mjd1001

We went to see the movie "The Amateur" yesterday, basically a spy/thiller move about a man who works computers and ends up going out to hunt down some people despite not having any experience doing that. I wanted to see how the movie did in terms of its opening weekend gross $, so I did a web search. Now often with Google, apple, microsoft, and others, they give you an "A.I. Summary" to answer your questions before the results. Well, it still has a LONG way to go...attached is a screenshot of the 'summary'.

I found this interesting...China doesn't need US direct trade as much as many people think. Stop 100% of trade between the 2 nations, and China is still "OK as about 80% of their total exports go to the rest of the world, outside of the USA. But all those factories that are supposed to be built in the USA? Where does a lot of the industrial equipment come that will be used in them? China. A trade war with China may hurt the USA more than China. If this continues and the USA doesn't back down, it may be a race between Xi and Trump to see who can 'win over' the rest of the world to be on their side, and shut out each other. The last few weekends, Xi has been talking with other countries...while Trump is playing golf.

I didn't know about the port fees now.... As Reuters reported in late March, Republicans' current plan is to begin charging port fees of as much as $1.5 million on Chinese-built cargo ships at every port of call. They aren't based on the value of the cargo that's offloaded at each port, either, so while a ship that drops all its cargo at the Port of Los Angeles would pay a single port fee, a ship planning to stop at multiple U.S. ports would be charged the same fee at each stop. To avoid stacking port fees, shipping companies will most likely begin avoiding smaller ports, and with less work to do, those ports will begin cutting jobs. Meanwhile, major ports will see massive increases in traffic, leading to long delays as demand overwhelms capacity. Some shipping companies may redirect their ships to Canada or Mexico and rely on trucks to bring their goods into the U.S., too. Full article here: https://www.jalopnik.com/1829700/trump-tariffs-port-fees-potential-impact/

Or people have different tastes. You are not the authority on what is awful for the masses you know. Many others on here are perfectly fine with hit, over an inconsistent, overhyped, too much cheese and toppings laden local pizza.

I have an economics background, but I'm not schooled all that well in tariffs. Maybe someone can explain something to me I have been thinking about a lot...that having a trade deficit while having the world's defacto reserve currency and a national budget debt/deficit can be a good thing. This may be overly simplistic, but here goes: -The USA has a trade deficit with most nations. We give 'dollars' to them for 'stuff'. -Now, those other countries...the businesses there or the individuals there, can't simply convert all of the US$ to their local currency to spend...there isn't enough of the local currency. And unlike the USA (the worlds reserve currency), if those other nations just printed their dollars to absorb the currency conversion, it would create so many of their own dollars that it would cause massive inflation there. -So those dollars, maybe after switching hands a few times among businesses or even other nations, eventually have to make their way back to the USA. The foreign holders of them buy US real estate (A lot of Chinese property owners in Florida recently). They buy US stocks. US bonds (corporate or treasuries). -So in regard to the above, the 'trade deficit' is a matter of semantics. The trade between the nations is really even. We buy their 'stuff', and in a round-about way, in exchange for that stuff they (eventually) get stuff from us, land, houses in the USA, stocks of US companies and bonds.' -If Trumps goal is to reduce the trade deficit, you are just moving stuff around. As mentioned above, there is no real 'deficit', as other countries are getting an equal value of us dollars and investments as they are for the goods we buy. Trump wants to reduce the 'goods we buy from them' part of equation. -But if you reduce the 'good we buy from them' part of the equation, they the other side is reduced also. They 'buy' less real estate from us (taking away a large form of support for the housing market). They 'buy' less bonds from us (taking away a source of demand for bonds that keeps interest rates low). The 'buy' less US companies and stocks (taking away a support of our financial markets) -By reducing the trade deficit, you are reducing a 'problem' that not only have we learned to deal with, that we have set up our economy around so it benefits us in other ways.....but you are reducing a 'problem' that will possibly cause other problems that we are NOT able to deal with right away (reduced foreign investment in our real estate and financial markets) I guess, our 'deficit' with them is not really a deficit. We get something, they get something. By trying to reduce the deficit, all we are doing is moving things around and end up with the same value, but possibly new problems that we aren't used to dealing with. When the system is set up, and massive changes are made to the system, it causes friction. That friction slows things down temporarily until the everyone can re-adjust to the system. But in the end, the total value of things doesn't really change all that much, minus the friction you created.

I have lived most of my life in WNY, and have had a lot of bad, greasy, bland sauce tasting, toppings sliding off, from local pizza sports. I have had Pizza over my life from dozens and dozens of local places, from Depew, Cheektowaga, Williamsville, Lancaster, the city of Buffalo, Tonawandas, Lewiston, Niagara Falls and East Aurora. Some good, some not so good. When I get a pizza from Dominos it is the same each and every time, consistent....and while its not loaded with toppings, it is better than all of the 'bad' pizza's I have had from local spots.

I don't mind it at all. do they put less toppings and cheese on it than many local spots? Sure, but to me it tastes fine.

Neuroscientist wants the NFL to investigate Josh Allen’s apparent head injury, despite the QB passing a concussion check https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/08/sport/josh-allen-buffalo-bills-chris-nowinski-spt-intl/index.html

Something needs to be done for what? I'm not happy with the last 2 games for sure, but once they went with trading Diggs, making other cuts/roster moves, I accepted this year as a 'cap reset yet'. My realization, my expectation, is that this year is going to be a little bit tough--do the best you can--and things get better next year. I don't want them trading major assets, I don't want them taking another step back right now in terms of 'future cap', to a short term fix. Don't get me wrong, I do not want them to lose, I do not want them to do nothing at all, but improve the team the best you can without doing anything major that is 'outside the plan' for this year.

He's not as bad as I thought/feared. I don't think he's great, nor do I think he's awful. Rather listen to him broadcast a game than play in one.

I have felt the same way about Mahomes and Allen, and although things seem a BIT different this year, I'm still feeling the same: -Overall, especially in 'must win' or 'must score' situations, they are both great, but Mahomes is a bit better. But again, in 'most' situations, Mahomes has the slight edge still. -"Peak" Mahomes, vs "Peak" Allen, both playing at their absolute best, Allen is better. Allen at his absolute peak makes his offense unstoppable no matter what you do.

When someone says that, I always think of Rocking in the Free World by Neil Young, or of course Born in the USA by Springsteen. Both songs are almost 'prostest-level' songs about what is wrong in the country, yet because the chorus is memorable they are often used as uplifting songs, especially at political events or at sporting events between nations.

I usually do and I kinda do like watching it alone. 3 out of 4 games I watch alone. The times that I don't, I prefer if its with someone like me, someone who will watch the game, talk about a good play vs a bad play, notice things. Watching games with anyone who just screams and yells, swears at anything bad and high five about anything good, or who demands players be benched or coaches be fired.....those are the people that I absolutely do NOT want to be near during a game.

Not really any one team. Basically, the team that the media is hitting us over the head with. When I hear about the current 'hot team' that the commentators can't stop talking about, are they the 'greatest ever'....stuff like that. I don't really hate teams and root against them for who they are, nor players. Its basically just whoever is 'over-hyped'

True, I would be. Financially I think I'll be fine no matter what. Its just disappointing. Its like, having to choose between 2 really bad choices...when at least one party (Republicans) potentially have policy on their side that I actually like, just give us (yeah, there are a lot of us that feel this way) a decent candidate from your side to vote for. We don't need someone special....the Republicans (historically, I don't want increased tariffs) have policy on the side I want. I'll vote that way with just a decent candidate. It shouldn't be too hard.