Political Randomness

[Daehawk]

All the stupidity in that . Man those folks are so proud to be idiots.

[Pyperkub]

Alternatively, guilty of not texting like a normal person?

A man pleaded guilty in Washington, DC, to making more than 12,000 harassing phone calls to members of Congress

OK, yeah, more serious, but it was my first thought /shrug

[Holman]

Good gravy.

Schools in Louisiana could soon be required by law to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.

I really can't believe how far we have fallen.

I have seen a preacher tell a congregation that the 10 commandments were a completely new set of rules, and that before they were delivered to Moses all human societies had no prohibitions against murder, theft, lying, etc.

Excepting its proven that the ten commandants are derived from the sect of an ancient Egyptian goddess.

Ma’at was the Ancient Egyptian Goddess of the Divine Principles of Truth, Justice, and Righteousness.

And it makes sense this would happen. Moses was raise in the Egyptian aristocracy, the Hebrew rebellion took them out of Egypt so Egyptian influence would have been significant.

Almost every culture everywhere has developed basically the same moral tenets we see in the 10 commandments: worship the right God(s), obey your elders/leaders, respect property, don't murder, keep your hands off other people's wives, etc.

It's also far from certain that the Hebrews were ever actually in Egypt. Other Semitic peoples were, but IIRC there is no record in history or archaeology of Yahweh-worshippers there. "When we were in Egypt" could just as easily be a cultural story told by other tribes that made its way into the Hebrew's narrative by osmosis.

Plus, I'm under the impression that [Just a false start to the preceding paragraph.]

[Unagi]

Good gravy.

Schools in Louisiana could soon be required by law to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.

I really can't believe how far we have fallen.

I have seen a preacher tell a congregation that the 10 commandments were a completely new set of rules, and that before they were delivered to Moses all human societies had no prohibitions against murder, theft, lying, etc.

Excepting its proven that the ten commandants are derived from the sect of an ancient Egyptian goddess.

Ma’at was the Ancient Egyptian Goddess of the Divine Principles of Truth, Justice, and Righteousness.

And it makes sense this would happen. Moses was raise in the Egyptian aristocracy, the Hebrew rebellion took them out of Egypt so Egyptian influence would have been significant.

Almost every culture everywhere has developed basically the same moral tenets we see in the 10 commandments: worship the right God(s), obey your elders/leaders, respect property, don't murder, keep your hands off other people's wives, etc.

It's also far from certain that the Hebrews were ever actually in Egypt. Other Semitic peoples were, but IIRC there is no record in history or archaeology of Yahweh-worshippers there. "When we were in Egypt" could just as easily be a cultural story told by other tribes that made its way into the Hebrew's narrative by osmosis.

Plus, I'm under the impression that

And that's when Holman was struck dead by a bolt of lightning.

[TheMix]

[Isgrimnur]

In South Africa, the ANC's grip on power is slowly loosening. In local elections, they've lost a majority-black city for the first time, and Johannesburg and Pretoria are still too close to call.

South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) has suffered its worst electoral setback since apartheid ended in 1994.

In a historic election, South Africa's ANC loses majority for the first time

The ANC was braced for a disappointing outcome, predicted by polls before Wednesday’s elections, but the final results are even more sobering. It won 40 percent of the vote, falling from 57% in 2019.
...
According to the constitution, the party with the largest vote has two weeks from the result confirmation to form a new government. The ANC will now have to form a coalition government with one or more opposition parties for the first time, to remain in power.

[Blackhawk]

I almost put this in the infectious diseases thread, in response to how mice are about to kill us all, but didn't want to derail.

I'm no longer shocked by apocalyptic news. It's become more of a game of curiosity: what's going to crush humanity first?

Or, to quote Buffy:

It turns out I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural of apocalypse.

[Smoove_B]

what's going to crush humanity first?

As you can imagine, I also think about this quite a bit. Probably too much.

I'm pretty sure the answer is still - humans. Humans are going to crush humanity first. But I would also put a hefty bet on another pandemic....made worse because of humans.

[Blackhawk]

what's going to crush humanity first?

As you can imagine, I also think about this quite a bit. Probably too much.

I'm pretty sure the answer is still - humans. Humans are going to crush humanity first. But I would also put a hefty bet on another pandemic....made worse because of humans.

Come on now, that's cheaping your way out! All of the apocalypti are of human origin, or tied to human choices.

[Smoove_B]

Well, I just read this a few weeks ago and for a book that was completed a decade ago, it still felt rather prescient. I actually haven't seen any commentary from the author on how she feels about it a decade later.

I mean, maybe we'll get hit with an asteroid but something tells me we'll do much worse to ourselves - and sooner.

[Unagi]

Non-binary gold prospector
They dug up a fortune in them/their hills.

[Holman]

Well, I just read this a few weeks ago and for a book that was completed a decade ago, it still felt rather prescient. I actually haven't seen any commentary from the author on how she feels about it a decade later.

I mean, maybe we'll get hit with an asteroid but something tells me we'll do much worse to ourselves - and sooner.

Yeah. All of the non-human extinction events play out on long-term scales where the whole of human history is just the blink of an eye. (And if they didn't, we wouldn't be here.)

But harnessing technology means that we're now the biggest threat vector. We don't even have to end the world in a hour with nuclear weapons; we can render it uninhabitable over two or three centuries simply through greed and inattention.

[waitingtoconnect]

what's going to crush humanity first?

As you can imagine, I also think about this quite a bit. Probably too much.

I'm pretty sure the answer is still - humans. Humans are going to crush humanity first. But I would also put a hefty bet on another pandemic....made worse because of humans.

Natures always trying to thin out our numbers to create sustainability. We can see this with resistance to our drugs being exhibited by fungi, parasites and bacteria.

Anyway god said that the end times would be on a certain date. Can’t help to hurry him along with nuclear weapons…

[Blackhawk]

I mean, maybe we'll get hit with an asteroid but something tells me we'll do much worse to ourselves - and sooner.

That would almost be hilarious at this point. We've set up row after row of elaborate deathtraps for ourselves. We start to walk toward them, and... a rock falls on our head.

[Isgrimnur]

The show runners gave up on satisfying content a while ago.

[El Guapo]

The once and future president, ladies and gentlemen.

[Blackhawk]

..and that is why I don't need Trump mockery videos. If I want to see Trump mocked, I just let him do it himself.

[hepcat]

Jesus Christ, it’s like listening to a bad stand up comic.

[Holman]

I know it's obvious, but it's really remarkable that Trump always claims that everything is the worst or the best "ever."

There's no nuance at all. There are only extremes. If Trump calls someone a hater, they're "hating in ways that have never been seen before." If he's attacking Biden's economy, it's (against all economic evidence) "the worst economy we have ever seen." If he's praising his January 6 foot soldiers, they've "been treated worse than anyone has ever been treated in this country." And over and over and over again.

How dumb and deluded do you have to be for this to be your only rhetorical move? How dumb and deluded do you have to be to believe it?

[YellowKing]

And the typical right-wing attack on batteries. They fucking HATE batteries because....woke climate change. But they also can't stand high gas prices.

[LordMortis]

Jesus Christ, it’s like listening to a bad stand up comic.

I dunno. He does a pretty believable impression of how horrible of an extemporaneous public speaker and thinker TFG is. He's manages to pull it off and be quite a bit less coherent than most other people who do impressions of him. Most comics always are always trying to embed some sort of point in a round about way and never quite float so far away into senility as he does when he does an impression of TFG.

[hepcat]

Trump showing off his fabled sympathy and compassion for his fans during the heat waves out west

“They never mention me. I’m up here sweating like a dog,” he said. “[The] Secret Service said we have to make sure everyone is safe. I said, ‘What about me?’ We never thought of that. They don’t think about me. I’m working my ass off. I’m working hard.”

[Carpet_pissr]

‘What about me?’

Trump's brain said, every minute, ever.

[LawBeefaroni]

Trump showing off his fabled sympathy and compassion for his fans during the heat waves out west

“They never mention me. I’m up here sweating like a dog,” he said. “[The] Secret Service said we have to make sure everyone is safe. I said, ‘What about me?’ We never thought of that. They don’t think about me. I’m working my ass off. I’m working hard.”

"Sweating like a dog..."

So through his hands and feet and secreting scent pheromones?

https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/behav ... dogs-sweat?

Dogs have two types of sweat glands: merocrine glands, which are similar to human sweat glands, and apocrine glands. Merocrine glands are located in dogs' paw pads. Sweating through their paws helps dogs cool down. The apocrine glands, located throughout your dog's body, also make dog sweat — but this type of sweat doesn't cool your pup down. Instead, according to the American Kennel Club, the sweat from apocrine glands contains scent pheromones that help dogs identify each other.

[The phrase "sweating like a pig" comes from pig iron. Pigs sweat even less than dogs.]

[hepcat]

Kristi Noem heard "dog" and immediately went for her firearm.

[Carpet_pissr]

Well, damn, and all this time I thought that dogs sweat through their tongues.

That also explains why my dogs' feet smell so god awful I guess.

[Blackhawk]

If a dog had that many felonies pending, it would find a way to sweat, too.

[GreenGoo]

‘What about me?’

Trump's brain said, every minute, ever.

We are in alignment lately.

[GreenGoo]

Kristi Noem heard "dog" and immediately went for her firearm.

Also

[Punisher]

‘What about me?’

Trump's brain said, every minute, ever.

He's the very definition of WIIFM. Pronounced "WifEm". What's In It For Me.

[Punisher]

..and that is why I don't need Trump mockery videos. If I want to see Trump mocked, I just let him do it himself.

So in order to saterize him you'd have to make a skit where he spoke coherently and eloquently on profound topics.

[Daehawk]

Oh hell no. Now the righters have gone after Dolly Parton. The bastards!!

“The Federalist” Finds Out It’s Never Smart to Come for Dolly Parton

In an article published on June 6th titled “There’s Nothing Loving About Dolly Parton’s False Gospel,” writer Ericka Andersen basically asserts that since Dolly Parton is unwilling to condemn or rebuke LGBT people, she is going against Christian doctrine, and should not be celebrated by people for her Christian faith.

Ok now these mothertruckers have gone too far attacking our Tennessee angel Dolly Parton. Im festering mad now.

If you wish to view the video that I found this in its in the spoiler. Its The Damage Report...its a left leaning chan. So ya know. Ya I know Im watching what Im clicking on now more than ever. But when it comes to Dolly she is special to me. My wife was somehow related to her and loved her so much.

Spoiler:

[Zarathud]

I’m pretty sure they resented Dolly Parton since her 9 to 5 song about women working.

[Daehawk]

lol

[Victoria Raverna]

Trump supporters are mostly crooks and scammers?

Epoch Times CFO charged in $67m money-laundering plot.

Federal prosecutors allege that Bill Guan, 61, participated in a global plot to launder at least $67m (£52m) of illegal cash to benefit himself and the Epoch Times.

According to the indictment, Mr Guan led the outlet's "Make Money Online" team, which used cryptocurrency to purchase tens of millions worth of crime proceeds.

Mr Guan has not yet entered a plea. If convicted, he could spend more than 30 years in prison.

In a statement on Monday evening, the Epoch Times told the BBC that it "intends to and will fully cooperate with any investigation dealing with the allegations against Mr Guan".

"Although Mr Guan is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the company has suspended him until this matter is resolved," the news outlet said.

It did not respond to specific questions about the Make Money Online team referenced by prosecutors.

Mr Guan could not be reached by the BBC.

In the 12-page indictment, federal prosecutors detailed the alleged plan, which they say began around 2020.

The plot, prosecutors said, was simple: members of the Make Money Online (MMO) team would purchase crime proceeds via cryptocurrency at a discount and transfer those proceeds into bank accounts held by entities affiliated with newspaper.

The illegal proceeds would ultimately be moved back into the Epoch Times accounts through "tens of thousands of layered transactions", including through prepaid debit cards and financial accounts opened using stolen identification information.

According to the indictment, for years the scheme worked to enriched the Epoch Times, pumping tens of millions of dollars into the paper.

Coinciding with the time Mr Guan came up with the alleged scheme, the outlet's internal accounting showed its annual revenue balloon by some 410% - from $15m in 2019 to roughly $62m the following year.

When banks asked Mr Guan where the surge of money was coming from he lied, claiming the funds came from "donations", prosecutors said.

Mr Guan has been charged with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering and two counts of bank fraud.

Prosecutors noted these charges "do not relate to the Media Company [the Epoch Times'] newsgathering activities".

Founded in 2000, the Epoch Times began as a small, low-budget newspaper handed out for free in New York.

It was started by Chinese-Americans affiliated with a religious group called Falun Gong.

In the years since, it has grown into purportedly one of the US's most powerful conservative news organizations and a home to conspiracy theories, right-wing misinformation and sharp opposition to the Chinese Communist Party.

[Carpet_pissr]

I’m pretty sure they resented Dolly Parton since her 9 to 5 song about women working.

But they're all secretaries, as they should be!

[hepcat]

Trump supporters are mostly crooks and scammers?

But goddamn it, they'll save us from the adrenochrome stealing baby killers!

[Daehawk]

Signs of a sociopath
• behavior conflicting with social norms, repeatedly pushes the envelope into uncharted territory.
• disregarding or violating the rights of others, insubordinate to any form of authority.
• unconcerned in distinguishing between right and wrong.
• inability to show remorse, for they have none, void of empathy.
• tendency to lie often, repeatedly, automatically. Behaves in a risky, impulsive, dangerous manner.
• extremely manipulative, exploits others without any care of who gets hurt.
• no conscience or guilt, refusal to accept responsibility for their actions, claiming ownership in the success of others.

tRump.

[hepcat]

I'm not sure I'd go with sociopath. I think he's just incredibly immature and self centered. But even that's enough to make him a bad choice for leadership roles.

[Zarathud]

No Trump is a sociopath. He’s more interested in money than blood.