Every detail that leaks just makes it worse and worse. Meanwhile, Fox is covering the mayor of NYC's visit to the White House and CNN is talking about goddamn giant pandas!

Goddamn, what a disgrace we are.

I cannot believe I am having to explain this to people.

taxing billionaires is good, it keeps them from even thinking about trying to make themselves kings, but nobody should mistake this for a silver bullet to resolve all the problems ever

Do Marxists realize Marx was just a guy? That he's not divine? That the Marxist interpretation isn't the only valid lens of all of human history? Do they realize there are, in fact, other possible interpretations of world events?

So fucking what?

I am fucking done arguing with people who have either a) only read Marx (or summaries of him) and b) can't interpret anything except through that lens.

The office is having a robust Twilight discussion.

"YOU be the judge"? Jesus Christ. "Law and order party," my ass.

Quote the office Brit: "Well, we had a bit of a dustup about that question, actually. We called it 'The Troubles' as not to worry anyone--a very British way to describe a War--but..."

Kind of bonkers to say something has "suffered" as "Good News," but here we are!

this is so fucking frustrating. OF COURSE SERVICEMEMBERS MUST REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT OGC IS TELLING SERVICEMEMBERS THAT ILLEGAL ORDERS (wrt bombing boats in the Caribbean, anyway) ARE, IN FACT, LEGAL. PERHAPS THE CONGRESS WOULD LIKE TO EXERCISE OVERSIGHT ON THIS ISSUE

Man, MBS just cannot help but smile like a movie villain can he?

I hate hate HATE these kinds of arguments, which I hear from a lot more people than Trump--that things are just too hard to do via the law, so it's all right to bypass it. To which I say, TOO DAMN BAD. (Or change the law, but you have to do it legally!)

Acquiescence, concession, and capitulation have been American policy since the Russians first rolled into Georgia in 2008, and Putin has rewarded our conciliatory policy by taking more and more and more. It is long past time to push back, and push back *hard.*

JFC.

jesus christ, we are run by the literally most incompetent people. (sorry, I don't know who wrote the top commentary, this is via a prominent Ukrainian blogger)

Last I checked, War Powers belonged to Congress, not to the President and certainly not to his chief of staff.

In the business, we call this an "oopsie daisy."

Fox News is on at work again and I swear to god, the Faulkner Focus segment is just Madlib headlines.

Good, tough writing with good, tough conclusions.

It's always Where's Waldo and ever How's Waldo

It's always Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and never How in the World is Carmen Sandiego.

Tuesday evening soundtrack (cont.):

Pynchon heads, how do you feel about *Shadow Ticket*? I have to admit, I'm disappointed. Felt like Pynchon lite, unfortunately, and had the same lack of spark I felt with *Bleeding Edge.* Saddens me, as I don't think we'll get another one from him, but I'm interested in others' thoughts.

Tuesday evening soundtrack:

i mean, i would love to have read Isabel Fall's next story, let alone her first novel

"He was a sick pervert who did all kinds of terrible things I never did and I knew he was bad the whole time but never tried to stop him or warn anybody about him and also it's a hoax and there's nothing there and it was all Democrats anyway and by the way I still might pardon his partner in crime."

The key word here is "insubordinate." The reporter is a CITIZEN! She isn't "subordinate" to Trump or MBS. They don't work for either one of them; they are not in the military. But that is how Trump sees the world--he and his buddies on top, and everyone else subordinate to them.

For the life of me I don't understand why the White House press corps continues to debase itself. (Congress too, for that matter.)

I cannot get over the President of the United States saying "You're a terrible person" to a reporter.

This press conference is truly demented. It's ALMOST enough to make you feel embarrassed for MBS. (Just kidding, it's not at all.)

Watching this press conference reminds me that while it has always been clear what Saudi Arabia gets from the US, I've never quite figured out what we get from the Saudis. For this reason, I call Saudi Arabia (alongside Pakistan and Israel) our allies without portfolio.

"Things happen" as if Khashoggi tripped over a curb and broke his neck instead of being dismembered by a Saudi murder team. Jesus.

This press conference is all over the place. That is, uh... not good.

Read this article. I grew up in a small, Southern non-denominational church. Without exception, every single pastor I met in that community was a striver first, a fascist second, an American third, and a Christian somewhere after that. This sickens me but it doesn't surprise me in the least.

I don't know where Brits get their idea of US cooking, but this is bonkers.

We are slipping from a Republic of law into something much more sinister. The warning signs are growing in both frequency and intensity--but all is not lost, and it is up to all of us everywhere to stand up for our neighbors.

Read this article. I grew up in a small, Southern non-denominational church. Without exception, every single pastor I met in that community was a striver first, a fascist second, an American third, and a Christian somewhere after that. This sickens me but it doesn't surprise me in the least.

ARC copies of Nuzzi's book have already been distributed, I see.

For those of us old enough to remember:

Sunday soundtrack (cont.):

Hobbes is more of a CKIII/HOI player.

Yeah, I dunno about that, hoss.

Man, this was even more right than I knew.

Not ashamed enough, bucko.

Monday night soundtrack:

An oldie, but a goodie real scandal junkies will appreciate.