Grandioso

McCain's staff director recommended looking into political groups that were pulling an end run on campaign finance laws and federal income tax laws. They just wanted to close a fucking loophole. It just so happened that people like the Koch brothers seemed to be only ones exploiting it, or at least doing it on a much greater scale. If the IRS wanted to do the same type investigation on 501(c)(4) groups exploiting George Soros-type dark money, I'd be all for that as well. Seems like you're conceding that these 501(c)(4) groups were supporting candidates, i.e. political as opposed to social welfare programs. If so, we're kind of done here. EDIT: By the way, if you Google News "John McCain IRS" these are the publications on the first page: The Federalist, The Washingto Times, The New American, Canada Free Press (which has the hilarious tagline "Because Without America, There Is No Free World"), Artvoice, American Thinker Blog, Breitbart, One America News Network, Ricochet.com, World Tribune, and finally, the Baltimore Post-Examiner. That last one's article was reprinted from something called "Talk Media News."

Totally. You can feel the childlike spontaneity. "CDs nuts." Hahahaa. He's like the official fishing buddy of Twitter.

Those GOP quotes need to be read aloud on the steps of Congress every morning to remind everyone just how fucking cowardly and sleazey Cruz, Rubio, Romney, Cruz, and scores of Congresscritters are. They are so fucking afraid to stand up to Trump on anything, and in fact they're carrying his water. Zero moral courage. Meanwhile, John McCain is tweeting condemnations of Trump from his fucking deathbed.

The double standards, de-contextualizing, and short memories at this thing today were pretty amazing. The faux indignancy about marital infidelity while "their guy" is grabbing pussies and fucking hookers and porn stars. That tweet about Gowdy not responding to the question about calling Steve Bannon back was amazing. "Hey Trey, you said you wanted to hold Strozk in contempt of court for doing the precise thing Steve Bannon did. Are you willing to hold Mr. Bannon in contempt or call him back and compel him to testify?" /Shrug. Because LOL NOTHING MATTERS. I wish Congressional witnesses could cross-examine their accusers, but the Democrat congress members pretty much made their points through those softball questions about hypocrisy. Also, the GOP is STILL operating like their party is out of power. They organized this fucking show trial attempting to convict this poor guy as the all-purpose fill-in for the entire DEEP STATE (TM).

Ok, yeah I have this all fucked up. I didn't realize Electrosonic was kind of a tier 2 line, and not a model. I guess I'm asking about anything Jet or Penguin. Oh damn, they also make a solid body Chet Atkins. Seems like a Duesenberg might be a cool LP alternative also. But I'm going to have to inform my boss that he needs to give me a raise.

Reading through the 2016 GOP official party platform right now (the one that Trump's people asked to change and take out the part about providing weapons to Ukraine). This is a case study in the personality cult of Trumpism. He is so far outside GOP dogma and mainstream on NATO and national security. And it just doesn't fucking matter to the 90% Republicans who approve of the job he's doing. Maybe the DNC should nominate one of the Koch brothers as their presidential candidate. Ha, here are some excerpts on defense, with the very scary caption "A Dangerous World." LOL NOTHING MATTERS. ...After nearly eight years of a Democratic Commander-in-Chief who has frequently placed strategic and ideological limitations and shackles on our military, our enemies have been emboldened and our national security is at great risk. I don't even know where to begin. ...only by electing a Republican to the White House will we restore law and order to our land and safety to our citizens [be afraid, people of Nebraska, Muslims are coming]. ...In all of our country’s history, there is no parallel to what President Obama and his former Secretary of State have done to weaken our nation [nation is code for defense contractors. See next several sentences]. Our aging naval capabilities are inadequate for their job. The Air Force fields the smallest and oldest force of combat aircraft in its history. The Marines have only two-thirds the number of battalions they have historically needed to meet day to day operational demands. The Army is at its lowest troop levels since before World War II. Our U.S. Ambassador and American personnel were left without adequate security or backup halfway across the world in Benghazi [obligatory]. In summary, we have returned to the hollow force days of Jimmy Carter. Also neglected are our strategic forces, especially the development and deployment of ballistic missile defenses. ...In the international arena, a weak Administration has invited aggression Trump openly admires the aggressive actors and autocrats this is talking about We support maintaining and, if warranted, increasing sanctions, together with our allies, against Russia unless and until Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are fully restored. We also support providing appropriate assistance to the armed forces of Ukraine and greater coordination with NATO defense planning. All our adversaries heard the message in the Administration’s cutbacks: America is weaker and retreating. Trump said this mere days ago: “We’re going to have to see,” when asked if the U.S. would accept Russia’s claim on the territory it seized from Ukraine in 2014. From the section "Renewing the European Alliance," which Trump is really doing an amazing job at. With bipartisan support, President Truman forged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an alliance of the western democracies. Its continued effectiveness is vital NATO is vital, but also obsolete! We urge greater coordination in economic and security affairs between the United States and the republics of Eastern Europe [except Trump doesn't support expansion of the EU]. We urge that Poland be granted visa waiver status and we support placement of NATO troops in Poland [Except Trump doesn't support NATO expansion]. We have common imperatives: Ending terrorism, combating nuclear proliferation, promoting trade [while we also impose economic sanctions? This part definitely has the Trump touch], and more. We also have a common problem: The continuing erosion of personal liberty and fundamental rights under the current officials in the Kremlin [Except Trump calls for the investigation and incarceration of his political enemy. Lock her up!]. We will meet the return of Russian belligerence with the same resolve that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. [SOOOO tough on Russia]. We will not accept any territorial change in Eastern Europe imposed by force, in Ukraine, Georgia, or elsewhere, and will use all appropriate constitutional measures to bring to justice the practitioners of aggression and assassination Trump said he wouldn't have let Russia annex Crimea. He's also said that Crimea prefers Russia. He's also campaigned that when he's President, Putin was not going into Ukraine. WTF R positions and ideologeez?

The talking points are getting more and more RT by the day. It would not shock me if Trump started going down this slope... "Estonians are ethnic Russians! Sure, they may be in NATO, but they want a closer relationship with Russia! Look at this poll Sputnik made up...er, took using very scientific statistical methods." "Putin has an obligation to defend Russian minorities who are oppressed in Estonia!"

Definitely listen to the NYT "The Daily" podcast from today. It's the entire history of NATO and the post-Soviet Russo-US chess match all explained in about 25 minutes. Hugo, for example, probably won't learn anything new but it's a great NATO for Dummies.

Does anybody own a Gretsch Electromatic, Jet or Duosonic? New or vintage, doesn't matter. Basically any Gretsch solidbody or chambered solidbody. I feel like that could be a great alternative to a Les Paul for me. From an aesthetic perspective, Les Pauls are obviously gorgeous. From a sonic perspective, same thing. But the shape, center of gravity, and top of the Les Paul have always felt uncomfortable and awkward from a pure playing standpoint.

My band was the first of three local openers at his Warehouse Live show there the prior fall. He played the side stage. I'm going to assume his performance was similar to his 2009 show and then say that those fuckers rocked so hard. RYAN, STAHP CHANGING UR BAND MEMBERS SO MUCH! (Keep Jesse fuckin' Dayton though).

Isbell could be a twitter personality/comedian if he wanted. His shit is that good and consistently offbeat/weird/funny.

I've thought about the alternative - immortality, and man that sounds more terrifying when you consider the inevitables. Everyone you know dies, humanity dies out, the sun explodes and then you spend eternity just floating through an incomprehensible void with nothing but your thoughts. Nope!

30 seconds later they're rolling a blunt together and yucking it up Robert Redford/Paul Newman style. But seriously, what is with the fucking permit vigilantism? Excuse me sir, may I see your permit for being black in a white neighborhood?

Frank Zappa's laboriously modded SG.

Don't get me wrong. If someone said, "hey Grandioso, do you want this beautiful, crazy ass PRS that can voice virtually every major modern electric guitar design?" ...I would accept that gift.

MURPHY! Great call.

Ratings are the number one indicator of credibility, which is why I get all of my news from American Idol. The ratings are off the charts.

I'll hang up and listen. Is Donald Trump not aligning every single imaginable position with the geopolitical and economic goals of Russia? Where has this self-professed "tough guy" challenged Russia? He literally tweeted like 2 weeks ago something to the tune of "Russia said they didn't hack the election." Unfortunately I am a trial lawyer, and if my client made such an inane, batshit statement - while he was simultaneously UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR COOPERATING WITH THE VERY ADVERSARIAL REGIME THAT HE IS INSISTING WE BELIEVE - I'd be floored. Uneducated truck drivers don't say shit that brazen and expect people to credulously buy it. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT that his operatives and enablers pay for this shit, because Trump sure isn't paying for dick. Start with McConnell, that fucking POS. Sorry this was so inflammatory. I need to go take a deep breath.

"You are willing to spout the Putin line, sign up for his wish list: break up NATO, do whatever he wants to do." Is this not 100% factually accurate?

But did the leaders of the free world not see Trump's tweet about looking into Crooked Hillary and "the Pakistani fraudster?" God, Trump's misdirection is so fucking lame and just gibberish. I can only gawk at the musings of this D-List game show host that we decided should be president because our country was too politically correct. Is this real life? Is there anyone in this entire forum who can make the case that Trump's disdain for multilateral treaties, NATO, fucking democracies, the FBI, the CIA, etc. are just amazing happenstance? Anyone? Bueller? Is this man not ticking off every single box on the Putin "wish list?"

There is no way the average fox viewer understood ANYTHING of what Shep said, and he dumbed it down SO much for them.

The same people that love Reagan are cheering on the guy burning his legacy to the ground. Anti-free trade, unprincipled supporter of autocrats, anti-NATO, etc. The only thing they have in common is tax cuts and being against social service and healthcare programs. It is a bona fide personality cult. I think Trump could roll out a Bernie Sanders platform, and his hive would all just become socialists. There is no guiding ideology or principles behind any of it.*

That PRS is kind of getting into Frank Zappa territory in terms of "wanting it all." Just because it's possible, doesn't mean it needs to be done.

fuckery