Crazy Backflips

Seen earlier:

I can’t do this!
pic.twitter.com/TWe4ziZzKq

— MagaGary (@magagary687) January 6, 2019

Tucker Carlson's Populist-Nationalist Monologue Draws Response (VIDEO)

Abby Hunstman and Conor Friedersdorf were among some of the prominent responses. Video below:

The View's Abby Huntsman Defends Tucker Carlson's Private 'Heart of Gold' After Pay Equality Comments https://t.co/xmlOASVSiA

— People (@people) January 5, 2019

Conservatives ought to be angry when the right’s television hosts mislead the audience. https://t.co/sEee9hA2Fr

— Conor Friedersdorf (@conor64) January 6, 2019

R.O. Kwon, The Incendiaries

This one looks worth a try.

At Amazon, R.O. Kwon, The Incendiaries: A Novel.

Rashida Tlaib, New Muslim Democrat in Congress, Vows to 'Impeach the Motherf—er!' (VIDEO)

Video at CBS News 4 Boston, "Rep. Rashida Tlaib Not Apologizing After Call Trump an Expletive."

And from Vodka Pundit, at Instapundit, "GREAT MOMENTS IN TOTAL LACK OF SELF-AWARENESS: New Muslim Congresswoman Vows to ‘Impeach the Motherf**ker!’."

Senior Dems, now the majority leadership in Congress, were not pleased. There goes the impeachment messaging, oops!

At Politico, "Dems livid after Tlaib vows to ‘impeach the motherf—er’: Party leaders fear such explosive talk only gives ammunition to the GOP":

From @politico: 'Dems livid after Tlaib vows to ‘impeach the motherf—er.'' Even the guy who filed articles of impeachment on Day 1 is mad at her. But didn't she just say, perhaps in more colorful language, what some of them have said privately? https://t.co/3Znshs0Igi pic.twitter.com/AdRi2D9aNx

— Byron York (@ByronYork) January 4, 2019

This is a bit lame. Can’t be unapologetic about the comments then run away from the press when asked about them https://t.co/YP3udse950

— Sam Stein (@samstein) January 4, 2019

House Democrats are furious that an incoming freshman’s expletive-riddled statement about impeaching Donald Trump has suddenly upended their carefully crafted rhetoric on their plans to take on the president.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats have long argued that impeachment is a last resort that would come at the end of exhaustive oversight and investigations. But on the second day of the new Congress, the news was jammed with talk of Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who told a crowd of progressive activists Thursday night that “we’re gonna impeach the motherf---er.”

Rank-and-file Democrats, immediately fearful of the damage the comment could cause, unloaded on their new colleague Friday morning. Republicans, they argued, would hold it up as proof that Democrats are playing politics rather than pursuing genuine oversight of the president — even if the GOP never showed interest in investigating Trump scandals while it was in power.

“Mueller hasn’t even produced his report yet!” said Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), referring to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. “People should cool their jets a little bit, let the prosecutors do their job and finish the investigation.”

“Inappropriate,” added Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.). “As elected officials I think we should be expected to set a high bar… It’s not helpful.”

Even Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), who introduced an impeachment resolution earlier this week, was shocked. His eyes bulged in disbelief when a reporter read him Tlaib’s comments and he was speechless for several seconds.

After he regained his composure, Sherman said that kind of language is detrimental to the cause: “That’s not language I would use … I think the office of the presidency should be treated with respect.”

Party elders also sought to calm talk of impeachment without criticizing Tlaib directly. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the new chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, called Talib’s comments “inappropriate” and said, “We need to be patient.”

“You can’t accomplish very much of anything unless you have civility and show respect for your colleagues,” Cummings said. “Those kind of comments do not take us in the right direction.”

Pelosi said while she didn’t agree with the language, she also didn’t think anyone “should make a big deal” about the expletive, noting the president is also known for having a foul mouth sometimes.

“I'm not in the censorship business. I don't like that language, I wouldn't use that language, but I wouldn't establish language standards for my colleagues,” Pelosi said during an MSNBC town hall Friday morning.

She added that impeachment is “very divisive“ and shouldn’t be taken “without the facts.”

Meanwhile, Republicans were already seizing on the comment to accuse Democrats of showing their true goal — removing Trump from office...

Lisa Delpit, 'Multiplication Is for White People'

At Amazon, Lisa Delpit, 'Multiplication Is for White People': Raising Expectations for Other People's Children.

Derrick Bell, Faces at the Bottom of the Well

At Amazon, Derrick Bell, Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism.

Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, Critical Race Theory

At Amazon, Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, Critical Race Theory: An Introduction (Third Edition).

Jennifer Delacruz's Weekend Forecast

Clear and cool today, very cold overnight, but rain likely for the weekend.

Here's the fabulous Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:

Alexis Ren Thong Bikini

At Drunken Stepfather, "Alexis Ren Still in a Thong of the Day."

Freezing, Blustery Southern California Weather (VIDEO)

This is new, these "hard freeze" warnings.

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Mitt Romney Interview with CNN's Jake Tapper (VIDEO)

Folks are pretty pissed off at Romney, who hasn't even been sworn in yet.

He had an op-ed up at WaPo yesterday, supposedly "scorching" President Trump. Maybe if Romney "scorched" the Democrats like he scorches Trump people wouldn't be so angry?

See, "Mitt Romney: The president shapes the public character of the nation."

Policies and appointments are only a part of a presidency. A president must also unite us, inspire us, and defend our vital institutions. https://t.co/jmIw8XbV4k

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 2, 2019

And at CNN tonight (I watched it):

Spending Less Time on Twitter

I generally don't make New Year's resolutions, because like most everybody else, I can't keep them.

I should try, though, to spend less time on Twitter.

The problem is that I really do use the platform as my primary source of news.

It's weird, but it's almost like reading the newspaper in the morning used to be (in the old days, especially before the web). I wake up and grab my phone, which might be 7 or 8 in the morning, but by then it's almost Noon in D.C., the center of all political happenings. I follow a lot of journalists, and all their tweets of current news get me caught up with the big stories.

Frankly, breaking news is on the platform. Happens all the time.

So, how do I break up with Twitter, at least a little bit, when I need some outlet for current, breaking news? I need news as part of my job, as part of my professional life as a professor of political science.

How do I break up, like Allie Beth Stuckey pledges she'll break up in 2019?

My goal for 2019 is to spend less time on this cesspool of a website.

— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) January 1, 2019

It's hard.

I haven't mentioned it, but I was locked out of Twitter for 12 hours last month because I tweeted Robert Stacy McCain's post stating "Jonathan Yaniv is Not a Woman."

(See also, Julie Bindel, "Meghan Murphy, Twitter and the new trans misogyny.")

It's ridiculous.

Not only is Twitter a hate dumb, it's an Orwellian thought-crimes nightmare of Silicon Valley tech-sector censorship.

I would say, "Who needs it?"

But I do, otherwise I'd have bailed out long ago.

In any case, I will be limiting my time on Twitter as much as I can.

If anything I should be blogging more, putting up more original essays and linking to the considerable amount of really excellent old school blogging content that's still out there.

I'll try to do that.

Thanks for reading for the new year, 2019!

I'll of course be posting a lot on books and my Amazon sales, because it's fun. But I want to do more old fashioned blogging, with original content and really excellent link-arounds.

More later.

Thanks again!

Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name

At Amazon, Douglas A. Blackmon, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.

Ariela J. Gross, What Blood Won't Tell

Ariela J. Gross, What Blood Won't Tell: A History of Race on Trial in America.

Graham Greene, The Quiet American

*BUMPED.*I

'm just seeing that this book is something of a collector's item.

An older used Bantam paperback is going for more than a brand new Penguin classics edition.

At Amazon, the Bantam paperback, Graham Greene, The Quiet American.

And the Penguin classic is here.

Joachim Fest, Hitler

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Joachim C. Fest, Hitler.

Amid Shutdown, Toilets Overflow at Joshua Tree National Monument

The Los Angeles Times had a piece the other day touting the free admission to Joshua Tree, and now, not so much.

See, "Amid government shutdown, Joshua Tree campgrounds will close as toilets near capacity":

At Joshua Tree, the fun is over. Blame the federal government shutdown - and feces. https://t.co/9NPAbn9RQr

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) December 31, 2018

The fun is over at Joshua Tree National Park. Blame feces.

Campgrounds at the park will close at noon Wednesday, park officials said, citing health and safety concerns over the park’s vault toilets, which are near capacity.

Park visitor centers, flush toilets, water-filling stations and dump stations are all closed because of the federal government’s partial shutdown. Vault toilets — the waterless bathrooms in which visitors can relieve themselves into a sealed container that is buried underground — had remained open. But with no workers to pump out the waste, those are being closed now as well.

But the park left the main gates open and let cars stream in for free, as there are no government employees to charge the typical $30-a-car entrance fee.

Some rangers remained to patrol the 1,235-square-mile park, a popular winter destination for hikers and rock climbers.

Park officials said Monday in a news release that human waste in public areas, off-road driving and other infractions are becoming a problem as the government shutdown drags on.

The park’s restrooms and visitor centers have been closed and trash collection suspended since the partial shutdown began Dec. 22, but the park itself remains open.

At Joshua Tree, the Indian Cove and Black Rock campgrounds will be open for day use only, from sunrise to sunset. Rattlesnake Canyon will be closed to reduce the number of search and rescue events for rangers already spread thin, park officials said.

Some local volunteers have been doing their part to clean up the park and restock toilets.

“I want to extend a sincere thanks to local businesses, volunteer groups and tribal members who have done their best to assist in picking up litter and helping maintain campgrounds,” park Supt. David Smith said in a statement. “This is no reflection on their efforts and the park is very fortunate to have a community that exhibits the kind of care and concern witnessed over the last week.”

The lack of restrooms has been an issue at other national parks as well.

Yosemite National Park visitors using the side of the road as a toilet have prompted the park to close two campgrounds and a popular redwood grove for public safety reasons.

The park’s restrooms and visitor centers have been closed and trash collection suspended since the shutdown began, but the park itself remains open...

More.

Out in Paper: Neal Stephenson, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Neal Stephenson, The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel.

Mackenzie Maynard's Wednesday Forecast

It's really cold.

I'm visiting in Yucca Valley and it's been in the 30s in the daytime, sheesh.

Here's the lovely new lady, Ms. Mackenzie, at ABC News 10 San Diego:

Sarah Churchwell, Behold, America

At Amazon, Sarah Churchwell, Behold, America: The Entangled History of 'America First' and 'the American Dream'.