Post More Inane Drivel

[DonRetrasado]

We actually had a load of pigs overturn about 30min away from me yesterday. About 1/5 died, most were trapped, but a few got loose and were roaming the area. They were headed to slaughter.
Interestingly this resulted in a woman (who was among animal rights protesters) being charged a second time for involvement with a truckload of to-be-slaughtered pigs. She's currently on trial for mischief because she obstructed another truck while feeding water to the pigs while the truck was stopped (a story pretty prevalent in the news since it happened a year or more ago). This time she was charged with obstructing a peace officer while she breached the police line multiple times to try and take pictures.

Good thing the police are on hand to stop people taking pictures or giving out water

[Liriodendron_fagotti]

Can you smell it?

Nah. It would take some pretty (un)fortuitous winds to bring it here.

[Liriodendron_fagotti]

I love the excited tones the PBS announcer uses to tell us about all the murders in the British mystery shows about to come on.

[Kaharz]

The afternoon / evening slot on the local classical station here (WBJC) is hosted by a South African woman named Judith Krummeck. She has the most soothing radio voice I've ever heard. I love listening to her talk about whatever was playing and doing the news. Even when she is talking about horrible events it relaxes me. Sometimes on my drive home I'll put WBJC when I know it is time for the NPR news break.

[Liriodendron_fagotti]

Our classical station here, WCPE, also has a very soothing host. In this case an older gentleman. I think a Brit, too.

[GUTCHUCKER]

I like to listen to ABC radio when I'm in the car, especially when they're broadcasting parliament. The shit-talk and heckling is absolutely hilarious. They do like to put their own spin on foreign events, but that's mainstream media for you.

[Edminster]

The afternoon / evening slot on the local classical station here (WBJC) is hosted by a South African woman named Judith Krummeck. She has the most soothing radio voice I've ever heard. I love listening to her talk about whatever was playing and doing the news. Even when she is talking about horrible events it relaxes me. Sometimes on my drive home I'll put WBJC when I know it is time for the NPR news break.

Does Reed Hessler still host? I used to listen to WBJC when i was little because it was the only station I could get reception and i fell asleep to his voice for an incredibly long time. Judith started hosting like the year before I stopped listening to classical but even though it's been over a decade I know exactly her voice. It really is soothing!

[Kaharz]

Yes, I believe he is on after Judith most days.

[Liriodendron_fagotti]

I don't really know what to say.

I did my part. I canvassed. I voted. It's incomprehensible.

[Apocalyptus]

I don't really know what to say.

I did my part. I canvassed. I voted. It's incomprehensible.

I felt sick when I heard at work today. I can only imagine how those actually living in America are feeling right now.

[Kaharz]

On the radio this morning they were saying there was hugh turn out in pro-Trump / anti-Clinton rural areas in key swing states like Pensylvania, Michigan, Ohio, etc. No one thought Trump could win those, but he did by a percent or two.

Now that the Republicans will control all branches, I can't wait for the excuses as to why we aren't suddenly all wealthy and flush with industrial and manufacturing jobs. I also can't to wait to spend another $200 a month on my wife's health insurance when they repeal the ACA. For the first time in my life I feel like I should own a gun.

[Astrogirl]

Trump thinks nuclear weapons are play things. He's buddy-buddy with Putin. We are all going to die.

[Lethal Interjection]

On the radio this morning they were saying there was hugh turn out in pro-Trump / anti-Clinton rural areas in key swing states like Pensylvania, Michigan, Ohio, etc. No one thought Trump could win those, but he did by a percent or two.

I read an article about the underestimated pro-Trump rural vote a few months ago, I think. It was really quite eye-opening but because I read it much closer to the Republican convention than to the general election I viewed in the context of how Trump got the nomination, not how he could win the White House. Turns out the article was rather prescient.

Now that the Republicans will control all branches...

It's the Republican control of all branches that is really much more concerning and disappointing for me. A Trump presidency was a horrifying prospect, but one which could have really shook up the political spectrum/parties in the US. Granted that comes from someone who isn't American and is quite cis-WASPy. But with a predominant GOP sweep of the balances of power? Well, we can pretty much flush the President Trump best-case-scenarios right down the toilet.
With this Republican mandate, the only hope is that Trump isn't as horrifying as he has seemed to be. We won't get political realignment, we won't get GOP reform, we won't see any real changes that bring the US closer to the centre.
At best the US is headed for a stuttering "what now?" hesitation to actually enact the phobic nature of the results (a la Brexit). At worst we'll actually see frightening legislation to that extent.

[Liriodendron_fagotti]

At least they don't have supermajorities in Congress. That does matter a lot, fortunately. What is really annoying is that the media drove this idea of "vote for republican senators to be a check on a president Clinton". My county and a couple surrounding ones went around 80% or more for her, which I knew would happen, but at least I know I can look people in the eye here.

It really is young [left-wing] people to a large degree that did it by not turning out. 2008 Obama won young voters by twelve percent more than Clinton did. She and everyone else let Trump (and Sanders!) get away with their rampage on free trade when the real issue for "routine" workers is automation and other tech improvements.

Winning marginally more in the popular vote is small comfort, but it's there, because the real scary thing is the people that voted for him, far more than the man himself (at this point in time, at least).

[DonRetrasado]

I am living on my own and enjoying it!!