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Silvia M. Garrigo's avatar

First things first …. Are you guys going to the dead heads fest at the Golden Gate Park -Aug 1-3!!?? Would love to see you.

Right on point with this one Russ. We are in a transformational moment in American history, like the New Deal or Reaganomics. Only this time its at the institutional rather than policy level. The Dems have got to stop talking about oligarchs and social issues. While some issues are imp - health care and education, people are tired of govt institutions and bureaucracy. And the stream of millennials and those younger are even more skeptical and disenfranchised. It continues to be “about the economy stupid” but even a deeper issue of economic disenfranchisement and desire to stop the insanity - doing the same thing and expecting …. You know it. That’s why Trump succeeds. He is a disrupter. The problem with him are the innocent bystanders who get crushed and have buyers remorse. I don’t care who comes after - Dem or Rep - but he or she needs to be ethical and meet all Americans where they are. Lift the ocean so all boats rise. I am probably getting that quote wrong.

Anyway, off my soap box … send me a text cause I lost your number.

925-997-0526. Hugs

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

Silvia, couldn’t have said it better myself! See response to Michael Sherman above. You are so right — this is a secular shift in our political culture, not just a policy shift. Dems have to get smarter about this. And it’s not just a matter of language or finding the right social media platforms, as the Dems are spending $20 million on for their project on “Speaking with the American Male.” This is different. And yes, of course I’ll be on the golden road to devotion at Golden Gate Park this August! Text to come!

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Michael Sherman's avatar

Well said Silvia. I await the arrival of morality and ethics in government with a skeptics hope.

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

Silvia is a smart one, Captain. Heed her words!

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James A Belvin Jr.'s avatar

And the republicans are surprised to find that there is pork, and lots of it, in the big beautiful pig,,,hmmm

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Ray Brown's avatar

Shades of Casablanca - "I'm shocked."

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

You are the pithiest of the pithy, Mr. Brown!

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Ray Brown's avatar

Ah, Russ. I knew you'd get it. :-)

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

As Ray Brown said in this thread Jim, I’m shocked to see that gambling is occurring in this casino.

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Christina Coleridge's avatar

Delightful read! Despite the sordid topic.

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

Best reality TV around!

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Jamie Herbison's avatar

One of the pure joys of a holiday is ignoring the crap-o-sphere. Interestingly we’ve had three American couples apologize to us for being Americans. The Trumpies tend to stay quiet but wary. On our five day Irish tour it took until Day 3 before HIS name was invoked. I suggest many try to claim asylum here

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

Haha, I’m working on my Irish citizenship!

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Mary Howard's avatar

Loved your take, Russ. Reading this from Greece makes me realize Doge and Musk were a failure on so many levels with good hard working serious bureaucrats scrambling to find jobs and programs in health care, research and for the least of us left in shambles and services that many of us depend on left with uncertainty. And for what? Waste, fraud and abuse were supposed to be eliminated and now waste(the new Air Force One) fraud and abuse(Trump selling his favors to the highest bidders) and increasing the deficit by trillions again. I am not buying what they are selling.

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

In some ways, DOGE could have been called the Tesla Chainsaw Massacre because of the sweeping, capricious nature of its cuts, many of which are being rescinded. As the WaPo noted in a story this week, “Across the government, the Trump administration is scrambling to rehire many federal employees dismissed under DOGE’s staff-slashing initiatives after wiping out entire offices, in some cases imperiling key services such as weather forecasting and the drug approval process.”

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Mary Howard's avatar

Also drug abuse programs like Kelly’s are teetering on extinction.

I hate what they are doing in the name of fulfilling a campaign promise. Unfortunately they hired people who don’t know what the government does and who it affects. It could have been handled in a wholly different way and actually accomplished something beneficial. Enough of my soapbox.

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Michael Sherman's avatar

I love the optimism although the actual solution may be a long time coming. I can only hope the Dems can prove to be the “maximum righting arm” to our government’s ills (a navy thingie I threw in for you). Sometimes a good feud and pistols at dawn may be the only solution!

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

Captain, AI tells me that the maximum righting arm is the greatest distance between the center of gravity (G) and the vertical line through the center of buoyancy (B) in a floating vessel when it is heeled (tilted) due to external forces, such as waves or wind. It occurs at the angle of heel where the vessel’s ability to return to its upright position is at its peak. The challenge for the Dems is figuring out where the new center of gravity lies; unlike the physical world, where the center of gravity is constant, in the political world it keeps shifting and the Dems still can’t find their sextant.

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Patricia Stensrud's avatar

I'm with you in hoping (and praying) for a transformative moment. It is long overdue and cant come a moment too soon.

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

Let’s be optimistic until we can’t, and then still stay optimistic.

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Dennis Wyss's avatar

Russ, as we used to say at Chevron, “I concur.” And your illustration sums it up nicely.

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

Haha, AI (Grok) generated the image, but note where Elon’s pistol is pointing. Was that a hidden message?

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Jack Duane's avatar

Jennings is such an annoying little toady. He equated this feud with " mom and dad fighting" .

He sickens me when he opens his MAGA yap. The director of the roundtable on CNN seems to highlight Abby 's booty from the high camera angle, looking for more viewership from the brothers ?

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Russ Yarrow's avatar

I have a different opinion on that one, OD. Jennings provides an articulate counter-POV to what would otherwise be a monolithic panel. Kudos for CNN for having him onboard.

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Jack Duane's avatar

OK I’ll buy that valid balancing idea Russ, but he still annoys me max. A pipsqueak, which is common today in the media, especially sports talk. Perhaps I’m just an old geezer.

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