I've just accepted it ain't gonna happen and if it does it's gonna cost me a lot more than whatever scraps they send my way.

Unrelated but I broke a lightbulb in the bathroom. Maybe that's why the maintenance wants to change them in my complex. LMAO.

Well right not looks like Democrats are willing to go. Tea party people want to slow roll this. Which makes no sense as the two people stirring shit up are Trump allies. Think papa gonna have to smack sense into them.

Bernie chimed in he will stall the bill if the unemployment stimulus for laid off employees is touched and will support democrats blocking this to push the House bill. So now either Mitch whips the tea party or risks this all falling to shit.

Edit:  Reported Trump is whipping the tea party now.  God I wish that conversation was recorded.

What does whipping mean?

Mar 26, 2020 1:35:45 GMT 🤯 said:

What does whipping mean?

Trying to push their vote to what he wants.

Mar 26, 2020 2:09:19 GMT mikec said:

Mar 26, 2020 1:35:45 GMT 🤯 said:

What does whipping mean?

Trying to push their vote to what he wants.

So like just giving a speech then?

Was hoping for something more fun.

Figured it wouldn't be a literal whip. But maybe like a secret gov't app? I dunno...

The parties have people that basically tell you to vote a certain way. Usually promising you things or threatening you if that fails.  Whips outside of the speaker and majority leader are the most powerful in the congress.  

Gonna be an amendment vote that no one can get more 100% of their salary from unemployment benefits. Bernie not responded if he will also seek amendments now as he threatened early. But allowing one amendment opens the floodgates to allow others and any senator can hold the bill up now that Graham insists on having this vote.

Let's just implode.

Fuck it.

Seems easier to rip that band-aid now.

Wondering if we had a lover's quarrel before Trump and Graham. I expected with Mitch and Trump telling him to just stand down and let this pass he would yield but fuck. Not a good look to go against the whip. When this all settles down Graham and the others will be a really bad spot.

Amendment vote happened went 48-48 and was shot down, and then they wrapped shit up and passed the bill 96-0.  Curious who the republican was that voted with the dems.

House will vote on it as is so Trump signs it ideally before the weekend is over.

Nancy is whipping her party hard.  She expects no issues passing it but realizes some of the socialists may want to make a speech about it before they vote and tea party want to oppose it.  Unlikely the full House will come together to vote in person on it as it should be a 400+ majority.

Mar 26, 2020 4:10:24 GMT c said:

She expects no issues passing it but realizes some of the socialists may want to make a speech about it before they vote and tea party want to oppose it.  Unlikely the full House will come together to vote in person on it as it should be a 400+ majority.

If only every single person in politics wasn't a narcissist asshole

 

The lobby system fuels the narcissism making it a sickening self-feeding system.

US really needs to get onto alternative vote systems so at least we can have more than two parties. That will start to make shit better. US has had four parties for a while now acting as two.

The real test is how long Western nations can run this hybrid socialism capitalism model.
As long as asset prices don't collapse the situation is recoverable. If the banks start foreclosing, asset prices will drop sharply and with high unemployment there is no demand. This crystallises the losses and turns it into a decade long recession.

This is why you will governments start legislating against foreclosures and underwriting mortgages.
It's a dangerous game, sooner or later the bubble is going to burst in a really big and ugly way.

I also wonder about the economy we get when this is all over, there are huge numbers of businesses that won't come back and we're only a line ball call on staying open before. The retail and service landscape especially... This could be the biggest hit to the middle class ever.

iNCY, in Ontario and Quebec they have said all businesses must close except got essential services. But then they went and defined essential as super broad. Gold, copper, lead mines are all still operating. Gold is not essential.

So it seems like they are allowing industry drivers to stay functioning in am attempt to keep the economy going.

Mar 26, 2020 15:49:56 GMT nazzer said:

iNCY, in Ontario and Quebec they have said all businesses must close except got essential services. But then they went and defined essential as super broad. Gold, copper, lead mines are all still operating. Gold is not essential.

So it seems like they are allowing industry drivers to stay functioning in am attempt to keep the economy going.

I’m fed up with the half measures our government is taking. A friend of mine is an accountant in Ontario and he got deemed as essential service. A fucking accountant.

He’s choosing to work from home but could totally keep his office open if he wanted to, and still be meeting with clients. What the fuck is the point of delaying the deadline for tax returns if the people that do them are still going to work? Might as well not bother delaying them.

This is all so dumb and we’re going to learn nothing from it. I’m just at the point now where I hope this is contained enough that we aren’t dealing with this for years. And apparently even that is too much to ask.

It’s still business as usual here in Kelowna, except hotels are starting to lay people off due to summer cancellations. This happened two years ago when the forest fires were really bad.

Mar 26, 2020 1:35:45 GMT 🤯 said:

What does whipping mean?

What we all want AOC to do to us.

Mar 26, 2020 16:29:09 GMT RT said:

Mar 26, 2020 15:49:56 GMT nazzer said:

iNCY , in Ontario and Quebec they have said all businesses must close except got essential services. But then they went and defined essential as super broad. Gold, copper, lead mines are all still operating. Gold is not essential.

So it seems like they are allowing industry drivers to stay functioning in am attempt to keep the economy going.

I’m fed up with the half measures our government is taking. A friend of mine is an accountant in Ontario and he got deemed as essential service. A fucking accountant.

He’s choosing to work from home but could totally keep his office open if he wanted to, and still be meeting with clients. What the fuck is the point of delaying the deadline for tax returns if the people that do them are still going to work? Might as well not bother delaying them.

This is all so dumb and we’re going to learn nothing from it. I’m just at the point now where I hope this is contained enough that we aren’t dealing with this for years. And apparently even that is too much to ask.

It’s still business as usual here in Kelowna, except hotels are starting to lay people off due to summer cancellations. This happened two years ago when the forest fires were really bad.

Wait what? You\re in kelowna? I thought you were in saskatchewan? I'm in williams lake. We should get together for a beer in the summer. Assuming life is back to normal I'll be in kelowna end of may to volunteer for a dirty feet race. 

I'm in Williams Lake, and the mine I work at (Gibraltar) is taking such half measures as well. In general I feel like we are all about talking safety, but it's just lip service. we have memos going around, but people are still riding buses packed in like sardines. In my department someone was advised to self isolate for 14 days, but her spouse who also works at the mine was told to come to work. I went on an email frenzy on the weekend and even contacted the head of HR to stop that shit. Mind you I needed to work 9 straight night shifts and 15 of 17 days to make that happen. I am mildly impressed by the fact that every grocery store I go to has lines and stickers set up to force distancing on people. But also so many of the rednecks don't get it. 

There was a news conference today, and the province has declared a state of emergency. But it sounds like they are onlu fiocusing on the supplky chain, and not enforcing a lockdown. As you say. Half measure.s

CSPAN is airing video of House members speaking on the bill today. Seems like something that may become commonplace after this crisis. Most of these statements no one cares about but the person making them and should they bring up anything of interest hive mind will amplify it. Usually it is just wasted time on the floor rambling. Doing blocks of statements online instead of debating on the floor seems like a great way to get rid of showmanship and posturing on the floor, while offering people still a chance to go on record making a stand.  Also would create jobs as congressmen build up their teams to do quick video presentations.  For floor debates party leaders could pick the people who make the best cases and bring them on.

Also Senate now looking to go remote voting.  Republicans are terrified of it, but after Paul exposed them all to the virus they may come around.  DC will likely follow NYC with a mass outbreak too so I am sure a lot of the posturing around remote and online voting will go out the window when they are personally threatened.  There is a CHANCE that if the House and Senate both allow remote voting it could push remote voting to the US citizen into happening, which would dramatically change the US political landscape.  

Mar 25, 2020 22:16:58 GMT c said:

Graham wants to open the bill up to amendments to cap unemployment benefits out of a lack of understanding of how unemployment is paid. No one gets more money than they did while employed from unemployment, that is just not how it works in any state.

With one amendment, the door opens for everyone to propose. Curious if the hammer will fall on the tea party finally from this. Graham and crew threatened to slow roll the bill and do the super formal vote to hold this up for days.

The current language of the bill will open up (some) people to receiving more in unemployment than they do working. That is how it works in some states. If you put an arbitrary number in to add to each claim, places with lower costs of living will benefit in this way.

For example I live in Iowa and in 2018 I was on unemployment for a month after my college employer lost a state contract. I was paid approximately $45,000 per year and received around $400 per month in Unemployment. If you add $600 to that total, I’d be making $52,000 a year on unemployment and I only have one dependent.

I don’t know what to think of the bill or if there was a better way to write it, but the $600 per week was definitely written for the coasts, not the Midwest.

Well Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for the Coronavirus now. He is self isolating, but 'will continue to lead the governments response via video-conference as we fight the virus.'

Mar 26, 2020 23:07:54 GMT thereallt said:

Fun consequence of people that take hard stances are watching people who say we have to believe the Presidents accusers defending Biden while people who think there’s no proof the President did anything will definitely believe this woman, much as they made Bill Clinton’s accusers saints while calling Trumps accusers ugly fame seekers.

Frustrating time to be alive.

Mar 27, 2020 10:37:41 GMT mikec said:

Mar 25, 2020 22:16:58 GMT c said:

Graham wants to open the bill up to amendments to cap unemployment benefits out of a lack of understanding of how unemployment is paid. No one gets more money than they did while employed from unemployment, that is just not how it works in any state.

With one amendment, the door opens for everyone to propose. Curious if the hammer will fall on the tea party finally from this. Graham and crew threatened to slow roll the bill and do the super formal vote to hold this up for days.

The current language of the bill will open up (some) people to receiving more in unemployment than they do working. That is how it works in some states. If you put an arbitrary number in to add to each claim, places with lower costs of living will benefit in this way.

For example I live in Iowa and in 2018 I was on unemployment for a month after my college employer lost a state contract. I was paid approximately $45,000 per year and received around $400 per month in Unemployment. If you add $600 to that total, I’d be making $52,000 a year on unemployment and I only have one dependent.

I don’t know what to think of the bill or if there was a better way to write it, but the $600 per week was definitely written for the coasts, not the Midwest.

Yeah I missed that full salary was also included.  I assumed they did the typical calculation of halving the salary first.  In reality most people will just make the median national income.  Many states have funky stuff too to prevent getting more in unemployment that your salary.  And well to screw you out of getting it at all.

Gonna be a shock to many when they realize unemployment is taxable income.

The Tara Reade stuff is almost certainly BS. This is the second time she accused him. The first time he touched her neck and treated her like an object, something like to look at and ignore when you did not need it. Then when that did not gain tractor now digitally penetrated her and wanted to have sex with her. Story changed way too much. Also she does not report blaming herself at all. In false rape claims the victim never blames themselves, but in real rape cases they almost always believe on some level it was their fault. Also in real cases they lead with the worst. Touching her neck would be trivial to a real victim after he stuck a finger in her vagina.

Also some great fine print in that stimulus bill. The cruise industry is excluded from receiving any funding because they claim not to be American businesses and do not pay taxes. They can receive funding if they reregister in America, but then they have to pay taxes. Gonna be some angry lobbying calls.

Trump whipping the House GOP on Twitter blasting Massie for objecting to the bailout.

Mar 27, 2020 14:54:11 GMT c said:

Trump whipping the House GOP on Twitter blasting Massie for objecting to the bailout.

Watch Trump whip, watch House nae nae.

Mar 27, 2020 12:48:57 GMT c said:

The Tara Reade stuff is almost certainly BS. This is the second time she accused him. The first time he touched her neck and treated her like an object, something like to look at and ignore when you did not need it. Then when that did not gain tractor now digitally penetrated her and wanted to have sex with her. Story changed way too much. Also she does not report blaming herself at all. In false rape claims the victim never blames themselves, but in real rape cases they almost always believe on some level it was their fault. Also in real cases they lead with the worst. Touching her neck would be trivial to a real victim after he stuck a finger in her vagina.

Maybe, but Biden does have a pattern of inappropriate behavior toward women.  As if now, there really isn't enough to go forward, but if she can produce some more corroboration it's definitely something to keep an eye on

Mar 27, 2020 16:03:57 GMT thereallt said:

Mar 27, 2020 12:48:57 GMT c said:

The Tara Reade stuff is almost certainly BS. This is the second time she accused him. The first time he touched her neck and treated her like an object, something like to look at and ignore when you did not need it. Then when that did not gain tractor now digitally penetrated her and wanted to have sex with her. Story changed way too much. Also she does not report blaming herself at all. In false rape claims the victim never blames themselves, but in real rape cases they almost always believe on some level it was their fault. Also in real cases they lead with the worst. Touching her neck would be trivial to a real victim after he stuck a finger in her vagina.

Maybe, but Biden does have a pattern of inappropriate behavior toward women.  As if now, there really isn't enough to go forward, but if she can produce some more corroboration it's definitely something to keep an eye on

Is it though? Any more than the crazy high number of women that say similar things about his general election opponent?

I’m not going to say it’s not important, it is. And Democrats rely on women voters more than Republicans. But when your options are two creepy old guys do you really get that invested in how creepy they both are?

Mar 27, 2020 19:17:05 GMT mikec said:

Mar 27, 2020 16:03:57 GMT thereallt said:

Maybe, but Biden does have a pattern of inappropriate behavior toward women.  As if now, there really isn't enough to go forward, but if she can produce some more corroboration it's definitely something to keep an eye on

Is it though? Any more than the crazy high number of women that say similar things about his general election opponent?

I’m not going to say it’s not important, it is. And Democrats rely on women voters more than Republicans. But when your options are two creepy old guys do you really get that invested in how creepy they both are?

I agree with you mikec, I think it says a lot about the character of people drawn to politics. An obsession with power and domination seems pretty prevalent, the exception seems to be the men whose wives know them well and pull hard on their chains.
I think Obama was pretty much a clean skin, mostly because he would have been scared to death of Michelle.
I think the Bushes were pretty straight too, apart from that it's a pretty dark story.