Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Find someone who loves you the way trump and maga love traitors.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

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

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

Everybody saw this coming.

“In this country American means white. everybody else has to hyphenate.”

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

No Kings: Americans standing in the way of bad history saying “Oh, Fuck No!”

“But what about the lurkers?”

“woke” is the new caravan.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

There are times when telling just part of the truth is effectively a lie.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

You cannot love your country only when you win.

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Reader Interactions

133Comments

  1. 1.

    My Side of Town

    It’s clear to me that Republicans do not understand the English language, or they deliberately misconstrue it to further their fraud on the American people.

  2. 2.

    The Dangerman

    Categories are broken and Congress, or at least this Committee, is broken, too. The Right is just tossing shit in the air in the hope, I presume, that it plays well on FOX News.

  4. 4.

    wvng

    Pleasure?  I simply can’t take this anymore. We have a criminal President, Democrats are laying out the clear evidentiary case indicting him, and republicans just fling poo. It’s not a debate. Republican congressmen won’t even fight to preserve the institutional integrity of Congress against a lawless President who sees them as irrelevant. John was prescient about tire rims and anthrax.

  7. 7.

    hells littlest angel

    Until yesterday, I watched all the impeachment proceedings with interest. But listening to the Republicans’ monotonous repetition of their bullshit talking points is taking a toll. And I have to kill the volume when America’s Substitute Assistant Gym Coach starts whining, “Guess what? Guess what?”

  8. 8.

    gene108

    @My Side of Town:

    It’s clear to me that Republicans do not understand the English language, or they deliberately misconstrue it to further their fraud on the American people.

    As long as there are talking points for Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, etc., Congressional Republicans have done their jobs.

    They just need to keep Trump’s approval rating around 40%, and hope Putin can help tip the election their way, while they bloody Democratic challengers, with baseless speculation.

  9. 9.

    Amir Khalid

    What I’ve got on my mind today: A chord change drill, practising a made-up chord progression, moving the tonic one step along the circle of fifths with each repetition. I can do it very easily sitting down; the challenge now is to do it while standing up.

    Also, I really need to replace my laptop soon. The poor beastie has served me a long time, and deserves to retire. I’ve pretty much picked out a used laptop.

  10. 10.

    Elizabelle

    @hells littlest angel:  WRT listening to the Republican morons, which is bad for us, and bad for our country:  I put this comment up last night on the “Metaphor” thread.

    Went to see an excellent movie last week — The Peanut Butter Falcon, about a young guy with Down syndrome pursuing his dream. Recommend it. Anyway, very uplifting but I recognized I was kind of gritting my teeth while watching and realized — it was the southern accents. Movie is set on the North Carolina coast, filmed in Georgia.

    And the white males with southern accents were just repelling me.

    It’s the exposure to all the Republican jackasses on the Intelligence and Judiciary committees. The Mueller hearing, the more recent ones. It’s like Clockwork Orange territory.

    I was thinking “this can’t be! I live in the South. I have nephews with slight accents …”

    But there it was.

  11. 11.

    Mnemosyne

    Here I thought all of the Twitter commentators had declared that the impeachment hearings were over because the Intelligence committee had submitted their two articles. Do you mean to tell me that the doom-and-gloomers were wrong and it’s still ongoing with further articles to come?

    I has a shocked, I tells ya.

  13. 13.

    Joe Falco

    Republicans are trying to turn the limited scope of the impeachment inquiry against the Democrats when they know damn well Trump was never going to cooperate with any Congressional investigation. If the Executive branch were to obey all the subpoenas that were filed, Trump would be dead in the water by now. That there were this many witnesses willing to defy Trump and testify is a godsend. The Republicans on the Judiciary committee are lying weasel faces, one and all.

  14. 14.

    donnah

    I’ve watched most of the testimony prior to this and found that listening to the Teabaggers and Republican blockheads makes me angry, tense, and elevates my blood pressure. I’ll rely on clips and tidbits from reliable sources because this will be like what I’ve already seen, times eleventy.

    I wish that the Senate vote was not a foregone conclusion. i wish it mattered to the Republicans that they are willingly and knowingly voting against all evidence that shows their president to be a criminal who has endangered the country. But even Santa can’t bring what we want, the removal of Trump. So they just have to make the case, present the evidence, and go on record with everything that they have.

  18. 18.

    Azelie

    I listened to the hearing a little bit while I was on my way to work and heard an exchange in which a Democrat (Ted something) responded to Collins’s complaint about the minority not being able to call witnesses by listing days on which the Rs had had a witness and saying that Trump had been given the opportunity to appear or suggest witnesses and declined to do so. Collins’ reply made it clear that he saw congressional Republicans as Trump’s representatives.

  19. 19.

    Elizabelle

    @donnah:  Just put it on mute when the GOP comes on.  That, you can skim later.  Life is short, and why make it more brutal?

    Their only purpose WRT us is to demoralize us and make us tune out.  So:  mute them.  Wish we could in real life, too.  Vote the fuckers out.  Le sigh.

  20. 20.

    Amir Khalid

    @jeffreyw:

    The most toxic snake in Malaysia is actually called Datuk Seri Najib, who has of late been on the witness stand at his corruption trial telling tall tales to the judge and pointing fingers at other people. The tonic I was talking about is a music thing.

  21. 21.

    GregMulka

    It seems Gym is going to be loudly whinging each time I try to watch/listen and I just can’t. So I keep watching/listening to the trailer for Promising Young Woman. The music is on point.

  23. 23.

    NotMax

    Gonna repeat this here as it was put in a below thread just as the site decided to go walkabout.

    In space, no one can hear you clean.

    The ESA’s new, four-armed garbage-collecting robot is on a mission to clean up the atmosphere — and die trying.

  24. 24.

    West of the Rockies

    @Amir Khalid:

    Hey, guitar man, why does Brian May sound like Brian May?  Why did Stevie Ray sound like Stevie Ray, or Prince sound like Prince?  I’m a complete guitar neophyte, so I’m asking in all earnestness.  Is it technique alone?

     

    I don’t mean to derail the thread, just give it a meandering off-ramp for those who are worn out by homely Jim Jordan.

  27. 27.

    Amir Khalid

    @West of the Rockies:

    1. That’s what astrophysicists sound like when they play guitar.
    2. Stevie Ray had to sound like Stevie Ray because Jimmie already sounded like Jimmie.
    3. I blame the colour purple.

    I hope this helps.

  29. 29.

    zhena gogolia

    @Mnemosyne:

    No, this is just the Judiciary Committee getting ready to vote on the two articles. There aren’t any more articles in the offing right now. I’m beginning to get on the train that says they’re moving too fast. The Senate is going to sweep it all under the rug.

  30. 30.

    zhena gogolia

    As I said in a lower thread, everyone should look up some of the speeches that were given last night — Cicilline, Swalwell, Neguse, Jayapal, and especially Demings.

  31. 31.

    BC in Illinois

    So ridiculous.

    Doug and Gym and Louie must work on their Anger Management problems, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend!

    Chill, Doug, Chill!    Chill, Gym, Chill!    Chill, Louie, Chill!

  32. 32.

    zhena gogolia

    I just saw on Aaron Rupar’s twitter feed that Zoe Lofgren brought up Stormy Daniels. Good for her!

  33. 33.

    O. Felix Culpa

    A friend and I were shot at yesterday, while in my friend’s truck. Thankfully only the vehicle windows were shattered. I was covered in glass, but no physical harm done. Police are investigating.

  38. 38.

    Elizabelle

    @zhena gogolia:   Yes.  I worry about moving too fast.  Slow it down.

    Let those financial records catch up with you.  And why turn it over to fucking Treason McConnell prematurely.

    There must be something House leadership knows that we don’t WRT timing (or shoes about to drop).

  41. 41.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Elizabelle: They haven’t apprehended anyone yet, to my knowledge, but I think we were targeted because of our location: the entrance to a government office. So targeted in a sense, but not personal.

  42. 42.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Elizabelle: They haven’t apprehended anyone yet, to my knowledge, but I think we were targeted because of our location: the entrance to a government office. So targeted in a sense, but not personal.

  43. 43.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Immanentize: I’m glad too. Given the apparent trajectory, it came through the back window behind my headrest. Thankfully it was at an angle, otherwise the back of my head would have been hit.

  45. 45.

    Immanentize

    @O. Felix Culpa: I wouldn’t know whether to go to a place to pray or to a bar after something like that.  Maybe go to a bar and pray?  Ugh.  I hate that you now have such a story to tell.

  46. 46.

    Elizabelle

    @O. Felix Culpa:  does your car have political info on it? Bumperstickers, decals?  Curious if it was just the location.
    Too close. Horrible. Were any other cars hit?  Has this happened around town before?

    Hugs.

  49. 49.

    BC in Illinois

    @NotMax:

    The ESA’s new, four-armed garbage-collecting robot is on a mission to clean up the atmosphere — and die trying.

    Richard Benjamin was there first, in Quark.

    The show was set on a United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol Cruiser

  50. 50.

    joel hanes

    @Joe Falco:

    If the Executive branch were to obey all the subpoenas that were filed

     

    Starr/grand jury/Congress filed many many subpoenas against the Clinton administration and individuals connected with the Clintons.

    IIRC, the administration promptly complied with all subpoenas for documents, and only Susan McDougal refused compelled testimony, for which she went to jail for 22 months.

  58. 58.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Elizabelle: No bumper stickers. No one else shot. I heard the car from which the shot presumably came drive past us and keep going. They’ve captured some images on security cameras.

  60. 60.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @West of the Rockies: Technique and equipment. Most guitarists end up with a guitar and amp combination that produce a sound they like, so SRV -> Stratocaster and Fender amps. Queen -> original ef86 preamp Voxen and the guitar (and pickups!) that he made himself. George Harrison also used those Voxen, but with Rickenbackers. Both equipment and technique matter a LOT, and there are a huge number of tweaks that can be done esp. with electric guitars to make them sound different; for example, SRV is famous for using insanely heavy strings. I use .011 gauge (most guitarists I know cite the high E string’s gauge to give you a handle on what they’re using) and most guitarists I know find that to be very heavy, but SRV used .013s. His third string (the G) must’ve been something like .021 or .022 unwound, which would make it a beast to bend.

    WRT technique, the single most important component is the vibrato the player develops; the reason you can tell it’s SRV from the first note is because of his vibrato. Right hand technique is often overlooked by new guitarists but is also insanely important.

    Equipment creates the foundation of the sound by delineating its broad parameters, after that technique takes over.

  61. 61.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @germy:

    I have to wonder if that’s deliberate (like when Rs call Dems the “Democrat” Party) or just a cultural relic. I’ve heard lots of people call it “the” Ukraine and they’re not RWNJs

  66. 66.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Leto: @Amir Khalid: @Ohio Mom: @CaseyL: @Immanentize:

    Thank you all (and anyone I missed) for your kind words. I’m still processing the event. I’m mostly fine, but occasionally a little weepy – and thankful – considering what could have happened. My friend had nightmares last night. We have to go back to the scene this morning to pick up his truck and get it repaired. We’ll see if the state police have any new information to share with us.

  68. 68.

    dexwood

    @O. Felix Culpa: Glad you’re ok. Frightening experience. That happened down here in gun-totin’ Albuquerque a day or two ago to a Lyft driver and his passenger. The passenger was cut by glass, but otherwise they were both ok. A random shooting apparently.

  70. 70.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Mnemosyne:

    Robert The Red Knows Rain, Dear‏Verified account @RobGeorge
    Your reminder that emoluments clause violations were just left on impeachment table.

    I don’t like to challenge the law and politics that went into the Schiff/Pelosi strategy, but I have been thinking emoluments should be included because money might wake up some people whose brains shut down when they hear anything about foreign policy. Robert George (alumnus of the Bush administration, I believe) was retweeting this about trump pimping his private supper club as the “Southern White House” and advertising access for customers

    Kathryn Watson‏Verified account @kathrynw5
    The president promoting an ad for his own business and associating it with his official work

  73. 73.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):  I think the targeting was location (significant government office) but not personal.

    @dexwood: I hadn’t heard about that shooting. Glad both driver and passenger are ok. It’s funny, I lived in big bad cities (including some sketchy neighborhoods) for decades and was never shot at or even mugged. But now in New Mexico…. I ain’t leaving though.

  77. 77.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Gin & Tonic:

    But it is pretty annoying, and IMO shows an unwillingness to learn and adapt that is generally characteristic of Republicans.

    It is. Sadly, I think most people the world over tend to be like that and are small “c” conservatives

  78. 78.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    so… Matt Gaetz was arguing that Hunter Biden’s substance abuse history should have precluded his job with Burisma?

    Manu Raju‏Verified account @mkraju
    Hank Johnson responds to Gaetz: “The pot calling the kettle black is not something we should do,” he says, adding if someone had a DUI, it’s not something he would bring up.

  80. 80.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Has it been confirmed to have actually been opened by her? I’m guessing not because they would’ve said so.

    A bribe by the Russians to his wife not to air dirty laundry in divorce court for Ghoulini (and their common cause)?

  82. 82.

    chris

    In other news, the world over conservatives gotta conservative.

    The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national, conservative leaning newspaper, dutifully reports that Andrew Scheer, leader of the Conservative Party, has resigned as leader this morning because of poor performance in the last election. But wait, there’s more:

    Global News has learned that Scheer is resigning after it was revealed he had been using Conservative Party money to pay for his children’s private school education. #cdnpoli #CPC— Mercedes Stephenson (@MercedesGlobal) December 12, 2019

  87. 87.

    Kraux Pas

    I opened this to Sheila Jackson Lee and she was a delight. She was followed by John Ratcliffe clearly not understanding the nature of this proceeding, Trump’s actions in seeking a rehash of a closed investigation by Ukraine, the independent actions of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies that resulted in Trump being investigated in 2016, or the Constitution.

  93. 93.

    Kent

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    I have to wonder if that’s deliberate (like when Rs call Dems the “Democrat” Party) or just a cultural relic. I’ve heard lots of people call it “the” Ukraine and they’re not RWNJs

    It used to be called “The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic” during the USSR days so maybe it’s a legacy from that.  The Ukraine is apparently how Russians refer to it as if it is just a region of greater Russia or something.  So dropping the “the” is a way to properly recognize Ukraine as an independent country.

  94. 94.

    brantl

    Here’s this freaking nimrod Gohmert. Can we just shorten that to Gomer, will everyone know who we are talking about?

  96. 96.

    Kraux Pas

    @Kraux Pas: Could not edit to add: Why is it OK for them to endlessly investigate the same matter over and over again after failing to turn up any evidence of wrongdoing every time they embrace a new crackpot conspiracy theory about something they insist must have been illegal (they don’t know what but they’ll find it); but the Democrats can’t complete one inquiry, no matter how thorough or abbreviated, even if they turn up evidence of crimes?

  97. 97.

    Kent

    @Baud: Russian usage in English.  As in Russian-produced propaganda for US consumption designed to annoy Ukranians and subtly diminish their status as an independent country.

  98. 98.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Kent: Since both Russian and Ukrainian lack the definite article it’s a little more complicated than that; in English, it’s also of a piece with saying “the Sudan” or, further back, “the Argentine.” In all cases implying that it’s a territory and not a sovereign nation.

  100. 100.

    TomatoQueen

    OT: Merlin Update: Because he moves at the speed of Magick, Merlin has transitioned from exhaustion to languor to curiosity-spying to full-on Hide, This is Bat Country in a matter of hours. After some get-acquainted head-scritches, he came out of his carrier long enough to be Freaked by the flickering of the tv (hey tech, stop scaring my cat!) and hid. This morning he posed briefly in the sun on the main windowsill, then the Zoomies erupted and he zipped here and zapped there and now is hidden, length of time to be determined by him. I know I know it happens, it’s predictable, so no panicking, but also unfortunately no immediate pics until he’s calmed himself down. The one thing a pic won’t do is give you a feel of his fur, which is like velvet or velour or both.

  101. 101.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Kent: Can’t find references, but I don’t think they do that. In Russian, though, there’s a distinction between “на” and “в” which is meaningful, basically “onto” vs. “into.”

  102. 102.

    gene108

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    I know the “Democrat” instead of “Democratic” is deliberate, but by now it’s become an unconscious thing, with Republicans.

    During the Bush, Jr. years, they started using “Democrat” instead of “Democratic”. I believe the rejoinder was there’s nothing “democratic” about the Democrat party or something.

    It was also done to annoy Democrats, which it did for awhile, but we’ve been tuning it out for years.

    The only reason I don’t continue to say “the” Ukraine is because of Gin & Tonic’s posts here.

    But I am sure, who ever handles Ukraine and Russia stuff, for Republicans, must know Ukraine does not like the “the” before its name.

    So I assume it’s deliberate on the part of Republicans.

    No Democrat, that I have heard, uses “the” Ukraine, in these hearings.

  105. 105.

    Uninvited Guest

    Theory about what Nancy’s game plan might be: impeachment or weakening the GOP’s hold on the Senate. Or, best case scenario, both. Let’s say that Nancy and the others involved know about more bombshells that are going to drop. If they drop quick enough, it’s theoretically possible, (though admittedly very unlikely) they could change enough votes in the Senate for impeachment. But in the event they don’t or they come out after the vote, we’ve still got the GOP Senators on record being against it.

    In time for the elections and for Democrats running for Senate to use against their opponents in campaign adds. And this could, depending on what comes out, put the Senate in play.

    Because with the Senate, even if Trump isn’t impeached and removed and/or voted out, the Republican damage is limited. And if he is, the Democratic President, once elected, can hit the ground running

    Maybe? ?‍♂️

  106. 106.

    Kent

    @Baud: You can say whatever you want but that doesn’t make it correct.  Do you say “The Germany” or “The France?”  Ukrainians prefer their country be called Ukraine and not “The Ukraine”.   It is your choice whether to correctly follow the preference of Ukrainians or copy the Russian trolls

  107. 107.

    West of the Rockies

    @polyorchnid octopunch:

    Thanks!  I know, for instance, that I hate Jack Johnson’s playing.  I describe it as “chippy”, like he’s attacking the strings rather than strumming them.  It’s quite percussive to my ears.

  108. 108.

    J R in WV

    @O. Felix Culpa:

     

    SO glad you and your friend are physically OK, and that the police are taking things seriously. There are obviously evil crazed people out wandering around.

    Also good that all your friend’s truck needs is new glass, that’s quick and easy and relatively foolproof.

    Take care, and keep us posted!

  109. 109.

    Another Scott

    @Kent: The BBC and UK press has a history of adding “the” to names of countries as well.

    The Congo

    The Sudan

    Etc.  I suspect its a colonial legacy, as well as what you say about minimizing the national aspects of a place that they dominate.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

    (Who has a book, Catherine – Empress of All the Russias, also too.)

  110. 110.

    guachi

    @Gin & Tonic:  Since both Russian and Ukrainian lack the definite article it’s a little more complicated than that; in English, it’s also of a piece with saying “the Sudan” or, further back, “the Argentine.” In all cases implying that it’s a territory and not a sovereign nation.

    Not the same. “The Sudan” is called “The Sudan” because the Arabic name for Sudan is… “As-Sudan”, which means, basically, “The Blacks”

    A number of Muslim countries that use Arabic have country names that begin with “The” – Sudan, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria.

    It has nothing to do with English implying the country isn’t a sovereign nation.

  111. 111.

    Baud

    @Kent:

     

    I wasn’t arguing for the usage. I was asking about the implication that “the” necessarily indicated territorial status.

  116. 116.

    J R in WV

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    Yeah, it took a while for the implications to sink in. I had a community board meeting afterwards, and then went home for a glass of wine.

    I think for me this event may have deserved stronger spirits, like whiskey or tequila, but probably best for you to stick to your usual, really.

  122. 122.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @J R in WV:

    I think for me this event may have deserved stronger spirits, like whiskey or tequila.

    LOL. My friend tucked into some scotch. I’m generally not a strong spirited person, as it were. My Cotes-du-Rhone was nicely soothing.

  123. 123.

    JPL

    @O. Felix Culpa:  How frightening and I hope that the police find out who the person is.   If they were targeting comings and goings from a government facility, next person might not be as fortunate as you.

  128. 128.

    WaterGirl

    @O. Felix Culpa: Every word that comes to mind doesn’t seem strong enough.  yikes, nope.  holy shit, no really.  In any case, I am very happy to know that you are safe.

    I had the glass in my oven door shatter spontaneously as I was cooking in the kitchen, and it took me a bit to comprehend what was going on around me as it appeared to be snowing glass.  Wondering if you had a similar experience, only x 1000.

  129. 129.

    germy

    PN1267
    Motion to Invoke Cloture: Stephen Hahn to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services

    Booker: Not Voting ✈
    Gillibrand: Nay ❌
    Sanders: Not Voting ✈
    Harris: Nay ❌
    Klobuchar: Nay ❌
    Brown: Yea ✅
    Warren: Not Voting ✈ pic.twitter.com/tDVGZzVPpg

    — ElectionAlert (@2020alerts) December 11, 2019

  133. 133.

    Mary Ellen Sandahl

    Apologies if someone already noted this, but the Ukraine is also, historically, a Britishism, as is the Lebanon. I certainly heard authoritative U.S. people like gov’t figures and prominent journalists use the former while I was growing up and coming of age during the 60’s thru 80’s.

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