Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Healthcare Here We Go Again

Ye gads here we go again. We went through these very same talking points just a few years ago when Obama's Affordable Healthcare Act was introduced. It's like being on a merry-go-round going around and around again never getting anywhere.

The 'Daily KOS'' wrote last year, "$32 trillion. You may have seen this number in corporate media coverage and Republican propaganda. It’s the estimated cost of universal health care over a 10-year period... Compared to what we’re currently spending, universal health care or single-payer health care would save us $17 trillion over 10 years."

So you say if this is so great why wouldn't legislators support it?
Do I really have to explain whose interests congress really represents?
HINT: Not yours.





Well that never happened!

Crunching the numbers in 2016

What he didn't take into account was the money already budgeted towards the veteran care services, Medicaid and current government workers plans which could also be used to help pay for it.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Trump Thinks The Press Is Ugly Towards His Administration

Quit your incessant bellyaching Think reporters have been tough on you? Think again...

















Trump Can Dish It Out, But He Can't Take It
Poor old Donald people are always picking on him. What a whiner. Yet he has no problem over the last two years trashing 'crooked Hillary' at every one of his rallies knowing full well his followers will begin chanting "lock her up... lock her up.....". Another guaranteed crowd pleaser is his 'fake news' schtick. Again followed up by his loyalists shouting, "CNN sucks, CNN sucks...".

Yeah he's a real tough guy when it comes to bashing our allies, the media and whoever else is not the flavor of the day. If some reporter ask a question he deems inappropriate, has to confront or fire someone to their face he folds like a cheap suit. Other presidents put up with scrutiny a thousands times worse. Each and everyone of them (including NIXON when he resigned) had ten times the fortitude and spoke with the dignity he will never have.

How would have Donald responded?

Notice he didn't try ignoring or call for banning Sam Donaldson.


If we're ever to get back on track it sure won't be the present administration who will get us where we need to be. It will take a leader who credits others rather then themselves. Someone who inspires us like our past presidents. Someone who leads in every way the direct opposite of this administration.




This was the face of the Republican party I once supported



Friday, July 27, 2018

GDP Growth Hits 4.1%, Fastest Since 2014

Bloomberg
U.S. Growth Hits 4.1%,
Fastest Since 2014,
in Win for Trump

Not to rain on anybody's parade but it's important to know the GDP is a BS number.

Here's The Formula For How The GDP Is Calculated.
GDP = private consumption + gross investment + government investment + government spending + (exports – imports)

If you will note how much the government spends is a factor. Government spending was increased by 3.5% in 2018 over what was spent in 2017 . The white house released their spending request for 2019. If approved this will be an even larger percentage increase. Thus any administration (not just this one) can affect the GDP outcome statistics simply by spending more tax dollars then the year before.

What the GDP doesn't factor in is the national debt incurred in order to increase government spending. "The budget shows the 2019 deficit nearly doubling from projections last year, to $984 billion. The red ink would total $7.1 trillion over the next decade, the national debt would rise to nearly $30 trillion,..". Put in simpler terms-- The government is able to trick the GDP numbers w/o factoring in our ever increasing national debt. Which was 105.40 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2017 . To my way of thinking the GDP is a lousy way to measure our true economic health.

If you will notice another factor is how much "government investment" is spent. An administration can add that little trick anytime it wants to help boost the GDP numbers with taxpayer dollars even if it has to borrow money to do it. "When the economy needs short-term demand stimulus, as it does now, that stimulus can come from spending on infrastructure, i.e. government investment, or it could be from expenditures on something with little long-run benefit such as large fireworks shows held throughout the nation - big extravagant events that spend millions and millions of dollars in the most depressed economic areas..." Oh let's say like $12 billion dollars to subsidize farmers impacted by tariffs.

You may think the GDP it's a good barometer of how well we're each doing. As for me, not so much. I think there is a better way of measuring prosperity...



Kennedy Once Said...

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Trump Confuses The Hell Out Of Me

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1021719098265362432

The New York Post
Trump administration plans $12 billion bailout for US farmers hurt by tariffs
"Speaking at the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City... “Just stick with us. Don’t believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news."

I don't see how any of this leaves us better off.



Bloomberg
China Buys Record Amount of Russian Soy as It Shuns U.S. Growers
"China, the world’s biggest soybean importer, almost tripled purchases from Russia amid a trade dispute with the U.S., the biggest producer.

Russia sold about 850,000 metric tons of soybeans to China from the start of the 12-month season in July through mid-May, according to Russia’s agriculture agency Rosselkhoznadzor. That’s more than during any season before and compares with about 340,000 tons sold during all of the previous period, Chinese customs data show."


Trump Going To Scam 2020 Elections?

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1021784726217142273

Russians didn't interfere. Yes they did. No they didn't. Yes they did. Donald's ever changing attitude regarding Russian meddling is about to take a dark turn. When he was elected he and his cohorts claimed Russia didn't influence the election outcome. However if Democrats should gain a congressional majority I have little doubt he'll claim it was caused by Russia's influence. I think anyone with common sense can see what's going on here.

Come the 2020 elections if Trump should lose he will try pulling a fast one by attempting to void the election outcome accusing Russians of infiltrating our voting systems. Imagine what will happen if he refuses to leave office. I've suspected this is what he might try and pull for some time.

This tweet gives me even greater cause to believe this is what he has in mind. I'll be nearly 100% certain of my hypothesis if after the midterms Donald and his cohorts incessantly ramp up this 'deep state' BS nonsense far more then they are right now. And if they do-- 2020 could be a real bitch getting him to leave if voters reject him.

Monday, July 23, 2018

First It Was The Morning Call Now The NY Daily News

Mediaite
New York Daily News Layoffs Slash Half Its Newsroom Staff
(07/23/2018) We are reducing today the size of the editorial team by approximately 50 percent and re-focusing much of our talent on breaking news – especially in areas of crime, civil justice and public responsibility,” the unsigned email read.

The email announced that EIC Jim Rich and Managing Editor Kristen Lee would be leaving as a result of the cuts, with Robert York — former published and editor of Pennsylvania’s Morning Call newspaper — joining as the new editor-in-chief."


Both the NYDN & TMC are owned by TRONC-- "Tribune Publishing operated as a division of the Tribune Company, a Chicago-based multimedia conglomerate, until it was spun off into a separate public company in August 2014. On June 20, 2016, the company adopted the name tronc, short for "Tribune online content".

Both have their detractors. Most of the criticism is unfair due to the tight constraints journalist are now forced to operate under. As far as I'm concerned it's never a good thing when the press is unable to provide strong government oversight. We've seen it here where the Morning Call is barely able to cover government meetings due to staff reductions. Little alone any kind of investigative work.

The weaker the media becomes the greater corruption there will be in government. There's no greater wish of every tyrannical leader the press would go away. They'd rather tweet out their spin unchecked. This does not bode well. No one on social media has the resources to do the job. It takes lots of money and dedicated time to uncover scoundrels. The FBI and other politically appointed agency leaders cannot be counted on alone to provide oversight. That's especially true on a local and state level.

The press has always been considered "the fourth estate" (4th power) going all the way back to England. Without it's ability to provide a check on the president, congress and the supreme court we're doomed. Upon hearing this is no cause for celebration except by those who wish to gain advantage by becoming oppressors for their own advantage over the people they are suppose to serve.






What JFK's Response Would Be



Thank goodness the 4th estate hasn't given up.
It's still around fighting for truth.

Inside New York Times (May 2018)

Friday, July 20, 2018

Obama Said Things Trump's Afraid To Say To Putin

Published on Dec 16, 2016



Published on December 29, 2016




Obama said before he left office he'd leave it up to the next president (Trump) to further pursue this.


Now here we are a few months away from the midterms and Trump's still blaming Obama and Hillary rather then taking action or responsibility for what is happening.

Hillary nor Obama are president of the United States. Yo' Donald, you won. It's your call. Looks like your on the hook.

Trump Attacks Hillary She Strikes Back

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1020071992807084032

Donald tweeted an old clip of Hillary speaking about Russia. Hillary tweeted back that clip was made somewhere between 2008-2012 when Dmitry Medvedev was president. Not a video of her speaking once Putin gained power. This is what Hillary tweeted him back.

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1020071992807084032



Can't say people weren't warned !

Thursday, July 19, 2018

McDonalds Got Your Money- Your Food Maybe Not

Forbes
McDonald's Says Goodbye Cashiers, Hello Kiosks
As of 2020, self-service ordering kiosks will be implemented at all U.S. McDonald’s locations. Other chains, including fast-casual brands like Panera and casual-dining brands like Chili's, have already embraced this trend"

https://www.forbes.com/sites/edrensi/2018/07/11/mcdonalds-says-goodbye-cashiers-hello-kiosks/#6fdd72b76f14

What Is Old Is New Again
This could very well signal the end of "fast food". The way I see it once you pay for a order you ain't going anywhere. Years ago in Philadelphia and New York there were a bunch of Horn & Hardart restaurant automats. The way these worked were similar to today's vending machines. There were a whole bunch of little window shelves where a customer would insert their money, open the window and take out the food cooks working behind placed in them. This plan is nothing like that. A customer at Horn & Hardart would get his food as fast as they could insert their money.

This is like buying a ticket to Disneyland never knowing how long you'll have to wait to get on a ride. If McDonald's wants to go down this path they should bear in mind the last Horn & Hardart in NYC closed in April 1991. People didn't like it then. I doubt in this case having to wait for their number to come up will fare much better.

Maybe if customers could play the slots or bet on sports while they wait it might work. Other then that I wouldn't be too optimistic. I'd sooner wait at home for my grub to be delivered.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Trump Wants New AF#1 To Look Like Putin's Plane

Talking Points Memo
Trump Says Air Force One Will Get A Patriotic Red, White And Blue Makeover
“Air Force One is going to be incredible,” said Trump. “It’s going to be top of the line, the top in the world, and it’s going to be red, white and blue, which I think is appropriate."

The Sun
VLAD FORCE ONE On board Putin’s presidential plane dripping with gold and boasting an onboard gym… but how does it compare with Trump’s?



Is this the Putin paint job Trump has in mind?


In other news. It looks like Germany isn't the only one cutting deals with Russia.

Russian Times
Boeing plans to spend $27bn on purchases in Russia
"American aircraft giant Boeing will spend billions of dollars in the next 30 years on direct purchases in Russia, President of Boeing in Russia and the CIS Sergey Kravchenko told TASS... $18 billion accounts for titanium purchases "

Wonder how much of this "titanium" will be used in Boeing's two new AF#1 planes?
Let that sink in for a while.

Know Why They Say Trim Bushes In March?

Because there aren't any hornets' nest in em !!!!!

I have a rather large bush by my dinning room window. I figured I'd trim this bush after it done most of it's growing in Spring. Today was the day. BAD IDEA. Got stung in my hand and my ear is glowing red. I skinned my arm falling on the ground trying run inside my house. Even then I wasn't safe. One of the little suckers was on my arm trying to sting me.


Nasty Little Buggers Aren't They !

The only good to come out of it was I found I'm not allergic since I didn't go into anaphylaxis. Good thing because my wife is out of town for the day and I'm alone.

Wait till next March you little suckers. That bush is gonna be cut so small even our daffodils will tower over it.

Monday, July 16, 2018

Why Are We Kissing Russia's Butt?

They're actually no big deal..
Russia's 2016 Military Budget- Less then $70b.
European Union- $226.73b in 2016
United States' in 2017 was $610b

GDP
United States- $18.57t (2016)
China- $11.2t (2016)
U.K.- $2.619t (2016)
India- $2.264t (2016)
Canada- $1.53t (2016)
Russia- $1.283t (2016)
     New York State- $1.562t (2017)
     Texas- $1.706t (2017)
     California- $2.75t (2017)


The way this administration is carrying on you'd think Russia were our largest competitor. Instead of trashing our trade and military partners shouldn't we be cozying up to those countries?

It should also be noted none of the countries I mentioned tinkered with our elections. Makes you wonder why this administration is trying so hard to appease Putin while crapping on everybody else including our own people.

What the hell kind of president talks this way in front of our adversaries?



Something is amiss when even his largest cheerleaders say this...

Saturday, July 14, 2018

I'm Too Fixated On Trump

There's an old saying. The squeakiest wheel gets the most attention. In my case it's more then that. I've always been driven by trying to get things right. It drives me a bit buggy when a light is burned out or my brakes squeal. In this case it's Trump's words not lining up with the facts. Perhaps this too drives the media into giving him more attention then he deserves.

At this point I need to challenge my very nature by not succumbing to this weakness. Besides I can't possibly keep up with Donald's erroneous ramblings on just about everything. I'd need a staff of a dozen or so to keep up fact checking his fabrications. The way I intend to handle this from now on is to think of Donald Trump as "Cliff Clavin"



.
POLITICO posted this which said
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658

Well there you go.
It's quite simple.
I'll just assume Donald's FOS.
Works for me.
Dilemma resolved. :)

Maybe from now on I won't have to post as much.

Trump Says Workers Seeing A Fatter Paycheck

No they're not.

According to 'The Bureau of Labor Statistics'-- "From June 2017 to June 2018, real average hourly earnings decreased 0.2 percent, seasonally adjusted. Combining the change in real average hourly earnings with a 0.3-percent increase in the average workweek resulted in no change to real average weekly earnings over this period."

Russians Russians Russians Everywhere You look








In what may seem like a joke in January 2007 Donald Trump appointed Rudy Giuliani as his cybersecurity advisor. According to 'Business Insider'-- "Giuliani's site was littered with security problems and outdated software, they say, making it extremely vulnerable to hacking."



Thursday, July 12, 2018

Allentown Sues Lehigh County Authority

The Morning Call
Allentown sues Lehigh County Authority
days after $36.4 M arbitration demand
"LCA and Allentown signed a lease in 2013 that called for the authority to give the city $211.3 million in exchange for control of the system for 50 years. Allentown used the money to pay down its cash-poor pension systems."

May I suggest...
If Allentown feels it's excessive perhaps they should consider offering a buy back. At this point the LCA might be willing to forgo this endless bickering. However after assuming the transfer of the loan debt, the required repairs and other outstanding obligations I very much doubt things would turn out much differently for water consumers. It isn't like the LCA is a for-profit operation.

This whole thing comes down to simply rearranging the deck chairs. There's no such thing as free money.

If I Were Putin

Here would be my wish list hoping to undermine the United States by...
* Destroying Americans trust for their press, intelligence, FBI and government leaders.
* Weaken federal revenues by all means possible including unnecessary tax cuts.
* Weaken allied nations' faith in military and economic agreements.
* Use all means necessary to get a leader elected who could fulfill those goals. As well as someone who could pit people against each other throughout the world including Americans amongst themselves. Someone who would impose tariffs that applied to none of their own or family's businesses. A person who would trash all of his opponents similar to what I (Putin) would do. A person who he and his family benefited millions from USSR loans.

Know anybody like that?

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Trump Now Wants Double From NATO

Bloomberg (07/11/2018)
Trump Urges Doubling Target for Arms Budgets to 4%
"President Trump, who spoke, raised the question not just to reach 2%, today, but set a new target - 4%. He just left after he announced that,” Bulgarian president Rumen Radev told reporters, according to BNR public radio.... Two other NATO officials familiar with the discussion confirmed the 4 percent target, while noting it was unclear if this was a formal policy proposal.

This NATO thing is a hell of a lot more complicated then people realize. In July 2016 the White House put out THIS PRESS RELEASE explaining just how complicated the funding of NATO is. In the release it explains it's not just limited to the 2% goal. Up and above each nation helps supply staffing and weaponry to these bases. For example the U.K "makes contributions-in-kind from its national inventory of 6 E-3D AWACS" towards NATO's 16 in total. At a airbase in Hungary United States provides only one of the three C-17 strategic transport aircraft stationed there.

Just being part of NATO doesn't always come cheap. In May 2018 Poland offered the U.S. up to $2B for a permanent military base. Japan is said to have paid around $192 billion in 2017 to host U.S. forces.

If You Want To Be Friends Give Me Money
Could the real reason Trump wants them to jack up their spending is so we can sell them more military equipment? Squeeze protection money under threat we'll pull our soldiers? Sure seems so like Donald to do this to our friends in my opinion.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Trump Will Go After NATO Members

Before the Donald headed off to see our NATO allies he fired off this tweet....


While it is true we fund an estimated $430 million (22% of NATO's $1.4 billion budget) we should also keep in mind Germany contributes 14.7% and France 10.63%. They're not exactly freeloading as Donald would have people believe.

Donald would also have people forget NATO member states spend another $957 billion outside of NATO on their defense. Some $200 billion more then the U.S. requested defense budget for 2019.

Face it, the crappy $430 million we pay into NATO is a bargain. This considering how many times we drag our NATO partners into our military missions in other countries w/o compensation.

If Donald wants to save a couple of buck$ overseas maybe he ought to consider shutting down some of the 700-800 bases in 150 countries we maintain . Yeah let's not talk about those. Lets alienate our allies by putting the squeeze on them instead.

Here's what's going to happen if Trump keeps this up. It will increase support for the "European Defence Union" backers who started working towards this a few years ago.


Maybe one day they'll tell the U.S. and NATO they can cram it. So yeah not a great plan Donald getting all up in their face later this week. Who knows they could one day tell the U.S. to get our bases out of their countries unless we pay an arm and a leg.

I said it before many times-- once this guy breaks things we may never be able to fix the damage he's done. This is yet one more example.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Poorest States Are Under Republican Control

5 of the 6 states with the lowest per capita incomes are under Republican control.
All these states voted for Trump in 2016 #50 Mississippi - $21,036
#49 West Virginia - $22,714 - Except for 1 U.S. Senate Democrat
#48 Arkansas - $22,883
#47 Alabama - $23,606 - Except for 1 U.S. Senate Democrat
#45 Kentucky - $23,684


5 of the 7 states with the highest per capita incomes are under Democratic control.
None of these states voted for Trump in 2016 #1 Connecticut - $39,373
#2 New Jersey - #37,288
#3 Massachusetts - $36,593 - Except for the Republican governor
#4 Maryland - $36,388 - Except for the Republican governor.
#7 New York - $33,095 - Except for State Republican control in the Senate.
* Source Material:
List Of States By Income (2014)
States By Party Strength (2014)

Given the figures above it should be clear the Republican policies generate neither greater per capita nor median household wealth. Politicians and pundits lie. Numbers never do.

Seems the people in the states with the least are counting on Trump the most by voting for him. These folks are likely to find themselves greatly disappointed being they're the ones most affected by his cuts and future benefit reductions.

Couple that with Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and several other Midwestern states who also voted for him being the most impacted by Trump's tariff games.



Published on Apr 17, 2018

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Trump Confused About A 1,000 Points of Light




Happy to help ya out.
From President George H.W. Bush's 1989 inaugural address...

An estimated 300,000 attended
Here are the attendance estimates for past eight inaugurations


Points of Light Tribute Awards 2017- Welcome Video

Points Of Light.org

Published on Oct 19, 2017
From the White House more than 25 years ago, President George H. W. Bush gave voice and direction to a movement that’s steadily grown ever since — changing countless lives in communities across the country and around the world. No president in American history has advanced with greater clarity and consistency this belief: that voluntary action to help others is inseparable from human freedom and America’s pursuit of what is right and good.

The Points of Light Tribute Awards honors individuals and organizations whose extraordinary contributions to volunteering and service have made their communities and the world better.


G.H.W.B represented the Republican Party we all could be proud of.
What the hell happened!!!!
Where did it go?

Today's so-called Republicans need to decide to take back their party or continue following this false prophet named D.J.T. into hell.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Creek Weed Gardens Out Of Hand

WFMZ Video 06/05/2018 --"Along the banks of the Lil' Lehigh [sic] at Cedar Beach Park, the Muhlenberg College biology professor doesn't like what he sees. "A site like this is ripe for the giant hogweed," he said.

The giant hogweed with its pretty flowered cap can turn a field of dreams into a nightmare. The toxic plant can cause severe long-term burns, blisters the size of golf balls, even blindness."







People who follow our local blogs around here know we already been on this merry-go-round for a long time. No sense rehashing this yet again. Suffice it to say there is a very simple solution for this riparian problem.

Lifeguard Shortage Not Just In Allentown



Doesn't speak well for college kids off during the summer does it?

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

They Walk Among Us

There were just enough of them to get us where we are today.

This is the 2nd year in a row Trump Fans Accuse NPR of ‘Taxpayer Funded Partisan Advocacy’ After It Tweets Out the Declaration of Independence. Some said the most hateful things against NPR unaware it was tweeting word for word the Declaration of Independence. "Attempting to tear down this nation from the very base is treasonous!-- Just chalk it up to one more reason for DJT being elected."

Monday, July 2, 2018

Solar Energy Not Part Of MAGA Plan

While Donald wants to take us back to the 50's....



China is building the world's largest solar park that's five times the size of Manhattan

"According to the report, the massive Gonghe Solar Park is capable of providing electricity to about 2.5 million households across China's five provinces and autonomous regions...

MEANWHILE ON THE HOMEFRONT...
Billions in U.S. solar projects shelved after 30% Trump panel tariff


Makes me wonder if kids growing up today know what "smog" is. Let's hope they never have to find out.


Yeah dem sure were the good ole' daz weren't dey Donald?

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Obama On Immigration

The way Trump tells it Democrats always wanted to throw open the borders. Nothing could be further from THE TRUTH.
2013



2014



Published on Jul 6, 2014

My problem with Trump isn't with him winning. My contempt for him is with his continued lying simply making crap up as he goes along. This guy hasn't a clue. He's faking it. Between him, his FOX buddies like 'Diamond and Silk', Jessie Watters, Sean, and others what we have here is a real shit show. People with a half a brain see through his BS. Don't think for a moment other nations don't as well.

Flirting With Fascism