Trump's Second and Third year in office

Quote: TigerWu

Treasury yields have slowly been climbing, though, so that's good.

Erm.... No. But then I assume that was subtle humour.
Treasury yields climb because Treasury Bond values fall. If the fund owned bonds, then it's capital value has fallen. (Oh and treasury yields climbing is nicely linked to inflation) A bit like saying 'good news: Equity prices have fallen so I can buy them cheaper'... Which is not much consolation when your wealth is already tied up in equities.

Quote: OnceDear

Erm.... No. But then I assume that was subtle humour.
Treasury yields climb because Treasury Bond values fall. If the fund owned bonds, then it's capital value has fallen. (Oh and treasury yields climbing is nicely linked to inflation) A bit like saying 'good news: Equity prices have fallen so I can buy them cheaper'... Which is not much consolation when your wealth is already tied up in equities.

??? It was not subtle humor.

Higher yield means a higher interest rate paid to the owner of the security, yes?

Quote: TigerWu

??? It was not subtle humor.

Higher yield means a higher interest rate paid to the owner of the security, yes?

Yes and no. Mostly no.
Interest rate payable is fixed at time of issue. If supply is high relative to demand then the price in the resale market will tend to fall and vice versa. If your fund already holds the bonds, then the capital value of your holding has dropped and the amount of interest you get will be the same. Not good.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/treasury-yield.asp

Quote: OnceDear

Yes and no. Mostly no.
Interest rate payable is fixed at time of issue. If supply is high relative to demand then the price in the resale market will tend to fall and vice versa. If your fund already holds the bonds, then the capital value of your holding has dropped and the amount of interest you get will be the same. Not good.

I was thinking more if you bought the bonds directly from the government and held until maturity. Not as part of a fund.

I just read a bunch of articles about treasury securities and it still doesn't make sense... haha...

Quote: TigerWu

I was thinking more if you bought the bonds directly from the government and held until maturity. Not as part of a fund.

I just read a bunch of articles about treasury securities and it still doesn't make sense... haha...

If you are about to buy them with cash, you will get more bonds for your money today, ( because they are less in demand than they were yesterday ) but if the government struggles to borrow, their next issue will have a higher 'coupon rate' which will depress the capital value of Your holding even further.
Increasing interest rates hurt borrowers more than lenders. There are lots of borrowers.

Quote: OnceDear

If you are about to buy them with cash, you will get more bonds for your money today, ( because they are less in demand than they were yesterday ) but if the government struggles to borrow, their next issue will have a higher 'coupon rate' which will depress the capital value of Your holding even further.

You can mitigate that somewhat by only investing in short-term securities, right? That way your money is not locked up in a lower yielding security.

And then if I want I can always buy the newer higher coupon rate security as well.

I'm diversified, though, so I've got money everywhere - bonds, bond funds, and index funds. Keep all my bases covered.

Quote: TigerWu

You can mitigate that somewhat by only investing in short-term securities, right? That way your money is not locked up in a lower yielding security.

And then if I want I can always buy the newer higher coupon rate security as well.

I'm diversified, though, so I've got money everywhere - bonds, bond funds, and index funds. Keep all my bases covered.

I'm not qualified to advise on your investments, especially being a Brit $:o)
I lean towards the 'no' on that first question. Your money is not locked up. period. The price moves, either way: You sell your bonds in the market. But the hit you take on value change and trading cost can really sting.
Bonds have a place in diverse portfolios, but if you don't fully understand them ( I suspect you don't ) then DYOR or buy professional expertise.

Quote: OnceDear

DYOR

I will.

Quote: SanchoPanza

Why look up any facts when easy expedience does the trick?

“To address misinformation being peddled about Ms. Trump’s personal email, she did not create a private server in her house or office, there was never classified information transmitted, the account was never transferred or housed at Trump Organization, no emails were ever deleted, and the emails have been retained in the official account in conformity with records preservation laws and rules,” Mirijanian said in his statement. bloomberg

A republican breaks the rules and Sancho goes straight to a copy and paste of a lawyer to defend.
ROTFL
Somebody does something against the law, I don't give a crap about party like Sancho does
Come on Sancho, Ivanka is wrong. Cant you just admit that instead of a copy paste of lawyer gibberish

Quote: SanchoPanza

Why look up any facts when easy expedience does the trick?

“To address misinformation being peddled about Ms. Trump’s personal email, she did not create a private server in her house or office, there was never classified information transmitted, the account was never transferred or housed at Trump Organization, no emails were ever deleted, and the emails have been retained in the official account in conformity with records preservation laws and rules,” Mirijanian said in his statement. bloomberg

The GOP has chosen to focus on the issue using private e-mail to conduct government business, making it a hallmark cry at Trump's rallies, TO THIS DAY. Because of this, it's pretty difficult to imagine that Ivanka didn't recognize that using a personal email account to conduct government business is a bad idea.

It displays a complete lack of competence and awareness. The hypocrisy is astounding.

I'm waiting on her father to cry to the Russians to hack it, like he did with Hillary.

Quote: Steverinos

Quote: SanchoPanza

Why look up any facts when easy expedience does the trick?

“To address misinformation being peddled about Ms. Trump’s personal email, she did not create a private server in her house or office, there was never classified information transmitted, the account was never transferred or housed at Trump Organization, no emails were ever deleted, and the emails have been retained in the official account in conformity with records preservation laws and rules,” Mirijanian said in his statement. bloomberg

The GOP has chosen to focus on the issue using private e-mail to conduct government business, making it a hallmark cry at Trump's rallies, TO THIS DAY. Because of this, it's pretty difficult to imagine that Ivanka didn't recognize that using a personal email account to conduct government business is a bad idea.

It displays a complete lack of competence and awareness. The hypocrisy is astounding.

I'm waiting on her father to cry to the Russians to hack it, like he did with Hillary.

Totally agree
Its WRONG
The lawyers response is gibberish.
She used personal email for govt business. its wrong and its not "misinformation being peddeled about"
The lawyers statement is total BS. Ivanka is wrong and that's a fact. Not misinformation.
What a crappy lawyer
Pretty funny Sancho defends with lawyer gibberish. Hey Sancho, did you actually read the gibberish before copying and pasting :-)

The lawyer is saying Ivanka is not Clinton. lol. No kidding.
We are claiming that Ivanka used personal email for Govt Business. Its wrong and its a fact

Quote: Nathan

Someone on another website said that Ivanka was being considered as a Candidate for first female President of USA. The reply was,"Ivanka seems to be an airhead party girl. She seems to immature to be President." The response was,"Ivanka is far from being an airhead party girl. She's a very serious businesswoman and actually comes off as much mature than her Dad, President Donald Trump."

Kim Kardashian is a better business women and also comes off as more mature than donald trump.

Quote: billryan

Kim Kardashian is a better business women and also comes off as more mature than donald trump.

I could throw a dart out the window and hit someone who is more mature and a better business person than Donald Trump.

I'd take Kim K. over Trump as President any day.

Quote: TigerWu

I'd take Kim K. over Trump as President any day.

I don't think I could take Kayne as 1st Rapper.

Quote: terapined

We are claiming that Ivanka used personal email for Govt Business. Its wrong and its a fact

At any rate, it makes it rather more awkward for Republicans to go after only Hillary.

A turkey has spent more time on camera in the briefing room this month than the Press Secretary.

Can we give him a job? Might actually be one of the more useful members of this administration...

Quote: RonC

It is a lesson in doubling down on stupidity, or savvy (??), when it comes to the handling of email. Which previous Secretary has been investigated for having a PRIVATE SERVER AT HOME? Clinton did this to avoid transparency, among other reasons, which is possibly the most troubling aspect of it. She thinks that it is alright to avoid scrutiny by doing things outside the rules for a government agency.

Any comment on Ivanka?

Quote: AZDuffman

Well, Bill Clinton as a rapist did in 1992. The email was more than "mishandling." And she should be facing prison time for it, same as someone in the military would if they did the same thing.

Care to comment on Ivanka?

Quote: ams288

Remember all throughout 2017 when the Trumpsters would always highlight how good Donald was for everyone’s 401k? Why have they been so silent lately?

*looks at stock market*

Oh.

The Stock market was down in like August, but as of recent, Walgreen's stock has climbed back up to roughly $80 a share.Circa August, a share was only selling at about $60, a whopping $20 less a share.

Quote: Nathan

The Stock market was down in like August, but as of recent, Walgreen's stock has climbed back up to roughly $80 a share.Circa August, a share was only selling at about $60, a whopping $20 less a share.

Cutting your benefits must have helped.

lol

Quote: ams288

Remember all throughout 2017 when the Trumpsters would always highlight how good Donald was for everyone’s 401k? Why have they been so silent lately?

The US economy is fundamentally sound.

In the third quarter , 78% of companies in the S&P beat expected earnings. Blended growth rate of 25.7% could be the highest since 2010.

The market is falling because much of the rest of the world economies are slowing, and there is concern those slowing economies could slow ours as well.

China, Japan and EU GDP growth is slowing.

After ten years of $3 trillion in QE, plus negative interest rates, which will be ending next month, EU GDP growth is falling.

There are other reasons too, such as profit taking, the strong dollar, rising interest rates, the trade wars, and an expected slowdown in corporate profits coming off a record year.

Quote: terapined

Any comment on Ivanka?

No. It violates my self-imposed ban on political conversation here, which I discussed earlier.

But..."punish each indiscretion from either side based on what laws or ethics rules were violated" has been my general position.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Quote: Tanko

The US economy is fundamentally sound.

lol, didn’t John McCain say that in 2008 right as the economy was falling off the cliff?

Quote: ams288

lol, didn’t John McCain say that in 2008 right as the economy was falling off the cliff?

John McCain could be excused as being senile. He was like 70 when he said that....;)

Quote: AZDuffman

MHO the fact that the server was in her home in the first place is enough to charge her. Anyone who has worked in any kind of secure environment knows this is a no-no. I am not even supposed to use my personal phone to call a client. Then there is retention policy, which she violated. The media should have taken her down last year on all of this.

Any comment on Ivanka?

Quote: Tanko

The US economy is fundamentally sound.

In the third quarter , 78% of companies in the S&P beat expected earnings. Blended growth rate of 25.7% could be the highest since 2010.

The market is falling because much of the rest of the world economies are slowing, and there is concern those slowing economies could slow ours as well.

China, Japan and EU GDP growth is slowing.

After ten years of $3 trillion in QE, plus negative interest rates, which will be ending next month, EU GDP growth is falling.

There are other reasons too, such as profit taking, the strong dollar, rising interest rates, the trade wars, and an expected slowdown in corporate profits coming off a record year.

Most Presidents know not to try and take credit for Wall St highs because with that comes responsibility for Wall St lows.
Trump embraced the sugar high, now he owns the bounce back.

Quote: ams288

lol

She "bombed?"

Didn't she get her own TV show directly as a result of her appearance at that dinner?

Oh, right, I forgot we're dealing with one of the most delicate, sensitive, snowflake Presidents in living memory....

Quote: Tanko

The US economy is fundamentally sound.

In the third quarter , 78% of companies in the S&P beat expected earnings. Blended growth rate of 25.7% could be the highest since 2010.

The market is falling because much of the rest of the world economies are slowing, and there is concern those slowing economies could slow ours as well.

China, Japan and EU GDP growth is slowing.

After ten years of $3 trillion in QE, plus negative interest rates, which will be ending next month, EU GDP growth is falling.

There are other reasons too, such as profit taking, the strong dollar, rising interest rates, the trade wars, and an expected slowdown in corporate profits coming off a record year.

And...

Target (retail) sales and profit failed to meet expectations. Oil prices hit their lowest point this year dropping 7% yesterday. The immediate impact of tax cuts for the rich and spending increases in the federal budget are diminishing. Trillion dollar deficits are back. Trade frictions are hanging over all of it.

There are reasons to be concerned and most of them do not involve attributing blame to other leaders/countries besides our own. Rinse/repeat. Democrats inherit a mess that "could have been averted" if Gore won in 2000, they proceed to recover and grow the economy, hand republicans a strong foundation and they proceed to f**k it up....again................maybe. We'll see.

The question is....when will the folks in fly-over states finally figure it out?

Hmm
Just this week the right stopped caring about emails
Fake outrage?

Sometimes I feel sorry for you guys on the right that defend criminal behavior simply due to politics

Somebody tells me someone broke the law, I say prosecute, I could care less what party they belong to
but conservatives
You tell somebody on the right that somebody broke the law, they need to know what party the criminal belongs to before deciding if that person should be prosecuted.
ROTFL

I don't play that absurd game.
Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are both guilty of sexual assault. Both disgust me

Posted on the Presidents WH page, evidently this is his Thanksgiving Message to America and the world.

America First!
The world is a very dangerous place!
The country of Iran, as an example, is responsible for a bloody proxy war against Saudi Arabia in Yemen, trying to destabilize Iraq's fragile attempt at democracy, supporting the terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon, propping up dictator Bashar Assad in Syria (who has killed millions of his own citizens), and much more. Likewise, the Iranians have killed many Americans and other innocent people throughout the Middle East. Iran states openly, and with great force, "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" Iran is considered "the world's leading sponsor of terror."
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia would gladly withdraw from Yemen if the Iranians would agree to leave. They would immediately provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has agreed to spend billions of dollars in leading the fight against Radical Islamic Terrorism.
After my heavily negotiated trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Kingdom agreed to spend and invest $450 billion in the United States. This is a record amount of money. It will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, tremendous economic development, and much additional wealth for the United States. Of the $450 billion, $110 billion will be spent on the purchase of military equipment from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and many other great U.S. defense contractors. If we foolishly cancel these contracts, Russia and China would be the enormous beneficiaries - and very happy to acquire all of this newfound business. It would be a wonderful gift to them directly from the United States!
The crime against Jamal Khashoggi was a terrible one, and one that our country does not condone. Indeed, we have taken strong action against those already known to have participated in the murder. After great independent research, we now know many details of this horrible crime. We have already sanctioned 17 Saudis known to have been involved in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, and the disposal of his body.
Representatives of Saudi Arabia say that Jamal Khashoggi was an "enemy of the state" and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but my decision is in no way based on that -- this is an unacceptable and horrible crime. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event -- maybe he did and maybe he didn't!
That being said, we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran. The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region. It is our paramount goal to fully eliminate the threat of terrorism throughout the world!
I understand there are members of Congress who, for political or other reasons, would like to go in a different direction - and they are free to do so. I will consider whatever ideas are presented to me, but only if they are consistent with the absolute security and safety of America. After the United States, Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producing nation in the world. They have worked closely with us and have been very responsive to my requests to keeping oil prices at reasonable levels -- so important for the world. As President of the United States I intend to ensure that, in a very dangerous world, America is pursuing its national interests and vigorously contesting countries that wish to do us harm. Very simply it is called America First!

Quote: Steverinos

Target (retail) sales and profit failed to meet expectations. Oil prices hit their lowest point this year dropping 7% yesterday. ...

....Democrats inherit a mess that "could have been averted" if Gore won in 2000, they proceed to recover and grow the economy,....

I previously provided a link that shows 78% of the companies in the S&P beat earnings, and 61% issued a positive sales report. All eleven sectors have higher growth rates than the previous month, and earnings growth is the highest since 2010.

Yet, you ignore this and focus on a single company, Target, who missed earnings by only 2.67% on increased revenue of $17.82 billion.

You mentioned falling oil prices.

Falling oil prices, might hurt oil stocks, but it helps many industries, and ten or more other sectors, such as airlines, construction, mining, hotels, shipping, autos, agriculture, retail, manufacturing, utilities, and chemicals.

It also lowers heating and gasoline costs for everyone. For someone who lives in Alaska, you should be happy about this.

It also makes it cheaper to fill my gas tank.

Every drop of one penny in the price of gasoline adds an extra $1 billion into the economy.

I explained earlier, only the House creates fiscal policy, and controls spending and finance.

The 2008 recession would have been avoided if the dems voted for the reforms President Bush requested seventeen times, starting in 2001. The dems had the chance to prevent the recession, but they waited until 2008, when it was too late.

Obama was lucky to have to deal with them for only the first two years of his presidency.

Now, the party that oversaw the Great Recession and seven of the last eight recessions, controls the House, once again.

1957 dems
1960 dems
1970 dems
1973-75 dems
1980-1982 dems
1990-1992 dems
2001 repub
2008-2009 dems

Do you think the dems are going to let Trump enter the 2020 election with a thriving economy?

It wasn't Steverino ("you"). It was the money experts that said Monday Tuesday down markets were fluxing because of Target missing projections, and a general sell-off prior to an expected market correction of 10-15% "pretty soon".

Dow is now negative for the entire year. Ron Insana of CNBC is seeing a flattening of the markets and expects the economy to slow in the coming year. Others, as I said, are expecting a correction. So the rest of this year it seems likely that any individual stock still above start of year will get sold as people take those gains. But who knows.

It's been a mistake for Trump to take credit for the markets, imo. He's going to own the correction if it happens because of that. And the slowing of growth if that happens.

Business has done him and the Republicans no favors by mostly using the tax breaks they got AT OUR EXPENSE to buyback stock instead of investing in the country. That bill will come due this coming year/pre-2020.

As to Saudi value and oil, Trump inflated actual value of Saudi purchases by almost 10x. 14.5B, not 110B. The technology we provide, China and Russia don't have. And Saudi oil prices barely affect our oil market. Canada provides 40% of imported oil, SA 9%.

But that's imported oil. We are largely using domestic oil from shale, which lowered prices so much it became unaffordable for them in 2016, dropping prices to $22/bbl, and they stopped a lot of production until prices rose enough.

Currently, domestic production is 12 MILLION barrels per day. Total US usage average is 19.96 million bpd. So SA oil is 9% of 40% of total consumption, about 3.6%. We could manage easily without it. Might tick the price up 10 cents.

And might also cause those who stopped pumping in 2016 to uncap. US has the biggest oil reserves IN THE WORLD now, with shale mining practical.

We could afford, easily, to sanction SA now for murdering and dismembering our US resident. Trump's arguments in that statement don't hold water. Long term effects are murkier.

But Trump's personal obligations with rich Saudis bailing him out PERSONALLY on at least 2 occasions, and his own corrupt ethics, mean he will never support any kind of action in response.

Quote: beachbumbabs

It was the money experts that said Monday Tuesday down markets were fluxing because of Target missing projections, ....

...Ron Insana of CNBC is seeing a flattening of the markets and expects the economy to slow in the coming year.

Target, Ross and TJ Maxx all reported higher profits than the previous year. They were sold on uncertainty of sales growth. Like taking down your place and odds bets before you seven out after a long roll.

The US economy is already slowing. The global economy is slowing. You can see that in the weak commodity markets.

The Fed is slowing it by raising interest rates while simultaneously reducing its balance sheet by $50 billion of Obama’s QE money each month. That, plus the end of QE in the EU, where it failed to stimulate the economy.

We’re due.

Stock market corrections occur an average of once every 357 days, and last an average of 71 days, or 14 weeks.

Bear markets, occur an average of every 3.5 years, and last an average 367 days.

Quote: Tanko

2008-2009 dems

I don't know about those other dates, but as far as this one, the Democrats only took over the House AFTER the Great Recession had already started, so you can't blame any of their policies for the build up and catalyzing of that one.

Trump is a moron. As is anyone who even tries to defend his speech to troops this morning. How embarrassing.

Speaking of morons, how about the idiot Michael Mann from Penn State who has made himself relevant for a day by calling Trump a Clown about Global Warming. Naturally the very dangerous people at the Huff Post are making him a hero.

Of course this is the same guy who didn’t have the balls to quit Penn State when it’s President covered up years of multiple Child Rapes.

But Trump is the Clown and the Huff Post writes another story to get their comment posters all fired about. Say all you want about Breitbart and it’s readers, but a simple review of the HP comments shows there are dangerous thoughts being posted on both sides.

So the next time a tragedy happens, which it will, be sure the blame sites like the HP for pushing hate and hate speech when you also blame Trump.

Remember “Hate has no Home*”

*Unless you are Trump or a Trump supporter, then you are a stupid idiot or worse and deserve to rot in hell.

Our commander in chief standing in a crowd of enlisted service members ,and expressing surprise they all didn't go to the Coast Guard Academy. Priceless.

Quote: billryan

Trump is a moron. As is anyone who even tries to defend his speech to troops this morning. How embarrassing.

Can I defend his speech? Not to get you in trouble, but being called a moron by you would be a Badge of Honor for myself and many others.

Not sure I would be able to get over being called it by one of my life role models.

I’ve decided to live my life based on your teachings.

Quote: Boz

Speaking of morons, how about the idiot Michael Mann from Penn State who has made himself relevant for a day by calling Trump a Clown about Global Warming. Naturally the very dangerous people at the Huff Post are making him a hero..

Trump is a clown for not believing science
I have the greatest respect for science
I was raised by a scientist. No religion in our household.
What else is there to believe in but examining all the evidence to come to a scientific conclusion

Quote: Boz

Of course this is the same guy who didn’t have the balls to quit Penn State when it’s President covered up years of multiple Child Rapes.

??????
What does the academic side of Penn St have to do with the disgusting football culture.
Joe Paterno knew exactly what was going on
Joe Paterno totally disgusts me
but
What does that have to do with Professors. Nothing.

Quote: Boz

But Trump is the Clown and the Huff Post writes another story to get their comment posters all fired about. Say all you want about Breitbart and it’s readers, but a simple review of the HP comments shows there are dangerous thoughts being posted on both sides.

So the next time a tragedy happens, which it will, be sure the blame sites like the HP for pushing hate and hate speech when you also blame Trump.

Remember “Hate has no Home*”

*Unless you are Trump or a Trump supporter, then you are a stupid idiot or worse and deserve to rot in hell.

Oh give me a break
There is hate on both sides with the extremists
Comments on Huff are no different from Breibart regarding hate.
Lately its the right wing extremists that have been violent
The mail bomber and the shooter at the synagogue hard right wing

Quote: terapined

Trump is a clown for not believing science
I have the greatest respect for science
I was raised by a scientist. No religion in our household.
What else is there to believe in but examining all the evidence to come to a scientific conclusion

??????
What does the academic side of Penn St have to do with the disgusting football culture.
Joe Paterno knew exactly what was going on
Joe Paterno totally disgusts me
but
What does that have to do with Professors. Nothing.

Oh give me a break
There is hate on both sides with the extremists
Comments on Huff are no different from Breibart regarding hate.
Lately its the right wing extremists that have been violent
The mail bomber and the shooter at the synagogue hard right wing

My point exactly on hate on both sides. You are sensible enough to see it. Hate is hate, period. There are crazies on both sides and they all deserve to be called out. But bring up Breitbart and some, not you, go nuts on here. My point is the comments allowed on HP are as bad as it’s gets in regards to Trump supporters and HP eats it up. And HP feeds the fire with garbage stories about Trump and the GOP, sensationalism at its best. No different than what Breitbart does.

On PSU, sorry I don’t respect anyone who continued to work there if they have other options. And Mann has and had other options. Yes Paterno knew what was going on, but worse is Spanier covered it up. Worse yet rumors were around for years and no one did anything. School should have been closed and used as an example for posterity as what is and isn’t acceptable in society. And no one would have suffered more than the victims. While the school and some of the individuals were prosecuted for it, the story sadly has been quickly forgotten with 105,000 crowds celebrating the football team.

And thanks for being a sensible voice everytime. It’s almost a lost trait anymore.

Quote: beachbumbabs

.....We could afford, easily, to sanction SA now for murdering and dismembering our US resident. Trump's arguments in that statement don't hold water. Long term effects are murkier.

Do you really care one way or another about the life of Saudi citizen Kashoggi?

We have killed an est. 4 million in the M.E. since 2001, decimated 4 country's, and currently starving tens of thousands of Yemeni children with sanctions.

I've run out of grief for one covert Saudi secret agent at a time, who strayed to far from the ranch.

I'm pretty sure that when any covert ops person in the world, regardless of nationality, signs on the dotted line that their own country might need to terminate them, for national security reasons? It's just a hazard of the trade.

Quote: petroglyph

Do you really care one way or another about the life of Saudi citizen Kashoggi?

We have killed an est. 4 million in the M.E. since 2001, decimated 4 country's, and currently starving tens of thousands of Yemeni children with sanctions.

I've run out of grief for one covert Saudi secret agent at a time, who strayed to far from the ranch.

I'm pretty sure that when any covert ops person in the world, regardless of nationality, signs on the dotted line that their own country might need to terminate them, for national security reasons? It's just a hazard of the trade.

Amen, false liberal tears for this guy. And if I knew people wanted to kill me, I’d never leave the good old USA.

For some reason many think American lives are so much more valuable than the rest of the worlds. EVERY life is valuable but it’s mostly fake tears to push an agenda. He was obviously an idiot, and idiots sometimes get what they deserve.

12 kids die in a school shooting. Absolutely horrible, but used to push an anti gun agenda.

1000’s starve to death monthly worldwide, we throw away enough food to have saved them all, today alone. We will fight crowds to buy new TV’s today and tomorrow to replace perfectly fine ones.

Just food for thought, the worlds not a perfect place, but everyone of us could do more to change the world, instead we whine about Trump ruining ours.

Quote: terapined

Trump is a clown for not believing science
I have the greatest respect for science
I was raised by a scientist. No religion in our household.
What else is there to believe in but examining all the evidence to come to a scientific conclusion

??????
What does the academic side of Penn St have to do with the disgusting football culture.
Joe Paterno knew exactly what was going on
Joe Paterno totally disgusts me
but
What does that have to do with Professors. Nothing.

Oh give me a break
There is hate on both sides with the extremists
Comments on Huff are no different from Breibart regarding hate.
Lately its the right wing extremists that have been violent
The mail bomber and the shooter at the synagogue hard right wing

Blind faith in science is the same as blind faith in religion.

Quote: RS

Blind faith in science is the same as blind faith in religion.

What? No.

How about this? Science is to MD, as Religion is to Witch doctor or Psychic healer. You can pretend it's equivalent risk putting blind faith in both, but I have a feeling on average you're going to regret the witch doctor or psychic healer more often than the MD.

I assume by blind faith we are not going to do anything but walk in the door for each one and let them perform.

Quote: rxwine

What? No.

How about this? Science is to MD, as Religion is to Witch doctor or Psychic healer. You can pretend it's equivalent risk putting blind faith in both, but I have a feeling on average you're going to regret the witch doctor or psychic healer more often than the MD.

I assume by blind faith we are not going to do anything but walk in the door for each one and let them perform.

What? I'd say there's a pretty big difference between blindly believing in "all" science vs believing an MD is competent. Just because a scientist says something, does not make it true. Just because many scientists say something, similarly, doesn't make it true. By definition, if there is disagreement within a scientific community, someone has to be wrong. I'm not saying scientists are just complete bunk or anything like that. Having blind faith in what you read or hear without doing the proper research (such as actually doing experiments, pouring over the data, etc.) is the same as what religious people are accused of doing....you ever met God or seen Him, have you ever met anyone that wrote the Bible or anything like that?

Quote: TigerWu

I don't know about those other dates, but as far as this one, the Democrats only took over the House AFTER the Great Recession had already started, so you can't blame any of their policies for the build up and catalyzing of that one.

Dems took the House and Senate in the 2006 elections.

The recession officially started in December 2007. The Bush Administration began warning in 2001, that the size of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was a potential problem, and that the failure of a GSE, would have strong repercussions in financial markets.

The dems failed to support seventeen requests by President Bush from 2001 - 2008 for reform legislation.

They even ignored the OMB in 2002, when it called for disclosure and corporate governance contained in the President’s 10 point plan to apply to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Barney Frank said he wanted to ‘roll the dice a little more’. He was gambling with the welfare of 300 million Americans. Not his.

Their early support would have prevented the recession.

“Much if not all of that could have been prevented by a bill cosponsored by John McCain and supported by all the Republicans and opposed by all the Democrats in the Senate Banking Committee in 2005. That bill, which the Democrats stopped from passing, would have prohibited the GSEs from speculating on the mortgage-based securities they packaged.” U.S.News and World Report

If they were trying to sabotage the economy of a Republican president, they could not have done a better job.

Quote: RS

Blind faith in science is the same as blind faith in religion.

Rx tried to be somewhat conciliatory above, but I think that's an incorrect approach.

Facts are stubborn things. The scientific method, which is rigorously applied before making a science-based statement in almost every case, requires independently confirmable facts. If in science, something is theorized, it is stated as a theory, pending EITHER verification or invalidation.

If facts during the scientific process invalidate a theory, that theory is disproven and either discarded or modified to account for the variable AND re-tested. Rinse and repeat.

Religion is, almost by definition, NOT fact based. It is the theory (to be kind) of intangible and unprovable causes and effects. It requires faith and belief, is often self-contradictory or hypocritical, and is the product of emotion at the expense of reason.

The Venn diagram of religion and science would be two non-intersecting circles in any honest discourse. The many false equivalencies drawn between science and religion come almost exclusively from the religious side striving for legitimacy.

In short, It's a sales pitch to take advantage of school budgets and the fight for hearts and minds. It attempts to circumvent our First Amendment right of freedom FROM religion through state endorsement of religious tenets as equivalent to scientific facts.

So, blind faith in science includes a foundation and trust in the scientific method. Which means blind faith is not necessary in science, and is in fact an oxymoron. In contast, blind faith in religion is redundant.

Quote: Tanko

Dems took the House and Senate in the 2006 elections.

Ah, it appears my dates were off. For some reason I was thinking Dems didn't take congress until 2008.

Disregard my comment.