DramatistDreamer

One of the reasons why President Obama said he looked to the future and the young people, he's not bothering much with the older folks who refuse to change.

Obama always welcomed Congress to help improve the ACA, the GOP wasn't interesting in improvements only destruction.

@Khan In a nutshell, you don't have an coterie of multiple private insurers with their own individual rates and various benefits (or lack thereof) but the "state" a.k.a. government provides the insurer. It's also known as Universal Healthcare, generally paid for with tax dollars. We don't even have to go to Europe to find a single-payer system. Canada is an example of a country with a single-payer system.

Just exactly will Trump accomplish healthcare that will 'take care of people' but not single payer, no mandate and stripping away some of the protections of the ACA. This makes so little sense, I'm not even going to try to analyze it. "Beautifully covered"??

Which is why I, you and others usually feel the need to speak up. It's a trap, that's never-ending.

It definitely makes sense. Unfortunately, it's constant with conservatives and right-wingers right now. I hope once that oath of office takes place, the false equivalencies (which have been going on for over a year) and the excuse-making will end. Then Trump will have to answer for his decision making on his own.

I don't know what at all to think of this but when it tends to make me think that the next administration's foreign policy may be a bit of a mess. China’s Global Times: Are Paper’s Warnings of War With U.S. Legitimate? Everyone talks about Russia but it is China that is the bigger power, economically and geo-politically. The Obama administration had a delicate balancing act with China especially regarding the skirmishes occurring in the South China sea. When you're dealing with something as sensitive as issues of sovereignty and uninhabited islands-that's no time to try to bulldoze and make pronouncements or try to hand down fiats. China appears to deal diplomatically with the same attitude in which they think they are being treated. Obama acknowledged China on the world stage and appealed to them as part of the group of countries with power to be an example of good stewardship as the U.S. was trying to do and it appeared to work- with agreements like the Paris accord on climate change, China seemed ready to commit to their responsibility as stewards, defying all predictions that they wouldn't do it. Unfortunately, if you try to boss China, the Chinese seem apt to give it right back. Trump's aggressive stance, which may work for business, is likely to be met with equal aggression from the Chinese. There's really no need for this macho posturing right out of the gate, it's bad diplomacy, potentially as bad or worse than the 'cowboy diplomacy' of the W years.

Nothing about health care? Climate change or environmental protections? A living wage? Sounds like these right-wingers are far more interested in stripping Obama's legacy down to nothing (which as a transformational figure, seems fairly difficult, if not impossible) than they are in creating "success" for all Americans. It will be to their detriment that they have been so obsessed (as is Trump) with Obama. It won't hurt Obama, but there's a darn good chance that it will end up hurting vast numbers of American people.

As a rejoinder to Pence's nonsensical answer on press access at the WH, there's this: Then there is this interesting nugget: Compare this with 3,000 buses that applied for parking for Obama's inauguration. 200 Buses Have Applied For Inauguration Parking — 1200 For The Women’s March

Shameful. GOP Congressman Leaves Meeting Early After Constituents Want to Talk Obamacare Repeal He actually snuck out of a side door.

I am reading this article very quickly (as quickly as I can, as much as I can stand to read) and the fascinating thing is that I keep hearing the women featured in this article quoted as saying things like 'I don't think that he will set the women's rights movement backward...' or 'I don't think that he will take away healthcare from people who really need it...' or 'I don't think he's even really a Republican...' The common words being "I don't think". "I don't think" "I don't think". "I don't think" tells me a lot about what went into their thought processes before casting their votes.

ICYMI, Trump to meet Putin in first foreign trip as president: report Exclusive: The Trump Administration May Evict the Press from the White House

The touching moments were done really well throughout the season (yes, I finally finish Season One ) but I think, the humor became more assured with every episode. Pilot episodes are tricky, especially for sitcoms. You have to lay out exposition to introduce the characters and the situation without making it obvious that this is what you're doing. Pilots can come off either slightly clunky or slightly self conscious. The latter can be said of this series, still as pilot episodes go, this pilot episode was pretty decently done and the humor only got sharper from each episode after. Abuelita (Rita Moreno) is high energy and was ready to go from the pilot and Penelope (Justina Machado) was steady, and reliably good and funny in every episode and the Mother/Daughter dynamic was 'good to go' from the first episode and only got better. I think the humor and personalities of the kids blossomed with each episode--as illustrated in the Sex Talk episode. Within episodes, I could see the actors quickly develop chemistry and the relationships began to solidify seamlessly, including with Schneider and Dr. Berkowitz. There was a nicely-done cameo that occurred in a later episode. I loved the Quinces episode! There were some poignant moments in early episodes that almost made me cry, to the point of my eyes welling up, but by the last several minutes of the Quinces episode, it was full on tears! Overall the first Season was really thoughtfully done.

Many have issues with Bibi but few have expressed it publicly, which is why Netanyahu can be investigated for corruption previously yet be elected like, three times to PM. Though France and Germany certainly disagree with Israel over Iran (both Euro countries have done business with Iran even when the U.S. had no dealings with the middle Eastern country), they are loathe to openly express the ways in which they part ways with Israel ideologically. In fact, the Obama administration was really the first major Western country to publicly disagree with the Israeli government in ways that went beyond mild consternation. Bibi's loathing of Obama, I suspect, has a racial tinge, unfortunately. If you see the way the Ethiopian Jews are mistreated and continue to be so in Israel, it's not difficult to be aware of the dynamic of race and color fueling certain dynamics regarding perceptions in Israeli society, certainly with Bibi himself. By the way, no one in the media talks about the Ethiopian Jews boycotting military service due to the prejudice that they face.

How ironic, considering the unusually elevated numbers of American Jewish voters who voted for Trump and how Bibi has been lauding Trump lately. Well, there is often a difference between what Bibi says publicly and what he does behind closed doors. Israeli intelligence fears Donald Trump’s administration will funnel their secrets to Vladimir Putin, Russia In short, the Israelis now need to watch their own back.

I thought it would come to this since she was getting dragged all day via various social media outlets.

Taylor Townsend lost to Jennifer Brady in 3 sets. Brady moves onto Rd. 1 of the Australian Open. Frances Tiafoe qualifies for his first main draw at the Australian Open!! Noah Rubin also qualifies for his first main draw.

Oh hell naw, that heiffer's not gonna compare Sunkist to FDR! Funny that she should reference 1939 as I think Trump would be more than happy to take America back to the '30s. I wish she'd cut the crap and admit that she's doing this for the attention to her career and to line her pockets. I hope enough of those Trumpkins will buy tickets to watch her chew scenery during her next cabaret show. I have a feeling it's going to be hard to sell enough tickets to fill out an entire night at a theater the size of The Beacon. Wonder what Sheryl Lee Ralph thinks?

Both Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Townsend are in the final round of Qualies to be played tonight. Taylor Townsend competes against fellow American Jennifer Brady. Some second round qualifying matches still need to be completed after being suspended due to the rain. After all the rain in Auckland, I hope rain is not going to be a factor in tennis this year like it was in the French and Wimbledon last year. At least they have roofs (plural) in OZ. ETA. Looks like Tiafoe is playing another American as well Tim Smyczek. There are probably other Americans still in qualifying (Reilly Opelka is one).

Well, as of today both houses of Congress have voted to repeal the ACA. All those people who were too obtuse to realize that the ACA and Obamacare are indeed the same thing, will now come to another startling realization that elections truly have consequences beyond what they could ever have imagined.

That tweet from Lynn went too far. These women have obviously been on the outs long before this whole event occurred. Holliday has always been musical theater's version of a scenery chewer but she built a lot of goodwill from not only her performance in Dreamgirls but overcoming her struggles. This threatens to undo all of that. As someone who has worked in theater, I am almost certain that this will affect her prospects in the theater community going forward. Even in The Color Purple musical, she was far from standout compared to Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks or even Jennifer Hudson, so she won't be able to cover this through her most recent Broadway performance. She should really think long and hard about that the next time she's trying to fill the Beacon Theater. It's also been reported that Steve Harvey has been spotted going to see the orange faced menace at Trump Tower. It could be a Miss Universe thing, I don't expect much from Steve Harvey anyway.

And I am telling you...Jennifer Holliday is being dragged all over the Internet after it was announced that she is going to be singing at the inauguration. This Cheryl Lynn tweet was just...!

Why is there a Twitter page called @TennisFlesh and why am I just finding out about it now??! https://twitter.com/TennisFlesh

Trump badgered Hillary over her Goldman Sachs speeches but he's grabbing up Goldman Sachs personnel like they're going out of style.

I expect the next administration will provide a jarring contrast. Reminds me of something I read about Trump that was backed up by that PBS documentary. Apparently, Fred his father referred to successful people as "killers" and Fred Jr. who elected to become a pilot instead of the family business was seen as a failure by Fred Sr. who never ceased to tell him so until Fred Jr. drank himself to death. Years later, when asked about his brother, Donald Trump, eyes slightly downcast, was said to have uttered "Fred...he just wasn't a killer, I guess". What a family!