Lawrence Rifkin

A nice round number. Easier to digest?

Fuck you very much, President Trump. Netanyahu has taken a cue from your cavalier threats about hell breaking loose in Gaza by rattling sabers of his own. Let's be honest: Neither of you gives a damn about the hostages. Go to hell.

Test run

MGGA

Bibi's got a war he needs to keep going. Donald's got much more on his mind. During their meeting, it should be interesting to see who gets the broom handle shoved farther up his ass, Netanyahu or Trump.

Arbel was visibly touched by the throngs of well wishers who spontaneously turned up to give her a fond farewell.

www.google.com/search?clien...

What did I say about the word "bizarre"? You can add to that the word "moron".

When a word is overused, it loses its meaning or at least its punch. In the Trump age, bizarre is one of those words.

For a while today we had no idea whether part of the hostage release would have a happy ending or turn into a mass lynching. Those Gazans are certainly a rowdy bunch.

The unedited footage of Elon Musk could show anything from a Nazi salute to the herky-jerky, unfiltered motions of a self-described autistic klutz. We'll all see what we want to see. What bugs me, though, is that Musk is highly amused by the whole thing. That says a lot.

Breathing normal.

The Blogs: Ferris Netanyahu’s day off From the blog of Lawrence Rifkin at The Times of Israel

'Yes, the judges, like Bueller’s hapless principal, got red in the face. But so what? It was time to show everyone that the confidence was still there, that the leader was still in town'

In a country that went bonkers
over contrails, why should it
be any different with drones?

The admiration for Luigi Mangione
is as horrifying as that expressed
for Hamas after October 7.
Murder in the name of a cause
is now acceptable... and chic.

Trump plans, God laughs.

The Blogs: Lili von Shtupp? Israel would truly exhaust her From the blog of Lawrence Rifkin at The Times of Israel

'We’re all getting shtupped these days, from below and above and all directions in between. And it ain’t out of love, inspired or otherwise'

In other words, assume only that there's no way to know for sure what those in the Trump orbit are saying.

Sorry, Oxford dictionary nerds. This is the real word of the year. The verbal encapsulation of 2024 explains everything from “shrimp Jesus” to disgusting viral recipes and clickbait headlines.

.@shiraovide.bsky.social schools the Oxford English Dictionary on what is ACTUALLY the word of the year: www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Thank you falettinme be mice elf agin

GOOD NEWS: The Democrats have flipped the final House seat to be counted! The Republicans will have one of the thinnest majorities in history. So much for Trump’s “mandate.” I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna celebrate by getting as wasted as Pete Hegseth

‘Delete CFPB’: Musk calls for elimination of consumer bureau Republicans and the financial industry have long targeted the CFPB for what they consider its overly aggressive regulation.

‘"Musk calls for elimination of consumer bureau. Musk said: 'There are too many duplicative regulatory agencies'.
There is method to his madness: the Consumer Protection Bureau is investigating both the failure of his Tesla car and his operations on Twitter (X).
www.politico.com/live-updates...

Hunter Biden pardon deepens Democratic identity crisis What's the point of holding the moral high ground in the Trump era?

By pardoning Hunter, some Democrats believe Biden has sacrificed a moral high ground that's been foundational to the party's identity in the Trump era.

Other Democrats have posed the question: What's the point of holding the moral high ground when America just elected a convicted felon?

The media is ten times harder on Biden for one questionable act than they are for a hundred of Trump's heinous transgressions.

Freud calls this the narcissism of small differences. We're much harder on those who are on our side and more like us. It's built into our psychology. And it's a bitch.

Gen Z's lofty salary goals underlie a shift to the political right The economic vibes are a little bit scary.

Gen Z's lofty salary goal of nearly $600,000 a year — almost nine times the average U.S. salary — underlies a generational shift to the political right.

Among the factors at play: angst, persistently high costs, the influence of influencers and mismatched expectations.

Trump Blasts Biden for Issuing Pardon Without Being Paid For It “This will lower the market value of every future pardon I give.”

www.borowitzreport.com/p/trump-blas...

How to be Sand in the Gears of Tyranny A Guest Essay by Emily Galvin-Almanza

“A moment which, for many, feels so overwhelming, is a great moment to remember that some of the most meaningful acts of resistance are actions that can, in practice, look more like workplace procrastination than like outright battle.”
thecycle.substack.com/p/how-to-be-...

Introducing: Trump's nominee for ambassador to Gucci and Dior.

To assist or to die? (I'd venture a guess that it's the latter.)