The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    On the "Great Awokening"

    Zach Goldberg in an article for Tablet Magazine, published June 5: ...In a recent Vox article based partly on the dissertation research I’ve been doing as a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Georgia State University, Matthew Yglesias described this ongoing transformation as “The Great Awokening.”....

    And in a Twitter thread today:

    28 years of Donald Trump insulting women

    The timeline record is here @ Vox. Here's the latest:

    Chappelle Sticks and Stones

    There's been a lot of talk on Dave Chappelle's newest stand up show. No one seems to see it quite the way I do. There's this modern trend among comedians to engage in political or social commentary. It started with Lenny Bruce followed by Carlin and Richard Pryor. The audience seems to want it, almost demands it, as seen by the ratings plunge of Fallon, the least political comedian. Most of those who left went to Colbert and Seth Meyers. There's this thing that comedians do. They get very serious in the midst of their jokes like they're sending a message, making a real social commentary.

    On "the frequency with which people bring up 'civil war'" being "bizarre".

    In 1971-1972 there were almost 5 bombings a day in the US...

    THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS IN NYC, PART V

    [Part IV is HERE]

    Trump Has the Power, Case is Closed

    In the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 the Congress gave the President the power to declare "national emergencies" based on what the "President believes" (section 1703 of the Act). Trump is claiming that Act gives him the power to force all American companies to leave their manufacturing and assembly operations, and their commerce with, China. He is right.

    The 1977 law, which was meant to limit presidential power, did no such thing. The law says emergencies can be declared, and almost unlimited presidential power on foreign commerce can be exercised, based on only presidential "beliefs".

    Only the weak and frankly vacuous instruction in the 1977 Act to "report to Congress when the President believes" (section 1703), to "consult with Congress", and to "At least once during each succeeding six-month period after transmitting a report" send another report, are the extent of Congressional involvement once a president uses this Act.

    Tweet that deserves a post of its own

    jollyroger's picture

    Jeffrey Epstein/Thomas Jefferson, Compare & Contrast

     

    Amid the widespread revulsion appropriately manifested as the details of Epstein's predations emerge, ones mind is ineluctably drawn to his bother monster, Thomas Jefferson.

     

    Let us perform a (truncated) inventory:

     

    SEX SLAVERY: 

    Epstein, "sex slavery curious".  Ordered books on the topic from  Amazon.

    Jefferson: Repeatedly raped is actual  enslaved girl

     Advantage, Epstein

     

    AGE OF VICTIMS: 

    Learn something new every day

    The picture was a bonus, it nearly made me LOL.

    On our roster of overpaid university administrators driving up college costs, Ken Starr still takes the prize. https://t.co/yXQpbmelJx

    — Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) August 11, 2019

    Have a deplorable to dinner.

    Who remembers “National Brotherhood week?" When Lena Horne and Sheriff Clark were dancing Cheek to Cheek. Or amusing invitations posted to "have a cripple to dinner." And similar laugh riots at the expense of Blacks. Ah the good old days. We won’t see their like again. But I digress.

    If only perfect people got to vote the electorate would be reduced to…well…let’s say American Legion Hall wouldn’t be crowded. All those currant buns I bought for the poll workers, wasted! (Actually it was the Republican poll watcher who clued me in the first time that I--like him-- should make myself less unacceptable by showing up at 6am with currant buns.) Groan. Here comes the hoary Flavius serm…thought through position (thank you mother) on having a Republican to dinner. Metaphorically.

    If You Needed Further Proof

    President Trump and his wife Melania and their personal White House staff are empty self absorbed shells of human beings. Robots could provide more empathy. How to describe the first family? No self awareness, no compassion, no recognition of others emotions or loss,  unable to offer sincere condolences,  no feelings for the loss suffered by the infant they hold.  Who but a Trump would grin widely and give a thumbs up, while his also grinning wife holds an injured recently orphaned infant in a hospital? And then publish the photo on the First Ladies twitter? What kind of person does that? Did Trump see this as a personal "win", as all 8 other wounded victims still in the hospital declined to see him?

    Orion's picture

    Random Thoughts On The World Part 2: The Alt Right, Terrorism and White Supremacy

    Back when I was in a movement conservatism, I met a few people who gave off a warning of the Alt Right. I wrote a few articles trying to warn of it and people told me I was crazy. At the time I tried writing about it, a man was arrested near Spokane with enough explosives to cause serious destruction during a Martin Luther King Day celebration. That along with other factors made me essentially throw in the towel. It seemed like no one cared to heed warnings.

    Repost: WORTH A REMINDER: ALMOST ALL VIOLENT EXTREMISTS SHARE ONE THING: THEIR GENDER

    By artappraiser on Mon, 11/05/2018 - 2:56pm 

    Article @ The Guardian from April of by Michael Kimmel  who is the author of Guyland and Angry White Men. He directs the center for the study of men and masculinities at New York's Stony Brook University:

    Almost all violent extremists share one thing: their gender

    jollyroger's picture

    Happy Birthday (77th) Jerry!

    Jerry Garcia is 77 today...

     

    Unicef campaign: #ENDchildmarriage

    jollyroger's picture

    Trump, two prophecies

     

    Most of us, by now, are familiar with the (spine tingling) "Trackdown" episode that, beyond al plausible explanation, foretold the coming of our misery.

     

     

     

     

    Trump Wants Execution During a Reelection Rally

    The Trump administration has decided to restart federal executions. White House sources indicate this action by Attorney General Barr was taken after unconfirmed reports that President Trump had inquired as to why there had been no executions of federal inmates during his tenure in the Oval Office, while he heard George W. Bush had three, including Timothy McVeigh.

    How to change back to yesterday's Twitter format

    Good enough

    A friend summarized his career " Nixon had greatness thrust upon him...And he ducked."

    We've reached the half way point in Mueller's testimony with Nadler and the democrat's not having ducked. Providing  a coordinated opportunity for Mueller to demonstrate to a-I hope- substantial chunk of the country that the President 

    has earned several more years  after 2020 in a Federal involvement.  . Behind bars.

     

     

     

    Orion's picture

    Francis in the Missionary Position

    There was a lot of hype about Pope Francis, all of which suddenly and abruptly dropped off. He came on to the scene speaking about income inequality, an issue largely neglected before the so called "populist revolution" broke out, and promised to vindicate the legacy of Oscar Romero and others who fought for equity. People like Bill Maher bought the hype of the new tone, saying he thought Francis was really "an atheist" when he was really fully prepared to protect the institution he spent his whole life in.

    Food for thought

    Pages