Tonight’s letter was supposed to be a photo, but then it turned into just a few things I didn’t want to miss, and now it’s a sort of roundup of a whole lot of stories.
What a pleasure to work with Santos who was honored for his work with imaginary numbers. I could not stop laughing. It is another rendition of “The Emperor has no clothes on”. I think this strategy is the best. Telling Jordan when he needs assistance I. Legislation they will assist him. The Justice department is in charge of legal issues not him. These men are so puffed up with self they could be balloons in the Macy Day parade.
Santos is a psychopathic criminal, he will go as soon as he is prosecuted. The list of his crimes and lies are beyond the pale. His constituents are livid for having been duped.
And because they were duped so easily because they and he are Republican! I lost my run for county treasurer because I am a Democrat. A Republican ask me why I didn't run as a Republican and I said I didn't want to sell my soul!
Keep trying if you want to be a public servant. Campaigning is hard, but for a limited time. Losing can be discouraging, but we learn from our failures. But I am sure you know all this. I admire anyone who runs for office.
If his constituents are livid for being duped, they better start a recall pet ion immediately. Maybe their Governor will appoint the person who ran against him.
However... he is on record recently for stating he would resign if he received 142,000 petition signatures to that effect. Not that we would expect him to stand by his word.... but I wonder how easy it would be to collect far more than 142,000 (and without the time limitations placed on an initiative petition).
Remember, he's a pathological liar. Although a sane person would head for the closest exit if faced with this scrutiny, he's probably basking in the spotlight. My guess is that he'd stick around until run out of town on a rail.
Yes, i did laugh at that one....perfect with the reference to imaginary numbers. I had a roommate who was a math whiz and I remember her telling me that she was working with imaginary numbers. I was and am a math dope, so I was amazed. As for being balloons, someone should stick a pin in them...hope to see them deflated sooner rather than later.
Au contraire, ma chère. It's just that the clothes being worn are covered in feathers and sequins, à la Rudy Giuliani (if you haven't seen the clip of Rudy offering TFG treats by hand, dressed in drag, you really need to look it up) and the so-called Kitara Ravache.
Oh Susan, the thought of those horrible men as Macy Day parade balloons made me laugh. And better yet, how about them all developing a leak and shrivel up in front of everyone.
Sorry for being repetitive as I've posted before about praying that the GOP self-implodes after I found out that trump had won, and special apologies to the non-believers...but I can't help it as my prayer is being answered on a daily basis! Susan, I'm reacting to you not being able to stop laughing. In my book, The Divine Language of Coincidence, I write from experience how Divine Intelligence has proven to have a great sense of humor and answers prayers with sheer cleverness. So far, not only has the GOP found itself deeply divided in a comical Keystone Cops type of disarray, but just look at the cast of characters provided! What else but a higher power could possibly bring together a ridiculous group of action figures that disrupts any hope of Republican governance, and the creativity of a George Santos? It's a divine joke that keeps on giving. I am deeply grateful that my prayer is continually being answered and mark my words--look out for much more cleverness ahead....
One of the things about TFG besides the fact that he is so terrible in so many ways is that he seems to have no sense of humor, none, zip, zero, nil. Life with out a laugh is as he might say SAD.
The "Mr. Spock" humorless scientist is mostly myth, but the joke often tends to be nerdy (like mine), and understated. They tend to like Lewis Carroll.
"Charmed quarks"? "Strange quarks" There is often wry humor in the nomenclature of empirical, measurable stuff.
Years ago, there was a Ziggy cartoon of Ziggy driving up to "Acme Vulcanized Tires" w/ Mr Spock standing @ the door using the live long & prosper gesture. (I wish I had the camera skills to send a copy of it. I bet you can imagine it.)
The most striking thing about Rep. Foster's comment is that I can't think of any Republican in Washington who is intellectual enough to have crafted it. In fact, some of them are dense enough to interpret it as a compliment.
With the butt of the party safely in Florida, it appears that the face of the party will become Dr George, the curiouser, of New York. Today's LFAA is a delight by sharing the exploits and fantasies of the screwball clowns appearing center stage in DC. Glory be!
Send in the clowns! Ridicule is a most powerful tool, expertly used as is reported here! A thousand words is worth a picture, and we look forward to the peace of the Maine coast tomorrow.
Not even that, because or razzle-dazzle media is so flighty (and actively promotes short attention spans, like Newspeak) that it rarely ventures far into extended consequences (which are those we wind up living with) such as bat-guano irresponsible national dept default. The public gets stuck with the bill for a lot of GOP theatrics, such a massive pre-election deployment to repel "immigrants", or the costs of spurious government shutdowns.
Thank you, dear Professor, for writing instead of one of your lovely photographs. I found myself chuckling through the entire letter. It is more hopeful than despairing like a lot of tonight’s news.
John Oliver's humor script writers cannot begin to compete with the thespian performance ongoing in Washington. It would be even funnier if it were being played at a theater in someone else's nation.
So true! I always say that it would be funny if it wasn´t so sad. And on the international scene, very encouraging to see the Administration reaching out to Africa, a very neglected continent. And thank you Dr Richardson, for putting all of this together for us.
Yes, for their mineral resources. How does that work again? Ever read The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein? The US will be "less exploitative" than Russia or China? We are mining the world for, in this case, rare earths (!) to help achieve our green energy goals to prevent the earth from overheating. May I recommend another volume, The Treeline by Ben Rawlence. What is wrong with nuclear energy I ask? Safety? Do the residents of Florida or California, or the other states that are being bombarded by high-energy storms or wildfires feel safe? Where does the energy in a storm originate? From a warming climate. Where I live, solar installations are replacing hay corn oat and bean fields and grazing pasture. Woods are being cut down. Imagine how environmentally disruptive this is. I'll stop here for now.
I realize the US always does things that is to their advantage Always has, always will And I am so sorry about the solar installations where you live BUT as Ellen said, correctly placed they are great Actually, the spaces between solar panels are a fantastic support for biodiversity , allowing native grasses and wildflowers, and fauna to survive As for nuclear, not a good option But discussion and disagreement is always good Long live free speech, right?
I don't know where you get your info, but the ground upon which solar arrays are placed are mowed at least 5 times per year, unless you have other information. I know one of the mowing contractors. Sheep have been used to keep foliage down, as have goats. Saying nuclear is not a good option without data is just an uninformed opinion.
A Little confusing here with two "Ed"s posting with the same orange symbol. Native prairie plants are sustained by burning and get killed out by mowing. Burns are probably not a way to manage growth beneath solar panels. Seem to be plenty of places to put solar panels in places where nothing grows sufficiently to pose a problem. On nuclear, I don't know if we have the technology to make it safe enough yet or not. I try to listen rather than argue for or against it now.
and to which agency does that decision fall on? Farmers here are approached, a local hearing may occur, and the project is approved. The hearing is a mere formality.
Ed And Stephen Colbert doesn’t need script writers. He can simply repeat what these Republican bozos say. As for Saturday Night Live, they can do an entire show on George Santos’s fantasies.
Al Franken was the only professional comedian in Congress. These Republicans are simply wannabes.
Just saw Sorkin’s version of “To Kill a Mockingbird” on stage here in Orange County. His “ voice” is so recognizable...sharp and clever. His version of the Santos story would certainly be entertaining and provoking. He would just be sharpening the prose, not having to create bizarre characters or dramatic action.
Republicans did not take progressive Al Franken out of representing his constituents. Al Franken was stabbed in the back by some ruthless plutocrat-serving politicians from his own party who may hate progressives worse than they hate Republicans. They seized an opportunity to exploit "Me Too" to score a few political points to bolster their personal careers. We were all hurt by their actions.
Ed I agree that Al FRanken was assassinated by Democrats. Wasn’t now senator Gillenbrand one of the first in this assault? I was not persuaded then that Franken should have been forced to resign before a cool-handed examination of the ‘evidence.’ He could/should be a fine senator today.
I notice that just now he is reviving his comedy performances.
Oh yes. Kirsten G. was the "Follow Me!!!" leader of the Franken lynch mob. She spared no effort to shine that spotlight on herself during the entire contrived event.
Look at how desperately Republicans are trying to preserve the position of their court fool George Santos who did far worse, with the admonition "the people elected him." It forces a depressing awareness of the degree to which individuals' selfishness subsumes all of their interest to preserve elected representation of the people.
Yes, indeed. While the Republican party brings giggles and acts of magic to entertain the raucous followers of the political cereals, Mr Biden and Company are repairing the infrastructure, readying the ambulances and medical personnel, and making the street safe for them to go back to their subsidized lears.
Bread and circuses. Democrats facilitate the bread, and the "GOP" the circuses. It's just not appropriate to hold them where adults are trying get important work done, and I never liked clowns with a mean streak.
And in remarkable contrast, hundreds of thousands of French workers have gone on strike - shutting down the country - protesting Macron's plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Americans have become lazy sheep. We let the Oligarchs get richer by the hour and then support them as they send in their GQP stooges to stomp all over us. You can't fix stupid. But maybe...at some point...we'll get up off our butts and complain. Maybe.
It's possible that we're not lazy sheep, but exhausted shepherds. Many Americans work 2 or 3 jobs or long hours without overtime pay. Even a 'typical' middle class American family will have two working parents each working 40 hours per week plus commute time, who then (after paying for child care and/or elder care) also do their own yardwork, housework, cooking, shopping, etc. Many Washington politicians are so far removed from this lifestyle that they cannot even imagine being confronted by a sink-full of dishes after getting kids to the 6:45 am school bus, working 8 hours with a 30 minute commute at each end, barely meeting the deadline for picking up kids at afterschool care, stopping for groceries, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and getting the kids to bed.
Yes, some of us have been mentally numbed by decades of this Republican nonsense and need to WAKE UP, but many are JUST TOO TIRED - and the priorities of the Republican party are to keep the masses too tired and too unlearned to put up any resistance. Retirees are the Democrats best hope for activism, so (of course) they are being targeted.
I'm glad you responded. In my community our activist group (we happen to be in a red district) ranges from 67-80. We came back 6 years ago and are still here, still tired, still at it.
Yes, in a very red district and kudos to you and your activist group. I can imagine that it is very frustrating. Thanks to redistricting we are now in Fred Girod's senate district and our rep is a far right wing nut....totally bonkers. But we have a D representing us in Congress: Salinas.
"Retirees are the Democrats best hope for activism, so (of course) they are being targeted." Marsie, I never really thought about this but you are SO correct.
Sadly, that is the strategy. Make us work 3 or more jobs to barely feed our families so we're too worn down to protest. What they always forget is what history shiws: that when people become hopeless, they become desperate. And that leads to violent revolution since they have been denied every other possibility.
Just stop and think about the roots and participants in the 1789 French Revolution. I specify the year because there had been earlier revolutions by the same downtrodden populace which didn't succeed. Let's hope that today's downtrodden will finally come to realize how they are being trodden upon by the MAGApublican party. Pehaps the attacks on SS, Medicare & Medicaid will reach them? If they're not too tired to turn on the news when they finally get home from their multiple jobs....
Deregulation of media to allow consolidation by a few owners and permit hate radio figures in the shearing of the "sheep". Democracy must be able to withstand inevitable lies, and can do so, if and only if big lies are persistently called out and discredited. Think how much trouble Nixon was in for "the coverup"? We have become inured to Orwellian liars, even in positions of grave responsibility.
MSNBC had a good piece on how Fox News is finally feeling some real pain for it's f##cking lies (though Hannity is still running the Republucan Party...)
You certainly can't fix stupid, but you can change ignorance if the ignorant are willing to learn. Whether that applies to Republican legislators is unclear, but we can work at getting the information out to their voters.
And the faithful rural Republicans in our neck of the northern woods are shocked when we tell them how their reps voted = against them. We have a small group here reviewing voting records, making short summaries on topics that folks are concerned about, and then (gently) share them with R neighbors and colleagues. They are often very surprised to see the lies, and even more surprised to see they agree with the Democrat. If we all talked to a couple neighbors, a few colleagues...
Nice idea, I'm going to try the same thing around here. Maybe we can persuade enough people to rethink their positions that Mr. Hawley won't get another term.
We learned this technique quite by accident when our Dem candidate for U. S. Rep, Dr. Bob Lorinser, unfortunately didn't have enough approved signatures on his nomination petitions, so one of our members went door to door to get more in her Red neihhborhood. After explaining Dr. Bob's positions, on the issues, many Republicans said they were surprised to learn they agreed with him, and signed!
Go for it! And all the best! I often start out by saying how surprised I was that my Rep voted against the infrastructure bill, but then took full credit for the upgrades on the Soo Locks. They are surprised, too.
My brother-in-law died of cancer three months after retiring at the age of 65. He'd worked hard his whole life, paid the maximum amount into Social Security every year from the time he was 22, and collected exactly ONE check before his life ended. He used to tell me he didn't expect to live long enough to get back what he put into the system, especially if the politicians had their mitts on it, and I'd argue back that he didn't know what the future would bring and he shouldn't be so cynical about politicians.
I was wrong. He did know, and he was right about the politicians, too.
Incidentally - I never thought about this before - but what happens to that Social Security when someone passes away? Assuming there is no spouse that is able to use it? Where does this money go? What fund does it go to?
Maggie Frazier: I've always assumed that if the benefit doesn't go to a widow/widower, it helps to generally fund Social Security -- this would benefit people who paid in enough to qualify and collect, but who live longer than what they actually paid in.
Yes, I understand the option to go to a spouse - but, just thinking about it, there must be many instances where there is no spouse - so what happens to someone's SS account if its unused? I admit I never thought about this until now!!
Of course, many want to work longer because their SS checks will be too small for them to maintain their standard of living, often just subsistence. Higher wages might be some enticement, but for many continuing to work is a necessity.
BK For those wealthy Americans who benefitted from Trump’s 2017 tax giveaway, Social Security [which is now calculated on only $160,,000 of earned income and not at all on dividends and capital gains] payments are simply a dab of whipped cream on their retirement income.
Obliging those who ‘actually want to work longer’ to continue at McDonald’s, Starbucks, and other high-tech jobs until they are 70 helps solve the Social Security financial problem.
Higher age eligibility and declining life expectancy results in less pressure to increase taxes on fat cats.
Whatever the cap amount is, it is too low. There should be no cap at all, and the floor should be raised to the current "base cap" amount. Anyone making more than $160K annually can pay more, and anyone making less can pay $0. Or $5.00 per paycheck, or some de minimis amount.
Lynn Yeah verily and forsooth! Stock compensation for executives doesn’t relate to Social Security fees. Nor do other shenanigans by folks making $$$, while regular employees pay about 6%, as do their employees.
I found, when I had my own consulting business that I was paying over 12% in Social Security fees on my taxable income, which was about $75,000 back then. OUCH! Obviously there are different rules for the rich. Oh well, as Marie Antoinette purported said about us non-rich “let them eat cake.” Yeah, marble cake without the frosting.
About the time Republicans were trumpeting lies about Obamacare "Death Panels" hearing were held with insurance industry CEO who had a record of denying life-save care to patients on the basis of minor technicalities. Asked if they would consider working with such patient to ensure that they received care except where there fraud, every one of them refused. The irony was these truly were the sort of death panels Republicans complained of, only profit seeking. when companies offshore American jobs and conspire to steal us blind, that's the magic of "the Free Market", but God forbid we should have to pay taxes for bridges or schools.
The party of death (and treason) never fails to show their true colors. When i read what Rep. Allen said, I wondered who he had been talking to.....someone who had to work longer because they had to.
Thanks, BK! The Greed Over People party is trying to turn Social Security into a giant insurance scam, i.e., you pay in forever, and they fight you tooth and nail when you try to collect!
Thank you, Mary Ann, it’s enlightening to see these awards go to real people who suffered due to TFG’s corruption. It’s about time we the public see him pay something for his crimes.
Keep in mind this is a sanction ruling only, connected to a motion to dismiss. Sanctions rulings are intended to make frivolous litigants and the attorneys who misserve them knock it off! (And given the withdrawal from the James suit, it may have worked). Washington Post has an excellent article on it, plus a link to the legal spanking.
Your TGIF news roundup is a jolt of unexpected fun, at least if I step back and ignore the tragedy of unethical empty suits play-acting at governing. It's clear Biden and other Democrats have decided to fight back hard. Thankfully, they seem intent on blowing up the false narratives that confuse voters. I hope they keep striking back with this kind of searing messaging and tough stances.
Meanwhile, I'm waiting for what will be an epic return of Saturday Night Live tomorrow, which as surely as the sun rising in the East will skewer George Santos.
It was equally refreshing; time to put Kimmel on my “watch list” nightly for the value of the therapy of laughter! While there is certainly tragic news at home and globally coming at us daily, a little respite is good to keep up morale for the days ahead in 2023, certain to be another in a series of frightening news cycles.
Yes, I agree with you. I am glad Dems are speaking up and fighting back. The way I see it is this- It is the Republican party that is not giving us anything that will make our lives better and worse yet, they taking things away from us. They are taking away a woman’s right to choose, the school’s librarian the right to have a variety of books, a worker’s right to organize and draw from a paid- into and well earned retirement fund, a student’s right to go to school and not be cut down in a hail of bullets , a citizen’s rights to breathe clean air and drink unpolluted water and the list goes on .These things that have already been taken or are being threatened to be taken need to be screamed about by all of us who are paying attention and it would sure be nice if the mainstream media would help us along.
I completely agree, Victoria. For all the Republicans' blather about mask mandates being a threat to their personal freedom, THEY are the ones who want to take away our rights!
It's about time the Democrats wake up and play hardball with the bullies and the crazies. The really wonderful thing about hardball is that everyone gets to bat at least once -- and I want the Democrats to swing as hard as they can to knock the nuts out of the park.
"Trump is clearly bowing to popular support for those programs, but he is abandoning House Republicans after pushing them to take this stand."
Convincing people to go far out onto limbs while holding a saw in his hand is signature of that man. He recently proved he could sell doing that to an entire nation, but only one part of one party seems gullible enough to remain on the limb.
It shows how desperate the GOP is to find a leader. Trump is no Putin, and they haven't done enough damage to the election process - yet - to install a Putin-like figure anyway. What a conundrum; imagine having to get elected in order to dismantle a democracy!
But that's how it goes, doesn't it? That or means of force, when despots misuse the powers of government to lock out opposition. It has become a media cliche that Reagan and subsequent "Conservatives" "hate government", but quite the opposite, they are obsessed with using government to impose their will, as we have seen the "GOP" doing and attempting to do further.
The form "government" they do attack is the sort that offers "equal protection", due process, and "liberty and justice for all; no? The advocates of a stratified, authoritarian form of government really hate a functioning democratic republic; and calling themselves "Republican" is just one of their many Orwellian obscurantions. It meant something once, today they are lying.
He signifies a ruling class plutocracy that is very adept at manipulating people and preventing their organizing to produce a government that would end enabling the plutocrats' looting of an entire nation.
Waiting to see trucks drive past the capitol with ladders all over them. It is so irritating that the target of the GOP is specifically programs that we pay into (Soc Sec and Medicare). BTW, right now they are juggling federal retirement trust funds to keep the government going.
This is the highlight of a difficult day for me personally; many thanks for brightening my spirits and outlook while forgoing your planned photo!😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Yes, GWW, and this is what makes it really funny. I wonder if scientists have ever made a serious effort to understand and explain humor. I mean, we all know of certain joke patterns like "Three guys walk into a bar: an X, a Y and a Z... Has anyone ever really studied the psychology of humor? Well, sure, I could just google it. Guess I'll do that.
Taiwan is evidently tuning in on this: Employed comedians to make memes within 2 hours, to combat hostile cyber attacks. Memes that are more spread than the attacks; comparing "R"-values as for viruses. AND, no satire, no shaming and ridicule of the attacker.
Thank you for this revelation, that Taiwan is using the digital domain to improve democracy in such an energetic way! And defeating the disinformation with brilliant and simple, crowd-sourced ideas. Taiwan has found a way out of the quicksand that the U.S. keeps sinking deeper into...!
This opens a whole new path through the maze that traps the discussion about the decline of democracy.
One of the tricks of telling a funny story is to lead your audience down a certain lane and the flip the yarn at the last minute. "I didn't see that one coming" is part of the pleasure
Well, GWW, I think it's possible to be wittily sarcastic, to say nothing of sarcastically witty. Then we can add lightness, or darkness, or broadness. Sometimes, there is nothing funnier than -- please excuse me -- a fart.
I agree with the enjoyable witty sarcasm and the sarcastic witticism, but I have to say...the comedy and enjoyment thereof of a flatulent occurrence is (and I'm generalizing here) largely a guy thing.
The brilliance of scientists is very often accompanied by an uncanny sense of humor. However, frequently we're just not smart enough ourselves to pick up on it.
May I ask you to please explain what you liked about Fosters sarcastic tweet? Maybe it’s just that my knees buckle at sarcasm because I’m afraid people won’t realize it’s not true; that’s why I never appreciate it. Tell me what you think!
This is the part I thought was clever....especially “for his groundbreaking work with imaginary numbers.”
Dr. George Santos, winner of not only the Nobel Prize, but also the Fields Medal—the top prize in Mathematics—for his groundbreaking work with imaginary numbers.”
Very clever, especially the breadth of it. The sarcasm aside, it's ironic that McCarthy has is so desperate that he's tied himself to someone like Santos, whose become a far bigger joke than MTG, Boebert, and few others.
Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) sure tickled my funny bone saying: "I'm thrilled to be joined on the Science Committee by my Republican colleague Dr. George Santos, winner of not only the Nobel Prize, but also the Fields Medal - the top prize in Mathematics - for his groundbreaking work with imaginary numbers." Imagine that by squarely rooting out Rep. Santos the House would be minus one irrational number. Of course the House would still have a majority of irrationals at least on one side of the aisle.
It has felt that way so many times before. I am guessing that they will just embarrass themselves out of office and/or into minority irrelevance - unless you live in a blood red state.
Santos will leave the house in cuffs. The Florida rep is in the hospital. Only two more to go! Maybe when they perp walk Gosar, Jordan and Perry...we can celebrate.
I guess what I wonder about re tfg’s “frivolous” lawsuits is what entices apparently savvy lawyers to actually agree to create such frivolity? And, why don’t we hear of these people getting disbarred for their part in such actions? Who, in their right minds would actually take up a trump case? I guess ego is a very powerful drug.
My god, you’d think these people don’t live in a hole somewhere and would know this going in. Here’s a question…how many lawyers need to be disbarred before the legal population realizes trump is a fraud?
Do we count Gugglyanni? There’s no telling how many ducker lawyers there will be disbarred by the time thus is over. Remember, almost all of the ones that followed him in Congress (both House and Senate) are attorneys!
Virtually all of them know he is a fraud, including his White House lawyers...who at least managed to testify before the J6 committee...and including those currently in the House. They are using him, just as he has used them.
Here’s the link to my newsletter. Please let me know what you think if it. Like I said. It’s free. I don’t ask for money from people to read my thoughts.
Well... this million dollar sanction - which Habba SHARES with Trump meaning they will probably suck it out of HER liability insurance - seems to be serving its function in that they are ducking out of the (similar) James lawsuit.
MTG did not have to pay back the $183,504 PPP loan she was given during covid and suffered no negative consequences. Maybe she thinks the US government can walk away from its obligations like she did with no consequences.
The set of fools in the House appear to be skating close to the edge. Now with the news that Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) fell from a ladder and ended up in hospital, poor baby, can someone tell me/us exactly where that leaves the trumpublican speaker? Is someone able to keep score/count of how many more have to fall before there is an automatic change? Oh, and is it expected that during a recess Santos will put on a wig and entertain the troops?
we can hope... meanwhile, thanks to you, we can keep a running total. I'll bet Kevin Worm is sweating bullets and searching for more stuff to give away to keep what he's got.
It's so refreshing to be able to laugh. Thank you for putting all these events together in such a delightful way. Have a great weekend everyone!
What a pleasure to work with Santos who was honored for his work with imaginary numbers. I could not stop laughing. It is another rendition of “The Emperor has no clothes on”. I think this strategy is the best. Telling Jordan when he needs assistance I. Legislation they will assist him. The Justice department is in charge of legal issues not him. These men are so puffed up with self they could be balloons in the Macy Day parade.
Santos is a psychopathic criminal, he will go as soon as he is prosecuted. The list of his crimes and lies are beyond the pale. His constituents are livid for having been duped.
He’s Trump without daddy’s $400 million gift.
And because they were duped so easily because they and he are Republican! I lost my run for county treasurer because I am a Democrat. A Republican ask me why I didn't run as a Republican and I said I didn't want to sell my soul!
Keep trying if you want to be a public servant. Campaigning is hard, but for a limited time. Losing can be discouraging, but we learn from our failures. But I am sure you know all this. I admire anyone who runs for office.
Harvey, I will turn 80 this summer.... I will work for others but for me I did my one run unless it's for the President of the USA! LOL
I am 80, we can run together. 😜
Looking at trends, you will be the right age for U. S. President.
LOL!
Good for you. Wish others would be as tied to their principles.
If his constituents are livid for being duped, they better start a recall pet ion immediately. Maybe their Governor will appoint the person who ran against him.
I've been wondering why he hasn't been subject to a recall petition, too.
I don't think she can do that, but I would settle for a special election.
No recall.
Need 2/3s vote to remove by expulsion.
https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL30016.html
Sad that that will never happen. We'll have to choose to be amused by the latest version of the clown show.
😣
However... he is on record recently for stating he would resign if he received 142,000 petition signatures to that effect. Not that we would expect him to stand by his word.... but I wonder how easy it would be to collect far more than 142,000 (and without the time limitations placed on an initiative petition).
Remember, he's a pathological liar. Although a sane person would head for the closest exit if faced with this scrutiny, he's probably basking in the spotlight. My guess is that he'd stick around until run out of town on a rail.
I'm not sure members of Congress can be recalled. Usually only state and local officials are subject to a recall vote.
Disappointing. Thanks.
Ahhh...but we said the same about “the former guy”. I do hope you’re right though, Harvey. 🙏🏻
Yes, i did laugh at that one....perfect with the reference to imaginary numbers. I had a roommate who was a math whiz and I remember her telling me that she was working with imaginary numbers. I was and am a math dope, so I was amazed. As for being balloons, someone should stick a pin in them...hope to see them deflated sooner rather than later.
Au contraire, ma chère. It's just that the clothes being worn are covered in feathers and sequins, à la Rudy Giuliani (if you haven't seen the clip of Rudy offering TFG treats by hand, dressed in drag, you really need to look it up) and the so-called Kitara Ravache.
Oh, yuck! I just saw that for the first time yesterday or the day before. Thankfully, it was a very short clip.
Oh Susan, the thought of those horrible men as Macy Day parade balloons made me laugh. And better yet, how about them all developing a leak and shrivel up in front of everyone.
great imagery there!
Would be fun to see in a movie...
Sorry for being repetitive as I've posted before about praying that the GOP self-implodes after I found out that trump had won, and special apologies to the non-believers...but I can't help it as my prayer is being answered on a daily basis! Susan, I'm reacting to you not being able to stop laughing. In my book, The Divine Language of Coincidence, I write from experience how Divine Intelligence has proven to have a great sense of humor and answers prayers with sheer cleverness. So far, not only has the GOP found itself deeply divided in a comical Keystone Cops type of disarray, but just look at the cast of characters provided! What else but a higher power could possibly bring together a ridiculous group of action figures that disrupts any hope of Republican governance, and the creativity of a George Santos? It's a divine joke that keeps on giving. I am deeply grateful that my prayer is continually being answered and mark my words--look out for much more cleverness ahead....
Are you the author of the one liner, "If you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans"?
No but that's a good one!
Love your sense of humor, or it better described as satire! Brava!
Thank you. And don't forget the irony--it's 100% the truth....
Indeed a virtual ‘hot air’ production creature!
An imaginary man working to study imaginary numbers. Don’t let him near any federal budget worksheets…..
The "Baby Trump" balloon was emblematic of the era.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FPJDFUUHLYI6RHQGJW2SVRBOAU.jpg&w=1440
Who knew (actual) scientists have a great sense humor…and timing😂😂😂
I worked at a research station. I did. heh!
Brilliance comes with humor!
To laugh is human. Even babies do it.
One of the things about TFG besides the fact that he is so terrible in so many ways is that he seems to have no sense of humor, none, zip, zero, nil. Life with out a laugh is as he might say SAD.
He laughs at hurting people; a classic "villain". Laugh at himself? He would die first.
The "Mr. Spock" humorless scientist is mostly myth, but the joke often tends to be nerdy (like mine), and understated. They tend to like Lewis Carroll.
"Charmed quarks"? "Strange quarks" There is often wry humor in the nomenclature of empirical, measurable stuff.
Years ago, there was a Ziggy cartoon of Ziggy driving up to "Acme Vulcanized Tires" w/ Mr Spock standing @ the door using the live long & prosper gesture. (I wish I had the camera skills to send a copy of it. I bet you can imagine it.)
Some of them have the best senses of humor. Or as Judith Smith says below, brilliance comes with humor
The most striking thing about Rep. Foster's comment is that I can't think of any Republican in Washington who is intellectual enough to have crafted it. In fact, some of them are dense enough to interpret it as a compliment.
Agree! This was "the thousand words" a photo often replaces. A delightful, droll and informative newsletter. Thank you Heather!
Evidently, when Santos could not cut it as a Drag Queen, he decided to dressing up like a GOP. It was easier. Less work and talent needed.
With the butt of the party safely in Florida, it appears that the face of the party will become Dr George, the curiouser, of New York. Today's LFAA is a delight by sharing the exploits and fantasies of the screwball clowns appearing center stage in DC. Glory be!
What does LFAA stand for?
maybe Lunatic Fringe Advanced Academy ?
Letters from an American. Name for Heather's Substack posting. Of course, your deciphering may apply to some of us. .
Correction: huuuuuge butt
Didn't want to be pejorative. I hardly know the nan. ;-))
Send in the clowns! Ridicule is a most powerful tool, expertly used as is reported here! A thousand words is worth a picture, and we look forward to the peace of the Maine coast tomorrow.
‘"we know what you want to tear down, "
Not even that, because or razzle-dazzle media is so flighty (and actively promotes short attention spans, like Newspeak) that it rarely ventures far into extended consequences (which are those we wind up living with) such as bat-guano irresponsible national dept default. The public gets stuck with the bill for a lot of GOP theatrics, such a massive pre-election deployment to repel "immigrants", or the costs of spurious government shutdowns.
except the one describing tfg's withdrawal of a lawsuit made me feel I was in the twilight zone!
Have you read TCinLA?
https://open.substack.com/pub/tcinla757/p/trump-to-pay-fusion-gps-50-grand?r=elruf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Yes.... that's the incident HRC refers to in second paragraph.... I nearly fainted with joy when I heard it announced!
TC gives much more details from the Judge's responses and his ennoble gentle touch.
As Beau of the Fifth Column says: Something to think about--we need to get the Democratic Party to follow his sage advice!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaeY4j77Pm4
Thank you, dear Professor, for writing instead of one of your lovely photographs. I found myself chuckling through the entire letter. It is more hopeful than despairing like a lot of tonight’s news.
Washington is so strange: there’s a sad circus going on while Democrats and the President try to do our real business.
John Oliver's humor script writers cannot begin to compete with the thespian performance ongoing in Washington. It would be even funnier if it were being played at a theater in someone else's nation.
So true! I always say that it would be funny if it wasn´t so sad. And on the international scene, very encouraging to see the Administration reaching out to Africa, a very neglected continent. And thank you Dr Richardson, for putting all of this together for us.
Yes, for their mineral resources. How does that work again? Ever read The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein? The US will be "less exploitative" than Russia or China? We are mining the world for, in this case, rare earths (!) to help achieve our green energy goals to prevent the earth from overheating. May I recommend another volume, The Treeline by Ben Rawlence. What is wrong with nuclear energy I ask? Safety? Do the residents of Florida or California, or the other states that are being bombarded by high-energy storms or wildfires feel safe? Where does the energy in a storm originate? From a warming climate. Where I live, solar installations are replacing hay corn oat and bean fields and grazing pasture. Woods are being cut down. Imagine how environmentally disruptive this is. I'll stop here for now.
I realize the US always does things that is to their advantage Always has, always will And I am so sorry about the solar installations where you live BUT as Ellen said, correctly placed they are great Actually, the spaces between solar panels are a fantastic support for biodiversity , allowing native grasses and wildflowers, and fauna to survive As for nuclear, not a good option But discussion and disagreement is always good Long live free speech, right?
I don't know where you get your info, but the ground upon which solar arrays are placed are mowed at least 5 times per year, unless you have other information. I know one of the mowing contractors. Sheep have been used to keep foliage down, as have goats. Saying nuclear is not a good option without data is just an uninformed opinion.
A Little confusing here with two "Ed"s posting with the same orange symbol. Native prairie plants are sustained by burning and get killed out by mowing. Burns are probably not a way to manage growth beneath solar panels. Seem to be plenty of places to put solar panels in places where nothing grows sufficiently to pose a problem. On nuclear, I don't know if we have the technology to make it safe enough yet or not. I try to listen rather than argue for or against it now.
I will look it up for you ( not now) I assume there are different methods of course
There are plenty of brownfields in the U.S. that could support solar installations. Proper siting is key.
and to which agency does that decision fall on? Farmers here are approached, a local hearing may occur, and the project is approved. The hearing is a mere formality.
We need their minerals.
Ed And Stephen Colbert doesn’t need script writers. He can simply repeat what these Republican bozos say. As for Saturday Night Live, they can do an entire show on George Santos’s fantasies.
Al Franken was the only professional comedian in Congress. These Republicans are simply wannabes.
Just saw Sorkin’s version of “To Kill a Mockingbird” on stage here in Orange County. His “ voice” is so recognizable...sharp and clever. His version of the Santos story would certainly be entertaining and provoking. He would just be sharpening the prose, not having to create bizarre characters or dramatic action.
Republicans did not take progressive Al Franken out of representing his constituents. Al Franken was stabbed in the back by some ruthless plutocrat-serving politicians from his own party who may hate progressives worse than they hate Republicans. They seized an opportunity to exploit "Me Too" to score a few political points to bolster their personal careers. We were all hurt by their actions.
Ed I agree that Al FRanken was assassinated by Democrats. Wasn’t now senator Gillenbrand one of the first in this assault? I was not persuaded then that Franken should have been forced to resign before a cool-handed examination of the ‘evidence.’ He could/should be a fine senator today.
I notice that just now he is reviving his comedy performances.
Oh yes. Kirsten G. was the "Follow Me!!!" leader of the Franken lynch mob. She spared no effort to shine that spotlight on herself during the entire contrived event.
Look at how desperately Republicans are trying to preserve the position of their court fool George Santos who did far worse, with the admonition "the people elected him." It forces a depressing awareness of the degree to which individuals' selfishness subsumes all of their interest to preserve elected representation of the people.
Yes, indeed. While the Republican party brings giggles and acts of magic to entertain the raucous followers of the political cereals, Mr Biden and Company are repairing the infrastructure, readying the ambulances and medical personnel, and making the street safe for them to go back to their subsidized lears.
Bread and circuses. Democrats facilitate the bread, and the "GOP" the circuses. It's just not appropriate to hold them where adults are trying get important work done, and I never liked clowns with a mean streak.
This context is badly needed. Thanks for informing us. These Republicans want to take our money away or hand it to Wall Street to mismanage.
The Republicans wanted to turn over Social Security to Schwab investments back in the 1990s when Newt Gingrich was running the House.
I remember - disgusting.
The common weal is a hated competitor with billionaire fiefdoms.
Or just hand it to denizens of Wall St. "Taxes are for the little people".
Good post!
And in remarkable contrast, hundreds of thousands of French workers have gone on strike - shutting down the country - protesting Macron's plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Americans have become lazy sheep. We let the Oligarchs get richer by the hour and then support them as they send in their GQP stooges to stomp all over us. You can't fix stupid. But maybe...at some point...we'll get up off our butts and complain. Maybe.
It's possible that we're not lazy sheep, but exhausted shepherds. Many Americans work 2 or 3 jobs or long hours without overtime pay. Even a 'typical' middle class American family will have two working parents each working 40 hours per week plus commute time, who then (after paying for child care and/or elder care) also do their own yardwork, housework, cooking, shopping, etc. Many Washington politicians are so far removed from this lifestyle that they cannot even imagine being confronted by a sink-full of dishes after getting kids to the 6:45 am school bus, working 8 hours with a 30 minute commute at each end, barely meeting the deadline for picking up kids at afterschool care, stopping for groceries, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and getting the kids to bed.
Yes, some of us have been mentally numbed by decades of this Republican nonsense and need to WAKE UP, but many are JUST TOO TIRED - and the priorities of the Republican party are to keep the masses too tired and too unlearned to put up any resistance. Retirees are the Democrats best hope for activism, so (of course) they are being targeted.
I'm glad you responded. In my community our activist group (we happen to be in a red district) ranges from 67-80. We came back 6 years ago and are still here, still tired, still at it.
Yes, in a very red district and kudos to you and your activist group. I can imagine that it is very frustrating. Thanks to redistricting we are now in Fred Girod's senate district and our rep is a far right wing nut....totally bonkers. But we have a D representing us in Congress: Salinas.
"Retirees are the Democrats best hope for activism, so (of course) they are being targeted." Marsie, I never really thought about this but you are SO correct.
Sadly, that is the strategy. Make us work 3 or more jobs to barely feed our families so we're too worn down to protest. What they always forget is what history shiws: that when people become hopeless, they become desperate. And that leads to violent revolution since they have been denied every other possibility.
I sincerely hope we won't let it come to that!
Just stop and think about the roots and participants in the 1789 French Revolution. I specify the year because there had been earlier revolutions by the same downtrodden populace which didn't succeed. Let's hope that today's downtrodden will finally come to realize how they are being trodden upon by the MAGApublican party. Pehaps the attacks on SS, Medicare & Medicaid will reach them? If they're not too tired to turn on the news when they finally get home from their multiple jobs....
Whammo!! "Out of Touch"... Marsie (E. Texas) you sure hit that nail on the head.
Been saying this for years.
Deregulation of media to allow consolidation by a few owners and permit hate radio figures in the shearing of the "sheep". Democracy must be able to withstand inevitable lies, and can do so, if and only if big lies are persistently called out and discredited. Think how much trouble Nixon was in for "the coverup"? We have become inured to Orwellian liars, even in positions of grave responsibility.
MSNBC had a good piece on how Fox News is finally feeling some real pain for it's f##cking lies (though Hannity is still running the Republucan Party...)
YES!
You certainly can't fix stupid, but you can change ignorance if the ignorant are willing to learn. Whether that applies to Republican legislators is unclear, but we can work at getting the information out to their voters.
And the faithful rural Republicans in our neck of the northern woods are shocked when we tell them how their reps voted = against them. We have a small group here reviewing voting records, making short summaries on topics that folks are concerned about, and then (gently) share them with R neighbors and colleagues. They are often very surprised to see the lies, and even more surprised to see they agree with the Democrat. If we all talked to a couple neighbors, a few colleagues...
Nice idea, I'm going to try the same thing around here. Maybe we can persuade enough people to rethink their positions that Mr. Hawley won't get another term.
We learned this technique quite by accident when our Dem candidate for U. S. Rep, Dr. Bob Lorinser, unfortunately didn't have enough approved signatures on his nomination petitions, so one of our members went door to door to get more in her Red neihhborhood. After explaining Dr. Bob's positions, on the issues, many Republicans said they were surprised to learn they agreed with him, and signed!
Go for it! And all the best! I often start out by saying how surprised I was that my Rep voted against the infrastructure bill, but then took full credit for the upgrades on the Soo Locks. They are surprised, too.
Difference between complaining and whining.
Thanks for the links and the great analysis--a fabulous talking point!!!
MADA exactly. Such already worked with their response to Covid. With friends like these…Dems may look good to some, if only Rupert would tell
They never consider those who, like my father, work physically demanding jobs. He retired at 62 and we lost him to cancer at 65.
Or, worse, they are counting on those who work physically demanding jobs dying before they can receive Social Security and Medicare...
That is too sad for me to consider.
😔
My brother-in-law died of cancer three months after retiring at the age of 65. He'd worked hard his whole life, paid the maximum amount into Social Security every year from the time he was 22, and collected exactly ONE check before his life ended. He used to tell me he didn't expect to live long enough to get back what he put into the system, especially if the politicians had their mitts on it, and I'd argue back that he didn't know what the future would bring and he shouldn't be so cynical about politicians.
I was wrong. He did know, and he was right about the politicians, too.
Sorry for your loss. Sorry that elder respect is vanishing. Because we don't all get old? Because empathy is a forgotten concept?
Incidentally - I never thought about this before - but what happens to that Social Security when someone passes away? Assuming there is no spouse that is able to use it? Where does this money go? What fund does it go to?
Actually, the funds we paid into Social Security mostly paid for Social Security for elder retirees at that time we were working.
You know - if I had just stopped to think about it - I already knew that! Duh!!
Must be the current political crap has affected my mind!!
Thanks, MaryPat AND the others here that straightened me out!
I forgot it, too, until I tried to figure out where our money would go, then remembered it went!
Maggie Frazier: I've always assumed that if the benefit doesn't go to a widow/widower, it helps to generally fund Social Security -- this would benefit people who paid in enough to qualify and collect, but who live longer than what they actually paid in.
Yeah - thats what I would think, but considering the current "issues" - sort of makes me wonder.
Yes, I understand the option to go to a spouse - but, just thinking about it, there must be many instances where there is no spouse - so what happens to someone's SS account if its unused? I admit I never thought about this until now!!
Apparently the funds simply go to pay the benefits of others.
Huge hug. 😪
And if you factor in the long-Covid epidemic, many folks over 64-65 may find it a huge challenge to keep up with a 40+ hour work week. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/long-covid-silent-pandemic
Spread the word. By every popular means.
Of course, many want to work longer because their SS checks will be too small for them to maintain their standard of living, often just subsistence. Higher wages might be some enticement, but for many continuing to work is a necessity.
BK For those wealthy Americans who benefitted from Trump’s 2017 tax giveaway, Social Security [which is now calculated on only $160,,000 of earned income and not at all on dividends and capital gains] payments are simply a dab of whipped cream on their retirement income.
Obliging those who ‘actually want to work longer’ to continue at McDonald’s, Starbucks, and other high-tech jobs until they are 70 helps solve the Social Security financial problem.
Higher age eligibility and declining life expectancy results in less pressure to increase taxes on fat cats.
Ah, Republicans have a heart of doo doo.
Keith, the 2023 wage base cap for Social Security withholding is $160,200.
https://www.thebalancemoney.com/tax-withholding-on-wage-income-3192941
Mim Thanks for the correction. This is not a figure that has any relevance for me, though it does impact several of my kids.
Whatever the cap amount is, it is too low. There should be no cap at all, and the floor should be raised to the current "base cap" amount. Anyone making more than $160K annually can pay more, and anyone making less can pay $0. Or $5.00 per paycheck, or some de minimis amount.
Lynn Yeah verily and forsooth! Stock compensation for executives doesn’t relate to Social Security fees. Nor do other shenanigans by folks making $$$, while regular employees pay about 6%, as do their employees.
I found, when I had my own consulting business that I was paying over 12% in Social Security fees on my taxable income, which was about $75,000 back then. OUCH! Obviously there are different rules for the rich. Oh well, as Marie Antoinette purported said about us non-rich “let them eat cake.” Yeah, marble cake without the frosting.
Lynn, that's an even better idea than the one I've been espousing, which is to simply raise the cap. Your idea is sensible and should be a no-brainer.
Mim For the very rich I have a motto “No cap and groan”
The GQP is only looking for a way to implement "Death Panels" without actually appearing to do so.
About the time Republicans were trumpeting lies about Obamacare "Death Panels" hearing were held with insurance industry CEO who had a record of denying life-save care to patients on the basis of minor technicalities. Asked if they would consider working with such patient to ensure that they received care except where there fraud, every one of them refused. The irony was these truly were the sort of death panels Republicans complained of, only profit seeking. when companies offshore American jobs and conspire to steal us blind, that's the magic of "the Free Market", but God forbid we should have to pay taxes for bridges or schools.
The party of death (and treason) never fails to show their true colors. When i read what Rep. Allen said, I wondered who he had been talking to.....someone who had to work longer because they had to.
Rep Allen, suckling at the teat of public funds! Free health care, perhaps a dozen staffers, and nothing to do but talk nonsense!
Shortening lives compared to other "wealthy" societies; and Making Americans Serfs Again as more than a grain of truth to it.
"St. Peter docha' call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store." A bit of history in that.
Yes! Permanently indentured.
Thanks, BK! The Greed Over People party is trying to turn Social Security into a giant insurance scam, i.e., you pay in forever, and they fight you tooth and nail when you try to collect!
BK, may I have your permission to repost this?
thank you. done ❤️
FYI Trumps frivolous law suit penned out like this breakdown of what his real estate attorney have to pay:
Hillary Clinton: $171.631.06
HFAAC and John Podesta: $20,349.00
DNC, DNC Services Corporation
Congresswomman Debbie Wasserman Schultz: $179,685.44
Robert Mook: $70,207.08
Fusion GPS, Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch: $55,820.00
Bruce and Nellie Ohr: $59,310.00
Igor Danchenko: $23,749.00
Neustar Inc.: $134,143.50
Neustar Security Services: $53,547.98
Rodney Joffe: $119,436.19
Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd.: $50,050.00
TOTAL: $937,989.39
Thank you, Mary Ann, it’s enlightening to see these awards go to real people who suffered due to TFG’s corruption. It’s about time we the public see him pay something for his crimes.
But did I not understand these were simply for legal costs, not punitive damages? How I'd hoped for those!!!!
It's a start. Great oaks from little acorns grow.
Keep in mind this is a sanction ruling only, connected to a motion to dismiss. Sanctions rulings are intended to make frivolous litigants and the attorneys who misserve them knock it off! (And given the withdrawal from the James suit, it may have worked). Washington Post has an excellent article on it, plus a link to the legal spanking.
MaryAnn, thank you for enumerating the awards.
Good job, MaryAnn!
I’ll applaud the ruling when the various checks all clear.
Good point, Ralph, given the signer.
Thanks so much for this, MaryAnn. My my, quite a few people had their day in court and won!
Thank you for this MaryAnn
Indeed!! :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4sck56YQxg
Your TGIF news roundup is a jolt of unexpected fun, at least if I step back and ignore the tragedy of unethical empty suits play-acting at governing. It's clear Biden and other Democrats have decided to fight back hard. Thankfully, they seem intent on blowing up the false narratives that confuse voters. I hope they keep striking back with this kind of searing messaging and tough stances.
Meanwhile, I'm waiting for what will be an epic return of Saturday Night Live tomorrow, which as surely as the sun rising in the East will skewer George Santos.
Keep it up Dems, go for the jugular
You can watch “Santos” on Kimmel here starting at ~ 10 minutes while waiting for SNL.😂😂😂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np6xlLW2JqU
The actor in that skit is much better looking than the "Official Supposedly Known as Santos"
It was equally refreshing; time to put Kimmel on my “watch list” nightly for the value of the therapy of laughter! While there is certainly tragic news at home and globally coming at us daily, a little respite is good to keep up morale for the days ahead in 2023, certain to be another in a series of frightening news cycles.
Thanks! Great way to start my day. And the Fallon video came up after that. Both hilarious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpKLHWg2Ffg
👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋
🤣😅
Yes, I agree with you. I am glad Dems are speaking up and fighting back. The way I see it is this- It is the Republican party that is not giving us anything that will make our lives better and worse yet, they taking things away from us. They are taking away a woman’s right to choose, the school’s librarian the right to have a variety of books, a worker’s right to organize and draw from a paid- into and well earned retirement fund, a student’s right to go to school and not be cut down in a hail of bullets , a citizen’s rights to breathe clean air and drink unpolluted water and the list goes on .These things that have already been taken or are being threatened to be taken need to be screamed about by all of us who are paying attention and it would sure be nice if the mainstream media would help us along.
I completely agree, Victoria. For all the Republicans' blather about mask mandates being a threat to their personal freedom, THEY are the ones who want to take away our rights!
It's about time the Democrats wake up and play hardball with the bullies and the crazies. The really wonderful thing about hardball is that everyone gets to bat at least once -- and I want the Democrats to swing as hard as they can to knock the nuts out of the park.
"Trump is clearly bowing to popular support for those programs, but he is abandoning House Republicans after pushing them to take this stand."
Convincing people to go far out onto limbs while holding a saw in his hand is signature of that man. He recently proved he could sell doing that to an entire nation, but only one part of one party seems gullible enough to remain on the limb.
"it’s weird to see Trump basically concede.”
His impunity shields appear to be weakening.
And yeah, even con artists should never trust a con artist.
Can't manage the hyperspace jump...
excellent
Or did someone change his medication? ;)
It shows how desperate the GOP is to find a leader. Trump is no Putin, and they haven't done enough damage to the election process - yet - to install a Putin-like figure anyway. What a conundrum; imagine having to get elected in order to dismantle a democracy!
But that's how it goes, doesn't it? That or means of force, when despots misuse the powers of government to lock out opposition. It has become a media cliche that Reagan and subsequent "Conservatives" "hate government", but quite the opposite, they are obsessed with using government to impose their will, as we have seen the "GOP" doing and attempting to do further.
The form "government" they do attack is the sort that offers "equal protection", due process, and "liberty and justice for all; no? The advocates of a stratified, authoritarian form of government really hate a functioning democratic republic; and calling themselves "Republican" is just one of their many Orwellian obscurantions. It meant something once, today they are lying.
Trump the proverbial creature who is the poster ‘boy, yes boy’ for the expression ‘full of sound and fury, signifying NOTHING!’
He signifies a ruling class plutocracy that is very adept at manipulating people and preventing their organizing to produce a government that would end enabling the plutocrats' looting of an entire nation.
Thank you Heather. Tonight’s letter is uplifting. An interesting mix of what seems like payback, backfire, hardball and foreshadowing.
Very interesting... and uplifting for the end of a good but long Friday... thank you Darlene ..
Waiting to see trucks drive past the capitol with ladders all over them. It is so irritating that the target of the GOP is specifically programs that we pay into (Soc Sec and Medicare). BTW, right now they are juggling federal retirement trust funds to keep the government going.
This is the highlight of a difficult day for me personally; many thanks for brightening my spirits and outlook while forgoing your planned photo!😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Loved Bill Foster’s tweet by the way. Thank you Prof Richardson for sharing that tidbit.
Sadly, this will go right over the heads of too many. They will actually believe it is true. ¨Cool! Imaginary numbers. Sweet!¨
Yes, GWW, and this is what makes it really funny. I wonder if scientists have ever made a serious effort to understand and explain humor. I mean, we all know of certain joke patterns like "Three guys walk into a bar: an X, a Y and a Z... Has anyone ever really studied the psychology of humor? Well, sure, I could just google it. Guess I'll do that.
Google Freudian theory of humor. I wrote a paper about it when I was in college. Makes a lot of sense!https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humor_in_Freud
The psychology of humor - not sure that any comic ever took a course in that… or needed to
Taiwan is evidently tuning in on this: Employed comedians to make memes within 2 hours, to combat hostile cyber attacks. Memes that are more spread than the attacks; comparing "R"-values as for viruses. AND, no satire, no shaming and ridicule of the attacker.
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-y4xy9-1319ded6?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share
Thank you for this revelation, that Taiwan is using the digital domain to improve democracy in such an energetic way! And defeating the disinformation with brilliant and simple, crowd-sourced ideas. Taiwan has found a way out of the quicksand that the U.S. keeps sinking deeper into...!
This opens a whole new path through the maze that traps the discussion about the decline of democracy.
Here's a way this is happening in the U.S. -
https://crowd.law/crowdlaw-for-congress-strategies-for-21st-century-lawmaking-6f3a82d3a0b1
One of the tricks of telling a funny story is to lead your audience down a certain lane and the flip the yarn at the last minute. "I didn't see that one coming" is part of the pleasure
Here you go David. I prefer my humor witty rather than sarcastic. https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780123725646/the-psychology-of-humor
Well, GWW, I think it's possible to be wittily sarcastic, to say nothing of sarcastically witty. Then we can add lightness, or darkness, or broadness. Sometimes, there is nothing funnier than -- please excuse me -- a fart.
I agree with the enjoyable witty sarcasm and the sarcastic witticism, but I have to say...the comedy and enjoyment thereof of a flatulent occurrence is (and I'm generalizing here) largely a guy thing.
Whaaaaatever
The brilliance of scientists is very often accompanied by an uncanny sense of humor. However, frequently we're just not smart enough ourselves to pick up on it.
May I ask you to please explain what you liked about Fosters sarcastic tweet? Maybe it’s just that my knees buckle at sarcasm because I’m afraid people won’t realize it’s not true; that’s why I never appreciate it. Tell me what you think!
This is the part I thought was clever....especially “for his groundbreaking work with imaginary numbers.”
Dr. George Santos, winner of not only the Nobel Prize, but also the Fields Medal—the top prize in Mathematics—for his groundbreaking work with imaginary numbers.”
Very clever, especially the breadth of it. The sarcasm aside, it's ironic that McCarthy has is so desperate that he's tied himself to someone like Santos, whose become a far bigger joke than MTG, Boebert, and few others.
Yes, I was fascinated by those imaginary numbers. I've always had a problem with math - perhaps this is all I needed? Too late.
Numbers always were imaginary to me.
It’s a real thing, that’s why I’m concerned by the original tweet. That man didn’t win any prizes for math.
Eleonor, I think the key to the baser forms of sarcasm is just to begin a declaratory sentence with "Oh, sure... " , putting emphasis on the "sure".
Of course Foster's sarcasm is of a higher, more clever, straighter-faced variety.
The DOJ letter to Gym Jordan is beautifully written. It’s a masterpiece of ostensibly cooperative snark.
Yes that was the bit that I purely loved. Jordan is a despicable, loudmouthed idiot and truly a scum-of-the-earth sort of creature.
But, how do you really feel about Gym? 😂😂😂
Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) sure tickled my funny bone saying: "I'm thrilled to be joined on the Science Committee by my Republican colleague Dr. George Santos, winner of not only the Nobel Prize, but also the Fields Medal - the top prize in Mathematics - for his groundbreaking work with imaginary numbers." Imagine that by squarely rooting out Rep. Santos the House would be minus one irrational number. Of course the House would still have a majority of irrationals at least on one side of the aisle.
I see what you did there
Yep, the i's have it.
Nicely done!
Bravo to Foster!! And to Cathy’s intelligent review. Still smiling.
Do you think Dr. Santos will show up for Science Committee after that comment?
He's shameless. He'll probably show up in drag!
Are we perhaps close to a tipping point that brings about the collapse of the Republican Party? We can only hope...
It has felt that way so many times before. I am guessing that they will just embarrass themselves out of office and/or into minority irrelevance - unless you live in a blood red state.
Santos will leave the house in cuffs. The Florida rep is in the hospital. Only two more to go! Maybe when they perp walk Gosar, Jordan and Perry...we can celebrate.
To mangle and mis-apply a Shakespeare quote; that is indeed, "a consummation devoutly to be wished...".
Can we add Marjorie TG to your list?
Was it MJT or Boebert who gave the "family guided tour" to the Oath Keepers or Proud Boys just before Jan 6?
Celebrate early and often and keep up the resistance.
Shhhh....don't count your chickens...
OMG, I’m still giggling. Rep Foster’s “for his groundbreaking work in imaginary numbers!”
Now, to finish reading this letter!!
Wasn't that beautifully played!
I guess what I wonder about re tfg’s “frivolous” lawsuits is what entices apparently savvy lawyers to actually agree to create such frivolity? And, why don’t we hear of these people getting disbarred for their part in such actions? Who, in their right minds would actually take up a trump case? I guess ego is a very powerful drug.
It’s all about the money they thought they were going to get paid. Frump doesn’t pay his bills.
My god, you’d think these people don’t live in a hole somewhere and would know this going in. Here’s a question…how many lawyers need to be disbarred before the legal population realizes trump is a fraud?
Do we count Gugglyanni? There’s no telling how many ducker lawyers there will be disbarred by the time thus is over. Remember, almost all of the ones that followed him in Congress (both House and Senate) are attorneys!
A friend of mine who trained as a paralegal pointed out that the LSAT quals to become an attorney dropped significantly in 1980 ish.
Virtually all of them know he is a fraud, including his White House lawyers...who at least managed to testify before the J6 committee...and including those currently in the House. They are using him, just as he has used them.
65Project.org
MLMinET - "65Project.org"
That Link didn't work for me. Could you have meant https://www.influencewatch.org/organization/65-project/
Yes, sorry. The correct name is The65Project.com
effing rump... FRUMP!!!! Love it!! Thank you, Daniel!!
Here’s the link to my newsletter. Please let me know what you think if it. Like I said. It’s free. I don’t ask for money from people to read my thoughts.
https://open.substack.com/pub/daniellcooper?r=fnfar&utm_medium=ios
I call it like I see it Suz-an. Thanks for the reply. Feel free to follow my newsletter. It’s FREE!!!
Well... this million dollar sanction - which Habba SHARES with Trump meaning they will probably suck it out of HER liability insurance - seems to be serving its function in that they are ducking out of the (similar) James lawsuit.
MTG did not have to pay back the $183,504 PPP loan she was given during covid and suffered no negative consequences. Maybe she thinks the US government can walk away from its obligations like she did with no consequences.
Nice.
I am never surprised when I see massive welfare for white people.
Never.
Or congresspeople
😡🤬
The set of fools in the House appear to be skating close to the edge. Now with the news that Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) fell from a ladder and ended up in hospital, poor baby, can someone tell me/us exactly where that leaves the trumpublican speaker? Is someone able to keep score/count of how many more have to fall before there is an automatic change? Oh, and is it expected that during a recess Santos will put on a wig and entertain the troops?
The House would currently be 221 R, 212 Dem. So a majority is 217. Kevin Worm loses if 5 Rs vote with United Dems.
we can hope... meanwhile, thanks to you, we can keep a running total. I'll bet Kevin Worm is sweating bullets and searching for more stuff to give away to keep what he's got.