17 year-olds, Dude.

[MaybeACoordinator 8,350]

Can I be the first to say Joel Greenberg didn't kill himself. Yet. 

[Biff Tannen 46,208]

1 hour ago, Bookman said:

Can't believe this is real life. Why do Republicans keep electing these complete douchebags?

They are perfect representatives for these people.  Deplorables.  There has never been a better descriptor.  

[Mrs Whiggins 13,051]

15 minutes ago, Bookman said:

Can't believe this is real life. Why do Republicans keep electing these complete douchebags?

You know why.

America has always had candidates and officials who were immoral, corrupt, and generally self-serving. Some have had historical rewrites that have cast a more favorable light on their behavior. Others have had those behaviors excused for a variety of reasons--circumstance, other deeds of better repute, and the actual record lacking eyewitness accounts from those whose voices were never considered or were suppressed.

You all know the history post Civil War, when former slaves were making progress in their personal lives and becoming property owners, business people, and gaining office and what happened in the decades after that. It isn't always about race per se (except a lot of times it is) but certainly voters most often vote in their own self interest and the Civil War and then the later Civil Rights Act had, IMO, an enormous effect on the pool of candidates the Republican party chose as their flag bearers and for many voters, that was just fine to serve their interests, whether based in fact or not. In hindsight, many of us look back to Reagan and shake our heads at the innocence of what we thought at the time he was in office and then Trump came along and distilled the party to its very most simplistic essence. Like @Biff Tannen says--deplorable, the ID come to life as your elected representative.

That is why Republicans keep electing these complete douchebags.

[UpperWestside 6,285]

1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

They are perfect representatives for these people.  Deplorables.  There has never been a better descriptor.  

I look at how they got to this point as a political party/death cult and it is still incredible to look at how it reached this point. There is a confluence of many different things and people who got millions of our fellow citizens to support these people. The never-ending hate machine propaganda from people like Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Hannity combined with fear-mongering, targeting the “others” because of their race and skin color and no real positive value system is a big piece of the puzzle.

Edited April 3, 2021 by UpperWestside

[Biff Tannen 46,208]

1 hour ago, UpperWestside said:

I look at how they got to this point as a political party/death cult and it is still incredible to look at how it reached this point. There is a confluence of many different things and people who got millions of our fellow citizens to support these people. The never-ending hate machine propaganda from people like Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Hannity combined with fear-mothering, targeting the “others” because of their race and skin color and no real positive value system is a big piece of the puzzle.

I'm upset that I see myself slipping to the other side as well.  Meaning, I now see them as the "others" because they are everything I would never want to be as a human being.  They are the worst parts of our society.  I know I shouldn't paint them in such a broad manner, but I'm not sure what choice I have now.  If you agree with what these people stand for, you are a bad human being.  Period.

[Sawbonz 28,253]

30 minutes ago, Bookman said:

Can't believe this is real life. Why do Republicans keep electing these complete douchebags?

We need to get rid of primaries. Candidates need to appeal to the majority of their potential constituents and that rarely happens these days. 

[JohnnyRage 1,617]

15 hours ago, Bullneck said:

She's young looking but apparently graduated from UCF in 2018.

 

Giggity?

[Biff Tannen 46,208]

1 hour ago, Sawbonz said:

We need to get rid of primaries. Candidates need to appeal to the majority of their potential constituents and that rarely happens these days. 

Ranked choice voting fixes a fuck ton of our problems.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,744]

39 minutes ago, Bookman said:

Can't believe this is real life. Why do Republicans keep electing these complete douchebags?

In many districts, I don’t think the hurdle is that large to get elected. Not just anyone can get elected but with enough money, which Gaetz has, and connections, you can find your way to the House.

[atomheartbevo 90,688]

1 minute ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

In many districts, I don’t think the hurdle is that large to get elected. Not just anyone can get elected but with enough money, which Gaetz has, and connections, you can find your way to the House.

Fitlump is drawing $75,000 a year on the Austin City Council.  

And she’s not stopping there.  

Edited April 3, 2021 by atomheartbevo

[brown water 3,789]

Got a text from one of my whiskey contacts that he just got in a 17 yo store pick whistle pig rye. Tasting notes are candy and cola. Asked him to consider renaming it the “Gaetz Batch.”  

 

 

I know the label says 10 but those who share my vice know that it’s a minimum and individual barrels can be older...

Edited April 3, 2021 by brown water

[TexArcher 39,079]

26 minutes ago, UpperWestside said:

The never-ending hate machine propaganda from people like Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Hannity combined with fear-mothering, targeting the “others” because of their race and skin color and no real positive value system is a big piece of the puzzle.

And it's exactly the attitude that Hitler fostered in the run-up to WWII.

Some people thought I was crazy for suggesting that if Trump got a second term we would see some historically awful shit.  I'm not saying it would be another Holocaust, but I think he would've gotten his wall finished and detained and/or shipped out millions of Muslims and Mexicans.  

I think it's still a very real possibility from '24 to '28.  Trumpism will be the GOP nominee and his 75 million NRA nutjobs are itching for a fight.  If they get power again, we're in deep trouble.

[Mrs Whiggins 13,051]

Attempted to verify the photo but no luck. Did discover the group does exist, see below tweets...I don't use LinkedIn, so someone else may wish to delve further. As far as I can tell, the young man in the account is of no direct relation to Rick Scott (child, grandchild), but I didn't look further. Some of their social media content for the Florida Teenage Republicans seems to be missing with respect to specific months so may have scrubbed already.

[Pescado_Rojo 19,593]

What kind of fucking power bottom costume is Jacob Scott wearing in that linkedin profile pic? Leather overcoat and aviators? He looks like a Nazi villain from a 60's sci-fi porn. 

[aggie08 21,853]

1 minute ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Nazi villain from a 60's sci-fi porn

Link?

[TheStoicPaisano 9,954]

9 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

Link?

 

[atomheartbevo 90,688]

4 minutes ago, TheStoicPaisano said:

 

I watched this in college.  Need to check for a 4K remaster, for a friend.  

[Biff Tannen 46,208]

1 hour ago, brown water said:

Got a text from one of my whiskey contacts that he just got in a 17 yo store pick whistle pig rye. Tasting notes are candy and cola. Asked him to consider renaming it the “Gaetz Batch.”  

 

 

I know the label says 10 but those who share my vice know that it’s a minimum and individual barrels can be older...

Username definitely checks out.  I wish I had "whiskey contacts".

[tx 3 putt 78,789]

1 hour ago, Bookman said:

Can't believe this is real life. Why do Republicans keep electing these complete douchebags?

to make the libs cry !!!!

[Brisketexan 107,043]

to make the libs cry !!!!

It’s honestly not much more complicated than that. The only attributes favored are how much a candidate can hurt others, inflict pain, be mean, etc. Nothing positive, all negative. It’s fucking nihilism.

[Beau Vine 55,896]

 

[Orale 1,178]

2 hours ago, Bullneck said:

 

 

 

Wouldn't she be facing prosecution in state court by the Fulton County D.A.?  The D.A. is a Democrat so I can't imagine these charges have a long life. Hopefully. 

[Underdog 29,237]

1 hour ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Attempted to verify the photo but no luck. Did discover the group does exist, see below tweets...I don't use LinkedIn, so someone else may wish to delve further. As far as I can tell, the young man in the account is of no direct relation to Rick Scott (child, grandchild), but I didn't look further. Some of their social media content for the Florida Teenage Republicans seems to be missing with respect to specific months so may have scrubbed already.

Gaetz looks like a rejected Osmond family member. 

[Gourmand 7,778]

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

I watched this in college.  Need to check for a 4K remaster, for a friend.  

ha I think I saw that at The Dobie

[Foggy Notion 1,203]

1 hour ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Attempted to verify the photo but no luck. Did discover the group does exist, see below tweets...I don't use LinkedIn, so someone else may wish to delve further. As far as I can tell, the young man in the account is of no direct relation to Rick Scott (child, grandchild), but I didn't look further. Some of their social media content for the Florida Teenage Republicans seems to be missing with respect to specific months so may have scrubbed already.

The photo is real. Here’s a video from the event.

 

[RDCanecutter 26,928]

19 hours ago, Sawbonz said:

Pump fake a head shot, come up from under the fat roll/baton101

[RDCanecutter 26,928]

17 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Fox News has this up on their front page, albeit it's not the top headline right now (thanks to the attack at the Capitol)

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/matt-gaetz-communications-director-steps-down-federal-investigation

And it's getting airplay

 

Was that announcer once a He-Man Master of the Universe doll?

[RDCanecutter 26,928]

2 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

What kind of fucking power bottom costume is Jacob Scott wearing in that linkedin profile pic? Leather overcoat and aviators? He looks like a Nazi villain from a 60's sci-fi porn. 

I loved his work on Starship Troopers.

[RDCanecutter 26,928]

1 hour ago, Gourmand said:

ha I think I saw rented that at from the store underneath The Dobie

Not judging.

[956 Worldwide 35,602]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

It’s honestly not much more complicated than that. The only attributes favored are how much a candidate can hurt others, inflict pain, be mean, etc. Nothing positive, all negative. It’s fucking nihilism.

The thing is, the best this mentality gets them is entrenched opposition status. The GOP is completely unfit to govern because it’s entire platform is owning Libs and being against stuff. 
 

You saw this with Donald Trump when they controlled all three branches of government. They accomplished jack shit, even a negative legislative agenda.  Their crowning achievement was being able to confirm judges, ie, they managed to agree that it would be good to vote for fellow party members. 
 

They are so entrenched in this that when they controlled the House, Senate, SC, and WH....they had to invent an imaginary opposition (Deep State) so they would never have to leave “opposition mode.”

[atomheartbevo 90,688]

Gaetz is probably wondering when Dear ex-Leader is going to publicly support him.  

[Foggy Notion 1,203]

I don’t know much about The American Conservative in terms of their credibility or what their angle might be, but I’ll post this anyway.

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/state-of-the-union/leaked-texts-from-israeli-consular-official-show-more-details-in-gaetz-levinson-funding-scheme/
 

tl;dr A guy who works for the Israeli consulate and claims to be involved in the Levinson deal was texting the Dilbert dude about the Gaetz investigation as early as last Saturday.

 

[Bullneck 19,589]

4 hours ago, TheStoicPaisano said:

 

Dyanne Thorne?

[JimmyJames 12,271]

15 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Gaetz is probably wondering when Dear ex-Leader is going to publicly support him.  

Gaetz? Matt Gaetz? Never heard of him. Was he my waiter one night? 

[Bullneck 19,589]

4 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Attempted to verify the photo but no luck. Did discover the group does exist, see below tweets...I don't use LinkedIn, so someone else may wish to delve further. As far as I can tell, the young man in the account is of no direct relation to Rick Scott (child, grandchild), but I didn't look further. Some of their social media content for the Florida Teenage Republicans seems to be missing with respect to specific months so may have scrubbed already.

Looks like a joke, but I guess it's not.  

[henrygandorf 29,230]

maybe i'm in the minority here, but i don't want gaetz to resign.  dragged away in handcuffs, sure.  that would be fun.

but gaetz, mtg, boebert, gym - keep them in their ~elevated, high-profile positions where they can act like idiots for the world to see.  yes, many on the right love that shit, but plenty do not.

they're not making laws.  they're not going to be senators.  they're not going to be president.

keep the nuts in the nuthouse.  make the gop house a humiliating fucking joke and make sure everybody views them that way. 

[Bullneck 19,589]

4 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Attempted to verify the photo but no luck. Did discover the group does exist, see below tweets...I don't use LinkedIn, so someone else may wish to delve further. As far as I can tell, the young man in the account is of no direct relation to Rick Scott (child, grandchild), but I didn't look further. Some of their social media content for the Florida Teenage Republicans seems to be missing with respect to specific months so may have scrubbed already.

I'll just mention that Rebekah Jones is the woman who DeSantis had fired for not manipulating Covid data.  He then had the police force their way into her house and pointed guns at her family, including small children.  

She might get the last laugh here.

[Mrs Whiggins 13,051]

15 minutes ago, Bullneck said:

I'll just mention that Rebekah Jones is the woman who DeSantis had fired for not manipulating Covid data.  He then had the police force their way into her house and pointed guns at her family, including small children.  

She might get the last laugh here.

Oh! Thanks for the info. I had forgotten about her. The tweet was a retweet on another account and I didn't go to hers, just went looking around for the pic.

The sunglasses and leather jacket young man is Florida version of Covington Catholic boy but with better hair. I found a nonprofit status for the Teens for America First on Open Corporates where it looks like Jacob and (presumably) his dad filed about two years ago in March of 2019 (so after that photo perhaps)  but the status is inactive and it has Jacob as removed as officer. It was based out of Deltona, Florida. The person who filed along with Jacob and who shares the same last name is listed elsewhere as a realtor.

[Bullneck 19,589]

I wonder what parent would look at this ass and say, "You know, my son or daughter could use some guidance from him."  Obviously some kind of grift.  Must be looking for a state grant or something.

[Biff Tannen 46,208]

7 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Ranked choice voting fixes a fuck ton of our problems.

https://www.rcvfortexas.org/

[Bullneck 19,589]

On 4/1/2021 at 11:07 PM, Pescado_Rojo said:

Dear sweet little 8lb 6oz baby Jesus, please let it be DeSantis. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to take any questions about long-time political ally Matt Gaetz’s growing sex scandal. But liberal group Progress Florida suggests the public deserves some answers from Florida’s chief executive.

In an email blast on Friday, Progress Florida posited a dozen questions DeSantis should answer, even if he hasn’t been directly implicated in Gaetz’s alleged misdeeds. Many stem from DeSantis’ gubernatorial campaign in 2018, when Gaetz was a near-constant presence at DeSantis’ side and ultimately led his transition team. More recently, Gaetz has touted DeSantis as a presidential candidate on right-wing outlets like Fox News.

Progress Florida’s questions include some basics still unaddressed on this, day three of GaetzGate:

— Do you have a reaction to the accusations against him?

— When and how did you learn about these accusations?

 

— Have you spoken to him about them?

— When was the last time you spoke to him?

These could satiate curiosity regardless of DeSantis’ answers. The Governor has been known in the past to make hard breaks with former associates, such as Susie Wiles, who helped manage his victorious but close race for Governor in the final stretch.”

Some dig for information on what Gaetz may have shared in the past, particularly based on allegations he showed nude photos to fellow members of Congress, where DeSantis was a close colleague:

— Did he ever show you pictures of nude women he claimed to have slept with?

 

— Are you aware of him paying women for sex?

— Are you aware of Gaetz ever having had sexual contact with a minor?

Based on the now-widely discussed reputation Gaetz had in political circles for wild behavior, Progress Florida suggests the Governor explain ever putting the Congressman in a position of influence, asking the following questions:

— Gaetz already had a reputation when you hired him to manage your transition. Can you explain why you’re friends and why you trusted him with such an important job?

— Would you consider hiring him again?

— Do you believe Gaetz or his accusers?

Finally, the group suggests DeSantis weigh in on some criminal elements and the matter of consequence:

— Do you have any knowledge of Gaetz using ecstasy or other illegal drugs?

— Do you think he should resign?

It seems unlikely DeSantis will forever evade questions about Gaetz, though it’s also doubtful he will address the full dozen pointed queries. But it may at least give regional reporters at popup sites and promotional events to bring some hard-hitters to the Q&A.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/416940-email-insights-progress-florida-poses-questions-for-ron-desantis-about-matt-gaetz/

Edited April 3, 2021 by Bullneck

[Mdhorn 6,166]

7 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I look at how they got to this point as a political party/death cult and it is still incredible to look at how it reached this point. There is a confluence of many different things and people who got millions of our fellow citizens to support these people. The never-ending hate machine propaganda from people like Limbaugh, Mark Levin and Hannity combined with fear-mongering, targeting the “others” because of their race and skin color and no real positive value system is a big piece of the puzzle.

For the crazies, there's not much real mental health assistance provided for them but there's a whole free platform of conspiracy and false information for them to plug into and reprogram.  This won't end well.  

Edited April 3, 2021 by Mdhorn

[Mdhorn 6,166]

7 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

You know why.

America has always had candidates and officials who were immoral, corrupt, and generally self-serving. Some have had historical rewrites that have cast a more favorable light on their behavior. Others have had those behaviors excused for a variety of reasons--circumstance, other deeds of better repute, and the actual record lacking eyewitness accounts from those whose voices were never considered or were suppressed.

You all know the history post Civil War, when former slaves were making progress in their personal lives and becoming property owners, business people, and gaining office and what happened in the decades after that. It isn't always about race per se (except a lot of times it is) but certainly voters most often vote in their own self interest and the Civil War and then the later Civil Rights Act had, IMO, an enormous effect on the pool of candidates the Republican party chose as their flag bearers and for many voters, that was just fine to serve their interests, whether based in fact or not. In hindsight, many of us look back to Reagan and shake our heads at the innocence of what we thought at the time he was in office and then Trump came along and distilled the party to its very most simplistic essence. Like @Biff Tannen says--deplorable, the ID come to life as your elected representative.

That is why Republicans keep electing these complete douchebags.

Was thinking about some of this as I was exploring how highways and roads were erected to divide minority neighborhoods, a history of dividing families, stripping rights (Jim Crow Laws)leading up to separate but equal while denying home ownership, continued disenfranchisement and more voting suppression and then we point out how dysfunctional minority communities are.  Well, we have a history of purposefully building dysfunctional minority communities.  Now there's the let's make America awful for prospective immigrants.  We really do bring out the worst in people because we deliberately and purposefully cultivate it.

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Mdhorn

[Mdhorn 6,166]

7 hours ago, TexArcher said:

And it's exactly the attitude that Hitler fostered in the run-up to WWII.

Some people thought I was crazy for suggesting that if Trump got a second term we would see some historically awful shit.  I'm not saying it would be another Holocaust, but I think he would've gotten his wall finished and detained and/or shipped out millions of Muslims and Mexicans.  

I think it's still a very real possibility from '24 to '28.  Trumpism will be the GOP nominee and his 75 million NRA nutjobs are itching for a fight.  If they get power again, we're in deep trouble.

Trump made choices based on winning a second term, if not more.  In losing, he showed how easy it would be to name cabinet via acting title, enact suppression via Executive Order and commit crimes via no charging an acting president.  And the Democrats have decided to ignore all of this and do the right thing, rather than use these tools to undo prior injustices .  Wanna know who's going to win out the long game, especially as natural resources tighten?  

Edited April 3, 2021 by Mdhorn

[Mrs Whiggins 13,051]

43 minutes ago, Mdhorn said:

Was thinking about some of this as I was exploring how highways and roads were erected to divide minority neighborhoods, a history of dividing families, stripping rights (Jim Crow Laws)leading up to separate but equal while denying home ownership, continued disenfranchisement and more voting suppression and then we point out how dysfunctional minority communities are.  Well, we have a history of purposefully building dysfunctional minority communities.  Now there's the let's make America awful for prospective immigrants.  We really do bring out the worst in people because we deliberately and purposefully cultivate it.

 

Are you reading anything in particular? If so and you have time, would love to learn your sources. Maybe it's because we've moved around frequently, but in every place we've lived, I've tried to learn a little about the history of the local community and then the state. It explains a lot, that backward look. Maybe not always accurate in my case as I naturally introduce my own biases, but nonetheless, it can provide useful info for a variety of things. (like in the case of highways and roads or why a town was developed and so on).

 In the case of the Tulsa Race Massacre it might have been envy of success as much as anything. The widespread destruction of their business district and what that did to the community there was just horrible. The North side just languished for decades and decades after that, and then 244 was built (I44) and that changed the area north of downtown forever, putting the blight out of sight for many families in automobiles...my folks, now deceased, didn't speak much of the Jim Crow laws, nor did they ever discuss the Massacre, but then again, their suburban home was built on land that used to be sharecropped or owned by black farmers, farmers that were pushed out by rising taxes due to sprawl.

Our landlord in Madison (WI) had been displaced by local leaders when he was a child, a son of Italian immigrants in the Greenbush neighborhood. The city called it a slum area and in the name of urban renewal in the 1960s tore down homes etc but the worst was that they tore down the church, knowing that was the lifeblood of the community. By the time we moved there, all that remained were a handful of spaghetti houses (Antonio's was a fave) and the Italian Workingman's Club was still standing, but redevelopment and the hospital had done what they were intended to do. The African American families were pushed further south as well, and then the Beltline segregated their housing from the rest of the city. We haven't lived there in years so I imagine it is all changed now, too. If you like reading, I think there are articles online about it. The community leaders later had a historical marker placed in the general neighborhood along the bay.

 

It's all jumbled together and mixed up with so many different things: money, power, class, race, poverty, religion, attitudes about others, assumptions, competition, cultural assumptions, and ego.

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Mrs Whiggins
I thought I had a pic of the demolished church on my computer, but it's in a cookbook I was given from a neighbor of our former landlord.

[Beau Vine 55,896]

3 hours ago, JimmyJames said:

Gaetz? Matt Gaetz? Never heard of him. Was he my waiter one night? 

Rick Gaetz!!

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-repeatedly-botched-matt-gaetzs-name-at-a-florida-rally-2020-10

[Bullneck 19,589]

22 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Are you reading anything in particular? If so and you have time, would love to learn your sources. Maybe it's because we've moved around frequently, but in every place we've lived, I've tried to learn a little about the history of the local community and then the state. It explains a lot, that backward look. Maybe not always accurate in my case as I naturally introduce my own biases, but nonetheless, it can provide useful info for a variety of things. (like in the case of highways and roads or why a town was developed and so on).

 In the case of the Tulsa Race Massacre it might have been envy of success as much as anything. The widespread destruction of their business district and what that did to the community there was just horrible. The North side just languished for decades and decades after that, and then 244 was built (I44) and that changed the area north of downtown forever, putting the blight out of sight for many families in automobiles...my folks, now deceased, didn't speak much of the Jim Crow laws, nor did they ever discuss the Massacre, but then again, their suburban home was built on land that used to be sharecropped or owned by black farmers, farmers that were pushed out by rising taxes due to sprawl.

Our landlord in Madison (WI) had been displaced by local leaders when he was a child, a son of Italian immigrants in the Greenbush neighborhood. The city called it a slum area and in the name of urban renewal in the 1960s tore down homes etc but the worst was that they tore down the church, knowing that was the lifeblood of the community. By the time we moved there, all that remained were a handful of spaghetti houses (Antonio's was a fave) and the Italian Workingman's Club was still standing, but redevelopment and the hospital had done what they were intended to do. The African American families were pushed further south as well, and then the Beltline segregated their housing from the rest of the city. We haven't lived there in years so I imagine it is all changed now, too. If you like reading, I think there are articles online about it. The community leaders later had a historical marker placed in the general neighborhood along the bay.

 

It's all jumbled together and mixed up with so many different things: money, power, class, race, poverty, religion, attitudes about others, assumptions, competition, cultural assumptions, and ego.

 

https://chinatown-pcdc.org/about/history/

 

[Biff Tannen 46,208]

8 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Ranked choice voting fixes a fuck ton of our problems.

Oh and I just found out ranked choice voting is a prop on the austin May 1 elections. Prop E. 

[Pasken 1,312]

28 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Oh and I just found out ranked choice voting is a prop on the austin May 1 elections. Prop E. 

Yea but we still need state law to change to allow it.

[washparkhorn 9,974]

11 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Ranked choice voting fixes a fuck ton of our problems.

Smart policy choices solve the rest.

But we will have neither - because that's how that goes. Given the society we are stuck with, we need a much smarter set of politicians. 

Evil Clowns - like the pedo from the florida panhandle - prove this market is broken. He should have been sifted out of a trusted role early in his life. He is disgusting - and was elected by voting citizens. That's fucked up. 

Edited April 4, 2021 by washparkhorn