IF THE DEMOCRATS HAD FOUND ENOUGH GUYS LIKE ME, SCHUMER WOULD BE THE MAJORITY LEADER.

It was a good night overall, although disappointing in some places, including here. It was also pretty much in line with the polls and the forecast models.

Rebecca Traister has a good take, as usual.

I'm just relieved nothing horrible happens. Democrats won the house and there were no mass shootings at polling places. That's victory enough for me.

Chris Hooks is good in the Texas Observer on the gap between the triumphant tone of Cruz's victory speech and the reality that last night was the worst electoral showing the Texas GOP has had since the 1990s.

The scary thing for Republicans, apart from the fact that Democrats turned out in strength, is that Republican-leaning voters appear to have carefully studied down-ballot races and defected to Democrats in a way they haven't before. That's bad news for the GOP, because once those voters get in the habit of doing so they might not stop.

In 2016, Texas Republicans helped win the White House and lost ground locally. At the Harris County GOP watch party, Dan Patrick struggled with the fact that his president had won and, as a direct result, his son lost his local judgeship in Houston's blue sweep. In 2018, they lost more ground to Trump. Part III comes in 2020, when Texas Democrats will have the tailwind of a presidential electorate. Hype, and big talk about Democratic destruction, may not be enough, and the Republican Party of Texas can't afford too many more victories like last night's.

I like the Texas judge who lost last night, came in to work today, and released everyone appearing before him.

Nate Silver did us the favor of spending a half-hour or so with the House odds at 50-50. This put me in the right frame of mind to be pleased about the actual result.

Fuck the strategy of finding centrist candidates who can peel off Republicans-lite.

Like Manchin, Tester would beg to differ.

I say: Let a thousand flowers bloom! Do what you need to do to get elected as a Democrat, whatever that happens to be.

At least a couple times on the news over the past week I've seen people who supported the Democratic Party saying that they needed to refocus on representing the people, listening to constituents, paying attention to their real priorities, and/or that they had done so and that was why they won. Don't have links handy but at least one of these was a recent campaign strategist on NPR, FWIW. It bugged me. It seemed too close to the old, completely counterfactual whining about how Democrats are elitists. Democrats did well because the opposing party almost always does in the midterms and because Trump is a shitshow that Republican partisanship can't completely disguise.

Am I off-base? Am I technically right, but it's better politics to say something like that than to refer to long-term trends and/or make it all about Trump? Or was I right and that meme s overdue for retirement and it was yet another episode of Nice Polite Republicans?

4: there were no mass shootings at polling places.

Apparently a guy threatened one just south of here after not being allowed to vote as he was not registered.
His mug shot is one for the ages.

We got our wave. We did well. But.... the thing is we needed a tsunami. A wave so big that, yes, even people red states would be willing to elect Senators that oppose the President. But it seems our opposition is simply not that strong.

I'm glad we got back the House and its good that now one branch of Congress will be able to use its oversight abilities to badger the administration.

But I have no sense that this will be sufficient to stop the rising tide of fascism.

10: He knows where the good meth is.

No matter what the result some form of the Sessions/Rosenstein/Mueller shitstorm was going to come down the pike in the lame duck. And only in the unlikely scenario where the Dems took the Senate was it likely to be muted in any significant way.

Trump's priority #1 will be to limit anything in the probe approaching his financial dealings and that is specifically what Whitaker wrote his ope-ed about.

Not sure if 13 was in general terms or thinking of this in particular, but Sessions has been fired.

14: Yes. And looking up more in Whitaker he is more of an utterly fucking unhinged wingnut than I thought. Reddit troll level at times. ONe time said Madison v. Marbury was "worst decision."

DOJ destruction is part of the race; and probably one of the most important cogs. Will proceed swiftly at this point.

On a more pleasant note, a friend form Houston pointed out how beneficial the Texas mobilization had been locally.

For instance: While a record number of women are projected to win House seats in Tuesday's midterm elections, a local judicial race in Houston, Texas brings even more great news: All 19 black women who ran for various judicial seats in Harris County won their races last night, marking the single biggest victory for black women in the county's history.

This can be the "WTF White Ladies?" and "WTF ["WTF White Ladies?"]?" thread, right? I just think it's polite to ask first.

Anyway the proposition seems to be: 76% of white female voters in Georgia voted for Kemp. What's different about the other 24%, and can that thing be propagated somehow? (Something like that.) I take this to be a question along the lines of "how can we push against rape culture?" rather than "how can we better understand the white working-class Trump voter?" Obviously I don't have an answer handy.

On a less pleasant note, I expect any 2020 Dem candidate will be in some manner by DOJ. Saw how it woked with HRC* (and also Kemp with his absurd cyberhacking thing**).

*Forgetting everything else about it, media all knoew (but pretended not to) how absurd the DOJ investigation was. Fucking key bad actors/Republican moles in several key positions. But it was in Obama's DOJ so they had cover and the "savvy" fuckwads in the Press went along.

**Not sure if actually caused any votes to change but just a standard part of the white supremacy playbook going gforward.

9/Cyrus: Briefly: From what I read, the Dems nationwide ran on healthcare and other concrete concerns of voters. Local issues, too. Not on "Trump and the Russians". Heck, I read an article chiding the Dems for NOT focusing on Trump (ha! The MSM really can't take yes for an answer can it?)

So what you're reading, reflects a conscious strategy by the Dems to put voters' concerns -other- than Trump/Russia first. Which, I think, is great. B/c anybody who doesn't ALREADY know about Trump/Russia [and want the fucker OUT], isn't going to be convinced by a stump speech.

I did not understand that Whitaker was hired *after* the Ope Ed....

For last 10 yrs, Matt Whitaker was a failed would-be Iowa politician practicing private law.
In Aug 2017 he wrote CNN column saying Mueller was on witch hunt--4 wks later he was appt'd Session's chief of staff.
One year later he's Acting AG

But.... the thing is we needed a tsunami.

I disagree. Even if Dems had won both House and Senate, given the current SCOTUS, Trump would have done almost as much damage over the next two years - including firing Sessions and whatever that may unleash over the next few days. It was going to be a long hard slog no matter what, but not flipping the House would have made the drive to full fascism inevitable; now we we have a fighting chance, and that means something.

I was hoping inwardly for a tsunami, but I think that was partly the bizarrely-persistent expectation of a cathartic cinematic comeuppance that makes everything okay again.

The point of the big wave wasn't to legally stop Trump, but to show him that behaving like shit costs him support.

For last 10 yrs, Matt Whitaker was a failed would-be Iowa politician practicing private law.

That glosses over his multiple Bush administration appointments (DOJ, then US Attorney). And his last attempt at political office was in 2014.

but I think that was partly the bizarrely-persistent expectation of a cathartic cinematic comeuppance that makes everything okay again.

Well said, the bully not only vanquished but humiliated in front of the entire student body. (I think I was guilty of the same)

A phone call from a friend that I refused to pick up last night because I was wallowing in nightmares of having lost the House was calling to say how well he thought it went.

The biggest county in Texas now has a Democratic administration (majority of commissioner's court if you include the county judge) and county clerk. Logistics for 2020 are critical.

And to convince Republican senators that they need to pull their mouth off Trump's ass to survive 2020. Instead, the message is lick that hole.

Well said, the bully not only vanquished but humiliated in front of the entire student body.

Exactly.

It's good discipline to close your eyes and imagine Trump dying naturally, years after leaving the White House by whatever means, and happily - never having been repudiated in any way that got through his thick skill. Humiliating him would be amazing but is unlikely and is not what matters to people.

People, I am trying to constructively criticize women here! Stop talking about licking holes!

(cf comment 18)

I get that Trump is likely to die peacefully in his sleep after having been pissed on by the finest of prostitutes, but it is also pretty obvious that he'll fo nothing to protect any of his followers. They are vulnerable and that's who I want to be afraid.

30 before seeing 29.

That may be good discipline, but I find it more motivating to close my eyes and imagine the entire family perpwalked. With Nunes behind them.

76% of white female voters in Georgia voted for Kemp. What's different about the other 24%

That's the crazifaction portion on the left.

The point of the big wave wasn't to legally stop Trump, but to show him that behaving like shit costs him support.

The problem is that it doesn't.

The point of the big wave wasn't to legally stop Trump, but to show him that behaving like shit costs him support.

The goal was to make Trump make less destructive decisions? Good luck with that.

30 to 33/4.

I can't really follow the thread of propositions within 30.

Maybe the first part isn't helping.

And fo s/b do.

I disagree.

Laughed out loud at 39.

I think that was partly the bizarrely-persistent expectation of a cathartic cinematic comeuppance that makes everything okay again.

Its not even about comeuppance. I'd love a comeuppance, but its not going to happen.

My bigger concern is that, as a nation and as a planet, we are still doomed.

And even our very best efforts - and this was a spectacular effort by so many - will not be sufficient to arrest our collective downfall.

This is the end of the beginning of our downfall, unless it gets worse faster than it was getting worse until now.

Nate Silver did us the favor of spending a half-hour or so with the House odds at 50-50. This put me in the right frame of mind to be pleased about the actual result.

This x100. My stomach was such a knot.

Yeah, he damn near killed me.

When I went bed and tuned everything out...

but I think that was partly the bizarrely-persistent expectation of a cathartic cinematic comeuppance that makes everything okay again.

and

Well said, the bully not only vanquished but humiliated in front of the entire student body. (I think I was guilty of the same)

also co-sign.

But I still want him humiliated! Pantsed in front of the country. During the debates, or a convention, bends over to get something off the floor, turning away from the camera, and splits his pants and bright red and white striped boxers are visible. While audibly passing gas.

Then he starts talking about lizard people and true howling at the moon and gets carted off in a straightjacket.

Kobach is a lawyer, racist, and unemployed. I assume he's a strong candidate to fuck up the Justice Department.

Oh, I'm glad about this one: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/6/18052540/election-results-louisiana-amendment-2-unanimous-jim-crow-jury-law

I assume he's a strong candidate to fuck up the Justice Department.

Seems like applications are open.

AFL-CIO Statement on Scott Walker Defeat

That's just good writing.

51 is long, but well worth the time.

41/42: That's a reasonable probabilistic assessment, but no basis for action. We have to act as if there's a chance, not just lie over and wait to die.

51 is well done.

On less cheery news: woman who shot George Tiller released from prison.

Rachelle "Shelley" Shannon, the Oregon woman whose actions once triggered a federal investigation into the possible existence of a national conspiracy of anti-abortion terrorists, had been living in a halfway house in Portland, Ore., since May. She has spent 25 years in custody.

...

Spitz, leader of Pro-Life Virginia and sponsor of the Army of God website, which supports those who have committed violence against abortion clinics and doctors, said the fears of abortion-rights advocates are unfounded.

"I don't think she'll be doing anything violent," he said. "Of course, no one knows, but I'd be very surprised."

How very reassuring.

||
Since this is the anxiety thread I could use some advice or reassurance. I have to keep this as vague as possible, but there is someone emotionally unstable who possibly wishes to do me harm and there is a non-zero chance this person owns a firearm. There has been no direct threat that would justify involving law enforcement, but the situation is clear enough the several other familiar people have made the same assessment including a short term offer of professional protection. Speculate on the circumstances and you'll probably divine the general details, but I can't confirm anything unless Neb sets up some private site.
As the precipitating incident fades I suppose the likelihood of anything happening goes down, but short of the person actually making a threat that would justify legal action, what precautions do I take for me and my family? How long should I reasonably be worried about this?
|>

I swear I wrote that before reading 55.

I don't have any advice, but yikes. Sorry to hear you have to deal with that.

I'm also sorry you have to deal with that. I don't have any good advice, but, unless you have small kids or something, a shotgun is pretty easy to use, not very likely to cause unintentional deaths/injuries if used an a crowded area, and very widely available.

Oh jesus. Yes, that is scary. Can you sleep at someone else's place temporarily, while emotions run high? Are there kids you need to worry about? Do you have a restraining order?

Without really inferring much, it feels like the asker is male, and asking about the type of situation where, were you female, everyone would be jumping up and down to get you to a safe place, and we should have symmetric jumping for men's safety as for women's safety?

I'd say there's no harm in calling the police (non-emergency line maybe?) and explaining your fears. When my sister's ex was harassing her with texts and so forth, she ignored them until there was a more overtly threatening one -- but I think still the sort of thing a person could choose to shrug off as hyperbole. At that point she called the police and they confirmed that she was, in their opinion, in serious danger. She got a TRO, but I remember one cop advising her to leave the area. (She did not, but things were tense for a while.)

Oy. You wouldn't happen to have a big dog of your own or one you could host for a while?

I'll feel like a complete ass if something frightening happens to you, Abe, but it sounds like you're more worried than you need to be, unless you're leaving out something really important in your summary. The person might be violent towards you and might have a firearm is the info you have. Does the person have a history (that you know of) of harming people/animals/destroying objects? Is so, that changes my assessment of risk a lot, and you should be very careful. Do they have access to you/know your schedule? Do you live somewhere reasonably secure? If it wouldn't cause you undue burden, it might make you feel better and safer to stay with friends and shift your work hours/commute pattern, talk to police, and maybe ask your neighbors to keep an eye out for this person (or anything unusual).

I think a conversation with the police would be sensible, but a huge amount depends on your local police force, obviously.

I'd echo what's said above - if it's a short-term emotional thing on their part getting out of town for that short-term might be a good precaution, and the police might not be helpful, but then again they might be.

So are people going to the rule of law protests at 5 p.m.?

Seconding the advice to talk to police. It's difficult to say more without knowing more about the actual threat. If it hasn't got to the point of something that would persuade a policeman - an actual threat of violence; a demonstration of violent behaviour; a history of violence or destructive behaviour - then, as ydnew says, you should ask why you're persuaded, and whether the threat is real.

Changing your pattern of life is a good idea. But don't just do it in an unstructured way, because it costs time and money and may make you more vulnerable (you won't be on familiar ground if you change your commute route, for example). Do it after conducting a proper threat assessment. Where are you most at risk - at work, at home, while travelling? What kind of threat - firearms, unarmed assault, harassment, doxing, swatting, property damage, stalking, spreading of rumours about you? Are your family, friends or colleagues at risk and what do you need to do about this?

Essentially you need to come up with an answer to this: What are the opposition's most likely and most dangerous courses of action, and how can you best respond to each?

You should also think in advance about things you can do to firm up your threat assessment, and how you'll act on the results: if you see the opposition hanging around your place of work, for example, what action will you take? And, equally, if in two weeks' time you have heard nothing from them, will you downgrade your assessment of the threat? If you take these decisions in advance now then you won't have to take them when you're stressed and worried and/or under attack.

Going through all that lot will also have the effect of making you feel more in control of your situation, which should help as well.

56: If you were thinking of going to see a revival of Our American Cousin at your local theater, don't.

More seriously, when I had a stalking incident years ago one thing I was advised to do was start a paper trail re: the stalker's behavior immediately. So it might be a good idea to inform either the police or someone else "official" so that there is a record.

The constant stream of mass murder can't make it any easier to deal with specific potential threats.

||

I'm going to be in Berkeley on Monday. Is there any interest in a meetup?

|>

I understand there's no there there. Is it different with interest?

Assuming you mean the one in West Virginia, maybe. I'm thinking of going hiking or that way as I have the day off.

71: I thought that was Oakland. The other Oakland.

Who cares. They're all going fall into the sea.

The local Oakland is about 1000 feet above sea level and not near any fault line.

I guess I don't care about the other Oakland.

It's very nice.

Apart from the nonexistence thing.

Abe, I have a gun-owning nut in my life, and for awhile was worried about my safety and that of my family. Nowadays, he's more likely to sue me for some random reason. (I got a threat along those lines just in the last week.)

My sister (also a target) and I have found Grey Rock very helpful. From your description, you are probably already behaving in the recommended fashion.

I'm a little touchy because I'm overpersonalizing it but I have read that gray rock is not effective with coparenting where you can't really disengage completely because you're still tied together, which has definitely been my experience. But my condolences, Abe. Being a target of any sort is unsettling and upsetting.

Berkeley, California.

People need to be more specific. I won't be anywhere near that.

You only have yourself to blame.

I could move and find work, but there's no way I could find work paying enough that I could afford a house three miles from my office.

I blame liberal NIMBYs.

80: It certainly has to be much harder, maybe impossible, in that situation. I do have the luxury of being able to wind down my relationship with the narcopath in my life. (I hope.)

Is it narçopath, to be pronounced like narcissist? A hard c makes it sound like they compulsively distribute narcotics.

Sorry to be flippant. I have little to offer about the situation in 51, besides commiseration. I'll join the chorus recommending talking to the police, if that's worth anything.

I want to comment a bit about Ruth Bader Ginsburg breaking 3 ribs. There's little news so far - fell yesterday, went home at first but went to the hospital this morning. At her age any news is bad news. This seems like the most appropriate current thread for it, but maybe I shouldn't step on Abe's stuff.

Sorry to be flippant.

I'm one of those people who tend to be dismissive of pop psychology neologisms -- until they directly fit my own life. The word is a great fit for someone who, at least in my life, is sui generis. I've dealt with plenty of awful people, but nobody else who is awful in this particular way.

Wouldn't "narcissist" be just as good?

As for RBG, she has had a lot of medical issues (including two forms of cancer, a previous broken rib, etc.) and so far managed to bounce back from all of them.

Pronounced "narkissist"?

|| A 69-year-old Dutch entrepreneur who believes he has the body of a 45-year-old has started a legal battle to officially change his age as according to him, it affects his dating and job prospects.

https://www.360nobs.com/2018/11/69-year-old-man-who-identifies-as-being-20-years-younger-begins-legal-battle-to-change-his-age/ ||

You're only as old as you...think?

Does Dutch healthcare cover age reassignment surgery?

Now the question is: is that neoliberalism?

Minivet, where are you going to be? I'd consider attending one...

Walt-in-Berkeley: what's your schedule? The Bay Area contingent tends to be busy and shy, and may be dwindling in numbers, but maybe we could contrive something...

At 69, any surgery that staves off death is age reassignment surgery.

Anyway, I assume the point is to troll the liberals about trans issues.

Probably Oscar Grant Plaza for me.

It's hard to find stuff about the guy in English from before this week, but I think 96 is right. The top hit for him on Wikipedia.

Thanks all, responses are helpful for clarifying and framing. I guess my initial response was ydnew's "Probably nothing will happen but you'll feel bad if it did and you didn't take precautions" but I realize that's the road to buying your own guns and hiding in a safe room. I think details about possible actions, including Ajay's list, make me more aware of how seriously I really consider it because I'm all No fucking way am I turning my life upside down like that. So probably my true assessment is that it's really not that likely.
Grey Rock is not applicable, this is a person who I do not think and should not ever be in contact with me again.

94: I arrive Monday afternoon, and am free Monday evening. I have nothing planned beyond checking into the hotel.

100: I have a work conference call at 6:30pm on Monday, but am otherwise free.

Yes, I'm around Monday evening. Maybe 6pm, since it's a holiday for many?

Whereabouts in Berkeley are you, downtown?

Near the university. I don't mind taking a taxi.

You should try to rent a scooter, like the local people.

I think details about possible actions, including Ajay's list, make me more aware of how seriously I really consider it

Sorry if that was a bit drastic but I tend to come at this kind of question from a fairly high-threat point of view. At least I deleted my initial recommendation to start checking under your parked car in the morning.

104: Not a fixie? Has Berkeley changed that much?

I've never been there myself.

Berkeley's still full of bikes except for the major artery streets, which we've mostly conceded to the cars. You see some of those scooters but they're more an SF thing.

Berkeley explicitly banned the scooters until they work something out. SF did too but now they're back.

108: Can electric scooters make up the hills in SF? And it seems like going down would be kind of terrifying. Maybe I'm just underestimating the scooters. They're all over Baltimore, but Baltimore is fairly flat.

Lincoln is really flat and has none that I saw.

Columbus has gone crazy for the scooters.

It would be hilarious if Trump's AG pick got indicted before he could start work.

110: Even the gentler Oakland hill I live on slows it to walking pace for a while. They can go downhill okay but it's vital to test out the brakes when you get on because they're pretty variable from scooter to scooter, and safer to coast rather than add speed. So yeah, the 45-degree hills scooters are probably useless for.

Berkeley is easier to get to for me than SF (which I've given up on as a weekday destination) but I probably can't make it Monday since I have to get ready for a conference I'm leaving for on Tuesday.

Lincoln has a chain of coffee shops called Scooters.

I associate it with death because there was one in the hospital. But the coffee is perfectly fine. The sandwiches aren't as good as Starbucks.

It would be hilarious if Trump's AG pick got indicted before he could start work.

Very on-brand, though.

Are we the only city where our local scooter startup does sit-down scooters (i.e. like Vespas)?

I suppose it makes sense in retrospect that protests oriented around the rule of law would be fairly white and meek.

It must be tough to march what with all the blindfolded people waving swords.

I'm delicate and afraid of smoke, so I'm still in the house. Sorry, rule of law.

Maybe you should vape.

||

Ugh. So, to get the a belt in karate, along with testing and sparring and whatnot, the kid's school teacher has to fill out a form saying that the kid is getting good grades, having a positive attitude, displaying good social skills, etc.

Pokey's teacher sent the form back saying that he's getting good grades, but that she can't sign off on the behavior portions. So presumably, Pokey can't take the test for his belt that he's been working for, for the past two seasons.

The teacher is, of course, completely 100% right, and this is the consequences of acting like a tyrant three year old in your second grade class. It's going to absolutely crush Pokey. He's going to be devastated.

It raises the question of how much of this terrible behavior is within his control, though. We are in the process of getting him looked at for ADHD - if that pans out and we end up medicating him and it goes really well, we'd have a conclusive answer. And hopefully his behavior would improve and he could get the damn form signed.

If not...he's just done with karate until 3rd grade? I mean, I don't have any magic cure for his behavior.

The teacher, fwiw, thinks it's 100% under his control, because one day she offered him a bribe if he behaved well all day, and he nailed it. I sort of dislike her for setting him up like that. He's insanely competitive, and the fact that he could harness his laser focus to win the bribe on one single day doesn't mean much to me.

In addition, both her comments she put on his ADHD paperwork and the comments on this karate form are just straight up harsh. Not that either situation called for balance - one's for a doctor and one's for a karate coach - but she comes across as intensely disliking Pokey.

On the other hand, why on earth shouldn't she dislike Pokey? He's been atrocious in her class for the past three months. (And I suspect he has squared off against her as being the enemy. Whether that came before or after her dislike of him is anyone's guess.)

It's all just a mess.

|>

You could probably just sign the form. It's only fraud if you don't wink while handing it in.

Abe, while Ajay's advice is clearly over the top (a car bomb?! really, Ajay? it's like you don't even understand the low-level dumbassery of American gun violence...), I do think you should talk to the police, and maybe start keeping track of things with a paper trail.

I was briefly (thankfully briefly) stalked by some unknown weirdo while in grad school. He left a note in my mailbox ("To the little blonde girl in Apt. 2. I love you"), in a childish, pencil-drawn script. It was the childish script that sort of freaked me out: it seemed like a deliberate joke, it seemed to speak of some sort of cunning. When I contacted campus security (I should have called the police, of course), they made light of the situation. I was overreacting, and no need to worry...I was truly frightened and unsettled, though.

125: That's true. Do you think that'll help him not act like a three year old at school? That's my actual concern.

I have no idea. I've never studied karate.

Sinema has pulled ahead of McSally in Arizona.

I think the key is what color belt.

Gillum appears to be within the automatic recount margin.

Anyway, it's probably a thing in the karate teacher newsletter because my son's teacher did the same thing with the teacher's signature. He also made a profit selling the bells, so he may not have scrutinised the signatures.

124: Nothing useful to offer here, but I'll take the opportunity to note that the kid who was the absolute ruin of my 2nd (?) grade teacher, who still seemed like a broken wreck when she showed up as a substitute in one of my high school classes years later, has apparently become a pretty solid citizen. My folks see him from time to time and say he's doing well.

131: Machine recount. Nelson is within hand recount. Doubtful Gillum makes it up.

I have zero doubt that more voters went to the polls intending to vote for the 2 Dems but as we know ...

In particular there seems to be another fucking ballot design issue that is hurting Nelson, this one in Broward County.

Big R guns coming out to shut it down.

Can he break boards with his hands?

The lying bigot-in chief tweets:

Law Enforcement is looking into another big corruption scandal having to do with Election Fraud in #Broward and Palm Beach. Florida voted for Rick Scott!

135: That I don't know. But he probably owns an ax so no real need.

On a lighter note, my friend just texted a photo of his kid's homework. She's supposed to write silly sentences with vocabulary words. One of hers is "He did not realize it was a nonprofit."

UPMC is everywhere.

Are we the only city where our local scooter startup does sit-down scooters (i.e. like Vespas)?

Are they just the Vespas left over from when they built the new building at Forbes and Bouquet and for some bizarre reason one of the street-level retail was a Vespa dealership that lasted about 6 months?

No. They say "Scoobi" on them.

It turns out that the rent-a-scooters are not a successful way to avoid getting a DUI.

I don't think that I was here to remember what was there before the "new" build, which means it's at least a dozen years old. The crappy bar between The "O" and Hemminway's has been a Dunkin Donuts for so long I can't remember what the bar was called.

Anyway, that new building now has an Amazon storefront thing.

I think that would just be a specialty rental company, and that doesn't work for Silicon Valley because it's already regulated.

124 That's a shame, especially since it seems to me that karate can be a discipline that can give him a sense of accomplishment and help him learn self-control.
-

silly sentences with vocabulary words

You could probably do the whole thing by copying and pasting from Trump's speeches and tweets.

Pokey really does sound like an insufferable asshole.

Ajay's advice is clearly over the top (a car bomb?! really, Ajay? it's like you don't even understand the low-level dumbassery of American gun violence..

Well, I did delete that bit! The rest I think was a fair and restrained response to "I think someone with a gun is coming after me".

I'm not too high on the "this season's writers are mailing it in" genre of jokes, but if a contested recount in FL ends up being decided by Kavanaugh...

148: I think he's legitimately delayed developmentally. Not cognitively but emotionally. Maybe there's no syndrome exactly but he's significantly to the left on a normal distribution of 8 year olds.

Heebie, this seems like something you've almost certainly considered, but can you speak to the karate coach and enlist him or her to make the following deal: tell Pokey his school behavoir is preventing him from moving up, wait a month or two (whatever you feel like is appropriate for him), and then let him proceed without teacher signoff? It's dumb to leave him stranded for an entire year - too much punishment for a kid, but maybe a minor setback would be helpful. I think if you tell the coach you're working, on it, that should be a totally reasonable request, especially if he does well in karate and likes it.

-,
Jeez.

That sounds like good thinking.

You're right that we should do something like that. (And then use a different teacher in a month.)

I think I'm feeling disproportionately bummed just because it's stark evidence of how poorly he's doing.

Obviously it's hard now, but biologically speaking, it means he can't have a teenage rebellion phase.

Anyway, maturity happens at different rates in kids that age even though they all get to about the same level by junior high or so.

Kids in junior high are too young to drink Amontillado, much less appreciate the vintage.

On review, I possibly remembered that story wrong.

So, the DC Circuit asking for supplemental briefing, in a case where Mueller's authority is in issue, on the effect of the designation of Whitaker might be putting this little aftermath thing on a very fast track.

160: I'm not following this, but if Mueller somehow gets fired, and the issue gets appealed to the Supreme Court, and Kavansugh is the tie-breaking vote which okays the firing, I will be ready to burn shit down. Or at least to say that the government is illegitimate.

On the silver lining side, you now have the House and its investigative powers. Could it basically pick up from Mueller if need be?

In some ways, yes, but a legislative oversight investigation is very different from a criminal one.

Bearing in mind Mueller has done a huge amount of investigating already, and may well make all that evidence public by whatever means.

Mueller's operation is famously leak-proof and by all indications he's a very by-the-book guy, so any information that gets out from it is likely going to have to go through the (Acting) AG before it gets to anyone else. That said, if it does go anywhere outside DOJ Congress is the most likely next stop.

Mueller's been leaving lots of breadcrumbs in his indictments and other court filings so Congress should be able to follow a lot of the threads (sorry for the mixed metaphors). And there's the states AGs he's been sharing info with too.

So any specific suggestions of a time or place for a meetup for Monday?

Mueller's operation is famously leak-proof and by all indications he's a very by-the-book guy, so any information that gets out from it is likely going to have to go through the (Acting) AG before it gets to anyone else. That said, if it does go anywhere outside DOJ Congress is the most likely next stop.

Yes, but I assume he's got his ducks all lined up in a row. It was no secret that Sessions would be replaced immediately after the midterms. There's no way Mueller didn't have a well-thought out plan which is already underway.

He can fake a reactor breech to get the crew to willingly exit the submarine.

That should have been from Opinionated Alec Baldwin.

Since Walt is going to the other Berkeley and I have Monday off, I'm going camping. All I need to worry about is if my sleeping bag is sufficient for November and if avoiding bears that haven't gone to hibernate yet.

I've always wanted to go to Berkeley, Illinois to check out the hand dryers.

There's practically no way to get eaten by a bear in Illinois.

I'm going camping.

Oh my god! It's so cold!

OT: My partner and I have recently closed on purchase of a home -- working feverishly on getting out of the current place by the end of the month. [Moving sucks.] Meanwhile, we absolutely do not want to put more fuel oil in the oil tank in the current place ... and, um, we're really low on oil. So we're keeping the current house at, like, 60 or 58 degrees F. to conserve fuel, and it's f'ing freezing. Or rather, cold. Gotta get out ASAP.

Go die in a fire, Moby.

No wait, that's me, I'm the one is going to die in a fire. My friend in Berkeley has been sending me pictures from out her window. They look like Beijing a year before the Olympics.

What's the current state of affairs on Matt Whitaker? I see now that Whitaker supports states' rights to nullify federal laws:

He believes in the kooky legal theory of 10th amendment nullification of the federal government by the states, a question that was essentially resolved by the Civil War.

What the state of play in recourse to strip this guy of various of his responsibilities?

Yeah, the Berkeley air right now reminds me of SE Asia during the "burning" season. It also smells of smoke.

I sincerely recommend you bring a mask unless the forecast has it significantly clearing by Monday. I've been making excellent use of my free emergency-trainee supply bag, but it contains just one mask and so we have to go out in shifts.

176 The only person who can do anything about it is busy embarrassing his country by hiding from rainstorm that seems not to have developed. It's way overused, but we'd have actual heads exploding all over Right America if President H Clinton skipped a thing like this because she didn't want her hair to get wet. Impeachment wouldn't be impossible.

Oh, sorry, I guess it is raining, finally.

Some guy from nearby dropped his umbrella and had this to say: As we sit here in the rain, thinking how uncomfortable we must be these minutes as our suits get wet, and our hair gets wet...it's all the more fitting that we remember on that day in Dieppe the rain wasn't rain, it was bullets.

Oops again -- fake news, if from a different rainy day. Oh well.

Anyway, no one but the Big Baby can do anything about Whitaker.

Mitch McConnell says he assumes Whitaker's tenure will be short-lived, unlikely he'll become the permanent AG replacement for Sessions. So there's that.

I heard someone -- a caller to a radio program on NPR -- say that he felt Trey Gowdy would be a good replacement AG. And you know, I could live with that, I think.

I'm a no on Gowdy.

Yeah, but you have to assume it will be a Republican/conservative, and Gowdy does seem to have both a conscience and significant legal experience. Actually I would assume it's someone approved by the Federalist Society, but I haven't really kept track of whether they're forwarding suggestions to the White House, as they do for SCOTUS.

It seems clear to me that Gowdy would be an improvement over, say, Rudy Guiliani or Mike Lee or some other jackass. But I haven't actually looked at the people who might be on the list.

Is it more or less dangerous to the republic to have a competent lawyer in that position? Also ISTR that the Nullification question was resolved by the Nullification Crisis in 1832. The Civil War being as it were an equally unsuccessful appeal.

Also, can summon recommend a summary analysis of the results for state-level elections?

Is it more or less dangerous to the republic to have a competent lawyer in that position?

Good question. As I understand it, the Deputy AG actually runs things (as does the Deputy this-or-that in any federal agency), and it's a bit confusing in this case that Whitaker is seemingly taking over all of the Deputy AG's responsibilities. Like he's remotely equipped to do that.

But anyway, yeah, for the sort of figurehead, policy-directing position at the actual top -- I don't know. Better, when it's a Republican, for it to be a fool? Maybe? It's a good question.

Regardless of what job Trey Gowdy has, someone should make a TV program about his responsibilities and call it The Gowdy Duty Show.

Quickest way to end Republican support for state level nullification is to defy federal law with some policy that supports civil and human rights, environmental health, workplace safety, access to affordable healthcare, ...

There's always prosecutorial discretion, where the US gets to prioritize particular enforcement actions. Because of state law (applied because Congress said it does) you're allowed to have a firearm in Glacier National Park. Because of federal law, you're not allowed to discharge your firearm. The way nullification works in practice is to tell the US Attorney to prosecute people selling meth on the Blackfeet Nation and not waste time prosecuting idiots (all from the states of the Confederacy, it turns out) who shoot their guns in Glacier.

But yeah, is the acting AG going to tell the folks in the Admin who are complaining about California air quality standards to shut up?

Gowdy is the one that looks like Malfoy?

179-180: The man is terrified of getting wet. It's a reverse Gremlins situation.

Why isn't this rain thing front page news? I don't understand the media.

Because the president is a white guy.

Pretty much. And also that events like this get more attention when they fit with existing stereotypes, and this doesn't.

My elderly cousin who always likes Republican memes just forwarded a porn video link to every one in her Facebook. I'd like to think this is how Zuckerberg is fighting fake news.

197: What kind of porn? This seems critical to the question of how funny it is.

I didn't get a chance to look, so it would be irresponsible for me to not assume it was bestiality.

I saw speculation to the effect that it wasn't the rain, but actually he's too mad about the election, and how his Whitaker appointment is so obviously lame, to be allowed out in public.

One of the things that has cheered me about this whole Trump presidency is how miserable it must be to work for him.

I saw a suggestion that media should send only black female reporters to his next press conference and he'll surely lose his mind. Followed by the comment that unfortunately most media organization probably don't even have one black female reporter.

A couple of more positive things on the election aftermath, some good results in a few sheriff races ousting anti-immigration zealots (Mecklenburg/Charlotte and Wake/Raleigh in NC being the most notable).

And apparently the average age in the House dropped by close to a decade. And that is about the best political news I've heard in a long time.

Rebecca Traister has a good take re: cathartic cinematic comeuppances and the election.

After all, the notion that we could have corrected course so quickly is akin to the fantasies that we could put our racism behind us with the election of a single president, our misogyny in the rearview mirror with the nomination of a single woman.

202. They could hire one for the occasion. I'm sure there's no shortage of impecunious black students who could sit in a room with a tablet and occasionally wave their arms in the air. Some of them might even have questions they'd like to ask.

They could even hire one and keep her on as a long-term employee!

206: But who she really be able to get the Rust Belt coffee shop stories?

204 is good. (I feel like someone else - teo? - posted that or something else by Traister recently, too.)

||

On Pokey, I just found out that there are tons of interventions the schools should be doing that don't require a diagnosis. I'm kind of furious. I had emailed the principal and asked, "Pokey and his teacher are having a really rough time. Is there any support so that they can make it through the next seven months?"

The principal wrote back and said, "We can switch him to the other dual language teacher, or out of the dual language program altogether." That seemed weird - wouldn't his problems just start with the next teacher? Or is she saying this teacher is ill-equipped for him?

I asked my friend for advice, and she said, "How does that fit into his RTI? and ARD?" and all these other acronyms I'd never heard of. Turns out that since he started getting written up over two years ago, anyone could have gotten behavioral-support processes started. All these teachers who have these angry vent sessions on me could have asked for fucking help. There is a coordinator who sets small goals with the kid and monitors them closely and individualizes a response thing, instead of us just sending him to the black box every day and hoping that his teacher bothers to say if he got a check, check-plus, or check-minus for the day. (I know the teachers are impossibly busy. Days go by where the teachers don't fill out the daily check/check-plus/check-minus because they are so busy. But we can't stay on top of Pokey then. AND there are specific support people for this exact thing!)

I'm feeling very very frustrated.

|>

||

Also my friend said, "ADHD is incredibly over-diagnosed in marginalized populations, with children whose symptoms are actually the result of dealing with trauma and ACEs (adverse childhood experiences). The flip side of that is that a white privileged kid has all the symptoms and no one flags it, because he's not a poor Hispanic kid."

Complete fucking farce.

|>

(I totally get that Pokey's experience does not in any way way compare with what poor kids with trauma are dealing with. I hope that didn't come off as a false equivalence.)

"How does that fit into his RTI? and ARD?" and all these other acronym

IEP? From some of what you've shared, I'd kind of figured Pokey already had an IEP. Or whatever an IEP is called in Texas.

208 is correct (see comment 3 in this thread) and the article is worth reading.

209/210 are interesting, and remind me that I (and, I imagine, many people here) know a lot of intelligent people who had a terrible experience in school because teachers weren't interested in trying to help someone who was smart and difficult (for whatever reason).

As a former smart/difficult little bastard myself, +1 to 213. Some people want to help (bless them), others are indifferent, and yet others want to punish the difficult part more than they care about helping the smart part. shorter: humans gonna human, I guess.

We have an IEP for one kid because he had mental issues in fifth grade, almost complete solved my medication and therapy, but he still has one and we feel kind of bad taking the resources associated with it because he's pretty much fine now. Your situation sounds like no doubt you are entitled to it and you should demand whatever the equivalent is.
Both our kids who have gone through fifth grade had horrible years (one mental one physical), we're hoping that doesn't apply to the younger ones.

200: I saw speculation to the effect that it wasn't the rain, but actually he's too mad about the election, and how his Whitaker appointment is so obviously lame, to be allowed out in public.

Seems likely: things didn't quite go his way in the midterms, and he's lashing out. He seems to think that as POTUS, he's the BOSS (witness his threat to pull federal funding from California for its wildfires); failing to realize that no, he's not actually the boss of everyone. Plus he's pissed at Macron for suggesting that Europe get serious about providing itself with some military forces given the US's pulling back. That last one is a real head-scratcher: what did he think was going to happen if he threatened NATO, and the U.N.? I'm loving Macron at the moment, for calling Trump's bluff -- it seems Trump really is not used to that.

Link on the Macron stuff?

Um, it's all over the news, as they say. How 'bout this for an overview.

Macron said Europe should step up its own defense forces. Trump tweeted that that was "insulting" (?? how?) Then Macron gave an Armistice Day speech yesterday in which he criticized nationalism. Trump has been flouncing about.

Basically, the major European nations have been pulling together, on this occasion of remembrance of a day of peace, and it seems to be confusing to Trump.

What amazing about that is that Trump's whole NATO complaint is that Europeans should spend more on defense. I think they should substantially increase the pay of all NCOs, but I suppose the agreements abut how much is going to be spent are designed to help defense contractors, not working class kids.

Thanks parsi.

Apparently there is a sub-commitment for buying equipment, but increasing pay and pensions does count towards making their top level number. So why aren't they shoveling money at lower class 20-somethings from diverse backgrounds?

Charley, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about. NCO's are non-commissioned officers, yes? At least in the U.S. military -- my dad was one. Beyond that, can you explain further? What's this "sub-commitment" of which you speak?

NATO members have agreed to spend a certain percentage of GDP on defense. They've also agreed that a certain proportion of their defense spending is going to be on stuff. I think they should make the former number by paying out a bunch of money in salaries, especially at the lower end. And then tell Trump to get fucked if he whines about them not buying enough US stuff.

Oh. I think I understand. It's about the stuff -- and I had no idea that NATO agreements involved buying (presumably US) stuff. Link, if you have one nearby?

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_112964.htm

Article 14.

It doesn't have to be US stuff. I bet a lot of it is.

Wales declaration. Encourages "stronger defence industry in Europe", actually.

And there's a bunch of stuff about Russia that the President doesn't seem to be spending much time talking about.

Huh. Thanks guys -- this is all news to me.

IEP? From some of what you've shared, I'd kind of figured Pokey already had an IEP. Or whatever an IEP is called in Texas.

They have IEPs, but somewhere along the lines I got the idea that you had to have a diagnosis and that it had to be affecting you academically. I think the former may still hold, but not the latter. (And anyway, he does have an earlier diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, which may or may not be a bullshit diagnosis.)

Also 504 has some specific meaning. Anyway, the RTI is the first line of defense, pre-diagnosis. If a kid is having a rough go for whatever reason, the RTI is the first thing that should be put in place. Or so I'm learning.

I am about to get on my plane to SFO. I land around 2:30pm. If anyone wants to propose a place and time in Berkeley, I can check here once I land.

I'm sorry for not saying what your friend said, heebie. Yes, he should have RTI. IEPs are the strongest tool but accessing them can be the most difficult. A diagnosis would help for that or a 504 plan, which is easy to get but more limited in what it can do. And if the principal is offering a new teacher, I would strongly consider that. Careful teacher selection is absolutely the most important tool we've been able to use. It's not that Pokey would necessarily have different behaviors elsewhere but if he's with someone who can handle them more effectively, that de-escalates the drama and gives him and his classmates a better chance to learn.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder, which may or may not be a bullshit diagnosis

I have a relative who has this diagnosis. The name makes me want to riff on that bumper sticker: "If you're not oppositional and defiant, you're not paying attention!"

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is definitely an actual thing, but it's only a serious problem if the child has very sensible parents. If the parents are clueless, then Mindless Compliance Disorder can be a more serious issue.

233: No, I think everyone was reasonable to assume we had the bare minimum in place! I know everyone always says you have to be your kid's advocate, but I was slow to realize that there were things available that I should have been advocating for.

And if the principal is offering a new teacher, I would strongly consider that. Careful teacher selection is absolutely the most important tool we've been able to use.

This is true, and also a fresh start can be good for a kid. Here, there's not much choice - there's only one other Dual Language teacher. I wrote back something like "Will the other teacher be a better fit for him, in your opinion? I'd like to learn more about this option," ie open-ended.

232: Unfortunately, I've got another commitment this evening, so I won't be able to participate. Good luck linking up with people.

232: Unfortunately, I've got another commitment this evening, so I won't be able to participate. Good luck linking up with people.

Sorry, Walt. I just couldn't make it up to the East Bay today.

BINGO!

Just saw a report that Broward county was 2 minutes late to report the results of their recount (count?) and so they were rejected. Fucking hell.

My understanding is that they were late with the machine recount, so the hand recount will be based on the initial count instead. So not ideal but not disastrous necessarily.

I can report finding a worse teacher than Pokey's. On Friday a substitute teacher in my sixth grader's class called a black girl the n word three times in front of the class then tried to justify it with the usual "that's what they always say." Teacher was immediately fired and banned from premises of all schools in the district. The kids were so shocked to see someone so racist and mean to one of their classmates that they couldn't even do much work the rest of the day.

Is she blonde and able to read a teleprompter?

Either I just checked into the Belfast Holiday Inn or somebody shares my name and poor typing.

Jesus

loves you.

This I know.

244: holy shitballs.

That's not how it goes.

Good on the kids being shocked, and good on the teacher being fired.

||
I'm glad to have a vibrant local democracy, but I wish it wouldn't be so vibrant right outside my apartment.
|>