dutch777
dutch777's JournalHow can one donate to Kamala and other Dems and not get inundated with calls, texts, etc. requesting more?
We made donations to Biden last election and were overwhelmed with follow on requests from every Dem in the country to help them too. We are all for the cause but despite assurances it seems our contact info was shared far and wide. We want to $upport Kamala but will not be subject to this avalanche of begging now and onward into the next election cycles. We do realize to comply with campaign finance laws our identity has to be provided for substantive donations.
Has anyone seen a poll in CO 4th Congressional District-- Boebert vs. Calvarese?
All I keep finding is old primary polls that are not helpful. TIA
The dust up around Biden reminds me of all the rules of our national governance we do NOT have.
I don't know anymore than anyone else on exactly what is Joe's condition physical or mental. And I don't know, exactly, how much we as the general public have a right or need to know. But as I felt when Trump wouldn't release his tax returns, or meaningful medical data, or a whole bunch of other info, there really should be a clearer and probably higher level of timely transparency on and around the person we entrust with so much power and who has such all consuming responsibilities. I feel for their need for some semblance of privacy and I know drawing a clearer line between what should be private and what must be public would be a devil of a task but if Trump's time in the public eye has shown one thing, these "accustomed behaviors" we thought all understood and would abide by, if not clearly in writing and law, are now basically meaningless and we as a people cannot rely on them. I sincerely hope we Dems can win across the board in November so that we can address this situation for the sake of all our futures. And by the way, I don't think this only applies to the President. As Lloyd Austin's initially unexplained and poorly communicated (even to the President) absence for medical reasons illustrated, we have to do better on these issues around key leaders.
Report from Europe. Things are not too rosy for lefties or even centrists nor the common citizen.
When the likes of Orban and Meloni are to a significant degree reinforced in their views and power base and the likes of Macron and Scholz are further weakened, it is bad. Bad for EU but also for the US and our non EU allies. I just returned from a few weeks in the Netherlands, Germany and the Baltic countries and I am not heartened. Posters and ads for the EU parliamentary election were everywhere, even in the quaint small towns, thankfully much more tastefully done than how we in the US go about such things, and the local news cycle was focused there as well. I wished I had had more opportunity to talk to more average folks but what I heard from those I did talk to and the American expat friends we visited was grim. Immigration is as much, maybe more of a key issue in the EU and the backlash over it was clearly going to affect the EU election. It was also troubling to hear the level of worry that Russian actions are a serious threat to stability and prosperity and that in typical EU fashion they would probably take 10 years or so to agree on some sort of plan to substantively deal with that. I did like a chalk board put out by a restaurant in Estonia that said in Estonian and English, "Hey Putin, why don't you just fast forward to the part where you shoot yourself in the head in a bunker somewhere?'. While Putin dying sooner than later could be a good thing, it does not cure the myriad of issues the EU faces directly and that need speedier than they seem capable of action. And this is one more serious complication for US state craft which would be even more worrying and problematic with the likes of Trump in the WH.
Disappointing voter turnout in PA primary yesterday. Sub 20 % compared to 40% in 2016.
I know primaries are almost always low turnout but this was really dismal. Glad that Biden won handily and that the Haley protest vote showed up against Donnie but worry that if the lack of enthusiasm extends into November it does not bode well. And as a vet it disturbs me more than a little that not everyone eligible to vote registers and that turnout as a percentage of eligible voters continues to slide so much election after election.
So if MTG et.al. pull the trigger on motion to vacate...do Dems support Johnson or ???
As much entertainment as I gain from watching Repugs shoot themselves in the foot, repeatedly, I am not sure that another episode of GOP driven House drama serves any good purpose unless perhaps there is some high certainty that Hakeem Jeffries becomes speaker in short order. Perhaps GOP driven drama hurts them in November but there is also much harm to the country and our international standing with this idiocy. Thoughts?
Property insurance affordability crisis-- where does it end?
I just read an article that mentioned that Suze Orman, the finance guru, stated that she has a 2100 square foot condo on the beach somewhere in Florida. Her latest quote for property insurance was like $24,000 a year. The article was not completely explicit but I assume this is just her interior walls and finishes and contents. The rest of that assumption is the the condo association also has property insurance on the common building components-- basic structure, exterior envelope including windows, roof and skin and the site. Ms. Orman noted she thought that number was crazy and given recent trends in FL, if she were to file a claim the insurer would likely deny it. Being in a financial condition to do so, she was choosing to self insure.
So the question is, given FL and CA and other areas where repetitive property risks exist are having more and more insurers flee the markets or raise rates astronomically, where does this logically go? Assuming more rich folks opt to self insure, the insurance payment pool shrinks. With reports that those on the other end of the income spectrum also are opting out at their own risk, the payment pools that make insurance work shrink even more. Given mortgage lenders require property insurance coverage for homes they lend on, makes some very desirable but risky locales only for the rich. Seems like this is going to end badly for many who will find themselves in property they cannot afford to protect with insurance but maybe also can't sell at original value because buyers will be aware of the insurance trap present. And communities after a disaster could be left with heavily damaged properties that the owner will simply walk away from as they cannot afford repairs.
How is it Poland, Ukraine, etc. have excess grains to sell and there are millions starving in Africa?
It is constantly amazing with world bodies like the UN, WHO and others, that we can't figure this out to everyone's benefit. In the midst of Ukraine having to fight the Russians on every democracy's behalf it also has to fight trade battles with Polish, French and other farmers over how much and in what direction it can ship its grain to try and keep afloat financially. Just ludicrous!
Worrisome....seems my AI engine is getting bored. Asked it a straightforward question and it gives me this.
The ask was flight distance from Kyiv to St. Petersburg as I was curious what range the Ukrainian drones must have to be hitting targets that deep inside Russia. After telling me the answer in miles and Kilometers, the AI unprompted adds a paragraph that it would be the distance of 46,449 bananas laid end to end. Not sure I feel comfortable with AI going off on tangents uninvited if it has control of anything dangerous. No wonder people think self driving cars are a threat. I suppose next it will be explaining that banana length is not uniform and can be dependent on how straight or curved the banana is. Sheesh!
Oliver's $1mil/yr offer to Judge Thomas got me thinking. If he doesn't accept, does that mean he has a better offer...
...already in place? Of course, it would not be as crass and out in the open as Oliver's or in writing anywhere anyone could find it. Maybe just the book deal, the key note addresses and other speaking gigs and all expense paid trips all over with Ginni associated therewith. Probably some talking head work too.
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Member since: Sun Dec 15, 2019, 05:48 PMNumber of posts: 3,277