I am tapped out, so it's up to you to come up with something to talk about today.
But just in case you can't think of anything, here's something to ponder:
Question: If Trump gets the Republican nomination, can you pull the lever or check that box for him?
Just asking for a friend...
Otherwise, the floor is open.
69 comments:
Better Trump than Hillary or whatever shill takes her place when she's indicted.
Vote for an anti-vaxxer who flirts with racists, changes his position (and denies his old positions) lies for the heck of it and encourages attacks on protestors (his campaign manager recently attacked a female reporter working for the Bigs, which is his biggest cheerleader). Tempting.
Between Trump and Clinton, I'm not sure which one is worse. Given Republican's hold of the legislature I'd say Trump is more dangerous (Republicans will stand up to Clinton's lies and power grabs in a way they wouldn't stand up to Trump's), but Clinton winning the presidency would give the Democrats at least one Supreme Court pick which would hurt conservatism for decades (as will Trump).
http://twitchy.com/2016/03/09/fact-checks-of-trump-water-trump-steaks-trump-magazine-and-trump-wine/
Except, as we reported last night, there is an open question if the steaks Donald Trump displayed at his press conference last night were actual “Trump Steaks” or if they were from a local meat wholesaler, Bush Brothers Provision Company.
Reporters are still awaiting official word from the Trump campaign on clarification of Trump’s remarks on the steaks, but the AP is reporting that the club does indeed use meet from Bush Brothers:
A spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the labels on the steaks displayed Tuesday night appeared to match those of a company called Bush Brothers. A club staff member said that’s the butcher that supplies the club.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/432456/trumps-anti-science-politics
Yet Donald Trump has chosen to engage in demagoguery against the use of vaccines, spreading the lie that vaccinations cause autism. Such reckless statements endanger public health, affecting not just those who fall for them but all of us, since the more people there are within a population who are unvaccinated, the easier it is for a disease to gain a foothold, diversify, and spread.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-terrorists_us_56e0d7cde4b065e2e3d4d82d
Or you can leave the interview thinking that Trump’s guiding principle is, well, getting through Anderson Cooper's questions. After all, while he insisted that he never actually said he wanted to kill the families of terrorists, that was the obvious implication.
“I would be very, very firm with families,” Trump said at one point during the campaign. “Frankly, that will make people think, because they may not care much about their lives, but they do care, believe it or not, about their families’ lives.”
“We’re fighting a very politically correct war,” he said in a different media appearance. “And the other thing is with the terrorists, you have to take out their families. They, they care about their lives. Don’t kid yourself. But they say they don’t care about their lives. You have to take out their families.”
RE the mass shooting in Pittsburgh. I doubt very seriously that country western music was on the boombox and I have a feeling that it is gang/drug related. It's interesting that up until The Prohibition the type of crimes, such as the St Valentines Day Massacre were very rare...now that drugs have filled that niche, we see the same things....On a positive note, I really believe that Trump is right at this minute at his most vulnerable point in the election. Cruz et al have a short window to stop him...
Anthony, "Tempting." LOL!!
Bev, Sadly, I agree about the Supreme Court argument. We are at a real crossroads there. The next President will get to replace at least one liberal and likely one conservative. With the Scalia vacancy possibly still there too, it's critical that conservatives get someone at least slightly conservative as President. Hillary could have the most failed presidency ever and still remake the country for decades to come through the court.
I think there is no choice. I will hold my nose, vote for Trump and pray that he somehow turns out to be a secret Ronald Reagan.
I'll vote 3rd party. I just can't bring myself to vote for Trump.
Like Pilate, I wash my hands of this.
I will vote against anyone who is running against Hillary Clinton. The Left anointed her in 2008 as soon as Obama beat her. I would love to see Bernie upset her applecart. I probably don't agree with Bernie on much politically, but I don't think he's a crook..she is.
Just heard on radio that Obama, in an interview, revealed that he is proud of not standing behind his "red line" declaration regarding Bashir Assad and the use of chemical weapons. He expounded, saying he was glad he resisted doing what everybody else wanted him to do. I think this is quite a remarkable statement, in that it reveals that the president doesn't seem to realize that the public's expectations were the results of his own words, and that the desire was not to obliterate Assad, whom Americans were largely unconcerned about prior to the red line statement, but to see their leader stand behind his words.
Critch, It sounds like drugs to me too.
As for Hillary, yeah, I would vote for Satan against Hillary. I want her gone from my television screen.
tryanmax, It also tells us that Obama's "red-lines" aren't red lines. They are just a rhetorical flourish.
I envy those who don't follow the news that much. They seem so much happier.
"...Obama's "red-lines" aren't red lines..."
That has been apparent from the beginning. What he shouldn't be proud of is that he has caused global terrorism and the despots of the world to grow and flourish because everyone knows that the US is no longer going to intervene.
Oh, and Iran just tested a long range ballistic missile with "Israel Must Be Wiped Out". Interestingly Obama is the only one not calling for sanctions. He's going to SXSW festival...much more important.
Bev, They are red lines, they're just backwards. If you cross them, then Obama loses interest and walks away.
Kit, Ignorance has always been bliss, but it seems doubly true in this age of the 24-hour adrenaline news cycle.
Actually, Andrew, I honestly believe that Obama thought his words and only at his word, the seas would recede and the Earth would heal and all despots would give up their tyrannical ways at the mere shaking of his hand. He thought he was that special.
Bev, I do too. But I would add this.
I think Obama thought that the power of the US is irresistible as is the power of liberalism generally. In other words, no one in their right mind would resist peaceful, happy liberalism -- and of course, foreign leaders are all in their right minds.
The reason other countries didn't do the things we wanted under prior Presidents is because Presidents like Bush and Bush and Reagan were cynical liars and warmongers who could not be trusted and therefore other countries opposed them.
But with Obama being an honorable man of principle... a genuine man... a man of intellect who knows what's best and truly has no hostile intent (unlike those warmonger Republicans), he assumed that simply telling people what he wanted would be enough to get everyone to get in line because why would anyone resist an honest, smart, rational man who was offering the best plan for everyone.
He was genuinely surprised when that didn't work. And to this day, he still doesn't understand that he fundamentally misunderstood the world.
This morning on MSNBC they were all agog over Trudeau visiting...big whoop. I'm not impressed by him or his dad or his mom.
"The Canadian government continues to say they will not help us if we go to war with Iraq. However, the prime minister of Canada said he’d like to help, but he’s pretty sure that last time he checked, Canada had no army." – Conan O’Brien
I envy those who don't follow the news that much. They seem so much happier.
Kit - Nahhh, they're not happier, They just drink (smoke, shoot up, snort etc.) heavily.
Critch - I don't mean to sound sexist. Well, actually I can't because I am a woman...that's the rule. Okay, I won't say anything about PM Centerfold...;-)
Obama should watch more Westerns, old ones especially. There's a lot of real-world slipped in. For example: It's not about the gun, it's about the man holding it.
(BTW, if anyone knows what movie that's from, I just remember the line, and I probably mangled it.)
A presidential candidate using his platform to sell steaks. How wonderfully American! :-) (I'd say this is all ripe for a hilarious satire but I think we're waaay beyond that.)
Watched a few movies recently:
-Carol - yes, the lesbian love story and you know what? It was a lovely little movie, and it wasn't an "issue" movie either, which is why some folks think the Academy gave it the shaft at Oscar time. It was simply a romance - no "But what will people think?!" scene, no "We need to change minds!" scene... just two people in love. The Butler and Stonewall this was not!
-Steve Jobs - I actually enjoyed this quite a bit, more than I thought I would. Great acting and great camerawork in what is basically a three-act play. Most of the scenes take place backstage at three different product launches over 20 years and it totally works.
-Spectre - I pretty much agree with Andrew's review: beautiful to look at but a bit meandering and the Blofeld stuff was a:) not surprising, and b.) much ado about nothing. I still liked it, but I'm ready for them to lighten things up a bit.
And I must once again pimp my daily movie posters. I'm up to 46!
The adultery angle of Carol sort of annoyed me.
Your posters? Cool. Hamlet was perfect. As was Close Encounters and French Connection.
I should point out I have not yet seen Carol, just going by what I saw in the trailers.
Kit -
Re: adultery, I understand. It really doesn't bother me since it's just one of those human failings that lends itself to drama. On the other hand, I can't tolerate taking advantage of unsuspecting people. It's why I'll never see something like Borat.
Scott,
"It really doesn't bother me since it's just one of those human failings that lends itself to drama."
I want to point out I don't mind adultery in movies per se. Heck, Double Indemnity and Casablanca are two of my favorites. What I can't stand, or at least have grown tired of, is the romanticization of adultery in many movies today.
Follow me?
"I'd say this is all ripe for a hilarious satire but I think we're waaay beyond that."
I think it was called Idiocracy.
The only reason I would see Borat is because of Werner Herzog's statement about how "We cannot avert our eyes" from the culture, even its toxicity.
Just to know what is selling in our culture —and then have a long cry over a bottle of alcohol.
BTW, a second Ghostbusters trailer showed up. It actually makes it look worse!! We get a clip of a concert scene where the Leslie Jones character jumps off the stage expecting to crowd surf... and then lands with a thud... because that joke hasn't been done to death yet!!
Screenwriter Max Landis (who is usually equal parts insightful and annoying) actually summed it up best for me. He said, "If the other movies didn't exist, this doesn't look like a movie I'd want to see."
I couldn't watch the first Ghostbusters trailer from what I heard about it. Also, the first trailer now has over twice as many dislikes as likes on youtube.
Kit -
I know. It's a shame that legit criticisms are simply labeled "sexism" and the red-pill types that you wrote about way back when aren't helping either. I do love Kate McKinnon's look in the film but it's safe to say I'll be waiting for Redbox.
Watching it. Well, there it is. I have absolutely no desire to see it.
By itself, it doesn't look repulsively bad, just bad. The comedy is unfunny, veering into painful at times ("let's go").
If it weren't for the fact that the original Ghostbusters was a classic this would be one of those movies I would forget about 5 minutes after seeing the trailer. Maybe even 5 seconds.
"It's a shame that legit criticisms are simply labeled "sexism" and the red-pill types that you wrote about way back when aren't helping either."
Theory: This new Ghostbusters movie is secretly financed by misogynist red-pillers to convince people that women are inferior to men. That or the folks behind it were just lazy.
Bev-My wife was going on about how 'gorgeous" he was this morning when she saw him. She also thinks that Sean Hannity is "cute".
One of the Big's reporters was so far up Trump's ass that he called a fellow Bigs reporter who had the bad grace to get attacked by Trump's campaign manager (if you got to a Trump rally and you aren't raising your hand in salute, you will get punched in the face :) ) a liar.
While not being angry about the attack is fine by Bigs standards (I'm sure they'd be similarly phlegmatic if a Muslim attacked one of their reporters at a Clinton rally), doubting it is apparently a bridge too far.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/breitbart-defense-of-female-reporter-roughed-up-by-trump-thug-lewandowski-truly-limp/
But for its part, Brietbart has only sent out what can only be characterized as a limp statement that kinda-sorta defends its reporter. Per Breitbart CEO and President Larry Solov to Politico:
“It’s obviously unacceptable that someone crossed a line and made physical contact with our reporter. What Michelle has told us directly is that someone “grabbed her arm” and while she did not see who it was, Ben Terris of the Washington Post told her that it was Corey Lewandowski. If that’s the case, Corey owes Michelle an immediate apology.”
Wow… the first-name basis thing with “Corey” is a nice touch by Solov, don’t you think? As is referring to him as “someone” in the first sentence when he knows damn well who was involved here. But again, what’s missing here is most notable: A column slamming Lewandowski and Trump on Breitbart.com itself… a publication that has become the #1 go-to for all-things-favorable to the GOP frontrunner. Of course, no such column or statement exists outside of a summary of the Politico column on its own statement… because we wouldn’t want to offend anybody, now would we?
---------------
http://www.mediaite.com/online/breitbart-suspends-reporter-who-implied-co-worker-lied-about-being-attacked-by-trump-staffer/
Breitbart announced Thursday that Patrick Howley, the reporter who publicly doubted whether or not his colleague Michelle Fields was actually manhandled by Donald Trump‘s campaign manager, has been suspended.
In a series of tweets, Howley implied Fields was lying when she claimed to have been physically dragged to the ground by Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. “I think the reporter whose shoulder allegedly got grabbed should release video of the incident,” he tweeted.
Also, its hilarious that Hillary declined to say if she would end her campaign if she was indicted by the FBI. This is her last, best chance and nothing will make her give it up. She may wind up leading our nation from a jail cell!
Did anyone see that story where Loretta Lynch testified that the DOJ looked at ways to file civil suits against climate change deniers? What the Hell kind of country are we?
Okay, 2016, you can stop now.
"Ken Adam, Oscar-Winning Production Designer for Bond Films, Dies at 95"
The man was one of my design heroes.
Critch - In her defense, they were looking for a hook to make big bucks off the Oil/Gas producers (see: Texas) like when the gov't sued Big Tobacco and won a bajillion dollars.
On a side note: I never quite understood how the gov't whether local/state or feds could actually not be culpable since they insisted that people keep smoking to collect those tobacco taxes. Tobaccey made a freakin' fortune for the Fed/State/Local governments.
ScottDS - Yeah, the first 2/12 months of this year have been brutal for deaths among the well known. Every single day, it is someone else.
Anthony - I am guessing that we are going into that phase where Trump, Clinton and Sanders and their minions can do or say anything and it won't really matter.
Oh, and Anthony, Clinton knows she won't ever be indicted. I am convinced that Obama is going issue a Presidential pardon to her for all potential wrong-doing whether real or imagined if she gets the nomination. It still doesn't mean it won't haunt her for the rest of her life.
That was nothing more than a shakedown of the tobacco industry, the government doesn't give a damn about your health, my health or anyone's health. Did anyone see that the USAF has now opened all combat positions to women...folks this will be bad. Those combat controllers and pararescue are right in the thick of things..and I'm afraid that women in the mix will degrade the force, not because they won't try, I'm sure they will, but 99% of the women do not have the body strength men have...and I know the USAF will mismanage this from the start.
Anthony,
The Breitbart scuffle makes me more willing to vote for Hillary out of spite should Trump become the nominee.
Doesn't clinch it, but pushes me closer.
I hear ya', Kit.
Kit -
Ha! Sometimes (not really), I wonder...
...does working for Breitbart make people assholes or are assholes naturally drawn to it? I used to read Nolte when he had his old movie blog and while I didn't always agree with him, it was often a wonderful conversation. Somewhere along the line while working at BH, he became brainwashed Patty Hearst-style or something.
Oh, and these college kids need to go f--- themselves.
For starters, aren't we trying to avoid "culturally segregated living arrangements"?
And the writer points out that anti-Semitism isn't listed along with the rest of the isms and phobias. Which brings me back to my opening line.
Scott,
All I had to read was the title and I'm right there with you. They can go **** themselves.
Agree about John Nolte. Used to love his film stuff. Now? I can only shake my head.
Sadly, the day Andrew Breitbart died was the end of Breitbart.com. They've become untethered and lost in their own unbearable craziness.
Hopefully, this Michelle Fields affair will bring them back in line with sanity (to a certain degree).
Trump is a bridge too far for me as well. I haven't figured out what I'll do in November yet but I consider him, Hillary, and Sanders to all be equally toxic. And I had to resist beating my head against the table at those college kids... The world just keeps getting crazier, it seems.
- Daniel
Breitbart got boring to me...
The Trump campaign keeps getting more awesome. Having initially acknowledged the attack, now they are denying it and calling the reporter a liar.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/432634/after-alleged-assault-trump-campaign-launches-vicious-deceptive-attack-michelle-fields
I'm finding Twitchy more interesting and informative than most other news outlets. They get right to the point...the gist of the issue, and offer quick, biting, many times counterintuitive responses to the issues in the news. Across all media.
Can't read Breitbart much anymore.
All the college idiots are doing is destroying any credibility or respect they might have ever had based on basic human nature. Like the BLM movement, every rational thinking person understands what is going on there.
As a French Canadian (on my Mother's side) with many relatives in Quebec Province (PQ) they all think he's an idiot like his father (citizen of the world first before a Canadian much less French Canadian). The liberal English Canadians love him of course.
I really don't think either Trump or Hillary will make it to the finals. Like the NCAA there will be the Cinderella candidate who surprises everybody (Cruz...Webb....Warren....Biden......Romney?)
I don't trust anything this administration claims. From DOJ to IRS to the Narcisist-In-Chief. All corrupt, all full of themselves and all destined for that special place in history ala Chamberlain and his minions.
Nothing tonight, folks.
Test tomorrow.
But I will leave you with this quote by the UK's Roger Scruton on Jeremy Corbyn, though I think it might easily apply to the GOP race as well:
"He was not elected by the parliamentary party but by people who have the luxury of sounding off without the responsibility of answering for it. Corbyn represents the idiocy of direct democracy, and the culture of resentment that takes advantage of it."
I doubt I will be able to bring myself to vote for Trump. The more I read about him the less I like and I read a lot.
While politicians give me little cause for hope, they haven't dimmed my faith in America or my belief that it is the greatest country in the world.
My everyday dealings with people of various walks of life are marked by civility and none of the animosities one would expect given the state of politics.
I've not saying America is Eden (we have our fair share of fools, jerks and what have you) but as a guy who is fairly well travelled its a wonderful country. It has its flaws, but people who think those flaws aren't routine in greater quantities elsewhere are fooling themselves.
Scott, That Ghostbust trailer sucks. That joke is so tired it has narcolepsy.
Anthony, The Bigs became a joke after Andrew died and by this point they are a bad joke. No integrity, no principles, no worthwhile people left.
Suing people for refusing to accept a scientific theory (or even a fact) is so obviously in violation of the Constitution that no one raised in America, least of an attorney, should give it more than a cursory dismissal.
Also, it truly is totalitarian. Talk about the thought-police!
Patriot, I dismiss college groups automatically because they are speaking from a position of ignorance because, well, they are ignorant. Get out into the real world and then talk to me.
I've been watching the coverage of the NFL's free agency buying spree and it's amazing how stupid the reporters are. They speak in circles and contradict themselves often in the same thought.
Their coverage of the Broncos is the triumph of well-worn-wrong conventional wisdom over intelligence. They are going with this idea that John Elway has no idea what he's doing (2 Super Bowl appearances in 4 years aside) since he refused to outbid the Texans for a quarterback with five mediocre starts AND then they say how smart Elway is for not overpaying BUT now he doesn't have a QB on the roster and Elway made a huge mistake and is doomed EVEN as they report that Elway has 4 or 5 guys lined up as options and he's negotiating with the first couple.
Huh?
They're vehement about this too... every contradictory part of it.
I really just want to smack these people and ask, "Are you that stupid that you don't hear yourself? What is wrong with you?"
I've got a film review up! Woo hoo!
Sometime I would like to hear all ya'll's views of a popular vote for POTUS vs. The Electoral College. I don't like the idea of popular vote, I figure at that point the candidates will only care about big cities and big states. I think the Founding Fathers had it right; democracy can be dangerous.
I don't know if Nolte got brainwashed as much as Andrew's passing left an unfillable void into which John felt he could step. Great film critic, absolutely. Cultural happy warrior, not so much. Sure seems well-equipped in the payola department, though.
Republics in decline are rarely ever fun.
Josh Barro may be a prick but he had a good, and darkly funny, tweet on everything that has happened this past week:
"This election is exhausting, but at least it's the last one we're ever going to have."
Black Lives Matter and the other leftist groups are saving Trump from himself. Trump's rallies being called off or disrupted by leftist violence does Trump no harm (quite the opposite) whereas Trump staff and supporters physically attacking reporters and non-violent protestors does him serious harm (it would in the general anyway).
*Shrugs* Of course, if someone is on the fringe almost by definition they aren't bright or politically savvy.
Re: the idiocy at the college - I think they should have been expelled for the interrupting the Trustee's meeting. Yes, you have freedom of speech-from the government-elsewhere there are consequences.
Generally, party trumps person (no pun intended) but I'm having trouble with the trump, which is making my liberal friend giddy even though I told them I won't vote for a crook or a socialist. Besides, I think it will clear up after Tuesday. Despite his flaws, Cruz is looking more and more like the guy. Trump is stuck at 30-40%. When anyone drops out, those people are not going to Trump. Unless Rubio has a spectacular night (doubtful) I think Cruz will cruise. He also has done the best job building a ground game and has been very frugal with his money. It is still early but I'm liking what I see with his management of the campaign.
Anthony - I agree. The protesters have kind of save Trump from himself. Fortunately he screwed it up by not denouncing the violence outright. But then Trump being Trump, he likes that people are being bloodied because of him. I fear for what is going to happen at the conventions this summer if the violence isn't put down. It's going to be a bloodbath and people are going to get killed.
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