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There’s some extremely good trouble headed their way.

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Deploy the moving finger of emphasisity!

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I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

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Seriously

You are here: Home / Archives for Seriously

The Idiot

by ruemara|  February 1, 20207:25 pm| 60 Comments

This post is in: Because of wow., Open Threads, All Too Normal, General Stupidity, I'm Too Big To Cry/Hurts Too Much To Laugh, Seriously

There is nothing like helping a friend. Barring it involving moving a body*, it’s usually a sign of Being A Good Person. However… I have learned that this is not necessarily a sign of being a smart person.

Yes, I did lift those. Yes, that’s a heavy band around my legs. Yes, those are velvet shoes.

A few days ago, I went with a friend to their parents’ house, which is being sold, as their father passed last year and it’s become too much for their mother. To say the family dynamic is stressful is a classic case of “My Culture Has a Case of the British Understatementitis”, so I wanted to be there for them. There was also a car. A car that has sat in the garage for about 3 months and is now an ex-running car. The desire was to jump the car, use it to take beloved furniture back to friend’s own home, possibly eat some pizza in a furniture laden home. The best laid plans, juicers, something something, I got distracted, maybe it was important, maybe not.

There’s a surprising amount of time lifting things for no reason on my calendar. & Looking like a Flashdance extra.

Said car is a luxury vehicle. As in, a Lexus. Did I mention it’s a 2017 Lexus SUV? Someone had to stay in the vehicle to steer the non-running thing & someone had to push. Being a clever person, I was not about to steer a car I have no clue about, with friend’s expensive car too close, and possibly lose control, crashing expensive SUV into parents’ house or a neighbor’s house. I’m not saying I’m disaster prone, I’m saying I have a tendency to defy statistics.

Piece o’cake!

So, your pal pushed a 4 ton vehicle about 20 feet. It charged up, was driven back into the garage. It died again. So, I did the feat of strength, again. We did some what was needed, we went back to our respective homes. All was well!

Until… I woke up the next day with the most incredible pain in my left shin, ankle & foot. I’ve been laid up for a couple of days and can only walk moderate distances with a cane. I have no idea what happened, so don’t ask me. It seemed really simple at the time. I did push the thing, it moved, I kept pushing until we had the space we needed. Why my body didn’t signal, “Girl, you crazy? Call AAA!”, i dunno. I’m breaking down the scar tissue and slowly regaining mobility, but that was, in hindsight, probably stupid. But good intentions? Ah, well. I can take loving well, if not wisely. Open thread, laugh at my pain, but remember, I did move an suv.

“You’re supposed to be smarter, WTF.” “Forget it, Odo. Mom can’t even hunt.”

The IdiotPost + Comments (60)

Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: The Way We Live Now

by Anne Laurie|  October 31, 20197:13 pm| 120 Comments

This post is in: Impeachment Inquiry, Open Threads, All Too Normal, Seriously

The House is taking a procedural vote ahead of the impeachment inquiry rules resolution.

The floor was about half full even before they called the vote, which never happens. The gallery is packed. The pre-writes are filed. Somewhere on the Capitol grounds, a squirrel prances by.

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) October 31, 2019

I thought this Kellyanne Conway clip saying Democrats "don't have the votes" for the impeachment inquiry must have been from a few weeks ago. But, nope, it was just this morning! https://t.co/ISVNz1bybc https://t.co/pZjShJuXDN

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 31, 2019

It passed 232-196.

— ?? Scarin' Tumulty ?? (@ktumulty) October 31, 2019

Because I’m old, my current earworm is Simon & Garfunkel’s Silent Night/7 O’clock News…

BREAKING: House has passed impeachment resolution, setting stage for televised hearings and ultimate impeachment vote. A big day and a big development. https://t.co/S8W2sDI9gj

— Greg Miller (@gregpmiller) October 31, 2019

Hey, @GOPLeader!

The impeachment inquiries against Nixon and Clinton also began with private hearings behind closed doors, so we’re going to be totally fine with this.

Sincerely,
Historians https://t.co/keYs7kAHCO

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) October 31, 2019

"I'm increasingly worried that President Trump will want to shut down the government again because of impeachment … He always likes to create diversions. I hope and pray he won't want to cause another government shutdown because it might be a diversion"https://t.co/R3QOs3cWc7

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) October 29, 2019

Question: If this was true and democrats DID want to impeach the Republican president right from the very first day, then WHY did Republicans elect a guy who basically dares them to do so pretty much every day?

Seems like you're kinda stupid, doesn't it? https://t.co/ydgCp44EtK

— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) October 30, 2019

Apparently no one at the NRCC took a second to think whether sending congressional offices suspicious looking packages was a sound idea, which sounds about right.

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) October 31, 2019

Impeachment Inquiry Open Thread: The Way We Live NowPost + Comments (120)

Election 2020 Open Thread: Kamala Harris Took the Lead This Weekend

by Anne Laurie|  October 28, 20199:30 pm| 87 Comments

This post is in: Civil Rights, Criminal Justice, Election 2020, I'm With Her, Kamala Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Seriously

We must change people’s perceptions, and it starts at the top. When those in charge don’t see the value of people like Tamir Rice or Atatiana Jefferson, there can be lethal consequences. pic.twitter.com/J4MznO7Abb

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 27, 2019

Rep. Shirley Chisholm, one of my earliest political idols, said “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” After Friday’s HBCU Trump debacle, Senator Harris took her chair, and changed the conversation.

Good story on @KamalaHarris today. https://t.co/oYKH04lQ7i

— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) October 27, 2019

… In the hours after Harris initially announced she wouldn’t be present at the forum, talks began between her campaign, Mayor Benjamin and Benedict College to create an end result that didn’t include the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center with a breakthrough happening overnight, a Harris campaign aide said.

“People were figuring out a solution where the group honoring President Trump wasn’t involved and students had access to speeches and the ability to ask questions,” the aide said.

Another aide said Harris, the only graduate of a historically black college in the 2020 field, wouldn’t stand for the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center “disrespecting” the legacy of HBCUs and their history rooted in protest, justice and equality.

“When it became clear Donald Trump would receive an award after decades of celebrating mass incarceration, pushing the death penalty for innocent Black Americans, rolling back police accountability measures and racist behavior that puts people’s lives at risk, and then learned all but ten Benedict students are excluded from participating, I cannot in good faith be complicit in papering over his record,” Harris said in a statement Friday…

Kamala Harris: "What do we have in Donald Trump? Someone who dares — dares — to use the word 'lynching' with the blood that has been poured on the soil of South Carolina and so many places." https://t.co/Hg8Ui0kIWv

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 26, 2019

“On that debate stage in terms of whose running, l am probably the only or one of a very few who has spent her career actually working on reforming the system as oppose to just talking about it.” pic.twitter.com/SQ06vteqbU

— Daryon (@daryongeronimo) October 26, 2019

Folks, let's stop for a minute and reflect on what Kamala Harris did in the last 24 hours.

— Wyeth Ruthven (@wyethwire) October 26, 2019

So Kamala Harris pulled her support for the forum. She was prepared to hold a counter-program with her own people.

— Wyeth Ruthven (@wyethwire) October 26, 2019

show full post on front page

Election 2020 Open Thread: Kamala Harris Took the Lead This WeekendPost + Comments (87)

Election 2020 Open Thread: Senator Harris Had A REALLY Good Debate

by Anne Laurie|  October 16, 20199:06 am| 136 Comments

This post is in: Election 2020, Kamala Harris 2020, Open Threads, Seriously

Fortune favors the prepared mind, and Kamala came prepared. She deserves all the positive notice she’s garnered.

Kamala Harris talks about access to women's reproductive healthcare, which has not been discussed in previous debates. #DemocraticDebate pic.twitter.com/JZ2765LUWo

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 16, 2019

Harris didn't wait for moderators to ask a question about abortion, earning her accolades both from the stage and on social media. @KamalaHarris @glamourmag #demdebate https://t.co/gznATSfJXw

— Samantha Barry (@samanthabarry) October 16, 2019

Finally a question on abortion at the #DemocraticDebate!@KamalaHarris: "This is still a fundamental issue of justice for women in America…no other person has any other right to tell her what to do with her body. It is her body, her right, her decision." #AskAboutAbortion pic.twitter.com/XtHQXk2XVG

— NARAL (@NARAL) October 16, 2019

The other candidates worth paying attention backed her up, ably, but she gets points for leading the topic.
 

Kamala Harris on the impeachment inquiry: "As a former prosecutor, I know a confession when I see it. … Donald Trump needs to be held accountable" #DemDebate https://t.co/dHLcvevnK6 pic.twitter.com/dggf7c55Yv

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 16, 2019

"It's just being observant," says @KamalaHarris when asked if stating in advance that she would remove him from office. "I know a confession when I see it," adds Harris, a former prosecutor #DemDebate

— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) October 16, 2019

show full post on front page

Election 2020 Open Thread: Senator Harris Had A REALLY Good DebatePost + Comments (136)

Gun Safety PSA: Back to School Essentials

by Anne Laurie|  September 19, 201910:52 am| 105 Comments

This post is in: Enhanced Protest Techniques, gun safety, Open Threads, Seriously

Trigger warning — this spot is almost too effective…

Seriously good work by the Sandy Hook Promise people — I learned about it from a spot on the local news, and I suspect it’s going viral on the airwaves as well as in social media.

On a technical level, this is an incredibly well-made PSA with riveting performances. On an emotional level, this is a devastating take on school shootings that ends so disturbingly, I had to text my 20 yr old kid to make sure she was okay. She is… And yet I’m still crying. https://t.co/cN86XiIyqH

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) September 18, 2019

Gun Safety PSA: <em>Back to School Essentials</em>Post + Comments (105)

Monday Morning Open Thread: …If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.*

by Anne Laurie|  August 5, 20196:33 am| 140 Comments

This post is in: Gun Issues, I'm With Her, Open Threads, All Too Normal, All we want is life beyond the thunderdome, Seriously

I know we are full of faith in the promise of tomorrow, but I also know that to get to tomorrow, we must fight today.

Honored to spend the morning with worshipers at Victory Baptist Church in Las Vegas, who understand the importance of speaking up and speaking out against hate. pic.twitter.com/MfnqZIC5CJ

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 4, 2019

Dems have been calling Trump "racist" before now, but you definitely see a dam breaking post El Paso. This Warren clip, for example, happened days ago, but it's now being piled on top of her (standard Dem) call for gun control. https://t.co/PN0WEsHS6t

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 4, 2019

This weekend merely highlights a hard truth: since 2017 the United States has lacked a proper head of state. https://t.co/Et6aDyPujZ

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) August 5, 2019

… These are moments when a president can and should attempt to use their bully pulpit to reassure the nation that as the country mourns, action will be taken. As president, Barack Obama was asked to do this all too often. Most of the time he was brilliant at it; sometimes he faltered. The important thing is the man tried every time. Obama understood his function during these moments of trauma, and endeavored to speak for all Americans at such times. Obama was hardly unique; with the occasional exception, the 42 men who preceded him performed the same function.

Commentators can debate all day about President Trump’s performance as the head of government, but there is a rare degree of unanimity that the 45th president is not just a bad head of state; he is essentially incapable of performing that function. This had been clear long before this weekend…

… Trump was completely missing in action this weekend — except for Twitter. On that platform, he tried to mimic what a head of state would say, but it came across as tone-deaf…

The growth of homegrown white nationalism preceded Trump, but his administration has made the problem worse with its rhetoric and staffing decisions. There will and should be debates about the best set of policies to cope with this burgeoning problem. Maybe something will get done; maybe the people acting as impediments to doing something will be voted out.

For now, however, what matters is that America is hurting. Unfortunately, we lack a leader with the ability to serve as a head of state. We have a man who cannot comprehend grieving. All he understands is grievance.

The fundamental reason there’s violence is because Trump is doing what he said he would and the country still isn’t all white. For a radical racist who wants an all white country, what else is there to do

— Hedge Fund with Class Character (@MenshevikM) August 4, 2019

To many people, Trump and the GOP now look like the "state sponsor" of this stochastic terrorism. The institutional figures encouraging a breakdown of Public Order.

And I think that could have electoral consequences come next fall.

(end)

— Noah Smith ?? (@Noahpinion) August 4, 2019

*Stein’s Law

Monday Morning Open Thread: …<em>If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.</em>*Post + Comments (140)

Open Thread: Good for Tim Ryan

by Anne Laurie|  August 4, 20197:20 pm| 79 Comments

This post is in: Election 2020, gun safety, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, All we want is life beyond the thunderdome, Seriously

Tim Ryan announces he’s withdrawing from presidential race and tells Republicans to “get their shit together” in same clip. #WhiteNationalistTerrorism pic.twitter.com/mhRiHN3l2m

— Neurology Doctor (@NeurologyDoctor) August 4, 2019

It's been pointed out that he said "suspending" and not "withdrawing"

— Neurology Doctor (@NeurologyDoctor) August 4, 2019


(IIRC, ‘suspending’ means he doesn’t lose access to any presidential-campaign funds he may have collected, so it may be just a legalism)

Sen. Sherrod Brown calls on Mitch McConnell to have Monday vote on gun background check… pic.twitter.com/dm5YYsHvb4

— James (@jcmarbury) August 4, 2019

The Democratic candidates are not mincing words in their reactions to this weekend’s horrors. https://t.co/ljAfu58qel

— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) August 4, 2019

What an astonishingly gross for McDaniel to say. El Paso is O'Rourke's home town and the congressional district he represented.

In a society with any sense of decency, a GOP chairwoman would resign over making a comment like this. https://t.co/1sspMLbTWn

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) August 4, 2019

HOW TO TAKE ACTION: The Senate needs to come back from recess NOW and vote on background checks and Red Flag legislation.

Text CHECKS to 644-33 to be connected with your Senators and tell them to act on background checks. pic.twitter.com/QJ1IHWjZ28

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 4, 2019

Open Thread: Good for Tim RyanPost + Comments (79)

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