Octopus Overlords

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:35 am Didn't want to sully the McCain threads with this.

I have to remember to use a picture of myself when offering condolences. And you know even that self-serving egopost probably required effort akin to pulling teeth on behalf of the White House PR team.

What a sad, pathetic little man he is.

Did we talk about the fact that the WH flag is already back at full staff this morning? Nothing but class.

RunningMn9 wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:19 amDid we talk about the fact that the WH flag is already back at full staff this morning? Nothing but class.

My favorite part is that he probably had to ask why it was lowered, and he wouldn't have been aware of the tradition of leaving it down. Someone probably filled him in and he had to directly override it and order them to break tradition. Not an asshole by accident or ignorance, but rather design.

Technically, the flag being back up is within regular rules.

4 U.S. Code § 7 - Position and manner of display

(m) ... The flag shall be flown at half-staff ... on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress.

Isgrimnur wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:25 am Technically, the flag being back up is within regular rules.

4 U.S. Code § 7 - Position and manner of display

(m) ... The flag shall be flown at half-staff ... on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress.

I think that's why we keep using the word "Tradition" instead of "Rules" - his staff may be forcing him to follow a rule he never knew about, but I'm certain he deliberately broke with tradition to spite someone he saw as an enemy.

From an internet search I found that when Sen. Ted Kennedy died, the White House flag flew at half staff for five days. I guess a captured non-hero veteran only rates the bare minimum.

What a classless fucktard. The next time he addresses veterans they should start chanting "Shame!"

https://twitter.com/GeoffRBennett/statu ... 6252120064

I'll take the word of a White House correspondent on this one, then. Rules lawyers only do so when it benefits them.

Well, if being a POW made him a loser then capitulating to cancer is surely the ultimate defeat. Can't honor that kind of weakness.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:54 am Well, if being a POW made him a loser then capitulating to cancer is surely the ultimate defeat. Can't honor that kind of weakness.

Where do bone spurs fall on this scale? Asking for a friend.

Zaxxon wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:04 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:54 am Well, if being a POW made him a loser then capitulating to cancer is surely the ultimate defeat. Can't honor that kind of weakness.

Where do bone spurs fall on this scale? Asking for a friend.

Not as highly as having to sleep with a bunch of women, risking an STD constantly (because there's no way Trump's the kind of guy to feel the need to roll one on). That's a battle he's been fighting for years. It's cost him dearly, both personally and financially. Now there's court testimony to prove it.

An odd factoid on the radio this morning (also not wanting to piss on the McCain RIP thread), his approval rating among democrats was higher than it was among Republicans. I guess when Trump took office, he became a RINO. I, personally, was never a fan but at least he was willing to break from the herd when things were obviously wrong and that put him ahead of the curve for most of Congress.

May his legacy of speaking against the obviously wrong, irrespective of party, shit on the president from a place where the Orange Disciple of Madness and Self Worship can't do anything about it.\

Waiting for POTUS to eulogize him with "I want begin by expressing my condolences to the family. He worked for me since 2017."

Zaxxon wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:04 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:54 am Well, if being a POW made him a loser then capitulating to cancer is surely the ultimate defeat. Can't honor that kind of weakness.

Where do bone spurs fall on this scale? Asking for a friend.

They probably fall under "winning". Just behind theft, graft, and lies.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:10 pm

Zaxxon wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:04 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:54 am Well, if being a POW made him a loser then capitulating to cancer is surely the ultimate defeat. Can't honor that kind of weakness.

Where do bone spurs fall on this scale? Asking for a friend.

They probably fall under "winning". Just behind theft, graft, and lies.

It's a sliding scale. When the current GOP does it, it's being resourceful. It's smart. It's good business. When your cousin does it without the family wealth to back him up, he's draft dodger who hates America.

LordMortis wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:58 am I guess when Trump took office, he became a RINO.

In this instance, it was those who labelled him as such who had become RINOs. He represented those who still believed in what the GOP stood for/could be. Warts and all. But the current Republican party is far off base from what it once claimed to stand for.

hepcat wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:43 pm But the current Republican party is far off base from what it once claim to stand for.

RICFO.

Republicans in campaign fundraising only.

Isgrimnur wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:25 am Technically, the flag being back up is within regular rules.

4 U.S. Code § 7 - Position and manner of display

(m) ... The flag shall be flown at half-staff ... on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress.

Yeah, Don Trump is a rule follower.

So when can a government take private companies and either nationalise them to change their policies or do anti-trust or other pressure. Seems like he's looked at Amazon and passed, looked at Apple and they paid money and he let them go, now it's google's turn for a shake down due to "unfairness".

"https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/sta ... wsrc%5Etfw

So, he woke up at 3:30am, immediately googled himself, didn’t like the results, and his conclusion was...that Google - and all news media - are involved in a giant conspiracy against him. Yeah, that seems like a perfectly rational response.

What a stable genius.

The walls are closing in and whatever handlers are responsible for insulating him from the outside world are failing.

Skinypupy wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:35 am So, he woke up at 3:30am, immediately googled himself, didn’t like the results, and his conclusion was...that Google - and all news media - are involved in a giant conspiracy against him. Yeah, that seems like a perfectly rational response.

What a stable genius.

No, that's way too much work. He just turned on a DVRed recording of Lou Dobbs from the night before, then ranted about it.

https://twitter.com/MattGertz/status/10 ... 4159623170

I'm thinking of starting a Lobbying group with the purpose of convincing Trump to watch Cheers re-runs and The Great British Baking Show. We'd all be happier, I think.

Careful. Muslim woman won the baking show last year. Who knows how Drumpf would interpret that.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:54 am Well, if being a POW made him a loser then capitulating to cancer is surely the ultimate defeat. Can't honor that kind of weakness.

Off Topic: There's a park in Tampa with a statue honoring cancer survivors. Due to personal reasons, it kind of irks me that it's just dedicated to cancer survivors. I'd rather it, and others like it, just be dedicated to anyone who has ever battled cancer. If you don't win against cancer you're not deserving of a statue? If you beat cancer somehow it's because of some trait you possess? I guess I get it in a way, it's not like people who don't beat cancer are around to appreciate a dedicated statue.

GreenGoo wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:11 am Careful. Muslim woman won the baking show last year. Who knows how Drumpf would interpret that.

I would know my plan succeeded if he starts to treat Muslims and women like human beings.

em2nought wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 12:11 pm
Off Topic: There's a park in Tampa with a statue honoring cancer survivors. Due to personal reasons, it kind of irks me that it's just dedicated to cancer survivors. I'd rather it, and others like it, just be dedicated to anyone who has ever battled cancer. If you don't win against cancer you're not deserving of a statue? If you beat cancer somehow it's because of some trait you possess? I guess I get it in a way, it's not like people who don't beat cancer are around to appreciate a dedicated statue.

I'm not defending the position of having statues only for survivors, as I see your point and mostly agree with it.

In this case, it's possible that the statues are less about commemoration of those who struggled and fought cancer and more about inspiring hope. It's not particularly inspiring to walk through the park a see statue reminding you that cancer kills millions and will continue to do so.

The human spirit is a fragile and fickle thing.

Archinerd wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 12:23 pm

GreenGoo wrote: Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:11 am Careful. Muslim woman won the baking show last year. Who knows how Drumpf would interpret that.

I would know my plan succeeded if he starts to treat Muslims and women like human beings.

He's much more likely to go to war with baked goods. Or put tariffs on them. Or build a wall around them. Or all of the above.

Wall around baked goods ---> Oven.

Freyland wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:47 am Wall around baked goods ---> Mouth.

Fixed.

So now there's audio about how violent the left will become if they win in November.

Because those in power always take to the streets afterwards, I guess? Like murdering your opponents after winning your favourite sportsball championship, perhaps?

He's completely unhinged and needs to go. Yesterday.

Dying would also be acceptable.

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:20 am So now there's audio about how violent the left will become if they win in November.

Because those in power always take to the streets afterwards, I guess? Like murdering your opponents after winning your favourite sportsball championship, perhaps?

He's completely unhinged and needs to go. Yesterday.

Dying would also be acceptable.

Projection. Also, isn't the right the side with all the guns? Don't they keep telling us how they'll be the first in line to defend the country with blood or something? Are they saying that the left is so good at rising up that the right, with all their guns, wouldn't be able to stop them?

Fear is how Trump operates. When fear of brown skinned people or MS13 isn't enough, now there's a potential for describing what angry Democrats will be doing in November.

While anger makes people aggressive, prone to lash out, fear makes them cower from the unfamiliar and seek refuge and comfort. Trump channels people’s anger, but he salves their fear with promises of protection, toughness, strength. It is a feedback loop: He stirs up people’s latent fears, then offers himself as the only solution.

Frightened people come to Trump for reassurance, and he promises to make them feel safe. “I’m scared,” a 12-year-old girl told the candidate at a rally in North Carolina in December. “What are you going to do to protect this country?”

“You know what, darling?” Trump replied. “You’re not going to be scared anymore. They’re going to be scared.”

Obama was Hope and Change. Trump is Fear and Anger.

It's hilariously daft.

Standard "if the left wins bad things will happen" but that's not enough so he's tacked on an extra "also, they will kill you".

Like voting GOP is silver and the Dems are werewolves.

I mean, the Dems ARE werewolves but voting GOP won't save you.

Oh, in case it gets overlooked, the audio is from Drumpf encouraging ministers to get their congregations out and voting GOP.

I.e. use your religious positions as spiritual guides to the American people to tell them how to vote, as the fathers of the country demanded.

I fully expect to find him handing out bills while campaigning.

Chaz wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:44 am

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:20 am So now there's audio about how violent the left will become if they win in November.

Because those in power always take to the streets afterwards, I guess? Like murdering your opponents after winning your favourite sportsball championship, perhaps?

He's completely unhinged and needs to go. Yesterday.

Dying would also be acceptable.

Projection. Also, isn't the right the side with all the guns? Don't they keep telling us how they'll be the first in line to defend the country with blood or something? Are they saying that the left is so good at rising up that the right, with all their guns, wouldn't be able to stop them?

I read it more as softening us up to shift the blame when the right goes apeshit, as they are certainly being primed to do.

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:11 am It's hilariously daft.

Standard "if the left wins bad things will happen" but that's not enough so he's tacked on an extra "also, they will kill you".

Like voting GOP is silver and the Dems are werewolves.

I mean, the Dems ARE werewolves but voting GOP won't save you.

 Democrats 
 


I'm convinced.

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:29 am I.e. use your religious positions as spiritual guides to the American people to tell them how to vote, as the fathers of the country demanded.

Doesn't overt political activity put their tax-free status at risk? Or did I make that up?

RunningMn9 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:32 am

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:29 am I.e. use your religious positions as spiritual guides to the American people to tell them how to vote, as the fathers of the country demanded.

Doesn't overt political activity put their tax-free status at risk? Or did I make that up?

Yes, in theory, but good luck getting the IRS to enforce that, especially under the Trump administration. You saw what happened when the IRS tried to enforce the rules on political activities of 501(c)(3) organizations - they got pounded for the IRS "scandal" of targeting conservative groups. Now imagine the same thing, only the groups being investigated are churches.

Those rules have been semi-openly flouted for awhile now, but I really wouldn't worry about them too much if I were a church inclined to help boost Trump.

https://qz.com/849453/1mdb-corruption-s ... -minister/

Funny little story from before when the president was president....

https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/12/politics ... index.html

Funny little story from after the presidency changed in 2017...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/1mdb-us-p ... s-christie

Funny little story from today.

LordMortis wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 12:01 pm

https://www.thedailybeast.com/1mdb-us-p ... s-christie

Funny little story from today.

I was confused about the connection to the Internet Movie Database.

RunningMn9 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:32 am

GreenGoo wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:29 am I.e. use your religious positions as spiritual guides to the American people to tell them how to vote, as the fathers of the country demanded.

Doesn't overt political activity put their tax-free status at risk? Or did I make that up?

It's never an issue unless a church forces it by actually running political ads or something.

I was a churchgoer in the South until 1990 or so, and there was never an election when the preacher didn't straight-up tell us from the pulpit where our votes should go.