Some disparate thoughts on the second day of the financial apocalypse
A few scattered opinions as the world falls down around us...
Ostensibly exploring the practice of law before the internet. Heck, before good highways for that matter.
Some disparate thoughts on the second day of the financial apocalypse
A few scattered opinions as the world falls down around us...
The worst President in American history, and the worst human being to occupy the office, seemingly has no bounds in his love of himself.
Trump Says He’s ‘Not Joking’ About Seeking a Third Term in Defiance of Constitution, by Erica L. Green
White House spokesmen immediately went into spin mode, but if we've learned anything about Trump is that we should take him at his word on his plans, no matter how illegal they may be. He's going to try this, there's virtually no doubt. And the GOP will support it.
One of the ways Trump thinks he can do this, which won't work, is to have J. D. Vance run for office, with Trump on the VP ticket, and then resign. That is against the Constitution but it also assumes that Vance is willing to be a giant patsy. Maybe he is, but. . .
By the way, Julius Caesar used the elephant as a symbol. . .
This will truly be a disaster:
Trump will impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for no good reason.
At least its one thing that will seemingly be impossible for even the most ardent Trumpist to ignore.
And those people owe us an explanation, or the owe us an admission of neglect, regarding their support of Donald Trump.
We've discussed Trump here before. Is he stupid? Is he addled? Is he a active Russian asset taking orders? All three are possible and at this point the last one is starting to look rather hard do ignore. What better to take out an enemy than to insert, at the country's head your stooge.
Active Russian agent or not, Trump has done more to wreck the country than any public figure since Jefferson Davis.
And it's going to get much, much worse.
As the trade war starts off, Justin Trudeau announced retaliatory tariffs. Economic genius Gov. Abbot of Texas gloated that Canada can't get by without U.S. Cotton, which is the exact same argument the South made during the Civil War when it went into treason. Turns out they grow cotton all over the globe and, moreover, the type of cotton grown in Texas goes into high end shirts, not cheap t-shirts and skivvies, and the like.
On the plus side, the price of American cotton may start to go down due to this stupidity.
Trump threatened to raise the tariffs even more.
Individual Canadians are boycotting the US in every way possible, and they'll never forgive the US for this. Nor should they. A country that would elect such an obviously stupid man has an electorate that can't easily be forgiven. On a higher level, there are serious discussion of cutting off hydroelectric power to the US Northeast, which would be devastating to the region.
Trump, who lies like a rug, says that this is over drugs and illegal immigration. Next to no illegal drugs come in through Canada, although Canada is a victim of illegal drugs coming into it, as well as illegal firearms.
As for Mexico, it appears Mexico has had enough of Trump and now that between Mexico and Canada the US is in a shit sandwich, it's not backing down either.
Republicans in Congress have become completely spineless and are doing nothing. Locally, they keep smiling and urging Trump on.
Trump is now also threatening to impose tariffs on the EU, which again makes a person have to wonder, at least a little bit, if Putin is calling in some chits.
It may also be the case that Trump dimwittedly is falling for autarky, the economic theory which tried to have everything produced within the borders of a nation. Autarky was the economic theory of Nazi Germany, we'd note, which in part lead to it having to conquer or dominate its neighbors. . . .sound familiar?
Autarky is a universally discredited economic theory. It's never worked, and its not going to work here, if that's the goal.
February 9, 2025
Waffle Hut is imposing a .50 per egg surcharge.
When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One
Donald Trump.
February 10, 2025
The US has imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports in a desperate effort to bring back the economy of 1957.
It won't work.
Prices will rise.
February 14, 2025
And now, reciprocal tariffs.
Inflation has risen to 3%
A population level boycott of American goods is on in Canada. Part of that is the cancellation of US vacations, which is already having an impact in the tourist industry.
The government announced a massive purchase of Tesla trucks. Not like that's a conflict or anything.
February 19, 2025
Trump acknowledged in a interview with Fox yesterday (he sure gives a lot of interviews, and plays a lot of golf) that "inflation is back". In fact, in his typical meandering style, he repeated it several times, and then noted "I had nothing to do with it".
Funny, if it was a month into the Biden Administration the Trumpies would be screaming that it was Biden's fault.
Inflation is going to get worse. And whatever its causing it now (bird flu helped, but treating the economy like a toy for tariffs didn't help), it's going to be on Trump's watch.
His loyalist won't see it that way.
February 20, 2025
Wyoming has only two hospitals rated at the five star level according to an article in the Trib, one in Cheyenne and one in Jackson.
The information comes from Medicare.gov, so my anticipation it will be fixed by the Trump administration eliminating the ability to access things like this when it gets around to it.
Casper's hospital once belonged to Natrona County but was privatized. It was having troubles prior to that, but since then it seems to have increased. It's rates a 3.
February 26, 2025
In spite of the fact that it increases the debt. . .
They convinced me in there. I'm a 'no.' If the Republican plan passes...we're going to add $328 billion to the deficit this year. We're going to add $295 billion to the deficit the year after that...why would I vote for that?!?
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican, on the Republican continuing budget resolution.
The dollars thrown around as being saved by Musk are largely fictional, if in fact is rampaging buffoonery doesn't end up costing the government money. Only taxes are going to pull us out of this debt.
the House approved the Trump budget resolution.
The bill calls for $2 trillion in overall spending cuts over the next decade, a triviality, to help pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, thereby being unbalanced to start with. It increases increases defense and border spending, with the defense spending being paradoxical given Trump's isolationist views.
This extends, it should be noted, the 2017 tax cuts, which helped put us in a budgetary crisis to start with. The Republicans recently have used the talking point that this is "unsustainable", which it is.
US consumer confidence dropped the greatest amount it has dropped in four years.
February 28, 2025
And the trade war is back on, of course. The tariffs that Trump suspended on our nearest neighbors are back in play.
Why?
Why indeed.
In part, it may be because the GOP budget, complete with the retention of an income tax rate at an absurdly low rate, is going to skyrocket the deficit and Trump sees this as a way of addressing it. Tariffs are a hidden tax on US taxpayers.
It could be a mere distraction for Trump, who likes to distract the public, it seems.
And as for Canada, Trump seems to have genuine bizarre territorial ambition and weirdly believes that beating up on our neighbor will make them love us.
The only sure thing is that this is going to be a disaster.
March 3, 2025
And, here we go.
The Atlanta Fed is projecting that Q1 GDP will be -1.5%.
That's a contraction of the economy.
Last week's projection was +2.3%, four weeks ago it was +3.9%
Now, younger Trumpers, your word of the week is "Stagflation".
A bright side, however. With all the deportations, you might be able to replace the job you lose with a field hired hand's. . .
March 4, 2025
Chinese response to tariffs:
For pork it goes to 47% with this additional 10%. 5% higher than all other countries.
15% on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton.
10% on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
So, American farmers who voted for Trump. . . you're getting what you voted for.
Canada also hit back with tariffs.
The stock market fell for the second day in a row.
Trump doesn't care about any of this stuff. It won't impact him personally. Additionally, somebody gave him a Classic Comics edition on tariffs and he really believes they're the cure for American economic ills, which is absurd.
March 6, 2025
And auto industry tariffs were paused after somebody took Donny's Classic Comics on Tariffs away and made him realize he was completely tanking the auto industry, the dumbass.
He's given them 30 days to relocate production inside the US, which won't happen.
The Wharton School of Business must be so proud. . . .
The DOGE pinheads have put the Dick Cheney Federal Office Building in Casper on a list of buildings to be closed.
The building was constructed in the 1970s and ultimately all of the Federal offices that were jammed into the Federal Courthouse, which wasn't being used as a courthouse, were moved there. Then the courthouse resumed being used as a courthouse.
Where the workers would go is another question. I suppose they would just be terminated.
This is a monumentally stupid move and there's some suspicion that this building was listed just as its named after Dick Cheney, who was an enormous hero in Wyoming up until King Donny and the Dixiecrats came to rule what had once been the Republican Party. It'll hurt the state.
Both John Barrasso and Harriet Hageman have offices in the building.
Sell real estate, in general, is a bad idea for anyone or anything if it can be avoided.
cont:
Canada didn't bite and is keeping its counter tariffs on.
cont:
Various provincial controlled liquor distribution entities are pulling US alcohol from the shelves.
Alcohol is generally regarded as a saturated market, so even small differences in sales actually make a big difference. Prohibition demonstrated that once a product is removed, the taste for it disappears and does not revive, moreover. Prohibition in the US lasted, of course, from 1919 to 1932, but it destroyed rye whiskey market in the US for eighty years, and devastated the quality of American beer. Canada, already a major producer of beer and whiskey, will simply fill in the gaps locally. My guess is that Canadian whiskey sales in the US (personally I don't like Canadian whiskey) will increase in protest of King Donny's actions.
March 7, 2025
President Trump’s decision to suspend tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada that comply with the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) is great news for the Canadian, Mexican and U.S. distilled spirits industries. Spirits produced in Canada, Mexico and the United States are all covered under USMCA. The USMCA has helped to ensure the continued growth of the U.S. spirits and hospitality industries, promote job growth and drive economic prosperity across the nation. We are hopeful that constructive dialogues continue between the U.S., Canada and Mexico that permanently brings back zero for zero tariffs for spirits trade between our three countries. We want Toasts Not Tariffs.
Chris Swonger, President and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
Well, too late. US alcohol, which amounted to a $1B industry in Canada, is off Canadian shelves and not combing back on.
During Trump's last call with Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, Trump became so agitated that he started screaming profanities thus forcing U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to step in and give Canada what they demanded.
This is twice in a week where a cabinet officer suddenly acted independently in front of King Donny.
25th Amendment. . .
March 12, 2025
US steel and aluminum tariffs have gone into effect and the EU has immediately hit back by announcing tariffs that will go into effect on April 1. The EU tariffs are targeted and will hit specific American goods, including boats, bourbon and motorcycles.
Poor old Jack Daniels just can't get a break.
March 14, 2025
The S&P 500 fell into correction territory.
Senator Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader, broke with his party on Thursday and lined up enough Democrats to advance a Republican-written bill to keep the Federal government open after midnight, pretty much proving that the Democrats are worthless in the face of the current crisis.
This will allow the Republicans to destroy the Federal government unimpeded.
March 15, 2025
The stopgap cr passed with the support of Chuck Schumer and nine other Democrats.
March 24, 2025
A coal mine near Kemmerer is laying off 28 workers.
Tesla chargers have been vandalized with swastikas in Rock Springs.
Kemmerer balked at an immigration detention center.
March 27, 2025
Apparently Trump is imposing a 25% tariff on foreign automobiles on April 3.
cont:
Forward bookings from Canada to the U.S. have dropped by more than 70 percent for each month through the end of September.
Last edition:
It was a week in which, after Mass on Sunday, I took the dog out with me austensibly to go fishing and we ended up on the Sweetwater. We walked a fair amount and I noticed, on such a nice day that I shed my coat, that I was walking fatigued. "Out of shape?", I wondered, or just rapidly onsetting old age.
I was having a pretty hard time.
Turned out it was Influenza A. The next morning I was in horrific shape. I went to work, but by noon was a wreck.
I knew it already, but one of the negative things about being a lawyer, at least in some cases, your health matters only to you, and you keep on going anyhow. I had to crawl down to work every day, didn't eat at night, and had the fevers of delirium all night long. Nobody really care that much as they have things they want to you to do. "Help me!". So you go and do it, knowing you are killing yourself.
"You don't look good". "You look worn out". Things I was hearing during the week.
Oh well, the weekends here . . and I worked.
The glory of the law.
The law, they say, is a jealous mistress. As one still practicing older lawyer told me, "the law's a bitch". Both are true.
The same week an event in 1925 recalled a proposal in 2025 that didn't go anywhere, thank goodness.
Last edition:
What we’ve done in our politics is create a situation where we’re electing idiots.
Liz Cheney
Section 1
In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
Section 2
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.
Section 3
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
Section 4
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
January 7, 2025.
Trump calls in and Junior puts him on speaker (in Greenland). He says we need to take over Greenland because there are “ships sailing around and they’re not the right ships.”
Ron Filipkowski
We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Reporter: Can you assure the world that as you try to get control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, you are not going to use military or economic coercion?Trump: No.. I can’t assure you on either of those two.
And:
The windmills are driving the whales crazy. Obviously.
Trump also stated he'd use "economic force" to compel Canada to become a 51st state.
And:
It's called rain. It comes down from heaven. And they want to do no water comes out of the shower. It goes drip drip drip ... you can have all the water you want. It makes no difference.
And, he claimed at his press conference that Hezbollah was at the January 6 riots.
January 14, 2025
Because creating a new agency obviously makes sense:
January 16, 2025He (Kim Jong Un) liked me, I liked him. We got along very well…I think he has tremendous condo capability. He's got a lot of shoreline.January 23, 2025
Half pipes. You see 'em all the time. Half pipes. People live in those half pipes now. You know, they have homeless living in those halftype
and;
The head of a country that lives in forest. A number of them, actually. Finland told me this. Austria told me this. The head of Austria, the head of Finland. And it was beautiful they way they expressed it. They said, 'We live in a forest. We are a forest nation.'
and;
We're gonna be demanding respect from other nations. Canada, we have a tremendous deficit with Canada. We're not gonna have that anymore. As you probably know, I say you can always become a state. If you're a state, we won't have a deficit, we won't have to tariff you.
and;
REPORTER: You would agree it's never acceptable to assault police officers?
TRUMP: Sure
REPORTER: Among those you pardoned is a guy who used a stun gun on a police officer. Why does he deserve a pardon?
TRUMP: Well, I don't know
January 25, 2025
I'm signing an executive order to open up the pumps and valves in the north. We want to get that water pouring down here as quickly as possible ... you're talking about unlimited water coming up from the Pacific Northwest, even coming from parts of Canada.
Um. .. there aren't any such valves. This is pure batshit crazy.
In any normal time, this would send Donny to the retirement home. It's completely nuts.
Also, fwiw, water flows from the Continental Divide, west. Not from north to south.
cont:
We may be a very substantially enlarged country in the not too distant— Isn't it nice to see -- for years, decades, we’re the same size to the square-foot, probably got smaller actually but we might be an enlarged country pretty soon.
I actually figure at this point there's a good chance he's going to order the military to invade Canada.
January 26, 2025
Okay, there is now this by the person who (illegitimately and illegally) claims to be the head of the most powerful nation on Earth.
No serious nation does this. The man is a dangerous fool.
25th Amendment.
Section 4
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Of course, this is aimed at the American public, with the presumption that being a mob tough guy is cute or admirable, rather than this depiction being childish and repressible.
The American public may disagree, in which case, truly, it has become childish.
When we are past this era, and it won't be soon enough, the long lasting American anti intellectual streak in the culture has to end. Yes, some people really are smarter than other. No, collective widom doesn't trump intellect. People need to get educated.
January 29, 2025
We identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas. And you know what's happened to them? They've used them as a method of making bombs.
We didn't appropriate $50M for condoms for Hamas.
Truly, this is rather weird, even for Donald Trump, and some people will believe it, which is pathetic.
January 30, 2024
A helicopter/aircraft collision occurred last night near Washington D.C. The helicopter was a Blackhawk, and therefore a military helicopter.
Trump took to social media:
Let's face it. Trump is simply stupid. The nation has elected a wealthy, dimwitted, vengeful, ignoramus.
January 31, 2024
This is simply surreal:
This one is shameful beyond all measure:
This is, frankly, shameful in the extreme:
Trump is pitting people against each other on racist grounds. He's an embarrassment to the country.
It's worth watching when it's signed. Trump has the appearance of a profoundly stupid man.
On his appearance, his physical condition is rather obviously declining quite rapidly. He can no longer hide that he's bald and his hair is white. The orange tan stuff, which was always disgusting, isn't working.
Latest babble:
February 5, 2025
Trump proposed the Gazans be cleared out of Gaza and given new land, and the existing area become a real estate development belonging to the United States.
This came in a conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who pretty clearly thinks Trump is nuts.
If the Gazans could be resettled in a viable location, which won't happen, it would address much of their problems. The US then owning Gaza as a sort of Levantine Club Med is bat shit crazy, however.
Trump claimed Middle Eastern leaders thought this was a great idea, which they immediately denied. It's pretty clear the major Middle Eastern powers also regard Trump as a lunatic.
This does provide, however, a real insight into his senile way of thinking. Trump, a real estate developer who really has nothing else to his credit, and lacks any moral character, thinks the whole world is just one big real estate developer. Essentially he's a collision of amorality, senility, and capitalism.
February 23, 2025
February 24, 2025
King Donny appointed right-wing conspiracy theorist commentator Dan Bongino as deputy director of the FBI.
Okay, at this, point, this has reached the mornic level.
March 8, 2025
This is twice in a week where a cabinet officer suddenly acted independently in front of King Donny.
25th Amendment. . .
Washington has become Nero’s court, with an incendiary emperor, submissive courtiers and a jester high on ketamine. (...) We were at war with a dictator, we are now at war with a dictator backed by a traitor.
French Senator Claude Malhuret.
Which also shows that the classic "NATO isn't pulling its weight" is bull crap.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting, have competed for years, including at the Tokyo Olympics and several world championships. But after Italy’s Angela Carini quit less than a minute into her Thursday fight against Khelif, both Khelif and Lin became the subject of heated rhetoric focusing on their debated disqualifications from last year’s world championships, which the agency running the competition called a failure to meet eligibility rules.
Lex Anteinternet: Mid Week At Work: Realities of the marketplace. ...: I had one item here I was going to cautiously blog about, and then a second came up by surprise. I'll start with the second and take it...
Men have fewer options on employment than women, in existential terms. Sure, by nature men can be roughnecks and by biology and temperament they're suited to be soldiers, which women are not, in my view