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[Starver]

People like feet though.

Without them, their legs wouldn't reach the ground.

[Max™]

Speak for yourself, the only feet I like belong to the missus, and it's more a "she really enjoys footrubs and they're cute little footsies" thing than a "mmm, I'm turned on by these feet for some reason" type thing.

Whew, think I deflected the Tennant comment nicely, wait, crap did I think that or post it?

[PTTG??]

...
I do assume however the good people of the US will impeach him before it comes to that.

We've already had plenty of proof that the congressional republicans are nothing but quislings who would rather see the country burn than go against "the party" and will keep getting re-elected until their festering carcasses are scraped out of their chairs, and for two or three election cycles afterwards.

As for Sluissa's hypothetical argument, that's just trolling.

[Frumple]

Re: metric, it's mostly just a matter of phasing in slowly, tbh. Too much of the population used imperial for too long for a quick transition to be much of anything but a disaster. Instead what you'll see is individual things converting to metric over time (we use liters for some liquids, ferex), with it accelerating as older people die off and younger ones experience more exposure. Still probably going to be a while, though.

[Sergarr]

I do assume however the good people of the US will impeach him before it comes to that.

They won't impeach him, because US political system is completely broken. They didn't impeach Bush whem he invaded Iraq on absolutely made up reasons, and that was back when USA was far more functional and less divided along party lines than it is now.

What's a little coup assistance would do now, after they've already invaded and practically destroyed a country for no reason other than "hurr WMDs durr", without any legal casus belli, which is why they had to organize the whole "Coalition of the Willing" aka America-led crusade in the first place?


Meanwhile, Trump's budget... I'll just copy the relevant part:

After the election, the Trump transition team began the long, arduous process of putting together the presidential budget. As is always the case, it worked with the (non-political) career staffers at the Council of Economic Advisers.

Normally this process starts by asking the CEA staff to estimate baseline economic growth under current policies. These professionals then build on this baseline to forecast how the president’s proposals will affect the overall economy, as well as budget deficits.

The end results are often more optimistic than what independent forecasters predict — the White House is factoring in new policies it believes are pro-growth, after all — but not wildly so. The numbers still need to be credible.

Like I said, that’s how things normally work. Not this time around.

As the Wall Street Journal first reported (and as I’ve independently confirmed through my own sources), the Trump transition team instead ordered CEA staffers to predict sustained economic growth of 3 to 3.5 percent. The staffers were then directed to backfill all the other numbers in their models to produce these growth rates.

[palsch]

Well someone is sure feeling under pressure: Trump's lawyer has told 4 different stories about the Russia-Ukraine 'peace plan' debacle.

There was some speculation yesterday over whether his differing stories were trying to get the documents and actions covered by either executive or attorney-client privilege. Neither seems to work through, which may explain the panic.

Just dumping some other pieces that caught my eye today, mostly focused on Trump's inner circle.

Thoughts on the role of the White House counsel from Obama's. They hold off on judgement, but only just.

A less measured piece from Politico saying that McGahn will be an enabler, not a legal check, on Trump.

A profile on another Trump advisor, Sebastian Gorka. This guy is worrying for his extreme views on Islam and deliberate lack of nuance. From the article;

For him, the terrorism problem has nothing to do with repression, alienation, torture, tribalism, poverty, or America’s foreign policy blunders and a messy and complex Middle East.

“This is the famous approach that says it is all so nuanced and complicated,” Gorka said in an interview. “This is what I completely jettison.”

For him, the terror threat is rooted in Islam and “martial” parts of the Koran that he says predispose some Muslims to acts of terror.

My fear is that that enables Trumps own preference of over-simplistic explanations and solutions. He is also part of Bannon's parallel national security group, which may be an indication of the purpose of that group compared to the NSC itself.

Speaking of Bannon, there are reports he spoke with EU representatives to express hostility towards the organisation ahead of Pence's visit which sought to reassure and establish good relations. If these are accurate then there is a direct undermining of official diplomatic overtures by Bannon, with or without Trump's authorisation being the question.

Dmytro Firtash, a Ukrainian businessman, has been detained in Austria for extradition to the US. The crimes are related to bribery, but there has been some excitement around his ties to Russia and, supposedly, Trump through Paul Manafort. Probably nothing but worth being aware of.

[ChairmanPoo]

I do assume however the good people of the US will impeach him before it comes to that.

They won't impeach him, because US political system is completely broken. They didn't impeach Bush whem he invaded Iraq on absolutely made up reasons, and that was back when USA was far more functional and less divided along party lines than it is now.

What's a little coup assistance would do now, after they've already invaded and practically destroyed a country for no reason other than "hurr WMDs durr", without any legal casus belli, which is why they had to organize the whole "Coalition of the Willing" aka America-led crusade in the first place?


Meanwhile, Trump's budget... I'll just copy the relevant part:

After the election, the Trump transition team began the long, arduous process of putting together the presidential budget. As is always the case, it worked with the (non-political) career staffers at the Council of Economic Advisers.

Normally this process starts by asking the CEA staff to estimate baseline economic growth under current policies. These professionals then build on this baseline to forecast how the president’s proposals will affect the overall economy, as well as budget deficits.

The end results are often more optimistic than what independent forecasters predict — the White House is factoring in new policies it believes are pro-growth, after all — but not wildly so. The numbers still need to be credible.

Like I said, that’s how things normally work. Not this time around.

As the Wall Street Journal first reported (and as I’ve independently confirmed through my own sources), the Trump transition team instead ordered CEA staffers to predict sustained economic growth of 3 to 3.5 percent. The staffers were then directed to backfill all the other numbers in their models to produce these growth rates.

You were in favor of invading iraq AND stealing their oil 5 pages ago.

[Helgoland]

He's coming around. Give him a little while longer and he'll make a great Quisling for the Republic of St. Petersburg.

[Sergarr]

You were in favor of invading iraq AND stealing their oil 5 pages ago.

Even in my suboptimal thinking state yesterday, I wasn't in favor of that first part:

Are you seriously saying that the USA needs to engage in a massive imperialist conquest of the entire middle east and take their oil, including allied nations?

"Conquest" would amount to taking over their state structures. That is unnecessary and actually harmful to everyone involved. No, what you need is enforcing privatization and free trade, so that your corporations would be able to buy all these resources directly. Localized, efficient and profitable. They even have their own private armies nowadays if they need a little big of muscle to defend against local "drug lords" trying to get their fix source back.

He's coming around. Give him a little while longer and he'll make a great Quisling for the Republic of St. Petersburg.

But, but, secession is heresy! Also, what's "Quisling"? Is this Swedish for "mayor"?

[Cthulufaic]

Also, what's "Quisling"? Is this Swedish for "mayor"?

In a sardonic way, in modern-day Sweden that could sadly fit. But no, Quisling refers to a Norwegian politician who collaborated with the Nazis (Vidkun Quisling). It basically means traitor to the people.

Oh neat, that's not at all the same as someone in the US being a "Benedict Arnold", who switched sides to the British during the independence war.

[TheBiggerFish]

Um, no, it's not.

We just use quisling.

[Cthulufaic]

Um, no, it's not.

We just use quisling.

oh

[itisnotlogical]

I've literally never heard quisling anywhere in any context, but then I've never heard Benedict Arnold except in reference to the eggs.

[Starver]

Eggs Benedict are nothing to do with Arnold, though there are other competing claims.  (Lemuel Benedict, Commodore Elias Cornleius Benedict, etc..)

[Max™]

I've seen quisling used in various instances this last election season, and a few times before. I've had the urge to use it for something but didn't because I wasn't sure of the origin and exact meaning besides "conniving traitorous type" as a general description my brain spit out. I'm less confident about those than I am the spelling suggestions that pop up behind my eyes, though I still bump into things like judgment being the common spelling but my brain keeps displaying judgement.