Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL.

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

This really is a full service blog.

FFS people, this was a good thing. take the win.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

Celebrate the fucking wins.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

We won’t go back.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

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  • Another Scott
  • BellyCat
  • bjacques
  • Chief Oshkosh
  • chrisanthemama
  • Dan B
  • dc
  • different-church-lady
  • dww44
  • Ella in New Mexico
  • frosty
  • glc
  • Gloria DryGarden
  • Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
  • Gretchen
  • Jackie
  • Jane2
  • Jay
  • JaySinWA
  • Jerry
  • John S.
  • kalakal
  • KatKapCC
  • Kayla Rudbek
  • kwAwk
  • leeleeFL
  • lowtechcyclist
  • MagdaInBlack
  • mali muso
  • Marc
  • Melancholy Jaques
  • New Deal democrat
  • NotoriousJRT
  • Ohio Mom
  • Origuy
  • p.a.
  • Paul W.
  • Peale
  • piratedan
  • Poptartacus
  • prostratedragon
  • PsiFighter37
  • Queen of Lurkers
  • Quinerly
  • RevRick
  • RobinS
  • Ruckus
  • sab
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    146Comments

    2. 2.

      Paul W.

      Action. I need action Rep Frost. The protest in LA should serve as a first spark for nationwide public action. I’m not here to just listen to a bunch of fucking speakers, I did that all 100 days of the Kamala campaign and it got me worse than nowhere.

      (watching the call, so far not liking it)

      Reply
    3. 3.

      The Up and Up

      A post you did last month encouraged me to reach out to people.

      I stand by the earlier remark that many care about you.

      Reply
    4. 4.

      dww44

      Please report back on the Zoom meeting re ideas for pushing back against Trump and Elon. Apparently there’s no apparent effort by Dems to man the barricades at the Treasury Dept.

      Reply
    6. 6.

      New Deal democrat

      I saw the next day that Joelle had replied to me about visiting Ted’s hot dogs in Tempe. I appreciate the note, but since I only get back to Buffalo once every few years, getting in on her shtick with her friend about Ted’s isn’t very practical.

      That being said, if Joelle or anyone else wants to recommend places to eat in the Phoenix or Tucson areas, that would be great.

      @bjacques: S&P futures surprisingly down less than 2%. Meh (at the moment).

      Reply
    9. 9.

      Ella in New Mexico

      Grammy’s are a wonderful distraction from all the horrible. I’ve enjoyed so many of these artists this year, fun to watch them perform. And it’s so good to see the solidarity they have with LA fire victims in spite of Trump trying to blame and drown them all.

      Reply
    10. 10.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      Are any Republicans saying ANYTHING about these tariffs? This is crazy! He put higher tariffs on our neighbors and allies than the Great Satan, China!

      Reply
    11. 11.

      Paul W.

      @KatKapCC: I don’t think Dem legislators can do anything to bar the doors to treasury… it is ONLY up to the staff since its not like they would be allowed into the rooms where this is happening. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that doesn’t seem to be where Dem leverage can actually be brought to bear, versus the Senate or screaming to every media outlet they can get to.

      Reply
    13. 13.

      Ella in New Mexico

      @Paul W.:  Were these the ones posting on Bluesky that they were locking out some of Musks tech boys? Who the fuck had the right to arrest them?

      Dammit!

      Reply
    16. 16.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      @different-church-lady:

      But these people swore oaths to uphold the Constitution!

      ETA: Don’t these people worry about what Musk’s minions could do? Don’t they have friends and family who could be hurt?

      Reply
    19. 19.

      kwAwk

      Instead of talking about what American products you’ll switch to because of these tariffs, I think the best way to help our friends to the north and south would be to highlight products that you could substitute American products for Canadian or Mexican products.

      Beer would seem a great place to start.  Limiting the effects of these tariffs seems to be best option for fighting them.

      And you’re an asshole John.   For some reason I didn’t think so 10 minutes ago, but it just popped into my head for some reason.

      Reply
    20. 20.

      piratedan

      kind of gearing up to call my Senators (Gallego and Kelly) and shout at them to stop/cease/quit voting for these GOP fuckups that DJT is putting forward.  Doing this shit has allowed these unelected fuckwads access to personal information that they have no right to.

      STOP cooperating with these fucking fascists.

      Reply
    30. 30.

      Paul W.

      So far, just reiterating to call Senators, but adding also that scheduling in person visit to make your voice heard is best.
      I think anyone in PA, AZ, etc where Senators are still sometimes voting for nominees needs to stop ASAP. We need a no on Vought, on RFK, on Gabbard.

      Reply
    33. 33.

      TBone

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Vanky has Chinese patents.

      https://apnews.com/article/0a3283036d2f4e699da4aa3c6dd01727

      In October (2018), China’s Trademark Office granted provisional approval for 16 trademarks to Ivanka Trump Marks LLC, bringing to 34 the total number of marks China has greenlighted this year, according to the office’s online database. The new approvals cover Ivanka-branded fashion gear including sunglasses, handbags, shoes and jewelry, as well as beauty services and voting machines.

      Reply
    36. 36.

      Jackie

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

      Why did law enforcement arrest them and go along with those orders?

      Goki, this past week you’ve reverted to your old self of constantly asking questions that you can easily google and answer your own questions. Every reply/answer, you follow with more questions. I’m reverting back to scrolling past your constant questions. Questions now and then are fine. Question after question after question… not so fine.

      Reply
    38. 38.

      KatKapCC

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Goku, I’m not trying to be a jerk here, but are you a newborn? Come on. You are on a political blog, so I assume you pay attention to modern politics. You are well aware the Republicans haven’t given a single shit about doing their jobs correctly for a long time. That’s the whole point. They want power so they can abuse it. Their oaths mean nothing to them, the people mean even less. They want money and power, that’s it. You desperately need to stop being so naive.

      Reply
    40. 40.

      Dan B

      @piratedan: I believe that these Senators, like Maria Cantwell – one of mine, believe they’ll get help from Republicans on projects they favor.  Name some please.

      Reply
    42. 42.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      @KatKapCC:

      I was actually talking more about the officers who arrested the staff, to clarify. I’m unfortunately under no illusions for elected Republicans, but I still think it’s important to demand they do the right thing, if for no other reason for “normies”

      Reply
    43. 43.

      Kayla Rudbek

      @TBone: trademarks are not patents, they do different things. TM or (R) = origin of the goods/services. Patent = method, apparatus, composition of matter, product.  So a trademark is the label and the patent is the actual thing that the label is applied to.  Patents expire after a given period, trademarks don’t expire so long as they are used in commerce.

      Reply
    45. 45.

      sab

      I had a friend who did computer contract work, a lot of which was fixing computer problems of the companies that hired her through her employer. She flat out refused to do anything for Federal government agencies, because getting the requisite permissions for her to access their computers was so convoluted and delayed. She had the skills to just hack in, but the legal consequences could be dire. Not a situation for easier to get forgiveness than permission( wink wink.)  Forgiveness couldn’t be counted on.

      My guess is the same legal consequences lurk for these inexperienced Muskrats. They are too young and green to realize that.

      Reply
    47. 47.

      Starfish (she/her)

      @Dan B:

      Dear Senator,

      Please do not give away democracy to unqualified ruffians so that you may build a museum to the Taco Bell Chalupa in your district.

      Reply
    48. 48.

      chrisanthemama

      The MoveOn/Indivisible zoom call so far: Rep Maxwell Frost, Ezra & Leah Levin, Randi Weingarten, Nancy Hagans (Nurses Union), Maurice Mitchell (Working Fam Party), Rahna Epting (MoveOn).  Specific actions I’m hearing:  1.  Meet your Senator in person at their office in your state (but what if they’re in D.C.?  dunno); 2.  Email/call Senators to vote no on Russell Vought; 3.  Sign MoveOn petitions (Vought and stop-the-funding-freeze); 4.  Republican Senators are vulnerable because trumpco’s actions are incredibly unpopular.  *P.S. Cole, you may be an asshole, but you’re our asshole*  kthxbye

      Reply
    55. 55.

      Origuy

      Musk’s takeover of the Treasury is going to screw me over. I applied to start collecting Social Security in November. I talked to a nice lady at the SSA* and she said I could get back pay from May. They did a transfer to my credit union in December but it bounced because they had the wrong account number. I didn’t know that for a couple of weeks so I called and straightened out the account number issue. They have been trying to re-send the back pay ever since but Treasury doesn’t seem to want to do the transfer. I got my regular monthly pay in January, so they have the right account number. I even got a 1099 showing a payment of $28,007 and a return of the same amount. At least I don’t have to pay taxes on the money I haven’t gotten yet. Now Melon’s minions are going to be holding up everything that comes out of the United States Treasury.

      *Everybody I’ve talked to at the SSA has been friendly and tried to help.

      Reply
    56. 56.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      @Starfish (she/her):

      TBH, I think I have been asking more questions, some rhetorical, lately.

      Like you say, some of it comes from frustration and some of it comes from fear at what’s happening and what it means for myself and those I care about, including people I don’t even know

      I’m sorry if it’s being disruptive to conversations here and I definitely don’t want to slip back into what I used to do in the past. I’ll try to cut back on it

      Reply
    57. 57.

      Starfish (she/her)

      @chrisanthemama: This is the same plan as last time. Your Senator will likely not meet with you. Meet with the staffers at their local office. Take a group (there may be a maximum number allowed per group.) Stay on the same page about what ONE issue you are discussing with them.

      Reply
    61. 61.

      dww44

      @Melancholy Jaques: sometimes it helps to raise a stink and it’d be nice  to see the minority party do something like that if only to demonstrate to us that they are aware that our democracy is being dismantled before our very eyes.  What Musk is doing is illegal, no?

      Reply
    63. 63.

      PsiFighter37

      All I can say is that I am very glad I was able to process my family’s passport renewals before this shitshow started. I am curious if anyone else’s renewals have been impacted, but I have zero trust in the federal government being able to operate constructively under someone with demonstrably terrible management skills (or a drug habit) as Elon Musk.

      Reply
    66. 66.

      Ohio Mom

      @Origuy: I have always liked everyone I’ve dealt with at Social Security, and because Ohio Son was on SSI and is now on SSDI, I’ve had a lot of dealings with them. Disability benfits are much more complicated than merely retiring.

      Keep all your paperwork and correspondence, write your social security number in large print on every.single.piece.of.paper you submit to them, keep telling the staff you talk to how much you appreciate their help, and eventually it will get straightened out.

      Reply
    69. 69.

      Another Scott

      Meanwhile, …

      https://bsky.app/profile/aoc.bsky.social/post/3lha3ooac6s2h

      Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
      ‪@aoc.bsky.social‬

      Yes. While there are absolutely things Democrats can and must do to slow, obstruct, etc, GOP hold both House and Senate majorities, severely limiting our options.

      Johnson and Thune are handing over the own keys and relinquishing their own power. Even for the cynics this should be a shock.

      ‪southpaw‬ ‪@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social‬
      8h

      We all like to yell at the Democrats, but it’s really Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune who are letting Elon Musk and his faceless goon squad make a mockery of their power as leaders of a coequal branch without uttering a peep or lifting a finger.

      February 2, 2025 at 5:36 PM

      Best wishes,
      Scott.

      Reply
    71. 71.

      Ohio Mom

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Everyone reverts back to younger behavior when they are anxious, and what decent person isn’t anxious right now?

      You must have heard the saying, “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit:

      There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”

      Policing by nature is a conservative enterprise and as such, protects the rich and binds the poor. That happens so often and predictably that there’s another saying, ACAB, All Cops are Bastards.

      And now it’s time for a favorite hobbyhorse of mine, Half of all people killed by cops have a mental disability (either a psychiatric condition or a developmental disability such as ID (intellectual disability) or autism). Talk about out-groups!

      Reply
    72. 72.

      John S.

      @Dan B:

      Sen. Cantwell is getting a call from me tomorrow. I want to know:

      1) Why she has voted for multiple Trump nominees (Sen. Murray has felt no such compulsion).

      2) How she feels about her vote for Scott Bessent now that he has handed the keys to Elon Musk.

      3) How she intends to vote for nominees going forward.

      I don’t expect to get much in return from the staffer, except to document how I expect her to do better.

      Reply
    74. 74.

      frosty

      @PsiFighter37: My renewed passport is in the mail. Ms F finished her application last night. My son says he will do his ASAP. So far so good. I’ll post on the progress when the subject comes up again.

      Reply
    78. 78.

      John S.

      @Another Scott:

      That’s a lot of non-specific beating around the bush in those tweets, so I will state the obvious. The only power Democratic Senators have right now is their VOTE, and I expect them to use it appropriately.

      That shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

      Reply
    80. 80.

      lowtechcyclist

      @Paul W.: ​
       

      I don’t think Dem legislators can do anything to bar the doors to treasury… it is ONLY up to the staff since its not like they would be allowed into the rooms where this is happening. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that doesn’t seem to be where Dem leverage can actually be brought to bear, versus the Senate or screaming to every media outlet they can get to.

      The goal here is to raise Americans’ awareness of what Team Musk is doing. I rather think it would make the news if Senators got in the way and were arrested and hauled off.

      And even if they were just pushed aside rather than hauled off, they’d be on TV, testifying about what happened. Also good.

      Reply
    82. 82.

      Ohio Mom

      @chrisanthemama: You will probably have more luck in getting an appointment at your Congresscritter’s office if you go in a small group to talk about a specific issue, for example, We are concerned about not enough attention being given to bird flu. Then you have to learn enough about bird flu to give the equivalent of an oral report on it.

      You will be talking to a lower-level staff person who will nod a lot. The best you can hope for is you educate that staff person and that eventually that has some other effect. They aren’t going to engage in a real discussion, especially if their boss is on the other side.

      I don’t think it really accomplishes much more than a phone call. The office notes that now there are X more people complaining about Y than there were yesterday.

      Reply
    83. 83.

      satby

      @John S.: And they’re in the minority and are / will be outvoted by Republicans. The pressure needs to be applied to ALL of them in both houses of Congress. If only a few in each house flip to voting with the Democrats and Independents, their trifecta is broken.

      Reply
    84. 84.

      Jerry

      If Tyler, the Creator or Fontaines DC don’t win a Grammy, I will be mad. Big mad. Or maybe at least MJ Lenderman?

      Reply
    85. 85.

      lowtechcyclist

      @Ella in New Mexico: ​
       

      Were these the ones posting on Bluesky that they were locking out some of Musks tech boys? Who the fuck had the right to arrest them?

      My question is not so much about who had the right to arrest them, because per diffferent-church-lady, coups kinda work that way.

      But rather, who were these cops who knew that they were supposed to listen to these uncredentialed Muskovites rather than the credentialed USAID officials when it came to who was going to have whom arrested, and through what channels did they get the word?

      Reply
    86. 86.

      Ohio Mom

      @Origuy: I started writing a primer on the difference between SSI and SSDI bit it’s too complicated for a mere blog comment. But yes, either can be very difficult to get.

      Lots of hoops and documentation, and repeated hoops and documentation as you must often keep proving you are still disabled.

      Reply
    87. 87.

      JaySinWA

      @John S.: The only power Democratic Senators have right now is their VOTE

      No, they still have the power of their voice, if they choose to use it. I haven’t heard enough of them talking about the illegality of de facto president Musk’s actions, the immoral behavior of the acting and confirmed cabinet members, supporting the few people resisting and being suspended in government offices. Maybe I haven’t been listening, but I expected a deafening roar that could not be ignored.

      Reply
    88. 88.

      Peale

      @Jay: God, the comments on that are just dumb. “Explain to me why the US Taxpayer should foot the bill for Canada!” Its no wonder why we’re heading towards totalitarianism. There’s no difference in their head between the public and private sector. When they go to Wal-mart to buy some cheetos, I’m assuming they think the money they pay at the checkout counter is a tax or otherwise it would be free.

      Reply
    90. 90.

      Another Scott

      @JaySinWA:

      https://bsky.app/profile/newsguy.bsky.social/post/3lhaguxfdi22n

      Steve Herman 📡

      ‪@newsguy.bsky.social‬

      US Senate Democrats on Monday afternoon “to sound the alarm” that Elon Musk and his DoGE team were reportedly granted access to the federal government’s central payments system, which handles nearly $6 trillion and the vast majority of all federal disbursements.

      [ image listing scheduled participants, including Schumer, Murray, Wyden, and Warren ]

      February 2, 2025 at 8:57 PM

      It says it is scheduled for 3:45PM ET, at the Capitol, room TBD.

      Best wishes,
      Scott.

      Reply
    93. 93.

      Jackie

      @sab:

      Trump is always slow to pardon. He waits to see what is in it for him.

      Even the J6 folks did some time before he pardoned them.

      They ALL expected to be pardoned BEFORE FFOTUS left office 1/20/2021.

      Reply
    95. 95.

      Jay

      @Peale:

      Never read the comments.

      Nitter just mirrors what is on the Dead Bird Site, and we know the Dead Bird Site is full of ruZzians, bots, trolls, Nazi’s and the most ignorant of the ignorant.

      In past years what Dolt 47 posted, would have been taken by many Nations through out history, as a formal Declaration of War.

      Reply
    99. 99.

      Jay

      @TBone:

      Raptors Game as well tonight, and the Canucks game tonight.

      Only a few years ago, the singer at a Leafs Game had “technical difficulties” during the singing of the US Anthem and the Audience finished it for her.

      Reply
    101. 101.

      John S.

      @satby:

      It shouldn’t matter if they are outvoted or in the minority. Their vote is their agency, and how they use it is important.

      I agree with you 100% that pressure should be constant, and applied wherever possible.

      Reply
    102. 102.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @TBone: gleeful sigh.

      Im entertaining myself by making up headlines about these times. For example

      10 Million Americans Join Duo Lingo To Learn French, To Show Solidarity With Canadians

      or

      15 Million Americans Join Duo Lingo To Learn Spanish In Order To Enjoy and Connect Better With People They Already Know

      Reply
    103. 103.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      @Jay:

      @Peale:

      A lot of dumb comments in that thread but a lot of pushback on them too, I noticed.

      There was at least one who’s hobbyhorse was Canada apparently allowing drug traffickers to bring fentayl into the US, something to do with TD Bank, and that’s the reason for the tariffs. They took a screenshot of a Google result for an article, where TD Bank had to pay 3 billion in fines and agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges in the US.

      From Wiki:

      TD Bank has faced serious regulatory violations relating to money laundering. The bank has been heavily criticized for its role in the fentanyl and opioid epidemic in the United States, particularly in assistance provided by bank employees to drug traffickers. The allegations have prompted calls for CEO Bharat Masrani to step down, and has severely tarnished TD Bank’s reputation in the United States. The fines in the United States are expected to exceed US$2billion, which would be the most a Canadian bank has ever been fined. The bank was also fined CA$9.19million by FINTRAC, which is much more reluctant than the United States Department of Justice to penalize large institutions such as TD Bank because of the power and influence TD Bank has over Canadian politicians and government policy. The CA$9.19million fine is the largest fine ever imposed by FINTRAC.

      On October 10, 2024, it was revealed that TD was required to pay US$3billion in fines due to charges that it failed to properly monitor money laundering by drug cartels, particularly by a Chinese organized crime ring based in Flushing, Queens. TD will pay US$1.3billion to the US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a record fine for a bank. TD must also pay US$1.8billion to the US Justice Department. U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden requested that TD identify executives responsible for anti-money laundering compliance failures.

      Not that I think tariffs are a good or smart reponse to this

      Reply
    104. 104.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @Ella in New Mexico: Hulu has the fire aid concert up on video. I haven’t opened it yet, but looking forward to it.

      Hulu seems to offer new current event related videos at times. There was one about Carter’s accomplishments, a few weeks back, before he’ll broke loose.

      (Now there’s even one about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, which I just can’t. )

      Reply
    105. 105.

      Jackie

      This is all I could copy/paste from the WSJ’s paywall:

      Elon Musk’s allies are moving swiftly to exert control over vast swaths of the U.S. government, as they demand access to sensitive information at federal agencies and lay out plans to block spending they deem excessive.
      Musk, the billionaire adviser to President Trump who runs the Department of Government Efficiency, oversaw a successful effort by his representatives to get direct access to a payment system that distributes trillions of dollars to…

      Again, who elected President Musk? THAT’S the question we callers need to be making to our GQP Representatives and Senators.

      Reply
    108. 108.

      prostratedragon

      A lagniappe for those calls and emails to Congresspeople:

      Contrary to some info I’ve seen, 19-yr-old Doge staffer “BigBalls” Edward Coristine did not delete his X account, it’s just renamed and is private.

      Wired reported that govt tech workers had to defend their work to the Neuralink intern in an Office Space-esque scene.

      Background on Ed:

      Yes totally cool that a 19-year-old who called his deleted LinkedIn “Big Balls,” where he lists his experience working as a camp counselor can access the entire US federal payment system without anyone looking into his background, for instance, his Russian national close relatives or anything else

      Apart from the letter of the law, this ought to be impeachable for several officeholders. Maybe Teasury to start.

      Reply
    109. 109.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @RobinS: Is this different from the indivisible zoom training tomorrow about actions?
      If you write it up, what you gleaned from it, I bet mistermix would publish it; then you could bring us along if you like.

      Reply
    110. 110.

      Jay

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

      US drug interceptions of fentanyl coming from Canada last year were just over 19 kilos.

      US drug interceptions of fentanyl coming in across the US Mexico border were over 20 metric tons.

      US drug interceptions of fentanyl from China, direct to US Citizens were 31 metric tons.

      The US has a major drug problem, mostly because US Citizens won’t stop using drugs and using drugs adulterated with fentanyl to cut the costs, boost the highs and engender a greater risk of death.

      The US is a nation of junkies that enable the global illegal drug trade, and many of those junkies were “hooked” by Big Pharma, until their supply was cut off.

      Nobody injects pure fentanyl knowingly, instead in every thing from pot to heroin and cocaine, middlemen and dealers use it to “cut” their product and maintain the high, which normal cutting agents like lye, chalk, baking soda, corn starch don’t do.

      Reply
    111. 111.

      JaySinWA

      @Another Scott: So a few days late and several dollars short. Hopefully they’re tuning up the band to drown out the wingnut Wurlitzer.

      They need to dress down Thune and Johnson for their failures to respond and get on board. Maybe they are trying to convince Thune to join the band? I guy can hope.

      Reply
    112. 112.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @Paul W.: is this a summary of the zoom call? It sounds more like a rally…

      not much useable strategy or action suggestions? Or actions already in motion?

      Reply
    114. 114.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      @Jay:

      I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying. It was just incredible to me to read the justifications these people have, against one of our oldest allies and a close neighbor.

      My father told me there was a thread about the tariffs started in a FB group, asking people how their businesses were going to prepare for the tariffs. It was a shit-flinging fest, with people who support the tariffs saying it “had to be done in order to bring back all of the industries to the US so we don’t have to import anything from anywhere else” and they didn’t care how many businesses failed or jobs lost.

      Hearing that, I was livid. I’d like to ask these fucks if they’re going to pay my bills if I lose my job

      Reply
    117. 117.

      Jay

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

      They won’t. They only care when it’s their ox being gored or Leopards Eating their faces.

      OTOH, dependent on where you sit in your stores hierarchy, as long as there is some stuff on the shelves, they will still need staff, (a lot less staff), to sell it to the few who can afford it.

      Reply
    118. 118.

      Jay

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

      As I pointed out earlier in this thread, the goal for Dolt 47 with his trade war, is not “National Security” or “Drug Smuggling”, it is to weaken Canada to the point where the US can invade and annex Canada.

      He said so, clearly on his shitty Dead Bird Site Clone last night, probably on Putin’s orders.

      He’s just trying to copy Putin’s actions against Ukraine.

      Reply
    120. 120.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      @Jay:

      Believe me I know. I still see people with Trump gear where I live occasionally. I want to tell them, well a lot of things, but in this case I want to tell them that in like 6 months to a year, they’re probably gonna want to leave that crap at home because people will want to kill them

      I’m probably OK because I have a bit of seniority at this point. I consistently get 35-40 hrs every week, even now with hours cut after the holidays, and I’m crosstrained at the customer service center. I’m trained on systems like Western Union and the lottery, which many people I’ve observed during training tend to have trouble with, so it’s hard to get new people to stay

      Reply
    121. 121.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @chrisanthemama: kthx. Glad to get the summary

      will it really help move the needle if I sign the move on petitions? I get th3 emails all the time, but it usually seems it’s just for fundraising.

      Reply
    122. 122.

      Jay

      Tip, while you still can, buy yourselves a good cardboard box, a curtain rod, some kinda netting to catch sparrows, and pick out a good dry bridge underpass.

      Learn how to make a fire with  a fire steel

      Really helps if you can coat the box with paraffin wax.

      Reply
    123. 123.

      RevRick

      Excuse me, but may I inject a Jesus moment?
      Fig trees were an important food source in the diet of people back then. And Jesus once made the rather banal observation that good trees bear good fruit, but bad trees can’t. But then, according to the Gospel of Mark, as he about to enter Jerusalem on the Monday after Palm Sunday, he spots a fig tree without any figs, and he curses it, and his disciples are dumbfounded. But immediately after that he enters the Temple and drives out the moneychangers and screams that it was meant to be a House of Prayer.
      The Temple was supposed to be a ripe fig tree bearing an abundance of good fruit, but it had become a bad tree incapable of producing good fruit.

      Jesus’ rage was in defense of human dignity, and indeed of all creation, because it was directed against a degrading system of exploitation. His rage liberates.
      The rage of the MAGA crowd is in service of domination. and oppressive power, and is manipulative, always playing the victim role.

      Now, would be a good time to scream our rage to God. Hey, there are Psalms asking God to smash the teeth out of the oppressor’s face, break their bones, and even hurl their babies on the rocks.

      Reply
    124. 124.

      leeleeFL

      Soooo…….I plan to ditch WaPo, and FTFNYT.  I was going to keep them to read the better stuff, but paying attention requires removing dollars.  Where can I shop online that would replace Amazon. I know you’ve all been thinking about this. Also, Walmart and Target!  The DEI shit is that step too far that makes me not care that my neighbors need their jobs.  If I am wrong here, let me know that as well!

      Reply
    126. 126.

      Peale

      @Jay: Yep. Not sure what Canada can do.

      I think a lot of this is that he negotiated his fancy new trade deal to replace NAFTA and put tariffs on China and the response to that was an even bigger trade deficit with Mexico and Canada than there was before. So he looks like a fool.

      And I think the reason he wants Greenland is to punish the Danes for the audacity of having a huge trade surplus because Americans are fat and want to take their injectables for free.  All this talk about the valuable rare earths and fishing rights and gold and whatnot are just a cover for the fact that he’s a fat ass who takes Ozempic and its not fair that the Danes have the I.P.

      But those commentors are instructive, because they think like he does. Canada has robbed us of Trillions! We need to run up there and get that money back!

      Reply
    127. 127.

      Jay

      @Peale:

      Trudeau is talking about non tariff options.

      Shutting off gas, oil, rare minerals, metallurgical coal, etc.

      Dolt 47″s USMCA, (NAFTA replacement) is dead, because there are multiple sections against tariffs in trade, Dolt 47 ripped it up, so Free Trade between Canada, US and Mexico is as dead as a doornail for decades.

      Reply
    128. 128.

      Jay

      @Peale:

      A key reason not to read comments, is at the end of it all you have the idiot factor.

      At the end of WWII, the 1st Canadian Parachute Brigade along with the South Essex Yeomanry, stopped the 4th Red Banner Army’s Soviet Invasion of Denmark. 650 vs 4800.

      I don’t think we will stand aside for Greenland.

      Reply
    130. 130.

      Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

      @Jay:

      Life imitates art. In the Fallout games, the US invades and annexes Canada:

      The process of annexing Canada began in 2059, as the Anchorage front line was established in Alaska, to protect its natural resources, especially the crude oil fields, from the People’s Republic of China. As parts of the Alaskan pipeline cross Canadian territory, the U.S. government pressured the Canadian authorities into allowing American military units to station near the pipeline and provide security.

      After the Chinese invasion of Alaska in 2066, increasing U.S. military presence in Canada began to raise tensions to the point of riots. The United States military did not limit its activities in Canada to just guarding the pipeline. Despite Canadian protests, the country’s resources were exploited and stretched to the breaking point to support the American war effort. By 2069, Canada became Little America in the minds of U.S. citizens, with vast stretches of timberland destroyed beyond recovery. The tipping point came in 2072. As the U.S. escalated its exploitation of Canada’s resources, her people took to the streets. Protests and riots erupted in several Canadian cities and an attempt to sabotage the Alaskan pipeline by unknown forces was foiled, but provided the U.S. Government an excuse to officially annex Canada.

      When pictures of the atrocities committed in the name of the United States made it over the border, they sparked unrest and protests from the American public. Both sides thoroughly armed, it had little impact on history, as former Canadian land provided much-needed resources for maintaining the war effort, and the country was overrun.

      I hope you guys and Mexico prevail and this has a relatively quick end, and that Trump pulls his hand away from the hot stove.

      We’ll do our part down here the best we can

      Reply
    132. 132.

      JaySinWA

      My Senator Maria Cantwell on DOGE treasury data breach 2/2/25

      “Congress needs an explanation as to why the head of a private data management corporation and his volunteer team needed access to this system in the middle of the night. We need to know why they want to access the system, what they intend to do with our data, and whether there are any safeguards in place. This threatens the privacy and funds owed to every American taxpayer and Social Security recipient. Congressional Republicans cannot continue to turn a blind eye as to how their own constituents’ private financial records are handled.”

      No Maria, congress needs to demand the unlawful access needs to stop now. Demand explanations but insist that this needs to stop now.

      Reply
    135. 135.

      Marc

      @Jay:  LGM names names of the DOGE vandals,

      May I suggest going to the original source of the list, Loomis was trying to be funny and the image is a list of players in  an old Sega baseball game, which seems to have fooled half of his audience:

      https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-young-engineers/

      I’m also going to ask if it seems a little creepy that Theil has a bunch of twenty-something guys working with him that he “rescued” from college, if it was anyone else, they’d probably be accused of “grooming”.

      Reposting the following link, the one thing I learned from 40 years of working in Silicon Valley is that a good 25% of the younger engineers/programmers are involved in one cult or another (of course, Apple was literally the cult of Steve Jobs):

      https://www.thenerdreich.com/the-network-state-coup-is-happening-right-now/

      A story about myself and five college friends, all of us black (from various backgrounds), who all ended up programming after we dropped out of the small engineering school we attended (the schools first black student was a senior at that point, they were not really ready to deal with us). We all gradually moved from the Boston area to SV during the 80s.  All (aside from me) started going to EST seminars.   Two followed that up in a series of weird Hindu-adjacent cults.  One then ended up joining a gun club, started listing to right-wing radio, building AR-15s at home, then bought a Tesla (Musk was his idol, despite the fact that he knew the guy was a apartheid-loving jerk).  I finally ended my friendship with him 5 years ago when he called me a coward for not buying a gun to “protect my family”.  All of the others sided with him, so I don’t talk to any of them at this point.  It’s important to understand that Silicon Valley is all about cults, the articles on the above site reflect that reality.

      Reply
    136. 136.

      Jay

      @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

      Got my “call up” papers today. As of Tuesday, I am “mobilized”, 4th Company of the Seaforth Highlanders for the next 6 months.

      It will mostly be recerts and training on stuff we didn’t have when I was active duty unless things cook off.

      Get my previous rank back.

      Seaforths generally have only one Company on active duty, we are going to “full strength”.

      Reply
    138. 138.

      Ruckus

      @Origuy:

      I’m retired and use SS to eat, have a place to sleep, etc, etc.

      If they fuck up SS or cut the benefits I can imagine that they will lose a hell of a lot of support. Remember if you are an old, you paid into SS for decades, to get a retirement income. How much you got paid determines how much you put in to SS and how much you get in benefits. If they take that away from millions of us getting our money back in our later years as the program has been run for many decades I cannot imagine the blowback for them. But I hope it is nuclear level.

      Reply
    139. 139.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @Marc: i remember EST and the Forum. I had a close friend who was very into it, always promoting, inviting. I went once. Dated a guy, briefly, who’d done EST. I didn’t trust it, nor did I count on those two friends. Something about it didn’t sit right. All talk, pushy sales, not much honor. Communication, talk, but not substance.

      Thanks for this overview of SV being cult oriented.
      oh dear.

      Reply
    140. 140.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @Jay: You’re being mobilized! In readiness for this strangeness going on?
      Are you like our national guard, on civilian standby, with periodic practices but call ups when you’re needed?  Will you have to go away, and not be around to help T? I’ve missed any updates you’ve given us, I was off blog a lot, dealing with some things. I’m wondering, how is T doing?

      Im glad that Canada and Denmark are becoming prepared. I feel sick that this guy in the White House is saying and doing the stuff he’s doing. I hope it turns into nothing. Meanwhile, it’s appalling.

      I was thinking I should learn the Canadian anthem in solidarity. I preferred to remain allies. really. I read about your whiskey war with Denmark. A charming story, and it ended well.
      Also I listened to Trudeau’s speech and felt glad he stood up to this government. We’ll see what unfolds. Is there something different about Trudeau’s French? His accent didn’t sound like the Quebecois and France French I’ve heard, but I m not fluent.

      Reply
    141. 141.

      sab

      @Gloria DryGarden: I need to brush up on my French.  Years of it in school, but nobody speaks it outside of Ohio big cities.

      My Mandarin fluent sister is also French fluent.  But she cannot cook at all. Can’t even boil an egg.

      We all have different skills. I am about to go back into preparing tax returns. It should not be so hard but it is.

      ETA I can do it, mostly easily, but it should not be so hard for average taxpayer.

      Reply
    142. 142.

      Gloria DryGarden

      @sab: i was thinking of learning how to help at the tax  companies. As a beginner, perhaps I would not have to learn all the laws and trickier parts. I’m instead a bit preoccupied with some new complex health stuff.

      did you see my joking headline earlier, “10 million Americans join duo lingo to improve their French in solidarity with our Canadian neighbors?”

      I wish my French were better, it was what I studied in high school, and it’s so beautiful. It would help with these Canadian speeches we’ll be hearing more of.
      It’s amazing to me that anyone can learn mandarin as an adult, those tones stump me. I hope you don’t need your sister to boil eggs though.
      I hope the tax forms get easier.

      Reply
    143. 143.

      sab

      @Gloria DryGarden: Sister is 73 and started learning Mandarin at 18. It was hard. ( She is not musical, kind of tone deaf.) Her Chinese husband is from Shanghai. They don’t speak Mandarin, they speak Wu ( Shanghai dialect.) They learn Mandarin when they start school.

      He thinks it helps when they go out in the world learning new languages. Learning languages is just part of life out in the world.

      I wish Americans could learn that.

      Reply
    144. 144.

      Quinerly

      @Marc:

      Good Morning! Thank you for your comments and reposting these 2 links. I read and  bookmarked them previously but am glad to see them reposted. IMO, they are must reads. Much appreciated.

      Reply

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