This is the dark side of humanity - and we will never escape it until we acknowledge that our uniquely American dark side is the legacy of slavery. Take as much as you can from workers, give them as little as you can get away with and if they expire - oh well there are thousands of desperate others who will willingly take their places. Oh and for goodness sakes don’t educate them (goodbye Dept of Education) because they will figure out they are being exploited and will rise up. And keep them ill fed and in ill health (goodbye snap and hello RFK Jr) because they will remain desperate.
We are so much better than this - prayers that the spell breaks before we have to start again from square one.
Another feelgood story where we have the power to improve the outcome. Basing that on the headline, bc I don't need to read 120 year old sorrows much like the other sorrows that led to modern labor laws that they're now trying to abolish.
These corporate types are like a dog with a bone - stop illegals, contain theft... These stores (drug stores, dollar stores ...) that lock things up are - surprise surprise - losing business because customers don't want to wait for an employee to unlock the case, and then look over customer shoulders while they are choosing personal care products. And the same stores are too cheap to hire more employees, which would resolve the problem without locking things up.
Our local Home Depot is a friggin' mess. It can't hire or keep employees. Half of them are stoned and the other half started a couple of days ago and haven't been trained.
Contractors are pissed and making the trip to Lowe's instead.
Three hours of a stone tablet? Is there THAT little going on, no Nice Times stories that exist that can be shared? I'd take a bobsledding Grandma story or a recipe post, even.
We just... waiting around until they don't release any relevant Epstein files, face no consequences for not releasing everything like the law demands, and, finally, discuss how it didn't change a goddamn thing and they're all going to get away with raping children as we're all powerless to bring any of them to justice?
Thanks, Editrix, for recommending Simon Rosenberg's Hopium Chronicles substack. It gives me realistic hope when I'm barely keeping my nose above water.
This is the dark side of humanity - and we will never escape it until we acknowledge that our uniquely American dark side is the legacy of slavery. Take as much as you can from workers, give them as little as you can get away with and if they expire - oh well there are thousands of desperate others who will willingly take their places. Oh and for goodness sakes don’t educate them (goodbye Dept of Education) because they will figure out they are being exploited and will rise up. And keep them ill fed and in ill health (goodbye snap and hello RFK Jr) because they will remain desperate.
We are so much better than this - prayers that the spell breaks before we have to start again from square one.
Another feelgood story where we have the power to improve the outcome. Basing that on the headline, bc I don't need to read 120 year old sorrows much like the other sorrows that led to modern labor laws that they're now trying to abolish.
Ta, Erik. Miners who were minors. This is what the Gropey Old Perverts want for us now.
"And it wasn't even Don Blankenship."
There's always tomorrow; certainly he and his fellow "job creators" are hep for the opportunity....
Best I can offer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xFgQV7javw
https://youtu.be/kXJ5DzcROkM?si=H-WJDy6jrSz4Y8j8
Dark As A Dungeon
Tragedy. trump prefers to murder US Citizen workers instead of foreign workers. That way he can say he creates more jobs for Americans.
The Explosion
On the day of the explosion
Shadows pointed towards the pithead:
In the sun the slagheap slept.
Down the lane came men in pitboots
Coughing oath-edged talk and pipe-smoke,
Shouldering off the freshened silence.
One chased after rabbits; lost them;
Came back with a nest of lark's eggs;
Showed them; lodged them in the grasses.
So they passed in beards and moleskins,
Fathers, brothers, nicknames, laughter,
Through the tall gates standing open.
At noon, there came a tremor; cows
Stopped chewing for a second; sun,
Scarfed as in a heat-haze, dimmed.
The dead go on before us, they
Are sitting in God's house in comfort,
We shall see them face to face -
Plain as lettering in the chapels
It was said, and for a second
Wives saw men of the explosion
Larger than in life they managed -
Gold as on a coin, or walking
Somehow from the sun towards them,
One showing the eggs unbroken.
Philip Larkin
Sad December songs anyone?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D5PtyrewSs&list=RD1D5PtyrewSs&start_radio=1
Heard this the other day ( (old)cover of Depeche Mode song). Chorus seems appropriate for the times.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mSK2HEWO7xE
Will give it a listen, thanks.
The K-pop world specializes in these special sad songs for the season, here's a new one from veteran group fromis 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZB9JLfIw_Q
Thanks!
Here's a nice times bit:
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/12/19/national-parks-pass-stickers-cover-trumps-face/
I didn’t know Kirk-Fest was going on. It seems like the worst people are tearing into each other. You hate to see it.
It's kind of a tragi-comedy. I do enjoy hearing that they are tearing each other new assholes.
Ugh, nuke it from space...
OT: Bondi won't release shit today, and likely what sanitized bits do get released it will be at 11:59:59 EST.
https://www.salon.com/2025/12/19/epstein-files-wont-be-released-by-deadline-department-of-justice-says/
"Bondi won't release shit today" Ex-lax?
She already announced that DOJ won’t release everything.
The forensic question: "What's your motive, Pam?"
still redacting
A Home Depot in Los Angeles installed three high-pitch noise-emitting machines outside to deter day laborers from seeking work there, causing them to suffer headaches and nausea. You know who else it deters from Home Depot? CUSTOMERS! You dumb bastards. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/noise-machines-installed-by-la-home-depot-torture-for-day-laborers-advocates-say/ar-AA1SD0DK
These corporate types are like a dog with a bone - stop illegals, contain theft... These stores (drug stores, dollar stores ...) that lock things up are - surprise surprise - losing business because customers don't want to wait for an employee to unlock the case, and then look over customer shoulders while they are choosing personal care products. And the same stores are too cheap to hire more employees, which would resolve the problem without locking things up.
They're just limping along until the Silicon valley douchebros perfect AI, and the businesses will have unlimited free labor.
We as a nation learn nothing from studying history. Let's hear about more stuff that's going on right now, like this.
Our local Home Depot is a friggin' mess. It can't hire or keep employees. Half of them are stoned and the other half started a couple of days ago and haven't been trained.
Contractors are pissed and making the trip to Lowe's instead.
Three hours of a stone tablet? Is there THAT little going on, no Nice Times stories that exist that can be shared? I'd take a bobsledding Grandma story or a recipe post, even.
We just... waiting around until they don't release any relevant Epstein files, face no consequences for not releasing everything like the law demands, and, finally, discuss how it didn't change a goddamn thing and they're all going to get away with raping children as we're all powerless to bring any of them to justice?
My Grandma started a bobsled team for the Senior Olympics.... they made a movie about it.
it was called Drool Runnings.
That's mean to grandmothers (and elders) and a really cheap joke.
Sorry 'bout that.
I'm still stupid enough to believe the dam will leak if not break
Hope isn't stupid, hon. And there is certainly a possibility that leakage could occur.
Don't call me hon.
Sorry, I was trying to be nice. Don't call yourself stupid.
Don't condescend.
I assure you there was zero condescention in my non-comment.
Thanks, Editrix, for recommending Simon Rosenberg's Hopium Chronicles substack. It gives me realistic hope when I'm barely keeping my nose above water.
https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/e-day-house-dems-closing-2025-strong
Brings new meaning to “a living wage”, now don’t it?