Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

T R E 4 5 O N

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Come on, man.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

This really is a full service blog.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

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Back Home and #OWS Open Thread

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Made it back in one piece. Seth reports that Rosie is just too much dog for him- followed him around the whole time giving him the patented JRT “Why are you not entertaining me? Why are you letting me down? Why can you not fulfill all my wildest dreams?” look that I know and “love.” Lily had separation anxiety and apparently was shaking for a long while. Both are now comfortably back to their normal routines- Lily is asleep under the covers and Rosie is following me around the house. Tunch didn’t shed too much this time, but even old tunabreath was happy to see me and jumped up on my lap for a petting session.

Was a nice drive, but very weird weather- sunny, but super windy. A Prius was almost blown into my lane as we topped one mountain. I’m windburned and sunburnt at the same time, but the four hours of Little Feat therapy was rock solid. Bill and Jill and Walt are coming over and we are going to order a gut bomb pizza and have some wine.

‘Nuff about me. The Occupy Wall Street stuff today seems to be heating up. Any links or news you want to share?

Reader Interactions

79Comments

  2. 2.

    Maude

    The best line I read about a Prius was in a Brit crime novel: it was like driving a toaster.
    We could tell Little Tommy re: OWS, Suck On This.

  4. 4.

    jwb

    Reports on Twitter that 3G down in Times Square area. Not clear if it is overwhelmed or taken down.

  7. 7.

    beltane

    Reports on Twitter say that the counter-terrorism task force is at Times Square and has been authorized to use tear gas. I hope this is not true.

    My husband told me that there have been fatalities reported at the Berlin protest in front of the Reichstag. Has this been confirmed?

  8. 8.

    Cat Lady

    We’re apparently entering the “then they fight you” phase of the process. Next up: “then you win”.

  10. 10.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @beltane:

    the counter-terrorism task force is at Times Square and has been authorized to use tear gas.

    Good lord, I didn’t know Bloomberg was part of the “IT’s always 1973” Club

  15. 15.

    JoeC

    I’ve been reading your blog for a while, and I enjoy it quite a bit, but I felt the need to comment since you used the term ‘gut bomb’ and I’ve never heard anyone but my aunt say that, nice…:-)

  16. 16.

    jwb

    Not always a fan of Digby, but this was an excellent point about the importance of OWS going global:

    Howie reminded me earlier today of the underlying threats from the Masters of the Universe to pack up their riches and leave Wall Street if they weren’t given the deference they demanded.
    __
    After today you have to wonder where it is they think they are going to go?

  17. 17.

    PeakVT

    Not that any are reading, but individual NYC police should take a minute to think here. It’s not like the 1% would stop if they bust the teachers unions. Firefighters would be next, then the police. So they should consider easing up a bit.

  18. 18.

    JPL

    According to the NYTimes..

    Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Saturday that part of his immigration policy would be to build an electrified fence on the country’s border with Mexico that could kill people trying to enter the country illegally.
    The remarks, which came at two campaign rallies in Tennessee as part of a barnstorming bus tour across the state, drew loud cheers from crowds of several hundred people at each rally. At the second stop, in Harriman, Tenn., Mr. Cain added that he also would consider using military troops “with real guns and real bullets” on the border to stop illegal immigration.

    good times

  19. 19.

    Samara Morgan

    haha, tolja so toleja so!

    The U.S. is abandoning plans to keep U.S. troops in Iraq past a year-end withdrawal deadline, The Associated Press has learned. The decision to pull out fully by January will effectively end more than eight years of U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, despite ongoing concerns about its security forces and the potential for instability.
    __
    The decision ends months of hand-wringing by U.S. officials over whether to stick to a Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline that was set in 2008 or negotiate a new security agreement to ensure that gains made and more than 4,400 American military lives lost since March 2003 do not go to waste…
    __
    Throughout the discussions, Iraqi leaders have adamantly refused to give U.S. troops immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts, and the Americans have refused to stay without it. Iraq’s leadership has been split on whether it wanted American forces to stay. Some argued the further training and U.S. help was vital, particularly to protect Iraq’s airspace and gather security intelligence. But others have deeply opposed any American troop presence, including Shiite militiamen who have threatened attacks on any American forces who remain.
    __
    Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has told U.S. military officials that he does not have the votes in parliament to provide immunity to the American trainers, the U.S. military official said.

  20. 20.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Hippies! Hippies everywhere!

    Some tourists pumped their fists and whooped from atop double-decker sightseeing buses as the protesters cheered back. Carol Hoyt, 58, of Connecticut, joined the protesters along with her husband and friend, after overhearing a policewoman mention that the marchers were on their way.
    “I love a good confrontation; we need it,” Ms. Hoy said. “We are pretty near broke, and we can’t keep up anymore.”

    I do wonder what she means by “we” and “broke”, but I’m gonna go against my nature and not borrow trouble.

  22. 22.

    Cat Lady

    @cathyx:

    Maybe. It just may be that we’re dealing with a bunch of bullying cowards that aren’t who they think they are. Once they realize we all know what they’ve done, who they are, and where they live, things could move fast.

  23. 23.

    The Dangerman

    @Maude:

    This is the Republicans worst nightmare.

    I’m not so sure; they will spin it to their ends and “their side” will eat it up.

    While I don’t see tear gas, I don’t see this going anyplace good. I was in Seattle just prior to the WTO meeting there, listening to the peaceful protests getting organized, then the Anarchists showed up and partied like it was 1999 (which it was). Let’s face it, Washington isn’t going to do shit until after the Election and, well, that’s a long time to occupy.

  25. 25.

    cathyx

    It’s exciting to see this movement going global. The energy will increase with more people getting involved. I hope it keeps going.

  27. 27.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I wish I were internetty enough to get the single picture, but at the bottom left of this post you’ll see a couple of truly dangerous radicals in Tempe, AZ

  28. 28.

    Samara Morgan

    and since i was RIGHT about that….perhaps im right about my hypoth that anti-mormon sentiment in white voters (specifically independents and the GOP base) makes it mathematically impossible for Mitt to win the presidency.
    here is some Lieberman spin that validates my hypoth.
    The conservative elites and the corporatists are gettin’ very nervous.
    the only thing Mitt has going for him is electability.
    the base despises him.

    But what if the base found out he cant win?

  29. 29.

    General Stuck

    Prbly should keep quiet, but can’t and wonder where all the trolls went around here. I been saying some pretty offensive positive things about Obama the past few days, and nary a peep. It ain’t natural, but it is more relaxing.

  30. 30.

    Brian S

    @Cat Lady: They’re also the fuckers who have the money to hire Blackwater/Xe/whatever-the-fuck-they’re-named-now who will gladly blow away whoever has the willingness to come after them, so I’m guessing we’re still a ways from the “then you win” stage.

  31. 31.

    Maude

    @The Dangerman:
    I wouldn’t give up now. This is international.
    Rome had rioters who were smashing windows and yet it was reported that they were not OWS type protesters.
    When people are out in the streets, it does change Washington.

  37. 37.

    Samara Morgan

    from the beginning the owies have claimed solidarity with spain and greece, and SAID in their misson statement that they were using Arab Spring tactics.
    this is a global movement, rejecting authority and the corporatists.

  38. 38.

    Cat Lady

    @Brian S:

    I suspect they’ve got them already, but this Occupy movement is less about threatening their personal safety and more about that their corporate veil has been pierced – it’s about threatening their personal misbegotten revenue stream and their ability to buy politicians, not that they need to fear for their life, but if they do that too that works for me. They need to feel fear.

  39. 39.

    The Dangerman

    @Maude:

    I wouldn’t give up now.

    It’s not so much giving up as wondering how there can be a positive outcome until after 11/12 (more correctly, 1/13).

    This is international.

    I see this as good and bad; again, if the Anarchists run wild anyplace (sounds like that was the case in Rome), it reflects badly on the movement. I would have been happier to see this stay an American movement so that the “one world government”, “no surrender to the United Nations”, and/or “we’re turning into European soc1alist nation” crowd didn’t have the means to spin this to their ends.

  40. 40.

    Roger Moore

    @jwb:

    After today you have to wonder where it is they think they are going to go?

    I assume they’re going to go to their bolt holes in the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, etc. where they’ve already been stashing their ill gotten loot.

  41. 41.

    beltane

    @Maude: Even CNN was explicit that the violence in Rome was the work of anarchists who were unaffiliated with the main protest. Anarchists have been part of the landscape in Italy for well over a century and every sentient being there is aware of who started the violence.

  43. 43.

    cathyx

    @The Dangerman: But we are all in the same boat. We could have anarchists, or spoilers, here too. We just have to make sure that they don’t start to control the message. And that will be difficult because one of our enemies is the corporate owned media. Stay strong and stay positive. We’ll win eventually. There are more of us than them.

  45. 45.

    Maude

    @beltane:
    I was glad to see the point that it was rioters in AP.
    Italy isn’t calm now anyway. The anarchists will try to take advantage.

    @The Dangerman:
    Those who spin it that way are in the minority. The major news outlets are reporting this as it is and not spinning it. The internet makes it well known what is going on.
    It is more than the US that the cheaters have harmed. We are all in this together and the more support the US gets from other countries the better.

  46. 46.

    Geoduck

    @General Stuck:

    Prbly should keep quiet, but can’t and wonder where all the trolls went around here. I been saying some pretty offensive positive things about Obama the past few days, and nary a peep. It ain’t natural, but it is more relaxing.

    There are plenty of places around to get your fix of 24/7 Obama bashing, if that’s what they want..

  47. 47.

    YellowJournalism

    Local news is reporting on the Occupy Canada protests. There’s a live blog, too. More than 200 in Edmonton planning to camp overnight. People are passing out fliers with instructions and information about protestors’ rights when dealing with police. Emphasis is being placed on being firm but polite and knowing that people have the right not to answer questions and remain silent. Smart idea. They posted one given out in Ottowa. Very detailed. Anyone know if they did that in US cities?

  48. 48.

    Percysowner

    24 people were arrested at Citibank for trying to close their accounts as part of the protest. They were perfectly peaceful. The video is boring as heck for the first 90 seconds then everything starts happening.

    Great world, we are no longer permitted to choose what bank holds our money.

  51. 51.

    Another Bob

    I was in the middle of a huge crowd marching through San Francisco today and there were people up and down the street as far as I could see. The crowd tended towards younger folks, but all ages were represented, right up to senior citizens with canes. It was a peaceful but energetic scene, very positive and inspiring. The cable cars were completely blocked in and couldn’t move at the foot of Powell Street, and one of the conductors was ringing his bell in support. The cops that patrolled the march perimeter were low-key and cool. I went not knowing what to expect, but I came away very impressed by both the size and the atmosphere. It seemed to be a very successful gathering.

  52. 52.

    Liberty60

    @YellowJournalism:
    We passed that info out to our organizers at our Occupy event in Irvine. We also met with police ahead of time to let them know our plans and route.

    They were actually very supportive of our right to assemble and protest.

    My inner optimist is hoping they were watching Wisconsin, and are realizing who their real enemies are.

  53. 53.

    cathyx

    @Another Bob: That’s the point, really. It isn’t just DFH’s, it’s everybody. All the pictures that I see are pictures of your average person; young, old, with kids or with someone wearing dreadlocks. The media likes to portray us as weirdos, it makes for good TV and that’s what they show on the news, but the truth is that it’s all of us who are suffering and protesting. And it’s global.

  54. 54.

    Maude

    @cathyx:
    I heard on WOR radio on a morning show in NYC a snippet about OWS that perhaps what’s wrong about nobody knowing what this is about is the messenger, in other words DFH.

  59. 59.

    cathyx

    @Maude: Yes, that’s my point. MSM, mostly Fox, but really all of the national media want to portray this as a fringe element who is protesting Wall Street, but all of us know that it’s really all of us who are showing up at the rallies. And they don’t know what the protesters want? Really? That’s because they are part of the 1% who are pretending to not know what we want and what we are protesting. Their jobs depend on acting dumb. But since the point of the protest is a topic that affects 99% of us, the fact that they play dumb won’t go very far or last very long.

  60. 60.

    Maude

    @cathyx:
    Perhaps if something doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker, the media doesn’t understand it.
    Part of the damage Reagan and Bush I and II did was to be so dumb that the press could coast along and not do much. They had a blast with the Clinton, Monica soap opera.
    The pundits are also so self superior.

  63. 63.

    Bago

    Everyone is pissed. I can’t go for more than a few minutes without hearing populist talking points. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’m only 32.

  64. 64.

    Triassic Sands

    OWS.

    I’ve never wanted to be in NYC as much as I do right now. Unfortunately, health problems make such a trip impossible (I’m on the West Coast and recently out of the hospital), but this is one of the most important protests of my lifetime, which includes Civil Rights and Vietnam.

    @Percysowner:

    WTF? Welcome to the Thugocracy.

    Close my account? It’s getting time to change my citizenship. I’d love to move across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and return to my previous homeland, before my stupid ancestors crossed the border into the US.

    We’re moving toward a mandatory nationwide general strike. Give the thugs millions of people to arrest. Maybe they can get funding for internment camps. Hell, I’ll bet Republicans would fund those without demanding cuts elsewhere in the budget. The timing would be important, since the GOP would want as many people as possible to be held so they couldn’t vote in next year’s election.

  66. 66.

    Triassic Sands

    @beltane:

    I looked at a couple of Berlin’s newspapers and didn’t see anything about fatalities. I don’t know how fast news like that would make it online in Berlin, but neither the NY Times nor the WaPo mention anything about protest deaths in Berlin.

  68. 68.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    @Quaker in a Basement: Yea, it was a couple of threads back. Lot’s of fun comments.

    “We are the 53%” Using Fake Images: Nigerian Dude Living in Spain Not Really a 53 Percenter”

    Obviously it was off topic.

  69. 69.

    Bago

    Granted, I’m all over the cities in places with wifi, which is a massive selection bias, as is living in Seattle, as told by the tourist comments, but it seems that anyone out today is willing to be out loud.

    http://t.co/NVqpeiR9 this on sounders night will be interesting.

  75. 75.

    suzanne

    I missed Occupy Phoenix because I can’t take a baby into 100-degree heat all afternoon, but my friends said it was pretty epic.

    Took my 7-year-old to get her Halloween costume. The store was selling a geisha costume. For ages 4-12.

    Baby took her first steps today.

  76. 76.

    Another Bob

    I don’t mean this as a rhetorical question, but where is the Democratic Party leadership? If they’ve given any public support to this movement, I’m not aware of it. If a tree falls in the forest and it didn’t hire a lobbyist to represent it, does it make a sound?

  78. 78.

    joeshabadoo

    I like how even the Wall Street Journal can’t keep it’s business practices under control. It’s the perfect time for Murdoch’s paper to have this crap revealed about it.

    It’s like everything that ever touches Wall Street is turned into a corrupt cesspool by some sort of screwed up Midas touch.

    I try to stomach the business rags sometimes and I just can’t do it. I made the mistake of reading another article at Forbes when they linked to Kaine’s post there. It was a mutlipage blowjob to an ex-facebook guy. He preceded to talk about how he was picked up for having coke and then spent the rest of the article describing exactly how a coke head acts. The only difference is he talked about his manic nature, long inexplicable absences, and ability to never fall asleep as if they made him the most amazing person in the world. I don’t know how anybody can stomach that shit outside of the actual people they deepthroat in each article.

  79. 79.

    Teejay

    @hilzoy: Pinch me is that you Hilzoy? Where ya been? Wow this is the 1st I ‘ve heard from you since 7/13/09! Hope all is well. You are missed.

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