Welcome to Saturday ...

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 4:50am

I will have never a noble,
No lineage counted great:
Fishers and choppers and ploughmen
Shall constitute a State.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anything you say can and will be used against you (1) ~ Jarik Jongman, 2019

"A work from his most recent show in Amsterdam, which consisted of paintings about waiting rooms, data centers and film sets, serving as a stage for ideas about reality and human behaviour in the ‘post truth’ society. More than ever, ‘truth’ seems to have become a fluid concept. Furthermore, the paradoxical situation has arisen, wherein the abundance of information available is merely contributing to our insecurity." WikiArt

~~~

We wanted to tell someone everything
(or everyone something)—
how large and limp
the leaves were
in the half-sun,
but what is “half-sun,”
finally?

We’d been “relaxing
protections”
in our sleep again,
it seemed.
Now we were fewer.

Some imagined Saint Peter
as a special concierge
or a supercomputer
listening—
did he listen?—
to what he must
already know,
hearing only
ones and zeros,
pluses and minuses.

Was that at least something?

Over and over,
first one tall stalk
and then its twin
dips westward
and recovers

That’s my story
and I’m sticking with it.

The News ~ Rae Armantrout, 2019

The journey

"An honorable human relationship — that is, one in which two people have the right to use the word “love” — is a process, delicate, violent, often terrifying to both persons involved, a process of refining the truths they can tell each other.

"It is important to do this because it breaks down human self-delusion and isolation.
"It is important to do this because in doing so we do justice to our own complexity.
"It is important to do this because we can count on so few people to go that hard way with us.
~ Adrienne Rich

I have the right to be forgotten

Behind all art is an element of desire. … Love of life, of existence, love of another human being, love of human beings is in some way behind all art — even the most angry, even the darkest, even the most grief-stricken, and even the most embittered art has that element somewhere behind it. Because how could you be so despairing, so embittered, if you had not had something you loved that you lost? ~ Adrienne Rich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Rich

Anything you say can and will be used against you (2)

Tags:

Open Thread

Vote

Comments

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 5:00am

Good morning,

Today's artist: "Jarik Jongman trained as an artist at the Art Academy in Arnhem (NL) and later went on to become assistant of Anselm Kiefer in France in 1995.
He has exhibited widely in London, Berlin, New York and Basel. He participated in the 53rd and the 54th Venice Biennale, in 2009 and 2011, in collateral events.

"He was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize in 2012 and exhibited at the Liverpool Biennial. In 2010 he won joint first prize for best artist at the UK National Open Art Competition, juried by Gavin Turk. In 2017, he won the Luxembourg Art Prize.

"Recurring themes in his work are ideas concerning ontology, history, metaphysics and architecture. https://www.saatchiart.com/jarikjongman

Submitted by lotlizard on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 6:53am

“Big Tech has proven it’s more powerful than any government”

With unilateral censorship of a sitting US president, Big Tech has proven it’s more powerful than any government

Big Tech’s moves to muscle President Donald Trump off social media have been heralded by some as victory. But a corporate-run state with politicians serving as mere figureheads amounts to the very fascism they claim to oppose.

The smug, palpable air of “mission accomplished” emanating from Facebook, Twitter and Google in the weeks after the media called November’s election for Democrat Joe Biden has been hard to ignore. Thanks to an iron grip on the political narrative and the heavy-handed suppression of any influential dissenting voices, these insanely wealthy companies and their partners in the media establishment have managed to successfully upend what was left of the US’ democratic process.

In short, they have reason to celebrate, having pulled off the first successful national-level coup-by-media in US history. And better yet — for them at least — having helped the “right” guy win, they won’t have to answer to any bogus charges of Russian collusion this time around. Indeed, no less than the Department of Homeland Security came forward to declare the vote the most secure in US history — a baffling claim at best, given the same officials have spent months insisting foreign infiltration supposedly had democracy hanging by a thread.

Trump campaign banned from emailing supporters

The Trump campaign is now blocked from emailing their millions of supporters after being suspended by their email service provider. The suspension comes shortly after President Donald Trump and his campaign were permanently banned from Twitter. The email service, Campaign Monitor, confirmed the suspension of the account to Financial Times’ Dave Lee. The National Review reports “the move effectively cuts off communication between his team and his core supporters. What is not clear however, is what other services have banned his team. The Trump campaign sends out a massive amount of emails—33 in January so far. But, it has been 48 hours since the campaign has reached out to its supporters via email, prompting most journalists to speculate that other providers have shut off access as well.”

Isn’t cutting the targeted head of state’s communications what coup plotters, putschists, and juntas do? Pro-Trump / anti-rigged-vote action isn’t the coup; it’s the excuse for the coup, the real fascist coup: the final fusion of the Deep State with Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:52am

Thinking about the carnage,

@lotlizard

the image of a lady trump supporter being trampled to death by her fellow trumpsters; another woman shot and killed, an CP Officer killed by a fire extinguisher to the head, reporters accosted, steel pipes to people's bodies and i don't give a damn about twitter.

With unilateral censorship of a sitting US president, Big Tech has proven it’s more powerful than any government

Big Tech’s moves to muscle President Donald Trump off social media have been heralded by some as victory. But a corporate-run state with politicians serving as mere figureheads amounts to the very fascism they claim to oppose.

The smug, palpable air of “mission accomplished” emanating from Facebook, Twitter and Google in the weeks after the media called November’s election for Democrat Joe Biden has been hard to ignore. Thanks to an iron grip on the political narrative and the heavy-handed suppression of any influential dissenting voices, these insanely wealthy companies and their partners in the media establishment have managed to successfully upend what was left of the US’ democratic process.

In short, they have reason to celebrate, having pulled off the first successful national-level coup-by-media in US history. And better yet — for them at least — having helped the “right” guy win, they won’t have to answer to any bogus charges of Russian collusion this time around. Indeed, no less than the Department of Homeland Security came forward to declare the vote the most secure in US history — a baffling claim at best, given the same officials have spent months insisting foreign infiltration supposedly had democracy hanging by a thread.

Trump campaign banned from emailing supporters

The Trump campaign is now blocked from emailing their millions of supporters after being suspended by their email service provider. The suspension comes shortly after President Donald Trump and his campaign were permanently banned from Twitter. The email service, Campaign Monitor, confirmed the suspension of the account to Financial Times’ Dave Lee. The National Review reports “the move effectively cuts off communication between his team and his core supporters. What is not clear however, is what other services have banned his team. The Trump campaign sends out a massive amount of emails—33 in January so far. But, it has been 48 hours since the campaign has reached out to its supporters via email, prompting most journalists to speculate that other providers have shut off access as well.”

Isn’t cutting the targeted head of state’s communications what coup plotters, putschists, and juntas do? Pro-Trump / anti-rigged-vote action isn’t the coup; it’s the excuse for the coup, the real fascist coup: the final fusion of the Deep State with Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

Submitted by lotlizard on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 12:19pm

That’s how they get us every time, divided in our various camps

@smiley7
Each side has its emotion-evoking mental tape of imagery that can be played back to activate maximum pathos and ethos, making sure logos stays superseded.

Submitted by ggersh on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 12:58pm

Exactly right

@lotlizard

Isn’t cutting the targeted head of state’s communications what coup plotters, putschists, and juntas do? Pro-Trump / anti-rigged-vote action isn’t the coup; it’s the excuse for the coup, the real fascist coup: the final fusion of the Deep State with Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

WS used stock prices of the unicorns to enable them to buy up every competitor therefore enabling monopolies to flourish. It's the crazies of SV like Theil, Zuck, Bezos, Gates, etc.etc. who want to control the world

With unilateral censorship of a sitting US president, Big Tech has proven it’s more powerful than any government

Big Tech’s moves to muscle President Donald Trump off social media have been heralded by some as victory. But a corporate-run state with politicians serving as mere figureheads amounts to the very fascism they claim to oppose.

The smug, palpable air of “mission accomplished” emanating from Facebook, Twitter and Google in the weeks after the media called November’s election for Democrat Joe Biden has been hard to ignore. Thanks to an iron grip on the political narrative and the heavy-handed suppression of any influential dissenting voices, these insanely wealthy companies and their partners in the media establishment have managed to successfully upend what was left of the US’ democratic process.

In short, they have reason to celebrate, having pulled off the first successful national-level coup-by-media in US history. And better yet — for them at least — having helped the “right” guy win, they won’t have to answer to any bogus charges of Russian collusion this time around. Indeed, no less than the Department of Homeland Security came forward to declare the vote the most secure in US history — a baffling claim at best, given the same officials have spent months insisting foreign infiltration supposedly had democracy hanging by a thread.

Trump campaign banned from emailing supporters

The Trump campaign is now blocked from emailing their millions of supporters after being suspended by their email service provider. The suspension comes shortly after President Donald Trump and his campaign were permanently banned from Twitter. The email service, Campaign Monitor, confirmed the suspension of the account to Financial Times’ Dave Lee. The National Review reports “the move effectively cuts off communication between his team and his core supporters. What is not clear however, is what other services have banned his team. The Trump campaign sends out a massive amount of emails—33 in January so far. But, it has been 48 hours since the campaign has reached out to its supporters via email, prompting most journalists to speculate that other providers have shut off access as well.”

Isn’t cutting the targeted head of state’s communications what coup plotters, putschists, and juntas do? Pro-Trump / anti-rigged-vote action isn’t the coup; it’s the excuse for the coup, the real fascist coup: the final fusion of the Deep State with Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

—

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Submitted by Dawn's Meta on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 3:10pm

You have stated succinctly what is making me uncomfortable.

@ggersh

—

A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.

Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 8:05am

Good Morning and thanks for the Open Thread

I thought some might be interested to listen to Krystal, Kyle and his guest Bhaskar Sunkara unfiltered. I am listening,but I am a total failure in trying to excerpt something in words of what I hear on the video.

Krystal thinks Trump will neither be removed through by the 25th Amendment, nor by impeached. So, I guess I will quit paying attention. Kyle's intonation of Trump are funny. The whole thing goes on for 1 3/4 of an hour.

Well ... is there something like speed-listening?

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:52am

We did speed reading as children, mimi, because Kennedy

@mimi

did; but speed listening is a new one to me.

Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 8:40am

Good morning, smiley ~~

Thoughts on Consciousness
Because we have not made
our inner world
conscious,
we seek change
in the external world
of forms,
as if the inner world
were a construct of the
outer.
We, each, give the world
meaning,
our meaning.

Live meaningfully with love. Convey that love to others. Be the love you are.

Enjoy the day!

—

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 10:28am

Good morning, RA,

@Raggedy Ann

How simple and true, 'each gives it meaning.' Seven billion times all the senses makes a lot of data; were it so we could collect that data with magnets like protons in a stream and use it constructively.

Thanks for your poem and hoping you've a wonderful day.

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 8:41am

Good morning smiley and all.

Another poem from Adrienne Rich:

A Mark of Resistance

Stone by stone I pile
this cairn of my intention
with the noon's weight on my back,
exposed and vulnerable
across the slanting fields
which I love but cannot save
from floods that are to come;
can only fasten down
with this work of my hands,
these painfully assembled
stones, in the shape of nothing
that has ever existed before.
A pile of stones: an assertion
that this piece of country matters
for large and simple reasons.
A mark of resistance, a sign.

I hope you had a good sun-rise-watching this morning smiley. Here, the pre-dawn sky was clear, with a bright crescent moon.
We have a couple of days with freezing temperatures in the forecast. I will spend a portion of the day covering plants. This is a good thing because come spring, our freeze now, helps decrease the chigger population.
Black-eyed peas soaking for some reason, don't know yet what I will make of them, but something warming and filling.

Will return later in the evening to look more closely at your OT smiley, I don't know a bit about the painter you highlighted. He conveys a feeling of strife, disharmony, conflict, difficulty. Very fitting for our current time. Thanks smiley for your always interesting and enlightening column.

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 10:46am

Love the Rich poem, randtntx,

@randtntx

thank you for bringing it; she was a splendid writer and thinker.

The sun appeared particularly large this morning in rising into this gorgeous day of clear blue skies. The coast is missing the cold front most of you have east of the Rockies.

"He conveys a feeling of strife, disharmony, conflict, difficulty. Very fitting for our current time."Feel it in his works as well.

Black-eyes, yummy; i cook them straight up, with garlic, sometimes ham-hocks or bacon and at times mix with greens; think i did a cold salad once. Trick appears to me is not cooking them too fast and not too long. Plain with cornbread, a go to.

Chiggers, a childhood nemesis, start scratching just thinking about them, welcome a deep freeze.

Hoping you enjoy the day.

Submitted by randtntx on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 8:40am

Enjoyed your tip

@smiley7 about cooking black-eyes; "not too fast, not too long". Won't forget that! Already had the sautéed garlic, onions, celery, and ham hock (forgot the bay leaf). They turned out very nicely and have plenty for today which is perfect for a cold, rainy day.
Have a good one smiley.

Submitted by Lookout on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 9:44am

Good morning friends

A cool 34 F this AM. Better than the 28 predicted. Got another 1/2" of rain yesterday, but none of the possible snow we could have gotten. Looks like the NC highlands are getting a good bit of snow. Perhaps the ski slopes are doing well.

Chaos in the capitol as AL pols claim antifa was responsible. I hope people noticed the flags and hats recognizing the BS. Sadly most Alabamians are not critical thinkers.

Hope all is well at the coast. Lookout is in winter mode and the woods reveal their secrets. Our woods have matured so well in the 30 years we've been here...under growth lessened as trees grow and shade them out.

Thanks for the art and poems. Hope you're all doing well.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 10:54am

Winter walks in the woods, Lookkout,

@Lookout

takes me back to childhood memories on the farm. Understand the underbrush difference in mature groves; makes for enchanting places.

Yep, mountains have a foot of snow up high and around eight elsewhere; storm after storm for a while now. See on the cams and hear from buddies that the slopes are slam full. Must admit, i'm not missing the cold.

Fighting a tummy ache from too much indulgence over the holidays, i expect, lots of rich foods and libations the old tummy's not used to.

Have a great mountain day.

Submitted by WoodsDweller on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 9:54am

I'm sure it's just a coincidence...

...but I can't help but notice:

Biden swore to Georgia voters that if they voted for the Democrats we would get $2000 checks. But Joe Manchin said "no" so there's nothing they can do.

Pelosi and Schumer swore to impeach Trump again, but those darned Republicans won't come back to Washington so there's nothing they can do.

With 51 votes in the Senate there will be nothing they can do. If they had 55 votes there would be nothing they can do. If they had 60 votes there would be nothing they can do. If they had 99 votes there would be nothing they can do.

—

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

Submitted by Lookout on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 9:59am

Many rethugs want the $2000

@WoodsDweller

So there may be hope.

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:00am

Spot on, WoodsDweller,

@WoodsDweller

no great expectations from the crew in DC. When will they ever learn that cancer continues to grow unless one cuts it out completely; half measures only delay the inevitable.

Submitted by The Voice In th... on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 9:50am

They are getting rich on the cancer

@smiley7
They do not represent us. They represent the one percent, who could care less about $2,000. Two million dollara ...

—

I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Submitted by smiley7 on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 11:21am

Sadly, very true, tis a giant problem yet to overcome.

@The Voice In the Wilderness

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 10:16am

Good morning smiley et. al. Another Saturday, another 2

day bird count begins, cold and dry here (39 when I checked earlier, cold for here). A lot to do outside now.

Thanks for the art and artist. "The journey", for whatever reason, really catches reality for me today, but all of it is great in that it speaks if we choose to listen. So too "The News".

Got some processes to get started, so up and about it is.

be well and have a good one

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:14am

Glad you enjoyed the

@enhydra lutris

ontological musings, el. And right on, listening is the key. Learning about a newfangled looping gadget from my son, speaking of listening, capable of producing 'all known sounds' or close to that, apparently.

A little under the weather, here; maybe, i'll find the energy to get out in the afternoon.

Hoping you've a great day and week.

Submitted by QMS on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 10:27am

Still morning Smiley

Not sure if you are still on the coast
whenever passing thru there on some boat venture
try to sample some local fare 'low country cuisine'
two favorites --

Shrimp and Grits - yummy

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/39303/lowcountry-shrimp-and-grits/

and Carolina pulled pork sammich - with coleslaw

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/carolina-pulled-pork-sandw...

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:37am

Had grits for breakfast, OMS, :)

@QMS

with garlic; but enjoy shrimp and grits rather occasionally. An old deceased friend, Bill Neal is known for the dish. His cook books are great: https://crookscorner.com/chefs/bill-neal/

Made a soup stock from two pounds of shrimp heads and the trilogy; a knock your socks off brew of lusciousness. Large fresh shrimp are five bucks a pound in Calabash.

Decided to stay until April, this is a good covid hide-a-way. Do plan to return home when i'm up to the ride and hopefully ski a little, then return; it's nice here in winter, not many folks and good weather, mostly.

BTW, most always keep a Boston Butt of pork on hand, frozen usually, so when the urge strikes for the pulled pork, spicy slaw and 'fixins,' i'm ready.

Thanks for the good food and images and Bon Appétit.

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 11:43am

No shrimp, it doesn't like me

@smiley7

Looks real perty, though.

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by smiley7 on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 11:30am

Have a family member allergic to shellfish, too.

@TheOtherMaven

Submitted by Jen on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 10:24am

A new site?

With all the money that trump supposedly has, why couldn't he just make his own social media website? Then bring all his supporters to his site while they (his supporters) dump fakebook, twit, etc. All social media would be a giant echo chamber then - even more than they already are. Would they be able to stop him from doing something like that?

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:42am

Good morning, Jen,

@Jen

good to see you. Yes, he probably will do just that and a Cable station, too, if the PTB don't stop him and his ilk dead in their wicked tracks.

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 3:15pm

It is not as simple as starting a site or social media service

@Jen There are a few choke points on the internet and smart phone infrastructure where an effective gatekeeper can foil the interchange of communication or effectively eavesdrop.

After Trump's ban from Twitter a the shift to Parler a social network which has not been banning users and content. The biggest tech companies are starting to apply pressure for censorship.

Parler’s ballooning user base comes at a potentially perilous time for the company. It has already been removed from Google’s Play store and Apple is considering suspending the social media app as well if it does not add some content moderation features.

Trump has been attacking big Tech's liability shield (Section 230) without much effectiveness using both executive orders and vetoing the last Defense bill in December.

Section 230 became a hot topic in 2020 as lawmakers, states and the federal government made major moves to rein in the tech industry’s biggest, most powerful companies. The law protects internet companies from liability for the content they host and is widely credited with opening the doors for internet companies big and small to grow their online business over the years.

Looking for leverage over tech platforms that policed his content, Trump zeroed in on Section 230 — and Twitter in particular — early this year. In May, the president signed an unusual but largely toothless executive order attacking tech’s liability shield. “The choices Twitter makes when it chooses to edit, blacklist, shadowban are editorial decisions, pure and simple,” Trump said when he signed the order.

In my opinion this is a warning to anyone or group whom may have ideas of reining in Tech's power. Trump is just a highly visibly target and the action will be supported by large number of the public simply due to their emotional response to Trump. Precedent will be set for when censorship will be directed towards other groups.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by lotlizard on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 3:59am

Report: Amazon (AWS) to unplug Parler’s servers midnight Sunday

@studentofearth
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/amazon-employees-demand-company-drop...

Wow, the real fascist coup isn’t wasting any time, is it?

For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence

— President John F. Kennedy

Submitted by The Voice In th... on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 9:53am

ISP's would block the traffic

@Jen
Biden will control the FCC now. They will want to be on his good side.

—

I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Submitted by UntimelyRippd on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 9:16pm

Incontrovertible evidence of Census Fraud! EDITED!

EDIT: Hey debunkers! Whatsamatta? Why hasn't anyone invested several hours of their valuable time proving me wrong? I mean come on, if you don't debunk this, I won't have any reason to throw some other inane unsupportable nonsense at you, and demand that you debunk that! Wahhh wahhh why won't you play my game anymore? No fair! I'm telling Alex Jones and James O'Keefe! Then you'll be sorry!

First, my credentials:
Multiple degrees from two of the highest-ranked public universities in the United States.
Author on dozens of scientific papers.
Extensive experience in statistical analysis of complex data sets. (It's what I do for a living, doncha know!)
Smart guy (Mind you, not as smart as that twitter guy with the 187 IQ, which is 20 to 30 points higher than any test can meaningfully measure, so I guess he got that score directly from God, or maybe Donald Trump. If it's the Wechsler scale, his IQ is higher than all but a few dozen people on the planet; if it's the SB scale, then that's more realistic, it's only higher than all but a hundred or so Americans. But I digress.)
I've never patented anything, but so what, patents are an immoral scheme to monetize knowledge so that capitalists can own it and rent it to the rest of us.

The point is: Everything I say is correct and true, because.

So check out this little chart I constructed. It shows the cumulative percentage of African American residents in Georgia, summed from left to right, starting with the smallest counties and ranging to the largest. I claim that the pattern in this chart is statistically impossible, and therefore the chart is proof positive of "race-switching" in the data reported by the Census.

QED

Now, can someone tell me where to send the invoice so I can get a taste of President-for-laugh Trump's $200,000,000 griftonanza? I really feel that I've earned it!

—

The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:31am

Heh. Well done.

@UntimelyRippd

be well and have a good one

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Blue Republic on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 10:25am

Wish I could say the same

@enhydra lutris

For your response to my comment - to one of EDG's whack-a-straw-man election
essays - that UTR is apparently riffing on. This one, if anyone's interested.

Since your response clearly indicates to anyone who bothered to check what you were
commenting on that you either did not understand or deliberately mischaracterized graphs that I posted and the content of the articles you were supposedly rendering judgement on.

If you want to claim something is BS - fine. But it will enhance your credibility a lot if you manage to convey that you have bothered to acquaint yourself with the content of what you're commenting on *first*.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 11:02am

I acquainted myself with it, noticed immediately the

@Blue Republic

attempt at argumentum ad verecundiam win the opening sentences, and read it through nonetheless. I also noted the stage setting using a fictional sampling of a known population aimed at bolstering the conclusion regarding an unknown population and the careful selection of a graphing process to achieve a specific intended result. Mostly I noted that the article ignored the existence of mail in ballots and hence cannot be remotely probative of anything whatsoever it could, accidentally, be meaningful, but that's about it. The author also failed utterly to discuss Georgia's demographics whatseover, even though it is something that cannot be ignored. Lastly, the author ignored the fact, and tried to belie it with various graphs no doubt carefully selected for that specific purpose tht damn near nothing is "statistically impossible". If I flip a coin, the more times, I flip it, the closer the h-t ratio should be to 50/50. If I take each ten flips, and selectively plot them I can generate interesting curves of many shapes, and if I flip 1,000 consecutive heads, that could be bacause randomness is like that, or it could be an "unfair" coin, one which actually "prefers" a given outcome, or a combination of the two.

I didn't think it worthy of prolonged discussion and analysis because there will be "learned" articles proving the GOP allegations continuing on from now until doomsday. Meanwhile, the innumerable "investigators" and "analysists" haven't been able to turn up any real evidence of any wrongdoing.

be well and have a good one

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by Blue Republic on Tue, 01/12/2021 - 11:51pm

That's a bit more like it

@enhydra lutris

in terms of a response, EH -

Statistical probabilities or impossibilities aside though,
what the graphs I posted indicate is fairly straightforward
and pretty clearly abnormal, especially in the case of the
2012 Republican primary where there were recent non-machine tabulated
elections to compare to.

I was paying attention to this at the time because I was supporting Ron Paul
and read the executive summaries of the work that the DK articles are based on.
What was shown, in eleven states, was a pattern of vote flipping to benefit
Romney at the expense of other candidates (Gingrich, Santorum and Paul).

Who votes were flipped from varied by state, but in each case Romney benefitted and
the Wisconsin chart illustrates the basic pattern: below a certain threshold size of precinct little variation occurred in vote totals for each candidate, but above that threshold, Romney's percentages steadily rise and those of all other candidates decline.

Generally, the biggest decline being from whoever was the top performing opponent in that particular race. In the Wisconsin race, the strongest opponent was Santorum, and as precinct size increased, his percentages dropped at nearly the exact rate that Romney's increased, with Gingrich's and Paul's also declining slightly.

Even if this might occur at random in a particular race, the chances of it occurring 10+ times in a single primary cycle (which is what is claimed) would appear to so anomalous as to merit serious investigation.

So, the GA 2020 study caught my eye due to the similarities. Data used was somewhat different - since the x-axis was arranged by county in order of least to largest number of votes cast rather than by precinct size - but a similar pattern of no apparent manipulation in the smallest entities switching at a certain point to a steady decline in one candidate's percentages at the other's expense as county size increased - is markedly similar to the 2012 observations.

Maybe this is all explicable by factors other than manipulation, but if the data is correct, the charts are what they are - they are using the official state totals for the races examined, there is no extrapolation of tiny samples to a large whole involved.

BTW - if you go back to my original comment you will see that You Tube has removed the video testimony of Jovan Pulitzer to a subcommittee of the GA State Senate that did not really even deal with computer hacking or irregularities, but was about means of conducting forensic analysis of paper ballots.

This could be YT protecting us from another right-wing loon, except that Pulitzer is one of the most prolific inventors in the US and holds hundreds of patents, including some of the basic ones for mobile devices to interact with barcodes, QR codes and the like.

Worth considering just who is being protected by this sort of censorship and lack of transparency.

Cheers,

Jovan Pulitzer Bio/Patent Archive

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 11:45am

Extraordinary, UntimelyRippd,

@UntimelyRippd

One supposes this will hold for the entire country; fraud indeed.

Thanks very much for sharing.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 12:06pm

What gives you the confidence that Trump will not

cause major damage tomorrow? He is caged in, I would think he will react accordingly, like a furious lion or elephant smashing the furniture, walls and pushing the wrong buttons?

If you can't get him out before Monday, I would think all the so-called allies of the proud boys of the US worldwide can be controlled. I don't say it will solve the problem of his supporters doing havoc all over the country, but it would stop him personally to do something unimaginable stupid and dangerous in the remaining 2 weeks.

Well, in the end I think Trump is a coward and Pence as well. Pence could resign immediately. Trump can not. He has just the bunker. The whole twiiter ban discussion is a simple distraction.

Oh well, that's what happens if you watch CNN for more than three hours. You start talking confusing nonsense.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 2:33pm

Perhaps you put this comment in the wrong thread, mimi, i've

@mimi

said nothing close to your post.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 6:27pm

oh, I thought this is an open thread and therefore

@smiley7
wrote what was on my mind. Due to the time difference between Germany and the US time zones and to my own day's working schedule I don't find sometimes the appropriate place to post what I want to get out of my chest.
Apologies.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by lotlizard on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 1:28pm

US Hasidic, Orthodox Jews forming armed militias in self-defense

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/294413

[video:https://youtu.be/tkfWQ7e-iRs]

How long before every identity group in the US, left or right, of whatever color, faith, and gender, follows up on the same idea? Historically, the government has let some such groups alone or even favored them, while ruthlessly crushing others.

Submitted by magiamma on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 2:57pm

good afternoon smiley

Love the art. (of course). Here we are. Who would have thought. I am always thrown back to nature as I watch the drama unfolding.

Here it is dry. Went past Lexington reservoir Thursday on my way to Palo Alto and it is quite low. Not good. Some of the smaller oaks along 280 are struggling. And yet yesterday two peregrines were in my front yard. I think one got a rat (they hang out under the bird feeder) and was feeding it to the other which was making the noises that young birds make when food is coming. So cool. Words fail. So close. Have a beautiful rest of the day, sir. And take very good care.

—

Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 4:48pm

Cool beans, magi,

@magiamma

peregrines living with you. Smart birds, they find safety with you, trust your spirit; having no doubt checked you out from up high for a long time. Remarkable it must be to sit and watch in front yard.

Haven't done any big fishing, the wilderness kind in a while where i enjoy communing with birds which used to lead me to fish on the high lakes of Oregon.

Nature has a way of washing away day to day diatribes, recurring noise and BS. Always my hope that Saturday's can be an artistic escape from politics where deeper reflections may take flight; but often circumstances break through.

Wishing an evening of beauty for you as well, be safe out there.

Submitted by Sima on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 8:41pm

Lexington

@magiamma I grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains. In fact, the house I grew up in barely escaped last fall's fires. I always mourned when Lake Lexington was low, because I could see the remains of the two old towns that were abandoned when the Los Gatos creek was dammed in the 1940s. Dunno why, but those always made me so sad.

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by smiley7 on Sun, 01/10/2021 - 11:25am

Me too, Sima; share the feelings

@Sima

of the lost communities under the TVA waters in the Appalachians, sometimes remnants of the towns and villages can be seen. Wonder were those people went who loved the privacy and freedom the mountains provide?

Submitted by janis b on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 7:24pm

Hi smiley

Thank you once again for introducing an artist whose work is intriguing, and stimulating to explore. The note that Jongman worked with Anselm Kiefer is clear in his work. He learned from a master who is still very relevant today. I think you’ll enjoy this 5 min. video with Anselm Kiefer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5WMRLbqJbKC4WDxM8mDGWhw/openin...

I also really like these images of Jongman’s as well.

http://fantastic-dl.blogspot.com/2009/05/jarik-jongman-artist-amsterdam....

[video:https://youtu.be/HN2DiY5OXF4]

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 01/09/2021 - 7:51pm

Hi janis,

Cheers for the link and video; glad you liked the work; crashing here will follow up conversation after i see the video tomorrow.

Beautiful forest on Friday night.