eVille Times: April 2019

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Today's Tweet

I'm sure this could never turn into any kind of problem.

Drone with a flamethrower to clear debris from power lines. pic.twitter.com/DqdsQtjeag
— Physics-astronomy.org (@OrgPhysics) April 29, 2019

Today's Headline Excellence

Raw Story

It’s bad enough that he lost the election by 3,000,000 popular votes.
It’s bad enough that the Russians helped him get elected by manipulating social media in critical electoral college states.
It’s bad enough that he helped the Russians do that by providing them confidential polling data to guide their Facebook ad targeting.
It’s bad enough that those ads were seen by more than 100,000,000 people when the total electoral college difference over three states was 70,000 votes.
It’s bad enough that those involved with his campaign who were also engaged with the Russians lied repeatedly, both publicly and under oath, about that engagement.
It’s bad enough that many tens of millions of dollars mysteriously disappeared from his inauguration committee, and he feels no compunction to explain where it went.
It’s bad enough that he brags about groping women and grabbing them by the pussy. Is there an honest woman in the country who admires that? Wants that?
It’s bad enough that he’s been credibly accused of sexual assault by more than 20 women.
It’s bad enough that he is an unindicted co-conspirator in the felony to commit election finance fraud by paying hush money to a Playboy bunny and a porn star.
It’s bad enough that he filed for bankruptcy six times, stiffing workers, contractors, and lenders for tens of millions of dollars.
It’s bad enough that his resorts and other properties for years hired undocumented aliens, even as he railed against a “tidal wave” of illegal immigrants.
It’s bad enough that he inherited $413,000,000 from his father, much of it through illegal tax dodges, but pretends to be a self-made man.
It’s bad enough that his “charitable” foundation was ordered shut down after having been revealed to be a sham, used to help promote his business and political interests.
It’s bad enough he claims he was a good student, but threatens to sue any schools that release his grades.
It’s bad enough he claims to be a brilliant businessman but refuses to release his taxes which would prove it. Or, disprove it.
It’s bad enough that he says the Mueller report “totally exonerates” him, yet refuses to allow it to be released, or, for critical witnesses to be able to testify about it.
It’s bad enough that he grossly understated the value of his assets to dodge taxes, while grossly overstating their value to secure bank loans.
It’s bad enough that the Mueller report detailed 10 instances of obstruction of justice that would be criminal, were he not the president and, so, immune from indictment.
It’s bad enough that he’s a pathological liar, telling almost 10,000 lies since assuming office, literally not being able to deal with reality.
It’s bad enough, his boot-licking of Putin at Helsinki, where he said he believed Putin about Russian interference in the 2016 election, but not his own intelligence chiefs.
It’s bad enough that he has separated thousands of immigrant children from their parents, put them in cages, and then lost track of them.
It’s bad enough that he praised neo-Nazi marchers in Charlottesville two years ago, then re-defended them just a few days ago.
It’s bad enough that, though sworn to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed, he told immigration officials to break the law, promising to pardon them if they were convicted.
It’s bad enough that he told senior White House aides to lie to the Mueller commission about his efforts to obstruct the same commission’s investigation.
It’s bad enough that he smeared a Gold Star Family whose son was killed in Iraq.
It’s bad enough that he repeatedly smeared bona-fide Vietnam war hero, John McCain, while he, himself, wrangled five draft deferments to dodge service in the same war.
It’s bad enough he promised to help the working man, but immediately passed a $1.5 trillion tax cut that went almost exclusively to corporations and the wealthy.
It’s bad enough he continues to claim he’s building The Wall when not a single inch of new wall has been built since he took office.
It’s bad enough he promised to protect Social Security but just two weeks ago submitted a budget that cuts benefits to millions, including seniors in poverty.
It’s bad enough that he refuses to cooperate with Congressional hearings, trashing the Constitution and the checks and balances at the very heart of our form of government.

We could go on. And on. And on. And on. But as bad as all of this is, the real question is, “When does it get so bad that we will no longer tolerate this scum running the country, dividing us against each other, desecrating our values, degrading our civic spaces, and destroying our institutions?” When does it get bad enough that WE will actually do something to stop being so mocked, so humiliated, and so defiled? When will we have Republican Congressmen who will get up off their knees before him and represent us, the people who actually elected them, and defend our country against the greatest domestic threat it has faced in over a century?

Overheard

Trump sues Deutsche Bank. Rosenstein quits, signing off with "...America First". Sarah Sanders lies on the North Lawn. Farm income is down. Washing machine prices are up. Trump claims doctors and moms kill newborns. Synagogue shooting.
Trump calls FBI "scum".
Baltimore shooting.
Ohio shooting. Trump defends "perfect" response in Charlottesville.

Everybody ready for Tuesday?

Today's Betty

Mrs Betty Bowers - America's Best Christian

This is Deven Green. You may recognize her voice next time you get an automated phone answering menu.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Today's Pix

click it

Today's Trumpian Bullshit

Here's Kyler Murray - Heisman Trophy winner, and the #1 pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Also the #9 pick in the MLB draft last year.

And here's Nick Bosa - the #2 pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Also a guy who had to cover some of his social media tracks because he has a tendency to support some sketchy White Supremacist kinda shit.

Oh, and did I mention Bosa called Colin Kaepernick a clown? I wonder if that had anything to do with this:

Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft. You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2019

BTW, 45* had exactly nothing to say to Kyler Murray.

And then, Rodney Robinson was named Teacher Of The year...

...and 45* decided he wouldn't be presenting Mr Robinson's award to him - the first time since Truman was president that the winner won't be invited to the White House.

Today's Quote

Stick 'em with the pointy end.

-- Arya Stark

I'll go ahead and throw my obsessive take into this:

The Red Woman asks, "And what do we say to the god of death?"

Arya answers, "Not today."

Just as the Night King is about to kill Bran (wiping out the memory of all humankind, which is the ultimate death of us all), Arya sticks him with the pointy end.

When I superimpose my perception of what's going on currently in politics here in USAmerica Inc, the symbolism gets really thick.

Loosely:

Night King = Trump
The current personification of our very own Daddy State, but interchangeable with any number of authoritarians and wannabe autocrats - Putin, Kim, Erogan, etc. These guys are creatures of our own making, and they're chasing a really perverse version of "freedom".

White Walkers = Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Jerry Falwell Jr, Sean Hannity, etc.

Wights = the rubes - mindlessly fighting on behalf of the forces that got them killed in the first fuckin' place - plus anyone who just sits and pretends it's OK; that it's all just a silly distasteful game, and they don't have to do anything but wait for it to change.

Cersei Lannister, The Iron Bank, etc = Bob Mercer, Charles and David Koch, Jamie Dimon, etc - the plutocrats.
Standing aside, watching the others weaken themselves battling it out, waiting to swoop in and take control after the dust settles.

Arya Stark = anybody with a sense of honor; anybody who believes there's justice to be found - but especially those who're under the age of about 30.

Ain't it funny how that one keeps coming around? Young people looking at what their parents have created; seeing it for the willfully self-destructive and delusional bullshit that it is, saying "Not today", and putting everything on the line trying to do something about it.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Smarten Up

Smarter Every Day - a YouTube series all about the uber-nerdly techno stuff.

The guy knows his shit.

Social media companies are taking down phony accounts (bots, etc) at a rate of 12 per second (over a million every day).

The big takeaway:

BEWARE THE NUDGE

And no matter what else - don't run and hide. Getting us to disengage is pretty much the whole point of the exercise in a Divide-and-Conquer strategy.

Overheard

Being a Trump supporter means you brag about "The Party Of Lincoln" and how great you feel because the Republicans freed the slaves, while at the same time you worship Robert E Lee as some perversely heroic patriot who went to war against the USA to defend the "right" to own slaves.

And that's what passes for reasoning - you half-witted fucking moronic douche nozzles.