Help!

To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.

Link Code:   <a href="URL">text</a>

OR you can try this Link Generator, which a contributor recommends: "All you do is paste in the URL and supply the text to highlight. Then hit 'Get Code.'... Return to RealityChex and paste it in."

OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.

Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.

Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

The Ledes

Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Washington Post's liveblog of developments in the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse is here: “Divers recovered the bodies of two construction workers who died when a massive cargo ship struck and collapsed a Baltimore bridge, as investigators revealed Wednesday that hazardous material was leaking from breached containers on the stranded vessel and state and federal lawmakers rushed to begin the recovery from the disaster that crippled the Port of Baltimore. Rescue crews found the victims shortly before 10 a.m. trapped in a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water in the Patapsco River near the mid-span of the hulking wreck of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland State Police Secretary Roland L. Butler Jr. said at a news conference. The conditions were treacherous for the divers, so Butler said they were suspending the search for the bodies of four other construction workers who plunged to their deaths when the container ship in distress struck the bridge shortly before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, causing it to fall.

“The workers are believed to be the only victims in the disaster.... The victims recovered were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk, Md. Other victims identified Wednesday were Maynor Suazo Sandoval, 38, from Honduras, and Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, who was the father of three. The names of the remaining two victims have not been released.” ~~~

~~~ CNN's live updates are here.

The Wires
powered by Surfing Waves
The Ledes

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Washington Post: “As a cargo ship the size of a skyscraper drifted dangerously close to a major Baltimore bridge that carried more than 30,000 cars a day, the crew of the Dali issued an urgent 'mayday,' hoping to avert disaster Tuesday. First responders sprang into action, shutting down most traffic on the four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge just before the 95,000 gross-ton vessel plowed into a bridge piling at about 1:30 a.m., causing multiple sections of the span to bow and snap in a harrowing scene captured on video.... Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) hailed those who carried out the quick work as 'heroes' and said they saved lives, but the scale of the destruction was catastrophic and will probably have far-reaching impacts for the economy and travel on the East Coast for months to come.” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates are here. CNN's live updates are here. ~~~

     ~~~ A Washington Post liveblog of developments is here: “Six people [-- bridge construction workers --] were presumed dead Tuesday evening, authorities announced as they shifted from a search and rescue operation to a recovery effort.... The governor declared a state of emergency, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) announced that the city has deployed its emergency operations plan. Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore was 'suspended until further notice.'”

Public Service Announcement

The Washington Post offers tips on how to keep your EV battery running in frigid temperatures. The link at the end of this graf is supposed to be a "gift link" (from me, Marie Burns, the giftor!), meaning that non-subscribers can read the article. Hope it works: https://wapo.st/3u8Z705

The Hollywood Reporter has the full list of 2024 Oscar winners here.

Ryan Gosling performs "I'm Just Ken" at the Academy Awards: ~~~

Marie: If you don't like birthing stories, don't watch this video. But I thought it was pretty sweet -- and funny:

If you like Larry David, you may find this interview enjoyable:


Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Allison Hope comments in a CNN opinion piece:

~~~ Here's Chapman singing "Fast Car" at the Oakland Coliseum in December 1988. ~~~

~~~ Here's the full 2024 Grammy winner's list, via CBS.

He Shot the Messenger. Washington Post: “The Messenger is shutting down immediately, the news site’s founder told employees in an email Wednesday, marking the abrupt demise of one of the stranger and more expensive recent experiments in digital media. In his email, Jimmy Finkelstein said he was 'personally devastated' to announce that he had failed in a last-ditch effort to raise more money for the site, saying that he had been fundraising as recently as the night before. Finkelstein said the site, which launched last year with outsize ambitions and a mammoth $50 million budget, would close 'effective immediately.' The New York Times first reported the site’s closure late Wednesday afternoon, appearing to catch many staffers off-guard, including editor in chief Dan Wakeford. As employees read the news story, the internal work chat service Slack erupted in what one employee called 'pandemonium.'... Minutes later, as staffers read Finkelstein’s email, its message was underscored as they were forcibly logged out of their Slack accounts. Former Messenger reporter Jim LaPorta posted on social media that employees would not receive health care or severance.”

Washington Post: “The last known location of 'Portrait of Fräulein Lieser' by world-renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt was in Vienna in the mid-1920s. The vivid painting featuring a young woman was listed as property of a 'Mrs Lieser' — believed to be Henriette Lieser, who was deported and killed by the Nazis. The only remaining record of the work was a black and white photograph from 1925, around the time it was last exhibited, which was kept in the archives of the Austrian National Library. Now, almost 100 years later, this painting by one of the world’s most famous modernist artists is on display and up for sale — having been rediscovered in what the auction house has hailed as a sensational find.... It is unclear which member of the Lieser family is depicted in the piece[.]”

CNN: “Jon Stewart is heading back to 'The Daily Show.' The comedian, who during his 16-year run as host of the Comedy Central program established it as an entertainment and cultural force, will return to host the show each week on Mondays starting February 12, Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios announced Wednesday. Stewart, who returns as the 2024 presidential election season heats up, will also executive produce the show and work with a rotating line-up of comedians who will helm the program the rest of the week, Tuesdays through Thursdays.”

~~~ Marie: I don't know if this podcast will update automatically, or if I have to do it manually. In any event, both you and I can find the latest update of the published episodes here. The episodes begin with ads, but you can fast-forward through them.

Contact Marie

Click on this link to e-mail Marie.

Saturday
Feb062016

The Commentariat -- February 7, 2016

Afternoon Update:

Sabrina Siddiqui of the Guardian: "Marco Rubio on Sunday defended his performance in Saturday night’s Republican presidential debate, in which he was widely panned for coming off as scripted in a tense exchange with Chris Christie.... 'Actually, I would pay them to keep running that clip, because that’s what I believe passionately,' Rubio said, reiterating once more his point about Obama deliberately harming the country." ...

... "... Maybe His Ventriloquist Was Stuttering." Charles Pierce: "The general hilarity has tended to obscure what Rubio actually was saying. (And saying, and saying, and saying…) He was accusing the president of monumental and deliberate acts of subversion in office. This is a stunning charge, especially from a one-term pipsqueak whose memory banks jam whenever he steps an inch beyond his actual depth." CW: Haven't read that point elsewhere, & it is well-taken. ...

... Chrisco Made the Snowplows Run on Time. Steve M.: "But what was Christie saying here? He was saying that being required to deal with strictly domestic problems makes him more qualified to be president that a U.S. senator, even though senators deal with foreign as well as domestic policy. He was saying that getting the streets plowed is all the job experience a potential president needs." CW: Read the whole post. I haven't seen this point made elsewhere, either. But I do think Steve is right to compare Christie's "qualification" for POTUS with Scott Walker's (remember him?) well-covered gaffe in which he claimed he could handle ISIS terrorists because he had "taken on 100,000 protesters" (mostly schoolteachers!). ...

*****

Presidential Race, Infotainment Tonight Edition

Patrick Healy & Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "Senator Marco Rubio of Florida was hammered as callow, ambitious and lacking in accomplishment during the Republican presidential debate here on Saturday night, as Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey led an all-out assault to try to halt Mr. Rubio’s growing momentum ahead of the critical New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. Mr. Rubio ... looked rattled at times and faltered as he pushed back with scripted lines about President Obama that Mr. Christie mocked mercilessly." ...

... The New York Times' transcript of the debate is here. And here's the Washington Post's annotated transcript. ...

... Cute Talking Wind-up Doll Gets Stuck on Anti-Obama Soundbite. Michael Barbaro of the New York Times: "Mr. Christie ... derisively called Mr. Rubio nothing more than a programmed deliverer of polished-sounding lines. Seconds later, Mr. Rubio seemed to prove Mr. Christie right.... Pressed to prove that ... he had the experience and skills to be president, Mr. Rubio instead pivoted quickly to a well-rehearsed argument about President Obama’s liberal agenda.... But Mr. Christie had instructed the audience to listen for what he dismissively called the 'memorized 25-second speech,'...' When it was his turn to reply, Mr. Rubio — inexplicably — seemed to fulfill Mr. Christie’s prediction, repeating the main idea of that same memorized-sounding speech about Mr. Obama. Almost word for word.... Mr. Christie pounced. 'There it is,' he said icily, turning to Mr. Rubio and jabbing his finger at him. 'There it is, everybody.' Egged on by Mr. Christie’s mocking interruptions, the crowd began to boo Mr. Rubio." ...

... Boy in the Bubble. Philip Rucker & Michael Kranish of the Washington Post: "Rubio repeated similar phrasing two more times more during the night.... It was a difficult night for the freshman senator, who has shown himself in the previous seven debates to be an agile and prepared performer but had never faced such an onslaught from Christie and Bush":

     ... Amazing to behold. ...

... "Marco Malfunctions." McKay Coppins of BuzzFeed: "In a high-profile stumble three days out from the New Hampshire primary, a rattled-looking Marco Rubio retreated from an aggressive grilling during Saturday’s debate in a strange way: by reciting the same line at least four times.... In the post-debate spin room, rival campaigns rushed to pronounce brutal judgements of Rubio’s shaky performance.... Surrogates for both Christie and Jeb Bush, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested Saturday night they had already heard from Rubio donors now signaling an openness to shift their allegiances just days before the primary." ...

... "Rubio Chokes." Shane Goldmacher of Politico: "Marco Rubio knew exactly what he was doing on Saturday night. Marco Rubio knew exactly what he was doing on Saturday night. Marco Rubio knew exactly what he was doing on Saturday night." ...

... Chas Danner of New York posts some Twitter reactions to Rubio's "jammed CD-Rom." ...

... "Stuck on Repeat." Steven Shepard of Politico: "Marco Rubio was stuck on repeat Saturday night, and it threatens his momentum in the New Hampshire primary. The Politico Caucus – a panel of operatives, strategists and activists in the early-nominating states – overwhelmingly judged Rubio the loser of the final debate before the first-in-the-nation primary." ...

... Elias Isquith of Salon: "... perhaps more than any other single traditional element of a presidential campaign, the response to debates — especially primary debates, and especially primary debates on a Saturday night — is influenced by the media. Sometimes it’s a negative influence, granted.... And the media, I promise you, is going to be obsessed with this first, most dramatic Christie-Rubio confrontation. Because not only does it make for good television and good copy..., but it’ll make for great late night jokes and 'Saturday Night Live' skits, too. That’s thanks, in part, to its already fitting a pre-established narrative. Christie, the bully you like despite yourself; Rubio, the young, handsome and über-ambitious empty suit.... If nothing else, it showed that professional bullies like Chris Christie can provide a valuable public service every now and then."...

... Steve M., writing before the debate, opined that the media would pull Rubio through, "in large part because the mainstream media hates both Democratic candidates and will embrace Rubio as a likable fratboy-turned-dad, just the way the press embraced George W. Bush in 2000." Steve relied on a hagiographic piece by Barbaro & Jeremy Peters of the Times. CW: Maybe Marco's debate performance shattered the media's man-crush. Barbaro, at any rate, seemed to take a bit of reportorial glee in Marco's big fail. For the moment, at least. On the other hand, political reporters, more than poets (sorry, T. S. Eliot )have an urgent mandate to "make it new," so after this round of Marco-guffawing, we may encounter a period of "he's alive!" stories, particularly if Marco does all right in the New Hampshire primary, followed by the fawning coverage Steve predicted. ...

... Rucker & Kranish, Ctd. "Asked by co-moderator David Muir whether he supported the use of eminent domain, [Donald] Trump said that he did. 'The Keystone Pipeline, without eminent domain, it wouldn’t go 10 feet, okay? You need eminent domain,' Trump said, adding that 'without eminent domain, you don’t have roads, highways, schools, bridges or anything.' But [Jeb!] Bush interjected to call out Trump for blurring the differences between eminent domain for public and private use. 'What Donald Trump did was use eminent domain to try to take the property of an elderly woman on the strip in Atlantic City,' Bush charged. 'That is not public purpose. That is downright wrong.' From there, Trump and Bush shouted over each other.... Belittling Bush, Trump held his index finger over his lips and said, 'Let me talk. Quiet.' The audience booed Trump":

CNN's Tom Foreman has had enough of Ted Cruz's lie:

... Not Ready for Prime Time. The intro was hilarious:

Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "It’s the final Republican presidential debate before voters in New Hampshire head to the polls on Tuesday. Donald J. Trump has decided to take part. Carly Fiorina has been excluded. Since the most recent debate last week, the Republican race has been reordered by the results in the Iowa caucuses, with Senator Marco Rubio on the rise, Gov. Chris Christie on the ropes and Mr. Trump fighting to stay atop the polls. Here’s how to tune in to the Saturday night action.... ABC will air the debate on its network with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time and the candidates taking the stage about 15 minutes later." ...

... CW: As part of my personal anger management program, I'll wait & read all about it in the late-night editions. I admire those of you who have the fortitude to watch & listen without wrecking stuff around the house. Realty Chex Courage Awards to those of you whose teevees are still intact at the end of the debate. ...

Kyle Cheney of Politico on the "11 most explosive moments of the GOP debate."

Fiorina's Revenge:

Alex Isenstadt of Politico: "Many donors and influential supporters [of Jeb!], bound by a deep and longstanding connection to the patrician clan, say they will remain with Bush no matter what. Yet others, deeply distressed by the rise of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and eager for the Republican Party to rally around a mainstream candidate with viability, say they have come to terms with Bush’s long odds and the possibility they will eventually get behind someone else."


"Gloria Steinem and Madeleine Albright Scold Young Women Backing Bernie Sanders." Alan Rappeport
of the New York Times: "While introducing Mrs. Clinton at a rally in New Hampshire on Saturday, Madeleine Albright, the first female secretary of state, talked about the importance of electing the first female president. In a dig at the 'revolution' that Mr. Sanders often speaks of, she said that the first female commander in chief would be a true revolution. And she scolded any woman who felt otherwise.... Explaining how women tend to become more active in politics as they become older, [Gloria Steinem] suggested younger women were just backing Mr. Sanders so that they could meet young men. 'When you’re young, you’re thinking, "Where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie,"’ Ms. Steinem said.... [Bill] Maher recoiled. 'Oh. Now if I said that, "They’re for Bernie because that’s where the boys are," you’d swat me.'”

Women are more for [Clinton] than men are.... First of all, women get more radical as we get older, because we experience.... Not to over-generalize, but ... men tend to get more conservative because they gain power as they age, women get more radical because they lose power as they age. And, when you’re young, you’re thinking, where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie.... -- Gloria Steinem, Friday

... chalking young women’s politics up to their desire to meet boys actually is a profoundly sexist thing to do. (It’s also the case that people don’t appear to radicalize, or change much at all politically, strictly due to age.) It’s just too bad that insight had to come from Bill Maher instead of Gloria Steinem.... If Steinem has radicalized with age, her remarks about young women’s politics certainly don’t show it. -- Elizabeth Bruenig of the New Republic

... Tone-Deaf. Janell Ross of the Washington Post: "... despite the predictability of ... [some major criticisms of Hillary Clinton], she often responds to questions and critiques of them in precisely the wrong way. Many times, it seems that Clinton makes them worse -- even far worse. Clinton has, since almost the start of her 2016 presidential campaign, demonstrated a remarkable capacity to escalate rather than effectively address or resolve any question, critique or challenge if the matter at issue is about her." ...

... David Herszenhorn of the New York Times: "Emails released last week by the State Department that were found on Mrs. Clinton’s private server show that she was keenly interested in the administration’s push to win passage of the health care law.... The email messages show that throughout the fall of 2009, as the health care push entered a decisive phase, Mrs. Clinton lobbied some members of Congress for votes and even debated sometimes-esoteric policy proposals with aides, some of whom had worked with her in the White House when she was first lady.... Congressional officials who worked on the Affordable Care Act said that Mrs. Clinton was an important and effective advocate." ...

... Maureen Dowd, Well-Paid Professional Clinton-Basher, does a relatively even-handed (for MoDo) job of bashing Hillary Clinton in Sunday's column: "Bernie Sanders may be a dead ringer for Larry David, but Hillary is running the 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' campaign. She can’t fire up young voters by dwelling on what can’t be done in Washington and by explaining that she’s more prose than poetry." ...

... Conservo-columnist Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post: "As speaking fees go, Hillary Clinton’s allegedly scandalous $200,000 per engagement is chump change compared with Donald Trump’s $1.5 million." One problem with Parker's argument: besides Trump & Chelsea Clinton, the other well-paid speakers she cites are former government bigwigs. This is not to suggest that they have no influence over government affairs, but at least they have to lobby in one way or another to get their preferences enacted into laws or woven into regulations. Moreover, I don't think Clinton would get far with the argument, "I'm at least as ethical as Donald Trump."

Bernie initially came out like this was a Republican attack and was extremely defensive about it.... [Sanders’] impulse is to stick up for the little guy — and the V.A. serves a lot of little guys. But he is no dummy. He quickly realized the V.A. was lying, and he turned right around and was all over them. -- Dr. Sam Foote, one of the primary whistleblowers of V.A. hospital delays ...

... Steve Eder & Dave Philipps of the New York Times: "Despite mounting evidence of trouble at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Senator Bernie Sanders, then the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, initially regarded the complaints as overblown, and as a play by conservatives to weaken one of the country’s largest social welfare institutions.... Mr. Sanders eventually changed course, becoming critical of the agency and ultimately joining with Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, and other colleagues to draft a bipartisan bill to try to fix the veterans health care waiting list.... But a review of his record in the job also shows that in a moment of crisis, his deep-seated faith in the fundamental goodness of government blinded him, at least at first, to a dangerous breakdown in the one corner of it he was supposed to police.... Mr. Sanders, who had served on the committee for six years before he became its head, was quick to defend the agency and slow to aggressively question V.A. officials and demand accountability. His major objective as chairman was to expand the menu of veterans benefits." ...

... Finally, a convincing explanation of why Bernie lost Iowa by .2 percent:

<'>

 

Jordan Sargent of Gawker: "On the night that the Republican debate in New Hampshire opened with the candidates unable to follow basic instructions, the liberal end of the political spectrum offered up something that at least aimed to be intentionally funny: Bernie Sandersexpected cameo next to his new impersonator, tonight’s SNL host Larry David":

... CW: I've marveled at President Obama's ability to do comedy (it ain't as easy as it looks), but Sanders has got talent, too. ...

... Sam Frizell of Time: "At the end of their screen time together, David turns to Sanders and asks him how the campaigning in New Hampshire is going. Sanders repeats David’s signature Curb Your Enthusiasm line. 'It’s pretty, pretty, pretty good'....”

Beyond the Beltway

Anne Blythe, et al., of the (Raleigh) News & Observer: "A federal court panel ruled late Friday that two of North Carolina’s 13 congressional districts were racially gerrymandered and must be redrawn within two weeks, sparking uncertainty about whether the March primary elections can proceed as planned. An order from a three-judge panel bars elections in North Carolina’s 1st and 12th congressional districts until new maps are approved. Challengers of North Carolina’s 2011 redistricting plan quickly praised the ruling, while legislators who helped design the maps said they were disappointed and promised a quick appeal."

If President Trump finds himself seeking some like-minded Supreme Court nominees, he need look no further than the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Laboratories of democracy, my ass (foot, eye).

What you are looking at in the picture below is not a flashy display in a Rodeo Drive boutique. It is not even boxes & bags from some of the world's top luxury retailers. Nope, it is a remarkable display of l'art de fondant. It is an elaborate birthday cake:

 

CW: While I am only speculating, I would guess that the cake was accompanied by gifts of the real things. Who might give such gifts? Who might order such a cake? Just last week? Take it away, Scott Lemieux: "Today in the New Gilded Age, I present you with the cake Michigan’s governor, who you may remember from such hits as 'lying about my support for right-to-work laws' and 'utter indifference about the citizens of Flint being poisoned by the town’s water supply' — presented to his wife." I know there are a lot of contenders for Most Hated Person in America (Martin Shkreli, Ted Cruz), but Rick Snyder just secured his spot near the top of the pack. These people really can't see themselves as others see them.

News Ledes

New York Times: "Robin Chandler Duke, a rags-to-riches grande dame who married an ambassador and became one of America's best known advocates for women by championing reproductive rights and international family planning, died in Charleston, S.C., on Saturday. She was 92."

New York Times: "Defying warnings of tougher sanctions from Washington, North Korea launched a rocket on Sunday that Western experts believe is part of a program."

Reader Comments (14)

The other night I watched a TV program about teenagers interacting with each other (Grease). Then last night there was another version of the same thing called Christie and Rubio.

And again, the 'debate' was all about themselves and each other. Do any of them have anything called an idea or a plan? Calling them clowns gives them too much credit. A real clown is a professional.

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterMarvin Schwalb

If the leaking blow-up figure known as Rubio continues to appear on stage, maybe the voters, together with the real Republican money, will circle back around to JEB! the balloon head. Lotta rehab going on behind the scenes, busy busy busy money men.

Seems like reality TV is doing what it always does, expose everyone's flaws. As we know, the GOP candidates are all train wrecks, so its an inevitable outcome. I love the smell of GOP desperation in the morning.

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterDiane

Am afraid I do not get R.C.'s "badge of Courage" this time––first debate I've missed––cuz I be watching the Netflix series, "The Killing" and like Marvin's watching "teenagers interacting..." I could definitely make the comparison. Looks like Cruz and Rubio met their slaughter-slingers early on and wonder if Ted felt his hot pants get to the smoking stage. And it makes me laugh to see Christi act as though he somehow isn't in his own bubble––all this "When you have to govern a state..." business. Yeah, Chris, all governors should follow your example and find themselves in all the pickles you pretend you are not in.

The issue around "Where the boys are" is really very funny. Gloria, Gloria, what was you thinking, girl? There are plenty of liberal, progressive thinking women who are for Bernie and are certainly not rallying round for "the boys" –––and yes, if Bill Maher had said that he would have been skewered by Gloria herself. Bad moves here and not good P.R. for Clinton herself. Could Hillary come out with something humorous or just ignore it–– or take Gloria out for lunch and clue her in between the salad and the organic Apple Betty.

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

A mea culpa look back. Head slung low here, but must confess to juvenile behavior of my own while young(ish)--in defense of Gloria's remark. Started as a Democrat, but couldn't help but notice the men in the local Republican group were younger & better-looking than the pudgy, thinning hair Dems. So, fickle moi registered as a Republican! but, let me emphasize I DID NOT vote for Tricky Dicky! In fact, I can't remember a single Repub I ever voted for thereafter. And, I have been a registered Democrat for the past two decades!

Blame it on youthful folly!

Oh, snap! @PD: "The Killing" is a great series!

@Diane: Love your closing line! OH, SNAP!

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterMAG

P.S. Before you judge me, WHAT? you never did anything stoopid while young? :)

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterMAG

Thanks Mag. Luckily for us guys, the truly hot females were those who wore flowers in their hair.

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterJack Mahoney

@Mag. Yup, youthful folly. For me it was in the form of righteous indignation. I wore my completely WASP, fine textured blond hair in a long afro ( it required constant attention to keep it in an acceptable giant pouf). I talked a lot of Angela Davis-Panthers-power to the people stuff. I must have seemed beyond ridiculous. Yikes. Gotta get a chuckle at yourself in those early days.

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterDiane

How did Akhilleus know Senator Rubio was going to repeat himself at the debate? All that Marco, Marco, Marco in his Thursday comment, to which I refrained from replying "Polo!"

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterNiskyGuy

@Nisky Guy: You're right. I guess Rubio will be Marco Marco Marco around here from now on. And, yeah, I too wanted to reply Polo, Polo, Polo, but restrained myself.

Marie

February 7, 2016 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

As long as we are in the confession mode of youthful follies, I too, must confess that after reading "Atlas Shrugged" in my salad days I was enthralled with the character of John Gault but soon came to my senses when someone explained what exactly her, Rand's, message was––that in my youthful ignorance I had completely ignored.

@MAG: and didn't you just love the ending when Linden realized her home had been in the car with Holder all along. And SNAP–-if he didn't say after she says he looks good, "I see you got a new scarf"––oh, how perfect!

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

I'm late to the game but wanted to comment on our Michigan
governors tacky birthday cake. My tax preparer's significant
other is a cake designer (yes, that is a profession) in West Michigan
where lots and lots of rich republicans hide out from the media
and the tax men, whatevah, but according to this designer, it's
difficult to keep up with the orders for the $5,000.00 to
$10,000.00 cakes for the kiddies weddings or birthdays but
puulleeeze, no same sex wedding cakes, even though he is one
of Dorothy's best friends.

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered Commenterforrest morris

@forrest morris: A person would have to be quite a committed bigot to turn down $5K & $10K orders on the "principal" of disapproving of marriage.

Marie

February 7, 2016 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

Rodeo Drive Birthday Bonanza
- or -
Let 'Em Eat Cake

Couldn't help but contemplate the mega-toxicity of that dessert -
unless (cynicism inclines me to doubt) vegetable coloring was used.

(The darker the dies - ha! I'd meant *dyes* - the more injurious, as I recall from a handy little pamphlet titled "Colors To Die For: The Dangerous Impact of Food Coloring". Best to pass on the Kors handbag and Tiffany gift box.)

Also imagined this display left uneaten - ogled only - then dumpster-ed to the (mis)perceived good fortune of poor & hungry scavengers, tucking-in to this classy confection with a refreshing chaser of liquid lead.

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterOphelia M.

This really is a perfectly timed "Let them eat cake" moment for Gov Snyder!
"Drink lead - Vote R"

February 7, 2016 | Unregistered CommenterGloria
Comments for this entry have been disabled. Additional comments may not be added to this entry at this time.