Jump to content

Ghost of LL

Burnt Ends
  • Posts

    5856
  • Joined

  • Days Won

    1

Posts posted by Ghost of LL

  1. 3 hours ago, BeardIP said:

    It’s because, while it’s a good economy, it doesn’t feel like a good economy to us average-earning blokes. How is that hard for people to understand? You can be right, because of the data, but continuously saying you are right because the “data says the economy is good so stop complaining”, that doesn’t make people racking up debt to keep the same quality of life warm at night. 

    You need to explain this to me, because I don't understand it.

    For the average-earning bloke, this isn't just a good economy; it's a great economy.  The average-earning bloke has no worries about unemployment.  Even if he lost his job, he'd be able to find a new one in very short order.

    The average-earning bloke's purchasing power has never been higher.  And as a result of that, the average-earning bloke's debt has increased consistent with the pattern seen during economic expansions (consumer debt only decreases during recessions).  People are taking on more debt because they can afford it and are secure in their income streams.  Consequently, the number of houses in active foreclosure is at its lowest point in years, and the number of mortgages that are delinquent is running well below pre-pandemic levels.

    So the average-earning bloke has a job, is secure in that job, has plenty of money to spend, and is paying his mortgage and credit cards.  So yeah--it's pretty fucking hard for me to understand why it doesn't feel like a good economy to said bloke.

    1 hour ago, BeardIP said:

    I spent $36 today for an unsweet tea, 13 wings, and a side salad at Pluckers today (including tip). It's crazy and reminded me why I almost never eat out for lunch.

    Pluckers has that effect on people.

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 2
  2. 26 minutes ago, BevoAbyss said:

    Yep. Just like Ronnie Reagan and his "Morning in America," expressed in that TV ad dripping with nostalgia for the "good ole days" ... flag waving, gettin' hitched young people, picket fences, small town Americana .... Going backward into a mythic yesteryear.

    The entire Republican agenda is to get back to the 1950s culturally and the 1500s spiritually, in some dream world of an American capitalist theocracy under God. Before all that 1960s Leftist liberalism ... and hippies and sexual freedom ... and civli rights and gay rights and women's rights ... and taking prayer outta schools ... and ecology and environmentalism and ... NASA showing Earth as a tiny little planet floating in the cosmic void...

    Before all that stuff, America was great. Just Like Ronnie said. 

     

     

    And you know--Biden could adopt that commercial damned near word-for-word next year, and it'd be accurate the way things are trending.

    • Hook 'Em 2
  3. This year in particular, there's been kind of an innate conflict of interest for Deion.  On the one hand, he wants to showcase Shadeur and set him up to be a high draft pick.  But you can't do that purely with mobility and a chuck-and-duck passing game; the NFL requires a showing of drop-back capabilities.  Unfortunately, Colorado doesn't have the OL to allow Shadeur to drop back.  Hence the conflict of interest: Deion can either run a chuck-and-duck offense that will maximize wins, or he can run Shadeur as a drop-back passer to highlight Shadeur's NFL capabilities at the expense of the team.

    I think it's pretty clear that this conflict of interest was at the root of Deion's decision to sideline Sean Lewis.

    Maybe this problem goes away when Shadeur graduates.  But if I'm a Colorado booster, I'm pretty displeased with the appearance that Deion is out primarily for himself/family at the expense of the Colorado program.

    • Like 2
  4. On 11/28/2023 at 10:25 AM, CooterBrown said:

    Fuck them schools. They don't need nothing but the Bible to learns from anyways.  

    This would be for federal income tax purposes only.  State-law property taxes would be unaffected.

  5. 23 hours ago, Tylerocks said:

    Annual Xmas trip to visit the in-laws is set.

     

    Used Jet Blue miles, so unfortunately flying into to JFK.  We jokingly talked about a helicopter to get to Manhattan, as the drive from JFK is a beating.  We would be landing late afternoon, so even worse than normal.

    It's surprisingly not as expensive as I anticipated.  Plus a 5-min flight is much more palatable than a 2 hour commute after a 3 hr flight.

     

    So, we're being super extra...and taking Blade.

     

    Anyone used it??

    Yeah--we used it last summer and I'm going to use it again in January.  

    The baggage allowance is small.  But if you're just there for a long weekend and you're just taking a carry-on, it's fine.  Otherwise, you're going to have to deal with a luggage-delivery service.

    But here's the thing: it's a combination transportation and sightseeing deal.  Yea, you get to the airport in 7 minutes.  And that kicks the shit out of an hour in an Uber (which is going to cost at least $100 on its own).  But you get an amazing sightseeing tour along the way.  From the 30th Street Heliport, you go south down the Hudson as Manhattan is restricted airspace.  You then hook a left south of the Battery, which gives you a great view of the length of Manhattan on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other.  And then five minutes later, you're zooming up between the departure runways at JFK (which I found actually to be a bit unnerving) as you approach the helicopter terminal.

    Is it worth it?  I mean, yeah--I think so.  It's damned expensive.  But it's also something you're only ever really going to do in NYC.    

    • Hook 'Em 2
  6. 42 minutes ago, Viper said:

    Damn didn't realize they're trying to conquer most of the Guyana

    Here is a brief explanation for those who are unfamiliar with the situation 

     

    The Guayana Esequiba is a region of about 159,500 km2 (61,600 sq mi) west of the Essequibo River that is currently administered and controlled by Guyana, but claimed by Venezuela as part of its territory. The dispute dates back to the colonial era, when Spain and the Netherlands competed for the control of the area. In 1814, the Netherlands ceded its colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice to Britain, which later unified them into British Guiana. Venezuela inherited the Spanish claim to the region after its independence in 1811, but Britain expanded its control further west of the Essequibo River in the 19th century. 

     

    In 1895, Venezuela sought the help of the United States to resolve the border dispute with Britain, invoking the Monroe Doctrine, which declared the American continent as off-limits to European intervention. The US intervened and forced Britain to accept an international arbitration of the entire disputed territory. The arbitration tribunal, convened in Paris in 1898, awarded most of the territory to British Guiana in 1899. However, Venezuela later denounced the award as invalid, alleging that the tribunal was biased and corrupted by British influence. 

     

    The dispute remained unresolved after Guyana gained its independence from Britain in 1966. Venezuela has since maintained its claim to the Guayana Esequiba, and has occasionally resorted to military and diplomatic pressure to assert its sovereignty over the region. Venezuela also rejected the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to settle the dispute, and instead proposed a bilateral negotiation with Guyana.

     

    The Guayana Esequiba is rich in natural resources, such as oil, gas, gold, diamonds, and timber, which have attracted the interest of both countries and foreign companies. In recent years, Guyana has granted exploration and production licenses to several multinational corporations, such as ExxonMobil, to exploit the offshore oil and gas reserves in the disputed waters. Venezuela has protested against these activities, and has accused Guyana of violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

     

    The tension between the two countries has escalated in the context of the political and economic crisis in Venezuela, which has led to the deterioration of its relations with its neighbors and the international community. Venezuela has been accused of human rights violations, corruption, authoritarianism, and interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Venezuela has also faced several challenges to its legitimacy, such as the Venezuelan presidential crisis, which resulted in the emergence of two rival governments: one led by Nicolás Maduro, who claims to be the constitutional president, and another led by Juan Guaidó, who claims to be the interim president recognized by more than 50 countries, including Brazil. 

     

    Brazil, as the largest and most influential country in South America, has played an important role in the regional affairs and the resolution of conflicts. Brazil has historically maintained cordial and cooperative relations with both Guyana and Venezuela, and has supported the peaceful and diplomatic settlement of the dispute over the Guayana Esequiba. However, Brazil's position has changed significantly under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, who has adopted a more confrontational and ideological stance against Venezuela and its allies. 

     

    Bolsonaro has aligned himself with the US and other countries that recognize Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela, and has denounced Maduro as a dictator and a threat to the regional stability and democracy. Bolsonaro has also expressed his support for Guyana's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and has criticized Venezuela's claims and actions as aggressive and illegitimate. 

     

    According to some reports, the Brazilian armed forces have been placed into a heightened state of readiness due to a significant movement of military equipment and personnel in eastern Venezuela on the border of Guyana, which has recently been detected by satellite imagery and intelligence sources. Some officials believe that Venezuela may soon invade the small South American country in order to annex the Guayana Esequiba region, which accounts for over 60% of the nation's territory and has been claimed by the Venezuelan government. 

     

    If this scenario materializes, it could trigger a major regional conflict that would involve not only Guyana and Venezuela, but also Brazil and other neighboring countries, as well as the US and other international actors.

     

    The Brazilian angle is interesting.  Brazil doesn't have a mutual-defense agreement with Guyana, but it does have a close relationship.  The only road through the Amazon crosses the Brazilian border into Guyana in the Esequiba region.  And that has been a major Brazilian infrastructure project over the past decade as Brazil has sought an overland route to Caribbean ports.

    One would expect that Lula would be somewhat indulgent of the Maduro regime and Venezuela generally.  But that road is of such a national interest to Brazil that Lula may have to take a stand against Venezuela on this one.

  7. On 11/19/2023 at 12:45 PM, Aqua Buddha said:

    Next season's schedule.  I see a lot of losses:

    Sept. 1

    LSU

    Las Vegas, Nev.

    No. 13, 6-2

    Sept. 7

    Utah State

    Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

    3-5

    Sept. 14

    BYE

       

    Sept. 21

    Michigan

    Ann Arbor, Mich.

    No. 2, 8-0

    Sept. 28

    Wisconsin

    Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

    5-3

    Oct. 5

    Minnesota

    Minneapolis, Minn.

    5-3

    Oct. 12

    Penn State

    Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

    No. 9, 7-1

    Oct. 19

    Maryland

    College Park, Md.

    5-3

    Oct. 26

    Rutgers

    Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

    6-2

    Nov. 2

    Washington

    Seattle, Wash.

    No. 5, 8-0

    Nov. 9

    BYE

       

    Nov. 16

    Nebraska

    Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

    5-3

    Nov. 23

    UCLA

    Pasadena, Calif.

    No. 20, 6-2

    Nov. 30

    Notre Dame

    Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

    No. 12, 7-2

    It took more more time than I am comfortable admitting for the thought, "jeez--USC's nonconference schedule is really Big10 heavy next year" to pass through my head.

    • Hook 'Em 1
    • Haha 5
  8. 2 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:


    Jumbo has enough money to pay someone to count it.

    I would hope so.  They're called "accountants."  And I would expect that someone with that kind of money would have an accountant.

×
×
  • Create New...