JoeWeber

First, so there is never any confusion, please imagine that I am starting every sentence with Trump is an asshole. Now we all, except the Orange Skidmark, know that on shoring giganzo factories to be staffed by old DZO's turning tiny screws is not happening anytime soon. Labor costs and rules, supply chains, and yada yada make excellent excuses for why it simply cannot be done all too easy. But you have to wonder if it is absolutely necessary for companies like Apple and Best Buy to off shore every possible job to survive. Today I made an appointment with Best Buy to replace the battery in my iPhone. The agent was in South Africa. 15 Minutes later when I called to cancel I was routed to an agent in the Philippines. Apparently operating a call center in the US isn't possible or is inordinately expensive, or won't justify company executives writing off international travel or something; it's better to pay the long distance phone charges I guess. Currently Best Buy operates internationally only in Canada where they have a solid presence but nowhere else internationally since 2010-2012 more or less. I don't know if in addition to the labor cost savings they are also able to tax expense that sort of thing but I do know that on first blush it seems a bit smarmy.

Apparently, Senator Ron Johnson is now saying the BBB is a no go until Trump gets serious about reducing the deficit and that there are enough votes to kill the bill. In the same article Rand Paul was reported to have said: "Somebody has to stand up and yell, the emperor has no clothes, and everybody's falling in lockstep on this, passed the big, beautiful bill, don't question anything." From memory, I think section 60094 of the ridiculous bill, Trump was given a $300,000,000 carve out from the FEMA budget for protection for each and every one of his properties. Can anyone consider that not serious?

I thought that but then thought that his protective bubble of sycophantic bullshit peddlers, who all know the penalty for telling Trump what he doesn't want to hear, would likely keep the negative polls separate from his daily feed. Now afterwards........

In his mind we're being invaded from the south by gangs and drug runners, by anti-american college students, by the deep state, by Blacks at home and who knows who else. With his level of paranoia, executive powers, and his firm belief that he and he alone can save the nation it's easy to imagine him deciding there is no other choice.

Okay, I have important news regarding bring manufacturing to the US. I have just now disassembled my MacAir to replace the screen. I can assure everyone that these new US based Apple factories will not be staffed with old DZO's unless they start using much larger screws.

And more sadness. Ahh..., poor babies. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/22/metro/trump-deportations-sow-fear-among-vermont-migrants-farmers/ Excerpt: SHELDON, Vt. — Dustin Machia was excited to vote for Donald Trump for president last year, in part because he pledged to crack down on illegal immigration. “We had a border problem,” Machia said. “We don’t want bad people in here. We don’t need the drugs and the gangbangers.” But following high-profile deportations of migrant farmworkers in northern Vermont, Machia, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, said he feels misled. “All the dairy farmers who voted for Trump were under the impression they weren’t going to come on farms and take our guys,” said Machia, 37. “It’s happening more than we’d like. It’s scaring the farming community and we’re like, ‘This wasn’t supposed to happen.’”

That's such a sad story. Maybe we could help them out and set-up a go fund me.

Some deals are more complicated than others.

richravizza?

You reckon those yo's who dumped Kim Jong Un's new destroyer on it's side will get 86'd?

I'd say there are a lot of impenetrable simpletons. No one with a scintilla of intellectual honesty or ability would buy into that crap.

Did you catch his spokes cobra lashing out at the black female reporter for having the temerity to point out Trumps lies about the crosses lining the road? We are an embarrassment and I don't see it getting better.

So? Austin is as Blue as San Francisco, they brought it on themselves.

If you are simply plain sick and tired of our clumsy system of checks and balances this is great news! With all of our extra time we can start work on our "All Areas of Endeavors Meritocracy" handbook so no more scrawny yo's like me are NFL centers to the detriment of everyone everywhere in all countries past, present, and future. I'll tell you what, you fools can plan for the future or moan or whatever makes you happy but I'm locating abandoned Castles and buying up the surrounding farm land.

I don't see the problem. Why waste a perfectly good chemical engineer in a management position?

I take it you meant to say divisiveness. Given that we are naturally biased, tribal, and generally keen to associate of a kind, in a pluralistic society, short of everyone wearing burkas and speaking through voice scramblers how do we make sure the black guy with a P.E. license doesn't lose out to known idiot billy bob white guy?

Um, I think he meant P.E. as in Professional Engineer.

I disagree, possibly owing to our having different opinions on whether purposefully giving a person an equal shot at an opportunity that was denied their father or mother because of skin color, sex, or sexual orientation is discrimination of the same feather or even something other than discrimination. The first violinist example strikes me as specious. It wouldn't happen anymore than requiring that less competent violinists be seated for the easier songs. In any case, that's not the problem. The problem, as I see it, is denying entry to music school to someone because they aren't the correct sex or color or height or are obviously careless about living like skydivers. Your point about "patronizing one generation to 'correct' past injustices, real or perceived," makes no sense to me. One generation always follows the previous generation, and you cannot change the past: you can stop a thing from happening, but you cannot fix a problem before it happens. In that case you or someone else must fix it later. I haven't seen very many perfect solutions in my life and while these social equality efforts are sometimes, and inarguably, a bit messy and imprecise, I still think it's the best choice if fairness is the goal. That said, it more and more appears that those efforts have only been masking our true natures and not making any real or endurable changes to build on and that those of us who think a world where the big kids should be able to take the little kids' candy without penalty or redress are going to win the day.

I was attempting to address woke as the pejorative term currently used by the right to describe caring about others but not getting paid for your concerns.

Sure, that's the point. Many of us knew it but simply ignored it.

Woke as it is embraced by many is too all encompassing. For example, I don't think allowing or encouraging gender bending among kids, especially the permanent stuff makes sense. I do think treating our gay friends and citizens with absolute equality is the right thing. I also believe that recognizing societal injustices and making some accommodations that help level the playing field is right. I don't think that as a matter of policy candidates with great ability should be sidelined simply because more people are needed in a different column. Too far is never good policy and too far is now where the right is going in the false belief that DEI is ruining the world.

.....that Biden was now too old and decrepit to run again.... or something softer?

Most of us here are insulated from Trumps new world by age or money. In reality it's been that way for a long time. We look at the better good in terms of societal fairness and a system that allows for economic success but without the sacrifice of equity. So much for the good fight. Unless it gets to where the Black Maria pulls into the driveway some night the fundamentals of my life won't change much except I'll pay less tax. Also, and I suspect this will be generally true for many of us, unless something really serious develops that makes the political landscape more interesting and less depressing I'll gradually check out.

Yep, the perfect breeding ground for wanna be autocrats. Even if the US is able to turn this around a bit in the next decade or so it seems forgone that an undemocratic world is the future: you can't make the electorate dumb and then expect them to participate smartly.

Old and demented as Biden might be I still believe he'd be better than Trump. Unfortunately it is that shallow belief that blinded me to the reality that he is old and demented and no one I should have supported in 2024. Furthermore, I could have been public in my opposition and was not. Beto O'Rourke is now saying that Biden failed us in the most important job he had by running. Sure, agreed, but then where the F was he in 2023 using his pulpit when it might have mattered? I'm simply taking the same as my personal responsibility and suggesting that others might make the same consideration.