Here’s Badger looking all bad-ass:
If my area of Florida is destroyed by a hurricane next summer and Trump tours this neighborhood, I know my Badger would sink his fangs into the shitgibbon’s nutsack if he wandered onto our property. Badger has heard Mom and Dad cursing at the Bad Man on TV all his life!
And he’ll hear it again this evening. We’ll definitely tune into the carnival of stupid. You?
I’m looking forward to the Chuck and Nancy rebuttal. And while I generally despise it when pundits — especially neocons! — suggest what Democrats should say in a given situation, J-Rub’s suggestions here are pretty damned on point, IMO. “It’s the lying, stupid!”
Also, a little bird told me that if you want to watch a shouty, finger-wagging rebuttal by a non-Democrat, such a spectacle will be streamed live for your viewing pleasure. That I will skip.
Anyhoo, open thread!
Yutsano
You couldn’t pay me enough to watch it. I’ll just keep tabs on it from various sources. Hell someone here will probably liveblog it.
On a happier note, it looks like all my unemployment hiccups have resolved. I should start getting money at the end of next week.
ruemara
I like his dignified grumpy man in spats face.
@Yutsano: YAY!
dlwchico
Badger looks like he’s ready to wrassle a gator.
JPL
The last two nights I was able to sleep at least seven hours, and if I watch I fear my nightmares will return. I’ll pass.
Patricia Kayden
Here’s an interesting link on the first ever government shutdown which was caused by Confederate sympathizers.
https://twitter.com/HC_Richardson/status/1082705020154372096
Very fitting for what’s happening in our federal government right now.
Gin & Tonic
You’d have to do a Clockwork Orange on me to get me to watch.
Baud
The DC Circuit issued a redacted opinion in the Mueller mystery case. Skimming through it, I don’t think Company A is Deutsche Bank because it seems to be a company that doesn’t do much business in the U.S.
https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/543298E5B1BEA87C8525837C0074E9A9/$file/18-3071-PUBLIC.pdf
FlyingToaster
I certainly will not be watching; I got a new device for my birthday and I’ll be streaming an episode of something far more entertaining for an hour, then putting WarriorGirl to bed, then doing dishes and probably scrubbing out whatever exploded in the microwave (I wasn’t here, I’m deciding to not sweat it).
If a network were brave enough to run it on time delay and chyron the lies, I’d change my mind, but otherwise, fuckem.
dmsilev
Sorry, I’m on call to wax the turtles in the local pond.
Aleta
Don’t mess with Badger.
pluky
@Baud: Bank of Cyprus?
Yarrow
Badger looks fierce! Good boy!
I’ve got two family members in the hospital and thankfully I’m not in charge of finding the assisted living place for a third one. I am helping a good friend who has no one else who has been in and out of the ER a few times since Christmas and is on high dose antibiotics. And there’s major issue at home that is taking all the rest of my time and energy. So that’s all fun.
I won’t be tuning in. I don’t need to add the orange traitor to that level of stress. If there’ something worth watching I’m sure Balloon Juice will let me know.
TomatoQueen
Badger doing his best Winston Churchill (minus cigar): “We’ll fight ’em on the beaches! We shall nevah surrendah!”
MomSense
Anyone watch Samin Nosrat’s series Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix? I really enjoyed it. Tonight I’m soaking beans to make her roasted vegetable and bean salad.
recipe
Baud
@pluky: Good as guess as any.
Schlemazel
@Yutsano:
Congrats. Having had the pleasure in 2007 I know how wearing unemployment can be
The Dangerman
I’d rather take out my own appendix with a screwdriver.
Probably not.
eclare
I may watch with the sound off til the Democratic response, I do want to see and hear that.
rikyrah
Badger is so adorable ????
Just One More Canuck
Poco/Badger 2020
Brachiator
Ha! I agree.
Sadly, Trump and his base are one. Even though the California Republican Party has been reduced to remnants, they are holding firm. They are getting ready to elect a new state chairman, and have decided that the future of the California GOP is to become more like Trump.
And unsurprisingly, the average California Republican is whiter, less educated and relatively poorer.
These fools will be with Trump until the bitter end.
rikyrah
@Yutsano:
Yeah ??
Schlemazel
Put me down for the never ever group tonight. The only words I want to hear are “guilty, your honor”
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
They are pitiful ? ?
Pay them no mind.
SiubhanDuinne
He could jump out of an airplane, for sure. He’s just that bad-ass.
SFAW
@The Dangerman:
Just make sure it’s a flat-blade, not a Phillips or Torx — the incision will heal up better, I think.
Waratah
Beto is using twitter to reply to trump. He linked to some facts first then had an old newspaper article about Libyan hit squad at the border kind of saying we have had this fear mongering before. The comments were funny.
Cacti
Wilmer is fairly anti-immigration reform, so I suspect his response will be a backstab of the Dems, with some railing about “millionayuhs and billionayuhs”.
Waldo
I’m going to avoid watching the wannabe dictator now, in case he becomes a for-reals dictator later and we all have to watch.
Thoughtful David
@Baud:
Not sure if that’s good or bad. If it’s a company that doesn’t do much business in the US, I hope Mueller has placed a hold on all of the principals’ passports so they don’t just skedaddle. Also, the $50k/day fine will be an incentive to skip, unless they have a lot of assets to protect. On the other hand, if they don’t do much business but do have a lot of assets here, the fine will be an incentive to talk sooner.
Baud
@Thoughtful David: Reading the opinion, it doesn’t sound like an easy legal issue. We’re lucky the Supreme Court stayed out of it.
As far as how compliance goes, I really can’t predict since we don’t know for sure who all is involved and what their exposure actually is.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I can’t watch or listen to Trump. I already had a heart attack. I’ll be reading Esi Edugyan’s WASHINGTON BLACK, which is so well written. I am deeply jealous.
Steeplejack
@Baud:
I don’t think Deutsche Bank is owned by its country’s government, which Company A is. Hoarsewisperer thinks it might be the Qatar Investment Authority, which has New York offices quite close to Trump Tower and keeps popping up tangentially in many aspects of the Mueller investigation.
Betty Cracker
@Cacti: He totally dropped “millionayuhs” from the stump speech when he became one.
WereBear
@FlyingToaster: Put a cup of water in the microwave for a few minutes on high for the steam effect.
MomSense
@eclare:
Don’t do it! I made that mistake once. His facial expressions are terrifying, moreso with the volume muted. It’s like a scarier Heath Ledger as the Joker.
Major Major Major Major
My parents will be watching just in case he decides to go full tin-pot dictator and declare an emergency, so they can say there were Watching When. I imagine I’ll be writing at that hour.
SiubhanDuinne
Oh, yes. Hope you or Adam or some BJFP puts up a link so I don’t have to screw around with WaPo links or whatever.
Me too. I know a lot of people want an AOC or Beto or Warren or Sharice to give the Dem response, but I think it’s important, symbolically and actually, to have the top leadership figures of the Opposition speak for their caucus. (Also, neither of them AFAIK is even remotely considering a 2020 Presidential run, so that whole “political positioning” thing is irrelevant.)
Now Bernie? Him, I’m not so much looking forward to (although may watch him, if only to laugh and point).
Tenar Arha
I admire your fortitude. I know my limitations, and I would be screaming mad in a minute or less.
I’m having a fancy bourbon & dinner out, then going to see If Beale Street Could Talk so I won’t be tempted to watch the stupid live.
debbie
Lieu’s providing rebuttal remarks. I’d like to hear them, but doubt the networks will still be around.
JustRuss
My mental health is fragile enough as is, so I’ll pass on tonight’s rant-fest.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@SFAW: If you have an iAppendix you’ll have to use a special screwdriver.
Miss Bianca
@Betty Cracker: I’ve been tormenting my BernieBro friends with, “why do you suppose he won’t release his tax returns? Is it because he’s one of those “millionayuhs” he’s made so much bank railing against?”
Strangely, they never seem to want to answer that question.
Fierce Badger is fierce!
Patricia Kayden
When you’ve lost Allahpundit …
https://twitter.com/allahpundit/status/1082769577120022529
Steeplejack
@Cacti:
Honesty bonus points if Bernie phrases it as “billionayuhs and my fellow millionayuhs.”
Joy in
Badger! such fierce cuteness!
Waratah
@Yutsano: my sister in Australia was feeling sorry for the employees laid off. I am glad you get to go back.
MazeDancer
@MomSense:
Your enjoying Salt, Fat, Acid encourages my watching it which I had no intent to do.
Will encourage others to watch “The Bodyguard”. Which besides the ridic Kevin Costner name gave no indication there would be lovemaking involved. Also, had no clue until he won the Golden Globe that was Rob Stark.
hedgehog mobile
Not watching. Happy hour with office buds someplace with no TV. I will catch up with the jackaltariat once the speech is over.
SiubhanDuinne
@Yutsano:
Good to hear on the unemployment! I’ve been there, and it’s no fun.
Crosspalms
Is he taking us furniture shopping before or after the speech?
MomSense
@MazeDancer:
I liked the Bodyguard but I watch everything with Keeley Hawes. I watch everything her gorgeous hubby, too.
Jeffro
@Baud: Alfa bank?
lamh36
TV Alert: The season 5 premiere of Finding Your Roots airs tonight on PBS!
Check out this video from @PBS: Finding Your Roots, Season 5 Preview https://www.pbs.org/video/season-5-preview-uv6am6
Looks like an interesting season, including: Marisa Tomei, Felicity Huffman, Laura Linney, S. Epatha Merkerson, Michael K. Williams, Andy Samberg, Chloe Sevigny, Kal Penn, George R.R. Martin, Christiane Amanpour, Ann Curry, Joe Madison, Lisa Ling, Seth Meyers, Michael Strahan…
but bleh…his doing 3 Republicans on one Episode (Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard)…PASS!
OzarkHillbilly
Why do you hate yourself so, Betty?
Uncle Omar
Watch tonight? No thanks, I have peonage basketball to watch…one of my almae matrae tonight and another Thursday when the inevitable brouhaha from tonight’s shitstorm abates.
rikyrah
Colorado swore in its new Governor.
First openly gay Governor.
I remember the line from Scandal when Olivia Pope said..
Give me 10 years and I can give you a gay President.
Looked him up— husband, two kids…
Colorado has a new First Family ?
We will see how this works out.
Major Major Major Major
According to Facebook I acquired Samwise four years ago today. Here is a picture from that day https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYyHsjnaVJ/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=43cozlkrszhi
Waratah
@SiubhanDuinne: I agree with you it should be Nancy and Chuck.
Ruckus
I have more than enough health issues without watching the shithead, that I’m not willing to make it worse.
Baud
@rikyrah:
I’d like a gay president, just not that gay president.
#JustATestRun
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne:
@Waratah:
Thirded.
tobie
@Steeplejack: Didn’t Trump knife the Qataris in the back at some point? I thought his administration ended up supporting a Saudi blockade of Qatar’s ports but it’s really hard to keep track of all the screw ups and scandals and paybacks emanating from the White House.
TaMara (HFG)
He’s gotten so big! Bad-assed indeed.
SFAW
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
You know, there are times when I attempt to make a funny, and someone like you comes along to show me how it’s REALLY done.
In other words: your comment was bee-yoo-tee-full.
jl
” You? ”
No. Worried about BP spikes. Can watch clips later if need be.
Edit: Bad Ass Badger looks ready to give an appropriately aggressive response, though. You can put up a youtube!
trnc
@dmsilev:
So that’s what we’re calling it now?
SFAW
@tobie:
He’s knifed everybody he’s dealt with in the back, at some point.
MCA1
@Steeplejack: He’s also just retweeted the curious coincidence that QIA just happens to be the 2nd largest stakeholder (I think the original tweeter was incorrect in saying the largest) in Brookfield, which just happened to front the 666 5th Ave. deal that rescued the Kushners from that terrible investment.
Recall that:
– Jared had been assigned the diplomatic portfolio of all Middle Eastern issues by Dotard
– Jared established chummy relations with MBS ofSaudi Arabia
– At a time when it appeared QIA/Brookfield were getting cold feet on the 666 deal, the U.S. endorsed an airspace/shipping lanes blockade of Qatar
– The primary mover on that blockade was…wait for it…Saudi Arabia
– Funny enough, the deal got done (although the blockade and diplomatic crisis is still extant)
I’m sure there’s no connection between any of these things, of course. And certainly the Cheetolini Maladministration’s spineless shriveling away from even the mildest rebuke of MBS over the Khashoggi murder has nothing to do with any of this. Nothing to see here. Please disperse.
Steeplejack
I probably will watch Trump tonight, or at least start out. My distant salad days as a newspaper reporter who had to sit through many boring/awful speeches still tug at my curiosity. But I’ll have Daniel Dale’s Twitter feed (@ddale8) handy in case the going gets too tough. He has already laid down some preparatory information and recommended some other experts to follow.
Still need to think of a drinking-game word that won’t have me comatose within the first five minutes. And I’ll have HGTV set as my “previous channel” in case I need to tag out.
ETA: I sincerely hope that “J-Rub” or “J-Rubs” does not become a thing.
trollhattan
NWSL draft is Thursday and lots of players have registered for it, particularly from top US college programs but not exclusively, since it’s the top pro women’s soccer league in the world. Anyhoo and in honor of Herb Caen, my favorite names in the draft pool:
Lucy Whipp
Sam Staab
Oh, that they would end up on the same team.
Honorable mention to Kristen Ritter who evidently is branching out from acting and barely disguising the effort via minor name change. Jessica will be a kickass striker.
How many knew there is a Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania? Learn something new every day and that’s two new facts for me. Somehow they’re not among the horde bombarding my kid with recruitment stuff.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
I’ll either watch the Democratic rebuttal or read about it, I haven’t decided. I know I won’t be watching.
Update: Some commentators may remember me asking about investing a week or so ago. After being given very good advice, I did some more research and discovered that it’s not as scary or confusing as I previously thought, especially for the long-term investing I plan on doing. Much of it depends on how much risk I’m comfortable with taking as well as the length of time for the investment. As young as I am, I won’t have to worry about market fluctuations much. Having a diversified portfolio with low fees, and with Vanguard, commission-free buying and selling.
I came across this:
Build a fully diversified portfolio with just 4 ETFs
A mix of growth ETFs like the Total Stock Market ETF along with some Bond Market ETFs in my portfolio like in the link would reduce my overall investment risk.
The only problem now is investing the minimum amount needed to cover buying a single stock, and I’m not flush with cash. But that’s not a big deal. I at least have a plan. Does it sound like I’m on the right track?
grrljock
@MomSense: Very much enjoyed the series; beautifully presented and shot. My spouse and older son were seated next to Samin Nosrat at our neighborhood cafe last weekend. They said that she was as joyful in real life as she was on screen.
Steeplejack
@Major Major Major Major:
I love it when they pose with such dignity but don’t realize something is laughably askew (e.g., bent ear).
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Just saying dictators don’t go on mass media and announce it before they do their coup.
Trump’s an entertainer so this is about keeping his audience. He likely thinks about his poll numbers like audience share.
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
Badger is an adorable bad ass, and he’s gotten bigger than I expected. So he’s a big adorable bad ass.
JPL
@MazeDancer: That was a great show.
Steeplejack
@tobie:
Yes, but that was after he was elected, not when all the dirty deeds were going down during the campaign. So QIA might be just another subcontractor that got screwed by Trump.
debbie
@Steeplejack:
“Crisis.”
Brachiator
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Looks good, especially if you are comfortable with your choices.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
Thanks, and I’m fairly comfortable with my strategy. Of course I’m still reading and I could still change my mind, but I feel much better with more knowledge. Funny how that works ; )
Steeplejack
@debbie:
That might work. Kind of hoity-toity, so Trump might not say it too often, but surely his speechwriters will have worked it in somewhere.
I think a lot depends on whether Trump sticks to his text or goes off on an extended improv solo.
MomSense
@grrljock:
Her personality makes the show. Would be so great to go to one of her dinner parties. I even know which apron I’d wear.
debbie
The local Fox station (Sinclair) is saying they’ll only broadcast 15 minutes. Guess this means they won’t be giving time to Pelosi and Schumer.
Steeplejack
Whether you watch or not tonight, I think this is a good thing (linked from @Hoarsewisperer):
WhatsMyNym
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: I just put another 15k into a short term CD (3 month in this case) because I couldn’t see anything else better. Yes, still have stocks/funds/EFTs, but they were heavily trimmed before the downturn.
ETA: the trick is to keep on putting money into the account on a regular basis.
Gin & Tonic
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: Doing something is generally better than doing nothing. You have a very long time horizon, so don’t sweat it so much.
Mnemosyne
@MazeDancer:
Richard Madden was also in the live-action Cinderella that came out a few years ago. He’s so good at being sincere that I would be worried if I was his romantic partner — how would you know if he was telling the truth or just acting? ?
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@WhatsMyNym:
Definitely.
catclub
@Cacti: Well, If I were Nancy and Chuck, I would propose a billionaire’s tax to pay for the wall.
Trump can be the first in line to pay for it.
satby
The only way our miserable news media starts to take their jobs seriously will be when they can’t draw eyes and ratings with the freak shows any more, so no way is my TV even going to be on.
Miss Bianca
@rikyrah: The cool thing is, not even the rabid right-winger he ran against brought up JP’s sexual orientation as a reason to vote against him. Even the mouth-breathers out in CO have evolved somewhat.
Miss Bianca
@Major Major Major Major: He looks like he’s saying, “Who are you?! What have you done with *my life*?!?!”
WaterGirl
@Baud: You are so right. I laughed out loud. Sad that it’s true, though.
WaterGirl
@debbie: You are so right. Bet that if Trump goes long, they will cover his whole deal, and then bail before Nancy and Chuck.
seaboogie
The ever saucy Stormy Daniels tweeted that she’ll be live-streaming a video of herself folding laundry in her underwear starting at 9pm EST and offered a link to her Instagram account…
rekoob
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: The short answer is, yes. Jim Lorie, whose writings on business and investment management made a lot of sense to me, noted that investment management consists of three primary steps:
1. Determine your risk/return preferences
2. Build a portfolio that reflects those preferences
3. Minimize taxes and transaction costs in delivering that portfolio
Easy to say, hard to do. It is, by nature, dynamic, but the truth is that your overall asset allocation is likely to be the biggest contributor to your portfolio’s performance. Each of the ETFs you’ve cited is extremely well-diversified — you’ll get the market return (more or less) in each category. The question for you to consider is how much of each ETF to own: equal shares (25%) or something more blended. Given your long-term investment horizon, you may wish to have a much higher equity (stock) exposure. Fortune favors the bold — give some thought to a very high (90%+) equity exposure, with the non-US/international component being significant (above 30%). Bonds/fixed income investments are great, but can be part of a rebalancing/reevaluation of your risk preferences over time. Start out a bit more ambitious than you’d thought (don’t worry about dollar amounts/minimums unless they force you to do something you don’t like) and give it a year or two. Check on your birthday or at the end of the year or another time. Rebalance to your initial mix as needed, or re-think that mix as situations change. Contribute as frequently as you can and take advantage of all the tax-beneficial programs available to you. Once you have a bit of a feel for it all, think about branching out to own a couple of stocks in a couple of industries you find interesting — you’ll follow them more closely and find that you’ll learn a lot about how others see the world. Investing can truly be for fun and profit. Good luck!