Not in a conspiratorial way, but in the back of my mind I always kinda wondered if Obama knew Joe was past peak as VP and why he would never get behind him before he was president.
Yes, you'd think. Both parties have plausible paths.
My counterpoint for consideration would be that the Dems still have quite a few orthodoxies that would need dismantling while Trump has already dismantled quite a few Republican orthodoxies. The post-Trump party is already deconstructed...
That doesn't mean R's will come up with a winning coalition/policy mix... but their iterations have fewer constraints (good or bad).
The coalition should include people who aren't anti-Trump but people for whom you could make a case that your presidency would be good for them.
She never really made a case, she tried to not make a case that she would be as Liberal as she was in 2019 by *not* saying anything that might imply that. But, she never made the affirmative case of what she'd do differently from 2019 Harris.
As a result the only person who beat Harris convincingly was 2019 Harris being broadcast relentlessly across the airwaves.
I heard some talk of concerns about The Left not voting for her... I think it's instructive that Trump took the concerns about the SoCons dropping him over his abortion stances and said f*uck it, who are they going to vote for instead? He wanted his coalition to include Biden/Harris voters.... and sonuvabidge if it doesn't.
Yes, it is extremely unsatisfying to realize that the proper alignment of ideas to party does not lead to electoral success but fitfully. Especially in a two party system.
The good news of not changing is that it may very well work in the next cycle. The bad news is that it will continue to remain an unreliable prediction until the next politician who carves up the previous assumptions into a better winning coalition.
I wouldn't say that the Left has 'lost control' of the culture making apparatus. It hasn't. I suspect, however, that the culture making apparatus was never as Left as the Left hoped. That said; the culture making apparatus mostly wants to make money more than it wants to re-make culture.
I try to restrain myself from saying 'the reason your party lost is...'
But I don't think it's necessarily wrong to say, 'you might want to consider additional reasons to the only one you're bringing up.' Like, in the spirit of fraternal help.
We have a Gala charity event on Saturday... not exactly the Met Gala, more of a local school gym Gala. But a Gala nonetheless. Or so we're told. Anyhow, one of those local events where all the adults in the community dress-up and catch-up on all the goings on since the last semi-annual time we got together.
We're sitting with old friends one of whom is an actual professional Portrait artist and former F-14 fighter pilot; he has friends who like to chat about art, and others who like to chat about military history, but I'm on the short list who likes to talk about both. Someday when that Nigerian Prince calls me back, I have big ideas to commission a religious work about Mary from the perspective of Eve. We like to talk about how we'd stage that -- and plan research trips to Sepphoris (birthplace) and elsewhere.
But, before the Gala, as is customary for Gaudete Sunday, we go to the tree farm to pick-up our 'Advent Tree' and then adorn it with lights and purple ribbon. The Sonos Evening Playlist is updated from the 'Pop Holiday Winter Mix' music to 'Christmas Crooner mix'. Eggnog is licit and no longer sneaked. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Seems serviceable; but I'm not a fan of that style... way too much background noise and far too detailed (esp. background) -- creates a distraction to the subject.
Wife and I went to the National Portrait Gallery last year and looked at all the presidential portraits... my now settled opinion is that the Rembrandt school re-interpreted through Singer Sargent is the best(TM) style for portraits.
The distinction is painting the eyes... that's what we look at and that's how we make initial judgements about people... the further from the eye, the less detailed the stylings. The background is notional or just a solid color. But, it's hard to really capture the eyes and the person -- that's where genius resides.
I agree. There's a lot of room for revisiting policy with huge upsides to both growth and security; but I don't think there's a party (yet) that can navigate all the oxen that will be gored.
I say all policy should err towards mangnamity rather than pettiness.
When we begin indexing our social programs as we inevitably shall, let us instead *add* to the benefit output according to the number of children you've contributed to the commonwealth.
Now, if you want to ruin magnanimity with TechBro EA nonsense, you can base future benefits on the actual output of your children... i.e. your social security isn't based on your contributions but on your children's contributions (plus yours once your parents have passed). But that's just mathy elitism.
I mean, I don't think you should get less... just that I should get more.
Food is always a great gift; well, other than fruit cakes.
One of the coolest food gifts we received was an oyster sauce made from the leaves of a black walnut steeped in a jar over a period of a few months alternating between direct sunlight and basement darkness.
But yeah, doesn't have to be crazy like that... spiced holiday nuts are awsome; and our family recipe Baklava is something my dad started doing in the 70s for friends and the General Contractors he subbed for.
What? The cheerleading? That's basically the lowest common denominator of talking about foreign policy... so yeah, it's dumb when R's do it and when D's do it. I don't think it's a partisan thing.
I recommend the Sunbeam heated Mattress Pad with WIFI.
Sure, another single purpose app for your phone. BUT, you can program the pad to turn on 1/2 hour before your usual bedtime and there's nothing better than climbing in to nice warm sheets on a cold winter night. (I program it to turn *off* around midnight once I'm asleep and the bed temp is stable.)
POE2 early access launched Friday at 2, 2.30, 3, er 4.30 on Friday.
13 years building the best ARPG in the business... 5 years developing their next generation update... all they have to do is improve on the game they have -- fix a few janky systems, add some new classes, revamp some game skills and update all the graphics.
After all, they have a *great* game that people love.
About two years ago they introduced a 'passion project' to POE 1 which was an alternative mode called 'Ruthless'. Slow, clunky, fewer skills, punishing mechanics, etc. etc. -- it was purely optional and as a Dev Passion Project you could totally ignore it, and everyone did. It sucked.
During early play tests people warned them that it felt like Ruthless, and that they should 'fix' it...
Guess what, POE 2 is basically the sucky Ruthless version of POE1.
No one is happy about this. So stupid.
I have some faith that they will recognize that a Dev passion project is no substitute for a really successful franchise and will make a bunch of changes... but it's always possible the Devs will dig in and tell their players that they are enjoying the game wrongly.
On “From The Wall Street Journal: How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge”
Not in a conspiratorial way, but in the back of my mind I always kinda wondered if Obama knew Joe was past peak as VP and why he would never get behind him before he was president.
On “From Semafor: Kamala Harris’ digital chief on Democrats ‘losing hold of culture’”
I think the problem might be that you're in the same trench.
"
Yes, you'd think. Both parties have plausible paths.
My counterpoint for consideration would be that the Dems still have quite a few orthodoxies that would need dismantling while Trump has already dismantled quite a few Republican orthodoxies. The post-Trump party is already deconstructed...
That doesn't mean R's will come up with a winning coalition/policy mix... but their iterations have fewer constraints (good or bad).
"
A broad anti-Trump coalition is self limiting.
The coalition should include people who aren't anti-Trump but people for whom you could make a case that your presidency would be good for them.
She never really made a case, she tried to not make a case that she would be as Liberal as she was in 2019 by *not* saying anything that might imply that. But, she never made the affirmative case of what she'd do differently from 2019 Harris.
As a result the only person who beat Harris convincingly was 2019 Harris being broadcast relentlessly across the airwaves.
I heard some talk of concerns about The Left not voting for her... I think it's instructive that Trump took the concerns about the SoCons dropping him over his abortion stances and said f*uck it, who are they going to vote for instead? He wanted his coalition to include Biden/Harris voters.... and sonuvabidge if it doesn't.
"
Yes, it is extremely unsatisfying to realize that the proper alignment of ideas to party does not lead to electoral success but fitfully. Especially in a two party system.
The good news of not changing is that it may very well work in the next cycle. The bad news is that it will continue to remain an unreliable prediction until the next politician who carves up the previous assumptions into a better winning coalition.
First party to the Upper Left quadrant wins.
"
I wouldn't say that the Left has 'lost control' of the culture making apparatus. It hasn't. I suspect, however, that the culture making apparatus was never as Left as the Left hoped. That said; the culture making apparatus mostly wants to make money more than it wants to re-make culture.
"
I try to restrain myself from saying 'the reason your party lost is...'
But I don't think it's necessarily wrong to say, 'you might want to consider additional reasons to the only one you're bringing up.' Like, in the spirit of fraternal help.
On “Weekend Plans Post: Back Into the Swing of Things”
We have a Gala charity event on Saturday... not exactly the Met Gala, more of a local school gym Gala. But a Gala nonetheless. Or so we're told. Anyhow, one of those local events where all the adults in the community dress-up and catch-up on all the goings on since the last semi-annual time we got together.
We're sitting with old friends one of whom is an actual professional Portrait artist and former F-14 fighter pilot; he has friends who like to chat about art, and others who like to chat about military history, but I'm on the short list who likes to talk about both. Someday when that Nigerian Prince calls me back, I have big ideas to commission a religious work about Mary from the perspective of Eve. We like to talk about how we'd stage that -- and plan research trips to Sepphoris (birthplace) and elsewhere.
But, before the Gala, as is customary for Gaudete Sunday, we go to the tree farm to pick-up our 'Advent Tree' and then adorn it with lights and purple ribbon. The Sonos Evening Playlist is updated from the 'Pop Holiday Winter Mix' music to 'Christmas Crooner mix'. Eggnog is licit and no longer sneaked. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
On “Open Mic for the week of 12/9/2024”
Seems serviceable; but I'm not a fan of that style... way too much background noise and far too detailed (esp. background) -- creates a distraction to the subject.
Wife and I went to the National Portrait Gallery last year and looked at all the presidential portraits... my now settled opinion is that the Rembrandt school re-interpreted through Singer Sargent is the best(TM) style for portraits.
The distinction is painting the eyes... that's what we look at and that's how we make initial judgements about people... the further from the eye, the less detailed the stylings. The background is notional or just a solid color. But, it's hard to really capture the eyes and the person -- that's where genius resides.
On “From the New York Post: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot outside Hilton hotel in Midtown in targeted attack: cops”
I agree. There's a lot of room for revisiting policy with huge upsides to both growth and security; but I don't think there's a party (yet) that can navigate all the oxen that will be gored.
"
Sales manager: how can I make a game that will determine how much he will over-promise and just how much he will under-deliver?
"
Yes, well, keep an alert eye open for Werewolf games. ... there's no walking back from that.
"
I say all policy should err towards mangnamity rather than pettiness.
When we begin indexing our social programs as we inevitably shall, let us instead *add* to the benefit output according to the number of children you've contributed to the commonwealth.
Now, if you want to ruin magnanimity with TechBro EA nonsense, you can base future benefits on the actual output of your children... i.e. your social security isn't based on your contributions but on your children's contributions (plus yours once your parents have passed). But that's just mathy elitism.
I mean, I don't think you should get less... just that I should get more.
"
I always knew that Live Action Role Playing was going to corrupt the youth.
"
Heh, vibeshift incoming.
On “Bashar al-Assad Flees To Moscow, Ending 50 Years of Syrian Dictatorship”
All borders are fungible and frangible.
On “The Fourteenth Annual Mindless Diversions Unsolicited Shopping Guide”
Food is always a great gift; well, other than fruit cakes.
One of the coolest food gifts we received was an oyster sauce made from the leaves of a black walnut steeped in a jar over a period of a few months alternating between direct sunlight and basement darkness.
But yeah, doesn't have to be crazy like that... spiced holiday nuts are awsome; and our family recipe Baklava is something my dad started doing in the 70s for friends and the General Contractors he subbed for.
"
I am averting my eyes lest I learn about decorative pillows...
On “Bashar al-Assad Flees To Moscow, Ending 50 Years of Syrian Dictatorship”
What? The cheerleading? That's basically the lowest common denominator of talking about foreign policy... so yeah, it's dumb when R's do it and when D's do it. I don't think it's a partisan thing.
On “The Fourteenth Annual Mindless Diversions Unsolicited Shopping Guide”
Wrong on so many levels... I thought the marriage covenant prohibited sleeping on the spousal side.
On “Bashar al-Assad Flees To Moscow, Ending 50 Years of Syrian Dictatorship”
Good summary; it's just hard to see how all the regional cross pressures coalesce into something stable, something we continue to call Syria.
"
No, the possibility exists that the new mess becomes worse than Assad.
It's just dumb to do cheerleading and treat foreign policy like sports teams that we root for.
On “The Fourteenth Annual Mindless Diversions Unsolicited Shopping Guide”
Oops, here's a link:
https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-Connected-Heated-Mattress-Queen/dp/B08X16SNL4/?th=1
"
I recommend the Sunbeam heated Mattress Pad with WIFI.
Sure, another single purpose app for your phone. BUT, you can program the pad to turn on 1/2 hour before your usual bedtime and there's nothing better than climbing in to nice warm sheets on a cold winter night. (I program it to turn *off* around midnight once I'm asleep and the bed temp is stable.)
Merry Christmas.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: Silent Hill 2’s Remake”
POE2 early access launched Friday at 2, 2.30, 3, er 4.30 on Friday.
13 years building the best ARPG in the business... 5 years developing their next generation update... all they have to do is improve on the game they have -- fix a few janky systems, add some new classes, revamp some game skills and update all the graphics.
After all, they have a *great* game that people love.
About two years ago they introduced a 'passion project' to POE 1 which was an alternative mode called 'Ruthless'. Slow, clunky, fewer skills, punishing mechanics, etc. etc. -- it was purely optional and as a Dev Passion Project you could totally ignore it, and everyone did. It sucked.
During early play tests people warned them that it felt like Ruthless, and that they should 'fix' it...
Guess what, POE 2 is basically the sucky Ruthless version of POE1.
No one is happy about this. So stupid.
I have some faith that they will recognize that a Dev passion project is no substitute for a really successful franchise and will make a bunch of changes... but it's always possible the Devs will dig in and tell their players that they are enjoying the game wrongly.