20 Comments
User's avatar
victoria moore's avatar

Hello, Thom,

Looking forward to reading your new book. Reading your reports is not always pleasant, but essential

Tom Halstead's avatar

Democratic “leadership” remains dedicated to supporting Israel’s survival and its ongoing genocidal activities, and torpedoing liberal Democrats. They and the nation would benefit should they turn their attention to supporting America’s survival and those working to ensure it. Or, preferably, just getting the hell out of the way.

Gordon Berry's avatar

Not true! You must be a Republican in disguise

William Farrar's avatar

This is an opportunity, Instead of running from the charge of communism, Equate it to health care for all, education for all, pot hole and bridge repair, affordability.

It is people of Trump's generation, the ones that grew up with nuclear drills diving under desks, which have been conditioned to react to the word communist.. With the fall of the iron curtain, the word has become an anachronism, of ancient history.

It has only been resurrected because of the rise of DSA, but be sure the Democratic Patty will run away from it, and bend over backwards to prove the opposite, just as they always do when the Republicans hurl a charge or a slur.

When the Republicans are accused, they lean into it, they double down. accuse them of being fascist, they declare war on anti fascism.

To use the phrase from a protest song"When will they ever learn"

Re: the stick shift. I had to trade in my pick up for an automatic shift, because my wife's legs were not long enough to keep using the clutch.. However it is cheaper, easier and faster to replace a clutch, than to repair or replace an automatic transmission, And Auto manufacturers need dealers

And the real profit in a dealership comes from the repair shop, and they have to keep the mechanics busy.

If you tried to build a car, by purchasing one piece at a time , you would need hundreds of thousands if not a million dollars, there is that much profit built into parts, not to mention labor of which the dealer gets 50 to 80%

Chris Brodin's avatar

A car dealership is the worst place to go for repairs. Their prices are excessively high even for an oil change. Find a local, independent mechanic that is honest and you will have a friend for life. This is especially true for women. They are more likely to get overcharged.

William Farrar's avatar

I know brother I know. I had a 70 Maverick, 13 years 113,000 miles including a trip from Rantoul, ILL to Panama City, Panama, then three years in Panama. Never changed the oil or brakes, turned the wrench and pliers myself. Only problem was rust in the gas tank, because same assholes stole the gas cap cover, and it was a week before I discovered it, meanwhile lots of rain got in the gas. Rusted the tank, so had to stop every couple of hundred miles, pull the inline gas filter, blow it out and continue on.

Finally drained the tank, and poured a gall on epoxy paint, the same stuff they use to line the tanks of aircraft, and good to go.Rrove it another 8 years, no problem, the bottom of the tank fell off from rust but the epoxy held, Bought it for $2,500 sold it for $500.

I pulled the head at 75,000 miles because I had neverchanged the spark plugs and someone told me that I should, but one plug was heat welded and snapped, dropping part of it inthe cylinder so I had to get a Chilton's Manual for torgue settings, sat on the radiator, pulled the head (it was an inline six), retrieved the bottom half of the plug and sat on the radiator again to put the head back on.. Pliers, screwdriver, socket set and a torgue wrench was all it took.

Well I might have changed brake linings, can't remember, I used to hold it on a hill with the clutch,but never wore out the clutch.

In March we bought a 2026 Maverick Hybrid, it is a computer on wheels, ain't no way I can turn a wrench on that. Hell you don't even need a key to start it, just had the FOB on you and push the start button., and because it is a hybrid you can't tell it has started so there is a little sign upper left on the instrument panel that says Ready.

Robot Bender's avatar

I miss my stick shift cars.

William Farrar's avatar

Same here, however the automatic transmission was a real boon for the handicapped

People like Sen Tammie Duckworth can still drive.

The drive selector on the Maverick is on the console between the seats and is a knob.

The truck came with an owners manual for the computer, Had to buy the total owners manual separately.

You are at the mercy of the dealership, very bad in my case, as Ilive on an island and need to make ferry reservations to take the vehicle in for maintenance.,

Linda Silfven's avatar

Fox covered Trump’s speech “the way a cat covers what’s in its litter box.” Hilarious!!

lara keller's avatar

Love this phrase in report "The billionaires spent two generations proving Keynes’ point better than Keynes ever did..."

Protect the Vote's avatar

What Democrats Can Learn From Australia

Let’s face the facts, Nazi Republicans are a minority party because they don’t represent the majority of Americans. They represent the wealthy and business segment of our society along with cult followers who have shown poor thinking skills in interviews that delegitimize themselves.

Due to their minority place the Nazi Republicans can throw a lot of $$ into elections but the electorate is responding to this “buy election” approach abetted by SCOTUS’s Citizen United decision by saying, “No More!”. Right now the Muskrat is going to be indicted by the state election commission on the illegal attempt to buy voters in Wisconsin with million $ checks. Although the Muskrat didn’t pass $$ to voters, the fact that he proposed such a strategy was illegal.

Election reform has to be the first order of business when the Democrats take both Congressional chambers and presidency. There are many issues in election reform, including an honest gerrymandering reform, but Australia has a law regarding elections. In that country all Australians are required to vote under a financial penalty.

This type of reform would make the American electorate robust and force the Nazi Republicans to be concerned about governing and policy rather than trying to buy elections and electing psychopaths who have no business in government.

Gordon Berry's avatar

Perfect for our time - and include making it easier to vote - eg the 2 weekend days plus at least a month of voting by mail

Jacobs-Meadway Roberta's avatar

God’s punishment for the sins of the Jews? I wish I could trust courts in TX to throw this bullshit anti-Semitic “curriculum” where it belongs… down the sewer along with all the other detritus of religious bigotry that this Administration has released like a new plague on the First Amendment in this country.

Evelyn Scolman Lemoine's avatar

I am hopeful--but not particularly optimistic--that between now and 2030, Texas will abandon this infuriating policy. I don't know who might have standing to have it overturned...but I hope there are lawyers working on this NOW.

Barry's avatar

I agree with your analysis re shifting gears & alertness. I owned a trucking business & drove a truck with a 13 speed non synchromesh transmission. If you didn't time shifts just right, it wouldn't engage the next gear. Once mastered it gave me better control of the truck than a computerized shifter could. In snowy conditions a manual transmission gives you more flexibility.

lara keller's avatar

Trump is setting the stage with his election fraud rubbish, for the time when a manufactured "false flag" security crisis gives him the tools to nationalize elections.

Evelyn Scolman Lemoine's avatar

I am absolutely stunned by the precipitous fall in the percentage of cars with stick shifts in Europe! Americans by and large are much lazier drivers than Europeans, so the decrease here, while large, is not particularly surprising. I say that without malice--it's just true that most Americans are "detached" from their driving attentiveness in a way that most Europeans are not. I suppose the fall in Europe is tied to the increased numbers of EVs. Having been in France last September, I was surprised by the numbers of EVs on the road--and the growing proliferation of public charging stations.

Larry Bushard's avatar

The diaperstain occupying the Oval Bordello told us exactly how they plan on putting the final nail in the coffin of democracy last Thursday. He told us that he and his goons will let us vote on November 3rd, then he will seize ballot machines in sufficient districts to contaminate the results and declare all Republicans winners. Blue states must be gaming this fact and do whatever they can to reject this effort!

D.S.'s avatar

Well said as always ... though bring on that permanent jet lag (so nice to sleep in morning darkness and be active in the evening light)

Jackie's avatar

Thom, there are really many things to think about. The urgency I need to see and feel some for ?

Democracy! Thom they want to make all their lies the truth. House and Senate Thom! Right? For? Democracy. This is serious stuff. Bonkers, but. Thom, We Are Here, ok! What, the.