The Frankish Reich

Well, it most certainly caused the markets to go down more than 10%, which is nothing to sneeze at. And then the Trump TACO play most certainly caused it to rebound. And now we go again.

The "election rigging" claims long ago moved into the realm of farce, so I don't even know what to call this: https://reason.com/volokh/2025/07/07/6k-sanctions-for-apparent-ai-hallucinations-in-coomer-v-lindell-my-pillow-election-related-libel-suit/ My Pillow king Mike Lindell's lawyers filed legal pleadings that included a bunch of fake AI-generated legal citations. Imagine that. The "rigged election" forces continue to pitch a shutout, coming up empty in each and every claim that has been subject to court scrutiny.

And don't forget that the Court of International Trade has already found that Trump was without authority to enact these tariffs. That decision is stayed pending appeal, but there's a very good chance it will be upheld.

I could see that he always had his eye on that building. Even while the other one was looking straight ahead.

It still amazes me that the Cult of Trump managed to spin the following established facts into a criminal conspiracy that TRUMP would reveal: - Trump had a long relationship with Epstein, who was a frequent guest at Mar-a-Lago - Epstein got a sweetheart plea deal from Alex Acosta, who was then offered a position in Trump's cabinet - Epstein was found dead while in the custody of Trump's Bureau of Prisons - Ghislaine Maxwell arrested, and Trump quips "I wish her well" - Trump hires Alan Dershowitz - Dershowitz's former accuser, Virginia Giuffre, weirdly recants and says maybe it wasn't he who raped her after all (she confused him with another yellow-toothed goblin?) - Virginia Giuffre kills herself. And now add: - Trump's AG/FBI Director have determined that there is nothing of interest in Epstein's files and that he did, in fact, commit suicide And somehow the Cult says it's all about ... Bill Clinton? Who was last president a quarter century ago? I mean, it isn't too difficult to construct a fine and simple conspiracy theory around those facts, right? And yet we have the bizarro Hillary Clinton baby-eating cult as the favored one.

Epstein Scorecard: Mainstream Media 1, Nutcases 0.

You know, reading through those, you were kind of a curious skeptic back then. Others took all the bait the weirdos set out for them. You should be proud. So I guess we're all o.k. with the big Nothing To See Here despite the 100+ pages about how the Epstein Files would expose the Deep State in its entirety? Anyone care to chime in? Were you just ... wrong about all this? Was the real cover-up the Trump cover-up?

Another choice one. Go back and note all the fools who gave this the trophy emoji (in case they can't recall)

You mean that whole Nazi Breeding Program thing wasn't real? My world turned upside down.

Some would call this an unfair trade practice.

I'm not even sure I'd say that it was unwise to build a summer camp there and to keep it running. The camp was apparently always full. It provided a lot of fun and happiness for a lot of families over the decades. There was obviously a risk; maybe some of the parents didn't really think about the risk, but it was there. I'm not sure we can live our lives expecting perfect protection from mother nature's threats. It is a tragedy.

100 year flood? 1,000 year flood? Try 40 year flood. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalupe_River_(Texas) The river is prone to flash floods due to a combination of topography, geology, and climate. The greater area, Texas Hill Country, is known as flash flood alley 1978: 33 dead 1987: 10 dead (school bus swept away) I posted something very similar about Malibu/Pacific Palisades fires last year. They happen all the time. This happens with a little less frequency, but it happens.

Well, some of us are certainly stuck in a June state of mind. Me? I've moved on to National Ice Cream Month.

What's wrong with this official portrait or the Snow Queen c. 1990? Although generally unrecognizable, the pattern of pock marks allows for positive identification. The taxpayers may save on the framing costs.

There is one big wedge issue that kills that Libertarian Wave: immigration.

Thanks for nuthin Trump In principle, yes. But it was kind of a simple campaign promise, right? NO tax on social security. And now Trump is making his SSA send out similarly deceptive messages to befuddled old folks like me.

Or as the GOAT would say, "thanks, Shylock."

Message received from the Social Security Administration (I can elect to receive benefits starting next year) says the new BBB "delivers long-awaited tax relief to millions of older Americans. The new law includes a provision that eliminates federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for most beneficiaries, providing relief to individuals and couples. Additionally, it provides an enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older, ensuring that retirees can keep more of what they have earned.” And guess what my wife I will save in taxes thanks to "no tax on social security?" You got it: Nothing. Zero. The increased deduction wouldn't apply till I'm 65, and that's a ways off. And even if I wait to get benefits, it won't apply because (1) it phases out, conveniently, in 2028 after Trump is gone; (2) there's an income phase-out that we'll exceed. So ... nothing. Zero. "Promises kept" indeed.

Maybe we should ask Jack Poso why God turned on Camp Mystic? Do they preach a non-inclusive/anti-New Testament version of Christianity?* * EDIT: before people (deliberately) misconstrue what I said, this is obviously a tragedy, and no, no person or persons are to blame for this act of nature. The sort of act of nature that may be loosely correlated with climate change, but that also tells us nothing about man-made causes of climate change. There. Yet another one of those where I had to check a few other sources to make sure this isn't parody. Answer: it isn't. She is really that stupid.

"Fiscally conservative, socially liberal." Depends how you ask the question. One take from a group that fits the description: https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/politics-government/fiscally-conservative-socially-liberal The problem is with how political coalitions form in our two-party/first past the post/federalist system. I live in what is now a deep blue state. The percentage supporting socially conservative views is maybe 30%. The liberal legislature keeps trying to undo a 1990s thing called the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which basically requires a ballot measure to increase taxes. We've had a few of those. They all fail. People don't want higher taxes and higher spending either. So this kind of works in a state with high median levels of education, no particularly strong ethnic voting blocs, etc. I can't see it working in New York or Arkansas. The best Musk can do is to fulfill the Perot role, by dragging Dems and their candidates toward the center.

You would have a good point if it were clear that the goal of the Trump tariff game theory is to get to a point of true free trade. But that isn't it at all. The administration has clearly restated an old/discredited mercantilist theory of tariffs, and has also pointed to tariff revenues replacing income tax revenues. So ... no.

The critical difference between Milei and Trump: Milei is a free trader, actively working to remove - not increase - tariffs.

Sorry, I can't help it! But seriously: some of these things are legal issues. We don't like someone's message. Should we censor it? Punish it? Or should we just live with it, criticize it, but accept it based on higher free speech values.

It is a response to a comment about the allegedly horrific infringements on our liberty from our COVID response. So I'm pointing out that some of the same people who refused to wear masks then insist on wearing masks now. Albeit for different reasons. Got it?

People are acting like the devaluation of the dollar is necessarily bad or unexpected. Seems to me that it is the policy of the Trump Administration. It is Intro to Macroeconomics stuff that a devalued currency raises the cost of imports; all other things being equal, that should work to "improve" the balance of trade. It is a tariff by other means, plus it should also lower the cost of exports to foreign buyers. Economists can argue about whether the downside to a devalued dollar outweighs that. But I have to assume that the current administration's economists would think that a devalued dollar is a good thing. Here's an opinion from a noted economist that devaluation is a bad idea. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/07/why-donald-trumps-plan-to-weaken-the-dollar-is-flawed