Bracing For The Storm

Real, metaphorical, whatev.

Comments

[Dave (in MA)]

I was working as a stockboy in a Norwood dept. store while going to high school, making $2.10/hr.
Dukakis made it illegal to drive for a week, so the store was closed. I made more shoveling driveways that week than I ever made at my job.

[lyle]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/2017/03/obamacare_architect_jonathan_gruber_says_republicans_setting_up_a_scam

Gruber calls the GOP Zippy-care replacement a "scam." Jonathan Gruber.

That's it. I'm now all for the GOP plan. Whatever it is...

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

"-- Doctors are still killing people jimmyk...--"

IIRC the biggest killer and easiest to fix is infections that a few protocols can greatly reduce.
That was a few years back so maybe strides have been made, but at the time...

[Rocco]

Dave, I'm stumped about that photo but I made a small fortune shoveling too.

[Buckeye]

My buddy had a 70 Ford Country Squire that he used to pull the trailer with the race car.

We made a bunch of beer money during the blizzard of 78 pulling people outta the ditch.

We did quit driving once we started drinking:)

[lyle]

Perhaps it's because my neighborhood is inhabited by a lot of retired folks and not too many families with teenagers looking for cash, but this (almost) past winter's record snowfall yielded not a single offer from anyone to shovel (or snowblow) my drive or walkway or sidewalk in return for remuneration.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

President Trump will be interviewed on Tucker Carlson's show Wednesday night at 9PM Eastern.

That should be interesting, as Tucker is a good interviewer.

[Porchlight]

Repeat to self: do not argue about politics with old friends on Facebook. Not worth it.

[lyle]

Presumably no offers of snow removal came for this poor soul, either:

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/03/13/police-find-jeep-buried-under-20-feet-snow-in-donner-pass.html

At least no one ate him. Do click for the pic.

[lyle]

Repeat to self: do not argue about politics with old friends go on Facebook. Not worth it.

Problem solved!

[Dave (in MA)]

It says it's a photo of 128 in Dedham but it's actually the view down the hill from Canton overlooking Westwood's industrial park. I think that large building in the background is the old GM building.

[Porchlight]

I'm not there too much anymore these days, lyle. Still lots of good friends but I have to hide most of them. However, I've noticed that FB unhides them. Pretty sure Zuckerberg is doing this to me on purpose. ;)

The friend to whom I refer is one of my best buddies from college. One Trump post after another. It makes me not want to be friends with her, which is not my desired outcome.

[Another Bob]

Appalled | March 13, 2017 at 12:45 PM

Ingraham was allegedly offered the job last month and turned it down. Claim was her reason was not wanting to step on any toes, and had she been offered at the beginning, she'd have taken it.

Other reasoning may have to with the SuperPAC she's allegedly started for a Senate run against Kaine.

[daddy on iPad at the Happy Mexican]

Via Lyle's 03:24 from some director up in arms about cutting Govt Funding for the Arts:

[Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, today released the following statement:]

"Abolishing the NEA would have disastrous consequences for the arts and for communities across our nation. Funding for the arts is quite simply the lifeblood of the culture of our nation. It supports not just artists, it strengthens communities, large and small, across the nation on a daily basis, and it helps to support the cultural and educational achievements for which today's society will be remembered many years from now."

If so, then TM and JOM deserve public funding.

[Another Bob]

She's also the "single mom" (boy do I had that phrase), and may not have wanted to deal with the hours and the travel.

[Porchlight]

I dunno, AB. Ingraham doesn't sound like someone who was offered a job. Or that doesn't want to step on toes.

I've been a pretty loyal listener over the years (with occasional lapses when I get annoyed), but the continuous "let me tell you how a better media strategist would have handled this" is getting old fast.

[lyle]

If so, then TM and JOM deserve public funding.

Huzzah! (Psst: you omitted the word 'lavish.')

[Janet 🚬]

::spit:: on that public funding for the arts.

Some article I read raised the point - when was the last time they funded a play about our 2nd amendment rights?

Let citizens form groups to support the arts that they want. Government shouldn't be involved.

Leftists will have to start choosing...
Do I want to help fund a play about vaginas...or do I want to help Sally kill her baby?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/13/ashley-judd-very-sad-scared-after-man-says-we-like/

Some guy told her he likes Trump, so she's scared.

I am telling you, this woman should be institutionalized.

[Old Lurker]

"Funding for the arts is quite simply the lifeblood of the culture of our nation."

Paid for with money borrowed from China to be repaid with interest by our grandchildren.

Femall. Go find a Medici and convince them your are worth the investment. Take NPR with you.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Old Lurker,

I bet if we had rich people funding art instead of the government, the quality would improve.

Seemed to work during the Renaissance.

[daddy on iPad at the Happy Mexican]

The crappy thing about TM's storm is that already we're receiving E-Mails telling us we are probably going to be late for tonight's launch due to the expected delays in the inbound flights from the NorthEast. Bummer:( That stuff flows downhill, but I've got a good book so no biggie.

[Jane]

Dave,

Boy I remember the blizzard of '78 like it was yesterday. I worked in Natick and lived in W. Newton. My biggest fear was I wouldn't get paid while we were off because I was living paycheck to paycheck.We would walk down to the empty MA pike every day. A woman down the street had a baby. One of my roomate's girlfriend was a waitress at Hojo's and they sent a front end loader to pick her up after a couple of days.

Can't figure out what is wrong with 128.

[Dave (in MA)]

Bay Staters,

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/herald_bulldog/2017/03/gov_baker_warns_drivers_to_stay_off_the_roads_during

Tall Deval says to stay off the roads tomorrow.

[narciso]

That reminds what have you got out of Charlie baker's tenure.

[Jim Eagle]

Say discussing Judd and Kentucky, where has Cecil T been lately, flying work?

Judd's reaction is nothing compared to some of the snowflakes and moonbats here in The Hamptons. Most are in long-term therapy and go to "relax and breath" classes at the local yoga studios. Lots of cocoa and tea sales.

[Dave (in MA)]

I remember walking over to the Roche Bros. supermarket in Westwood about 4 or 5 days after the storm hit, and we had to walk over the 128 overpass. The National Guard was still pulling stranded cars off the highway. Later that year I started college and met a guy who'd lost his brother from carbon monoxide poisoning while waiting out the storm in a stranded car.

[Porchlight]

I bet if we had rich people funding art instead of the government, the quality would improve.

We do have rich people funding art. There is no lack of rich patrons - you can see their names all over PBS, NPR, the Met, every arts organizatio, every museum and foundation, etc.

We also have rich people funding art via their taxes.

The art all still mostly sucks.

Every time I see the term "the arts" I want to start hoisting the flag. It is shorthand for "taxpayer funding."

[Dave (in MA)]

The usual campaigns as a conservative/governs as a liberal that we're accustomed to around these parts, narciso.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://twitter.com/TarekFatah/status/841369900123865088/video/1

Video at link of Trump-supporting grade school girl.

She has a gold jacket and her classmates make fun of her and call her "Trump Girl" but she doesn't care.

I think this girl should replace one of the reporters at Spicer's press briefings.

https://twitter.com/TarekFatah/status/841369900123865088/video/1

[sbw]

do not argue about politics with old friends on Facebook. Not worth it.

I don’t argue politics, but I sure as hell post politics. If you don’t get it in the Alphabet News and AP, it has to get out somehow.

I just don’t respond.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Porchlight,

My daughter is a talented artist who will not use her talent because of all of the student criticism when she was in art school. It destroyed her confidence in her talent.

I have told her and told her that she could make a fortune doing dog portraits. She did one of my dog Maggie which is just wonderful. I even showed it to the trainer and he was amazed and asked if she would do one, but no, she just didn't want to do it.

I am beginning to think art schools weed out the normal people so that the psychos who make all of the weird stuff end up as the only ones left.

Maybe we should have a "normal people art show."

One of the things I appreciate about Trump is that when you look at his home you see things like an original Renoir. None of those art pieces which are politically motivated or offensive or just plain ugly.

[Tom R]

The Ryan camp has said that the legislation that will allow the sale of healthcare insurance across state lines will come in Phase 3. That legislation will require 60 votes in the Senate to defeat a filibuster.

Why not knock that out first since it is one of the key components of Trump and the GOP's strategy to drive down healthcare cost by forcing competition?

[jimmyk]

"I bet if we had rich people funding art instead of the government, the quality would improve."

Porch beat me to it:

We also have rich people funding art via their taxes.

Yes, rich people fund most of the government-sponsored art simply by being taxpayers. The problem is that the money is directed by self-anointed experts chosen by politicians. I agree: Cut out the middleman and let rich people fund the arts directly, as they mostly do anyway.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2017/03/13/a-doctor-to-heal-the-fda-scott-gottlieb-may-be-trumps-most-important-nominee/

[jimmyk]

Judd's response reminds me of how the people in that SNL piece reacted to the dog. And the SNL piece reminded me of the skit they did in the early 80s, takeoff on "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," in which the pod people mouthed Reaganisms like "Government isn't the solution, it's part of the problem." Of course the reaction of those who hadn't been "invaded" was similar to the one in the dog mind-reading skit. Very funny, but I've never been able to find a video.

[lyle]

WSJ has a nice write-up commending Gottlieb as FDA head. He's apparently a cancer survivor. It goes without saying, that agency is yet another swamp that needs draining.

[henry]

Miss M, if Gottlieb at FDA can rein in the bureaucracy, drug prices can get under control. Creeping requirements on trials greatly increase expenses, risks, and time to returns for pharmaceutical companies. A major driver of drug prices. The article is understated on that.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Proud to welcome our great Cabinet this afternoon for our first meeting. Unfortunately 4 seats were empty because Senate Dems are delaying!

[maryrose]

TomR:
They have to do the 51 vote reconciliation votes first then tackle the 60 vote threshold which will be the most challenging.

[jimmyk]

Creeping requirements on trials greatly increase expenses, risks, and time to returns for pharmaceutical companies.

I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure there are a lot of weird irrationalities in patent protections that screw up drug pricing. I think Shkreli among others was taking advantage of those, but really the fault is the regulations. I know, for example, that companies can play tricks with dosages and off-label uses to extend patent protection. Unlike L&O writers, I don't blame the evil drug companies but the stupid regulators.

[Dave (in MA)]

jimmyk | March 13, 2017 at 05:00 PM, and then there was the movie They Live, which was supposed to have been an allegory about Reagan era culture and economics.

[narciso]

Just like escape from new York was his mashup of
Watergate and deathwish, 24 million, the cbo really dialed to eleventy.

[henry]

Jimmyk, patent law is a mess and Congress makes it worse every time they "fix" it. FDA regs (separate from patents) are another cost driver. I'd add tort law to complete the legion of doom of drug affordability.

[Tom R]

They have to do the 51 vote reconciliation votes first then tackle the 60 vote threshold which will be the most challenging.

Says who? The GOP may have chosen to repeal the parts of Obamacare that can be repealed via reconciliation first but that is by choice. AFAIK there is absolutely nothing stopping them from submitting the legislation that will allow the sale of healthcare insurance across state lines right now.

IMO it is this legislation which will identify which politicians from both parties answer to Wall Street and Big Insurance (who do not want to have to compete) instead of to their constituents.

IMO if Congress and Trump do not get this reform enacted into law, then IMO that means there won't be any actual reform of healthcare that reduces costs despite the GOP having control of everything.

[daddy on iPad]

On the importance of public funding of "Art," "the lifeblood of the culture of our nation... it helps to support the cultural and educational achievements for which today's society will be remembered many years from now."

Behold The Throne: There's A Golden Toilet At The Guggenheim

...Starting Friday, visitors to the Guggenheim are encouraged to relieve themselves in a fully functional toilet cast in 18-karat gold called America,...

...The golden throne is meant to be a gesture of provocation...

...gets to the heart of a lot of questions around exclusivity in the art world...

...a work of art that speaks quite dramatically about its own value, is fascinating on many many levels," ...

...Cattelan has been described as a "provocateur, prankster, and tragic poet of our times." One of his most famous pieces, La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour), depicts Pope John Paul II lying on the floor after being struck by a meteor....

Etc...

[Clarice Feldman]

Really clouding up now in DC

[daddy on iPad]

Think how much benefit would have been done to the country in the long run if "Teddy" had drowned instead of "the Blonde."

[Old Lurker]

5:37, Where Clarice utters a double entendre...

[emzed]

For Lyle's photo of the buried Jeep in the snow drift and reference to the Donner party, I'm reminded of the comments supposedly made by the judge in another cannibalism case in the Old West, namely at the trial of one Alferd Packer:

Stand up yah voracious man-eatin' sonofabitch and receive yir sintince. When yah came to Hinsdale County, there was siven Dimmycrats. But you, yah et five of 'em, goddam yah. I sintince yah t' be hanged by th' neck ontil yer dead, dead, dead, as a warnin' ag'in reducin' th' Dimmycratic populayshun of this county. Packer, you Republican cannibal, I would sintince ya ta hell but the statutes forbid it."

Too bad we don't have some voracious Republican cannibals to return the favor!

[Buckeye]

Just heard the local weather dude forecast 1-3 inches overnight.

Doesn't sound like there will be many opportunities to make some beer money tomorrow.

[Frau Hatsenetall]

daddy, I already shared with you that my husband was in Iditarod while on a fire crew out of Fairbanks when only one person was still living there (1958). The entire town was deserted with things left as they were when the people moved out. The court building had all the records still in cupboards and cabinets. The fire crew was made up mostly of college age fellows so they sat around reading the cases that had come up years before. There were enough interesting happenings to have birthed a good many TV series.

[Dave (in MA)]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6zleAvW0AI6OUZ.jpg

H/t TM via Andrew Klavan

[Man Tran]

Anonamom,

Last time I went for my medical, my AME admitted that before the drug companies got into the game, the rule of thumb for BP was your age plus 100. I wonder if any studies have been done to correlate lives saved vs forced dropping of the BP below that trend with meds. . . Nah. Somehow that wouldn't increase any paychecks at the drug companies.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

I don't take statins. My doctor prescribed them, but my reaction was a creepy feeling of something crawling on my skin, so I quit.

Doc said he and his partners took them as a preventative measure. Well, if you look at the guy, he's skinny as a rail and looks semi-mummified. Very nice guy who doesn't bother me too much, but really, I don't think HE looks healthy!

Not interested in taking statins. I had an ekg the last time I was at the doctor and it was fine. No problems and BP was just a little elevated (probably because it was right around the election).

[Frau Er soll die grosse Schnauze halten!]

Despicable...how can we tell BHO to shut up?

Alfred Hitchcock’s black comedy The Trouble with Harry bombed at the box office when it was first released in 1955; it has now achieved the status of a classic. Today, a bizarre melodrama playing in all the major political theaters, which might be called The Trouble with Barry, has become an overnight smash hit. Starring Barack Obama, a prodigy of the art of surveillance and Teflon-like resilience, it will eventually run its course. However the plot may develop, one thing is certain: it will not be regarded as a classic.

The trouble with Barry, like Hitchcock’s moribund Harry, is that he never seems to go away, constantly emerging at the most inopportune moments. Unlike every other president in American history, Obama has dedicated himself to the practice of what the Washington Examiner has described as “post-presidential meddling.”

https://pjmedia.com/blog/the-trouble-with-barry/

[Momto2]

One of the things I appreciate about Trump is that when you look at his home you see things like an original Renoir. None of those art pieces which are politically motivated or offensive or just plain ugly.

Nor do we see framed Communist poster "art"!

http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/223306/obama-spokesman-jay-carney-decorates-home-soviet-daniel-greenfield

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

The Disney channel news has gone full Costanza on protecting Zippy from wiretap claims. This could be the setup for the biggest beclowning ever.

[narciso]

Maybe she should try emoticons

https://mobile.twitter.com/cathleendecker/status/841398477561061376

[narciso]

How does one say surprise in turkish

https://mobile.twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/841410511296069632

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

Eric Stoltz probably says "yes dear" to whatever Shipman wants.

[maryrose]

Byron York:
Says Obama admin did not use surveillance on Trump campaign.
I do not think York is correct here.
What about those FISA requests.

[maryrose]

CH:
You are so right!

[narciso]

She was cnn's Moscow correspondent, for a time:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikehayes/rex-tillerson-allegedly-used-alias-email-for-climate-change?utm_term=.rsZYrOqjLm#.adYy89OlvD

[daddy]

Cool, Frau!

By 1930 the gold was gone and most of the miners had moved to Flat, taking many of the buildings with them. Iditarod is now a ghost town. Only one cabin and a handful of ruins remain, including the concrete bank vault from the Miners and Merchants Bank. There is no remnant of the bank structure

[narciso]

Its not just grasping at straws, they are making then up

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://spectator.org/how-and-why-obamacare-repeal-will-succeed/

Good article from The American Spectator.

[Beasts of England]

'Says who? The GOP may have chosen to repeal the parts of Obamacare that can be repealed via reconciliation first but that is by choice. '

Am I correct in understanding that it's the opinion of the parliamentarian, re: what can and cannot be repealed via reconciliation?

[narciso]

Considering the source its not totally crisis.
https://newleftreview.org/II/103/perry-anderson-passing-the-baton#_edn4

[sbw]

Lou Dobbs just scorched Paul Ryan on Fox Business. Betsy McCaughey made sense.

Donald Trump to the white courtesy phone! Negotiation needed.

[DrJ]

it's the opinion of the parliamentarian...

At this stage, it is Ryan's guess as to what the parliamentarian's opinion would be. And Cruz may have a way around this, but it is pretty close to the nuclear option.

Tom R's point is a bit different, I think. Phase II, the regulation pruning, can be done no matter what. Phase I as described is not helpful without Phase III. And Phase III stands a good chance of getting filibustered.

So his point, as I take it, is why not roll Phase I and Phase III into a single bill, and force the Dems to filibuster or not?

[Momto2]

Who is this parliamentarian? Elizabeth MacDonough?

Another potential stumbling block in the Senate, he noted, is its parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough. She decides during the reconciliation process whether language in the House version can be attached to the Senate version.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/03/13/republicans-aca-repeal-bill-not-easiest-medicine-swallow-many/

[Beasts of England]

Thanks, DrJ - good points. The idea of a three phase implementation is fraught with danger.

[Clarice Feldman]

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170313/ohio-could-lose-26-billion-under-trumpcare?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Local+news%2CLocal+politics&utm_source=facebook

It starts.

[Clarice Feldman]

More whining:http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/323702-transit-agencies-push-for-inclusion-in-trumps-infrastructure-plan

If the transit authority here is any guide--they piss away more money than the Trevi Fountain pews water every day--bad management, too generous salaries, no oversight. Carving out bike paths in the middle of heavily trafficed roads, millions wasted on a street car to nowhere. Turn off the spigot.

[narciso]

Wasnt Jen brunner the secretary of state back in 2008, who failed to scrub the voting rolls

http://ww.communitysolutions.com/board-of-directors

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Here's an idea;
If Ohioans want what's being taken away they can tax themselves $26 billion more than presently.
If they don't want to then they must have not wanted what it paid for very badly.

[Frau Bitte die Wahrheit]

Iggy, it was easier with Obama's stash.

[maryrose]

Narciso:
Yes
Our new attorney general has done a great job of cleaning up the other rolls.
We campaigned against Brunner and republicans have held that job for quite awhile now.

[narciso]

They never go away, she's not only on the appeals court, but on the board of these quangos. To use the UK verbiage

[Dave (in MA)]

How'd the pot roast, MM?

[narciso]

The plot sickens:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/city-of-spies/519321/

[jimmyk]

Am I correct in understanding that it's the opinion of the parliamentarian, re: what can and cannot be repealed via reconciliation?

Regardless, as I understand it the parliamentarian can be overruled by a simple majority vote.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Dave (in MA),

Pot roast was good. Made it in the crock pot with a seasoning packet I bought at Kroger. Easy, peasy. Hardest part was peeling the potatoes.

Not exactly gourmet cooking, but it sure tasted good on a cold, snowy night!

[jimmyk]

Ohio could lose $26 billion under Trumpcare

Translation: American taxpayers could gain $26 billion. Repeat that for all 57 states (by differing amounts of course).

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

President Trump
✔
@POTUS

Meeting w/ Washington, D.C. @MayorBowser and Metro GM Paul Wiedefeld about incoming winter storm preparations here in D.C. Everyone be safe!
-------------------------
Mark Knoller‏Verified account @markknoller

Mark Knoller Retweeted President Trump

Pres Trump meets with DC Mayor and aides to confer about snowstorm about to hit the Capital. Rare for US Pres to meet with DC
Mayor.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C61RWWCXUAMJTPF.jpg

(Picture too big to post so go to the link.)

[Beasts of England]

Thanks, jimmyk. That makes me wonder why they're suggesting that her opinion may be part of the reason for the phasing-in of the new law.

Okay, silly me - I know...

[Beasts of England]

A really good pot roast is as fine as cold weather food can be.

[jimmyk]

Marquis of Queensbury rules for the GOP, Beasts, as you know. Saul Alinsky for the Dems. It's why we're in the state we're in.

[narciso]

They left out the kgb connection to the pflp, but otherwise a fairly straight forward piece;
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/carlos-jackal-faces-paris-trial-over-1974-grenade-attack-n732591

[jimmyk]

patent law is a mess and Congress makes it worse every time they "fix" it.

The anecdote I had in mind* was that Mrs K had a prescription for a 5mg dosage of some drug that was hugely expensive. Turned out the 10mg dosage was off patent and pennies per dose. Apparently the 5mg dosage was for a different malady, and the drug company was allowed to maintain a patent for that reason. Naturally Mrs K, being a sophisticated consumer, asked her doctor to prescribe the 10mg version and she cut the pills in half.

The point being, of course, that I'm all for patents, but once something is off patent it should have no protection from competition at any dosage.

*Some of the details may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I have the gist of it.

[DrJ]

A really good pot roast is as fine as cold weather food can be.

Two words: Lamb Shanks.

[narciso]

So he was a Wisconsin snowflake and a protege of the mouth of flint

heavy.com/news/2017/03/jason-pollock-director-stranger-fruit-michael-brown-documentary-photos-bio-video

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Dr J,

I amsure you are right, but I don't eat lamb.

The reason is that I raised them for 4-H and they were pets.

Can't do it. To me it would be like eating a dog. I realize that sounds nuts, but it is a psychological reaction. I could never get over eating a relative of Daisy, my prize winning ewe at the county fair.

[Threadkiller]

Sauerbraten is our comfort food pot roast, MM.

[Porchlight]

Veal shanks? Osso bucco alla milanese. :)

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

TK,

I haven't had sauerbraten in years. I need to look up a recipe. Thanks for reminding me!

[Skoot]

"...confer about snowstorm...Rare for US Pres to meet with DC Mayor."

Rare for the President to know more than most about heavy equipment :)

Schools are closed already here in northern NJ. We've got a Belgian waffle maker and two dozen eggs. Bring it on!

[narciso]

You know its like bargaining with terminators

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6329595&postID=7365148377467014012&bpli=1

[DrJ]

Two other winter favorites here are roast duckling (or goose) and fish curry (!). But not at the same time!