From Pine View Farm

“Nice Little Business You’ve Got Here. Wouldn’t Want Anything To Happen to It.” 0

Joe Conason marvels at Trump’s grift of grab. A snippet:

With the menacing manner of a mob boss, Trump has extorted million-dollar contributions from dozens of corporations that fear federal retribution against their shareholders or management (as in the case of Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, who coughed up his million after Trump literally threatened him with “life in prison” not so long ago).

Follow the link for context.

Share

Store Crazy 0

Florida Woman goes bananas.

Share

Vaccine Nation 0

At the confirmation hearings for RFK Jr., Senators Measles, Polio, Smallpox and Disinformation all vote

Click for the original image.

Share

The Fires This Time 0

Farron dissects the GOP ransom note.

I don’t think it’s pushing the envelope to suggest that today’s Republican Party is willing, to paraphrase the Founders, to put faction over nation six days a week and twice on Sundays.

Share

“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Once again, politeness goes to the dogs.

Share

Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

Field decodes de code.

Share

QOTD 0

Mencius:

He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.

Share

And Now for a Change of Pace 0

Peggy Lee performs “Johnny Guitar.”

Share

Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

Clearly, if we don’t talk about America’s original sin of chattel slavery, then it must not have happened.

Because that’s the way history works.

Share

Dis Coarse Discourse 0

Rat:  In the old days, it was so easy to form an angry mob.  Goat:  Why do you say that?  Rat:  Because most of us lived in small towns and villages, so we all knew everyone.  And if some guy did something wrong of something you just didn't like, you cold easily gather all those people and publicly humiliate him or even worse.  But then, sadly, most of us moved to large cities where we were lost in a sea of people, and how can you rile up complete strangers that you don't even know?  (with joy) But now we have social media and the mob is back!  It's a gift from God.  Goat:  Maybe not from God.  Pig:  Mob vengeance is back with a vengeance, Baby!

Click for the original image.

One more time, “social” media isn’t.

Share

Genius at Work 0

PoliticalProf has a couple of thoughts about Donald Trump’s unilateral (that is, in the absence of Congressional action) attempt to impose tariffs on our friends and allies. He notes, among other things, that

The markets and most economic commentators were convinced that Trump would never impose massive tariffs on Canada and Mexico because to do so would be utter economic insanity.

Yeah, Right.

Share

Countering Chaos Agents 0

Thom offers some pointers on how to deal with the flood of lies.

Share

The Climate They Are a-Changing 0

And you can see it, if only you will look.
A facade of a theatre advertising

Click to view the original image.

Here, the thermometer hit 79 Fahrenheits on the last day of January.

This is not normal. It’s not even a normal aberration.

Share

“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

More neighborly politeness.

We are a broken society.

Share

QOTD 0

Stuart Langridge:

When you can’t decide on a thing, pick the side with the fewest (less than desirable persons–ed.) on it and you quite often come out okay in the process.

Share

A Tune for the Times 0

A short tune about Donald Trump’s reaction to the Washington–I refuse to call it “Reagan”–National Airport crash.

Share

Droning On 0

Boys and their toys.

Share

“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

It does rather take one aback how those “responsible gun owners” just cannot seem to resist the temptation to play with their portable phalluses.

Share

A Legend in His Own Mind 0

Trump: I Have common sense

The Kansas City Star’s Melinda Henneberger: The evidence shows otherwise.

Share

Happy New Year! 0

Caption:  Year of the Snake.  Image:  Snake with Donald Trump's face.  Along the snake's body appear the word

Via Job’s Anger.

Share