Curb Your Enthusiasm

The WashEx tells us that the new tax bill is losing the PR battle for hearts and minds:

Two new polls suggest the Republican tax bill is horribly unpopular

Republicans’ sales effort on their tax plan has fallen far short and the public mostly disapproves of their planned tax cut, two polls released Tuesday show.

A Quinnipiac poll found that just 29 percent of voters approve of the plan, while 53 percent disapprove.

Similarly, a Gallup poll showed 29 percent of Americans favoring the tax cut and 56 percent disapproving.

President Trump and the congressional GOP still have the support of Republicans, according to the new polling. But Democrats and independents strongly oppose the tax cuts. The plan has little support among women and minorities.

On the other hand... 

Although support for the tax cut isn’t that much lower than it was for Ronald Reagan’s tax reform in 1986, Gallup noted, the opposition is much bigger and much more engaged.

Hmm, Gallup was a bit less charitable:

Americans' current approval of the proposed tax changes is slightly lower than the 39% approval Gallup found the last time Congress took on a major overhaul of the federal tax code. That was in 1986, with President Ronald Reagan spearheading the legislation. However, the big difference between the two efforts is that far fewer Americans opposed the 1986 tax bill than oppose the proposals being debated today, 34% vs. 56%, respectively. More than a quarter of Americans in September 1986, just prior to final passage of that plan, expressed no opinion about it -- roughly twice today's level.

39% support for the Reagan era bipartisan effort vs. 29% now?

 

Well, if the economy hums, jobs are created and wages rise Trump will get the credit, and considering his anti-regulatory zeal he will deserve some of it.

 

SECOND THOUGHTS: Per the WaPo, House Republicans are puzzling over how to mitigate the impact of the disallowance of the state and local income tax deduction.

Comments

[henry]

The need to get rid of the Senat's corp AMT.

[Steve Earle Song Ideas]

56 pct want their 401k to go down in order to stick it to trump, the billionaire

logic in the age of trump sure is funny

[henry]

House Republicans are puzzling over how to

a. tie their shoes
b. kiss deep state's ass
c. zip their pants
d. pretend to be conservative

this could be a fun one.

[henry]

Mueller deputy was personal attorney of Ben Rhodes. More of that "nonpartisan" investigator we are so used to.

https://pjmedia.com/trending/another-one-mueller-deputy-personal-attorney-ben-rhodes-represented-clinton-foundation/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Captain Hate]

The RINOs were still trying to strike a Faustian bargain with the commiecrats by not just slashing rates across the board and of course it blew up in their faces as no donks jumped on board. It was successful in running out the clock in most states by going past the filing date for a primary challenge so Repuke mission accomplished.

[henry]

One time flat rate for early retirement plan withdrawal? Oh, to generate revenue to pay for tax cuts. Cut spending you morons!!!

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/5/james-inhofe-republicans-considering-allowing-for-/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

[Captain Hate]

FLAMING SKULL: Jeff Flake puts 83 cents in Salvation Army kettle!
Posted by: The Gipper Lives at December 06, 2017 07:09 AM (Ndje9)

[JimNorCal]

Yes, cut spending you morons.
Several of the wife's friends have heard the tax plan will be bad for them from the media. I sent them the calculator posted here at JOM.

Will the new rates kick in for 2018?
In which case everyone will find out soon if the media is naughty or nice, truth telling or scummy liars. I know where the smart money will be.

Off topic, Nancy Pelosi "you don't belong here". Well, if you feel that way why not come burn a cross on my front yard. Isn't that how Dems have traditionally handled it?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

It's unrealistic to think they could find anything to cut in 4 trillion dollars.

What's truly sad is, while my comment is meant to be ironic, it's actually true; it is completely unrealistic to think they could find anything to cut.

[Clarice Feldman]

I wonder how much of this disapproval is based on biased accounts of what is in the bill.

[Threadkiller]

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona jurors who will decide a malicious-prosecution trial against former Sheriff Joe Arpaio were told that one of Sen. Jeff Flake's sons suffered from depression as a result of a now-dismissed animal cruelty case that the lawman brought against him.

The jury was told on the opening day of the civil trial that Austin Flake and his ex-wife Logan Brown still suffer emotional distress from the charges they faced when 21 dogs at a kennel operated by the younger Flake's in-laws died from heat exhaustion. The Flakes were watching the dogs while the in-laws were in Florida.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/malicious-prosecution-suit-against-joe-arpaio-goes-trial-101759310.html

[Appalled]

henry:

Sounds like a great way to lock in the majority of tax deferral on a 401(k), if you don't trust the government's willingness to maintain lower tax rates. Devil is in the details.

It's a bad idea if you care about people saving for retirement. Since 401(k) is basically an accident, and it's been clear for years Congress would love to get rid of it, if they could figure out how, it's clear Congress really does not care that much about people saving for retirement.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Did any pollster ask what percentage of the public knew what is in the tax bill?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

If the government cared about saving for retirement they wouldn't take 15%+ of workers'wages and give it to other present retirees and handing you back an IOU with a negative ROI.

[Account Deleted]

I could be called a bigot when it comes to homosexual men and women. It's about as much a waste of time debating the allegation as it is debating racism, what it is and how it works.

For me, homosexuality has been shoved into the faces of heterosexuals full bore in the hire ed scene since the early 80s.

If I didn't adorn every counseling professional on campus with a mantle of moral authority for having the courage to announce to the world they preferred sodomy, then it meant that I wanted to beat them to death a la the fake Matthew Shepard story that was soon to become their banner "what if" allegation against every straight male.

Here in Berkeley, homosexual females are a priestesshood unto themselves and most special out of everybody on earth because they are fighting the patriarchy while recreating a matriarchal patriarchy. Make sense? I have never seen so many females trying to dress like males, talk like males, do stuff that males like to do (allegedly).

What annoys me in particular are the homosexual females who adopt or turkey baste their conceptions of male children--- then scope out straight males, preferably "of color", to "mentor" the little bastards. I received 17 such invites. One was so that their little bastard could get a "flavor of Native culture" because my Son Levon was in "Kobe's class".

Heh?

I was branded a hater because I refused to participate in the great homosexual mommy experiment at raising straight males (all 17 of those boys turned out screwed up btw--- in trouble with the law, run aways to find their real parents, or selling themselves to homosexual males in San Francisco--- seems that mentoring didn't go so well with the straight males so the "2 mommies" turned their sons over to horn dog homosexual males who were "attracted" to boys. Who knew? We thought they were exempt from such proclivities. How dare we bring that up?).

Am I biased. Yep. Do I give a crap? No. Can I sit in a room and carry on a polite conversation with homosexual females and males who can carry one on with me? You betcha. However, in Berkeley, most of the time, the overt lisping and intense butching stylistics signal no interest in conversing about anything with a "straight" person. Just as well. Their politics make for boring conversations--- the assumptions are just too much to bear.

But the warfare really starts when I refrain from adoring their version of morality, love, and family. Why must they be that co-dependent? My vaidation is essential for them to live in peace?

Try being me for a day and see how that works? I no-nee-no-steenkeeng validation from homosexual males or females.

In fact, I no nee it from but the very few people in my life that I trust with living an everyday life with me.

[Account Deleted]

"House Republicans are puzzling over how to"

i. pronounce "important" properly instead of "impordant";

j. See "i" pertaining to the word "insurance" not "insherntz"

Picky. I know. But it's the little things, no?

[JimNorCal]

The Hill, linked by Insty

"Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.) said Tuesday he will not resign from his post amid allegations of sexual harassment from a former staffer.

Kihuen asserted in an ABC News interview that party leaders knew last year about the woman’s allegations of sexual misconduct, but did not take action against his campaign."

[Captain Hate]

Several of the wife's friends have heard the tax plan will be bad for them from the media.

They really know how to jerk some people, like my wife, around. She was outraged that tuition payments for grad students will be taxable. Leaving aside that this has cropped up sporadically in the past, I think I had to pay it one year, before being done away with, I told her "this doesn't impact us so why don't you confine your going hair on fire to anything that does".

[JimNorCal]

"how much of this disapproval is based on biased accounts of what is in the (tax reform) bill."

I'd guess north of 99%

[Jim Eagle]

Its reasonable to assume that this tax plan is a big hit on the top earners especially with SALT deduction elimination.

The top 1% pay 35% of federal income taxes, the top 10% pay 68%.

Safe to say a great majority of the 1% reside in New York, New Jersey and California. They take the biggest hit in SALT elimination.

Here are the top 10 states with $1 million AGI filers:

California 45,109

New York 38,240

Texas 27,347

Florida 20,921

Illinois 14,692

New Jersey 14,440

Massachusetts 11,395

Pennsylvania 10,180

Connecticut 9,493

Texas and Florida have no State income tax. So Trump and GOP candidates don't have much of a problem there. Except for Pennsylvania, Trump didn't win the electoral votes from the other 7.

Think of the pressure on those states to cut their income taxes.

Going to be hard for the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut payers to leave since you'd have to move Wall St. and the Media centers to Texas or Florida and that may happen as a result:)

[Account Deleted]

"The jury was told on the opening day of the civil trial that Austin Flake and his ex-wife Logan Brown still suffer emotional distress from the charges they faced when 21 dogs at a kennel operated by the younger Flake's in-laws died from heat exhaustion. The Flakes were watching the dogs while the in-laws were in Florida."

WTF?!? This belongs on Judge Judy. She'd get justice for them, by God.

[henry]

JiB, all those people pay AMT now... which cuts out their SALT deduction. What's the hubbub?

[Neo]

A pervasive theme of all of these men's coverage of Mrs. Clinton was that she was dishonest and unlikable. These recent harassment allegations suggest that perhaps the problem wasn't that Mrs. Clinton was untruthful or inherently hard to connect with, but that these particular men hold deep biases against women who seek power instead of sticking to acquiescent sex-object status.

[Porchlight]

My idiot LIV coworker, who believes everything he reads and hears, listened to a podcast that told him that everyone making under $75k would see a tax increase and believed it implicitly.

This guy pays no net income taxes at all, although he doesn't realize that because there are amounts taken out of his check each month.

We're not dealing with the brightest bulbs here.

[henry]

House tax cut reconciliation members named:

The conference will be led by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and include four other GOP members of the tax-writing panel: Reps. Devin Nunes (Calif.), Peter Roskam (Ill.), Diane Black (Tenn.) and Kristi Noem (S.D.).

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and committee member Don Young (R-Alaska) will be on the conference committee as well as House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and panel member John Shimkus (R-Ill.).

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/363214-ryan-picks-his-negotiating-team-for-tax-cut-bill

[sbw]

Previous thread Ig: Lawrence itself was a brutal blow to Federalism, which not only did violence to the constitution, it did violence to where the power to organize society rests; the states and/or the people respectively, or the unaccountable Mandarins of DC.

I can agree about the assault on federalism, but, equally true, the state law that Lawrence overturned was a brutal blow to the Constitution. The state has no business regulating consensual behavior in the privacy of one’s own home.

Does that make me a constitutional libertarian?

[Account Deleted]

Porch--- the howling in Berkeley over "the tax bill" is drowning out the mutts singing with the sirens throughout the day.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Porchlight,

I had to go over this with my daughter. As an art major, she really doesn't understand a lot of stuff to do with taxes. This is her first experience with filing as a homeowner for the entire year and will have to look at mortgage interest vs. standard deduction. I think the standard will benefit her more but we will see. We live in a fairly low property tax state, so the loss of that won't be a big deal.

I really wish they would make this apply retroactively, like I remember them doing with one other tax cut. It ends up with big refunds for people since their withholding hadn't been adjusted, and the stores all run ads about what to do with your refund check and such.

[Jim Eagle]

henry,

Yeah. I forgot about AMT. Just looking for the loudest squeals.

[sbw]

Late to the cake-baking.

The essence of capitalism is freedom of association and contracts.

It is critical that I can choose not to do business with a baker or the baker can choose not to do business with me.

Equally consequential, as a result of my trade, others can decide for themselves where to do business. Government oversteps its bounds when it presumes to overcontrol markets.

[Threadkiller]

Found this in the comments at CTH:

Citizen Dale
@Trumptbird

Corey Lewandowski speaking about the campaign...

“This was ALL Candidate Trump. We never spent a dime on opposition research The President, then Candidate Trump, would say, ‘Look I know everything about these guys! I just need a one liner’ because he knows the American people”

https://mobile.twitter.com/Trumptbird/status/938062069458284545

[Account Deleted]

A Turk bureaucrat's opinion re the consequence of moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem:"eputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said the expected US move risked igniting a "fire" in the Middle East and will prove a "great disaster".

The recognition will "throw the region and the world into a fire and it's not known when it will end", Bozdag, also government spokesman, wrote on Twitter.

Bozdag said such a step which showed "great intolerance and mindlessness" would "destroy the peace process".

>>>> Ahem. Peace process? What a joke. Fakestinians murder Jews. Israel retaliates. Fakestinians murder more Jews. Israel retaliates. Hamas pockets more cash. Buys more villas in Italy and France. Fakestinians murder more Jews.

Would not disrupting this cycle of idiocy be a good thing?

Where does Turkey get most of its warmaking hardware from? Spare parts? Air defense systems? Back in the 80s weren't we the Great Santa Claus to them?

[JimNorCal]

Special ornaments for Resistmas.
As seen on twitter

[henry]

JiB, the loudest squeals are politicians that depend on tax money in high tax states (ie Blue Hells).

[Threadkiller]

I sure wish Tom McClintock was on that list, Henry.

[henry]

I don't know much about anyone on that list TK. Nunes I've heard of, but in the intel context.

[Porchlight]

I have many gay friends and most are nice people and fairly well-adjusted. Some are nice but not at all well-adjusted. A fairly close friend got married to her girlfriend a year or two ago, at the girlfriend's insistence because it was newly legal so they had to do it. That marriage is already over. But of course straight marriages end, too.

I object principally to gay parenting. A child needs a mother and a father.

Yes, single parents can do a great job but no one argues that it is ideal. Adoptive parents are usually adopting a child who has no parents at all, so that is a remedial situation.

I think it is wrong to intentionally deprive a child of one or both biological parents.

[Buckeye]

I think a substantially large number tax bill harpies are either too young or weren't born yet to remember the boost in the economy the Reagan tax cuts caused.

The majority of us older people folks bitching about it don't take Magnesium, so we can't remember either:)

[Captain Hate]

Willowed

There is bigotry (some of which is apparently acceptable to certain posters here)

This statement bothers me with its unspecific nature so everyone is left wondering who's being talked about. That's ok, I can play that game. Some of us have homosexual friends but don't feel the need to constantly bring it up so we can pretend to be really really good people when in reality treating them like exotic pets. Tammy Bruce has said that she's gay but it's only a small part of what defines her and when a man mistakenly thinks she's coming on to him she isn't offended. We're all sexual animals but as humans we should keep it in our pants in public, literally and metaphorically.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

The state law that Lawrence overturned could not be a brutal blow to the constitution because there is no constitutional right to engage in homosexual activity.
A state cannot harm the constitution by exercising its sovereign rights.
Now, one may argue the state shouldn't exercise its rights in this area, but that is a different thing than saying it isn't its area to exercise in, if it so chooses.

My libertarian leanings and my feelings about what should or shouldn't happen are trumped by the law of the land and the Founders.

[sbw]

Bigotry is different than intolerance. I think there is less likely bigotry here than firm belief that particular behavior is inappropriate.

I absolutely stand by BB protecting a child. I would do the same.

I don’t see bigotry at JOM. Opinions, yes. But there isn’t anyone here who wouldn’t support an individual of any stripe.

[sbw]

one may argue the state shouldn't exercise its rights in this area

I do.

The Constitution is foursquare in favor of liberty and limited government. So am I.

Neither of us is going to undo Lawrence or the State law it overturned.

The best we can do is help others understand that ours is a country of individuals tied together by liberty and responsibility.

[James D.]

If the tax bill (in whatever final form) passes, and is signed into law this month, will it take effect immediately, so that all the changes will apply to our 2017 taxes? Or will it go into effect starting with next year? Or is that one of the things that will be negotiated?

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://twitter.com/Scavino45/status/938259363961163776

Retweeted by President Trump, this is a time lapse video of border wall prototypes.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/al-franken-accusation-sexual-harassment-2006-281049

[narcisoyea]

Re Hewitt, I first heard mark steyn and lileks through him, I found his actual insight kind of week, after an interval

[jimmyk]

I wonder how much of this disapproval is based on biased accounts of what is in the bill.

Geez, according to the polls Trump is really unpopular too. I'm pretty sure Hillary will beat him. Oh, wait.

Seriously, I think a lot of people who don't like the bill are taking the run-up in the stock market for granted. As I said the other day, my taxes will go up, but I'd rather have that than the stock market tanking by 20% if reform fails. Of course the Republicans might screw up the reconciliation and come out with a horrible dog's breakfast of a bill, but let's wait and see.

[RattlerGator]

Test.

[Threadkiller]

Advice line question.

I am currently 50lbs overweight with a diagnosed aneurysm that is on the verge of mandating surgery. My cardiologist has me on metoprolol to keep my BP down. 25mg twice a day.

Lately my resting bp hovers in the 150/100 range. My wife believes the cardiologist is going to raise the dosage when I talk to him. As it is I am exhausted all the time so I really don't want a higher dose.

Lifestyle wise I have made small changes. A lot less booze(mainly because of gout), smaller portions of heavy foods, a little more walking and so on. Nothing radical.

I am of the opinion that I need to lose the weight 1st. Previously I have shed weight quickly by fasting but now I have no idea what the impact on my cardiovascular system will be. A quick scan of the interwebs tells me that fasting will both raise and lower my BP.

Any ideas on whether a more rapid weight loss plan is in order? I really don't want to up the beta-blocker dose and I assume a lean mean TK would prevent that.

Thanks.

[RattlerGator]

Don't look now, ladies and gentlemen, but the possibility James Comey has covered himself in glory is back, back, back in play.

[1]
Look at this piece on Michael Horowitz of the DOJ OIG from months ago:

http://heavy.com/news/2017/01/michael-e-horowitz-inspector-general-department-of-justice-fb-investigation-james-comey-hillary-clinton-email-review/

In a statement, FBI Director James Comey said he is grateful that this review is going to take place.

[RattlerGator]

[2]
Look at this interesting snippet from months ago by Senator Trey Gowdy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y1r3yON-QA&feature=youtu.be

Hmmmmmmm . . . he insisted to Martha McCallum that history will be much kinder to Jim Comey about the July press conference than the Democrats were.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--The best we can do is help others understand that ours is a country of individuals tied together by liberty and responsibility.--

Perhaps the best we can do is remind people of how our country was formed and what the Constitution actually says and means.
If we say we're for the rule of law not men, seems odd to then turn around and turn our personal shoulds into national musts.

[RattlerGator]

[3]
Look at this overnight thread on Twitter:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/938381814267334656

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Comey is covered in something alright...

[Davod]

"IN JUNE, the Senate voted 90-0 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But now that it’s actually being done, it’s a crazy idea?" (Instapundit header.)

"WASHINGTON — The US Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Monday [June 5, 2017] that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/senate-unanimously-passes-bill-marking-50-years-since-jerusalem-reunification/

[Tom Bowler]

I think a substantially large number tax bill harpies are either too young or weren't born yet to remember the boost in the economy the Reagan tax cuts caused...

Posted by: Buckeye | December 06, 2017 at 09:41 AM

As I recall the campaign against the Reagan tax cuts was all about trickle down, voodoo economics, and how it just wasn't going to work. Democrats steadfastly maintained that the tax cuts didn't work, in spite of all evidence to the contrary. Republicans could see that they did, and some, like myself, give the Reagan tax cuts credit for laying the ground work that ultimately lead to the Clinton single year budget surplus.

So when Bush proposed his tax cuts, infuriating Democrats who were salivating at the prospect of all that revenue they looking to spend, the campaign against tax cuts claimed they were giveaways to the rich. Democrats are still using that playbook, and at the same time they are predicting disaster because of our $20+ trillion date. I know, go figure.

This new tax bill looks like it's going to be something of a mess, but it will be a roaring success if all it does is cut the corporate tax rate and encourages domestic economic growth. It's hard to imagine it won't do that.

But Republicans are fearful of going after anything except the low hanging fruit like corporate rates. They cringe in fear they'll be accused of helping their rich friends at the expense of the poor.

By forever falling into that trap and thus failing to cut top marginal rates, they also fail to eliminate the various loopholes, such as carried interest. Democrats want the loopholes, particularly they want funding for "charitable" foundations which have largely become left wing political action committees. Those are the Democrats' the big slush fund. I think the (GOPe) like the loopholes, too.

Maybe tax reform will be revisited after 2018, when, if my predictions are correct, Republicans will increase their majorities.

Pipe dream? Maybe so, but we'll have to wait until 2018 to find out.

[RattlerGator]

Finally, [4]
This guy makes the right point:

https://twitter.com/sethjlevy/status/938398263488712704

It’s like Mueller put all of the most politically motivated FBI/DOJ agents in a room and then put a wacko like Weismann in charge and set them on the mission to investigate/get Trump so he could monitor what they would do. Why would he do that? Interesting...

My, my, my, . . . my my my my !!!

[sbw]

If we say we're for the rule of law not men, seems odd to then turn around and turn our personal shoulds into national musts.

Yup.

[henry]

Comey's just hyping his book deal. He's not clean, let alone a hero. (Outside his own mind).

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
========================================

A lot of people on Twitter think this is like the Bat-signal. LOL!

We will see what happens today.

I am getting ready to leave on errands with my sister driving. I should be back in the early afternoon, as we will probably grab lunch.

She would have left earlier but she was looking for one of her cats, which she now has located. #OldLadyProblems

Keep alert on the news! I am always afraid I will miss something!

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Can only speak for myself, TK and don't know if it even applies to you, but when Mrs Iggy cut essentially all white flour and processed foods and all white sugar from our diets, I dropped about 20 pounds while eating the same amount, to my natural weight of about 210.

[James D.]

TK, for what it's worth, I've been doing Weight Watchers for the past 4 months and I've lost 35 lbs (a little under 2/week). I've found it (relatively) easy to stay on so far.

[Clarice Feldman]

RG I find the 10:13 tweet an unlikely scenario.

[Janet 🚬]

KK @ 8:54 - "But the warfare really starts when I refrain from adoring their version of morality, love, and family. Why must they be that co-dependent? My vaidation is essential for them to live in peace?"

An old post (again!)

The demands for "tolerance" have become demands for enthusiastic approval -- or else.

This is one of my favorite letters to the editor in the Wapo 4-9-07. Teaching Tolerance

" Regarding "Teaching Tolerance; Montgomery is a pioneer with a new sex education course" [editorial, April 2]: Contrary to what Montgomery County suggests, it is not necessary to teach details of any particular lifestyle to teach tolerance.

I grew up in the 1950s. My understanding of sexual practices might have been lacking in detail, but I was taught to respect all people and to tolerate however they wanted to live, as long as it did not harm me. I was required to act a certain way, not to think a certain way.

Today's agenda, promoting acceptance of all life choices as morally equal, confuses acceptance with tolerance. Although rapidly changing, our history as a nation places restrictions on what we do, not what we think.

Justifying graphic sex education as necessary for promoting tolerance is a fallacious argument."

ANNE ALLEN

[Captain Hate]

Defending Sessions is one thing but Comey doesn't get out of being kicked in the balls until my leg cramps up.

[narcisoyea]

Yes comey has been a sleazy little weasel going back to the Martha Stewart case through the ambush against Gonzalez, (which he still hadn't figured out yet) which involved the Madrid train bombing, the pas De doux involving the blame matter through the kerfluddle involving the us attorneys. So no he is in for himself.

[Captain Hate]

Since we're talking about health issues my blood sugar is up a bit, illustrating some backsliding on the nutritional front which will be rectified, but my doctor didn't panic over it figuring I could deal with it.

[Tom Bowler]

RG,

Re [2], certainly raises my doubts about Trey Gowdy, and perhaps explains why his congressional investigations never amounted to anything.

[sbw]

Hi, TK. Mucho support from here on your effort.

If you eat carbs, separate them from the proteins you eat by about an hour. Carbs activate the insulin that converts food into fat.

For instance, on the way to work I order -- not an egg McMuffin -- but round egg, ham, and sausage. A solid breakfast w/o carbs.

Feeling hungry? A quarter cup (small handful) of lightly salted almonds.

Still hungry? drink zero-calorie flavored water.

Love me my coffee, so reduce or leave out the sugar.

Snack on a piece of dark chocolate to celebrate your progress.

[jimmyk]

Impressive results, James D and Iggy. TK, I'd take their advice, but also ramp up the exercise (under medical supervision) as I'm pretty sure that will help with the BP. It can help with weight loss, but only if you resist the extra hunger that comes with exercise.

[Captain Hate]

Gowdy's a major film flam artist imo but part of the problem is the inability of Congress to indict anyone.

[henry]

warning from our Chitown Lurking unit:

For SBW & TK:

Absolutely NO Raw Almonds, ever. Contains cyanide. Roasting outgasses it.

[Beasts of England]

Where did that phantasmagoric paragraph alight from, Neo?

[jimmyk]

Macadamias are good, though it's hard to find them without a lot of salt. I don't worry about salt for health reasons, I just find them too salty for my taste.

[jimmyk]

BoE, I'm pretty sure that was the illustrious Jill Filipovic in the NYT. Or the moral equivalent.

[Buckeye]

I think Mueller should be encouraged to have a staff meeting with all his corrupt cronies.

I think the military should have an "unfortunate" accident with that tungsten "Rods from God" weapon.

Your imagination can connect the dots.

[Beasts of England]

And since the whole gay thing has surfaced once again - I cracked a rib last Wednesday night screwing a bisexual chick*. Does that absolve me if anti-gay bigotry?

Because it [redacted] should - I've never been in so much pain in my life, and there's not a damned thing that can be done.

*long story, and I don't wanna be on JOM probation again...

[Beasts of England]

That's some quality fantasy-fiction right there, jimmyk - thanks!

[Old Lurker]

Clarice "I wonder how much of this disapproval is based on biased accounts of what is in the bill."

Since nobody (even those like me who care a lot, and Howard who is the expert) has the faintest idea what is going to be in the law, if there is one, by definition polls are meaningless.

James, no version of the bill will impact taxes owed for 2017 Income. At best it will apply to income starting Jan 1, 2018.

JiB, the problem your 9:00 am list illustrates is that it adds up to fewer than 200,000 voters in states that probably have population of 1,000 times that. That right there is the moral hazard of laying most of the taxes off on a tiny slice of earners.

[Buckeye]

And for all this time I have been thinking daddy should write a book. He still should.

But if Beasts writes one about his "romantic life", I know who will likely have a best seller:)

[JimNorCal]

Jeez, Beasts TMI :)

TK, can only speak for myself but losing weight more depends more on the food consumption side, less on exercise. But walk everyday and look at your phone's pedometer for feedback and reinforcement.

[JimNorCal]

Don Surber gloats over the proposed new distribution of tax burdens.

"Republicans devised a way to get rich Democrats to "pay" for the tax cuts -- by making limo liberals pay more in taxes.
The tax cuts strip the tax deductions liberals enjoy.
Boy are they mad."

[Jane]

Porch,

I've said this before: Amy and Mary are the best parents I have ever known. (Oh and the girls have met their biological father who was a colleague of Mary's).

[Jane]

Anyone here is the path of the CA fires?

[Rocco]

Our system being a constitutional republic guarantees the rights of the minority over the will of the majority, otherwise us men could vote rape legal if we outnumber women. OK, that might be a stretch but you get my drift. Is the right to choose who you love one of those inalienable rights? I think I'll stick with love the sinner but hate the sin.

[Beasts of England]

Good thing you weren't here three years ago, JimNorCal - I got in trouble at least once or twice for legitimate TMI. I've learned my lesson. :)

[RattlerGator]

[1] BoE, some guys have all the damn fun. That's all I'm saying 'bout dat!

[2]
My theory on Comey et al. is this:

Whether Hillary won or lost, enough military members at high levels had seen serious treason. Enough to know, that one way or another, this stuff had to be flushed out. Even if it caused something of a constitutional crisis.

But they were gonna call the question, come hell or high water.

Luckily, Trump won. So the task, while still incredibly difficult, was made that much easier to complete.

In this scenario, General Flynn and Admiral Rogers were driving the train. They had the goods on Mueller and Comey, two peas in a pod. These two were presented with a choice; first Comey. He then had to consult with and, eventually, bring in Mueller.

In this theory both men, to their credit, made the correct choice.

This allowed Flynn and Rogers to charge hard with their elaborate counter-intelligence trap. One on the outside during the campaign, one on the inside. Both operating like a methodical, patient python on the hunt for treasonous prey.

But they had to have two well-schooled partners who were both quite comfortable being under-estimated.

Yeah, that's right.

Trump (business world) and Sessions (Congress). In this theory, it doesn't really matter if Trump was driving the train and recruited Flynn and Rogers. Operating as something of a four-person Special Forces team, these men collectively allowed the Congressional kabuki theater to move forward, all the leftwing craziness to occur, because all of it served the cause of our duly elected President.

The essential element was the General.

Flynn dropped his cadre into National Security Council senior slots. They attained the necessary security clearances while others were blocked for very political reasons. Once Flynn was fired, many of these staffers were moved from these jobs but retained their clearances -- allowing them to get raw data from Admiral Rogers, who then became the essential element.

Boom !!!

It's pretty much laid out here in this thread:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/937741488645070849

All that's left is for the OIG to issue their report, the perpetrators flushed and proper charges be filed.

It's a historic moment and when you think about it, this is quite the American story. Army, Navy, Business, Congress, North, South . . . etc.

Earth-shattering history, internally, that precipitates earth-shattering history externally. We are living it right now.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Neither Amy nor Mary is the best father you've ever known.
Father's lives matter.

[JimNorCal]

Will Trump prevail over Mueller? Surber thinks it likely. Apparently oppo reasearch is bearing fruit.

http://donsurber.blogspot.com/2017/12/trump-is-bringing-mueller-down.html#more
Don't feud with Donald Trump. Too many have and wound up worse for wear. I gave 26 examples (link). No. 27 may be Robert Mueller, who has wasted the last seven months trying to frame President Trump. ... President Trump’s lawyers and aides are scouring the professional and political backgrounds of investigators hired by the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, looking for conflicts of interest they could use to discredit the investigation — or even build a case to fire Mr. Mueller or get some members of his team recused ... Mueller is good, but stubborn. As head of the FBI, he personally directed the investigation of deadly anthrax attacks. The FBI hounded one man for seven years, but he was the wrong guy. Taxpayers had to shell out $5.8 million to the victim of Mueller's abuse to settle his lawsuits. ... Mueller had to fire his top investigator because that investigator left a trail of anti-Trump emails, and was caught destroying evidence and altering statements in that Fake Investigation of Hillary's emails. ... Trump's fortunes also were boosted when Brian Ross of ABC News mistakenly said Trump asked Flynn to contact Russians before the election. This was leaked by Team Mueller.

[Old Lurker]

Everybody knows I love, love, love the idea of reducing MY taxes.

But the obvious elephant in the room, wearing blinking lights and speaking through a bull horn, is that our governments at Fed, State & Local levels are spending right no about $7.6 TRILLION dollars each year...and all us horses pulling the wagons are able to produce, in total, only about $20T in output.

So rearrange those chairs all we want, but who pays what ain't the problem that will kill the patient.

[GUS]

Beasts!!!! Speaking of TRANSTESTICLES......
When does GOODELL force Monday Night Football to hire a TRANNY SIDELINE reporter.

Or do they have one already.

[RattlerGator]

I hope y'all recognize the beauty of my theory: it is still applicable, and still works, even if neither Comey nor Mueller are willing participants.

That's the genius of this thing.

Trump knows how to make people work *for* him, even if they are total adversaries. But the military-level PSYOP campaign has been incredible to watch. So much has been done, or presented publicly, that makes NO DAMN SENSE something had to explain it.

(beyond my active imagination, that is)

[Porchlight]

Jane, that's not my point. It's not that gay parents can't be loving. Its that the kids are intentionally deprived of their mother or father. Meeting the dad on occasion hardly counts.

Your response on this topic is almost always "I know this really awesome gay woman/couple/family." Well, I know some gay people, married and unmarried, who are really screwed up. Why should your anecdotal evidence carry more weight than anyone else's anecdotal evidence?

[Buckeye]

TK

I just followed anonamom's suggestions without getting too anal about it.

No pasta, no starchy veggies (if it grows under the ground, don't eat it). Nothing that comes in a box.

Resist temptation to load up on fruit.

Eat all the steak you want.

Eggs for breakfast (NO toast)

Worked for me.

[Clarice Feldman]

Boe, Love ya, but you're getting too old for this constant carousing.

[henry]

Forbes is now tweeting that the Tax bill is bad for weather forecasts. That's protesting too much for sure.

[Old Lurker]

RG, RG, RG. "I hope y'all recognize the beauty of my theory:"

At the risk of using the same phrase that got MM so mad at me yesterday (only because she did not see the smile on my face), your 11:04 is proof once again of the human mind's ability to invent a happy ending absent any shred of evidence that one is in your future. Now show me that that old guy sleeping under Rip's tree is a manequin, not the AG, and that the coming IG Report is not just another football held by Lucy...then I will stand on my promise to pay for the booze at our victory party. Until then...

[Beasts of England]

I'm starting to agree with you, Clarice. I failed at finding a wife in 2017, but 2018 is still in play. ;)

[Clarice Feldman]

I'm with OL on this one, rg

[Tom Bowler]

Impressive results, James D and Iggy. TK, I'd take their advice, but also ramp up the exercise (under medical supervision) as I'm pretty sure that will help with the BP. It can help with weight loss, but only if you resist the extra hunger that comes with exercise.

Posted by: jimmyk | December 06, 2017 at 10:31 AM

TK,

I agree with all of the above, but I would add that any exercise you do should be with the goal of increasing your strength, rather than melting off the pounds, or turning yourself into Mr. America.

Don't make yourself uncomfortable. Start with low weights or resistance, and then as you warm up you can make the muscles burn a little bit by doing extra repetitions. Increase weights or resistance very gradually.

You can expect to have muscle soreness for a few days after you first start, but then your muscles get used to it and the soreness goes away -- until you lay off of the exercises for a couple of weeks, then you're starting all over again with the soreness.

You probably ought to use a trainer, at least for a while. And you definitely want to consult your doctor before you do anything.