And it’s an open secret that doctors get kickbacks from the tests they order whether you need em or not. $800 out of pocket from an MRI that showed nothing? The dr gets a kickback on that cost. Harder to take them seriously if they’re ordering useless expensive tests to line their pockets

Totally. I’m a big reader I enjoyed reading the HP books when they came out, but wasn’t obsessed. They were good for passing the time, stuck at an airport, sitting on the beach fluffy reads. I wasn’t reading them as literature, just something to relax and procrastinate. The character names often gave them away if you had any knowledge of Latin. OMG, Lupin is a werewolf and Serius Black is a dogman?!? What a shock /s

I started reading them to my kids (who liked the movies) and yikes were they bad. Larger characters have their girth pointed out at evey possible opportunity. I think everything the Dursley men did it needed to be mentioned that they did it while fat. Like 6 times in 2 pages. And her mysteries are even worse.

Seconded! Larry David’s satire was pure brilliance. Fawning over 47 is an insult to the 6 million

And you? What are you doing to resist? Shit on those who are trying?

Or they look like 70s or 80s movies of inner cities.

What they’re saying is that the president isn’t the only election and progressives and those further left rarely running for other offices is the problem. You don’t just wake up one morning and decide to primary the top party choice with little to no experience and win. You build up, Bernie didn’t just run for the nomination, he had a long record of successfully winning races in VT and was a known figure.

There are primaries and elections for school board, mayors elections, governor, state offices, state house and senate, congress, etc. This is where you build a movement, not president. The fact the the US Greens only trot out a presidential candidate every 4 years is how you know they’re a spoiler and not a serious party. If they were we’d have greens running for all those other elections all the time, but they don’t. We need a river of actual leftist politicians and we have like a handful of drops in a bucket.

Well, part of it is that almost every time I’ve said “The States” when asked that question in Europe they look at me like ‘no shit Sherlock I’m not an idiot’ and then ask where in the States. So it may be an efficiency thing for some. I still try to lead with the States as my answer.

I did. It seemed you were saying that the Earth day 1970 protest didn’t do much to help the Earth. That isn’t so.

The US EPA was created in July of that year and the Clean Water Act passed in 1972. Banning DDT for Ag in the US in 1972 brought birds of prey lile the Bald Eagle back from near extenction. They were supremely successful at getting legislation passed. The focus was toxic chemicals and pollutants, not climate change as that wasn’t really on the radar then. So yes, the climate is in shambles right now, but it wasn’t really part of their platform. They mostly got what they wanted from that march and activism then the urgency faded away.

That 3.5% number is of sustained engagement, not one and done. A single event with lots of people is the beginning of a movement. The work needs to keep going. But, the 1970s did see a lot of environmental progress.

Yes! All the people saying “not enough” or “it needs to be a certain way” need to STFU. The US does not have a protest culture, we’re building one right now. Protests are growing in size and frequency and people are boycotting businesses and it is hurting the companies being boycotted. Target is reporting fewer people coming into their stores and sales are down. Tesla is self reporting 13% decline in sales and the stock is losing value. Things are working and we’re building up our resistance. We need to keep it up.

Those who are critical of the efforts, put up a better idea (that people will realistically do) and show the receipts. Otherwise you might as well be a fascist cause you’re helping their side.

This isn’t but I saw a “tariffs are a tax at the gas pump. paid for by the Govt of Canada” billboard in the wild this week. It made me smile.

Yeah, he comes from a nazi family. He knew exactly what he was doing. No need to give him the benefit of the doubt

Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy was another.

I disagree on that. Part of our problem is that those in government don’t really understand governance and the sustem is complex. That takes time and mentorship, a jury duty like system might make bribing harder, but it would make a functional government next to impossible. Age limits, I’m all for that - give em until they’re 70 (or something close) then no more government offices - congress, senate, pres, judgeships, etc. That and have fully publicly-funded elections with limited campaigning windows. No more 2-year presidential runs or congresspeople needing to fundraise and run for their entire term.

One single woman in charge is not a matriarchy.

Yep. As Bob Dylan eloquently said “don’t have nothing at all except hatred”

If him being an asshole is new news to you then you weren’t paying attention.

Jews are very divided on Israel in general and heartbreakingly on whether or not it’s cool to genocide. Chuck is in the genocide is cool as long as it’s not against Jewish people camp, many of us stand firm on our no genocide no matter what. He’s also a senator so represents all living in NY state, so short answer is no.

Welcome to America. That is the reality most people are under.

That is not the right conclusion. We don’t have a protest culture or union membership to call for or protect protesters, or a centralized population and obvious protest spot. I was talking to an Argentine friend of mine about how it works in Argentina - a handful of big unions who unite and call strikes/protests including the bus drivers who bring moat people to and from work, a centralized population, and an international airport with 1 main highway that can be blocked. Not that all those things are needed to protest effectively, but America has none of that. Hell, we don’t even have healthcare if we’re not employed. We’re kinda starting from scratch.