Thursday Afternoon Not a SPortage Links

by | Jan 7, 2021 | Daily Links | 441 comments

No, I don’t have anything against Kia. I had a 2003 Kia Rio Cinco hatchback in NM roasted green chile green and it performed amazingly well for 12 years and had 200k miles on it when I sold it. It even did really well in a Montana winter…once I put snow tires on it.

But I’m going back and forth between a Hyundai Santa Fe and a Hyundai Tucson. (Of the locally available used vehicles, the Santa Fes are bigger, but front wheel drive, and the Tucsons are a bit smaller, but all-wheel-drive.) I rent many vehicles for my business travel, and these two have been the ones I’ve consistently liked the best.

Now, we love our 2010 Hyundai Sonata, have had no problems, but it has just about 220k on it now. Since we’ve only had one car for the last 4 or 5 years, we need to be proactive. I don’t want to be in crisis-buying mode when this one gives out.

I no longer purchase brand new cars. Our current Sonata was purchased used with 27k miles on it. It had been a rental agency car. It came with the maintenance records. That was nice.

So anyway, I’m looking at Avis car sales, previously looked at Hertz but they have suspended operations, and am also looking at the buying navigation services through places like Cap 1 and AARP (which I finally joined because I could get my Ancestry all-access annual subscription for 60% off).

If you have any car buying recommendations and tips, I’d love to hear them. I’m currently watching these videos, too, in case I end up going through a dealer.

Enough about my mundane existence. On to the links, such as they are.

 

Wow. This is really a promo for a segment on ABC’s 20/20, but still. Here are some of the photos they are talking about.

OFFS. “After pleas from local school districts, the University of South Florida has announced it will keep its College of Education and continue offering undergraduate degrees for teachers.”

Always entertaining.

Wherein the taxpayers of KC MO get fucked and the cop gets a paid vacation while his 3rd degree assault charge wends its way through the system.

This would feed a lot of people. If anyone would eat it. #notvegan

Pigs are (abandoned) friends, not food.

Bullshit.

 

And a little car shopping music.

 

Have a great rest of your day, kids!

 

About The Author

SP

SP

I've got an idea! How about we just stick to the Constitution as written and then the government can leave me the fuck alone.

441 Comments

  1. Rebel Scum

    I don’t have anything against Kia.

    I did until recently. They seem way better these days. Probably still would not willingly own one though.

    • Chipwooder

      My wife had a 2002 Sportage. Bought it new just a few hours before our first date, no less. It was sturdy enough, got the job done, but it also annoyed the hell out of me. Underpowered and the noisiest cabin I’ve ever ridden in. She had it for about 10-11 years and 150K miles.

      Nissan takes a lot of shit, and I can understand when it comes to their CVT, but I love my Frontier. I don’t need a truck to be a wannabe luxury car.

      • Count Potato

        “got the job done”

        boom chika wow wow

      • Swiss Servator

        “If this Sportage is a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’!”

      • Chipwooder

        Hah! As if you could get anything done in those tiny seats.

      • Count Potato

        I thought that was the explanation for “but it also annoyed the hell out of me”

      • Not Adahn

        As a high school senior with a 1980 Datsun 200SX — you can totally make it work.

      • Bobarian LMD

        As a 55 year old, it doesn’t work like that anymore.

      • Not Adahn

        They have pills for that now I hear.

      • Bobarian LMD

        Those pills don’t make my belly any smaller.

      • Mojeaux

        Dunlop?

      • But Enough About [this space intentionally left blank]

        Molson’s Muscle.

      • Enough About Palin

        12-pack abs.

      • Agent Cooper

        “Backseat” of a Jeep CJ7?

        The rollbar comes in handy.

      • Tundra

        College, but it was a 1984 RX-7.

        I’d still take on the challenge today!

        *searches BaT*

      • Mojeaux

        Good gravy. I drove an RX-7 (don’t remember what year) from Evanston WY to KCMO and thought the front end was going to either take flight or waggle itself right off the road.

        I hated driving that thing.

      • Tundra

        Something was wrong with that car. Mine stuck to the road like Joe Biden to a young girl.

    • RBS

      I had a Kia minivan during the second semester of my freshman year of undergrad.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      For me, it’s all in the name, 3rd Kia, 2007 Sedona Van, cause it ain’t that Mini,
      Great cars,

  2. Mojeaux

    We have bought from Enterprise for years. Also, we are a Hyundai family. I have a Sonata, Mom has a Sonata, Mr. Mojeaux has an Azera. My Sonata and his Azera have been rode hard and put away wet and yet, they still perform well.

    So thumb’s up on both rental car buying and Hyundai.

    • Chipwooder

      Rental cars can get driven hard, but they have one advantage. You know for a fact that they get serviced regularly at the proper intervals.

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        We bought a used Mazda from Hertz for my son. I figured Mazdas are reliable, and if he bangs up a used rental car I won’t get too upset.

    • PBRstreetgang

      Hi-5 on the Hyundais! we have a Sante Fe and an Elantra. Affordable, reliable, great warranty, etc.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        I’ve been thinking about springing for one of the hot rodded Velosters, they look like a blast.

      • PBRstreetgang

        Some teenager around here has a relatively new one and I see see him tooling around. It does look fun. Totally jealous of him.

      • Bobarian LMD

        The new Veloster N is a fucking hot-rod (like my Cobalt SS).

        The newest now has a dual clutch tranny, making it even faster.

    • Idle Hands

      Hyundai makes a great car.

    • KOVIDKristen

      I drove a Hyundai from 1988 (’86 Excel hatch) to 2010 (2000 Elantra wagon). That fucking Elantra was a complete lemon with unfixable transmission issues.

      I’m a Nissan gal now. IFL my 2010 Versa.

  3. Rebel Scum

    Symptom-free infected people cause at least half of COVID-19 spread

    I definitely smell shite.

    • Tonio

      Asymptomatic spreading is critical to the lockdown and mask narrative.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Gotta ramp up those PCR cycles to eleventy to prolong the panic. Them pawpaws is highly contagious!

      • DEG

        Eleventy?!?!?! WHY DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO DIE!!!1!?!?!?!!??

        It has to be eleventy-eleventy.

      • Enough About Palin

        You misspelled PRC.

    • R C Dean

      At least half of COVID-19 transmission globally may [or may not!] have been caused by symptom-free infected people unknowingly spreading the virus to others, a study published Thursday by JAMA Network Open found.

      In addition, nearly one in four cases of virus spread involves infected people who remain asymptomatic, the researchers estimated.

      *eyeroll*

    • ScoobaSteve

      Its a model based on the assumption that symptom free carriers are 75% as infectious as those with symptoms.

      The baseline assumptions for the model were that peak infectiousness occurred at the median of symptom onset and that 30% of individuals with infection never develop symptoms and are 75% as infectious as those who do develop symptoms.

      Bullshit indeed.

      • ScoobaSteve

        Blockquote fail

        The baseline assumptions for the model were that peak infectiousness occurred at the median of symptom onset and that 30% of individuals with infection never develop symptoms and are 75% as infectious as those who do develop symptoms.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        The model says that the model is correct!!!!! Wheeeee!

  4. Count Potato

    I guess Elon has a point, but not the one he meant. If it wasn’t for Facebook, Trump might have won, so the protest wouldn’t have happened.

    • Swiss Servator

      I would blame Twitter….but I don’t use it. I just rely on The Hat and The Hair to let me know how it works.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Put your trust in the Hat and the Hair!

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        All hail the Hat and the Hair!

  5. Swiss Servator

    ” If anyone would eat it”

    I certainly would! I love it. In fact, I am going to have the Spam, Spam, Spam, rice, Spam and seaweed.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Spam fried in a skillet until crisp is OK but gelataneous Spam sliced straight out of the can and cold is rank, more because of the texture than the taste.

      • Chipwooder

        In Iraq, for some reason our squadron kept getting care packages from some middle school somewhere, and they were always loaded with cans of Treet, the knockoff Spam that Armour makes. We used to make sandwiches out of it in our toaster oven – would swipe english muffins and cream cheese packets at breakfast, toast up the Treet slices and muffins, and make sandwiches with it and the cream cheese. Wasn’t bad, really.

      • Swiss Servator

        You had me up to the cream cheese part.

      • Chipwooder

        You had to have SOMETHING else on it. It was really dry otherwise.

      • Mojeaux

        ^^^ Correct answer

      • Chipwooder

        All they ever had at the DFAC was packets of French’s yellow paint mustard, which I’ve never been able to tolerate.

    • Not Adahn

      Is it your rep who is being feted as the most courageous Republican ever?

      • Swiss Servator

        No, I am in a TEAM BLUE jerrymander Hell.

      • Animal

        You could always take a few days to hang out with us in the Great Land.

      • Fourscore

        Animal, my grand daughter and husband were here over the holidays, from Galena, a village between Fairbanks and Nome. They’ve only been in Alaska about 5 months. As they were getting ready to return I asked them if they missed Galena. They both said yes, it’s their first home after they got married a few months ago and they’ve decided to sign a contract for another year, they’ll be there through June 2022. It sure sounded to me that may well become permanent Alaskans.

        They are school teachers that both like the outdoors, challenges, hunting/fishing. They fell in love with the bush country and the non-commercialization of the outback but still have most of the technical conveniences.

      • Drake

        Me too.

      • Gadfly

        Is that the Kinzinger guy? I thought it funny a few weeks ago when he was on Twitter responding to the TX GOP saying that states believing in the constitution should form a union by saying that ‘Lincoln and the Union soldiers have already said no to this’, or something to that effect. As if Washington and the Continental army had not already said yes. Insurrection is more American than apple pie. It may not always be wise, well motivated, or justified, but challenging the government is not un-American. America wouldn’t exist without insurrection.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      But I don’t like seaweed!

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      Spam musabi is amazing, it and the other offerings at L & L drive-in are largely responsible for the rampant obesity on the west side of Oahu.

    • Akira

      I’ve thought about trying the various recipes for DIY Spam. It doesn’t look that hard; just a pork and ham pate.

      I laid off the Spam when I started doing this whole “healthy” thing, but I do miss it sometimes, mostly for the convenience and versatility.

  6. Count Potato

    “Tennessee restaurant assembles 1,120-pound Spam musubi”

    No pics? Stupid UPI.

    • Swiss Servator

      ? There is a video of it, at the beginning of the article. Go to the hour 26 minute mark.

  7. Tundra

    Hi SP!

    I’ve had really good luck with Certified Used vehicles. In 2016 I got my wife a year old Passat that had higher miles (VW corporate reps car), but since she drives so few miles it is now a low mileage vehicle. It was in perfect condition, all service records and a 100K warranty.

    It’s a good option.

  8. Count Potato

    “In addition, nearly one in four cases of virus spread involves infected people who remain asymptomatic, the researchers estimated.”

    So people who aren’t sick cause people who aren’t sick? I’m no doctor, but I think that’s called “health”.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Journalism is dead,

      Headline – Four Intelligence Agencies Say Russia Behind Hack!

      Text – blah blah blah likely blah blah blah probable…

    • Gustave Lytton

      “C’mon babe, lets fuck. My dick hasn’t fallen off yet.”

    • Lachowsky

      7. Government-Funded PBS Reporter Denies Anarchists Are ‘Anarchists’
      PBS White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor tried and failed to fact-check President Donald Trump in May, apparently faulting the president for not providing any evidence when calling the anarchists terrorizing cities “anarchists.”

      “These people are anarchists,” President Trump says without providing any evidence. https://t.co/P7HGwsbKWD

      — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 31, 2020

      To be fair, they aren’t Anarchists. Just a different flavor of statists.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        This is correct in practice, but they think they are anarchists and they carry all of the regalia of skater-punk anarchism.

      • Gadfly

        For some reason there are a lot of communists who call themselves anarchists. Perhaps because the theoretical end-state of the communist program is anarcho-communism, but the beginning, middle, and practical end-state of the communist program is totalitarianism.

      • Count Potato

        Or they’re just assholes who have never read a book.

      • Akira

        the beginning, middle, and practical end-state of the communist program is totalitarianism.

        Yea it doesn’t make sense. They have a laundry list of things that wouldn’t be allowed – private property, entrepreneurship, and even marriage according to some anarcho-feminist strains – and there’s some power structure that stamps these things out, but it’s totally not a state.

        But every time I’ve said the word anarcho-capitalism, people tilt their head sideways and ask how that is even possible.

      • Gadfly

        But every time I’ve said the word anarcho-capitalism, people tilt their head sideways and ask how that is even possible.

        I’m by no means an anarchist, because I think government is inevitable (and can even serve some necessary roles), but the idea that anarcho-capitalism is not even possible is kind of funny to me. Anarcho-capitalism seems like the state of nature, with the emergent power structures evolving into competing governments that will eventually lead to where we are today.

  9. Not Adahn

    The Huntington Beach Police Department released a cache of photos taken by serial killer Rodney Alcala in 2010 in hopes of identifying the people in them to determine whether they may have been victimized by him.

    Holy copyediting Batman!

    • Not Adahn

      And those are some really good 1970s pics.

  10. DEG

    “She said, ‘Ellen, I can’t go out with this guy. There’s weird vibes that are coming off of him. He’s very strange. I am not comfortable. Is that going to be a problem?’ And of course I said, ‘No,’” Metzger remembered.

    Close call.

    And I tapped out at that point in the article.

    The Arizona Department of Public Safety said troopers were summoned to the side of U.S. 89, between Flagstaff and Cameron, where a pig was spotted wandering loose.

    They arrested one of their own?

    At least half of COVID-19 transmission globally may have been caused by symptom-free infected people unknowingly spreading the virus to others, a study published Thursday by JAMA Network Open found.

    “Bullshit” is too kind.

  11. trshmnstr the terrible

    If you have any car buying recommendations and tips, I’d love to hear them.

    Know what you want. Know what you’ll pay. Read what you sign, and if anything is shady or outside of your parameters, walk away.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      One of the biggest lessons I ever learned from my dad was watching him negotiate for a car. He knew exactly what he wanted to pay for it, offered a little bit below that, and it was maybe 2 rounds of negotiation to settle on a price. They tried to sneak in a bunch of fees and stuff when they wrote up the paperwork, and he looked up with a half smile and said in the most calm voice, “No, $X out the door. Fix your paperwork or I walk.”

      • Chipwooder

        That happened to us a few years ago. We were all set to buy based on the sticker price, and then when it came to do the paperwork, all of a sudden the price jumped up a few thousand dollars. “Oh, well, see some of that equipment was dealer-installed, so it’s not on the sticker” That was all she wrote on that one.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        I also get pissy when they drill holes in the car and bolt their ugly logo on the back. “Is my royalty payment for advertising your dealership in this contract somewhere? I’m not seeing it.”

      • Agent Cooper

        I make them remove any and all traces of their hideous dealership name/logo as a stipulation.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        That’s my Mom right there, and She always won,

    • SP

      Yep, all of that. I never fall so in love with a car or house that I won’t walk away. Plenty more out there.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Except for my ’92 Camaro. I love that car and I am going to turn in to a beast.

    • Mojeaux

      In a negotiation, the person who can walk away from the table has the power.

      (Not so lovely sentiment: In a relationship, the person with the least to lose has the power.)

      • Fourscore

        Customer sets the price

  12. Rebel Scum

    I don’t understand this take.

    The criminals storming the Capitol are about themselves, not our Republic. It will cost support for our 2A cause for years. It will energize the efforts of gun banners and will help fast track more gun control laws. This ANTIFA-like effort will only harm us.

    Virtue signaled, I guess.

    • Chipwooder

      I don’t understand it either – was anyone armed at this thing other than the fuzz (I love archaic slang!)? I didn’t notice anyone packing.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      It’s the perpetually abused getting nervous because somebody challenged their abuser, and they know who gets the black eye at the end of the night.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        Yeah, I don’t get the talk that what happened yesterday is bad because it will be used to justify further crackdowns against Americans. It’s kind of like telling a woman not to fight back against her abusive husband because then she’ll just get beat worse.

        The politicians need zero justification to do whatever they want. Oregon banned people from visiting each in their own homes. Does anyone seriously think our betters give a shit what the proles think of their tyranny? They passed needing justification long ago.

      • Gadfly

        This. We’ve had months of literal dictatorship in various US states, justified by a crisis, and a president-elect who has promised to act like a dictator on various issues. Storming the capitol yesterday didn’t make them do it. And the mushy middle has already declared it is OK with the current state of affairs. The left, including the president-elect, was promising to go after guns before this event. This event may be used as an excuse, but the oppression that is coming was coming anyway, so I really don’t care that they were given a different excuse than what they would have been using anyway for the actions they were determined to take anyway.

    • Not Adahn

      “Please eat me last.”

  13. Stinky Wizzleteats

    “ The findings of this study suggest that the identification and isolation of persons with symptomatic COVID-19 alone will not control the ongoing spread of SARS-CoV-2.”

    Ah, start with the desired conclusion to justify lockdowns and work backwards. Got it.

  14. Not Adahn

    If you have any car buying recommendations and tips, I’d love to hear them

    Red. Gotta be red.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      I don’t care what color, but pick an actual color. I am saddened by the state of car colors: a sea of white, black, and silver

      • Mojeaux

        They would all look alike regardless of the color. Except that cube thingie. Ugh. Aerodynamics doesn’t care about your design aesthetic.

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        I like that cube thingie because it’s different.

      • Mojeaux

        I like the PT Cruiser and the Plymouth Prowler. I would have loved to have a purple Prowler.

      • Mojeaux

        I also like VW Bugs. I would totally take a new one.

      • Tundra

        Daughter drives one. 2005.

        So. Damn. Cute.

      • Gadfly

        Aerodynamics doesn’t care about your design aesthetic.

        True, but a lot of that is the result of the focus on fuel efficiency, which is not entirely an organic fad. If there was less regulation of the car industry, I’d imagine there would be greater variety of aesthetics. Or maybe not – no one is forcing the rather bland logo conformity that’s been all the rage lately, so who knows? Sometimes when the market delivers what the people want, the results are terrible, because people have terrible taste (and I am by no means exempting myself from this statement).

      • Mojeaux

        I also don’t think the car industry paying more attention to aerodynamics is organic, but I also don’t think the bland logo conformity can be helped when everyone’s chasing some arbitrary mileage holy grail.

  15. Bobarian LMD

    To derive their estimates of asymptomatic transmission, the CDC researchers analyzed data from 10 studies and meta-analyses, or research papers that crunch data from multiple sources, they said.

    A meta-analysis of meta-analyses? That sounds very meta-scientific. Nobody ever talks about false positives in any of these tests either.

    • R C Dean

      I suspect that, after you shovel all the horseshit out of the way, the basic method here is to look at contact tracing, take the number of “failed” traces, where they couldn’t identify a source, and say those were all from asymptomatic people. I mean, if the source is unidentifiable, then it must have been someone without symptoms, right?

      • Not Adahn

        That is how the first asymptomatic cases were “identified.”

    • Count Potato

      They were also from China.

    • Not Adahn

      “We demand you remove Trump!”

      “Hold please.”

    • Rebel Scum

      Doesn’t 25A have certain qualifications that must be met that do not (imho) apply here?

      • Ownbestenemy

        A lot of qualifications and procedural proceedings..it isn’t “Hey, we invoke the 25th!” and its done.

    • kinnath

      It’s all about the show.

    • Drake

      Now he won’t even be alone on the 0hone with women?

    • Ted S.

      None of the Senators suggested removing John McCain from office when it was clear he was no longer physically capable of serving.

      • See Double You

        They protect their own. That is the message.

    • Agent Cooper

      “She can’t wait 13 days?”

      A successful impeachment prevents him from future office-seeking.

      If they want more Capitol bum rushes from fervent supporters, another impeachment will do the trick.

      • See Double You

        Oh, that is what they want. They want bloodshed. They look at the CCP and admire them and their handling of Hong Kong. That is us now.

    • Gadfly

      so she threatens to impeach president for ‘sedition’ to end ‘horror show’”

      What horror show? The president has conceded now that he has exhausted all lawful means of contesting the election. The riot was quickly quelled, with the capitol being secured within a matter of hours, so little damage having been done that the Congress could safely meet in session in the Capitol to certify Biden’s election. There’s no horror there. Only histrionics on the part of radicals seeking to crush their rivals, even if it accomplishes nothing but inflaming division.

  16. Rebel Scum

    Sally Kohn…

    I don’t like violent protests, but I understand them. And those wagging their fingers against violent protests need to read up on their American history.

    I mean, for crying out loud, the “Tea Party” so many of the finger waggers align with today was literally NAMED AFTER a violent protest of looting property destruction.

    …meet Sally Kohn.

    The mobs storming the capitol right now are neither patriots nor revolutionaries.

    They are traitors and cowards, trying to upend our democracy by force because they fear peaceful change and not getting their way.

    • R C Dean

      You Know Who Else wanted to get their way?

      • Tonio

        Yippies?

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Missed it by this, much,

      • Swiss Servator

        Anyone ordering at Burger King?

      • Chipwooder

        Paul Anka?

      • Agent Cooper

        Burger King patrons?

    • Chipwooder

      I have an involuntary snort that happens every time I read one of these assholes solemnly prattling on about “our” democracy.

      • one true athena

        yeah, it’s just a trope to them now. It’s their moral high ground “We love #Democracy!!” just like they
        #BelieveScience, but of course it’s only when they win. When they lose it’s always a failure of Democracy, or an Attack on Democracy.

        To which my response is usually democracy only has value if all participants equally respect the loss, the voters, and the opposition, otherwise voting itself has no particular meaning — they vote in North Korea, too.

    • Count Potato

      “Authorities on Thursday announced they are now in the process of tracking down at least 36 suspects – in addition to the 81 already arrested – who scaled the Senate and House Chambers, ruined statues, fired tear gas and smashed buildings on Wednesday in chaotic scenes.

      The suspects, who are part of a group of white supremacists, Holocaust deniers and conspiracy theorists, are wanted on a slew of charges including inciting a riot and weapons charges – and the Department of Justice has promised to bring them all before the courts.

      Some of the assailants have already been identified through social media – such as the horned QAnon ‘Shaman’ Jake Angeli and a MAGA fan whose marketing company fired him when they spotted his work lanyard around his neck – but the rest are wanted by law enforcement, and a huge manhunt has been launched across DC and the country.”

      They got the tear gas at White Supremacy Depot.

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        What’s the evidence that they are white supremacists, Holocaust deniers and conspiracy theorists? Ok, maybe I’ll grant the last one.

      • B.P.

        Someone had a confederate flag. That’s all the evidence I’ve seen. It’s not like they issued a unified statement or anything. (I don’t think)

      • Count Potato

        Some of them are both white and not Democrats.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      Four people, including two men and two women were killed in the massive insurrection

      Wut?

      • kinnath

        One woman shot by capital police.

        Three people succumbed to medical emergencies.

      • Drake

        That many people in one place, a few are going to croak.

      • Not Adahn

        But they wouldn’t have been htere if not for Orange Man Bad, therefore their blood is on his hands.

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        Did the medical emergencies happen inside the Capitol? How often does that happen?

      • Seguin

        If I had to guess, tear gas in an enclosed space.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Why not? Carter blanket pardoned draft dodgers.

    • Rebel Scum

      Unlawful Entry

      *invites CP in then charges him with trespassing*

  17. Tonio

    Trump’s admonition to the capitol protesters is underrated. It was exactly what was needed to defuse the situation. It acknowledged their legitimate concerns about the election, which nobody else did (looking at you, TMITE, with your braying about “election conspiracy theories”). Had he simply told them to go home, without acknowledging that, the protesters would most likely think he had betrayed them (and actually rioted) or that he was being coerced by someone off-camera (again, actual rioting).

    • Rebel Scum

      *suspends Tonio’s account for saying something reasonable*

      Seems to me they do not wish to calm the situation.

      • Sean

        Seems to me they do not wish to calm the situation.

        Nope. Not at all.

      • Gadfly

        Seems to me they do not wish to calm the situation.

        They want a Roman peace.

    • Bobarian LMD

      He probably should not have emphasized the election results so much, because that seemed to have more emphasis than the ‘go home’ message.

      • Tonio

        Yes, in a perfect world. But this was pure DJT, and therefore effective for the target audience.

  18. The Late P Brooks

    At least half of COVID-19 transmission globally may have been caused by symptom-free infected people unknowingly spreading the virus to others, a study published Thursday by JAMA Network Open found.

    In addition, nearly one in four cases of virus spread involves infected people who remain asymptomatic, the researchers estimated.

    The findings highlight the importance of public health measures such as social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing — even for people who don’t feel sick — in preventing the spread of the virus, they said.

    “To control the pandemic, we must address the ‘silent pandemic’ of spread from persons without symptoms,” study co-author Dr. Jay Butler told UPI.

    We believe the virus transmits via magic. It’s the only explanation that makes sense.

  19. egould310

    Went to the music store to buy a guitar. Came home with a 23” bass drum instead. Vintage circa 1920. Birds eye maple. Beautiful. Sounds good too.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      23″? odd size, but Birds eye Maple sounds so sweet,

      • egould310

        It’s a step down from the vintage Ludwig 28” I’ve been using. My drum set is kinda silly.

      • Enough About Palin

        I used to deliver and help with the restoration of grand pianos for Schmitt Music in Minneapolis. The most beautiful wood item I have ever seen was a tiger maple grand piano being hit by direct sunlight. Forty-five years later and I can still picture it.

        Quick piano story:

        The piano department at the downtown store was on the fourth floor. One day this little old lady came into the showroom. None of the sales staff wanted to help her because little old ladies don’t buy pianos and they sell strictly on commission. Well the sales manager saw that his staff was avoiding her, so he came out of his office and said, “Hello, may I help you?” Turns out it was Mrs. Pillsbury, the matriarch of the Pillsbury family and she bought a Steinway M grand piano for each of her five children.

      • egould310

        And that manager was stoked. Funny story.

      • Tundra

        Awesome. Everyone who’s ever been in retail commission sales has stories like that.

  20. Not Adahn

    The president had incited his supporters to storm the Capitol, forcing a halt to the electoral vote proceedings and his violent invaders ransacked offices, waved the Confederate flag and swung from a Senate balcony

    I’ve heard storires from back in the day where that was a thing that happened at my house’s parties.

    • Bobarian LMD

      Your house had a Senate?

      • Tonio

        [stands and ovates]

    • The Gunslinger

      Nope. Serious underboob.

  21. DEG

    I stopped in Concord, NH for a little bit for a protest of Gov. Sununu’s inauguration.

    The inauguration was supposed to be outside, but the governor moved it inside after a series of protests and arrests of protestors at Sununu’s house.

    Rebuild NH, Absolute Defiance, Health Freedom NH, and a few other groups held the protest on the State House steps.

    I didn’t stay long. I should have worn my bandana over my face. Some folks have told me that I should have.

    There was a noticeable police presence. Three uniformed Concord police officers were standing on Main St. in front of the State House lawn. I saw uniformed NH State Troopers patrolling in groups of two and groups of three around the State House. I saw uniformed NH State Troopers in groups of two stationed around the State House lawn watching the rally. I saw about a dozen uniformed NH State Troopers. There was a helicopter overheard, which I assumed was a NH State Police helicopter. During my time at the rally, I saw some folks standing around who were wearing masks and were watching the crowd, not the speakers. I assumed they were plainclothes NH State Troopers.

    The first speaker was from Health Freedom NH. I couldn’t hear much as the sound system for the speakers had low volume. I think he was talking about Emergency Order 76. This emergency order suspends the laws which allow people to opt out of the vaccine registry if the resident gets any Covid vaccine. To put it another way, under this order, if you receive any Covid vaccine in NH, you must be entered into the state vaccine registry.

    I left when the head of the NH Proud Boys got up to speak. I got a bad feeling from all the police and from all the cameras. I tried to avoid the cameras as best as I could since I was there on an extended lunch break from work.

    I’d say about 100-120 people were at the protest.

    • DEG

      Coverage of the inauguration which also mentions the protest:

      Concord Monitor

      Union Leader

      I think the Union Leader’s crowd size estimate is off. There were folks in the crowd wearing masks and who probably weren’t undercover cops. Those folks were in the minority.

      • zwak

        JHTFC, the stupid elbow bump. God these people just fucking love the whole pandemic. Must give them a thrill up their legs.

  22. The Other Kevin

    One thing I’ve learned recently is that if something sounds too perfect, it’s almost always false. Asymptomatic spread being that much of a problem sounds way too perfect for the people who want lockdowns.

    • Enough About Palin

      And when one thinks of it, why even bother? It’s going to get you anyway no matter what you do.

    • Rebel Scum

      Former first lady Michelle Obama calls on tech companies to permanently ban President Trump from their platforms and put policies in place “to prevent their technology from being used by the nation’s leaders to fuel insurrection.”

      “Treyvon could have been my son.” *tear*

      • Ted S.

        As a movie blogger, it’s extremely saddening to me to see how many people who still go on about how awful the Hollywood Blacklist was are perfectly fine with a new blacklist.

  23. Chipwooder

    Today I learned……the Cuban colonel from Red Dawn was none other than Superfly himself, Ron O’Neal. I had no idea.

    • Animal

      He also played a U.S. Navy officer once. He was Commander Dan Thurman with Kirk Douglas’s Captain Matthew Yelland in the 1980 film The Final Countdown. Fun movie but not one to take too seriously. The F-14 v. Zero fight was kind of cool.

  24. SP

    Fun factoid. As part of the cost of a vehicle, I always include the insurance. When speaking with my agent’s office, the rep mentioned that a Sonata costs more to insure than either SUV, because the safety rating is lower than on the SUVs, resulting in a larger bodily injury premium.

    • Animal

      Our auto insurance is about to take a huge dive – moving from a big suburb of Denver to rural Alaska.

  25. Rebel Scum

    YouTube is assho.

    “As we shared previously, we do not allow content that misleads people by alleging that widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election,” YouTube’s statement read. “This policy applies to videos uploaded on or after December 9. …

    “Now that the election results have been certified, and due to the extraordinary events that transpired yesterday, videos uploaded on or after today (January 7) that violate this policy will both be removed and a strike will be applied to the channel,” the statement said. “As strikes can impact a channel’s standing, including the ability to upload … we recommend that you be familiar with the policy when publishing relevant content on YouTube.”

    I, for one, welcome our new censorious tech overlords.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Somehow, the riot changed the validity of the election results. It’s a miracle!

    • Semi-Spartan Dad

      On a similar note, the WSJ ran an editorial yesterday evening demanding all of the GOP bend their knees and unanimously “acclaim” Biden. The editorial board dropped their mask right along with Fox.

    • Urthona

      If they expel anyone, I support returning to the capitol and burning it to the ground.

      • prolefeed

        Democratic freshman Representative Cori Bush, a new progressive member of the ‘squad,’ is calling for the expulsion of these lawmakers and the others who she claims ‘incited this domestic terror attack through their attempts to overturn the election.’

        One Congressperson is calling for the expulsion. One. No one else is mentioned in the article as publicly supporting this. If that’s the standard, surely they would print this article … “Representative Cori Bush is accused of treason, and faces call for her expulsion and imprisonment. [Four paragraphs later] The call came from (insert name of another Congressperson).”

      • Urthona

        ok

    • Drake

      The core of what should replace the Republican Party.

  26. Shpip

    Local school superintendents… held a series of meetings with USF administrators.

    They said they were surprised by the university’s announcement in October that it planned to eliminate the College of Education because of budget cuts.

    The superintendents said that would impact negatively impact their hiring abilities.

    Hey, those low-level bureaucrats don’t appear out of thin air, now!

  27. Mojeaux

    I think I said this already, but XX got an IT internship at Cerner for this semester, which starts in 3 weeks. She was the ONLY ONE in all of the people who got spots to be willing to go on campus (guess who’s driving her?). Since almost no one at Cerner is on campus, they had to get a special dispensation for her to be on campus, which was granted. They really really want her, and she wants to be there to have someone over her shoulder to teach and help.

    I’m hoping she can parlay this into a regular full-time job once she graduates. Getting a job at Cerner is a coup. Getting one straight out of high school AND straight off a job at Walmart with no employment gap is phenomenal.

    The only problem is she will stillbe 17 when she graduates, so she still has to have our permission for things.

    *fingers crossed*

    /proudmamabrag

    • egould310

      Congratulations to xx. Brag away; you done good.

    • DEG

      Excellent!

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      ??

      (Does your kids know that a band of internet misfit toys roots for them?)

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        *Do

      • Mojeaux

        XX does and appreciates it. I told XY once and he went, “Okay.”

    • KOVIDKristen

      Go gurrrrrl!! Make dat paper!

    • Tonio

      Hooray! Congrats!

    • Chipwooder

      *endless peals of helpless laughter*

    • kinnath

      This makes me happy.

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      *deadpan* Oh. No. Not. Ted. Who could have foreseen this?

    • Gustave Lytton

      Do watch the video. Wheeler’s body language is even weaker without a suit or a staged media appearance.

      • Enough About Palin

        Shortly after the footage ended, Wheeler was punched in the shoulder. The punch was not captured in either scene.

        So he wasn’t punched then.

    • See Double You

      Good. Hope more comes his way.

    • Aloysious

      Which head? Oh yeah, it’s Ted. He only has one.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Its a Ken doll down there.

    • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

      That’s more violence than the protestors in the Capitol yesterday.

      • Enough About Palin

        Are you including the Capital Police that were protesting liberty?

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        No. Just thinking about the protesters.

  28. Shpip

    I’ve found the YouTube channel of Scotty Kilmer to be informative and entertaining, though Scotty’s bits can be a bit… manic for some people.
    (Caveat: Scotty is a complete Toyota fanboi).

    I owned a ’13 Hyundai Genesis coupe with the 3.8 NA for a little over three years. While it certainly lacked the engineering of my current Boxster, I found it to be a tremendous value for price proposition. It had Sirius XM, satnav, and a decent-sized touchscreen standard, none of which were on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz that I bought for the wife.

    • Chipwooder

      Yeah, his Toyota worship gets ridiculous sometimes. I have learned a fair bit from his videos though.

      • Mojeaux

        I’ve rented Toyotas. I like them.

      • Chipwooder

        I long-term borrowed my dad’s Tacoma years ago, and my wife used to own a Prius, I like them too, but Scotty talks about them the way Q talks about breasts.

      • But Enough About [this space intentionally left blank]

        The spousal unit’s a total Toyota fangirl; our latest acquisition was a red RAV4, a combo of colour and model that she’s been lusting after for many years now.

        No, I don’t know why, either.

  29. Count Potato

    Today, in everything is Gamergate:

    “How a failure to learn from the lessons of Gamergate’s hate campaign contributed to the out of control violence at the US Capitol yesterday”

    https://twitter.com/voxdotcom/status/1347240347529846784

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      Man they have got a lot of mileage out of a consumer revolt.

  30. Rebel Scum

    Have I mentioned I like Stossel loathe Chris Hayes?

    Everyone who worked in Republican party politics the last four years helped make this happen. This, along with the hundreds of thousands of dead from Covid, was part of the cost of the 6-3 court and the corporate tax rate being cut from 35 to 21%. You built this!

    I don’t even know what you are jabbering about, and I suspect you don’t know either but you got all the narratives in there.

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      It is like a frightened toad, but instead of piss, they just regurgitate talking points all over the place.

    • Raven Nation

      Interesting: Hayes brother worked for Obama. So, that means his brother shares responsibility for the thousands of people who were murder-droned. A war criminal if you will.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Battle-space prep for the true to life off hand joke about camps and reeducation. Moobs equating to Pearl Harbor, calling it storming, a siege, ransacking, etc. is to conjure in the minds of the public that something must be done to these people.

      That is only half tin-cap speak too.

  31. Rebel Scum

    No one ever gained freedom using violence.

    And we will always be grateful for the men and women who stayed at their post to defend this historic place. To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the People’s House.

    • Gustave Lytton

      And this is still the People’s House.

      Just not you people.

    • Ownbestenemy

      So he supports putting a bullet in a chick? People’s House indeed.

      • one true athena

        Graham said more people should’ve been shot, so probably.

    • Gadfly

      Violence never wins.

      The side that wins usually uses violence. In fact, the side that won the Capitol struggle yesterday used violence to do so.

  32. Enough About Palin

    Dear SP,

    Thank you for resetting my Glib account last week. Greatly appreciated.

    Best,
    EAP

    • SP

      You’re welcome.

  33. prolefeed

    But I’m going back and forth between a Hyundai Santa Fe and a Hyundai Tucson.

    Depends on how big a vehicle you want. Dunno about the engines.

    My wife and I recently shopped pretty much every compact-ish sized SUV there was that wasn’t built by the UAW – Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda, VW maybe a couple more I’ve forgotten about. She wanted something smaller than our Toyota Highlander. Had to buy something quick because my trusty Toyota Avalon had gotten totaled in a collision with a wild boar. Welcome to TX!

    The cars seemed like much of a muchness – underpowered 4 cylinder engines across the board, pretty much identical other than the hideously uncomfortable seats in any German branded car. For reasons she couldn’t explain, my wife hated the Honda but was OK with the Toyota, even though they seemed functionally identical to me.

    Then, just for the hell of it, we tried going upscale with a used Lexus RX 350. Instant love by both of us. Tried going upscale with BMW, Acura, etc., but one of us always objected to those.

    Still love driving the Lexus. The complete list of things I don’t like about it: it runs a bit rough around 1500 RPM, which the transmission keeps pushing you towards (because of CAFE taxes) until you hit 60 MPH. That’s it – that’s the entirety of my objections. Lot more money than I’d expected to spend, but not a moment of buyer’s remorse.

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      BMW’s are great so long as they are under warranty. After that… good luck with $200 brake pad changes. Acura isn’t a bad call, they share most of their parts with Nissan so parts aren’t as absurd as German luxury brands. I have no idea how much parts commonality there is between Toyota and Lexus, particularly export models.

    • Hyperion

      I have a 2019 Tuscson Ultimate. Nice car. Only has 5K miles on it still. Hyundai is good value for the price. Also, it’s pretty peppy in Sports mode.

      If you want something bigger, there’s the Palisade.

    • Shpip

      Then, just for the hell of it, we tried going upscale with a used Lexus RX 350. Instant love by both of us. Tried going upscale with BMW, Acura, etc., but one of us always objected to those.

      The missus was the complete opposite. Her GLK 250 started doing typical Mercedes things after about five years, and was running me a grand every time the CEL came on. She had a strange love for the car, though. I tried putting her in an RX 350 (per the aforementioned Scotty’s advice on how they were the best-constructed SUVs in North America) and… she hated it.

      When she finally agreed to swap out the car (which was becoming a money pit), it had to be another German marque. So her 2014 GLK 250 got swapped out for a 2019 GLC. We went from 37 MPG highway to 27, and more expensive gas to boot, since premium costs more than diesel. But no $1000-2500 repairs every nine to twelve months. Yet.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Or Yelp? I, for one, would love to read Yelp reviews penned by DJT.

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        “This place is terrible. The worst. Everybody says so. They’re fired. Don’t waste your time here. Go to Trump [fill in the blank] instead”.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Can’t sell his merch man

    • Not Adahn

      Awww, how am I gonna watch the Presidential speedruns?

    • Not Adahn

      But, if I go to a San Fran bakery and order a wedding cake that says “DJT 45 – MAGA” with little figurines of Donald and Melania on top, they have to make it, right?

      • Ownbestenemy

        Well, make sure you go to one that is ran by a vocal democrat that has posted how much he wants DJT dead on the socials.

      • creech

        No, you aren’t a member of a protected class. (You’re not a Democrat politician are you?)

  34. Semi-Spartan Dad

    If you have any car buying recommendations and tips, I’d love to hear them

    Geico and Costco have (or used to at least) excellent car buying services. You type in the vehicle details and receive no-haggle bids from dealers. They don’t make much profit but adds to their numbers to hit sales quotas. It’s not rock bottom pricing, but we got pretty damn close on our vehicles.

    To get absolute rock-bottom, you can send out emails to all of the dealers you are interested in with the vehicle details, ask for their lowest out the door (OTD) price, and let them know that they will be competing against other dealers. Take the lowest bid and shop it around to the next lowest 3. Repeat once more. I don’t think it’s worth the time or hassle of all that just to shave off an extra few hundred rather than spending 10 min with Geico or Costco but it’s another approach.

    • Trolleric the Goth

      I attempted to use the costco car buying service for my last car purchase, seems like it might be great for mass market bread and butter cars, or ones where you don’t have specific desires re: color and trim level, but if you’re looking for something specific they don’t really get you anything special.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        I thought I used Costco for our last one but maybe not. It was Honda Accord though so about as typical as you can get.

        I do remember using Geico for our 2011 Honda Pilot. We got back quotes from about 8 dealers. The lowest was $1800 under the 2nd lowest. That dealer was 60 miles away while the 2nd lowest was 5 miles away so I took the bid there and asked if they could match it or even just come close. They just laughed at the number and said to take lowest bid because it was far under their cost.

    • limey

      Oh sure, he’s a distinguished historian and a senior fellow. I don’t think they want to sever ties with him, but given his more recent political commentary, and the timing of the podcast move, I wondered if there was a realignment occurring at Hoover, especially as Condi establishes herself at the top? Nothing particularly dramatic.

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      2020 Corvette C8… it is a poor-mans super car.

  35. Raven Nation

    Regardless of what you think about the riots/protest yesterday, I really don’t understand this take. It’s from a piece Suderman has at TOS:

    “There has been some debate about what to call the scene at the United States Capitol yesterday, in which hundreds of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the building, vandalized offices, stole equipment, and caused Congress—which was in the middle of certifying Joe Biden’s election as president—to drop its official proceedings and flee the legislative floor out in fear. Is it sedition? A coup? An insurrection? A riot?

    One or more of those labels may be correct, but I think I have another answer: This was a right-wing cancel mob. Except instead of coming for a campus speaker or a controversial newspaper column, they came for the symbolic heart of democracy itself. They came to the Capitol to exercise a heckler’s veto over the results of a presidential election. This was cancel culture on a national political scale.

    The attack on the Capitol yesterday was an attack on the foundation of democracy: the peaceful transition of political power following a legitimate election.”

    • Gustave Lytton

      Progjection and shifting tactics of the left onto the right. Just like accusing righties of being racists when mainstream leftist ideology is dripping with it.

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        I’ll add Fake News, #metoo, and the term Karen to the list.

    • Lachowsky

      The pearl clutching about our sacred democracy is grating on my nerves something fierce.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Meanwhile, we need to impeach or remove the current president immediately.

      • See Double You

        Seriously. Fucking Schumer compared it to Pearl Harbor.

        No life is sacred to these people except their own.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Moobs is right, it definitely means something, just not what he thinks it does.

      • Rebel Scum

        I found that to be in particular bad taste. It really diminishes the lives lost and destruction at Pearl Harbor.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        What Democracy are they talking about?

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        The one where they remain in power.

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        The one where they are the mob shouting “This is what democracy looks like!”

      • Bobarian LMD

        Something about two wolves and a sheep discussing dinner plans.

      • prolefeed

        The pearl clutching about our sacred democracy

        The pearl clutchers keep misspelling “Democrat-ocracy”

      • Rebel Scum

        Yup. Especially considering it is in reference to the federal legislature in a republic wherein the representatives ostensibly represent several states/districts.

    • Chipwooder

      bahahaha….whatever you say, Mr. McArdle.

    • kinnath

      It was civil disobedience. Straight out of the lefty handbook. They’ve been doing it for 60 years.

      Force your way into a public space; occupy that space unlawfully; disrupt the public business.

      The only difference between the radical-right civil disobedience yesterday and the new radical-left civil disobedience is that the radical left chooses to be violent and destructive as often as possible.

      In other words, the radical-left has abandoned civil disobedience and is actively rioting in many cities in the US.

      The only real question at this point, is when the radical-right will choose violence.

    • Viking1865

      “following a legitimate election”

      We had one of those?

    • Urthona

      It obviously wasn’t coordinated.

    • mrfamous

      Suderman is fucking useless. I remember him cheerleading the lockdowns early on with Gillespie of all people trying to dial him back.

  36. prolefeed

    Study: Symptom-free infected people cause at least half of COVID-19 spread

    Headline above: full of certainty. No doubt.

    Article: weasle word after weasel word equating to “according to our model, our model is correct”.

  37. Mojeaux

    I am ready for spring to come now. Christmas is over.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      C’mon Mo, we’re just getting started! Bring that Winter crap on!

  38. The Late P Brooks

    Everyone who worked in Republican party politics the last four years helped make this happen. This, along with the hundreds of thousands of dead from Covid, was part of the cost of the 6-3 court and the corporate tax rate being cut from 35 to 21%. You built this!

    WHYCOME YOU THINK MEDIA YOUR ENEMY?

    • Akira

      and the corporate tax rate being cut from 35 to 21%.

      I don’t see why they’re freaking out over that – it just reduced our corporate tax rate to something closer to Scandinavian countries. Lefties always say Scandinavia is the model we should emulate, right?

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        That kills me. Scandinavian corporate tax rates are really low, but income tax rates on the middle class are huge. But at least Sweden has school choice.

      • Gadfly

        Scandinavian corporate tax rates are really low, but income tax rates on the middle class are huge.

        It’s the right way to do the welfare state. More transparency (the voters see more of the true cost of their government) and more stability (companies are more likely to move/go under than individuals, and who is paying most salaries anyway?).

  39. Gadfly

    Pigs are (abandoned) friends, not food.

    Por que no los dos?

    • Rebel Scum

      Antifa or no, it seems that the majority of the crowd was against that behavior. I am sure the msm will be along to correct their reporting and apologize for calling this terrorism/coup/insurrection/etc.

  40. The Late P Brooks

    instead of coming for a campus speaker or a controversial newspaper column, they came for the symbolic heart of democracy itself.

    You mean they came directly to the source of their anger, instead of taking it out on random strangers and their property?

    Oh, the horror.

  41. Count Potato

    “We were planning to shut down the Capitol Building but the authorities were so scared of this #WomensWave that they shut it down for us.

    1000+ women, survivors, and allies have gathered in the Hart Senate Building.
    Every hallway. Every floor.

    #CancelKanavaugh #BelieveSurvivors

    3:43 PM · Oct 4, 2018”

    https://twitter.com/womensmarch/status/1047935356673437697

  42. Count Potato

    “45 Percent of Republican Voters Support Storming of Capitol Building: Poll

    Almost half of Republicans support the pro-Trump protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, putting them at odds with Democrats who largely oppose the actions of the demonstrators, a poll has found.

    The survey released by YouGov on Thursday morning found that 45 percent of Republican voters backed the attack on the Capitol building, while 43 percent said they “strongly or somewhat” opposed the protesters’ behavior.

    Six percent of Republicans were unsure while a further 6 percent said they were unaware of the events.

    By comparison, an overwhelming majority of Democratic voters (96 percent) said they were strongly or somewhat opposed to the actions of pro-Trump protesters—actions that led to four deaths and at least 52 arrests.”

    https://www.newsweek.com/45-percent-republican-voters-support-storming-capitol-1559662

    • Viking1865

      So many people warned the Left all throughout last year that normalizing and excusing widespread political violence would backfire on them. They are incapable of listening and learning.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        They have built their entire philosophy of political action on the phrase, “Its okay when we do it. We do it for the right reasons. They do it for the wrong reasons.” Then they get to absolve themselves from arson, theft, murder etc.

      • Viking1865

        Father forgive them, they know not what they do.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Hell, I don’t think they even have to pay for indulgences. Sweet gig, if you turn your brain off.

    • The Other Kevin

      45 percent of Republican votes just got themselves added to a list.

      • Ownbestenemy

        On November 4th they were already on the lists. The media even told us so.

      • Viking1865

        Eh, they already were. I’m not even joking anymore, we’re done with even somewhat open and honest election. The next federal election will be under the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2020 with mandatory voting via text message from all people who will turn 18 sometime before the next election. School teachers will go around the room making sure all their students vote for Justice, Fairness, and Equality.

      • Rebel Scum

        vote for Justice, Fairness, and Equality

        I.e. communism, which ironically is the opposite of those things.

      • Gadfly

        So, 30M people? That’s getting to be too many to handle, even with gulags and the NKVD.

    • Hyperion

      “an overwhelming majority of Democratic voters (96 percent) said they were strongly or somewhat opposed to the actions of pro-Trump protesters”

      They support any type of violence as long as they are doing it. They can fuck right off as I give not one shit what they think. Hypocrites.

    • Akira

      the actions of pro-Trump protesters—actions that led to four deaths

      Nice way to imply that the protesters were the ones who killed those four people.

      • Ownbestenemy

        I am guessing there were a lot of editors asking beat reporters “Are you sure there were not more?”

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        I’d still like details on the other 3.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Only thing I can find were names and ages. One of them fairly young I think in their 30s. Supposedly TGP has it, but they are trash.

      • rhywun

        See my sensationalized NY Post link below. The other 3 had nothing to do with “the actions of pro-Trump protestors.”

        More TMITE.

    • prolefeed

      By comparison, an overwhelming majority of Democratic voters (96 percent) said they were strongly or somewhat opposed to the actions of pro-Trump protesters—actions that led to four deaths

      Aaah, the telltale passive voice – “led to” four deaths. Three protestors with medical conditions dying from the stress of what they did, and one protestor murdered by a cop – clearly, it’s the victims’ fault!

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Well they shouldn’t have dressed provocatively,

  43. Hyperion

    Sportage Horror Theatre1

  44. Shpip

    I’m looking for a new weekend track toy, though I’ll probably wait until the end of the year. The top two contenders right now are:

    the 2nd-generation Acura NSX or

    the latest Porsche Turbo S.

    I’m kinda leaning toward the Acura once the Type R comes out, if only (a) to be different, and (b) the electrics on the front wheels tends to eliminate the “push” that AWD cars tend to have on the track coming out of corners. The hybrid performance intrigues me, especially since the only other cars that have it (the Porsche 918 and the LaFerrari) cost over $1M each, and the NSX is 1/6th of that.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      My Brother had an OG NSX, an amazing car, 150+ at 5 AM on the 405 southbound, what a rush,

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Nice. I had a 350Z (not as fancy as an NSX, but still) I was driving through Indiana on I-70 when I started noticing that the semis in the right lane were going behind me at an ever-increasing rate, I then noticed that the front end was getting a bit floaty. I looked at my speedo… 145 mph. It was a unsettling couple of seconds while I was getting it back down to a speed where a sneeze wouldn’t have meant instant death.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        My old Kia would do that above 80 on the freeway, but a little 5 speed Rally car she was,

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Those cars are fun too, they get up to speed quick and corner pretty well too. My 18-yo has a Ford Feista that I drive every now and I again. It is a fun little roller-skate to drive around.

      • Mojeaux

        So I called my mom and dad from Provo, Utah one day and said, “Leaving now.” They (in KCMO) said, “Okay, be careful. Where you soending the night?”

        “Don’t know.”

        120mph later, straight thru, and my dad was blistering my ears.

        Unfortunately, he was trying not to laugh while he did it.

        Anyhoo, it’s a damn good thing my mother’s a speed demon, too. When she and I went to FL together a couple of years ago, I had the pedal on the floor and she didn’t blink an eyelash.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Not that league, but my wife’s Jetta TDI does 80 and doesn’t feel more than 55 max. She’s managed to skate out of at least one ticket while I was a passenger.

  45. See Double You

    *rant on*

    It’s amazing how symbolism matters far more than substance to just about everyone. Murdering private citizens and stealing their stuff is just not a big deal to most people. In fact, you’ll get applause from a significant portion of the country and most of the rich and powerful. When you have their backing, the rules of civilization just don’t apply to you.

    In contrast, a retarded attempt by the powerless and marginalized to interrupt the “People’s” House populated with the most powerful and completely unaccountable people in the world – Jesus God that’s intolerable!

    And I say this while also believing Trump *needs* to go away. And I think he will. It’s just that all the other assholes in the Democratic Party and the GOPe will continue to control every aspect of our lives, spend all our money, send us off to foreign shitholes to die, and just make life worse. And they will be applauded for it by most people.

    Fuck most people. Seriously.

    *rant off*

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Have you ever heard of this magic place,? We like to call it Glibertarians.com
      Everyone else are Fucking Assholes,

      • See Double You

        I know. It’s kind of an oasis in the endless shit desert that is the internet.

        I really do appreciate its existence. It provides some relief to know you’re not alone.

    • prolefeed

      Tell us how you really feel. 😉

    • Urthona

      I had some Democrat friends on my social media yesterday refer to the capitol as “sacred space”. I’m not kidding.

      • rhywun

        I needed that LOL. Thanks.

      • Rebel Scum

        Well, government IS their religion.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Well temples in the past were a “sacred space” used by pretty much the same lot of people…so it checks out.

    • Gadfly

      When you have their backing, the rules of civilization just don’t apply to you.

      I hate to break it to you, but those are the rules of civilization.

      • See Double You

        I know. I just would *really* like classical liberalism to be something we would aspire to instead of might makes right.

  46. Lachowsky

    If you have any car buying recommendations and tips, I’d love to hear them.

    Buy right at the beginning of the pandemic, when everything is shutdown but before anyone gets a stimulus check.

    Late march I bought a 2017 silverado LTZ 4×4 with the 6.2 liter and 23k miles for 32000. They gave 14500 for my 2012 Jeep with 110k miles on it. Best deal on a vehicle i have ever gotten.

  47. See Double You

    Also, the left is now throwing around the words “traitor” and “treason” like glitter at a strip club – how long before they wear it down to bald nub like they have with words like “racism”, “sexism”, etc.?

    • Viking1865

      The absurdity of people like Pelosi wrapping themselves in the flag and the Constitution is almost macabre.

      The Republic is a rotting corpse, and they’re the necrophiliacs.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Pelosi flat out called it an “armed insurrection against America”. She can go sit on her ice cream pop sticks and spin

      • See Double You

        It’s kind of amazing how our political culture has flipped (yet again!) – I find myself agreeing with leftists when they were out of power* some decades ago, quoting Che Guevara’s “one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.”

        Note how quickly Democrats in general and the far left in particular have jumped on traditionally “conservator” terminology – they’re the patriots, they love the Constitution – Trumpalos** are traitors, insurrectionists, terrorists.

        The reason is simple – the left has more power than it has ever had since at least the New Deal Era, if not since the French Revolution. Anyone who challenges it must be put down swiftly and mercilessly.

        *I know, the left has never truly been out of power – they’ve always had a stranglehold on education, for example.

        **As we know, Trumpalos include just about everyone who does not fully buy the leftwing narrative.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        No they are vampires, sucking as hard as they can to get as much of that sweet, sweet power from it.

      • Lachowsky

        There may be a dozen people in congress who give two shits about the Constitution. Maybe, and Pelosi sure as shit ain’t one of them.

    • Count Potato

      24 hours, tops

    • Urthona

      Treason shouldn’t even a crime.

      I should be able to like and help whatever country I want.

      These countries need to be competing for MY business!

  48. Vacuous

    Never in my life have I been more proud to be an American than when I saw the pictures of Congress cowering in fear yesterday.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      I did find that delicious

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      Yes. They should be afraid of the people. Particularly Americans, we have a reputation for being ornery and recalcitrant,

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      I wonder how they feel about walls now?

      • Gustave Lytton

        Uniformly, they’ve been quite happy with them in the form of gated communities that they’re a part of.

    • grrizzly
      • Rebel Scum

        Even that is political theater though.

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      Like an abusive spouse.

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      As we know, Trump was just the avatar for something much bigger and these chuckle-heads’ inability/unwillingness to see it is not going to have any good outcomes, for anybody.

      • WTF

        That’s why they need to “cleanse” the deplorables. They actually feel secure to come right out and say it.

      • Ownbestenemy

        After yesterday, I am surprised Twitter didn’t dump Malice.

      • Tundra

        Yesterday? He’s been more aggressive today.

        Weird, isn’t it?

      • Ownbestenemy

        From his feed…

        Carl Benjamin posted, “The storming of the Capitol was just a no knock raid on the Feds.”

    • Rebel Scum

      Cleansing the movement he commands is going to be something else.

      Collectivists/leftists always have a solution. Sometimes it is final.

  49. Count Potato

    “Trump told the protesters to go home, and leave the Capitol peacefully, but ALL the social media platforms deleted his video and the mainstream media claims he encouraged the unrest to continue.”

    https://twitter.com/MarkDice/status/1347117320808747011

    If you look at the picture, the headline doesn’t even match the story.

    • limey

      What was with the cops appearing to show the protestors into the Capitol in the first place? Reports of 60 cops injured now? 48 hour rule, or will it all be totally buried by The Narrative by then?

      • Urthona

        how in the fuck were 60 cops injured from running away?

      • See Double You

        “Injured” is such a nebulous term as to include slight discomfort from brushing against someone.

      • Rebel Scum

        Tripped? Stubbed a toe?

      • Gadfly

        The cops used pepper spray and tear gas at one point – they could have injured themselves. Although, I did see video of protesters shoving cops at one point, so imagine they did do some damage (bruises and whatnot) as well.

    • Ownbestenemy

      That is the only place you will find it and destruction of it is, for now, prohibited under Federal law. No media is going to bring up that ever. The world started in Jan 2017 and is going to renew itself in Jan 2021.

  50. Vacuous

    We should impeach Trump once more for good measure.

    • Ownbestenemy

      It is two fold – give that final black mark on his presidency and to prohibit him from seeking office in the future.

    • limey

      If you strike me down now I will make America great again more than you could possibly imagine, or something

  51. Ted S.

    So I got my pay stub today. We’re supposed to get a raise in January, but I wasn’t surprised the raise didn’t go through yet since the pay period ended with the holiday in Jan. 1.

    *However*… my paycheck was $1.50 *smaller* than normal. I get home and look at old pay stubs to see which tax has been raised, and it’s New York’s “paid family leave” tax.

    Two years ago when it was instituted, we were told it wouldn’t be more than a buck a week for most people, and it was $1.60 on my biweekly paycheck. In 2020, that went up to $2.80. Today, it went up to $5.30.

    Fuck the tax addicts in Albany.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Well Ted, you see it IS under a $1.00, in 2018/19 but inflation and such we had to adjust. Here is your ration, have a nice day.

      • Mojeaux

        ration of gruel*

  52. rhywun

    This is how classy the NY Post “News” page is now:

    The last post to Greeson’s Twitter account, on July 28, cited a discredited claim by President Trump that hydroxychloroquine is a cure for COVID-19.

    This guy had a heart attack in DC yesterday.

  53. rhywun

    This is how classy the NY Post “News” page is now:

    The last post to Greeson’s Twitter account, on July 28, cited a discredited claim by President Trump that hydroxychloroquine is a cure for COVID-19.

    This guy had a heart attack in DC yesterday.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Twice? Man that sucks.

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      At least they ran the Hunter Biden story.

      • rhywun

        Yes, from the editorial staff – which is halfway decent.

        Their news staff, however, has been utterly skinsuited by the left.

    • Count Potato

      To be fair, it never was classy. Well, maybe not never, it’s very old, but not in my lifetime.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, I hesitated over that word. Consider it a humorous usage.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      He’s right, of course,

    • Raven Nation

      I suspect Steyn might take over Rush’s show on a permanent basis. I might listen to him semi-regularly.

  54. DrOtto

    Get the Tru-Coat – the sales manager usually won’t budge on the price.

  55. Shpip

    So I started a little NFL playoffs fantasy football thing, if you’re not completely disgusted by the league this year and boycotting / ignoring it.

    Go here

    League name: Glib Picks
    Password: Glibertarians

    It’s a “progressive” league, so if you play the same person multiple weeks in a row, you get 2x, 3x, even 4x points for them. Which rewards prognostication as much as player picking. Check the rules before making your picks.

  56. Ownbestenemy

    I was thinking of a complete brain dump of rational and irrational thought here…instead, I look over, see my pup curled up in his bed hugging a pillow and think…my life is still pretty damn awesome.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Sweet Puppy!

      • Ownbestenemy

        He is a pain in the ass, but sweet indeed.

    • wdalasio

      Now that I have a place of my own, I’m really thinking of getting a dog. I’d like to go with a rescue dog. But, I have to admit, the idea of a Boykin Spaniel (good house dog that can be trained to be a terrific hunter) really appeals to me. Of course, I’m a sucker for dogs, so I’m sure I’d be good with just about anything.

  57. Vacuous

    I had an opportunity to attend the dc protest yesterday and passed on it. I wish I would have gone. Here are a few protest sign ideas I had.

    Republicans for Sedition

    All* Lives Matter
    *excluding polititions and police

    Let’s Co-opt antifa

    • Lachowsky

      “Rightwing riots matter”

  58. Mojeaux

    Just made it 8 minutes (including commercials) into this new sitcom Call Me Kat (which I was only willing to try because Mayim Bialik), then noped the fuck outta there. My husband is far more forgiving, He made it 14 minutes.

    • Urthona

      It came on in the background on Sunday and it was painfully written.

    • rhywun

      I couldn’t even make it through the commercial for it.

      • Mojeaux

        Mr Mojeaux and I struggle to find things we can watch together.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Me either. Wife wants to watch it because of mayim whatsherface, but the ads completely turned me off to it.

      • Urthona

        The laugh track felt dated in Big Bang Theory. no more laugh track shows please.

    • Ownbestenemy

      We like Mayim Bialik as an actress and it is sad to hear this. Maybe we will throw it on to ensure it is us that do not like it and not something I read on the intertweebs.

    • Gender Traitor

      Been seeing the promos for weeks and could tell it was lame. Of course, it’s been years since I followed any live action sitcom.

    • l0b0t

      Is that the one where she opens the cat cafe? I was on the verge of downloading it last night but didn’t pull the trigger.

  59. grrizzly

    How the White House COVID Task Force sunk the Trump presidency

    By agreeing to Fauci and Birx’s initial COVID ransom situation demands, the president set in motion a wave of momentum against him that he could never get back.

    We are now just days away from President Trump being replaced by Joe Biden, and the White House COVID Task Force, led by career bureaucrats and incompetent politicians, continues its broken mission. For reasons that remain unclear, Fauci, Birx, and the gang remain on the COVID Task Force, and to this day, the White House is still delivering corona panic to states across the nation. The Task Force will live on, and to the not-so-hidden delight of its members, President Trump is president no more.

    Pence is also to blame. He picked Fauci and Birx.

  60. zwak

    So, I went to look at that serial killer pictures thingy, and it immediately defaulted to an ad for the dating game.

    Coincidence?

  61. l0b0t

    Not gonna lie – I sometimes feel I’m close to just checking out, like Chance The Gardner using the television remote to ward off the hoodlums. I just found another big tranche of Amos & Andy radio shows from the ’20s and ’30s (the old 8 minute nightly episodes). Nostalgia ahoy!

    • rhywun

      Nostalgia ahoy!

      Damn. How old are you?!

  62. Stillhunter

    The No Agenda podcast from today has another solid deconstruction/analysis.

    • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

      In the morning!

  63. Rebel Scum

    Strange.

    Meanwhile, Trump supporters march down the streets of Tokyo (Reuters)

    Is that real?

    Odd.

    JUST IN – Pelosi tried to call VP Mike Pence this morning to urge him to remove President Trump. She was kept on hold for 25 minutes before she was told Pence would not take her call (CNN).

    Perhaps their tiff wasn’t so bad?

    • Count Potato

      I’ve seen a number of videos and stories of pro-Trump demonstrations in other countries.

    • Urthona

      Largest metropolitan area in the world. They could probably hold a rally for anyone and anything.

    • Q Continuum

      She was Gilfoyle’s girlfriend on Silicon Valley.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Yas it was

    • DEG

      That is amusing.

    • Seguin

      Also was in a decent little show called Other Space.

    • DEG

      No face diapers. Excellent selection of women.

      The woman on the right in #71 does something for me.

      Excellent gallery.

  64. commodious spittoon

    Seems pretty clear that progressivism is a cult and yesterday was the desecration of Dear Leader’s shrine.

  65. Rebel Scum

    Fanning the flames of tolerance, truth, healing and reconciliation.

    “What we witnessed yesterday was not dissent. It was not disorder. It was not protest. It was chaos. They weren’t protesters. Don’t dare call them protesters. They were a riotous mob. Insurrectionists. Domestic terrorists. It’s that basic, it’s that simple.”

    C’mon, man. MAGA protesters are just an idea.

    • hayeksplosives

      Shut up, you dog-faced pony soldier.

      Seriously, the press should insist on lots of face time with Biden so they can worship him.

      Then when he speaks extemporaneously, they will be forced to spin every word or cut the live feed or something. I want them to feel at least a little shame for getting an unkind, below average intelligence, increasingly senile oligarch elected president.

      • Rebel Scum

        I await Biden’s hour long, impromptu press conferences with Marine 1 idling in the background.

    • rhywun

      Now do Portland et al.

      I can’t even with him anymore, and he’s not even in fucking charge yet.

      • But Enough About [this space intentionally left blank]

        . . . he’s not even in fucking charge yet.

        And won’t be after he’s sworn in, either. I wonder how many different kinds of cocktails you can make with Aricept™ as one of the main ingredients?

  66. Count Potato

    ““It is unclear how the Capitol Police force — with 1,879 sworn officers and a budget of $515.5 million — was unable to protect Congress.” As one lawmaker said, “I think it’s pretty clear that there’s going to be a number of people who are going to be without employment very, very soon,” owing to the “lack of professional planning and dealing with what we knew was going to occur.”

    https://nypost.com/2021/01/07/americans-dont-want-change-and-other-commentary/

    $515.5 million??

    • rhywun

      $275K per officer. A bargain to safeguard Democracy™.

      • Fourscore

        ” number of people who are going to be without employment very, very soon,”

        Yes, I’m sure there will be but it won’t be any union people.

    • hayeksplosives

      This is their last chance to “prove” that Trump is pure evil and we needed the Dems to save us from his unlawful assumption of the presidency on Jan 20, 2017.

      They would love to have an asterisk by Donnie’s name in the history books as an illegitimate president who almost overthrew the government, which is pure as the driven snow.

      That statement you quote is dripping with glee about firing “Trump loyalists.” They’re looking forward to threatening the livelihoods of all wrong thinkers.

      • wdalasio

        They’re looking forward to threatening the livelihoods of all wrong thinkers.

        For the good of the country, I hope they’re not ready to pull the pin on that grenade. Because that’s when things get really ugly. It’s been said that the right and middle class doesn’t protest or riot because they have too much to lose. Break that and, I think, all hell breaks loose. They didn’t like Donald Trump. I think they’re really not going to like what they get when their continued existence means the threat of starvation for half the country.

      • hayeksplosives

        They foolishly believe it was all about Trump (maybe that is a complication of TDS) so they think if they remove Trump, they own everything now and can push the proggie agenda unopposed.

        They ignore the fact that Trump is just a symptom of the deep dissatisfaction of the American people with what the lifelong beltway dwellers have offered for decades.

    • Raven Nation

      ““I think it’s pretty clear that there’s going to be a number of people who are going to be without employment very, very soon,” owing to the “lack of professional planning and dealing with what we knew was going to occur”

      Man, if we could apply that thinking to all of government at all levels.

  67. Count Potato

    Bitcoin is at $40K

    • Don escaped Two Corinthians

      USD ~ 1/50 of a barrel of WTI . . . similar nonsense

    • hayeksplosives

      Tesla blew past $800/share today.

      Musk will have.a target on his back due to his failure to kiss the leftist ring. Even remaining politically neutral will not be enough.

      • Rebel Scum

        He fled to TX right? TX secedes. Musk leads the TX Republic space program. Trump immigrates and becomes the president of TX.

        remaining politically neutral will not be enough

        It can’t be because then you are a traitor la revolucion, comrade.

      • Don escaped Two Corinthians

        TSLA: 2% return on assets

        for this I am to pay over 100X earnings

        mmmmmmkay

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      The Fed will be along shortly to remedy that.

  68. Count Potato

    Imagine being this asshole:

    “The Senate floor is sacred. One of the last holy places in the United States government. To profane it in this way turns my stomach. In my short career at the Senate, I have never even touched the Senate well, nor been on the dais. Disgusting.”

    https://twitter.com/anangbhai/status/1347000648009719810

    • Rebel Scum

      holy places in the United States government

      It was built with slave labor and inhabited by slave owners. What say you now?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      So fucking weird

    • Raven Nation

      This kind of thinking is a huge problem across the political spectrum.

  69. commodious spittoon

    NM roasted green chile green

    Carbonized green with hints of red flashing out?

    • But Enough About [this space intentionally left blank]

      Dee-LISH on a hot-off-the-grill burger!

    • Rebel Scum

      Wasn’t it great back in the day when we didn’t know a corporation’s political affiliation? Those were good times.

    • rhywun

      I hope that’s real.

      • Count Potato

        The Trump tweet is.

      • rhywun

        Outstanding riposte. It delivers exactly the right amount of dignity that CocaCola deserves.

  70. westernsloper

    408 comments? Don’t you people work?

  71. westernsloper

    If you have any car buying recommendations and tips, I’d love to hear them.

    Find a car you like and pay cash. I am sure you will. Other than that I got nothing.

  72. Count Potato

    The one Uygur I’m in support of China putting in a labor camp:

    “Actually the Boston Tea Party was done by left-wing radicals. They wanted to overthrow the establishment & right-wing at the time supported the monarchy. The Founding Fathers were in a sense the original #Antifa.”

    https://twitter.com/cenkuygur/status/1347267816169226242

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      I can’t decide if he’s historically illiterate or mendacious.

      • Count Potato

        Both. He doesn’t care that he’s lying.

      • Rebel Scum

        He is a moron that thinks he is smart.

    • Rebel Scum

      It was a protest against an taxes…totally left-wing.

      • Rebel Scum

        an

        What is proofreading?

  73. db

    what the damn kids are up to these days

    I was going to post the official version of “Bitchin’ Camaro” in response to the “Camaro” link but this popped up and I had to watch it.

    • limey

      Magnificent.