Open Thread

What’s on your mind?

Comments

[Dr. Ed 2]

The fight over air travel in El Paso is indicative of just how deep the swamp is.

My guess is it was a pissing contest between the FAA and the USAF, quite likely part of the ongoing pissing contest that led to the fatal air crash at DCA 13 months ago. My guess is that was career bureaucrats fighting with career bureaucrats, all of whom knowing that they are untouchable —- until they do something big enough to get their bosses, who aren’t, in trouble.

The USAF got to do whatever it wanted to until there were bodies in the river, the FAA got to do whatever it wanted until it shut down and travel into a major city. This all has pissing contest written all over it.

[Martinned]

My guess is that was career bureaucrats fighting with career bureaucrats

Yes. If there's one thing we know about the current US Regime is that it's career bureaucrats in the driver's seat everywhere... /s

[LexAquilia]

It's called the Deep State. Is it legal in the UK to read that?

[Dr. Ed 2]

The Dems are upset that Team Bondi is keeping track of what Epstein materials, particularly the non-public materials, each member of Congress views.

I don’t have a problem with this — it’s not possible to hold accountability for leaks unless you first know who had access to the material that was leaked to the first place. And yes, I do believe that leakers should be held accountable, at least politically, and preferably legally as well.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Speaking of pissing contests, does anyone remember when Obama went out of his way to make the government shutdown hurt the American public? Using boulders to block off unattended boat ramps and such?

Well, forget long lines at airport because TSA isn’t being funded, how about simply ordering all American airports closed because the TSA isn’t being funded, resulting in a national security issue.

All Trump has to do is publicly announced that all American airports will be closed as of Date X because the evil Democrats won’t fund the TSA. And then do it.

Likewise, all border crossings will have to be closed. In addition to no air cargo coming in, there will be no trucks crossing the Mexican or Canadian borders. No toilet paper, as it’s all made in Canada now….

How long do you think the Democrats would last?

[LexAquilia]

It wasn't just an Obama thing, while Democrats are especially cruel, Washington Monument Syndrome is a deliberate tactic of the government in general to inflict as much pain and suffering on citizens until their greedy demands are met.

It's gross.

[Kazinski]

The January jobs report came out Wednesday morning and it was very good:

"January’s jobs report is out, and it’s pretty much all good news: The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent. Wages are up and the number of people working part-time because they can’t find full time work is down. The number of jobs added in the private sector is even higher—172,000—offset by cuts to federal jobs. (For small government folks, that’s a win-win.)"

https://batyaus.substack.com/p/the-latest-jobs-report-proves-trumps

[LexAquilia]

Private sector jobs going to citizens. Very good.

[Commenter_XY]

Here is hoping Fed Govt rightsizing continues apace. They are non-essential bureaucrats we can no longer afford to carry.

Last year, 300K were shown the door. Let's do even better this year.

[Sarcastr0]

Headliners I’m seeing is the revision down of past benchmarks.
For the final 2 quarters of 2025, the economy lost a net 1,000 jobs.

This won’t move the needle in the perception of the economy. See also Trump trying to cite how well the Dow is doing.

[Brett Bellmore]

So, you're saying we lost 1,000 jobs. In a country of about 330M people. Let's set aside the question of dubious precision.

Last year it's estimated that between formal and self deportation, about 3 million illegal aliens left the country.

So, doesn't that mean that the job environment for the people remaining actually improved?

[Sarcastr0]

Weird you didn't object to Kaz's posting of the jobs report, and came after mine.

A healthy economy wants to add jobs. We haven't been doing so. Simple as.

[Michael P]

So, doesn't that mean that the job environment for the people remaining actually improved?

Yes, but simpletons want things to be simpler than they are. As the editors of Time magazine wrote in 1962: "We try to keep in mind a saying attributed to Einstein—that everything must be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler."

Einstein's original saying was perhaps a bit more nuanced:

It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience.

But certain commenters don't put weight on the "adequate representation" part.

[Kazinski]

The economy isn't perfect, but it is doing well.

The Atlanta Fed GDP now forecast has collapsed though, about 2 weeks ago they were for casting 4th qtr GDP to come in at 5.3%, now its all the way down to 3.7%.

CPI will come.out Friday that might tell us something new, the forecast is for both Core and All-time CPI to drop down to 2.5% y/y, although m/m is expected to be unchanged at .3%.

[Commenter_XY]

How about those Epstein files?

These people should be shunned by society. They are sick predators. Do you think it is just confined to Epstein? NFW. I bet there is overlap with P Diddy's sick friends.

There are a lot of very sick people named in those files. It is like a Who's Who of Davos. The only pity here is justice will not likely be served by the Courts of Law; justice will have to be administered in another manner.

[Martinned]

The only pity here is justice will not likely be served by the Courts of Law

Gee, I wonder why that is.

[Commenter_XY]

Statute of limitations, some victims are dead, other victims don't wish to pursue a legal remedy. Justice will have to come in other ways. As for these sick, disgusting cretins....

Some will die by fire and water,
Some will die by their own hand,
Some will die cruelly, in pain and suffering,
None will know peace.

[Sarcastr0]

Commenter’s never mention Trump and Epstein game continues.

[Commenter_XY]

What is there to say, Man of Science? Wrt POTUS Trump, there is no there, there. Nice try. As usual, you whiffed. Your degrees must be in the social sciences....sociology? Basket weaving?

POTUS Trump is the guy that released the files; not Pres Bush, not Pres Obama, and not The Cauliflower.

[Sarcastr0]

By your own standard Trump should be shunned.

Congress forced Trump to release the files, of course. You knew this not long ago.

[Kazinski]

Do you have any specific allegations with cites you care to share with us?

Its turning out the whole Epstein files were a big nothing, exactly what we were told 6 months ago.

And despite Congress having access to the unredacted files they are shedding any more light either, at least now that they aren't trying to manufacture evidence using old previously released publicity photos.

[Sarcastr0]

We've been over the whole 'Trump continued to be close friends with Epstein well after the trafficking charges.'

The DoJ has been redacting Trump's name as though he were a victim.

The Commerce Secretary lied to Congress; Trump doesn't care.

But the thing around here is Commenter's partisan double standard undercuts his outrage.

You've been consistently defending Epstein as not so much of a pedophile and probably fine to hang out with, which is it's own can of worms. But at least consistent.

[Kazinski]

Here is finally a hard hitting piece on Epstein, naming names, who was flying on his planes, laying out what he was up too.

https://x.com/i/status/2021047020392247590

[Frank Drackman]

Can you give William Juffuhson a break?? Isn't being married to Hillary Rodman for 50 years punishment enough??

[LexAquilia]

Yall see that picture of Trump and young Elvis floating around? Crazy, they could be twins!

[Michael P]

The Debating and Political Society at Bangor University (in Wales, not Maine) refused to hold a Q&A because it might expose snowflakes to new ideas. The society is too "welcoming and fair" to listen to the speakers.

https://open.substack.com/pub/andrewdoyle/p/the-debating-society-that-refuses

[LexAquilia]

https://x.com/i/status/2021654715659170085

Anthony Bourdain talking about The Great Replacement. Presented without comment.

[Mr. Bumble]

Happy Lincoln's Birthday.
Four states still celebrate today as a holiday:
CT, IL, MO & NY.

[Malika la Maize]

A Florida handyman who received a pardon from President Trump for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been convicted of multiple state charges of child molestation and exposing himself to children, prosecutors told NPR. Andrew Paul Johnson, the pardoned rioter, attempted to bribe one victim with money he claimed he would receive as part of restitution for Jan. 6 defendants, police reported. The conviction is the latest case of a pardoned Capitol rioter committing new crimes after receiving a pardon.

On Tuesday, a jury in Hernando County, Fla., found Andrew Paul Johnson guilty of five charges, including molesting a child under 12 and another under 16, as well as lewd and lascivious exhibition.

https://www.npr.org/2026/02/11/nx-s1-5711294/trump-jan-6-pardons-child-sex-abuse

[Frank Drackman]

I admit the guy is an Idiot. Should have just pretended to be a Homo like Booty-Judge and Jizz, get married, and he could adopt all the underage boys he wants. Glad he got the Death Penalty (Child Molester in Florida Prison?? Good Luck with that)

Frank

[Michael P]

I am still bemused that one of the leftoids yesterday argued that it was a major indictment of Howard Lutnick that some third party sent Jeffrey Epstein a resume for "lutnick nanny" -- but no mention that Lutnick invited Epstein to a fundraiser for Hilary Clinton's campaign.

[Malika la Maize]

Here’s what’s “bemusing:” Lutnick bold faced lied about disassociating himself from Epstein and sat on that lie until it was exposed by the forced release of the files and Mikie Q and other Trump toadies simply deflected with “what about!”

The party of personal responsibility, folks!

[LexAquilia]

That wasn't their complaint. Their complaint was Lutnick vacationed on Epstein Pedo Island with his children claiming he didn't know about Epstein's abuses.

As Estragon pointed out yesterday, Lutnick just felt his children were safe.

They weren't goyim. So they weren't at risk of being raped, sacrificed and eaten.

[Sarcastr0]

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/nation/hundreds-of-immigrants-have-reported-sexual-abuse-at-ice-facilities-most-cases-arent-investigated

Can't make an omelet without raping a few eggs!

[Frank Drackman]

Pubic Broadcasting System? Al-Jizz-eera is more balanced.

[Michael P]

DC's water and sewer authority reported an improvement in the E. coli levels from the massive sewer spill last month... then realized that the numbers were a hundred times worse than they reported. The initial reports last Friday were that levels were 2,420 MPN/100mL (MPN = most probable number, because it's a statistical estimate). In fact, it was 242,000 MPN/100 mL. The recreational usage limit for both Maryland and Virginia is 410 MPN/mL. Friday's corrected numbers represent a reduction from the record levels of around 1,700,000 MPN/100 mL, but being 590 times the limit rather than 4227 times is still pretty bad.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/infrastructure/4453365/dc-water-e-coli-rate-potomac-sewage-spill/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/science/environmental-science/riverkeeper-potomac-still-unsafe-amid-massive-dc-sewer-spill/ar-AA1W0rQo

[Mr. Bumble]

"Well I love that dirty water
Oh DC your my home"

[Malika la Maize]

Victor Rillet, a 21-year-old Frenchman, disembarked the steamship Washington in New York in October 1864, carrying the kind of optimism that fuels both great innovation and spectacular disappointment. Exactly five years after his arrival, he took his first big step toward the American Dream, securing U.S. Patent 0095605-A for “An Improved Sirup for Flavoring Beverages.”

His process was impressive. Whole, pressed pomegranates were fermented, clarified with glue and egg whites, blended with sugar and vanilla, tinted with red dye derived from crushed cochineal insects, before the concoction was bottled up and called grenadine — from “grenade,” the French word for pomegranate. It was labor-intensive, costly to produce and tasted like the fruit from which it came, which at the time wasn’t commercially farmed in America, and certainly not grown anywhere close to New York City. There were easier products to bank one’s fortunes on, but Rillet knew he had a good thing and was certain the public would appreciate it.

And they did. So much so that by June 1870, Rillet filed a trademark injunction with theNew York Supreme Court, trying to stop a competitor who had borrowed the name while abandoning the process. Justice Calvin E. Pratt initially sided with Rillet — pointing out that one man had invested heavily in creating both product and trust, while the other was simply coasting off the hard work of others — and refused to dismiss the complaint. Honesty and integrity persevered!

When the case was brought to trial that September, the defendant argued that the name “grenadine” was at its core a French word, and it wouldn’t be right for anyone to be able to trademark a piece of a foreign language. The judge agreed.

Grenadine was no longer a recipe, but a branding opportunity. And with that, Victor Rillet’s name, business and product disappear from history.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2026/02/09/grenadine-shirley-temple-egg-cream/

[LexAquilia]

The Scientism bureaucrats and the major public health institutions went woke a few decades ago now.

How has that worked out for society? Now that we have twenty+ years of data and evidence?