Political Randomness

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 6:22 pm

Is that really the best picture that the White House social media team had? In addition to featuring bizarro Chinese Gritty, it also makes it look like Biden isn't looking at Xi.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 7:56 pm

El Guapo wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 6:22 pm Is that really the best picture that the White House social media team had? In addition to featuring bizarro Chinese Gritty, it also makes it look like Biden isn't looking at Xi.

He's showing dominance by surfing the internet on his laptop.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 8:06 pm

El Guapo wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 6:22 pm Is that really the best picture that the White House social media team had? In addition to featuring bizarro Chinese Gritty, it also makes it look like Biden isn't looking at Xi.

IIRC, that room has several screens mounted on the walls. Biden has one directly across from him.

Agree that it's an odd shot, though.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 8:51 pm

Accurate

https://mobile.twitter.com/ungerbn103/s ... 9202889734

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 9:14 pm

Tonight Wife remarked that some 800 people have been charged in the insurrection, and some are doing serious jail time. It's fine that we're punishing the foot soldiers, but their leaders are the ones who need to fall. Not just the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers and whatnot, but the ones at the top.

We'll see what happens when the 1/6 committee releases its final report. I expect that trump and his henchmen will get off Scot free, as usual.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:00 am

Daehawk wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 10:43 am Isn't that Madame Tousou's Wax Museum?

Surely. That’s either wax Biden or he died in a very unusual and convenient position for ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ style antics.

3rd possibility: the WH is trolling the QAnoner’s who claim Biden died a while back and he has a lookalike/doppelgänger/android replacement.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 1:24 pm

https://twitter.com/sfmnemonic/status/1 ... 0006620163

Mike Godwin wrote:Drawing Bayesian inferences after extensive sampling, I've determined that it's 99-percent certain that anyone who uses "woke" as pejorative will turn out to be a fuckhead. Please don't blame me for pointing this out--it's just science.

Kurth · Post by **Kurth** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 4:47 pm

Interesting. I’ve used “woke” as a pejorative, and after extensive sampling, I don’t believe I’m a fuckhead.

Does this mean I have to take down my yard sign declaring my belief in science?

Someone please help me figure out what to do here. I’m stuck.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 5:12 pm

99% does not equal 100%.

Or maybe you're wrong and you are, in fact, a fuckhead for some definition of that term. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 5:30 pm

I don't use “woke” as a pejorative, but that doesn't stop me from ridiculing some of the wilder mumbo-jumbo espoused by some of its self proclaimed proponents.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 5:55 pm

It's worth asking what's wrong with using "woke" the way users of "woke" use "woke."

1) It's certainly possible to use it positively (i.e. non-pejoratively). Here it means something like "aware of systemic racism/sexism/homophobia/etc." One can say "TV and movies are becoming more woke, and that's good" in this sense.

2) There's of course the opposite tendency, which uses the term to imply that systemic racism/etc are nonexistent or irrelevant and that attention to them in public life is misguided and harmful. This is like when Tucker Carlson et al complain that "American culture has become woke culture," with the undisguised implication that this is part of our Decline and Fall.

3) There's also room for complaining that a certain excessive "wokeness" can go too far when the perceived cultural fault doesn't merit the outrage directed at it. Many of us might, for example, fully support BLM while rolling our eyes at someone's excessively "woke" (in this sense) complaint that Charles Schultz should be canceled because there's only one black character in the core Peanuts gang.

[I made that example up, if you're wondering.]

4) The creeping perniciousness Godwin is calling out (I assume) has to do with the relationship between numbers 3 and 2 above. Proponents of number 2 are perfectly happy to exploit examples of number 3 to imply that there is no reasonable claim of number 1.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:24 pm

I just want to thank you for getting that written out as elegantly as you did.

Kurth · Post by **Kurth** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:29 pm

Holman wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 5:55 pm It's worth asking what's wrong with using "woke" the way users of "woke" use "woke."

1) It's certainly possible to use it positively (i.e. non-pejoratively). Here it means something like "aware of systemic racism/sexism/homophobia/etc." One can say "TV and movies are becoming more woke, and that's good" in this sense.

2) There's of course the opposite tendency, which uses the term to imply that systemic racism/etc are nonexistent or irrelevant and that attention to them in public life is misguided and harmful. This is like when Tucker Carlson et al complain that "American culture has become woke culture," with the undisguised implication that this is part of our Decline and Fall.

3) There's also room for complaining that a certain excessive "wokeness" can go too far when the perceived cultural fault doesn't merit the outrage directed at it. Many of us might, for example, fully support BLM while rolling our eyes at someone's excessively "woke" (in this sense) complaint that Charles Schultz should be canceled because there's only one black character in the core Peanuts gang.

[I made that example up, if you're wondering.]

4) The creeping perniciousness Godwin is calling out (I assume) has to do with the relationship between numbers 3 and 2 above. Proponents of number 2 are perfectly happy to exploit examples of number 3 to imply that there is no reasonable claim of number 1.

Agree with everything written here. Very well said.

But Godwin’s “calling out” people that criticize “wokeness” as 99% “fuckheads” is completely — except for the 1% (there you go, Max Peck) — ignoring that those in group (3) exist.

It seems to me like yet another example of the “all-or-nothing,” “you’re with us or against us” attitudes of those occupying the ends of the ideological poles.

Godwin’s point, or, at least, the point I think he’s trying to make, is not lost on me: There shouldn’t be anything wrong, academically, with being woke in the way characterized by your group (1). But this isn’t an academic exercise, and “wokeness” has come to be connected to a movement that goes way beyond its roots. But to take a position that people that call that out in the current, real world environment are “fuckheads” is complete fuckery.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:38 pm

Yeah. FWIW, I think what I described stands apart from Godwin's 99% claim (which all in all was probably just glibness).

The problem is that case 3 is the most attractive to media coverage because BothSides or Clicks or Drama. But the core of the current Culture War is the struggle between cases 1 and 2, and I think that most reasonable and well-meaning people agree who is correct there.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:03 pm

Was I the only one who thought the conversation had somehow invoked Hitler?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:44 pm

Holman wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 5:55 pm Charles Schultz should be canceled because there's only one black character in the core Peanuts gang

[I made that example up, if you're wondering.]

See, you say that, but...

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:18 pm

Jaymann wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:03 pm Was I the only one who thought the conversation had somehow invoked Hitler?

I did not see that myself.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:21 pm

Jaymann wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:03 pm Was I the only one who thought the conversation had somehow invoked Hitler?

Nay.

Kurth · Post by **Kurth** » Mon Mar 21, 2022 12:29 am

Jaymann wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:03 pm Was I the only one who thought the conversation had somehow invoked Hitler?

I thought it was just a coincidence. Then I checked it out:

Mike Godwin
@sfmnemonic
Lawyer, author, EFF's first hire, Godwin's Law creator. (He/him) Retweeting doesn't mean I'm endorsing. My opinions are my own and do not represent my employer.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Mar 21, 2022 6:55 am

Oh, yeah, I knew it was that Mike Godwin when I posted it. That's what made it notable.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Mon Mar 21, 2022 7:54 am

Max Peck wrote: Mon Mar 21, 2022 6:55 am Oh, yeah, I knew it was that Mike Godwin when I posted it. That's what made it notable.

Godwin's 2nd Law, as it were.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 11:26 am

My favorite random hot take of the day:

https://twitter.com/matthewjdowd/status ... 6058398720

Matthew Dowd wrote:I will say this again having worked with Ted Cruz in 2000 campaign: when people asked me why do folks take such an instant dislike to cruz, my answer was it saves time.

Ted Cruz -- the least popular Canadian in America.

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 7:28 pm

the race to the bottom:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ohios-gop ... nald-trump

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:20 pm

hitbyambulance wrote: Wed Mar 23, 2022 7:28 pm the race to the bottom:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ohios-gop ... nald-trump

Pick your poison.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:53 pm

Alex Jones's lawyer has a bad day in court (unrolled for the tweet thread below)

https://twitter.com/KinseyAndrew/status ... 34086.html

This thread is screen shots of a court transcript so I'll quickly summarize. Alex Jones was scheduled for a deposition in a Sandy Hook related lawsuit. It is looking like he blew it off claiming he was ill. At the original time of the deposition the court held a video conference to inquire about the status of Alex Jones. The attorney shared a doctor's note with the court that said he was confined to his home. During the hearing an attorney for the plantiff informed the court that Alex Jones was *on the air broadcasting*. This prompted a Fed tweet.

https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1507109438401888263

Worse it led to the judge demanding the attorney find out in the next 5 minutes whether he was broadcasting from home or his studio - you know because a doctor told him he couldn't leave his house.

It got worse from there.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:42 pm

He's got enough $$ and influence (but mostly money) to wiggle out of whatever book might possibly get thrown his way.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:44 pm

That's what a few folks said. He doesn't care. His attorney is probably going to get beat up more than he is.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 12:38 am

malchior wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:53 pm
https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1507109438401888263

It's not that hard to find someone to write a Doctor's note for him.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 9:00 am

It doesn't take much weaseling. "He was doing his live stream AMA. He can decide to risk his own health but the court can't force him to do so."

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:03 am

Spoiler:

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:42 am

Not sure you did that spoiler thing correctly there.

edit: or wait, did you? I guess I expected to just find the text there... nvm... I didn't realize you led with a photo.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:05 pm

We do not question the Isgrimnur! Also F Ted Cruz!

I've decided I am going to live long enough to see him voted out. I was really searching for a purpose for my life, but now I think I've found it.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:09 pm

coopasonic wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:31 am One of my work friend's wife won the run-off and is the Democratic candidate for TX-24 to replace the retiring Republican Congressman (Kenny Marchant). He is both exited and sad (this may be me projecting, he hasn't actually SAID that he is sad) that campaign season continues. If elected she would be the first Afro-Latina in congress. She has a pretty amazing story, but the jump straight from School Board member to US House of Reps would be a pretty big one.

So coming back to this after a bit, she was no elected. A piece of crap was. Yay Texas. On the plus side, she is now the HUD administrator for Region VI (TX, OK, AR, LA, NM). It ain't congress but it's a pretty nice step up from stay at home mom and former school board member.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Apr 01, 2022 10:30 pm

When did "snowflake" shift from being a derogatory term meaning someone who felt they were unique and special to meaning someone who is overly sensitive? In my salad days, the proper term for the latter case was "delicate flower."

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Apr 07, 2022 4:21 pm

WTOP

The three fox kits who were found in a den near Capitol Hill after their mother bit nine people and tested positive for rabies have been euthanized, DC Health said Thursday.

In a statement, the agency said the kits “could have been exposed (to rabies) during grooming or other means.”
...
One of those attacked by a fox in recent days was Rep. Ami Bera, who represents California’s 7th District. The Democrat is undergoing a series of rabies shots after the roughly 15-second encounter.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Thu Apr 07, 2022 5:55 pm

"Fox underling attacks Democrat on Capitol Hill"

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:57 am

https://twitter.com/Grace_Segers/status ... 2673088526

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:23 pm

Yeah, that's hilarious.

Presumably The Federalist's assumption was that Dolly Parton must be a reactionary because she did country music.

Presumably The Federalist never met Johnny Cash.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:33 pm

Holman wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 5:23 pm Yeah, that's hilarious.

Presumably The Federalist's assumption was that Dolly Parton must be a reactionary because she did country music.

Presumably The Federalist never met Johnny Cash.

Or Willie

Unrelated: "WillieWood" has a nice ring to it.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:08 pm

I dont get it.