Geoff > Status Update

Seems like Zadignose was on to something - Park ain't leaving.

Funny how an administration that says it's all about JOBS is attacking the federal workforce with an unprecedented ferocity. I guess civil servants aren't "real people" - or are they just unamericans like brown folk? Anyway, anybody who cares about federal workers and their unions needs to pay close attention to the fight over the upcoming budget. It's absurd. But what isn't absurd these days? Get on the phone to your congressmen.

Breitbart update: It continues to be fascinating to watch how they try and deal with the Healthcare situation. They are now going after Ryan hardcore:

"Now, Ryan—still the Speaker—has pushed now President Donald Trump to believe his healthcare legislation the American Health Care Act would repeal and replace Obamacare when it does not repeal Obamacare. Ryan has also, according to Trump ally Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), misled President Trump into believing that Ryan’s bill can pass Congress. Paul and others believe the bill is dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate since a number of GOP senators have come out against it, and there are serious questions about whether it can pass the House. This is the first major initiative that Trump has worked on with Ryan—and the fact it is going so poorly calls into question whether Speaker Ryan, the GOP’s failed 2012 vice presidential nominee who barely supported Trump at all in 2016, really understands how Trump won and how to win in general."

(God that is some terrible writing)

I think the problem with this strategy for them is what does it say about Trump, if he is the genius they say he is, that he can be so easily manipulated by Ryan? This whole article, plus the recording of the call they have "obtained" is useful to see how his team with deal with things not going their way (pass the buck...)

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governme...

Jonathan wrote: ""Now, Ryan—still the Speaker—has pushed now President Donald Trump "

The double "now" simultaneously pissed me off and made me laugh.

Can't trust Ryan to get anything done. I'll be elated when he's pushed aside.

Nick wrote: "Jonathan wrote: ""Now, Ryan—still the Speaker—has pushed now President Donald Trump "

The double "now" simultaneously pissed me off and made me laugh.

Can't trust Ryan to get anything done. I'll ..."

Can't wait for him to be replaced by Giant Ball of Money Covered in Slime R-Middle America.

Ian wrote: "Nick wrote: "Jonathan wrote: ""Now, Ryan—still the Speaker—has pushed now President Donald Trump "

The double "now" simultaneously pissed me off and made me laugh.

Can't trust Ryan to get anythin..."

Lol yeah he's terrible - he's shown moderately competent governing abilities in the past. Nick, you realize "getting things done" under Trump, to most of us in this thread, is fucking terrifying.

Geoff wrote: "Nick, you realize "getting things done" under Trump, to most of us in this thread, is fucking terrifying. "

I'm well aware.

So just to be clear, for the hard right the proposed law is too generous and covers too many people?

Get ready to break out your tiny American flags everyone:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...

howl of minerva wrote: "So just to be clear, for the hard right the proposed law is too generous and covers too many people?"

While giving too few tax breaks to billionaires.

ATJG wrote: "Get ready to break out your tiny American flags everyone:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-..."

So he is basically getting ready to axe entire agencies.

Geoff wrote: "ATJG wrote: "Get ready to break out your tiny American flags everyone:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-......"

Certainly looks that way.

ATJG wrote: "Geoff wrote: "ATJG wrote: "Get ready to break out your tiny American flags everyone:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-......"

So, again, about that painless suicide...

Don't do it, but... carbon monoxide.

As a more responsible alternative, enjoy some music .

(I hope I beat Nathan to the punch.)

The US essentially demanding reparations for the bombs we dropped on their country. This is soooo fucked up

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/03/tr...

(The ambassador, incidentally, actually isn't a Trump appointee)

Zadignose wrote: "Don't do it, but... carbon monoxide.
As a more responsible alternative, enjoy some music .
(I hope I beat Nathan to the punch.)"

Nice! May I add ::
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uqaZ...
&
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S50IG...

Hehe. Right around the corner.

And Zappa does some straight blues!

*crickets*

Well those taxes were certainly a non-event.

Nick wrote: "*crickets*

Well those taxes were certainly a non-event."

Well, they were from 12 years ago. But I don't really know standard procedure for what years presidents generally release. That could be normal. I'd be more curious what he's been up to recently. But, whatever. I'm just waiting for Geert Wilders to win today so I can be assured again, as so many times in the recent past, that my lifelong pessimism about humanity is well-founded!

Geoff wrote: "Nick wrote: "*crickets*

Well those taxes were certainly a non-event."

Well, they were from 12 years ago. But I don't really know standard procedure for what years presidents generally release. Th..."

The damn Turks just had to get involved, didn't they?

Nick wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Nick wrote: "*crickets*

Well those taxes were certainly a non-event."

Well, they were from 12 years ago. But I don't really know standard procedure for what years presidents general..."

Can't trust those swarthy races!

Geoff wrote: "I'm just waiting for Geert Wilders to win today so I can be assured again, as so many times in the recent past, that my lifelong pessimism about humanity is well-founded! ."

It's the fucking hair... has to be it.

What's been the trend in all these elections? Awesome hair.

1. Boris Johnson
2. Trump
3. Geert Wilders

Geoff wrote: "Nick wrote: "Can't trust those swarthy races!"

Well I grew up hating the Turks with a passion given that my dad fought a losing war against them, they took over 1/3 of his country, kicking them all out in the process and stealing their possessions/property.

They remind the Greek Cypriots of their victory everyday, having burned a massive Turkish flag into the mountainside that overlooks the capital. They've even laid down lights, so we have the privilege of being reminded at night!

A really stand up country.

We can thank that absolute fuck-wad Kissinger for that.

I will never understand why pro-Erdogan Turkish ultranationalists would choose to live anywhere else but their beloved motherland.

Nick wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Nick wrote: "Can't trust those swarthy races!"

Well I grew up hating the Turks with a passion given that my dad fought a losing war against them, they took over 1/3 of his country, k..."

Holy crap!

Nick wrote: "Geoff wrote: "I'm just waiting for Geert Wilders to win today so I can be assured again, as so many times in the recent past, that my lifelong pessimism about humanity is well-founded! ."

It's the..."

It really is startling, the hair

Let's not forget the original blond beast, Reinhard Heydrich.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...

Can't be telling me there isn't some visual dog whistle (?) thing going on here.

howl of minerva wrote: "Let's not forget the original blond beast, Reinhard Heydrich.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...

Can't be telling me there is..."

Ha!

Nick wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Nick wrote: "Can't trust those swarthy races!"

Well I grew up hating the Turks with a passion given that my dad fought a losing war against them, they took over 1/3 of his country, k..."

I also hate Henry Kissinger with a passion. Something we can finally agree on. The bombing of Cambodia was also pretty vile, huh?

David wrote: "Kissinger."

Nobel laureate for peace! "The day satire became obsolete." -Tom Lehrer

But isn't hating Kissinger kind of like liking tacos? If you don't, something is seriously wrong with you.

David wrote: "Nick wrote: "Geoff wrote: "I also hate Henry Kissinger with a passion. Something we can finally agree on. ."

He's my most hated American political figure of the 20th Century. Easily. I despise him.

Let's always remember this momentous occasion.

Sometimes, it's morning and I wake up in time to take a little time for myself before rushing to get ready for work and I'm feeling okay-rested and I brew a really nice pot of coffee. I take a sip of the coffee and just hold it for a second on my tongue, warm by not hot, enjoying the full body of flavors and aromas, listening to the "peter"-ing chirp of a tufted titmouse in my backyard and it's like super chill and pastoral and I'm at peace for a moment and then, as if self-sabotage from my deep sub-conscious processes, my brain says, "President Trump."

Ian wrote: "Sometimes, it's morning and I wake up in time to take a little time for myself before rushing to get ready for work and I'm feeling okay-rested and I brew a really nice pot of coffee. I take a sip ..."

We now live for such moments - and the bright hope of a vengeful future.

Geoff wrote: "But isn't hating Kissinger kind of like liking tacos? If you don't, something is seriously wrong with you."

True story: I have a close friend whose absolute idol/god is Kissinger. And this friend, to my knowledge, did NOT vote for Trump.

How about that?

Y'all remember when HRC touted Kissinger's laudatory comments about her SoS stint? Damn.

Ian wrote: "Y'all remember when HRC touted Kissinger's laudatory comments about her SoS stint? Damn."

Yep. She courted his endorsement. Sad but true.

Sanders's denunciation of Kissinger in the primaries was a sea change in American politics.

(Trump also had some sort of ceremonial meeting with Kissinger at some point in his campaign. Bernie was the only authentic anti-Kissinger choice.)

Nick wrote: "David wrote: "Nick wrote: "Geoff wrote: "I also hate Henry Kissinger with a passion. Something we can finally agree on. ."

He's my most hated American political figure of the 20th Century. Easily...."

I would say Nixon and Kissinger are pretty close for the lowest. Did either one of them have any ethical sense?

Ian wrote: "Sometimes, it's morning and I wake up in time to take a little time for myself before rushing to get ready for work and I'm feeling okay-rested and I brew a really nice pot of coffee. I take a sip ..."

There are those moments when that realization strikes you, and you just think, "My world would be so different (better of course) if Hillary had won." Funny thing is, Dump would probably be happier too.

Ted wrote: "Ian wrote: "Sometimes, it's morning and I wake up in time to take a little time for myself before rushing to get ready for work and I'm feeling okay-rested and I brew a really nice pot of coffee. I..."

I often think - and believe I have commented elsewhere in this thread - of how freeing it would be to not have to think so much about the president. Like, how much of my mental space and time are occupied by this horrorshow? How much energy is wasted on my anxiety about Trump that could be channeled into other things, fulfilling things... During Obama, sure, things were still messed up, but I generally trusted that the commander in chief was a stable, rational person who in the end would at least make choices that would, in a majority of cases, not be real potential catastrophes. Now every day I wake up and wonder what new catastrophes have unfolded while I slept, and what new ones the day will bring. Imagine being able to rest easy and just anticipate books, music, movies, friendship, etc. instead of Trump's Perpetual Sword of Damocles.

A friend told me today that I should take a look at what Robert Mercer has been doing. I was embarrassed that she was telling me, since he's well known in the world of language technology... I had somehow completely missed the fact that he's moved into politics in a big way. Just been checking. It's kind of scary.

Manny wrote: "A friend told me today that I should take a look at what Robert Mercer has been doing. I was embarrassed that she was telling me, since he's well known in the world of language technology... I had ..."

Just googled him. Goddammit.

You should put that knowledge of statistical machine learning and love of quantum dynamics to good use and become a politically engaged hedge-fund titan, Manny.

The whole gang are like something out of a movie, aren't they? Trump, Bannon, Melania, Ivanka and now Mercer... you can hardly believe they're real.

In language technology, Mercer is very highly thought of. He's super smart. Among other things, he came up with the basic idea for statistical machine translation (Google Translate etc).

howl of minerva wrote: "You should put that knowledge of statistical machine learning and love of quantum dynamics to good use and become a politically engaged hedge-fund titan, Manny."

Thank you howl, that's a really good idea. I'll think about it.

The budget proposal coming out tomorrow should be a good soul-destroyer. Stock up early on whatever medicates you against reality! I'm going for copious booze and the NCAA tournament.

Geoff wrote: "The budget proposal coming out tomorrow should be a good soul-destroyer. Stock up early on whatever medicates you against reality! I'm going for copious booze and the NCAA tournament."

I'll second the former. That will put me to sleep for the latter.

I've been trying all day since they're having their election today but Dutch politics is too much of a clusterfuck for me to wrap my head around. They have 11 different political parties currently in parliament and 10 more that are running.

Just found out one party, that has actual parliamentary seats, are against women's suffrage and freedom of religion (no it's not Wilders party). I can't stop laughing, I'm done trying to figure out Dutch politics.

To complement the dreadful thought "president Trump," I find myself returning to the thoughts with which I began to engage in this thread,..

the more dreadful thought...

a nation of people who would make Trump their president.

Really, it's humanity I feel the worst for... and the most resentful of.

We can impeach the president, but can we impeach the culture that empowered him?

Zadignose wrote: "To complement the dreadful thought "president Trump," I find myself returning to the thoughts with which I began to engage in this thread,..

the more dreadful thought...

a nation of people who wo..."

Don't forget, more Americans voted against him than for him!