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You are here: Home / Open Threads / GOP Venality Open Thread: A Susurration of CYA

GOP Venality Open Thread: A Susurration of CYA

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142Comments

  1. 1.

    lamh36

    @NBCNews
    Follow Follow @NBCNews
    More
    Omar Nabi rushed to a site of the terror attack on the New Zealand mosques.

    His father’s phone just kept ringing as he called.

    He was told that his father had thrown himself in front of another worshiper and been shot.

    Daoud Nabi did not survive. https://nbcnews.to/2FaA5QG

    @ruslantrad
    Follow Follow @ruslantrad
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    Daoud Nabi, a 71-year-old Afghan refugee who escaped death in his country is the man who welcomed the terrorist at the mosque door with the words “Welcome brother”. He was directly killed.
    https://twitter.com/ruslantrad/status/1106690283671076864

  2. 2.

    lamh36

    Re-posted comment here…fits better.

    When I went to Australia last year…I went to Sydney for 5 days. One of those days in Sydney, I went on a day tour to the Blue Mountains and other places. It was a group of about 10 people. I was only 1 of 2 solo travelers. The 2nd solo traveler was a young woman from NZ
    Can’t remember her name, but I do recall she was an interior design student who’d moved to Sydney to attend school. She was really nice and we had a great coversation about NZ and NOLA and Sydney. I remember her telling me that I’d love NZ and I told her she had to visit NOLA
    When I heard about the terrorist attack in NZ, I thought of that young lady I met. New Zealand is still on my travel bucket list, and I’m hoping to go one day. Hoping the student I met and her family are safe, and sending good thoughts and feelings the the family of those lost.

  3. 3.

    The Dangerman

    I think it’s a small group of people.

    Technically true (and, most importantly, applies to jihadi Islamists, too). Just look what that small (from 1 to 3, but I’m still catching up on the news; on road) group of people can do. Small may be true, but small killed 49 people in this case.

    I didn’t realize that livestreams didn’t have some sort of delay or filtering process; Facebook best do something quick or we will have all sorts of horrible livestreams now (Pandora is out of her box in a bigway).

  10. 10.

    The Dangerman

    @Jay:

    Facebook and other social media sites are not going to do anything.

    They’ll have to do something (I’m surprised it took us this long to get to a snuff film … an intentional snuff film, I mean; there was that police shooting in MN, I think, that was rather infamous).

  11. 11.

    Amir Khalid

    I thought your spelling looked a bit off so I looked it up. The Cambridge online dictionary didn’t have the word at all, which was disappointing; but per Dictionary.com has it as susurration. I too had it wrong; I had thought it should be sussuration
    @lamh36:
    What Muslims say when we hear of someone’s passing: Daoud Nabi came from God, and to God he returns.

  13. 13.

    Amir Khalid

    @eemom:
    Why hate Phil Collins? At worst, he is a rich man who means well but is not as clued-in as he thinks.

  15. 15.

    Brickley Paiste

    @Baud:

    I have a few friends whose kids are lwaiting to hear from colleges and holy shit the anger about these shenanigans is palpable. They’ve been playing by “the rules” and these assholes just cut line?

    If I were named in that indictment, I would get a security detail.

  18. 18.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Brickley Paiste:

    Susuration is such a lovely word.

    It is; it’s even better when it’s spelled correctly: susurration. I was coming here to ask Anne Laurie if she would kindly add the recalcitrant “R” (one rarely needs to correct AL’s grammar or spelling or syntax, so I feel unusually smug when I catch her out in an error!)

  21. 21.

    TS (the original)

    @The Dangerman:

    Facebook best do something quick

    Facebook is right onto it – they are asking users to report instances of finding the videos so they can be removed.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-16/christchurch-mosque-attack-suspect-brenton-tarrant-in-court/10907546

    my bold

    Since the attack happened, teams from across Facebook have been working around the clock to respond to reports and block content, proactively identify content which violates our standards and to support first responders and law enforcement. We are adding each video we to find to an internal data base which enables us to detect and automatically remove copies of the videos when uploaded again. We urge people to report all instances to us so our systems can block the video from being shared again.

  29. 29.

    Brickley Paiste

    I propose new plank for BAUD 2020: all college admissions shall be decided by drawing of lots.

  33. 33.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @lamh36:

    What a beautiful, extraordinary letter. He’s the real deal, I think. I hope when Satby’s former exchange student comes to visit, there may be an opportunity for her to meet Mayor Pete. I hope he doesn’t do something horrible and disappointing (disqualifying) down the road, because I really like what I’m seeing and hope he ends up either on the ticket or in the Cabinet.

  38. 38.

    tobie

    @lamh36: Beautiful letter from Mayor Pete. Thanks so much for sharing. I would not have found it, if you had not posted a link, and feel enlarged after having read it. I imagine this touching letter meant an awful lot to a grieving community.

  41. 41.

    Jeffro

    – “very fine people”
    – (crickets for Capital Gazette)
    – “a sad thing” when the RWNJ Coast guard guy got busted
    – (crickets when the trumpista pipe bomber got busted)
    – “I think it’s a small group of people”

    Why, it’s almost like the guy who said “knock the hell out of [protestors]…I’ll pay their legal bills” and goes on Twitter rants at every non-white attack on, well, anyone and calls Mexicans rapists and on and on and on is…
    …a complete racist, violence-inciting nutjob.

    MAKE THEM OWN IT.

    BEAT ON THE MEDIA, SO THAT THEY BEAT ON THE GOP

    NO MORE ‘Well, that’s just trumpov being trumpov’, ANYWHERE

  45. 45.

    Jay

    @The Dangerman:
    @TS (the original):

    Yellow Vests Canada organizes on Facebook with moderated comments. The comments section and some of the pages are a fever swamp of Conpiracy Theory, Islamophobia, Racism, Hate, White Power and Death Threats. People who go to those sites out of actual “economic anxiety” become radicalized into violent Nazis.

    When Yellow Vests Canada Exposed, pointed out to Facebook how their platform was being used to disseminate hate and radicalize people, Facebook didn’t take down the Yellow Vests Canada pages, they took down the Yellow Vests Canada Exposed pages and banned them from Facebook.

    While in the wake of the Christchurch murders, Social Media companies are “stripping” the web of the shooters video and shit posting, they are not doing anything about their platforms being used to radicalize people, from Myanmar to Nazism.

    Social media platforms did take steps, ( under pressure) to prevent ISIL from using their platforms to disseminate propaganda, radicalize people and recruit them, so it can be done.

    But they are not willing to do the same with Nazis.

    They won’t do anything proactive until Governments make them.

  46. 46.

    TS (the original)

    @debbie: I am just so angry that this white supremacy / religious hatred is being spread around the world & I blame any social media that allows the bigotry to be published and discussed. Trump should have been banned from twitter when he racially attacked President Obama – even in the use of social media old white men are given a pass – and if they are president* of a powerful country the owners of the media are too damned scared to tell him what they tell thousands of other users. I currently blame trump for the rapid expansion of evil in our world & there is little that can happen to make me change my mind.

    And now I’m of to a social event to smile and laugh & pretend this world is a nice place to be.

  49. 49.

    Barbara

    @Brickley Paiste: You jest but once you decide the minimum you would be willing to accept in the way of scores, GPA, and advanced coursework, you could do a lot worse than applying a random number generator to decide who gets in, or to at least whittle the pool. Also, College Board hasn’t covered itself in glory with how it has responded, making it less than clear that SAT and ACT should be the be all and end all of the admissions process.

  52. 52.

    eemom

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Actually there is TONS of good ’80s music. Brothers In Arms is a good example, as is Love Over Gold, on which is Telegraph Road, one of the best rock songs ever written.

    I am disappointed, Candidate Baud. Better up your game lest you pick some drek like Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow for your campaign song.

  54. 54.

    Raven

    @Amir Khalid:

    MASTERPIECE on PBS and BBC One announce a new adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Misérables from multi award-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies. The drama is set to premiere Sunday, April 14, 2019 on MASTERPIECE on PBS.

    The six-part drama adaptation stars Dominic West (The Affair, The Hour) as Jean Valjean, and David Oyelowo (Selma) as Javert in this landmark drama adaptation. They are joined in this epic event drama by Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply, Love, Rosie), in the role of Fantine.

  56. 56.

    Duane

    The CYA from the right-wing is sickening. Who me? Nothing we can do. I didn’t do it! They have no intent to stop their hateful rhetoric.
    Trumpov is the worst. A disgrace to our country.

  59. 59.

    eemom

    @SRW1:

    There was a Long Reads post Cole linked to awhile back about how Sultans was Dire Straits’ breakout hit, and they really WERE in dire straits at the time. Didn’t know any of that. Very interesting.

  60. 60.

    Mo MacArbie

    Jesus, everything that’s going on now, and you all have to discuss ’80s music? Does your masochism know no bounds?

  63. 63.

    lamh36

    @Steeplejack: Honestly, I don’t recall. I kinda wish I had at least given her one of my social media accounts or something to keep in touch

    She was really cool

  68. 68.

    Jay

    @Mo MacArbie:

    We can walk and chew gum at the same time. Just because it’s a shit world at times, we don’t have to let the shit completely consume us.

  70. 70.

    frosty

    @eemom: I read the Dire Straits / Sultans of Swing article too. I was curious if the jazz band that prompted the song ever got any recognition or credit. Great story though.

  72. 72.

    Sebastian

    @Jay:

    They made craigslist and backpage responsible for the postings of anonymous users if laws were broken, specifically human trafficking. I am asking myself why something similar cannot be done on FB and Twitter.

  73. 73.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Amir Khalid:

    Of course I am, but I don’t let that get in the way of making cheesy puns at JC’s expense. Especially now that romaine lettuce is safe again.

  76. 76.

    SRW1

    @eemom:

    Read that. Was also interesting that the song was apparently inspired by a god awful jazz band Knopfler observed in a London pub.

  78. 78.

    eemom

    What’s with this crazy shit about dissing entire DECADES of music?? That is so effed up.

    Well…..except maybe for the 90s. And the 00s. And the ’10s. #offmylawnyoulittlefreaks

  80. 80.

    Keith P.

    So I just got back from the grocery store. As I’m walking into the store, I see in the tailgate of a truck, I see what looks like Ben Shapiro’s face, close to lifesized. “Naa, can’t be”, but as I get closer, I make out the words underneath – “SHAPIRO”
    So what the fuck? Did Shapiro make those to prank Trumpers’ liberal friends? This can’t be unironic, right?

  84. 84.

    Mo MacArbie

    Fine, I’ll be ’80s Troll then. I’ll get out of your dreams and get into your car. I’ll be your cherry pie. I’ll spin you right round, baby, right round. Everybody have fun tonight.

  85. 85.

    MoxieM

    @Omnes Omnibus: Seriously.
    Iggy: Real Wild Child (not his best, but hey)
    Ramones: End of the Century
    Throwing Muses: House Tornado; Hunkpapa
    REM: Reckoning; Lifes Rich Pageant
    Robyn Hitchcock: I Often Dream of Trains
    Motörhead…

    …I mean really. Somebody’s listening to the wrong (i.e. Top 40?) shit. And that’s just college radio/jangle pop.

  86. 86.

    Raven

    @Villago Delenda Est: When we were shipping out they put us in the barracks right next to Post Hq. We’d load the canon with toilet paper, stamp out FTA in the dew beneath the CG’s window and smoke dope on the back stoop. What were they going to do to us?

  87. 87.

    Kraux Pas

    @eemom:

    Well…..except maybe for the 90s. And the 00s. And the ’10s. #offmylawnyoulittlefreaks

    Sorry, I’ll take any of those decades (especially the 90s) over the 80s or 70s.

  90. 90.

    Miss Bianca

    @lamh36: this kills me. These hateful white men who rush into houses of worship and kill people who are not only doing them no harm, but *welcoming* them…I have no words.

  92. 92.

    FlyingToaster

    @Mo MacArbie: Honey, you didn’t go through the 70’s. Because if you had, you’d understand that once the Beatles broke up, the shit that was out there CAUSED Disco.

    [Chevy Van. I rest my case.]

  96. 96.

    Amir Khalid

    @Raven:
    I hope the new adaptation will give Fantine her due as a pivotal character. In too many adaptations I have seen she is just another minor character, and Valjeans’s heroic feats of strength take the spotlight. (There was one movie version where she became Valjean’s love interest. Ugh.) Fantine is the face of human suffering in Hugo’s novel. She dies quite early on, but everything in the novel that happens afterwards, and everything Valjean does*, happens because of it.

    *Okay, with one exception.

  97. 97.

    FlyingToaster

    @Omnes Omnibus: I’m wearing a DVD/CCA lawsuit defense shirt, the skies just opened up so my daughter can’t go to sleep because of the thunder, I have a rhinovirus, and I’m on Balloon Juice. I don’t really see the need for further adverse social repercussions.

  98. 98.

    Anne Laurie

    @Amir Khalid: I thought it had a double-s too, but the FYWP template flagged that as a misspelling. And then it *accepted* the single r!

    (I plead dyslexia; I still have to think about the correct doubling within tomorrow every single time.)

  100. 100.

    Kraux Pas

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    [Chevy Van. I rest my case.]

    You obviously hate all of us. Even mentioning that song should have adverse social repercussions.

    I had to look it up after this. Thought it was kinda cute, but I was over that notion within 30 seconds.

  103. 103.

    Viva BrisVegas

    I can say definitively, due to impeccable musical taste, that there have only ever been three worthwhile periods of popular music.

    1955-1959
    1963-1969
    1979-1984

    All else is crap.

  106. 106.

    James E Powell

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I’m with you. You know how we end up hating some pop songs because they are played to death? I hated that one the first time I heard it. I hated it before the song was over.

    @FlyingToaster:

    70s are underrated and the disco era was really late 70s. After The Beatles broke up, but before disco, we got Stevie Wonder’s best stuff, Bowie, Lou Reed’s solo career, Stooge’s Fun House & Raw Power, Sticky Fingers & Exile on Main Street, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, the best stuff by Zeppelin and Floyd, and most of all, Mott the Hoople.

  109. 109.

    FlyingToaster

    @debbie:

    Disco is a pox on humanity.

    And yet it was an improvement on the “hits” immediately preceding it.

    Tony Orlando & Dawn: “Tie a Yellow Ribbon”
    Paul Sedaka: “She’s Having My Baby”

    I would turn off the radio in the kitchen when I got home from school because the music was so godawful. I’d wander around singing Dr. Demento songs to try and drown out the pop stations.

    I was stuck on a tour bus for three weeks in Germany in 1978 with the only English language tape “Saturday Night Fever”, and I was relieved.

  110. 110.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Anne Laurie:

    (I plead dyslexia; I still have to think about the correct doubling within tomorrow every single time.)

    Don’t Stop Thinking About Tommorow.

  111. 111.

    Amir Khalid

    @Omnes Omnibus:
    I was hoping for precisely that reaction, but I do genuine like the Les Miz music, especially as it was done in the movie. Anne Hathaway gives a performance of serious dramatic weight, and lyricist Herbie Kretzmer said of her I Dreamed A Dream that she sang his words to break the stoniest heart. Eddie Redmayne’s Empty Chairs at Empty Tables and Hugh Jackman’s Valjean’s Soliloquy are every bit as good.

  113. 113.

    FlyingToaster

    @James E Powell: None of which could get any airplay in the square states where I grew up. I discovered most of these at college and grad school in the ’80s.

  114. 114.

    Kraux Pas

    I will say as much as I disliked the music from the 70s and 80s, there were a few artists. I love Dolly Parton. There was plenty of good R&B then.

    I hear that I’m really strange for enjoying the Carpenters.

  116. 116.

    Amir Khalid

    @Kraux Pas:
    Karen Carpenter’s singing voice was and still is legendary. Not so well-known is that she could have been a legendary drummer too, with her amazing skills, but her brother and bandleader put her at the front of the stage instead.

  117. 117.

    NotMax

    As this thread is wide open (apparently), repeating for the night owls jackals.

    For any who have ever been involved in a play, have ever seen a play, have ever heard of a play, there’s much fun to be had from the micro-series Empty Space* on Amazon Prime.

    Admit to being skeptical going in as it is a series of webisodes (usually two strikes right there) but ended up more than pleasantly surprised. Now and again ventures to put a fingertip over the top, however holds back from becoming overly broad farce. (N.B.: SiubhanDuinne and MomSense, you’ll both giggle through this, methinks.)

    *Not to be confused with a movie with a similar title.

    Also too, noticed that the Brit series Miranda is also on Prime now. Over three seasons the redoubtable Miranda Hart pulled out all the comedy stops, sent out for more and then pulled them out too. Although am not much of one for re-watching episodic TV already ingested, I’ve made an exception and added this to the queue to curl up with just for those times when a silliness boost is in order.

  118. 118.

    eemom

    There was SOME good disco. #thereIsaidit

    Also the BeeGees had some great songs long before Saturday Night Fever. Broken Heart, Words, and yes, I Started A Joke.

    @Kraux Pas:

    Similarly, there is NOTHING wrong with enjoying the Carpenters. Look, just because a song is a tad on the sappy side doesn’t make it a bad song. And also, Superstar is a great song.

    It is my considered opinion that a lot of people like songs they won’t admit to liking.

  120. 120.

    Mo MacArbie

    I will admit to revising my opinions of a few songs (though I can’t remember which). Hearing them on easy-listening radio through a grocery store PA for 40 hours a week made me contemplate murder if only it wouldn’t make me hear them even more in tribute, but listening later on an actual stereo revealed the presence of a bass that was pretty sweet.

  121. 121.

    NotMax

    @Viva BrisVegas

    Made me flash back to a line of dialogue heard decades ago about music, spoken by a professional musician during the Middle Ages. Drawing a blank on which movie or TV show it was. Paraphrasing:

    “It’s all become crap since they began writing down the notes.”

    :)

  123. 123.

    Miss Bianca

    @Amir Khalid:

    What Muslims say when we hear of someone’s passing: Daoud Nabi came from God, and to God he returns.

    Oh dear, dust in my eyes. And *not* “Dust in the Wind”.

  124. 124.

    Kraux Pas

    @eemom:

    And also, Superstar is a great song.

    Don’t know that one, I’ll check it out. My favorite is “Top of the World.” Also, they have my favorite Christmas Album of all time.

  125. 125.

    Miss Bianca

    @eemom: Heard this amazing story about how “Sultans of Swing” got played on a London DJ’s “breakout pop” show and how this agent heard it in the shower and jumped out to try to get hold of Dire Straits. Loved it.

    ETA: And thank you for your kind words about Luna.This has been a terrible time for me and it means a lot to me to know how many jackals were aware.

  126. 126.

    Yutsano

    @NotMax: So…something else to blame the Catholic Church for?

    (Musical notation was created way back in the 800s as a method for monks to teach acolytes the chants.)

  128. 128.

    Miss Bianca

    OK, I’m going to say it: some disco was cool. Detroit people loved disco. Anti-disco movement was white guy shit.

    Also, that this is the song that reflects my mood right now, because my girl is gone *and* Motown, Stax, and Philly Soul Rule Forever, ja: Ain’t No Sunshine

  132. 132.

    eemom

    @Miss Bianca:

    The love of animals really does unite us all.

    Of all the infinite misery and suffering in the world, the two things that pierce me to the heart every single time are when the victims are children or animals. The truly innocent.

  135. 135.

    FlyingToaster

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: No. The Beatles would have broken up regardless; Yoko is as much symptom as cause.

    I am blaming mid-70s whiny pop ballads. I could list 7 or 8 more tunes that haunt me to this day…

  136. 136.

    rp

    The idea that the 80s was a bad time for music is crazy.

    Prince
    Springsteen
    New order
    Tom petty
    Talking heads
    Police
    Public enemy
    Beastie boys
    Replacements
    Husker du
    Pixies
    Peter Gabriel
    U2
    Sinead O’Connor
    Suzanne Vega
    Etc

    Plus all of the one hit wonders

  137. 137.

    Bex

    @SiubhanDuinne: Having read your comment on DNA tests, I thought you might be interested in Dani Shapiro’s new memoir, Inheritance. Her DNA test resulted in the solving of complex mystery about her family and herself.

  141. 141.

    Johannes

    Also , too, the replies to Gillibrand’s tweet are enough to cause you to despair of humanity.

  142. 142.

    Mayur

    [email protected]rp: you left off the Smiths, the Cure, REM, Sonic Youth, Bob Mould, and of course Michael Jackson (yeah, I know).

    Classifying music by decade is a weird idea anyway. The beginning of the ‘80s had late-period records from bands like the Clash (including their absolute best, London Calling). The end of the ‘80s had debuts by Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, et cetera. U2 is an iconic ‘80s band but one of their best records (and certainly, IMO, the most influential) was released in 1991.

    What I will disagree with (sorry, Kraux Pas) is that the 2000-2019 period is “better.” Different, fine… but insanely derivative. There are far too many bands who are literally just dipping into the nostalgia well for their stuff. I would much rather listen to U2 or Radiohead than to the Killers, OK Go, or what have you, for example. There are a ridiculous number of bands that are doing neo-70s Incredible String Band or Nick Drake retreads; I like Iron and Wine or grizzly bear or Feist just fine but I’m not going to pretend I haven’t heard exactly the same stuff in better incarnations before. Sure, there’s an occasional OutKast or what have you, but it says something that 80% of my favorite 2000s music is by bands who were pretty well established by the 90s (Kid A is one of my 2001 favorites and it isn’t even my favorite Radiohead album).

    Don’t @ me.

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