That’s right, folks, this is the 105th version of Snarky Snippets!!! The concept started as just one post on a day that I didn’t have a major topic, but had several little things I wanted to write about. Several commentors suggested I should do this more often, so I began writing snarky snippets once a week or so. Nowadays, however, it is more like 3-4 times a week! This morning I wondered if I had done one hundred yet, so I did a quick keyword search and came up with 104, making this the 105th! I start with some rather cheering news to kick off the weekend …
Roger goes down in flames!
Well, folks, you know how Trump has said that the Mueller investigation into the ways in which Russia interfered with our 2016 election and who may have been involved within Trump’s campaign, is naught but a ‘hoax’, a ‘witch hunt’, and that nobody has been convicted of anything? WRONG! Just this morning, Trump’s long-time friend, ally and former aide was convicted on all seven felony counts with which he had been charged! ALL SEVEN!
The friendship between Stone and Trump dates back more than 40 years. Does anybody really believe that Stone was involved, but that Trump knew nothing about it? I don’t. Trump did not testify in person in the Mueller investigation, but rather submitted answers in writing to the questions posed by Mueller and his team. In one such answer, he claimed that he could not recall the specifics of any of 21 conversations he had with Mr. Stone in the six months before the election.
Stone is the sixth individual to be convicted on charges stemming from the Mueller investigation. The others are:
- Rick Gates, Trump’s former deputy campaign chairman
- Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security advisor
- Michael Cohen, Trump’s former longtime attorney and “fixer”
- George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide
- Paul Manafort, Stone’s former partner
Remember how, after the Mueller report was released and Attorney General William Barr gave his misleading summation of the report, Trump kept screeching, “No obstruction, No collusion!” It was a lie then, we all knew it was a lie, and Stone’s conviction proves the lie. I wonder what ol’ Trumpie will have to say now?
Stone’s sentencing will be interesting. On one count alone, he could face up to 20 years, which at age 67 could amount to a life sentence. It is anticipated that he will receive a lighter sentence, but then again … remember when he posted a picture of Judge Amy Berman Jackson with the cross hairs of a gun near her head? Might not go so well for him after all.
Ohio wants to “Make America Stupid Again”
Most days, I am ashamed to say that I live in the state of Ohio. Like any other state, it has its ups and downs, but since the state’s electoral votes went for Trump in 2016, I would just as soon live in Bangladesh or somewhere. Today’s latest had me picking up my jaw from the floor where it had dropped.
A proposal in Ohio would allow students to be exempted from answering questions correctly in school if their wrong answers conform with their personal religious beliefs. In essence, a student wouldn’t be penalized if their answers were scientifically wrong, even if they’re in a science class or science-based school.
In part, the bill reads that no school “shall prohibit a student from engaging in religious expression in the completion of homework, artwork, or other written or oral assignments.” So, for example, if a young person answers on a test that the earth is flat, his/her answer cannot be counted wrong as long as he or she claims it is what is taught by their religion??? Science is factual, not subject to the whims of one religion or another. The U.S. Constitution calls for a separation of church and state. This bill is discriminatory, for if two children both get the answer to question #14 wrong, but one claims it was a result of her religious beliefs, then she will not have it counted against her, while the other will. Discrimination!
The proposal has already been passed as a bill in the Ohio state House of Representatives. It now goes to the Republican-led Senate, where, if passed, it would move onto Republican Governor Mike DeWine’s office for his signature. I swear if this one passes, I’m moving to a different state!
Only in Kentucky …
I have a number of friends who live in Kentucky, so I am not putting down the state per se, but let’s face it, this is the state that keeps sending Mitch McConnell back to the Senate time and time again … says something, don’t you think?
Well, this latest has nothing to do with politics, but it crossed my radar last night and I let out a WTF before I could catch myself. The headline reads …
Kentucky man wins 3-year court battle to put ‘IM GOD’ on license plate
Back in 2016, the man, one Ben Hart, ordered personalized plates, otherwise known as ‘vanity plates’ for obvious reasons. He requested the plates read “IM GOD”, but was turned down by the state Department of Transportation. Some things are just deemed to be inappropriate. Most people would have just picked something else, or given up on the personalized plates altogether, but not Ben Hart.
He took the state to court, aided by the American Civil Liberties Union in Kentucky and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Three years this has been in process, until finally on Wednesday a U.S. District Court judge in Frankfort ruled in favor of Hart, saying personalized license plates are private speech, and protected under the 1st Amendment. 🙄
I wonder how much money was spent on this foolishness?
Well, folks, that’s a wrap for today’s episode of Snarky Snippets! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
I have a sense you could write snarky snippets every day; there’s just so much raw material.
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You’ve got that right! I enjoy doing the snarky snippets … their fairly quick, and like you say, the material is simply unlimited. But, I also enjoy doing more in-depth pieces, so I try to balance the two.
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I think you’ve struck the right balance.
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As with the previously convicted cronies of Trump, he’ll probably say he hardly knows 40 year friend Roger Stone.
I’m surprised he knows Donald Jr..
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No doubt, though I have seen pictures of Trump, Stone, and Cohn together back in their younger days! Give it time … if Junior ever speaks against him, no doubt he will disown him. But, Junior has too much at stake and is a clone of dear ol’ dad anyway.
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Stone.pah, GOOD ! Ohio, I think I made myself clear a couple of times in the last couple of days. perhaps I can just manage one last STOOPID ! Hart is a fool. He may not be god but I bet he’ll wish he is before long as he”ll get stopped by cops wanting to say they ticketed god today, or maybe looking for a reason to do so because they’ve suffered a disappointment. I think plenty of people not knowing any better may stop him too, in traffic or in parking as they want a favour. Some very unhappy ex churchgoers may even target the car.
Cwtch.
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Hopefully, the son of God (if he has one) will have enough sense not to drive his father’s car if he doesn’t want to get crucified.
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My, my … that “STOOPID” caused a vibration that I felt all the way ‘cross the pond! I figure Hart will sooner or later be sitting at a red light, some evangelical nutcase with a gun in the pick-up truck behind him, and he’ll wish he never ordered that license plate! And perhaps that evangelical with a gun can plead that it was his First Amendment right to express himself in that way. Sigh.
Cwtch
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OHIO…what the hell has happened to you!! I spent the first 42 years of my life there Jill. I do have some fond memories. But, I don’t recognize it anymore. The veer to the right has been pretty dramatic. I think maybe gerrymandering has a lot to do with it. But, it’s not everything. Have you seen any recent state polling on Trump’s approval there? I’m interested to see if it’s in negative, or positive territory. I’d feel a little better if it’s really underwater. I doubt it though. I’ve got relatives who still stand by him. UGHHHHHH. I’m so glad I won’t be spending the holidays there this year. I don’t think I could take it!!
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You got me, my friend. I guess Ohio has succumbed to the populist, white supremacist, WASP notion that so much of the nation has. Sigh. I haven’t even looked at state polling numbers yet, but it is on my ‘to-do’ list … might be interesting to see if any red states are leaning more toward blue, eh? I doubt Ohio will be underwater, for the auto industry is still holding on to Trump’s promises to increase manufacturing, and “bring jobs home”. You and I know that he has done the exact opposite, but they are wearing blinders.
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Several of my former co-workers at FedEx are avid Trump supporters. When I come back to Ohio, I sometimes get together with them for a few beers. We usually steer clear of any political stuff. I only see them once every year or two, so I never bring up the orange idiot. If they bring him up, I let them know how I feel. To this day though….I do not get it!!! And never will.
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Nor will I, my friend. We and they are so far apart it’s almost as if we come from separate planets.
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Jill, Roger Stone proudly defines himself as a dirty- trickster. That speaks volumes. Like Nixon, there seem to be an increasing number of guilty folks that have touched Trump. Rudy’s associates will be next, likely followed by Rudy.
As I have said multiple times, the happiest people in America are those who declined to work for Trump. The second happiest are their spouses. Keith
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I hear Rudy says he has “insurance” against being thrown under the bus by Trump. Sheesh … this is starting to sound like the Mafia! You’re right … nobody can possibly work for Trump for long without developing ulcers, I should think.
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Jill, Stone and Manafort have been less than ethical for many years. It was presented in the mini-serirs about Roger Ailes, that Stone was the broker of the invitation from Ailes to Trump that Fox would back him if he ran. That may or may not be true, but is believable.
As for Guiliani, he has fallen hard from being America’s mayor to a sleazy behavior. Like William Barr and others, the have severely damaged their repution and will be remembered poorly. Why? The person they support has a problem with the truth and the law, and always has.
There is an old story that is telling. Trump bought a building in NYC that had an artistic facade. A court order was issued to carefully protect the removal of the facade for a museum. In the middle of the night. Trump had workers illegally remove the facade and destroy it. This is a true story and is indicative. Keith
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I saw a picture of Stone, Trump and Cohn together from a few decades ago … that says all we need to know. Corruption reigns among those players. And yes, Giuliani has gone from being a hero in the days following 9/11 to being just one of Trump’s immoral clowns. I don’t understand why he and Barr and others have sacrificed the reputations they worked hard for all their adult lives to build. It’s like building your own house, brick by brick, and then setting it afire.
I hadn’t heard that story about the building Trump brought and how he destroyed the facade! Such a selfish, uncaring man … and that’s putting it kindly!
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Jill, these stories about Trump were public knowledge if people bothered to look. His one genius was to get people to look at Hillary’s faults rather than his history of corrupt and untruthful behavior. Keith
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Ahhhh … but that’s just it, my friend … people don’t bother to look. They see what is in front of them, and don’t bother to look for what is behind the curtain. His ability to deflect and distract is uncanny … and sadly, it is working for his base. I had a scathing message on Facebook this evening from a family member who wanted to know “just what the hell you hope to accomplish by picking on Trump”. Sigh.
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I am actually glad to hear Hart fought and won. I mean, really, what was the good reason for denying his request to begin with? Sounds like there is alignment there with the Education exemption…
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Eh … I think the idea behind limiting what can be said on license plates is to forbid ones that might cause incidents of road rage. The “IM GOD” one is arrogant to the nth. Now, as you know, I’m not religious, but the majority in this country are, or claim to be, and I can picture somebody ramming him with their 2-ton pickup truck for his arrogance, or in their view, ‘sacrilege’. The education exemption likely will be struck down by the courts … at least I certainly hope so. Sigh.
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I’m surprised Mitch didn’t already have those plates.
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I’m more surprised that Trump doesn’t have them.
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Hmmm … since his residence is in a different state (New York? Florida? He keeps changing it), perhaps he does!
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🤣 Good point!
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I share your shame for your state. How can there be religious exemptions in education?
About the vanity plate, i think I am with Hart. No god is claiming the plate, why not
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There should not be, but … welcome to the Reign of Trump. Sigh. The vanity plates seem arrogant to me …
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I think generally, vanity plates are a sign of arrogance- that’s how I see them
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I’m 100% in agreement. Plus, they cost somewhere around $75 last I looked … who would waste that kind of money on them?
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I think the people here who have vanity plates pay a lot more than that. So I only see rich buggers with them
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