The unimportant news thread

[Karl Henning]

I am resenting you think what these are news unimportant.

[Karl Henning]

And the jade rocks are most certainly a lesson in Goopshit.

And here I have learnt that someone has written a book titled: Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?

[Ken B]

And the jade rocks are most certainly a lesson in Goopshit.

I would still be willing to help her fit one. Just sayin'.

[Todd]

UK becoming US vassal state.  Says Frenchman. 

(Becoming?  Asks American.)

[Todd]

Watch out, he aint the only François (Fillon)

Fillon is apparently in trouble.  I don't know French politics well.  Does this kill his chances?

[Turner]

Fillon is apparently in trouble.  I don't know French politics well.  Does this kill his chances?

Yes, they say.
A slight improvement for LePen, who´s still unlikely as a winner though.

[amw]

Fillon is apparently in trouble.  I don't know French politics well.  Does this kill his chances?

Not if Marine Le Pen does as well as predicted. When her father got past the first round of the presidential election earlier this millennium, left- and centre-leaning voters voted for Jacques Chirac (despite not being happy with him) in massive numbers to deny Jean-Marie the presidency. If Fillon is one of the top two, a similar outcome is likely.

Of course it's possible that a lot of Républicains will instead defect to Gary Johnson Emmanuel Macron as a consensus candidate. Unclear whether he'll gain enough support to make it to the finals though.

[Turner]

There are several steps for Fillon to overcome - keeping his candidacy, and then the elections.

Apparently, according to the sources I´ve consulted, if he isn´t forced to step down before the end of February, he´ll keep some immunity from court cases until the end of an unlikely future presidential period. Of course, the evidence is very much against him and his wife. Even though a certain level of corruption is partly accepted in France, it applies mainly to corruption for the benefit of parties and organisations, not obvious personal gains, and in this case there´s a ridiculous level of both personal money-grabbing, lying to the public, and contrast to the proclaimed, Spartan policy of the candidate involved. 

[amw]

Yes, for sure. If he does step down, it will undoubtedly make the upcoming elections what is referred to, I believe, in technical political language as a "clusterfuck".

Also, weren't these guys elected on a promise to reduce corruption? I mean, I guess legally defining it as "not corruption" technically reduces corruption, in the same way legalising murder reduces the crime rate. 2017 is definitely shaping up to be the year people get fed up with government BS.

[Turner]

More problems for Fillon - he has had an agreement with local tenants that they deliver large quantities of their products to him, like to a medieval landlord, and received checques meant for other purposes; he was in the French Senate only 21 times during 2 years, but got € 370,000 for it, he´s losing votes, etc.

updates mostly in French https://twitter.com/hashtag/fillon?lang=da

[Turner]

In spite of what has been a small catalogue of further, political scandal options in the last couple of weeks, besides those already mentioned, Fillon now says that he will not withdraw his candidature for the French presidential elections.

Initially a clear favourite, he has dropped to no. 3 in the polls, after Le Pen and Macron, and 70% of the French think that he ought to drop out.

Some of the further scandals have been

- getting money from health insurance companies and then beginning to promote a large privatization in that sector
- compared to other political assistant salaries, paying family members for jobs that seem fictive (they had other jobs and comprehensive studies as well, lived far from the alleged working space, etc.) - and for much bigger salaries.
- registering a ridiculously low value for his French chateau (€ 750,000)
- during the most intense turmoil, taking a 3-day campaign on the very remote, small island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, proclaiming "I´m here only for you people".
- targeting the media for malicious witch-hunt and "fake news".

My own, completely amateurish theory is that the prolonged candidacy is due to 1) arrogance of power 2) to show stamina and then hope for further political options in the future
3) panic in his party as regards a new candidate so late 4) the tiny chance that Macron will fail.

Still, Macron seems to be the winner in the 2nd, final round. Le Pen and Fillon being much more positive in their view of Putin´s Russia, Russia-associated media have begun a big campaign against Macron, who´s going public with this.

The results of some preliminary police-work on Fillon are expected later this week.

[kishnevi]

An obit
http://m.legacy.com/obituaries/seacoastonline/obituary.aspx?n=&pid=183074559&referrer=0&preview=True

The story behind the obit

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20161215/irishman-chris-connors-wanted-funny-obit-daughter-delivered

[zamyrabyrd]

Something terrible, tragic and scary is probably happening somewhere in the universe right now
That's all the news I have right now

Something nice, kind and furry is happening right now in the world.

ZB

[Andante]

Something terrible, tragic and scary is probably happening somewhere in the universe right now

No probably about it, but nobody cares except the recipient

[Todd]

Obama ranks 12th among Presidents in new poll.  Lowly James Buchanan stills brings up the rear.  Ike has inched up quite a bit over the years.

[Karl Henning]

Grover Cleveland outranks Nixon.

[Ken B]

Obama ranks 12th among Presidents in new poll.  Lowly James Buchanan stills brings up the rear.  Ike has inched up quite a bit over the years.

Wilson at 12.  Eugene V Debs is unavailable for comment.

[Monsieur Croche]

Within the last week or so....

"Internet / Media Personality" attention whore Milo Yiannopoulos made a statement on a talk show that basically advocated / lauded sexual relationships between underage mid to late teen males and older men, which got him instantly distanced from the Republicans who until then put up with his Alt Right posing.

As a guest on the Bill Maher show he managed to say enough insulting things that another guest told him, on air, "Go Fuck Yourself," (twice).

Again because of his advocacy of under-age teen males having sexual relations with adult males, Simon and Schuster cancelled a lucrative deal they had for an upcoming book by Mr. Milo. 

Then he resigned his position with Breitbart News (me, thinking that more a matter of complying with a very strong suggestion from the Breitbart honchos.)

Well, he can still peddle that book to be elsewhere, and there is always Youtube and his vlog for any suckers who think he has anything worthwhile to say.

Me, I only learned of who he was when I saw a video squib after the Orlando, Florida night club massacre, and saw him again but yesterday via clips someone had posted on Facebook, and all that was cumulatively less than Andy Warhol's proscribed fifteen minutes of fame -- while thinking regardless if he had less than fifteen minutes, his time was already up ;-)

"Internet / Media Personalities" ~ !Shudder!

[zamyrabyrd]

LB Johnson No.10; Barack Obama, 12; Bill Clinton, 15; Richard Nixon, 28?
I would turn those numbers upside-down.

[North Star]

82 does seem about right for Nixon.