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Brisketexan

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Posts posted by Brisketexan

  1. 14 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

    Scott Pruitt could probably get his own thread, but I’ll put these three developments here. 

     

    What a fucking shitshow.

    Seriously.  Every fucking day, another epic pratfall.  This isn't the gang that couldn't shoot straight.  They can't even work their way up to something as sophisticated as a gun.

    They're the gang that can't sling jawbones straight:

    Screen-Shot-2017-05-05-at-2.05.00-AM.png

  2. 4 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

    I’ve lived in Houston & Austin. 

    Austin traffic is laughable in comparison 

    Not on a per-mile traveled basis.

    I remember driving 45 minutes in Houston.  That got me 15 miles from where I started.

    In Austin, that sometimes gets you 5-7 miles from where you started.

     

    I want Amazon to STAY THE FUCK AWAY.  We don't have the infrastructure for the people and growth rate that we have.  Some estimates have the total population impact of Amazon HQ2, counting the 50k employees, their family members, and other businesses and people who end up here to serve that growth, as around 200k.

    This town has already split its pants without upsizing them.  We take that on, and our pants will explode into a puff of fabric, leaving our junk dangling in the wind.  We can't handle that amount of growth.

  3. 3 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

     

    I WANT to believe that this is the modern version of UT legend Bill Bradley, when asked if he wanted heads or tails in the coin toss in the 1968 game against Texas A&M:

    It don’t make a shit.

    I really want to believe that.

     

    • Like 2
  4. 6 minutes ago, Grade of D as in David said:

    We need a new clandestine service as well. Maybe a Fox Force Five?

    I've missed the last few pages of this thread.  I think I need to...........ketchup.

    • Like 2
    • Haha 2
  5. 7 hours ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

    March, protest, whatever but that's is the weakest, most pathetic "power fist" move I've ever seen.....looks like some waif cross between John Travolta and Michael Jackson. 

    Funny is funny.  And that's funny.  He really does look silly, and now I can't unsee the comparison.

    7 hours ago, formermav43 said:

    Comparing this silly and inconsequential class to integration is remarkable. 

    Seriously.

    30 years ago, I walked into a "women in literature" class (I needed a fine arts credit, literature counted towards that, and hey, I dig women -- this class will be cool).  The teacher opened the first class explaining how this class would focus on the intersection of the marxist dialectic and feminism as a liberation from patriarchy....hell, I don't know what she said.  After about 90 seconds of listening to her, and looking at a room full of women with short haircuts and hairy armpits, I got up, left, and filled out my "add-drop" form to pick another literature class.

    Shit like that has ALWAYS been around.  The Shanty on the West Mall, electing an angry black lesbian as student body president, etc. etc.  These happened 30 years ago.  Whatever.  There were also plenty of guys wearing boots and drinking whiskey at football games.

    Sometimes, it made for some interesting arguments in class.  Other times, it created an opportunity for some friendly time with a cute hippie chick.  It's a world full of different folks, some of whom think differently than I do.  Some of them are idiots and teach shitty feminist literature classes.  Some of them are idiots who headed up the YCT and went on pointless rants against the gay guy who sat next to me in a Government class.  Deal with it.  I did.

    But -- caveat -- I wasn't a gutless pussy snowflake terrified of losing my station in society.  So, your mileage may vary.

    • Like 1
  6. 19 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

    And you are the arbiter?  You are a textbook zealot. And I’m perfectly comfortable saying I want nothing to do with you or your type 

    Sure, I'm the arbiter about all kinds of shit.  I make judgments about people all the time.  It's how I cast my ballot for a certain candidate and not another.  It's how I choose what people to associate with and invite into my home, and vice-versa.

    I've never been a zealot about much of anything in my life.  I'm not a young man, either.  But I've never seen anything even close to this alarming.  The number of nightmarish parallels with other historical failures and horrors are too many to count.  I'm sure that during other historical shitshows, there were plenty of "go along and get along" types who wanted nothing to do with the folks who sounded the alarm.  Those go along-get along types were wrong then.  And they are wrong now.

    11 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

    Donald Trump is president of the United States.

    If this isn't a warning sign that the republic is in jeopardy, I don't know what is. 

    This.  We CHOSE that.  And it's not so much that we chose it (I actually understand -- not necessarily agree with, but understand -- the "he's not Hillary" vote)...but that we then defend and normalize who he is and what he does.

    1 minute ago, JimmyHoffa said:

    For fuck sakes. Some of you must be on some pretty powerful anti depression meds and sleeping pills as I don't know how you get through the day with as much fucking whining and crying about Trump being President. Get a fucking paperbag and breath into it for awhile. 

    Look the guy is a total and complete asshat but give me a fucking break with this end of the democracy bullshit. And if you can't get over yourself and see the real reason why he was elected the 1st time it can and will happen again. 

    If you hate the guy so much quit making excuses for why he was elected and give those that you might not 100% agree with some positive alternatives. The fucking far right didn't elect Donald Trump it was the moderates and independents but go ahead and keep fucking that "racists elected Trump" chicken and you will lose again. 

    I don't make any excuse for why he was elected.  He was elected because we are a Republic of weak, scared shitheels, angry far-right racists and xenophobes (and plenty more who just have the decency not to march in public), and a large enough group that goes along with anything, who combined to create a just-big-enough coalition to win.  And, because Hillary was a shittacular candidate whose unlikeability was surpassed by her arrogance in not campaigning in key states.

    Trump is one problem.

    The continuing large block of the voters who support him is another.

    The utter failure of Congress to conduct itself as a legitimate, independent branch of the government, with real responsibilities and power, is another.

    The utter failure of the "party of opposition" to demonstrate real leadership or creative thought is another.

    That creates one shitty layer cake, and it ain't going away anytime soon.

  7. 3 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

    Let me know when you throttle back to strong and cautious reactions from histrionic fatalism   One sign of that would be not questioning the character and courage of people who are concerned about trump, but not to a degree you deem acceptable 

    Insufficient alarm about an existential threat is a character defect.  I'm okay making that judgment.  Folks who demonstrate insufficient alarm about such risks are the kind of folks who get our asses killed, metaphorically speaking.  I don't like such folks.  In fact, I see them as part of the problem.  I'm comfortable with that.

    • Like 1
  8. 1 hour ago, EMAWesome said:

     

     

    Yes.  I think that "purity tests" are idiocy.  Parties should be broad enough to encompass a diversity of opinions.

    So...how do you like the Trump purity test the GOP keeps trotting out?  Equally disturbed by that?  Because you're citing a POS nutbar who has always been a POS nutbar (Maxine).  I'm talking about an entire party apparatus, including the GOP majority in the House and Senate.  You good with those purity tests of "get with Trump or get gone?"

  9. 16 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

    If only I were as smart as you and brisket I would know how scared to be!

    And the sun never set on the British Empire.

    And Rome would never fall.

    And no bunch of colonial upstarts can defeat the British military.

    And Texas had no chance of beating the Huskers to win the 1996 Big 12 title (to be fair, I shared that belief -- James Brown proved me wrong).

    No modern airliner will ever crash, there's too many safety systems.

    And we could go on.

    As someone who lives in that world, I understand that our institutions and the rule of law are only as strong as our collective will and willingness to uphold them.  Those can vanish in, effectively, an instant.

    All it takes is for several things to go wrong, in sequence.  Which will never happen...until it does.

    And being cavalier about the risks, as opposed to reacting strongly and cautiously when even ONE safety system fails, is exactly how we end up crashing.  Let's go back to the airplane thought -- your next flight has a warning light on the dash.  But hey, it's just one warning light, one system.  They'll surely take off, right?  Nope.  The loss of even ONE layer of safety is deemed an unacceptable risk when you have a $30 million plane with 140 passengers on board.  That's the smart and prudent approach when it comes to commercial air travel.  I'm suggesting that it is likewise smart and prudent when it comes to the ongoing security and functionality of the Republic.

     

    • Like 2
  10. 2 minutes ago, relapse98 said:

    IBC Bank takes over Schlitterbahn park at foreclosure auction

    And good luck, IBC, actually turning a profit on that 32 million. I'd bet dollars to tubes that insurance for water rides built by the Henry's went up a bit after their engineering debacle.

    Went there for a conference this summer.

    The water park was fine -- the boy and his friend had fun....but we had planned on 2.5 days there, and it turns out that after 1.5, they were done.  It was hot as hell and windy, so the beach was not an option, so we just headed on back home.

    But the resort.  What a shithole.  The hotel didn't have an in-house restaurant worth a shit -- no place with AC.  And no real bar -- they had a little pool bar, and a little beachside bar, both of which were small, crappy, and closed early.

    They spent all that money developing the place, but didn't go the extra 1% effort to make it hospitable for the parents.  

  11. 3 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

    I’m glad you are off your nonpilot flying the plane into the ground analogy. 

    What if I don’t buy the drunk driver on 2222 analogy? What if it’s really drivers ed, and a moron is driving, but the instructor is hitting the brakes and about to make him pull over and kick his ass to the curb?  If that’s what’s happening here can you see how crazy you look to the other backseat passengers when you’re screaming we’re all going to die?

    Who's hitting the fucking brakes here?  Seriously, who?  The House -- Devin Nunes and his caucus say different.  The Senate?  McConnel says different.

    We have HOPES that someone will do so (Mueller)?  But it all comes down to Congress.  Who have proven to by sycophantic spineless sellouts.  Forgive me if I don't look to them to be heroes and hit the brakes.

    Trump is driving like a fucking deranged madman, and there is NOBODY who matters who is stopping him, or shows any signs of wanting to stop him.  So, yeah.   I'm flipped out about the nutbar driving at driver's ed.  And I'm flipped out by the fact that the instructor has given us every indication that he isn't going to do shit, no matter what.  I mean, MAYBE after we crash into a tree, the instructor will fail the student driver.  Yay.

    You count on our institutions saving the day. I am observing that institutions are incredibly fragile.  What takes centuries to build can be wiped away in almost an instant.  Our institutions are only as effective as the people running them.  Congress is our instructor who can hit the brakes.  Congress.  I presume that you can see why I think we're fucked.

  12. 19 minutes ago, VRHorn said:

    I think it essentially boils down to a Pascal's wager of sorts for Brisket and others like him. Maybe this is a blip that will revert to normal, in which case Brisket is overreacting. But, what if it isn't? I think his point is that the destruction of norms is a portent of things to come and that it will continue to get worse.

    This.

    Look, in my young and stupid days, I got in a car with a drunk driving, and we went 100 mph on winding roads (what a dumbass I was).  The chances of us ending up in a fiery death were unacceptably high.  It was inexcusable.

    Nonetheless, we survived.  And probably the majority of times we do that, we survive.

    You are telling us that "relax, we'll probably get there okay."  And you are RIGHT.  There's a GOOD chance this is just a blip.

    But there's an unacceptably HIGH risk that this is more than a blip, and things are headed to utter shit.

    Every time I see those drunk guys get in a car and peel out to hit 100 mph on 2222, I'm going to scream bloody fucking murder.  I'm going to want to see them pulled over ASAP.  I'm not going to relax until the trip is over.  I care about this country and the people in it.  I see an unacceptable risk to their future, and I want to end that risk.  As soon as possible.

  13. 55 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

    It was a stupid question to put to the people.  Its like asking, "Do you want mass transit in Austin?"  Yes/No.  You vote yes and then you get a light rail to nowhere installed that nobody wants.

    Bingo.

    It was a referendum about feelings, not a specific action, with details and consequences.

  14. 23 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

    Lulz brisket has called me personally all of the following since trump has been elected: traitorous, spineless, nutless, and now a concern troll. He has changed alright

    Welll, you lament the path we go down...yet all of your criticism and concern is reserved for those who have sounded the alarm about it.  Oh, of course, you are sure to throw in a "no excusing Trump, though, he's not good."  Quite powerful and passionate there.  If you used half the energy criticizing the man and movement who have led us down this path as you do for those saying "this is really shitty, not normal, and we never should have done it and we should stop it," well, you might have some credibility.

    We invited a deranged narcissist into our house, and we are getting exactly what any sane person would expect.  And as some of us follow behind him in our house, shouting "stop breaking all of our shit!"....your concern is reserved for....the "unhinged folks" who want him to stop breaking shit.

    If you can't see how that contrast if comically appalling, I can't help you.

  15. 29 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

    Well, in fairness, the people are generally idiots.

    Yes.  They are.

    7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

    And, I am not sure that the people as sovereign is as enshrined as it is here.  To a large extent, the UK could stop recognizing civil rights of all kinds and little could be done about it.

    Also this.  People mistake the UK for the US with funny accents and bad teeth.  It's not.  It's quite different with respect to the rights of the people. Sometimes, in some alarming ways.  But that's the way it is.

    As it stands, most voters are not in favor of another unspecified referendum.  However, if they were given a chance to vote on an actual Brexit plan -- as in "here's the ACTUAL deal we have negotiated -- do you want to take it, or do you want to stay in the EU, or EVEN, do you want to just bail without a deal?" - that would be much more acceptable to the voters, and I actually think it makes some sense.

    It's kind of like when the board votes to pursue merger talks with Company X.  Then, you bring the actual merger proposal to the board for a vote.  Maybe the continue to be enthusiastic about merger, and take the deal.  Maybe they say "well, I like the idea of merger, but if THAT'S the deal, no way -- I vote nay."

     

  16. 20 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

    Jesus also told his disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword if they didn't already have one during the last supper. But it's all the rage these days to only quote the stuff that makes Jesus sound more like you want him to sound.

    Yeah....you might wanna read the next coupla verses:

    Quote

     And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant[h] of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 

    If you read the New Testament and come away with Warrior Jesus instead of Pacifist Jesus....well, you're DEFINITELY just reading what you want to read.

  17. Just now, Sawbonz said:

    Where did I mention my being offended?  My comments were about the persuasiveness of her approach. It was meat for the base. In that sense it worked reading the comments here. Hell look at brisket he’s ready to hit people with chairs. Well done

    So...you DIDN'T read my reply.  Like, at all.

    What I warned against from the very beginning, with wildly waving arms, is coming to pass.  If we the people reward pure chickenshittery and vile personal attacks, then that's what we'll get more of -- a lot more of.

    And here we are.  Getting EXACTLY what we asked for.

    How am I happy about that, or celebrating that?  That's the exact OPPOSITE of my position.

    You've really committed to your concern-troll role.  You are quite a bit more upset about how folks respond to Trump than you are with Trump's behavior, even though a jillion of us warned that is EXACTLY what we are inviting when we reward Trump's behavior by electing him.  You tell us that his behavior is no big deal -- you are wrong.  See the climate and tone that we are living in now.  It was inevitable, and utterly predictable, once we committed to the Trumpian path.  Which is, you know, one of the big reasons a lot of us said we shouldn't go down that path.

  18. 14 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

    CNN is reporting that Karen Pence's personal doctor wrote several detailed memos to Pence's chief of staff last September complaining about the Candyman's violation of medical ethics. 

    In fairness....the Pences probably thought there was a chance he was gay.

  19. 14 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

    In quoting that scripture, more of a millennialist.  It's not a call to de-arm, it's a statement that humanity will have no choice when the post-apocalyptic reign of Christ begins.

    It is indeed a vision of the coming Kingdom.

    If you want to go simple new testament....

    Quote

    Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

    Jesus was a hippie pacifist.  I'm good with Christian leaders calling for the same.

  20. 28 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

    Wow.  It’s hard to believe the Pope of all people could believe something so ludicrous.

     

    10 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

    AMDG

    Solid.

    And where'd he get a wacky idea like that?

    Oh yeah...

    Quote

    He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

    Silly pope, echoing scripture.  Who does he think he is, a religious leader?

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