A day without stupid?

[Trausti]

We appear to have lost track of the purpose of the thread here, so in order to get it back on track...

In advance of tomorrow's Electoral College vote, Herr Trump has declared that said Electoral College will be committing a "severely punishable crime" by certifying the Biden win.

Seriously. How is this not stupid? Trausti?

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1338254785666043908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1338254785666043908%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Ftrump%2Fday-before-electoral-college-meets-trump-tweets-that-certifying-votes-will-be-a-severely-punishable-crime-its-not%2F

I have purposefully not interested myself in the merits of Trump's objections. But I recently used the new Twitter function, which I recommend to everyone. See:

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1338254785666043908[/TWEET]

 

[Swammerdami]

What's with Trump reversing the White House vaccination order? First the W.H. (or at least "top officials") were to get the Pfizer vaccine ASAP. But now Trump has specifically countermanded that order.

Is the idea that Trump gives the Yes/No vaccination orders personally on a case-by-case basis? Did he do this to have something else with which to threaten officials (like Barr) who seem less eager now to lick his scrotum?



On another matter:

This claim ... is disputed.

What does this even mean? Isn't EVERY claim disputed by somebody in post-rational America?

 

[Keith&Co.]

You really think that's why she put in the effort for a full doctorate?
That sounds to me like a family in-joke.

Like my joking that my wife made 1st Class Petty Officer before i did so she could order me to do the dishes.

You know, all humor requires a victim. Some are obvious, the person getting pantsed, or a pie in the face, or water ballooned. With puns, sometimes, it's the audience. Self-deprecating humor victimizes the teller.
Sarcasm's victim is not in the joke. It's not the teller, the subject, or the listener. It's an imaginary audience. The mechanics of sarcasm is saying it's an inside joke, you and i understand that it's not real, but imagine that there are people dumb enough, or unworldly enough, to believe this is true, and we laugh at the idea they would fall for the claim, accept it as truth.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I can't believe that this is an issue. So much for Hunter Biden's "laptop".

 

[Shadowy Man]

Woman with doctorate refers to herself as doctor isn’t even as scandalous as President wears tan suit.

 

[ZiprHead]

Wall Street Journal Opinion Editor Defends Item on Dr. Jill Biden
“There’s nothing like playing the race or gender card to stifle criticism,” Paul A. Gigot said as he accused Democrats of orchestrating a coordinated response to an op-ed piece.

The editorial page editor of The Wall Street Journal accused strategists for President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. of instigating a coordinated response to an op-ed article published Friday evening that called on Jill Biden, Mr. Biden’s wife, to refrain from referring to herself as “Dr. Biden” because she is not a medical doctor, but rather holds a doctorate in education.

“Why go to such lengths to highlight a single op-ed on a relatively minor issue?” wrote Mr. Gigot, who elsewhere said the responses reflected “what was clearly a political strategy.” “My guess is that the Biden team concluded it was a chance to use the big gun of identity politics to send a message to critics as it prepares to take power. There’s nothing like playing the race or gender card to stifle criticism.”

 

[thebeave]

I wonder if Jill Biden got the idea for going by "Dr Jill Biden" from watching the Maestro episode of Seinfeld?

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7APrz5K1YI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[blastula]

Woman with doctorate refers to herself as doctor isn’t even as scandalous as President wears tan suit.

Yes, not even inaugurated yet, and the right is already back to tan suit level of concern for the presidency. Even for the right, that is a whiplash quick turnaround from the previous level of nothing at all matters.

 

[TomC]

Why did you post the link that started this discussion?

Because it was incredibly offensive.

Again, I ask, when has Jill Biden demanded to be called doctor?

It's accurate. That puts it long stretch ahead of much of what Trump posts.

So what if one op-ed author thinks it pretentious to the point of comical? People are entitled to hold stupid opinions, and even publish them. Referring to Trump as President is also pretentious to the point of comical, IMHO. But it's still accurate.
Tom

 

[TomC]

Cool. Do you address people with B.A.s and A.A.s as Bachelor and Associates? If not, why do you deny them their honorific? More comically, what of people with Masters degrees? I’d be happy with calling people Master as it’s sure to make the woke apoplectic.

I’d be happy to use whatever the traditional honorific is for someone with a bachelors. I believe it is Mr.

Well, aren't you the sexist?

I try to just use whatever someone seems to prefer. I don't personally know anybody who insists on being referred to as Doctor.
Tom

 

[Shadowy Man]

Cool. Do you address people with B.A.s and A.A.s as Bachelor and Associates? If not, why do you deny them their honorific? More comically, what of people with Masters degrees? I’d be happy with calling people Master as it’s sure to make the woke apoplectic.

I’d be happy to use whatever the traditional honorific is for someone with a bachelors. I believe it is Mr.

Well, aren't you the sexist?

I try to just use whatever someone seems to prefer. I don't personally know anybody who insists on being referred to as Doctor.
Tom

If I were being introduced at a professional conference in my field I would definitely be put off if introduced as Mr. instead of Dr. If I'm checking in at a hotel I don't correct the hotel employee if they say Mr. instead of Dr.

 

[Shadowy Man]

“Why go to such lengths to highlight a single op-ed on a relatively minor issue?” wrote Mr. Gigot, who elsewhere said the responses reflected “what was clearly a political strategy.” “My guess is that the Biden team concluded it was a chance to use the big gun of identity politics to send a message to critics as it prepares to take power. There’s nothing like playing the race or gender card to stifle criticism.”

Why go to such lengths to write a single op-ed on a relatively minor issue? Since there are literally thousands upon thousands of female doctorates, it is clearly a political strategy to write an op-Ed on this particular woman.

 

[KeepTalking]

Well, aren't you the sexist?

I try to just use whatever someone seems to prefer. I don't personally know anybody who insists on being referred to as Doctor.
Tom

If I were being introduced at a professional conference in my field I would definitely be put off if introduced as Mr. instead of Dr. If I'm checking in at a hotel I don't correct the hotel employee if they say Mr. instead of Dr.

I am pretty sure the "sexist" comment was in reference to your having only provided the honorific for men, rather than Mr./Mrs.

Many decades ago, I worked at a research institute, Harbor Branch Oceanographic. We had a number of people there with doctorates, mostly in Marine Biology and related fields. Without fail, those with doctorates were referred to as "Doctor". I even know of at least one who was referred to as "Doctor" even though he did not have a doctorate, even though he constantly reminded everyone that he only had Masters degrees. It was more of a professional courtesy as he was well respected on campus. It seems very odd to me that conservatives are all worked up over this when Donald J. Trump has been masquerading as a human being for 4 years. At least First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will have earned the title, Trump has never displayed a single bit of the compassion it takes for one to be thought of as human.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Well, aren't you the sexist?

I try to just use whatever someone seems to prefer. I don't personally know anybody who insists on being referred to as Doctor.
Tom

If I were being introduced at a professional conference in my field I would definitely be put off if introduced as Mr. instead of Dr. If I'm checking in at a hotel I don't correct the hotel employee if they say Mr. instead of Dr.

I am pretty sure the "sexist" comment was in reference to your having only provided the honorific for men, rather than Mr./Mrs.

Yes. I was just being lazy when I posted. Of course that brings us to the whole Ms v Mrs issue. There should be only one for women. Shouldn’t matter if they are married or not.

 

[Elixir]

I am pretty sure the "sexist" comment was in reference to your having only provided the honorific for men, rather than Mr./Mrs.

Yes. I was just being lazy when I posted. Of course that brings us to the whole Ms v Mrs issue. There should be only one for women. Shouldn’t matter if they are married or not.

My confusion: How is "Ms" pronounced? Miz? Sounds a little too ... southern. Miss? Sounds very belittling, condescending.

 

[Shadowy Man]

I am pretty sure the "sexist" comment was in reference to your having only provided the honorific for men, rather than Mr./Mrs.

Yes. I was just being lazy when I posted. Of course that brings us to the whole Ms v Mrs issue. There should be only one for women. Shouldn’t matter if they are married or not.

My confusion: How is "Ms" pronounced? Miz? Sounds a little too ... southern. Miss? Sounds very belittling, condescending.

I think it’s the z sound. Maybe some day it will go away. Like doctoress has and actress sort of has. Remember Mr Saavik from Star Trek?

Are female US military officers referred to as ma’am or sir?

 

[Keith&Co.]

Are female US military officers referred to as ma’am or sir?

Technically, they're "ma'am." The whole time i was in, they were "ma'am."
But these days, if they're under 35, that could get you extra duty. So it's safest to use their rank.
"Yes, Lieutenant," or "No, Commander," or, "Chief, the bosun told me to call you ma'am, but he was giggling so i thought i'd ask you, first?"

 

[TomC]

I am pretty sure the "sexist" comment was in reference to your having only provided the honorific for men, rather than Mr./Mrs.

Yes. I was just being lazy when I posted. Of course that brings us to the whole Ms v Mrs issue. There should be only one for women. Shouldn’t matter if they are married or not.

My confusion: How is "Ms" pronounced? Miz? Sounds a little too ... southern. Miss? Sounds very belittling, condescending.

It's "miz".
I don't see the problem with it "sounding southern", myself. It's clear and unambiguous.

Similarly, when I am King of Everything we're going to clear up some more ambiguity. We're going to take the apostrophe out of y'all. "Yall" will be the official replacement for the plural of "you".

Tom

 

[scombrid]

Well, aren't you the sexist?

I try to just use whatever someone seems to prefer. I don't personally know anybody who insists on being referred to as Doctor.
Tom

If I were being introduced at a professional conference in my field I would definitely be put off if introduced as Mr. instead of Dr. If I'm checking in at a hotel I don't correct the hotel employee if they say Mr. instead of Dr.

I am pretty sure the "sexist" comment was in reference to your having only provided the honorific for men, rather than Mr./Mrs.

Many decades ago, I worked at a research institute, Harbor Branch Oceanographic. We had a number of people there with doctorates, mostly in Marine Biology and related fields. Without fail, those with doctorates were referred to as "Doctor". I even know of at least one who was referred to as "Doctor" even though he did not have a doctorate, even though he constantly reminded everyone that he only had Masters degrees. It was more of a professional courtesy as he was well respected on campus. It seems very odd to me that conservatives are all worked up over this when Donald J. Trump has been masquerading as a human being for 4 years. At least First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will have earned the title, Trump has never displayed a single bit of the compassion it takes for one to be thought of as human.

My Dad is long retired. He has a PhD in Marine Biology. He spent most of his career as head of the science department at a community college and teaching Anatomy and Physiology and General Biology for a nursing program. He taught a special topics Marine Science class for fun when he could scratch the funding from the dean to hold a class that rarely had more than a dozen students at a community college where "butts in seats" was a primary administrative goal. Though he wasn't doing research, he was and still is Dr. XXXX to all of his colleagues and former students. Hell, his medical doctors refer to him as Dr. XXXX during visits.

I have a masters degree in Marine Science from a good school. I work as a biologist and publish papers from time to time beyond the grey literature that go down the data hole in state natural resource monitoring and management and people sometimes refer to me as Dr. XXXX just on the assumption that I am a PhD when I am first author on peer review literature. Job applicants almost always address cover letters to Dr. XXXX in the buttering up phase of recruiting just as it is something they are used to as a sign of respect from the academic institutions from which I recruit. That Op Ed was f'ing ridiculous but beyond implicit sexism it was just anti-academic garbage written for the base that doesn't have any need for book lernin. Dr. of Ed isn't a REAL degree afterall.

 

[ZiprHead]

Marco Rubio got all butthurt when Jen O'Malley Dillon called Republican senators "fuckers". Steve Schmidt, who just days ago switched from Republican to Democrat, responded on Twitter.

I’m speaking to you in a low and steady voice right now, just the way anybody would talk to an insane person.

Are you okay? Are you looking past the Senate and thinking of trying to beat out Zac Efron for the Bundy role in the next biopic? Are you trying to showcase sociopathy for the nation?

Your hypocrisy is evidence of a delusional personality that sees virtue where everyone else sees cowardice and craven dishonesty. You are an American Vichy. You abandoned every principle you once claimed fidelity toward to stand as an apologist for the most malignant and incompetent president the nation has ever had.

His lethal lying, and your complicit silence, have killed hundreds of thousands of people. He has poisoned the country with his idiocy, racial animus, conspiracy theories and lies. He has assaulted the rule of law, just as he has assaulted the Western Alliance that protects democracy.

During the last weeks, he has strangled faith and belief in American democracy with his lies, conspiracies, insanity and your help.

Tens of millions of Americans, to the delight of our enemies, have bought into your cancerous accusations assaulting the legitimacy of our elections process, which is the crown jewel of the American Constitutional Republic, the oldest in the world. Each morning, you have the nerve to tweet out Bible verses, while serving as a handmaid to Trump’s’ indecency, malevolence, bullying and cruelty.

You are contemptible. Please take your crocodile tears somewhere else. One can’t help but wonder if the Lord looks down at your epic fraudulence and says, “Wow, unbelievable. I really overdid it with this one.”

After four years of madness, corruption, death, lying and thousands of desecrations against our institutions, Lil Marco has finally roared, or perhaps squeaked, in righteous fury. His object, Jen O’Malley Dillon, for referring to, accurately, GOP Senators as Fuckers in Glamour magazine. As if.

Marco is a victim, it seems. He feels violated and debased, apparently. It’s like his 2020 was ruined, all of a sudden. Let’s reject Marco’s bullshit, crocodile tears and faux outrage. Sometimes, in times like these, it helps to reach for a quote from the pages of history.

The words of a President of the Senate, once uttered on the floor of that august chamber, seem appropriate for the moment, and especially for Lil Marco: “Go fuck yourself.”