V.3

i have a different perspective. I say judge, and prepare to be judged. But judge the behavior, not the person. No one is better. Some behave better. you are not shy about judging, scolding, or shaming the Prez and his supporters like Little Red Riding Hood. I understand. Silence in the presence of injustice is complicit. slavery was ended precisely because people told slavers "what to think and feel." And when they didn't listen, the North pushed their point at the end of bayonets. like you, i assume, i criticize people who discriminate against other races, nationality, or sexuality. In regards to animal abuse, i opt to speak out at opportune moments. If someone wants an award for speaking up against injustice, i'd give it to them. Though i know you're not looking for a medal for your dietary sacrifice, you earned one 🏆. i like the thread of independence that runs through your posts. You don't like being told what to think, even when you agree. It's as if there's one emotion that doesn't play well with your other emotions and advanced intellect. I may be wrong, and judgemental, but could it be a cognitive disconnect? We all do it. If you literally "won't eat with carnivores," you speak louder and more forcefully than i ever have. And because you blew your own horn, here, I will consider adjusting my own behavior (that's what speaking out publicly can do). Or, I might safely, cognitively disconnect, and just continue to eat my salad at the same table with the bloody bastards 😉

the problem is that what gets done is WHAT WORKS for the top 2% -- the policymakers -- the corporations. It's not a matter of what is most effective or efficient. It is a matter of what is most profitable. for example, the electric car concept was crushed, along with, literally, the first viable models, 22 years ago*. Solar and wind energy could have been fully adopted and perfected by now. *2006 film Who Killed the Electric Car?

"Reality: If you came across a jumper -- an animal that beat the odds and escaped slaughter -- your first inclination would probably be to rescue, care for, and nurture that animal. You would likely care deeply. And you know that. And the fact that your choices don't align with that makes you uncomfy. That's called cognitive dissonance. Really being introspective and changing takes courage. But we see people do it every day." --The Hopeful Herbivore https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DZaUGhQG6/

this is why the he has said, "smart people don’t like me" and "i like the poorly educated." But how you vote is more indicative of your emotions than your IQ.

to remind you, the Affordable Care Act was Obama's key achievement with control of the House and Senate. The Right called it Obamacare, he went along, and they tried to put an end to it ever since. It was a distinct improvement on the old system, but the fact is the Health Insurance industry wrote most of the bill-- the best healthcare plan the industry would allow. But the Dems were within one centrist Democratic vote of "The Public Option" -- a universal, one-payer healthcare system adopted by just about every other developed nation. It gets rid of middlemen profiteers and unifies medical data. Obama was neutral on endorsing it and did not try to win over that one moderate. Here we are. And here is the rest of the world...

she likes the camera and the camera likes her. some speculate she was a plant to hook up with Charlie. that the Party will look to replace JD Vance's wife with her as First Lady, like a tv show might replace a wife on a sitcom for better ratings https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CBkKA78hs/

i fear that the bad news is already baked into his stock price and the bar has already been lowered to dirt level. i mean, he bragged about grabbing women by the cat hairs, is already a felon and adjudicated rapist, blew up 20 boats carrying 79 people on spec, hoped for his VP to be hanged, and buried his ex-wife on his golf course for the tax break!

yes, there was talk of free filing of taxes online years ago and it was semi-squashed. Now, i guess they made it official. A perfect example of what we're up against.

that's a good point, Lee. But just as corps know how to train us, they know we can be untrained. If we break a habit for a week, they know we might be encouraged to break a habit more. Or we may find an alternative to their company. So, yes it's about permanent changes. But that's how permanent changes start. And they don't want us thinking for a whole week about what greedy bastards they are after working so hard to cultivate their image -- including paying millions to have some celebrity associate their face 😃 with their product or service!

but, Jim, isn't the resulting hardship worse, for at least 3 years -- before we have an election that would require us to win all three branches to change the law?

it's more that i know me. and recognize a similar part in you. we all share the same key ingredients with a different mix. your recipe just calls for a little more salt than mine. i also know that you've got a story to tell. i look forward to hearing it one of these days

i like your out-of-the box thinking but it gets even more complicated. What if some southern states choose to go back to slavery? only men voting. No gay rights. One religion? Texas only sells oil to red states but pollutes the skies of a dozen states with their unregulated pollution, etc..

Mac. your avatar is perfect for you is it actually you or a 1960's character actor?

Mac, i take it you'd also object to the term "no man is an island" and Paul Simon would back you up with his next line -- "i am an i i island." it's merely semantics. Missing, but implied: "Preferring your own company doesn’t "necessarily" mean you’re antisocial "Preferring quiet nights isn’t "necessarily" about avoiding others . . ." some might same i'm a bit of a rocky island but neither one of us "necessarily" is after all. we're both here trying to communicate with the world otherwise we'd just read a book. And turn out the light

lions and tigers and bears, oh my! i just watched Jon Stewart and he was way ahead of my curve. he suggests Schumer set up the cave-in with Senators who weren't up for re-election https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFI6MwlLJ08 conspiracy theorists, or any garden-variety citizen who knows who owns politicians, could take it one step further. perhaps the cave-in wasn't because, as one Senate caver said, "the stand-off wasn't working." It was precisely because, as the election proved, the stand-off WAS working!

that's a million dollar question, BD. It deserves a detailed answer -- in the interview room

yes. it appears they will vote against it. ok, i'm flexible enough to admit, at 9pm, that what i said at 5pm was wrong. i was focused on the blame game, rather than results the truth is if what really matters is cutting healthcare costs this was our only chance (for anything soon). even if we have a great election in one year we won't have all 3 branches we had him, and them, on the ropes. the voters spoke last week. they did their part now all we can do is brace for the flying monkees...

home. from a nightmare i'm most concerned that at the start of the shutdown, the gap was 3x as wide -- about 9% more people blamed Republicans. It reflects the Republican's superior access and messaging -- and again, the Democrats' fecklessness. but that's why we're here, right? that's why Mamdani won, right? there's no place like home there's no place like home there's no place like home

yes, to be clear, imo, it helped by further exposing Republicans. But it also further exposed the Dems as impotent. They rose up for a month and eventually flopped. Again. to be fair. 8 flopped. But to the public it still reflects on the Party. The Senate Minority Leader in particular. An old story for anyone paying attention.

i must disagree with my colleagues on the left. The value is the Republican's rightfully got most of the blame, it helped this election and it will help even more in the next election now that the Dems raised awareness of the issues. And the bonus is the weak links are identified and Democratic voters are more receptive to the progressive wing of the Party. there is a spotlight on the vote on extending the reduction of premiums next month. It's a no win situation for Republicans. the Lyin' King is going to play his 2k rebate card for citizens from the goofy tariffs. But all the left has to do is point out that we'd only get back 2k of what consumers paid BECAUSE of the tarrifs, and 2k will only pay for one month of many American's new insurance premium increase. the Dems can do that. can't they? can't they???

maybe not where you or i live, but extreme winter weather in the north may compel the Right to wrap themselves in the flag and the Left to burn it.

Brenda, consider this. Change in America is very, very difficult within the current money-corrupted political and media system. The door shutting is indeed opening a window. You saw it in the election last week. We can rebuild whatever the Lyin' King destroys. And when we do, it will be better because his behavior has exposed all the holes and corruption. People are finally seeing reality. i needed to experience death in my family to more fully appreciate life. i needed to experience sickness to change my diet and lifestyle -- to live in health. This country is going through a "growing" phase. We're in the "terrible twos" century. We'll get through it. How do i know? Because you're here. I'm here. And last Tuesday, the American people showed that they're still here. 😊