December 4, 2018 8:21 AM
Morning Reads for Tuesday, December 4
Good morning! Please vote in the runoff election today. Turnout is low, and if we learned anything this year, it’s that every single vote counts. (Really, you should already know that every vote counts. But I’m jaded.)
- Background and insight on the Yellow Vest protests happening in France.
- Maureen Dowd’s touching tribute and rememberance of President George H. W. Bush.
- An assistant county manager in Macon wins the coveted Chris Traeger Award.
- Social media feeds in Atlanta have improved considerably since the opening of the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the High. Here are some tips for how to best experience the installation.
- We’ve endured 15 years of this insufferable dreck that passes for a holiday movie. Here are some suggestions of how to make it slightly more endurable. Alternately, watch a decent and inspiring holiday movie that isn’t full of creepy men (well, it has fewer creepy men).
- Related: along with Love, Actually, this immensely disturbing holiday song should be banished to the dustbin of history. Hopefully more radio stations and decent citizens everywhere will rid us of this nonsense. She says that the answer is no, and he whines about his hurt pride and spikes her drink? God bless us, every one, INDEED.
About Author
Teri
Teri Anulewicz is a Democrat who represents House District 42 in the Georgia General Assembly. She previously spent nearly a decade on the Smyrna City Council. A native New Orleanian and quasi-Texan, Teri graduated from Agnes Scott College in 1998. She's been a front page contributor since 2015, and she compiles each Tuesday's Morning Reads.
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Really?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/3/slate-belittles-sully-george-hw-bushs-service-dog/
Sorry, too many popup attempts and dislike of my ad blocking for me to stay there.
I’m sure the Washington Times is only too happy to produce your Outrage Sausage with a splash of bitters in the mix.
Did you even read yesterday’s comments?
I will reserve my outrage over things that actually matter, thank you very much.
Probably unlike Noway, I read the ingredients– the actual WT article AND the original Slate piece. The Washington Times piece is like taking the raw garlic out of the original recipe and showcasing it as the whole recipe. The original piece has a couple raw lines that only make sense when in context. It’s actually mostly an inside-the-minutiae-of-the-media piece. But it has a couple of lines which are excessive, and appurtenant missed opportunities. But the subject matter of the dog is itself relatively less important, but hey dogs can be used as emotional political props as well. And I hear they love all sorts of sausage.
I’ve now read the Slate piece and as an amateur photographer going back to having a darkroom I’m well aware of the power of a photograph, even a staged one, (Iwo Jima anyone?). On the face of it the charity sounds like a worthy one, but most do. They will get a lot of mileage from it as it is easier to pass around a photo on social media than the more meaningful Maureen Dowd piece that Teri linked. But it definitely isn’t a Greyfriars Bobby story.
No. Not really. Read the WHOLE Slate piece.
if you read the tweet, slate sounds like a bunch of a@#holes…i did read the article and think it’s lame and downplays the importance these animals have in the lives they touch…
I’m fine with ditching The Little Drummer Boy myself. A kid playing a drum is what the mother of a newborn desires? Insipid lyrics and an earworm to boot.
The only redeeming value of Love Actually for me is the performance of Bill Nighy as the dinosaur rocker. Of course they couldn’t leave his character unredeemed in such a movie but they should have.
Netflix has this new one called “The Christmas Chronicles”, which is actually pretty cute. Kurt Russell as Santa. Thumbs up.
edit to add: And it has a pretty good bluesy Christmas song in it to boot!
I have heard that this one is charming and funny, and is worth streaming!
The snowflakery is out in full force this year. https://dailycaller.com/2016/12/05/here-is-why-baby-its-cold-outside-is-not-a-song-about-rape/
If you’d been paying attention you’d realize that my hackles have been raised about this song for YEARS. It predates my tenure at this website, and at its predecessor. It’s not about snowflakes, it’s about a creepy mofo who won’t take no for an answer, and is so bad at being a gentleman that he needs to spike her drink. But if it speaks to you, well, that’s up to you.
Furthermore, that Daily Caller “article” (WHATEVER EYEROLL) is some straight-up BS. It only analyzes HER lines, not his, which are the ones that are the most disturbing. Yes, she’s concerned that people might gossip, and you know what, if that’s her motivation, it is none of his business. Her motivations DO NOT MATTER. All that matters is that, her sister or her dad or her aunts notwithstanding, she says that her answer is no. Meanwhile, HIS lyrics feature such gems as, “what’s the sense of hurtin’ my pride,” and, “think of my lifelong sorrow” if she doesn’t stay. Again, your defense of this song says more about you than it does anyone else.
I have never listened to this song before, but right there in the link in the Daily Caller is a link to the actual lyrics. I will take it that these are the actual lyrics, and here is an excerpt with the man’s words in parentheses:
…So really I’d better scurry (beautiful please don’t hurry)
But maybe just a half a drink more (put some records on while I pour)
The neighbors might think (baby, it’s bad out there)
Say what’s in this drink? (no cabs to be had out there)…
I ought to say, no, no, no sir (mind if I move in closer?)
At least I’m gonna say that I tried (what’s the sense in hurtin’ my pride?)
I really can’t stay (oh baby don’t hold out)…
I simply must go (but baby, it’s cold outside)
The answer is no (but baby, it’s cold outside)…
The verdict: If these words about a spiked drink and failure to listen to “No” just seem charming to you, you might be a rape-enabler. That’s a yucky creepy rape song.
That’s them…
You guys crack me up. The song is about a guy getting his girlfriend to stay over longer. They are teasing each other. She even ask for another.
It’s also apparently cool to mock anyone who recognizes and stands against what they see as date rape. Stupid anti-rape snowflakes.
I refuse to sing it at the caroling and sing along venues I do at nursing homes.
maybe i’m naive, but i never thought the drink was spiked, maybe strong but not drugged…i also never thought girl in the song really wanted to leave…”playing hard to get” used to be a thing short of being date raped…i get that if you read the lyrics without the context of the artists singing them back and forth as playful banter it sounds unseemly…if radio stations choose to retire the song, i’m not going to lose sleep over it…i can envision 21 year old me back in the day trying to convince the not yet my mrs. that maybe it’s too late or too cold for her to leave…
As the Dad of daughters, I can see where some might have a problem with the lyrics. What I don’t understand is the intellectual dishonesty and selective outrage of that same man singing those lyrics dressing as a woman and being allowed to follow my daughters into the bathroom.
Statistics show the vast majority of dates don’t result in rape either.
To sharpen my point, I don’t understand a man forcing a woman into an uncomfortable position where her body is concerned being acceptable in one situation and not in another. The double standard is applicable.
“Man” being the tricky word there.
Wow, that comment took a turn and went off a cliff fast. O’Doyle rules!
Wisconsin trying to pull off the “North Carolina Mighty Lame Ducks” maneuver.
https://kstp.com/politics/wisconsin-gop-uses-rare-session-weaken-incoming-governor/5166583/
But, we should never even openly discuss the possibility of such things here in GA.
Oh, Michigan is apparently considering the same maneuver as well.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-states-idUSKBN1O22GS
The Georgia special session was clearly an insurance policy that ended up not needing to be claimed. Cue Republican indignation in 1, 2, 3…
I’ll nip some of the outrage in the bud.
Gov. Deal said such a maneuver wasn’t on the table.
Dawn posted here all the ways that the legislature could find a way to push forward with such a maneuver anywys.
Kemp said such a maneuver would be “moot” because he would win.
Noway likely agrees that the intent of the legislature doesn’t/didn’t matter, and all that matters was the W.
But I think the issue is not moot, because it has the possibility of happening again, and it really shouldn’t, regardless of party. This would probly take a Constitutional amendment to disallow such legislative procedures. Despite the likely 99% public approval, I’m not holding my breath.
It’s things like this I point out to fellow libs who think we should ‘be nice’ or ‘go high’. This is hardball.
We should do the best we can to represent all the people, but have no mercy for opposition politicians.
This is going to cost Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars is what it’s going to do…
The AG changes are ridicules.
https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/gop-lawmakers-advance-lame-duck-plan-to-tuesday-vote-presidential/article_afa96502-2210-5557-8d3b-ce3d3b9fd4df.html
This happens every time republicans fear they’re about to lose power.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/419522-gop-legislatures-seek-to-cement-republican-power
I enjoyed watching Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, and Keira Knightley so much that I missed out on the outrage.
The whole season is awash in lousy movies, terrible music, and generalized gross sentimentality. Bah, humbug. It’s a fine time to catch local performances of sacred music, and amateurs can be very rewarding. As for movies, give me Meet Me in St. Louis or Christmas in Connecticut. Die Hard is the greatest B-movie ever and as such it transcends the holidays.
Stop messing with my 80’s Gen X nostalgia.
Best Christmas Movie Ever… When a man can steal Alfalfa’s date to the high school dance, and make Grandma Walton happy… you know it’s a good movie….
It’s a Wonderful Life.
it’s a wonderful life is quite good…we were able to take the kiddos to see it on the big screen last christmas during the throwback thing they do at the theatre…
Just to enhance the Christmas spirit we are feeling, here is a list of problems with many the classic Christmas movies:
https://www.grunge.com/98857/one-messed-thing-christmas-movies-nobody-talks/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_3537495&utm_content=263
🙂
Someone asked a facebook friend what POTUS he DID like? Before I could post this reply, the comment was taken down…. William McKinley did pretty good in his first term. Unfortunately, he chose the ambitious Teddy Roosevelt for his second term vice president.
I will have to go with A Christmas Story as my number 1. It is a reflection of my own childhood minus the snow. Also it has more snark than schmaltz and defies the usual tropes with some great narration. Second is Richard Donner’s Scrooged with Bill Murray playing Bill Murray as Scrooge.
A Christmas Story for me too.
I still don’t really like to celebrate it. It’s just stressful to me.
I like all the cookies around though.
Don’t forget Lethal Weapon, it’s a Christmas movie too.
No thread on the stock market yet?
I know there’s the comparative bond yield that’s in play, but I think the drop in the market reflects the now-common understanding that when Trump says there’s a deal, but the other party says different, that Trump’s just not trustworthy, Bizarrely, the Chinese narrative may be more trustworthy than Trump’s….
But the markets believe Trump’s blustery talk of use of tariffs, which is a method they distrust. So there is distrust in the Pres.’ ability to make the deals he says he can.
So, that gives Trump just a little time to actually get a deal, and the stock market and the distrust that underlies it- and the march towards economic downturn if no deal is reached- puts the U.S. in the worst of negotiating positions. Who could’ve have thought that trade wars were not so easy to win?
To add to the discussion… inverted bonds lead to recessions…
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/04/the-same-bond-market-move-happening-now-occurred-before-the-last-three-recessions.html
Lindsey Graham’s comment of no smoke gun but there being a smoking saw made oil and the military production complex a bit leery.
The Trump ‘plan’ sort of kind of maybe well… with China,
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/04/muddled-white-house-message-on-trumps-china-trade-adds-to-market-woes.html
Plus regulating FAANG talk is not helping…
https://www.axios.com/recession-threat-2019-regulatory-risk-google-facebook-amazon-b8966b22-57dc-426c-9f4f-5526982383c7.html
You missed the point. This is all the result of crooked Hillary’s use of her private email server for government emails. On top of that, 12 angry democrats are now on a witch hunt which caused the markets to react. Plus, ths US is being invaded by hordes of rapist, murderers, sh.it holes who plan to join MS13 and collect welfare and food stamps while voting for the 12 angry democrats and Nancy Pelosi.
None of these animals plan to say Merry Christmas and all the men want to use the women’s bathroom with our pretty third graders. Many of the invaders were in Benghazi and are a part of the deep state which is really responsible for everything in the first place. The fed chairman is in cahoots with Jeff Sessions who is the worst person in the world. I just saw a video of Robert Mueller kneeling for the national anthem, he’s why relations with Russia are at an all time low which influenced the market drop. We can’t leave out the traitors in BLM,either.
Don’t forget that MBS is doing all he can to MAGA but the corrupt intel community is against him. I don’t know why the market took so long to figure all of this out.
Happy holidays, America is great again!
Apparently CIA Director Haspel didn’t mince words on the culpability of Jared Kushner’s Saudi buddy today as well. I don’t think his father-in-law is going to be able to ignore the antics of the de facto Saudi leader much longer but with this guy, who knows:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/us/politics/cia-senate-khashoggi-.html
A bipartisan group of senior senators on Tuesday said that a classified briefing by the C.I.A. director had only solidified their belief that Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, ordered the killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
Prince Mohammed “is a wrecking ball,” Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, told reporters after an hourlong briefing by Gina Haspel, the C.I.A. director. “I think he’s complicit in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi to the highest level possible.”
Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama and the Appropriations Committee chairman, echoed that “all evidence points to that, that all this leads back to the crown prince.”
“This is conduct that none of us in America would approve of in any way,” Mr. Shelby said.
The clear and biting assessment put Republican senators at odds with the White House, which has steadfastly refused to cast blame on Saudi Arabia’s leadership for the death of Mr. Khashoggi, an American resident and Washington Post columnist. His killing sparked international outrage over the kingdom’s heavy-handed tactics and renewed attention to the Saudi-led war in Yemen…
The smoking saw will result in a big pile of nothing. Graham and his cohorts have sold America and it’s allies out to a maniacal despot and I’m not talking about MBS.
Pure class!
https://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-bob-dole-pays-emotional-tribute-to-bush-at-capitol/