SoCal Deek

Oh I realize you were serious Doc. The question is who militarizes first? The citizenry or the government.

Frank….You and I are simply saying the quiet part out loud. As I say on here ALL THE TIME, most things in life really aren’t that complicated.

In general I agree. Where I offer a slightly different take is that I let people make their own choices….but for that take I believe those people trade away the right to complain when it doesn’t work out. Complaining about the outcome after the game has been played isn’t a good look for anyone. (Not even Bills fans.)

Thanks Frank. I give you permission to go get that new car. 😂 In all seriousness it never ceases to amaze me how people think there’s a magic fast lane to success. Think about it….We readily accept and glorify the NBA star who were told is the first one in the gym and the last one to leave, shorting hundreds of free throws every day. (When he wins the championship he almost thanks his mom!) But when it comes to academics we chalk it up to the kid being ‘gifted’ as if little to no work or dedication is required.

The Social Compact: I was going to start a thread on this topic but I’ll bring it up here. It seems to me we’ve lost sight of the Social Compact that civilized societies struck many many years ago. Here in the US we had the days of the Wild West in which people protected their lives and homes and property on their own. Law enforcement was virtually non existent. As a society we decided to trade away that system for a system of taxation in which we now pay others (police) to protect and serve us. In parts of Europe that social compact has gone so far as to completely disarm the citizens. The result is that the entirety of personal protection has been ceded to the State. Now we appear to be in a precarious tipping point in which criminals no longer fear that enforcement, and/or when some demand that the enforcement mechanism stand down in lieu of enforcing it. What happens next?

My wife has worked at a Middle School in the public school system in Southern California for decades. Her school and her school district looks like the United Nations when it comes to racial diversity. Most of the posters on here cannot even fathom a society with such diversity. Every year, the same ethnicity of students rise to the top in grades, and dominate the spelling bee. It isn’t a coincidence. There are virtually no exceptions. She will tell you that the parents of these students value and reinforce the need for a good education to get ahead. It’s cultural. It takes hard work and dedication day after day after day. I have no idea why anyone thinks there’s some magic bullet.

We’ll put you down as a ‘no’ then. 😉

Looking back, my overall assessment would be much worse if I hadn’t actually attended the last two. Being at the Super Bowl was an outright blast! It was much easier to take the loss being in the stadium and the fans around us (from both teams) were great.

Here’s my one sentence assessment of Tyrod: Unless our receiver was standing all alone with nobody within five yards of him, Tyrod simply refused to throw him the darn ball. He absolutely infuriated me! Although I’m guessing some of it was coaching.

No worries

CBU?

THREE cars! Your grandparents didn’t have three cars. (Kidding) 😉

Took me ten months to take delivery but I’ve had it for almost a year now. Zero maintenance. Just go into a dealer and sit in one.

300 mile range and the most fun to drive of any car I’ve ever owned

No worries. Seriously though, just go in and test drive one of these things. You’ll be shocked.

I’ve had solar on my house for twenty years! I’m a Sustainability Certified Professional. What you got now?

Yes….I’ll race. The electric has simply amazing speed off the line. Seriously, this thing is an incredible piece of machinery. 👍

Is that a thing?

It’s a BMWi4…. and it’s freaking awesome!

We generally agree Frank, and we do here, but your observation means nothing to young people trying to start a family today. They couldn’t care less how well your or my grandparents had it.

Classic! You'll eat generic cheese and be happy about it dammit! The Republicans need do nothing more than show these responses. Where’s Irv when we need him? What a mess.

Geeez Frank! You're not supposed to be in Europe until October when we take over London and Tottenham stadium! 😂 As regards your commentary, I don’t doubt that they’re testing the messaging water early to see what sticks. Being pretty well healed myself I don’t doubt that there were tons of Americans in Europe. I suspect that’s because has nobody has gone anywhere in three years. And I know that you and I are in the bubble minority. Most Americans…the vast, vast majority…aren’t going to Europe, and that’s even with the Bills in London. 😉

The Democrats are not getting a ‘huge boost’ from things staying the way they are. Every poll tells you that. They desperately need things to get better for average Americans. I have no idea why they’re trying to get out ahead of it with a PR campaign on Bidenomics. That isn’t going to work. They either need to enact policies that cure the disease, or hope the rash cures itself over time.

As I’ve said, if you think this has anything to do with the right of out of shape white dudes to walk around naked you are kidding yourself!

That’s sort of true Frank but it’s even more true that it’s the Democrats greatest fear that the economy will keep doing what it’s been doing; which is pretty much going nowhere. All you need to do is look at the polls and you’ll see that the vast majority of Americans aren’t happy with the current stagnation. I’d put it to you that it’s the Democrats who are more desperate for something to change. I’m not sure that any of the so-called ‘experts’ have the slightest clue.