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Many of my friends are going to keep track of prices of things that their acquaintances have complained are too expensive starting in January, 2025 so that they can counter the expected lies about Trump conquering inflation.

They are also going to get a head start on postcards for 2026.

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I’m doing same and snapped a picture of a campaign sign in AZ saying, “Trump low prices, Kamala high prices”. Going to post each month on 4 items, eggs, milk, bread, crackers

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I’d thought of doing that with eggs, milk and gasoline. Should be widely posted. Maybe one of MSNBC shows or late night comedy would carry it.

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Sounds great. But we know those who voted for this debacle don’t watch MSNBC or late night comedy shows. Put this stuff where they can see it.

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You can show that to trumpets, but they will deny the truth of it. If prices don’t go down and tariffs cause higher prices, it won’t be his fault. It will be [fill in the blank]’s fault, most likely either Biden or Dems.

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Agreed. I was working monitoring the ballot box on Election Day when this Republican woman working her table was preaching the Trump is our Savior speech.

I asked if I could ask her a question which she agreed. My first question was what she thought about Trump saying if elected he would be a dictator on day 1. Her response, “He never said that”. I said “Yes he did during an interview on Fox News. I was watching it at the time”. And you know where the conversation went from there. ~ Do you think Trump is sharing government secrets with Putin? No, Putin is another strong leader Trump needs to work with. Do you think Trump slept with Stormy Daniel’s? No, because she signed a NDA? Honestly, that response threw me for a loop. And finally when I asked her if she read Project 2025, she said she was aware of it. Then when I asked her about Trump using that as his playbook for this administration, her response was “He knows nothing about it”. I was shocked to see the effects of brain washing in real time.

At the end of the night when she got into her older car and drove away, the Universe (or my 3rd cup of coffee) reminded me of an article I read earlier about Auto Zone announcing they are already preparing for the Trump Tariffs and will be increasing their prices by almost 40%. That $5.00 light bulb just became $20 for the Trump Cheerleader.

But I don’t know if they are even going to realize what is coming is their fault. She asked me if I was better off during the Trump administration and I said no. It was COVID people were dying and Trump was lying telling people to drink bleach. I guess brain washing affects long term memory?

I’m terrified about what is to come.

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Maureen, I’m finding it curiously fascinating to engage MAGA with the same questions you raise, one at a time as I get the same nonsense you got. One of them questioned my facts as mere opinions that have been debunked

I started a barrage of video clips of Trump saying what I said he said. They either view the clips and go silent, or they don’t view cuz they fear “headexplody”

There exists an uncurious, illogical, undereducated and defiant mass of people who somehow get through life on the edges of a reality that of their own imaginations. The sequel to 1984 has to be “2024, You Willingly Obeyed”

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I worked for many years as a Poll Worker in NYS. First thing, before the polls opened we posted signs 150 feet from the entrance stating that it is illegal to campaign in any manner at the polling site. This is especially true for Poll Workers and we were expected to monitor one another in this regard. If a voter had a problem a representative of both parties were required to assist the voter simultaneously. Your co-worker should have been removed from the site.

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I think your experience confirms a conclusion of mine: When people talk about issues, they are most often rationalizing a decision already made on some other (often un-thought) grounds. Also, remember that all of us—including you and me—tend to reject facts that conflict with prior beliefs.

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Check your math on the $5 light bulb if it goes up by 40%. Ten percent of $5.00 is fifty cents. . .

It is true that we will notice the tariffs. We certainly noticed when inflation was running 9%.

Before federal income tax was instituted in 1913, the government was paid for with tariffs. Now, thanks to Trump, we will pay income tax as well as the tariffs, too. His 2017 tax cut went mostly to the wealthy and corporations. We’ll see if it will be different this time, but I don’t expect it to be.

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Sorry, but the bulb would be $7.00, not $20.00. I get your point though

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No, of course they won’t. If one is willing to give up personal agency in exchange for not having to think, then as soon as fox says it’s Biden’s fault, so saieth the Lord.

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I am surprised you could talk politics at all during polling. I know they had the two BIG bosses one from each party. I just happened to know who the republican was because he had run for office in our town. A few people made some comments about how important this election was, but no one mentioned a candidate. I would give myself an Olympic Gold medal for keeping my mouth shut since I am a very avid democrat-because of research and totally against trump policies.

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Maureen. me too!

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You seem baffled by the concept of “joke.” Well, I suppose humor is one of the many things that progressivism deems to be…problematic.

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Exactly! Meanwhile chump enterprises will reap billions annually! BILLIONS!

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I did read, in another substack, that some retailers were already raising prices in anticipation of the coming tariffs. So that info will need to get out there as well, lest people think the rising prices are Biden's fault.

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Do we get the impression this was all coordinated between the republicans & the corporations in order to convince trump's voters that he's always right? He learned well from Orban.

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Prices on food will, I expect, rise, possibly exponentially, soon. Climate change and Republicans’ failure to recognize it and recommend price controls and some rationing of meat, will lead to the very rise in prices voters voted against.

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Virginia, I am a gardener of many years in the Willamette Valley in Oregon and I can attest to climate change. I now have an olive tree that produces olives although I haven't done anything with them. In 2020 the wine crop was partially ruined by wildfire smoke and we have lots of wineries all over the valley and elsewhere. We try to buy local produce and always buy local meat. I am editing my garden helper's book which about gardening and sustainability. It is beautiful, but it will never happen when people like death star are in charge. She is also naive about politics and is one of those people who do not understand the politics is the art of the possible. Yesterday she had posted something about imperialism, capitalism, and revolution. No revolution is going to happen unfortunately and we will go on to destroy the planet. i understand where she is coming from and she is also gay which is one of those groups who are going to suffer mightily.

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Trump campaigned on tariffs on all imports. Does “all” include food, produce? I haven’t checked, but do we get any bananas from Puerto Rico?

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Trying to persuade a Trumpster/Trumpet with facts and reason is as useless as using the same with Muslims and Christians. Their beliefs are not based on facts and reason. They are "lost souls." The only recourse, if there is still one open, is to outvote them.

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You forgot the Zionists. The MOST insane set of arrogant destructive beliefs they are putting into law. That, our taxes are supporting! Looks like this will be the start of WW3.

Anybody who believes in "god" could believe in anything.

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I was curious where the cash goes that is paid on tariffs .

"Tariffs are taxes on foreign goods. These goods are produced in their home country and transported across the ocean. It’s only upon arrival at their destination that the tariff, or tax, is collected.

In the United States, this means a custom official collects the fee from the American business or American customer and that fee then goes to the U.S. Treasury." https://www.abc10.com/article/news/who-pays-for-tariffs-and-where-does-the-money-go/103-cba331c8-7c83-41a0-966e-080214addaed

So Americans who will be paying inflated prices will be putting more tax money into the US General Fund. This will raise the retail price on all imported goods subject to tariffs. I wonder how many Trump voters know that.

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Donald pretends he doesn’t know it. Tariffs are really a federal sales tax. The revenue can then be used to pay for the tax cuts the wealthy and corporations will be given. But Social Security and Medicare will still be underfunded, so benefits will need to be reduced, because it wouldn’t be fair to the wealthy to expect them to contribute more, because they are so awesome. Or something.

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MLM. I was on a thread last night where the person (white male) among a bunch of grieving women said everything will be OK and it's just fear mongering. I did take him on and one point he said 2025 wasn't going to happen because both death star and JD had denied it. Just wow. Later on in the same thread was a lady who belonged to a Christian group who were praying that death star would lose. When he didn't, several gave up their faith because God had not answered their prayers . Double wow.

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Project 2025 has already started....The SCOTUS: No choice for women, and No crime if "official act' by POTUS.

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That is what he will say. In reality this time around he can say nothing. It's the middle class problem

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Just met one of my Trumpy neighbors tonight walking. She asked how I was, and I said grateful to live in such a beautiful spot and hopeful that he is able to make things better for all Americans. She said that it was a historic momentous election. I said she had 67 Million votes. She tossed it off and I asked if she thought that wasn't a large #. The answer was NO as she walked on. For others today like my long-time latina esthetician, we hugged after I said I was hopeful that he would make things better for all of us. It's a process.

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That may well be true for some of the trump's minions; however, when the reality of dollars and cents hits the road, it's going to be very difficult, even for them, to deny the truth of what is happening in front of their faces, that is, for most of them. I was shopping through Costco this afternoon and thought to myself, if Trump is simply left alone, what are the chances that he would shoot himself in the foot. Let him hang himself with his own tariff rope and see how tight the knot gets. And then, here's another thought: I'd like to think that Trump may soften a bit since he's won commandingly. He lost the popular vote the 1st time around and was essentially saved by the electoral college; he then lost the second time around, but now, the third time, won handily in both categories of election methodology. Can it be possible that he has now satisfied his own ego and therefore can afford to let so much of his anger and authoritarianism go? I'm still at Costco; I'd better pay attention to the cash Register before I charge myself twice for what I bought. 🤦🤦

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Likely will be Obama's fault.

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How about the bugles, trombones, and French horns? What’s their take on tariffs…?

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One thing’s for sure. I’m going to the Congo to find a beautiful female Bonobo and marry her and have a blended inter-species family. I’m getting the hell out of the human race.

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Good idea, Bill, wish we Hubris sapiens (as I now call us) had a much greater % of Bonobo DNA….perhaps we’d be less hostile and more cooperative & take much better care of all that our “pale blue dot” contains.

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Barbara Keating -- Thank you for "Hubris sapiens"!! You deserve some sort of Pulitzer prize for that one!

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Fight fight fight.

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I think that would be good for you Bill. However. Bonobos should make a law banning mating with the most destructive animal on the planet.

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I would suggest in front of their houses but there are too many of them..🫣

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if trump wants to be like other authoritarians, he’ll put an end to any public opposition

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How about posting the prices by schools and churches?

Or along fence rows in rural areas where the MAGAs are thick.

We also need to file petitions to revoke 501(c)3 status of churches that are political whether they support Trump or anyone. It's time we bring their hypocrisy out in the open. Check out https://ffrf.org. This is the Freedom From Religion Foundation. We also need to shop judges for any litigation. Biden has nominated around 215 Federal judges. We need to use the courts to uphold the Constitution. The Supreme Court has limited capacity to hear cases so we need to use the Federal Courts to stand up to the Trump administration and the radical Republican state governments.

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This organization you mention is one that Ronald Reagan’s son, Ron Reagan, belongs to. He is an atheist, actually calls himself “an unabashed atheist who is not afraid of dying in hell”. Don’t know if you have seen the commercials he’s made but he praises young folks for abandoning their religions and getting away from Christian Nationalists.

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Happy FFRF member here. They have a show on TV on Sunday mornings, and publish a newspaper with current events and court battles in support of separation of church and state.

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That commercial breaks me up every time. I am with him, despite his contemptible father.

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Yes, I heard Ron Reagan Jr.s commercials a lot during the last couple of months.

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Wonderful and important organization. I wish that I could give them more of my money. If I won a very large lottery, I would almost immediately put a good portion of my winnings into this organization which is trying to maintain civilization against the depredations of religion.

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Yes, yes, one of my pet peeves is the flagrant misuse of the church's exempt status.

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FFRF, although I agree with its message(s), is not going to move the needle. MOF, any increased presence of FFRF would work to decrease our chances of wading out of this hellish mess we are now in. Atheism is anethema to the people who just did what they did to our nation. Same can be said of increased LGBTQ rights. And to a certain extent abortion rights. Progressives have now seen what can happen in a country of religious and/or greedy ignoramuses who do not understand or choose not to even try to understand the full nature of today's issues. We have to figure out how to break through to such an electorate, and trying to convince them that there is no god in which to rely on nor a heaven to hope for (however factual) is going to get us nowhere. Nowhere. The German people woke up eventually to the evil of Hitler, but look what it took. Millions dead, a Eurorpe in tatters. I fear it is going to take some real harm to all of us for them to wake up.

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I agree. And what kind of disaster will it take for the oblivious to wake up to the scientific consensus that our profligate use of fossil fuels is very rapidly - unnaturally rapidly - heating the surface of this planet? How many deaths from excessive heat? How many crop failures? How much damage from storms intensified by the horribly warmed ocean temperatures?

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Just imagine taking away church’s’ status as tax exempt and then what the current Supreme Court would decide? We know their agenda. Even before the current justices, the SC allowed Hobby Lobby to not cover contraception for its employees. That’s like disallowing employees from buying pork if their employer was Jewish or Muslim.

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Cathy,

With 6 Supreme Court justices supported by the cultish Opus Dei group (Leonard Leo, a leader, provided the names for Trump), they would be hard pressed to put their personal biases aside and find for the Constitution.

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But as Timothy Snyder says “Don’t obey in advance”

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His cronies will, make no mistake. They are ready

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They been getting ready for years.

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Indeed they have, already got our media cowed.

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See Project25. And look up what Trump’s BFF and invited guest at Mar-a-Lago, Viktor Orbán has been doing in Hungary.

“On 3 April 2022, Viktor Orbán won his fourth straight election with his fourth straight supermajority in parliament that allows him to amend the constitution at will. This essay traces how he managed to do that. Orbán’s skillful use of the war in Ukraine and his major expansion of social benefits right before the election were important in that victory. But even more crucial were the rules of the game that Orbán established after his election victory in 2010, rules that have been constantly modified as the opposition has tried to work around the barriers that those rules erected. Hungary has already been demoted from democracy to autocracy by all democracy raters. This essay shows precisely why those rankings are right. As long as Orbán retains complete control over the rules that govern elections, he can remain in power indefinitely.”

https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/how-viktor-orban-wins/

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I think the point Heather was trying to make above, with her references to rising state opposition, even by many Republican officials, to Trump’s proposed mass detainment of individuals, is that America is more likely to fall apart by state secession before it ever becomes a full on autocracy like Hungary. If Trump and Musk go on to try to deploy the US military against their own people by force majeure they will only be able to do that if they successfully split the military into those loyal to their rebel MAGA v those loyal to the US Constitution. Then they will find themselves in a full on civil war and good luck with politically delivering Project 2025 or anything else in such a chaotic and bloody arena.

I get the feeling that neither the complexities of US state history and its peoples or its federal and state legal guardrails are familiar territory to the self proclaimed twin geniuses of Trump & Musk.

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The game plan, they made it clear. The rules have changed.

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There are no new ideas just new players.

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Expect the same here....😪

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🤬

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He is planning to make school teachings more "patriotic". Like slavery was a good thing.

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How many of us will obey in advance?

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As all Heather's readers know, (but I just can't help but not get it out of my mind),over the next year or 2 or 3 years,when positive economic results start showing with regards to what Biden implemented Trump will take all the credit and trumpians will say Trump did it. 🤨

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Omg- I had the same thought about tracking the cost of food and gas! Can we do a Facebook page??

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Count me in

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Can someone find out where to track individual items in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) food group index?

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That's what the MSM have been doing for the past four years. It's basic journalism - something newsrooms have abdicated in favour of criticizing Kamala's economic policies and support of transgender kids.

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TV news stations should post the increases with the Dow Jones avg

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Good idea, Kevin. Why not make a website where you can update prices? Websites like Weebly are free and easy to use. Then you and others can send people the link. Maybe you and Julie Morrison could do it together?

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.

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Have you considered including a pound of hamburger and yellow onions?

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Sure, but people really need to stop eating beef. Huge contributor to our climate problem globally

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I do not eat anything that nurses her babies.

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A note from the little state of Vermont: We are among the developers of lab-grown meat, an alternative I hope will stop the slaughter. But Susan, one criticism from the right-wing/MAGA is that we are elitists in our pursuit of political and social correctness, especially if it crushes a livelihood such as cattle ranching. Of course, you are right, but offering an alternative is more helpful than prohibitions.

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I understand your concern and position on meat consumption. The majority of Americans still eat meat daily

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I keep a flock of chickens(30)...so maybe I'll include the price of feed.

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Great idea!

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All meats will increase in price. The meat packing companies will lose their employees.

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No, Trump's plan is to fill those jobs with minors... project 2025

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Hear that McDonalds?

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Maybe include the price of beer.

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The marketing sleight of hand is to reduce the weight of the package but keep the same price!!! Example 12 oz bacon package same price as yesteryear’s pound of bacon; cereal boxes reduced content by several ounces but keep same price!

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No, it's to reduce the size and RAISE the price. It makes me so damned mad.

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Love the word used to describe this: “Shrinkflation” (like an old Saturday Night Live bit “sniglets”, or the joining to two words to describe something. [One of my faves being “destinasia”, or “I forgot why I walked into this room”….something I do from time to time.]

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I loved sniglets! I used to have the book.

~ 'Waftic' when the smoke of a campfire always drifts towards you, no matter where you sit.

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I work in a grocery store and I've noticed most products are reducing the content weight/ size while increasing the cost

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Toilet paper?

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I'm sure prices across the country vary for the same products. It would be interesting to compare these products prices.

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Excellent idea, Jenn! And Doritos, moon pies, RC Cola!

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We saw that sign all over NC when we visited in Oct. Simple minded. That and most Fox chyrons translate directly to "our guy good; your lady bad". Caveman-stupid. Yet it works for many.

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My daughter posted a very good reel yesterday by a young, southern male comedian she follows. He really nailed it.

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Trae Crowder? He's great.

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Susan, what is the name of the comedian?

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Should add cat food to the list because that is what some seniors will be eating after trump/musk "save" our Social Security.

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great idea.

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Good idea, Julie. Why not make a website where you can continually update prices? Websites like Weebly are free and easy to use. Then you and others can send people the link. Maybe you and Kevin Robbins could do it together?

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I would add butter to the list. Yesterday on "Morning Joe," there was a discussion of the price of butter which seemed to vary from about $7.00 to the $2-$3 range.

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The consumer can willingly pay $7.00 for Kerrygold butter which is really the most delicious butter or pay way less for store brands and other producers. That is choice. What is more troubling is “ shrinkflation” on the shelves. Bacon at the same price but now 12 ounces instead of a pound or 12 ounces of pasta instead of a pound at the same price. But this is just a nit aIn the big picture altho I think we should keep tabs on inflation for sure. But real food price inflation.

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You might add peanut butter, rice and beans as that’s what we’ll soon be depending on.

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I’ve seen those signs😡

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👍😄

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Excellent!

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Why? Do your friends really believe there will be another election? I mean , one that isn’t some kind of performative farce that would make even Orban blush?

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Mike, As someone, through her local chapter, who already has signed on to the Resistance Movement launched yesterday by Indivisible Founder Ezra Levin in a Zoom call with some 100 grassroots organizers, I would urge none of us presume in advance there won’t be another free and fair election. Quoting from Lesson One in Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: “Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given.”

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@Barbara Jo Krieger So glad someone else was on that awesome call! Just a minor correction: there were 220 progressive groups involved. Quite uplifting.

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Tammy, Regrettably, I wasn’t on the call. I only learned about it when meeting with my local chapter. Suffice it to say, for the past couple of years we trained ourselves and acquired the knowledge to exert, I dare say, a formidable (regrettably insufficient) impact on battleground races up and down the ballot. Now we’re poised to shift gears and learn how to contribute to the resistance.

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It was recorded and they are starting training meetings tomorrow. I was on for a couple of hours and then needed to tend to pets, etc. but will finish listening tomorrow. One thing stood out, well, a lot of things did...Black women are in CHARGE! Heads of unions, the head of the NEA. Awesome people leading. I walked away with a new mantra from Becky Pringle: "We do not consent!" Very inspiring.

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I was on that call also, and had to sign off after three hours. It was a so inspiring! Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Rep. Jamie Raskin spoke as well as countless others, the heads of Public Citizen and Move on and Indivisible. Yes, over 200 organizations! The host, Ash-Lee Woodard-Henderson did a brilliant job of leading us throughout the evening, highlighting what each speaker contributed. Judith Leblanc, a Movement Elder, was wonderful as well. They all were! "Mobilize" was the name of the event and it sure is happening. I am so encouraged by what I heard last night. So many people stepping up to the plate to be trained to hold gatherings all over America. The resistance has begun! We do not consent! I'm not sure of the final count, but I know there were over 150,000 people on the call.

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The plan is “whether you like it or not.”

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