Thursday Afternoon “SPanner in the Works” Links

by | Mar 25, 2021 | Daily Links | 264 comments

Hey, kids. I hope you are all doing well. Especially Fourscore, who will hopefully be returning to us sooner rather than later.

 

Well, let’s see how the government is treating liberty this week, shall we?

 

Some OCM (Office of Cannabis Managemen) officials would be tasked with focusing on social equity, including a goal to award 50% of licenses to “social equity applicants” like those from communities impacted by cannabis prohibition and minority- and women-owned businesses, according to the memo.

Federal appeals court: States may restrict open carry of firearms (Yes, I know Banjos covered this, but it’s so enraging I want to emphasize how fucked we are.)

Police: Haverhill man whose children were exposed to illegal drugs faces new drug charge

OFFS. he’s not even going to be alive in 2024 in order to ram more unconstitutional actions down our throats.

DOJ nominee Gupta’s stake in family company accused of fueling Mexican heroin production under scrutiny

 

OK, you all know what I think in each of those instances and what I want to do.

 

And here’s a bonus NYS-centric link!

In news that surprises absofuckinglutely nobody, especially my family living under this tyrant’s bullshit.

 

Would this help my attitude?

Or…

When I can’t take anymore.

 

Have a great rest of your day! I’m out to scour the countryside for the ridiculously elusive quart canning jar.

 

About The Author

SP

SP

I've got an idea! How about we just stick to the Constitution as written and then the government can leave me the fuck alone.

264 Comments

  1. Tres Cool

    whaddup fam’ ?

  2. trshmnstr the terrible

    This social equity shit is getting out of control. I’m working with a group trying to modernize the qualifications for doing my job. 80% of the focus is on how to change the qualifications to get more women and URMs involved. The actual need to update the qualifications is irrelevant without the I&D aspect.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      Irrelevant to them*

      The government is going whole hog on this apartheid-style intersectional racism that is thinly veiled as anti-racism. See also the link from this morning about the SEC going all in on ESG requirements. We’re in the middle of the ascendancy of Jim Crow 2: Retributive Boogaloo

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Yep. It’s disturbing to say the least.

      • rhywun

        Keeping my head down and I hope to hell I can ride out my current job to retirement.

  3. The Late P Brooks

    Will people with prior experience in the marijuana trade be eligible for front-of-the-line consideration?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Manufacturing, distribution, retailing, or buying?

      • Trigger Hippie

        *ears perk up*

        You rang?

  4. Ask your doctor if BEAM is right for you

    From the dead thread; I thought this was apropos. A re-casting of a joke I heard on the old Spitting Image out of the UK back in the 80s:

    V.P. Harris, with President Puddin’ Cup and their Secret Service entourage in tow, decide to go out for lunch one day to one of the few D.C. restaurants still operating.
    They are seated and are immediately seen to by waitstaff.
    The waiter, traditionally solicitous, first asks the V.P. what she’d like for her main course. ”I’ll have the steak,” she replies.
    “Very good, Madam Vice-President. And for the vegetable?”
    Harris glances over at Joe and says “He’ll have the steak as well.”

    • The Other Kevin

      She’s just biden her time until she’s president.

      • Count Potato

        ba-dum tsssh!

  5. The Other Kevin

    My hockey buddy picked up a few hundred canning lids for us at Menard’s. Mrs. TOK found some, too. You have to just get lucky and online order them for pickup at the store, as soon as they become available. We bought over half their shipment this time. Damn wannabe canners.

    • SP

      Lids I have been able to get. The jars have all been restricted in the number I can purchase and twice the price they used to be. Infuriating. I should never have given my couple hundred wide mouth quart jars away instead of moving them with us. But I stupidly thought, “I’ll always be able to get enough canning jars!”

      I did order some from 3 different online retailers, and there is a new Ace Hardware near me who claims to have some. I shall know shortly if that is true.

      WebDom reports that she has some I can have, as does my stepmom, if I ever make it back there.

      • Gustave Lytton

        I just ordered lens tissue. Similar more than twice the price I paid a year ago.

      • SP

        Insanity!

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        At this point I’m starting to get analysis paralysis. Should I spend our discretionary income on ammo, a new car, house, survival/homestead supplies, experiences, cryptos, rainy day fund?

        It’s hard to navigate the macro issues these days.

    • SP

      Also, this might just be how hoarders get started. “I might need this again! I won’t ever be able to get more!”

      • Semi-Spartan Dad

        *throws a sheet over the 8 costco-sized packs of toilet paper sitting in a spare room*

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Yup, I just told my wife yesterday that we need to keep expanding the stash. We’ll not be caught with our pants at our ankles again.

      • Count Potato

        Things like disinfectant spray and water filters are still out of stock from a year ago.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Saw Ball self-sealing 3/$10 at Grocery Outlet a couple of weeks ago.

    • kinnath

      I think that I have enough jars now to can a year-supply of fruits and veggies at the end of the growing season.

      I have not seen any lids in my traipsing about eastern Iowa collecting Mason jars.

      I have read that the lids can only be stored unused for a few years before the sealing compound becomes unreliable. So you can’t buy a 10 year supply and then try to hold on without buying more.

  6. Shpip

    Some OCM officials would be tasked with focusing on social equity, including a goal to award 50% of licenses to “social equity applicants” like those from communities impacted by cannabis prohibition and minority- and women-owned businesses, according to the memo.

    What percentage of current pot dealers in New York are part of the diversity community and therefore “equity”-elgible?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      “How many are women?” was my thought.

    • rhywun

      I’m just thinking of how fantastically expensive NY state legislature-approved pot is going to be. Very likely way more than I would ever consider paying.

      I probably hate children or something.

      • Count Potato

        There will still be a black market, just like Illinois.

  7. Rebel Scum

    Federal appeals court: States may restrict open carry of firearms

    Not legally.

    • Rat on a train

      What’s legal got to do with it?

  8. The Late P Brooks

    “That is my expectation,” Mr. Biden said, although he added that he doesn’t normally plan that far in advance.

    Plan that far in advance? To paraphrase a friend, Biden shouldn’t even buy green bananas.

  9. UnCivilServant

    It’s funny what turns up when you’re cleaning.

    This old model reappeared.

    Excuse the poor paint job, he was one of the first I’d done.

    • UnCivilServant

      Also, more soberly, just accomplishing something has done wonders for my state of mind. All I did was make the front room a little less messy – break down empty boxes; trash some stuff I didn’t need to hold on to; prep the styrafoam for disposal – and I feel a lot better, because I can just look around and see something getting done.

      I’ve been in a dark mood and highly stressed for a while, and just getting that little bit has lightened things in my mind.

      • SP

        Yes, I hate cleaning, but I love having cleaned. It really does help my state of mind to have organized and tidy surroundings. And I do love the immediate visual improvement.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        I’ve been in a dark mood and highly stressed for a while, and just getting that little bit has lightened things in my mind.

        This is so important. I’ve been going through a down phase for a few reasons, both macro and familial, and just simply shutting off the phone and doing something productive is a magic elixir. It snowballs on itself.

      • Tulip

        And, if you do it right, it’s actually a workout.

      • Tulip

        And that also makes you feel better in addition to the sense of accomplishment

      • UnCivilServant

        All the bending over to pick up stuff from the floor has not been that fun. All the more reason to get the shelving in and the good stuff off the floor.

      • Jerms

        Thats great UCS. Keep the ball rolling and get shit done tomorrow too. Soon enough you will have a good week. Then a good month.

      • UnCivilServant

        Lets see if the site will let me answer…

        The first shelves are supposed to arrive tommorrow, but they’re the little ones from a combo pack, and I don’t know where I’m going to use those. (The plan used the full-sized shelves)

  10. The Late P Brooks

    Manufacturing, distribution, retailing, or buying?

    Sales and distribution, allocation of market territories, that sort of thing.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      allocation of market territories

      Ahhhhh…. competition research and elimination strategy

      • UnCivilServant

        competition research and elimination reduction strategy

    • Count Potato

      Don’t know why he knocked Micheal Jordan. That’s definitely someone who lived up to his potential.

  11. Rebel Scum

    President Biden on Thursday revealed he plans to seek a second term in the White House in 2024 and he said he expects Vice President Kamala Harris would again be his running mate.

    This is a diversion. The transition has already begun.

    • Sean

      I concur and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

    • Gustave Lytton

      If she waits until 2H of Biden2, then she can be president for 16 years! Better than FDR.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Obama is going to beat that record first.

      • Gustave Lytton

        BidenObama-Harris administration? Could well be. Hard to tell who has their hand up the backside of the Biden puppet.

      • Trigger Hippie

        My more hardcore, conspiratorial, right-leaning friends contend that his chief of staff sits in a room adjacent to the Oval Office behind visiting members of state and Congress Critters and either nods or shakes his head to signal to Biden whether to agree or disagree.

        Of course, if true, that doesn’t mean that said person is truly in power, just a pantomime for the true powers that be.*

        *full disclosure: I generally roll my eyes at this type of shit but hey, who the fuck knows. True or not, neither would surprise me.

      • LJW

        President? I presume that the title will be called Chairman of the “Council of Ministers of the Soviet United States”, by then.

      • Rat on a train

        “Peoples Republic of America (PRA)”
        Soviet is too European.

      • Rebel Scum

        United Soviet States of America.

  12. Count Potato

    Wait, I thought that black people selling drugs was a racist stereotype?

    • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

      It sounds to me like the government is trying to funnel more drugs into minority neighborhoods. For justice.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      My name is Navin R. Johnson. I was born a poor black child.

    • UnCivilServant

      You can’t call it Ebola, that’s racist against the residents of the Ebola river.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Coronabola here we come!

      • Rat on a train

        another two weeks?

    • Nephilium

      Just 4?

      Dozens of Ohio residents monitored for Ebola

      And, just to piss everyone off more:

      Ebola exists in certain parts of Africa. Today in Ohio, health officials are actively monitoring 44 people who have returned from areas of Africa with active outbreaks of Ebola. While it is currently believed these individuals are at very low risk of having contracted Ebola, if one of them develops symptoms, SB 22 would prevent our public health apparatus from swinging into rapid action and taking decisive steps to isolate, quarantine, and protect the public from the threat of this deadly virus until a medical diagnosis can be obtained.

      -DeWine – RINO OH

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Tom Woods’s Tuesday guest had nothing good to say about DeWine.

      • westernsloper

        That was a great podcast. Ya, she takes it to them.

  13. Rebel Scum

    The BeeThe Bee…The Bee is on fire.

  14. Rat on a train

    I’m used to some of the stupid stuff VDOT does or developers are required to do when they improve property. It is now common to require sidewalks for new development even if they don’t connect to anything. I understand it is an incremental approach to eventually create pedestrian paths as density increases. But I don’t understand why VDOT is putting in crosswalks to nowhere at intersections that aren’t getting any other change. They put one on Jefferson Davis Highway that leads to a wall of trees. A half mile in either direction is a intersection with restaurants, retail and the like on both sides and no crosswalks. They are now considering putting crosswalks at an intersection in an industrial area that would effectively connect two gas stations and a church. WTF VDOT?

    • Gustave Lytton

      They’re doing it here and ripping up perfectly good intersections, after “losing” EPA style with a disability grifting org over ADA requirements.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      One of the struggles our church had back in VA was complying with Fairfax County development rules. They had to split their church build into three phases, the last two of which have been on indefinite hold for 15 years because they would be exorbitantly expensive to do when taking Fairfax County into account. Things like having to buy triple the land they needed because there was a massive tree planting requirement in order to be able to have a parking lot.

  15. The Late P Brooks

    Also, more soberly, just accomplishing something has done wonders for my state of mind. All I did was make the front room a little less messy – break down empty boxes; trash some stuff I didn’t need to hold on to; prep the styrafoam for disposal – and I feel a lot better, because I can just look around and see something getting done.

    I have been going through and eliminating old papers and files. i’m pretty sure I don’t still need those cash receipts and bank statements from 1997. I used to do things in an orderly and organized manner, apparently. What the hell happened?

    I still haven’t found the document which instigated this easter egg hunt.

  16. Chipwooder

    The trained seals of the press are all slapping their fins together in delight as they gush over Biden reading (poorly) his script in front of about 6 friendly reporters.

  17. Tundra

    Hiya SP!

    No liberty OR canning jars for you.

    But you can have all the music you like – so there is that!

    No update on Fourscore (from me, anyway). I called him last night but didn’t get an answer. And of course his mailbox was full…

    I’ll try again a little later.

    • SP

      I suspect it’s Son of Fourscore leaving endless voicemails when his Dad won’t answer the calls. 😉

      • Tundra

        Yes, that made me laugh. Your response was perfect!

    • Muzzled Woodchipper

      But you can have all the music you like – so there is that!

      Don’t tell Discogs that.

      Discogs is committed to remaining an open discography of all viable audio recordings. (Please see our Database Guidelines for further information on items viable for database submission.) However, we reserve the right to block the sale of any release in the database from the Discogs Marketplace.

      Discogs policy is to block any releases from our marketplace that, through images and text on the release itself, are primarily created to incite violent hatred against groups of people based on areas such as their ethnic, cultural, religious or sexual identity, or with reference to physical or mental health. The decision to not allow the sale of specific releases is at our sole discretion. Items that are blocked from being sold in the Discogs Marketplace are not removed from the database.

      Discogs also reserves the right to block the use of the marketplace by any seller whose inventory contains an uncommon percentage of releases that feature hate speech, extreme prejudice against any other group of people, incitement to violence, or otherwise violate marketplace policies. If you are concerned about a release or releases you want to sell, please contact us before listing the item for sale.

      • Tundra

        Goodamn.

        I really hope Malice is correct.

      • Count Potato

        About what?

      • Tundra

        That these are the last throes of a dying system. That in fact the Cathedral knows time isn’t on its side and is lashing out.

        It would explain the clown-world shit like Discogs and the shit trashy was describing.

      • Count Potato

        Hmmmm…..

      • Muzzled Woodchipper

        I think it’s certainly reached it’s peak. It will have throes and fits (as we see everywhere now), and then people will tire of it either because of its stupidity, or else because it’s simply too tiring to continuously fret at minutiae.

        How long that process takes I can’t say. But the 70s ended, and I do believe this will too.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        It would explain the clown-world shit like Discogs and the shit trashy was describing.

        IMO, there can only be two explanations. Either we’re witnessing the frantic swipes of a cornered and doomed animal or we’re seeing the last few playful swipes of a predator having fun as the last bits fo life drain out of its dinner.

        I guess I’m a pessimist because I believe we’re on the precipice of a second Progressive Era, with more fascism, more bigotry, and less tethering to any coherent moral foundation than the first one.

      • Gustave Lytton

        I better order as many 80’s aidoru albums as I could possibly want.

      • Gustave Lytton

        She is quite cute with her hair down.

      • The Hyperbole

        So they are willing to list everything ever recorded but don’t want to facilitate the sale of stuff they list that they find objectionable? do I have that right? I’m not sure what’s so horrible about that. They don’t have to facilitate the sale of any of it.

      • Old Man With Candy

        Amazon has erased Michelle Shocked.

  18. The Late P Brooks

    They are now considering putting crosswalks at an intersection in an industrial area that would effectively connect two gas stations and a church. WTF VDOT?

    Are you prejudiced against people who buy lottery tickets?

    • Rat on a train

      It is a Baptist church so maybe they do buy more than average.

  19. Rebel Scum

    Your stupid opinion is noted.

    The statement, signed by Del. Lee Carter (D-Manassas), former delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) and former Va. Gov. Terry McAuliffe, cites comments and campaign initiatives from Republican candidates.

    “Last week, the entire Republican field took their complete embrace of Donald Trump a step beyond the far right extremism that has become the norm in the Virginia GOP,” the statement began.

    Remarks that Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) made about Sen. McClellan during a campaign event on March 15 was among one of the issues mentioned in the statement. “I support equal rights not special rights. You know, Sen. McClellan, she is the vice chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus. … And I said she will not be a governor that supports everyone,” Chase said at the event. …

    “As Democrats, we may have our differences, but we are united against allowing any of these Trump acolytes near the governorship,” the statement concluded.

  20. Rebel Scum

    The historical lynching continues apace.

    Virginia State University announced they will be removing the names of four of their campus buildings because they “do not reflect the rich heritage and spirit” of the school.

    The Board of Visitors approved the removal of signage from Byrd Hall, Eggleston Hall, Trinkle Hall and Vawter Hall. Current signs will be removed immediately, VSU said in a release.

    “Virginia State University campus buildings and the campus environment should reflect the Institution and be a source of pride for the students, faculty, alum and staff who live and work inside them,” VSU Vice President for External Relations Tonya S. Hall said. “We want to ensure that the names on all of our buildings are a reflection of the rich history of our VSU story.”

    • Muzzled Woodchipper

      Virginia State University announced they will be removing the names of four of their campus buildings because they “do not reflect the rich heritage and spirit” of the school.

      Yeah, they only went there, paid for substantial portions of it, or perhaps were amongst the founders.

      • Rebel Scum

        They were probably all white and therefor bad. Their contributions do not matter.

    • kbolino

      They’re going to honor their history by undoing their history? That’s some grade-A level doublespeak there.

    • The Gunslinger

      Nope. Killer physique and taut midriff.

      • Tundra

        Yes. Type 2 is a killer.

  21. Rebel Scum

    Because the Democratic Party is going to label them all terrorists and deport them to Gitmo?

    Biden said it was his “expectation” to run for reelection, but failed to say definitively if he would. CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pressed him, “so is that a yes that you are running for re-election?”

    “Look, I don’t know where you guys come from, man. I’ve never been able to travel. I’m a great respecter of fate. I’ve never been able to plan four and a half, three and a half years ahead for certain,” Biden responded.

    Collins tried again, “and do you believe you’ll be running against former president Trump?”

    “Oh, come on. I don’t even think about — I have no idea. I have no idea if there will be the Republican Party, do you?” Biden added. “I know you don’t have to answer my question, but I mean, you know, do you?”

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      If it were Trump the headline would read. Trump threatens to eliminate the Democrat Party.

    • Trigger Hippie

      It’s almost cute that his senility has made him unable to filter out the secret intentions of his handlers to the press that have been filtered to him onthe DL.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      travel?

  22. The Late P Brooks

    Your mileage may vary

    The father of slain Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley said his son was a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment – and would have reportedly hated to see his death used for political purposes.

    “My son would have been deeply offended to know his death would be used to promote gun control. Before he was an officer, he enjoyed shooting,” Homer Talley told TMZ about the 11-year veteran, who was among 10 people slaughtered at a King Soopers supermarket on Monday.

    ——-

    In the wake of the shooting, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden is considering possible executive orders on gun control.

    But Talley called Alissa’s alleged attack “a senseless act and that is just it. The situation [Eric] found himself in wasn’t one that the government could protect him from.”

    He added: “Just because some wacko goes around shooting people doesn’t mean guns need to be taken away. You can’t take away enough guns to protect this country.”

    While acknowledging the need for common-sense gun laws, Talley said that “to take away that freedom completely is something I am against and my son was against.”

    “Common sense gun laws”? We could make it illegal to shoot people, and call it good.

    • Semi-Spartan Dad

      Notice “common-sense gun laws” wasn’t in quotes. Probably another media fabrication. I don’t trust anything those fuckers put out that’s not backed up by video.

  23. Count Potato

    “Joe Biden says migrant surge is because ‘I’m a nice guy’ and claims Donald Trump ‘dismantled’ the immigration system: Finally kicks off first press conference since taking office 65 days ago”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9403033/Joe-Biden-says-migrant-surge-Im-nice-guy-kicks-press-conference.html

    “An undocumented immigrant is not a criminal’: Republicans unload on Kamala Harris for her past comments comparing ICE officers to KKK and saying immigrants should be offered ‘path to citizenship’ after Biden made her immigration czar”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9402291/GOP-unloads-Kamala-calling-weak-immigration-slam-comparing-ICE-KKK.html

    • Rebel Scum

      claims Donald Trump ‘dismantled’ the immigration system

      By enforcing existing laws?

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      immigrants should be offered ‘path to citizenship’

      I’m still of the opinion that the republicans could win this issue simply by offering a path to normalization that took citizenship off the table. Expose the craven democrats for what they are… boldly crass vote buyers.

      • blighted_non_millenial

        You’d just end up with headlines that “Republicans hate Brown People. Seek to deny immigrant’s voting rights. Coming for African American voters, next!”

  24. Dr. Fronkensteen

    So asking for a voter’s ID is going back to Jim Crow. That means that showing ID is racist and shouldn’t be allowed. I might be able to get on board with this if taken to its logical conclusion.

    • Rebel Scum

      This is kindof like the leftist opinion on “choice”. You can choose muh-abortion but you are not allowed to choose anything else.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Now do air travel and gun purchases.

      • Gustave Lytton

        And step back as the laughter starts.

      • LCDR_Fish

        or voting in every other country worldwide.

  25. Count Potato

    “Colorado baker once sued over wedding cake for gay couple now sued over gender transition cake”

    https://twitter.com/WGNNews/status/1374331507578441728

    “reminder there’s over 20 bakeries in lakewood, CO and after this the same transgender activist requested he make a cake of satan smoking a joint. so this isn’t some poor lgbt person looking for a service, this is wicked human purposefully antagonizing someone’s religious beliefs.”

    https://twitter.com/morganisawizard/status/1374391367216947207

    IANAL, but I’m surprised targeting someone like that isn’t illegal. Obviously, they aren’t doing it for the cake, even if they all want cake.

    • leon

      It would amount to a form of Harrassment. But our courts are probably willing to allow such harassment to continue, because public accommodations law is an important tenent of modern American Political Religion.

      • LCDR_Fish

        NRO points out that this is all happening (same with Little Sisters being retargeted) as a direct result of SCOTUS pussying out and only addressing the most limited administrative element of the regulations and being too chickenshit to just come out and block this in full.

    • B.P.

      The forces of tolerance at work.

    • Rebel Scum

      Yes, yes. *President Joke Biden.

    • Hank

      In all seriousness, isn’t it plausible that he was joking?

      • kinnath

        No.

        I saw the clip.

        I assume he fucked up the line he was supposed to read.

        I assume he meant 1) the rule that was put in place 120 years ago and 2) which was still in place when I joined the Senate.

      • Hank

        Ah.

    • Tundra

      2.

    • DEG

      Looks a bit heavy on instagram models, but at least there are no face diapers.

  26. Semi-Spartan Dad

    Have a great rest of your day! I’m out to scour the countryside for the ridiculously elusive quart canning jar.

    What canner do you or anyone else use? The wife has been asking for one this year and I’ve been looking at the Presto 01781 23 Quart.

    I’ve been stockpiling jars/lids for a couple months in anticipation. We’ll have a 1,000 sq ft garden this year plus the orchard.

    • The Other Kevin

      “Beshear said House Bill 563 and House Bill 258 would “significantly weaken our public education system” by diverting money away from public schools and public-school teachers.”

      I think that’s kind of the idea.

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      If there is a mask mandate after there are zero cases, I’m not going to be a happy camper.

    • commodious spittoon

      The magic tiger repelling stone is working, isn’t it?

  27. KromulentKristen

    I just got my hair did, so I’m-a ignore all the bad things. It’s very smooth & silky.

    • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

      Expecting a visit from Biden?

      • KromulentKristen

        I mean, I’m, like, super-desperate, so….

      • Tulip

        You are not THAT desperate.

    • SP

      Can’t wait to see it tomorrow night!

  28. J. Frank Parnell

    PSA for the vegans around here: when you fail to account for white supremacy in veganism, you get white veganism.

    Please make sure you decolonize your veganism.

    • The Other Kevin

      Looking forward to hearing the identity politics lecture about taking your morning dump.

      • J. Frank Parnell

        I call it my morning decolonizing.

      • Ask your doctor if BEAM is right for you

        Fake but accurate.

      • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

        My morning dump is usually about brown supremacy.

    • kbolino

      googles NFT, gets confused, rants at clouds, tells nonexistent kids to get off his lawn

    • B.P.

      “Skulking back from Cancun filled with shame and regret is about the most Texan thing Ted Cruz has ever done, tbh.”

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        This is true.

  29. The Late P Brooks

    What if they’re the wrong kind of black people?

    The jury’s racial makeup will assuage some of the concerns that activists and others had expressed as jury selection got underway two weeks ago. An insufficiently diverse jury, they believed, would undercut people’s faith in the legitimacy of a trial seen as a critical moment in the racial justice movement that Floyd’s killing helped reenergize last spring.

    Even so, the jury’s basic racial breakdown glosses over some important nuance.

    Two of the Black men on the jury are not African Americans but, rather, Black immigrants. During questioning, they expressed the kind of moderate views on policing and race relations that defense attorney Eric Nelson generally found acceptable as he considered which potential jurors to strike and which to allow.

    None of the Black jurors ultimately chosen for the panel spoke extensively about personal experiences with racism or about having had overtly negative interactions with police. Several said they had a healthy respect for law enforcement.

    ——-

    On one hand, that the defense would strike people with negative views of police is understandable, given Nelson’s responsibility to seat a jury favorable to his client. The prosecution in the Chauvin case also struck white jurors who expressed police-friendly views or who had negative opinions of Black Lives Matter or the protests that followed Floyd’s killing.

    But Chakravarti said that given history, it is appropriate to apply greater scrutiny when Black jurors are struck.

    “We’ve seen that in this country, Black jurors are struck at a higher rate than other jurors. And that is a really big problem,” she said.

    Maybe we should have quotas.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      Two of the Black men on the jury are not African Americans but, rather, Black immigrants.

      Twas only a matter of time. The difference in opinions, voting patterns, and socioeconomic between American blacks and immigrant blacks has been too large and long lasting to avoid prog-racist scrutiny forever. Time to peel off yet another subgroup.

  30. Bill Door

    I’m sitting through an alphabet people training right now (lgbtqrstuv+-). Talk about a bunch of pseudoscience hokum. My opinion of psychology couldn’t get much lower.

    Apparently sex is assigned at birth. That’s right, assigned. ?

    • rhywun

      Well, technically, sure. It’s just that the choice is quite obvious 99.9% or more of the time.

      • kbolino

        Yeah. They’re not doing genetic tests most of the time, it’s just penis = male, vagina = female.

      • rhywun

        I should of course add that those 0.01% or less who are “questionable” at birth are nothing to do with any of this. Those unfortunates can rot in hell for all the trannies — who along with their nihilist left hangers-on are somehow the driving force behind this — care.

      • Count Potato

        I don’t think trans have anything against intersex people.

      • rhywun

        I don’t think they think about them at all except for the extent to which they can use them to advance their unrelated cause.

      • Bill Door

        It all sounds like newspeak to me. The presenter actually said that the goalposts and what is “acceptable” will change.

        Like others have said, Russia, China, et al, are laughing their asses off that this is what is being worried about.

    • Hank

      Did they do race?

      • Bill Door

        Not yet. That was supposed to be last week, but the presenter no-showed.

      • Tundra

        Prolly Irish, huh?

    • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

      The first part of our company meeting today was spent telling us that violence against Asians is bad. Who knew?

      • Bill Door

        Right? Who’da think it?

      • Sean

        That implies that violence against some group is good. Who is that group?

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Exactly

  31. rhywun

    average New Yorkers were struggling to get tested in the early days of the pandemic because of a scarcity of resources

    I never waited more than a couple hours for my test results, and I guess the first was in May during a spell in the ER. ?‍♂️

    I question more whether any of them were at all accurate.

  32. The Late P Brooks

    All the bending over to pick up stuff from the floor has not been that fun. All the more reason to get the shelving in and the good stuff off the floor.

    Nail-on-a-stick, FTW!

    • UnCivilServant

      Unless you have a turf floor, that’s an awful idea.

      Plus some of this stuff isn’t trash.

  33. The Late P Brooks

    Apparently sex is assigned at birth. That’s right, assigned.

    Randomly.

    You forgot randomly.

    • Bill Door

      Thanks for the correction there. I must repent before the woke gods.

  34. KromulentKristen

    OMG Morton’s is on UberEats??????

    • UnCivilServant

      Sometimes you just need more salt.

      • KromulentKristen

        Steak, but it has salt on it.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Morton’s The Salt Shaker?

      • Damaged Plastic, it hurts,

        Morton’s has a salt Factory in Manistee, Giant Salt shaker Silos,

    • Drake

      Delivered by the girl in the raincoat?

    • commodious spittoon

      I’ve thought about ordering a steak but the delivery time worries me. I want it bloody yes but not cold.

    • Trigger Hippie

      The local Morton’s offers up the shavings from the served steak on a slider for free when drinking at their bar…in my younger, more prosperous days, I went there at least a handful of times a year for that reason alone.

    • Nephilium

      At the beginning of the shut downs, several steak houses were selling their steaks (raw) so that people could cook them at home, and the high end meat wouldn’t be wasted.

      /laments that my final weight goal treat has not yet reopened in any fashion

  35. DEG

    New York law prohibits state officials from using their positions to secure privileges for themselves or others.

    What’s another meaningless law?

    The Ramones song is good.

    • Hank

      I seem to recall that George Washington Plunkett, the guy who distinguished between honest graft and dishonest graft, was from New York.

      http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5030/

    • The Hyperbole

      Most “news” sourced form Facebook quotes aren’t “worthy”.

  36. Shpip

    I guess next Sunday will show off yet another regional divide: ham or lamb.

    I had suggested to the Bosslady that I purchase a leg of lamb to roast in the next few days and was promptly corrected.

  37. Count Potato

    Anyone else having login or commenting problems?

    • UnCivilServant

      YES!

      I keep having 503s when trying to post comments.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        It looks like they were redoing some of the site login features. The Prove your humanity function has changed slightly for instance.

      • UnCivilServant

        My login hasn’t expired, so I’ve only seen the “no comment for you” errors

    • Ask your doctor if BEAM is right for you

      Yep.

      • Count Potato

        Oh, btw, I downloaded that pdf. Thanks.

    • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

      The site is down. I can’t comment. Nor do I know the score of the Cal game, but I’m pretty sure they are losing, because they usually do.

    • SP

      They are doing maintenance on the servers this afternoon. Should only be intermittent annoyances.

    • Damaged Plastic, it hurts,

      yes, now it’s just slow, but working,

  38. SP

    You’ll all be relieved to hear that the new Ace Hardware near my house had plenty of quart canning jars in stock, with no restrictions on the number I could purchase. They only had regular mouth, alas, and they are a brand I’ve never seen before – Pur – but I don’t care. I purchased 4 cases.

    With the online purchases, I will have enough. Assuming I can even find roma tomatoes here to can. But at least if I do, I can. (Get it?)

    ?

  39. Tundra

    Cross posted at the Forum:

    I had a hilarious chat with Fourscore this afternoon.  He had 4 therapy sessions and met with the doc today.  His therapist said he’s not ready to be home alone yet, so it might be another week or two.  They had him getting used to a walker and using a wheelchair.  He said that he felt like a boss because he could control the chair – well, within the room anyway (if he leaves the room he has to wear a goddamn mask).

    He told me to let Jimbo know that he forgot to erase the porn from the Chromebook.  I assured him that it was not an oversight.  Just Jimbo  taking care of his pal.

    He sounded great – lots of laughs – and I remain encouraged.

    The best part: “Oh yeah, Honey Harvest is still on.”

    • Gender Traitor

      Great news! Thanks! 😀

    • SP

      ? Great news!

    • Damaged Plastic, it hurts,

      Awesome, he is missed by Yusef, a Great Man,

    • KromulentKristen

      Good to hear – thanks for the report!

    • DEG

      This is good news!

    • Hank

      Get Well Soon.

    • westernsloper

      ?

    • whahappan

      Great news!

    • Count Potato

      Dittoes.

  40. Hank

    Memories of a former Italian cop, with this juicy quote:

    ‘One fundamental difference between policing in Italy when I served and in the United States today was divergence in expectations about the circulation of guns. In Italy when I made a traffic stop I knew it was extremely unlikely that the person in the car would be armed. This was a basic assumption during the firearms training we received: the monopoly on force was held by legitimately armed corps acting on behalf of the state—that is, of the community. The low rate of gun ownership among the population meant that they were rarely used by the police with deadly force. Despite more than sixty years of Hollywood movies, telefilm, and television series that have glorified guns, the political philosophy undergirding the Second Amendment is almost incomprehensible for Italians and, indeed, most Europeans. For Italians the word “militia” calls to mind the paramilitary units that facilitated not only Mussolini’s rise to power, but Hitler’s also.’

    https://thelampmagazine.com/2021/03/25/on-being-a-cop/

    • EvilSheldon

      “…the monopoly on force was held by legitimately armed corps acting on behalf of the state—that is, of the community.”

      “For Italians the word “militia” calls to mind the paramilitary units that facilitated not only Mussolini’s rise to power, but Hitler’s also.”

      How can one possess this level of cognitive dissonance, and still manage to tie his own shoes?

      • rhywun

        Maybe they expect legitimately-armed Americans to come to their defense the next time their government gets uppity.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      There are far more firearms per capita in the US and that’s a good thing but there are some drawbacks, as all things have, and one of those is the fact that cops can be jumpy. Seems like the Italians would be a bit more wary of a government monopoly on force considering Benito’s carabinieri would make people eat frogs and much worse if you didn’t toe the line though.

    • Tundra

      Vaffanculo.

      • dbleagle

        Clearly he is lying or never did his job in Naples, Calabria, Sicily, or Puglia. Many guns, including authentic AK-47’s and M-16/M-4’s in all those places.

    • Master JaimeRoberto (royal we/us)

      Also the expectation is that the person will just bribe their way out of a ticket.

      A friend of mine was pulled over in Austria on her way to Italy. She offered a bribe to the cop who replied, “Fraulein, Sie sind noch nich in Italien.”

  41. Count Potato

    “We have yet to find any credible evidence of anti-Asian hatred or bigotry in this man’s history. Maybe we will. We can’t rule it out. But we do know that his roommates say they once asked him if he picked the spas for sex because the women were Asian. And they say he denied it, saying he thought those spas were just the safest way to have quick sex. That needs to be checked out more. But the only piece of evidence about possible anti-Asian bias points away, not toward it.

    And yet. Well, you know what’s coming. Accompanying one original piece on the known facts, the NYT ran nine — nine! — separate stories about the incident as part of the narrative that this was an anti-Asian hate crime, fueled by white supremacy and/or misogyny. Not to be outdone, the WaPo ran sixteen separate stories on the incident as an anti-Asian white supremacist hate crime. Sixteen! One story for the facts; sixteen stories on how critical race theory would interpret the event regardless of the facts. For good measure, one of their columnists denounced reporting of law enforcement’s version of events in the newspaper, because it distracted attention from the “real” motives. Today, the NYT ran yet another full-on critical theory piece disguised as news on how these murders are proof of structural racism and sexism — because some activists say they are.”

    https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/when-the-narrative-replaces-the-news-9ea

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Is this the same Andrew Sullivan who got in the barrel and went over Niagara Falls over Sarah Palin? I mean, he’s right here but the dude’s nuts.

      • Count Potato

        It is, but he often has good takes.

      • rhywun

        He does. I read a lot of his ancient columns on Salon (?) that got me thinking. But yeah, some of his blind spots are doozies.

  42. SP

    Just a reminder. The Forum is hosted on a different server, so if this place is down for maintenance or whatever, and you really need a place to chat, try hanging out over there.

  43. limey

    Today is the anniversary of when a man exited the abdominal confines of his mother’s unit. The man is in a musical ensemble. It is acknowledged. Many happy returns, Chief.

  44. westernsloper

    Other than my to the core disdain for uber wealthy crony capitalists being in government, I am not sure I disagree with the alleged atrocities that Gupta person is being accused of by the R assholes. I want vending machines full of drugs next to my Pepsi machine.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Not me. I want hard liquor next to my soda. You can put your narcotics on down past the panty machine.

      • westernsloper

        LOL

      • limey

        Have covid plaguetimes put an end to the used panties trade? Innovative businesswoman Joanna Gambolputty has developed an efficient sterilization technique using ultraviolet radiation, which preserves the authentic stank so highly prized by perverts everywhere, while killing any SARS-COV-2 virus present in the artisanal soiled garment delicacy.

      • Gender Traitor

        You’re disturbingly good at this.

  45. zwak

    CPRM, I was losing feeling in my left fingers and when I called my dr. office, they said to go immediately to the ER. And it was MS.

    Now, all of that sucks, but not know wouldn’t stop the progression. It wouldn’t get you proscribed on a medication to slow the course of the disease.

    Go to the doc.

  46. leon

    I see Kemp signed a new Elections law in Georgia. Obviously this is the Second Coming of Jeff Davis, and Jim Crow is back in the deep south.

    • rhywun

      Turning back the clock all the way to 2016 zOMG!1!

  47. LCDR_Fish

    I missed the military discussion last night. Got a little over 3 years left before I can retire from the reserves (no $$$ till I turn 60 though, but at least it’s the guaranteed 50% then).

    Very thankful that I got tied into my current unit. Even with all the BS right now, my reserve unit is a small one tied directly to an active unit with a congressional mandate to inspect all US Navy ships (and MSC, small craft, etc) at least once every 3 years. The focus is 98% on literal material readiness – is the equipment there, does it function as intended – if not, write it up. Only got to go on one inspection so far due to the coof, but hoping to get at least 4 more this summer and then starting next FY, ideally at least one a quarter if I can flex with my work schedule.

    Obviously the active folks are really happy for the extra hands when it comes to the big decks. Certain items are inspected as a percentage of the total, but certain items/spaces must be inspected 100% no matter the size of the ship.

    Best part – think I mentioned it previously – is getting the opportunity to go onboard all the different classes of ships I barely got to see, much less walk around on during my 6+ years active. Hoping to complete more training and start helping out with the new construction acceptance trials too.

    Also…keeping my eyes open since this is another one of the consistently undermanned units that never has all the billets filled – looks like they’ll be getting more contractor/GS billets soon – and after this year, they’ve got a pretty good system in place for working from home – ie. anywhere – as long as you can use your laptop/vpn and fly to the inspections. Win/Win.

  48. leon

    Bill Kristol is insane:

    One reason I’m for DC statehood: The growth in size of the republic–and our distinctive manner of growth, admitting states with equal status–has always been a sign of our vigor. 60 years at 50 states is enough. Time for DC, Puerto Rico, Cuba (as soon as it’s free), 1 or 2 more?

    https://twitter.com/BillKristol/status/1374060110713126912

    Also the real reason he is for DC statehood is that he knows that the Neo Cons have returned to roost with the Democratic Party and wants to ensure their forever domination.

    • kinnath

      How about we just jettison California and New York instead.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Did he run it by the Cubans first?

    • Count Potato

      It’s also because he’s an asshole.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      He’s not insane, just a massive fuckstick and generally horrible human being.

    • creech

      Sure, lots of blue states and even Texas are way too disunited to be just one state. And why not as many Canadian provinces as we can conquer?
      I mean, persuade.

  49. kinnath

    https://www.kcrg.com/2021/03/25/capitol-riot-clouds-democrats-look-at-contested-first-district-race/

    Capitol riot clouds Democrats’ look at contested First District race

    I was wrong the other day. The challenger skipped the court system in Iowa and just went straight to the House to beg them to overturn the election.

    But after shitting their pants over Trump trying to overturn the election, many Dems are pushing back hard on overturning the Iowa election.

    I still expect Nancy’s minions to fuck over the state election.

  50. Scruffy Nerfherder

    I need some recommendations on reading materials for a 14 year old girl that are not insufferably woke.

    The middle daughter is completely turned off by the current offerings in her age group because they all shoehorn in the issues du hour.

    • Ted S.

      Is she mature enough to enjoy traditional grown-up literature?

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Possibly, but I’m not going to push it. She needs something upbeat.

      • Hank

        Oops, that might rule out a few of my suggestions below.

    • Tundra

      Pratchett.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Ah, that may work.

    • Hank

      Did she do Lord of the Rings? The Silmarillion? There’s quite a treasury of Tolkien stuff, including drafts reworked into publishable form by his late son Christopher? The Fall of Gondolin, Beren and Luthien, The Children of Hurin, etc.

      How about Twilight…of the Gods, by Wagner?

      • Hank

        Farmer Giles of Ham is also by Tolkien, while also being more lighthearted and young-person-oriented.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        She’s tried Tolkien. She didn’t seem to care for it. Probably the overabundance of characters. She reads very quickly.

    • The Bearded Hobbit

      I re-read A Wrinkle in Time recently and was pleased with how well it held up. Teen-aged female protagonist holds her own against The Forces of Evil(tm).

      Also, try the Heinlein Juveniles. I sent copies to my teen-aged grandkids a few years ago.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        She’s done the Wrinkle series a couple of times but not the Heinlein series. I’ll give her one to sample.

      • The Bearded Hobbit

        My favorites: A Tunnel in the Sky and The Rolling Stones.

      • zwak

        Try SE Hinton. Rumble Fish, Outsiders, Tex, and so on.

    • Hank

      There’s a fantasy series by Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising (five volumes in all, I think). It’s been a while since I read and enjoyed it, but I recall it’s cool and about good v. evil.

      Also, The Sword in the Stone, first volume in the Once and Future King series by T. H. White. I wouldn’t recommend anything after vol. 1 if you’re looking for upbeat, but Sword in the Stone is comparative lighthearted.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Thanks