@#10 ...I have to wonder what that in-law might think about this tune ...

@1 ... This is MAGA.
This is "conservatism" in the 21st century. ...

Yeah, seems to be so. But not just the 21st century.

Back in the 90's I met and talked with a new in-law of the family.

It was the usual banal chatter until he veered into his political views. At first, I tried to stop that change of discussion, but when I failed at that attempt, I just listened.

What he said was along the lines of ~my wife should be barefoot and pregnant, and in the kitchen making dinner for me, and having that dinner on the table when I come home from work.~ And, yeah, he was a Florida native.

Sometimes, instead of trying to counter what someone is saying, it is helpful to your understanding to just let that person speak.

You learn more from listening than from speaking.

So, a post and run?

@#7 ... The headline supposes a view apparently not the Court's. ...

The headline says...

... SCOTUS Eyes Lower Bar for White, Straight Workers to Sue ...

The article you cite says ...

... Court appears likely to side with straight woman in reverse discrimination suit ...

So I have to ask, what is the difference in those wordings?

@#9,10

So, I'm not the only one who sees an issue there?

More from the article ...

... Proposed cuts at a key US government agency will likely mean the demise of CHIPS Act funding, which could effectively end the program and undermine efforts to reshore semiconductor manufacturing and research to the US.

Axios and Bloomberg on Tuesday reported that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plans to cut 497 jobs this week. NIST, a non-regulatory agency within the US Department of Commerce (DoC), helps drive innovation and industrial competitiveness and oversees the CHIPS for America program.

Robert Maire, president of consulting firm Semiconductor Advisors, wrote in a blog post that the plan to cut NIST staff isn't "bluff or negotiation tactic." Instead, the layoffs signal a complete shift in direction under US President Donald J. Trump, he said. ...

@#1

Oops, emphasis did not work, my error.

The "a disaster -- especially for Ukraine," should have been bolded.

Apologies for my error.

More from the article ...

...Why it matters: The meeting angered Democrats, who were horrified by Trump and Vice President Vance's conduct. It offended some Republicans, with most of them reserving their ire for Zelensky.

- - - "He needs to either resign or change," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters outside the West Wing.

- - - Zelesnky "has made it almost impossible to sell to the American people that he's a good investment."

Other Republicans shared their concern about the long-term fallout of the short-tempered meeting.

- - - Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), in a text to Axios, said Friday was "a bad day for America's foreign policy."

- - - "Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law. It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom," he said.

- - - Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), in a post on X, called the meeting "a disaster -- especially for Ukraine," adding, "

Sadly, the only winner of today is Vladimir Putin. ...

... The Supreme Court seemed receptive to a woman's argument Wednesday she was discriminated against at work because she is heterosexual. ...

In my view, there should be no discrimination based upon whether one is a heterosexual or a homosexual, or the color of the skin.

When I was a hiring manager, I had a set of questions I asked of applicants. The same set of questions was asks of all applicants.

The responses to those questions determined whether or not the applicant would go on to further interviews with the senior technical team members in the department. Nothing else. Just the answers to the questions.

As a result of that policy of mine, I have hired quite an assortment of people to work on the team.

But each was qualified for their position, and grew into higher positions.

So, yeah, I am not a fan of the White Christian Male movement of late.

Back in the day when I was a hiring manager, I just wanted people who would do the tasks and grow within the company, one of whom would eventually replace me in my position.

Yeah, back in the day, when General Electric was an admired company, I was in the GE Management Training Program. It was a respected program back then. Since Mr Jack Welch, not so much, it seems, but I digress.

One of the things that was taught to me on that program was that a goal as a manager was to grow the people who worked on my team.

And to grow them to the point that they can replace me in my position.

Because of the simple corporate fact, you will not be promoted if there is no one who can step up and do your job after you are promoted.

That simple fact of management has stayed with me for decades after it was explained to me, and was one of my goals as a manger ... grow the people who work on the team.

When I check the people I had hired just out of college, I see they are doing quite well in their careers. I can only hope that my influence and guidance has helped them in attaining their goals.

More from the article ...

... Two Democratic senators are raising alarms about Troy Meink, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Air Force, following reports that Elon Musk recommended Meink for the job after he pushed a lucrative satellite contract towards Musk's SpaceX.

In a Feb. 27 letter to Meink, Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts asked Meink to disclose information about his relationship to Musk and whether Meink, in his role of principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, arranged a multibillion-dollar contract solicitation to favor SpaceX above other companies competing for the award, as reported by Reuters earlier this month.

"These reports raise concerns about your ability, if confirmed as Secretary, to treat contractors fairly and prioritize the Air Force's mission over Elon Musk's business interests," wrote Duckworth and Warren, who as members of the Senate Armed Services Committee will have a role in evaluating Meink's fitness for the Air Force secretary job.

Citing seven people familiar with the contract, Reuters reported that the NRO inspector general began an investigation into Meink's role in a classified contract awarded to SpaceX in 2021 after noting changes to the program's requirements. It is unclear whether the probe is still ongoing.

Duckworth and Warren said the Reuters report contained "incredibly serious allegations of misconduct and favoritism," noting that as Air Force secretary, Meink would be involved in key contracting decisions that involve Musk and SpaceX directly, as well as determining whether the service will move forward with a crewed sixth-generation fighter, which Musk has criticized. ...

@#2

WEll, yeah.

But, that's not the point here.

Is Mr Musk now using his, I'll say, influence to help government contracts move towards the companies Mr Musk has a financial interest in?

Coincidentally, or not?

This tune just appeared on athe playlist here...

@#5 ... Republicans consider major budget change to obscure deficit impact of extending Trump's tax cuts...

If the Republicans think the budget they passed is so great, then why to they also seem to think they have to change how that change is evaluated to make it look better?

@#9 ...A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. ...

Sadly, that seems to be an appropriate summary of what happened.

The United States of America is the leader of the Free World?

Not any more.

Under Pres Trump, the United States of America seems to be doing Pres Putin's biddings.

No longer the leader of the Free World, but now an obsequious servant of Pres Putin.

@#22 ... Why bother mentioning at all? ...

For me (I cannot speak for others) Mr Hackman is an actor that I know.

Why I know him, I cannot say, as I mentioned previously.

But, I pay my respects.

Quite interesting.

Mr Musk does seem to understand that The Daily Show airs on a network called Comedy Central?

@#16 ... Some of my favorite performances: ,,,

I'm not a film buff, by any stretch of the imagination

But Mr Hackman seems to be someone who I know and respect. I wish I knew why. I wish I could point to a specific film. But I cannot.

For some reason, I just ~know of him.~

I mean no disrespect in that comment, quite the contrary.

For Mr Hackman to break through my apparent anti-movie barrier, and raise to my consciousness, is something I want to extol.

R.I.P. Eugene Allen Hackman

... Gene Hackman, Wife Found Dead, Police say No Foul Play Suspected ...

Maybe too soon to say that?

I wish I knew ...

@#12 ... Is there any way to know what is in that addled psychotic brain of his? ...

I've not a clue.

And, to be honest, I am not at all wanting to be in that space. I mean, would you?

But, that aside, then there seems to e things like this ...

@#9 ... Thought that was the Weird Al version for a second ...

yeah, don't look at that link/song in the context of current kids, but look at it in the context of the band members.

Then, look at how that ~looking back~ may be applied to current kids. What will the current kids be looking back to?

Regarding our current kids, I'll say again ...

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see."

What is the message we are sending via our current kids to that time we will never see?

An ambush.

Yeah, that is the way it is looking.

I give major credit to Pres Zelenskyy for standing up to the ignoramus verbal assault of Pres Trump and VP Vance.

That took major cajones on the part of Pres Zelenskyy.

But he did that. For his country.

Much as Pres Zelenskyy has stood up to the unprovoked invasion of his country by Pres Putin.