463 Comments
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Jeff Tiedrich's avatar

just FYI, I didn't write about Aileen Cannon and the DOJ because it's a fast-moving story that will probably be out of date by the end of the day. but don't let that stop you from discussing it down here in the comments

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Bob Bowden's avatar

To issue such a shit-brained ruling, Aileen must be counting on Donny to fund a new set of “kidneys” for her, so she can temporarily add an “s” to her surname before it ultimately changes to Trump.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

I agree...I have searched the inter webs to find a photo of her beyond the usual two Ive see and I cant find a thing. She's really obvious in her attempts to tear down democracy. Eventually, we'll find out who paid her off.

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Cathy Wray's avatar

I truly hate trump and republican politicians. They are the scum of the earth and care for no one but themselves. And for the NYtimes and other rags to act like trump's ideas are normal is OUTRAGEOUS!! Goddamn. I'm so sick of this shit. Jeff's columns are the only way I can stand to read about anus-lips.

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

Oh lord, me too. I can’t stand to ever hear his voice or see his hideous face again. Same goes for the rest of these garbage people. We know who they are and what they are. I don’t need any reposted reminders, which really only give these nuisances more attention than they merit. In conclusion, fuck all of ‘em.

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Marguerite Foster's avatar

You’re not alone. Everything you wrote is exactly how I feel.

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P123Sunny's avatar

And her superiors completely allow this to go on... Occasionally intervene / wrist slap. Wow :/

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Marycat2021's avatar

She's not an employee. Judges also do not have bosses. Nobody can even slap her wrist.

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Douglas Paul Truhlar's avatar

She and dumb dumb Mike Johnson have the same expression. It’s ugly and non-committed like the Mona Lisa not a smile more like a Zombie or AI machine-person. Non human.

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Marycat2021's avatar

I think she doesn't want voters to recognize her on the street.

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kdsherpa's avatar

That's a really interesting thought.

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kdsherpa's avatar

It's weird, isn't it. That SAME PHOTO, year after year (at this point). I don't get it. Does she actually exist? Or is THE picture fake and it's devin making the rulings?

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Cheryl ODonnell's avatar

I for one would love to see her financials. Bet it would be fascinating.

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

Dubious, TPTB, nor the Federalist Society will ever release that data… Cannon is guaranteed a SCOTUS appointment Susan!!

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kdsherpa's avatar

!!!VOMIT!!!

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Charles Austin's avatar

Her husband has repudiated mob ties.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

No shit?? That explains everything.

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Charles Austin's avatar

South Fla. (Cubans, Columbians, etc .🙄)

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Ole Anderson's avatar

Charles- He reputedly has mob ties or he repudiated the story of his mob ties?

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kdsherpa's avatar

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Zija Pulp's avatar

The Federalist Society and that remaining Koch bro.

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Name: lenora good, Guest's avatar

eventually???????? uh, have another cuppa coffee.

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Mike Hammer's avatar

But it suits her, in a demonesque sort of way.

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Cat Cafe's avatar

I think we already can guess.

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Cassandra Here's avatar

Supreme Court, she’s looking for Alito’s spot.

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

Or Thomas, depending how much his years of piracy are stashed in his portmanteau Cassandra!!

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Mike Hammer's avatar

And she will get it.

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kdsherpa's avatar

NO NO NO!!! Don't say that!! Don't give ANY energy to that monstrous thought!

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Julie's avatar

He’ll add her to the Supreme Court. Alito will retire this summer abs leave his seat for Aileen to fill. Fucking us for decades to come.

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Zija Pulp's avatar

IF she can get confirmed. Dems aren’t going to toll over again.

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Nancy Braus's avatar

oh yes they will. I have seen nothing to indicate the Democrats standing up to the dear leader, with the exception of a very few: Raskin, Chris Murphy, the Squad, and the always independent Bernie. Where are the rest?

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Carol Jacobson's avatar

That wins the comment of the week award!!!!

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Mary Virginia Hughes's avatar

There's word there will be a couple of vacancies on the SC his term. Surely she cannot get confirmed.

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Robert Eckert's avatar

Of course she can. The GOP has 53 votes in the Senate and there is no filibuster rule on SCOTUS nominees.

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

Exactly Robert!!

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Lynn Horsky's avatar

Turn Turn Turn.....Nero fiddling while Rome burned comes to mind......turn on the Bubble Machine.....Outrageously stupid off the cuff dumbed down DonCon and his enabling bitch batch of suckers and trollers are trying to start a civil war playing politics with disasters. It's truly maddening that the courts and media are ass kissing all the way to the bank with our T bills in hand. If Aileen Cannon gets nominated to the Supreme Court it would be right in line with all the other unqualified nominees. All her rulings were such a bald-faced covering of the backside of the Felon-in-Chief that should totally disqualify her for lack of ethics, but the prop-a-demented-fool-up-media will find a way to smooth over every wart and carbuncle and underhanded deal. Thanks for being on the front line everyday.

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Eileen's avatar

Lynn, it enlarges the question of what did justice Alito and Trump talk about the day before SCOTUS responded to dismissing Trump‘s sentencing as a felon for his crimes in New York. Did they talk about Alito retiring and handing it over to Aileen Cannon?

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

Alito said he would retire as soon as Trump was back in office long ago. Trump was hoping for another favor on his sentencing Eileen!!

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

SCOTUS most likely bent to rump’s wishes for a new camper.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

Dear Jeff, I’m writing to you because we both have the same problem, which is toxic self-doubt. I have a substack with 850 subscribers. You write humor, I use history to analyze present events. You try to make people laugh, I try to persuade them.

After I finish writing a post but before I push the publish button, I have an overwhelming feeling that this post is so pathetic that it will cause all my subscribers to think I am a bleeding idiot and cancel their subscriptions en masse. This is toxic self-doubt. It goes against evidence— the number of people who cancel their subscription to my substack is outnumbered by those who sign up by a factor of 40 to 1.

Both you and I have ANTS. This is a psychological term meaning Automatic Negative ThoughtS. These are ideas that just pop into your head out of nowhere. Things like, “I absolutely know this plane is going to crash.” or “I have no evidence yet, but I'm certain my spouse is cheating on me."

Trump has raccoons in his brain, but we have ANTS in our brain. Our ANTS torment us and disrupt our sleep. They serve no useful purpose, but they make toxic chemicals like cortisol flood through our veins and arteries.

Ironically, ANTS also make your writing less funny. The poor reader is going along in a jovial mood enjoying a post and then comes along despondent Jeff worrying about whether he repeats himself too much or whether he can make this day's news funny enough. What a buzzkill!!! We were all having a good time here and you just changed the mood, bro!

Since I have suffered with ANTS for decades, I have been lucky to encounter two methods to combat ANTS.

The first is cognitive therapy, in which you deliberately tell yourself a more realistic thought to replace the ANTS. You could say to yourself, “The gigantic growth of my substack in such a short time seems to indicate that I am actually funny.” (Realize that the alternative is to believe that there are a ton of masochists out there who get it off by reading things that they do not enjoy.)

Thus, you commit yourself to consistently replacing each ANT with a realistic thought that can help you reconnect to the real world and turn your back on the world of anxiety. This thought does not have to be the one I have suggested. You may come up with one that is more effective for you. One I use frequently which is all purpose is: “Fuck it! That’s an ANT, and I’m just not paying any attention to it!”

My second tool for dealing with ANTS, is one of the bedrock principles of Hinduism and Buddhism. They believe that the mind has an off switch. You can choose not to think, you can choose to empty your mind.

Many Westerners fear that if you turn off your mind, it will never turn on again. This is not a problem. The moment new stimulation occurs your mind will snap on automatically. The mind has a predilection for being active— that's why Eastern religion calls it the monkey mind. The human mind jumps around and buzzes like an out-of-control monkey.

It takes practice to turn the mind off. I have been practicing silencing my mind since I was 19 years old. I'm pretty good at it at this point. The practice commonly called meditation is simply learning how to turn the mind off.

My rule of thumb is that if I have thought about a situation or problem three times and always come to the same conclusion about it, it is time to not think about it again until some new circumstance would cause me to reevaluate that situation. Obviously, ANTS are the first thoughts you should kick out of your mind.

Jeff, please work on your ANTS! When you share your ANTS with us you are giving us your ANTS. Even if you hire a therapist, it is not their job to listen sympathetically to your ANTS. It is their job to help you put them in their proper place, namely the trash can.

Jeff, this is tough love. Getting rid of ANTS is not easy , but it is so worthwhile.

Finally, a funny story about ANTS . A therapy group was formed to help people get over fear of flying . It turned out that the group contained subgroups focused on different aspects of flight. Some were convinced the wings would fall off. Some feared takeoffs . Others feared landings. Each subgroup thought the other subgroup’s phobia was ridiculous.

When it came to flying, my fear was takeoffs. The countervailing thought I used was remembering all the really old flight attendants I have seen. If they had survived hundreds of flights over the decades, it was highly probable that I would survive this flight. A glorious moment came about two years ago when I found myself and the rest of the plane aloft and I hadn’t even experienced a moment of fear during takeoff. One tiny ANT was dead! Glory, Hallelujah!

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Jeff Tiedrich's avatar

wait. I sometimes comment on my posts because I think doing so will start a conversation, but you're saying that when I do so, I'm actually bumming everyone out?

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Susan Niemann's avatar

You have a rare gift of starting conversations and making people think while the laughter ensues. THAT is a gift, my friend. Plus, you've bought a fabulous community of people together and I'm super grateful for that!

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Jodi Richard's avatar

Totally agree Susan. Grateful for Jeff, his articles, his leading comments to get us going on our comments, and this community!

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Susan Niemann's avatar

I feel less isolated knowing there are people who share my views and fears for the future. I've met four people in person via the Jeff Substack and I consider them pals now! Thats a gift right there!

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Marie Martin's avatar

I’ve had some success actually meeting people from fb. Carefully curated list, btw. But I’d like to meet up with some of Jeff’s intelligent followers. Members here are a cut above, in no small part that we are in agreement about all of this mess we are experiencing. But also believe laughter and swearing are the salt and pepper, the special sauce, of the quality of our posts. I’m in Southern California. Anyone else interested in meeting?

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Gayna's avatar

I have no idea what that guy went on and on about, but you’ve got me re-reading your posts every day! You’re doing just fine.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

I love Jeff's writing. I think he deserves the Mark Twain Prize for comedy. But I just want his comedy—that's all.

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Marie Martin's avatar

WTF?

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

As my grandma used to say back in the day: Wantin’ ain’t gettin’.

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Nancy Braus's avatar

Jeff is one of the very few who can actually find humor in the absolute worst moments of any of our public lives. I never believed rape would become a sacrament and diversity and tolerance would be the worst ideas ever. I never believed we would be facing the destruction of a major US city and the Trumpers are actually trying to impede life saving activity.

How Jeff can find bona fide laughs out of this fucking catastrophe of a historic moment makes him a genius!!! Nobel prize for humor?

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Tess's avatar

Ditto!

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Dave Drell's avatar

No, you are not bumming people out with your comments/ you are clarifying a thought or an issue.

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arne link's avatar

Let's face it, it's the freaking news that is bumming people out, not Jeff. The drumbeat of horror never ends.

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Alison Parker's avatar

Not at all, especially since the comment this person is replying to is simply a factual statement. They are being weird and IMO a little inappropriate. Unless you enjoy being armchair-diagnosed.

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Denise Donaldson's avatar

Agree completely, Alison, especially about the inappropriate part. Jeff is not simply writing comedy. It's so much more than that: speaking truth to power, calling out corruption, and on and on.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

👏👏👏👏👏

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Kay-El's avatar

I’m not sure I fully understood what that comment was supposed to do for anyone’s frame of mind. It sounded like a finger wagging at you. Ignore.

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Cassandra Here's avatar

Wait, don’t do a thing. I love the conversation we start here with you. I’d like more of it. Please.

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Paula Dean Coykendall's avatar

You are wonderful, Jeff. Never ever depressing! I think Ms Weber may be projecting. As an artist, I know all about the self doubt that pops up when putting your work before the public, and we all suffer it - unless you're a narcissist like trump. Even the most successful people have attacks of 'Impostor Syndrome'. Maybe she needed to vent in a safe place?

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Teri's avatar

Paula, but not here! Vent elsewhere.😡. Not the first time she's stirred the pot here.

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Julie's avatar

I love it when you comment. Ants? I think it’s engaging when you comment. It shows you’re interacting with the subscribers. Please don’t stop.

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Teri's avatar

Jeff, your daily posts and comments are FINE. YOU ARE NOT BUMMING ANYONE OUT. I was impressed when you recently said you read every comment! On top of being wicked smart, you share when you have googled for facts, in top of following the insane news. Imo, the person who armchair diagnosed" you in YOUR Substack community open forum is incredibly rude, possibly attention seeking and needs to be told to STFU about your doubts & worry. JFC. This has been going on for days. Poster: Stop it!

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Hannah Olufs's avatar

What Teri said.

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

I couldn’t imagine I’d find such curious post on your site Jeff, your numbers bear the mark of success! Don’t change one hair for your readers!!

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Cheri Collins's avatar

No, you're not at all! Its the goddamned state of our country that's bumming us out. You manage to help us feel a little lighter about the absurdity of it. Rock on, Jeff!

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Deborah Hunter's avatar

Ignore her post. She bummed me out. You're the number 1 thing I look forward to reading in the morning. As they say in 12 step meetings- take what you need, leave the rest. We are all free thinking, intelligent people on here. We choose to be bummed out if that's the case. We don't have to always agree with what we read (even though I 99% of the time agree with you). Just keep doing what you're doing.

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Denise Donaldson's avatar

I think it's great that you add postscripts to some of your commentaries, Jeff. Gives them more reach and depth. I say this as a politics junkie and a writer by avocation. Carry on!

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Diane J's avatar

You don't bum me out Jeff but you do a damn good job of helping me stay informed.

OK it bums me out but because of the jackass MAGA and Shit-for-Brains DT are such unmitigatedp iles of shit.

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Tess's avatar

not me!

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Doreen Garza's avatar

Never!!! I love your posts!

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Victoria Wilson's avatar

Nor me!

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skangirl's avatar

I find Jeff's articles to be a perfect reflection/deflection of the way I feel about ill douché and the infinite stupidity he spouts. If I didn't laugh, I'd cry. It helps to know other people are in the panic room with me--smart, funny people.

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Cheryl Seybert's avatar

Count me in!!

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David Skoglund's avatar

ill douche’ 😂😂😂

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

Perfectly said skangirl!!

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Alison Parker's avatar

Congrats, you have won Weirdest Comment Of The Day.

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

Touché Alison!!

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Julie's avatar

Totally.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

I needed to say my piece on this issue, and now that I have thoroughly expressed myself, I will almost certainly remain silent from now on.

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Jeff Tiedrich's avatar

please don't be silent

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Deborah Hunter's avatar

No, please go away.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

I will only be silent on the issue of whether or not you have self-doubt that keep you up in the morning worrying about being funny. You may have noticed that your customers don't much like what I have to say on that topic. A number of them are waving digital pitchforks at me.

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

It’s really not about you. How about let Jeff be Jeff. He seems to know what he’s doing.

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Deborah Hunter's avatar

Why do you keep needing affirmation from strangers of what you post? If you believe it, fine. People who are secure in their beliefs don't need constant validation from others. We read Jeff everyday to laugh and at times make new friends. This is not a negative thoughts therapy group. If you're trying to impress us as an intellectual, that bombed also.

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Alison Parker's avatar

You did not "need to say it". There was no need here at all. You wanted to say it, regardless of whether it was appropriate or not.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

Every comment made on this site is because someone wanted to say it. And it takes all kinds to make a world— people of perfect taste, and stupid shits like me. I think intolerance and judgment exists pretty universally on the left, the right, and doubtless the center.

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Teri's avatar

SHUT THE FUCK UP!! #Narcissist #KnowItAll #GoAway

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steve robertshaw's avatar

You're fine, Jeff is fine, please let mine be the last word on this!

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Denise Donaldson's avatar

You WANTED to say your piece. And you did, so yes, good idea to leave it alone now.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

I have promised to do that and thought everyone would understand that is starting tomorrow. Today I am pointing out how intolerant some commenters are of any diversity of opinion. I never promised to maintain silence while people are attacking my choices. I promised not to discuss Jeff anymore today and I have not.

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Gayna's avatar

But you haven’t

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

I am sorry that I didn't specify that I was shutting up tomorrow. Today, I am pointing out that people really don't like diversity of opinion around here. That's a completely different topic.

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Susan Burgess's avatar

It’s not that. You veered way off the path of the venue, Kathleen.

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

Just because everyone’s telling you to STFU doesn’t mean there’s a dislike of “diversity of opinion.”

I’m about to find out whether the Substack ‘Block’ button works.

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Julie's avatar

Girl, I’m lost. For real. Jeff doesn’t have “toxic self-doubt”. Jeff is the BOMB. And no acronym like ANTS or anything else can dampen the danger we are facing in one week or lessen the impact the election of a fascist and his cabinet of assholes with too much money will have on ALL of us. We are entering into a profoundly dark time. I look forward to Jeff’s stack every day. There is only so much levity that can be injected into what is our new reality. While CA burns and people are broken and displaced and children are crying, SCROTUS is fucking rage posting and his fucked up minions are threatening g to withhold disaster aid for CA. President Musk could donate hundreds of millions and actually help people but his desiccated ass is spreading disinformation on his platform.

No, girl. Ruminating about ANTS is not helpful. And is the true downer.

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Deborah Hunter's avatar

Your post just made me want real ants to eat me alive so I never have to read something like that again. Good for you you've got your ANTS under control, but it really isn't your place to suggest/tell Jeff what to think and write. I work with a boss who is the definition of toxic positivity. And yes, that exists. Jeff is a breath of fresh air to me. He tells it like it is while being funny and sometimes hilarious about it. You write what you think is best and leave Jeff alone.

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Cat's avatar

Holy projection Batman! If people weren't canceling their subscriptions to your substack before now, they will after this unhinged comment. Wow.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

I got 4 new subscriptions today. Apparently, not everyone shares your opinion of me.

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antlisa1201's avatar

So I could be Automatik Negative Thought lisa! But I'm optimistic pessimist. Or maybe it's a pessimistic optimist. I can never remember.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

Since everything about this life has good sides and bad sides, I think optimistic pessimism sounds just about right.

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Douglas's avatar

lordy, your post is entirely too long. Do you bore your wife like this too??

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

this Kathleen can't tell whether you missed the fact that I have a feminine name or whether you think I'm a lesbian.

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Cat's avatar

You have 51 subscribers. Maybe it's 850 over in Lala Land. Just STFU already.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

Could you give me a link to that information? Some of my posts have gotten about 50 LIKES, but most of my posts are read by more than 800 people and they go out to over 850 people. Are you aware that Jeff has about 200,000 subscribers, but he usually gets about 2000 likes a day for each post.

This link says I have 869 subscribers.

https://kathleenweber.substack.com/publish/subscribers

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Susan Burgess's avatar

Yeah, no. That’s projection on your part Kathleen. No harm. No foul.

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Dotty's avatar

And why I can't handle the over educated ..that label everything . It's better to not overthink it ...because ants all head into the same bottle .. into the same line and into the same tunnel .best is saying what you think .....and if others don't like it ..let them go ....life is much happier that way .

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Jeff Chernoff's avatar

What a marvelous post!

Insightful and educational exploration of ANTS and Jeff's writing and what we're here for, and I enjoyed it for how interesting it is.

But... it is a particular point of view, in that Kathleen is so sensitive to ANTS where many have never given that a thought. If that kind of thinking is new to you you're not going to take all of this in at once without resistance and plenty of questions. Myself, I'm plenty familiar, thanks. Enjoyed this post.

The question then is does Jeff throw a damper on proceedings with self-awareness. Do I have to vote?

As with almost any question, a sliding scale of yes to no among us and I'm in with the No group. What we get is Jeff's style of writing, reflecting his way of thinking. It's the way he does it, a natural expression, and for that reason should not be tampered with. Then, it would be and feel unnatural.

So ANTS be damned, let it flow! And Miss Kathleen, most excellent thoughts and enlightening point of view... but not here, not now.

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Kathleen Weber's avatar

Thank you.

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Lisa Hansen's avatar

Huh???

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

Ignore the attention whore.

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Noel's avatar

Well you've not bumming me out, quite the opposite. I appreciate your authenticity, a rare lifeline in these times.

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Marie Martin's avatar

So agree with this.

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Fastball Fredo's avatar

You left out Habba Habba Yam Yam showering her praise on a child trafficking sex offender Andrew Tate.. That’s some strange shit. I guess Q has no issues with this guy and his friends. Or Moms for Liberty or MAGA.

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Marie Martin's avatar

On another stack, I just invented a great new word, no doubt bc here, with Jeff and you all, I feel free to let my mind ramble around. I was talking about truth that we just know Donny convict is going to be using his moment in the sun at the funeral with Obama as some shitfiddle lie. I don’t even know what it means but love the way it rolls off the tongue. Jeff, if it moves you, go ahead and add it to your list.

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Doc Blase''s avatar

Shitfiddle should be in the new editions of Scrabble!

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Alison Parker's avatar

As a mostly-lifelong NorCal resident (Central Coast for a few years) who has dealt with this horror more than once, it has been ENRAGING to see the disgusting callous responses from the right, as well as purity-pony leftists who think every single bad thing that ever happens in this state is Newsom's fault, somehow. They don't give a single damn about anyone who is suffering, they see this merely as yet another political football to lob at the people they hate for no reason. Fucking monsters.

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D Kitterman's avatar

The pure ignorant hate being spewed towards California is stunning, along with the threats by the Stinking Orange Diaper Load to not assist the state or fire victims and his intent to eliminate FEMA. Only his people are Americans worthy of assistance. Waiting passionately for this asshole to drop dead or stroke out.

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

I truly think the negativity towards BEAUTIFUL CA is simple jealousy. Many would live here in a nanosecond if possible.

We got here by pure luck. My husband after serving Marine Corps in Vietnam Nam, got a government job in San Francisco. Pure luck. The choice was St Louis MO or San Francisco and due to my husband mentioning I had asthma the placement person said he should go to San Francisco. Pure luck.

This was 1970’s. I vividly remember the first time we went to Berkeley. The streets were filled with people playing the songs of that time, singing, dancing, such a beautiful sight.

We have had experiences of a lifetime. And that was just one of the beautiful places here.

A little of jealousy I think is wrapped up in what is happening all over our country. If we two people with absolutely no $ could do what we have done, others could too. It was 90 percent sweat toil, sacrifice, vision, and joy that did what we have done. It enrages me to hear these whiners.

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Dotty's avatar

Remember the weekend before the fire .. when we got wind warnings . That a church from Hollywood was the sponsers of the huge protest in DC (that news didn't cover) about a demand for Democrats Congress to demand a recount . Need I say more ? There's numerous posts about groups of magaz running around LA with flame torches starting fires and there has been arrests

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

You’re right about the news not covering that protest for a recount, I never heard a peep about it. If I had, I would have probably posted something about…..like HELL YEAH!!! Also, I wonder if anything at all will ever be done about Elonia basically paying people to register to vote by giving the $100 to sign that dumbass 1st & 2nd A petition? That was against the law, but then he ups the ante by choosing one name every day to win $1M but ONLY in the swing states. He names a PAC the RBG PAC & is the single funder of that PAC & presented it, of course, as if it was pro choice. He ran ads in Jewish dominant areas, that presented Harris as pro Palestinian; then ran just exactly opposite ads in Arab/Muslim dominant areas in 2-3 of the swing states.

Cleta Mitchell gave massive funding to the election denying org True the Vote & they trained republican voters how to do voter challenges, so one individual voter could present the county clerk with a list of up to 4000 people to challenge to try & get them kicked off the rolls; & even if the didn’t succeed, they definitely increased the work load & unnecessary distraction of election personnel. State officials insisted on huge purges of the voter rolls. Texas AG Ken Paxton bragged that he had purged 1 or 2 million.

All of those things are just the tip of the iceberg of all the shenanigans & underhanded shit they did.

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Dotty's avatar

And that's only what we know of ....the obvious corruption and underhanded BS screams what has happened....the fact it's just going to happen anyway (Lumpys presidency) is something I'd never ever have thought could have ... If it does ....my days of any voting is over.. why waste billions of dollars for the peoples voices not heard ...and our votes not counted (actually thrown away ) it's all absolutely ridiculous

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Rick Calegari's avatar

Watching the local news here in SoCal and one of the LA Supervisors said she personally invited the heartless felon to see this destruction first hand. He will probably show up at some point but it will be a short visit since he'll be more concerned about his new mangey ferret getting messed up than the people who have lost everything and those that perished. There's also Smuk posting more bullshit about how nothing is being done to stop the looters. The National Guard is here and are helping to arrest looters and those who violate curfew mandates. Many celebrities are donating large amounts of cash but that heartless South African bastard's wallet is closed tighter than a bull's ass in fly season.

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Vickie Berry's avatar

Governor Newsom has also extended an invitation to the donald.

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Teri's avatar

Rick, I hope you and your family are safe. Haven't seen news today, but last night KTLA was reported military troops are coming.

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Marla's avatar

The National Guard are here to help enforce a 6p to 6a curfew, which has been put in place to discourage/prevent looting.

We live right outside an evac warning zone and it’s good to see the NG troops and their vehicles. The DH served in the Guard a while back. It’s good to see those guys.

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

Oh rump won’t be here in CA to see the fire damage. He doesn’t like to see that stuff, you know.

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Teri's avatar

Alison, 🇨🇦 Canadian Super Scoopers here dumping their water the 2nd day of this fire. I sat here and cried at the urgent arrival, not a second of hesitation. Canadians and their PM taunted and disparaged to his face 2 weeks ago by CF. The pacts for mutual protection, states & countries, are not red or blue. Mexico's firefighters and planes are here too. 🇲🇽

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Outdoorluvr's avatar

"Purity-pony leftists" 🤣🤣🤣

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Teri's avatar

Alison, I live in wildfire prone NorCal, but forgotten about the serious TN wildfire. Red Gov., no turd bs comments.

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

Thank you, Jeff, for remembering the devastating fire in my beloved East Jesus community in 2016. Bill Haslam is and always has been a wealthy Repub douchebro, but he was a downright saint compared with our current criminal MAGA governor, Bill Lee.

Speaking of saints, I’d like to mention that our Queen Dolly Parton gave $12.5 million to the relief efforts in Gatlinburg. She helped save the whole entire community. 🙌🏻

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Susan Niemann's avatar

We need a LOT more Dollys int this world. A fabulous woman.

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Mary Hall's avatar

I read where Taylor Swift donated $10M to relief efforts in LA.

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Rick Calegari's avatar

She did and Travis Kelce donated $1 million. Many celebs are donating large sums of cash but once again, the richest asshole on the planet doesn't do shit but spread lies.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

Wow! Wouldn’t surprise me. She’s also a selfless treasure! 👏👏👏

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

IK,R? Billionaires who actually do some good with their money.

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Carol Moore's avatar

As a Canadian, I am deeply offended by Trump's insults and crude statements about annexing my country. But I expect this kind of crap from Trump. What is even more offensive are the imperialist sycophants in the mainstream media propaganda machine writing about conquering Canada and other countries as if this was an ordinary topic of international conversation (yeah, what other countries should Trump add to his shopping list?) Fuck right off.

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Douglas Paul Truhlar's avatar

Not to worry that whole concept or dumbass bloviation came from him alone and we hate him. To be realistic isn’t his mission to cut spending and the national debt? I haven’t checked lately but aren’t countries kind of expensive?

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

Rump most likely thinks he in his magnificent personality can get countries for free.

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MJ's avatar

He wants to annex nearby countries because he idolizes Hitler and other dictators who absorbed other countries to gain more power. He so desperately, desperately wants to be a dictator, too. He wants parades in his honor and people bowing to him and nobody allowed to tell him "No."

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Stephanie Lajeskie's avatar

Yes, yes! California is going to get cooler very quickly. Just like the number of Covid cases went down to zero. We. Are. So. Fucked.

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D Kitterman's avatar

Take heart, Good People, because there WILL BE A BACKLASH. In the meantime, RESIST! Don't purchase products from Trump supporting corporations, buy less in general. Hold close the people you love and care about. Be kinder to everyday people and workers. Share legitimate information and news to as many as possible. Speak out. Be the face of kindness to those in need, for there are and will be many, with the additional benefit of helping us each feel better by doing for others. Bonus: No god talk is necessary to join up. Bonus Extra: We have Jeff Tiedrich and lots of others to keep us on track, informed, and laughing. Laugh and Play at Scumbags, Inc., expense. ☮️

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MJ's avatar

Mark my words: He's going to keep spewing nonsense. His handlers are encouraging it. His cronies are just as nonsensical. By the end of the year, Juvenile Delinquent Vance will be the president. That's why we never see him. The P2025 whackadoos are keeping him in reserve for when they set up whatever means they use - probably 25A/Section 4 - to get The Tangerine Terrorist out of office. Then they can unleash all 923923483423 pages of the Project 2025 handbook on the US. We're all boned.

This is my conspiracy theory and I am sticking to it.

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Mary Sundberg's avatar

Loved"tangerine terrorist "!!

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P123Sunny's avatar

T H I S

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Cat Cafe's avatar

I actually agree with you. They're Weekend-at-Bernie-ing him over the finish line (Jan 20) and then he'll have a helicopter ride.

The ONE possible solace in this is that I really don't think MAGA will cluster idiotically around Vance, Miller, Elon, and Thiel. Miller stepped on stage once during one of their Reich rallies and the idiots booed (who the fuck do they think they're voting for!!!??). The Orange Oaf has some kind of weird freaky carnival-barker charisma that they've fallen for. None of the others do.

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

😄

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Susan Niemann's avatar

The media will end this country as we know it. And Fox News is the root of it all. I'm exhausted from the manipulation of idiots like Ross Douthat and especially our gullible, lazy population.

"who even knew there were experts in the field of country-buying?" Who indeed. 🤦‍♀️

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Geoff Anderson's avatar

This week, the Behind the Bastards podcast reprised their two parter on Rush Limbaugh, and man, did they nail it.

In the early to mid 1990's Rush's TV show, produced by none other than Roger Ailes, tilled the fertile soil that then gave rise to Fox News.

Yes, Rush Limbaugh was the progenitor of fucking Fox News.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

Oh wow...figures Ailes had a hand in this bullshit. I knew old white guys in the Midwest who worshiped Rush and had their coffee mugs with "Ditto" on them. Gross.

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Geoff Anderson's avatar

I have spent my whole life (except for 10 years in Arizona) living in Silicon Valley and plenty of my peers and colleagues used to go take lunch in their cars to listen to Rushbo.

Smart people, working in tech and wafer fabs, engineers and marketers, all go "megadittos" and other bullshit.

The dangerous thing is that Rush trained them that he would do their thinking for them, that they no longer needed to read and process media. That his "super" brain would cogitate and tell them what they needed to know.

And if that doesn't reflect right-wing media today, I don't know how else to describe it.

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Cassandra Here's avatar

Early on at our university, the driver of the shuttle service from BFE played Rush turned up loud. No amount of complaining or written complaints got it stopped? Why? The service was contracted out to an independent company.

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P123Sunny's avatar

And from there, to 🦊 News playing on military bases continuously for 20 ish years… great.

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P123Sunny's avatar

🏆‼️

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OPAL MAHONEY's avatar

Limbaugh didn't have to train them. Religion had already done all the lifting, creating the perfect crowd of patsy's for the GOP.

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HI2thDoc's avatar

I hope the two of them are roasting together in Hell

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Paula Dean Coykendall's avatar

Ok. You have cured me of my habit of saying 'ditto' under posts I agree with! I had no idea that was a Rush thing, but I have never listened to him.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

😂 Paula you're too young to know that! In the conservative midwest, Rush (from Cape Girardeau Missouri) had a BIG following with old white guys.

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Lisa K. Obrien's avatar

It’s so discouraging to know how many men agreed with his hateful rhetoric about women.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

Oh, I agree. FFS. Have some self-awareness, guys.

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PTW's avatar

Yes, Limbaugh's sycophants called themselves "dittoheads."

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Paula Dean Coykendall's avatar

Don't they realize how ignorant that makes them sound? "I proudly do not think for myself. I agree in advance to absolutely everything this cruel man says."

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PTW's avatar

I think "ignorant" is a prerequisite to being a Republican, especially a worshiper of Rush Limbaugh.

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Douglas's avatar

'Dittoheads' they called themselves.....aaahhthe good ole days..🤪

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Gayna's avatar

I hated that bastard and celebrated the day he left the earth. He did absolutely nothing for anyone in his life except pull in cash. What a hateful son of a bitch.

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Patrick Daniels aka Cromulent1's avatar

A revised Communication Act, to the unlicensed and unregulated Telecommunications Act paved the way Geoff, but your point is salient!!

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Douglas's avatar

Patrick.....is that the infamous 'Fairness Doctrine'?? yeah I gotta do research.

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P123Sunny's avatar

All roads lead to Rush…. yep

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Cassandra Here's avatar

The Fourth Estate has sold whatever soul it had for access to a nincompoop. Jeff, you come here and talk to us any day; it’s good when you do, and it’s good to know how you are dealing with what is and what may come. (I see from a message from Jay Kuo that bickering and fault finding has just about ruined his willingness to talk about personal things. What a fucking shame that is.)

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P123Sunny's avatar

His delivery may be clunky, but he's 'delivering'... no mistake.

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Chris Craddock's avatar

Sleepy Joe has an off night after flying around the world to save western civilization and the media reacts like he should be banged up in dementia ward.

Meanwhile this drool factory rambles incoherently every goddamn day and the media acts like it’s just Donnie Dotard playing 3 dimensional chess.

We are SO fucked.

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Kay-El's avatar

1. I’ve never made fun of any states natural disaster. Did I say ooooo, that reminds me of “Swept Away” (2002) during a hurricane? Or oooo must be a remake of “The Wizard of Oz” during a tornado? No, because those events are awful, people lose everything including their lives. Fuck Orange Turd.

2. Donut has a hole where his brains should be.

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L P Inness's avatar

I think it's great you comment on your posts and ours. Several of the Sub Stacks I subscribe to and comment on have writers who interact with their readers. This is the point, to me, of being here. We are a community and as such we have interactive conversations. Ignore the Debby Downers...

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Susan Niemann's avatar

I agree...I love my readers and try to engage with each of their comments because I learn from them and enjoy the digital relationship. I think I like my readers more than actual people from my life. 😂😂😂

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

So funny!! Yep, most of my friends don’t have ANY idea who Jack Smith is. 😖😫

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Gina's avatar

we Canadians would love to push the US more leftward - but we're not so self-sacrificing as to give up our sovereignty (health care, including abortion, lack of guns, lack of trump) to do it

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JOEL's avatar

Piece of Shit, Scumbag "Warren Davidson, Republican Congressman from Ohio, calls for HALTING of disaster relief to California".

NOW is the time to plan ahead. NOW is the time for individuals who live in California and for companies that are based in California to STOP paying federal taxes (federal taxes of any type or kind) to the Federal Government. Instead, they should pay their federal taxes (federal taxes of any type or kind) to the State.

Frankly speaking, all Blue States should follow this model.

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Jayme Wolworth's avatar

Pathetic people like Davidson will be the first with their hands out when disaster strikes their own state. It's not like Ohio is safe from the climate change disasters that are coming.

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Lynn Horsky's avatar

especially since Cali is the highest earning GDP% in the US and could be a nation in its own right --its economy is just behind INDIA's.

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Brenda Ball's avatar

Oh good, another elected brainiac from Ohio adds to the bs!

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Deborah Perugi's avatar

This long road is a nightmare that can only be tolerated by the ravings of Jeff and his enlightened readers.

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

Love it!!

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Karla's avatar

The fact that the NYT still exists indicates that cult mentality isn’t just for the Fox Noise red hatters. It scares me that people still take seriously a publication that prints crazy shit like this.

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Carl Selfe's avatar

I find it disgusting, white washing a convicted felon into the White House. The mainstream media has done us dirt for the last 9 years, and I hold them directly responsible for the debacle we face. I say turn the channel and block it. Cancel the subscription. https://open.substack.com/pub/hotbuttons/p/media-malfeasance?r=3m1bs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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Brad Yazell's avatar

MacKinnon--"there is real genius and logic behind much of the thinking."

Uh, ok. Whatever you say, Dougie.

The whole fucking media complex has created a hellscape for the rest of us and now we get this drivel. Trump is about as far away from genius and logic as one can get.

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