Amado mio, love me forever — And let forever, begin tonight — Amado mio, when we?re together — I’m in a dream world, of sweat delight…..
What?
Here’s today’s piece of insanity.
A decade ago, the world was living in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. Financial markets had stabilized, but the real economy was still in terrible shape, with around 40 million European and North American workers unemployed.
Fortunately, economists had learned a lot from the experience of the Great Depression. In particular, they knew that fiscal austerity — slashing government spending in an attempt to balance the budget — is a really bad idea in a depressed economy.
Unfortunately, policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic spent the first half of the 2010s doing exactly what both theory and history told them not to do. And this wrong turn on policy cast a long shadow, economically and politically. In particular, the deficit obsession of 2010-2015 helped set the stage for the current crisis of democracy.
Krugnuts is absolutely right. If we wanted to get the right kind of economic stimulus like the one that got us out of the Depression in the 1940’s we should’ve just declared war with Germany and Japan again, then fund and equip nearly the entire allied war machine… Let’s not break just one window, let’s break them all! If we’re going to have an enormous government we might as well annihilate the Krauts while we’re at it, amirite?
Why is austerity in a depressed economy a bad idea? Because an economy is not like a household, whose income and spending are separate things. In the economy as a whole, my spending is your income and your spending is my income
What happens if everyone tries to cut spending at the same time, as was the case in the aftermath of the financial crisis? Everyone’s income falls. So to avoid a depression you need to have someone — namely, the government — maintain or, better yet, increase spending while everyone else is cutting. And in 2009 most governments engaged in at least a bit of fiscal stimulus.
Broken windows. QED.
In 2010, however, policy discourse was taken over by people insisting, on one side, that we needed to cut deficits immediately or we would all turn into Greece and, on the other side, that spending cuts wouldn’t hurt the economy because they would increase confidence.
The intellectual basis for these claims was always flimsy; the handful of academic papers purporting to make the case for austerity quickly collapsed under scrutiny. And events soon confirmed Macroeconomics 101: America didn’t turn into Greece, and countries that imposed harsh austerity suffered severe economic downturns.
Perhaps America didn’t turn into Greece because its economy isn’t based entirely off of picturesque Mediterranean beaches and exports of yummy ethnic food? Is your audience really this stupid? Austertitty didn’t work in Europe because they have become so accustomed to suckling at the sweet, sweet tits of government they decided to riot when the tits got old and saggy.
Besides, the stable geniuses at the Mises Institute cite a recent book by Harvard Economists stating there are two forms of austertitty: the kind that raise taxes and the kind that cut spending. The findings are based of historical finding from 16 advances economies experiencing economic contractions since the 1970’s. They found the austerity measures that cut government spending (or at least kept them the same) did not result in prolonged recessions because by creating a stable government balance sheet and predictable tax rates, businesses of all sizes were able to adapt to a consistent conditions. The results for the opposite approach, likely because it is hard to plan your business if you don’t know what the conditions will be tomorrow when the government is putzing around putting out its own fires today, not to mention a flight of high net worth individuals, worked out the way they did in Europe.
So why did policy and opinion makers go all in for austerity when they should have been fighting unemployment?One answer, which shouldn’t be discounted, is that inveighing against the evils of deficits makes you sound responsible, at least to people who haven’t studied the issue or kept up with the state of economic research.
Beyond that, the push for austerity was always driven in large part by ulterior motives. Specifically, debt fears were used as an excuse to cut spending on social programs and also as an excuse for hobbling the ambitions of center-left governments.
Here in the United States, Republicans went through the entire Obama era claiming to be deeply concerned about budget deficits, forcing the country into years of spending cuts that slowed economic recovery. The moment Donald Trump moved into the White House, all those supposed concerns vanished, vindicating those of us who argued from the beginning that Republicans who posed as deficit hawks were phonies.
No shit? Team Cuck: medicare for old and poor people. Team Cunt: medicare for everyone! How different are these retards when the results of Kenyan policies appear to make everybody poor?
This politically weaponized Keynesianism is, by the way, probably the main reason U.S. economic growth has been good (not great) over the past two years, even though the 2017 tax cut completely failed to deliver the promised surge in private investment: Federal spending has been growing at a rate not seen since the early years of the past decade.
No it isn’t dumbass. It was free money from the Fed. Buy Bitcoin, people.
But why does this history matter? After all, at this point unemployment rates in both the U.S. and Europe are near or below pre-crisis levels. Maybe there was a lot of unnecessary pain along the way, but aren’t we OK now?
No, we aren’t. The austerity years left many lasting scars, especially on politics.
In Eastern Europe, white nationalist parties came to power after center-left governments alienated the working class by letting themselves be talked or bullied into austerity policies. In Britain, support for right-wing extremists is strongest in regions hit hardest by fiscal austerity. And would we have Trump if years of wrongheaded austerity hadn’t delayed economic recovery under Barack Obama?
…hey dumbfuck, we wouldn’t have Trump if Obama didn’t exist. It didn’t matter what happened economically under Obama, because Trump is a the result of a social divide in many ways exploited by Obama.
Beyond that, I’d argue that austerity mania fatally damaged elite credibility. If ordinary working families no longer believe that traditional elites know what they’re doing or care about people like them, well, what happened during the austerity years suggests they’re right. True, it’s delusional to imagine that people like Trump will serve their interests better, but it’s a lot harder to denounce a scam artist when you yourself spent years promoting destructive policies simply because they sounded serious.
In short, we’re in the mess we’re in largely because of the wrong turn policy took a decade ago.
Get fucked–preferably in prison. After they throw the book at you for child porn.
“Besides, the stable geniuses at the Mises Institute cite a recent book by Harvard Economists stating there are two forms of austertitty: the kind that raise taxes and the kind that cut spending. ”
How is raising taxes austerity?
Slaves find life very austere.
Like the financial advisor the AF sent from Charlotte to bore an auditorium full of Airmen said, “if you are in debt there are only two solutions: make more money or spend less.”
“Why can’t you just deploy?”
“Technically when you deploy they force you to do both…”
Freedom is slavery. Keep up count.
?
First
Or not.
Loser.
On the plus side, I’m back to drinking.
So, yay.
*clink*
*raises glass*
Cheers! Martini at the airport bar in Sacramento.
I’ll raise a glass of Palo Santo Marron to you.
*raises glass of Hoegaarden*
Bush gave us Obama, Obama gave us Trump.
But what will Trump give us?
That’s a damn good question. We’ll have to see what the second term gives up.
Cheebus, that’s a terrible thought.
Winston’s Mom gave me the drip.
You gave yourself the drip you penniless clown.
Chlamydia.
Good judges
Fuck off, Tulpa!!!
Yay, my fren is here!
Welcome!
And fuck off!
“After they throw the book at you for child porn.”
LOL
?
Obama is not a Keynesian, he was born in America!
That is awesome.
Ah, man on the street interviews, where an editor gets to pick the worst responses from the other side. (Not saying most people aren’t this dumb, but inherent in the medium is the fact we’ll never know)
I know lots of stuff is on the cutting room floor but I can’t help but laugh at the people in this video.
My favorite similar one is the Bullshit episode dealing with the environment.
The one where they kept reminding the viewer that the girl speaking was the spokesperson the group chose? Or the petition?
Same episode… so Yes.
For Mojo:
https://twitter.com/jessesingal/status/1215684102910889984
Whoa.
But it doesn’t surprise me no one said anything. Because #metoo #ownvoices and #believeallwomen.
Yeah. SJW is only “brave” when it’s safe for them to be “brave.”
I saw that now trending on Twitter is
TrumpFearsBernie.
https://images.app.goo.gl/2dUN4Srm7JVALuve9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnxkfLe4G74
Good song.
Did you know that Neal Peart died?
Yup, sucks. He wasn’t that old. I used to listen to them all the time, caught a couple shows in the 90’s that were great. He was my drum idol as a teen/20 something. I threw on 2112 this afternoon and it holds up, that song fucking rocks. RIP Neil.
I use Pro Mark 747 oak drumsticks . . .They are the Neil Peart signature sticks, however, I’ve been using them since before he signed his endorsement.
Are you a drummer as well? These are my favorite sticks, I like the extra length on them.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Vic-Firth/Dave-Weckl-Evolution-Signature-Drumsticks-Wood-1274115062409.gc?source=4WWRWXGP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0dzi97L65gIVBsJkCh13OAtaEAQYBCABEgLnsvD_BwE
I am. I like the 747’s because of length and I like that oak chips away vs snapping. I’ve never used the Dave Weckl’s, but I have met him, he was a jackass to me.
Heh, heh. I don’t particularly like his music and find it funny that he is an ass. The sticks are nice tho. Do you play in bands still?
I have friend that come over once every month or so to play. I guess we’re a “band” but we don’t gig and I have not real desire to play publicly anymore. I guess I’m not against it, I just don’t want to tote drums around anymore. If I could be the drummer for a house band at a small blues bar, that would be my ideal scenario.
He really revolutionized putting shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle.
?
What you did there…it was seen. And I thhhhhhrp! (extends thumb in the downward direction)
That was always my favorite – my god the fragrance was intoxicating.
2112.
This shit rocks hard.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AZm1_jtY1SQ
What can this strange device be?
Angie Hicks from Angie’s List. Would? Or would not? Discuss.
Would not. Grifter.
I’d knock the piss out of that.
That’s a sturdy looking woman.
*google image search*
Wood but I wouldn’t admit it.
I’ll pick her over Flo from Progressive.
Sure, but what about Madge from Palmolive?
Not going to go for PAM’s sister?
No way. Flo all day. Every day.
Sorry. Flo only visits once a month.
Not in this house, she doesn’t.
Congrats, Grandma!
Grandma? You know something I don’t?
*gives daughter the side-eye*
I’m having difficulty coming up with a way to tactfully explain my comment. Either you are missing my joke or I am misremembering something you’ve stated about your current physiology.
I had a hysterectomy with oophorectomy and am not on hormones.
I thought I had sailed right through menopause, but lately everything is causing me to lose my shit, so maybe I’m not done yet. Or else I’m just tense, angry, and ready to snap at anything because of my situation. Maybe those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.
As for daughter, we’ve got a chemical ward against Flo. Flo is not welcome in our house.
I remembered you correctly, forgot about daughter.
Ugh…that got way more involved than I planned.
?
Way to go Mike. Rule 1 – never talk about female plumbing.
This will be the last time I ever do it. Period.
Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to. 😉
*gives daughter the side-eye*
It could have been your son.
My mom was a grandmother at younger age than I am thanks to my older brother.
“This will be the last time I ever do it. Period.”
Noticed it was, what was done there.
Don’t you have a teenage daughter?
Yes. See above. Better living through chemistry and also keeps Flo away.
Flo? You’re a sick man.
She’s no Carley Fiorina, but any port in a storm, right Spud?
She kinda looks like my last ex.
Gonna need to see some reviews first.
All you motherfuckers need Jesus.
Y’all motherfuckers.
Don’t correct me you feckless cunt.
I love it when you talk dirty.
*boing!*
That’s cunte. Even Winston’s Mom has to toe the lion.
I ain’t towing shit for free. If you don’t got money, I got no time for you blue-balled fuckwits.
This thread is more proof of why I come here. For this – all of it.
It’s a combo of my high school hockey locker room, an undergrad economics blog, and a law school jurisprudence course.
Mwah *chef’s kiss*
“All y’all motherfuckers”
damn yankee
Jesus – is that the name of the pool boy?
The gardener, you racist.
It really isn’t the same without the link.
/currently watching this since I’ve now learned Neal left us.
Krieger.
Might.
Unfortunately, policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic spent the first half of the 2010s doing exactly what both theory and history told them not to do. And this wrong turn on policy cast a long shadow, economically and politically. In particular, the deficit obsession of 2010-2015 helped set the stage for the current crisis of democracy.
He’s not on the same planet we are, is he?
What happens if everyone tries to cut spending at the same time, as was the case in the aftermath of the financial crisis?
They have more capital for later spending, investment, paying down of debt?
They’ve so thoroughly bought into the “income inequality” narrative that not only are they trying to wash their hands of blame for the situation we’re in, even though it played out like a textbook Keynesian response, they are trying to rewrite history.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
“It’s too late when we die….”
+1 Mike+the Mechanics
More like green years.
I don’t get it.
Green = $$
Lame joke. I just wanted to post a link to the song that entered my head
I wasn’t connecting a song about one’s father dying to money. LOL
Right?! Very possibly the most absurd thing he’s ever said. And he kept repeating it…even threw in an “austerity mania”. LOL wut?
Point to the austerity, motherfucker.
I know, right? I mean, what in the ever-living fuck is he talking about? Austerity?? Where the fuck is the “austerity??”
We haven’t cut spending – hell, we haven’t even had a fucking budget – in how long??
I don’t like wishing ill on other people, but if Krugman goes down for his browser search history, I likely will have a schadenfreude erection that will last long enough to require medical intervention (and that’s after the missus gets done with me).
My god, I cannot fucking stand Paul Krugman.
It’s not just the U.S. Look at any major country. They all responded to the recession the same way: increasing, either in absolute terms or as a percentage of GDP, government spending. There has not been any austerity. Not in the U.S., not in the U.K., not in France, not in Japan, not even in Greece. It’s an absolute lie.
(To be fair to J. M. Keynes, there are probably lots of other aspects of the response, and non-response, to the recession that he wouldn’t agree with, but the spending part of the equation was pretty much in line with the “prime the pump” theory, at least in terms of raw numbers)
This comment was meant to be a self-reply to the one about Keynesian response, above. Oh well.
Prime the pump is very different from the years long massive increases in spending. I’m sure Keynes is weeping in his grave that they’re using his name.
How so? I could definitely see quibbling over the details, especially in how the money was spent, but the theory as I understood it was for the government to spend in a recession to introduce liquidity, which was necessary to either keep the economy moving or get it moving again.
Well for starters he wanted the government to pay down debts in times of growth.
The premise was short term spending to stimulate the economy, not years of growing spending.
Yes, and this has been the repeated failure of Keynesian “prime the pump” intervention since Keynes was still alive and probably a big part of the reason he said he was no “Keynesian”. But the immediate response, to spend, was undertaken.
(reading over this thread again, I think we’re all in agreement here)
Pretty much.
I disagree
Ozy and all the glibs,
I was out all day and missed your nooner. I’ve read about 1/2 of the comments and find it very enlightening. Too late for a geezer to read much more, other than to say I enjoyed the article, the commentary is thorough and I’m finding myself going back and forth with the different inputs. Everyone can be proud of their efforts. I’ll finish reading tomorrow.
I have some questions going in a slightly different direction about war and wars. I hope we can continue this again.
I got hung up reading Ozy’s contribution tonight as well (great stuff) and it delayed me getting to Winstons Mom. I’ll get to her later.
Hey, get in line, Pal.
4×20, FWIW, I feel like there’s still more itch to scratch on that subject, so I’m going to publicly commit myself to something else on that subject, or at least related to it.
I think I gave short shrift to the various aspects of the subject that I touched on in that piece, but I’m glad I’ve got the Glibertariat to come to the rescue in the comments.
Ozy, I have to give you credit. You drew out of me an opinion I didn’t know I felt so strongly about or had thought about too terribly much. And then you made it all flow out of my fingertips.
Excellent work.
Thanks, Mo!
Never knew you had that Attila the Hun streak in you, did you? 😉
Oh, I knew it was there (*gives MJ books the side-eye*). I just didn’t know how passionately I felt about it.
I enjoyed Ozy’s article and the responses. I had much to add but my work location blocks me from signing on to reply.
Someday, you’ll get a reply. Someday……….(stares into the distance)
I thought you said just upthread that there was no flo. ?
Spelling is everything around here.
Also, apostrophe’s. Ted’S. is our resident grammer natzi.
Ozy,
As I’ve never been in the military (although my father was, and several of my friends joined in the late 90’s), I really appreciate your pieces.
2010-2015, duh.
Fortunately for us Obama appears to have changed his mind about austerity near the end of his term and Trump has never even considered the idea, so Krugman should be pretty happy right about now.
The austerity that never was is now becoming the stab-in-the-back myth for socialists (of both left and right stripes). Even Greece, which was put on alleged “austerity” by the ECB, has only just returned to its spending levels from before the Great Recession after going on a spending binge.
Not giving is taking. And not spending on every conceivable government pipe dream is austerity.
In Eastern Europe, white nationalist parties
This is where I realized Krugnuts is just trolling.
Brought to by the people who will quibble over the slightest of detail when it suits their interest, is the conflation of white + nationalist = white nationalist.
That too. I was laughing over Eastern Europeans being considered “white”, particularly in the realm of ethnic nationalism.
Next thing they’ll be calling the Irish “white”.
Krugnut’s is just a leftist hack.
And there I thought he was a Nobel prize-winning economist!
“Austerity” only lasts until the people stop paying attention.
So, Never?
Not since Calvin Coolidge.
Need to throw some Stephanie Melton MMT into this fight to spice things up.
Kelton* damn autocorrect
Kelton
I still get shocked when they just assert that up is down and dark is light and red is blue.
I was listening to the Econ Talk podcast a couple weeks ago. The guest was Binyamin Applebaum. Applebaum, for those who are not familiar, is the economics and business writer at the NYT. He was on to discuss his new book:The Economists’ Hour.
Basically, in this book, he argues that Milton Friedman was the puppetmaster of the economic policy of the US government over the last 40 years or so. No, really. That’s the premise. That Milton Friedman and his fellow free market economists got everything they wanted from the legislature and the policymakers. Several times on the podcast, this guy said things which are simply objectively false, and when Roberts pointed that out, he would simply plow on with his talking points.
I very rarely turn Econ Talk off, but I couldn’t get through the episode. There simply was no point. It was like listening to a Democratic Underground commenter.
The only time Milton Friedman ever got what he “wanted” was when the U.S. Government implemented tax withholding. But, even then, like many “temporary wartime measures”, it is still with us today, so he didn’t get all that he wanted.
Are the Niners gonna cover tomorrow? They are -7. I bought a half point as I think it might be decided by a touchdown. Vegas is usually damn close.
As a resident of Minnesoda, I hope you (and Vegas) are wrong. But I have learned through many seasons not to hope for too much.
Payback for 1987.
So Minnesoda losing by 2 when the kicker misses a FG.
That would suck for my bet. They have a good kicker though so I don’t think this will be a game decided by a single field goal. Let’s see. The Niners and Ravens are the two most exciting teams (with the Chiefs as the third). That’s the SB matchup I want to see.
SB = Niners and Ravens?
Yup. That’s what I think will happen. Wouldn’t mind seeing a Niners-Chiefs matchup either. That would be a high scoring game.
The last time a SF team met up with a KC team, we lost the World Series.
:*(
That was a sweet one. Pablo!!!!
(Huge SF Giants fan, baseball is the the best sport, with football second)
Niners-Chiefs would be my favored matchup.
That 2014 run was when I started getting interested in baseball. Mr. Mojeaux is a huge Dodgers fan and when I stuck my head up and realized he was watching baseball because we were actually winning, I started to pay attention. So he taught me how to watch the game and it became enjoyable.
Speaking of that, I need to cancel my MLB AtBat subscription.
Booooo Dodgers. I’m a huge fan of watching them lose. They will likely win the NL West agin this year, and likely lose in the playoffs.
Packers-anybody.
Unfortunately, the Packers would have to play the Niners to get in. The one thing we can all agree on is that Shakira will put on a spicey halftime show. A mi me gusta mucho.
Vikings are going to get pounded. That is all.
Vikings OL is not good. SF DL is very good. Kirk fumbles a good amount, and hes also the kind of guy who is always trying to make a play late. Could definitely see the Vikings down 6 or 7 late in the 4th, and Kirk’s trying to stand in and make a throw, and gets stripped and run back for a TD to blow your money out the door.
I also think Zimmer has shot his wad defensively. Hes even thinner at CB then he was last week, and that will doom them IMO. The chance they have is couple early turnovers, make Garroppolo drop back a lot and let Hunter and Griffen hunt him down. But if the game is a neutral script throughout, I like Shanhan scheming it up against that Vikings D. Unless the MIN LB corps has an absolute killer game in coverage on deep crossers and chasing down those incredibly fast RBs in the run game and the pass game.
Though I have lived in the Bay Area for 35 years now, and have been to a number of live Niners games over the years, having grown up in Chicago as a Bears fan I’ve never really been able to get into the Niners. Especially since they’ve always seemed to have the Bears’ number. But do realize the mediocre Bears were 2-0 against the Vikings this year.
I wouldn’t mind the Vikings doing well tomorrow, but they just might be overmatched.
Hey Doc, hope you’re well. We should do another meet up. I missed the last one as a buddy’s band was playing that nite across town.
The 85 Bears were friggin awesomeness. The Fridge!!!
Yes, that was an awesome team. Unfortunately the only champion Bears since I’ve been watching, and a lot of years of also-rans.
Back in the late 1970s the Bears training camp moved to my home town (I think it’s still there). You could see them practicing out the window of my high school girlfriend’s upstairs bedroom window. Sometimes after school we’d go up to her room ‘to watch the team practice’. I’ll bet her mother still buys that one.
Was really hoping that Mitch Cumstein could finally be that franchise QB for them, but so far he’s just another in a long line of middling talents. He could still develop into something — he shows flashes every now and then — but to think they drafted him over all those other star QBs in that year’s draft. *sigh*
Definitely need to get another meetup going. We’ve got a good-sized gang out here nowadays, and with the holidays over we shouldn’t have any excuses. I’ll pass it on and get back to you.
Heh, heh. Practice indeed.
Sweet, hit me up for the meetup!
They moved training camp to Bourbonnais, IL. As a kid, I used to go to training camp in Lake Forest a couple times a year with my parents from late 70’s to early 80’s. I used to love going and meeting the players. Walter was the best. After showering after practice, he would hang out and sign autographs for every kid no matter how many.
Oh, I didn’t know they weren’t in LF any more. It was kind of cool when my family was still there, several of the players lived in the neighborhood, and my little sister’s best friend’s dad was a starting DL on that 85 team (Mike Hartenstine). I believe not long after my parents moved away Brian Urlacher bought a house down the street, he would have been the biggest name ever to live around us. But the ones we did come across were all nice guys in person. Never got to meet Walter though, or even see him in town — you are lucky!
I do remember Payton had special license plates, back before vanity plates were allowed in Illinois.
His license plate was WOW 7 .
I remember big MIke! That’s cool you got to see the players around town.
I got Walter’s autograph several times over the years. I knew he never signed autographs until after showering, so one time I waited for him before any crowds were around. When he came out, a bunch of bigger kids got to him first and I was pushed back 4-5 kids deep. There were probably over 100 kids there in no time. He must have seen me when he came out, so after he signed the first kids autograph, he pointed at me and said, “you look like a nice kid”. He reached out over all the other kids and took my picture of him and signed it. I was maybe 10-11 at the time and he was my sports idol. I was on cloud nine for like a week after. Much to my Mom’s chagrin, me and my brother broke all the springs in the sofa “diving over the pile for a TD” when we were younger.
When I was playing high school football, most of us were Pats fans, but we all LOVED and IDOLIZED Sweetness. Everyone did. I remember the first time I heard an interview with him I was in shock because I couldn’t believe that when he opened his mouth to speak Michael Jackson’s voice came out.
Still loved him, though. After Walter my fave player of all time would be Barry Sanders, but only because he was the best running back ever.
*doesn’t duck, but strides about like Conor MacGregor*
Chuck Foreman was my fave. I had a 44 jersey that I wore out.
If Thielen and Cook are healthy it should be a close game. I think Thielen is questionable.
I’m taking the under, personally.
I thought you were more of a top?
You see? I took the high road and didn’t pick the low hanging fruit. Not because I’m a decent person, but because I knew someone else would come along and fill in the blanks.
I am happy to fulfill the lowest of expectations.
You already have, darling.
Ow. That might leave a mark.
I am always happy to be a straight man for Winston’s Mom.
Straight man? Or (((straight))) man?
Or “mostly straight” man?
Straight “man”
Niners 33
Vikings 17
Mini Ditka 20
Love you, Winston’s Mom.
Krug-Man should be shunned and/or laughed out of every room he walks into.
If Friedman pulled that kiddie porn stunt they’d publicly punch him in the dick.
There is only one important game this weekend and I doesn’t involve anybody but the Chiefs. Wait, who are we playing again? Neh, not important.
Texans secondary is very suspect. Mahomes had the week off to get healthy. They should take care of business here, but then they have to most likely travel to Baltimore.
They’ve beaten us once. I’m not going to underestimate them, but the bye week for us is going to help tremendously.
Rooting against the Texans is my prime imperative this weekend. But I like the Chiefs too so there’s that.
I think they will win. The important question is will they cover? Currently at -9.5 Chiefs.
More drama in the publishing world. I started to read it because of some of the fine folks here. I couldn’t get far. It was like reading about the social life of cliques of 14-year-old girls.
TW: Vox
https://www.vox.com/2020/1/10/21055125/rwa-what-happened-resignations-courtney-milan-damon-suede-backstory-2020-ritas-conference
Huh, so leftist politics turns everything it touches to shit. Familiar territory for Vox, I guess.
Disclaimer: I have read her work. It is normal romance. There is nothing special about it. The writing is adequate. The stories are comfortable. The voice is engaging. That is what people (even I) want.
FTA: “Milan is known for historical novels containing progressive social elements like interracial relationships and proto-feminist heroines.”
Her historical interracial relationships: Disbelief unsuspended (but only via private email; nobody says that in public)
Her “proto-feminist heroines”: Right. Dig a little harder. Her “proto-feminist heroines” got nothin’ on the ones from the 1970s and 1980s. Oh, but she wouldn’t have read those. They’re problematic.
historical novels containing progressive social elements like interracial relationships
I remember seeing ones like that in my mom’s stack of novels in the mid 80’s. White girl with swarthy Sultan and such.
Yeah, no not the white girl and [insert exotic dude here, who, by the way, was NEVER black or Indian].
The one she tried to pull over was a well connected and wealthy white girl with an Indian scribe of no consequence.
I do not remember details, so I’m not going to get wound up about it. I do remember that the way it was handled, I did not believe. EVERYONE involved was WAY too progressive in their attitude about it.
I caught some heat for the way people treated my (very dark) Indian hero (which is to say, almost no one made any deal of it at all). The point that I took well was that after 9/11– “Um, yeah, but wait. Don’t you pay attention to the date markers in books? It says right there, New York City, 1996.” “Oh.”
So I took a couple of comments from an Indian friend of mine and rewrote accordingly and incorporated what I thought was believable. The kicker was that he is based on a real person with whom I spoke at length about it.
Oh, and the protagonists were usually feminists in the classic sense, but not 5th wave or whatever it’s up to now.
No, full-on SJW feminism.
They try anyway. Apparently, people are as willing to suspend that disbelief as they are to frequent bathing and hair-washing.
(I’m guilty of that. My characters bathe on the regular.)
I meant the 80’s era ones.
Oh. Yes.
Generally speaking, in the 70s and 80s, the heroines were put into difficult situations in which they had to evolve and survive. Generally, these heroines were already “plucky” or “uppity” or some other word to give her feminist cred, but not ON PURPOSE. Readers like plucky heroines, so you have to give her a reason to be that.
Anyway, they generally gained or expanded on their pluck by enduring hardship and then once you have the taste of freedom, you don’t go back to being shy and retiring if you started out that way.
“people” meaning how other characters treated him, which is to say, without racism.
I threw in a couple of gratuitous racial insults and let the rest ride.
Friend: I don’t believe he wouldn’t be affected by that.
Me: Jack is an asshole. He assumes that whatever bad behavior people display toward him is because he’s an asshole and he is okay with being an asshole and he doesn’t care about what people think about him unless it affects his bank account.
Friend: I just can’t buy that.
Me: If Jack doesn’t care, why should you?
Also FTA:
That is actually true.
Also true. The only True Creativity is Woke Creativity, which is about as cliched as you can get. Also see: “dry” and “boring.”
I don’t know if it’s historically accurate. But we were speaking earlier of judging history by current mores.
Fair point.
No, honey. You agreed, as an RWA member, not to trash other RWA members in public, but you did it anyway.
OTH, the RWA is hopelessly hidebound and has been for the last 15 years, so I don’t really care about them, either.
I have history with Milan. She was one of the ones who very loudly screamed across the internet that self-publishing was not a viable business model (read: “you aren’t allowed to do that. Sit down, you uppity bitch.”) and followed me around EVERYWHERE to hound me.
During one of our more contentious exchanges on a blog, I out-lawyered her.
The next week, she announced she was self-publishing. And then she was proclaimed the self-publishing guru of all gurus. Not that she didn’t already have a name built with Harlequin and a supportive agent or anything. Oh nooooooooooo.
So for me, Milan getting ousted was just part and parcel of her attention whoring. I’m sure she was overjoyed to have something to scream about.
I thought the name was familiar. You spoke of that in your recent posts. I came to them late, but I enjoyed them tremendously.
Oh, thank you! My next one drops Jan 17, but that’s more of a how to get started post.
Oh, good! I’ve been looking forward to more of that series.
I post this only because I’m gobsmacked at how much mendacity and condescension a WaPo writer can fit into one or sentences. How do they do it??
Yeah, gun control has always been about keeping those evil darkies from getting their hands on the equalizer.
They have shit for brains.
Oh, hey there! ♥️♥️♥️
H- hey?
apropo of nothing, this life is crushing me..I won’t quit,but I’m tired….
Notification: time to feed your Kia Pet
THIS time it’s here fer sho. The Libertarian Moment brought to you by L. Chaffe.
Sing it Nick.
https://reason.com/2020/01/10/l-p-presidential-hopeful-lincoln-chafee-is-against-iraq-war-and-drug-war/
Fuck Chaffe.
x2.
L.P. better nominate someone worthwhile this time.
I can’t imagine him getting the nomination.
Country honk,
Runnin out of money,
ain’t got my Honey,
what am I to do,
ain’t havin’ fun,,
out here in the sun,
what am I to do,
Sitting writing riffs for you,
what am I to do,
hanging out alone with you,
whatam I to do,
I only talk to my dog,
what am I to do,
lost in a hazy Ganja smog,
what am to do,
It seems I have been left behind, no one wants me,and I’m feeling unneccesary, odd that…
Yusef, you have not been forgotten about by ME and MY family. Not at all. My husband asks me every day if I have heard anything about Wendy. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot we can actually do for you other than pray, or we would.
Stop that young man! We love you, warts, kites and all.
Not at all.
You have Wendy. She needs you.
And we want you around. We like you. We’re here for you.
^this^
thanks guys! not lookig for sympathy right now, I’m just mad at myself for my failures…
and whining,
There comes a point in life where you finally forgive yourself for your past fuckups. I think you should consider moving in that direction.
Yes.
Exactly! Or just roll with the fact you are a fuckup. That’s what I do.
Failures? Bro – you’re the King of BHC!! And where the fuck are you on the geology piece I asked about, Private!?
Chin up, Bob. I know your other 50% is in a bad way, but use this time to build your strength for her and yourself. You are loved infinitely, more than you know or can imagine, by a loving Universe/God/Creator/Prime Mover. It may not feel that way, but it is true. I promise you that.
Get the hell out of here with that shit. You keep your butt-fucking head up, ya hear?
You’re salty tonight. I approve.
OK, its not like I can quit! thanks Mom!
Happy to help. I’ll add it to your tab.
Got a PC for business a week ago, it died today, now its warranty bullshit, yippee!
Pelvic Crush?
That’s extra, darling,
So, in that article Krugman links to some website he closings supports his partition that there was austerity from 2010 to 2015. The Brookings institute link. Anyone have any idea if it actually does?
Looked like made up numbers, based on their assumptions, which is just economic predictions, and I don’t take those seriously at all.
Brookings are bunch of lefty hacks. Disregard.
I know, but I would like to dig a little deeper rather than just dismiss things out of hand.
Wow, half of that was all garbled up, I’m going to blame my phone, but there’s a nonzero chance it’s just from working 12 hours a day. Not even sure exactly what I was meaning to say in that first paragraph.
Three misshapen thumbs up for Ozy’s post earlier! What a gift he is to the Gliberverse!
??????
Festus! Good morning!
It is a good morning! I get to snowblow the drive and walkways (which I secretly kinda/sorta like to do) and I have hours upon hours of Glibs to catch up on.
You have no idea, my fucking hero!
Good luck on your surgery
Seconded.
Thanks Tulip! I had to contact them to confirm because they were using a dead# to reach me even though I called a month before and updated my info. Does not bode well. Trepidations are imminent…
“I didn’t think you needed an abortion, but that’s what the paperwork said and in Canada it’s a hate crime if I don’t do it, sorry.” -Your surgeon
Thank you for that, Festus, and good luck on the surgery.
Not that this helps, but it is funny as shit, have you seen this Geico commercial?
Okay, it turns out it’s not a geico commercial – it’s AT&T – which tells you just how effective it was. But I cackle every time I watch it.
*drop-sweat forms on brow*
Seriously. If I get treated the same way as the last time they’ll be shunting me off to the morgue feet-first.
How good is Geico that you assume it’s theirs?
I love this one.
The Allstate “mayhem” commercials are hilarious. I especially love the cat one. It’s that evil chuckle at the end that sells it.
Motorcycle one is excellent.
Yep – the random knocking shit off the table kills me every time.
Yes! I love that one too! The actor who plays the surgeon is just brilliant. I hope he gets some good gigs out of that commercial.
Honestly,I’m just going through the motions, this will not end well, ah, nevermind…
Bob, we get old. Shit happens. Every day is a gift in the cosmic scheme of things. We’re going through a rough patch but it will all prove out in the end. That part is inescapable. Live your life! Drink tall cans, scritch your pets and go fly a kite.
Stop it.
The government is constrained by austerity! We can only raise spending by 65% when the spending increase was to be 100%! We can only raise taxes by 10% when we wanted to raise them by 100%! We can only devalue our currency by 4% when we planned on 100%! Look what you made us do!
Baseline Budgeting!!!!!
Thanks again for the vacation suggestions. My niece just got engaged, so my planning has had to stop as I offered them my timeshare. But, I’m currently thinking photo safari in Africa, Brazil, or Maine.
Safari in Maine? Are lobsters game animals now?
If you choose Brazil let me give you some location advice. I lived there for a couple years and travelled all over.
I will definitely ask for advice
Bring a friend out to the Indy 500 this year . . . I need someone to buy my two extra tickets . . .Y’all can stay at my house too,
hmmm,really?
You’re always welcome for a visit to Indy. Bring Tall Cans.
a lot can change in 4 months, I’ll remember, Indy is a once in a lifetime for me…
If you want . . .we can also buy a bunch of guns and ho hand them out to kids in Illinois . . . it’s a Hoosier tradition!
I’d like to help hand out guns.
Yusef, some unnamed person esteems you $300 worth.
Hugs to you both.
If you’ve ever watched on TV, you’ve probably seen me. I sit right below the Turn 3 camera. I stick out like a sore thumb too . . .I’m the guy with a baseball cap and a beer.
Ooh, I love that, when?I’d definitely do that
The race is always Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend at the end of May.
Googling flights. I can stay with you, right?
Absolutely. If you have more questions, you can email me at my handle at evil internet search engine owned by Alphabet
I’m going to bed, but I’ll probably be online again sometime this weekend.
Will do
you guys are so far out of my league, I hope to take Wendy to the Grand Canyon one day, only two hours away,
Brazil would be my choice,
My brother has been all over the world. I’ve been to Canada . . . twice!
I’ve been abroad, but I’ve never been to Spain.
DEG describing where he’s never been
You’ve been to 100% more countries than I have.
I don’t have the funds myself to travel, being unemployed, but I do have opportunities were eager to (through a client who has offered free travel for free work), but I don’t care for travel if it’s not with people that I want to travel with.
I have decided that if I am ever alone again (i.e., kids gone, husband gone–look, it’s statistically likely), I will travel on my own and revel in it.
It’s how I travel. It works.
When my family went to Europe in 88 (to see our Belgian relatives), we rented a car. Our relatives thought we were nuts but we road-tripped through Europe. It was great. That’s what I’m going to do.
We even rented a car in England. Yes. I have driven a stick-shift in England. It was awesome.
I drove a stick in Italy. Very entertaining. Especially Milan.
But you write about your travels so well, it’s like we’re all along with you.
Travelling alone is fun when you have something to get away from . . .and can share it with someone when you get home. It’s a lot less fun when you spend all your time alone anyways.
I saw an idea that I’m going to do. When I travel, I’m going to buy post cards and write the day’s adventure, then mail them back to myself for a travelogue.
I have a travel journal. I include little drawings.
Do they even still sell postcards?
You never see those racks of them in tourist shops anymore.
I guess they think everyone just texts photos or posts on FB.
Tulip’s travel journal. (NSFW)
Well, since I haven’t traveled anywhere for the last umpteen years (except to Florida with my mom a couple of years ago), I wouldn’t know.
I’d be tempted to keep it all on Instagram or Twitter, but I like to touch keepsakes, you know?
oops.
Go on…
Yes, absolutely post cards still exist. I do lots of those when traveling and my brother does too.
What has disappeared is full sheet paper and envelopes in hotel rooms. Never see those anymore.
If no where else, at least domestically, Walmart usually has a local knick knacks and postcard spot.
I love buying postcards. Perfect photos that I could never hope to recreate.
If you do get a chance to travel without the chromosomal baggage, try it without reserving anything online. I’ve found it’s actually cheaper in most places around the world. My wife used to doubt that, but she’s come around.
I believe you’re correct about the cost.
And it add more leeway for adventure. There’s nothing I hate more than an over planned trip. I’ll admit, my fly by the seat of my pants vacations could use a little more structure occasionally, but for the most part it all works out.
One of the best trips I ever took was a spring break trip in college. Our only plan was that we wanted to go south. Ended up doing two nights in Memphis, Two in New Orleans, two in Panama City Beach, and hit the George Dickel distillery on the way home.
I’m the exact opposite, I like to at least have lodgings and transport planned out and booked.
I too hate to over plan. I used to have every day scheduled. Then during grad school, I went to Paris with some friends and did no planning and had a great time. My Korean friend planned, down to a list of phrases, but we didn’t follow his plan.
There will always be a place to stay as long as there isn’t some big event in town. Check it out beforehand and it’s no problem.
No doubt, but I worry about things like that anyway. *shrug*
I did do a daytrip with basically no planning, and that went great.
What brings peace of mind to one person is what feels like shackles to another person.
I have a tendency to change my plans on a whim, so now unless I am going somewhere where I am likely to run into “no room at the inn” I book day by day on Expedia. Much as I grumble about smart phones they come in handy when you suddenly decide to head to Idaho instead of Wyoming.
We didn’t have a whole lot of pre-planning going on in Europe (remember, in 1988), either, and it all worked out. I have 2 siblings, so there were 5 of us and Europeans found that quite odd.
If I were going by myself, I wouldn’t make plans. If nothing else, I can just pull over and sleep in the car. I’ve done that before, too (hello, Little America parking lot, and some little back road somewhere between Ames and Kansas City, and some on ramp somewhere on I-80 in Nebraska, and and and and…)
The only times I have EVER had a problem getting a place to stay is in Wyoming in February (basketball games), and Wyoming in August (Sturgis).
My back can probably do the sleep in the car vacations for a couple more years, but that definitely won’t last much longer.
I have traveled a bit and have had a 100% rate of doing a walk up booking at a hotel to be more than booking ahead of time. Not to mention deals. I stayed in a multi + hundred dollar room in Park City UT for less than a cool Hun. The desk girls had to point out to me that I saved several hundred dollars on the room.
It’s all supply and demand. If you’re in a town where all the hotels sell out every night, you’re not getting any deals. OTOH if the hotel struggles to sell out, you’re likely to get the best deal by walking in late at nite when the hotel is desperate to sell. I’ve worked in both kinds of hotels.
I have found incredibly cheap deals by booking ahead online
I find if I travel alone, no matter where I end I’m alone, I can do that at home for free and spend the traveling money on beer.
You’re a young man. Think of all the strange quim you’re missing out on!
Are you assuming my gender identity!!!?11!!?
But in reality, I go someplace the deepest conversation I get into with someone is saying ‘you’re welcome’ when I open the door for them. Not the talkative type, so never meet people, thus never meet that sweet poon.
“quim”. Spud approved.
I used that word in my pirate novel.
Sadly, it was not in use in 1420.
Hmm, I’m pudgy at best, yet I’ve never not been propositioned. You’re not paying attention.
I’m paying attention! 1066!
CPRM, if you’re not getting propositioned, no, you aren’t paying attention. Like I said, pudgy, at best, and now old, yet still, I get propositioned. You’re young, you’re getting propositioned.
I sympathize, I generally recognise it after the fact.
See I like traveling alone. You can spend as much or as little time staring at the Mona Lisa as you want, but I also like traveling with friends. My first few overseas trips, I went alone. Of course, I was much younger and thinner, and had many offers of help, but still, I enjoyed and still enjoy traveling alone
Now, if you really wanna see something totally different…
you drive through California
You take MikeS up on his offer, and see North Dakota state
Just finished all the details yesterday and paid for a safari, we’ll be in the Kalahari in May.
So frigging excited!
Definitely check into it, the accommodations in most safaris across the country now are very comfy lodges, or glamping cabins with wood floors and nice beds/furnishings, with elegant dinners and all booze included — and 2-3 guided safaris per day, in jeeps or boats, and hikes. Our guides are actual Bushmen!
And it’s far, far less expensive than I thought it would be — and on top of that, flights to Johannesburg right now are going for cheaper than flights to Hawaii.
Sounds awesome,I’m definitely looking into it
Looking into a photo safari
Awesome! Is the safari in S Africa or Botswana? I’ve always wanted to go there, but it’s gonna have to wait till the kids are grown.
Botswana.
I got invited to lecture at a medical conference in Johannesburg, and we fly to Botswana for the photo safari the day after my talk, then back to Joburg to fly home afterwards. So the flights in and out of SA get to be a business expense, which makes the trip that much more affordable.
It would be nice to make the safari a write off as well. I wonder if the lions might be interested in hearing about new medical techniques?
It all sounds to me like a business expense. That sounds like a blast. Look forward to hearing about it.
Queen Charlotte Islands in July. Breathtakingly beautiful if you venture off the beaten path.
Seee? this is what I mean, Summer, BhC, winter,BhC, nothing ever changes…
Is that Baja?
Bullhead City, Rats in the Summer, Birds in the Winter
+ Salmon! Wait, when is salmon season?
I had to look those up. Hmm.
It appears that Richmond is surrounded.
Chesterfield County’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to put on record their support for the Second Amendment.
Back in December, the county decided not to vote on the issue. And now, they are still not using that exact language but did acknowledge the overwhelming support for the protection of the Second Amendment.
Related
Sounds like, if the state comes after them, they’ll be going up against a pack of Chesterfields.
Smoke em if you got em…
Makes me think of the quilt pattern, Burgoyne surrounded
I had to look that one up.
I have one to finish.
My Pinterest quilting board. I have another one for crazy quilts.
And you make…?
I’ll try anything once, but I usually don’t go back to it. I pieced with my grandma when I was a teenager, but not since. I hand-quilted a tree skirt for my mom and got halfway finished with one for myself, but my cat pee’d on it and I didn’t catch it in time to salvage it.
But mostly I do (did) cross-stitch and embroidery. I made my wedding dress and hand-embroidered the skirt.
I just realized I don’t have a Pinterest board for things I did long ago, just since I got Pinterest and started trying different weird things.
How should we change it to make it appropriate for Richmond surrounded?
Hammer and sickle in the center
No. Either piece work or patchwork. No combining
Applique.
So your response sent me googling and now I am more confused because every place I have gone used those terms as synonymous meaning cloth whether quilted or not that is made by sewing together pieces. I assume in quilting circles they have more precise meanings? What is the difference?
I have always called applique piece work.
So paint or embroider the Hammer and sickle 🙂
Piece work are things that are appliqued. So bad know gets, trees, etc. Patchwork refers to things like 9 patch of r Irish chain where the overall pattern is from the patches seen together, rather than seen onto a piece
Oh, I was also confused.
Fucking autocorrect
How should we change it to make it appropriate for Richmond surrounded?
Something that follows this theme?
In particular, they knew that fiscal austerity — slashing government spending in an attempt to balance the budget — is a really bad idea in a depressed economy.
FDR did the opposite and prolonged the depression as a result. Fuck off, ignorant asshole.
But. . . The wreckers and kulaks!
I’ve often thought that Kulak and the Wreckers would be a good band name.
Their first album ‘Holodomor’ was pretty good.
Lacked meat on the bones though.
And of course they saved all the best for themselves…
It left me hungry for more.
Person of Ukrainian descent *Narrows gaze*
*Appointment cancels* Yeah! Hotdog with shredded cabbage, crushed Doritos and some kind of beans. Yum.
Cabbage?
/Too German…
Shredded cabbage? Not PICKLED shredded cabbage?
Just shredded. They love eating it alone, too. Order Tonkatsu and you’ll get a giant pile of it without any sauce or dressing. Good stuff.
I only like cabbage slawed or saured.
Not rolled?
No.
And when you’ve finished that, just ask for more.
Confession. I bought a cabbage shredder at a Tokyu Hands a while back.
https://imgur.com/wzk91jM
Looks ?
Sounds like a recipe for Fart War with the daughter unit!
I was thinking Mrs. Straffinrun knows exactly what our beloved commenter had for lunch.
Mr. Krugman, please show the court, using the doll, where the austerity touched you.
More likely court proceeding:
“Mr. Krugman, show the court on the doll where you touched those girls”
You think girls?
I was waffling on that. It seems weirdly often that it’s boys, so you’re probably right. Also, he kinda looks that way. . .
I think the real little kid molesters seem to prefer boys, and the statutory rapists doing adolescents prefer girls, but I admit that is just based on very cursory impressions from the reports I have seen and not real study.
I know it’s wrong, but I can’t help wanting that shitbag to wind up doing 10 years per image. And it’s wrong for the wrong reasons, too, because (a) you all have already articulated the problems with 18 USC §2252; and (b) I should not want to see some idiot
‘economist’/NYT Opinion writer I’ve never met go to prison.But there it is – I really want that prick to go down for it. He represents everything about elites that I fucking despise. Like if I were in a bar and I saw Krugman, I would probably manufacture an excuse to beat his ass and get away with it. I hate him that much, like more than the kid who picked on me in middle school.
I need to go try some herbal, medicinal remedy that mellows one… Yeah, BRB.
I’ll confirm your alibi.
I need to go try some herbal, medicinal remedy that mellows one… Yeah, BRB.
Don’t rub one out!
Goddamnit where did I put those business cards?
Men’s room?
Last I heard it was just him falling for a social engineering scam, no?
If you’d asked me that question an hour ago, maybe. Let’s see what life brings in the next hot moment.
“Right here! Right hear in the feeelz!” Paul stated, gesticulating wildly and knocking the wig askance on the court reporter’s head. There was a sudden hush followed by a sussuration of murmurs…
Economics related:
Thanks to whoever posted the link to Bastiat’s economic sophisms. It convinced me about free trade.
Link for others: https://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basSoph.html?chapter_num=1#book-reader
I think Walker Texas Ranger might be the most realistic show to ever be on television.
Well . . . after Alf
I missed having Trivet as a professor by one damn year!
I’m still geeking out over this.
Okay, I’m in.
I just hope they do another of these.
The Zuckers have long since lost the war on parody, I blame you minnisodans for the downfall of those good sconnie boys!
Are those guys still alive?!?
Yeah. And, now the Rest of the Story.
Huh. I didn’t realize they did Ruthless People.
Fantastic movie with an unforgettable scene.
Evergreen
“You listed your midlife crisis on the internet.”
LOL
Fuck a duck.
Nods in commiseration
This is a safe space. Glad you felt it was safe to come out here.
Is that a volley ball reference?
Gonna have to watch that film someday. Same with “Better Off Dead”. All I know are out-takes. *hangs head in shame, accepts the white feather*
Get busy.
You put your testicles all over that french girl, eh?
She was something, eh?
Diane Franklin, the peanut butter half of Straff’s current avatar.
News has changed little in the last 6 years. Except no mention of Trump killing Jews, Blacks, Iranians, women, children and all else he does to quench his bloodthirst.
I know it’s most unusual
To come before you so
But I’ve found an ancient miracle I thought that you should know
Listen to my music And hear what it can do
There’s something here as strong as life I know that it will reach you
RIP Neil
This one.
Great memories.
And of course this one.
My favorite of all.
RIP
If Pert did in deed write the lyrics; The Trees is indeed the most libertarian of anthems.
Lifeson is an underrated guitarist. As a rebellious high schooler I loved them so much. They were the uncool cool band.
“Hello fellow 55 year old!”
-10 on ya.
I loved the classics when I was in high school, still do.
Of course he wrote the lyrics. That’s like questioning if Geezer wrote them for Sabbath.
Tell him Festus!
I haven’t chimed in on Rush today so I’ll add my votes:
Subdivisions
The first 3 minutes and 45 seconds of The Spirit of Radio
That video WAS my high school circa 1982. I was one of those assholes in the car and yet still the geek playing Tempest.
Galaga, but yeah.
“New World Man.”
“Circumstances” and “Freewill”. What? Did Neil die? I didn’t read the post.
Gutshot. I’m not a celeb worshiper but Neil was one of our gods, Acerbic fellow that he was. RIP Neil, I’ll play one of your tunes extra loud tonight.
Indeed, I’m not either, I have no real desire to meet any of them. Peart was a drum idol when I was learning to play. Rush was a pivotal band for me. After that I got into jazz and Brazilian and soul music. Then the musical world opened even more. There is so much good stuff out there. It’s fun to revisit the ones you loved before, and Rush stands up still, at least their 70’s and early 80’s stuff. I recommend 2112 at top volume.
One that I don’t think I’ve ever heard on the radio. Lovely tune,
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tgeg-xadx9s
For the first time, I am using the Walmart online order and pickup in the morning thing tomorrow. My only regret thus far, is that the final check out thing said if there was alcohol in the order you had to be 21. Shit, that would have saved another stop. I didn’t think the CO puritans of blue law extremism would allow such a thing.
The other day I was wandering through YouTube and I saw a Utah conservationist type person (registered falconer or whatever they’re called) be called out to where a small golden eagle was just sitting on the side of the road doing nothing. The poor thing was exhausted and starving so he took her back to his house and tried to feed her and water her because he said she was on death’s door.
I’m watching that video all tense and rooting for the poor thing. The dude stays up all night with her, and I’m going along with this drama, and then like 75% of the way through the video, a card flips up and says she died the next morning.
Bastards.
It was very dusty in my office for a time.
Now do a poor starving duck.
You mean the one on my plate?
I probably meant goose. The one some of you hate.
Also, the one on my plate?
Seriously, they’re both delicious.
I can’t do suffering animal stuff. Starving Biafrans? That’s sad but show me neglected or abused critters and I go ballistic.
My newest pet interest is corvids and raptors.
We have a small flock of blue jays overwintering at the feeders. Stellars jays too. The blue ones are not supposed to be here. It’s expected to get 40 below next week. Wonder if the birds handle it.
Oh, the jays. Heh.
So I sit about a foot from my office window and there is a tree another 6 feet away. The squirrels and the jays go at it like the Hatfields and McCoys.
Then the cardinals come in and sends them all to their rooms. It’s hilarious. And loud.
Don’t worry. The feds will be by shortly to arrest him for touching an endangered species.
Despair isn’t killing white Americans. The armed defense of structural whiteness is. The solution? Eliminate whiteness all together.
*rolling eyes*
Stunning and brave.
So proud.
People who use terms like “structural whiteness” need to be laughed at. Mockingly racist jokes are funny, serious “intellectual” racist screeds aren’t but still deserve a pointed finger and an LOL.
Laugher, once again the best medicine.
“Kill da white man”
I can’t imagine why some people don’t want to answer the doctor’s question about whether they have a gun at home.
And WTF happened to the Lancet that they published this?
Even when we had them (before the boating accident), I told my kids to say no if they were asked.
“Why?”
“Because people died for the right to have a gun and these other people think we shouldn’t have that right and they want to take our stuff away from us.
I ran across this earlier and a few sentences struck me since it confirmed been my uneducated suspicion.
Hand sanitizer’s are going to kill off the human race.
That’s interesting. I never would have thought it to be the lack of PARASITES.
That’s one theory, others being lack of vitamin D as in kids don’t go outdoors as much. I imagine it is a combination. Growing up I didn’t know one person with a food allergy.
You know how in books and TV shows and movies back in the day, there was sometimes the “sickly” kid?
I’ve wondered if that was some sort of allergy that went undiagnosed.
Heh that was me until about 8 years old. No allergies but I had tonsil-problems and pneumonia.
^^^THIS!
I remember when that became trendy.
I don’t use them.
I don’t like the way it feels, but then I don’t like the way lotion feels, either. The hand sanitizers feel sticky.
Agreed – and I actually do wash my hands a lot but that’s just because I like my hands to feel clean. I have no allergies knock on wood.
You’re probably out of the age range where this issue plays 🙂
My mom developed a shit-ton of allergies late in life – well, in her 30s or 40s – but after some treatment they went away.
But yeah, I did not have the sheltered childhood that seems to be common in these cases.
I just scratch my butt and sneeze into my hanky, just like grandpa.
When I walk in the grocery store and see the moms wiping down the handles of their shopping carts I roll my eyes. Jesus, the store isn’t practicing Kenyan economics. Then again I have had grocery baggers place items in the kiddie carrier part of my cart and I told them “no, no no, put that in the cart, tiny kids have sat there and I know what comes out of tiny kids”.
Wrecker! Kulak!
I thought I was the only one! I don’t like it when they put food in the kid seat. Also, people putting their walking canes in the basket is icky.
I’m more on board with the theory that it’s a combination of genetics and lack of early exposure to common allergenic foods.
Foods aren’t allergic is my frame of mind. Or we used to not care we were allergic. Seriously, I did not know one person I grew up with that had food allergies.
#meneither
Even my mom whom I mentioned above tested allergic to bunch of shit in her 30s or whatever – none of it was food. It was all like mouse fur and shit.
Our pediatrician recommended we frequently feed common allergenic to our kids around 6-8 months of age. Apparently a few years back doctors were recommending avoiding those foods until the kids were older.
In a similar vein, one of my pet theories is that more kids have asthma and allergies due to central air and air-tight houses. Besides not playing outside enough, kids aren’t as exposed to pollen and other airborne particles.
Every news report will blame it all on pesticides though, because pesticides are bad. Mmm kay?
Around here they blame the asthma thing on racism. *shrug*
I haven’t heard that before, but it sounds reasonable.
more kids have asthma and allergies
I suspect this is due to improved infant care and medicine: kids who would have smothered in their own snot a century ago get vacuumed out, trips to the ER, stays in the NICU, dilators, diuretics . . . even filtered central air . . . and they limp into viability instead of crawling into a grave.
My dad’s first three siblings didn’t make it; he numbers amongst the seven who did. Pushing 80, his ears fairly run like a kindergartner’s nose; somehow, I also survived the crib, DDT, and pollen.
This is the most Glibertarian response to any question that has ever glibbed before. Bravo, Don!
so…. Iran has admitted to shooting down the airliner.
And they agree with Robby Soave. It is Trump’s fault. Well, that’s what CNN is reporting anyway. They say “american adventurism” is to blame. Al Jazeera had no mention of this aspect, surprisingly. And unlike CNN, they reported all of the Iranian denials in contrast with the admission.. . making the denials sound even more ludicrous by direct juxtaposition with their announcement of culpability.
And just like the US with their Aegis system in the gulf, they claim the airliner mad a turn toward one of their bases, causing alarm and eventually human error resulting in death.
“Some people did something…”
Everything is Trump’s fault. Iran has been waging proxy terrorist wars for forty years and dammit that is Trumps fault. Trump is the worst.
A leaving the ground airliner is doing what? 100 knots or less? What speed does an incoming missile travel?
It was the super stealth B-21 gaining attitude after spraying it’s Gharbzadegi rays on Tehran.
This is unreal. A teen boy wouldn’t say “f*ck Trump” on stage and was shamed—this is his story
Did drugs fall out of his ass? J/K Mojo, you know how we roll.
Don’t listen to him, Mo. It’s new to me & I’m appalled. Yet simultaneously growing numb to the idiocy. I don’t know how much more of this shit I can take.
I hope it’s a lot if you plan to stay in NYC.
I’ve never encountered anything even remotely so asinine here. Then again I don’t hang out at fuck-Trump rap concerts.
He wasn’t hanging out. The problem was, he was just THERE. He was at a festival, this dude he’s never heard of comes on stage, and he’s penned in and … then he’s practically assaulted by the dude on stage?
That’s a sucker punch.
I wish I could go numb to this stuff, but— Who said something in a orevious thread about the forced balkanization of the US?
That. I’ve been thinking about that all day, and then that Romancelandia garbage came up again, and I’m wondering who takes the first swing that starts Civil War II.
I have similar ominous feelings. This shit is being pushed, deliberately.
I hate all forms of “region war” – us ‘Mericans have much more in common than poor saps stuck in other countries so stop it already.
Exactly! I wish I could remember who said it. They talked about other countries being tribal, based on ethnicity, whereas the US is an IDEA.
Yeah, that’s been kinda poignant for me today.
I noticed some signs for this website that appeared over the past weekend in a farmers field
http://dearoregon.com/
Seems to be part of a larger populist backlash movement called TimberUnity that is going after both D’s and RINOs. This latest one has a colonial holding a rifle which seems to be a little further down the path of something.
I have never heard of YG, but I don’t think he is going to break longevity records. The videos of the kid getting ripped on suck, the second one on that twitter feed is totally uncalled for. What a tough rapper. Looks like he is on a bad run.
https://urbanislandz.com/2020/01/07/yg-says-400k-worth-of-jewelry-stolen-murder-case-gets-an-update/
Yeah that burglary is totes legit. No chance it’s a scam.
I hadn’t watched the videos. What a piece of garbage.
Is that an “OK” sign?
This guy gets it.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/its-what-jesus-would-do-ricky-gervais-defends-accepting-conservative-fans
How do you “accept” fans? You fail to tell them to fuck off and not be your fans? A performer must have fans. That is the whole point of performance.
Gervais is gonna end up a lot less liberal here in the next year or two.
Do these columnists get paid by the word? They quote the tweet, and then post the tweet. I think any columnist that double entries a quote should be kicked in the nuts for each double post. Christ it is annoying,
Graduates of tenth grade writing assignments, where you don’t have a clue and have to put in filler to pad out the word count.
Sometimes a device/browser can’t load the embedded tweet. What they should do is load a screenshot.
Screenshots take more bandwidth than text, and can’t be copy-pasted as easily.
They should have a single blockquote.
I don’t have the words to express how much I hate that.
Twitchy must drive you bonkers.
I’m just a jerk, but a hero’s what I wanna be…
https://youtu.be/rFdcLb859sM
Not quite the Verve.