So, what I’m getting from this is that Trump’s campaign doesn’t have anyone that knows a goddamn thing about SEO. And that apparently it’s election interference for Google to prioritize real news sources over right wing propaganda outlets.

But this is also another good reminder that Trump views government authority as something that he should be able to wield without restraint. If he gets back into office he’ll use the justice department, the IRS, and any other federal agency he’s aware of as weapons to punish those who displease him. Doesn’t matter what the law says about any of this, his bullying will cost people one way or another, and all while he can’t be touched because as president he will be above the law.

With voters gearing up for the fall elections, these scandals have left many party members frustrated.

Not being able deal with their frustration is how they got into this mess.

Yes, it’s the thought of paying for a car seat that is preventing me from having a kid.

I mean, I can handle the crushing weight of student loans, the housing costs that keep going up, wages stagnating, having shitty insurance that makes me dread even small medical costs, and making ends meet by subjecting myself to an endless grind that leaves me barely enough time to contemplate kids let alone raising them. That’s all just normal, no need for concern. But a car seat? How the fuck am I supposed to pay for that?

Actually, the Haitian version would be vodou. Voodoo is a related but distinct tradition that developed in the US.

Republican official determined to make voting harder in Republican dominated community, not going to let facts or laws get in his way.

“Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters… but damned if they don’t feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP,” he said, referring to Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees Trump and Vance, respectively.

“All these thugs better get their mind right and their ass out of our country before January 20th,” the post concluded. That would be the day Trump and Vance would be sworn into office if they win November’s election.

Let’s see what we have here:

1. Negative generalization about an entire nationality.
2. Repeating the obvious lie about eating pets long after it was debunked
3. Blaming Haitians for a shitty streaming sevice.
4. Not knowing how to spell Vodou
5. Racist stereotypes about Vodou
6. Not Knowing the distinction between Voodoo and Vodou (presumably)
7. Hating immigrants because the country they come from is “nasty”
8. Thinks country is nasty, hates people for seeking sanctuary from it.
9. Slapstick? What, were the three stooges Haitian?
10. Thinks all black people are in gangs.
11. Look at them thinking they’re real people, signing fancy paperwork like they can read.
12. Thinks Trump is President.
13. Thinks Vance is VP, when even the insane view that Trump won in 2020 would make Pence the VP.
14. Disapproves of any accountability for Trump (no surprise there)
15. Thinks all black people are thugs.
16. Those immigrants need to learn their place.
17. Telling an entire ethnic group to leave the country before the next administration is in power, which sounds a hell of a lot like an ethnic cleansing threat.
18. Complete disregard for that whole election thing that’s coming up (see 11 & 12)
19. Thinks deleting a post will make it go away.
20. Does all this, isn’t even the worst situation about Republican politicians posting racist shit online this week.
21. Failed to stop Michael Myers, James Bond and the Puma Man.

Meanwhile Russia’s spraying the country with a firehose of lies, and illegally funneling money in to influence the election. IIRC Johnson got a hefty campaign donation from Russia, which he had to return when it was noticed.

But no, this is clearly the real outrage. Just because he didn’t endorse any politician or party and didn’t appear with any presidential candidate doesn’t mean that this wasn’t obviously election interference. Just look what he’s doing, reminding people that Ukraine exists and shaking hands with American workers who build the shells that are helping to save his country. What could be more sinister?

For real though, the pro-Putin wing is desperate to spin this story because it clearly shows how full of shit they are when they bitch about spending money on Ukraine instead of keeping it in the US. Supporting Ukraine isn’t just good for upholding the international order, safeguarding allies, and degrading Russia’s capabilities for remarkably little cost, but it’s also supporting domestic manufacturing jobs.

If they lie and tell people that their votes were counted when they weren’t in order to disenfranchise them by robbing them of their opportunity to correct the ballot, I believe they could face fraud charges. That’s in addition to any potential legal consequences for violating this court order.

I have to ask, have you read Orconomics? It’s a parody of fantasy, gaming, and economics. I recommend it to anyone who likes Pratchett, and especially if you’re into the extremely specific niche of financial fantasy satire.

The Dresden Files: A wizard working as a detective in Chicago. Fun, pulpy, and has an expanding world and scope as the series goes on. Often described as Harry Potter for adults.

Children of Time: Humans escaping a dying earth encounter a planet where a terraforming project accidentally created sapient spiders. Very thoughtful and creative. Explores the evolution of the spiders as a species and civilization and the ways they would be both similar and different from humans.

Dungeon Crawler Carl: OK, this is a hard one to describe in a blurb, but basically aliens invaded and turned earth into a massive reality show / video game. Our pantsless hero Carl and his cat Donut are among the survivors being whittled down level by level in an insane fantasy dungeon crawl. Has much better world building and character development than you would ever expect, is compelling while also being hilarious, and despite the very dark subject matter, it stays fun and avoids getting bogged down by misery. I highly recommend the audiobook version as it is absolutely first rate and adds so much more to the experience.

War of the Worlds: The adaptations have never done thr original justice. It’s a simple story, but very effective. And I just have a soft spot for really old classic sci-fi, what with the lumbering mechanical monstrocities and their heat rays assaulting pre-WWI military units.

Discworld is a strong recommendation from me as well, though Guards Guards is my preferred starting point

This reading order guide is quite good, though I’m pretty sure the note saying where the author said to start is wrong. IIRC, Pratchett’s recommendation was to start at Mort, skip Sourcery, and read through chronologically.

I also highly recommend the Orconomics trilogy. It’s clever, witty, satirical, and very, very Pratchettesque.

Isn’t this the same attorney general that refused to release prisoners that had been exonerated?

I’m a bit skeptical about the idea of people staying home in large numbers specifically because it was supposedly safe. But I think you can get to about the same place through an enthusiasm gap.

People who might have been moved by a better candidate and/or campaign but weren’t very motivated by Clinton stayed home. It’s possible that some might have been swayed if the race was neck and neck since it would have helped drive home the stakes.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are politically disengaged, and a large portion of the population votes on vibes more than reason and policy.

I think there’s two main reasons this keeps coming up every time a poll shows that Harris has even a chance at winning:

1. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was way ahead in the polls, only to lose. This was due to many factors, but one that gets a fair amount of blame is that a lot of people hated her and didn’t want to hold their nose and vote for her. Staying home was a lot easier when she was supposed to win by a wide margin.

2. While a lot of people pushing third party candidates were never going to support Harris, there are also those who think that it’s ok to vote third party in states that aren’t seen as in play in order to “send a message” without risking a Trump win. But if the polls are off and that state is closer than expected, those votes could still cost the election.

Historically, being ahead in the polls helps a candidate. The bandwagon effect is real, and can help drive up turnout and shift how people perceive an election or issue. That’s why partisan polls designed to skew the numbers have been around for so long.

Either way, it doesn’t hurt to remind people that no matter what they expect the outcome to be, we need as many votes as we can get. Bigger margins can help fight off conspiracy theories and legal challenges, and more turnout in down-ballot races can make the difference between gridlock and real progress.

Sadly, I was only able to find a fifteen year old, potato quality clip of Mel Brooks demonstrating what DeSantis just did to sex ed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYlepBd8cf4

For physical tasks that require little higher brain function but just need me to not zone out or chase a distraction, I listen to audiobooks and podcasts. It’s about the only way I can get stuff done around the house.

For tasks that require real brain power, I stick to original scores from movies and games. No lyrics, easy to find something with the right level of intensity for your mood, and generally designed to compliment an existing experience rather than be your sole focus.

Extended loops of Brothers in Arms from Mad Max Fury Road and Mountains from Interstellar have saved my ass in many a crisis. And the hour long Skyrim morning exploration mix and Witcher relaxation mix combined have probably doubled my creative output.

As of right now, 270 to win’s polling averages put Harris ahead of Trump in NV, PA, and WI by 1.6, 1.7, and 2.1 respectively. Those leads are small, but larger than Trump’s leads in NC or AZ which are at 0.8 and 1.0, and in a similar ballpark to GA’s 2.0 Trump lead.

In MI, Harris has a lead of 4.2, which is better than Trump’s 4.0 lead in IA and just behind his 4.3 lead in FL

Still too close, especially given how unreliable polls can be, but it’s what we have to work with.

She is ahead in the polls by a narrow margin in enough states to carry the electoral college. It’s still way too close, and we can’t take anything for granted. But the best available data says that if the election were held today, the odds of Harris winning are at least better than a coin toss.

For Cruz, I didn’t see a newer poll yet when I checked before commenting, looks like that last one was posted today (or they’re lying for SEO). Although the survey ends on the same date, so the data itself isn’t actually newer.

And most of the other polls go back into August, so while the poll showing Cruz behind could be an outlier, it could also be reflective of a change in the race. We just don’t have a lot of good data to work with here. The Morning Consult polls are the largest ones we have, and the only ones to come from the same firm with the same methodology, allowing an apples to apples comparison. That lends at least a little credibility to the idea that Cruz might be in trouble, and it’s definitely a close race either way, but I would definitely want more data backing it up before concluding that Cruz is actually losing.

As for Scott, yeah, most polls have him up by 3 or 4, give or take. He’s not losing, but he’s definitely vulnerable. And with abortion being on the ballot in Florida this year, I know I’d be sweating a little if I were in his position.

All I was getting at is that both candidates are potentially vulnerable, and either losing would prevent the Republicans from taking the senate as the article predicts.

Clearly he is a mischievous fey creature from the Orkney Islands.