Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.

This blog will pay for itself.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Everybody saw this coming.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

After roe, women are no longer free.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

The GOP couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Not all heroes wear capes.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Consistently wrong since 2002

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Festivus In Action

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Festivus In Action

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Because 2020, one of my crowns popped off last night, so either I’ll be spending some squeezed-in time at the dentist today, or I’ll spend the long weekend trying not to chew on the side with the exposed metal bits sticking up (which would be easier if it wasn’t a first molar).

Elsewhere, in the GOP version of a Festivus miracle, the Squatter-in-Chief has found another way to throw sand in the financial gears:


(Pertinent part of Trump’s lying ramble starts about the 3:30 mark)

Latest update from the Washington Post here.

Reader Interactions

164Comments

  1. 1.

    zhena gogolia

    As posted below, because 2020 we’re going to have a storm with 60-mile wind gusts overnight Christmas Eve into Christmas morning.

  6. 6.

    tokyokie

    Because of procrastination in filing our tax return, we only got our letter from Fat Bastard regarding our stimulus checks yesterday. I imagine once a stimulus bill is finally passed and signed by the moron-in-chief, the checks and the letters to taxpayers will be received weeks after Biden is sworn in as president.

  11. 11.

    WereBear

    We’re tucked in for the Festivus/Christmas Eve/Christmas Day with groceries and cat supplies for three days of festivity.

    Provided our recovering cat doesn’t have another 180 in her food choices… unexpected weather… invasion of giant ants, of course. Because nothing is going to surprise me in 2020.

    A Festivus Miracle to all!

  16. 16.

    Mary G

    Maybe Trump can finally make himself useful and get Republicans not to block it again

    Chuck learns to troll; I love it!

  17. 17.

    raven

    ”
    WASHINGTON — Tucked away in the 5,593-page spending bill that Congress rushed through on Monday night is a provision that some tax experts call a $200 billion giveaway to the rich.
    It involves the tens of thousands of businesses that received loans from the federal government this spring with the promise that the loans would be forgiven, tax free, if they agreed to keep employees on the payroll through the coronavirus pandemic.
    But for some businesses and their high-paid accountants, that was not enough. They went to Congress with another request: Not only should the forgiven loans not to be taxed as income, but the expenditures used with those loans should be tax deductible.”

  18. 18.

    waspuppet

    We’re at the “Here I bought you flowers take me back” stage of the domestic violence cycle.

  19. 19.

    Geminid

    This last minute $2000 check gambit by trump seems like pointless grandstanding. But at least one credible political commenter says no, trump really is planning a coup next month and this is a crude bribe to get people behind it. I myself think that trump is desperate and would overturn the election if he thought he could. While I am still skeptical that he’ll make a serious try, trump is desperate and unpredictable.

  21. 21.

    debbie

    @Baud:

    Trying to get a sense of what’s going on by reading inferior sources, the SBC is trying to have it both ways: condemning racism while saying it doesn’t pervade our society. Am I close?

  28. 28.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Geminid: Trump is always trying a coup. He attempted to put the pieces in place long before the election, arguably from the moment he took office. The question is just how many people play along. Obviously Democrats aren’t going to, and now he’s pissing off Republicans.

  30. 30.

    Mary G

    @Baud: Voting machine companies aren’t fucking around. Good. I’ve been waiting years for somebody to bring the hammer down, beside Seth Rich’s parents.

  31. 31.

    Mustang Bobby

    I love it that Pelosi and Schumer are calling Trump’s bluff, knowing that some wild-eyed GOPer will object to the unanimous consent attempt in Congress — if it gets that far — and leave him with the turd in his punchbowl.

    I’d love to play poker with Trump.  He’s got more tells than Marcel Marceau.

  33. 33.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud:

    Sorry, I saw it by clicking on one of the tweets above and then forgot where I saw it. If you click inside this one on her tweet, you’ll see the replies:

    My people have been waiting for ever- they can’t wait any longer for relief. Which is why I voted against providing them relief. A completely logical position & not just grandstanding gibberish. https://t.co/6EDJcROcyi— Centrism Fan Acct ? (@Wilson__Valdez) December 22, 2020

  34. 34.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud:

    Better yet, here:

    My duty is to show up & represent my district. The #13thDistrict was already struggling before COVID-19 because they have been told over & over again to wait for meaningful change. We can't wait any longer. I voted no on the "covid" bill. Our folks are dying & we waited enough.— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) December 22, 2020

  37. 37.

    SFAW

    I realize my Inside Baseball-fu ain’t what it use to be, but that last tweet from Mall Krampus took a couple of readings. JHC, can’t people write semi-clearly any more?

  44. 44.

    Chyron HR

    @raven:

    But for some businesses and their high-paid accountants, that was not enough.

    Fuck businesses and (checks manifesto) MATH, right?  They’ll be the first ones up against the wall when the Bernievolution comes.

  45. 45.

    SFAW

    @Spanky:

    Must be the way those darn kids talk these days.

    Nice burn, I guess. Oh, wait, shouldn’t that be “sick burn”?

    Or maybe the tweeter just thought he/she was being wicked smaht by using all sorts of shorthand/ambiguous references to whatever background he/she is trying to rail against. But, yeah, it’s because I’m an old, that must be it.

  52. 52.

    zhena gogolia

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Great, the propane company won’t come to fill up our generator. They wouldn’t come last summer because our gas wasn’t low enough, and then we forgot about it. Now it’s low but they’re too busy. They’ll come “next week.” That does us a lot of good.

  59. 59.

    SFAW

    @satby:

    ok, now I’m worried about myself because I understood it all.

    I eventually figured it out, I think. But the use of a lot of indefinite or ambiguous pronouns (so to speak) did not contribute to the casual reader getting the point quickly.

    It’s not like reading James Joyce, where there was some underlying intelligence to the denseness of the prose, and a fair amount of education was needed in capturing the nuance. It’s just a fucking tweet, and the author should have spent a little more time being less kewl.

  61. 61.

    Mary G

    If you want to know more about Alex Padilla, he’s already running for a full Senate term, and this is a good video about his life. Plus the Zoom conversation with Newsom is a little touching.

    I am humbled and honored to serve as California’s next United States Senator. Thank you, @GavinNewsom, for entrusting me with the role of defending the dream for the people of California. https://t.co/bCwf05C3hm pic.twitter.com/Fn5iNl6ldS— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) December 22, 2020

  63. 63.

    satby

    @SFAW: I think the assumption (wrongly) assumes us uncool olds don’t read tweets because most of us aren’t on Twitter. But this old does. Though a lot of Twitter is garbage, there’s gold occasionally.

  64. 64.

    Spanky

    @satby: Well, I’m an older Old than you, and assumed the general gist of the tweet. But then it occurred to me that this wasn’t someone whose opinion I really gave a shit about.

  65. 65.

    SFAW

    @satby:

    Though a lot of Twitter is garbage, there’s gold occasionally.

    I agree. I just get a little tired of tweeters using a designed-to-be-quick-takes-on-something thinking that it means they can be sloppy or unclear as a way to show how smart they are. I ain’t asking for the EB White Edition in every tweet, just a little less needing to figure out WTF the writer is referring to

  66. 66.

    Danielx

    This last thirty days…it’s like the last four years of wondering “what’s that crazy bastard going to do next”, compressed into a month. This is not doing my own temperament any good at all, and here I was so relieved after the election. It was entirely predictable, but I keep worrying because there is no telling what he will do or try to do. If he decides to start a war there is no one to say no.

    There will be no peace of mind until his fat ass is out of the White House.

  67. 67.

    Geminid

    @satby: My part of Virginia has a projected high of 62° tomorrow, and a flood watch, 1 1/2″-2 1/2″ of rain predicted. Then a high of 34° Friday.

  68. 68.

    SFAW

    @Spanky:

    But then it occurred to me that this wasn’t someone whose opinion I really gave a shit about.

    Good point. I probably should have come to that same conclusion a lot sooner.

  70. 70.

    LurkerNoLonger

    In an otherwise informative article in TWJ this quote made me furious:

    Some states, such as North Dakota, have imposed fewer restrictions despite being hit hard by the pandemic. On Dec. 9, the state extended limits on bars and restaurants to 50% of capacity and forced early closing times, but allowed high-school sports to resume on Dec. 14.

    “We’re grateful because we know people love their high-school sports,” said Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican. On Monday, he allowed bars to resume normal business hours.

    I wish I could reach through my phone and strangle this fucking idiot.

  71. 71.

    SFAW

    @Danielx:

    There will be no peace of mind until his fat ass is out of the White House.

    You’re pretty optimistic. I think he’ll do his damnedest to hamstring Biden’s Presidency as much as possible. Yeah, he’ll no longer have the official means to do it, but with 70+ million morons having voted for him, plus the Rethugs in Congress still being afraid of those morons …

  72. 72.

    Spanky

    @zhena gogolia: I’m getting ads for one of our local propane/oil companies now. Total coincidence, I’m sure.

    Anyway, could you call a different company and see if they’ll do a one-off? Likewise, contact the mgmt in your regular supplier and let them know you are NOT happy. No company should get away with telling their customer “sucks to be you.”

  73. 73.

    Eunicecycle

    @SFAW: When I first read it I was sure there were words missing or something. I finally got it but yeah, it was tough the first time. I usually have pretty good reading comprehension.

  74. 74.

    Danielx

    @SFAW:

    Granted. But he will no longer have the ability to nuke Teheran, for example, by picking up the phone. There’s a reason he’s been installing his minions at DOD.

  77. 77.

    JMG

    Boston Globe has a service article on its front page that’s “How to cook Christmas dinner if/when the power goes out at your house due to the storm.” Delightful. I bought a strip steak roast I can cut into individual steaks and cook on the stove. Or if I’m just too lazy, we got a ham as a present and we can have cold ham.

  78. 78.

    Mary G

    ?

    Trump last night released a 14-minute Facebook video full of lies about the election, and, like his tweets on the subject, it’s too bonkers, repetitive and irrelevant to bother fact checking at this point.— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) December 23, 2020

  79. 79.

    SFAW

    @Danielx:

    here’s a reason he’s been installing his minions at DOD.

    Yeah, I know.

    I’m so old that I can remember when the worry was what other countries’ militaries could/might do to us

    ETA: Referring to the whole “martial law” thing, not re; nuking Tehran. Although that’s also a worry.

  80. 80.

    Spanky

    @Baud: Ymmv, but for me an online orgy would leave something to be desired.

    Eta, then again, Twitter does leave something to be desired …

  81. 81.

    Betty Cracker

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Great description of the Twitter experience! I like how infinitely customizable it is. I do worry about people who use it as a primary news source because you can’t help but create a bubble. But as long as you’re aware of its limitations, it can be fun and informative.

  85. 85.

    SFAW

    @Spanky:

    Ymmv, but for me an online orgy would leave something to be desired.

    On the other hand, I’ve seen too many threads that were either circle jerks, or clusterfucks, or some amalgam thereof. So they may be popular.

  87. 87.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    We’re going to drop presents at our son’s house and pick up our gifts from them this morning. It’ll be a quick exchange outside and in masks. I’m looking forward even to this quick glimpse of them.

  92. 92.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: Thank you! Here’s one that’s worth sharing:

    I’m tempted to conclude octopi are Republicans, but on the other hand, I often have the urge to punch random people out of spite, so who can say?

  102. 102.

    Betty Cracker

    @Amir Khalid: There are three acceptable plural forms of octopus, one of which is octopi. I am aware of the logic behind octopodes, but I prefer octopi for sentimental reasons that have nothing to do with Latin.

    @Omnes Omnibus: Good point.

  105. 105.

    SFAW

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Our military won’t mount a coup, so there is no need to worry about it doing so.

    It wouldn’t be a coup, unless it’s to support Biden the Usurper — whose “election” was a Total Fraud — against President-for-Life Trump. Otherwise, it’s merely Maintaining Order.

  108. 108.

    SFAW

    @Betty Cracker:

    but on the other hand, I often have the urge to punch random people out of spite, so who can say?

    Yes, but those persons undoubtedly deserve it, which is what differentiates you from Rethugs and octopiodeseses.

  110. 110.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @SFAW:

    It wouldn’t be a coup, unless it’s to support Biden the Usurper — whose “election” was a Total Fraud — against President-for-Life Trump. Otherwise, it’s merely Maintaining Order.

    Sorry, SFAW, I agree with OO. I just don’t see the armed forces doing Trump’s bidding to overthrow the election results. The top brass don’t particularly like him. If the election results are anything to go by, the rank and file don’t either. Unless you wrote this from Trump’s POV?

  117. 117.

    SFAW

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    I think Omnes served in the Army (artillery, maybe?), but I forget in which branch you served.

    Be that as it may: Milley would obviously refuse any orders of that nature, as would, I expect, a number of brass. But I’d bet a beer that there are enough people like Flynn still serving (and of high-enough level) that some level of “mischief” could be caused. In the end, I agree with Omnes, but I’m less sanguine that we’d get there easily. [“Less sanguine” meaning that I’m guessing there’s a non-zero probability of some amount of additional turmoil fomented by Trump.]

  118. 118.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Isn’t Trump off to Mar-a-largo-el-cursi today? I suspect all of this veto threats, pardons and coup rumors is merely to distract his Base while Trump bails on the presidency.

  119. 119.

    SFAW

    @NotMax:

    Damn fish, always willing and eager to work for scale.

    “I think he was a Pisces, working for scale”

    – Nick Danger, Third Eye

  120. 120.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @SFAW: If Trump couldn’t get the military to go against BLM were there was an argument of civil unrest then it an’t happening now.

  125. 125.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @SFAW:

    I think Omnes served in the Army (artillery, maybe?), but I forget in which branch you served.

    This was unnecessary.

    In the end, I agree with Omnes, but I’m less sanguine that we’d get there easily. [“Less sanguine” meaning that I’m guessing there’s a non-zero probability of some amount of additional turmoil fomented by Trump

    I guess we’ll just have to wait and see

  126. 126.

    NotMax

    @SFAW

    At the time it was very new, a group of us transcribed the entirety of Nick Danger, Third Eye as a script and performed it onstage in public school, from behind a closed curtain. Helped that the auditorium had a theater quality organ installed which we inveigled the vice principal into playing.

  127. 127.

    Betty Cracker

    The high temperature forecast for Christmas Day here is 51 degrees. That’s pretty damn cold for Florida. Last year, it was around 80 (IIRC), and I considered shutting the windows and putting the A/C on because I had a house full of people and was cooking a giant prime rib for hours. This year, I’m cooking a much smaller prime rib and will be glad for the extra heat!

  128. 128.

    joel hanes

    Because 2020, the massive 4-way bronze union on the wellhead in my Mom’s basement developed a leak, and we’ve had to call the water well plumbers this morning first thing.

     

    Merry Christmas, jackals

    And may 2021 be a better year for all of us, every one.

  129. 129.

    artem1s

    @Baud:

    urgent meetings about whether Black evangelicals have a place in the Southern Baptist Convention

    yet they had no problem with the SBC not allowing women or LGBT to be ordained or hold office in their ‘church’. As long as they are discriminating against the right ‘sinners’ everything is fine.

  130. 130.

    Anomalous Cowherd

    Anne –

    You have my sympathy. I broke a tooth back in March and had to wait until October for it to be extracted because of the COVID pandemic, the dereliction of duty by the Trump administration and the complete and utter fecklessness of the Republican Party.

    It will be another three months before I can get an eye exam. And then there’s the other not-really-serious-but-require-medical-attention conditions which will continue to be postponed until we have established some sort of new normal.

    It really sucks being old in a failed nation with empty grocery shelves, an inadequate healthcare system, and batshit-crazy banana republicans choking off any attempts at a reality-based response.

  132. 132.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    We just put the Festivus wreath in the window last weekend.

     

    I know most people stick to the traditional Festivus pole, but we like to do it up.  After all, it’s the most wonderful day of the year.

     

    I see Bernie is going to be the grand marshal of Macy’s Airing of Grievances parade.

  138. 138.

    Brachiator

    @Geminid:

     I myself think that trump is desperate and would overturn the election if he thought he could. While I am still skeptical that he’ll make a serious try, trump is desperate and unpredictable.

    Trump is warring with himself. He hates to be known as a loser. That is, he loses all the time, but lies and denies. But he can’t lie about it this time. He is a big fat public loser. Been slapped down by the American people. He did crazy stuff with the post office before the election and even planted early lies about voting fraud. So he is angry and desperate.

    But almost more than anything, Trump is a coward. He depends on being able to sucker people into doing his dirty work. But he hates being obviously and directly responsible for anything. He wants praise for everything and blame for nothing.

    A coup would be a big deal, especially if it failed. Trump has only lunatics and incompetents backing him.

    Desperate Trump v Coward Trump. A hell of a battle.

    Damn. You’re right. He is unpredictable. The coward in Trump will win, but he still might cause damage as he goes down.

    Because he also doesn’t care.

  139. 139.

    Just One More Canuck

    @Betty Cracker: Google ‘animals being dicks’. There’s tons of video (youtube, facebook, reddit) that are just hilarious. My personal favourite is a kangaroo kicking a guy into a pond

  141. 141.

    mad citizen

    @Mary G: Thanks for posting, the 2 minute zoom call is indeed tear-inducing.  The first three twitter responses are terrible–people bitching about the choice.  I hope he is a great Senator and wins re-election because of it.

  142. 142.

    Ruckus

    Had a crown fall out and had to have it replaced. This month. I’ve moved since the original and so had to find a new dentist. My boss recommended his and wow was I impressed. Very professional office, and staff. I’ve had major dental work done since I was a kid and much of it was just butchery. Small piece of advice. Never go to a masochistic dentist. Unless you are a masochist yourself. Then please do.

  145. 145.

    Mike in NC

    I’m getting a dental implant in a couple of weeks and the Rolex I bought in Spain in 1984 has stopped working. Maybe Fat Bastard will cut me a check for $10K if I promise to change my vote.

  149. 149.

    Fair Economist

    Well, I – probably – have COVID. Sunday night my husband started having flu symptoms, and yesterday I started. I ran a fever of 103, which is now down to 100-101 with aspirin and ibuprofen. OC CA is so overwhelmed that the first test available for my husband, a middle-aged man with flu symptoms and asthma-caused lung damage, on Sunday was this Wednesday. I’ll only have to wait 2 days instead of 3 for some reason.

    He’s feeling much better now and thinks it wasn’t/isn’t COVID. It’s true that we didn’t have the signature symptoms of loss of smell or hypoxia (I ran out to get a pulse oximeter as soon as he had symptoms; the third store I went to had one high-priced model left.) I still think it is because there’s very little flu around and I don’t run 103 for a cold.

    He wears a mask at work but he’s a middle manager and deals with a lot of people, plus he loves to go out to pastry shops, hardware stores, etc. We could also have gotten it from my son who refuses to wear a mask when he’s out getting stoned with his friends because “they’re not sick”.

  150. 150.

    Chris T.

    @Betty Cracker: There are three acceptable plural forms of octopus, one of which is octopi. I am aware of the logic behind octopodes, but I prefer octopi for sentimental reasons that have nothing to do with Latin.

    Is it because you like 3.14159265…?

  151. 151.

    Geminid

    @Brachiator: It’s not like I think trump will try a military coup, because he can’t. And for all his long meetings with Sidney Powell, and Matt Gaetz and his Goon Squad, there really isn’t a another viable path to overturn the election.  But trump will push on the door, just to see if it opens. Ultimately it probably will just be an exercise in self-justification, furthering a fantasy that he won. And exacting loyalty from republican members of Congress.                But I do worry about trump ordering a strike on the Iranian nuclear facilities. He’s shown an aversion to military conflict so far, but that could be just a belief that war could hurt him politically, as it did the younger Bush. Now his power is slipping away, and about the only way he can exercise it is a major military operation.

  152. 152.

    JAFD

    In other news, some lists of ‘Notable Books of 2020’ included a volume titled You Never Forget Your First

    It’s a biography of George Washington

    Planning to go to the ‘Portugese supermarket’ today, maybe pick up a Bolo Rei.  The Portugese do fruitcake right.  But woke up this morn with gout attack, left foot, waiting for pills to work.

    Ordinarily I would not wish gout on anyone.  But with this prolonged temper tantrum Our President and his henchpeople has been putting the nation thru…

    My sympathies for everyone’s losses and my hopes for a better 2021.  Meself, have appointment with my doctors at University Hospital, mid-January, hope that by then they’ll either be able to give me a ‘jab’ or let me know when to come back for one.  Plan to do much hibernating until then.

    And remember what The Coach said, when they demonstrated The Robot Quarterback for him…

    “This, too, shall pass.”

    So, Happy Christmas, one and all !

  153. 153.

    J R in WV

    @Baud:

    A sweeping recent statement about racial theory from Southern Baptist leaders has prompted at least four Black pastors to publicly break from the denomination and has triggered high-level, urgent meetings about whether Black evangelicals have a place in the Southern Baptist Convention.

    It looks pretty simple to me. Racism is a major sin involving hate and violence, and the SBC is chock full of obvious racism.

    Maybe they should seek forgiveness, repentance, and love one another? Too hard?

  154. 154.

    Fair Economist

    @J R in WV:

    It looks pretty simple to me. Racism is a major sin involving hate and violence, and the SBC is chock full of obvious racism.

    Maybe they should seek forgiveness, repentance, and love one another? Too hard?

    For white Southern Baptists? Yes, yes it is too hard.

  155. 155.

    evodevo

    @debbie: Yes…yes you are…they’ve been playing this fraudulent double-set-of-books racist/not-racist game for 20 years now, and it’s getting down to the finish, but they JUST CAN’T BRING THEMSELVES TO REBUKE RACISM for real, because so many of their flock are foaming at the mouth racists who would leave in even greater numbers if they did….they’ve lost A LOT of membership to independent megachurches, and they’re trying desperately to halt the hemorrhage without, you know, really changing anything, wink, wink, nod, nod…

  156. 156.

    Brachiator

    @Geminid: 

    It’s not like I think trump will try a military coup, because he can’t. And for all his long meetings with Sidney Powell, and Matt Gaetz and his Goon Squad, there really isn’t a another viable path to overturn the election. But trump will push on the door, just to see if it opens. Ultimately it probably will just be an exercise in self-justification, furthering a fantasy that he won.

    I think that Trump would stage a coup if he could. But he is not cunning enough to try. He brags about his generals, but knows that the military will not back him. He probably has fantasies that local police forces and Second Amendment goons would rise up if he asked, but this is not sufficient.

    And exacting loyalty from republican members of Congress.

    Trump is finding that there is no loyalty to him. Soon, the GOP leadership will deny that they ever knew him. They know that they have to conduct business with the real president, not with Mr Delusional.

    But I do worry about trump ordering a strike on the Iranian nuclear facilities. He’s shown an aversion to military conflict so far, but that could be just a belief that war could hurt him politically, as it did the younger Bush. Now his power is slipping away, and about the only way he can exercise it is a major military operation.

    Not going to happen. I almost have to give Trump credit here. He has an aversion to using the military for big things. He thinks that soldiers who die or get captured are chumps. He likes to brag about being powerful, but does not want to be held responsible for large numbers of casualties.

    He is not a dove because of ideology, but because he has a fear of blood and death. This led Trump to push off nutjobs like Bolton, who wrongly assumed that the Orange Beast got off on blood and guts.

  157. 157.

    different-church-lady

     

    @Brachiator: There was never any loyalty to Trump himself, there was only loyalty to his power. Trump is not the only one for whom everthing is transactional.

  158. 158.

    J R in WV

    @NotMax:

    Maybe asparagus with mock hollandaise as well…

    Why mock hollandaise? Easier to make?

    Oh, I see. Way easy to make, although real hollandaise isn’t that hard.

    When we had yard birds, and the wonderful eggs yard birbs provide, as well as fresh vegs from the garden, I made hollandaise like once a week all summer. Whisk, mixer, blender, all the ways were not too hard. But for the “raw” egg in it, which was never a big deal to us on the farm…

  159. 159.

    Zelma

    @JAFD: 
    I read “You Never Forget Your First” and it’s darn good. It’s relatively short but it is an interesting take on George. I recommend it!

  160. 160.

    Geminid

    @Brachiator: I’ve made similar observation about the loyalty of republican leaders to trump. My joke is that when asked in a couple years a out trump they’ll say,well, I did not really know the guy. But trump wants to be a force in republican party. He has a hold on republican voters and will try to exact loyalty from officeholders based on that power.

    As for the assertion that there is no way trump will attack Iran, I hope you are right, but I see the same things you do and do not think your certainty is justified.

  161. 161.

    Dopey-o

    @zhena gogolia: God, that Tlaib tweet is depressing. Even more depressing are the replies cheering her on.

    What Tlaib tweet? Could you pull-eaze take about 3 seconds out of your busy day and provide some context? Why would anyone bother to post such thin soup?

    As it is, i now know less than i did before i read your ‘comment’.

  163. 163.

    Yutsano

    @NotMax:  Heh. There’s a tradition of Tuba Christmas. A bunch of us big brass folks gather to do things pretty much just like this. Obviously not happening this year! Good on Mr. Sutherland for making this happen! Extra kudos for crediting his wife at the end. :)

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