@mchill said
"If this guy owned a funeral parlor, no one would die!"

Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko) Wall Street - 1987

Divisions within the House Republican Conference continue to widen as 19 conservatives clashed with party leadership Wednesday, killing Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal to advance reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in a 119-228 vote.

Had today's procedural vote to advance FISA reform passed, Congress would have moved closer toward retooling Section 702 of FISA, a provision allowing U.S. intelligence authorities to conduct warrantless surveillance on foreigners abroad. Johnson's bill would have introduced new safeguards to Section 702 data and criminalized the use of backdoor loopholes to collect such data. But - - It didn't happen as Republicans couldn't even agree with each other on what they want.

Do we really want these clowns running the country again? 🤔

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-just-killed-their-own-bill/ar-BB1lpKXP?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=e5ed99f0dea34981bff9ff240db403cf&ei=13

A billionaire, a janitor, and an immigrant sit down at a table with 20 freshly baked cookies on it. The billionaire quickly grabs 19 of them for himself then tells the janitor "You'd better be careful or that immigrant is going to get your cookie!" 😠

@averagejoe1 said
Mr. Biden’s new loan forgiveness is still illegal. The High Court stressed that student loan forgiveness is a major question that requires clear authorization from Congress. But Mr. Biden seems to believe he can jam the courts by automatically forgiving debt before a judge has time to stop him.

The Supreme Court ruled last year that Mr. Biden’s cancelation of $10,000 t ...[text shortened]... icles/joe-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-karine-jean-pierre-supreme-court-7e74383f?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

Aren't you forgetting something?

The Federal Government has forgiven nearly $400 billion in Covid-relief loans to major pharmaceutical companies, this in addition to forgiving hundreds of billions in loans to defense contractors and oil companies, all the while supplying them with subsidies and grants. - just over the last 10 years.

I don't hear you complaining about that. 🤔

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/personal-finance/government-has-forgiven-nearly-400-billion-covid-relief-ppp-loans-n1274618

@sh76 said
Agree with everything, except how do you define "Palestinian land"?

It can't be "land in Palestine" because there was never an independent country called Palestine. If you mean all land, even empty land, that belonged to Jordan or Egypt before the '67 war, then if Jordan and Egypt don't want it, why should Israel not build on it?

then if Jordan and Egypt don't want it, why should Israel not build on it?


Israel uses the Absentee Property Law to claim the lands it forced the Palestinians to abandon in the 1948 and 1967 wars. I find these tactics to be (at best) underhanded, and (at worst) illegal and deeply provocative. The bottom line here is there are many sites within Israel to build on. Put yourself in the shoes of the Palestinians. Is this something you'd consider "the right thing to do?"

@sh76 said
Negotiating them a state where they sit now seems the logical course of action. Of course, they also have to agree not to war on their neighbors.

And therein, as the bard would say, lies the rub.

And therein, as the bard would say, lies the rub. - Inside Man. 2006 😏

I can't claim to have the solution to all this, but what would have helped a great deal, is for these oil rich Arab countries to begin to supply the Palestinians with better housing, hospitals, and food aid, and begin to work with the west to stop these attacks on Israel before they happen, and to insist Israel STOP stealing Palestinian land for commercial development. They must understand they are not going to "drive Israel into the sea" and that a well fed, well housed, well-educated group of Palestinians are far less likely to cause trouble for Israel, regardless of what their official status as a country might be. The Saudi's and others could easily afford to do this.

@congruent said
Nepo now in the lead, Vidit could be in the lead had he won the last two.

Nepo vs Vidit, after Vidit beat Nakamura he then lost the next two games

[pgn][Event "World Championship Candidates"]
[Site "Toronto CAN"]
[Date "2024.04.07"]
[EventDate "2024.04.04"]
[Round "4.2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Ian Nepomniachtchi"]
[Black "Santosh Gujrathi Vidit"]
[ECO "C67"] ...[text shortened]... 8 38. Rxd5 Bxh5 39. Bc1 Bg6+ 40. Ke5 b4
41. Kf6 Be8 42. Rd8 bxa3 43. bxa3 Bd7 44. Kf7 Kd5 1-0[/pgn]

JMHO - Nakamura has spent a lot of time over the last 10 years focused too much on blitz. He's a very strong GM of course but seems less comfortable with slower time controls.

@shavixmir said
The European Court for Human Rights is deciding on this issue today.

3 different cases are being decided on today. All three (from seperate groups) accuse governments of not doing enough to curb the effects of climate change and that this is endangering their human rights.

What the court decides is binding for countries in the EU. And, obviously, this could have an im ...[text shortened]... g on action vs human rights? And then I feel that it’s overstepping something.

What do you think?

What do you think?

I think the court will do its best to find fair legal rulings, but considering the way the world is today it's nearly impossible to solve one problem without creating 3 more as a result of doing so. I don't envy those judges. 😕

@divegeester said
Post a quote from a movie and readers guess which movie.

Internet search is not allowed, of course.

"If this guy owned a funeral parlor, no one would die!"

@fartacus said
@mchill

Considering 3 famous people who travel all over America, who supported Biden but said it's so bad they won't support him again, and they're not white, tells me you clearly live in a small town.

Some little hamlet away from major cities.

I didn't even do a search yet of famous people who supported Biden but are publicly denouncing him now.

For you to think ...[text shortened]... in a little town and you're not affected by the crap or you're being ignorant and reeking of denial.

or you're being ignorant and reeking of denial.



I'm ignorant and reeking of denial. 😏

@fartacus said
Dwayne Johnson also known as "The Rock" has said America got worse under Biden and Biden created division . He will not endorse him again this time around although he endorsed him in 2020.

To avoid backlash for supporting Trump he said he will no longer endorse anyone publicly.

Who cares? Not smart people but a lot of dumb people will vote for whoever some famous person votes for so it's looking good for old Trumpy.

Not smart people but a lot of dumb people will vote for whoever some famous person votes for

This is very true. Lots of folks out there can't think for themselves. On the other hand, I can't convince myself that once Trump entered politics everything became "rigged" our government was evil, and that Mexico was going to pay for that border wall (as promised)

I don't agree with everything Jope Biden does, but our economy and country seems to be operating reasonably well under this administration, and I like Biden's habit of inserting experienced professionals in positions of power, rather than ex models, close friends and family members. What I do agree with is the pundits that say this is going to be a very nasty election between two unpopular candidates. With this in mind, I'm leaving the TV off and developing closer relationships with chess bots and tactics exercises - - I go to bed happier this way. 🙂

@greenpawn34 said

A Cartoon. Chess News from around the world. A puzzle.
Two fragments of OTB games and a couple of RHP games.
Blog Post 600

Nice cartoon, and I suspect just as true today as it was then. 😏

@rajk999 said
We have a Mormon among us, probably for the first time. He is Mr. Petty Talk, very vocal around here, so this should be an interesting discussion, comparing JWs and Mormons. This was extracted off Quora.

https://qr.ae/psFpO9

*****************************************
Q : What are the differences between what Mormons & Jehovah's Witnesses believe?

A: I was once a ...[text shortened]... the truth. Witness are well researched on this subject.

*****************************************

My Lutheran bible study classes seem pretty orthodox and boring compared to these two.

@very-rusty said
Is it just me or is the Site running a bit slow?

-VR

Yes, a little slow, but it seems to be normal now.