In today's edition of FAFO (F*ck Around and Find Out) we have Nikki Haley (with an assist by Mike Pompeo) who is learning the hard way that MAGA loyalty only goes one way. They want your vote and your support, but won't do anything to make your life better. Once you kiss the ring and show your soft underbelly of weakness, you are no longer useful.

Nikki Haley threw her support behind Donald Trump, after running a fairly solid anti-Trump Republican campaign against him. But even after she gave up, he never forgave her. And on Saturday he put the knife in and twisted it even harder, publicly FIRING her (and Mike Pompeo) before he even takes office.

Her response was pathetic.

Above, "making all his nowhere plans for nobody."

Dedicated to the GOP/RNC: "It's a Dead Man's Party."

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Open thread below... Share your inspirational tunes as well!

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Jesse Watters' mother, Anne Purvis, was a child psychologist. His dad, Stephen Hapgood Watters, was a teacher. Both parents came from a long line of achievers, and sent him to Penn Charter, a very liberal private Quaker school here in Philadelphia.

Despite his accomplished parents and his education, look how he turned out.

Every time he shows up on Twitter, I comment, "Your mother only talks to you so she can see her grandchildren."

Sounds like I was right, because Jesse's mother has disinvited him from the family Thanksgiving this year. Something about "scheduling." But she told him he could come the next day for leftovers.

He said no thanks, he would be at Best Buy.

Understand, this isn't just a difference of opinion. Jesse Watters is a horrible person who lies and distorts in ways that harm our country.

Time for karma, Jesse, you nasty piece of work. Guess you thought you got away with it, huh? After all, you're rich and famous!

Well, your own family doesn't want to be around you on the holiday that's all about family.

And your mom's bitten her tongue long enough.

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Bluesky, the social media platform whose interface most resembles Twitter, has picked up more than 700,000 new users since the election, as users seek to escape misinformation and offensive posts on X. Via The Guardian:

The influx, largely from North America and the UK, has helped Bluesky reach 14.5 million users worldwide, up from 9 million in September, the company said.

Social media researcher Axel Bruns said the platform offered an alternative to X, formerly Twitter, including a more effective system for blocking or suspending problematic accounts and policing harmful behaviour.

“It’s become a refuge for people who want to have the kind of social media experience that Twitter used to provide, but without all the far-right activism, the misinformation, the hate speech, the bots and everything else,” he said.

It's not a natural fit for bloggers, because you can far too easily get kicked off for saying mean or controversial things and hurting people's feelings. So I'll straddle both.

Stephen Miller, Trump's former racist policymaker on immigration has a new role in the Trump administration.
His xenophobic views on immigration have led to the mass deportation plans Trump plans to implement.

"In an interview with The New York Times last year, Miller said that under a second Trump term, the military would build detention centers to house immigrants who have been arrested and are facing deportation. The new camps would likely be built “on open land in Texas near the border,” he told The Times. Miller told The Times that Trump’s immigration plans are being designed to avoid having to create new substantial legislation.

Miller will do everything in his power to eliminate Congress from blocking any of his immoral ideas.

CNN's Dana Bash played a short clip that reveals his evil intentions.

BASH: I just want to play a little bit of a flavor of Stephen Miller, who he is, what he says, and what he believes.

MILLER: America is for Americans and Americans only.

You have two policy objectives that you proceed with utter determination on.

Seal the border.

No illegals in, everyone here goes out.

That's very straightforward.

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Full Article

Prissydent-elect Donald Trump has picked South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who penned the book 'No Going Back' that detailed her murdering a puppy, horses, and at least one goat, as his next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Hey, at least he didn't pick Ted Nugent, Kid Rock, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Catturd, or Steve Bannon for the role, all of whom allegedly have not shot a dog in the face -- yet.

CNN reports:

Noem will be tapped to take over the agency as two key immigration hardliners — Stephen Miller and Tom Homan — are slated to serve in senior roles, signaling Trump is serious about his promise to crack down on his immigration pledges. With his selection of Noem, Trump is ensuring a loyalist will head an agency he prioritizes and that is key to his domestic agenda.

The department saw an immense amount of turmoil the last time Trump was in office. Then, DHS had five different leaders, only two of whom were Senate-confirmed. The agency has a $60 billion budget and hundreds of thousands of employees.

Noem, who previously was a South Dakota representative, will now be tasked with overseeing a sprawling agency that oversees everything from US Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Secret Service.

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Fox Business host Charles Payne and contributor Steve Moore did their best to soft-peddle the damage Trump's cringeworthy plan of tariffs would have to the US economy but still came up short.

Payne, subbing for Neil Cavuto, went back to a US history that is no longer relevant to us to prop up the idea of tariffs.

PAYNE: How does President Trump plan to convince his fellow Republicans that this is the right way to go?

MOORE: Well, there's two issues here, Charles.

One is how do we make his landmark 2017 tax bill permanent, because as you know, if no action is taken this year, a lot of that tax bill expires and the average family would pay about $2,500 more in taxes and it would hurt our businesses.

This is what the 2%ers and corporations want more than life itself. Letting these tax cuts expire won't hurt anybody. It makes it harder for the rich to fiddle with their tax returns.

Now comes the rub. This is where their clucking begins.

MOORE: And then, of course, there's the secondary issue about the tariffs that Trump has been talking about. Now, maybe, I'm just thinking out loud here, Charles, and I've talked to some of the top economic advisors that have worked with me in the Trump campaign, we could maybe mix these two and use tariffs as a way to pay for some of these tax cuts.

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Full Article

by Gabrielle Wallace/Cronkite News, Arizona Mirror
November 12, 2024

WASHINGTON – Women have led the governments of nearly a third of the countries on Earth as presidents, prime ministers and chancellors. Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat kept the 235-year-old glass ceiling in the United States unbroken.

“It absolutely will happen,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director of the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics.

Just not yet.

In Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in last month as the 66th president and the first woman on that list. Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, held office from 1979 to 1990 – longer than all but six occupants of Downing Street since 1721 when the title was first used.

Angela Merkel led Germany as its first female chancellor from 2005 to 2021, longer than all but two since Otto von Bismarck. Indira Gandhi broke the barrier in India when she became prime minister in 1966, three years before Golda Meir became Israel’s fourth prime minister.

The barrier has been shattered on every continent except Antarctica.

“The U.S. is far behind other nations, unfortunately. I think it will be a slow process,” said Kim Fridkin, an Arizona State University political scientist who studies women in politics, “although women are having more success in gaining office statewide as governors and U.S. senators.”

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Massachusetts Sen. Liz Warren called out Donald Trump for 'corruption' even though he hasn't been sworn into office yet. Who would have thought Trump would violate a law that Warren wrote before getting the keys to the White House -- besides all of us?

Trump has not submitted a legally required ethics agreement stating he will avoid conflicts of interest, which must be signed before the presidential transaction occurs. According to the Presidential Transition Act, the signed agreement was due by Oct. 1.

Warren took to Xitter, and she was not pleased, but it doesn't do any good unless something is done about it.

Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law.

I would know because I wrote the law.

Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.

This is what illegal corruption looks like. https://t.co/JJjJ59DgB5

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 11, 2024

Xitter had some thoughts:

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In today's edition of FAFO (F*ck Around and Find Out) we have a man who is probably going to learn the hard way that being one of the "good ones" means nothing to the Trump administration.

See, MAGA loyalty only goes one way. They want your vote, but won't do anything to make your life better. This Latino male Trump voter told CNN that mass deportation won't extend to law-abiding workers.

He actually said, with a straight face: “That wouldn’t be fair. They need to make sure that they don’t throw away, they don’t kick out, they don’t deport people that are family oriented.”

Sweetie, they don't care if you are family oriented or not. If you are working a good job or not. If you are a criminal or not. To them, being non-American is enough to get you kicked out (and probably put in a camp before). Enjoy that Trump hair visor hat, honey. The leopards are coming for your face.

"Fucketh around and ye shall findeth out" - A Twitter User in 2024

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We seem doomed to confront Christmas displays before the Halloween candy is eaten.

Open thread below...

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Despite, well, everything, we are trying to get back into the classroom as much as we can at the start of a new academic year. I am scheduled to teach Introduction to Sociology for the first time this coming spring and planning the course this fall. Whether in person or remote, I will be ecstatic […]

As the new year brings in a new peak in COVID cases across the country, we all have a right to feel a little down in the dumps. One trend picked up by surveys earlier in the pandemic was a drop in self-reported happiness. Now, with a new year of General Social Survey data released, […]

It is good to be a Korean today because the world is fascinated with Koreanness, from K-pop to K-dramas, K-movies, K-food, K-fashion, and K-beauty. It is no exaggeration to say that Korean culture has become synonymous with being cool and being hip. Things were quite different, however, not too long ago. It was around 2018 […]

Picture this. Walking down 135th street in Harlem, you spot a park in the distance. As you walk closer, you hear a basketball bouncing and kids yelling. It’s a small, outdoor court, well-maintained with fresh paint and a sturdy chain-link fence surrounding it. The ball is constantly in motion, being passed, dribbled, and shot from […]

Over the course of the past year, M&M’s have been plastered all over the news, social media, and even Super Bowl commercials. In January 2022, Mars Wrigley gave the brown M&M shorter heels and replaced the green M&M’s boots with sneakers in a push toward more inclusive marketing.  What resulted was outrage. Tucker Carlson became […]

Societies grow and change all the time, but it can be tough to think about big-picture shifts when you’re living through the practical details of the day to day. Take the recent popularity of large language models (LLMs). In the short term, we face important sociological questions about how they fit into the norms of […]

"The Blue Team is protected by the sheer audacity of their betrayal of Americans. For most, their approach is literally beyond belief." — Bret Weinstein

"Most people do not get a clear opportunity to vote against Communism and prevent a historical evil from taking hold. We have that opportunity. Vote Trump." — James Lindsay

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"People in the media are aware of how illegitimately they've done their jobs that they think they're on the verge of being locked up" —Scott Adams

Never name your pigs… Photo courtesy of Cande Gyrl. Spotted in China. 

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Smith. Bag found in Japan. 

Pity all night long… Photo courtesy of Candita R. Shopping bag found in Japan. 

Keep live the natural… Photo courtesy of Chris Carlier. Found on a bag in Japan. 

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Gnocchi (potato dumplings) served in an Italian style tomato sauce with sausage topped with a lasagna style cheese mixture! Lasagna is one of my all time favourite meals and this is a quick and easy gnocchi version that’s just packed with flavour! The original dish is made with layers of noodles, meat and tomato sauce...

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The post Quick and Easy Gnocchi Lasagna appeared first on Closet Cooking.

A Thai style curry with turkey and butternut squash! I am a big fan of Thai style curries especially when they include red curry paste (link), pumpkin/squash, coconut milk, and peanut butter! What a flavour combo! This curry is inspired by those flavours and it starts with ground turkey and veggies before adding garlic, ginger,...

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The post Butternut Squash Peanut Turkey Curry appeared first on Closet Cooking.

There are a lot of games on and whether you are watching alone, with a few friends and family, or throwing a big party, it’s pretty much a requirement to have some tasty snacks to enjoy while watching! With that in mind I have gathered some of my favourite game day munchies recipes and they...

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The post 100 Game Day Snacks appeared first on Closet Cooking.

A one-pan Greek style rice with beef and eggplant in a tasty tomato sauce! Moussaka is a Greek dish typically containing layers of eggplant, a meat sauce, and a bechamel sauce and it takes a bit of time to make it. This dish is inspired by the flavours of moussaka as a quick and easy...

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The post Greek Style Beef and Eggplant Rice (aka Moussaka Rice) appeared first on Closet Cooking.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams is a classic dish that brings delicious warmth and comfort to the table, especially during the holiday season. Whether it’s Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, or any holiday feast, this delicious sweet potato casserole is the perfect side dish. Its creamy texture, sweet potato filling, and nutty flavor make it a delicious addition to your holiday table. This easy sweet potato casserole recipe is also a good...

The post Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams appeared first on Dear Crissy.

Cowboy Soup is a filling, hearty dish that’s perfect for family dinners or meal prep. This tasty soup is packed with a comforting blend of ground beef, sausage, beans, vegetables, and spices, this soup will keep everyone full and satisfied. This delicious Tex-Mex soup is easy to make with common ingredients from your pantry. Plus, it makes great leftovers and can even be stored...

The post Cowboy Soup appeared first on Dear Crissy.