LaceyLou

OK, that answers my question more. I still have a hard time understanding. Of course I deliberately choose to live in a city where I can be car free, so there's that.

I get this, but it doesn't actually answer my question. I'd personally get a smaller, less expensive pickup truck to tow things, and there are ones with the four door cabs that still manage to have a long enough bed and are strong enough to haul things-and the post that made me think of it was a Charlie Kirk one in which he said that Drumpf is making a comeback partly because he saw a lot of men voting, and partly because there were 'so many pickup trucks in the parking lot.'

LOL. It's amazing how one's view can change where Drumpf is concerned (I think this was originally a post of his from 2016). I looked and he's gleefully saying that about 75% of the voters at the placed he went to today are men, and there are a lot of pickup trucks in the parking lot. Side note: when did the pickup truck change from being an extremely valuable tool for farmers and trades to a display of masculinity? A lot of the pickup trucks I see here are at least 100K, don't fit well into city streets, and don't have beds long enough to be particularly useful.

The only problem is that it's true that a lot of people are struggling with bills, and living paycheck to paycheck-and we do all need to remember this and address these issues. He's one of the reasons that people point to Democrats as being out of touch elitists. What he does get right is that this isn't a new thing, but something that has gradually gotten worse for more people over the past 40-50 years. He's also right that inflation wasn't caused by Biden and that it's actually slowed down on his watch. I only hope that Harris's campaign has gotten this message to enough people.

And you've reminded me of one reason I want to ensure that higher education is kept in reach for people: there are a lot of talented people out there who could make a real difference. I want to make sure that those who want an education aren't barred because of background and/or financial reasons.

Exactly. I'm sorry that your Dad had to go through that. And you're right, it wasn't until about the 70s that people started questioning the right of parents to beat their children (or even their wives). Also... having lived in a rural area I have to wonder-has this woman ever lived on a farm for any length of time? I will say that it can be a great life, especially if you love physical activity. It is also hard, and the vision I get of a pregnant woman with a baby on her hip and a toddler behind her is most likely very different from the one I suspect she has.

I saw that. She's right-we're holding a gun to her head and forcing her to not be married and have a lot of kids. That's what we childless cat ladies do! Now I'll take the tongue out of my cheek... My niece is a SAHM. The reality is that when you think about money saved on such things as work clothes, transportation, and especially childcare, it's not only a feasible choice but often a solid financial decision. You may have to live in a smaller house, and have fewer luxuries but you can have a very comfortable life. Her not being married? I don't know why she's not married but I can tell you with confidence that it's not the fault of a society forcing her to live the 'miserable life of a single woman.' Last point? A lot of the women that she speaks of from the 1950s were not happy-that is why they started to get an education and enter the workforce. And many of them would have been thrilled to be able to own their own homes and have their own credit cards-things they couldn't have in many states until 1974.

One thing I forgot to point out is that this particular woman who died, along with her mother, were in support of the abortion ban at one time. Her mother sadly learned the hard way one reason that these bans can result in tragedy.

I've been on the fence about responding to this kind of post. The response I've often heard of "You want the violence! You just want to be right!" is one I've heard multiple times, and not just about the possibility of post-election violence. I don't know or care if he said the assassination attempt was staged. I did hear speculation of that when it first happened, and most if not all people who suggested it dismissed this after learning more about it. I do know that he's close enough to DC that he could very well have been close to the action on January 6th. And warning people that violence in response to the election is possible is not the same as hoping that violence occurs just to prove that he's 'right,' or because he actually wants the violence to occur. The fears some of us have that there will be violence are unfortunately justified. I don't know a single one of us that wouldn't love to be proved wrong.

I agree that could be a factor, and explain why he has become even more unhinged than usual. On the other hand.... he has always been vulgar, and in some of the debates during the 2016 campaign he felt the need to refer to a certain part of his anatomy. This is something we don't need to know, and shouldn't be a part of a policy debate.

OK, I guess I'm a prude. This man is, was, and always will be a disgusting human being.

Do you know what I want most for future elections? Actual debates on the policies between candidates devoid of personal attacks, straw men, stupid nicknames, and descriptions of, er, personal anatomy. While I was never a fan of Bush Jr, he at least was a skilled debater.

I'm still glad that there'a a group of Democrats working to get out the vote. My experience there was always a lot of left-leaning people didn't bother to vote because they thought there weren't enough of us. High turnout is a must.

I spent a good part of my childhood in rural NH. When I lived there it was very reliably Republican. IIRC it was a state that narrowly went for Bush Jr in 2000, and that race was close enough that it wouldn't have taken much to flip it to Gore. I lived there a long time ago, and at that time they were more likely to be pro-choice (when they said keep government out of our lives they meant it). This, and having a fair number of people move from MA to the Manchester/Nashua area, has made it a bit more purple. And... there's a reason I left rural NH and never went back-it's because there were a lot of people who would have gotten along with The Ronz's friends. So if we're counting on NH to seal a win, then yes there's definitely reason to worry. That's why the Democrats will have volunteers from MA on the ground in NH this weekend.

I wonder if the Four Seasons got paid?

Thank you for being there!

Even waterfront may not be a solid choice. Erosion is a big issue, and some waterfront areas are already being abandoned by insurance companies (due to both erosion and big hits from recent weather events).

I haven't seen much coverage of FEMA response to Helene from up here. Could it be that they're seeing help on the ground that those outside of NC are not?

Evidently Elon is also allowing fake Harris ads on twitter that are intentionally misleading and thus intended to sway people against her. Scary part is I can see why people think they're real.

I've been trying to get people to make me understand why they believe this guy is the 'business guy' for the past 10 years, and not one person has given me an answer.

Yes, people may be more connected but they're also more likely to find themselves consuming news that only focuses on partisan talking points. And lies are spread faster and further.

You pretty much described what happened in a lot of housing markets-also a lot more people were buying so a lot of homes sold for way more than asking price (read: a lot of first time buyers were priced out anyway). I seem to remember my parents having double digit interest rates in the 80s. And for a lot of places, it isn't interest rates causing higher prices, but a shortage of homes. A long, honest look at zoning rules and NIMBYism might be a better way to address the lack of starter homes.

I sure miss times like when McCain responded to supporters who said the country would be destroyed if Obama won, by telling them that he was a good, decent man and that their fears were unfounded.

Among the suggestions I've heard from his campaign do include eliminating the income tax and using tariffs, as you suggest. Also eliminating tax on tips, overtime, and SS. Project 2025, evidently suggests that businesses won't have to pay overtime, and it has been suggested that his policies will cause SS to go bankrupt about 6 years earlier than now projected, so maybe two of those suggestions don't mean much.

Hard to tell since I've been inside recovering from surgery for the past couple of months... but I think it wouldn't be likely here. After all, I'm in a blue city and that means men aren't men, right? Or does it means they're dangerous people who want to kill everyone in the name of wokeness? I can't keep that straight.