@DipodomysDeserti said in Water Politics:

Looks like Arizona is losing 21% of our allocation by 2023. Doesn’t look like CA has any cuts.

Need to keep exporting that alfalfa to china.

@gmporschenut-also-a-fan-of-hondas Not helping your case.

@Sunglasses I don't really know anything about the producer of that video other than what I learned when clicking on it (and then viewing the channel hosting it, and I don't mean that in a good way - a contrarian grifter mecca and she just might be at home there) - in m humble opinion there just might be more money and connections to be made appearing as a supportive token on one side than as just another person on the other. I have no data on this person of course. There can be bad people on both sides of all identities, the far right also has beauties like Milo and Peter Thiel.

@MidEngine mmmmmm, I think of that as "sticking it to the neocons".

After decades of the GOP and maga playing the "trigger the libs" game, turnabout is fair play.

@nickhasanexocet And they don't get to peruse the documents a President does, you're arguing for the sake of arguing.

Holy fuck, did NO ONE here not take at least Macroeconomics 101? Oil is a global commodity, the market sets the relative price.

@MasterMario

Where were the critics of the FBI when Comey swung the election away from Hillary?

Where are the critics of the Secret Service and its Inspector General now that it is clear that January 6th-related texts were deliberately and illegally deleted and the IG covered it up for months.

@KngT All right wing fealty to authorities has to do with an "other" being controlled. The far right also uses it as a weird flamboyant virtue signal, so many stickers.

@FourMalibus said in Why not spend your family vacation at the largest day-care!:

@tophercrowder I read the linked article. Seriously, what is wrong with people today? Getting in huge fights at a theme park? I hate that all those entertainment venues are raising prices because it prices out a lot of families, however, the CEO's reasoning is actually kind of legitimate. Though his choice of words may not look great.

'We believe our demographic is the average income of the US and I'm migrating a little bit from what I call the Kmart, Walmart [customer] to maybe the target customers, if I want to say that.'

Sometimes the poor hurt themselves.

Oof, you’re not supposed to say that out loud. Just blame the increased prices on inflation and “supply chain issues”.

@WilliamsSW

If you plead guilty right after the crime, you are essentially throwing yourself on the mercy of the court. You are waiving the right to a trial, and you go straight to the penalty phase. You and your attorney will have little leeway in the penalty phase, and you can expect a harsh sentence, possibly or even likely the legal maximum the judge can give for the crime.

The attorney for the suspect almost certainly counseled his client to plead not guilty in preparation for a plea bargain. The suspect isn't likely to get much leniency, but a plea bargain agreement might knock a few years off the sentence.

It's also possible that a district attorney will stack charges, but that hasn't happened in this case so far.

Any defense attorney who doesn't advise their client to plead not guilty would likely be committing legal malpractice. It's the only way to avoid overly harsh sentencing. It's not great, but it's the way the American legal system works. The suspect will go to jail for a long time. The question is will it be 35 year or only 25 years?

@ForSweden

He might win!

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@fintail said in Political Cartoon:

@Rusty-Vandura They're going to need a bigger plunger.

MiniRooter-Working2[1].jpg

@Rusty-Vandura Xi is so desperate for his next term. His economic policies aren't working and it's the only thing keeping the sham going on.

@fintail said in John Bolton laughs at a Newsmax anchor:

I am kind of surprised Bolton bothered with Newsmax at all

John Bolton will fight tyrants on any battlefield 🫡🦅🇺🇲

@davesaddiction
Interesting data. I was hoping more than 45% would see recent events as serious, and am both disappointed and not surprised that tens of millions think it isn't much of a problem at all, but that's the new world. Similar data about the big lie would be interesting, probably some overlapping circles.

I've read many stayed away in 2016 because Bernie didn't get the nod. I hope that was a lesson learned - it's a game of the lesser evil, but if some fall for the random claim that DeSantis (who I bet will be the frontrunner) is moderate or centrist, all bets are off.

I think there might be a disconnect between self-proclaimed political identity and voting. I suspect some may claim not to be an "R", but will continue to support those who proudly support ideals that have harmed American innovation and mobility like tying healthcare to employment, or giving tax breaks to a top few in the insane delusion that it will help everyone. Definitely the Ds need to go after self-titled independents, along with reminding people that abstaining like a petulant child because one's candidate isn't on the ballet can create problems for decades.

@glemon said in "miscelaneous top secret documents":

@nickhasanexocet I almost wrote that often the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes.

I think that's really the shitty part of our current political situation. Everyone on the left and right is so eager to dunk that facts don't matter. It blows.

@bison78 said in FBI searched Trump’s home to look for nuclear documents:

If he really did have these documents, are the Republican supporters (including here) finally going to decry his behavior? Not just say that they don't support him, but actually condemn him?

So, I guess the answer to this is either crickets or whataboutism based on (probably libelous) feverish imaginations.

I guess I should not have expected anything else, but I am still disappointed by the people who are clearly right-wing supporters, but claim not to support Trump.

Edit:
From now on, whenever anyone who supports Republicans claims not to be a Trump supporter, I will call out their bullshit.

@facw The Ruskies remember what happened in Afghanistan. On the economic front, Raytheon has something like a $2 billion economic impact in Arizona.

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@Manwich said in In other news… guy in a plane flew a sign over Trump’s Maralago estate:

it was a happy day for many when Crooked Trump’s estate was raised by the FBI

Interestingly, when they served the warrant, they did everything they could to make it as low-keyed as possible, wearing T-shirts, taking no weapons, et cetera. Some blogger spotted them and made a post. Trump himself is the one who's made it a big thing, but I'm sure he is innocent of all things.

@davesaddiction said in Drumpf responds again to FBI warrant and search.:

@Saracen said in Drumpf responds again to FBI warrant and search.:

un-declassifiable

🤔

That's a great word. LOL

I think I'd have gone with in- for the pre-prefix, though.

Like indefatigable.

I think non- would work too.

@ZHP-Sparky-the-5th Some important clarifications of the EV tax credits that resolve most of the issues I had with how this is set up -

ALL eligible EVs will qualify for the $7500 credit, regardless of where the components come from, thru the end of 2024 - gives manufacturers some time to change their supply chains to maintain eligibility

the raw materials requirements apply to the US AND allies (presumably countries the US has free trade agreements with) so won't necessarily require that everyone builds factories in the US (although there are other incentives on the supply side that will incentivize manufacturers to do so)

Not bad at all, certainly good steps in the right direction in my opinion.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/business/climate-bill-electric-vehicles.html

@nickhasanexocet said in Someone tries to enter Cincinnati FBI offices while armed. Finds out the hard way.:

I think connecting something that happened 18 months ago to something they did today is a stretch.

Assuming the info about his Truth Social call to action being reported on is accurate, nobody is jumping to conclusions or making connections here - the guy did that himself.

Certainly very sad, that people have been led so far down this road in to doing extreme things like these and costing them their lives.

@MasterMario Yeah, the lead contamination is most likely from decades ago to a century ago, but there are still areas with air lead concentrations that exceed the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), with LA County being one of those areas.

I stopped using non stick cook ware over ten years ago and some people thought I was being a nervous Nancy. Then I started an environmental resource management MS program and learned that PFAS are now a widespread problem. Climate change is a real macro problem, but there are tons of other environmental concerns which aren’t even on people’s radar.

@CarsOfFortLangley when even the cops are sick of the corruption...

@davesaddiction Yeah, great film. Cheney’s word means nothing to me, so I wouldn’t expect the people of Wyoming to listen to him either. Him, Bush and Rummy are really what set the table for Trump. They completely eroded the trust and confidence many people had in our government, and showed just how sketchy our political leaders and institutions could be.

@tophercrowder said in FBI-a-Lago: Does what people think really matter? Yet?:

@flatisflat 9 out of 10 prisoners polled state that they approve of prison rape

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@facw There's an excellent book that's worth a read, titled "Boom, bust, and Echo". It foresaw the exit of the boomers and the subsequent changes that were bound to follow.

@nickhasanexocet Now don't get testy because the Canucks pushed your invasion back and burned down the White House 🙂

People who are dirt poor and have no source of funding can still be a valuable member of society and contribute in many meaningful ways. All they're asking for is a chance to do so.

@gettingoldercarguy

FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY TIMES.

I want to see the supercut.

@facw said in The docs that the feds raided Mar-a-Lago for have been leaked:

@davesaddiction It's sad that Mel Brooks is retired, but good that he's still with us.

Blazing Saddles. Just saying...

Another nail in the coffin. Joe Kent will make it to the primary and Jaime Herrera Beutler will be out of a job come January, 3rd. I highly doubt the Democrats can garner enough votes to take the district even with the heavily Democratic Clark County. THIS IS WHY PRIMARIES MATTER. Fuck.

Looks like I will be represented by a far right extremist chode.

@Rusty-Vandura At least 25% of the country is insane without a doubt. I know there's some GQP hate for 45 - they booed him about vaccinations (close overlap between antiva and deplorable), and many see him as betraying the cult for not doing more to help prosecuted insurrectionists or propagate the big lie.

I'm not sure what many of these people do other than accumulate undeserved wealth.

@FractalFootwork I recall something like that - not defund, reform - or refund.

The whittling down of the safety net and abandonment of mental health starting in the sick Reagan years has put undue burden on law enforcement. It shouldn't be their job to cope with many societal issues, but they have it put upon them. Funds could indeed be better spent.

@DipodomysDeserti said in There is no pit deep enough for this cretin.:

@Rusty-Vandura said in There is no pit deep enough for this cretin.:

@bison78 said in There is no pit deep enough for this cretin.:

Alex Jones send a nude pic of his own wife to Roger Stone:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/09/alex-jones-nude-photo-wife-roger-stone

How bizarre can these people get?

That had Hilary Clinton’s head photoshopped onto them.

I kid, I kid.

You know, you played that very well. But if the story is true, Roger Stone is really a jerk.

@DipodomysDeserti The other was Mein Kempf.

@gettingoldercarguy

Oliver was probably the safe choice.

I appreciate some of his work as well, but Trevor's perspective and take is so unique and valuable, especially as someone who experienced apartheid, which is so relevant to our country and our history of slavery and Jim Crow.

Trevor's got 10M YT subs, Oliver's got 9M, so they're both having success. I'm guessing The Daily Show gets more TV viewers, just because Oliver's on HBO.

@atfsgeoff I see quite a bit if whataboutism and distraction moving away from what the so-called right stands behind as a movement, grifting being a big part of that. Taking offense at the racism and fascism of the new right, distractions about mass shootings, what the nuts believe being somehow worthy of merit, etc.

@Rusty-Vandura said in NEWS FLASH: FBI RAIDES MAR A LAGO, FINDS HUNTER BIDEN'S LAPTOP:

@Roadkilled I would tend to see it that way. There was a Harrison Ford movie years ago when he was some high-powered attorney accused of a murder that he did not commit and he was telling one of his colleagues that he was innocent and how, whenever one of his clients said that, he thought they must be guilty.

It was the one armed man!

@FourMalibus said in More people likely to die because of Republican policies ...:

There is some truth to needing high prices on current drugs to pay for the R&D on new ones. Most of the low hanging drug fruit has been found,

Drug companies spend more on marketing than R&D. Also, a lot of the basic R&D is paid for by government.

https://www.ahip.org/news/articles/new-study-in-the-midst-of-covid-19-crisis-7-out-of-10-big-pharma-companies-spent-more-on-sales-and-marketing-than-r-d

@dogisbadob and she's gonna get fired at some point via recall or losing the next election.

You don't walk away from this kind of fuckup.

@fintail This. Came here to post "broken clock is right twice a day."

@DipodomysDeserti Opening China is arguably the worst action of Nixon's regime. Of course Kissinger was involved, insane that the old monster is still alive.

But hey, it gives us some cheap trinkets and allows some corporations to gain equity (if not in the short term), so it was worth it.

@bison78 Should have gone with the Israeli method of bombing research reactors and assassinating those building them. The ban on uranium enrichment had an expiration date under the previous deal, so I’m not sure how much leverage it provided in the long run. Making a deal with them seemed kind of silly in the first place, as the country is run by religious nuts. They were going to do whatever they wanted regardless.

@gettingoldercarguy Yep, I was joking. We're long overdue for one, things were getting overheated even before pandemic relief money printing. It's a pendulum. This is going to be an odd one, as I doubt it will have unemployment numbers on par with prior recessions.

@MrSnrub They’d have to be a bit more choosey with theirs than we would with ours. At least our subs would be able to avenge us 😉

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And just to be clear, I don’t actually think we should go to war with China, but we should definitely stop enabling them. They have pretty tight control over media over there, so I don’t think Pelosi was risking war. The majority of their population doesn’t have a clue and I think that’s one of the primary concerns of the CCP.

@BeaterGT

Before or after he put the microchips in the COVID 19 vaccine?

@tae said in Beyonce slurring:

If the term wasn't a slur before Beyonce changed her song, it is now.

It is very possible to learn and use a slur for a long time before realizing it is a slur. I grew up hearing and using several slurs, and continued to do so for quite a long time before learning that they were derived from the name of some racial or ethnic group. (Small, rural town, before the internet age... There was a lot I didn't know before I left for college.)

But for the word "spaz" specifically, I suppose it could still be used as a shortened version of "spastic" where it describes a physical movement instead of being used as a negative descriptor for an able bodied person. But then again, there are alternative words that can be used just as easily.

@tae said in Beyonce slurring:

Beyonce obviously knew about Lizzo's case, ignored it, and went with it. In the end she had to change stuff.

Benefit of the doubt: Its easy to hear about something happening, and often difficult to apply their lessons to your actions. Brains are weird.

@tae said in Beyonce slurring:

This sort of exposure can't help but change the meaning of a word for millions of people.... That's sort of the underlying point. I don't like people acting as the language police, but they proved their point.

It didn't really change the word or it's meaning, but it might have changed the acceptable usage of it.

Best case, it wasn't the language police, just some well meaning fans pointing out that certain groups might not find that word as such a clever choice. Worst case, it was the Language Police or some other "Righteous Corrector" who wanted to score some correction points and didn't care about any of the people involved.

Funny thing is, while I don't enjoy thinking the "Well Akshully" crowd scored a win, I still see it as an overall positive. It's getting (at least some) people to step back and think about how a word choice could be affecting others. Whether they adjust their usage of the word or not, I think the most valuable thing here is the consideration of another person's experience.

@bison78 said in Judges doing more than judging:

@ForSweden

I wasn't referring to that. I was referring to the fact that the apportionment of seats in the Senate and gerrymandering by states gives disproportionate power to a minority of voters.

5 of the current Supreme Court justices were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote.

That is an interesting point that I had never heard.

@davesaddiction

I suspect that the laws in those states have not been enforced very much, since they would have to pass the constitutional requirement on speech of "no prior restraint".

@DipodomysDeserti said in Pelosi in Taiwan:

front row benches at the the fifty yard line

Wow! Very cool of them to do that.

@Cash-Rewards said in Pfizer: Give them an inch and they will take a mile.:

@CarsOfFortLangley birds are fake, prove me wrong

My dog ate one the other day. Unless she was pulling some Lost Boys shit, I think this proves it.

8ED6734E-023D-4800-8CDA-1644992DBB23.gif

@Rusty-Vandura

four or six blades times 100

Sounds more like flechettes,

@SantaBarbarian
I think Boise, parts of AZ, maybe even Vegas, may be in for some trouble again. I suspect no hot/desirable areas will be unscathed, but some will fare better than others. I like to think my immediate region won't be a catastrophe, thanks to continuous in-migration, a lingering shortage, and insane rents which will steer some into buying as soon as they can. North Idaho, as batshit crazy as it is, will probably be likewise due to the continued influx of spoiled retirees.

Cheap money started ramping things up at least 5 years ago, too - even 4-5% rates are historically cheap. I doubt we will get close to 1983 style rates again - and even then, prices seemed to just stagnate for several years, not collapse. Housing affordability will remain a crisis in many area where people actually want to live.

Anecdotal observation from my 'hood - a flip a couple blocks away has gone pending twice now and is back on the market again. I suspect it isn't appraising high enough - it's a particularly shameless and cynical flip - paint, flooring, cabinets/fixtures, probably no more than 20K in work for a 110K desired windfall in 8 weeks time. I won't cry if some flipper opportunists and maybe even some coddled under-regulated investor/institutional buyers are sweating a little.

@bbg2d Everything one needs to know is summed up by paypal and cashapp being the first parts of the description.

@davesaddiction Heritage not hate!

States rights!

@Cash-Rewards Exactly.

Pfizer already has emergency use authorization, so they can sell the drug to whoever they want. If it’s safe, I’d think they would want to sell to as many demographics as possible. They don’t give a shit about whether you actually need it as long as it doesn’t hurt you in the long run. That’s what’ll cause them to lose money. The feds are bankrolling lots of this research anyways. There are lots of drugs being sold to people that don’t actually need them.

@gettingoldercarguy

So when Trump dies and ownership transfers to the kids, his remaining debt can let everything be seized but Bedminster? Seems to line up with how he operates...