Yesterday my experience on this thread was very good. I found Michelle’s post at 1:26 interesting, but I struggled to identify which of my prior posts might have provoked it. Flummoxed, I remembered that my wife likes to remind me that I have never understood white women.
Then I saw AJ’s post at 11:36, and immediately began crafting a response in my mind. Suddenly, it hit me. Maybe Michelle’s warning was not for a post I had already written. Maybe it was for that one I was just beginning to compose.
I am going to resist the urge to inform my wife that I now understand white women.
Debra, You know that one of our major points of agreement has always been our dislike for the neocons. However, I found this to be an interesting article.
You all know Trump wasn’t/isn’t my favorite.
But the longer Hillary stays on the world stage, the more I’m convinced we did the right thing.
If Hillary wants to have a legacy, she needs to go to Chappaqua and stay out of sight.
Every interview makes it worse.
And she doesn’t realize it. I used to give her credit for being smart.
A former Secretary of State commented that South Korea was NEAR North Korea.
She got that right.
Ricky @ 3:35 He lost me at ” No doubt we’ll still identify many failures, but today, our evaluation of neoconservative successes and failures can take place against the backdrop of a decade of more populist right-wing politics. ” I’m still trying to figure out which country he’s been living in for the past decade. Not sure I want to be there…. :–/
@3:55 For those who derive pleasure from watching the exploding heads of Laura Ingraham or Ann Coulter. For everyone else, that’s 2 minutes you’ll never get back. ;–)
And here’s the latest on our churning domestic front following a not-guilty verdict for former St. Louis police officer. Riots result in police injuries.
Oh, another end-of-the-world prediction, we haven’t had a good one of those since the billboards went up maybe 6-7 years ago. Harold Camping, remember? We had one of the billboards looming over the main drag in our community.
From USA Today:
“Camping’s most widely spread prediction was that the Rapture would happen on May 21, 2011. His independent Christian media empire spent millions of dollars — some of it from donations made by followers who quit their jobs and sold all their possessions— to spread the word on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.
“When the Judgment Day he foresaw did not materialize, the preacher revised his prophecy, saying he had been off by five months.”
He also believed the “church age” had ended and that Christians should leave their churches (indeed, a few folks in our (our previous) small Presbyterian church — did leave because of that, presumably to set up little self-led home groups as the alternative).
At any rate, I saw this latest tweet (Debra, 10:06) posted yesterday with the lead-in that said something like “Fox’s idea of science.”
I’ve watched several of these videos where people who have various degrees of colorblindness put on the Enchroma glasses and can see a much broader spectrum of color than ever before. Their responses are very similar; they’re amazed at the beauty of ordinary things they have seen every day for their whole lives. Color and sound and all kinds of Beauty are such an integral part of the wisdom of God’s creation, that when a new aspect of it is suddenly revealed to an individual, it can be overwhelming.
Ricky @2:18 The article in First Things is long and thought provoking. It will take some more time to get through and digest, but well worth the trouble I think. Thanks.
I have to admit that the last year has been the funniest situation comedy since Get Smart was cancelled. This week’s episode: Democrats look a gift horse in the mouth.
Today is the one day of the year that all knowledgeable Southerners wish they were in Western Maryland to honor our fallen heroes. There they all are: The Texans fighting in The Cornfield, Gordon vowing to defend Bloody Lane, the outnumbered Georgians at Burnside’s bridge, A. P. Hill’s Light Brigade rushing the 17 miles from Harpers Ferry to arrive just in time, and Lee deciding to stand his ground and dare McClellan to attack again.
@7:06 It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic. But inasmuch as that attitude is a solid indicator of cluelessness when it comes to actual voters, I think it bodes well for Republicans in general (and Trump in particular) in 2018 and 2020.
I’ll be bundled up at the dog park rather than watching the Emmys but you know it’ll be political.
Still, some interesting shows have appeared of late — Stranger Things, This is Us are two that I hope will be recognized. The Handmaid’s Tale was well done (I never read the book nor saw the first film based on it, but the series on Hulu was pretty compelling — and it gives you a glimpse into the chilling caricatures that some nonbelievers no doubt have of so-called Christians becoming to dominant in government and what the culture would look like in a worse-case scenario — but it also is updated to echo the liberal fears in the Trump Age).
Still, these self-congratulatory awards shows can be insufferable to watch, which is why many of us don’t tune in anymore. The political age we’re in w/the Tump residence make them even more dreary and eye-roll worthy for some of us.
So here’s a preview rundown from LA — so you won’t have to watch 🙂
Will Stephen Colbert get political? And other things to watch for in the 2017 Emmy awards
Every year, the biggest stars in television gather in a theater in Los Angeles and celebrate how great they all are.
They wear expensive dresses and tuxedos, award each other big golden trophies, pat each other on the backs, and give sappy speeches about “making it.” This garish party is an exercise in narcissism, which is part of the reason TV ratings for it and all award shows are in steady decline.
And yet, the Emmys still matter. TV critic Alan Sepinwall put it best when he pointed out that the Emmys are the prevailing historical record for the medium of television. They are the ultimate measuring sticks—the ones that will still be studied decades from now when all the Twitter threads, think pieces, and water cooler conversations have been lost in the ether. The Emmys are forever.
More than that, though, the Emmys reveal important patterns emerging in television today. For one night every September, the actors, directors, writers, and network executives that make TV what it is are all in the same room. The night tells us about the problems facing a rapidly growing industry; which performers to pay attention to; which networks (and streaming services) we need to subscribe to; and why, despite the gratuitous pageantry, television still consumes our lives. …
… Stranger Things is everything the Emmy voters love: A hit new show that’s become a cultural phenomenon and is accessible to a wide range of audiences. Headed into Sunday, it’s the favorite to win the best drama award (its biggest competitors are Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, NBC’s This is Us, and HBO’s Westworld). If it wins, it would be an enormous development for the entire industry: The first time a streaming service bests cable for the biggest and more important television award in the world. …
Hulu’s attempt to become an Emmy-worthy streaming service has been much quieter than Netflix’s. That changed in April, when it debuted The Handmaid’s Tale, easily the drama slate’s most politically timely show and a serious threat to grab several awards for Hulu. Lead actress Elisabeth Moss is a virtual lock to win best actress in a drama … A best drama win for The Handmaid’s Tale—or any win for the critically beloved show—would signal that Hulu has arrived and is ready to wage war with Netflix for streaming supremacy. …
… The big four American broadcasters (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) haven’t enjoyed Emmys night for the last decade or so. The last time one of its shows won—Fox’s 24 in 2006—cable TV was the main threat. Netflix was still several years away from making its first original show, and Hulu didn’t even exist yet. Obviously, the television landscape has only gotten more competitive in the years since.
Then came NBC’s This is Us, the rare broadcast drama to tap the zeitgeist and break into the increasingly competitive best drama field. The weepy family melodrama has a decent shot at winning, too. The Emmy voters would just love to create a storyline out of the success of This is Us, changing the narrative that broadcast television is in its death throes….
… It also remains to be seen whether Trump is specifically mentioned or referenced. That may depend on how much he tweets during the ceremony.
_________________________________
I know it’s late for this, but here goes:
Rush, in commenting about the Republican stalemate in Congress WRT the Trump agenda, said that the representatives do not represent the people. Never did. They represent the money that sent them there. (I’m paraphrasing, but my understanding is what he meant to say.) Essentially, “they don’t represent you, the Republicans represent the Chamber of Commerce and K Street.”
I say that, to say this:
I am reading a book called The Babylon Code. In it (I can’t give page reference because it’s on the Kindle. In Ch. 9.)
Former husband of Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden says, :The political system is a moneyed oligarchy underneath it’s democratic trappings. The vast majority of voters are like fans in the bleachers: we participate from the cheap seats, supposed to enjoy our place, and vote for whichever Bondsman we prefer.”
There was a time, not so long ago, in which I would have argued with that. But I’m beginning to fear that he is correct.
I wanna know who Fed Up is, & why he (or she) thinks it’s not worth it for Bob to bring up that only the Father knows the time Christ will return. 🙂
But that also brings up this thought: It’s been written that now that Jesus is back in Heaven with the Father, He does now know the time of His returning. That doesn’t change the fact that none of us can figure it out.
Another thought: I have sometimes wondered if one of those deluded folks actually accidentally picked the correct date of Jesus’ return, would God then change the date? 😀
Chas, it’s interesting that you bring up that quote from Tom Hayden about the US political system being a moneyed oligarchy. In Ricky’s link @2:18, R.R. Reno makes the same point:
Modern democracies ask most citizens for only occasional participation during election season. This is one of its benefits, for it allows ordinary people get on with their lives rather than focusing on politics all the time. The downside, however, is that episodic popular participation means that modern democracy tends toward oligarchy, a system in which the well-placed few govern the largely docile and easily manipulated many. This tendency has become very powerful recently. The Republican party has become a donorocracy. Libertarianism and rigorous free market economic principles have a vanishingly small constituency, and yet these notions dominate think tanks and journalists on the right. The Democratic party’s captivity to identity politics indicates a similar tilt to the interests of the upper reaches of society. LGBT rights and environmentalism are of greater concern to rich people than to middling voters. By the time Barack Obama was elected in 2008, our politics was increasingly a tussle between two sides in the upper quintile of society: one that tends to think entrepreneurial get-things-done pragmatism is best, and the other that prizes expert management and credentials.
And he concludes this thought with one that’s even more destructive to democracy and good government in general, because it indicates a motivation to actually incentivize public negligence and apathy, which is the death knell of self-government. He says:
When Mitt Romney warned of the freeloading “47 percent” and Hillary Clinton identified the “deplorables,” both ill-fated politicians were expressing a common view among the well-educated and successful, left and right; the future of our country depends upon their ability to dominate and suppress the political influence of vast swaths of the American electorate.
““Chuck and Nancy and I got a deal done on impeachment,” Trump said. “It was a good deal and it was a fast deal.”
Trump said that the Democrats had convinced him that agreeing to be impeached would make him soar in popularity. “People are going to love me for doing this,” Trump said. “They’re going to love it on all the channels.”
Debra, This is an interesting article, but I don’t think you are going to like what it says. If it makes you feel any better, I think Goldman Sachs would have also been well-represented in a Hillary Administration or a Rubio Administration.
Ricky @ 6:30, I’m not surprised. My husband has a theory that shortly after inauguration day a small group of Goldman Sachs types pay the new President a visit and give him ‘the talk’. In a nutshell, they basically tell him that if he steps too far out of line, they’ll pull the plug on the nation’s finances and plunge us all into chaos. I used to find the idea incredible, but after 2008 not so much.
Trump is unpredictable, which is probably the reason he has a shot at succeeding. As for Goldman Sachs and Gary Cohn, I don’t like it, but perhaps it’s not a bad idea that they are in the public eye so that at least the inevitable influence is seen: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer still. ;–)
Wandering Views 
Yesterday my experience on this thread was very good. I found Michelle’s post at 1:26 interesting, but I struggled to identify which of my prior posts might have provoked it. Flummoxed, I remembered that my wife likes to remind me that I have never understood white women.
Then I saw AJ’s post at 11:36, and immediately began crafting a response in my mind. Suddenly, it hit me. Maybe Michelle’s warning was not for a post I had already written. Maybe it was for that one I was just beginning to compose.
I am going to resist the urge to inform my wife that I now understand white women.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Debra, You know that one of our major points of agreement has always been our dislike for the neocons. However, I found this to be an interesting article.
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And I thought the Never Trumpers were gloating the other night. Kathleen Parker (representing the Democrats) wins the gloating award:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-democrats-won-the-presidency/2017/09/15/9db4c750-9a3f-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-e%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.3d14ff7005ff
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Among the people who did not read Michelle’s post was Bret Stephens:
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You all know Trump wasn’t/isn’t my favorite.
But the longer Hillary stays on the world stage, the more I’m convinced we did the right thing.
If Hillary wants to have a legacy, she needs to go to Chappaqua and stay out of sight.
Every interview makes it worse.
And she doesn’t realize it. I used to give her credit for being smart.
A former Secretary of State commented that South Korea was NEAR North Korea.
She got that right.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Ricky @ 3:35 He lost me at ” No doubt we’ll still identify many failures, but today, our evaluation of neoconservative successes and failures can take place against the backdrop of a decade of more populist right-wing politics. ” I’m still trying to figure out which country he’s been living in for the past decade. Not sure I want to be there…. :–/
LikeLiked by 1 person
@3:55 For those who derive pleasure from watching the exploding heads of Laura Ingraham or Ann Coulter. For everyone else, that’s 2 minutes you’ll never get back. ;–)
LikeLike
And here’s the latest on our churning domestic front following a not-guilty verdict for former St. Louis police officer. Riots result in police injuries.
https://stream.org/latest-st-louis-protests-state-lawmaker-joins-protesters/
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And apparently they are bracing for more mayhem in London, even though they have a suspect in custody. :–(
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/british-police-arrest-18-year-old-man-in-connection-with-london-subway-attack/2017/09/16/2ba9c00a-9a5a-11e7-af6a-6555caaeb8dc_story.html?utm_term=.1e28a10985ed
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What or WHAT is FoxNews thinking….
LikeLiked by 2 people
That didn’t quite come out right. This is the tweet that prompted Moore’s response:
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, another end-of-the-world prediction, we haven’t had a good one of those since the billboards went up maybe 6-7 years ago. Harold Camping, remember? We had one of the billboards looming over the main drag in our community.
From USA Today:
“Camping’s most widely spread prediction was that the Rapture would happen on May 21, 2011. His independent Christian media empire spent millions of dollars — some of it from donations made by followers who quit their jobs and sold all their possessions— to spread the word on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.
“When the Judgment Day he foresaw did not materialize, the preacher revised his prophecy, saying he had been off by five months.”
He also believed the “church age” had ended and that Christians should leave their churches (indeed, a few folks in our (our previous) small Presbyterian church — did leave because of that, presumably to set up little self-led home groups as the alternative).
At any rate, I saw this latest tweet (Debra, 10:06) posted yesterday with the lead-in that said something like “Fox’s idea of science.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
David French retains his ability to address moral issues which affect young people.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Here is a new review of Michael Novak’s classic book.
LikeLiked by 2 people
So the world’s gonna end on September 23? I just hope Hubby is out of the hospital by then!
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On the plus side, my house will be *done.* 🙂
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Didn’t Jesus say that even the Son didn’t know when the world would end?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Bob Buckles just don’t. It isn’t worth it.
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I’ve watched several of these videos where people who have various degrees of colorblindness put on the Enchroma glasses and can see a much broader spectrum of color than ever before. Their responses are very similar; they’re amazed at the beauty of ordinary things they have seen every day for their whole lives. Color and sound and all kinds of Beauty are such an integral part of the wisdom of God’s creation, that when a new aspect of it is suddenly revealed to an individual, it can be overwhelming.
https://twitter.com/ClassicDadMoves/status/908875667869069317
LikeLiked by 4 people
I’m crying with him. This is glorious, Debra. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ricky @2:18 The article in First Things is long and thought provoking. It will take some more time to get through and digest, but well worth the trouble I think. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to admit that the last year has been the funniest situation comedy since Get Smart was cancelled. This week’s episode: Democrats look a gift horse in the mouth.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/15/left-warns-pelosi-schumer-on-trump-242780
LikeLiked by 1 person
Today is the one day of the year that all knowledgeable Southerners wish they were in Western Maryland to honor our fallen heroes. There they all are: The Texans fighting in The Cornfield, Gordon vowing to defend Bloody Lane, the outnumbered Georgians at Burnside’s bridge, A. P. Hill’s Light Brigade rushing the 17 miles from Harpers Ferry to arrive just in time, and Lee deciding to stand his ground and dare McClellan to attack again.
LikeLike
@7:06 It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic. But inasmuch as that attitude is a solid indicator of cluelessness when it comes to actual voters, I think it bodes well for Republicans in general (and Trump in particular) in 2018 and 2020.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll be bundled up at the dog park rather than watching the Emmys but you know it’ll be political.
Still, some interesting shows have appeared of late — Stranger Things, This is Us are two that I hope will be recognized. The Handmaid’s Tale was well done (I never read the book nor saw the first film based on it, but the series on Hulu was pretty compelling — and it gives you a glimpse into the chilling caricatures that some nonbelievers no doubt have of so-called Christians becoming to dominant in government and what the culture would look like in a worse-case scenario — but it also is updated to echo the liberal fears in the Trump Age).
Still, these self-congratulatory awards shows can be insufferable to watch, which is why many of us don’t tune in anymore. The political age we’re in w/the Tump residence make them even more dreary and eye-roll worthy for some of us.
So here’s a preview rundown from LA — so you won’t have to watch 🙂
https://qz.com/1077566/will-stephen-colbert-get-political-and-other-things-to-watch-for-in-the-2017-emmy-awards/
______________________________________
Will Stephen Colbert get political? And other things to watch for in the 2017 Emmy awards
Every year, the biggest stars in television gather in a theater in Los Angeles and celebrate how great they all are.
They wear expensive dresses and tuxedos, award each other big golden trophies, pat each other on the backs, and give sappy speeches about “making it.” This garish party is an exercise in narcissism, which is part of the reason TV ratings for it and all award shows are in steady decline.
And yet, the Emmys still matter. TV critic Alan Sepinwall put it best when he pointed out that the Emmys are the prevailing historical record for the medium of television. They are the ultimate measuring sticks—the ones that will still be studied decades from now when all the Twitter threads, think pieces, and water cooler conversations have been lost in the ether. The Emmys are forever.
More than that, though, the Emmys reveal important patterns emerging in television today. For one night every September, the actors, directors, writers, and network executives that make TV what it is are all in the same room. The night tells us about the problems facing a rapidly growing industry; which performers to pay attention to; which networks (and streaming services) we need to subscribe to; and why, despite the gratuitous pageantry, television still consumes our lives. …
… Stranger Things is everything the Emmy voters love: A hit new show that’s become a cultural phenomenon and is accessible to a wide range of audiences. Headed into Sunday, it’s the favorite to win the best drama award (its biggest competitors are Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, NBC’s This is Us, and HBO’s Westworld). If it wins, it would be an enormous development for the entire industry: The first time a streaming service bests cable for the biggest and more important television award in the world. …
Hulu’s attempt to become an Emmy-worthy streaming service has been much quieter than Netflix’s. That changed in April, when it debuted The Handmaid’s Tale, easily the drama slate’s most politically timely show and a serious threat to grab several awards for Hulu. Lead actress Elisabeth Moss is a virtual lock to win best actress in a drama … A best drama win for The Handmaid’s Tale—or any win for the critically beloved show—would signal that Hulu has arrived and is ready to wage war with Netflix for streaming supremacy. …
… The big four American broadcasters (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) haven’t enjoyed Emmys night for the last decade or so. The last time one of its shows won—Fox’s 24 in 2006—cable TV was the main threat. Netflix was still several years away from making its first original show, and Hulu didn’t even exist yet. Obviously, the television landscape has only gotten more competitive in the years since.
Then came NBC’s This is Us, the rare broadcast drama to tap the zeitgeist and break into the increasingly competitive best drama field. The weepy family melodrama has a decent shot at winning, too. The Emmy voters would just love to create a storyline out of the success of This is Us, changing the narrative that broadcast television is in its death throes….
… It also remains to be seen whether Trump is specifically mentioned or referenced. That may depend on how much he tweets during the ceremony.
_________________________________
LikeLiked by 3 people
I know it’s late for this, but here goes:
Rush, in commenting about the Republican stalemate in Congress WRT the Trump agenda, said that the representatives do not represent the people. Never did. They represent the money that sent them there. (I’m paraphrasing, but my understanding is what he meant to say.) Essentially, “they don’t represent you, the Republicans represent the Chamber of Commerce and K Street.”
I say that, to say this:
I am reading a book called The Babylon Code. In it (I can’t give page reference because it’s on the Kindle. In Ch. 9.)
Former husband of Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden says, :The political system is a moneyed oligarchy underneath it’s democratic trappings. The vast majority of voters are like fans in the bleachers: we participate from the cheap seats, supposed to enjoy our place, and vote for whichever Bondsman we prefer.”
There was a time, not so long ago, in which I would have argued with that. But I’m beginning to fear that he is correct.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wanna know who Fed Up is, & why he (or she) thinks it’s not worth it for Bob to bring up that only the Father knows the time Christ will return. 🙂
But that also brings up this thought: It’s been written that now that Jesus is back in Heaven with the Father, He does now know the time of His returning. That doesn’t change the fact that none of us can figure it out.
Another thought: I have sometimes wondered if one of those deluded folks actually accidentally picked the correct date of Jesus’ return, would God then change the date? 😀
LikeLike
Chas, it’s interesting that you bring up that quote from Tom Hayden about the US political system being a moneyed oligarchy. In Ricky’s link @2:18, R.R. Reno makes the same point:
And he concludes this thought with one that’s even more destructive to democracy and good government in general, because it indicates a motivation to actually incentivize public negligence and apathy, which is the death knell of self-government. He says:
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m becoming a fan of Andy Borowitz of the New Yorker.
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/in-stunning-new-deal-with-democrats-trump-agrees-to-be-impeached
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Ricky, This is truly a bi-partisan dream. :–)
““Chuck and Nancy and I got a deal done on impeachment,” Trump said. “It was a good deal and it was a fast deal.”
Trump said that the Democrats had convinced him that agreeing to be impeached would make him soar in popularity. “People are going to love me for doing this,” Trump said. “They’re going to love it on all the channels.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fed Up?
Look at the little design in front of the “Fed Up” design. Then look for the same design in front of a name. I could be wrong.
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I am not fed up.
Well, sometimes I am.
But not in the case under question here.
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Speaking of “fed up”, our son is the family Food Nazi and was appalled by this story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Debra, This is an interesting article, but I don’t think you are going to like what it says. If it makes you feel any better, I think Goldman Sachs would have also been well-represented in a Hillary Administration or a Rubio Administration.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ricky @ 6:30, I’m not surprised. My husband has a theory that shortly after inauguration day a small group of Goldman Sachs types pay the new President a visit and give him ‘the talk’. In a nutshell, they basically tell him that if he steps too far out of line, they’ll pull the plug on the nation’s finances and plunge us all into chaos. I used to find the idea incredible, but after 2008 not so much.
Trump is unpredictable, which is probably the reason he has a shot at succeeding. As for Goldman Sachs and Gary Cohn, I don’t like it, but perhaps it’s not a bad idea that they are in the public eye so that at least the inevitable influence is seen: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer still. ;–)
LikeLiked by 1 person