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March 17, 2017 at 10:20 am in reply to: White House calls cutting Meals on Wheels 'compassionate' #66375sdramParticipant
It’s like Don the Con and his team of sociopathic grifters spit balled scenarios where they’re the biggest villains ever in every type of executive or legislative agenda. Meals on Wheels – come on. My grandmother used this for a year or so before she went into the nursing home. For a couple of bucks a day she got a lunch meal as opposed to going into the nursing home where Medicaid would have had to pay 3, 4, 5000 a day for her total long term care. Someone needs to step up and shut these these assholes down once and for all.
Next, these asshats get to decide if we should provoke a war with North Korea because you know, that would be a good thing right? Since I don’t trust any of them or believe a word any of them spout, I have a hard time thinking anything they do or say isn’t for their own benefit in some way. It’s obvious that none – not one – has the American people or what’s best for people as their number one priority.
sdramParticipantI’ve been watching Maddow almost every night as well since about last June-July unless the Dodgers are on. My wife watches with me sometimes. Also, have come to realize a smidgeon of respect for Adam Schiff – he seems like a pretty savvy politician. So, at this point there will be no Dodgers this season on Direct TV because of an ongoing lawsuit – at least that’s what they told me. I may need to find other social outlets.
I think that the latest and greatest thing Maddow has aired in the past few weeks is what has Trump “potentially” done to pay back his buddy Vladdy Putin for his help in the election – so far from what I understand, there’s at least some evidence that there was a Trump initiated pro-Russian change to the Republican Party’s platform at their convention regarding the Ukraine; gutting or planning to decimate the State Department through budget cuts; hiring a host of Russian friendly buddies such as Tillerson, Flynn, and others; hammering NATO and the US long time European partners; seemingly obvious overtures about ending or helping with the sanctions imposed on Russia in December and the original ones from the Crimea episode; and regularly espousing the almost identical propaganda that Putin’s RT distributes daily.
So, Rachel was told by a guest last night at the end of a segment, “Thank You sir, er maam.” Rachel smiles and giggles out “Actually, I’ll answer to either, it’s very convenient that way.” Made me chuckle too.
sdramParticipantWith Whitworth’s signing it seems as though they answered the question of what the Rams staff thought the first step in fixing was their biggest need.
sdramParticipantI read somewhere(http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/06/us-military-bases-around-the-world-119321 ) recently that the US has like 800 or so permanent military installations world wide. The next three countries combined have under 30 which I believe are Russia, England, France. Many of the us installations are depots or radar sites but not all. Sure, many are in the US – but not all or even most from what I understand. Add to that the largest naval fleet of air craft carriers which are mobile military bases and the rest of the fleet.
Nobody does peace time defense spending like the good old USA. The scare tactics work pretty well and seemingly always will.
sdramParticipantThey had to do something for the OL and I think this is a decent alternative to not doing something as in doing nothing. Another veteran interior such as a center wouldn’t hurt my feelings either.
Best rated lt in free agency but still a lot of money for a 35 year old LT – but, that’s the deal now a days it seems.
sdramParticipantDidn’t France have a cure for something like this a couple hundred years ago?
sdramParticipantI was wondering if the reported glut of DB’s in this years draft will drive down the FA prices for somebody like McDonald have a chance to resign him. Wonder if they want McDonald back? Same thing for Tru Jo. seems like there’s a good chance this And then I actually read the post above and it mentions this same thing. It’s all up in the air ain’t it.
I think the flip side is that the market at both corner and receiver—two spots where there’s relative strength (Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall, Kenny Stills, DeSean Jackson at receiver; Bouye, Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick at CB)—could be adversely affected by the historic quality of the draft class at corner and strong depth of the class at receiver.
It’s not out of the question that Jeffery becomes the second- or third-highest-paid receiver in league history, and Bouye and Gilmore easily outdistance the deal Janoris Jenkins got last year. But there’ll be a number of would-be suitors who balk at the prices and sit tight until April, which is one reason why you shouldn’t panic if your team is strangely quiet in filling those needs this week.
sdramParticipantSo, I am confused. What the Rams need, then, is just to be far less confused about all this than I am.
I’m not sure what they really need in terms of talent either on the OL so mark me down in the not sure category either. Goff and the OL maturing hopefully should go a long way towards some incremental improvement in the ol. Seems like perhaps a solid veteran center could help Goff and the ol come together.
They’ll make a plan – March 9 should be interesting just to see what their intentions are. Why won’t they just resign Tru? Try to make a real deal like other teams seem to do all the time. Maybe their looking at others like Donald and Tree. By tagging Tru again, I think they’ll basically pay him in two seasons what Jenkins is guaranteed in three. That would help with the cap I would think. Seems like they rarely resign their best players to a second contract.
sdramParticipantI should have bought an insurance company when I had the chance – ya know. Cigna? Who knew. Maybe this new plan is dead in the water – sounds like it might be as written. Four senators are said to be against it because of the loss of Medicaid expansion which affects nearly half of the ACA recipients.
As written and from what I can see, my old buddy Dave who is just getting a bit better after two years of treatment and convalescence from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at 58 years of age will lose his insurance coverage when the subsidies go away. But so what? What has he ever done for insurance CEO’s anyway? He needs to call the insurance ceo’s and ask them to talk to our republican reps that went to Washington to save the insurance companies. That’s all they respond to – money, ceo’s, graft, corruption. His value to others as a human being, friend, dad, husband isn’t as important as any insurance company’s bottom line.
This is a guy I’ve known since we were in diapers. Our parents were friends in high school and both sets married young. Dave worked as a farm hand most of his life after growing up on his grandparents farm but he didn’t inherit it – I doubt he really worried much about health insurance. We were all bullet proof when we were 23 weren’t we? He never finished high school because he was busy planting wheat and feeding cattle and hogs when he was 14. He basically worked his whole life until he got cancer.
The radiation treatments from two years ago have left his stomach and intestines in a shambles and he can barely eat and digest food let alone work. So, he’s at about 100 lbs and still hanging on from a normal weight of 180 lbs. He’s a tough sob and a real cowboy who’s first love are his horses that he had to sell. His wife works as a clerk at a truck stop\fast food restaurant. He told me the work related insurance she could buy for him was more than she took home every month. They’ve never asked for any help from me and would be uncomfortable taking it. When I gave him a couple gallons of home canned tomato juice which he likes and I have an abundance of, he insisted on paying me back by bringing several dozen fresh eggs from his brothers farm chickens.
Anyway, for his sake and a couple of other old friends\acquaintances that we have in their mid to late 50’s who aren’t tapped into some employer based insurance plan, I hope this dies so their insurance stays intact and affordable for them. But, the assholes in power could care less by all accounts. If he has to go to the hospital, they’re obligated to treat them for most issues whether they have insurance or not. So, it will likely revert back to something like 2008 – non covered people who can’t pay will drive up health care costs for anybody else that needs healthcare at a higher rate.
- This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by sdram.
sdramParticipantIT’s amazing – I’d guess that most of them will wither and die but who knows.
I ran across this democrat puff-opinion piece earlier this morning regarding lists – it was compiled last spring before the election was going full swing.
https://soapboxie.com/us-politics/21-TruthsThat-Prove-Republicans-Have-Been-Wrong-About-Everything
sdramParticipantHB ZN – eat drink and be merry
sdramParticipant“Should we survive the Trump administration with democracy still breathing, it will be interesting to see how long the media keeps up its questioning.”
While I’d like to see his ignorant, narcissistic ass ousted to ensure this countries democratic future, I do think that the nation will mostly become tone deaf to his daily bullshit. He and our glorious Republican controlled congress will be free to rip this country off from multiple angles and at will and then he will go away when his term is up.
It is interesting to me too. But you know, I do have hope for this countries future. The younger generation – being 60 I am an oldster now I guess – mostly ignores the media it seems to me. Most of the under 40 crowd I know do not watch the news or much else on the television. A bit of net flix, hulu and some local digital stuff. They can’t or won’t afford the expense of cable or satellite tv. None of them pay much attention to the right or left wing for that matter. None that I’m aware of get a newspaper delivered or subscribe to one online. Most of the kids over 9 or 10 have a phone – my grand kids all have phones. I think because of this that they have a much better bullshit barometer than my 80 year old parents do or most fox news watchers over 40. Anyway, I think and hope that trump is a one and done guy. So, let’s fast forward to 2020 and stop his narcissistic, conman ass.
sdramParticipantThanks for asking. I’m not sure how I feel at this point. I have been constantly trying to sift through all the info and sort of mitigate what’s real, what’s propaganda twisted from reality, what’s true and what’s not true and then where I sit on every issue.
I do feel that perhaps the principle conservative-right message, fueled for decades by Limbaugh and his protégé’s such as Breitbart and including many but not necessarily all of the Fox news team, that the mainstream media’s message is sand has been a false narrative. To me this is one of the main building blocks for where we are politically and what we’ve become. They’ve been spewing this narrative for so long that it seems a majority of US citizens from all political persuasions think this is the absolute truth. This lie helped set up all the others in my mind.
I still believe that most of what the mainstream media reports about and opines on is not a false hood. They’re absolutely not perfect and some of it is hard to sit and listen to but it’s not necessarily false or even misleading. To me, it’s what they think they know to a large degree and sure, they want ratings. That’s their game.
sdramParticipant“I think that might be excessive. It looks like the President has handled the situation, and unless there’s some kind of other evidence of malfeasance, this sounds like something that was internal White House politics and it looks like the President’s handled it,” Paul told the “Kilmeade and Friends” radio show.
Personally, I’m so relieved that it’s not something as serious as emails or pneumonia or a foundation to help aids victims in Africa – ya know.
sdramParticipantRun Donald run! See Donald run!
They let one of their shells fall off the table.
sdramParticipantKind of a cool wind power story.
My wife told me yesterday that the last couple of proposed wind farms for South Dakota were opposed by groups that didn’t like the noise, aesthetics, and harm to birds that might fly into them. Subsequently, they never got off the drawing board. The issues are there aren’t enough optimal transmission systems in the best locations for wind farms so the start up costs are enormous and the payoff takes years to materialize.
From an economic standpoint, I think the Obama administration encouraged them with tax breaks and loans. And so they’ve flourished. Not sure what the Donald might do going forward. Maybe he could ask Putin what he should do about it?
sdramParticipantHey WV – I will continue to write my a-hole reps. They’re both in the bag so I think all they understand is cash money. I need to put myself into a certain mindset to write them. Otherwise it comes out as a huge f y to them from me.
I do agree with this articles premise but that’s based on the current technology.
It’s hard for me to imagine that a Wind-Solar-hydro-nuclear combination will ever completely displace fossil fuel entirely for electrical production. But, I think that’s based on the current energy storage technology among other things. If there would be a significant technological advance in terms of mass electrical storage or toxic emission free electrical production, I think the idea that wind and solar along with the new technology could possibly displace fossil fuels is at least closer to being a viable reality. One of the analysts that work for the SD Public Utilities Commission told me 5 years ago that he could realistically see upwards of 10 to 15 and maybe even 20 percent by a combination of wind and solar with our current technology. Another factor in this issue is that electrical demand continues to increase with population and development of world wide infrastructure.
To me, one over-looked thing is that in our home we use a geothermal heat pump which was expensive to install 10 years ago when we built this palace. But it uses much less energy of a normal home in Central South Dakota. The unit paid for the difference between a normal air based heat pump system after about 5 years by my calculations. It’s not everything I want but it’s something that could really help reduce ff energy consumption. Plus there are other benefits: it’s paying me every day – air conditioning is very little cost in the summer and our summers are extremely warm from June to September. My heat bills run about 30% of my neighbors who use either propane or standard heat pump(all-electric). My home is worth more when I go to resell because of this.
So, what I’m trying to say here is that there are other things to do to help impact this.
sdramParticipantI wrote both of my Republican Senators Thune and Rounds an email note this past few weeks regarding Ms DeVos lack of actual qualifications for this job. They both responded with a bot like auto-email response that they’d take my concerns under advisement. Then, before the vote this morning on the local news I saw that DeVos had “donated” large sums to both them recently. Sheese – wonder how much money I’d have to raise to buy their votes? I know this goes both ways so it’s not a huge surprise. But, she’s not prime time material.
I’m considering what it would take to start a fund me page to buy some votes from these guys. They seem to be open for business these days.
South Dakota public schools have the lowest teacher pay rate in the nation and still manage to produce quite well with among the highest hs grad rates and student achievement rates. Whatever she’s bringing to the table isn’t going to do anything to improve that.
- This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by sdram.
February 3, 2017 at 12:47 pm in reply to: Stern interview Trump ran for presidency for Apprentice $$$ #64729sdramParticipantGollum is Guiliani.
sdramParticipantInteresting article. I recall that HRC referenced it in debate #2 but there have been no formal debate questions about it for a long time. Her words started by outlining Trumps denial position and her position. But, no question was asked.
Headline is Climate Change Treated as Afterthought in Second Presidential Debate
sdramParticipantI do not care about immigration.
I know that the net is 0. I have 0 problems with immigrants. I care about it to the degree that I’d like them to work to settle it so it’s not a divisive issue in the next presidential election. I think there’s a chance they can find common ground to do that.
sdramParticipantFrom the look of that a wall wouldn’t have worked. Should have sited the roadway through better terrain.
Which, of course, was my point. A wall wouldn’t work anyway.
The wall was an expensive, silly idea for the most part(approximately 14 Billion + annual maintenance costs). From what I understand approximately 40% of undocumented aliens had their visa’s expire.
I’m hoping the new set of old bureaucrats can actually accomplish some sort of worthwhile immigration reform package whatever that may be. Since Obamacare was passed, they can’t seem to agree on a single issue so nothing truly gets done.
sdramParticipantMore stuff.
Republican strategist Steve Schmidt said early Wednesday that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton could win more than 400 Electoral College votes on Nov. 8, adding that “the panic is beginning” among Republicans.
“I think she’s trending over 400,” Schmidt said.”
Schmidt also predicted that Democrats will take control of the Senate and are close to taking the House of Representatives.
“If this election was today, I think Republicans are down 25 seats, as of today, with the trend line going in the wrong direction,” he said.
“The panic is beginning.”
A Washington Post/Survey Monkey poll released Tuesday showed the former secretary of State leading in enough states to take 304 electoral votes — well above the 270 needed to win.
Clinton is leading Republican Donald Trump by 7.2 points in the RealClearPolitics average of national polling, 49.1 to 41.9 percent.
As of Wednesday, The New York Times gave Clinton a 92 percent chance of winning the election.
- This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by sdram.
sdramParticipantWhat’s a landslide? Perhaps 10 points general election or close to it? A 7 or 8 point difference is huge I would say. I’m going to guess it’s somewhere about 7 to 8 percentage points and a high number of electoral votes – in the 310 to 330 range.
I think that two daily newspapers have endorsed Trump – they’re from St Joseph Missouri and Santa Barbara CA. There are 40 to 50 daily rags endorsing HRC and several of them are papers who have either never endorsed a Democrat for pres or it’s been many years – See Dallas and Phoenix daily papers.
How many notable Republicans have either unendorsed or never endorsed DJT you might ask?
Here’s a running list of Republicans who are opposing Donald Trump
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/10/politics/donald-trump-republican-opposition/
These endorsements say a lot about what he has to offer to me. These are mostly republicans who have put party first for decades and they have made a sober choice to not support Trump and some to openly state why they’re supporting HRC. These articles/endorsements are from before the ET audio where he said he could do almost anything he wanted because he was a star.
But, no matter about that. He’s right where he wants to be with his 40 to 50 some odd million adoring fans and the new Trump media empire they’re priming to take off. How long will they support him after he loses is the question – weeks, months, or years?
sdramParticipantI think it’s a combination. He’s improved and it’s a good situation for him. I’ve watched him a few times and one of the things I think I noticed is that he seems more composed in the pocket than what I remember.
sdramParticipantShe was walking away from him before Friday. I think the lead was 4 or 5 and she was ahead in all or most of the swing states. Those are states unlike WV or SD. Now, Donald\Pence is stuck in quick sand up to his neck and he’s dragging the GOP down with him. They’re trying to step on his head. It’s kind of nerve wracking and awe inspiring to watch.
sdramParticipantSince I believe that the election is finite, I truly suspect that Trumps latest performance was primarily about priming the pump(his loyal supporters) for the new Trump media empire that’s sure to magically spring up after Hillary wins the election.
Trump has a large batch of humans in his pocket that he’ll continue to exploit until he wears them out. His initial message will be to bag on Clinton and any other non right wingers(both republicans and democrats) for the next 4 years buoyed by these loyal supporters who constantly will need to be led. He can go from KKK meeting to Aryan nation webcast to Trump fund raisers for ever – talking, snorting, lying, lurking about, hurling insults, spouting nonsensical bullshit that Bannon’s team of degenerates feed him. Location, location, location was the mantra of the real estate shyster. Now it’s onto ratings, ratings, ratings. He’ll have Ailes and Breitbart boy at his beck and call.
He could give a shit less about helping anybody or real people in America and families and kids – he cares about money. That’s his honey. He wants it all.
sdramParticipantSounds like a ton of fun. Can you handle that? A Ram win would make it even more fun.
If I ever go and we’re talking about next season perhaps, I’d like to check out somewhere in Koreatown for food after the game.
sdramParticipantSeems to me like Buffalo might win this because they match up well with the Rams. They have a solid Defense and a mobile QB, McCoy and their OL is solid. But what do I know?
To be safe, I posted a quick and easy tactical outline of WWI that I think the Rams hierarchy could utilize for victory in what could be a serious trench warfare type of situation.
https://quizlet.com/3549971/wwi-tactics-and-strategies-flash-cards/
Tunnel Warfare
Also known as Mining Warfare. During Trench Warfare, men dug tunnels underneath enemy positions (such as trenches) and then use explosives to destroy the enemy’s defenses from underneath. First used by Germans in December 1914.
Counter Mining
Both sides tried to find each other’s tunnels by auditory means. Once located, a small explosive would be placed and detonated. The resulting damage would destroy the enemy’s tunnel, but the other party’s tunnel would remain intact.
Hand-to-Hand Fighting
Occured when miners on both sides suddenly tunneled into each other. The result was deadly fighting with makeshift weapons of shovels, picks and other digging utensils.
Battle of Messines (June 7-14, 1917)
Battle on the Western Front in Belgium where most Tunnel Warfare was seen. The detonation of 19 mines out of 22 dug over a year, resulting in extreme disruption of German defences and decisive Allied victory.
General Plumer
British general in the Battle of Messines. The quote refers to the extensive network of mines dug for the battle.
“Gentlemen, we may make history tomorrow, but we will certainly change the geography.”“War at Sea”
Both sides (Germany and Britain primarily) imposed a blockade on each other. Since Germany relied heavily on imported fertilizer for food, Britain halted ships bound for German ports with the goal of internal strife in Germany of both starvation and economic damage.
“Freedom of the Seas”
Allies’ blockade broke international law: A country is able to import non-contraband goods in wartime. The Allies abolished this law for a new one that dissolved the distinguishment. Neutrals were mainly affected, and US vehemently protested, asserting “freedom of the seas,” the right to trade with other neutrals.
Contraband and Non-contraband goods
Contraband goods: munitions, raw materials used to manufacture military equipment
Non-contraband goods: foodstuff, raw cotton, fertilizer, etc.
This distinction was set in the 1909 London Treaty concerning international wartime laws.Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
After naval blockade, Germans employed this strategy in 1915. Vessels in the waters around the Britain Isle will be torpedoed, whether neutral or allied. This led to the sinking of the Lusitania.
Mined waters: Naval mineSelf-contained explosive to destory vessels used to defend coastal areas. Germany and Britain both waged this tactic, mining each other’s waters. Germany was more successful in the beginning.
North Sea Mine Barrage
Tactic employed by the US fleet to inhibit the Unrestricted Submarine Warfare. A mine barrage was set along the North Sea, but completed few days short at end of war.
Schlieffen Plan
Devised by German Army Chief of Staff Alfred von Schlieffen, this strategy was calculated to avoid two-front war and bring swift victory. The plan 90% of army attacks French through neutral Belgium while the rest would be waiting for Russia to mobilize its troops. It was vital for French to be defeated, and she was not, so this plan failed.
Trench Warfare
The development of the machine gun made impossible for foot soldiers to advance on open land. Thus, trenches were dug for shelter, seen predominantly on the western front. The success of protection from artillery bombment and infantry resulted in stalemate.
Barrage
Line of exploding artillery shells; used to hamper enemy’s movement or to attack them. Unique as it is concentrated to one area.
Creeping Barrage
Lifted in small increments to keep pace with the infantry, who could move undercover with the artillery. The precision needed to employ this tactic made this difficult, as wrong timing would result in death. Horrible communication methods made this more difficult.
Propaganda
Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause. Posters were to rally public support, recruit soldiers, and demoralize the enemies.
Poison Gas
Gas such as chlorine, mustard, and tear were used on unsuspecting victims, causing painful deaths. Germans first introduced chlorine gas in the Second Battle of Ypres. Wind was a crucial factor. It became less effective later due to the introduction of gas masks.
Preliminary Bombardment
A means of breaking stalemate of trench warfare. It was considered a critical component of a lalrge-scale infantry attack, but this proved to be wrong. Used mostly in the Western Front, underscored in the Battle of the Somme, it was clearly ineffective. Creeping barrage developed from this technique.
French Nivelle Offensive1917 French attack on the Western Front during the Second Battle of Aisne. The plan was to massive onslaugt of the German lines in 48 hours. It failed disastrously due to info leaks, causing more than 270,000 French casualties compared to the pre-estimated 10,000.
Plan 17French mobilization plan to recapture Alsace-Lorraine; attack Germany, then come back to attack Austria-Hungary. After some initial success, the plan was abandoned due to the German’s Schlieffen Plan.
Plan 19
Russia’s strategy: presuming Germany will focus on France, it proposed to immediately invade East Prussia. Due to dissents, this plan was altered before set to action: two armies would invade while the remaining 17 armies would defend Russia from the Austro-Hungarian Army.
sdramParticipantFun game. Rams players are making a few plays at the right time. Like the intensity and the pass rush. Gaines looked great at first glance in the backfield. TruJo played like the stud CB the Rams think he is. Keenum, Quick\Britt\Austin\Gurley made just enough plays. Offense needs to run block better. Fisher needs to figure out who to trust on replay challenges.
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