wildncrazyguy138

Keep trying to will those thoughts into existence…may work out for you and your party one day.

This is factually untrue. At the end of the Trump era, China had thought they had the upper hand on the global stage, but we have put into place more stoppages around the world. So much so that Blinken said on The Interview the other day that whenever he and the Chinese ambassador meet, the ambassador starts off by complaining for 30 minutes on how the West has railroaded their plans.

He also put it eloquently, that whenever parties from other nations come together, there’s always a seat at the table available for America. They want to know our position.

Just like our union of states, it is essential that the West remain a union of nations. If we do not, then divide and conquer could absolutely mean our decline.

Coincidentally, I was on my bike the other day in just kind of a funk. And I was sitting there with a sourpuss mug thinking how no one ever smiles on the greenway anymore, particularly in bigger cities.

And then just like clockwork, as soon as I finished my thought, a guy who I never would have predicted looked over at me with a beaming bright smile. It changed my whole day.

There are still a lot of us around these parts that strive to be kind and generous, it’s just that kindness and generosity doesn’t sell a lot of newspapers.

The Man of Culture

Switch to everclear and you won’t have this problem.

Not sure I would trust a biscuit on set nor anywhere nearby. That seems like an easy way to get “I can’t believe it’s not butter” on your buttered biscuit.

You had the perfect word to fit in there and instead you went with “gone”!? Come on man!

Sure it is buddy, sure it is.

I’m not right leaning, but I live in a right leaning area, and I think most all of us could stand a bit of time back in nature. So here’s what I would consider.

• A hunting or fishing license and classes
• A long weekend camping in the woods
• A trip to a national park
• Boat license lessons
• A craft class at a local Uni, like welding or pottery. They’re usually pretty cheap and a lot of fun
• A rafting trip

Not knowing him at all nor what he likes, perhaps a guitar and guitar lessons. That’s something I truly enjoyed in my late teens/early 20s. Or tickets to a music show or comedian he likes.

Nerds!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZH5TKnEeg&t=24s

deleted by creator

I stand corrected. My memory served me incorrectly.

Nevertheless, they are more prepared now and the MAGA party holds more of the power compared to last time. It’s a bit like putting the foxes in charge of the henhouse - I suppose we’ll have to see where those that remain of the former GOP are willing to push back.

You are giving examples in history and changing the dates to the first Trump presidency, which is somewhat confusing.

Those things certainly didn’t happen because the GOP did not have a majority in the legislature. I agree that it is unlikely that these will occur during this term as well, given that the majority in the house will be very small, but I assure you there will be bills passed that will continue to strip away power from the legislature and grant those powers to the executive. There will also be interpretations of the law that will disenfranchise the citizens and/or will have repercussions for years to come.

LegalEagle gives a pretty good rundown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG_L3fLLG3c

I used to be a heartthrob like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee.

And now I’m 89.5% sexier!

I can’t remember where I heard it, maybe NPR politics podcast, but essentially, the election was more so a referendum on Biden’s (and Harris) perceived poor performance in office, particularly around immigration and inflation.

That’s an analysis that makes sense in my mind. My family is clearly in the middle class nowadays and we’ve struggled to keep up financially. Growing up poor, I remember how impossible the situation can be when times are tough.

So in that retrospective, it wasn’t necessarily that the public preferred MAGA policies, they just either like DT or liked him more than the current administration.

Also keep in mind that the vote margins were pretty thin in most swing states - within 1%.

So how does that translate to NC? Well, rebuke of Harris for one, but this is what no full endorsement of MAGA looks like. So we’re seeing that DT is a force all on his own, he’s like an FDR or TR or a Raegan, people just gravitate to him more that your typical politician.

Dems won downballot as well - Buckhout aligned herself with DT and lost. Same thing with Michelle Murrow.

Elaine Marshall, Rachel Hunt and Jeff Jackson won theirs. But further down Republicans, particularly incumbents, performed well.

Yes part of it was Robinson being a closet Nazi, but with DT at top of ticket attrition shouldn’t have been a concern with downballot races.

NC is one of those rare places that has long been purple. It likes to vote Republican for federal but moderate Dem for state. In a world where many other states have gone to “all politics are national”, NC is a holdout in that regard. Dems know how to win here (when not gerrymandered all to hell).

I attribute it to a) a well educated citizenry b) diversity c) dems sticking to their moderate constituency d) the right passing some unpopular laws this year

I prefer fresh ideas and thoughts, even (especially) if they don’t align with my own values and beliefs. I thrive in that kind of environment. We, for the most part, seem to be at that stage. A stage Reddit was at circa 2009.

What I don’t want is this place becoming so popular that everything moves too fast and becomes derivative. I am not looking forward to an endless September. It’s probably inevitable, but if it could hold off another 5 - 10 years up to the point when I’m more into gardening or something rather than the Internet, that would be ideal.

I also fear that the model is unsustainable at a certain point. I trust Dessaslines and co aren’t chasing endless profits, but there does need to be enough people out there willing to donate and fund operations. Lichess is able to make it happen, so I hope we do here too.

The ROC, Tibet, India and Mongolia at a minimum would like to have a word.

I buy gift cards for the discounts. Usually you can get a gift card from anywhere between 3% and 20% off. Over the last 5 years, this has saved me $1000s on house renovations alone.