We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
To many progressives and indeed elites of all persuasions, Trump is also the Prince of Anti-culture: mindlessly naïve American boosterism; conspicuous, 1950s-style unapologetic consumption; repetitive and limited vocabulary; fast-food culinary tastes; Queens accent; herky-jerky mannerisms; ostentatious dress; bulging appearance; poorly disguised facial expressions; embracing rather than sneering at middle-class appetites; a lack of subtlety, nuance, and ambiguity.
Donald Trump is certainly a vulgar fellow of questionable intelligence, and the country might be better off with someone else in the White House, but where exactly would that leave black America?
Good question. What have the lefties done to effect the lives of urban black Americans in 50 years other than enough free stuff to thrive? That is Trump's argument to them. Trump is no racist at all. He just expects a lot out of everybody. He's been an employer in private business, so he is tough. So are we all, regardless of skin tone. Just my perspective, of course. I hire and fire more frequently than I would like, of all colors.
Nothing scandalizes a leftist like the truth. Point out that women and men are different, that black Americans commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime, that most terrorist acts are committed by Muslims, and the Left leaps to its collective feet in openmouthed shock, like Margaret Dumont after a Groucho Marx wisecrack. This is racism! This is sexism! This is some sort of phobia! I’m shocked, shocked to find facts being spoken in polite company!
It's not fair. I know two guys from my local pub, both very unsophisticated about investing who took a drunken gamble and put all their (relatively-humble) savings into Bitcoin almost a year ago. They both sold out this week.
They quit their dumb jobs and bought beers for the whole pub last night. Yes, both are single. Life in America.
Button Wars! It's juvenile, but Trump just punches back. That's why he was elected. And the experts say "Don't get Kim mad." What?
A better plan might be to not piss off Trump. As a natural bully himself, Trump knows how to deal with bullies like the Palis, the Pakis, the UN, and Iran. It's New York diplomacy: "F- you."
I would be remiss to neglect this: “I play to people’s fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. People want to believe that something is the biggest and the greatest and the most spectacular. I call it truthful hyperbole. It’s an innocent form of exaggeration—and it’s a very effective form of promotion.”
Friends left this morning for an extended ski trip to Stowe (VT). I checked the temps for the next few days.
I have skied in New England when the temp was -20 at the top (that is -28 Celsius). You have to dress right, with hand-warmers and a face mask too. There are just 2 problems: 1) Will your car start? and 2) If you ski hard, you sweat going down and the sweat freezes on the lifts.
At some point in the day you wonder when cocktail hour is.
What’s so frustrating about these election spectacles is that they have nothing to do with creating the good life. For that we have to look elsewhere, such as the newly emerging light we are seeing on the economic horizon. For the first time in decades, there is a chance that the job market is becoming active again, that incomes will rise, that inflation is solidly tamed, that the young generation will have new opportunities, that new products and inventions will continue to improve our lives.
None of this has anything to do with smears, epic struggles, revenge fantasies, and winner-take-all scenarios. ..
A commenter: "Kill your TV and take a walk through the woods with your kids, spouse, friends and or loved ones."
We all know that TV and movies are aimed at an IQ of 100. That's the market. Even Tucker aims low. A good life can be had by shooting the TV and getting out in the world, meeting new people, doing interesting challenging things - and going to Christmas parties.
Russia is a crappy country with an economy the size of Italy's. Still, Putin seems to know how to put his paws on all sorts of things. Clever little scheming SOB. Can't blame him for putting his country first, though. That's his job.
They fired two of their biggest, smartest stars. Why has there been so much sexual abuse at NPR and Public TV?
To our listeners:
This fall, we watched as the national conversation turned to harassment in the workplace. We knew this movement was powerful and important. What we didn’t expect was for it to land on our doorstep at New York Public Radio, as several members of our community came forward with allegations of inappropriate conduct by members of our own staff.
We strive to bring you the best programming, from the best teams in the region, and we value your trust above all else. When people in our community feel unwelcome or disrespected, it means we have not lived up to our values, and we cannot do the sacred job you’ve trusted us to do.
Today, we terminated the employment of Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz, following two separate investigations into patterns of inappropriate behavior. These investigations, overseen by outside counsel, determined that Mr. Lopate and Mr. Schwartz had violated our standards for providing an inclusive and respectful work environment. You can find our full statement to the press here...
Can you read the NYT blurb on the book? 