Paul Wesley

If we're talking about GWB judicial failures and foreign policy failures, let's also remember his fiscal failures. GWB inherited something very close to a balanced budget in 2000, and was elected in large part due to the relentless "balanced budget amendment" and "term limits" mantras of the 1990's GOP. Fast forward only 8 short years later, and he handed off the wild, unchecked fiscal house of cards that continues to this day. Tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans. Corporate capture of the agencies intended to protect the best interests of the average American. In 2004, with growing public disenchantment with a bungled war and a close election, he made a deal with big Pharma to transfer/privatize countless billions of dollars. That also continues today. The wars he started accounted for about 25% of America's total cumulative deficit at one point. Like 300 million *PER DAY* for decades. What do we have to show for all that lost treasure? Imagine how transformative those seven trillion dollars could have been for our society: Infrastructure. Schools. Transportation. High-tech education. Re-tooling American factories to keep more manufacturing jobs at home. Investment in clean energy. Ugh.

The fact that there's a coordinated right-wing propaganda campaign on MAJOR NETWORKS and involving their most famous anchors and the RNC chairperson herself - all reporting how the president is experimenting with the optimal dose of cocaine as part of debate prep.... And a huge % of Americans drink down these purported facts without any skepticism... It's fucking mind-blowing. My wife is tired of hearing me say it, but the singular thing I have learned in the last decade is the incredible power of right-wing propaganda. It will be our undoing. Arguably, it already has been.

Haha. I missed this song in real time, and I only know it because a few years ago, it was the nominee of a friend of mine when we were talking about "worst songs to make it big." Also... that performance in the music store... wow. Apparently having a hit song does not protect you from the effects of meth and face tats.

Holy shit, I have that exact amp in my closet right now. https://reverb.com/item/81778797-legend-model-a60-series-ii-hybrid-amplifier-system

I grew up on terrestrial radio and album rock, spent a shit ton of money on albums and cassettes, and CDs -- and listened to that stuff into my 30's. But I gotta say, the idea of listening to a "classic rock" station into your 50's - that just strikes me as horribly depressing. Haven't we heard those same songs a gajillion times already? Their playlists are so short, it's hard to imagine many songs in their top 200 that I'd be surprised or excited to hear.

I think it depends on how hot/humid it is, and how expensive the guitar. A couple years back, when I paid a lot for a guitar that got delivered in mid-summer, I was a good boy and waited until the next day. * disclaimer: I also think that sailing a boat against the wind is pure witchcraft.... so maybe not the top science guy here.

If the rule that you followed brought you to this - ...of what use was the rule?

There's a line in "Raising Arizona" about H I trying to walk the narrow path after getting married, but "finding myself driving past convenience stores that*ain't* on the way home." Things I drive past on Reverb that ain't on the way home: 000-28, one particular 1990's Custom Shop Thinline Tele. mind blown .gif

Right? A church-going, fellow Southerner, a hunter and good old boy who served capably in law enforcement, including the successful prosecution of terrorists who murdered children. ...who lost to this objectively stupid moron who praises Putin and willfully sabotages our own military despite numerous pleas from the Secretary of Defense to please knock it off Party over country, party over faith, party over democracy, party over competency and decency...

If the trajectory of Muhammad Ali's career would have mirrored that of U2, he would have defeated Liston, defended his title admirably roughly four times, and then Trevor Berbick would have relentlessly beaten the absolute shit out of him for 37 years.

My first electric guitar was an 83 LP Custom...

Mr Fuck wants to rock. If he makes an average of $25 per lawn mowed, and if he convinces his friend to buy a bass, how many anti-Reagan anthems will he have to write to get the attention of the pretty girl in Algebra II if each song achieves a mean average decibel level of 128? For the purposes of this word problem, remember that he is still wearing tube socks and he is several years from being old enough to get a tattoo.

This state already had law enforcement who was willing to look the other way when dozens of trucks with Trump flags surrounded and harassed a bus carrying Democratic campaign staffers. We also have counties where Republican election officials have resigned purely for fear of being assassinated by these yahoos in their own party. Now we’re signing off on *murder*!!!!! How crazy is that? I mean, we had an impartial jury of TEXANS and witnesses and a trial…. And it’s not like there’s some new DNA evidence or a whistleblower reporting prosecutorial misconduct… it’s just, “we’re gonna let the convicted murderer out because we like his politics.” … And he’s free to go to Cabelas tomorrow and buy a fucking assault rifle. Lunacy.

I think this thread illustrates our idiocracy as well as any other. Every time I see it bumped, I know there’s gonna be a story or video that’s facepalm-worthy. For example: a god damn ball coach that doesn’t know anything about anything- expressing concern to the secretary of defense that we might be offending the sensibilities of the country that targets its neighbors’ civilians with missiles on pretty much a daily basis.

The self-described idiot/asshole understands nuance way more than the self-professed intellectual.

Damn.

I was wearing a CBGB shirt in the grocery store yesterday, and an older woman exclaimed, "Oh, I loved going there!" She then asked me if I'd ever heard of the Fugs (I hadn't) and told me, "I was Tuli's girlfriend then." So I've been listening to some Fugs.

Ha. I had an insurance policy on an SSL console that was about to make a cross-country trip, and I called the insurers just before it left - just to make sure everything was locked in. No response. I then fired off an email that definitely had a “tone” and probably dropped some “totally unprofessional” comments. A couple days later, a woman replied “terribly sorry for how you were inconvenienced” or something like that, and then explained that the office was like ten feet underwater. Turns out they were in New Jersey and this was a few days after Sandy. ——— “Dear Reddit: Am I the asshole…”

Yeah, they make it seem like it’s some deep-in-the-jungle tropical disease, but it’s just a consequence of eating undercooked pork. You could hop on a discount flight to Cancun and get a tapeworm and a toe by 3 o’clock, dude.

Man, I'm impressed and happy for you. Obviously, our stressed-out and isolated modern societies need to get back to having these shared, communal experiences. I've thought of starting something similar in the vein of storytelling - like a "Moth" radio-hour kind of thing, maybe with a musician doing 2 or 3 songs as an icebreaker opening act. Anyway, kudos to you.

Oddly specific

Apparently the laws regarding acting as an unregistered foreign agent either need much more aggressive prosecution or much longer prison sentences or both… and yes, I understand that he’s a legislator and not a lobbyist, but I’m fucking tired of seeing these stories affecting both chambers of Congress, in lobbying firms, and in the executive branch (Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, many others). There doesn’t seem to be enough deterrence from doing treasonous things. I also think presidential pardon powers need a serious overhaul - like if your friends are getting fabulously wealthy from treasonous acts, you don’t get to pardon them.

Yes Yes

Trivial things that make you surly.