DallasPozzible

15 hours ago, hntnhole said:

I'd love to see it go away

As would I. I don’t think there’s a ghost of a chance of that. I can’t envision ANY constitutional amendment on any topic that could be ratified today. 

The only hope for EC reform is the National Popular Vote compact. Many states have already signed it. States signing it agree that when enough states sign it to comprise a majority of EVs, that all states in the compact would cast their EVs for the winner of the national popular vote regardless of who won their individual states. An end run around the EC. I’ve heard some politicians speak very optimistically about it.

i have my doubts though. The first time the states in the compact cast their votes in a way that contra the traditional EC votes would go, the Supreme Court would likely get involved. And not in a good way. 

2 hours ago, hntnhole said:

The whole point of Democracy is, each of us gets to 'voice' our beliefs by voting, and all those ballots are counted equally.

But under electoral college, our votes don’t count equally at all.  If they did, Democrats would have won every presidential election in the last 30 years except for ‘04. 

Seems to me the structure of the US political system is failing us. To start with, the ElectoralCollege is horribly undemocratic and has outlived its usefulness for its original intent. Unfortunately, with the deep divide between the two parties we’re going to be unable to get rid of it - or indeed make any other constitutional changes - for the foreseeable future. Second, I'd much prefer a parliamentary system of government which would make feasible numerous parties that could more accurately represent diverse opinions on major issues. Parties could make coalitions with different parties on different issues - like pretty much every other democratic country does. I just don’t see any possible way to get there from the morass we find ourselves in. 

1 hour ago, BootmanLA said:

a slightly Republican state like Ohio being districted 12-4 for Republicans (and thus for electoral votes)

Gerrymandering is awful, but I don’t understand how that impacts electoral votes since they are awarded based on popular vote in the entire state. The exceptions are Maine and Nebraska which allocate one EV to popular vote winner in each congressional district.

In impeachment trial of 2021, vote was 57-43. Seven Republicans voted guilty. 

Also, the guns.

[think before following links] [think before following links] https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-03-09/united-states-mexico-border-immigration-crisis-gun-control

17 hours ago, hntnhole said:

Post-SOTU address last night, I doubt anyone that want's to be taken seriously can let the phrase "sleepy Joe" escape their mouths/fingers anymore.  

I’m afraid you vastly underestimate MAGA ability to believe their own propaganda. 

5 hours ago, BootmanLA said:

(I wouldn't put it past some of the people running to replace McConnell as majority leader to just refuse to hold confirmation hearings on ANY judges or justices.)

Almost certainly true. They may well refuse to consider Biden appointments of any position requiring Senate confirmation. 

I just read part one. Hot story! Looks like there is more. Thanks!

I do have one question. Does anyone with any experience actually use Vaseline as lube? I can’t imagine anything worse. For me nowadays, it’s all silicone all the time. 

PrEP has been a godsend for me. From ‘85 until I started PrEP (about 2016?), I was a condom nazi. But I remember many times catching guys pulling off the condom or saying “the condom broke.” I’ve had no side effects from either Truvada or Descovey. I did get one dose of chlamydia. However, my doc has added DoxyPEP to my regimen (doxycycline to take after sex) which greatly reduces risk of getting an STI. I HIGHLY recommend getting on both PrEP and PEP.

5 minutes ago, BootmanLA said:

And before anyone jumps in and bleats "Buh that's the parents' responsibility, famuhleeeeeeeeeeeeeee values!"

My parents were both teachers and at least somewhat progressive, but they never talked to me about sex. At some point - maybe I was about 13 - my mom had me putting away groceries when she got home from the store. In one of the sacks there was a little booklet called “What Your Teenager Needs to Know About Sex.” And that’s the only sex education I ever got. I’m not sure it harmed me, but I certainly would have been better off if my parents had been more comfortable talking about sex. And back in the 60s, we had no sex ed or even health classes. I can’t imagine what it must be like for girls not to have some form of sex ed before getting their first period. 

2 hours ago, topblkmale said:

 

Black unemployment rate for the past twenty years.

 

Well, I think that illustrates my point. Black unemployment climbed significantly during 2008 recession, then steadily declined starting early in Obama years and through the next 10 years. Then it spiked suddenly in 2020 during last year of Trump presidency (likely due to Covid). During first two years of Biden admin, black unemployment again quickly declined. 

So my question is, how does this history indicate effectiveness of any Trump policy in improving black employment rates.

8 hours ago, topblkmale said:

Black unemployment was record lowest under Trump.

5.3%

Biden just tied it last month after 3 years.

 

I have no expertise in this area, but I’m interested in why that might be. What policies did Trump implement to help in this regard?

I looked at stats on Statista (wish I could embed graph here). [think before following links] https://www.statista.com/statistics/194151/unemployment-rate-of-african-americans-in-the-us-since-1990/
 

So it looks like black unemployment rates dramatically fell starting early in Obama admin. Rates steadily improved starting in 2010 (after 2008 financial crisis settled down) and continued until 2020 when rates bumped back up - I suspect due to Covid. (Trump was still president.) Rates then took a turn back down and now are lower than at anytime during Trump presidency. Looks to me like the changes in the last 14 years are likely due to Obama policies and improvements just glitched during Covid. Maybe someone more enlightened can give fuller explanation. 

In my area, 30 days of generic Truvada can be found for $27 using GoodRx coupons. You’d still need a doc to prescribe it and do periodic testing. And it would show in pharmacy records. If you’re wanting to minimize risks, you probably want to also get on doxy-PEP to reduce risks of other STIs.

I had chronic Hep B in early 90s. After about 9 months, I switched docs and he put me on Interferon (which I believe was experimental at that time). I gave myself an injection once a day for about three months and disease cleared. I also have antibodies for Hep A and B though I was never aware of active disease. 

Wow! Incredible storytelling. Thanks so much!

I’ve taken my Ambien, my better judgment is down for the count, sand I’ll play….

@partying.hard

@versmetropig

@BBArchangel

@earlystart

A pleasant way to drift into slumberland. 

I think I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to appreciate Barbie. I’ll give it a second watch. Just saw it and it’s great. Emma Stone is brilliant. Mark Ruffalo is hilarious!

What movies have you loved this year? For me, Oppenheimer is head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Loved Saltburn - and not just for the kinky parts. Appreciated Killers of the Flower Moon - it’s Scorsese after all.  Movies I’m still waiting to see: American Fiction, All of us Strangers, The Color Purple, The Holdovers, and Poor Things.

6 hours ago, TaKinGDeePanal said:

Abbott refused to intervene when Ken Paxton (Republican; TX Attorney General) was impeached. I thought I (somehow) remember that they also disagreed over COVID measures, i.e., a second shutdown and sanctions relating to violation of regulations.

As governor, Abbott had no power to intervene in impeachment proceedings, but I doubt it’s anything that Trump even remembers. It’s true that Abbott didn’t go crazy with mandatory COVID reopening as soon as Trump would have liked. Probably Abbott is too smart for Trump to choose him anyway. He’d be worried about Abbott overshadowing him. And I doubt that Trump wants a wheelchair-bound VP. He’d upstage trump and would probably preclude some insults trump would like to throw around. 

48 minutes ago, TaKinGDeePanal said:

Haley knows how evil he is, so I doubt that she would want to be on the ticket.

She’s smart enough to know how evil he is. But she knew how evil he was before becoming his U.N. ambassador. She’s a smooth-talking opportunist. Unlikely that Trump would choose her though since she’s run against him in primaries. 

48 minutes ago, TaKinGDeePanal said:

Abbott has gone against Trump enough times for him not to be a contender.

As far as I know, Abbott hasn’t publicly taken on Trump on any significant policy issue. I believe tension between them is due to Abbott’s declining to appear at Trump rallies. But he has endorsed Trump, so he’s a more likely choice than Haley.  And if Trump were to choose him, Abbott would be perfectly acceptable to MAGA.  More likely possibility is that Abbott will be MAGA choice for ‘28.

1 hour ago, TaKinGDeePanal said:

Colorado disqualifies him from the ballot

Supreme Court will ultimately make this decision and extremely unlikely it will disqualify Trump.

2 hours ago, HoneyBuns1980 said:

I still think Carlson is someone to watch for if Trump decides to go scorched earth with an all-male ticket. Either him or Abbott. 

Greg Abbott is a plausible, terrifying possibility. 

On 12/13/2023 at 5:27 PM, harrysmith26 said:

It's unusual for a leftie to think the person who got the most "votes" must be right...

Of course we do like people who get more votes. Accordingly, we should have had presidents Gore and Hillary in addition to Obama and Biden. 

12 hours ago, viking8x6 said:

I'm pretty certain "thAt" is just a typo.

Ah, thanks.  Noticed it a bunch of times. Usually “thAt” -  but also “hArd” and “strAngers”. So I thought there might have been some coded meaning. Since it wasn’t chem fiction though, nothing made sense.