Pototan
Pototan's JournalDoes this make me (almost) clairvoyant?
Although I mentioned that I hoped Musk's unmanned rocket would explode in flames, I did say "on the pad". But I think my Dec. 19th post desire was close enough.
Now, please don't get me wrong. I don't want any manned flight to fail. I certainly wouldn't want any human causalities.
But an unmanned Space X launch or two ending up in flames on the launching pad wouldn't make me sad at all. Not one little bit.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219833712
What it will take: Patience and Preparation
Trump is controlling the narrative with his takeover of most the American communication infrastructure, as well as the men who own it.
Trump has almost complete control of all 3 branches of government.
But there are still some certain facts. Trump is intemperate and incompetent. He's volatile and childish. His appointments are committed to policies, if unacted as described, will have an extreme negative effect on America.
Once those negative effects take hold, and they will, we need to be prepared to take political advantage of the storm that's coming. And rest assured, it will be a withering storm.
Color me cynical
Bibi Netanyahu stood in the way of the Biden administration's plan for a cease fire in Gaza and a return of the hostages. Bibi and Trump communicated often during the election season and Trump didn't want any Biden or Harris "win" on this issue.
Now, all of a sudden, the very same Biden deal that was initiated in May of last year is OK with Bibi and allows Trump to take the credit for all of Biden's hard work. It was an issue that dogged the Biden and later the Harris campaign, all to Trump's advantage.
I can agree with Trump about one thing. He thinks the average American voter is gullible and easy to manipulate. This is another example, IMHO, of just how easy for people with no moral character to pull it off.
Nixon tanking LBJ's Viet Nam peace plan in 1968, Bush using his CIA connections to hold off any deal with Iran to bring those hostages home before Reagan's election in 1980 that certainly helped tank Jimmy Carter.
We will find out the truth about the Gaza deal, eventually, but it will be too late and another win for the Republicans' ability to understand the naiveite of the American voter
Nikki Haley gets her reward for endorsing Trump
Public humiliation. Trump calls Haley a "birdbrain" on truth social and bans her and anyone associated with her from serving in his administration.
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/us-president-elect-donald-trump-hires-1000-people-for-his-administration-says-not-anyone-with-trump-derangement-syndrome-2665473-2025-01-16
You know who is to blame for all the climate catastrophes?
Everyone who mocked Jimmy Carter back 50 years ago when he preached to ween us off fossil fuels back in the 70's. When Reagan got elected, the first thing he did was remove the solar panels from the white house. He chose a Vice-President from Texas who was connected to the oil industry.
Look, combating climate change now is nearly impossible. It will take 50 years to reduce the effects. It certainly won't happen overnight. And it most certainly won't happen when the most powerful nation in the world has a climate change denier at the helm.
As we place blame in each instance of devastating hurricanes, floods, draughts and wildfires, the seeds of our demise were sewn long ago, back during the industrial revolution and the invention of automobile. But those folks can be forgiven, as they were ignorant to the damage they were causing. Not so much the folks in the seventies and eighties. They knew better and refused to act, mocking those with the foresight to see the danger.
Mike Pence's Wife Snubs Trump at Carter Funeral
The priceless snub of the piece of shit occurs at the 3:12 mark of the posted video.
Must see
Some things we can't change, but at least we should acknowledge
The extreme weather of all kinds, all over the world is a result of climate change. I know everyone here at DU believes that, but I'm astonished at the amount of climate deniers there are in the US, especially Trump and his allies.
I also believe that it's too late to fix. We, as a people, are going to have to attempt to mitigate the effects. We have passed the tipping point, in my opinion. Or, at least past the tipping point for many of us, as I'm 72 years old and I think it would need a strict 50-year plan to reverse the effects of climate change.
There are so many things none of us can change. Like that America was built on the backs of slaves and that the Western Europeans stole the land from native Americans through genocide. My ancestors came to America at the turn of the 20th Century, so I. and they had nothing to do with that. But that doesn't matter because I benefited from those actions. Even though I can't change what happened, at least I (and we) should acknowledge that.
So, climate change is real. Many of us baby boomers have benefited from the actions that caused it. The least we can do is acknowledge that it's real. And one of the most obvious ways of doing that is to not vote for politicians who claim that climate change is a hoax, or who want to sanitize and re-write history.
"...Onimous sign for Trump..."
I've been reading reports of the effects of the Speaker's fight in the House with many MSM outlets referring to it as a Trump "victory". I watched the whole thing, live (2:00 AM on Saturday, Jan 4th here in the Philippines) and I thought it was chaos. To have to hold the vote open for an hour to get 6 holdouts and flip 3 more votes to re-elect a Speaker with no other candidate from within his own caucus is far from a "victory". The opposition to Mike Johnson seems quite organized to me. It is no coincidence that the 6 holdouts and 3 opponents add up to the exact number needed to call for a vote to vacate the Speaker's chair and only 2 or 3 Republican members voting for someone else prevents Johnson from serving as Speaker. Those renegades sent a message and although most of the MSN either ignores that message or diminishes it, I read the message loud and clear. Since I still subscribe to the Boston Globe, I was heartened to read an article that captures my interpretation, so I have linked it here.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s bid to retain his job was in trouble as three hard-right conservative members within the razor-thin Republican majority in the House voted against him. The revolt threatened to plunge the chamber into the same chaos of two years ago, when Republicans were unable to choose a speaker for four days in a foreshadowing of the dysfunction to come.
Some last-minute maneuvering Friday helped Johnson pull out a first-ballot win and allow new House members to be sworn in and get to work. But the drama in performing the most perfunctory task of governing doesn’t bode well as Republicans grapple with balancing the slimmest House majority since the 1930s with approaching deadlines on government funding and increasing the nation’s debt limit.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/03/nation/mike-johnson-reelected-speaker
Although Johnson won on the first ballot
The thug element of the Repuke party made its point. With 3 votes for another candidate and 6 members not answering the roll call when their names were first called, they demonstrated that they have the necessary 9 members willing to petition Johnson to vacate the Speakership if he crosses them.
I thought 9 members would vote for a different candidate on the first round and change to Johnson on the second ballot (well, 8 anyway) to make this point. But they did it a different way but made the same point.
With dozens of Republican members unwilling to pass a budget or raise the debt ceiling without dramatic cuts in spending, there is no way Johnson can govern without Democratic support. And the rogue element of his party will punish him for compromising the Dems.
Good luck and pass the popcorn.
Profile Information
Name: LouisGender: Male
Hometown: Boston USA and Pototan Philippines
Home country: United States
Current location: Philippines
Member since: Tue Dec 20, 2022, 10:03 AM
Number of posts: 2,668