Tag: Trump

JOURNAL: November 6th, 2023

Journal

A little housekeeping, even if you see it right up front. I’ve changed the theme of this site to something more manageable. The momentary downside is that it’s gray, and adding in some additional CSS code doesn’t quite cover it, so I’ll work on that. I like my blue and white jam. I was using a WP theme that I had to shoehorn it into doing what I wanted it to do. This one just does it by default. Roley happy now. Almost.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but when you slap a sociopath on the wrist for his bullshit, it’s not a disincentive. In fact, they’ll think they got away with it. They’ll hit you with more bullshit, and it will get worse. Stop coddling the sociopath.

I wrote a video script today. it’s very short, but it works and that’s all I need it to do. Stay tuned.

There’s a definite upside and downside to working with a cat in your lap. Both happen to be that you have a cat in your lap.

LINK: Trump Testily Testifies (CNN)

Blog

I believe Trump is almost daring this judge to throw him in jail because he believes the persecution card is worth it.

I wonder if a better idea would be continue to fine him heavily, demand the money in a timely manner, and figure out a way to give every fine he pays to places like Planned Parenthood, Everytown for Gun Safety, Immigrant Advocates Network, and so on.

That probably can’t happen, but it damn well should.

Getting In Trump’s Ear

Articles

In October of 1973, Spiro Agnew pleaded No Contest to tax evasion and escaped prosecution over many more counts as long as he agreed to probation, a fine, and that he resign from the Vice Presidency.  One might think he ‘got away with it’.

On August 8th, 1974, my parents were racing across Arizona, heading towards my dad’s new duty station in San Diego, they pulled into a motel, ran into the lobby, and pleaded with the desk person to just give us a key, we’ll settle up in a few minutes, Nixon’s about to resign.  Nixon, of course, had to admit that he knew about the Watergate break-ins soon after they happened, and tried to cover it up.  I don’t think anyone knows if a deal got made for his resignation, but on September 8th, 1974, Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon.  He escaped prosecution and impeachment.  One might think he ‘got away with it’. 

In both those cases, someone got in Agnew’s and Nixon’s ears and said something to the effect of, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.   If you don’t want to go to prison, I suggest you exit stage right, fucking now.   Agnew and Nixon, to their ONLY credit, realized that it was time to go, and did so in order to not put the country into a crisis we hadn’t seen before.   Everyone involved was concerned about the effect these events would have had on our country, security, and safety, and everyone involved acted to put the country first when it counted.   I tell you all of this to ask a simple question.  

Do you believe that someone hasn’t gotten in Trump’s ear and tried to tell him the same thing?  Someone has.  I feel very sure about this because there are still people that have the interest of the country, our security, and our safety at heart.  There are still people that care enough not to plunge the country into a crisis. Someone has surely told Trump if he doesn’t want to go to prison, there’s a way out of this, and herein lies the difference.   In Trump, there is no desire to put the country first and avoid a crisis.   If you read or listen to him, you might come to the conclusion that he doesn’t think much of this country at all.   Nation in Decline!  American Carnage!  I mean, it’s not exactly Shining City on the Hill, is it?  

Here’s the thing:  If we’re going to talk dystopia, I can’t think of anything more dystopian than a person who is running for President getting convicted of Federal Crimes, and insisting “Nothing to see here folks, all completely normal.”   How does this work, exactly?   Where do you put a President convicted of Federal Crimes?  Not Leavenworth, that’s for damn sure.  Is he gonna be Charles Foster Kane isolated in Xanadu for the rest of his life?  Is Rosebud actually the name of his junk?  I thought we might have a picnic tomorrow, Melania.   And then, what if he actually wins AFTER he’s convicted?   I know, I know, OWN THE LIBS.  No, we need to stop and think about this.  The sitting President of the United States, a convicted felon, serving a sentence for Federal Crimes defines Constitutional Crisis any way you look at it.  

Trump wants to be president to try to get out of the nightmare that awaits him.   His cult wants him to be President to own the libs.    Neither of these are workable situations for the country.   Surely you can see this.   

The way out is through, I suppose—strap in, kids.  

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Blog

So, let’s be clear on what most of us in the real world knew to be true.

He knew he lost, he was told several times he lost.

He knew what he was saying was a lie, and he continued to lie.

He intended to cause chaos and violence, and he caused chaos and violence.

He’s as guilty as sin. And yet…

If sees the inside of a courtroom for a trial, much less the inside of a jail cell, I’ll be surprised.

God help us if he gets re-elected.

READ THE INDICTMENT

Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

Blog

• Back in the deep, dark 1980s, there was a shop at Pembroke Mall called A Bit of England. This was the place you went to find chessboards and darts accessories, and most importantly, role-playing games stuff. It was in that store I found my two favorite games, Shadowrun and Paranoia. Pembroke Mall has gone through a cubic shitload of changes in the ensuing years, and Bit of England got the shit end of the stick. Eventually, they got evicted from the Mall because getting knocked down to build a senior living community. If you consider that the demographic that still goes to a Mall is my age, it was already a senior living community.

I ran some errands and found the store’s new location. I had to walk in. It was just how I remembered it. I ended up walking out with a set of RPG dice on impulse. I haven’t played in years. Call it a memento, I guess. I’ll put them on my ‘shelf of the ego’ and look at them now and then. Nice to walk in the past for a moment.

I’m not a person who chooses to walk in the past for very long. Like a lot of people, I didn’t have a particularly nice childhood. I have parts of the backstory that I love of course; I will talk your ears off about Guantanamo Bay in the early 80s. There was something special about that place, and I loved living there. But the common thread of my backstory is how often I was left to my own devices. I understand that’s common among my generation, but I don’t wear it like a badge of honor like some creators do on TikTok. I’m Gen X, and as we like to say, “Whatever.”

• I see the former guy appealed to SCOTUS in another attempt to keep the House from seeing his tax records. I don’t know why you’re even trying at this point. If trends are accurate, the House is going to flip Republican, and that’s it. That effectively means Trump is going to get away with a lot of stuff he should be going to jail for, because our justice system grinds ever so slowly for people in that rarified air. You and I would be well into our first year in Federal lockup. Of course, once the former guy announces he’s running for President again, all investigation is going to halt. He’s counting on that, and he’s counting on heading back to the WH so that he can’t be touched for another four years. We should have arrested him when you had the chance. We’re all kinds of fucked.

• A serious question: What is the objective reality that we agree exists? I’m afraid it got drowned in a bathtub somewhere. Not to delve too far into Ayn Rand, but one of the central tenets of Objectivism is that A is A, or a chair is a chair. I honestly believe that we have somehow split off into two groups, one that believes in an objective reality that can be observed, and one that believes what they are told is reality. Maybe it’s been this way for a long time, but this darkest timeline we’re living in has brought it into a sharper focus for me. I don’t know how else to explain it other than to say when presented with a demonstrable fact, there is a group of us here in [American] society that can deny its existence based on [insert bullshit here]. How do we resolve that? Can we resolve that?

• Finally, the first bonus pod dropped into the Patreon Feed today if you’re so inclined. First ep of the main show will be this weekend. LFG, as the youngs say.

Monday, October 31, 2022

Blog

• I have reached the point where I despise the word “woke”. I think it’s become co-opted in the same manner that “fake news” was.

Dictionary.com defines woke as:

Having or marked by an active awareness of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those involving the treatment of ethnic, racial, or sexual minorities.

It seems that the only people using that term these days are using it disparagingly, and I guess I need to ask why. Are we not supposed to be aware of injustices and prejudices that exist? Am I not supposed to be aware of things that happened in the past? See, I think we’re using the wrong term. Those things aren’t “woke”, they’re *kind*. I choose to be kind, and instead of trying to defend against the term “woke”, I would rather ask those disparaging people why it’s wrong to be *kind*.

Of course, in a few of those cases, It’s the bare minimum to be a decent human, but that’s another story.

• Here’s a tool for your toolbox: Meet Evan Sernoffsky. He’s the goofball that originally reported that Paul Pelosi’s assailant was in just underwear. The stupid among us grabbed hold of that and won’t let go. Here’s Sernoffsky’s retraction, which the stupid seem to have missed. That’s funny. UPDATE: The AP reports that the suspect in the attack on Paul Pelosi told police that he wanted to break Nancy’s kneecaps and hold her hostage. Gaslight that, morons. BTW, here’s the DOJ complaint.

• I see that Taylor Swift has made history by having every song in the Top 10 of the Hot 100 charts. I seem to remember the Beatles having the Top 5 in 1964, and I distinctly remember thinking that no one could possibly top that. Madonna didn’t, MJ didn’t, Whitney didn’t, and BRITNEY didn’t. I thought the chance of that ever happening had gone away. I was wrong. I was also wrong about Taylor. My friends, she may not be my cup of tea, but she is legit.

• I’m the generation of kids that made yellow ribbons for the Iranian hostages. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 was the start of that whole thing, when they deposed the Shah and installed Khomeni as the leader of that country. To see this generation now pushing back against it is amazing to watch, but as you watch it, be mindful of one thing: They shoot without shame. In addition to Mahsa Amini’s death, remember Neda Agha-Soltan while you’re at it. She died in 2009 in the eleciton protests, you may remember her.

“…and these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds…”

• People shooting each other outside a liqour stor in Tallahassee? Shocked, I tells ya. DeDipshit wants to pass permitless carry in Florida. What could possibly go wrong?

• Just block *Elon. Just block anyone who screenshots Elon. Just block anyone who wants to argue about Elon. Sure, Twitter’s going to auger into the ground like a flaming fucking lawn dart, but I think it might be super fun to watch. I mean, it’s just day three and look where we are. I did sign up for Bluesky, so…

*Also applies to Trump if he’s reinstated.