I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Linkee-poo Tuesday

Alligators overboard.

"House Speaker Paul Ryan’s legacy can be summed up in just one number: $343 billion… That’s the increase between the deficit for fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2018 — that is, the difference between the fiscal year before Ryan became speaker of the House and the fiscal year in which he retired." Republicans are not fiscally responsible, they just don't want to play fair. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Monday it would be a mistake for Democrats to launch investigations once they officially retake the majority in the House, arguing that the country has 'other problems.'" Dear Rep. McCarthy, refund the American public the cost of your 4 Benghazi investigations first. "'And if Schiff is taking this beyond — to go forward and say there’s an impeachable offense because of a campaign finance problem, there’s a lot of members in Congress who would have to leave for that.'" There's the door, bucko. Don't let it hit you in the ass. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"An eight-year campaign to slash the agency’s budget has left it understaffed, hamstrung and operating with archaic equipment. The result: billions less to fund the government. That’s good news for corporations and the wealthy." Oh Dear, the campaign to hamstring the IRS is much older than just 8 years. This was talked about in the 80s and began in earnest during the 90s after the Republican Revolution that ushered Newt Gingrich into Congressional leadership. "The story has been different for poor taxpayers. The IRS oversees one of the government’s largest anti-poverty programs, the earned income tax credit, which provides cash to the working poor. Under continued pressure from Republicans, the IRS has long made a priority of auditing people who receive that money, and as the IRS has shrunk, those audits have consumed even more resources, accounting for 36 percent of audits last year. The credit’s recipients — whose annual income is typically less than $20,000 — are now examined at rates similar to those who make $500,000 to $1 million a year." (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

"The bromance between Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son in law, and Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, also known as MBS, turned out not to have been that at all; rather, Kushner has been the victim of a long, involved campaign to use his stupidity against him." Sort of like how Putin is using Trump's stupidity against him. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"Maria Butina, a Russian gun rights activist, is poised to plead guilty in a case involving accusations that she was working as an agent for the Kremlin in the United States, according to a new court filing." I suspect there will be heavy drinking at the NRA holiday brunch. Hope they don't bring their guns with them. Silly me, the NRA doesn't allow guns at its events. (Grokked from Jim Wright)

"Prosecutors said that she had used Erickson’s political connections to infiltrate the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other Republican circles on behalf of Russia. The FBI claimed that it had found a handwritten note in Butina’s possession asking, 'How to respond to FSB offer of employment?' referring to the Russian state intelligence organization." Apparently the handwriting was Ericsson's. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig in a roundabout way)

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