The US Hamster Wheel

[brickhistory]

Today in America, it is Memorial Day. A day we designate to honor those citizens who gave their lives during wartime in order that we might continue and prosper.

I hope when my mortal clock has expired, and assuming I'm allowed to take the 'up' elevator, that I'll be allowed into the vet's bar and able to buy the house a round.

Thank you. I know you didn't want to make that sacrifice, but you did anyway.

[BenThere]

Thank you. I know you didn't want to make that sacrifice, but you did anyway.

Echo that, brickhistory. I think very few soldiers go to war with the intent of sacrificing their lives, but when duty called they stood up and answered. We celebrate those who didn't come back today.

I was touched to walk out into my neighborhood and see dozens of American flags installed on porches and waving along the courtyard/walkway in front of my home.

Memorial Day and 4th of July are my favorite holidays.

[Boac]

I wish you all a very Happy Memorial Day.

[Woody]

I wish you all a very Happy Memorial Day.

+1

[TheGreenGoblin]

It would be churlish not to.

+1

[PHXPhlyer]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white- ... r-n1214251

Trump threatens Republican convention move if N.C. limits attendance over coronavirus
The president said the Democratic governor was still in a "shutdown mood" and threatened to move the RNC from the state.
Image: Donald Trump
President Donald Trump threatened Monday to move the Republican National Convention if North Carolina's governor could not guarantee now that "full attendance" would be possible in August.Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
May 25, 2020, 7:40 AM MST / Updated May 25, 2020, 9:02 AM MST
By Jane C. Timm and Monica Alba
As states struggle to contain the coronavirus outbreak that’s killed nearly 100,000 Americans, President Donald Trump threatened to move the Republican National Convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, if there is a chance the venue might not be filled there later this summer due to virus-related restrictions.

“Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, [Roy Cooper] is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena,” Trump said in a string of tweets, adding that a decision must be made now because the preparations cost millions of dollars and supporters needed to be able to make their travel plans now.

“If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site," he said.


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
· 7h
I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August. Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed...


Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
...full attendance in the Arena. In other words, we would be spending millions of dollars building the Arena to a very high standard without even knowing if the Democrat Governor would allow the Republican Party to fully occupy the space. Plans are being....

11.9K
5:12 AM - May 25, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy
4,257 people are talking about this
The convention is currently scheduled for Aug. 24-27, in Charlotte, North Carolina, a state which recently reported its highest number of new cases in a single day. North Carolina entered the second phase of its reopening Friday, but gatherings of groups over 10 people indoors, and 25 people outdoors, are still prohibited.

Just last week, the Republican National Committee touted it was planning for an event that would gather 50,000 people, despite warnings from health officials about the risks of mass gatherings.

A committee official echoed the president’s tweets. “The RNC wants to hold a full in-person convention in Charlotte, but we need the governor to provide assurances that it can occur. We will need some answers sooner rather than later, or we will be forced to consider other options,” the official said in a statement.

While that is their public posture, NBC News last month was the first to report details on what Republican officials and those close to the president have been saying privately: that alterations were possible, and a backup plan and contingencies would be needed to host a massive gathering amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Democratic National Committee already pushed back its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, convention from mid-July to mid-August due to coronavirus concerns. The committee has left open the possibility that parts of the event will be held virtually, though officials say they expect a portion of the event to be held in-person.

Meanwhile, in Washington, the president has sought to downplay the growing threat of the coronavirus and has claimed that the worst has passed, even as his own experts remind Americans that the virus is "not yet contained."


President Trump downplays chances of second wave of coronavirus
MAY 22, 202001:53
"With the country starting to open up this holiday weekend, I again remind everyone that the coronavirus is not yet contained. It is up to every individual to protect themselves and their community," Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn tweeted this weekend.

The president’s son Eric Trump recently argued that Democrats were using the virus to keep his father from campaigning.
“After Nov. 3, coronavirus will magically go away and disappear and everything will open,” he said on Fox.

Suggest a petition to allow Fire Marshall to waive occupancy limits and let them cram another 50,000 in. No allowance for "social distancing" and no masks allowed. That will let them show everyone how superior they are.

[TheGreenGoblin]

In these immoral and amoral times, and with respect to America which, for all its faults, I still see as the bosom of Western Democracy today despite the current incumbent, I propose Frank Zappa as the archetype of the genius, freewheeling, damned god darned type that has made the USA, hitherto, respectable (not grate) etc.

[ian16th]

I wish you all a very Happy Memorial Day.

+1

+1

[Seenenough]

ILHAN OMAR Published 1 hour ago
Ilhan Omar: 'I do believe' Tara Reade's claims against Joe Biden.

Trouble is brewing in the house,for Uncle Joe ,I suspect.

[boing]

[Boac]

It appears that National Intelligence is no longer a priority for the Chump (we actually knew that since he apparently does not listen to int. briefings) Now, his 'shoe-in, John Ratcliffe, arrives with NO intelligence background and presumably sounds the death of the NI agency. Bravo.

https://www.wired.com/story/john-ratcli ... elligence/

[barkingmad]

It matters little the calibre of the Int Staff nor the quality of the PDB placed in front of their eyes, assuming those eyes are not affected by malaria medication!
This little beauty, suppressed for a suspiciously long time and not particularly arduous reading, was placed before a previous POTUS who just happened to be Republican too;


https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEB ... 6-2001.pdf

But, no matter, it’s clear enough that despite the lies spouted openly by the fragrant Condoleeza about how they never dreamed that etc etc (fill in the blanks) something BIG was brewing.
No wonder Dubya had that ‘rabbit-in-the-headlights’ expression as he helped the schoolkids with their reading of “My Pet Goat” (what an appropriate title!) before being whisked away from the action in the COG rehearsal.
I hope they didn’t tell Dubya about the “Angel is Next!” message or he’d have been into the toilet pronto?

[Boac]

I'm in a state of shock! Twitter has noticed the Chump lies!!

[barkingmad]

I’m in a state of shock too!
Yet again, when I mention the embarrassing topic of COG, a deafening silence from our patriotic redneck colleagues from west of 30W.
It’s like being at a WI coffee morning when the conversation unexpectedly dies but some plummy-mouthed matron is heard loudly uttering the letters ‘VD’ or ‘STI clinic where...?’.
An equally deafening silence is apparent on the other topics of PNAC and RAD, both of whom have failed to draw any fire towards me when previously flagged up.
C’mon guys & gals, let’s have your thoughts on these topics and what their effect might have been on the actions of the land of democracy, freedom, cupcakes and mom’s apple pie?
Meantime, non-US citizens, do your own research on the three, don’t ask me for explanation but relax in that warm wet feeling that you know more than those directly and permanently affected by the Patriot Act.
Aaaw sh1te, I’ve gone and introduced another embarrassing topic...!

[Bob]

WTF are twitter doing? you can't expect people to bother fact checking the stable genius's mutterings...that would be like checking every twinkie you buy to see if it has chemical additives in it

[BenThere]

Watching the lead up to America's first manned space launch in a while and the interest in it. It's a government/private joint venture which is unique in our space program. Cocoa Beach, Florida is crammed with people sitting on the beach to watch the launch.

I've done that, too, watching the first night launch of a space shuttle. It was majestic. When the rockets ignited and the vehicle slowly lifted with energy we on the beach a few miles away could feel and realize the power, everyone, several thousands, broke into cheers and applause. Quite emotional, for me at least.

Fingers crossed hoping the mission goes well, but the effort and materialization of the event is worthy of our heritage as Americans.

[Boac]

Poor old Chumpie! Twitter finally get the cojones to label his BS as such, and the answer 'Close down social media platforms'!.

I expect he had a squadron or two of (serviceable( F35s 'locked and loaded' to raid the HQ. He is beyond pity.

[BenThere]

I expect he had a squadron or two of (serviceable( F35s 'locked and loaded' to raid the HQ. He is beyond pity.

Really?

[Boac]

Yes, really.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Yes, really.

He wants to close down Twitter in the pursuit of freedom of speech....

What next?

**** for virginity...