Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Sunday, February 11, 2018

SUNDAY SCIENCE BLOG



This may be the best metaphor for the Trump presidency, (except for the part where the toad is unharmed).

TOAD = U.S.A.                            TOXIC BEETLE = TRUMP


The toad ingestes the toxic beetle and it takes 88 minutes for him to vomit it and its poisons out.


Toad Eats Beetle, Immediately Regrets It — Watch Retching Aftermath




Toads might want to be careful what meal they catch with their sticky, pink tongues. It could be a toxic beetle that makes them throw up … and then scurries away to tell the tale, a new study from Japan finds. Unfortunately, toads have to learn this lesson the hard way. After nabbing these brown and black insects, known as bombardier beetles (Pheropsophus jessoensis), a toad will likely feel an explosion in its gut, indicating that the beetle has just let loose a toxic chemical cocktail, the researchers found.




9 comments:

Les Carpenter said...

A most EXCELLENT post!

BB-Idaho said...

Science is fascinating; beyond truthiness , no?

Les Carpenter said...

Yup. Inculcate, repeating something often enough (I think the number is 2r times) insures people will remember it. So, an unethical snake oil salesmen like tRump gets folks to believe his lies, fake news, by inculcating the false BS he wants people to believe. And, 40% or there about do.

Jerry Critter said...

Great analogy. We have ingestedTrump. He has released his toxic cocktail. We are in the midst of retching. Hopefully, we will soon throw him up and out.

Shaw Kenawe said...

RN, Jerry, BB-Idaho. This is the last paragraph in BB-Idaho's link:

"At a more general level, this research underscores the threat that fake news poses to democratic society. The aim of using fake news as propaganda is to make people think and behave in ways they wouldn’t otherwise—for example, hold a view that is contradicted by overwhelming scientific consensus. When this nefarious aim is achieved, citizens no longer have the ability to act in their own self-interest. In the logic of democracy, this isn’t just bad for that citizen—it’s bad for society."

We've already witnessed how #45's continuous repetition of "fake news" has affected the cognitively weak-minded in our population. 74% of current Republicans (not the never-Trumper Republicans who've figured him out) believe the news (except FOX "News") is fake and that the law enforcement agencies, FBI, CIA, DoJ are enemies of #45.

There is no explanation other than their weak-mindedness and/or failing cognitive ability in the older trump supporters for his continued support by those people.

Leo T. Lyon said...


Not all of us are toadies and fall for tRump's lies. Some of us actually use our brains.

Les Carpenter said...

True TAG. So those of us who lean more fiscally conservative (I'm socially more liberal) should stand and resist tRump and his supporters in every possible way.

Perhaps the pressure will kelp the toadies see the light. 😀

Infidel753 said...

The main differences are that the beetle's explosive toxic farts are much less noxious and offensive than Trump's utterances; and that the toad's recognition of its error, and subsequent upbarfment thereof, work a lot faster than our impeachment process. So much for our highly-evolved political system.

Anonymous said...

When are you planning to begin using yours?