I wonder how many scaramucci’s Hegseth’s term will be, or if it will even reach a Friedman Unit:
The White House has begun the process of looking for a new leader at the Pentagon to replace Pete Hegseth, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. This comes as Hegseth is again mired in controversy over sharing military operational details in a group chat.
The defense secretary is under fire after revelations that he shared classified information in a group chat with his wife, brother and lawyer, according to the official.
It’s hard to imagine they will find someone worse, but they can and probably will. Maybe Eddie Gallagher.
I should note that reliable sources have informed me Hegseth is going nowhere this is just a purge of staffers who do not agree with Pete, hence the smearing and return leaking about leaks.
Meanwhile, Mississippi is leaning into the new confederacy with… a celebration of the old confederacy:
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has declared April 2025 as Confederate Heritage Month in Mississippi, keeping alive a 32-year-old tradition that began in 1993.
A member of the Rankin Greys, a Sons of Confederate Veterans camp based in Florence, Mississippi, announced the proclamation in a post in the organization’s Facebook group on April 18.
A reminder that the confederacy lasted only five years or so. May the new one last four or under.
This made me laugh out loud:
Solid.
There was something else I was going to talk about but in the background Joelle is watching American Idol while on the phone with her friend Buzz (who is basically her Tammy, if that makes sense- they’ve been thick as thieves for thirty years.) and this woman belted out the most excellent rendition of I’m Every Woman” and I kinda forgot what I was thinking about. Which is pretty clearly a solid sign it was not going to cure cancer or end world hunger. At any rate, she just got home at six, we had dinner, and now she is just relaxing and since she hasn’t had a moment to herself all day, I have fucked off in here to give her some space to get right in the head and chat you all up.
At any rate, tomorrow is another day. Soldier on.
War for Ukraine Day 1,152: Russia Unloads on Civilian Targets in Odesa
oldster
Okay now, who belted out “I’m Every Woman” — Joelle or Buzz? ‘Cause I don’t remember you telling us that Joelle could sing, much less Chaka Khan.
HeleninEire
American Idol is still on TV? Well shiver my timbers. I had no idea.
J. Arthur Crank
I guess FMK has some standard meaning that almost everyone knows about. Depending on how other things go this evening, I might look it up in a dictionary or similar.
John Revolta
Does Tater know that April 2025 is three-quarters over? They’re not gonna have too much time for celebratin’. Or is this some charming Sothrun thing that I don’t get?
prostratedragon
Larry the Cat:
frosty
@J. Arthur Crank: It’s not much of a puzzle. The meaning of FMK is right there in big bold letters above the couch.
Bill Arnold
The Orange Antichrist’s emissary visited the Pope.
The Pope died.
Facts.
(OK, the Trump Beast is only cosplaying the Antichrist.)
dmsilev
What is that in heads of lettuce?
Scout211
@J. Arthur Crank: I had to look it up:
Jay
@J. Arthur Crank:
It’s an old game.
Of all celebrities’, (etc)
Who would you fuck?
Who would you marry?
Who would you kill?
Jackie
@Scout211: I just scrolled back up to the meme John posted ;D
Right there in bold letters.
Jay
@dmsilev:
4.9
A Scaramouchi is 10 days,
A Truss is 49.
NotMax
Who are you and what have you done with John Cole?
(I kid, I kid.)
:)
prostratedragon
Seen somewhere in NYC
JoyceH
Does anyone else think that the reason Mrs Hegseth follows Pete around and sits in on his meetings and chats is that she’s his minder and her job is to keep him sober?
NotMax
@JoyceH
More that her day job is as a producer at Fox.
SpaceUnit
I’m taking a quick break from watching Oppenheimer. So far there’s a lot more clueless fucking than I expected from a movie about particle physics and the development of atomic weapons.
The Audacity of Krope
@NotMax: Anyone could have predicted we would now be blurring the lines between Fox and State.
cckids
The FMK meme posted above reminds me of my favorite sign from Saturday’s protest (Everett, WA-sadly no pics)
WE ARE ALL THE COUCH NOW
eclare
@JoyceH:
Hmmm…could be.
SiubhanDuinne
The meme creators are really playing for keeps, aren’t they?
prostratedragon
Today is the legendary birthday of the city of Rome.
“The Appian Way,” Respghi
NotMax
Watched a short London Times Radio video. The host kept stumbling over the name Hegseth, pronouncing it Hesgeth.
;)
Shakti
@John Revolta:
Who knows? Mississippi was the last state to ratify the 13th amendment in 2013. They supposedly ratified it in 1995 but failed to notify the national archivist for 18 years?
NotMax
@prostratedragon
“Good beat but you can’t dance to it.” Sons of Mars.
;)
opiejeanne
@prostratedragon: I don’t know this piece, but it sounds like a processional march, starting far away, little mysterious sounds from the pines, then so much pomp. (Program music)
I was imagining elephants being brought through Rome to wow the crowds.
J. Arthur Crank
@Scout211: Thanks, given the background and the context, the meme is indeed pretty funny.
Marc
You’ve confused Oppenheimer with the other movies and series that are actually about a bomb. The offspring happened into a local circle of PhD students in particle and laser physics. From what is described, they seem to spend a lot more time on sex than any of the engineering grad students I’ve known. They even have physics polycules. Must have something to do with working on stuff that could end life as we know it.
grammypat
John, Before you leave AZ, if you haven’t tried the 505 Southwestern chilies …. you have missed out. I seriously doubt that the brand is available in WV.
They are world-class ‘Hatch’ chilies from NM and made into a variety of salsas that I have not tried. What I’m addicted to is their Flame Roasted Green Chili (with a blue label). I make my own green salsa with them, but they are great right out of the jar.
Seriously, do yourself a favor and try to find this brand either while in AZ or when passing through NM. You won’t regret it.
prostratedragon
@NotMax: Interesting, but I don’t think either too suitable for Cuban motion. Sons of Mars sound like the army going forth, menacing, and the Pines like the army returning in triumph.
NotMax
@Marc
Quantum bleep?
:)
prostratedragon
@opiejeanne: Exactly. The composer had in mind a victorious army that one first hears from far off. This is movement IV of The Pines of Rome. Some are gracious or pastoral before this triumphal ending.
hotshoe
What an honored tradition!
Traitors who were given clemency by the Union when we won the war went back to raise their children on fairytales of Southern heroism and feed them lies of how it wasn’t about slavery. Generation upon generation the sins of those fathers have been visited on their sons and daughters.
They pay the price in overall ignorance, illness, addiction, and early death, but they are proud of their ignorance. Can’t fix stupid. And in a way, they’re correct to be proud of themselves for current accomplishments: they elected a maggot president who has now given them the satisfaction of chaining people of color into lifetime bondage. Although, for now, it is bondage in a foreign nation, if they get their way they will soon have a million slaves in the tomato fields and peach orchards of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi.
That’s Confederate Heritage! Yay!
SpaceUnit
@Marc:
Yeah well, the English Department probably has that beat.
Citizen Alan
@Shakti: i remember that. And I also remember when jon stewart had to apologize on the air for slandering former mississippi secretary of state dick molpus over it, because when the ratification it took place, molpus actually made a big show of sending his assistant secretary of state, constance slaughter harvey (the first black woman to graduate from the old miss school of law), to be the one to hand deliver the ratification is to the archivist. How it then failed to be archived is a mystery for the ages.
Melancholy Jaques
Cole channeling Scarlett O’Hara?
JGreen
@prostratedragon: My community orchestra, the Peninsula Symphony (Northern California), is performing this on May 18 & 19. Tickets now on sale (I’m on 2nd oboe, btw). I know–a shameless plug.
Shakti
@Citizen Alan:
Sure. The archivist forgot.
Honestly not giving anyone the benefit of the doubt on these matters anymore. They’ve burnt through the dregs.
Literally claiming it’s their heritage to own people. And getting mad that others don’t applaud them for.. owning people.
prostratedragon
@JGreen: Oooo, goody for you-all. Never played it (my band instruments were flute and occasionally piccolo — lots of trills at the end), but it looks like tremendous fun.
allium
@Marc: they might be emulating quarks by trioing up
Pete Downunder
@JGreen:
I’ve heard the oboe described as the ill wind that nobody blows good, but I’m sure that’s a libel.
RA
@JoyceH: She is tagging along with him to keep him away from the next baby mama.