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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Political Discussion Thread

JNA said:
www.al.com

Trump thinks he coined a new nickname for Huntsville. It’s been around since the 1950’s

Huntsville will "forever to be known, from this point forward, as Rocket City," Trump said.
www.al.com www.al.com
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You can't go a block without hitting something called "Rocket __________" there. The minor league sports teams have almost always been called the Rockets or like the current one, Rocket City Trash Pandas.

From talking to some of the planners and people I know that live there, the new command center is generally seen as a mixed bag. They like the idea of it, but the city and region has been in a 20 year boom with housing and growth exploding. Its now the biggest city in the state and keeps expanding.
 
Wannaplan? said:
Yes, I purchased all our supplies for making protest signs online last week from Amazon and used Grok to generate some of the wildest slogans that we then emblazoned on our picket signs.
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Excited Well Done GIF
 
WSU MUP Student said:
The Drive-By Truckers have been singing about Huntsville puttin' people on the moon for years!

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They would know. They all grew up there or near Muscle Shoals.

This was such a good album, but this song has always driven me crazy. The social commentary is fine, but between the early part of the song when Hood is singing in different time to band and his later "falsetto" in the chorus I wonder how it made it on the album. I guess he's never been afraid to experiment.
 
bureaucrat#3 said:
This was such a good album, but this song has always driven me crazy. The social commentary is fine, but between the early part of the song when Hood is singing in different time to band and his later "falsetto" in the chorus I wonder how it made it on the album. I guess he's never been afraid to experiment.
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This is actually my favorite song on the album and I love the way the song gets sort of distorted and into a different time signature and Hood's use of falsetto in the chorus.

DBT's run from Southern Rock Opera in 2001 to Brighter Than Creation's Dark in '08 is one of my favorite runs of albums of the past 25ish years. There are some dud songs in that run (I never liked Shonna Tucker's singing and although Jason Isbell is a phenomenal guitarist and a great songwriter in his own right, I never really liked the songs he wrote for the DBT albums) but they're few and far between. The albums are all so solid. I think my biggest complaint with The Dirty South is how every. other. song. is a Jason Isbell song and it keeps taking me out of the mood of the album and the Mike Cooley/Patterson Hood songs. It's hard to get a good flow going! I do actually like a couple of the Isbell songs on there ("The Day John Henry Died" and "Godd@mn Lonely Love") but sometimes I think I'd like them better if they chunked some of those Isbell songs together, if that makes any sense. In the end though, I love Drive-By Truckers; we even have a couple framed concert tour posters autographed by the band and hung up in the hallway leading to our den.

Speaking of Isbell... I remember the first time I saw him with the band (back in '03 or '04? at a laundromat in Wilmington, NC) and just being blown away by his guitar playing - I don't really know much about the mechanics of playing guitar but it was sort of obvious to me that he was light years ahead of the rest of the band in terms of technical skill.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
This is actually my favorite song on the album and I love the way the song gets sort of distorted and into a different time signature and Hood's use of falsetto in the chorus.

DBT's run from Southern Rock Opera in 2001 to Brighter Than Creation's Dark in '08 is one of my favorite runs of albums of the past 25ish years. There are some dud songs in that run (I never liked Shonna Tucker's singing and although Jason Isbell is a phenomenal guitarist and a great songwriter in his own right, I never really liked the songs he wrote for the DBT albums) but they're few and far between. The albums are all so solid. I think my biggest complaint with The Dirty South is how every. other. song. is a Jason Isbell song and it keeps taking me out of the mood of the album and the Mike Cooley/Patterson Hood songs. It's hard to get a good flow going! I do actually like a couple of the Isbell songs on there ("The Day John Henry Died" and "Godd@mn Lonely Love") but sometimes I think I'd like them better if they chunked some of those Isbell songs together, if that makes any sense. In the end though, I love Drive-By Truckers; we even have a couple framed concert tour posters autographed by the band and hung up in the hallway leading to our den.

Speaking of Isbell... I remember the first time I saw him with the band (back in '03 or '04? at a laundromat in Wilmington, NC) and just being blown away by his guitar playing - I don't really know much about the mechanics of playing guitar but it was sort of obvious to me that he was light years ahead of the rest of the band in terms of technical skill.
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I saw them once pre-Isbell and a couple of times post-Isbell and preferred them with him, but I can see how his songs change the mood. I loved his lyrics and his playing is insane. I try to catch him whenever he comes nearby, but my favorite Trucker songs were always when Cooley took the lead. For a long time I though Hood was more of a ringmaster than anything else and he annoyed me. Over the years he's grown on me and his songs are always fun (18 Wheels of Love), interesting and he wasn't ever afraid of taboo (Deeper In).
 
Isbell is a personal favorite--I went to the Austin City Limits taping with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. On my list of favorite concerts for sure. I love his songwriting. But I agree the DBT format of switching and album order could feel a bit jarring. But they aren't unique in that--a lot of bands around that time had albums like that with digital music in its fledgling stage and producers/labels struggling to adapt.
 
These headlines -

www.yahoo.com

Inside the Climate Report That Critics Call “A Mockery of Science”

Experts say the government’s controversial analysis downplays the real risks of greenhouse gases.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

www.yahoo.com

Scientists Say Trump Admin’s Climate Report Is Riddled With Errors

More than 80 experts have denounced it as a "mockery" and a "travesty."
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

www.nbcnews.com

Over 85 scientists say Energy Dept. climate report lacks merit

They say it “fails to adequately represent the current scientific understanding of climate change.”
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com
 
Speaker Mike Johnson had to walk back his absurd claim that Trump was an Epstein informant for the FBI while talking to reporters on Monday.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
 
Planit said:
Speaker Mike Johnson had to walk back his absurd claim that Trump was an Epstein informant for the FBI while talking to reporters on Monday.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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What they say, what they do, what’s true, and what’s legal are 8 different things.
 
What would happen if the Federal Government decided, because regulations are bad and the free market is best, that hospitals didn't have to follow EMTALA and could only serve patients that they want to see. What if they chose to not see patients who believe that they know better than science and required that all patients they see are vaccinated, etc.

What Florida is doing is going to make our country a lot sicker. The Florida Surgeon General should be removed. His responses to questions about the impacts of these actions is atrocious. Parents have rights, but then so should hospitals (which are considered people I'm sure somewhere in the law) and should also have a choice.

The main issue is that hospitals and the people in them, want to help people and they would never turn away people that have believed something stupid for their whole lives. They would try and save them, even if they caused it themselves by not getting their kids vaccinated.

Ugh, what a world we are in.
 
michaelskis said:
Back to Politics...

This is not sitting well with the people of Memphis:
www.actionnews5.com

Sen. Blackburn backs Trump’s pitch to bring National Guard to Bluff City

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn is voicing her support for bringing the National Guard to Memphis.
www.actionnews5.com www.actionnews5.com

But then there is this which does not help either...
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She's a horrible person and will make a horrible governor.
 
I'm continually amazed by the states inviting in Federal intervention. In Texas, within my lifetime such an approach in this historically ferociously independent state absolutely would've gotten a Governor removed from office. Now Governor Hot Wheels is the #1 bootlicker.
 
So let me get this straight - MAGA Economic Policy

We placed tariffs on products from businesses in other countries
We said 'if you invest here, we'll reduce those tariffs' because we want to bring manufacturing & jobs here
South Korea said 'Okay we'll have Hyundai build a battery & car plant in Savannah' for $350 billion & lots of new jobs
We reduce South Korean tariff from 25% to 15%
South Korean president comes to say 'thank you'
ICE riads aforementioned plant under construction & arrests 300 South Korean nationals + others
Congressional candidate from that district Tori Branum brags she told ICE about illegal workers thinking it will boost her campaign & is proud of it

This is one hell of a foreign & economic policy, This is literally economic suicide.
 
We are headed for stagflation. Incredible.

Insanity. It's not sane or rational. I remember when Republicans advocated free trade. It's literal insanity.
 
Planit said:
So let me get this straight - MAGA Economic Policy

[snip]

This is one hell of a foreign & economic policy, This is literally economic suicide.
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See, for example, Argentina under Juan Peron.

We are well and truly f*cked if the SCOTUS doesn't stop this deferential treatment.
 
The story about the Ukraine immigrant who was killed on the light rail in Charlotte by someone who was arrested 14 times before is getting a lot of political traction. The NC governor is calling for more police offices. However I don't think that is the issue. The officers have done their job 14 times. There is an argument that the system is broken if he was still out on the street, but I don't know the details of that arrest to know if he would still be behind bars.

One narrative that I have not heard enough though is how to actually prevent these types of things from happening in the first place. Between this and the Catholic School shooting a few weeks ago, it further exemplifies that we need real mental health care in the US.

Will it completely stop crimes like this, probably not. But I do think that it would greatly help.
 
michaelskis said:
The story about the Ukraine immigrant who was killed on the light rail in Charlotte by someone who was arrested 14 times before is getting a lot of political traction. The NC governor is calling for more police offices. However I don't think that is the issue. The officers have done their job 14 times. There is an argument that the system is broken if he was still out on the street, but I don't know the details of that arrest to know if he would still be behind bars.

One narrative that I have not heard enough though is how to actually prevent these types of things from happening in the first place. Between this and the Catholic School shooting a few weeks ago, it further exemplifies that we need real mental health care in the US.

Will it completely stop crimes like this, probably not. But I do think that it would greatly help.
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milkbath GIF by Minority Report

We can only do so much and humanity is predictably unpredictable at certain scales.
 
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Focusing on mental health when a mass shooting occurs seems to be a popular right wing deflection right now. Every country on earth has roughly the same percentage of their population that is mentally ill. It often registers slightly higher in developed countries because they're better at identifying and documenting it, but it's more or less the same in Canada as it is in Cambodia. What IS different in this country from anywhere else is the sheer volume and ease of accessibility to firearms. THAT'S why the number of mass shootings is orders of magnitude higher here than anywhere on earth outside of a war zone. Sure, improving mental health is better than 'hopes and prayers', and it might even decrease the number of firearms fatalities in this country a percentage point or two. Yes we absolutely should be doing everything in our power to improve that, but let's not pretend it's addressing the real issue here. If we were serious about solving this, we'd be making firearm ownership a privilege like driving instead of a right.
 
mendelman said:
milkbath GIF by Minority Report

We can only do so much and humanity is predictably, unpredictable.
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You're absolutely right. But examples such as this are exactly why we have the president we do. Nothing will really change but he acknowledged it. A person with that kind of record should not be out and about in society. We have normalized criminal behavior in many places. People are tired of it. Shoplifting? Don't worry about it. We don't prosecute. And then people call it something than what it is when businesses pull out of certain places. It's a business decision. If they thought they could make more money without being robbed blind they would. But yes, let's blame everything but the real reason. I am a liberal leaning person but enough is enough.
 
If we go down the mental health route, I would just point out that other countries have universal health care. How many people would be helped if they had easy access to doctors and medications and a pyschologist? Might help the homeless problem, might help the shooting problem, might help the drug problem, might help a lot of things, but in the end it is a help to cure the symptom, not a direct cause and effect. Of course the GOP would never agree to do universal health care, that might help other people and would take money away from their donors.
 
Maister said:
Focusing on mental health when a mass shooting occurs seems to be a popular right wing deflection right now. Every country on earth has roughly the same percentage of their population that is mentally ill. It often registers slightly higher in developed countries because they're better at identifying and documenting it, but it's more or less the same in Canada as it is in Cambodia. What IS different in this country from anywhere else is the sheer volume and ease of accessibility to firearms. THAT'S why the number of mass shootings is orders of magnitude higher here than anywhere on earth outside of a war zone. Sure, improving mental health is better than 'hopes and prayers', and it might even decrease the number of firearms fatalities in this country a percentage point or two. Yes we absolutely should be doing everything in our power to improve that, but let's not pretend it's addressing the real issue here. If we were serious about solving this, we'd be making firearm ownership a privilege like driving instead of a right.
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Do me a favor an put your anti-gun agenda down for a moment and look at what we know. The guy who killed the woman in Charlotte used a knife (not a gun), was arrested 14 other times, and our legal system delayed mental evaluations. The shooter in the MN Church School had previously displayed evidence of self-harm and used this act to commit suicide and gain recognition. A paper by Columbia University Department of Psychiatry indicated that nearly half of all mass shootings are associated with suicide (death by cop).

We absolutely need to find better ways to keep guns out of the hands of people who have them to do harm to others and those who have not gone though background checks and training on how to use them. But to have that conversation without having the conversation regarding mental health in America is beyond foolish.

Just look at the mental health stats in America and realize that these are only the reported conditions. Oh and the amount of funding that goes into actually helping people is beyond pathetic.

@Maister I guess the real question I have for you, is why are you so against improving mental health services?

Political activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot at Utah event
I guess CNN has it wrong... based on some of the comments in here, only a supporter of the GOP would do such a thing.
 
I always think the problem is that we focus on a one size fits all solution. If people are drowning in a river, you can pull them out, you can teach them to swim, and you can prevent them from jumping into the river. All three make a difference on their own, but doing all three and not just one is more likely to reduce the problem. Guns are the same thing. Limiting access is a quick and immediate way to reduce the problem. Figuring out why people want to shot others and treating that is a slower, but potentially more important part of the problem. I'm sure there are other things we could do, but I'm not smart enough to know what they are. Instead, as a country we stand around and argue about it and nothing changes. Maybe we could actually work on both things. Also, maybe if we sold the mental health solution as something not involving guns we could get both sides on board and take care of a problem instead of ignoring it and discussing space lasers.
 
MD Planner said:
You're absolutely right. But examples such as this are exactly why we have the president we do. Nothing will really change but he acknowledged it. A person with that kind of record should not be out and about in society. We have normalized criminal behavior in many places. People are tired of it. Shoplifting? Don't worry about it. We don't prosecute. And then people call it something than what it is when businesses pull out of certain places. It's a business decision. If they thought they could make more money without being robbed blind they would. But yes, let's blame everything but the real reason. I am a liberal leaning person but enough is enough.
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We already have more people in prison than any other country, around 2 million. I don't think not throwing people in jail is the problem.
 
michaelskis said:
Do me a favor an put your anti-gun agenda down for a moment and look at what we know. The guy who killed the woman in Charlotte used a knife (not a gun), was arrested 14 other times, and our legal system delayed mental evaluations. The shooter in the MN Church School had previously displayed evidence of self-harm and used this act to commit suicide and gain recognition. A paper by Columbia University Department of Psychiatry indicated that nearly half of all mass shootings are associated with suicide (death by cop).

We absolutely need to find better ways to keep guns out of the hands of people who have them to do harm to others and those who have not gone though background checks and training on how to use them. But to have that conversation without having the conversation regarding mental health in America is beyond foolish.

Just look at the mental health stats in America and realize that these are only the reported conditions. Oh and the amount of funding that goes into actually helping people is beyond pathetic.

@Maister I guess the real question I have for you, is why are you so against improving mental health services?

Political activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot at Utah event
I guess CNN has it wrong... based on some of the comments in here, only a supporter of the GOP would do such a thing.
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I wasn't speaking of Charlotte or any other specific place, or even in response to your post. It was a general observation.
 
Thoughts & Prayers Charlie




Another school shooting too. This time in Englewood, Co & I’m concerned about the continued school shootings, in a place that’s should be safe.
 
Maister said:
I wasn't speaking of Charlotte or any other specific place, or even in response to your post. It was a general observation.
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I was pointing out specifics illustrating a problem with mental health in the US that contributes to violence. You pointed out a general observation that was consistent with liberal talking points instead of a practical bipartisan approach to deal with the issue. If these kinds of conversations can't occur here without digressing into political talking points how the hell are they going to occur in DC?

I will say it again, Yes I believe that someone should go through a background check and training before they an purchase a firearm. Every training that I have been in also has a strong emphasis on proper storage of firearms as well. But for society to stop there is extremely short sided. If people are determined to hurt themselves and others, they will find a way. The only way to prevent that is to help them before they get to that point. Anything else is conceding to defeat.

The other side of crime in urban areas is a cultural and educational issue, but that situation is a very different conversation.
 
Hawkeye66 said:
We already have more people in prison than any other country, around 2 million. I don't think not throwing people in jail is the problem.
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Our developed nation counterparts generally approach imprisonment as reform based. The US does no such thing. Also universal health care and harm reduction along with affordable housing go a long way towards better outcomes.

I think Newark, NJ Mayor Baraka is on point with his message.
 

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kjel said:
Our developed nation counterparts generally approach imprisonment as reform based. The US does no such thing. Also universal health care and harm reduction along with affordable housing go a long way towards better outcomes.

I think Newark, NJ Mayor Baraka is on point with his message.
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Let's be honest; social media is a disease. It's at the root of a lot of this.

I used to debate YAF guys in college...and we drank together. One is still a good friend.

This is all insane.
 
michaelskis said:
@Maister I guess the real question I have for you, is why are you so against improving mental health services?
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You may have missed where I said:
Maister said:
Yes we absolutely should be doing everything in our power to improve that (mental health)...
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Maister said:
Yes we absolutely should be doing everything in our power to improve that, but let's not pretend it's addressing the real issue here. If we were serious about solving this, we'd be making firearm ownership a privilege like driving instead of a right.
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@Maister, No, I didn't miss anything you said. You are quite clear and articulate in your political beliefs.
 
michaelskis said:
You pointed out a general observation that was consistent with liberal talking points instead of a practical bipartisan approach to deal with the issue. If these kinds of conversations can't occur here without digressing into political talking points how the hell are they going to occur in DC?
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Those conversations in DC are not going to happen. There is not currently a legislative branch. The federal government is being run on the whims of one man. He's mentioned institutionalizing more people, but at the same time the federal government has just cut billions from our health and social safety nets. I'd be ecstatic if the government came out and said we're going to fund greater mental health care or require insurers expand coverage. If a real bill like that was proposed I would assume every democrat legislator would vote for it without needing to include gun restrictions. It would stand almost no chance of getting approved because republicans control the legislature. The only time that that mental health care gets brought up by the right is when we someone suggests we improve firearm regulations.

While I believe you are sincere in your beliefs that we need to address mental health; for the talking heads and elected officials its a strawman.
 
michaelskis said:
@Maister, No, I didn't miss anything you said. You are quite clear and articulate in your political beliefs.
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And I stand by my contention that improving mental health treatment in this country - which is something we absolutely should be doing because it would benefit society in lots of ways - would have a very marginal impact with specific regard to the issue of mass shootings. Would it help with that? Sure, a tiny bit and by all means let's do that. But let's not pretend this comes anywhere close to addressing the actual heart of the problem. It's more akin to passing a 170 mph speed limit on the Autobahn to reduce the percentage of traffic fatalities resulting from speeding motorists. Sure, there are handful of certain exotic cars that can top 200 but.....
 
tRump's comments last night certainly show he is unparalleled at dialing back the rhetoric that has led the nation to this state of political violence.
Yup, healer-in-chief that guy is.

GIF by Mashable
 
Curious about a comparison between comments from the talking heads & politicians between what happened in Minnesota when the state congressional members were ambushed in their homes in the night versus the Charlie Kirk incident.

I'm not so curious as to actually spend time & look it up because I think I know the answer. That's lazy from me. I'll own that.
 
Planit said:
Thoughts & Prayers Charlie




Another school shooting too. This time in Englewood, Co & I’m concerned about the continued school shootings, in a place that’s should be safe.
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Barack and Nancy asked/are (were) praying for Charlie. Thought the left did not like that medium. Or are they just being snarky?
 
Just checked:
CNN & Fox News front page of their website have several, many, a lot of articles on the Kirk Incident.
There are only 2 articles (1 each) on the Colorado school shooting.
:cursing:




I can only take this as we have gone comfortably numb to school shootings.
 
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