Weekend Musings, July 16

How's that great ESG score workin' out for Sri Lanka?

Another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the belt 'n road store

WSJ:

Developing world faces a credit crunch, but the biggest lender of all has been slow to cooperate with Western-style rescues. . .
But China, Sri Lanka's largest single creditor, offered a tempting alternative: Skip the IMF's bitter medicine for now and just keep adding on new debt to pay off the old, according to current and former Sri Lankan officials.

This utopian planning is working out well for the West, isn't it?

Things are real even for some of the elites in Sri Lanka now, though. Why weren't things real before the collapse? Babylon Bee:

The Sri Lankan government's sensible plan to become a green, climate-friendly utopia has experienced a slight hiccup after the nation's 22 million citizens have run out of food, fuel, and hope.
Advised by green activists and intellectuals, the Sri Lankan President's sprawling, vibrant agenda that included forced organic farming, massive debt to China, and skimming millions for personal gain -- was actually quite successful for the first seven minutes.
"You know, if it weren't for the inconvenient starvation of the entire populace, our program was working," said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa while fleeing on an eco-friendly, zero-carbon, upcycled, bamboo fiber raft with suitcases full of Sri Lankan dollars. "That's the problem with people, they always tarnish progressive policies by dying from them."
After the Sri Lankan people noticed that they were, quite suddenly, without food or jobs or fuel or security, millions of them paid a personal visit to the presidential palace to recommend some slight changes to the president's agenda. . .

Nice little video at the link. Communism. Heh.

* * * * *

Weekend Biographical Musings and Reading

I ran across an old (2017) piece from Intellectual Takeout suggesting that Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 to prevent a dystopia, but instead he predicted one.

Ray Bradbury often said that he wrote science fiction not to predict the future but to prevent it. On this score, Fahrenheit 451 seems to have failed.

Sitting in the basement typing room of UCLA in 1950, Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in nine days. The school charged ten cents every half hour to use one of its typewriters, and Bradbury spent a total of $9.80 to complete the book. Its publication launched the struggling writer to prominence and secured his place in the pantheon of science fiction literature. . .
What distinguishes Fahrenheit 451 from other dystopian fiction is that it's less about censorship than it is about self-censorship. Bradbury imagines a future in which technology has lulled people into complacency with mindless entertainment and a barrage of endless trivia. As a result, citizens have become sheltered from the realities of life and desire only to perpetuate an anodyne existence of pleasure and comfort. They have developed an intolerance for unpleasant truths, politically incorrect ideas, and opinions that might knock them out of their safe-spaces. Hence the burning of books, those containers of ideas from thinkers from the past that preserve and perpetuate a free and liberal society. . . .

The houses in the book had no front porches, so people couldn't sit in rocking chairs and talk. Go ahead and talk, Horde!

It's a strange irony that, in the age of the Internet, which was supposed to encourage more transparency and debate, the open exchange of ideas is under threat. This was pointed out by another famous science fiction writer, Michael Crichton. "In the information society," says Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, "No one thinks. We expected to banish paper, but we actually banished thought."

Biographical notes on Ray Bradbury:

Ray Bradbury reportedly wrote every day throughout his long life (after age 12), but never turned to the computer or internet. There are several places you can get biographical insights into his life. This is a good one. And this one is official. He seems to have had a mystical side. Loved movies, comic strips and magic but was worried about TV.

He claimed that he was not a writer of science fiction, fantasy, or magical realism; rather, he saw himself as a word magician whose books wrote him. You could say Bradbury became a genre unto himself: a peculiar mix of the futuristic, the supernatural, the bizarre, and the nostalgic.

Back in 2017, the late, great OregonMuse wrote this under True Romance: :

"Science fiction legend Ray Bradbury met his future wife in a bookstore:"

If you want to fall in love with a reader, go where the readers go. The late Ray Bradbury met his future wife, Marguerite McClure, at Fowler's Bookstore in Los Angeles when he was 22 years old.
It was not love at first sight. McClure, who was clerking at the store, accused Bradbury of shoplifting.
"He carried a briefcase and wore a trench coat on a clear day, so I was immediately suspicious," she remembered later. "I expected him to slam his briefcase down on a pile of books and make off with a few. Instead, he told me he was a writer and invited me to have a cup of coffee with him."

"I thought this was sweet:"

McClure was the first woman Bradbury ever dated--and the last. They were married in 1947 and remained married for fifty-six years until McClure's death in 2003.

I miss OregonMuse. (Don't comment on old threads.)

You will learn in various biographies that Bradbury's wife did all the driving for the family because he never got a driver's license. He had poor eyesight (which prevented him from going to war in WWII) and had witnessed a terrible car crash as a teen which deeply affect him.

I once lived in a little duplex in Orange County, CA and when there was a limousine parked in front of it, I knew that Ray Bradbury was visiting my landlords, Ed and Clara. Well, mostly Ed, though he had known both of them since they were all teenagers. He came with a driver. I got a chance to say hello to him a couple of times. He generally wore white Bermuda shorts and a polo shirt.

You will read in biographies that Ray roller skated around Hollywood trying to get a glimpse of celebrities. I think it was more than that. I think he was trying to interact with celebrities. Ray and Ed sometimes sneaked into Hollywood theaters together for performances (often during rehearsals), skipping school. Eventually they managed to find their way into a Hollywood studio lot, where an actor (can't remember who) got a small group of conversationalists together around Ray in the cafeteria at lunch. They ignored Ed.

Ed was an orphan from Mexico, taken in by Clara's family. Ed and Clara both lost touch with Ray during WWII, when Ed was eventually sent to fight overseas and Clara was doing a "Rosie the Riviter" type job in the defense industry. After the war, they renewed their friendship. Ed also became a writer (of technical manuals for correspondence courses).

Clara said the kids they ran with in high school, many from the drama club, all thought Ray was crazy. So much for hero worship.

During the time I witnessed Ray's visits, Ed went from being in a wheelchair most of the time to being in a hospital bed. Toward the end of his life, Ed would sometime see things that the rest of us (except maybe Ray) couldn't, because one of the medications he took sometimes induced psychotic symptoms.

Ray stayed in touch with Clara after Ed's passing. He dedicated one of his later books to Ed.

* * * * *

Something I didn't know:

They Loved Me in Buchenwald

A week after Patton's Third Army liberated Buchenwald, on April 19, 1945, the inmates gave a concert for the soldiers who had freed them. Fourteen Czech, German, Dutch, Belgian, and French musicians made up the band. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles has the fading typed program on exhibit: There were sax, brass, and rhythm sections, and a sole vocalist--a Frenchman, Robert Widerman, who sang "In the Mood," "A Tisket, A Tasket," and "Honeysuckle Rose." He also performed both roles in a Mickey and Minnie Mouse skit of his own creation, which had been a hit with the Nazis and kapos.
"We performed on the stage, in our striped uniforms, exhilarated by our new freedom, and gave the greatest show of our lives which hundreds of GIs and inmates applauded and shouted," he noted in his memoirs. They closed the set with a "walloping version of 'Tiger Rag.'"
A few weeks later, back home in Paris, the boyish but indefatigable Widerman, age 19, opened at the legendary Olympia on the Boulevard des Capucines, then one of the many Parisian venues requisitioned for American soldiers' entertainment. He was the fourth on the bill, in an unenviable slot right after a performing dog act that always thrilled audiences. His first number was "Flat Foot Floogie," followed by "Daisy Venez Avec Moi." The audience wasn't buying it. He was distraught at the perfunctory applause. "I had two more numbers to do, and I was having flop-sweat. I didn't understand--they loved me in Buchenwald!"

Then came the pilot for the sitcom Hogan's Heroes, set in a Nazi POW camp, and his career-defining character as a tiny Frenchman, Louis LeBeau, who was not only a valiant little prisoner of war but also a gourmet chef (naturally). . . Successive seasons gave Clary more to do as his character developed, and his memoir, titled, like it or not, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes--dwells on issues he had to contend with, with growing impatience, over the decades: No, he did not mind playing a prisoner of the Germans. The Germans in the sitcom were Luftwaffe and not necessarily Nazis, and a stalag observed the Geneva Convention and was not a concentration camp. The actors who played Colonel Klink and Sergeant Schultz--German Werner Klemperer, son of conductor Otto Klemperer, and Austrian John Banner--were Jews and he adored them as his "best friends" during the making of the show and as they aged together companionably in Los Angeles. Ivan Dixon, who played Kinchloe, was a brilliant performer who had already made the intense black-and-white movie Nothing but a Man in 1964; he would be the only cast member to quit the series for more ambitious work acting and directing. The only hint of tensions was with Bob Crane, who was the sole Republican.
Hogan's Heroes, Clary notes, would remain a global hit for decades to come, even in Germany, under the name A Cage Full of Heroes.

There is something to be said for persistence.

* * * * *

Music

Tiger Rag, Midlife Jazzband/Swiss Dixie Jazzer

* * * * *

Hope you have something fun planned for this weekend.

This is the Thread before the Gardening Thread.

Serving your mid-day open thread needs

* * * * *

Last week's Thread, July 9, Why we have culture wars.

I closed the comments on this thread so you wouldn't ban yourself by trying to comment on a week-old thread. But don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 11:14 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 And that's when the murders began...

Posted by: Dr. Bone at July 16, 2022 11:15 AM (0ocXn)

2 But China, Sri Lanka's largest single creditor, offered a tempting alternative: Skip the IMF's bitter medicine for now and just keep adding on new debt to pay off the old, according to current and former Sri Lankan officials.

And this differs from a heroin pusher or a mafia loan shark how?

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:17 AM (/NCI4)

3 Slacking

Posted by: Skip's phone at July 16, 2022 11:18 AM (7z9aa)

4 >>>"You know, if it weren't for the inconvenient starvation of the entire populace, our program was working," said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa while fleeing on an eco-friendly, zero-carbon, upcycled, bamboo fiber raft with suitcases full of Sri Lankan dollars.

Starvation IS the plan.

Posted by: Comrade flounder, wrecker, hoarder, saboteur at July 16, 2022 11:18 AM (U3uv2)

5 The future is woke, broke, and fueled by Hunter's coke.

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at July 16, 2022 11:20 AM (kf6Ak)

6 If Germans are gonna' burn their forests for heat, how long before the country looks like Haiti?

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:22 AM (AwYPR)

7 I miss OM, too.

Not that I don't like the Perfessor's work. I do. I especially miss OMs 11A rants and the chess and dress thread.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:22 AM (ONvIw)

8 Starvation IS the plan.

And working people to death. Don't forget the working people to death!

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:22 AM (/NCI4)

9
Considering the idiots that usually receive it, why Ray Bradbury never received the Medal of Freedom is a mystery.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at July 16, 2022 11:23 AM (/U27+)

10 Great stories about Bradbury.

Nothing fun planned for the weekend. I may go listen to some music at the pub and sunburn my ass off.

Posted by: N.L. Urker, there are chickens in my trench at July 16, 2022 11:23 AM (eGTCV)

11 8. Are you talking about the UN benefits of global hunger piece?

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:23 AM (ONvIw)

12 KLINK, WHO ISSS THISSS MAN???

Posted by: Maj. Hochstetter at July 16, 2022 11:24 AM (XG2Fi)

13 Don't know if any video gamers are on this early, but the deterioration of the West and the world in general puts me in mind of the game Outer Worlds. I work for what was once a respected, very large company. We're still very large, but more than once I've considered that the company is now like the game's fictional Spacers' Choice corporation. Their tagline is "It's not the best choice: It's Spacers' Choice." Sad, scary, and perfectly sums up what I see in the company and world around me. Sigh.

Okay, putting away the pessimism for the weekend now.

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:24 AM (ftFVW)

14 The more insane thing is that all of this transformative destruction is built on a lie that can't seem to be beaten back.

I mean, there really isn't even an attempt to beat back and puncture the lie.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at July 16, 2022 11:25 AM (mQFP3)

15 Wilh Netherlands and Sri Lanka i am amazed that there is still such an appetite for " save the poor pitiful planet" still going on. The left however is beating up Manchin for not going along with freezing the hungry populace.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (ONvIw)

16 "How's that great ESG score workin' out for Sri Lanka?"

We had a vigorous debate in a thread this week about EV trucks.

I was thinking about this some more, and I now believe that EVs occupy the place in the auto universe that organic food does in the grocery universe. Perfectly fine for people that like either one, for reasons that were well explicated by their advocates. As a minor (or maybe even a significant minor) part of either economy it works very well. Just don't replace the dominant ecosytem for either universe, or you will end up like Sri Lanka.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (9CCai)

17 SGE, DEI and Climate Change should just about finish us off.

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (AwYPR)

18 But China, Sri Lanka's largest single creditor, offered a tempting alternative: Skip the IMF's bitter medicine for now and just keep adding on new debt to pay off the old, according to current and former Sri Lankan officials.

Am I reading this correctly? China is essentially suggesting to take out new loans to pay off old loans? Which does... what exactly?

I have a $20,000 loan from Bank A. I can't pay it off.

So I take out a $20,000 loan from Bank B. I use that Bank B $20,000 to pay off Bank A.

Now, I am in the same situation I was before, only the $20,000 debt is with Bank B instead of Bank A.

Do I have that correct?

Posted by: Cosmo Kramer at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (Do5/p)

19 hiya

Posted by: JT at July 16, 2022 11:27 AM (T4tVD)

20 Okay, putting away the pessimism for the weekend now.

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:24 AM (ftFVW)

Yeah, sorry. Enjoy the weekend, horde.

Posted by: Comrade flounder, wrecker, hoarder, saboteur at July 16, 2022 11:27 AM (U3uv2)

21 The majority of people are still fairly comfortable. When that changes, and it will, probably sooner rather than later they will demand "change."

What "change" actually means is open to debate. A lot of those that will clamor for it don't know themselves.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 11:27 AM (BFigT)

22 The left however is beating up Manchin for not going along with freezing the hungry populace.

The Manchin Reelection campaign thanks them.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:27 AM (/NCI4)

23 Greetings:

Me, too, I'm a "When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and the smart are already gone." type of guy.

Posted by: 11B40 at July 16, 2022 11:28 AM (uuklp)

24 Creepy Joe Biden is the Don Quixote of the Green New Deal.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at July 16, 2022 11:28 AM (0ocXn)

25 Hiya K.T. !

Posted by: JT at July 16, 2022 11:28 AM (T4tVD)

26 Green initiatives are symptom.

Central banks are the disease.

Look at Ghana, one Africa's fastest growing and developing nations. Then they took $8 billion in central bank loans in exchange for agreeing to climate restrictions.

Now their power grid and farming systems are set to collapse.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (8tiWt)

27 So I take out a $20,000 loan from Bank B. I use that Bank B $20,000 to pay off Bank A.

Now, I am in the same situation I was before, only the $20,000 debt is with Bank B instead of Bank A.

Do I have that correct?
Posted by: Cosmo Kramer at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (Do5/p)

-------------

Congratulations. You are today's winner of the Paul Krugman Excellence in Economic Theory Award and valuable cash prizes.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (XG2Fi)

28 When will the NYT start writing about how going to bed hungry is good for children?

Posted by: N.L. Urker, there are chickens in my trench at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (eGTCV)

29 Am I reading this correctly? China is essentially suggesting to take out new loans to pay off old loans? Which does... what exactly?

The plan was, and remains, to get them in a debt trap so deep that they have no choice but to hand over strategic assets like ports. The PRC wants those so as to be able to counter the Indian Navy's ability to throttle commerce through the Strait of Malacca and the rest of the Indian Ocean.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (/NCI4)

30 Yeah, sorry. Enjoy the weekend, horde.
Posted by: Comrade flounder, wrecker, hoarder, saboteur

Meant my own pessimism, but we can all act like recovering pessimists together.

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (ftFVW)

31 Unless something bad happens to the Sri Lankan leaders the lesson the rest of the WEFers will learn is we can literally starve people while we rob them...and land at a nice NGO job in the Hague afterwards!

Posted by: 18-1 at July 16, 2022 11:30 AM (ESjRY)

32 "That's the problem with people, they always tarnish progressive policies by dying from them."

You just can't put it any plainer.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at July 16, 2022 11:30 AM (VwHCD)

33 So when these green countries collapse, China offers a helping hand. "No, we'll NEVER force that green nonsense on you!"

So countries will leave our side and get cozy with China.

Why, it's almost as if we're run by morons!

Posted by: tsj017 at July 16, 2022 11:30 AM (YcOm1)

34 Hiya, JT!

Posted by: KT at July 16, 2022 11:31 AM (rrtZS)

35
The plan was, and remains, to get them in a debt trap so deep that they have no choice but to hand over strategic assets like ports.

__________

But capitalism is the real culprit, right?

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at July 16, 2022 11:31 AM (/U27+)

36 SGE, DEI and Climate Change should just about finish us off.

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM

List of new online D.I.E. training for my company I have to complete by end of August:

"The global Diversity and Inclusion strategy", "the Unconscious Bias", "Inclusion - The How", "Microaggressions in the workplace", "Diversity - The What".

For a company whose main purpose, I thought, is to design and build automobiles.

The WEF has infected the entire world, every institution, every corporation, with this D.I.E. bullshit.

Posted by: Clyde Shelton at July 16, 2022 11:31 AM (Do5/p)

37 If all those poor, sad, elected officials were being paid a decent living wage they wouldn't be taking bribes from the WEF.
That was sarcasm.

Posted by: N.L. Urker, there are chickens in my trench at July 16, 2022 11:32 AM (eGTCV)

38 But capitalism is the real culprit, right?

Well, the two threats are capitalism and racism. And sexism. The three threats are capitalism, racism, and sexism. And transphobia...

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:32 AM (/NCI4)

39 The plan was, and remains, to get them in a debt trap so deep that they have no choice but to hand over strategic assets like ports. The PRC wants those so as to be able to counter the Indian Navy's ability to throttle commerce through the Strait of Malacca and the rest of the Indian Ocean.
Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (/NCI4)

-------------

It's a lot like a troubled development project. The first round of financing might be a conventional interest-bearing loan from a major lender but if the project is delayed or the economy craters, the developers may be forced to pay off the initial financing with a loan that has higher interest and gives up a piece of equity in the project besides.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at July 16, 2022 11:33 AM (XG2Fi)

40 Hiya, JT!
Posted by: KT

Posted by: JT at July 16, 2022 11:33 AM (T4tVD)

41 Home movies with Bob Crane.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at July 16, 2022 11:34 AM (vuisn)

42 33 So when these green countries collapse, China offers a helping hand. "No, we'll NEVER force that green nonsense on you!"

So countries will leave our side and get cozy with China.

Why, it's almost as if we're run by morons!
Posted by: tsj017 at July 16, 2022 11:30 AM (YcOm1)

Someone, I believe Krauthammer, once wrote that Republicans think that Democrats are stupid, and Democrats think that Republicans are evil.

I've got a new corollary to that. Democrats are evil, and Republicans (really, the GOPE) are stupid.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at July 16, 2022 11:34 AM (9CCai)

43 I miss the Chess Threads,

Posted by: Skip's phone at July 16, 2022 11:34 AM (7z9aa)

44
China = Paulie

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at July 16, 2022 11:34 AM (/U27+)

45 43 I miss the Chess Threads,
Posted by: Skip's phone at July 16, 2022 11:34 AM (7z9aa)

So do I.

Posted by: N.L. Urker, there are chickens in my trench at July 16, 2022 11:35 AM (eGTCV)

46 "Microaggressions in the workplace"
The WEF has infected the entire world, every institution, every corporation, with this D.I.E. bullshit.
Posted by: Clyde Shelton

Yeah, I wish I had noticed how insidious the stuff like "microagressions" was back when I first saw it ten or so years ago. At the time I thought it was stupid but wasn't clued in enough to understand where they were headed. It would have been easier to resist back then...

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:35 AM (ftFVW)

47 41 Home movies with Bob Crane.
Posted by: Dr. Varno at July 16, 2022 11:34 AM (vuisn)

----------

Just don't waste your money on the overpriced Director's Cut.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at July 16, 2022 11:35 AM (XG2Fi)

48 Why are Our Betters cramming down our throats fossil fuel bans and a switch to solar and wind, organic fertilizers, electric vehicles, and ESG?

Follow the money. It's as simple as that. If Our Betters could make more money from nuclear power plant construction than they expect to make from solar and wind projects, there would be nuke plants under construction by the dozens. It is the same deal with fertilizers and ESG. Some people are making a ton of money out of those efforts. Follow the money.

Posted by: Gref at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (AMIL/)

49 The plan was, and remains, to get them in a debt trap so deep that they have no choice but to hand over strategic assets like ports. The PRC wants those so as to be able to counter the Indian Navy's ability to throttle commerce through the Strait of Malacca and the rest of the Indian Ocean.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM

I asked in the comments section here a few years ago, prior to the WEF-CCP-WHO Plandemic, about China owning a large percentage of USA debt. I asked at the time how much influence China has over us and if they are keeping us afloat economy wise by not forcing us to pay right away.

Now I wonder if the reason pretty much every American institution prostrates themselves to China is due to that. I asked at the time what happens when China decides to come for payment on the debt. I guess we found out over the past 3 years...

Posted by: Clyde Shelton at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (Do5/p)

50 I don't think any Sri Lankan's are freezing to death that far south. A rocket stove and a few sticks will cook any dog that walks by.

Posted by: dartist at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (+ya+t)

51
Microaggression is weaponized neurosis

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (/U27+)

52 I suspect if you really forced GOPers to be honest with you, they'd say that sure the country needs a Trump or DeSantis figure eventually but...for right now they just need a little more graft.

Posted by: 18-1 at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (ESjRY)

53 Sri Lanka and Ghana are test cases. Covid was a test case. Defund the police and the BLM riots were test cases. They're all about your compliance with being told to do something or support something that is fundamentally against your own best interests.

The WEF doesn't have to lift a finger to kill off a large segment of the population. We'll do it ourselves.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (BFigT)

54 I miss the Chess Threads,

Posted by: Skip's phone at July 16, 2022 11:34 AM (7z9aa)

Chess and Dress, with Melania and Kate. You don't know what you've got till it's gone. Oregon Muse was such a wonderful gentleman.

Posted by: grammie winger at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (45fpk)

55 In Eugeyppius' substack, he has an article called "Government by Vampire Zombie Sqiud" where he talks about trying to get his head around and plot the power and relationships that have led us to where we are today, with the Powers that be unable to move forward, unwilling to retreat and unable to respond with any efficience to emergent situations

His precis about how we are governed is:

"As I see it, our brave new world is beset by state actions which betray 1) properties of inertia, 2) the absence of strategy, 3) symptoms of profound demobilisation, 4) an obsession with simple metrics, 5) diffuse consensus guidance, 6) transnational uniformity, and 7) media activism."

https://www.eugyppius.com/p/government-
by-vampire-zombie-squid

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (xhaym)

56 The only hint of tensions was with Bob Crane, who was the sole Republican.

-
Also a reputed heterosexual.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 11:37 AM (FVME7)

57 The simple metrics, uniformity and media activism are the points that everyone sees.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 11:38 AM (xhaym)

58 It's a lot like a troubled development project. The first round of financing might be a conventional interest-bearing loan from a major lender but if the project is delayed or the economy craters, the developers may be forced to pay off the initial financing with a loan that has higher interest and gives up a piece of equity in the project besides.

I watched a recent HC documentary about the history of Las Vegas. The modern casino industry got its start from a publisher and compulsive gambler who figured out that you needed to design casinos so that people like him never left the tables. He was running low on cash for his half-completed project, until Bugsy Siegel showed up and bought a majority share. The place was finished, and the mob then came in and told the originator he was out and would get no compensation. Discussion was, how you say, limited, vigorous, and to the point.

This is exactly the China B&R model.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:38 AM (/NCI4)

59 Donald Trump. and maybe only a handful of others, was the only head of state who cared about the actual well being of the people living in their countries.

Posted by: N.L. Urker, there are chickens in my trench at July 16, 2022 11:38 AM (eGTCV)

60 OT but this is intolerable. The video breaks my heart. Such a strong woman.

https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/
1547703505820864515

@RepMTG

Pamela Hemphill, 69 yr old cancer patient, going to jail for one misdemeanor count of demonstrating, picketing, or parading in a Capitol building.

I’m appalled beyond words.

How many rioters whose criminal charges were eventually dropped did Kamala & Omar bail out of jail?

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at July 16, 2022 11:38 AM (kf6Ak)

61 49 Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM

I asked in the comments section here a few years ago, prior to the WEF-CCP-WHO Plandemic, about China owning a large percentage of USA debt. I asked at the time how much influence China has over us and if they are keeping us afloat economy wise by not forcing us to pay right away.

Now I wonder if the reason pretty much every American institution prostrates themselves to China is due to that. I asked at the time what happens when China decides to come for payment on the debt. I guess we found out over the past 3 years...
Posted by: Clyde Shelton at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (Do5/p)

Donald Trump figured out before everyone else how to get out of this Gordian Knot. He knew, from personal experience, that if you owed a bank $100,000 you had a problem, but if you owed a bank $100,000,000 they had a problem. He used that as leverage against the CCP.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at July 16, 2022 11:39 AM (9CCai)

62 The only hint of tensions was with Bob Crane, who was the sole Republican.
-
Also a reputed heterosexual.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 11:37 AM (FVME7)

I wonder...did Bob fuck like old people fuck?

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:40 AM (AwYPR)

63 And this differs from a heroin pusher or a mafia loan shark how?
Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:17 AM (/NCI4)

They'll show us a little professional courtesy. The CCP are real bullbusters.

Posted by: The IMF at July 16, 2022 11:40 AM (cupoy)

64 Sri Lanka should immediately default the old debt, institute reforms to get the economy going again, and take on new debt to finance it.

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at July 16, 2022 11:40 AM (C1rbv)

65 Yeah, I wish I had noticed how insidious the stuff like "microagressions" was back when I first saw it ten or so years ago. At the time I thought it was stupid but wasn't clued in enough to understand where they were headed. It would have been easier to resist back then...

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:35 AM

I was in the hospital back in January. Ascension Providence Hospital, a Christian hospital.

Was there 2 days and each morning and afternoon, someone comes over the building speakers and says a prayer. First topic for the first morning's prayer was asking for God's help with diversity and inclusion.

This bullshit is everywhere, even infecting the supposedly religious.

Posted by: Clyde Shelton at July 16, 2022 11:41 AM (Do5/p)

66 "It's not the best choice: It's Spacers' Choice."

-
That a great dystopian recurring theme.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 11:41 AM (FVME7)

67 Now I wonder if the reason pretty much every American institution prostrates themselves to China is due to that. I asked at the time what happens when China decides to come for payment on the debt. I guess we found out over the past 3 years...
Posted by: Clyde Shelton at July 16, 2022 11:36 AM (Do5/p)

There is a rumor, attributed to people who should know things like this, that there is an amazing amount of money running from the PRC to various legislators in the Oregon legislature by means of grants, speaking fees and other non-political payments. And Oregon is nothing economically

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 11:43 AM (xhaym)

68 Donald Trump. and maybe only a handful of others, was the only head of state who cared about the actual well being of the people living in their countries.
Posted by: N.L. Urker, there are chickens in my trench

Trump wasn't my first choice in 2016 (I liked Rand Paul but his height and honesty seems to hold him back), but early in his term I concluded that he was the best pick. It is rare to see someone in national office that really seems to care about 'Merica and the 'Merican people. I believe he truly loves this place.

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:43 AM (ftFVW)

69 Ivan Dixon was great in "Car Wash" as the foreman trying to keep the mooselim fella from going after Y-T's business.

"Mr. B, about Abdullah... I'm really sorry about Abdullah. I know he's really wired up. I wish you'd think about giving him another chance."

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 16, 2022 11:44 AM (R/m4+)

70 I'm an optimistic realist.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 11:44 AM (Q4fjM)

71 26 Who imposes climate restrictions

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:45 AM (ONvIw)

72 Gibson, Pondsmith, and the rest of the cyberpunk authors have the same problem as Bradbury. Their dystopia has become real.

Posted by: CppThis at July 16, 2022 11:45 AM (UewuT)

73 Climate restrictions cannot possibly be linked to high likelihood of prosperity and repayment. So this is deliberate sabotage

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:46 AM (ONvIw)

74 George Orwell didn't know he predicted the future either.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 11:47 AM (Q4fjM)

75 "So I take out a $20,000 loan from Bank B. I use that Bank B $20,000 to pay off Bank A".

Like paying off your credit card with your other credit card.
But the interest on the principal keeps growing.
Summation: you are screwed.

Posted by: boynsea at July 16, 2022 11:47 AM (cx155)

76 Two surprisings things (to me) in KT's dig at Republicans in the Robert Clary vignette. One was His time spent in the concentration camp and that he survived for three whole years. Second, that Bob Crane is identified as a Republican and thats why Clary didn't get along with him. You might have thought all of Crane's disgusting personal habits might have been why they didn't get along, but no, politics.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at July 16, 2022 11:48 AM (lvXGL)

77 The actor Robert Hogan was intended for the lead in Hogan's Heroes. The studio preferred Bob Crane and overruled the producer. I occasionally get to throw cards with one of Hogan's sons. Nice guy..

Posted by: Joe Kidd at July 16, 2022 11:48 AM (RMN7W)

78 68 My first choice was Cruz, but I am convinced he is taken over by the pod people. The " violent attack on the Capitol " was his Donald Southerland moment.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (ONvIw)

79 26 Who imposes climate restrictions
Posted by: CN

The guy on First ?

I never trusted him.....

Posted by: JT at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (T4tVD)

80 What's going on in Sri Lanka?

Posted by: The MSM at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (qH6FZ)

81 I wonder...did Bob fuck like old people fuck?
Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:40 AM (AwYP

Do old people use cameras and tie people up?

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (Q4fjM)

82 I was in the hospital back in January. Ascension Providence Hospital, a Christian hospital.
------
A few years before January but I had a priest come in and read me my last rights at the VA 2 separate times. Read me a long prayer, very sincere. I really appreciated it. Things have changed I guess.

Posted by: dartist at July 16, 2022 11:50 AM (+ya+t)

83 Climate restrictions cannot possibly be linked to high likelihood of prosperity and repayment. So this is deliberate sabotage
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:46 AM (ONvIw)

If your bank allows a refinance based on you repainting your house orange and nailing stuffed tigers to the roof, you will buy a hammer and nails.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 11:50 AM (xhaym)

84 Wonderful story of Ed, Clara and Bradbury. "Farenheit 451" took years to write, I bet, even if it took fewer than a hundred hours to type.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at July 16, 2022 11:51 AM (lvXGL)

85 "Microaggressions in the workplace"
The WEF has infected the entire world, every institution, every corporation, with this D.I.E. bullshit.
Posted by: Clyde Shelton

Might be fun to go into the classes with earnest enthusiasm, but keep interrupting by asking the instructor to define terms. Won't be long before they start pulling their hair out.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 16, 2022 11:51 AM (KYKwc)

86 I just saw a piece in dead-tree WSJ that our 401k portfolios are morphing into an ESG wet dream, thanks to teh pResident.

Posted by: kallisto at July 16, 2022 11:51 AM (dCxaZ)

87 83. I have yet to see a bank loan money on the condition that you destroy the house.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:51 AM (ONvIw)

88 Posted by: dartist at July 16, 2022 11:50 AM (+ya+t)

Damn you've been on the precipice. What was your feeling at the time ?

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 11:52 AM (Q4fjM)

89 29 The plan was, and remains, to get them in a debt trap so deep that they have no choice but to hand over strategic assets like ports. The PRC wants those so as to be able to counter the Indian Navy's ability to throttle commerce through the Strait of Malacca and the rest of the Indian Ocean.
Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (/NCI4)

Dude here gets it. China doesn't want to rule the world, but they do want to rule Asia.

Posted by: CppThis at July 16, 2022 11:52 AM (UewuT)

90 I can easily remember when it was Ceylon. In fact, my boyhood stamp collection has some Ceylon stamps.

They didn't have this problem when it was Ceylon.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, boy philatelist at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (r0Wry)

91 What's going on in Sri Lanka?

Posted by: The MSM at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (qH6FZ)

I see the former prez fled to Singapore w/suit cases full of cash. How much is Sri Lankan currency worth these days?

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (AwYPR)

92 I've read most of Bradbury's works, and one of the things that most appeals to me is this: I don't think anybody bests him in creating the actual feel of small town America as it was in the first half of the 20th century. "Dandelion Wine" is probably the best example, but this skill - a combination of memory and imagination - shines through in so many of his stories.

Posted by: Paco at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (njExo)

93 I have yet to see a bank loan money on the condition that you destroy the house.
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:51 AM (ONvIw)

Destroying Sri Lanka was not the goal, it was merely an acceptable risk.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (xhaym)

94 91 I suspect it was dollars, like the Ukes

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:54 AM (ONvIw)

95 My first choice was Cruz, but I am convinced he is taken over by the pod people. The " violent attack on the Capitol " was his Donald Southerland moment.
Posted by: CN

Cruz was on my short list, too. But yeah, his comments on the J6 panty raid really pissed me off. Trust level: evaporated.

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:54 AM (ftFVW)

96 Leftists love talking about "liberating the inner creativity" unless it's the creativity they don't like. Then it's censorship. I often wonder what the beatnik movement, or Greenwich Village denizens, or Mort Sahl or Lenny Bruce -- non-conformists, apostates, "liberals" of their time -- would say about these utopian authoritarians? Nothing good, I think, and they'd soon be banned.

Posted by: Ordinary American at July 16, 2022 11:54 AM (H8QX8)

97 Damn, that is one HOT clarinet!

Posted by: creeper at July 16, 2022 11:54 AM (cTCuP)

98 93 if climate restrictions and this fertilizer bs was part of the plan, destruction was indeed the goal.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:55 AM (ONvIw)

99 They didn't have this problem when it was Ceylon.
Posted by: Mike Hammer, boy philatelist at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (r0Wry)

They had to change their name... Ceylon's kept loosing out to that damn Battlestar Galactica!

Posted by: Romeo13 at July 16, 2022 11:55 AM (oHd/0)

100 I see the former prez fled to Singapore w/suit cases full of cash. How much is Sri Lankan currency worth these days?
Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (AwYPR)

I am pretty sure that was dollars he packed

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 11:55 AM (xhaym)

101 95. And his superficial questions related to Ray Epps did not restore confidence. Once the mask slips, game over.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:56 AM (ONvIw)

102 Do old people use cameras and tie people up?

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (Q4fjM)

I haven't...yet.

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:56 AM (AwYPR)

103 Do old people use cameras and tie people up?

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (Q4fjM)

I haven't...yet.
Posted by: BignJames

Like so many things in life, it's never too late.

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:58 AM (ftFVW)

104 The CCP are real bullbusters.
Posted by: The IMF at July 16, 2022 11:40 AM (cupoy)

I believed domination by unscrupulous Communist Chinese money-men was a Blessing of Free Market Liberty, but now I'm having second thoughts...

Posted by: David French at July 16, 2022 11:58 AM (Zhwz2)

105 I wonder...did Bob fuck like old people fuck?
Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 11:40 AM (AwYP
Do old people use cameras and tie people up?
Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 11:49 AM (Q4fjM)

Bob Crane was said to be packing heat but still had a penile implant done when it was still a new 'thing" to get even bigger.

The man was obsessed with the old In & Out.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at July 16, 2022 11:58 AM (R/m4+)

106 Isn't burning wood for fuel/warmth kind of...you know...not very green?

Posted by: FriscoYoda at July 16, 2022 11:59 AM (S7une)

107 96 Leftists love talking about "liberating the inner creativity" unless it's the creativity they don't like. Then it's censorship. I often wonder what the beatnik movement, or Greenwich Village denizens, or Mort Sahl or Lenny Bruce -- non-conformists, apostates, "liberals" of their time -- would say about these utopian authoritarians? Nothing good, I think, and they'd soon be banned.
Posted by: Ordinary American at July 16, 2022 11:54 AM (H8QX

Glenn Greenwald is the torchbearer of this sort of oldschool liberalism. It would be quite the understatement to say that he's not okay with what's going on and is experiencing consequences for not being a good little NPC.

Posted by: CppThis at July 16, 2022 11:59 AM (UewuT)

108 Sri Lanka will go right back to getting a Socialist, /Marxists government

Posted by: Skip's phone at July 16, 2022 11:59 AM (7z9aa)

109 The individuals pushing this green ideology are the world's future mass murderers. Make no mistake, they hate you.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at July 16, 2022 12:00 PM (0ocXn)

110 106. Germany is also planning warming stations where you can thaw out your toes on occasion. I hate Ukraine

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:00 PM (ONvIw)

111 Damn you've been on the precipice. What was your feeling at the time ?
------
Surprisingly calm, like if I'm gone I'm gone and believe me I don't want to get gone yet. I can only think it was the prayer. Heart attack the first time and they brought me back. I don't need to win the lottery, I already did, lol.

Posted by: dartist at July 16, 2022 12:01 PM (+ya+t)

112 Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 11:54 AM (ftFVW)

Still my first choice. What pissed me off with Cruz is not his statement on J6 but not doing the usual Cruz and explaining why he said it . Usually even if I don't agree with Cruz on some of his positions he gives a solid reasoning for his position instead of the usual double talk. When he was bashed for his J6 comment he ended up just giving in.

I understood why he said what he said even if I didn't agree with it. He was in that position where you can't see the trees because of the forest. Speaking of J6 , Cruz and Hawley would denied the opportunity to make their case why they were voting against confirming the electoral vote. It would have been awesome.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:01 PM (Q4fjM)

113 I saw a claim at the end of one of the threads mentioning Sri Lanka that everyone essentially had cause and effect wrong there. The 'Woke' push for organic farming was to cover the fact that the government, which was mostly one family, had squandered all the money that was to have been spent on fertilizer and was trying to hide the fact.

I didn't recognize the nic, but the claim seems pretty reasonable, given the nature of government.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 16, 2022 12:01 PM (nC+QA)

114 Funny thing is, I always figured I'd get along great with the beatnik/bohemian crowd. They really just wanted to do their thing, and I respect that. But 'liberalism' was already dominated by what we now call Karens in the 90s, so I never knew a time when it wasn't mostly about power politics and harassing others for arbitrary stuff.

Posted by: CppThis at July 16, 2022 12:02 PM (UewuT)

115 if climate restrictions and this fertilizer bs was part of the plan, destruction was indeed the goal.
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 11:55 AM (ONvIw)

There was once a strategy session that turned into a heated argument about what to do about a situation, and about the time the majority of participants started working out a common goal and agreeing with each other, they started screaming at each other because apparently the all thought the other people on their own side were agreeing for the wrong reason!!!!

I don't think I want to recreate that here, today.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 12:02 PM (xhaym)

116 29 Am I reading this correctly? China is essentially suggesting to take out new loans to pay off old loans? Which does... what exactly?

The plan was, and remains, to get them in a debt trap so deep that they have no choice but to hand over strategic assets like ports. The PRC wants those so as to be able to counter the Indian Navy's ability to throttle commerce through the Strait of Malacca and the rest of the Indian Ocean.
Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (/NCI4)

The Chinese have bought themselves a huge problem - like the saying goes, if you the bank $100 and can't pay, it's your problem, but if you owe the bank $1,000,000 and can't pay, it's the banks problem.

And the strategic port idea might have looked good on paper, but trying to maintain port facilities in a decayed and crumbling city surrounded by millions of angry, starving natives is really not going to work out very well at all.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:04 PM (q3gwH)

117 109. Yep. 93% must die to create utopia. But after they use their last strength to chop the forests and end multiple species what will be gained by Richie and company.

I suspect they'll watch this from their huge yachts...so happy Bezos' won't get his out of harbor...rofl

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:04 PM (ONvIw)

118 Sri Lanka will go right back to getting a Socialist, /Marxists government
Posted by: Skip's phone

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 12:04 PM (FVME7)

119 After listening to the Tiger Rag video I clicked over to a suggested video of a Tuba Skinny session. That is happy music and makes mw want to watch "Cannery Row" with Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. It has that music in the background and is full of eccentric and lovable characters. Good Movie.

Posted by: Napoleon XIV at July 16, 2022 12:05 PM (AiZBA)

120 Cruz was on my short list, too. But yeah, his comments on the J6 panty raid really pissed me off. Trust level: evaporated.
Posted by: She Hobbit

I hope no one remembers I was calling for them to be shot.......

Posted by: Lindsay Graham at July 16, 2022 12:06 PM (c0849)

121 The plan was, and remains, to get them in a debt trap so deep that they have no choice but to hand over strategic assets like ports.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (/NCI4)

When they're drowning, toss 'em an anvil.

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 12:06 PM (AwYPR)

122 113 I saw a claim at the end of one of the threads mentioning Sri Lanka that everyone essentially had cause and effect wrong there. The 'Woke' push for organic farming was to cover the fact that the government, which was mostly one family, had squandered all the money that was to have been spent on fertilizer and was trying to hide the fact.

I didn't recognize the nic, but the claim seems pretty reasonable, given the nature of government.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 16, 2022 12:01 PM (nC+QA)

I saw it, and I feel that both explanations are probably true. (embrace the power of "and") The Euro's and NGO's were pushing very hard for the Green Agenda and promising payouts if they did it (those evaporated later); AND the ruling families of Sri Lanka saw it as a great way to hide how grossly they had been mismanaging things.
A perfect storm of incompetence and failure.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:07 PM (q3gwH)

123 6 If Germans are gonna' burn their forests for heat, how long before the country looks like Haiti?

Not long at all, but isn't that our plan, too, and why our NGD calls for thousands of new unionized federal employees (receiving good pay & benefits) to plan trees?

Took a trip through PA years ago & a boat tour and a few museums covered deforestation of the state & how the government went about replacing forests through hiring practices. (I think common during FDR's three terms.)

The current crop in D.C. are not visionaries, but the government has seldom been. It has a tendency to discover old work practices (including laws) & declare them new and forward thinking.

Posted by: Lola at July 16, 2022 12:07 PM (NIYa7)

124 I enjoyed the discussion about Ray Bradbury. I didn't know about his meeting his wife in a bookstore or about their long marriage. I am glad about both of those things. I find it easy to understand from his books that he would have a mystical side. He certainly was aware of the contest between good and evil. "Something Wicked this Way Comes" is one of his works about that theme and Disney actually did a good job with Bradbury's script.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:08 PM (FZ2cV)

125 Plant trees, not plan trees. Sorry

Posted by: Lola at July 16, 2022 12:08 PM (NIYa7)

126 118 Sri Lanka will go right back to getting a Socialist, /Marxists government
Posted by: Skip's phone

Except if a country goes there AFTER they have destroyed their economy and annihilated all of their jobs, then they just turn into Albania. And after that, who the hell cares what they do?

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:09 PM (q3gwH)

127 The current crop in D.C. are not visionaries, but the government has seldom been. It has a tendency to discover old work practices (including laws) & declare them new and forward thinking.
Posted by: Lola

We've got your odd/even gas plan right here.....

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at July 16, 2022 12:09 PM (c0849)

128
KLINK, WHO ISSS THISSS MAN???
Posted by: Maj. Hochstetter

The sooooooooooooooooole Republican

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at July 16, 2022 12:11 PM (63Dwl)

129 It's rather a shame that some folks in Sri Lanka can't get to the Davos crowd and visit a little disruption on their lifestyle. After all, as Klaus Schwab said "You will own nothing and like it." Funny, how they all own a lot of things and one knows they have no plans to give it up.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:11 PM (FZ2cV)

130 If Germans are gonna' burn their forests for heat, how long before the country looks like Haiti?
------
When I was in Germany they all used oil stoves and compressed coal for hot water. Uh oh.

Posted by: dartist at July 16, 2022 12:12 PM (+ya+t)

131 He certainly was aware of the contest between good and evil. "Something Wicked this Way Comes" is one of his works about that theme and Disney actually did a good job with Bradbury's script.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:08 PM (FZ2cV)

I agree, I always liked that film a lot. Jonathan Pryce was perfectly creepy as Mr. Dark.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:12 PM (q3gwH)

132 Posted by: Paco at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (njExo)

Yes, it does.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:12 PM (FZ2cV)

133 Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:12 PM (q3gwH)

Yes; He was great!

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:13 PM (FZ2cV)

134 I hope no one remembers I was calling for them to be shot.......
Posted by: Lindsay Graham

Oh, silly Lindsay, we didn't like you before that.

Now Mark Wayne Mullins escalating the situation with his shots fired panic...

Posted by: She Hobbit at July 16, 2022 12:13 PM (ftFVW)

135 Took a trip through PA years ago & a boat tour and a few museums covered deforestation of the state & how the government went about replacing forests through hiring practices. (I think common during FDR's three terms.)

The current crop in D.C. are not visionaries, but the government has seldom been. It has a tendency to discover old work practices (including laws) & declare them new and forward thinking.
Posted by: Lola at July 16, 2022 12:07 PM (NIYa7)

I was amazed to find some stats that showed me that Texas now has over 1,000,000 MORE acres of Forest than it had in the 1930's.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:15 PM (q3gwH)

136 Leftists love talking about "liberating the inner creativity" unless it's the creativity they don't like.
----

When I see the word, 'reimagining', the Bullshit warning light on my dash comes on.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 16, 2022 12:16 PM (HDkjT)

137 I actually hate guys like Ted Cruz and Dan Crenshaw more then I hate the useless half-wits like the John Cornyn's and Elise Stefanik 's in the GOP. Cruz and Crenshaw actually believe they're the smartest people ever elected and love basking in the admiration of the idiots at the NRO and The Daily Wire.
They make me ill.

Posted by: The MSM at July 16, 2022 12:17 PM (qH6FZ)

138 Posted by: Paco at July 16, 2022 11:53 AM (njExo)

Dandelion Wine is one if Inspector's favorites. I read it as part of a Great Books program, but it didn't really do anything for me. Maybe if I reread it as an adult I would get whatever it is that I couldn't see as a kid.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 16, 2022 12:17 PM (nC+QA)

139 Personally I look at the left and their rampage through "all the things" as a religious crusade on their part. They embrace all the crazy shit they're into with the same sort of fervor the jihadis do.

They're obviously able to rationalize death with it.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 12:17 PM (BFigT)

140 Off stinky MSM sock

Posted by: lowandslow at July 16, 2022 12:17 PM (qH6FZ)

141 The Chinese have bought themselves a huge problem - like the saying goes, if you the bank $100 and can't pay, it's your problem, but if you owe the bank $1,000,000 and can't pay, it's the banks problem.

And the strategic port idea might have looked good on paper, but trying to maintain port facilities in a decayed and crumbling city surrounded by millions of angry, starving natives is really not going to work out very well at all.

I agree with you, but I think the Chicoms either haven't figured it out yet, or are in so deep they don't know what else to do but continue and hope things change. They can thank Xi for this masterstroke.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 12:19 PM (/NCI4)

142 China believes in Unrestricted Warfare ... they fight "dirty" and are very proud of their success.

Sending plagues around the world, debt traps, stealing tech, bribing and threatening politicians (and anyone that has something they want). They think stealing tech is brilliant ... no wasteful R and D, that's for other people.

I'd heard some countries in Africa couldn't keep up with payments, but told China "too bad, you lose, you can't have our port, go away, this is our country, our rules". Or maybe that was rumor, I have not kept up. But that is what needs to be done ... and the world needs to bill China several trillion for spreading the contagion (though our Gates/Fauci response was itself evil)

Posted by: illiniwek at July 16, 2022 12:20 PM (Cus5s)

143 The Babylon Bee excerpt doesn't even embellish anything. That's pretty much what happened.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 16, 2022 12:20 PM (XIJ/X)

144 Couldn't be an actor so I wound up here. Weak performance for our money.

Posted by: dartist at July 16, 2022 12:21 PM (+ya+t)

145 I think Cruz is a good Senator; he's almost certainly the most intelligent person in either house, his problem is that he knows it and won't stop telling people about it, because he's also a complete and total Ass. Always has been and always will be. It's a lot of fun to watch him turn his assholery on our enemies, since he's so good at it; but just remember that he doesn't have the ability to turn it off, ever.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:22 PM (q3gwH)

146 I was amazed to find some stats that showed me that Texas now has over 1,000,000 MORE acres of Forest than it had in the 1930's.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:15 PM (q3gwH)

I think New England has significantly more forest than it did 100 years ago. Family farms gradually returned to woodland...

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 16, 2022 12:22 PM (XIJ/X)

147 The story of Bradbury sneaking into theaters reminds me of some of my mom's stories when she was a kid. She had moved out from Alabama when she was a young girl. She made friends at the new home not far from Hollywood. One of the girls was a relative of Boris Karlof and they would go onto the studio lot to watch them make movies. That is why when ever we'd see a Sci-Fy movie she'd just laugh.

Posted by: Diogenes at July 16, 2022 12:24 PM (anj39)

148 145. He's an ass, but a very self-centered one.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:24 PM (ONvIw)

149 If you're interested in Chinese history and strategy, I highly recommend Michael Pillsbury's "The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower". It provides real insight as to how and why they do what they do, from someone who has been very plugged in to the US-China relationship for the last 50 years.

Bottom line: Don't trust China. China is asshoe!

Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 12:26 PM (/NCI4)

150 Another thing about "Something Wicked This Way Comes" is the emphasis on both Charles' and Jim's' ability and that of Mr. Halloway to fight against the dark forces. So it's an encouragement that we are not powerless.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:26 PM (FZ2cV)

151 143. When satire becomes reality. Some people said the UN piece on global hunger was satire, but I don't believe it.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM (ONvIw)

152 Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:15 PM (q3gwH)

Not surprised. And if WEF gets their way ( and I think we're in the early stages of a cascade failure that will set us *way* back) all those forests, and the biodiversity from them, will be gone in a breathtakingly short time.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM (nC+QA)

153 139 Personally I look at the left and their rampage through "all the things" as a religious crusade on their part. They embrace all the crazy shit they're into with the same sort of fervor the jihadis do.

They're obviously able to rationalize death with it.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 12:17 PM (BFigT)

I agree that they've used this to replace religion with in their lives; but only a very, very few people are dedicated enough to really follow it all the way to death. (unless we're talking about the Japanese, but they're... different)
80% of their followers are going to drop out as things get tough, and as to the rest - well just think of the films of mighty Antifa Warriors collapsing into tears and sobs as soon as they realize they've been beaten and the game is up.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM (q3gwH)

154 Were every country in the world that is now deeply in debt to China, to, in unison, tell China to get f*cked and repudiate said debts.

Then China, in theory and in reality, would be well and truly f*cked.

The negotiation then would to be to allow China a "soft landing" with some fractional repayments, but with the warning and advisory to China.. pull in yer horns, or the "soft landing" goes away, along with ANY repayment, forever.

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Posted by: Jim at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM (tkOps)

155 I agree with you, but I think the Chicoms either haven't figured it out yet, or are in so deep they don't know what else to do but continue and hope things change. They can thank Xi for this masterstroke.
Posted by: Archimedes at July 16, 2022 12:19 PM (/NCI4)

Some major Chinese banks are refusing to pay out deposits to their customers, and when the customers started protesting, the banks apparently got the government to switch their customer's Covid Status Tracker that all citizens must have on their phones to "Covid Positive" making them unable to board trains, travel or access restaurants and bank accounts.

China may be in trouble everywhere

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM (xhaym)

156 Love the Dixieland Jazz. While listening to Sirius’ classic country station the other day I heard two songs with some Dixieland in it, one by Tom T Hall and another by Asleep at The Wheel. I’m ready for a Dixieland revival.

Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM (d9Cw3)

157 "Something Wicked this Way Comes" is one of his works about that theme and Disney actually did a good job with Bradbury's script.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke

As the rumbling in my stummy strums, it tells me something wicked this way comes.

Posted by: JT at July 16, 2022 12:28 PM (T4tVD)

158 Sorry, SMH. No .50 much though i want it.

Got Dad's cross and memorial in place where he died. Pretty place. Should I send a photo to KT for the gardening thread?

Posted by: BifBewalski's Phone at July 16, 2022 12:28 PM (9GuWD)

159 Speaking of forests... I've let about an acre and a half of my 5 go "natural" instead of being mowed. I'm amazed at the number of seedling trees that have sprung up.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 12:28 PM (BFigT)

160 It's a lot of fun to watch him turn his assholery on our enemies, since he's so good at it; but just remember that he doesn't have the ability to turn it off, ever.
Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:22 PM (q3gwH)

Even his Senate hearings schtick has grown tiresome to me. It's all so obviously rehearsed and executed badly. Josh Hawley is so much better at it, for the moment.

Posted by: lowandslow at July 16, 2022 12:28 PM (qH6FZ)

161 150 By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes...(the witches in Macbeth)

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:28 PM (ONvIw)

162 Why does Liz Cheney look so sad in the photos I see of her. No warmth in the looks, but ice and snow in her looks. Is it the polls that show here well behind in her state of Wyoming. Who wouldn't vote for her, she looks like she needs some loving or something.

Posted by: Colin at July 16, 2022 12:31 PM (YVx1O)

163 Don't recall the exact numbers, as usual, but I'm pretty sure both North America and western Europe are significantly more forested now than 100 or 200 years ago. Significantly.

As CBD mentioned above, mostly a result of changing land use patterns, primarily a switch from what was in many cases low-yield agriculture (by modern standards) to .... well, nothing, thus the reforestation.

Posted by: rhomboid at July 16, 2022 12:32 PM (OTzUX)

164 So I take out a $20,000 loan from Bank B. I use that Bank B $20,000 to pay off Bank A.

Now, I am in the same situation I was before, only the $20,000 debt is with Bank B instead of Bank A.
Do I have that correct?
Posted by: Cosmo Kramer at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (Do5/p)

No, you don't.
You're supposed to borrow $ 25,000 from Bank B, give $20,000 to Bank A to pat off the loan, and spend the remaining $5000 on Lottery tickets

Posted by: JoeF. at July 16, 2022 12:32 PM (mR6Gs)

165 Cruz is an appellate lawyer type. While smart, he's limited in many ways.

Trump is a trial lawyer type. Knows how to bullshit, and how to sway juries.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 16, 2022 12:32 PM (i0slg)

166
The sooooooooooooooooole Republican
Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at July 16, 2022 12:11 PM (63Dwl)

And Bob Crane was a porn pioneer

Posted by: JoeF. at July 16, 2022 12:34 PM (mR6Gs)

167 Cruz is yet another pol with no business experience. A total government guy who could not be expected to turn around a failing economy.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:34 PM (ONvIw)

168 China may be in trouble everywhere

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM (xhaym)

Lord Wodestone on Twitter has been doing occasional threads on the effect of China's Zero Covid policy. Like, arresting farmers for being outside working their fields *all alone*. Their problems are going to get worse as their people starve and we will be *lucky* if the only affect for us is having necessities like medication that is made there be hard to find instead of impossible.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 16, 2022 12:35 PM (nC+QA)

169 After the Sri Lankan people noticed that they were, quite suddenly, without food or jobs or fuel or security, millions of them paid a personal visit to the presidential palace to recommend some slight changes to the president's agenda. . .

So if we start saving a gallon of gas every two weeks, plus a pound of rice and beans, by next summer we will have enough to be among the millions to go visit OUR president's place of residence.

Posted by: Diogenes at July 16, 2022 12:35 PM (anj39)

170 Speaking of forests... I've let about an acre and a half of my 5 go "natural" instead of being mowed. I'm amazed at the number of seedling trees that have sprung up.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 12:28 PM (BFigT)

I saved about 20 apple seeds last year and tucked them into a wad of potting soil in a ziplock bag and put them in the crisper of my fridge over the winter, and wound up with about 15 apple seedlings. If yo are not picky about the trees and want to plant a bunch of cheap apples on your acre, that is the way to do it. You can sprout pear, plum and cherry seedlings the same way. Most will not be much but a few might turn out good fruit.

Around here the volunteer trees tend to be filbert and hawthorn

Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 12:35 PM (xhaym)

171 169. Be like the Netherlands, Italy, etc and don't wait to starve.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:36 PM (ONvIw)

172 161 150 By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes...(the witches in Macbeth)
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:28 PM (ONvIw)

The best part about that line, originally, is that it's quite a bit of foreshadowing, as the witches are telling you right at the start that Macbeth is even more wicked than they are.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:36 PM (q3gwH)

173 Posted by: Buck Throckmorton at July 16, 2022 12:27 PM

The hospital my mom worked for always hired a Dixieland group for the summer picnic. Pretty much the only time I'd hear the music each year. Really enjoyed it.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 16, 2022 12:37 PM (nC+QA)

174 Around here the volunteer trees tend to be filbert and hawthorn
Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 12:35 PM (xhaym)

The volunteer trees around my house are cherry laurels, dozens every spring. Gawd I hate cherry laurels.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:38 PM (q3gwH)

175 And for the stupidest commentary of the week, I give you Karen Townsend of Hot Air:

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner was back in a Russian court on Friday. This week her attorney delivered an American doctor’s letter recommending she use medical cannabis to treat pain. Is this a game-changer for her case?

You think that a Russian court will forgive the attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into Russia because some American doctor wrote her a note? That's purely hilarious.

BTW, that's an admission that she did try to smuggle drugs into Russia - what happened is that Russian customs, like a lot of countries, has a "green lane" if you have nothing to declare, and a "red lane" if you do. Griner tried to use the green lane, a drug dog alerted to her luggage, and they found the marijuana hidden in vape cartridges.

Try taking marijuana into Singapore with a doctor's note, and see what happens to you.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at July 16, 2022 12:38 PM (I2/tG)

176 the witches are telling you right at the start that Macbeth is even more wicked than they are.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:36 PM (q3gwH)

“Fair is foul and foul is fair
Hover through the fog and filthy air.”

That's D.C. in a nutshell.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 16, 2022 12:38 PM (XIJ/X)

177 "The negotiation then would to be to allow China a "soft landing" with some fractional repayments, but with the warning and advisory to China.. pull in yer horns, or the "soft landing" goes away, along with ANY repayment, forever."

"If you leave quietly, we might pay you twenty cents on the dollar, otherwise you get nothing. Either way, You go home now."

Posted by: illiniwek at July 16, 2022 12:39 PM (Cus5s)

178 172. Yep. Great play. Saw it for the first time in Stratford Ontario. 1971. I am old

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:39 PM (ONvIw)

179 The sooooooooooooooooole Republican
Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at July 16, 2022 12:11 PM (63Dwl)

And next up, the Ohio Players!

Posted by: The Soul Train Announcer at July 16, 2022 12:40 PM (PiwSw)

180 Don't recall the exact numbers, as usual, but I'm pretty sure both North America and western Europe are significantly more forested now than 100 or 200 years ago. Significantly.

As CBD mentioned above, mostly a result of changing land use patterns, primarily a switch from what was in many cases low-yield agriculture (by modern standards) to .... well, nothing, thus the reforestation.

Posted by: rhomboid at July 16, 2022 12:32 PM

I read some years back that New England has more forest land now than it did when settlers starting arriving in the area in the 1600s.

It seems the native americans liked to burn forests down because old growth forests don't harbor much wild game. Then the colonists came in and started chopping down every other tree to make room for farmland.

Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at July 16, 2022 12:41 PM (bVYXr)

181 Posted by: Tom Servo at July 16, 2022 12:22 PM (q3g

I don't know how you got that opinion. Cruz is never condescending and always willing to talk to people who disagree with him and does it in a polite manner, He also has the wit of an aos moron. It always amazes me how people can look at the same set of facts or scenario and come out with a diametrically opposite opinion or perception.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:42 PM (Q4fjM)

182 Sri Lanka: We Were Too Little to Be Too Big to Fail

Posted by: Wally at July 16, 2022 12:45 PM (SVR03)

183 Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at July 16, 2022 12:41 PM (bVYXr)

Increase in CO2 is a good thing if you want things to grow.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:45 PM (Q4fjM)

184 I had a good night last night. My sister is in town and we went to the winery / restaurant where both my daughters work. It's usually too expensive but last was hamburger night and they go for a mere $30 per burger. Anyway, we had a wonderful time.

Trip Advisor entry about it.

https://bit.ly/3IJmOPy

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 12:45 PM (FVME7)

185
Archbishop Cupich is shutting down the Institute of Christ the King parish in Chicago, one of the few parishes to offer the Traditional Latin Mass.

https://tinyurl.com/ykupxy38

So, according to His Eminence:
Clown Mass: Good
Tridentine Mass: Bad

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at July 16, 2022 12:46 PM (/U27+)

186 I don't know how you got that opinion. Cruz is never condescending and always willing to talk to people who disagree with him and does it in a polite manner, He also has the wit of an aos moron. It always amazes me how people can look at the same set of facts or scenario and come out with a diametrically opposite opinion or perception.
Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:42 PM (Q4fjM)

All true, it's just that Cruz has a grating personality.

Posted by: JoeF. at July 16, 2022 12:47 PM (mR6Gs)

187 Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:42 PM (Q4fjM)

I like him (but I don't expect a politician to always do the correct thing-according to my lights) and I agree with you. I've seen clips pf his talking and debating with average people and he comes across as quite approachable.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:47 PM (FZ2cV)

188 "Fahrenheit 451" was first published in Galaxy Science Fiction in 1950, Oct I think, as an novella entitled "The Fireman."

I was 12.

It made me wary of all government organizations.

Wish more folks had read it.

Posted by: James Lewis at July 16, 2022 12:47 PM (LkHBS)

189 What's going on in Sri Lanka?

Posted by: The MSM

Reboot of the Holodomor.
But this time they are going to get it right.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at July 16, 2022 12:47 PM (I+ZeV)

190 My mom's doctor bought a tree named for my mom in her memory to be planted by the Arbor society . That was unexpected and very nice.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:48 PM (Q4fjM)

191
All true, it's just that Cruz has a grating personality.
Posted by: JoeF. at July 16, 2022 12:47 PM (mR6Gs)

__________

Her Majesty took the same flight as him once. She said he was polite, approachable (she had her picture taken with him) and waited his turn like everyone. But among those who ought to know better, Cruz doesn't suffer fools at all.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at July 16, 2022 12:51 PM (/U27+)

192 I know someone who worked for Cruz, by the time he finally dropped out, his opinion of the Senator was not high

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:51 PM (ONvIw)

193 Media going all-out to let us know Sen. Manchin might have condemned the world to a fiery demise

-
I guess he's like Satan.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 12:51 PM (FVME7)

194 I know someone who worked for Cruz, by the time he finally dropped out, his opinion of the Senator was not high
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:51 PM (ONvIw)

Now do Trump

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:52 PM (Q4fjM)

195 > Around here the volunteer trees tend to be filbert and hawthorn
Posted by: Kindltot at July 16, 2022 12:35 PM (xhaym)
____________

I've thought about apples or pears. Good idea. A lot of the volunteers here are Black Walnuts. The seedlings however are something else. Need to take a picture and do a web search to see what they are. Likely "trash" trees.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 12:53 PM (BFigT)

196 494. Same person met Trump on the campaign trail, liked him better as a person, thought Melania was nice and kind. Went to work for the WH, and left with the highest regard for the man and his family.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:54 PM (ONvIw)

197 196 494. Same person met Trump on the campaign trail, liked him better as a person, thought Melania was nice and kind. Went to work for the WH, and left with the highest regard for the man and his family.
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:54 PM (ONvIw)

DISINFORMATION!!!

Posted by: Brian Stelter, who's beginning to leak at July 16, 2022 12:55 PM (PiwSw)

198 Leftie Wokeism is an ersatz religion. Climate Change is a key tenet of the faith. I'm amazed at how many people believe in it.

If your looking for some wolfsbane try this:
tinyurl.com/mp99mjt9

Two physicists destroy climate change theory in 28 pages as part of a filing with the SEC over its climate change disclosure theories.

Posted by: Ignoramus at July 16, 2022 12:55 PM (i0slg)

199 194. The person left politics with an active dislike for most GOP, who are, as we suspected, duplicitous, and underhanded. Thought Pence was an SOB

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 12:56 PM (ONvIw)

200 KT, what great stories you have! Two things, most folks today don't understand Farenheidt 451, 1984, or Atlas Shrugs, and yet it's happening all around in real time. Second thing, most folks today don't know about the Holocaust, or worse, deny it. And there's another Holocaust on the horizon. Sad.

Posted by: Eromero at July 16, 2022 12:56 PM (gktX6)

201 Only footage of Cruz being polite and talking to people is when he was running for President. How do you think he was going to respond?

Posted by: lowandslow at July 16, 2022 12:57 PM (qH6FZ)

202 Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at July 16, 2022 12:46 PM (/U27+)

Church Militant, the conservative RC site, can't stand Cupich. If you go there and put in search engine on their site for Cupich you get article after article blasting Cupich for everything from supporting "gay porn" in books in school libraries to his stopping of traditional masses. I think they have described him a "wolf in sheep's clothing".

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 12:58 PM (FZ2cV)

203 > Media going all-out to let us know Sen. Manchin might have condemned the world to a fiery demise
___________

I have predicted that there will be political violence this year ending in death. Manchin is in my dead pool now. So are every Republican running for reelection and every conservative poll watcher. The left has demonstrated it has no filters and no boundaries.

It's a big pool.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 12:58 PM (BFigT)

204 Posted by: lowandslow at July 16, 2022 12:57 PM (qH6FZ)

Not true.

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 12:59 PM (Q4fjM)

205 200. I have creepy feelings about this.

Update about last week's story about having a census worker block my driveway to find out about the neighbor.
It was, in fact a census person, and yes they go out and go after a select number of non respondents. The house next to mine was one of those. And when the neighbor showed up last evening, I went over and discovered that he threw the census and the follow up mailings in the trash.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 01:00 PM (ONvIw)

206 16 Tons, in case someone has not already linked it yet:

https://tinyurl.com/mry5d8fr

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:00 PM (dNqv+)

207
"Div, Dot, Del, kill Bob Crane" was a takeoff saying on the book "Div, Dot, Del and All That" and the name of a secretary (not Bob) at UC Berkeley Chemistry Department when I was there in the late 70s. Its creator hung around for a couple of years and then moved on to what, I do not know.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars at July 16, 2022 01:00 PM (ZvxPV)

208 Climate Change is a key tenet of the faith. I'm amazed at how many people believe in it.

Portland had the coldest and wettest March, April, May, and early June in its history. There was a lot of flooding, and a lot of water in unusual places, and now the mosquitoes are out in impressive numbers (which is very unusual for the Portland area).

News stories about the mosquito infestation blame -- global warming.

It's a religion.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at July 16, 2022 01:00 PM (I2/tG)

209 World Series of Poker Main Event nearly done.
Yesterday 10 people played all day to the final three.
An Aussie, Norwegian, and Argentinian are left.
4 million for third, 6 million for second, and 10 million for first.

A woman made the top 20.

Something like 8660 entered the $10k event.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at July 16, 2022 01:03 PM (ufFY8)

210 Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 01:00 PM (ONvIw)

Thx for the update. Since he thew it out he'll probably get another visit when they realize they don't have the form.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 01:03 PM (FZ2cV)

211 Creepy Census Story:

We bought a second home in WV back in 2008. In 2010 my son and I drove from CA to WV with a truckload of "stuff" for the family that was flying out a week later. We were there for about a day when a gray Chevy Impala with government tags showed up.

It was a Census taker. Nobody had lived there for years, yet they show up the day after I get there.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 01:03 PM (BFigT)

212 In ancient civilizations religion and state were one and the same. Whether or not the spring flood came depended on whether or not the gods were pleased or displeased with the populace's behavior. And it was the high priests of the state who determined whether or not the populace was pleasing or displeasing to the gods.

Same old, same old.

Posted by: davidt at July 16, 2022 01:04 PM (oTZbj)

213 "They loved me in Buchenwald" is a line I would expect in The Producers.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 16, 2022 01:05 PM (6eM+1)

214 And when the neighbor showed up last evening, I went over and discovered that he threw the census and the follow up mailings in the trash.
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 01:00 PM (ONvIw)

Uh oh. Someone's going to the gulag

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at July 16, 2022 01:06 PM (kf6Ak)

215 so I think I have it figured out why they are starting to go after Joe in the media.. They are gonna dump Joe make kamala President and Newsome VP.

Posted by: It's me donna at July 16, 2022 01:07 PM (bs+z0)

216 I do hope Sen. Manchin has private security.
I know the government won't protect him.

Posted by: Colin at July 16, 2022 01:07 PM (YVx1O)

217 Black Adder has better cunning plans...

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 16, 2022 01:07 PM (6eM+1)

218 "Now do Trump"

I have no idea - and it doesn't matter to me, as I view all elected officials including presidents as hired employees to do specific tasks - but my lazy analysis is:

In a stunning environment of non-stop slander, fabrication, exaggeration, etc against Trump, I never saw any credible "stories" from former employees casting him in a negative light. And quite a few from long-time employees that were positive, and rang true, and were parallel.

From this I conclude he's just what he appears to be - a hyper-driven Type A+ who is entirely results-driven, and he treats employees mostly based on how much they follow his example.

Posted by: rhomboid at July 16, 2022 01:07 PM (OTzUX)

219 135. I was amazed to find some stats that showed me that Texas now has over 1,000,000 MORE acres of Forest than it had in the 1930's.

------------
Very interesting, but there are more plans (less available land, less food?) in the works.

The Department of the Interior has a new program, America the Beautiful, with an eye to conserve at least 30% of our lands and waters by 2030. And The Reforestation Hub dot org is about opportunity to restore (more) forest cover for climate mitigations.

Posted by: Lola at July 16, 2022 01:08 PM (NIYa7)

220 It has probably always been the plan to dump Biden after two years and a day.

Posted by: davidt at July 16, 2022 01:08 PM (oTZbj)

221 The only hint of tensions was with Bob Crane, who was the sole Republican.

The only republican- in the mid 60's. Right.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:09 PM (dNqv+)

222
They're not dumping me, pal!

-- Aviator "TOP DUMB Maverick" Joe

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars at July 16, 2022 01:11 PM (ZvxPV)

223 re Farenheit 451: I read the novel and also saw the movie. One difference as I recall: in the movie, all books are banned; in the novel, there are plenty of books available but all the kind of stuff that would appeal to adults who read at a third grade level so no one feels inferior to anyone else.

I also recall reading that Bradbury had a hard time finding out the temperature at which paper burns. No luck anywhere he called, until he tried a fire department. They knew.

Posted by: mallfly the Peach of Hoboken at July 16, 2022 01:11 PM (Ynyl9)

224 Kum Dumpster and Newsome? Two assholes that even Cali. doesn't want.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 16, 2022 01:12 PM (89T5c)

225 224 Kum Dumpster and Newsome? Two assholes that even Cali. doesn't want.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 16, 2022 01:12 PM (89T5c)

He did win the recall, by a substantial margin IIRC. *cough*

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:13 PM (dNqv+)

226 225 Israel.... Bombing Gaza...minutes after Biden leaves.

They should have done it while he was there...Not that he's really "there"

Posted by: It's me donna at July 16, 2022 01:13 PM (bs+z0)

227 In May, Biden requested $33b to give to Raytheon and the CIA "for the war in Ukraine." Congress, on a bipartisan basis, arbitrarily increased it by $7b to $40b.

This month, Biden requested $803b for 2023 military spending. Congress arbitrarily increased it by $37b, to $840b.

Both votes had overwhelming bipartisan consensus. The 2023 military budget -- far larger than any other country -- had only 101 NO votes to 329 YES votes. 62 Republicans voted NO along with 39 Dems.

The establishment wings of the two parties fully agree on the largest questions.

https://bit.ly/3AVIdTY

Posted by: Clyde Shelton at July 16, 2022 01:13 PM (Do5/p)

228 iirc, in F451 books/papers/mags were all pictures, no print.

Posted by: davidt at July 16, 2022 01:13 PM (oTZbj)

229 It would be interesting to go back and check each Democrat Congressman and Senator vote and statement on every spending bill regarding OEF and OIF and compare them to their votes and statements on sending American taxpayer dollars to Ukraine.

Posted by: Clyde Shelton at July 16, 2022 01:15 PM (Do5/p)

230 A lot of the volunteers here are Black Walnuts. The seedlings however are something else. Need to take a picture and do a web search to see what they are. Likely "trash" trees.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 16, 2022 12:53 PM (BFigT)

Other plants won't grow near black walnut because it's roots secrete juglone, which is a herbicide.

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at July 16, 2022 01:16 PM (kf6Ak)

231 "They loved me in Buchenwald" is a line I would expect in The Producers.
Posted by: Anna Puma

Not as good as "I killed in Auschwitz!"

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 01:17 PM (FVME7)

232 203. It's a big pool.

Here's praying we never turn back to the 1960's era of political assassinations in this nation.

Posted by: Lola at July 16, 2022 01:18 PM (NIYa7)

233 Other plants won't grow near black walnut because it's roots secrete juglone, which is a herbicide.
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at July 16, 2022 01:16 PM (kf6Ak)

*pages through rolodex, chooses a card*

I know a gal who secretes Juglone. In contrast, it makes her quite popular.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:19 PM (dNqv+)

234 Holy crap. Bobby East, a nascar driver (didn't really know his name as he didn't seem to race anymore was stabbed to death at a gas station in LA. RIP.

However, reading the story I saw this BS Todd Bodine, a two-time NASCAR champion and a Fox Sports analyst, expressed his sadness over Bobby East's awful accident. "He was one heck of a wheelman. Thoughts and prayers to his family," he said.

The f'ing news story called it an accident.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 16, 2022 01:19 PM (8GBH4)

235 205 200. I have creepy feelings about this.

Update about last week's story about having a census worker block my driveway to find out about the neighbor.
It was, in fact a census person, and yes they go out and go after a select number of non respondents. The house next to mine was one of those. And when the neighbor showed up last evening, I went over and discovered that he threw the census and the follow up mailings in the trash.
Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 01:00 PM (ONvIw)

I had a census worker come to my house walk around my gates, through poison oak walk up to my front door looking in the windows, I almost came out armed. I went and talked to the worker, I had already filled it out and I thought he left and I saw on my cameras they were looking in my windows and taking pictures. I contacted the sheriff and called a supervisor. It was really weird.

Posted by: CaliGirl at July 16, 2022 01:20 PM (oeVy+)

236 They should have done it while he was there...Not that he's really "there"
Posted by: It's me donna at July 16, 2022 01:13 PM (bs+z0)

Well, his speech- while incoherent- was supposed to be supportive of Israel.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:21 PM (dNqv+)

237 MSNBC@MSNBC
Jill Biden's racist gaffe was cringeworthy. But where was Republican outrage during Trump's countless attacks on Latinos?

-
I guess by "countless" they mean zero.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 01:21 PM (FVME7)

238
Kamala Harris will fund her niche as Diana Moon Glampers, the U. S. Handicapper General. Prove me wrong.

Harris / Newsome is a no go, as both are from California.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars at July 16, 2022 01:21 PM (ZvxPV)

239 The f'ing news story called it an accident.
Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 16, 2022 01:19 PM (8GBH4)

And that tells us a lot. Damn, this timeline sucks.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:21 PM (dNqv+)

240 I contacted the sheriff and called a supervisor. It was really weird.
Posted by: CaliGirl at July 16, 2022 01:20 PM (oeVy+)

Yikes! When was this?

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at July 16, 2022 01:22 PM (kf6Ak)

241 Here's praying we never turn back to the 1960's era of political assassinations in this nation.
Posted by: Lola at July 16, 2022 01:18 PM (NIYa7)

Think we are already there. Lola. Look at the Republican softball game. The harassment of the Supremes is just a warm up act. We already have the jailing without charge of political dissidents.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:23 PM (dNqv+)

242 "I had a census worker come to my house"

I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

Posted by: Doctor Lecter at July 16, 2022 01:25 PM (i0slg)

243 240 I contacted the sheriff and called a supervisor. It was really weird.
Posted by: CaliGirl at July 16, 2022 01:20 PM (oeVy+)

Yikes! When was this?
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at July 16, 2022 01:22 PM (kf6Ak)

It was during the covid lockdown, I remember the mask. They kept coming here and ringing the call button on the gate. They kept bugging me because of the multiple houses on the property. This dude was bold. It was a sunday and he was taking pictures of everything after I told him I filled it out online and he needed to leave. I was pissed and he's lucky he left before I saw what he did. I don't remember why I looked at the security camera footage.

Posted by: CaliGirl at July 16, 2022 01:26 PM (oeVy+)

244 "They loved me in Buchenwald" is a line I would expect in The Producers.
Posted by: Anna Puma

Not as good as "I killed in Auschwitz!"
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 01:17 PM (FVME7)

I soooo want to make a gas joke here, but I've known people who were in the camps, and while they would likely laugh, I will restrain myself.

Posted by: Diogenes at July 16, 2022 01:27 PM (anj39)

245 GARDEN NOOD

Posted by: Skip's phone at July 16, 2022 01:27 PM (Ff6OW)

246 They loved me in Buchenwald" is a line I would expect in The Producers.
Posted by: Anna Puma

Not as good as "I killed in Auschwitz!"
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now the Summer of Our Discontent at July 16, 2022 01:17 PM (FVME7)

Reminded me when Obama said his Uncle was part of the troops who liberated Auschwitz. Makes sense that his uncle would be a Russian communist .

Posted by: Anti doesn't matter at July 16, 2022 01:28 PM (Q4fjM)

247 I refuse to call it D.E.I. It needs to be called D.I.E. because that is what will be its result. And ram it down their throats every day.

Posted by: Guidons, Guidons...Lariat Advance at July 16, 2022 01:29 PM (yklXZ)

248
Think we are already there. Lola. Look at the Republican softball game. The harassment of the Supremes is just a warm up act. We already have the jailing without charge of political dissidents.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at July 16, 2022 01:23 PM (dNqv+)

The more they get away with, the more they will try to do.

Posted by: Diogenes at July 16, 2022 01:30 PM (anj39)

249 I once spent an enjoyable couple of hours in a small group chatting with Forry Ackerman. One story I recollect was that he spent the night before Bradbury's wedding helping him incinerate all of Bradbury's unpublished manuscripts. Bradbury's quip was, "I had to get the first two million bad words out of my system."

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at July 16, 2022 01:32 PM (aaGzp)

250 I like to eat my own poop!

Posted by: Sarah at July 16, 2022 01:34 PM (8iGAG)

251 "It would be interesting to go back and check each Democrat Congressman and Senator vote and statement on every spending bill regarding OEF and OIF and compare them to their votes and statements on sending American taxpayer dollars to Ukraine."

Having witnessed first-hand, many of those years working in the Senate on these issues, how uniformly - and with increasing recklessness and ignorant politicking - the Dems opposed or even undercut one major national security or foreign policy initiative after another, the last year has been ..... stunning.

There's one precedent, in the 90s, when the Dems were lockstep with the extremely dubious US intervention in the Balkans. Where not only was not a vital US interest to be found, but where US intervention directly worsened/extended the main problem we've had with western Europe for decades - free-ridership, and the infantilization of European states and electorates on national security issues. So: as long as no vital US interests at risk, the Dems are gung-ho. Idiotic.

Of course the broader, bizarre, robotic response of the Ukrainian Flag Emoji slice of the populace (and even pop culture) is even more astonishing.

Posted by: rhomboid at July 16, 2022 01:36 PM (OTzUX)

252 The more they get away with, the more they will try to do.

Posted by: Diogenes at July 16, 2022 01:30 PM (anj39)

And they get away with it is because the punishment apparatus - from local police all the way up to the DOJ, with the media acting as their cheering section - is all in their hands. This apparatus is used to threaten and punish ONLY the law abiding normals in this country. This is intolerable.

King George was a benevolent ruler compared to this bunch of commies.

Posted by: Guidons, Guidons...Lariat Advance at July 16, 2022 01:37 PM (yklXZ)

253 I need to make 92 dollars an hour working from home but I don't know how. Anyone know?

Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 16, 2022 01:39 PM (u73oe)

254 I think I've just seen my first spammer here.

Posted by: BignJames at July 16, 2022 01:39 PM (AwYPR)

255 making $92 an hour working from home.

Same as in town.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at July 16, 2022 01:41 PM (e5dzA)

256 Sarah W , the spambot , obviously does not have English as her native language. The results were more comical yesterday.
.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 01:43 PM (XuKDb)

257 Although "non public boss" is rather amusing. Granted I have a lot of typos, but English is my
native language. I could improve her texts if she'll have me $16.00 an hour.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 16, 2022 01:48 PM (XuKDb)

258 Does anyone really believe Biden said anything to the Sauds about Khashoggi when he hasn't said boo about the millions of Americans killed by the CCP virus? Fvck Biden, fuck Khashoggi, fvck the Sauds and fvck China.

Posted by: Java Joe at July 16, 2022 02:03 PM (VsPm9)

259 China may be Sri Lanka's largest single creditor. But China accounts for only 10% of Sri Lanka's total debt. The bulk of its debt is to WESTERN creditors, like HSBC and the World Bank, and WESTERN investors like BlackRock.

https://tinyurl.com/4kr4afjz

Now call me a china bot

Posted by: Kimo Loka at July 16, 2022 02:07 PM (ZO1EW)

260 The weekend is coming

Posted by: Skip's phone at July 16, 2022 02:10 PM (Ff6OW)

261 Wag the Dog in Bosnia. Wag the Dog in Donetsk.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 16, 2022 02:10 PM (EZebt)

262 Because the Sri Lankan standard of living was too damn high, that's why!

Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 16, 2022 02:14 PM (EZebt)

263 241. I come here almost every day because of the very smart people - many so brave to tell it how it is - and to learn, and often just to laugh (or cry on some occasions).

I see the changes in my immediate area...they've been swift & have revamped the region as I've known it for many decades. (I swear our pols are sincerely trying to out crazy areas of Portland & California.) We are a meaner, more violent, and by far less forgiving people than in my adult past, and we're often neglected.

Goods & services are allegedly being directed in the name of equity, but empty churches and former catholic school buildings are being rebuilt for the benefit of non-profits settling in our new African, Afghanistan & Ukraine citizens including those often categorized by the schools as 'homeless.' (The Hispanics/Latinos are bused to make their homes in smaller cities, less populated counties so they must be more conservative.) Low income housing is sold to investors & long-term residents put out.

The point is, you're right. Hoping things will moderate again soon, I'm ignoring reality. Thank you & have a good weekend!

Posted by: Lola at July 16, 2022 02:22 PM (NIYa7)

264 Warm, sunny days and sundresses are among the good things in life.
Oh and beer.

Posted by: N.L. Urker, my trench is full of chickens at July 16, 2022 02:26 PM (VdGjU)

265 You forgot yoga pants

Posted by: Skip at July 16, 2022 02:29 PM (2JoB8)

266 You forgot yoga pants
Posted by: Skip at July 16, 2022 02:29 PM (2JoB

Added to the list.

Posted by: N.L. Urker, my trench is full of chickens at July 16, 2022 02:29 PM (VdGjU)

267 Maybe I should take the advice of Jordan Peterson and clean up my house and make it attractive. If I did I might spend less time at the pub.

Posted by: N.L. Urker, my trench is full of chickens at July 16, 2022 02:34 PM (VdGjU)

268 The awful stabbing death of NASCAR driver Bobby East has been virtually blacklisted thus far across major American media, including sports media.

Does anyone know why? The perp is a white thug, so the usual explanations don't apply.

Posted by: soft white underbelly at July 16, 2022 02:36 PM (kb41d)

269 The awful stabbing death of NASCAR driver Bobby East has been virtually blacklisted thus far across major American media, including sports media.

Does anyone know why? The perp is a white thug, so the usual explanations don't apply.
Posted by: soft white underbelly at July 16, 2022 02:36 PM (kb41d)
_____________

Stabbed by a "homeless man" aka "a worthless vagrant" in California. Imagine. We're chock-a-block with such clowns. Reporting their crimes and the problems they cause is streng verboten.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara - Impeach Joe Biden at July 16, 2022 02:42 PM (YqDXo)

270 Thanks--that must be it, although 'white perp' usually fits the template. Must be a sign of the rising political desperation of the Dems that even this must be suppressed.

Posted by: soft white underbelly at July 16, 2022 02:47 PM (kb41d)

271 China may be Sri Lanka's largest single creditor. But China accounts for only 10% of Sri Lanka's total debt. The bulk of its debt is to WESTERN creditors, like HSBC and the World Bank, and WESTERN investors like BlackRock.

Posted by: Kimo Loka at July 16, 2022 02:07 PM (ZO1EW)

So same same.

Posted by: Admiral Ackbar at July 16, 2022 02:47 PM (yQpMk)

272 And now I see it beginning to pop up on the left-wing sites. There must have been a delay for internal discussions at the top on how to 'frame' the narrative, and instructions have now been given.

So much for journalism. Ideology uber alles.

Posted by: soft white underbelly at July 16, 2022 02:50 PM (kb41d)

273 Leftists love talking about "liberating the inner creativity" unless it's the creativity they don't like. Then it's censorship. I often wonder what the beatnik movement, or Greenwich Village denizens, or Mort Sahl or Lenny Bruce -- non-conformists, apostates, "liberals" of their time -- would say about these utopian authoritarians? Nothing good, I think, and they'd soon be banned.
Posted by: Ordinary American at July 16, 2022 11:54 AM (H8QX

Glenn Greenwald is the torchbearer of this sort of oldschool liberalism. It would be quite the understatement to say that he's not okay with what's going on and is experiencing consequences for not being a good little NPC.
Posted by: CppThis at July 16, 2022 11:59 AM (UewuT)

Given history, 90 percent of the Beatniks/Free Speech would have gone along for the power. Greenwald and a handful of others are exceptions.

Posted by: Oldcat at July 16, 2022 02:55 PM (eoQWY)

274 27 So I take out a $20,000 loan from Bank B. I use that Bank B $20,000 to pay off Bank A.

Now, I am in the same situation I was before, only the $20,000 debt is with Bank B instead of Bank A.

Do I have that correct?
Posted by: Cosmo Kramer at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (Do5/p)
-------------
Congratulations. You are today's winner of the Paul Krugman Excellence in Economic Theory Award and valuable cash prizes.
Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (XG2Fi)
----
Okay, now the USA: we are giving foreigners billions of dollars (Ukraine, palestinians, who knows what other Third World shitholes are on the recipient list) but we have to borrow that money from China. Now what sort of economic/monetary sense does that come from?

Posted by: Ciampino - WE are a 3rd world country if we are borrowing money at July 16, 2022 02:57 PM (qfLjt)

275 It seems the native americans liked to burn forests down because old growth forests don't harbor much wild game. Then the colonists came in and started chopping down every other tree to make room for farmland.
Posted by: Mister Scott (formerly GWS) at July 16, 2022 12:41 PM (bVYXr)

It is also a way to get fertilizer into the soil for farming. Forest soils are often kinda poor, and deplete quickly. In New Guinea elaborate social rules involving war were evolved to make tribes move their farming areas about to fallow areas over periods of years.

I think it was the Cherokee who used to 'plant' fish and such in the fields to provide minerals for the crops.

Posted by: Oldcat at July 16, 2022 03:04 PM (eoQWY)

276 Okay, now the USA: we are giving foreigners billions of dollars (Ukraine, palestinians, who knows what other Third World shitholes are on the recipient list) but we have to borrow that money from China. Now what sort of economic/monetary sense does that come from?
Posted by: Ciampino - WE are a 3rd world country if we are borrowing money at July 16, 2022 02:57 PM (qfLjt)
____________

Exactly. The difference is that, inexplicably, our credit rating is better than that of the countries we give money to.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara - Impeach Joe Biden at July 16, 2022 03:04 PM (YqDXo)

277 20 minutes nap, hopefully get me enough until bed time

Posted by: Skip at July 16, 2022 03:06 PM (2JoB8)

278 27 So I take out a $20,000 loan from Bank B. I use that Bank B $20,000 to pay off Bank A.

Now, I am in the same situation I was before, only the $20,000 debt is with Bank B instead of Bank A.

Do I have that correct?
Posted by: Cosmo Kramer at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (Do5/p)
-------------
Congratulations. You are today's winner of the Paul Krugman Excellence in Economic Theory Award and valuable cash prizes.
Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at July 16, 2022 11:29 AM (XG2Fi)
______________

Write yourself an IOU for $20,000, and now you're solvent.

Posted by: Deplorable Jay Guevara - Impeach Joe Biden at July 16, 2022 03:06 PM (YqDXo)

279 Okay, now the USA: we are giving foreigners billions of dollars (Ukraine, palestinians, who knows what other Third World shitholes are on the recipient list) but we have to borrow that money from China. Now what sort of economic/monetary sense does that come from?
Posted by: Ciampino - WE are a 3rd world country if we are borrowing money at July 16, 2022 02:57 PM (qfLjt)

The purpose of these loans is the strings that are attached. You think even a country like Ukraine willingly forks over 10 percent to the Bidens, employs thousands of NGOs to screw up the land. Then add in the same drek from the EU. And Fauci's weaponized disease labs.

They have plenty of their home-grown corrupt people who'd like to skim that money, or even spend it on its supposed intended purpose.

Posted by: Oldcat at July 16, 2022 03:08 PM (eoQWY)

280 Does anyone really believe Biden said anything to the Sauds about Khashoggi when he hasn't said boo about the millions of Americans killed by the CCP virus? Fvck Biden, fuck Khashoggi, fvck the Sauds and fvck China.
Posted by: Java Joe at July 16, 2022 02:03 PM (VsPm9)

He's begging the Saudis for favors, so of course he said nothing about Kashoggi. If he even remembers the name.

Posted by: Oldcat at July 16, 2022 03:10 PM (eoQWY)

281 271 means that westerners put the climate goal on place. China gives fuck all about the climate

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 03:15 PM (ONvIw)

282 I said nothing about bulgogi!

Posted by: Joe Biden at July 16, 2022 03:19 PM (89T5c)

283 Marxists are out to destroy the country and military.
Spending money and giving it away out of the country to destroy our monetary value
Tossing out anyone not getting their experimental Fake Vax
Allowing millions of unknown illegals to invade the US and giving them money, free passage to anywhere they want to travel.
Doing everything they can to increase our energy costs and destroying ways to supply the energy.

Posted by: Skip at July 16, 2022 03:20 PM (2JoB8)

284 283 too bad we let the Mayorkas family come from Cuba. Strange that he doesn't want immigrants from his home country.

Posted by: CN at July 16, 2022 03:26 PM (ONvIw)

285 In-f***ing believable. Our county just re=imposed mask mandate all county employees, which will include the schools. Even the teachers are bitching about it already. They are going to try and make the kids do it but Geoirga passed a no-mask law last spring, so they may not be able top do it but will try. All this BS for a bad cold.

Sometimes it just floors me how evil and stupid Dems are.

Posted by: Ripley at July 16, 2022 03:29 PM (MxEKc)

286 Guess we are done here for the day

Posted by: Skip at July 16, 2022 03:30 PM (2JoB8)

287 It's a fight for supremacy

Posted by: Skip at July 16, 2022 03:31 PM (2JoB8)

288 He's begging the Saudis for favors, so of course he said nothing about Kashoggi. If he even remembers the name.
Posted by: Oldcat at July 16, 2022 03:10 PM (eoQWY)

Of course I remember that name! Kashoggi was that brand of cereal that really cleaned me out, I pooped like a barnyard animal! If I knew they made that in Saudi Arabia, I would have asked them for some!

Posted by: Joe Biden at July 16, 2022 03:40 PM (mR6Gs)

289 Back in the early Seventies, Go Ask Alice, the alleged diary of a teenage girl drug addict who died of an overdose, was everywhere. They even made a TV movie out of it. According to the new book, Unmask Alice, the whole thing was a fraud, made up by a Mormon housewife in her fifties.

Even worse, she later took a real diary of a young man who killed himself and changed him from a guy with depression, worried about being sent to Vietnam, and struggled with his Mormon faith, into a guy who worshipped . . . the DEVIL!!! This worship took the form of orgies and animal sacrifice.

Posted by: Pete in Texas at July 16, 2022 04:08 PM (mOsK7)

290 You know, maybe I should have saved my last post here for Sunday's book thread.

Posted by: Pete in Texas at July 16, 2022 04:12 PM (mOsK7)

291 Pete hardly anyone will see it here anyway

Posted by: Skip at July 16, 2022 04:18 PM (2JoB8)

292 Back in the early Seventies, Go Ask Alice, the alleged diary of a teenage girl drug addict who died of an overdose, was everywhere. They even made a TV movie out of it. According to the new book, Unmask Alice, the whole thing was a fraud, made up by a Mormon housewife in her fifties.

I never read it, but I remember seeing the paperback version around and knew that it was read by several students in my class.
I just read the synopsis on Wikipedia, far from being surprised that it's all bullshit, I can't believe anyone ever thought it was true.

Posted by: JoeF. at July 16, 2022 05:05 PM (mR6Gs)

293 "Bradbury imagines a future in which technology has lulled people into complacency with mindless entertainment and a barrage of endless trivia."

Interestingly, so do Orwell and Huxley. It seems almost like a theme. (So did Heinlein.)

Posted by: GWB at July 16, 2022 06:03 PM (QHHuJ)

294 Do I have that correct?
Posted by: Cosmo Kramer at July 16, 2022 11:26 AM (Do5/p)

No. Because you were paying off a $15,000 loan which had accrued interest (to be $20,000 for payoff). And now you've got a $20,000 loan accruing interest, but further from payoff than the old one.

You're in a worse place.

Posted by: GWB at July 16, 2022 06:11 PM (QHHuJ)

295 238: the prohibition of both VP and POTUS being from the same state arises in connection with the Electoral College, i.e., electors cannot vote for both a POTUS and a VP from the same state.

But if Kamala moves up because Biden resigns or dies in office, and Newsome is appointed and approved as VP by both houses of Congress, they are good to go until the next election cycle rolls around. Then, one or the other (guess which) of them would have to drop out. See the 12th Amendment.

Posted by: Fritz at July 16, 2022 07:28 PM (dS5zT)

296 I am making mud pies at home.

Posted by: Sarah at July 16, 2022 07:44 PM (7Cl4L)

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