@#75 ... I was trying to bring some levity. ...

So, sexist comments to your current alias are levity?

Good to know.

... It's too late at night to quarrel. ...

Have a good night.

@#72 ... like a bunch of little girls. ...

Wow, that seems to be a bit sexist, doncha think?

@#72 ... I'm simply holding everyone here to a consistent standard. ...

And just what might that "consistent standard" be?

If i am being held to your current alias' consistent standard, I would want to know exactly what that standard is so that I can attain your approval of my comments.

So, please, explain to me, what is the "consistent standard" to which your current alias endeavors to hold all those who post comments on this site.

More from the article...

... Months before the deadly New Orleans vehicle attack on New Year's Day, the city modeled scenarios for how an attacker could enter Bourbon Street at various intersections in a crew-cab Ford F-150 similar to the one used to kill 14 people and injure dozens more.

Engineers found such a pickup could enter the crowded tourist strip at speeds ranging from 12 to 70 mph - and yet city officials are now installing new street barriers that can only withstand 10-mph impacts, according to an April city-contracted engineering analysis and city bid documents reviewed by Reuters.

Those new barriers, known as "bollards," had not yet been installed on Bourbon Street on New Year's but are planned to be completed by the Feb. 9 NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans.

The documents reviewed by Reuters, which have not been previously reported, make clear that the system won't be able to prevent vehicle attacks at moderate-to-high speeds.

In selecting the new bollard system, the city prioritized ease of operation over crashworthiness of the new bollard system because of chronic problems in operating the old one, according to the documents and a source with direct knowledge of the city's Bourbon Street security planning. Unlike some pedestrian-only zones, such as in New York City's Times Square, Bourbon Street is open to regular vehicle traffic for much of the day, requiring city officials to block parts of it off from surrounding streets each evening. ...

@#68 ... I get constantly nitpicked ...

Wow, playing the victim card?

Poor you, having to play the ~woe is me~ victim card.

@#68 ... he or she has not been convicted" ...

As I noted in #67, the conviction has not been formalized.

... I get constantly nitpicked if I'm off by a thousandth of a percentage point when quoting a poll or whatever. ...

Nah, your current alias seems to get nit-picked because, imo, it seems to post mostly unsubstantiated lies.

Ya know, one side of me agrees with Pres-elect Trump that there should not be a debt ceiling that seems to haunt Congress.

On the other hand Pres-elect trump future tax cuts for billionaires that may increase the debt by multiple trillions cause me concern.

Let me phrase that differently...

If your spouse tells you that they want to raise the credit limit on your joint credit card to, well, infinity because they want to buy a lot of stuff they cannot afford.

What might be your response?

@#4 ... And then there is the debt limit vote coming up towards the end of January. (yeah, the actual limit kicks in on January 1, but that is not a hard limit) ...

Some background ...

@#17

What I see ...

@#17

Got links?

@#62 ... I doubt it. ...

From what I have heard (OK, I admit, in my sparse use of listening to MSNBC, but, I have to say, that is the only news outlet that said this ...)

The MSNBC host said that Pres Trump has been found to be guilty of the crimes. The MSNBC host did not say "convicted."

Barbara McQuade, a former US Attorney, said on that show that ~yes, the conviction stands. But it will not be formalized until the sentence is given.~

So, at this point there seems to be a conviction by a jury, but one that has not yet been formalized.

Once the formal sentencing occurs next week, the conviction will be formalized. of course, subject to appeal.

So, if I may ask, why is your current alias wasting so much time on this routine legal process?

@#2 ... It will happen. Lewzer is the best deal maker in history. Just ask hm. ...

I remember from back in his first term. His "deal making" abilities were stymied.

And back then he had a bigger majority in Congress.

The Republicans hold their slimmest margin in Congress since, well, decades.

My current question(s) ...

Will Spkr Johnson need to do deals with Democrats in order to get bills passed?

If that is the case (a big "if," imo) will Spkr Johnson survive a Move to Vacate vote?

And then there is the debt limit vote coming up towards the end of January. (yeah, the actual limit kicks in on January 1, but that is not a hard limit)

@#16

Interesting.

... House Speaker Mike Johnson informed Republicans at a closed-door meeting Saturday that Donald Trump favored moving his agenda as one sweeping package, according to sources in attendance " ...

OK, my view of this is that we will now seew hether the House Republicans fell into line only to elect Spkr Johnson and assure that Pres-elect Trump becomes Pres Trump.

Or, maybe the Republicans just wanted to get ~their guy~ in the Oval office, and now they want something in return?

I have not a clue about the outcome of this event.

@#1 ... Connecticut cannabis is not sold in a bubble. If a consumer can't find what they want in the shop down the block, they need only travel across the border to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York or New Jersey. ...

More from the article ...

... "As we mark the two-year anniversary of adult-use cannabis in Connecticut, we recognize the progress made toward fostering a safe, regulated way for adults to purchase cannabis in our communities," said Department of Consumer Protection Deputy Commissioner Shirley Skyers-Thomas.

But while there has been growth, some industry insiders say that it has not been as strong as it might have been. Sales of medical cannabis have decreased month-over-month, despite "medical preservation plans" every supplier was told to file.

The top for medical cannabis sales was three months after recreational cannabis began in March, 2023, when there were nearly $13 million in medical cannabis sales. In November, that number had dropped to below $7 million.

"The medical market is going to naturally die when adult use programs happen," said Rino Ferrarese, manager and partner at Affinity Grow, one of the few large-scale suppliers to open since recreational sales began two years ago. "You just naturally see there's this attrition from the medical program" to recreational.

Connecticut cannabis is not sold in a bubble. If a consumer can't find what they want in the shop down the block, they need only travel across the border to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York or New Jersey. There, a consumer might find cheaper cannabis, a better selection of products, a friendlier atmosphere, or all of the above. ...

More from the article...

... Deep below the Earth's surface, magma is churning and flowing into the Axial Seamount, an underwater shield volcano about 300 miles off the coast of Oregon. As the volcano grows and tremors increase, geologists are increasingly certain it will erupt soon -- possibly as soon as this year, and scientists from around the world will be watching closely if it does.

While this might sound alarming, the risk to even the closest human populations is minimal. Undersea volcanic activity doesn't usually pose significant danger to land, although it can produce powerful tsunamis.

In fact, the Axial Seamount last erupted just 10 years ago, but you probably don't remember it because the impact to humanity was nil. However, this volcano's predictable nature has made it popular in the geophysics community.

This volcano is the highlight of a chain of underwater mountains known as the Juan de Fuca Ridge (center of above image). These peaks straddle the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. As the plates move apart, magma from deep below the crust surges to the surface to build up the mountain ridges. Some of it collects in the Axial Seamount magma chamber. Careful measurement of the Axial Seamount can give scientists a good estimate of when it will erupt, and the signs point to "soon." ...

@#11 ... Lounging around half the day in your bathrobe and slippers may sound great to some but it turns a man into a pest to his wife. ...

Yeah, retirement may not be all it is cranked up to be.

The sad part for me is that I can no longer endure working.

So I look to other endeavors.

Help your community.

Another tune I heard on college radio ...

@#14 ... I don't think "gifts" are considered income unless they're used to generate a profit. ...

I don't know either. That is why I asked.

Lemme see what a search engine shows up ...

Whoa, I was led right to the mouth of the beast ... (kudos to duckduckgo.com...)

The streaming services seem to be suffering the usual marketing vs accounting conundrum ...

Marketing: we need to keep the price low to attract more customers.

Accounting: We need to talk about profits for our shareholders.

So, now that it seem that marketing's ~streaming~ plan (I am reluctant to call it a strategy at this point) has garnered a major shift in viewing habits, the accounting departments of those streaming companies now seem to want to generate a profit.

The solution: raise prices!

More from the article...

... Streaming services are a way of life for millions seeking their entertainment fix. The sheer number of services available to choose from makes it easy to keep up with current shows or rewatch your favorites on your own time, but too much of a good thing can sometimes backfire as some are finding out.

Of those surveyed, 27.8 percent said they are experiencing streaming fatigue - or the feeling of being overwhelmed by the growing number of streaming apps on the market. And with the cost of goods and services at an all-time high, it's hitting folks in the wallet as well. ...

@#14 ... Capitalism will Destroy US All.. ...

Much better to live under Pres Putin's rule?

@#25 ... In reality, I'm more anti-bigotry than pro-swastika....

I've not seen that in your comments.

For example, this thread apparently trying to normalize the swastika.