Recent Comments

1. 1 day ago on F Minus

   I confess to being secretly amused that it did look like I was flipping people off all the time…

2. 2 days ago on Endtown

   high effective against topsiders. Just slice the suit and they begin to transform to physical monsters.

3. 2 days ago on Jim Benton Cartoons

   Looks like a vein bane. There aorta be a law against this kind of thing…

4. 2 days ago on That is Priceless

   He’s got the whole world in his hands!

   He’s got the whole wide world in his hands!

   He’s got …

   greasy hands …

   and the whole wide world dropped from his hands.

   finis

5. 3 days ago on F Minus

   That would have been so cool when I fractured the middle finger on my right (and writing) hand in 10th grade!

6. 3 days ago on Doonesbury

   I love that “Flyzabad Office.” … Are there Fleazabad and Liceabad offices as well?

7. 3 days ago on Doonesbury

   Woodrow Wilson’s wife ran the President’s office for a while. But that was before commercial radio, much less television.

   Uncle Kenny’s remark about Trump’s cabinet is a good one. I suspect that Vance would invite a few of them to leave asap if he became President.

8. 4 days ago on Prickly City

   continued from above (still from Wikipedia)

   The Acts were supported by the Federalist Party, and supporters argued that the bills strengthened national security during the Quasi-War, an undeclared naval war with France from 1798 to 1800. The acts were denounced by Democratic-Republicans as suppression of voters and violation of free speech under the First Amendment. While they were in effect, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Sedition Act in particular, were used to suppress publishers affiliated with the Democratic-Republicans, and several publishers were arrested for criticism of the Adams administration. The Democratic-Republicans took power in 1800 because of backlash to the Alien and Sedition Acts, and all but the Alien Enemies Act were eliminated by the next Congress. The Alien Enemies Act has been invoked several times since, particularly during World War II. The Alien and Sedition Acts are generally received negatively by modern historians. The U.S. Supreme Court beginning in the mid-20th century has indicated that aspects of the laws would likely be found unconstitutional.

   (end of Wikipedia quote)

   I simply note that there are huge differences between the present Supreme Court and the mid-20th century Supreme Court.

   I also note that the present Republican party will do everything it can to maintain power which they can do more easily than the Federalists of 1800.

   Damas y caballeros, ¡bienvenidos a la Nueva Venezuela!

9. 4 days ago on Prickly City

   The following is from Wikipedia:

   The acts were mentioned by former president Donald Trump during a campaign rally held at Madison Square for the 2024 presidential election, indicating that he would use them to remove illegal immigrants on “day one” if he were to win the presidency by invoking the acts.

   “Trump is promising deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. What is it?”. NPR. Retrieved November 7, 2024.

   “Trump Plans to Use 18th-Century “Alien Enemies Act” for Mass Deportations". Vanity Fair. October 15, 2024.

   “Trump headlines Madison Square Garden rally after vulgar, racist remarks from allies”. Reuters. Retrieved November 7, 2024.

   he Alien and Sedition Acts were a set of four laws enacted in 1798 that applied restrictions to immigration and speech in the United States.[a] The Naturalization Act of 1798 increased the requirements to seek citizenship, the Alien Friends Act of 1798 allowed the president to imprison and deport non-citizens, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 gave the president additional powers to detain non-citizens during times of war, and the Sedition Act of 1798 criminalized false and malicious statements about the federal government. The Alien Friends Act and the Sedition Act expired after a set number of years, and the Naturalization Act was repealed in 1802. The Alien Enemies Act, as amended, is still in effect as 50 U.S.C. ch. 3

   The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by a Congress controlled by the Federalist Party, and they were directed against the other party at the time, against Democratic-Republicans, the party typically favored by new citizens. Only Democratic-Republican journalists were prosecuted by these laws. Publicity from Sedition Act trials caused massive criticism and contributed to the Federalists being removed from power in the 1800 election.

   continued …

10. 4 days ago on Prickly City

    He stated the obvious, and explicitly said it was not a suggestion. The Supreme Court basically has given the office of the US President carte blanche to do whatever the President wants (that is not explicitly forbidden in the Constitution). That ruling did not exist when Trump was in office. I personally have no doubt that we will see Trump’s cadres imprisoning those who have opposed him on (what irony) trumped up charges.

    Certainly his MAGA followers in their “Made in China” hats will expect this. We see comments from US citizens about executing Democrats.

    You never mention those folks. Why is that? Can’t you read or otherwise follow the news? Do you only listen to your fellow dwellers in your echo chamber?

    Sometimes I wonder if a MAGA hat works the opposite of what the loonies’ tin-foil headgear is supposed to do.