I actually agree with pretty much all of this, particularly with describing openly what much of the R/Trumpian project really does to ordinary people. I think it's particularly effective to expose the lies, call them lies, and provide clear proof. The fact that, on the shutdown, D messages on the loss of health care are cutting through is a good example. It seems obvious to me that the finer points of progressive ideological concerns do not cut through to the electorate, or move the Overton window (except in the wrong direction).
I put this as a comment so as not to distract. The post is wonkie's, but the image of a spade is what I found at Amazon.
I'm grateful for her guestpost and want to encourage others if they have something they want to say. I think I have demonstrated that posts don't need to be airtight. Just send them over the transom to libjpn@gmail.com.
Some might wonder what would happen if a submission came in that I and the powers behind the screen (Russell, janiem and wj) were vehemently opposed to. Well, we can burn that bridge when we come to it. So give it a try, what do you have to lose?
Without wishing to continue to pile on CharlesWT, I want to reach way back to the link he provided to one Brandi Kruse.
Here is Ms. Kruse from Trump's "round table" on antifa today. h/t Atrios (https://www.eschatonblog.com/2025/10/sure-why-not_8.html):
"This is one of the reasons I recovered from it. By the way, it’s much better to not have TDS. I’m happier, healthier, more successful. I even think I got a little more attractive after I got rid of my Trump Derangement System"
I'm happy for Ms. Kruse, and I'm glad she's feeling more attractive these days.
These really are the most trivial people on the planet.
Big thumbs up for Josh Johnson. It is astonishing to me that he can craft a bit that is structured and crafted, but sounds like someone telling a story at a party off the cuff to a bunch of friends. Pretty amazing.
Less power if you've got an OLED (or other emissive) display. If you've got older/cheaper tech, black pixels and white pixels all consume the same amount of power.
I'd be interested to see the corruption index. My sense is that Russia, for example, is at a whole different level from China.
I think it's possible to have a growing economy dispite widespread corruption. But much harder than without that corruption. Also, I'd argue that there is a point where corruption gets so bad that economic growth becomes impossible. Clearly China isn't there. But I'm not sure how close they might be to the limit.
Jim Gaffigan? Rats. Though I do have to say I don't find him nearly as funny as I used to. In fact, I can't remember the last time I watched him on YT, or anywhere else.
Are we recommending comedians? If so: Josh Johnson! He has a mighty YouTube presence. Some of his posts are for channel members only (which I am not) but most are free. He is my newest Favorite Comedian.
Listening to Trump's babblings, it seems that he genuinely believes that Portland is burning (in so far as he believes anything at all). Apparently he thinks Fox reports which (maliciously) recycle video from 2020 are showing current events.
Like Biden, he's not all there after sunset. Unlike Biden, he's surrounded himself with people who are unwilling to put him right when he's confused.
One constitutional amendment which could conceivably get bipartisan support would be an upper age limit for presidents and vice-presidents. I suggest 66 at the scheduled inauguration date, with a sitting president being allowed regardless to run for re-election for a second term .
Although, for those who have issues, white on black uses a lot less battery. My phone, at least, swaps to that automatically when the battery gets low.
LJ,
Frankly, it gives me the willies. Too funereal, too haunted-house-ish. Readable, but ... meh.
First time commenting from my phone, BTW. Let's see how it works.
--TP
Another tweak, wpDiscuz only allows the comment box at the top, so I've set the order for Newest to appear first, so anything you are replying to should appear immediately below the comment form box.
Here are before and after images using the prompt, "A woman walks to an excursion boat, probably in Port Aransas, 1907. Please restore the image by removing noise, adding missing detail, sharpening, and colorizing."
I doubt I could read a book or a newspaper using white text on a black background. I have seen web pages like that, and found them just barely tolerable, FWIW.
And yes, this darker font on white background is grrreat.
--TP
I'm not sure about that, I'll never see them in a show, and from a lot of the articles, it looks like they have been slammed with fan mail. They may feel like they are being villianized (is that a word?) and canceled for 'just' telling jokes and trying to make a living, but I think they are fooling themselves pretty profoundly and a letter from a person who occasionally watches a joke they do on Youtube is not really going to have the traction that is needed.
I've changed text color. I'm wondering if the dark version, where it is white on a black background might be better.
As Michael notes, you've got to use the tools at the bottom, going old school with the tags doesn't work. The tools also include adding an image attachment, which people have struggled with.
The link is to Charlie Pierce's blog on the Esquire web site. It uses a pretty similar commenting format, but I think you need a subscription (~$20/yr) to get at the comments. That one uses threads -- you can reply to a comment -- but only 3 levels deep, I think. It has thumbs up/down tracked separately, and a notification function so you (a subscriber) can see who liked, disliked, or replied to your own comments. So, quite more elaborate than what I'm seeing here, but I've grown to like it.
--TP
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Chinese corruption”
[…] Obsidian Wings** – China’s Gilded Age (now with extra corruption!) […]
On “Let’s start calling a thug a thug”
I actually agree with pretty much all of this, particularly with describing openly what much of the R/Trumpian project really does to ordinary people. I think it's particularly effective to expose the lies, call them lies, and provide clear proof. The fact that, on the shutdown, D messages on the loss of health care are cutting through is a good example. It seems obvious to me that the finer points of progressive ideological concerns do not cut through to the electorate, or move the Overton window (except in the wrong direction).
"
I put this as a comment so as not to distract. The post is wonkie's, but the image of a spade is what I found at Amazon.
I'm grateful for her guestpost and want to encourage others if they have something they want to say. I think I have demonstrated that posts don't need to be airtight. Just send them over the transom to libjpn@gmail.com.
Some might wonder what would happen if a submission came in that I and the powers behind the screen (Russell, janiem and wj) were vehemently opposed to. Well, we can burn that bridge when we come to it. So give it a try, what do you have to lose?
On “Where are the 5 words?”
Comments about Trump Derangement Syndrome put me in mind of this old saw:
It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
Similarly, its not TDS to say that he's deranged. Not to mention demented and amoral and childish and vindictive and....
"
Without wishing to continue to pile on CharlesWT, I want to reach way back to the link he provided to one Brandi Kruse.
Here is Ms. Kruse from Trump's "round table" on antifa today. h/t Atrios (https://www.eschatonblog.com/2025/10/sure-why-not_8.html):
I'm happy for Ms. Kruse, and I'm glad she's feeling more attractive these days.
These really are the most trivial people on the planet.
On “Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk”
Big thumbs up for Josh Johnson. It is astonishing to me that he can craft a bit that is structured and crafted, but sounds like someone telling a story at a party off the cuff to a bunch of friends. Pretty amazing.
His bit on Bad Bunny has some points that I want to use in a future post, but for now, just enjoy.
https://youtu.be/QU93N7saW_E?si=vJCj4XdfM9fEkjwM
On “Excelsior 2.1”
Less power if you've got an OLED (or other emissive) display. If you've got older/cheaper tech, black pixels and white pixels all consume the same amount of power.
On “Chinese corruption”
I'd be interested to see the corruption index. My sense is that Russia, for example, is at a whole different level from China.
I think it's possible to have a growing economy dispite widespread corruption. But much harder than without that corruption. Also, I'd argue that there is a point where corruption gets so bad that economic growth becomes impossible. Clearly China isn't there. But I'm not sure how close they might be to the limit.
On “Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk”
Jim Gaffigan? Rats. Though I do have to say I don't find him nearly as funny as I used to. In fact, I can't remember the last time I watched him on YT, or anywhere else.
Are we recommending comedians? If so: Josh Johnson! He has a mighty YouTube presence. Some of his posts are for channel members only (which I am not) but most are free. He is my newest Favorite Comedian.
On “Where are the 5 words?”
Listening to Trump's babblings, it seems that he genuinely believes that Portland is burning (in so far as he believes anything at all). Apparently he thinks Fox reports which (maliciously) recycle video from 2020 are showing current events.
Like Biden, he's not all there after sunset. Unlike Biden, he's surrounded himself with people who are unwilling to put him right when he's confused.
One constitutional amendment which could conceivably get bipartisan support would be an upper age limit for presidents and vice-presidents. I suggest 66 at the scheduled inauguration date, with a sitting president being allowed regardless to run for re-election for a second term .
On “Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk”
Well, I can start watching this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb0Vd-XnlkU
On “Excelsior 2.1”
Although, for those who have issues, white on black uses a lot less battery. My phone, at least, swaps to that automatically when the battery gets low.
"
LJ,
Frankly, it gives me the willies. Too funereal, too haunted-house-ish. Readable, but ... meh.
First time commenting from my phone, BTW. Let's see how it works.
--TP
"
We've done dark writing on light media since at least the ancient Egyptians. For a variety of reasons, including how the human vision system works.
"
Another tweak, wpDiscuz only allows the comment box at the top, so I've set the order for Newest to appear first, so anything you are replying to should appear immediately below the comment form box.
"
Tony P. and all, how about this?
"
That one uses threads — you can reply to a comment — but only 3 levels deep, I think.
Wouldn't happen here, but I've seen websites' comment quality go downhill fast after threaded comments were introduced.
On “Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk”
I intended my comments for the Excelsior 2.1 post. :(
"
After processing the image. The "AI" took some liberties with the details it added. Like giving the men hats.
"
Images huh?
I've been playing around with Google AI Studio.
Here are before and after images using the prompt, "A woman walks to an excursion boat, probably in Port Aransas, 1907. Please restore the image by removing noise, adding missing detail, sharpening, and colorizing."
On “Excelsior 2.1”
I doubt I could read a book or a newspaper using white text on a black background. I have seen web pages like that, and found them just barely tolerable, FWIW.
And yes, this darker font on white background is grrreat.
--TP
On “Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk”
I'm not sure about that, I'll never see them in a show, and from a lot of the articles, it looks like they have been slammed with fan mail. They may feel like they are being villianized (is that a word?) and canceled for 'just' telling jokes and trying to make a living, but I think they are fooling themselves pretty profoundly and a letter from a person who occasionally watches a joke they do on Youtube is not really going to have the traction that is needed.
On “Excelsior 2.1”
like this ? Aha! And I've never known how to
strike through"
I've changed text color. I'm wondering if the dark version, where it is white on a black background might be better.
As Michael notes, you've got to use the tools at the bottom, going old school with the tags doesn't work. The tools also include adding an image attachment, which people have struggled with.
"
Testing. Testing. Testing. How about a link.
The link is to Charlie Pierce's blog on the Esquire web site. It uses a pretty similar commenting format, but I think you need a subscription (~$20/yr) to get at the comments. That one uses threads -- you can reply to a comment -- but only 3 levels deep, I think. It has thumbs up/down tracked separately, and a notification function so you (a subscriber) can see who liked, disliked, or replied to your own comments. So, quite more elaborate than what I'm seeing here, but I've grown to like it.
--TP
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.