By David Futrelle
Three, three indictments in one! Three former Trump campaign officials are in the hot seat today. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is the big name on the list (along with his pal Rick Gates), for such fun things as conspiracy against the U.S. and money laundering. But even more intriguing is the GUILTY PLEA of relatively unknown Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, whom Mueller has presumably flipped, who seems to have been doing some active COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIANS.
So here’s an open thread to discuss the news and any other indictment fun that transpires today.
NOTE: Sorry to have gone missing for so long. I’m still dealing with a combo of health issues that have made it very difficult to work. Thanks again for your patience and support.
@Haise : to be honest, it look more goofy than frightening.
Ever since I saw the Saudi robot story last week I’ve been curious (but not curious enough to go look) as to the MGTOW reaction — are they celebrating this as a step towards their sexbot utopia, or seething because giving a robot lady citizenship might give her uppity ideas about having rights and stuff?
We took spooky to the vet. He was staying in our yard because he was weak. No chip, awsome behavior. They gave him fluids and it looks like the kidneys. He’s so skinny. He’s in the room with food now. We go in at 1:30 tomorrow for more fluids. We can do cat hospice.
@Brony
That’s so kind of you to do cat hospice. Poor guy. I hope it turns out to be treatable.
Brony, you are the good part of being human. Much respect.
Good luck. Fluids can help a lot.
@kupo
Thank you. Spooky’s wary but seems to be assessing things. We bought some of that nutrition packed pate the vet sells and put it in while he aclimates.
Suki’s been better and likes to use Casper’s frige to and window box as well as Tyra’s cat tree anyway. Him and Mischievous don’t deliberately threat stare or seek a fight anymore. Suki was my wife’s desperate co-worker’s.
@Robert Walker-Smith
I can’t ignore it. We’ll give him the same choice we gave the other stray that was recovering from a tail amputation during the winter, they can stay or go. I’ll patch Spooky up for as long as he enjoys life. Grie said “hell no” to living in a house but still comes over to give me permission to pet her.
@Mooncustafer
I hope so.
Re Mohammmmmmed Markstein (@Moggie, happy now?) – I’m surprised they didn’t make the Evil Antifa Leader a disabled transwoman of colour, frankly. Imagine if they thought that was too silly, unlike Mr Markstein 😀
@Gussie, @Adjunct, ContraPoints (whom I also admire) tweeted this recently, which I think reflects some of the problems you’ve raised:
@Jesalin <3 <3 <3
@Brony – yay for your kitty care!
@Mish
Oh… I hope what I wrote about the debate didn’t come off as an attack, I certainly wouldn’t ever @ Natalie or harass her (I’m not on any social media anyway), for anything that she does! Nothing justifies harassment :/
@Gussie
Yep, I think it’s definitely worthwhile to engage with the audience, but like you said, with a more certain framework underneath, which Natalie a great job of it already. I admire people who can do that, because I couldn’t.
@Mish
He’s interacting now, back to wanting attention like it’s a replacement for food. He ate a little.
If you have any friends who still deny police racism is a problem, send them this.
@The Adjunct,
Oh no, absolutely not! I didn’t get that impression at all. Apologies if I gave you that impression 😀
I’m impressed with how she’s handling the current situation. And I agree with you re debating ppl like White.
@Brony,
That’s lovely. The fluids can really give them a boost. I lost one of mine to kidney failure. I’m so glad you’re taking care of the Spookster <3
As seen on FB:
Ann Kjell Let’s all bow our heads and say a prayer:
Our pussy-grabber who art in the Oval Office, Con-Artist be thy name, thy jail time come, thy will soon be done, as you surely are going to prison and not to heaven. Give us our daily tweet and blame everything on Hillary’s trespasses, and continue to lie about your Russian trespasses against us, lead us not into a nuclear war, and may Mueller deliver us from your evil. ??
Is that religious enough?
#spreadtheprayer
I just had to share it here just in case some might not see it. Me and my partner laughed our asses off.
Brony – I hope all goes well for your sick kitty. If you end up needing to give him sub Q fluids, may I suggest one of these:
http://www.ezivharness.com/
It was an amazing help with the Catbeast. Even though he wasn’t particularly recalcitrant, it normally took both Husbeast and myself to stick him and hold him still for the process. This little gizmo allowed me to do the whole thing by myself with very little fuss.
Off topic, but did you see that drumpf’s new EPA nominee thinks our air is TOO clean.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-environment-adviser-air-too-clean-pollution-good-health-pruitt-phalen-a8033881.html?amp
What sort of distopia have we fallen into?
Spooky eats food and drinks water when I pet him so he’s got more to work with. On the way to get more fluids. Also bringing Suki, we saw blood in his stool last night.
@Tovius
The one where the Bladerunner films look like documentaries.
Things aren’t likely so bad with Suki. Suspected reaction to the rabies vaccine.
Spooky has a kidney issue and a pancreas issue. Together it is leading to anorexia. He’s stronger and his appetite is better. He will eat and drink when I give him attention and he’s eaten 2/3 of a can of the hi nutrition food. I have hopes that he rebounds. He’s pretty amazing and so friendly and affectionate.
@Tovius – I would like to cordially invite Pruitt and Phalen to go vape a coal factory, since they think particulates are so healthful.
@Jesalin,
Oh my stars, that’s just brilliant! Is Ann Kjell the name of the author? I’d love to share this, with credit due.
@Brony,
Hope Suki’s ok, and as for Spooky, those are very good signs indeed 🙂
Wisconsin GOP lawmaker says women should be forced to give birth to grow the labor force
There’s not enough headdesks in the world …
@Shadowplay
We’re at a stage where GOP members feel comfortable enough to tell women to be birthing chambers against their will.
@Ooglyboggles
It wasn’t my head I was thinking of banging on the desks over this craven folly … 😛
But yeah. It’s revolting.
Trust the GOP to combine a pro-slavery position with economic cluelessness.
We have a glut of labor. Tons of would-be workers are “surplus to requirements” right now. It’s even worse in some other developed countries — Greece and Spain are hovering around 20% unemployment right now. Not a typo. One fifth.
In the industrial age, productivity has tended to be limited decreasingly by labor, as automation advances, and increasingly by fuel. But the rapid build-out of wind and solar capacity is quickly rendering peak-oil fears moot. Now there’s talk of peak lithium, but more likely we’ll be having to worry about peak arable land and peak freshwater, especially when the likely consequences of climate change are factored in.
Peak labor? Too many mouths to feed is far more likely to be a catastrophic problem in the future. And even if there was a valid concern about a too-rapidly-shrinking workforce, the solution would not be slavery, either to directly produce that labor or to boost the population. The solution would then be tax incentives for bearing children, along with the provision of generous paid maternity and paternity leaves, free health care including ob/gyn, free day-care, and free school lunches.
But of course Repblicans will blanch at those last ideas.