The Friday 10: Edition #17
Best reads and a smorgasbord of pictures, clips, and this week in politics.
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![Twitter avatar for @gavreilly](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/gavreilly.jpg)
![Twitter avatar for @dog_rates](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/dog_rates.jpg)
![a fluffy black and brown rottweiler puppy stands in the front section of a gray and green shopping cart in the garden section of a store. he has one of his front paws up on the edge of the cart either to gently attempt to stop you. his soulful eyes have seen things in his short life, namely many plant deaths.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFU2M0DnVEAAyXxG.jpg)
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Build Back Better
You’re paying obscene amounts of money for gas and food. . . but what if I told you the Biden administration made sure it was the most diverse LGBTQ+ administration ever!?
![Twitter avatar for @Breaking911](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/Breaking911.jpg)
I love Waffle House.
Negative, Ghost Rider.
![Twitter avatar for @stevenportnoy](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/stevenportnoy.jpg)
This is from a Treasury Department report last week:
![Twitter avatar for @dog_rates](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/dog_rates.jpg)
![a brown and white bulldog wearing a bright blue life vest is mid-jump above a pool of water. his paws are extended forward and back, and his ears are outstretched like little wings.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKmtcJXoAA1ykd.jpg)
![chewy dives serenely in his little blue life jacket. his ears are flopped up, his front paws slightly angled in, and his back legs are out like aerodynamic turkey legs. small droplets of water are suspended midair all around him.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKmtcHWUAI-2DC.jpg)
![chewy the bulldog comes in for a landing from a dock dive. one paw is splashing into the water, and the opposite back leg is extended up and out as if over an invisible hydrant. his eyes are laser-focused on the lure in the water a little ahead of him, and the whites of his eyes are slightly visible as his face wrinkles distort.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKmtcIXsAEmQSF.jpg)
![a brown and white bulldog leaps through the air in a blue life jacket. his front right paw is almost waving at you. his face looks surprised, and his lips are pursed into a little “o.” there’s no way this isn’t going to be an epic belly flop.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKmtcKWQAIrzKr.jpg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F19ce8540-4750-4286-9a81-f3dda8782c98_680x666.jpeg)
A few posts back, I went on a bit of a rant. . .
. . . about how the mainstream media was minimizing the assassination plot (the dude even brought special soles for his shoes to muffle his footsteps inside the house) against Kavanaugh by not covering it. Well, I suppose it’d be hypocritical of me to not point out that Fox News didn’t air the 1/6 theater. But, I have to admit that a) it’s kind of a savvy marketing move, in a way, considering every single other outlet was covering it as if it were a State of the Union Address, and b) while I do believe that all the morons who assaulted cops and what not should be charged (correctly, mind you; habeas corpus, anyone?), I still think the outsized response relative to the “fiery but mostly peaceful” protests that caused $2 billion in damages across the country (insured damages, that is) and destroyed thousands of businesses is ridiculous, and that 1/6 was neither a coup nor an insurrection, unless we’re suddenly changing the definitions of both those words, which it seems people have been doing because Bad Orange Man with mean tweets.
Speaking of Kavanaugh coverage. . . The Washington Post classified an assassination plot on a sitting SCOTUS justice as a "local crime" story.
![Twitter avatar for @SteveGuest](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/SteveGuest.jpg)
![Twitter avatar for @dodo](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/dodo.jpg)
An exchange between Hunter Biden and Hallie Biden (his brother Beau’s widow, with whom he had a sexual relationship) on Oct. 23, 2018 was found via Hunter Biden’s hard drive. When defending his gun ownership, Hunter says his dad, Joe Biden, has five. (lol)
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9a611870-2a1c-4a5d-86a9-6d4fa0df22e2_526x791.jpeg)
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90ff749a-4e9d-409a-8ffe-53fe32dc6cc5_545x680.jpeg)
![Twitter avatar for @ZackBlatt](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/ZackBlatt.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKtPw9XsAMpkgB.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKtPw8XsAc1P7V.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKtPw6WIAAGf-m.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVKtPyjXsAELgGf.jpg)
Meanwhile, in New York City. . .
U.S. birth rate is at an all-time low. Must be because of Ezra Klein’s sage counsel.
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb740e466-ec29-4bcf-8f60-6456808f2c13_675x900.jpeg)
That’s a lot of gold.
One week apart.
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7cc413e2-c1ed-4ee1-bd08-e680762ad857_574x423.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9365c48c-f0a2-4dc9-b550-aa20d313062c_680x454.jpeg)
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F32d183ad-5a77-452e-aa51-b30dc710b9d5_768x960.jpeg)
Elon Musk voted for a Mexican-American woman in Texas — in a truly historical win, as she’s the first-ever Mexico-born Congresswoman (more on this below) — but he’s a white supremacist. FYI.
![Twitter avatar for @JamaalBowmanNY](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/JamaalBowmanNY.jpg)
![Twitter avatar for @elonmusk](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_40/elonmusk.jpg)
When you misuse a word/phrase over and over and over again, that word/phrase ceases to mean what it's supposed to mean; it loses its gravitas. Also, gross hyperbole weaponized as a form of emotional blackmail in lieu of an actual argument has become standard operating procedure for congenital morons these days.
And then there’s NBC’s Mehdir Hasan: "If [the ‘neo-Nazi faction’ of the GOP expands in Nov.], we may look back on this. . . as a pivotal moment, when a petulant and not-so-bright billionaire casually bought one of the most influential messaging machines and just handed it to the far-right.”
You know, I’m no expert on what does and does not make someone “bright,” but I’m pretty sure if you literally teach yourself rocket science, start your own rocket company, and then revolutionize the entire Space industry, you’re at least somewhat “bright.” And as far as the “petulant” remark goes, this begs the question: Why has job interest in Twitter jumped 250% since the Musk takeover?
Maybe Hasan and Bowman and friends are just upset about this:
![Twitter avatar for @thedailybeast](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/thedailybeast.jpg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,h_314,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f58d6d4-4541-4881-9e70-3c55032afda7_1480x833.jpeg)
I like Ron DeSantis. He’s 43 and still has over $21,000 in student loans, and he doesn't trade individual stocks. His net worth is $318,987, far, far lower than many top politicians, and if he runs for president, he might clock in with the lowest net worth in a crowded field. The appeal is certainly there.
Speaking of Maya Flores:
Mayra Flores, the TX-34 district’s 36-year-old congresswoman-elect, is the first Republican to win the area in more than 150 years and will be the first Mexican-born congresswoman in American history. A whopping 85% of the residents in TX-34 are Hispanic, according to 2020 census data, which doesn't bode well for the port-side crowd. Click here to read more.
MSNBC on her win: In South Texas “voters have moved 10, 20, 30, 40 points away from the Democrats and towards the Republicans. . . [TX-34] is the second most heavily Hispanic congressional district in the U.S.”
If this keeps happening, Democrats might end up building a wall.
![Twitter avatar for @dog_rates](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/dog_rates.jpg)
![a brown and white bulldog puppy stands with her front paws on a deck step and her back legs in some grass. she looks a little confused about where to go from here. her body is a glorious cascade of brown wrinkles that ends in two little white feet.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVaG_daUYAECu-S.jpg)
![Twitter avatar for @gunsnrosesgirl3](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/gunsnrosesgirl3.jpg)
Dude.
George Washington University has voted to get rid of its colonial mascot after years of concerns about “inclusivity.”
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72a6797a-70ef-4b46-b9a1-73dc63b6d062_512x640.jpeg)
“People who menstruate”
![Twitter avatar for @NPR](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/NPR.jpg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,h_314,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F99f53ec8-2e55-4255-bf94-9380aba078ed_1400x787.jpeg)
MSNBC says that it’s “a problem for democracy” that the Daily Wire, a smaller right-wing news outlet, has more followers than the Times and CNN.
This kind of rhetoric, which is becoming increasingly common, is an insidious attempt to paint the other party as dangerous by fear mongering in the hopes that it’ll motivate more people to rally to your flag. Applying and implying criminality, however indirect, renders justifiable subsequent acts of subterfuge, suppression, and outright censorship. Such rhetoric is based entirely upon its repetition rather than its foundation.
![Twitter avatar for @tomselliott](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/tomselliott.jpg)
I really don’t like the mainstream media.
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7b29655-1194-4a2a-a421-b4e6c2f17add_640x825.jpeg)
![Twitter avatar for @JustFoodForDogs](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/JustFoodForDogs.jpg)
![tan and white corgi wearing an oversized yellow rain coat. only his face is sticking out from under the hood and one ear. he looks upset.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFU02N_2XoAE_uI7.jpg)
![the tan and white corgi wearing a yellow raincoat still only has his face and one ear popping out from under the food. his expression is of deep concern.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFU02N_4WAAIseH-.jpg)
There’s a panel entitled "How to fix toxic discourse and misinformation". . .
. . .and it features the top editors at the two media outlets that arguably did the most to spread the CIA's pre-election lie that the Hunter Biden laptop was "Russian disinformation": Politico and The Intercept.
I will continue to use the word spaz.
Oh Reuters.
Covid has plummeted as an issue for voters.
And this is in Los Angeles.
Propaganda vs. Reality
Rep. Mondaire Jones clearly doesn't know what a semi-automatic firearm is.
Just about every handgun is semi-automatic, killer.
The longest road in the world that can be walked. . .
. . .is from Cape Town, South Africa to Magadan, Russia—13,910 miles. No need for planes or boats since there are bridges. If you were to walk non-stop, it’d take 187 days. Walking 8 hours a day, it’d take 561 days. Along the route, you pass through 17 countries, 6 time zones, and all seasons of the year.
Delicious irony.
“Efficacious,” indeed.
Iron workers on the North Tower of the World Trade Center, 1973.
Karine Jean-Pierre is asked if there are any updates on the baby formula shortage.
She spends almost 20 seconds flipping through her binder before saying no.
Biden says he's not going to visit the Saudis. Twenty seconds later, he says he's going to visit the Saudis.
14 grams is 0.0309 pounds, 24,000km/h is 14912.909mi/h.
Ruh roh.
New survey data on "bothsidesism" in American journalism.
76% of U.S. adults say "journalists should always strive to give every side equal coverage," but a majority of journalists themselves (55%) say "every side does not always deserve equal coverage."
![Twitter avatar for @dog_rates](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/dog_rates.jpg)
![a reddish brown dachshund lays on a gray blanket. he’s propped up on his right elbow and has fully tucked that paw under his chest. he is giving you some serious side eye](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFVU477SUEAENfqZ.jpg)
![Image Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6bb3e925-e267-480a-b4d4-84d21d69f465_563x786.jpeg)
The DNC had to move a May fundraiser with Kamala Harris to the fall because "they couldn't sell enough tickets." Tough sledding when even the donors aren't buying what you're selling.
Wow.