JoeWeber

That's a great way of viewing life except when our asses are on the line. Engaging with respect for differences, thus far, has too often devolved into being empathetic until defeated. Let's be philosophic about it later, now lets get back in power by hook or by crook. If the opposition believes I'm engaging them with respect I'll take it if it gets us closer to a win. To be absolutely clear, I do not believe honest dialogue and genuine respect are possibilities at this stage; now it is time to play by their rules, odious as it may be to do so, and play to get the win.

That is very freaky in addition to damn scary. We've noticed a decline in controller abilities over the last some years at the DZ. We're out in la-la land and only have an airway and GA traffic bombing around to deal with so we're often doing more listening than talking and obeying. Many years ago I put full on traffic in all of my airplanes just to be proactive to avoid dealing with ATC nonsense: dumb holds, stupid vectors, and just plain forgetting about the restrictions given. I'm of the opinion that back in the early 90's there were much better people in the tower. We're just past 30 miles from PDX (edge of the radar screen) so they could really ignore us if they wanted to. In those day's they never seemed overwhelmed as a part of their normal day like we see now; whatever was going on in the middle of the screen many were still able to be really helpful to us, not controlling and cop like which is more the norm now. The supervisors were more in tune with first come first serve and enforced it instead of begrudging it. These day's not so much. So I'd guess that the problems have as much to do with who they hire, and how they are managed, as who they fire.

I wouldn't so characterize the point to make it appear as if we're talking about two sides of a coin. I am proposing the doing and saying of whatever it takes to win for the chance to push a completely democratic agenda. The idea is that for that to happen we will need to leave our consciouses and a wide swath of our actual desires, not to mention our always frantic need to wake everyone up before sunrise, in the sack for the time being. Today I read where the leftist purity police in California are bemoaning what appears to be Newsom's slow drift to the middle. That is exactly the sort of missing the point entirely I'm thinking about.

Not exactly. It was more of a high school level plagiarism of the end justifies the means crafted with a dollop of highfalutin jargon so as to appear noble and not cutthroat which is what I'm actually proposing.

Developing a plan is key. Central to that plan must include recognizing that we need candidates who will appeal to the shallow and uninformed several percent of the electorate that can put the ticket over the top. That, sports fans, is what we cannot allow ourselves to be talked out of regardless of how absolutely shitty and antithetical such blatant hypocrisy may be to our core beliefs. I would also vote for Kelly just as I would for Buttigeig or Moore and did for Harris. But next time around, if there is one, we cannot think that way even if the polls say otherwise. Next time we need to get things in the proper order: first win and then do what is right.

That's right. It wasn't just the debate; the right was pointing to Biden's decline before and we (as in me and my ilk) self-servingly brushed it off as we are always wont to do it seems. Certainly Trump is all that we have claimed and worse but the truth is that we own the resultant disaster of his return to the Presidency by and through our own actions and complicities. Our political leaders also lie to us and themselves to hold onto power and position at the expense and to the detriment of their electorate. Pogo's version was certainly correct: we have found the enemy and he is us.

The Constitution Explained: If you aren’t happy with it today, just wait until some new justices come along to put some more fun into fungible.

It’s every they for hirself now, I reckon.

I am a huge fan of Buttigieg but even though Red Kentucky has a D governor do you think they would vote in sufficient numbers for an openly gay man who is also a father of adopted kids? I’d have the guy for President in a heartbeat but the last election has eroded all but all of my faith in a huge swath of my fellow Americans.

They are not going to reconsider Trump in real numbers or real time. Any and everything Trump has done that has us twitterpated, offended, gobsmacked, and discombobulated isn't on any of their radar screens yet. Shelves are still full, jobs are still believed to be secure, and people are out spending money per normal. The idea that godless democrats who favor killing babies and flooding our Christian nation with murdering rapists and dark heathens might be an acceptable alternative isn't even a seed worth watering. Even if there were viable arguments that could change sufficient numbers of minds our ilk aren't capable of making the case without devolving into nonsense and be nice-itudes so as to cause no offense. Until we learn to fight the battle that is they will continue to win.

J B Pritzker on Politics done right. This is the word.

And Bentley's, too. Main stream news is fake, just not in the way MAGA claims. They should be tearing this farce too shreds.

Seriously? It's true that dumbshits can be conned into believing even what harms them more than their intended victims? Finally I feel enlightened! I do so hope that scholars Geraldy Sepúlveda-Páez, Marcelo Leiva-Bianchi, Rodrigo Ferrer-Urbina, Javier Escudero-Pastén, and Fabiola Salas received extra cookies with their PhD's.

I’m thinking too many are guilty of worse than turning a blind eye.

Not Kallend. His nipples are pierced.

Isn't Leo an anagram of Olé? Also, VIX is one past 13, I think. Is there a message there like he wants the southern border open (he is a south sider) and that we need to get past MS-13?

Great catch. You need to report her anyway, I think.

They’re as dead as our former democracy. Like them, the rest of us need to start accepting reality and reexamine how and if we’re well positioned to thrive in a nascent autocracy. Trumps reelection cannot be brushed off as a fluke; it’s a fantasy to think the tide is turning; there won’t be a Democratic senate majority in 2026; a majority of Americans who are motivated to vote have a world view antithetical to mine. The sad and simple fact is that we are pitifully confused by the phantom twitch of a missing democracy that, against all desire, is now gone.

On to other news, Trump has directed Hegseth to fire 20% of all 4 star Generals in active service, 20% of National Guard 4 Stars, and 10% of the rest one star and above. Now why on earth would he want to do that?

That's why I went into essential services. Apparently recession or not folks need to skydive. Go figure.

Aww.., poor babies, they didn't think it would happen to them. Oh, yes, it's what he said he would do but surely he meant other people like gays and blacks and my asshole brother-in-law.

I knew there was MAGA in your soul: Trump was right about everything!

We need a 300% tariff on all Bollywood movies as penance for watching one if for no other reason.

Also, you won’t get Vivian Leigh and Clarke Gable to star in Gorillas in the Wind if you don’t film in Rwanda. That said there is plenty of money in film and they probably should do more here just as I don’t lose sleep over Apple going from a 60% margin down to 30%.

Money. Regulations. A love of foreign films. A shortage of historical locations and interesting accents. And who wants to pay to see Katy Perry star in Old Faithful: The Final Chapter?