The Frankish Reich

Tommy Boy Freaks Out; S&P Shrugs Off Retail Sales News, Opens Up .15%

You mean the story about how a Republican House chair criticized the Biden Administration for not divulging information on Russia's Star Wars program?

https://abcnews.go.com/US/house-panel-obtains-texts-allegedly-showing-gaetz-setting/story?id=107126493

https://apnews.com/article/georgia-elections-true-vote-ballot-stuffing-199113b47bc2df79c63fdf007cd23115

The degree of coddling of big time sports "student athletes" never ceases to amaze. That fateful national championship celebration night involved Carter, teammates, and the 24 year old girl who died (a football program employee of some sort) doing 104 mph all together. In a strip club. She had a BAC of .197. As far as I can tell, she was supposed to be the adult in that particular room.

Speaking of coupmeisters ...

But Buffalo Pizza is the best pizza in the world. Can I come back in?

Did I miss something? Did we conclude that Jalen Carter was NOT involved in the illegal street race that wound up with 2 dead? The most idiotic street race ever, involving a Ford Expedition and a Jeep Trackhawk? The one the he was involved in AFTER he had just been cited for driving 89 in a 45 mph zone? Jalen obviously has serious guilt issues. I agree - trash talking about an opponent's family is off limits. But I don't get why this is. He did it. Deal with it without lashing out at the guy across the line.

Labatt's Blue is a crap beer. Chicken wings, I can take 'em or leave 'em.

Hate Belichick, actually like Andy Reid. Hate Brady, actually kinda like Mahomes. Hate Gronk, Hate Kelce. Hate creeper Kraft, kinda like that wholesome Hunt family Pats 10/10, Chiefs 3/10.

My first childhood football hero. Really. In his defense, he messed up his shoulder pretty bad that year. In 1970, he was a slightly more acceptable 3-8-1.

Marangi probably edges out Peterman simply because he played more. 7 starts, 0-7 record. Peterman: 5 starts, and amazingly 1-4 because that one win was when we beat the Colts in OT with Joe Webb at QB. But I'll admit it, it's close ...

Really unfair dig at Orlando Tim

The Republican legislative agenda now: 1. Do nothing that is actually "legislation." 2. Use the House chamber solely for things that fire up the Trump base, like Hunter Biden investigations and impeachments. 3. Sit back and wait for the restoration of King Trump, hope you win the Senate, and then ratify cockamamie scheme he comes up with.

My first car was a hand me down Pontiac Phoenix - the same car as that Chevy Citation with a different name plate. What a piece of crap. (But better than no car at all)

As a child of the 70s (born in the last year of the Baby Boom in the 60s), I must applaud you for this list. You generally nailed it. Just one correction: those ridiculously underpowered Camaros were really a thing of the 80s. PJ O'Rourke said the 60s were a "decade without quality control." The line was good, but it applied to the 70s, not the 60s.

Just finished a really good read on Crypto, SBF, etc. No, not Michael Lewis's latest starstruck profile. It's this one: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711959/number-go-up-by-zeke-faux/ Not a dry read. Really entertaining (I listened to the audiobook, only about 6 hours) with lots of things I never knew about crypto and its scammers. The author talks about traveling around El Salvador and offering to pay for things in Bitcoin. All the merchants just roll their eyes at him. On the other hand, El Sal has for a long time used the USD as their "stable" currency.

This is paywalled so I haven't read more than this long clip. And having done so, I have to say: what the hell is The Spectator writer trying to argue? Because the way I read it, it goes something like this: - Tucker Carlson is being excoriated for interviewing war criminal Putin - But this isn't the first time an American journalist interviewed a (proto) war criminal. None other than William Randolph Hearst interviewed Hitler himself! So ... we should excuse Tucker because Hearst exhibited equally horrid judgement back in 1934? Because after all, that Hitler guy was just misunderstood, and likely Putin is similarly misunderstood? I repeat: what's the point here?

Mitterand, Marcon. Pelosi, Haley. Whichever way you cut it, we're doomed.

Actually, the number of Salvadorans coming thru our southern border has declined very substantially. No doubt this is a consequence of an improved law and order situation. This is why I'm kind of conflicted on this issue. Yes, I would love to see a perfect rule of law, in which there is strong evidence supporting everyone accused of a crime. El Salvador has clearly rounded up thousands of presumed gang members based on appearance, including tattoos, without evidence of an actual crime being committed. But on the other hand, gang violence was completely out of control there. I have worked on many matters in which people fled because the gangs continued to extort them - kind of like an Uber mafia in which you can't do anything without gang approval. And yes, anyone getting MS 13 tattoos is clearly advertising to all "I am a member of a criminal cartel and I'm coming for you." We'll see what happens. For now, I am inclined to give Bukele a little more leeway, simply because the human rights violations of the gangs themselves far exceed any violation his crackdowns have caused. (By the way, the Bitcoin thing is pretty much a failure so far)

Not surprisingly, Bill Kristol's comment goes way, way over the heads of "the people's pundit" (whoever he is) and our very own copypasta pals. Here he's parroting Trump's Muslim Ban - the very scholarly "until we find out what's going on" should have been a clue. I remain, in the famous words of Tommy Boy, a Cognitive Dissident. (That one would've been clever if it had been on purpose...)

It's happened to me a few times.

There was no saving her, pal. Textbook takedown shot. Threat neutralized.

Of course it's a win for Trump, since delay accrues to the benefit of almost every criminal defendant, particularly a guy running for President. My point: despite what obviously confused "lawyer" DC Draino sez (and really, who wouldn't trust a guy named DC Draino? I mean, it's way more professional than Cat Turd), this has absolutely nothing to do with stripper-adjacent Rep Luna's letter. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/31/trump-trial-immunity-delay-00138688

Former Gentlemen's Club Worker, Rep. Luna, is now merely an attention *****. The case was taken off the docket because the Supreme Court will not decide the immunity claim before the previously scheduled trial date. In other words, it's not about your little letter.