Thought for the Day

Good post about mutation risk and mortality v. infection numbers. I want to add that I can only assume his observation that so many vaccinated people have died is confirmation bias. If there is a 90% reduction in risk that vaccinated people die and there are more vaccinated than unvaccinated people and thousands dying every day, plenty of vaccinated people WILL die. As we discussed in another thread, a higher proportion of the vaccinated are already in a higher risk age category which can confound direct comparison.

I would tell Nick that the emergence of new variants are hypothesized to be more likely to occur in cases of immunosuppressed people waging long battles against the disease. I shudder to think of what his solution would be ....bc we know he's against training their immune systems to recognize the virus by being vaccinated.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

Don't know much about history
Don't know much biology

Mutations are just random variations in the genetic code that occur when it is replicated. The mutations that prosper are the ones that offer some advantage in survival and reproduction. The more the virus is spreading, the more mutations will occur, and the more the likelihood that some will be harmful. That is why the problematic mutations are originating from poor countries where vaccination rates are low (the latest one from Southern Africa). If your hypothesis was correct, they would be originating mainly from countries with high vaccination rates.

As for your other claim, the latest data show that unvaccinated people are nearly 6 times more likely to be infected than fully-vaccinated people, and 14 times more likely to die.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra...vaccine-status

But why look anything up when you can just invent some shit in your own mind. You really are a determined idiot.

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Showing your age with that song reference Flighty.

Let's get something straight - YOU'RE saying I'm an anti-vaxxer, I never said it. Nor have I ever claimed to be a biologist or some kind of virus expert, nor even a person who has done all the reading. The virus isn't part of my life until other people make it part of my life. If there's a vaccine and you think it might help you, you should definitely get it.

What I am is anti-lockdown. Anti-mask, anti-travel restriction, anti-mandate. I don't care if millions of people die, hell, I don't care if BILLIONS of people die. There are 8 billion people on the planet, half of that would be objectively better. We've identified the at-risk demographic. They should be in quarantine and taking personal responsibility for their survival, letting the rest of us get on with life, it's their problem.

But just as is inherent to all other aspects of liberal society, the answer is to pull those without the problem back down to the level of those with the problem instead of forcing those with the problem to fucking deal with it.

Biden's mandate is a slippery slope. If you don't believe me, believe the decisions of the courts who keep shooting them down as unconstitutional. Biden doesn't give a shit if his orders are constitutionally sound or not, he left the Constitution in his wake long ago and he's come right out and said as much. Somebody really ought to be keeping an eye on this character.

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Originally Posted by broncofan

Good post about mutation risk and mortality v. infection numbers. I want to add that I can only assume his observation that so many vaccinated people have died is confirmation bias. If there is a 90% reduction in risk that vaccinated people die and there are more vaccinated than unvaccinated people and thousands dying every day, plenty of vaccinated people WILL die. As we discussed in another thread, a higher proportion of the vaccinated are already in a higher risk age category which can confound direct comparison.

I would tell Nick that the emergence of new variants are hypothesized to be more likely to occur in cases of immunosuppressed people waging long battles against the disease. I shudder to think of what his solution would be ....bc we know he's against training their immune systems to recognize the virus by being vaccinated.

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You're getting as bad as Flighty at putting words in my mouth. I didn't "observe" that so many vaccinated people have DIED. I observed that when I've seen high-profile Covid cases in the news lately they have been in fully-vaccinated people. Keira Knightley is the most recent one I remember.

You guys are really arguing with the wrong person about this. I think every single person should do every damn thing he can do to make sure that he personally survives this virus. Just don't even TRY to tell me what to do about it.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

Let's get something straight - YOU'RE saying I'm an anti-vaxxer, I never said it. Nor have I ever claimed to be a biologist or some kind of virus expert, nor even a person who has done all the reading.

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I said no such thing - I simply refuted your ill-informed speculations. I'm not a biologist or virus expert, either - it's just takes a bit of basic logic and research.

This is another example of your straw man habit.
You dispute with my false claims about vaccines? You are saying I'm an antivaxxer.
You don't like me expressing crude derogatory stereotypes about other cultures? You want to make me change my way of life.
You think that police often unfairly target black people? You want to let criminals run free.

When other people show that you've got something wrong why not have the personal integrity to concede? You don't have to say sorry you were wrong. Just let it go, ffs, rather than trying to hide behind a smokescreen of bluster.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

I never said I was an anti-vaxxer, Bronco, I said I wasn't going to get it because I don't need it, I'm immune to the virus and practically everything else, it's a gift. I have a VERY aggressive immune system and I don't want to take any chances on fucking it up by letting them inject me with some experimental vaccine I don't need.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

The virus isn't part of my life until other people make it part of my life. I don't care if millions of people die, hell, I don't care if BILLIONS of people die. There are 8 billion people on the planet, half of that would be objectively better. We've identified the at-risk demographic. They should be in quarantine and taking personal responsibility for their survival, letting the rest of us get on with life, it's their problem.

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Have you heard of natural selection? It's nature's way of limiting the numbers of people who refuse to assess risks and take appropriate action to avoid them. It works only gradually over a long period, but if we are entering a new era of pandemics there might be time.

From what you've told us about your age group I'm pretty sure the risk for you is not trivial. Have you even looked into this? If the virus keeps spreading there is a high probability you will get it eventually.

Here's the data on risk by age group. The risk of death for someone 50-64, for example, is 25 times that of a young adult. It's not as if it affects only a small segment of the population and there's no risk for everyone else.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...th-by-age.html

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Originally Posted by filghy2

Have you heard of natural selection? It's nature's way of limiting the numbers of people who refuse to assess risks and take appropriate action to avoid them. It works only gradually over a long period, but if we are entering a new era of pandemics there might be time.

From what you've told us about your age group I'm pretty sure the risk for you is not trivial. Have you even looked into this? If the virus keeps spreading there is a high probability you will get it eventually.

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To quote the great Mel Brooks, tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die. Again, this virus is not my problem, I'm immune to it.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

I said no such thing - I simply refuted your ill-informed speculations. I'm not a biologist or virus expert, either - it's just takes a bit of basic logic and research.

This is another example of your straw man habit.
You dispute with my false claims about vaccines? You are saying I'm an antivaxxer.
You don't like me expressing crude derogatory stereotypes about other cultures? You want to make me change my way of life.
You think that police often unfairly target black people? You want to let criminals run free.

When other people show that you've got something wrong why not have the personal integrity to concede? You don't have to say sorry you were wrong. Just let it go, ffs, rather than trying to hide behind a smokescreen of bluster.

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"You are saying I'm an antivaxxer." Bronco said it.
"You want to make me change my way of life." You do want me to change my way of life.
"You want to let criminals run free." You do want to let criminals run free.

What are we arguing about? Whether or not I'm allowed to have a personal opinion on the virus? Tip: I am. My opinion is, it's not that dangerous, and we need to stop acting like it is. But there's no getting past the political narrative on this thing, it's just going to have to play itself out. Under our current administration, God only knows how many more children we're going to damage before we finally allow the least vulnerable group of all to take off their goddamn surgical masks and be children again.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

What are we arguing about? Whether or not I'm allowed to have a personal opinion on the virus? Tip: I am.

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I suppose you are. We're just pointing out that your opinion is not based on any evidence, and you seem to resent that. The idea that you have some personal immunity is just plain stupid.

I assume you had the usual vaccinations for various things as a child and never gave it any further thought. The only difference with this disease is that your political tribe has decided to make a point of not taking it seriously. The real reason you resist getting vaccinated is that supposed liberals tell you you should. If you are prepared to do so for a short overseas trip then your claimed reservations can't have amounted to much.

You remind me of a child throwing a tantrum because it can't have dessert until it eats its vegetables.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

I suppose you are. We're just pointing out that your opinion is not based on any evidence, and you seem to resent that. The idea that you have some personal immunity is just plain stupid.

I assume you had the usual vaccinations for various things as a child and never gave it any further thought. The only difference with this disease is that your political tribe has decided to make a point of not taking it seriously. The real reason you resist getting vaccinated is that supposed liberals tell you you should. If you are prepared to do so for a short overseas trip then your claimed reservations can't have amounted to much.

You remind me of a child throwing a tantrum because it can't have dessert until it eats its vegetables.

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I told you my reservations didn’t amount to much and that I was probably going to end up getting it anyway. You remind me of a child who can’t read gud.

You think there’s something you know about the virus that I don’t? We’ve drawn different conclusions from the same data set, if your processor wasn’t all mucked up by propaganda you’d realize that and save your breath.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

I never said I was an anti-vaxxer, Bronco, I said I wasn't going to get it because I don't need it, I'm immune to the virus and practically everything else, it's a gift. I have a VERY aggressive immune system and I don't want to take any chances on fucking it up by letting them inject me with some experimental vaccine I don't need. I may get it anyway, being unvaccinated is starting to interfere with my travel plans, and I'm not more scared of what the vaccine might do to my immune system than I am disappointed that I won't get to travel to Germany in February to reunite with an old Air Force friend and go catch a Wolf Alice show unless I get the damn thing.

Far as vaccines for everyone else, I mean, good luck with that. Seems like every time some high-profile Covid case hits the news these days it's someone who was fully vaccinated, so I'm not really seeing it as effective, and I'm also not convinced the vaccine itself isn't what's pushing the virus into so many different mutations. I mean if it weren't encountering resistance why would it mutate?

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Originally Posted by filghy2

As for your other claim, the latest data show that unvaccinated people are nearly 6 times more likely to be infected than fully-vaccinated people, and 14 times more likely to die.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra...vaccine-status

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

I told you my reservations didn’t amount to much and that I was probably going to end up getting it anyway. You remind me of a child who can’t read gud.

You think there’s something you know about the virus that I don’t? We’ve drawn different conclusions from the same data set, if your processor wasn’t all mucked up by propaganda you’d realize that and save your breath.

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Both those claims are clearly incorrect

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Originally Posted by filghy2

Both those claims are clearly incorrect

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I don't even know which claims or WTF you're talking about, Flighty, that's how strong your argument is.

I thought highlighting them in bold would be idiot-proof, but apparently not.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

I thought highlighting them in bold would be idiot-proof, but apparently not.

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Even in that context I still can’t clock your implication or question or whatever that is. What are you, some 10/10 supermodel who just goes “Pfft” and lets everyone else figure out what her problem is? Just say whatever you’re trying to say, Miss Congeniality.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

President not need smart. President need strong. Advisors need smart.

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Strong, Bunker Boy?

Attachment 1355943

It's been interesting to read about the messages sent to Mark Meadows by various Trump cheerleaders on January 6 imploring him to get Trump to address the situation. Apart from the gap between their public and private statements, it's striking that they all assumed the insurrection would be disastrous politically for the Trumpist movement. Evidently they underestimated the willingness of most Republican voters to rationalise away what happened.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

My name is Flighty. I'm this many years old. I have to wear a helmet but I'm not allowed to ride a bike, I don't understand.

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It's because you're retarded.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

It's because you're retarded.

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With this and the rent boy comment I think you've "spit the dummy" as some Australians say. I've only heard one or two say it tbf.

It's interesting bc this is the third time I've seen someone completely lose it on filghy in debate which must mean he's hitting a nerve even though he is just trying to address the points under discussion.

In your world where facts don't win a debate, and conclusions can be drawn arbitrarily, isn't this how someone wins a debate? I think you've been bested or as they say in Louisiana, he whupped the hide off ya.

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Originally Posted by broncofan

With this and the rent boy comment I think you've "spit the dummy" as some Australians say. I've only heard one or two say it tbf.

It's interesting bc this is the third time I've seen someone completely lose it on filghy in debate which must mean he's hitting a nerve even though he is just trying to address the points under discussion.

In your world where facts don't win a debate, and conclusions can be drawn arbitrarily, isn't this how someone wins a debate? I think you've been bested or as they say in Louisiana, he whupped the hide off ya.

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Flighty? Nah, I'm 95% sure he's the dumbest of the 3 vocal liberals on this board, and that's saying quite a lot because that puts him below Stavros. I don't recall the last time I read a post from Flighty that wasn't some kind of small-minded attack on me personally, or my writing style, or my post length. That's the problem with armchair liberalism, there really aren't any valid arguments to make so it becomes a cringe fest of repressed anger. But I play along. I'd be surprised if he ever speaks to me again honestly, pretty sure Retardo Montalban already knows what kind of reply he's going to get on the heels of his latest micro-aggression.

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Originally Posted by broncofan

With this and the rent boy comment I think you've "spit the dummy" as some Australians say.

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He certainly has a glass jaw. It looks like he needs another of his long breaks to nurse those hurt feelings.

It looks like the only alternative to rambling dissertations on the same few points is puerile trolling, so we won't be missing much.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

He certainly has a glass jaw. It looks like he needs another of his long breaks to nurse those hurt feelings.

It looks like the only alternative to rambling dissertations on the same few points is puerile trolling, so we won't be missing much.

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Do you guys also celebrate premature ejaculation on your timeline Flighty? You must be doing a real victory dance behind your senile overlord’s abject failure to pass his signature legislation.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

Do you guys also celebrate premature ejaculation on your timeline Flighty? You must be doing a real victory dance behind your senile overlord’s abject failure to pass his signature legislation.

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I suppose we can talk about any subject we want including Joe's cognitive ability. Just because he has a stutter doesn't mean he hasn't also lost mental acuity. Anyone who is 79 will have but as someone who stutters it's probably difficult for him to mask it.

Trump showed an enormous number of signs of cognitive impairment. He would say things that didn't make sense, he was unable to speak in complete sentences, he'd engage in obvious bluster to hide the fact that he didn't know what he was talking about. But to fool the average Republican one only needs to speak with confidence and Trump's willingness to brazenly lie kept him from having to think about what he was saying.

Trump was pleased that he was able to remember five words in sequence. Trump, Palin, Bush, and Reagan lowered the bar so much that being able to speak clearly like Obama was seen as elitist. If we want intelligent leaders in this country, the Republican talent pool is pretty shallow.

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Originally Posted by broncofan

I suppose we can talk about any subject we want including Joe's cognitive ability. Just because he has a stutter doesn't mean he hasn't also lost mental acuity. Anyone who is 79 will have but as someone who stutters it's probably difficult for him to mask it.

Trump showed an enormous number of signs of cognitive impairment. He would say things that didn't make sense, he was unable to speak in complete sentences, he'd engage in obvious bluster to hide the fact that he didn't know what he was talking about. But to fool the average Republican one only needs to speak with confidence and Trump's willingness to brazenly lie kept him from having to think about what he was saying.

Trump was pleased that he was able to remember five words in sequence. Trump, Palin, Bush, and Reagan lowered the bar so much that being able to speak clearly like Obama was seen as elitist. If we want intelligent leaders in this country, the Republican talent pool is pretty shallow.

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I honestly don't think Trump's lost a step, he's always been blustery like that, I think I may have mentioned my family is based in NYC, so I have a long history of watching The Donald in action. I think he very often launches into a statement having no idea where it's going to end, he just knows he has to say something, he knows what general message he wants to portray, so he opens his pie-hole and hopes today is one of the days he catches a groove. Has nothing to do with age, it's just casual narcissism and a laissez faire attitude toward fucking up.

Biden on the other hand is definitely losing it. I mean I could link a video of Biden gaffes if you want but pretty sure we've all seen them. Suddenly drawing a blank mid-sentence, telling the same (false) story over and over - you know the one I'm talking about, the famous Amtrak story. Saying inappropriate things completely by accident; as opposed to Trump who did it on purpose. These are all real signs of what we commonly call senility. I can definitely visualize Biden sitting in a meeting with Putin and just rattling off some top secret shit then saying, "Oh, I shouldn't have told you that!" while smiling an impish grin.

It's not going to get any better. But it's definitely going to get worse.

https://www.politico.com/amp/news/20...idterms-525815

That’s for you, Stavros. My thought for the day is that it’s time you opened your eyes to the fact that your beloved Democrats are rutting around in the same gerrymandering mud as Republicans.

As you peruse the article, which I pulled directly from a Democrat-controlled source for your maximum enjoyment, note the varied opportunities for corruption of the “independent” process and the fact that the buck stops at Nancy Pelosi.

I know you’re allegedly hibernating but you’re lurking. No reply is required, Merry Christmas, Stavros.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

As you peruse the article, which I pulled directly from a Democrat-controlled source for your maximum enjoyment, note the varied opportunities for corruption of the “independent” process and the fact that the buck stops at Nancy Pelosi.

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Except that nothing in the article says any such thing. That is pure invention by you. The changes were approved unanimously by a panel of 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans. The only mention of Nancy Pelosi was some Republican complaining that it would help her keep her majority.

You are a pathetic clown, Merry Xmas.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

You must be doing a real victory dance behind your senile overlord’s abject failure to pass his signature legislation.

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Memory quiz: What was the main Republican legislative priority in 2017, and how did that go?
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...lace-obamacare

According to this article, gerrymandering has given the Republicans a 16-17 seat advantage in the House Of Reps (out of 435) over the past decade. The worst cases of gerrymandering bias are in Republican- controlled states. Both sides have done it, but not to the same degree.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-wo...ring-explained

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

I can definitely visualize Biden sitting in a meeting with Putin and just rattling off some top secret shit then saying, "Oh, I shouldn't have told you that!" while smiling an impish grin.

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Of course the Donald would never reveal top secret info to the Russians. Here's another memory refresher for you. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald...ed_information

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Originally Posted by filghy2

Of course the Donald would never reveal top secret info to the Russians. Here's another memory refresher for you. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald...ed_information

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This had gone down the memory hole for me. Thanks for this. It showed an appalling lack of discretion, intelligence, judgment, common sense, aptitude, and competence. And no I did not consult a thesaurus for this last sentence though there may be some redundancy there.

Yes Joe is not a public speaker but Donald Trump is the king of having a prefrontal cortex that looks like swiss cheese. In fact Trump's brain leaked the recipe for swiss cheese to the Swiss.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

Except that nothing in the article says any such thing. That is pure invention by you. The changes were approved unanimously by a panel of 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans. The only mention of Nancy Pelosi was some Republican complaining that it would help her keep her majority.

You are a pathetic clown, Merry Xmas.

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High blood pressure, Flighty. It gets them all in the end and it will get you too. Those veins standing out on the sides of your forehead are not for keeping flies out of your face.

Once again your reading comprehension skills embarrass you when it came to something as simple as reading a news article carefully. There are also 4 Independents on that commission. Who controls the Independents controls the vote. There's a price for everything in America. No one is actually independent at that level of politics. They may be unaffiliated with a political party but that's just the equivalent of a hooker who operates without a pimp. You think you know what's what over there in your little backwoods country where the stakes are nothing, but we're trying to run the biggest economy in the world here and people want their cut.

Here's some more recent gerrymandering news for you - this time it's the redistricting delegates themselves zoning districts just so they can run in them and likely win. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/1...wmakers-525960. You remind me of Meatwad on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Flighty - proactively gullible.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

Memory quiz: What was the main Republican legislative priority in 2017, and how did that go?
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...lace-obamacare

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2017? SRSLY? That's literally almost half a decade ago. You've missed the bus, Flighty, I'm pro-Obamacare now.

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Originally Posted by filghy2

According to this article, gerrymandering has given the Republicans a 16-17 seat advantage in the House Of Reps (out of 435) over the past decade. The worst cases of gerrymandering bias are in Republican- controlled states. Both sides have done it, but not to the same degree.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-wo...ring-explained

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So Democrats are inept at gerrymandering but they still do it. This is your contention in support of what argument?

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Originally Posted by filghy2

Of course the Donald would never reveal top secret info to the Russians. Here's another memory refresher for you. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald...ed_information

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Trump disclosed that information to throw the KGB off the scent of our man inside the Kremlin, who was planting a bug in Putin's sex chair during the meeting. Or hell, maybe he disclosed it because he wanted to act like a big shot. But whatever the reason, he didn't do it because he's senile, he had a reason, valid or not.

If he were senile do you think he would have thought of stealing a huge chunk of Mark Zuckerberg's market share from conservatives who are sick of being censored on Facebook? The man is a goddamn prodigy, I bet he makes billions off of Trump Media & Technology Group - enough to finance Don Jr.'s 2028 run, you can bet on that. You know what, wouldn't surprise me at all to see a Trump/Trump ticket in 2024. :cheers:

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

If he were senile do you think he would have thought of stealing a huge chunk of Mark Zuckerberg's market share from conservatives who are sick of being censored on Facebook? The man is a goddamn prodigy, I bet he makes billions off of Trump Media & Technology Group - enough to finance Don Jr.'s 2028 run, you can bet on that.

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I don't understand this hero worship. You say you want to invest like Warren Buffett who actually is a genius at valuing businesses but then idolize someone who has been very lucky. I thought to myself during his 2020 run that he'd have to be an idiot not to be able to cash in on his populism. His entire campaign message was that insofar as the media disagrees with him they can't be trusted. Even fox news is untrustworthy when they say there's no evidence of election fraud. Of course he should be able to parlay that into money.

He is not the only billionaire in this country but for years he's exaggerated his wealth and railed against people richer than him. You clone Warren Buffett and Donald Trump and put them in families of average means and Warren Buffett's chance of getting rich is probably greater than 90% while Trump's is probably less than 5%.

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Originally Posted by broncofan

I don't understand this hero worship. You say you want to invest like Warren Buffett who actually is a genius at valuing businesses but then idolize someone who has been very lucky. I thought to myself during his 2020 run that he'd have to be an idiot not to be able to cash in on his populism. His entire campaign message was that insofar as the media disagrees with him they can't be trusted. Even fox news is untrustworthy when they say there's no evidence of election fraud. Of course he should be able to parlay that into money.

He is not the only billionaire in this country but for years he's exaggerated his wealth and railed against people richer than him. You clone Warren Buffett and Donald Trump and put them in families of average means and Warren Buffett's chance of getting rich is probably greater than 90% while Trump's is probably less than 5%.

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You're the one saying I'm idolizing Trump, Bronco, I never said it. If you're referring to my "Trump/Trump 2024" comment that was just to get under Flighty's skin. I would be more than willing to sit through another 4 years of Trump, don't get me wrong. But I'd rather see a more conventional Republican administration that shuts the door on all the progressive whining. Shove Trump down the leftist media's throat again and it's 4 more years of non-stop crying. Give them DeSantis or even Ted Cruz and they might STFU long enough for us to put this country back on course for success. And yes, even chinless Ted Cruz can win in 2024, anyone the Republicans run will win, Biden is a dead duck. We can afford to be selective about who we put in the White House and Trump is not the best govern-er we can put in there. Nonetheless it's looking more and more like he wants the nomination and if he wants it he will get it.

Far as Buffett, yeah, he's a guy to follow on investing. I'm not what you would call a serious investor, though I do have most of my money in stocks - but blue chips. There's no such thing as a sure thing but I stay as close to that realm of investing as possible. I'm a very conservative investor who reaps very conservative profits. Now that I'm retiring I'll probably start spending more time studying the matter, maybe take more risks.

I'll tell you what will be an interesting scenario, Bronco. What if Trump's social media platform takes off? All indications are it will, there are a lot of people who like the utility of Facebook and Twitter but not the politics - one might even say Trump stands to gain half the users of these sites if he can get up and running and offer a quality product. And then...he's President again. So now you've got a President of the United States who also happens to own a giant social media platform. That would be unprecedented to say the least.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

Far as Buffett, yeah, he's a guy to follow on investing. I'm not what you would call a serious investor, though I do have most of my money in stocks - but blue chips. There's no such thing as a sure thing but I stay as close to that realm of investing as possible. I'm a very conservative investor who reaps very conservative profits. Now that I'm retiring I'll probably start spending more time studying the matter, maybe take more risks.

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Conservative is the way to go with stocks. I DO kind of idolize Warren Buffett. Or at least a decade ago I was super interested in reading about his investment strategy and his annual shareholder letters. It didn't help me pick stocks but it was fascinating to watch one person just consistently identify companies he thought were undervalued and be right over and over again. He lives a very humble life in Nebraska....a friend of mine took me to Buffett's favorite steakhouse in Omaha and it wasn't anything to write home about. Putting politics aside and not as a slight to Trump, I recommend reading about Buffett. I was disappointed I couldn't put his strategy to use (but no surprise it requires one in a million talent probably) but his annual newsletters and virtually anything written about him is fun to read.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

So now you've got a President of the United States who also happens to own a giant social media platform. That would be unprecedented to say the least.

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One step closer to ending the American experiment. Seriously, you can see the dystopian shades there can't you?

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Originally Posted by broncofan

One step closer to ending the American experiment. Seriously, you can see the dystopian shades there can't you?

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I see some shades all right, and some ramifications. One timeline that might develop is the social media platform itself becomes a tool of governance. I think if Trump had his way the first time around he'd have just stayed at the White House or Mar-a Lago and governed via Twitter, so he certainly has the mindset to transform government into more of an online presence than a manifest institution. That's probably inevitable anyway. There may come a day when the Facebook endorsement determines the DNC nominee and likewise with Trump's new conservative platform and the Republicans. Full-on technocracy.

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

I'll tell you what will be an interesting scenario, Bronco. What if Trump's social media platform takes off? All indications are it will, there are a lot of people who like the utility of Facebook and Twitter but not the politics - .

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The appeal of facebook is that you can connect with virtually anyone you've ever met in your life. The drawback of facebook is exactly the same. I don't know if twitter would be as fun without antagonism. You create an echo chamber and it will draw some hardcore right-wingers but it is not going to be the same experience of having celebrities, foreign leaders, self-appointed experts on subjects they know nothing about, and wingnuts all in the same place.

But would such a venture do well financially? I think so.

I am going to push back obviously against the claim that facebook and twitter are political. They have combatted misinformation when it's obvious and its effects are dangerous. Who are they to decide? They're private companies making judgments about what content they are willing to host. It's hard for me to believe the conservative viewpoint is now vaccine and disease misinformation. Or misinformation about election fraud. Or flagrant incitement of violence. The risk that the views they deleted are actually true is very remote. Are we going to live in a world where pure fantasy has to be treated as legitimate?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick Danger

I'll tell you what will be an interesting scenario, Bronco. What if Trump's social media platform takes off? All indications are it will, there are a lot of people who like the utility of Facebook and Twitter but not the politics - one might even say Trump stands to gain half the users of these sites if he can get up and running and offer a quality product. And then...he's President again. So now you've got a President of the United States who also happens to own a giant social media platform. That would be unprecedented to say the least.

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All the Trump supporters and right wing nutters were going to disappear off to Parler a while back. That went well...

Besides, Trump is doing a great job of alienating half his fanbase...:dead:

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/s...24520721866789

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Laphroaig

All the Trump supporters and right wing nutters were going to disappear off to Parler a while back. That went well...

Besides, Trump is doing a great job of alienating half his fanbase...:dead:

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/s...24520721866789

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What is Parler? The fact that I've never heard of it and I'm a right wing nutter should tell you that no, that was never going to happen. Then again I'm not really hep to all the latest interweb gadgetry.

Also, you seem to be of the impression that Trump's base are a huge group of anti-vaxxers. There may be some anti-vaxxers among them, but for the most part what Trump's supporters are is merely anti-mandate, like me. Why should I give a shit if you get the vaccine or not, Laphro? I don't, though I would miss your quarterly insult on this forum if you died of the Darwin Flu. But if I did care, I guess I would be an anti-vaxxer, right, that's an anti-vaxxer? Someone who thinks there's something underhanded about the vaccine, some kind of mind-control or sterilization angle, yes? That's not me, or Trump's base. That's a tiny faction of outliers, and they're probably quite vocal - vocal enough for the liberal media to act as if "Republicans-General" are angry at Trump because he's spoken in favor of getting vaccinated.

If you honestly think Trump has alienated half his base, act accordingly, Laphro. That kind of math should put the next two election cycles in the bag for the Democrats, may as well run Hillary again.

My thought for the day is that, as 2021 draws to a close, a year in which we have observed the unprecedented destruction of the Democratic Party's harmful and racist agenda, I am reminded of a whore.

A huge, tattooed BBW whore with her legs spread wide, a look of gleeful anticipation on her face as she massages her mammoth boobs with both hands. Her name is America. Walking toward her is Joe Biden, her latest john. He walks with a hunch, bent over and wanking his half-flaccid penis furiously as he approaches the bed, muttering to himself, "Oh I'm gonna fuck you so hard, oh yeah baby you're about to know you've been fucked by the best, they don't call me 'The Big Guy' for nothing, oh yeah I'm gonna stick it to you all right baby..."

As he slides his wrinkled body across the bed toward her, he is aroused even further by the aroma of her vagine, the smell of abject poverty and great riches all at once, oppression and freedom mingled freely, the smell of...victory. "Oh yeah baby get ready for Big Daddy Sleepy Joe!" But just as he approaches her flowering womanhood with his fully-erect, liver-spotted member, a single drop of semen suddenly trickles forth from the tip of his manhood and drips down the inside of America's supple but substantial thigh.

"Doh!" says Joe Biden as his 5 inches of flesh torpedo quickly contracts to the size of a sewing thimble. "You loser," says America, disappointed and disgusted, as she rolls off the bed, takes his money off the nightstand, and heads to the shower. "Find your own way out," she says as she closes the bathroom door behind her.

The anti-mandate people are selling soft serve antivax propaganda. I'm safer than someone who isn't vaccinated but we're both less protected than we'd be if we were both vaccinated. Society functions because people protect themselves and others against communicable diseases.

Republicans are also confused about the role of private businesses. On the one hand they think private businesses should be able to do whatever they want but on the other hand they shouldn't be able to require their employees or customers get vaccinated. The government is engaged in tyranny if they tell businesses what to do but if businesses make a decision they don't like it's also tyranny.

I love the creative writing but this sounds like classic projection. Stormy Daniels described Trump's dick as a tiny mushroom surrounded by yeti hair. His supporters describe him as the epitome of manhood yet he's obese, paints his skin orange, and is hung like a hamster.