If You Lack For Worries

Bret Stephens argues we are overspending on a military preparing to fight the last war. He's probably right and we can only hope the future does not prove it.

Left unmentioned - the next Democratic Presidential nominee will have no trouble finding places to cut the defense budget. Sensible investments in our defense? There is a bipartisan blind spot when it comes to reform and re-direction:

So what stops it? The answer is what Brose’s old boss, the late John McCain, called the military-industrial-congressional complex.

“Military pilots and ship drivers are no more eager to lose their jobs to intelligent machines than factory workers are,” Brose writes. “Defense companies that make billions selling traditional systems are as welcoming of disruptions to their business model as the taxi cab industry has been of Uber and Lyft. And as all this resistance inevitably translates into disgruntled constituents, members of Congress will have enormous incentives to stymie change.”

When the top brass rose through the ranks aspiring to lead a carrier fleet it is harder to find someone pounding the table for unmanned drones. OK, that is an example of a weapon that has literally and figuratively taken off, but still - unmanned boats and subs ought to be off the drawing boards by now.

 

Comments

[Captain Hate]

Levin played his phone interview with DJT last night; Donnie Two Scoops never fails to get in a small dig about Ol' Yeller not always having been in his corner, which he quickly follows up with praise for Ted Cruz.

[Threadkiller]

I thought Trump was on Hannity on Thursday? Didn't Sara Carter then speak about the interview?

I think Salisbury Mistake is trying to be a first to market tweeter.

[Captain Hate]

I think that's correct, TK; even though Levin likes Hannity, he made a point when leading up to playing his interview, which had been taped yesterday afternoon, that he likes to let the interviewee to respond uninterruptedly.

[Captain Hate]

Hmmmm, the interviewee respond uninterruptedly.

[rse]

jim-

Even if the marines have not changed their requirements, if the geometry and trig preskills are no longer part of the k-12 curricula exposure of marine recruits because of the shift to integrated, conceptual math curricula and 'productive struggle' that isn't, that's the problem in part.

[MissMarple2]

https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/26/rod-rosenstein-mueller-report/

This is a story reporting on Rosenstein's speech Thursday night.

[MissMarple2]

Threadkiller,

I see I wasn't sarcastic enough in my introduction to Salisbury's tweet.

You are correct about Thursday being when the interview with President Trump aired.

I don't really see any significance in the scheduling, myself. I suppose I could be wrong.

[MissMarple2]

Paul Sperry
‏ @paulsperry_
10h10 hours ago

DEVELOPING: Obama CIA under scrutiny for possible illegal DOMESTIC SPYING during the 2016 campaign, as former top intelligence official said to be cooperating with Barr review

[MissMarple2]

https://thefederalist.com/2018/05/29/obama-says-didnt-scandals/#.XMI3DUCEJII.twitter

Headline: Obama Says ‘I Didn’t Have Scandals.’ So What Are All These?

[Threadkiller]

Sorry, MM. I wasn't sure what I was reading.

[Jane]

WHY WOULD TUCKER, HANNITY AND LAURA be off air for that reason? Can they not keep their mouths shut?

[hoyden]

MM, If Obama had scandals and the media didn't report them, are they still a scandals? Asking for a friend.

[Captain Hate]

Headline: Obama Says ‘I Didn’t Have Scandals.’ So What Are All These?

He must throw that crap out there to keep Martha Raddatz to stop crying on the air.

[MissMarple2]

hoyden,

Good question. Obama seems to use the absence of reporting on bad things he did as proof that he was blameless.

I, however, think his administration did plenty of bad stuff. Sins hidden are still sins.

[jim nj]

RSE,

I hadn't thought about that, you do need rapid math skills to be a sniper. lots of calculations involved.

Nytol.

[Buckeye]

Obama is like the guy caught cheating by his wife.

Even if she catches you in bed with her, deny, deny, deny.

[Beasts of England]

It's gonna take me an hour to catch up on this thread, but first...

JohnH: congrats on your lunch with henry, Melinda and GUS. I'm sooper jealous. Three of my favorite guys, even if Mel is a girl. ;)

Momto2: The W.C. Handy Festival is very laid back and features some wonderful local and regional talent. The quad cities area is lovely - hope you make it over!!

[MissMarple2]

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/former-state-department-official-spied-for-china-since-2007/

This story has more details on the case, including that this is the first Chinese spying case prosecuted in TEN YEARS.

[Captain Hate]

Like most men, I've learned the hard way about the perils associated with guessing the weight of women, but do any of you have any idea of what the gross tonnage of Mega McCain is? Because I saw a side view of her in a clip from The View and even a detractor such as I was shocked by how huge she was.

[hoyden]

MM, "Sins hidden are still sins."

Absolutely true. Obama believes he can cheat life and get away with it. Millions of people have chosen that path. Some seem to get away with cheating but the vast majority get caught. Just like with criminals who believe they can beat the law.

Maybe Obama doesn't really believe in an all-knowing God who knows our every action, thought, and feeling.

[Threadkiller]

She looks like she swallowed John Candy's coffin.

[Buckeye]

hoyden's 6:58 from TWIP reminds me of my camping trips with the boyz in West by God.

We always have a Bourbon shoot out.

Marker's Mark is the reference standard, and every trip someone has to step up and bring a worthy challenger, at least a couple "fifths".

Invariably, some joker will also bring a couple of "jars".

Moonshine is affectionately referred to as "weasel piss".

A good "jar" becomes "daddy weasel", not so good, "baby weasel"

Just so ya'll know how to speak hillbilly:)

[MissMarple2]

https://twitter.com/LVNancy/status/1121946012304588800

Detailed breakdown of Biden's strongarming Ukraine. Includes links to articles and videos.

[Threadkiller]

Well, when you are an illegal alien and both political parties conspire to coverup the fact that you are ineligible to be Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces, you probably feel as though you can get away with almost anything.

[Buckeye]

TK

I hope you are TOTALLY vindicated:)

[Threadkiller]

I'll probably have better luck figuring out the stupid duck pond, Buckeye.

;-)

[MissMarple2]

A little-noticed story from 2 weeks ago, demonstrating Biden's poor judgement in hiring Symone Sanders:

https://atlantablackstar.com/2018/04/13/political-commentator-symone-sanders-detained-police-laguardia-airport/

[MissMarple2]

https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2019/04/27/tommy-vietor-blames-president-trump-for-measles-outbreak-in-california/

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
19m19 minutes ago

Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft. You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
============================
Background: Bosa is a big Trump-supporter, which has aggravated a bunch of lefty San Francisco football fans.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.conservativereview.com/news/president-trump-tells-mark-levin-im-closing-border-got-mexico-help-immigration/

[Buckeye]

We miss Nick Bosa already.

[Another Bob]

CH, I happened by a View clip a couple weeks back and was taken aback as well.

Three bills.

[hoyden]

I read here someone referred to the San Francisco Forty Whiners. I hope they have a good whine.

[Melinda]

MM-

"That's like 2 years ago, dude."

I next time I expect to hear Vietor's name used in an accurate manner will be when he gets arrested for driving the school bus on meth.

[Narciso79]

Because the Murdoch boys are practically flashing hydra gang signs re the coup, they are like obadiah state from the first iron man you dig?

[anonamom]

CH, in my professional opinion , if she's 5'5" or so, she is definitely north of 180# if that's how she looks in Spanx.

Buckeye--we've got two Mason jars of Moonshine (that is the brand name) on the kitchen counter right now. My SO is aging the oak barrel he bought to see if he can replicate the aged Negronis we drank when we were on vacation last fall.

One hydrates the barrel with water, then "ages" it with corn whiskey. He just drew some moonshine off after a week--it's turning brown! We are making bourbon! If it's any good, I'll drop some by on my way north.

[MissMarple2]

https://thehill.com/policy/international/440934-15-killed-in-police-raid-on-home-of-suspected-terrorists-linked-to-sri

[MissMarple2]

Melinda,

The name Tommy Vietor brings back memories of the low caliber of people who worked in the Obama White House.

I would say your vision of Vietor's future is spot on.

[Another Bob]

Amom, the barrel is charred I presume?

[Narciso79]

Sounds like the cleanup raid after Bataclan in st denis, where the one who thr protagonist in the black widow novel was identified

[Buckeye]

We are making bourbon! If it's any good, I'll drop some by on my way north.

If I take that to "the hill", rest assured it'll get a thorough eval by the boyz.

Might be the first "weasel" with a known pedigree:)

[MissMarple2]

The look of terror when you lose Bill Maher on endless investigations and impeachment. 😱

Take a good look at Schiff’s face after Maher drops this bomb:

“But this was our big gun. Now it just looks like you’re stalking him.”😰😢😭 pic.twitter.com/eiIXIZUfS1

— Kal ©️ (@RightWingLawMan) April 27, 2019

Video at link.

[Beasts of England]

I'm going over to my favorite corn proprietor's at lunch, anonamom. He's branched into Rye and has a few jars ready for me. 😋

[Another Bob]

Never mind. Dumb question.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/andy-puzder-us-economy-robust-thriving-liberals-wrong

[Extraneus]

My favorite:

(Click to open.)

[anonamom]

yes, charred, AB.

[Narciso79]

In the erstwhile agent Carter noir edition to the marvel universe there was this outfit called the council of 9, they are supposed to be the big bad facilitating hydra, one might call it the uniparty.

[Narciso79]

Now I are why they did the seemingly unnecessary flash forward in agents of shields last season.

[Narciso79]

Well they could have spent only half a season with the kree, ymmv

[Narciso79]

Can rian Johnson try to be as faithful to star wars canon, magic rightball says no.

[henry]

Coffee, fire, 5-8” fresh global warming en route, beer supply good.

What time does Trump get to Green Bay?

[Narciso79]

Admitted in the last days of Reagan, naturalized in the waning days of w

https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/04/palestinian-terrorist-vallmoe-shqaire-who-lied-to-gain-u-s-citizenship-gets-9-months-in-prison-will-be-deported/

[Narciso79]

Evers seems to be going at light speed to fundamentally transform Wisconsin or am I wrong?

[Tom Bowler]

Porchlight and anonamom,

Thanks for the great travel advice!

[Melinda]

The frequency of which I'm starting to see stories like this implies to me that we're being readied for something:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-26/essence-evil-sex-children-has-become-big-business-america

[henry]

Narciso, Evers is sure trying to screw up the state. His problem is the legislature will have none of it, and the SC is not on his side either. He does have an interesting veto — he can veto individual letters in a bill. Doyle used that with bizarre results. So we will see.

[Rocco]

Catching up I see there's no more discourse on white and black hats. If I had a duck it would drown!

[Extraneus]

Hey, Rocco. What did you think of Rosenstein's speech? :-)

[JohnH]

For those of you wondering, Gus does not speak in CAPS. I know, shocka right? ;>)

Very enlightening conversation. It would be easy to just sit and watch. The span of knowledge and experience is wonderful. Henry knows a bit about moonshining from his Yale days.

I am sure the experience is similar whenever JOMrades get together.

[mockmook]

"Overspending" by the military is so far down the list of important problems for this country that it is laughable.

[peter]

OMG, an on topic post on page 6. Disorienting.

[JimNorCal]

Won't win the nom.
If he does, can't win the general.
There's just too much material.
Via Insty:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1121780636077793285.html
Outline of the role that Joseph Biden has had in the mass incarceration of black Americans.
In short, he built that.

5. "Perhaps the most egregious of Biden’s transgressions is the role he played in the creation of the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine."
6. "As the country panicked over the “crack” epidemic, legislators set out to dole out harsher punishments to those found guilty of selling the substance."
7. "The Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which was written at least partially by Biden, changed the law so that those caught with a mere five grams of crack cocaine were subject to the same mandatory minimum as those caught with 500 grams of powdered cocaine."
8. "The application of this law disproportionately harmed African-American communities and contributed to mass incarceration."
9. As I "joked" earlier, Biden probably plagiarized the part he "wrote," since he has a history of that as well. But I digress.
(Etc)

[JimNorCal]

JohnH: "I am sure the experience is similar whenever JOMrades get together."

Nice neologism!
Has it been in use before or newly invented?

[Beasts of England]

James D has a photo with Danielle Panabaker posted on his FB page. I'm spending a lot of this thread being jealous... :)

[henry]

Well done James D!

[Tom R]

Ext @ 9:44

I was going to ask Rocco the same question.

[Jim Eagle]

Here is some news you can use:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6965747/Aliens-interbreeding-humans-create-hybrid-species-save-planet-lecturer-claims.html

[Tom R]

Melinda @ 9:39

Agreed. I call it “prepping the battlefield”. Trump’s long term strategic plan to drain the Swamp is moving into the next phase.

[Threadkiller]

Ivanka explained Trump's strategy at the 2016 Repulican Convention:

One of my father’s greatest talents is the ability to see potential in people, before they see it in themselves.

It is no surprise that Trump is able to work with those who were tasked by The Cabal to do harm to his administration.

Showing Rosenstein the light required zero Kabuki.

[Extraneus]

I was just kidding, Tom.

[Extraneus]

If the media continues to ignore the possible Ukrainian-DNC conspiracy in 2016 to find and create damaging information about Trump, Manafort and the Trump campaign, it will amount to corruption. For those of us still open to change, help us and cover it. You know it’s NEWS!

— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) April 27, 2019

[Extraneus]

ZH:

Ukraine Tapped By Obama Admin To Hurt Trump, Help Clinton And Protect Bidens

[Threadkiller]

Ext, what was the name of the cookbook you linked the other day?

[henry]

Captain Kirk got all the good aliens.

[Extraneus]

More food science than a cookbook.

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

[Tom R]

The Maher/Schiff interview tells me the smart leftwingers know threatening impeachment at this point is a colossally stupid idea on the Democrats part so influential pundits like Maher will be used to try and placate the low IQ Progressive/SJW nutjobs.

[Threadkiller]

Thanks, Ext. Although my family usually enjoys most of the impromptu meals I'll throw together they seem to refer to it as experimenting rather than cooking.

Your book seemed appropriate.

[Tom R]

Follow up to the topic Extraneus and I were discussing yesterday. Remember Obama and the Democrats were furious with Comey for reopening the Hillary case. Note the timeline in the last tweet.

https://twitter.com/avery1776/status/1121970698245816321?s=21

The reason Comey never got interviewed on May 31, 2017 was because Trump fired him earlier that month which meant since he was longer a government employee he could not be compelled to give the interview.

[MissMarple2]

New York Times Opinion
‏Verified account @nytopinion

An Editors' Note to appear in Monday’s international edition.

"A political cartoon in the international print edition of the New York Times on Thursday included anti-Semitic tropes, depicting the prime minister of Israel as a guide dog with a Star of David collar leading the president of the United States, shown wearing a skullcap. The image was offensive, and it was an error in judgement to publish it. It was provided by the New York Times News Service and Syndicate, which has since deleted it."

===============================
Here is the image, which I will not post here:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5KyuIHUYAIB12F.jpg

I see no words like sorry or apology in their statement. They posted the statement as a screen cap, and I took the time to type it in myself.

After having seen the cartoon, how could anyone have allowed it to be printed? It's as bad as stuff that started surfacing in 1930's Germany! And worse, this went out in the International edition so it showed up in newstands all over the world. A Twitter user in Israel found it on sale WITH the cartoon in Tel Aviv!

Editorial misjudgement? I think it's a sign of how anti-Semitic the left has become.

[Extraneus]

I read it cover to cover, but it's a long book and that's not necessary. It good to have as a reference just to understand things when they come up. Milk proteins, for example, or how egg yolks emulsify oil and vinegar, or how meats cook by different methods, etc.

[MissMarple2]

Tom R,

I wonder if some of the Hollywood types look at interviewees like Adam Schiff and remember what a fun interview Donald Trump was.

Maher is probably regretting having to talk to a guy like Schiff who is both repugnant and stupid.

[peter]

Ext, that "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" book looks great. I can recommend a book I just finished in the "a scientist explains things in plain language for us dumb laymen" genre which I enjoyed: "Liquid Rules" by Mark Miodownik. A bit of obeisance to the climate change Gaia nazis, but other than that enjoyable and light. I recommend it as a airplane book.

[jimmyk]

The Maher/Schiff interview tells me the smart leftwingers know threatening impeachment at this point is a colossally stupid idea

Wait, so Maher is smart? I guess is in the land of the blind...

[Extraneus]

Looks interesting, peter.

https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Rules-Delightful-Dangerous-Substances/dp/054485019X

[Extraneus]

The introduction at the Amazon site was good, too.

[KevlarKid]

re the inevitability of the Assquatch nomination for president:

"One sure way to kneecap that dream. As Tom Lifson at AT writes on Wednesday (4/24), The Walls Are Closing In On Obama.

Tom is referring to Judicial Watch’s discovery that FBI Admits Hillary Clinton Emails Found in Obama White House. The admission is in writing and under oath.

The Obamas’ ultimate dream is to be back in the White House. Our ultimate dream is to have Obama himself in the Big House. You really don’t want POTUS to pull the indictment trigger, Mr. Zero. Better cancel that helicopter charter to Milwaukee." -Dr. Jack Wheeler

[KevlarKid]

there's a Marin County and Silicon Valley contingent of white whine drinkers who "attend" Niners games now which emerged out of those glory years with Montana, Lott et al.

When the Niners played at Kezar they had a working class fan-base of longshoremen and construction trades workers. Paw and i used to come into tix to go see the Niners play the greats like Butkus/Sayers' Bears, Starr's Niners, Jim Brown, the Old Ram's Fearsome Foursome.

There's still a hardcore faithful base but it's the vocal snowflakes who are chiding Bosa. i reckon they'll be mining his tweets all the way back to high school. yawn. shut up and watch.

[Rocco]

Ext, TomR, It looked to me like Rosenstein was ratting out Obama, the FBI and the media. From the NYT's...

“The previous administration chose not to publicize the full story about Russian computer hackers and social media trolls, and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America,”

He had to know Obama wasn't trying to help Trump by keeping the meddling quiet, yet the crack investigator that he is, didn't find that suspicious? Instead he signs a FISA renewal granting Mueller authority to go after Trump via Carter Page.

I think he knows there's a reckoning coming and he's trying to cover his ass.

[Rocco]

And now that the rain has stopped and the lawn dried out, it's time to mow while I can. It's supposed to rain all week, nice weather for a duck!

[Tom R]

New thread

[Jane]

Did anyone else get Imprimus today. It's right on topic.

[Momto2]

Horrible - in Tennessee:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/25/five-time-deported-illegal-alien-charged-with-kicking-baby-to-death/

[Jim Eagle]

At the time, I thought it was the most creative SciFi film I had ever seen. Now it is celebrating its 40th Anniversary.

https://www.space.com/alien-movie-40th-anniversary.html?utm_source=sdc-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20190427-sdc

The Alien, of course.