Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

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

Cole is on a roll !

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Bark louder, little dog.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Second rate reporter says what?

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

… among the most cringeworthy communications in the history of the alphabet!

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Excellent Links / Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Communication Is A Net Positive

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Communication Is A Net Positive

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159Comments

  3. 3.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Just dropping in to say thanx for all the kind comments yesterday (I read them last night). Started the day with a funeral for my BIL’s older brother and ended it at my SIL’s house (feels strange saying it that way). She is pretty fucked up, no sleeping, a lot of quivering, tears at the drop of a hat, about what one would expect. For now, somebody is always there with her. I tried to talk her into going to a doctor, for sleep remedies if nothing else, but she’s a nurse so I doubt my words took hold. Going back there today, hopefully I can be useful. Also hoping they will release my brother’s body today so that things can move forward on that front. I suspect my bother would say “Cremate me and to hell with the rest.” but R may well feel otherwise.

  4. 4.

    Suzanne

    It’s so interesting to see Democrats enact all these policies that disproportionately benefit deep-red rural communities. A striking contrast to Republicans’ unceasing attacks on cities and urban residents.

    But, you see, urban areas have racial minorities, queers, and women who don’t know their proper place.

  5. 5.

    Ken

    The White House denial of any involvement in Prigozhin’s mutiny will undoubtedly be all the evidence that some people need that the US was behind it.

    I can also see some Republicans attacking Biden on his “inactivity”. This may actually be a useful indication of which Republicans are not on Putin’s payroll.

  8. 8.

    Baud

    @Mr. Bemused Senior:

    Good morning.

    The paywall is down this week across @washingtonpost. Enter your email address when prompted and you can read as many articles as you want for free

     

    So cynical me says this week will feature less bias against Dems in order to reel in liberal subscribers.

  12. 12.

    randy khan

    I want to push back a bit against the idea that money going to rural coops, etc., is going to boost competition in broadband.  It’s often not what happens.  The rural coops and other small telephone companies have had decades of access to special funding that nobody else can get.  Some of them have used that money to build fiber; some have decided not to do anything at all.  (Also, when the FCC last held an auction for funding for unserved areas, a lot of rural phone companies decided not to participate.)  In other words, if the local cable company – probably *not* Comcast, by the way – gets funding for broadband, it will either be the first real broadband provider or the first real competitor in a lot of those rural markets.

    I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with rural phone companies over the years, and if you want to find the companies that hate competition the most in the U.S., rural telephone companies would be a great place to start.

  13. 13.

    Tony Jay

    @Ken:

    My thoughts exactly, as in.

      “We had nothing to do with it. This was part of a struggle within Russia’s system.”

    Pull the other one, Mister President, Sir. Prigozhin/Wagner have been on the FullSpec/DFA payroll since 1988. You know it, we know it, they know it. RealPeacePeople don’t need FiveEyes to see how the dominoes fall. #UseMoreMind #RFK2WH #Starsnstripesbebetter

    and

      “We had nothing to do with it. This was part of a struggle within Russia’s system.”

    Funny that JBWH thinks it’s okay to boast about the worst failure of American Intelligence since Benghazi. What is happening over there? Too Woke to be Awake? This is on your watch, Dems. For God’s sake, go14A now or get ready for hell. #betterredthanzed #israelstrong #MAF

    Almost like it’s orchestrated, or something.

  15. 15.

    Baud

    @randy khan:

    I have some experience with them and can confirm what you said.  Rural telcos see themselves as indispensable heros in their communities, and they and their local allies have convinced residents of that too.

  17. 17.

    Tony Jay

    It’s funny. A massive expansion of free Broadband across the whole UK was a part of the last Labour Party manifesto over here and ALL of the ‘smart, sensible adults’ said it was a crazy Far Left joke of a policy that would cost hundreds of billions and put thousands out of work. Granted, they said that about everything in the last Labour manifesto, especially the stuff that the Tories would later steal chunks of when Covid hit and actual solutions had to be actually found.

    Oh, hang on, funny isn’t the right word. Deplorable, That’s the word.

  18. 18.

    Tony Jay

    @Baud:

    I changed it. Should have been 14A.

    That’s the one about putting President Granddad in a nice care home, isn’t it?

  23. 23.

    Ken

    @Tony Jay: Back when we had proper phones, comedies sometimes had a gag where a person had to answer two phone calls at once, and both of the other parties were chattering and not listening to his requests that they hold. So he would hold the handsets together speaker-to-mouthpiece and let them chatter at one another.

    Pity there’s no easy way to similarly cross-wire those two twitterers.

  28. 28.

    Tony Jay

    @Ken:

    Consider it done. They probably have desks next to each other in Disinformation Towers anyway.

  29. 29.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @Baud: amendment, d’Oh. [quoting the Golux] if there’s one thing I hate, it’s amendments.

  30. 30.

    Tony Jay

    @Baud:

    Oh, we do. It’s just that it’s written in a mix of Church Latin and gutter Norman French on the buttocks of each succeeding monarch and basically translates to “See this sword? Any questions? Back to the fields, villein!”

    It’s served us well, Gawd Bless the Derrieres of Divine Right.

  31. 31.

    OverTwistWillie

    Bode’s reflexive but vague anti-trust messaging is not illuminating.

    The issue is some states refuse to enact municipal level franchise models (rather than historic state level tariffed telecom models) for broadband offerings.

    There is a history, and some good, and not so good reasons for both.

  32. 32.

    Ken

    @Tony Jay: Disinformation Towers must be in the “throw everything against the wall and see what sticks” phase of operations.

    For what it’s worth, I don’t think the second (“failure of US intelligence”) one will stick. It’s too easy for someone to smirk and say “I said we weren’t involved. No one said anything about not knowing about it.”

  33. 33.

    Rusty

    @OzarkHillbilly: A very good pastor once told me that funerals are for the living.  Yes, the deceased may have their wishes but you should do what is best for the living.  So if your family wants some form of memorial service, do it to help all of you grieve, remember, console, etc., do as all of you need.

  34. 34.

    Spanky

    Jennifer Rubin lays out the case against No Labels in today’s WaPo, ending with…

    No wonder some prominent allies of No Labels in the past, including New York Times columnist David Brooks and Brookings Institution policy scholar William Galston, have called foul and withdrawn their support. We are left to ponder: Would No Labels be doing anything differently if it were a front group for Republicans out to sink Biden?

    Nothing we haven’t said here, but happy to see it mainstreamed.

  36. 36.

    Tony Jay

    @Ken:

      “I said we weren’t involved. No one said anything about not knowing about it.”

    They admit they LIED to the AMERICAN PEOPLE!

    To the Impeachment mobile!

  37. 37.

    Ken

    @Tony Jay: Church Latin and gutter Norman French

    Even on the Scottish, Dutch, and German buttocks that have occupied the chair for the last few centuries?

  38. 38.

    BenCisco 🇺🇸🎖️🖥️♦️

    @randy khan: Agreed. Mama Cisco lives in an area that she helped bring FIBER connectivity to (as part of the school system) almost 30 years ago. Not only did the local telcos NOT utilize it for the customer base (the one servicing the south end of the county eventually sold out to another company that quickly made use of it), the one in the north end still has areas that don’t have LANDLINES.

    In 2023.

  41. 41.

    sdhays

    @Ken: As I’m sure you know, there’s nothing stronger than the bond between a man and his caterer, so if the US/NATO could pull Prigozhin away, what does that say about old Putin?

  43. 43.

    Burnspbesq

    “Go 14A” = sue to knock Trump off the ballot because he engaged in insurrection.

  45. 45.

    tobie

    I’m in Florida to scatter my father’s ashes. He died Jan 31 and the cremation happened some time in February. In the interim we’ve moved my mother from her house to a senior living center, which she likes a lot, but it’s been eating at her that she hasn’t laid my father to rest. So heat notwithstanding we’re going to the Sarasota Bay today to release his remains. My mother’s not at all sentimental so I’ve been surprised at how much this is upsetting her.

  47. 47.

    dm

    Here’s one for Anne Laurie’s Covid-casts:

    https://mastodon.social/@augieray/110610783192600537

    Anti-vax pro-Covid loonie Laura Loomer complains that the world has lost its savor the past few years since Covid, rattling off a long list of symptoms of Long Covid among her complaints.

    New MAGA syndrome: MAGAts, suffering Long Covid unaware, blame their feelings of malaise on the way liberals have made everything worse.

  49. 49.

    japa21

    Took my mother over 15 years to decide to spread my father’s ashes. They had been sitting behind the liquor bottles in her closet (which considering his propensity for drinking was rather fitting). She finally asked my to take her out on the lake and dump them in one of his favorite fishing spots.
    30 years later we kids, spouses and children spread hers in the same spot.

  50. 50.

    Tony Jay

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    That’s a mistake on their behalf. Watching a Windsor suffer and wail for once would likely pull in viewing figures in the hundreds of millions. Even I’d watch it, and not just for sexy reasons.

    @Baud:

    I think King Ralph proved that.

  53. 53.

    tobie

    @japa21: That’s a sweet story even if the circumstances you were dealing with were painful. You closed the circle in bringing your mother’s ashes to the same place as your father’s.

    I’m not sure how my mother will handle things today. Maybe she’ll be relieved. Maybe this will tear open the wound of my father’s passing. I guess I’ll just have to be prepared for whatever happens.

  54. 54.

    jonas

    @Ken: ​
     

    No one said anything about not knowing

    Exactly. What does an “intelligence failure” even mean in this context? *If* the US/Five Eyes had any inkling that Prigozhin was up to something, what, exactly, were we supposed to do? Preempt him with a big announcement? “Hey Putin, your man here is coming for you! Not us! Bye!”

    The stupid. It burns.

  59. 59.

    dm

    @Ken: There were reports over the weekend that US intelligence has known something was going to happen for about ten days, but wasn’t sure exactly what.

  62. 62.

    TS

    @Baud:

    So cynical me says this week will feature less bias against Dems in order to reel in liberal subscribers.

    Interesting you say that. I have my $19/year subscription (offered as a one-off & renewed for the past 7 years at the same rate)  and from what I have read today you seem to be correct.

  67. 67.

    Tony Jay

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    For some people it’s the hidden reptillian nature. For others it’s the hoarding of vast wealth. For others its the racist snobbishness. For others it’s the scaffolding they provide for a system of gross inequality.

    But the knot. Everyone can agree on that.

  69. 69.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Omnes Omnibus:Honestly, the Windsors deserve everything they get just for that stupid, pretentious tie knot.

    Without that knot, I wouldn’t be able to manage a tie.  Knot that I respect ties…

  72. 72.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Omnes Omnibus: Huh, looked it up. [ETA] That’s the knot I use.

    I’ve always heard that referred to as a single Windsor, as opposed to the double Windsor which you may be referring to.

  74. 74.

    Betty Cracker

    @Jerzy Russian: It can be just as hot or even hotter in August, but I find it more bearable because I know that, like a fever, summer will break soon, and the weather will reset to “awesome” again. (Assuming one is not killed in a hurricane, of course…)

  78. 78.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Baud:

    Moore v. Harper came down. The court did not dismiss it. But the decision is good!

    That’s a blessed relief. Thanks for passing the word along!

  80. 80.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Baud: ​
      The Court rejected the independent state legislature theory. That’s the big takeaway on this one.

  82. 82.

    Baud

    @Betty Cracker:

    Makes me wonder whether Kavanaugh, Roberts, and Barrett got scared about what they were hearing at GOP cocktail parties.

    Regardless, one bullet dodged. On to the next one.

  86. 86.

    schrodingers_cat

    Speaking of monkeys have you guys seen the venomous response garnered by President Obama for mildly critical comments and honest comments about India? And Sabrina Siddiqui for just doing her fucking job

    The hate Sabrina garnered was so severe that the White House had to put out a statement defending her and the freedom of press.

  88. 88.

    Baud

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I suppose the most likely thing is that ISLT would have brought every question of state elections law into the federal courts, and they didn’t want to deal with that.

  89. 89.

    Ken

    @Omnes Omnibus: @Baud: I wonder if there’s a bit of self-preservation there. Once you’ve said “State supreme courts can’t strike down legislation on constitutional grounds”, people might start asking why federal courts can.

  91. 91.

    Scout211

    @eclare:

    link

    The Supreme Court said that the North Carolina Supreme Court did not violate the elections clause of the US Constitution when it invalidated the state’s 2022 congressional map, rejecting a broad version of a controversial legal theory pushed by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

    Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the 6-3 opinion.

  96. 96.

    Ascap_scab

    Well of course I’ll accept a free week of the company paper from the company town after the way they broke the Thomas/Alito corruption scandal wide open.

    You mean that wasn’t the Washington Post?

  99. 99.

    JPL

    The court first holds that it has the power to review the case despite the subsequent NC Supreme Court decision.

    Truthfully this will shut up the states for awhile.   Does this reverse TX’s whacky law that allows states to change elections?
    BTW Scotusblog is excellent.   Thursday is the next nail biting day, but it appears that it won’t be the last.

  107. 107.

    Geminid

    In Montana Senate news, Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines has landed his big fish: Politico and other sites report that Tim Sheehy has announced a Senate bid. A former Navy SEAL, Sheehy owns a couple of aerial firefighting and fire spotting companies as well as a cattle ranch.

    Daines was reported to be recruiting Sheehy for some time. Being the Senatorial Committee Chair, Daines cannot endorse Sheehy but said that he “could not be happier” about Sheehy’s candidacy.

    Knuckle dragging Rep. Matt Rosendale is also expected to join the Republican field.

  108. 108.

    Baud

    Ooh. Kagan’s First Amendment decision today has “Fuck off permanently” right there in the opinion.

  109. 109.

    JoyceH

    Came here to celebrate the defeat of ISLT. But on the subject of funeral arrangements, I was executor for both my mother and my sister, one traditional and one cremation. And have to say the cremation option eliminates the interminable discussion of what the Dear Departed would want to wear!

  110. 110.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: Evidently we’re getting it. On the local weather last night they were forecasting a high of 102º here on Thursday. I don’t know if it’s ever gotten above 100º here in June before, it’s that rare.

  111. 111.

    Baud

    @Baud:

    The opinion has a short summary of incitement law that will likely set social media abuzz regarding its application to Trump.

  112. 112.

    JPL

    @Baud: oooh

    Did you read the Alito’s and Gorsuch’s dissent in the ISLtheory case?   I saw Thomas’ opinion on scotusblog, but that was it.

  115. 115.

    catclub

    @jonas: ​
     

    What does an “intelligence failure” even mean in this context?

    I think it means “Don’t bring up the OTHER intelligence failure on CNN today – ‘FBI and Homeland security intelligence failures missed J6 insurrection in plain sight on social media’ “

  116. 116.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @JPL: There were no other dissents.  Gorsuch joined in Thomas’s full dissent and Alito joined in the first part that said the court should have just punted the case.  They all are a bit butthurt that the Roberts took the opportunity to, as ABL put it, yeet the ISLT into the sun when the case could have been decided without doing it.

  120. 120.

    Brachiator

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Speaking of monkeys have you guys seen the venomous response garnered by President Obama for mildly critical comments and honest comments about India?

    I saw one BBC News story noting how some Indian officials were “shocked” at Obama’s criticisms, which were very mild. Obama also emphasized that he and Modi had a good relationship.

    The BBC News story did quote some harsh comments about Obama. I got the impression that there was worse stuff elsewhere.

  122. 122.

    Soprano2

    OT moment of happiness – finding out you went on vacation and didn’t gain any weight! I felt like I ate so much and only walked for exercise, so I’m really happy about it! We picked up the dogs yesterday because hubby really missed them. Can’t wait to get the cat today. I’m sure he’s extremely unhappy about being inside since Wednesday.

  123. 123.

    Mike in NC

    @twbrandt:  We’ve all seen too much about corrupt to their toenails Thomas and Alito and their billionaire sugar daddies. Who has the goods on Gorsuch?

  124. 124.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @catclub: I think it means “Don’t bring up the OTHER intelligence failure on CNN today – ‘FBI and Homeland security intelligence failures missed J6 insurrection in plain sight on social media’ “

    Missed? Or disregarded?

  125. 125.

    Tony Jay

    @tobie:

    My condolences. Closure in situations like this is hard to get, but important. People need to feel they’ve done right by their loved ones. Your mother sounds like this is something she just needs to do in the way that she needs to do it.

  127. 127.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Brachiator:  This is something that BJP has done over the last 9 years. Weaponized the media and social media.

    I have also seen a lot of anti-Semitic dog whistles against Soros not from nameless trolls but BJP luminaries.

    Modi presents himself differently in India he is not the smiling affable uncle that he was in DC or in NY doing yoga. But he is a dragon breathing fires of hate and bigotry. His entire body language is different.

    Their entire IT cell  was anti-Biden and pro-T in 2020. Didn’t seem to have much of an effect on how Indian-Americans voted overall but they are going to try again in 2024.

  129. 129.

    kalakal

    On a note of whiny self pity.

    Had a run in with some bug(s) yesterday – didn’t actually see anything. Right ankle is now half as big as left one and a blister the size of the top half of my thumb. Bit sore and itches like a very itchy thing. When I came to Fl I was worried about gators, pythons, brain eating amoeba etc. So far I’ve been screwed over by the boring stuff like wasps and ants.

    Florida, out to kill you 😀

  130. 130.

    Scout211

    @Mike in NC:Who has the goods on Gorsuch?

    There was a real estate deal that was reported a few months ago.

    Justice Neil Gorsuch’s property sale to prominent lawyer raises more ethical questions

    A nearly $2 million sale of property co-owned by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch to a prominent law firm executive in 2017 is raising new questions about the lax ethics reporting requirements for Supreme Court justices.

    Property records from Grand County, Colorado, show that the Walden Group LLC – a limited-liability company in which Gorsuch was a partner – sold a 40-acre property on the Colorado River to Brian Duffy, chief executive officer of the prominent law firm Greenberg Traurig.

    Duffy and his wife, Kari Duffy, paid $1.8 million for the property on May 12, 2017 – just one month after Gorsuch was sworn in as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

  131. 131.

    eclare

    @Mike in NC:

    Reports say he sold some ranch in CO to a partner in a firm that has been before SCOTUS.  So yes, there is dirt on him, too.  Funny how it’s those three who dissented.

  144. 144.

    trucmat

    @Scout211:

    Unless Gorsuch received at least double the real 2017 value for the property he probably would have made more by waiting to cash out. Colorado real estate has skyrocketed but Grand County was pretty cheap even in 2017. Prices exploded upwards there when the pandemic started. So the sale might have been corrupt but the timing turned out to be terrible.

  145. 145.

    kalakal

    For anyone who watches Jason Klepper’s encounters with MAGAs here’s  UK Brexiteers saying “Hold my beer”.

    Brexiteer nutjobs

    It’s such a great thing that thanks to modern communication systems these well considered arguments are given widespread coverage /S

  146. 146.

    kalakal

    @eclare: Yep ☹️. This isn’t anything as bad, just a local reaction, not hospital time. The funny part is I grew up in and lived all over the place, jungles, deserts etc. Nary a problem until Florida

  147. 147.

    planetjanet

    @OzarkHillbilly: ​
     I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. May the good memories surround you and your family to help you in this moment.

  149. 149.

    eclare

    @kalakal:

    I don’t know if I’d call that funny…

    The bane of my existence is mosquitos.  I sat outside yesterday for about twenty minutes in jeans and a t-shirt, got six bites.  They love me, I’ve tried stuff like 98% DEET, no effect.  Now I just get bitten and then take some Benadryl.

    But that is nothing compared to the time I got chiggers…

  151. 151.

    Another Scott

    @Mike in NC:

    nycsouthpaw had a Gorsuch corruption story tweet from Politico pinned to the top of his feed for weeks. It’s gone now.

    His PawPrints article has much more.

    Politico’s Supreme Court about Justice Gorsuch reporting might be a good example. Politico’s report, on its face, shows that Gorsuch benefited from a lucrative land deal shortly after he took his seat on the Supreme Court—and shortly before he bought his house—and disclosed very little about it, including that the head of a major DC law firm supplied the money. Even in bare bones form, it’s a really great story.

    HTH!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  154. 154.

    kalakal

    @eclare: Chiggers I’ve so far avoided, they sound terrible, you have my sympathy.

    Bad phrasing on my part, I should have said odd rather than funny

  155. 155.

    kalakal

    @Layer8Problem: On a sunny day it’s gorgeous, like the Lake District*, but sadly they’re both like Seattle for weather.

    *There’s a reason those lakes are there

  156. 156.

    Mart

    Our fairly well-off Republican suburb is expanding broadband throughout contracted to Spectrum. The City magazine says the money came magically from the federal government, somehow.

  159. 159.

    Emma from Miami

    @OzarkHillbilly: Missed this due to just wanting to be off the damn internet so I  didn’t have to hear about DeSantis.

    I am so sorry. I remember the aftermath of my mom’s death, when my sister, my cousin and I took the reins just to keep my dad from breaking down. He wasn’t ready to face it. In some ways he still isn’t.

    Don’t forget to take some time for yourself too.

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