The New Zealand parliament was about to pass a new law diminishing the rights of indigenous Māori people. Then this:
For the moment, the bill is no more.
Just in case, by some cosmic miracle, we ever meet
and I accidentally do something of which she disapproves,I'd like, right now, to apologize in advance.
— burrland01.bsky.social (@burrland01.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 2:02 PM
Now let’s see what wisdom flows from our usual sources:
- SilverAppleQueen is despondent over the election. She takes the COVID-19 epidemic personally: very personally.
- Dave Dubya applies the Dunning Kruger Effect to the American electorate and the media that informs voters.
- The Propaganda Professor dives into a different sort of polling and discerns a new reason for the election loss: the electorate’s willful embrace of misinformation.
- Tamra Brown as the Tooth Fairy looking at voters and non-voters in the last election:
- CalicoJack in The Psy of Life sees the election strategy for the foreseeable future as a contest between Democratic Get‑out‑the‑vote and Republican voter suppression with the future of democracy itself in the balance.
- As Trumpers boast of an election mandate, Kathy Gill, at The Moderate Voice, points out that actual voting counts show less than 50%. So what mandate?
Wikipedia‘s updated results back her up.
- tengrain at Mock Paper Scissors finds an understandable explanation of the unprecedented (a recurring word this month) recess appointment strategy. It’s to avoid embarrassing confirmation hearings.
- While the nomination was still in process, Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson wondered about Matt Gaetz:
Oh, sure. FBI background check on the future attorney general.
— James Wigderson (@jwigderson.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 7:53 PM
As may be expected, I had a thought:Oh stop worrying.
If new Attorney General Gaetz misbehaves, Senator Collins will threaten to become concerned, possibly even very concerned.
If his actions become especially egregious, she may even threaten her disappointment.
— burrland01.bsky.social (@burrland01.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 5:48 AM
- Julian Sanchez, on Blue Sky, looks at the meaning of the new choice:
Ah, I see he went with the most corrupt pick rather than the stupidest and most immoral pick. It’s hard to predict which vice will dominate.
— Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 6:24 PM
- In Letters from an American, historian Heather Cox Richardson relates how Congressman Matt Gaetz became EX‑Attorney General designate and how that impacts other Trump nominees beginning with Pete Hegseth.
The same analysis is now available in audio format, as Richardson narrates in podcast. - Tommy Christopher has Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth confronted in a crowded hallway by reporters:
Did you sexually assault a woman? - The Borowitz Report goes into the background of the proposed new Secretary of Homeland Security famed dog-shooter South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
Key headline:
Hide, Fido!Key (for Real!) ad campaign in South Dakota:
Key Ad Comment:
The most hilarious thing about this slogan is the (TM), which suggests Kristi was worried some other state might try to steal it. - Juliet at Decoding Fox News takes a very close look, a close and alarming look, at the bizarre background of Trump’s prospective Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
She also makes her analysis available in podcast form.
- Our favorite Earth-Bound Misfit carefully observes Trump’s requirements for cabinet positions and suggests the most qualified available person using those criteria: Bill Cosby.
- Frances Langum brings us Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) with a prediction: Trump’s cabinet nominees are in for a rude awakening:
- With the election of Trump, Infidel753 looks at the risky future Biden and Ukraine are taking steps to confront.
Key prospective Trump direction:
The most dangerous course the West could take would be to back down and allow Putin to conquer Ukraine, or try to “freeze” the front line in place with Russia still holding Ukrainian territory. This would reward Putin’s aggression, virtually guaranteeing further aggression later after Russia has had time to rebuild its strength somewhat. - driftglass explores how near future President Trump can use recent Supreme Court decisions to persuade that same court to back his plan to militarize the country.
- Disaffected and it Feels So Good points to MAGA plans that include war crimes and ethnic cleansing, but suggests we don’t panic before it happens.
Key caveat:
Don’t misunderstand. This is not a call to conform, collaborate, or submit. We, the People have to Fight. But, we have the fight intelligently. - Ted McLaughlin at jobsanger looks at public approval for Trump’s promise to prosecute his critics and finds the approval can’t to be found anywhere.
- In Scotties Playtime, ali redford provides entertaining and instructive video as Representative Jasmine Crockett provides a lesson on oppression.
- Juanita Jean reports from California as Governor Newsom signs a bill requiring school curricula to include the history of treatment of Native Americans. Horrible backlash… is pretty much nonexistent.
- Imani Gandy and Jessica Mason Pieklo of Rewire News Group review a case the Supreme Court is about to hear, the result of which may dramatically reduce trans rights.
- Extreme cultural conservative and Member of Congress Nancy Mace reacts to the election of transgender Sarah McBride. Mace has introduced a keep‑Sarah‑out‑of‑my‑bathroom resolution.
Vixen Strangely takes a cue, listing all the non‑trans, anatomically correct types with whom she would rather not share a bathroom.
Key example (One of several):
If you used towels to clean your hands up and it didn’t hit the wastebin and you never picked up after yourself, seriously‑‑who raised you?Personal reaction:
I’ll be spending the rest of the day not thinking about any of that. - As Trump assembles new executive standards, Dave Columbo explores shifting Republican reasoning:
- At The Onion, Trump locks the bathroom door so Elon Musk can’t follow him in.
- Noted author John Scalzi provides a notice from Twitter: Scalzi has left the building.
- Infowars, the noxious website run by Alex Jones was part of Jones’ years‑long war on the families of children shot and killed sitting their desks in Sandy Hook Elementary School. Alex had fun charging the murders never happened, that the little kids never existed, that they were played by actors, that the families were in on it.
What a monster.
The families won a defamation suit, forced the bankruptcy of Alex Jones, and compelled the auctioning of Infowars.
The Onion won the auction, the proceeds to be used to partially pay the families for their years of torment. The site would become a parody of itself.
Alex jones objected, but who cares?
PZ Myers brings us the challenge by Elon Musk who gets a court to halt the sale.
Key quote by Alex:
The cavalry is here. Trump is pissed.Key question:
Why did they bother to have an auction if some random asshole can swoop in and invalidate the results? - From Right Wing Watch, Self-proclaimed “prophet” Hank Kunneman declares that it will soon be revealed that Joe Biden has been dead for years and was replaced by a body double.
Yeah, he’s serious. - News Corpse has House Leader, self-proclaimed devout Christian, Mike Johnson get way interested in other subjects when asked if morality matters to the GOP.
- North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz suggests the challenges to faith when Being a part of History ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Key first question:
How do we as people of faith, make any sense of our present circumstances while trying to hold onto any hope of belief in a higher power whose character is good and who is defined by love? - In The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser, atheist Bruce explains why believers who think Moses wrote the first five books must twist their reasoning into pretzels.
- Nan’s Notebook has what may be considered an unhealthy reaction to a recently released theory on one possible imminent end to the universe.
- YellowDog Granny is back (for the moment) with illustrated thoughts on bad attitudes, Trump voters, and the future after the election.
- M. Bouffant at Web of Evil has a new reason to hate semi‑annual time changes.
- Sarah Cooper explains how she discovered she can’t sing:
- In Happiness Between Tails da-AL hosts Joyful Stephanie with a story about a reckless decision that turned out beautifully.
- @whiskeywhistle98 has a dog who has a question:
- Clickbait satirist Reductress relates the experience of retelling an amusing story from childhood and suddenly realizing you were a bully.
- In Georgia baseball, The Savanna Bananas shows how winning can be tricky:
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