Thursday Morning Links

by | Jul 25, 2024 | Daily Links | 250 comments

I guess the Olympics is about to get underway. Max is taking a big grid penalty at Spa this weekend to take on a new engine. Some things will never change. I got nothing else. Thank God football is a mere five weeks off. Moving on.

I bet you this gets called racist. And I bet the loudest voices will be the people who have called for boycotts on investment in Israeli companies.

“Protests” is an interesting word choice. Especially since they were violent riots where a ton of property was destroyed and cops were assaulted.

Tying this in with the last link. In case you’re wondering why they went with “seized” instead of “Pounced,” never fear. They used the latter in their tweet.

I wonder how this is gonna go for Max. Not well, I hope. That dude is a dickhead.

What an asshole. Who steals a family pet?

“This job would be great if it wasn’t for the fucking customers.” I wonder if there’s a Randal Graves quote for every situation.

The semantic game being played here is not gonna work. At least with anybody actually paying attention.

How generous of them! This is how you know they really care about their customers.

“We do not tolerate crime and harassment on Muni,” she said. Well, not when it’s this hard to avoid, anyway.

Here’s a nice one. These guys had an underrated catalog. But I’m still gonna play one of their most popular songs. It’s good enough it deserves it. Enjoy!

And enjoy this lovely Thursday, dear friends.

About The Author

sloopyinca

sloopyinca

250 Comments

  1. Nephilium

    “We do not tolerate crime and harassment on Muni,” she said. Well, not when it’s this hard to avoid, anyway.

    Nice of them to think of Swagger Jr.’s kid, but there’s still Stripes to worry about too.

    • rhywun

      According to SFMTA, crime on Muni has decreased by 48% since 2018.

      This is either bullshit, or creative statisticking that is perhaps reflective of huge losses in ridership after the ‘vid.

      • SDF-7

        I would 100% believe that is directly proportional to ridership decline. It sounds about right from what I remember.

      • DrOtto

        In Austin they figured out if you quit responding to crimes, you have fewer to report. I suspect SF was a pioneer in that field.

      • Chafed

        Oakland, it was recently revealed, has reported incomplete crime data for years. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the same is true for SF.

    • DrOtto

      Maybe Joe Biden’s dog Commander should apply for the open position?

  2. cavalier973

    The FedEx guy probably had a slowly-growing hatred for the family, because they had those giant boxes of dog food on auto-order.

    The dog’s death wasn’t an accident; it was murder!

    • Not Adahn

      Huh. My auto-order dog food now only comes in smaller bags. Shrinkflation or Teamster demand?

      • SDF-7

        The cat is secretly putting your dog on a diet.

      • Not Adahn

        It’s actually diet dog food.

        She’s dropped 12# from her 90# high.

  3. Shpip

    “Frankly, there should be shame — more shame than there is — for continuing to have those investments at this point in time,” said King, who asserts that China has used intellectual property from U.S. companies to make similar products that undercut market prices.

    I’m a little surprised that there isn’t a “without evidence” in there. I guess when the evidence has been staring you in the face for more than a decade, it doesn’t pass the giggle test, even for the AP.

    • DrOtto

      The US companies have been happily handing over the tech with China’s pinky-swear that they won’t steel it. “But, but, but look at the market potential.”

  4. SDF-7

    Happy Thursday, Sloopy.

    I’ve got very little this morning — mainly because I’m just feeling fed up and decidedly uncharitable towards the perpetual rioters and that they keep being treated with relative kid gloves. It is a good thing for the universe (and for them) I’m not in charge of any units of the National Guard just now, let’s put it that way.

    Hope the Belgian Grand Prix is good this weekend — Spa is one of those tracks I adore driving (virtually), but the races can get monotonous. I don’t know why — there should be overtake opportunities beyond the long straight after going up the hill… but it seems like they get into DRS-train mode and nothing happens some times. Shrug… we’ll see.

    I believe I’ve made my “F the CCP” position plain in the past (nothing against the people, but until they choose a better government I don’t think we should trade with them and feed the war machine they intend to use to take over the world… ).

    • rhywun

      nothing against the people

      The people were so great when I visited in 2001… they don’t get a vote so hard to blame them for that.

      But yeah, I viscerally despise their government.

  5. Sensei

    No way…

    Boot, an ex-Republican opinion columnist for the Post, has co-authored five pieces for the paper with his wife, all related to Korean issues. The Post responded by placing editor’s notes atop several opinion articles that were written or co-authored by the suspected foreign agent, but the paper has also used Terry as an expert in news articles, and failed to disclose her marriage to the liberal columnist.

  6. rhywun

    I bet you this gets called racist.

    Ordinarily I would say this is ridiculous and ineffective but China is pretty openly an enemy so yay?

    I do think the idea that trading with them would make them peaceful has been pretty convincingly disproven.

    • juris imprudent

      trading with them would make them peacefulour puppets

      That was the real belief, that they would subordinate themselves as part of our hegemoney.

      • rhywun

        No doubt.

        How’d that work out?

    • R C Dean

      Hasn’t the notion that trade between nations keeps them from going to war been pretty comprehensively disproven?

      • juris imprudent

        Careful, you’re almost treading on Winston’s turf there.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        “Some Libertarians say trade will make the world safer…

        …and some say that non-aggression will cost $20, the same as downtown…

        All we know is she is called Winston’s Mom!”

      • creech

        Can’t tell who the U.S. would be at war with if there was no international trade.

      • Homple

        I think Norman Angell shut up on the matter as far back as 1914.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Like that would stop Tom Friedman’s taxi drivers.

  7. Trials and Trippelations

    “ One of the largest wine producers in the US has filed for bankruptcy, blaming Americans drinking less after the end of Covid lockdowns. ”

    I didn’t know Americans were drinking less. Is the drinking level back to about pre-Covid or is it even less?

    I started drinking a lot less in 2021 onwards. I didn’t know I was part of some new trend

    • Nephilium

      The up and coming generations (even going back to the Millennials) have been drinking less and going for more alcohol free options. That’s one of the reason for the rise of the NA beers/wines/spirits, as well as RTD (ready to drink) cocktails and seltzers (one of the production methods of NA beer involves evaporating the alcohol off the beer, and reclaiming it for other uses). There’s even been a trend of alcohol free bars opening up (and at least here in Ohio, closing quietly after a year or so).

      On the plus side, it also has led to the rise of more places offering mocktails (and fuck off nannies who are offended by the term and want NA cocktail to be the thing), as it can provide options for DD’s while still getting part of the bar experience (and they can be damned tasty as well).

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Also legal weed and various Delta whatever products wave hello.

      • The Last American Hero

        It does explain why they’re having less sex as well.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        Not surprised they closed. It is hard to whittle down your standards enough to go home with the dude standing next to you if you aren’t both shit-faced.

    • Not Adahn

      I am drinking less than I did pre-covid. No idea why.

      • Trials and Trippelations

        Initially I just couldn’t stomach supporting the local and state breweries that were cheering on the lockdowns then the price increases hit then I did a shallow dive in the Andrew Huberman stuff. I am not a total teetotaler but my drinks can be counted on one hand for the month rather than the week

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        Me too. I still got out to the local pub/brewery, but I have dropped to around two beers a week most of the time.

      • PutridMeat

        Me three, but predates Covid.

        Largely driven by going full keto, bordering on carnivore from time to time. Beer, my previous day-to-day drink of choice and spent a decade brewing 50+ gallons/year, is decidedly not keto friendly! So I slowly and somewhat unconsciously ramped beer drinking way down. Probably less than one every couple of months these days.

        My current drink schedule is a margarita on Fri/Sat/Sun night, sometimes rather a berry concoction with vodka, and the occasional whiskey or bourbon. Drinks are all 0-sugar. And I make them with La Croix Key Lime while listening to Rush. Take that, MikeS!

    • Shpip

      Bosses cited a surplus of grapes after consumers began drinking less after pandemic restrictions ended, overexpansion and too much debt.

      A tale as old as time. Someone has success, he starts growing, then accelerates the growth without regard for the fact that market conditions can change rapidly.

      This isn’t the first time the wine industry has had its pants pulled down, even in recent memory. Look up the “Sideways effect” and every fly-by-night Pinot Noir producer in the late aughts.

      • Not Adahn

        See also: oil, semiconductors, et. al.

      • Nephilium

        Hell, look at the craft beer market. Small local producer steps up to a state wide distribution, gets into a region, and then decides to jump to full country/world distribution. Turns out there isn’t as big of a market outside of the area they were already well known in, they don’t always grasp the different markets in different areas, start pulling back distribution, closing facilities, and either restructuring, declaring bankruptcy, or getting acquired.

      • slumbrew

        Y’all need to sit down: that Daily Mail headline was misleading.

        I didn’t see them “blaming Americans” anywhere in there.

        Shpip’s quote is the key graf. Buying two other wineries in 2009 started the downfall.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        See also as well: Streaming services

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        As Creosote Achilles related, the same thing happened in Oregon when pot was legalized.

      • rhywun

        See also as well: Streaming services

        I hope there is some change there. I always thought the idea that everything went to streaming due to customer demand was a gigantic con.

    • juris imprudent

      My drinking is down, but not because of COVID; it’s the retirement and reduction in stress.

      • R C Dean

        Same here, although I’m trying to whittle it down some more.

      • juris imprudent

        I was absolutely dry in May and June, since I was working on weight loss. Bought a few bottles of wine yesterday – it will be interesting to see how long they last.

  8. Shpip

    Flores Garcia was arrested July 18 and is being held without bail, according to jail records. He faces a murder charge and a charge of discharging a firearm from a moving vehicle. He will remain in custody as he awaits trial because of the “public safety risk he poses,” the DA’s Office said.

    Looks like recalling Chesa Boudin is paying off dividends already!

  9. rhywun

    Republicans pounce after Netanyahu protesters burn U.S. flags – and wave Hamas ones instead

    They would be stupid not to.

    • Chipping Pioneer

      Well, they’re Republicans, so this doesn’t prove that they aren’t.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        LOL

    • SDF-7

      Yes… but they’re Republicans. Stupid is what they do — I suppose Politico is just surprised they bucked that trend and did the obvious thing for a change.

      • rhywun

        I guess the difference this time is more of them are pouncing?

        I mean, someone always pounces otherwise it wouldn’t be a meme.

      • dbleagle

        The protest was mostly non-painty.

      • ron73440

        The protest was mostly non-painty.

        Painty, but mostly peaceful?

  10. Ownbestenemy

    Border Czar whitewashed
    GovTrack ranking moved from insane lefty to nah, she cool.

    Wikipedia edited more times than Winston’s Mom

    Joe and the media’s obsession with only picking a black VP now ‘he had Whitmer on the list!’

    All done in an age where people have the ability to not be gaslit, but I am really suspecting they want to be.

    • juris imprudent

      …but I am really suspecting they want to be.

      Yep, there is a huge need to believe in shit that reason says you shouldn’t. This is why I’m much more on the Huxley end of the dystopian scale than Orwell’s.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        Unless you have a hot-button issue as your reason for living, then it really doesn’t matter who is in charge, you are gonna get screwed in the long run. So you might as well enjoy the ride down.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      Editor’s note: This article has been updated and clarified to note that Axios was among the news outlets that incorrectly labeled Harris a “border czar” in 2021.

      Trust us.

    • The Other Kevin

      To the Dem leadership, they can lie, cheat, steal, and disregard every rule as long as they get what they want. That culture has spread to their voters. That’s why very few of their followers even care that they were lied to about Biden, the primary was rigged, and now Kamala was anointed by the higher ups. As long as the Dems get to do what they want they are fine with it.

  11. Not Adahn

    Who steals a family pet?

    Frenchies are worth more than copper wire/piping.

    • SDF-7

      Zut alors!

    • Grummun

      Good lord why. Wheezy, ugly, prone to a raft of health problems.

    • Atanarjuat

      Yeah, it’s not uncommon, sadly. I heard about this via a comedy bit. Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs were stolen by a pair of future scholars, who shot her dog walker in the stomach because he loyally refused to let go of the leashes. Being Lada Gaga’s dogwalker, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that he was an extremely flamboyant homosexual. The robbery was caught on someone’s doorbell cam, and if you have a dark enough sense of humor to laugh at a pretty awful situation, Mel Brooks couldn’t parody how gay his screams are. He lived.

      Also apparently the lady who was the fence for the dogs claimed she just happened to find them and tried to collect the $500,000 reward and Lady Gaga took back the dogs and said fuck off. So the lady sued her, and lost.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl7ue2rnMo
      https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-27/lady-gagas-stolen-french-bulldogs-lawsuit-over-reward

      • banginglc1

        I knew a guy back in college who stole a chocolate lab puppy. He was drunk leaving a party, walking down a sidewalk, reached over the picket fence and grabbed it. We weren’t friends before that, but after that story, I don’t think I ever talked to him again.

      • DrOtto

        There was a guy in my old neighborhood that used to “find” dogs for a side hustle. He actually got charged for it at one point.

  12. rhywun

    “This job would be great if it wasn’t for the fucking customers.”

    Me, at every customer service job I worked during and after college.

    The day I got my first 9 to 5 was the happiest day of my life.

    • Nephilium

      Of course, I went into IT consulting and then support, so I still have to deal with customers, at least usually they’re a better class of customer… usually.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, to be fair, my customers now are my co-workers that we provide software for.

        Some of them can be a piece of work but generally they’re easy to deal with.

    • sloopyinca

      I am in the unique position of dealing with customers on both ends of every transaction. My sellers are customers just as much as my buyers are.

      It doubles the fun!

    • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

      It went back and forth for me. Running book stores, customers were, for the most part, cool. Logistics, cool until I became an account manager, then they were just dicks.

      • rhywun

        Mine were all grocery stores and hotels.

        Just horrible, horrible people.

    • Trials and Trippelations

      Meh I have seen too many people get there marching orders and hand wave away the pesky points.
      I remember overhearing at work in 2020 I really like Biden (or Warren). Harris’ record is disturbing. I am all in on these BLM protests.
      *a few months*
      I am so excited about Harris as VP!

      • Atanarjuat

        Yeah, NPCs are women and low-T men who prefer being intellectually inconsistent to bucking the system and risking social disapproval. We’ve seen it over and over again.

    • Atanarjuat

      I’m gonna flummox a bunch of libtards on FB with that clip. They’re already posting corny Kamala memes, including one where she is the inheritor of the legacy of Rosa Parks (seriously, I saved it because it was so crazy).

    • PieInTheSky

      maybe she is like Chris Rock loves black people but hates you know what

    • Sensei

      The report also describes the audience ratings surrounding the latest series as being “complex”.

      The spin starts even before the explanation.

      • Not Adahn

        Sure, the overall numbers might be down, but in the highly desired blue hair dye and chastity cage buyer market, they’re the strongest we’ve ever recorded!

    • sloopyinca

      I’ve never seen an episode of Doctor Who. Which probably puts me in a minority here.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Count me in that column

      • Nephilium

        I tried to watch the reboot, but it went far too much into science fantasy for my tastes with mediocre writing. But I’m not going to slag on anyone for liking it; hell, I’m proud of some of my collections of things that people dislike.

        As an example, I have finally managed to source physical copies of all FOUR versions of the Twilight Zone (original 5 seasons, the mid 80’s reboot, the 2002 reboot, and the two seasons of the Peele reboot). On top of Tales From the Crypt, Ray Bradbury Theater, The Outer Limits (original and 95 version), Night Gallery, and Friday the 13th The Series.

      • rhywun

        Nice. Night Gallery was awesome and the 80’s reboot of TZ was pretty good too.

        Couldn’t really be bothered with the later ones. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Not Adahn

        NuWho (and OG Who to a lesser extent) were fantasy shows with the trappings of scifi.

        The only actual scifi show in recent memory is The Expanse.

      • SDF-7

        You needed better PBS telethons growing up.

        I fell asleep to many a Tom Baker re-run at 11PM on a Saturday.

        Good thing the show ended when Capaldi left before they could ruin it.

      • Nephilium

        rhywun:

        Haven’t watched much of the 2002 reboot yet (Forest Whitaker is the host for it!), but the Peele Twilight Zone was pretty damned solid. I’d recommend that one if you like your anthology shows.

      • SDF-7

        The great thing about Classic Who was the premise really boils down to: “Drop the characters into any time, any situation you want. They’re just going to arrive.”

        So yeah — they could do Science Fantasy, Historicals (the original intent — being a kid’s show), Horror (4th Doctor’s Season 13/14), political commentary, etc.

        It is tough to do harder SciFi when the premise is that the main character is from one of the oldest civilizations in the universe, capable of dimensional engineering and temporal mechanics (really, the Time War makes no sense.. Gallifrey is ludicrous when it comes to capabilities… only the immense power of Sitting On Your Ass explains any of it) — they’re firmly in the “sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic”… so I think that’s why the writers never really tried and just went more fantasy (sometimes more than others… looking at you Moffet and your ‘Fairy Tale’ seasons).

        But over the years, if you can stand the effects budget — you can find almost any other style if you cherry pick episodes. That’s one of the joys of the show for the fans (in my opinion).

      • rhywun

        I fell asleep to many a Tom Baker re-run at 11PM on a Saturday.

        Dittoes.

      • Trials and Trippelations

        Same here

      • rhywun

        Oh right, I’ve seen the Forest Whitaker one a few times. He’s great.

      • rhywun

        Ugh, Moffat.

        He wrote a couple great episodes so they made him showrunner. He then proceeded to crawl so far up his own asshole that his seasons were unwatchable.

      • sloopyinca

        I have no issues with fans of Doctor Who. I just never watched it.

        I’m surprised you don’t have the Alfred Hitchcock Presents series, btw. That was probably as good as anything you mentioned.

      • Nephilium

        sloopy:

        Alfred Hitchcock Presents is on my list, just haven’t seen it at a reasonable price (currently over $100 on Amazon).

      • Sean

        I’ve never seen an episode of Doctor Who.

        WHAT?

      • PieInTheSky

        I have seen half of one and did not like it

      • SDF-7

        Oops… linked the wrong one. Way to kill the joke, stupid… (sigh)

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        I have been forced to watch that crap.

        Seriously, I do not understand the love people have for that, it is just dumb.

      • dbleagle

        I am like you Sloopy.

    • R.J.

      It’s finally over? Thank the Lord!

    • rhywun

      I haven’t watched since one unimpressive episode of Lady Who. I knew we had BIPOC Who now but was not aware he was Quiltbag Who (the article doesn’t say).

      The one review of an episode I read made it clear it was all about racialist woke lecturing so yeah, fuck that shit.

      I can’t believe I miss the fun episodes from the aughts and will probably never get to see them again because there is no way I giving any money to Disney for it.

    • R C Dean

      I believe the video of that meeting was “Put a chick in it! Make her gay! And lame!”

      • Homple

        I somehow missed your comment. Sorry.

    • Homple

      “Put a chick in it and make her gay!”

  13. Shpip

    Police wearing gas marks blocked the crowd — which was calling for an end to the war in Gaza that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza officials — from getting closer to the Capitol.

    So these people were telling Hamas to lay down their arms and free the hostages, thereby bringing hostilities to a brisk conclusion, right?

  14. The Late P Brooks

    I watched Biden’s speech last night. I thought it had a distinct “Read this speech or we’ll kill this dog” vibe.

    • SDF-7

      With this bunch? It was probably “Read this speech and we’ll kill this dog…”

      • DrOtto

        Is it just me, or is the still for that scene supposed to look like a glory hole?

      • SDF-7

        Considering it was a closet where the door knob was removed in a purported kids movie with a small child… I really hope it is just you and that the animators weren’t sneaking something in.

    • Drake

      Who was the guy in the orange Biden mask reading the message on the ceiling? The news clips looked that bizarre.

      And if you are going to pre-record that kind of message, don’t wear a watch.
      https://x.com/MattWallace888/status/1816317229417292189

      I did laugh at his punch line – something about installing a woman absolutely nobody voted for because democracy is at stake.

      • Not Adahn

        Did the event happen at the scheduled time? Then it was pre-recorded.

  15. The Late P Brooks

    I assume Merrick Garland will leave no stone unturned to track down and prosecute everyone involved in the insurrection yesterday.

    • WTF

      No, no, that was a GOOD Democrat insurrection, not a BAD Republican insurrection!

  16. PieInTheSky

    “How will the service rebuild in the wake of its catastrophic failure? The agency might argue that it is striving to bulk up, adding personnel needed to thwart assassins. On Monday, the Secret Service advertised two openings. The positions could be found at the U.S. government’s employment portal, USAJobs. Those hired will each be paid $139,395 annually. With what essential mission will they be tasked? Counter-sniping? Evasive driving? No. The title of both jobs is “Lead Public Affairs Specialist.”

    – Eric Felten, Wall Street Journal ($).

    • WTF

      Typical DC – don’t fix the problem, just try to gaslight people that everything is fine.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        It’s come to the point that the more they spin the less the public believes them and that goes for most government agencies, particularly for the fedgov. An unalloyed good in my book.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        The Map is not the Terrain.

    • PieInTheSky

      I blame Larry Correia

    • rhywun

      I can’t remember the last time I gave a shit about the Hugos or the other one. Had to be before the world went stupid, so probably a couple decades ago.

      • PieInTheSky

        I think I stopped caring in like 2015

    • slumbrew

      “The prestigious Hugo awards…”

      Wrong, right out of the gate.

      They’ve been sort of anti-prestigious for a while – an indication of books to skip.

      There might be a couple good ones in there I’m missing out on, but I’m feeling OK about that decision.

      • PieInTheSky

        RACIST SEXIST PIG

      • R C Dean

        Yeah, a Hugo award is pretty much the danger hair of science fiction books.

  17. SDF-7

    I played https://squaredle.com/xp 07/25:
    *20/20 words (+1 bonus word)
    🎯 Perfect accuracy

    I played https://squaredle.com 07/25:
    *42/42 words (+4 bonus words)
    🎯 In the top 6% by accuracy
    🔥 Solve streak: 486

    • Sean

      I played https://squaredle.com/xp 07/25:
      *20/20 words (+1 bonus word)
      ⏱️ In the top 28% by speed

      I played https://squaredle.com 07/25:
      *42/42 words (+12 bonus words)
      📖 In the top 2% by bonus words
      🔥 Solve streak: 458

    • rhywun

      I played https://squaredle.com 07/25:
      *42/42 words (+6 bonus words)
      🎯 In the top 11% by accuracy
      🔥 Solve streak: 331

      I played https://squaredle.com/xp 07/25:
      *20/20 words (+3 bonus words)
      📖 In the top 11% by bonus words

  18. PieInTheSky

    In 1987 American academia was rocked by the release of The Closing of The American Mind.

    He was the first to say out-loud what everyone already knew.

    10 chilling quotes from The Closing of the American Mind. 🧵

    https://x.com/JeremyTate41/status/1816262583642644909

    • rhywun

      4) What poor substitutes for real diversity are the wild rainbows of dyed hair and other external differences that tell the observer nothing about what is inside.

      Ha, I think I know the inner thoughts of all the blue-hairs I see every day.

      • PieInTheSky

        but could you in 1987?

      • rhywun

        but could you in 1987?

        In college? Probably.

        I hung out with that crowd (class of ’93) and the politics were quite predictable.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        Yeah, all of the women I dated in college would be (or are, as I have occasionally checked FB) of the Blue Hair Brigade, and I have a pretty good feel for what they were thinking then and now.

      • rhywun

        Aposematism

        *tap tap tap*

        Perfect.

        Yeah, I have the same thought when I pass a house adorned with currently fashionable flags.

      • slumbrew

        Aposematism & apophenia are two of my favorite fancy-words. They also cover so much of the current timeline.

  19. PieInTheSky

    ✈️ The Heathrow 7, alongside the 3 others arrested yesterday, are due to appear in court this morning, where they will either be bailed and released or remanded to prison.

    🔥 Demand our government Just Stop Oil by 2030

    https://x.com/JustStop_Oil/status/1816414809161625730

    #JailMoreOilies

  20. The Late P Brooks

    Joyriders

    United States and Canadian fighter jets intercepted four Russian and Chinese bombers that were flying in international airspace near Alaska on Wednesday, officials said.

    This marked the first time that Chinese military aircraft had been intercepted in that area.

    North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement that it had “detected, tracked, and intercepted two Russian TU-95 and two PRC [Peoples Republic of China] H-6 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on July 24, 2024.”

    Just out for a cruise.

    • PieInTheSky

      They should have checked their carbon emissions this sort of thing is bad for Gaia

      • R.J.

        *Golf clap

    • The Other Kevin

      They were just testing our defenses, but they might be pushing things a little more since our government is such a shit show right now. In any event, they’ll never get past Animal’s neighborhood.

    • slumbrew

      The gatekeepers must hate Elon so, so much for taking Twitter from them.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        Mojo says that Elon’s purchase of it was the greatest act of charity in her lifetime. I pretty much agree with this.

      • Mojeaux the Lazy Yenta

        JK Rowling going after men in women’s spaces and sports and DV shelters and prisons is the second. She has plainly said she uses her “fuck you” money to do this because most women can’t or be forced out of their livelihoods. She feels it’s her duty because she has the money.

    • The Last American Hero

      And without Musk, Harris was never the border czar.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    Not fair

    A federal judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos over the anchor’s assertion that a jury concluded Trump had “raped” E. Jean Carroll.

    Trump filed the lawsuit in Florida federal court earlier this year, arguing that Stephanopoulos and the network defamed him when Stephanopoulos said during a contentious on-air interview with Rep. Nancy Mace that a jury found Trump had “raped” Carroll, a writer whose own cases against Trump led to him being found liable for sexual abuse.

    The ruling Wednesday amounted to a victory for Trump, who can now move forward with the case as he dives into the 2024 presidential campaign, where he routinely bashes the press for what he believes is unfair coverage.

    Everybody knows Trump held a butcher knife to her throat and brutally raped that woman fifty times in front of dozens of witnesses over a prolonged period, but anybody who mentions it gets accused of defamation and slander.

  22. PieInTheSky

    Speaking of dogs I realized I cannot see a basset hound when I walk about without laughing

    • R C Dean

      I had the great good fortune of watching a basset hound navigate an agility course at a dog show years ago. He made it, but it was very entertaining.

      • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

        Bassetts are funny until they get scent, and then they are a machine going after it all baying and rushing around. It is really quite impressive.

  23. The Late P Brooks

    While a Manhattan federal jury last year found that Trump sexually abused Carroll, and held him liable for battery, the jury did not find that she proved her claim that he raped her. However, months later, while dismissing Trump’s countersuit against Carroll, US Judge Lewis Kaplan concluded that the claim Trump raped Carroll was “substantially true,” writing that “he ‘raped’ her in the broader sense of that word, as people generally understand it, though not as it is narrowly defined by New York state law.

    He’s an asshole, and we don’t like him. Therefor, we deem him to be capable of it. That’s close enough.

    • rhywun

      writing that “he ‘raped’ her in the broader sense of that word, as people generally understand it

      Good thing I don’t comment on “judges” anymore.

      • Chipping Pioneer

        Why wood you not?

      • juris imprudent

        Not all judges are chips from the same block[head].

      • bacon-magic

        Stacking the cork!

  24. PieInTheSky

    Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) was outraged by Netanyahu’s suggestion that the protesters were Hamas sympathizers.

    A few hours later, he was disturbed to find out that the protesters that he defended were actually Hamas sympathizers.

    How it started How it’s going

    https://x.com/Joelmpetlin/status/1816299700665962875

    • rhywun

      Well, he can always comfort himself in the fact that many of them are just commie hangers-on.

  25. Ownbestenemy

    U.S. Economy Grew a Robust 2.8% in Second Quarter

    Robust?

    • WTF

      And you can expect that number will be revised down next month to the notice of very few.

  26. Shpip

    Lefty academics aghast that not everyone is in lockstep with them.

    (Archive link to avoid NRO paywall).

    In unrelated news from Big College down the road, the former republican senator who took over as the school president is resigning effective the end of July. His wife has had neurovascular issues for years, and was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. The couple’s youngest kid is thirteen. He decided that he couldn’t be an effective husband and dad when working the extended evenings, etc., that the job requires. Damn shame.

    • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

      Who appoints a new school president? Governor or board of regents?

      • Shpip

        Officially, by the Board of Trustees (nearly half of whom are appointed by the Governor).

        You can bet your ass that DeSantis will offer considerable input and guidance in assisting the Board’s search for a new President, though.

  27. slumbrew

    Shpip,

    ISTR Mrs. Shpip is in the travel biz – do you guys know anyone who’s taking a Le Ponant cruise after their big refit?

    Link popped up and I’m intrigued – they’re down to just 16 staterooms after the refit. Expensive, but maybe a milestone birthday/anniversary type thing. https://us.ponant.com/le-ponant

    • Shpip

      The Bosslady and I travel a fair bit, but she’s in graduate medical education.

      Ponant seems like a helluva line, and I’ve been intrigued by them, but neither I nor anyone I know has sailed with them yet.

      If you’re looking at high-end cruising, consider Silversea, Regent, the Yachts of Ritz-Carlton, or Scenic as well as the aforementioned Ponant.

      • slumbrew

        Thanks, I’ve looked a the others a bit, too (save Scenic – new to me).

        I’ve never actually taken a cruise but those 7-day Ponant ones look nice. Plus I like that it’s a sailing(-ish) cruise

  28. Certified Public Asshat

    Southwest to get rid of open seating, offer extra legroom in biggest shift in its history

    When travelers choose a competitor over Southwest, the airline found in its research that its open seating model was the No. 1 reason for that choice, the carrier said in a release that outlined the changes. It also said 80% of its own customers prefer an assigned seat.

    The seat free for all never made much sense.

    • The Other Kevin

      Boo. Our team has been using Southwest in the past year, and it’s super convenient that they just let us all on early and we find whatever seat we can get to easily. On other airlines, you have to pay to pick your seat, which our team can’t afford, so a few times I was seated in the very last row. Which sucked.

    • Drake

      Fuck no. I absolutely refuse to pay to pick a seat.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        I don’t like the current model but what they are moving to is…well, just like everyone else which also sucks.

        Keep cabin the same, assign a seat during check-in that seats you with everyone in your reservation as best as possible.

    • SDF-7

      Ha! Flowery Branch! That’s just down the road. I almost never stop there – but driving down 985 you can’t help but note the gum plant.

    • SDF-7

      There’s no “completely safe” anything, jackwagon.

      Alternately….

    • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

      Human beings have continued to evolve and be a successful species for 1000s of years with alcohol, stupid Canadian

      • KK, Plump & Unfiltered

        There’s more than one species of humans????

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Is there any substance/drug that exists in the known universe “completely safe?”

      That’s quite a high bar to set.

      • Sensei

        Water intoxication is a real thing.

      • slumbrew

        So many dangerous drugs out there.

        When will we do something about the scourge of DHMO?!

        http://www.bandhmo.org/

  29. The Late P Brooks

    Maliciou denigration

    It’s not the first time a person of color or a woman has run for president, but Vice President Kamala Harris is already facing a new wave of sexist and racist personal attacks.

    Her opponent, former president Donald Trump, has a long history of personally insulting people of color, women and immigrants. Here are just some of the attacks he’s leveled at opponents:

    [insert random assortment of statements having nothing at all to do with Harris]

    ——-

    The list could go on, but it’s not just Trump attacking Harris.

    Multiple Republican Congressmen have already called Harris a “DEI hire” or “DEI vice president,” implying the former U.S. Senator and California Attorney General was not sufficiently qualified and only picked to fulfill a diversity, equity and inclusion quotient.

    It’s a good thing Joe Biden is on the record making an unequivocal vow to find the single best and most capable person as his VP, with no regard to race, creed, color or sex.

    • Common Tater

      “sexist and racist”

      No one could see that coming.

    • Nephilium

      What record? That’s been memory holed. Biden obviously picked Harris because of her huge draw to voters and competence.

    • The Other Kevin

      They are gaslighting the hell out of Kamala’s past already. That’s not a great sign for them.

      Walter Kirn (from The Free Press) thinks they will replace her. We’ll see.

    • Chipping Pioneer

      I’m old enough to remember when this woman of color’s presidential campaign was torpedoed by another woman of color.

    • rhywun

      It’s a good thing Joe Biden is on the record making an unequivocal vow to find the single best and most capable person as his VP

      Also on record welcoming blacks into his kids’ schools.

  30. KK, Plump & Unfiltered

    The “She Sells Sanctuary” + “Good Feeling” Mashup was quite good

    • Drake

      How about a picture of the weapon and it’s “collapsible” stock?

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        I’ve seen it and it has the standard carbine adjustable stock. The only thing that got him on that roof was LEO incompetence and/or complicity.

    • Pine_Tree

      And we’re at the situation we get to so often: Anybody who’s saying that that kind of stock on an AR might make it harder to see is either a complete idiot regarding ARs, or plainly and openly lying, expecting the idiots to buy it.

    • Grummun

      I’ve been intermittently watching the Tucker Carlson – Jack Posobiec interview (posted two days ago, I don’t know when it was recorded), and Posobiec is adamant that Crooks was shooting over iron sights. Everyone else I have heard says he was using a red dot, although differing stories about the quality of the optic. Posobiec suggests Crooks was using iron sights to reduce the profile of the gun. That just seems silly to say. Okay, there’s no red dot sticking up… but there’s a whole human head about four inches from where the red dot would have been. It makes me question everything else Posobiec has to say.

      • Drake

        I thought the most important thing he said about the assassination attempt – that the Secret Service didn’t show up for the morning meeting with other agencies.

    • rhywun

      I don’t think I would have the balls to be used in one of MSNBDNC’s frequent rubes in the mist setups.

    • ZWAK came for the two-fisted tentacle-fighting, stayed for the crushing existential nihilism.

      Cocaine Sharks in Brazil…

      Take my money!

    • R.J.

      I was so far ahead of the curve when I posted Cocaine Shark this past year.

  31. The Late P Brooks

    Attack attack attack!

    JD Vance is the first non-incumbent vice presidential nominee to have a net-negative favorable rating after a convention since 1980, according to poll numbers.

    The Ohio senator’s net favorable rating was at -6 points after the Republican National Convention (RNC), according to CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten. This is far behind the general average since 2000, which was +19 points.

    Enten explained the numbers on Erin Burnett OutFront, which cited The Associated Press as the source.

    “It’s in negative net territory, negative—look at that—negative,” he said. “I have gone all the way back since 1980. He is the first guy, immediately following a convention—a VP pick—who actually has a net-negative favorable rating. The average since 2000 is +19 points. J.D. Vance [is] making history in the completely wrong way.”

    Enten went on to say that VPs are usually popular, but he said Vance was “dragging Trump down.”

    The more of these articles I see, the more I suspect Vance might have been a pretty good choice.

    • rhywun

      VPs are usually popular

      lol pull the other one

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      People are voting for or against Trump because of Trump and will no matter who he chose as VP. In light of this he chose someone that has a populist bent and can continue it past his own tenure, a fairly good move IMHO.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Unlike the children on CNN, I remember how Dan Quayle was treated the entire time.

      • Beau Knott

        I do as well. I also remember Spiro Agnew.
        Who was it that described the VP role as ‘not worth a bucket of warm spit’, or something along those lines?

  32. slumbrew

    Call just now from the wife – “was there a chunk hanging off the front left tire? I sort of just hit a curb…”

    Grrr. Just replaced the tires in November.

    • ron73440

      My wife did that once, said she was distracted trying to read the signs of some anti-racist protestors.

      • slumbrew

        “I was trying to get around some construction”

    • ron73440

      On a related note, I got hit by a bouncing rubber wheel chock on the interstate last night.

      It hit the front of my car, then bounced into the windshield.

      The impact was right in front of my face and I saw something fly by out of the corner of my eye.

      Once I got home I saw the center grill was missing.

      I will look for it on the way home and see if it’s salvageable.

      If not my poor Saab with it’s peeling clear coat will be uglier.

    • Sensei

      Hopefully suspension is intact and no need for an alignment.

      • slumbrew

        Somehow these things never happen when I’m driving. Somehow.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      I did that in March, 800$ later…..

    • Mojeaux the Lazy Yenta

      Somebody nicked the back of my driver’s side mirror. Pretty deep gouges. I didn’t notice, but my husband did.

      In other news, one of husband’s dudebropals was in a hurry to jumpstart his car, and put the clamps on wrong. That was a $1,000 mistake. I honestly didn’t know you could do that much damage that way, but cars aren’t my forte.

      • ron73440

        If you reverse the positive and negative you can do a lot of damage, I guess $1,000 is possible with labor charges.

      • Tundra

        Depends on the vehicle. New ones are so electronics-laden you can fuck things up even hooking up properly.

        I got one of these,

        That way, if someone needs a jump I can just hand it to them and not risk fucking up their vehicle. Also, some cars have two batteries (primary and the one for ASS), so being able to minimize fuck ups is good.

      • ron73440

        Depends on the vehicle. New ones are so electronics-laden you can fuck things up even hooking up properly

        Didn’t think of that, my newest vehicle is a 2009.

        I have jumped many different vehicles and never messed the polarity up.

        I have a Gooloo jump box now, it started my truck when I left the key on and the battery was totally dead, I was impressed.

  33. The Late P Brooks

    Not the border czar

    In accepting the task, Harris made her role more specific, describing largely diplomatic responsibilities. “I look forward to engaging in diplomacy with government, with the private sector, with civil society and the leaders of each in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to strengthen democracy and the rule of law and ensure shared prosperity in the region. We will collaborate with Mexico and other countries throughout the Western Hemisphere.”

    ——-

    When Harris’ name is mentioned at the border, “it’s a lot of eye rolls,” said Jon Anfinsen, national executive vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, the Border Patrol union.

    “I would ask what has she done in terms of solving the root causes. This has been a goal of hers for this many years. What’s changed? I would argue it’s not improved; it has only gotten worse,” Anfinsen said. “Shortly around that period of time, it kind of just went away, and you didn’t hear it.”

    She promised to talk about it. What more could she possibly do?

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      It wasn’t a formal Czar position but we all know that was the function. No need to go into the weeds on the Dem’s standard bullshit parsing.

      • R.J.

        Good Lord, every newspaper said she was border czar. Pretty soon we will have recordings of talking heads and even Biden saying it.

    • The Other Kevin

      “Since then, the U.S. has stayed on track to meet its commitment of $4 billion to address root causes, but Harris has also been able to solicit significant help from private companies, which have invested $5.2 billion in the region since 2021.”

      She’s spent tons of other people’s money on things that can’t be tracked. That’s worked for countless other problems.

      • ron73440

        She’s spent tons of other people’s money on things that can’t be tracked. That’s worked for countless other problems.

        When it doesn’t work, you just need to add more of other people’s money.

        I saw somewhere that California is currently in year 16 of Gavin’s 10 year plan to end homelessness.

        I was shocked to see that homelessness had skyrocketed in those 16 years, so they obviously didn’t spend enough.

  34. The Late P Brooks

    Stellantis aka Fiat needs to start with getting rid of Fiat.

    But Fiats have always sold like mad in the states.

    • Not Adahn

      Couldn’t they just declare “let there be sales?”

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      I wouldn’t mind finding a later model manual 500 with a nonturbo and low miles because it seems like it’d be a fun go kart to bomb around town in but I feel bad for the people who shelled out for a new one.

  35. Gustave Lytton

    So insurrectionists violently attempting to take over the capital city in support of a foreign power, specifically a hostile foreign power holding America citizens hostage. In a previous era, that would have have the Army called out, suppressed, and the ringleaders hanged.

    • slumbrew

      Pulling down the US flag and raising the Hamas flag is just fine.

      • rhywun

        Meh flags schlags… but fucking vandals drawing on monuments should be shot on sight.

      • Gustave Lytton

        They aren’t tearing down flags and burning them because it’s cloth but because of what it represents. Shoot the traitors.

  36. Sensei

    The Israeli entourage and equipment allows for a whopping 10 press to come along.

    The limitations of the plane affected the journalists accompanying the prime minister. Because of weight limits, only 10 members of Israel’s diplomatic press corps could fly out with the official delegation, this writer for The Times of Israel among them.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-wing-of-zion-finally-takes-off-a-less-than-soaring-adventure-for-press-corps/

    Meanwhile the US keeps throwing money at them while they spent $207m on this.

    • Not Adahn

      how many diplomatic presstitutes does a country that tiny need?

      • Not Adahn

        I ask this, because seeing the “embassies” in Ottawa was a revelation. They are like DC embassies, only much, much smaller.

      • Sensei

        How big of an non-press and non-security entourage does a country that size need?

  37. Sensei

    Shocking…

    Axios and other outlets fell right in line, reporting that “she never actually had” the title and blaming the confusion, in part, on “early media misfires.”

    When the whole Internet responded by citing Axios pieces that had described her as exactly that, the outlet went back and “corrected” those pieces.

    Dems gaslighting on Kamala’s ‘border czar’ role won’t save her

    https://nypost.com/2024/07/24/opinion/dems-gaslighting-on-kamalas-border-czar-role-wont-save-her/

  38. The Late P Brooks

    Dems gaslighting on Kamala’s ‘border czar’ role won’t save her

    She did a fantastic job of throwing American dollars at economic development in central and south America to address the root causes of migration.

    I just read that.

    • creech

      45% of the American voters know she failed at the border. 45% only care about D after her name and the “historic possibilities.”
      And 10%, the low information voters, will decide the election and a good portion of them haven’t been paying any attention to politics and will make their decisions based on how clever and “spun” the ads and commentary will be in Sept. and Oct.

    • juris imprudent

      Never mind the wildly diverse, non-Central American character of the hordes crossing the border – Chinese, African; it’s not like it was just the locals.

  39. Timeloose

    The Cult has been on long term rotation since I got my first car. My first favorite band (wore out 2-3 tapes of Sonic Temple, Electric and Love)

    There are several eras / versions of the band, including early Southern Death Cult and Death Cult. I can say that they haven’t missed a beat from my first time seeing them in 1989 till my last occasion a few years ago.

    Take the Power!
    https://youtu.be/DjcGDPyA3yU

    I’m too late to read all of the comments, so I apologize for any redundancies.

  40. The Late P Brooks

    The Ministry of Plenty is pleased to announce…

    The current health of the American economy shows that the Fed, with Jerome Powell at the helm as chair, has successfully handled inflation so far, with the finish line coming into clear view. The Fed beginning to cut interest rates indicates that central bank officials feel confident that inflation is under control just enough.

    The economy’s enduring strength is also a boon for the Biden administration. Despite the Fed aggressively raising interest rates to tamp down inflation, which have been perched at a 23-year high since last July, the economy has so far avoided a recession. Last year, the resilience of the US consumer shocked economists who widely expected an economic downturn to ensue.

    “Today’s GDP report makes clear we now have the strongest economy in the world,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Thursday. “The Vice President and I will keep fighting for America’s future — a future of promise and possibilities, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things.”

    If not for the strong and wise stewardship of our Dear Leader, the nation might have been plunged into chaos and despair.

    • The Other Kevin

      There must be two economies. The one I’m participating in sucks. Gas just jumped 50 cents in one hour the other day, and the Mrs. and I are currently discussing how after we pay our bills we have $16 left this week.

      I wish I was in that other, amazing economy.

      • Nephilium

        Based on my reading, you need to be either on the dole or have a six+ figure salary to be in the “amazing” economy.

  41. Common Tater

    “The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Wednesday told people hoping to challenge Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination for president to announce their intent to run by Saturday evening.

    Harris became the party’s presumptive nominee on Monday, after President Joe Biden dropped his bid for reelection and endorsed her. No major Democrat has hinted at trying to replace her on the ticket since.

    The DNC’s Rules committee, which finalized its rules for the upcoming convention on Wednesday, said that any candidate who does emerge by the Saturday deadline will need to be supported by 300 delegates by the following Tuesday, The Hill reported. No more than 50 of those delegates can come from any one state.

    Candidates will have to announce their intent to run between Thursday and Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.”

    https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/dnc-instructs-potential-harris-challengers-declare-their-candidacy

    • ron73440

      I hope RFK jr gets there, but I doubt they will let him.

      • The Other Kevin

        He’s already on ballots in some states as an independent. No doubt the Rules Committee(tm) has used that to exclude him.

        The lack of other candidates is interesting. They either don’t want the job, or know better than to cross the cabal.

  42. Common Tater

    “California punished female inmates for reporting male assault with revoked parole, solitary: suit

    With leading Democrats lining up behind Vice President Kamala Harris for the party’s presidential nomination and their telegenic party attack dog California Gov. Gavin Newsom seen as a potential second banana, Republicans are likely to warn voters what they can expect if the woke Californians reach the White House.

    That includes taxpayer funding for prison inmates who identify as the opposite sex to get so-called gender-affirmation surgery, for which Harris took credit as California attorney general, and a law signed by Newsom (SB 132) that grants inmates placement based on their self-declared gender identity, setting off a wave of transfer requests to women’s prisons.”

    https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/california-punished-female-inmates-reporting-male-assault-revoked-parole

  43. The Late P Brooks

    No way

    Ford Motor came in short of Wall Street’s second-quarter earnings expectations while beating on revenue, due to warranty costs that have plagued the automaker for several years now.

    The automaker increased its full-year target for free cash flow but maintained its 2024 earnings guidance, disappointing some investors who had hoped for a hike. Ford’s guidance for the year includes adjusted earnings before interest and taxes, or EBIT, of between $10 billion and $12 billion.

    Shares of the automaker were down about 13% after markets closed. The stock closed Wednesday at $13.67 per share.

    Warranty costs? Ford?

    • Tundra

      Toyota has been having a hell of a time as well. It will be interesting to see their numbers, too.

      • Common Tater

        That’s because simple cars are illegal.

  44. The Late P Brooks

    The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Wednesday told people hoping to challenge Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination for president to announce their intent to run by Saturday evening.

    “Hey, this ditch is full of dead people…”

    • Chipping Pioneer

      “Fortification”