Monday, October 21, 2024

Monday Night

Rock on.

Happy Hour

Get happy

Fertile Teen Wombs

Imagine what their private conversations must be like.
“Remote dispensing of abortion drugs by mail, common carrier, and interactive computer service is depressing expected birth rates for teenaged mothers in Plaintiff States,” the attorneys allege in the complaint, which was filed before forced birth enthusiast Judge Matt Kacsmaryk in the Northern District of Texas’s Amarillo Division. They claim that decreased births constitute “a sovereign injury to the state in itself,” and causes downstream injuries like “losing a seat in Congress or qualifying for less federal funding if their populations are reduced.” In other words, uteri are state slush funds, and girls owe the state reproduction once they are capable of it.
What the fuck is wrong with these people

America's Worst Corporation

"Meta"

Triggers

Armed conflict is hell for everyone involved, but in an article centering sympathy for an Israeli soldier/bulldozer driver who committed suicide, it is jarring that this is the only warning:
Editor’s note: This story includes details about suicide that some readers may find upsetting.
when the article also contains things like this:
The former soldier has spoken publicly about the psychological trauma endured by Israeli troops in Gaza. In a testimony to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in June, Zaken said that on many occasions, soldiers had to “run over terrorists,  dead and alive, in the hundreds.”

Everything squirts out,” he added.

Lunch

Shop while you eat! (Ad, I get a commission).

Explaining The Joke

On the off chance it's necessary, the point here is that there is a ridiculous amount of sympathy demanded for powerful people who face mild social opprobrium for their actions, especially if they are friendly with powerful journalists, and very little offered to lower level people.
 
There is often a political imbalance too, in part because journalists will run with any shit conservatives tell them, with The Left being regularly portrayed as unruly and violent despite little reason to do so.

This was part of her response (and how media outlets covered it):
Sanders began her press briefing Monday reading a statement reacting to the incident.

“We are allowed to disagree but we should be able to do so freely and without fear of harm, and this goes for all people regardless of politics,” she said.

“Healthy debate on ideas and political philosophy is important, but the calls for harassment and push for any Trump supporter to avoid the public is unacceptable,” Sanders added.
Fear of harm? What? This is all just crybullying and flopping around, pretending to be injured to the worst referees in existence.

President Donald Trump on Monday insulted a small Virginia restaurant that recently asked White House press secretary Sarah Sanders to leave.

...

The tweet serves to amplify a controversy that has been seized on by conservatives as an example of harassment of Trump officials by progressives.
"[A] controversy" (how did it become one) ... "seized on by conservatives" (a daily event)... "an example of harassment" (was this really harassment? are there any actual examples of this AT ALL?).

This Reminds Me Of The Time Sarah Huckabee Sanders Was Politely Asked To Leave A Restaurant

Though that was much more chilling as she was someone who matters (a friend of Maggie Haberman).
PHOENIX—As Nov. 5 looms, the election headquarters in the most populous county in the crucial battleground state of Arizona has become a fortress. 

“You’d have to be a psychopath to say you enjoy this,” said Maricopa County’s top election official for voting by mail, Stephen Richer, a Republican. The building has added metal detectors and armed guards. On Election Day, as workers tabulate ballots behind new fencing and concrete barriers, drones will patrol the skies overhead, police snipers will perch on rooftops and mounted patrols will stand ready.

Morning

There you go again.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Sunday Evening

No travel tomorrow.

Lunch

On a plane.

Campaign Money

An incorrect assumption embedded in a lot of discussion of campaign finance issues is that, for example, if you support an increase in the minimum wage, then business interests will run ads about your position on that policy.

But that isn't actually what  happens.  Mininum wage increases, for example, are fairly popular, so that money is used to fund ads that suggest you are a pedophile.

This is a version of that. Musk isn't using his money to support a position, he is using it to nuke a candidate any way he can.  

Morning

Travel day for me. You know the drill.

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Saturday Night

Rock on.

Normal Stuff

The worm has almost finished eating.
DETROIT (AP) — Donald Trump paced his rally stage in silence for nearly 20 minutes Friday night in Detroit after his microphone cut out.

The Republican nominee and former president was about to wax on about one of his favorite subjects, tariffs, working up to naming it by first teasing “the most beautiful word in the dictionary.” Very quickly afterward, the sound went down.

The crowd chanted “USA” and “We love Trump” in support. But with no microphone, Trump simply wandered around the stage. Looking frustrated, his back was turned to most of his audience at times.

No Big Deal - I Do That Every Day

All of you think I am anointed to be the king, no? No?

Almost There

Election day soon, and then just two months before election season starts again.

Morning

Slacker Saturday

Friday, October 18, 2024

Friday Night

Rock on.

Happy Hour

Get happy.