Wednesday Afternoon SugarLinks – Sell Your Soul

by | Dec 21, 2022 | Daily Links | 200 comments

Why the Marine Corps may nix gender identifiers for drill instructors

A new academic report on efforts to integrate Marine Corps boot camp recommends dropping gender-specific salutations for drill instructors, but service leaders are not convinced they want to take that step.

The lengthy report, commissioned by the Corps from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020 and completed in 2022, points out that half of the military services already have done away with gendered identifiers for training staff.

“The Army, Navy, and Coast Guard effectively de-emphasize gender in an integrated environment,” the report states. “Instead of saying ‘ma’am’ or ‘sir,’ recruits in these Services refer to their drill instructors using their ranks or roles followed by their last names. Gendered identifiers prime recruits to think about or visually search for a drill instructor’s gender first, before their rank or role.”

The proposal was under consideration by a Marine Corps leadership team assembled to guide service efforts to integrate boot camp, Col. Howard Hall, chief of staff for Marine Corps Training and Education Command, told the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services in December.


 


 

’Tis the Season to Debunk Your Family’s Hunter Biden Conspiracy Theories

Seven years have passed since Donald Trump began his presidential campaign, so Slate readers have likely figured out their own methods of avoiding, deflecting, or gently participating in Trump-related political “discussions” with their families at the holidays.

The Hunter Biden situation, though, presents a new challenge, simply because of the sheer breadth and complexity of the naughty behavior (Santa Claus reference!) that the president’s black-sheep son has been accused of being involved in (or has thoroughly been proven to be involved in). Below, a guide to addressing and understanding conservative relatives’ Hunter-related concerns.

I’ve really been tuning this out—what’s the gist of the Hunter Biden chatter?

OK, so, there are a few things going on. To take a step back, in 2019, the Trump campaign and prominent conservative figures began arguing that Joe Biden, while he was vice president under Obama, offered Ukraine $1 billion in aid in a quid pro quo deal—or, alternately, that Biden had pressured the country to remove its top prosecutor from office—in order to protect the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma from domestic investigation.

The reason, conservatives claimed, was that the vice president’s son, Hunter, was on Burisma’s board, and that the vice president wanted to protect his son’s interests.

Now, three things are true: Hunter Biden was on the board of Burisma, starting in 2014 and until 2019. As vice president, Biden had pushed Ukraine to remove its top prosecutor in 2015. And he had used the $1 billion in aid as leverage to help get that done. But that’s because the prosecutor was widely seen as corrupt by the international community. (Other Western leaders had also called for the prosecutor’s ouster before Biden got involved, and Biden was, according to the Washington Post, “carrying out a policy developed at the State Department and coordinated with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.”)

Furthermore, one of the reasons the prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, was seen as corrupt was in part because he had failed to investigate allegations of embezzlement and other wrongdoing at Burisma.

It’s fair to say (to Uncle Bob, or whoever else needs to hear it) that claims that Joe Biden protected Burisma to safeguard his son’s interests are politically motivated, and constitute misinformation. If the vice president had been trying to shield his son (or enrich his son), in this particular circumstance, he chose the exact wrong way to do it.

Rarely have DNC talking points been so brazenly distributed.


 

This band really never went much of anywhere, but the lead singers has a nice set of pipes.

 

About The Author

SugarFree

SugarFree

Your Resident Narcissistic Misogynist Rape-Culture Apologist

200 Comments

  1. Count Potato

    “(Santa Claus reference!)”

    OFFS!

    • Count Potato

      “But that’s because the prosecutor was widely seen as corrupt by the international community.”

      Yeah, sure.

      “It’s fair to say (to Uncle Bob, or whoever else needs to hear it) that claims that Joe Biden protected Burisma to safeguard his son’s interests are politically motivated, and constitute misinformation.”

      It’s fair to say that if his father was Vice President they wouldn’t have hired a crackhead who can’t even speak their language.

      • SDF-7

        And not going to click through to Slate — but nothing about similar massive amounts of money thrown said crackheads way from China either…. I mean, the Big Guy.. *cough* I mean Scranton Joe is just as pure as the driven snow (that his son was snorting off of hookers)….

      • Rat on a train

        And Chelsea Clinton earned her salary. Pay for play is fine with these people as long as the correct people are benefiting.

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        He probably was corrupt. It’s Ukraine, one of the most corrupt countries in Europe. That’s also why Burisma hired Biden’s son.

      • Count Potato

        Regardless whether he was corrupt, but that wasn’t the reason why.

    • Count Potato

      Also, that’s not the story. That’s old news. Joe bragged about it in a video years ago. The story is that the deep state used censorship to influence an election.

  2. Rat on a train

    “The Army, Navy, and Coast Guard effectively de-emphasize gender in an integrated environment,” the report states. “Instead of saying ‘ma’am’ or ‘sir,’ recruits in these Services refer to their drill instructors using their ranks or roles followed by their last names. Gendered identifiers prime recruits to think about or visually search for a drill instructor’s gender first, before their rank or role.”

    The Army only uses sir/ma’am for officers.

    • Chafed

      No xer? What a bunch of Neanderthals.

    • Plisade

      I’m a bit torn on this, being a Marine. We Marines are trained to think of each other as nothing but Marines – no race, no ethnicity, no nationality – when it comes to actually doing our job. The reality is that we constantly gave each other shit about each and every little personal distinction, though that *is* all part of the game to desensitize each other to these things.

      So… why not abandon references to gender?

      OTOH, we’re trained to honor tradition. “Sir” and “Ma’am” are traditional signs of respect. So should there be harm in their use? Part of me wants to say that someone who wants to eliminate all references to their gender is ashamed of said gender. But I’m a privileged white male, so… One could say that traditionally we judged each other based on skin color, so why not maintain that tradition?

      Disclaimer: Just drank some Jack with my HR Manager; we’re committed to bringing the “Madmen” style of office etiquette back.

      There’s clearly some sarc in the above. But I truly am torn. What I’m really against is differing standards based on gender. What I have to call someone… meh. If you can do the fucking job, you have my respect.

      • Ownbestenemy

        See my reply above…it’s about infiltration and destruction of the institution. Customs and courtesies be damned.

  3. Certified Public Asshat

    It’s fair to say (to Uncle Bob, or whoever else needs to hear it) that claims that Joe Biden protected Burisma to safeguard his son’s interests are politically motivated, and constitute misinformation. If the vice president had been trying to shield his son (or enrich his son), in this particular circumstance, he chose the exact wrong way to do it.

    And anyway, it’s not like Ukraine is about to collect $100B from the US in one year.

    • Rat on a train

      I wish I could get that ROI.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      Hmm, ctrl+f “FBI” on slate article…

      and nothing.

  4. Yusef drives a Kia

    Yes Sir!

  5. DEG

    A new academic report on efforts to integrate Marine Corps boot camp recommends dropping gender-specific salutations for drill instructors, but service leaders are not convinced they want to take that step.

    So it’s bullshit. I’m also in the wrong business because I can shit this out for cheaper than whatever the academics were paid.

    • Chafed

      Of course you can. You have much lower overhead.

    • Compelled Speechless

      Being grossly overpaid to be wrong about nearly everything is now the entire point of academia. Well, that and Marxist indoctrination. Why do you want to ruin the good thing they have going?

    • Drake

      The constant warmongering, threats of using the military against us radicals, and efforts to destroy military effectiveness. It’s a weird combination.

      In Boot Camp I had to use the DI’s rank and title if I wanted to initiate a conversation. “Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Woods, Recruit Pyle requests permission to speak, Sir. ”

      After that it was “Yes Sir / No Sir” so the conversation didn’t take all day. After graduation we had earned the right to speak to them normally.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Do not fail to realize it has everything to do with the destruction of the institution. The left has been very good at slowly attacking things that were “bulwarks” of republican/conservative strongholds

      • Drake

        But they also desperately want to use that institution to destroy the Ruskies and us.

  6. KSuellington

    “ It’s fair to say (to Uncle Bob, or whoever else needs to hear it) that claims that Joe Biden protected Burisma to safeguard his son’s interests are politically motivated, and constitute misinformation. If the vice president had been trying to shield his son (or enrich his son), in this particular circumstance, he chose the exact wrong way to do it.”

    And if Uncle Bob persists in spreading misinformation he should be reported to the authorities. You can rest easy that you are helping prevent wrongthink.

    • SDF-7

      Been reading your New Zealand handbook, I see…

      • Chafed

        Have they updated it to remove the section on using Twitter to censor wringthinkers?

  7. grrizzly

    Did we learn about “10% for the big guy” from Hunter Biden’s laptop or was it known even earlier? I remember I thought it was widely known that Biden was utterly corrupt back in Fall 2019 before the first impeachment. But obviously the general public had a different impression.

    • SDF-7

      I thought it came out from the laptop and from Bobulinski’s interviews.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      In a 2017 email that was uncovered in the laptop dump, a business associate of Hunter’s used the phrase “10 held by H for the big guy?” in an email about a partnership that Hunter and his uncle Jim Biden were forming with a Chinese energy conglomerate called CEFC China Energy.

      One of the partners in the deal, Anthony Bobulinski, has said that “H” was Hunter and the “big guy” was Joe Biden. That wouldn’t be great—a former vice president (and future president) getting in on a business deal with a Chinese energy company! Except there’s no real evidence that he did: The draft agreement that circulated afterward did not mention Joe Biden; nor did the signed company agreement. Other business associates have said Joe Biden was not involved in the discussions.

      That’s all you need to know apparently.

      • Compelled Speechless

        I feel like the reason “there’s no real evidence” has something to do with the fact that not one journalism outlet or law enforcement agency has bothered looking into it. Perhaps that’s part of the story?

      • The Other Kevin

        Well yeah, if you didn’t hear about it on the news, it’s not important or even true.

      • Nephilium

        Looking into what? There’s no evidence and no story here, the media has spoken.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        They’ve seen the draft agreement, what more do you need?

      • The Other Kevin

        They didn’t use his name in emails, and talked about him in code, but I’m sure in formal documents that could be used as evidence they would have totally written his full name!

      • kinnath

        And be sure to report all your bribe on your income taxes. You wouldn’t want to get sideways with the IRS.

    • Fatty Bolger

      I think the idea that Biden was directly benefitting from the influence peddling came from the laptop.

  8. Certified Public Asshat

    My liberal Aunt Patricia seems to really like Hunter.

    It’s possible Patricia has swung too far in the other direction. Or that she is either attracted to—or ignoring—some of the less savory things about Hunter. He has struggled with addiction, but that, and his somewhat unconventional personal life, shouldn’t factor into any of these conspiracy theory discussions, so we’re not commenting on it. But Hunter has done some legitimately dubious things. For example, it’s possible he could be still found guilty of tax fraud or other crimes. And the Twitter threads aren’t the end of this: House Republicans have called for an investigation into Hunter’s business dealings. (They would really love to keep Hunter-related conspiracy theories in the news.) So I would gently urge your aunt Patricia to not go too hard on the Hunter train.

    That’s how the Slate article ends. Hunter bad (not as bad as Trump!), Joe good.

    • Compelled Speechless

      My NPR regurgitating brother and sister-in-law recently discussed how they feel bad for Hunter right in front of me. It wasn’t worth the argument and wrecking the peace, so I didn’t bother arguing. The amount of conditioning it takes to not only root for the obvious corruption that is happening, but to feel sympathy for the bandits is breath taking. Even without the corruption, do you even know how many people are in jail for insanely long sentences for Hunter’s sort of behavior because of the legislation that his father was the poster boy for? I can’t even…..

      • Certified Public Asshat

        You missed a trolling opportunity to say “yeah, sounds like the poor guy was abused by his father.”

      • juris imprudent

        Yeah, I’d bury in their own bullshit given that kind of invitation. There’s no one in my family I’d tolerate spitting like that in my face.

      • Rat on a train

        I can’t stay completely quiet. I give them a warning to knock it off or I will confront them. Usually a “do you really want to discuss this?” is enough.

      • Compelled Speechless

        There’s no point. They’re plugged into the Matrix and they’re quite happy there. The blue pill offers comfort and the illusion of stability. What more do you need. It’s just sad to see that our entire political framework is now based around Stockholm Syndrome. It’s not enough that we do what our kidnappers ask. We must love and pity them. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, especially when it’s always looking down at the floor for some spilled crack rocks.

      • B.P.

        Poetry.

      • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

        Wrecking the peace.

        Yeah, I get you. The wife, who is pretty far left, and I just. don’t. talk. politics. Just don’t, at least not in a direct sense. We will talk about second order effects and overall political stratagy, but for the most part it is left off the table.

        On the other hand, I will continue to torture my Berkleyite mother to no end. She “raised” me, she is gonna get the brunt of it.

      • B.P.

        I’m in the same boat. The closest I come is when the wife (or someone at work… I’m surrounded) takes notice that our formerly civilized city is completely swamped by homeless tent cities, car thefts, package thefts, assaults, hit-and-runs, rodents when there formerly were none, bike lanes that no one uses and that replaced functioning automobile lanes, etc. I shrug and say, “This is what people want.” That usually ends the conversation, but I get the sense that some unwelcome thoughts have seeped in.

      • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

        Not too long ago, the wife mentioned the grad student strike down in Berkeley, a university she used to work at. And so I asked why they were striking, and she says “the cost of living is so high”

        “Huh. I wonder how many voted for Newsome…”

        And that got a pretty cold shoulder and side eye.

      • juris imprudent

        My wife gives absolutely no shits whatsoever for politics. She’ll ask how I think she should vote and that is it.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Do we share a wife?

      • Tundra

        Same. She gets annoyed at my rants.

        Still, I’ll take apolitical over proggie 100 times out of 100!

    • Drake

      Floating the wild conspiracy theory that the Biden’s aren’t a crime family of grifters and perverted pedos.

    • KSuellington

      Hunter would definitely let Aunt Patricia in on the train, as long as she brings her own drugs.

    • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

      “So I would gently urge your aunt Patricia to not go too hard on the Hunter train.”

      Are they even doing phrasing?

      • rhywun

        LOL

  9. Certified Public Asshat

    🚨BREAKING: The FBI responds to @elonmusk releasing the Twitter files:"It is unfortunate that conspiracy theorists and others are feeding the American public misinformation with the sole purpose of attempting to discredit the agency." — Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 21, 2022

    Only a conspiracy theorist would believe our official communications with Twitter.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Lying sacks of shit

    • rhywun

      “Come at me, bro.”

    • juris imprudent

      No, no, YOU did all the discrediting – you don’t need anyone else’s help.

    • Chafed

      That’s hilarious. I’ll stop believing my lying eyes.

    • Penguin

      Those awful conspiracy theorists, what with their facts and evidence.

  10. The Other Kevin

    “It’s fair to say (to Uncle Bob, or whoever else needs to hear it) that claims that Joe Biden protected Burisma to safeguard his son’s interests are politically motivated, and constitute misinformation. If the vice president had been trying to shield his son (or enrich his son), in this particular circumstance, he chose the exact wrong way to do it.”

    A sitting vice president’s son doing business with foreign companies in countries with corrupt governments while the vice president is making agreements with those countries should in itself be a problem.

    • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

      But, remember that Trump had a hotel! And people stayed there!

      Emoluments! !!!!11!!

    • Fatty Bolger

      Yeah, once they got rid of the prosecutor, the real crackdown on Burisma and its owner began. Oh, it didn’t? Huh.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Anyone else noticing the push to extend Journolist talking points to the public? No? Crazy?

  11. Rat on a train

    Baltimore homicides stubbornly high despite new initiatives

    Jalil George was checking on his Baltimore investment property earlier this month when a gunman mistook him for someone else and opened fire. The young real estate investor and recent college graduate spent his final moments outside a partially renovated brick rowhouse that symbolized his positive vision for the future of Baltimore, loved ones said.

    The recent spate of killings has reignited longstanding frustration and familiar debate amid another year of rampant gun violence. The city’s homicide count surpassed 300 for the eighth year running as violence remains stubbornly high despite repeated promises from city officials and new anti-violence initiatives.

    “Look at this neighborhood,” he said, gesturing toward swaths of vacant row houses and overgrown lots. “It wouldn’t take much investment to make a difference.”

    Maybe if the community stopped killing investors.

    • rhywun

      failing to quell the violence, which remains heavily concentrated in neighborhoods most affected by poverty, racism and prolonged disinvestment

      Wow. That’s some top-notch introspection right there.

      • Compelled Speechless

        If only we had centrally planned harder!!!

      • rhywun

        We just need to throw some money at them and take a few re-education classes.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      With 2022 coming to a close, Scott and Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison reiterated their commitment to addressing the root causes of violence through community-based programs that provide services like conflict mediation, life-coaching and employment opportunities. The city allocated millions in COVID-relief funds to support grassroots organizations.

      Good to see Covid-relief funds failing on other problems too.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Covid relief programs and the studies churned out in support of them couldn’t have come at a better time to mask the failures. Otherwise, mayors and governors would have to actually have policy to affect change.

      • rhywun

        conflict mediation, life-coaching and employment opportunities

        It’s almost like there were people who used to help in that area and don’t anymore. I’m sure government can fill in.

      • Rat on a train

        At least they are admitting culture plays a part even if they won’t admit the real amount.

      • B.P.

        This.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Baltimore is thoroughly fucked. It has been for decades and will continue to be so.

      And now that Hopkins has fully accepted its role as an extension of the Woke Deep State, I doubt even they will offer respite.

    • Lackadaisical

      “It wouldn’t take much investment to make a difference.”

      That really chaps my hide.

  12. Count Potato

    “As vice president, Biden had pushed Ukraine to remove its top prosecutor in 2015. And he had used the $1 billion in aid as leverage to help get that done.”

    Also, wasn’t Trump impeached for allegedly doing pretty much the same thing?

    • Compelled Speechless

      Trump was impeached for not towing the official establishment lines.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Why would an HIV patient have to wear a mask? Were they running around spitting blood directly into wounds?

      • Chafed

        I’ve got the same question. Seems like the article never gets to the point.

      • Ownbestenemy

        It’s ultimately about covid masking protocols but headline writers gunna propagandize

      • Chafed

        More accurately, his HIV status is a red herring. It has almost nothing to do with the story.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Interestingly this is the same media that cheers when people are denied transplants for not vaccinating against the Vid

      • Chafed

        Well, yeah. Those are bad people.

      • grrizzly

        Because all patients in the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts have to wear a mask when they visit a doctor.

    • rhywun

      “However, I feel morally obligated to fight it until we have exhausted all process,” he said.

      They can probably hold out longer than he can. And they will, for spite.

  13. Drake

    This feels like the clown version of the collapse of Rome.

    • Compelled Speechless

      The sound track to our entire existence is just the Benny Hill song playing on a loop.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Leave it to government to even screw up a collapse of its society

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      They did throw better parties. Toga, Toga, Toga.

    • Chafed

      If it is, then where are my orgies?

      • Lackadaisical

        Become a senator and you can have your orgies.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Biden isn’t fucking his horse yet.

      Yet

      • Shirley Knott

        Are you quite sure about that?

      • Ownbestenemy

        The teal reason Major was booted from the WH! /Alex Jones

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Are you saying he may have had reason to be temperamental?

      • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

        As Carlin used to say “hire the handicapped, but don’t let them take your rectal temperature.”

      • Chafed

        The only reason I believe it is I have never seen a picture of him with a horse.

  14. Tundra

    The Moog Dancers are gonna give me nightmares.

    This band really never went much of anywhere, but the lead singers has a nice set of pipes.

    Definitely nice pipes. And pants.

  15. Dr. Fronkensteen

    The one good thing about the Hunter Biden laptop story is that this was Biden’s son. If this had been one of Trump’s sons it would be nauseating wall to wall coverage. You would have to completely disengage from media to avoid it. Not that completely disengaging from media is bad. It’s probably better for you anyway.

    • Drake

      Too bad it didn’t end Biden’s political career the way it absolutely would have ended Trump’s.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Gotta give his propaganda team some props. He is still trying to portray his was plucked from the front lines of his brothers and sisters to attend this at the behest of the US.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      I really didn’t want to live in interesting times.

  16. The Late P Brooks

    I wouldn’t get much for it.

    (my “soul”)

    • Ownbestenemy

      I’m sure Hillary will give you a few drachma for it

  17. Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

    Good tune, SF. I always like to hear new stuff.

    But, sometimes you need something a little older:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upO7h5FsIYI

  18. B.P.

    “Seven years have passed since Donald Trump began his presidential campaign, so Slate readers have likely figured out their own methods of avoiding, deflecting, or gently participating in Trump-related political “discussions” with their families at the holidays.”

    If only. I have friends and family members who won’t shut the fuck up about Trump. And the fact that I sit completely silent when they go off on their rants must be a clue that I harbor some unacceptable thoughts. Some of these people were formerly Republicans of the stuffed-shirt variety, but now they ravenously gulp down anything CNN, NPR, et. al., shovel their way. Anything outside of a tight, and ever-moving, window of opinion is misinformation originating from hate groups and rednecks. And it’s all because one unseemly asshole with bad taste became president.

    As a guy said (more or less) on Rogan’s podcast a couple of weeks ago, acting in a declasse manner and saying stupid shit on twitter is madness beyond the pale, but invading a foreign country on false pretext, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, is just normal presidential administration activity. I’m beginning to think that the whole country operates on the level of a seventh-grade lunch room, and a lot of its citizens have status anxiety.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Ya think?

      I don’t need to bring Trump up with my liberal acquaintances, they always do.

    • Rat on a train

      I am so thankful my immediate family doesn’t talk politics when we gather. Most of my extended family are polite enough to avoid politics when we visit.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Yeah this concept of disastrous family gatherings is foreign to me. We argue table politics but at the end of the night and several bottles of wine, we go to bed and nothing happens. Though libertarianism bothers the hell out of my brother and it’s fun to poke that.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Giving out free shit, start salacious rumors against your “rivals”, blame everyone else for your faults, nothing is your responsibility, and Mr./Mrs math teacher is so hot I wish he’d give me the time of day….

      Yep seventh grade

    • Compelled Speechless

      I’m well past “beginning” to think our society is a middle school lunch room. I’m at the point where I expect anyone at any time to just revert back to being a literal ape. Our species keeps falling for the same shit over and over again by being lead by obvious megalomaniacs and psychopaths. We don’t want to be better, we just want to do as we’re told and get a pat on the head for it.

      • Ownbestenemy

        While no overall religious I believe that is why the first target was to destroy it. Now onto family, duty, honor, etc. They didn’t attack the highest point on the castle, they went for the foundations and were wildly successful.

      • Hyperion

        It was over when we stopped being able to get away from the ‘dummies’.

        First, we walked out of Africa and left the dummies there.

        Then we left the dummies in Europe when we went to the New World.

        Well, there is no place left to go, we’re screwed.

      • R.J.

        Mars

      • Compelled Speechless

        Elon for the save again!

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        GET YOUR ASS TO MARS

      • B.P.

        Reliable sources say it’s not the kind of place to raise a kid.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Kuato disagrees

    • KSuellington

      You like totally like Trump!!!! Ewww, gross!!!!

      • R.J.

        Cooties!!

    • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

      I am starting to give a comeback to the “he was just so… uncouth and damaging” or whatever.

      “Well-behaved women seldom make history. I mean, isn’t that sticker on your car?”

    • creech

      “acting in a declasse manner”
      That’s the problem. Anyone with parents who cared about bringing up their kids to be decent human beings, told them to “mind their manners,” “be nice to others,” and “eat with your mouth closed.” Along comes “one unseemly asshole with bad taste” and many of these kids are going to reject him. A smooth talking , cool customer such as Obama acted like we were brought up to emulate. It apparently takes an extraordinary insight into right and wrong to avoid falling into the “status anxiety” trap.

      • Ownbestenemy

        I think thay is a simplistic view discounting too much. These parents didn’t teach discernment? How to spot a snake oil salesman? That people can be good and crass or rather smooth and appealing but contrary to that?

      • Lackadaisical

        ” apparently takes an extraordinary insight into right and wrong to avoid falling into the “status anxiety” trap.”

        How much of it is that, and how much is it just that people have biases and listen to propaganda. The past 3 years have really made me question things beyond assuming TDS.

      • grrizzly

        Biden constantly acts as a pedo-inclined pervert. And somehow those kids*, who were raised to be decent human beings, don’t reject him.

        *Do they include the GOP operatives you regularly refer to?

      • creech

        No, the GOP operatives vote for the GOP no matter what, just like Dem ops do. The problem is the 25% of the voters who tout their independence of the two parties and whose news information comes from the media wing of the DNC. They have no inkling that Biden is a pedo-inclined pervert or a grifter or senile because the media wing of the DNC doesn’t mention such things. But that self-same media constantly pumped out info, videos, tweet language about and by Trump that poisoned the well.

  19. Ownbestenemy

    Beef rib roast with bone in was $4.99/lb….I uh…bought too much

    • pistoffnick

      Where did you buy?

      • Ownbestenemy

        Alberstons/Vons and $4.77 lb. Picked up three 6 lb cuts. So about 2 to 3 bones

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Motel Hell is the only place with prices that low.

    • Shirley Knott

      Too much prime rib roast? The words are English, but the statement does not compute.

    • westernsloper

      Holy shit that is a good price. Good for you.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Prove it in the courtroom if you can. I hope they can, but it will be cast aside as nutters otherwise

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        We’re rapidly approaching the point where the court room is not going to matter.

    • Chafed

      After all of Trump’s wild claims, I’ll believe this when it is proven in court.

  20. robc

    Temperature dropped 30 degrees in last 30 minutes.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      The Day After Tomorrow is finally here

    • B.P.

      Thanks for the update. I think I’m an hour south of you so I’ll look out for it. Still 47 here. The forecast for today showed a high temperature of 52, and a low of minus 11. That’s a bit of a swing.

      • robc

        It was 44 at 3 when I left to pick up my daughter. 45 at her school at 3:20. 12 when I got home at 3:45.

      • B.P.

        Holy smokes.

        I had an hour-long class at CU Boulder (about 100 years ago). When I went into class, the temperature was 75-ish. When I came out, it was 33 and dropping. The wind was howling and trash, leaves, etc, were blowing everywhere. Everyone on campus was wearing shorts and flip-flops, running for cover.

      • creech

        I played golf in Col. Springs once on a fairly balmy Feb. day. Next day, I drove through a blizzard to get to Denver airport.

      • robc

        The wind is strong. The largest tumbleweed I have ever seen smashed into the front of my jeep. Not sure if “smashed” is really the right word.

      • JaimeRoberto (carnitas/spicy salsa)

        Tumbled?

      • Hyperion

        Tumble weeds tumbling is conclusive proof of global warming. How much more do you need, science denier?

      • Tundra

        Still 43 here, but I can see the front coming across the mountains.

    • kinnath

      The biggest temperature swing I have seen here is 55 degrees when I went to work and 5 degrees when I got home. Plus a shit load of snow came with the temperature drop.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    Temperature dropped 30 degrees in last 30 minutes.

    It’s fixing to do that here.

    • robc

      We have another 25 or so to go before morning.

  22. dbleagle

    I had a recent article about nukes and the current Ukraine war. I was light on the math but I saw this article in the open press and it explains the numbers in more detail.

    https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/just-how-radioactive-are-low-yield-nuclear-weapons

    They published it so it is not on my head. Are the authors accurate? I will quote Armante from “The Milagro Beanfield War”, “I am not saying yes, but I am not saying no either.”

    • Not an Economist

      There is at least one commentator on the article who thinks it is crap.

      • dbleagle

        I agree with their math.

        The article’s weakness is no explanation about the wider implications for using tactical nukes. (I went over some of those in my article.) That is probably by design since they are focused on the technical aspects of nuclear use.

      • Hyperion

        I saw on the news that if you just stay indoors and relax, you will survive all the nuclear blasts anyway, nothing to worry about. That’s why only people who hate democracy worry about spending billions in tax payer dollars to use a proxy war to try to provoke Russia into an actual nuclear exchange.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      We won’t have to worry about that unless Russia proper is attacked directly by NATO. It’s taken out of context and is just a statement of policy. Frankly, if they didn’t have nukes NATO would already be involved and they know that.

      • Hyperion

        Yeah, when one of those missiles that Biden is giving Hunter’s crack dealer lands in a major city in Russia, I’m sure they’ll say oh well, it wasn’t NATO directly, so who cares!

      • dbleagle

        I remember the rule of thumb that I was taught about nukes in West Germany. “German towns are 1KT apart.”

        Who’d have thunk that might be useful info in 2023?

  23. Penguin

    …in 2019, the Trump campaign and prominent conservative figures began arguing that Joe Biden, while he was vice president under Obama, offered Ukraine $1 billion in aid in a quid pro quo deal

    No, you lying sphincter – they watched a video of him bragging about doing it. I’m willing to bet the choad who wrote this has also written at least one piece on “media disinformation”.

    • Hyperion

      Thy do you hate democracy?

      • Penguin

        Because it can be used to get corrupt pieces of shit in positions of power?

      • Penguin

        “used” should be “easily gamed”

      • Hyperion

        Your point is well taken.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Nothing wrong with hating democracy. We need to bring back rule by divine right kings, then when they push bullshit that’s against the nation’s interests they can’t pretend to have the approval of the people.

  24. Ownbestenemy

    Perfect mild winter day to smoke some ribs and fry up some chicken. Happy Wednesday Glibbies. Tomorrow will be smoked beef chili with *gasp* beans

    • pistoffnick

      …chili with beans.

      Oh, you are one of THOSE people.

  25. Ownbestenemy

    “So and so paid no taxes”. Maybe the news should report the 45% that actually get paid by the treasury too.

    Also, paid no taxes implies none paid whatsoever. Complete underground operations of day to day transactions. Whatever, they have won that battle and taxes will be shoved into the culture war at thr head of the game.

    • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

      Remember when Mittens said something like this, and all the goodthinkers sang in unison “nuh-uh, they paid sales tax!”

      Whyfor no this time?

  26. Hyperion

    Imagine making it through 87 years of life without getting a bomb stuck up your arse and then this:

    How’d that happen?

    • slumbrew

      Did you hear about that giant fishtank exploding?

      • Hyperion

        No, I was too busy watching the end of the Raiders/Patriots game for the 150th time, lol. JK, wait, what? You mean the one where the Germans had banned the stuff that keeps fish tanks glued together?

    • Zwak, who has his own double cross to bear.

      Did it fall right back out of his ass afterwards?

      • Hyperion

        I dunno, shutting down the hospital cause you got something stuck up yer arse that gets the bomb squad called, just might be an one upper on Florida man or woman.

    • Hyperion

      It’s hard enough to get Americans to strap something to their face when it allows them to watch VR pr0n.

    • slumbrew

      P.T. Barnum?

    • slumbrew

      Though it might be tempting if they made you sound like Bane.

      “Do you feel like you’re in charge?”

      • Ownbestenemy

        I think a Ed Wynn voice it would play better in more markets.

    • Hyperion

      Rand Paul, that radical libertarian who doesn’t want to save our democracy.

      • Tundra

        Or the Rand Paul that is cool with dead Yemenis?

      • Michael Malaise

        Wait. Doesn’t not giving a shit about dead Yemenis up his libertarian (isolationist) cred?

  27. westernsloper

    That Moog Dancers routine………………..wow the 70’s were weird.

      • rhywun

        Motorik!

      • westernsloper

        👍

      • Penguin

        They kicked Lemmy out for doing too much speed. Then he went and formed his own band, which went on tour with opening act….Hawkwind.

        Also, this.

      • R.J.

        “Go to bed, spotty!”

    • R.J.

      It is great. I really liked where the cameras were brought i as part of the dance, about midway in.

      • westernsloper

        The thing is over 8 mins. I did not make it past the 2:30 mark so I did not make it midway in.

    • kinnath

      In the 70s, I thought the world was moving forward. There were bumps in the road, but I always thought things we slowly turning better. That all ended in 2001.

      • R.J.

        I’d go back in time and watch Moog dance any day, over now.

        Also sadly my “n” key is still broken. Dam.

  28. Ownbestenemy

    Zoom t’night?

    • The Hyperbole

      might be here but remember to log into Zoom first.

    • Grosspatzer

      All by meself so far

      • R.J.

        Coming!

  29. kinnath

    Hey powers that be, the 7 pm post did not post.

    • R.J.

      I noticed. I was beginning to wonder if I hallucinated the past few Wednesdays.

  30. westernsloper

    I don’t remember if I linked this before. A friend sent it to me. I have heard numerous podcasts with insurance doods along the same lines…….God help us.