The Frankish Reich

I agree - excellent short series. The kid is a superb actor. And no, that 80/20 crap is crap in real life, but it may be real in dating apps. I'm glad I am old enough to have met women in real life first.

Look at the “I wanna sell some books” grafs they’re running with: 1. Biden didn’t know if he was President of the EU or the USA. An insider joke meant to point out that Biden seemed a lot more interested in foreign policy than domestic affairs. Repeated here as proof that he’s senile. 2. We thought he might need a wheelchair in his second term. Duh. He either has severe arthritis (the official explanation) or Parkinson's (many suspect). At any rate, yeah, he’s 81, has trouble getting around, and it’s time to put rails in the shower or get one of those walk-in bathtubs.

Oh, we're just getting started. So is Barron - officially listed as the "DeFi Visionary" at World Liberty Financial - now fair game for ridicule? All-American Slovenian tot all grown up.

So ... why wouldn't it simply be a gift from Qatar to the people of the United States? Why does Trump personally get it, and then it reverts to the Trump Library Foundation (or whatever) instead of to the next President? Couldn't the current AF1 (to be retired once the Gilded Palace of Sin takes flight) be on exhibit at the Trump Library, and the new and improved Qatari 747 continue to benefit the American people? Just call bs when you hear it. Don't cover up for him.

The Republicans in Congress agree. In a stunning development, it appears that the income tax will survive alongside the beautiful tariffs. In related news, there's a "real chance" the Tennessee Titans will win the Super Bowl this season.

At least those of us living in the low income tax states won't be subsidizing all those tax-and-spend New Yorkers and Californians anymore. Wait, hold my beer:

As a guy getting ready to elect when to take social security, imagine my thrill upon learning that Trump promised no tax on social security. I think my benefit even at 62 will be north of $28,000/year. Since I pay about a quarter of that in federal taxes, I'll have an extra $7000/year in mad money! Oh. Wait. Read the fine print. Turns out my wife and I get ... Nothing. Zero. If we impoverished ourselves to get under the income cap, well, we'd get an additional $4,000 standard deduction. Which would save us the princely sum of ... wait for it ... $1000/year. So with an indent and a subparagraph (A), Trump's minions just took away $6,000/year from me. At least I wasn't one of the old suckers who voted for him because he was gonna put extra money in my pocket ... Next up: the bs no taxes on overtime and no taxes on tips, or when "No Taxes" means "Slightly Reduced Taxes for Poorer Filers." Big win! https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/taxes-tips-big-beautiful-bill

Do I have to take both? To her credit, Charlize has had less cosmetic surgery.

So how's that anti-police state thing working out?

On the Boer refugees: I had a little exposure to this about 15 years ago. I don't know what's in their hearts regarding race, etc, but their outward actions show strong (and often large) family ties, an interest in living the rural life, and a willingness to live in some pretty marginal farmland that is otherwise depopulating. So they seem to be good additions to the United States even if the manner in which they're being allowed to jump the line is questionable at best.

Good thing he didn't say this while on a Harvard student visa: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/middleeast/saudi-mbs-accuses-israel-genocide-gaza-intl/index.html

Just as the first glimmers of Spring always gives way to full light of Summer, comments about Dalton Kincaid being too skinny will surely give way to comments about Dion Dawkins being too fat. The Great Cycle of Bills Fanlife.

It's funny how that can happen when you get out of your own way and let people who know what they're doing (Bessent) take charge. Kind of like how brain-dead Biden managed it. A good example, I guess, for brain-dead Trump. hey, where's Peter Navarro?

Beside the point. This is about refugee processing abroad.

The point here shouldn't be that white South African farmers are privileged and shouldn't be eligible for refugee status/asylum. Some have been violently targeted based largely on their race and not on some kind of orderly land redistribution law. Rather, the point should be that Trump has essentially shut down refugee processing except for white Boer farmers. Are they really the most victimized people in the world right now? Why the special treatment? I know of only two logical answers: (1) their race; (2) Elon.

I don’t see the issue. It’s a gift from the emir of an Iran-aligned country to the American people, and then to a library in honor of a nonreader. And Trump’s chief legal officer says it’s kosher. She is definitely a neutral arbiter.

When men were men: Hakeem Olajuwon fasting (not even drinking water) during Ramadan playoff games. https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/g1uy1n/hakeem_olajuwons_stats_while_fasting_during/

No, this one is garden variety bullcrap.

I thought this was amusing.

Yep. As everyone actually reads the EO and processes what's happened, it's a big nothingburger.

Well, the markets are certainly calling bs on this latest EO: https://www.investors.com/news/technology/drug-prices-most-favored-nations-pharmaceutical-stocks/ All bark, no bite. Honestly, it's just government by press release. Nothing here is enforceable. Any fool who tweeted "we finally got Big Pharma" should slink away in shame. Won't get fooled again. Except they always are.

Well, I guess you’re right, they’re competing on who can be the most socialist here. Does this allow importation of gray market drugs? Not that I can see. So what if Novo Nordisk says no, we’re not gonna sell Ozempic for $50/month (what it costs in France) in the US? Will it be embargoed? What happens? I do see room for a vigorous FTC to file suit. Is there price fixing, or is it just dumb luck that Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound all cost pretty much the same but compounding pharmacies can make and sell it for a fraction of the price? But you’ve got to prove collusion, and that ain’t easy when Big Pharma has the resources they do. So will I (well, my fat cousin) be able to get Ozempic for $50/month next month? Something makes me think “no.”

The uniquely American tradition of The Embarrassing Brother apparently applies to popes as well as to presidents. https://nypost.com/2025/05/11/us-news/new-pope-leo-xivs-brother-shared-gross-post-calling-nancy-pelosi-a-drunk-c/

No one knows. He most recently pulled a new number - 80 percent - out of his behind.