S06.E22: Legislation

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Legislation and filibuster reform; Brexit/Boris Johnson

Original air date 2019.09.08

[swanpride]

I am sometimes wondering if Brexit is a gift or a curse for shows like this. I mean, what is the role of a comedian when reality is already one giant joke?

[Lantern7]

Good topic this week in filibusters. Hard to get the mental image out of a senator peeing into a bucket out of my head. You reckon that was cut out of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington? I don't even think that would have been thrown into the remake with Mel Gibson. And John has a point that the Senate isn't "the cooling saucer" it was meant to be, especially after one guy got caned to within an inch of his life. Also: "cooling saucer" metaphor is weird.

Wow, that FBN guy can really shove his schnozz up the president's bulbous ass, huh?

8 hours ago, swanpride said:

I am sometimes wondering if Brexit is a gift or a curse for shows like this. I mean, what is the role of a comedian when reality is already one giant joke?

"Not a good start, Mr. Johnson!" FTW. Why can't our Congress be like that? Everyone hates each other already. Lets go to open sniping!!

[snowwhyte]

John Bercow, the entertaining Speaker of the House, is stepping down on the same date as the Brexit deadline. I know for a lot of people he was their favourite part of following British politics. 

[meowmommy]

The sycophancy of Stuart Varney made me sick to my stomach.

"Fucking cat"????  Them's fighting words, John.

The filibuster has always been one of those tactical tools that's great when you need it, and hideous when you don't.  The party in power hates the filibuster and the minority party loves it.  

What I hate more than the filibuster is the amount of power each branch of Congress has invested in their top member, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader.  No way should either of these people have absolute power to prevent a vote on something one of the members has proposed.  If legislation comes out of committee, or if it's already been passed by the other chamber, it deserves a vote.

[DoctorAtomic]

I always enjoy the irony of Cruz reading Green Eggs and Ham to protest the ACA. 

I think they should at least make the filibuster something you actually have to do, like stand up and talk and stay on the floor. 

[swanpride]

Yeah, if they keep it, it should come to some personal cost...meaning no BS, they have to keep talking about the topic at hand, no toilet breaks, no eating. Granted, some would most likely still do it, just for the attention. But I would enjoy see them suffering when they do it.

At this point though it seems like the US needs a complete overhaul of its democratic system. Which won't happen. The UK has currently a better chance to get there.

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

And John has a point that the Senate isn't "the cooling saucer" it was meant to be, especially after one guy got caned to within an inch of his life. Also: "cooling saucer" metaphor is weird.

I had honestly never heard of that metaphor until this episode. Very strange, indeed. 

I do like the reminder that political debate has always been intense in this country, though, to the point of politicians actually beating and aiming guns at each other. Something to keep in mind next time people discuss how polarized we are nowadays. 

1 hour ago, meowmommy said:

The filibuster has always been one of those tactical tools that's great when you need it, and hideous when you don't.  The party in power hates the filibuster and the minority party loves it.  

What I hate more than the filibuster is the amount of power each branch of Congress has invested in their top member, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader.  No way should either of these people have absolute power to prevent a vote on something one of the members has proposed.  If legislation comes out of committee, or if it's already been passed by the other chamber, it deserves a vote.

Agreed on all of this. 

1 hour ago, snowwhyte said:

John Bercow, the entertaining Speaker of the House, is stepping down on the same date as the Brexit deadline. I know for a lot of people he was their favourite part of following British politics. 

That's a shame indeed. Like I said, though, I'd be all for him coming over here if he still wants to shout about stuff :D. 

I hope Johnson's party continues to fight back. It gives me hope to see some people willing to stand up to all the crazy things going on. 

[DoctorAtomic]

No, they just need to grow up and act like adults. I think it was a mistake to get rid of it for scotus though.

I've never heard of cooling saucer before either. Why would you pour coffee on a plate to cool it? It's going to cool off in the mug. 

[peeayebee]

I'm no scientist, but I would think that a bigger surface area would allow quicker cooling, not mention the coffee being more shallow. The heat can get out! When my son is dealing with food that too hot to eat, I tell him to spread it out or stir it.

While I hadn't heard of a cooling saucer before, either, seems like I've seen photos (from movies) or even drawings of a person drinking from one -- NOT lapping like a cat. Or maybe I read of someone doing so in a novel. *shrug*

I appreciated the segment about the filibuster. I agree with John that it should go, even if it wouldn't be available for my favored party.

[Victor the Crab]

Stu Varney is so desperate to be that president's biggest brown noser slash ass kisser inside the Fox News empire. But he's no match fro the likes of Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro.

John Bercow is going to be missed as British Speaker of the House. Perhaps he could come on this side of the pond and deal with the naughty children on Capitol Hill. At the very least, the late night circuit could have him on as a guest.

[xaxat]

The Rock age joke had me howling, but I thought the best moment was when the "senator" sitting behind John moved to get a better angle to watch John piss in the bucket.

Then he nodded approvingly.

[DoctorAtomic]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I'm no scientist, but I would think that a bigger surface area would allow quicker cooling, not mention the coffee being more shallow. The heat can get out! When my son is dealing with food that too hot to eat, I tell him to spread it out or stir it.

While I hadn't heard of a cooling saucer before, either, seems like I've seen photos (from movies) or even drawings of a person drinking from one -- NOT lapping like a cat. Or maybe I read of someone doing so in a novel. *shrug*

I appreciated the segment about the filibuster. I agree with John that it should go, even if it wouldn't be available for my favored party.

I'd question whether the cooling rate would be demonstrably faster and the trade off of making a ridiculous mess.

[Corgi-ears]

In many parts of the Chinese diaspora (e.g., Singapore, Malaysia) people -- and especially elderly people -- still pour their coffee or tea onto the saucer to cool it. Yes, they then drink the coffee from the saucer, like fucking cats. 

Sometimes the saucer even doubles as a plate:

Quote

Soft-boiled egg, an English breakfast item, was served in a saucer with shell on. To consume them, customers crack the eggs and mixed in dark soy sauce and white pepper before slurping it up from the saucer with a spoon. Some coffee shops also used the saucers to serve cakes they baked or toasts with kaya that they cooked in-house. 

John would clearly be grossed out by such cultural savagery...that originated from England (or from English colonization). 😬

Edited September 10, 2019 by Corgi-ears

[attica]

13 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I'd question whether the cooling rate would be demonstrably faster and the trade off of making a ridiculous mess.

Yes, demonstrably faster. Of course, you could opt for a wide-mouth cup and achieve the same thing without the slurping. More surface area, more cooling. Those were teeny cups used back in the day.

[meowmommy]

7 hours ago, Corgi-ears said:

Yes, they then drink the coffee from the saucer, like fucking cats.

Cats aren't stupid enough to drink coffee.  Unlike dogs, who would not only drink coffee from a saucer, but eat their own feces from a saucer.

[swanpride]

...why would anyone cool their tea or coffee faster anyway? I rather wait a little bit longer until it has exactly the right temperature and then trink it in leisure. Both tea and coffee has the tendency to get cold too fast for my speed as it is….

[peeayebee]

5 hours ago, meowmommy said:

Cats aren't stupid enough to drink coffee.  Unlike dogs, who would not only drink coffee from a saucer, but eat their own feces from a saucer.

Now now, Meow Meow. 

[Corgi-ears]

9 hours ago, swanpride said:

...why would anyone cool their tea or coffee faster anyway?

Some people live in warm climates. They've even been known to put ice in their tea or coffee!

Edited September 11, 2019 by Corgi-ears

[DoctorAtomic]

I make iced coffee when it's hot.

[Victor the Crab]

I wait until my coffee cools down enough for me to drink it. Coffee isn't supposed to taste good. Coffee is supposed to work.