Chit-Chat: The Feels

[bluegirl147]

17 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

"No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

When my son was little he thought the people bagging the groceries at our grocery store must have made a lot of money because in his words "they are doing all the work".   I remember hearing Henry Ford paid his employees enough to ensure they could buy the cars they were building.  If only that were true today.  For as long as I live I will never understand why someone sitting behind a desk makes tens of millions of dollars a year while the workers who ensure that particular company makes a profit doesn't even come close to making that in their lifetime. Why shareholders are valued more than the employees.  Why whenever the stock price doesn't reach it's expected price the first thing they do is cut labor costs.  Tell me again how much winning is going on.

[fastiller]

@bluegirl147 - I've got three words for you: End.Stage.Capitalism.

[EtheltoTillie]

57 minutes ago, fastiller said:

Did anyone ever say to her 'someone needs to haul the cement so the world can be built'?
Also, I work in construction (we're a structural engineering firm who designs for GCs; most of my Clients are ones who build and repair NYC's many, many public schools & public housing), and I can tell you, those 'unskilled' labourers are anything but unskilled.  They train & re-train extensively and get several qualifications.  They're all very well compensated (union jobs).   Union mason in NYC averages $30/hour;  an electrician averages $35/hour. I do know that my Client constituency MUST be union & do the regular training/certifications b/c they're involved in public work and that private jobs don't necessarily have to meet such stringent requirements.

This is one of my pet peeves!  There is frankly no work that is unskilled!  Think of all the steps that go into any job--you have to know what you are doing! 

[Ohiopirate02]

9 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

This is one of my pet peeves!  There is frankly no work that is unskilled!  Think of all the steps that go into any job--you have to know what you are doing! 

And any of these "low skill" public facing jobs require a ton of skill or there would be a lot more viral stories about a McDonalds or Popeyes cashier going off on a customer. The abuse these workers take day in and day out from customers, and they have the ability to stand there doing their job with a smile on their face. That is some real skill right there.

[EtheltoTillie]

Just now, Ohiopirate02 said:

And any of these "low skill" public facing jobs require a ton of skill or there would be a lot more viral stories about a McDonalds or Popeyes cashier going off on a customer. The abuse these workers take day in and day out from customers, and they have the ability to stand there doing their job with a smile on their face. That is some real skill right there.

Yes, I am absolutely including people skills as a skill.  

[ECM1231]

3 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

Also, I don't have the "I got mine, but I don't want to pay for you to have the same" philosophy, so if it meant every American could have insurance, I'm good with paying more in taxes, as long as the rich pay their fair share. 

RE the bolded: During Trump's first term my son was visiting from out of state and he, his dad and I went to visit his paternal grandfather. Now mind you, my son and his paternal grandparents were quite close as my son rented an apartment in their 2-story home for a number of years before moving out of state.

Trump was trying his darndest to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. My father-in-law was elderly and on Medicare and even as a retiree had good health insurance from his union job. He really wasn't affected by the changes made by the ACA, but yet was railing against it and complaining about increased premium costs, etc. 

My son knew it was futile to debate with his elderly grandfather whom he loved dearly but was of a different political bent. But he had to try to get his point across and told his grandfather that he would gladly pay more for his insurance premium if it meant that others less fortunate than he would be covered. At that time, he was gainfully employed but wasn't really making a fantastic salary. I don't think I was ever prouder of him than at that moment. 

[peacheslatour]

Submitted without comment.

https://www.newsweek.com/women-who-have-miscarriages-could-face-prosecution-west-virginia-2080231?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

Women who miscarry could face investigation in West Virginia under new interpretations of the state's anti-abortion laws.

According to Raleigh County prosecuting attorney, Tom Truman, women who have experienced a miscarriage, otherwise known as an involuntary abortion, in the state, could face charges if they are found to have buried, flushed, or hidden evidence of their miscarriage.

He also said in remarks to WVNS reporter Jessica Farrish: "If you were relieved, and had been telling people, 'I'd rather get run over by a bus than have this baby,' that may play into law enforcement's thinking, too."

[Anela]

 

Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions

https://apnews.com/article/abortion-emtala-biden-trump-emergency-hospital-3640bff165dac1d28b91e8adee7e47dd

Quote

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would revoke guidance to the nation’s hospitals that directed them to provide emergency abortions for women when they are necessary to stabilize their medical condition.

That guidance was issued to hospitals in 2022, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upended national abortion rights in the U.S. It was an effort by the Biden administration to preserve abortion access for extreme cases in which women were experiencing medical emergencies and needed an abortion to prevent organ loss or severe hemorrhaging, among other serious complications.

The Biden administration had argued that hospitals — including ones in states with near-total bans — needed to provide emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. That law requires emergency rooms that receive Medicare dollars to provide an exam and stabilizing treatment for all patients. Nearly all emergency rooms in the U.S. rely on Medicare funds.

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it would no longer enforce that policy.

The move prompted concerns from some doctors and abortion rights advocates that women will not get emergency abortions in states with strict bans.

 

“The Trump Administration would rather women die in emergency rooms than receive life-saving abortions,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. “In pulling back guidance, this administration is feeding the fear and confusion that already exists at hospitals in every state where abortion is banned. Hospitals need more guidance, not less, to stop them from turning away patients experiencing pregnancy crises.”

Anti-abortion advocates, meanwhile, praised the announcement. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said in a statement that the Biden-era policy had been a way to expand abortion access in states where it was banned.

“Democrats have created confusion on this fact to justify their extremely unpopular agenda for all-trimester abortion,” she said. “In situations where every minute counts, their lies lead to delayed care and put women in needless, unacceptable danger.”

An Associated Press investigation last year found that, even with the Biden administration’s guidance, dozens of pregnant women were being turned away from emergency rooms, including some who needed emergency abortions.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which provides oversight of hospitals, said in a statement that it will continue to enforce the federal law that, “including for identified emergency medical conditions that place the health of a pregnant woman or her unborn child in serious jeopardy.”

But CMS added that it would also “rectify any perceived legal confusion and instability created by the former administration’s actions.”

The Biden administration sued Idaho over its abortion law that initially only allowed abortions to save the life of the mother. The federal government had argued before the U.S. Supreme Court last year that Idaho’s law was in conflict with the federal law, which requires stabilizing treatment that prevents a patient’s condition from worsening.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a procedural ruling in the case last year that left key questions unanswered about whether doctors in abortion-ban states can terminate pregnancies when a woman is at risk of serious infection, organ loss or hemorrhage.

 

 

 

[peacheslatour]

11 minutes ago, Anela said:

 

Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions

https://apnews.com/article/abortion-emtala-biden-trump-emergency-hospital-3640bff165dac1d28b91e8adee7e47dd

 

If this had happened in 1980, I'd be long dead.

[shapeshifter]

“and then he journeyed to Pennsylvania where he spent like a month and a half campaigning for me in Pennsylvania and he's a popular guy and he was very effective and he knows those computers better than anybody all those computers those vote counting computers and we ended up winning Pennsylvania like in a landslide so it was pretty good it was pretty good so thank you to Elon”
https://youtu.be/F9gCyRkpPe8

 

[bluegirl147]

38 minutes ago, Anela said:

 

Trump administration revokes guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions

https://apnews.com/article/abortion-emtala-biden-trump-emergency-hospital-3640bff165dac1d28b91e8adee7e47dd

 

There is nothing a man could be suffering from physically that would have ERs refusing to treat them.  

But if women die conservatives just simply do not care.

[Bastet]

5 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

But if women die conservatives just simply do not care.

In a discussion elsewhere of these horrid anti-abortion laws that have harmed and even killed women by valuing the fetus but not the person, someone said the politicians who vote for these things should be required to sit with those women and their families for every single minute they suffer, and I said it wouldn't matter to them -- the single women, they'd just sit there and lecture them on how they should have kept their legs shut. The married ones, they'd preach about "God's will".

[Anela]

6 minutes ago, Bastet said:

In a discussion elsewhere of these horrid anti-abortion laws that have harmed and even killed women by valuing the fetus but not the person, someone said the politicians who vote for these things should be required to sit with those women and their families for every single minute they suffer, and I said it wouldn't matter to them -- the single women, they'd just sit there and lecture them on how they should have kept their legs shut. The married ones, they'd preach about "God's will".

I was just about to say the same thing. I first thought that people should be required to sit with them, and then I thought some people just wouldn't care. Especially the politicians. 

Whenever this is brought up around MAGA, they just throw out crap about Democrats abandoning women, in favour of things like trans-rights. They just throw out BS.

Edited Wednesday at 11:13 PM by Anela

[kittykat]

5 hours ago, Kemper said:

me, a winning campaign strategy for the Dems (if they can manage to break away from the same-old-same-old) would be to go after insurance companies. Hard. Most everyone in this country (unless very wealthy) has had at least one terrible, sometimes tragic story of being denied insurance for a surgery or other needed procedure. Why can't they (Dems, of which I am one) seem to think of this? Could it be because like seemingly everyone in Congress, they are taking lobbying money from the companies involved. And....there should be a law against lobbying. It is nothing but bribery, plain and simple. We all know that this will  never happen.

This and attacking and ending Citizens United. It's universally hated by voters on both sides. They want to woo back center rights, use this instead of alienating their far left base.  

[shapeshifter]

Something to share with someone else:
Trae Crowder (Liberal Redneck), “Why Do Rural Americans Vote For a Party Which So Clearly Hates Them?” 
https://youtu.be/sCzr9_G2UOQ

[kittykat]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

And any of these "low skill" public facing jobs require a ton of skill or there would be a lot more viral stories about a McDonalds or Popeyes cashier going off on a customer. The abuse these workers take day in and day out from customers, and they have the ability to stand there doing their job with a smile on their face. That is some real skill right there.

Exactly.  No labor is unskilled. I do understand there is a higher category for those who trained prior to the job.  Can't walk in and apply for a lawyer job with a degree.  But I'm tired of the job shaming.  Taking a job as a cashier at a fast food place, here's what you learn: organizing, working the terminal, entering orders becomes like keyboarding once you memorize where the buttons are, handling cash, personal skills with employees and customers, establishing a daily routine with proper hygiene and uniform care, stocking, cleaning, helping a fellow team member if they're having an off day.  These are essential base skills to survive any job.

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

If this had happened in 1980, I'd be long dead.

So would I.  

[Affogato]

Trump administration reinstates and expands travel ban

https://wapo.st/3FAhVv6

quote

The proclamation, slated to go into effect June 9, fully restricts and limits the entry of individuals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also partially restricts the entry of individuals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. “We will restore the travel ban, some people call it the Trump travel ban, and keep the radical Islamic terrorists out of our country that was upheld by the Supreme Court,” Trump said in a statement

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

People talk about how high our taxes would be to have this.  At one point, I had a job that cost me $600 a month for a $9,000 deductible and an additional $38,000 out of pocket.  Yeah, I think I could afford a little more in my taxes in order not to have to file for bankruptcy if I had to seek major medical treatment. I was in and out of that job quickly. Not because of the insurance, but I was very happy to leave that behind.  Also, I don't have the "I got mine, but I don't want to pay for you to have the same" philosophy, so if it meant every American could have insurance, I'm good with paying more in taxes, as long as the rich pay their fair share. 

I forget where this came from, but I read that if the 1% paid their fare share of taxes the rest of us wouldn't have to pay any. And guess what? Trump wouldn't need to make any of those deep cuts to Medicaid, etc. that he wants to make in his "big beautiful bill" (gag me) either. But I personally think that any increase in taxes would be mitigated at least somewhat by the fact that people with good medical coverage tend to get treated earlier and get more preventive care and thus need less expensive medical care overall. There may also be other benefits not commonly considered like there would be fewer unpaid medical bills so providers might not need to raise prices to compensate. And wouldn't the government have more power to negotiate better prices too if it's everyone's major insurer? I might be missing something here but I don't think it would be that hard to work something out, and if we could tax the rich more fairly it might make Medicare for all a real possibility. Something has to give here with the huge income disparity. I think it's the entire reason we're in this boat and many other boats too.

Edited Thursday at 01:00 AM by Yeah No
Ugh, don't ask.

[Mollywolly555]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

So would I.  

Me too. 

I had emergency surgery for an ectopic or tubal pregnancy in 1996, which cd be called an abortion at about 6-8 weeks. No matter that the fetus was not viable to survive and I would have died for sure without the surgery.

[ProudMary]

This is at the bottom of the list of things that angered me today, because all the other items have body counts, but it still makes me mad.

Actually, there are so many bad things that this regime did today, that over the past several hours, I've started three different posts that I've deleted because I'm having trouble reining myself in. "The feels" are heavily negative this evening. I'm watching a baseball game where my team is losing. Maybe ai should switch to a movie.

[Lantern7]

Most of us regulars at the MLB thread have been wanting Rob Manfred to be dragged out of his office and beaten with pipes for quite some time. This shit right here? Now *I* want that to happen.

BTW, I just came up with "beaten with pipes." It's not a recurring thing in that thread.

[peacheslatour]

I know I'll sleep better 

When Thomas Fugate graduated from college last year with a degree in politics, he celebrated in a social media post about the exciting opportunities that lay beyond campus life in Texas. “Onward and upward!” he wrote, with an emoji of a rocket shooting into space.

His career blastoff came quickly. A year after graduation, the 22-year-old with no apparent national security expertise is now a Department of Homeland Security official overseeing the government’s main hub for terrorism prevention, including an $18 million grant program intended to help communities combat violent extremism.

The White House appointed Fugate, a former Trump campaign worker who interned at the hard-right Heritage Foundation, to a Homeland Security role that was expanded to include the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. Known as CP3, the office has led nationwide efforts to prevent hate-fueled attacks, school shootings and other forms of targeted violence.

 

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dhs-thomas-fugate-cp3-terrorism-prevention?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

Edited Thursday at 03:04 AM by peacheslatour

[Yeah No]

 

8 hours ago, PRgal said:

My maternal grandmother was super-classist and very pro-education (likely because she was denied a post-secondary education due to WWII).  She used to say that if one didn't study, they'd end up "dahm nai jo gwoo lai" which translates to "hauling cement (and) working as a coolie."  In other words, you'd never get a good job.  

 "Dahm nai jo gwoo lai" in English loosely translates to, If you don't go to school and study you'll end up saying, 'do you want paper or plastic?' 😉😄

6 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

This is one of my pet peeves!  There is frankly no work that is unskilled!  Think of all the steps that go into any job--you have to know what you are doing! 

And how biased are some of those designations, too? Many jobs that are held by mostly women are considered unskilled and therefore worth less than those traditionally held by men. "Men's work" is always more highly valued, considered more skilled and are therefore more highly paid than "women's work" even when they're doing basically the same thing. Just proof that it can be a bunch of BS. Like "janitors" are mostly men but make more money on average than "housekeepers" which are mostly women.

Housekeeper Demographics

Are Janitors Paid more than Housekeepers (Google AI Link)

[Lantern7]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Cheesy Petes, that’s a punchable face. Guy looks like a character Rob Schneider would have played on SNL.

[annzeepark914]

I swear...nothing should shock me anymore, here in Trumpland. But it still happens, almost every day. It's so surreal.

[ebk57]

54 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Most of us regulars at the MLB thread have been wanting Rob Manfred to be dragged out of his office and beaten with pipes for quite some time. This shit right here? Now *I* want that to happen.

BTW, I just came up with "beaten with pipes." It's not a recurring thing in that thread.

I will ask again - why does the commissioner hate baseball????  

[Yeah No]

55 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I just saw a clip on Colbert with Linda McMahon - Linda McMahon - being involved in a meeting regarding cutting funding for the Department of Education. And shocker of shockers, none of the GOP members there, or McMahon, could do the math regarding the funding and had to be corrected. So...thanks for proving precisely why we need to keep the Department of Education, dumbasses.

This is your party, Trump supporters. You voted for this shit. Hope you're proud of yourselves. 

Jahana Hayes, a CT State representative in our 5th Congressional District became my hero today when she took on Linda McMahon on whether the Holocaust should be considered a DEI program. A short but worthwhile video!

 

[Soapy Goddess]

16 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

I am a "city girl" and observing and experiencing the conditions of some poor rural communities is heartbreaking.  Many studies have been done on how hard it is to break out of that cycle. And when people told us "those people should get a  job" and we would say "will you hire him/her"?  Oh no, not me, someone else.  

Not to belittle your story, but for many this is akin to all those who root for the criminals rather than the victims. Ask anyone if they would take them into their home and you'd get the same answer. Absolutely not. And the vicious cycle continues. Very sad, but oh so true.

16 hours ago, Mollywolly555 said:

Different strokes for different folks? I remember that phrase used here recently in a differing POV discussion. ;)

Polly want a cracker? 

16 hours ago, Mollywolly555 said:

The party of kindness? Taking the high road?

What's so wrong with kindness and taking the high road? A sense of decorum is all that's necessary. One can't (and shouldn't) go through life being angry all the time, unless that's their natural demeanor.

 

[Soapy Goddess]

14 hours ago, Yeah No said:

That's the thing. A lot of people on Medicaid are not "able bodied citizens" and some get worse while on Medicaid because they can't get approved for certain surgeries.

Appreciate your story. It's sad and upsetting, to say the least. I want to believe that under those conditions, obviously he would not be deemed "able bodied", and hopefully he would be able to keep his Medicaid due to legitimate circumstances, especially since he has documentation from several medical practitioners as well as the hospital. 

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

Jahana Hayes, a CT State representative in our 5th Congressional District became my hero today when she took on Linda McMahon on whether the Holocaust should be considered a DEI program. A short but worthwhile video!

 

The fact this even has to be a conversation in the first place just really highlights how far our country has fallen. What the fuck, people?

And we're supposed to be kind to people like McMahon who think like this? Please. 

[Soapy Goddess]

12 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

And this is what is missing from so many people nowadays.  The lack of empathy still astounds me even though I know it shouldn't.  I hear a lot of people say I worked for mine so everyone else should too.  It is usually being said by an older person who's job opportunities were much better when they were in their 20s and 30s than they are now for people in their 20s and 30s. 

And insurance companies do not care.  They gladly collect the premiums but loathe having to pay claims.  I read somewhere that some insurance companies deny a percentage of all claims no matter what they are hoping patients will not appeal

Agree wholeheartedly. I don't believe any of us have lived without have a similar story of their own. Even when you have insurance, you have to fight for coverage. Because the insurance companies will come up with a ton of excuses why they won't pay. Our latest scenario involves a surgery center that they claim is "out of network". BS! Pre-approvals along with co-pay information was sent to all parties, and without going into extraneous detail, they've continued to deny the claim saying it was under a different umbrella. We even did a 3-way phone call between provider, insured and insurance company. The provider was told to resubmit the claim, and yet many months later, it still hasn't been paid.

Edited Thursday at 06:08 AM by Soapy Goddess

[Lantern7]

10 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

And we're supposed to be kind to people like McMahon who think like this? Please. 

Linda is there to speed up the process of the destruction of the Department of Education. IMO, she and her husband have a LOT to answer for in terms of messing up the youth in the long run.

Oh, and she wants to reverse the deal where schools get rid of mascots deemed to be racist. Check it out here. I'd say she's the worst, but I think everyone MAGA is "the worst." It gets redundant, you know?

Edited Thursday at 06:11 AM by Lantern7

[Soapy Goddess]

I'm surprised no one is talking about Biden's press secretary. Apparently she also wrote a book about Biden's cognitive decline, meaning she lied to all of us when she claimed he was perfectly fine. She has also decided that she is no longer a Democrat (convenient timing)...and is embracing the Independent party.

Several pages back, I mentioned other things would be coming out, and here we are. I wonder what else might be revealed. 

Edited Thursday at 07:12 AM by Soapy Goddess

[Mollywolly555]

I wish Biden could be left alone to enjoy his retirement and accomplished legacy.

Biden's mental health is not priority news for me because:

It is deflection from the current administration lies and cover up of T's dementia and disregard for doing the real work of a president, like reading the briefings or even having someone read them to him. Gah!!!

Trump is a figurehead for Project 2025 and Putin to do whatever they want in full view, damn the court system who tries to stop them. T's cabinet and staff and family are the epitome of hypocrisy. They are the living caricature of the Monopoly character who is running away holding big bags of money,  with "Get of of jail FREE" card in hand.

Biden had an experienced, well qualified staff able to carry on more than competently and admirably. He had loyal friends and colleagues in former presidents, global leaders, and other well respected politicos including Republicans, who advised him and  staff.

Tapper and Jeane-Pierre are graffiti artists smearing a good man for gain. 

[Affogato]

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

I'm surprised no one is talking about Biden's press secretary. Apparently she also wrote a book about Biden's cognitive decline, meaning she lied to all of us when she claimed he was perfectly fine. She has also decided that she is no longer a Democrat (convenient timing)...and is embracing the Independent party.

Several pages back, I mentioned other things would be coming out, and here we are. I wonder what else might be revealed. 

Welcome back. 

i personally don’t care. Women being unable to get healthcare in emergencies, travel , disabled people are being denied medical care and children are starving, personal information potentially being released, and so on, the things we are talking about, are horrible. We are observing (as someone ine the WaPo mentioned, the suicide of a superpower. We are beind diminished as we speak, as a nation and as a nation with a future. America is being made into a total loser and its resources are being  blown on tasteless things like that parade. Which is also kind of an i sult to the army. 
 

this was not happening under Biden. So, frankly, don’t care. He wasn’t running against Trump in the last election. Old news. I’m sure it will be sorted eventually. It is another bread and circus distraction for you and something to sooth 47s ego. 

Edited Thursday at 12:10 PM by Affogato

[DrSpaceman73]

4 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

I'm surprised no one is talking about Biden's press secretary. Apparently she also wrote a book about Biden's cognitive decline, meaning she lied to all of us when she claimed he was perfectly fine. She has also decided that she is no longer a Democrat (convenient timing)...and is embracing the Independent party.

Several pages back, I mentioned other things would be coming out, and here we are. I wonder what else might be revealed. 

None of it justifies what trump is doing,  which is the argument you made and are still making. 

Selling pardons via bribes has nothing to do with Biden and what he did. 

Thete are dozens of horrible things trump and maga does every week. You dont get to ignore it all based on the prior administration despite trump constantly trying to make that argument. 

The fact you believe he can pretty well negates much of what you claim as well about not really supporting all that trump does and just being focused on a few key issues. You seem to buy all the maga media and false justifucatuons they put out there. 

[Affogato]

6 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Agree wholeheartedly. I don't believe any of us have lived without have a similar story of their own. Even when you have insurance, you have to fight for coverage. Because the insurance companies will come up with a ton of excuses why they won't pay. Our latest scenario involves a surgery center that they claim is "out of network". BS! Pre-approvals along with co-pay information was sent to all parties, and without going into extraneous detail, they've continued to deny the claim saying it was under a different umbrella. We even did a 3-way phone call between provider, insured and insurance company. The provider was told to resubmit the claim, and yet many months later, it still hasn't been paid.

This is an area where  having a strong federal government can help. It can set guidelines, boundaries, in the relationships between people and their insurance companies. It can mandate continued care while things are worked out.  It can protect people from predatory companies. 

Edited Thursday at 12:38 PM by Affogato

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, Mollywolly555 said:

Biden had an experienced, well qualified staff able to carry on more than competently and admirably. He had loyal friends and colleagues in former presidents, global leaders, and other well respected politicos including Republicans, who advised him and  staff.

This. This is why I never got in on all the handwringing when pepole were debating whether or not he should've run again last year - even if he had stayed in the race, at least I would've been assured that he had good, competent staff and people around him who could take over if, god forbid, he'd been unable to fulfill his duties anymore, for one reason or another. And what's more, I knew the people who would take over would continue his policies and would try and honor the work he did, instead of actively work to dismantle all of it. 

I sure as hell do not get that kind of reassurance with Trump. As much as I want that guy gone, like, ykesterday, and believe you me when I say I desperately want that, I also know that whoever follows him will be just as shitty as him, if not more, and will continue to do everything in their power to make life a living hell for so many people. The only way I could feel ease is if we did a full clean sweep and got the entire GOP the fuck out of the White House completely. And preferably enured that none of those individuals could be allowed to hold any sort of political office ever again/be facing prison time besides. 

[tres bien]

Adding a few bat shit crazy things in MAGA/Trump world 

Yesterday Trump directed the (his) DOJ team investigate Biden’s use of the Autopen

In an press conference of sorts again an incompetent reporter asks equally incompetent man in the WH to comment on President Biden’s current health issue to which Trump babbles on about it being stage 9 cancer

Which doesn’t exist which isn’t true and there’s not one reporter to debunk his incidious statement 

[Affogato]

8 minutes ago, tres bien said:

Adding a few bat shit crazy things in MAGA/Trump world 

Yesterday Trump directed the (his) DOJ team investigate Biden’s use of the Autopen

In an press conference of sorts again an incompetent reporter asks equally incompetent man in the WH to comment on President Biden’s current health issue to which Trump babbles on about it being stage 9 cancer

Which doesn’t exist which isn’t true and there’s not one reporter to debunk his incidious statement 

I’m sure Biden is ignoring this and also expected it. I hope they told him he was a robot clone, though. 

[bluegirl147]

6 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Several pages back, I mentioned other things would be coming out, and here we are. I wonder what else might be revealed. 

Funny how Republicans are still trying to get dirt on Biden.  But refuse to see the dirt about Trump that is right there out in the open.

1 hour ago, Mollywolly555 said:

Tapper and Jeane-Pierre are graffiti artists smearing a good man for gain. 

And there will probably be more.  And I don't for one minute believe Jeane-Pierre would be changing parties if Kamala had won.

7 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

What's so wrong with kindness and taking the high road? A sense of decorum is all that's necessary. One can't (and shouldn't) go through life being angry all the time, unless that's their natural demeanor.

And that would describe Trump.  His whole life has been one grievance after another.  He can't even win graciously.

9 hours ago, Annber03 said:

This is your party, Trump supporters. You voted for this shit. Hope you're proud of yourselves. 

The dumbing down of America has been happening for at least a few decades.  It accelerated under Trump and his clown Cabinet.  Can anyone name a single qualified Cabinet secretary? And Rubio doesn't count since he is burning bridges everywhere.

10 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Many jobs that are held by mostly women are considered unskilled and therefore worth less than those traditionally held by men. "Men's work" is always more highly valued, considered more skilled and are therefore more highly paid than "women's work" even when they're doing basically the same thing. Just proof that it can be a bunch of BS. Like "janitors" are mostly men but make more money on average than "housekeepers" which are mostly women.

There is still also that antiquated belief that men need to make more since they have  families to support.  What?  Women don't support their families?

 

[lookeyloo]

I will say again to check out "Money, Lies, and God".  All this MAGA -  Project 2025 has been in the works for decades.  It will be hard to go against this well planned (I don't support it at all) movement.  None of this is a "one off" type of thing.

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Not to belittle your story, but for many this is akin to all those who root for the criminals rather than the victims. Ask anyone if they would take them into their home and you'd get the same answer. Absolutely not. And the vicious cycle continues. Very sad, but oh so true.

I see that point of view as very short-sighted. Many criminals become so because they see no way out of their poverty and can't find legal ways to climb out of it. And it's often not because they refuse to choose available legal ways. It's because they're in a no-win situation and once they believe that it's all the harder to get them to accept legal alternatives even when presented to them. I'm sure depression is a big factor here and no one can climb out of any personal rut when chronically depressed. The situation in individual cases is always more complicated than it looks.

Helping them would not necessarily involve inviting them into anyone's home. Maybe concentrating on improving ways for poor people to climb out of poverty might be a better way to do it. Maybe give them a reason to see a way out. I don't think we as a society in general have been too good at that no matter who is setting public policy, and better solutions need to be found, but blaming the poor for their problems is very unfair and again, short-sighted.

And I don't see what Trump and MAGA as trying to help the poor. No, in fact just the opposite. They are leaving the poor out in the cold. Up shit's creek without a paddle. And this is somehow going to improve society as a whole? Society needs to be looked at as a whole, not only in terms of "what's good for me" because the stuff you don't care about will come back to bite you in the butt in in the form of more crime and poverty, which affects us all. The very rich like Trump don't GAF if we have to put up with more crime. He'll just insulate himself with his money. As long as he gets out his revenge on whoever he's scapegoating he's good. But we ALL pay for that in the end. Turning one's back on the poor and blaming them comes back to us eventually. We're all in this together.

7 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Appreciate your story. It's sad and upsetting, to say the least. I want to believe that under those conditions, obviously he would not be deemed "able bodied", and hopefully he would be able to keep his Medicaid due to legitimate circumstances, especially since he has documentation from several medical practitioners as well as the hospital. 

One would hope, but I don't have the confidence you do that Trump isn't going to call someone like my friend "able bodied". I believe the goal is to deny Medicaid to people that really deserve it in the name of "cutting the fat" or whatever they want us to believe they're doing. They want to claim that anyone except quadriplegics are "able bodied". After all, paraplegics can use their hands to push keys on a keyboard - so they're "able bodied" enough for a job doing that, right? 🙄😏 I'm being sarcastic to make a point here.

In whose opinion is someone "able bodied"? A lot of people suffer from mental conditions that go undiagnosed too. More money would have to be spend deciding just who is and isn't "worthy" of receiving such benefits and in my opinion if the Right has any say in the matter more excuses will be found to deny people truly in need than to grant them coverage.

[lookeyloo]

8 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Not to belittle your story, but for many this is akin to all those who root for the criminals rather than the victims. Ask anyone if they would take them into their home and you'd get the same answer. Absolutely not. And the vicious cycle continues. Very sad, but oh so true.

I don't understand - are you saying poor disadvantaged people are criminals?  I root for fairness in our system.  Try looking up "Framed" by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey.  

This is from Supersummary.com  I am a subscriber.  Also I read the book.

"Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey, published in 2024, is an exploration of systemic failures in the criminal justice system and the individuals who fight against them. Grisham, a renowned author and former attorney, and McCloskey, the founder of Centurion Ministries and a veteran advocate for the wrongly accused, draw on their extensive experience to illuminate harrowing cases of injustice. This nonfiction work delves into the complexities of wrongful convictions, revealing the devastating consequences of prosecutorial misconduct, flawed forensic science, and societal biases. Thematically, the text highlights systemic flaws in the legal system, the persistence of those fighting for justice, and the urgent need for reform. Combining detailed narratives with critical insights, Framed stands as both a call to action and a testament to the resilience of those seeking truth in an imperfect system."

These cases they wrote about (and there are many many more) show that folks "some" may think are criminals are actually victims of a flawed system.  And also that wrongful convictions means the real criminal is still out there.  Note they didn't try to do anything for those who were not wrongfully convicted.

3 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I see that point of view as very short-sighted. Many criminals become so because they see no way out of their poverty and can't find legal ways to climb out of it. And it's often not because they refuse to choose available legal ways. It's because they're in a no-win situation and once they believe that it's all the harder to get them to accept legal alternatives even when presented to them. I'm sure depression is a big factor here and no one can climb out of any personal rut when chronically depressed. The situation in individual cases is always more complicated than it looks.

Helping them would not necessarily involve inviting them into anyone's home. Maybe concentrating on improving ways for poor people to climb out of poverty might be a better way to do it. Maybe give them a reason to see a way out. I don't think we as a society in general have been too good at that no matter who is setting public policy, and better solutions need to be found, but blaming the poor for their problems is very unfair and again, short-sighted.

And I don't see what Trump and MAGA as trying to help the poor. No, in fact just the opposite. They are leaving the poor out in the cold. Up shit's creek without a paddle. And this is somehow going to improve society as a whole? Society needs to be looked at as a whole, not only in terms of "what's good for me" because the stuff you don't care about will come back to bite you in the butt in in the form of more crime and poverty, which affects us all. The very rich like Trump don't GAF if we have to put up with more crime. He'll just insulate himself with his money. As long as he gets out his revenge on whoever he's scapegoating he's good. But we ALL pay for that in the end. Turning one's back on the poor and blaming them comes back to us eventually. We're all in this together.

One would hope, but I don't have the confidence you do that Trump isn't going to call someone like my friend "able bodied". I believe the goal is to deny Medicaid to people that really deserve it in the name of "cutting the fat" or whatever they want us to believe they're doing. They want to claim that anyone except quadriplegics are "able bodied". After all, paraplegics can use their hands to push keys on a keyboard - so they're "able bodied" enough for a job doing that, right? 🙄😏 I'm being sarcastic to make a point here.

In whose opinion is someone "able bodied"? A lot of people suffer from mental conditions that go undiagnosed too. More money would have to be spend deciding just who is and isn't "worthy" of receiving such benefits and in my opinion if the Right has any say in the matter more excuses will be found to deny people truly in need than to grant them coverage.

Yes, there is so much to say on this.  I spent my social work career in the field of juvenile justice and victims of crime programs.  We have a flawed system.

[Ohiopirate02]

10 minutes ago, lookeyloo said:

I don't understand - are you saying poor disadvantaged people are criminals?  I root for fairness in our system. 

Sure sounds like it. I cannot think of any other way to interpret that. It's also what happens when we as a society ascribe a moral value to poverty.

[tres bien]

11 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I know I'll sleep better 

When Thomas Fugate graduated from college last year with a degree in politics, he celebrated in a social media post about the exciting opportunities that lay beyond campus life in Texas. “Onward and upward!” he wrote, with an emoji of a rocket shooting into space.

His career blastoff came quickly. A year after graduation, the 22-year-old with no apparent national security expertise is now a Department of Homeland Security official overseeing the government’s main hub for terrorism prevention, including an $18 million grant program intended to help communities combat violent extremism.

The White House appointed Fugate, a former Trump campaign worker who interned at the hard-right Heritage Foundation, to a Homeland Security role that was expanded to include the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. Known as CP3, the office has led nationwide efforts to prevent hate-fueled attacks, school shootings and other forms of targeted violence.

 

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-dhs-thomas-fugate-cp3-terrorism-prevention?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

This guy

Five years ago he was working as a gardener

A year ago he was working in a grocery store 

Heaven help America 

[Kemper]

Lantern7..."punchable face" and "Rob Schneider" all in one brief sentence gave me such a belly laugh this morning. I needed it and deserved it. Considering my morning started with a hard pat on my cheek from my cat, wanting his canned food. (forgot to buy it) I threw on clothes and managed to get to Piggly Wiggly when they opened at 7. I have totally assimilated to the South.

***editing to add the most important result of Lantern 7's post. It gave me the kind of belly laugh that will result in me having at least a few times today when I think about it. ***

Edited Thursday at 02:43 PM by Kemper

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Linda is there to speed up the process of the destruction of the Department of Education. IMO, she and her husband have a LOT to answer for in terms of messing up the youth in the long run.

Oh, and she wants to reverse the deal where schools get rid of mascots deemed to be racist. Check it out here. I'd say she's the worst, but I think everyone MAGA is "the worst." It gets redundant, you know?

I know Linda McMahon from way back in 2010 when she ran against Dick Blumenthal for Senate in CT and lost, and then again a couple of years later to Chris Murphy. Interestingly even when my husband was voting Republican he detested her, not that he voted for any of the above either. 

But what I don't understand about the lock-step Republicans is that just because of the cult of personality surrounding Trump, they've allowed themselves to become on board with THE most wacko Right Wing opinions and platforms like the privatization of Education. They claim that the Democratic party has been taken over by very far left wing Progressives, but that is FAR less the case than it is with the Republican Party being taken over by the ultra-far-Right. And it's scary that they don't even see it. They are so blinded by their allegiance to Trump that they don't even recognize what they're doing.And suddenly they're miraculously on board with doing away with public Education, Post Office, cutting every government program that helps anyone (including THEM), criminalizing poverty, etc., etc., etc. It's just amazing to me that they have been used like this and yet project all of that onto Democrats as if we're all the same and all want what the ultra Left wants, and that we all support that and would vote for that. They couldn't be more wrong. For better or worse, Democrats stick to their principles even if they become divided over it. But most Republicans have been "convinced" thanks to Trump's power over them to support THE most wacko right wing policies. And then they wonder why we compare them with Nazi Germany??? Unbelievable!

Edited Thursday at 02:42 PM by Yeah No
Did not want posts to merge!

[lookeyloo]

7 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I know Linda McMahon from way back in 2010 when she ran against Dick Blumenthal for Senate in CT and lost, and then again a couple of years later to Chris Murphy. Interestingly even when my husband was voting Republican he detested her, not that he voted for any of the above either. 

But what I don't understand about the lock-step Republicans is that just because of the cult of personality surrounding Trump, they've allowed themselves to become on board with THE most wacko Right Wing opinions and platforms like the privatization of Education. They claim that the Democratic party has been taken over by very far left wing Progressives, but that is FAR less the case than it is with the Republican Party being taken over by the ultra-far-Right. And it's scary that they don't even see it. They are so blinded by their allegiance to Trump that they don't even recognize what they're doing.

And suddenly they're miraculously on board with doing away with public Education, Post Office, cutting every government program that helps anyone (including THEM), criminalizing poverty, etc., etc., etc. It's just amazing to me that they have been used like this and yet project all of that onto Democrats as if we're all the same and all want what the ultra Left wants, and that we all support that and would vote for that. They couldn't be more wrong. For better or worse, Democrats stick to their principles even if they become divided over it. But most Republicans have been "convinced" thanks to Trump's power over them to support THE most wacko right wing policies. And then they wonder why we compare them with Nazi Germany??? Unbelievable!

It has been their plan all along.