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You are here: Home / Politics / Information Warfare / Saturday Evening Open Thread: We’ve Earned It

Saturday Evening Open Thread: We’ve Earned It

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Scientist now understands that in 2020, there are no jokes:

… The reading of the Mayan calendar was wrong according to a conspiracy theory on Twitter, and while the world didn’t end on Dec. 21, 2012, as originally prophesied by calendar readers, Mayan doomsday is sometime this week or next.

“Following the Julian Calendar, we are technically in 2012… The number of days lost in a year due to the shift into Gregorian Calendar is 11 days… For 268 years using the Gregorian Calendar (1752-2020) times 11 days = 2,948 days. 2,948 days / 365 days (per year) = 8 years,” scientist Paolo Tagaloguin tweeted last week according to the Sun. The series of tweets has since been deleted.

If Tagaloguin is correct, adding up all the missed days, then the Mayan doomsday date is … this week…

Reader Interactions

185Comments

  4. 4.

    dexwood

    If Tagaloguin is correct, adding up all the missed days, then the Mayan doomsday date is … this week…

    Good news for a change.

  5. 5.

    lamh36

    @lamh36: Also, was just reminded today would have been my aunt 64th birthday. She was my bio-dad’s sister. Her and my mom shared a birthday. I think about her so much since her passing.

    And now I’m thinking about how excited she would have been for me finishing grad school…☹️

    Happy Birthday Auntie

  7. 7.

    dmsilev

    Following the Julian Calendar, we are technically in 2012… The number of days lost in a year due to the shift into Gregorian Calendar is 11 days…

    What? Fail. The Julian and Gregorian calendars differ by three days per four hundred years. 11 or so day adjustments were one-offs when different countries converted over to the more accurate calendar.

     

    edit: and yes, I know it was a joke, but it doesn’t even make sense on that level.

  8. 8.

    White & Gold Purgatorian

    … doomsday is sometime this week or next.

    I have never been more ready.

  11. 11.

    Another Scott

    (A reply on Twitter says that picture is of an Aztec calendar.)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  13. 13.

    lamh36

    This ABSOLUTELY should happen

    @ava
    I’ve just signed a petition about this bridge to dignity as seen in SELMA. It is named after a KKK grand wizard and confederate warlord. Edmund Pettus Bridge should be the John Lewis Bridge. Named for a hero. Not a murderer. Join this call. It’s past due.
    https://twitter.com/ava/status/1271839159301201925

    Ava DuVernay
    @pJillees
    Me too. I want him to see it with his own eyes. And walk over the bridge he was beaten on again – now in his name.

  17. 17.

    lamh36

    So this coming Wednesday, I take my final stand on thie California licensure thing (Don’t get me started.  Let’s just say it’s been an ORDEAL.  Suffice it to say it’s not likely I’ll be able to get the California license in Micro.  I may have to get a trainee license of all things).

    I’m taking the board exam to get my national Microbiology Specialist Certification.

    I have not studied as much as I should have, but I really need to review somethings before I take the test.

    So after today, I’ll be a bit of a lurker until after Wednesday!

  21. 21.

    Mousebumples

    Had a Trump reelection guy knock on my door and ask , “Can President Trump count on your vote in November ?” Unmasked, of course. I enjoyed saying No Way In Hell and closing the door.

    No clue why they bothered, as I’ve volunteered for the Dems since moving here. Can they tell that I voted in the 2016 GOP primary ? (only in attempt to keep Trump from winning , granted, not that they’d know that)

  23. 23.

    kindness

    I think they are all wrong.  I think the Mayan tablet specifically says Donald Trump’s world is going to come crashing down on him November 4th, 2020.  He won’t believe it though.  He’ll fight it the whole way.

  26. 26.

    Luciamia

    Love how in that carving, it looks like the Mayan gods are giving us the Cosmic Raspberry.

  31. 31.

    Another Scott

    @mrmoshpotato: Ramps have been a terror for him for a long time.  Remember he had to grab Theresa May’s arm at the White House to go down a small ramp…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  32. 32.

    senyordave

    Almost lost in the shuffle between protests and the inevitable increasing Covid-19 case numbers is this nugget:
    Treasury chief refusing to disclose recipients of virus aid
    Details from the article: Building ramparts of secrecy around a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program for small businesses, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has moved from delay to denial in refusing outright to disclose the recipients of taxpayer-funded loans.
    Mnuchin told Congress at a hearing this week that the names of loan recipients and the amounts are “proprietary information.” While he claimed the information is confidential, ethics advocates and some lawmakers see the move as an attempt to dodge accountability for how the money is spent.
    The Democrats should make a BFD about this during the campaign. I think corruption is something people care about. In the absence of disclosure we should assume corruption if Trump is involved.

  33. 33.

    bluehill

    @mrmoshpotato: The thing I can’t understand is that he seems to have problems with stairs, so perhaps with balance. However, he plays golf which would seem to require some balance since you’re swinging a club.

  34. 34.

    Mousebumples

    @White & Gold Purgatorian: thought about it, but I’m pretty sure I’m covid negative. I wouldn’t want to risk him returning the favor since he seemed to be among the anti science crowd.

    @Omnes Omnibus: that’s what I thought, but maybe this just means that they’re desperately going door to door searching for undiscovered supporters?

  38. 38.

    James E Powell

    I posted this before, but I thought it would be all right to do it again. I watched this again this morning and it’s really quite good.

    Back when John Prine passed it seemed like there were quite a few fans around here. For any fans or for anyone really, you really ought to see Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine.

    If you’re a big fan, it’s an absolute must watch. It’s also a benefit.

  42. 42.

    Martin

    @Mousebumples: Wisconsin? Yeah, they’re desperate to hold Wisconsin. At a minimum they need everyone who voted for him in 2016 (who Trump hasn’t subsequently killed with Covid) to vote this year.

  45. 45.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield plans to kneel during the national anthem this upcoming season to support protests of social injustice, police brutality and racism.
    In answering a post from a fan on his Instagram account Saturday that pleaded with him not to kneel, Mayfield responded: “Pull your head out. I absolutely am.″
    Mayfield has been outspoken about the need for more understanding and justice in the nation following the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis.
    “It’s a pivotal time for change,” Mayfeld said Thursday. “What’s being addressed now obviously has been going on for a long time. So now everybody’s finally coming together to address it. And doing it the right way of holding people accountable.”

    Damn. Now I’m gonna have to root for Cleveland.

  49. 49.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    It’s his right side. Stiff tentative steps with the right leg. Limited control of the right hand drinking water. The man has had a stroke and it’s left him w minor paralysis on his right side,. Right? Why was the *president rushed to Walter Reed last year? They won’t tell us.
    — Jack Hutton (@jackhutton) June 13, 2020

    Trump failed to lift his water glass to his mouth with his right arm and had to use both hands to take a sip. Same guy who was dragging his right leg after his late night trip to Walter Reed Medical a while back.

    This guy had a stroke they’re hiding. 100%
    — Paul Cogan (@PaulCogan) June 13, 2020

  50. 50.

    Ken

    @bluehill: The thing I can’t understand is that he seems to have problems with stairs, so perhaps with balance.

    Well the rumor – which of course I don’t believe for a minute but it’s out there and people do repeat it and you know they say there’s no smoke without FTFNYT – is that Trump was thrown down a flight of stairs by the Russian mafia when he fell behind on his payments, and that’s why ever since he’s been Putin’s lickspittle toady.

  52. 52.

    mrmoshpotato

    Soviet shitpile mobster manbaby is now afraid of ramps!

    Trump descended a ramp extremely carefully at the end of his West Point speech today pic.twitter.com/uMG3KyB1V1— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2020

    Isn’t this the same pile of shit who said HIllary didn’t have the “stamina” to be elected?

    Also,

    Remember when the press analyzed that video of Hillary Clinton being helped into a limo like it was the Zapruder film?— Schooley (@Rschooley) June 13, 2020

    And

    Isn’t it time for some of this on our obviously not right POTUS? pic.twitter.com/W6p32UDglB— Schooley (@Rschooley) June 13, 2020

  54. 54.

    dmsilev

    This is a positive sign.

    Iowa Poll: Theresa Greenfield leads Joni Ernst in tight race for U.S. Senate

    Fresh off a four-way primary race that drew millions in outside spending, Democrat Theresa Greenfield leads Republican Sen. Joni Ernst by 3 percentage points in Iowa’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows.
    According to the poll, 46% of likely voters say they would back Greenfield if the election were held today, and 43% say they would back Ernst.
    “This is definitely a competitive race,” said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll. She said the poll contains other “warning signs” for Ernst and noted that this is the first Iowa Poll conducted since Ernst first ran in 2014 in which she has trailed her general election opponent.
    “Symbolically, that’s certainly meaningful, even if Theresa Greenfield’s lead is not commanding,” Selzer said.

    I don’t think Iowa was ever high up on the “must-win” states for the Democrats to flip the Senate, so seeing a competitive race there is very encouraging. And yes, it is just one poll.

  55. 55.

    Calouste

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: Vaguely related: I saw a tweet where some knucklehead “fan” was complaining to Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine about his politics. One of the replies was “What machine do you think he was raging against? The dishwasher?”

  56. 56.

    Mousebumples

    This feels like a little bit of a canary in the coal mine. Ernst has been considered a rising star; Iowa has trended red; she hasn’t had any particular scandals or gotten in any particular trouble. If this race is competitive, the GOP is in a lot of trouble in a lot of places.

    https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1271949046664572929?s=19

    I know we don’t love Nate Silver, but I hadn’t seen anyone else mention a Des Moines Register poll showing Ernst behind to her challenger – https://amp.desmoinesregister.com/amp/5346215002

    According to the poll, 46% of likely voters say they would back Greenfield if the election were held today, and 43% say they would back Ernst.

    “This is definitely a competitive race,” said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll. She said the poll contains other “warning signs” for Ernst and noted that this is the first Iowa Poll conducted since Ernst first ran in 2014 in which she has trailed her general election opponent.

  59. 59.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    @dmsilev: WHOA!

    A Civiqs poll on Tuesday had Ernst losing by 3 points and now that’s confirmed by the Iowa’s Gold Standard poll.

    I love the smell of landslide in the morning.

  63. 63.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:

    Why was the *president rushed to Walter Reed last year? They won’t tell us.

    Did he ever have the “second part” of his “annual physical”? I honestly can’t remember.

    Agree with both twitterers you cited that a stroke is likely, or a form of dementia that manifests in these physical disabilities.

  64. 64.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    @SiubhanDuinne: No, he didn’t.

    I hate to say this, because it’s so out of character, but it appears the Dump White House lied to us.

  65. 65.

    J R in WV

    @lamh36:

    So after today, I’ll be a bit of a lurker until after Wednesday!

    Don’t worry, all you can do is what you have planned to do. Plus your Aunt and your Mom’s birthday, great. I’m glad she’s running around, what? New Orleans? Best place to run around in this side of NYC. Really, more concentrated fun in NOLA than in NYC. I love both cities for the music and the food!!!

    Best wishes for all your exams!! I’m thinkin’ you’ve got it nailed, tho!

  66. 66.

    donnah

    @Another Scott: Ramps are a problem because with the lifts in his shoes, he’s already pitched forward. But there seem to be other issues with his health and that two handed water glass move is weird, as is his odd stance.

     

    The man is sick.

  68. 68.

    J R in WV

    @senyordave:

    The Democrats should make a BFD about this during the campaign. I think corruption is something people care about. In the absence of disclosure we should assume corruption if Trump is involved….

    In the absence of disclosure we should assume know for certain that corruption when Trump is involved.

  70. 70.

    Cermet

    Technically, the end of the Mayan calender does not mean the end of the world but really was meant to signal the start of a new age for the world. So this appears correct; in of itself, it does not signifry great good or evil, just a new start. WE are certainly in that.

  71. 71.

    Amir Khalid

    @dmsilev:

    You know what’s worse? I used up all my 2012 jokes back on Dec 21, 2012 — right here in these threads, as a matter of fact.

  73. 73.

    mad citizen

    @SiubhanDuinne: I was following the progress of trump physical, part 2, and about three weeks ago sent two or three tweets to the WH Press Corp, other news network twitter handles, and reporters about it.  After my second or third tweet, NBC News actually had an online story about it, so I guess someone had asked the WH about it.  The WH promised it again, and a week or two ago they did a press release with the bogus numbers.

     

    The drinking water clip seems like a big problem.

  77. 77.

    Jeffro

    Currently wrapping up the 3rd of 3 nights in our Shenandoah rental, after some kayaking and major SNP hiking, plus all kinds of chill time out on the deck, looking at the water.

     

    its nice!

    I’m not quite ready for the end of the world yet.  Lemme do this again next summer and then maybe… ?

  83. 83.

    Another Scott

    @mad citizen: While video clips can always be misinterpreted, this one shows him being much more effusive with his left hand than his right (his right seems to be frozen on the lecturn).

    Trump's bone spurs must've flared up when he said "Vietnam" here pic.twitter.com/MKulddtuqL

    — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2020

    And, you’re right, the drinking water thing is huge.

    Trump still hasn't totally figured out how to drink water pic.twitter.com/IO8CDXmD9i

    — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2020

    The press needs to get genuine answers about his health. Will they? Who knows. :-(

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  87. 87.

    Ken

    @Yutsano: I want them all to get wiped out.

    I would be OK with McConnell winning his seat, provided the new majority leader assigns him a humiliatingly tiny office in the basement.

  90. 90.

    mrmoshpotato

    @WaterGirl: Trump didn’t just look unsteady on the ramp, he looked downright frightened and then looked very relieved once he got to the bottom on level ground.

    And all through it he looked like a Soviet shitpile mobster manbaby who’s a traitor to the United States because…well…

  91. 91.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    I’m reading Erik Larson’s THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE, about Churchill in WWII. Right now, I’m reading about some stuff I don’t think I’ve ever even heard of. In the few days after France surrendered in 1940, the English worried about the disposal of the French navy. They sure didn’t want it to be added to the might of the Germans, and they wanted it for themselves. So they seized ships docked in English ports like Southampton. That was the easy part. But then they set out to seize French ships at anchor in Dakar, Alexandria, and off Algiers. But of course the captains of those French ships had no idea they were coming and they were deathly afraid they’d have to fire on the French. It’s pretty interesting.

    Larson wrote THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY which had a big readership though I somehow missed it.

    ETA: If I have a short, wide glass like Trump was using, I have to use two hands. My hands are small and arthritis has destroyed the grip in the right one. I’m fine with a small glass or a water bottle. So I resist reading too much into that. Not that I don’t want to dump on him. I just feel like a hypocrite.

  92. 92.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Ken: I would be OK with McConnell winning his seat, provided the new majority leader assigns him a humiliatingly tiny office in the basement. throws him in his natural habitat – the Atlantic Ocean

     
    Fixed. No charge.

  93. 93.

    lumpkin

    I think that Paolo Tagaloguin made that all up to fool gullible people. The Julian calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar by 1 day in 128 years. The two calendars currently differ by about 13 days. Also, the Mayans knew nothing about future calendars when they made the prediction so it matters not at all what calendar we use now.

  98. 98.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Jeffro: Madame and I hare headed to Joshua Tree either Tuesday or Wed. night*.  She’s never been.

    *There’s no one in the entrance stations to take your fee after 6pm so it’s free, also y’all know I’m going for the night lights.

  100. 100.

    Mousebumples

    @Yutsano: completely agree. I plan to operate like we’re 10 points down , but it’s nice to see that other people across the country are also getting frustrated with where things are going.

    And I just spent 20+ minutes on the phone with what felt like a Trump push poll – trying to get him good poll numbers ??

  101. 101.

    Obvious Russian Troll

    @Another Scott: The whole end of the world thing is largely bullshit anyway. They referenced dates after 2012. That the NY Post used an Aztec calendar to illustrate the article is icing on the cake.

    They probably would have had a few nervous years toward the end, though.

    Also, check out the classic picture of Yuri Knorozov used in the Wikipedia article. Knorozov was one of the key figures in deciphering the Mayan script, and I think he might have fit in here…

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Knorozov

  102. 102.

    Yutsano

    @Martin: It’s a bit trickier, but Iowa does allow no excuse absentee ballots. Sounds like the fight is to get rid of the complications.

  104. 104.

    CaseyL

    @lamh36:  Best of luck on the exam, and happy birthday to your Mom!

    So, other than the calendar being Aztec and not Mayan, plus the math being wrong, and the “End of the World” actually means “the world is changing to a new age” – other than those trifles, the prophecy is correct, yes?

    You know, from 2016 to now each new day, month, and year have been more and more awful-yet-strange, it does somehow seem like living through the End TImes. Maybe it’s all an experiment to see how much surreality we can handle.

    An experiment being conducted by white mice…

  106. 106.

    Doug R

    It’s just a bad translation.

    It doesn’t say “end of days”.

    It says “flip tablet over”.

  109. 109.

    dmsilev

    @Doug R:

    It says “flip tablet over”.

    I tried that, and all I saw was an Apple logo etched into an aluminum face. Also, I can report that touchscreen-typing upside down is a PITA.

  112. 112.

    lamh36

    Ooof…The police departments in both cities would be smart to be open and transparent and go above and beyond to prove this shit was just a coinidence…

    @Real923LA
    Two BLACK men hung in TWO weeks within 50 miles of eachother BOTH by a City building.

    Robert Fuller was found hanging from a tree by Palmdale City Hall

    Malcolm Marsch was found hanging from a tree by Victorville City Library.

    BOTH have US flags overlooking…..
    https://twitter.com/Real923LA/status/1271931988203630592?s=20

    The first case is still an “open” investigation but they are adamant it was suicide. The 2nd city case is not quite a day old and they also say “no apparent foul play” and calling is a suicide

  114. 114.

    Martin

    @Yutsano: The leg is proposing to eliminate mailing out applications and instead require voters submit a formal letter to the SoS along with proof of ID and request an absentee ballot.

    Safe to say the leg will then tie up those reviews so the ballots aren’t received in time, and trust that the sheer difficulty of processing those requests will grind the process to a stop. Plus, willing to bet they challenge every submitted form of ID for not being original.

  116. 116.

    Jeffro

    @Baud: I’m hoping the Biden Campaign can keep the same nose-punching spirit when it becomes the Biden Administration and blast the sh!+ out of the former maladministration every time it undoes its craziness.

     

    Day30: yes, we went back to lower levels of arsenic in your drinking water, America.  YES, trumpov really did that while y’all weren’t looking.

    Day 122: finally tracked down where the last of that $500B in Covid recovery loans went…guess who got the last $10B?  Yup, you guessed it…

    just pound and pound and pound

  118. 118.

    ThresherK

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: I’m a non-fiction reader and my wife loves novels. Devil in the White City may be the only book we’ve both read.

    So I have to add that next Larson one to my list.

  121. 121.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @ThresherK: Larson does a good job of bringing history alive.

    In this event I posted about above, the French did resist and there was a battle in which the English blew up a French battleship, killing something 1200 French sailors. I had no idea.

  123. 123.

    lamh36

    @lamh36:

    IDK…I know folks used hanging as a method for suicide, but doing so in a public place, NOT at home seems weird to me.

    But of course I’m no expert or anything. Just seems odd

  124. 124.

    Anathema Device

    @WaterGirl and others re Dumpf and ramps:

    I am very similar in my approach to ramps and stairs, especially going down. I have arthritis in my knees, and also have several times fallen and damaged the ligaments (not to mention permanently damaging one ankle. Ramps and stairs are not my friends. I take my time on them, but walk normally on the flat

    I have not ever had a stroke, and I don’t have dementia (not that anyone’s told me :) ). LIke Trump, I am pretty obese. He’s a good bit taller (and I wager, heavier) than me, so if he falls, he’s going to hurt himself badly (and be embarrassed.) The chances of him having arthritic knees are high.

    I don’t think you need to impute more than that, to be honest.

    The water thing is more puzzling, but could just be a strained tendon or nerve damage in one arm or hand.

    While he’s a prime candidate for a stroke or heart attack (we already know he has heart disease), your deity of choice doesn’t love enough to have him kick the bucket before November – if it did, the bastid would never have made it into the White House.

  125. 125.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Jeffro: Few years back we were driving back home taking our time, and stopped at some obscure National Wildlife Refuge. Stopped in to HQ to pay and pick up some maps, and the nice young lady said “you can pay $4 to get in here today, or you can pay $10 and get admission to every National Park and Wildlife Refuge for the rest of your life.” That was a decision that didn’t take long.

    I understand this offer is no longer valid.

  127. 127.

    Anathema Device

    @lamh36:

     Just seems odd 

    Other than judicial executions and lynchings, I can’t remember ever reading about a suicide by hanging in a public place.

    This stinks like week-old fish left in the sun.

  128. 128.

    Anne Laurie

    @Yutsano: I wouldn’t call Melania “gross”, even though I disagree with all her choices.

    Read the WaPo excerpt from her book, and briefly thought about posting about it.   From that & the reviews, it’s an even-handed bio, describing a dedicated woman who decided at an early age that she was going to escape from her middle-middle-class roots in a backwater town, and her (perceived) attractiveness / fashion sense was the easiest option.   For someone whose goal in life was ‘Rich enough not to think about money all the time, and powerful enough to live in pleasant surroundings without working all the time’, she’s done very well for herself!

    Sure, she’s a throwback by *our* standards — the mad king’s last young concubine, grudgingly tolerated by his adult progeny as long as she keeps the old man relatively quiescent & doesn’t get too grabby.  (Which is exactly what Julia Ioffe wrote, before the election, in an article that drew endless abuse & death threats from the ‘Alt-Right’ rabble.)   She’s a co-conspirator with the rest of the Trump family, but I have the distinct impression that she’ll voluntarily “disappear” from public view approximately 15 minutes after the Squatter-in-Chief is ousted.  Unless / until she ‘marries up’ next time — c.f. Wendy Deng snagging Rupert Murdoch.

  130. 130.

    Jeffro

    @Gin & Tonic: I’ve heard that as well.  One more thing that Uncle Joe and Co can undo for the nation.  The national parks truly are a treasure.

  131. 131.

    Martin

    @lamh36: It happens. Student at the school my wife was subbing at attempted it in the park next to the school. Thankfully survived.

    That said, I can think of more probable explanations.

  132. 132.

    Yutsano

    @Anne Laurie: She made damn sure Barron was made a dual citizen. She makes sure he’s capable of speaking the language. Her reasonings are rather curious for doing these things. I know for a fact she would not want to leave New York, but she is smart enough to have an escape plan if she needs it.

    By gross I mean how alike she and her spouse are.

  142. 142.

    frosty

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: If you (or any other jackals) want to learn more, I recommend a blog called ww2today.com. Each day it tells about something significant 80 years ago. With the exception that until VJ Day we’ll see some of the fighting in the Pacific from 1945.

    The Eastern Front was horrific. We didn’t learn much detail about it until the 1990s.

  143. 143.

    Anne Laurie

    @Anathema Device: Yeah, I’ve had (mild) balance issues all my life, and I’m damned cautious going down ramps too.   But it’s been noted that for some reason we don’t get to see the Squatter-in-Chief going up stairs any more, either — that, as you say, sounds like arthritic knees.  (After 60 years of favoring a mildly dysplastic right hip, there’s no cartilage left in my left knee; I have to climb stairs like a toddler, hitting each stair with both feet as I go.)

    He’s also being very cautious about using his right arm… but, again, that could be a damaged tendon/muscle.  What makes me wonder more, though, is that he seems to be gripping the podium like a lifeline — so either his knees or his balance seems to have deteriorated significantly, in the last couple of months.

    Who knows, maybe it’s just being in lockdown & not having the impetus for even the mild exercise of swinging a golf club?

  145. 145.

    frosty

    @Gin & Tonic:  @Jeffro: If it’s the Senior Pass, it’s still available – or it was. It went from $10 to $80 in August 2018. I snagged mine the last week or so that it was cheaper.

    $80 is still a good deal though.

  149. 149.

    Another Scott

    @WaterGirl: There’s a WaPo story that Billin pointed me to (from June 2 or so) that gave his weight and total cholesterol numbers, but little else.  Nothing about any neurological tests, or what happened in February.

    The press needs to keep pressing.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  152. 152.

    frosty

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Yes, sigh. I spent the trip learning how to use my new Sony a6000. Pointers would have been helpful too.

    OTR pix are on the way. I’m about to do another submittal tonight.

    ETA: and at 5’4″ we would have been able to see eye-to-eye.

  153. 153.

    Anne Laurie

    @Yutsano: By gross I mean how alike she and her spouse are.

    There was a notoriously unpleasant couple among the PreRaphaelites, about whom it was quipped, “It was a public service that they married each other, and thereby made only two people unhappy instead of four.”

    I doubt the elder Trump kids would ever allow Barron a position in the family crime cartel (assuming he’d want one).  But I suspect his mom wanted him to be able to find a niche somewhere in Europe (quite possible Brussels, or Switzerland) where he could supplement whatever he inherits with a series of highly-compensated, undemanding positions on various Boards of Directors or quasi-governmental non-profits.

  154. 154.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Anne Laurie:

    I have nothing against her marrying for money.  Sex work is not degrading, people treat sex workers in a degrading way.  All evidence is that she’s also a horrible person, but I have to say, the rest of the Trump family is much, much worse.  Ugh.  At least she seems to care about her child, because Trump sure as Hell doesn’t.

  156. 156.

    Steeplejack

    @Gin & Tonic, @Jeffro:

    I think the national parks lifetime pass is now $80. It’s for seniors only (62+), I believe. Still a bargain if you go more than once or twice a year. And an incentive to go more often.

  157. 157.

    Anne Laurie

    @Steeplejack: Neither do women in high heels, apparently.

    It takes practice to climb steps / ramps wearing heels, especially descending.   Even then, if you see women in stiletto heels on airplane steps, for instance, they’re cautious.

    Trump won’t practice, because he’s lazy, and also can’t admit he’s ever less than perfect just as he already is.

  158. 158.

    J R in WV

    @frosty:

    We got a lifetime National Park pass years ago, have been to lots of them since. Worth every penny!!

    National Monuments, too~!!!~

  162. 162.

    Anne Laurie

    @Frankensteinbeck: I have nothing against her marrying for money.

    For hundreds of years, marrying for money was not only a woman’s best chance at prosperity, it was the most socially approved one!

    Is it Melania’s fault (she said, semi-sarcastically) that her birthplace was fifty years behind the times, because of the Soviets?

  163. 163.

    J R in WV

    @Patricia Kayden:

    I think Betty Cracker already did this, but we didn’t get a video of it.

    I’ve never had a contractor with any political signage whatsoever, but would ask one with a confederate flag to please go away.

    Even though I’m pretty sure my paternal grandmother’s family, from Giles county VA were fer sure confederates.

    That don’t mean I’m accepting of treason! I’m enough of a veteran to remember the oath, had nothing to do with West Virginia, nor especially Virginia. If Robert E Lee couldn’t figure that out, the hell with him!

  166. 166.

    joel hanes

    @bluehill:

    I think:

    • He has some underlying medical problems — see the videos of him unable to drink from a water glass one-handed, and the video taken not long after his surprise visit to Walter Reed, in which he drags a leg rather than taking a step.
    • When he wears a suit, Trump wears tall lifts in his shoes, to make him appear at least an inch taller, maybe two inches.  The lifts make his shoes fit insecurely, and that, combined with his medical problems, make ramps and stairs problematic
    • He doesn’t wear lifts in his golf shoes – but he doesn’t walk much on the course, just a few steps to and from the ever-present cart.
  167. 167.

    James E Powell

    @Anne Laurie:

    For hundreds of years, marrying for money was not only a woman’s best chance at prosperity, it was the most socially approved one!

    See generally, the novels of Jane Austen.

  168. 168.

    joel hanes

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    My family read Splendid and Vile in the first days of the shutdown.

    More than I cared to know about Mary Churchill.

    I had not known how strangely Rudolph Hess behaved.

    Upper-class Brits of that period sure drank a lot of alcohol.

  169. 169.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Alternate reading of Mayan calendar suggests end of the world is next week

    Reading of Mayan calender’s says time is circular one world ends and the next begins. Archeology, how does it work?

  170. 170.

    joel hanes

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I got that Golden Eagle pass for parks/refuges in 2017, but I never use it, because of all the dollars I pay to various governments, the dollars that go to national parks and wildlife refuges are the ones I’m happiest about.

    Had there been a deal where I could pony up a thousand bucks once and never have to pay for the Pentagon budget thereafter, I’d have leaped at it.

  172. 172.

    Yutsano

    @Martin: Marla saw up close how toxic that family is. As soon as the ink was dry she high tailed it to California with her settlement and kept Tiffany as far away as she could from Donald. Tiffany might just get married as quickly as possible so she can dump that name.

  174. 174.

    Martin

    @Yutsano: Don Jr was apparently quite upset with dad over the rape accusation and they didn’t speak for years. Apparently an abundance of money and stupidity helped him get over it.

  175. 175.

    Yutsano

    @Martin: He would have come back to the fold. That family has nothing but themselves. Which means they pretty much have nothing.

  177. 177.

    hitchhiker

    @mrmoshpotato:

    And lest we forget, the media could NOT stop talking about how Hillary Clinton HID her diagnosis of pneumonia from them, because as they ALL knew, she was just sneaky and dishonest that way.

    It was about lack of transparency, see? Lack of transparency was a BIG reason to question her general character. Lack of transparency was evidence that, as usual, you just couldn’t trust that woman.

    Of COURSE we don’t think it’s a big deal that she GOT pneumonia, citizens! We just worry about this pattern of dishonesty in her behavior.

    Every major media outlet repeated that shit.

    Sometimes I really can’t stand it.

  179. 179.

    Anathema Device

    @Yutsano:

    It’s not for you to explain.

    I’m not. I’m putting up a more plausible explanation that doesn’t label those of us with disabilities or mobility issues as demented or brain-damaged. Because, ya know, it’s pretty offensive when people do it.

    Yes, I know he sucks, and he mocks people with disabilities, and he’s the world’s biggest hypocrite. But when people gleefully mock his physical condition, they manage to insult and demean all the other people with the same problems who don’t happen to be enormous sacks of festering poo.

    He’s not going to tell the truth about what his health issues are, so you can’t pretend that all the speculation has a real purpose other than death wish porn.

  180. 180.

    SFAW

    @Anathema Device:

    I’m not. I’m putting up a more plausible explanation that doesn’t label those of us with disabilities or mobility issues as demented or brain-damaged. Because, ya know, it’s pretty offensive when people do it.

    You seem to be putting forth an argument that isn’t being made, i.e., that commenters/FPers here are ascribing “demented or brain-damaged” to a group, rather than to one person whose behaviors over the past four years indicate increasing dementia.

    Yes, I know he sucks, and he mocks people with disabilities, and he’s the world’s biggest hypocrite. But when people gleefully mock his physical condition, they manage to insult and demean all the other people with the same problems who don’t happen to be enormous sacks of festering poo.

    Do others of his “physical attributes” (so to speak) brag (more-or-less) about what great shape they’re in, how excellent their health is. and so on? No. His weight is 244? Right, and I’m a body double for an Olympic marathoner. [Hint: My BMI is a little north of 30.] Once again, your attempting to claim that commenters are lumping all obese persons (for example) with him.

    He’s not going to tell the truth about what his health issues are, so you can’t pretend that all the speculation has a real purpose other than death wish porn.

    He is, at least by virtue of his position, the “leader of the Free World.” His dementia — assuming the moderate-to-high probability that he has it — might somehow have a material effect on the lives of a few billion people.

    You might consider not continuing to use that shovel.

  181. 181.

    Barney

    “Scientist Paolo Tagaloguin” (plant sciences, it seems) hasn’t just deleted the tweets, he’s deleted his Twitter account. The Express seems to be the first tabloid that found this, but they didn’t take screen shots, so we can’t see if Paolo used obvious sarcasm, made the satire too subtle, or may have actually wanted people to believe it.

    “Scientist” sounds better than “random Twitter user”, anyway. Or “expert”, as the Express puts it. I hope he didn’t need his Twitter account for anything.

  183. 183.

    Anathema Device

    @SFAW:

    one person whose behaviors over the past four years indicate increasing dementia.

    Oh, ffs. One, all the ‘evidence’ of dementia the Internet has found is nothing of the sort. Every single ‘symptom’ analysed to death by supposed experts  and armchair medics are just as easily explained by Trump’s dyslexia, lack of intellectual strength and curiosity, lack of exercise (and perhaps a long history of drug abuse), and profound laziness. He’s doing all the damage he’s doing out of racism, carelessness, and basic inability to think past the next five minutes or his own emotional needs. No need to invoke dementia.

    Two, you know damn well that Trump could emerge for a press briefing naked and covered in shit, and absolutely nothing will happen other than Fox will start talking up about the new fashionable trend of ‘natural dressing’. ‘Discovering’  the smoking bullet that ‘proves’ he has Alzheimer’s will do diddly squat.

    And three, you’re doing exactly what you claim no one here is doing – saying that common physical and mobility issues are signs of serious mental deterioration, i.e. dementia or worse. If it’s wrong for rethugs to do this to Joe Biden because of his stutter, it’s wrong for the left to do it to Trump because he might have bad knees.

    I already acknowledged that Trump is an Olympic standard hypocrite and liar on these issues, and certainly his claims to be a superior being on any level are acutely risible. If you don’t care what harm they are doing to those who aren’t like that, who have the same visible physical problems, then that’s your opinion, and worth to me what I’m prepared to pay for it.

  184. 184.

    SFAW

    @Anathema Device:

    Oh, ffs. et seq.

    If you compare his current “performance” to his “performance” of 10-15 years ago, his deterioration is obvious. He can’t construct a simple, non-head-scratch-inducing sentence — never mind a paragraph — without a teleprompter. I realize that doesn’t fit nicely with what you choose to believe, but you might reconsider your oh-so-deeply-thought-out position.

    Two, etc etc. …  ‘Discovering’  the smoking bullet that ‘proves’ he has Alzheimer’s will do diddly squat.

    So? Just because Fox would say that his BMI is 20 and his IQ is 250, we should not bother calling out his lies etc? [ETA: And we shouldn’t call out the guy with his finger on the nuke “button,” just because Fox will give him cover?] OK then

    And three, you’re doing exactly what you claim no one here is doing – saying that common physical and mobility issues are signs of serious mental deterioration, i.e. dementia or worse.

    Nice goal-post moving there, conflating physical/mobility issues/deterioration with dementia — which I don’t believe anyone here has done, outside of you. As a certified old fart, I am well aware of the physical and mental deterioration that accompanies age.His apparent deterioration is somewhat more than one would expect. But I realize you’re looking for him NOT to be demented, or something, so … whatever.

    Anyway, now you’ve migrated from your oh-so-righteous outrage because you perceived that people calling out Trump means they were broad-brushing an entire group (i.e., those with physical/mental disabilities) — which they weren’t — to the idea that “hey, there’s no dementia there, and you’re an asshole for saying that, because THERE JUST ISN’T. And anyway, it’s all explained away by drug use, racism, and the phase of the moon. And even if there were, Fox would lie about it.”

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