Laplante’s plan fell apart when the man walked across the parking lot to another business and called authorities, according to deputies.
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Friday Quick Post
Posted on: September 8, 2017
Hillary at Code Conference May 2017
Good Morning Widdershins!
I’m writing this quick post because DYB’s post was soooo successful that it was taking time to load, at least for me.
I have a couple of links to share with just a taste of the articles. I suggest you read the entire pieces to get the full story.
The People’s View had an article several days ago that goes into a discussion of the Unity Commission or whatever you want to call it that thing the DNC had. Personally I call it a bunch of bullshit but that’s just me. The gist of the meeting was about caucuses and “open” primaries.
This past weekend, the commission was scheduled to meet in Chicago and discuss the idea of creating a system that would move away from closed primaries and towards more open primaries and caucuses. This idea seems to have emanated from supporters of Bernie Sanders in the wake of his failed 2016 bid to become the 2016 Democratic nominee for president.
However, the article discusses how that’s not a good idea for the base.
And, most importantly, they vote. Every. Single. Time.
In order to have a reliable base, you need to know they are dependable. The Democratic Party is the party of historically underrepresented populations and because of that, they have to work harder to earn the vote of those populations through vigorous voter outreach that includes phone calls, voter registration, and canvassing efforts.
Read the rest of the article at the link. It’s a good read.
Charles Pierce has a good article here on the DACA decision. He says Undocumented Workers Will Help Rebuild Texas After Harvey and I’m sure he is totally correct in that statement.
Even though I was not there during the rebuilding after Katrina (I’ve explained the situation with the momster before) I know that Mexicans (no pun here) flooded into the nola area for the rebuild. My neighbor from down there was the one who gutted our house but he told me that he hired two Mexican workers to help him with that and then the subsequent bleaching that had to be done with several treatments involved. I had several friends who hired undocumented Mexican labor who did their tile floors, sheetrock and painting. So yes, undocumenteds will be involved in the rebuilding.
And lastly, all of us Widdershins know how much tRump lies and has lied. We can spot the lies just as easily as we can tell when there’s a used-car salesman desperate for that sale on the last sales day of the month. However, WaPo has been cataloguing and counting them and tRump has crossed the 1k number back in August. Of course the WaPo doesn’t say “lies”. They say false or misleading claims. Uh-huh, okay, whatever.
Says the WaPo:
At the president’s current pace, he averages nearly five claims a day. Many are repeats of claims that have been previously debunked. We also include statements that are unacknowledged flip-flops from previously held positions, such as touting new highs in a stock market that he previously derided as being a “big, fat bubble.”
More than 30 of the president’s misleading statements have been repeated three or more times.
And his biggest whopper is on, naturally, the ACA.
Trump’s most repeated claim, uttered 50 times, was some variation of the statement that the Affordable Care Act is dying and “essentially dead.” The Congressional Budget Office has said that the Obamacare exchanges, despite well-documented issues, are not imploding and are expected to remain stable for the foreseeable future.
Again, an interesting piece so go check it out.
That’s all I have for today. Check out the links if you wish. Naturally it’s an open thread.
Keep good thoughts going for the people in Florida as they deal with Irma. Yeah I kid about them a lot but no kidding or joking for now.
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Bessie Smith can sing it like it is sometimes…
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Heh, my reaction to so many things lately
Good Weekend Widdershins!
I wrote that *some* of the dark times are over. Of course I’m referring to my and dear chatblu’s favorite thing – football and especially college football. For some of the other dark things, eh, not so much on the over part.
This will be a different weekend post because frankly the last few days have seen my fuse get shorter and shorter. Right now I would put myself right up there next to the Arkema Chemical Plant in Crosby Texas.
I have just a few things that I had bookmarked for reference so this will be a good time to use them and then I can delete the bookmarks.
White Nationalist Richard Spencer and “the money”
Have you ever wondered how it is that White Nationalist, David Duke wannabe Richard Spencer can afford to traipse around the country stirring shit up wherever he goes? Hard work? Made a killing in the stock market? Won the lottery perhaps? Actually no, none of the above.
Richard Spencer gets his money partly from, ahem, the government and an old standby commodity-cotton.
Spencer likes to say that “murica” was built by white people. In fact he was on (all of all shows) NewsOneNow with Roland Martin when he said “White people ultimately don’t need other races in order to succeed,” I’m sure it was after he picked himself off the floor that Martin asked him “Didn’t slaves help build America? Wasn’t the nation’s 19th-century economic boom propelled by the slave labor that produced the world’s cotton on Southern plantations?” Spencer was ready with a reply:
America’s rise was “not through black people” and “has nothing to do with slavery,” Spencer retorted. “White people could have figured out another way to pick cotton,” he said. “We do it now.”
And Spencer should really know because “Spencer, along with his mother and sister, are absentee landlords of 5,200 acres of cotton and corn fields in an impoverished, largely African American region of Louisiana”. (it’s in north Louisiana) Further: The farms, controlled by multiple family-owned businesses, are worth millions: A 1,600-acre parcel sold for $4.3 million in 2012.
Even better is this little tidbit:
The Spencer family’s farms are also subsidized by the federal government. From 2008 through 2015, the Spencers received $2 million in US farm subsidy payments, according to federal data. (bolding/italics mine)
He has received lots of attention as a leader of the so-called alt-right movement—particularly after he drew Nazi salutes at an event celebrating Donald Trump’s election. But he never did say how he was able to do all of this flitting about. The finances of his nonprofit think tank, the National Policy Institute, are a mystery; the organization hasn’t filed a public report since 2013. The Los Angeles Times reported that the IRS revoked the institute’s tax-exempt status.
Spencer dropped out of the PhD history program at Duke University. While in the program he said he ” was compelled by critiques of multiculturalism and political correctness and by demographic data indicating that whites are en route to minority status in the United States.”
As the MJ article says, ” the Spencer family’s business interests and geographic history suggest a different possible lineage for Richard Spencer’s racist politics. The family’s farm holdings are a legacy of its ties to the Jim Crow South, passed down by Spencer’s grandfather, who built the business during the turbulent civil rights era.”
“Spencer declined in an interview this week to discuss how much money he personally receives from cotton farming and government subsidies, and whether that income funds his political activities.” Yeah because revealing that his money that lets him travel the country comes from the sweat and work of field hands in Louisiana might not be the image he wants known. But he’s also been quoted as saying:
“I’m going to navigate the world as it is, and I’m not going to be a pauper.”
Well! That sums it up pretty well. “Yes I’ll take the money we get from cotton farms but no I’m not involved in such icky labor and stuff.”
There’s much more in the article such as this little morsel:
One Spencer family farming company, which holds title to 400 acres of land, is called the Poor Richard Partnership.
Ah I tell ya, sometimes these people, they just crack me up. Just too clever by half.
This went longer than I meant but I have two other pieces for you to check out that will be eye-openers.
From Vox:
Psychologists surveyed hundreds of alt-right supporters. The results are unsettling
And from WaPo:
The road to hate: For six young men, Charlottesville is only the beginning
Oh and one last note:
Okay, after all of that vile crap we need a palate cleanser as chat would say. So here is some lovely Ralph Vaughn Williams. I’ve used this before but it is a calming and restorative piece to listen to. (I have no idea what that World Rose stuff is about, I just wanted a good version of the piece.)
Of course it’s an open thread so what’s on your minds today?
Lazy weekend~Weekend cartoons
Posted on: August 26, 2017
Good weekend to you Widdershins!
I hope that you are having a good weekend. Let’s pause for a few moments and send some kind thoughts to those people on the Texas Gulf Coast. According to some of the latest model runs at the time I’m writing this, they could be dealing with this for several days.
I thought today I would share some political cartoons I came across. The sad part is that while we probably indeed need to laugh at some of these, it is indeed…well sad because some of these are actual things. And I still find it hard to believe that while the nation is concerned with Harvey in the Gulf, the orange turd decided it’s a good day to pull his stunts.
(Sigh) We used to be able to look forward to Fridays as the start of the weekend. Now we’re going to start dreading each and every end of the week – not knowing what the hell the talking yam is going to do to ruin it for us.
I hope you enjoy the cartoons and they are in no particular order.
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Take the comments and conversation in any direction you wish.
Weekend Post~Not So Lazy
Posted on: August 19, 2017
- In: Class Warfare | Domestic Violence | Open Thread | Politicians | Politics | racism | Terrorism
- 76 Comments
*Not* a Mardi Gras float. From Bellingham Wa. 1926*
GOOD WEEKEND WIDDERSHINS!
Not having Prolix writing his fantastic, informing and erudite Fridays posts anymore has played havoc with our posting schedule, but I know we all understand. We just miss his posts. Since DYB normally writes his posts for Wednesday I’ll now try to have mine ready for Saturday. Naturally none of this is guaranteed.
During this past tumultuous week I was watching one of the news shows someplace and saw a mention of the time when the Ku Klux Klan had a mindbogglingly huge march in our nation’s capital. In fact there were two such marches, and from what I could gather they were in 1925 and 1928.
It appears that back then the guys (and kids and gals) didn’t feel the need to hide their faces. I suppose that came about in later years.
From the Washington Post:
The Ku Klux Klan was at the height of its popularity when more than 30,000 members — racists and anti-Semites marching 22 abreast and 14 rows deep – paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Aug. 8, 1925.
“White-robed Klan cheered on march in nation’s capital,” read the front-page headline in The Washington Post the next day.
The Washington Post almost waxed rhapsodic over the march in D.C. which was still segregated at the time.
Nearly a century ago, the Klan was welcomed to segregated Washington by its white residents, as the breathless coverage in The Post demonstrated.
“Phantom-like hosts of the Ku Klux Klan spread their white robe over the most historic thoroughfare yesterday in one of the greatest demonstrations this city has ever known,” read The Post’s account.
“the Ku Klux Klan booked 18 trains for their march and rally. Hotels filled with the hooded men. Lunch stands and tobacco shops quickly sold out. The Klan even brought their own ambulances to escort those felled by the August heat.”
Sounds like business was good for the city!
The Kluxers marched for over three hours and ended at the Washington Monument where speeches were supposed to be given. The event got rained out.
The evening of the next day the Klan had a gathering at Arlington Park horse grounds and lit up a huge 80 foot cross.
More from the Post article:
Many of the hooded marchers showed their faces — a rather telling indication that the group, responsible for lynchings and other acts of terror, could operate with impunity. At the time, the Klan boasted a national dues-paying membership of nearly 5 million men and 500,000 women. The shedding of the masks was a subject of internal debate for the group, a move that some felt would grant their organization added legitimacy and respectability. (bolding mine)
[snip]
“You had many members of the KKK who were politicians — senators, congressmen, statehouse representatives,” said Kendi, “and that only encouraged the members to appear publicly without their hoods.”
Indeed, the 1924 Democratic convention was known as “the Klanbake,” because the party by a razor-thin margin voted against an anti-Klan plank in its platform.
OMG – the Klanbake!
All of this made me kind of curious so I went out looking for images of those marches and downloaded a bunch of them. I’ve created a slideshow of them for you to view some of these images. I also got a pic of the newspaper report of tRump’s dad Fred being arrested.
I won’t say I hope you enjoy viewing these images but I hope you consider it as something that happened before and in these times, something similar could happen again. Click the middle button to start the slideshow.
Open thread of course.
Good Monday Widdershins!
Our blogmistress had some real life issues come up so I’m covering here at sort of the last minute. Because of that and not having a lot of time this is mainly going to be a link dump post.
From this WaPo piece, it seems like the “ugly American” tourist is making a resurgence. Only this tourist was in Germany and thought it would be cute to do a Nazi salute. Color him clueless since he seemed not to know that the salute is a crime in Germany and he got busted-literally. Someone saw him do it and beat the crap out of him.
An American tourist gave the Nazi salute in Germany — so a stranger beat him up, police say
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Peter Cvjetanovic would like you to know that he’s really, really not a racist mkay. No, 
seriously.
You can read that HERE. By the way he’s also a precious 20 years old. Whatcha wanna bet he’s still on mom and dad’s health insurance?
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There is a new hashtag that is going viral, #ThisIsNotUS and you can check out a HuffPost article on it.
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From Business Insider here is an article with some background info, on the hit and run driver in Charlottesville, James Fields, again a 20 year old.
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David Frum in The Atlantic says it’s time for Republicans to “leap from the boat” that is the S.S. Trump. And I thought they were all so comfortable there.
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The occupant of the White House, appeared to be his usual clueless self when he made his statement after the events in Charlottesville happened and it took his staff making the rounds of the news shows the following day to attempt some damage control.
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The last link I have for you today is to an article about the photographer who captured the image of the car slamming into the counter-protesters. That was his last day working for the newspaper.
Welp, that’s all I have for you today. Hope you check out the links. Of course this is an open thread.
- In: lazy weekend | Odd News | Open Thread | Strange News | Trump | weekend widdershins
- 45 Comments
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I was planning this as an odd/weird/funny news post. I had it mostly finished so I’ll continue it that way but it will be abbreviated because of the shocking and horrible events yesterday in Charlottesville Virginia.
I have had this in the back of my mind to do for some time; since about the time Floriduh beat my Tigers in the College World Series semifinal. Revenge was mine I said and I set off looking for weird, funny and odd news stories from or about Florida. Trust me, they were not difficult to find. Some of these may be a little old because other things came up in the interim, however I think you’ll still find them amusing.
I want that beer and I want it NOW!
Even the Palm Beach Post said this one took a “decidedly Florida turn” .
So a man walks up to a guy in a boat in a wooded area on Merritt Island apparently looking for someone and…
When told the man was alone, deputies say Laplante brandished a long machete from a duffel bag and told the man to get on his bike and head toward a nearby Wal-Mart, Florida Today reported. Once there, Laplante then told the man to pilfer two six-packs of beer for him, police said.
Laplante has been charged with kidnapping and armed robbery, a felony.
Yeah, when you turn your victim loose, on his own, they will tend to run away or escape.
Kids just do the darnedest things, don’t they?
So Gary Winthrop wanted to give his mom a “prank” gift and uh, yes he did. He ran over his mom’s mailbox in Englewood FL and said he would get her a new one. Now, this was all a prank on mom and boy howdy did he prank her!
Gary Winthrop wanted to surprise his mom with a prank gift, so he drove his car over her mailbox and replaced it with one that sticks into a custom-carved 500-pound wooden sculpture shaped like a penis, WFTX reported.
“I thought I was getting a Harley or a car, and that’s what I got,” Gary’s mother, Sue, said.
Gary recorded the whole plan, from wrecking the current mailbox to reaction from his mom and neighbors, and posted it to YouTube. While showing a neighbor the 500-pound prize, one woman is shown in the video saying, “Oh, that is fantastic.”
The unusual mailbox remains on the Englewood, Fla., street, despite some neighbors’ complaints. In the video, a police car is shown heading toward the mailbox, but text at the end reads, “The cop laughed about it.”
But was it concealed? (Nope)
This man is terribly forgetful or else he was in one big hurry. Either way it did not turn out well for him.
A Jacksonville man accidentally shot himself in the penis when he sat down on a gun in the driver’s seat in his car.
Several television news stations report that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the man ran into his girlfriend’s house Friday after the gun discharged.
She saw that he had a wound in his groin and took him the hospital, where he underwent surgery.
The sheriff’s office said the 38-year-old man has a previous conviction for cocaine possession and may now face charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Okay, not Florida but it could be
Yes indeed it could be “Florida” since the current occupant of the White House (see I didn’t say Prez or anything like that) does have a place down there that he visits.
So ladies, didn’t y’all already know this? And really, it’s not just you ladies – we all kind of had an idea about this and now it’s scientifically confirmed.
It’s something most women intuitively knew: the louder the man, the smaller the genitals. Now science has more or less ticked off on the assumption – in monkeys, at least.
Nah, it’s not just the monkeys – we’ve all run into a few loudmouths in our lives haven’t we?
The researchers, from Cambridge, Utah and Vienna universities, said it marked the first evidence in any species of an “evolutionary trade-off” between the vocal tract and the testes.
“This means that different species of howler monkeys either invest in one of these traits or the other, but not both,” said Jacob Dunn, a biological anthropologist at the University of Cambridge.
“I think the main message is that when it comes to reproduction, you can’t have everything.”
Big b*lls or loud mouth. It’s a tradeoff
Well, I think we know which one the occupant settled on.
I hope y’all found a bit of humor and a break for just a few minutes from the sad news of yesterday. Of course this is an open thread so what’s on your minds today?
Lazy Sunday~musical goodbyes
Posted on: August 6, 2017
- In: lazy weekend | Music | Open Thread | You Tube
- 113 Comments
*All* kinds of goodbyes
No no, not gonna dwell on my sad news. Although, I appreciate everyone’s kind thoughts.
No, today I thought we might look at some musical goodbyes. Goodbyes can cover many things in life from a person passing away, to a change in your location, to a change in jobs or even a change in martial status. So there are lots and lots of types of goodbyes and even, maybe soon a political goodbye to certain people. (wink-wink)
Here are some songs that I found that I’ll share here. And of course your choices are welcomed in the comments below.
(1) Hello, Goodbye~The Beatles
(2) Friends Never Say Goodbye~Elton John
(3) Good Riddance (Time of your Life)~Green Day
(4) Farewell~Rihanna
(5) You’re Gonna Miss This~Trace Adkins
(6) Don’t Forget To Remember Me~Carrie Underwood
(7) Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye~Steam (The Band)
(8) When I Get Where I’m Going~Brad Paisley
(9) See You Later Alligator~Bill Haley & the Comets
So there you go Widdershins. A nice selection for y’all to build on. Open thread of course.
Dump Trump
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