More and more it appears that Democrats consider the current crisis as having begun in 1981 https://t.co/1MZL8fr29N
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) March 14, 2021
As families across our country are struggling from the impact of the pandemic, *every Republican in Congress* said “NO” to meeting their needs.
Democrats said “YES” to crushing the virus; “YES” to money in the pockets of people; and “YES” to a return to normalcy on the horizon. pic.twitter.com/3zLmtb36WL
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) March 12, 2021
One year ago today, our former President said, "I take no responsibility at all."
My how times have (thankfully) changed.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 13, 2021
Somebody has to pay to make this country run. Somebody has to pay for roads and bridges and scientific research. But the top 0.1% pay a lower share of their wealth in taxes than the bottom 99%. We need a #WealthTax to keep the rich from freeloading off America’s middle class.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 13, 2021
Class traitors at the Bloomberg terminals!
Higher Taxes Don’t Scare Millionaires Into Fleeing Their Homes After All – Bloomberg https://t.co/lonsmxWQOY
— Michael Kink (@mkink) March 14, 2021
Sen. Patty Murray, the chair of the Senate's health committee, is reintroducing the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act — a bill to steer billions to public health departments. She says saying the pandemic has laid bare the need to fund local officials' work.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 12, 2021
With the American Rescue Plan passed and signed, Democrats are now working to make some of its benefits permanent — banking on the belief that certain aspects will be so popular that letting them expire would be a political nightmare.
My latest: https://t.co/NOrpuDUW7l
— Megan Cassella (@mmcassella) March 14, 2021
On The Road – Albatrossity – Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone ???
NotMax
Happy Ides! Couple of pieces of arty news for Women’s History Month.
1) A Newly Discovered Ancient Grave Site in Spain Suggests That Women May Have Been Bronze Age Political Rulers
2) New York City Unveils a Permanent Statue of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Her Native Brooklyn
Baud
@rikyrah: Good morning.
Baud
I think most Dems understood that. They just finally in a position to do something about it.
Delk
Good Morning and Beware!
Matt McIrvin
The current crisis began the morning after the 1964 presidential election, when the Republicans asked themselves what they were going to do about it.
Matt McIrvin
(“The current crisis began in 1619” would also be a valid answer.)
Baud
Republicans dominated the Roaring 20s. Hopefully, Dems can dominate Roaring 20s Part 2.
germy
debbie
Absolutely stunning sunrise today. Amazing what can be missed if you don’t look up.
Baud
@debbie:
Unless you’re Donald Trump, don’t stare at the sun.
germy
MagdaInBlack
@debbie: Its turning a vivid pink here too.
Baud
@germy:
You jest, but the GOP has held onto power because of many a conversation just like that one.
debbie
@Baud:
Thanks for the reminder.
NotMax
@Baud
Can’t resist linking.
Baud
Immanentize
@rikyrah:
Good morning All!
Sunny! But back to the teens this morning — about 14 at my house. After high sixties last week. March is in full toddler mood.
Immanentize
@NotMax: Those are the smallest glasses I ever saw on RBG.
Immanentize
If we were re-enacting Julius Caesar, who would be Brutus to Trump’s Caesar?
Baud
NYT
mrmoshpotato
Can you hear Reagan crying in Hell?
Dorothy A. Winsor
It’s very dark this 6:50am.
But my building is gradually opening up. I’m going to the gym this morning and then claiming a small game room in which to write this afternoon. We’re all still masked, but being vaccinated is awesome.
Immanentize
@Baud:
However, in Charlie Baker’s Massachusetts, those draconian cuts just started today. Even in the face of billions in aid. They are trying to kill public transportation.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Immanentize: The hangers-on must be panicking. Try though they will, none of them is as talented at grifting as old Dad.
germy
Best review I’ve seen of the Grammys:
Baud
@Immanentize:
Perils of living in a red state.
mrmoshpotato
Edited for accuracy. And fuck Tucker Carlson.
Spanky
@Immanentize: Michael Cohen
germy
Like Nancy Pelosi said. “Vote no, then take the dough.” Then take credit for the dough:
Delk
@Immanentize: my pillow guy.
Immanentize
@Spanky: I think Brutus would have to be Ivanka. Maximum betrayal and the funeral oration would be LIT!
mrmoshpotato
@debbie:
Sunrise. Meh. Happens every morning. ?
germy
lowtechcyclist
@Matt McIrvin:
I’d argue that the current crisis began the following January, when LBJ ‘escalated’ the war in Vietnam.
The division between the generation that protested the Vietnam War, and the WWII/Korea generation who said, “we fought when it was our turn, now it’s yours, wtf is wrong with you hippies?” was a problem on the Democratic side only, because the GOP side had the occasional Pete McCloskey, but was otherwise pretty much unified on the war.
There was a fair amount of quite literal hippie-bashing practiced by the trade union men, which resulted in a great deal of anti-union sentiment within the New Left. The result of that was a generation of Dems who viewed the way things were going south for unions as Somebody Else’s Problem, and the lack of pro-union unity on the left made it a lot easier for the GOP to undermine unions.
Took decades for that division to finally fade away, and now we’re basically at the point of needing to rebuild the union movement from scratch.
germy
debbie
@germy:
Less of a need. Psaki’s briefings have been crammed with facts, whereas Blond Noodlehead’s were filled with lies and non-truths.
Immanentize
@Delk: I definitely would give him a knife.
Geminid
@Immanentize: Maybe Mike Pence, when he refused to throw out Biden Electors. Mitch McConnell would be Cassius.
rikyrah
@germy:
????
mrmoshpotato
@debbie:
Now now. Let’s not forget about the non-blonde or non-female lying trash.
rikyrah
@Baud:
Amen ??
Immanentize
@Geminid: Those are good suggestions. McConnell as Cassius particularly.
rikyrah
@Immanentize:
I know, Imma. We’re getting ❄️❄️❄️❄️ today ?
rikyrah
@Immanentize:
Jared???
germy
@debbie:
They seem to want Biden to be his own press secretary.
danielx
True to character.
“For any normal politician, it would look like he’s trying to have it both ways but really he’s trying to have it his way,” said a former Trump White House official. “He only cares about maintaining his power and his stranglehold over the Republican Party and it doesn’t matter to him how any of the moves he makes affect the long-term success of institutions or individuals other than himself.”
rikyrah
@Baud: what it means to riders is that there won’t be severe route cuts.
What it means is that they won’t see massive layoffs of those people making those solid middle class incomes.
rikyrah
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
The gym????
mrmoshpotato
@rikyrah: ?Have yourself a merry little Ides of March?
33 degrees outside. Wha?
rikyrah
@germy:
Folks have lit him up in the replies ???
rikyrah
@germy:
I know that’s right ??
Dorothy A. Winsor
@rikyrah: It’s here in the building where 290 of 300 residents are vaccinated. Unfortunately, the teacher is not because she’s pregnant, but not surprisingly she enforces the mask rule. And the classes still have only three or four people in them. People seem to have to return to normal very gradually. It’s like we’ve forgotten how.
Geminid
@Immanentize: McConnell has Cassius’ crafty shrewdness. Pence has Brutus’ stiff moralism.
Immanentize
@Geminid: I think the Trump as Julius Caesar reboot would pretty much have to be called, Orange Julius, no?
Ocotillo
Back in the Paris Climate Accords
American Rescue Act passed and signed
Rush Limbaugh is dead
Terrific start to the Biden presidency.
Soprano2
Good morning, everyone. If you need me I’ll be in my office, entering the 30(!) calls our crews got this weekend because of the rain. I’m hoping some of those are duplicates of the “I called 15 minutes ago why aren’t you here yet?” variety. “M’am/Sir, I’ve got 4 calls before you, I’ll be there as fast as I can” is the correct reply, and what’s really bad is that the sewer is probably backing up in their basement because we got 3″ of rain, and there’s really nothing we can do about that. No sunrise to see here, it’s still cloudy and damp. It’s supposed to clear off later, which is good, because the ground is super soggy. It still hadn’t dried out from the snow we got in February and the rain we got earlier this month.
NotMax
Doozy of an entry for closed caption funnies viewed just minutes ago.
Dialogue: A chorus of ladies singing the line “When it’s springtime in the Rockies”
CC interpolates the singing voices as “In the spring my ribs are rocking”
Amir Khalid
To those American media people griping about Biden not giving formal press conferences: Is Biden’s administration hiding information from the public, or making it hard to find? No; indeed, quite the opposite. Has it been lying or spinning or covering up anything? No. In fact, the Biden administration has generally been making the media’s job easier, not harder. So what are you really complaining about, beyond that you miss having press conferences?
In other news, I’ve noticed my waistline is growing a bit, and my shirts are getting tighter. I think my next online purchase may need to be a moderately priced exercise bike. Maybe a 10kg set of dumbells too. (I was considering a 20kg set, but a man’s got to know his limitations.)
Geminid
@Immanentize: The analogy does break down when you compare trump to Caesar. The man assassinated on the Ides of March was an industrious, intelligent man of vision. But trump is kind of a cartoon Caesar, and Orange Julius would be an apt name.
thruppence
Here in the Denver area AAA stopped sending out tow trucks last night because their trucks were getting stuck. Spent the night in the store where I work. Now I’ll be among the throngs trying to get help this morning. Good times.
Geminid
@Amir Khalid: I get good use out of a set of 12lb dumbells. More reps are not a bad thing.
NotMax
@Soprano2
Rain? You wanna talk rain? Take a gander of some the the eye popping numbers within. And those reflect totals for the past week only up through noon on Saturday.
Baud
Amir Khalid
@Geminid:
To me the name Orange Julius will always be associated with an American fast-food franchise that in Malaysia was badly run and folded rather quickly. So it suits Former Guy quite well.
mrmoshpotato
@Amir Khalid: Can you get adjustable dumbbells at a reasonable price?
NotMax
@Amir Khalid
Who knows? There may now be a bull market for cast iron guitars.
;)
narya
@debbie: Yeah, I caught it as I went out for a (cold & windy, at least near the lake) run, just before the sun came above the horizon; the whole sky was bright orange and red. The lake was churning and blowing up onto the path, too; at least it’s just warm enough so that won’t freeze.
Amir Khalid
@mrmoshpotato:
That’s not a problem at all here.
Gin & Tonic
@Amir Khalid: The Orange Julius was the official drink of the 1964 World’s Fair. I’m sure NotMax will recall this.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@rikyrah: Also in the comments. “There is only one reason for no new conference no SOTU. Biden cannot sound coherent.”
Are they still flogging that one? Isn’t it kind of negated by all the many speeches we can find from Biden since taking office?
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: RIP backs, shoulders and fret hands.
Baud
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
Reality means nothing to them.
NotMax
@Gin & Tonic
Only very vaguely, that. The Belgian waffles were far and away the most prominent star among food offerings there.
(Orange Julius was, in my book, Nedick’s with pretensions of grandeur.)
mrmoshpotato
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: Wankers and assclowns all the way down.
SFAW
@Amir Khalid:
My response was to wash them in cold water and dry them on low heat.
Geminid
@NotMax: Voice-to-text mishaps can be funny also. Once I tarped a leaky chimney top before an oncoming rain storm. I sent the owner (who was at work) a picture to allay her fears. She was very grateful, and asked me to send her my invoice as soon as possible. But she used voice-to-text, and message came out, “Please send me your ass ASAP.”
I replied that I had to keep my ass with me. But the emergency tarping would be added to the cost of the planned chimney repair.
Ocotillo
“A boomtown feel”
Axios is telling us that Ron Desanits is owed an apology from all you bed wetters.
germy
Gin & Tonic
@NotMax: Ah, yes, Nedick’s, erstwhile sponsor of the Knickerbockers basketball club.
Baud
@germy:
Also interesting that the GOP doesn’t think emphasizing the “moochers” is the way to go now.
germy
mrmoshpotato
@Ocotillo: JFC.
Frankensteinbeck
@NotMax: Notice how they identified that this ruler was a woman by the other items in her grave. Modern archaeology/history is written off the work of centuries of dig sites where archaeologists ‘knew’ who was a man by finding male things in the grave, and who was a woman by finding female things – since it’s actually incredibly difficult and unreliable to sex ID skeletons. Do you see the circular logic building? Men are warriors and rulers because we found weapons and crowns only in men’s graves, which we knew were men’s graves because we found weapons and crowns in them…
There’s also a whole lot of “This document says the culture was super sexist” when the document was written by enemies of the culture.
EDIT – @Ceci n est pas mon nym:
They find a 10 second clip when Biden stutters or pauses once and that’s it, nothing else is relevant, the speech was undeniable proof Biden was barely conscious and so deep in dementia he barely could give the speech at all. Seriously, I’ve watched them do this.
O. Felix Culpa
@NotMax: OMG I remember the Belgian waffles at the NY World’s Fair! I went with my Brownie troop and it was a day of marvels, not least of which were those exotic yummy waffles.
P.S. What was the name of that French detective series with a female cop wearing Frances McDormand’s earflap hat from Fargo? I lost my bookmark and am too lazy to go through the BJ archives to find your recommendation. Thanks!
Ken
Gives me new empathy with feral cats and rescue dogs.
Cameron
@Ocotillo: Part of the reason for the low unemployment rate is that Florida makes it very difficult to apply for UI benefits. And that’s intentional.
mrmoshpotato
@Gin & Tonic: Bully!
germy
NotMax
@O. Felix Culpa
Captain Marleau.
Recommended it to Mom, who after she watched the first episode immediately called to thank me.
Ken
If he was sent to the Ninth Circle (traitors and betrayers of various sorts), no. They are embedded in a plain of subzero ice, and cannot cry.
Betty Cracker
@lowtechcyclist: Interesting point about the conflict between union members and anti-war protesters in the Vietnam era.
burnspbesq
@Amir Khalid:
You could use a Les Paul for weight training.
mrmoshpotato
@Ken: Then I assume he’s very very sad at the government actually helping people and not telling them to go fuck themselves in their time of need for not being rich.
PaulB
Left unsaid in that whole “But Biden hasn’t given a press conference!!!” fake outrage is what, precisely, they expect to gain from such an event. What will they learn that they do not already know? What information does Biden have that he’s not already sharing via press releases, daily press briefings, and social media?
Ken
I’m sure at least a few people in the Republican’s reptilian brain trust are coming up with ways to, ah, solve that little problem. They may even have started, it could explain those pictures of Former Guy in the late-night thread.
Cheryl Rofer
@Betty Cracker: I’ll agree with lowtechcyclist but locate the breach at LBJ’s signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He knew it was coming, but he did the right thing. Unions were pretty racist at the time, and the Vietnam war demonstrations were a last straw.
Johnson said “We have lost the South for a generation.” It’s more than a generation now. Time to turn things around.
mrmoshpotato
@PaulB: Nothing. It’s their default setting to scream about bullshit during Democratic administrations.
VA in SC
Forensics use bones,particularly the skull and jaw usually is larger is male. A larger pelvis is female.
Kathleen
@germy: Maybe a special screening of Triumph of the Will will help media get all back in their good feels. Poor babies flailing without their beloved Rethuglican Bully Daddy to punish them.
Betty Cracker
@Cameron: Excellent point that should be reiterated every time Politico and Axios fluff DeSantis. There’s also the fact that the state cooks the books on the infection rate, coming up with stats that are wildly different from Johns Hopkins’ data, for example.
Florida also has a disproportionately large elderly population that is retired and does not have to go to work every day, and most of them were smart enough to take basic safety measures to protect themselves regardless of the governor’s anti-mask antics.
There’s also the fact that Florida has a climate that fortunately allowed the population to open windows and engage in outdoor activities during the worst of the surges, with our surge hitting during the summer when people were indoors because of the heat. None of these factors are hidden, but they’re rarely mentioned by DeSantis fluffers.
Managing a pandemic is a complex business, especially when there’s zero leadership at the federal level. I’m sure Democratic Party governors made mistakes too. But this DeSantis boomlet is infuriating — such bullshit. If we’re handing out kudos to state governors, let’s talk about Jay Inslee, not Ron DeSantis.
O. Felix Culpa
@NotMax: Merci beaucoup!
O. Felix Culpa
@PaulB:
It’s about gaining control over Biden, not knowledge from him.
Kathleen
@debbie: How dare she! Sounds like a new “scandal” is percolating. “Jen Psaki says please and thank you while challenging sources for our accusations against Biden. Is this passive aggressive behavior Biden’s Katrina? Also, look for Grandkidgate to come to a tweet near you.
Tata
@PaulB: It’s not about information at all. They miss drama and attention to themselves. They are all about creating a moment for themselves that goes viral. They want to trip him up and bathe in that vicious light.
different-church-lady
@danielx: They’re figuring this out just now?
catclub
Thats a lot of kids in the house! I hope they don’t eat you out of house and home. ;)
Kathleen
@Cheryl Rofer: I agree Cheryl.
Geminid
@Tata: The dumbass leading questions the WH reporters ask shows their agenda: garnering attention for themselves and impressing their peers and viewers. This drives me crazy, and I am grateful that the President has not engaged in these celebrations of journalistic ego.
different-church-lady
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: Zombies aren’t quitters.
bluefoot
@Immanentize:
I can’t wait until I have the chance to vote Charlie Baker out of office. What the hell is with the cuts to the MBTA? The pandemic is almost over (I hope…) so transit needs are going to explode. Already some of the cuts over the last year have made it ridiculously difficult and time consuming to get around without a car.
mrmoshpotato
@different-church-lady:
Giving them too much credit. And much you wanna bet that that quote is from Kellyanne Conjob?
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Immanentize: Brutus would have be to Mike Pence.
different-church-lady
@Geminid: I’m driving to a gig and I’m running behind. I usually don’t text while driving, but I need to let the supervisor know I’ll be late. So at a stop light I grab the phone, hit the voice recognition button and dictate a text. But just before I can hit send the light goes green and I put the phone down.
On the next block someone cuts me off and I express my displeasure. I pick the phone back up at the next red, and I’m just about to hit send when I’m fortunate enough to notice that the text now reads, “I’ll be a bit late you stupid sack of shit.”
Ken
@catclub: “And for our fun activity, I thought we’d try the Hunger Games.”
“We’ve all seen that movie.”
“It’s a movie?”
Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
@Amir Khalid: Resistance bands can be good too and a little harder to injure yourself with. They also cost less to ship. I got this set of long bands a month ago to supplement my weights and really like them.
Jeff Cavaliere at AthleanX on YouTube has a good set of exercise videos on using bands which are well designed for everyone, whether you are old like me and just want some more strength and flexibility or young and want to get super ripped. He is a physical therapist as well as a trainer and his shoulder exercises have helped me eliminate all of the problems I had because of my old rotator cuff injuries in both shoulders I started with a 2 pound plate (1 Kg) about 2 years ago and now do it with 18 pounds (8 Kg).
Also building a little muscle helps lose weight because even at rest muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@germy: It’s even better than that; these are the same Roman Nobles who got together, had the ancient world equivalent of a World War with Caesar, lost, badly, and were only alive because Caesar decided to be merciful and figured that these serial luzers would have to be utter idiots to try and kill him now, because the guys who would replace Caesar would be outright thugs like Octavius and Mark Anthony. And in due course the Nobles screamed FREEDOM!, did killed Caesar anyway, after which Octavius and Mark Anthony cut their throats.
Cameron
@Betty Cracker: It also doesn’t help that a state with some very vulnerable groups not only refused the Medicaid expansion but also repeatedly cut funding for public health.
evodevo
@Betty Cracker:
I remember it quite well…local construction trades HATED “long-haired hippie” types who were protesting the war in Lexington and Louisville, AND black workers – the Repub Southern Strategy, and the addition of culture wars in the ’80’s pretty well dampened Dem/union recruitment in this state for the last 40 years…Repubs are STILL gaining ground in my county…
mrmoshpotato
@Cameron: Is that “Letting the leopard eat your face to own the libs”?
Cameron
@mrmoshpotato: I wish I knew. It makes no sense at all to me, just like the folks who get on the bus with their masks covering their lower jaws but neither nose nor mouth. Either a fashion statement or they’re afraid of chinfluenza.
VOR
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: You assume the existence of observable reality will change GQP rhetoric? How often did TFG administration ask you to believe them over your own lying eyes?
Bill Arnold
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
It means that they are underestimating Biden and are trying to figure out who is running the administration. Biden is, to a large extent, so the Republicans are weakened by their willful lack of focus and searches for proofs of their alternative realities.
This is good.
Kathleen
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Yup.
Kathleen
@Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!): Do they have handles? I’ve been looking for those.
Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
@Kathleen: Yes they make a different model Vieck resistance bands with handles