you said something about having a blunt before bed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUDyDIEbc8Q

Here's James Blunt performing Good-bye, My Lover.

well, he's not Canadian but he is from the mother country. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7merqKCuWg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_x6ZPGh-qE&list=RDsBBfq2PNJTs&index=27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWxIfGJ2mwA&list=RDsBBfq2PNJTs&index=11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBBfq2PNJTs&list=RDsBBfq2PNJTs&start_radio=1&t=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG_brDZoLAs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-_d79xN45U&list=RD0-_d79xN45U&start_radio=1&t=6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCWj8Nz5DUg

In December, if it's Wednesday night, then it's Classic Albums Live performing Beatles albums, cut for cut, note for note, live from the Empire Theatre in Bellville, Ontario - physical distanced seating for up to 50 people and, of course, live streaming the whole show!

Don't miss Revolver, Rubber Soul and the White Album and, to round the month out, Christmas with John Lennon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG7QeJu1n-Y&list=RDngm3ZBTlAXc&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlcY_enzwmI&list=RDngm3ZBTlAXc&index=9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmEfkosNNxI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAdBXo39Ysw

But, here's a tune to start off our little CW Sunday Night Music Festival and Dance Party ... just 'cause. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImVMnI_qCGg&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0r25Mp1nRoi7RVn4-sFPiEHwcHomQ2PL52ETZEdcVouf8uTBs8G4c-R4c

This is a gem of a demo recorded in 1976 by what became PRiSM - Ron Tabak Era and it's entitled 'Don't Let Me Find Out' featuring Tabak's brillian vocals.

Eventually, I'll read the instructions on how to post fancy links. Ahem.

I haven't really paid much attention, if any, to Biden's 2020 campaign speeches. But, I have followed his career since about 1987, so ...

I think we need to move away from the left-wing/right-wing, conservative/liberal political scales because they represent a tired, old way of thinking.

The new paradigm involves an exciting and more relevant up-wing/down-wing axis with up-wing leaders characterized by such traits as future-oriented thinking and the ability to put new technology to use on a grand or small scale to solve problems, meet challenges and move society forward to the cutting edge and beyond.

I'm looking forward to seeing just how far along the up-wing axis Biden and his administration will go!

Bravo! Nailed it! I’m guessing “C” is the true answer.

-Russ

biden is a pragmatist; he tries to figure out where the country is going and does his best to get there first. so if he's center-right, than likely so are we.

You sell Biden short. You need to review his political lifetime record, not just his 2020 campaign speeches. He's a bona fide conservative, maybe not a gung-ho con, but definitely a right-of-center one.

let's imagine for a moment that somebody really did start a popular movement and succeeded in convincing millions of people of both parties to support only candidates who gave less than 500 dollars. would your reaction be:

a - thrilled that someone accomplished a goal near and dear to your heart
b - encouraged, but not yet satisfied because a 500 dollar donor is still "big money"
c - pissed off because someone else got the credit for "your" idea
d - pie

as long as unicorns continue to fart rainbows inside your head, you won't understand what's going on in the rest of the world, i.e. what most other individuals consider "real."

“Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best”
~otto von bismarck

Don't know why what you wrote reminded me of this, but hey, 'tis the season...

From "The Pause Of Mr. Claus" by Arlo Guthrie (introductory spoken story):

But that's not why I want to dedicate the song to the FBI.

Other countries would say "Hey, he's the last guy...screw him", you know? But in America, there is no discrimination, and there is no hypocrisy,'cause they'll get anybody. And that's a wonderful thing about America.

Heh.

-CW

My only point is that I've heard Biden speak about income inequality many times. I know he does not attack the billionaire class because, well, it's just not his style to attack any group. When he speaks to a group of the top income earners in the country he's going say the same thing to them as he would to a labour meeting - they are not the enemy and they can bear a tax increase very nicely and nothing will fundamentally change in their lives. Well, of course, not! It's like telling both groups the sky is blue on a lovely clear day.

It is obvious to me that the political columnist in the link you provided knows very little about Biden and I'm sure he got quite a lot wrong with regard to what Biden said at this fundraiser.

But, you know what? It doesn't matter anymore because everyone will now have the opportunity to see how Biden operates. I no longer feel the urge or need to defend him. Truth be known, I feel a bit liberated! :)

"You know, what I’ve found is rich people are just as patriotic as poor people. Not a joke. I mean, we may not want to demonize anybody who has made money. The truth of the matter is, you all, you all know, you all know in your gut what has to be done. We can disagree in the margins but the truth of the matter is it’s all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punished. No one’s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change. Because when we have income inequality as large as we have in the United States today, it brews and ferments political discord and basic revolution. [...] It allows demagogues to step in and say the reason where we are is because of the other, the other. You’re not the other. I need you very badly. I hope if I win this nomination, I won’t let you down.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/06/19/bidens-comments-about-segregationists-rich-are-deeply-problematic/

That page has a link, but it's to a tweet that only quotes the same amount.

The main question, imo at least, is the degree to which politicians betray public trust in exchange for campaign contributions. For the most part, they don't.

The campaign finance system doesn't work well. It allows too much influence for too small an amount of big money. But being wrong is not the same as betrayal. It's cheaper and more reliable to find a true believer in an ideology that favors your interests, and fund their campaign, than it is to find someone whose true position is well aligned with the public interest, and pay them to go against their principles.

There's a secondary question: insofar as campaign contributions do corrupt office-holders, do they fit the other part of the definition? That's also a "no". Campaign contributions don't normally flow to the office-holder. They're a cost of staying in office, not an emolument received for being in office.

I'm using the term (venal/venality) in the sense of being eager to benefit financially from whatever political power he's ever possessed, something at which he has been spectacularly successful.

And yeah, I suppose realistically appraised, I'd say that is a trait shared by almost all politicians.

In the specific cases of "Fat Donny and McConnell", I'd go more with simple "greedy", which admittedly ain't that far different.

Humph.

Okay. okay. I know. I'm done.

Sorry. Should know better. But, I go crazy ...

you always quote Biden out of context.

Do you know the context of this quote?

By posing that question, you have taken giving the benefit of the doubt way, way too far.

Especially in one of your sentences, Joshua ...

do you want me to answer that?

You love using that quote, "nothing fundamental will change" but, you always quote Biden out of context.

Do you know the context of this quote?

Context changes its meaning, utterly. :)

I do consider it a legal bribe.

A legal bribe is not a bribe, but it if were, it would be at $199 the same as it would be at $201.

so dumb he thinks the Chinese pay the import taxes on what we buy from them

We don't know what he thinks. We only know what he says and he lies a lot. It much more likely that he thinks Republicans will believe him when he says that the Chinese pay the import taxes on what we buy from them. He's probably right about that since they aren't complaining about having to pay them.

Accepting donations to run a campaign is by definition not a bride. Calling it one is just your optional delusion.

To be clear and for the record, Biden is the polar opposite of Trump and venal. Ahem. And, conservative is a meaningless descriptive. Heh.

How in gawd's name could one NOT be (ever so slightly)thankful??

It's true enough, we are at the tender mercies of someone who thinks the American pandemic model was so effective that is was worth mimicking.

Let that sink in. Fuck me.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/auditor-slams-ontario-for-sidelining-public-health-experts-in-covid-19-response/ar-BB1bmDSC?ocid=msedgntp

Thankfully (which I am), we here in our south-eastern neck of the woods sought our own path. Our municipal leaders chose the advice of the medical community of Queens University and enacted strict public mediation right off the hop, weeks before 'The plug' got a chance to set his terms.

Happy thingy, my furry friends. Remain safe, take no wooden nickels, and above all else...never pat a burning dog.

LL&P

I will be even more thankful when the children still separated from their families at the border are restored to them. Catherine Rampell in the WaPo gives the number as 666--the mark of the beast if ever there was one.

Oh, yeah, I forgot the cyber guy that got fired for telling the truth. I think he was primarily responsible for what you bring up.

He really deserves our thanks, too, on two levels: for protecting us, and for not lying about it afterwards!

:-)

Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

-CW

I would also thank whoever the heck resecured the nation against Russian attempts to sway the election. I don't know what happened, but it's one topic I simply haven't heard about this Fall, compared to four years ago, and it can't be because Putin became a nice guy.

Have a happy holiday with friends and family, Chris and everyone who reads this.

I don't think the military is at risk of going hungry. It will get its pork one way or another, with at most a slight delay. But some will go to Democratic districts and contractors, that would go to Republican ones if they would just let go of the Confederate names.