Chit-Chat: The Feels

[tearknee]

The anti-immigration right is currently very busy trying to set up schemes to make the undesirables someone else's problem so as to deflect responsibility – this is happening in the US with El Salvador, in Italy with Albania, in the UK and Germany with Rwanda, and in Israel with an extremely hypothetical country to relocate the Gazans to. Yes, I know the Gazans aren't immigrants. No, there's no practical difference. The German--Turkish guest worker treaty predates the Six-Day War.

The problem for the anti-immigration right is those schemes don't scale. They're nothing but modern-day Madagaskarpläne. They're celebrating single flights to El Salvador or Rwanda or whatever as successes when you'd need tens of thousands of airplanes to even make a dent into demographics. The tentative first-draft Solution to the Jewish Question involved remigration; the Final one didn't.

[Yeah No]

On 4/25/2025 at 1:51 PM, PRgal said:

He's EXACTLY what certain demographics think is "high class."  It's gold EVERYTHING.  He's a character.  It's also very stereotypical "new money."  But to the extreme. 

Trump's taste is an example of what a lower class person thinks looks high class.

On 4/25/2025 at 1:58 PM, fastiller said:

@EtheltoTillie - I understand.  Thanks for the comment.  It was actually the best thing he could've done for me.  Made some of my dearest friends in Ireland and got to know my family there much better than my siblings (who were all 'cooked' by then and out of HS (Jamaica HS, incidentally)) did or do.  Also gave me the opportunity to travel in the UK and Europe as a teenager; wouldn't have had that had I stayed in Queens.

Wow, how fortunate for you. My husband would be jealous. He grew up in Washington Hts. in Manhattan. His father was born in Ireland and he has many cousins there. A few came to visit the US when he was still living at home but he never met most of them until 20 years ago when we visited Ireland.

[Lantern7]

45 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Trump's taste is an example of what a lower class person thinks looks high class.

I go with John Mulaney’s description: that Trump is what a hobo imagines a rich man to be like. Short clip, but I cued it up to what he was talking about.

 

Edited Yest. at 05:29 AM by Lantern7

[Soapy Goddess]

13 hours ago, Affogato said:

He pardons people who support him. He punishes people who defy him. It can change on a dime. 

 

17 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Birds of a feather and all that.

Fiore might not be free and clear even after the pardon. She still has exposure.

 

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

8 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Trump's taste is an example of what a lower class person thinks looks high class.

I go with John Mulaney’s description: that Trump is what a hobo imagines a rich man to be like. Short clip, but I cued it up to what he was talking about.

That was good, thanks! That made me think that it's not only what a lower class person thinks looks high class, but a lower class person from borough NYC over 50 years ago. Parents of a couple of my friends growing up had that kind of taste. Trump is stuck in a time warp in terms of his attitudes and his taste. He has not caught up to the present in any way, shape or form. I dated a guy a little older than me when I was in HS that had Trump's attitudes. But that was 50 years ago. Trump still thinks those things are the case today when they weren't even the case 50 years ago. Like the myth of the "welfare queens". I knew about that one 50 years ago! Needless to say I broke up with that guy with good reason.

[Dimity]

Another day another story  about liberal campaign signs being defaced or stolen. Funny how we never see this happening to conservative signs. Quite the coincidence...

Edited Yest. at 01:23 PM by Dimity

[Affogato]

14 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Someone call me when the people behind all those orders are dragged outside by their hair.

Yeah, I know, way too much to ask for. I’d be good with tar and feathers. Hell, the tar wouldn’t have to be boiling. Sticky would do just fine.

Oh, and Trumpty Dumpty made an ass of himself at Pope Francis’ funeral. Not that we would expect something different, of course.

Trump is a summer. Can’t wear something unflattering. 

[Cementhead]

My husband got a kick out of the fact that Biden never took down those gaudy gold curtains that Trump hung during his first round in the oval office.  He thinks he left them up so as to piss Trump off every time he had to see Joe sitting in front of them at the desk.  I have no idea if his theory holds any water but he got a laugh out of it for some reason. 

[annzeepark914]

48 minutes ago, Cementhead said:

My husband got a kick out of the fact that Biden never took down those gaudy gold curtains that Trump hung during his first round in the oval office.  He thinks he left them up so as to piss Trump off every time he had to see Joe sitting in front of them at the desk.  I have no idea if his theory holds any water but he got a laugh out of it for some reason. 

Trump should've been impressed that Biden was saving $$ by keeping those drapes 😇

[Dimity]

I saw a lot of criticism for Trump and his blue suit at the funeral but that pales in comparison to a grown ass adult man sitting in the front seat at a funeral ON HIS PHONE.  I'm sure his supporters will defend this to the death but I see it as Melania being the harried Mom in a social setting handing her fidgeting toddler a screen so she can actually pay attention to what is happening.

[Lantern7]

3 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I saw a lot of criticism for Trump and his blue suit at the funeral but that pales in comparison to a grown ass adult man sitting in the front seat at a funeral ON HIS PHONE.  I'm sure his supporters will defend this to the death but I see it as Melania being the harried Mom in a social setting handing her fidgeting toddler a screen so she can actually pay attention to what is happening.

He should start wearing a cap with "I'M SPECIAL" on the front. Maybe there would be a small propeller on the top.

Man, the Vatican is soft. How come a bunch of cardinals didn't escort him out of the service and teach him about manners?

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

He should start wearing a cap with "I'M SPECIAL" on the front. Maybe there would be a small propeller on the top.

Man, the Vatican is soft. How come a bunch of cardinals didn't escort him out of the service and teach him about manners?

Or a hand full of very strict nuns with their smacking rulers at the ready.

[Dimity]

I just saw a pro-Trump comment where someone defended his blue suit because "not everyone owns a black suit you know".  He can afford gold toilets but not a black suit?  Sometimes it's really better just to not say anything if your defense is that dumb!

 

[Lantern7]

32 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Or a hand full of very strict nuns with their smacking rulers at the ready.

Or that one nun from The Blues Brothers that worked Jake and Elwood over.

11 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I just saw a pro-Trump comment where someone defended his blue suit because "not everyone owns a black suit you know".  He can afford gold toilets but not a black suit?  Sometimes it's really better just to not say anything if your defense is that dumb!

He didn't want to be mistaken for Johnny Cash.

[Absolom]

Etiquette says a black or navy blue suit is acceptable.  Black is, of course, the usual preferred choice.  I noticed Prince William appeared to be in a navy blue suit as is his usual preference for funerals.  Trump's was just that bit too bright and especially with a bright blue tie to be funereal.  I saw other bright blue ties, but they were with much darker suits.  It's the whole toddler attitude again.  

[Dimity]

[fairffaxx]

5 minutes ago, Absolom said:

Etiquette says a black or navy blue suit is acceptable.

I expect that etiquette may add a footnote to the effect of:  "Should the organizer of the funeral specifically request that black be worn, that request should be honored.  Especially if the funeral is organized by the Vatican for the Pope."

[Absolom]

You'd think the protocol offices for the heads of state would have given them the advice of what was appropriate.  Any deviations seem to then be at the discretion of the attendee so Donnie was as my mother would have said showing his hiney.  

He also has the lowest approval ratings at 100 days in the 80 or so years that such records have been kept.  I think he may hold the two lowest records. I'm still appalled that we have gotten stuck twice with someone only a third of the country thinks does a decent job.  

[Dimity]

Just now, Absolom said:

I'm still appalled that we have gotten stuck twice with someone only a third of the country thinks does a decent job.  

What's also appalling is a third of the country thinks he is doing a decent job!

[Absolom]

How can anyone think it's proper to remove a two year old citizen of our country?

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

Or a hand full of very strict nuns with their smacking rulers at the ready.

I do not trust any adult Catholic convert because they have zero reference for nuns. This tends to make them disrespect and not fear them. 

[PRgal]

36 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I do not trust any adult Catholic convert because they have zero reference for nuns. This tends to make them disrespect and not fear them. 

But younger Catholics have no/next to zero experience with nuns as teachers.  Teachers at Catholic schools were almost all laypeople by the time younger GenXers and Millennials started school.  I had ONE nun as a sub in Grade 3 and she was ANCIENT.  We had her for three straight days (or something like that) and we called her Sister Turtle (because she looked like one).

[Dimity]

42 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I do not trust any adult Catholic convert because they have zero reference for nuns. This tends to make them disrespect and not fear them. 

They are also IME anyway way more rigid in their interpretation of being Catholic than most of us who grew up Catholic are.  Which, I guess, does make sense in way.  But it's still irritating to have someone who's been Catholic for 5 whole minutes preaching to those us who grew up Catholic, did the whole Catholic schools thing etc. 

[bluegirl147]

Trump wore the blue suit on purpose.  People are talking about him and that is all he ever wants.

[Dimity]

Someone just posted on my FB that eggs are over $9 per dozen where they live.  Is this actually the case still or is someone overegging (heh heh) the pudding here in their anti-Trumpism (which is not a bad thing BTW!).

 

[Absolom]

12 minutes ago, Dimity said:

They are also IME anyway way more rigid in their interpretation of being Catholic than most of us who grew up Catholic are.  Which, I guess, does make sense in way.  But it's still irritating to have someone who's been Catholic for 5 whole minutes preaching to those us who grew up Catholic, did the whole Catholic schools thing etc. 

I was eating an apple at my desk at work during Lent one year.  A not quite one year Catholic came by to lecture me that eating between meals was not allowed in Lent.  I remember rolling my eyes and going I'll follow the advice of my 70 year old priest thank you very much.  Then I finished the apple. 

I'm not sure whether it was her husband or their priest, but she followed a lot of never were rules or pre-Vatican II stuff.  What really made it bad was they waited on her conversion until they were nearly done having children so she could take birth control pills without it being a sin.  So they could game the rules that way, but she wanted to lecture me about an apple that according to my priest was fine except on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. 

[Affogato]

7 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Someone just posted on my FB that eggs are over $9 per dozen where they live.  Is this actually the case still or is someone overegging (heh heh) the pudding here in their anti-Trumpism (which is not a bad thing BTW!).

 

Where I am in a big grocery chain based in my area some of them are easily around that. 

[peacheslatour]

20 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Trump wore the blue suit on purpose.  People are talking about him and that is all he ever wants.

That and he has to project that "I'm the king, nobody tells me what to do" toddler mentality.

[Absolom]

18 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Someone just posted on my FB that eggs are over $9 per dozen where they live.  Is this actually the case still or is someone overegging (heh heh) the pudding here in their anti-Trumpism (which is not a bad thing BTW!).

I was in a Von's in Los Angeles last Monday and saw eggs ranging from I think $4.99 to $9.99 a dozen.  So if they picked the highest price, it's believable.  Costco was still $7.99 for two dozen the last time I was there. 

[Ohiopirate02]

55 minutes ago, Dimity said:

They are also IME anyway way more rigid in their interpretation of being Catholic than most of us who grew up Catholic are.  Which, I guess, does make sense in way.  But it's still irritating to have someone who's been Catholic for 5 whole minutes preaching to those us who grew up Catholic, did the whole Catholic schools thing etc. 

 

37 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I was eating an apple at my desk at work during Lent one year.  A not quite one year Catholic came by to lecture me that eating between meals was not allowed in Lent.  I remember rolling my eyes and going I'll follow the advice of my 70 year old priest thank you very much.  Then I finished the apple. 

I'm not sure whether it was her husband or their priest, but she followed a lot of never were rules or pre-Vatican II stuff.  What really made it bad was they waited on her conversion until they were nearly done having children so she could take birth control pills without it being a sin.  So they could game the rules that way, but she wanted to lecture me about an apple that according to my priest was fine except on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. 

I find that a lot of these converts never did the work of deconstructing their faith before hopping aboard SS Catholic. So if they came from a legalistic Protestant faith, then they carry over their legalistic tendencies. Or of they come from a faith where they did a lot of outside reading like Bible commentaries, they go hard reading the works of Aquinas and other male doctors of the church. While the rest of us Cradle Catholics are like WTF that's the job of the priest. Our job is to go to mass, say our prayers, and do good works. I mean, the Church went through all that effort creating a liturgical calendar and publish books on what prayers to say when, why am I going to do my own research and question my priest and his superiors?

[annzeepark914]

I paid $6.99 for a dozen white cage free eggs last week at Harris Teeter in the metro DC area. There were other eggs at higher prices. Mine were the cheapest.  

[JustHereForFood]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I do not trust any adult Catholic convert because they have zero reference for nuns. This tends to make them disrespect and not fear them. 

 

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

But younger Catholics have no/next to zero experience with nuns as teachers.  Teachers at Catholic schools were almost all laypeople by the time younger GenXers and Millennials started school.  I had ONE nun as a sub in Grade 3 and she was ANCIENT.  We had her for three straight days (or something like that) and we called her Sister Turtle (because she looked like one).

I don't see how any of that is bad. Children should not be exposed to too much religion, period.

And I am shocked that anyone would suggest that fearing nuns, teachers, or any authority figure should be the norm.

Days ago, I've read that Trump has legalized corporeal punishment again in schools, but it was a Tumblr post and I haven't fount any official news about it, so I haven't posted it. But I hope such news would be treated here as horrific in any situation, not as something that would be ok if nuns did it instead of republicans.

[Lantern7]

And now, a message from Fearless Leader:

My problem is that the holiday was not repealed. Statues may have been taken down, and there was a South Park episode goofing on it, but Columbus Day has never been ashes. My thought is that if he gets enough pats on the head, he’ll move to cancel Juneteenth. He’ll call it “a fake DEI holiday,” and enough people will demand that they NOT have a day off. Some country.

Here’s a clip from Last Week Tonight going over the origins and controversies of the holiday. There’s no John Oliver, but I do miss the “How Is This Still A Thing?” segments.

 

Edited Yest. at 09:00 PM by Lantern7

[dargosmydaddy]

6 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

Days ago, I've read that Trump has legalized corporeal punishment again in schools, but it was a Tumblr post and I haven't fount any official news about it, so I haven't posted it.

Short answer: He did not.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-schools-corporal-punishment/

[JustHereForFood]

Sometimes, Americans apparently hate their country so much, they decide to join literal fascists who enjoy rape, torture and murder of innocent people instead:

Son of CIA deputy director was killed while fighting for Russia, report says

Quote

“With his noble heart and warrior spirit Michael was forging his own hero’s journey when he was tragically killed in Eastern Europe on April 4, 2024,” his family wrote in the obituary, which did not mention Russia and Ukraine or discuss the circumstances of his death.

In university, Gloss was active in gender equality and environmental protest circles. He joined Rainbow Family, a leftwing environmental protest group, and in 2023 traveled to Hatay, Turkey, to assist in the recovery following the earthquake that killed more than 56,000 people. He had also become increasingly angry at the US for its support of Israel and the war in Gaza.

While in Turkey, Gloss began expressing a desire to go on to Russia. “He was usually watching videos about Palestine and was so angry at America,” one acquaintance told iStories. “He started thinking about going to Russia. He wanted to war with the USA. But I think he was very influenced by the conspiracy theory videos.”

What an idiot.

[Annber03]

26 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

And now, a message from Fearless Leader:

Jesus Christ, Trump, SHUT UP. 

[Dimity]

17 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

Sometimes, Americans apparently hate their country so much, they decide to join literal fascists who enjoy rape, torture and murder of innocent people instead:

Son of CIA deputy director was killed while fighting for Russia, report says

What an idiot.

There was a time when this would have been considered traitorous.  Of course this was before the Trump Reign so now it's probably something to celebrate.  Probably try to get the  body buried at Arlington.

[kittykat]

Seriously the policy seems to be "if liberals hate it so much let's bring it back." 

[bluegirl147]

17 minutes ago, kittykat said:

Seriously the policy seems to be "if liberals hate it so much let's bring it back." 

Oh yeah he is trolling.  If he hasn't already he will next make it mandatory to say merry Christmas.  He will proclaim he won the war on Christmas.

[annzeepark914]

34 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Oh yeah he is trolling.  If he hasn't already he will next make it mandatory to say merry Christmas.  He will proclaim he won the war on Christmas.

Nothing is too ludicrous or cruel for our convicted felon president. Pre-inauguration we would've laughed at this prediction. 

[graybrown bird]

I don't read anything he spews.

[peacheslatour]

2 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

I wonder how many of his supporters want to work in those factories.

Or pick fruit in the hot sun twelve hours a day or clean hotel rooms?

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

Speaking of garbage that Cheeto Mussolini spews-

He is a pathological liar.  He also keeps saying he has made trade deals with multiple counties but hasn't said which ones. Because if lies and names a country they are going to refute that. He might think he is king of the world but the world sees him as the court jester he actually is.

[Dimity]

5 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Trump wore the blue suit on purpose.  People are talking about him and that is all he ever wants.

 

[PRgal]

According to The Globe and Mail, Canada's mail-in ballots are close to the peak during the pandemic.  And more than 7 million voted in advance polls over the Easter long weekend.  Around 27.6 M people are eligible to vote in Canada.  Election day is tomorrow, April 28.

[peacheslatour]

55 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

He is a pathological liar.  He also keeps saying he has made trade deals with multiple counties but hasn't said which ones. Because if lies and names a country they are going to refute that. He might think he is king of the world but the world sees him as the court jester he actually is.

He said he's made 200 tariff deals, there are only 195 countries in the world.

[Milk-Eyed Mender]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

He said he's made 200 tariff deals, there are only 195 countries in the world.

197 if you count the penguins of Heard and McDonald Islands separately.

[bluegirl147]

16 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

He said he's made 200 tariff deals, there are only 195 countries in the world.

That math is the same math he used to come up with tariff formulas.

[Anela]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

According to The Globe and Mail, Canada's mail-in ballots are close to the peak during the pandemic.  And more than 7 million voted in advance polls over the Easter long weekend.  Around 27.6 M people are eligible to vote in Canada.  Election day is tomorrow, April 28.

Fingers crossed for you all. 

[Anela]