Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

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

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Innocent people do not delay justice.

Keep the Immigrants and deport the fascists!

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

“Alexa, change the president.”

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

We are aware of all internet traditions.

You are here: Home / Deepthroats

Deepthroats

by | 220 Comments

This post is in: ,

I was going to go to a yoga class on Thursday. I might instead just start writing promotional tweets for the NY Times because that requires a level of flexibility I will never attain on a yoga mat.

These motherfuckers are shameless.

Reader Interactions

220Comments

  1. 1.

    sukabi

    Well Maggie my dear, you’re bring the definition of “deep throat” back to it’s origins. You might want to check out your papers archives on Watergate for for a journalistic definition. In the meantime perhaps a GoFundMe for kneepads is in order.

  2. 2.

    coozledad

    No need to pay attention to anything that trash says again. They’re looking for a more lucrative spot on some morning news show where they can fully demonstrate their ass kissing chops.

  3. 3.

    dmsilev

    Right, because fixing (or, more likely, forcing tenants to fix at their own expense because …Trump) a leaking faucet is exactly the same as dealing with a multimillion person metropolis that is largely submerged.

  6. 6.

    Rosalita

    I would assume that all he knows from his real estate days is fuck the residents and collect the insurance.

    Idiots need to quit hoping he will be anything more than the shit he already is.

  8. 8.

    Cermet

    Which should also would make the fart cloud an expert on topology since real-estate involves surfaces … what idiots are employed by that rag.

  10. 10.

    Droppy

    You know, just the other day the pipe under my sink was leaking and I had to clean up the puddle AND replace the piece that was dripping. It was exactly like the Johnstown flood. So, this makes sense to me.

  11. 11.

    different-church-lady

    @dmsilev: I dunno — I have very little idea of how the Twitters work. It’s only in the past few months I’ve had a computer that could even load a Twitter feed correctly.

    I am confused by the fact that the re-tweet thread doesn’t appear on her “page” or whatever the hell they call it. The link here at BJ will take you to the re-tweet and all the comments, but her front-page seems to only include Thrush’s tweet standing alone without her additional comment.

  13. 13.

    lumpkin

    It is really thoughtful of all those who suffer and die so Trump might be able to redeem himself.

  15. 15.

    Turgidson

    @dmsilev:

    She often engages with Twitterers when the subject of the NYT’s embarrassing coverage of BUT HER EMAILS comes up. Of course, those interactions are almost always pathetic exercises in deflection and deliberately missing the point.

    Not sure if she is as devoted to the cause of defending the NYT’s great snipe hunt of identifying when Trump “pivoted” and “became president”.

  16. 16.

    sukabi

    @Amaranthine RBG: wow, you’re kind of thick aren’t you? It’s got NOTHING to do with gender, and EVERYTHING to do with how she’s attempting to curry favor.

    BTW, how sexist are you to assume that only women suck c*ck?

  17. 17.

    Bex

    Just saw a picture of Papaya Pol Pot and Melania departing for the flood photo op. She is attired in a beige jacket, black top and pants and five-inch heels. Totally appropriate for visiting a flood zone.

  18. 18.

    Amir Khalid

    Donald Trump’s ability in the Oval Office, such as it is, has already been measured. His ability and willingness to improve has already been tested. He can’t do the President’s job, not even the least demanding part of it. He can’t improve in office and wouldn’t bother trying; he thinks he’s already perfect and it’s everyone else who’s flawed.

  19. 19.

    Betty

    So because of a huge flood, everyone is supposed to forget his support of white supremacists, Arpaio, etc. He is who he is. That cannot and will not change. Such wilful blindness on the part of people who are supposed to be smart baffles me.

  23. 23.

    Ian G.

    Who does the Times think they’re appealing to with this dreck? The 2/3 of this country who hate Trump’s guts aren’t going to be fooled, and the 1/3 that’s on his side aren’t going to suddenly decide that the entire staff of the Times shouldn’t be shot for disrespecting their god-king because of this tweet.

  26. 26.

    lollipopguild

    The idea that trump can reclaim the “High Ground” is LOL funny. This is a man who when given a choice between America and Nazis picked the Nazis.

  27. 27.

    Amir Khalid

    @Bex:
    I think we’re all aware that Melania has no intention of getting anywhere near a flood zone. (I for one will be surprised if she gets anywhere near a flood victim, for that matter.) It’s a shame that she’s so bad at hiding it.

  28. 28.

    Mike in NC

    @Bex: Hey, those heels will come in handy is she steps into a puddle 4 inches deep. Otherwise, not so much. The photo ops will take place on dry land.

  29. 29.

    kindness

    There is a reason I never got a NY Times subscription when all the ‘serious’ ‘progressives’ were suggesting we should last summer. I get the local rag & the SF Chronicle in paper form & the WaPo in digital and it wasn’t easy justifying the WaPo I will say. But I’m glad I did.

  30. 30.

    trollhattan

    @Ian G.:
    They get double-demerits on each attempt to gild this particular turd, as being the New York Times assures they’ve observed his antics up close and personal for nearly half a century. There’s simply no excuse for any attempt to recast him as something he obviously is not and cannot be.

  32. 32.

    Riley's Enabler

    Jumping in to say that we are safe. It’s been a hellish few days. Pulled my mom out of her Meyerland house in a kayak, got her to my home in Sienna and then got a mandatory evac notice. Couldn’t go – mom can’t do long car trips- but we are safe in a neighbors 2 story house. Good news is the Brazos should crest wed/thurs at 57.5 instead of 59, so we just might stay out of the water. Hoping. We have supplies and water and power atm.

    What a mess. Mom’s house was under water. Can’t even begin to deal with that…ugh.

    But we will get there. And we are safe and dry, as are Riley, Shadow, Jack, Dodge, JuneBug and Johnny.

  33. 33.

    trollhattan

    @p.a.:
    “Water leaks I’ve had, they’re the worst so I understand floods” is akin to “I’ve had a hangnail so boy, do I understand how you feel about losing your arm to an IED.”

  35. 35.

    Amaranthine RBG

    @sukabi:

    Well Maggie [woman’s name] my dear [patronizing way to address a woman you see as an inferior] , you’re bring the definition of “deep throat” back to it’s origins. [Porno featuring, among other things, woman sucking cock – no good ol fashioned man on man action there.] You might want to check out your papers archives on Watergate for for a journalistic definition. In the meantime perhaps a GoFundMe for kneepads is in order [reference to Monica Lewinsky who told Linda Tripp she was going to take kneepads with her.]

    Keep digging.

  39. 39.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Deepthroats

    ouch

    ETA: My god, watching the Beast trying to look engaged and in charge by staring at the FEMA briefer for the cameras. What the fuck stupid hat is he wearing for the occasion?

  40. 40.

    different-church-lady

    Oh holy god, my head, I really do wish i were making this up, but she’s now wearing a cap that says “FLOTUS”

  41. 41.

    sukabi

    @Amaranthine RBG: pretty sure having a pair of ovaries myself that I’m not judging her by her gender, but by her actions.

    So nice of you to defend her “honor” though, as if she’s a poor, helpless little girl.

  43. 43.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Amaranthine RBG: What do you call that article beside soft porn political slash fiction then?

    Wasn’t Haberman doing simular pieces about Bush and Rumsfeld back in the day?

  46. 46.

    mouse tolliver

    Watching this meeting, wondering why he couldn’t do this from Washington via teleconference. Political theater is all it is.

  47. 47.

    bystander

    @Ian G.:

    “Papaya Pol Pot”. Never get tired of these. “Cheez-Whiz Ceausescu” is still my favorite.

    Toss in Betty Cracker’s “ShitMidas”, and Trifecta!

  52. 52.

    chopper

    yeah, the fucking pivot is coming any fucking day now. christ, with you people. HE ISN’T GOING TO FUCKING CHANGE.

  55. 55.

    Amir Khalid

    @Amaranthine RBG:
    Sukabi is referring not to deep-throating but to Deep Throat, Bob Woodward’s informant during the Watergate scandal.

    Why am I stating the obvious to you? Because you have wilfully ignored it to justify picking a fight with sukabi.

  57. 57.

    Ohio Mom

    @Cheryl Rofer: I haven’t read the article yet but did watch the video clip. It’s raining as Trump and Meania approach Air Force One and both of them are carrying umbrellas.

    At the top of the steps, at the entrance to the plane, Melania gracefully folds up her umbrella and disappears into the plane, in one simple half turn of her body.

    Trump struggles with his entrance. The umbrella is wider than the doorway and he can’t figure out what to do. If I didn’t despise him so much, it would be heartbreaking.

  60. 60.

    rikyrah

    House Republican eyes a deadline for Special Counsel Mueller
    08/29/17 10:03 AM
    By Steve Benen

    In June, when Donald Trump started making public suggestions that he’d try to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, derailing the investigation into the Russia scandal, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) made clear he opposed such a move. “I think the best advice is to let Robert Mueller do his job,” Ryan said at the time.

    Politico reports that one of the Speaker’s members has a very different approach in mind.

    Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is pushing an amendment to severely curtail special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

    DeSantis has put forward a provision that would halt funding for Mueller’s probe six months after the amendment’s passage. It also would prohibit Mueller from investigating matters that occurred before June 2015, when Trump launched his presidential campaign.

    So, on the one hand, we see some senators taking steps to shield Mueller’s investigation from outside political interference, and on the other hand, we also see a House Republican pushing a measure to impose an arbitrary deadline that would end the probe.

    It’s probably best not to exaggerate the significance of DeSantis’ proposal: members will offer hundreds of amendments to the upcoming spending package, and most of them will be ignored. In this case, there’s no reason to believe DeSantis’ amendment will enjoy the support of House Republican leaders or even most of the House GOP conference.

    But part of me hopes this gets a floor vote anyway, not because I want to see the special counsel’s probe derailed by Congress, but because I’m curious just how many members of Congress would go along with something like this.

  62. 62.

    rikyrah

    Trump’s Secretary of Interior is trying to sell off thousands of acres of our National Parks under our noses t.co/zD2z5qUcGi
    — Adrienne ٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶ (@ImagineWorldas1) August 29, 2017

    That’s obviously not better. The land that’s “adjusted” would be lost to private hands forever. Here is a list of the monuments threatened: pic.twitter.com/2QeOpLnYzf
    — Adrienne ٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶ (@ImagineWorldas1) August 29, 2017

  65. 65.

    rikyrah

    URGENT: The levee at Columbia Lakes has been breached. Big area of Brazoria County is under mandatory evacuation t.co/7rkMmIEtaR pic.twitter.com/kBU8N8DmFr
    — William Axford (@Will_Axford) August 29, 2017

  66. 66.

    Amaranthine RBG

    @Amir Khalid: Hence the kneepads, right? I mean when Woodward and Bernstein met with Mark Felt in the parking garage, they had kneepads with them.

    Please.

  69. 69.

    lamh36

    First it’s inaccessible then was never closed & now they’ll open doors once the shelters overflow…uh huh..sounds to me like Joe trying to CYA…but of course the same folks will continue to defend??

    Pastor Joel Osteen says his Houston megachurch has ‘never’ closed its doors to people seeking shelter.

    twitter.com/ap/status/902497263401959429

  70. 70.

    chopper

    @Amaranthine RBG:

    shouldn’t you be off telling all the democratic voters in houston that they should drown for living in red texas? or is this some sort of shitbag multitasking?

  71. 71.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    You guys leave Melania alone! Those heels are from the L.L. Bean Safari Style™ collection. Totally appropriate for disaster areas and “roughing it”* in general.

    * For Trump Tower values of “roughing it.”

  72. 72.

    hueyplong

    Maggie H’s audience for this tripe has to be shrinking. Trump’s “base” doesn’t want unification, in fact, they’re fans of the original disunion. And any sentient beings who desire unity long ago lost any illusions that Trump has either the desire or the ability to unify the country.

    We saw the pivot. It was Charlottesville.

  73. 73.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Amaranthine RBG: Sukabi is saying that Haberman is trying for the Deep Throat of Nixon but achieving the Deep Throat of porn fame instead.

    This is not a comment we’d want to see from an elected official or a public pronouncement. As a comment on a blog, it’s indicative that the reporter in question is betraying her profession and selling herself out to the highest bidder. Let it go.

  74. 74.

    James Powell

    When Maggie Haberman writes anything her overarching purpose is to promote Maggie Haberman and her savvy insider insights, all of which carry the subtext that no one anywhere is savvier or more inside than Maggie Haberman. She responds to criticism with Judith Miller level disdain for the great unwashed.

  76. 76.

    SenyorDave

    I just keep wondering:

    Do these people understand that Trump is not intellectually capable of doing the job? The one time we got a chance to see Trump have to answer policy questions was during the debates. He was Sgt. Schultz – he knew nothing! He’s an ignorant, poorly read buffoon. If he was a decent person he couldn’t do the job of POTUS. The fact the he’s a malevolent piece of garbage who has spent his whole life surrounded by a bunch of yes-men has just reinforced all his terrible instincts.

  77. 77.

    Tom Levenson

    I’ve been twittering on this all morning. Did manage to get an aggrieved response from Thrush his own self.

    ;-)

  78. 78.

    gene108

    @rikyrah:

    In a functioning media environment DeSantis would be getting clobbered for suggesting this, and his opponent next year will have ready made attack ads.

    But so much media is dedicated to defending Trump, this will hardly register.

  80. 80.

    Amir Khalid

    @Amaranthine RBG:
    I have never pied another Balloon Juice commenter, and I hope I never do. But you, with your repeated attempts to start a fight over nothing — if I’m ever tempted to pie someone, it might well be you.

  83. 83.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Turgidson:

    She often engages with Twitterers when the subject of the NYT’s embarrassing coverage of BUT HER EMAILS comes up. Of course, those interactions are almost always pathetic exercises in deflection and deliberately missing the point.

    Same crap, different outlet. It reminds me of a decade ago when Doug and I (independently) used to do the same thing to WaPa stenographers when they were first doing online chats. Same exact thing as we’re seeing here. It’s why the Villagers will never change…short of mass use of tumbrels.

  85. 85.

    Greg in PDX

    My realtor was really good but I didn’t call her when our main water pipe burst last fall…..

  91. 91.

    Ohio Mom

    @Teddys Person: Yes Trump drops the umbrella when he gets inside the plane, like he expects someone else to clean up after him.

    But before that he also stands inside the plane with the umbrella on the other side of the door.

    It is subtle but he is definitely having what OTs and PTs call motor planning issues — it is just another small bit of proof that he is not firing on all cylinders.

    Like we needed more proof…

  92. 92.

    Teddys Person

    @Ohio Mom: I know, it’s like a 71 year old man doesn’t know how to work an umbrella. Check out the video I dropped at #86 to see how a real person works an umbrella.

  96. 96.

    Teddys Person

    @Ohio Mom: With Trump, it’s tough to figure out if there really are cognitive and/or motor issues or he’s just that much of an asshole who thinks he’s too important to know how to do the little thing in life. If he can golf every weekend, he should be able to operate an umbrella.

  98. 98.

    Ohio Mom

    @The Lodger: Typo, not malice. My spell check does not know what to do with her name. I guess I could enter the proper spelling in the dictionary but I am not motivated.

  99. 99.

    catclub

    @rikyrah:

    So, on the one hand, we see some senators taking steps [that if carried to completion and the bill is signed by Trump] to shield Mueller’s investigation from outside political interference,

  100. 100.

    Ohio Mom

    @Teddys Person: I could see your argument about Trump not wanting to do anything too plebeian for himself.

    But golfing — he has been doing that his whole life. Lots of muscle memory built up.

  102. 102.

    Bill Arnold

    If you want not-shameless, try The Specter of Climate Change Hangs Over Hurricane Harvey, David Wallace-Wells, August 28, 2017.
    Full of links too. (Could use more paper links IMO, but that’s just me.)

    But the more important matter is not how much blame for Harvey we should parcel out to climate change; it is how often, in this new age of epic weather, storms like this one will hit. There are complicated variables there, too, of course. But the big-picture answer is clear: much more often than we are prepared for — psychologically, socially, politically.

    ( nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/ is on my daily reading list )

  103. 103.

    Chyron HR

    It’s amazing how “woke” people who spent the entirety of 2016 calling Secretary Clinton “wh*re”, “b*tch” and “c*nt” can be.

  104. 104.

    germy

    Imagine the dumbest person you know.Now imagine them drunk. Now imagine them finishing your sentences.– the inventor of autocorrect— Elizabeth Hackett (@LizHackett) August 22, 2017

  107. 107.

    Chris Fisher

    “Kent, some people are still angry at President Bobo the Monkey’s initial response to Hurricane Georgia where he vigorously masturbated as aides tried to brief him on the situation. This only a few days after he flung his own feces at the ambassador for North Korea ratcheting up tensions there. What do you say now?”

    “Well, Dallas, it’s an entirely new President Bobo the Monkey here. As he surveyed the damage, he solemnly ate a banana and didn’t tear anyone’s face off or poop in his hand.”

    “Wow. He really seems to be growing into the office, Kent.”

  109. 109.

    Kay

    It’s so crazy how they treat him like a contractor- like he BUILT those hotels.

    They would love if he pretended to check load-bearing walls or something in Texas. He should do it. They won’t know it’s BS.

  110. 110.

    Teddys Person

    @Ohio Mom: That’s true. My mom is suffering from dementia and has recently started playing the piano again. She played for her church as a teenager and has a copy of the hymnal that she used back in the day. It’s surprising because she didn’t really play much during her adult life. Some of it is muscle memory, but it seems that she can still read the music. As long as she’s somewhat familiar with the song, she can figure out the notes. It’s an important coping skill that she has now and will be tragic when she loses it.

  112. 112.

    ding7777

    In Texas, Trump decided to wear a white supremacy uniform – khakis and and a white shirt

  113. 113.

    JMG

    @JPL: It’s easier to draw a crowd when visiting a place where most people no longer have a house allowing them to stay inside.

  115. 115.

    Captain C

    @Amir Khalid: When someone is more concerned with defending the honor of Judith Miller 2.0 than with the fact that JM 2.0 is fluffing Trump and his admin (not to mention that Trump is president*), I think we can see where the problem actually is.

  117. 117.

    Kay

    Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump 30 Oct 2012
    More
    Not only giving out money, but Obama will be seen today standing in water and rain like he is a real President — don’t fall for it.

    Oh, Trump is going to be “giving out” a lot of money. Take the cost estimates on that flood and multiply by 3.

    He’ll be handing out money all over the place. He better reconsider that expensive boondoggle of a spite wall. He can’t afford a vanity project. Time to take the checkbook away from the indulged toddler.

  119. 119.

    bjacques

    I saw that movie Grudge and that sure helped me understand a major city being under water. So will Trump understand the devastation of a wildfire because of the frequent connection between real estate development and arson?

  120. 120.

    Seth Owen

    @rikyrah: In more normal times I might agree with you, but in the Trump era I’m no longer interested in having my curiosity satisfied at the risk — no matter how smal — of a bad outcome coming to pass.

  121. 121.

    Captain C

    @SenyorDave<:

    >: Do these people understand that Trump is not intellectually capable of doing the job?

    I think they don’t care, as long as they can keep affording their Upper East Side or Park Slope apartments and looking down on people who are actually smarter and more talented than them.

  135. 135.

    germy

    Interesting comment at LGM:

    FMguru howard • an hour ago

    There’s a telling contrast between Trump and his predecessor – every time Trump encounters a challenge, the media always presents it as an opportunity to legitimate his presidency (pivot, this is the day he truly became President, etc.), whereas every time Obama encountered a challenge (Deepwater Horizon, healthcare.gov website rollout, ebola outbreak, etc.), it was treated as the potential beginning-of-the-end for his administration (how many “this could be Obama’s Katrina” stories did we hear during those eight years?).

    It’s really striking, and it speaks to the deep-held Beltway assumption (which is utterly impervious to things like facts and evidence) that Republicans are the sober, mature, natural governing party, whereas the Democrats are a bunch of free-spending hippie goofballs who are always on the verge of collapsing the whole house of cards.

  141. 141.

    rikyrah

    Now, I just wanna understand.
    The levee has been breached – i.e., water is coming over it.
    But, it hasn’t broken, right?
    That is when all hell broke loose in New Orleans – when the levees broke.

  142. 142.

    different-church-lady

    @JPL: That would be kind of absurd, since there’s only one FLOTUS.

    Therefore, I expect the answer to be yes within 24 hours.

  144. 144.

    GregB

    Seeing Trump reminds me of reports of Eisenhower liberating concentration camps in Germany.

    “What a crowd! Great turnout!

  146. 146.

    trollhattan

    Per NWS, as of 9:00 this morning Houston had received 39.89 inches from Harvey. No precedent and little wonder the place is a giant aquatic park. Simply can’t comprehend rain like this.

  148. 148.

    mai naem mobile

    @rikyrah: idiot is wearing heels. Stilletoes. Who the fuck wears stilletoes to a disaster area. This isn’t him. This is her. She’s as big a bimbo as he is a boob. They should have put FLOATUS on the hat. Also too, this witch ain’t never gonna get her manicured hands onto Michelle Obamas vegetable garden.

  149. 149.

    trollhattan

    @GregB:
    “You’ve been a beautiful audience, remember tip your waitress, I’ll be signing my new CD in the lobby.”

  150. 150.

    james parente

    @Teddys Person: Due to Sandy related financial and emotional issues, I stopped practicing guitar, nearly 2 years ago.
    3 months ago, during a particularly depressing bout of frustration, “Dark Thoughts” again haunted me. I was falling off the cliff of despair, again.
    I started practicing Guitar, again. 1 hour/day of practice is now my routine. I am actually improving every practice session. It is one of 2 things that keeps me fighting thru the continuing rape that is Superstorm Sandy “Recovery”.
    The 2nd thing that I look forward to, everyday, is the company of Buddy, my very beautiful mixed breed pup! Music and Dogs are a true lifesaver.

  152. 152.

    germy

    @mai naem mobile: somehow I suspect drumpf made her sign an agreement before the marriage that she would never appear in his presence without high heels and an adequate amount of makeup.

  161. 161.

    Teddys Person

    @james parente: I’m truly sorry for the financial and emotional issues caused by Sandy and the storm’s aftermath. I am glad to hear that music and a furry companion are bringing much needed comfort. I’m not sure where I would be with my Teddy (a delightful GoldenDoodle). I’ve been toying around with the idea of acquiring a ukulele and teaching myself to play. Haven’t followed through yet, but you may have inspired me.

  162. 162.

    germy

    @Teddys Person:

    I’ve been toying around with the idea of acquiring a ukulele and teaching myself to play.

    I definitely recommend the uke. I bought one a concert size ukulele a few years ago and love learning new songs. I play it every day. Great for relaxation and focus and fun.

  163. 163.

    Roger Moore

    @germy:

    It’s really striking, and it speaks to the deep-held Beltway assumption (which is utterly impervious to things like facts and evidence) that Republicans are the sober, mature, natural governing party, whereas the Democrats are a bunch of free-spending hippie goofballs who are always on the verge of collapsing the whole house of cards.

    I think this point is just about right, but it might be better to replace “assumption” with “hope”. It isn’t just that they assume the Republicans are serious and the Democrats aren’t; they recognize that it isn’t the case and are constantly, desperately hoping that it will change. I can understand anyone hoping against hope that Trump will finally turn around and start acting like a responsible leader, and I guess that the media is always hoping they can catch the Democrats screwing up, if for no other reason that because it would be good news.

  166. 166.

    trollhattan

    Programming note: UK citizens prove not to be mouthbreathing morons.

    Sky is to stop broadcasting Fox News in the UK after low audience figures, the media firm has said.

    21st Century Fox, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch, said the channel was being withdrawn as it was not commercially viable. The decision was not related to Fox’s takeover bid for Sky, a source told the BBC.

    Culture secretary Karen Bradley has previously said she may refer the bid to competition regulators. “[Fox] has decided to cease providing a feed of Fox News Channel in the UK,” a company spokeswoman said.

    “Fox News is focused on the US market and designed for a US audience and, accordingly, it averages only a few thousand viewers across the day in the UK. We have concluded that it is not in our commercial interest to continue providing Fox News in the UK,” she added.

  168. 168.

    NMgal

    Someone posted a photo of an African American rescuer carrying two little white kids through chest-deep water. Sorry if this one has already been noted, but here’s my favorite photo and caption so far in the “fuck you white supremacist assholes” vein:
    http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/65/15/21/13947983/7/920×920.jpg

    Precinct 6 Deputy Constables Sgt. Paul Fernandez, from left, Sgt. Michael Tran and Sgt. Radha Patel rescue an elderly woman from rising water on North MacGregor Way, near Brays Bayou, after heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, Sunday, August 27, 2017, in Houston.

  169. 169.

    Major Major Major Major

    @trollhattan:

    UK citizens prove not to be mouthbreathing morons.

    Fox News or not, they still have the rest of the Murdoch outlets, and I see no evidence that the majority who voted for Brexit and still have a Tory government are not mouth breathing morons.

  170. 170.

    Peale

    @germy: I guess we could think of it this way. They wanted Obama to fail like Bush did. They want Trump to turn into Obama because Obama never failed.

  171. 171.

    jl

    From the clips I heard of Trump this morning on then news, he’s been on good behavior during his trip to see the Harvey response. Maybe that is because his minders have more influence over him during the emergency, or (my cynical self says) proper behavior during this kind of emergency is close to what he is trained to do during reality show semi-scripted fake emergencies, so he knows the proper show biz drill.

    I don’t worry too much about fluffing by press. Trump has said he’s going to switch off between hyper divisive and explosive rhetoric and antics for his Trump 2020 MAGA rallies, and being ‘presidential’ (at least as far as he can pull that off) at other time. And Trump has said that is just a fine way to act, it is just political show business [wrong!]. Only his enemies and losers would see anything wrong with it. So, it won’t last no matter what the journamalists type.

  173. 173.

    Teddys Person

    @germy: I’ve done a bit of online research for a good reasonably-priced beginner uke. Any suggestions or comments on what a beginner should look for in a uke? Full disclosure, I’ve never played any stringed instruments. Only the obligatory piano lessons for a couple of years as a child.

  174. 174.

    rikyrah

    @germy: I guess we could think of it this way. They wanted Obama to fail like Bush did. They want Trump to turn into Obama because Obama never failed.

    Tis true. They wanted 44 to end his term in disgrace like 43. Breaks their heart that he didn’t.

  175. 175.

    Miss Bianca

    @trollhattan: Yeah, that’s actually me, too. Which means that auto-correct didn’t correct my erroneous statement about auto-correct and…daaaammmm yooooouuuu, auto-correct….!

  178. 178.

    Immanentize

    Another just west of Houston update — the projection for the Brazos river peak has gone down a few feet near Richmond Texas, but they haven’t yet figured in how reservoir spillway action and planned releases are going to affect all the water paths to the Gulf. As it is, mu in laws are still in their house, surrounded by water, but still about 10 feet above the flooding.

    My BiL wrote that he was sitting in the garage just watching the rain when a squirrel ran into the garage right past him, didn’t give him a moment’s notice, then climbed up in the garage on top of the open garage door. Every man, woman and beast is sick of the water

  179. 179.

    gene108

    @Roger Moore:

    Part of the issue is with the domination of right-wing media, Republicans do not have to work very hard to get a message out. And the MSM does not want to admit how tilted the playing field is or their role in being dupes for right-wingers.

    Half the time, at least, the messaging is handed to Republicans on a silver platter be their media enablers.

    This is why Bush, Jr and Trump are so incompetent. There is a well funded, dedicated, media apparatus making sure the their turds are polished. And people like Habbrrman and Thrush are a part of it, whether they admit it to themselves or not.

    I don’t think the media wants to accept how uneven the media landscape is, and the only Democrats, who rise to prominence have to be much, much better than their Republican counterparts because they have to overcome all the media bullshit.

    It is on every level you can imagine. Republican policies do not work, but there is entrenched media claiming tax cuts pay for themselves 36 years after Reagan reversed course on his first round of tax cuts, while thoughtlessly declaring anything a Democrat does to be a disaster.

    The MSM just does not want admit the double standard that exists in the media.

  182. 182.

    NorthLeft12

    @Raven Onthill: Saw a report on CBC about Deadbeat Donald’s chance to redeem himself with a good performance on this. The American expert [ I did not catch his name] did equivocate by admitting that the bar for Trump would be extremely low and as long as he did not step on his own dick [metaphorically] he would probably get good reviews.
    That whole kind of discussion pisses me off on a number of levels.

  183. 183.

    Immanentize

    Also, my BiL went to a nearby Kroger’s to get some foodstuffs when the rain let up this morning. There was a line outside that stretched maybe 50 yards. Very orderly he said, but took 20 minutes to get inside. The police officer in there was exhausted — had to evacuate and certainly lost his house. The cop was mostly worried that his two pets, who ran when they were evacuating, might not have made it. My BiL gave him a hug.

  184. 184.

    NorthLeft12

    @Redshift: I believe that “reasonable conservative” is standing right next to that “moderate Republican”. Or maybe behind…kind of hard to tell.

  188. 188.

    Immanentize

    @Redshift: David Brooks today assumes the white identifying Republicans will kill the GOP. Amazing. Could have been written anytime since Nixon, but I guess better late than never.

  190. 190.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Redshift: Every time they find a Republican with either a sense of humor, an unwillingness to talk about Jesus, or both, they get a little weak in the knees. That’s why they loved John McCain so much. They _respect_ bare-knuckle brawlers like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, which is a slightly different profile. So they’ll always respect Team Trump for being assholes and relishing it. And for not talking about Christ. He’s a hedonist, and they like that. But I’m not sure they’re going to crush on him the way they did McCain, because he’s a trash-talker rather than a joke-maker.

  191. 191.

    NorthLeft12

    @trollhattan: When I first got cable here in Canada you had to choose your channels in packages. When I first looked at the news package I liked some of the channels available, then I noticed that Fox News was in that group. I told the cable rep that I liked all of the channels except for Fox and if they could delete them from the group. She said no, but I don’t have to watch it. I said no, I do not want to even have access or even give some small indication of support for them. If she would like to report that Fox News caused me to cut this whole package, perhaps they would change their policy.
    Now we can pick and choose whatever channels we want outside of the core Canadian programming. PROGRESS!

  193. 193.

    Immanentize

    @Teddys Person: here in Boston there are a lot of music shops that will help you buy a beginner yuke (or guitar etc) and then later let you trade it back in when you upgrade. Also yukelali lessons in Arlington, Ma!

    ETA I think you just inspired me to try the yukelali now while I am so distracted and sad. It is a sweet happy instrament

  194. 194.

    trollhattan

    @NorthLeft12:
    Jealous. So far none of my area providers allow “unbundling.” Suspect streaming will be cable’s undoing, allowing us to pick and choose before they ever cave on their crumbling monopoly.

  196. 196.

    Fleeting Expletive

    What happens if Mueller’s investigation implicates way more than Executive branch people, e.g., Congress? What, I wonder, are his political boundaries there–five, ten, twenty congress people? In the last thread someone mentioned last summer when Obama requested Ryan and McConnell to join in a statement about the IC’s investigation of Russian election meddling. They refused. Why?

    What if, apropos the NYT, et al, those Russians were busy with mainstream media as well as Breitbart?

    This stuff keeps me awake at night.

  197. 197.

    Iowa Old Lady

    I’m not worried about Trump getting credit. If he manages to clear the low bar while in Texas, he’ll have built up a nastiness deficit that he will work out in the next couple of days.

  200. 200.

    rikyrah

    @Fleeting Expletive:

    What happens if Mueller’s investigation implicates way more than Executive branch people, e.g., Congress? What, I wonder, are his political boundaries there–five, ten, twenty congress people? In the last thread someone mentioned last summer when Obama requested Ryan and McConnell to join in a statement about the IC’s investigation of Russian election meddling. They refused. Why?

    To be honest, I’m counting on it. That is what I want to happen.
    GET.THEM.ALL.

  201. 201.

    germy

    @Teddys Person: My first uke was a soprano. I played it for about a year, teaching myself chords. After I broke a string i decided I wanted something bigger, but not too big. I like my concert size. Amahi brand.

  202. 202.

    ruckus

    @trollhattan:
    Don’t think it’s the phone that’s the problem. It could be you have a similar problem as me. Brain knows what I want, fingers and brain have issues with each other and way too often lose the plot.

  205. 205.

    germy

    @Immanentize: Only the two ukes.

    Over the years I owned various electric and acoustic guitars, and a bass guitar but I sold them a while back. I’m not interested in making amplified music anymore. I went about fifteen years owning no instruments. The ukes are a recent hobby.

  206. 206.

    ruckus

    @james parente:
    Give yourself time. It can take quite a bit of time to get over a huge natural disaster. Last one I went through was in 94 and I’m still not 100%, though have been close for awhile. Not sure if we ever recover 100%, we just learn to live with it. So guitar playing helps? Maybe if I had any talent at it what so ever.

  207. 207.

    trollhattan

    @ruckus:
    Won’t claim that’s not happening, but when I look at my thumbs over the phone’s virtual keyboard each covers at least six letters and there’s little control of which it touches first. I can touch-type pretty dang swell on a decent keyboard, hold my beer and just szgvm.

  208. 208.

    stinger

    @germy: At least in the video I saw, while he was addressing the crowd she was behind him but hardly ever visible. She has to be there but not be seen. I have no doubt that, as a model, she knows where the camera is at all times. And she stayed out of sight of it.

  211. 211.

    different-church-lady

    @trollhattan:

    “Fox News is focused on the US market and designed for a US audience…

    Which is a pretty damning indictment of US audiences.

  212. 212.

    Teddys Person

    @Immanentize: I hadn’t thought about that potential perk from a music store. I’m going to stop thinking about it and head over to the local music store today or tomorrow to check out both instruments and maybe lessons.

    P.S. I regularly lurk and occasionally comment here so I know your situation (hopefully that doesn’t come off as creepy). My condolences to you and your family. I hope some ukulele playing brings you some comforting distraction.

  216. 216.

    catclub

    @Mike J:

    Seattle’s yearly average is 37″ (93 cm). Drizzle every day for nine months.

    maybe Villago lives in the HOH rain forest? I think it has 100+ inches per year. It is on the western side of the Olympic mountains.

  217. 217.

    glaukopis

    @Teddys Person: I like my tenor uke (with low g string) which I find easier to play than the smaller ones, but if you have any experience playing a guitar or want to play in the future, the 4 strings of the Baritone are tuned like the higher pitched strings on a guitar, so chord knowledge could carry over.
    Ed: go to a store that carries a range of them if you can, and try them out.

  218. 218.

    JDM

    I don’t care how many toilets Trump has clogged in his lifetime, it doesn’t mean he knows anything about how to deal with the aftermath.

Comments are closed.