Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

This fight is for everything.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

White supremacy is terrorism.

No one could have predicted…

The revolution will be supervised.

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

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Dolt 45 / Sunday Evening Open Thread: A Hundred Too Many Days

Sunday Evening Open Thread: A Hundred Too Many Days

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What’s on the agenda as we wrap up the weekend?

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90Comments

  4. 4.

    sharl

    I assume someone reported this in comments here already, but in case anyone missed it:

    Siobhan Fenton @SiobhanFenton
    Breaking- #CitizensAssembly has voted by 64% to legalise ‘abortion on request’ in Ireland. {image of voting result}
    ~ ~ ~
    Not going to lie lads, I am crying my eyes out. Irish women have waited so long for this. Huge day for the country

    No such luck for Northern Ireland. And in fact this isn’t law yet in the Irish Republic: their Constitution needs to be amended, then specific legislation crafted and passed, none of that being easy or straightforward. But they’ve obviously cleared a major first hurdle with this vote.

  5. 5.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Have been in total withdrawal, wondering how I’m going to dig myself out of the black hole of despair, then found out yesterday I’m going to be a grandmother for the first time. I’m alternately horrified at the world we’re handing over, and elated that there’s a new reason to keep fighting.

  6. 6.

    ThresherK

    If you don’t President too good, you shouldn’t President too much.

    –This is a paraphrase of a saying attributed to Ted Willians. I broke it out for George W. Bush multiple times. But it took him a number of months to fuck things up so thoroughly.

  8. 8.

    Mike in NC

    Has he announced yet which of those three trailer trash icons — Nugent, Palin, or ‘Kid Rock’ — will be special envoy to the Vatican?

  13. 13.

    The Dangerman

    100 days without an indictment or an impeachment is more than I would have guessed 100 days ago.

    You can already basically see where this is going to go; it’s gonna be 4 years of nothing. No repeal of the ACA. No tax reform. No wall. No nothing. Maybe a few bombs lobbed here and there just to wag the puppies tail; else, nothing.

    Trump will go golfing a lot, tweet a lot about all he’s “accomplished”, and, basically, keep the chair warm for 46. He’ll get primaried and might not come out at the top of the ticket. Assuming he runs, of course.

  14. 14.

    sharl

    On the topic of the OP, it appears that Trump did make some European nationalist politicians too radioactive for voter acceptance – Wilders in Netherlands, (probably/hopefully) Le Pen in France – so he should feel free to include that in his list of early accomplishments.

  15. 15.

    bemused senior

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne: welcome to the Nana club! As the grandmother of 18 months old grand-twins, I can assure you that it’s a huge mood enhancer. Mine live with us. Every morning, I hear “Nana!” as they come up the stairs.

  17. 17.

    ruemara

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne: CONGRATULATIONS! Being a grandmother trumps… Trump. We’ll kick his ass out in time.

    I’m wrapping up the cooking chores for the week and prepping for work and my business trip to Philly. At some point I have to figure out my habitacion for Comic-Con and how do I get there. All the hostels are full up already. bonkers. Plus I should write some and contemplate doing the next round of filming projects and resolve to figure out what I’m doing with my life already.

  18. 18.

    Brachiator

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    Have been in total withdrawal, wondering how I’m going to dig myself out of the black hole of despair, then found out yesterday I’m going to be a grandmother for the first time. I’m alternately horrified at the world we’re handing over, and elated that there’s a new reason to keep fighting.

    Congratulations. I’m told that one of the benefits of being a grandparent is that you can simply love and spoil the grandkids without the responsibility of having to raise them.

  21. 21.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    I’m thinking of visiting St. Ronnie’s library in Simi this week, they don’t have the extra exhibits(Treasures of the Vatican, etc) so the price is the same as Tricky Dick’s place.

    In other news, the kid posted her first pic of herself post surgery on the Book of Faces; I think she’s more of a wide eye than me now.

  22. 22.

    Thoughtful David

    @The Dangerman:
    No, it’s going to be four years of chaos, whether or not an impeachment comes down. The reason? There are a lot of people (ahem, Russia, China, North Korea, their allies) who are really enjoying the show and the weakening of the US. They’ve got stuff on Trump and the Trumpanzees, and if the chaos ever starts to die down, they’ll leak a little bit more to stir it up. They don’t want us to recover.

  24. 24.

    HeleninEire

    @sharl: Don’t get all excited. They voted to vote on it. It will pass, (probably)but not because of this vote. The question here Ireland is “Who has more rights? The mother or the Foetus?” Ireland has said in the past that they both have the same rights.

    The question now is “Shall we repeal the 8th [amendment to the Irish constitution] or should we amend it? Big difference.

  25. 25.

    The Dangerman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    …visiting St. Ronnie’s library in Simi this week…

    I recall the Library being fairly interesting (visited prior to AF1 parking next door) and I was no fan of Reagan. It was, however, historical times.

    Wonder which Trump Buildingt or Trump Golf Course his Library will be….

  26. 26.

    Joyce Harmon

    I haven’t seen this mentioned in any of the discussion of the Trump Purple Heart thing, but I just saw a brief clip on CNN without audio, and what really leaped out at me was the fact that Trump pinned the medal on the guy’s collar. That’s…. not right, is it?

  28. 28.

    debbie

    The second segment of 60 Minutes is an interview of the judge Trump disparaged during the campaign.

  30. 30.

    ThresherK

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: I just want to know when those three are gonna pick up their Cuck Cards(TM) for letting the pussies in the Secret Service take away their gunz.

    (I didn’t go to 4Chan to quote this. But I’m sure it’s there someplace.)

  31. 31.

    Millard Filmore

    @The Dangerman:

    Trump will go golfing a lot, tweet a lot about all he’s “accomplished”, and, basically, keep the chair warm for 46.

    If he can do that without crashing the world economy, we will have dodged a bullet that came way too close. The world will not stand still while we dither. We will have lost our spot at the top of the food chain and short of winning another horrifying world war we will not get it back. He will still do vast damage to our country and culture that will take generations to fix.

  32. 32.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    I don’t know whether to say Congratulations, or Condolences. On the whole, I’m going with the optimistic, keep-fighting choice. Congratulations to you and the prospective parents! That is happy news!

  33. 33.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @The Dangerman: The character of the libraries change after the President and former First Lady pass, I know the Nixon Library changed quite a bit. I really enjoyed the Nixon Library.

    The AF-1 exhibit should be interesting(Nixon’s library had the Marine/Army-1 that he left the White House on), but you’re not allowed to take pics inside the plane.

  34. 34.

    debbie

    @JPL:

    My FB feed this morning had two different charts of Trump’s Contract with America. Ten goals/promises, ten strikeout failures.

  36. 36.

    The Dangerman

    @Millard Filmore:

    We will have lost our spot at the top of the food chain and short of winning another horrifying world war we will not get it back.

    This isn’t entirely bad; a little humility will go a long way in solving some problems. The concept of American Exceptionalism, at least in terms of the dick measuring contests, is so ridiculous.

  37. 37.

    Brachiator

    You can already basically see where this is going to go; it’s gonna be 4 years of nothing. No repeal of the ACA. No tax reform. No wall. No nothing. Maybe a few bombs lobbed here and there just to wag the puppies tail; else, nothing.

    I don’t know if any previous president was as much as an empty suit as trump. But American History Magazine recently wrote about a lower level politician who has some Trumpian attributes.

    W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel was a radio showman who decided to run for governor of Texas in 1938. A few tidbits:

    Pappy got rich. He invested in real estate and got richer. On WBAP, he played the good ol’ boy. Off the air, he hobnobbed with fellow moguls—oil barons and ranchers. In 1938, rich pals suggested a new marketing scheme for Pappy: Why don’t you run for governor? …

    Smart types scoffed. Politicians and reporters rolled their eyes and reminded each other that O’Daniel had no political experience and no knowledge of the issues—and didn’t seem to care. He was an entertainer, a showman.

    Smart types scoffed. Politicians and reporters said Pappy’s crowds came for the circus. But battered Texans yearned for something new. In the Democratic primary, against 11 rivals, Pappy got 51 percent, taking the nomination in a state where Republicans didn’t count

    Pappy was a disaster as governor, despite his popularity.

    He soon was broadcasting his show from the governor’s mansion. He found the Hillbilly Boys [his kids] state jobs, making one a colonel in the Texas National Guard. He blasted legislators for defeating his pension plan because he refused to raise taxes to pay for it. He backed an amendment to the Texas Constitution forever limiting taxes on oil and gas. That measure, too, failed to pass.

    “Almost totally ignorant of the mechanics of government, O’Daniel proved unwilling to make even a pretense of learning, passing off the most serious problems with a quip,” wrote historian Robert Caro. “He offered few significant programs in any area, preferring to submit legislation that he knew could not possibly pass and then blame the legislature for not passing it.”

    Despite all this, Pappy easily won re-election as governor. But he got bored and decided run for the Senate in 1941. He eked out a victory against a number of rivals, including a rookie named Lyndon Johnson.

    Pappy railed against the New Deal and shouted for white supremacy. He won re-election to the Senate and finally retired in 1949, founding an insurance company. He tried to run for governor again later, but the times had finally passed him by.

    Where could Trump go after the presidency? He hates the UN, so that’s out. Is the world ready for Pope Donald?

  38. 38.

    sharl

    @HeleninEire: Yup, I gathered from twitter-chatter that there remains a long and difficult path. But witnessing the happiness of someone far more familiar with the situation than me told me that it was at least something – a necessary first step, I gather, which hasn’t happened before now.

    I’m usually a glass-half-empty kind of guy, but I’m gonna break character here and be happy for Irish optimists.*

    *Is Irish optimist an oxymoron? {/stereotype theatre}

  40. 40.

    ThresherK

    NHL playoffs: Washington at Toronto. After a good rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, the same singer went through two lines of O Canada, and the crowd basically took over, and she went silent, holding the mic out to them, and only came back in with the last line.

    Part of me wants Toronto to win solely for that performance.

    Another part of me knows that the Leafs haven’t won since I could walk.

  42. 42.

    Another Scott

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne: Congratulations!

    It’s hard, but we have to fight them. We can’t give up – we have to fight them every single day. Our parents and grand parents didn’t build this country for us to give it up to Trump and his monsters. We have to do what we can to make the world better.

    Hang in there!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  43. 43.

    efgoldman

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    found out yesterday I’m going to be a grandmother for the first time.

    Four years ago this past winter we found out we were going to be grandparents. I cried.
    It is everything I wanted/expected it to be, and more. She’s so much like her mother, yet so different.
    The only thing wrong, of course, is that they’re in NoVa/DC and we’re in New England. But tech allows us to do a video call every week.

    As it happens, mrs efg reminded me that the first thing I said when I had my stroke in 2009 was “I want to live to be a grandfather.”

    Mazeltov. Wish your daughter (? right?) an easy pregnancy and delivery.

  44. 44.

    Brachiator

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    I’m thinking of visiting St. Ronnie’s library in Simi this week, they don’t have the extra exhibits(Treasures of the Vatican, etc) so the price is the same as Tricky Dick’s place.

    Have you seen the exhibit devoted to SF author Octavia Butler at the Huntington Library?

    It is small, but the items selected are very well chosen.

    A new exhibition opening this spring examines the life and work of celebrated author Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006), the first science fiction writer to receive a prestigious MacArthur “genius” award and the first African American woman to win widespread recognition writing in that genre. Butler’s literary archive resides at The Huntington.

    “She was a pioneer, a master storyteller who brought her voice—the voice of a woman of color—to science fiction,” said Natalie Russell, assistant curator of literary manuscripts at The Huntington and curator of the exhibition. “Tired of stories featuring white, male heroes, she developed an alternative narrative from a very personal point of view.”

    Butler, a Pasadena, Calif., native, told the New York Times in a 2000 interview: “When I began writing science fiction, when I began reading, heck, I wasn’t in any of this stuff I read. The only black people you found were occasional characters or characters who were so feeble-witted that they couldn’t manage anything, anyway. I wrote myself in, since I’m me and I’m here and I’m writing.”

    And the gardens at the Huntington are particularly beautiful this time of year.

  45. 45.

    efgoldman

    @Mike in NC:

    Has he announced yet which of those three trailer trash icons — Nugent, Palin, or ‘Kid Rock’ — will be special envoy to the Vatican?

    Better ask Katie

  47. 47.

    Baud

    Nothing is certain, but I predicted this

    Between the lines: By refusing to demand funding for the bricks-and-mortar “wall,” Reince tipped his hand. Trump can’t stomach a shutdown on his watch, so he’ll likely take a “win” on some form of funding for border security, even if it’s not specifically for building the wall.

  48. 48.

    Eljai

    @HeleninEire: @sharl, Still encouraging, though. Between that and the pushback that the DNC and BS got for supporting a candidate with an anti-choice record in that mayoral race in Nebraska, well, maybe women and thoughtful men have finally had enough with the patriarchal bullsh*t.

  52. 52.

    The Fast Kate Middleton

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne: Such wonderful news! You’re going to love being a grammy – and yes, I worry constantly about the “what kind of world are they facing?” question. Especially with a special needs baby (autism). I try to tell myself they’re going to make i OK.

  53. 53.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @efgoldman: It’s a few miles from where I grew up, figure I could swing by the ol’ homestead while I’m out that way. I’ve not been back to my old hometown in almost 30 years(it’s only about 35 miles from here). There’s a museum there that I’ve not been to in 40 years and I’d like to see how it looks now.

  58. 58.

    efgoldman

    @ThresherK:

    After a good rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, the same singer went through two lines of O Canada

    I have taken to leaving ::mute:: on until the game actually starts.
    In Boston today, Rene Rancourt “sang” both anthems. He’s about 120 years old; I swear they put boards inside his moth-eaten tux to keep him upright; he’s got what used to be vibrato, now is a tremble of about a step and a half. What an embarrassment in a city with five major music schools.
    Oh. yeah. da’ Broons lost. In overtime. Again. Season over.

  62. 62.

    Brachiator

    What’s on the agenda as we wrap up the weekend?

    I saw Fate of the Furious this weekend. It had quite a few enjoyable surprises, although at this point it is more Ridiculous than Furious.

    The franchise is becoming like the Bond series with the amped up action and travel to exotic settings. I liked the scenes set in Cuba, and also how they connected these scenes to the car culture celebrated in the “Fast and Furious” films. And some of the later scenes were apparently shot in Iceland (substituting for Russia, I think).

    I also liked how the movie expanded the back story of the Jason Statham character.

    But the story is ludicrous even if you want to just sit back and enjoy the ride. And the biggest problem is that the movie is too long and the direction by F Gary Gray is at best pedestrian. There are some action scenes that should have been outstanding, especially since they blended CGI and practical effects very well. But the composition and editing was so flat that that these scenes lacked sizzle. Some of the fight scenes are poorly staged and there’s too much cranking up of the camera to hide the problems in the fight choreography.

    On the other hand, there is unexpected, but deliberate, humor along the way, and The Rock and Jason Statham have some of the best scenes in the film. You can see why there are hints that Universal may spin off these two into their own set of adventures. Kurt Russell is having fun. Scott Eastwood is present, but has a ways to go before he is worth the price of a movie ticket.

    All in all, fun, some surprises, and a few missed opportunities. But with $900 million in the bank, it’s no surprise that they have given the OK for Fast 9 and Fast 10. It’s the Vin Diesel Retirement Plan.

  63. 63.

    greennotGreen

    First, congratulations to the Conster, grandmother-to-be. I have no idea what it’s like to be a grandparent, but if it’s anything like being an aunt to the children of a sister to whom one is very close, it’s pretty awesome. And secondly, congratulations to anyone who has enough optimism to bring a child into the world. We need that vision to keep up the fight. I guess I should say you need that vision to keep up the fight since I’ll be going AWOL on everyone.

    And on that subject, no Go Fund Me page! My brother-in-law, of all people, told my sister that since my pets are my passion and making sure they have good homes is so important to me, I should be able to spend up to my half of the estate that I would have inherited had I outlived my mother on taking care of them if I wanted to. (Not that I would ever spend that much.) So my sister said, let’s just write a check. But thanks to the wonderful BJ community for your proffered help. You guys are so great in so many ways!

  66. 66.

    satby

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne: Congratulations to you and the happy parents-to-be! A door closes, a window opens, and life goes on.

    I think we all worry about how the young’uns to come will do in the future; the same way our grandparents probably worried hearing that we were on the way after the world war they had just finished. In spite of all the setbacks, it’s a better world today. The arc is still bending toward justice as long as we keep the pressure on.

  68. 68.

    satby

    @greennotGreen: I’m so happy that the family is pulling together for you! I was haunting the threads waiting to see a link. This must be an immense relief for you that your beloved feather babies will be safely homed and lovingly cared for. Thank you for letting us know, and thank you for being a member of our pack.The honor has been ours.

  69. 69.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @greennotGreen:

    That is a great outcome, and I’m glad you won’t have to worry about your parrots. I know you have a great deal on your mind right now, to put it mildly, but if there is any chance you or your sister or someone could put up a picture of your birds, I for one would love to see them, with names and identifiers. ONLY IF IT’S NOT A PROBLEM, THOUGH.

    And for some reason, I had always assumed you were male, so your mention of being an aunt took me by surprise ?

    I continue to hold you in my heart and mind.

  72. 72.

    Mnemosyne

    Having a post-Festival of Books burger down by USC. This place is definitely gentrified up — the spoiled children even have their own cupcake ATM on campus.

    It turned out that our RWA (Romance Writers of America) booth was in a terrific location right next to the main stage, so we were able to get a lot of people to wander in. I couldn’t hear very well, but Cheech Marin and Steve Jones (from the Sex Pistols) were both interviewed while I was there.

  74. 74.

    Ohio Mom

    @greennotGreen: Very relieved to hear the birds will be taken care of!

    I imagine your sister will grow to appreciate how fortunate all of you are to have found a good home for the birds. She will look back and be proud of herself for giving you this bit of serenity.

    I hope the rest of your time here is everything you need and want it to be.

  75. 75.

    Mnemosyne

    @greennotGreen:

    Phew! I didn’t get a chance to say it this morning, but I was wondering if maybe your sister was in denial about your diagnosis. I had a sibling die of cancer two years ago, so I may know how she feels.

    I hope you are able to get all of your business settled and have peace for your final days. You will be missed here.

  78. 78.

    Gelfling 545

    @SiubhanDuinne: what they taught and what he chose to learn are not necessarily the same. I suspect his narcissism was a barrier to learning and the school was just to keep him out from underfoot at home.

  79. 79.

    Ohio Mom

    @The Fast Kate Middleton: You have company here, a number of us have family members on the autism spectrum. Mine is nineteen and at the moment, has successfully ended his evening without touching his homework…grrrr.

  81. 81.

    MomSense

    @greennotGreen:

    That is the best news that your sister and BIL will support your feather babies. I was hoping for that outcome. Maybe your sister was just processing her grief, anger, and vulnerability earlier. Now you will have certainty that the birds will be well cared for.

    Thank you for letting us know. I hope you can get some good rest tonight and maybe we’ll see you tomorrow. Hugs, gnG.

  82. 82.

    sharl

    @Ohio Mom: Looks like someone sprung you free. We’re seeing FYWP problems on the next post’s comments too. Probably something for Alain to look at.

  83. 83.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Baud: @JPL: @bemused senior: @?BillinGlendaleCA: @ruemara: @Lahke:

    @rikyrah:

    Congratulations on the new grandbaby!

    thanks – right now I guess it’s a grandfetus. It’s really early and anything can happen, which is why I’m not supposed to say anything to anyone until she does IRL but it’s too hard not to, so here is where I get to share the news. They really want this to happen, so fingers crossed, everybody.

    @efgoldman:

    I remember your joy. Thanks for the Mazel Tov, comrade. My daughter’s in Medford, teaches in Ashland, her husband teaches in Chelsea, so they’re not going anywhere.

  84. 84.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    AL – can you get me out of moderation for trying to thank everybody at once?

  85. 85.

    Ohio Mom

    @sharl: One comment posted just fine, the next one is still in moderation, even as I type this.

    There are definitely gremlins at work on FYWP tonight. Let’s see if this comment makes it.

  86. 86.

    Another Scott

    @Brachiator: I was cycling through channels this evening, not finding anything worth watching. “Furious 6” was on and I watched a couple of minutes. Duane was huge – comic-book huge. Some of the dialog was not even comic book worthy (“She has 545 ponies and …”). Even the car chase scenes I saw were comical: It was plain that they were going maybe 30 MPH and were just using camera tricks and zoom zoom noises to make it seem like they were going a zillion miles an hour. Woman gets out of her British sports car, shoots Vin (?) in the shoulder, he falls back a little as if he got poked with a finger, she flinches as if she’s still got feelings for him, and then she drives off.

    That’s my first exposure to the series. I don’t think I’ve missed anything. ;-)

    To each their own!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  88. 88.

    joel hanes

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I’m trying to figure out what the fuck they taught him in that “military” “school” he was sent to.

    How to mistake authoritarian bullying for leadership.

    The importance of dressing immaculately every day.

    The crucial importance of clean waxed and buffed terazzo floors.

    Military = marching in formation

    You don’t have to know anything or be good at anything if you’re the top dog: it is sufficient to bark.

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