Slouching Towards Oblivion

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Trae Crowder

The Liberal Redneck asks, "What about your boy?"

Randy Rainbow

...is the real genius


It's The Money, Stupid

Because it's always the money.

Here's another little "Holy Fuck Moment" for today.


"Unrelated" to the Mueller probe, a Russian citizen inside the US has been arrested and charged under a criminal indictment.

That's kind of a big fuckin' deal, kids.


Again - it's not simple. There are no 10-word bumper stickers that explain it all. But if you want the basics, then just assume everything is being driven by one scheme or another to launder (mostly Russian) money, and usually thru the Trump organization in some way.

The Maria Butina issue shows a wrinkle that uses American naïveté regarding our willingness to accept bizarre contortions like:

"Money is speech, so huge campaign contributions are protected under the 1st amendment, and the 2nd amendment is what makes the 1st amendment possible"

Also again, there are no simple solutions, but a good place to start is to get serious about Campaign Finance.

Fuck Citizens United.

Something In Their Smile

The smirk - the nonchalance - the "oh you crazy kids" - the fucking condescension.

Apparently, these guys got their media training from the same consulting outfit - GRU, maybe?


Starting at about :40




Starting at about 43:40




But sometimes, they slip a little. Starting at about 1:57

That Wrinkle Is Not New

When we're talking about the all-time list of Top 10 Oxymorons, "Russian Gun Rights" has to be in the conversation.

Yahoo News:

A Russian gun-rights activist who developed close relations with leaders of the National Rifle Association as well as conservative activists working with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was arraigned Monday on charges she conspired to influence American politics on behalf of the Russian government.

Maria Butina, 29, who founded the Russian gun group “The Right to Bear Arms” and worked as the executive assistant to a top official of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, was arrested Sunday by the FBI in Washington, D.C., where she had been living. The charges allege that she visited the United States in 2015 and 2016 for the purposes of acting “as an agent” of the Russia, according to a criminal complaint released by the U.S. Justice Department on Monday afternoon, a few hours after President Trump and Russian President Putin met in Helsinki. Butina conspired to “exploit personal connections” with U.S. political figures and to “infiltrate organizations active in U.S. politics” and establish “back channel lines of communication” in an effort to advance Russian government interests, the complaint charges.

And just like "the good Germans", and "the ordinary Soviet citizens", and "the plain folk of Cambodia", and and and - the main question (as it always is) will be:

How did so many of us get so fucking stoopid?

It's not simple, but this classic from Driftglass gives a pretty good look at how this shit happens:


One day we will have to explain to the children what happened when Thurston Howell III lost his right mind and decided that for the sake of some tax cuts to make him incrementally more comfortable, his very bestest buddies in the whole, wide world were the Ultra Right Wing Gorgons down in Jesusland.

May I suggest the following?

The Story of Little Red State Fundy

Little Red State Fundy found a grain of hate.

"Who will help me plant the hate?" she asked.

"Not I," said the Moderate Republicans.

"Not I," said the Undecideds.

"Not I," said the Libertarians.

"Then I will," said Little Red State Fundy.

So she buried the hate in the bloody ground of the Old Confederacy. After a while it grew up paranoid and ignorant and violent.


This joint didn't get all fucked up yesterday, and we're not going to unfuck it by tomorrow.

Chop the wood. Carry the water.

Monday, July 16, 2018

DIY Tip

I'm a big fan of law-n-order. I like it best when we can count on people to behave themselves according to a set of clearly defined rules, which includes a proper course to follow when somebody crosses the line. Due process, dontcha know.

But sometimes, you just gotta fuck 'em back, right fucking now.


Nicely done, young woman.

Today's GIF

So - 

A) Baby's first brain freeze

B) Lemme just take a sip of Grandpa's "orange juice".

Today's Tweet



Meanwhile, in Helsinki

Sunday, July 15, 2018

KinderGuardians

 


In the age of Poe's Law, it gets harder and harder to know what we're laughing at.

And that's kinda the point for the Daddy Staters.

Fake lord have mercy.

Today's Tweet



Don't look at me - I just find it and post it.