A side note that probably only interests me, but outside from our legendary comments stalker needing their two or three new gmail ids to be blocked every morning and the usual op-ed chatter, BY FAR the biggest complaint about OT in the years I've been doing the ME duties is folks complaining about the grey-on-grey font-formatting of the redesign. Seemed to be a specific group of folks with certain eye issues or whatever, but it was consistent and honest criticism that they had a hard time reading the site. Now, as a dedicated disciple of dark mode it didn't bother me, but this new theme has solved that issue as well, and even I have to admit it pops nicely after years of darker.
Aside from the content of this piece and the discussion that will come of it, I just wanted to say after six years of doing this for OT how it is always good to not only have a commentor take us up on "you can write a whole piece about this" - which too few do - but to deliver an essay like this is impressive, and I thank David for doing do.
No single thing in American politics has warped the thinking of folks who think they know how things really work more than the fans of the West Wing who try to apply that show to actual electoral politics
You're on it: unless the crazy affects the non-politicals checkbooks and lifestyle the pushback will be mostly legal and limited to the confines of politics as usual.
While it is debatable about best or favorite song of the year was, the most impactful and "biggest" song of the year - and it wasn't remotely close - was Kendrick Lamar 'Not Like Us' which has Universal Music group embroiled in lawsuit against one of their own distributed artist, an international incident between the US and Canada, single-handily destroyed the public perception and branding of one of the biggest music stars of the last decade in Drake, and got Kendrick the Super Bowl gig.
Obama cracked the joke at McCain's funeral that John has purposefully requested W and Obama to do eulogizes "What better way to get a last laugh than to make George (Bush) and I say nice things about him to a national audience"
I hate the song Imagine, loathe it entirely, however Garth and Trisha also did this at Rosalynn's funeral and it was long planned by request from the Carter's themselves that they do so. Their funeral, they can have it how they want it
This goes to what the point of the MSG rally last night was for MAGA: A giant middle finger to get every "against" to react to the middle finger so all the "for" folks can go "why does a middle finger bother you" without having to consider the specifics of what they are doing, saying, advocating for because "they" are just offended by "us".
Everyone (barring an accident of some kind) reading, writing, and commenting on OT has two middle fingers. They just aren't allowed to give those two middle fingers to everyone else on OT. Editorially speaking, of course. Something like 47% of the electorate seems, sadly and tragically for the country, to think otherwise.
On “4th Circuit Court on Abrego Garcia: Read It For Yourself”
Ten second news has this up now
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/14/2025”
He ran for congress last year IIRC and made headlines for shopping which seat to run for
On “Panamanicans: U.S. Troops in Panama”
Was tempted to go with "Panamaniacs" here, to be honest...
On “The Emergency Ordinary Times Facelift”
A side note that probably only interests me, but outside from our legendary comments stalker needing their two or three new gmail ids to be blocked every morning and the usual op-ed chatter, BY FAR the biggest complaint about OT in the years I've been doing the ME duties is folks complaining about the grey-on-grey font-formatting of the redesign. Seemed to be a specific group of folks with certain eye issues or whatever, but it was consistent and honest criticism that they had a hard time reading the site. Now, as a dedicated disciple of dark mode it didn't bother me, but this new theme has solved that issue as well, and even I have to admit it pops nicely after years of darker.
On “Martin Niemöller, and Who First They Came For”
Aside from the content of this piece and the discussion that will come of it, I just wanted to say after six years of doing this for OT how it is always good to not only have a commentor take us up on "you can write a whole piece about this" - which too few do - but to deliver an essay like this is impressive, and I thank David for doing do.
On “Open Mic for the week of 3/24/25”
Front page post up on this topic for discussion now
On “Report: Trump to Sign Department of Education Elimination Executive Order”
Think I'll write a piece addressing this...
On “The JFK Files Drop Today (Supposedly)”
probably. Good point.
On “Open Mic for the week of 3/3/2025”
dealt with
On “Group Activity: President Donald Trump Address to Congress”
No single thing in American politics has warped the thinking of folks who think they know how things really work more than the fans of the West Wing who try to apply that show to actual electoral politics
On “The Colombia Gambit”
You're on it: unless the crazy affects the non-politicals checkbooks and lifestyle the pushback will be mostly legal and limited to the confines of politics as usual.
On “Open Mic for the week of 1/20/2025”
Ernst is a yes already
"
You need to emotionally prepare yourself for disapppointment
On “Trump Term Two, Day One, Executive Orders”
Trump has no idea how the McKinley presidency ended, does he....
On “Weekend Plans Post: One Single Good Song in 2024”
Its fixed
On “Open Mic for the week of 1/13/2025”
Full post with the Ruling PDF now up on front page for this discussion
On “Weekend Plans Post: One Single Good Song in 2024”
What's more American than accusing a Canadian of foul deeds, and the Super Bowl is nothing if not a celebration of American excellence...
"
While it is debatable about best or favorite song of the year was, the most impactful and "biggest" song of the year - and it wasn't remotely close - was Kendrick Lamar 'Not Like Us' which has Universal Music group embroiled in lawsuit against one of their own distributed artist, an international incident between the US and Canada, single-handily destroyed the public perception and branding of one of the biggest music stars of the last decade in Drake, and got Kendrick the Super Bowl gig.
On “Open Mic for the week of 1/6/2025”
Obama cracked the joke at McCain's funeral that John has purposefully requested W and Obama to do eulogizes "What better way to get a last laugh than to make George (Bush) and I say nice things about him to a national audience"
"
Jimmy Carter had more than one contradiction to his character, as do most of us
"
I hate the song Imagine, loathe it entirely, however Garth and Trisha also did this at Rosalynn's funeral and it was long planned by request from the Carter's themselves that they do so. Their funeral, they can have it how they want it
On “The Mandate That Wasn’t”
A political mandate is just a social construct.
Literally, in this case.
On “Open Mic for the week of 11/11/2024”
Separate post up about this now
On “What If Trump Wins?”
Karl Popper is not in charge of America's political discourse. Not sure which way that breaks, to be honest...
"
This goes to what the point of the MSG rally last night was for MAGA: A giant middle finger to get every "against" to react to the middle finger so all the "for" folks can go "why does a middle finger bother you" without having to consider the specifics of what they are doing, saying, advocating for because "they" are just offended by "us".
Everyone (barring an accident of some kind) reading, writing, and commenting on OT has two middle fingers. They just aren't allowed to give those two middle fingers to everyone else on OT. Editorially speaking, of course. Something like 47% of the electorate seems, sadly and tragically for the country, to think otherwise.