NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – March 10, 2016 – Republican frontrunner Donald Trump issued a clarification on a controversial statement he made during an interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper yesterday. When asked by Cooper if he thought Islam was at war with the West, Trump replied, “I think Islam hates us,” which sparked a significant outcry.
Today, Trump clarified that the “Islam” he was referring to was not the religion with more than a billion adherents (including more than three million in the U.S.) but rather singer-songwriter Yusef Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens. Mr. Stevens had a string of hits in the 1970s, including “Peace Train” and “Moonshadow.”
“C’mon,” Trump exclaimed when confronted with a barrage of media questions. “I didn’t mean the whole religion, obviously! That would be crazy. But that Yusef guy, he has a tremendous hatred for America. He doesn’t even live here.”
Trump’s clarification came too late to save Florida Governor Rick Scott, a prominent Trump supporter, from embarrassment when he was asked to defend Trump’s “Islam hates us” statement on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program today.
Apparently suffering the same programming glitch as Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Scott awkwardly tried to deflect questions about whether or not Muslims hate America by repeating lines about unrelated events in Florida.
CDC scientists, alarmed by the similarities between the televised Rubio and Scott repetition meltdowns, immediately began research to rule out a connection with the Zika virus. But when a healthcare worker approached Scott to attempt to draw blood, the governor morphed into a reptile-like alien life form and returned to his home planet. It is unclear if he will attend tonight’s GOP debate as previously planned.
ETA: Satire is dead. But please note this post is one of its deceased molecules.
Snarkworth, short-fingered Bulgarian
There’s a GOP debate tonight? Saints preserve us.
The Golux
So I guess when Drumpf goes down to his inevitable defeat, he’ll start writing for the Onion.
The Moar You Know
I’d buy that argument if Yusef had been a Muslim while writing those fucking horrible songs of his. But no. Nice try, Stumpy Drumpf.
Seriously, can’t stand that guy, and if you want some misogyny with misogyny piled on top, read the lyrics to “Wild World”.
Iowa Old Lady
The Cat Stevens stuff is snark, right? It’s so hard to tell with Trump. That QVC channel victory speech already strained my credibility enough for one week.
Disgruntled former Baud supporter
@Iowa Old Lady: Parody is dead.
Amir Khalid
Bullshit, Mister Trump. I don’t believe Yusuf Islam hates anybody.
WereBear
@The Moar You Know: I agree. And seemingly picked his new religion out of a hat; after a near drowning got him all “spiritual” he choose a religion he knew so little about… He didn’t know it forbade instruments and, according to some sources, singing.
rikyrah
Uh huh
Uh huh
But, we’re supposed to trust Hillary on financial domestic policy.
Ok. …sure……
……………………
U.S. hedge fund managers pour money into 2016 race and Trump is a factor
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Major U.S. hedge fund managers are on pace this year to more than double the amount they gave in the 2012 election campaign, with independent fundraising groups backing Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and Republican rival Ted Cruz receiving the most so far.
About $47 million has been lavished on presidential candidates and lawmakers and the political action committees that support them by two dozen of the industry’s top managers in the first 13 months of this election season, according to a Reuters review of Federal Election Commission filings.
Most of the hedge fund support going to Cruz and Clinton has come from a handful of people out of the two dozen managers studied.
eemom
Don’t think I can take it much longer. The keys that spell “you can’t make this shit up” on my laptop are worn down to tiny nubs.
NotMax
“Peace Train” just oozes hate.
And arbeit macht frei.
jl
I’ve read and seen in interviews, that a lot of Trump supporters don’t particularly care what he means exactly, don’t believe he means or will do what he says. They just like the impression he gives of strength and resolve.
I remember one person exclaiming, like it was an obvious slam dunk rational argument for Trump: “Look, he has Make America Great Again, printed ON HIS HAT!!”
So, those are the dumb ones. Then there are the evil authoritarian and racist ones. And then I guess there are the dumb and evil ones.
Trump knows about his dumb fans, and he plays the game they want to hear. Those poor souls are the next marks in this most recent Trump con. But this con is far more dangerous than the other.
WaterGirl
@The Moar You Know: Hey, I grew up loving Cat Stevens! And I have no problem with him becoming Muslim, though I have no idea if he actually hates America. But I doubt it.
Can’t decide whether I am willing to read the lyrics to Wild World. Some illusions just don’t want to be shattered. I can barely stand to watch some of the right-wing actors I used to like.
Amir Khalid
@WereBear:
Where do you get this nonsense? It doesn’t. There are plenty of Muslim musicians, and many of them even compose and perform religious music.
redshirt
Wait, this is real? Not a satire?
eemom
Aw c’mon y’all — don’t be dissing on Cat. He wrote some beautiful stuff. And I agree with Amir/Yusuf — he wouldn’t hate a fly.
‘Sides, he’s half Greek.
eta: I don’t think Wild World is misogynistic at all. Somewhat sexist, MAYBE — but even so, those are not the same thing.
NotMax
Happen to catch his statement that “The Elvis impersonators love me” the other day?
Iowa Old Lady
@redshirt: That was my question. I’m pretty sure it’s snark, but who knows?
Benw
The most outlandish thing in this post is the idea of Trump ‘clarifying’ anything.
Luthe
@redshirt: If you read all the way down to the bottom, there’s a reference to Rick Scott turning into a lizard person. While I don’t doubt Rick Scott is some form of reptile, I don’t think he’d be caught transforming in public.
Also, there’s no link to Trump’s “clarification” so…
WaterGirl
@WereBear: That’s heartbreaking.
Edit:
@Amir Khalid: That seemed kind of odd, glad to know it’s not true! Nonsense seems a bit harsh toward WereBear, though I imagine people being constantly wrong abut your religion might make a person touchy.
Peale
You know you’re requesting a classy data set when the registration options includes “Sir” and “Baroness” and other titles in addition to Mr. Mrs. Ms. and Dr.
jl
@Benw: Good point. Trump seems to have problems explaining anything more complicated that shrink wrapped steaks, hotel lobby magazines, and huge classy fake gold leaf signs on large buildings.
LAO
Satire may be dead, but I still laughed.
eemom
@WaterGirl:
The song is about a guy whose girlfriend has dumped him, and he says he’s worried that bad things might happen to her out in the “Wild World”. That’s all. Condescending at worst …..but hell, he’s the dump-ee.
Betty Cracker
Post updated to identify it as satire. Now I desperately require a martini.
Felonius Monk
@Betty Cracker:
Shaken, not stirred?
eemom
@Amir Khalid:
From assuming that Muslim=ISIS or Taliban, perhaps?
But no, surely it couldn’t be that. Not right here on this progressive blog.
Amir Khalid
@Luthe:
I am completely prepared to believe that Rick Scott would not balk at transforming into a reptile in public. If there’s one thing the Republican party’s 2016 presidential campaign has taught us, it’s that the worst you can bring yourself to believe about its politicians is but a pale shadow of the truth.
Chyron HR
Cat Stevens is pretty good; I really like Cat’s In The Cradle and the one about the taxi driver.
WaterGirl
@ Betty Cracker ETA:
With how crazy things have gotten, how’s a person supposed to apply a standard measure of “that’s too crazy to be true, this must be satire”?
Mike in NC
We have good friends in Florida and can barely imagine what the klown kar is bringing them 24/7 these days.
eemom
@eemom:
Sorry Amir! I meant to say I agreed with you that Cat/Yusuf wouldn’t hurt a fly.
I’ll shut up now.
WereBear
@Amir Khalid: It was that he picked a small Muslim offshoot.
Not that all Muslims are under such strictures! Sorry.
It’s like in Christianity, there’s people who are snake handlers, and then there’s all the other Christians.
eemom
@Chyron HR:
Those are Harry Chapin.
Amir Khalid
@Peale:
Did you know that Jamie Lee Curtis is a Baroness? Christopher Guest is a real live English Baron, the 13th Baron Hayden-Guest.
Chyron HR
@eemom:
The “Fire and Rain” guy? Huh, go figure.
Benw
@Betty Cracker: lizard-alien Rick Scott didn’t do the trick, huh?
Gin & Tonic
@Felonius Monk: Ian Fleming notwithstanding, shaking a Martini is an abomination.
geg6
After his QVC speech the other night, satire died. How do you satirize this shit? It’s pre-satirized. By the subject of the satire. No, I have no idea how we arrived at this pass. I would totally believe that Rick Scott is a lizard person. He looks like one.
trollhattan
@Chyron HR:
You done broke my snark meter needle!
quakerinabasement
Satire or real? It was up for grabs until I got to the Zika virus.
A Ghost To Most
@Amir Khalid:
Whenever I see a group of GOoPers on TV now,my mind automatically renders them as characters from Ralph Steadman’s Lizard Lounge.
Rick Scott requires no translation.
SiubhanDuinne
@Amir Khalid:
Yes, I remember watching the State Opening of Parliament a few years ago, and there she was, wearing a long dress at 11:00 a.m. and seated with all the other peeresses.
eemom
@Chyron HR:
No, that’s Jim Croce. : )
WereBear
Since I cannot edit:
Cat Stevens supposedly converted to a small segment of Islam that forbid the use of musical instruments. But then, maybe he made it up to cover his songwriter’s block.
He has made many bizarre statements, and I cannot find references now.
It was never meant as a statement about Islam OR Muslims in general.
Sorry about that.
dlm
@Chyron HR: Those were Harry Chapin songs.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@eemom: pretty sure that was Gordon Lightfoot
Mnemosyne
@Amir Khalid:
There are fairly mainstream Christian sects that forbid dancing — Baptists, I’m looking at you. IIRC, Stevens converted to one of the Wahhabist sects, which wouldn’t be my first choice if I were a musician.
The joke about Baptists is that they’re anti-sex because it might lead to dancing.
John Revolta
@eemom: Harry Chapin is a Muslim?
Oh, wait! “Taxi Driver”! Of course! It’s all so obvious……………….
WaterGirl
@Chyron HR:
That was a joke, right? Because that’s James Taylor, but I think you know that!You guys are cracking me up.
Mnemosyne
@Amir Khalid:
I’ve been brushing up in this stuff because of the novel I’m working on and technically I think Curtis may have a courtesy title. Great Britain has kind of a weird system where only the actual title holder is a peer and the rest of the family are legally commoners. Accepting an actual peerage title would mean that Curtis would lose her American citizenship.
(Guest is Canadian, so he wouldn’t have to worry about such things.)
scav
@A Ghost To Most: Funny, I’ve seen them as errant contestants on “Let’s Made A Deal!” for nearly 2 decades — the costumes! the inanity! the screaming! The focus on money and nothing but!
WereBear
@Mnemosyne: That was it! I knew it was a conservative type, and in the article I read, long ago, it was an even stricter subset of that.
In the article Stevens claimed he “found out later” about the rules it had about music… The whole thing was so strange it stuck in my head.
Though, apparently, imperfectly.
Felonius Monk
@Gin & Tonic: That’s been my feeling, too. One must not bruise the gin.
Brachiator
@Disgruntled former Baud supporter:
I remember the Monty Python Dead Parody skit.
This guy returns a dead parody to the store where he got it …
schrodinger's cat
@Amir Khalid: I love Qawwali music, also there are many renowned Muslim practitioners of Hindustani classical music, who regularly sing praises of both Allah and Krishna, some times in the same song!
Yaar Illahi
Ustad Rashid Khan singing Albela Saajan
schrodinger's cat
@Mnemosyne: Isn’t it the other way around, dancing may lead to sex?
Luthe
@Brachiator: Was it pining for the fjords? I didn’t know Norwegians were so humourous.
Mnemosyne
@schrodinger’s cat:
Nope, the joke is that they’re so strict about dancing that they forbid anything that might lead to it.
Ultraviolet Thunder
I’m sincerely hoping that we’ll look back on this election as the wacky outlier. I’m desperately worried that we’ll look back on it as the first step to some tragic new normal.
Brachiator
@Mnemosyne:
Guest was born in New York City to British parents.
He is the 5th Baron Haden-Guest .
We should all drink to that, or take the 5th
MattF
There should be a pair of matched posting categories: THIS IS SATIRE and THIS IS NOT SATIRE. You have to use at least one on every post– but you may use both, if necessary.
NotMax
@Mnemosyne
*cough* John Ashcroft *cough*
Was also going to mention Oral Roberts University, but they now offer a major in Dance Performance,.
Amir Khalid
@Mnemosyne:
It seems we both got some details wrong. Christopher Guest is actually the fifth (not the thirteenth) Baron Haden-Guest (not Hayden-Guest). It is indeed a hereditary title; his dad Peter, a Briton, was the fourth Baron. Guest was active in the House of Lords until 1999, when Tony Blair’s parliamentary reforms got him (and most other hereditary lords) kicked out.
Kathleen
@eemom: I think that’s James Taylor.
Betty Cracker
@Felonius Monk: Gin? Bah!
raven
redshirt
@Ultraviolet Thunder: Palin led to Trump, and thus your hope is already dashed.
Mnemosyne
@Brachiator:
Hmm. Well, now we may need to get a constitutional lawyer involved, because I thought American citizens aren’t supposed to accept titles of nobility. Or is that only for elected officials? And isn’t there some weirdness about Americans having dual citizenship with Great Britain?
ETA: Either way, I’m still right about Curtis — she is not herself a peer, they only call her “Baroness” to be polite. (Actually, they call her “Lady Hayden-Guest,” but anyway …
Amir Khalid
@Brachiator:
Per Wikipedia, Christopher Guest’s mother is American.
polyorchnid octopunch
@Mnemosyne: Yes he would. Peerage is illegal for Canadian citizens. That’s why Conrad Black is no longer a Canadian citizen; he renounced it to become Lord Black of Crossharbour.
Bill E Pilgrim
@Betty Cracker: Get high on the peace train.
SFAW
OK, so now I’m confused with all the taxi drivin’ stuff – were those songs wrote by Travis Bickle? Or Christopher Lloyd? Or Christopher Lloyd-Guest?
And if they’d stop playing those bloody bouzoukis in the parody shop, Mr. Wensleydale might be able to return the parody wot passed on (not pinin’).
And I call bullshit on the idea of Rick Scott morphing into a lizard and returning to his home planet — it’s intuitively obvious that he’d stick around, and kill/eat as many hoomans as possible.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’m glad somebody with a better memory than me is paying close attention
TeeVee lawyers would turn this into a million dollar verdict
Ultraviolet Thunder
@redshirt:
If you’re saying the former half-term governor accomplished something I’ll have to see a well reasoned argument before I accept that. All I’ve seen her do is grift and mostly stay out of any serious trouble.
raven
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: In Georgia we have what are called “terroristic threats”. Don’t know about North Carolina but it’s worth looking into.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Mnemosyne: I think that’s the old school Southern Baptists. I grew up as an American(northern) Baptist, we had no problem with dancing(even in the church).
Bill E Pilgrim
@redshirt: This isn’t satire, this is arguments. Satire is down the hall.
SFAW
@raven:
Holy fuck.
redshirt
@SFAW: Yeah but this thread goes to 11.
Gin & Tonic
@Betty Cracker: Well, excuuuuse me.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mnemosyne:
The (very slightly) racier version I learned is:
Q. Why don’t Baptists make love standing up?
A. People might see them and think they were dancing.
SFAW
@Bill E Pilgrim:
No it isn’t.
MattF
@Bill E Pilgrim: No it’s not.
ETA: SFAW beat me to it.
Mnemosyne
@polyorchnid octopunch:
That may be another weird area, though — legally, is inheriting a title different than being granted a brand-new title?
I’m assuming Guest had to become a British citizen in order to accept the title, assuming he didn’t already have dual citizenship.
Oh, and because their two kids are adopted, they don’t get to inherit — it goes to Guest’s younger brother instead.
Bill E Pilgrim
@SFAW: That’s not an argument.
You call this a court?
SFAW
@BillinGlendaleCA:
As Emo would say: “Die, Heretic!”
redshirt
@Ultraviolet Thunder: Her candidacy as potential VP legitimized Trump’s candidacy for Prez, eventually allowing all reality TV stars to run. I’d vote for Jeff Probst. Not the Jersey Shore people though.
Maybe Reagan started it all though now that I think it through. But he seemed like an aberration until Palin.
Mnemosyne
@BillinGlendaleCA:
I dunno, I was raised Catholic, so I don’t know what you crazy Protestants get up to. We can do whatever we want as long as we tell a priest all the juicy details afterwards.
;-)
SFAW
@Bill E Pilgrim:
Right! Well, I’m moving to Australia. Cat o’ nine tails etc.
Amir Khalid
@Mnemosyne:
It’s no weirder than an American having dual citizenship in, say, Canada.
Patricia Kayden
Hilarious post, Ms. Cracker. SNL needs your writing skills.
P.S. It’s a shame when a prominent Governor cannot say that Trump was wrong to demonize all Muslims. Skeletor should be ashamed of himself.
debbie
@WaterGirl:
He said some pretty hateful things back when he converted in the 1970s, but in a Fresh Air interview from a couple years ago, he seemed pretty regretful of his words. I guess not everyone in their 20s can be as disciplined as his critics.
raven
@SFAW: My exes dad was an American Baptist minister. Really great guy.
Cermet
@raven: That creep is beyond scary, twisted and sick -a complete stupid racist ass wipe through and through. After reading that I know far too many amerikans are truly despicable, ignorant low life’s that shame all this country should hold as moral.
SFAW
@Mnemosyne:
“It’s dark in here.”
“Don’t start that shit again!”
John Revolta
@SFAW: They have to go back every seven years to mate, I think.
eemom
@WaterGirl:
btw, Jon Voigt endorsed Trump. He’s long been off the batshit end, though, so no surprise.
I watched Midnight Cowboy again recently. WTF happened to him??
Ultraviolet Thunder
@redshirt:
You may be right but I’m still telling myself this election is the wacky outlier and not the first toe on the greased slide leading to President Camacho.
SFAW
@Amir Khalid:
“Bienvenido en Canada”?
Benw
@Mnemosyne: jeez, this hereditary inheritance stuff is confusing. I’m glad my ancestors watered the Statue of Liberty with the blood of their sweat and tears so that we have freedom here in America! No copulation without representation!
Mnemosyne
@Amir Khalid:
Ha! G had a friend who was desperately maintaining her British citizenship even though she’d lived here since she was a child, and there was some requirement that she own property in Great Britain. It counted that her mother still owned property there, but apparently there was some kind of scramble after her mother died to keep that property in the friend’s name so she wouldn’t lose that citizenship. This is all by memory, so I’m sure there’s some detail wrong in there somewhere.
BillinGlendaleCA
The Daily Show did a segment about Trump’s post election “Press Conference”, refuting his claims about the steaks(haven’t been sold since 2008), wine(the website says Trump has no ownership interest), magazine(it’s a sales magazine), and water(just a label slapped on a bottle regular old water).
gogol's wife
@Mnemosyne:
I put this in the thread below, but maybe you didn’t see it — interview with LMM and Questlove in Vanity Fair.
Bill E Pilgrim
@Mnemosyne:
Nope. I’ve got dual, not with UK but nearby, and the US.
When I first got it, on the US side they said well, it’s a “grey area”, just use the appropriate one when you enter each country (EU or US) but that was decades ago, and over the years it changed to officially okey dokey, was some sort of announcement.
BillinGlendaleCA
@SFAW: Worked for Raphael Edwardo.
Felonius Monk
@Betty Cracker:
Excuse me, I didn’t realize you were a vodka woman. :-)
Amir Khalid
@eemom:
Midnight Cowboy was, like, nearly fifty years ago. Anno Domini happens to us all, except maybe Mick Jagger
debbie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Even the Secret Service has clarified that they will maintain security, but they will not throw anyone out.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Felonius Monk: Only Trump Vodka, it’s very Classy.
WereBear
@Amir Khalid: Also, a person can be very talented in one area, but sadly deficient in others.
I have a way with words, but cannot add numbers reliably. Something always goes wrong.
redshirt
@Ultraviolet Thunder: You know it’s inevitable. Just enjoy the ride.
BillinGlendaleCA
@debbie:
Thanks Obama!
BillinGlendaleCA
@redshirt: Could be worse, we could get President Baud.
Felonius Monk
@Cermet:
One unfortunate fact is that even if Trump goes down in flames, his supporters will still be here. Not a pleasant thought.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@eemom: I think it was TPM today that reported that there was some serious Concern in the Cruz campaign that Chuck Norris was going to endorse someone else. I guess when all those TV pawn shops guys have given their imprimatur, you look to guys who rode Stallone’s action movie coat tails in the eighties.
debbie
@gogol’s wife:
Wow, I had no idea that Lisa Robinson was still alive and kicking.
redshirt
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Which makes me wonder, somewhat, who Ted Nugent is supporting. Haven’t heard anything from him this cycle.
raven
@Felonius Monk: And they’ve always been there, fuck em.
Felonius Monk
@BillinGlendaleCA: Trump Vodka? Isn’t that just the rinse water from the potatoes in one of his restaurants? Phony, like everything else about him.
bluefoot
@Mnemosyne: This is true. My father gave up his title when he became an American. Later when my brother was approaching his majority, there was some discussion between the relevant authorities here and in the UK about his receiving an honorary title (since my father was the last of the line), but he decided it would be too much hassle.
WereBear
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Speaking of RWNJ actors, it gives me a sad. As a connoisseur of bad movies, some of his were treasures.
And he was convincing in the martial arts part.
SFAW
@WereBear:
For a second, I thought you were Paul Ryan. But then I realized that he WANTS his numbers to come out as fucked-up as they are.
JPL
OT.. CSPAN is airing the important State Dinner. You can stream it here.. link
Disgruntled former Baud supporter
@Brachiator: Parody is deceased, passed on, and gone to meet its maker…
Mnemosyne
@gogol’s wife:
I think I saw that in LMM’s Twitter feed, but I’ll have to track it down — thanks!
SFAW
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Y su padre, Raphael Bienvenido.
John W.
@Gin & Tonic: What, you float icubes in your Martini? That would be abomination.
Mnemosyne
@bluefoot:
I wonder if the rules are different if you already have dual citizenship before you inherit. Since there’s always someone who knows something on Balloon-Juice, I’m hoping a lawyer in the relevant area might stop by and enlighten us. Adam found the last survivor of the House of Stuart for me the other night, so I have faith that someone with actual knowledge will show up.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Disgruntled former Baud supporter: no its not. It’s pining for the fee-yords.
Aleta
@NotMax: There was that Elvis impersonator at his Vegas rally, shown in the single The Circus episode that’s free on Hulu. A minute later the camera showed a Trump impersonator. Likely they love him too.
Brachiator
@Disgruntled former Baud supporter:
Not simply stunned, then, eh?
Ryan
This post is filed under assholes. Good!
Mnemosyne
Note for future reference: never try to send anything of commercial value to Sweden. The first package I sent for work was inexplicably delayed by three days, and customs somehow misplaced the paperwork for the second package and I had to re-send it to FedEx. Yeesh.
Anya
@Mnemosyne: if I understand correctly, Yusuf Islam who converted first is not the same as the current Y Islam. He moderated his views a great deal after he learned a lot or was educated on Islam.
Doug R
@Mnemosyne: Noted canadian douche and media mogul Conrad black had to give up his canadian citizenship to become Lord black, ex jailbird.
scav
@Mnemosyne: Surrounded by this much delusion but passionate exposition about the meaning of natural born citizens and the Presidency, I doubt you really need to worry much, except in the perfected Zeus-eye view. The characters will believe what they damn well believe and surprise! it works to their advantage!
Aleta
@Brachiator: that’s funny
SiubhanDuinne
I see from one of my news alerts that the somnolent and be-drugged Ben Carson has endorsed Trump.
Palin, Christie, Sessions, Carson (and I’m sure others I’m forgetting). Such an impressive lineup of supporters.
daverave
Speaking of celebrity endorsements, it saddened me today, as a long-time NY Yankee fan, to learn that Paul O’Neill had thrown his support to Drumpf. Johnny Damon too but that’s somewhat understandable because he lasted so long on Celebrity Apprentice several years ago.
Feel free to dump on the Yankees now all of you haters.
Mnemosyne
@scav:
Believe me, I need to get shit like this right lest I induce a fit of potato rage in my readers (as defined by Smart Bitches, Trashy Books):
Use the wrong aristocratic title in a historical romance and people will never let you live that shit down.
rk
@WereBear:
Islamic countries have a rich cultural tradition of music and singing. Only strict Wahhabis and Taliban like fundamentalists place restrictions on it.
Mnemosyne
@Doug R:
I’m not the only one who suspects that Canada only invoked that rule so they could get rid of the guy, am I? Canadians are so much more sensible than we are.
redshirt
@daverave: Um, the Yankees suck?
scav
@Mnemosyne: Well, holster the truth for Zeus level and mention it there, but don’t let it get in the way of the plot. Remind the Gentle Readers than insanity, delusion and the self-interested madness of crowds is not uniquely an modern affliction.
ETA: Thanks for more vocab to go with scrapbooking.
Gin & Tonic
@Mnemosyne: Could be worse. You could post something here and omit the serial comma. You’d probably have to live in a cave for the rest of your life.
SFAW
@Brachiator:
Let’s check …
HELLO, PARODY!! HELLOOOOO! (shouting)
>Whack, whack sounds as parody is being slammed on the counter<
stinger
@Peale:
This land-locked Iowan always checks “Admiral” if it’s offered.
SiubhanDuinne
@JPL:
A friend of mine who works for the Canadian Embassy is incredibly chuffed that Justin Trudeau retweeted one of her tweets today (a nice photo of Sophie and Michelle)!
SFAW
@stinger:
… before you set sail for that submarine base in Kansas, no doubt.
JPL
@SiubhanDuinne: Nice.
Aleta
@SiubhanDuinne: They stunned him, just as he was waking up.
Calouste
@Mnemosyne: These days, since 1963, new titles are life peerages, i.e. not inheritable. The main exception is the royal family, and there have been a few more inheritable peerages created since 1963, but to people who didn’t have heirs.
Another trivia is that a lot of peers have multiple titles, and that the oldest son of a peer will use the next highest ranked title as his courtesy title, and his oldest son will use the third highest ranked. So for example, the Duke of Wellington has a son, who is the Marquess of Douro, and he has a son who is the Earl of Mornington. If the Earl of Mornington was to have a son before his grandfather died, that son would probably be called Viscount Wellesley
Eric S.
@Gin & Tonic: You’re correct. Martinis are made with gin. People just serve vodka drinks in the fancy glass.
I’m mostly joking but the one thing that gets my goat is when I order a martini (I specify my gin) and the bartender asks if I want it on the rocks. The Lady has had to lay a hand on my arm to calm me more than once.
stinger
@SFAW: Aye!
Aye!
Scott Alloway
Cat Stevens –
Miles from Nowhere. Listened often to that song in 1971.
redshirt
@Calouste: Fuck all royalty.
Betty Cracker
@daverave: Maybe Trump should buy the Yankees. And you thought Steinbrenner was an insufferable prick…
gogol's wife
@Mnemosyne:
The link is in my word “this” — it doesn’t show up very blue, though.
ETA: Sorry, in the word “interview.”
redshirt
@Betty Cracker: Ha! That would be perfect. He can’t afford it by himself though, but with dumb partners….
Mnemosyne
@Calouste:
Yes, and only the children of earls and higher get courtesy titles of “Lord” or “Lady” — lesser peers’ kids have to make do with getting to be “The Honourable” Miss or Mister.
Wikipedia claims that an earl’s daughters get to be “Lady Diana” while their brothers have to be “The Honourable Mr.,” but I may need to look that up.
Mandalay
While that is true, the far more notable aspect of the story is that he was repeatedly told to stop ducking the question, When he continued to waffle they threw him off the show and then ranted about Governor Scott being a gutless scumbag.
That’s exactly how politicians should be treated: answer the question or we’ll cut your mike and then we’ll tell the audience that you are a worthless piece of shit.
Fair Economist
@rikyrah:
You should dig into the details. 2/3 of the money Clinton got is from Soros. She only got 4 million from Wall Street in that report; only a small fraction of what Cruz got.
Mnemosyne
@Calouste:
Also, too, IIRC there’s a bit of family ranking even in an untitled family — only the oldest daughter gets to be plain “Miss.” So, in “Pride and Prejudice,” only Jane would be introduced as “Miss Bennett.” The rest would be “Miss Elizabeth Bennett,” “Miss Mary Bennett,” and on down the line.
redshirt
@Fair Economist: Soros is truly the source of evil in liberaldom.
Brachiator
@Gin & Tonic:
A serial comma killer?
jl
I guess this could be satire too, but apparently it is not. The infantilization of the GOP continues apace.
GOP hacks berate each other on TV over their chairs, and drag in some implied p * n * s jokes.
Ex-Jeb Aide Burns Trump Supporter: ‘You’re Sitting In A Booster Chair!’ (VIDEO)
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/tim-miller-andy-dean-cnn-trump
Mnemosyne
@Calouste:
Okay okay okay, last thing — this introduction from Wodehouse always cracks me up (as made by Bertie Wooster’s cousin Eustace):
“By the way, you’ve never met old Dog-Face, have you? Dog-Face, this is my cousin Bertie. Lord Rainsby — Mr. Wooster.”
(As Bertie’s Aunt Agatha informs us later in the same story, old Dog-Face is the Earl of Datchet’s son.)
Doug R
@SFAW: Admiral Kirk is from Iowa.
Eric S.
@daverave: With the notable exception of Dibble I think O’Neil was the biggest asshole on the 1990 Reds. No surprise on my part.
Origuy
@Mnemosyne:
No. The Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 says:
There was a proposed amendment that would strip citizenship from American who accepted a title, but that was never ratified.
ETA. The rules may be different if you are titled and want to become a naturalized citizen.
sherparick
@jl: Dumb or evil are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Given that this is the Tea Party, they should dress all their stormtroopers up in short britches and tricorn hats.
sherparick
@SFAW: Yes it is.
PurpleGirl
@Chyron HR: Cat’s in the Cradle was written by Harry Chapin. Cat Stevens covered it.
sherparick
@Mandalay: It would have been nice if they had kept him on the air until he completed is transformation back to his reptilian form and returned to Planet Mongo (a/k/a Florida.)
PurpleGirl
@daverave:
Feel free to dump on the Yankees now all of you haters.
In that case and in honor of Steve Gilliard — FTFY
ETA: I miss Steve and wonder how he would have reacted to President Obama or this year’s Republican field. Goddess, could that guy write.
J R in WV
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Mrs J grew up as an American Baptist. The schism between Southern Baptists and American Baptists derived from racial differences. IIRC the Am Baptists wouldn’t allow slave owners to go to Africa as missionaries – but it could have simpler, the Civil War etc.
But you are quite correct about the dancing, no prob with Am Baptists to dance. Southern Baptists aren’t allowed to do anything fun that might distract from worship, and hating people who think the So. Baptists are dicks.
Paul in KY
@NotMax: Don’t listen to ‘Bitterblue’!!!
Paul in KY
@Mnemosyne: Old Regular Baptists & Freewill Baptists both frown on dancing & one of them doesn’t even have musical instruments in church. All singing is done a capella.
Paul in KY
@Mnemosyne: I have a dual British citizenship & own no property in GB.
Edit: Think she was trying to keep her voting rights. One must ‘live’ in GB to be able to vote for Parliament, etc. Guess that was it.
Paul in KY
@daverave: Not surprising they are Repubs. Both are multi-millionaires.
Paul in KY
@Mnemosyne: Read a history book recently about 100 Years War & author writing about some 14th century dustup mentioned the peasants couldn’t plant their corn crops…
I said, sheesh.