WaterCooler, Tuesday! 8/2/2016 - Open Thread - Apple vs. (squirt) Guns, Ryan vs. The Machine

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Apple Single-handedly Cures Gun Violence

Apple has unveiled a stronger, faster, able to reach tall buildings in a single bound iOS! Or, they’re picking up what the liberals are putting down – again.

An icon of computer technology is taking on the emoji revolution and our 2nd Amendment rights in a sweeping re-do of it’s emoticons. Although Apple is choosing a passive-aggressive “no comment” after its announcement yesterday, the technology industry as well as 2nd Amendment advocates like Dana Loesch and anti-gun activists are all aflutter. It appears Apple aims to annihilate gun violence by redesigning their revolver emoji to a pleasing, soothing squirt gun, as Business Insider interpreted Apple’s intention.

Apple is using emojis to take a stand against gun violence — but the decision could have serious adverse consequences.

The Cupertino, California, technology giant has decided to change the design of its handgun emoji from a revolver to that of a toy water pistol.

Perhaps Apple figures it’s got to do something to divert investor’s attention from the company’s downward roll. Emoji “diversity?” Decidedly unimpressive. And, taking on the 2nd amendment really isn’t going to fix what ails Apple.

Paul Ryan Hits Trump in His Nether Region

It’s no secret the Koch brothers have no affinity for Donald Trump. Regardless of repeated attempts by donors and the Republican party-go-alongers, to cajole or coerce the Kochs into funding the downtrodden Trump going into the general, the scuttlebutt from camp Koch is, in essence, “No way,” “Not happenin’.”

So, why would the Koch brothers invite Paul Ryan to speak at their donors retreat and more to the point, why would Ryan accept the invitation? Well, one might think Ryan wanted to have a shot at cajoling/coercing the millionaire 400 himself to fork over the big money to Trump. However, I really don’t think that was where Speaker Ryan’s mouth was, in fact Ryan didn’t use the “T” word once, wrote The Hill.

“We had 17 people running for president before the Iowa caucus,” Ryan said. “We had no idea who our nominee was going to be, and the goal was to then draft with that nominee, and then bring [the Ryan agenda] to the country.”

Ryan paused.

“We have a different kind of nominee now,” he said, as the room filled with laughter.

He said the GOP is “flirting with various forms of progressivism.”

Ryan then took a sharp right turn to what he and others in the Republican catastrophe party know is the most important responsibility going forward: Maintaining a majority in Congress.

“I’m looking at the current moment, which is clearly an interesting moment. We see ourselves in the House as sort of the engine room of the ship of the Republican Party,” he said. “We’re down in the bottom … in the bowels shoveling coal into the furnace.”

“But we also see ourselves adding a keel and a rudder to the ship, giving it substance and giving it direction. Giving it a moral foundation.”

Now, if I read him correctly, he’s saying the current trajectory of the party, is leaderless, shallow, progressive and lacking basic morality.

About sum’s it up for me.

Two Last Mentions

The 2016 Rio Summer Olympics begin this week, August 5th to August 21st.
Mark your calendars August 11th through the 12th. This year’s Perseid Meteor Shower promises to be epic. Normally the Perseids produce on average 80 “shooting stars” per hour whereas this year the number is projected to double to near 200/hour! That’s 199 wishes that Trump loses and 1 wish for the genie that will grant you unlimited wishes.

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