Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

The place for measured discourse about politics and current events, including developments in science and medicine.
Post Reply
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45995
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

RoseMorninStar wrote:Orange Fool, tool.. anything but cool.
I missed this post earlier, but seeing it now I want to remind people to review the Guidelines for Political Discussions which are still in effect and apply in this thread as much as any this forum. In particular, with regard to the quoted post, "Avoid using gratuitously derogatory, insulting, offensive or profane language to describe any person, including public figures, or any group of people." That applies to President Trump as much as any other public figure. Criticism of his actions is fine. Gratuitious name-calling is not.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Frelga »

The White House released a video of their Christmas decorations. I was not a fan of last year's Jack Skellington theme, but I find that I prefer it to to this year's used tampon trees.
FO7VJZXRVUI6RGOCZ7FG7T3BBQ.jpeg
FO7VJZXRVUI6RGOCZ7FG7T3BBQ.jpeg (80.73 KiB) Viewed 7115 times
Are they going with a "Horseperson of Apocalypse a year" scheme?
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
River
bioalchemist
Posts: 13427
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:08 am
Location: the dry land

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by River »

A couple years ago my then pre-schooler completely covered a piece of paper in red paint and titled it "Scary Scary Forest". This is the 3-D version. It's like it wants to be festive but it's just creepy. Maybe if the trees weren't so droopy and a little too perfectly conical. And if they had some sparkle to them as well, like some glass ball ornaments or tinsel or a few strings of white lights. As it is, I feel like if this year's and last year's decorations you'd have one helluva set for an avante garde dance production.
When you can do nothing what can you do?
User avatar
RoseMorninStar
Posts: 12787
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
Location: North Shire

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by RoseMorninStar »

I don't normally care about such things, but someone mentioned 'Handmaiden's tale' and I can't unsee it.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
User avatar
Primula Baggins
Living in hope
Posts: 40005
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:43 am
Location: Sailing the luminiferous aether
Contact:

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Primula Baggins »

It's like . . . they don't know what humans like.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45995
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

red trees star trek.jpg
red trees star trek.jpg (42.77 KiB) Viewed 7057 times
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
RoseMorninStar
Posts: 12787
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
Location: North Shire

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by RoseMorninStar »

:rotfl: :clap: :rofl:
My heart is forever in the Shire.
User avatar
Sunsilver
Posts: 8830
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:41 am
Location: In my rose garden
Contact:

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Sunsilver »

When I first saw this headline, I thought "Must be the Beaverton, or some other political satire site."

Nope. Nope. Nope. :nono: :x

https://www.theatlantic.com/internation ... pIXKI36HTk
When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Frelga »

This is wild, but also more important than the salacious nature of the story suggests.

No thank you, Mr. Pecker

Mr. Pecker of a horribly appropriate name is the chairman of American Media (AMI), the publisher of the National Enquirer. AMI attempted to blackmail Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. They threatened to make public photos of Mr. Bezos and Ms. Sanchez unless Bezos kills the Washington Post story about AMI's ties to Saudi Arabia. To which Bezos said, basically, "Come at me, bro."

You may recall that AMI has been granted immunity for their role in helping then-candidate Trump to kill the story about his relationship with Stormy Daniels.

Of course now every Tom, Dick, and Harry (especially Dick) is writing a headline with a dick joke in it. But the important part is, a close associate of the President felt so threatened by a story alleging his close ties with the Saudis that he was prepared to blackmail Jeff "Richer than God" Bezos. What other stories have they successfully hushed up?
Jeff Bezos wrote:Any personal embarrassment AMI could cause me takes a back seat because there’s a much more important matter involved here. If in my position I can’t stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can? (On that point, numerous people have contacted our investigation team about their similar experiences with AMI, and how they needed to capitulate because, for example, their livelihoods were at stake.)
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
River
bioalchemist
Posts: 13427
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:08 am
Location: the dry land

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by River »

I'm actually kind of impressed with Bezos. He could have capitulated. Or just opened up his checkbook and bought them off.

Instead he took it public. Now everyone knows more than they ever wanted to about his affair...but now everyone also knows more than AMI ever wanted about their affairs. Now, what are the legal implications for AMI, given that they're already in the soup with SDNY for this sort of crap?
When you can do nothing what can you do?
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Frelga »

But wait, there's more!
New: Washington Post reporter just said that Bezos’ investigator suspects that “a government agency” intercepted Bezos’ text messages.
https://twitter.com/jkbjournalist/statu ... 4110695424

It took me a moment to realize that they don't mean the US government.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
RoseMorninStar
Posts: 12787
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
Location: North Shire

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by RoseMorninStar »

AMI overplayed their hand. Many of their readers likely don't know or care who Jeff Bezo's is or that he had an affair. It was a smear campaign to destroy the man who owns The Washington Post, period. Once they ruined his marriage, they didn't have as much leverage as they had hoped. I hope this blows the whole thing wide open.

Additionally, as part of AMI/David Pecker's plea deal with Mueller, they cannot be found to lie to Mueller or have committed any crimes over the next 3 years or they give up their immunity to be prosecuted for all crimes they've been involved with/admitted to.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
User avatar
Alatar
of Vinyamar
Posts: 10585
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:39 pm
Location: Ireland
Contact:

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Alatar »

Image
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
User avatar
yovargas
I miss Prim ...
Posts: 15011
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:13 am
Location: Florida

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by yovargas »

Wow, that was really well done on her part.
I don't think I had ever heard of anyone suggest some rules about legislation with conflict of interest but it's such an obvious idea once you point it out.
I wanna love somebody but I don't know how
I wanna throw my body in the river and drown
-The Decemberists


Image
User avatar
Voronwë the Faithful
At the intersection of here and now
Posts: 45995
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
Contact:

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

She's a powerhouse. I don't agree with everything that she says, and she can be woefully uninformed at times, but for the most part I find her a refreshing force for good change in American politics.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Frelga »

Ocasio-Cortez has the best and the worst qualities associated with youth, imo. Energy, courage, drive for change, refusal to back down, total belief that she is right and her critics are wrong. Overall, she is the voice we desperately need in Congress right now. The more I follow her the more I like her.

Also, it's hilarious to watch the reactionary right lose their minds over her.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
River
bioalchemist
Posts: 13427
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 1:08 am
Location: the dry land

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by River »

I like her too, but I worry. She's risen so fast so quickly I'm afraid she'll crash and burn. My fear is she'll just be a noisy firebrand not to be taken seriously. But I heard her on NPR yesterday and there's definitely more to her than noise. With some more experience and proper mentoring she could rise very high and I'm rooting for her.

I agree that the way the right reacts to her is hilarious. And, if they want her to fade away into obscurity, counter-productive.
When you can do nothing what can you do?
User avatar
Frelga
Meanwhile...
Posts: 22447
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:31 pm
Location: Home, where else

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by Frelga »

They are not used to women who, when told that a man is upset with them, laugh in his face and say, "GOOD." I think they genuinely expected her to fold.
PS and not all of that is coming from the right, TBH.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.

Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
User avatar
elengil
Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
Posts: 6248
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by elengil »

The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.

"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
User avatar
RoseMorninStar
Posts: 12787
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
Location: North Shire

Re: Not enough Whisky for this Tango Foxtrot

Post by RoseMorninStar »

(Same as video which elengil posted)

*slow clap* Well done.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
Post Reply