231 Comments

  1. Tres Cool

    whaddup dog’

    Mornin Banjos

    • Tres Cool

      *doh

    • DrOtto

      Someone recently opened a restaurant in an old Sonic called “Whatsup Dog and Burgers”. I need to get in to try them.

  2. Nephilium

    Being warned of an oligarchy by someone who has been in national office for my entire lifetime. I’ll keep an eye out for those people who consider themselves elite and above me Joe… you dick.

    • rhywun

      He’s just pissed that his side is losing its grip on the oligarchy.

    • Strange Brew

      Joe had to become part of the elite to protect us from the elite, or something.

    • Pope Jimbo

      Especially because the only way his brother Jim and son Hunter ever made a dime was trading on access to Joe.

    • Sean

      Yeah, that spiked my blood pressure this morning.

      *angry emoji*

      • juris imprudent

        What? Joe talking to four walls and a camera – who in this country gives a shit about him now?

      • Ted S.

        Unfortunately, media around the world treats shit like this as though it’s important.

  3. rhywun

    Biden takes sole credit for Israel-Hamas deal, warns of ‘oligarchy’ threatening democracy in farewell speech

    I heard some bits of that.

    What a bitter, delusional cunte. Good riddance, asshole.

    Oh, and your “deal” to let out thousands of Arab terrorists in exchange for a couple dozen innocent Israelis is shit. I wouldn’t be cheering that garbage on, Donald, if I were you.

    • WTF

      The best part of that is Netanyahu thanking Trump for his assistance in the matter.

    • WTF

      And I agree the deal is shit. As long as Hamas is allowed to exist, it’s a failure.

      • juris imprudent

        Hamas was never going to negotiate their termination. Of course that should’ve been the alternative to immediate surrender of all hostages.

      • WTF

        Hamas was never going to negotiate their termination.

        Nope, that’s why the negotiations are bullshit. There should be no negotiations, just elimination of the threat.

      • Jarflax

        As long as Hamas exists they will try to destroy Israel, but Hamas is not an external group infiltrating the ‘refugee’ areas, it is home grown and broadly supported. This war is not ending until one side or the other is gone. Right now you have one side which would be delighted to commit genocide but incapable of accomplishing it, and another side that is fully capable of carrying it out, but deeply opposed to the idea. (so of course our brilliant college kids accuse the side with the restraint of genocide and praise the inept psychos)

      • juris imprudent

        The Palestinians will stop worshipping martyrs to the cause when the cost of martyrdom extends far beyond the one individual.

      • Ed Wuncler

        JI:

        I struggle with this because I don’t want any more Palestinians or Israelis to get killed or hurt but at the same time, I think the Israelis have been holding back and the Palestinians on some level knows this which is why they keep on doing shit like 10/7. If they’re going to defeat Hamas, they either have go all out or be resigned to having to fight them or whatever militant group shows up.

    • R C Dean

      I don’t think Hamas can deliver all the hostages, whether dead or alive.* I recall reading early on that they had passed some out to various sub-groups and pretty much lost control of those, including where they are, etc. Even if I were inclined to negotiate the return of hostages, I would say a condition for opening any negotiations at all would be proof of life, which would then have to be periodically renewed or the negations would end.

      *I suspect, in fact, that some will never be found, as they are buried in the rubble or the people who buried their bodies have been killed and nobody now knows where the body is.

      • rhywun

        I don’t think Hamas can deliver all the hostages

        Agreed on all points. I suspect Hamas is not negotiating in good faith here.

      • Jarflax

        In the long run the way to handle hostage taking is to hold a funeral ceremony for the hostage and the kill every person involved in the hostage taking. I suspect that JI is correct that you probably have to reprise against the family of the hostage taker as well to really send the message that taking hostages is a mistake never to be made again.

      • invisible finger

        Yeah, bad faith thy name is Hamas. And every MIC.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      An end to violence and destruction is almost always an unalloyed good even when there is a lopsided exchange. This is a good thing regardless of who’s responsible for it. If it makes any of you champing at the bit for death happy, it’ll likely go to shit in short order.

      • R C Dean

        Depends on the time frame. A deal that teaches a genocidal organization that they can get 100 killers released for every hostage they take may stop the violence and destruction for a few days, but will almost certainly result in more in the long run.

      • Jarflax

        An end to violence and destruction is almost always an unalloyed good even when there is a lopsided exchange

        This is not true. It is especially not true when the ‘exchange’ is liberating people who will immediately turn around and attack innocents in exchange for the bodies of the last set of innocents they killed. Peace deals that set the stage for the next war do not reduce death and destruction.

      • rhywun

        Peace deals that set the stage for the next war do not reduce death and destruction.

        Yeah, and I think we’ve seen this farce play out before.

        I’m happy some innocents will be freed. Everything else about this deal stinks to high heaven.

    • The Last American Hero

      I’d “let them out” into a courtyard where they’d be executed, mutilate the hands of the others so they can’t fire a gun. Send 970 body bags and 30 disabled terrorists back to Gaza.

  4. Ownbestenemy

    Imagine being the guy(s) who are fighting over praise on bringing home potentially up to 10 dead bodies. Get over yourselves Biden/Trump and realize this was a win for Hamas as they all should have been home before Oct 7th’s sunset.

    Just keep a cup of water away from Lil Rubio and he will hold his own.

    Look the LAFD Chief made a call — I am not going to pick apart that call in that moment.

    I am game to have full on daily rotation of ‘press’ that gets access to the president and/or their spokesperson.

    • Nephilium

      In just 15 months we were able to rescue the surviving hostages from a third world country. Fear our military might!

      • juris imprudent

        Even Carter managed better.

      • rhywun

        Good article. The “founding fathers” must be spinning in their graves watching Carter and Biden in action.

        I am not confident that Trump will right the ship, not if he’s trying to take credit for the no-deal that’s on the table.

      • DrOtto

        Carter waited to die till he knew he was no longer in last place.

    • Pope Jimbo

      I’m sort of hoping that Israel is agreeing to this with as much treachery in their heart as Hamas.

      Let Hamas think the war is over and start grouping up in public. Then have the IDF drone strike the shit out of them first.

      If you are Israel who cares about the tsk-tsking from the rest of the world? Go ahead and break the “cease fire”.

      • WTF

        I would hope that’s the case, but Israel has their own liberal party of appeasers who exert influence over policy.

      • Ted S.

        It’ll be interesting to see the secular Israelis who have been saying no price is too high to bring the hostages home turn around and say this is too high a price.

        They’ll do it on the grounds that it doesn’t bring the hostages home in one go.

      • SarumanTheGreat

        It’s the playbook the Tamil Tigers used for decades. Get beat up, refinance, regroup, then start killing again. Including an Indian Prime Minster. Finally the Sri Lankans said F-it and exterminated them, despite the entire world of bleeding hearts pleading with them (and threatening them as well) to give the Tigers another chance. It’s been relatively peaceful on the island since their destruction.

        I’m surprised no one in the media big or small has mentioned the fate of the Tigers and how similar the situations were.

      • Sensei

        It’s the playbook the Tamil Tigers used for decades.

        Interesting comparison…

      • The Last American Hero

        The Econtalk a few episodes back where guest explained that the strategy all goes back to the liberation movement in Algeria made a lot of sense. Including the part of baiting your opponent into committing atrocities that the rest of the world will condemn while letting yours slide.

  5. Ownbestenemy

    Oldest son sad “That Luigi guy is cool” and I spent the next hour tearing into him to the point of no return.

    • juris imprudent

      Probably just wanted to impress a girl with that.

      • Ownbestenemy

        I don’t doubt that. He is Berine Bro adjacent but also borderlines anarchist. He is only 23, so I get the point he is at trying to see where he fits in.

      • Ted S.

        I misread that as “borderline antichrist” at first.

      • rhywun

        borderlines anarchist

        BTW, the kids I knew around that age who called themselves “anarchists” were actually communists.

    • PieInTheSky

      spare the rod, socialist the child.

    • rhywun

      Nip that shit in the bud before he starts appearing at rallies in a keffiyeh shouting to “smash capitalism”.

      • Ownbestenemy

        I was on that. We can a have a discussion about the evils of insurance companies, the ridiculous regulations they have to adhere to that themselves demanded be put into place, but we will not say some guy can walk up and put a bullet behind a man’s ear and call it justice.

      • Ted S.

        These are also the people who say your speech is violence, but my murdering a thoughtcriminal is totes OK.

    • The Last American Hero

      How does anyone know the insurance guy was a bad guy? How do we know he wasn’t working day and night on trying to provide healthcare coverage while navigating a regulatory shit show?

      We don’t.

      But even if he was just a heartless profit-monger, the notion of extra-judicial justice being a good idea is insane.

  6. Pope Jimbo

    Expect Big Changes in the White House Press Room as Trump Will All But Sideline Legacy Media

    I remember when Jesse Ventura issued press credentials that said “Media Jackal” on them. The media was incensed and wrote tons of stories about how terrible it was not to kiss their asses.

    Everyone else in the state laughed at the media jackals.

    I have a feeling that the same dynamic will happen this time around too. The White House Correspondents Association is going to shit themselves when the White House doesn’t tow their lion on seating.

    Most of the country will laugh and mock them.

    • Ownbestenemy

      I hope SF gets the call to have one of the ‘new media’ seats.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        CPRM. He should get the seat.

      • Ownbestenemy

        And not ask questions but rather be the Hat? Making comments…oh the fun that could be had.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Or, a new character will arise: The Seat.

        It would be like Triumph, but with fart noises.

    • juris imprudent

      Trump should entirely shit can that dinner. Not even troll them with Chik-fil-A catering.

    • Not Adahn

      NPR was complaining about how parts of the LA fire evacuation area were closed off “even to the media.”

      • Pope Jimbo

        All sorts of law suits here in Minnesoda after the Floyd Riots because journalos were claiming they were intentionally shot with rubber bullets and what not. They believed that being a journalo should have meant 100% safe passage even though they were in the middle of the riots.

      • Nephilium

        Pope Jimbo:

        The Yellow Rag of Courage?

      • Pope Jimbo

        Neph:

        Yellow Rag of Outrage.

        In a separate suit brought by another journalist, a federal judge wrote “the allegations plausibly suggest an unconstitutional custom carried out by (Minneapolis Police) officers of targeting journalists for unlawful reprisals.”
         
        Reporters who covered wars in Iraq and Afghanistan said they never faced treatment like what was on display during the protests following the deaths of Floyd and Daunte Wright, who was killed by a Brooklyn Center police officer in 2021, according to the ACLU.

      • Ted S.

        Yeah, one of the things that cheeses me is the idea that the “press” in “freedom of the press” only refers to scribes at traditional media outlets.

      • R C Dean

        Of course, some people claiming to be press at the riots were, in fact, part of the Riot-American community.

      • Cunctator

        –“Yeah, one of the things that cheeses me is the idea that the “press” in “freedom of the press” only refers to scribes at traditional media outlets.”–

        Freedom of the Press refers to the actual machine.

      • Ted S.

        You know it; I know it; the MSM deliberately conceals that fact.

    • The Last American Hero

      They laughed, and then they put uber-dude and all around great guy Walz in office.

  7. Pope Jimbo

    Daily Ray of Sunshine

    *sorry for jumping the gun a bit. I’m going to sleep.

    • Tundra

      That was awesome!

      Thanks, Holiness!

    • Not Adahn

      Why would that be an unpopular opinion? I thought “Biden is feckless; madman theory is effective” was commonly accepted glib-logic?

    • juris imprudent

      Trump talks tough, but he’s far more afraid of bloodshed – and that’s not a bad thing. I like that about him, but I do wonder if his raise was called would he fold or not.

      • Drake

        With Israel it was too easy. Just stop sending them weapons and money and they fold. Sure the AIPAC owned Senators would throw a fit, but AIPAC itself is already getting more scrutiny than they want these days.

        With Ukraine, he has no leverage over the Russians and seems to know it. It will be the Euros who fold on that mess.

      • juris imprudent

        I wasn’t so much thinking about Ukraine, but say in Israel if there wasn’t this deal or as in all likelihood, it falls apart because Hamas can’t deliver. His boast about all hell breaking loose – sure, sounds good. But would he really deliver? Will he if this doesn’t pan out? This is one case where I support an entirely disproportionate American response. Return every American hostage, dead or alive. For every dead one, 10 Hamas bloodlines will be extinguished – not just the immediate Hamas “leader” or “fighter”, but every living member blood related to them. You see, that matters to them. Doesn’t matter to me.

        Trump will never do anything even remotely like that, or threaten it. He doesn’t have the stomach for it.

      • Ownbestenemy

        And even if he did have the stomach for it, I do not think we have generals that do either (which is a good thing in this instance). We haven’t had a total war mentality since WWII

      • juris imprudent

        I think it could be done by the SpecOps community.

        You don’t just eliminate some of the cancer – you kill every last cell.

      • rhywun

        It disturbs me that more Israelis don’t have the “total war” attitude right now. This business is existential to them, not us.

      • WTF

        This business is existential to them, not us.

        Based on the scale of pro-Hamas riots and protests, it may be in the process of becoming existential for us.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        The time to do that, JI, was the morning after. Waiting 13 months and for a presidential change just solidifies Hamas’ position in the Arab world. Right now, Bibi has a minor becoming major political problem coming from his left flank, and that needs to be delt with. But just having Trump is not why this is happening; Bibi needs to get those bodies back, and needs to have Hamas violate this. Which they will, as there are too many wild cards on that side of the wall fence.

      • juris imprudent

        The time to do that, JI, was the morning after.

        Oh, fully agree – the longer the delay the more impotent the response (and the more the cancer grows).

  8. PieInTheSky

    Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launches new rocket on first test flight

    I estimate in 3 years time we will have space battles between spaceX and Blue Origin over asteroid mining claims.

    • Ownbestenemy

      I estimate it will be 3 years before Blue Origin will even be at Falcon success-rate in terms of reliability and reusability.

    • DrOtto

      And in 20 years passengers in pajamas acting like assho on Frontier Spaceliners.

    • Suthenboy

      Like everything else good the govt will stick its nose in deeper and deeper until the private space companies are on par with NASA today.
      Count on it. Tax it and regulate it until it is paralyzed.

  9. PieInTheSky

    Full list of foods that have red dye 3 in them as FDA bans substance over cancer links

    Now this is non of the governments business, but no food really needs red dye 3

    • juris imprudent

      Says the man with an appetite for the deepest, natural red.

  10. UnCivilServant

    This may seem a bit out of the blue, but – Am I the only one who misses the old Total War reinforcement mechanic that was used in Rome 1 where you would have to produce units at towns with the necessary infrastructure to build them and somehow get them out to the warzone yourself? This is in contrast to the modern design where you can only have as many armies on the field as you had generals and reinforcements would pop in at the army’s location but you could only get units other than the locally available ones via a shared, slower, and more expensive global recruitment queue.

    My favorite emergant gameplay moments were when someone tried to attack my reinforcement stream, or otherwise outflank my offensive and I’d have to scramble my mismash of travelling reinforcements to form an army, often resulting in a “Man of the Hour” event which netted me a new general.

    • Ted S.

      TL; DR.

      Yes, you’re the only one who misses it.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Ah, Total War: the thousands of hours I wasted on that and games like it.

      • DrOtto

        The last of the real M5. Those were beautiful.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        I will take the Audi (Michele Mouton for the win) but not that BMW. They looked like slugs by then.

    • Sean

      I’ll be in my bunk.

    • Tundra

      I hear angels singing.

  11. rhywun

    What do we think of this move – girlboss or cuntey?

    Danielle Collins slaps her backside and boasts of ‘big fat $180,000 cheque’ as she accuses Australian Open crowd of being ‘super drunk’ for booing her as she beat the local underdog

    I can see her point – that environment is obnoxious AF, but I lean “cuntey” overall. She’s a big girl and knows exactly what to expect in that situation.

    And heaven knows I dislike a douchbag, and enjoy seeing one maybe going down. 🤞

    • PieInTheSky

      slightly cunty but Australians are a bunch of cunts as well so I’ll allow it.

      also kinda weird face but probably would tap.

      • rhywun

        No comment on her face or tappability.

        I was surprised because it seems totally out of character for her – she’s always been gracious and pleasant. That crowd must have really got under her skin.

      • DrOtto

        @ rhywun – I was going to say cuntey, but am unaware of her usual manners. If she’s usually gracious and pleasant and the crowd were being assholes to her, then I’m ok with it.

      • Ted S.

        She hasn’t been gracious towards Iga Swiatek.

      • PieInTheSky

        Iga Swiatek pronounces her own name in a stupid way.

      • rhywun

        @Otto, yeah there are some well-known “bad boys” who revel in being the asshole (I pointed out one who is playing live right now) and I have nothing but scorn for most of them – I don’t like that personality trait. Not so many “bad girls” but she is not one of them. Thus, I am torn in this case. Mindless fans cheering for some dope they never heard of five minutes ago irritate the shit out of me too.

      • rhywun

        She hasn’t been gracious towards Iga Swiatek.

        Ha OK. Missed that one, I guess.

        Iga Swiatek pronounces her own name in a stupid way.

        Ughhh one of my pet peeves is Americans trying to pronounce foreign shit in the foreign way and inevitably getting it wrong. Stop trying to “be nice”.

    • juris imprudent

      So, female version of John McEnroe?

    • Jarflax

      But girlbosses are cunty

    • Fourscore

      As Ted Williams is alleged to have said:

      “They bought their tickets, let ’em boo”

    • Q Continuum

      Cuntey but still would.

    • KSuellington

      I think she was in the right. Imagine being taunted by that number of drunks with that penalty colony accent. She was restrained if anything.

  12. juris imprudent

    Extreme derp warning. Kudos if you can make it more than three paragraphs in.

    I’m loath to end on a pessimistic note. Any investment in spreading truth and combating lies is a worthy investment. (We here at the Washington Monthly do not make political endorsements and are not hustling for DNC cash. But, dear reader, we are dedicated to truth and promoting innovative policy ideas and are happy to receive your financial support.)

    • PieInTheSky

      More truth-telling progressive media would be great – is that not an oxymoron?

      Elon Musk turned a global public square known as Twitter into a personal propaganda machine called X – ah yes sure it was totally not propaganda before

      • R.J.

        The dude identified his and liberal media’s own problems and then stares right past them! That article is comedy gold! Bill is a literal frog on a hotplate.

    • Ownbestenemy

      I made it past three paragraphs.

      That was an amazing insight into the mind of whatever that is.

    • Nephilium

      JFC…

      The objective of de-gaslighting the media landscape is warranted. Elon Musk turned a global public square known as Twitter into a personal propaganda machine called X. In a welcome move, traditional media has engaged in more fact-checking since Donald Trump ran for president in 2015 but couldn’t shake their “negativity bias” which made depictions of the economy in 2024 far worse than warranted, prompting many voters to look past Trump’s documented record of systematic lying.

      • WTF

        I wonder what color the sky is in his universe?

      • DrOtto

        Brown – his head is up his ass.

      • Nephilium

        WTF:

        These are the people who think CNN is a right leaning organization.

  13. juris imprudent

    Boom

    Hence his Jerry Springer-style family life that he and Jill always have dressed up as the Waltons.

  14. Suthenboy

    I feel a bit sick in the pit of my stomach. This hostage deal is the worst possible one. It’s Carter all over again. Spineless fucks.

    • PieInTheSky

      a spine is a luxury a politician can ill afford

      • juris imprudent

        “You have enemies? Good, it means you stood up for something, sometime in your life.” — WSC

    • cavalier973

      Has the Israeli cabinet met?

      I’m hearing that until they meet, there isn’t a deal.

  15. PieInTheSky

    Delicious Tacos
    @Delicious_Tacos
    You better WORK HARD for LESS or we’ll get BEAT BY CHINA

    And you should literally work in a CHINESE RESTAURANT

    https://x.com/Delicious_Tacos/status/1879597588569362579

    The internet is weird. This stupid Panda Express thing is still going and it’s been a few days

  16. PieInTheSky

    Two countries in Europe have made a thorough analysis of the fiscal contribution of immigrants by country of origin, Denmark and the Netherlands.

    The findings from these two countries look remarkably similar:

    https://x.com/jonatanpallesen/status/1879634729756135736

    Romania seems barely in the black. Damn North Americans making us look bad. I assume norams only come for good jerbs.

    • Rat on a train

      Americans are all millionaires so of course they will be net contributors …

    • Drake

      So a welfare state without borders might not be a good idea?

      • PieInTheSky

        a welfare state with borders might not be a good idea.

        But a small number of well selected immigrants who want to contribute are a net positive

    • Suthenboy

      It is almost like culture matters. Worth noting that the late stage aristocracy in the west prefers the non-contributors.

  17. Fourscore

    Oh my! A look out the window has 3 big Tom turkeys, strutting and showing of to a half dozen girl friends, who are much more concerned with breakfast than early morning romance.

    The days are getting longer, a young man turkey’s dreams turn to romance.

    • PieInTheSky

      shoot one?

    • Suthenboy

      Yep. It is that time of year. The owls, coyotes, squirrels, deer, rabbits….they are all screwing up a storm.

    • R C Dean

      It seems really early for turkeys to be doing that.

      • The Other Kevin

        Everything is different since Trump won.

  18. PieInTheSky

    Britons have been told of four things to make note of before moving to Portugal

    https://www.gbnews.com/travel/expat-portugal-big-mistake-spain

    Moving abroad is a big decision, and a woman who lives in Portugal has shared some useful advice.

    She addressed the “first things” people get wrong when living in Portugal, naming four main misconceptions, including mistaking the Portuguese for the Spanish.

    lol

  19. PieInTheSky

    In Wilhelmine Germany they didn’t say ‘he’s fat’ they said he has a ‘Bismarckian figure’ and I think that’s beautiful

    https://x.com/lijukic/status/1879499690636722251

    If you don’t want a Bismarckian figure don’t eat Bismarckian foods. – Wartmann

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Enough sausage and sauerkraut will give you a Bismarkian figure from the bloating alone.

      • PieInTheSky

        In Romania sausage and sauerkraut is traditionally served with a side of beans

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        I’m getting gassy just thinking about it.

  20. PieInTheSky

    In local news

    BEAUMONT, Texas – A Romanian national convicted of plotting to traffic hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from the United States in a scheme that also included money laundering, arms trafficking, and an attempt to assassinate rival gang members, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

    Marius Lazar, 51, of Bucharest, Romania, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on January 15, 2025.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lazar was a “founding member” of his local chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, a transnational outlaw motorcycle gang that was founded in the United States and is now active on six continents. Through his relationship with a fellow Hells Angels member from New Zealand, Lazar joined a conspiracy to purchase more than 400 kilograms of cocaine from a person in the United States, who the conspirators believed was a powerful drug trafficker but who was actually an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As part of his negotiations for the cocaine purchase, Lazar also solicited the undercover agent to kill two members of a rival motorcycle club in Romania, and offered to supply the undercover with rifles, grenades, armored vehicles, and other military-grade equipment that Lazar understood would be used against police officers in the United States. Members of the conspiracy sent nearly $1 million to the United States, via bank wires and Bitcoin transfers, as payment for the drugs and murders.

    https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtx/pr/foreign-national-sentenced-racketeering-and-drug-trafficking-conspiracy-eastern

    • R C Dean

      what’s the difference between transnational and international? I keep seeing the term “transnational”, especially for criminal organizations, but I don’t know why they aren’t just plain old international.

      • PieInTheSky

        International: Refers to interactions or dealings between nations. This can involve governments, businesses, or individuals. * Transnational: Extends beyond national borders, focusing on processes or activities that occur across different countries.

        according to the first google result. I did not ask grok

      • Nephilium

        They identify as members of the country they’re in?

      • Jarflax

        Transnationalism is when Castro’s kid tries to transition Canada into Cuba.

    • juris imprudent

      When was this guy ever actually in the United States and therefore subject to U.S. law?

      • juris imprudent

        JFC – his only interaction with an American was the DEA fake dealer?!? This is almost on par with the FBI and their domestic extremists.

      • Jarflax

        The question I have is how much did it cost us to run an entrapment sting operation against a Romanian, in Romania, for crimes in Romania that have no US nexus other than the Fed play acting ordinary criminal?

      • WTF

        So now fedgov is running entrapment schemes on foreigners overseas?
        Insanity.

      • juris imprudent

        Shit, I don’t even care about the wasted money – it’s the insipid belief that we can apply our law to foreign nationals beyond our territory. I really want to stake that bastard out over an anthill.

      • Jarflax

        Hey, you were talking about getting rid of the concept of sovereignty the other day. You may have meant the immunity of the crown aspect of sovereignty, but the jurisdiction aspect is also part of the concept.

      • juris imprudent

        Yeah, we’ve stopped believing that our laws stop at our shores already, haven’t we?

      • Jarflax

        Our whims are natural law and must be obeyed everywhere at all times! Seems to be kind of a theme lately, what with the PM going after Elon, and this nonsense.

    • juris imprudent

      I think they may have saved the best for last.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Agreed and a few red heads that would be the end of me

    • rhywun

      Never heard of that brand. Any good?

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Was waiting for that.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Is Sandero Romanian for shitbox?

      • PieInTheSky

        Sandero was chosen because it sounds good in spanish and portuguese and the car was meant to have a large share in South America.

      • rhywun

        What I hear is “Canyonero“.

    • DEG

      I saw a Dacia Sandero a few years back when I was walking around Bratislava.

      I said, “Anyway, moving on”, and kept on walking.

    • Rat on a train

      Two-star Euro NCAP rating
      Is it self-crashing?

      • Jarflax

        Every so often it impales a Turkish army. It’s kind of a traditional thing.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    Check your facts at the door

    Biden also launched into a sharp criticism of social media platforms, arguing they are neglecting to fact-check.

    “Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit,” he said, appearing to refer to Meta’s ending its fact-checking program.

    They checked the shit out of Joe’s facts for four years, didn’t they?

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Zuck’s ended the fake factchecking and started presenting in public like a cross between a 1970s key party attendee and a cult leader. Interesting times…

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        Well, you gotta admit, FaceBook is kinda like a cult these days…

    • WTF

      They really are upset that they lost the ability to censor information they don’t like.

      • juris imprudent

        Obama and company really ought to face the consequences for that. I imagine it will ultimately be history judging.

      • Jarflax

        I suspect this is why religions come up with concepts of punishment in the afterlife more than to spread fear.

      • The Last American Hero

        History will view Obama favorably. There will be a colossus of him on the Mall when he dies.

        Because the victors write history, and in the long run, the tyrants will win.

    • The Other Kevin

      New clip for “the agony of defeat”.

      • ZWAK, doktor of BRAIN SCIENCE!

        And use the tennis girl smacking her ass with a check for the “Thrill of Victory” part?

      • rhywun

        The American kid just beat that prick Medvedev, and is giving a classier interview than Collins….

        “I lost the 4th set 6-1 because I had to pee real bad.”

        lol

      • Rat on a train

        Don’t take that honor away from Slovenia.

  22. Ownbestenemy

    Well then….

    Israel holds off on approving hostage deal, accusing Hamas of reneging on details

    • juris imprudent

      Blinken can’t put the screws to Hamas and is all but out of time for fucking Israel. But hey, they got their headline.

  23. The Late P Brooks

    Link, maybe

    Biden also seemed to swipe at his successor in arguing that the Constitution must be amended to “make clear that no president” is “immune from the crimes that he or she commits while in office.” A constitutional amendment would require deep support and bipartisanship at both the federal and state levels, making it unlikely in the near term.

    His comments appeared to target Trump, who was impeached twice, indicted four times and convicted in Manhattan. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts and has routinely maintained that he did nothing wrong, and federal charges against him were dropped after he won the election.

    Thanks for clarifying that, NBC writer. I would never have known who he was talking about.

    • PieInTheSky

      Biden should give Trump a blanked pardon before leaving, that would be epic trolling

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      “make clear that no president” is “immune from the crimes that he or she commits while in office.”

      The irony! It burns!!

      • juris imprudent

        The president isn’t immune, but HIS SON is!!! bwahahahaha, suckers!!!

      • WTF

        Of course presidents are not completely immune, they are subject to impeachment and removal for any crimes committed while in office. The Dems just want to be able to go after sitting Republican presidents with blue state AGs on bullshit charges.

      • juris imprudent

        Impeachment is hard, we can’t push it over the line with just partisan attacks; therefore we must have other tools to cripple our enemies.

      • Rat on a train

        He was impeached, twice. The severity of the accusations should be enough to disqualify him.

    • The Other Kevin

      A President is NOT immune from crimes he did while in office, he is only immune for the things done in his official capacity. So says the Supreme Court.

      But of course Dishonest Joe could never pass up a chance to lie.

      • Ownbestenemy

        And even then, as WTF points out…aren’t immune to political punishment either from a completely hostile Congress or impeachment.

      • juris imprudent

        Joe burnishing his Democratic bona fides.

      • Rat on a train

        Wait until Trump sends out Special Ops to assassinate his opponents starting Monday. Democrats have said he can’t be prosecuted for that.

    • WTF

      They have Russia ranked second and at least the equal of China which I’m not buying. So I’m guessing there’s a lot of subjective bullshit baked in.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        China has a large but shitty military with no ability to protect power and a bunch of pirated Russian designs that are a couple of tiers below the originals. The ranking reads true.

      • UnCivilServant

        China is the land of shortcuts and illusions.

        It is the Platonic Ideal of the Potemkin Village.

      • juris imprudent

        Yeah, the Chinese may be somewhat audacious (the island business), but the last real fight they were in they got their asses kicked right back into their own country.

  24. The Late P Brooks

    Biden also said he wishes the incoming Trump administration success.

    That’s why he is doing everything he can to sabotage things on the way out the door. He’s like a movie crook being chased down an alley, who tips over all the trash cans as he passes them.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Rewatched the New Glenn launch and I think they had a throttle up problem because it lurched for a good few seconds and took its sweet time clearing the tower.

  25. The Late P Brooks

    He said in his speech: “Powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interest: for power and profit. We must not be bullied into sacrificing the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren.”

    Fact check on aisle six, please.

    Bullying? Who’s bullying whom? While we’re in here, let’s clarify the terms of “sacrificing the future”.

    • rhywun

      Watching their delusions fall apart in real time is fascinating.

      Go home, Joe. You’re drunk.

    • Pine_Tree

      What about the grandchildren whose existence you deny?

  26. Mojeaux

    We have uncovered some evidence that Aunt Selfish Cunt Susie and her children cooked up a scheme to take the house from Mom. It’s not a well-known scheme in that it has a name, but it is a known one. Comes under title fraud and elder abuse (because ASC badgered her into signing it and she must have badgered hard because my mom is a hard sell). We have a meeting with an elder-lawyer on the 30th and we’ll bring these things to them. My brothers figured it out. Bro2 got to thinking about the mortgage balance. There’s about $50,000 missing somewhere. Bro1 got to thinking about this strange and weird and stupid secondary document about division of property. Those two issues started to converge. It paints an ugly picture, but I still don’t think these people are smart enough to put that together.

    In any case, she dun fucked with the wrong people.

    In related news, both Aunts SCs REFUSE to believe that Mom is not going home to the house in question, even when Mom told them outright. So, they have been sending over church people to urge (badger) Mom to come home. It’s not exactly an onslaught, but those people are clearly uncomfortable with the task. Aunts SCs don’t know she’s coming home with me. They have two competing goals here—for Mom to die and Susie get the house versus wanting Mom at home and well-ish—but I think I know why they want her home and NOT dead.

    Mom does all their admin/clerking/life housekeeping stuff. They don’t pay their own bills (in the sense they’re not writing the checks or initiating auto-pays; they have the money). They barely know how to work their phones much less pay bills online. Aunt Susie’s bank account and the household account is in Mom’s banking dashboard, so I can see where the money’s been going. They don’t know how to get to the dashboard. They’re on our phone plan. My husband takes care of that. He also takes care of dealing with their cable company and a few other things. Everything about keep their life running smoothly is Mom’s responsibility. Water leak? Mom makes the call, etc, etc, etc. If they had been willing to work with us, I would have taken that over, but not now. They’re on their own.

    Thing is, you’ve got 3 old ladies in and out of the hospital, but they always come home after a couple of days and life goes on. One of them is a pragmatist and in so much pain she WANTS to go, and has never been shy about death. Neither of the other two has any concept of or belief in death. Or they’re actively avoiding thinking about it and absolutely do not understand my mom’s outlook. AND they need her desperately to run their lives.

    My YOUNGEST aunt is not impressed with Aunts SC and has offered to help me out with a couple of days’ notice, which I didn’t expect and is very welcome. My gpa died when Youngest Aunt was 10 or something, and my dad was the one who was kind of the male figure in her life and taught her to drive, etc., so YA has an emotional stake in helping.

    In short, there has been a Great Schism.

    And one reason I’m doing this (utterly selfishly) is that I want my daughter to see me doing this, the way I saw my mother take care of her mother, and her mother take care of her mother and mother-in-law, so that maybe someday, she will do it for me.

    • DEG

      We have uncovered some evidence that Aunt Selfish Cunt Susie and her children cooked up a scheme to take the house from Mom. It’s not a well-known scheme in that it has a name, but it is a known one. Comes under title fraud and elder abuse (because ASC badgered her into signing it and she must have badgered hard because my mom is a hard sell). We have a meeting with an elder-lawyer on the 30th and we’ll bring these things to them.

      It sounds like they will be in a world of hurt. Good.

      My YOUNGEST aunt is not impressed with Aunts SC and has offered to help me out with a couple of days’ notice, which I didn’t expect and is very welcome.

      This is good news.

      Best wishes.

    • juris imprudent

      Moj, you know the article I have forthcoming, and I’ve had that in mind as you’ve been going through this. It almost warrants yet another article.

      • Mojeaux

        Yes, and I so appreciate your thinking of me/us.

    • Ownbestenemy

      And one reason I’m doing this (utterly selfishly) is that I want my daughter to see me doing this, the way I saw my mother take care of her mother, and her mother take care of her mother and mother-in-law, so that maybe someday, she will do it for me.

      Not selfish at all. Its instilling something that many Americans have lost, which is to take care of our elders as they took care of us and not just put them out to pasture. That loved ones are worth the fight, not their things or trinkets.

      You are a strong woman Mojeaux and your daughter will absolutely see that.

      • Sean

        Well said.

        +1

    • R.J.

      Horrible. I do wish you well as you descend into legal and paperwork hell.
      But, it might make a good book. Throw in a broad chested handyman who shows up to help upkeep the house and spy on the aunts and you have a new novel!

    • rhywun

      maybe someday, she will do it for me

      Oof. Since I have no one, am growing somewhat fearful of how I am going to deal with that. Some sort of “home” I guess, wallet willing.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        At least the walking cane fights between you and the elderly leftists will be epic.

      • Jarflax

        Yeah, I love living alone, but it takes on some new and less than thrilling aspects as I move into late middle age/old person territory.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Oh, Moj. ♥️ *

      *not sure of heart-emoji etiquette

  27. Semi-Spartan Dad

    I’m sorry, Moj.

  28. The Late P Brooks

    No bullying allowed

    “You say the right things, that you’re going to be the ‘people’s lawyer,’” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

    “But I believe being the ‘people’s lawyer’ means you have to be able to say no to the president of the United States,” he said. “You have to be able to say Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, you dodged that question… You have to be able to say Jan. 6 insurrectionists who committed violence shouldn’t be pardoned.”

    Bondi responded: “I don’t have to say anything. I will answer the questions to the best of my ability, and honestly.”

    You can’t talk to a Senator like that. You’ll hurt his feelings.

    • Ted S.

      You have to be able to say no to Senators too.

      And charge them under the Stolen Valor Act.

    • Jarflax

      I’m all for any insurrectionists who committed violence serving out their sentences. How many of the thousand plus arrested committed violence? A dozen? less?

      • Ted S.

        How many of them are insurrectionists?

      • Gustave Lytton

        How many leftists took over hearings or mobbed the Capitol without being labeled as “insurrectionists”?

      • Jarflax

        That one I am kind of a heretic about. I think all violent rioters are engaged in insurrection. The key to me is violence.

  29. The Late P Brooks

    They have done legitimate good work in the markets.

    Hindenberg’s recent breakdown of Carvana was brutal. Hopefully, others will pick up the slack.

    • Sean

      Ugh. Damn it, Tundra.

      🙁

      • Tundra

        Sorry, but I did warn you.

        You would think that all the years of trans nastiness I would be fairly immune to the horrors. But not even close.

  30. The Late P Brooks

    A fox to guard the hen house

    The memo obtained by POLITICO, which was prepared by Finance Committee staff under ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), alleges Bessent should have paid $910,182 in taxes for income he made through his hedge fund, the Key Square Group, from 2021 through 2023. Bessent was able to avoid that income because he claimed he was a “limited partner” not making decisions for Key Square, the memo says.

    Democratic staff on the Finance Committee are arguing that Bessent was clearly actively engaged in decisions for the fund.

    The memo also highlights losses Bessent claimed from income related to All Seasons Press, a conservative book publishing house that has minted books from authors including former Trump aide Peter Navarro, as well as a glowing biography of conservative pundit Tucker Carlson. The memo argues that Bessent didn’t properly substantiate $1,939,296 in losses, citing ASP records indicating that Bessent wasn’t actively involved in the publishing house’s businesses.

    Interpreting the tax code in the most favorable light? Utterly unprecedented.

    • Sean

      “Talk to my accountant.”

      and

      “EABOD.”

    • Gustave Lytton

      That Wyden (D-NY, New York’s third senator). Why make money yourself when you can fuck your way into a fortune?

  31. The Late P Brooks

    The memo is sure to tee up a barrage of questions from Finance Committee Democrats about Bessent’s taxes at his nomination hearing Thursday. And the memo will allow Wyden to portray Bessent as out of touch with the Treasury Department and IRS that he would lead, which under President Joe Biden’s administration have been laser-focused on closing tax dodges used by the ultra-wealthy.

    Needs more confiscatory taxation.

  32. Tundra

    Too local:

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-pregnant-woman-fatally-shot-colorado-police-reaches-2-million-s-rcna187706

    This is the same department who gunned down Johnny Hurley after he dropped an active shooter.

    https://www.cpr.org/2023/09/28/arvada-police-good-samaritan-shooter-settlement/

    Really warms the heart knowing these are the people “protecting” and “serving” my town. Glad to contribute tax dollars to the settlements.

    Fuckheads.

  33. The Late P Brooks

    They mean well

    That Musk, who’s clashed with the commission over SpaceX rocket launches and claims of political bias, decided to criticize the agency comes as little surprise. The commission has long symbolized the national debate over housing production versus environmental preservation, writ small, and ultimately bureaucratic red tape and cost-of-living issues that Republicans successfully weaponized in November’s elections.

    It’s not fair to to publish factual but unflattering characterizations of noble public servants.

  34. cavalier973

    Supposedly Hamas has backed down and accepted the Israeli terms for the cease fire.

    • R.J.

      That would be some good news.

      • Suthenboy

        Is it? I think people are willingly blinding themselves to who they are dealing with. As long as Hamas survives they are winning.
        I remember the whining when Israel cut off Gaza’s water and power. What I dont remember are people saying “Wait a minute. Israel supplies Gaza’s water and power?”

  35. The Late P Brooks

    And not all Democrats are ready to give Musk a win.

    “Friendly reminder: Elon Musk could rebuild nearly every home that’s been lost in the LA fires for less than he paid to f’up this app,” Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, who represents a portion of Los Angeles, tweeted (and then deleted) Monday.

    Take that, you meddling oligarch!