Today's Poe 😉

"You ever say something - and what comes out is treason? I do"

Brent Terhune:

Today's Pix

Fire Ready Aim

Americans can always be counted on to do what's right - once they've tried everything else.

WaPo, Erica Werner and Kevin Seiff:

When a Mexican company bought Mid Continent Nail Corp. in 2012, workers at the factory here feared it was the beginning of the end. Their jobs, they suspected, would be given to lower-paid workers in Mexico, more casualties of the hollowing out of U.S. manufacturing driven in part by an embrace of global trade. 

Instead, Mid Continent’s factory has doubled in size since Deacero’s purchase. The company, facing fewer restrictions on steel exports after the North American Free Trade Agreement, shipped steel into Missouri, willing to pay skilled workers more to take advantage of cheaper energy costs in the United States and a location that allowed swift delivery to U.S. customers.

But President Trump has put 25 percent tariffs on steel imports, bumping production costs and prompting Deacero to reconsider this arrangement. With Mid Continent charging more for nails, orders are down 70 percent from this time a year ago despite a booming construction industry. Company officials say that without relief, the Missouri plant could be out of business by Labor Day — or that remaining production could move to Mexico or another country.


- and -

Philip Bennett, 37, a machine repairman at Mid Continent, appeared close to tears as he talked about his 5-year-old daughter, Aubree, who has a congenital heart condition that has required multiple surgeries. He has health insurance through Mid Continent that covers her.

- the money quote:

“There’s a lot of good things that he is doing. But he’s affecting me now, and I don’t appreciate it,” Bennett, a Trump supporter, said of the president.


It bothers me that Mr Bennet couldn't figure out how to be aware of the shitty things he was willing for other people to endure until those shitty things started to happen to him and his family.  

And I may be giving him more credit than he deserves - he didn't say anything about how maybe he's been wrong, so now he's going rethink his political values.

Which brings me to the notion - according to the Let's-All-Sing-Along Lefties - that I'm supposed to coddle Mr Bennet, and soothe him; and pet him; and tell him it's OK that he and millions like him have spent the last 30 years snickering at the pain and suffering being visited on the whole fucking world because of the shitty policies of shitty politicians he's been rabidly supporting, which is why we're in this fucking mess in the first fucking place.

Here's what I have a truly difficult time not saying to guys like Philip Bennet: 

"Take a flyin' fuck at a rollin' donut, you skeevy prick. This is exactly what you've been voting for. I hope you end up livin' in a refrigerator box down by the junkyard."

But no - can't do that - that's not good for any of us.

So hey - kumbaya, motherfucker.

Today's Tweet

You know it's a party when the mariachis show up.

I dare you not to sing along. A Mexican Mariachi band sings “Canta y no llores” (aka “Cielito Lindo”) outside the White House on this 3rd Day of anti-Trump protests following Trump’s disastrous summit with Putin in Helsinki.#OccupyLafayettePark pic.twitter.com/NhYGbN1Cnv

— John Aravosis (@aravosis) July 19, 2018

 

My Analytics

For the second time in a month or so, I've asked Google if I should be worried about traffic from Russia.

No answer so far.

I may be paranoid, but that don't mean nobody's out to get me.

Weird Science

Water Spiral from r/oddlysatisfying

I Want This

There's no way I'd be able to use it, but I want it.

Your Minority Is Showing

Deranged conservative grifter, Ted Nugent played a "concert" in Roanoke.

The Hill:

Musician Ted Nugent, a vocal gun rights advocate, reportedly barred guns from being allowed into a venue he performed at in Virginia on Tuesday night.

A local NBC affiliate reported that Nugent's management made the decision to tell fans they could not bring their guns inside the Berglund Performing Arts Theater in Roanoke, Va.

According to the news outlet, the Berglund Center said that since it is owned by the city it is not allowed to ban guns from being carried into its facility unless a performer requests it. A sub-contract between Nugent and his promoter regarding open carry was shared with Berglund Center management right before the performance, according to NBC.

"It happened about five minutes before we opened doors, we had a security meeting before we opened doors and the subject came up and we said, 'Yes people will be bringing firearms,'" Berglund Center General Manager Robyn Schon told NBC.

According to Schon, Nugent's team said, "Uh, no, our agreement says no."
So, it's always pretty cool when the "conservative" is shown up to be a hypocrite, but there's something else.

Buried in the story is the little nugget that about 1000 fans showed up for the performance at a venue that seats 3,000+.

And I think that's instructive because "conservatives" are constantly claiming that theirs is the view shared by "The American People" - always inviting (insisting actually) on the inference that the majority of us agree with even the shittiest little notion that oozes out of the conservative id.

They can't be trusted at all. They got in line with, and voted for TRE45SON , and they continue to stand by that support. How do we not assume they're either lying to us all the time for nefarious reasons, or they just don't care?

BTW: available at cafepress.com for 5 bucks.

Today's Tweet

It's just a word, y'know.

Next up, Melania holds a presser to say she thought her jacket said "I really do care" not "I really don't care".

— David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) July 17, 2018

Today's GIF

Just a quick reminder that there's beauty to be found in the world.

And also too - if we want to keep it, we have to fight for it.