Merry Christmas, if you’re into that sort of thing!

@Victorious Parasol, @Esteemed Fellow Mammotheers

I’ve bolded my favorite sentence. Interesting that the reporters felt they had to say it.
Trump’s lawyer paid $130K hush money to adult film star alleged to have had affair with him: Report
A WSJ report claims that Stormy Daniels was paid to stay quiet about a 2006 “sexual encounter” with Donald Trump

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Michael Cohen, Trump’s one-time personal lawyer—who has strangely wavered between political parties—allegedly arranged a payment of $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford in October 2016. According to WSJ’s unidentified sources, Clifford (whose stage name is Stormy Daniels) alleged privately that the “sexual encounter” happened with Trump after they met at a July 2006 celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. Trump married his current wife, Melania, in January 2005. The alleged encounter with Clifford was reportedly consensual.

Early indications from Trump’s physical are that he’s in excellent health. Including his shithole, presumably. Unconvincing details to follow next Tuesday.

Regarding Trump’s payoff, it was probably not campaign funds — I’ll be charitable and bet on Trump Foundation funds. But Crooked Hillary!!!!!!!

Diptych, I’m taking the Volga in the Mammoth pool.

GOM

I am not sure maube you did not read all of what article I shared. but who written it first is careful – first he explains difference between conservative russophobia and russophobic behaviour of liberals.

I have often written in the past (or at least I’m pretty sure I have) that most of the time what pro-Kremlin Russians call “Russophobia” is bullshit. In almost all cases, the Russophobia they’re talking about is in fact a natural and logical reaction to Russia invading someone’s country, claiming their nationality and language are fake, and generally acting like imperialist assholes. This, of course, doesn’t mean there aren’t real examples of Russophobia, if defined as an irrational fear of all things Russian

he also says what both you and mrex said about pro Russia and pro putin (which is also so what I already said in my earlier comment when I say putin is not communist and then following discussion I have with shadowplay)

In short, I make a distinction between Russians and their governments and over the years I have, to the best of my ability, tried to make my writing reflect this with terms like “pro-Kremlin” or “pro-Putin” instead of “pro-Russian.”

this author is left wing. he is American but he lived in Russia and Ukraine for many years and speaks Russian and maybe Ukranian. he is not someone who ‘fed me right wing propaganda”. this little bit patronising to say. I accept some patronising on here – I look young on my photo (I also am young my parents same age like you , born 1949 and 1951) and my English means I must to write simply, like a child. but I am not so stupid that I listen this argument from right wing morons. same right wing morons who share what tweet I share link for before.

mrex points out she went there and seen this argument about if Slavs white or not and nazis who talk about jews. I am experienced also on this argument. but to me even though I little bit angry about it i think? what reason to argue? these people never will learn they are facsits.

this is not what russophobia I talk about. liberal russophobia is so important because people deny it exists! and people I agree with on every topic suddenly say things which McCarthy might say when we talk about Russia.

I’ve been active in liberal politics for a long time. I have frequently heard this sort of attitude expressed by Republicans, but I can’t recall EVER having heard it expressed by liberals. I therefore label it Total Bullshit.

so if we talk about personal experience let me talk about my personal experience of what you say is bullshit.

when I first start on twitter, I involved in argument with American guy. his bio said he is supporter of Bernie, BLM and other things which is liberal. but he is makes aregumemt about antisemitism in EE and life of jews in EE to real eastern European jews and does not listen when they tell him, his argument that all Ukrainians are nazis is Russian and right wing propaganda to justify Russian invasion. slowly slowly he get more angry until he call my polish friend ‘Jan’ like slur, and then block after accused him of being nazis.

then generally – I am in difficult position. for Ukrainians I argue with I am Russian Shill or Bot. for Russians I argue with I am Ukrainian Nazi. there is no grey place – only black and white.

I experience russophobia and strangeness about this regularly from people I agree with on almost everything else. it is frustrating. especially when it not even possible to have this conversation with other liberals because I will called Russian Shill etc.

Please note that it was Trump’s people who had a proposal to send military aid to Ukraine removed from the Republican platform last year.

this may be true but now trump agreed to send weapons to Ukrainian defenders already. maybe these people who removed believe this – but this not prove they removed for this reason. trump also involved now with Norwegian military, Norway shares boarders with russia. I am not defending trump – but look this is another argument about this conspiracy that everything trump do is because of Russia or to help Russia.

And, from what I’ve observed, the vast majority of USians are aware that Ukraine is not Russia. The Republicans just love Trump and Putin, and don’t care about Ukraine. If Putin wants Ukraine, they are OK with him taking it.

you seen this map where they asked amerivans to put pin where they think is Ukraine?

no seriously – what he said about Ukraine is little bit exaggeration I am sure manu Americans educated on this because many Americans from Ukraine and eastern Europe before. but he exaggerate to make his arguement. because plenty of American liberals believe things about Ukraine which are not true. Ukrainians are nazis, they sympathise with hitler and hate jews and make antisemitic graffiti (which happen in odesa, my city recently, strangely written on Ukrainian when it is Russian – speaking mainly city).

when truth is most Ukrainians like social democrat, Jewish Ukrainians in our government, (groysman is jewish) aand this argument is same arguement used buy Russians and people who want to try and say Ukraine deserves invasion because everyone is evil nazis and poroshenko protects them all.

but, I want to say for you of course I don’t mean you russophobic but we must to have this discussion. such liberals exist and until we agree on them we can’t able to inform them of what is true and not true.

It is not my experience that Liberals are Russophobic to any major extent. We have traditionally been accused of being dupes of Russia. It is the Conservatives that have been extremely Russophobic in the past —
because of their hatred of Communism and Socialism in any form — but their admiration for Putin tends to cancel that out.

From my point of view, the item you quoted and I requoted is completely wrong. As a rule, it is the Conservatives who strongly tend to be nativist zenophobes — they are, in fact, the basis of Trump’s support, which depends strongly on his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Liberals tend to be strongly pro-immigration, to the extent that Conservatives often accuse us of wanting to let anyone in who wants to come here (“Open Borders”). I just think that what you quoted is flat-out wrong.

I think you do very well in English — I understand how difficult is it to communicate in a language you are learning as you go. It’s just that you are criticizing the Left for things — xenophobia and geographical ignorance — that are very much stronger on the Right.

Are.you.kidding.me!

As a former teenage girl, I’d love for these girls to visit the USA and instruct girls and former girls in how to run things!

Indian village run by teenage girls offers hope for a life free from abuse
In Thennamadevi young daughters are forging a new destiny beyond their alcoholic fathers and human traffickers

Mark Townsend
Sat 21 Oct 2017

Each afternoon the men of Thennamadevi leave their village and head for the surrounding fields, many carrying bottles of high-strength home-brewed alcohol. Hours later they stagger back home through the paddy fields of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India.

Thennamadevi is racked by alcoholism. Most of its 150 male inhabitants participate in ruinous daily drinking sessions. Around 90 women with families in the village have been widowed. The youngest husband to die was 21.

However, over the past six months something remarkable has happened to break the cycle of squalor and despair: the teenage daughters of the drunken men have taken over the running of the place. And it’s working.

A self-titled “young girls’ club” has fixed the street lights, completed a health audit of the village and ensured that mobile clinics visit Thennamadevi. A library is being built where well-thumbed books promote the virtues of learning and independence. The phenomenon of teenage female self-help has made aid agencies and politicians across the state sit up and take notice.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/oct/21/india-villagers-child-abuse-trafficking-alcoholism

@Moggie: Which shithole– the one at the top end or the one at the bottom end?

So I suspect people are aware that Trump has cancelled his visit to the UK. His excuse for doing so is some bullshit about Obama building a new embassy there when there was already a perfectly good one, when we all know that the real reason for his doing so is because if he went there, he’d be protested within an inch of his life.

This got me thinking; is there, in fact, any country on Earth Trump could visit where he wouldn’t be protested within an inch of his life? Is there any place on Earth where he’s actually popular, outside of the counties that voted for him? Serious question.

Early indications from Trump’s physical are that he’s in excellent health. Including his shithole, presumably. Unconvincing details to follow next Tuesday.

“Dr Ronnie Jackson.”

His name is Ronny Jackson.

Trump faked the “Results,” and he didn’t even fake them well.

Shadowplay

thanks! I try to write this but I could not make it clear in my mind. small correction, my family is Russian but I never lived in russia, only in Ukraine so I am not 100% clear on this too. but my one brother lives in Crimea and my other brother lives in Rostov which is in Russia so I speak with them to know what happens, but they often don’t like to talk about politics. just after crimea is annext I talked with my oldest brother in Kerch and he said generally, same shit different people. I am not sure if he is correct but then he has good job and nice house and never done any protests or activism so he is very safe. ?

mrex

Sorry that you have met Russiaphobic/anti-Slavic liberals.

I may disagree with you about many things, but thank you for your acknowledgement.

about your stuff which you say about who you are as American and what you must believe because of Russian involvement – I respect this.

Sorry, but I’m not quite following you here. I was dismayed to see some people were responding to a Jewish writer’s anti-Russian statement with anti-semitism and homophobia. I don’t think that most the people angry at the writer were being anti-semitic or homophobic. I wasn’t trying to make a general statement about all pro-Russians/people in that twitter thread.

Aren’t I allowed to be dismayed at homophobia and anti-semitism? I just don’t quite understand what you’re going for here Valentin. ?

sorry this is little bit misunderstanding. I am not criticise you for thinking this antisemitism and racism is terrible. you are correct. what I mean is, I expect such words and behaviour from rightwings and fascists and even though I am upset, I feel there is no point to argue with them. there is no way they will listen and change their veiw. I tried to compare with liberal russophobia – that because liberals have believes which similar to me then it is important we must discuss this topic. because there is chance that after they read new evidence or new perspective they will change their mind.

and I want to be clear – I want to say I don’t think i speak for anyone but myself. and I don’t think i have even one fully correct answer. but I just want to make this discussion and tell that Russians and Ukrainians sharing on Twitter and other places, they speak english and they are saying things to try to rise from lies and fake news and propaganda and we should listen to them. even me, I should listen to them too.

OK, now this is just wrong:

‘A mad scramble’: How Trump tweet on Pakistan blindsided U.S. officials

Not talking the review of security aid to Pakistan – that was overdue since Pakistan has been playing fast and loose with the terms for years – but one tweet (probably sent from the toilet, at that) kicking off the suspension of aid without any planning at all.

No wonder the Trump administration fucks up daily.

In other news, the New York Times has finally noticed asshole is not a mental illness.