Chit-Chat: The Feels

[Dimity]

12 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Trump’s EPA intends to reverse a ban on asbestos a carcinogen that causes disease and death from exposure 

Can a reversal on smoking in public places be far behind?

[Eri]

3 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

They should never have access anywhere. Lacking ID, no uniforms, masked and demanding access. They're just a bunch of yokel Proud Boys from the bumfuck nowhere. Assholes.

I agree - a security agency must be identifiable. How are these folks even being vetted!? The more I see these supposed ICE agents the less I trust them - they look like private citizen militia who volunteered to be ICE agents, not officers. No wonder the DHS want extra funding 🙄

Literally creating an uneasy environment for everyone involved and for why? It's going to be chaotic enough as it is if they're like this for next year's World Cup. They're already making it difficult for people to come here and discouraging the ones who can.

What if they 'accidentally' detain a player from an international team or a tourist who is attending one of the matches? 

Edited Yest. at 02:22 AM by Eri

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Thank you for posting Welles.  I'd never heard of him.  Now I'm instantly following him on Insta.  Fantastic songs.

Welles has the kind of clever writing you would find in rap music, but I find it difficult to hear the lyrics in rap music.  These songs are easy for me to listen to.

Jesse Welles is the new Bob Dylan I've been looking for, and it's not just the choice of guitar + harmonica. Here's another new one on YouTube, "Deja Vu."
https://youtu.be/zZXsDT47dpk

 

[peacheslatour]

9 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Jesse Welles is the new Bob Dylan I've been looking for, and it's not just the choice of guitar + harmonica. Here's another new one on YouTube, "Deja Vu."
https://youtu.be/zZXsDT47dpk

 

I've been saying, I think Springsteen should take him on tour with him. Young men have been the largest group moving to the right of the spectrum. Laugh if you want but I blame the adulation that young men display towards the Tates and Rogans of the world is because there are few, if any male rock stars anymore.

[Yeah No]

15 hours ago, tres bien said:

I call them MAGA they are not the GOP not republicans they are Frankentrump’s monster 

Trump is MAGA's monster. I think they created him as much or more as he created them.

9 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House broke ground Monday on construction projects ordered by President Donald Trump to pave over the grass in the Rose Garden and install flagpoles on the north and south lawns.

The projects are part of a series of personal touches that Trump, a real estate developer turned politician, has added or is adding to the Executive Mansion and its grounds since he opened his second term in January. The projects also include new artwork of himself on walls and gold-toned flourishes in the Oval Office. He also wants to add a ballroom.

He's just doing all this to crap all over everything and leave his mark on it. He's only going to be there for less than 4 years now so it's not because he really wants or needs any of it. He's leaving a mess for future presidents to clean up, just like he's doing with the country in general. And that's the point.

7 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/israel-iran-arak-heavy-water-reactor_n_68536c74e4b01d1a9ebd1cef

He says he will decide in two weeks.  What is he waiting for?  Someone to bribe him? 

Sounds like he's going to live up to his TACO nickname again.

[Lantern7]

It's weird. I feel that the GOP is Dr. Victor Frankenstein, and they created and let loose a monster that destroys everything he touches. But then I remember that he was a monster long before 2016 . . . hell, long before The Apprentice launched in 2004. He would be the Doctor . . . but the GOP was like this during the reign of Dubya. With Trump, they have a license to become more horrible than ever, to negatively affect the lives of everyone they consider unlike them, on every conceivable level.

Once again, I think of Venom. The GOP is Eddie Brock. Trump is the alien symbiote that attaches to him/them. They feed each other, ensuring their power and existence. It would make sense if the party did away with Trump, since they have all three branches of government on lock. In fact, I thought that the incident from last July was their doing. But no, they are "ride or die" with Trump. Problem is, it looks like everyone is gonna die . . . literally, if not merely figuratively.

4 hours ago, fairffaxx said:

You can make your check payable to Donald J. Trump.

"You can make it out to 'Cash.' That's my nickname."

Oh, and he bitched about how there are too many holidays. Funny that he's never said that about special days commemorating colonizers and slave owners. The sad thing is that I expected pushback on Juneteenth from the GOP, if not just Trump. Those people are that predictable.

Edited Yest. at 04:58 AM by Lantern7

[bluegirl147]

10 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Trump is MAGA's monster. I think they created him as much or more as he created them.

It's true. MAGA existed before Trump. It just wasn't known by that name.  He became their leader because he wasn't afraid to say out loud what most of them had been saying for years. Other politicians had tried to win their votes and some succeeded but they didn't inspire the loyalty that Trump did. 

8 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

They feed each other, ensuring their power and existence

A toxic relationship if there ever was one.

 

[annzeepark914]

4 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

It's true. MAGA existed before Trump. It just wasn't known by that name.

It might have started out as the Moral Majority (very indignant, outraged Republicans back in the late '60s or early '70s).

[Mollywolly555]

Remember the Tea Party Patriots?

[Bliss]

On Threads:

Andy Borowitz: "Stopping Trump is a short-term solution. The long-term solution - and it will be more difficult - is fixing the educational system that has created so many people ignorant enough to vote for tRump."

[bluegirl147]

13 minutes ago, Bliss said:

On Threads:

Andy Borowitz: "Stopping Trump is a short-term solution. The long-term solution - and it will be more difficult - is fixing the educational system that has created so many people ignorant enough to vote for tRump."

Our current educational system worsening is not a bug, it's a feature.  There has been a concerted deliberate effort to dumb down this country. And it has worked.

[Dimity]

9 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

There has been a concerted deliberate effort to dumb down this country. And it has worked.

There is a video online of someone confronting a MAGA at the perade or some rally or another and the person says "we're not stupid, Donald J. Trump is a genius.  What do you think the J stands for?"  Sigh.  I wish that had been a joke but it certainly came across as all too real.

[Bliss]

Another post on Threads that I noticed (I've always wondered WHY the melon-moron-felon has so many followers), probably because I've always agreed with Maya Angelou's comment about people remembering how you make them 'feel':

THE EXPLANATION YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

Question: Given his gross moral depravity and constant failures, why do people continue to support him?

Answer: Because of how he makes them feel.

Explanation: People use crack, meth and fentanyl because these things give them the feelings they want. Despite how harmful they prove to be, people become addicted and can't stop using.

He attracts those without character, without morals, without integrity, and then normalizes these things, causing them to feel okay about being bad people. He is their crack, their meth, their fentanyl.

Forecast: They will continue to support him as long as he continues to make them feel better about being bad people.

 

[bluegirl147]

18 minutes ago, Dimity said:

There is a video online of someone confronting a MAGA at the perade or some rally or another and the person says "we're not stupid, Donald J. Trump is a genius.  What do you think the J stands for?"  Sigh.  I wish that had been a joke but it certainly came across as all too real.

 

Yeah he sounds like he means it.

[shapeshifter]

Last night on Colbert, an interview with Paul Simon demonstrated the antithesis of Trump's ego in an anecdote about "The Songs of Silence," beginning here at the 10:09 mark of this 18:36 minute segment:
https://youtu.be/w__tJTosiwk?si=o_xlM75EET1cSqDe&t=609

Quote

[PAUL SIMON]…many years ago I took a trip down the Amazon and we stopped at a little village…It didn't have any roads…12 or 14 huts…in one of the one of the little houses this girl was playing a nylon string guitar and looking at a book and I said to her through the translator “I know a South American song…from Peru. And I played a little bit of El Condor Pasa [If I Could], you know [PAUL SIMON VOCALIZES A FEW BARS].”
And she said "Oh I know that song.…I know an American song."
I said "Okay, want to play it?"
And she played The Sounds of Silence.

[COLBERT] But did she know…?

[PAUL SIMON] We're in the Amazon…

[COLBERT] So did she know that you had written it?

[PAUL SIMON] no of course not Of course not I didn't tell her. I [didn't] wanted to say "Yeah, that's one of mine."??

It's not like Paul Simon is ego-less. 
He's just so much more worthwhile as a human being than djt.
And Paul Simon sets an example worth emulating.

 

Edited Yest. at 03:32 PM by shapeshifter

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, Dimity said:

There is a video online of someone confronting a MAGA at the perade or some rally or another and the person says "we're not stupid, Donald J. Trump is a genius.  What do you think the J stands for?"  Sigh.  I wish that had been a joke but it certainly came across as all too real.

Once again, I think of Red Dwarf and I go with “Judas.”

Cmon, the guy sells his country out more times before 10 a.m. before most other world leaders do all day. And he’d probably only get ten silver coins, then brag he got fifty.

Edited 23 hours ago by Lantern7

[ProudMary]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Last night on Colbert, an interview with Paul Simon

I watched this as it aired last night. Colbert is not my regular late night go-to but I saw that Paul Simon was the featured guest so I tuned in to watch and then stuck around to hear Maxwell Frost. Even without his guitar, Paul Simon is a just marvelous storyteller. The segment you shared was a delight to watch, along with the other story he told about why the characters in "You Can Call Me Al" were named Al and Betty. Wonderful interview.

 

[tres bien]

This is what the incompetent unfit guy in the White House put out on his social media platform today 

“Zero boarder crossings for the month for TRUMP versus 60,000 for Sleepy Crooked Joe Biden a man who lost the 2020 Presidential Election by a ‘Landslide!’ Biden was grossly incompetent and the 2020 Presidential Election was a total FRAUD! The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed this cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America. Let the work begin! What this crooked man and his CORRUPT CRONIES have done to our country in four years is grossly indescribable! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

This is frightening considering how much power he has and not even courts to stop him 

[shapeshifter]

4 minutes ago, tres bien said:

This is what the incompetent unfit guy in the White House put out on his social media platform today 

“Zero boarder crossings for the month for TRUMP versus 60,000 for Sleepy Crooked Joe Biden a man who lost the 2020 Presidential Election by a ‘Landslide!’ Biden was grossly incompetent and the 2020 Presidential Election was a total FRAUD! The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed this cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America. Let the work begin! What this crooked man and his CORRUPT CRONIES have done to our country in four years is grossly indescribable! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Hmmm. It sounds like little Donny just realized being POTUS isn't all fun and games.

[Lantern7]

18 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Hmmm. It sounds like little Donny just realized being POTUS isn't all fun and games.

It was fun and games for him during the first four years?

Once again, I think the main reason why Pence would compromise his religious morals to be Veep was because he’d figure his boss would quit out of rage and/or boredom. Serving the term and getting his life threatened was not on his Bingo card.

Edited 21 hours ago by Lantern7

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Hmmm. It sounds like little Donny just realized being POTUS isn't all fun and games.

Plus every bit of what he just said is a flat out lie.

[tres bien]

Today on his way to his weekend golf trip he’s also ranting about that he hasn’t gotten a Noble Peace Prize four or five times amongst other crazy things 

He’s not all there. This week he set Los Angeles on fire and on the edge has made all kinds of threats against Iran could care less about the horrific daily violence against Ukraine was removed from the G7 by his staff because he was an embarrassment has decided to bring back cancer inducing asbestos because Russia is one of top exporters of asbestos 

Fun and games? We have a circus of incompetents running the country with the top incompetent who’s like a loose cannon 

Edited 19 hours ago by tres bien

[peacheslatour]

Oh dear, the boys in ICE are afraid of a little glitter. I have some boo fucking hoos mixed in with my bag of don't give a fucks.

[shapeshifter]

42 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Today on his way to his weekend golf trip he’s also ranting about that he hasn’t gotten a Noble Peace Prize four or five times amongst other crazy things 

He’s not all there. This week he set Los Angeles on fire and on the edge has made all kinds of threats against Iran could care less about the horrific daily violence against Ukraine was removed from the G7 by his staff because he was an embarrassment has decided to bring back cancer inducing asbestos because Russia is one of top exporters of asbestos 

Fun and games? We have a circus of incompetents running the country with the top incompetent who’s like a loose cannon 

Here’s the video of that press conference/garbage spewing today:
https://youtu.be/5cvZuDbmdSc

As a mental palate cleanser after Donny’s ravings, here’s a more succinct and fact-based interview of Chris Hayes on Seth Meyers’ show from yesterday:
https://youtu.be/Ej_3sliav-I

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 6/19/2025 at 9:49 AM, Affogato said:

The area had beautiful beaches, I hear. 

South Padre Island beaches are beautiful only by Texas standards.

  

On 6/19/2025 at 11:19 AM, ebk57 said:

Unfortunately, this is not the case and has caused an uptick in calls that's putting a strain on their resources.

Thank you.  I'll never understand why people race to republish stuff, especially considering all the misinformation out there.  Let it marinate a bit; maybe you'll avoid becoming part of the problem.

[Bookworm 1979]

8 hours ago, Dimity said:

There is a video online of someone confronting a MAGA at the perade or some rally or another and the person says "we're not stupid, Donald J. Trump is a genius.  What do you think the J stands for?"  Sigh.  I wish that had been a joke but it certainly came across as all too real.

I'm pretty sure that's a video by the Jolly Good Ginger. I follow him on Instagram, and I know he did a post about how a few years ago they did a video mocking Trump supporters. It sounds like him saying "What do you think the J stands for?" I'm pretty sure this is the video he was talking about. It's not serious MAGA (but how sad is it that it's hard to know what's true and what's mocking them?).

[ProudMary]

Over three months in a Louisiana detention facility. 😡 Remember, he is a US Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder), whose wife is an American citizen. He has no criminal record whatsoever and was never charged with any crime. All he did was speak. 

This is wonderful news, but I won't relax until we see him walking free.

Judge orders Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from immigration detention center

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-orders-columbia-university-protester-mahmoud-khalil-freed-from-immigration-detention-center

Khalil could walk out of the detention center in rural Louisiana by Friday evening, which is when lawyers for the Trump administration said they expect to release him.

He must surrender his passport and can’t travel internationally, but he will get his green card back and be given official documents permitting limited travel within the country, including New York and Michigan to visit family, New Jersey and Louisiana for court appearances and Washington to lobby Congress.

Edited 16 hours ago by ProudMary
I meant to post the quote, but I hit reply too quickly.

[ProudMary]

Mahmoud is free!

(Laughland is a correspondent for The Guardian.)

https://bsky.app/profile/oliverlaughland.bsky.social/post/3ls37ulmc4k2e

 

Edited 16 hours ago by ProudMary

[tres bien]

Los Angeles Dodgers pledge $1 million to support families impacted by ICE raids

 

 

[shapeshifter]

14 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Los Angeles Dodgers pledge $1 million to support families impacted by ICE raids

Reuters: "LA Dodgers pledge $1 million to support families impacted by ICE raids" (reuters.com/world/us/immigrant-rights-activists-call-la-dodgers-speak-out-against-ice-raids-2025-06-20).

I don't know how significant that amount is given the numbers of impacted families, but:

Quote

The Dodgers said they hoped that their action would "encourage organizations in a similar position to use their resources to directly support the families and workers who have suffered economic hardship."

and the public declaration of it is a political stand in and of itself.
So, of course, Ol' TACO is inventing cartoonish nicknames for the Dodger as I type.

Mom's immigrant father who took her to see the then-Brooklyn Dodgers would be proud of this. I can picture the smile on her face.

[tres bien]

Donny Two Weeks calls himself “always the peace maker”

Let’s go talk to the residents of Los Angeles 

[shapeshifter]

Just now, tres bien said:

Donny Two Weeks calls himself “always the peace maker”

Let’s go talk to the residents of Los Angeles 

It was only March 30, 2025 when:

Quote

U.S. President Donald Trump maintained an aggressive tone, telling NBC News that “I never take military force off the table” in regards to acquiring Greenland.
pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-military-force-not-off-the-table-for-greenland-after-danish-fms-scolding-remarks

 

[annzeepark914]

4 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Donny Two Weeks calls himself “always the peace maker”

Let’s go talk to the residents of Los Angeles 

I really like this new moniker for the old brat from Queens. He's  probably always wanted to be a mobster so Donny Two Weeks fits him perfectly.

[Bliss]

Reading about people throwing glitter on ICE agents makes me smile.

(Glitter is the herpes of the craft world.)

[Liddy52]

1 hour ago, Bliss said:

Reading about people throwing glitter on ICE agents makes me smile.

(Glitter is the herpes of the craft world.)

I think whoever came up with this idea is a genius, the real kind! 

[nokat]

I want to remind people how dangerous Trumpers can be.

I watch shows like the Daily Show, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver.  I use my headphones because I know there are Trumpers in my senior living apartment building (interior hallways). I laughed and repeated something Oliver said about Trump and did not know someone overheard. If I had a knock at my door, I would have apologized for using a swear word. Nope.

He listened at my door for a week, and then started a smear campaign. That wasn't working so well, so he started talking about how I should be killed. He called the police on me, and the officer had to tell him I couldn't be arrested for calling Trump a c*nt.