:49 PM - Aug 13, 2018

FBI says that one of the women believed that Abdul was rightfully her son and stolen from her womb by black magic.
5:58 PM - Aug 13, 2018

The lovely people who murdered that 3 year old are out on bail, thanks to leftist judge Sarah Backus.; 8/14/18, 10:00 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/14/18, 10:00 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: It just will not let me do it.

I don't get it. Oh well.; 8/14/18, 10:01 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: And in related news, further evidence that Pres Trump was correct in his comments about Sweden.; 8/14/18, 10:03 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: tim in vermont said...

So maybe you can explain why the servers didn't need to be examined by law enforcement to determine how the emails ended up at Wikileaks?

I can ( and have, in these comment sections ) explained how it could be possible to determine that without examining the servers. At the time of the hack, a U.S. ally's intelligence service was counter-hacking the hackers, and watched the hacking in real time.

Here is an article on the subject

Of course, the article may be misinformation, planted by our intelligence services, the DNC ( but I repeat myself ), or even the Russian intelligence services. And, as I have said before, if this is how our intelligence services learned of the hack, they still should have demanded to examine the DNC servers, in order to protect the source of their information.; 8/14/18, 10:04 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: The Crack Emcee said...

It just will not let me do it.

What are you trying to do?; 8/14/18, 10:06 AM
Drago said...: exhelodrvr1: "And in related news, further evidence that Pres Trump was correct in his comments about Sweden"

Shhhh.

Keep that to yourself, otherwise Kasich will weep and LLR Chuck will rage....; 8/14/18, 10:08 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I'm trying to start a conversation and show you something at the same time, but Blogger won't let me. Check it:

Can you guys see this link and do you know this song, "Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck?; 8/14/18, 10:08 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Can you guys see this link and do you know this song, "Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck?

8/14/18, 10:08 AM

Yes and yes. I always liked that song.; 8/14/18, 10:11 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: Crack, the link worked for me and I had that 45 many years ago!; 8/14/18, 10:13 AM
Michael K said...: Another good column by Roger Simon about the ineptitude of our counterintel capability, you know, Peter Strzok's job in the FBI.

Part of this can be explained by the greed of the Feinsteins, husband and wife, who during those years made millions off their business dealings with China, relations that made the couple easy prey for the ChiComs, but still one wonders about the blindness. If you believe our government's claim that the Chinese didn't get very much useful information over those twenty years, well, I have a Brooklyn Bridge to sell you -- and I'll throw in the Manhattan, Triborough and Verrazano into the bargain. That would make the Chinese as dumb as, well, Peter Strzok.

It would be interesting to review Feinstein's comments during the Russia probe, given this revelation -- especially since, these days, as most would agree, China is a far more potent and ultimately more dangerous adversary than Russia. But more of that in a minute.

This stuff is hiding in plain sight but the fools ignore it.; 8/14/18, 10:15 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

"Well, Crack Emcee, here's a cult for you"

Yep. We've got so many cults now, it's mind-boggling every newscast isn't filled with their escapades, exclusively. I don't get it. We're totally comfortable with insanity, which makes me wonder why we bother with educations, except to stay minimally functional. It's pure DEVO.; 8/14/18, 10:16 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: I can see the link, did not know the song. Not bad, but not really my style.; 8/14/18, 10:16 AM
Humperdink said...: Rained out of pickleball this morning. Darn. Playing 4 days a week. Addicting.; 8/14/18, 10:16 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: Pickleball?; 8/14/18, 10:18 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Don't be so hard on Steve, the DNC media complex has spent untold resources on conflating the collusion/interference issues.; 8/14/18, 10:19 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Yes and yes. I always liked that song.

Annie C said...

Crack, the link worked for me and I had that 45 many years ago!

Cool. Then how am I doing now, with Yes and "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"?

Can you see it, and is it another well-linked classic?; 8/14/18, 10:20 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Well-liked classic; 8/14/18, 10:22 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: I bought a box of 100 calorie snack packs of "almonds and walnuts." I just opened up a bag. There are walnuts and one almond.

First world problems, I know.; 8/14/18, 10:23 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: "Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck. I like that song.....remember it well!

Not related to Trump or anything currently political. The push for a cashless society and the major drawback.

We just had an electrical power outage for 4 days. A cashless society sounds nice, convenient and all, until the power goes out. Reality is...cash is not obsolete. The one grocery store that we have in our area, was open, slightly, with generators to only keep the cold foods from spoiling.

No lights. No scanners at the checkouts so they had to go back to the paper and pencil method. NO ATM cards accepted. Cash ONLY or a charge, if they know you or you already have a charge. No cash.....no groceries.

Ditto the one gas station that was open and able to pump gas. No cards. Cash only.

When the power goes out....you'd better have some cash :-0; 8/14/18, 10:25 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Owner of a Lonely Heart is definitely a well-liked classic ( that you well-linked ); 8/14/18, 10:25 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: Not only can I see it but it is now playing as I type. Yes is my A-number one favorite band of all time. Or Queen. Decisions are hard.; 8/14/18, 10:26 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: CE, you're taking me way back. I had that Yes album back in the day.; 8/14/18, 10:26 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: Funny that the next one up on Youtube while Yes was playing was Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer.; 8/14/18, 10:28 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: The "Owner of a Lonely Heart" video was rather odd, even by 80's MTV video standards. I remember some dude jumping off a building and turning into a bird.; 8/14/18, 10:29 AM
Humperdink said...: Pickleball??

Reported to be the fastest growing sport in America.; 8/14/18, 10:31 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Annie C said...

Not only can I see it but it is now playing as I type. Yes is my A-number one favorite band of all time. Or Queen. Decisions are hard."

Not for me.:) 1967-1972 Rolling Stones and nobody else comes close, including the post-1972 Stones.

Hence my nic.; 8/14/18, 10:34 AM
daskol said...: Michael K said...
A very long but interesting article on resolving disputes, including those about Trump.

well worth a read. don't know if there's a market for complexity, but the article is full of valuable tactics for discussing disagreeable topics effectively. I've attended a workshop by the organization referenced in the piece--"Resetting the Table"--and was impressed with how they facilitated debate among a group of us with major disagreement on emotionally charged topics. that shit works.; 8/14/18, 10:34 AM
Drago said...: The Crack Emcee: "Well-liked classic"

What could you do with that song Crack?

"Unite the Right, don't seem right.....yet they might see the light..."

don't laugh. I'm riffing here...; 8/14/18, 10:35 AM
daskol said...: I should say facilitated discussion, not debate.; 8/14/18, 10:35 AM
MadisonMan said...: @DBQ, Wow! 4 days. Was it fire-related somehow? Welcome back.

I usually have ~$100 in my wallet. That would keep me going for a while, I think.; 8/14/18, 10:36 AM
daskol said...: per the article, and like the academics who prime their subjects for complexity, the facilitators initiated discussion on guns, knowing there would be nuanced positions in the group (one of the facilitators was training, and personally knew most of the group). they then proceeded to guide the discussion towards the Middle East. there was no common ground found or even searched for, but rather the differences in opinion and the nuanced and personal reasons for them were all surfaced in a very congenial discussion. it was remarkable.; 8/14/18, 10:39 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/14/18, 10:40 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Oh good! We are doing music?

When the power went out, I remarked to my husband that besides hot water on demand... if the world were to end, I would really miss being able to listen to my music collection (albums, tapes, cds). Yeah I could play my guitar, but seriously? Not even comparable.

This song has been done by so many great artists. Better off with the blues Here is one I especially like because of the great harmonica solo.; 8/14/18, 10:40 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: DBQ, you made me think about it. I usually don't have much cash on me. Heck, I think I have gone weeks without touching any cash.

We have a small cardboard box in a cupboard with with word Idaho on it. We stash extra cash in there for the next irregular fishing trip. I can always get cash out of that, but I think I'll carry more cash from now on.

Thanks!; 8/14/18, 10:42 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Drago said...

"What could you do with that song Crack?"

If Blogger would cooperate, I'd loop the beginning of "Moonlight Feels Right," and add the vocal track from Yes over it, creating:

<A HREF="https://www.dropbox.com/s/iaq3cd72yoa17a3/01%20Moonlight%20Is%20Lonely.mp3?dl=0”>”Moonlight Feels Lonely”</A>; 8/14/18, 10:44 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Look at that and tell me what's wrong, please. The link works, BTW; 8/14/18, 10:45 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Since the great Aretha Franklin - to my mind, the best female vocalist of the past 60 years -is dying, here is my favorite scene from "The Blues Brother."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY66elCQkYk; 8/14/18, 10:47 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: That was fascinating Crack. How you managed to hear in your head that the two would sync is a helluva talent.; 8/14/18, 10:47 AM
Original Mike said...: ”A cashless society sounds nice, convenient and all, ...”

It doesn’t even sound nice.

I read an article by a banker awhile back touting those prepaid “cash” cards. He was unpersuasive. One of his purported advantages was they freed you from the “inconvenience of cash”. Uh-huh.; 8/14/18, 10:50 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: Disco Pants and Haircuts!; 8/14/18, 10:50 AM
Big Mike said...: @Ignorance, the article seems mostly true, but there’s something it does not explain, is the rate at which the data was downloaded from the DNC Email server. The following is a quote from an article published by The Nation describing the forensic analysis of the data breach:

“On the evening of July 5, 2016, 1,976 megabytes of data were downloaded from the DNC’s server. The operation took 87 seconds. This yields a transfer rate of 22.7 megabytes per second.“

Database and information systems specialists work in megabytes or gigabytes or terabytes; data communications specialists work in megabits per second. So the hackers needed to download the data across the Internet at a rate in excess of 181 megabits per second for almost a full minute and a half. Folks, that doesn’t work. That is, however, a reasonable rate for a USB thumb drive plugged into a locally connected work station. It was an inside job.; 8/14/18, 10:50 AM
Drago said...: exiledonmainstreet: "Since the great Aretha Franklin - to my mind, the best female vocalist of the past 60 years -is dying, here is my favorite scene from "The Blues Brother."

And, whenever I think of Aretha Franklin, I also think of the Hardest Working Man In Show Business, so here's this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BL4RNFr58; 8/14/18, 10:52 AM
MadisonMan said...: Moonlight Feels Right -- loved it. "I play the radio on southern stations, 'cause southern girls are hell at night" Is that a lyric from that song? Been years.

I share Annie's awe that you somehow intuited that it, and Owner of Lonely Heart could co-mingle. That is awesome!; 8/14/18, 10:53 AM
ALP said...: Michael K: very interesting article on conflict dynamics - thanks for the post. Well worth reading.; 8/14/18, 10:54 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: The Crack Emcee said...

Look at that and tell me what's wrong, please. The link works, BTW

8/14/18, 10:45 AM

Damnit the hell, I can't open it.; 8/14/18, 10:55 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: @ Madison Man.

Yep. Fire related. We are good. It was a fairly long time. We got by well, though, because we are generally prepared. Living in a rural area power outages are normal. Thankfully, we didn't have to bug out with our camp trailer (which we loaded up with valuables and necessities and other vital stuff just in case). Instead it was like camping out, at home, with a lot more things. The biggest issue was keeping the freezers and fridge from thawing out.

Also, with no power, you begin to realize how much you are dependent on it and how our everyday conveniences use electricity. Phones, appliances, cell phones (the towers burned up), lights at a flick of a switch, WATER. Needless to say, no internet or television and other than a battery powered radio no news. We didn't miss the net or the television. Being out of contact with news was disconcerting. Your drip coffee machine is useless! Get a perk pot to put on the stove. That saved us in the mornings.

You adjust. Life becomes much simpler. At least we know (hope) that the power will come back on, eventually. The pioneers.... That was how they lived all the time. Electricity? Hot water on demand?? Toilets that flush?? What's that????; 8/14/18, 10:56 AM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Drago, James Brown was great. So much fun to watch onstage.; 8/14/18, 10:59 AM
MadisonMan said...: And it sounds great too! Very cool.; 8/14/18, 10:59 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Annie C said...

"That was fascinating Crack. How you managed to hear in your head that the two would sync is a helluva talent."

Thanks. They actually don't sync at all - I had to squeeze the vocal into the groove - but the vocal did sound it would be interesting with *something* other than it's intended song. That's what got my attention. (BTW, it'll be gone tomorrow - this was just for y'all.) So my questions now are:

Is that a legitimately "new" song?

Is it "creative" to do it? (You seem to have answered that for yourself)

Does it make the work going into "UnMastered" more understandable for you?

And can anyone see something wrong with that dropbox link above? Why didn't it work as it's supposed to?; 8/14/18, 11:00 AM
Yancey Ward said...: It is odd to me to think of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" as a classic. The song was a hit during my senior year in high school, and it was a comeback hit for Yes at that time- a band that had fallen on hard times during the period 1976-1981, and disbanded in 81. And now the comeback hit is considered a classic. I loved the song then and now, though.; 8/14/18, 11:02 AM
MadisonMan said...: Link to the awesome Moonlight is Lonely. It works for me.; 8/14/18, 11:02 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: When I was living in suburban Philly, we had a massive winter storm that knocked power out for 6 days. Fortunately we had a lot of camping equipment including a camp stove. No gas in Drexel Hill neighborhoods.

The kerosene heater kept us from going to a hotel (not that we could have gotten there for days anyway.)

I didn't miss tv or electronics. I missed a hot shower most of all. The one thing that is very difficult for me to give up. A long, hot soapy shower steaming up the entire bathroom.; 8/14/18, 11:05 AM
Humperdink said...: exile said: "Since the great Aretha Franklin - to my mind, the best female vocalist of the past 60 years -is dying, here is my favorite scene from "The Blues Brother."

Great song, classic movie.; 8/14/18, 11:07 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: MadisonMan said...

"Link to the awesome Moonlight is Lonely. It works for me."

You can download it, too. Yer welcome.; 8/14/18, 11:08 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: MadisonMan-

The link you posted might be leaking your real life name, if you care about such; 8/14/18, 11:09 AM
Yancey Ward said...: I lived in Newtown, CT in 2011 and the power was out two separate times that year for 4 and 6 days in late August due to Hurricane Irene (the only hurricane I have ever personally witnessed on the ground) and an early snowstorm in late October. The second outage, I just packed up and went south for the Winter rather than endure it.; 8/14/18, 11:09 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: Is it a legitimately a new song? In this day and age of sampling (which I don't like by the way, but that's only because change and I fight a constant battle), I would definitely call it a new creation. If you take a Reuben sandwich and add some elements of a Cheesesteak, it's a new sandwich. Is it a song? Not sure.

Is it creative? Heckin' yeah!!!

Does it help me understand "Unmastered" more? A bit, but I think if you didn't 'get it' the first time, it might not help.

What you are doing Crack is in one way disturbing. Like the conversation a while back about whether art should be disturbing. It also challenges me to listen rather than just hear, so in that way I see it as important.

It will be fun to see where this all goes, that's for sure.; 8/14/18, 11:13 AM
Etienne said...: Interesting. I got a letter from the Air Base yesterday that said they ran out of family practice doctors and are unable to support the base any longer.

They have advised Active and Retired members to find our own Network doctor, and seek services outside the Air Base.

Which may or may not be good, since Humana pays shit rates and not all doctors want to participate. A lot of doctors I notice have a P.A. now, so I guess the P.A. can still make them a profit.

The only downside is they doubled the co-pay to $20 each visit.

It's not like the Air Base doctors were worth a shit, it's just that there was no co-pay. Most of the Air Base doctors have practices in town, so they will make $20 more than at the Air Base.; 8/14/18, 11:15 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: The url given by Crack, and the link by MadisonMan both take me to dropbox, which let's me download the .mp3. Have not yet figured out how to open the .mp3 on my phone; 8/14/18, 11:16 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I do more than that when I work - I'm a producer. The guy who wears the most hats and gots the biggest ears. For instance, here's a song a guy gave me to work on, as a test, to see if I could work outside rap music:

<A HREF="https://www.dropbox.com/s/g1ypdxslk8z56zx/Flighty%20%28Clean%29.mp3?dl=0”>”Flighty (Clean)”</A>

I hadn't touched this yet. What would you do with it, if someone said "Make a song out of it for me"?; 8/14/18, 11:21 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: This link issue is driving me crazy; 8/14/18, 11:22 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Madison Man's link worked for me.

Very cool how those two songs work together. Agree with others that's a great skill, Crack has to be able to hear and make it happen.; 8/14/18, 11:26 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: This is a test.

<A HREF="https://www.dropbox.com/s/g1ypdxslk8z56zx/Flighty%20%28Clean%29.mp3?dl=0”>”Flighty (Clean)</A>; 8/14/18, 11:26 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I failed that fest. Anyway, here's what I did with that song:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/muhwi7xkw74uo4o/02%20Flighty.mp3?dl=0

I passed THAT test.; 8/14/18, 11:30 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Google keeps telling me the link isn't closed. It looked closed to me.; 8/14/18, 11:31 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Crack, try it without the quotation marks surrounding the url.; 8/14/18, 11:39 AM
Achilles said...: if this works it is time to read some docs; 8/14/18, 11:40 AM
William said...: Big Band music isn't the music of my generation, but I listen to it. There are people who froth against rock, rap, show tunes, classical music, modern jazz, even Dixieland, but I have never met a single person who militantly dislikes Big Band music. Big Band music is the least disliked music of all time. There are some people who don't listen to it but so far as I know no one actively hates it.; 8/14/18, 11:40 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Yancey Ward said...

"Crack, try it without the quotation marks surrounding the url."

"Flighty (Unmastered Final)"

If it works, thank you. If it doesn't, thanks, too.; 8/14/18, 11:41 AM
Achilles said...: Blogger has cheesed up their tag compiler. This is going to be eternally frustrating if this is the only site that throws an exception with quotes in an tag.; 8/14/18, 11:43 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/14/18, 11:43 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: It worked! Alright, compare:

BEFORE

AFTER

That's what a producer does.; 8/14/18, 11:44 AM
Achilles said...: Oh ffs.; 8/14/18, 11:44 AM
Michael K said...: It's not like the Air Base doctors were worth a shit, it's just that there was no co-pay. Most of the Air Base doctors have practices in town, so they will make $20 more than at the Air Base.

Free stuff is always popular.

The military is paying tuition for medical students but I suspect not enough students are signing up.

Here are some facts about that program. I asked my students at USC every year f any were doing this program but none were. I thought that was not wise.

I do see some recruits signing up for it but most are from medical schools I never heard of.; 8/14/18, 11:45 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I just used the HTML with quotes around the url to link the music videos. It worked here? So far. God. I hope I don't have to learn new coding now.; 8/14/18, 11:46 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Both methods work for me on Blogger, and I have no idea why one works some and not for others.; 8/14/18, 11:49 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: Yep, I use quotes around the URL and not the inserted text as well.; 8/14/18, 11:49 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: Here's a song I never released about politics, from back when Bush was president (because of the lyrically problematic last verse) but you can see how samples are usually used, and I can see some evolution in my politics, as I eased, ever so slowly to the Right...; 8/14/18, 11:55 AM
Anne in Rockwall, TX said...: After two years of piano lessons as a kid, my mother was finally able to admit I had no musical talent whatsoever. So please take what I say with that caveat. I don't know the words to use since I never learned much musical language.

I listened to before and after. I liked both.

The best way I can put it is that the before felt like strolling down the street. The after felt like skipping down the street.

Listening to the before, I was smiling. Listening to the after, I was grinning.

I guess that is what a producer does.; 8/14/18, 11:56 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: That last verse is actually not "lyrically problematic", but rhythmically. If I could've done it over, I'd have nailed that sucker.; 8/14/18, 12:03 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: "Flighty (Unmastered Final)"

If it works, thank you. If it doesn't, thanks, too.

8/14/18, 11:41 AM

It worked that time! Very cool, Crack.; 8/14/18, 12:05 PM
Ralph L said...: It's the quotation mark(s) that Crack is putting in the >link text< at the end that were screwing things up.
The old way of linking still works; 8/14/18, 12:06 PM
Ralph L said...: >”Flighty (Clean)”<

You can't do this AND have quotes around the URL; 8/14/18, 12:09 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Ralph L said...

"It's the quotation mark(s) that Crack is putting in the >link text< at the end that were screwing things up."

NO, IT WAS BLOGGER'S FAULT! SWEAR TO GOD!! BLACK LIVES MATTER!; 8/14/18, 12:09 PM
Ralph L said...: LOL. It is odd that makes a difference.; 8/14/18, 12:15 PM
Achilles said...: evil website

If this works someone’s fired.; 8/14/18, 12:16 PM
Achilles said...: That’s so wrong.; 8/14/18, 12:16 PM
Yancey Ward said...: As expected, Manafort's team rested without putting on a defense.; 8/14/18, 12:18 PM
Yancey Ward said...: A test:

"Google"; 8/14/18, 12:19 PM
Achilles said...: "Is this browser specific"; 8/14/18, 12:21 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: "As expected, Manafort's team rested without putting on a defense"

It's a chickenshit case, but if I had to bet the jury will find him guilty of at least one count. Then, there's the appeal, then there's the effort to squeeze him some more to sing about Trump, blah, blah, blah.

What a wretched theater.; 8/14/18, 12:21 PM
Humperdink said...: "As expected, Manafort's team rested without putting on a defense."

They are either extremely confident or are throwing in the towel.; 8/14/18, 12:22 PM
MadisonMan said...: The link you posted might be leaking your real life name, if you care about such

Really? Oh well. I guess I'll have to change my name in real life then. :); 8/14/18, 12:23 PM
Achilles said...: My phone Safari browser throws a 400 when you put quotes around the URI.

Chrome is fine.

If I get bored I will check TOR Opera etc.

But the issue is browser specific.

Weird that you would specifically rewrite tag interpreters like that. Wonder what Safari has going on.; 8/14/18, 12:25 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Well, you can't put on a defense without calling the defendant as a witness since that highlights that the defendant might not be too scared to speak for himself, and I never expected Manafort to testify, nor did many people- subjecting him to cross examination is probably very unwise given that he is surely a scumbag in one way or another. If you can't safely call the defendant, then the best thing to do is to exude confidence by not putting on a case at all beyond the crosses of the prosecution witnesses.

Like Bay Area Guy, I think he will likely get convicted on something if the jury returns a verdict at all, but there is a good chance of hung jury on all counts.; 8/14/18, 12:28 PM
Ralph L said...: I've heard other people complain about linking from their phone.; 8/14/18, 12:36 PM
Achilles said...: I still don't see why Manafort's team didn't drag Mueller in as a witness.

Would be interesting to hear Muellers justification for giving Podesta immunity even after Podesta refused to testify.

Then the questions about why Mueller was working for exactly the same people Manafort is being prosecuted for working with.; 8/14/18, 12:37 PM
Michael K said...: Blogger Bay Area Guy said...
"As expected, Manafort's team rested without putting on a defense"

I'm a little surprised the judge did not dismiss the case. Did they file a motion ? Of course, there is nothing about it in the usual places.

They did make the motion.; 8/14/18, 12:53 PM
Freder Frederson said...: It's a chickenshit case, but if I had to bet the jury will find him guilty of at least one count.

Why is it a chickenshit case. Granted, he might have gotten away with it if he hadn't drawn attention to himself through his association with Trump. And true, a lot of rich people hide money in offshore accounts. But that doesn't make it less illegal.

Then the questions about why Mueller was working for exactly the same people Manafort is being prosecuted for working with.

Manafort is charged with bank fraud and tax evasion, not his ties to the Ukrainians.; 8/14/18, 12:54 PM
Michael K said...: Alexandria jury. We'll see.; 8/14/18, 12:55 PM
Dave Begley said...: "You're welcome."

The last words of Nebraska's death row inmate; executed this AM.; 8/14/18, 12:55 PM
Jim at said...: Hummingbirds and goldfinches. That's my morning so far.

A mother and three, baby raccoons playing in the shallows of the creek below the house. That's my morning so far.; 8/14/18, 12:55 PM
Michael K said...: Manafort is charged with bank fraud and tax evasion, not his ties to the Ukrainians.

We know what he is charged with Field Marshal. The only reason this case is in court is Trump.

There is a serious question about whether the money alleged to be tax evaded income was client funds deposited in accounts he did not own.; 8/14/18, 12:58 PM
Freder Frederson said...: I'm a little surprised the judge did not dismiss the case. Did they file a motion ?

Really, there was ample evidence of serious financial crimes. Manafort's attorneys didn't even bother to refute the evidence. They just tried to pin everything on Gates. The Sergeant Schultz defense rarely works when the accused is a micro-manager.; 8/14/18, 1:00 PM
Freder Frederson said...: There is a serious question about whether the money alleged to be tax evaded income was client funds deposited in accounts he did not own.

If this is true, why the hell didn't his lawyers bring it up at trial? The jury can't consider it if the lawyers don't provide an affirmative defense.

The only reason this case is in court is Trump.

So what? Just because a lot of people get away with similar crimes doesn't mean we have to pass on ones that the government finds out about.

We know what he is charged with Field Marshal.

If by we, you are including Achilles, then you are incorrect or Achilles is lying, because he wrote, "Then the questions about why Mueller was working for exactly the same people Manafort is being prosecuted for working with." Not that the sentence makes a whole lot of sense.; 8/14/18, 1:06 PM
Ralph L said...: There is a serious question about whether the money alleged to be tax evaded income was client funds deposited in accounts he did not own.

Looks like he could have gotten someone to say that, but I guess secret stashes don't work that way.
I've been on (non-Fed) Alexandria juries, granted it was 1991 and the demographics and $$ have changed a lot. Still, I doubt they're much more uniformly rabidly political than others.; 8/14/18, 1:07 PM
Mike Sylwester said...: Ignorance Is Bliss at 10:04 AM
a U.S. ally's intelligence service was counter-hacking the hackers, and watched the hacking in real time.

The article describes a Dutch hacking operation that began "in the summer of 2014" and lasted "for more than a year".

I have the impression that the operation ended well before relevant files were copied from the DNC computer system.; 8/14/18, 1:07 PM
Michael K said...: a nice summary of Mueller and his band of happy warriors.

If this is true, why the hell didn't his lawyers bring it up at trial?

I think the case is such a hash of innuendo and gossip, they probably did not think they needed to do so.

Of course, this is an Alexandria jury, right out of the heart of TDS territory.,; 8/14/18, 1:08 PM
Michael K said...: The Sergeant Schultz defense rarely works when the accused is a micro-manager.

You have been so brilliant on other topics you are expert in, like military strategy, we await your vindication.; 8/14/18, 1:10 PM
narciso said...: podesta was the one who was actually lobbying as with weber, who passed the baton onto miss daniels contractee, david Vitter, who had been recently targeted for pointing out the choudary connection to Nigeria's looting,

http://thefederalist.com/2018/08/14/media-conspiracy-theories-devin-nunes-getting-control/#.W3LWhRf1vUZ.twitter; 8/14/18, 1:10 PM
Achilles said...: Freder Frederson said...

Manafort is charged with bank fraud and tax evasion, not his ties to the Ukrainians.

So you are admitting that talking to Ukranians is not illegal?

This is a bold move for a leftist.; 8/14/18, 1:11 PM
Jim at said...: Pickleball??

Reported to be the fastest growing sport in America.

Invented by the former Lt. Governor of Washington state, Joel Pritchard.

Honest.

Joel was one of the good guys. RIP.; 8/14/18, 1:12 PM
narciso said...: I say contractee, because Vitter cannot consider himself a victim, no matter how stupid he behaves,; 8/14/18, 1:14 PM
Achilles said...: Freder Frederson said...

The only reason this case is in court is Trump.

So what? Just because a lot of people get away with similar crimes doesn't mean we have to pass on ones that the government finds out about.

Leftists have not only been comfortable with 2 different sets of rules, they think it is the correct thing for their political opponents to get charged for the same things they do.

Freder just makes this explicit.; 8/14/18, 1:15 PM
Achilles said...: We know what he is charged with Field Marshal.

If by we, you are including Achilles, then you are incorrect or Achilles is lying, because he wrote, "Then the questions about why Mueller was working for exactly the same people Manafort is being prosecuted for working with." Not that the sentence makes a whole lot of sense.

It makes sense if you are not an idiot.

But as you are documenting repeatedly leftists always insist on a set of rules for themselves and a set of rules for everyone else.

They cannot compete on a level playing field. Socialism always fails. Corruption and violence are the only effective tools they have.; 8/14/18, 1:18 PM
Freder Frederson said...: So you are admitting that talking to Ukranians is not illegal?

Nothing of the sort. It is just not the subject of this particular trial. That's what the next one (in D.C. in September) is about.; 8/14/18, 1:22 PM
Mike Sylwester said...: Ignorance Is Bliss at 10:04 AM
a U.S. ally's intelligence service was counter-hacking the hackers, and watched the hacking in real time.

The article describes a Dutch hacking operation that began "in the summer of 2014" and lasted "for more than a year".

Let's suppose that the Dutch hacking operation lasted until the fall of 2015.

If so, then did this Dutch hacking operation obtain proof that the DNC files were stolen during 2016 by Russia?; 8/14/18, 1:24 PM
wwww said...: Invented by the former Lt. Governor of Washington state, Joel Pritchard.

Great guy.

It's fun. You can play it on a indoor or outdoor court. Can put it on the tennis court.; 8/14/18, 1:24 PM
narciso said...: this was the camels nose, that enabled manafort but not podesta and weber to be prosecuted for these offenses, they go behind door no. 3, with khuzaimi,; 8/14/18, 1:25 PM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: “Nothing of the sort. It is just not the subject of this particular trial. That's what the next one (in D.C. in September) is about.”

Exactly. I don’t think they have a clue about what this trial was about. To be surprised that the Judge didn’t dismiss the case is a giveaway.; 8/14/18, 1:30 PM
Mike Sylwester said...: Ignorance Is Bliss at 10:04 AM
a U.S. ally's intelligence service was counter-hacking the hackers, and watched the hacking in real time.

The article reports that the Russian hackers tried to access the US State Department.

The article does not mention any attempt by the Russian hackers to access any US political parties.; 8/14/18, 1:31 PM
narciso said...: an interesting of the indictment, against those 13 supposed operatives, was no connection was made to other supposed hacks, like that of the german bundestag, or French tv 5, if their top operatives, apprenticed with these early instances, then it stands to reason they would have been involved in same,; 8/14/18, 1:34 PM
Nonapod said...: In the real world, Washington DC is awash with money from foreign actors. In the real world, there is no shortage of lobbyists who:

A) Collect loads of money from foreign actors who may not always be the most decent sorts of people.

B) Don't always report said money for taxation.

C) Routinely get away with such things because they're careful, and/or protected, and/or there just isn't enough time, resources, or general public interest to properly investigate and prosecute them.

In a more ideal world all the sleezebag lobbyists who fail to report income from unsavory foreign sources would all be investigated and punished appropriately regardless of their political affilations or who they're associated with.

In an even better world, lobbyists would refuse money from unsavory characters in the first place.

And In a perfect world there would be no unsavory characters at all of course.

But we don't live in those worlds. We live in an imperfect world of corruption and greed and lies and naked political opportunism. We live in a world where various political animals routinely do extra legal things and routinely get away with them, unless and until it becomes in a greater power's interest to "investigate" and prosecute them. That's the game.; 8/14/18, 1:39 PM
Ralph L said...: Narciso, step away from the comma.; 8/14/18, 1:42 PM
narciso said...: https://twitter.com/ClimateAudit/status/1029018348288237570; 8/14/18, 1:42 PM
buwaya said...: "and until it becomes in a greater power's interest to "investigate" and prosecute them. That's the game. "

Correct. Its not a matter of justice, or due process, just power.; 8/14/18, 1:44 PM
narciso said...: so it seems they went to extraordinary lengths to make it look like this was a Russian operation. why is this important, because the pngs back in December 2016 and this spring.
the case against concord, everything rests on these attribution,; 8/14/18, 1:45 PM
Sebastian said...: Illustrating a point made many times here about the feminism espoused by our hostess (from a sex harassment case at NYU, harassment by a woman agains a man, via Instapundit):

“Diane Davis, chair of the department of rhetoric at the University of Texas-Austin, who also signed the letter to the university supporting Professor Ronell, said she and her colleagues were particularly disturbed that, as they saw it, Mr. Reitman was using Title IX, a feminist tool, to take down a feminist.” It’s never actually about equality."; 8/14/18, 1:45 PM
Achilles said...: Inga...Allie Oop said...
“Nothing of the sort. It is just not the subject of this particular trial. That's what the next one (in D.C. in September) is about.”

Exactly. I don’t think they have a clue about what this trial was about. To be surprised that the Judge didn’t dismiss the case is a giveaway.

We know exactly what the trial is about.

It is about 10+ year old crimes that everyone in DC committed on a routine basis being prosecuted now because a bunch of stalinist shitheads didn't like the outcome of an election they lost and they wanted to perform a coup.

Nobody cares about Manafort. He is a slimebag.

But you are just as bad, if not worse than he is.

At least Manafort isn't sheering on violence and spying on political opponents.; 8/14/18, 1:47 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "I saw "Sometimes,..." and this was the first thing I thought of. Then I thought you were screwing with me. The mind's weird."

I thought it was going to be this.; 8/14/18, 1:49 PM
narciso said...: well 317 isn't mass murder, is it cookie,

https://babalublog.com/2018/08/14/about-las-turbas-ortegas-armed-thugs/; 8/14/18, 1:49 PM
Mike Sylwester said...: I suppose that if Dutch Intelligence tried a similar "counter-hacking" operation against the USA, then it would turn out that US Intelligence itself tries to hack foreign institutions.

Probably every modern country in the world tries to hack foreign institutions.; 8/14/18, 1:52 PM
Mike Sylwester said...: Maybe Dutch Intelligence itself stole the files from the DNC computers.

Dutch Intelligence obviously is very clever at hacking foreign computers.; 8/14/18, 1:53 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: I read an article by a banker awhile back touting those prepaid “cash” cards. He was unpersuasive. One of his purported advantages was they freed you from the “inconvenience of cash”. Uh-huh.

Reminds me of the placards you see on or around the hated hot-air hand dryers in public restrooms. They are always trying different reasons for why you should love them. They've moved on from "towel waste and disease" to "green" now and we still hate them..; 8/14/18, 1:54 PM
buwaya said...: A solid grounding in history should teach -

What goes on at that level has little or nothing to do with what the public is told.

Controversies are very rarely "about" whatever it is that's alleged to be the substance of the argument, at the time.

There is always a purpose and history beneath the surface in every conflict, known to a few participants but not to the combatants.

The view of the situation, available to the leadership in any combatant faction, is privileged, and not available to the rank and file. The rank and file almost never understand all the factors driving the leadership decisions at the time.

History does not always clarify even well-known, highly important moments of decision. Its not always given to us to know, with any certainty, why some decision was taken, or why some event happened. And this is so even in recent times with so much documented and recorded. Secrets are much better kept than we usually assume.; 8/14/18, 1:58 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: This is fun. Trump worked at various jobs (waiter, bellhop, dog walker) in his own hotel back in 2011. Watching this, you can see how Trump clicks with ordinary people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8MXKdXl6Wk; 8/14/18, 2:01 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: Only a complete shitbag would cry about feeling like a a motherless child if he wasn't actually a motherless child.

#StolenPity
@Trumpit
@CrackAssMC; 8/14/18, 2:02 PM
Michael K said...: My opinion of the phony trial has nothing to do with my opinion that Manafort is a slease.

Mueller is just another Keystone Kop.

The Hatfil and Boston cases prove that.

Journalist Kevin Cullen wrote extensively about the FBI’s involvement with Bulger and raised concerns about the old case in a 2011 article in Boston.com after Obama asked Congress to make an exception to allow Mueller to stay on two-extra years beyond the mandated 10 year limit as FBI director.

Cullen said in his story that Mueller who was first an assistant US attorney, “then as the acting US attorney in Boston” had written “letters to the parole and pardons board throughout the 1980s opposing clemency for the four men framed by FBI lies. Of course, Mueller was also in that position while Whitey Bulger was helping the FBI cart off his criminal competitors even as he buried bodies in shallow graves along the Neponset.”

In 2001, those four men, who were convicted in 1965 of Teddy Deegan’s murder were exonerated by the courts. It was discovered that the FBI withheld evidence from the court to protect their informant that would have cleared the men, according to reports. At the time, the bureau buried the truth to protect Vincent “Jimmy” Flemmi, their informant, who was the brother of Stevie Flemmi, a partner of Bulger.

The families of the surviving men got $5 million.

Mueller's record.; 8/14/18, 2:04 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: History does not always clarify even well-known, highly important moments of decision. Its not always given to us to know, with any certainty, why some decision was taken, or why some event happened. And this is so even in recent times with so much documented and recorded. Secrets are much better kept than we usually assume.

I remember reading
The Collapse of the Third Republic: An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940 by William L. Shirer in which Shirer tried to figure out what made the Third Republic so fragile and why the collapse itself happened. He talked to the major figures who were mostly all still alive and lucid while he was writing.

I forget the exact wry quote where he summed up the cabinet meeting that led to the surrender, but it was something like: Given that all the people in the room were in favor of removing to Algeria and fighting on, it's hard to explain the vote to surrender.; 8/14/18, 2:06 PM
buwaya said...: More -

People assume that an ancient public knew less about what was going on, in their politics and public affairs, than a modern one.

This is, I think, almost always false.

We moderns know less about what was known to the public in the past because we have limited sources, especially about the common people. That does not mean that the ancient public knew less about the doings of their betters than we do about ours, even in cases of mass illiteracy. Traditional societies have a very difficult time keeping secrets. Gossip rules, and does not require literacy. Information also traveled faster than we imagine.

Modernity adds enormously to the complexity of everything, requiring specializations of every sort, which communicate very poorly across boundaries. We probably know less, overall, because we are unable to integrate complex knowledge, and it is easier for anything to hide behind impenetrable complexity.; 8/14/18, 2:11 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Only a complete shitbag would cry about feeling like a a motherless child if he wasn't actually a motherless child."

Absolutely false. If you were a motherless child you wouldn't say you felt like one. You'd be one. The only people who say they feel like a motherless child are lonely, lovelorn adults.; 8/14/18, 2:12 PM
JohnAnnArbor said...: Ann, you blogged about a lady who got tossed from Planet Fitness over a transgender issue a while back.

She got a partial legal win two weeks ago, based on the contract she signed. May be interesting from a legal perspective.

Very little coverage compared to the original incident, though.; 8/14/18, 2:13 PM
LincolnTf said...: Cullen from the Globe was exposed a liar and a fraud earlier this sprimg. The lowlife pretended he was at the scene of the Marathon bombing, went so far as to say he had PTSD from watching a legless child transported to an ambulance. All bullshit. He wasn't even in Boston that day. So take any of his reports with a grain of salt.; 8/14/18, 2:17 PM
buwaya said...: " Shirer tried to figure out what made the Third Republic so fragile and why the collapse itself happened."

A very fertile field for speculation, and there is a whole literature on it.
And maybe that's not enough, possibly. It was a shattering event, that broke open nearly every global power structure. And it was a massive shock at the time. More even than WWI, arguably, it created the modern world. The old European global colonial domination was doomed in a single week in 1940.

Papered over, to a degree, by a lot of Anglo-American propaganda.; 8/14/18, 2:28 PM
n.n said...: We moderns know less about what was known to the public in the past because we have limited sources, especially about the common people. That does not mean that the ancient public knew less about

Exactly. Much of our understanding is based on human and scientific myths without independent observation and replication. This doesn't imply the myths aren't factual representation of events, processes, and phenomenon, but rather that they cannot be processed in the scientific logical domain.

We probably know less, overall, because we are unable to integrate complex knowledge

Complexity. Lack of orthogonality. A higher and more colorful noise floor.; 8/14/18, 2:29 PM
Michael K said...: We moderns know less about what was known to the public in the past because we have limited sources,

The "Bamboo Telegraph" kept Fertig pretty well informed.; 8/14/18, 2:30 PM
Michael K said...: Shirer tried to figure out what made the Third Republic so fragile and why the collapse itself happened.

France has never gotten over the Revolution and the army never got over the Dreyfus Affair.

I've got a biography of DeGaulle next on the reading pile and I keep hoping Black will do a bio of him.

It was Black's biography of Nixon that taught me how close Nixon and DeGaulle were.; 8/14/18, 2:33 PM
n.n said...: the FBI withheld evidence from the court to protect their informant that would have cleared the men, according to report

Under Judeo-Christian standards of jurisprudence, withholding evidence that places a person at risk would subject them to equal jeopardy. We don't have that rigorous standard, and so witch trials are a real threat. This calls into question capital punishment, and the cruel and unusual nature of abortion rites should be self-evident and uncontroversial.; 8/14/18, 2:37 PM
buwaya said...: And so with anything at all in the US MSM.

Whatever they say simply is not credible, nothing at all in their communication stream should be taken at face value. They are participants in US political struggles, not a source of information. And this is especially so in the sense of what events or controversies they emphasize. Whatever these are are certain to be misleading. What they say is going on, is certainly not.

Take a few steps back, or better yet, climb to a stratospheric height, and observe the landscape, to the best of your ability, from a range of sources, of, preferably, matters that are NOT played up in the press. And construct your own model or narrative from the outside in.; 8/14/18, 2:44 PM
buwaya said...: Nixon's is an interesting case.
Watergate was a pretext.
The denouement of the scandal was organized.
Some very powerful interests wanted him gone.
To a great degree Nixon himself may have been naive about them.; 8/14/18, 2:47 PM
wildswan said...: Blogs are giving home work now.
I'm reading a long article, The Mechanics of Deception, showing the connections between the soft coup plotters as discovered and turned into charts by the latest in face recognition, geo, network discovery and on and on. The blog that posted it said put it aside till later but in the end you have to read it. It's extremely interesting but it's all getting more and more like college where you can't follow the arguments of your chosen major without the preliminary courses - Mueller 301, Manafort 302 (Ukrainian History advised) requires Deception in the Twenty-First Century 101 (Computer science minor advised), Comey 102 (Islamic History advised), Flynn 202 (Russian History advised). The three semester course in Deception by the Clintons (Arkansas, Washington, International) is also required. (Chinese History advised); 8/14/18, 2:59 PM
buwaya said...: "The Mechanics of Deception"

A fascinating piece. And you are correct, this is all massively complex.
In the future, if we are all lucky, there will be academic departments dedicated to this and its developments.; 8/14/18, 3:04 PM
Howard said...: Fixed it for Ya
Blogger exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

"Kellie Collins, a former congressional candidate in Georgia’s 10th District, was charged with the murder of her former campaign treasurer, Curtis Cain. The allegations of murder follow Collins’ advocacy for “responsible” gun control laws during her campaign. WSB-TV reports that she argued for stricter legislation “to protect the community.”

http://thefederalist.com/2018/08/13/former-gun-control-candidate-charged-shooting-campaign-treasurer/

Women should not be permitted to own guns. They are far too emotional and crazy.; 8/14/18, 3:05 PM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: “It is about 10+ year old crimes that everyone in DC committed on a routine basis being prosecuted now because a bunch of stalinist shitheads didn't like the outcome of an election they lost and they wanted to perform a coup.”

Obviously you don’t. “10 year old crimes”? Manafort promised Stephen Calk, chief executive of a bank, a job as Secretary of the Army in exchange for a $16 Million loan in October of 2016. Can you say bank fraud?; 8/14/18, 3:06 PM
Michael K said...: The fool would do well to read that Apelbaum article but would never understand it or have the patience to read it all.; 8/14/18, 3:12 PM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: “At least Manafort isn't sheering on violence and spying on political opponents.”

Good lord, what ignorance. You seem to have no idea what Manafort did when he worked for the pro Russian Victor Yanukovych. If not for Manafort, Yanukovych wouldn’t have been in power; 8/14/18, 3:14 PM
Ralph L said...: The old European global colonial domination was doomed in a single week in 1940.

News of 1870 must not have gotten to the colonies, or the new German Reich stole the headlines.; 8/14/18, 3:18 PM
buwaya said...: The fundamental way to deal with information in this situation -

When you hear something in the "news", item X from source Y, the intended result is that you will think -

"X is so."

The proper way to think is -

"Y says X"

Y, the entity, and the fact of its making such statement, is at least as important as its content.; 8/14/18, 3:21 PM
buwaya said...: "News of 1870 must not have gotten to the colonies"

Most of France's colonial empire was created post-1870.
France lost most of its then-empire in the 18th century, and acquired a mostly-new one in the 19th.; 8/14/18, 3:23 PM
Drago said...: Inga: "Good lord, what ignorance. You seem to have no idea what Manafort did when he worked for the pro Russian Victor Yanukovych."

LOL

"When Mueller Worked With Manafort’s Dictator Client"

"The special counsel indicted Paul Manafort in part for his illicit work for Ukraine’s strongman. But there was a moment when Mueller and Viktor Yanukovych were on the same side."

Nice

"That agreement—which Ukraine never signed—was a key focus of Paul Manafort’s lobbying work for Yanukovych. Manafort retained two American lobbying firms, The Podesta Group and Mercury LLC, to try to persuade members of Congress and think tank staff that Ukraine was moving in the direction of the West, even though Yanukovych was close with Putin and had imprisoned his main political rival, Yulia Tymosheko."

Even nicer.

Of course, Mueller made sure the other non-Trump players were all handed off to "safe" democrat hands in NY!

https://www.thedailybeast.com/when-mueller-worked-with-manaforts-dictator-client

Sure seems to be some funny rules for certain people and much funnier rules for others.

I wonder upon what basis the decision to prosecute is made........not...; 8/14/18, 3:29 PM
Drago said...: I was going to use a lefty Vox article for my previous post, but then I remembered that Inga has declared Vox to be a "right wing rag", so I declined to do so.; 8/14/18, 3:32 PM
Inga...Allie Oop said...: Achilles, I used to think you were just an extremist, now I see you’re an ignorant uninformed extremist, even worse.

“Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort authorised a secret media operation on behalf of Ukraine’s former president featuring “black ops”, “placed” articles in the Wall Street Journal and US websites and anonymous briefings against Hillary Clinton.

The project was designed to boost the reputation of Ukraine’s then leader, Viktor Yanukovych. It was part of a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort carried out by Manafort on behalf of Yanukovych’s embattled government, emails and documents reveal.

The strategies included:

• Proposing to rewrite Wikipedia entries to smear a key opponent of the then Ukrainian president.

• Setting up a fake thinktank in Vienna to disseminate viewpoints supporting Yanukovych.

• A social media blitz “aimed at targeted audiences in Europe and the US”.

• Briefing journalists from the rightwing website Breitbart to attack Clinton when she was US secretary of state.

Manafort’s Ukraine strategy anticipated later efforts by the Kremlin and its troll factory to use Twitter and Facebook to discredit Clinton and to help Trump win the 2016 US election. The material seen by the Guardian dates from 2011 to 2013.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/05/ex-trump-aide-paul-manafort-approved-black-ops-to-help-ukraine-president; 8/14/18, 3:41 PM