Bernie Sanders Blasted For His Castro Comments

Let's put this in perspective. Here's what then President Obama told a group of young people in Argentina in 2016. They shouldn't worry about the differences between capitalism and communism and “just choose from what works.


It's always been my view no single country has all the answerers for everything. If some country hit on something that works why not take a look at it. There should be little doubt our own form of government had at least a partial element based on the ROMAN REPUBLIC. Our legal system is somewhat rooted in the English common law to mention only two. Any country that remains static and fixed in their ways refusing to even consider other ideas (irregardless the source) is one who shall make little progress.

This was the message of Obama and now Bernie. Have we now become so divided we refuse to even listen to other ideas? Had our founders been so stubbornly entrenched in their differences would we even have a country to argue over?

Forget Republicans/Democrats. Forget who said it. Forget about what government came up with a better idea. We should never reject new ideas without due consideration no matter who or where they came from.

Lehighvalleylive Is Doing Away With Comments

Lehighvalleylive.com- "Today, fewer than 3% of all lehighvalleylive.com’s total audience read our comments and only 0.04% post comments...

At their best, the lehighvalleylive.com comments were a place to learn more about a story, add or correct information that we missed and engage in a meaningful, respectful debate. At their worst, our comments were a place none of us would want to spend time. They were a place for racism, misogyny and hatred — a place to perpetuate the worst stereotypes about our region, our neighborhoods and our people. It was never our intent, but we ultimately gave people a license to say things they would never say in their workplace or at their dinner table without the cloak of anonymity.

On Thursday morning [02/27/2020], lehighvalleylive.com will remove comments from the site. Archived stories also will have comments eliminated."

They've become part of an ever growing list of news sites that have dropped their comment sections. Seeing the comments left on most of these other sites, for the reasons they stated, I can understand why

Opposites Attract (Animal Video)

Opposites attract 💕 pic.twitter.com/R9f7PvSQij

— The Dodo (@dodo) February 23, 2020

Latest Musical To Hit Broadway "SIX"

This musical has been has been playing in London. Now it's come to Broadway in New York


Currently it's in previews. Opening night is scheduled for March 12, 2020 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on West 47th Street. The show centers around the SIX wives of Henry the eighth. Here is the OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR "SIX" ON BROADWAY. Ticket prices start $91 for evening performances. However most are $150 and more.

DISCLAIMER
I receive no remuneration of any kind for this post. Nor have any investment in the show. I'm posting this solely because it might be of interest to some of my readers.

Evolution Of The "Friends" Theme Song

MSNBC Determined To Undermine Bernie Sanders

From comparing Bernie's win to the Nazis taking France to calling his supporters a 'squeaky, angry minority,' here's how MSNBC melted down as Sanders claimed victory in yesterday's caucuses pic.twitter.com/DUxHHyactg

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 23, 2020

I've been watching MSNBC doing this for some time.
Why do you think this is?

2020 Census Erases Middle Eastern & North African Identities

What harm would it cause to add MENA to the census forms?
None.
Then why wasn't it?

Why do you think this administration took it upon itself to remove MENA after it was previously approved?

How many do you think are going to badmouth Rep. Rashida Tlaib because of her ethnicity or party affiliation for bringing up what should be a legitimate issue?

I know it's a big ask, but can we look past political and racial differences and stick with the issue at hand? Quick answer... I doubt it.

In my view the more details the census can provide, the more accurate. Shouldn't we all want that?

Open Mouth. Insert Foot

LMAO Pops was still breathing heavy while he was recording 😂 pic.twitter.com/9TvvhFKdGL

— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) February 19, 2020

Is ASD Superintendent Selling Out To The Highest Bidder?

Sure sounds like it if he can land the job.

The Morning Call
Thomas Parker, the fourth superintendent in 10 years to lead Allentown schools, applies for job in Nashville"Allentown School District Superintendent Thomas Parker, who is in the middle of his five-year contract, has applied for a job leading Nashville, Tennessee, schools. Parker is one of 19 people who applied for the superintendent job of Metro Nashville Public Schools, according to The Tennessean newspaper. The district is expected to narrow the number to five....

Before receiving the Allentown job, he was superintendent of schools in Ecorse, Mich., a small financially distressed district outside Detroit with about 1,000 students."

Was this job just a steeping stone for this 40 year old's career?
Sure seems like it. Nobody applies for another job just for the fun of it as he tends to want us to believe.

It seems to me some of these jobs ought to come with a financial penalty if someone doesn't fulfill their contract. Let's say they only get 75% of their salary and the other 25% when they fully complete their contract at the end of five years in the form of a lump sum. I'm tired of these guys pulling this crap on us.

Some Random Thoughts

Why is it now every time I see news reports they say some car left the "roadway" even if it were on a city "street"?

Why do reporters now say someone was knocked to the "floor" when it occurred outside instead of the "ground"?

Why oh why can cable news just report the news instead of hosting panels endlessly discussing it?

Speaking of cable news. If your interested in anything other then the coronavirus, the elections or what some other fool said on TV your SOL.

Just about every public official or TV personality is complaining about death threats they receive on social media. There's a simple solution for that... duh!

Post something humorous, informative, educational or entertaining and I'm sure to get 90% less views.

The 30% rule states someone's rent should not exceed their net income by this amount. The average rent in the Lehigh Valley is $1,500. So how many take home $5,000 a month after deductions?

The average Social Security income for a couple is less then $2,000 a month. Is it possible to live on $24,000 a year? A 2019 analysis of more than 30 million retirement accounts by Fidelity Investments found that the average balance in corporate-sponsored 401(k) plans at the end of 2018 was $95,600. So if average rent is $18,000 a year this means in 15 years (less if there are unexpected medical costs, taxes on your withdrawals, rent increases etc.) you'll go broke in less then 15 years... unless you die first.

If you receive a new car rebate of let's say $1,000 doesn't this mean the car was overpriced? If bought for dealer invoice one can assume the dealer also got a rebate... meaning the car was vastly overpriced in the first place. Which explains why cars can lose more than 10 percent of their value during the first month after you drive off the lot.

I heard on a business news channel today consumer borrowing is higher then it ever was. They said it was because of consumer confidence in the economy. That doesn't make any sense to me. If the economy is so good wouldn't they be borrowing less?

I heard on this same business news channel that average family of four needs to earn a net of $70,000 annually to be comfortable. That works out to about $45 an hour gross combined for a full time working couple.

Full time child care runs around $200 per child a week. So if you have two kids you'd have to earn around $12 an hour x's 40 just to break even. Plus you'd likely need a second vehicle which would increase those costs greatly.

I have a bunch more thoughts running around in my noggin but that's enough for now.

Husbands Of Target

Fortunately Holderness and Dude Dad came up with a solution for this.

What is Democratic Socialism?

Lose the fear...



Here's my suggestion.. AVOID LABELS
I think more then a few of us would agree Lindsey Graham, Donald Trump or many of these outspoken individuals on the far right represent little of what traditional conservatives values stand for. I would be more then hesitant to paint all conservatives as being extreme as these outspoken people. Therefore not everybody in the Republican camp deserve to be labeled the same. Some are more radical then others. Same goes for the other side when it comes to Democrats all being labeled "socialists".

I think it's extremely unfair to either side to slap a label on either side without taking the time to evaluate each issue separately. So setting aside the so-called "socialist" label and the so-called "patriotic, Christian right" labels one is left to sort out the actual issues themselves and what those differences might be. I'm assuming regular folks on both sides have more in common then they may think.

For Instance. Can we both agree deficit spending and the national debt is alarming. How do we go about reducing it? Can it be done with moderate increases in defense spending rather then drastic cuts to Social Security, Medicare and some of our other social safety nets?

Should companies go tax free while most Americans are left to deal with ever increasing state and local taxes as a result of reduced federal spending for things like schools, policing, etc. in our local communities?

Can we agree if the minim wages was increased it would result in more revenue for Social Security, federal, city and states without having to raise taxes?

Can both conservatives and liberals agree taxpayers money should not be used for sports stadiums or tax abetments to entice businesses coming into a state or local area?

I'm also certain we can agree both sides have promised time and time again to deliver certain things and it never happens. Lower drug prices, cheaper healthcare, decrease homelessness to name a few and it never happens.

As you can see both sides have more in common then many would have us think. Conservatives want less intrusive government. Don't they think liberals want the same thing? Who wouldn't object to a pipeline coming through their property or government borrowing their Social Security funds because of it's rabid spending? Why would either side be against out of control capitalism that allows for the tremendous wealth for a few while workers struggle to make ends meet?

While we may disagree about the way we resolve these things we should never dismiss our disagreements with each other by painting others as this or that. Each issue is unto itself. I detest this group thinking that somehow everyone can be labeled this or that and should be dissed without due consideration on each of the issues which as it turns out many times they have in common.

What I'm asking in this election is each and everyone listen to what the candidates themselves say. Not what the opponents try to tell you they said. Avoid labels and parties. Ignore the labels, accusations and trash talk. Stay focused on each of the issues.

John J Moser Is Out At TMC (Another One Bites The Dust)

ICYMI: Saying farewell: I had the time of my life.

Read @mcall: https://t.co/MvkZIsq0Yk pic.twitter.com/MCmH9hRKm7

— John J. Moser (@JohnJMoser) February 7, 2020

"I thought I’d never leave The Morning Call. But now I’m doing that, too. After almost 31 years (this time) at The Morning Call, I’ve accepted a buyout offer. Tomorrow [02/08/2020] is my last day."

John was a senior writer and music critic at The Morning Call.
The way this is going The Morning Call could soon relocate to a small store in a strip mall. Either that or they could rent a small area in my basement I'm not using.

Utah Sends Employees to Mexico for Lower Prescription Prices

New York Times (AP)
Utah Sends Employees to Mexico for Lower Prescription Prices"The cost difference is so large that the state's insurance program for public employees can pay for each patient’s flight, give them a $500-per-trip bonus and still save tens of thousands of dollars."

It's a shame the United States government refuses to do a damn thing about this. Sure every election cycle these windbags talk, talk and talk about doing something about it... but it never happens.

I've read a number of folks who organized frequent group travels to Canada and Mexico. This is the first I heard of insurance paying for it. Since the conservative wing of this government is so beholden to pharmaceutical firms I wonder how long before congress or some government agency makes laws against this and begin confiscating them at the border.

With only four Republicans voting in favor the house passed H.R.3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act last December. Then sent it to the Senate. Where it still awaits action to take it up by Mitch McConnell (the grim reaper).



Nancy PELOSI PUT OUT THIS STATEMENT which said in part... Gives Medicare the power to negotiate directly with the drug companies, and creates strong new tools to force drug companies to the table to agree to real price reductions, while ensuring seniors never lose access to the prescriptions they need.

Makes the lower drug prices negotiated by Medicare available to Americans with private insurance, not just Medicare beneficiaries.

Stops drug companies ripping off Americans while charging other countries less for the same drugs, limiting the maximum price for any negotiated drug to the average price in countries like ours, where drug companies charge less for the same drugs – and admit they still make a profit.

Creates a new, $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, and reverses years of unfair price hikes above inflation across thousands of drugs in Medicare.

Reinvests in innovation and the search for new cures and treatments, using some of the savings from lowering the unjustified drug prices that are bankrolling Big Pharma’s stock-buybacks to reinvest billions of dollars in the search for new breakthrough treatments and cures at the National Institutes of Health.The "grim reaper' strikes again!
Mitch McConnell already promised back in September (when the bill was first introduced) it would be "dead on arrival" in the Senate. According to AMERICAN INDEPENDANT (01/08/2020)..-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell still refuses to hold a vote on a House-passed bill that could drastically lower costs....

In an email, the committee revealed that the House-passed bill would lower the cost of Humira by 81%, from $34,411 per year to $8,276 per year. For Premarin, the House-passed measure would drop the cost by 96%, from $568 to just $21 per year.

The same analysis showed H.R. 3 could lower the cost of several other prescription drugs that increased in cost in 2020, including medication dealing with diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and arthritis. The costs of drugs provided by the committee would drop in prices ranging from a 73% drop for Gilenya, a medication for multiple sclerosis, to a 96% drop for Premarin.Obviously he has thrown his lot in with Trump trying to destroy the Democrats at all costs. So much so nothing else matters. I'd bet a dollar and a donut if they renamed this bill "The Ivanka Trump Lower Drug Costs Now Act" it would sail through the Senate and Donald would sign it in less then 24 hours. What a bunch of bullshit to withhold this from the American people.

May 2019

It's gotten only worse.
Now there's over 250 bills the house passed sitting on his desk.
H.R. 3 being one of them.

Riley And Nicole Latest Reporters To Leave TMC

Personal news: I’m leaving The Morning Call after 12 years. I’ve accepted a buyout, during what is the fourth round of staff cuts in my tenure. If you want to say goodbye, please call, message or stop by, because tomorrow is my last day.

— Riley Yates (@riley_yates) February 6, 2020

Riley was the senior reporter in Easton for The Morning Call.

I can’t thank enough The Morning Call and all the wonderful journalists I have worked with there over the last 19 years. I’ll miss you all and will continue to follow your important work as a reader. -30- pic.twitter.com/dm3tcQjtRM

— Nicole Radzievich (@NRadzievich) February 8, 2020

Nicole was the Morning Call reporter assigned to cover Bethlehem.

Chris Mathews OK BOOMER!

Chris Scare Mongering

Bernie shoot me in central park pic.twitter.com/y8cK9VvjSo

— Shuja Haider (@shujaxhaider) February 8, 2020

I expect a whole lot of the corporate controlled talking heads to trash talk Bernie even more in the coming weeks. Face it these huge corporations are going to find no favor in Bernie considering 60 Fortune 500 Companies Avoided All Federal Income Tax in 2018. Why would they?

Bernie Sanders On Socialism, Taxes And Criminal CEOs



February 2019- CNN Town Hall
Bernie Sanders fires back at Trump over socialism


There's not a doubt in my mind the corporate controlled media and Trump's pals will do everything in their power to paint Bernie as a full fledged communist. The wealthy have a good thing going on. They're not about to let Bernie's campaign gain traction if it's in their power to prevent uprooting their game. As far as I'm concerned no matter which network one considers being liberal or conservative each will oppose Bernie. It's simply not in their advantage to allow Bernie to gain ground.

Of course if people are happy the total wealth of Gates, Bezos and Buffett combined was $248.5 billion, exceeding the total wealth of $245 billion of the bottom half of Americans then Bernie may not be for you.

AOC Criticized For Her Bootstrapping Remarks

Conservatives blasted AOC for her remarks. Here's what started it off.

Important point by @AOC: "It’s a physical impossibility to lift yourself up by a bootstrap."

She's right. 60% of all wealth in America is inherited.

“Pull yourself up by the bootstraps” is a cruel joke. pic.twitter.com/UNmo0ttHwu

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) February 5, 2020

Here's her response...

I see that the right is worked up that we pointed out the myth of bootstrapping when 60% of the wealth in this country is *inherited.*

But hey, if you think I’m hopelessly dumb, try listening to MLK talk about “bootstrapping” & the racial wealth gap, too: pic.twitter.com/RHdSfzaJzH

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 6, 2020

I cannot begin to tell you the amount of internet memes portraying her as being stupid. She's anything but. I'm willing to bet conservatives are trying to get out in front of her over fears in a few years from now she will become age eligible to take a run for president. She already has a lot of supporters. Imagine how many more if she continues gaining momentum. I think this is why they constantly go after her viciously. I really truly wish AOC could face off with Donald Trump in a debate. Now that would be worth watching!

Stupid people don't speak this way...

.@AOC: 40 million Americans live in what the government recognizes as poverty. That’s one in ten. pic.twitter.com/d3wrAuzIJW

— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) February 5, 2020

The way I see it there are those in Washington who don't want to face things she forces them to. I also feel, if it weren't for her age, she'd stand a better chance then the current crop of Democrats in beating Donald Trump come the 2020 elections. She's just the kind of firebrand it takes to defeat Trump's outspoken fact-free mouth.

One last point.
Conservatives not only smear her with accusations of being stupid but label her as having communistic ideologies. No, she believes in something far different having little to nothing to do with what her opponents would rather have you think.





Although AOC is only 30 years old she speaks more intelligently and maturely then half of these old badgers I constantly see on TV currently holding office in Washington. Want to drain the swamp? To me she's the very definition of the person most capable of taking it head-on. Is it any wonder why then some of these swamp lizards speak so ill of her.

About The Iowa Caucus Mess

As of 7:00 AM here's what SLATE.COM SAYS- It’s still not totally clear the full extent of went wrong Monday night when Iowans went to caucus, but after the dust settled on the caucus that wasn’t, here’s what we know (so far)....

I have a far simpler explanation

It seems we in America are seeing ever increasing problems.
This just might be the explanation for them.

Oh boy are Republicans going to have a field day with this. I'm certain to hear something along the lines, "If Democrats can't even run one of their own elections, how are they expected to run the country?"

Who are the idiots that thought transmitting individual caucus results via the internet was a great idea. Jeesh.. talk about stupidity!

Unreal. A precinct secretary was on hold on the hotline for an hour and they took him off hold as he was talking to CNN. He didn't respond fast enough and they hung up on him. pic.twitter.com/hPgKhDge7i

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 4, 2020

Super Bowl Half Time Show

I'll admit I'm old but... Girls, put on your damn pants!
I'm not amused by all the crotch grabbing, spreading, twerking and ass shaking . I thought women libbers were beyond such things. Neither did the underage girls in cages representing Trump's incarceration escape my attention. Nor the amount of lip-syncing either.

Bruce Springsteen nor the Rolling Stones (to name but two) didn't employ these over produced distractions involving tons of dancers, fireworks and frankly the exploitation of women's body parts.

The whole thing seemed phony to me. Especially the so-called crowd surfing. If you paid close attention you would see only four handlers holding her for a specific time when they returned her to the stage. Not just some random fans. PHONY!

It was estimated the 12 minute show cost about $12 million dollars. If that's the best a million a minute can do may I suggest they host a raffle. How about awarding 12 fans attending the game a million dollars apiece instead? I'm sure attendee sports fans would appreciate this more then only a half of stadium who can see the show which is facing cameras. Those who didn't come or care about a bunch of girls wiggling their asses who were only there to see the game. I'll bet if they eliminated the half time show nobody would miss it except those who pocket the money for it. Am I alone on this?

FOX News Says...

WHAT CLIMATE? Bernie Outspends All Other Candidates on Private Jet Travel, $1.2 MILLION in Q4 2019 https://t.co/GtP1r5nv0I

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 3, 2020

Then on the other hand...

Both spending a hellva' lot more then me (over a lifetime) !

Senate Embraces The Nixon Defense

Bezos Worth $8 Billion More This Week Then Last

He's now worth about US$129.5 billion

‘No one ever makes a billion dollars. You take a billion dollars.’ — @AOC pulled no punches when discussing income inequality, capitalism, and the ultra wealthy’s grip on power in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/mQZpKotA0i

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 23, 2020

Magnum At The Playpen Wildwood, NJ

Man does this bring back memories. Every vacation we made "The Playpen" a must stop. In this clip Tommy Zito performed Prince's "Let's Go Crazy".

1985





Unfortunately "The Playpen" on Diamond Beach was torn down and the club relocated to central Wildwood but it would never be the same. The Diamond Beach location had game rooms, multiple bars and a glass enclosed DJ dance area separate from the live concert stage you seen here.

Tommy Zito is still very active. If you're interesting in seeing him HERE'S HIS CONCERT SCHEDULE. He also has a bunch of videos on HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL. He also maintains HIS OWN HOMEPAGE

Every summer he still returns to Wildwood, NJ. Here's a clip from October 2019 when he performed at "The Boardwalk Bar" where he still manages to excite his fans.