tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post5970580613703521567..comments2024-03-29T00:39:31.629-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Poison fruit and why libertarians are tricked into hating civil servants more than tyrants.David Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77343710839833021972020-08-15T19:54:36.448-07:002020-08-15T19:54:36.448-07:00onward
onward
onward<br /><br />onward<br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-70856664760108030892020-08-15T18:59:41.142-07:002020-08-15T18:59:41.142-07:00Harharhar so every few months we at the post offic...Harharhar so every few months we at the post office get these anonymous Gallup employee surveys. Understand that these surveys are promulgated by management, and they're looking for sunshine and lollipops. Check boxes from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree) on thirteen statements (for example, No. 1 is "I know what is expected of me at work." A no-brainer, I marked it a 5. I deliver mail. That's expected of me.)<br /><br />Then comes the newly formulated Essay Question: Please describe any positive changes you've seen on your work team.<br /><br /><i>Don't mind if I do!</i> I wrote:<br /><br />Many of us are positively aware that our new, innovative Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, was chosen by his boss, the traitor and career criminal Donald Trump, for his naked corruption, and is on assignment to destroy the United States Postal Service and help steal a second election, ending in dictatorship.<br /><br />Spin that, ya management lickspittles. P.S. I've disapproved of at least one or two past PMG's, the late Marvin Runyon in particular, but I never saw one that was actually a crook until DeJoy.TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-15622975880747129722020-08-15T18:36:32.464-07:002020-08-15T18:36:32.464-07:00I didn't know Florida Man was a thing. Learn s...I didn't know Florida Man was a thing. Learn something every day…<br /><br />https://filmdaily.co/news/florida-man-memes/Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-23021314291614352702020-08-15T18:08:24.299-07:002020-08-15T18:08:24.299-07:00Larry,
...DeJoy stands to reap a financial windfa...Larry,<br /><br /><i>...DeJoy stands to reap a financial windfall.</i><br /><br />If that is his plan, he needs to hire a lawyer pronto. The next Congress and Administration could crucify him. He's taking a helluva risk.<br /><br /><i>liberal-ness of the Ninth Circuit</i><br /><br />Don't worry yet. 'En banc' sessions are where it really matters with controversial material. I have no doubt the AG will be talking to a broad range of people to decide what they actually want to defend. Some quick response piece of law? Maybe. They might prefer to defend a follow up one made with cooler heads.<br /><br />The issue is making currently owned LCM's illegal to own. There are other ways to approach the danger with LCM's and possibly better times to do it. For example, imagine defending a case in the not-so-distant future after NY rips the NRA to pieces.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32171632793527424772020-08-15T18:00:00.889-07:002020-08-15T18:00:00.889-07:00Deuxglass,
I'm very glad your part of Florida...Deuxglass,<br /><br />I'm very glad your part of Florida doesn't fit what I wrote.<br /><br />I was debating using "Panhandle Man" instead, but the dismal state of American geography knowledge means the people most likely to understand it (besides commenters here) are the people of Florida who don't need to be told about their neighbors. They already know.<br /><br />As for my knowledge of Florida, I admit I haven't been there in a while, but I HAVE been to almost every State in the US. My father was USAF. Lots of traveling. Most places I've lived have been out west, but my friends, cousins, aunts, and uncles aren't all over here.<br /><br />... and ...<br /><br />I see myself as American more than anything else, so I can spot Florida Man here in California too. 8)<br /><br /><br />Phaedrusnailfile,<br /><br />It's a strait up imitation of that song. I was looking at the section for Person Man mostly as I did it. It's a bit unfair to the guys who wrote the original, though. They've made clear they didn't imply anyone in particular for any of the four characters. I obviously had someone specific in mind. I see them posting on Twitter fairly often. 8)<br /><br />As for Twitter, that was my primary target for the snippet.<br /><br /><br /><br />matthew,<br /><br />Between us all, I'm sure we can cover more of the political spectrum. There are so many characters/subjects to describe. 8)<br /><br />Donald Fan<br />Police Van<br />Immigrant Ban<br />etcAlfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-25437190838123062042020-08-15T17:20:57.860-07:002020-08-15T17:20:57.860-07:00Larry Hart sez: "I find it somewhat comfortin...Larry Hart sez: "I find it somewhat comforting that the motive here might be good old fashioned corruption rather than election fraud."<br /><br />It's both. Good strategies often achieve more than one goal at a time. The GOP crowd are the scum of the earth, but they strategize well. Nothing short of their immolation ought to comfort us.TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-85458083962584419192020-08-15T13:26:41.737-07:002020-08-15T13:26:41.737-07:00Alfred, Florida Man is brilliant. Alfred, Florida Man is brilliant. matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-49465424440394558642020-08-15T11:47:28.797-07:002020-08-15T11:47:28.797-07:00According to radio commentator Hal Sparks, Louis D...According to radio commentator Hal Sparks, Louis DeJoy is a major stockholder in a company called XPO Logistics, which is a private contractor that the USPS uses during peak times like Christmas. So, if the postal service's capacity is diminished going into a busy season, whether the election or the Christmas season, DeJoy stands to reap a financial windfall.<br /><br />I find it somewhat comforting that the motive here might be good old fashioned corruption rather than election fraud.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-64046508262596615922020-08-15T11:44:27.680-07:002020-08-15T11:44:27.680-07:00Phaedrusnailfile,
If you think that insulting peo...Phaedrusnailfile,<br /><br />If you think that insulting people just because they happen to live in a state you don't like is cool then you haven't lived. It can be excused if you are young but above a certain age it's worrisome. How old are you?Deuxglasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03488986307291616948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-86457210808527849642020-08-15T10:45:52.056-07:002020-08-15T10:45:52.056-07:00Hey, wouldn't it be funny if there was such a ...Hey, wouldn't it be funny if there was such a blue wave that <b>Biden</b> was clearly winning on Election Night without even having counted all the absentee ballots? And then Biden sues to stop the counting, aping Trump's exact words about how we need to know the results that night, not days or weeks or years later? <br /><br />I mean, the counting probably wouldn't actually stop (only Republicans have the power to do that), but it would be worth the humor value of watching <b>them</b> insist that every vote must be counted.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-17445299897544706562020-08-15T10:37:28.463-07:002020-08-15T10:37:28.463-07:00Alfred Differ:
This IS the ninth district, so it&...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />This IS the ninth district, so it's important to note that if THEY have an issue with our law, there really might be an issue with it.<br /></i><br /><br />Is that still true? I had heard that Trump appointees had watered down the liberal-ness of the Ninth Circuit.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-53127618279258574962020-08-15T07:47:02.103-07:002020-08-15T07:47:02.103-07:00I dont know Deuxglass i thought Alfreds song was o...I dont know Deuxglass i thought Alfreds song was okay. If you put it to the tune of They Might Be Giants, "Particle Man" the similarities are uncanny.Phaedrusnailfilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09496149647457655733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-78278943462986465412020-08-15T03:52:09.004-07:002020-08-15T03:52:09.004-07:00Alfred Differ,
Stick to writing prose. Your poetr...Alfred Differ,<br /><br />Stick to writing prose. Your poetry sucks. Florida rocks.<br /><br />A Florida resident and proud of his state. Deuxglasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03488986307291616948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-11414007676053044292020-08-15T01:22:11.680-07:002020-08-15T01:22:11.680-07:00Regarding the CA ban on LCM's, I urge patience...Regarding the CA ban on LCM's, I urge patience.<br /><br />The stay is still in effect and our AG has to decide whether to appeal. This was the usual '3 judge' ruling, so the next step is to take it to the entire court... if the AG feels we should.<br /><br />This IS the ninth district, so it's important to note that if THEY have an issue with our law, there really might be an issue with it. If it goes down, it's not like the CA legislators won't be able to come together on another try.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-13135455453814818032020-08-14T19:30:31.030-07:002020-08-14T19:30:31.030-07:00As the mailman-in-residence, I can tell you that t...As the mailman-in-residence, I can tell you that the elections mail for my city all goes to a post office box right here in the city. So, for the vast majority of ballot applications and cast ballots, we can simply throw them into a designated bucket on the loading dock which will go straight there, within 24 hours I assume, and not via the sorting facility some 50 miles away.<br /><br />If I catch wind of any supervisor telling us NOT to do this, I will demand to know why in front of God and everybody.TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-59210813556242170722020-08-14T18:23:03.919-07:002020-08-14T18:23:03.919-07:00TCB:
Assume a new DOJ directive tells gun dealers...TCB:<br /><i><br />Assume a new DOJ directive tells gun dealers they may NOT sell unless the background check has returned. Now assume that the FBI background checks start getting run past the enemies list, which is technically trivial, and for SOME reason, the liberal/dissident/BLM/etc. applications are all "pending" and somehow, somehow, never emerge from background-check limbo. No sale.<br /></i><br /><br />This is what eventually happens to those who think they can rule indefinitely by force of arms:<br /><br /><br />District 7 forest:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j972c-yynY<br /><br />District 5 dam:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y1EmA2CU04<br /><br />And of course, the destruction of District 8:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X236AeHt5RY<br /><br />"If we burn, you burn with us!"<br /><br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-19037602308224386532020-08-14T18:01:48.606-07:002020-08-14T18:01:48.606-07:00The idea has been rattling about in my head for a ...The idea has been rattling about in my head for a few days. <br />Finally wrote it down.<br /><br />Yah. Not all of Florida. We know which part, though, right? 8)<br /><br /><br />Florida man, Florida man<br />Stuck in the past and stays as he can<br />Loves his life suppressing the tan<br />Florida man<br /><br />Is he repressed or should he confess? <br />Does he feel totally blameless?<br />Who teams up with Florida man? <br />Politics man & Triangle manAlfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43481342796920463632020-08-14T16:07:27.127-07:002020-08-14T16:07:27.127-07:00https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/us/california-h...https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/us/california-high-capacity-magazines.html<br /><i><br />California’s ban on high-capacity magazines violates the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.<br /></i><br /><br />Good to know my right to an RPG or a tactical nuclear weapon are intact.<br /><br /><i><br />Judge Kenneth K. Lee, who wrote the majority opinion, noted that California enacted the ban on large-capacity magazines, or LCMs, that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition after “heart-wrenching and highly publicized mass shootings.”<br /><br />“But even well-intentioned laws must pass constitutional muster,” he wrote.<br /></i><br /><br />Obviously, that clause only applies to laws passed by Democrats. Republicans are allowed to treat the Constitution as a <b>suggested</b> rulebook.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-9826050824575122182020-08-14T15:52:55.672-07:002020-08-14T15:52:55.672-07:00matthew:
Joe Biden should issue a statement, toda...matthew:<br /><i><br />Joe Biden should issue a statement, today, that any foreign attempts to tamper with the election would be seen as an act of war against the US by a future Biden administration.<br /><br />And *every* GOP officeholder should be asked if they will sign on to such a statement. If they refuse, there should be follow-up questions.<br /></i><br /><br />Even that much seems like giving too much benefit of the doubt. The only thing in question would be whether they would lie about the answer, or admit that they are just fine with foreign interference as long as the foreign interference benefits them.<br /><br />See, China and Iran might be said to <b>prefer</b> Biden to Trump (as would any sane government or individual), but Biden isn't out there <b>soliciting</b> covert aid from them. Trump <b>is</b>. McConnell and his flunkies in the Senate <b>are</b>. The idea that if they win, they'd be anything but grateful for the foreign aid that was necessary for that win is absurd.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42736308173690923272020-08-14T13:07:06.364-07:002020-08-14T13:07:06.364-07:00The GOP assault on mail-in voting is really an ass...The GOP assault on mail-in voting is really an assault on paper ballots, that can be counted and checked. It is an assault on fair voting and an assault on our nation. <br /><br />Russia and other state actors had the ability to change votes in 2016. They accessed websites that had the ability. It is thought that Russian did not change votes by most observers (though there are still doubts). It is believed that Obama threatening severe consequences to Russia if Putin ordered votes changed was the determining factor if Russia did not change votes. <br /><br />Now we have the GOP actively, desperately, trying to stop mail-in ballots. <br /><br />This is all about a paper trail. <br /><br />Joe Biden should issue a statement, today, that any foreign attempts to tamper with the election would be seen as an act of war against the US by a future Biden administration. <br /><br />And *every* GOP officeholder should be asked if they will sign on to such a statement. If they refuse, there should be follow-up questions. <br /><br />And all of us need to start preparing for what we will do *if* Trump and the GOP steal the election. <br /><br />I put chances that the GOP / Russia / Israel / UAE / Saudi / Turkish / Chinese / Iranian interference will make a non-legitimate election happen at about 75%. <br /><br />The question is what will the US citizens do afterwards. <br /><br />In the meantime, defend paper ballots. Defend the USPS. <br /><br />And get angry. We are being attacked again. matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75539472352965076622020-08-14T10:43:00.427-07:002020-08-14T10:43:00.427-07:00Stonekettle on Twitter:
They're going to fly ...Stonekettle on Twitter:<br /><i><br />They're going to fly a drone on another planet. <br /><br />Sometimes it's good to remember there are still people out there doing amazing things every single day.<br /><br />[referring to...] <br />@NASA<br /><br />While on the way to the Red Planet, our Ingenuity @NASAMars helicopter had its batteries checked out and was powered up for the first time in space. <br /><br />Rocket Keep up with the #CountdownToMars: https://go.nasa.gov/3iBKTtl<br /></i><br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-36626569259271883452020-08-14T08:29:41.531-07:002020-08-14T08:29:41.531-07:00https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/us/politics/tru...https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/us/politics/trump-postal-service-mail-voting.html<br /><br /><i><br />Mr. Trump has assailed the money-losing Postal Service in recent months, at the same time warning that voting by mail will lead to fraud, lost or stolen ballots and long delays in determining a winner.<br /></i><br /><br />So voting by mail will create long delays because of the roadblocks Trump himself is putting in the way. I guess that's like "We know Saddam has WMDs because we have the receipts from when we sold them to him."<br /><br /><i><br />(On Wednesday, both the president and the first lady, Melania Trump, were mailed ballots, Palm Beach County, Fla., election records show. It was first reported by The Palm Beach Post. Late Thursday, Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said, “The president supports absentee voting, not universal mail-in voting, which contain several safeguards that prevent fraud and abuse.”)<br /></i><br /><br />I've seen this recently in retcons about Trump's aversion to (emphasis added) "<b>Universal</b> mail-in voting". That's not what he said back when he started asserting that mail-in voting was bad, but absentee voting was good, and every pundit except those on FOX and OANN pointed out that those were the same thing.--like "Obamacare" and the ACA.<br /><br />Now the Trumpists are saying that's not true, because absentee voting requires a request for the ballot, whereas <b>universal</b> mail-in voting does not. Well, first of all, it's only recently that they've apparently written the word "universal" into the conversation in crayon. More importantly, that's a red herring, because Democrats are not pushing for <b>universal</b> mail-in voting. That is, they're not after the elimination of in-person voting--just the availability of an alternative because of the pandemic.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22800245276289397202020-08-14T08:09:01.448-07:002020-08-14T08:09:01.448-07:00The new definition of chutzpah ...
https://www.ele...The new definition of <i>chutzpah</i> ...<br />https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2020/Pres/Maps/Aug14.html#item-4<br /><i><br />...<br />This did not stop Donald Trump from claiming that Biden would personally impose a mask requirement if he were to become president, and complaining that Biden thinks he can do whatever he wants with the stroke of a pen (pot, meet kettle).<br /></i>Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-23051087847238527242020-08-14T02:56:06.452-07:002020-08-14T02:56:06.452-07:00These were also interesting:
https://www.vox.com/... These were also interesting:<br /><br />https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/8/12/21361498/climate-change-air-pollution-us-india-china-deaths<br /><br />https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/21349200/climate-change-fossil-fuels-rewiring-america-electrify<br /><br />A few have noticed there's money to be made from the transition, I suspect more will join them.Tim H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12380916635831994159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42260835094830963612020-08-14T02:36:06.623-07:002020-08-14T02:36:06.623-07:00I found this interesting:
https://om.co/2020/08/1... I found this interesting:<br /><br />https://om.co/2020/08/13/gig-economy-work/<br /><br />Basic minimum income and single payer healthcare could be the missing pieces required to minimize social damage when when employment can't pay enough to live here, either by the nature of the job, or "Almost a business plan".Tim H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12380916635831994159noreply@blogger.com