Other Trump's Money

Policy Mic:

The root cause of Donald Trump's astonishing confidence is that he's better at making money than you. Behind nearly every imperious comment he makes about America's inability "to win anymore" is a sense of self-worth derived from his considerable net worth: nearly $3 billion, by Bloomberg's count.

Trump's ability to amass wealth is at the heart of his bid for the White House. It serves as the entire basis of his credibility on any matter he'd have to manage as president, whether related to the economy or immigration or foreign policy. If Trump can negotiate his way onto a list of the wealthiest people in the world, his argument goes, then he should be able to negotiate effectively on behalf of the American people.

But just how savvy of a businessman is Trump? Apparently not quite as savvy as he makes himself out to be, according to a new analysis of his finances by S.V. Dáte at the National Journal. Had Trump never gone into the business world and simply invested his share of his father's real estate company into a mutual fund of S&P 500 stocks in the 1970s, he'd be worth around the same amount that he is today. It's a reminder that the biggest reason he has so much wealth, as Vox's Dylan Matthews points out, is because he was born into it.

So let's look at the actual mechanism of this whole American Dream / Meritocracy setup, shall we?

1. pick rich parents
2. sit on your ass and get somebody else to do the work

This is how it was for the 40,000 years before about 1789.  And apparently that's how it went right on being this whole time - I guess we just pretended it was something else for a while because it still fucking works that way.  

So please tell me again, what exactly are we supposed to be the "exception" to?

Today's Introspection

On being Introverted via FB via tickld

1. That feeling of dread that washes over you when the phone rings and you’re not mentally prepared to chat.

2.When you want to cut all ties to civilization but still be on the internet.

3. Trying to be extra outgoing when you flirt so your crush doesn’t think you hate them.

4. When spending a heavenly weekend alone means that you’re missing out on time with friends.

5. And you fear that by doing so, you are nearing ‘hermit’ status.

6. When your ride at a party doesn’t want to leave early, and no one seems to understand your distress.

7.When your friend wants to invite more people over, and you don’t want to sound like a bad person by saying no.

8. Practicing conversations with people you’ll never talk to.

9. When you have an awesome night out, but have to deal with feeling exhausted for days after the fact.

10. People saying “Just be more social.”

11. When you’re able to enjoy parties and meetings, but after a short amount of time wish you were home in your pajamas.

12. Staying up late every night because it’s the only time that you can actually be alone.

13. People making you feel weird for wanting to do things by yourself.

14. Having more conversations in your head than you do in real life.

15. The need to recharge after social situations.

16. People calling you out for day dreaming too much.

17. Carrying a book to a public place so no one will bug you, but other people take that as a conversation starter.

18. People interrupting your thoughts, and you get irrationally angry.

19. Having to say “I kind of want to spend some time by myself” when you have to deal with that friend that always wants to hang out.

20. When you’re asked to do a group project, and know that you’re going to hate every minute of it.

21. When you hear the question “Wanna hang out?”, and your palms start to sweat with anxiety.

22. When you hear, “Are you OK?” or “Why are you so quiet?” for the umpteenth time.

23. Having visitors stay with you is a nightmare, because it means you have to be on at ALL TIMES.

24. When people stop inviting you places because you’re the one that keeps canceling plans.

25. Being horrified of small talk, but enjoying deep discussions.

26. When you need to take breaks and recharge after socializing for too long.

27. The requirement to think introspectively rather than go to someone else with your problems.

28. Not wanting to be alone, just wanting to be left alone. And people not understanding that.

29. When people mistake your thoughtful look for being shy, or worse, moody.

30. That people need to know that you aren’t mad, depressed or anti-social. You just need to not talk to anyone for a while. And that’s okay.

Today's Eternal Sadness

...and today's quote:

hat tip = Facebook buddy VWE

Coupla New Podcasts

Show About Race:



Death Sex & Money from WNYC:
(can't figure out the embedding thing for this one)

Labor Day Music

hat tip = The Nation

Sixteen Tons --Ernie Ford

Bread And Roses (cover) --Bronwen Lewis

3 Miles Down --Gil Scott Heron

More Than A Paycheck --Sweet Honey In The Rock

Back On The Chain Gang --Pretenders

Workin' In The Coal Mine (cover) --Allen Toussaint

Can't Wait For Movie Night

Today's Pix

Today's Lesson In Snake Oil Scams

Erick Erickson (via Media Matters):

What we are learning now is that Republican leaders have no inclination to fight this evil. They have for years been protected by a Washington pro-life establishment that has worked damn hard to keep Bart Stupak listed as a pro-life warrior as he sold out the cause on Obamacare. The pro-life establishment in Washington puts their Republican affiliation ahead of children who are being ripped apart.

[...]

If Republicans and the Washington Pro-Life movement, when confronted by the evil documented on unedited tape, are not willing to defund Planned Parenthood, we should destroy them all, level their organizations to the ground, and spread salt on the remains (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Republicans in Washington have spent more time avoiding their constituents over the August recess than they have fighting for anything in the past several years. Now here is a perfect opportunity to stand up for smaller government, fight evil, and put the left on defense.

Already there are voices on the right saying no, but then they always say no. Already there are voices on the right saying they can't, but then they always say they can't. Already there are voices on the right saying the President will veto it, but the President will always veto it.

And the babies continue to die -- ripped from their mothers wombs and their organs harvested.

If the Republicans will not fight this evil, they should be destroyed.

Every Republican Presidential candidates should be on record on whether they think the GOP should hold the line against funding Planned Parenthood no matter what.

If Republicans in Washington will not stop this and defund Planned Parenthood, Republican voters should take any and all action to destroy the party at the ballot box. If this party will not fight this evil, it will fight no evil and should itself die.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Here's the thing: If we lose Planned Parenthood, it's all but certain the number of abortions will go up.  

("Planned Parenthood" - as in not becoming a parent until you actually want to become a parent.  Ya do some planning, and then ya don't get pregnant, and then ya don't need no stinkin' abortion.  Get it?  Kinda what that whole "planned" thing's all about, y'know?)  

Anyway, Erick Erickson needs to kill Planned Parenthood because Erick Erickson needs more abortions so that Erick Erickson can stay famous and powerful and go on making fat stacks by being in the business of railing and wailing about abortion.

It's not really very different from the basics of the God-Knobber Scam.  To wit: "I'm here to convince you that you have an imaginary disease so I can sell you an imaginary cure."  

Ever wonder why the God-Knobbers always seem to be big-time Fetus Pimps too?  Same game, but with a really shitty twist: "I'm gonna make it more likely for you to have a very real problem, so that I can talk the rubes into buying me another house."

The numbers on Erick Erickson's W-2 are directly proportional to the number of abortions in USAmerica Inc.  Can we stop pretending this jagoff has any intention of working himself out a job?

Today's Scary Black Dude

This one's bouncing madly about in the Echo Chamber:

I don't know much about this King Noble guy, and I should prob'ly hold off on making this call, but - c'mon, really?  

He's indulging himself with a little Revenge Fantasy.  Is that really all it takes to frighten all you big strong hyper-macho types?  Y'know, it suddenly occurs to me that the scary black guy says "boo!", and your tiny little pecker gets very shy and even smaller than usual - is that why you immediately grab for your big steel substitute penis(?)  Just guessing.

I saw this on a coupla sites (Breitbart and Truth Revolt)...

...and it just fits too neatly into the standard play that the Right Radicals have been running and perfecting for a good 30 years.

Thousands of Americans killed by cops over the years. 

A cop is gunned down (by a guy who was found Non Compos Mentis in 2012, so where's the "isolated incident / our mental health system sucks" crowd?)

but no matter because now it's all even.

Hate crime for hate crime.

A little False Equivalence goes a very long way.

And let's not ignore the Mother Of All Obviousness here: This scares the fuck outa crackers because their worst nightmare is the thought that if given the chance, black people will start treating them exactly as badly as they've been treating black people for as long as anybody can remember.

Today's (Belated) Justice

I'll file this one under "Well-It's-About-Fucking-Time".

Going to the chapel: Will Smith & James Yates get a marriage license in Rowan Co from deputy clerk Brian Mason. ^JC pic.twitter.com/JPUOdepzxi

— Bluegrass Politics (@BGPolitics) September 4, 2015