Stelvin Caps

Recently Bing/Copilot and I had an interesting chat.

Noel: Several years ago I heard that French wine scientists had developed a screw on cap for wine bottles that had some or all of the characteristics of cork.  Do you know anything about this?

Copilot: Yes, you’re right! The development of screw caps for wine bottles has indeed been a significant innovation in the wine industry. The screw cap, often referred to as the Stelvin cap, was actually invented by a French company called Le Bouchage Mécanique in the 1950s.

These screw caps are designed to offer many of the benefits of traditional corks while eliminating some of their drawbacks. For instance, they prevent cork taint, a common issue with natural corks caused by the compound TCA (trichloroanisole). Additionally, screw caps provide a consistent seal and are easier to open and reseal.

One of the key features of these modern screw caps is their ability to control the amount of oxygen that enters the bottle, similar to natural corks. This is crucial for the aging process of wine, as a controlled amount of oxygen can help develop the wine’s flavors over time.

It’s fascinating how technology and tradition can come together to improve the wine experience! 

Noel: Do vineyards who use caps use the Stelvin caps?

Copilot: Yes, many vineyards that use screw caps opt for the Stelvin cap. The Stelvin cap is one of the most popular types of screw caps used in the wine industry. It was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s and has become widely adopted due to its ability to prevent cork taint and oxidation.

Countries like Australia and New Zealand have embraced screw caps extensively, with over 90% of their wines using this closure. Even in the U.S., several major wineries, such as Kendall-Jackson and Bonny Doon Vineyards, have adopted Stelvin caps for some of their wines.

Noel: Why would a vineyard not use Stelvin caps?

Copilot: There are several reasons why a vineyard might choose not to use Stelvin caps (screw caps) for their wine bottles:

Tradition and Perception: Many consumers associate natural cork with higher quality and tradition. Some vineyards prefer to maintain this perception, especially for premium wines.

Aging Potential: While Stelvin caps provide a tight seal and prevent oxidation, there is ongoing debate about how well they allow wine to age compared to natural cork. Some winemakers believe that cork’s slight permeability is beneficial for the aging process.

Market Preferences: In certain markets, consumers may have a strong preference for cork over screw caps. This can influence a vineyard’s decision to stick with cork to meet consumer expectations.

Aesthetic and Experience: The ritual of opening a bottle with a corkscrew is part of the wine-drinking experience for many people. The sound and feel of pulling a cork can add to the enjoyment.

Environmental Concerns: Although screw caps are recyclable, natural cork is biodegradable and renewable. Some vineyards prioritize sustainability and choose cork for its environmental benefits.

Noel: Where does Costco fit in the list of wine sellers in the world?

Copilot: Costco is actually the largest wine retailer in the United States. Thanks to its membership-driven business model, Costco can offer wines at very competitive prices, often with a markup of no more than 15%1. This allows them to sell a wide range of wines from various regions, including California, Washington, France, Italy, and more.

Globally, Costco is also one of the top wine sellers, leveraging its bulk purchasing power to keep prices low and attract a large customer base. Their Kirkland Signature brand, which includes popular wines like DOCG Prosecco and Ti Point Sauvignon Blanc, is particularly well-regarded.

Stupid? Ignorant? Hapless?

 US Presidents don't cause or change inflation.

They have no power over inflation, either in its creation or its reduction.

They are like the rest of us; they go to the store and pay whatever the price is.

If there is a control mechanism on inflation, it is the Federal Reserve.

So why do American voters hold the President responsible for inflation and believe that trump had anything to do with the fact that it was under control when he was in, and will banish it again once re-elected?

Maybe they are just plug stupid?

***

Joe Biden signed various bills early in his presidency during the still-raging pandemic into laws that were proposed and voted into existence by the House and the Senate; those laws put a lot of money into the economy; they may have contributed to an inflationary cycle already caused by pandemic driven shutting down and then trying to re-start the world's biggest economy.

They also saved millions of Americans from disaster.

So why do American voters hold the President responsible FOR inflation, not the President AND the Congress for, MAYBE, CONTRIBUTING to that inflation? 

Maybe they are just plug stupid?

***

Inflation happens like the ticking of a clock.

If it stops or goes in reverse really bad things happen.

That's called deflation.

That's what happened in the Great depression.

A steady low rate of inflation is the lubrication for a healthy economy.

Occasionally inflation ramps up to higher than healthy levels for a variety of reasons, but never due to the connivance or incompetency of an American president, who has no power over inflation's waxing or inflation's waning.

The American public feel that higher than healthy inflation after businesses raise their prices which they do to protect their profit.

Sometimes businesses take advantage of the situation and raise their prices even more than inflation.

In any event that raising is a one-way road.

Prices never go down again.

Never have, never will.

Except during the Great Depression.

Only the rate of inflation ever goes down again, maybe, if the Federal Reserve, not the president, is successful in its inflation control manipulation of interest rates.

So why do the voters hold the President responsible for high prices and think he is lying when he says that inflation has come down massively, which it has, even though prices haven't come down at all, which they never will, unless we have a depression?

Maybe they are just plug stupid?

***

And why are the republicans blaming the Vice President, not the President?

Don't they know that the Vice President only gets to do anything meaningful in the event of being elevated to the Presidency?

Maybe they are just plug stupid?

More probably they are lying.

***

donnie says he has discovered the ultimate cornucopia of tax-free money: universal and very high tariffs.

He says he is going to stick it to China.

He's going to put huge tariffs on everything China sells to the United States and "with all that money, all that beautiful money, China pays us, we are going to cut American taxes to the bone; you're gonna get tired of having so much money left over each month" (quote is an approximation).

The problem is that it doesn't work that way.

American import companies pay the tariffs.

And they add that cost to the price they charge Walmart, Amazon and Costco.

And Walmart, Amazon and Costco add that cost to what they charge customers.

That's called inflation.

So why does donnie keep saying what he is saying about tariffs.

Maybe he's a liar?

Maybe he's just plug stupid?

Maybe both?

***

These are questions, the answers to which I struggle daily to find.

And I think I know the answer to those questions - at least for the republicans and the voters; donnie is an entirely different deal.

The republicans are not stupid, they are lying.

The voters are not stupid; they are throwing a tantrum.

It works for their kids so they assume it will work for them.

So always remember what George Washington said in 1788.

"There cannot, in my judgement, be the least danger that the President will by any practicable intrigue ever be able to continue himself one moment in office, much less perpetuate himself in it; but [in modern parlance substitute 'except' for 'but'] in the last stage of corrupted morals and political depravity; and even then there is as much danger that any other species of domination would prevail. Though, when a people have become incapable of governing themselves and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes".

Morning Again?

 As campaign ads go, this one is pretty good.  

A bit of an homage to Morning in America, but I think we're trying to take back that quadrant, and I think that it's about time. 

And I'm tired of white supremacists co-opting and defacing our flag.

Sam Elliott on Kamala

Louis de Joy Again

 A major new installation of mail sorting hardware has been revealed by USPS.

Over the past year the Postal Service has installed in every Distribution Center PostCard Optimizer.

The device is a computer driven sorter designed to sense if an item is a specific sized postcard, sense the state, and put it in a bin designated for that state.

Each Center has had a major new warehouse added to store the bins for the various states and territories.

(Some say that the Service's current year precarious financial situation would actually be catastrophic if the "off the books black money" capital outlay that built those warehouses were known).

Since there are a lot of states and territories, there are a lot of bins - in some cases many, many for a state or territory, so the new warehouses are huge.

de Joy's vision is to maximize "certainty of delivery" and "optimum carrier efficiency" by isolating and holding year-sized batches of post cards for "optimum efficient delivery on the first business day of each new year".

Franz Kafka, Executive Director for Optimum Postal Service Efficiency - a trump appointee - was quoted recently: "in the South East of the country we are going to need additional warehouses soon; there are a hell of a lot of cards being sent to North Carolina".

Lord Protector

 That title was last used by Oliver Cromwell.

I think there was a late 1950s porn rock group called donnie and the protectors.

It was a (then thought to be clever) allusion to condoms.

Anyway,

donnie the dildo recently stated at a rally in Pennsylvania that he aims to be the “protector” of women if he is re-elected.

He emphasized that women would be “happy, healthy, confident, and free” under his leadership and claimed they would no longer have to think about abortion.

Or anything.

"Don't you fuss your pretty little heads" he was heard to mutter as he nervously caressed his right ear.

This statement comes amidst ongoing debates and criticisms regarding his role in the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

And his rape trial. 

He segued to his concepts for a plan to plan for a replacement for ObamaCare.

His starting point is that somebody introduce a bill in Congress to change the name of The Affordable Care Act to ObamaCare.

"So the correct amount of national anger and hate can be marshalled to our task" he continued.

(Anybody who knows anything knows that I made that up - donnie couldn't marshal a thought of that complexity - or even a thought.)

Then he went back to talking about his best friend Hannibal.

Oh well.

Have I mentioned what George Washington wrote to Lafayette in 1788?

Let's Talk Policy: Part Six

 donnie the dildo is pretty light on policy.

Always has been, apparently always will be.

So it's quite odd that when Jordan Klepper intersects with MAGA MORONS and asks them what they like most about donnie, they always say "we love his policies".

So, recently, I did a little write-up titled "Let's Talk Policy: Part One".

Then I did a "Part Two".

Then I did a "Part Three".

Then I did a "Part Four".

Then I did a "Part Five:"

Here is "Part Six"

Finally, a tangible policy statement.

At a rally today, after announcing his "steal the jobs" policy, donnie got serious.

Trump ignores the First Amendment and says those who criticize the Supreme Court should be tossed in jail

The MAGA MORONS roared in hysterical approval.

Of course they did.

Let's Talk Policy: Part Five

 donnie the dildo is pretty light on policy.

Always has been, apparently always will be.

So it's quite odd that when Jordan Klepper intersects with MAGA MORONS and asks them what they like most about donnie, they always say "we love his policies".

So, recently, I did a little write-up titled "Let's Talk Policy: Part One".

Then I did a "Part Two".

Then I did a "Part Three".

Then I did a "Part Four".

Here is "Part Five:"

I just heard this in a sound bite for a trump rally in Georgia.

(donnie was affecting shucks, old fashioned, real nice guy voice).

"You know what were gonna do?

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do.

"We're gonna steal other countries' jobs.

"That's what we're gonna do.

"You've never heard that before.

"Never heard that.

"But we're gonna do it".

The MAGA MORONS roared in hysterical approval.

I was curious what jobs, so I kept listening.

But he went off talking about his buddy Hannible Lecter, eating liver, dead eagles and other birds and flushing toilets, so I never found out.

But I did a little research.

One of the major jobs in shithole countries (I assume donnie was targeting them due to his well know enmity) is scavenging at the dump; it's a family job passed down through generations.

Given the state of our nation according to donnie "that sounds like a good job to steal", I said to no one in particular.

Exciting New Crypto Opportunity

 In a letter to Lafayette in April of 1788 George Washington said: "There cannot, in my judgement, be the least danger that the President will by any practicable intrigue ever be able to continue himself one moment in office, much less perpetuate himself in it; but [in modern parlance substitute 'except' for 'but'] in the last stage of corrupted morals and political depravity; and even then there is as much danger that any other species of domination would prevail. Though, when a people have become incapable of governing themselves and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes".

Read this, from Rachel Madow, As elections near, Trump pushes another merchandising opportunity, and then ponder the fact that donnie is likely to win in November.

Then re-read President Washington's statement.

And then tell me what you think.

NATO And The United Nations - Briefly

 After winning a second term as president in 1916, Woodrow Wilson felt empowered to do what was right.

And what was good for America.

And good for the world.

After an electioneering slogan "He kept us out of war", President Wilson got us into war - World War One.

And he and we tipped the balance.

In favor of France and Britain, and against Imperial Germany.

Unfortunately the Treaty of Versailles was a botch; it set the stage for World War One, Act Two.

But in the brief interim between those two Acts Wilson burst on the world stage.

Chief among his many ideas for a better world was the formation of a League of Nations: to ensure political independence and territorial integrity of all states.

The "world" of that time - mainly Europe - was ready for that idea; a thousand years of blood and treasure pissed away climaxing in the debacle of 1914 had been enough.

The "world" (Europe) wanted that treadmill of waste and slaughter to end; they wanted peace; they wanted prosperity; they wanted to try something new; they were ready for a new idea such as Wilson's.

So the League of Nations was born.

But without the participation of the Nation of the Architect, without the United States, the League was doomed.

Wilson lacked the flexibility of ego and the political ability to get his own national legislature to sign on to the League.

So World War One Chapter Two ensued.

And another tens of millions of lives and hundreds of billions of Francs, Pounds, Dollars, Yen and Marks were pissed away.

Just then, a new leader had moved to the head of the line in world leadership.

Franklin Roosevelt decried a day of infamy, Congress declared war, and, almost four years later Chapter Two came to an end.

And Roosevelt was one of those Americans who saw the wisdom and utility of Wilson's League.

And he had the political clout and skill to get Congress to sign on this time.

Franklin didn't live to see it completely formed.

But he had chosen a Vice President with the intellect, world view and political skill to see its final birthing throes result in a world peace focused forum, headquartered in New York.

That was Harry Truman.

Harry picked up the baton from Franklin and ran with it.

And The United Nations was born.

The not written down anywhere tacit corollary of this organization's existence was that the United States was now accepted as a sort of final arbiter for most of the world, but especially for Europe, except for those parts of Europe that were occupied by Russia and, therefore, closed off from the rest of the world.

Given the nature and implications of the obvious threat of the fact that there were "parts of Europe that were occupied by Russia and, therefore, closed off from the rest of the world", Truman realized a robust military alliance was needed.

In 1949 NATO was founded with 12 original members: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Its design point was to keep free and intact its members, those members being both vanquished and victor in World War One Chapter Two.

They had had that fight twice and they didn't want to do it a third time.

The biggest deal in a really big deal was and is article 5 of the founding treaty; it says that any member attacked, all members are attacked, and immediate action will be taken.

Seventy-five years later that attack has never come.

And the attacker implied by the treaty has ceased to exist.

And twenty more countries have joined NATO.

And many of them were previously "parts of Europe that were occupied by Russia and, therefore, closed off from the rest of the world".

An unstated understanding underpinning NATO and the entire post World War Two world has been that the United States, in final analysis, is in charge of what the non Soviet, including when push comes to shove, a lot of the so-called neutral segment, does; the additional unstated understanding being that the United States will shoulder a large portion of the finances of that project.

That seemed only fair.

In 1949 many of the founding members were in rubble and economically crippled.

In 1949 the United States was a powerhouse with an economy still in hyperdrive from having just provided the materiel for winning the war. 

So those members, and by political osmosis, most of the world agreed: "you pay the bills you call the shots".

Truman implemented Wilson's vision and Roosevelt's blueprint with brilliance; he got the thing up and running and, when broken field running was required improvised: in the run up to the signing of the NATO treaty he got Congress to pass the European Recovery Program which provided significant economic aid to help rebuild Western European economies after the devastation of World War II.

They named it after Truman's Secretary of State, George Marshall.

Truman knew that Congress likes Marshal and named the plan after him to assure Congress' passage of the plan.

Truman also knew that the best allies are prosperous allies.

And he wanted to jump start European prosperity.

The whole thing came together and today there is the European Union, a prosperous 27-member, 450 million citizen descendant to the rubble of 1945.

And the EU looks to NATO and the United States for its defense, and it accepts in general that when push comes to shove the US has senior partner management power, and it wants 75 years of peace and prosperity to continue unthreatened and unabated.

Truman passed the baton to Eisenhower, Eisenhower to Kennedy, Kennedy to Johnson, Johnson to Nixon, Nixon to Ford, Ford to Carter, Carter to Reagan, Reagan to Bush, Bush to Clinton, Clinton to Bush, Bush to Obama.

Some of these were Republicans and some of these were Democrats.

They all understood one thing: the peace, prosperity and continued existence of the world depends on the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and American leadership.

Then we got donnie.

He knows nothing.

And that is damn dangerous for all of the world.

China Harbor For Example, But Don't Forget Hi Hat

 Me: Why did China Harbor restaurant in Seattle go out of business?

Bing: China Harbor Restaurant in Seattle, a beloved spot known for its authentic Chinese cuisine and stunning views of Lake Union, is closing its doors after 30 years in business. The decision to close was influenced by several factors:

Labor Shortages: The restaurant faced significant challenges in maintaining adequate staffing levels.

Inflation: Rising costs made it difficult to sustain operations.

Structural Issues: The building suffered structural damage in 2021, leading to a temporary closure during a crucial period. 

I chose not to ask Bing if Covid might not have been in play at that time, however:

Evolving Industry Landscape: Changes in the restaurant industry and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic also played a role1.

Despite these challenges, China Harbor remained a cherished community hub, hosting numerous events and celebrations over the years. The owners expressed their gratitude to customers and staff in a heartfelt letter, reflecting on the joy and challenges of their journey.

It’s always sad to see a long-standing establishment close. Did you have any memorable experiences at China Harbor?

I didn't answer Bing, but I had a lot of great feasts at China Harbor; I used to moor my boat not far from it.

Me: Did the shift from Cantonese and Szechuan style Chinese food to Tai have anything to do with it?

Bing: The shift in cuisine style from Cantonese and Szechuan to Thai at China Harbor Restaurant did play a role in its closure. This change was part of an effort to adapt to evolving customer preferences and trends in the dining scene. However, it seems that the transition did not resonate as well with the restaurant’s long-time patrons, who had a strong preference for the original menu offerings.

I didn't know they had gone Tai.  That's the last thing I would have ever thought that they could have stooped to. But then I said:

Me: When I grew up in Portland there were Chinese restaurants everywhere.  They all had two common traits - they all had great food, and they all had a great bar. They all prospered.  The classic fried shrimp were uniformly the queen of their offerings, but chicken almond chow mien was pretty good too.  The migration to adding Szechuan style only made them better in the, I guess, 1980s.  And then they started disappearing.  China Harbor was one of the last.  There was one in Tigard Oregon that lasted quite a while also.

Bing: It sounds like you have some wonderful memories of those classic Chinese restaurants in Portland! The combination of great food and a lively bar certainly made them special. Shrimp dishes and chicken almond chow mien are definitely classics that many people love. The addition of Szechuan style must have added an exciting twist to the menu.

It’s unfortunate that many of these beloved spots have disappeared over time. China Harbor and the one in Tigard, Oregon, seem to have held on for quite a while, which is a testament to their quality and the loyalty of their customers.

Me: Can you find a name for the one in Tigard?  Maybe High Hat?

Bing: Yes, the restaurant you’re thinking of is likely the Hi Hat Restaurant & Lounge in Tigard, Oregon. It was located at 11530 SW Pacific Hwy12. The Hi Hat was known for its Chinese cuisine and had a great bar, fitting the description you provided. Unfortunately, it has been reported as permanently closed.

Me: As far as I know, their fried shrimp were the last authentic version of that wonderful food in Portland.  Too bad when we have to lose things to add things.  I would have chosen to leave Tai off the add list.

I hope my Paris favorite Chinese restaurant on rue de Bievre is still in business.

Blueprint Forty-Nine: The Roil Is On (LEVEL TEN)

The republican trump rump, lacking a serious presidential candidate, but possessing instead a Laurel and Hardy team of hate mongering wanna be entertainers, one of whom has slipped into notably documentable senescence, a feature which alarmingly augments his already well known and lifelong psychoses, has come up with a plan; any pretentions of having a platform, laughable as they have heretofore been (with the possible exception of the universally denied of existing Project 2025) have apparently been abandoned.

The plan has three components.

First: make any functioning administrative function of a credible election impossible.

Second: gradually turn up the rheostat which controls hate, mayhem and violence, just a little each day, to climax at level ten on November 5, 2024.

Third: gradually deploy the various paramilitary components of the rump into the streets so they are in place, in force, and in tune for the various actions that will be necessary post November 5.

Below are the obvious and discernable actions taken to date in support of that Endgame. 

•  de Joy is a trump plant. He has engineered changes to the United States Postal Service that make it unable to deliver on its time honored and always alluded to mission: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds". de Joy has added to that motto "unless it delivers ballots".
• Across the country republicans have passed or are proposing a variety of laws that restrict all aspects of the election and make the actual conduct of voting, through and including counting, and certifying the count, either impossible, or confined to a few chosen members of the trump rump.
• Montana, recently, was caught having left Harris off the Ballot.
• Every day across the nation extremist groups file large numbers of frivolous lawsuits challenging election officials, election workers, election procedures, election schedule legitimacy, election purpose, election timing, even the very concept of an election. Individually these suits have no merit and can have no effect; en masse, though, their real purpose becomes apparent.  They are designed to clog the courts ahead of the election so that, at election time, any legitimate challenge to election interference has no court venue. That leaves the extremists in charge to do whatever they want with ballots, electors and outcomes.
• Springfield and the dog/cat eatin' Haitians (gets two toots on the donnie dog whistle - Black and French) is just a trial run. 
• In support of the hate that this lie has generated, the Proud Boys (what a weird and ridiculous name) have been deployed; the PBs currently patrol the streets of Springfield with guns brandished; they are on point; standing in and standing up, kinda like a broccoli field in the misty morning light. Springfield's schools, colleges, universities and government agencies have all shut down, not wanting to be killed by donnie's MAGA moron minions from whom dozens of bomb threats occur and re-cur. Read The Age of Insurrection by David Niewert for more.
• trump recently claimed that President Joe Biden and Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris were both mentally challenged. "Joe Biden became mentally impaired," he claimed. "Kamala was born that way. And if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country." He added under the Biden-Harris administration, there have been more terrorists entering the United States. "We have the some of the greatest terrorists in the world, in our country right now," he said. Trump played on fearmongering to a small-town crowd in Wisconsin, where he claimed criminal migrants are running rampant. "You're talking about areas of the Midwest where they're becoming famous because they're being occupied, and this is hundreds of little cities and little towns - they're petrified, and their law enforcement is petrified. You have a sheriff and a deputy, or you have a small group, and you'll have a group of Venezuelan killers, street gangs occupying the town with MK-47s," he claimed "I know that gun very well," he continued. I got to know it very well. I've become an expert on guns quickly."
• No-result assassination attempts on the dildo have become events du jour. donnieLand needs more than invented dog and cat eating Haitians to bring the requisite amount of hate, violence and mayhem onto the streets everywhere. But they need to modulate - they don't want to bring the maximum amount of hate, violence and mayhem onto the streets too early, and, certainly, not too late; they want it to roll out late night 5 November 2024. To pursue that result, and that timing, they keep poking "the base" with these fauxs assassinations as minor clicks to the rheostat. And it will take a lot of time to trace the paychecks of the perpetrators of these cute tricks back to donnie the dildo. And to critics of this viewpoint who shout - in their red MAGA hats - "you lie; you fabricate; people were killed" I rejoin, "yeah, that's all part of a sociopath's modus operandi". And there will be a climax contract performance attack on the dildo's life on 3 or 4 November. Surprisingly, he will be unscathed.
• This just in: Elected officials are quickly responding to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) after he spread rumors that there are five "assassination teams" working throughout the United States with the aim of taking out former President Donald Trump.
• Paychecks also seem to be involved in at least some of the various daily mass shootings across America. That also would appear to be part of the planned incremental clicks to the rheostat of hate, mayhem and violence.
• Oath Keepers and others will stand down and stand by and be deployed when the planned hate, mayhem and violence level - Level Ten - has been brought to its planned frenzied froth. That will be later. 
• Right now, donnie and ol' JD are only getting the pot frothing with Proud Boys and hordes of ad hoc volunteer MAGA morons in the streets of Springfield Ohio. 
• But then, in the end (The Beatles used that phrase - In the End - as the prelude to some of the most beautiful words and music in history: "the love you take is equal to the love; you make" this is the antithesis of that) that will be Endgame.
• The difference between Sudan and the United States of America will gradually dissolve.
• That will be Endgame.
• And we will have done it - the collapse of our lives - to ourselves.
• Because, in the final analysis, we will have been just plug fucking stupid.
• That does fit on the front of a red baseball cap.
• A question lingers: what happened to all those people who used to live in Minneapolis, which recently burned to the ground? 

Synthetic Assassination Attempt Part Two

 Fucking Ridiculous: "They" tried to kill donnie again; and "they" didn't get him, again. This is reality TV at its worst.

Or the Keystone Kops have returned with a truth social contract.

This "hit in the ear" saga is so much like the Watergate Clowns that is impossible not to see the similarity.

what?

You heard it here first: donnie just said that "Mother Theresa was a man and also was Anthony Fauci's mother. And Haitians are eating every dog in North America and are opening violin stores featuring real cat gut strings. This is serious. We need to not support immigrants when they take away all those good American cat gut jobs. Also goose feathers."

That's what he has said so far.

Q: The New 20s Model

Back in the teens a pristine purveyor of truth appeared upon the scene of our otherwise grey and listless lives.

His or her name was never known other than that the entity called itself Q.

Q's biggest revelation to the world - although there were many, and a greatest hit is hard to choose - has been to date "the pizza eatin' pedophiles".

The MAGA MORONS roared in hysterical approval.

Many of them became our Representatives in the House and members of the Senate based upon their endorsement of the truth of the pizza eatin' revelation..

As life has gone on for many or most of us, we have moved on to other myths, tales and Tik Toks to release us from the daily hum drum; Q has been pretty silent, passe even.

Now he has burst back on the scene like a superhero recently changed to work clothes in a phone booth and back on site and back on message.

Not only is "he" back - we now know his gender and identity; it's J. D. Vance peddling "dog and cat eating immigrants".

The MAGA MORONS are roaring in hysterical approval.

I can hardly wait to see who all in the influencer set ride the "pet eatin' Haitian" story to ever higher office.

Just So Sad

 The Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh was shot in the head by the IDF on May 11, 2022, while covering a raid by the Israel Defense Forces at the Jenin refugee camp.

The University of Washington graduate and 26-year-old Seattle resident, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head by the IDF on September 5, 2024, while attending a protest of the IDF's genocide of Palestinians.

The New York Times Magazine recently published an article by Ronen Bergman and Mark Mazzetti that delves into the rise of extremist Israeli settlers and their impact on Israeli politics. The article, titled “50 Years of Crime Without Punishment,” explores how a history of unpunished violence in the West Bank has allowed extremist settlers to gain significant political power, weakening Israel’s democracy.

The IDF said the Eygi bullet bounced up off the ground.

And hit her in the head.

Imagine that.

Jews used to write better fiction.

donnie's debate with our next president

 Early on she was, I thought, losing; donnie sounded semi-rational and coherent and Kamala's points were bland "stuff".

As it went on, into the second half hour I could see a Kamala method emerging, and  that method seemed to might could be working.

She had been baiting donnie with "stuff", all the while waiting to pounce.

And she began to pounce, and donnie began to revert to type (rapist, con-man, criminal etc) and a lot of us breathed a sigh of relief.

But "we" are not the 80 or so million morons that like donnie the dildo. 

So, even though, as we closed the whole debacle out, to anyone with a brain, Kamala had clearly won, the problem is that there are 80 or 90 million of us out there who were born without brains.

And that movie hasn't been made by Disney, yet, 

So, good night, and good luck.

Birds

 

The Inauguration Takes Shape

 trump's transition team is already planning inauguration day festivities and messaging.

The team has chosen a catchy name for itself - The Dildo Dons - and a logo, to be announced later.

With three exceptions those two alternate facts are all that have leaked.

Exception leak one: there has already been produced a video documenting a joyous inauguration crowd of 65 million, all wearing official donnie autographed red hats. The price of an autographed official MAGA hat can vary widely depending on the seller and the condition of the hat, but here are some examples of prices from recent listings: 

eBay: Prices range from around $150 to $2,500.

Trump Store: The standard unsigned MAGA hat is $50, but signed versions are often available through donations or special offers.

Using the mean price of $1325 trump's personal coffers are expected to swell by $86,125,000,000 from the sale of hats alone. 

(donnie always says that the US Presidency is the most valuable franchise in the world, to which he follows on "that and the schmucks in the House and the Senate").

Speaking of those schmucks, the "Kiss the Ring Ceremony" is expected to be another big revenue generator ("Kiss the Ring" is a new government function wherein the 435 House members and 100 Senators all show up annually - if they want to keep their seats, elections having been declared optional, once the annual "Kiss" has been effected, to be in "The Presence" and kiss the ring of "The Presence" ($1,000,000 times 535 = $535,000,000; not a bad  yearly take).

Exception leak two: Hulk Hogan has signed up to sing the Star Spangled Banner in duet with Roseann Barr.

Exception leak three: Kimberly Guilfoyle will shriek the Pledge of Allegiance.

An Exceptional Bullwark

This is long - I almost didn't watch it, but I am really glad that I did - but the time goes surprisingly quickly.

It's an episode of The Bulwark, a daily offering published by Sarah Longwell, a constantly interviewed political analyst, focus group maven and conservative former republican.

The moderator of this episode is Tim Miller who was Communications Director in the Jeb Bush presidential campaign.

Tim's guest is Margaret Hoover, Moderator of PBS's Firing Line and great granddaughter of Herbert Hoover.

It's a whole new view of Margaret. 

Watch Bulwark Episode

Let's Talk Policy: Part Four

 donnie the dildo is pretty light on policy.

Always has been, apparently always will be.

So it's quite odd that when Jordan Klepper intersects with MAGA MORONS and asks them what they like most about donnie, they always say "we love his policies".

So, recently, I did a little write-up titled "Let's Talk Policy: Part One".

Then I did a "Part Two".

Then I did a "Part Three".

Here is "Part Four".

In Wisconsin recently the dildo gave one of his most well balanced and thought-out statements of economic policy.

"You take a look at bacon and some of these products. Some people don't eat bacon anymore. And we are going to get the energy prices down. When we get energy down — you know, this was caused by their horrible energy — wind, they want wind all over the place. But when it doesn't blow, we have a little problem."

The MAGA MORONS roared in hysterical approval.

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During the Constitutional Convention of 1787 quite a bit of time and energy was spent on the nature of the Executive office of the United States.

Having only recently removed themselves from the tyranny of a monarch, all the delegates were exceptionally motivated to have the Executive function not be at the outset, and be unlikely to be able to ultimately evolve into, a king.

Due to the fear of turning themselves back over to a king, many of the delegates were in favor of a multi person Executive - two, or perhaps, three people.

Distribute Executive power so it can't be consolidated and abused easily, so they thought.

The discussions were many and went back and forth.

In the end a single Executive was chosen as the right form.

As President of the convention Washington chose not to not vote on the Convention's daily business or speak during the discussions and debates; he confined his influence on the proceedings to that which he wielded in the Virginia Delegation itself outside of the Convention's business.

In any event the Convention's proceedings were secret, so with Washinton not speaking or voting in the sessions, even the paltry leakage that exists of who thought what and what went on is absent in the case of George Washington.

Therefore, we know little about what he thought about the issues discussed.

A year later though, Washington made what I think is a prophetic observation. 

In a letter to Lafayette in April of 1788 Washington said: "There cannot, in my judgement, be the least danger that the President will by any practicable intrigue ever be able to continue himself one moment in office, much less perpetuate himself in it; but [in modern parlance substitute 'except' for 'but'] in the last stage of corrupted morals and political depravity; and even then there is as much danger that any other species of domination would prevail. Though, when a people have become incapable of governing themselves and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes".

The fact that seventy-four million Americans voted for trump in 2020, and even more appear to be ready to do so again seems to indicate that "the last stage of corrupted morals and political depravity" have arrived in America.

The MAGA MORONS roar in hysterical approval.