Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If West Virginia and San Francisco had a love child.

The frogs are rarely mistaken.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Please don’t feed the bears.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

There’s always a light at the end of the frog.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Be a traveling stable for those who can’t find room at the inn.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

“That’s what the insurrection act is for!”

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

The choice is between normal and crazy.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

In my day, never was longer.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Thursday Afternoon Open Thread

Thursday Afternoon Open Thread

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Looks like we could use a place to chat while we wait for the toxic orange fart cloud to descend upon the Rose Garden, pluck a bloom and bestow it on one lucky bachelorette: the Earth or the Sun. Anyone taking bets on which lucky gal gets the rose?

I generally rely on the Asshole Principle to predict Velveeta Voldemort’s behavior: Of the available options, which is the most assholish? In this instance, that would clearly be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. In fact, it would set a new standard for assholery by disregarding the fate of humanity, with the added bonus pissing off 99% of the planet’s liberals. So it’s hard to see how the Tangerine Tyrant resists it.

On the other hand, as we’ve speculated in earlier threads, if Mango Mussolini is viewing this fateful decision as a crass branding exercise, he might opt to stay in, thus fluffing Ivanka’s thoroughly undeserved reputation as a “moderating” influence and reaping a thousand hosannas from the Beltway morons who are still awaiting the Great Pivot.

Anyhoo, we’ll see. Meantime, open thread!

Reader Interactions

193Comments

  1. 1.

    Corner Stone

    I find myself watching a lot of pot/weed/MJ related TV entertainment these days. The whole industry fascinates me.

  2. 2.

    hovercraft

    Re-posting from downstairs.
    Last week the spotlight jumped into the White House and the Orange Pustules family, it might be on the pustule it’s self now. Please.

    The FBI is investigating whether President Donald Trump had an undisclosed meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during a campaign event last year.

    Five current and former U.S. officials tell NBC News that “they are aware of classified intelligence suggesting there was some sort of private encounter between Trump and his aides and the Russian envoy” last April at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

    In addition to Trump, officials believe that the intelligence shows that then-Senator Jeff Sessions and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner were also at the meeting.

    The officials emphasized to NBC news that this new evidence does not yet “amount to proof” and have “declined to provide details about it.”

    Sessions had to recuse himself from the Russia investigation earlier this year when it was revealed that he failed to disclose two meetings with Kislyak during questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing to become attorney general earlier this year. CNN reported on Wednesday night that Sessions may have had a third undisclosed meeting with Kislyak at the Mayflower Hotel, although this report did not suggest that Trump himself was at the meeting

  3. 3.

    Chris

    Possibly controversial opinion incoming:

    I was alone at home last night and ended up watching an old Roger Moore film as an “in memoriam” thing. I had forgotten that Roger Moore not only had the best car of all the Bondverse (the Lotus), he also had the best car chase in all the movies (the one in the countryside with the dinky little Citroën 2CV, after the Lotus gets unceremoniously blown up).

    Are either of these opinions heresy for other movie fans? Discuss.

  5. 5.

    Shell

    toxic orange fart cloud

    Good God, Betty. I think the whole neighbourhood heard my snort of laughter over that one!

  8. 8.

    Yoda Dog

    Am I even allowed to smoke weed anymore? California people make me feel all old and dumb now, like Im not cool if Im not doing this wax(?) shit nowadays.. I dont even know what its called. Life used to be so simple…

  9. 9.

    Corner Stone

    @Chris: The chase scene in QoS wasn’t bad. But I don’t think I really recall any standout car chase scenes in the Bond oovray?
    However, the on foot chase at the beginning of Craig’s C@s!no Royale is about the best piece of action film making in the modern era, IMO.

  10. 10.

    enplaned

    I would like Hillary to be quiet. Not because she’s wrong, but because so long as she’s talking the stupid media will cover her, and suck oxygen away from emerging Democratic voices. And we need a strong new generation of Democratic leaders to emerge.

    HRC has already said she’s not a candidate for 2020. Fine, let’s hear from those who might be. But Hillary vs Trump is a chew toy for the media and they will not let it go so long as it keeps squeaking. Hillary as the anti-Trump is kinda useless relative to pumping up Democrats who can take on the GOP in 2018 and 2020. We need some new folks to step up and become the focus of anti-Trump politics in this country.

  11. 11.

    Gin & Tonic

    So over lunch I was reading The Economist, as is customary, and read a favorable review of a new book about “big data” called Everybody Lies. One of the facts discovered by the author is that the single best predictor of which areas would support Trump over his rivals in the Republican primaries was the prevalence of Google searches for the word “nigger.”

  13. 13.

    Roger Moore

    @Chris:

    the best car of all the Bondverse (the Lotus)

    Bite your tongue. I thought everyone agreed the DB5 was the best of all the Bond cars, which is why they kept bringing it back for cameos.

  15. 15.

    Corner Stone

    @enplaned: I would like you to be quiet. Mainly because you’re wrong but also because you’re stupid. And you smell funny, also too.

  19. 19.

    WereBear

    @Chris: Roger Moore had the quippy elegance thing down, but he was never the right physical type to me (though of course, good looking) and I understand he ran with all the grace of a panicked duck. Which made the active things get toned down, and into camp.

    But as bad as his scripts were, they weren’t nearly as bad as Timothy Dalton’s. Who was robbed; physically, he was perfect looking from Bond’s description in the books, totally as athletic as needed, and such a way with a line, too.

  20. 20.

    El Caganer

    He is pretty easy to figure out, since he only has 3 basic motivators: crowds of adoring morons, opportunities to make money, and opportunities to destroy something Obama did (’cause Obama hurt his feelings at the WHCD. Trashing the Paris agreement would be so much winning for him.

  21. 21.

    japa21

    I have no doubt Trump will withdraw from the Paris Accord. After all, he wants us to be considered the equal of Nicaragua and Syria, neither of which signed on to it in the first place.

  23. 23.

    Keith P.

    When does DJT go full Costanza (doing the exact opposite of his instincts)? Or is that basically what Bernie Sanders is?

  25. 25.

    clay

    @Corner Stone: The Brosnan films had some good car chases. There was one where he was ducked down in the back seat, driving the car by remote through a parking garage. There was one where he was on a motorcycle (does that count?) with Michelle Yeoh, driving along rooftops. There was one where he was driving on a frozen lake. All pretty exciting.

  26. 26.

    Bobby Thomson

    @Chris: Best car chase, yes. I disagree as to the best car, though.

    I like cars that don’t get blown up, OK?

  28. 28.

    Brachiator

    thus fluffing Ivanka’s thoroughly undeserved reputation as a “moderating” influence and reaping a thousand hosannas from the Beltway morons who are still awaiting the Great Pivot.

    Wonderful image! I believe in the Great Pivot about as much as I believe in Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin.

    @Chris:

    I had forgotten that Roger Moore not only had the best car of all the Bondverse (the Lotus), he also had the best car chase in all the movies (the one in the countryside with the dinky little Citroën 2CV, after the Lotus gets unceremoniously blown up).

    The Aston Martin DB5 is the best Bond car, now and forever. However, I will give you the best car chase. Car chases were not really a big Bond thing in general, but the Moore movies had really good action stunts.

  31. 31.

    Quinerly

    @Chris:
    I’ll be just as controversial as you…if not more….Roger Moore was my favorite Bond. I liked the humor in his movies. A lot also probably has to do with my age…I was born in 1961 so his era was sorta my movie theater going era.

  33. 33.

    Mike J

    Markets, both for stocks and for tangible goods, crave stability. Trump craves the spotlight, and crashing around having the entire world wondering what he is going to do next gives it to him. Good leaders telegraph their moves months in advance so people can plan how to deal with the slow, gradual change that is coming. With Trump, people are forced to guess, or spread assets around preparing for every eventuality. The economy and the people of the US and the world suffer when planning is impossible.

    I won’t be shocked if trump stays in the Paris accord. I won’t be shocked if he pulls out. I won’t be shocked if he fires Pence and appoints a goat VP.

  35. 35.

    hovercraft

    @Gin & Tonic:

    the single best predictor of which areas would support Trump over his rivals in the Republican primaries was the prevalence of Google searches for the word “nigger.”

    On the one hand this is not surprising, but on the other why do they need to google the word, don’t they know what it means? Or are they looking for articles that contain the word?

  37. 37.

    Steve in the ATL

    @JPL: I’ve seen a lot of ads and rv commercials criticizing Handel. I guess those pesky campaign finance rules can be used against republicans as well as against dems–who knew?

  40. 40.

    WereBear

    @clay: I like the Pierce Brosnan ones.

    Well heck, I just like Pierce Brosnan. Even since his first movie, The Long Good Friday, which was chillingly brilliant.

  42. 42.

    D58826

    On the other hand, as we’ve speculated in earlier threads, if Mango Mussolini is viewing this fateful decision as a crass branding exercise, he might opt to stay in, thus fluffing Ivanka’s thoroughly undeserved reputation as a “moderating” influence and reaping a thousand hosannas from the Beltway morons who are still awaiting the Great Pivot.

    And even if he decides to remain in the Treaty he doesn’t have to staff any of the required positions, have the US attend any of the meetings or attempt to meet the carbon targets. As I said earlier – a desk, a chair, a phone and an office with a blank name plate. And he gets all of the ‘he is so presidential’ acclaim from the VSPs.

  44. 44.

    Chris

    @Corner Stone:

    Totally agree on the foot chase. That was freaking good.

    @Roger Moore:

    Yes, that’s the obvious competitor. I still prefer the Lotus.

    @WereBear:

    I actually like both of the Dalton movies, and he himself is my favorite non-Connery Bond. ::cringes preemptively at the outrage::

    For the actors in general, I feel like Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan had the British gentleman/pretty boy side of the character down, but not so much the professional assassin/tough guy side of him, whereas Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig are the opposite. Nobody’s really found a balance between the two sides since Connery, which is why (besides the fact that he started it all, and impressed Ian Fleming so much that he retroactively made Bond Scottish) he’s still the best one to me.

    (George Lazenby? What’s a George Lazenby?)

  49. 49.

    GregB

    @JPL:

    That is one of the reasons why the fucking disgusting stunt by Griffin was so stupid. Hateful, un-creative and great visual aid for the opposition.

    Congrats Griffin.

  50. 50.

    Chris

    @raven:

    Well, if we’re doing non-Bond car chases, then yeah, there’s better elsewhere.

    (Does the truck chase from Raiders of the Lost Ark count? If so…)

  52. 52.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Corner Stone:

    The foot chase through the jungle in Apocalypto is the tensest 15 minutes I’ve ever seen, ending in that remarkable scene at the end of the movie. Mel Gibson is a racist drunken nutjob, but he can make a movie.

  53. 53.

    clay

    @Chris: Oooo, Raiders is a good one.

    Say what you will about the 2nd Matrix movie, but the car chase in that movie is outstanding. Also, Terminator 2 has a couple of good ones.

  54. 54.

    Brachiator

    I was listening to a BBC news podcast and learned that the Ireland is voting on a new prime minister. Either of the two choices would be the youngest prime minister in Irish history. Housing Minister Simon Coveney is 44, Leo Varadkar, age 38, and the favorite, is Ireland’s Minister for Social Protection. Varadkar is also the son of an Indian immigrant father and an Irish mother and gay. His popularity perhaps represents a great change in the way that the Irish see themselves and the world. The voters are also making their selection on who they think will best represent Ireland’s interests in dealing with the ramifications of England’s BREXIT and its impact on Ireland’s economy.

  57. 57.

    Roger Moore

    @Brachiator:

    the Moore movies had really good action stunts.

    Including probably the best movie stunt ever, the ski/parachute jump in the opening sequence of The Spy Who Loved Me.

  60. 60.

    Chris

    @Bobby Thomson:

    I like cars that don’t get blown up, OK?

    I just love to imagine that some day, some innocent London driver parking his car accidentally bumped an MI6 Lotus and blew up the entire city block… followed by some frantic running around in Q Branch to rework the cars and make sure that wouldn’t happen again, hence the later cars which don’t explode when you touch them, just don’t let you in.

    “All right, we’ve gotten the press to run it as an IRA bomb story. But bloody hell, Q, what were you thinking?”

  62. 62.

    WereBear

    @Chris: Connery: still my favorite Bond, as well.

    Though I was very happy with Daniel Craig, too. One of his qualities is a chameleon thing where he can look really rugged and almost ugly; then in a flash he is quite the handsome dude. I’m thinking that would work well for any spy.

  64. 64.

    MJS

    @Quinerly: Born in 1963 and get the movie theater experience rationale, but the best Moore Bond movie is considerably worse than the worst Connery Bond movie.

  65. 65.

    Chris

    @Mike J:

    Oh, hell yes. That’s one of my favorite spy flicks of all time, and definitely one of the best car chases.

  66. 66.

    germy

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    The foot chase through the jungle in Apocalypto is the tensest 15 minutes I’ve ever seen, ending in that remarkable scene at the end of the movie. Mel Gibson is a racist drunken nutjob, but he can make a movie.

    I saw Apocalypto in the theater when it first came out, and I swear to god at some point in the movie Gibson snuck a Curly/Three Stooges sound in one of the chase scenes.

    I think he did it as a personal joke. He’s a Stooges fan and couldn’t resist. Did you catch it?

  67. 67.

    jl

    I gotta get my prediction down on Trump’s climate change babble.

    He has to fulfill a campaign promise, and not much in that bank account so far, so every bogus claim will be precious.
    He listens to the last person in the room, and who knows who that will be. Bannon or one of his central casting generals, or the Secty. of Exxon (who wants to keep the deals)?
    He has to show he is a genius who makes great deelz, so he will have some gimmicks to negotiate something and keep a modified deal.
    So, I predict something completely incoherent.

    Bu, wait, we already knew that. So, OK, I tried.
    How’s this for a prediction: after it all blows up in his faith, one of his flunkies will say that a Democratic Deep State mole (surely planted by the nefarious evil super genius Obama) tricked them. Yeah, that’s the ticket. I’ll go with that for a prediction.

  69. 69.

    D58826

    @Bobby Thomson: You know if you ask a candidate why they lost they are going to come up with a whole bunch of reasons, many of the valid. Some of them might even say ‘in retrospect i should have done x,y, or z’.
    I remember back when Bill fessed up about Monica and each time he said he was sorry and had made a mistake the VSPs of the time (some the same as today) said well the words don’t really sound like an apology and he may not be sincere, and……… Not much has changed.

    It’s like when the military does an after action report. They review what went right and what went wrong. Obviously the folks in the later group will not be happy and will probably push back.

  70. 70.

    WereBear

    @Certified Mutant Enemy: I agree. And the best part is that the passenger in that one thought it was a kind of blocking out sequence; when William Petersen started putting the pedal to the metal (as arranged with the director) the reactions were utterly spontaneous.

  73. 73.

    Chris

    @clay:

    Also possibly controversially – I like all the Matrix movies. Was never quite as crazy about the original one as the reviewers or a lot of people (despite being exactly the right age range), but also never as down on the sequels as them. It’s a fun, solid trilogy in my book, though the first is definitely the best.

  76. 76.

    germy

    @WereBear:

    To me, the ultimate car chase is The French Connection.

    I remember seeing The French Connection in a movie theater during its first release, and being startled by the car chase.

    Another good one is an old car chase from The Bank Dick (W.C. Fields and a bank robber. During some hair-raising turns, he asks his kidnapper “Is that a catalpa tree?”)

  77. 77.

    Chris

    @Brachiator:

    I was listening to a BBC news podcast and learned that the Ireland is voting on a new prime minister.

    I did not realize that.

    Open question to the front-pagers – can we get a thread on this sometime (unless there’s already been one and I missed it)? I know little or nothing about Irish politics, but am interested in electoral developments in all EU countries in general these days.

  78. 78.

    Mel

    @WereBear: I agree. I loved Roger Moore’s snarky, wry Bond, but will never be able to see the Bond movies with Daniel Craig as Bond movies. Craig is a really effective action actor, but Bond he is not, in my book. Dalton came close to the Bond of the novels in charisma / appearance; so did Pierce Brosnan. But Daniel Craig is the least believable Bond for me. Bond has to kick ass, but you’re absolutely right: he damned well needs to look like a million dollars while doing it, and not look like a gym-rat extra in a low budget mobster movie when he wears a suit!

  79. 79.

    Brachiator

    @WereBear:

    To me, the ultimate car chase is The French Connection.

    This car chase is very, very good. The car chase in Bullit (1968) is great.

    Roger Moore had the quippy elegance thing down, but he was never the right physical type to me (though of course, good looking) and I understand he ran with all the grace of a panicked duck. Which made the active things get toned down, and into camp.

    But as bad as his scripts were, they weren’t nearly as bad as Timothy Dalton’s. Who was robbed; physically, he was perfect looking from Bond’s description in the books, totally as athletic as needed, and such a way with a line, too.

    Moore was OK. Sean Connery moved with a kind of feral feline grace, and I think was overall the best Bond.

    I liked Pierce Brosnan, but he was a middleweight Bond. He seemed to huff and puff in the fight scenes. But I was glad to see him in the role, especially knowing that NBC renewed “Remington Steele” in part to deliberately keep Brosnan from moving on to Bond. Dalton was a good actor, but he never had the charisma, the physical presence to be a good Bond. Something about his eyes as well. But Dalton not only was saddled with bad scripts, none of his villains (or Bond women) were memorable.

    Daniel Craig has been a kick ass Bond. I hope they throw enough money at him to get him to do at least one more.

  80. 80.

    Chris

    @trollhattan:

    If we’re adding French films to the mix, I’m nominating 1) Taxi (a Luc Besson film series that was sort of the French version of the Fast/Furious movies, though it predates them) and 2) this one from Flic Ou Voyou (complete with a driving instructor commenting on the proceedings).

  81. 81.

    WereBear

    @Mel: To see Roger Moore in his natural habitat (and in all his younger handsomeness) The Saint is streaming on something… might be Netflix.

    There’s some fisticuffs, but mostly wit and charm and brains.

  83. 83.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @germy:

    No, I didn’t. That movie had me pinned to the seat white knuckling every scene. I’ve been meaning to watch it again, but need to get a tranquilizer first.

  84. 84.

    Emma

    @Chris: Yes to the best car. Lotus Esprit. Gawd that is one hot car.

    (edit) The best chase of any kind is the one in Casino Royale, Craig edition.

  85. 85.

    LAO

    The single, small positive that would come out of Trump’s decision to renege on the Paris Accords would be putting to bed the notion that Ivanka is some kind of liberal, moderating force in the White House.

    I’d rather we, as a nation, honored the Accords, but if I never have to read another news piece/editorial extolling Ivanka; it will be too soon.

  86. 86.

    Corner Stone

    @jl:

    He listens to the last person in the room, and who knows who that will be. Bannon or one of his central casting generals, or the Secty. of Exxon (who wants to keep the deals)?

    Instead of one of those close fitting doors in the Oval Office that when they are closed you can’t tell they are there, Trump has a subway turnstile installed. I am envisioning Reince, Bannon and a General To Be Named Later all endlessly rotating into and out of the Oval Office. All trying to get the last word in.

    Ivanka is not in the queue because she could not give a single solitary fuck less about anything but herself and her brand. She’s too busy on the phone with “journalists” or her PR team. But I repeat myself.

  87. 87.

    LAO

    @Chris: @Emma: I’m totally embarrassed to admit this, but my dad drove a Lotus Esprit during his mid-life crisis in the 1980s and it was totally because of James Bond.

  88. 88.

    jl

    Maybe somebody can get Trump to do some Bond movies (edit: no not as the villain. I mean Trump Bond. We’ll let him ‘brand’ it). He might go for it, since presidenting is harder than he thought.
    I can see it as part of a plea deal.
    Not sure he’ll be able to handle the scenes with the hot babes very well. He’ll need some instruction in romance and suavity, not one of his strengths. He’s said so himself.

    Challenge for script writers. Has there been a great golf cart chase scene? I wouldn’t know, since I find them boring and never pay attention.

  89. 89.

    WereBear

    @Brachiator: Sean Connery had the right physicality. Kind of like Burt Lancaster, who started as a circus acrobat. Now, you need martial artists because the envelope has been pushed that much further.

    Like Jason Statham — he’s not usually in very good movies, but he sure makes them better :)

  90. 90.

    Mike J

    @Brachiator: Half of the greatness of the Bullit car chase is the cars. The actual chase wasn’t as white knuckle as French Connection or Ronin (Or the Italian Job[1], while we’re at it), but the Mustang was so much fun to watch compared to the Pontiac or the Peugeot. The Mini was a different class of great.

    [1] Only the original, please.

  91. 91.

    efgoldman

    @enplaned:

    I would like Hillary to be quiet.

    I saw her out shopping for sackcloth and ashes the other day, and calling around for a placement in one of the convents where they take a vow of silence. Is that good enough?
    What the media do is not her fault; she’s not running; there will be new blood in 2020. Meanwhile she’s a person of great value to society, and of great fund-raising potential for Democrats.
    I’ve seen this bullshit all over the blogs the last couple of weeks. You can all go fuck yourselves.

  93. 93.

    hovercraft

    @Certified Mutant Enemy:
    I hope they get the gunman soon, thought and prayers for the victims.

    I thought that “terrorist attacks” around the world were caused by the Fecklessness of Obama? Now that we have a magnetic, strong, tough, decisive leader these things aren’t supposed to happen anymore. I’m confused.

  94. 94.

    Uncle Ebeneezer

    I eagerly await the outraged Op-Eds of Jon Chait and the “Political Correctness on Campus!!1!” crowd:

    Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Cancels West Coast Tour After a Fox News Report Spurs Death Threats

    Princeton University professor of African-American studies, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, was scheduled to speak at Town Hall Seattle this evening about her latest book, From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation.

    But on Sunday, Fox News aired a brief clip of her 20-minute-long commencement speech to Hampshire College’s graduating class of 2017, during which she said what anyone with two eyes, a pulse, and more than three chapter books on their shelf would say about the President of the United States, namely that he’s a “racist, sexist, megalomaniac.” The media arm of the Republican party showed the clip with the headline: “Anti-POTUS Tirade: Princeton Prof Slams Pres During Speech.”

    Then, according to a statement Taylor’s publishers released on Facebook, like cowards, a number of Fox News viewers felt compelled to send racist, sexist, megalomaniacal messages to Taylor from the relative safety of their own computers.

    “Since last Friday, I have received more than 50 hate-filled and threatening emails. Some of these emails have contained specific threats of violence, including murder,” she writes. “Shortly after the Fox story and video were published, my work email was inundated with vile and violent statements. I have been repeatedly called ‘nigger,’ ‘bitch,’ ‘cunt,’ ‘dyke,’ ‘she-male,’ and ‘coon’ — a clear reminder that racial violence is closely aligned with gender and sexual violence. I have been threatened with lynching and having the bullet from a .44 Magnum put in my head.”

  95. 95.

    JMG

    @jl: There was a Rockford Files episode where the obligatory chase scene was the bad guy trying to flee to safety across a golf course in a cart, while Rockford pursues him in his Pontiac. Forces bad guy into a water hazard.

  96. 96.

    jl

    @WereBear: Thanks. I’ll check it out.

    ‘Undercover Brother.Brond’ has a ring to it, don’t you think?

    @JMG: Thanks. I’ll try to check that out too. Sounds like a chase scene I can get into.

  98. 98.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    I enjoyed your lovely wedding picture yesterday. Thanks.

    I was once articulate. Then the Tangerine Menace got elected and now I’m lucky if I can spell covfefe. Sad!

    I used to be confident I’d get bqhatewvr right, but now I’m not sure of anything.

  99. 99.

    rikyrah

    Trump poised to take contraception fight in a dramatic new direction
    06/01/17 12:51 PM
    By Steve Benen

    The Affordable Care Act’s approach to contraception shouldn’t be especially controversial. Under “Obamacare,” contraception is covered as standard preventive care that insurers are required to provide. Houses of worship are exempt, and thanks to the Supreme Court’s 5-4 Hobby Lobby ruling, that exemption is quite broad.

    But according to Donald Trump’s administration, it’s apparently not quite broad enough. Vox reported this week:

    The Trump administration is apparently preparing to overhaul Obamacare’s birth control mandate, purportedly allowing any employer to seek a moral or religious exemption from the requirement, according to a draft regulation obtained by Vox.

    The Affordable Care Act requires nearly all employers to offer health insurance that covers access to a wide array of contraceptive methods. The draft proposal, if finalized, would significantly broaden the type of companies and organizations that can request an exemption. This could lead to many American women who currently receive no-cost contraception having to pay out of pocket for their medication.

  101. 101.

    germy

    Ex-DNC aide hits back hard at Clinton, says her campaign ignored data on Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

    A top former DNC aide tweeted overnight that Clinton’s allegations were “f‑‑‑ing bulls‑‑‑” and even suggested that the Clinton campaign ignored its warnings about how competitive Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were. Those three states proved decisive for President Trump and, especially in the case of Michigan and Wisconsin, were neglected by the Clinton campaign.

    Victim blaming.

  102. 102.

    Seanly

    WaPo & CNN are reporting that Trump will pull out of Paris Accords. CNN includes something about fine print to sooth Ivanka but WTF does that even mean? We’re either taking steps to reduce our emissions or we’re not.

    Aren’t there some climate scientists who think we’re already past the point of no return? That we’ve already set in motion changes where wide swaths of the earth won’t support large-scale agriculture by 2040?

  103. 103.

    geg6

    @enplaned:

    And I would like you to be quiet. Hillary can do and say whatever she wants whenever she wants. I’m happy to hear what she has to say.

    You, however, have a very tired and boring plaint. So sick of this meme. Hillary is a heroine, Who are you and what have you done? Nothing comparable to her, for sure. So if anyone needs to shut up, it’s you and people like you who say shit like this.

  104. 104.

    Mel

    @Brachiator: @WereBear:

    Thoughts on who might be next as Bond? Or who should be next?

    There was some minor, short-lived press rumbling a while back about Idris Elba and also about Hugh Jackman, but it doesn’t seem to have been indicative of any actual follow through on the Bobd franchise’s part.

    The Saint is a favorite. Never gets old!

  105. 105.

    jl

    @Seanly: I predicted incoherence, another commenter predicts assholish.
    The collective wisdom of Balloon-Juice will be the best prediction. Believe me.
    Head to the nearest bar or barbershop and place your bet now.

  107. 107.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Gin & Tonic: I am so very unsurprised by that. I hope PT didn’t do you in yesterday. It’s so necessary and so often excruciating.

  108. 108.

    germy

    David Yankovich ✔@DavidYankovich

    It’s official. I have filed the paperwork and I am taking on Paul Ryan.

  109. 109.

    germy

    @geg6: McCain never shut up after 2008. He was on every goddamned morning talk show. RMoney kept talking after he lost. The only quiet one was W, and that’s because he was busy with his canvas and paint brushes.

  110. 110.

    Chris

    @Mel:

    I keep hearing Tom Hiddleston suggested.

    Idris Elba I’d probably enjoy. I like the actor. I don’t really care about making James Bond black, but I’d enjoy it simply for all the head explosions it would cause in the Rush Limbaugh crowd.

  111. 111.

    Brachiator

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    Mel Gibson is a racist drunken nutjob, but he can make a movie.

    Some time back I took a film class which featured sneak previews of current films with some of the cast or production folk on board for a Q&A. One of the films we saw was Braveheart, just before its official US premiere.

    Mel Gibson came, without a big entourage, and stayed a bit longer than usual to take questions and even a few pictures. I think this may have been his first directing effort. It was interesting that he chose to see the film with regular folks than with a “select” Hollywood crowd. His graciousness here was certainly a huge contrast to his later bigotry filled meltdowns.

    @Certified Mutant Enemy:

    To Live and Die in LA had one of the better car chases…

    Yes!

    William Friedken (French Connection) again. From the Wiki:

    The wrong-way car chase on a Los Angeles freeway sequence was one of the last things shot in the film and it took six weeks to shoot….

    Adding to the chaotic feeling of the chase, Friedkin staged it so that the freeway traffic flow was reversed. That is that the normal traffic in the scene has the drivers driving on their left in the left hand lanes (as in Britain) while the cars driving against the flow were driving on their right (as would be usual in North America).

  112. 112.

    Gelfling 545

    @Mike J: I would be shocked, thpugh, if he demonstrated any knowledge of what the Paris Accord actually involves.

  113. 113.

    hovercraft

    @Seanly:

    Some pundits were saying this morning that what he could pull out but say he was setting his own goals, and then announce in a couple of months that he’s rejoining with new targets. This way he keeps his promise to say FU to Obama, but then gets to make nice with the rest of the world. Unfortunately for him, Obama was seen as one of the primary architects of the Accord so even if we pull out, it will still count as an Obama achievement.

  114. 114.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Looks like he’s going to work against Mother Earth. CNN headline says he’ll announce he’s dropping the Paris Accord.

    I am saddened, enraged, and disgusted beyond any rational measure. Not surprised, though.

  115. 115.

    Ryan

    What I can’t get over was all the reporting I saw that stated he was pulling out to fulfill a campaign promise. Bullshit! He doesn’t care about coal miners. He doesn’t care about his base. He’s left a string of broken promises behind. Media, stop trying to normalize the guy.

  116. 116.

    Emma

    @LAO: Shouldn’t be embarrassed. Should be proud. Nothing cheap or boring about his mid-life crisis.

  117. 117.

    rikyrah

    @Chris:

    was alone at home last night and ended up watching an old Roger Moore film as an “in memoriam” thing. I had forgotten that Roger Moore not only had the best car of all the Bondverse (the Lotus), he also had the best car chase in all the movies (the one in the countryside with the dinky little Citroën 2CV, after the Lotus gets unceremoniously blown up).

    Are either of these opinions heresy for other movie fans? Discuss.

    I won’t disagree..those were darn good chases.

  120. 120.

    rikyrah

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    Hey Betty been wondering what you think of Louise Mensch being right about this?

    Stopped clock? I’m never sure how far out on a limb I am when I read her posts. Most times I’m like yeah, no, then she gets some stuff right.

    I think she’s nuts, but that doesn’t mean that someone isn’t feeding her info.

  122. 122.

    germy

    @rikyrah:

    that doesn’t mean that someone isn’t feeding her info.

    But who? I’d rather hear it directly from them.

  124. 124.

    WereBear

    @Mel: Hugh Jackman would be awesome regarding his abilities. If they can’t get a martial artist they should get a good dancer :) And I’m impressed with Tom Hardy, who certainly has the deadly scariness thing down, as well as the acting chops.

  133. 133.

    japa21

    Don’t know if this has been mentioned before. Peter Roskam (R-IL6) is not having any town hall meetings, probably because he was one of 3 IL GOPers who are in somewhat swing districts who voted for the AHCA. Well, Jan Schakowsky, one of the most progressive members of Congress is going to hold one in his district since he won’t. It will be this Saturday. Spouse and I are going to try to make it. Not sure if we can.

  135. 135.

    Brachiator

    @Mel:

    Thoughts on who might be next as Bond? Or who should be next?

    There was some minor, short-lived press rumbling a while back about Idris Elba and also about Hugh Jackman, but it doesn’t seem to have been indicative of any actual follow through on the Bobd franchise’s part.

    No. I never would have guessed that Daniel Craig would have been chosen, and I like him fine. I like both Elba and Jackman, but think that they should pick someone in their late 20s, early 30s, who can grow into the role. Connery was 32 when he was Bonded; Moore, on the other hand was 44.

    But I think it would be very interesting if they picked someone who was mixed race, British and something else. Other than that, my only internal rule is that an American should never play Bond. And I note that American Barry Nelson played Jimmy Bond in a TV version of “Casino Royale” in the 1950s.

    The Saint is a favorite. Never gets old!

    A local digital broadcast station played back to back episodes of the first couple of seasons of “The Saint.” Very good stuff. Roger Moore was tougher, less campy than he was in the later Bond films.

    A weird bit of Saint trivia. According to the Wiki: “Most of the wardrobe Moore wore in the series was his own.”

  137. 137.

    Roger Moore

    @MJS:

    the best Moore Bond movie is considerably worse than the worst Connery Bond movie.

    You need to go back and re-watch Thunderball and Diamonds Are Forever. I’m willing to set aside Never Say Never Again because it’s unofficial, but it’s pretty ghastly, too.

  138. 138.

    Quinerly

    Came in from working in my courtyard. Made the mistake of turning on tv. Circus like coverage of “Trump’s big announcement.” So disgusting. “The markets are waiting on President Trump.” Sometimes I feel like I’m still in a daze…in denial…then it hits me…he’s the fucking POTUS.

  139. 139.

    hovercraft

    GOPOLITICO has gotten a copy of the talking points that White House is going to use to justify this bullshit.
    White House talking points released – reports
    Guardian highlights:

    Topline: The Paris Accord is a BAD deal for Americans, and the President’s action today is keeping his campaign promise to put American workers first. The Accord was negotiated poorly by the Obama Administration and signed out of desperation. It frontloads costs on the American people to the detriment of our economy and job growth while extracting meaningless commitments from the world’s top global emitters, like China. The U.S. is already leading the world in energy production and doesn’t need a bad deal that will harm American workers.

    UNDERMINES U.S. Competitiveness and Jobs

    * According to a study by NERA Consulting, meeting the Obama Administration’s requirements in the Paris Accord would cost the U.S. economy nearly $3 trillion over the next several decades.
    * By 2040, our economy would lose 6.5 million industrial sector jobs – including 3.1 million manufacturing sector jobs
    * It would effectively decapitate our coal industry, which now supplies about one-third of our electric power

    The deal was negotiated BADLY, and extracts meaningless commitments from the world’s top polluters

    * The Obama-negotiated Accord imposes unrealistic targets on the U.S. for reducing our carbon emissions, while giving countries like China a free pass for years to come.
    * Under the Accord, China will actually increase emissions until 2030

    The U.S. is ALREADY a Clean Energy and Oil & Gas Energy Leader; we can reduce our emissions and continue to produce American energy without the Paris Accord

    * America has already reduced its carbon-dioxide emissions dramatically.
    Since 2006, CO2 emissions have declined by 12 percent, and are expected to continue to decline.
    According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. is the leader in oil & gas production.

    The agreement funds a UN Climate Slush Fund underwritten by American taxpayers

    * President Obama committed $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund – which is about 30 percent of the initial funding – without authorization from Congress
    * With $20 trillion in debt, the U.S. taxpayers should not be paying to subsidize other countries’ energy needs.

    The deal also accomplishes LITTLE for the climate

    * According to researchers at MIT, if all member nations met their obligations, the impact on the climate would be negligible. The impacts have been estimated to be likely to reduce global temperature rise by less than .2 degrees Celsius in 2100.

  143. 143.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Emma: Embarrassed is an awfully strong word for having a dad who makes not the bestest car choice for his midlife hijinx period (sounds so much better than “crisis” to my ears). Because of James Bond is a totally good reason though.

  144. 144.

    Brachiator

    @Mel: ARRRG Got moderated. Let’s try a do over.

    Thoughts on who might be next as Bond? Or who should be next?

    There was some minor, short-lived press rumbling a while back about Idris Elba and also about Hugh Jackman, but it doesn’t seem to have been indicative of any actual follow through on the Bond franchise’s part.

    No. I never would have guessed that Daniel Craig would have been chosen, and I like him fine. I like both Elba and Jackman, but think that they should pick someone in their late 20s, early 30s, who can grow into the role. Connery was 32 when he was Bonded; Moore, on the other hand was 44.

    But I think it would be very interesting if they picked someone who was mixed race, British and something else. Other than that, my only internal rule is that an American should never play Bond. And I note that American Barry Nelson played Jimmy Bond in a TV version of “C@sino Royale” in the 1950s.

    The Saint is a favorite. Never gets old!

    A local digital broadcast station played back to back episodes of the first couple of seasons of “The Saint.” Very good stuff. Roger Moore was tougher, less campy than he was in the later Bond films.

    A fun bit of Saint trivia. According to the Wiki: “Most of the wardrobe Moore wore in the series was his own.”

  145. 145.

    Chris

    @Roger Moore:

    I liked Thunderball just fine, but DAF is hands-down the worst one in the franchise to me. Yes, even worse than Moonraker.

  146. 146.

    hovercraft

    @germy:

    McCain never shut up after 2008. He was on every goddamned morning talk show. RMoney kept talking after he lost.

    Why do you people keep forgetting that those people have something she doesn’t have and will never have!

  147. 147.

    germy

    @me:

    Someone who no one in the district has ever heard of moves from Ohio just to run for Congress?

    Uh oh.

  148. 148.

    Fester Addams

    @hovercraft:

    why do they need to google the word, don’t they know what it means? Or are they looking for articles that contain the word?

    We’re talking about Trump voters. I imagine between sitting and shouting it at the TV and driving around shouting it at people, they sit down at their computers and just type it in. Web browser does the rest.

  149. 149.

    realbtl

    Re: Bond cars- In the original book of I think Dr. No, Bond’s American sidekick has something like a Nash 2 seat drop top with a Caddy V8. He gets killed of course but I would have loved to see that one.

  150. 150.

    WereBear

    @Chris: That’s why I emphasized his abilities. I thought he is now a little too old, too :)

    The key to Bond is that hybrid of good looks (which can vary widely and still work) and what was probably some kind of rough formative years which creates a “bad boy” who is catnip to the ladies. I see an ideal backstory as being a rough youth and some kind of redemption which puts a veneer on the manners.

    Bond learned these things about elegance. His deadliness is native.

  152. 152.

    me

    @germy: Yup, and since the district was redrawn to protect Ryan by adding a chunk of Waukesha County, none of the really good candidates want to run because they’re sure they’ll lose.

  153. 153.

    trollhattan

    @Chris:
    I didn’t really know Hiddelston before seeing The Night Manager and thought he pulled that role off very well. Given it was rather Bondlike I could see him ordering martinis at the baccarat table.

  154. 154.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @rikyrah:

    Surprise! Trump promised a big boost for black colleges—and now he’s cutting them a raw deal.

    “Vote for me, black people! What’ve you go to lose, am I right?”

  155. 155.

    tobie

    I was actually at COP21 (conference of parties that led to the Paris Climate Accord) and it’s hard to convey just how much wheeling and dealing and fine-tuning was needed to get everyone on board. India wouldn’t sign without technology transfers and differential emissions targets based on historical responsibility; the developed world wanted to set the temperature rise threshold at 2 degree C but the small island nations wanted the threshold at 1.5 degree C. The US and Canada were willing to contribute to a Green Climate Fund for vulnerable nations but wouldn’t accept any language concerning liability. Venezuela played a tough game, trying to protect its interests as an oil producer, while at the same time speaking for the oppressed. LDCs (least-developed countries) butt heads with the developed world and LMDCs (like-minded developing countries). The G77 (which actually encompasses 137 nation states) + China had its own agenda. Global governance is tough. And a lot of vulnerable countries in the third world felt like they put aside their own demands in order to come up with something the US would accept. Trump is a stupid, ignorant, selfish, pigheaded dope if he thinks he can renegotiate this. COP 22 was taking place the night of the presidential election and a friend of mine there told me that the feeling in various groups was, “Fuck the US. We’re not making any compromises for them in the future.”

  158. 158.

    Chris

    @trollhattan:

    I’ve never heard of that show. Based on Wikipedia, I may have to check it out.

    The only thing I’ve seen Hiddleston in besides the MCU movies was that King Kong movie from a couple months ago. He wasn’t especially memorable, but these movies aren’t supposed to be about the human characters anyway, so I don’t hold it against him.

  160. 160.

    Patricia Kayden

    @enplaned: Okay. Interesting opinion but she still gets to talk. Period. She’s not preventing any emerging Democratic voices from speaking out just because she’s not going into self-imposed exile. I wish we could stop talking about her as if she’s an albatross. Sigh.

    @japa21:

    Jan Schakowsky, one of the most progressive members of Congress is going to hold one in his district since he won’t.

    Good for Rep Schakowsky. If my Rep refused to meet with constituents, he or she would lose my vote in the next election. If you’re too coward to face me and other constituents, what the hell use are you to us?

  161. 161.

    bemused

    I just came in from gardening most of the day and see on tv a bigly announcement coming up. What fresh horror now?

  162. 162.

    EBT

    @Corner Stone: I have been using a standing vape that fills bags for the last five years. I think I need to clean out or replace the 40mm case fan that powers it though. It’s been a trooper and I doubt I would ever go back to smoking as a regular option again. I got to try a couple different hash oil rigs when I was in Seattle though. One that uses glass or titanium nails inside a bowl and you put bits of hash on the nail. It worked well enough, but the glass nails shatter eventually. Other friend had a pretty decent bong with an oil pot attachment. Just zap the oil pot with a kitchen torch for a while (her’s was big enough to fit the whole canister of fuel itself inside the body), then use a dental pick or something to put the hash on the red hot glass. I could see using her set up often, but mostly because the bong was rather nice. 18 inches with a carb and 10 spider arm aerator inside it.

  163. 163.

    Brachiator

    @raven:

    MY BIL was in that scene driving his semi.

    Very cool. How did he get selected for the movie?

  165. 165.

    Amir Khalid

    @clay:
    As I recall, they wanted to shoot that part of the movie in Kuala Lumpur, with a climactic bit where Brosnan would abseil down one of the Petronas Towers while Michelle Yeoh abseiled down the other. Alas, Petronas wouldn’t go for it.

  166. 166.

    Paul W.

    @tobie: It breaks my heart that this man-child is rolling back what were some really substantial moves by Obama to continue to lead as the US but also spread responsibility and ownership to a broader coalition of nations on a bunch of issues.

    If Trump goes for a full removal this will mark the saddest day of his presidency thus far for me.

  167. 167.

    Brachiator

    Breaking news. Apparently, Trump is going to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords. He will accuse Obama of making a bad deal.

  168. 168.

    D58826

    So the announcement is being delayed because of a problem with the tele-prompter. Gee I thought only Obama used a tele-prompter.

    They were talking about Der Fuhrer’s base, esp the 56 year old coal miner, and how do you tell them that their job is going away under the Paris accord. Well guess what whither are in or out those coal jobs are going away.

    According to VP Pence Der Fuhrer has created jobs, like the ones going to Mexico in Ind. and the 5k jobs being lost at GM. OOOOPs

  169. 169.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Quinerly:

    he’s the fucking POTUS.

    For now, at least. With all these scandals, I’m not sure how long he will last. Or perhaps it’s just really strong wishful thinking on my part. Hoping that Mueller and the FBI get enough dirt to force him and his ilk out.

  170. 170.

    Chris

    @Roger Moore:

    Yep. And worse than Spectre, too.

    I should qualify this. The problem with Diamonds Are Forever is that it’s following on the heels of OHMSS, which is one of the best (I realize that’s a weird thing to say for a Lazenby-basher, but everything else about the film was great) and more importantly, demanded a good follow-up. The sequel to OHMSS should’ve been “Licence To Kill, only more personal,” not “Goldfinger, only more zany.”

    Not everything about it is terrible; taken by itself, it’s probably no worse than the others; it’s just, compared with the movie it should have been, it just sucks that much more by contrast.

  172. 172.

    Elmo

    @Yoda Dog:

    New voices and hilldog are not mutually exclusive commodities.

    Are you sure about that? There is a limited amount of bandwidth for the coverage of politics, and the media will always fill up on dessert and candy first, leaving no room for meat and vegetables, if enough dessert and candy are put out there. It’s like what the West Wing said about “process stories.” The political press will always write about process first, rather than substance. They’ll write about Clinton if Clinton gives them stories to write.

    I’m not a Clinton partisan. I’m a Democratic Party partisan. If excessive attention to Hillary Clinton is going to hurt the party – and I think it will – then I will reserve the right to wish that she didn’t give the press so damn much material.

  174. 174.

    Peale

    @hovercraft: And those two were never asked repeatedly “why did you lose. why did you lose. How does it feel to be a loser.” questions.

  175. 175.

    tobie

    @Paul W.: It’s devastating that we’re pulling out of this and will only increase our complete isolation from the “global community.” (I put the phrase in quotes because McMaster made clear in his Wall St J op ed that he doesn’t believe in the “global community,” only omnes bellum contra omnium.) It wasn’t my impression that the US was the architect of the Paris Climate Accord, but some nations were perhaps willing to make compromises they wouldn’t have otherwise because they had faith in the US thanks to Obama. That faith is now lost.

  176. 176.

    clay

    @Brachiator:

    Other than that, my only internal rule is that an American should never play Bond.

    If a Brit can play Superman, then an American can play Bond.

  177. 177.

    Corner Stone

    @EBT: Is it fair to say you’re more on the end user/consumer side of the supply chain? Or do you dabble in equip innovation, etc?

  179. 179.

    Peale

    @Iowa Old Lady: I believe the choice to bring males into the studio these days is car chases and explosions. In the 70s and 80s, there were also breasts. But for various reasons, those seem to have gone away from most films. So car chases it is.

  180. 180.

    rikyrah

    Small university outranks many others in black physics grads
    By ERRIN HAINES WHACK, ASSOCIATED PRESS
    May 26, 2017, 9:24 AM ET

    One of the smallest historically black colleges in the U.S. boasts a huge accomplishment: pound for pound, tiny Dillard University in New Orleans graduates more physics majors — and, notably, more female physics majors — than far bigger schools with more resources.

    With an enrollment of 1,200, Dillard ranks second in the country in black physics undergrads.

    The point was punctuated at Dillard’s recent commencement exercises, which featured a keynote address from actress and singer Janelle Monae, one of the stars of “Hidden Figures.” The award-winning film tells the story of the black women scientists who fought Jim Crow while doing essential mathematical calculations for America’s space program.

    “To see that we have this significant number of women representing (science and math) in the way that they are is a blessing to America and our future,” Monae told The Associated Press in an interview before the May 13 graduation. “To have physicists coming out of New Orleans who are African-American women … that’s a huge deal.”

    Nine of the top 10 physics departments in the country — at black or white schools — producing the most African American undergraduates in physics are at HBCUs, according to the American Institute of Physics. Currently, the top producing school is Morehouse College, an all-male HBCU with nearly twice as many students as Dillard.

    Dillard, the smallest on the list, ranked comparably with North Carolina A&T University, with more than 10,000 students. The private, liberal arts college has conferred 33 physics degrees since 2007, including nine to black women.

    Degrees in physics are rare for women and minorities. That Dillard — with a campus that is 73 percent female — is outpacing its larger counterparts is significant, said University of Pennsylvania higher education professor Marybeth Gasman.

  181. 181.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Brachiator: I expect Trump to undo as much of President Obama’s legacy as he can. He doesn’t care if it damages this country as long as he gets to give a figurative f.u. to Obama and Democrats. Great way to run a country.

  182. 182.

    Robert Sneddon

    the Mustang was so much fun to watch compared to the Pontiac or the Peugeot.

    If the Mustang was so fast why did that green VW Beetle keep getting in front of it?

  183. 183.

    Mnemosyne

    @WereBear:

    I see an ideal backstory as being a rough youth and some kind of redemption which puts a veneer on the manners.

    That’s basically the premise of Kingsman — the training of a Bond-like superspy. Rough background, champion gymnast, and Colin Firth as a mentor.

    It’s a bit on the gory side, but it was really entertaining. I hope the sequel is as good.

  185. 185.

    Mnemosyne

    @Peale:

    Breasts have probably gone away because Asia (specifically China) is a hugely profitable market now, and their censors frown on nudity.

  186. 186.

    Mel

    @Brachiator: @WereBear: @Chris:

    Yes – no Americans playing Bond! (And no disturbingly cheery Australian underwear models, either. I had almost forgotten the horrors of George Lazenby’s Austin Powers-ish turn as Bond. Yikes.)

    Tom Hardy is an interesting possibility! He and Idris Elba both do have a serious physical presence on film, and both would have the ability to look elegant but, as Werebear notes, still bring that underlying hint of believable menace to the role. That is something that I think Craig brought to the role that casting people should strive to keep going in the next Bond choice!

  187. 187.

    TenguPhule

    @Mnemosyne: Uh no, it went away because American censor boards are uptight dicks. Way before China became the market of choice.

  188. 188.

    Elmo

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: I don’t think so. “Where’d she go?” is a one-day story. Maybe two. But you can’t keep it up over time if there’s no new hook.

    Every day that the cable news can eat up time with “Clinton says! Clinton admits! Clinton defends! Clinton attacks! Clinton claims!” is time that they will not spend on Jon Ossoff, or Kamala Harris, or the Castro brothers, or really any other Democrat. Is that Clinton’s fault? Of course not. Can she change those inclinations? She cannot. So the question is simply this: is it good for the Democratic Party for every day’s narrative to be “Clinton says X! Her enemies say Not-X! Our panel talks about Clinton!” I don’t think it is. People can tell me to go fuck myself if they like, but I won’t find it terribly persuasive.

  189. 189.

    OGLiberal

    @Fester Addams: Jokes. They are mostly looking for n-word jokes. And in an interview I read the author made clear that it wasn’t people searching for rap lyrics because in those cases the term “nigga” would be more commonly used. He said the divide wasn’t North/South but East/West with a lot of n-word searches in those “economically anxious” areas that swung the election for Trump – Western PA, Eastern Ohio, Industrial areas of Michigan, etc.

  190. 190.

    The Moar You Know

    It’s devastating that we’re pulling out of this and will only increase our complete isolation from the “global community.”

    @tobie: I don’t know. I think it will be very good for the world (not for us) to understand that the United States is not a nation that is trustworthy. We’re not. We’ve screwed over our own citizenry repeatedly since the founding of this Republic, and then used our “last man standing” status after WWII to disseminate a wholly mythological image of ourselves as the “land of opportunity”, which in reality was never the case. Ask any woman. Ask a black man. Ask a Latino. They all know. America is a nation of liars, built on lies, doing business in lies.

  191. 191.

    rikyrah

    @germy:

    Ex-DNC aide hits back hard at Clinton, says her campaign ignored data on Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

    A top former DNC aide tweeted overnight that Clinton’s allegations were “f‑‑‑ing bulls‑‑‑” and even suggested that the Clinton campaign ignored its warnings about how competitive Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were. Those three states proved decisive for President Trump and, especially in the case of Michigan and Wisconsin, were neglected by the Clinton campaign.

    They were competitive because of Voter Suppression.

  192. 192.

    rikyrah

    @japa21: \

    Don’t know if this has been mentioned before. Peter Roskam (R-IL6) is not having any town hall meetings, probably because he was one of 3 IL GOPers who are in somewhat swing districts who voted for the AHCA. Well, Jan Schakowsky, one of the most progressive members of Congress is going to hold one in his district since he won’t. It will be this Saturday. Spouse and I are going to try to make it. Not sure if we can.

    Good, because he’s a piece of shyt.

  193. 193.

    No One You Know

    @WereBear: You didn’t like Lock, Stock, and Two by Barrels,I gather. Sigh. Agree, though, the movies could be better.

Comments are closed.