Politics

[AJ Peacock]

the point that you seem to be missing is ANY politically motivated commentary has no value..

I actually dont disagree with Hodges entirely.. I think Trump is giving the Russians more ground than they deserve...

But.. at the same time... I dont care all that much.. strategically the Russians at this point are a very limited economic, cyber, and military threat to the US.. the war in Ukraine has set them back at least 20 years (I'd guess longer).. and.. the US has contributed more money and equipment to Ukraine than any other country at this point... perhaps it is time for Norway and others to take up more of the slack... the US is now far more focused on Iran.. and if strategically that means the Russians get a few concessions for the US to advance its strategic intent.. then, thats what it means...

I think Denmark should also assist Norway against the Russians.

AJ

 

[wesheltonj]

Article is behind a pay wall but what it boils down to is the truth.....

It's never been easier in America to score a home run if you are born on third base; now having said that, good luck if you are stepping up to the plate and trying to get on first base.

Wealthy Parents, Inherited Advantage, and Declining Mobility - Inequality.org

Wealthy parents are giving their children a huge leg up, as opportunity and social mobility decline for the majority of the next generation

inequality.org

Children Working at the Same Employer as Their Parents Saw Persistent Increases in Earnings

Young workers saw 24% greater earnings than peers when their first job was with a parent’s employer. Higher earners and blue-collar workers benefited most.

www.census.gov

Generations of Advantage. Multigenerational Correlations in Family Wealth - PMC

Inequality in family wealth is high, yet we know little about how much and how wealth inequality is maintained across generations. We argue that a long-term perspective reflective of wealth’s cumulative nature is crucial to understand the extent and ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Seven reasons it helps to have rich parents

How wealthy your parents are is likely to matter more for young adults than it did for older generations.

www.bbc.com

Why children of wealthy parents grow up to be wealthy

A parent's social class impacts how his or her child is raised and whether the child will have a promising economic future.

www.deseret.com

It's always been advantageous to be a member of the lucky sperm club.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

View attachment 761129

The cheapest gas in my hometown was $4.19 a gallon… before the Iran situation. And that was relatively cheap. I was paying over $5 a gallon at a Costco in OC a few days before that.

Nothing pisses me off more than clowns like Tom Steyer running ads blaming high gas on Trump when the state of CA has been screwing me for years with our taxes, fees, and special gas that can only be refined in state. My gas is a little more expensive since the Iran war started but it’s stabilized and started to drop. I’ve also been paying out the nose for gas in CA my entire adult life and it’s still cheaper than it was during that really bad period under Biden.

When I travel out of state I don’t even bother shopping for gas. The most expensive gas in Yuma will always be cheaper than the cheapest I can find in San Diego Co. It’s a good feeling.

 

[tinktink12]

 

[jruby]

It's almost like folks are taking every liberty with 'sort of' quoting Trump.

On March 9, 2026 he said "We have sunk all Iranian ships and destroyed most missile launch platforms, with only 20% remaining,”

I'd say that a 'ship' is a little different than a 'boat'. In all navy's (US included) not all boats are considered naval vessels.
A common, informal saying in the Navy is, "You can put a boat on a ship, but you can't put a ship on a boat". Generally, if it is a large, ocean-going vessel, it is a ship; if it is a smaller vessel used for specialized tasks or inshore operations, it is a boat.

So, I think context is significantly important here. Let me know if you actually think that President Trump actually meant every floating thing in Iran that can carry a person has been sent to the bottom?

A zodiak was certainly not meant to be included in his quote. If so, maybe if someone in the Iranian government folds a piece of paper into a paper airplane, you'll say that Trump lied because they have airplanes!

AJ

Military operations are just that.

March 20: A reporter asked Trump what he meant saying the war was militarily won in Iran.

Trump replied: "Oh, I think we won. We've knocked out their Navy, their Air Force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft. We've knocked out everything. We're roaming free. From a military standpoint, all they're doing is clogging up the strait. But from a military standpoint, they're finished."

He added, "We've defeated the enemy, and they are an enemy."

Either they are finished or they arent and it appears there is plenty of fight left so to say they are finished to me is a gross over statement by Trump. Another position is that this would be over in a short period of time - we are now at two months with no exit strategy.

I served aboard submarines with three plus years of my life on boats under water: I am very well aware of the difference between a boat and ship. If it floated we use to call them targets.

Dont you hold our leaders accountable by what they say and do? I sure do regardless of party.

 

[AJ Peacock]

Military operations are just that.

March 20: A reporter asked Trump what he meant saying the war was militarily won in Iran.

Trump replied: "Oh, I think we won. We've knocked out their Navy, their Air Force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft. We've knocked out everything. We're roaming free. From a military standpoint, all they're doing is clogging up the strait. But from a military standpoint, they're finished."

He added, "We've defeated the enemy, and they are an enemy."

Either they are finished or they arent and it appears there is plenty of fight left so to say they are finished to me is a gross over statement by Trump. Another position is that this would be over in a short period of time - we are now at two months with no exit strategy.

I served aboard submarines with three plus years of my life on boats under water: I am very well aware of the difference between a boat and ship. If it floated we use to call them targets.

Dont you hold our leaders accountable by what they say and do? I sure do regardless of party.

"From a military standpoint, all they're doing is clogging up the strait. But from a military standpoint, they're finished."

I agree with that.

But do you feel that all the zodiaks, kayaks, canoes ... need to be destroyed before their Navy is 'knocked out'. You're a Navy guy, I'd like an answer.

AJ

 

[Brent in Az]

Not a surprising move by the RINO''s......Mitch is on his way out anyway.

 

[jruby]

"From a military standpoint, all they're doing is clogging up the strait. But from a military standpoint, they're finished."

I agree with that.

But do you feel that all the zodiaks, kayaks, canoes ... need to be destroyed before their Navy is 'knocked out'. You're a Navy guy, I'd like an answer.

AJ

The war is not won / over until military operations end

 

[fourfive8]

Virginia voters overwhelmingly vote for “fairness re-districting”, from 6-5 electoral split to 10-1 electoral split. All done and sold to, “preserve and save democracy from Trump”…. Riiight! Actually kind of sickening on a couple of levels.

 

[Big_Easy]

View attachment 761129

Average price difference between CA and AZ, $1.23/gallon. 83 cents of that is the difference between CA and AZ gas excise and sales tax. Congratulations on finding the outliers.

AAA Fuel Prices

 

[Big_Easy]

Article is behind a pay wall but what it boils down to is the truth.....

It's never been easier in America to score a home run if you are born on third base; now having said that, good luck if you are stepping up to the plate and trying to get on first base.

Wealthy Parents, Inherited Advantage, and Declining Mobility - Inequality.org

Wealthy parents are giving their children a huge leg up, as opportunity and social mobility decline for the majority of the next generation

inequality.org

Children Working at the Same Employer as Their Parents Saw Persistent Increases in Earnings

Young workers saw 24% greater earnings than peers when their first job was with a parent’s employer. Higher earners and blue-collar workers benefited most.

www.census.gov

Generations of Advantage. Multigenerational Correlations in Family Wealth - PMC

Inequality in family wealth is high, yet we know little about how much and how wealth inequality is maintained across generations. We argue that a long-term perspective reflective of wealth’s cumulative nature is crucial to understand the extent and ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Seven reasons it helps to have rich parents

How wealthy your parents are is likely to matter more for young adults than it did for older generations.

www.bbc.com

Why children of wealthy parents grow up to be wealthy

A parent's social class impacts how his or her child is raised and whether the child will have a promising economic future.

www.deseret.com

FYI, one of the best payway eliminators I've found is: archive.ph

I believe we've also debunked this article previously on here. The main issue with that article is that it considers "upper middle" class to start at $133K in income. Thats not even double the median household income. Thats not upper class. They're just reclassifying what "upper middle class" is to justify their own narrative.

 

[Hunt anything]

Virginia voters overwhelmingly vote for “fairness re-districting”, from 6-5 electoral split to 10-1 electoral split. All done and sold to, “preserve and save democracy from Trump”…. Riiight! Actually kind of sickening on a couple of levels.

And it was put on hold by a judge, probably on it’s way to the Virginia Supreme Court and then the U S Supreme Court.
It’s definitely a shame that the wonderful state of my ancestors has gone so far off of the deep end.
It’s laughable that any serious journalists could call a 2 point swing overwhelming!

 

[Killingtime]

NO BODY WANTS TO WORK ANYMORE!...... How many times have you heard that?

Well this woman agrees, with her illegal workforce not showing up, she has taken to advertising $2,600-$3,000mo salary for 60-70hrs a week of farm work and is surprised that people will not show up.

So she is having to build housing so that she can bring in LEGAL visa workers to operate the 4,000ac farm she inherited.

During Covid 2021 there was a Walmart distribution warehouse that my buddy is a manager at said top pay was 23hr plus production incentive of up to 30% said they had a $1.50 total raise since 2014. They couldn’t get workers they went to $25 then had to go to $30hr and move incentives up to 50% for that specific warehouse. they got workers . And ironically Walmart stock did great the last 5 years.

Since labor is most major businesses number one or number two cost I get wanting to cut that as low as possible but sometime it’s not that people don’t want to work. It’s that there not willing to work for what your paying.

It would be fascinating to see if America removed the (I’ve seen estimates of 50million plus) illegal immigrants that have came here over the last 40+ years what the wages for companies would really be and how much cheaper houses and rents and food and everything else that humans use to survive would be.

Historically republicans were pro immigration legal or illegal and unions were very anti immigration both legal and illegal.

It’s interesting to see how sides have changed or how pretty much all people in congressional power are really on the same side. It’s like George Carlin said “their in a big club and you and I ain’t in it.”

 

[Killingtime]

And also hasn’t it been been said that most business leaders possess sociopathic traits? Sometimes less desirable traits are the ones required to make the difficult decisions.

Kevin Dutton did a great book called” psychopaths sociopaths and serial killers and what you can learn from them. It’s a short read and really interesting. Anyways the top professions listed with their clinical traits are

CEO’s
Lawyers
Actors
Surgeons
Politicians
Sales people.

When you study there traits and think about it it makes sense. Cold, calculating, have to learn how to act because of no emotion therefore you also learn how to read people which makes it easier to manipulate. The characteristics are not inherently bad and are sometimes actually really beneficial and I would personally prefer in certain professions those traits. (My wife has met some of the best surgeons in America and they are all cold and emotionally detached. It’s a trait that helps them in there craft)

 

[mdwest]

Kevin Dutton did a great book called” psychopaths sociopaths and serial killers and what you can learn from them. It’s a short read and really interesting. Anyways the top professions listed with their clinical traits are

CEO’s
Lawyers
Actors
Surgeons
Politicians
Sales people.

When you study there traits and think about it it makes sense. Cold, calculating, have to learn how to act because of no emotion therefore you also learn how to read people which makes it easier to manipulate. The characteristics are not inherently bad and are sometimes actually really beneficial and I would personally prefer in certain professions those traits. (My wife has met some of the best surgeons in America and they are all cold and emotionally detached. It’s a trait that helps them in there craft)

CEO's are often formally trained in "acting"..

As an example, this Cornell University course is called "Executive Presence".. its taught by faculty of their College of Arts.. the principle instructor/professor teaches "Performing Arts"..

Executive Presence - eCornell

In this program you’ll develop your executive presence and become comfortable presenting by receiving constructive criticism. Enroll today with eCornell!

ecornell.cornell.edu

The entire course is dedicated to teaching senior executives how to "look" like executives and "talk" like executives, etc... They literally teach you how to sit, how to enter a room, how to speak.. the goal is to make it obvious to others that youre the boss based on how you carry yourself, how you address people, etc..etc..

FWIW, I took this course... I had already been a C-Suite guy for a few years when I did and already had a pretty good grasp on what the expectations were not only of peers but also of subordinates.. The instructors were pretty much spot on in terms of what the "standard" is, whats expected by others, methodologies for having a "command presence", etc..etc..

I said in an earlier post that CEO's (and others) often put on a face... the person behind the mahogany desk is often very different than the person sitting on the couch watching TV with the wife and kids a few hours later... acting is not an insignificant piece of the job.. and it doesnt come naturally for most of the people I know and have known that end up in the CEO position..

Several top business schools have similar courses.. The Wharton School at UPenn also has a very well regarded course..

Executive Presence and Influence at Wharton | Online Certificate and Training Program

Strengthen C-suite presence with executive presence training from Wharton. Master executive communication training skills. Join now.

online-execed.wharton.upenn.edu

 

[Big_Easy]

It's always been advantageous to be a member of the lucky sperm club.

I believe Warren Buffet calls it the Ovarian lottery.

 

[deewayne2003]

It's always been advantageous to be a member of the lucky sperm club.

But never in our nations history has it been harder to achieve if you are not in the club......

This bit is funny because.......

1. It's true

2. George Carlin died in 2008 - so it's not like the sentiment appeared over night.

3. He was born in 1937 making him a member of the Silent generation.......

 

[Tanks]

It's always been advantageous to be a member of the lucky sperm club.

Nothing to do with luck. How you live today determines who you get reincarnated as tomorrow. It is all about “karma”.

Pelosi most likely will come back as a baboon.

 

[tinktink12]

Average price difference between CA and AZ, $1.23/gallon. 83 cents of that is the difference between CA and AZ gas excise and sales tax. Congratulations on finding the outliers.

AAA Fuel Prices

It is still $1.23/ gallon more. CA likes to tax the heck out of its residents. So stay in California if it is so wonderful and don’t bring your politics to other states.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Nothing to do with luck. How you live today determines who you get reincarnated as tomorrow. It is all about “karma”.

Pelosi most likely will come back as a baboon.

She’s a circus chimp now…… won’t be much of a change….