I’m happy to learn that the effects of the unjust and vindictive dismissal of Andrew McCabe have been corrected. Such fascist behavior from the likes of tfg must never be tolerated.
It is so good to see some of these flagrant injustices finally rectified. Now I hope the Army does something for Lt. Col. Alex Vindman and his twin brother Lt. Colonel Yevgeny Vindman for telling the truth leading to the impreachment of tfg.
This has stuck in my craw for years, so glad some justice coming at last. Trump used revenge like WMDs. God forbid he ever gets governmental power again. McCarthy made a deal with the devil, and I hope he and every republican rues the day
Gail, trying to share this with folks in VA. Maybe you are aware: ”A problem has materialized with the mail-in ballots. Because they were used so infrequently pre-Covid, and because last year the requirement to obtain the signature of a witness was waived; many of the ballots being mailed in [for November’s election in Virginia] are missing the now-required signature of a witness. In response to this problem, a large ballot curing effort has begun.
You can join a “cure” phone bank any day from October 15th through 31st. Details here: Cure Phone Bank · Virginia Voter Protection. This is an important effort. Join if you can!” I’m hoping to spread the info around. Thanks! https://www.mobilize.us/virginiavoterprotection/event/417808/
In The Manhattan House of Detention for 50 years without parole, on Housed on Display at Ground Level in a Picture Window Labeled “Real Estate and ALL Personal Property starting HALF PRICE - Golf Courses auctioned at Sotheby’s Thanksgiving Week. In Fine Print, to compensate the nation and others for crimes and all civil complaints too numerous to cost, a global response to reduce legal expenses. Liquidation of all Trump Properties, world wide.
We'll know we've made progress when it's sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Pope Francis might have it sung by the Sistine Chapel Choir, but the American 'more Catholic than the Pope' bishops would ban it.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, no, no, lin. That would take us back, back, back and 'every morning, students from each of New York City's five boroughs pull on red plaid uniforms and head to an unusual school in East Harlem'.(NY Times)
But were the MTC to be singing Gilco's lovely song, that would be progress indeed. We would have pulled them forward rather than they pushing us "back, back, back."
But there is a tax funded school nightmare today - the Pentecostal 'Teen Challenge' system of "shadow penal colonies" spotlighted by Rachel Aviv in The New Yorker.
I knew about this story but didn't read this article. Thank you. lin, Let's consider the following: first, the Boys Choir of Harlem, then the Gay Mens Chorus, followed by the sisters of the Holy Ghost and lastly, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. That sounds like a spectacular program and operatic at the end.
Can Trump take his golf cart and Diet Coke to prison? Lawyer Guliani (his cell mate) would argue that denying these would be an ‘arbitrary and capricious’ hardship.
Screw prison, that will take way too long to achieve. And will partiality mute his base. No what is needed is for that man to sercome to his lifestyle of bad junk food on the back 9 of his golf course. A widow maker MI would do the job nicely. Yes there are others out ready to take his place. And true some are a as bad if not worse. But it would give the spineless Republicans a chance to rein in the wackadoo fraction that has siezed control, of the republican party. At the moment it is far more likely he could have a massive MI, then land in prison.
With Heather’s echos of a modern-day Watergate stonewalling of Congress (and the courts?) I shall give you several days reprieve from my prattling. After a week of restoring a flood-damaged basement, a day in Philadelphia with Eisenhower Fellows (far more interesting than trustees, who all had fancy watches that offset my $30 Timex), a swift and successful day surgery, Georgia and I are preparing for a family influx this week end to celebrate my 88th birthday. You can spot me in my shirt: GRANDPA KNOWS EVERYTHING AND WHEN HE DOESN’T KNOW IT HE SWIFTLY MAKES IT UP.
My sentiments are everything that everyone has already said and more! I’m sure your entire family is the same remarkable treasure for our world and that it will be a rocking great time. May we enjoy many more comments from you. ❤️❤️🙏🙏
Happy Birthday, Keith. Did you ever hear George Carlin's routine about aging? He begins by telling us that when you are very young and are asked your age, you might say "I'm three and a half." He then goes through the ages and explains that as one ages, they don't want to add that "and a half" to their age. However, when they reach 100 and are asked their age, they proudly answer "Why I'm one hundred and a half." Enjoy you birthday this weekend!
Richard I’m still trying to work out my age on the ‘new math’ that confused my kids in the 1960s. One took ‘base eight,’ put beans on a tongue depressor, and came out with an answer that was more-or-less correct. Must go to find a tongue depressor.
I often seek refuge in Tom Lehrer. I believe that New Math is on the same disk with Poisoning Pigeons in the Park and Goodbye Mom, I’ve Gone To Drop The Bomb.
I’m so glad Andrew McCabe got his pension back. Don’t forget how it was taken from him. I’ve read his book, “ The Threat”. Some may find it interesting that McCabe was the first FBI Agent to lead a case resulting in the first ever convictions of Russian mafia in New York and East coast.
What is evident is that a Mafia gangster group with sufficient wealth can indeed operate as a major political party, and it really can take over this country and all of its citizens. All presumptions that "It can't happen here" have shattered.
I'd like to think their reign of abuse is finally going to end, but given their stacking of the courts, this remains far from certain.
My faith in our population has crumbled. Too many respond to the propaganda like it’s manna from heaven. And they all are not MAGAts …. In Southlake, near where I live in TX, they want opposing views to the Holocaust taught in schools. How insane are we…. My nephew died fighting Nazis in 1942, guess I will too, 80 years later.
So, just what is the opposing view of the Holocaust? That it didn't happen? That the Jews just disappeared from the face of the earth? History is pesky when it interferes with your (very skewed world-view.
My thought was the opposing view would be why the Holocaust was the right thing to do. They want you to teach the benefits to murdering 6 million people based on their religious beliefs or color of their eyes. This would justify them doing it in the future to the Muslims and other POC that don’t match their White European ancestry ideals.
The opposing view would have to be Hitler’s POV, no? Making them not just fascists but full blown nazis. Pretty frightening that they feel so empowered they don’t even feel ashamed or embarrassed to admit it.
The fight will always have to continue against the forces of darkness. Those forces promote the every man for himself mentality. But no one is successful alone; everyone has help of some kind or another-a loving parent, a concerned teacher, a mentoring boss, etc. Those who promote this “I’ll do it by myself” are lying and always have been. Everyone for himself is an attempt to evade responsibility for our common life.
Is gift-giving the only thing Christmas is about? These people don't even seek consistency in framing their complaints. For years they complained about a non-existent "war on Christmas" because store clerks use the "happy holidays" greeting instead of "merry Christmas," their vehicles sport bumper stickers showing a stylized manger scene with the words "Keep Christ in Christmas," but now they're complaining that the gods of materialism and consumerism might withhold their benevolence on the holiday--and that it's Biden's fault?
My observation exactly. I am not a Christian, but I was raised as one and have always been turned off by the hypocrisy of too many Paulists who claim to be Christians. And, the materialism that has co-opted this religious event is disgusting. Our GNP is dependent on Xmas Spending by the multitudes. I could see Jesus turning over the Xmas displays in the Wal-Mart Temple and driving out the money-changers. Put Christ in Christmas would be a good admonishment.
It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without (cargo container) packages, boxes or bags. The Grinch puzzled three hours till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more." Dr. Seuss
The propagandists care not a whit about consistency in framing their complaints. Their only goal is to repeat a lie as often as possible, however outlandish. They're very good at it. After all, they've succeeded in ruining America.
True, but as one who taught rhetoric and writing, I still find it a curiosity. Do you think those who push these lies in the media are aware of the inconsistencies and just ignore them for the sake of the lie du jour? Do their followers perceive the inconsistencies yet still go along with them?
Today’s letter consisted mainly of reports on the legal front about events that took place in the past. Warning: these lawsuits will not protect us from undemocratic actions that the Trump minions have in mind for the future. T and his enablers have learned their lessons from 2020 and are laying the groundwork for 2022 and 2024. That is why we need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and abolish/reform the filibuster.
This is a FANTASTIC post and hope everyone reads it. People in favor of our constitution should be aware enough to know this is anything but over. Trump is going to take a run at this thing in the next election. He has $100s of millions to power forward. He will suppress, misinform, lie and pursue all the other nefarious behaviors that are characteristic of him.
Prior to Trump I was an independent with a conservative bias. This man is a heinous risk to our country. Gloating over petty setbacks he is facing (and will roll right over) helps no-one.
I write this to ask people here for guidance: what are the most effective steps to thwarting his future attempts to take over this country? Utah is an interesting situation with a non-Trump Republican with a real chance.
That has already been accomplished. Make no mistake: us indies who have read the history books are solid blue. This is an existential issue. There is no "blue" or "red." I will say that if we could calm the "woke" edge of the blue party down the adoption rate would be much higher. Fox & Foes makes huge hay with some of the more extreme parts of that platform. And some of it is credible. Socialism is often just fascism with better marketing.....
I recently read a piece about Independents & democrats registering as republican for the primaries as a way to stop the party from going even further right. And I don't think it was in jest.
I'd like to know that answer too, though it is tough to convince a man against his will. I've done the card writing and the phone calling and the door knocking and never felt I made a single bit of difference. I think the old guard Republicans may be our best bet. They are pushing hard on the "Save Democracy, vote Democratic" message. I think we have to show more public force. We find ourselves confused by 20,000 showing up for Trump. What if 100,000 show up for a rally for Voters Rights right next door to his rally? It didn't hurt when DC got filled with women outraged about the election of a bad man. It didn't hurt when former soldiers filled the mall in DC over Vietnam. It can be fun, educational, and raise money for our causes at the same time. I have great fond memories of attending The No Nukes Concert at Madison Square Garden. My mom always said, "draw them inside the circle, not outside the circle" and "hate the sin, not the sinner."
We can only hope Manchin and Sinema put our country’s democracy over their own self interests. I am so heartened by the good work the Democrats are trying to get done.
Abolishing the filibuster is a real double edged sword and it has been abused, but don't throw out the baby with the bath water. It should be amended. It should not apply to raising the debt limit, appointments like judgeships or CIA Directors etc, or budgets/ reconciliations. It should only apply to bills/laws/acts/statutes - which would be endangered of being overturned by the opposition everytime the power to do changes hands. I don't see this as an unachievable fix.
Problem— R agenda consists of actions- tax cuts and judges- that are not subject to filibuster. D agenda more robust. Your solution would not change that dynamic. Ds must use their power now. We are in a Constitutional crisis in the making.
Healthline defines a sociopath "As someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can’t understand others’ feelings. They’ll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause." For a full definition click below. It's pretty scary.
This diagnosis was crystallized when DJT fired Andrew McCabe 26 hours before he was to retire and receive his full pension. Wow, I thought, this president operates out of pure spite. It turned out that his affliction was much more serious. The leader of the free world was a sociopath and people lined up to support him. Trouble was a brewin'.
One would think that someone in Trump's position today--facing serious lawsuits, hundreds of millions of dollars of personal debt, responsibility for a political insurrection--would cause him to lose a lot of sleep. Not so; the man thrives on chaos, regardless of the impact on the country he swore to protect. If that's not a sociopath I don't know what is.
Trump made his bed and hopefully he will face the consequences. Yet his disease tells him that he is bulletproof. It is now the job of the judicial system and law enforcement to do their jobs and bring him to justice. Here in Georgia the Fulton County DA has been dragging her feet to charge Trump with interfering in the 2020 election. ("Find me the votes.") It seems that his political opponents are fearful of the ramifications of doing the right thing by charging him with a crime, even arresting him. Would violence break out across the country, instigated by the former president's blind supporters? This possibility should not be considered. The law of the land should be enforced, regardless of the outcome.
At the bedrock of any civilized society and government is the fair and impartial enforcement of the rule of law. In the U.S., fundamental to the rule of law is upholding the Constitution.
I despair because the very people we charge to represent us have openly and brazenly abandoned their oath of office. Even worse, nearly half of them continue to actively conspire to overthrow the government - without fear of consequences!
Does it not seem obvious the Republican cabal fears nothing from Democrats? Republicans condescendingly impugn and disparage Democrats without fear of recrimination. They blatantly betray their oath of office with no fear of reprisal or consequence. A radicalized minority of Americans are willing to allow democratic values to be usurped and autocratic dictates installed despite the fact they are in direct contradiction to the Constitution. The parallels between past and present autocratic regimes are inescapable.
This is happening because the rule of law has not been fairly and impartially enforced for many years. The rule of law is futile without full and proper enforcement. Why is this obvious coup d'etat allowed to continue? Why are domestic terrorists allowed to walk free fomenting violence and seeking to overthrow a duly elected and formed government? Why are members of Congress permitted to disobey their oath of office? It is beyond frustrating for me.
I contend that when the issue comes up about the consequence of “violence breaking out” instigated by anger of former’s supporters if justice is meted out through arrest or subpoenas or court decisions…..
That is probably going to happen but certainly can that risk be mitigated by the fact of who the Commander in Chief is right now and a reminder of the military force that is under that command.
The law of the land has the hands of a sane commander upon it right now, not a sociopath.
My intuitive thought always strays to the likes of VP Harris, Senators Warren and Klobuchar, Rep AOC, and of course Speaker Pelosi. I’ve been hearing a lot of feminine snarling and sharpening lately which is always good to have on one’s side. It’s always been a chuckling wonder to me how powerful, weak men underestimate powerful, strong women.
I would think that getting soaked especially when it’s cold 🥶 would put a damper on your motivation to raise hell, probably start thinking about how you are going to get home while freezing. I have never been on the receiving end of one of those things and never intend to be.
I believe he also got more than just what they owed him, hopefully it was more than just a couple million, something to compensate him for the pain and suffering that he and his family were put through by that piece of shit who should be in prison if anyone in this country deserves to be. Won’t it be fine when they lock the bastard up, I plan on opening up a very fine vintage champagne 🍾 and I haven’t had a drop to drink for 5 years. When Nixon resigned we opened up a bottle of cognac that was bottled when Napoleon was the Emperor of 🇫🇷 France, it was sublime.
I think the fear of violence is overhyped and being used as an excuse not to do something there is no precedence for. The longer they wait to take action the more danger the country is in. Prosecute every single person that violated the law. Go after the active members of Congress that continue to subvert the Constitution and block the country from moving forward. The evidence is there. I think the violence will be diffused faster than the George Floyd protests. The people already arrested are crying to their judges. They only have power as long as we allow them to essentially blackmail the country with more fear-mongering. Trump is a bully but like all bullies weak when confronted.
Yea what is with the DA, she’s had 9 months, the bastard delivered all of the evidence she needed to her on a silver platter. Charge the bastard, make him post bail like anyone else would have to that committed a crime.
I guess I’ve become that evil person who takes joy in other people’s problems. Laughed out loud this morning when I read that Trump may be having problems finding lawyers who will work for him and the supposition HCR made that it is likely due to the former President not paying in a timely fashion. Woo hoo! Executive privilege? Not if it doesn’t pay well, lol.
Then, Jeffery Clark’s current employer scrubbed all trace of his employment from their website. Glad they finally woke up to what a toxic, lying, arrogant piece of garbage the former Justice Department employee is. I hope his career is over, along with Bannon’s and every other person trying to destroy our democratic Republic.
None of us can rest yet from all out efforts to get out the vote for 2022. But a good belly laugh is worth gold. Hope the view from prison is blank and bleak, guys.
Ohfergodssake, as a child of Dr. Seuss, I want to remind these Republicans that, for believers as well as for all of the Whos in Who-ville, no one can stop Christmas from coming. “It came just the same!”
The evangelicals are against Halloween. I had one tell me what a horrid evil thing it was many years ago. She never let up. She was pregnant. It made me feel better when she went into labor and delivered that baby on Halloween.
I’ve always thought that deep down republicans are sentimentalists. They will find a fix, tho. There is too much money involved. And if the supply chain can’t be fixed, they might try putting Christ in Christmas. Aren’t you surprised they haven’t thought of that?
It's worth noticing that a more crucial element in the Christmas supply chain, if we want to put the last link on that chain, is the USPS under Trump appointee Postmaster Louis DeJoy.
Yes, a RWNJ posted a reply to the comment that it wasn’t DeJoy’s fault about the gifts not being available because the presents were on the containers. He remarked how great it was to prove to the Left how stupid they were.
I replied and said we didn’t do our shopping from containers. We could go to the website or the actual store and order items that were in stock. The fact that they didn’t arrive was all in the USPS.
He came back at me to call me stupid again because Target got their stuff from containers. Again, I explained his lack of knowledge in how consumers purchased items. We don’t order from the container, we order from the retailer. He went away.
Later my husband said a good response is that we thought the Right was all about buying American and those goods wouldn’t be on a container.
The contortions we see to justify violations of the law and outright corruption are amazing.
Yes!! Another great point. Waiting for ships to unload from foreign countries might actually help American companies to have more business! Except that many American companies still need the parts on those ships to make their products.
I believe the fault lies with DeJoy for Chrismas 2020. Remember how he messed up sorting machines, personnel schedules and other elements of USPS services. What I don't recall but think may also have been affected was UPS. Anyone recall?
It’s just like “socialism,” more scare tactics from the losers. I really thought we were smarter than to buy their bull Schitt. Apparently propaganda resonates with the cult. Surprise.
I'm more concerned about the short supply of workers. Reading what my Republican friends are saying, they are going hard on how Biden is responsible for businesses not having employees. They want to say it is because of the unemployment checks, but of course those have have stopped. Any one know of any study done on how the deaths of over 700,000 people have affected the work force or many are not willing to go to work and possibly catch the virus or be targeted for harassment?
Another 90+ thousand have died from drug overdoses this year. If that many are dying, how many more can’t work because of their addiction? Interesting that the US counties voting for TFG have the highest rates of addiction in general too.
I can see where there are a shortage of workers for those jobs. Truckers are one of the largest groups to ignore healthcare. I wonder how many we lost to Covid, either by death or long term disability.
Retail workers I feel are a different story. My college student grandson applied for about 20 jobs in retail, grocery and fast food. Not a single interview. As we were walking out of the grocery yesterday and he saw a sign that said something about “having a job for you” he made a cynical remark. I have no sympathy when there are applicants they don’t even consider and then cry there are no workers.
Thank you, yes the truckers certainly make sense. That is odd about the others though. Restaurants seem particularily hard hit, sounds like it is probably the low pay perhaps.
In California the minimum wage of $15 is even paid to the servers in restaurants. They don’t have to get that pitiful wage other states give because they are expected to earn the remainder in tips. My grandson said his other friends experienced the same and when they did get hours they were at the most 15-20 per week. Not enough to pay rent. Most places have listed $17 an hour for entry level jobs. He tried to work over the summer but couldn’t find anything so I sent him to stay with his grandfather in AZ.
He has a heavy load at college his second year because the first semester was such a mess with Covid. He doesn’t need a job to complicate that. Also, he is learning that many of the classes he wants to take won’t be offered because of a shortage of teachers in his Theater Arts major. Thankfully he only needs one more required to transfer to the University from community college. But it will be a full 19 hours next semester. Hopefully he can find classes to fill that up.
No one talks about the effects of Covid on college students as far as their ability to take classes. And if they stop going because they have trouble getting classes they may never return.
Margaret, I've done a quick search for formal studies about the impact of Covid/Covid Deaths, fear of catching Covid, fear of harassment and have found nothing though there are TONS of articles that cite anecdotal evidence.
A fair number of workers across a broad spectrum are sick of lousy compensation and being doormats for both their employers and the public. They've now decided to stand up for themselves. That's a good thing. Restaurants continue to shirk their responsibilities by tacking on the Living Wage Surcharge.
Since 2016 or so, some restaurants have adopted the practice adding a "Living Wage Surcharge" ranging from 1% to 20% to the check. What bothers me about the practice is that restaurant owners are not being honest about the cost of doing business and rather than raise prices to meet labor costs they slap on the surcharge. And do employees actually benefit from 100% of that surcharge? I have my doubts. The Snug Restaurant in San Francisco is one of the restaurants that has adopted this practice. They explain it as follows:
"...in order to pay our full-time staff a livable wage with full benefits, we have implemented a 20% Fair Wage Surcharge on all checks at The Snug. While we would prefer to build our full labor cost into our prices instead, we believe this long overdue reconciliation would create too much “sticker shock” for guests. Splitting it out as a surcharge, while using it as an opportunity to inform guests, is the best path forward, for now."
Inform guests? It is irresponsible and dishonest for restaurant owners to use a Fair Wage Surcharge rather than raise prices to deal with their labor costs. The Snug and other establishments don't think a 20% surcharge doesn't cause sticker shock? Restaurants need to be honest with themselves, raise their prices, explain why and face the consequences head on. People will either continue to dine there or they won't.
(Using a check of $100.00 the math is easy, a 20% surcharge plus a 20% tip = $140.00 for the meal. Remember, restaurants are using this surcharge to cover all labor costs, both front and back of the house, both standard minimum wage earners AND wait staff who generally earn a lower minimum wage than the standard. And we wonder why restaurant workers are leaving the industry in droves?)
Here is the current wage schedule for servers in California:
Certainly all the Covid deaths from the over 80 population won’t have a huge effect on labor shortage but I do think the disproportional deaths in minority folks that worked in public places did have an effect on labor shortage. This data is for rate of deaths in parents and you know that group is likely to be in the labor force:
“Results: We found that from April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, over 140,000 children in the US experienced the death of a parent or grandparent caregiver. The risk of such loss was 1.1 to 4.5 times higher among children of racial and ethnic minorities, compared to Non-Hispanic White children. The highest burden of COVID-19-associated death of parents and caregivers occurred in Southern border states for Hispanic children, Southeastern states for Black children, and in states with tribal areas for American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
Yes, we are the grandparent caregivers after my daughter passed in 2018. My grandson was old enough to be terrified of losing us too and was overly cautious. I can’t get over how so many parents ignored the warnings. How could they be taken in by the rhetoric that it only effects the old and we should let them die to save the economy. Did they feel that way about their own parents. We had a plan from the very beginning for precautions right down to the loss of our lives but I don’t think my grandson could have handled any of us dying emotionally. My heart breaks for all those children.
Mine too! Sharon, I’m so very, very sorry. It is heartbreaking. Wishing you and your family the very best of healing, light and love. It feels hard for me to do the grief work and not feel angry for the needlessness of it. ❤️ ❤️🩹
Restaurants need to go the way of the rest of the world. They pay fair wages to the workers and charge the appropriate amount for their food. Do away with the tip system. When people from Europe come here they are appalled by the need to tip their server. And many of them don’t know and don’t tip.
I say this with a grain of salt after years as a server because it was the way to make the most money while going to college and supporting a family. We worked hard for bigger tips. I picked all the high end restaurants.
I heard that the inventory problem is due to not having the labor to unload at the docks. I’m curious how much of an effect did tfg’s zero immigration policy have on minimum wage labor like that?
Yes, especially in Los Angeles. Plus, we have day workers that crossed the border for their jobs. When they were prevented from doing this due to Covid they found work in Mexico. We have had landscapers cross the border for a weekend visit home and not return for months because of difficulty crossing. This has been over the last 20 years. I imagine it’s worse now.
My expectation is another “read” from McCarthy. I still laugh at his rendering of “Green Eggs and Ham” during the last cancel culture debacle on Fox News regarding Dr. Seuss.
Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) Tweeted:
I still like Dr. Seuss, so I decided to read Green Eggs and Ham.
What I am finding fascinating is all of my Republiqan friends saying (to the effect) "if Christmas is about presents, then your (sic) missing the point."
What I like about Paul Krugman is he does for economics what HCR does for current events. Both distill the true nature of what's going down. His current opinion piece on the plight of American workers is perfectly timed.
The Revolt of the American Worker
By Paul Krugman
Opinion Columnist
All happy economies are alike; each unhappy economy is unhappy in its own way.
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the economy’s problems were all about inadequate demand. The housing boom had gone bust; consumers weren’t spending enough to fill the gap; the Obama stimulus, designed to boost demand, was too small and short-lived.
In 2021, by contrast, many of our problems seem to be about inadequate supply. Goods can’t reach consumers because ports are clogged; a shortage of semiconductor chips has crimped auto production; many employers report that they’re having a hard time finding workers.
Much of this is probably transitory, although supply-chain disruptions will clearly last for a while. But something more fundamental and lasting may be happening in the labor market. Long-suffering American workers, who have been underpaid and overworked for years, may have hit their breaking point.
About those supply-chain issues: It’s important to realize that more goods are reaching Americans than ever before. The problem is that despite increased deliveries, the system isn’t managing to keep up with extraordinary demand.
Earlier in the pandemic, people compensated for the loss of many services by buying stuff instead. People who couldn’t eat out remodeled their kitchens. People who couldn’t go to gyms bought home exercise equipment.
The result was an astonishing surge in purchases of everything from household appliances to consumer electronics. Early this year real spending on durable goods was more than 30 percent above prepandemic levels, and it’s still very high.
But things will improve. As Covid-19 subsides and life gradually returns to normal, consumers will buy more services and less stuff, reducing the pressure on ports, trucking and railroads.
The labor situation, by contrast, looks like a genuine reduction in supply. Total employment is still five million below its prepandemic peak. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector is still down more than 9 percent. Yet everything we see suggests a very tight labor market.
Great observation, Christopher Johnson - Paul Krugman really is the HCR of economics. He helps me make sense of our mysterious economy and breaks the complex actions and reactions down into manageable bites. I get his regular, biweekly newsletter, which I enjoy, and his "wonking out" newsletter which reminds me how not-smart I am. I highly recommend both.
Yeah, well, about 375,000 people didn't even make it to Christmas last year, to say nothing of their presents..... What's wrong with these people?!?!?!?
I saw tonight a video of Steve Bannon on January 5, 2021 saying "I can promise you, tomorrrow All Hell is going to break loose! Tomorrow, All Hell is going to break loose!" I guess they want to talk to him. Guilty as the day is long.
Hope you’re right. Justice is slow for the Unjust power with $ and influence . How much Justice could you and I afford ? In TFG guys life time he has sued or been sued over 4500 times ?
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DEMOCRAT – I ONLY VOTE FOR THEM BY DEFAULT
I was once a registered Democrat (I was once a registered Socialist) but now NPA or Independent.
From what I read on the Progressive Politics group on MeWe and my leftist friends on twitter, Dems, Socialists & Independents are all getting tired of waiting for the party to get off the pot and put some criminals in jail. What is the point of having a subpoena if it can be ignored with impunity? I have been deposed twice by the State Atty. General’s Office in Miami (Janet Reno didn’t like what I had to say) but I showed up as required.
Also, we libs out here on the sidelines wish they would forget the infrastructure battles and start fighting for a new new Voting Rights Law to end the resurgence of Jim Crow laws in all these backward states controlled by the Repugnant Party. If the filibuster can be gotten rid of then do it. Dems seem to want to hold on to that political game in case they are in the minority again. IT WON’T MATTER. The Repugnant Party has become a terrorist group and is pushing autocracy. If they get a majority across the board in 2022 & 2024, Democracy may be history, just as it was in Germany when they ELECTED the Nazi party & Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933.
"If they get a majority across the board in 2022 & 2024, Democracy may be history, just as it was in Germany when they ELECTED the Nazi party & Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933." This should be on billboards all over the country.
MaryPat, I was painful to read. Why not start by plastering it all over Mar-a-Lago, 1100 S Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach, FL 33480 and every building with Trump's name on it?
My thoughts as well, Rob. You express them so much better than I ever could. We all want to see infrastructure happen but democracy must be saved at all costs and it is much more urgent.
As I have been saying lately, things definitely will get better, but first they will have to get a lot worse. That is what it will take to wake up the American people. Perhaps it will not happen in our lifetimes. History books (paper or otherwise) written two or three hundred years from now will barely mention the Republican Party, which except for memories of Lincoln, will go the way of the Whigs into endless oblivion.
Jack, I agree things are likely to get a lot worse. The “before they get better” part I’m doubtful about. Climate change is the the wild card that can no longer be ignored, the effects are accelerating.
Prince William took the words out of my mouth yesterday when he implored the the brilliant thinkers of our time to focus on protecting the earth instead of space tourism.
I certainly understand how you feel but I think the “worm has turned” i’ve been wanting to say that for a long time but justice moves slowly and deliberately.
s-l-o-w-l-y and d-e-l-i-b-e-r-a-t-e-l-y is no way to bail out a sinking rowboat. Justice should move with the speed of "Choo Choo" Charlie Justice, Univ. of North Carolina and Washington NFL team great of another generation.
😎 it’s called due process Jack. Otherwise you’ll knock another hole or enlarge the one that’s already there as the Row boat sinks even faster. At least by bailing deliberately you may prevent a Total submerge.
I'm glad that "the law loomed large today in national politics." I've seen a lot of law ignored this year, as well as of course in the 4 preceding this year, and for my psyche anyway the only way to counteract the fascist abuses of The Former Guy and his flunkies is to call them before the bar.
I’m happy to learn that the effects of the unjust and vindictive dismissal of Andrew McCabe have been corrected. Such fascist behavior from the likes of tfg must never be tolerated.
It is so good to see some of these flagrant injustices finally rectified. Now I hope the Army does something for Lt. Col. Alex Vindman and his twin brother Lt. Colonel Yevgeny Vindman for telling the truth leading to the impreachment of tfg.
And about FLYNN-punishment for his threats of Martial Law, participation the night before 1/6/21, cultivation of Putin, etc, etc, etc. Please read: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/06/us/politics/michael-flynn-qanon.html
Oh, you are so right. What a disgraceful miscarriage. Embarrassed.
This has stuck in my craw for years, so glad some justice coming at last. Trump used revenge like WMDs. God forbid he ever gets governmental power again. McCarthy made a deal with the devil, and I hope he and every republican rues the day
I am too. Looks like my little contribution to his defense fund was well spent.
Gail, trying to share this with folks in VA. Maybe you are aware: ”A problem has materialized with the mail-in ballots. Because they were used so infrequently pre-Covid, and because last year the requirement to obtain the signature of a witness was waived; many of the ballots being mailed in [for November’s election in Virginia] are missing the now-required signature of a witness. In response to this problem, a large ballot curing effort has begun.
You can join a “cure” phone bank any day from October 15th through 31st. Details here: Cure Phone Bank · Virginia Voter Protection. This is an important effort. Join if you can!” I’m hoping to spread the info around. Thanks! https://www.mobilize.us/virginiavoterprotection/event/417808/
Thanks Christy! I'll get in touch and volunteer!
Wow! That’s wonderful Gail! 🙏
Absolutely, the best news of the day!
All I want for Christmas is Trump in prison and so I've composed this version of Lennon's Imagine:
Imagine Trump in prison
I wonder if you can
his orange hair and jumpsuit
and fading phoney tan
Imagine all the inmates
laughing at his brand
You may think I'm a dreamer
but I'm hoping that we can
put this psycho doink in prison
and let justice rule the land
Perfect! Just the laugh I needed this morning. A Christmas present no container shop delay can postpone!
"no container ship delay..."
Thanks Ned! Although it's not impossible that Trumps ego could block the Suez and back up the works.
Since Trump used to live in NYC, I think it would be appropriate to put him in Rikers, the biggest prison in the world and the filthiest.
Though he couldn’t spell it, wouldn’t Guantanamo be a fitting place for this terrorist?
He couldn't handle the truth!
Absolutely! He couldn't get out of Guantanamo.
My preference to.
Hear, hear, Richard! Think I read very recently that Rikers is in structural jeopardy — all the more reason to let the iDJT crumble along with it.
In The Manhattan House of Detention for 50 years without parole, on Housed on Display at Ground Level in a Picture Window Labeled “Real Estate and ALL Personal Property starting HALF PRICE - Golf Courses auctioned at Sotheby’s Thanksgiving Week. In Fine Print, to compensate the nation and others for crimes and all civil complaints too numerous to cost, a global response to reduce legal expenses. Liquidation of all Trump Properties, world wide.
Somewhere in low earth orbit would be more secure.
Sung by the Boys Choir of Harlem?
We'll know we've made progress when it's sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Pope Francis might have it sung by the Sistine Chapel Choir, but the American 'more Catholic than the Pope' bishops would ban it.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, no, no, lin. That would take us back, back, back and 'every morning, students from each of New York City's five boroughs pull on red plaid uniforms and head to an unusual school in East Harlem'.(NY Times)
But were the MTC to be singing Gilco's lovely song, that would be progress indeed. We would have pulled them forward rather than they pushing us "back, back, back."
But there is a tax funded school nightmare today - the Pentecostal 'Teen Challenge' system of "shadow penal colonies" spotlighted by Rachel Aviv in The New Yorker.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/18/the-shadow-penal-system-for-struggling-kids
I knew about this story but didn't read this article. Thank you. lin, Let's consider the following: first, the Boys Choir of Harlem, then the Gay Mens Chorus, followed by the sisters of the Holy Ghost and lastly, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. That sounds like a spectacular program and operatic at the end.
Personally, I think the “ladies” at Aqua in Key West would do a superior job. Aretha and Bette, Barbra and Diana.
No, by the sisters of the Holy Ghost.
Sung by the Gay Mens Chorus
Keith, your one upsmanship has been sisterized.
Quick! Add a few versus and copyright it.
Can Trump take his golf cart and Diet Coke to prison? Lawyer Guliani (his cell mate) would argue that denying these would be an ‘arbitrary and capricious’ hardship.
They're in a No Exit cell, which will be streaming for all to see.
But Big Guli has no license to practice law, I believe.
That guy's lost it for sure!
Screw prison, that will take way too long to achieve. And will partiality mute his base. No what is needed is for that man to sercome to his lifestyle of bad junk food on the back 9 of his golf course. A widow maker MI would do the job nicely. Yes there are others out ready to take his place. And true some are a as bad if not worse. But it would give the spineless Republicans a chance to rein in the wackadoo fraction that has siezed control, of the republican party. At the moment it is far more likely he could have a massive MI, then land in prison.
Trump personifies the Republican party. He trimmed his sails to where the wackadoo wind was already blowing.
Anything that works and will give us time to recover.
Hear hear!
Brilliant, Gilco!!
Great! This is the first time I've laughed out loud at any mention of TFG. Fingers crossed!
Orangutan Orange in matching jump suit.
Jump Suit Blues
By Joe Scarborough and Adam Schiff
Clever!
With Heather’s echos of a modern-day Watergate stonewalling of Congress (and the courts?) I shall give you several days reprieve from my prattling. After a week of restoring a flood-damaged basement, a day in Philadelphia with Eisenhower Fellows (far more interesting than trustees, who all had fancy watches that offset my $30 Timex), a swift and successful day surgery, Georgia and I are preparing for a family influx this week end to celebrate my 88th birthday. You can spot me in my shirt: GRANDPA KNOWS EVERYTHING AND WHEN HE DOESN’T KNOW IT HE SWIFTLY MAKES IT UP.
Woohoo! I am toasting you this weekend, Keith. I think you are one wily, clever, sincere, fabulous rascal!
Happy Birthday! 🧁🙋🏼🥂
Well said, Christine! 🥂
Incisive wit at 88. Not a bumper sticker but a goal for us all. Happy birthday.
P.S. I thought you were 39!
Fern Understandably you confused my waist size for my age. Young at heart Keith
Young in spirit and a supreme combination wisdom and wit. Are you saving a piece of birthday cake for me?
My sentiments are everything that everyone has already said and more! I’m sure your entire family is the same remarkable treasure for our world and that it will be a rocking great time. May we enjoy many more comments from you. ❤️❤️🙏🙏
Here’s to a fantastic celebration for your 88th, brilliant, inspiring Sir Wheelock!
And Keith, just to remind you, we October people are the coolest! (October 1st)
I love October people!
Awwww! 🌷🎃🌷
I agree Daria! (17th) :)
❤🎃❤
Happy belated and almost birthdays, October ladies!!
Thank you🌷🎃🌷
Happy Birthday, Keith. Did you ever hear George Carlin's routine about aging? He begins by telling us that when you are very young and are asked your age, you might say "I'm three and a half." He then goes through the ages and explains that as one ages, they don't want to add that "and a half" to their age. However, when they reach 100 and are asked their age, they proudly answer "Why I'm one hundred and a half." Enjoy you birthday this weekend!
Richard I’m still trying to work out my age on the ‘new math’ that confused my kids in the 1960s. One took ‘base eight,’ put beans on a tongue depressor, and came out with an answer that was more-or-less correct. Must go to find a tongue depressor.
HBD2U! Here is a link to the wonderful Tom Lehrer's New Math:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6OaYPVueW4
I often seek refuge in Tom Lehrer. I believe that New Math is on the same disk with Poisoning Pigeons in the Park and Goodbye Mom, I’ve Gone To Drop The Bomb.
Hey Keith, I'm not quite 70 and I sometimes forget to not believe all the stuff I've made up. I mean, do we want truth or a really great story?
I suggest that you see or read Joseph Campbell’s THE POWER OF MYTH and brush up on Carl Jung’sthe conscious and the subconscious—and dream on.
Haha! Im going to show my 86 yo mother this
🎂 Happy Birthday Keith🎂, and for your birthday I want that shirt. Odd!
To a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Birthday, Keith! No one here can prattle as you do, but your family will be well served with more than enough.
Happy birthday. May you and your family have a great celebration. Loved the observation about the watches.
Timex Watches – They take a licking and keep on ticking!
John Cameron Swayze - only time my mother watched tv. She had a crush on him.
Honestly! Do you remember the Acapulco cliff diver ad?
Nope, hadn’t seen it, because I was living in Rio de Janeiro in 1962. But just looked it up. Wow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSv6Z5BA6e8
You are one lucky woman!
Happy Birthday sir, and many more.
Happy Birthday, Keith! 8x11, and sharp as a new razor. Enjoy your birth week!!!
Happy birthday, Keith. En joy time with family.
Very Happy Birthday, Keith! Enjoy those grandkids!
Happy Birthday, Keith!! Have a wonderful time with your family.
I’m so glad Andrew McCabe got his pension back. Don’t forget how it was taken from him. I’ve read his book, “ The Threat”. Some may find it interesting that McCabe was the first FBI Agent to lead a case resulting in the first ever convictions of Russian mafia in New York and East coast.
He is a hero.
Yes, firing McCabe may have been a little gift for Trump's BFF Vlad.
Same here.
What is evident is that a Mafia gangster group with sufficient wealth can indeed operate as a major political party, and it really can take over this country and all of its citizens. All presumptions that "It can't happen here" have shattered.
I'd like to think their reign of abuse is finally going to end, but given their stacking of the courts, this remains far from certain.
My faith in our population has crumbled. Too many respond to the propaganda like it’s manna from heaven. And they all are not MAGAts …. In Southlake, near where I live in TX, they want opposing views to the Holocaust taught in schools. How insane are we…. My nephew died fighting Nazis in 1942, guess I will too, 80 years later.
So, just what is the opposing view of the Holocaust? That it didn't happen? That the Jews just disappeared from the face of the earth? History is pesky when it interferes with your (very skewed world-view.
My thought was the opposing view would be why the Holocaust was the right thing to do. They want you to teach the benefits to murdering 6 million people based on their religious beliefs or color of their eyes. This would justify them doing it in the future to the Muslims and other POC that don’t match their White European ancestry ideals.
Pungent!
The opposing view would have to be Hitler’s POV, no? Making them not just fascists but full blown nazis. Pretty frightening that they feel so empowered they don’t even feel ashamed or embarrassed to admit it.
'The Jews made up the story...they're such liars.' Ted Cruz is writing the book, 'There was No Holocaust...the Jews Lied to cash in $$$'
Cruz should have his citizenship revoked!
https://news.yahoo.com/southlake-school-leader-tells-teachers-190009419.html
The fight will always have to continue against the forces of darkness. Those forces promote the every man for himself mentality. But no one is successful alone; everyone has help of some kind or another-a loving parent, a concerned teacher, a mentoring boss, etc. Those who promote this “I’ll do it by myself” are lying and always have been. Everyone for himself is an attempt to evade responsibility for our common life.
Bingo. Evil cannot be realized without the support of the numbed masses. Shame on us.
It does in fact take a Village!
With a lot of help from powerful dictators that want our country to flounder and all the latest high tech cyberspace
Is gift-giving the only thing Christmas is about? These people don't even seek consistency in framing their complaints. For years they complained about a non-existent "war on Christmas" because store clerks use the "happy holidays" greeting instead of "merry Christmas," their vehicles sport bumper stickers showing a stylized manger scene with the words "Keep Christ in Christmas," but now they're complaining that the gods of materialism and consumerism might withhold their benevolence on the holiday--and that it's Biden's fault?
My observation exactly. I am not a Christian, but I was raised as one and have always been turned off by the hypocrisy of too many Paulists who claim to be Christians. And, the materialism that has co-opted this religious event is disgusting. Our GNP is dependent on Xmas Spending by the multitudes. I could see Jesus turning over the Xmas displays in the Wal-Mart Temple and driving out the money-changers. Put Christ in Christmas would be a good admonishment.
Jesus would have a field day with Amazon...
Shat a scene you inspire! ;-) Get
the Dogna team on that!
I think Halloween is a bigger spending holiday. Love it.
Ha! That’s only because they already have Xmas (X used deliberately, to eliminate cash-cow holiday only 🙀) junk out on their shelves as of yesterday!)
It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without (cargo container) packages, boxes or bags. The Grinch puzzled three hours till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more." Dr. Seuss
Well said. Phony Christians want their Chinese made trinkets.
What shall we make of air-filled yard kitchen? The possibilities are endless — fill with hot air to elevate them comes to mind.
Well, we are a full-blooded corporatrocracy. What else do they believe in?
Deep pocket syndrom, for one. But this requires a whole other website and is a cult in its own right
Is Christmas cekebrated in Russia?
Yes, but not on the same day we celebrate it.
The propagandists care not a whit about consistency in framing their complaints. Their only goal is to repeat a lie as often as possible, however outlandish. They're very good at it. After all, they've succeeded in ruining America.
True, but as one who taught rhetoric and writing, I still find it a curiosity. Do you think those who push these lies in the media are aware of the inconsistencies and just ignore them for the sake of the lie du jour? Do their followers perceive the inconsistencies yet still go along with them?
Amen!
Today’s letter consisted mainly of reports on the legal front about events that took place in the past. Warning: these lawsuits will not protect us from undemocratic actions that the Trump minions have in mind for the future. T and his enablers have learned their lessons from 2020 and are laying the groundwork for 2022 and 2024. That is why we need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and abolish/reform the filibuster.
Truth
Myra, we seem to have been on the same wavelength just 3 minutes apart. :)
And the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Totally agree with you.
This is a FANTASTIC post and hope everyone reads it. People in favor of our constitution should be aware enough to know this is anything but over. Trump is going to take a run at this thing in the next election. He has $100s of millions to power forward. He will suppress, misinform, lie and pursue all the other nefarious behaviors that are characteristic of him.
Prior to Trump I was an independent with a conservative bias. This man is a heinous risk to our country. Gloating over petty setbacks he is facing (and will roll right over) helps no-one.
I write this to ask people here for guidance: what are the most effective steps to thwarting his future attempts to take over this country? Utah is an interesting situation with a non-Trump Republican with a real chance.
How do we help?
Get your “Independent” friends and their friends who understand the threat to democracy to VOTE Solid blue!
That has already been accomplished. Make no mistake: us indies who have read the history books are solid blue. This is an existential issue. There is no "blue" or "red." I will say that if we could calm the "woke" edge of the blue party down the adoption rate would be much higher. Fox & Foes makes huge hay with some of the more extreme parts of that platform. And some of it is credible. Socialism is often just fascism with better marketing.....
That last sentence is from the same sort of bull pucky that got us here
I recently read a piece about Independents & democrats registering as republican for the primaries as a way to stop the party from going even further right. And I don't think it was in jest.
I'd like to know that answer too, though it is tough to convince a man against his will. I've done the card writing and the phone calling and the door knocking and never felt I made a single bit of difference. I think the old guard Republicans may be our best bet. They are pushing hard on the "Save Democracy, vote Democratic" message. I think we have to show more public force. We find ourselves confused by 20,000 showing up for Trump. What if 100,000 show up for a rally for Voters Rights right next door to his rally? It didn't hurt when DC got filled with women outraged about the election of a bad man. It didn't hurt when former soldiers filled the mall in DC over Vietnam. It can be fun, educational, and raise money for our causes at the same time. I have great fond memories of attending The No Nukes Concert at Madison Square Garden. My mom always said, "draw them inside the circle, not outside the circle" and "hate the sin, not the sinner."
We can only hope Manchin and Sinema put our country’s democracy over their own self interests. I am so heartened by the good work the Democrats are trying to get done.
I don’t think there is a chance of that. 😔 We need more Dems in the Senate. 4 more would be nice.
40 more would be better!
Don't count on it.
Abolishing the filibuster is a real double edged sword and it has been abused, but don't throw out the baby with the bath water. It should be amended. It should not apply to raising the debt limit, appointments like judgeships or CIA Directors etc, or budgets/ reconciliations. It should only apply to bills/laws/acts/statutes - which would be endangered of being overturned by the opposition everytime the power to do changes hands. I don't see this as an unachievable fix.
Problem— R agenda consists of actions- tax cuts and judges- that are not subject to filibuster. D agenda more robust. Your solution would not change that dynamic. Ds must use their power now. We are in a Constitutional crisis in the making.
Excuse me Myra, it was in the making when the Creep survived the first impeachment and RB Ginsburg died. We are now in the midst of it.
Healthline defines a sociopath "As someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can’t understand others’ feelings. They’ll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause." For a full definition click below. It's pretty scary.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/sociopath#diagnosis-and-symptoms
This diagnosis was crystallized when DJT fired Andrew McCabe 26 hours before he was to retire and receive his full pension. Wow, I thought, this president operates out of pure spite. It turned out that his affliction was much more serious. The leader of the free world was a sociopath and people lined up to support him. Trouble was a brewin'.
One would think that someone in Trump's position today--facing serious lawsuits, hundreds of millions of dollars of personal debt, responsibility for a political insurrection--would cause him to lose a lot of sleep. Not so; the man thrives on chaos, regardless of the impact on the country he swore to protect. If that's not a sociopath I don't know what is.
Trump made his bed and hopefully he will face the consequences. Yet his disease tells him that he is bulletproof. It is now the job of the judicial system and law enforcement to do their jobs and bring him to justice. Here in Georgia the Fulton County DA has been dragging her feet to charge Trump with interfering in the 2020 election. ("Find me the votes.") It seems that his political opponents are fearful of the ramifications of doing the right thing by charging him with a crime, even arresting him. Would violence break out across the country, instigated by the former president's blind supporters? This possibility should not be considered. The law of the land should be enforced, regardless of the outcome.
At the bedrock of any civilized society and government is the fair and impartial enforcement of the rule of law. In the U.S., fundamental to the rule of law is upholding the Constitution.
I despair because the very people we charge to represent us have openly and brazenly abandoned their oath of office. Even worse, nearly half of them continue to actively conspire to overthrow the government - without fear of consequences!
Does it not seem obvious the Republican cabal fears nothing from Democrats? Republicans condescendingly impugn and disparage Democrats without fear of recrimination. They blatantly betray their oath of office with no fear of reprisal or consequence. A radicalized minority of Americans are willing to allow democratic values to be usurped and autocratic dictates installed despite the fact they are in direct contradiction to the Constitution. The parallels between past and present autocratic regimes are inescapable.
This is happening because the rule of law has not been fairly and impartially enforced for many years. The rule of law is futile without full and proper enforcement. Why is this obvious coup d'etat allowed to continue? Why are domestic terrorists allowed to walk free fomenting violence and seeking to overthrow a duly elected and formed government? Why are members of Congress permitted to disobey their oath of office? It is beyond frustrating for me.
Those are the MOST important questions facing Americans right this minute, Don.
Good morning Randy.
I contend that when the issue comes up about the consequence of “violence breaking out” instigated by anger of former’s supporters if justice is meted out through arrest or subpoenas or court decisions…..
That is probably going to happen but certainly can that risk be mitigated by the fact of who the Commander in Chief is right now and a reminder of the military force that is under that command.
The law of the land has the hands of a sane commander upon it right now, not a sociopath.
Hi, Christine. I agree. My concern is that the Biden Admin won't show enough teeth.
My intuitive thought always strays to the likes of VP Harris, Senators Warren and Klobuchar, Rep AOC, and of course Speaker Pelosi. I’ve been hearing a lot of feminine snarling and sharpening lately which is always good to have on one’s side. It’s always been a chuckling wonder to me how powerful, weak men underestimate powerful, strong women.
My intuitive gut agrees 100%.
I want to see more than teeth, I want to see fangs and 6 inch long claws
Dick, here in Italy quick deployment of water-cannons and skillful baton technique keeps keeps the Fascists at bay.
I would think that getting soaked especially when it’s cold 🥶 would put a damper on your motivation to raise hell, probably start thinking about how you are going to get home while freezing. I have never been on the receiving end of one of those things and never intend to be.
Yes, crude but effective.
Off course Italians aren't armed to the teeth like our American crazies are. Hmmm.
Damn right. If someone has to call in the military to keep order and save our country, better it be Biden than you know who.
Randy, I saw on the news this morning that Andy McCabe won his lawsuit, his pension was restored along with back pay. A very nice win.
I believe he also got more than just what they owed him, hopefully it was more than just a couple million, something to compensate him for the pain and suffering that he and his family were put through by that piece of shit who should be in prison if anyone in this country deserves to be. Won’t it be fine when they lock the bastard up, I plan on opening up a very fine vintage champagne 🍾 and I haven’t had a drop to drink for 5 years. When Nixon resigned we opened up a bottle of cognac that was bottled when Napoleon was the Emperor of 🇫🇷 France, it was sublime.
I think the fear of violence is overhyped and being used as an excuse not to do something there is no precedence for. The longer they wait to take action the more danger the country is in. Prosecute every single person that violated the law. Go after the active members of Congress that continue to subvert the Constitution and block the country from moving forward. The evidence is there. I think the violence will be diffused faster than the George Floyd protests. The people already arrested are crying to their judges. They only have power as long as we allow them to essentially blackmail the country with more fear-mongering. Trump is a bully but like all bullies weak when confronted.
Yea what is with the DA, she’s had 9 months, the bastard delivered all of the evidence she needed to her on a silver platter. Charge the bastard, make him post bail like anyone else would have to that committed a crime.
A couple good reads on psychopathology by Robert Hare: Without Conscience; and Snakes in Suits.
I guess I’ve become that evil person who takes joy in other people’s problems. Laughed out loud this morning when I read that Trump may be having problems finding lawyers who will work for him and the supposition HCR made that it is likely due to the former President not paying in a timely fashion. Woo hoo! Executive privilege? Not if it doesn’t pay well, lol.
Then, Jeffery Clark’s current employer scrubbed all trace of his employment from their website. Glad they finally woke up to what a toxic, lying, arrogant piece of garbage the former Justice Department employee is. I hope his career is over, along with Bannon’s and every other person trying to destroy our democratic Republic.
None of us can rest yet from all out efforts to get out the vote for 2022. But a good belly laugh is worth gold. Hope the view from prison is blank and bleak, guys.
It’s a bitch getting hit by the Karma bus.
hehehehe. Yep!
Heard also that Bannon is having trouble finding attorneys to represent him in his resistance to the subpoena. May that be and remain true!
Sweet thought. Hope its true.
Here’s to the golden-good belly laugh!!
Ohfergodssake, as a child of Dr. Seuss, I want to remind these Republicans that, for believers as well as for all of the Whos in Who-ville, no one can stop Christmas from coming. “It came just the same!”
It's another gambit in the evil plot hatched by Democrats – The War on Christmas! (Cue pensive music)
But we haven't even finished the War on Halloween yet!
And then there's the War on Thanksgiving; at least this year there are turkeys everywhere you look.
😂🤣 sure are!!
The evangelicals are against Halloween. I had one tell me what a horrid evil thing it was many years ago. She never let up. She was pregnant. It made me feel better when she went into labor and delivered that baby on Halloween.
I LOVE IT!
B, C, B, C, BCBCBCBC (played on a tuba, 2 ledger lines below the bass clef staff.)
Cue Tommy Johnson, on tuba, recording the music for "Jaws".
😂 That is perfect, Ally.
Oh yes indeedy!
Indeed, Daria: that Republican/Fox narrative has become annoyingly repetitive!
I’ve always thought that deep down republicans are sentimentalists. They will find a fix, tho. There is too much money involved. And if the supply chain can’t be fixed, they might try putting Christ in Christmas. Aren’t you surprised they haven’t thought of that?
They'd have to READ the New Testament. That's too much like work.
It's worth noticing that a more crucial element in the Christmas supply chain, if we want to put the last link on that chain, is the USPS under Trump appointee Postmaster Louis DeJoy.
Yes, a RWNJ posted a reply to the comment that it wasn’t DeJoy’s fault about the gifts not being available because the presents were on the containers. He remarked how great it was to prove to the Left how stupid they were.
I replied and said we didn’t do our shopping from containers. We could go to the website or the actual store and order items that were in stock. The fact that they didn’t arrive was all in the USPS.
He came back at me to call me stupid again because Target got their stuff from containers. Again, I explained his lack of knowledge in how consumers purchased items. We don’t order from the container, we order from the retailer. He went away.
Later my husband said a good response is that we thought the Right was all about buying American and those goods wouldn’t be on a container.
The contortions we see to justify violations of the law and outright corruption are amazing.
Yes!! Another great point. Waiting for ships to unload from foreign countries might actually help American companies to have more business! Except that many American companies still need the parts on those ships to make their products.
RWNJ? Maybe I’m having a moment. 🤷🏼♀️
Right wing nut job - sorry
No sorry, scatter-brain me!
Many days I have to ask my husband or grandson what some of these things mean. I’m starting to get the hang of them.
Great comeback for the faux whiners from the GOP as they dig for 💩💩💩against Biden that can stick on the wall but find none
They make up what they can’t find.
Exactly, I would put forth it’s all made up or at least twisted into a knot to look like something it isn’t!
Yes Deborah, agree. Cut that dang link off quickly please.
I believe the fault lies with DeJoy for Chrismas 2020. Remember how he messed up sorting machines, personnel schedules and other elements of USPS services. What I don't recall but think may also have been affected was UPS. Anyone recall?
Ha! Exactly. Got to love Cindy Lou and those Whos.
It’s just like “socialism,” more scare tactics from the losers. I really thought we were smarter than to buy their bull Schitt. Apparently propaganda resonates with the cult. Surprise.
I'm more concerned about the short supply of workers. Reading what my Republican friends are saying, they are going hard on how Biden is responsible for businesses not having employees. They want to say it is because of the unemployment checks, but of course those have have stopped. Any one know of any study done on how the deaths of over 700,000 people have affected the work force or many are not willing to go to work and possibly catch the virus or be targeted for harassment?
Another 90+ thousand have died from drug overdoses this year. If that many are dying, how many more can’t work because of their addiction? Interesting that the US counties voting for TFG have the highest rates of addiction in general too.
I can see where there are a shortage of workers for those jobs. Truckers are one of the largest groups to ignore healthcare. I wonder how many we lost to Covid, either by death or long term disability.
Retail workers I feel are a different story. My college student grandson applied for about 20 jobs in retail, grocery and fast food. Not a single interview. As we were walking out of the grocery yesterday and he saw a sign that said something about “having a job for you” he made a cynical remark. I have no sympathy when there are applicants they don’t even consider and then cry there are no workers.
Thank you, yes the truckers certainly make sense. That is odd about the others though. Restaurants seem particularily hard hit, sounds like it is probably the low pay perhaps.
In California the minimum wage of $15 is even paid to the servers in restaurants. They don’t have to get that pitiful wage other states give because they are expected to earn the remainder in tips. My grandson said his other friends experienced the same and when they did get hours they were at the most 15-20 per week. Not enough to pay rent. Most places have listed $17 an hour for entry level jobs. He tried to work over the summer but couldn’t find anything so I sent him to stay with his grandfather in AZ.
He has a heavy load at college his second year because the first semester was such a mess with Covid. He doesn’t need a job to complicate that. Also, he is learning that many of the classes he wants to take won’t be offered because of a shortage of teachers in his Theater Arts major. Thankfully he only needs one more required to transfer to the University from community college. But it will be a full 19 hours next semester. Hopefully he can find classes to fill that up.
No one talks about the effects of Covid on college students as far as their ability to take classes. And if they stop going because they have trouble getting classes they may never return.
Margaret, I've done a quick search for formal studies about the impact of Covid/Covid Deaths, fear of catching Covid, fear of harassment and have found nothing though there are TONS of articles that cite anecdotal evidence.
A fair number of workers across a broad spectrum are sick of lousy compensation and being doormats for both their employers and the public. They've now decided to stand up for themselves. That's a good thing. Restaurants continue to shirk their responsibilities by tacking on the Living Wage Surcharge.
Since 2016 or so, some restaurants have adopted the practice adding a "Living Wage Surcharge" ranging from 1% to 20% to the check. What bothers me about the practice is that restaurant owners are not being honest about the cost of doing business and rather than raise prices to meet labor costs they slap on the surcharge. And do employees actually benefit from 100% of that surcharge? I have my doubts. The Snug Restaurant in San Francisco is one of the restaurants that has adopted this practice. They explain it as follows:
"...in order to pay our full-time staff a livable wage with full benefits, we have implemented a 20% Fair Wage Surcharge on all checks at The Snug. While we would prefer to build our full labor cost into our prices instead, we believe this long overdue reconciliation would create too much “sticker shock” for guests. Splitting it out as a surcharge, while using it as an opportunity to inform guests, is the best path forward, for now."
Inform guests? It is irresponsible and dishonest for restaurant owners to use a Fair Wage Surcharge rather than raise prices to deal with their labor costs. The Snug and other establishments don't think a 20% surcharge doesn't cause sticker shock? Restaurants need to be honest with themselves, raise their prices, explain why and face the consequences head on. People will either continue to dine there or they won't.
Full statement from The Snug here:
https://www.thesnugsf.com/fair-wage-surcharge/
(Using a check of $100.00 the math is easy, a 20% surcharge plus a 20% tip = $140.00 for the meal. Remember, restaurants are using this surcharge to cover all labor costs, both front and back of the house, both standard minimum wage earners AND wait staff who generally earn a lower minimum wage than the standard. And we wonder why restaurant workers are leaving the industry in droves?)
Here is the current wage schedule for servers in California:
https://www.yeremianlaw.com/articles/minimum-wage-for-servers-in-california/
Certainly all the Covid deaths from the over 80 population won’t have a huge effect on labor shortage but I do think the disproportional deaths in minority folks that worked in public places did have an effect on labor shortage. This data is for rate of deaths in parents and you know that group is likely to be in the labor force:
“Results: We found that from April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, over 140,000 children in the US experienced the death of a parent or grandparent caregiver. The risk of such loss was 1.1 to 4.5 times higher among children of racial and ethnic minorities, compared to Non-Hispanic White children. The highest burden of COVID-19-associated death of parents and caregivers occurred in Southern border states for Hispanic children, Southeastern states for Black children, and in states with tribal areas for American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2021/10/06/peds.2021-053760.full.pdf
Yes, we are the grandparent caregivers after my daughter passed in 2018. My grandson was old enough to be terrified of losing us too and was overly cautious. I can’t get over how so many parents ignored the warnings. How could they be taken in by the rhetoric that it only effects the old and we should let them die to save the economy. Did they feel that way about their own parents. We had a plan from the very beginning for precautions right down to the loss of our lives but I don’t think my grandson could have handled any of us dying emotionally. My heart breaks for all those children.
Mine too! Sharon, I’m so very, very sorry. It is heartbreaking. Wishing you and your family the very best of healing, light and love. It feels hard for me to do the grief work and not feel angry for the needlessness of it. ❤️ ❤️🩹
My heart aches for your family. Coping with loss is always difficult. A child coping with loss, all the more. You all are in my thoughts.🌷
Restaurants need to go the way of the rest of the world. They pay fair wages to the workers and charge the appropriate amount for their food. Do away with the tip system. When people from Europe come here they are appalled by the need to tip their server. And many of them don’t know and don’t tip.
I say this with a grain of salt after years as a server because it was the way to make the most money while going to college and supporting a family. We worked hard for bigger tips. I picked all the high end restaurants.
Sharon, I totally agree. I spent many years as a server while in college, and afterwards as well.
I heard that the inventory problem is due to not having the labor to unload at the docks. I’m curious how much of an effect did tfg’s zero immigration policy have on minimum wage labor like that?
Yes, especially in Los Angeles. Plus, we have day workers that crossed the border for their jobs. When they were prevented from doing this due to Covid they found work in Mexico. We have had landscapers cross the border for a weekend visit home and not return for months because of difficulty crossing. This has been over the last 20 years. I imagine it’s worse now.
Or women who cannot go out to work because no childcare and no $$ to pay for it.
My expectation is another “read” from McCarthy. I still laugh at his rendering of “Green Eggs and Ham” during the last cancel culture debacle on Fox News regarding Dr. Seuss.
Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) Tweeted:
I still like Dr. Seuss, so I decided to read Green Eggs and Ham.
RT if you still like him too! https://t.co/2pbRbSiJD6
I’m expecting a comeback soon with him trolling Whoville as The Grinch.
For christians, isn’t Christmas supposed to about Jesus, not about presents.
Really, I forgot. Gave up on commercial Christmas long ago, when republicans began using it as a club. Way before trump, he just made the evil obscene
What I am finding fascinating is all of my Republiqan friends saying (to the effect) "if Christmas is about presents, then your (sic) missing the point."
How refreshing!
What I like about Paul Krugman is he does for economics what HCR does for current events. Both distill the true nature of what's going down. His current opinion piece on the plight of American workers is perfectly timed.
The Revolt of the American Worker
By Paul Krugman
Opinion Columnist
All happy economies are alike; each unhappy economy is unhappy in its own way.
In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the economy’s problems were all about inadequate demand. The housing boom had gone bust; consumers weren’t spending enough to fill the gap; the Obama stimulus, designed to boost demand, was too small and short-lived.
In 2021, by contrast, many of our problems seem to be about inadequate supply. Goods can’t reach consumers because ports are clogged; a shortage of semiconductor chips has crimped auto production; many employers report that they’re having a hard time finding workers.
Much of this is probably transitory, although supply-chain disruptions will clearly last for a while. But something more fundamental and lasting may be happening in the labor market. Long-suffering American workers, who have been underpaid and overworked for years, may have hit their breaking point.
About those supply-chain issues: It’s important to realize that more goods are reaching Americans than ever before. The problem is that despite increased deliveries, the system isn’t managing to keep up with extraordinary demand.
Earlier in the pandemic, people compensated for the loss of many services by buying stuff instead. People who couldn’t eat out remodeled their kitchens. People who couldn’t go to gyms bought home exercise equipment.
The result was an astonishing surge in purchases of everything from household appliances to consumer electronics. Early this year real spending on durable goods was more than 30 percent above prepandemic levels, and it’s still very high.
But things will improve. As Covid-19 subsides and life gradually returns to normal, consumers will buy more services and less stuff, reducing the pressure on ports, trucking and railroads.
The labor situation, by contrast, looks like a genuine reduction in supply. Total employment is still five million below its prepandemic peak. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector is still down more than 9 percent. Yet everything we see suggests a very tight labor market.
More: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/opinion/workers-quitting-wages.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqohlSFUaBybSRdkhrxqAwufI2r8xnGS7NTWUVSpDyetQHIGP9lyLZbZmY5F7-QWnc-J7Ee1lQu1unKgYNlZxSgKsr9yOkZ5ceSto8se6U208ms-dBOp9oGOxMiy3eOwmnLHnsUzfOmX6SeeIhy1aUQVmpJducF6r2nIalOySQqMuhI4Ijbp2DYt6RDwDeCGIo_Hvbh18M9yAZRnegRIkD6AbAXqA2I7BtM9TNVlaGlnET3tg4W8j69M6ONofPav3LxZIa9OUe5ctL3I8MJJVW36Q9Zw-&smid=url-share
Thanks for this piece from Krugman. A 30% increase is a businesspersons dream and nightmare. Excellent perspective.
And all I want for Christmas is that all of Bennie Thompson's dreams and wishes come true.
Great observation, Christopher Johnson - Paul Krugman really is the HCR of economics. He helps me make sense of our mysterious economy and breaks the complex actions and reactions down into manageable bites. I get his regular, biweekly newsletter, which I enjoy, and his "wonking out" newsletter which reminds me how not-smart I am. I highly recommend both.
In total agreement with all you said.
Paul has a Nobel Prize for economics, when he speaks, I listen. He’s brilliant.
Thank you, this is what I was wondering and looking for information on!
You're welcome.
Yeah, well, about 375,000 people didn't even make it to Christmas last year, to say nothing of their presents..... What's wrong with these people?!?!?!?
They are trying to harken back to that bygone era where rainbows and marshmallows filled the skies. Remember when everything was perfect (ha ha)?
I saw tonight a video of Steve Bannon on January 5, 2021 saying "I can promise you, tomorrrow All Hell is going to break loose! Tomorrow, All Hell is going to break loose!" I guess they want to talk to him. Guilty as the day is long.
Days are getting shorter, and so is the rope....
Hope you’re right. Justice is slow for the Unjust power with $ and influence . How much Justice could you and I afford ? In TFG guys life time he has sued or been sued over 4500 times ?
Wow. Guilty as charged (very soon, along with Trump).
So what happens when none of them talk and go with the Republican, "I can't remember, I don't recall or I don't know"?
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DEMOCRAT – I ONLY VOTE FOR THEM BY DEFAULT
I was once a registered Democrat (I was once a registered Socialist) but now NPA or Independent.
From what I read on the Progressive Politics group on MeWe and my leftist friends on twitter, Dems, Socialists & Independents are all getting tired of waiting for the party to get off the pot and put some criminals in jail. What is the point of having a subpoena if it can be ignored with impunity? I have been deposed twice by the State Atty. General’s Office in Miami (Janet Reno didn’t like what I had to say) but I showed up as required.
Also, we libs out here on the sidelines wish they would forget the infrastructure battles and start fighting for a new new Voting Rights Law to end the resurgence of Jim Crow laws in all these backward states controlled by the Repugnant Party. If the filibuster can be gotten rid of then do it. Dems seem to want to hold on to that political game in case they are in the minority again. IT WON’T MATTER. The Repugnant Party has become a terrorist group and is pushing autocracy. If they get a majority across the board in 2022 & 2024, Democracy may be history, just as it was in Germany when they ELECTED the Nazi party & Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933.
"If they get a majority across the board in 2022 & 2024, Democracy may be history, just as it was in Germany when they ELECTED the Nazi party & Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933." This should be on billboards all over the country.
MaryPat, I was painful to read. Why not start by plastering it all over Mar-a-Lago, 1100 S Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach, FL 33480 and every building with Trump's name on it?
Agreed but it should read "Republicans" and not "they". I know that's what you mean.
My thoughts as well, Rob. You express them so much better than I ever could. We all want to see infrastructure happen but democracy must be saved at all costs and it is much more urgent.
You are right, if we don’t get rid of the filibuster, it is very likely to not matter any more for all the wrong reasons!!!
As I have been saying lately, things definitely will get better, but first they will have to get a lot worse. That is what it will take to wake up the American people. Perhaps it will not happen in our lifetimes. History books (paper or otherwise) written two or three hundred years from now will barely mention the Republican Party, which except for memories of Lincoln, will go the way of the Whigs into endless oblivion.
Jack, I agree things are likely to get a lot worse. The “before they get better” part I’m doubtful about. Climate change is the the wild card that can no longer be ignored, the effects are accelerating.
Prince William took the words out of my mouth yesterday when he implored the the brilliant thinkers of our time to focus on protecting the earth instead of space tourism.
Yes, if the GOP get power again, the filibuster will seem like a quaint custom from a world that used to be.
I certainly understand how you feel but I think the “worm has turned” i’ve been wanting to say that for a long time but justice moves slowly and deliberately.
s-l-o-w-l-y and d-e-l-i-b-e-r-a-t-e-l-y is no way to bail out a sinking rowboat. Justice should move with the speed of "Choo Choo" Charlie Justice, Univ. of North Carolina and Washington NFL team great of another generation.
😎 it’s called due process Jack. Otherwise you’ll knock another hole or enlarge the one that’s already there as the Row boat sinks even faster. At least by bailing deliberately you may prevent a Total submerge.
I'm glad that "the law loomed large today in national politics." I've seen a lot of law ignored this year, as well as of course in the 4 preceding this year, and for my psyche anyway the only way to counteract the fascist abuses of The Former Guy and his flunkies is to call them before the bar.