[PB PM]

These days most people seem to just blindly vote on party lines, how many really dig into who is actually representing them? Sounds like a good budget to me, the amount of money in politics is ridiculous.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by PB PM most people seem to just blindly vote on party lines

I would bet all my nickels that that number is well north of 99%. The party is all-glorious, no matter which one you belong to.

[turtle]

Yeah. Most really do vote on party lines. In Va Beach the parties would stand "near" the polling place entrance handing out fliers with the party members on the ballot based on which party was handing out the flier.

I'm sure there are times were people stray from a party on issues but by and large that isn't the case.

Still it is wild that this guy was able to win with such a small budget for ads. I'm guessing it was all grassroots with social media, which is free, but I didn't look into it much. Just the reality that it was done is amazing.

[Frank777]

The Virginia and New Jersey elections just demolished that theory.

Given the 2020 results, there is no doubt that a number of Biden voters switched to the GOP this year.

One can argue about the reasoning for it, but a 50-50 draw for the New Jersey governorship doesn't happen without some switching.

[kscherer]

Or it just means that some people didn't vote.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by Frank777 The Virginia and New Jersey elections just demolished that theory. Given the 2020 results, there is no doubt that a number of Biden voters switched to the GOP this year. One can argue about the reasoning for it, but a 50-50 draw for the New Jersey governorship doesn't happen without some switching.

Or different people showed up to the polls. We see that here, some people only vote federally and skip the rest. Others just vote local, truly odd.

[709]

Or switching back. A lot of moderate (R)s held their nose and voted for Biden, given the alternative. That can been seen across the country where down-ballot folks did just fine but the former president lost.

[Frank777]

Sure, those are factors.

But off-year elections are nothing new, and the fight for New Jersey governor isn't generally up for grabs, is it?

[Frank777]

The Austrian Army, which in 2017 correctly warned of the possibility of a worldwide pandemic,
is making serious preparations for a continental power blackout in Europe.

[psmith2.0]

Watching the Braves parade/celebration live on TV. Nice to see so many people turned out to celebrate/have fun. I think the buses are heading to the stadium, Truist Field, for some more celebration and partying. I think half of Atlanta is present!

Long time coming...I don't blame 'em one bit. Good for them.

People probably wanted something positive and "normal" to do.

[turtle]

Braves would be my favorite baseball team thanks to the Turner cable channels... but I didn't even know they made it to the World Series, let alone finally win it! Kinda wish I paid a little attention this year.

I bet those fans are partying hard.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by turtle let alone finally win it!

They won in 1995, so I wouldn't exactly call it "finally!"

Here's a list of teams for whom you could say "Finally!"

[turtle]

26 years? I'd call it finally. Sure there are teams with worst records, but I'm not a fan of them.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, that whole TBS thing back in the 80's and 90's (and more?) certainly helped. When I lived in California and Virginia, I knew tons of Braves fans because they were broadcast nationally (kinda like how the Cubs were on WGN as well; they had a strong fan base outside of Chicago, I remember).

That whole "superstation" thing really expanded their reach and gave them a strong base well outside Atlanta.

Everywhere I've ever lived, spent time or traveled (SoCal, NoVA, New Orleans, Texas, Arizona, KC, the Carolinas, etc.) I've seen/known huge pockets of Braves fans/supporters just because they were able to watch every game they played.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by Frank777 The Austrian Army, which in 2017 correctly warned of the possibility of a worldwide pandemic, is making serious preparations for a continental power blackout in Europe.

WHO was warning nations to be ready for global pandemic for years as well, nobody listened to them either. Just saying.

[Dr. Bobsky]

Originally Posted by turtle Not to get political in the news thread, but it seems worth mentioning that the elections yesterday seem to be pushing back at the socialist agendas. Minneapolis will keep its police department and some major state level changes back to red really signal the decline of socialism nationally speaking. Personally my favorite was the white, rich candidate that scorned white people so he could get votes. He didn't get elected.

What are you even talking about? Socialism has nothing to do with defunding the police or the natural swings in electoral politics. None of the folks who lost elections to Republicans would be described as socialists.

[psmith2.0]

It's come to my attention that some mental patients think JFK, Jr. is in disguise as Keith Richards.

Sure, makes all the sense in the world!

Conspiracy clowns are both hilarious and slightly frightening, especially the ones that truly believe their horseshit and aren't doing it for the trolling/chuckles/attention.

[turtle]

Yeah, people (all of us) pull out what we think is real and run with it. Kinda wild too. Then again, we need to have different perspective otherwise this would be a very boring world.

JFK still being around though? That one I just heard about too. Apparently they are pushing for release of records so they can prove their case or something. I glanced over that news and moved on assuming it was idiots. Glad to know I wasn't wrong.

[psmith2.0]

I'm all for people thinking/believing different stuff.

You just can't be completely stupid about it, and latching on to every half-baked nutball theory that comes down the pike. The mental gymnastics one has to do to put together JFK, Jr. and the Rolling Stones/Keith Richards should be grounds for men in white uniforms chasing you with a net.

[Dr. Bobsky]

Conspiracy theorists are frankly not thinking differently, they are just not thinking

[PB PM]

The Dunning Kruger effect is real.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Dr. Bobsky Conspiracy theorists are frankly not thinking differently, they are just not thinking

Well, unless the conspiracy is on your side of the political line. Then, let me tell you, they're the world's finest thinkers!

—

Apparently I missed this. Not even sure what happened.

I have to wonder: Is a concert that important? I have no idea who Travis Scott is, and can't wrap my head around a reason to squash a little kid to get to the front row. There's a video down the article a ways where a bunch of idiots push through a fence and then spend the next 2 minutes stomping all over each other. Once through, do they look back to see whose face they just crushed? No, of course not. "Me first! Me, me me!" Grief.

The concert/sports squashing aren't anything new, but … seriously?

[psmith2.0]

Well, it is Kentucky.

Cops: Woman stabbed cousin...

Hmmm, interesting...I wonder why?

...when he asked her to return borrowed sex toy.

Okay...why?!

Again, this is Kentucky (aka "You Can't Date My Sister, Sumbitch...That's MY Woman!" central). So cousins sharing/borrowing sex toys barely raises an eyebrow, I suppose.

For the rest of us, however, is this not the very definition of "that's okay, you go ahead and keep it"?!

A dispute over a borrowed sex toy ended with a Kentucky woman stabbing her male cousin with a kitchen knife, according to cops who arrested the alleged assailant on multiple criminal charges.

It happens.

Police were dispatched late last month to a home in the city of Corbin after the occupant, Crystal Denham, called 911 to report that she had stabbed a relative. [I bet she's not the only thing in that house starting with "crystal" - Paul] ...the 33-year-old Denham told officers that Michael Barton “had come to her residence and they had gotten into an argument over a sex toy,” according to a court citation. Specifically, Denham added, “she had borrowed it and he wanted it back.”

I'm sure he did. Remember...Kentucky.

But, for the third time...why?!?

Sadly, the sex toy in question is not further described in the citation...

You bet your ass "sadly", because that's all I wanna know at this point! However, for the male cousin to be wanting it back so badly does kinda fill in a few blanks for me.

...which identifies Barton as Denham’s “cousin and neighbor.”

But, if everybody plays their cards right (and keeps their violent tendencies in check), possibly Denham's future husband and father-to-her-children!






Again...Kentucky.

[kscherer]

Banjos are ringing in my ear.

Yeah, you go ahead and keep that. I'll ask daddy to whittle me another one.

[psmith2.0]

Cousins. Male and female.

Either...

She asked to borrow it (why?!), and he thought "ah, hell...why not?"

...or...

He offered it up, unsolicited (why?!). And she thought "ah, hell...why not?"

Either way...



But then the whole "wanting it back" (and the knife-play it leads to) just takes it to a whole other level I didn't think was possible.

[kscherer]

I'm pretty sure I don't want to understand what's going on.

[psmith2.0]

I thought we were all done with this one. Haven't thought about/seen/heard from her for years now!

Well, at least her requests are modest and reasonable!

"Hey, here are some sheets from Target...congratulations." <-- Me

[kscherer]

Billionaire's gotta billionaire.

[Anonymous Coward]

The BBC reports that falsified manufacturer's test results compromise the safety of U. S. Navy submarines.

This undermines the SubSafe program, which is a quality assurance system that documents all components affecting the safety of deep diving submarines from installation back to the source raw materials. This program was initiated after the loss of the USS Thresher (SSN 593) during sea trials in 1963.

If any of the components had, in fact, failed, it would have triggered an investigation that would have revealed this situation earlier, and also allows the installation of those components to be easily identified by means of records and a stamped identification numbered code. The service life of a submarine can be over 20 years, so some ships are certainly still in service.

[kscherer]

Oh, good. So, then, should a submarine sink and the sinking can be traced back to faulty metal we can charge her with 100+ counts of manslaughter, right?

Probably not.

Every time one of those things dips its nose beneath the sea, its entire crew is completely and totally — 100% — placing their lives into the hands of their fellow countrymen. Should one single person die as a result of her fraud, she should be shot!

—

And, just for giggles, I went back and read the very first 9 posts of this thread. As with all things AN, Murbot managed to send it off the rails on day 1 and I'm still laughing my ass off!