This winning stuff feels good, and I for one am not tired of it yet.
Still, going forward a few things are clear now: We’re still pretty fucked. When “counting votes” becomes known as “a dump,” we’re fucked. Until the MAGAts from “Qtah” and elsewhere move on to collecting vintage farm implements or Barbies or something, my guess is, we’re fucked. Winning these elections is important, but as we all know, the margins were tight enough to let us know: We’re fucked, at least for a while.
I’m reminded, while watching tantrums like this…
We warned you these psychotic freaks would turn on republicans once Trump lost. I’m not a Romney fan but he’s done nothing but adhere to his oath, and the MAGA trash does this to him. pic.twitter.com/VowYYSxrvw
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) January 6, 2021
…and this…
United We Stand ….
I bet RINO Mitt Romney, wasn’t expecting to be on a flight full of patriots on their way to DCpic.twitter.com/4NJOUKvuVP
— Ruthann (@TeaBoots) January 5, 2021
…that many of these people aren’t really into politics so much as they are just into licking Donald Trump’s boots. They still haven’t learned the first rule of politics: Win some, lose some. The ol’ Time in the Wilderness cliché. And so on. So they’ll either grow up a little and learn what this is all about, or…not. Cults that don’t explode in dramatic fashion (Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate) tend to trickle away, a little at a time, as followers become disillusioned. I don’t see Trump leading a mass suicide, so we can hope for the trickle.
Meanwhile, a Trump lawyer who advanced crackpot legal gambits and possible felonies resigned from her respectable law firm, and that, too, is good news. The sooner real consequences are faced, the better.
And now for the main event, the certification and whatever violence the Proud Boys get up to today. Making the popcorn now.
Also, signing out for our trip to Florida. We have our negative Covid tests, we have our KN95 masks, we have TSA Pre to avoid the lines. Traveling may be irresponsible, but we are trying to be responsible in our irresponsibility. Maybe a photo post between now and next week, but if not, rest assured we are relaxing.
Peter said on January 6, 2021 at 9:16 am
Roses are red.
Georgia’s now blue
Chickening out of a debate
Worked out well for Perdue
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Jeff Borden said on January 6, 2021 at 9:18 am
Stacey Abrams should be running the DNC. She accomplished in Georgia what was once seen as impossible.
Once tRump is out of office, my guess is the trickle will begin. But as we’ve already seen, the would-be tRumps are auditioning to be the king of the deplorables going forward. May they fail miserably.
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Diane said on January 6, 2021 at 9:27 am
My favorite tweet so far-from The Daily Show
https://twitter.com/thedailyshow/status/1346686542085963776?s=21
@StaceyAbrams what do you know about vaccine distribution?
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LAMary said on January 6, 2021 at 9:27 am
Romney doesn’t deserve that. These people are barely civilized. I didn’t and wouldn’t vote for Romney but what those thugs are doing is despicable.
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brian stouder said on January 6, 2021 at 9:28 am
Enjoy the vacay! – and – congratulations to your husband on his retirement from the daily grind. If he gets to do what he wants (and when he wants!), that’s a Game Win, I’d say (and, that he has a tremendous partner in all this makes it a championship win)
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David C said on January 6, 2021 at 9:39 am
Best of the luck on you vacation. I’ve read that aircraft air systems are filter and UV scrubbed so pretty safe. Just have to make it safely through DeSantisville.
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Deborah said on January 6, 2021 at 9:43 am
I’m sure Alan will enjoy retirement, I sure do.
I hope you guys stay Covid free on your vacation. It will be interesting to hear about the mask wearing and social distancing behavior of Key Westers.
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Deborah said on January 6, 2021 at 10:30 am
I am cautiously optimistic at this point that Ossoff has won too. Mark P and JC, you guys must be happy?
I hope all of the legislators in DC today are heavily protected. I read that the Trump supporter protestors only have a permit to allow 30,000 which is peanuts when you compare that to the Women’s March in 2017 the day after Trump’s inauguration. But the deplorable protestors will be mean and violent so it’s good to keep the numbers down.
When does the mayhem begin?
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Julie Robinson said on January 6, 2021 at 10:56 am
The AP says Ossoff is at 50.2% vs. Perdue at 49.8% with 98% of votes counted. They are 17,025 votes apart. 17K voters in Georgia hold the fate of our country.
Congrats to Alan, and enjoy your trip. I’ll be over here filled with envy.
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David C said on January 6, 2021 at 10:57 am
From what I heard, the mayhem started last night. The DC Police seem to have it handled. They’re insane and everyone’s watching. This is going to be a huge loss. Within a week of Joe becoming President we’ll have another $1400 each. It won’t shut up the insane but for some it’ll be “OK, this isn’t too bad”.
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susan said on January 6, 2021 at 11:03 am
My prediction: If both Warnock and Ossoff win, Manchin will flip Republican, from intense, irresistible entreaties by Moscow Mitch. So, we lose the Senate.
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LAMary said on January 6, 2021 at 11:53 am
I want you to be wrong, Susan. I want Mitch to curl up and hide under his desk for the rest of his term which I know is a long time but that’s fine. Just crawl under the desk. Bring a little video game thing to entertain yourself and a bag of pork rinds to munch. Just go away.
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alex said on January 6, 2021 at 11:57 am
No fan of Mitt, either, but I’ll say this for him. He understands firsthand what it’s like to live inside the Fox alternative reality bubble and how badly it can fuck up your perspective. On the night of the 2012 election he refused to concede initially because he had been assured of his victory by Fox and the loss was much more devastating than if he’d been prepared for it like the rest of us living in “real” America.
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alex said on January 6, 2021 at 12:02 pm
Glad to see Indiana’s other imbecile Senator, Todd Young, actually has a spine and refused to give in to jeering Trumpers this morning.
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Mark P said on January 6, 2021 at 12:11 pm
I just saw on the news that Ossoff has a lead of about 17,000 votes with only a few uncounted absentee ballots left. It looks like we have two Democratic senators in Georgia, a black man and a Jew. Unthinkable only a short time ago. Am I happy? Does a Republican shit in the punch bowl? Damn straight I’m happy! I had thought Warnock might win, but I doubted that Ossoff would. I honestly think he was not that strong a candidate, but a lot of people must have agreed with me that Perdue was nauseating to see or hear.
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alex said on January 6, 2021 at 12:46 pm
Just passed by an impromptu sieg heil festival in downtown Fort Wayne, lightly attended but loud. I don’t toot my dad’s horn enough, but we have him to thank for our local “bughouse square” where this shit’s going down. He was instrumental in securing the funds to buy up a city block adjacent to the courthouse, demolish all of the buildings on it and turn it into a park space. In fact my brother came to town this week and helped prop him up for a videotaped interview about that very subject (he’s 92).
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Julie Robinson said on January 6, 2021 at 1:44 pm
That’s a grand legacy for the town, Alex. It looks like it was planned from the beginning.
Dennis has the Electoral College Count on and I just watched Chuck Schumer read a text on his FLIP PHONE. Lordy we need some fresh leadership.
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Mark P said on January 6, 2021 at 2:10 pm
The Senate hearing is on and … Mitch McConnell is the voice of reason?! What! What planet is this?
Update: he’s lying. It’s the same old Mitch and the same old world.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 2:25 pm
Protestors have broken into the Capitol building.
Funny, I don’t see any tear gas or rubber bullets or Bill Barr’s unidentified federal goons anywhere.
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Deborah said on January 6, 2021 at 2:35 pm
I’m trying to stay away from the internet today.
We had Covid tests a short time ago, they were supposed to be done yesterday but there was a glitch and our names weren’t on the list. We had to get dr orders for the tests here in Chicago, didn’t have to do that in NM. Ours today was a walk in procedure, since we don’t have a car here anymore. There was no line to get in, the whole thing took about 5 minutes. This time the woman who gave me the test stuck the swab up each of my nostrils which hadn’t been done in any of my previous tests, those were only done in one nostril. My husband said the woman who gave him his test only did one nostril. We’re supposed to get our results in 3 or 4 days. I asked the women if they had been able to get the vaccine, they said not yet. I told them I sure hoped they would be able to get it soon.
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Jeff Borden said on January 6, 2021 at 2:36 pm
The MAGA mob is white so the rules of engagement are different.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 2:36 pm
Trump needs to be arrested right now.
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Mouse said on January 6, 2021 at 2:36 pm
And the Orange King is sitting in the White House laughing as his mob tries to take over the Capitol Building—-outrageous !!
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 2:47 pm
I never want to hear another goddamn word from anyone who said we were being hysterical to call what Trump was doing a coup.
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Little Bird said on January 6, 2021 at 2:47 pm
I would just like to say I’m not enjoying living in this massively important historic time. He’s inciting violence, people are going to die. Well, more people. There’s going to be a rather large spike in Covid cases within a couple weeks.
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Mark P said on January 6, 2021 at 2:48 pm
We got our stimulus check Tuesday. A paper check. The last one was direct deposit, but someone in Treasury must have misplaced the routing number.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 2:54 pm
I’m sick.
https://twitter.com/igorbobic/status/1346906369232920576
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Icarus said on January 6, 2021 at 3:34 pm
Me too
https://twitter.com/awkward_duck/status/1346905887177388032?s=21
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 3:38 pm
Let’s be clear about one thing. Everyone knew that there would be protestors in DC today. Had those protestors not been MAGA, the National Guard would have already been active, LEO would have been in riot gear everywhere.
It was because Trump wanted this that Congress was not protected.
It’s also why DC should be a state, not at the whim of the president to protect itself.
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susan said on January 6, 2021 at 3:39 pm
this photo
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Scout said on January 6, 2021 at 3:47 pm
Scary shit.
https://twitter.com/stevennelson10/status/1346909952410062848?s=20
The fucktard in the fur and horns is from AZ and has been at every peaceful protest I attended over the last year or so.
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Julie Robinson said on January 6, 2021 at 3:49 pm
Tweet from Jim Banks, northeast Indiana’s moronic and treasonous Congressperson: “Please pray for our country”. That’s right, throw that grenade, then encourage prayers.
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Dorothy said on January 6, 2021 at 4:01 pm
What a day you picked to get out of town and try to relax. I hope you have a wonderful time away, and I hope you have a country to come back to once the dust settles in D.C.
There’s no way an inauguration can be held in D.C. outdoors in two weeks. Those protestors are milling about all over the inauguration ‘stage’ this afternoon. This is beyond surreal. I want Twitter to shut off Trump. I want the people who pushed his theories of election fraud to be prosecuted. I want HIM in jail.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 4:05 pm
I want to see if Cruz and Hawley and other continue with their nonsense challenging the election when Congress resumes. Probably will, the fucking pieces of shit.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 4:08 pm
I’m opposed to the death penalty, but my resolve weakens when it comes to coups.
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JodiP said on January 6, 2021 at 4:11 pm
Holy crap. This is terrifying. And Sherri’s right about the underwhelming security prep for this.
Biden’s speaking now. Don’t think I’m gonna get a lot of work done the rest of today.
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susan said on January 6, 2021 at 4:18 pm
and this one. Wow.
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brian stouder said on January 6, 2021 at 4:18 pm
Sherri – AGREED – 1000 percent!!!
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susan said on January 6, 2021 at 4:20 pm
And exactly why wasn’t the Capitol Police prepared for this? When just about any cognizant person could see this coming? And why is the SS still protecting the Traitor-in-Chief?
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Little Bird said on January 6, 2021 at 4:49 pm
Have you seen the picture of the “protester” in Pelosi’s office? This is a clusterfuck of MASSIVE proportions.
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Icarus said on January 6, 2021 at 5:02 pm
the more I think about it, the more suspicious it is that there was a lack of proactive law enforcement.
even Fox News is having a hard time spinning this.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 5:04 pm
Capitol Hill police weren’t prepared because they weren’t allowed,to be prepared. They don’t have the manpower. They have 2300 officers and are responsible for protection of the Capitol building and for members of Congress.
There certainly are enough law enforcement officers in DC to handle a riot like this, but the jurisdictional issues are complex, and when the president wants to gum up the works, when he replaces all the civilian leadership at DoD with cronies over the last several months, when the rioters are doing his bidding, this is the result.
DC statehood!
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LAMary said on January 6, 2021 at 5:13 pm
My son tells me that according to Laura Ingram those people were all antifa disguised as trump supporters to make trump look bad. Just your everyday antifa folks in MAGA hats.
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Suzanne said on January 6, 2021 at 6:38 pm
We watched Fox for a while. Yes, they were having trouble spinning it. They threw In a couple of barbs at Antifa and the like but mostly seemed to be very surprised, which geez, how could they be shocked. The frustration is that those of us saying for years that exactly this sort of thing would happen and we’re continually told they would never get that far, are already sick of hearing “we didn’t know!”
Trump needs to be arrested.
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Deborah said on January 6, 2021 at 7:06 pm
This has become a cliche, but there are no words. I am incensed and I have no way to express myself.
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Heather said on January 6, 2021 at 7:31 pm
They’ve arrested all of 13 people, cops were taking photos with insurrectionists, and cops helped a woman with the mob down the Capitol steps. Literally hundreds of people were gassed, shot at, and arrested at the WH protests. The cops were 100% in on this, from the lack of prep to the response. It’s disgusting.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 7:46 pm
So, Pence activated the National Guard. Who’s in charge, Al Haig?
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alex said on January 6, 2021 at 7:47 pm
Well good. Hope the word gets out that MAGA swag is Antifa drag so we won’t have to see that ugly shit no more.
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alex said on January 6, 2021 at 7:52 pm
Oh, and Trump’s been suspended from Twitter for 12 hours. Baby needs a time-out. I think even the curmudgeonly John Rosemond would agree that’s too little too late and a brutal beating is in order.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 8:55 pm
Goddamn these Republican Senators trying to condemn the violence while refusing to hold anyone accountable. Especially the weaselly Senators saying well, I’m not going to object anymore, but there was so much fraud.
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Suzanne said on January 6, 2021 at 9:19 pm
Sherri, exactly. They just can’t quite get through it without pointing to election fraud. In other words, “we are scared of those scary icky MAGA people so we will ok the election, but really, we still need to investigate all that election fraud”.
They simply cannot do it. Hawley right now is going on and on about PA’s mail in voting.
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Mark P said on January 6, 2021 at 9:24 pm
“Oh dear! I knew they would try to hurt you, but I had no idea they might try to hurt *me*.”
I read that AOC was drawing up articles of impeachment. I wish they would hurry that through. I’m also dreaming of an indictment in state court in Georgia. I want to see that pos in state prison somewhere and I would love it to be in my mother’s home town of Reidsville. I hear they have quite the nice facility there. No golf course, though. Or tennis courts. May have limited supplies of lube there, too.
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susan said on January 6, 2021 at 9:56 pm
WaPo live coverage of the House and Senate five-minute speechifying cut off some yahoo Rep from Alabama because he was spewing lies. Good for them!
Lindsey Graham looks and sounds drunk. The asshole is smiling and chuckling during his five minutes.
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alex said on January 6, 2021 at 10:05 pm
Lady G sings a new tune when the wind changes direction. Surprise surprise.
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Sherri said on January 6, 2021 at 10:23 pm
Cruz, Hawley, Hyde-Smith, Kennedy, Marshall, Tuberville.
These Senators violated their oath to support and defend the Constitution and bear true faith and allegiance to same.
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Dexter Friend said on January 6, 2021 at 11:26 pm
Lindsey Graham seems to be nursing dementia. I watched all day, all the way. I was livid on Facebook. And it’s gonna take all night because that Hawley is not giving up.
Trump, Hawley, Cruz, all should resign immediately. Trump simply must go, leave office , however. From 1812 to 2021, that’s a long time between compromised government buildings due to sedition and terrorism, insurgency and coup.
Carla Lee was taken from nursing home to hospital Wednesday afternoon, put on oxygen, diagnosed with Covid pneumonia. No talk of venting yet….
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diane said on January 6, 2021 at 11:36 pm
Oh Dexter, I am sorry.
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Dave said on January 6, 2021 at 11:56 pm
Matt Gaetz, disreputable congressman from the Florida Panhandle says that it was Antifa and face recognition software proves it. There was a West Virginia newly elected state delegate there, one would suspect he’s not Antifa.
Oh, Dexter, I just saw your posting on Facebook and I just don’t know what else to add, my best thoughts to your family, that’s all I’ve got.
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 1:19 am
All the Republican members of Congress wrapping themselves in the Constitution with their objections to the Pennsylvania vote make me sick.
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 2:12 am
The only thing making me sicker is how often the Republican objectors are invoking God.
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
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David C said on January 7, 2021 at 5:56 am
So sorry Dexter. Carla Lee has been though so much already.
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Suzanne said on January 7, 2021 at 6:10 am
Dexter, I am so very sorry you are having to deal with more. I know it’s no help, but my heart breaks for you. To go through all you have been through and then have to listen to people like Hawley & Cruz & watch MAGAs try to destroy the country. It’s not fair.
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alex said on January 7, 2021 at 7:03 am
Dex, I’m so sorry.
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Peter said on January 7, 2021 at 7:58 am
Dexter, I hope and pray that Carla lee will be well taken care of and that she pulls through. When you think of what happened yesterday, and how we could be spending time and money fighting a pandemic instead of rioters, well, I’m at a loss for words.
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Dorothy said on January 7, 2021 at 8:01 am
Dexter – Carla Lee’s situation is going to be on my mind a lot today and in coming days. I’m so sorry she’s had more aggravation and worries than anyone deserves. My sister’s brother-in-law had Covid pneumonia too, and he recovered. Let’s hope it goes that way for Carla Lee, too. My prayer game has not been stellar for a while now, but perhaps it’s not so much volume as substance. I’ll be praying for her – and for all of us as our country faces it’s most worrisome future as any we ever had before.
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Deborah said on January 7, 2021 at 9:34 am
So sorry Dexter, thinking about Carla Lee and you, and your whole family.
I’m still at a loss to think of what to say about our sad, sad country. I wish they would invoke the 25th amendment or impeach again, at least try. I worry that the violence will continue in other places now, I’ve been worried about this for weeks since the election. I was so naive months ago, I didn’t think it could happen here. I hope the political future for the senators and representatives who enabled all of this is ruined. I will try to do my part to help ruin them.
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JodiP said on January 7, 2021 at 9:45 am
Dexter, adding my hearfelt wishes for a strong recovery for Carla.
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susan said on January 7, 2021 at 10:28 am
Dexter, I’m mixing in with the huge strength and comfort cloud from here, for you and Carla Lee. Enough is now too much. Hang on, you two.
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LAMary said on January 7, 2021 at 10:49 am
You’ve had too much dumped on you Dexter. All the good thoughts and spirit I can muster are going your way. Stay strong. I was going to say this is a terrible time to be dealing with all your problems but so much of what you’re going through is connected to the national craziness. All the healing words and prayers here show you how much we all care about you and your family. We really do.
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ROGirl said on January 7, 2021 at 11:05 am
So sorry for what you and your family are dealing with, Dexter.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 7, 2021 at 11:12 am
Dexter, praying for you both, and the nation. In that order!
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Julie Robinson said on January 7, 2021 at 11:17 am
Dexter, I’m so sorry for Carla Lee, and that you are going through this by yourself. I’m adding my prayers for better days.
Last night I didn’t get much sleep, worrying about our country, and I guess no one else did either. I had all kinds of things to say but they pale in importance next to Dexter’s news. Courage, Dexter.
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Scout said on January 7, 2021 at 11:35 am
Dexter, add me to the prayer list of friends who are pulling for Carla Lee and standing in support of you. Your family has been through so much, and it is my fervent wish that brighter days are ahead for you.
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LAMary said on January 7, 2021 at 11:39 am
We had a socially distanced pizza and birthday cake party on the deck late yesterday afternoon and we all looked like we were shock. We were. A couple of hours later I got a call from the most aggressively pro Trump brother. It was a happy birthday call and he was being careful to not open any topic that would lead to a discussion of the days events. The last trumpy conversation we had ended with him being very angry about my statement that trump was dangerous and that there was likely some violence coming if he lost the election. I said he wanted to negate the constitution. The brother hung up on me. That was about six months ago. We haven’t mentioned politics since then. I suspect we won’t anytime soon.
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 2:10 pm
I stayed up watching last night until the bitter end (easier to do on the west coast). I watched the speeches Republicans made repeating lies about unconstitutional elections in Pennsylvania while preaching about God and our Constitution. They made me sick and disgusted, and they made me afraid.
Despite all that happen, they continue to feed the monster. And the monster will grow. And next time, Brad Raffensperger might decide not to face the monster, and give the monster its votes.
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Suzanne said on January 7, 2021 at 2:43 pm
According to Twitter, Pelosi has told Pence to either invoke the 25th amendment or the impeachment proceedings will start.
VP My Pants being told what to do by a woman kind of makes my day.
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LAMary said on January 7, 2021 at 3:20 pm
I hope Mother was there with my pants when Nancy was telling him what to do.
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 3:24 pm
Just file impeachment motions already. Stop waiting for Republicans to do anything sane.
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beb said on January 7, 2021 at 3:38 pm
And right after Pelosi told Pence to use the 25th amendment power she adjourned the House for two weeks. She apparently want to put the onus entirely in the Republicans’ head. Sadly, I don;t think that’s going to work. That calls for a sense if Shame and Republicans have no shame.
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Mark P said on January 7, 2021 at 3:40 pm
Secretary of State Raffensperger and his staff were evacuated from their office because of fear of what might come from another peaceful protest held by Trump supporters in Atlanta today.
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jcburns said on January 7, 2021 at 4:00 pm
From The Nation
“This is not America,” a woman said to a small group, her voice shaking. “They’re shooting at us. They’re supposed to shoot BLM, but they’re shooting the patriots.”
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 4:39 pm
RIP, Neil Sheehan. A Bright Shining Lie is a great book.
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 4:49 pm
School kids are noting the obvious, that now lawmakers understand what it’s like to do active shooter drills and maybe they should do something about guns…
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brian stouder said on January 7, 2021 at 4:55 pm
Hopefully this is not just a teachable moment, but also one where We, the People really, seriously take note
Indeed – we HAVE a republic….if we can keep it.
It is astonishing to me how many people would pitch it over the side, and willingly sail into an autocratic hurricane.
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Mark P said on January 7, 2021 at 4:59 pm
Active shooter drill is especially appropriate. I heard a security expert today saying that the insurgents provided a perfect template for a terrorist attack to kill essentially the entire government. The mob came in almost unopposed and could easily have been armed. The Congress was completely vulnerable at that point. A few secret service agents could have been easily overcome and that would have been that. He called it a catastrophic security failure and said all capitol police officials should be fired and the entire force investigated.
Oh, and it’s important that the mob be white.
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 5:25 pm
I can’t even tell if this tweet refers to the inauguration in 13 days or actual sunshine.
https://twitter.com/KSeattleWeather/status/1347258865738338304
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susan said on January 7, 2021 at 5:31 pm
Sherri, that’s funny. Clear skies a-comin’ on the 20th!
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Jakash said on January 7, 2021 at 6:16 pm
“Reminder: Those runoff elections were won by two unrepentant libs. Who were characterized as godless commies. In Georgia.
Democrats don’t need to compromise on their candidates to win.”
https://twitter.com/MisterJayEm/status/1347219836703793153
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 6:59 pm
Susan, it would be funnier if the sun would shine sometime!
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Sherri said on January 7, 2021 at 7:25 pm
Josh Hawley has an undergraduate degree from Stanford and a law degree from Yale. So it really pisses me off when he calls Simon and Schuster cancelling his book deal “an assault on the First Amendment.”
As always, the Onion is the best.
https://www.theonion.com/josh-hawley-condemns-pro-trump-rioters-for-upstaging-hi-1846010370
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 7, 2021 at 9:35 pm
JB @ #81 . . . I wonder if that lady knows anyone who’d play Childish Gambino’s “This is America” for her.
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Suzanne said on January 7, 2021 at 9:52 pm
Wow. Maryland’s GOP governor tried to send the Maryland National Guard to help at the Capitol yesterday and was denied permission
https://wtop.com/maryland/2021/01/hogan-federal-approval-to-send-national-guard-during-capitol-attack-delayed/
This is seeming more and more like a very well planned coup.
And yet, Congress still dithers about removing Trump from office.
Also, Cruella DeVos has bailed.
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alex said on January 7, 2021 at 10:05 pm
And for comic relief, or whatever the lamestream media are trying to accomplish here in the heartland, is some late mid mod architecture so tacky that it’s probably what drove the final nail into the coffin of the bauhaus movement.
https://wpta21.com/2021/01/07/21country-see-inside-the-70s-time-capsule-home-that-went-viral/
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FDChief said on January 7, 2021 at 11:56 pm
If it was up to me, I would be at these traitors with the bayonet.
The bullet is foolish and may go anywhere. The bayonet is wise and knows what must be done to end treason.
Today Bill Sherman’s prescription remains the correct one;
“My aim, then, was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom.”
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 1:07 am
Before the attempted coup, I watched a documentary called Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066. It’s not about Trump or any of his executive orders, it’s about Japanese internment, and how that came about. Very interesting, how despite no evidence of any Japanese-American sabotage or spying, and even with Naval Intelligence reports indicating that there was no need for internment, a combination of factors, including white farmers, newspapers selling papers, opportunistic politicians, and a racist colonel intent on internment, led to the horrific result.
Earl Warren, later regarded as a civil rights hero for his work on the Supreme Court, actually campaigned for California governor on rounding up all the Japanese.
Then the government lied and withheld evidence in Korematsu, which was later uncovered by a dogged researcher decades later.
Available on Kanopy, accessible through your public library.
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Dexter Friend said on January 8, 2021 at 2:36 am
Our family is getting updates from Mt. Carmel Hospital, and Carla Lee’s oxygen levels improved and she had enough strength to talk to me for 2 minutes compared to the recent 15 second calls. The surgical knee spacer is still infected and we hope they have a great antibiotic regimen to start her on soon. She is on a waiting list for plasma antibodies transfusions. But really, I am so appreciative of the love and well-wishes springing from this blog’s writers. So thank you so much; words don’t, can’t, convey how much they mean.
25th Amendment talk is gearing up, let’s demand it gets done, but Pence won’t take Schumer-Pelosi calls. It was just so hard following the invasion yesterday; I got really worked up. Stay safe, too. LA County is now losing a Covid 19 patient every 8 minutes. ONE county.
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jerry said on January 8, 2021 at 3:32 am
Dexter, my heartfelt sympathy for the problems you are experiencing. I hope that all goes well.
As for the invasion of The Capitol, I am stunned that it should happen and astonished that the authorities should be so unprepared. There needs to be a serious review of what went wrong.
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alex said on January 8, 2021 at 7:02 am
Sherri, what you just mentioned about the Japanese internment reminds me so much of what Pence did, as governor of Indiana, during the Syrian refugee crisis. He waged an all-out campaign against allowing Syrians into the country and prohibited any resettlement in this state claiming that there was no way to vet them to ensure they weren’t terrorists. Thank God Canada stepped up its humanitarian aid, but just think how many more people could have been helped, how many more lives could have been saved, if only Mike Pence had a shred of human decency and really placed the value of human life above the value of political opportunism.
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Suzanne said on January 8, 2021 at 7:41 am
I had forgotten about the Pence refugee debacle. I am also not really surprised that Pence is/was reluctant to talk to Pelosi. He is an empty suit, devoid of original thought, courage, or human emotion. He is the embodiment of the Peter Principle. I think he and the rest of the GOP that put us in this situation should be sentenced to live among the people that showed up for their sedition party. And I mean live with them, in their houses with the ignorant goobers who they rely on for power.
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JodiP said on January 8, 2021 at 8:46 am
Dexter, I am encouraged by the bit of good news. Let’s hope the antibiotics do their thing!
If you can’t access the documentary about the internment of US citizens, Dahlia has a great interview iwth two of the investigators in last week’s Amicus podcast.
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Dorothy said on January 8, 2021 at 10:29 am
This has nothing to do with anything happening in the world this week but I thought some of you might smile at something my granddaughter said to her daddy (my son) earlier this week. They were talking about ‘growing up’ in general, and Olivia listened intently. After absorbing it, she quite seriously asked “Will I be little for a few more minutes?”
She’s not even 4 yet…!
My son said it almost made him cry, she was so sweet the way she asked the question.
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Scout said on January 8, 2021 at 11:08 am
I’m happy to hear the positive news today, Dexter. Let the healing continue. And Dorothy, this is absolutely the perfect time for some sweetness. We all desperately need some. Here is a video of my great grandies that might be a temporary balm in these interesting (trying) times.
https://www.facebook.com/jeanne.smith.14203/videos/10157907655312857
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Julie Robinson said on January 8, 2021 at 11:45 am
Dexter, I’m praying the antibiotics kick in fast.
I wish I also had an adorable grandchild, but I do have some great news. I got an appointment for my mom to get her first Covid shot on Monday! Indiana opened it up for those 80 & over, with 70, then 60 to follow. 93% of all deaths here have been in the 60 & older cohort. Amazingly, I got right through.
This is fantastic. All this time staying home has impacted her mental health, and lately she’s been feeling pretty hopeless at how long the shot roll-out is taking.
Also, selfishly, since I’m 64, moving the age down to 60 means getting it months earlier than the earlier projections. Of course we will continue to take all precautions, but for the first time we can feel optimism.
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Alan Stamm said on January 8, 2021 at 12:29 pm
“… and whatever violence the Proud Boys get up to today” aged well, regrettably.
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 12:41 pm
I don’t know, Alex, those ignorant goobers have some pretty nice houses from what I can see.
There’s the woman who flew by private plane to the insurrection. The CEO of a Chicago digital marketing company. General counsel of another company. The idiot in fur and horns is the son of a Brooklyn Superior Court judge, and flies all over the country to protests and counter protests.
It takes some money to buy tactical gear, guns, and be able to fly to DC in the middle of a work week. These aren’t meth addicts living in trailers.
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Jakash said on January 8, 2021 at 12:49 pm
A couple of the comments to the 2018 post in the nn.c Wayback Machine feature some bold dissing of the idea of Biden running for president. I don’t seem to have added my own that day, but I know I whined about him on other days, so I’m not faulting anybody for that.
Rather, just giving a shout-out to Deborah, who wrote:
“I’m not crazy about Biden either, because he’s an old white guy mainly. If he is the dem nominee I will vote for him though. If he runs he should choose Kamela Harris as his running mate…”
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 1:13 pm
A good thread about whether those QAnon spouting nutcases and GOP electeds and white evangelicals really believe the lies they say:
https://twitter.com/lilithsaintcrow/status/1347293759155838976
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Dave said on January 8, 2021 at 1:24 pm
Yes, the man pictured carrying the Speaker of the House’s podium is the father of five children, his wife a D. O. here in, where else, the Sunshine State. I wonder if she spurts out the same sort of nonsense. Reading his history a bit, she must.
https://www.bradenton.com/news/politics-government/article248333850.html
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David C said on January 8, 2021 at 1:25 pm
Damn Sherri. That scares me even more than if the believed their own BS. All the thought that they need civics education, or their children anyway, isn’t worth anything. I knew we were in deep shit for a long time but when it’s that willful I don’t know what can be done.
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 1:33 pm
David C, this is related to what I’ve always said about the pro-life crowd and abortion. They don’t care about abortion or babies or any of it, it’s a cheap way of avoiding responsibility and accountability. Never mind that they they’re bigots and don’t care for their fellow human beings and think immigrants should stay in their own countries and fix them up, they can feel moral at no cost because they oppose abortion.
They really aren’t that stupid, but the whole house of cards collapses if they let go.
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David C said on January 8, 2021 at 1:51 pm
The d-bag who had his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk has been arrested. I have a feeling he’s going to be the first of many. Didn’t hey yap about not being taken alive? I guess they really don’t believe their own BS. Anyway, maybe some of the fascism tourists will realize that trying to overthrow a duly elected government has consequences. Give them a choice between their private planes and ten years in Leavenworth to make it nice and stark for them.
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Deborah said on January 8, 2021 at 2:05 pm
Yes, I did say that about Biden back then, but the more we got into the thick of the virus, I thought Biden was exactly the right person for the job of healing the nation. I think he’s done a lot of good already, Merrick Garland as the AG is brilliant.
Regarding evangelicals https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-evangelicals-were-complicit-in-the-desecration-of-our-democracy/2021/01/07/69a51402-5110-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html This is a good piece if you haven’t read it yet.
I’m still feeling sick about the mob sedition, I hope they really do impeach quickly, if for no other reason than to keep Trump from running in 2024.
My husband and I got our Covid test results today – both negative.
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LAMary said on January 8, 2021 at 2:43 pm
This is an odd question. I was at my desk with the radio on when the stuff at the Capitol started. I went upstairs and turned on CNN and I started crying. I surprised myself with that reaction. Later, talking to my son about it I started crying again. My civics teachers must have done a good job of indoctrinating me about the importance of lawmakers. Anyone else have this sort of reaction?
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 2:49 pm
Yes, LAMary. I was also crying. I’m also incandescent with rage.
Yet, somehow, despite my rage, I managed not to attempt to overturn any governments.
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David C said on January 8, 2021 at 3:05 pm
The worst part was we heard earlier in the morning that Warnock and Ossoff won or were very likely to win their elections. I was quite literally jumping for joy. Then when the sedition started I was just in shock. It’s been a long time but I think I felt more hurt than 9-11.
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 3:14 pm
The DOJ is saying they aren’t considering incitement charges for any of the speakers at the rally prior to the violence.
Just imagine, if you will, had Raffensperger done what Trump wanted, and the rally had been Stacy Abrams encouraging people to protest at the Capitol. First of all, there would have been massive law enforcement presence. Second of all, had a law enforcement office been killed in the protests, do you think for one moment Abrams wouldn’t be charged with incitement? Without even the crowd trying to storm the Capitol?
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basset said on January 8, 2021 at 3:26 pm
In the woods right now, enjoying the last few hours of deer season and trying to take a break from Washington overload. A possum just waddled up and stared at me, so like anyone else these days I took phone video.
Got Mrs. B her first covid shot yday, Pfizer so it comes from her home town.
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 3:27 pm
I take that back. Stacy Abrams would be charged with felony murder, not incitement.
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Deborah said on January 8, 2021 at 3:32 pm
LAMary, I definitely cried while I watched on TV while it was happening. Mostly I was in shock. I’m furious now, I’ve never had high blood pressure but bet I’ve got it now.
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LAMary said on January 8, 2021 at 3:44 pm
I think it was partly because it’s been so awful for so long. The pandemic, George Floyd, anything and everything from trumpworld. I felt like the barbarians had breached the gates. Trump, knowingly and cynically had convinced people to destroy the democracy. He had won. Not the election but the minds of a big enough group of people to do some real damage. I still worry about what he will do after he leaves. I don’t think we’ve heard the last of him or of his mob.
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jcburns said on January 8, 2021 at 3:45 pm
STACEY Abrams, but, yeah!
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 4:09 pm
Thank you, JC. Incandescent rage does mess with my spelling.
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Suzanne said on January 8, 2021 at 4:14 pm
A friend posted a screenshot of the front page of The Times of India.
Headline: Coup Klux Klan: Don Triggers Mob & Rob Bid
Subscript: US of Anarchy: The world watches in shock & disbelief as a superpower that’s long sermonized on democracy descends into turmoil
And MAGAs claimed Trump would ensure the world would laugh at us anymore.
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JodiP said on January 8, 2021 at 4:18 pm
We don’t have to wonder what the fallout is for Black activists. DeRay McKesson was sued when an officer was injured at a protest he attended.The case went to the Supreme Court, who just sent it back to be reconsidered.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/02/supreme-court-sides-with-activist-deray-mckesson-in-protest-lawsuit.html
I am incredibly disheartened that Trump and Giuliani likely won’t be charged.
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susan said on January 8, 2021 at 4:37 pm
Suzanne @123—And the front page of the Kenya Daily Nation. Ha ha ha ha ha! Right on.
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LAMary said on January 8, 2021 at 5:54 pm
Lisa Murkowski is all about getting trump out of there, saying he’s done so much damage. I wish she had been a bit more vocal in the past. I know she defied him once but I have some issues with republicans who suddenly discovered he’s half crazy sleaze bag. They voted along with that scum for years.
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David C said on January 8, 2021 at 6:43 pm
tRump is permanently banned from Twitter. Better late than never, I guess. It should have happened years ago. I’ve heard he’s bringing his hate fest to Parler.
https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension.html
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Sherri said on January 8, 2021 at 6:57 pm
Twitter has deplatformed Trump, finally, and Apple has given Parler 24 hours to clean up the cesspool or be booted from the App Store.
I listened to Kara Swisher’s interview with Parler’s CEO on her podcast Sway, and he makes Zuckerberg seem like a moral giant.
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alex said on January 8, 2021 at 7:18 pm
I was watching in shock at my desk when a lawyer peered in and said he heard it was Antifa. I responded that they look like Trump supporters to me. “They’re all carrying Trump flags, and some confederate flags and I don’t see any Antifa flags. And they all just came from a Trump rally.”
Shows how much I know about Antifa. Less, apparently, than Republicans, even supposedly respectable ones.
This attorney had previously mentioned that his wife had been bugging him to switch from Facebook to Parler so I should have figured. He’s otherwise very nice and pleasant, so I was a bit taken aback. But apparently it isn’t just stupid people who’ve been caught in Trump’s lair. Glad Trump’s getting booted off of social media. Hopefully he’ll be arrested and won’t be able to seek attention on any other media.
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David C said on January 8, 2021 at 7:44 pm
If they were anitfa how come they’re all upset at the woman who was shot and all of them the FBI is rounding up.
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beb said on January 8, 2021 at 8:13 pm
Speaking of effed up houses, I hope all have gone to see the Christmas nightmare at McMansion Hell. It;s like someone squeezed Bonners’ into a 3000 sq foot residence. Bonners is a mall size store where it is Christmas everyday.
Not unsurprisingly VP Pence is not having anything to do with 25thing Trump. The pinhead still thinks he has a chance at 2024. Nancy (er, Pelosi) is going to have to do her own dirty work. Impeachment is important because it bars the impeached from ever holding a federal office again. Without impeachment we might have to deal with Trump in 2024. The Dems would still need 17 Republicans to vote for conviction. If the voting could be dibe anonymously I think the votes would be there.
Congress is going to have so many things to investigate that I wonder if they will have any time for legislation.
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Colleen said on January 8, 2021 at 8:25 pm
I just engaged with commenter on the WOWO FB site. Mistake, I know. But they are just so effing stupid. Their conspiracy theories don’t even make logical sense. Why would Dems want to disrupt the certification of an election that was going to be certified in their favor?
I can get that people have different political ideologies. But who in their right mind can look at what is going on in this country right now and think we are headed in a good direction? That positive things will happen if we stay the course?
And it is spelled “Capitol”. His followers don’t know the difference between your and you’re, and now I see they don’t know the difference between “Capitol” and “Capital”. I don’t know why I am surprised….
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LAMary said on January 8, 2021 at 8:34 pm
Colleen, I waste brain cells trying to figure out how people can’t use a little critical thinking and realize they are talking crap. I’m not seeing much of that going on. But then, I waste my time thinking about it so what does that make me?
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Jakash said on January 8, 2021 at 8:34 pm
Deborah, in case it wasn’t clear @ 106, I was just trying to point out that many of us have changed our minds from our early thoughts about Biden’s candidacy. I added your quote to credit you for having called the vice presidential choice 2 years in advance.
As for Trump getting dumped from Twitter, when I read that he tweeted that he would not attend the inauguration, my first thought was “good, nobody wants you there, anyway.” My second thought was “no surprise that this classless dick is skipping out; but it’s quite a contrast to the gracious way he was treated by Obama in the similar circumstance in 2016.” But quickly I moved on to my 3rd thought. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but after seeing a mob essentially given free rein in the Capitol on Wednesday, with a hanging scaffold erected outside and a guy inside prowling a legislative chamber with zip-ties, the idea that this is a message to his followers that he won’t be on the dais, so that they can feel free to disrupt in any way they see fit does not seem like much of a stretch. Reading the Twitter suspension message posted by David C. made me realize I’m not the only one wondering about that. To wit:
“The second Tweet may also serve as encouragement to those potentially considering violent acts that the Inauguration would be a ‘safe’ target, as he will not be attending.”
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Dexter Friend said on January 9, 2021 at 12:23 am
DeVos did not want to deal with 25th Amendment possibility, so she slithered out. Still, impeachment talk is hot, some repuggs might go for it now. The United States is akin to a house of cards right now. We’d be better off with Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey’s character) at the real Oval Office.
Pence is hurt at Trump’s disowning him, so to speak, but won’t initiate 25th Amendment proceedings.
The main threat is the nuclear codes. Pelosi, Schumer, and Cabinet members and assorted committee members are desperately trying to get Pentagon heads to listen to the fact we have a goddam fucking deranged maniac with the nuclear codes in his back pocket. If Trump orders a strike on Iran, say, Pelosi et al want common sense to prevail and to ignore anything the maniac orders. And I, and Pelosi-Schumer are serious as fuck.
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Sherri said on January 9, 2021 at 1:47 am
I assume Pelosi and Schumer are giving Republicans the weekend to work out a deal with Trump for his resignation, but I don’t think they’ll succeed. I thought he’d resign when it was clear he wouldn’t win, that he’d resign rather than lose, but I don’t think there’s enough rational thought left in his brain, I think dementia is eroding away all of that. All he knows is what he wants, and he doesn’t understand why he can’t have it.
Maybe they can tell him Putin has sent a plane and wants him to come rule the world with him, and oh, by the way, Russia doesn’t have an extradition treaty, so no worries about jail! And there, you really can kill the media if you don’t like them! Yes, it’s a much nicer plane than Air Force One, and it’s right over here, just sign this paper and it’s all yours!
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ROGirl said on January 9, 2021 at 5:42 am
I work for someone who told me before the election that it was impossible for Donald Trump not to win. Last Monday he told me that things were going to change after Wednesday. I thought he meant the certification of Biden’s win. On Wednesday afternoon he came to my desk and asked me what I thought about the storming of the Capital. He must be a devotee of right-wing social media and knew what was going to happen. I finally asked him if he thought Biden had won, and he said that was impossible. Other things he brought up were: the deep state, Jeffrey Epstein, politicians aren’t human beings, they’re all corrupt and narcissists, the vast conspiracy that runs the world that we can’t fathom in its global manipulation, even the lottery is corrupt and allows a few dollars to slip through to the little people. George Soros’ name came up too. The way he talked to me was that I’m so naive and gullible for not believing this stuff.
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Deborah said on January 9, 2021 at 6:50 am
When you live in a bubble it’s hard to fathom how people outside that bubble think. I know because I live in a liberal bubble and it was a real eye opener when I realized there are a shitload of people who would follow Trump. The Trumpers who can’t fathom that Trump could lose are certainly in their own bubble, plus they have a hard time distinguishing reality in general. Heck I remember being astounded that Dukakis lost the election, which now I find laughable that I felt that way.
Jakash, I wasn’t offended by your comment about my previous Biden statement. I did change my mind about Biden’s appropriateness as the candidate and I’m actually proud of myself for that. And yes I wanted him to choose Kamala Harris which I had no foreknowledge of, it was just my hope.
This has been said a lot by psychologists, that Trump is acting exactly like a wounded malignant narcissist, this behavior was predicted months and months ago. And now there are 11 long days yet to go.
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Mark P said on January 9, 2021 at 8:58 am
The grownups are trying to prevent the baby from causing problems. Additional humiliation for him.
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Suzanne said on January 9, 2021 at 9:11 am
I don’t think Trump has dementia. I think this is who he has always been, he’s got the power of the presidency behind him, and thinks he can do what he wants. There are too many people who have known him telling us that he has never had any empathy, he’s always taken what he wants from whomever he wants, that the word regret is not in vocabulary, and that he pushes forward no matter what to get what he wants. They also nearly unanimously say his one talent is manipulating people. When he was younger, it worked because daddy was there to bail him out or the lawsuits he’d threaten would make people back down. Now, he’s assuming his QAnon people will be his daddy and bail him out by destroying the country. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t consider the consequences. He would gleefully have watched his seditionists drag Pence out of the Capitol and hang him. Pence is truly too dense to grasp this. The Republicans are still too deluded to realize if they do not stop him, they have no political future because there will be no country left to govern. I am not sure what they can do, but I truly believe there is a night of long knives coming if he is not stopped. I have been saying this for years as we live in Trump country, surrounded by the people you saw Wednesday. Most people simply wouldn’t believe me & told me I was being hysterical.
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Julie Robinson said on January 9, 2021 at 9:28 am
Pence has grasped it now. I’ve read a couple of stories about his anger at Trump putting him in danger while he was in the Capitol. The sources were unnamed, but could only have been from those very close to Pence.
What he hasn’t grasped is that he has no political future. He refused the Pelosi/Schumer call about the 25th amendment to curry favor with the rightists. But he’s dead to them now.
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Deborah said on January 9, 2021 at 9:43 am
Suzanne, you convinced me a while ago that bad things were bound to happen, and I agree with you that this probably isn’t caused by Trump having dementia. I agree that this has always been who he is and having lost the election set him off into a narcissistic fury beyond my imagining. But as I said it was predicted by many people who have training and knowledge of toxic narcissism. You were/are not being hysterical, you have seen the Trumper behavior around you daily, it was hard to grasp for me because of my bubble.
Meanwhile Covid is on the rampage. I can’t wait until Biden is president and his team can manage getting the vaccines out etc. The small town in Illinois where my husband is from is in a county that is one of the hottest Covid spots in America. As we noted on our road trip back to Chicago, people in the Midwest small towns do not seem to wear masks very much.
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Suzanne said on January 9, 2021 at 9:55 am
This is what we are dealing with:
https://4thgenwar.wordpress.com/2016/07/03/trump-meets-man-who-inspired-2011-terror-attack-deadlier-than-orlando-shooting/
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David C said on January 9, 2021 at 10:37 am
They only hope Pence would ever have of a political future would be to invoke the 25th amendment, take charge, and spend two weeks being the anti-Trump. Then if the Rs came to their senses, which they won’t, he could make the ad about standing up against insurrection and for “America!”. Now, everybody hates him.
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Sherri said on January 9, 2021 at 11:15 am
My guess is that there’s something beyond just his malignant narcissism that’s keeping him clinging to the presidency. If it were just that, the way out would have been to resign before he lost, with a pardon, blame the media for being unfair, and spin a story for his followers about how he would be coming back even better, rising from the dead, if you would. They’d buy it.
But what about his creditors? And not just the ones we know about? When he leaves the White House, all those loans will have to be paid. New York is going to be waiting to dig into his taxes. If he really was laundering money for the Russians, is Putin going to let him live? I know it sounds absurd, but that’s were we are now.
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FDChief said on January 9, 2021 at 11:15 am
The one infuriating thing I’m stumbling across is this to-me bizarre assertion that these MAGAt scum are somehow less-scum-enriched if they “truly believe” all the nonsensical QANut stuff beginning with Pizzagate and ending with “Stop the Steal”.
These aren’t really even believable-lies, they’re flat-earth-chemtrail level bullshit that anyone capable of autonomic nervous functions should be able to see through and dismiss.
No, if they “truly believe” this shit then they are dangerously incompetent as human beings and should be euthanized like a rabid squirrel to prevent infecting other, innocent people.
In one of Lois Bujold’s wonderful Vorkosigan stories one of the protagonists’ relatives have worked themselves into a snit over one of these sorts of QANut conspiracy-theories, and I can offer no better recommendation to the MAGAts than one of the other characters offers to them:
“Your panic is premature. Your concern is laudable but not necessary.” His voice grew a shade cooler. “Your gullability is less laudable. Correct it, please.”
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Sherri said on January 9, 2021 at 11:48 am
They believe because they want to believe. It gives them meaning, and makes them heroes, and simplifies the world for them. They’re not stupid, they’re not ignorant, they’re not uneducated. As we’ve seen, there were lawyers and doctors and CEOs, real estate agents, a retired military lt. colonel, all involved in insurrection.
We have members of Congress and Senators repeating lies about election fraud after having to hide from the insurrectionists. We have the wife of a Supreme Court Justice cheering them on. We have conservatives more upset that Twitter banned Trump than that Trump attempted a coup.
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Jakash said on January 9, 2021 at 12:11 pm
Yeah, Suzanne, as somebody who lives in the blue oasis of Chicago (not that it doesn’t have plenty of its own problems) I’ve much appreciated the deeply-embedded-in-a-red-state perspective and insight you’ve offered here on nn.c throughout this charlatan’s tenure.
With regard to the dementia angle, I watch very little of his oratory, but the snippets I’ve seen lately make me think that whatever drug cocktail he started with when he got Covid has done wonders for his ability to deliver a line without fucking it up. Nothing for his judgment, needless to say, and it wouldn’t surprise me if his own version of ‘roid rage has contributed to his intransigence. Of course, intransigence has always been his calling card, so it’s kinda hard to tell.
I’m no fan of My Pants, needless to say, but I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be in his shoes. He’s screwed 6 ways from Sunday, whatever he does. Having seen videos of Romney and Lady G being accosted at the airport, I can’t imagine things are going to go smoothly for the Indiana Cipher.
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basset said on January 9, 2021 at 1:32 pm
Off topic… today is Lloyd Loar’s birthday, also Richard Nixon’s, Jimmy Page’s, Joan Baez’s, and no doubt a bunch of others. Need to pull out the mandolin (old Gibson from the Loar era but not signed) and play “Eighth of January” and “Ohio.”
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Jakash said on January 9, 2021 at 1:50 pm
“We’ve never seen anything like it before, and will never see anything like it again. National policy shaped by the president’s relationship with a cable news network, expressed in real time through his tweets.”
Twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/MattGertz/status/1347698306177249282
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LAMary said on January 9, 2021 at 3:26 pm
It’s my obstetrician’s birthday too. Happy Birthday Connie Chein.
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Deborah said on January 9, 2021 at 3:48 pm
LA Mary, that got me laughing out loud and I can’t seem to stop.
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LAMary said on January 9, 2021 at 4:42 pm
I’m glad, Deborah. I used to send her a card or flowers or something every year but she’s retired now and I don’t know where to send the card. Loved having her as my OB.
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Sherri said on January 9, 2021 at 11:00 pm
Amazon is booting Parler off its cloud hosting services.
Turns out being a platform for staging violent coups has consequences. Who knew?
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Sherri said on January 10, 2021 at 1:03 am
You know, athletes who lose a game stand up and answer questions about it.
No one in leadership in any of the organizations responsible for defending the Capitol has done so yet, to my knowledge.
Chickenshit, compliant, or both?
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David C said on January 10, 2021 at 6:29 am
Good for Amazon booting Parler. I don’t know if that puts them out of business or not or what platforms still need to be shut down so they can’t plan another attack.
During the insurrection, white cops were flashing their shields to black Capitol Police expecting professional courtesy even as Vanilla Isis was calling them the n-word. Oh no, no racism problem in the police.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/1/9/2007734/-Saturday-Night-Owls-Black-cops-recount-their-day-fighting-racist-ass-terrorists-at-Capitol
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Suzanne said on January 10, 2021 at 8:52 am
This sums it up:
https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-when-the-president-of-mediocrity-incites-an-insurrection/
“There are no identity politics more passionate (and sulky) than straight white Christian-identified male politics.”
Also, if you get the chance, I highly recommend The Social Dilemma on Netflix. It does a great job of digging into how Social media uses us to make $$. Mad Men on steroids.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 10, 2021 at 10:12 am
For Sherri @ #155, towards the end of the story after the breach & evacuation of Senators into their bunker:
Finally, the Senate sergeant at arms sat down amid the others in the room, saying to no one in particular: “I wish I had just retired last week.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-capitol-siege/2021/01/09/e3ad3274-5283-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html
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basset said on January 10, 2021 at 10:59 am
I thought this was well put, by Matthew Syed in the Sunday Times:
“Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are wily enough to know that empires — from Rome to the early Islamic caliphates to the Chinese dynasties to the Moguls — crumble, as often as not, from within. They are poking us, pulling at our divisions, hoping that the West, and not just America, unravels some more. They are being helped by a cast of useful idiots such as the Texas senator Ted Cruz, whose speech on Wednesday will live long in infamy, not to mention the army of radio and Twitter shock jocks who leap upon anything inflammatory in pursuit of new followers. Social media users live in vast echo chambers, a kind of digital segregation, indulging parallel versions of reality.”
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Sherri said on January 10, 2021 at 1:31 pm
David C@156, this very likely ends Parler. This Twitter thread gives a good explanation at what their alternatives are and why they probably just go away:
https://twitter.com/davetroy/status/1348219824506368000
Tl;dr: Rebekah Mercer has gotten enough for her money, and is unlikely to put up the money necessary to keep it going.
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David C said on January 10, 2021 at 2:20 pm
I’m really happy to hear that they’re likely out of business Sherri. There’s going to be so much fallout from this that will be beyond our possibility to imagine – or my ability at least. I’d like nothing more than to see Clarence and Ginni Thomas and a whole lot more odious people brought down by this.
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Sherri said on January 10, 2021 at 4:10 pm
This is the most chilling thread I’ve read about the coup.
https://twitter.com/LiteraryMouse/status/1347873482550468609
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Sherri said on January 10, 2021 at 4:56 pm
Another chilling thread.
https://twitter.com/TerryBoutonHist/status/1348365375449268226
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Sherri said on January 10, 2021 at 5:04 pm
How you know that the 1/6 coup wasn’t antifa.
https://twitter.com/KaMateLiam19/status/1348300750078799872
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David C said on January 10, 2021 at 6:06 pm
The Coup Klux Klan (thanks Times of India) is finding out they’ve been put on the no-fly list and can’t fly home. Thought and prayers.
https://twitter.com/LindaSurovich/status/1348400056722976774
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Sherri said on January 11, 2021 at 12:02 am
The outgoing Capitol Hill police chief is talking.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sund-riot-national-guard/2021/01/10/fc2ce7d4-5384-11eb-a817-e5e7f8a406d6_story.html
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beb said on January 11, 2021 at 3:48 am
Sherri: You know, athletes who lose a game stand up and answer questions about it. Professional athletes are also trained to be team players. Trump was never one of those (team players). I don’t know what Trump’s game plan is at this point though it looks as if his game is to make himself President-for-life.
Rep Clyburn wants to put off impeachment until after Biden’s 100 days. I’m not sure you can even impeach someone after they have left office. I guess Clyburn doesn’t want an impeachment trial to interfere for that magic 100 day period. But Trump with or without impeachment is going to interfere with Bidien’s presidency. It’s better to do the trial now and get it over with. And even if the Republicans in the Senate refuses to convict it just paints targets on their back. After that a vote to expel members of congress who encourage the insurrection at the Capitol.
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Scout said on January 11, 2021 at 12:00 pm
That the MAGAts I know are frantically posting that the attack on the Capitol was Antifa proves to me they know this shit is wrong wrong wrong. But make no mistake, they support of ending our democracy in order to keep the Mango Mobster in power, no matter what. It’s a pathology I cannot wrap my head around. I think we’re pretty screwed because whatever fomented this crazy has unleashed a zombie army of fecking morons that we are all now stuck with.
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Bitter Scribe said on January 11, 2021 at 12:16 pm
The Republicans who enabled Trump and made the Capitol riot happen can take their current bleating for “unity,” “healing” and “civility” RIGHT THE FUCK OUT OF HERE. We’ll “heal” once those bastards pay for what they did.
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Heather said on January 11, 2021 at 1:18 pm
Apparently Trump gave Jim Jordon the Medal of Honor today in a closed ceremony. We’re gonna have to fix that. Traitors don’t get the nation’s highest civilian honor.
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LAMary said on January 11, 2021 at 1:30 pm
Yeah, Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan. Two great citizens. One who chose to overlook sex abuse and the other a drunk frat boy, possibly closeted, whose daddy bails him out. Both doing a pit bull congressman act for the orange turd. Can those presidential medals be rescinded? Rush Limbaugh, Matt Gaetz and Jim the jock sniffer Jordan. No. Consider the achievments of those three. I think the NJ congressman who stayed behind to help clean up the Capitol building deserves one more than those three ass kissing, lying jerks.
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Peter said on January 11, 2021 at 2:08 pm
I have to admit that, more often than not, I’m a kind of a can’t see the forest for the trees kind of guy.
That’s why I didn’t initially understand something that happened this morning, but now realize what a big deal it is.
Basically, some banks and companies this morning said they will no longer donate money to congresspersons that voted against accepting the election results. I’m hearing more companies are planning to announce their restrictions as well.
Being blackballed from Twitter is one thing. Losing that money pipeline, however, could be the kiss of death.
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LAMary said on January 11, 2021 at 2:53 pm
Kiss of death? I hope so. Not literally of course. Just in terms of their political careers.
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Suzanne said on January 11, 2021 at 2:57 pm
If you are able, read this.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/opinion/josh-hawley-religion-democracy.html
“In other words, Mr. Hawley’s idea of freedom is the freedom to conform to what he and his preferred religious authorities know to be right. Mr. Hawley is not shy about making the point explicit. In a 2017 speech to the American Renewal Project, he declared — paraphrasing the Dutch Reformed theologian and onetime prime minister Abraham Kuyper — “There is not one square inch of all creation over which Jesus Christ is not Lord.” Mr. Kuyper is perhaps best known for his claim that Christianity has sole legitimate authority over all aspects of human life.”
“The line of thought here is starkly binary and nihilistic. It says that human existence in an inevitably pluralistic, modern society committed to equality is inherently worthless. It comes with the idea that a right-minded elite of religiously pure individuals should aim to capture the levers of government, then use that power to rescue society from eternal darkness and reshape it in accord with a divinely-approved view of righteousness.”
He’s a Christian Mullah. The Senate needs to toss his butt out.
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Sherri said on January 11, 2021 at 3:40 pm
It’s fascinating to watch people tell on themselves.
I do think there is a discussion to be had about the power of Twitter, FB, and the like to police speech, and what that should look like. However, anyone who’s worried more about losing Twitter follower right now, or complaining about conservatives being kicked off Twitter, in the light of an insurrection, is not someone to take seriously.
Let’s talk about how we’re going to save democracy from a political party that has abandoned it first. Eventually we can discuss what a modern interpretation of the First Amendment* might look like, but first we’ve got some seditionists to take care of.
*of course, the irony of the people who think the market is the solution deciding the market isn’t the solution when the market happens to them is always rich.
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Julie Robinson said on January 11, 2021 at 4:20 pm
The credit card processor that has handled donations for his campaign has stopped their service, meaning he can’t collect money there now either. I love seeing the squeeze happening.
Aside from anything else, my mom got her first Covid vaccination this afternoon. Everything was perfectly organized, from making an appointment, to valet parking, to scores of friendly, helpful, and efficient staffers. We were there about 35 minutes, which includes the 15 minute wait after the shot. She got the Pfizer vaccine, no pain or reaction, and an appointment for the next one on February 1.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel!
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Deborah said on January 11, 2021 at 4:41 pm
Did we hear from Dexter last night or early this morning? I hope everything is Ok.
Julie, good for your mom getting the vaccine. I had to get some blood work done at the dr office today and asked the lab people if they had been able to get it yet and they said yes! Yay!
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LAMary said on January 11, 2021 at 6:07 pm
The Dutch Reformed Church produces some people like Hawley and lots of atheists who were alienated by that theology. My Dutch grandmother spent all day Sunday, every week, sitting in that church. She was a grim person.
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David C said on January 11, 2021 at 6:43 pm
I had to go to our credit union this afternoon and there were five people in front of me in line trying to take out big cash withdrawals. They were all yapping about the banking system collapsing. JFC. Doubly stupid was why would they announce to the world they were running around with a ton of cash. But the best part was that they were all told they had to go away and call ahead to make large cash withdrawals and it might take a few days for them to get the cash. They were not happy. But I must say it was the most entertainment I ever got from being sixth in line at the credit union to only deposit a $25 check.
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LAMary said on January 11, 2021 at 9:09 pm
The stupid is strong these days.
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Peter said on January 11, 2021 at 9:18 pm
Sorry I’m not able to link this, but Trump planned on awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Bil Belichick, who turned him down today – he said the events of last week and over the summer have left him thinking that helping promote social justice is more important…
I’m…speechless.
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Dexter Friend said on January 12, 2021 at 2:36 am
Ret. General McCafferty agrees with my thought I posted last Wednesday: move the inauguration to an unannounced secure location to avoid long range snipers and wackos charging the lecterns. McCafferty says inside a highly militarized Capitol Dome. I say deep inside the Pentagon, perhaps.
Thanks for asking, Deborah. Carla Lee gave us a scare at 6:30 AM Monday as her oxygen levels plummeted and she was rushed for evaluation for BiPad oxygen machine or full intubation. She stabilized on the BiPap, daughter Vanessa rushed to her side with a special disposition for violation of the strict no-visitor rule, and things calmed down. I guess that was the one visit the entire family is going to be allowed. Well, that’s it, ya know? I am going about my daily routine, 2 of the daughters are taking this crisis hard, as you might expect. I talked to Carla Lee’s nurse at 11:30 PM…steady as she goes.
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beb said on January 12, 2021 at 4:35 am
For those of you without a New York Times subscription the professors at Lawyers, Guns and Money have a long column quoting heavily from the NYT column and giving considerable background information about the theocracy stuff that Hawley espouses.
https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2021/01/onward-christian-soldiers
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Deborah said on January 12, 2021 at 6:59 am
Glad to hear that Carla Lee is holding on and up.
Also good to know that Belichick said no thanks. More people need to make it clear that Trump is disgusting.
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Connie said on January 12, 2021 at 7:24 am
Like LAMary I grew up in the Dutch Reformed Church. And then grew out of it.
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Suzanne said on January 12, 2021 at 8:27 am
Speaking of Dutch Reformed, I read an interesting book a few months ago written by a woman who grew up Reformed, rejected it, and went on a spiritual quest to find something else. It’s a great read!
It’s called My Year of Living Spiritually : From Woo-Woo to Wonderful–One Woman’s Secular Quest for a More Soulful Life by Anne Bokma.
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Deborah said on January 12, 2021 at 8:54 am
Sheldon Adelson who has looked dead for the last decade has finally died.
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alex said on January 12, 2021 at 9:06 am
The attempted coup gave Adelson such a boner that it crashed his entire cardiovascular system.
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Connie said on January 12, 2021 at 9:51 am
Note that Suzanne’s author’s name, my last name and LAMary’s maiden name end in the letter A preceded by a consonant. That means we each have ancestors from the Friesland province.
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LAMary said on January 12, 2021 at 10:54 am
Connie, my maiden name doesn’t end in a vowel but the grandparents were Frisian.My grandmothe’r maiden name was Knyfd.Lots of people with that last name within ten miles of where I grew up. The Knyfd women are all close to or at 6 feet tall. We can spot each other in a crowd. There were plenty of Hammersmas and Sikkemas and Huizingas in that part of NJ. At my last job I think the main thing that convinced a nurse practitioner to accept our job offer was the fact I prounounced her name correctly: Statema. Not StatEma. STATema. Short e.
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LAMary said on January 12, 2021 at 12:05 pm
Seeing photos of Sheldon Adelson with red hair made me wonder about old guys who color their hair. Trump, Adelson, any old guy you see with blue-black hair. A little girl who lived down the street, when she would see someone with horrible makeup or extremely unflattering or age inappropriate clothing, would say, “that poor person has no friends.” And by age inappropriate I’m including the elderly starlets in hot pants, pancake and false eyelashes. Not anything slightly questionable, just the really over the top stuff which one sees occasionally here in LA. Sheldon and trump both fit the elderly starlets in hot pants category. Those poor people don’t have any friends. No one will tell them the truth.
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Deborah said on January 12, 2021 at 12:19 pm
My husband’s sister who lives in Pasadena has contracted Covid and her husband has had it for a week now. She kept her husband’s illness a secret from us for some reason until today. He got the Regeneron treatment that Trump got, they are very wealthy and can afford it. My sister in law says she will be getting Regeneron too. She says her husband has been OK, is feeling very fatigued but that’s it, she’s 77 or 78 and he’s 80. So this is as close family wise as it has gotten to us so far. Our neighbor across the hall from us had it too way back in the summer, but we were in NM when he was in quarantine, he probably contracted it on an airplane, he was flying back and forth from his house in Palm Springs to Chicago for business, he’s 80 but had no symptoms at all.
My husband’s 101 year old mother who lives in a retirement home in Charlotte, NC has been approved to get the vaccine and is getting it today, I think.
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LAMary said on January 12, 2021 at 1:36 pm
LA County is the hot spot in the country for Covid right now so it’s no surprise your inlaws caught it. The testing center near me did its one millionth test yesterday. This is the Dodger Stadium location. Part of that location is being converted to a vaccination site. Someone dies of Covid every 8 minutes in Los Angeles County. I do not leave my house other than for walks in the neighborhood. No socializing, just a little masked wave across the street if I see someone. My tolerance for tedium and confinement is coming in handy. A friend is a critical care nurse director at hospital in South LA and she sent me a photo of the hallway there. Beds, gurneys, crash carts all over the place. It looks like a war scene. Knowing her she’s probably working seven days a week. If the jerks who say this is not serious and that there are no overcrowded hospitals, who post photos of hospitals with no ambulances outside, no crowds, want to mess with me I will shred them. Last week some asshat posted “empty hospital” photos online to prove it’s all a hoax. It was St. Vincent hospital in downtown LA. It’s been closed for over a year. What exactly are the deniers trying to prove? Healthcare workers are killing themselves to save people. I know too many of them and want them to get their lives back.
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Scout said on January 12, 2021 at 2:26 pm
This writer nails it. Decapitate (figuratively) the leader and the movement loses momentum. Kicking Twitler off the socials was the right thing to do.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/stop-domestic-terrorism-shut-down-its-leader/617640/
Also, someone posted this on FB this morning and I copied it to my page.
This can serve as a guide for those who are confused about who exactly tried to overthrow the government last week, and for future attendance at political rallies. I cut and pasted from someone else, feel free to do the same.
~~~~~
“How to tell whether you are on the right side.
Huge numbers of our population believe in a complete alternate reality. Alternate facts as it were.
But just as intensely as I believe they are deluded, they think I am the one who is deluded. Maybe I am. So how can I be confident in my perception? It can be quite difficult.
But, I have found that in times of political confusion, particularly when emotions are running high and creating tunnel vision, the presence of Nazis can be an extremely helpful indicator.
If I am attending a local demonstration or event and I see Nazis…neo-Nazis, casual Nazis, master race Nazis, or the latest-whatever-uber-mythology-Nazis, I figure out which side they are on.
And if they are on my side of the demonstration? I am on the wrong side.
It is tough to argue moral equivalence when I am standing next to a Nazi. Look to my right. Is there a guy wearing a 6MWE (6 million wasn’t enough) t-shirt? I am on the wrong side. Look to my left. If that guy is wearing a Camp Auschwitz t-shirt? Wrong side. Are Speakers being applauded for referring to things that Hitler got right? Wrong side. Team-spirit face paint and hat with animal horns? This is actually an unclear indicator that could mean anything, but safest to keep my distance from that guy anyway, even at a football game.
However, I can always, always, always rely on the presence of Nazis as a guiding light through a fog of disinformation.
Some things are relative, and politics can absolutely have it’s opposing sides and grey areas.
But evil and good are absolute. As are the lessons of history. So, just look for the Nazis, and make your own decisions.”
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David C said on January 12, 2021 at 4:42 pm
About damned time.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/12/flint-water-scandal-charges-ex-governor-michigan-rick-snyder
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ROGirl said on January 12, 2021 at 5:00 pm
My passive-aggressive manager made another cryptic comment today to the effect that he hopes we get through the next week. I asked, “Do you know something we don’t know?” And he said he just meant that things would be bumpy between now and next Wednesday.
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on January 12, 2021 at 10:32 pm
For perhaps the slightly younger of us here:
https://twitter.com/CleverTitleTK/status/1349100267590066178/photo/1
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beb said on January 13, 2021 at 1:20 am
ROgirl, Jan 17th appears to be the date for another round of insurrection. This time the FBI is taking the rumor seriously.
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Dexter Friend said on January 13, 2021 at 3:26 am
Daughter Lori, the Covid19 recovered patient who has had three recent procedures for infections in her abdomen, is feeling it’s her duty to be in Columbus as close to her mom as possible, so she booked Southwest and will be landing around noon today. As much as I feel drawn to the area, I must hold that in check until I get my vaccine and wait a week or so until my immunity kicks in. The VA said I will be called for an appointment soon, no promises as to when exactly. I have made it this far and I refuse to go anywhere, see anyone until I get the shot. I double mask when I drive through a fast food place. I am not exactly scared shitless, but my wife is going through hell, too weak to FaceTime, barely able to talk 3 minutes, and if her breathing doesn’t stabilize soon, she will be rushed to a ventilator. That’s where it stands. Part of me might be in denial, as this is hard to take. Mind-racing panic is not an option. This is so much different than parents at end-of-life stage, for the uncertainty of the outcome. It’s what the hospital doctors and nurses are calling “teetering”. One way or the other.
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Suzanne said on January 13, 2021 at 9:03 am
Oh, Dexter. I am so very sorry for what you have and continue to face. I continue to pray that your circumstances improve.
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Deborah said on January 13, 2021 at 9:32 am
Dexter, I hope you get your vaccine soon. You and your family have certainly been through a lot. I hope things ease up for you all quickly.
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Dexter said on January 13, 2021 at 9:58 am
Carla Lee was intubated overnight and I finally was informed 10 minutes ago. Thank you all so much for your concerned thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. Right now I am numb… or something. Still hopeful of course. As is said, it ain’t over’ til it’s over.
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Heather said on January 13, 2021 at 11:12 am
You and Carla Lee are in my thoughts, Dexter. Sending healing vibrations your way.
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Deborah said on January 13, 2021 at 11:12 am
Oh Dexter, I’m so sorry, I hope Lori can be with her.
I had my ophthalmologist visit this morning and I’m scheduled for my first cataract surgery on January 26th and the second one on February 9th. I will be so glad to have this done with, my vision has definitely been deteriorating, the double vision is gone now but I don’t want that to happen again. I have to go back next Wednesday for eye measurements and then the next week is the surgery. Yay!
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Scout said on January 13, 2021 at 11:17 am
Dexter, you, Carla Lee and your daughters are in my heart and prayers. If there is anything more that we can do to help I hope you will let us know.
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Suzanne said on January 13, 2021 at 12:39 pm
This is beyond excellent from someone who has looked totalitarianism in the eye
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/12/opinions/battle-against-anti-democratic-extremism-kasparov/index.html
“The worst result would be letting the mutineers off the hook — and this includes the elected officials who encouraged them, like Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley and especially President Trump. That they, and scores of other Republicans, continued to attack the integrity of the election even now is beyond the pale.”
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LAMary said on January 13, 2021 at 12:56 pm
Why isn’t Jim Jordan medicated? Or just kept in a room where he can’t hurt himself or others? He’s a loon.
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Julie Robinson said on January 13, 2021 at 1:18 pm
Dexter, I’m so, so sorry, and continue to pray for Carla Lee, yourself, and your family.
Someone in our house had the impeachment on, and someone else spiked their blood pressure. Someone now is wearing headphones.
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Deborah said on January 13, 2021 at 2:04 pm
I almost put my foot through the TV while Jordan was speaking, I had to turn it off. I’ll turn it back on when they’re finally voting to see if any Republicans actually vote for it. I know Cheney said she would, but who knows if she really will.
Can’t they provide the national guardsmen with some cots to sleep on? Someone on Twitter asked where’s the My Pillow guy when you really need him.
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JodiP said on January 13, 2021 at 2:41 pm
Dexter, I really hope Carla pulls through. It’s so awful that you are going through this.
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Sherri said on January 13, 2021 at 2:48 pm
Dexter, so sorry.
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susan said on January 13, 2021 at 3:21 pm
Dexter, I’m in the huge gathering of energy behind you and Carla Lee.
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beb said on January 13, 2021 at 3:34 pm
The “My
FuhrerPillow guy is pro-Insurrection not agin it. So I doubt that he would provide pillows for the Guardsmen.After reading some reports this morning I’m starting to get a real “the phone calls are coming from inside the house” feel to this coup.
If McConnell was really as pissed at Trump as it’s being reported he is, he could show that pissed-off-edness by calling the Senate back to session this week and begin the Impeachment hearing.
Because of all the crazy revolutionists it seems terribly unsafe for President-elect Biden to have an open-air inauguration. Perhaps it should be held in some enclosed secure location. I like the idea of swearing him in in the Oval Office. I gather Trump won’t be there so there’s no problem with moving in as the other moves out. But seriously, I donlt think it wise to have Kamaala Harris anywhere close to Joe Bidien for the next two-three weeks as that represents too rich a target for some so-called “patroit.”
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LAMary said on January 13, 2021 at 3:54 pm
Deborah, it was wise to turn off the TV during Jordan. Not long after that Matt Gaetz shouted his 45 seconds of crap. I recognized Jordan right away but when Gaetz was speaking I missed hearing who it was. About 10 seconds in I figured it out. Odious pair,those two.
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LAMary said on January 13, 2021 at 4:04 pm
Just for the record. Matt Gaetz was talking about the protests last summer, of course. He mentioned the police station that was burned down. It was a guy from the Boogaloo Boys who did that. Not one of the protesters.
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susan said on January 13, 2021 at 4:06 pm
beb @213— Biden can’t be sworn-in in the Oval Office until the whole White House has been decontaminated and de-bugged. That will take a while after Orange Anus and his fetid family decamp from the Peoples’ House.
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David C said on January 13, 2021 at 4:09 pm
If I was Joe, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near the White House until it’s tented and fumigated. I’d move Joe and Kamala into the Naval Observatory for now (the bunker Cheney had blasted underneath could come in handy). For sure, no open air swearing in ceremony even with Washington crawling with National Guard troops it’s not worth the risk. I don’t think the nuts will ever give up as long as either of them is in office. They’ll be the most locked down President and VP in history.
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Scout said on January 13, 2021 at 4:25 pm
It’s done. tRump has been impeached for the second time.
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Little Bird said on January 13, 2021 at 4:35 pm
Well, he has made history. Impeached TWICE. Wow.
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Deborah said on January 13, 2021 at 4:52 pm
They had the votes without the 10 republicans but it was nice to have them to make it nonpartisan (a little bit, but still…). Now what will happen in the senate? I read that Trump is supposed to speak later tonight. Maybe he’ll resign, nah probably not. He’ll probably still double down on his big lie that he won the election in a landslide.
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LAMary said on January 13, 2021 at 5:00 pm
It’s still feeling like a dumpster fire to me. Or a dumpster fire next to a train wreck. I need a sign that it’s not going to stay crazy.
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Suzanne said on January 13, 2021 at 5:04 pm
Good for the 10 Republicans who voted for impeachment. That leaves 197 traitors in office with the chance to try the insurrection again.
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LAMary said on January 13, 2021 at 5:40 pm
If he resigns tonight do you think Pence will be his Gerald Ford and pardon him?
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David C said on January 13, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Nobody normal would pardon someone who encouraged a mob to kill you, so of course Pence would pardon him.
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Dorothy said on January 13, 2021 at 6:14 pm
My son left home yesterday – his National Guard unit is already getting ready for their assignment; I don’t know if it will be D.C. or Columbus, or maybe somewhere else. Now I have to worry for a week or so about him and all of his soldiers over whom he has command. And of course I’ll worry about all of the other soldiers who will be the show of strength around the country. It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) I hate Donald Trump with every fiber of my being. And for so many reasons – they are COUNTLESS. But when he was elected my number one fear was that he’d get us involved in a war and my son would be injured or killed in it. Here it is, a week before he’s out of office, and it’s like it’s come full circle. I’m nervous that this fear/premonition is going to come true.
Someone asked about why they couldn’t have cots. I do remember my son saying the cots they provide are really uncomfortable. And where would they store them (when no one is sleeping on them) in the Capitol building? I maintain an uncomfortable cot would be better than trying to sleep on cold hard marble floors.
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Dorothy said on January 13, 2021 at 6:39 pm
Dexter I forgot to say this – Carla Lee is never far from my thoughts these days.
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del said on January 13, 2021 at 6:57 pm
Dexter, take care.
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LAMary said on January 13, 2021 at 6:59 pm
Dorothy, not only a war but a war in our own country against our own countrymen. I was watching CNN last night and Anderson Cooper was talking to Thomas Friedman about covering civil wars in other countries and how Americans might think a civil war is not as bad as fighting in a foreign country. Thomas Friedman said that people don’t realize how horrible it is. He said it was much worse.
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susan said on January 13, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Dorothy @225 “But when he was elected my number one fear was that he’d get us involved in a war and my son would be injured or killed in it. ”
OrangeAnus and his henchmen did get us into a war. And here we are.
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Suzanne said on January 13, 2021 at 7:09 pm
Dorothy, my heart goes out to you. I have feared a war, too, but for you, it affects you personally. I pray that your son will be safe.
None of this surprises me. We elected Godzilla & now he’s crushing people & terrorizing the countryside.
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Mark P said on January 13, 2021 at 9:50 pm
McConnell didn’t call the Senate back into session because he said he thought Trump had committed impeachable offenses. If he held the trial before the inauguration he would have had to vote to convict. If the trial is some time after Biden is inaugurated he can say it’s no longer necessary because Trump is already out of office and a conviction would serve no practical purpose. That way he gets to play both sides. That’s my prediction. He will never vote to convict Trump. That’s assuming there is a Senate and a country at that time.
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Sherri said on January 13, 2021 at 10:28 pm
This is next level planning.
https://twitter.com/TravisAllen02/status/1349535260816646144
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Dexter Friend said on January 14, 2021 at 12:08 am
No news is good news. Nothing to report from Mt. Carmel Hospital.
The White House is a mess I hear. Trump demanded to take to the House floor today to defend himself and was plainly told to cool his heels in his lonely office. Man, are the rats jumping ship; only the real true traitors to the flag are sticking around with Trump. Of course McConnell is refusing to proceed with a Senate trial until after he’s no longer in charge as Senate Boss. Schumer will have that honor.
Political theater to take my mind off things for moments is a diversion, but not pleasant. One scenario I heard a military security officer tell of was a planned defense against long-range snipers trained on Biden next week. I mean, yeah, duh…you’d think they might have that covered, somehow, by helicopters I’d think. I really wish the inauguration would be moved inside somewhere, but guess it ain’t happening.
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basset said on January 14, 2021 at 7:21 am
I’m more concerned about a missile, or someone diving an aircraft into the ceremony.
Sending support your way, Dexter.
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Kim said on January 14, 2021 at 8:43 am
Dexter, adding to others’ wishes for comfort and peace for you and yours. My God, the trials you face.
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Mark P said on January 14, 2021 at 9:24 am
My wife and I are over 65 and so eligible for a coronavirus vaccination in Georgia. I went to the local health department web site to see how to register. After floundering around for 10 minutes trying to find information, I found a link to an online signup. Checked. No place to sign up, but a notice saying you can no longer do it online. Before I could read it all, it rolled off the left side of screen to be replaced by some other notice. It eventually returned, but didn’t stay long enough to read. Apparently we can sign up by phone. My aunt managed that, but she said to find a comfortable chair because it’s going to take multiple calls to get an answer. This is one reason the vaccination rollout is so far behind where it should be— no one was prepared for it in any meaningful way.
No way will large numbers of us old people be able to find information online, and there is essentially no other way to get it. I’m sure a lot of people just give up.
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Julie Robinson said on January 14, 2021 at 10:40 am
Mark, my experience was black and white different from yours. I got through online in five minutes, then filled out all the information and got an appointment for my mom three days later. The shot center had valet parking, and we waited only a few minutes to complete registration and for her to get her immunization. We were in and out in 35 minutes, which included 15 for post-shot observation. During that time she was given an appointment for her second shot.
I’ve talked with several other people with similar experiences. One had to wait online for an hour to make the appointment, but it showed a little countdown clock, so you could walk away and do other things while you waited.
I never thought I’d hold up Indiana and Allen County for being progressive, but the organization on this was superb.
Registration for 70 & older has been opened, which means 60 & older will be next!
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Scout said on January 14, 2021 at 10:53 am
Mark @236 – I am having similar issues in AZ trying to get into a sign up portal for my octogenarian parents. I’m internet savvy and can’t manage it, how do they expect the really olds to navigate such a confusing mess?
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LAMary said on January 14, 2021 at 11:18 am
Orange county here is doing over 65 shots but I’m in LA county where they don’t have enough vaccine. Sigh. It will arrive. I’m sure. I’m hoping the vaccine and my re-enrollment in medicare part b happen at the same time so I can get my damn cataract surgery. My right eye is useless and I’m tired of having weird depth perception. Of course I’m not driving. Imagine the wonderland of seeing, being able to drive, and having been vaccinated going to Trader Joes! Heaven. In the meantime I’m hanging in.
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Julie Robinson said on January 14, 2021 at 11:27 am
Mary (and Deborah) I can relate. My vision is so bad now that I only drive in broad daylight and when I know where I’m going. Can’t read street signs, can see if it’s cloudy, haven’t been driving at night for years. My cataracts aren’t “ripe” yet, and I have three other conditions that mean cataract surgery might not help. I’ve been to so many specialists and had so many not fun tests, and no one can figure out how to improve my vision. I am so lucky that Dennis is retired and willing to drive me anywhere I need. I doubt I’ll drive much once we get to Orlando. I know how to get to the grocery store and drugstore, fabric store and library. What more do I need?
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Deborah said on January 14, 2021 at 11:29 am
LB had a horribly frustrating time trying to sign up in NM. I had read an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican online that the NM health Dept wanted more people to sign up for the vaccine so I texted her a link that was provided in the article. It was extremely confusing and way more complicated than it needed to be, LB called me crying because she was so upset. I got online to sign up there too just to see if I could help her figure it out and I was extremely confused as well, plus there were typos in the instructions that made it even more exasperating. LB has immune system issues because of her neurological condition so I thought maybe she might be eligible earlier. She finally called a hotline about her frustration and they helped explain what some of the verbiage on the sign up site meant. I wrote an email to the NM health dept explaining point by point what was confusing on their site. LB is ineligible at this time but they said they would notify her in an email when she will be.
My husband filled out the forms online for us in Chicago after his Dr walked him through it. He said if she hadn’t done that he would have been flummoxed. We should be eligible some time in February.
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LAMary said on January 14, 2021 at 12:15 pm
A few months ago I drove in daylight but even though it was doable I worry that if I’m in an accident because my vision is so bad things might get ugly with my insurance company. I would also feel terrible if someone was injured because my eyesight is bad.
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Deborah said on January 14, 2021 at 12:28 pm
I haven’t driven at night for a couple of years. My cataracts make oncoming car lights blurry and halo-y. I got a special film on my glasses that was supposed to help that but it doesn’t work. I’m hoping that my surgery will correct that.
I have some choices about what kind of corrective lenses I want for my surgery and I’m wondering if any of you who’ve had the surgery can give me some advice on that. Should I get one for distance and one for close up (mono vision)? Or both for distance and then wear reading glasses? There are some other options but they cost more and I don’t think I need to consider those. I’m used to wearing reading glasses so I’m inclined to go for the both for distance option. Any suggestions?
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Peter said on January 14, 2021 at 1:47 pm
Dexter, my wife has had to be intubated a few times over the years, and while it was traumatic and very uncomfortable, each time she pulled through and recovered.
I’m only saying this to let you know that we’ve been through it, and that positive results can happen too.
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Deborah said on January 14, 2021 at 2:00 pm
When I see the photos of the National guardsmen sleeping all over the place in the Capitol all I can think about is Covid. Do they get priority for the vaccine? Dorothy, I remember that your son got it after being called up at some point. Is he still immune from that? Has it been within 5 months of him contracting it? Maybe you already mentioned this? I’m multitasking today so I’m not reading thoroughly.
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LAMary said on January 14, 2021 at 2:29 pm
Deborah, I’m going to go for whatever type of lens I need after the surgery. I was in bifocals before the cataract and I’ve needed distance glasses since I was 15. When they test my post surgical vision I’ll go with whatever the optometrist says I need. I’ve heard some people say they didn’t need any corrective lenses at all post surgery.
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Mouse said on January 14, 2021 at 2:51 pm
If any of you in the group out there are veterans and have a VA close to you you might want to check with them about the vaccine. I walked into the VA in Cape Coral FL. the other day to get a prescription and stopped by the front desk to ask about the shots. A nice lady pointed me in the proper direction and 5 minutes later I had an appointment for the vaccine at 2:30 Saturday afternoon. The VA seems to have access and no restrictions, all they asked was proof of service, nothing else. I was on a phone waiting list but never heard back from them. They at the VA said the phone appt. system was pretty much broken and face to face was the way to go. Couldn’t get one for the wife but hopeful she will be able to get one at Publix soon as they are taking over some of the vaccine mess in Florida.
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David C said on January 14, 2021 at 3:39 pm
My parents both had cataract surgery with implanted lenses and they both still wear glasses to correct their astigmatism and for reading.
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LAMary said on January 14, 2021 at 4:41 pm
I’m ok with still wearing glasses. Whatever. I’ve been wearing them part of the time for about 40 years when I only needed them for distance and all of the time for 12 more. No biggie. My brothers all had to get glasses before they hit fourth grade. I made it as far as tenth. Nyah nyah.
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Sherri said on January 14, 2021 at 7:25 pm
I’ve been sleeping really poorly lately, like many of us, but I did manage to sleep through a pretty significant windstorm the other night. We lost a small birch tree that was coming down anyway and didn’t do any damage, and we’re part of the lucky few who only suffered brief power outages. Some neighbors were out for over 10 hours, and more remote areas are still out. Extra challenging now that everyone is working and attending school remotely!
But we’ve had two days with at least some sunshine since the windstorm, which is a welcome break from the nonstop rain we had before.
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Deborah said on January 14, 2021 at 7:36 pm
I’ve been reading a lot and listening to a lot online today about how guilty social media is about where we are in regard to the insurrection and the predicament we’re in now with anticipated violence. I would encourage you to listen to Kara Swisher’s interview with the founder of Parler on Sway (NYTimes) and her podcast on Pivot with her cohost Scott Galloway a professor at NYU about social media’s responsibility for our current predicament and how it came to this. Also they do an interview with Ruth Ghiat about her book “Strongmen” which is excellent. Ghiat’s recent book compares Trump’s methods and manipulations with other authoritarians in history like Mussolini, Hitler etc. I’m definitely putting that book on my list. I’m sorry that I don’t have links to those podcasts but I strongly recommend that you google them and listen, it will open your eyes.
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Dorothy said on January 14, 2021 at 8:40 pm
Deborah my son got Covid in July after being at a Drill weekend. He had a mild case. I have no idea if they (he and his unit/soldiers) will be getting the vaccine. It’s not something we’ve talked about and we haven’t been with them for two weeks. We are going in this weekend to help his wife with packing some boxes. They’re building a house and it’ll be ready to move in within 5-6 weeks, maybe sooner, and they rented one of those storage units that’s in their driveway right now. It’s about half full and Josh had to leave before he could finish loading boxes. So that’s what Zah Zah and I are going to help with this weekend. (That’s what Olivia calls her grandpa – she made it up herself!)
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