Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

There’s some extremely good trouble headed their way.

I really should read my own blog.

This is a big f—–g deal.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

It’s been a really long fucking year.

Han shot first.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Verified, but limited!

Women: they get shit done

I personally stopped the public option…

What fresh hell is this?

Militantly superior in their own minds…

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

This blog will pay for itself.

Four legs? good! two legs? we’re not so sure…

Not all heroes wear capes.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

Shelter in place is one thing. shelter in pants is quite another.

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Monday Morning Open Thread: The President Flexes

Monday Morning Open Thread: The President Flexes

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… Biden didn’t mention Amazon, but specifically referenced “workers in Alabama” in the video and a tweet introducing it. He said every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union, and no employer could take that away. “It’s your right…So make your voice heard,” he said.

“Unions lift up workers, both union and non-union, but especially Black and Brown workers,” Biden said in the video. “There should be no intimidation, no coercion, no threats, no anti-union propaganda. No supervisor should confront employees about their union preferences.”

Amazon, America’s second-biggest private employer, has no unionized labor in the United States, and workers at its fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, would be the first if they vote in favor. Such a decision could encourage workers attempting to organize at other Amazon facilities…

Biden has vowed to increase union membership in the United States after years of steady declines.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the union membership rate in the private sector was around 6.2% in 2019, compared to around 20% in 1983.

The Washington Post adds:

… “We haven’t had this aggressive and positive of a statement from a president of the United States on behalf of workers in decades,” said Faiz Shakir, a former senior aide to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the founder of More Perfect Union, which has released a series of videos on the Amazon unionization drive. “It is monumental that you have a president sending a message to workers across the country that if you take the courageous step to start to unionize you will have allies in the administration, the NLRB, and the Labor Department. It means a lot.”…

“It’s almost unprecedented in American history,” said Erik Loomis, a labor historian at the University of Rhode Island. “We have the sense that previous presidents in the mid-20th century were overtly pro-union, but that really wasn’t the case. Even FDR never really came out and told workers directly to support a union.”

Loomis said the video was a sign of the ways the Democratic Party has moved to the left on issues of economic justice in the past decade…

Biden has taken a number of other steps that have pleased labor advocates and liberals on issues around worker power in his first few weeks in office.

He fired Peter Robb, a Trump appointee at the National Labor Relations Board, the agency that oversees union elections, who was seen as a major antagonist of union campaigns, within a day of taking office in January. His incoming labor secretary, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, has a strong union background, having risen to prominence in the city through a local union chapter. Other high-profile appointees such as Jennifer Abruzzo, Biden’s pick to replace Robb, have also come from the world of organized labor…

And the Vice-President:

Also, even though I haven’t always met these standards, I LOL’d:

Reader Interactions

209Comments

  4. 4.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    Good morning!

    When I see that picture of Harris, my first thought is omigod, how does she walk around in those heels all day?

    Love the Biden support of unions. The only way workers can balance the power in the workplace a little is through unions or government protection. Even government protection depends somewhat on unions being able to donate to politicians the way businesses do. Money is a poison in our politics

  5. 5.

    Immanentize

    I tried to get a new personality, but the extended warranty was just out of my price range.

  10. 10.

    Nicole

    @rikyrah: 

    Good morning!

    And props to Biden for coming out in favor of unionizing. The power to put one’s hands in one’s pockets and refuse to do a job is really the only power an American worker has and it’s definitely more powerful when all your coworkers are putting their hands in their pockets, too. Solidarity forever!

  12. 12.

    Betty Cracker

    That voters vs. cultists TikTok nails it. The Trump cultists are still working out all the feels in the “letters to the editor” pages of our local rag, and if they weren’t such bigoted trash, I’d truly pity them. But they are, so fuck ’em.

  13. 13.

    The Fat White Duchess

    Good morning, all.

    Love the Biden news… but why do they have to credit “Bernie/AOC/Warren faction”? This seems totally in line with Biden’s own approach (God help me, I want to say on-brand or somesuch). What am I missing, other than the usual?

    @Immanentize: We love the current personality; why would you need a new one?

  15. 15.

    p.a.

    The “Page 3” (at best) stuff is sooooo important; clean up NLRB, USPS board, fed departments of science/research, and how that $$$ funnels to the private sphere/universities…

  20. 20.

    Betty Cracker

    Regarding unions, it’s so important, and I wish more Democrats, especially in the south, had put energy into defending the right to organize. Unions were never as strong down here as they were up north (gee, I wonder why?), and the movement has been successfully demonized to the extent that I wonder if the established labor unions could make inroads again. The Fight for 15 people really kind of reinvented labor organization as a more free form movement. Maybe that’s the way forward.

  23. 23.

    satby

    @rikyrah: @mali muso: et al. Good morning!

    I’ve been sick with worry for my feral buddy, who wasn’t using his paw at all last night, but today is putting a bit of weight on it again. I’ve mislaid my amoxicillin that I was going to put in his food, so it isn’t that he’s responding to that. I ordered more to have on hand while I keep an eye on him. I’m relieved he seems better.

    Now a second cat, a long haired gray, has joined the parade of critters going to the feeding station. Cats, birds, raccoons at night if the cats leave any food, and occasionally a brave groundhog all enjoy cat chow (at different times). The raccoons may just be using the handy bowl of water to wash other food they find, as there’s seldom food left by dark.

  27. 27.

    Immanentize

    @Betty Cracker: Up here, the trade unions really got calcified.  They were powerful and nepotistic and sometimes corrupt.  Labor leadership took on many of the worst qualities of management because it was always an adversarial contest (unlike in Europe where it is more cooperative partnership).

    It took the organizing of the SEIU — brown and black low wage laborers who were not in the trades — to really shake up and reinvigorate unionization in this region.

  31. 31.

    Ken

    @Baud:  I got a new computer so I can Juice more quickly.

    NEW SCANDAL FOR BAUD 20XX CAMPAIGN!!!!
    Admissions of “juicing” raise questions about steroid use
    Analysis: Can the campaign come back from this? (No.)
    — MUST CREDIT SLUDGE —

  32. 32.

    Immanentize

    @Baud: I love that scene.  Thanks.

    PS this is one of the only dance pieces where I think Gene looks a little stiff at first.

  36. 36.

    Immanentize

    @satby: Oh, it’s ugly, but she had to wear it all night!

    AND, to say it’s the ugliest ignores so many other possibilities.  This inquiry deserves its own thread.

    ETA moderated by NotMax?

  37. 37.

    NotMax

    Couple of small media mentions.

    A thick slice of Columbo with a sprinkling of Poirot – first season of Captain Marleau included with Prime through the end of the month.

    Gentle (and genteel) respite, Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages found on Prime. Strides up to the very edge of Lake Twee, only now and again dipping a toe in.

  38. 38.

    satby

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: These live in some old growth trees across the street and next to the abandoned house. I used to feed the cats in my porch, that’s how I captured the last three I was able to, but the birds leave a hellacious mess, and now they watch to see where I’m bringing the kitty kibble. Annoying, because they’re also double dipping on the three bird feeders in my back yard.

  39. 39.

    MattF

    One should stay aware of the violent hostility of Republicans towards unions. I was watching Noot on C-SPAN many years ago, and, for a while, he was sounding quite rational. But then the subject of unions came up and Noot had a fit. Face turned red, hair stood on end, steam came out of ears. Everyone knows that Biden is pro-union, but standing up and saying so in public is a huge provocation.

  40. 40.

    Quinerly

    Good morning! How’s everyone’s vaccine hunt going? Such a mess here in Missouri. It seems so much vaccine going to very rural areas (Trump country) and the Josh Hawley lovers aren’t signing up. Doses going to waste.

    With that said, I’m under 65 and healthy. Doubtful at this rate they will even reach me by June. Sooo… JoJo las Orejas and I will probably be taking a 3 1/2 road trip to the Missouri/Iowa border area hoping to score left over vaccine at a mass vaccine event run by the National Guard. It’s my understanding that if people don’t show up and vaccine is left over, it doesn’t matter what your age is or what tier you are eligible for. They just want willing arms. We’ll spend the night and repeat the trip for the second. They guarantee the second at the same spot if you score on the first.

    What a fucked up mess. I’ll count Confederate Battle flags on the trip and report back.

  42. 42.

    Betty Cracker

    @Immanentize: Agree 100% about the calcification and its causes, and politicians on both sides (really!) were sometimes guilty of conflating unions with hard-hat wearing white men. SEIU countered that image, and I think that’s in part why Yeselson credits the progressive wing for revitalizing labor within the party. I don’t know about Sanders, but AOC and Warren definitely emphasized the importance of unionization for women and POC.

  43. 43.

    debbie

    @Quinerly:

    My first is this afternoon. I’ve mapped out directions, assembled everything I’ll need (I have to prove my work address), only to wake up to find there’s been a fatal accident at the exit I need. So it’s back to Google Maps for me!

  49. 49.

    Baud

    @Betty Cracker:

    With Reagan, the two parties’ views on unions really began to diverge at an accelerating rate, but white union households became increasingly committed to the GOP.  We’re only now beginning to recover from that dynamic.

  50. 50.

    Quinerly

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: opening tier for teachers here… Finally… 3/15. So many teachers have been trying to get it in Illinois. (teachers there have been eligible for awhile) Then were turned away because of residency. It’s my understand going across state lines depends on where you are going for the vaccine. Walmarts in Illinois will vaccinate St. Louis, Missouri teachers.

  52. 52.

    Quinerly

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: it’s a good site. There is a FB Group that was set up here. Done more to help people than anyone connected with the state has done. Unfortunately the site has now grown to 22,000 members and people are beginning to argue. I never knew the entire under 65 population was in such poor health. 😳 Everyone seems to be willing to affirm that he/she has one of the health conditions that qualifies you if under 65. Imagine that….

  56. 56.

    Quinerly

    https://vaccinefinder.org/

    There are several of these. I know many are anti FB BUT there are many very informative FB groups being set up in states. Young folks helping oldsters find locations. The one here in St. Louis has been wonderful.

  57. 57.

    rikyrah

    @Quinerly:

    The millions with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, aren’t all over 65.

    Folks who are walking underlying conditions take this seriously.

    I know that I did.

    Don’t have the age in the least.

    But, I am a walking underlying condition. If I caught COVID, I would most certainly die, pre-vaccine.

    The vaccine changes it from certain death to fighting chance.

  59. 59.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Quinerly: Good morning!

    Yeah, good frickin’ morning… :^(

    How’s everyone’s vaccine hunt going?

    You had to ask. Every vaccination source in Baltimore City is either fully booked, not giving jabs at the moment, or completely silent. State reports getting 14,000 doses a day for 2,000,000 as want one, and rumor hath it that our Rethuglican Governor is directing what comes in to counties that voted for him.

    FWIW if those numbers are correct the median date for obtaining vaccine here in Churn City** is 1,000,000/14,000 = 71 days from now, or May 10. And that’s assuming none of those doses go to the lucky duckies awaiting their second shot.

    Did I mention that a facility in East Baltimore is making hundreds of millions of vaccine doses and shipping them out while hundreds of thousands of Baltimore City residents are furiously  clawing through umpteen websites in futile search for an inoculation appointment?

    Grrr….

    ** Just FTR, our town can’t buy a break from the media. Every other US city of reasonable size has a series set in it that’s at least occasionally uplifting.  Us? Homicide, then The Wire (NB thanks a whole fuck of a lot to that asshole David Simon!) and even in the 24th Century we get portrayed as a hellhole, by writers who don’t know a fucking thing about us except Homicide and The Wire… Grrr….

  62. 62.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Uncle Cosmo: Several people in my writer group managed to find open vaccination slots by logging onto sites early in the morning–like 5 am. Even then, you have to act fast. One guy signed his wife up first and by the time he tried to sign up himself, the schedule was full

  63. 63.

    Quinerly

    @rikyrah: I totally understand. My point is mostly what I have observed the last few days. Once the word went out that no one has to prove/show anything re health it has become “The Hunger Games” with 85 yo olds left out . I have several acquaintances who are under 65 who are flat out lying and know they don’t qualify. I believe in Karma… Especially about health. Not looking for an argument with someone who is qualified and worried.

  64. 64.

    Geminid

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: While the result was unambiguous, last November’s election was close. Support for the Democratic ticket by the SEIU, the Teamsters and others was crucial to Bidens victory, so it is right that he in turn is supporting them.

    Political considerations aside, unionization is perhaps the surest way to attack the problem of income inequality. Higher income taxes, even a wealth tax, have their place, and their limitations also. But increasing the incomes of working class people through unionization will surely reduce economic inequality. And a thriving working class would lead to a more prosperous middle class, and a better funded government.

  65. 65.

    NotMax

    @Immanentize

    Not even close. There was a period of some years when in color films the powers that be slapped drab beige gowns on actresses. Dreadful sight on screen.

    If had to vote for worst dress it would be one of Marie Dressler’s character’s ‘height of sophisticated fashion’ outfits in Tillie’s Punctured Romance. #1 – #2 (Couldn’t readily find a shot showing the outsized bow on the back of the belt in #2.)

    ;)

  69. 69.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: Could be the traditional unions that built the white middle class were victims of their own success. Their workers got enough security to adopt an “I got mine, Jack, fuck you” attitude.

    I know down south business owners successfully convinced many low-skilled workers that unions would drive jobs away and/or elevate women and POC in ways that some white men find intolerable.

  70. 70.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @Uncle Cosmo: I hated The Wire. I hate movies and TV shows where black people who aren’t killers and drugs dealers don’t exist.

  71. 71.

    Matt

    Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union.

    Good news / bad news, Joe: bad news is that Amazon is already openly doing shit to make that impossible, good news is that you’re President so you could actually do something.

  74. 74.

    Denali

    I got appointments in late March  at the State Fairground site a while. A 60 mile trip, but Rochester still seems pretty booked up at the local sites unless you call very early in the morning or get lucky.

  76. 76.

    Soprano2

    @Quinerly: I don’t know where you are, but my LPN friend here in Springfield messages me when there are open appointments around here. She said we need to keep our appointments full so that the vaccine allocation stays the same. She told me they will be opening shots to those over 60 soon, I suspect on March 15th when they move to Group B Tier 3. But I’m in Springfield, in more outlying areas it’s probably just like you say, they have vaccine but the “unbelievers” don’t want to take it to own the libs, I guess. How stupid. I totally believe that Parson would direct vaccine to “his people” rather than to where it’s most desperately needed, he’s a big Trumpie after all.

    My co-worker told me her dad (in his 70’s, on oxygen) got his on Friday, but her mom turned it down for whatever reason. She’s pretty concerned about it.

  83. 83.

    Spanky

    Also, Happy “Not Fuckin’ February”, everybody! Thirteen days until Daylight Savings (blech), and 19 days until Equinox.

  84. 84.

    Quinerly

    @Uncle Cosmo: it seems Gov Parsons here is directing vaccine to the deeply Red areas that voted for him. KC and St. Louis are blue dots in a sea of Red. Here it has become a racial issue too… Urban areas getting nothing and if a mass vaccine event is finally scheduled, White St. Louis County folks are lining up. Many people are being closed out in their own communities.

    I have had a miserable weekend agonizing about this. Before it’s over, my friend circle will be a lot smaller.

    Soooo…all that has weighed in my decision to go to White Trump Country and hope for a left over. I don’t feel like I’m jumping the line (one of these events had over 600 leftover doses that were pitched… That’s been confirmed, there are rumors about 200 doses being pitched at another and a scramble to figure what to do with almost 2000 in a community near the Arkansas border) I also like to think that as a White, under 65 healthy person leaving an urban area, it frees up one more vaccine down the road for some person who doesn’t have the luxury of being able to travel for hrs and pay for a hotel room.

    Good luck with everything. What a mess.

  86. 86.

    Booger

    @The Thin Black Duke: That seems like a weird critique of “The Wire,” given that a brief perusal of it’s IMDB page shows easily over two dozen non-drug dealer, non-killers across the spectrum of roles, portrayed by POC.

    Feel free to find fault with the show (David Simon can be a little harsh) but that seem a little bit of a stretch

    ETA: I see Raven got there frist. ‘Nevermore,’ to close the Charm City Loop.

  88. 88.

    rikyrah

    I wish you "journalists" would spend just a tiny fraction of the time you've dedicated to tanking Tanden's nomination, on digging into McConnell. In all the years he's obstructed and lied, not one column like this. Ever.— Let The Science Speak (@WuWei2021) March 1, 2021

  89. 89.

    Nora Lenderbee

    That is the most pro-union statement from a president since Raygun (spit) fired the air traffic controllers in 1981. Awesome.

    p.s. Fuck Raygun.

  90. 90.

    Soprano2

    @Quinerly: I know two different people whose parents are either in their 80’s or are on oxygen who just got their first shot on Friday, as did my 74-year-old husband with diabetes. I also know a woman who’s younger than me (mid-50’s), has no underlying conditions, and has already had both shots.  Doesn’t make me mad because as far as I’m concerned getting shots into arms is more important than quibbling about whose arm it is, but it makes me wonder about how the appointments are being scheduled here.

  91. 91.

    ryk

    @Quinerly: What a mess is right. Still trying to get a shot for my 78 year old mother and she lives in a red county (JeffCo). It’s almost like the Republicans running Missouri government don’t know what the fuck they are doing.

  95. 95.

    Quinerly

    @rikyrah: I am driving Friday. To Memphis, MO. Had never even heard of it. Looked it up. In the middle of no where almost to Iowa. 3.5 hrs one way. Mass event put on by the National Guard. I picked it because I think my chances for a left over is better. The light bulb has gone on with many in the St Louis area. Many who are affirming that they are eligible are going to the rural events within the 2 hr radius. I think the chance of leftovers now will be less at those locations. It seems people who are willing to lie about their conditions are NOT willing to drive far, take a chance, be truthful, and hope for leftovers.

  96. 96.

    rikyrah

    @Quinerly:

    Florida, Maryland, Missouri

    What do they all have in common?

    GOP Governor’s.

     

    Same inequitable shyt

     

    The FEDS NEED TO BE OPENING VACCINATION SITES

  98. 98.

    Soprano2

    @Quinerly: Ugh, yeah, no wonder. If Parson has his way those people will get vaccines in June or July, if they’re lucky. It’s dumb, the densely populated areas should be getting it first, but Republicans in state government hate your mayor. All the yahoos in Bumfuck, MO will get multiple opportunities first. Sorry you aren’t down here, it would be easier.

  100. 100.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @raven: I know. And fighting a losing battle against the thugs. Reinforcing the narrative of what an inescapable hellhole black neighborhoods were. The Wire was cynical, depressing and hopeless. It was for me, anyway. I tried, but after a few episodes I gave it up because I wasn’t enjoying it.

  101. 101.

    Soprano2

    @ryk:  It’s almost like the Republicans running Missouri government don’t know what the fuck they are doing.

    Ya think? LOL, for sure they have no the hell idea of what they are doing, except they want to make sure as few of “those people” get it first as possible.

  102. 102.

    Suzanne

    @Quinerly:

    Everyone seems to be willing to affirm that he/she has one of the health conditions that qualifies you if under 65. Imagine that…. 

    In PA, the state estimated that almost 50% of the 16-64 cohort qualified under Phase 1A, because they defined the health conditions so broadly. Smoking and obesity are included. That has caused some controversy, especially since teachers are not prioritized.

  103. 103.

    Soprano2

    @rikyrah: The FEDS NEED TO BE OPENING VACCINATION SITES

    Yep, absolutely true in states like MO, and they need to tell the state government to stuff it if they complain.

  104. 104.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Ken: Indeed, both Macs and PCs are made on the same assembly lines in those Out Source companies.  I’ve personally seen it. Hardware wise, their is no difference, though I will give Apple credit, they do have their QA engineers there on the line making sure the Outsource company is doing what they were contracted for and not shipping computers the Outsource Company knows don’t work.

  105. 105.

    Quinerly

    @ryk: are you a member of “St Louis and Eastern Missouri Covid 19 Vaccine Info” on FB? Private FB, you have to join. (please, BJers let’s not start with the FB hate.. This is FB being used for good and not evil.) It is truly helping tons of people.. How to navigate the sites, when appts available, announcing the rural events. I have helped several friends over 70 get appts using the group.

    Cuba, Missouri is having several events. Do you know about them?

  106. 106.

    Soprano2

    So, on a totally different topic and at the risk of starting a fight, has Sen. Gillibrand said one word about the Cuomo situation yet? I haven’t heard if she has. It’s almost as if this proves that her outrage over Sen. Franken was, shall we say, less than sincere?

  107. 107.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: This. I found slots at a nearby Kroger pharmacy on Saturday and by the time I finished the form, the first 2 slots were gone but I got the next one. Then nothing for my spouse.  He was online for a couple hours Sunday morning and found nothing. Later I had some work to do so I jumped on the Kroger site for a respite and there were slots for today at a different but closer Kroger. In short, him today, me tomorrow and it was totally luck.  We were signed up on waiting lists for 6 hospital systems since 2/8 and never heard a word.

    Our sweet spot was 3:30-4:00 in the afternoon.

  109. 109.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @Geminid:Political considerations aside, unionization is perhaps the surest way to attack the problem of income inequality.

    Maybe, unions work best in big factories with unskilled labor and most of the economy is small business and skilled labor.  On the other hand Amazon has been begging to have a union inflicted on it with their “beatings will cease when moral improves” management style. It’s not like a union is going to increase the class warfare at Amazon.

  111. 111.

    Quinerly

    @NotMax: no proof of any condition required here in MO (and I don’t know if smoking is listed, I glanced at the list weeks ago, knew I wasn’t qualified and was willing to wait my turn until I started hearing about all this left over vaccine in rural, Red areas going to waste)

    I’m not working myself up over folks lying. They have to live with themselves. Karma et al. I will say that I have less “friends” today over this than I did last week. And frankly, I don’t give a fuck.

  112. 112.

    BruceFromOhio

    @The Thin Black Duke:  Got about to episode 4 and decided it was not worth the time. Why it was hyped so much is a mystery.

    Re COVID vaxx, the hometown local Walgreens actually dialed up the folks to say “C’MON DOWN!” They both got the first shot Saturday, and are already scheduled for the second shot at the same location. This was after digging multiple dry holes nearby, and planning for a two-hour drive to another city.

  113. 113.

    Geminid

    Senators Sanders, Warren, and Representative Ocasio-Cortez certainly deserve credit for their support of unions. We have something of a political star system, though, and people like Senators Sherrod Brown (OH) and Bob Casey (PA) remain in the shadows so far as national political reporting goes. They maybe are more relevant examples of pro-union politicians than the above mentioned three. Brown won his third Senate election in red Ohio by 300,000 votes, in 2018. That same year, Casey carried purple Pennsylvania by 600,000. That last result shows how winnable is the Senate seat held by retiring Pat Toomey. Union support will be key to the Democratic nominee’s chances of victory.

  115. 115.

    NotMax

    @Quinerly

    NY state only recently updated their definitions of pre-existing conditions. So now my step-brother-in-law (over 60 but under 65), who has ALS, qualifies to get a shot.

  119. 119.

    Betty Cracker

    @rikyrah: Starting Wednesday, four federal vax sites will open in Florida (Jax, Miami, Orlando and Tampa). I’ve heard they’ll open mobile clinics in rural areas too. At first, DeStupid said feds weren’t needed but backtracked and agreed.

    My hope is that these fed sites are large and visible in lots of communities because there’s a ton of frustration about the current state distribution plan, including a scandal in which DeStupid set up a pop-up site in a community that has a ton of wealthy GOP donors.

    It’s a huge opportunity to showcase the power of the feds to do big tasks successfully, which is no doubt why DeStupid’s first reaction was to reject it.

  122. 122.

    Soprano2

    @NotMax:How does one prove he or she is a smoker?

    If you don’t just vape, you can definitely tell by the smell. LOL

  123. 123.

    Stacib

    @Uncle Cosmo: on WGN News, there was a kid who is helping people find appointments. His number one suggestion is to hit the websites (Walmart, Kroger’s, etc.) at midnight. He said that’s when new appointments are posted.

  125. 125.

    Ohio Mom

    A long ago post from somewhere I’ve forgotten and have rued not saving argued that the McCarthy era attack on the “reds” in the union movement robbed the movement of its top leadership, and cleared the way for union management that was more interested in lining its own pockets. Moved the union leadership from intellectuals with a vision informed by history and economics to garden-variety thugs.

    Dorothy A. Windsor: I had the same reaction to Harris’s spiked footwear, my feet cramped in sympathy. Do any other women leaders on the world stage wear such high heels? Though I hate to be one of those people judegy about women’s clothing choices, I can’t help myself here.

  126. 126.

    Quinerly

    @Stacib: and Walgreens here. You can do a search of many zip codes by putting them all in. These young kids here helping folks are amazing. Tricks and tips.

  127. 127.

    Geminid

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: Much of the economy is, as you say, organized in smaller units not so suitable for unionizing. The higher wages and better working conditions for union workers do seem to have a beneficial effect on those of their non-union neighbors, though.

    As for Amazon, so long as they are in the same boat as their major competitors my theory is that unionization would make Jeff Bezos wealthier in the long run. A more prosperous working and middle class would have more money with which to buy his stuff.

  128. 128.

    rikyrah

    @Suzanne:

    Obesity is self evident

    And, it would also help with the racial disparities in Vaccinations since a higher percentage of Black and Brown communities have obesity.

  129. 129.

    gvg

    @Quinerly: Obesoty is supposed to be one of the factors as well as things often related to that such as diabetes. Well you know the statistics of the US now, pretty much most of America is obese.  They can’t put that is as a factor because almost everyone would qualify.

    Sometimes I look around me when we had crowds, and I could see the change from when I was young.

  130. 130.

    mali muso

    Back after doing the whole morning kiddo routine (wake her up, coax her to get dressed, eat and into the car for shuttling to daycare). Good morning back at all of the early thread folks!
    On the vaccine front, I have mentioned that I volunteer at a local mass vaccination clinic here in Virginia.  Last week, my job was helping people who were leaving after their first shot get signed up for their second appointment.  I think the oldest person I spoke to was 93.  The majority were in the 65+ range with a fair sampling of young/middle age teachers and health care workers.  Our clinic is open to any VA residents, not just local people, so there were some who had driven 2-3 hours.  Whole lotta whyte people.  Once the J&J vaccine is out, I think we will see a big uptick in the ability to reach people who don’t have access to or ease of use of the internet.  Hope that there can be pop-up mobile clinics in areas where resources have been constrained.​
     
    ETA: Part of the “script” in the sign-up process includes a page where you can mark off insurance information, and I made sure to not just skip through it but to say clearly that “your insurance information is not required because these vaccinations are being provided by the government”. Yeah, government can be good, dammit!

  131. 131.

    lowtechcyclist

    Another thing that happened along the way, back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, was hardhats beating up antiwar protesters (and the occasional random hippie).  Not surprisingly, this caused a lot of young left-leaning folks to think less than highly of unions.

    This meant that when things started going downhill for unions in the Reagan era, support for them on the Democratic side was lukewarm, while the Republican opposition to unions was anything but.

    It’s taken fifty years to get that history far enough behind us that it doesn’t matter much anymore.

  132. 132.

    Nicole

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    And fighting a losing battle against the thugs. Reinforcing the narrative of what an inescapable hellhole black neighborhoods were.

    I realize I’m the walking stereotype of a white liberal who really liked The Wire, but the impression I got from the show was that systemic racism and corruption on high led to the characters in the inner city being where they were.  The cops are portrayed as absolutely, utterly, corrupt, all the way to the top (with the exception of Bunny, I think, and no good deed goes unpunished on that show).  For me, I ended up caring about the characters working the drug trade as much as, if not more than the “law and order” characters.

    That said, they did a crap job with women characters on the show.  And the fifth season was eh.

    But everyone is entitled to their own opinion and feeling about a show, so this certainly isn’t a “you’re wrong about” post because you’re not.  Even back before we found out what an asshole Joss Whedon is, I never liked Firefly.  Which definitely put me in the minority with my fellow geek friends, but it’s my opinion and I get to have it.

  133. 133.

    Geminid

    @gvg: People become overweight for many reasons. I suspect the prevalent use of cheap sugar-laden sodas is one. Usually they are as cheap or cheaper in stores than water. The high incidence of childhood diabetes may well be due to these drinks. If I were king of the world, I’d tax these drinks like beer is taxed. Some cities have soda taxes. And I think Mexico has a national tax on sugary soft drinks, a response to their obesity problem.

  134. 134.

    gvg

    @Soprano2: ​
     I have heard she has put out about 4 statements, each saying a bit more. People are still criticizing her as not enough.
    I don’t really know about her, but I will say she was in the Senate with Franken and is a long way away from Cuomo. In spite of it being her state, it might be that she just doesn’t know as much about what was going on, and she isn’t part of the state government. It isn’t as much her business as Franken was.
    I had the impression she was on some Senate committee that heard some of the complaints directly, but I am not at all sure that is correct.

  135. 135.

    Betty Cracker

    @Nicole:

    …it’s my opinion and I get to have it.

    The Wire never clicked for me, but so many people I admire raved about it that I wondered what I was missing and tried and failed to get into it a couple of times. It just left me cold for whatever reason. But as you note, opinions just differ, and that’s okay. :)

  136. 136.

    Cameron

    @Betty Cracker: Not just down south.  In the early ’70s, the Federal government had to force  the construction unions in Philadelphia to integrate.

  138. 138.

    Suzanne

    @rikyrah: I agree with you. There is plenty of evidence that obese people have worse Covid outcomes, so to me, it is sensible.

  139. 139.

    Nicole

    @Betty Cracker: Oh man, I hear you.  The list of acclaimed shows that friends of mine adored that I couldn’t get into is as long as my arm.

    I think sometimes certain shows just catch us at the right time in our own lives, too.  I saw The Wire about 10 years after it came out, and for whatever reason, it was the right binge at the right time for me.  But I don’t know if I’d have liked it on its first run, or would necessarily get caught up in it now.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer was appointment TV for me in its last few seasons, but didn’t catch me for the first few years.  You just never know.

    (But boy oh boy, did I see myself in the SNL sketch from this weekend, about binging true crime and cult shows on Netflix.  That was my 10 days of Covid isolation in January, summed up in one 3-minute comedy sketch.)

  140. 140.

    frosty

    @Uncle Cosmo: I’m with you on David Simon. Good writer, interesting career path (Sun reporter to author to … producer and showrunner?), but he did no favors for Baltimore. Grrr indeed.

  141. 141.

    Kristine

    @Soprano2:

    She told me they will be opening shots to those over 60 soon, I suspect on March 15th when they move to Group B Tier 3.

    ::marks down that date::

    I will be so happy to get whatever brand shot I get. I don’t even care if it flattens me for 2 days like Shingrix#2 did (my new benchmark for vax reax).

  142. 142.

    Nicole

    @Soprano2: It’s so fascinating to me, years later, that people continue to harp on Gillibrand about Franken, as though Warren and Harris and 34 other Senators never said anything.  And, of course, that it’s all about Gillibrand and only Gillibrand, calling on Franken to resign, and not about what Franken actually did, or that he chose to resign, rather than face the Ethics investigation.  OH THE POWER OF GILLIBRAND!  SHE CAN SINGLEHANDEDLY MAKE A SENATOR PUT HIS HANDS ON WOMEN’S REARS AND THEN MIND CONTROL HIM TO RESIGN WHEN THAT COMES OUT PUBLICLY!

    It’s almost like there’s something else at play here. I can’t put my finger on it, but… hmm… how’s Neera Tanden’s confirmation hearing looking, by the way?

  143. 143.

    Suzanne

    @NotMax: No proof is required. I legitimately have one of the other conditions on the list, and no one asked me for anything. I heard a man who looked to be in his 60s talking about me and wondering aloud why I was there. I was about to tell him to mind his own damn business, but I decided not to share my respiratory droplets.

    I brought proof of residency because I don’t have a PA driver’s license yet, and they didn’t ask me for that, either. I offered it and they declined. So if you haven’t had luck in WV, NJ, OH, MD, NY…. might be worth a try.

  144. 144.

    Soprano2

    @gvg: She ran to the microphone to demand Franken resign over a joke picture that was over 10 years old (and put out by a right-winger to boot), and over accusations like “he squeezed my waist when we took a picture together”. I think at this point that there is more than enough info out there for her to be calling for Cuomo’s resignation (that’s not my position, but based on how she treated Al Franken, it should be hers) if she wants to be consistent in how she treats these type of accusations. I will never be convinced that what happened to Franken wasn’t an orchestrated right-wing hit job, with willing idiots like Sen. Gillibrand ready to help out for her own reasons. IMHO Franken should have held out for an investigation so he could have his “day in court” to defend himself. I think it’s suspicious that the minute he resigned, all the accusations just stopped. I think it’s the right call on Cuomo to have an independent investigation, rather than him knee-jerk resigning over these accusations. If we start saying “automatically guilty” over things like this it makes it easy for the right to weaponize the accusations to get rid of people on our side.

  146. 146.

    Soprano2

    @Nicole: It’s because she was first, and loudest, and because she wasn’t willing to even give him a chance to defend himself over the accusations (How’s that investigation of Gym Jordan going anyway?)  It’s my opinion that we cannot allow these type of accusations to be weaponized in such a way that people on our side will quit without even a hearing or the chance to defend themselves.

    And what’s happening to Tanden is terrible. Gee, it’s almost as if the reporters have a thing against her, probably because she was on Hillary’s staff.

  147. 147.

    Geminid

    @gvg: I was never a big Franken fan, but I respected him as a serious and hardworking Senator. Franken has a cohort of very loyal followers, though, and they will forever hold a grudge against Gillibrand for taking the lead in speaking out against him. But Franken never would have walked the plank if a number of other Democratic Senators had not also pressured him.

    Any other year, Franken probably would have just faced a Senate Ethics Committee hearing, and maybe a formal reprimand. Then Minnesota Democrats would have gotten their chance to weigh in when he was next renominated in a primary. But that particular time, Doug Jones faced molester Roy Jones in the Alabama special Senate election, and Democrats wanted Franken off the board. A rather ruthless move.

  148. 148.

    Lyrebird

    @Soprano2: ​
     

    Well in this case, Cuomo has agreed to defer to AG James’ authority, and the AG has spelled out an initial plan, something about hiring an external law firm. So even though I disagreed w/the Senator about Franken, I would not expect her to say much when there is an investigation and it is just starting.

  150. 150.

    Nicole

    @Soprano2: So you think it was cool that a US Senator grabbed women’s rear ends while taking photographs with them?

    How would you feel if it was 8 year old children he was grabbing the rear end of?

    Because I think adult women should be entitled to at least as much bodily autonomy and respect as children get.

  152. 152.

    Kristine

    @Amir Khalid : @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    My suspicion, which is mine and belongs to me, is that she slips them off when she can and keeps a pair of Chucks under the desk.

    I can imagine the howls from the Propriety Police if she were photographed wearing Chucks while working given how PBO got hammered for putting his feet up on his desk. It would be Tan Suit all over again

    ETA: yes, she could wear flats or lower heels. I’m wondering if another reason is the added height the shoes give. Height is Power in some circles.

  153. 153.

    Subsole

    @The Thin Black Duke:

    Really? I think I can kind of see what you’re saying…but I thought it actually was better than most. It at least tried to show the effects the drug trade had on black communities. The school episodes, especially. I recall a lot of focus on bystanders and people who get caught in the crossfire, or have their lives wrecked even though they weren’t in the game. The corrosive effects of having Omar as a role-model for the neighborhood. A security guard just trying to get by who got offed by Marlo over nothing. Maybe it didn’t foreground them enough, but I didn’t get the impression it was saying black folks were all killers and thugs. I got the impression it was saying – “look, this is what happens to the normal folks who live in these neighborhoods.”

    On the other hand, I do recall it was the white, union hardhat family that got a humanizing story arc on the factory closing down…so yeah, kinda see your point. Would have been nice to have a similar arc on a family of black folks. Maybe make the point a little more sharply.

  155. 155.

    bluefoot

    @The Fat White Duchess: I’m no Bernie fan, but if keeps everyone including the “purity left” on board, that’s okay with me.  And if Bernie/Warren/AOC are telling Biden “I’ve got your back and will help push this through and deliver the votes” for pro-labor legislation, then I’m good with that too.

    Though I agree it’s in line with that Biden has been saying all through his campaign.

  156. 156.

    Geminid

    @Nicole: One woman’s  story was that when she and Franken posed for a picture at some agricultural fair, he handled her ass as the photo was snapped. Then he said, “Take another one,” and did it again. This and other similar stories would have been more fully developed and examined had Franken survived to run for reelection. I suspect he would not have won his primary.

  157. 157.

    Nicole

    @Soprano2: So how are you about what Warren and Harris said?  Let’s review their statements, which they both still stand by:

    “Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere. I believe the best thing for Senator Franken to do is step down.”-  Harris

    “The behavior reported today is unacceptable and deeply disappointing. I am glad Senator Franken has acknowledged as much and has agreed to cooperate with an ethics investigation. Women who come forward are brave and deserve to be respected. We’re not going to fix the problems of sexual harassment and assault until men take responsibility for their actions and change their behavior.” – Warren, Nov 16, followed up by a one-sentence statement to Politico on Nov 17, stating Franken should resign.

    “While Senator Franken is entitled to have the Ethics Committee conclude its review, I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isn’t acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve.” – Gillibrand

    Thoughts?

    The reason this makes me so hot under the collar is that it is a blatant attempt (and not just by you, but by the media at large, which has done a piss-poor job when it comes to sexual harassment, both in its own troops and in covering it) to move the blame from what the white man in question actually did to a woman.  It’s HER FAULT he lost his job!  Because she said MEAN THINGS ABOUT HIM.  Oh, bullshit.  If Al Franken had kept his hands to himself he’d still be Senator Franken.  He has no one to blame but himself.  I know plenty of politicians have gotten away with worse; that doesn’t mean Franken was treated unfairly; it means the victims of those other creeps were treated unfairly.

    The preposterous blaming of Gillibrand for single-handedly forcing Franken out of the Senate is just another version of “What was she wearing?” or “Boys will be boys” or “Hell hath no fury” or any of the gajillion excuses people come up with so that they don’t have to admit to themselves that maybe that white guy they like is actually a bit of a creep.  I’m so tired of it

    Hell, even the “SO WHAT DOES GILLIBRAND HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CUOMO? HUH?” is just taking focus away from the white guy who actually did the things that people feel Gillibrand is obligated to make a statement on.  News flash: she’s not, and this isn’t about her, it’s about Cuomo.  But boys will be boys, amirite?

  159. 159.

    artem1s

    @Nicole:

    And props to Biden for coming out in favor of unionizing. The power to put one’s hands in one’s pockets and refuse to do a job is really the only power an American worker has and it’s definitely more powerful when all your coworkers are putting their hands in their pockets, too. Solidarity forever!

    another GOP myth I’d like to see destroyed.  The breakup of the Soviet Union  can be traced back to the Solidarity movement in Poland.  It wasn’t Ronnie Raygun being tough on anyone or demand Gorbachev do his bidding.  It’s was workers demanding the basic democratic right to fair representation in their government and workplaces.  They were tired of being treated like serfs.  Whereas the GOP wants companies to have their very own serfs to own and order around. Labor rights are anti-fascist and progressive in nature.  Get that message out to the WWC and then you might have a chance of turning some of them around on their blind loyalty to their Orange God Emperor and party.

  160. 160.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @raven: Hey man, it’s no big deal. I’m not one of those guys who judge people by what they watch. The Wire was a series where I wasn’t tuned to it’s frequency is all. As John Lennon said, “Whatever gets you through the night is all right.” My guilty pleasure is Brooklyn 99, God help me, and although I know it’s wrong on so many levels, I can’t help it.

  162. 162.

    Lyrebird

    @The Thin Black Duke: ​
     

    May I ask what you think of shows like Doc McStuffins? I’m not being snarky. Never watched the Wire, also get really down. Some people found Doc McStuffins a little forced, but I am really glad my kids had it to watch versus not having it.

  163. 163.

    Kathleen

    @Nicole: Oh I missed it. I’m addicted to my fictional crime procedurals (all L&O franchises, original still the best but adore SVU with Stabler), NCIS, and Criminal Minds. Now I’ve added Dateline and Snapped. And I’ve not even sampled crime crack on Netflix. Down side is I’m afraid to leave my condo.

  164. 164.

    germy

    (CNN)  Now that Democrats control the White House and Congress, President Joe Biden and other party leaders are pushing to spend big to revive the economy and address income inequality.

    Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle want the ultra-wealthy to pay for it.

    The three Democrats unveiled the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act on Monday morning. It would levy a 2% annual tax on the net worth of households and trusts between $50 million and $1 billion as well as a 1% annual surtax on assets above $1 billion, for a 3% tax overall on billionaires.

    The controversial proposal, which is co-sponsored by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and others, is similar to the one Warren pitched in 2019 as a Democratic primary candidate. Taxing the rich served as a primary way for Warren and Sanders to fund their plans to expand health coverage, child care and other proposals when they were vying for the primary nomination

    Link: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/01/politics/elizabeth-warren-wealth-tax/index.html

  165. 165.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @Lyrebird: I think when portraying black people’s lives on screen, it’s important to be aware that there’s other crayons in the Crayola box. When audiences watch The Sopranos, it’s isn’t automatically assumed that it’s the default definition of what Italians are in this country. Hidden Figures in an example of an unexamined chapter in how black people contributed to America, and those are the cinematic narratives I’d like to see more of because gangsters, pimps and drug kingpins have been done to death.

  166. 166.

    Soprano2

    @Nicole: No, I don’t think that’s “cool”. I also don’t think it’s cool to pressure people to resign from an office they were elected to without any kind of hearing or investigation of the accusations. Do you think guilty without being proven guilty is cool? Because I sure don’t. This double standard has allowed Republicans to stay in office despite serious allegations against them, while our people resign at the first hint of trouble. It’s not right.

  167. 167.

    Benw

    @NotMax: NYC seems to be doing okay. I got my first shot on Saturday at a big convention center in Manhattan, about 5 blocks from Penn station. Anyone with subway/train access near the city can get there. Whole thing took about 45 minutes; national guard was handling lines and waiting areas, and they’re efficient.

  168. 168.

    germy

    I believe Andrew Cuomo did everything his accusers say he did.  These stories have been floating around for years.

    At the same time, I get annoyed at how some stories get covered extensively, while others are ignored:

    On Friday, four women accused a Republican congressman of sexual misconduct. Dozens of witnesses verified the claims. Zero television networks covered the story. https://t.co/IACSofqSKV https://t.co/OGTyjF0pp9

    — Daniel Radosh (@danielradosh) March 1, 2021

  169. 169.

    germy

    @The Thin Black Duke:  When audiences watch The Sopranos, it’s isn’t automatically assumed that it’s the default definition of what Italians are in this country.

    You’d be surprised!

  170. 170.

    Soprano2

    @Nicole: You know, I don’t give two shits about whether Cuomo survives this or not. He sounds like an asshole to me, and it won’t surprise me one bit if all the allegations are true.

    I’ll stipulate that regardless of how many other women made statements against Franken, I think he shouldn’t have been railroaded out of office without an actual investigation where he got to defend himself. It’s not about “the white guy” vs. women to me, it’s about the right of people to due process and getting the chance to defend themselves. The initial accusation against Franken was a bullshit one about a joke picture taken with the full cooperation of the woman. Now, an actual investigation quite possibly would have shown that all the accusations were legit, and found even more, and gotten him to resign. But we don’t know, do we, because there never was one. If we’d done that, we’d have a stronger leg to stand on when we said to Republicans “Your guy should be investigated over these allegations, we did it to ours”.

    My whole point is that Gillibrand was really quick to demand the resignation of a senator, while being not so quick to demand it of the governor OF THE STATE SHE REPRESENTS WHEN THE ACCUSATIONS ARE MUCH MORE SERIOUS. That’s all.

  171. 171.

    germy

    @Soprano2:

    Why didn’t he stick around for an investigation?

    Wasn’t that his right?

    I never understood why he didn’t stay in office and let a full investigation take its course.

    He had no choice but to resign, simply because Gillibrand  and others said he should?

  172. 172.

    Soprano2

    @germy: That’s a good question that I don’t have a ready answer to. I think the public pressure was so great that he felt like his best course was to resign to make it go away.

  173. 173.

    Soprano2

    @germy: This thing about Cawthorne is what we get now, since we’ve decided that the parameters are whether or not your political party believes you should resign or be punished for this kind of allegation, rather than the parameter being that if there are allegations like this we automatically have an investigation. Since Republicans don’t care whether or not their members do stuff like this, they get to survive anything.

  174. 174.

    Nicole

    @Soprano2: Franken could have stayed for the Ethics investigation.  He chose not to.  Again, HE chose not to.

    HE chose to pose for a photograph with his hands over a sleeping woman’s breasts when he had already decided to run for Senate, which shows either incredibly bad judgment or an incredible sense of entitlement, or hey, why not both?

    And if he’s so weak that 34 statements of “he should resign” are enough to make him quit, then maybe he’s not tough enough to be a politician.

    Him leaving before the Ethics investigation is on him.  Not on Gillibrand, not on Harris, not on Feinstein, not on Schumer (who always skates by on this thing, even though he was the first person to tell Franken he wasn’t going to survive this.  But hey, white guy shield!).  Resigning is not on anyone but Al Franken.  That was his choice.  His choice.  No one else’s.

    And the thing is, I think by resigning Franken made the right choice.  He did the right thing, for the Democratic Party and for the country.  If I’m angry at him, it’s for, in the end, being another white guy who, no matter what comes out of his mouth, really doesn’t see women as fully equal human beings.  And yet, it’s not even anger- I’m disappointed in him, but not surprised.

  175. 175.

    Lyrebird

    @The Thin Black Duke: About the Sopranos, another show I have never watched, you got me thinking about college days when Grandmaster Melle Mel was telling kids to stop watching those gangster movies, which meant the Italian ones.

    Then and now I tried to put into words my worry that having popular culture switch its rebel hero from James Dean to various Black gangster figures is different, bc I still don’t hear of police profiling kids for looking like James Dean.

    Not saying that movies or TV shows started the problem.

    One of my favorite Lincoln Project videos is their combo of a Doc Rivers speech and another coach’s speech, Kerr?  It’s a shame that he had to make the speech, I mean a shame that so many rights get violated so commonly, but the clips show more contributions like you’re talking about.

  176. 176.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Soprano2:

    Franken could’ve stayed for the Ethics investigation. Why didn’t he? There’s a reason why he didn’t. If it was all bullshit and there was nothing to it the investigation would’ve cleared him

  179. 179.

    Philbert

    @Baud: Re Unions and Reagan, Carter started deregulating with transportation first. In 1980 the Teamsters went for Reagan.

  180. 180.

    WereBear

    @Ohio Mom:

    Dorothy A. Windsor: I had the same reaction to Harris’s spiked footwear, my feet cramped in sympathy. Do any other women leaders on the world stage wear such high heels? Though I hate to be one of those people judegy about women’s clothing choices, I can’t help myself here.

     
    I’m sure she learned that a height advantage is big when you are a woman in a man’s world.

    Pick your pain.

  181. 181.

    Jeffro

    Both the WaPo and NYT have major headline stories today about how the GQP continues to lie to itself and the American public that it was ‘Antifa’ that attacked the Capitol on Jan 6th.

    (I guess no one has standing to sue on ‘Antifa’s behalf, unlike when say Q-nuts lie about Dominion Voting Systems, etc)

    In any case…Nancy Smash sure better get that commission up and running, stat.  We need weeks of hearings, publicly televised, and we sure as heck need more publicity about the 300+ RWNJs who’ve been arrested for attacking the Capitol.

  183. 183.

    Geminid

    @Philbert: My late friend Chris was an ardent Democrat, but he held a grudge against Carter over deregulation. He was a skilled driver and furniture mover, and was entering his peak earning years making a good living, especially for a black man in Virginia. Then deregulation started a race to the bottom in his industry, and afterwards he struggled to make good money. The way Reagan tilted the balance of power away from labor did not help.

  184. 184.

    cain

    @Immanentize:

    @Betty Cracker: Up here, the trade unions really got calcified.  They were powerful and nepotistic and sometimes corrupt.  Labor leadership took on many of the worst qualities of management because it was always an adversarial contest (unlike in Europe where it is more cooperative partnership).

    I think as an engineer – I’ve supported Unions but find a lot of things they do puzzling – like having to wait for a unionized person to unplug a plug from a wall or plug in something into a wall at an event or something. I also conceptually know why that is a thing – but I still find it inefficient since the labor involved does require any expertise. (ETA I concede plugging something in should be controlled, but unplugging should not on an electrical grid – and I think we can still find ways to make it smart grid, but now I’m eliminating labor altogether.. so I’m not sure where I’m going with this – other than perhaps we need rethink unions at a time of robotizations and automation)

  185. 185.

    germy

    One of Madison Cawthorn's victims works in Congress for another GOP representative. She took the incredibly brave step of speaking out and has been left completely hanging. Read the story and you can easily picture how Cawthorn will smirk at her when he passes her in the hall now

    — Daniel Radosh (@danielradosh) March 1, 2021

  186. 186.

    Subsole

    @Nicole: I loved Firefly, though I think it would’ve been an absolute disaster if they tried to bring it back.

    Also, the good guys were low-key confederates, in the old Western trope of the ex-CSA soldier fleeing the aftermath. Which can be an interesting hook, depending on if the character is clear-eyed about what they served. But all too often it becomes some form of weepy lanent on ‘the foregone conclusion’…which…um…no.

  187. 187.

    germy

    This twitter thread does a deeper examination of Cawthorn’s alma mater.  After reading it, I wonder how he can call himself a “college” graduate:

    RT: So, I think that was good reporting establishing the veracity of the claims against Cawthorn, but I also think it's clear that the writers did not understand Patrick Henry College.

    It's not just a "conservative Christian" college. Whew.

    — Kristin Rawls (@kristinrawls) February 27, 2021

  188. 188.

    J R in WV

    @The Thin Black Duke: ​

     

    My guilty pleasure is Brooklyn 99, God help me,

    OK, now — that’s funny!!! I don’t love TV much at all, and many shows that were fabulously popular leave me cold.

    Seinfeld, for example. Have never watched a single episode all the way through. Repulsive characters in a repulsive environment. But some people, lots, actually, loved it enough to make Jerry a wealthy guy. If we had hi-speed internet (sat service leaves a lot to be desired!) or large scale cable it might be different.

  191. 191.

    cain

    @Uncle Cosmo:

    ** Just FTR, our town can’t buy a break from the media. Every other US city of reasonable size has a series set in it that’s at least occasionally uplifting.  Us? Homicide, then The Wire (NB thanks a whole fuck of a lot to that asshole David Simon!) and even in the 24th Century we get portrayed as a hellhole, by writers who don’t know a fucking thing about us except Homicide and The Wire… Grrr….

    I’ve been talking to this guy – and he and I are trying to figure out how to help out Baltimore’s depressed neighborhoods through creative use of datacenters. But it seems that this asshole governor needs to go to really make this venture work well.

  192. 192.

    cain

    @Geminid:

     But that particular time, Doug Jones faced molester Roy Jones in the Alabama special Senate election, and Democrats wanted Franken off the board. A rather ruthless move.

    But Franken would have held his seat much longer than Doug Jones held his. Franken was popular – I think it was a strange trade off if that was the thinking. I assume that if they keep Doug’s seat and Franken seat would have still stayed democratic that it would have been all fine. But meh.

  194. 194.

    cain

    @Kristine:

    ETA: yes, she could wear flats or lower heels. I’m wondering if another reason is the added height the shoes give. Height is Power in some circles.

    But RIP her feet.. I figure she does a lot of walking around and I can’t imagine walking around in heels all day would not be painful. I’d have gone for a lower heels.

    On the other hand, I think we are still trying to figure out what is the right dynamic for  woman VP.

  195. 195.

    cain

    @artem1s:

    I always thought it was strange that I have the impression that the workers in Russia don’t have any rights – I mean do they even have unions or is that just the Communist party?

  200. 200.

    J R in WV

    @germy:

    This twitter thread does a deeper examination of Cawthorn’s alma mater.  After reading it, I wonder how he can call himself a “college” graduate:

    RT: So, I think that was good reporting establishing the veracity of the claims against Cawthorn, but I also think it’s clear that the writers did not understand Patrick Henry College.
    It’s not just a “conservative Christian” college. Whew.
    — Kristin Rawls (@kristinrawls) February 27, 2021

    Here in New Republic is perhaps a better “review” of the “school”… so NOT “God’s Harvard”!!
    No support, no protection, “security” provided by the untrained  seniors. Your fault if you are assaulted. You shoulda prayed harder, right?! Perfect school for Mr Cawthorne…​
     

    OK, visited the twitter thread, it seems to be a pretty good description of the school, intended to funnel home schooled Christian kids into Republican Theocratic politics with no actual education.

  201. 201.

    Kathleen

    @Baud: Shoot! Am I 3 chapters behind a plot twist? Stay offline 2 days and miss fake scandals! Oh the humanity!

  202. 202.

    Lyrebird

    @cain: 

    I’d have gone for a lower heels.

    From what I hear, she is very short! And no stranger to people thinking she does not belong in the halls of power.

  203. 203.

    Dopey-o

    @Quinerly: Spouse and i drove to Hickory County (southwest Missouri) for both shots. Team members told us that they had vaxxed people from Springfield, K City and St Louis.

    Hickory County is home to Missouri Governor Mike Parson. Hmmm.

    Cape Girardeau MO has received enough doeses to inoculate 54% of their population. However, the county has vaccinated less than 20% of their population. They obviously have a lot of doeses in the freezer. Curiously, Cape was home to a notorious rightwing radio hate-monger. I would try there, media reports say many out-of-towners have gotten their shots down there.

  204. 204.

    Geminid

    @cain: Union work rules can lead to inefficiencies. A friend got a job building concrete forms at the North Anna nuclear power plant through his uncle, a union carpenter. (“just watch the guy next to you and do what he does,” his uncle told him). Once they were about to break down some scaffolding, and a carpenter discovered a few rebar scraps on top of the scaffolding. They all stopped and waited for someone from the steel workers union to come and collect the rebar. But VEPCO, the Virginia power  company building the plant, was allowed a rate based on it’s capital investment, so no one had any incentive to keep project costs down.

  205. 205.

    Mary Ellen Sandahl

    @satby: ​
      Oh, I think any ugliest-dress-in-history-of-film can’t even get started until the judges expose themselves to a few British films from the 1930s — particularly ones showing evening gowns. It would probably be even worse if they were in color.

  207. 207.

    Bill Arnold

    @Quinerly:

    JoJo las Orejas and I will probably be taking a 3 1/2 road trip to the Missouri/Iowa border area hoping to score left over vaccine at a mass vaccine event run by the National Guard. It’s my understanding that if people don’t show up and vaccine is left over, it doesn’t matter what your age is or what tier you are eligible for. They just want willing arms.

    This can work. I drove somebody 5.5 hours to their first dose on Saturday Feb 27 in a small city in a rural area (mine is semi-rural but no big state-run vaccine sites). After arriving (deflating tire on the way) it was like 5:30 PM, and asked about whether they could give me a dose (Pfizer-BioNTech) and they said yes, automatic 2nd dose appointment in 3 weeks. I’m semi-eligible (taking blood pressure medication) but they probably would have stuck anyone since there were enough no-shows. The general area was Trump2020 country; saw maybe 6 Trump2020 flags still flying. Well-run operation in a gymnasium. Plenty of space for distancing, and ventilation. They said they were on track for 950 doses that day.  (No clue whether that’s good.)

    Hoping that within a month states start doing open enrollment or at least broadening the eligibility.  The doses per day numbers are starting look plausible.

  208. 208.

    Brian

    @J R in WV: I think the secret is that the repulsive characters almost inevitably get their comeuppance, e.g.  Jerry blowing his relationship with Teri Hatcher by getting Elaine to feel her up in the sauna to see if her breasts are real. I can’t remember an episode where things turned out well for any of the four main characters.

  209. 209.

    biff murphy

    “Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, has a strong union background, having risen to prominence in the city through a local union chapter”

    That would be Laborers International Local 223 where he was a laborer, then elected to the board for many years and becoming President of Local 223. Marty was also president of the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions. He really is a good man for the job.

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