The BBC provides a background piece: Sharks explain Australia’s year in news. All of the names except one are leaders of the two major Australian political parties. The single exception is Mick Fanning, a world-class surfer.
If you are tempted to say that this is silly, Donald Trump is the leading candidate for nomination for President of one of the two major US political parties – Americans have forfeited the right to make fun of other countries and their political systems.
On-line Opinion Magazine featuring annoyed rumblings from the leading edge of the Baby Boom firmly tied to a reality-based world.
Established: 21 November 2004
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14 comments
I told you we were totally screwed here, even before Abbott was elected. I also said he wouldn’t last. He was so stupid, he even screwed the morons that actually helped him get elected! Which should say a lot about the primarily wealthy (& all the wannabe) morons who got him elected!
I don’ t think that ‘toon is funny at all!
OK, OK… It is. It’s also quite possibly the most accurate summation on the insanity here. The US economy isn’t doing great, but the exchange rate is pretty fixed @ .7 +/- .05 (averaging AU 65c – 75c to US $1). Before Abbott, it was over .90!
How about something celebratory for the new year — Dudebro Fireworks Explain America!
http://paulbibeau.blogspot.com/2015/11/this-gif-of-college-bro-incinerating.html
Next time someone asks you what “blowback” means, you can point them to this.
It really was a handy guide to the Rudd to Turnbull eras with all of the backstabbing involved. OK, it was a bit nasty, but so was the trip, mostly for the innocent bystanders. Deflation is not a good thing for anyone except the wealthy.
PJ, in a just world a goodhearted friend would put that moron down before he hurts someone else. It is like the fools who stick pistols into the front of their pants. 👿
In some, possibly, good news… Seems Burnie Sanders is giving the Koch’s & super PAC’s nightmares! Thank you Trump! LOL
He received over 2.5 million donations worth an average of $26.16 from ordinary people. 🙂 Maybe the average American has finally had enough. 😉
The Kochs Worst Nightmares Come True As Bernie Sanders Smashes Fundraising Records
Bernie has never accepted ‘corporate money’, one of the many reasons I support him. Jeb Bush has spent all kinds of money on ads and is getting nothing for his costs. People are ignoring political ads.
I wish Bernie all the luck there is m8! 😀 I’ve been watching him plug away over the years, staying calm and just sticking to real issues. 🙂 If I was a US citizen, I’d support him.
OT: I decided to get back into my Pinterest board after Xmas. I am humbled by many people sending me a message they missed me. 🙂 One thing I missed were the Trolls (predominantly US rightwing crazies that are soooo easy to bait! 😆 So I pinned an image I found (the link didn’t work for some reason. You’ll have to follow the Pinterest link below. Sorry).
With the comment: “The USA is truly the land of the insane! (Yes, there are some exceptions. Not enough apparently!) A book which has harmed no one is banned. But guns that kill 80 American citizens a day, are good! Tell me that is not insane!”
Within minutes I had an (obviously young) troll tag team who ran off after only a few comments, & then the gen! A true wingnut crazy spouting the “anyone who doesn’t believe everyone has a right to own a gun is a communist!” Made my day m8… Made my day! 😆
Seems others thought they were crazy too, The pin got several repin’s & likes quickly after that, & I posted some legit documented facts to back me up. 🙂
If interested, you can read the comments here (you might find the comment about military people & guns curious):
This ad is brilliant
I made another pin about that crazy gun wearing soccer mom NRA hero who got herself killed by her crazy husband in a murder/suicide:
“I give you a perfect example of why most people should not own a gun! — “(CNN) — Soccer mom Meleanie Hain, who made national headlines last year by having a loaded, holstered handgun at her 5-year-old daughter’s soccer game, has been found shot dead in her home along with her husband.””
I guess there is a crazy kind of justice now & then. What’s that quote? “You reap what you sow”, and ” you live by the sword, you die by the sword.” (Paraphrasing of course.)
The stats I found are really mind numbing:
In One Year on Average (all ages)
Over 108,000 (108,476) people in America are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, or by police intervention.
32,514 people die from gun violence:
11,294 people are murdered
19,992 people kill themselves
561 people are killed unintentionally
414 are killed by police intervention
254 die but intent is not known
75,962 people survive gun injuries:
55,009 people are injured in an attack
3,791 people survive a suicide attempt
16,334 people are shot unintentionally
827 people are shot by police intervention
Millions of guns are sold every year in “no questions asked” transactions. Experts estimate that 40 percent of guns now sold in America are done so without a Brady background check.
I have guns, but I have them because it takes a long time for the Sheriff to show up and we have venomous snakes, alligators, black bears, and the possibility of rabid raccoons or possums. I was required to carry a sidearm for two decades, and it was a PITA and I certainly don’t have a gun with me unless there is a known threat.
If you believe that everyone needs to carry a gun to be polite, you are a really sick puppy. I have been around the world and most of the friendly and polite places I’ve been didn’t have guns noticeably present. In some of those places, not even the police have guns.
Exactly. But we are sane.
Just had another couple comments from another young nut calling herself Justyce Henaman:
“Why, exactly dose the president of the united states have men following him around with guns if they are bad as he claims. ALSO criminals do not get their guns legally so putting more laws on people who do obtain guns legally dose NOTHING to help with the shootings. And just about all major shootings happen where there are not likely to be any guns, or gun-free zones, I we were to let law-abiding citizens carry and protect themselves and other then there would be less shootings.”
And:
“Also a fact; Chicago, Detroit, new Orleans, and Washington all have the toughest gun laws and the highest amount of murders.”
I decided to reply (because I was highly amused):
“Hahahaaa… I love when you self-deluded morons try to convince yourselves you are rational & sane! And why are you mostly young women that are the biggest fanatics? Weird. 😀 But please, continue. :D”
PS: Check out her avatar closely! Now THAT is scary shit! Two young morons with guns thinking it’s soooo cool! Jeez!
https://www.pinterest.com/justycerh/
Especially since New Orleans does *not* have tough gun laws. Louisiana is an open carry state and has reciprocal concealed carry with 40 other states, and state law preempts New Orleans law. The only thing to keep in mind is that you can’t carry into a place that serves alcohol, which is, like, 90% of New Orleans, but that’s all.
But remember: you are not the idiot whisperer. At some point the only reasonable thing to do is roll your eyes and refuse to respond, because whatever you say, he’ll just dismiss as “liberal lies” anyhow (if he’s an American).
As near as I can tell, the only thing Obama has done is to attempt to enforce existing laws, and that is based on complaints from the strong gun control advocates.
Some criminals do, in point of fact, buy their guns legally. Millions of them have been denied purchase based on background checks, and background checks don’t always catch everyone who shouldn’t be allowed to own a gun. Most of the local gun murders are committed with legal guns by friends or family members.
Laws against murder don’t stop murders, but society really should express some level of disapproval.
Badtux is definitely right – trolls don’t want a conversation or a debate, they want everyone to agree with them or to annoy people.
Awwww… But I like being the idiot whisperer! It’s the only fun I get these days! Besides, I have no expectation of changing the minds of fools, especially young fools. I just like annoying them. 😀 And as a bonus, my manny followers (over 660 on Pinterest) get to have a laugh as well. 😀 win-win.
Many of these idiots will probably end up dead via gun violence at some point. So, I may as well have some fun while I can. And you just never know… Maybe there will be one who hasn’t been totally brainwashed yet that may just decide guns are a bad idea. Doubtful I know, but we do live in hope! Prez Obama said so! LMAO
Guns are tools. The bad idea is not recognizing that they are dangerous and should be treated with respect because they are designed to kill living things. Chain saws have many more uses than guns, but I don’t want people wandering around in public with chain saws.
It is really annoying that so many are so susceptible to propaganda.
We posted at the same time Bryan. 🙂
The problem I have Bryan is that this escalating insanity is a global problem. It seems more prevalent in the USA, but I suspect that’s because the USA is pretty much always in the spotlight, and for you, you live there. But it’s growing everywhere. I don’t just mean guns, but in many other ways. Maybe it’s lead pollution finally getting it’s way, I don’t know. Dr. Clair Cameron Patterson certainly believed so, he worked on proving it for decades and was proved right. Maybe it was too late, the damage was done.
Maybe we’ll never know the reason, but the World is growing more insane by the year.
People are devolving into tribal groups. Instead of having to get along with your neighbors, people are moving to areas where people agree with them. Political delusions are taking on the status of religions and ‘cannot be questioned’.