Baker Street - Jerry Rafferty


10cc - I’m Not in Love



-Laelth

Here’s one of my favorites ...





-Laelth

Courts may dismiss cases on a wide number of bases, but “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted” is the equivalent of “GET OUT OF MY FACE WITH THIS BULLSHIT!”

It’s the equivalent of, “You haven’t been hurt, Plaintiff, so go away. Unless you can show that you have been hurt, the Court can’t grant you relief. Got it?”

It’s also, “Who filed this damn lawsuit? I am tempted to hold that attorney in contempt for frivolous litigation.”



-Laelth

I know two long-termers, both of them infected in March of 2020, and neither of them has “recovered” in any real sense of the word. Both have obvious and persistent blood clots that are visible in their lower legs and feet. Both have puffy, watery eyes that affect their vision, constantly. Both have weakened hearts—like an elephant sitting on your chest if you try to walk 100 yards, briskly. Both struggle to breathe from time to time. Both have persistent pneumonia-like symptoms. They also continue to suffer with massive inflammation of their internal organs.

This is a badass virus, and many, MANY people will NEVER “recover” from it.

-Laelth

No Phony Democrats! That’s how we LOSE.



-Laelth

Interesting. Sounds like a good move to me.



-Laelth

The Dalai Lama said in his congratulatory message to Biden: "Humanity places great hope in the democratic vision of the U.S. as leader of the free world."

https://www.axios.com/world-leaders-congratulate-biden-election-victory-bf6c14e4-f7ce-4ca2-acde-611036f88b17.html

The link above covers a number of global responses to the Biden/Harris victory. So far, the totalitarian regimes (Russia, China, Brazil, Turkey, and Iran) have been reticent to congratulate President-Elect Biden, whereas the rest of the world is, more-or-less, ecstatic to know that Democrats will be running the country again soon.

-Laelth

It goes without saying that Donald Trump did enormous damage to America’s global reputation. He spent four years in office coddling dictators and alienating our historic, democratic allies. Joe Biden, who probably has half of the world’s leaders on speed dial, acknowledged this fact and promised to rectify it. “We’ll be back. We’ll be back,” he promised a group of diplomats and foreign policy experts in Munich in 2019.

Well, WE’RE BACK, and the free world is undoubtedly and understandably relieved.

In his first, 2019 speech as a candidate for President, Biden laid out his vision for restoring America’s traditional alliances and blasted Trump for injuring the nation’s integrity and reputation:



The free world is celebrating with us today.



-Laelth

the number 45, and the number 1.

https://twitter.com/middleageriot/status/1324363486038773760



-Laelth

Van, Van Zandt County, Rural East Texas

Now, before you get too worried, understand that I have already voted. Daughter and I voted early, in person, over a week ago, but I was scheduled by the Chair of the Democratic Party of Van Zandt County to serve as an election judge today. The party was entitled to four election judges at this particular polling location pursuant to state rules. Daughter was the #2 Democratic judge. She has more experience. I was #4, and Republican “boss” of this polling location tells me, as soon as I arrive, “I don’t need you here. We have too many Democrats already, and there aren’t enough voters here to justify all these election judges. Call your county chair, and see if there’s another polling location where she might need you.”

So I call the county chair (my boss), and I report that I am not needed at this location and ask where she might want me to go. County chair says, “Bullshit! We’re entitled to four election judges at that location, and you’re number four. Tell the Republican-in-charge to mind her own business. You sit down and do your job.”

Fine. So I mask up (note that all the Democratic judges were wearing masks while NONE of the Republicans were), and I start doing my job. Truth be told, I dive into LEARNING my job because Democratic judges 1, 2, and 3 know what the hell they are doing, and I don’t, so I am diligently learning but, mainly, just sitting there.

Then, for the third time, Republican-in-charge comes over and says, “I need you to leave. I have too many people here. Did you call your county chair?” “Yes, I say. She told me to stay right here, and so, here I am.” Republican in charge says, “Well, I have five Democrats already. You’re going to have to leave.” Republican-in-chief thought that my county chair had made an error. Two young women wearing masks (i.e. probably Democrats) were manning the door and asking preliminary questions about turning off cell phones, having valid ID, and producing valid voter registration cards. Republican-in-chief figured that they counted as two of the four, allowed Democratic election judges, so she told me to leave, despite my county chair telling me to stand my ground and stay. So, I left. If I hadn’t, she probably would have called the police.

Honestly, I feel like a coward and a failure on this historic day. I haven’t even mustered the courage to call my county chair and tell her what happened.

My greatest hope is that in about 14 hours, all of this will be moot because Joe Biden will be our President-elect following an historic, landslide victory. For the moment, however, I am a bit depressed because I wanted to do my part and was prevented from doing so.

That and the fact that I was humiliated and rejected in front of my daughter ... that stings a bit.



-Laelth