Attribution: USA arctic blast by Dave Granlund, PoliticalCartoons.com
78 thoughts on “Brrr”
What America is Clicking: December 11, 2025
1. US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker. Tensions flare as the US commandeers a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, an action Caracas is branding an “act of piracy” and the beginning of war. The Guardian
2. Judge Blocks National Guard in LA. A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, citing immediate legal concerns over the executive action. AP News
3. Bolivia Arrests Ex-President Arce. Former Bolivian President Luis Arce has been detained by police in connection with a corruption investigation involving his time as economy minister. Al Jazeera
4. Trump’s “Yellow Line” Plan for Gaza. Reports emerge of a new administration proposal creating a “yellow line” border within Gaza, as Tony Blair is reportedly dropped from the peace envoy shortlist. The Guardian
5. Australia Starts Social Media Ban. The world’s first strict ban on social media for children under 16 goes into effect, sparking a global debate on digital rights and parenting. AP News
6. Thailand-Cambodia Border Clashes. Fighting has intensified along the border, displacing thousands as the US attempts a diplomatic push to halt the hostilities. Al Jazeera
7. Senate Votes on Obamacare Credits. The Senate is set to vote on dual bills regarding the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits, a critical test for the GOP’s healthcare agenda. The Guardian
8. Ukraine Hits “Shadow Fleet” Tanker. Kyiv’s SBU intelligence service claims responsibility for crippling a Russian oil tanker in the Black Sea, targeting Moscow’s sanction-evading export network. The Guardian
9. US Weighs UNRWA Terror Sanctions. The White House is reportedly in advanced discussions to impose terror-related sanctions on the UN aid agency for Palestinians, despite warnings from the State Department. Reuters
10. Deputies in North Carolina have recovered a giant “Paw Patrol” mascot head found abandoned on a highway bypass, solving a minor local mystery. WCNC
A snapshot of what people are clicking, not what we think they should. Open Thread: Which of these stories is overblown, and what important news is missing? Add your links below.
I decided I should have two bottles of champagne chilling instead of one. The mangomoron is shooting down the steep slope of sanity now. Every day is faster than the day before. He is acting like he has no body parts left in this world, existing only in his alternate world.
Will vance decide to go his own way, or rather will he clean house and install his own lackeys? That decision might be made by the rats jumping ship as soon as sfb is put in the trash bin. It could also be that most will not be bothered by him in the Oval Office; consider him to be a temporary object instead of a real president.
So let me get this straight: We have the resources to board and seize oil tankers in the Caribbean like it’s the 19th century, and deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles against a Governor’s wishes… but the Senate is paralyzed on whether 20 million people should keep their health insurance next month?
craig, don’t forget both trump1.0 and biden administrations have sanctioned oil agoing to both iran and china which in certain circumstances can justify the tanker takeover if done properly. probably why AG got a court order to board this one.
Sanctions have become the main news in 2025 so far, with this week seeing a tightening of US sanctions against China as the Pentagon targeted state-backed oil and shipping firms. Rumors are circulating that the outgoing Biden administration will slap further sanctions on Russia and Iran, inadvertently lifting oil prices before Donald Trump takes office on January 20. For the time being, ICE Brent futures are hovering around $77 per barrel, with a potential spike above $80 per barrel becoming an increasingly likely outcome.
US Sanctions China’s Top Offshore Producer. The US Defense Department has sanctioned China’s offshore oil producer CNOOC (SHA:600938) and largest shipping firm Cosco over alleged links to the People’s Liberation Army, less than a month after the former sold its assets in the US Gulf of Mexico.
PatD, can you imagine Dumbass actually working his mind through all that nuance. He just heard “SEIZE TANKER” and said Go For It.
That’s the worrisome thing about what uou bring up, BlueBronc — in his deteriorating state the bad actors around him can manipulate him to their liking. Reports are the biggest suck-ups get the most toys, and the say Stephen Miller is the champion in that department.
And the Epstein scandal still lingers in the under current. BREAKING: Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes and a group of Democratic members of Congress are asking for an independent review of the Epstein case files to determine whether any of the records have been “tampered” with or concealed, ahead of the release of files covered by the “Epstein Files Transparency Act,” a bill aimed at compelling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all case files.
Making this my personal mission statement going forward
The Bright Side: December 11, 2025
Conservation: The Comoros islands have launched a massive $54 million initiative, backed by the UN Environment Programme, to plant mangroves and restore natural defenses against climate change. UNEP
Space Innovation: A new report from the National Academies declares that the search for extraterrestrial life should be the absolute top science priority for the first human mission to Mars. National Academies
Tech for Good: The Jane Goodall Institute is headlining a major geospatial conference to showcase how they are using advanced mapping technology to save chimpanzee habitats. Robotics Tomorrow
Community: The Redwood Parks Conservancy is inviting people from around the globe to a virtual storytelling event to share how the iconic trees have touched their lives. Kym Kemp News
Weird but Fun: Argentina has unofficially broken the world record for the largest gathering of Golden Retrievers, with nearly 2,400 dogs creating a “sea of yellow fur” in a Buenos Aires park. CTV News
A roundup of optimism, progress, and things going right in the world.
Patd
In The Bleak Midwinter is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Thank you.
“The Bleak Midwinter” reminds me of The Vicar of Dibley on PBS. I bought all of those BBC Christmas comedies on DVD a decade ago.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded that the administration of President Donald Trump provide justification for its seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker this week, as tensions have soared between the U.S. and the South American nation in recent months.
“I really hope that the United States, although they consider themselves entitled to conduct such operations, will somehow explain, out of respect for other members of the world community, what facts led them to take such actions,” Lavrov said, Russia’s Tass news agency reported on Thursday.
“There is too little information here because I do not know how the United States views the Venezuelan situation, except that President [Donald] Trump has spoken publicly demanding a regime change or voluntary resignation of [Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro], but Chevron is operating in Venezuela, buying Venezuelan oil. What illegal volumes of this type of fuel were on this tanker—we need to get to the bottom of that somehow,” the Russian foreign
Elon has been all over destroying the EU. He was louder about it after he got a fine (which he won’t even feel), but that’s been a target of his for awhile. If everyone stands alone instead of in a bloc, they’re easier to pick off.
Billionaires (and folks who aspire to be billionaires) are mostly sickos. On the next episode of Hoarders…
meme #2…
Lavrov demanding to know why the US seized an oil tanker off Venezuela? I sense a bit of irony here.
Giant maggots/MAGAts LoL
so visionary! 😜
😭
I sense a bit of irony here.
Russians are like “Never trust an American”
(it’s a twist on an old favorite)
you know Elon’s wealth is based on stock value, and that stock can easily be made worthless by governments that wanted to try, which is why he wants to collapse them
being a bored drug-addled autistic racist probably contributes also
I suppose that’s why he wants a generous cash payout immediately
we really are turning into Russians- scared stupid greedy bloodthirsty and ruled by oligarchs
The Heritage Nazis just have to wait for the last of the boomers to die off and then it will all be baked in
There’s a pile of rubble where history used to be, and word is there ain’t a plan to be found. Even the architect was fired. 🚜
The UK is already looking to give Ukraine the frozen Russian assets they have. Now needed is to negotiate rejoining EU which they never should have left. Unfortunately, there are a lot of hard feelings on both sides being stubborn and crabby about it.
While those who defend the status quo and those who say ‘simply rejoin’ the EU are both wrong, there is a new mood and a clear opportunity.
Being right that Brexit was a bad idea is no substitute for knowing what to do next. Our chance of salvaging something from the mess it created is being undermined by those selling false hope – either that Brexit can work, or that it can be easily undone. For the 16,000 businesses that have now given up trading with Europe because of paperwork, prospects remain bleak unless the government stops offering a sticking plaster and starts major surgery on our future with Europe.
Forgive pro-Europeans for thinking the momentum is now with us. Labour has been slow to say what it wants from the EU reset, and slower still to acknowledge the inevitable tradeoffs required. Until the summer, ministers promised to “make Brexit work” and endlessly repeated “red lines”. Yet in recent weeks, a major study has found that leaving the EU cost the UK 6-8% of GDP per capita; now the chancellor calls the damage of Brexit “severe and long lasting”; the prime minister condemns the “wild promises” of the Leave campaign. Belatedly, a window of opportunity to change course may be opening.
History shows that simply saying we want something from Europe doesn’t make it happen. The UK can be its own worst enemy – acting as if the challenge is in us deciding our objectives and the easy part is Europe agreeing. For the 27 other nations that are also part of this relationship, Britain’s confidence about who sets the agenda – from supporters and opponents of Brexit alike – is baffling. More at link
Here is a partial suggestion from Zelinsky over Ukraine similar to what I suggested about the Donbas. Russia should gain access to the area, but not without a guarantee that they would never invade Ukraine again.
The only way to have that guarantee is to give Ukraine immediate admission to EU/NATO so that they would be protected by both economics and the military force of Article 5.
If that can be negotiated, then give Trump his damn Nobel so the craven little boy will be happy with his toy.
Denmark labels US as possible security threat over ‘uncertainty’
“The United States uses economic power, including threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will, and no longer rules out the use of military force, even against allies,” Denmark’s report said, in a reference to President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs and his threats to take over Greenland, a Danish territory, for national security purposes.
*Denmark. One of those non-sh/t-hole countries that Orange Adolf wants folks to emigrate from.
Popping in to say hello while living life on life’s terms.
Mr. Ivy had a stent placed yesterday. He’s recouping and in good spirits.
Russia should gain access to the area, but not without a guarantee that they would never invade Ukraine again.
putin won’t abide by any treaties with the West
you can’t negotiate with jackals
Speedy recovery to Mr. Ivy
Ivy, A virtual hug for you and good thoughts for Mr Ivy on a speedy recovery. The quicker he can get away from that hospital bed the better. He has my sympathy, I hate hospitals.
Jack
Pet peev of the day – I often cheer on the passing of the torch to the younger generations. Yay them for footing hell. Lately though I have begun to have a dislike to the calling things older than from nineteen eighty as “antique”. For some reason that is roughly the start of Gen X. Do they dislike their parents that much?
Meidas touch podcast playing nice clips of Kristi Noem, Puppy murderer, at the hearing
Had a birthday the other day, and yesterday I was climbing a ladder to put up my Christmas lights. It was the first good day we have had since Thanksgiving and I never put up my lights earlier than that. As I worked some thoughts occurred to me.
Why do old folks seem so stubborn? Because it gets to be a habit, it takes a certain amount of stubbornness just to get up and function in the morning.
Jack
Jack – A belated Happy Birthday to you.
Just leave them up and stay off of ladders.
I’m not a finger wagger ordinarily, but ladders and old people don’t mix. See the story of Art Metrano for an object lesson.
On September 17, 1989, Metrano broke his neck and seriously injured his spinal cord after falling off a ladder while working on his house.[18] Initially a quadriplegic,[19][20] he later regained the use of his arms and legs, and was able to walk short distances with the help of crutches, although he regularly used a motorized wheelchair
He decided to clean the gutters on a rental house.
Noem either lied or she’s incompetent and has no idea what’s going on. IMO, she lied.
She must feel safe; she thinks Adolf will pardon her from any wrongdoing.
Wouldn’t it be delicious if JD threw everyone to the wolves when Adolf goes room temp, and then they unload on his involvement because they all know where the bodies are buried. JD is seeming more and more arrogant. He’s feeling the crown nearing his fat head.
I was on a letter with vertigo this Christmas season 😎
I was very careful though, a broken neck would be the worst
Thanks, y’all, for the good thoughts for Mr. Ivy. Today was the 5th anniversary of his “cabbage patch.” I get on him about certain stuff, but he reminded me he’s in charge of his health. He does a good job doing the right stuff. You can’t fight your genetics is what it boils down to.
A broke neck would be a real pain in the ass, said Bongo.
But here’s the thing: Nobody EVER thinks they’re going to fall off a ladder.
Glad the Ivy is doing well, not doing well is such a drag.
👍
I want to float a theory for a livestream chat tomorrow— a way to explain Trump’s foreign-policy “instincts” that might actually make the pieces click. Watch how he talks about the world: Europe is treated like Russia’s yard unless they pay him protection money. Asia is framed as China’s domain unless they cut him in on the deal. And the Americas? That’s the kingdom he believes belongs entirely to him — politically, economically, even spiritually.
It’s not a doctrine in any formal sense; it’s more like a strongman’s map drawn in crayon. But once you see it, a lot of his choices make sense: abandoning Ukraine, shrugging at NATO, hand-waving Taiwan, and demanding tribute from allies like they owe him rent.
So let’s talk Friday: Is this the Trump worldview — that the planet should be divided into “spheres of influence,” with him as one of the three kings?
Jack, mazel tov on completing your trip around the sun and the near-ladder experience.
I used to look askance at folks who put their lights up “too soon.” An issue I had for no other reason than “my mother.” I later learned it was a German cultural tradition to not put trees or lights up before December 15. So it turns out she came by that bias honestly as well.
Now here in cold country, it makes sense to me why folks are getting them up in November before the snow and cold arrives. (Doesn’t explain Alabama, though, where the practice is up on Thanksgiving, down on New Year’s Eve.)
Art is in the eye of the beholder.
According to Larson there was a 4th Wise Man who came to visit the baby Jesus, but he was turned away because his gift was a Fruitcake.
Tomorrow’s chat starter
Craig – Extortion is what mobsters do. Didn’t he grow up around the mob?
Vertigo & a ladder? Please don’t.
“world according to trump”
reminds me of a book i read
I used to look askance at folks who put their lights up “too soon.”
you might as well get a good four weeks out of risking your life twice, is how i see it
It’s not a doctrine in any formal sense; it’s more like a strongman’s map drawn in crayon
it actually is a semi-formal doctrine they are calling “rehemisphering”
it’s not a secret, some of them heritage nazis are on record espousing themselves to it
oh they are also just saying they are reviving the Monroe Doctrine
It is funny you use that word, “strongman” because I was ruminating last night about how Hillary Clinton tried to use it as a pejorative, and a probably just endeared trump to the uneducated electorate more
But who am I to argue with 17 million 2016 Dem primary voters
oh wait, i did try actually 😃
it’s a good example of Democrats being too clever by half, which seems to be their defining characteristic
Another Democrat trick involves the crippling of a successful incumbent which, (long story short)
ALWAYS
results (for whatever excuses are used ) in the election of a borderline or way across the border criminal republican. No ifs ands or buts—every time.
Repeat after me:
EVERY TIME.
lol he was not viable
this is all his fault, he couldn’t let go of power (that he didn’t even do anything with). He was the drooling Marius now we have drooling Sulla
The fucking guy had one job, my good Sir
The old school liberal influencers have enormous blind spots because they’ve lived their whole lives in privileged private school PC bubbles, they didn’t get smacked in the head enough
it’s like that old Athenian said…
I would let it go if it JUST wasn’t
EVERY TIME
lol he was not viable
Neither was Stump.
There’s really no contention here.. it is a simple fact that if you choose to attack rather than support your guy—you lose.
At least a non-viable guy has a CHANCE of winning, as opposed to—no chance.
lol
Obama and Clinton got elected twice
Franken was just a sucker, he got played
Yep, ladders are evil fuckers. I have too many of them -one that’s really cool, and ironically enough bought for me by Mrs. P. Following that, I also have a wife who throws a fit if I use one, especially outside…So I don’t… (tell her I’m going to). Actually I do limit that shit. She’s smarter than I am, and wants me around to fix stuff (and dinner) – at ground level of course.
Neither was Stump.
he got elected, that’s as viable as it gets
Dems refuse to acknowledge their anointed candidates are unpalatable
It’s big money backing bad horses
They like shiny objects, they just got lucky Obama worked out
hey, you really can blame George Clooney by the way if you need a focal point, he has a new maudlin movie out, oh I believe I heard he thinks he has a shot at the presidency lol
I was vocally 100% on board with you about the incumbency issue, by the way, Mr. S until “that debate”
It was too late by then because Biden fucked us
he is going down in history in an unflattering light
Trump is losing his cognition definitely , but I watched him have the energy of someone half his age for two hours, two nights ago. Biden couldn’t even put two sentences together on the campaign trail.
Obama and Clinton weren’t crippled toward the end of their first term like, say, Carter was.
It ain’t about Biden. It’s about support or not…..like the cultists do when they support a pedophile
unfortunately, it’s difficult to compel rational people to behave like cultists
listen, I agree with all of you people on just about every matter of policy, but Dems suck at politics and the proof of the pudding is in the eating and we are eating it.
It’s because they believed lies like that their values would be transferred by osmosis or some shit. I don’t know what they believed in except unicorn farts and fairy tales.
And don’t get me wrong I enjoy unicorn and farts and fairytales, but you have to win elections
Anon, show me a race Dems haven’t either won or made huge gains over the last several weeks, from mayors and state houses to governors and more. It’s getting to be a long string of GOP iosses. There’s just no reason for doom and gloom.
It’s just a thang…..
Ain’t nothing a cup of tea won’t cure……cheers!
they won in liberal enclaves, Mr. C, what’s your point?
oh wait, they didn’t lose as badly as they used to in Tennessee in one election
(you know we are on the same page Mr. S, I enjoy the banter)
do you honestly think in 20 years this country is going to reflect the values you thought were etched in stone? Like a contiguous 48 states for instance? You just said Trump wants to redraw political boundaries. Do you think that that’s limited to an international context?
failure of imagination is another defining liberal characteristic
There’s just no reason for doom and gloom
yo, give me some of what you’re smoking
The USA is an indisputable mafia state now
Took them less than a year to destroy everything you thought made this nation what it is
everything your parents’ generation earned is going to have to be re-earned or not at all had again
my bright spots have been district-court level judicial victories
that are promptly overturned the instant SCotUS gets the chance
Young James
Franken got played.
Uh-huh, and Gillibrand’s dagger in his back was a huge part of the play.
Anon – You watched an energetic tRUMPsky the other night because DRUGS. He has foot dropsy (you can see the ankle-foot orthotics under his pant legs. He seems to have started wearing a catheter bag recently. He has what looks like an LVAD pump for his cold, dark heart under his jacket, which appeared after he was MIA for several days in September. His gate is wild (one side is stronger than the other), so he’s probably had a stroke or several TIAs; his mouth droops to one side at times…but it seems to be better, so maybe Botox? He falls asleep during meetings. He’s had multiple MRIs this year, and he thinks cognitive tests (which they give to monitor dementia) are IQ tests.
POTUS Joe (who was the greatest President of my lifetime) was serving Thanksgiving meals at a shelter. Don-Old (who was and is the worst President of my lifetime) was falling asleep at the table.
DRUGS. They animate Orange Adolf’s decaying carcass with DRUGS.
Anon, i too enjoy the banter. But i get tired typing. Get on a chat with us
Anon – You watched an energetic tRUMPsky the other night because DRUGS.
what kind and where can i get some
the greatest President of my lifetime
they’re all garbage, inherently flawed idea to vest so much power in one individual, especially in a culture driven by greed
Trump signs executive order blocking states from enforcing their own regulations around AI
David Sacks, the White House crypto and AI czar, said during the signing ceremony that the executive order would have the administration create a “federal framework” on AI in conjunction with Congress.
*Ah, David Sacks. Another South African apartheid-tainted dweeb, cut from the same cloth as MuskRat and Peter Thiel. The PayPal triplets.
*Interesting that some issues are let’s-throw-it-back-to-the-states, but not when it comes to creating surveillance and data monetization of every individual.
Humans are flawed, but Biden was the greatest POTUS of my lifetime. The sh/tshow he was handed and how he turned it around was amazing.
Orange Adolf was trashing Europe, and now he’s saying they’d like to see him be the leader of Europe.
Maybe the NY Eve party at MAL will get out of hand and they’ll all be in such a ketamine hole, or doing so much blow with Don Jr., that they’ll all OD. The entire administration. Out with the old.
and yet, all for naught
fuckin’ Jill… 🤦♂️
…and here’s hoping 🥂
No, fuckin’ tRUMPsky
It’s all a hustle. We’re all getting played.
Warner Brothers is worth $72 billion- that’s absurd. It’s all funny money at this point.
except when it comes to healthcare, then they want every cent you have
So just to put that in perspective, the healthcare subsidies that the Senate declined to extend today that would have provided a safety net for tens of millions of vulnerable Americans is worth 1/2 of a movie studio
(while the administration is serving those same populations with pseudoscientific nonsense that will likely lead to an increased demand for healthcare from them! 😑)
I would venture that stochastic terrorism (online threats) is the reason Democrat (and even “moderate” Republican a lá Taylor-Greene) resistance is so meek, I’ve seen alt-right commenters encourage it, i can imagine they are shamelessly relentless
so I’m not judging too harshly and i don’t have a solution to it
“no reason for doom and gloom” the good man says…
✌️
READER ALERT:
Sorry about missing new thread this morning. Having trouble posting it. The title of which is supposed to be “Oil He Wants for Christmas” with a cartoon by Bill Day.
in the meantime, here’s one from Marlette
NEW THREAD at last
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What America is Clicking: December 11, 2025
1. US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker. Tensions flare as the US commandeers a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, an action Caracas is branding an “act of piracy” and the beginning of war.
The Guardian
2. Judge Blocks National Guard in LA. A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, citing immediate legal concerns over the executive action.
AP News
3. Bolivia Arrests Ex-President Arce. Former Bolivian President Luis Arce has been detained by police in connection with a corruption investigation involving his time as economy minister.
Al Jazeera
4. Trump’s “Yellow Line” Plan for Gaza. Reports emerge of a new administration proposal creating a “yellow line” border within Gaza, as Tony Blair is reportedly dropped from the peace envoy shortlist.
The Guardian
5. Australia Starts Social Media Ban. The world’s first strict ban on social media for children under 16 goes into effect, sparking a global debate on digital rights and parenting.
AP News
6. Thailand-Cambodia Border Clashes. Fighting has intensified along the border, displacing thousands as the US attempts a diplomatic push to halt the hostilities.
Al Jazeera
7. Senate Votes on Obamacare Credits. The Senate is set to vote on dual bills regarding the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits, a critical test for the GOP’s healthcare agenda.
The Guardian
8. Ukraine Hits “Shadow Fleet” Tanker. Kyiv’s SBU intelligence service claims responsibility for crippling a Russian oil tanker in the Black Sea, targeting Moscow’s sanction-evading export network.
The Guardian
9. US Weighs UNRWA Terror Sanctions. The White House is reportedly in advanced discussions to impose terror-related sanctions on the UN aid agency for Palestinians, despite warnings from the State Department.
Reuters
10. Deputies in North Carolina have recovered a giant “Paw Patrol” mascot head found abandoned on a highway bypass, solving a minor local mystery.
WCNC
A snapshot of what people are clicking, not what we think they should. Open Thread: Which of these stories is overblown, and what important news is missing? Add your links below.
I decided I should have two bottles of champagne chilling instead of one. The mangomoron is shooting down the steep slope of sanity now. Every day is faster than the day before. He is acting like he has no body parts left in this world, existing only in his alternate world.
Will vance decide to go his own way, or rather will he clean house and install his own lackeys? That decision might be made by the rats jumping ship as soon as sfb is put in the trash bin. It could also be that most will not be bothered by him in the Oval Office; consider him to be a temporary object instead of a real president.
So let me get this straight: We have the resources to board and seize oil tankers in the Caribbean like it’s the 19th century, and deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles against a Governor’s wishes… but the Senate is paralyzed on whether 20 million people should keep their health insurance next month?
craig, don’t forget both trump1.0 and biden administrations have sanctioned oil agoing to both iran and china which in certain circumstances can justify the tanker takeover if done properly. probably why AG got a court order to board this one.
for example here’s a blurb from https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Biden-Doubles-Down-on-Sanctions-in-His-Final-Days.html
PatD, can you imagine Dumbass actually working his mind through all that nuance. He just heard “SEIZE TANKER” and said Go For It.
That’s the worrisome thing about what uou bring up, BlueBronc — in his deteriorating state the bad actors around him can manipulate him to their liking. Reports are the biggest suck-ups get the most toys, and the say Stephen Miller is the champion in that department.
And the Epstein scandal still lingers in the under current. BREAKING: Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes and a group of Democratic members of Congress are asking for an independent review of the Epstein case files to determine whether any of the records have been “tampered” with or concealed, ahead of the release of files covered by the “Epstein Files Transparency Act,” a bill aimed at compelling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all case files.
Making this my personal mission statement going forward
The Bright Side: December 11, 2025
A roundup of optimism, progress, and things going right in the world.
Patd
In The Bleak Midwinter is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Thank you.
“The Bleak Midwinter” reminds me of The Vicar of Dibley on PBS. I bought all of those BBC Christmas comedies on DVD a decade ago.
Anon – Giant maggots/MAGAts LoL
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-reacts-venezuela-oil-tanker-donald-trump-maduro-11194272
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded that the administration of President Donald Trump provide justification for its seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker this week, as tensions have soared between the U.S. and the South American nation in recent months.
“I really hope that the United States, although they consider themselves entitled to conduct such operations, will somehow explain, out of respect for other members of the world community, what facts led them to take such actions,” Lavrov said, Russia’s Tass news agency reported on Thursday.
“There is too little information here because I do not know how the United States views the Venezuelan situation, except that President [Donald] Trump has spoken publicly demanding a regime change or voluntary resignation of [Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro], but Chevron is operating in Venezuela, buying Venezuelan oil. What illegal volumes of this type of fuel were on this tanker—we need to get to the bottom of that somehow,” the Russian foreign
today’s meme…
Hegseth Seizes Scottish Tanker Carrying Whiskey…
one of the biggest stories in Europe today. barely a blip here. Trump is getting more brazen about letting Putin take all of Europe..
https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/us-mega-eu-trump-pqhz8gplr
Elon has been all over destroying the EU. He was louder about it after he got a fine (which he won’t even feel), but that’s been a target of his for awhile. If everyone stands alone instead of in a bloc, they’re easier to pick off.
Billionaires (and folks who aspire to be billionaires) are mostly sickos. On the next episode of Hoarders…
meme #2…
Lavrov demanding to know why the US seized an oil tanker off Venezuela? I sense a bit of irony here.
so visionary! 😜
😭
Russians are like “Never trust an American”
(it’s a twist on an old favorite)
you know Elon’s wealth is based on stock value, and that stock can easily be made worthless by governments that wanted to try, which is why he wants to collapse them
being a bored drug-addled autistic racist probably contributes also
I suppose that’s why he wants a generous cash payout immediately
we really are turning into Russians- scared stupid greedy bloodthirsty and ruled by oligarchs
The Heritage Nazis just have to wait for the last of the boomers to die off and then it will all be baked in
There’s a pile of rubble where history used to be, and word is there ain’t a plan to be found. Even the architect was fired. 🚜
Watch the new Plain Thoughts here:
https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/scared-kristi-noem-brutally-heckled-1556805
*Yeah, ICE Barbie’s days are numbered.
The UK is already looking to give Ukraine the frozen Russian assets they have. Now needed is to negotiate rejoining EU which they never should have left. Unfortunately, there are a lot of hard feelings on both sides being stubborn and crabby about it.
Britain is stuck with a failed Brexit that neither citizens nor leaders want. Here are three ways to fix that
While those who defend the status quo and those who say ‘simply rejoin’ the EU are both wrong, there is a new mood and a clear opportunity.
Being right that Brexit was a bad idea is no substitute for knowing what to do next. Our chance of salvaging something from the mess it created is being undermined by those selling false hope – either that Brexit can work, or that it can be easily undone. For the 16,000 businesses that have now given up trading with Europe because of paperwork, prospects remain bleak unless the government stops offering a sticking plaster and starts major surgery on our future with Europe.
Forgive pro-Europeans for thinking the momentum is now with us. Labour has been slow to say what it wants from the EU reset, and slower still to acknowledge the inevitable tradeoffs required. Until the summer, ministers promised to “make Brexit work” and endlessly repeated “red lines”. Yet in recent weeks, a major study has found that leaving the EU cost the UK 6-8% of GDP per capita; now the chancellor calls the damage of Brexit “severe and long lasting”; the prime minister condemns the “wild promises” of the Leave campaign. Belatedly, a window of opportunity to change course may be opening.
History shows that simply saying we want something from Europe doesn’t make it happen. The UK can be its own worst enemy – acting as if the challenge is in us deciding our objectives and the easy part is Europe agreeing. For the 27 other nations that are also part of this relationship, Britain’s confidence about who sets the agenda – from supporters and opponents of Brexit alike – is baffling. More at link
Here is a partial suggestion from Zelinsky over Ukraine similar to what I suggested about the Donbas. Russia should gain access to the area, but not without a guarantee that they would never invade Ukraine again.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/11/us-wants-ukraine-to-withdraw-from-donbas-and-create-free-economic-zone-says-zelenskyy
The only way to have that guarantee is to give Ukraine immediate admission to EU/NATO so that they would be protected by both economics and the military force of Article 5.
If that can be negotiated, then give Trump his damn Nobel so the craven little boy will be happy with his toy.
Denmark labels US as possible security threat over ‘uncertainty’
“The United States uses economic power, including threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will, and no longer rules out the use of military force, even against allies,” Denmark’s report said, in a reference to President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs and his threats to take over Greenland, a Danish territory, for national security purposes.
*Denmark. One of those non-sh/t-hole countries that Orange Adolf wants folks to emigrate from.
Popping in to say hello while living life on life’s terms.
Mr. Ivy had a stent placed yesterday. He’s recouping and in good spirits.
putin won’t abide by any treaties with the West
you can’t negotiate with jackals
Speedy recovery to Mr. Ivy
Ivy, A virtual hug for you and good thoughts for Mr Ivy on a speedy recovery. The quicker he can get away from that hospital bed the better. He has my sympathy, I hate hospitals.
Jack
Pet peev of the day – I often cheer on the passing of the torch to the younger generations. Yay them for footing hell. Lately though I have begun to have a dislike to the calling things older than from nineteen eighty as “antique”. For some reason that is roughly the start of Gen X. Do they dislike their parents that much?
Meidas touch podcast playing nice clips of Kristi Noem, Puppy murderer, at the hearing
Had a birthday the other day, and yesterday I was climbing a ladder to put up my Christmas lights. It was the first good day we have had since Thanksgiving and I never put up my lights earlier than that. As I worked some thoughts occurred to me.
Why do old folks seem so stubborn? Because it gets to be a habit, it takes a certain amount of stubbornness just to get up and function in the morning.
Jack
Jack – A belated Happy Birthday to you.
Just leave them up and stay off of ladders.
I’m not a finger wagger ordinarily, but ladders and old people don’t mix. See the story of Art Metrano for an object lesson.
On September 17, 1989, Metrano broke his neck and seriously injured his spinal cord after falling off a ladder while working on his house.[18] Initially a quadriplegic,[19][20] he later regained the use of his arms and legs, and was able to walk short distances with the help of crutches, although he regularly used a motorized wheelchair
He decided to clean the gutters on a rental house.
Noem either lied or she’s incompetent and has no idea what’s going on. IMO, she lied.
She must feel safe; she thinks Adolf will pardon her from any wrongdoing.
Wouldn’t it be delicious if JD threw everyone to the wolves when Adolf goes room temp, and then they unload on his involvement because they all know where the bodies are buried. JD is seeming more and more arrogant. He’s feeling the crown nearing his fat head.
I was on a letter with vertigo this Christmas season 😎
I was very careful though, a broken neck would be the worst
Thanks, y’all, for the good thoughts for Mr. Ivy. Today was the 5th anniversary of his “cabbage patch.” I get on him about certain stuff, but he reminded me he’s in charge of his health. He does a good job doing the right stuff. You can’t fight your genetics is what it boils down to.
A broke neck would be a real pain in the ass, said Bongo.
But here’s the thing: Nobody EVER thinks they’re going to fall off a ladder.
Glad the Ivy is doing well, not doing well is such a drag.
👍
I want to float a theory for a livestream chat tomorrow— a way to explain Trump’s foreign-policy “instincts” that might actually make the pieces click. Watch how he talks about the world: Europe is treated like Russia’s yard unless they pay him protection money. Asia is framed as China’s domain unless they cut him in on the deal. And the Americas? That’s the kingdom he believes belongs entirely to him — politically, economically, even spiritually.
It’s not a doctrine in any formal sense; it’s more like a strongman’s map drawn in crayon. But once you see it, a lot of his choices make sense: abandoning Ukraine, shrugging at NATO, hand-waving Taiwan, and demanding tribute from allies like they owe him rent.
So let’s talk Friday: Is this the Trump worldview — that the planet should be divided into “spheres of influence,” with him as one of the three kings?
Jack, mazel tov on completing your trip around the sun and the near-ladder experience.
I used to look askance at folks who put their lights up “too soon.” An issue I had for no other reason than “my mother.” I later learned it was a German cultural tradition to not put trees or lights up before December 15. So it turns out she came by that bias honestly as well.
Now here in cold country, it makes sense to me why folks are getting them up in November before the snow and cold arrives. (Doesn’t explain Alabama, though, where the practice is up on Thanksgiving, down on New Year’s Eve.)
Art is in the eye of the beholder.
According to Larson there was a 4th Wise Man who came to visit the baby Jesus, but he was turned away because his gift was a Fruitcake.
Tomorrow’s chat starter
Craig – Extortion is what mobsters do. Didn’t he grow up around the mob?
Vertigo & a ladder? Please don’t.
“world according to trump”
reminds me of a book i read
you might as well get a good four weeks out of risking your life twice, is how i see it
it actually is a semi-formal doctrine they are calling “rehemisphering”
it’s not a secret, some of them heritage nazis are on record espousing themselves to it
oh they are also just saying they are reviving the Monroe Doctrine
It is funny you use that word, “strongman” because I was ruminating last night about how Hillary Clinton tried to use it as a pejorative, and a probably just endeared trump to the uneducated electorate more
But who am I to argue with 17 million 2016 Dem primary voters
oh wait, i did try actually 😃
it’s a good example of Democrats being too clever by half, which seems to be their defining characteristic
Another Democrat trick involves the crippling of a successful incumbent which, (long story short)
ALWAYS
results (for whatever excuses are used ) in the election of a borderline or way across the border criminal republican. No ifs ands or buts—every time.
Repeat after me:
EVERY TIME.
lol he was not viable
this is all his fault, he couldn’t let go of power (that he didn’t even do anything with). He was the drooling Marius now we have drooling Sulla
The fucking guy had one job, my good Sir
The old school liberal influencers have enormous blind spots because they’ve lived their whole lives in privileged private school PC bubbles, they didn’t get smacked in the head enough
it’s like that old Athenian said…
I would let it go if it JUST wasn’t
EVERY TIME
lol he was not viable
Neither was Stump.
There’s really no contention here.. it is a simple fact that if you choose to attack rather than support your guy—you lose.
At least a non-viable guy has a CHANCE of winning, as opposed to—no chance.
lol
Obama and Clinton got elected twice
Franken was just a sucker, he got played
Yep, ladders are evil fuckers. I have too many of them -one that’s really cool, and ironically enough bought for me by Mrs. P. Following that, I also have a wife who throws a fit if I use one, especially outside…So I don’t… (tell her I’m going to). Actually I do limit that shit. She’s smarter than I am, and wants me around to fix stuff (and dinner) – at ground level of course.
he got elected, that’s as viable as it gets
Dems refuse to acknowledge their anointed candidates are unpalatable
It’s big money backing bad horses
They like shiny objects, they just got lucky Obama worked out
hey, you really can blame George Clooney by the way if you need a focal point, he has a new maudlin movie out, oh I believe I heard he thinks he has a shot at the presidency lol
I was vocally 100% on board with you about the incumbency issue, by the way, Mr. S until “that debate”
It was too late by then because Biden fucked us
he is going down in history in an unflattering light
Trump is losing his cognition definitely , but I watched him have the energy of someone half his age for two hours, two nights ago. Biden couldn’t even put two sentences together on the campaign trail.
Obama and Clinton weren’t crippled toward the end of their first term like, say, Carter was.
It ain’t about Biden. It’s about support or not…..like the cultists do when they support a pedophile
unfortunately, it’s difficult to compel rational people to behave like cultists
listen, I agree with all of you people on just about every matter of policy, but Dems suck at politics and the proof of the pudding is in the eating and we are eating it.
It’s because they believed lies like that their values would be transferred by osmosis or some shit. I don’t know what they believed in except unicorn farts and fairy tales.
And don’t get me wrong I enjoy unicorn and farts and fairytales, but you have to win elections
Anon, show me a race Dems haven’t either won or made huge gains over the last several weeks, from mayors and state houses to governors and more. It’s getting to be a long string of GOP iosses. There’s just no reason for doom and gloom.
It’s just a thang…..
Ain’t nothing a cup of tea won’t cure……cheers!
they won in liberal enclaves, Mr. C, what’s your point?
oh wait, they didn’t lose as badly as they used to in Tennessee in one election
(you know we are on the same page Mr. S, I enjoy the banter)
do you honestly think in 20 years this country is going to reflect the values you thought were etched in stone? Like a contiguous 48 states for instance? You just said Trump wants to redraw political boundaries. Do you think that that’s limited to an international context?
failure of imagination is another defining liberal characteristic
yo, give me some of what you’re smoking
The USA is an indisputable mafia state now
Took them less than a year to destroy everything you thought made this nation what it is
everything your parents’ generation earned is going to have to be re-earned or not at all had again
my bright spots have been district-court level judicial victories
that are promptly overturned the instant SCotUS gets the chance
Young James
Franken got played.
Uh-huh, and Gillibrand’s dagger in his back was a huge part of the play.
Anon – You watched an energetic tRUMPsky the other night because DRUGS. He has foot dropsy (you can see the ankle-foot orthotics under his pant legs. He seems to have started wearing a catheter bag recently. He has what looks like an LVAD pump for his cold, dark heart under his jacket, which appeared after he was MIA for several days in September. His gate is wild (one side is stronger than the other), so he’s probably had a stroke or several TIAs; his mouth droops to one side at times…but it seems to be better, so maybe Botox? He falls asleep during meetings. He’s had multiple MRIs this year, and he thinks cognitive tests (which they give to monitor dementia) are IQ tests.
POTUS Joe (who was the greatest President of my lifetime) was serving Thanksgiving meals at a shelter. Don-Old (who was and is the worst President of my lifetime) was falling asleep at the table.
DRUGS. They animate Orange Adolf’s decaying carcass with DRUGS.
Anon, i too enjoy the banter. But i get tired typing. Get on a chat with us
what kind and where can i get some
they’re all garbage, inherently flawed idea to vest so much power in one individual, especially in a culture driven by greed
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/11/tech/ai-trump-states-executive-order
Trump signs executive order blocking states from enforcing their own regulations around AI
David Sacks, the White House crypto and AI czar, said during the signing ceremony that the executive order would have the administration create a “federal framework” on AI in conjunction with Congress.
*Ah, David Sacks. Another South African apartheid-tainted dweeb, cut from the same cloth as MuskRat and Peter Thiel. The PayPal triplets.
*Interesting that some issues are let’s-throw-it-back-to-the-states, but not when it comes to creating surveillance and data monetization of every individual.
Humans are flawed, but Biden was the greatest POTUS of my lifetime. The sh/tshow he was handed and how he turned it around was amazing.
Orange Adolf was trashing Europe, and now he’s saying they’d like to see him be the leader of Europe.
Maybe the NY Eve party at MAL will get out of hand and they’ll all be in such a ketamine hole, or doing so much blow with Don Jr., that they’ll all OD. The entire administration. Out with the old.
and yet, all for naught
fuckin’ Jill… 🤦♂️
…and here’s hoping 🥂
No, fuckin’ tRUMPsky
It’s all a hustle. We’re all getting played.
Warner Brothers is worth $72 billion- that’s absurd. It’s all funny money at this point.
except when it comes to healthcare, then they want every cent you have
So just to put that in perspective, the healthcare subsidies that the Senate declined to extend today that would have provided a safety net for tens of millions of vulnerable Americans is worth 1/2 of a movie studio
(while the administration is serving those same populations with pseudoscientific nonsense that will likely lead to an increased demand for healthcare from them! 😑)
I would venture that stochastic terrorism (online threats) is the reason Democrat (and even “moderate” Republican a lá Taylor-Greene) resistance is so meek, I’ve seen alt-right commenters encourage it, i can imagine they are shamelessly relentless
so I’m not judging too harshly and i don’t have a solution to it
“no reason for doom and gloom” the good man says…
✌️
READER ALERT:
Sorry about missing new thread this morning. Having trouble posting it. The title of which is supposed to be “Oil He Wants for Christmas” with a cartoon by Bill Day.
in the meantime, here’s one from Marlette
NEW THREAD at last