Ace of Spades Pet Thread [Mis. Hum.]

—Open Blogger

Just goes to show you cats are cheap. Even rescue dogs cost more than a $20

Hi, welcome to the AoS Pet Thread. Did your pets need a safe space this past week? Your furniture doesn't count.

A Little of This. A Little of That.

• Dog vs. sour candy. Cute.
• Tonight there's going to be a jailbreak. We crate our dogs. However, they are not blanketed.
• Talk about snuggling.
• Quite the cat chow for deep pockets.
• Computer vs. Kitty

Meet The PetMorons

Our first submission this week is from Vitigator. Here's the story of these critters.
"I've always been a dog person and my husband loves cats but is allergic to them, but we just adopted (hired) these brothers for rodent patrol on our farm. They're just a few months old but already have learned the ropes and are putting a dent in our mouse and ground squirrel population... They sleep on the deck most of the day and wreak havoc at night. Kyle is the black and white and Stan is the tabby. They are super friendly and love to play, but the little piles of gore around the place bear witness to their nighttime activities..."

Long time lurker Desmondo shared this photo with us. Meet Snowball.
"If it was Sunday, Snoball got to go drinking with Dad. Best wingman ever. Pic taken at Siesta Key Oyster Bar."

Quite the trio!! No need to ask for consideration. They are adorable. How in the world did you get them to pose?
"Wanted to add my submission for your consideration. This is my dachshund horde Axel, Schnitzel, and Hans.
And I am Zombie Dachshund"

Lurker Ron submitted this photo of Duncan.
"Duncan checking out my tomato plants in the greenhouse. Sadly we lost Duncan to Cushings Disease last spring."
So sorry to hear that Ron. Duncan was a handsome dog.

We don't see many rabbits here. Mandy tells us the story.
"This is Biscuit, our family bunny. He lives in my son's room (hence the Star Wars bed sheets). The bunny is only about eight weeks old and still too young for his....junk to have descended so we're not actually sure if Biscuit is a he or she yet. Hopefully we will know pretty soon, but in the meantime I'm calling him a he and don't give a damn if he's "misgendered." 😉 And no, I didn't let him have my my coffee. He did seem to like how it smelled, though.
😄
Mandy P., lurking lurker who lurks"

Dave's submission rounds out this week's PetMorons. Hats off to you for taking on these wonderful animals. They have a wonderful story to tell through Dave.
"Shown top to bottom.

We found Fargo abandoned across the street from us about six weeks ago. We have been nursing him back to health, and trying to flesh out his bones. We guess he is about 8 -10 years old.

Arden, we rescued 11 Years ago. We think she is about 13 years old.

Bailey walked up our driveway about 3 years ago. He is all hound, with a love of shoes."

That wraps it up for another week. What a fine group of animals. And thank you so much for sharing. If you have an animal related story, tip, video don't be shy. Send them in. Do you have a photo to share with us of your pet? Please submit that to us. We can be reached at petmorons@gmail.com

Close it up

Thread below the Pet Thread: Nov. 12, 2016 [KT]

—Open Blogger

Victory gardeners, apple connisseurs and centerpiece designers are invited to carry on in the post below.

Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name, liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names, liberty and tyranny. The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as a liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty, especially as the sheep was a black one. Plainly the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of the word liberty. Abraham Lincoln

A disturbing post from a person I do not know showed up in my Facebook feed this week. They guy announced that he was setting up an Anne Frank-inspired refuge in his "cis- apartment" for any person of color, LGBTQ person or woman who felt that they were in danger due to the election of Donald Trump. In the comments, someone had posted a photo of the safety pin she was wearing.

I could have left a comment, but maybe I don't understand how dangerous Oklahoma has suddenly become to "the other". I truly could not think of anything to say. I fully agree with CBD's point this morning that there is a lot of work to do. But what could possibly get through to these people?

Saturday Gardening Thread: Thanksgiving is coming [KT]

—Open Blogger

I am thankful that the election is over. I have been marveling at the reactions to it. I have been sort of dazed, so a short post today. CBD has a nice thread below for political talk.

I am trying to switch gears into Thanksgiving mode. See some conventional and unconventional Thanksgiving centerpieces here. Choose your favorite. Do guests ever have problems with TALL centerpieces?

I have some chrysanthemums blooming, and some snapdragons coming along. And a few veggies. You doing anything in the garden to prepare for Thanksgiving?

Produce Report

There is some great broccoli in our local supermarket right now. Good thing, as I have none ready in the garden now.

The apples are hit and miss. Did you know that your apples is likely to be 14 months old? In one way, this is a marvel. Apples year-round. But quality can suffer with storage. Even short storage in the case of some strains of Gala, which were great in September, but are so-so now.

I think they mix old Fujis with new crop Fujis at our supermarket. Some of the old ones seem discolored inside. Others just taste "stored". But Fuji tastes better after a few months of storage than Gala does. But last year's Fujis were picked a long time ago. I am currently storing some Red Fujis and Pink Ladies on my trees. Pink Lady last the longest on the tree. Anybody else do this? Which apples do you like this time of year?

Gardens of The Horde

I managed to plant some wheat grass for the dogs this week. Have you done anything in the garden? Seen any interesting plants? Fall leaves?

Have a great weekend.

Close it up

A Missive From Mr Wolfe Comes To Mind [CBD]

—Open Blogger

This is a good point, and something to consider for 2020, when the Democrats will, presumably, field a slightly stronger candidate than a kleptocratic drunk with serious neurological issues.

There is a lot of work to be done.

Saturday Morning Weird News [Mis. Hum.]

—Open Blogger

Quite the week, eh?

Grab your favorite beverage and check out some items that didn't get much attention here at the Ace of Spades.

We can make an exception for a tea drinker on occasion.

EMT 11/12/16 [krakatoa]

—Open Blogger

I haven't stopped laughing since Wednesday morning.

Let's play a game.

We'll call it The Debt Pool.

How soon after inauguration does the media rediscover true unemployment, a bad economy, crushing public debt, and the plight of the homeless?

Overnight Open Thread (11 Nov 2016)

—CDR M

Thank you for your service to all the Veterans out there.

How President Trump will change America's military and foreign policy. This part needs to happen stat.

A near certainty under a Trump Presidency is the total overhaul of the Veteran's Administration. Trump has pounded away on the topic since he first announced his candidacy, and it's a promise he has to keep once in office. This will likely include a total restructuring of the VA's top management, and more of a focus on providing veterans access to healthcare outside of the traditional VA system. Also going after waste and fraud within the VA will be a top priority.

2nd Amendment

Well, judging by all the riots and calls for violence because someone won an election, you lefties can kiss my ass about any and all further restrictions on my right to own arms. However, if you lefties really feel scared about a Trump Presidency, you can always buy some guns. Ironically, based on some of your behaviors, where you live and the laws you passed, and possibly arrest history, you may not pass a background check or be allowed to carry said gun. You can always take solace in one of your gun free zones.

Climate Change Hysteria

DNC staffer claims Trump Presidency will be fatal: "I'm going to die from climate change". Nah, this staffer is more likely to die from making stupid decisions. Interestingly enough, a blue state voted no on 'climate change' initiative.

Paint Guns

Iran Deal

I suspect the damage has already been done and will be hard to undo or even renegotiate. Trump election puts Iran nuclear deal on shaky ground. Europe, China, and Russia want it to stay as they are already heavily invested in Iran.

Moving

So as with all liberal promises, their promises to flee to Canada, Europe, etc. were just jokes. Funny you said Trump was so bad you HAD to move. Was that just hyperbole? So now their bright idea is to flee their self-inflicted utopia's and move to 'swing states'. No, y'all need to stay just where you are. Funny how all these dire promises are like all the climate change hysteria. Oh no the oceans are rising we must do something and then you keep buying oceanfront property. Or keep cruising around in your private jet spewing out CO2 as you wail about the rising CO2 levels. Y'all act like you don't believe your own BS.

Greatest Nature Video Ever

"He's like the Usain Bolt of baby Iguanas".

Hollywood Influence

One of the better outcomes from this election is the realization from Hollywood of how insignificant they are. Donald Trump's win is a slap in the face for Hollywood. So why is it OK for Hollywood to discriminate against actors that don't toe the line with the approved, liberal mindset? Another example of many that highlights the left's disconnect with their "Coexist" bumper sticker beliefs.

Related and funny: Celebrity meltdowns.

The Pussy Generation

Today's college students should just be called the pussy generation based on all the headlines over at The College Fix.

Mars Images

NASA have just released 2,540 gorgeous new photos of Mars.

Voting Stats

Trump got more votes from people of color than Romney did.

Be On The Lookout

Well if you see someone wearing a safetydiaper pin on their clothes, be wary. You might be dealing with someone not coping so well with a Trump victory.

Dog Video

Tonight's ONT brought to you by something hidden in the picture:

Top image via

Notice: Posted by permission of AceCorp LLC. Please e-mail overnight open thread tips to player to be named later or CDR M. Otherwise send tips to Ace.

Close it up

Michael Wolff: Trump Exposed Media as Smug Incompetents

—Ace

And Michael Wolff is on the left side of things.

And also part of the media.

The media turned itself into the opposition and, accordingly, was voted down as the new political reality emerged: Ads don't work, polls don't work, celebrities don’t work, media endorsements don’t work, ground games don't work.

Not only did the media get almost everything about this presidential election wrong, but it became the central issue, or the stand-in for all those issues, that the great new American Trump Party voted against.

The transmutation of political identities has arguably devolved into two parties: the Trump one, the angry retro people, and the Media Party, representing the smug modern people, each anathema to and uncomprehending of the other. Certainly, there was no moment in the campaign where the Media Party did not see itself as a virtuous and, most often, determinative factor in the race. Given this, the chants of "CNN sucks" at Trump rallies should not have been entirely surprising.

But they were. The media took this as a comment about press freedom rather than its own failure to read the zeitgeist. In fact, it largely failed to tell any story other than its own.

...

In a situation that only had two possible outcomes, nobody was even able to pretend they had contemplated both....

It all washed away. Beyonce. The tax returns. The theoretical blue wall. Trump as sexual predator. Putin. His shambolic debate performances. Hispanics. Indeed, every aspect of the media narrative, dust. This narrative not only did not diminish him, it fortified him. The criticism of Trump defined the people who were criticizing him, reliably giving the counter-puncher something to punch. It was a juicy target. The Media Party not only fashioned the takedown narrative and demanded a special sort of allegiance to it - Twitter serving as the orthodoxy echo chamber -- but, suspending most ordinary conflict rules, according to the Center for Public Integrity, gave lots of cash to Hillary. The media turned itself into the opposition and, accordingly, was voted down.

And it was a failure of modern journalistic technique too. It was the day the data died. All of the money poured by a financially challenged media industry into polls and polling analysis was for naught. It profoundly misinformed. It created a compelling and powerful narrative that was the opposite of what was actually happening. There may be few instances, except perhaps under authoritarian regimes, where the media has so successfully propounded a view of events not only of its own making but at such odds with reality.

I have long criticized Twitter as being a very insidious conformity-creating engine, and have long advised people to get out of the sheltered comfort of their no-dissent-desired Twitter claques and behind-the-scenes list-servs and actually engage with people who will challenge their beliefs, rather that spending 10 hours a day having their thoughts validated by fellow Cultists.

And I've also said repeatedly these "thoughts" are by and large not "thoughts" at all, as they were never thought by the person parroting them. Beliefs no longer come out of someone's own brain as he sits alone and thinks about his situation; no, thoughts are now Twittered into someone's brain by the relentless yapping of the Twitter herd.

Beliefs are no longer being intellectualized into existence, but simply socialized into people through conformity rituals and group loyalty shibboleth recitations.

Thinking is not a team sport. It is not a group project. Deciding what you think is not a collaborative project to undertake with 1000 of your Very Bestest Fake Internet Friends on Twitter.

It never has been. It never will be.

Some Commenters Are Saying I Misread, Or Over-read, AllahPundit's Post

—Ace

Here's the specific section I found objectionable. Bolding mine. Some of the bolding supports commenters' claims that AllahPundit is just being neutral and analytical here, describing the situation as it is; other bolding supports my take-away that he's essentially grumbling the Trumpers are, well, deplorable:

The follow-up statement might be enough to protect them in court but the publicity damage has been done. Trumpers seem to have long memories -- about some things. About other things, like the conservative belief that businesses should be able to hire and fire whomever they please because they're private entities, memories might be shorter. But then, that’s true to the spirit of Trumpism, which to some degree is about making the left play by its own rules. Conservatives warned liberals for years that racial identity politics is poisonous to national unity, but Trump won because many working-class (and college-educated) whites voted the way other racial blocs do. Likewise, if the left wants to make it illegal for a Christian business owner to decline service for a gay wedding on conscience grounds, then laws prohibiting retaliation for political activity will be scrupulously applied to GrubHub too. Trump's formal campaign slogan was "Make America Great Again," but really, in practice, "It's Payback Time" would have worked as well.

What I guess I'm zooming in on is tone, which I see here as being grumbling, antagonistic, and condescending.

But "tone" is a very nuanced thing and I may in fact be over-reading here. I can't help but add in the external information I already have about AP's general stance about "Trumpian" spirits.

I don't see it as "Trumpian" to punish a Social Justice Warrior, as if this is some deviation from the Vow of Total and Complete Political Pacifism that exactly none of us have ever sworn to.

I consider it a rather obvious thing -- when they step over the line employing an untoward tactic, you are free to use that same tactic against them -- which has a long, long pedigree.

The idea that this vengeful, intolerant spirit of using the same Social Punishment tactics against those who themselves use Social Punishment tactics is a new thing created by Trump and only subscribed to by Trumpers is... let us say, ahistorical and without support in the literature.

There is a potent and respectable ethic of total pacificism and refusal to retaliate for wrongs in existence. Jesus' turn-the-other-cheek ethic is one example of it.

But that ethic is 1, extremely hard to live by and thus more of a Heroic Ideal than a rule which is observed by most on a day to day basis, and 2, often widely taken to be "metaphor" (I personally disagree -- I think he meant it), and 3, almost never observed in politics.

I would respect someone attempting to live by that ethic -- but I don't really respect the pretense that this is just something we all commonly do in our everyday lives, and failure to maintain fidelity to this ethic is some kind of flaw or deviation, either of the "Trumpian" variety or simple character flaw variety.

And where the hell do conservatives keep getting the idea that people get special rights to be free of all criticism or ostracism -- even if they're playing the game of ostracism and coercion themselves! -- simply because they own a business?

That's a similar rule to liberals claiming media workers have special rights that "civilian" citizens do not.

I don't care what your fucking job is. No special rights. The rules apply to all or the rules apply to none.

This Maloney asshole may implement his policy (in some jurisdictions, at least, where it's not illegal) -- but I am free to implement my policy as fucking well.

And my policy is that I reject and resist attempts to create a Second Class Citizenship for conservatives.

What's everyone else's? Are Principled Conservatives now on board with the project to turn conservatives into official, state-recognized Second Class Citizens?

This isn't a "Trumpian" issue -- this is an issue, if you haven't noticed, which has been going on for years, and in fact was #WhyYouGotTrump.

Trump was not the cause of the issue; the issue was the cause of Trump.

But some people seem to think, as people thought with Obama, that politics began precisely at the moment the results of the last election were called.

Eh. Decide for yourselves.

I think the biggest divider in this "political" discussion is not political at all. It's psychological -- do you lean more to the Deference side of things, or the Defiance side of things?

Obviously I'm on the Defiance side. And I'll be damned to Hell before I willing participate in -- validate -- a never-ending push to deligitimize me as a human being by claiming that I cannot do certain things but my Social Superiors may do them.

If this asshole can boycott his Trumpian employees, then I can damn-sure boycott his business.

No special rules for special people. Not another fucking inch more down that road.

I think it was Camus who suggested that the central affirmation of one's existence was the capacity to refuse, the capacity to say "No."

I'm saying no.

I refuse.

Crisis? NFL Considering Reducing Commercial Time During Games

—Ace

When an organization proposes reducing the amount of money it's taking in in order to buy back some goodwill, you can take that as a sign they're really worried about having lost all that goodwill.

As Ratings Plummet, N.F.L. Considers Reducing Ads and Length of Games

By KEN BELSONNOV. 10, 2016

N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Thursday that the league was looking at a variety of ways to shorten game broadcasts, including trimming some advertising, to keep the action moving.

The league has seen its television ratings plunge this season, something that Goodell has said is related to a number of factors, including the intense interest in the presidential election, as well as shifts in the way fans have been watching games.

...

Goodell noted, though, that the pace of games could also be a factor in the ratings decline. Fans have complained for years that games are too long, and they frequently express annoyance at the number of commercial breaks and video reviews. Last season, the average length of regular-season games, from kickoff to final whistle, was 3 hours 8 minutes, six minutes longer than in 2008.

NFL viewership is down double digits this year. Goodell called the falling ratings a "cyclical" phenomenon.

In related news, Joe Thiesman has only minor permanent impairment to his leg due to the "cyclical" leg-break Laurence Taylor inflicted on him.

Goodell is also saying that Trump's election has made things difficult for him at home.

Asked whether his job was harder with Trump's ascension, at a DealBook conference in New York, Goodell pivoted to how it challenged his home life.

"It makes my job harder at home, too," Goodell said. "I have twin daughters and a wife, so I have to explain that to them. So, that's yes on that front."

Please let me give you money in the form of direct access to my brain and precious hours of my short life.

Evil Geek Owner of GrubHub: If You Agree With Trump, You Have No Place In My Company

—Ace

Obviously he's now denying he meant what he obviously meant.

Grubhub CEO Matt Maloney is facing a firestorm after speaking out against President-elect Donald Trump in an email to employees Wednesday, saying if employees don't agree with creating a culture of support and inclusiveness, they should resign.

In the original, nearly 300-word email sent to the online food-ordering company's 1,400 employees Wednesday afternoon, Maloney said he rejects the "nationalist, anti-immigrant and hateful politics of Donald Trump."

By the next afternoon, a Twitter campaign to boycott the company was in full force, as headlines claimed he told all pro-Trump employees to resign.

Maloney said in a blog post Thursday night his comments had been misconstrued, and that he was trying to say he doesn’t tolerate discriminatory activity or hateful commentary -- not encourage Trump voters to quit.

In the original email, Maloney wrote: "While demeaning, insulting and ridiculing minorities, immigrants and the physically/mentally disabled worked for Mr. Trump, I want to be clear that his behavior - and these views, have no place at Grubhub. Had he worked here, many of his comments would have resulted in his immediate termination."

He also wrote that the company promised to fight for any employee who was scared or felt personally exposed.

"If you do not agree with this statement then please reply to this email with your resignation because you have no place here," he wrote. "We do not tolerate hateful attitudes on our team."

In an emailed statement to Blue Sky, Maloney said his original email wasn't intended to call out all Trump supporters.

"At Grubhub, we welcome and accept employees with all political beliefs, no matter who they voted for in this or any election," he said. "We do not discriminate on the basis of someone's principles, or otherwise. The message was intended to advocate for inclusion and tolerance -- regardless of political affiliation -- during this time of transition for our country."

In a tweet that was later deleted, Maloney added: "To be clear, GrubHub does not tolerate hate and we are proud of all our employees - even those who voted for Trump."

In a statement posted by Grubhub later Thursday evening, Maloney said his comments had been misconstrued.

"I want to clarify that I did not ask for anyone to resign if they voted for Trump," the statement said. "I would never make such a demand."

There's now a boycott on, and Grubhub (a publicly traded company) dropped 2% since this event. It actually was down as far as 6%, but I guess people saw a buying opportunity and bought it back up. But as of earlier this morning, it was down 5%.

I of course advise everyone to vote with their dollars: #boycottgrubhub.

Allah claims that it's a "Trumpian" will-to-power move to boycott someone who is threatening his employees for not following the literal company line. He implies -- stop me if you've heard this before -- that Good Conservatives are corrupted by "Trumpian" tactics and are of course now monsters.

Completely novel take from Allahpundit.

I never get the people who claim that Social Justice Warriors are free to use social coercion and boycotts to inflict their will upon others, but it's somehow untoward of conservatives to use the same tactics against the Social Justice Warriors.

I emphatically do not support these tactics -- except in the limited circumstance of using these tactics against those who themselves use these tactics.*

I do not support arson, but I do support fighting fire with fire. The people claiming that others can set fire to us but we must be #Principled and not deploy fire as a weapon in reprisal will have to explain this curious ethic of surrender rather than just asserting it.

Let's analogize this to the use of physical force against someone. Generally, it is forbidden. You can be arrested for assaulting someone, and also sued.

But the law does permit you to use force to defend yourself against another's use of force, or to defend another person from someone's use of force against him.

The ban on the use of force is not absolute, as Allah seems to want to pretend. It is the general rule, yes, but there is an important circumstantial caveat permitting it.

If a Social Justice Warrior decides to use the untoward tactics of coercive social or economic pressure in the name of politics -- then I get to use force against him. He's declared his own Rules of Engagement; he cannot weep (and Allah should not weep on his behalf) to see those Rules of Engagement followed as regards conduct directed towards him.

As AllahPundit's new schtick seems to be to endlessly lecture actual conservatives about their supposed departure from longstanding conservative beliefs, I hope he'll bother himself to look up what Reagan and almost every other real conservative had to say about the efficacy of Unilateral Disarmament.

You know -- since he wants to be totally consistent in his conservative principles and all.

I guess "politics" just comes down to which Tribe you feel kinship with and which you hate, and we're seeing a realignment of many as far as which Tribe they now are looking to defend, and which they're looking to attack.

And it's very possible Grubhub's action is illegal in some jurisdictions. In some states, an employer can fire someone (or strongly suggest he self-deport, as it were) for his political beliefs.

But while employers may terminate employees for political opinions they don't like, they can't do so in others, where such conduct is considered illegal and creates the basis of a lawsuit, as several lawyers active on Twitter pointed out. Read this string of tweets from employment lawyer Popehat in reverse order (bottom to top):

And Kurt Schlicter, who doesn't mind making some money off the pain of a Social Justice Warrior Gone Wild:

The only good news for this Mahoney or whatever guy is that he totally does Not look like the sort of still-angry-about-high-school nasty geek who leaps at any little chance to exert power over others because he's still smarting over the powerlessness he's felt most of his life.

Oh wait. On second thought, I guess there's no good news here.

* Oh -- and I also encourage a total boycott (or as much as people can manage) against the media and all affiliated industries. They are now simply the Democrat Party, Entertainment Division. I don't patronize the Democrat Party and I try, to the extent possible, to avoid patronizing the media.

Powerful Rant: British Leftie Explains That "Being Offended, Insulting People Doesn't Work Anymore," And If You Keep Calling Anyone Who Disagrees With You Racist, Sexist, and Stupid, That's How You Get Trump

—Ace

You'll have to put up with him in the beginning as he (somewhat briefly) offers the left his credentials to speak, and trashes Trump as a "shit-spewing demagogue." He's no kinder to Hillary.

But that's not the point of the video. The point is that he's telling the left it is their very "crying" about being "triggered" and making people afraid to speak their true thoughts lest the be "silenced" and "shut down" that makes people vote for Trump.

He says, more than once, the left itself is responsible for Trump's victory, and he includes himself in that, I guess for having put up with or even indulged in this emotive hysteria himself.

Worth a watch. Content warning for lots of cursing. Maybe a tipping point.

Mid-Morning Open Thread [OregonMuse]

—Open Blogger

Map of Arda, Including Middle Earth

Here is one possible map of the area of J.R.R. Tolkien's imagination known as Middle Earth. He spent most of his adult life working on it and filling it out.

The above map is so tiny, you can see hardly anything So please click on it to get the big picture. Especially if you're a Tolkien fan. You'll be glad you did.

That little area in the red box? That's the part of Middle Earth where pretty much all of the action of both The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring trilogy takes place. Similarly, we're used to thinking of the FOTR as this yuuuge epic, and it certainly is, but it's actually a relatively small part of Tolkien's vast scheme of things.

The red box doesn't show up on the embiggened pic because I could only add it to the small pic I stored on my hard drive.

As probably most of you know, in order to tell the history of Middle Earth, Tolkien invented whole languages and borrowed others, such as the language of Rohan, which I've heard is actually an obscure dialect of c. 5th century English.

Incidentally, this is not the only possible rendition of what Middle Earth could have looked like. See, for example, this one and that one. And this one in particular.

And now for something completely different (below the fold)

The Morning Report 11/11/16 [J.J. Sefton]

—Open Blogger

Good morning all. On this day 98 years ago, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns of August fell silent after four long, brutal years of the Great War. To all of you who have worn and continue to wear the uniform, the words "thank you for your service" are completely inadequate to express our gratitude. And I hope that those who languish in VA hospitals or suffer in silence elsewhere will be remembered, comforted and rescued from their shameful abandonment. G-d bless them all. Have a great weekend, kids.

• That Didn't Take Long: Webb Hubbel's Kid Being Groomed for Congressional Run
• Schadenboner Part Zwei: Democrats at War With Each Other
• That Didn't Take Long Part 2: McConnell Signals Dems He's Ready to Cave on Nuclear Option
• Asshole Suggests Hemorrhoid For Trump's Secretary of State
• Illiterate, Bloated Yenta: "The Only Checks and Balances Is 'The View'"
• Trump's Opportunity In the Rent-a-Mob Orchestrated Terrorism
• Time to Criminalize Tyranny
• ObamaCare Defenders Vow "Total War" to Defend It

Thursday Night Overnight Open Thread (11/10/16) [Mis. Hum.]

—Open Blogger

The ONT Word of The Week

Schadenboner: Definition

Taking really, REALLY immense delight in the misfortune of some loathesome person-like creature. Well beyond garden-variety schadenfreude, a case of schadenboner lasting beyond four hours means the tumescent owner must seek medical attention.

The final exposure of Dan Rather as a failshit partisan back in 2004 gave me a 3-hour schadenboner..at least.

Schadenboner: Illustrated

Yes, the ONT is still a little giddy over Tuesday's results.

Speaking of schadenboner, does the Horde ever get tired of these?

Essay question for 25 points. Why are elections held on Tuesday?

Joe Cocker singing about his deplorable friends?

During Wednesday's excitement an important anniversary had been overlooked.Where were you 27 years ago? Although he wasn't the president at the time.The world owes Ronald Reagan a debt of gratitude.

Millennials. They are a unique generation. Their sensitivity is G.D. nuts. Their work habits have been called into question. Many seem to be afraid of commitment. Numerous stories have been written about them.Not all of them live in their parents basement. The story of one young man and how he walked away from the typical 9-5 job. No safe spaces for him.

When you're connected to your work or to the company, there's a possibility it will improve your life overall. But I was unhappy. Not even $90,000 a year at age 31 could buy my happiness. But it did buy me something — the ability to say goodbye.

For my final working year, I lived as cheaply as possible to save up money to buy a van, renovate it, and put enough money away for one year of expenses at my current standard of living.

And then I quit my job.

Now that you have met Dave Sandel. It's time to meet his counterparts at the University of Minnesota.

Lutherans are known for their crazy jello salads. The ONT has no idea what religious practices these folks have.

Today is the birthday of a special group of folks. Happy Birthday Marine Corps

Tomorrow November 11th is a special day. It is Veteran's Day. Thank you Vets for all you have done.

The late Peter Tosh singing about American referendums.

There is big money to be made in the simplest of things. Look at cable television for example. No government on earth had ever created a for-profit marijuana market – until voters decided to do so in the United States.Shocker!!!! Surprise!!!!

Dan Riffle, once one of the nation’s most influential lobbyists for legalization, now opposes what he sees as a commercial takeover of the movement – the creation of an industry dependent on heavy users and kids.

“Legalization is happening, you know, for the first and only time,” he said. “And it seems like instead we’re just going to do alcohol again. We’re just going to do tobacco again. We’re just going to create this big, commercial model.”

Mark Kleiman, a professor of public policy at New York University and a decades-long supporter of softer marijuana laws, shares Riffle’s concerns. “We’re lurching from prohibition to the most wide-open kind of legalization,” he said. “Probably a bad idea.”

Well just what the hell did you think would happen if marijuana was legalized? You thought kids and heavy users were going to stay away? Capitalism, entrepreneurship and free markets still exist in the good old U.S.A. for a while. The maker of legal product out there from milk to the "green car" does so to make a buck.

So once legalization has occurred. What happens to those who have been convicted? Individuals with simple possession charges/convictions could probably be released. But what about the 20 something criminal whose record is long as your arm with multiple felonies including gun charges? Do we unleash unintended consequences upon the innocent?

Meet Seattle business owner Steven Aragon. The ONT doesn't know how much blood, sweat and tears he has put into his Seattle business. But we would expect a lot. The City of Seattle has gone after gun dealers via tax code. Of course revenues are down and employees have lost their jobs. But what the hell. The liberals feel good.

Mike Coombs, owner of Sodo's Outdoor Emporium, says he has laid off three employees and taken a $2 million hit in sales so far in 2016.

His customer count, he says, is also down by 32 percent.

Meanwhile, Coombs says his other store -- Sportco in Fife -- has seen a 10 percent to 12 percent increase in sales.

He blames the Seattle gun violence tax, passed last year and implemented Jan. 1. The ordinance charges a $25 tax for every firearm sold in the city and 5 cents for every round of ammunition of .22 caliber or greater. Given that ammunition comes bundled in boxes, those nickels can add up.

That leads Coombs and other gun tax opponents to wonder: How much money has Seattle collected from this tax? It's the subject of a lawsuit filed by reporter Dave Workman and the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation in September.

In the spring, Workman sought the city's tax revenue from the gun violence tax, but the city government declined to divulge the information, claiming that such records could compromise the identities of the people who have paid the tax.

If liberals are so Goddamned smart why haven't they figured out that targeted taxes such as this do more harm than good? It isn't about outcomes it's about intentions. If it were about the outcome the City of Seattle would be shouting from the rooftops how much the tax revenue was.

The left talks about "sensible" gun control. Does this sound sensible to you? Felons in possession of a fire arm committing a felony doesn't sound sensible to average person.

From the SMFH files. Chicago looks like the old west with its shootings and murders. What better way to stop the Wild West look than banning a western playset. Geez, why didn't they think of that before?

Wrapping up Tuesday's election news. Liberal strong holds increased their tax burden "for the kids."The cost of your Dr. Pepper just went up.Thank God these idiots weren't present at the time of our country's founding.

You think .22LR ammo is expensive and hard to find? Try stocking up on this ammo. $800K per round.

How many of these look familiar? You have the right to remain silent.

NSFW Movie scene comes to life on a plane. Hint, it doesn't involve spiders.

Not happy with Tuesday's presidential election results? Had enough of the U.S.A? Want to leave? Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out. There may be a job just right for you in Canada.

However, if you are moving to Canada, be careful of what you say about Islam.

While a motion will have no legal effect unless it is passed as a bill, the symbolic effect of the Canadian parliament unanimously condemning "all forms of Islamophobia," without making the slightest attempt at defining what is meant by "Islamophobia," can only be described, at best, as alarming.

What exactly are they condemning? Criticism of Islam? Criticism of Muslims? Debating Mohammed? Depicting Mohammed? Discussing whether ISIS is a true manifestation of Islam? Is any Canadian who now writes critically of Islam or disagrees with the petitioners that ISIS "does not reflect in any way the values or the teachings of the religion of Islam" now to be considered an "Islamophobe"?

When you see certain people, especially the moon bats from Hollywood, feel free to express yourself.

Not moved by tonight's musical content? Failure to communicate in the brain may be behind indifference to music.

Hungry? Want something different? The ONT still recommends a medium rare cheeseburger every time. Boring? Perhaps. Lethal? Well, maybe over an extended period of time. Unlike these 17 foods.

There is a new Yiddish-English dictionary. This will certainly help here when the occasional Yiddish word or phrase is thrown out by the commenters.

My parents were probably felons. What about your parents?

Do you receive packages via UPS, FedEx, USPS? Do you have problems with theft of those packages? This might help you out.

Facing a criminal charge is bad enough. Shooting yourself in the leg TWICE. That's a Genius Award winner if there ever was one, Part I.

Genius award winner, Part II

The feel good story of the day, I

The feel good story of the day, II

ONT tips, spare chagne and 2017 pocket calendars can be sent here.

The Group.The Kids can still be found here.

Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by family portraits.

Posted with permission by AceCorp, LLC. The ONT is highly flammable. Do not use near fire, flame, or sparks.

Close it up

Leftists Ruin Everything, Including Childhood [Warden]

—Open Blogger

I'm seeing posts like this all over Twitter.

I feel bad for my kid.
She was born in 09.
She has only known @BarackObama.
Now #Trump is president & she's scared to death.

— ?uesthate (@ironsidehex) November 9, 2016

My 8 yr old niece asked my sis who won & once she said trump she broke into tears saying she's scared a child comprehends more than adults

— KASSANDRA🌹 (@kassxzeledon) November 9, 2016

It's bad enough that progressives put this kind of irrational fear into their children, worse how they then wave their kid's wholly unnecessary trauma around like some sort of badge of honor.

"See? My kid is SCARED! Are you HAPPY, Trump voters?"

Eat shit and go fuck yourself simultaneously. Your child freaking out over a completely valid election result has nothing to do with me, with "hate", or with America being an awful place. No, it has everything to do with your own emotionally instability and terrible parenting.

This behavior you're describing is abnormally neurotic and wholly inflicted by YOU as a result of your spiritual emptiness, your need for a bit of drama to spice up this soft, meaningless life you're living, and your complete inability to control your shrieking hysterics in the face of even the most minor of setbacks.

Here's a question: When did it become okay in this country for so-called adults to exhibit roughly zero self control in public or in front of their children at home? Have any of these primal scream addicted ninnies considered that embracing and amplifying every last emotional impulse is not a healthy thing for them or for our civil society?

Well, of course they haven't. Because it's never about anything but ME ME ME ME ME AND RIGHT NOW AND ME AND NOW AND NOW AND MY FEELINGS AND ME AND MY TRUTH AND ME RIGHT NOW AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME HOW TO FEEL.

As my wife commented to me today about many of her political tantrum throwing friends on Facebook, "My God. Control your shit!"

Yeah. Maybe pause and walk away for awhile. Read something having nothing to do with politics. Calm down. Consider. Reflect. And choose to face life as an adult instead of letting your juvenile, knee-jerk reactions run your life while damaging your marriage, your children and all the relationships you hold dear.

There's a difference between thinking about something deeply and letting that thing own your thoughts.

Edit: Loved this enough to pull it into the post.

Trumphausen by Proxy - when parents instill in their children irrational fears to garner sympathy and attention for themselves.

Posted by: Anna Puma at November 10, 2016 09:20 PM (HgtNw)

If you don't get the reference, it's Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, which is when a parent deliberately makes her kid sick to garner sympathy and attention.

Reason's Robby Soave: I Tried Telling My Confreres on the Left That Social Justice Warrioring Was Going to Produce a Trump-Shaped Backlash, But They Refused to Listen

—Ace

They say every political memoir can be titled If Only They Had Listened to Me, but in this case, Soave would have a right to that title.

My liberal critics rolled their eyes when I complained about political correctness. I hope they see things a little more clearly now. The left sorted everyone into identity groups and then told the people in the poorly-educated-white-male identity group that that's the only bad one. It mocked the members of this group mercilessly. It punished them for not being woke enough. It called them racists. It said their video games were sexist. It deployed Lena Dunham to tell them how horrible they were. Lena Dunham!

I warned that political-correctness-run-amok and liberal overreach would lead to a counter-revolution if unchecked. That counter-revolution just happened.

There is a cost to depriving people of the freedom (in both the legal and social senses) to speak their mind. The presidency just went to the guy whose main qualification, according to his supporters, is that he isn't afraid to speak his.

Even when it comes to fantasy play -- like videogames -- the Thought Police were determined to hunt their quarries down and bring their scalps back wet and red.

As I've said: This Big Brother regime will yield to you no solace from their prying eyes and following footsteps.

They will even pursue you into realms of pure fantasy -- they will even hunt you down in your dreams.

Well, we can now say things like "Grab life by the pussy and never let go" again.

And that is, in fact, a victory worth celebrating.

And yes: The fact that you wouldn't even leave us alone in our daydreams and play is exactly #WhyYouGotTrump, you thought-patrolling Adult Baby monsters.

Enjoy the harvest you seeded.

Hillary Clinton's Top Aides Have Figured Out Who to Blame For Her Epic Loss
(Come on, It was Epic; Don't Judge Me For Using That Word)

—Ace

So, she blamed two institutions for her loss.

The first one, I won't make you guess. Come on, you already know: The FBI, obviously.

But what about the second?

What other powerful institution could possibly have sabotaged Hillary's chances?

Come on, you know. Even though it's so absurd you don't want to say it.

Go ahead, say it. I promise you, you won't look absurd.

Yes, that's right: The second culprit is the media, for being, you know, so obviously biased against her.

The Hill (the website) is skeptical. But then, the media is always extremely hostile to any suggestion they're less than perfect.

But in this case, that hostility is justified.

Aides also blamed the media for the loss.

"The media always covered her as the person who would be president and therefore tried to eviscerate her before the election, but covered Trump who was someone who was entertaining and sort of gave him a pass," Podesta said. "We need to reflect and analyze that and put our voices forward."

All Democratic failures are always blamed on "messaging," if possible, and if that's not possible -- and only if that's not possible -- then the messenger.

They can never blame their disastrous results nor the core ideology they prescribe.

Trump during the campaign frequently criticized the media for being too hard on him.

Podesta, whose hacked emails were released by WikiLeaks over the campaign’s final stretch, said top Clinton aides will argue that the press created a "false moral equivalency" in its coverage of Clinton and Trump.

The campaign chairman blamed the press for "the dominance of the way they covered the email" controversy, saying it overlooked "the conflicts of Trump's businesses, the Russian contacts we are now learning to be true, the failure of the press following the 3-page leak to the New York Times to really dig into the income tax question."

And they totally acted with tranquil reserve about Pussygage too, I'd add.

As Calls for Political Violence Increase, CNN Keeps Putting on Van Jones, Who Stokes Fires of Political Panic

—Ace

Violence in some causes is acceptable.

Incidentally, thought this entire account has been deleted and I therefore can't confirm this tweet existed, a lot of people on twitter are claiming that a UK based reporter tweeted, "Time for a presidential assassination."

Should that pan out as true, I have this prediction:

The media, so worried about threats to reporters, will be strangely reticent to report on a threat made by a reporter.

Who wants to bet against me?

And someone from Mother Jones claimed that Hillary losing is a lot like the buildings coming down on 9/11. Or at least that she hasn't felt such a blow as this since 9/11.

The Real Deplorables

They're calling from inside the media...! They're inside the media!