Via Buzzfeed, here’s a little girl in Brazil grooming a chicken:
I’m on pretty good terms with the hens, but I suspect my birds would peck me to pieces if I tried something like that. Open thread!
Florida woman, still rocking a punk rock ethos in the 2020s, which is kind of sad. Betty Cracker has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2012.
by Betty Cracker| 115 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Via Buzzfeed, here’s a little girl in Brazil grooming a chicken:
I’m on pretty good terms with the hens, but I suspect my birds would peck me to pieces if I tried something like that. Open thread!
by Betty Cracker| 380 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity, Assholes, General Stupidity
Figured Trump would have a hissy fit over the convention speeches, especially actual multi-billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s criticism. Yep:
@realDonaldTrump Hey, but that's not what you said ever before, you feckless dimwit. pic.twitter.com/BRv2eECeZW
— JordanHeath-Rawlings (@TheGameSheet) July 29, 2016
He was yelling at people with his stumpy little thumbs all morning. I think we’re getting to the ambulatory Tang-colored scrotal sac, y’all!
Dainty Digits Is on an Epic Twitter TearPost + Comments (380)
by Betty Cracker| 201 Comments
This post is in: Election 2016, Hillary Clinton 2016, Open Threads, Politics, Assholes, General Stupidity
Despite yawns from some corners over a major party nominating the first woman for president in the history of the United States, ever, it’s kind of a big deal to many of us. But I suspect those wormy little Buster fuckwads who shouted down Elijah Cummings and Leon Panetta aren’t going to be able to resist trying to ruin the evening for Hillary Clinton and her supporters.
Anyone think there’s a chance they won’t? I don’t. They’re worse than the goddamned PUMAs, and they are an embarrassment to Senator Sanders. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.
That said, aside from a few odd eruptions, some force seemed to keep the screeching Busters mostly silent during both Obamas’ speeches as well as during Biden’s and Kaine’s. Perhaps the many impressive middle-aged women in the convention hall turned steely gazes on the sniveling dipshits and hefted their handbags meaningfully.
I don’t expect that force field to hold tonight, though. These grandstanding pricks really hate Hillary Clinton. They don’t give a shit about the Democratic Party. And they’re certain it’s more important for the media coverage to include their whiny-ass, unintelligible chants than it is for the women and girls who’ve waited for this moment all their lives to enjoy the experience in peace.
May the shades of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony rise up and snatch them bald-headed.
by Betty Cracker| 280 Comments
This post is in: Republican Venality, Seriously
As Adam noted yesterday, the DNC hack isn’t just standard intel gathering that virtually all governments do. The decision to use WikiLeaks as an outlet to publicly release the information to interfere with an election “meets the definition of an act of cyberwar,” according to Dave Aitel, whose Ars Technica editorial was quoted in Adam’s post.
Article III. of the Constitution of the United States, Section 110:
“Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open Court. The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason.”
Republican nominee Donald J. Trump, July 27, 2016:
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Mr. Trump said, staring directly into the cameras during a news conference. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”
So to recap, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump openly “adhered” to a hostile foreign government and encouraged it to commit an act of war on the United States.
LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP!
UPDATE: I was kinda kidding about the treason thing and definitely dishing out sauce for the tangerine-hued hell-gander with the “Lock Him Up” bit above. (I’m not a lawyer, but I am a firm believer in due process.) However, a bipartisan sampling of former officials are seriously calling Combover Caligula out, including William Inboden, who served in GWB’s NSC; he said Trump’s comments were “tantamount to treason” [Politico link]. Hmm.
by Betty Cracker| 204 Comments
This post is in: Politics, Republican Stupidity, Assholes, General Stupidity
Following up on Adam’s excellent post yesterday about the DNC server hack, it looks like the story is indeed gaining legs, with an assist from the president.
CNN:
President Barack Obama won’t rule out the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be attempting to tip the US presidential election toward Donald Trump.
His comments came after US officials said this week that there is strong evidence that the Democratic National Committee data breach was carried out by hackers working on behalf of Russian intelligence.
“Anything’s possible,” Obama responded when asked during an interview whether Russians could be working to influence the contest between Republican nominee Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
“Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin,” Obama said during the sit-down with NBC News that aired Tuesday. “And I think that Trump’s gotten pretty favorable coverage back in Russia.”
WaPo:
President Obama on Tuesday waded into the controversy over the leak of Democratic National Committee emails, saying the hack of party records was characteristic of Russian government behavior and suggesting a potential motive for that country to meddle in the U.S. presidential election.
“What we do know is that the Russians hack our systems, not just government systems but private systems,” Obama told NBC. “What the motives were in terms of the leaks, all that — I can’t say directly. What I do know is that Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin.”
Obama’s comments align with those made Sunday by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, Robby Mook, who said the Russian government was behind last week’s release of DNC documents on the website WikiLeaks as a way to help Trump.
American intelligence agencies have told the White House they now have “high confidence” that the Russian government was behind the theft of emails and documents from the Democratic National Committee, according to federal officials who have been briefed on the evidence.
But intelligence officials have cautioned that they are uncertain whether the electronic breakin at the committee’s computer systems was intended as fairly routine cyberespionage — of the kind the United States also conducts around the world — or as part of an effort to manipulate the 2016 presidential election.
The emails were released by WikiLeaks, whose founder, Julian Assange, has made it clear that he hoped to harm Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning the presidency. It is unclear how the documents made their way to the group. But a large sampling was published before the WikiLeaks release by several news organizations and someone who called himself “Guccifer 2.0,” who investigators now believe was an agent of the G.R.U., Russia’s military intelligence service.
Even the Trumpenführer felt moved to address it today, though of course he filtered it through his narcissistic prism and missed the point entirely:
Funny how the failing @nytimes is pushing Dems narrative that Russia is working for me because Putin said "Trump is a genius." America 1st!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2016
For the record, Putin never called Trump a “genius” — that description is rarely bestowed on the critter at the business end of the leash. Now release your tax returns like a good boy, Deadbeat Don.
PS: This episode removes all doubt (as if there were any) that Julian Assange is an unmitigated douchebag.
Story of Russian Meddling in U.S. Election Has LegsPost + Comments (204)
This post is in: Open Threads
Here’s a fresh thread to discuss the proceedings, or even other topics. Will the Big Dog bring it tonight?
[Illustration stolen from Wonkette]by Betty Cracker| 156 Comments
This post is in: Election 2016, Hillary Clinton 2016, Open Threads, Politics, Proud to Be A Democrat, Assholes, General Stupidity
For me, watching the first night of the Democratic National Convention in some ways mirrored the experience of participating on beloved yet flawed internet hangouts, including this here blog: There were some incredibly thoughtful, fun and inspiring discussions and a handful of asshole trolls trying to ruin everything.
I’m still pissed off about the classless jackholes who chanted during Elijah Cummings’ speech. At times I wished the adjacent delegates had risen up against the jerkwads who heckled Elizabeth Warren, rolled them up in the handiest carpet and bounced them down the venue steps and out into traffic. I briefly wished I were in charge of floor security so I could disperse archers throughout the venue with plunger-tipped arrows ready to silence anyone cretinous enough to interrupt Michelle Obama’s amazing speech.
But one reason we’re so lucky to have a woman like FLOTUS in public life is that she inspires us to be better people. “When they go low, we go high.” Words to live by, and if she and her family can endure the abuse of hateful gasbags like Trump with poise and grace — creating in the process a contrast that shows just how small their detractors are — surely our party can put up with a handful of sanctimonious twits for a few more nights and show the nation by contrast what grace, fortitude and leadership look like.
*Shamelessly stolen from this tweet featured in the morning thread.