Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Cancel the cowardly Times and Post and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

One way or another, he’s a liar.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

You are here: Home / Popular Culture / Sunday Morning Open Thread: Good for Lady Gaga

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Good for Lady Gaga

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From the Washington Post, “Lady Gaga to co-chair presidential arts council that dissolved under Trump”::

President Biden announced members of a resurrected arts advisory board that disintegrated under the Trump administration, filling it with 24 academics and entertainers including Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Garner, Anna Deavere Smith and Jon Batiste.

Gaga (the international popstar whose given name is Stefani Germanotta) and producer Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) will co-chair the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, which is tasked with advising the president and working to support arts and cultural programs around the country. The members, who also include literary scholar Pauline Yu, were chosen for their “serious commitment to the arts and humanities,” the White House said in a statement Thursday.

Launched in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan, the board connects well-known artists and academics with leaders of government agencies to advise on policies and programs that support arts and culture. In past iterations, the group has allowed famous musicians and dancers to work with students at low-performing schools through the Kennedy Center’s Turnaround Arts program, and it helped organize the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards…

Biden issued an executive order to restore the committee last September, in which he touted the arts as “the soul of America, reflecting our multicultural and democratic experience.” Along with declaring October as National Arts and Humanities month, bringing the group back is one of several actions the administration has taken to reverse the atrophy of arts programs under Trump, including the former president’s effort to defund the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities…

The world moves forward, however slowly and erratically. Lady Gaga, 2011:

Lady Gaga, 2022

Reader Interactions

146Comments

  2. 2.

    NotMax

    Set the WABAC machine to those halcyon days well before TikTok.

    See Grandma*. See Grandma dance. See Grandma twerk.

    *Or great-grandma, for some of y’all.   :)

  3. 3.

    Geminid

    From the Foreign Desk:

    Turks will go to the polls in 4 weeks, May 14 to elect a President as well as members of the National Assembly. A survey by Metropoll put out April 2 shows a close race, with President Erdogan at 41.1%, Mr. Kilicdorglu at 42.6%, Mr. Ince at 5% and Mr. Ogan at 2.2%. If neither Erdogan nor Kilicdorglu exceed 50% there will be a runoff on May 28.

    Kilicdorglu is backed by his own CHP party as well as 5 others including the “Good Party.” Leaders of the Kurdish HDP party complained of their exclusion from Kilicdorglu’s coalition negotiations, but are still encouraging members to vote for Kilcdorglu.

    The Metropoll survey found that 85% of eligible voters intend to come out May 14. If that number holds up, the election will set a record for participation among the 85 million Turkish citizens.

  6. 6.

    Geminid

    @Geminid: Turkiye is expected to endorse Sweden’s accession to NATO regardless of who wins the Presidency. Opposition leader Kilicdorglu has already endorsed Swedish membership.

    Erdogan’s resistance on this issue is thought to be based on his political prospects at home. With his nation’s economy in poor shape, Erdogan is trying to impress voters as a tough Turkish nationalist. He is using Turkiye’s veto power to enforce agreements Sweden made last year to crack down on material support by that nation’s Kurdiish emigres for the PKK, a group many Turks consider to be terrorists.

    Turkiye and the PKK have been fighting since a ceasefire broke down in 2015. The Crisis Group reported on March 3 of this year that the conflict has claimed 6,561 lives since the ceasefire ended. That would include 611 civilians, with the “overwhelming majority” of them killed in urban clashes in the southeast or in PKK bombings in metropolitan centers. The Conflict Group reported that fatalities among police and Army personnel totaled 1,414.

  8. 8.

    Jeffro

    I’m not understanding the choice of Lady Gaga when Ye, Kid Rock, and Ted Nugent were (extremely) available.

  9. 9.

    Ken

    @Jeffro: I’ve heard that Lady Gaga is very intelligent, like a surprisingly large number of entertainers. Also, unlike the three you mentioned, she’s not batshit insane.

    But now I’m wondering why Trump tried to kill the arts programs. One of those cases where he just didn’t care, so one of his advisors could act on a long-standing Republican goal?  Or did he have some personal animosity, perhaps because no one wanted to perform at his inauguration?

  11. 11.

    Geminid

    @Geminid: I’ve gotten more interested in Turkiye since Russia invaded Ukraine. Turkiye has played an important role in arming Ukraine, while also maintaining its economic relations with Russia. Turkiye has also been a key sponsor of the Black Sea grain deal whereby over 24 million tons of grain have been exported from Ukraine.

    Last month the US destroyer Nitze made a port call at Istanbul. Waiting at the dock to greet the captain and crew was none other than former Senator Jeff Flake, the US Ambassador.

  14. 14.

    Geminid

    @Baud: Jeff Flake is in Erdogan’s doghouse now, for having a public meeting with the opposition’s presidential candidate, Mr. Kilicdorglu. The cranky Erdogan is always mad at someone and now it’s Flake’s turn.

  15. 15.

    Suzanne

    I love Lady Gaga, and I love that the arts council is coming back.

    So I am in Washington with the two younger Spawns this weekend for a little bit of fun (Cherry Blossom Parade yesterday, National Zoo today). This morning at 7:15, the fire alarm went off in the hotel. I carried Spawn the Youngest down ten flights of stairs while groggy AF. Anyway, the fire department allowed everyone back to their rooms and communication from the hotel said that the cause was determined to be a non-emergency. One hell of a way to wake up.

  17. 17.

    Spanky

    @Suzanne: Welcome to DC. Sorry about the fog. We’re having it cleaned out right now

    ETA Also sorry you’ve missed peak bloom, but things have been toasty around here lately.

  18. 18.

    trnc

    @MomSense: It should have been me serving on this advisory board in the Baud administration!

    My understanding is the Baud administration would have no need for advisors or cabinet secretaries. Maybe someone to fetch coffee now and then.

  22. 22.

    narya

    @Ken: Both. He’s also supremely uninterested in, or downright hostile to, anyone who doesn’t kiss his ass.

  23. 23.

    Geminid

    @Geminid: I don’t dislike Erdogan the way a lot of people do, but I still think it’s funny that the President of Turkey looks to me like a turkey. I wonder if that’s why he now insists that his nation be called Turkiye.

  24. 24.

    Suzanne

    @Spanky: I was actually remarking on how shit seems to go down when I stay in hotels in DC. Two visits ago, I was here in June or July 2021, and there was a tornado warning. So we all had to leave our hotel rooms and go down to the lobby, away from the windows. And I had the kids that time, too, and we were all still trying to mask and social distance….while being crowded into the lobby, away from the windows with everyone else staying at the hotel.

  25. 25.

    Raoul Paste

    It’s impressive how a few short video clips can impart a picture of someone’s gravitas and soulfulness.  Yet there it is for Lady Gaga, thanks to the careful selections by Anne.

    Well done

  26. 26.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Geminid:

    @Suzanne: I hope you and yours have nice weather up there. It’s a pretty morning 100 miles to the southwest.

    It’s a beautiful morning 30 miles to the southeast as well.

    What, no meetup?  I guess not with the kids along, they’d be bored silly by all us old folks.  Enjoy the zoo!

    I don’t think we’ve been to the National Zoo since the Before Times, we used to get in there at least once a year.  Wonder if the kiddo would enjoy a trip there one of these days, or whether he’d regard it as kid stuff, now that he’s in his mid-teens.

  27. 27.

    BlueGuitarist

    Meanwhile in Tennessee:

    “A Nashville Walgreens employee pulled out a pistol and shot a pregnant woman he says he thought was shoplifting. Doctors performed an emergency c-section; both the woman and her baby are in critical condition. The employee is claiming self-defense”

    https://mobile.twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1647298061406728194

    New Memphis police effort to “ ‘monitor juveniles and young adult pedestrians for illegal activities,’ such as selling candy and food, playing loud music, being ‘inappropriately dressed’ or dancing in the street”

    https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2023/04/14/memphis-police-department-downtown-memphis-juvenile-crime/70116377007/

  29. 29.

    Scout211

    @Ken: But now I’m wondering why Trump tried to kill the arts programs.

    I was curious, too. Once I googled it, I remembered.

    They all quit in 2017 after Trump’s response to Charlottesville and he decided not to continue it.  I assume because of the potential for further criticism from celebrities.

    Another advisory group is walking away from President Donald Trump after his equivocation on neo-Nazis and white supremacists, with the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities resigning en masse Friday morning.
    “We cannot sit idly by, the way that your West Wing advisors have, without speaking out against your words and actions,” members write in a joint letter to Trump obtained by POLITICO that ends by calling on the president to resign if he does not see a problem with what’s happened this week.

  30. 30.

    Joey Maloney

    Thanks to all the good guys with guns like that intrepid Walgreens employee, cops in Tennessee are free to take on the very serious crime problems of saggy pants and lemonade stands.

  31. 31.

    frosty

    @lowtechcyclist: When we did a two-week trip to London etc a few years ago we told our sons they could each pick something to do for a day. My youngest* (19) picked the London Zoo.  When he met us in SoCal last year we spent a day at the San Diego Zoo. So no, it’s not something he’ll grow out of as a teen. If he liked it then, he’ll probably like it now.

    * The oldest (23) picked Stamford Bridge (Chelsea). Both great suggestions and a lot of fun.

  33. 33.

    Another Scott

    @Geminid:

    7 years ago 55k Turkish Lira could buy a Volkswagen Golf.Today 55k Turkish Lira can’t even buy an iPhone. There is no better way to illustrate how harmful fiat inflation can be. pic.twitter.com/NgvQoG0gO1

    — Gabor Gurbacs (@gaborgurbacs) September 12, 2022

    I’d like to think that Ergodan’s time is up, and the Turks will finally elect someone sensible, but we’ll see.

    (via Oryx)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  35. 35.

    Geminid

    @Another Scott: Turkiye is an important country, and this is a story worth following.

    Have you read Stijn Mitzer’s article published by Oryx last November 21, about Turkiye’s military aid to Ukraine. It’s titled, “The Stalwart Ally: Turkiye’s Arms Deliveries to Ukraine.” Turkiye does not publicize its military aid to Ukraine like we do, and generally Oryx learns about its deliveries through Ukraine’s officials or when the weapons show up on the battlefield, but the aid has been substantial. I found the article very interesting.

  36. 36.

    jonas

    @Ken: ​
     

    But now I’m wondering why Trump tried to kill the arts programs.

    IIRC, nobody but a bunch of MAGA celebrity d-listers like would be on it or be seen with Trump, so rather than be humiliated he just scotched it. Same with the Kennedy Center Honors. Refused to show up because he knew he’s just be booed the whole time. And deservedly so.

  37. 37.

    Jeffro

    @Ken: um, I guess I forgot the sarcasm tag or something?  When it’s that obvious I didn’t think it needed one.  =)

  38. 38.

    Betty Cracker

    Lady Gaga is a great choice.

    @Geminid: I think Biden was onto something when he called Erdoğan an “autocrat” back when he (Biden) was running for president, but I never noticed Erdoğan’s resemblance to a turkey until you pointed it out. ;-)

  41. 41.

    Jeffro

    Btw for anyone wanting a good chuckle or five: here’s why DeSantis must run in 2024

    DeSantis’s current position is itself a creation of unusual political good fortune. Yes, he’s been skillful(1), but that skill wouldn’t have gotten him here without events beyond anyone’s control — the Covid-19 pandemic(2), the woke revolution(3) in liberal institutions, the split(4) between Mike Pence and Trump after Jan. 6, the strength of the Florida economy(5), and more.

    I could never be a right-wing columnist.

  43. 43.

    MomSense

    Happy orthodox Easter to those who celebrate.  We are meeting at middle kid’s place to make the lamb and all the fixings.  I have to quick dye some eggs blood red for this Christian appropriated pagan fertility celebration.
    Humans are interesting.

  44. 44.

    Anoniminous

    @BlueGuitarist:

    A Nashville Walgreens employee pulled out a pistol and shot a pregnant woman he says he thought was shoplifting …both the woman and her baby are in critical condition.

    Can’t ammosexuals do anything right?

    First the kid is born.  Then it grows up a bit and goes to school.  THEN you shoot the little sprog.

  46. 46.

    Geminid

    @Jeffro: Those columnists are busy polishing up DeSantis’s reputation because they fear Trump will lose next November and drag a lot of other Republican candidates down with him.

    I say, “They’re right, but what’s the problem?”

  47. 47.

    Anoniminous

    @Cameron: ​
    With concealed carry permits raining down there’s no way of telling who is packing.
    General Rule: Avoid in-person shopping. Amazon is Your Friend.​

  49. 49.

    Geminid

    I hope John Fetterman and family are having a nice Sunday. Senator Fetterman will return to work tomorrow.

  50. 50.

    Anyway

    @Geminid:

    Turkey’s a NATO country — NATO is allied with Ukraine — not surprised that Turkey’s sending arms and other support to Ukraine.

  51. 51.

    Steeplejack

    Clarence Thomas—the hits keep a’comin’! “Clarence Thomas has for years claimed income from a defunct real estate firm” (gift link):

    Over the last two decades, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has reported on required financial disclosure forms that his family received rental income totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a firm called Ginger, Ltd., Partnership.

    But that company—a Nebraska real estate firm launched in the 1980s by his wife and her relatives—has not existed since 2006.

    That year, the family real estate company was shut down and a separate firm was created, state incorporation records show. The similarly named firm assumed control of the shuttered company’s land leasing business, according to property records.

    Since that time, however, Thomas has continued to report income from the defunct company—between $50,000 and $100,000 annually in recent years—and there is no mention of the newer firm, Ginger Holdings, LLC, on the forms.

    Further down in the article:

    Ginni Thomas earned more than $686,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation from 2003 until 2007, according to the nonprofit’s tax forms. Clarence Thomas checked a box labeled “none” for his wife’s income during that period. He had done the same in 2008 and 2009 when she worked for conservative Hillsdale College.

    Thomas acknowledged the error when he amended those filings in 2011. He wrote that the information had been “inadvertently omitted due to a misunderstanding of the filing instructions.”

    In some years before those omissions, however, Thomas had correctly reported his wife’s employment.

    On top of everything else, I am sick of the excuse for Thomas about “misunderstanding” instructions and guidelines. He is a legal galaxy brain entrusted with teasing out the arcane details of the most serious constitutional issues, but he’s flummoxed by basic disclosure rules? Give me a break. (Yes, I know it’s squid ink. But still.)

  52. 52.

    Emmyelle

    I somehow missed our 2011 national conversation about Lady Gaga’s alleged penis. Damn you Balloon Juice! I could have gone to my grave never thinking about what actually goes into such things rising to the level of serious media attention!

  53. 53.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @Geminid: My theory on the delay is that Sweden’s culinary claim to fame – the Swedish meatball – is actually a Turkish recipe and Turkey is still bitter about Sweden stealing some of their culinary thunder.

  55. 55.

    Geminid

    @Anyway: According to the Oryx article,

        “It’s strategic leniency is not the only thing that distinguishes [Turkiye] among Ukraine’s allies however, with its military support ranking among the most expansive of all NATO countries.”

    The “strategic leniency” Oryx refers to is that unlike other NATO countries, Turkiye has not placed restrictions on using its weapons to strike targets within Russia:

         “Ukraine has gladly made use of that operational flexibility, using Bayraktar TB-2 UCAVs to strike targets in Kursk and Belgorad Oblasts on numerous occasions.”

  56. 56.

    Steeplejack

    @Steeplejack:

    And another thing: the idea that Thomas is a poor but honest country judge with a low net worth is another crock, unless he and Ginni and spending everything like drunken sailors on shore leave. (Possible, I admit. 🤔)

  57. 57.

    Joy in FL

    @satby: I’m glad you posted about this. I just donated to them. I didn’t know anything about this rescue before, and I’m glad to help them cover their costs for doing good.

    I hope some more jackals will donate today and help them reach their goal.  The rescue is called Aiding 2 adoption rescue, and the link is in comment #10.

  58. 58.

    MagdaInBlack

    @Steeplejack: Well, they certainly aren’t spending it on high end vacations or maintaining Mom’s house, are they?

    They’re a lovely couple of grifters, those two.

  59. 59.

    sdhays

    @Steeplejack: These kinds of excuses from these kind of people are always really annoying. If true (which, of course, it isn’t), it’s totally disqualifying for the job they’re in. “I’m so incompetent, I can’t understand disclosure requirements. Now, let’s see if I can work out how the Constitution applies to this law and situation.”

    ETA: I have to admit, I’m surprised he bothers filing fake disclosure forms at all. It’s not like there will be any consequences if he doesn’t.

  60. 60.

    Joseph Patrick Lurker

    Good for Lady Gaga

    Lady Gaga is fine, but Taylor Swift would have been a better choice.

  61. 61.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Suzanne:

    This morning at 7:15, the fire alarm went off in the hotel.

    This happened to me in Portland on a business trip—a commercial real estate closing with many attorneys and principals staying at the same hotel. It occurred at 3ish in the morning and was a bit embarrassing standing around outside in nightwear with a bunch of work people.

  64. 64.

    tobie

    I read somewhere that the US sent a delegation to Argentina to try to stop its trade deal with China. Brazil’s partnership with China is worrisome. China owns much of Africa and is expanding its footprint rapidly in Latin America. TPP would have made a difference. We lost out.

    ETA: We can add Honduras to the mix.

  65. 65.

    Jeffro

    @Geminid: LOL, I know, right?

    “You say problem like it’s a problem or something.”  =)

    I’m trying to picture the daily headlines a year from now and the only really question is exactly how many indictments will have dropped.

    “GOP still largely backing trumpov for president in 2024 despite _____ indictments.”

  66. 66.

    Steeplejack

    @MagdaInBlack:

    Funny you should mention “high end vacations.” I am hearing from a couple of former journalism acquaintances that Clarence and Ginni keep a luxury motor home at a fancy, gated resort called Motorcoach Country Club in Indio, CA, in the Coachella Valley east of Palm Springs. Currently in the “looking into it” stage (h/t Elon Musk), and ProPublica has been informed.

  69. 69.

    Another Scott

    @sdhays: I think the basic problem is, they don’t care.  They know there are no consequences for not following the norms and rules, so they don’t bother to spend any time on them.

    “Oh, the financial disclosure stuff is due again?  Just change the date in last year’s forms and send it in.  Thanks honey, you’re the bestest!!1”

    Repeat for 20 years.  Done.

    Cynical me would say that Roberts will eventually have some press release that Thomas has been reminded of the rules and says he’ll get it right in the future, so the SCOTUS is still the bestest, purest, most respected institution in Fairy Gumdrop Land, and anyone who says otherwise is a mean partisan leftist bad person.

    But the drip, drip, drip of news is making that less tenable.  Here’s hoping it keeps up and eventually forces Thomas to resign (because of his well-known health problems).

    [ From the transcript of Ginni’s interview with the January 6 committee investigators: ]  (typos mine):

    Regarding the 2020 election, I did not speak with him at all about the details of my volunteer campaign activities, and I did not speak with him at all about the details of my post-election activities, which were minimal in any event.

    I am certain I never spoke with him about any legal challenges to the 2020 election, as I was not involved in those challenges in any way.  And I do know he was completely unaware of the texts that I had with Mark Meadows until this committee leaked them to the press while my husband was in a hospital bed in March fighting an infection.

    (Reminder – she supposedly arranged financing for buses for January 6, and she was there at the rally.)

    If she wants to cry and wail about her poor hubby being in the hospital and use that as protection from the mean and unfair committee, well, maybe her poor hubby should be retired and home where she can take better care of him.

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  72. 72.

    sdhays

    @Another Scott: I wonder if Thomas could be persuaded to resign even if Trump was President. He seems like the kind of guy who is going to make his successor claw that seat out his cold dead hands.

  74. 74.

    Mike in NC

    Trump’s appreciation for the arts and humanities was limited to his porn collection. Yay, Stormy!

  75. 75.

    Baud

    @sdhays:

    I was a little surprised he and Alito didn’t take one for the team when Trump could have appointed their replacements.

  77. 77.

    Honus

    Lady Gaga was spotted in Cole’s local Elm Grove Kroger a few years ago buying produce.  She was in town for Thanksgiving with her grandmother who lives in Glen Dale, Brad Paisley’s hometown.  Her mom went to nearby John Marshall HS and was a WVU cheerleader in the 1970s.

  78. 78.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @Jeffro:

    Kid Rock Is The Republican Party

    If ever there could be an anthem for the modern, Trump GOP, I think it would be Only God Knows Why.  The lyrics that most reflect this are as follows:
    I said it too many times and I still stand firmYou get what you put inAnd people get what they deserve
    Still I ain’t seen mineNo, I ain’t seen mineI’ve been givin’, just ain’t been gettin’I’ve been walkin’ that there line
    So I think I’ll keep a walkin’With my head held highI’ll keep movin’ onAnd only God knows why

    The inherent contradiction in these lines, though poetically frustrating, are also the perfect embodiment of the modern GOP’s hypocrisy.  I believe with all my heart that hard work and personal responsibility pay off, BUT IT IS  NOT WORKING FOR ME!  Well which is it?  Is it personal responsibility for everyone, or is it others who are not working hard, but for folks like Kid Rock, it is actually an unjust tragedy that his hard work is not paying off?  If not for his politics and generally offensive nature, I would say the song is a laudable lament of a world that seems to contradict the values it espouses.  But knowing now who Kid Rock is, it sounds more like hypocritical bitching and is there any better way to describe the modern GOP than hypocritical bitches?

  80. 80.

    Geminid

    @Baud: I saw conservative columnists advocating for Thomas to retire so as to let Trump appoint a successor. Alito was only two years younger, but his name was not mentioned. Thomas may have noticed that.

  81. 81.

    Cameron

    @Mike in NC: Well, of course not.  Shooter(s) must be identified so that blame can be assigned.  Were they people of unwhiteness?  People of unstraightness?  People of un-mental-healthness?  Let’s focus on what’s really important here.

  84. 84.

    J R in WV

    So — many years ago my father was a huge big-band fan, as well as a classical music fan.He founded the first FM radio station in WV, played classical music from live studios, big band music too.

    We (Wife and I) had gotten some Tony Bennett albums, including his duets with Lady Gaga. I gave them to Dad, though he reflexivly rejected someone calling themselves Lady Gaga. He was a Rockefeller Republican after all. But he couldn’t not listen to the CDs, and finally admitted that they were right in his sweet spot for modern jazz vocal music…. I admired him for that admission.

    Hard to tell which of them was best, actually. She is so so good, and of course Tony Bennett was among the best for decades of years. Glad Dad had that modern music to enjoy in his closing out years. Tony appeared here in Charleston WV at a new concert hall, and after his first song he laid the mic down, said “this place has the acoustics, I don’t need a mic for this show at all.”

    Tears of joy !!!

     

    ETA: Tony is still alive, and was awarded a Bronze Star medal in WW II… what a guy !!!

  87. 87.

    Geminid

     

    @Sanjeevs: The Senate was in recess when the first Pro Publica article came out, but at least a couple Democratic Senators have promised Judiciary Committee hearings on the matter.

  89. 89.

    John S.

    @Geminid: I have to believe that aside from exposing Thomas and his serious lapses in ethics, this is a concerted effort to drag him through the mud in the hope of tipping the court balance slightly back to normalcy.

    Unfortunately, that relies largely on Thomas having some modicum of morals, which he clearly does not. Unless they find something really salacious, he’s not going anywhere before he chooses to.

  91. 91.

    scav

    @BlueGuitarist:

    Sex-obsessed Republican school boards will ban chess in schools once parents learn that a pawn can transition into a queen.

    Shit, hadn’t ever properly thought of the horrific threat to their entire social order posed by chess.  The gender transition threat above, yes, but that pawn clearly demonstrates the most radical of social mobilities (uppity pawn!!).  And, it’s that woman, that queen that dominates the board, leaving not only that emasculated king in his one-square mode (when not trapped passively huddled in a castle), but clearly outmaneuvering the church-bishops (who at least  cling to only straight moves, albeit on the diagonal) not to mention the twisted frustrated knights.

  92. 92.

    zhena gogolia

    @Sure Lurkalot: This has happened to me in the last three hotels I’ve stayed in — Philadelphia, Cambridge, and Providence (all different types of hotel). I think they have a problem with this.

  93. 93.

    Geminid

    @John S.: Yeah, I don’t think the hearings will be that consequential either. I expect Thomas to hang on through the 2024 election, and with broad Republican support. This affair might make a decision to retire come quicker though, once Joe Biden is reelected.

  95. 95.

    Miss Bianca

    @Baud: Because who among us doesn’t go armed to a birthday party, amirite? I mean, death’s a part of life just like birth! We should celebrate that!

  96. 96.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @J R in WV: I know zip about Lady Gaga’s music and not much more about Tony Bennett, though I occasionally listen to one of the old jazz standards (I’ve almost always found that if Ella Fitzgerald recorded it, that’s my favorite version).

    But I listened to one of the Bennett-Gaga duets out of curiosity, and I was blown away by how good she is in this genre, and how good they sound together.

    As opposed to a duet from my era, Placido Domingo and John Denver singing Perhaps Love. I enjoyed that song and I enjoy both of those guys voices, but it still feels like one of them accidentally wandered into the wrong studio.

  100. 100.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @J R in WV: A friend of mine (nice, liberal, older Italian-American) told me back in the early 2000’s that one of her friends in NY (or CT) who played her some low-fi demo recordings of her daughter who was a singer trying to get signed to a record deal.  It was Lady Gaga.  She said even on the crappy recordings there was no denying her talent.

  105. 105.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud: Yeah, you should have seen me in my red flannel nightgown in the lobby of the Philadelphia Marriott. At 1:00 in the morning.

  108. 108.

    trollhattan

    @NotMax: ​Now need to learn up on early 20th century Denmark. Sadly, my Danish uncle is long since gone to the big Lego factory in the sky.

    Also, had forgotten about the song–my first hearing this century. Taj is pretty great.

  109. 109.

    trollhattan

    @J R in WV: When Gaga first showed up in the public eye I had dread she was Madonna 2.0 and am thrilled and relieved that she’s just the opposite: Talented, driven, kind, ego well in check.

  110. 110.

    Montanareddog

    @zhena gogolia: A friend of mine, away on a work gig,  was woken in the early hours by the hotel’s fire alarm. Drunk and disoriented, he panicked and ran out into the corridor. As the door clicked behind him, he realised he was naked.

  116. 116.

    BlueGuitarist

    @WaterGirl:

    @ lots of other valued commenters

    Now I don’t need to do the post I had planned!

    More attention to this is valuable
    even though Thomas won’t resign, be impeached by the house, or removed by the Senate: more people learning about his utter corruption and contempt for the law, and the illegitimacy of the court will further the alternative: fight for 15.
    A recent poll had the 2 worst issues for
    net approval of Rs in congress as
    abortion: overall -21, D -71, ind -33, R +38
    corruption: overall -20, D -67, ind -28, R +33    
    The poll shows there’s room for Dems and Independents to become more negative about Republican corruption
    hammering on Thomas’s corruption, and that of many other Rs, can help move some opinions, and possibly votes.
    poll link: https://navigatorresearch.org/the-publics-assessment-of-house-republicans-first-100-days/

    Nb post title at LGM:  “Quid pro Crow”

  117. 117.

    Montanareddog

    @Baud: since 97%* of hotel fire alarms are caused by someone going out through a fire door for a smoke, not a stupid heuristic.

    * Statistic pulled from my ass, of course.

  119. 119.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, Dean Baker at CEPR has thoughts on AI and Copyright:

    […]

    There are also endless examples of copyright enforcement absurdities, such as when the Girls Scouts were threatened by ASCAP with a lawsuit for singing copyrighted songs around campfires without permission. (ASCAP later backed down and apologized.) More recently, Carol Highsmith, a photographer, got a cease and desist letter from Getty Images for posting her own photograph, which she had placed in the public domain and donated to the Library of Congress, on her own website.

    There is a pretty much endless supply of these sorts of stories, but the point should be clear, copyright enforcement creates all sorts of issues that would not exist in a copyright free world, where basically all digital material could be obtained immediately at zero cost. Copyright is a way to support creative work, but arguably not a very good one. The Internet already raised the costs associated with copyright enforcement substantially. If we have to impose all sorts restrictions on AI, in order to protect copyrights, then the cost to society of copyright enforcement will rise further.

    Alternatives to Copyright Monopolies for Supporting Creative Work

    There are many other ways we can and do support creative work. The most obvious is with direct government subsidies. These subsidies are far more common in Europe than in the United States, but governments can pay out money to musicians, movie producers, writers and other creative workers. Even in the United States we do commit relatively small amounts of money for this purpose through agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts.

    However, having government agencies support creative work does raise political issues about what work should be supported. Fortunately, we have an alternative that already exists, even if it is not generally considered as a mechanism for supporting creative work.

    The charitable contribution tax deduction is a way the government supports a wide variety of non-profit organizations. In many cases, such as orchestras, operas, art and culture programs, these contributions support people doing creative work. As it stands of course, the vast majority of these deductions are not for creative work, and the bulk of the benefit goes to high income people who both itemize on their tax returns and also are in the top marginal income bracket, which means the deduction would be worth more.

    However, the charitable contribution tax deduction can serve as useful model. Instead of having a tax deduction, we could create a tax credit, say $100 to $200 per person. And, we could stipulate that the credit can only be used to support creative workers or organizations that support creative work. The latter could be organizations that commit themselves to supporting say, mystery writers or country music singers, which would serve as intermediaries for people who don’t want to use their credit for supporting specific individuals.

    […]

    ASCAP and the copyright lawyers would hate it, but it’s a good idea and well worth considering.

    TheOatmeal raised $1.37M from 33,000 people to buy one of Nikola Tesla’s lab sites. Direct donations work, and cut out a lot of the waste and frustration in existing systems that nominally are supposed to be supporting good things.

    Worth a click.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  120. 120.

    Montanareddog

    @zhena gogolia:

    Before anyone asks, it really was a friend, not me.
    When he told me about it, I thought that is definitely  a George Costanza scenario, which was doubly amusing as my friend is a short, tubby, nerdy guy.
    When travelling, I have never slept naked since.
    The happy ending is that a neighbour came out a few seconds later and went back in his room  and quckly got him a bathrobe and a blanket.

  124. 124.

    catclub

    @Anoniminous: there’s no way of telling who is packing.
    General Rule: Avoid in-person shopping. Amazon is Your Friend.​

     

    But is the Amazon delivery worker packing?

  125. 125.

    Baud

    @Another Scott:

    These subsidies are far more common in Europe than in the United States

    My understanding is that Europe’s copyright laws are even harsher than in the U.S.

  126. 126.

    Another Scott

    #4? Really??! KSA above Japan??! Wow. I kinda wonder what the actual question was and how they asked people (but not enough to look. ;-)

    Erdogan may have trouble getting reëlected.

    World Happiness Report rank, 2023

    1. Finland
    2. Denmark
    3. Iceland
    4. Israel
    5. Netherlands
    15. US
    16. Germany
    19. UK
    21. France
    30. Saudi
    47. Japan
    64. China
    70. Russia
    84. Indonesia
    85. South Africa
    95. Nigeria
    106. Turkey
    108. Pakistan
    121. Egypt
    126. India
    137. Afghanistan

    — The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) April 16, 2023

    (via Oryx)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  129. 129.

    Geminid

    @Baud: I’m not sure how this particular “happiness” poll was constructed. I saw one that used questions on various different metrics to arrive at a happiness score.

    Israel was probably polled before the fight erupted over Netanyahu’s judiciary power grab, 4 months ago. And of course its 4th place rank is based on how happy Israelis are, and not how happy others think they should be.

  131. 131.

    PJ

    @Another Scott: Fuck Dean Baker.  Destroying copyright would remove all monetary value from creative work.  With the hollowing out of copyright since the advent of the internet, we are well on our way to having artists entirely dependent on the patronage of the wealthy, but this would cement it.  (It would also mean corporations, politicians, and the wealthy could use and misuse other’s creative work to their hearts’ content.  And it would mean the end of any creative work that requires more than minimal monetary investment – so long movies.)

  134. 134.

    Steeplejack

    What we’ve learned is any holes in the law based on a presumption of a job having an inherent high ethical standard will be exploited mercilessly. Trump and Thomas and who knows who else.

    — Schooley (@Rschooley) April 16, 2023

  136. 136.

    Kristine

    @Another Scott:

     

    ASCAP and the copyright lawyers would hate it, but it’s a good idea and well worth considering.

    Speaking as someone who’s had their work pirated….

    Idk how I feel about this. I’m currently indie/self-pub, though a trad publisher still owns rights to some of my work. I do belong to SFWA, which is one organization that could, with added staff, take on the task of receiving and disbursing funds. It may be a way for them and other writers organizations to grow since I would think that it would be preferred over the gov’t disbursing funds directly to writers; the numbers might be such that it would require a subagency.

    Folks use examples like Disney and the Mouse and copyright attorneys as the reasons why copyright needs to be addressed, but it’s the individual low/mid-range artists who will get slammed if something isn’t instituted to take its place. Our works will be taken, read, disbursed and used without payment even more than they are now, and we’ll be told that we should be grateful for the exposure/if we were any good we’d be rich/if we’re rich we’re just hacks and should shut up/all the other anti-copyright arguments I’ve heard since I started writing for publication in the late 90s.

  137. 137.

    BlueGuitarist

    Speaking of illegitimate judges, the Texas judge with the hack abortion pill ruling, Matthew Kacsmaryk, dishonestly covered up an article he was required to disclose in the confirmation process.
    Dk if I can pass on a gift link:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/15/matthew-kacsmaryk-law-review/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWJpZCI6IjE0Mjg5NzgiLCJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNjgxNjE3NjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNjgyOTEzNTk5LCJpYXQiOjE2ODE2MTc2MDAsImp0aSI6ImVjYzQ3MDE1LWM0MTEtNDBkOS04MzNkLTk5NjYwYjg5ODkyNiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDIzLzA0LzE1L21hdHRoZXcta2Fjc21hcnlrLWxhdy1yZXZpZXcvIn0.d9O2wbW9cNM1JtcNkIrDQYYlGnb9sIdyCkr9F7y7qBI

  138. 138.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Baud:

    As we all have learned, there are some people who can’t be happy unless other people are unhappy. 

    And those fuckers (Rethuglicans) are still miserable bastards.

  139. 139.

    patrick II

    @Steeplejack:

    Ginni Thomas earned more than $686,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation from 2003 until 2007…Clarence Thomas checked a box labeled “none” for his wife’s income during that period…Thomas acknowledged the error when he amended those filings in 2011. He wrote that the information had been “inadvertently omitted due to a misunderstanding of the filing instructions.”

    “none” is such an ambiguous and difficult-to-understand term, I could see where Thomas could make that mistake.

  141. 141.

    PJ

    @Kristine: In general, people disdain artists, and don’t think they should be paid (or, at least, that they personally should not have to pay for any work that they enjoy), because, like teaching, it is not really “work”.

    Many, like Another Scott, who probably think of themselves as pro-artist, think artists should survive on tips and that their work should be exploited by whomever (Joe Blow, Disney, Exxon, Trump) free of charge.  Fuck that.

  143. 143.

    Anyway

    @Baud:

    I must be the only one who ignores fire alarms.

    I’ve tried but have been discovered by “sweepers” and made to leave the room. Hate when it happens in hotels. Not a biggie in the office, you can go out and shoot the breeze with coworkers.

  144. 144.

    Miss Bianca

    @PJ: And yet…organizations like ASCAP and BMI do exactly jack and shit for the average musician, while bullying and threatening venues. Ask me how I know!

  145. 145.

    Another Scott

    @PJ: I don’t think that, and I’m sorry you have that impression.

    Reading Baker’s post in full is probably a good idea – the excerpt doesn’t capture all of the features of his thinking on this.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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