DramatistDreamer

Americans loves their pets, those pet-related tariffs are gonna cause some squawking, for sure!

--But while we wait to see what next chaotic event will unfold in the U.S. government today, let's not forget that Putin-backed candidates suffered massive losses in local elections in Russia. These losses presumably stem from a Putin proposal to raise the age of eligibility for pension benefits (maybe people are sick of Putin's United Russia party?) LibDems crush ruling party rivals in Russian Far East & central regions’ governor elections Do I ever hope for a similar fate for the party of U.S.' Putin-wannabe in the midterm elections here. It was probably more than one person on this board, tbh. I certainly mentioned this at least once. Yes, a pardon would do nothing to diminish the charges against him from the Southern district of New York, which is likely an outstanding factor in why he decided to cooperate with Mueller's people. Remember, Manafort was in the process of facing 2nd trial when he cut the plea.

There are several conflicting reports right now regarding Rosenstein's status. Another one is.

Meanwhile in Putin's universe-

It was a weird off-putting interview. She seemed scornful of having to conduct the interviews in the first place and did and said everything possible to make me feel ill at ease. Needless to say, I didn't get the job, I think my disdainful facial expression was a dead giveaway. Speaking of dead... I recently found out that the man who was the director of the organization died. TBH, I had no words of condolence but I do wonder whether that woman (his gatekeeper and god-knows-what else) is able to reflect on her behavior in the era of #MeToo. It seemed as if this particular woman had drunk the Kool-Aid and was drunk with the little bit of authority that she was able to wield as a gatekeeper.

I wish we had true soap historians like other aspects of media do. Doesn't it seem like the soap bloggers have given up on this industry? With the passing of Susan Brown, I couldn't help but wish that someone would've reached out to Wiggin to get his thoughts on what it was like to work with her. Lisa Brown too. Speaking of lingering, nagging questions-- I'd love to have asked Douglas Marland if the model for the notoriously venal real estate developer Tad Channing was Donald Trump. I am in the midst of watching a recent upload on You Tube and Channing mentions how he only deals with "winners". It sounds suspiciously like that clip of Trump that was aired on the Frontline special where Trump talks about how he was raised to be a "killer". Also, Channing inherited his father's business and was warned by his lawyer Sheldon, that he's in danger of squandering the business. It's common knowledge that Trump's father Fred fronted him a million dollars, which his son Donald used to start his own company. I don't know why I never saw the similarities before.

Once in an interview, I was told of the director of an organization's preference for the attire of his assistants and there was never a mention of what the assistant should wear if he were a man, only women. The person conducting the interview was a woman.

Okay, this is one time I'm going to quote myself and say "I told y'all"! I'm now hearing that it is possibly at least four women (including Ford and Ramirez, who just came forward).

She's not a white man though. Her record will be doubly scrutinized, perhaps even more than Hillary or Obama's records were. She doesn't have the luxury to commit horribly inexcusable behavior and be excused like Trump.

LOL. One day she may be the future POTUS. I don't want an assault on her record.

Sloane generally does bupkis during the Asian swing.

Just before the Laver Cup, Djokovic visited some kids on the South Side of Chicago for a tennis clinic.

Harris has Jamaican roots (her Dad is Jamaican), so Kavanaugh is more likely to catch a beating before she catches any bullet. Jamaican sistas don't play!

Repulsive.

For this reason, I roll my eyes whenever some people talk about 'liberal Hollywood'. Many (certainly not all) actors tend to be liberal, quite a lot of writers are liberal but the majority of studio executives and bosses are NOT liberal. Many studio bosses/executives are as right-leaning as one can get, short of being right-wing. This is a history that goes all the way back to the early days of the old Hollywood studio system and Louis B. Mayer, who was a staunch conservative and at one time, a chairman of the California wing of the Republican party. Anyone who believes that Hollywood is some bastion of liberalism obviously knows absolutely nothing about how the entertainment industry really works. The dudes (and they are almost all white men) in charge are far from liberal.

I was really tempted to reply to this tweet but elected not to.

It's going to get worse. When those iPhone components start absorbing the sticker shock, the portion of the consumer market that had been spared up until now, will begin to really feel a sharp pinch. Previously, the suffering had been limited to certain groups (anyone in the market for a product made with steel, e.g. washer/dryer or refrigerator) cellphones and their accessories were exempt before.

From the party that wants to dismantle Roe v. Wade.

^^I saw that CNN video on social media and something told me not to post it here. It was just an instinct that I got and I searched the subtweets and saw that someone claimed to know a few of the women in the gathering and identified them as GOP operatives (they may have used another word instead of operatives, though). I got a bad vibe after watching that video and ultimately decided not to post it here even before I had read about who some of who these women might be. What terrible people these folks are! Also, I'm glad I no longer subscribe to cable and that CNN gets none of my money and very little of my time.

This should be disturbing to folks: Starting last year, the Afghan and U.S. governments started keeping the death tolls in Afghanistan a secret. This NYT article posits that the death toll has only gone up since 2016. The Death Toll for Afghan Forces Is Secret. Here’s Why. "Seventeen years after the United States went to war in Afghanistan, the Taliban is gaining momentum, seizing territory, and killing Afghan security forces in record numbers." "Last week was especially bad, with more than 400 killed, according to an account by diplomats. But even the average numbers in recent months — from 30 to 40 a day, according to senior Afghan officials — represent a substantial upswing from two years ago and appear unsustainable in a country that has been shattered by decades of war." About 400 Afghan police and soldiers were killed last week, according to details leaked from a meeting between American diplomats. 400??!!! When questioned, apparently the diplomats said that they weren't talking literally but in terms of sacrifice.

Isn't this what these fools in the business community voted for? The U.S. consumer will suffer when that price tag comes due.

This woman wasn't having any of it.