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nittany ramModeratorYeah, a lot of where the credit is placed will depend on which side does the better job of spinning.
My thoughts are North Korea isn’t coming to the bargaining table because of Trump. They’re coming now because they finally have something to bargain with; ie, a middle that can strike a part of the US. Trump is going to take credit and probably will be able to convince a lot of voters that he is responsible for NK’s willingness to negotiate. However, Trump has said that he is looking for full nuclear disarmament in the part of NK. NK has said that ain’t gonna happen. So I’m not convinced any deal is gonna be struck anytime soon.
Trump is getting credit for creating jobs but job growth in his first year lags behind Obama’s last 4 years. Trump is trying to take credit for the improved economy but it could be argued that what’s happening with the economy is just a continuation of what was happening during Obama’s second term. But the picture isn’t all rosey as many companies are laying off workers or moving operations overseas despite the tax breaks. And as you said there’s still a dearth if good paying jobs. Many people are under employed. The economy isn’t as healthy as Trump likes to claim, but I think his supporters believe it is and convincing them otherwise will be a challenge.
I agree with all of that, Nittany.
I’m really not seeing what Trump has done to help the economy at all. Deregulation doesn’t do that. Privatization doesn’t do that. Tax cuts for the rich doesn’t do that. Unless by “the economy” people mean just Ownership/CEOs, and not workers and consumers. And the deregulation and privatization is definitely killing the planet.
No workers have benefited from the Trump/GOP agenda. In fact, they’ve all be hurt by it. Less safe in the workplace. Less secure in their jobs. It’s now much easier for companies to export jobs, reduce benefits, pay less. Trump and the GOP have helped Capital tremendously. But not Labor, and they’ve been devastating to the environment.
Yeah, the fairest and most economically sound way for capitalism to work is to tax the rich more and to pay workers more. That’s what is happening in Minnesota and California and their economies are booming. That’s the strategy the entire country should be using. Trump’s plan of shifting the burden of taxation from the rich and massively deregulating corporations isn’t sustainable and any temporary economic gains come at the expense of the poor and working class.
nittany ramModeratorThere is a shift in the political wind. It’s happening. I don’t know how big it is, but it’s underway. And not just because Trump is a jerk, but…because of his policies.
I don’t want to sound like a Trump supporter because…well gag me.
But there’s a ton of positive stuff happening for Trump right now.
The North Korea talks and reconciliation with South Korea is amazing. Before those developments there seemed to be murmurings in the MSN about Trump’s incompetence leading to a nuclear showdown. Now peace seems to be on the horizon.
Again, I hate the guy, and wonder how much–if any–credit he deserves for this development. But you know he will take credit for resolving the problem. And millions of Americans will accept that and give him credit.
Jobs, jobs, jobs. The economy keeps adding jobs. Manufacturing has added 245,000 jobs going back to last April. Again, Trump will attribute this growth to his tax cuts and take credit.
I suspect people who are now working and making more money won’t argue with him.
Mining industries have added 86,000 jobs since last April. Do you think that growth would have occurred with anyone besides a Republican?
Trump appears to be actually fighting and working for American manufacturing jobs. I know your no fan of Obama, but I can’t recall Obama doing much to defend and support American manufacturiong.
(All this info comes from the bureau of labor and statistics. Just google “job reports”)
When I read the tea leaves I don’t see much positive apart from the Mueller investigation. We’ll see, but I’m not hopeful.
Yeah, a lot of where the credit is placed will depend on which side does the better job of spinning.
My thoughts are North Korea isn’t coming to the bargaining table because of Trump. They’re coming now because they finally have something to bargain with; ie, a missle that can strike a part of the US. Trump is going to take credit and probably will be able to convince a lot of voters that he is responsible for NK’s willingness to negotiate. However, Trump has said that he is looking for full nuclear disarmament on the part of NK. NK has said that ain’t gonna happen. So I’m not convinced any deal is gonna be struck anytime soon.
Trump is getting credit for creating jobs but job growth in his first year lags behind Obama’s last 4 years. Trump is trying to take credit for the improved economy but it could be argued that what’s happening with the economy is just a continuation of what was happening during Obama’s second term. But the picture isn’t all rosey as many companies are laying off workers or moving operations overseas despite the tax breaks. And as you said there’s still a dearth if good paying jobs. Many people are under employed. The economy isn’t as healthy as Trump likes to claim, but I think his supporters believe it is and convincing them otherwise will be a challenge.
nittany ramModeratorWe have far better and more accurate ways of identifying people in need today than 50 years ago. I say that’s a good thing not a bad thing.
Maybe that explains the growing safety net, but I don’t thinks so.
The amount the US pays for SNAP has tripled since 2000 and doubled since 2007. Our ability to identify people who need help hasn’t grown that much since 2007.
I’ve not investigated this, but I’d guess we’d find the same trend for WIC, EIC, Medicaid, etc.
I would guess the increasing cost of helping poor people can be linked to Wal-Mart and McDonald’s trends in America. Instead of decent paying full time jobs, people now are forced to work at Wal Mart and make 10 bucks an hour.
As a result, Wal Mart owners and execs are billionaires and millionaires while the US tallies a bigger and bigger debt for my kids’ future in order to save poor people from abject poverty.
I think Bernie might have put forth a version of this argument in 2016.
The social safety net is a mere pittance compared to the safety net afforded corporations through subsidies, etc; ie, corporate welfare.
nittany ramModeratorI wonder if she’ll continue to do the Fearsome Twosome podcast with Gary Klein?
As far as Rams podcasts go, it was one of the better ones. Not because they brought a lot of knowledge to the podcast – because they didn’t, but because it was broadcast from the Rams practice facilities and therefore they often had impromptu visits with Rams coaches and players.
May 17, 2018 at 7:09 am in reply to: informal poll: how the Rams look now, expectations and/or realistic views #86231nittany ramModeratorIf they stay healthy this is a Super Bowl contender. Anything less than a Super Bowl might even be a disappointment.
*If they stay healthy.*
The Rams have been the least injured team two years in a row. Maybe they will stay relatively injury free for three straight years?
The chance of a coin coming up heads three straight times is 12.5%. Yeah, I know the coin analogy doesn’t really fit but my point is that they are unlikely to be the healthiest team in the league three straight years.
So, most likely the Rams are in for a statistical reality check.
But how healthy do they have to be?
This is a deep team. I think they could weather an injury to a few key players with just a couple exceptions.
As long as they don’t experience Spagnuolo era level injuries, the Rams should contend.
nittany ramModeratorNFL Insiders predict: The most improved team in 2018
Matt Bowen, NFL writer: Los Angeles Rams.
Rookies report today! 👊 pic.twitter.com/qp7JxXvA3e
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 14, 2018
nittany ramModerator“We had to protect against FaceBook censorship by going into SETTINGS … and ticking the box to SEE Bartlett’s posts FIRST.”
This does work, btw.
nittany ramModeratorGina Haspel oversaw the torture of a pregnant woman. They punched Ms. Boudchar in her gravid uterus and chained her to hooks. The baby miraculously survived but was born severely underweight at just 4 pounds. Tell me again how Haspel is a feminist. The GOP is pro-life?
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) May 9, 2018
nittany ramModeratorWhatever happened to that last reporter they had? Dani Whattshername?
Dani Klupenger. No one knows what happened to her.
Do you suspect foul play?
nittany ramModeratorAlthough I don’t know him personally, from what I do know I can say there are few better people than Jim Fadler.
I wish him the best.
nittany ramModerator3 or 4 of the longest plays came against the vaunted Jags defense.
nittany ramModeratorLooks like Pa will have to set extra places for Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Congrats on discovering more family, Pa. Enjoy getting to know them.
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This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by
nittany ram.
nittany ramModeratorI don’t think Tavon is even remotely a bust. Some would say a disppointment based on the slot where he was picked, but he was performing half the role he was supposed to be performing in 2017, when McVay would not use him in the passing game. That’s not on Tavon.
Well, if it’s not on Tavon, then who is it on? McVay?
I think if Tavon had shown any ability in the passing game, McVay would have used him. Tavon’s own deficiencies kept him out of the passing game. Maybe if he hadn’t had wrist surgery and hurt his hamstring in the preseason when he was trying to learn the offense things might have been different, but Tavon never materialized as anything more than a gadget player and a good punt returner before succumbing to the worst case of the yips I’ve ever seen.
nittany ramModeratorReview of Infinity War w/spoilers
nittany ramModeratornittany ramModeratorwhy didn’t Dr. Strange prevent Thanos’ apocalypse himself when he had control of the time stone? T
I think that one is pretty straightforward. He said he saw more than 1.6 M futures and they defeat Thanos in only 1.
So it seems that the only 1 they defeat him in is the one where he gets ahold of all 6 stones, AND Tony Stark survives.
I thought he was talking about possible outcomes given what has transpired up to this point. I didn’t think he was talking about altering the past, but you are probably right. That would be a huge plot hole otherwise.
nittany ramModeratorCaptain Marvel is supposedly the most powerful of all the superheroes, so you would think this character would have had a role in combating the apocalypse. BTW, the Captain Marvel origin film is set to be released in 2019 so we’ll probably find out then.
Yeah, it seems to me that what will happen in the origin film, which is set in the 90s, is that they will have to come up with some kind of plausible reason why she has been absent. Not just for Thanos but for Loki and New York, and for Ultron.
It will probably be the purpose of that film to establish exactly that.
And also establish why she is the last line of defense Fury has after the Avengers.
I can imagine there are a lot of ways to do that.
…
I suppose Captain Marvel can fix everything that’s happened if she can get ahold of the ‘time stone’ from Thanos. However, if that’s the case, why didn’t Dr. Strange prevent Thanos’ apocalypse himself when he had control of the time stone? Theoretically there are many ways he could have prevented what happened. I mean, if worse came to worse Dr Strange could have gone back through time to Thanos’ planet when he was born and strangled him in his crib. That was one of the plot fails that I noticed while I was watching the movie. However, I’m not well-versed in all the details and back stories of the Marvel universe so maybe there is something I’m missing that would prevent that?
nittany ramModeratorBest acting of any superhero film, the characters have more depth, and it’s easily the funniest film of the Avenger series so far.
And the storyline includes some powerful emotional moments that work.
Yes, although there was one that didn’t really work for me.
nittany ramModeratorWow.
Come on, Nittany. Not everyone has the time to read through your voluminous verbosity regarding current movies. I mean, some of us are just too busy with our semi-retirement days for any such laborious endeavor.
Would you mind summarizing your take a bit, please? Could you please put all of that in a “Hack-size” post, instead?
Sorry. I wrote that review sitting in the theater as the end credits rolled by waiting for the final scene.
But I stand by it. Because it’s hard, as zn says, to talk about this movie without giving stuff away.
This is the best of the Marvel movies. Not to say that it doesn’t have a few flaws, because it does, but it also has more moving parts than any previous film. It’s more ambitious so a few missteps can be forgiven.
Best acting of any superhero film, the characters have more depth, and it’s easily the funniest film of the Avenger series so far.
I’m going to see it again at the theater, and I never do that.
nittany ramModeratorWell, this is the same god who turned a woman into a statue of salt just because she felt remorse at seeing the city of her childhood burned to the ground.
Whenever I hear the story of Lot’s wife I am reminded of this exchange on ‘All in the Family’…
Archie: Oh, shut up! You atheist you! The Bible is filled miracles, no magic. God didn’t fool around with no magic.
Mike: What about Sodom and Gomorrah? When Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt?
Archie: That’s because when she was running away from them two dirty cities, she stopped to take a look at her behind.A stunned Mike slams his head against the table.
It is possibly the worst story in the bible. Certainly Top Ten.
The Passover story is pretty horrific too.
nittany ramModeratorWell, this is the same god who turned a woman into a statue of salt just because she felt remorse at seeing the city of her childhood burned to the ground.
Whenever I hear the story of Lot’s wife I am reminded of this exchange on ‘All in the Family’…
Archie: Oh, shut up! You atheist you! The Bible is filled miracles, no magic. God didn’t fool around with no magic.
Mike: What about Sodom and Gomorrah? When Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt?
Archie: That’s because when she was running away from them two dirty cities, she stopped to take a look at her behind.A stunned Mike slams his head against the table.
nittany ramModeratorBut that’s not what started it.
The world was harmonious until we ate the forbidden fruit.
So, it’s our fault.
Not sure about how it works on other planets.
It works the same only much differently.
Btw, *WE* didn’t eat the fruit. Some naked rib-lady did 6000 years ago. Which is sorta my point. So he’s making me pay for an infraction committed by somebody else 6000 years ago? That’s not fair, right?
I mean, who does that?
nittany ramModeratorThe concept, though, of a god who has terrible anger management problems, freaks out with these tantrums and throws earthquakes and volcanoes and tsunamis and cancer and AIDS on people, is a very frightening presupposition.
Well obviously if you look at what has and is going on in the world, it is more consistent with the idea of an angry god or at best an indifferent god than loving god, right?
I mean, right from the beginning – God could have created any kind of world He wanted to, but He chose to create one where half of the creatures on it must kill the other half to survive. Not exactly what you’d expect from a god of love.
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This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by nittany ram.
April 21, 2018 at 1:34 pm in reply to: Bondi may have more time…or he did last April. Now? Bad decline #85304nittany ramModeratorYay, some hope. That is good news.
Fingers crossed.
nittany ramModerator(giants was a “home” game but not played in l.a.)
Cards game in London was a home game. Not the Giants game.
nittany ramModerator2018 Los Angeles Rams game-by-game predictions
t
The Los Angeles Rams will finally experience what it means to play a first-place schedule. They’ll play five prime-time games in 2018, all of them against teams that could wind up in the playoffs. But they’ll also travel very little in the first five weeks, giving them a real chance to get off to another good start. Here’s a look at how it could shake out for each game.Week 1: Monday, Sept. 10, at Oakland Raiders, 10:20 p.m. ET
This will be fun. Sean McVay will be facing off against his mentor, Jon Gruden, who will make his return to the Raiders — and to coaching — under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. McVay probably isn’t looking forward to facing an offensive mind he holds in such high regard. But his Rams are the better, more complete team. And they’ll once again get off on the right foot. Record: 1-0
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, vs. Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET
The Cardinals are undergoing a pretty major transition period, with no Carson Palmer, no Tyrann Mathieu and no Bruce Arians. Look for the Rams’ menacing defensive line to get after a familiar face in Sam Bradford, who is coming off knee surgery. Record: 2-0
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET
This smells like a trap game. The buzz at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum should be electric for what will be the first regular-season Chargers-Rams game since the teams moved to L.A. The Chargers have the talent to compete for a division title this season, and they’ll get the better of the Rams in this one, even though they’ll be coming off a cross-country trip. Record: 2-1
Week 4: Thursday, Sept. 27, vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET
Here it is — the first signature win of the season. The Rams lost a tough one on the road against the Vikings last year and were badly looking forward to seeing them in the playoffs, confident that they would come out on top if given another chance. Kirk Cousins has since replaced Case Keenum, and the Vikings might be even better than the team that went to the NFC Championship Game last year. But the Rams will be ready. Record: 3-1
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Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET
This isn’t the Seahawks the Rams are used to playing. Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson are still there, but so many of Seattle’s key defensive pieces are gone now. The last time the Rams played at CenturyLink Field, they all but clinched a division title with a 42-7 annihilation. They know they can win there, and they’ll do so again. Record: 4-1
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET
When Keenum faced his former team last year, he went 27-of-38 for 280 yards and a touchdown, constantly scrambling to keep plays extended. Now he’ll be steering a Broncos team that isn’t as good as last year’s Vikings, and facing a Rams defensive line that will make it a lot tougher for him to slither away. Welcome back, Wade Phillips and Aqib Talib. Record: 5-1
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET
It’s a small sample size, sure, but it seems as if Kyle Shanahan has a pretty good feel for McVay (or, perhaps more accurately, Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips). Shanahan’s 49ers gave the Rams all they could handle on Thursday Night Football last year, even though they were still so uncertain at quarterback. With Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm for the regular-season finale, they routed a Rams team that played mostly backups. Back at home, Shanahan will find a way to sneak past McVay’s starters in this one. Record: 5-2
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Here’s a fun matchup between two former Cal quarterbacks in Jared Goff and Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers will be playing at the Coliseum for the first time since completing 23 consecutive passes during a dramatic loss to No. 1 USC in October 2004. Rodgers’ team, now the Packers, will come up short here once again. Record: 6-2
Full regular-season NFL schedule
The Eagles kick off the NFL season against the Falcons on Thursday, Sept. 6. View the complete week-by-week schedule here.
• Record predictions, analysis for all 32 teams
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• NFL draft news, analysisWeek 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at New Orleans Saints, 4:25 p.m. ET
There’s a case to be made for the Saints being the NFC’s most complete team, now that Sean Payton and Drew Brees have a dynamic running game and a solid defense. One of the Rams’ most impressive wins last season came against the Saints. But this one will come at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which, you know, changes things. Record: 6-3
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, vs. Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET
The last time the Rams hosted the Seahawks, they outgained them by 134 yards and still lost. Not this time. Record: 7-3
Week 11: Monday, Nov. 19, vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET
This one will take place from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which is a whole lot closer than Twickenham Stadium in London. The Rams will be thrilled about that. Marcus Peters, the former Chiefs cornerback, will probably spend a lot of time covering Sammy Watkins, the former Rams wide receiver. When Peters isn’t covering him, it will be Talib. In other words: This will be a very tough test for second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Too tough. Record: 8-3
Week 12: Bye.
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, at Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Rams’ most impressive showing last season came off their bye week, when they beat the New York Giants 51-17. The Lions should offer a more difficult test, but the result will be the same. Record: 9-3
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Chicago Bears, 1:00 p.m. ET
Mitch Trubisky still has some growing to do. Facing Talib, Peters, Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald is not the ideal way to go about it. The Bears still aren’t a very good team, and the Rams should win easily. Record: 10-3
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. ET
Goff-Wentz, Part II. Carson Wentz injured his knee in last year’s game from the Coliseum, then Nick Foles — the eventual Super Bowl MVP — led his team to victory. Wentz will, hopefully, be fully healthy by the time these teams meet again. The Eagles are just as good, if not better. And they’ll prevail again in what should be another very close game. Record: 10-4
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, vs. Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET
Here’s one thing we learned about McVay’s Rams in 2017: They bounce back well from losses. They’ll do so again in a rout of the Cardinals, who could be at the bottom of the standings by this point. Record: 11-4
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET
If given another chance, one has to wonder if McVay would’ve handled the last week of last year’s regular season differently — if he would have played his starters a little bit more, or perhaps given them more practice time, so that they wouldn’t have come out as flat as they did in the ensuing playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Regardless, this game could have serious ramifications. The 49ers could be that much better. Given that, McVay will get the best of Shanahan to split the season series. Record: 12-4
nittany ramModeratorBest games of the 2018 schedule.
Rams are in a lot of them, including the best game of the year.
nittany ramModeratorSomething tells me they don’t get a deal done with Donald this year.
nittany ramModerator#MondayMotivation brought to you by @AaronDonald97 😳 pic.twitter.com/sj0H5tP5ij
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 9, 2018
nittany ramModeratorA Rams mock draft with fairly rigorous player profiles….
link: https://www.downtownrams.com/single-post/2018/04/08/Jake-Ellenbogens-2018-Rams-Mock-Draft-40
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