The Biden Presidency - Page 32

Fast Eddie B · 25th January 2021, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by Bob001

Apparently Biden has a number of expensive watches. So what?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/f...lex-biden.html

Exactly. Tempest, meet Teapot.

SuburbanTurkey · 25th January 2021, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Even after President Joe Biden signed an executive order putting forth a 100-day deportation freeze, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) has been fiercely calling out ICE for moving forward to deport DACA-eligible Javier Castillo Maradiaga as soon as Monday morning.

https://www.msnbc.com/american-voice...er-99950661881

ICE is a rogue department.

Bob001 · 25th January 2021, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

https://www.msnbc.com/american-voice...er-99950661881

ICE is a rogue department.

It became one under Trump. With new leadership and new policies, the rank-and-file would likely do what they are told.

pgwenthold · 25th January 2021, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Firestone

Biden signs executive order overturning Trump's transgender military ban

And was accused of another "divisive" action.

Despite the fact that 70% of the US supports transgender in the military.

gnome · 25th January 2021, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by MRC_Hans

Do they even really know what it means? They know T**** was accused of it, so now they want to throw it back.

Hint: Divisive means trying to split up the country. It does not mean that the current president is not the one you would have preferred; that is called democracy.

Hans

"But they ARE splitting up the country by listening to all those communists and criminals instead of Real Americans (tm) like me. If they really want unity they should tell them to shut up and go away!"

JoeMorgue · 25th January 2021, 01:13 PM

This will be the argument for the next 4 years, we might as well get used to it.

2/3rds of Americans want to keep Roe Vs Wade intact.

2/3rds of Americans say that protecting the environment should take precedent over the economy.

62% feel that large corporations don't pay their fair share in taxes.

60% of registered voters, including a majority of gun owners want more restrictions on gun ownership.

56% oppose the border wall with Mexico.

58% have a "favorable" view of Medicare-for-All

67% believe in legal recognition for same sex marriage.

83% want immigrants who meet requirements to stay in the United States.

75% think immigration is good for the country.

Right now the only big "Water cooler, public discourse, talking point in political ads, have to account for at least some one issue voters" type "Issues with a capital I" where the Democrats don't have a least a simple majority is the Death Penalty, which is supported by 56% of Americans (but that is trending down, I'd wager that won't be the case by the end of the decade at the latest.)

But again we might as well get used to hearing the Troll Army on the Right (and no small amount from the far fringes of the Left) scream about "Divisive!" and "Tyranny of the Majority" a lot everytime the Biden administration does anything to reaction to those numbers.

gnome · 25th January 2021, 01:18 PM

They'll probably say if you take out California, which doesn't count for some reason, the numbers are much different.

Nah, I just realized they'll just say all the surveys that show those numbers have the results fabricated by the liberal media, like voter polls.

Dr. Keith · 25th January 2021, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

//Slight hijack//

I'm leaning toward my next car being an electric, but I do have one reservation. It's not "range anxiety" per se, but I do suffer from a minor case of let's call it "evacuation anxiety."

Few years back me and my wife had to pack up and head north to get out of the way of one of the hurricanes that frequently batter the Florida cost.

I was heading from Jacksonville, FL to my parent's house in Central North Carolina (complete with dog and two cats, the latter two of which made their displeasure at the trip clear the entire trip but that's another story) in a good ole' fashioned, fuel efficient 4 cylinder compact sedan. But I still couldn't make it all the way on a single tank of gas, no surprise. But gas stations were running out of gas and the ones that had it were getting rapidly backed up. I did eventually find a place to fill up (had to waste money on premium and wait nearly an hour at that) but it was really difficult.

What if I was in an electric vehicle? How many Superchargers are on i-95 between The Sunshine and Meth State and the Tarheel and Tobacco State? If takes longer to even supercharge a Tesla then it does to pump a tank of gas into a Dodge Dart, to say nothing of older electric vehicle charging systems which take hours and even now a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of electrical charging stations compared to gas stations. What if I'm in a Tesla or Volt trying to evacuate along the same pathway as dozens of other Teslas and Volts? The infrastructure just isn't there yet.

That is an issue and I would have similar concerns if I lived in your area.* I would think of an EV as a second car with a plug in hybrid or gas vehicle as your main evacuation choice.

One caveat is that if the evacuation route is essentially a 35mph stop and go crawl the whole way you may have much longer range in an ev than you would in a gas vehicle. Not something I've done the math on, but low speed range should be pretty good and there is no loss to idling. But, the cats would be so pissed when you turned off the AC.

*As bad as Texas is, we can always say "at least we aren't Florida!"

ETA: Sorry, Stacy.

Dr. Keith · 25th January 2021, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY

Impeachment of the President as a political tool does lead to "tit for tat". Democrats were told this to no avail and here we are.

Sorry, your tit for tat was dismantled. To continue to lie about it is just embarrassing. It took one post and you are just trying to gaslight past it as if nothing happened. That is so weak. Like watered down wine served at Mar a Lago weak.

JoeMorgue · 25th January 2021, 01:32 PM

Scream-whining about "OOOOOHHHH LOOOKIT TIT FOR TAT JUST LIKE I SAID" is rather hollow when your side is the one bringing the tit for no reason in response to the original tat."

I'm so goddamn sick of 99% of political discourse on this board being "Oh no I warned you of these consequences... that I was going to be the one who made sure happen."

Stacyhs · 25th January 2021, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by bruto

And was the reporter interested enough in reality and truth actually to ask those people what Biden had done that's divisive? I bet not. It's more of a story to teach the controversy than it is to call their hand.

I think you're assuming quite a bit. For all you know, he may have asked them that. What if he had and they had been unable to give any examples and ended up looking foolish? What good would airing that have done?

Dr. Keith · 25th January 2021, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by MarkCorrigan

The only way the man in the picture could look more like a stereotypical Texan is if his other hand was holding a gun. Or his shirt had frill.

Hey, I paid extra for this frill!

turingtest · 25th January 2021, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Dr. Keith

Sorry, your tit for tat was dismantled. To continue to lie about it is just embarrassing. It took one post and you are just trying to gaslight past it as if nothing happened. That is so weak. Like watered down wine served at Mar a Lago weak.

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

Scream-whining about "OOOOOHHHH LOOOKIT TIT FOR TAT JUST LIKE I SAID" is rather hollow when your side is the one bringing the tit for no reason in response to the original tat."

I'm so goddamn sick of 99% of political discourse on this board being "Oh no I warned you of these consequences... that I was going to be the one who made sure happen."

The thing about tit-for-tat, and his more insipid brother, Mr Whatabout, is the way they are, by design, rejections of any concept of limits, in either political discourse or actual consequences for political wrongs. You can always find a way to tit for tat; you can always find a "but whatabout this?" in response to identifying a "that"- but then all you've done is to surrender the idea that any particular act should be judged on its own particular merits, and you've reduced the idea of consequences for any one act to the empty and childish merits of sputtering about them all. Nothing is wrong or deserving of penalty when it's all just a big game of trading blames.

bruto · 25th January 2021, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by MRC_Hans

Do they even really know what it means? They know T**** was accused of it, so now they want to throw it back.

Hint: Divisive means trying to split up the country. It does not mean that the current president is not the one you would have preferred; that is called democracy.

Hans

In the new age of redefinition, not letting the losers win is inherently divisive.

SuburbanTurkey · 25th January 2021, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Bob001

It became one under Trump. With new leadership and new policies, the rank-and-file would likely do what they are told.

ICE continues to deport in clear insubordination to Biden's order for a 100 day freeze, meanwhile they continue to blanket the streets of Portland in chemical weapons and deploy heavy-handed tactics against protestors.

President Biden has a lot of pressing issues vying for his attention, but the open belligerence of this federal agency is something demands a swift response. Continued silence on this kind of behavior is tacit permission for them to continue operating this way.

acbytesla · 25th January 2021, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Steve

My $300 Seiko has kept perfect time for years. I wonder what theirs do that mine does not. (Other than tell people they have more money than they can use.)

Not a damn thing. But who needs any watch today when you're carrying a phone? But I'm guilty of spending $500 30 years ago on a suit when I could have purchased a suit from the Men's Club for under $100. My father bought a Rolex for more than a month's pay at the end of WW2. That watch is worth $20K today.

It's still pennies compared to the watches Trump wears. So what?

Steve · 25th January 2021, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Bob001

They are jewelry, not timepieces. Any cheap quartz watch, a Timex or a Casio, keeps near-perfect time, better than almost any mechanical watch. Above that level, you're paying for prestige, exclusivity, jeweled cases etc.

Never thought of it that way, but then I do not wear jewelry. Just a wedding band and a watch to tell me the time.

Fast Eddie B · 25th January 2021, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie B

The whole Rolex thing is idiotic on its face.

I did see a mention that the watch belonged to his dead son, Beau, and he wears it in his honor. Have to verify that’s the case.

I see that that is not the case.

From Daniel Dale:

“This viral claim is wrong. The President's watch was a Christmas gift from the First Lady.

This is a trivial one - I hope it is my last watch-related fact check - but there's generally a lot of bad info going viral from unverified accounts with moderate followings.”

But the whole brouhaha is still idiotic. Only thing more idiotic is posting about it, so I’ll stop.

Mumbles · 25th January 2021, 03:58 PM

Meanwhile, Biden just put a big grin on my face and stuck his thumb in Toupee Fiasco's eye for extra fun:

Quote:

The Biden administration says it is "exploring ways to speed up" release of $20 bills featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman after the Trump administration delayed the move first initiated by President Barack Obama.

"It's important that our notes, our money -- if people don't know what a note is -- reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman's image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.
A spokesperson for the Treasury Department confirmed to CNN that the agency is "exploring ways to resume" putting Tubman on the bill.

No need to add much to it. Yes, do it right, I agree, but I'm glad to see this back on the move.

dudalb · 25th January 2021, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Mumbles

Meanwhile, Biden just put a big grin on my face and stuck his thumb in Toupee Fiasco's eye for extra fun:

No need to add much to it. Yes, do it right, I agree, but I'm glad to see this back on the move.

I could argue that MLK would be a better choice, but have nothing against Tubman being on the 20.
THis news has certainly triggered the Trumptards. Usual racist crap, plus some objections that are ostensibly not based on race and sex but obviously are.
My own favorite from the Trumpers: All the people on US Currency are ex Presidents, and that tradition should continue.
Guess they never looked at a Ten Dollar bill lately..or a 100 dollar bill for the matter.
Benjy and Alex say hi....

Minoosh · 25th January 2021, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Darat

It’s a difference between reporting and journalism, reporting today has been elevated because that is what gets you your click-bait headlines i.e “follow the money”.

Good short article about the difference from over 10 years ago - quite prescient given how reporting has come to dominate:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/gr...sandpublishing

“.... To illustrate his point he offers this straightforward comparison:

Reporting: A 747 aircraft crashed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean yesterday.

Journalism: A review of maintenance reports of the 747 aircraft that crashed last month revealed that the airplane had a faulty engine parts. Reports indicate that airline management ignored warnings that the parts were malfunctioning. ....”

You can't really judge from first-day reporting what an outlet would do a month later. Though the example above puts a first-day lede on a second-day story, which is not good. Unless the plane just now crashed, you need something besides saying it happened yesterday. Like, uh, the 400 people that were killed? Rescue efforts? Plane going from where to where?

I would even rewrite the second one to start with, "A jet that crashed last month, killing 400 people, had faulty engine parts, maintenance records show." Or if you really want to stretch the truth, "Faulty engine parts may have caused the crash" etc.

Then, as an editor, I would annoy reporters by asking ask for more context which I'm sure the "journalism" article went on to provide - how common are such faults - are many jets operating under similar conditions? That would be more of an investigative bent.

As a cynic, I would think ... "Good thing it was the Atlantic Ocean ... if it was the Indian Ocean nobody in the U.S. would have followed up at all."

I will check out the Guardian link.

kookbreaker · 25th January 2021, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by dudalb

I could argue that MLK would be a better choice, but have nothing against Tubman being on the 20.
THis news has certainly triggered the Trumptards. Usual racist crap, plus some objections that are ostensibly not based on race and sex but obviously are.
My own favorite from the Trumpers: All the people on US Currency are ex Presidents, and that tradition should continue.
Guess they never looked at a Ten Dollar bill lately..or a 100 dollar bill for the matter.
Benjy and Alex say hi....

Salmon P Chase, too, but that wasn’t exactly in common distribution.

JoeMorgue · 25th January 2021, 07:18 PM

//Slight hijack into the broader currency discussion//

Printing tech has advanced to the point that we could have more than one picture on a single currency.

Something along the lines of

1$ - Presidents
2$ - Civil Rights
5$ - Scientists

etc, etc.

SezMe · 25th January 2021, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Mumbles

Meanwhile, Biden just put a big grin on my face and stuck his thumb in Toupee Fiasco's eye for extra fun

From that link:

Quote:

It's important that our notes, our money -- if people don't know what a note is --

It's that sort of comment that causes GOPers to complain that the coastal elite snobs look down on them.

Aridas · 25th January 2021, 09:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bob001

It became one under Trump. With new leadership and new policies, the rank-and-file would likely do what they are told.

To poke at this... I'm not convinced at all that this is true. I'll easily grant that things got much worse under Trump, but IIRC, there's been plenty of underlying problems since long before Trump.

Ahh... on a quick search, the ACLU weighed in on something very close to that a bit in 2018.

The Border Patrol Was Monstrous Under Obama. Imagine How Bad It Is Under Trump.

Tolls · 26th January 2021, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by SezMe

From that link:

It's that sort of comment that causes GOPers to complain that the coastal elite snobs look down on them.

Why?
That read to me like a poke at people who don't use cash much anymore, who are more likely to be younger.

SuburbanTurkey · 26th January 2021, 04:58 AM

Breyer is 82.

With a Democrat back in the white house and narrow control of the Senate, it's time for the drumbeat to get Justice Breyer to retire. Like RBG, he probably should have retired in 2013 when Obama would have had a chance to pick the replacement, but both decided to roll the dice.

SCOTUS usually ends the year by releasing decisions by July. Breyer should retire then and leave Biden plenty of time to appoint a replacement and deal with any Republican gamesmanship.

Firestone · 26th January 2021, 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

Breyer is 82.

With a Democrat back in the white house and narrow control of the Senate, it's time for the drumbeat to get Justice Breyer to retire. Like RBG, he probably should have retired in 2013 when Obama would have had a chance to pick the replacement, but both decided to roll the dice.

SCOTUS usually ends the year by releasing decisions by July. Breyer should retire then and leave Biden plenty of time to appoint a replacement and deal with any Republican gamesmanship.

Absolutely.

I suggested as much when it became clear the Democrats won both Georgia seats:

Originally Posted by Firestone

Stephen Breyer consulting his retirement planner right now!

I slightly disagree about the timing, though. Why wait until the summer? With the 50-50 split, the Democratic control of the Senate is super-vulnerable to all kind of events (like, for example, a Democratic senator falling ill or dying).

Aridas · 26th January 2021, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by Firestone

I slightly disagree about the timing, though. Why wait until the summer? With the 50-50 split, the Democratic control of the Senate is super-vulnerable to all kind of events (like, for example, a Democratic senator falling ill or dying).

When it comes to the Senate... first, McConnell using a filibuster to save the filibuster, so he can do to Biden what he did to Obama, needs to be dealt with.

wareyin · 26th January 2021, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by kookbreaker

Salmon P Chase, too, but that wasn’t exactly in common distribution.

Susan B. Anthony quarters, Sacagawea dollar coins as well.

If we're counting coins, anyway.

SuburbanTurkey · 26th January 2021, 05:36 AM

Originally Posted by Firestone

Absolutely.

I suggested as much when it became clear the Democrats won both Georgia seats:

I slightly disagree about the timing, though. Why wait until the summer? With the 50-50 split, the Democratic control of the Senate is super-vulnerable to all kind of events (like, for example, a Democratic senator falling ill or dying).

That's a fair point.

It should be pointed out that the situation now is more precarious than it was in during 2013-2015 Democratic Senate majority. There were 53 D votes then (2 independents that caucus with the D).

Now there is a 50-50 split, with VP Harris breaking a tie. That means any nominee can be held up by a single defector, like our conservative Democratic Senator Manchin.

Even if Breyer retires now, it's clear that the decision not to do so previously was a mistake.

bonzombiekitty · 26th January 2021, 05:43 AM

Originally Posted by Minoosh

You can't really judge from first-day reporting what an outlet would do a month later. Though the example above puts a first-day lede on a second-day story, which is not good. Unless the plane just now crashed, you need something besides saying it happened yesterday. Like, uh, the 400 people that were killed? Rescue efforts? Plane going from where to where?

I think it's a simple explanation of the difference between reporting and journalism. Journalism is more than "X happened" - it's talking to bunch of people, following leads, etc and putting together bunch of different pieces of information to make a clear picture.

There's nothing at all wrong with reporting; we all need reporting. There is of course, a spectrum between what is clearly just reporting and what is clearly journalism. On the one reporting end you have "A car crashed on main street, blocking the road for an hour, nobody was seriously injured" and on the journalism end you have the Spotlight column exposing a massive coverup of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

Fast Eddie B · 26th January 2021, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

5$ - Scientists

A friend of mine sent me this from Israel, which I framed:

pgwenthold · 26th January 2021, 06:35 AM

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie B

I see that that is not the case.

From Daniel Dale:

“This viral claim is wrong. The President's watch was a Christmas gift from the First Lady.

This is a trivial one - I hope it is my last watch-related fact check - but there's generally a lot of bad info going viral from unverified accounts with moderate followings.”

But the whole brouhaha is still idiotic. Only thing more idiotic is posting about it, so I’ll stop.

That was my first thought. Hey, it's probably just a gift from his wife for, I don't know, maybe having won the presidential election.

Sinister it is....

JoeMorgue · 26th January 2021, 06:44 AM

The problem with Breyer retiring is the same one with RGB.

I don't think (most) Justices like being told what to do, especially if it is for purely political reasons.

The (old school) Justices either honestly believe (or want to project the image of if you want to be more cynical) being above all that.

SuburbanTurkey · 26th January 2021, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by JoeMorgue

The problem with Breyer retiring is the same one with RGB.

I don't think (most) Justices like being told what to do, especially if it is for purely political reasons.

The (old school) Justices either honestly believe (or want to project the image of if you want to be more cynical) being above all that.

I don't think this is true. At least, the conservative Justices understand how the game is played. Kennedy retired strategically so that Trump can name a conservative replacement and is a peer with both RGB and Breyer.

Squeegee Beckenheim · 26th January 2021, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by Aridas

When it comes to the Senate... first, McConnell using a filibuster to save the filibuster, so he can do to Biden what he did to Obama, needs to be dealt with.

He's backed off now

Horatius · 26th January 2021, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by dudalb

My own favorite from the Trumpers: All the people on US Currency are ex Presidents, and that tradition should continue.
Guess they never looked at a Ten Dollar bill lately..or a 100 dollar bill for the matter.
Benjy and Alex say hi....

"This look like money to you?"

Craig4 · 26th January 2021, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by Bob001

It became one under Trump. With new leadership and new policies, the rank-and-file would likely do what they are told.

ICE really needs to be broken up. Over 20 years ago when I was an officer of the INS, we talked about Removal and Detention being its own service. When DHS stood up there was discussion about R&D being pulled out but it was left in ICE. The **** shows of kids in cages and mass overcrowding are a partial result of the fact the leadership doesn't know how to run humane R&D operations. We've always had the problem of not noticing detention until something blows up in our face.

sackett · 26th January 2021, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by Tolls

Why?
That read to me like a poke at people who don't use cash much anymore, who are more likely to be younger.

I read it as coming from somebody who's been around a lot of reporters. Probably for too long.

25th January 2021, 12:27 PM	#1242
SuburbanTurkey Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 8,009	Quote: Even after President Joe Biden signed an executive order putting forth a 100-day deportation freeze, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) has been fiercely calling out ICE for moving forward to deport DACA-eligible Javier Castillo Maradiaga as soon as Monday morning. https://www.msnbc.com/american-voice...er-99950661881 ICE is a rogue department.
	__________________ Gobble gobble

25th January 2021, 12:46 PM	#1244
pgwenthold Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 20,129	Originally Posted by Firestone Biden signs executive order overturning Trump's transgender military ban And was accused of another "divisive" action. Despite the fact that 70% of the US supports transgender in the military.
	__________________ "As your friend, I have to be honest with you: I don't care about you or your problems" - Chloe, Secret Life of Pets

25th January 2021, 01:02 PM	#1245
gnome Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,063	Originally Posted by MRC_Hans Do they even really know what it means? They know T**** was accused of it, so now they want to throw it back. Hint: Divisive means trying to split up the country. It does not mean that the current president is not the one you would have preferred; that is called democracy. Hans "But they ARE splitting up the country by listening to all those communists and criminals instead of Real Americans (tm) like me. If they really want unity they should tell them to shut up and go away!"
	__________________ Last edited by gnome; 25th January 2021 at 01:04 PM.

25th January 2021, 01:13 PM	#1246
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 30,684	This will be the argument for the next 4 years, we might as well get used to it. 2/3rds of Americans want to keep Roe Vs Wade intact. 2/3rds of Americans say that protecting the environment should take precedent over the economy. 62% feel that large corporations don't pay their fair share in taxes. 60% of registered voters, including a majority of gun owners want more restrictions on gun ownership. 56% oppose the border wall with Mexico. 58% have a "favorable" view of Medicare-for-All 67% believe in legal recognition for same sex marriage. 83% want immigrants who meet requirements to stay in the United States. 75% think immigration is good for the country. Right now the only big "Water cooler, public discourse, talking point in political ads, have to account for at least some one issue voters" type "Issues with a capital I" where the Democrats don't have a least a simple majority is the Death Penalty, which is supported by 56% of Americans (but that is trending down, I'd wager that won't be the case by the end of the decade at the latest.) But again we might as well get used to hearing the Troll Army on the Right (and no small amount from the far fringes of the Left) scream about "Divisive!" and "Tyranny of the Majority" a lot everytime the Biden administration does anything to reaction to those numbers.
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate."

25th January 2021, 01:18 PM	#1247
gnome Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,063	They'll probably say if you take out California, which doesn't count for some reason, the numbers are much different. Nah, I just realized they'll just say all the surveys that show those numbers have the results fabricated by the liberal media, like voter polls.
	__________________

25th January 2021, 12:26 PM	#1241
Fast Eddie B Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA Posts: 6,741	Originally Posted by Bob001 Apparently Biden has a number of expensive watches. So what? https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/22/f...lex-biden.html Exactly. Tempest, meet Teapot.

25th January 2021, 12:41 PM	#1243
Bob001 Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: US of A Posts: 12,635	Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey https://www.msnbc.com/american-voice...er-99950661881 ICE is a rogue department. It became one under Trump. With new leadership and new policies, the rank-and-file would likely do what they are told.

25th January 2021, 01:20 PM	#1248
Dr. Keith Not a doctor. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 22,552	Originally Posted by JoeMorgue //Slight hijack// I'm leaning toward my next car being an electric, but I do have one reservation. It's not "range anxiety" per se, but I do suffer from a minor case of let's call it "evacuation anxiety." Few years back me and my wife had to pack up and head north to get out of the way of one of the hurricanes that frequently batter the Florida cost. I was heading from Jacksonville, FL to my parent's house in Central North Carolina (complete with dog and two cats, the latter two of which made their displeasure at the trip clear the entire trip but that's another story) in a good ole' fashioned, fuel efficient 4 cylinder compact sedan. But I still couldn't make it all the way on a single tank of gas, no surprise. But gas stations were running out of gas and the ones that had it were getting rapidly backed up. I did eventually find a place to fill up (had to waste money on premium and wait nearly an hour at that) but it was really difficult. What if I was in an electric vehicle? How many Superchargers are on i-95 between The Sunshine and Meth State and the Tarheel and Tobacco State? If takes longer to even supercharge a Tesla then it does to pump a tank of gas into a Dodge Dart, to say nothing of older electric vehicle charging systems which take hours and even now a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of electrical charging stations compared to gas stations. What if I'm in a Tesla or Volt trying to evacuate along the same pathway as dozens of other Teslas and Volts? The infrastructure just isn't there yet. That is an issue and I would have similar concerns if I lived in your area.* I would think of an EV as a second car with a plug in hybrid or gas vehicle as your main evacuation choice. One caveat is that if the evacuation route is essentially a 35mph stop and go crawl the whole way you may have much longer range in an ev than you would in a gas vehicle. Not something I've done the math on, but low speed range should be pretty good and there is no loss to idling. But, the cats would be so pissed when you turned off the AC. *As bad as Texas is, we can always say "at least we aren't Florida!" ETA: Sorry, Stacy.
	__________________ Suffering is not a punishment not a fruit of sin, it is a gift of God. He allows us to share in His suffering and to make up for the sins of the world. -Mother Teresa If I had a pet panda I would name it Snowflake. Last edited by Dr. Keith; 25th January 2021 at 02:12 PM.

25th January 2021, 01:29 PM	#1249
Dr. Keith Not a doctor. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 22,552	Originally Posted by ChrisBFRPKY Impeachment of the President as a political tool does lead to "tit for tat". Democrats were told this to no avail and here we are. Sorry, your tit for tat was dismantled. To continue to lie about it is just embarrassing. It took one post and you are just trying to gaslight past it as if nothing happened. That is so weak. Like watered down wine served at Mar a Lago weak.
	__________________ Suffering is not a punishment not a fruit of sin, it is a gift of God. He allows us to share in His suffering and to make up for the sins of the world. -Mother Teresa If I had a pet panda I would name it Snowflake.

25th January 2021, 01:32 PM	#1250
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 30,684	Scream-whining about "OOOOOHHHH LOOOKIT TIT FOR TAT JUST LIKE I SAID" is rather hollow when your side is the one bringing the tit for no reason in response to the original tat." I'm so goddamn sick of 99% of political discourse on this board being "Oh no I warned you of these consequences... that I was going to be the one who made sure happen."
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate."

25th January 2021, 01:57 PM	#1251
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 18,012	Originally Posted by bruto And was the reporter interested enough in reality and truth actually to ask those people what Biden had done that's divisive? I bet not. It's more of a story to teach the controversy than it is to call their hand. I think you're assuming quite a bit. For all you know, he may have asked them that. What if he had and they had been unable to give any examples and ended up looking foolish? What good would airing that have done?

25th January 2021, 02:02 PM	#1252
Dr. Keith Not a doctor. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 22,552	Originally Posted by MarkCorrigan The only way the man in the picture could look more like a stereotypical Texan is if his other hand was holding a gun. Or his shirt had frill. Hey, I paid extra for this frill!
	__________________ Suffering is not a punishment not a fruit of sin, it is a gift of God. He allows us to share in His suffering and to make up for the sins of the world. -Mother Teresa If I had a pet panda I would name it Snowflake.

25th January 2021, 02:09 PM	#1253
turingtest Mistral, mistral wind... Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Embedded, reporting from Mississippi Posts: 4,677	Originally Posted by Dr. Keith Sorry, your tit for tat was dismantled. To continue to lie about it is just embarrassing. It took one post and you are just trying to gaslight past it as if nothing happened. That is so weak. Like watered down wine served at Mar a Lago weak. Originally Posted by JoeMorgue Scream-whining about "OOOOOHHHH LOOOKIT TIT FOR TAT JUST LIKE I SAID" is rather hollow when your side is the one bringing the tit for no reason in response to the original tat." I'm so goddamn sick of 99% of political discourse on this board being "Oh no I warned you of these consequences... that I was going to be the one who made sure happen." The thing about tit-for-tat, and his more insipid brother, Mr Whatabout, is the way they are, by design, rejections of any concept of limits, in either political discourse or actual consequences for political wrongs. You can always find a way to tit for tat; you can always find a "but whatabout this?" in response to identifying a "that"- but then all you've done is to surrender the idea that any particular act should be judged on its own particular merits, and you've reduced the idea of consequences for any one act to the empty and childish merits of sputtering about them all. Nothing is wrong or deserving of penalty when it's all just a big game of trading blames.
	__________________ I'm tired of the bombs, tired of the bullets, tired of the crazies on TV; I'm the aviator, a dream's a dream whatever it seems Deep Purple- "The Aviator" Life was a short shelf that came with bookends- Stephen King Last edited by turingtest; 25th January 2021 at 02:12 PM. Reason: grammar

25th January 2021, 02:13 PM	#1254
bruto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Way way north of Diddy Wah Diddy Posts: 27,735	Originally Posted by MRC_Hans Do they even really know what it means? They know T**** was accused of it, so now they want to throw it back. Hint: Divisive means trying to split up the country. It does not mean that the current president is not the one you would have preferred; that is called democracy. Hans In the new age of redefinition, not letting the losers win is inherently divisive.
	__________________ I love this world, but not for its answers. (Mary Oliver) Quand il dit "cuic" le moineau croit tout dire. (When he's tweeted the sparrow thinks he's said it all. (Jules Renard)

25th January 2021, 02:15 PM	#1255
SuburbanTurkey Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 8,009	Originally Posted by Bob001 It became one under Trump. With new leadership and new policies, the rank-and-file would likely do what they are told. ICE continues to deport in clear insubordination to Biden's order for a 100 day freeze, meanwhile they continue to blanket the streets of Portland in chemical weapons and deploy heavy-handed tactics against protestors. President Biden has a lot of pressing issues vying for his attention, but the open belligerence of this federal agency is something demands a swift response. Continued silence on this kind of behavior is tacit permission for them to continue operating this way.
	__________________ Gobble gobble

25th January 2021, 02:39 PM	#1256
acbytesla Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 28,278	Originally Posted by Steve My $300 Seiko has kept perfect time for years. I wonder what theirs do that mine does not. (Other than tell people they have more money than they can use.) Not a damn thing. But who needs any watch today when you're carrying a phone? But I'm guilty of spending $500 30 years ago on a suit when I could have purchased a suit from the Men's Club for under $100. My father bought a Rolex for more than a month's pay at the end of WW2. That watch is worth $20K today. It's still pennies compared to the watches Trump wears. So what?
	__________________ Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get to me. .

25th January 2021, 02:40 PM	#1257
Steve Philosopher Join Date: May 2005 Location: Sydney Nova Scotia Posts: 8,417	Originally Posted by Bob001 They are jewelry, not timepieces. Any cheap quartz watch, a Timex or a Casio, keeps near-perfect time, better than almost any mechanical watch. Above that level, you're paying for prestige, exclusivity, jeweled cases etc. Never thought of it that way, but then I do not wear jewelry. Just a wedding band and a watch to tell me the time.
	__________________ Caption from and old New Yorker cartoon - Why am I shouting? Because I'm wrong!"

25th January 2021, 03:44 PM	#1258
Fast Eddie B Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA Posts: 6,741	Originally Posted by Fast Eddie B The whole Rolex thing is idiotic on its face. I did see a mention that the watch belonged to his dead son, Beau, and he wears it in his honor. Have to verify that’s the case. I see that that is not the case. From Daniel Dale: “This viral claim is wrong. The President's watch was a Christmas gift from the First Lady. This is a trivial one - I hope it is my last watch-related fact check - but there's generally a lot of bad info going viral from unverified accounts with moderate followings.” But the whole brouhaha is still idiotic. Only thing more idiotic is posting about it, so I’ll stop.

25th January 2021, 03:58 PM	#1259
Mumbles Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,422	Meanwhile, Biden just put a big grin on my face and stuck his thumb in Toupee Fiasco's eye for extra fun: Quote: The Biden administration says it is "exploring ways to speed up" release of $20 bills featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman after the Trump administration delayed the move first initiated by President Barack Obama. "It's important that our notes, our money -- if people don't know what a note is -- reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman's image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday. A spokesperson for the Treasury Department confirmed to CNN that the agency is "exploring ways to resume" putting Tubman on the bill. No need to add much to it. Yes, do it right, I agree, but I'm glad to see this back on the move.
Mumbles Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 8,422

25th January 2021, 04:04 PM	#1260
dudalb Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 50,334	Originally Posted by Mumbles Meanwhile, Biden just put a big grin on my face and stuck his thumb in Toupee Fiasco's eye for extra fun: No need to add much to it. Yes, do it right, I agree, but I'm glad to see this back on the move. I could argue that MLK would be a better choice, but have nothing against Tubman being on the 20. THis news has certainly triggered the Trumptards. Usual racist crap, plus some objections that are ostensibly not based on race and sex but obviously are. My own favorite from the Trumpers: All the people on US Currency are ex Presidents, and that tradition should continue. Guess they never looked at a Ten Dollar bill lately..or a 100 dollar bill for the matter. Benjy and Alex say hi....
	__________________ Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty. Robert Heinlein.

25th January 2021, 04:38 PM	#1261
Minoosh Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 12,239	Originally Posted by Darat It’s a difference between reporting and journalism, reporting today has been elevated because that is what gets you your click-bait headlines i.e “follow the money”. Good short article about the difference from over 10 years ago - quite prescient given how reporting has come to dominate: https://www.theguardian.com/media/gr...sandpublishing “.... To illustrate his point he offers this straightforward comparison: Reporting: A 747 aircraft crashed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean yesterday. Journalism: A review of maintenance reports of the 747 aircraft that crashed last month revealed that the airplane had a faulty engine parts. Reports indicate that airline management ignored warnings that the parts were malfunctioning. ....” You can't really judge from first-day reporting what an outlet would do a month later. Though the example above puts a first-day lede on a second-day story, which is not good. Unless the plane just now crashed, you need something besides saying it happened yesterday. Like, uh, the 400 people that were killed? Rescue efforts? Plane going from where to where? I would even rewrite the second one to start with, "A jet that crashed last month, killing 400 people, had faulty engine parts, maintenance records show." Or if you really want to stretch the truth, "Faulty engine parts may have caused the crash" etc. Then, as an editor, I would annoy reporters by asking ask for more context which I'm sure the "journalism" article went on to provide - how common are such faults - are many jets operating under similar conditions? That would be more of an investigative bent. As a cynic, I would think ... "Good thing it was the Atlantic Ocean ... if it was the Indian Ocean nobody in the U.S. would have followed up at all." I will check out the Guardian link.

25th January 2021, 06:56 PM	#1262
kookbreaker Evil Fokker Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 13,174	Originally Posted by dudalb I could argue that MLK would be a better choice, but have nothing against Tubman being on the 20. THis news has certainly triggered the Trumptards. Usual racist crap, plus some objections that are ostensibly not based on race and sex but obviously are. My own favorite from the Trumpers: All the people on US Currency are ex Presidents, and that tradition should continue. Guess they never looked at a Ten Dollar bill lately..or a 100 dollar bill for the matter. Benjy and Alex say hi.... Salmon P Chase, too, but that wasn’t exactly in common distribution.
	__________________ www.spectrum-scientifics.com <- My store of science toys, instruments and general fun! Thanks for helping me win Best Toys in Philly Voter in 2011,2012, and 2014! We won' be discussing the disappointment that was 2013.

25th January 2021, 07:18 PM	#1263
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 30,684	//Slight hijack into the broader currency discussion// Printing tech has advanced to the point that we could have more than one picture on a single currency. Something along the lines of 1$ - Presidents 2$ - Civil Rights 5$ - Scientists etc, etc.
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate."

25th January 2021, 07:51 PM	#1264
SezMe post-pre-born Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Santa Barbara, CA Posts: 24,982	Originally Posted by Mumbles Meanwhile, Biden just put a big grin on my face and stuck his thumb in Toupee Fiasco's eye for extra fun From that link: Quote: It's important that our notes, our money -- if people don't know what a note is -- It's that sort of comment that causes GOPers to complain that the coastal elite snobs look down on them.

25th January 2021, 09:50 PM	#1265
Aridas Crazy Little Green Dragon Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: East Coast, US Posts: 7,453	Originally Posted by Bob001 It became one under Trump. With new leadership and new policies, the rank-and-file would likely do what they are told. To poke at this... I'm not convinced at all that this is true. I'll easily grant that things got much worse under Trump, but IIRC, there's been plenty of underlying problems since long before Trump. Ahh... on a quick search, the ACLU weighed in on something very close to that a bit in 2018. The Border Patrol Was Monstrous Under Obama. Imagine How Bad It Is Under Trump.
	__________________ So sayeth the crazy little dragon.

26th January 2021, 01:16 AM	#1266
Tolls Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Posts: 5,229	Originally Posted by SezMe From that link: It's that sort of comment that causes GOPers to complain that the coastal elite snobs look down on them. Why? That read to me like a poke at people who don't use cash much anymore, who are more likely to be younger.

26th January 2021, 04:58 AM	#1267
SuburbanTurkey Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 8,009	Breyer is 82. With a Democrat back in the white house and narrow control of the Senate, it's time for the drumbeat to get Justice Breyer to retire. Like RBG, he probably should have retired in 2013 when Obama would have had a chance to pick the replacement, but both decided to roll the dice. SCOTUS usually ends the year by releasing decisions by July. Breyer should retire then and leave Biden plenty of time to appoint a replacement and deal with any Republican gamesmanship.
	__________________ Gobble gobble

26th January 2021, 05:16 AM	#1268
Firestone Proud Award Award recipient Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,997	Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey Breyer is 82. With a Democrat back in the white house and narrow control of the Senate, it's time for the drumbeat to get Justice Breyer to retire. Like RBG, he probably should have retired in 2013 when Obama would have had a chance to pick the replacement, but both decided to roll the dice. SCOTUS usually ends the year by releasing decisions by July. Breyer should retire then and leave Biden plenty of time to appoint a replacement and deal with any Republican gamesmanship. Absolutely. I suggested as much when it became clear the Democrats won both Georgia seats: Originally Posted by Firestone Stephen Breyer consulting his retirement planner right now! I slightly disagree about the timing, though. Why wait until the summer? With the 50-50 split, the Democratic control of the Senate is super-vulnerable to all kind of events (like, for example, a Democratic senator falling ill or dying).
	__________________ The method of science is tried and true. It is not perfect, it's just the best we have. And to abandon it, with its skeptical protocols is the pathway to a dark age. -- Carl Sagan

26th January 2021, 05:19 AM	#1269
Aridas Crazy Little Green Dragon Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: East Coast, US Posts: 7,453	Originally Posted by Firestone I slightly disagree about the timing, though. Why wait until the summer? With the 50-50 split, the Democratic control of the Senate is super-vulnerable to all kind of events (like, for example, a Democratic senator falling ill or dying). When it comes to the Senate... first, McConnell using a filibuster to save the filibuster, so he can do to Biden what he did to Obama, needs to be dealt with.
	__________________ So sayeth the crazy little dragon.

26th January 2021, 05:27 AM	#1270
wareyin Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 8,333	Originally Posted by kookbreaker Salmon P Chase, too, but that wasn’t exactly in common distribution. Susan B. Anthony quarters, Sacagawea dollar coins as well. If we're counting coins, anyway.

26th January 2021, 05:36 AM	#1271
SuburbanTurkey Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 8,009	Originally Posted by Firestone Absolutely. I suggested as much when it became clear the Democrats won both Georgia seats: I slightly disagree about the timing, though. Why wait until the summer? With the 50-50 split, the Democratic control of the Senate is super-vulnerable to all kind of events (like, for example, a Democratic senator falling ill or dying). That's a fair point. It should be pointed out that the situation now is more precarious than it was in during 2013-2015 Democratic Senate majority. There were 53 D votes then (2 independents that caucus with the D). Now there is a 50-50 split, with VP Harris breaking a tie. That means any nominee can be held up by a single defector, like our conservative Democratic Senator Manchin. Even if Breyer retires now, it's clear that the decision not to do so previously was a mistake.
	__________________ Gobble gobble Last edited by SuburbanTurkey; 26th January 2021 at 05:37 AM.

26th January 2021, 05:43 AM	#1272
bonzombiekitty Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,719	Originally Posted by Minoosh You can't really judge from first-day reporting what an outlet would do a month later. Though the example above puts a first-day lede on a second-day story, which is not good. Unless the plane just now crashed, you need something besides saying it happened yesterday. Like, uh, the 400 people that were killed? Rescue efforts? Plane going from where to where? I think it's a simple explanation of the difference between reporting and journalism. Journalism is more than "X happened" - it's talking to bunch of people, following leads, etc and putting together bunch of different pieces of information to make a clear picture. There's nothing at all wrong with reporting; we all need reporting. There is of course, a spectrum between what is clearly just reporting and what is clearly journalism. On the one reporting end you have "A car crashed on main street, blocking the road for an hour, nobody was seriously injured" and on the journalism end you have the Spotlight column exposing a massive coverup of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

26th January 2021, 06:02 AM	#1273
Fast Eddie B Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA Posts: 6,741	Originally Posted by JoeMorgue 5$ - Scientists A friend of mine sent me this from Israel, which I framed:

26th January 2021, 06:35 AM	#1274
pgwenthold Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 20,129	Originally Posted by Fast Eddie B I see that that is not the case. From Daniel Dale: “This viral claim is wrong. The President's watch was a Christmas gift from the First Lady. This is a trivial one - I hope it is my last watch-related fact check - but there's generally a lot of bad info going viral from unverified accounts with moderate followings.” But the whole brouhaha is still idiotic. Only thing more idiotic is posting about it, so I’ll stop. That was my first thought. Hey, it's probably just a gift from his wife for, I don't know, maybe having won the presidential election. Sinister it is....
	__________________ "As your friend, I have to be honest with you: I don't care about you or your problems" - Chloe, Secret Life of Pets

26th January 2021, 06:44 AM	#1275
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 30,684	The problem with Breyer retiring is the same one with RGB. I don't think (most) Justices like being told what to do, especially if it is for purely political reasons. The (old school) Justices either honestly believe (or want to project the image of if you want to be more cynical) being above all that.
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate."