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ESPN: "The ONLY concern is for the health of this young man, not for football at this time...."REALITY: The NFL is about $$$, violence and entertainment, multi-billions of dollars. If the NFL was truly "all about the health of the young man" they would have gotten rid of tackling long ago... Impossible I know, but therein lies their dilemma.
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Agreed. Just about everything Trump does is transactional and viewed through a lens to see how he can profit. If all the documents at Mar-a-Lago were securely stored in a locked storage room, that would be one thing. The fact that many were found in his office - the place I expect he does much of his business - and some even in his desk drawer suggests to me that he was using them in the course of business. That a bunch of empty folders were found there should be concerning to anyone. Only the most rabid Trump supporters would believe these were taken from the White House as souvenirs. In light of this, you have got to ask yourself what did MBS get in order to funnel $2B to Jared Kushner against all his advisor’s’ recommendations?
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| 9,044 |
Republican-controlled FL legislature has not expanded Medicaid and never will, which makes the ACA a lifeline in FL. Rubio & Scott have always opposed the ACA. So it is obvious which party is helping Floridians on healthcare. And yet republicans just won most of the Nov elections in FL by a 20 point margin including Miami Dade. Democrats have accomplishments they should be promoting, and by 2024 will have more when infrastructure starts being built. I want to know why the FL democratic party is this weak. If they don't speak up, the 2 republican senators will take credit for things they voted NO on. Why are FL dems not organizing from the ground up the way GA has been doing? Are they not spending the money needed for spanish language messaging in Miami? What is their problem??? Because the state party can't get it together, now FL is considered a red state & the national party is pretty much writing them off. As a FL resident, I am disgusted. We have a governor who spends all his time on anti-woke culture war garbage, a republican legislature that wants to strip all kinds of rights, and I don't see much action to fight any of it.
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Mike I suspect if you go beyond the US, the number would easily exceed a billion.
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| 4,789 |
This is DeSantis declaring his allegiance to the very same southern strategy that Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Trump before him all rode to victory. Do not underestimate the appeal of straightforwardly racist signaling. Like Maya Angelou said, when someone shows you who they are, believe them.Also, that rationale is inexplicably overstuffed meaninglessly with adverbs. The chance that anyone even deigned to crack open the course description before making the decision is minuscule.
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| 7,968 |
As the daughter of a chef who spent 50 years working in renowned restaurants and hotels worldwide, I have never understood people who think it’s a glamorous, creative, money-making profession. Competitive cooking shows and Instagram project a lie. Working in a kitchen (at all levels) is thankless, backbreaking, loud, and smelly work. 12-14 hour days, 6-day weeks and no holidays off are the norm, so it is not a job conducive to families or relationships; and the majority of restaurants are barely profitable, let alone make it to the 3-year mark. Most people have no idea what it takes to run a restaurant. The hierarchy is called a brigade for a reason. One needs years of training starting at the very bottom doing the repetitive tasks before moving up. Then one needs to learn how to plan a menu that will sell, order from high-quality and reasonably priced suppliers, and manage inventory so as to minimize waste (hence the reindeer offal). Multiply these challenges exponentially by the number of Michelin stars one aspires to attain. Abusive behavior in any field is unacceptable, but I think many millennials and younger believe that one just magically lands their dream job without first paying dues at the entry level. That said, our society grossly undervalues many noble and essential professions like education, healthcare, and food service and I don’t see that changing any time soon. Those who choose to enter them must seek a vocation, not fame and fortune.
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| 6,923 |
Yeah. Some of these old wives tale kind of things really work. Chicken soup is the top of my list. Heats your insides. Makes you sweat. Always a good thing when you've got a cold. Or a flu: if you can break a sweat a fever will dissipate. Then there's the chemistry of it : that magical oily chicken broth that has empirically shown to bring it under control. Makes sense really. Just bec it's from hundreds of years ago : science didn't start in the 20th century & some of those old wives knew more than a little. Lately, whenever I feel like I'm coming down with a flu: chills, slight fever etc there is a Chinese brand Ginger/honey tea. I've had it knock whatever I was coming down with right out of my system. Quite stunning. & Again, to cover yourself with a few blankets to break a sweat is what to aim for if you can. This is all from personal experience and even though I'm not a medical there have been times when I've been on the road far away say, on Penang Is. Malaysia when these home kind of remedies have come in handy. Not always: once when I was up in the Himachal Pradesh mtns above Simla & I had water coming out of every opening - a stringer who had showed up from S.E. Asia gave me something called Enterovioform (?) approx which was an intestinal flush & w/in 24 hrs I was back on the planet where before I felt like I was on the 2nd step of the Bardo zoning out across the valley ready to float away. S.M. Art DirGrt Am Play Series<a href="https://we.tl/t-XLFU0b9mBi" target="_blank">https://we.tl/t-XLFU0b9mBi</a>
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I honestly didn’t notice any change in the price of eggs. People have just become too accustomed to low prices. At $6 per dozen, that’s still just 50¢ per egg. That includes everything required to get that egg from the farm to the store and package it.
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| 5,226 |
Seemingly every time there is an article regarding illegal immigration opinions on both for and against sides are predictable, and always the same. Which makes one wonder if the attempt to stem the flow of migration is simply unattainable. There were no shortage of ways to buy marijuana before legalization. Is open border the answer to illegal immigration?
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| 2,650 |
Bill Chaisson Correct. I looked it up myself before I saw your comment. I would say that $174,000 is probably somewhere between 10 and 100 times more than he was making per year before being elected, so it's perfectly conceivable to think that he's in it for the money. Period.
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| 5,261 |
I saw some interesting goals from the Chaos Caucus such as the 72 hour bill measure, which makes sense. As does term limits for congress. However, McCarthy is kicking democrats off of committees and installing the Chaos Caucus members who by and large are still taking direction from Trump and more importantly, Steve Bannon. MTG was just on his show last week. Bannon worked hard to instigate the Brazil insurrection and is on a self proclaimed quest to destroy democracy, fueled by traditionalist doctrine(not unlike Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin or "Putin's Brain", who Ukraine tried to kill last year). Bannon is using power hungry amoral right wing politicians to further this goal. Like a babushka doll, as you open the outer Republican shells, more radical hard right shells appear. Bannon failed in phase 1 with Trump. He's on to Phase 2. Infect congress with the virus and watch it replicate and/or cause a lot of chaos before the organism can expel it from its system.
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Preston What is a significant number? Eight billion seems like a significant number to me. Two billion seems like a large crowd as well. If by significant numbers of people, one really means perpetual growth (in the number of humans and their individual consumption) then we know that's not possible for sure, and trust me, that's exactly what 'they' mean.They tend to see our previous population and consumption explosion as a major net gain for humanity which has lifted a large percentage of people out of poverty and into higher quality of life conditions. All true. Well... except at what cost? The burning of fossil fuels is a perfect analogy for that mentality. It is singlehandedly responsible for an incredible quality of life boost across the world, but at what cost? It could also become known as having singlehandedly rendered our planet inhabitable, should we fail to address its cost.The same is true of efforts to reverse population decline in advanced countries, the cost could be the entire thing.We still need to absorb the consumption growth of billions of people in developing nations who also want large homes and multiple cars and toys and etc. just like we have. It will take decades for that to stabilize before they too experience demographic shifts.
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| 2,984 |
Pros and Cons of South Harlem Condo. Is there a numerical typo in the Cons?:PROSBuilding residents foster their own community with frequent get-togethers and a WhatsApp group. There are Central Park views from every window.CONSBasement storage costs $7,500 to $31,250 per unit, and parking spots start at $200,000, plus a monthly maintenance fee.
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| 5,512 |
Maybe visions for our own again should be "aspirational" (not "desperational")My brother, a former stand-up comic, used to say he wanted to live to 100 and for his deathbed words to be, “Ladies, that was wonderful!”I have my own aspirational aging vision: "Park-tag 100”: at my 100th birthday party, I'm going to chase my GREAT-grand-kids around the playground in a sweaty, vigorous, laugh and love-filled game of tag. “Park-tag” used to be our three kids and my favourite game to play together. More often than not other kids would ask to join in. So much fun- we all came home sweaty, exhausted, and laughing. “Park-tag 100” captures, for me, not only the goal of a long-life but more importantly, the reason for it being worthwhile: a high level of functional fitness (strength, endurance, balance, agility), no disabling pain, inter-generational familial connectedness (especially with children), goofy fun, playfulness, laughter, engagement with others, and a willingness to be slightly “weird” and not act your age. Parks are outside, generally in nature, free and open to all. I cheerfully admit my odds of success of getting there at less than 10%. But hey, why not aim high with an inspiring vision for your old age? “Park-tag 100” motivates me to get my butt out of bed and moving every morning. “Shuffleboard 65”? Not so much. P.S. First grand-child is due in about 85 days- 8 weeks before my 60th birthday. So far, so good!
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| 1,662 |
Franchising is already one of the most overregulated industries out there. If you operate a typical franchise system you need an army of lawyers to comply with 50 different state laws. If the FTC wanted to come in and supersede those under a new federal regime, I bet it would be welcomed.In any event, investing in a franchise is a lot different than owning your own business. And so you have to read that tediously long franchise agreement very carefully as it will be enforced like any other contract--to its letter. The guiding principle is that franchisor is going to try to run the overall brand in a way that maximizes profits for all franchisees and helps the franchisor expand by selling more franchises. If you don't want to be micromanaged by the franchise home office, you need to consider a different business model.And as for private equity ownership or the concept of a franchise business more generally, sure corporate brand homogenization has its pros and cons. It is not news to report that McDonald's has 13,000 franchises in the U.S. and the fries taste the same at every single one. And the franchisees literally pay McDonald's to make sure it stays that way.
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| 5,381 |
The Sussex whine fest started in Africa where, representing Britain and the monarchy, exorbitantly funded by British taxpayers, and surrounded by crowds of African people living without any privilege whatsoever, Meghan chose to focus on her own "suffering." Harry's "confidence" derives not from any truth to his allegations but from a narcissistic fixation on the narrative he and Meghan have invented. Oblivious to their own inconsistencies, twisting of facts, outright lies, hypocrisy, ignorance, and complete absence of empathy, they revel in the idea of themselves as the most progressive, enlightened, and charitable people on the planet. Literally everything unpleasant in their lives is someone else's fault. They self-righteously spew far more venom than they've ever had to endure yet continue to believe they deserve apologies all around. They go nuclear then blame everyone else for the radiation.There is nothing radical or admirable about betraying one's brother, one's family, one's heritage and ultimately one's country. And there is something fundamentally wrong with a society that rewards it with an estimated $100 million.
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| 3,477 |
Albert Jackson - Blame the US government for spending almost a year on $1 trillion military budget and billions in foreign aids when many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.
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| 9,756 |
Dorothy quite right, I was thinking of this as I read through the letter. When I was just out of college, I needed a loan to cover first/last month's rent on an apartment. I borrowed $400 from my uncle/aunt. I was a naïve 23-year-old. When I gave my aunt a check for $800 to repay the loan, she refused it, saying "We gave up on that already." I was crushed. Never felt the same about her/him after that. Realized I had a limited understanding of the complexities of people and relationships. Good learning experience for me.
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| 8,124 |
There was a news story recently about Ukraine developing a $3,000 drone that could destroy a $3,000,000 Russian tank. It reminds me of the 1415 Battle of Agincourt. Heavily armed and armored French cavalry, with support from crossbow infantry, were defeated by an English force of lightly armed infantry with longbows, supported by cavalry.
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Kat Perkins , Both parties are pawns to PE. Chuck Shumer and Kristen Sinama are both in PE's corner with their support of the "Carried Interest" tax rate PE partners pay on their fees. When Hillary Clinton said, "You need a public position on an issue and a private position" she was referring to telling the voters she was against the "Carried Interest" tax rate, while at the same time telling the PE players, she is fine with it and would do nothing to change it. Both parties are playing the game and carrying PE's water. When Mitt Romney who made his money in PE doing leveraged buyouts with Bain had what one of these deals business model is, supposedly said "That's crazy". He then went onto make millions doing them.
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| 4,876 |
Jaco Two myths about Republicans:1. They want small government2. They are fiscally responsible"The national debt rose by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office." Covid was not to blame, welfare for the rich contributed to it."Trump departed the White House with the largest peacetime budget deficit in American history, and a national debt exceeding 100 percent of the economy for the first time since World War II.""The three largest U.S. trade deficits in history were on Trump's watch." Source: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenroberts/2021/01/14/trumps-trade-deficit-legacy-three-largest-in-history-in-four-years/?sh=7bb350aa5ba0" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenroberts/2021/01/14/trumps-trade-deficit-legacy-three-largest-in-history-in-four-years/?sh=7bb350aa5ba0</a>
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Benjamin Teral All of the jobs you've listed for this necessary migratory return are contracting or disappearing. Bus drivers? Heli-mom picks up and drops off the tots every day, in long bumper-to-bumper lines of idling, polluting SUVs in front of K-12s across the country. Cooks? The restaurant business is still reeling from Covid in most places. New restaurant openings (risky in the best of times) are pretty well frozen. Lots of newly empty office buildings means less potential-diner foot traffic in downtowns. Retail? Like at those thriving shopping malls? Items that are neither highly technical nor perishable can just be ordered online and delivered. Drones and self-driving vehicles will accelerate this trend. Personal trainers? The gym or spinning class is virtual now; fewer trainers are needed in discrete brick-and-mortar spaces. Real estate? Starting to level off, even in previously hot markets. There are only so many fantastically rich people buying places in SF or Seattle. Between AI and ever-intensifying wealth concentration, a massive jobs contraction is coming. There won't be that many in-person service jobs to return or downgrade to. All of those broken blue-collar workers who were deindustrialized in the 70s and 80s just drank themselves into a stupor in front of the TV until it was casket time -- but looking ahead I'm not so sure that all of the abruptly obsolete white collar folks of the mid-to-late 2020s are going to be so calm about about it.
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Elie Levine every day it seems to me that many of the Hive suggestions are mutually contradictory, but…For a start I have seen suggestions about the Game and those for changes in the Forum. Some of the suggestions are low hanging fruits, others would require more IT investment. Those could be the main facets of a taxonomy.e.g some titivation of the Forum should be easily done (changing “Hi busy bees” to “Hi, busy bees” e.g).But consistency with the names of the pages and where the links end up on ALL platforms, browser, and Apps, would really be welcome, to NOOBs and those who help them navigate. Why Hints in the menu, Answers in the URL title, but Spelling Bee Forum as the page title?Differences in functionality in the Apps and in the browser cause much angst. The series “Apps Behaving Badly”, featuring Stats and Yesterday’s words, is always a hit in the Hive.For the game, the “big one” will always be the word list. Some consider selection necessary, others are unwilling to suffer ANY truncation of words. Others want word swapping (“i don’t know that nasty word, let me use this lovely word I do know instead”). As a Watcher you will see the sore points, just providing a comment here, and follow it up with a recommendation to Sam, would be helpful. Words ARE added, they must be seen to be added.Basically, if the NYT still has a professional librarian on staff, ask them to help collect and organise the suggestions. GOOD luck
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I appreciated and enjoyed this tale and it made me think back to 2020 when a major American-based producer of outdoor wear adopted a policy whereby it would not support the oil and gas industries, likening the move to its stance of not investing in the tobacco and porn industries. The company refused an order for 400 outdoor jackets that were to be purchased by an energy company and to have the energy company's logo on the jackets.The blowback from the oil and gas industry was immediate, with commentary to the outdoor wear manufacturer pointing out that (a) the manufacturer's products were made up of a high percentage of oil/gas derivatives (polymers and plastics), and (b) the manufacturer's products were used in many outdoor activities that could not be possible if it weren't for oil/gas derivatives.My takeaway from this article is that anyone can contribute to reducing the use and waste of plastic materials. I also had a good laugh at the extremes to which the journalist went to avoid plastic.
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It’s not easy money—PE firms are notorious for investing in regulated and highly matrixed industries not realizing the complexity. These industries are attractive because the underlying models are real estate plays, which are where much of the expertise in PE firms lie. This honestly sounds like a case of a poorly ran franchise that’s getting cleaned up. The alternative to PE buyouts is bankruptcy.
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| 8,261 |
I've been using Restasis, made by Allergen, for probably 15 years. The patent just expired. It's a common drug (cyclosporine ophthalmic solution) in a novel use. The cost would be prohibitive if my doctor had not shown me how to make it last 3-4 times as long as the instructions state. Even so, when I buy it, I must pay a deductible (this year, over $500) plus a copay. I also use Vtama, a new psoriatic medication. One prescription cost almost $1700 and it's not on the formulary. Even on GoodRx, it costs almost $1500. Yes, there are patient assistance programs, but that's not the point. The point is that companies charge ridiculous prices for drugs and then make a minor change in order to prolong their patents. Meanwhile, patients like me suffer.
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To summarize what other posters have been saying: people judge the economy mostly by their more frequent expenses: groceries, and rent. Gas is known to fluctuate up and down, so we discount the good news (we know at some point it will rise again). Also the stock market is a number that I'd imagine is important to many (i.e., their portfolio is affected more by its value than by GDP).What numbers stick out the most in my head: the Halal guy on the corner just raised his price of a gyro from $6 to $7 (and it was $5 for years before the hike last year to $6). Also, CostCo's soda at the concession stand went from $0.59 to $0.69: these are 17% increases.Last, I was using renewable energy sources for my electricity, and that went up: are there shortages of solar and wind? I thought these prices were supposed to drop over time as pricepoint to deploy these technologies lessened.
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Obama was ridiculous to cave rather than mint a trillion-dollar coin.If Biden is using Obama as an idol, he better stop doing so now.
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| 9,179 |
Republican "starve the beast" strategy is cynical and disingenuous in the aims of succeeding as a self-fulfilling prophecy, not to mention their inability to actually ever spend less money. But after living 20 years in NY State and City, it's been apparent to me for quite sometime that Democratic deployment of good intentions that cloak patronage jobs, special interest governance, untold billions in waste, and ineffective bureaucracy leads to the same results.I'm no great defender of Mayor Adams, but after 8 years of De Blasio blowing up budgets, growing future deficits, and bad State political leadership for the foreseeable future, it's not like there's a good answer here. What I do know is that chasing the rich people out of town and demanding a racial justice and equity branch of city government bureaucracy (seriously, voters?) are not the answers.UPK can be a godsend for some but probably can't be trusted or terribly effective in the hands of New York politicians, especially in a time of shrinking tax receipts and a shrinking school system. We benefitted from UPK at our religious preschool and I am forever grateful, but it always felt fleeting in a city where the mayor's wife could make $1 billion for mental health disappear in the blink of an eye and where the existing public school system gets worse with each and every passing year.
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Hints APIndifference(6)EYCanines in upper jaw(8)HAContent(5)HYLaugh sounding dog-like animal(5) Intense publicity(4)Mark between two last names(9)Place mark between two last names(9)NAAu pair(5)Smart and fashionable(5)NEEarth toilet or open meshed fabric(5)PAFemale lower undergarment(5)Tropical orange fruit with black seeds(6) Father(5)Shape of hamburger(5)Recipient of funds(5)PERelated to mulch(5)One cent(5)Lively and high spirited(5)Trivial(5)TAShabby(5)TEExtremely small(5)THPeople in general pronoun(4)TYPrinted letters or variety(4)YADog bark(5)YEAffirmative slang(4)Female busybody(5)Female gossip(5)
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I don’t like Republicans, what rational human does?On the other hand repeatedly writing about them and hoping they might change just seems a huge waste of time.Instead we need to move Democrats to become more like Democrats should be.More like their counterparts in Europe, that is to say, more concerned about the huge majority of Americans who work, want to work, or who cannot for physical or mental health reasons.I think, most will agree, the wealthy already have enormous power over the government and what we need is for Democrats to fight back and give the majority some voice in determining the distribution of tax dollars.The 850 billion the military received this year with, my guess, little to no accountability just doesn’t seem right when most Americans are struggling to keep food on the table, pay bills and keep themselves and their families healthy and sane.
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Hothouse flower Actually I think that 700k probably had murkier origins, it looks like easy come easy go money which would indicate the proceeds of crime of some sort to me, ponzi scheme, fraud, money laundering etc.
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Robert Connors I READ THAT NEARLY $170 Billion owed the IRS is annually not collected from the super-rich because Republicans DEFUNDED THE IRS!Republican ANT-GOVERNMENTALISM is OUT OF CONTROL.Government is the only friend a common person has in the world of the powerful rich. TAKE IT BACK!
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"as Russia loses its war in Ukraine" More fantasy. Fact: US spending over $100 billion on a war we have no interest in and the US Congress refused to add tracking of the where the last $45Billion will be spent.
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cds333- I’m a little more sympathetic to LW3’s situation. My kind, well-intentioned M-i-L is cut from the same cloth, and sneaking around making off-hour sandwiches isn’t as easy as you might think (especially in an open-plan house!). I get by by trying to see the humor in it and fortunately my husband and his brother aren’t too worried about tiptoeing around hurt feelings, but when you’re dealing with a woman who has been caught red handed pouring fat free, sugar free, hazelnut Coffeemate into an infant’s bottle because she “couldn’t find where you put the formula,” blithely serves still-raw poultry, and whose adult sons’ favorite dinner is “pick a pasta,” which involves assorted jars of room temp., shelf stable, store bought pasta sauces placed in the table for self service any visit >24 hours takes a psychic and gastrointestinal toll.
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Privatization is the bane of modern America.Thanks to the GOP, these firms are free to prey on every citizen in every aspect of their lives. If you don’t like it, you can fight it out in court to the tune of $300,000.Vote, then show up and protest.
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Tolly a lot of those big clamshell packaging that are almost impossible to open are for loss prevention and the stores are trying to reduce theft.
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I wish someone with money can invest and put it on broadway. If it’s on screen for 27 years and it can make it here in NY and elsewhere for 1/2 of that it would be a great investment.
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| 5,645 |
Dear NYT:President Biden has long bloviated about his commitment to civil rights and the legacy of Dr. King, claiming -- falsely -- that he attended Black church as a young man, fought apartheid and was detained in South Africa trying to free Nelson Mandela, marched for civil rights alongside MLK and worked to desegregate our public schools.The facts are starkly different. Biden is a career politician, an opportunist who has has always raced to the front of any victory parade, exhibiting a Zelig-like ability to exploit whatever message is winning the day. As his own vice president pointed out, in her famous "girl on the bus" attack, Biden gained political power while sponsoring anti-busing legislation and was chummy with segregationists like Strom Thurmond. Biden championed the 1994 crime bill, that provided for 100,000 new police officers and $9.7 billion in funding for prisons, which led to the arrest and incarceration of millions of Black men serving crimes for drug offenses.Lately, Biden has adopted the divisive "Jim Crow II" rhetoric of the Marxist race theorists, who reject MLK's most famous plea -- for color blind equality. Where do we go from here?For Joe Biden, it all depends on which way the wind is blowing.
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1.6 million is an obscenely small fine for this crime.
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Sam Bankman-Fried appears to have conned thousands of people out of billions of dollars. Hanging out in a lovely home in Palo Alto. George Floyd appears to have tried to pass a counterfeit $20. Executed on the spot.And people on this thread are sympathetic to poor SBF? An extraordinarily privileged man, continuing to enjoy his privileges. He deserves exactly zero sympathy at this juncture.
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If crypto survives it's winter, then it will survive. We'll know when we know. But a few points to provoke some serious thought:Everyone owns NFT's. They're called stocks and bonds, which only exist as ledger entries. Yes, but..but nothing. A stock is an asset which has no physical manifestation, and a price set by the market. So the idea isn't as bizarre as it seems.Next, the blockchain is an interesting invention with no real use. It's too slow to substitute for traditional ledgers in commerce or banking. It's too open to provide anything more than an illusion of privacy. And too accident prone to trust as a secure store. It's expensive to operate. So get it out of your head that the tech can be separated from the hype. Weak in concept, weak in implementation.Next, understand that the purpose is to separate government from monetary oversight. But so far, there's no evidence that the pimple faced kids in the valley can do a much better job.Finally, the nexus between crypto and the real world are the banks that the crypto community hates. They are the only gateway where real money can be transitioned in or out of the crypto ecosystem. The thing to watch are stable coins, which theoretically track to real money. This requires them to maintain cash reserves. A run on a stable coin can easily spill over into the real banking system. The collapse of Luna probably hurt some bank, somewhere. Someday a bigger collapse will produce a more painful hit.
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| 897 |
I’m reminded of ichiro Suzuki, another generational talent who did continue with baseball, but who also hated his father for being so hard on him to make him great. If Kim has a good relationship with his father now, then it shows that golf just caused more pain for him in a strained relationship back then. He probably just wanted a normal relationship with his dad. Quitting would be the only way his dad would respect him as a man. Sitting on $20 mil helps too.
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| 6,955 |
It's not "a tie game". The money spent by the Democrats is very different from the money spent by the GOP.The GOP has spent money to enrich the oligarchs primarily, and to defund the New Deal, the best and most popular set of government programs in the nation's history.The Democrats have spent money mostly to fix the economic catastrophes caused by, or worsened by, the unfunded tax-cutting by the GOP. The Democrats get "credited" for spending that was forced on them by the GOP and their policies. The Democrats have continually tried to raise more taxes to fund the needed spending, and it has always been blocked by the GOP.The debt was more manageable before Reagan and Grover Norquist and the tax-cutting obsession the GOP became consumed by. The nation did very well when the super-rich were taxed more, when corporations were taxed more, and it has done worse when they've been taxed less. That's the simple truth.Calling the debt expansion an equal blame proposition is tacitly buying into Voodoo Economics and the GOP propaganda about the efficacy of tax cuts.
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semiphore Are you kidding me? You are calling 10k AFTER TAXES not "nice"?Sheeeesh... the disconnect from reality here is astounding.I've been laid off 3 times in my career and gone through a company bankruptcy. In the layoffs my pre tax and post tax severance was the same: $0. In the bankruptcy I got promised 6 weeks paid out during regular payroll. Got 1 check then they stopped after filing chapt 11. Didn't see that money till almost 5 years later. They also gave me health insurance for the remainder of the year. But blue cross blue shield retroactively took that back a year later retroactively for procedures I already had done, and they already paid out. You are in an incredible bubble my friend.
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Herb, Doubtful that the $625,000 was hard-earned or completely clean.
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| 5,961 |
This!Seeing the ocean for the first time.Falling in love, especially the first time. Seeing Denali the first timeBecoming a parent.Seeing the Milky Way the first time. Flying for the first time. SCUBA diving in reef and/or sunken ship for the first timeSkiing off a cliff and landing it. Sky diving.Running a marathonWhite water rafting in a slot canyon.Hanging your head of a 3000' cliff for an extend period.Seeing Manhattan for the first time. Looking our of sky scraper in a city center in a metropolis of 20+ millionAll awe inspiring. All have diminishing returns of awe the more often you do it. And yet I strongly feel that one of the great daily experience of awe which most people used to experience now being a thing of the past, seeing the milky way, has a direct correlation between increased rates anxiety and depression. Getting a daily does of awe, even a lessor awe, is now mostly in the purview of the rural poor and the wealthy. Most people in the world live in urban areas. Most of the world's urban areas are polluted, both with light and in the natural areas in their vicinity. Access to unpolluted nature now largely requires a trip. Suburban areas with clean nature (but still polluted light) is out of the budget of most urban residents. Most people can't take a trip very often.
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| 4,612 |
Had to laugh when I read this article because it is so detached from the reality of who is building ADUs and who will live in them after they are completed. Where I live - in Seattle - most of the new detached housing units in formerly single family zones seems to be large upscale DADUs (detached ADUs), not the small affordable ADUs mentioned in the article . We have one going up right next to us on property owned by an investor that's 2 stories, about 1300 square feet and it entirely fills the former back yard up to the property line. Guessing that it will cost $300-$600k to build, given current Seattle construction costs.This isn't designed for an owner who wants to house their aging parents; it's designed for an investor who wants to maximize the income on their property. It will probably sell for well over $500k or rent out at an equally unaffordable price. Of course, the article doesn't even mention any of this and it does make we wonder if it was ghost written by a real estate developer.
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| 3,653 |
Imagin, an investment lured by annual returns of 16 percent being a fraud. Hard to feel sorry for Mr. Intrater. However, congress is no place for a fraudster like Mr. Santos.
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| 6,514 |
Whatever one thinks about animal sentience, factory farms or climate change, we bypass meat not to get political virtue, but all the carbohydrates and proteins in all the corn and soybeans the cow will otherwise turn into carbon dioxide and water before we eat it. That’s more than two thirds of the food the plants originally made, and we have to fertilize those crops with ammonia from the Haber-Bosch process after plowing the land they grow on with diesel-powered tractors.Tofu does let you eat soybeans almost directly as a cheese-like product stored under water in Tupperware. With some brands under $2 a pound, it can bypass the political virtue that tends to make “correct” foods more expensive—the beans themselves were $7 a pound dry roasted. All the doctors say it’s good for the heart, and soybean plants add nitrogen to the soil to bypass the inorganic fertilizer. If only the plastic wrappers could be eliminated…
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| 9,379 |
Socrates A big myth is the Republican party is corrupt while the Democrats are on the side of the little guy and only accept 100's of millions from donors so they can fight for the little guy.Both parties are corrupt and big money people own both parties. If you are going to blame the Republicans of today for the Great Depression, it's only fair to give them credit for ending Democratic slavery with Lincoln. Of course, that is equally silly.
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| 6,933 |
“The entire case was driven by greed,” Justice Merchan."...plead guilty to scheming to defraud, grand larceny, conspiracy and tax fraud" and "paid...$2 million in taxes, penalties and interest that he owed...""...consequential felony convictions...", DA Alvin Bragg.How consequential?"Mr. Weisselberg... "had been facing years in prison. Under a plea deal, he agreed to testify TRUTHfully in exchange for a punishment that, with good behavior, might last no more than 100 days."Oh, you mean being truthful earns me a serious slap on the wrist? Whaddya wanna know? Er, without me implicating my boss, I mean.Just another day in our legal (not justice) system.
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| 2,633 |
Hunter Greer -- "...convert Medicaid in block grants which will cut healthcare spending. "That's a breathtakingly unsupported statement. Please elaborate on just -how- that is supposed to work.BTW, I get TurboTax for $59 at Costco, you might shop around for it - it is often on sale this time of year. I'm not 'poor', but $800 is more than 'pocket change' for -this- "middle-class" taxpayer. I need every sale price I can get. I do somehow still seem to spend $100 every time I go to Costco though. :-(Trump did his big "Tax Reform" when he fully controlled both sides of Congress - he certainly -could- have pushed for "low tax rates with almost no deductions." So why didn't that happen...? I think you're fooling yourself about what Republicans and Trump really want to do with taxes - which is exactly what they did - focused 85% of the tax reduction on the top single-digit percent of the highest-income individuals, and corporate taxpayers.The result is that more wealth is concentrating in those few individuals, corporations are paying a smaller percentage of federal revenues, and corporate profits (and stock buybacks) are at record levels. As a side note, the deficit jumped by about 40% the year after Trump's great 'pay for itself' "Tax Reform" passed.Republicans and Trump did *exactly* what they wanted to with taxes, and it wasn't "low tax rates with almost no deductions." They've always been for lower taxes for the rich, even if they have to cut -everything- for us.
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| 9,139 |
The American economy is based war--on the 800 billion annual war budget. Wars bring huge profits to the military industrial complex and related sectors (e.g. energy corporations). Each war brings them bigger profits. These profits enable them to increase their "contributions" to pro war politicians, bringing then more power. They use this power to justify even more wars that will bring them even more profits and power. There is no way out of the vicious militarist cycle. Peace groups are infiltrated and disrupted. Dissenting voices for peace are denounced as disloyal.
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| 1,283 |
Selfies seem empty. A false smile created to make others feel they are missing out. I have taken a few myself but as a photographer, looking out at the open sky, the clouds, forests, cities and oceans is so thrilling, i don't think of myself. I think of how spectacular our planet is. And when doing a portrait of another soul, i imagine Sargent at the canvas and the light and the colors and shapes. I feel fulfilled by capturing something lovely and think not for a moment of me. What a relief!
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| 6,670 |
Part IAL• AL(5)? First letter of the Hebrew alphabet• He boasted of having an AL(5) personality, and felt he was the top dog in any group. Then he got a girlfriend… AP• NAME the classic movie: The French police captain was AP(6)ed and shocked to learn that there was gambling going on in Rick’s Café, although he was pleased when they handed him a large bag containing his winnings. • The Red Cross is making an AP(6) to the community, asking people to donate blood as there is a scarcity of blood and plasma due to the pandemic.• The professor explained to the first-year law class that the AP(8) is “the party against whom the AP(6) is filed and who responds to and defends the AP(6). The girl nudged the person next to her: “is that spelled with one or two ‘p’s’ and one or two ‘l’s’?”• She was the AP(5) of her daddy’s eye, but he still bought her an android phone.EP• The student answered quickly: “An EP(4),” he said, “is a fencing or dueling sword… with a bowl-shaped hand guard and a blunted tip.” “Touché,” replied the teacher. HE • He insisted on adding two HE(4)ing teaspoons of sugar to every cup of coffee he drank. What a sweetie.• Today’s Beatles Earworm: “I need somebody, (HE(4)), not just anybody…”LA• He always wore a half-open red rose in his suit LA(5), declaring his availability to anyone interested.LE• Do you look before you LE(4)? Frankly, I prefer to walk around. You?
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| 2,372 |
Good question. The answer is that Johnson was at Davos last week, collects more than £100,0000 per speech, and still had to ask for an £800,000 loan. (So much for Tory “austerity.”)
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| 3,817 |
I feel a little sheepish about “claiming” that all Republicans want to gut the social safety net but then I remember how I’ve been saddled over the years with accusations that all Dems are “Coastal Elites” who want “Death Panels”, “Open Borders”, to “Defund the Police” and “Abortion on Demand”, none of which allows for nuance or even a fair assessment of motives. So, if turn about is fair play, bring on the apocalyptic wordplay of dead grandmas, higher copays and dwindling SS payments.
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| 1,512 |
Col. J.D. Ripper Saudi Arabia , like Israel, is a significant source of funding for many NGOs. If you’re looking for donations, most people would think of places with lots of money as a good place to start.
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| 5,129 |
American Airlines is a crooked company, and I will never fly them again. The last international trip I booked, I paid over $100 to buy insurance in case anything happened. Something did happen, and when I tried to get the ticket refunded, they informed me that I had to go through a third party called Allianz. When I contacted Allianz, I was told that I would need to submit all kinds of paperwork - I don’t even have the list right now if what they asked for, but I assure you it was entirely unreasonable. I soon learned this is was a common scam on American, and that it was virtually impossible to file a claim under this swindler program. Disgusting!!!
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| 5,331 |
Job creation in the last report has exceeded expectations from economists. This is no surprise and reflects the fundamental resilience and robustness of the US economy. Even now, the chances are that economists are underestimating the tight labor market, and job creation. They expected 200,000 new jobs the last time and 225,000 got created.That number might get revised upward in coming months.To be sure, high tech jobs have suffered slightly lately.There have been no mass layoffs and almost everybody in tech has a job,though the headlines may be alarming sometimes. These cuts are because of herd mentality and cost cutting. The fed rate hikes are taking bite, and pressuring profit margins. Big companies received huge tax cuts in 2017, and if they are still getting those now they should be creating jobs and investing in their businesses.If they are not creating jobs, there is no reason the companies should still be receiving the tax cuts,and the tax cuts don't work-and in fact the tax cuts only made the ultrawealthy richer. Big tech companies saw their stocks soar in the last 12 years. They should have been prepared for a temporary downturn at some stage with the excess fat they accumulated,and there is no justification for laying off people. But unfortunately, the CEOs keep their big packages,and let the recent hires go to 'trim fat'. At some point the fed will stop raising rates-which are still low by historical standards. Opportunities for tech have never been better.
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| 4,815 |
Two thoughts:1. The debt contemplated by those who enacted the Fourteenth Amendment was for the Civil War, not to fund a worldwide military empire, trillions in pork barrel projects, and trillions more in vote-buying transfer payments. For US debt to have "validity", it must have been accrued for "valid" purposes. For the most part, our current $31 trillion has not been, nor is the debt contemplated by the current fiscal year's budget.2. The tri-metal standard (not a true "gold standard", as the original Coinage Act denominated money based on silver and copper in addition to gold, so as to facilitate transactions of lesser value, i.e. "penny candy") had previously instilled discipline on federal spending. Again, the Civil War provided an excuse to temporarily go off that standard, but it was re-established - along with balanced budgets - soon after. Save for some creative accounting in the Clinton era, the last balanced budget was in 1969, just prior to the "Nixon Shock" that ended any vestiges of a metal standard. Since then the Federal Reserve has monetized our deficits and debt, and that 5 cent Hershey bar is now a dollar, and an eight cent stamp is now more than 50 cents. Meanwhile the minimum wage, whose purchasing power peaked in 1968 even though the wage was only $1.25/hr, has seen its value halved.The fiscal and monetary discipline of a balanced budget and a monetary policy tied to GDP go hand in hand and will obviate the need for endless debt ceiling debates.
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| 6,250 |
irina And maybe the entire simulation was run, all 13 billion years worth, just for that one fortuitous moment. Some super being got a little chuckle out of that before lunch.
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| 7,575 |
Man, the factual errors in this article are a dead giveaway that someone went to Oslo, and paid no attention at all.1. Spikersupper is actually "spikersuppa". 2. Åpent is actually called "åpent bakeri". It literally means open bakery because they showed the behind of the bakery as part of their gimmick. The quality of åpent bakeri has also declined significantly in the past ten years. You're much better off buying a loaf of bread, butter and some Norwegian brown cheese in a supermarket. That will at least be a different experience.3. Oslo is much more than Edward Munch when it comes to art. Go the Astrup Fearnley museum instead for contemporary art, or head into any church for some amazing ceiling art.4. You write about public saunas without mentioning that you can buy fresh shrimp from the trawlers (yes, they cook them onboard) for a stupendously fresh seafood meal. Just head to Aker Brygge.I think I got some of my Norwegian-ness out of my system here. But basically, do not follow this guide if you want to have a good time in Oslo. Better to do your own research.
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| 941 |
As it seems the NCAA is admitting that "student athletes" are essentially employees, it seems only fair that they start being treated as such. As university staff and faculty are prohibited from individually profiting from anything which comes about as a result of university investment in property or other resources, such as inventing a medicine or developing a new technology, its only fair the same apply to student athlete employees. As such they should be expected to return the roughly 90% of benefits they are recieving from such deals which they are not entitled to. This remainder of 10% is roughly what any other person at the university would earn on any similar deal if they utilized any university resources such as time, infrastructure, name or anything else.
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| 1,138 |
The box office results in the theatrical specialized film market are in near moribund condition. Therefore, the bad news for filmmakers, agents and producers at Sundance is: movies are likely to sell cheaper than ever due to these theatrical troubled times--far from the rich box office market conditions last seen about 3 years ago when the specialized film culture was robust. Ironically, the major studios probably did the most to kill the specialized market and even the commercial market as well with releases of movies by streaming only and especially with, what the studios saw as the Golden Goose, simultaneously streaming in homes and releasing movies in theaters on their opening day--Scarlett Johansonn disputed this model with Disney over Black Beauty.The streaming business model clearly didn't and doesn't work other than destroying a proven theatrical paradigm. For over 100 years, theatrical releases of movies have effected the greatest marketing result of all: embeding a film in popular culture and even history enriching its ancillary markets indefinitely--consider Gone With The Wind, The Godfather, Casablance, Rocky.Sony Studios's recent past releases and Top Gun prove the old theatrical model of opening moves in theaters first, well before streaming, still works and drives in audiences to theaters and vast monies into box offices.
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| 4,432 |
What "left"? Because of the absence of feudalism in America, there has never been a serious left in the U.S. In America, there is no duopoly of parties: "Republican" and "Democrat" as political scientists denote them. Both are parties funded by the wealthy, the corporations and the banks. There is only one party, a monopoly, the party of $$$$. There is no left in America, and there never will be a left. There is only greed and socialism for the rich.
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| 4,647 |
I admit I don't understand the ins and outs of big business, but $83 BILLION in net income translates into $8.3 MILLION for each employee being laid off. And you can't afford to keep them on? Huh?
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| 821 |
100 million for a Charleston museum! I wish we could get beyond the virtue signaling especially when there’s so many sacred places that could use 100 million to secure a rain forest or keep a species from going extinct. We’re in the year 2023, it’s not the 50’s and never will be.Stop throwing money at political projects that could be used in a more effective way.
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| 9,103 |
Biden and Trump again, something I desperately hope will not happen. I am not nearly as impressed with president Biden as some of my fellow liberals. Nor his handling of the Vice Presidents role in his administration. I’m no fan of Harris but that doesn’t change the fact that Biden and his staff of “loyalists” have failed to use her in a way that would enhance her credibility and influence. I believe this is deliberate and part of this ridiculous narrative that this old man is fit to run for a second term in office. I personally didn’t want him for president and find him mediocre at best. Now that the MAGA extremists are in charge of the House of Representatives the impact of Biden being a lame duck for the next two years is no longer an issue. This opens up the possibility of another viable candidate getting ready to confront either a weakened Trump or his likely successor DeSantis. The old people running the party leadership need to move on to the elder advisory role (& I say this as someone in his mid sixties) and let some fresh ideas and air into the political process. The years ahead are going to be challenging for the nation and the world, I’m not going to be part of it for much longer and neither are people like Biden. Sorry but that’s the truth and being angry with the messenger won’t change anything.
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| 9,305 |
Now the games begin, the gauntlet has been laid down. The EU saw the data that (UK) Airfinity used to declare that China is going to be awash in deaths in the near term and decided for self-preservation rather than diplomatically appeasing the wounded Chinese leaders. The results from Milan (50% China arrivals infected) and Hong Kong (tremendous surges 48% ) shows that heavy outbreaks could be on the horizon if the doors are left open and the EU knows that it can't take the risk. It was a very prudent decision.China will practically surely present some subterfuge but the EU and all the West must also start to require sealed containers of the urine containers from all flights with stops in China. All questionable arrivals should be required to resubmit to either Urine or PCR tests and be subject to being sent back in case of failure or hospitalization at guest expense. This may seem tough but the alternative is that receiving countries have to accept enormous costs or liability.China is not being transparent as to full disclosure of cases nor will it become so, so the west has to do what protects the west.
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| 2,683 |
Wow, $200 billion! I bet that is close to the amount of money we will ultimately giving the Ukraine (or rather, the gang in charge of Ukraine) Now I KNOW we are serious about Chip making!
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| 1,163 |
LucyDog ps read her bio. So cool in early through mid 80s, I lived in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse neighborhood. My first job after college. I was cursed because I couldn't afford air conditioning, but blessed because famous Curtis was my neighbor literally. I knew symphonic and vocal geniuses were my neighbors and their practice sessions went 24/7 voices instruments would just cascade through our hood. I was product of America's first post-war education innovation failure called open space, so I came out of middle and high school culturally and academically at a disadvantage, but my parents did their best to counter and I have just spent past forty years in catch-up. And I do okay, I keep trying to catch up. Anyway living near Curtis opened my eyes big time especially those opera types. The opera students blew my mind. And shout out to my liberal arts college that took a chance on me.
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| 9,530 |
I'm astonished that either of you would consider Ron DeSantis "Trumpy without Trump." As David says, to paraphrase, DeSantis has zero social skills and thinks the media is his enemy. He is responsible for preventable deaths from Covid because of his open-for-business policies and his surgeon general, who doesn't believe in vaccines or masks. I lived in Florida during lockdown and when my mayor instituted a mask mandate, DeSantis revoked it (as well as for all municipalities). His stunt transporting asylum seekers to Martha's Vineyard was cruel, and his authoritarian rule over educational institutions ("Don't Say Gay" law, etc.) is even more so. The next time you write a column together please remove him from your discussion.
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| 7,588 |
Confidence in the nation's currency is of extreme importance. The US dollar is no longer collateralized by gold so individuals and countries who buy our treasury bills must be confident that the US can repay its debt. If confidence is lost because recalcitrant republicans refuse to cooperate, the consequences will be dire. The US Dollar serves as the world's reserve currency meaning most transactions across the world are based on the dollar. China is challenging the US for this envious position.But not to worry. Rep Boebert (who never graduated high school) sits on the budget committee and Republican George Santos is now in congress so Boebert is joined by a world class liar. What could possibly go wrong?
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| 5,256 |
Doug Terry part 1 Better any day than someone like Nancy Pelosi using here position to make hundreds of millions thru insider trading while she prints trillions of dollars! This money printing (that the Democrats did in the last 2 years) hurt Americans and costs them far more than any taxes ever did! But the Dems are also great at costing poor Americans alot in taxes as well! So they devalue the hard earned money in our pockets just so Nancy P can pay off her donors and gain votes from minorities and the poor! All of which don't understand that they've traded the value of the money in their pockets for trinkets and beads.. just like the Indians did! And they've done this over and over and it's only helped the rich get richer! Democrats talk about the Republicans helping the rich with their taxes yet none of this hurts the poor! In anything, this money goes back into creating more jobs for these people! Nothing the Republicans do hurt the poor a fraction of what money printing has done to them! Nothing Obama did, helped the poor! And certainly Biden hasn't helped the poor! For every bit of scraps Biden gave to the poor with one hand, he took them back 10 times with his other hand thru inflation! Democrats don't know how to build anything, they only know how to get elected thru fooling people into thinking they actually care about them! And they destroy the very foundation of our strength, just to gain the money they need, just to pay people off!
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| 9,243 |
Tahuaya Multiple semi-facts (fuzzy facts) in your statement require correction. for starters, Clinton DID balance the budget. However, deficits rose again under his watch thereafter (to the tune of $0.7T in 2000). His successor W (under whom 9/11 happened) managed to keep it under $1T the first year in office, but then blew it to $2T by the end of his first term presidency. So, we were at $2& in 2004. in 2023 we're at $32T and counting. Exactly HALF of this time was spent on Dem Presidents' watch. The Dems cannot claim innocence here.
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| 7,452 |
Cathy "Do your own research." That's exactly what a now 30-year-old family member said, a recent graduate, sadly, of a well-regarded private university. as his excuse, and his fiancées, for refusing to get vaccinated. They remain the only members of our families who have continued to refuse to do the simple, safe, effective, right thing. Terribly disheartening. Misguided partners in crime to the despicable Djokovic, who said on being denied a visa for last year's Australian Open: "They didn't even want to hear my opinion, my point of view." As if his "personal research" were just as valid as that of a scientist. Hilarious if not so tragic.
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| 4,114 |
When I think of Barnes & Noble, I envision a store open later than other businesses, crawling with browsers. Bookstores can be a social place to congregate. Absolutely, libraries providea similar service and it's free. But the hours are different.Hopefully, B&N doesn't eclipse the indies which are richwith their own literature often in small towns.
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| 1,586 |
We are having two, instead of three, children because our mortgage is about $400k as opposed to the $100k my parents took out. I make about the same amount my dad did, back in the 1990s, even with an advanced degree, and largely because I *can't* make more if I want to have some time with my children. Since we both work, we have been pay between $1200-2500 on childcare since our children were born over 7 years ago. That is the same amount my parents paid for private school and then for university. The economics of this whole endeavor are completely different. And apparently, our federal government has no interest in fixing it. No affordable childcare, no child tax credit, no loan forgiveness, no housing investment. Why would my children have their own children, unless it is easier than it has been for me?
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| 351 |
My Fellow Americans,Some of you believe that Ron DeSantis is the way out of this political mess, and a voice of reason.- He did not panic during COVID, and opened schools and businesses.- He doesn't believe 3rd Graders should be taught about transgender people.Ron DeSantis is not on "team normal".- He flew up to Pennsylvania to campaign for Doug Mastriano.- He was a founding member of the Freedom Caucus when he was in Congress. Along with Jim Jordan, et al.A President DeSantis would be America's Viktor Orban (Hungary, CPAC).
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| 1,904 |
Presumably am in the distinct minority with my view, but I'm getting increasingly concerned that with every demand made by the Ukraine and that is met with US approval, the nation is becoming increasingly more involved in this armed conflict. While I feel for the people for the Ukraine--no one deserves to be bombed out of home and heart, and, worse still, killed--I cannot help but wonder whether an African or Middle Eastern nation would have received the same amount of aid from the US as the Ukraine does. Just two nights ago I saw on TV the horrible image of a gallery owner gallery nonchalantly hosing down a homeless woman who had set up camp outside of his gallery. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it would cost $20 billion to entirely eliminate homelessness in the United States (source: <a href="https://www.globalgiving.org/learn/how-much-would-it-cost-to-end-homelessness-in-america/#:~:text=According" target="_blank">https://www.globalgiving.org/learn/how-much-would-it-cost-to-end-homelessness-in-america/#:~:text=According</a>%20to%20the%20Department%20of,a%20year%20on%20gym%20memberships.) The Kiel Institute for World Economy estimates that in 2022 the US has spent nearly 50 billion dollars in military, humanitarian, and financial aid to the Ukraine (source; <a href="https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker" target="_blank">https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker</a>/). Thus, 40% of the aid spent on the Ukraine war efforts would have spared that--literally and figuratively--poor woman the humiliation of being hosed down by an indecent fellow human being. Let that sink in for a minute.
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| 2,478 |
With patents costing around $20,000, the system is meant to be gamed by the rich to the detriment of the poor.
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| 6,186 |
Eric B Wordle 590 3/6*🟨🟨⬜⬜🟩 92/69/28⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 77/78/ 2🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 99/75Skill 88 Luck 74My second choice was very lucky and avoided a TotG trap.It might have been a two-fer if I had checked the list or previous solutions. I did check it later and found that my second choice had been a past answer. Checking the list while solving interrupts my thinking, but it may be a good idea if I want to improve my game. BTW, is anyone else skeptical about the Bot's two-fer in hard mode today?Congratulations to Leapfinger for an amazing deuce!Yesterday's Wordle 589 4/6* Skill Luck W/L⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 90 22 131 Ariel🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜ 82 50 6 Stoic⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 64 31 4 Minus 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 99 82 FishySkill 82 Luck 46A favorite opener provided just one vowel. The second guess was chosen to check for another vowel and the common "st" construction. The third choice was not popular with the Bot who commented that is was not a favorite, but it did reduce the field to just 4 words. I was lucky to pick the right one.Kudos to JackBNimble and Pennybeej for superb deuces!Happy Monday! Have a great week!
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| 9,181 |
Mark You forget that the Article I powers are broadly stated and that Art. 1 Section 8 further broadens those powers via the Necessary & Proper Clause. Finally, you forget that the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26 Amendments also provide Congress with additional authorities. Guess someone forgot to read the Constitution.You also falsely assume that a national government is like an individual in that they should only spend what they take in. First, why do you assume without argument that national governments are like individuals? In fact, we know they aren't. For example, most of us believe that individuals have no legal or moral right to imprison others. Yet, most accept that governments should do this. Second, basic economics demonstrates that in order to control our economy and further the public good, governments need to flexibility in times of war, recession, and depression to spend more than the they take in. Moreover, infrastructure investment often requires government to invest in the future.
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| 2,384 |
The Montefiore CEO makes over $6 million annually. He's not the only one making millions in the administration offices. They are not poor. They're corrupt and unethical. I'd hardly call them a nonprofit.
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| 8,793 |
J Here is one who says "Why did I come here? It was all a myth!" So now you can recall at least one. The only exceptional thing about US is the amount of money one can potentially make here. The ideals of freedom and opportunity expired a long time ago for majority of people. You can't be free if you cannot afford health care, can be shot in every imaginable place, like a church, and your vote matters much less in a higher population density area. Opportunity is available only for those who can afford it financially. Having the same money in many other places, including some European countries, affords much more freedom and opportunity. You just need to open your eyes.
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| 4,917 |
TL Obama signed the largest-ever “aid” package ($38 billion) to Israel. Biden followed up on it. If only other countries could be the victims of such hostility.
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| 8,655 |
Maybe for the 'come latelies' this is a big storm, but for folks who have lived there, this is not something new.When El Nino dumps in the Sierras...THAT, is a snow Storm! In '82-83 the area near Squaw Valley got 800 inches! 'Dumps' of 4-6+ feet happened about about 2x a month...we were living like snow moles, mimicing the great snow storms of the early 20th century - you may have seen these in historical photos.Homeowners were shoveling 3-5 feet of snow off their roofs, to prevent total collapse!We always had a good hearty Laugh at those CA flatlanders, driving to Tahoe on I 80 in the 'rain' ties, with flakes like silver dollars, blotting out visibility.Remember, was it last winter when I 80 was closed and all the hip techies turned to their google maps and ended up on closed roads, in the boondocks? Like I 80 is closed and some 1 1/2 rural lane road, was going to be OPEN??? Hellarious!Of course, down in the flatlands, we've seen how folks THOUGHT they had 'amphibious' cars...Any idea how folks became so....lame? (BTW: Mt Baker in WA has the record of 1100 inches of snow....keeping the smaller Mt St Helens-like volcano, sleeping!) Winter is great, if you respect Mother Nature; soooo many havent a clue, putting 1st Responders, at great risk! And 4 wheel drive, CAN keep you going straight, at a CAUTIOUS speed...not good, on icy curves!!
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| 9,047 |
Where do the Democrats find these people?Indoor air pollution is a real issue, but it can be addressed by requiring that stoves with gas burners have hoods with exhaust fans of sufficient capacity, and that there be a source of fresh air nearby, like an openable window. This is a building code issue, not a consumer product issue. Besides, anyone with an electric stove knows that food sometimes burns when its being cooked, as our smoke detectors are quick to tell us. Spills on electric stove elements are a common cause of indoor pollution. I suppose we’ll soon be banning these as well.
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no
| 4,124 |
Greg - There has been massive wealth redistribution in the last 40 years, but it hasn't been from the wealthy to the working or poor people. It has been from the average American upward toward the already obscenely rich. Before his recent mis-steps, Elon Musk was worth more than $250 billion. That's more than 250,000 millionaires combined! There are an elite class of multi-billionaires today, while the average workers make approximately the same in inflation-corrected dollars as they did 40 years ago. Given the skyrocketing GDP, where did all the additional billions & billions of dollars produced since 1981 go? They went right to the top.Economist Frederic Bastiat said in 1850, "When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living in society, they create for themselves, in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it."When asked why Republicans always campaign on issues & promises to help the ordinary Americans, but never deliver once in office, Eisenhower's Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, answered "... somehow we find it hard to sell our values, namely that the rich should plunder the poor."Republicans since Reagan keep showering corporations & the rich with massive permanent tax cuts & only temporary token cuts to the average workers. Each cut is followed NOT by increased gov't revenues, as the GOP promised, but by a recession as our debt rose. Redistribution of wealth upward is ok, just not downward!
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| 4,507 |
Jenn E Yes lucky 13! My special grandfather’s birthday was on the 13 th & my first law office ( solo female litigator - opened my own firm in NYC in the 80’s ) was in 13 th floor of the old Bowery Savings bank building across from Hyatt Hotel so it is a good luck number for me as well. Thank you for all of your bee help. I almost always get to genius on my own and I need your so very detailed hints to get me to queen bee but I must confess today’s puzzle ( not a fun one for me) I needed a few of your hints to make genius. From one JBee to another J Bee, I buzzingly thank you. Janet ( jdbee)
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yes
| 9,694 |
John Here is one way to understand how our weather is changed by global warming which was discussed in 2012 in a TED Talk by NASA's former lead climate scientist James Hansen."Global warming is already affecting people. The Texas, Oklahoma, Mexico heatwave and drought last year, Moscow the year before and Europe in 2003, were all exceptional events, more than three standard deviations outside the norm.Fifty years ago, such anomalies covered only two- to three-tenths of one percent of the land area. In recent years, because of global warming, they now cover about 10 percent -- an increase by a factor of 25 to 50.So we can say with a high degree of confidence that the severe Texas and Moscow heatwaves were not natural; they were caused by global warming."That was in 2012 when these anomalies covered 10 percent of the land area. And somehow I don't think that has reduced since then, but rather expanded dramatically.<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/james_hansen_why_i_must_speak_out_about_climate_change/transcript?language=en" target="_blank">https://www.ted.com/talks/james_hansen_why_i_must_speak_out_about_climate_change/transcript?language=en</a>
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yes
| 7,086 |
When I visited the Resistance Museum decades ago I was immediately struck by the opening posted quotes of ordinary citizens, and how they reacted to the Nazi invasion. Some people rationalized it, saying the German economy was doing well and the Netherlands would gain from it. Others downplayed it, saying the Germans were so akin to the Dutch that they wouldn't really harm them. Still others just wanted to maintain their lifestyle and not rock the boat. It seemed there were only a few who really named the danger for what it was.I walked away realizing how often we minimize what's really happening as a way to hold onto the familiar. Most people just want to hold onto life as they know it, and are reticent to face and name existential threats, much less change their behaviors and take action. That change can happen over time, but even then, the emotional attachment to "life as we know it" and being "right" can make that change difficult. Our response to climate change is a current day parallel.As a daughter of Dutch immigrants, after visiting the museum I left feeling even greater awe of my grandmother who ran a transit home for Jews and Dutch resistors. Her clear-eyed vision of what was really happening was pragmatic and courageous. I wondered, if I had been in her shoes, if I would have done the same. My hope is that I would have.
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| 4,818 |
Yes, they are free in the US up to a point. I picked up many from my local Town. At first quantities were limited but as production became available you could take many. (and the expiration dates continue to be extended, so they're still good). I also received some in the mail from the Federal govt and just this week signed up to get 4 more. I've shared them with friends who either used up their supply, or hadn't bothered to get them.
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yes
| 8,885 |
This article underscores just how woefully the Chinese government has mis-prioritized what truly matters.Maybe the leaders of China should spend less time threatening the peaceful Taiwanese with imminent destruction over and over again -- or fueling their sociopathic buddy Putin's genocidal war of aggression in Ukraine, right now, by supporting him diplomatically, propagandistically, and refusing to condemn the invasion on the UN Security Council (which would end the war overnight!) -- and maybe they should instead invest a little more time, energy, and focus into actually taking care of and supporting their own People....Is that such a crazy thought??It's so easy to destroy; it's so hard to create. The creation of a peaceful wealthy China, with true 'common prosperity', spread all around -- with a functioning healthcare infrastructure there that actually serves the people -- will require that the CCP leadership finally learns how to not lie compulsively to their own citizens....Here's hoping.
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yes
| 7,371 |
Marc It's an open secret that crypto is a vehicle for money laundering. Crypto markets persist because they provide a method for "legitimate" investment in lucrative illicit businesses like drug traffic and cybercrime.
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yes
| 8,535 |
MSFT currently pays a quarterly dividend of 68 cents per share. In August 2022 the quarterly dividend payment was 62 cents per share. So the QDP increased 6 cents per share from August 22 - Feb 23. Six cents x 4 dividend payments per year = 24 cents x 7.45 billion shares outstanding = $1.788 billion divided by 10,000 employees laid off = $178,000 per employee laid off. Perhaps if corporations like MSFT (and there are thousands of them) invested their profits in employees instead of share holders the gap between the have's and have-not's would not be quite as wide. Never mind that if you look at any major corporations's proxy sheet you will find that the C-suite's compensation is roughly 85-90 percent tied to the corporation's stock. Pass the pepto...
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no
| 1,093 |
In 1970 at age 18, I may have seen Iggy working at Discount Records in Ann Arbor, but I would not have known anything about him yet. There were a few wild rockers around town. One performance I saw could have been him.Nearby soul city Detroit was a gritty industrial town rolling out tons of new cars. I came from the town that made the tires. A late close friend of mine (John P........) in Columbus operated a radical antiwar group connected to MC5/John Sinclair who was media-hyped and fueled a lot of dissent through local underground rags. In these roughshod nexus points, culture was a fabric.About 1984, Iggy opened for The Pretenders in Denver. The famous hometown rocker who had several nexus points with my neighborhood childhood in Akron, was in her usual tough-girl character when she opened her performance by snidely saying approximately "I kiss the stage where Iggy walked" and then getting on her knees to do it. A local music reporter pointed out that Iggy had spit all over the stage and maybe she shouldn't have done that. Nexus point of the week: She had once worked for Vivienne Westwood in London before the affiliated Sex Pistols had killed anyone.In a visit to France years ago, I was surprised that a cousin wanted some of my Iggy shots from a 1995 show.Iggy was the unpretentious epitome of raw punk rock. Hope he donates his cadaver to science upon expiration. His grave would be easy to find, the one where the ground thumps like an earthquake. God bless Iggy!
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| 243 |
The current problem with this modernization is how long it is taking. I travel the Thruway between NYC and Albany almost every week and the Plattekill rest area (at about mile 70 northbound) has been closed and being constructed for what seems like almost 2 years. I mean how long does it take to knock down a simple building and construct a new one? How many years will travelers not be able to access rest areas (or bathrooms) on the Thruway? Why isn't the NYS Thruway Authority seemingly doing anything to expedite this work? Now, new rest areas are being closed for what seems likely to be additional years. I don't need artisanal cuisine at a rest stop -just want it to be open and have a bathroom.
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yes
| 6,862 |
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