Home » Open thread 11/13/2024

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Open thread 11/13/2024 — 31 Comments

  1. Referring back to yesterday. Emil Gilels was one of my favorites. I particularly remember a Deutsche Grammaphone of him playing Beethoven’s Appassionata. The sleeve cover in this Youtube link does not look familiar, and one of the commenters mentions that it is actually from his recording of a Brahms concerto. As far as Gilels look-alikes, another commenter metions he looks like Francis Bacon. ??

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URL1HEBciWc

    Here is another link of him playing, this time live, a prelude by Sergei R. No, not the one that Sergei came to hate. Set the volume to loud from the start.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv-cz5xX4hs

  2. Trump brings deportation chiefs into White House, away from entrenched agencies

    Trump has vowed to pursue the mass deportation of illegal aliens from the country, beginning on his first day. He has cited President Dwight Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback” as precedent for such an undertaking.

    Dwight Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback” had ‘As many as 1.3 million people may have been swept up in the Eisenhower-era campaign with a racist name’ – illegal immigration has been happening for many decades…

    His first administration saw internal leaks often frustrate his efforts to apprehend and deport illegal immigrants, but he appears prepared to avoid comparable obstacles by working outside of the traditional agencies, to some extent.

    Trump took a long time to stop the leaks last time…well, don’t believe he ever managed to stop them, but did eventually slow them down. Hard to believe no one was executed for such leaks…

  3. music for the ages, you think any of this stuff will endure in 2124?

    if you don’t want farhuds like what happened in Amsterdam, then you need to start mass deportations, yes they have chosen a particular dutch expression,

    in other news, it looks like someone fessed up to the nga leak, a cia official
    asif rehman, why would one be doing with other agencies proprietary info,

  4. Cuomo interviews Bill O’Reilly – ‘Trump admin picks are part of centralized plan’. 13.26 minute video (too long for me) with a strong point on Stephen Miller being a major power player—positioned to make sure everyone is doing what Trump wants.

    Trump is finally delegating leadership roles…sounds like Stephen Miller is in a perfect spot!

  5. If you haven’t already read it, here’s the big news of the day(?):

    Asif W. Rahman, a CIA official, has been arrested for leaking highly classified information, to Iran, about Israeli plans to strike back after Iran’s missile attack.
    Rahman was apprehended in Cambodia. He was then taken to Guam, where the arrest warrant was executed. Cambodia doesn’t have an extradition agreement with the US.

    Lots of places have published information about this story, but I think that it was first reported by the New York Times

  6. the campaign actually paid sharpton, 500 k for that cringe inducing interview,

    I thought they would just lie as a matter of course,

    Europe doesn’t want to save itself or it would allow the alliance and/or the national rally into power, to use two examples, they may be removing the chokeholds by phasing out net zero, even a bond film wouldn’t have come up with that,

  7. Out of morbid curiosity I watched a few YouTube videos compiling short clips of Harris supporters breaking down after the election.

    At first it was schadenfreude fun, but after a while it just made me sad. It’s one thing to take an election loss hard — 2020 felt like a shot to my gut — but it’s another to throw literal screaming and crying fits then broadcast them literally to the world.

    It was mostly young people, mostly female.

  8. they do need clinical help, but the therapists are likely infected with the same virus,

  9. John Thune is our new Senate Leader.

    Thanks so much Mitch, for making sure that the new GOP senate will not have the option of making this choice. I suppose they could try a redo, but I’m guessing that’s unlikely.

  10. “Pentagon pussies” are left STUNNED by Trump’s DoD pick!?!?

    Let’s see – having served in the Minnesota National Guard qualified coward Tim Walz to be Vice President and/or President of America, but being in the Minnesota National Guard as an Infantry Officer doesn’t qualify Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense…huh.

    Tim, can you match this?:

    Shortly after returning from Cuba, Hegseth volunteered to serve in Baghdad and Samarra, where he held the position of infantry platoon leader and, later in Samarra, as Civil–Military Operations Officer. During his time in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and a second Army Commendation Medal.

    He returned to active duty in 2012 as a captain. He deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard and acted as a senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul.

    I like this Secretary of Defense pick already!!!

  11. Yeah, not thrilled with Thune as Majority leader. And for the Turtle to undercut the new Senate is disgusting…glad he’s gone, but I have a feeling Thune won’t be much better.

  12. IMPORTANT Update: Uh-oh, on new Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — Pete Hegseth’s tattoos decoded!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Jerusalem Cross on his chest

    It is an centuries old symbol stretching back to the 13th century where it was used as the symbol of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the Crusades.

    The cross has become more controversial in the 21st century due to its perceived links to Christian nationalism.

    ‘Deus Vult’ on his bicep

    Tattooed on his bicep, Hegseth has the phrase ‘Deus Vult’ which means ‘God will it.’ This was a phrase that originated from the First Crusade as a battle cry for Christians.

    Cross and sword on forearm

    Other Christian iconography on his arm include a cross with a sword through it which represents the Matthew 10:34 verse of the bible.

    This reads: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.’

    This guys Tattoos almost make me want one! Continued:

    ‘Join or Die’ snake on inside of his forearm

    He also has the iconic ‘join or die’ snake, which is earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by colonists in Colonial America, on his arm.

    American flag and sniper rifle on the upper arm

    He also has a modern depiction of the current flag with a sniper at the bottom of the stars and stripes.

    This tattoo could be a reference to the second amendment which Hegseth is a strong supporter of.

    Infantry Regiment patch also on the upper arm

    One of his largest tatoos is situated just below his shoulder is a patch used by the 187th Infantry Regiment of the US army which Hegseth was a member of.

    This was a glider infantry unit during the Second World War which later fought in the Korean War as part of the airborne regimental combat team. The regiment also fought in later wars such as Vietnam, the Gulf war and the Iraq war.

    Have to hand it to Trump on this one…

  13. Have to hand it to Trump on this one…

    –Karmi

    Badass. I’ve said it before.

    Not the President we necessarily wanted, but the one we need.

  14. The Senate leadership is ….

    Majority Leader – John Thune – South Dakota
    Whip – John Barrasso – Wyoming
    Conference Chair – Tom Cotton – Arkansas
    Policy Chair – Shelley Capito – West Virginia
    Policy Vice Chair – James Langford – Oklahoma
    NRSC Chair – Tim Scott – South Carolina

    With the exception of Tim Scott – all are midwestern/western states & all are solid red states

  15. Coming from a state with large agricultural exports, Thune will likely oppose any reorganization of the tax base that shifts from corporate taxes to tariffs.

    I think Trump already has authority to impose tariffs without congressional approval, but Trump is going to face opposition to across the board tariffs unless it can be tied to offsetting tax breaks.

    It’s also possible that Trump intends to continue to use tariffs as the hammer to force more equal trade among trading partners.

    R2L recently said something interesting– that we should eliminate corporate taxes (keeping a nominal tax for administrative purposes). Critics of tariffs complain the tariff is a direct tax on consumers (which is debatable), but corporate taxes are a direct pass through tax. It would make export goods cheaper and incentivize manufacturing in the US.

    The problem to this approach would be deciding which corporations would be eligible for the reduced tax, since service companies also export their “products”.
    It could be applied to corporations that export goods or services.

    It might be time to revisit alternative taxing schemes like a flat tax or national sales tax. The argument against these is there unfairness to lower wage workers– but that could be offset with some rebate scheme based on income, replacing other support for low wage workers like subsidized housing, food, healthcare and childcare.

    I’ve read that the Noem pick was to dangle the opportunity for Thune to run for governor of SD. The problem with that theory is the next election for governor is 2026. Trump needs maximum support from congress for the next two years.

  16. Trump announced Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. I’m starting to really love Trump’s cabinet.

  17. Trump announced Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence. I’m starting to really love Trump’s cabinet.

    Alan+Colbo:

    Yer killin’ me! 🙂

    I know many here, including myself, have problems with Trump, but might we take a moment to salute this indomitable American and his historic comeback? And what that presages for America in the next four years?

    This is close to miraculous.

    Christmas came early this year.

  18. Kate:

    J’en ai pardessus la tête!

    I’m sick of this. I learned that expression today while reading Hemingway in French.

    Now I’m worried less about some “Seven Days in May” coup scenario. It seems that the Dems will be cruel and petty whenever they get the chance.

    That’s who they are.

  19. @ huxley > “It seems that the Dems will be cruel and petty whenever they get the chance.”

    They have always been that way, as far back as I remember.
    And this is only a small sampling.
    (And it’s of the political elites, not the rank-and-file, although the New Left certainly meets the same standard, such as it is.)

    Clinton’s people trashed the White House and took keys off the computers when they left.
    Obama’s people went out of their way to be “transformative” in persecuting random citizens like Joe the Plumber.
    Biden’s people let their dogs bite the Secret Service staff and others.
    Harris’s people — if she could keep anyone on her staff — would have been the worst of the lot.

    Add that to their routine insults and arrogance — yes, it’s who they are.

  20. @ huxley > “but it’s another to throw literal screaming and crying fits then broadcast them literally to the world.”

    It’s worse than just screaming.

    https://notthebee.com/article/hmm-can-you-spot-the-difference-between-the-before-and-after-headline
    “Blue Origin staffer married to prominent transgender editor kills dad with ax over petty argument, blames Election Day stress”

    (The URL indicates there was a different focus to the story before publication; not the only time I’ve seen a disjunct like this.)

    That’s a sad enough story by itself, but the post includes another one that’s worse.

    A Minnesota dad who ranted against President-elect Donald Trump online shot and killed his wife, ex-partner, and his two sons before turning the gun on himself, according to authorities. …

    Before his rampage, Anthony Nephew had been sharing left-wing and anti-Trump posts on his Facebook account.

    ‘My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion,’ Anthony Nephew wrote in July. …

    Anthony Nephew shared other political posts, including an image of former President Barack Obama, Trump, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The word ‘hate’ sits under Trump’s face, while the words ‘hope,’ ‘heal’ and ‘grow’ correspond with the Democratic politicians.

    Sadly, neither of these people went to therapists; I would hope that even the Lefties would have talked them out of their intentions.

    If one could sue an entire political party, I think the Democrats, in particular, have been accessories to murder for many years.

    And clueless about it as well, as I noticed in one of the Peanut the Squirrel stories.

    Andrew Cuomo, the Plague Governor responsible for hundreds of deaths of the elderly from Covid., apparently supports demands that NY enact statutes protecting pets from euthanasia. (h/t Snow on Pine)

    https://nypost.com/2024/11/03/us-news/who-ratted-out-pnut-the-squirrel-owners-have-their-theory-and-its-a-rich-one/

    The squirrel’s death sparked so much outrage that it prompted a state lawmaker to propose legislation to improve animal rights statutes, calling the bill “Peanut’s Law: Humane Animal Protection Act.”

    “What happened to P’nut was a tragedy,” state Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz said on X. “As a state lawmaker and an animal rights advocate, this tragedy can be an agent of change.”
    The measure would mandate a 72-hour waiting period before an animal from a sanctuary can be put to sleep and creates an appeal system, while giving animal refuge sites “the right to humane due process.”

    P’nut’s death has sparked backlash from other pols, too.

    The spokesman for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is reportedly eyeing a run for New York City mayor, trolled Gov. Kathy Hochul on X over her administration’s handling of P’nut

    “When no one is minding the store & state agencies are allowed to act with impunity, this is how stuff like this happens,” wrote the rep, Rich Azzopardi. “This situation should have come across someone’s desk in @GovKathyHochul’s office & someone with a brain should have stepped in.”

    Aside from the disconnect with Cuomo’s actual behavior, and assuming that there IS someone with brains at any Democrat desk, there is no reason something like this should have come to the governor’s office, but someone a bit higher up in Animal Control might have taken a look at it.

  21. Clinton’s people trashed the White House and took keys off the computers when they left.

    AesopFan:

    As I recall, they specifically took off the ‘W’ keys.

    As in George W. Bush.

  22. @ huxley – Thanks, I couldn’t remember which key, but I knew it was a petty, vindictive action.

    We should have had podcasters then who could have spread the word about how juvenile the Democrats were, and maybe they would not have had the chance to become evil as well.

  23. Interfering with a cherished cultural superstition, which really costs the public very little, seems unwise, AesopFan.

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