Post #6387 M: McClanahan on How the 1990s Transformed America; Stossel Interviews Brook on Capitalism

 Quote of the Day

You can easily judge the character of others 

by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.

Malcolm Forbes  

McClanahan on How the 1990s Transformed America

Political Humor

Stossel Interviews Brook on Capitalism

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Bob Gorrell via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2019

Halsey, "Without Me"

Post #6386 M: McClanahan on Why Can't We Get Better Candidates? Shrinking pay for new hires; To Indict, Swipe Right?

 Quote of the Day

The youth gets together his materials to build a bridge to the moon, 

or, perchance, a palace or temple on the earth, 

and, at length, the middle-aged man concludes to build a woodshed with them.

Henry David Thoreau  

McClanahan on Why Can't We Get Better Candidates?

Shrinking pay for new hires

To Indict, Swipe Right?

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Tom Stiglich via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Travis Scott, "SICKO MODE" ft. Drake

Post #6385 M: McClanahan on Trump's "Vulgarity"; Fed: Higher rates until the job market breaks; Kibbe on The Origins of America First

 Quote of the Day

I'm a great believer in luck 

and I find the harder I work, 

the more I have of it.

Thomas Jefferson  

McClanahan on Trump's "Vulgarity"

Fed: Higher rates until the job market breaks

Kibbe on The Origins of America First

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Bob Gorrell via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits od 2018

Ariana Grande, "thank u, next"

Post #6384 M: Dumb BLEEP of the Week; The American Consumer is running out of money; The Green Road to Serfdom

 Quote of the Day

Life isn't about finding yourself. 

Life is about creating yourself.

George Bernard Shaw

Dumb BLEEP of the Week

The American Consumer is running out of money

The Green Road to Serfdom

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Gary Varvel via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Maroon 5, "Girls Like You" ft. Cardi B

Post #6383 Social Media Digest

 Facebook

Twitter

Congratulations to the Spanish women World Cup champions. They dominated possession and earned their victory.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 20, 2023

Sure, many like Cleveland and Coolidge. You just weren't alive then.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 20, 2023

I think Ron Paul's birthday is a holy day on Tom Woods' calendar. I didn't find him all that original or persuasive; he was a more consistent and principled a politician, more like your amiable crazy old uncle goes to Washington, a bit preachy, conspiracies

"Happy Birthday Ron"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 20, 2023

Fool you once, shame on Trump.
Fool you twice, shame on you.
Fool you three times, you're out of your mind, a Trumpkin empty vessel.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 20, 2023

Trump is worse than an idiot; he's a clueless idiot. Guess how many middle-income people decide it's easier to give away certain possessions than move them across the country. https://t.co/ApeKTzn7gO

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

I prefer a Commander in Chief who actually served in the military. https://t.co/x3mLGlK7Qt

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Spoken like a clueless commie.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Leftist rubbish as usual. As Dobbs pointed out, abortion regulation is a state, not a federal issue. Leftists are clueless about the unconstitutionality and unsustainable financing of mandatory spending, never mind the incompetency of government monopoly. https://t.co/CAykODopUG

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Watching Californians panic-buying ahead of Hilary reminds me when I lived through a hurricane as a UH PhD student. I had to laugh when I heard people in San Antonio over 185 miles SW inland were in panic mode. Those Californians are probably still using their COVID toilet paper.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

"Trump Stamp": what's that? How they know you've paid for admission to MAL?

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

I guess Trump cut DeSantis off when he filed to run against him. #sarcasm https://t.co/W57yqUydB6

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

I was in a doctor's waiting room when the TV showed a chef serving onion slices over orange pieces. It turns out that's for real. I remember I was a new UWM prof, and a key faculty member threw a dinner for his new student PhD. Slices of onion, ground premium beef. A local thing.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Who the hell believes that conventional leftism, with their morally corrupt Politics of Envy, is out of power in DC? You don't have to pay a penny for goods or services of any successful business. Leftist politicians steal your money at gunpoint.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Maybe I'm just a Boomer who doesn't get it, but a generation that grew up on "Bootylicious" has a problem with Queen?

"Fat Bottomed Girls"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Dude sent the same tweet to Chris Jericho--just saying.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Trump's MAGAts are on the hook for $200K in bailing him out of jail.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Trump is beyond stupid. He's just been indicted by the state of Georgia, and he still doesn't grasp the fact that states, not the federal government, are responsible for conducting elections.

Will somebody please take the caps lock off the idiot's phone? pic.twitter.com/gfZBRBczSG

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Lawyers will dispute anything, but the idea that Trump could pardon himself contradicts the very notion of the rule of law. This is clearly implied by the Emoluments Clause, which addresses the salient corruption construct. Trump's crimes are self-serving.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Trump: "That's a criminal offense, and you can't let that happen. That's a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer."

That's extortion. Mobster-in-Chief Trump is saying if Raffensperger doesn't flip state results, his corrupt DoJ is going after him.https://t.co/OgJIhVJOH8 https://t.co/5aA8sJgQ4U

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

Let me also make another point about Levine's sham argument. Trump is not President. He cannot excuse responsibility for his crimes by deciding to run for office. Getting impeached also had an effect on his performance. I think his attempts to suppress Mueller should be charged

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 21, 2023

It's nice to see an original no-label center-right anthem go viral nationally. Leftists are furious; one dimwit on Twitter tried and failed to rework it into an anti-corporate screed. pic.twitter.com/Te03jEpIIj

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 22, 2023

Leftists seem to be obsessed more about young Carter's interventionist role in a nuclear power accident, his post-Presidency charity work and his hypocritical judgment of other Christians than in his actual hapless term in office

"Jimmy Carter"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 22, 2023

Twas the night before Trump's arraignment
In the RNC debate hall
All others were stirring except Donald the Timid Mouse

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 23, 2023

And the winner of Celebrity Inmate .... pic.twitter.com/UjsqN5Hxnb

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 25, 2023

I'm amused to see Drudge's link showing the FNC 2024 GOP primary debate swamped Trump's counterprogramming Carlson interview in the ratings. Of course, Trump's "free" interviews with Hannity et al. don't make a Carlson interview all that special. Watching others mix it up better

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 25, 2023

My latest essay reflects my take on the first 2024 GOP primary debate.https://t.co/hdvthY0piu

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 26, 2023

Ramaswamy, the Trump 2.0 candidate, has overstayed his 15 minutes of fame. He insanely calls Trump the "best" POTUS of the 21st century. Let's be clear: there has been no good POTUS this century. Trump was an unambiguous failure on the pandemic, fiscal conservatism and trade.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 27, 2023

The loser is speaking out because criminal Trump once called him "very good" and ignorant Trumpkins are trying to resurrect absurd bribery allegations against Biden. I'm Never Biden but MAGA extremists are insane.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 27, 2023

Trump 2.0 candidate Ramaswamy has the hubris of thinking he can out negotiate "The Art of the Deal" Trump with Congress and expand Trump's coalition. I wonder how long before Trump's ego responds. https://t.co/KNjaBqhrAd

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 27, 2023

Post #6382 J

 Pandemic Report

The latest CDC weekly stats:

Latest daily from Worldometer:

There is ongoing concern over worsening statistics, enough to cause some school closures in Kentucky and Texas. I've seen some warnings for people at risk to consider masking again in social contexts. There are a number of references to a release of updated mRNA boosters in mid-September.

Other Notes

Blog viewership slumped off over the past week. In part, I was in the hospital for part of the week writing the blog on a Chromebook. There's still a shot at reaching the 1K monthly target but at minimum, we're likely to exceed last month's total.

I've only been in a hospital a few times (thank God). I had a minor procedure scheduled for Tuesday. Originally, I expected more of an outpatient procedure with a companion escorting me home, but my doctor/surgeon more recently said that he wanted me to stay overnight for observation and pain management. I think the repair ended up more complicated than expected.  There were a couple of things that needed to be arranged for home recovery, one still unresolved. At some point Wednesday with almost no feedback from the bureaucracy. I had taken 2 days off from work but now I had to extend it. It looked like the same thing was going to happen Thursday when the surgeon's daughter (who works for him) said I was going to be discharged with a temporary workaround. I was not used to basically 3 days of bed rest. Among other things, I used hospital WIFI to compose late week posts using my Chromebook. There were some idiosyncrasies in Blogger; I normally preview the post before publishing it but I couldn't figure out how to pan down the preview. Those 2 published posts do appear differently with right-margin content following the post.

Weird stuff. I had brought along an older power bank that stopped working. So, I ended up using my UBS port on my Chromebook to charge my cellphone.

I'm sure readers have worse annoying incidents related to hospital stays, but a few are annoying enough to list here:

• Usually on days of procedures, you fast since midnight. So sometime after mid-afternoon Tuesday I got to order a late lunch room service from the hospital cafeteria. In my case the diet is calorie and carb restricted. So, I ordered something like a chicken salad on whole wheat, a side salad, coffee and Jello. Shortly after I got moved to my shared room. It turns out the service stops at 6:30 pm. So, my nurse suggested I order dinner; I said I recently ate, and she said something like no worries, we can warm it in the microwave. So, I called up room service, which refused to take an order saying I already had dinner. So, my nurse ended up having her assistant get me a turkey sandwich and Jello, but I was irritated at the encounter.
• I was ambulatory after 3 days on my back, but slower than usual. The nurses made it sound like transport would probably wheel me out to my car in a parking strip. Nope. I ended up getting dumped off at some emergency entrance back exit, and I didn't know how to get to parking from there. I went back in and sort of recognized the emergency room registration. I was trying to get directions to the regular hospital entrance when I got rebuked for jumping my place in line. I eventually found my car but I ended up walking a lot more than expected.
• I had been assured I had my pain pill prescription forwarded, so I drove to the pharmacy, not home. Only to find no prescription at the pharmacy. I bought some Tylenol in the interim. I called the surgeon the next morning. He points fingers at the hospital saying it was sent to the pharmacy on record. The hospital has the right pharmacy on file. Nobody can find the prescription. I just want closure on a replacement prescription. At some point in the pharmacy's voice mail system: they finally see the order and say it should be available sometime Saturday. Later online I saw notice of some kind of price check delay. Saturday morning, I called and was told they had to send it through the system again. I'm told it will be done in 15 minutes. Then I got a call from them asking me why I need pain pills for their records. Eventually the prescription is released. and I find out I've spent 2 days chasing a 2-day supply of pills

Post #6381 M: Republicans Debate- Trump Goes to Jail; A libertarian president in Argentina? ; Allen Mendenhall and Brion McClanahan: Should Libertarians Care about the Constitution?

 Quote of the Day

Love works in miracles every day: 

such as weakening the strong, 

and stretching the weak; 

making fools of the wise, 

and wise men of fools; 

favouring the passions, 

destroying reason, 

and in a word, 

turning everything topsy-turvy.

Marguerite De Valois  

Republicans Debate- Trump Goes to Jail

A libertarian president in Argentina?

Allen Mendenhall and Brion McClanahan: Should Libertarians Care about the Constitution?

Choose Life

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Drake, "In My Feelings"

Post #6380 Commentary: My Thoughts on the First 2024 GOP Primary Debate

 I didn't formally grade responses. But 2 things I didn't expect: (1) the rumors going into the debate implied that Ron DeSantis, as the apparent #2, would be targeted (not really); (2) I thought there would be more discussion about Trump than there was. I will admit I found the lively give and take entertaining.

I thought Nikki Haley was one of the winners with some thoughtful effective counterpoints on spending (rebuking fellow debaters when applicable of approving debt ceiling increases and Trump's $8T addition to the national debt, that spending is not just a Dem issue), abortion (on enacting a politically infeasible national ban on abortion given a split Congress with s likely Dem Senate block), and rebuking Vivek Ramaswamy's comments on foreign policy as inexperienced, uninformed and potentially risky. However, Gov. Doug Burgum gave the most principled pro-Dobbs opposition to federal legislation on abortion regulation. One of the debaters (Hutchinson?) ludicrously suggested Dobbs returned power on abortion regulation to federal as well as state legislators.

I thought the deference to frontrunner indicted Trump and most promising to support him if nominated, even if convicted, with notable exceptions of former prosecutors Christie and Hutchinson, was abominable. Most attacks if any on Trump were indirect, e.g., DeSantis bashing Fauci on COVID-19 policy and saying h he would have fired him. (Fauci was not a political appointee, and civil service laws restrict removal for political reasons). DeSantis also argued that he would be more effective than Trump, e.g., on border security, citing his own record of getting things done. (Let me point out the Congress is different than the GOP-controlled Florida state legislature.) I felt that the debaters largely failed to compare and contrast themselves from Trump in terms of policy, priorities, and behavior/leadership. In short, why not simply vote for Trump again? I think DeSantis would push his recent strong reelection in a purplish state, although recent polling doesn't show him outperforming Trump, but perhaps a more competitive position in battleground states.

I thought DeSantis performed adequately, although the other debaters largely didn't challenge him as #2 in the polls. I think he was most effective in pointing out his military experience (unlike his competitors although I don't recall him pressing the point in playing his fitness to be Commander in Chief. Most of his messages seemed to reflect on his success as governor, not so much ln federal policy beyond the border. He didn't mention entitlements, a primary Trump attack, almost surely amplified by Dems. At least to me, he came across as somber, somewhat combative, and uninspiring. I was particularly disturbed by his belligerent tone towards Mexico on the fentanyl issue, suggesting deployment of the military.

Probably the most attention was received by Ramaswamy, who got swiped by Christie as requiring on the job training as by Haley as described earlier. Vivek jokingly referenced Christie's pre-2012 election "hug" of Obama re Hurricane Sandy. To be honest, though, the same could have been said about Trump in 2016 and Christie still endorsed him. [Correction: I think Christie made a ChatGPT reference to Vivek, and it may have been Pence who referenced on the job training.] However, Ramaswamy personally turned me off (I'll note here I'm a Never Trumper) for a couple of reasons, one of them here. He blasted the rest of the field as bought and sold political whores. This is exactly what Trump did so divisively in the 2016 primary. In fact, Ramaswamy seems to be positioning himself as a younger, smarter Trump v. 2.0. But his willingness to pardon a defiant, unrepentant Trump if convicted on his federal indictments is an abomination.

Pence probably didn't help himself during the debate. He seemed to want to take credit for Trump's "achievements" while at the same time noting he was part of the last Congress to run a budget surplus. Trump's trade protectionism and spendthrift policies are hardly conservative. He's also taking a hardline push for pro-life federal legislation at a time the pro-aborts have been prevailing in multiple states since Dobbs, even red states.

The field generally took the expected shots at Bidenomics and the border, some nuanced criticisms of Biden's Ukraine funding. There was a confusing thread acknowledging education is not a federal responsibility but DeSantis and others wanting to take credit for state achievements on their watch. I don't think the field brought up Biden's college loan forgiveness policies. The problem in my view is I didn't hear a lot of specifics on policies, mostly things like Tim Scott taking credit for his part in the 2017 tax reform. There was some discussion of finishing Trump's wall, nothing on immigration reform. There was an obsessive thread on fentanyl, China's alleged supplier enabling role in stoking cross-border smuggling. DeSantis' dark hinting at military intervention and possible escalation of US/Chinese conflict are troubling.

I'll close with a libertarian clip reminding us of the disastrous war on drugs, that prohibitions don't work and in fact contribute to a more dangerous black market of possibly contaminated product. It doesn't deal with why Americans are turning to fentanyl.

Post #6379 M: Disney's Woke 'Snow White' Reboot; Remy: Rich Men North of Richmond (Federal Employee Version); McClanahan on John Taylor of Caroline

 Quote of the Day

Another flaw in the human character is that 

everybody wants to build 

and nobody wants to do maintenance.

Kurt Vonnegut  

Disney's Woke 'Snow White' Reboot

Remy: Rich Men North of Richmond (Federal Employee Version)

McClanahan on John Taylor of Caroline

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Margolis & Cox via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, "I Like It"

Post #6378 M: McClanahan on Are the Federalist Papers the Constitutional Bible? ; Stossel on 2024 Election: The Trump Biden Rematch. THIS is The Best We Can Do?

 Quote of the Day

For fast-acting relief, 

try slowing down.

Lily Tomlin  

McClanahan on Are the Federalist Papers the Constitutional Bible? 

 

Ben in Barbie Land

 

 Stossel on 2024 Election: The Trump Biden Rematch. THIS is The Best We Can Do?

 

Choose Life

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

XXXTENTACION, "SAD!"

Post #6377 M: SOHO Debate: Should Libertarians Support School Choice? ; McClanahan on The Trump Insurrection Disqualification? ; The US Justice System is RIGGED

 Quote of the Day

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters 

compared to what lies within us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson  

SOHO Debate: Should Libertarians Support School Choice?

The US Justice System is RIGGED

 

McClanahan on The Trump Insurrection Disqualification?

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Tom Stiglich via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Childish Gambino, "This Is America"

Post #6376 M: McClanahan on Do We Have Two American "Foundings"? ; China is facing a Lehman Moment; A Crisis in Masculinity?

 Quote of the Day

You will either step forward into growth 

or step backward into safety.

Abraham Maslow  

McClanahan on Do We Have Two American "Foundings"?

China is facing a Lehman Moment

A Crisis in Masculinity?

Choose Life

Political Cartoon 

Courtesy of Chip Bok via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Drake, "Nice for What"

Post #6375 M: DC holds Maui relief money hostage for Ukraine aid; McClanahan on the (Implied) Power of Secession? ; Why I'm Still a Bachelor

 Quote of the Day

We all are imbued with the love of praise.

Cicero  

DC holds Maui relief money hostage for Ukraine aid

McClanahan on the (Implied) Power of Secession?

Why I'm Still a Bachelor

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Al Goodwyn via Townhall

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Drake, "God's Plan"

Post #6374 M: McClanahan on State Constitutions; How the Government is Still Watching You; More Frightening But 100% True Facts About Guns

 Quote of the Day

Stay committed to your decisions, 

but stay flexible in your approach.

Anthony Robbins 

McClanahan on State Constitutions

How the Government is Still Watching You

More Frightening But 100% True Facts About Guns

Choose Life

Musical Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Camila Cabello, "Havana"

Post #6373 Social Media Digest

 Facebook

Twitter

Donald J. Trump left the GOP for the Independence, ran for the Reform Party nomination, then turned Democrat through Obama's election. He then rejoined the GOP only to leave 2 years later. He was pro-choice, supported an assault rifle ban, universal healthcare. In sort, a RINO.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 13, 2023

All political whores want credit for spending other people's money. But Democrats want to steal even more other people's money.

Boebert https://t.co/dqU7A388m7

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 13, 2023

At least Boebert has read the Constitution and understands the construct of limited government. Any Democrat who has read it has flunked reading comprehension.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 13, 2023

No sane person wants to revisit the failed Trump Presidency. Republicans know he pulled off the hat trick, losing the House, the Senate and White House. These cultists represent a noisy but small percentage of the party base.

"WE WANT TRUMP"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 13, 2023

Wow, the anti-Fauci movement is real. A (pro-DeSantis?) troll responded to my tweet on rabid Trumpkins accusing Trump of ceding federal government authority to Fauci. I'm a Trump critic and I don't go that far.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 13, 2023

Given the actress' personality or lack thereof, has Disney considered casting her as their lead in the Disney version of The Taming of the Shrew? https://t.co/IdHwT56zdp

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 13, 2023

It's true corruption is common to both the Biden and Trump clans. https://t.co/yFDtF7ApQf

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 13, 2023

Note how the Commies justify twentieth-century slavery. https://t.co/cR0IUO6Uom

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 14, 2023

Isn't it amazing how natives in Puerto Rico and Hawaii see cronyism and other Statist Big Government issues but they pander to the political party responsible for creating the Big Government bureaucracy?

"Puerto Rico"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 14, 2023

You mean this isn't a trend about the youngest Trump daughter?

Tiffany

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 14, 2023

Notice how Trumpkins conveniently ignore duly authorized search warrants? Recall Trump demanded a government backdoor to Apple device security? Trumpkins don't give a damn about the Constitution; they're only unhappy their cult leader isn't breaking it. https://t.co/qIzx0BNSxl

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 14, 2023

I'm getting tired of hypocritical "law and order" Trump's disingenuous claims of weaponization of DOJ. The nature and scale of Trump's corruption and crimes against the US are unprecedented in American history. Failure to respond would set an unconscionable precedent.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 14, 2023

Idiotic Trumpkin memes. No, Trump brought his 4 indictments on his own, And the upcoming GA has to do with state law, nothing to do with DoJ. Trump thinks he's above the law. America cannot set a precedent potecting politicians from misconduct pic.twitter.com/X04pkUa5Sy

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 14, 2023

I'm a Boomer but I prefer cartoon Snow White to woke live-action Snow White.

I mean, what's next? Is Disney going to have Prince Philip arrested for kissing a sleeping Aurora, accused of slipping a drug in her wine? https://t.co/IdHwT56zdp

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 15, 2023

This is Soft Rock America. Trump and other dimwit Republicans are calling his 4 indictments a witch hunt. Time for some classic Fleetwood Mac: https://t.co/bKLe3AwpSw

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 15, 2023

Well, Trump has secured a place in American history although for the wrong reasons: most lifetime impeachments and post-election indictments and criminal charges. I seriously doubt any other political whore POTUS will ever touch these records.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 15, 2023

Blaming Trump for COVID deaths? Maybe if he was the Batman. #sarcasm Yes, USG screwed up the testing rollout, but we also had a record time rollout of vaccines that likely saved millions of lives https://t.co/tz82vetnGd

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 15, 2023

Yes, Trump's phone call to demand Georgia public executives flip 2020 election results was perfect: we heard him perfectly. Guilty as charged.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 15, 2023

My latest essay reflects on Trump's growing criminal indictment problem.https://t.co/ornCw764AB

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 15, 2023

The fact is Al Gore lost two machine-counted state-wide counts. He chose to mine rejected ballots for additional votes in Dem-controlled precincts, blatantly unconstitutional. Journalist -led recounts post-SCOTUS confirmed Bush's victory. Yes, Trump was also a sore loser. https://t.co/TZdPEgXqZL

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 15, 2023

We are all feeling the consequences of massive federal spending & accommodative Fed policy in terms of persistent inflation and interest on the national debt, now trending higher than federal spending. Biden's claim that only the rich are paying for his spending sprees is rubbish https://t.co/U4Z4Sbm9pd

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 17, 2023

Trumpkin rubbish.

This is not about sending Trump to prison; it has more to do about holding Trump responsible for his lawless conduct. Shamefully GOP senators failed to do so during 2 impeachment trials for purely political purposes, ignoring the evidence. https://t.co/FMnx2avDsA

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 17, 2023

A Trumpkin is targeting a Georgia DA for enforcing state laws against a corrupt law-breaking sore loser former President who thinks he's above the law? Yeah, and MTG wanted to impeach Biden on day 1.

"Finally a Republican"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 17, 2023

How many Nixon voters defended voting for him after he resigned in disgrace?

Watch how Trumpkins try to rationalize their obsequious conduct for a self-serving plutocrat who has done nothing for them but take their gullible votes and money.

"Defend Trump"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 17, 2023

No, "an innocent man" is not likely to face 91 charges under 4 indictments. Stop this absurd talking point of a partisan conspiracy; I'm no Dem. Trump has been testing boundaries since his election. Note that not one charge involves RussiaGate, although he clearly obstructed. https://t.co/uh16TYbvim

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 17, 2023

My latest rant analyzes a stupid Trumpkin meme.https://t.co/eHJz2EJXqI

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 17, 2023

Well, she's right when she says "Trump sucks" and leave it at that https://t.co/eamj3o8Drc

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

"Just 35% of Americans have a favorable view of Trump.
"The survey...also found that 53% of all voters say they definitely wouldn’t vote for Trump for president in 2024.
"Another 11% said they probably wouldn’t support his White House comeback bid."https://t.co/m4dhuMhTWF

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

It took Trump 7 years to get them to name a hurricane after Hillary. He misspelled her given name, of course.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Side effects of vaccines (beyond allergies, a known risk) are normal and almost always minor and temporary. The MRNA vaccines have literally saved millions of people's lives and health. I don't want vaccine makers withholding cures because of greedy lawyers,

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

It looks like the slimy MAGA ads against DeSantis are done for the time because of his struggling poll numbers. They are now targeting alleged Biden family scandals. This only plays to the Trumpkin base. No smoking guns to POTUS.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

When did Newt become a stand-up comedian? Not a chance in hell. The orange dude has lower favorability than Biden. https://t.co/43qIndrPhf

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Dead wrong. Trump isn't worthy of a pardon. The SOB isn't contrite over his crimes. Ramaswamy finds moral cowardice a virtue. https://t.co/ByHcojNkNn

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Why did Chicken Trump decide to skip the first primary debate?

Because he was afraid Christie was going to eat his lunch in more ways than one.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Why did Chicken Trump decide to skip the first primary debate?

Because he was afraid Christie was going to eat his lunch in more ways than one.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Chicken Trump is trying to annoy FNC by interviewing with washed-up loser fired anchor Tucker Carlson on the day of the primary debate. And you thought Trump's numbers were already low

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Because Trump and MAGA are corrupt and RINO

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Blocking is necessary for the same reason we block spam email and telemarketers. The fact Musk doesn't understand this makes no sense.

"IT MAKES NO SENSE"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

I don't blame Anthony for resisting the pressure of unrealistic expectations in following up the phenomenon of a fading mega hit. You don't want to become formulaic and boring like the Beach Boys singing surfing songs or Springsteen's cars.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

Trump is nothing but predictable. He lost every lawsuit pursuing his crackpot excuses contesting his sore loser loss, learned nothing. Threatening a Georgia state official demanding an election reversal is unprecedented and criminal, full stop. Extortion is NOT "free speech". https://t.co/fGRpETThLY

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

What will a debate be without Trump insulting other people, interrupting them, cramming in irrelevant talking points, lying about accomplishments and bragging about his "package"? Maybe for once, we'll hear serious policy ideas and a new century of leadership.

"Without Trump"

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

There might be some truth to that like disappointed Sanders' supporters may not have supported Hillary.

But Trump is losing maybe a quarter of Republicans and has no shot at independents. https://t.co/BZiwXVPv8y

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 18, 2023

I have mixed feelings here. I don't think public school teachers should abuse the public trust to impose their ideological preferences over curricula guidelines. But school objectives should not shy away from current events. Termination is probably a step too far. https://t.co/tcLzXGq3uL

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

Trump is repetitive and boring. He's in a state of denial over his own criminal behavior. His juvenile nicknames may impress other fifth-grade bullies, but not intelligent adults. His constant claims of being a victim and his gaslighting of gullible minions are tiresome. https://t.co/CIvgmheKy0

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

It doesn't. I don't think most serious people, even Never Trumpers like me, seriously believe J6 was "an insurrection". It was an illegal occupation that ended within hours and more a case of incompetent, imprudent security planning.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

OMG! I think covering a Beatles classic takes chutzpah, because devoted fans like me are faithful to the beloved original. But I think Dolly's vocal nuances and distinctive feminine spin work well here. I was hesitant over her mentioning Paul's late Mom.https://t.co/mt7fAhbgBG

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

I don't know if that was Edge's swan song with WWE, but the match with Sheamus was PLE-quality. Nice to let Edge take the win.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

I canceled Tucker Carlson before FNC.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

Liar, liar, pants on fire. https://t.co/wI17cZjR6s

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

Yup. And yet you continue this worship of alarmism like the gullible minion you are

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

Trump is a multitude of demons.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

I'm not interested in the specifics of Trump's mental illness or delusions. Leftists are obsessed with his compulsive lying. I don't waste my energy debating a madman. https://t.co/gD1o1BYD6n

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

I know that "Two Impeachment/4 Indictment/6 bankruptcy" Trump is not only stupid, incompetent and corrupt but mentally ill. https://t.co/q3OEgl6lKS

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

No, I don't resent their success. I have personally benefited from Uber service. What is utterly pathetic and morally corrupt is the greedy Politics of Envy of this leftist troll, never mind the economic illiteracy of anti-worker minimum wages pulled out of commie asses. https://t.co/WfY7tYLSkr

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

Oh my God, I fell for a parody account post allegedly from Eric Trump and blasted it. To be honest, it sounded like something he might say, but I had to delete my response.

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 19, 2023

If Tribe is referring to Amendment 14 section 3, he's dead wrong. The Constitution has a citizen from birth requirement, a minimum age and a term limit. Trump is, unfortunately, eligible https://t.co/hACFoj2jcN

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 20, 2023

The idiocy of Eric Trump is incontrovertible. This is bait and switch. Trump's salary gimmick, little more than a rich man buying public office, is trivial to his net worth. The government spent a fortune in expenses paid to Trump companies & travel.https://t.co/RsOZZKfBWB https://t.co/15ISvueusF

— raguillemette (@raguillemette) August 20, 2023

Post #6372 M: Dumb Bleep of the Week; The Deflation Boogyman: Do we “need” Inflation? ; Southern Conservatism

 Quote of the Day

If a man be gracious to strangers, 

it shows that he is a citizen of the world, 

and his heart is no island, cut off from other islands, 

but a continent that joins them.

Francis Bacon  

Dumb Bleep of the Week

The Deflation Boogyman: Do we “need” Inflation?

Southern Conservatism

Choose Life

Political Cartoon

Courtesy of Michael Ramirez via Townhall

Muscal Interlude: #1 Hits of 2018

Ed Sheeran, "Perfect" ft. Beyonce 

Post #6371 J

 Pandemic Report

The latest stats from CDC:

The latest from Worldometers daily:

Perhaps the biggest pandemic news i is that we've now seen new variant BA.2.86 emerge in the US after Denmark and Israel. It is thought despite the inevitable issues new variants pose to immunity defenses, natural or acquired; we don't have a lot of data on the variant bur recent vaccines are considered to be the best defense against serious health complications.

One interesting observation about vaccines/boosters: getting them in the same arm may be more effective.

The postaudits continue including the bungled early vaccine rollout and distribution; see this relevant op-ed. they pointed out that many doses were lost because of state/local policies threatening to strip providers of access for noncompliance. Some groups (e.g., teachers not even in classrooms) got priority over the elderly. I think I wrote about my experiences a couple of years back. A significantly younger brother-in-law was an Ohio girls' soccer coach, and at least 2 nieces, one a teacher and the other an RN not working with COVID patients, got theirs well before me, a Boomer with one or 2 health complications. I don't regret my relatives getting protected but it made no sense from a risk perspective. I was registered with my local county but they never contacted me. (It could be they delisted me after getting notice I. got my shots.) I had some eye surgery pre-pandemic and the provider had my relevant data in their system. They offered me access to apply for an available slot on one of their area campuses. I couldn't get a more convenient location, like the city of Baltimore or my own county, so I ended up having to drive a couple of other counties south/western away. I had to flex my work schedule for the 2-3 hour trip both times.

I think I finally noticed my local Walmart was offering shots when I went on a prescription run months later. I think they eventually encouraged walk-ins, but when I got my first booster they had their own slot system with relevant paperwork. I think by the time the bivalent booster became available, the federal government had a website where you could track which nearby pharmacies had available stock. My local Walmart was out of stock initially but within a couple of days I could get one if I was willing to accept the Moderna version (yup).

Other Notes

Well, last weekend I had a couple of strong pageview days like I haven't seen in several weeks. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to be reflected in my one-off/weekly post pageviews. I just checked more detailed stats and I noticed a large plurality from Singapore, even more than US. Not sure why, but I'm always grateful for my readers. It looks a 1K month is possible but I'll know better over the coming week,

I've always been clean-shaven although my late Dad and my baby brother always wore some facial hair. An increasing number of my adult nephews are taking on facial hair. So, why haven't I been tempted? In part, I prefer the clean appearance. I've also had a fairly light beard; I've rarely had to shave every day. I've owned maybe 3- 4 safety razors over the years, maybe 2-3 electric, and probably mostly conventional blade razors. The problem during the pandemic is I've mostly worked remotely with limited public appearances. So I'll let shaving go for several days in a row, and even with a lighter beard, most blade systems are notoriously incapable, clogging after just a few strokes. Safety razors cut through with ease, but the name is a misnomer. More often than not, I'll get one or more cuts. I had had electric razors over the years but they broke down 

So, I decided to shop for a decent electric razor on Amazon, with dozens of choices with overnight delivery. I now have a baby-soft chin and throat for the first time in weeks. 

In all the years I've owned a car, I've never had a dealership reach out to me so many times to buy back my car. I've finally reached the final year of payments. Good hybrid: I've reportedly averaged 55.4 mpg. I guess the used car market remains robust.