I'll be writing more about this later, but the fact that there are no ICE (or other armed) federal agents at the polls and no federal takeover of elections is not because we are "lucky" or our system is "strong:" it took a ton of hard work from lawyers, election administrators and civil society.
***Gobernar es poblar translates โto govern is to populate.โ In this society where the majority rules, does this hold?***
Of for fuck's sake -- the majority does NOT rule here. Anybody who says it does needs to be smacked with a wet noodle. The majority passes laws in both houses, but laws are limited by Constitutional rights. As we've seen even today, a president can't repeal a Constitutional amendment with the swipe of a pen. They are the minimum level of human freedom that constrains the law, whether the majority wants it or not. And while plenty of arguments can be made that it hasn't worked that way, the point is that majority will is constrained by Constitutional rights. You'd think an opthalmologist would be able to see that, but apparently not.
It's Election Day and Donald Trump is calling for the Democratic Party's leading election lawyer, someone who has humiliated him and his lawyers in scores of cases, to be jailed.
Okay . . . my county has a link to track ballots. And of course they fucked it up and dropped a letter from the URL. Hopefully they will pay attention to my site feedback.
This malignant racism we have in the US really seems to be a chronic genetic disorder, which seems to exist in parallel with the really positive historical aspects of America as a place of refuge for the persecuted. We'll need closer vigilance from now on to prevent relapse into the current diseased state of corruption.
I believe the answer lies in social mobility. More paths up - or at least not worrying about backsliding - denies fascism recruits. Free universal healthcare, free higher education and an effective social safety net.
I donโt like that term, partly because rural and blue-collar white people (and those who mistake themselves for such) use it to combine racism and phony anti-elitism. The term also ignores educated urbanites who are just as racist.
I'm pretty sure racism is a type of mental illness, developed by 1) being ignorant 2) being around other ignorant people, and 3) never going outside your circle to develop different ideas.
A few people are able to make it out.
We may have to add anti-hate counseling to the things available at regular counseling places.
Itโs a relic from prehistory, lizard brain stuff. When you saw a member of another band of humans on the veldt, you didnโt know if they would kill and eat you, so a fear of the Other increased your odds of survival and successful reproduction.
All right you jackanapes. I am off in a couple of hours to cast my votes for an erection.
Straight D.
As always, I'll be thinking of John Lewis in the booth and also my Ukrainian co-worker Andrii. I'm voting for the memory of one and the future for the other.
โFreedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.โ
โOurs is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.โ
No idea if Tanton pulled โgobernar es poblarโ from somewhere else or out of his own ass. Beyond the hatefulness and self-serving rationalizations, the depressing aspect of his horseshit is its bullyโs fatalism. Thatโs my term for his view that society is inevitably a majority group oppressing minority groups, in this case meaning white people either dominate or are dominated. Not necessarily proud of the fact that he sounded like he was an unhappy man but not ashamed of it either.
I met Dave Matthews and his band outside a Houston steakhouse when they were in town for a concert. I was waiting for the valet to bring my car, and he said hi to me. Heโs rather short.
Lol, WaPo is undercut by its own AI summary of comments:
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐ง, ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฒ'๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐, ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ค๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ง-๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐.
AI Comments Summary:
๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐จ๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ข ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ช๐ข๐ฅ'๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐ค๐ก๐ซ๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐จ, ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฏ๐, ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฟ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ช๐ข๐ฅ. ๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ค๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐, ๐ค๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ.
LOL.
Will the Pope be invited to discuss how he'd worked that out the week before she took credit for it?
I'll be writing more about this later, but the fact that there are no ICE (or other armed) federal agents at the polls and no federal takeover of elections is not because we are "lucky" or our system is "strong:" it took a ton of hard work from lawyers, election administrators and civil society.
https://bsky.app/profile/rickhasen.bsky.social/post/3mzgekfz5lk2m
From that thread:
๐'๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ 2๐ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ต ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ฆ๐น๐ต๐ณ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ช๐ต ๐ธ๐ข๐ด๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ต ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ.
In my career I used to say this about system and database administrators: if you are doing an outstanding job, no one notices.
***Gobernar es poblar translates โto govern is to populate.โ In this society where the majority rules, does this hold?***
Of for fuck's sake -- the majority does NOT rule here. Anybody who says it does needs to be smacked with a wet noodle. The majority passes laws in both houses, but laws are limited by Constitutional rights. As we've seen even today, a president can't repeal a Constitutional amendment with the swipe of a pen. They are the minimum level of human freedom that constrains the law, whether the majority wants it or not. And while plenty of arguments can be made that it hasn't worked that way, the point is that majority will is constrained by Constitutional rights. You'd think an opthalmologist would be able to see that, but apparently not.
To put part of it more explicitly, the majority is constrained by the Electoral College and disproportionate representation in the Senate.
As we do here, Marc often rails against the MSM, particularly for their headlines.
Marc Elias
@marcelias.bsky.social
ยท 2h
Here is Democracy Docket's. I'm pretty sure it's the most accurate. www.democracydocket.com
https://bsky.app/profile/marcelias.bsky.social/post/3mzg7qu7cdc2h
Also, this:
Marc Elias
@marcelias.bsky.social
ยท 2h
It's Election Day and Donald Trump is calling for the Democratic Party's leading election lawyer, someone who has humiliated him and his lawyers in scores of cases, to be jailed.
This is not normal and yet here we are.
Everyone who contributed to normalizing this needs to be held accountable.
Sure, Jan.
Michigan Democrats Tell CNN Why They Couldnโt Vote for Abdul El-Sayed: โIโm Against Hateโ
https://www.mediaite.com/politics/michigan-democrats-tell-cnn-why-they-couldnt-vote-for-abdul-el-sayed-im-against-hate/
H A T E is a funny way to spell Islamic Arab Americans.
Their lack of self-awareness astonish even Birb.
Okay . . . my county has a link to track ballots. And of course they fucked it up and dropped a letter from the URL. Hopefully they will pay attention to my site feedback.
Two mid-day items: https://bsky.app/profile/philplait.bsky.social/post/3mzfz23dosk2h Today's job
https://bsky.app/profile/snarkysillysad.bsky.social/post/3mzdyx5xpcs2z Did you not want me in here? #AGoodPlace
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/s/Kqs2Ss4gd6
Oh my - it's nice to see people from the early Internet still posting. Phil Plait's "Bad Astronomer" site was awesome.
Oh my Deity, Hispanic people are having children? What is this, a perfectly normal thing to do?
What the fuck, next they're going to want schools and housing, like every white community does.
We need an anti-racism medication. Birb has called for thees bee-fore.
It should be called "Shut Up Already."
Damn!
Rep. Jim McGovern
@repmcgovern.bsky.social
ยท 47m
These crooks are laying the groundwork for J6 part 2. Get ready to make noise.
https://bsky.app/profile/repmcgovern.bsky.social/post/3mzgfrbrun22p
JIMMY!
He's not wrong :(
This malignant racism we have in the US really seems to be a chronic genetic disorder, which seems to exist in parallel with the really positive historical aspects of America as a place of refuge for the persecuted. We'll need closer vigilance from now on to prevent relapse into the current diseased state of corruption.
I believe the answer lies in social mobility. More paths up - or at least not worrying about backsliding - denies fascism recruits. Free universal healthcare, free higher education and an effective social safety net.
100% thees.
You get the Birb Seal of Approval.
Rednecks. The problem is ignorant, racist-ass rednecks.
I donโt like that term, partly because rural and blue-collar white people (and those who mistake themselves for such) use it to combine racism and phony anti-elitism. The term also ignores educated urbanites who are just as racist.
Check the nym.
I'm pretty sure racism is a type of mental illness, developed by 1) being ignorant 2) being around other ignorant people, and 3) never going outside your circle to develop different ideas.
A few people are able to make it out.
We may have to add anti-hate counseling to the things available at regular counseling places.
But people don't consider some of this "hate" and it's "their right" to " not associate" with whoever they want. :(
Itโs a relic from prehistory, lizard brain stuff. When you saw a member of another band of humans on the veldt, you didnโt know if they would kill and eat you, so a fear of the Other increased your odds of survival and successful reproduction.
True.
If you've seen the opening of "2001," and "Apocalpyso," you will have seen examples of this.
Since this country's malignant racism began before we were even a country, I don't see us fixing it without some serious fucking work.
People tried, but we got Trump because introspection made just as many if not more people volcanic levels of mad.
Itโs definitely a significant part of our character.
My micro town had a hundred absentee ballots. That's about how many voters they usually have total.
All right you jackanapes. I am off in a couple of hours to cast my votes for an erection.
Straight D.
As always, I'll be thinking of John Lewis in the booth and also my Ukrainian co-worker Andrii. I'm voting for the memory of one and the future for the other.
โFreedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.โ
โOurs is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.โ
--John Lewis
Now that's the kind of D we can get behind. Er, wait...
I hear some upward curve is popular.
Good trouble.
๐ญ
It's ok if it curves up a little tho. I mean, bends towards freedom of course.
Rock hard democracy. Blue steel, cat couldn't scratch it.
Donald has lost his Corinthian marbles
No idea if Tanton pulled โgobernar es poblarโ from somewhere else or out of his own ass. Beyond the hatefulness and self-serving rationalizations, the depressing aspect of his horseshit is its bullyโs fatalism. Thatโs my term for his view that society is inevitably a majority group oppressing minority groups, in this case meaning white people either dominate or are dominated. Not necessarily proud of the fact that he sounded like he was an unhappy man but not ashamed of it either.
The evil influence of Malthus.
OT: Iโm spending today listening to music, until the election results start to come in.
The best music video/movie trailer ever: โThe Space Betweenโ performed by Dave Matthews, for the movie โBlack Hawk Down.โ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-KvNlFoMDs&list=RDbR-pos12iTA&index=2
I love this gem that uses Styx's "Renegade":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ1EFmdgj4c
Roxy Music - The Space Between
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RYPqFYDqZA
How To Destroy Angels - "The Space in Between"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF6VO4nk1Cs
Don't fight the mailman ๐
https://youtu.be/7gXuYFih6Y8?is=g3_oU2_1bvtx_d_n
Also, "Don't fear the Reaper"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy4HA3vUv2c
I met Dave Matthews and his band outside a Houston steakhouse when they were in town for a concert. I was waiting for the valet to bring my car, and he said hi to me. Heโs rather short.
So is Larenz Tate ๐
Theyโre very tall when they stand on their talent, though
This, of course, is the best Dave Matthews story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPZTtrrFbvs
I would probably help Dave Matthews. I would definitely help Josh Johnson.
Is that the sewage story?
Otherwise known as Election Day.
https://theonion.com/nation-lines-up-in-droves-to-humiliate-nate-silver/
Fnar