Turning On The Giant Faucet Of Bullshit - US Politics February 2025

"them" = the federal court orders
not sure how you could misconstrue that

he needs to win a federal judicial order first is the thing

reading about usaid workers fleeing congo with nothing but their backpacks, and then thinking back to how the media reacted to the evacuation of afghanistan

seems bad:

https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/statement-from-nyc-comptroller-lander-on-the-trump-administrations-illegal-reversal-of-fema-funding/

“This morning, my financial team shockingly uncovered that President Trump and his crony Elon Musk illegally executed a revocation of $80 million in congressionally-appropriated FEMA funding from New York City’s bank accounts late yesterday afternoon. This is money that the federal government previously disbursed for shelter and services and is now missing. This highway robbery of our funds directly out of our bank account is a betrayal of everyone who calls New York City home.”

seems bad

A masterpiece of understatement.

what that the 'luxury hotels for illegal aliens' they were yammering about?

Trump Musk are firing probationary period ( 1st or 2nd year ) employees now. They’ve done so at Small Business Administration.

no way in hell Putin is gonna visit the U.S.

Why not? He has before

Surely Eric Adams can get his buddy to give the immigration money back! What else are friends for?

(jk I'm sure it's more like Adams will totally downplay this, in case the DOJ maybe changes its mind.)

And — despite my earlier cautionary notes about the judiciary — this seems like a pretty slam-dunk case, assuming the city sues. I think that was an overreach, seizing funds already distributed. They will lose it, but along the way they'll keep claiming it was to put up fentanyl-dealing gangsters at the Waldorf Astoria.

Alternately, $80 million was the cost of Adams' pardon.

fentanyl-dealing gangsters at the Waldorf Astoria

^^Best Vampire Weekend album

Why not? He has before

Apparently he's wildly paranoid these days, full Hoxha.. just kind of hangs around his forty-foot table

A senior Russian security officer who defected last year has given rare insight into the paranoid lifestyle of Vladimir Putin, confirming details of a secret train network, identical offices in different cities, a strict personal quarantine and escalating security protocols.

When Yevgeny Prigozhin made his dash toward Moscow with that mechanized detachment from the Wagner Group it couldn't have reassured Putin's sense of security.

this seems like a pretty slam-dunk case, assuming the city sues. I think that was an overreach, seizing funds already distributed. They will lose it, but along the way they'll keep claiming it was to put up fentanyl-dealing gangsters at the Waldorf Astoria.

but how long would it take to file this slam-dunk case and then complete all the proceedings, including the appeals? sounds like a big job, i don't know 2 years or so? plus add in another half year as a goof, and then it's time to delay the case to let it wait until 2028, when the american people can decide

confirming details of a secret train network, ok this was not an good example to lead with because it sounds awesome

he has food testers, body doubles, the full 007 shit

using those secret soviet era missile trains like in the James Bond movie Goldeneye

taking my secret underground train between all my identical windowless offices. this definitely won't make me go even crazier

I could see him meeting Trump in some safe third country (Beijing maybe), but flying into Dulles? I don't see it

why not just meet trump in the oval office? the whole crew can come over

they could forge greater ties by holding an undersea-cable cutting ceremony

really though, i think the game is up? everyone already knows trump is fine with russia taking over ukraine, fine with the genocide in gaza being interrupted by forced deportations and permanent banned re-entry to their homes. peace in the middle east and let's build some tacky condos and golf courses over the top of the rubble.

in other words, what is to be lost by hosting putin in the oval office? would that break down some new barrier? would it be shocking, at all? trump makes no secret of how much he loves putin and hates nato. they'll probably just meet in some boring non oval office room or something, but i'm not sure who is even pretending anymore

I don't know what to think/say about this video of Kid Musk saying rude shit to El Presidente while Daddy was speed-rapping in the Oval Office yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7XQgI4ZDL0

and as if trump could turn down the dream of a shirtless putin riding a horse and whispering "please explore my secret underground train network with me boss"

Vladimir Putin could have the opportunity to do the thing

Hegseth is warning the Ukrainians not to get their hopes up, and also to start re-learning Russian again

who cares about the kennedy center, i guess (i saw some memorable ballet performances there! felt fancy), but yeah

The Kennedy Center board of trustees voted Wednesday afternoon to install President Donald Trump as chairman of the board, cementing the plan Trump announced Friday to overhaul the storied arts institution with him at its helm. It also voted to terminate Deborah Rutter as president and made former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell interim president, according to multiple people with knowledge of the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

President Trump attended the virtual board meeting.

“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after the vote. “We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!”

At last, a Nugent residency

he's bringing back Phantom of the Opera, but to the Kennedy Center

this will give him a forum to do the YMCA/Double Handjob dance in front of season ticket holders

"Very honored to be selected as the Chairman that I told them I would be selected for.."

Also the new Chairman thinks the Kennedy name is a bit tired and that it might time to update it to someone a little more.. 'contemporary' hint hint

"We don't name centers after presidents who fail to survive the shot, do we folks?"

Well, there IS another Kennedy

would appreciate the grand guignol of a robert f kennedy jr center

https://i.imgur.com/YcKSVfC.jpg

Trump thinks he gets to do a red carpet interview gig as chair of the Kennedy Center right?

Getting to be President and catty about designer gowns might swell his heart three sizes (and kill him)

As someone who goes frequently because I love music this is incredibly depressing. I had thought he had so little interest in the arts that he would just ignore this stuff. Unfortunately, before we make jokes about the Center programming musicals, the KC already subsidizes the hoity-toity stuff with touring musicals, and a corny audience participation play called Shear Madness that has been running for like 40 years.

What I’m saying is, he definitely is not going to be funding a new Ring Cycle but the KC has dumbed itself down a lot already.

Wonder if DOGE is going to trim this obvious example of fraud:

The State Department’s procurement forecast, revised as of late December 2024, lists Tesla as the recipient of the largest expected contract, with Marco Rubio’s department planning to buy $400,000,000 worth of “Armored Tesla.”

The award is targeted for Q4, and is forecast to last for five years.

The procurement forecast is listed as having been modified on December 13, 2024, a month after Donald Trump’s election. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under the heading, "extent competed," the document reads merely "TBD."

trust me, those cars are gonna work great

;)

Reality is really outrunning fiction extremely quickly

But they're worth every penny

https://itcamefromblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/damnation-alley-vehicle1-e1510037472137.jpeg

the anti-Hilux

Hey Z and others , I have seen North African musicians like Mdou Moctar at Kennedy Center, also have seen dc go-go bands there, Solange with Sun Ra opening, blues and soul bands , Middle East dabke dance, Caribbean acts and more . Their free multiple times a week Milllenium stage shows with roots music , jazz and more are streamed on YouTube and Facebook for those who can’t attend in person. So have fun with the jokes about the elite stuff there and the mainstream musicals , but there is a lot of great programming and what is happening is horrible.

i think i mentioned but i went to the kennedy center several times and it was awesome

who cares about the kennedy center, i guess (i saw some memorable ballet performances there! felt fancy), but yeah

that came off as flippant but i guess i was (overdefensively) preparing for the "who cares about the kennedy center", given the context of the constant barrage of horrible news and things falling apart in an openly corrupt fashion. but in so doing, i ended up being the mouthpiece for what i feared would be the reaction. whoops! sorry