Sunday Stuff

Porn

PornHub Stats for 2018


The Saudis

UN calls for 'credible' probe into Khashoggi murder - I'm guessing this will never happen. It will be interesting to see who kills it.

More on The Murder and why it will eventually just be a non-story in the US. - Washington and Riyadh Have Had Worse Crises and Will Survive Khashoggi Murder

Speaking of killing it. -  It is outrageous that the House Speaker continues to block action to end US support for Saudi atrocities against Yemen.


Populism

The People, No

"What does it tell us when liberals, faced with epic political corruption, spectacular bank misbehavior, and towering inequality, take that opportunity to declare war on populism? It tells us that they’ve lost any sense of their own movement as an expression of the vast majority. It tells us they have no idea why they believe they should be entrusted with power in the first place. And it reminds us that their particular brand of class-based self-delusion is a luxury that the rest of us can ill afford."

This sounds a lot like something the radical, Tea-Party types might have said about the establishment R's just a few years ago. 

The Global Economy

How the New Silk Roads are merging into Greater Eurasia - The geographic isolation that protected the US in the world wars may be it's undoing in the future global economy.

Of course we're not really helping ourselves.  US broadband sucks.... Still, I can't help but think the cell carriers and 5g are the future of home broadband.


Politics

DOES BETO 2020 EQUAL MORE VOTES FOR JILL STEIN? - I'm sure there would be some green backlash against Beto but he would do better in the general than HRC. She was just a terrible corporate, establishment candidate for a party that likes to present itself as for the people. Also, the right-wing noise machine had been beating HRC down for 25 years they won't have that much time with Beto. 

So yeah, I think Beto (or almost any D) would do better than HRC. Still, I'm voting for Bernie in the primaries.

Speaking of "almost any D".  Biden is one who could follow the HRC path. Biden team discussed 2020 run with O'Rourke as VP: report. The D's just don't get it. Beto.... be very, very careful.


Israel vs Palestine

A new pole shows Americans warming to a one state solution.

• 36 percent support Israeli and Palestinian states side by side;
• 35 percent support a single democratic state in which both Jews and Arabs are full and equal citizens;
• Among 18-and-34-year-olds support for one state climbs to 42 percent.

"The poll also reveals support for stronger U.S. sanctions against Israeli colonization of the West Bank, and rising criticism of the Israeli role in American politics. 

When asked “How do you believe the U.S. should react to new settlements?” 40 percent of poll respondents support economic sanctions against Israel, and this number rises to 46 percent among registered Democrats. 

And finally, when asked “How much influence do you believe the Israeli government has on American politics and policies?” 38 percent of Americans say “too much influence” and this number goes up to 55 percent among Democrats."

Americans are raised on the idea that democracy is a good thing, all people are equal, and that we should be nice to others and just get along. In this internet-age, it's just hard to hide the fact that Israel isn't really a democracy, isn't really very nice to the Palestinians, and has destroyed any hope of a two-state solution with the military occupation.

The times they are a-changin'. 

Peak Capitalism

Well, American Crapitalism anyway.  KFC introduces a firelog that smells like greasy fried chicken - I wan't one that smells like a great Italian restaurant.

Decline and Fall

The Rule of Alienation and Stability

"When a huge number of people, a plurality, feel that they have little hope for a better future, and a realistic expectation for a worse future, they are willing to roll the dice, even if the odds are bad. After all, they already know that the current world is shitty and the future is worse."

And unfortunately, after rolling the dice a few times and sill seeing little hope for the future, they quite often start voting with bullets.