WTF-Beta

@AdagioM said:

Dates are delicious! But be careful, they can have a laxative effect. Go slowly if they’re new to you.

I'm a fan, too! But I love all dried fruits....plums (formerly known as prunes), apricots, and figs.

Dried fruit compotes are common in the cuisines of many countries. We Lithuanians always have "kompotas" at the Christmas Eve meal. Bunch of dried fruits, some water, honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon. Simmer for a bit so everything softens up and the flavors meld together. So delicious! But definitely can be laxative....

I think I heard that there are now like 30 Dem governors. That certainly helps!

wtg said:

One of the things that worries me is that he has no qualms about being unpredictable and outrageous just to keep his name in the spotlight and to distract people from other things he's doing. I would keep an eye on Iran in the next few weeks. I worry that he and his merry men may do some really stupid things.

Apparently I'm not the only one worried about this...

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/4790648/trump-more-erratic-midterms-debacle/?ref=readtangle.com

Friend sent me this. Sarah Cupp is a conservative commentator.

https://x.com/secupp/status/2117977762980151589

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has given the country's highest award for women to the US First Lady, Melania Trump.

The Order of Princess Olha, 1st Class, was awarded to Melania Trump for her "significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine", according to the presidential decree.

It comes after the end of ceasefire in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson, which allowed for the evacuation of several hundred people from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm87zvpzwq0no

French blood banks were on Monday affected by the recent wave of cybersecurity attacks on European refrigeration systems, the French Blood Establishment confirmed on Wednesday.

The organization said that while it wasn’t the direct target of the attack, cold storage units operated by external providers containing the EFS’ blood products were compromised across three of its sites, with hackers cranking up temperatures.

“Specifically, temperature and defrost thresholds were set to excessively high levels,” the EFS said in a statement translated from French to English by CNBC.

“These cold storage units—located at EFS preparation and distribution sites—are used to store blood products prior to their delivery to healthcare facilities, as well as samples intended for EFS biobanks.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/04/blood-bank-fridges-cyberattacks.html

@Rontuner said:

As much as I dislike Rahm Emanuel (from his time in Chicago), what he said right before the election makes a lot of sense.

Here's an interview with Rahm:

And we have certainly had enough of him.

A day after Democrats won the House majority, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told his staff in a phone call this morning he will not stay on as Republican leader in the new Congress, according to four sources on the call.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-speaker-mike-johnson-republican-leader-gop-losses-rcna607434

Rahm speaks sooth. That's what I was talking about.

Some individual stocks down (chip stocks, for instance) but broadly speaking, markets are up between 1 and 2%

@AndyD said:

Does this bring accountability?
For example, can Donald's dodgy diesel deal be stopped?

I'm not sure it does. He will rule by executive order, do what he wants, and will wait for the courts to sort it out and then defy the judiciary. That takes forever and time is on his side. He's been doing that all along.

Congress and the courts can tell him "you can't do that" but he routinely ignores the rule of law. The executive controls the military. Neither the legislature nor the judiciary has any kind of enforcement mechanism.

The only way to stop him is a successful impeachment effort. I don't know that there are enough Republicans in the Senate who have the cojones to vote to impeach. There were some in 2020, but they and the others who resisted him in this second term are gone.

It's gonna be interesting.

He's a man with a huge ego that was punctured last night. This is the time he is most dangerous because he cannot live with not being the center of attention and being praised for how wonderful he is. Heck, he already told Fox News that the election results aren't really about him.

The Stephen Millers and Russell Voughts are still the ones pulling the strings. Those two guys were anticipating this could happen and have been planning for it.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-white-house-maps-path-110343688.html

I doubt he'll work with Democrats. He's going to continue his second term as planned, as a branding exercise for his name and a way to amass a fortune for himself and his family.

One of the things that worries me is that he has no qualms about being unpredictable and outrageous just to keep his name in the spotlight and to distract people from other things he's doing. I would keep an eye on Iran in the next few weeks. I worry that he and his merry men may do some really stupid things.

The worst thing the Dems could do now is to launch a vengeance tour. Yes, they need to figure out how to force the Hegseths out. And yes, they need to call administration officials on the carpet for truly egregious behavior. But going after the GOP wholesale is a recipe for disaster in 2028. While revenge might seem sweet, I don't think that's what a lot of the public wants.

Dems need to put their heads down and govern. And to learn to find common ground with any Republicans who can grow balls and defy Trump. He's lost a tremendous amount of power and they might not be as scared of him.

Just think - wouldn't it be lovely if we had a Congress that could find a way to a two-thirds majority to override Mr Veto? And that our legislators actually worked on our behalf? I know, I'm a dreamer....

Mississippi is a dead heat.

Longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) congratulated Democratic nominee James Talarico on his projected victory over Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate,” Cornyn wrote. “I look forward to meeting him and offering my assistance with his transition as he prepares to serve Texans in the U.S. Senate.”

So does Kansas.

IA goes Dem for Senate

Hinojosa beats Abbott.

Christie: “The Trump era is over. It’s over tonight.”

Sherrod Brown wins in OH

wtg said:

Christie said Greg Abbott’s team is freaking out.

I can see why.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/10/31/texas-abbott-gop-turnout-paxton-01136886