csyphrett

Severus Snape as the bad guy
CES 

The governor of Michigan is getting charged by his ag with dereliction of duty and is looking at ten years
CES

Thanks P. When I was looking up the LA rail system, it was like commuter trains down to Palm Springs and back licensed by the state. 
CES

https://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Catseye-Gomez/dp/1534693459

Archer is absolutely correct, and I get what you’re driving at, LL, however.
 
And I say this as someone with strong liberal leanings, who values their anonymity above almost all else: this is just the chickens coming home to roost. After the doxxing, the virtual bullying, the Proud Boys insisting on beating people up in the streets like a scene out of Fight Club, and the fact they’re exceptionally outspoken, they aren’t going to be ostracized by this any more than they already were by the company they elected to keep and those who they shunned.
 
My wife’s Aunt has gone “full Q” as we say, and I can tell you that not only did she make my mother in law cry on her birthday, she’s never going to see my daughter again, even by video call. And I feel zero bad about enforcing that, but super bad about having to do it.
 
I may be rambling. But this is our justice system functioning as designed and enforcing the law, rather than the vigilante justice these individuals have attempted to enforce.

The Confederate Flag is our swastika.

This one photo: it always is at least a possibility that this one item actually belonged to the guy and that he brought it to the White House as part of his office decorations. People do bring items from home to display in their office and not everyone grows up in a 1 bedroom apartment on the wrong side of town.
 
(I could make a lot of money on the side by buying a bunch of cheap but historical-looking things, displaying them and taking pictures in my White House office, then selling them later as authentic items which were in the White House when Trump was president. I'd be shocked if none of the Trump grifters has thought of doing that.)
 
That aside, I always expected the White House to be looted or vandalized when the pro-Trumpers left. If you have no respect for the government, the republic, or its institutions, there's no reason to suspect that you'd start having that respect as you're clearing out your desk.

The Best Friend is Dilvish the Damned
CES

Well, I can't afford to burn bridges but i may have just done that. One of my relatives put up a long eloquent piece by Mike Rowe, and I ..tore into it.
 
I have been SO good at trying not to rile family or friends who have supported Trump. The Coup was the last straw for me I fear. I hope this doesn't bite me in the ass, but I just can't stand the BS any longer.
 
 
 
 

The one guy who was held down in cuffs who kept yelling "You're treating me like a black person" brought a ray of joy to my heart. I know it's wrong to feel that vindictive but justice was so good.

Ghostbusters. Inc
CES

I have to disagree, Rag. Trump is objectively the worst president. He is worse than Bush Jr, Coolidge, Jackson, Buchanan, and Taft. He has gutted the executive branch in a way that has never been done before in my opinion. He has engaged in graft, malfeasance, corruption, human indecency in such a way that it is likely that he will be facing charges once he is out of office unless he can pardon himself for all the crimes he has committed.
 
I mean Bush Jr still has a charitable foundation helping people. That's something Trump doesn't have since he can't even run a charity.
 
Donald Trump is an example of a human being that is the worst at everything he ever did and the only reason he is considered successful is the fact that his dad propped him up and he stole the rest of his family's inheritance to keep his shoddy businesses going and half of them had to change their names so they didn't have to deal with the image problem he presented with his government style if you can call it that.
 
CES     

I have to disagree, Rag. Trump is objectively the worst president. He is worse than Bush Jr, Coolidge, Jackson, Buchanan, and Taft. He has gutted the executive branch in a way that has never been done before in my opinion. He has engaged in graft, malfeasance, corruption, human indecency in such a way that it is likely that he will be facing charges once he is out of office unless he can pardon himself for all the crimes he has committed.
 
I mean Bush Jr still has a charitable foundation helping people. That's something Trump doesn't have since he can't even run a charity.
 
Donald Trump is an example of a human being that is the worst at everything he ever did and the only reason he is considered successful is the fact that his dad propped him up and he stole the rest of his family's inheritance to keep his shoddy businesses going and half of them had to change their names so they didn't have to deal with the image problem he presented with his government style if you can call it that.
 
CES     

Second Iraq War, perhaps, but the Afghan War was forced on him by 9/11...as was much of the Patriot Act.  Even the 2nd Iraq War had *some* justification.  I didn't like Jr, don't get me wrong, but....
 
Trump incited a movement that has a strong chance to turn into a full-on domestic terrorism movement.  He targeted the core principles of democracy throughout.  His irresponsible dismissal of the coronavirus from the start has probably cost a good 100,000 lives.  The aftermath of his actions will extend DECADES...admittedly, in part because the roots have been there, but he's responsible for feeding, watering, and transplanting all the noxious weeds to make sure they flourish.
 
Trump is not merely the worst President;  he will go down as one of the worst freely chosen leaders ever.  He's not #1;  that's Hitler, hopefully forever;  that is, of course, Hitler.  For US Presidents, IMO he adjusted the scale, the gap between him and anyone else is that big.

I have to disagree, Rag. Trump is objectively the worst president. He is worse than Bush Jr, Coolidge, Jackson, Buchanan, and Taft. He has gutted the executive branch in a way that has never been done before in my opinion. He has engaged in graft, malfeasance, corruption, human indecency in such a way that it is likely that he will be facing charges once he is out of office unless he can pardon himself for all the crimes he has committed.
 
I mean Bush Jr still has a charitable foundation helping people. That's something Trump doesn't have since he can't even run a charity.
 
Donald Trump is an example of a human being that is the worst at everything he ever did and the only reason he is considered successful is the fact that his dad propped him up and he stole the rest of his family's inheritance to keep his shoddy businesses going and half of them had to change their names so they didn't have to deal with the image problem he presented with his government style if you can call it that.
 
CES     

PSA: COVID-19 is not a joke and should be taken seriously.
 
A former patient was so brain damaged afterwards that he wrongly believed he'd won an election that he actually lost by 7 million votes.
 
Don't let this happen to you: WEAR A MASK.

So as to how vigorously to investigate and prosecute the people who organized and participated in the Capitol Insurrection...
 
My concern is that the FBI and other agencies won't push too hard or attempt too thorough a sweep because of "Weaver Fever," the decades-long policy of treating right-wing anti-government extremists with kid gloves lest they be riled into committing worse acts, as the Ruby Ridge incident helped provoke the Oklahoma City bombing.
 
I think that policy is wrong. Instead, I offer the advice given in the PoiSci textbook People, Power, and Politics, by John C. Donovan, Richard E. Morgan, and Christian P. Potholm. The chapter on "Revoutionary Change and Counterelites" ends with a section on "Some Practical Advice for the Ruler in Dealing With Revolutionary Counterelites: Machiavelli Brought Up to Date."
 
"1. Don't worry about the disloyal opposition. There will always be some people who will oppose your government, no matter what you do! Jail these chaps or send them into exile, but don't waste time trying to convert them. Those who are bent on the violent overthrow of the political system should not be placated or coddled. And don't be too quick to grant them amnesty. Remember the examples of Stalin, Castro, and Hitler [23]
[Footnote 23: For advocating the violent overthrow of the Weimar Republic and marching at the head of a group of men bent on the same, Hitler spent one year in a luxurious prison, where he wrote Min Kampf. Once in power, Hitler did not make a similar mistake in dealing with his opponents.]"
 
So find the organizers, the funders and manufacturers of internet fakery, and Gitmo their asses.
 
Still, this does not mean that everyone who believes Trump's lies is culpable. The authors also suggest:
 
"2. Do worry about the loyal opposition. There will always be people who oppose specific policies of your government but who are basically loyal to the system. These people will seek the government's overthrow only if you force them into it. Do not jail, torture, harass, or exile the loyal opposition.
when in doubt, assume the opposition is loyal until definitely proven otherwise. You will lose far more than you will gain by treating this part of the body politic harshly."
 
Sen. Josh Hawley has definitely placed himself in the "disloyal opposition" camp. ATC noted that he has a Harvard law degree and taught Constitutional law as a college professor. He knows perfectly well that his claims have been false and his actions seditious. Oh, and that First Amendment rights are not violated when a private company decides it doesn't want to publish his book after all.
 
Dean Shomshak

The one thing a tolerant society must not tolerate is intolerance.

With respect, I don't think "we don't want minorities or gays in America" is a "legitimate concern"...as but one example. Treating them as such leads to "appeasement" and we all know how that turns out. The progressive elements in this country bend over backwards to try to come to an understanding with the conservative elements and they just take advantage of that kindness while being as inflexible as ever. They haven't thrown out even a single olive branch while the progressive side has offered up entire damn forests. As a progressive, I feel like I'm talking to people in a soundproof room. How can we talk about legitimate concerns when conservatives aren't even willing to sit down at the table? And the implication is that it is somehow progressives' fault for Trump because we're "not listening"? Nonsense. The conservative oligarchy that runs America created Trump. That same oligarchy that cares only about wealth and power and manipulates Americans into fighting against their own best interests. Americans ate up Trump's rhetoric because the nation is at heart still living in the 18th century.

Not until there have been meaningful consequences for the conspirators and the rioters.  
 
They don't get to try to overthrow the government and then fall back on weak cries of "but unity!"  They wanted unity, they should have supported and defended the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, like they put up their right hands and swore to, not join those enemies.  
 
No unity with traitors.

So the draft is back. i have been wondering
CES

3:27.  Pence has gaveled the joint session back in.  The Pennsylvania objection's gone.  
 
3:30...Pence is forgetting the "Hearing None" part of the formula a few times, but no one cares at this hour I suspect.  It has been a very, very long day.
 
3:32...and with the Vermont votes, Biden now has 271!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
And anything from here on out would be totally specious.  5 left.
 
And...I kinda figured it might happen.  Wisconsin is the last objection.  No Senator signed on.  Pence actually handled everything with class and dignity;  he completely stuck to form.
 
And with Wyoming, it's done.  The count is over.  Biden is declared the winner of the election.  Pence has called the chaplain of the Senate for a closing prayer.  And the joint session is dissolved.
 
I am very happy that this phase is now over.  
 
MAJOR NEWS!!!!!!
OMG.  TRUMP CONCEDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  "There will be an orderly transition on Jan. 20th."   He also asserts "greatest first term in history" but that's pure Trump.  And hey, he's been known to recant before...but still....
Granted that I think he's lost ALL his supporters, except maybe a few of the House reps.  Even the Senators pushing the objections aren't on his side, they're trying to advance their own agenda.  

EDIT:  And with that, I call it a night.  About 13 hours of this nightmare, but one I am reasonably glad I followed.
 
Stay well, everyone, and breathe slowly and carefully.  The bastards can get you down;  don't let them keep you down.  Good night, all.
 
 

I dated hope in high school, but she dumped me.