11.30.2025

Music

On one of my favorites.

Notes on “It Makes No Difference,” the emotional ballast of The Last Waltz

 

 

Trump and the Future

How will history remember the Trump years?  

The Mar-a-Lago Party That Future Historians Will Never Forget

I'd expect it to be more like this 

High corruption in Argentina

How much corruption will be found? How many will be prosecuted? go to jail? Pardoned on Trumps way out the door? 

Will the weak spots in our three legged government be fixed so this can't happen again?

11.23.2025

Trump - Economy

In other words, "Donald, you better tell your minions to start making-up and pumping-out some good economic numbers" 

 


 

Trump - Gaza

Nice truce you got there.

Israel has violated Gaza truce nearly 500 times in 44 days, killed hundreds 

Netanyahu stresses Israel 'responsible for its own security' in Gaza amid ceasefire crisis
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the cabinet to discuss the ongoing military actions in Lebanon and in Gaza. He denied that Israel needed any approval but its own for defense. 

Like everything Trump does. He sells the sizzle but then ignores the steak. 

 

Also, How many times has Israel violated the Gaza ceasefire? Here are the numbers

One graphic..


 

11.22.2025

Trump-Ukraine

Trump-Putin-Zelensky 

Maybe Putin does have that picture

Trump - Mamdani

Trump is so easily swayed by flattery, money, gifts, good looks, a good story, etc.  I imagine the back-office maneuvering of his staff is dangerous as hell. The tell-all books over the next few years will be best sellers.

'I'll be cheering for him': Takeaways from Trump and Mamdani's surprisingly cordial meeting 

11.18.2025

Trump

Every one of these Trump signing pictures showing off his signature



needs to have the signature page replaced with this.

 


 

11.17.2025

Car Insurance

Why car insurance costs have soared (and what drivers are doing about it)

This looks like a good place for my car repair story.

One morning every light on the dash was on on my 2016 Honda CRV. When I opened the hood a squirrel jumped out. We live in the country and this had happened before on other cars. I figured a wire was chewed up so started looking. I found several chewed spots and eventually found one connector under the engine that had the wires chewed out of the back. I was pretty sure this was the problem.

I think I could have fixed it. It was easy to reach but 1. I couldn't find the connector at any parts store. 2. With all the dash lights on, I thought there could be a computer problem or at least a diagnostic tool would be needed and 3. I wasn't sure this was the only bad spot in the wiring. So off to the Honda Dealer.

After a day or two they called me. Yep the chewed spot I found was the problem but Honda doesn't sell just the plug, that's the main computer line with all the safety stuff, anti-lock brakes, radar cruise, etc, you have to buy the entire harness.

Estimate to replace? $8,800 !!

Cost of the harness? $4,400 !! 

The harness was about 10 feet long, maybe. It had a lot of wires in it but couldn't have had more than 150 feet of light copper wire (18-20g) and maybe 10 or 12 connectors.  150 foot spool of 18g wire is about 65$ at the box stores, 20g would be cheaper. Each connector costs a few dollars and there is labor to put it all together, I could believe 500$ but $4,400 is corporate robbery. 

In the old days, whenever that was, they would have got the connector from a junkyard, spliced the wires and I'd have been back on the road for a couple hundred bucks.

But today... Corporate doesn't want greasy mechanics splicing wires in safety systems that could get someone killed. The dealer can't go around a Honda recommendation or they would be liable. After the car VIN hit the Honda repair system, I was afraid to fix it myself. I didn't want to be liable. and... my insurance would pay for it.

So, $8,800 it was. Insurance paid all but my deductible. 

Insurance, for most things today, just leads to a crazy inflation circle. Anyone getting paid by insurance jacks-up the bill as much as possible because they know the money is there. The consumer doesn't really care, insurance is paying for it. Which leads to higher policy rates for consumers which lead to pissed off consumers who then try to get all they can anytime they have an insurance claim. Prices just spiral out of control.

Next time, I fixing it myself. 

Fuck American Crapitalism. 

 

 

 

  

  

 

11.09.2025

Free Speech

The right-wing approach to free speech is let you say whatever you want but listen-in and bust your ass over it when the time comes.  

Always Watching: How ICE’s Plan To Monitor Social Media 24/7 Threatens Privacy and Civic Participation