Recent Comments

1. 33 minutes ago on Mike du Jour

   Every employee should be paid a fair wage, based upon the level of their expertise and the delivery of their services as reported by the clientele. Period. The level of their tips should have nothing to do with their wages.

   By the same token, tips given to a particular person (for instance, a waitress) should NOT be required to be shared (with the bus-person, the host, the cook, the dishwasher, or worst of all the management). If they are so by the receiving person, that’s their choice to make.

   Also, no person in a service job should expect to receive a tip just for doing their job.

   [I have been pursued out of a restaurant by a vengeful waitress who was angry because I did not feel that her inattentive service to me (waited 73 minutes for my meal, and it arrived cold … had to ask for silverware and something to drink) or adjacent customers who also were waiting while she talked on her cell phone. She demanded that I fork over a 20% tip. I told her she got what she deserved for her level of service. She stood in the parking lot screaming obscenities at me while I quietly got in my car and left.]

   BTW, I write checks for my service bills. If someone provided reasonable or especial service, I add in a tip. In a restaurant, that includes one each for the waitress, bus-person, cook, dishwasher, all separately annotated. My wife thinks I’m odd, but so what?

2. about 1 hour ago on Mike du Jour

   “… here’s a finger.”

   She’s not safe. She’s now damaged. You lose not only your tip from me, but I get to collect both a free meal, and all your tips from today (which may be nothing, based upon the evaluation of your service by others).

3. about 1 hour ago on Rose is Rose

   “Not allowed.” – Genie, from ‘Alladin’.

4. about 1 hour ago on Non Sequitur

   By the same token, and equally sadly, in our society and system of government some individuals manage to find ways to evade the law in spite of the best efforts of prosecutors, judges, and juries to “balance the rights of society, rights of victims and the facts of the crimes”. That has been the situation with Trump’s Federal cases … so far.

5. about 2 hours ago on Over the Hedge

   Your thesis fails:

   - The major religions all teach that there is one (and only one) Supreme Being, by whatever name or no name at all.

   - The terms used in Christianity are: omniscient (sees everything), omnipotent (controls everything), omnipresent (is everywhere continuously) and unfailingly loving.

   - If He exists and is omniscient and omnipresent, He constantly notices every and any change, no mater how small.

   - According to most religions, we have freedom of choice. Therefore, unless you believe in predestination (in which case we do NOT have freedom of choice) the Christian version of God as being omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and loving is a conundrum.

   Demonstrably, we do have freedom of choice. We also have to face the fact that some choices have negative consequences. Yes, most times the choices of others affect us. Accept that.

   Learn from all consequences, whether negative or positive, and whether the choices were yours or someone else’s. Don’t waste your time trying to assess blame. Get on with life.

   PS: That does not imply that you are not entitled to point out to someone who made a poor choice – “I told you so.”

6. about 2 hours ago on Over the Hedge

   Nopitty-nope.

   We Humans would love to be able, and insist on trying, to pin our own faults and poor decisions on someone (ANYONE) else.

   We have free will. Whether God gave it to us or not is debatable, but the fact of our having it is not. Therefore, the repercussions of our choices are ours to bear.

7. 1 day ago on Mike du Jour

   Ick.

8. 2 days ago on Non Sequitur

   Well … actually it has. He’s already causing the diverting of $Ms from our government to try and somewhat insulate itself from his madness.

   Trump and his gravy-train wreck think they just will go in and by Presidential fiat sweep out any and all government service employees who will not swear loyalty and utter obedience to HIM personally. They may even succeed, unless the SC specifically rules that such acts fall outside the limits of his Constitutionally-prescribed duties, that such an action would constitute a breach of separation of powers, and that he CAN and WILL be held liable for the train wreck that such an action would cause.

   If he gets to do this, watch how loudly the Republican Party (not including the MAGAts, because they’ll cheer) screams in agony when the school-kids are sent home for lack of funds – the DOJ comes knocking on THEIR doors for disagreeing with Trump’s activities – grocery (and all other) prices skyrocket from Trump’s tariffs – the economy fall in the toilet and THEIR jobs are gone as factories and businesses close – THEY no longer have ANY government unemployment or medical coverage benefits – THEY see the deficit climb into the high teens – the level of inflation suddenly skyrockets by 20% and refuses to come down again – the US loses the ability to do international business because of defaults – when the international community utterly repudiates HIS government – and when our enemies invade.

   Trump and his toady appointees THINK they can control the entire government. They are running absolutely at top speed to splatter themselves against the solid stone wall of the existing structure. It will be interesting to see the results. Trump will be handed a working stabile economy, a solid form of government, and leadership role in international affairs. I can’t wait for Putin, Xi, Kim Jong Un, Ali Khamenei, Benjamin Netanyahu, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron and King Charles all to tell him to his face to pi$$ off.

9. 2 days ago on Non Sequitur

   (Continued →)

   “… and the Political Prisoners of the January 6, 2020 stroll in the Capitol are waiting for January 21, 2024 [sic: SB 2025] when the ink dries on the paperwork exonerating them of all wrong doing and freeing them after being falsely imprisoned.”

   There are no such. They broke the law, most of them multiple times. Every one of the participants in the 06 Jan 2021 insurrection, all of whom were lawfully arrested, was investigated, charged,, tried and convicted in a court of law, according to the law – not by Presidential fiat. Biden (or Harris) had NOTHING to do with that. The LAW worked correctly. If/when Trump pardons ANY of them, THAT will be suborning contempt of law.

   “And the coward who murdered Ashley Babbit will go to prison for the rest of his life.”

   Officer Byrd did his job. Nothing more, nothing less. By legal proceedings, he already has been cleared of all liability. Babbit broke the law, and then (3 times!) refused to obey the lawful orders of a legally-appointed peace officer, before he fired. Sadly, she made a choice to do so. Choices to violate the law have consequences. If one of your family members had been among those he was protecting, and he had permitted her to enter and release the door locks, you’d be screaming for his scalp.

   “Sore winner? No.”

   Yes, you are.

   “Just a Patriotic Conservative Republican who Thanks God every day for the outcome.”

   There is nothing patriotic about being supportive of an armed insurrection, repeated and ongoing flagrant violation of the law, or a megalomaniac tyrant.

10. 2 days ago on Non Sequitur

    “Slow day at the Ministry of Truth, Comrade?”

    You should know. You are sitting in the Truth Minister’s chair, with your feet up on the desk, doing the lying.

    And don’t EVER again call me “Comrade”. I am not now, and never have been, and NEVER WILL BE a Marxist.