leh-nerd skin-erd

No one is above the law, version 265

Ah, I forgot I labelled you a 'fraidy cat. At least we agree on your Stewie moniker. We can roll with that. It was not my intent to overrule you, again, not even certain how one obviously cute (I didn't want to say it, but it's true and thank you ☺️) old timer could overrule anyone. I actually thought I handled that respectfully, I didn't knock your post, and included a tag so it would not appear I was talking behind your back. I think you're being overly sensitive. To boot, you initially suggested I was overruling historians, then prest-o change-o you changed it to me overruling you. Trés confusing. ✊ Before, you didn't seem inclined to acknowledge this. Why hold the line on that particular issue in an attempt to win a point only to abandon it one post later? I guess it's like that old lady said in "Titanic", a woman's heart is indeed a deep ocean. 🫡 Argue as you see fit, reasonable people can disagree reasonably. To me, that sort of interaction sounds an awful lot like arguing over who is tougher, Spider or Batman. Besides, Stevie Wonder could see where I was going with that. I'm a simple man, really, and don't really see much value there. OMG you lied about the 18 hour cat nap? Did you even lick the back of your pawhands, or is everything about our relationship a lie? My only failure was in trusting, apparently. #mean

I have a friend/associate who was born and raised in Palestine. He most definitely is not a fan of Israel and believes the 10/7 attack was fabricated or reported as substantially worse than it was. He's a pretty passionate guy and I try and listen to what he says and why. Stepping back from that for just a second, the bigger question is always this: Does Hamas present a threat to our values, or way of life, and the national security of the country. I believe it does, so it's hard for me to step back and completely reconcile how the Palestinian people don't share some of the blame here. As an American, there's all sorts of hate and animosity directed at certain political groups by certain other political groups (for instance anyone with TDS v anyone who is not afflicted), yet in that part of the world it's beyond the pale to raise that issue. Before you launch into a nedboyish tirade about hate and loathing under the banner...I harbor no hate against anyone, and the amount of pain and suffering in the Middle East is off the charts historically. I understand that the Israeli's are not innocent in this interaction, but when push comes to shove, I think you partner with the partner less likely to want to see you destroyed.

I think the WaPo did the right thing here. They manned up, stepped up to the podium and acknowledged giving improper certitude due to a fault in weighting discourse. That takes guts. Kudos Postians.

I see the feline play here, I don't see the connection---I see you less a 'stalk your prey' poster, more of a Stewie from Family Guy player. As for your posting stamina--I appreciate all that, but to quote an old friend during a very difficult stretch at a stressful job..."Hey, we can stand on our head for a year if need be.". The more likely outcome is I lose interest in the subject matter, though certainly remain appreciative for the hard, dirty work you put in. How I would overrule historians? What does this mean? Swing and a miss, Miss. There are many versions of socialism, yes. Thank you, we could stop here and agree. Again, I acknowledged that I thought you were approaching this from a textbook perspective (no criticism intended), in my original post--my quick review of the subject matter suggests that 'worker owning' is often substituted with 'government representing the collective'. Yes, branding, we agree. Thank you. Point 2 has been addressed. That there was overlap with fascist tendencies is obvious. I feel like there is spillover when discussing any of these situations. As for 'some of his supporters', sure. Some rejected his approach. Some were full-throated supporters of his theory of social welfare and strong government , abhorrent though it was. Some went along for the ride. There is a Garfield joke in here somewhere, but I'm too much of a gentleperson to flush it out.

If Biden had those facts in the debate, and actually knew it was 2024, his night might only have ended in sustained befuddlement v total cognitive implosion.

Come to think of it, I can’t recall speaking to any Alaskan who knew anything about energy since mid-2021. Last year, on the phone with a guy in Kachemak Bay, I asked him if they used wind power to generate electricity. He replied “I don’t think so, but we do have some big tall spinny things out there other side of the bay, but they barely generate a breeze.”. This can’t be a coincidence.

@The Frankish Reich is the 4th or 5th Reich? This is really confusing.

There is that. Too, I’m certain the victims of this attack take comfort in the knowledge that the man who attempted to burn them to death is part of a larger group of less people who attempt to murder fewer people then other people intent on incinerating others when analyzed on a pro-rata basis.

To the bolded font, in order: 1. Calls for speculation some 90 years hence. Overruled. 2. You seem to be implying there is only one true version of socialism. I reject that. 3. Socialist branding. Exactly, thank you. 4. Because the enough of the citizenry accepted the approach to socialism as offered by Hitler and crew. I see no need for caution here, Kay, stop being such a fraidy cat. A buddy of mine really likes dating Brazilian women. Mucho caliente, he says. Submitted without comment.

You didn’t ask me but on rare occasions I offer my thoughts on subjects. You might have noticed. On optics, sure, sometimes it matters. When and where, beyond the obvious situations we reasonable folk probably agree on, it’s hard for me to generate much outrage on issues like this just because some political/media hack says I should. If I follow the path of least resistance, I have to be outraged at Elon Musk and simultaneously be outraged at Corey Booker for sending Nazi signals to followers at the edge of civilized society. Why? Because someone told me to be outraged. If I’m not mistaken, before you flipped off the country of Brazil with your vulgar antics, a movement was afoot to outlaw the ok sign here. Meant something to someone, we were told. Oh—and I’m the cynical type, but I would not be surprised to hear that both Musk and Booker used the same gesture for political effect to get tongues wagging. Be nice to Brazilians!

I feel like @ComradeKayAdams is interested in textbook definitions of various political ideologies. There is some merit to that, but people and systems simply do not fall into strict categories that fit into near boxes. With respect to socialism and workers controlling production, I agree with you—the reality is it’s rarely about the individual, the collective runs the show, it’s just a different form of collective than a corporation. In the case of the German Socialist party, I’d think it’s a matter of semantics—they saw themselves as socialists, identified as socialists and morphed into the socialist monstrosity they ultimately became. I can see why Kay would prefer to distance herself from that brand of socialism, but when you get right down to it…they saw it differently.

It would be an interesting case study had we all not lived through their “Biden is awesome and you’re a conspiracy nut if you believe otherwise!” era. Now, it’s just sad.

You have to get some help along the way. A wealthy/affluent family can surely raise a lazy, unmotivated child as easily as a family struggling to get by. I used to take my children on a drive through a local city to show them what they didn’t want as their future. I always paid particular attention to the accumulation of garbage and debris at/near around a residence v homes/dwellings that were well kept in the same neighborhood. My theory was that you can not always control your circumstances (@Doc Brown did a nice job outlining the need for a social safety net in another thread recently), but in a city with regularly scheduled, predictable garage pick up, in the vast majority of cases, you could control the amount of trash accumulating outside your front door. I think you’re over the target here, and at some point, on some level, a desire for more has to come from somewhere. The stories of athletes being successful and crediting a hard-working single mom for helping them achieve goals of college and beyond come to mind.

How hideous are you??! As to no Nelsons, I’m not surprised. That’s long been sort of a country club thing.

You are correct—I haven’t updated my passport in 5+ years, maybe as much as 8. Thank you for bringing me up to date on the process—and serious question—you were not approved 4 times? What caused the rejection? I have a much bigger issue with visiting DMV to get my Real ID. I’ve lived in the same house for nearly 40 years, pay property and school taxes, a valid driver license, lived in only 5 or 6 places in my life, and DMV demands my papers as proof of my me-ness. It’s absurd. It’s like they really never cared about who obtained a license and the system is really broken. It’s not unlike our immigration issue, and no, I do not agree with you on Trump’s attempt to fix the system. If the country can get back to a sensible system, everyone benefits. Sorry about the golf situation. I understand Nelson Mandela had the same issue for many years.

When I first started reading Fergie’s post, I was drawn to the parallels between his story and “The Diary of Anne Frank”. Then I thought of the trauma of a 60+ year old retired rich guy heading to a local post office without valet parking, having to wait in line behind 2 ladies buying forever stamps, submitting his paperwork and then popping over to the country club to practice putting. Everyone has their battle, I suppose. Then again, I’m 6th generation and Fergie is just another carpet bagger if you ask me.

I think the problem is an untreated anxiety disorder, but keep fighting the good fight. Glad you made it through.

Politics is indeed a dirty business, I’ve said that many times myself, and used the “fair game” analogy. I would not expect nor assume Trump is pure of heart ant more than I thought Biden was. If your contention is that the NYT operates in a political fashion with a desire to influence the outcome of political races, I concur. I was interested more in your commentary, but it seems we are on the same page.

Andy, you seem like a good guy and you’re a good poster. This type of story should be in the National Enquirer, not a paper once associated with quality journalism. Here’s a quick recap of the rumor being shared: “Elon Musk…was using drugs…far more intensely…according to people.” I know that some people believe anything (unless it’s about a president in cognitive free fall, happening right before their eyes), but which people, Andy? Are they men or women, political friends or political foes, the waiter at his favorite restaurant or the front desk guy as Planet Fitness? Who do you think it was, and would you vouch for them as honest brokers? “Mr. Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use.” With this statement, the Times changes the narrative that “some people say” and flat out declares that Musk is a drug user and states definitively he’s a regular drug user. No citation, no sources, no nothing. The next part…geesh, man, have they no standards at all at the NYT? There’s so much waffling between allegations and declarations of fact it’s unbelievable. My favorite is the insulation that the reporter’s sourcing is speaking to unknown people who saw pictures of a box? Seriously Andy, you buy all this stuff? “It’s unclear…whether Mr. Musk…was taking drugs..at the White House. But he has exhibited erratic behavior…insulting…gesturing like a Nazi…and garbling answer”. Geesh Andy, if these are the standards, Joe Biden is likely the head of the Sinaloa cartel! And while I can’t say for sure that 4th or Homey gesture like Nazis, but they sure as heck offer insults and on occasion most definitely garble answers. You don’t have to believe everything said or done by intrepid Times journalists, it’s ok asking even a precious few questions. It’s Tabloid journalism and not really all that great even by that standard.

Again, though, the Prez and admin who tried to put the opposition in prison was Biden/Harris. That ship sailed, sir, but thankfully enough Americans with common sense course corrected.

An enigma wrapped in a riddle. The virus shut down the world, China refused to cooperate…and absent a few congressional hearings, that’s pretty much it.

Damn, a mill-five, beating the tax man and 2 days in jail? That’s a pretty nice personal payday for a guy looking to benefit all humanity.

I heard he quit in a pre-arranged, previously scheduled fashion?

Great reply, thank you. Interestingly, I like stability and reasonable change, but just using the collective approach to managing illegal immigration as one glaring example, that can lead to an absolute clusterf&ck. This is your Rip Van Winkle moment, NB.