Althouse: At the Monday Night Café...

January 11, 2021

At the Monday Night Café...

... you can talk about whatever you like.

105 comments:

stevew said...: I am frustrated by the naked partisan politics of the last week or two. But I'd rather talk about the relaxing distraction that the British Baking Show is. It's delicious, even though I've not tasted anything they have baked.

'Raised by Wolves' on HBO MAX is quite good too.

These days I'm looking for my new new thing. We are supposed to get into our new house this weekend. Shortly afterwards I will look for new employment. The goal is to find something part time that will cover our medical insurance. My hobbies, mainly woodworking, can supplement the rest (food, utilities, taxes), and we've got enough saved to handle the other expenses until it is time for SS.

In other news: my most committed lefty progressive sister is quite put off and upset by the various deplatformings of Donald Trump and his supporters. Orwellian and autocratic and fascist. Interesting.; 1/11/21, 8:32 PM
Michael K said...: On MeWe I reconnected with the young lady who has a tiny house site.

I've followed her for five years.; 1/11/21, 8:40 PM
stephen cooper said...: There were some prominent people on the internet who, before this year, I thought were very intelligent, who stated in March and April and May of 2020 that Sweden was doomed to have the worst outcome from the coronavirus of any country in Sweden.

They were wrong, as later events proved, but they have yet to admit it. I no longer think they are intelligent, in the sense of understanding the world, or even rational,in the sense that honorable people aspire to be rational when being rational is the right thing to do.

I guess they are just rich-nerd versions of average people who are not interested in the truth, and I have adjusted downward my assessment of my own ability to tell people who are truthful from frauds.; 1/11/21, 8:44 PM
Sebastian said...: Here's a thought: Trump could step down, and then be pardoned by Pence for anything and everything.; 1/11/21, 8:47 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Steve W.
#British Baking show - init fun? yay.

My friend S and I are in love with Noel. I want to move to the UK.; 1/11/21, 8:52 PM
stephen cooper said...: Sebastian - here's another thought - that is ridiculous.; 1/11/21, 8:55 PM
Mark said...: I ask again:

Do we know the name of the cop who shot and killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt, yet?; 1/11/21, 8:57 PM
Joe Smith said...: Here's an offer.

Round up all of the 300 or so people in the capital building, try them, convict them, and execute them for treason.

Now round up the 500,000 BLM and Antifa rioters and do the same.

I'm good with that.; 1/11/21, 8:59 PM
Joe Smith said...: "Do we know the name of the cop who shot and killed the unarmed Ashli Babbitt, yet?"

Barney Fife (with his one bullet).; 1/11/21, 9:00 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: #Great British Baking Show.

gotta have the great.; 1/11/21, 9:00 PM
320Busdriver said...: Do we know if DC cop who died was injured in fracas, or did he have an unfortunate medical event, stroke that precipitated his demise. ???RIP; 1/11/21, 9:02 PM
walter said...: I worked a production today involving a Skyped in DC lawyer for elderly concerns PAC. An AA guy who was articulate and clean (couldn't see pants crease) reflected on post election prospects": "It will be nice to go from someone who no one believes to someone who cannot tell a lie. I call him Uncle Joe."
Mentioned "DC is a transactional town", then went on to enumerate all the $$$$$ lined up at the trough and where they would insert snout...and how he is looking forward to things going back to normal.....; 1/11/21, 9:05 PM
Humperdink said...: I see Governor Cuomo has said enough with this Covid lockdown crap, we need to open up New York's economy. But, but, but what about the case count? Fagetaboutit.; 1/11/21, 9:06 PM
mockturtle said...: Mentioned "DC is a transactional town", then went on to enumerate all the $$$$$ lined up at the trough and where they would insert snout...and how he is looking forward to things going back to normal.....

Hahahaha. Back to normal, eh? Won't they be surprised when 'things' don't?; 1/11/21, 9:09 PM
mockturtle said...: Watching the Nat'l Championship. Ohio State looked good at first but 'Bama is starting to break away now. Heisman winner Devonta Smith has already scored several TDs.; 1/11/21, 9:13 PM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: Belichick refuses trumps MEDAL OF HONOR, that now seems no more than a participation tag for mundane things. Belichick says he has tremendous reverence for Democracy and after trumps attempted coup he wants nothing to do with the spectacle. Not a fan of this fella but I think he showed some spunk here. By the way Bill ,hows" that Tom Brady thing going? You ever gonna win again? Tom just winks...; 1/11/21, 9:17 PM
DavidUW said...: Back to normal, eh? Won't they be surprised when 'things' don't?
>>
Cue the unexpectedly slow recovery news.
Recovery summer!
Funemployment!; 1/11/21, 9:18 PM
Dr Weevil said...: 320BusDriver (9:02pm):
I didn't save the link, but I did read a Tweet in which his family said that Officer Sicknick (sp?) was a Trump fan with a prior medical condition, that he was not assaulted on Wednesday, and that his death on Thursday had nothing to do with the Wednesday incident, and that people need to stop using his death for political gain.

I've read elsewhere that he died of an aneurysm, which I think may be more likely if you have high blood pressure (was that his previous condition?), but I believe tends to hit fairly randomly.; 1/11/21, 9:18 PM
Clyde said...: Belichick is a convicted cheater. A natural-born Democrat, if you will.; 1/11/21, 9:18 PM
walter said...: mock',
That part seemed proforma.
But "cannot tell a lie" bit almost made me lose my shit. It can't get any less nuanced than that laughable statement.
Does it matter this guy mentioned he grew up in Selma?
Discuss.; 1/11/21, 9:19 PM
Narr said...: I seriously need to find a good western viewpoint--planetary trio of Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn visible about 45 minutes after sunset in January, weather cooperating. It has been
cold and overcast here for days, and we even had a dusting of snow this afternoon, but supposed to clear up and warm up some tomorrow.

My $timulus will easily pay for the new pair of glasses I was going to have to buy anyway, with money left over. To pay for the shoes and shirts I got for Christmas.

Narr
I have become dependent on the gummint for Christmas!; 1/11/21, 9:19 PM
walter said...: Don't be silly.
There was no association being made between trough $$$$ and the economy.; 1/11/21, 9:21 PM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/11/21, 9:23 PM
DavidUW said...: Scott Gottlieb says that vax demand will drop off a cliff by Feb/March.

That guy is a moron.

Now, I assume maybe 1/2 of adults will get the first jab, and of those, maybe 60-70% get the second. But given the deliberately slow roll out, we're not going to satisfy the demand until summer at the earliest.; 1/11/21, 9:23 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: The Hunter Biden suppression was a dry run for the media and tech. It went very well, and now they know they can do it whenever and however they want. Talk radio is next.

https://triblive.com/news/wire-stories/report-cumulus-media-tells-radio-hosts-stop-stolen-election-talk/; 1/11/21, 9:25 PM
MountainMan said...: Finally, a pretty good video interview with Michael Yon about the Capitol protest last week. He was on-site and has shot a lot of video, only a little of it shown here. This is worth you time. He spent 7 months in Hong Kong earlier this year and in recent months has been embedded in Antifa activists in Portland and Seattle.; 1/11/21, 9:25 PM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: Belichicks Medal of Freedom....not honor...sorry Bill dont want to give you a raise! my bad. Big Bill a MAGA sycophant close buds with Don sadly; 1/11/21, 9:25 PM
walter said...: Once I shook off the George Washington/Uncle Joe bit, I tried to imagine the train of handcarts wheeling in the legislation.; 1/11/21, 9:27 PM
MountainMan said...: Oh, and my wife and I are getting our first dose of the vaccine here in GA tomorrow afternoon.; 1/11/21, 9:27 PM
Humperdink said...: Bill Belichick is not showing spunk, he's showing conformity. Spunk would would be graciously accepting the award and then giving the left the gig finger.; 1/11/21, 9:28 PM
mockturtle said...: Belichick
Makes me sick.; 1/11/21, 9:30 PM
Bilwick said...: On a non-political topic: when did pickleball become our national sport? A year or two ago, I'd never heard of it. Then I heard i mentioned on "Bob's Burgers" and thought it was a joke, Then on this weekly real-estate show that showcases real-estate developments in the area, they all boasted about their great pickleball courts. I also saw a sitcom with a pickleball reference. Is this some new yuppie fad?; 1/11/21, 9:38 PM
Humperdink said...: Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was banished from last nights game because of Covid.

Best line of the day was from Pittsburgh sports writer Mark Madden: "Steeler coach Mike Tomlin was outcoached badly by a guy who wasn’t even there.".; 1/11/21, 9:39 PM
Humperdink said...: Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. I have been playing for three years now. It's played on a 44' x 20' court. It's been described as a cross between ping pong and tennis. Fast paced game. A short highlight video for your viewing pleasure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BplwcQ5Tvao; 1/11/21, 9:47 PM
Readering said...: First encountered it in SoCal almost 20 years ago. Reminded me of summer version of paddle tennis.; 1/11/21, 9:52 PM
Readering said...: Read the full BB statement on medal of freedom. Reads as if he was told by higher ups not to go. Good. Now I can still dismiss him as a weasel.; 1/11/21, 9:54 PM
Francisco D said...: I am guessing that all the Trump supporters (or apparent supporters) are going to be cancelled and erased as non-persons.

Will the liberals step up?; 1/11/21, 10:01 PM
Francisco D said...: mockturtle said...Ohio State looked good at first but 'Bama is starting to break away now. Heisman winner Devonta Smith has already scored several TDs.

Two excellent programs with great histories. Bama's offense cannot be stopped and they have just enough defense to keep Ohio State from winning. Great game!

As a Bears fan, I am really left to wonder about the incompetence of pro franchises such as the McCaskey's.; 1/11/21, 10:07 PM
walter said...: So my Milwaukee rag claims FBI is warning of 50 state armed insurrection.
Play pickleball instead!; 1/11/21, 10:10 PM
5M - Eckstine said...: mockturtle said...
Belichick
Makes me sick.

** He's not a Patriot.; 1/11/21, 10:10 PM
Original Mike said...: "Great game!"

It's boring.; 1/11/21, 10:13 PM
5M - Eckstine said...: I dropped Scott Adams even though I liked his content.

Trump gave him some big kudos and was nice to him in return Adams called him an idiot and blamed him for a peaceful protest with an outcome that revealed the real problem in US society.

Not a loyal person. Someone proudly in it for himself when Trump was in all this for jobs and strong middle class in a safe peaceful country.

No one gets far in life by associating with poor character.; 1/11/21, 10:14 PM
TwoAndAHalfCents said...: Someone here introduced me to the Second City Cop blog about a year ago. Provided some unique perspective and was a great way to keep up with things back in Chicago. Site went down yesterday (no explanation or warning, but it now requires an invite to view). Does anyone know what happened?; 1/11/21, 10:14 PM
Kathryn51 said...: Last night, I began my slow intentional retreat from Amazon Over the years, I created a number of "lists" (wish lists; gift lists; Christmas décor list; etc). All of them deleted.

This past year, I tried to shop elsewhere simply because I don't like monopolies - but Amazon is just so goddamn convenient and the "free" shipping is just so goddamned easy and the returns are just so goddamned easy. . . .

The "suspension" of Twitter stiffened my backbone. Time to decentralize - Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, local small businesses.

Probably will never give up my Kindle. I looked into Barnes and Noble, but their featured book is by Stacy Abrams.

The journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.; 1/11/21, 10:17 PM
Scott Patton said...: Don: Did you hear about that famous actress that was stabbed with her fork?
Joe: No.
Don: Um.. Reese... um...
Joe: Witherspoon?
Don: No! With her fork!; 1/11/21, 10:24 PM
Static Ping said...: stephen cooper, this is not surprising. People are attracted to positions where they can get prestige, wealth, power, sex, etc. Being a professional "expert" pays pretty well and gets you invited to the right parties, plus it doesn't require much effort or actual qualifications. Most of the time there is nothing important you need to do and your opinions are of little consequence, so it is a role pretty easy to fake for second and third tier intellects. The problem is when their competence is required in a crisis, they have no competence to give and get exposed.

You see this in failing dynasties throughout history. The court gets filled with flatterers, con men, nepotism hires, intellectuals who are credentialed but know nothing or know something of dubious governing usefulness like poetry, the emperor's drinking buddies, decadent children of important nobles, and guys who accomplished some great feat years ago but are washed up and/or only accomplished said feat through dumb luck. Then the Mongols show up. Usually there is someone in the court who is actually competent and might be able to do something, but the rest of the court is more interested in protecting their positions, which objectively they didn't earn or deserve, rather than the good of the country. They don't want the hero to succeed as otherwise they are out of their jobs. If the hero is lucky he might get exiled somewhere and survive at least; much of the time he ends up assassinated, perhaps beaten to death in the court itself, while the Mongols get closer. If you want a historical example that does not involve the Mongols, check out the waning years of the Seleucid Empire. The nobility was essentially in a Game of Thrones situation if the Blu-Ray was played at 100x speed, all the characters were idiots, and they were fighting over a table in a high school lunch room. The citizenry of Antioch were relieved when the Romans conquered them.

We have pretty much been in a crisis for the past five years. A whole lot of fakes and phonies are being exposed. And they don't like it. Not one bit.; 1/11/21, 10:24 PM
Scott Patton said...: A good time for some libertarian propaganda.

https://reason.com/2021/01/07/where-do-we-go-after-the-trumpist-tantrum/

extracts:
...One important step would be to make elections less consequential so that Americans aren't so fearful of the instruments of government in the hands of their enemies.
"It is more and more dangerous to lose an election," economist John Cochrane, a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution and an adjunct scholar of the Cato Institute, wrote in September. "Regulation has supplanted legislation, and dear colleague letters, interpretations, and executive orders have supplanted regulation… The vanishing ability to lose an election and not be crushed is the core reason for increased partisan vitriol and astounding violation of basic norms on both sides of our political divide."...

... liberal democracy "recognizes a variety of levels of personal and collective endeavour, which are altogether outside the sphere of politics." If most of life is under the control of the people living it rather than subject to the whims of government officials, losing elections is disappointing, but not catastrophic. To lower the political stakes, we need much more of our thought and action to be "altogether outside the sphere of politics."...; 1/11/21, 10:36 PM
Scott Patton said...: oops...
Clickable link libertarian propaganda; 1/11/21, 10:38 PM
Readering said...: All this deep political analysis. To support a toddler.; 1/11/21, 10:41 PM
stephen cooper said...: Static Ping --- you got that right.
Still, it is sad to see people exposing themselves as charlatans or ungrateful flatterers with no self-respect.; 1/11/21, 10:43 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "I seriously need to find a good western viewpoint--planetary trio of Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn visible about 45 minutes after sunset in January, weather cooperating."

I got a very good look at all three last night (Sunday), though Saturn and Mercury are pretty dim in contrast to the residual light of the setted Sun- take binoculars. You can get a better look at Mercury later this month- about 10 days from now when it reaches is maximum elongation from the Sun- it will be visible for about an hour and a half after sunset.; 1/11/21, 10:45 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Did Alabama ever punt in the game? I know they fumbled once.; 1/11/21, 10:50 PM
Original Mike said...: "Did Alabama ever punt in the game? I know they fumbled once."

Good question. It didn't hold my attention. I like a game where the teams play both offense AND defense.; 1/11/21, 10:57 PM
JML said...: Bama punted once but they managed to hang on for the win...In fact, Sabin smiled a little after the game. Lots of good kids this year for Alabama. Smith was a very humble man when they talked to him after the game.; 1/11/21, 10:59 PM
mockturtle said...: O.M. I agree. Way too much offense in this game.; 1/11/21, 11:00 PM
Yancey Ward said...: By mid February, you will get to see Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter in the morning sky grouped fairly close together, though not quite like Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury the last few days.

Also, if you have a telescope, you can use Mars to find Uranus right now, and for the next week or so- they are close together in the sky.; 1/11/21, 11:01 PM
Big Mike said...: @Yancey Ward, the box score says ‘Bama punted twice.

That was a good Buckeye team that ‘Bama tore apart and shredded for mulch!; 1/11/21, 11:02 PM
Yancey Ward said...: I think Alabama played both- Ohio State only scored 24 points.; 1/11/21, 11:02 PM
mockturtle said...: Kathryn, I'm doing the same. Are there any other sources of books [to buy, not borrow] for a Kindle? I'm thinking of loading up with books now and then extricating myself. I'm going to quit using my Amazon credit card, too.; 1/11/21, 11:02 PM
Yancey Ward said...: In fairness, Ohio State was only able to play about 40% of a season due to the COVID hysteria.; 1/11/21, 11:04 PM
Yancey Ward said...: As I predicted, the blue states will begin reopening the day Biden takes the oath of office. I also predict there will suddenly be change in the testing regime so that so many false positives aren't generated- also the day Biden takes the oath.

It was always politics, not science.; 1/11/21, 11:06 PM
Readering said...: OSU only able to play 40% due to infections.; 1/11/21, 11:07 PM
Readering said...: YW since we stopped talking about covid the day after election day not sure to what you refer.; 1/11/21, 11:09 PM
Original Mike said...: "Also, if you have a telescope, you can use Mars to find Uranus right now, and for the next week or so- they are close together in the sky."

I've always enjoyed its beautiful green color.; 1/11/21, 11:11 PM
HT said...: The sky's blue, night falls, stars come out, and once again shine on Alabama.

Roll Tide.; 1/11/21, 11:12 PM
Rory said...: I tried the new All Creatures Great and Small, and came away confused. The script of the first episode hits only glancing blows at either the original books or the old TV series. They inserted a little prologue, I'm guessing because they don't think their audience knows that a lot of people were unemployed in 1937.; 1/11/21, 11:15 PM
Francisco D said...: Yancey Ward said...In fairness, Ohio State was only able to play about 40% of a season due to the COVID hysteria.

They played 8 games instead of 12 or so.

The Big Ten was an ocean of sanity compared to the PAC-12. They only played a few games in order to save the lives of the young athletes.; 1/11/21, 11:19 PM
etbass said...: Any team that could thrash Clemson like OSU did, is a great football team. But Bama had an exceptionally good night.; 1/11/21, 11:23 PM
etbass said...: And thanks again, Yancey, for that fab covid spreadsheet you built and maintain. Someday, it won’t be needed anymore, I’m sure we both hope.; 1/11/21, 11:25 PM
rcommal said...: Happy Birthday, Althouse, from reader_iam.

Regards,

L; 1/11/21, 11:40 PM
Rt41Rebel said...: @ Scott Patton

Wrecked him? Damn near killed him!; 1/11/21, 11:42 PM
chickelit said...: I initiated cancelling my Amazon Prime. They informed me that doing so would affect the pricing of 4 outstanding orders and so decided to wait until those actually shipped and delivered to pull the plug.

Screw you Amazon and your recent fascist turn regarding free speech,; 1/11/21, 11:51 PM
chickelit said...: Hi reader_iam!; 1/11/21, 11:53 PM
Readering said...: Fascist, communist, how to keep up?; 1/11/21, 11:53 PM
Readering said...: OSU played same number of games as USC and Oregon.; 1/11/21, 11:58 PM
walter said...: I like the current reference to vaccine(s).
Put forth with zero reference to how they came to exist.
Fuck that...about distribution! Equitable!
Fuck you Joe. Imagine his brain trust shepherding from zero to 100.; 1/12/21, 12:01 AM
chickelit said...: Readering rote: "Fascist, communist, how to keep up?"

Maybe start by Readering a bit about Weimar Germany?; 1/12/21, 12:02 AM
grackle said...: It will be interesting to see how the Biden administration handles the border. My guess is that they will throw the border open, thus insuring millions of new Democrat voters and eliminating the present need to fix the presidential elections. This would keep the Republicans out of the oval office for the foreseeable future – not that that matters much since the difference between a Democrat and a Republican in the present polity in America is the difference between Frick and Frack.

I wonder how the economy will fare. Will a downturn be blamed on Trump? Of course it will. They are already setting the narrative.

What about covid lockdowns? Will they continue? Some cynics say no, the reason given being that Biden will want a thriving economy. I’m not so sure. Lockdowns give power to the establishment and power, especially NEW power, is intoxicating to those who crave it.

What about foreign policy? Will Biden be nominated for Nobel Peace prizes as Trump has been? Will North Korea be lobbing missiles over Japan as they were before Trump? Will militant Islam rise again in Afghanistan and Iraq? Will Biden send more troops overseas?

Will China get a free ride from the American economy as before Trump? Biden and his family are in the pockets of China, so is Hollywood, the universities and many of our politicians on both sides of the political aisle. I assume that the attempt by Trump to even out the trade imbalances will be dropped like a hot rock. I see China easily prospering at the expense of the USA.

Interesting days ahead …; 1/12/21, 12:13 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Yancey Ward said...

Also, if you have a telescope, you can use Mars to find Uranus...

I usually use a flashlight and both hands, though with limited success...; 1/12/21, 12:26 AM
grackle said...: Last night, I began my slow intentional retreat from Amazon …

Someone several states away fraudulently used one of my credit card(BofA Visa) numbers to buy a $1,500 drone. I immediately reported the fraud to the Bank of America credit card division and they issued me a new card but Bank of America refused to pay the fraudulent charge. Amazon immediately suspended my account until the charge is paid. When I called the Bank of America about this the B of A said THEY would not pay Amazon. Amazon says no access until it is paid. The implication by both seems to be that I have to pay. I’m guessing that they think that the threat of ruining my credit rating will force me to pay.

Amazon is convenient but I can easily do without it – as we all did just a few years ago. I do not need credit. I am retired and I have enough cash in the bank to buy anything I could possibly need. I do not want to buy a house – I prefer my downtown apartment – but I could easily afford it if I wished. If I need new transportation I’ll pay cash. I’ve already started an account at a new bank. In a few days all my money will be in the new bank.

Some in this situation would pay the charge just to get back into Amazon – it’s not like I can’t afford the $1,500. But it is the principle of the damned thing. I didn’t get the money I have by acquiescing to bullshit.; 1/12/21, 12:46 AM
Gospace said...: So I didn't see any new wild and crazed posting from the deep dark corners of the right side of the internet. But the left? Wowser!

Did you know Trump is going to resign January 19th and Pence will immediately pardon him? But it won't matter- he'll immediately be arrested on state charges where he faces at least 220 years in jail! Of course, the charges aren't listed, but it's all true!

I did see that Nancy decided since Pence ignored her 24 hour deadline for 25th amendment removal of Trump she's tell Mitch he had 24 hours to git 'er done. Apparently she thinks that they can convince a majority of the cabinet to go along with committing political suicide. Methinks both Mitch and Pence realize that's what a 25th amendment action would do to them. And, to be honest, it probably wouldn't be safe for them to ever appear in public again.

And support for a second useless impeachment is over the top for Democrats of all stripes. They can't wait to see it happen. Must be part of the healing process Biden promised.

Then there was the State Department website putting up Trump's presidency ended today- well, it's after midnight, yesterday. Seems that leftists working for government don't realize they're working for the People of the United States, not the Democrat Party.

Oh, Dictator Cuomo has said he's has enough of shutdowns! He's the one who ordered them. And, he's had enough, but hasn't ordered them stopped.... Oh,, he's a Democrat, he can have it both ways.; 1/12/21, 1:23 AM
Rosalyn C. said...: I was curious about The Biden Foundation and its lofty goals, so checked out their 990 -- Salaries and wages: about $900K, grants: about $480K. $375K went to the YMCA headquarters in Chicago, $31K to YWCA. A couple of others in the $20K range. (Funny how Trump was ending his rallies with the music YMCA, just a coincidence maybe.)

The foundation director, Louisa Terrell, was making about $250K. Her background and current job description are interesting.

"Louisa Terrell currently oversees legislative affairs for the Biden-Harris Transition Team. Terrell’s two decades of experience includes leadership roles in the public and private sectors, including as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs in the Obama-Biden administration. Prior to that, she served as an Advisor to Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and worked for several years on Capitol Hill, including as Deputy Chief of Staff for then-U.S. Senator Biden and Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Cory Booker. Terrell’s work outside of government has included roles as the Deputy General Counsel and Head of Public Affairs at McKinsey & Company, Executive Director of the Biden Foundation, Senior Director for Federal Policy & Strategy at Yahoo!, and Director of Public Policy at Facebook."

This is how government works, but we really never hear much about it, do we?; 1/12/21, 1:40 AM
Rosalyn C. said...: Quotation from: https://buildbackbetter.gov/nominees-and-appointees/louisa-terrell/; 1/12/21, 1:42 AM
J. Farmer said...: @grackle:

What about foreign policy?

As the famously apocryphal saying going, "It's not so much what you do don't know that gets you into trouble; it's what you do know that ain't so."

(1) Will Biden be nominated for Nobel Peace prizes as Trump has been? I'm not sure if that's a typo or you're being ironic. I agree that Obama's peace prize was an absurdity and a bad joke, but Trump was only slightly less warmongering. And Biden will probably be slightly more warmongering.

(2) Will North Korea be lobbing missiles over Japan as they were before Trump? The two times North Korea fired missiles over Japanese territory was in late 2007, during Trump's first year. North Korea has continued work on its missile program right up through 2020, including advances in road-based and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

(3) Will militant Islam rise again in Afghanistan and Iraq? Rise again? When did militant Islam fall in Afghanistan? Nearly half the country is either contested or directly controlled by the Taliban. The administration signed a deal with the Taliban last year. I wonder what the reaction would be around here had Obama or Biden signed such a deal.

(4) Will Biden send more troops overseas? God I hope not, but if he does, that will be on top of the increased deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia under Trump.

(5) Will China get a free ride from the American economy as before Trump? You will have to clue me in on what you're referring to as a "free ride" and when it ended under Trump. Every president since at least Reagan has pushed for market liberalization in China. American businesses using Chinese labor and facilities in order to lower their costs is not China getting "a free ride from the American economy."

(6) It will be interesting to see how the Biden administration handles the border. Now this is a legitimate fear and one of the most worrying aspects of the Biden administration. If there was one issue I would expect the GOP and DNC to cooperate on legislatively, it's "comprehensive immigration reform" (aka amnesty).; 1/12/21, 1:52 AM
FullMoon said...: Wonder if twitter will reinstate Trump in a month or two.; 1/12/21, 2:38 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: In 24 hours, I've lost my sister to NewAge, lost a Best Friend (and Army Ranger) who died in his sleep after divorce, and told another Best Friend from high school to fuck off, because he won't stop trolling me over Biden's "win".

And now I have to buy a gun.

How's YOUR life going?; 1/12/21, 2:39 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: How's YOUR life going?

Within a three month period in 2019 I lost a son to suicide, was diagnosed with incurable cancer, and got laid off.

On the plus side, I'm one of the few people who can say 2020 was a relatively good yea; 1/12/21, 3:33 AM
grackle said...: I agree that Obama's peace prize was an absurdity and a bad joke, but Trump was only slightly less warmongering.

Trump consistently tried to pull troops from overseas. I believe Trump wanting to bring the troops home was one of the reasons he won, in both 2016 AND 2020. It’s too bad the 2020 election was stolen(with seeming impunity) but that’s how it goes when every cultural institution is riddled with lefties from top to bottom. BTW, some of our military “leaders” were caught lying about troop numbers to their Commander in Chief. Finally, no new wars were started under Trump.

The two times North Korea fired missiles over Japanese territory was in late 2007, during Trump's first year.

Yes. And then they stopped. During Trump’s term. And so far not resumed. I count that as progress.

When did militant Islam fall in Afghanistan? Nearly half the country is either contested or directly controlled by the Taliban. The administration signed a deal with the Taliban last year.

Yes, the Taliban “signed a deal” with Trump. A peace deal. Maybe it’s just me but that fact seems kind of un-militant.

… the increased deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia under Trump.

I agree that there were increased deployments during the first year of Trump’s administration. These were bargaining chips. And chips which seemed to have worked, at least in Afghanistan, to bring the Taliban into negotiations. And which resulted(as the author has stated) in a peace deal with the Taliban. More progress.

Our embassy in Iraq was attacked so troops had to be sent to protect it. The fact that there weren’t enough US troops to protect the embassy is testament to the low deployment. We cannot allow hostiles to take over embassies like they did during the Carter presidency.

Saudi Arabia? It has a weak regime. As long as the US maintains an embassy there at least some troops need to be there to protect it. The same goes for any US embassy in any country under a weak regime.

American businesses using Chinese labor and facilities in order to lower their costs is not China getting "a free ride from the American economy."

I respectfully disagree. It’s the predatory industrial habits of American corporations that give China the whip hand. However, it’s the overall trade deficit that most of our trading partners enjoy that is the real culprit, not just China. The EU has also been enjoying a lop-sided trade imbalance for many years. Trump was trying to fix all this but with no second Trump term it will probably continue unabated.; 1/12/21, 3:37 AM
Big Mike said...: (Funny how Trump was ending his rallies with the music YMCA, just a coincidence maybe.)

He and his followers used different, parody, lyrics:

“Young man
Walk away from the hate
We're all human
And we don't segregate

Just like women
Help make America great
We are all
In this
Together

Colours
Are red, white and blue
And they stand for
Every on-ne of you

And together
Here's what we're gonna do
We're gonna make
America great”; 1/12/21, 4:09 AM
J. Farmer said...: @grackle:

BTW, some of our military “leaders” were caught lying about troop numbers to their Commander in Chief. Finally, no new wars were started under Trump.

I agree, but it's to our shame that "no new wars" is progress especially as Trump escalated several others, including our involvement in Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen.

Yes. And then they stopped. During Trump’s term. And so far not resumed. I count that as progress.

Apologize for my typo, but 2007 should read 2017. North Korea was not "lobbing missiles over Japan...before Trump." Over the course of Trump's term, North Korea's capabilities have grown.

Yes, the Taliban “signed a deal” with Trump. A peace deal. Maybe it’s just me but that fact seems kind of un-militant.

Unless they knew the "deal" was a face saving measure that wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. Taliban attacks have continued in around 3/4 of Afghanistan since the deal was signed.

Saudi Arabia? It has a weak regime. As long as the US maintains an embassy there at least some troops need to be there to protect it. The same goes for any US embassy in any country under a weak regime.

That's not even the reason for the deployment. They're not there to protect our embassy, they are there to protect the Saudi regime.

It’s the predatory industrial habits of American corporations that give China the whip hand. However, it’s the overall trade deficit that most of our trading partners enjoy that is the real culprit, not just China. The EU has also been enjoying a lop-sided trade imbalance for many years. Trump was trying to fix all this but with no second Trump term it will probably continue unabated.

A few things here: (1) I don't believe China has a "whip hand" over the US. They still lag pretty far behind in terms of power and still have a number of major challenges ahead. A soaring trade deficit isn't something that happened to us or was done to us. It was a policy we have pursued nonstop since the late 1970s. And it has continued straight through Trump's first term.; 1/12/21, 4:19 AM
Big Mike said...: A few things here: (1) I don't believe China has a "whip hand" over the US.

Doesn’t matter what you believe, Farmer. What matters is what’s real.; 1/12/21, 4:41 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: Bill Belichick had spunk? As Lou Grant said, "I hate spunk!"
He's a coward that is afraid of his players disapproving of Orange Man giving him the Medal of Freedom. The Racist NFL can go to Hell....

THEOLDMAN; 1/12/21, 5:14 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: "So my Milwaukee rag claims FBI is warning of 50 state armed insurrection.
Play pickleball instead!"

I have a former classmate friend who is a activist vet and yesterday he sent me a text on SIGNAL that something big was going down shortly, that he was involved, and to make sure my cupboard was stocked (in so many words). I don't know if he has gone off the deep end or something violent is indeed going to happen. An hour after I got his text, I read a Fox News story about the FBI internal memo warning of a possible armed protest in all 50 state capitols.

I hope he survives.

THEOLDMAN; 1/12/21, 5:19 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Big Mike:

Doesn’t matter what you believe, Farmer. What matters is what’s real.

Indeed. I was saying what believe is real. China has nowhere near the kind of leverage over us that the phrase "whip hand" suggests. Consider, for example, where the US has conflicts with China. It's not in the Caribbean or off the coast of California. It's in the South China Sea and over territories like Hong Kong and Taiwan.; 1/12/21, 5:29 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: I call them "NewAge Nazis" for a reason, and now that they're showing their hand, you should start as well - emphasis mine:

"It was not from the top right but rather the bottom LEFT that the vision of technological absolutism reached full flower. What's rarely mentioned about the Homebrew Computer Club--that mid-1970s phenomenon that gave birth to the PC and the personal computer nerd--is its MESSIANIC STREAK. Steve Wozniak may only have been trying to build a cheap minicomputer, but almost everybody else at the meetings was trying to CHANGE THE WORLD, not the least of them STEVE JOBS. The University of California, Berkeley, contingent, in particular, was forever looking at ways to deliver free hardware and software to the masses, to tear down the old order and bring about the NEW AGE.”

Here's what we're up against.; 1/12/21, 5:40 AM
Rusty said...: Oh! Happy Birthday, Ann. I hope Meade gives you a memorable one. Here's to many more.

"MountainMan said...
"Oh, and my wife and I are getting our first dose of the vaccine here in GA tomorrow afternoon."
Here in the state of Illinois no one can tell us when the vaccine will be available. Was told, however, that caregivers will be the first to get it.(fair enough) Then teachers and police and firemen.(OK) After that people at risk(?) and finally seniors.(WTF) So look for NY/NJ type of covid deaths in Illinois.; 1/12/21, 5:42 AM
J. Farmer said...: The Crack Emcee said...

I call them "NewAge Nazis" for a reason, and now that they're showing their hand, you should start as well - emphasis mine:

Here's what we're up against.

Luckily we have an important advantage. New Age magic--crystals, candles, tarrot, grimoires, familiars, pentagrams, amulets, talismans, incantations, and spells--is all bullshit. New Age is mostly for fat chicks, gay guys, and creeps.

I went through a brief New Agey phase when I was a teenager, which I think is the appropriate timeframe since so much of it seems like one giant clique motivated primarily by by antipathy towards organized religion, especially Christianity. The New Age set pride themselves on being non dogmatic, spiritual but not religious, and advocating peace, love, unity, acceptance, and that all paths lead to God. I've just never met any of them that behave like they actually believe this. It's attention-seeking conformism masquerading as individualism.; 1/12/21, 6:19 AM
Rory said...: "I tried the new All Creatures Great and Small, and came away confused."

Okay, so confusion cleared:

"One of the ambitions of this production was that the women in the storytelling should be centre-stage and fully developed"

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/drama/2020-09-01/all-creatures-great-and-small-channel-5-books-original/amp/

For anyone who knows the original material, Mrs. Hall, though white, seems to have been turned into a sort of "magical Negro" character, present at every tense moment with unerring wisdom to dispense. She's played by a 44-year old hottie. In order for her to be the soul of the production, they've had to turn Siegfried into the errant soul that she guides. In doing that, they turn him into something of a monster, as he's fired six or seven assistants, casting them all back into the hopelessness of the Depression.; 1/12/21, 6:24 AM
grackle said...: Apologize for my typo, but 2007 should read 2017. North Korea was not "lobbing missiles over Japan...before Trump." Over the course of Trump's term, North Korea's capabilities have grown.

Missiles launched over Japan: 12/12/2012, 02/07/2016, 08/29/2017, 09/15/2017.

“It has been 3 years, 1 month since North Korea's last ICBM test.” Source: Wikipedia; 1/12/21, 7:10 AM
J. Farmer said...: @grackle:

Missiles launched over Japan: 12/12/2012, 02/07/2016, 08/29/2017, 09/15/2017.

The 2012 and 2016 launches were not missiles. There's a reason the nuclear and missile testing in 2017 set off a crisis.; 1/12/21, 7:32 AM
Rusty said...: Blogger J. Farmer said...
"@Big Mike:

Doesn’t matter what you believe, Farmer. What matters is what’s real.

Indeed. I was saying what believe is real. China has nowhere near the kind of leverage over us that the phrase "whip hand" suggests. Consider, for example, where the US has conflicts with China. It's not in the Caribbean or off the coast of California. It's in the South China Sea and over territories like Hong Kong and Taiwan."
No. Once again. Over 80% of the worlds trade have to go through the SCS. It is an effort to keep the SCS open and available to everyone. Freedom of the Seas and all that.; 1/12/21, 8:20 AM
Merny11 said...: Same dilemma with Amazon. I normally spend a lot with them - plan now is to use for kindle books and that’s it.
Hopefully Parlor or an alternative pops up so I can dump Twitter. Facebook I only use occasionally to see pics family posts - wish I could just dump it.
Google - my god - where and how do I start? Alternative non corrupt rmsil would be who ????; 1/12/21, 8:28 AM
I'm Not Sure said...: "The Big Ten was an ocean of sanity compared to the PAC-12. They only played a few games in order to save the lives of the young athletes."

No, they only played the games so they could get their woke ads on tv.; 1/12/21, 8:38 AM
Michael K said...: Some in this situation would pay the charge just to get back into Amazon – it’s not like I can’t afford the $1,500. But it is the principle of the damned thing. I didn’t get the money I have by acquiescing to bullshit.

A year ago someone bought two iPhones on my Verizon account. I even could identify the Verizon store, not far from my home in Tucson. I assume it was an inside job. I spent hours on the phone to Verizon fraud and billing departments. Six months and they were still billing me. I finally gave up and switched to Sprint, which costs half of what Verizon did. A month after that, Verizon decided it was a fraud and dropped the charge. I stuck with Sprint.; 1/12/21, 9:59 AM
J. Farmer said...: @Rusty:

No. Once again. Over 80% of the worlds trade have to go through the SCS. It is an effort to keep the SCS open and available to everyone. Freedom of the Seas and all that.

It's a substantial fraction but it isn't 80%. Everything you wrote after "no" doesn't contradict anything I wrote.; 1/12/21, 10:58 AM