UPDATED: News That Will Drive You To Drink

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

Happy Hour News

K-Mac’s Political Machine Hard At Work

You’re welcome, K-Mac:

This is going down just about the way we predicted: for every Republican K-Mac lost, he’s needed close to 2 Democrats to fill in the gap. He’s really bad at this.

Per “process” journalists, this is amazing, usually the minority does not assist the majority party to approve the rules to start the debate.

The House will vote on the Ransom Note itself later tonight, methinks.

Anything less than 140-150 GOP votes tonight is a blow to K-Mac, and if he finishes with less than a majority of the Majority — he’s toast.

UPDATE 1: How did K-Mac get the Democrats to save his bacon? He cut a side-deal with Hakeem Jeffries.

Posted in Hostage Taking Today, K-Mac Kevin McCarthy who is very bad at his job | Leave a comment

Lock Him Up! Lock Him Up! Lock Him Up!

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

Hair Füror changes public housing address?

If this is true, then Special Counsel Jack Smith has Hair Füror trapped in a corner, let the rat stomping begin:

Federal prosecutors have obtained an audio recording of a summer 2021 meeting in which former President Donald Trump acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran, multiple sources told CNN, undercutting his argument that he declassified everything.

The recording indicates Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving the White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. On the recording, Trump’s comments suggest he would like to share the information but he’s aware of limitations on his ability post-presidency to declassify records, two of the sources said.

CNN has not listened to the recording, but multiple sources described it. One source said the relevant portion on the Iran document is about two minutes long, and another source said the discussion is a small part of a much longer meeting.

LOCK HIM UP!

Posted in espionage, Hair Führer Donald Trump | 7 Comments

Open Tabs: Sometimes Things Converge

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

H/T Scissorhead BDR

As I was reading Heather Cox Richardson’s essay for May 29th on Fascism!, Scissorhead Purplehead sent me a link to the 1945 brochure warning everyone about what Fascism is, how it works, and how to defeat it that is at the heart of Richardson’s excellent essay, it is the source material really.

My suggestion is to read Richardson first and then follow the link that Purp forwarded. Allow the chills to run up and down your spine, they need the workout! This was written in 1945, but we can see it today in the Republican Party/Hair Füror/Cracker Orban Goat Rodeo Campaigns.  It’s clear as day.

You have your lunchtime reading assignment.

Posted in blog whoring, Fascism | 2 Comments

Midday Palate Cleanser

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

I don’t know what’s going on, but lemme grab my glasses to join you.

Posted in dogs, Palate Cleansers | 2 Comments

‘Please Regulate My Competition,’ AI CEOs Beg

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

AI?

My position is that AI is just fancy autocomplete; but what does worry me is what amoral, money-grubbing capitalist sociopaths running corporations plan to do with it, which is basically fire everyone. Mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money!

Anyway, the AP reports:

Scientists and tech industry leaders, including high-level executives at Microsoft and Google, issued a new warning Tuesday about the perils that artificial intelligence poses to humankind.

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement said…

Sounds dire!

That letter was a response to OpenAI’s release of a new AI model, GPT-4, but leaders at OpenAI, its partner Microsoft and rival Google didn’t sign on and rejected the call for a voluntary industry pause…

And that (to me) is the story, “Don’t regulate ME, regulate THEM!” And not to put too fine a spin on this, but monopolists and wannabe monopolists are pretty consistent about not wanting to be regulated. And really, when examining their track records, well, Don’t Be Evil seems like quaint misdirection.

But back to the story (emphasis mine):

Some critics have complained that dire warnings about existential risks voiced by makers of AI have contributed to hyping up the capabilities of their products and distracting from calls for more immediate regulations to rein in their real-world problems.

I think academics, writers, and other creators have pointed out some real world problems, and as we are already seeing deep fakes in political advertising and that begs for regulation. We know that bad actors are already looking at how to use misinformation for their own purposes. But it is not that some AI is going to blow up the world. At least not yet.

Posted in AI, Bad Tech, Bastards, Billionaire Bastards, blood sucking leeches, CEO Bastards, Rat Bastards, Technology | 10 Comments

New Challenge For K-Mac (Who is Bad At His Job)

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

“My Preciousssss”

K-Mac’s 5-vote majority is about to become a 4-vote majority, as Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) has announced he’s quitting. Have we mentioned lately that he is very bad at his job?

Multiple sources have confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune that Stewart announced his plan to resign, citing ongoing health issues with his wife. It was unclear what those health issues may be.

And in the story, it is never mentioned again, as is Mme. Stewart.

Regardless, because Scissorheads are friendly, courteous, kind, etc., we wish Mme. Stewart a speedy recovery from whatever it is.

And this is where it gets to be interesting:

Picking a replacement for the remainder of Stewart’s term will require a special election. Once Stewart officially announces he’s resigning, Gov. Spencer Cox has seven days to set the primary and special election schedule. Under state law, those dates will be the same as this year’s municipal primary and general elections, unless the Legislature appropriates money to hold an election on a different date.

The primary will be on August 15, and the general will be November 9. The replacement will be able to take their seat as soon as the results are official, which, you know, is 5½ months away.

On the positive side for K-Mac: it is easier to count to 4 than it is to count to 5, so he’s got that working for him.

Posted in Jazz Hands, K-Mac Kevin McCarthy who is very bad at his job | 3 Comments

Rudderless Republicans: Hostage Taking Today

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

Wingnuttia Takes Itself Hostage

The Republican Ransom Demands cleared its first hurdle yesterday when the so-called House Rules Committee approved the bill by a vote of 7-6.

The six Nay votes included the four Democrats on the Rules Committee and from hardliners Chip Roy (R-TX) and Ralph Norman (R-SC). So, by the powers of deduction that means that Thomas Massie (R-KY), voted Yea as did the other six Republicans. I expect we will hear more about that from the Freedumb Caucus as we move forward.

K-Mac can bring the bill to the floor, which he is expected to do today.

Tonight: The deal faces a vote in the House. It’s expected to pass despite opposition from many Republicans and some Democrats (but for different reasons). Then the bill goes to the Senate, and the Republicans there (the usual suspects: Ayatollah Ted Cruz, Schroedinger’s Senator Rand Paul, Li’l Marco, etc.)  can really gum up the timeline to get the thing passed before the country runs out of cheddar.

The deadline: The bill must become law before Monday, when the government would default on its debt with disastrous consequences. We’ll see if the Attention Seekers in the Senate really want a world-wide depression with their names attached like a common Herbert Hoover.

The next drama: what happens next to K-Mac. Some members of the Freedumb Caucus are already demanding that someone else move to kick K-Mac in the sack (because they don’t have the brass to do it themselves). Rudderless Republicans, amirite?

Last word:

Posted in Hostage Taking Today, Rudderless Republicans | 4 Comments

Here’s Some Stupid To Start Your Day

Posted on May 31, 2023 by tengrain

If you can believe it, Peter Doocy is the Fox News White House correspondent.

Posted in Fox News, People Dumber than Dolphins | 2 Comments

Dad Signs, Cont.

Posted on May 30, 2023 by tengrain

GROAN…nnn!

Posted in Bad Signs, Dad Jokes | 2 Comments

Report: Dan Bishop Wants Someone Else To Kick K-Mac In The Sack

Posted on May 30, 2023 by tengrain

Happy Hour News

“My Preciousssss”

Rep. Dan Bishop has called for the conference to kick K-Mac out of the Speaker’s Chair:

At a House Freedom Caucus press conference Tuesday, members vented their frustration with the agreement and urged their colleagues to vote against it, but Bishop was the sole Republican to raise his hand signifying he would support a motion to oust McCarthy over the bill.

“I think it’s got to be done,” Bishop told reporters after the press conference.

That’s very passive-voice, so did Bishop call to fire K-Mac?

But Bishop did not commit to filing a motion to vacate the chair, which would trigger a vote on removing McCarthy as Speaker…

“I’m just fed up with the lies, I’m fed up with the lack of courage, the cowardice,” Bishop said. “And I intend to see to it that there is somebody who’s prepared to say what needs to be done.”

“Ah would rather someone else put thar neck out furst an’ not me!,” Bishop did now mewl, because he is a pussy.

And that’s that. Republicans talk a good game, but they never put their own careers and ambitions into jeopardy. He knows that he will be isolated from power if ousting K-Mac failed.

Posted in Hostage Taking Today, Hung Like a Bee, Wingnuttia | 1 Comment