Paying a mortgage on a house that no longer exists

 The finer details for survivors of the LA fires

Even if reduced property taxes no matter what.  Good to know.

Basic thuganomics. 

Why not Puerto Rico becoming the 51st State?

 It's already a U.S. territory.  In the wake of woke Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's resignation Trump is again saying Canada should merge with the U.S. to avoid tariffs and enjoy lower taxes.  He also wants to buy Greenland from Denmark and says we need to retake control of the Panama Canal.  I'm getting a spooky feeling this is not going to be a normal presidency.

Don't know if this is a false issue or not

 I wasn't actually going to say anything about Jimmy Carter.  Am I required to?  So the latest Trump controversy is the President-Elect is upset that the Dems want to fly the flag at half-staff on the day of his inauguration to honor the recent passing of Jimmy Carter.  So my thing is today is January the 4th.  The inauguration is still slightly more than two weeks away.  HOW LONG are the flags supposed to fly at half-staff anyway?  What's the rule on this?  Sure when a former head-of-state dies there'll be three funerals and the whole thing will go on for a month so I guess the funereal feelings can well wash up against Jan. 20 but again if anyone knows the rule on the flag thing let me know.

There's always been a kind of rough consensus that Jimmy Carter wasn't a great president but a decent human being.  There were the long gas lines and the Iranian hostage crisis but he also negotiated the Panama Canal Treaties and of course is well known for the Middle East peace accords.  He did better work post-presidency.  Took up a hammer and nail for Habitat for Humanity and put his work pants on.  A devout Christian also taught Sunday school.  Made it to the 100 Club with Kirk Douglas.  Must've been all the peanuts.

Thoughts?

Never understood congestion pricing

 Don't get me wrong traffic can sometimes be existentially annoying.  You're stuck in traffic, you made a wrong dietary decision earlier in the day and your stomach is now percolating.  Heard of a story of a woman who ruined her front car seat once because they were blasting rocks on the Sprain Parkway in Westchester and so some lanes were closed.  "OH God please deliver me and I promise to be good!"  Also from a philosophical standpoint we're all given a finite time on this Earth and being stuck in traffic is totally wasted and non-productive time you can never get back.

Having said that I don't understand the whole logic behind congestion pricing.  Set to start in Manhattan starting January the 5th.  If you dare to enter the Congestion Relief Zone (sounds like a cold remedy), generally the Central Business District below 60th Street your E-Z Pass will be charged a toll.  The tolls on trucks depending on size range from $14.40-$21.60 during peak hours.  There are discounts for driving after dark.  NJ has been fighting this tooth and nail. People can't help it if their jobs take them into certain areas.  It's like they're being punished and it's an effort to control human behavior.  Yes I'm aware that congestion pricing has been around since the 70s and has been tried in places like Singapore and London and that many economists are in favor of it and sing of the bennies but I think it's loopy, harebrained and unfair.  It needs to be shelved permanently. 

The whole subject makes my head congested.

But what about our guest lettuce pickers so our H-1B visa holders can enjoy their salads?

MAGA CIVIL WAR ERUPTS

First off Trump hired some Indian-born foreign guy to be his ai advisor.  Now presidents need ai advisors?  Musk and Ramaswamy are all for extending the stays of our highly skilled foreign workers in the tech field.  Musk says a shortage of them is the main problem facing Silicon Valley and Ramaswamy called American culture mediocre (think Family Guy and Judge Judy - editor).  MTG kind of agrees with them.  Trump ally and hard-righter Laura Loomer, Matt Gaetz and the hard-core MAGA base say they're straying from the original MAGA policy on immigration.  Nikki Haley took issue with Ramaswamy's X post.  Things are getting heated.  Pass the popcorn.

BUT WHAT DOES HOMAN THINK???

Forget about retaking the Panama Canal

 President-Elect Trump is putting too much on his plate.  Focus instead on 3 main areas: the economy, border security/illegal immigration and foreign affairs.  THAT'S IT and maybe scale back on the social media posts.

Back In The Day

 Saw an old video of Hillary talking about the problem of illegal immigration.  Deport the illegal criminal ones she said and the rest who are hard-working should have to pay a big fine and back taxes and LEARN ENGLISH to eventually become citizens.  Protect our borders and learn the language?  She out-Trumped Trump.  Give her a MAGA hat.  These were the Democratic talking points back in the day.

There really is not going to be any massive detention facilities for the illegals waiting to be deported.  How long would they take to build? Are they going to sprout up like McDonald's and dot the landscape?  "Mommy what's that?"  Are the Ancient Aliens gonna come back and spring them up out of the ground like the pyramids?  Then the immigration courts are gonna be clogged up for years and you'll be spending $40 for a head of lettuce.  Ain't gonna happen.

And a happy TDS to you:)

The Trump legal bundle is being dismissed

 As in have a nice day.  DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith says let's move on.  No community service in Yonkers when he leaves.  Nothing.  Meanwhile Trump has said he will impose massive tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on Day One.  A lot on his plate on Day One.  Securing the border, deporting the illegals, tariffs.  So who's coming in from the North anyway?  The illegal French?  Canadian drug cartels?  It's so much bloviating.  I think Day One will be more like settle in, move the furniture around and have a cold one.

Pre-inaugural bloviating

 Prediction -- There will be no mass deportation of non-criminal illegal aliens not unless Trump doesn't mind people paying $40 for a head of lettuce.  Meanwhile Morning Joe and Mika are catching flack for meeting up with Trump at Mar-A-Lago.  The Left doesn't like don't hate - participate.  Trump told them he wants to work with Democrats.  Damned if you do damned if you don't.   Wondering any illegal help at Mar-A-Lago?

The existential meltdown continues

 I have actually read in some online forums about people who have broken down emotionally and mentally over the Trump victory and have to be counseled.  I kid you not.  Now let's remember Trump also won the popular vote and his victory was big enough you could call it a mandate.  The legacy media is pretty much dead at this point as they're not as influential as they thought they'd be.  People are gravitating more towards alternative independent media like Joe Rogan and not even giving a passing thought to what the New York Times has to say these days.  Ole Gray Lady hubris.

Whither this blog?  Start any post even mildly favorable to Trump and there's threadshitting.   I don't plan on this place becoming a dumping ground or landfill for Trump hatred over the next four years.  Criticism yes but there's a fine line between that and unhinged, valid takes and deranged rhetoric.  I'm also seeing a lack of critical thinking skills like Trump wants every Latino person who voted for him to leave the country.  That's just low-effort shitposting.  Another one people who haven't gone to college don't know how to vote that's just plain intellectual snobbery.  You know some calculus and some Nietzsche that makes you special?  Saw a bumper sticker once that said "Without Truckers America Stops."

Word of advice to the Democrats:  Next time leave Taylor Swift out of it.

Is Pfizer working on a pill for TDS yet?

 You can find people melting down over the Trump victory all over the Internet.  It's entertaining to watch tbh but truthfully if these people keep this up over the next four years their health is going to suffer.

Joe Scarborough and Al Sharpton talking racial smack over at MSNBC saying black men didn't want a woman for president.  Now there's two sober analysts.  Thought - Maybe black men don't like the price of food like the rest of us.

America's mental health crisis continues.

My take on the Trump victory

 Kamala Harris should never have been the Democratic candidate.  Exit polling showed most voters had concerns about the cost of living and the economy.  The incumbency or in this case part of the incumbency doesn't normally win with that kind of data.  The Democrats should have gone with someone outside the WH and surprised there was no real discussion of this apparently between the time Biden dropped out of thr race and the start of the DNC.  They may have still lost with another candidate but their chances would have been at least slightly better imo.

There will be the liberal wailing and gnashing of teeth over the next four years.  Also Trump will be dealing with a hostile media on a daily basis led by the New York Times.  As my friend said let the man do his job and finish the work he started.  IF he had won the last time against Biden he'd be nearing the end of his second term right now and liberals and the Left could finally get on with their lives or at least be free of the TDS episodes and suffering.  Instead this is what you got deal with it.  You're out of tune with the American people.

MAHA vs. The Raspberry Zinger

 Sounds like a Japanese monster movie.

The Jr. influence.  Trump has promised if elected to stop fluoride from being put into our nation's water supply.  I really don't have an issue with that.  Why was it put in in the first place?  I drink a fair amount of tap water and still had a tooth decay on me.  People point to scientific consensus.  Bear in mind though scientific consensus was once in favor of lobotomies and electroshock therapy.   Just sayin' consensus sometimes evolves and isn't etched in granite.  Don't know if RFK Jr. plans to ban fluoride from toothpaste though and we may have to all switch over to Tom's of Maine.  I kind of prefer to not get cavities.

Lots of pro-abortion ads on the TV.  There might be some people out there who are ok with paying higher food prices for the next four years so long as they can arrange for an abortion.  Talking about the Harris voters.  Worked in a library once and the older secretary told me that back in the day people didn't even like to use the word "abortion."  Had a negative connotation.  Now it's like hey abortion.  They say nobody is really for feticide though.  People just do it a lot it seems.

Election Eve.  Just rambling:)

The Joe Rogan Prolonged Experience

 Did some checking.  Trump on Rogan clocked it at 2 hours and 58 minutes.   The Godfather was 2 hours and 55 minutes.  Both epics.  Now there's pressure building on Kamala to go on like JRE is some type of requirement.   Her CNN Town Hall with Anderson Cooper didn't go too well what has she got to lose?

Dems gloomy all of a sudden like resigning themselves to a Trump second term and getting ready to point fingers.  The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times have failed to make endorsements.  Kamala vague on her economic plans just that she loves the middle-class and everyone needs more money.  Where did all the joy go?

Trump has the gift of gab.  Kamala always looks like she just took a pill and the side effects are starting to kick in.

Dunno.

Kamala Harris playing the Nazi card

 Quick recap - Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly said in interviews with The Atlantic and The New York Times that Trump fits the definition of a fascist and prefers the dictator approach to government.   He also claims Trump admired the loyalty of Hitler's generals and that Trump said Hitler also did some good things.  Kelly is coming out with this kinda late almost like an October Surprise.

Harris on X:  "Donald Trump is out for unchecked power.  He wants a military like Adolf Hitler had, who will be loyal to him, not our Constitution."  Also @Kamala HQ:  "Trump said he wanted generals like Adolf Hitler had.  He wants a military that is not loyal to the Constitution, but loyal to him...This is a window into who Donald Trump really is from the people who know him best."

My sober analysis (it's still early in the evening).  All these allegations are not in the realm of established fact but the msm is treating it as such.  How do you fact-check hearsay?  It's possible it's true.  It's possible it's not true.  It's also possible there's some missing context or grayscale.  Harris playing the Hitler card doesn't help people pay the mortgage or the rent or put food on the table.  So far it's an academic discussion that may not sway the undecideds.  She's looking to seal the deal on this.  Throw some pasta against the wall and it might stick (old chef showed me that).  It's a lazy approach imo.

The ghost of Arnold Palmer was appalled by Trump's crude remarks

 It's hard to find decent coverage of the elections these days at least in my curated newsfeeds.  Heavily anti-Trump it's almost as if they're trying to influence the election.  Ya think?  Trump can't serve fries at McDonald's without a negative spin.  No longer objective news that pretense has been long abandoned with the rise of MAGA.  We're engaged in trivialities in these final days.  Kamala Harris has time for Stern but not the Al Smith dinner.  Did she have a souffle in the oven?  Bill Maher is gibbering about this and that.  He's kind of lost me.  The whole election thing is like a bad dream.  What does any of this have to do with the price of Fancy Feast?

To prognosticate or not to prognosticate

 Normally I would not prognosticate a presidential election this close but I will although not with supreme confidence as there will be millions of Americans default voting against Trump.  It will come down to the economy as it usually does.  Harris can point to this or that positive economic indicator but what people are paying for groceries is still too high.  Too many people still remember the Trump pre-pandemic economy when a trip to the supermarket was more normal.  This remains an albatross for Kamala Harris.  People also have been paying too much at the pump although I went to the station the other day and the cost took a remarkable dip.  What a coincidence!  Most voters are not academics and don't intellectualize that presidents don't really control the price of oil.  It was the Biden/Harris Administration during this time.  Correlation in the public mind and that's usually enough.  That the polling is still this close shows the defects in Trump's personality have had a negligible impact.  Disposable income trumps Trump you could say.  I want more disposable income to buy cigars.  To the undecideds Harris might be different than Biden but why take the chance?  If you vote wrong that's a long four years.  Trendy issues like climate change and trans issues those are more issues for the Left imo not bread and butter for most folk.  Abortion could have a significant but overall limited impact since people's views run the gamut.  It's the economy stupid.

Trump wins.  Not by a landslide but he comes out on top when the dust settles.  My somewhat shaky prognostication.

Trump is pretty fly for a white guy Part 2

 Apparently there's an issue with not enough black men who are automatically going to vote for the Harris/Walz ticket.  Heresies and blasphemies!  Obama has admonished them and now Kamala Harris has promised $20K in forgivable government loans for 1 million minorities to start businesses.  Harris also wants to legalize pot not an uncommon position but is also looking at it from a business potential angle.  I recently took out two loans through my union but nothing in the fine print about not having to pay them back.  On the pot front my neighbors are big potheads.  I'll be enjoying my fine Navy Flake MacBaren's pipe tobacco on my front porch and the smell of pot is always wafting over from the porch next door.  Modern-day Americana.  Norman Rockwell with a modern flair.  

So too many black folk have a nostalgia for the Trump first-term pre-pandemic economy.  Even the Trump loathing media admits the price of groceries was lower back then.  Black voters thinking out of the box.  A problem for the Dems.

Michael Moore is a freak

 Left-wing documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has urged Biden being a lame duck president to sign off on some far-left action items with the stroke of a pen.  Point 1 Joe Biden has always been a moderate-liberal Democrat his whole political career.  Point 2 Kamala is putting off progressives for now to appeal to the more centrist middle-class.  Point 3 Biden probably wouldn't know what he's signing anyway.  Moore should instead compete in a doughnut eating contest with Chris Christie.  Meanwhile Obama who fancies himself some sort of elder statesman is advising black men to not stray off the Democratic plantation and to vote for Harris/Walz.  I don't know about you but I've had enough of this election cycle.

The NYC Mayor - Diddy do it?

 NYC Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 5 charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting foreign campaign donations.  The U.S. Attorney in Manhattan Damian Williams said Adams took over $100,000 in graft and used his office to try to help Turkey.  Before becoming Mayor of Gotham Adams was the Brooklyn Borough President and is also a retired captain in the NYPD.  He has an extensive police background.  The alleged scheme started in '021 and continued after he became Mayor.  Adams says Biden is getting back at him for his criticism of his handling of the migrant crisis in NYC.  NYS State Governor Kathy Hochul has the power to remove him from office.  Question is if everybody's corrupt who's gonna drain the swamp?

Meanwhile Donald Trump has started his own watch collection with watches going as high as $100K.  Do you have to take out a reverse mortgage to buy one?  Talk to Tom Selleck?  Snoop will probably get one.  YOU walk down the street with one and you will be robbed.  Why now though?  Why not wait 'til after the election?  Has Trump given up on the middle class and given that issue to Harris?  What is the watch supposed to do for you?  Maybe Elon will get one too.  I just wanna know what time it is.

The TV scene.  More channels than ever and some nights there's nothing on.