Chit-Chat: The Feels

[bluegirl147]

2 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

When my father died in 2020 you'd better believe that SS was notified POST HASTE and he was IMMEDIATELY cut off from receiving benefits. As soon as a death certificate is signed the gov't. is notified and they are cut off. I was actually surprised at how efficiently and quickly this happened.

When my husband died in 2012, he was receiving SSD and you are correct. I did receive a one time death benefit.  I think it was $200. What they thought that would do for me I have no idea. 

[Ohiopirate02]

8 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

When my father died in 2020 you'd better believe that SS was notified POST HASTE and he was IMMEDIATELY cut off from receiving benefits. As soon as a death certificate is signed the gov't. is notified and they are cut off. I was actually surprised at how efficiently and quickly this happened.

A writer I follow on BlueSky posted this morning talking about how her mother died on 2/18 and Social Security has already reached out to her father about him having to pay back the February payment her mother received.

[Yeah No]

4 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Why is it always the white men we hear about?  Are there no lower middle or poor white women?  Do they not air their grievances? I'm not directing this towards you @Yeah No but to the media and anyone else who has perpetuated this narrative that Trump won with those white men because of economic anxiety or grievance about not having the life they expected to have. Yes it's true, especially in the Rust Belt where Trump did win in 2016 and 2024, that well paying manufacturing jobs were lost but at some point you have realize those jobs are gone forever and you need to do something else. And if they want to blame someone for that they need look no further than the politicians in DC (on both sides of the aisle) that made it easy for corporations to move those manufacturing jobs overseas.

I have seen interviews on TV with Trump supporters that still believe that these manufacturing jobs will come back and that all the jobs that "went overseas" will come back home too. They were told that Democrats are to blame for the jobs going away and that Trump and the Republicans will restore them. It boggles the mind but there are really that many "low information voters" out there that still believe this stuff. If I didn't see it with my own eyes I would probably not believe it!

And the lower middle and poor white women don't appear to have a voice but they are probably "standing by their men" in support of their grievances and not focused on their own apart from that. Or they think that it applies to them too. We all know how white male focused MAGA is and there's a reason for that - because it's all about what matters to white men for them and white women are supposed to be "trad. wives" or be focused on their men's success more than themselves because they see their success as coming from their man's success.

[bluegirl147]

2 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

A writer I follow on BlueSky posted this morning talking about how her mother died on 2/18 and Social Security has already reached out to her father about him having to pay back the February payment her mother received.

I wonder if that is something new.  In 2012 my husband received his last payment on 6/3 and he died on 6/7. Same with my father in 91. He received his payment on 6/3 and he died on 6/20.  Nobody ever asked me or my mother for any money back.

2 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

And the lower middle and poor white women don't appear to have a voice but they are probably "standing by their men" in support of their grievances and not focused on their own apart from that.

I don't believe that.  I am a lower middle white woman. And that is a step up for me. I used to be poor. And I have never not used my voice. If the media isn't showing them it's because it doesn't fit their narrative and those women aren't saying what the media wants them to say.  You only need to look at a MAGA rally to see that those women do in fact have a voice. They just happen to be saying things the media doesn't want to cover.

[Yeah No]

5 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

A writer I follow on BlueSky posted this morning talking about how her mother died on 2/18 and Social Security has already reached out to her father about him having to pay back the February payment her mother received.

Wow, that's something. My father died on 4/5 and his SS payment was already direct deposited in his and my joint account. No one asked for it back. But weeks later the mailman told me a pandemic stimulus check came for him but he was under orders to send it back if he knew the person was deceased. I knew that it had to happen because if I had cashed it the gov't would have wanted it back I am sure.

5 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I wonder if that is something new.  In 2012 my husband received his last payment on 6/3 and he died on 6/7. Same with my father in 91. He received his payment on 6/3 and he died on 6/20.  Nobody ever asked me or my mother for any money back.

Yeah, I wonder too. Or maybe it has to do with paper checks vs. direct deposit. If it's direct deposited before the person died they don't ask for it back. But a paper check that wasn't cashed before the person died is a different story.

[ProudMary]

This is a huge victory! 5-4, with Chief Justice Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett voting with Justices Sotomayor, Kagan and Brown-Jackson.

I don't know how many have seen the clip from last night's faux-SOTU, but as he was exiting, DJT clapped Roberts on the shoulder and said, "I won't forget what you did." Roberts was not pleased. 

Divided Supreme Court rejects Trump administration’s push to rebuke judge over foreign aid freeze

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-usaid-foreign-billions-30b8bde0b16c0bd68f8b690f14923c50

 

[bluegirl147]

1 minute ago, ProudMary said:

This is a huge victory! 5-4, with Chief Justice Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett voting with Justices Sotomayor, Kagan and Brown-Jackson.

I don't know how many have seen the clip from last night's faux-SOTU, but as he was exiting, DJT clapped Roberts on the shoulder and said, "I won't forget what you did." Roberts was not pleased. 

Divided Supreme Court rejects Trump administration’s push to rebuke judge over foreign aid freeze

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-usaid-foreign-billions-30b8bde0b16c0bd68f8b690f14923c50

 

Roberts and ACB are the two Justices I predicted to be the ones to pull on the leash that should be around Trump's neck.  Let's hope they keep doing what is right.

[Milk-Eyed Mender]

4 hours ago, Harvey said:

Trump is, indeed a traitor, but, of course, the claim beckons for qualification. However, I do not say that lightly, I say it with a firm conviction. Donald Trump has betrayed the fundamental values of America. Particularly, his decision to cancel funding for Ukraine is not rooted in strategy, diplomacy, or national interest--it is the petty revenge of a man incapable of separating personal grievances from matters of state.

No true statesman would ever allow such trivial ego wounds to dictate policy. The United States and Ukraine are sovereign nations, bound not by the fragile egos of their leaders but by shared principles of freedom and resistance against tyranny. A real leader understands this. Trump does not.

Instead, in his meeting with President Zelenskyy, Trump descended into a display so beneath the dignity of a statesman that it defies belief. He ranted. He sneered. He debased not only himself but the office he holds. This was not the conduct of a leader devoted to America's standing in the world; this was the petulant tantrum of a man-child who cannot comprehend the weight of his own actions. A national embarrassment. A walking tragedy for American leadership. A man whose election may well be the greatest misfortune of this century.

And now, in Ukraine’s darkest hour--when a sovereign democracy is under relentless assault by a brutal war criminal, Vladimir Putin--Trump rewards aggression and tyranny. By pulling aid, by signaling weakness, by abandoning an ally, he does not serve America’s interests. He serves Putin’s. And for that, Trump is a traitor--not in the strict constitutional sense, but in the most profound moral sense. I repeat, Trump has betrayed America’s values. He has abandoned the principles of Western liberal democracy--the very ideals that, for generations, our allies have relied upon.

And yet, the tragedy does not end with Trump alone. The Republican Party, once the party of Reagan, of strength in the face of tyranny, has now been reduced to a congregation of spineless cowards in Congress and the Senate (not all of them, but most of them), cowering under the weight of his belligerence, they fear his mean tweets, they fear his base. Republicans, holding party above country, have allowed Trump to trample over them, to steamroll their consciences, to force them into complicity. And so, with each act of submission, they, too, have betrayed not only their own oaths but the very idea of America.

The GOP of today is unrecognizable from the party of the past. Republicans had the courage to confront corruption when it mattered most. They had the fortitude to stand before Richard Nixon and demand his resignation--for that, they have my respect. But I cannot say the same of today’s Republican Party. They do not stand up to corruption; they cower before it. They do not hold power accountable; they enable its worst abuses. Yes, the Democratic Party has its flaws, as all political parties do, but let us be clear: we would never elect someone like Donald Trump. There is no Democratic counterpart to him. Not even George Wallace--divisive as he was--ever wielded the same level of reckless demagoguery, corruption, and contempt for democracy that Trump embodies.

Trump’s behavior toward Zelenskyy was not just shameful--it was an embarrassment of historic proportions. If you believe that’s hyperbole, then you fail to grasp the gravity of what happened. Petty. Vindictive. Childish. These are the only words to describe Trump in that meeting. The world watched, and yet so many on the right refused to see it. That blindness--that willing ignorance--is not just tragic. It is dangerous.

Looking at the body politic today compared to decades past, one cannot help but sense a decline, a creeping erosion of intellect, discernment, and moral clarity. This is not a new phenomenon; history is littered with nations that faltered as their people became complacent, distracted, and susceptible to demagoguery. Some have compared it to the Romans, who unknowingly poisoned themselves with lead in their water supply, gradually losing the sharpness that once made them great.

America was once the standard-bearer of democracy. Today, under Trump and those who enable him, we teeter on the edge of disgrace.

Very well said. If you aren't already writing for WAPO or NYT you should be. They currently have a shortage of editorialists writing in support of democracy (by design, unfortunately).

[tres bien]

23 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Did he do this last night or is this from another time?  Neither will surprise me.

I was referencing something that Soapy Goddess had posted about people with debilitating diagnoses 

Edited 18 hours ago by tres bien

[Yeah No]

7 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I don't believe that.  I am a lower middle white woman. And that is a step up for me. I used to be poor. And I have never not used my voice. If the media isn't showing them it's because it doesn't fit their narrative and those women aren't saying what the media wants them to say.  You only need to look at a MAGA rally to see that those women do in fact have a voice. They just happen to be saying things the media doesn't want to cover.

I am talking about Republican women with MAGA husbands/significant others, not you. I think they would defer to whatever their husbands/BF's grievances are and see that as more important than anything they have to say. If they had a problem with not being heard why aren't they speaking up about it? I don't think the media wouldn't cover it if they were speaking out about their own grievances. We certainly hear from them when they want to protest abortion! No, they outwardly accept and support everything MAGA represents and says even if they subsume or negate their own needs in the process. And that's just what their men want them to do, BTW. They don't think the way we do, that's for sure!

[Annber03]

29 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Why is it always the white men we hear about?  Are there no lower middle or poor white women?  Do they not air their grievances?

*Raises hand* We're out here! And I guarantee my grievances do not match what a lot of white men are complaining about in these situations, or at the very least, we're coming at the same issues from entirely different angles.

But we apparently don't exist, or our opinions aren't valued as much. Gotta cater to those fragile male egos, after all. 

[kittykat]

I do believe that the Democrats need to find a way to brand themselves as the working class party and win back some of those white male voters in a way that doesn't alienate their loyal base.  And I realize that a lot went for Trump because he catered to them, albeit with lies. But we can't ignore that way too large of his base, particularly young Gen Z males, voted for him deliberately to stick it to women. And while I can feel their plight of feeling squeezed out, when there is a group out there who thinks I deserve to have rights taken away so they keep their privileges intact then that's a major turn off for me and one of many reasons why a lot of us can't reconcile with the other side. People need to stop acting like the Democrats were the only ones playing identity politics last election.

[Ohiopirate02]

5 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Roberts and ACB are the two Justices I predicted to be the ones to pull on the leash that should be around Trump's neck.  Let's hope they keep doing what is right.

I can see ACB doing what is right for her, and protecting the Constitution is currently that. She's got a lifetime gig, she is going to weigh keeping that gig relevant versus siding with a 78 year-old man who's not going to be president come January 20, 2029. I think this might change if some of her colleagues like Thomas or Alito decide to retire and Trump replaces them with partisans. But for now, she is going to vote to protect her interests.

[bluegirl147]

1 minute ago, Annber03 said:

*Raises hand* We're out here! And I guarantee my grievances do not match what a lot of white men are complaining about in these situations, or at the very least, we're coming at the same issues from entirely different angles.

But we apparently don't exist, or our opinions aren't valued as much. Gotta cater to those fragile male egos, after all. 

Thank you.  That was my point. It is my opinion lower middle and poor white men's grievance is not "economic anxiety" but their belief that "other" people are getting breaks they aren't.  It's why DEI policies are being rolled back.  Because white men don't want a level playing field.

[Dimity]

5 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I can see ACB doing what is right for her, and protecting the Constitution is currently that.

Poor Trump, how's that DEI hire working out for you?

 

[Annber03]

Exactly. If economic anxiety were really the concern, they'd be raising hell at Trump for all he's done the past month or so that is only adding to and further fueling said economic anxiety. 

And yet, not a peep. They don't care that Trump's executive order binge hasn't once addressed any of their economic concerns, instead they're just shrugging it off 'cause hey, he's sticking it to those pesky women and minorities. They could sit here and tell Trump and the GOP, "Shut up about transgender people and immigrants and abortion already, none of that's helping me get my job back!" 

But they won't. 

[EtheltoTillie]

40 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Did he do this last night or is this from another time?  Neither will surprise me.

Did not see all of last night.  It was from a while ago--maybe during election campaign. 

[Lugal]

46 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

When my husband died in 2012, he was receiving SSD and you are correct. I did receive a one time death benefit.  I think it was $200. What they thought that would do for me I have no idea. 

It probably would have been around the same time a coworker of mine who was in his 70s and both his parents were alive and over 100.  His father injured himself and my coworker filed a claim (medicare, I believe) and he had investigators come around because a 100 year old man filing a claim sounded like fraud, so it's not like they weren't on top of these things before.

[Dimity]

37 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

DJT clapped Roberts on the shoulder and said, "I won't forget what you did." Roberts was not pleased. 

Tell us you're a mob boss without telling us you're a mob boss.

[kittykat]

8 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Exactly. If economic anxiety were really the concern, they'd be raising hell at Trump for all he's done the past month or so that is only adding to and further fueling said economic anxiety. 

And yet, not a peep. They don't care that Trump's executive order binge hasn't once addressed any of their economic concerns, instead they're just shrugging it off 'cause hey, he's sticking it to those pesky women and minorities. They could sit here and tell Trump and the GOP, "Shut up about transgender people and immigrants and abortion already, none of that's helping me get my job back!" 

But they won't. 

Seriously.  Everyone got mad at the Democrats because they felt they prioritized identity politics over economic ones and to an extent they're kind of right.  But what has Trump been doing since he got into office?  Nothing but identity related measures.  Roll back DEI, screw over disabled people, overly transphobic shit like recognizing only genders.  It's just a blatant example of "othering" all of us. I mean how many freedoms do his voters have to lose to finally get outraged?  I guess it's all good as long as us others lose everything.

[Ohiopirate02]

13 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Poor Trump, how's that DEI hire working out for you?

 

She did what she was appointed to do--vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade and be a 3 name woman to replace RBG. Trump really was not thinking beyond. Nor could he really, since she was nominated and confirmed less than 2 months before the 2020 election.

[Browncoat]

57 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

When my father died in 2020 you'd better believe that SS was notified POST HASTE and he was IMMEDIATELY cut off from receiving benefits. As soon as a death certificate is signed the gov't. is notified and they are cut off. I was actually surprised at how efficiently and quickly this happened.

My father died almost exactly a year ago in late February.  He'd already gotten his March SS payment, and it was clawed back as soon as SS was notified he'd died.  They wasted no time at all.

[Dimity]

5 minutes ago, kittykat said:

I guess it's all good as long as us others lose everything.

On a local news station they were interviewing some Florida business people who cater primarily to Canadian snowbirds and they are shocked, just shocked that Canadians are pushing back on Herr Trump and his attacks on our economy.  Not one said they didn't vote for him - we're the ones at fault here because they are losing money.  Not Trump.  It's never Trump.

Edited 17 hours ago by Dimity

[bluegirl147]

8 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

She did what she was appointed to do--vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade and be a 3 name woman to replace RBG. Trump really was not thinking beyond. Nor could he really, since she was nominated and confirmed less than 2 months before the 2020 election.

Yep her issue was abortion.  Since then her rulings haven't been perfect but she isn't a Trump ass kisser like Thomas and Alito. 

I can't remember where I read it but when Trump nominated Kavanaugh someone asked him why not ACB and he said he was saving her for RBG's seat who was still alive.  So Trump nominated ACB when he did just to be a an absolute vile prick.

[Yeah No]

44 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

*Raises hand* We're out here! And I guarantee my grievances do not match what a lot of white men are complaining about in these situations, or at the very least, we're coming at the same issues from entirely different angles.

But we apparently don't exist, or our opinions aren't valued as much. Gotta cater to those fragile male egos, after all. 

 

40 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Thank you.  That was my point. It is my opinion lower middle and poor white men's grievance is not "economic anxiety" but their belief that "other" people are getting breaks they aren't.  It's why DEI policies are being rolled back.  Because white men don't want a level playing field.

No they don't, and one big reason white (or any) women's grievances are not recognized by them is because they see us as also benefitting from DEI and other "breaks" supposedly given to us by gov't. programs along with minorities. We are part of the group getting what they think is being taken away from them. And given that it has been shown that white women have actually been benefitting more from DEI than minorities in general isn't lost on them. So the whole MAGA grievance thing is about white men in particular, not white women or any women.

Edited 17 hours ago by Yeah No

[Yeah No]

18 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

My father died almost exactly a year ago in late February.  He'd already gotten his March SS payment, and it was clawed back as soon as SS was notified he'd died.  They wasted no time at all.

When I researched this online the gov't. says it only requires SS payments to be sent back if they were received or deposited AFTER the person died. So it depends on what month you're talking about. If a person dies late in the month they're not going to ask for any payment they received that was cashed or deposited before they died that month, but any payment that is received AFTER they died has to be returned. Since my father died on the 5th of the month and his last SS payment was deposited in our joint account a few days before he died, I was not required to return it. But if he had received another payment the next month I would have had to return the money. But he didn't. I guess when people die late in the month there might be more of a chance of a payment being made to them after they died than in my father's case.

[bluegirl147]

3 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I guess when people die late in the month there might be more of a chance of a payment being made to them after they died than in my father's case.

Yes. It's not like death certificates are available the day of the person's death.

[peacheslatour]

What a 100 year old scammer may look like.

[PRgal]

Looks like there may be some scaling back with tariffs, probably for the auto industry.  At least that’s what I’m hearing on CNBC.  I think it was the Wall Street Journal that said parts could go across borders several times before a car is even assembled!  

[Ohiopirate02]

8 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

What a 100 year old scammer may look like.

They would still object to their precious tax dollars going towards that Bud Light. Either because it's alcohol or because it's a "woke" Bud Light. I can't remember if the Right is still boycotting Budweiser or if they forgot the short-lived Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney partnership back in 2023.

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

They would still object to their precious tax dollars going towards that Bud Light. Either because it's alcohol or because it's a "woke" Bud Light. I can't remember if the Right is still boycotting Budweiser or if they forgot the short-lived Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney partnership back in 2023.

Oh, is that what that is? I thought they shot up all the Bud Light with their mighty AR-15s years ago.

[bluegirl147]

4 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Oh, is that what that is? I thought they shot up all the Bud Light with their mighty AR-15s years ago.

I thought that was just Kid Rock. 😀

[Ohiopirate02]

9 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Oh, is that what that is? I thought they shot up all the Bud Light with their mighty AR-15s years ago.

Only the Bud Light they bought with their own money. I will never get over buying a bunch of stuff to just destroy it on camera to own the libs.

[graybrown bird]

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

My father died almost exactly a year ago in late February.  He'd already gotten his March SS payment, and it was clawed back as soon as SS was notified he'd died.  They wasted no time at all.

I think the law governing Social Security payments is strict about dates.  If date of death precedes date of payment, the payment must be rescinded.

[peacheslatour]

15 minutes ago, graybrown bird said:

I think the law governing Social Security payments is strict about dates.  If date of death precedes date of payment, the payment must be rescinded.

My dad died last June on the 5th. I called them immediately and they thanked me and I never heard another thing about it.

[Dimity]

So Trump after one whole day is back to playing cutesy with the tariffs.  

According to CBC 'Canada wants the tariffs removed,' finance minister says as U.S. officials talk compromise. 

I don't want the tariffs, no one sane does, but I also don't want 4 damn years of will he, won't he, maybe yes, maybe no.  Go play your mind games somewhere else Herr Trump!

[PRgal]

I’m hearing both a total removal of tariffs for the automotive industry and a one month delay.  The latter will do nothing to cut the cost of cars considering the parts issue.  

[Makai]

6 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I’m hearing both a total removal of tariffs for the automotive industry and a one month delay.  The latter will do nothing to cut the cost of cars considering the parts issue.  

🙄 Sure give the exemption to the automotive industry and not lumber, food or electricity. Really shows where the priority is. 

[bluegirl147]

17 minutes ago, Dimity said:

So Trump after one whole day is back to playing cutesy with the tariffs.  

According to CBC 'Canada wants the tariffs removed,' finance minister says as U.S. officials talk compromise. 

I don't want the tariffs, no one sane does, but I also don't want 4 damn years of will he, won't he, maybe yes, maybe no.  Go play your mind games somewhere else Herr Trump!

Trump thinks he will look like a hero if he takes away the tariffs he just issued.  And his base will believe it.  The rest of us will continue to think he is not only an idiot but a dangerous idiot.

[peacheslatour]

16 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Trump thinks he will look like a hero if he takes away the tariffs he just issued.  And his base will believe it.  The rest of us will continue to think he is not only an idiot but a dangerous idiot.

It's just so fucking typical of him. Invent a problem where there isn't one, say "Only I can solve it", say a bunch of stupid, scary crap that DOES create a problem and then backtrack. Et voila! Problem solved.

[LexieLily]

The Supreme Court voted against Trump and denied his emergency bid to cancel nearly $2 billion in USAID spending. Vote was 5-4 with John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett agreeing with the three women Dems. 

I wonder when Trump will start rage-tweeting and/or Musk threaten their jobs. 

[bluegirl147]

8 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

I wonder when Trump will start rage-tweeting and/or Musk threaten their jobs.

I hope he does. Roberts does not like when his court is criticized.  I doubt he would be willing to listen to Musk.

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

She did what she was appointed to do--vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade and be a 3 name woman to replace RBG. Trump really was not thinking beyond. Nor could he really, since she was nominated and confirmed less than 2 months before the 2020 election.

Agreed. I would just like to add that early voting for the 2020 election had already begun in Virginia, Minnesota and a couple of other states at the time of RBG's passing. While "Election Day" itself had not yet occurred, thousands of votes had already been cast. The election was fully in progress and the nomination and confirmation of a new justice should never have happened. 😠

[Makai]

For all the completely valid anger directed at the Bezos and the Washington Post, it’s worth noting that the staff isn’t toeing the line drawn by Bezos. Their social media accounts are also very critical of Trump and Musk.

1 minute ago, ProudMary said:

Agreed. I would just like to add that early voting for the 2020 election had already begun in Virginia, Minnesota and a couple of other states at the time of RBG's passing. While "Election Day" itself had not yet occurred, thousands of votes had already been cast. The election was fully in progress and the nomination and confirmation of a new justice should never have happened. 😠

And it was done by the same people who were outraged at the idea that democrats wanted to replace Scalia’s 9 months before the election. 🤬

[suomi]

Here is my SS tale of woe. In 2002 my mom died on the 26th day of a month with 30 days. On the first day of the following month SS sent a letter informing that  total reimbursement of the direct-deposit income for her death month was required. I repaid it immediately but it didn't post in their system for awhile and they made noises about legal measures. 

My younger sister was born with developmental delay (second trimester chickenpox) and she receives SS survivor benefits under our father's account. My mom was my sister's representative payee, the person who manages SS income when the beneficiary is not capable of doing it themselves. Mom died suddenly (sepsis), sister immediately moved in with me and I was named rep payee. First month, no check was deposited... "give it another month." Second month, no check. Third month, no check. Finally it was revealed that a SS employee had declared my sister deceased in error ("it happens") and a "resurrection" was required. The resurrection process took 10 months so in total there was a 13-month lapse without income. That was one hairy year.

Given the offhand manner displayed by the employees who dealt with our situation my impression is that there are numerous escapades like this, and perhaps less fraud than we are led to believe.

[PRgal]

It's official.  There'll be a one month exemption on Big Three auto tariffs.  That's not good enough - you're still going to end up with higher-priced cars. 

That said, there could be an export tax on energy to the US, from Ontario, anyway.

[bluegirl147]

16 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

Agreed. I would just like to add that early voting for the 2020 election had already begun in Virginia, Minnesota and a couple of other states at the time of RBG's passing. While "Election Day" itself had not yet occurred, thousands of votes had already been cast. The election was fully in progress and the nomination and confirmation of a new justice should never have happened. 😠

 

7 minutes ago, Makai said:

For all the completely valid anger directed at the Bezos and the Washington Post, it’s worth noting that the staff isn’t toeing the line drawn by Bezos. Their social media accounts are also very critical of Trump and Musk.And it was done by the same people who were outraged at the idea that democrats wanted to replace Scalia’s 9 months before the election. 🤬

Do not get me started on this.  Both times I wanted to burn down Mitch McConnell's house with him in it.  The weakening of democracy started with his shenanigans.

5 minutes ago, suomi said:

My younger sister was born with developmental delay (second trimester chickenpox) and she receives SS survivor benefits under our father's account. My mom was my sister's representative payee, the person who manages SS income when the beneficiary is not capable of doing it themselves. Mom died suddenly (sepsis), sister immediately moved in with me and I was named rep payee. First month, no check was deposited... "give it another month." Second month, no check. Third month, no check. Finally it was revealed that a SS employee had declared my sister deceased in error ("it happens") and a "resurrection" was required. The resurrection process took 10 months so in total there was a 13-month lapse without income. That was one hairy year.

I hope you at least received all the missed payments.

[EtheltoTillie]

15 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

 Also, TDS will cover the speech tomorrow.

Careful using the abbreviation TDS.  I realize you meant The Daily Show, but I thought at first you meant Trump Derangement Syndrome.  LOL. 

[Dimity]

Panama, Greenland lash out at Trump's latest push to 'reclaim' them, 'one way or another'

Quote

It's safe to say U.S. President Donald Trump isn't exactly endearing himself to many foreign leaders these days.

In the last few days alone, he's clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and paused its U.S. military aid, launched a trade war with Canada, Mexico and China, and mocked Lesotho in his first speech to Congress, claiming "nobody has ever heard of" the country.

And in Trump's comments to Congress Tuesday, he reiterated his plans for Panama and Greenland, prompting swift pushback from the leaders of those countries.

"To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal," Trump said to rounds of applause. "The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not for others," he added.

Trump also made a direct appeal to Greenlanders a week before islanders head to the polls for parliamentary elections, saying he would, "welcome you into the United States of America." Then, he said his administration was "working with everybody involved to try to get it," referring to his wishes to acquire Greenland from Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally. 

So very presidential...

[bluegirl147]

3 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Panama, Greenland lash out at Trump's latest push to 'reclaim' them, 'one way or another'

So very presidential...

The only reason he wants Greenland is because it has mineral deposits of lithium.  And you know who  needs lithium?  Musk for his Teslas.  Whatever Musk has on Trump it must be a doozy.  Say rigging an election........