Burned Out on Reality or Who Cares How Kamala Harris Spends $500?

 

A restlessness is pervading my soul. I’m tired of the horrid news, the insolubility of the issues, the repetitiveness of the ideas and my own inability to do something productive, when hopelessness seems impossible to shake off.

And this morning, I heard all the outrage about Kamala’s disgusting behavior in France when she bought a bowl and a pot at the insane price of $500—how dare she? When our own televisions and refrigerators are stalled indefinitely in storage containers in the ports of our great country.

Actually, and quite honestly, the only thing I found appalling about the Kamala story was that the conservatives were making a big deal out of her decision. Seriously?

Who cares?

We are on the brink of watching serious inflation rise and a gas shortage, dealing with the reality of 82,000 people brought from Afghanistan who were barely, or not vetted, at all, falling into the abyss of Marxism and Socialism, watching the President continue to descend into dementia, anticipating the winter surge of Covid and a new variant—can we please get serious?

Conservatives and Republicans are not well-served by our seizing on every petty action or statement made by the Left. Yes, I know they do it to us. But we are not them. It’s not like we don’t already have enough issues threatening the stability and traditions of our country.

Could we please focus?

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  1. Goldwaterwoman Thatcher
    Goldwaterwoman
    @goldwaterwoman

    Susan Quinn:

     

    Actually, and quite honestly, the only thing I found appalling about the Kamala story was that the conservatives were making a big deal out of her decision. Seriously?

    Who cares?

    I soooooo agree with you.  It’s just the petty press at work as usual. 

    • #61
  2. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Hugh (View Comment):

    I completely agree. How is this even news?

    It might not be. It might be one of those “Obama Tan Suit” things where the media insists that conservatives are outraged over some petty thing, when in fact it’s probably a couple Twitter eggs.

    It might be like those stories where the perpetrator of anti-black graffiti on churches turns out to be black himself.

    • #62
  3. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Percival (View Comment):
    According to the press, right wingers are losing their minds over this.

    There you go. It’s as I said above. No conservatives actually care. The leftist press insists we do.

    It’s the Starbucks “satanic coffee cup” thing. It’s the Star Wars fans supposedly upset about a black stormtrooper. It’s the 2A supporters supposedly becoming gun control freaks the moment they see a black man at the rifle range.

    There’s little evidence that anyone actually cares or thinks this is a scandal. But the press insists conservatives must all be really angry about it.

    The press does this all the time, guys.

    The press really does not understand conservatives except through caricature. Susan, rest easy knowing that conservatives really don’t care about $500 in France.

    • #63
  4. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    According to the press, right wingers are losing their minds over this.

    There you go. It’s as I said above. No conservatives actually care. The leftist press insists we do.

    It’s the Starbucks “satanic coffee cup” thing. It’s the Star Wars fans supposedly upset about a black stormtrooper. It’s the 2A supporters supposedly becoming gun control freaks the moment they see a black man at the rifle range.

    There’s little evidence that anyone actually cares or thinks this is a scandal. But the press insists conservatives must all be really angry about it.

    The press does this all the time, guys.

    The press really does not understand conservatives except through caricature. Susan, rest easy knowing that conservatives really don’t care about $500 in France.

    Exactly.

    • #64
  5. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Flicker (View Comment):

    I confess to you, I have one of these. I’ve only used it once to fry a single egg. I told my wife before l’affaire Kamala that she might as well start using it — we’re not getting any younger.

    Mauviel Copper M'200 CI Fry PanMauviel Copper M’200 CI Fry Pan

    Select : 12″

    $435 (It was much cheaper when I bought it.)

    I’ll bet the chicken was impressed. How did the egg turn out? There’s a lot of overrated stuff out there. I wonder if Harris ever cooks anything herself. I hadn’t heard this story yet. Now that I have, I feel as though I have gained nothing.

    • #65
  6. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    CACrabtree (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    CACrabtree (View Comment):
    If you’re saying that there was always a dark shallow spot in the American soul and that slop artists such as Donahue and Springer just brought it out, there are many who would agree with you. However, Donahue and Springer just brought out the crazies for the money and that, in my eyes, makes them all the more despicable.

    There’s something very alluring to many to the darkness and ugliness. I don’t know if they’re thinking, “Well at least my problems are not that bad. Or maybe they get some kind of thrill out of watching the suffering of others. But it certainly doesn’t elevate us in the least, and they take us down in to the darkness with them.

    Not if we let them and by not letting them I’m talking about a steel-toed kick to the cojones if necessary…

    In my day, we didn’t need fancy-schmancy steel-toed boots when we went out cojones-kickin’. Plain old leather boots were good enough for us common folk. 

    • #66
  7. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    TBA (View Comment):

    CACrabtree (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    CACrabtree (View Comment):
    If you’re saying that there was always a dark shallow spot in the American soul and that slop artists such as Donahue and Springer just brought it out, there are many who would agree with you. However, Donahue and Springer just brought out the crazies for the money and that, in my eyes, makes them all the more despicable.

    There’s something very alluring to many to the darkness and ugliness. I don’t know if they’re thinking, “Well at least my problems are not that bad. Or maybe they get some kind of thrill out of watching the suffering of others. But it certainly doesn’t elevate us in the least, and they take us down in to the darkness with them.

    Not if we let them and by not letting them I’m talking about a steel-toed kick to the cojones if necessary…

    In my day, we didn’t need fancy-schmancy steel-toed boots when we went out cojones-kickin’. Plain old leather boots were good enough for us common folk.

    OSHA doesn’t allow that anymore.

    • #67
  8. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Henry Racette (View Comment):
    I also saw the “news” item somewhere — over at the Washington Free Beacon, I think — and thought that it didn’t land: it isn’t an outrageous excess, and buying frying pans is hardly scandalous.

    Ah. It looks like the Washington Free Beacon is the source, and therefore I suspect it was intended to be a satire that didn’t land. Other outlets source it back to the Washington Free Beacon and apparently think it’s newsworthy.

    Hints from the writers’ Tweets.

    The “BreakingExclusiveMustCreditFreeBeacon” bit suggests they’re intending to go way over the top.

    “Haughty Parisian Shop” and “Lovely $375 Oval Dish” suggest this is not to be taken seriously.

    • #68
  9. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):
    I also saw the “news” item somewhere — over at the Washington Free Beacon, I think — and thought that it didn’t land: it isn’t an outrageous excess, and buying frying pans is hardly scandalous.

    Ah. It looks like the Washington Free Beacon is the source, and I suspect it was intended to be a satire that didn’t land. Other outlets source it back to the Washington Free Beacon and apparently think it’s newsworthy.

    Hints from the writers’ Tweets.

    The “BreakingExclusiveMustCreditFreeBeacon” bit suggests they’re intending to go way over the top.

    “Haughty Parisian Shop” and “Lovely $375 Oval Dish” suggest this is not to be taken seriously.

     

     

     

    I suppose if it’s good enough, pot might be worth $375/ounce.

    • #69
  10. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    According to the press, right wingers are losing their minds over this.

    There you go. It’s as I said above. No conservatives actually care. The leftist press insists we do.

    It’s the Starbucks “satanic coffee cup” thing. It’s the Star Wars fans supposedly upset about a black stormtrooper. It’s the 2A supporters supposedly becoming gun control freaks the moment they see a black man at the rifle range.

    There’s little evidence that anyone actually cares or thinks this is a scandal. But the press insists conservatives must all be really angry about it.

    The press does this all the time, guys.

    The press really does not understand conservatives except through caricature. Susan, rest easy knowing that conservatives really don’t care about $500 in France.

    Exactly.

    They are trying to gaslight the independents. They are failing.

    • #70
  11. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Well, four years from now the press will dutifully report that the only scandal of the Harris/Biden administration was her $500 cookware from a “haughty” Parisian shop (which, if you’ve seen photos of the interior, looks like a cluttered garage, complete with cheap pegboard on the walls, and stuff just lying everywhere). (But it’s 200 years old, so I’ll give ’em a pass.)

    • #71
  12. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    cdor (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    I confess to you, I have one of these. I’ve only used it once to fry a single egg. I told my wife before l’affaire Kamala that she might as well start using it — we’re not getting any younger.

    Mauviel Copper M'200 CI Fry PanMauviel Copper M’200 CI Fry Pan

    Select : 12″

    $435 (It was much cheaper when I bought it.)

    I’ll bet the chicken was impressed. How did the egg turn out? There’s a lot of overrated stuff out there. I wonder if Harris ever cooks anything herself. I hadn’t heard this story yet. Now that I have, I feel as though I have gained nothing.

    It was okay.

    • #72
  13. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Barfly (View Comment):

    It may be that buying some cookware was the only notable thing Ms. Harris did while abroad. If that is the case, I can excuse the news outlets for reporting it.

    They did a long version of video taping her shopping, too. If she had just swooned over some brie on a baguette.

    Wait a second . . . someone did a “news” story of her shopping? Could it be that the Free Beacon piece was intended to make fun of “journalists” following Harris around like adoring puppies while she shopped, and so they latched on to the $500 pan thing for kicks?

    In other words “You’re going to heap adulation on her — for shopping for pans? Okay, we’ll fake-criticize her for shopping for pans.”

    And it spun out from there.

    Anyway, . . . so much for my speculation on how this became Kamala’s Tan Suit. I think it wasn’t supposed to be taken seriously, and now everyone thinks it was serious.

    EDIT: Yup: C-Span has it all! (https://www.c-span.org/video/?516085-101/vice-president-visits-cookware-shop-paris)

    • #73
  14. John Hanson Coolidge
    John Hanson
    @JohnHanson

    I’m quite conservative, and I could not care less about how she spends her money.  She should spend it any way she wishes.

    Now, when she gets around to spending my money, (anytime the government spends anything) then I care. 

    • #74
  15. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):
    My tomato sauce I cook in my Tramontina 5 qt. chicken fryer, but it’s oil-based instead of water based, and it needs to reduce.

    I got a small Tramontina set at Walmart a few years ago when I couldn’t find Wearever in any nearby store. It was pretty good, and I still use it; my only real complaint has been that the cover for the “Dutch Oven” (which also came with a locking-in pasta strainer) doesn’t also fit the straight-side “frying pan.” The frying pan needs a good cover when making, for example, Hamburger Helper. :-)

    Hamburger Helper, leave it to KC to subtly show off his arrogance.

    • #75
  16. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Flicker (View Comment):

    cdor (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    I confess to you, I have one of these. I’ve only used it once to fry a single egg. I told my wife before l’affaire Kamala that she might as well start using it — we’re not getting any younger.

    Mauviel Copper M'200 CI Fry PanMauviel Copper M’200 CI Fry Pan

    Select : 12″

    $435 (It was much cheaper when I bought it.)

    I’ll bet the chicken was impressed. How did the egg turn out? There’s a lot of overrated stuff out there. I wonder if Harris ever cooks anything herself. I hadn’t heard this story yet. Now that I have, I feel as though I have gained nothing.

    It was okay.

    As I said…overrated! 

    • #76
  17. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    I don’t really care about her shopping for a pan any more than I was when Oprah was looking at purses.  Now if she was purchasing toilet seats for Air Force Two, that would be different.

    • #77
  18. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):
    I don’t really care about her shopping for a purse any more than I was when Oprah was looking at purses.

    But you were really really supposed to care about that one! Why didn’t you, you . . . white person!?

    • #78
  19. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):
    I don’t really care about her shopping for a purse any more than I was when Oprah was looking at purses.

    But you were really really supposed to care about that one! Why didn’t you, you . . . white person!?

    You replied before I made an edit.  My bad.  

    “White person”?  Don’t tell HR, I am trying to get a promotion. 

    • #79
  20. carcat74 Member
    carcat74
    @carcat74

    CACrabtree (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    CACrabtree (View Comment):

    I’m afraid that the majority of the population were Phil Donahue’d and Jerry Springer’d out of the ability to focus. From there, it only spiraled down until the present day…

    I expect Donahue and Springer and the rest were/are more symptom than cause.

    If you’re saying that there was always a dark shallow spot in the American soul and that slop artists such as Donahue and Springer just brought it out, there are many who would agree with you. However, Donahue and Springer just brought out the crazies for the money and that, in my eyes, makes them all the more despicable.

    as did Court TV….

    • #80
  21. Basil Fawlty Member
    Basil Fawlty
    @BasilFawlty

    Kamala is a copper.

    • #81
  22. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    cdor (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    cdor (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    I confess to you, I have one of these. I’ve only used it once to fry a single egg. I told my wife before l’affaire Kamala that she might as well start using it — we’re not getting any younger.

    Mauviel Copper M'200 CI Fry PanMauviel Copper M’200 CI Fry Pan

    Select : 12″

    $435 (It was much cheaper when I bought it.)

    I’ll bet the chicken was impressed. How did the egg turn out? There’s a lot of overrated stuff out there. I wonder if Harris ever cooks anything herself. I hadn’t heard this story yet. Now that I have, I feel as though I have gained nothing.

    It was okay.

    As I said…overrated!

    Yeah, but I don’t particularly like fried eggs, either.

    • #82
  23. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Some people are already so outraged that the target doesn’t matter all that much. It’s a response looking for a stimulus and it probably has a lot to do with Lileks’ post. All-purpose ‘grr’ is the hamburger helper of news and opinion pieces, but did you know it can even be used as a humor substitute? 

    • #83
  24. Ansonia Member
    Ansonia
    @Ansonia

    When Republicans try the Democrat trick of making an issue out of something like Kamala Harris’s purchase, the Democrats always make them look picayune and worse. Does anyone remember the way the Democrats made the Republicans look during Obama’s first campaign when one of his relatives, living in public housing, gave a donation ?

    • #84
  25. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Ansonia (View Comment):

    When Republicans try the Democrat trick of making an issue out of something like Kamala Harris’s purchase, the Democrats always make them look picayune and worse. Does anyone remember the way the Democrats made the Republicans look during Obama’s first campaign when one of his relatives, living in public housing, gave a donation ?

    This has been a rather long discussion and the only place I have ever heard about Harris’ shopping trip is this article.

    • #85
  26. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Steven Seward (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn:

    Conservatives and Republicans are not well-served by our seizing on every petty action or statement made by the Left. Yes, I know they do it to us. But we are not them. It’s not like we don’t already have enough issues threatening the stability and traditions of our country.

    Could we please focus?

    Being a latecomer to the Internet age, one thing I’ve noticed is how much the news cycles are made up of criticizing trivial statements made by notable persons. It seems that in a slow news day you can always find where some pundit on the other side of your political spectrum said something outrageous. It really doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. I’ve thought for decades that news is just a form of entertainment pretending to be something more important.

    some pundit on the other side of your political spectrum said something outrageous

    But conservatives were outraged, too! Focus!!

    • #86
  27. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    According to the press, right wingers are losing their minds over this.

    There you go. It’s as I said above. No conservatives actually care. The leftist press insists we do.

    It’s the Starbucks “satanic coffee cup” thing. It’s the Star Wars fans supposedly upset about a black stormtrooper. It’s the 2A supporters supposedly becoming gun control freaks the moment they see a black man at the rifle range.

    There’s little evidence that anyone actually cares or thinks this is a scandal. But the press insists conservatives must all be really angry about it.

    The press does this all the time, guys.

    The press really does not understand conservatives except through caricature. Susan, rest easy knowing that conservatives really don’t care about $500 in France.

    Drew, READ MY LIPS: Fox News shared their outrage, and probably other Conservative media!

    • #87
  28. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    According to the press, right wingers are losing their minds over this.

    There you go. It’s as I said above. No conservatives actually care. The leftist press insists we do.

    It’s the Starbucks “satanic coffee cup” thing. It’s the Star Wars fans supposedly upset about a black stormtrooper. It’s the 2A supporters supposedly becoming gun control freaks the moment they see a black man at the rifle range.

    There’s little evidence that anyone actually cares or thinks this is a scandal. But the press insists conservatives must all be really angry about it.

    The press does this all the time, guys.

    The press really does not understand conservatives except through caricature. Susan, rest easy knowing that conservatives really don’t care about $500 in France.

    Drew, READ MY LIPS: Fox News shared their outrage, and probably other Conservative media!

    Are you sure they were “outraged” over her buying expensive cookware, or was it because she’s swanning about Europe but has never been to the southern border, etc.

    • #88
  29. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    Harris’ pan shopping may be motivated by the social circles she runs in.  

    Oh Lord, won’t you buy me
    A Mercedes Benz?
    My friends all drive Porsches
    I must make amends.  

    • #89
  30. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DaveSchmidt (View Comment):

    Harris’ pan shopping may be motivated by the social circles she runs in.

    Oh Lord, won’t you buy me
    A Mercedes Benz?
    My friends all drive Porsches
    I must make amends.

    My husband’s favorite Janis Joplin song.

    • #90
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