356 Comments

  1. Rat on a train

    Janet Yellen blames Americans’ ‘splurging’ for record-high inflation
    You did build that.

    • WTF

      Yeah, the trillions of dollars of funny money the government pumped into the economy had nothing to do with it.

      • Grumbletarian

        Of course not. It’s like you don’t even MMT, dude.

  2. Pat

    Janet Yellen blames Americans’ ‘splurging’ for record-high inflation

    “We kept interest rates at zero percent for 20 consecutive years, but we never expected it would encourage consumption and punish savings!”

    Christ on a fucking bike. I’m sitting on a worthless business degree from a no name school and this is who’s running the world’s largest central bank.

    • Fourscore

      I wouldn’t be surprised if some old dead guys had explained this in the past. Or even some still alive, like Tom Sowell . I recognized Yellen as a diversity hire years ago.

      • juris imprudent

        The reason you don’t hear much from economists is this is so long overdue that they don’t have a theory to account for it.

    • Fatty Bolger

      Spending money the government sent you on real products instead of putting it in zero interest bearing accounts is splurging, which makes the whole situation the fault of consumers.

      Companies raising prices due to inflating costs created by a massive influx of money into the system by the government is corporate greed, and definitely makes the whole situation the fault of the companies.

  3. Pat

    Kanye West Claims ‘I Like Hitler’ During Interview With Alex Jones

    In my head, he’s singing it to the tune of I Want Candy.

    • Sean

      Heh

    • SDF-7

      You’re an evil, evil earworm slinging man, Pat.

    • Banjos

      I know a fuhrer who’s soft and sweet
      He’s so fine, he can’t be beat
      Got everything that I desire
      Sets all of the Jews on fire

      I want Hitler
      I want Hitler

      • Pat

        10/10

      • WTF

        Maybe it makes me an awful person, but that made me laugh.

      • Gustave Lytton

        The theme song for the American remake of “Heil Honey, I’m Home”.

      • WTF

        Now I have to re-watch The Producers.

      • dbleagle

        The original please.

      • WTF

        As far as I am concerned there is only the original. Anything else is an abomination.

  4. Pat

    GOP senators to withhold support for Defense funding until they get vote to end military vax mandate

    I’m sure all of the servicemen who lost their careers and retirement over it sure do appreciate the empty fucking gesture 3 years later, Mitch.

    • SDF-7

      No Mitch in this one — the headline should have said “7 GOP Senators”: Rand, Mike Braun, Cruz, Dame Lindsey, Ron Johnson (you can call me ron… or you can call me john (son)), Mike Lee and Rick Scott.

      Rand at least is doing it from principle. Cruz and Dame Graham are doubtless doing it because recruiting is down and they think that’s part (I think the overt hostility to anyone not steeped in THE MESSAGE is more… no one from the traditional recruitment pool who would believe in God, Honor and Country is likely to want to have anything to do with the Biden Brigades).

      • Pat

        Heh, I should have known better than to think McConnell grew a spine. I suppose there’s a case to be made for reading the links before commenting…

      • WTF

        I suppose there’s a case to be made for reading the links before commenting…

        HERETIC!!

      • Nephilium

        Read the what now?

      • UnCivilServant

        The Manual.

        You know, that booklet you throw out after opening the box?

      • Count Potato

        Manual? You mean the single sheet of paper with a link to a pdf file?

      • Nephilium

        Just finished playing through Tunic, and one of the little clever bits of the game is that you collect manual pages as you go that explain how to do things. I was 5 pages short when I beat the game. I could go back and try to find the rest, but who’s got time for that when Midnight Suns drops today?

      • Rat on a train

        That’s mostly warnings of how not to use the product these days.

      • UnCivilServant

        Do not attempt to stop blades with face.

      • robc

        And pictograms instead of instructions. Can I please have some engrish? I cant figure out the stupid pictures.

      • Rat on a train

        [SAW] [HAND] [SAD PANDA]

      • nw

        I like to think of it as a list of ways in with the
        creatively incompetent have competed
        for a darwin award.

  5. UnCivilServant

    San Francisco, LA top list of cities homebuyers want to leave

    How much do you want to bet they also want to sell their current residence for the overinflated price they paid too?

    • SDF-7

      I’m sure they want to — if they expect to is a different ball game.

      • UnCivilServant

        Is it Blood Bowl? I haven’t played Blood Bowl in a while.

      • Nephilium

        Blood Bowl III is supposed to be coming out at some point soon. The first two computer translations were decent translations of the written rules, never really played it online too much though.

      • UnCivilServant

        I am aware. It’s been delayed twice so far though. (And I do own the first two.)

  6. Pat

    Sam Bankman-Fried Says FTX US Users Will Get 100 Percent of Their Money Back

    What he didn’t say is that the payments will be in his new shitcoin Friedcoin.

    • WTF

      Or maybe the Dem administration will bail him out. “Too big to fail” and all that.

      • Fourscore

        That’s the scary part. Put it on as a rider to the Free Student Loan Improvement bill.

      • Nephilium

        So, Fed to Ukraine, Ukraine to FDX, Ukraine to FDX, FDX to Democrat politicians, Democrat politicians take Fed, Fed to FDX? I think they need to put a step or two in there to at least attempt to hide it.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      What percentage of the deposits were US based?

      That thieving SOB is trying to avoid prison and the media is running interference for him. He didn’t unknowingly commingle funds, he straight up built a back door to take extract funds from FTX to Alameda Research.

      And that probably doesn’t even scratch the surface of the theft.

      • juris imprudent

        Madoff was at least paying off his higher-tier ‘investors’.

      • DrOtto

        You gotta get the cheerleaders behind the game.

  7. The Late P Brooks

    Seven GOP senators made the vow Wednesday at a Capitol Hill news conference, saying they would withhold the support if leaders of the Democrat-led chamber don’t allow a floor vote on their proposal, according to NBC News.

    Better than three, I guess.

    • R C Dean

      So, just a vote on their proposal (which are they are sure to lose), not actual inclusion in the bill?

      What was that about empty fucking gestures, again?

      • The Last American Hero

        Get the assholes on record.

  8. Pat

    Biden’s former COVID adviser tries to discredit randomized controlled trial that found no statistically significant real-world performance difference between surgical masks, N95s.

    I mean, he only backpedaled to that position months after he said they were useless talismans. You’re on the pension gravy train now, bud, why not just say you followed the science back to where it was for the last fucking century?

    • Certified Public Asshat

      The infection rate in the N95 group was 9.27%, and the surgical, 10.46%. The former suffered a slightly higher rate of adverse events — discomfort, headache and skin irritation — from wearing the coverings (13.6%) than did the latter (10.8%).

      That’s surprising. All masks are uncomfortable, but N95s (and above) are even more so, which is of course the biggest reason of all why making them mandatory is laughable.

      • PutridMeat

        Why “surprising”? I read it as N95 wearer reported/suffered from more adverse events related to act of wearing the mask than the surgical group, which is exactly what I’d expect – except that the fractions are closer (and much lower) than I’d expect.

      • UnCivilServant

        “reported”

        “Oh, I can’t breathe, I’ve got this persistant sore throat and a facial rash, but that’s not the mask’s fault”

      • Certified Public Asshat

        except that the fractions are closer (and much lower) than I’d expect.

        That was the surprising part, I would have expected a bigger spread.

      • PutridMeat

        Yes; I guess it’s an illustration of the adaptability and resilience of humans. “Oh it’s not that bad. Doesn’t bother me! It’s for a good cause.” An admirable trait in many circumstances, and certainly evolutionarily useful. Unfortunately, also highly amenable to exploitation.

  9. The Late P Brooks

    Graham says military recruitment had suffered as a result of vaccination requirements that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made mandatory last year for all service members. The requirement applies to all active duty and Ready Reserve service members including the National Guardsmen.

    “The problem here is that we’re having a dilemma we haven’t had in decades – and that’s finding enough people serving,” said Graham, the news outlet also reports.

    What a principled argument. “How can we have our glorious wars if we don’t have enough cannon fodder?”

    • UnCivilServant

      “At this point it’s either robots or clones. Since we don’t make anything anymore and clones still take nigh on twenty years to grow, we’re in trouble.”

    • rhywun

      Yeah, those boots on the ground in Ukraine have to come from somewhere.

  10. juris imprudent

    Senators flapping their gums about crypto – dumb as they ever were but determined to look like guardians of the republic.

    • WTF

      I’m sure they don’t understand how it works or what it even is, but they are sure going to regulate the shit out of it.

      • Not Adahn

        “Crypto is a series of wallets.”

      • rhywun

        “Lockboxes, if you will.”

      • Brawndo

        Ahhh like social security?

      • rhywun

        Now you’re cookin’ with gas.

      • juris imprudent

        “So how exactly do coins fit in those wallets?”

      • Not Adahn

        The cons get mined — with no oversight by MSHA!

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Let’s make Fetterman the new Cryptocurrency Czar, he’s as qualified as most of those idiots.

      • SDF-7

        Can we adapt Twain’s idea from Connecticut Yankee and just populate the entire Fed with nothing but cats? Less damage, more entertaining.

      • Sean

        “CSPAN ratings are at historic highs.”

  11. Not Adahn

    Sorry for the early off-topic, but today is really gnarly, and I need some info to finish up an article.

    How do you get superscripts in WP? ISTR you need markup language.

    • Pat

      You could just try copying it over from a word processor and see if it works. If not, probably wait until you’ve got everything else formatted how you like, then switch to the HTML tab and do them that way.

      • UnCivilServant

        Now I wonder if it works in a comment or not.

      • Pat

        There’s only one1 way to find out.

      • Pat

        So that’s a nope.

      • UnCivilServant

        I had tested it in my comment, then the site said I was commenting too fast when I tried to post my results.

      • Not Adahn

        Copying does not work, I’ll try these.

        I’ve had a terrible case of footnote envy ever since Eddie’s well researched, high-effort articles.

    • rhywun

      Testing… a² + b²

      If you’re on Windows you can insert superscript numbers – press Win+dot and look for them

      Mac has something similar

      • CPRM

        👍²

    • Grummun

      I’ve got the same problem with an article I have in draft. I see superscript in the WYSIWYG editor, and the “text” (HTML) view shows the sup tags, but no superscript in preview mode.

      • Pat

        You could try what rhywun suggested, or see if this works.

      • Tonio

        Thanks for that.

    • Tonio

      Short answer: Do you really need superscripts? This isn’t academic publishing.

      I’d try going the paste route, or using the technique Pat found (thanks).

      The WP Insert Special Character control (omega character) has superscript numerals 1, 2, and 3, but no higher (as always, WTF WP).

      If you have something like a math formula just take a screenshot of that and insert it as a illo. Embiggen before taking a screenshot as it’s okay to downscale images in WP but you never want to have to upscale them. This also works for text tables; DB does those by hand in HTML because he’s that type of person, normal people just cheat by using a screenshot.

      • Not Adahn

        But… all the classiest posts have footnotes!

      • Not Adahn

        Also, I’m proud of how I changed my serial numbers, even though it won’t be legible in the featured illo. And I am deliberately including text the same color as the background .

      • Grummun

        I tried Pat’s advice, after converting to block editor. Still no luck. Strangely, it renders correctly in mobile and tablet preview, it’s just desktop preview that is wrong.

        No superscript makes footnote markers weird. And, just on principle, it’d be nice if WP could correctly handle text formatting that has been part of HTML since inception. It is what it is, I’ll stop bitching now. Article is submitted.

  12. The Late P Brooks

    Previous RCTs in the COVID era have found mediocre protection from face coverings at best. A Danish study of 6,000 that had trouble getting published — and eventually landed in AIM — found no statistically significant difference between surgical and no-mask wearers.

    Misinformation!

    • WTF

      Yeah, pointing that out not too long ago could get you censored and banned from various platforms.
      Yet somehow Elon Musk’s free speech Twitter is the problem.

      • juris imprudent
    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Here’s the thing: Studies don’t matter and this will change precisely nothing.

  13. The Late P Brooks

    no one from the traditional recruitment pool who would believe in God, Honor and Country is likely to want to have anything to do with the Biden Brigades

    I have to think those kids have enough friends and family members currently serving to be getting an earful of first hand reporting on the Modern Army.

    • dbleagle

      I know my experience is not a true study but since the 2020 election I have seen a large uptick of people retiring right at 20 years or good Colonels/SGM just saying “fuck it” and dropping their retirement papers. The Services are bleeding out at the top from the people you would want to stay leaving. This of course, leads to more of those you don’t want in getting promoted. The military has a huge issue right now.

  14. Penguin

    This Florida Move Is the Largest Anti-ESG Divestment in History

    Not really sure I want DeSantis to run for Pres in ’24. I have to imagine he’d bring along most of his staff, and this is by far the most competent (state) governance I’ve seen in my lifetime. Unless that changes, Ronny can stick around.

    • SDF-7

      DeSantis could spend the next two years making sure his staff mentors and lines up decent successors. Probably a good idea anyway.

      White House Press Secretary Christina Pushaw would bloody rock… FL should take one for the team to make that happen. 😉

      • Tres Cool

        Her mouth is WAY too wide. They didnt skin-suit her properly.

    • Drake

      How would he win? What state that was rigged for Biden in 2020 wouldn’t be rigged again?

      • Penguin

        Joe Biden has two more years. And some normies might find even they can’t put up with it for another four.

  15. Pat

    It’s not racist to ask where someone is from

    Senior royal aide Lady Susan Hussey has resigned from her role, following a race row at Buckingham Palace.

    Charity boss Ngozi Fulani accused Hussey of ‘abuse’, following an awkward conversation they had at a charity event at Buckingham Palace this week. Fulani says she was repeatedly asked by Hussey where she was ‘really’ from. Although Fulani said she is from Hackney and is British, Hussey kept up the same line of questioning. Fulani has likened the conversation to an ‘interrogation’. She is of the view that Hussey was trying to make her feel ‘unwelcome’ in her ‘own space’. Following Hussey’s resignation, Buckingham Palace has described her questioning as ‘unacceptable and deeply regrettable’. A spokesperson for Prince William, who is Hussey’s godson, denounced her in the strongest possible terms, intoning that ‘racism has no place in our society’.

    But is it really racist to ask where someone is from? Or even where they are ‘really’ from? Many ethnic-minority Brits will have been asked this question on multiple occasions, often by older white British people. In a spirit of mutual understanding, I always give an answer that reflects the sense of pride I have in the multiple layers of my identity – I was born in Hammersmith in west London, my family home is in Luton and I am predominantly of Bangladeshi-Muslim origin.

    I have never taken ‘Where are you from?’ to be a racially malicious line of questioning. It is almost always intended to be friendly. It is a sign of interest and curiosity. It is the kind of question that can lead to a truly interesting conversation. Family migratory stories are often fascinating. Besides, some elderly white British folk are genuinely proud to see younger non-white people, who have parents who came from lands afar, making progress in modern-day Britain.

    Yet tragically, in our current environment, innocent curiosity, when expressed with the wrong words, can all too easily be treated as a racist ‘microaggression’. And as the response to Lady Hussey’s remarks show, today’s environment is especially unforgiving, if not downright hostile, towards white British people in older generations who are not up to speed with the new politically correct codes of conduct.

    • juris imprudent

      When Irish meet Irish there is a fairly in-depth discussion of who is from where and what connections might be drawn from that. What you do for a living – usually an early subject for us – doesn’t come up until much later.

    • Tonio

      Her late husband, Marmaduke Hussey, had perhaps the coolest name ever.

    • Pine_Tree

      This was the crown’s chance to stand up and say “knock off the oversensitive woke shit – she’s an old lady and you know perfectly well what she meant”, and they (of course) blew it.

      It would have been the perfect chance to turn the corner on stuff like this.

      • Brawndo

        As others have noted, Britain is being conquered by it’s former colonies.

    • UnCivilServant

      Didn’t the Angles, Saxons, Danes, and Normans learn from their own history what trouble it is to let foreigners settle in? Maybe they should ask the Welsh.

  16. The Late P Brooks

    The University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, led by former White House COVID adviser Michael Osterholm — a strong booster of N95s — published a report that tried to discredit the findings.

    It emphasized the surgical group wore N95s during “aerosol-generating procedures,” infections may have occurred outside the hospital, and only 81% of the N95 group reported wearing them “all the time.”

    “We just don’t need another poorly designed and conducted study on this,” Osterholm said in CIDRAP’s report, claiming that N95s’ superiority over surgical masks was already settled.

    We don’t need any more studies (poorly designed or not) which contradict our preferred prefabricated conclusions.

    • Grumbletarian

      Daily Quordle 312
      7️⃣🟥
      5️⃣🟥

      Trapped in the ‘got four of five letters right, screw up multiple times’ trap.

      • SDF-7

        Believe it or not (from my scores), I resisted that trap this time and waited until other letters revealed the fourth in UR. My problem was both the lefts didn’t get almost anything from the rights so had to take long shots by the end.

        But we’ve all been there, man… enjoy the Chumptown Coffee Shop, I understand from my last mayoral visit they got a couple new blends to try.

    • Sean

      Daily Quordle 312
      8️⃣4️⃣
      7️⃣5️⃣
      quordle.com

    • Pat

      Daily Quordle 312
      6️⃣3️⃣
      7️⃣9️⃣

      Narrowly missed the Chumptown exit. Seriously though, LR? I had the last 4. It’s not like you can make half a dozen words with the remaining letters on the board or anything…

      • SDF-7

        Yeah, I got lucky with that one — my starting seed had the first letter. By the time it became probable what the rhyming last letters were, I could just use it.

      • robc

        LR and UR had that same problem.

        I had 4 on both with an infinity of possible results.

    • robc

      Chessle 293 (Expert) 4/6

      ⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨🟨🟨🟨🟩⬛
      🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛🟩🟨
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩⬛🟩⬛
      🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

      https://jackli.gg/chessle

      Another weird one that I got.

      • robc

        Daily Quordle 312
        7️⃣5️⃣
        8️⃣9️⃣
        quordle.com

        Hit a 1/3 on LR to not crap out.

    • Tundra

      Daily Quordle 312
      🟥6️⃣
      7️⃣5️⃣

      Didn’t see that coming!

    • Grummun

      Bad day.

      4 9
      X X

      So many options for the two on the right, I didn’t even get to guessing LL.

    • rhywun

      BL – AYFKM?

      Daily Quordle 312
      6️⃣3️⃣
      8️⃣4️⃣

    • Penguin

      Daily Quordle 312
      6️⃣4️⃣
      🟥9️⃣
      quordle.com

      A wasted guess on UL & LR meant I didn’t even have a shot at LL.

  17. Count Potato

    “In October 2018, Hallie Biden, Hunter’s sister-in-law, disposed of the gun in a dumpster behind a grocery store but later returned to find it had disappeared. An investigation followed due to the dumpster’s proximity to a school and fears it could be used in a crime. The firearm was never recovered and the Secret Service reportedly visited the gun shop and took possession of the purchase records.”

    https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/judicial-watch-accuses-secret-service-changing-stories-hunter-bidens-gun

    What a great family.

    • Sean

      What kind of loser only has one gun?

    • Pat

      I guess maybe there is a reason to own a semi-auto after all.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      No doubt and as far as Hunter’s alleged relationship with her daughter, well, don’t even look into that one.

    • Gustave Lytton

      I’m surprised the ATF jackboots haven’t fucked over the gun store for failing to maintain those records. Another fed agency taking them without court order or legal authority is hardly a defense.

      • juris imprudent

        ATF was probably unaware and now that this is out will be paying a visit to shut down that gun store.

    • wdalasio

      I’m wildly less bothered by the fact that she threw a gun in a dumpster than that the Secret Service basically covered the incident up for her. They’re supposed to be agents of the federal government, not the president’s private henchmen. That’s what the FBI is for.

      • Gustave Lytton

        The SS have been doing that for years. Look at how they handled the Bush daughters underage clubbing/drinking. They see themselves as bodyguards not federal law enforcement agents.

      • Count Potato

        Teenage drinking is way different.

      • The Last American Hero

        Or Kennedy’s or Clinton’s numerous romantic encounters. (Again, not the same as the gun thing).

      • pistoffnick

        I cannot comprehend why anyone would throw a gun away.

      • UnCivilServant

        Well, if you’ve just shot half a dozen people and there’s no paper trail connecting it to you…

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I figure the only reason we haven’t heard how stupid and/or corrupt Beau was is because he died before it came to light. That whole family is trashy beyond belief.

      • Fourscore

        Not when you can tip a boat over accidentally.

      • Not Adahn

        But you understand why they’d take the cannoli, right?

  18. Pat

    Climate of fear putting patients at risk, say doctors

    Former and current clinicians at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Trust allege they were punished by management for raising safety concerns, a BBC Newsnight investigation found.

    One insider said the trust was “a bit like the mafia”.

    The trust said it took “patient safety very seriously”.

    It said it had a “high reporting culture of incidents” to ensure accountability and learning.

    Staff concerns included a dangerous shortage of nurses and a lack of communication leading to some haematology patients dying without receiving treatment, an investigation by BBC Newsnight and BBC West Midlands found.

    The trust – which is rated “requires improvement” by healthcare regulator the Care Quality Commission – is one of the largest in the UK, with four hospitals serving more than two million patients a year.

    The deaths of 20 patients in the haematology department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which is run by the trust, led to a review in 2017 by consultant Emmanouil Nikolousis.

    Mr Nikolousis, who left the trust in 2020, told the BBC he was shocked by the failings he found and believes patients’ lives could have been saved.

    When will America finally get a first world health care system like that?

  19. The Late P Brooks

    Claiming he was “shocked” at what happened with FTX, Bankman-Fried insisted at the summit that he didn’t “ever try to commit fraud on anyone” and that he made mistakes as the company’s chief executive.

    “I unknowingly commingled funds,” Bankman-Fried said, while adding that he was surprised by the extent of risk that some of the company’s subsidiaries had taken with client funds. “But I wasn’t trying to commingle funds.”

    How was I supposed to know prices go down, as well as up?”

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      What amazes me is how effing stupid some of the lenders were. They were provided liquidity to FTX and accepting FTX’s shitcoin (FTT) as collateral. If FTX has financial problems then their shitcoin is going to be worthless as well.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      I wasn’t trying to be an asshole. It just came naturally.

  20. robc

    Final update on nephew’s trial situation:

    His attacker accepted a plea deal this week. I don’t know exact details, but he plead guilty to a misdemeanor and if he stays clean for 3 years, it is expunged from his record. He gets to stay in the Marines but was bumped down to private. He owes my nephew $20k in restitution, some percentage of his pay will be garnished until he pays it in entirety. The military will do it, so at least as long as he stays in, that will happen. I am guessing if he ever leaves the military and gets another job, my nephew will have to go back to court to get the garnishment to happen.

    • Pat

      I missed the beginning of that story, but it sounds like a shitty situation. Sorry.

      • robc

        Short version: My nephew was jumped in a bar parking lot in March. Had to have immediate head surgery. Lots of therapy. He is back to 99% or so, probably as good as he will be, but it could have been much worse.

      • Pat

        Yikes. That sentence sounds like a bad fucking joke under the circumstances. I’m glad your nephew recovered to that extent at least, but that’s getting off pretty light.

      • robc

        My nephew went along with it. He figured a conviction for felony assault meant he got no restitution.

        And the guy was going to fight the felony assault charge, as that meant a dishonorable discharge from the Marines. I think he wants to be career military.

      • Dakotain

        His military career is over. The days of getting busted down and recovering are long gone. He will be able to serve out the rest of his contract, but he will not be able to re-enlist.

    • DEG

      That’s at least something.

  21. Count Potato

    “West shared an image (redacted above) of a Nazi swastika inside a Star of David, a religious symbol in Judaism, indicating it would the logo for his proposed 2024 presidential campaign”

    Lame that it’s redacted. How is a swastika inside a Star of David inciting violence??

    Also, the post reads “YE24 LOVE EVERYONE #LOVESPEECH” Which sounds like the opposite of inciting violence.

    If being a crazy person on Twitter is against rules, Elon is going to have to ban half the people there.

    • juris imprudent

      Taylor Lorenz crushed.

      • Not Adahn

        By a bus?

    • rhywun

      indicating it would the logo for his proposed 2024 presidential campaign

      lolwut

      Seek meds, Ye.

    • PieInTheSky

      Hindus really should take the swastika back

    • Count Potato

      IANAL, but doesn’t inciting violence have a reasonably strict definition? Elon has said he would allow any speech that wasn’t illegal.

      • Brawndo

        Still waiting on the Taliban to be kicked off twitter

    • Certified Public Asshat

      How is a swastika inside a Star of David inciting violence??

      I’m not entirely sure what to think about it, but what do you think it symbolizes?

      • Pat

        what do you think it symbolizes?

        “Jews are as bad as Nazis”; possibly “Jews are the real Nazis”

        Which isn’t an uncommon sentiment in certain Islamic circles, both the traditional and black American varieties. It’s inflammatory. Inciting violence? Iffy. Definitely iffy. If intimating that someone is a Nazi is an incitement to violence then most of the internet would need to be shut down.

      • tarran

        It’s not inciting violence, but this isn’t a situation where people are thinking clearly.

        Basically, our cultural zeitgeist is that bad things must not be looked at because they contain an almost magical power. People are losing the ability to contemplate evil judiciously while trusting in their ability to retain their goodness.

        Honestly, Kanye’s mad ideas shouldn’t be treated with fear but with derision. Unfortunately people are acting like he is invoking powerful magical words and images of power, thus granting him power he does not deserve.

      • rhywun

        I honestly can’t be bothered with this. If Twitter wants to censor “hate”, go for it – most every other website out there would ban this display too.

        It’s the censorship of political views and “misinformation” that’s the bigger problem. If Elon stops that, yay.

      • Count Potato

        Aren’t crazy political views still political views? Just forty years ago gay marriage was lunatic fringe.

      • rhywun

        I s’pose. Just shooting off at the mouth.

        Is there a line to draw somewhere? I dunno.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        I don’t want to slip down the slope, but you don’t really need to squint to see what the Swastika has historically done to the Star of David.

        I think Elon did the right thing, but good luck to him on writing out the perfect rules for TOS.

      • R.J.

        Agreed. There are definitely cultural pariahs that transcend the usual rules of political discourses. Putting swastikas on things (in a serious, non-jokey manner) is definitely one of them. Writing those business rules will be awful. I’d love to attend those rule writing sessions.

      • Mojeaux

        Inciting violence? Iffy. Definitely iffy.

        Not iffy. Absolutely not.

        The only real targets are people who are not going to rise up and fight back. Nazis? No. Jews? No. Christians? No. Catholics? No.

        Notice nobody ever says a word against Islam, about its treatment of women and gays or…just about anything else. There’s a reason for that.

      • Nephilium

        Well, there was the group that put up signs saying, “Islam is right about women” around college towns. I thought that was an excellent troll of the proggy mindset.

      • ron73440

        Best part were the women being interviewed tying themselves into logical pretzels trying to defend Islam and explain why it was wrong to post the fliers.

    • tarran

      I have to say, setting aside the ghastly inappropriate symbiology, the pattern itself has a very artistically appealing intricateness and complexity to it.

    • Not Adahn

      Isn’t that the Raelian sign?

      • DEG

        An older version of the Raëlian symbol.

    • Nephilium

      Was he on the interstate?

      • Tundra

        Very nice.

    • PieInTheSky

      some people have too much free time

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      I guess it was his cross to bear.

      • Fourscore

        I wooden have expected anything less.

      • dbleagle

        Fourscore nails it.

      • Tundra

        He certainly gets to the crux of the matter.

    • The Last American Hero

      How did they get in a fight? Did the motorist say mean things about Lt. Dan?

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      The missionary was in a bad position.

      • R.J.

        Thank you for playing! You have won the comment of the day on Glibertarians. There is no prize, only the glory of a job well done.

  22. The Late P Brooks

    In an interview with CNN’s Howard Fischer, a former lawyer for the Securities and Exchange Commission called Bankman-Fried’s statements at the summit a form of “litigation suicide.”

    “Everything he says that turns out to be contradicted by admissible evidence will be taken as evidence of deceit … I don’t know if this is a sign of unrepentant arrogance, youthful overconfidence, or simply sheer stupidity,” he said.

    I can’t believe he would even show his face in public, much less do that Dealbook thing. People of that caste are shameless.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Perhaps he thinks he untouchable because he’s paid off all the right people.

      • rhywun

        He’s probably right. But that would require finding a fall-guy – perhaps that weird chick in his harem.

    • Not Adahn

      The wilder thing is that journalismists are taking what he says at face value.

  23. Tres Cool

    whaddup doh’

    • UnCivilServant

      More accurate headline “Unesco Heritage Label diluted to meaninglessness”

      • Nephilium

        It wasn’t already?

        /pops a bottle of “Champagne”

      • UnCivilServant

        I hope that sparkling vinegar had better have been produced in the Sham Pane region of Taiwan, Mister.

  24. PieInTheSky

    Archeologists Unearth Spectator snacks from the Roman Period in Colosseum

    https://arkeonews.net/archeologists-unearth-spectator-snacks-from-the-roman-period-in-colosseum/

    BRIAN:
    Larks’ tongues. Otters’ noses. Ocelot spleens.

    REG:
    Got any nuts?

    BRIAN:
    I haven’t got any nuts. Sorry. I’ve got wrens’ livers, badgers’ spleens–

    REG:
    No, no, no.

    BRIAN:
    Otters’ noses?

    REG:
    I don’t want any of that Roman rubbish.

    JUDITH:
    Why don’t you sell proper food?

    BRIAN:
    Proper food?

    REG:
    Yeah, not those rich imperialist tit-bits.

    BRIAN:
    Well, don’t blame me. I didn’t ask to sell this stuff.

    REG:
    All right. Bag of otters’ noses, then.

    FRANCIS:
    Make it two.

  25. The Late P Brooks

    Another front in the war

    The United States and its allies are about to deliver a double blow to Russia aimed at starving its oil revenues.

    First, the European Union will ban all seaborne imports of Russian oil, a move that takes effect Monday.

    Also, the U.S. and other members of the Group of Seven leading economies will attempt to impose a price cap on the oil Russia continues to sell to other parts of the world.

    The two moves are intended to limit Russia’s ability to fund its war in Ukraine but are designed to prevent disruptions in oil supplies that could cause higher prices.

    Analysts say the price cap, spearheaded by the U.S. Treasury Department, could be difficult to enforce.

    If there is a cap on the price of Russian oil, who gets to buy it and then resell it on the open market at a profit?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Because the rest of the world is going to go right along with it….

      Pull the other one.

    • Rat on a train

      Friends of the Big Guy as long as he gets his 10%.

    • WTF

      I notice that the Nordstream sabotage story has disappeared. The media seem oddly incurious about that.

      • juris imprudent

        “Mission Accomplished”

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Proverbs 4:23 NWV (New Woke Version)

        Above all else, guard your heart narrative, for everything you do flows from it.

    • rhywun

      ban all seaborne imports of Russian oil

      wut

      They really don’t like their subjects, do they?

      Bundle up harder, Europe.

      • Grumbletarian

        We may find out how many BTUs a Brussels bureaucrat puts out.

      • Brawndo

        I doubt it. The Netherlands just gave up food independence with out much of a fight. The elites in the EU are committing a no-shit genocide on their subjects.

      • UnCivilServant

        That remains to be seen. I can definately see violence when they try to actually take the land.

      • UnCivilServant

        The “without a fight” part.

        Note: I do not regard the government to be the country in this fight.

    • Not Adahn

      Analysts say the price cap, spearheaded by the U.S. Treasury Department, could be difficult to enforce

      We have such quality intellectuals.

      • Spartacus

        Breaking news: Venezuela announces that they have discovered a new oil field in their country that produces oil that is very similar to Russian oil, and has secretly been drilling for months, and is ready to begin sales and shipments immediately.

  26. juris imprudent

    I am so looking forward to the ever-so-careful criticism of the new minority leader, lest he be treated too harshly for his victim status.

    • AlexinCT

      He’s not worried. He knows the legacy media, the “fact checkers”, and most of social media are gonna be his D-Line. Nothing to worry. KJP is gonna tell us with a straight face that this brotha never denied any elections and has also been to the border…

    • Pat

      To be fair, minority is right there in the job title.

  27. The Late P Brooks

    The U.S. was concerned that the EU ban on oil and insurance could remove at least a million barrels a day of Russian crude off the market, causing a sharp spike in the price. Russia supplies about 10% of the world’s oil production.

    But the election is over, so we can go back to five dollar gasoline.

    • prolefeed

      Not nearly as good as the squishy links you posted recently, IMO.

  28. juris imprudent

    “We strongly advocate for FEMA to develop multi-language resources and culturally competent services for Asian American communities, which has more than 100 languages and 50 different ethnicities, to ensure that our communities are not at a disadvantage when danger strikes,” Yang added.

    Oh just fuck off.

    • AlexinCT

      There is no immigrant community more dedicated to learning English and integrating than Asians. From the Vietnamese, the Koreans, Chinese, Indians, and any of the other South East Asia communities, they come here to be Americans and chase dreams their own country denies them. So the corruptocracy is feeling compelled in this day & age where the Asians are realizing one team really doesn’t have their back, to engage in shallow grandstanding to make it easier to brainwash their kids into being mediocrats.

      • Michael Malaise

        Do you not AAPI bro?

        Such an insulting designation to foist on such a diverse group of peoples — as if Mongolians have so much in common with Polynesians.

      • tarran

        Only a white supremacist would deny the utility of racial classifications invented by … checks notes … white supremacists in the racial hygiene departments of state and federal governments.

    • rhywun

      LEARN TO ENGLISH

    • Grumbletarian

      Being expected to learn the predominant language in a region you move to is racism!

    • Rat on a train

      For the next few hours this station will air the same FEMA PSA in every language known.

    • Pope Jimbo

      How hard is it to broadcast a loop of Japanese crowds fleeing in horror while yelling “GOJIRA!!!!!!”?

      Or is that not what “culturally competent” means?

  29. DrOtto

    Reading the Ye article her and going back to SF’s Wednesday madness, is SF saying Milo doesn’t exist, and that he’s really Hunter?

    • DrOtto

      Here, not her

  30. The Late P Brooks

    It’s a balancing act between finding a price low enough to limit Russia’s profits but high enough to keep it producing oil.

    They all want cake.

  31. Tundra

    Good morning, Sloop!

    OK, now I’m pissed at Kanye’s people. When someone close to you is in the middle of an episode you don’t fucking let them out of the house, much less go on huge platforms and wreck their career. Idiots.

    I’m shocked to read that the masks are horseshit. Less shocked that stupid cocksucker Osterholm is still pushing them.

    I’m not a big Metallica fan, but that’s a 10/10. Both the song and the video.

    Have a great day!

    • Drake

      I remember coming home from Marine Boot Camp in 1989. My younger was watching MTV (because that’s what you did in ’89). He called me over when that song came on. I was stunned – never seen heavy metal done that well or that fast by the end. Been listening to Metallica ever since – several of their songs are on my gym cardio playlist.

  32. juris imprudent

    According to my model!

    The Raider will not make its first flight until 2023. However, using advanced computing, Warden said, Northrop Grumman has been testing the Raider’s performance using a digital twin, a virtual replica of the one being unveiled.

    • Grumbletarian

      I would call it the B-2.1 instead.

    • Gustave Lytton

      +1 Arthur Carlson School of Aviation Science

    • Rat on a train

      I remember a war simulator from the 90s (part of G-2 workstation). Commanders moved units around. Combat was simulated for losses of personnel and equipment. Intel units were added with shadow templating and all so we can participate. We had to place our assets correctly to get simulated radio traffic from enemy units. We discovered the combat algorithm didn’t work for our assets since it never allowed a single hit to cause 100% damage to a unit. Our units were single vehicles. They were invulnerable. We had one driving down a road followed by a tank battalion giving us reports. Eventually an OC killed the asset.

      • UnCivilServant

        It seems this required more playtesting.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Was that the one that ran on DEC hardware? I strongly disliked that one (probably because I got stuck as a “puckster” (clicking the mouse all day long).

      • Rat on a train

        I don’t know the hardware. We didn’t use the computers. We only had a telephone for simulated radio comms with our assets and and a printer for reports.

  33. The Late P Brooks

    Cahill says efforts to get countries outside the G-7 on board with the plans have not been successful, in part because they’re wary of the complicated plan.

    “I think there’s also some irritation with Western sanctions and the idea that, you know, the U.S. and the EU are really pushing countries to do this and they’re interfering with the global oil market,” Cahill adds. “They have a lot of skepticism. And I don’t think that India and China will sign the plan and fully endorse it.”

    No shit, Shirley?

    • Grumbletarian

      Really, infidelity constitutes anything that detracts from a relationship.

      Well that’s convenient. “Ackshually, babe, YOU cheated on ME first by gaining all that weight!”

      • prolefeed

        If you’ve bared your dick in person to someone not your wife, that seems like a bright line for cheating.

      • Sean

        Sending dick pics is OK?

      • pistoffnick

        Well, I was unable to drive the golf ball past the women’s tees…and the guys all said it was the rule.

        /last time I ever played golf

      • UnCivilServant

        So that’s why you were banned from the course.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Jeez, had sex with the corpse over several days presumably while he was also eating it. Talk about bringing dishonor to the family…

      • Pope Jimbo

        “Enough with the eating! Doesn’t anyone fuck anymore!”

      • AlexinCT

        Embracing the power of both!

  34. The Late P Brooks

    “We strongly advocate for FEMA to develop multi-language resources and culturally competent services for Asian American communities, which has more than 100 languages and 50 different ethnicities, to ensure that our communities are not at a disadvantage when danger strikes,” Yang added.

    What are the odds this has more to do with teaching them to abandon their foolish need for self-sufficiency and reliance on their own community, in order to make them more dependent on the government?

  35. ron73440

    Just got to listen to another Steve Harvey diatribe against Herschel Walker.

    Basically conservatives should be embarrassed by this cynical attempt to split the black vote.

    Harvey is also appealing to the non-black voter to not fall for this blatant racism on the part of the GOP.

    Then another rant about how dumb Walker is.

    My brain hurts.

      • ron73440

        I am lucky enough to listen to his morning “comedy” radio show in the office.

        I used to think he was a bland comedian. I have learned that he is an ignorant racist.

    • Drake

      Was it Tucker or somebody else who pointed out how unserious we have become about our politicians. I think he was talking about the trans thief in charge of our uranium and plutonium. PA race of brain-dead hobo versus Turkish carny is another instance. In AZ a crazy woman in charge of vote counting mysteriously won the Governor’s race. Or this mess in GA – wife-beating woke asshole versus dumb jock.

      • Fatty Bolger

        Yeah, I miss the good old days of upright serious statesman, like Ted Kennedy, Chris Dodd, and Strom Thurmond,

      • Count Potato

        The choice was never between steak and lobster.

        It used to be a donut or a hotdog.

        Now it’s between gas station sushi and an orange circus peanut.

    • Fourscore

      Obviously not in my neighborhood.

      Actually some neighbors do drop by with veggies or offers to help.

      Like the Glibs.

      • UnCivilServant

        some neighbors do drop by with veggies … Like the Glibs.

        😛

        I think it’s a bit late in the season to come by and vegitate though.

      • Pope Jimbo

        Orange you at least gonna try to help Fourscore through a tough Minnesoda winter?

      • AlexinCT

        You guys should have some veggie raffles to help out with the meat ones…

  36. KK the Porcine Pearl-Eater

    Am I the only one that finds The Quartering to be tediously boring? He’s literally explaining the difference between having checked bags and not having checked bags when you fly. I’ve tried to get into his content because I enjoy pop culture commentary as much as the next guy, but he just puts me to sleep.

    • UnCivilServant

      His business model relies on eight videos a day of minimum length. He needs to fill the time with something even when the subject doesn’t lend itself to that duration.

    • Penguin

      No. I also find him to be more annoying than even most video commenters.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Not the only one.

  37. The Late P Brooks

    Basically conservatives should be embarrassed by this cynical attempt to split the black vote.

    Them nigras belong to us! Don’t be stealing our propitty!

    • rhywun

      The left are the good kind of racists.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        The patronizing kind

  38. Pope Jimbo

    Commercial real estate bailouts in ….

    Owners of some of the most expensive office towers in the Twin Cities are choosing to walk away from their properties instead of continuing to make loan payments.

    What’s happening: The 30-story LaSalle Plaza in downtown Minneapolis is scheduled to go to auction next week after the previous owner, the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois, avoided foreclosure by transferring the building to its lender, Northwest Mutual.

    Nearby Fifth Street Towers is facing the same fate and may also go back to its lender this month, according to Axios’ sources who were not authorized to discuss the matter.

    Why it matters: Commercial properties make up nearly 30% of property taxes collected by Minneapolis. Auctions like the one for LaSalle Plaza will likely reduce the value of office towers, dealing a blow to the city’s tax base.

    What they’re saying: Steve Cramer, CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, is warning city council members that if they don’t pay attention to the health of the downtown office market, things will get worse for homeowners.

    • UnCivilServant

      Let them fail.

      And especailly let the city have to make spending cuts.

      • Sean

        And especailly let the city have to make spending cuts.

        LOL, sure…that will happen.

      • Pope Jimbo

        Given that Minneapolis and St. Paul provided the entire margin of the DFL wins in statewide races, I am sure the plan will be to go to the legislature and demand that the state government step in and give the Cities handouts to prevent their tax cattle from feeling the full effect of the city governments management.

        The farmers out on the western prairie, the Rangers and the hog slaughterers in southern Minnesoda will all get to pay for Minneapolis to have the best dang most diversest Department of Bike Lane Management evah! Suck it Portland.

      • slumbrew

        Jezza’s reaction often runs through my head.

        It’s right next to the Drinker’s “Nah, it’ll be fine.“

    • rhywun

      Small beans compared to the looming real estate apocalypse in Manhattan.

      Combined with Wall Street losses and city mismanagement (e.g. pubsec union demands), they’re already predicting budget deficits in the tens of billions of dollars in the next year or two.

      • AlexinCT

        Meh, there are plenty of people upstate they can fleece to keep this racket going for another decade or so….

      • UnCivilServant

        We’re already broke.

      • AlexinCT

        You still have shit they can take. And after that they will make you sell your body to give them their due. Get ready to be pimped out.

    • Tundra

      That’s my world. I expect that we are gonna get destroyed over the next couple years until this shakes out. I’ve already heard of a ton of projects being delayed/canceled. Hopefully the collapse will be swift so those buildings can get into new hands.

      • UnCivilServant

        I want the backs of the municipalities to be broken. Leave the buildings vacant.

      • Tundra

        I’ll be collateral damage, so no thank you.

      • Pope Jimbo

        Don’t worry Tundra. If there is one thing the GOP and the Dems agree on it is that us libertarians secretly have all the power. So even if everyone else gets wiped out, you’ll be taken care of.

      • Tundra

        …you’ll be taken care of.

        Of that I have no doubt.

      • Nephilium

        Last year a couple of higher end shopping centers defaulted and went to bank ownership locally. They’re still operating, and still have mid-high range stores. I’m curious how long they’re going to last though.

    • AlexinCT

      Legit.

  39. The Late P Brooks

    Profiteers

    OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers could impose deeper oil output cuts on Sunday, energy analysts said, as the influential energy alliance weighs the impact of a pending ban on Russia’s crude exports and a possible price cap on Russian oil.

    OPEC+, a group of 23 oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, will convene on Sunday to decide on the next phase of production policy.

    The highly anticipated meeting comes ahead of potentially disruptive sanctions on Russian oil, weakening crude demand in China and mounting fears of a recession.

    ——-

    OPEC+ agreed in early October to reduce production by 2 million barrels per day from November. It came despite calls from the U.S. for OPEC+ to pump more to lower fuel prices and help the global economy.

    The energy alliance recently hinted it could impose deeper output cuts to spur a recovery in crude prices. This signal came despite a report from The Wall Street Journal suggesting an output increase of 500,000 barrels per day was under discussion for Sunday.

    Maybe the Venezuelans will bail Joe out.

  40. KSuellington

    “…And Justice for All” was the last great Metallica album. The Black Album was good, and everything after was definitely subpar.

    | San Francisco, LA top list of cities homebuyers want to leave

    That may be so, but it doesn’t change the fact that even in this depressed real estate market and after the whole Vid debacle, a 1200 sq foot home in my (used to be blue collar hood) will go for 1.3 to 2 million plus depending on when it was last remodeled.

    • rhywun

      With SV cratering I wonder where they’re finding people who can afford that.

      • UnCivilServant

        I have often looked at neighborhoods with expensive houses in areas where there were no jobs and went “Who is it that can afford that and what do they do?”

      • Nephilium

        Old money and pro sports players are the usual answers around here.

      • KSuellington

        I think there is so much pent up demand that even with the recent SV downturn there are still enough buyers for SFHs. Prices could drop another 10-15% and then we would be all the way back to mid 2020 levels here.

      • Count Potato

        SV?

      • kinnath

        Silicon Valley

        my guess

    • PutridMeat

      I haven’t really listened to anything past the black album and that only sporadically, even when it came out. But “Lux A(jam the E in there and umlat it or something)Eterna sounds pretty good. Probably not good enough for me to buy the album, but good.

      That “One” video still brings a chill though… And it’s such a well crafted, building, song.

    • Urthona

      The bass on And Justice for All sucked.

  41. Penguin

    OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers could impose deeper oil output cuts on Sunday, energy analysts said, as the influential energy alliance weighs the impact of a pending ban on Russia’s crude exports and a possible price cap on Russian oil.

    Gosh, why would anyone have want ed Trump over Joey B?

  42. Stillhunter

    Oldest son got his first lesson in government this morning. He and my wife drive an hour to the driver test place, only to be told they didn’t have a document from the driving school which wasn’t given to them and wasn’t on the list of items needed to complete the test. So they get to do it all over again Monday and he doesn’t get to drive on his birthday nor this weekend.

    Libertarian moment?

  43. DEG

    Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen blamed consumers’ excessive spending habits as a primary cause for the near 40-year-high in inflation on Wednesday.

    Go fuck yourself.

    Disgraced rapper Kanye West saw his Twitter account suspended by Elon Musk on Thursday night after he shared a picture of a swastika interlaced with a Star of David.

    I saw a picture claiming what he tweeted was the old version of the Raëlian symbol. I understand that the Raëlians dropped that version because folks saw that version of their symbol having Nazi connotations. However, that swastika is not the Nazi swastika.

    The other six are Sens. Mike Braun, of Indiana; Ted Cruz, of Texas; Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina; Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin; Mike Lee, of Utah; and Rick Scott, of Florida.

    McConnel will shank them.

    Proponents of the legislation are pushing for New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) to support the proposal and commit to $100 million in funding from the state’s budget. On Wednesday, the governor committed to providing $3 million to nonprofit organizations assisting immigrants with their asylum applications.

    What could possibly go wrong?

    In an interview with YouTube commentator Tiffany Fong, Bankman-Fried said that FTX U.S. will get “a dollar on the dollar” and that international users can expect to get “20 to 25 cents on the dollar” as recovery.

    HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I expect users will get zero cents on the dollar.

    “Using our cash, however, to fund BlackRock’s social-engineering project isn’t something Florida ever signed up for. It’s got nothing to do with maximizing returns and is the opposite of what an asset manager is paid to do. Florida’s Treasury Division is divesting from BlackRock because they have openly stated they’ve got other goals than producing returns. As Larry Fink stated to CEOs ‘’Access to capital is not a right. It is a privilege.’ As Florida’s CFO I agree wholeheartedly, so we’ll be taking Larry up on his offer. There’s no lack of companies who will invest on our behalf, so the Florida Treasury will be taking its business elsewhere,” he continued.

    Good.

    “We can no longer say this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Cynthia Cox, the vice-president of the Kaiser Family Foundation told the Washington Post in an article dated Nov. 23.

    Who could possibly have seen that coming?

    Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (AIM) this week and led by researchers at Canada’s McMaster University, the study found no statistically significant difference in protection between the two kinds of masks in healthcare facilities in Canada, Israel, Pakistan and Egypt.

    Who could possibly have seen this coming?

      • Tres Cool

        I wonder what happened to the Boisselier broad. She had jacked-up teeth, but prolly would.

      • DEG

        I poked around on the Intertubes, and found she changed her name. Supposedly she is involved with ClitorAid and StemAid.

  44. The Late P Brooks

    peaking of bad omens in the real estate market…

    Blackstone Inc (BX.N) limited withdrawals from its $69 billion unlisted real estate income trust (REIT) on Thursday after a surge in redemption requests, an unprecedented blow to a franchise that helped it turn into an asset management behemoth.

    The curbs came because redemptions hit pre-set limits, rather than Blackstone setting the limits on the day. Nonetheless, they fueled investor concerns about the future of the REIT, which makes up about 17% of Blackstone’s earnings. Blackstone shares ended trading down 7.1% on the news.

    ——-

    Blackstone has reported a 9.3% year-to-date return for its REIT, net of fees, a contrast to the publicly traded Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Total Return Index (.DWRTFT) 22.19% decline over the same period.

    That outperformance has some investors questioning how Blackstone comes up with the valuation of its REIT, said Alex Snyder, a portfolio manager at CenterSquare Investment Management LLC in Philadelphia.

    Get while the getting’ good.

    • Urthona

      Excellent but also bad.

  45. The Late P Brooks

    I saw something yesterday which said the preferred destination for people fleeing L A and San Fran is… Las Vegas.

    *outright, prolonged laughter*

    • R.J.

      Makes sense. Damn, stuff was expensive last visit.

  46. Pope Jimbo

    Every year my family runs a Turkey Trot 5K on T-giving morning. At the end of the race a bunch of tables are all set up where they give away various health food samples. We always grab a bunch of them because they are free. Then we spend the next few weeks laughing/groaning about how bad they are.

    I just finished the last of the “protein bars” I had. One of the Altar Boys referred to it as “tastes like dry wall that has been painted with really bad tasting paint”. The only way to make them edible is to soak them in coffee.

    Why do these companies do this? We’ve never seen the same company show up two years in a row.

    • AlexinCT

      You should have gone for the insect snacks… That’s the future of us feudal serfs according to the WEF.

      • Pope Jimbo

        Can’t. Legit allergic to silk work pupae.

        I gotta keep my meat ration. That is why I’m taking notes on all of you ungovernable sons of bitches. I am gonna rat you all out so I can curry favor with the New Aristocracy.

      • UnCivilServant

        You’ll be sorry after the battle of Vindaloo.

      • Pope Jimbo

        You mean my dreams of being a Napoleonic emperor won’t come true?

      • AlexinCT

        I have already sold my soul to the WEF devils and they promised me I would be a regional overlord. Prima Nocte you serf bitchez!

      • UnCivilServant

        “You fucked up, you trusted us. Up against the wall.”

      • AlexinCT

        That’s always how that totalitarian shit works out… Ask that guy Hu Jintao that for a while was on top how this shit plays out…

      • Pope Jimbo

        See, that is your problem. You aimed too high.

        I just asked to be Piss Boy.

      • AlexinCT

        I want to be Count De Money!

    • Michael Malaise

      And why are they all chocolate-peanut monstrosities? Why not a bacon cheddar protein bar?

      • AlexinCT

        Cause part of the experience is to feel despair and what eating dirty ass tastes like?

      • Nephilium

        Because quite a few of them are vegan/vegetarian friendly.

      • AlexinCT

        So tastes like eating dirty ass…

    • Grummun

      “If it tastes good, it’s bad for you.”

    • Nephilium

      I’ve found a couple of road snacks that I’ve consistently liked and keep buying. Stroopwaffles are a frequent favorite, although some of the brands taste… off.

    • Tundra

      Is it still downtown? More of a steeplechase with all the homeless encampments?

      • Pope Jimbo

        Yep, they just started the downtown course again.

        Altar Boy #2 and I were waiting for the others to finish and all of a sudden a ton of cops/firetrucks/ambulances converged toward the finish line. We thought some racer had keeled over. Nope. Unconscious homeless dude at the light rail station. Us suburbanites all got a good story for dinner later that day.

        Even better we got to run by all the motivational messages that Minneapolis put up to cure all of its woes.

        The City of Minneapolis has moved to spruce up some of the unsightly, recently-installed barriers its placed downtown to curb illegal street racing,

        New stickers featuring motivational messages were added to the temporary bollards on Monday, with a city spokesperson telling Bring Me The News it was done “to add more visual interest.”

        The barriers, located in the Mill District, include messages such as “See you downtown,” “The best part is you,” “Glad you’re here,” “It’s patio season,” and “Find your new favorites.”

        We’re so fucked.

  47. The Late P Brooks

    I just finished the last of the “protein bars” I had. One of the Altar Boys referred to it as “tastes like dry wall that has been painted with really bad tasting paint”. The only way to make them edible is to soak them in coffee.

    I got some a while back which were like trying to eat a urethane suspension bushing (only not as tasty).

    I guess there are still people who think, “It’s so awful, it’s gotta be good for me.”

    • Tundra

      Kirkland brand are excellent. And not as many carbs as most candy – I mean protein – bars.

  48. The Late P Brooks

    Yep, the old Raëlian symbol.

    You can’t expect a bunch of Red Diaper journalismers to know about the Raelians. They don’t even have a Tikface channel.

    • Count Potato

      “Not even 24 hours after MAGA grifter Charlie Kirk tweeted homophobic lies about me, I received this threat repeating one of his lies.

      But that was the point: Riling people up against me & other LGBTQ people.

      Words have consequences & Twitter is becoming a cesspool for this crap”

      https://twitter.com/Scott_Wiener/status/1598089123742781442

      The comments LOL.

      • AlexinCT

        You see the desperate attempt to claim it was a call which is why he had to type it out? if there really was a call, they would have released it (unless it came from one of his relatives). Don’t accept one if it comes later. They are currently busy trying to find someone to give them audio.

    • Urthona

      After being called out, he then claimed that he was transcribing a hate voice mail.

      • Nephilium

        Instead of just recording the VM or forwarding over the VM file? Yeah…

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Before I clicked I knew it was going to be Weiner or Pan. Both of those guys are raging assholes.

  49. UnCivilServant

    Quail – 4oz avg

    How tiny are these birds?

    • Not Adahn

      Quail are small. They are commonly available in Austin restaurants/diners, but I have never failed to be disapponted by them.

      • Not Adahn

        Because they are so small, they can be tossed directly on the same grill that’s being used to cook the rest of the diner food.

      • UnCivilServant

        Quail at diners isn’t something I expected.

      • UnCivilServant

        I’m trying to develop recipes to be included in a cookbook/fictional travelogue (with plot) that’s one of my ongoing side projects. Some of the ingredients are more elusive than others.

      • Spartacus

        They’re not *that* small. The ones we buy in Publix are usually about 16 to 20 oz for a whole bird (frozen). Is this just the breast?

      • UnCivilServant

        Are you sure those are quail?

        These 4-7 oz listings are whole bird.

    • Pope Jimbo

      Very, very small.

      In the early 2000’s a lot of hunters came from Virginia and the Carolinas to hunt pheasants in NoDak. It was pretty funny to see their dogs’ reactions when a giant pheasant flushed. You could see them thinking “Holy shit! It’s a goddamned roc!”

      • Pope Jimbo

        Also funny listening to said foreigners wondering how anyone could miss such a huge target and then watching them miss just like everyone else does.

      • UnCivilServant

        Because it’s moving.

    • Urthona

      It’s… uh… it’s not working.

  50. Brochettaward

    I can’t help but see the proggie bitcoin guy who was all in with the Dems as a tool to go after crypto in general. It’s coming. It’s always been coming. I don’t know if they can succeed completely, but they can succeed to some extent.

    Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) noted that the use of cryptocurrency to support criminal enterprises has enabled the fentanyl crisis and other national security concerns, asking whether a pause on the digital asset sector in the United States would be feasible. Behnam noted that a significant number of Americans would nevertheless gain access to overseas cryptocurrency markets.

    That’s from a useful idiot Republican. One of them law and order types who doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.

    • Urthona

      I mean it had nothing to do with bitcoin whatsoever, so yeah. It’s coming.

      • Tundra

        CBDC here we come!

    • hayeksplosives

      …and if you don’t comply voluntarily, they will strong-arm the manufacturer to shut your car off from afar.

      Yay, Progress! Everything that is centrally planned is better than whatever the choices of millions of individuals comes up with naturally. Cut off that Invisible Hand before it does something reasonable that reflects the best interests of everyone involved.

      • Tundra

        It will be interesting to see if a market develops for hacked EVs.

      • hayeksplosives

        I bet there will be.

        Given Elon’s deep loathing of government grabbing data from private companies, I’d be surprised if he goes along voluntarily with govt shutting down Tesla cars remotely.

        On the other hand, I fear he’s going to get assassinated now that he has pissed off the Lefties.

    • hayeksplosives

      Also, NEED MOAR NUKE PLANTS.

    • rhywun

      I’m reminded of Germany going back to coal mining after a couple decades of eco-preening.

      You can’t make this stuff up.

      • AlexinCT

        Do stupid shit, win stupid prizes!

    • Sean

      L O fucking L.

    • Rat on a train

      The restrictions in e-mobility are only intended for escalation level 3, according to the draft. Before that, austerity measures would take effect in private households.

      videos from streaming services should only be shown in SD resolution

      Let the riots commence.

  51. Grummun

    Some weeks ago we saw news that US State Dept said it was going to punish US citizens or green card holders that continued to work in the Chinese semiconductor industry. Anyone in that industry have any updates on that?

    • Grumbletarian

      No changes to that as far as I know. AFAIK, my company’s support staff assigned in China is still not working.

    • Timeloose

      There are several companies that are based in the US that use Chinese wafer foundry services in China. That seems like a more realistic approach than punishing people who work for a Chinese company.

      • Timeloose

        Neither approach is acceptable in my opinion, but I get the intention. By the way how is this not seen as economic warfare?

  52. Count Potato

    “Planned Parenthood executive director claims children are born ‘sexual’ – and advocates porn literacy lessons for older students and sex education from KINDERGARTEN

    The sentiment was echoed by Planned Parenthood, that said in a guide entitled the ‘Fundamentals of Teaching Sexuality’ that ‘sexuality is a part of life through all the ages and stages. 

    ‘Babies, elders, and everyone in between can experience sexuality.'”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11495051/Planned-Parenthoods-sexual-education-director-claims-children-born-sexual.html

    Well, if anyone knows what’s good for babies.

    • UnCivilServant

      My first reaction was “They want more pregnancies so they can sell more abortions and baby parts”

      • hayeksplosives

        Moloch nods vigorously.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Dude looks like a pedo, sounds like a pedo, I’m gonna bet he walks like one too.

  53. hayeksplosives

    Today is my day off after 4×10 hour days (which are really 12 hour days due to the commute), but Livermore Berkeley labs has called an 8 o’clock teleconference so here I sit listening to 5 physicists attempting to edit / write a document together.

    I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.