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by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Feb 04, 2023 12:07 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Overall, I'm a fan of Obamacare. It helped a lot of people. I can tell you this though...I am a small business owner. (I hate saying that btw, seems pretentious) I'm very fortunate that I get my health insurance through my wife's employer. It's good insurance and it's very affordable. I've checked ...
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:43 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Unless there's something I'm not aware of, that was probably the best chance we've had to implement a national system of healthcare that would have made a truly significant difference. I think you understate the impact of Obamacare. I see it working for my indigent roommate. It's far short of what ...
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:04 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: Books Thread
Replies: 2413
Views: 778243

Re: Books Thread

I'm a rebel. ;-) The question of whether our choir should be performing spirituals came up, so I took the opportunity to revisit Cone and learn Thurman. When I was in Paris about 10 days ago, there were still posters up advertising a tour by a "real, authentic" Black American gospel choir, includin...
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Feb 04, 2023 9:59 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

beantownbubba wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:21 am
jr29 wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:10 pm
Jimmy Carter was ready for a catastrophic coverage plan that would have eased a ton of this burden. It wasn't enough for Ted Kennedy so we got nothing.
My memory was that it was under Nixon that Ted screwed up national health care by holding out.
by John A Arkansawyer
Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:16 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Interesting column in today's NYT by Frank Bruni focused on the PA governor "declassifying" about 90% of state jobs that unnecessarily required a college degree and, more generally, the need for the Dems to do more of this kind of thing and to generally get its ass in gear re working people. https:...
by John A Arkansawyer
Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:28 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: Books Thread
Replies: 2413
Views: 778243

Re: Books Thread

beantownbubba wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 5:46 am
What the heck, John A??!! Did you actually read books by black authors in months other than February? How subversive!
I'm a rebel. ;-) The question of whether our choir should be performing spirituals came up, so I took the opportunity to revisit Cone and learn Thurman.
by John A Arkansawyer
Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:52 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: Books Thread
Replies: 2413
Views: 778243

Re: Books Thread

I've also done some music-related reading lately:

Image

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by John A Arkansawyer
Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:01 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: Books Thread
Replies: 2413
Views: 778243

Re: Books Thread

I was looking for a used copy of Ehrenreich's Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy (also highly recommended) when this book got in my face: https://www.barbaraehrenreich.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/9781455501762.jpg?fit=447%2C675 It is one hell of a memoir of her [spoiler alert!] i...
by John A Arkansawyer
Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:57 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Although there are some mixed messages here, on the whole I found it pretty interesting. Questions about how liberal the Democratic Party as a whole is and how liberal it should be, to what extent do the very vocal minority of progressive mostly white college educated cohort reflect the beliefs and...
by John A Arkansawyer
Wed Jan 04, 2023 8:18 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

beantownbubba wrote:
Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:57 pm
The old definition of insanity comes to mind: Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Six ballots and counting...
I'm not sure the Republicans want a Speaker and even less sure they could elect one if they did. So why not keep on keeping on?
by John A Arkansawyer
Tue Dec 27, 2022 12:15 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

beantownbubba wrote:
Tue Dec 27, 2022 5:12 am
criminality and fraudulent conduct
You rang?

Madcap Details Emerge of Santos’s Criminal Past In Brazil
Santos seems to have disappeared before he could go on trial. According to Brazilian press reports, the case is still open and could be recommenced if and when Santos is found.
by John A Arkansawyer
Sun Nov 13, 2022 9:53 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Now that control of the Senate is a non-issue in Georgia, does Herschel Walker's bid go down in flames because the reality of Walker's lack of qualifications is no longer outweighed by broader concerns, or does the lowered intensity/impact of the race change voters calculations in other as yet unfo...
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Nov 12, 2022 9:38 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

I just saw a number that surprised me greatly: The total popular vote for the House is led by Republicans, 52 million to 47 million. That's a lot. I'm not sure what it means (other than nothing electorally).
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Nov 12, 2022 8:37 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Especially if the Dems had been smarter about where they spent their money (see also WI Senate, Ohio Senate ...) I'm curious what spending you'd've moved around for the Senate. The "to" is fairly easy: WI and OH most obviously. I think AZ was well funded but more couldn't have hurt. Where that mone...
by John A Arkansawyer
Fri Nov 11, 2022 6:28 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

beantownbubba wrote:
Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:06 am
Especially if the Dems had been smarter about where they spent their money (see also WI Senate, Ohio Senate ...)
I'm curious what spending you'd've moved around for the Senate.
by John A Arkansawyer
Wed Nov 09, 2022 8:09 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

This didn't turn out so bad. I'd expected a little worse.
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Nov 05, 2022 12:01 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Sometimes I think we should just split the country down the middle using the Mississippi River. Give the conservatives one half and the liberals the other. Maybe carve out some space for the independents (the southeast or maybe the pacific northwest). I think I'd actually support this. It's tough. ...
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Nov 05, 2022 9:47 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

jr29 wrote:
Sat Nov 05, 2022 9:07 am
BTW...the senatatorial picture looks really rough for Dems in 2024. I believe they are defending in Montana, Wisconsin, Ohio, West Virginia, maybe a couple more tough spots.
We'll always have California. Whether we have forty-one seats in the Senate or not.
by John A Arkansawyer
Fri Nov 04, 2022 7:12 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

My only choice for Democrat senator is a guy who runs TV ads bragging about how he agrees with Trump on trade and China. I can't bring myself to say Trump was right, but it's pretty clear the Bush-Clinton-Bush flash deindustrialization of America sure fucked up the place. If Tim Ryan has to phrase ...
by John A Arkansawyer
Tue Oct 25, 2022 7:31 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Can Democracy Survive? Maybe, just barely. The long view is not encouraging. There is now a three-way alliance among corporate plutocrats, Caesarists who look to dictatorship in the name of the people, and a justifiably angry working class. This doesn’t sound like American exceptionalism. It’s a va...
by John A Arkansawyer
Sat Oct 15, 2022 8:54 pm
Forum: Drive-By Truckers discussion
Topic: DBT at the Arkansas State Fair, Friday, October 14th.
Replies: 1
Views: 1327

DBT at the Arkansas State Fair, Friday, October 14th.

Friday night's show was a very good show in a very odd place, the second time I've been in a strange venue for DBT in Little Rock. The Fairgrounds is a GA area and a couple of seated bleachers, with a stage just above the line of sight. There was a front, but not a rail, because about five feet from...
by John A Arkansawyer
Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:50 am
Forum: Other Bands / Music News (non DBT-related)
Topic: Who's Everyone Seeing Live?
Replies: 7465
Views: 2044299

Re: Who's Everyone Seeing Live?

Last night, I saw Lee Bains III with Loamlands supporting. I say supporting because they were both the four-piece opening act and the three-and-a-half piece (the singer didn't play guitar, but he did play percussion on about half the songs) backing band. I like the new material quite a bit, and the ...
by John A Arkansawyer
Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:36 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: GoFundWesFreedsRearEnd
Replies: 2
Views: 2168

Re: GoFundWesFreedsRearEnd

Jonicont wrote:
Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:04 am
John A Arkansawyer wrote:
Thu Aug 11, 2022 3:08 pm
Wes announced today on Facebook he's got colorectal cancer, and Jason Thrasher has set up a GoFundMe for him.


That would be Jason Wilson
Yes. Yes, it would be. Who I've actually met.
by John A Arkansawyer
Thu Aug 11, 2022 3:08 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: GoFundWesFreedsRearEnd
Replies: 2
Views: 2168

GoFundWesFreedsRearEnd

Wes announced today on Facebook he's got colorectal cancer, and Jason Thrasher has set up a GoFundMe for him.
by John A Arkansawyer
Thu Aug 04, 2022 7:59 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

I don't understand why we argue about things that we agree about. Because we don't really agree? I specifically don't agree that there is a causal relationship from violence to fundamental change. We're in a time of uncertainty and open possibilities, among them violence and fundamental change. Tho...
by John A Arkansawyer
Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:51 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

I suppose it's small potatoes in contrast to the significance of the result, but it seems to me that there's a lot to ponder about the way anti-abortionists and Republicans went about trying to change the state constitution in KS...And they still got their heads handed to them. This suggests two th...
by John A Arkansawyer
Wed Aug 03, 2022 4:30 pm
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

John A Arkansawyer wrote:
Sat Jul 30, 2022 8:18 am
I expect that aid package to happen no later than spring 2023, maybe a lot sooner.
Senate passes long-sought bill to help veterans affected by burn pits
by John A Arkansawyer
Wed Aug 03, 2022 12:01 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

On the other hand:

Kansas votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution

That's a big deal in more ways than one.
by John A Arkansawyer
Mon Aug 01, 2022 7:29 am
Forum: Everything Else
Topic: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit
Replies: 20772
Views: 4822353

Re: The Neverending Thread for Political Shit

Fuck all those assholes. The insurrectionists were right for the wrong reasons. Let's burn the whole fucking thing down, go Bastille Day on every assclown who profits from the system, and start over. So let's say we burn the whole fucking thing down, then we have our Reign of Terror, complete w/ gu...