Guard Dog

The monarchy are like the national pets of Great Britain. Everything they do people takes pictures of and go “aww how cute. Kate has a pretty red coat and hat.” I can’t understand the fascination but I certainly understand what Markel meant about feeling trapped. I think she spoke for all of them. Hell I think the queens corgis have more agency over their lives than she does.

In 1776 a band of poorly armed rebels went to war with the world's biggest superpower over far less than the US government has done to us over the years. And that is not even getting in to the race stuff. Not saying we should get our muskets and line up on the bridge at Concord. But sending new folks to Congress certainly has not worked. They become the people they replace and the institution keeps being what it is. Congress talks a good game every two years about rolling back surveliance and stuff. But then when no one is looking they never fail to renew it. When they came out last week and talked about rolling back executive perrogative and taking back the war powers, that are a Congressional power alone, I was somewhat hopeful. But... I'll believe it when I see it. We've heard this s--t from them before.

Sexual assault allegations cloud Yasiel Puig's future in MLB I think that will be all for him. If the allegations are true and he gets a 1 year suspension he's done. He's already a club house cancer, PR headache, and in decline to boot.

You know the worst thing about the Snowden thing is the US Government won the PR battle. They got people all twisted up over THAT he leaked when they real anger should have been at WHAT he leaked.

Every republic is an oppresive bananna republic if you let it become so. Most "honest" politicians are tyrants if you let them be. There are politicans in the US congress and European Parliament right this minute who would like nothing better than to round up all dissenting citizens, media, activists, etc and get rid of them in one fashion or another. It is folly to give them more tools to perhaps, one day, do this.

Bruce you are a good dude but you are entirely too optimistic about human nature. There is a rot in the core of the human soul that really shows up when you put one person in power over another. And it is really prevalent in the people who really want to be in power over their fellow man. You empower such people at your own considerable peril.

Crusader kings first DLC coming Looks like the kingdoms in the Scandinavian region are going to be fleshed out. I’m actually surprised that didn’t get more love on launch considering where paradox is from.

Taking Sunny to see the vet today. Then we’re going to take a ride out to Brownsville and check on our property out there. After that back home to what I’m sure it will be an extended session playing OOTP. I am replaying the 1962 season is the Pittsburgh Pirates. OOTP 22 comes out in two weeks and I want to finish this season before upgrading

No as I have said many times there are no saints in hell. Trust none of them, believe in nothing they say and they will never disappoint you

You are old enough to remember Bill Clinton then. Some of the accusations against him ranged well into the bizarre conspiracy theories territory but quite a few, especially with women, were credible and highly suspicious.

Two thoughts on the Cuomo thing. 1. I am really surprised he did not trot out the old “vast right wing conspiracy” saw. 2. The Democrats actually turned on one of their own. Usually they will defend, downplay, ignore, obfuscate, and redirect. No matter how horrible the person or terrible the act they didn’t eat their own. It could be that bunch is not entirely without some redeeming quality. Maybe not. Meanwhile it seems the Republicans have been acting much more like Democrats used to recently. Of course they are now the modern day “know nothings” back after a 180 year hiatus. So don’t bother looking for redeeming qualities in that lot.

This is very cool. If you like offbeat history facts this guy‘s channel is worth following.

Apparently there are a lot of folks in Georgia with misconceptions about Guam Of course the best territory faux pas was Trump saying he would discuss something with the "president of Puerto Rico". I with I'd been a fly on the wall when he found out who that was.

Be optimistic! yes it’s usually a short path to disappointment but it will certainly make the waiting more bearable

Agreed

This was in 1990 Bruce. 31 years ago. And like I said this was about the one of the seediest strip clubs in a town and had a lot of seedy strip clubs.

It has an appeal because most of the people who believe in it are decent people. They don’t want to think that their ancestors were not decent people. A hard truth is sometimes hard to face. The Lost Cause is just a lie people tell themselves to make the hard truth more palatable. obviously it’s overgeneralizing to say that the people of the CSA were all indecent. It’s also not exactly true to suggest that the Confederate soldier was fighting to keep people as chattel. But that’s a long discussion that’s been had before.

LOL! That would’ve weirded me right out the door! i’ll tell you what though, I’ll bet you a dollar I’m not the only poster on this board that’s ever been in that joint in particular. I will bet you shady or manifested or both have been there.

LOL The last strip club I was in was in Oceanside California. Really trashy place don’t remember the name. Most of the girls there would be best described as “rode hard and put away wet“. One even had a knife wound scar. Anyway i into the head to take a leak and there was a dude jerking off into the urinal. When I walked in he turned around and looked at me and went right back to his business. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got plenty of friends in low places but even I had standards after that one!

Quantities are limited and even now there are people who need it more than I do. It’s not that I don’t want to get it I certainly am going to do that. I’m not one of those crazy anti-vaccine types. It’s just I’ve left my home four times this year. And once was to go on a vacation. I don’t get out much. And when I do my interaction with other people is minimal so my risk is minimal. Let the people with greater exposure go ahead of me. Once the state estimates were at 90% then I’ll ask for one.

Confederate Constitution is 160 years old most of you guys know this because I have frequently opined on the subject but the US Civil War has always captured my interest. Particularly the misunderstandings that are so commonly held about it. But for the folks out there who still argue that “it wasn’t about slavery” should probably read the CSAs founding document and get back to the rest of us on that one. EDIT: OK let me correct that. The WAR strictly speaking was not about slavery it was about secession. Secession was definitely about slavery.

Rainy today. Sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee reading a battered old T.S. Eliot book. Currently reading The Waste Land

I’ll get mine close to the end. Once everybody else has. I am minimal risk. I was avoiding contact with the other humans before it was even cool to do so!

I would not want to be the chairman of the Federal Reserve for all the money in the world. They have three tasks: moderate interest rates (the repo market especially, inter-banking system borrowing), stabilize bond prices, and (hopefully) maximize employment through crisis avoidance. Only one of those three are actually within their control. The last three Presidential admins and the current one have done nothing but deficient spend. The Obama admin had a real shot at turning it around with their austerity measures which, while meant as a political weapon at the time, did unintentional good but was wiped out by runaway spending. You have probably heard me say this, because I've been saying it for years, I would not buy US bonds if they took dried dog poop for payment. The default is inevitable. Most folks think the US Dollar will be ok long term because even with all this it is still the most stable currency and the world reserve currency. But in the era of blockchain and crypto's immunity to inflation that may not last. It probably won't. Nations are already using bitcoin for trade. As far as the Fed putting a happy (dishonestly so) face on it... wow... shocking. Not. It is worrisome because sooner or later the bill comes due. Inflation has been creeping up for a while. That worries me being so close to retirement and now with a minimal income. Inflation is a tax on savings. But... there is nothing anyone can do about it. Not even voting. Fiscally responsible candidates don't win elections. All we can do it: Manage debt: if you are in debt get out. If you're not, don't go in. Invest in things that have real value. Real estate, hard commodity, etc.