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Comments Posted By kesmarn

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Papers Filed, North Carolina Has First-In-History Openly-Trans Candidate For State Legislature

Hardly. But as a card carrying right wing fundie, I suppose you’d have to stick with the script you’ve been handed.

» Posted By kesmarn On December 16, 2019 @ 4:37 pm

Hoo-boy… I have to bleach my eyes after having taken a look at “cleansing fire.” As a Catholic, I have to ask myself: “How long, Oh Lord?” How long will we have to deal with this aging claque who long to return to the days of the Latin Mass, the stifled nun in the burka— excuse me— habit, and the protected pedophile priest?These are not vigorous followers of a dynamic Christ. They are wannabe historical re-enactors who pray for it to be 1952 again with Fulton Sheen as Pope.

» Posted By kesmarn On December 15, 2019 @ 5:34 pm

A Thanksgiving Tradition – 2019

A late reply here, AdLib, but no less sincere. (Insanity has reappeared in some quarters here regarding the care of the dear 97 year old Warlord. At his age he must be the sanest of the lot.) I’m so grateful for your kind words. And here’s to a Blue 2020 — as in Blue Wave.

» Posted By kesmarn On December 12, 2019 @ 4:58 pm

Just found that brilliant description of Ghouliani, Kalima! Sooooo completely perfect!! lol !

» Posted By kesmarn On December 12, 2019 @ 4:53 pm

Wishing you all the very best, Fergie!

» Posted By kesmarn On December 12, 2019 @ 4:51 pm

And we here on the Planet are so thankful for the brilliant wit and dedication of our own AdLib. Also for the shining light from Tokyo— Kalima— who is on top of the latest news every day. Usually while we Americans are still in our pajamas! For just a second though, while reading through the article, I thought I was celebrating the wrong holiday. That NON-photoshopped image of Rudy Ghouliani was virtually screaming “HALLOWEEN”!! (I’m thankful I don’t have to wake up next to that every morning.)

» Posted By kesmarn On November 30, 2019 @ 6:01 pm

Trick or Trick! Republican Horror Movie Posters For Halloween 2019!

I was away over the weekend, so it took me a minute to find this, AdLib. The BEST yet!! Your graphics are flawless. And McConnell as The Reaper is hilarious! Thanks so much for a much needed giggle.

» Posted By kesmarn On November 3, 2019 @ 3:15 pm

Impeachment Is Happening…But This Wasn’t The Plan

There’s no substitute for good old fashioned logic.

» Posted By kesmarn On September 27, 2019 @ 10:53 am

The “Curious” Attacks On Saudi Oil

Good to see the actual dollar amounts that Volt owners are spending, Nonpartay. Not knowing a Volt owner personally, I wasn’t sure about those numbers, but that is impressive!

» Posted By kesmarn On September 18, 2019 @ 4:39 pm

The MSM’s Whitewashing of Biden’s Racist Views Won’t End Well

Good catch, NoMan! I’ve learned something today!

» Posted By kesmarn On September 15, 2019 @ 8:03 am

NoMan, I had to wonder whether PBS had made a conscious choice to “overlook” Biden’s comments as well. Maybe it’s just me — but it seems over the last few years, PBS (which used to pride itself on its neutrality) has developed its own agenda. You may have noticed — as I have — that a huge preponderance of its “experts” on political issues are from the Washington Post. Which — as we all know — is owned by Jeff Bezos. Granted, the WaPo has done some extremely good reporting. But there’s little doubt that they have their own (Bezos-guided) editorial stance too. They also swap reporters with NBC. Yamiche Alcindor and Bob Costa will periodically appear on Chuck Todd’s NBC show on Sunday, for example. As we all know again, the “MS” in “MSNBC” stands for Microsoft. So here we have two corporate giants — Amazon and Microsoft — dictating a huge amount of the information that television viewers are fed. And other networks are similarly influenced by other major corporations. That’s worrisome.

So yes, there does seem to be strong pressure to make Biden the Hillary Clinton of 2020. And as you implied in your final sentence: “The definition of madness is………”

» Posted By kesmarn On September 14, 2019 @ 6:09 pm

TOCB, I agree in that I don’t think Biden is a bad person either. I really believe his heart in the right place. But as you say, he’s a product of his era.

It’s interesting to read your observation that you’re not convinced that most older black voters support him. I’m relieved to hear that. I forget what publication posted the original article that I read which indicated that most of Biden’s support among black voters did not come from younger black citizens, so I’d be hard pressed to cite the statistics/polls that were used to support that p.o.v in the article. I’m glad you have a different take on that.

Also interesting to read that black women have a positive opinion of Warren. Having worked the polls for a number of years one thing I have observed (in Ohio at least) is that black women vote! (Not that black men don’t… LOL!) But I would say the ladies have the greater numbers in that area around here.

» Posted By kesmarn On September 14, 2019 @ 5:42 pm

I watched the PBS NewsHour this evening as well as Washington Week with Bob Costa and the usual panel, and no one raised this issue at all in the entire 90 minutes of airtime that those two shows encompass! How could they have missed it? So thanks so much for raising this issue, AdLib.

I’ve seen polls that show that the preferred candidate of Black voters under 30 is actually Bernie Sanders. Why Biden has so much support from older Black voters is — frankly — a mystery to me. Yes, of course I realize that he was veep during Obama’s eight years. But are people listening to what he’s saying now? And has been saying for years?

I was talking to a centrist Dem friend this morning and she was pretty much convinced that Biden would be the eventual nominee. (But then, she does watch MSNBC religiously.) And she was pretty much okay with that. All I could say in reply was that if that turned out to be the case, I was fairly certain that we would be seeing 2016 (2.0 Version) again in 2020. “Let’s just play it ‘safe’ one more time and watch what happens.” i couldn’t think of anything else to say to her. Very disappointing.

» Posted By kesmarn On September 13, 2019 @ 7:07 pm

Trump Uses 9/11 Anniversary to Negotiate with Bin Laden in Seance

Hahaha! You are on a roll tonight, AdLib!

» Posted By kesmarn On September 11, 2019 @ 6:16 pm

Donald is such a true empath. (We here in Toledo, Ohio particularly appreciate the way he expressed his sympathy with the losses we suffered due to Hurricane Dorian.) It’s no wonder he’s able to tap in to the spirit of bin Laden — a kindred soul if ever there were one. Rumor has it that Joseph Mugabe (a new arrival to the afterlife) was seeking entry to that same seance, but The Donald rejected him on the grounds that he had come from a shithole country and told him that he would have to seek asylum in purgatory before he’d be allowed into the Oval office (which I believe was the stop scheduled right after the one labeled “Hell”).

P.S. Many thanks for a brilliant piece of satire — as always.

» Posted By kesmarn On September 11, 2019 @ 4:58 pm

Hillary Warned Us About Trump

So many excellent and relevant point made by both you, NoManIsAnIsland and by AdLib.

I wonder if I might add one more thought as well.

Although this was a factor almost entirely beyond Hillary’s control, I believe the widespread perception that she was physically too frail to stand up under the pressures of the presidency played into some voters’ decision not to opt for her as well.

She’s had several falls over the last decade or so — two of them (that we know of) caused injuries: one to the head and the other, I believe, to one arm/wrist.

In the process of campaigning, she was video recorded being virtually carried out to a vehicle after one or more episodes of syncope (fainting) or near syncope.

Of course then the right had to pile on with reports that she had Parkinson’s or some other serious condition (very likely not the case).

Still, a fair number of voters were left asking themselves: “If the campaign is too much for her, how is she ever going to make it through four (or even eight) years of the most stressful job in the world?”

Meanwhile Mr. Oblivious (The Donald) was sailing through day after day of multiple appearances, seemingly feeding off the negative energy of the crowds he was whipping up with his dog whistle racist language and his insult comedy routine when it came to his primary opponents. The higher the anger level he inspired, the more energized he became.

Hillary’s (real or perceived) health issues were only one of many, many factors involved in her defeat. But I do feel that they were a part of it.

» Posted By kesmarn On September 6, 2019 @ 2:49 pm

Why a Biden Nomination is Likely to Elect a Republican President in 2024

No worries, Daedalus.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 24, 2019 @ 8:08 am

At the risk of presuming to add to that reading list: Sinclair Lewis, ‘It Can’t Happen Here,’ and Howard Zinn’s ‘A Peoples History of the United States.’

» Posted By kesmarn On August 24, 2019 @ 8:03 am

Thank you, Daedalus! So few sites really believe in free speech and the Planet has always been one — right from the beginning. Your call for rational discourse is much appreciated. Stay with us!

» Posted By kesmarn On August 23, 2019 @ 5:07 pm

Thanks so much, Daedalus, for your well-considered and calmly stated reply — especially considering the occasionally overheated rhetorical tone that’s been blowing in and out from some quarters recently.

I have a fair amount of contact with voters in the 18 – 39 age group, and I think your position reflects what many of them are thinking. They feel they’ve been burned (but not berned) in the past, and are very wary of doing reruns of any of the election experiences of their lifetimes. In fact they feel that their lifetimes have been full of betrayals on everything from health care to student loan debt to being sent off to die in stupid wars and beyond.

I’m seeing zero enthusiasm from them about Biden.

I was a Bernie supporter last time around, and he’s my current favorite — largely because he originated much of what now is considered the mainstream Dem candidates’ platform. But he did it back when he was consistently called a communist for doing it. Following Bernie’s gracious lead, I opted not to be a permanent grudge-holder over the way he was treated by the DNC in 2016. What good would it have done anyway? There’s no way (yet) to go back in time and amend things. At this point I think Bernie’s facing some headwinds, but that could change. I guess my sense is that it would be great to have the genuine original, rather than the later arriving “oh yeah, guess he was right on that” folks. But I don’t want to get too intractable on that one.

I’ve seen Tulsi in person and she is wonderful. She’s facing Jeff Bezos and his WaPo machine though, which is going to be tough. They’ve identified her as a supporter of Putin and Assad, when in truth what she did was meet and talk with them. Quite a lot of other politicians have as well. I’ve never heard her endorse either one of them as fine human beings. She does question whether the US has the right to decide who should/shouldn’t be the head of state in Syria, Russia, Venezuela, North Korea, Israel, etc. etc. Especially when we Americans get so agitated (legit) when some other country tries to do that to us. Her odds of getting the nomination seem to be near zero, though.

I could definitely vote for Elizabeth Warren, partly because I think the GOP, Big Health Care and Wall Street are actually pretty much genuinely afraid of her. The fact that she threatens them is a hopeful sign. She’s got a lot of energy. She’s smart. And — unless I’m deceived — she actually has — mirabile dictu — a moral backbone.

Having heard the news today that Ruth Bader Ginsberg is fighting another battle with (this time pancreatic) cancer, I have to say that I’m reluctant to sit this 2020 election out though. If they get the entire SCOTUS, needless to say, we are screwed.

Thanks again for your explanation of your current stance on 2020.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 23, 2019 @ 3:27 pm

Daedalus, I’m simply curious, and I’m asking this without any sort of agenda: is there any particular candidate in the current Dem field whom you’d prefer to vote for? Just trying to get a sense of which way the wind is blowing here. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 22, 2019 @ 7:05 pm

Who Is Responsible For Gun Deaths In The United States?

Exactly, TOCB. For these justices to suggest that they’re acting in the spirit of the writers of the Constitution? Well, it would be funny if it weren’t so tragic.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 21, 2019 @ 9:20 am

Thanks so much for this article, TOCB.

I’m always amazed that corrupt justices like Scalia would justify their outrageous rulings by claiming to be “Constitutional Originalists.” A murky term, I always thought, which seems to imply that they were able to discern precisely what the Founders were thinking when they wrote the Constitution. Did Scalia and others hold seances and summon the dead authors to elucidate exactly what was in their minds at the time? Do they have access to secret Skull and Bones documents that explain their elders’ thought processes?

If not, I would say that these alleged “Originalists” are doing what any other garden variety student of history might do and reading their own personalities into these purportedly immutable documents.

Which means that their take on the 2nd Amendment could be completely inaccurate and false (and you make a good argument that it is), and hence liable to be tossed out along with the Dred Scott decision into the Big Mistakes Bin of history.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 20, 2019 @ 2:17 pm

Trump Exploring U.S. Purchase of Wakanda

“Smile! Damn you, smile!” (Lead us not into Trumptation…)

» Posted By kesmarn On August 20, 2019 @ 5:11 pm

“The Land of MelanIvankaDon,” where the cost of living is low because there are no schools, no hospitals (Except The Trumpo Clinic, which boasts one bed and 30 nurses — all under age 18 — wearing “attractive” uniforms), no libraries, no symphony halls, no cathedrals. Just one huge sports arena where — three times a week — “libruls” are fed to sharks before screaming, adoring crowds.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 20, 2019 @ 2:04 pm

Biden Takes on Trump: A Call to Integrity and Courage in The Wave of Two Mass Shootings

LOL! I needed that hug. Yes, Trump is plainly telling us what he wants. We should be careful not to give it to him!

» Posted By kesmarn On August 22, 2019 @ 7:10 pm

NoMan, please give your dear wife a hug for me! And — yes — that emotional five year old in the White House has an uncanny sense for sizing up his perceived foes! This is one time we should pay attention to him.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 22, 2019 @ 3:56 pm

You’re so kind, NoMan. And yet, as I was driving to and from my elderly Dad’s home today to look after him, I was doing a bit of what old time Catholics used to call an “Examination of Conscience.” (Tough habit to shake.) And decided that if I were to be strictly honest with myself, I could be doing better. Especially in my interaction with our friend Jake here.
If he were a paraplegic, would I be asking him to stand up and walk? I don’t think so. If he were diabetic, would I urge him not to take insulin and just tough it out? Not likely. But I was — in some ways — urging him to act in a way that made sense to me (using tact, empathy, civility), but not to him. In a sense what I was doing was a bit unprofessional. Maybe even unkind.
Does he wake up in the morning asking himself whom he might verbally wound this day? Probably not. Did he choose his genetic makeup, his family of origin or what traumas he might have undergone as a child? Hardly. So even when he resorts to verbal cruelty, there’s perhaps a sort of “innocence” (for lack of a better word) in his hostility.

Regardless, one consequence of the words of people like you, who make a sincere effort to see the best in others, is that it produces the salutary effect of making those others want to live up to your high estimation of them.
So in that spirit, I have to offer an apology to Jake, not on behalf of the Planet (he really did violate the Terms of Use multiple times), but on behalf of myself. For becoming impatient with someone who — while he is legally an adult — for various reasons, may not be entirely responsible for the choices he has made here and elsewhere. For overlooking that possibility, I must say I am sorry.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 22, 2019 @ 1:16 pm

Talk about a positive presence in the world, NoMan. Your patients were fortunate indeed.

Asperger’s is a tough one. And it’s a balancing act to love them without being overly “soft” to the point of tolerating and excusing every meltdown. I think part of showing real respect for someone occasionally involves letting them know that they really are competent. Competent to play by the same rules that everyone else does. In the long run, that’s how self-esteem grows.

For brief periods, though — and I know you already know this — you’ll probably have to duck, because there will be blowback. To put it mildly.

Your young patients and your great nephew are very lucky people to have had you in their lives. Thank you again.

» Posted By kesmarn On August 22, 2019 @ 9:32 am

Yawwwwnnn…

» Posted By kesmarn On August 22, 2019 @ 6:32 am