Re: last night’s discussion on big companies – One of the reasons there are such large, powerful companies is that their lobbyists craft laws & regulations designed to keep their small-business competitors from getting ahead (or from even being able to do business in the first place). What we have in this country is crony capitalism (or corporatism), not real capitalism.
Kizzie, You are right! In 1980, executives of the big corporations gave to Big Bush in the primaries and then to Carter in the general election. Reagan and his free market reforms were never supported by big business. Big businesses like subsidies and regulations to keep new competitors out.
Kizzie, How did you know about Winter’s Bone? Only about 75 of us ever saw that movie.
There is a little known exception to the “No movies made after 1960” rule. I am allowed to see modern movies that are so obscure that no one else watches them. I went to see both Snowpiercer and The Hunt for the Wilderpeople under this exception.
How about this? The Washington Post has an article giving Trump high grades for his cabinet picks. I tend to agree with most of the points made in the article.
… President Obama must be the smallest man ever to occupy the Oval Office. FOX News remains embedded under his very thin skin. The cable outlet has not fallen into line. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Obama attributed the disappointing (to him) 2016 election results to the supposed presence of “Fox News in every bar and restaurant in big chunks of the country.”
What bars and restaurants? What big chunks of the country? Send me in the right direction. …
… There’s talk of a ballot initiative to propel the idea of California’s secession. I’m all for it. If California left the union, Republicans would essentially run the nation forever. Like South Carolina, et al. in 1860, California can’t secede of it own will; it will require the consent of the other 49 states, either through Constitutional amendment or an act of Congress (I’m not at all clear on this question, but haven’t had time to study the matter closely). …
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I don’t know about that. If you think securing the border is difficult now, just think how bad it would be if you had to secure most of the west coast too. I think I’m voting for unity, regardless of how wacky our west coasters can be (no offense DJ).
California also has the largest GDP of any state by far, though management does seem to be a problem.
Wandering Views 
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Re: last night’s discussion on big companies – One of the reasons there are such large, powerful companies is that their lobbyists craft laws & regulations designed to keep their small-business competitors from getting ahead (or from even being able to do business in the first place). What we have in this country is crony capitalism (or corporatism), not real capitalism.
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I’m pretty sure Winter’s Bone was not made before 1960. 🙂
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Kizzie, You are right! In 1980, executives of the big corporations gave to Big Bush in the primaries and then to Carter in the general election. Reagan and his free market reforms were never supported by big business. Big businesses like subsidies and regulations to keep new competitors out.
Kizzie, How did you know about Winter’s Bone? Only about 75 of us ever saw that movie.
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I’ve heard of it, & would like to see it someday. We have the book somewhere around here, too, which I have yet to read.
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Never heard of that one. But she has (or had) great hair.
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There is a little known exception to the “No movies made after 1960” rule. I am allowed to see modern movies that are so obscure that no one else watches them. I went to see both Snowpiercer and The Hunt for the Wilderpeople under this exception.
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How about this? The Washington Post has an article giving Trump high grades for his cabinet picks. I tend to agree with most of the points made in the article.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/02/donald-trump-deserves-more-credit-than-hes-getting-for-his-cabinet-picks/?utm_term=.1b6d543049eb
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The outgoing administration’s war on Fox:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/12/from-the-penalty-box-2.php
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… President Obama must be the smallest man ever to occupy the Oval Office. FOX News remains embedded under his very thin skin. The cable outlet has not fallen into line. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Obama attributed the disappointing (to him) 2016 election results to the supposed presence of “Fox News in every bar and restaurant in big chunks of the country.”
What bars and restaurants? What big chunks of the country? Send me in the right direction. …
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Banned by the French version of the Supreme Court as possibly making women sad:
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Powerful!
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Wonderful!
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That was encouraging.
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See ya?
I may have to move “back” to the United States
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/12/california-dreaming-2.php
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… There’s talk of a ballot initiative to propel the idea of California’s secession. I’m all for it. If California left the union, Republicans would essentially run the nation forever. Like South Carolina, et al. in 1860, California can’t secede of it own will; it will require the consent of the other 49 states, either through Constitutional amendment or an act of Congress (I’m not at all clear on this question, but haven’t had time to study the matter closely). …
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Let California go. They will then soon be taken over by Mexico. And within ten years San Diego will look like Tijuana.
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I don’t know about that. If you think securing the border is difficult now, just think how bad it would be if you had to secure most of the west coast too. I think I’m voting for unity, regardless of how wacky our west coasters can be (no offense DJ).
California also has the largest GDP of any state by far, though management does seem to be a problem.
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