Yes, indeed, my worthies, in just a couple of hours that screen is going to be filled with Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts startling fans with their scrambling and passing and – somehow – keeping their cool with Rihanna less than 100 yards away in her backstage dressing room getting ready for her halftime show that Republicans, bless their hearts, have already found some reason to whine about. And we’ll be parked across from the TV under heated blankets with two little fur balls curled up next to us, and
Regarding DeSantis: He is systematically going after higher education with a right-wing wrecking ball, and it seems that nobody at any Florida university has the guts to defy him.
Anyone with enough authority to stand against DeSantis in the state college system has been replaced with his own creatures. One would think that someone with an Ivy League education would have a better regard for higher education than what this madman is trying to do. I guess he is trying to out-Trump Trump and also his religious fanaticism (if that's what it is) is driving him.
I believe that Cruz and DeSantis hated, loathed and despised every minute of their Ivy League educations. But they knew that degrees from such school are prestigious and so they persevered and have since devoted their lives to destroying those and ideologically similar institutions.
I think DeSantis genuinely believes in what he is doing. He’s an extreme right-wing Christian fanatic intent on destroying everyone and everything that opposes him. He’s like Torquemada, the fanatic behind the notorious Spanish Inquisition. “ERROR HAS NO RIGHTS” was his motto and it’s DeSantis’s motto as well.
I'm planning to skip the Super Bowl as I have are most of the years. Football just isn't my thing. Besides, with all else that's going on in the world, the last thing I need is more noise in the room with less consequence in my daily life. Other people undoubtedly feel differently about this, but that's them.
This spate of aerial shoot downs is remarkable. Even during the depths of the Cold War, we didn't have this sort of intrusion into our airspace that we are seeing just now. Apart from China, who conceded that the first balloon was theirs, there's been no announcement about the source of the other aerial vehicles that have been intercepted and destroyed over the past week. Maybe they are Chinese, but maybe not. Nobody is saying, and that suggests to me that there is a beehive of activity going on beneath the radar to figure out just who these intruders are likely to be. Now we have some sort of aerial object destroyed over the Great Lakes. When you figure and distance traveled between their and our erstwhile adversaries across the North Pacific Ocean or over the polar Arctic, that's a long way to be flying without being detected. I would not expect to see the Canadian Defense Ministry, or the USAF mounting combat air patrols anytime soon, but if we have the technology to launch and maintain interstellar telescopes, we can certainly find a way to track high-altitude man-made objects whose operators might be intending to do us harm. It's not that their presence is beyond the realm of imagination, more likely, the expected payoff to an adversary might have been considered too inconsequential to warrant the risk of discovery and predictable military and diplomatic response. We have military forces stationed scattershot around the world that are closer to your adversaries, and that an overflight over them seemingly might be more productive than one, say, over Cleveland or Duluth. What is discoverable might not be worthy of taking notice from a military or a strategic standpoint. But that's just my guess. The fact that a tactical fighter likely F-16 could take down some sort of airborne object over one of the Great Lakes suggests to me that whoever launched that aerial vehicle did so as a prank, or as an act of desperation. Considering the cost of doing that sort of thing, I have to wonder who would do that, if it turns out that this thing was launched by a bunch of thrill seekers whose sole intentions were to shake up things. If so, that suggests to me that whoever did that might be oblivious to the risk of serious fines, or even jail time. Alternatively, if this was the doing of a hostile foreign power, I'd have to wonder what the expected payoff was.
Having lived close to the gates of the Air Force Academy, I'm not convinced they are teaching their cadets that value of a country that is diverse ethnically, politically, religiously and otherwise. Given the influence evangelicals exert, I'm thinking they are being indoctrinated in white christian nationalism more that anything else.
Yep. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is always doing battle with USAFA over the way that non-evangelical cadets are treated. Even more telling was something I witnessed first hand - the disdain that USAFA grads treat the officers of any other service, including those that graduated from West Point or Annapolis.
And just as your excellent synopsis was published, an American fighter shot down yet ANOTHER (the 4th) unidentified object over Lake Huron. How many more until the Chinese stop this foolishness?! Oh yeah, Go Chiefs!!
Hello, all. It is a chilly “rainy” Sunday here. The weather prognosticators made it sound like it was going to be rain of certain religious proportions. On Sunday morning, the rain gauge was ‘scant’. Yes, the sky is visibly angry, somehow seeking to impart snow, but no; temps in the forties won’t do it. I laughed at winter. Well, I chuckled. I know what it can really do, like to my friend, Mary, in Buffalo, New York. At any rate, no football game here tonight; we don’t follow sports. I’m sure Rhiana’s show will be far better and more entertaining. Yes, the earthquake and its aftermath continue to realize additional terrible losses of the lives of fellow humans. And, despite what Repugnantcans say publicly, we all are fellow human beings. They just want to erase any and all rights for all but white, cisgender, Christian males. Yes, the – our – world “continues to spin on its trembling axis.” Turkish President Erdogan must be a closet Repugnantcan because the rich are receiving aid faster than the poor in his country. I used to think the U.S. was the only racist country in the world, but I have been proved incorrect. Erdogan’s rounding-up of “people responsible for” fallen edifices to reduce criticism is tantamount to MTG’s most recent (and endless verbal rants) about protesters in Idaho, claiming, "I am so honored to have so many protesters — made up of nasty women who watch the view and their "low-T" husbands — here in Idaho! Privilege of a lifetime” to reduce her own critics. As far as Trumpty-Dumpty is concerned, I’m so far over him. I want the DOJ to slam him, but as I also know, the wheels of justice turn slowly; too slowly at times (like now with Trumpty-Dumpty). I’m mentally exhausted with him and his endless games of “delay.” Yes, the 2024 Presidential race is already on us, all of us, and it already feels like I’ve had too much tryptophan. No Democrats but the incumbent, and he’s nearly 80 years old. This FACT is losing voters, but they have nowhere to go but the Repugnantcans, all Puritans, and either fascists or Nazis. Take your pick. No, better; NAME YOUR PICK! It’s new game show that will play until the elected Nazi or Fascist Party wins and closes all press DOWN. Desantinista is a fascist trying to outdo the orange balloon. He will lose. I hope Disney is making plans to “immediately” yet quietly depart the HATE STATE as Desantinista continues to gain control over their rights. Leave, Disney, depart on the day after the florida senate does what Desantinista wants you to do. Leve a gaping financial hole wide enough to force a NEW state income tax, and tax social security, too, for all those seniors racing to the official HATE STATE. Go for it. Ok, I’m 4th down and ready for a Hail Mary something. Huddle; plan; enforce. Here we go.
If you watch the game, enjoy it. Enjoy your family, friends, and company at your homes. Live, love, and talk so long as you are able. The alternative is not as much fun. Go in peace. Oh! TD for me!! I get the Heisman…what, oh, the Stanley Cup? Oh…do I at least get a green jacket? No? What fun is this? What about…can I just pick one? No? Ok…back to happy hour and writing. LOL!
You too Lucian. Hopefully the objects really are aliens from outer space because we all know the Earthlings start getting along better when the Martians show up.
The most remarkable thing about that column ( and most others of his) is boiling all that down to understanding the issues and unless I am wrong intelligence in writing not being obviously positive about either side.
I have believed from the beginning that Trump stole the classified documents to sell them to the highest bidder, probably his pal Putin, or maybe the Chinese. Others I've talked to agree. But this has not gotten into the press, for some reason. It would be interesting to hear your take on it.
There isn't any evidence of that, and the DOJ doesn't appear to be investigating him for selling the documents, so until there is some movement, it's not a story, and that's why you don't see anything about it. I raised the possibility in several of the many stories I wrote about the Mar a Lago documents.
I have an old graduate school friend who teaches there and has always enjoyed it, and there's no way she'd enjoy a right-wing environment. so I figure it's okay. it IS in NYC after all.
but then so is Staten Island, so who, finally, knows?
Regarding DeSantis: He is systematically going after higher education with a right-wing wrecking ball, and it seems that nobody at any Florida university has the guts to defy him.
The opposition needs to be more powerful than just academic.
Anyone with enough authority to stand against DeSantis in the state college system has been replaced with his own creatures. One would think that someone with an Ivy League education would have a better regard for higher education than what this madman is trying to do. I guess he is trying to out-Trump Trump and also his religious fanaticism (if that's what it is) is driving him.
An educated electorate is his worst enemy. Same applies to Cruz and the others exposed to excellent educations.
I believe that Cruz and DeSantis hated, loathed and despised every minute of their Ivy League educations. But they knew that degrees from such school are prestigious and so they persevered and have since devoted their lives to destroying those and ideologically similar institutions.
I think DeSantis genuinely believes in what he is doing. He’s an extreme right-wing Christian fanatic intent on destroying everyone and everything that opposes him. He’s like Torquemada, the fanatic behind the notorious Spanish Inquisition. “ERROR HAS NO RIGHTS” was his motto and it’s DeSantis’s motto as well.
Earthquakes are not preventable. Sh*t building practices due to corruption are. Erdogan et al have blood on their hands.
I'm planning to skip the Super Bowl as I have are most of the years. Football just isn't my thing. Besides, with all else that's going on in the world, the last thing I need is more noise in the room with less consequence in my daily life. Other people undoubtedly feel differently about this, but that's them.
This spate of aerial shoot downs is remarkable. Even during the depths of the Cold War, we didn't have this sort of intrusion into our airspace that we are seeing just now. Apart from China, who conceded that the first balloon was theirs, there's been no announcement about the source of the other aerial vehicles that have been intercepted and destroyed over the past week. Maybe they are Chinese, but maybe not. Nobody is saying, and that suggests to me that there is a beehive of activity going on beneath the radar to figure out just who these intruders are likely to be. Now we have some sort of aerial object destroyed over the Great Lakes. When you figure and distance traveled between their and our erstwhile adversaries across the North Pacific Ocean or over the polar Arctic, that's a long way to be flying without being detected. I would not expect to see the Canadian Defense Ministry, or the USAF mounting combat air patrols anytime soon, but if we have the technology to launch and maintain interstellar telescopes, we can certainly find a way to track high-altitude man-made objects whose operators might be intending to do us harm. It's not that their presence is beyond the realm of imagination, more likely, the expected payoff to an adversary might have been considered too inconsequential to warrant the risk of discovery and predictable military and diplomatic response. We have military forces stationed scattershot around the world that are closer to your adversaries, and that an overflight over them seemingly might be more productive than one, say, over Cleveland or Duluth. What is discoverable might not be worthy of taking notice from a military or a strategic standpoint. But that's just my guess. The fact that a tactical fighter likely F-16 could take down some sort of airborne object over one of the Great Lakes suggests to me that whoever launched that aerial vehicle did so as a prank, or as an act of desperation. Considering the cost of doing that sort of thing, I have to wonder who would do that, if it turns out that this thing was launched by a bunch of thrill seekers whose sole intentions were to shake up things. If so, that suggests to me that whoever did that might be oblivious to the risk of serious fines, or even jail time. Alternatively, if this was the doing of a hostile foreign power, I'd have to wonder what the expected payoff was.
Having lived close to the gates of the Air Force Academy, I'm not convinced they are teaching their cadets that value of a country that is diverse ethnically, politically, religiously and otherwise. Given the influence evangelicals exert, I'm thinking they are being indoctrinated in white christian nationalism more that anything else.
Air Force Academy does have a problem with fundamentalists. West Point not so much.
West Point has issues that aren't evident...it graduated the biggest con artist in the country. Try to convince me that he earned it.
(Did some more synapses collapse overnight?) Who's that, Celeste?
my mix up, pardon.
T -rump isn’t a West Point grad…. Is he???
No, Judith—a military boarding school, certainly not West Point. Apparently his father bought him a Wharton School degree.
That's still going on at the A.F. academy? First read that a couple decades ago.
Worse now than ever before.
So, our fighter planes are being flown by fascist fundie bigots who admire Putin???
Yep. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is always doing battle with USAFA over the way that non-evangelical cadets are treated. Even more telling was something I witnessed first hand - the disdain that USAFA grads treat the officers of any other service, including those that graduated from West Point or Annapolis.
I am glad to know there is a group that opposes the outrageous religious bigotry at this academy! Go MRFF!!!
Oooo, that is NOT good news.
Volkswagen Beetles in the air. Who knew??
Beetles do have wings, you know. 🐞😊
And just as your excellent synopsis was published, an American fighter shot down yet ANOTHER (the 4th) unidentified object over Lake Huron. How many more until the Chinese stop this foolishness?! Oh yeah, Go Chiefs!!
Hello, all. It is a chilly “rainy” Sunday here. The weather prognosticators made it sound like it was going to be rain of certain religious proportions. On Sunday morning, the rain gauge was ‘scant’. Yes, the sky is visibly angry, somehow seeking to impart snow, but no; temps in the forties won’t do it. I laughed at winter. Well, I chuckled. I know what it can really do, like to my friend, Mary, in Buffalo, New York. At any rate, no football game here tonight; we don’t follow sports. I’m sure Rhiana’s show will be far better and more entertaining. Yes, the earthquake and its aftermath continue to realize additional terrible losses of the lives of fellow humans. And, despite what Repugnantcans say publicly, we all are fellow human beings. They just want to erase any and all rights for all but white, cisgender, Christian males. Yes, the – our – world “continues to spin on its trembling axis.” Turkish President Erdogan must be a closet Repugnantcan because the rich are receiving aid faster than the poor in his country. I used to think the U.S. was the only racist country in the world, but I have been proved incorrect. Erdogan’s rounding-up of “people responsible for” fallen edifices to reduce criticism is tantamount to MTG’s most recent (and endless verbal rants) about protesters in Idaho, claiming, "I am so honored to have so many protesters — made up of nasty women who watch the view and their "low-T" husbands — here in Idaho! Privilege of a lifetime” to reduce her own critics. As far as Trumpty-Dumpty is concerned, I’m so far over him. I want the DOJ to slam him, but as I also know, the wheels of justice turn slowly; too slowly at times (like now with Trumpty-Dumpty). I’m mentally exhausted with him and his endless games of “delay.” Yes, the 2024 Presidential race is already on us, all of us, and it already feels like I’ve had too much tryptophan. No Democrats but the incumbent, and he’s nearly 80 years old. This FACT is losing voters, but they have nowhere to go but the Repugnantcans, all Puritans, and either fascists or Nazis. Take your pick. No, better; NAME YOUR PICK! It’s new game show that will play until the elected Nazi or Fascist Party wins and closes all press DOWN. Desantinista is a fascist trying to outdo the orange balloon. He will lose. I hope Disney is making plans to “immediately” yet quietly depart the HATE STATE as Desantinista continues to gain control over their rights. Leave, Disney, depart on the day after the florida senate does what Desantinista wants you to do. Leve a gaping financial hole wide enough to force a NEW state income tax, and tax social security, too, for all those seniors racing to the official HATE STATE. Go for it. Ok, I’m 4th down and ready for a Hail Mary something. Huddle; plan; enforce. Here we go.
If you watch the game, enjoy it. Enjoy your family, friends, and company at your homes. Live, love, and talk so long as you are able. The alternative is not as much fun. Go in peace. Oh! TD for me!! I get the Heisman…what, oh, the Stanley Cup? Oh…do I at least get a green jacket? No? What fun is this? What about…can I just pick one? No? Ok…back to happy hour and writing. LOL!
You too Lucian. Hopefully the objects really are aliens from outer space because we all know the Earthlings start getting along better when the Martians show up.
"Klaatu Barata Niktu." why do I still remember this?
I haven't seen the movie in well over fifty years
You can get your cats to watch football? Maybe it's colder on the east coast than I imagined. Or maybe Tracy has cat treats in her pocket.
As for the UFOs cruising around overhead, at this point I would prefer ET's kinfolk to FOs sent by our Chinese or Russian friends.
And you guys as well and thanks for the updates on current events and happenings.
The most remarkable thing about that column ( and most others of his) is boiling all that down to understanding the issues and unless I am wrong intelligence in writing not being obviously positive about either side.
Enjoy the game if you watch it (I don’t). Thanks Lucian for keeping us informed!
Eat lots of chips and dips .....
Thanks for the neat summing up. I lived in south Jersey for 5 years long ago, still an Eagles fan.
I have believed from the beginning that Trump stole the classified documents to sell them to the highest bidder, probably his pal Putin, or maybe the Chinese. Others I've talked to agree. But this has not gotten into the press, for some reason. It would be interesting to hear your take on it.
There isn't any evidence of that, and the DOJ doesn't appear to be investigating him for selling the documents, so until there is some movement, it's not a story, and that's why you don't see anything about it. I raised the possibility in several of the many stories I wrote about the Mar a Lago documents.
Lucian, there are four service academies......
I don't know anything about the Coast Guard Academy. Sorry I omitted them.
Also Kings Point, The Merchant Marine academy
I have an old graduate school friend who teaches there and has always enjoyed it, and there's no way she'd enjoy a right-wing environment. so I figure it's okay. it IS in NYC after all.
but then so is Staten Island, so who, finally, knows?
Thanks for the updates on Ukraine. You give better insight into what is happening on the ground in Ukraine than any other source.