Politics

[Irish#1]

And ….. I just now see Tom Emmer has dropped out. 😂

Reported that Trump aids were calling reps to make sure they didn’t vote for Emmer.

I won’t be surprised if it ends up being McCarthy again.

 

[ulukinatme]

I'm a little over halfway done with "What Girls Are Made Of" now. The first 50 pages are pretty much garbage. The main character can't go a page or two without bringing up her vagina, or lusting for her boyfriend, or describing their intimate moments in graphic detail. There's two events that happen that don't include this. The first is when she gets mad at her boyfriend, she calls up an old friend and they go to the mall to play an old game where they try on dresses to see who looks the sluttiest. The other event is her boyfriend picks her up and they hike for miles to the Bridge to Nowhere. At this point we get the longest anecdote from the main character that doesn't involve anything sexual or risqué. We actually get to see and learn a bit more about Nina and Seth as people. For a moment it feels like actual literature, but then Nina pisses Seth off when she hesitates on bungee jumping, and to try and get back in his good graces...
"I pull him off the trail behind some trees, and I push him against a tall rock, and before I can worry if someone will come by and see us I go down on my knees like the guy on the bridge, except instead of tightening a harness I'm unfastening his pants.
I pull him out of his underwear and he's soft in my hand. I don't look up at his face before I open my mouth and pull him into it, and I pull and I suck until he grows hard and he makes sounds that mean he likes it, and I keep going and going and when he says, "I'm going to come," I don't pull away.
The jet of him is warn and salty and tastes like thickened sweat. He breathes hard and his hands are tight fists at his eyes."

This isn't enough to appease his little tantrum though. He breaks up with her without so much as a call, and on Monday he's already courting the new girl at school. You think "Now maybe we can get away from this never ending cycle." Nope. The first thing Nina does when she goes home is take out the first and only gift Seth gives her, a vibrator. She describes in detail:
"I let my knees splay open and find my slit with my fingers, the soft hooded nub at its apex, and I guide the red rubber ball against it.
My back arches and I hiss in a breath at its first wonderful, terrible contact. A jolt of pleasure shoots through me and I yank the vibrator away before placing it back against me, this time very gently.
It almost hurts, the hum, the buzz, the stroke of it, so different from the jet of warm water that pours from the showerhead, so different from the press of my own hand, so different from the wet lapping of Seth's tongue.
It's remembering Seth's tongue that pushes me into the first orgasm, the sweet way he'd press it just there, right where I'm holding the rubber tip of the vibrator, the anxious, ineffective, hopeful lapping of his tongue. And I squeeze my eyes shut and my hips buck up against the vibrator, and my neck gets tight and my toes are stuck in a weird curled spasm, and I can't tell and don't care which way is up and which way is down...
...I don't do any of these things. Instead I flick the vibrator's switch back on, I grip the black handle tightly, and I press the nose of it against the center of me. The next orgasm hits almost at once, more of a tsunami than a wave, and I'm overcome and lost in it. When the crest of it passes, I don't turn off the vibrator, I don't take it away. I shove it more firmly against me, and I squirm beneath it's relentless hum. I force myself to come again and again, until the pleasure morphs into punishment, until I ache, until I lose count of how many times I've come and how many ways I've lost Seth."

Yup. This is the garbage some schools allowed to sit in libraries in middle schools and even elementaries. We get a bit about Nina's life working at the shelter, about the dogs that die and the ones that get adopted. We get a glimpse into her family life when she flashes back to her trip to Italy with her mom at 14. We find out that's where her parents met, when her father with in Italy with his first wife and came onto Nina's mother who was studying there in college. Once again it starts to feel like actual literature, we get a look at the dynamics of men and women and how Nina's mother has been getting cheated on just like when she stole Nina's father from his first wife, a bit of irony. Then Nina gets her first period in the middle of the night, and the next day her mom takes her to see the statue Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. Nina wonders why Teresa's face is contorted funny, and her mother explains that she's orgasming even though she's not being touched, and that some women can orgasm just with a thought. It goes on. This stuff is never ending. When they come back to present day Nina realizes she's pregnant with Seth's baby, so it's a trip back to Planned Parenthood with all the gory details on how abortions are performed.

Like I said, I'm halfway through now, but this isn't just a few explicit lines taken out of context. The entire context of this book is a sexually active 16 year old being obsessed over sex (in detail), her relationship with a boy, and the relationship's demise. When she's not obsessing over the boy and thinking about sex she's talking about writing a paper for English class about a girl that grows vaginas all over her body. It's almost a one track mind. There's a message somewhere in the book about love being conditional (Except at the kill shelter, where dogs are the only creatures that love unconditionally), but it gets lost in all the smut and pointless envelope pushing dialogue. If the story was cleaned up it could be a great "What not to do" for younger teen daughters to prepare them for the fickle nature of teen intimate relationships and the personality of angsty boys, but as it stands there's no way I'd let my 12 year old touch this. This shouldn't be available till high school at least, and quite frankly I don't see a real benefit to high school kids.

 

[ulukinatme]

Reported that Trump aids were calling reps to make sure they didn’t vote for Emmer.

I won’t be surprised if it ends up being McCarthy again.

At this point after trying to push Jordan and lord knows who, McCarthy would probably be a dream scenario for most of Congress.

 

[drayer54]

At this point after trying to push Jordan and lord knows who, McCarthy would probably be a dream scenario for most of Congress.

McCarthy again would be a dream scenario.

 

[drayer54]

And ….. I just now see Tom Emmer has dropped out. 😂

You posted a MTG parody account. Great job.

 

[NorthDakota]

Reported that Trump aids were calling reps to make sure they didn’t vote for Emmer.

I won’t be surprised if it ends up being McCarthy again.

I'd be fine with Kevin, as I was before, we don't have the conference to demand much more than that.

Gaetz is an idiot and will always be. Dude personifies the TV class of congress

 

[drayer54]

Looks like they have white smoke coming from the chimney.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Reported that Trump aids were calling reps to make sure they didn’t vote for Emmer.

I won’t be surprised if it ends up being McCarthy again.

Johnson is still a bad choice from my perspective, but we all know how much yall value my opinions lol.

 

[drayer54]

Johnson is still a bad choice from my perspective, but we all know how much yall value my opinions lol.

Are you still holding out for Hakeem?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Johnson is still a bad choice from my perspective, but we all know how much yall value my opinions lol.

He wants to end Medicare and Social Security. Also wants a Nationwide ban on abortion.

I can't see this being a good thing for retaining the House next year.

 

[ulukinatme]

Are you still holding out for Hakeem?

The paid propaganda accounts keep pushing him as the bi-partisan voice that Congress needs, a true uniter!

 

[Irish#1]

Johnson it is.

 

[Irish#1]

He wants to end Medicare and Social Security. Also wants a Nationwide ban on abortion.

I can't see this being a good thing for retaining the House next year.

I laugh when people bring those up. Been hearing that from different sources for decades and yet, here we are.

 

[Irish#1]

Johnson is still a bad choice from my perspective, but we all know how much yall value my opinions lol.

Now why do I think you would have posted that regardless of who got the bid? lol

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I laugh when people bring those up. Been hearing that from different sources for decades and yet, here we are.

Yeah, and repealing Roe was never going to happen due to "precedent."

Keep laughing, though. I let folks marinate in their own juices these days. Freedom and such, you know.

 

[drayer54]

He wants to end Medicare and Social Security. Also wants a Nationwide ban on abortion.

I can't see this being a good thing for retaining the House next year.

Dems wanted a new voice. They got a new voice.

 

[Bishop2b5]

I laugh when people bring those up. Been hearing that from different sources for decades and yet, here we are.

Yeah, and repealing Roe was never going to happen due to "precedent."

Keep laughing, though. I let folks marinate in their own juices these days. Freedom and such, you know.

C'mon, Jig. The Left's been screaming "They're gonna take away your Medicare and Social Security and reinstitute Jim Crow and take you back to slaaaaave days and control your body" nonsense for decades. It's a completely false scare tactic to rile up the oldest and/or least educated & gullible of your base with emotional appeals instead of facts and reason. Nobody's taking away Medicare and Social Security.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

C'mon, Jig. The Left's been screaming "They're gonna take away your Medicare and Social Security and reinstitute Jim Crow and take you back to slaaaaave days and control your body" nonsense for decades. It's a completely false scare tactic to rile up the oldest and/or least educated & gullible of your base with emotional appeals instead of facts and reason. Nobody's taking away Medicare and Social Security

But they're taking away our guns....

We literally have Republicans in Congress continue to say they want to cut Medicare and Social Security. They don't even say "reforms" anymore. The new speaker referred to social security as a ponzi scheme. Called cutting these "a number one priority."

But the left's been screaming. Of course. Of course.

How many times does someone have to tell you who and what they are before you believe it?

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Now why do I think you would have posted that regardless of who got the bid? lol

Had it been a moderate candidate I'd be glad it got done and moved on but Johnson is far to the right than McCarthy. The devil you know and shit. Unfortunately the Dems know the new devil too. I hope they can deal with it for the next year or so.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

But they're taking away our guns....

We literally have Republicans in Congress continue to say they want to cut Medicare and Social Security. They don't even say "reforms" anymore. The new speaker referred to social security as a ponzi scheme. Called cutting these "a number one priority."

But the left's been screaming. Of course. Of course.

How many times does someone have to tell you who and what they are before you believe it?

Agreed. The split second they can nuke it they will. They have begged, borrowed and attempted the steal to get the other stuff done and the SCOTUS set them on their way. They weren't planning on stopping at Roe or equal rights or voting rights. They will keep on keeping on.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

"the real drivers of debt."

Tom Cole, not of the screaming left.

 

[Irish#1]

Yeah, and repealing Roe was never going to happen due to "precedent."

Keep laughing, though. I let folks marinate in their own juices these days. Freedom and such, you know.

You forget that Roe wasn't a thing before it was and that was a court decision both times? SS and Medicare are government programs enacted by congress. IIRC, there have been a couple of lawsuits over the years brought to do away with SS that never made it anywhere. Let's also keep in mind that while it is controversial, Roe doesn't impact even half of the people that SS and Medicare does, so I'll remain suspect for now.

P.S. Most of the time people screaming "they're taking away SS" are reacting without reading the facts. There have been calls for reforming SS so it stands on it's own merits, but when someone mentions reform, they automatically go into "they want to get rid of SS" mode. Scare tactics.

 

[GATTACA!]

"the real drivers of debt."

Tom Cole, not of the screaming left.

Holy shit LOL

 

[TorontoGold]

But they're taking away our guns....

We literally have Republicans in Congress continue to say they want to cut Medicare and Social Security. They don't even say "reforms" anymore. The new speaker referred to social security as a ponzi scheme. Called cutting these "a number one priority."

But the left's been screaming. Of course. Of course.

How many times does someone have to tell you who and what they are before you believe it?

The work requirement to receive medicare that Donny proposed was great, because if someone doesn't have a job they should just die. lol.

The Left was so great at passing big reforms that the big policy they passed was Mitt Romney's health care plan!

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

You forget that Roe wasn't a thing before it was and that was a court decision both times? SS and Medicare are government programs enacted by congress. IIRC, there have been a couple of lawsuits over the years brought to do away with SS that never made it anywhere. Let's also keep in mind that while it is controversial, Roe doesn't impact even half of the people that SS and Medicare does, so I'll remain suspect for now.

The point is saying one thing only to turn around and do the opposite with a political end in mind. The courts are as political as ever now. There isn't any going back.

Cocaine Mitch stalled what would have been Obama's last choice and rushed Trump's last choice for a reason. There was a political endgame in mind with SCOTUS. It was slow moving strategy that fell into place for them perfectly. Sure, timing and luck helped, but so did proper planning. Republicans just keep coming after their objectives. They act with great patience.

Republican lawmakers are saying the quiet part out loud about SS and Medicare, present day, right out of their own mouths. If it is truly off the table, why keep threatening to cut or "reform" these programs? Or refer to them as "drivers of debt" and "entitlements."

Trust me when I say that I mean this as a compliment: Republicans play the long game and they play it incredibly well. Have for decades. They can't always get everything they want right away, but they take the bits and pieces they can get, then go back and start over again. Get a little bit more next time. Again and again. They've been incredibly more disciplined, patient and monstrously aggressive than Democrats for decades, whatever people might think of them.

 

[ab2cmiller]

The only part that I believe that is truly off the table is eliminating those programs. Yes you might have a representative here or there that claims to want those programs eliminated, but the public (on both the left and the right) has absolutely no appetite for that.

Social security has to be reformed, period. We can't afford to do anything. If we do nothing, there will be an across the board cut between 23% to 25% in roughly 2034. The longer we wait to address the issue, the more severe the fix will have to be.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

The work requirement to receive medicare that Donny proposed was great, because if someone doesn't have a job they should just die. lol.

The Left was so great at passing big reforms that the big policy they passed was Mitt Romney's health care plan!

Right Politicians: We're going to do a thing.

Right Voters: The left is making you crazy thinking Right Politicians are going to do a thing. They're not really going to do the thing they said they'd do.

Butters:

 

[ulukinatme]

The only part that I believe that is truly off the table is eliminating those programs. Yes you might have a representative here or there that claims to want those programs eliminated, but the public (on both the left and the right) has absolutely no appetite for that.

Social security has to be reformed, period. We can't afford to do anything. If we do nothing, there will be an across the board cut between 23% to 25% in roughly 2034. The longer we wait to address the issue, the more severe the fix will have to be.

Anytime I've seen it suggested that it be eliminated it's followed up with a plan to replace it with something better or at least with protections in place. It's never a straight removal, but people will clip the first part and leave out the rest to fear monger.

 

[GoIrish41]

Agreed. The split second they can nuke it they will. They have begged, borrowed and attempted the steal to get the other stuff done and the SCOTUS set them on their way. They weren't planning on stopping at Roe or equal rights or voting rights. They will keep on keeping on.

They kept their word on abortion, so maybe we should trust them. 😳

 

[drayer54]

They kept their word on abortion, so maybe we should trust them. 😳

You guys are funny