Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[faberryman]

Yeah, I doubt there is much of a Trump "base" in Scotland for him to appeal to. I enjoy how Eric is trying to paint this as an impediment to investment, as if a couple of golf courses matter. It would be interesting to see how much real investment in Scotland the Trump clan actually made. Given the boasting history, nothing would surprise me. I remember reading a story about a Trump branded hotel (or maybe condo building) in Toronto that turned out to be a dud. It's not easy making bad real estate deals in Toronto, you almost have to be trying to fail. It may have turned out ok in the end though, I never read a follow-up story.

Turnberry is a fine old links golf course that used to be in the British Open course rotation until Trump bought it. Now the R&A won’t go near it. And that was the case before the riot.

[faberryman]

I am crying my eyes out for these guys. Welcome to the real world. Be grateful you don't own a restaurant.

Trump aides made a late request to Team Biden to extend their parental leave. They said no.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/02/parental-leave-trump-aides-465302

"It’s one thing if you have a household, if you have one family member who works for the government,” he said. “But we were both employed by the government so we’re losing both of our opportunities for health care and both our incomes, so it’s pretty scary to have a premature baby at home and not knowing if you’re going to have an income or health insurance.”

Please note that these are political appointees and not career government employees.

One wonders if their ideas about foreclosure moratoriums, extended federal unemployment benefits, stimulus checks, Obamacare, etc. might change.

[MattBurt]

I am crying my eyes out for these guys. Welcome to the real world. Be grateful you don't own a restaurant.

Trump aides made a late request to Team Biden to extend their parental leave. They said no.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/02/parental-leave-trump-aides-465302

"It’s one thing if you have a household, if you have one family member who works for the government,” he said. “But we were both employed by the government so we’re losing both of our opportunities for health care and both our incomes, so it’s pretty scary to have a premature baby at home and not knowing if you’re going to have an income or health insurance.”

Please note that these are political appointees and not career government employees.

Are they not eligible for Obamacare?

[digitaldog]

Trump: 'We’re going to win so much, you’re going to be so sick and tired of winning'
Reality: He's going to lose so much, you’re never going to be sick and tired of him losing 
Just in:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled courtroom arguments scheduled for the next few weeks over two aspects of former President Donald Trump's immigration policy — a reflection of the new administration's reversal on both issues.

The court granted the Justice Department's request to remove two Trump administration appeals of lower court rulings from the argument calendar, one being against the use of Pentagon money to build the southern border wall and the other against making immigrants wait in Mexico instead of the U.S.

Stopping the wall project was among the first steps President Joe Biden took after he was sworn into office.

[faberryman]

Are they not eligible for Obamacare?

I am really not an expert on health care insurance choices for former government employees, but they may be able to continue their existing health care coverage under COBRA for 18 months, which would be expensive, or take out a policy under Obamacare, which would likely be less comprehensive and in which their existing doctors might not participate, but would be less expensive. They are unlikely to qualify for Medicaid. Of course, they could forego health insurance coverage and hope one of them gets hired soon. With a brand new baby, that may not be a risk they would be willing to take.

They are like the other ten million current unemployed: facing tough choices. My advice: quit whining and get on with it.

Updated:

Trump political appointees' (and presumably other federal employees') healthcare coverage remains in effect for 31 days following termination, so they do have time to make alternate arrangements.

[MattBurt]

I am really not an expert on health care insurance choices for former government employees, but they may be able to continue their existing health care coverage under COBRA for 18 months, which will be expensive, or take out a policy under Obamacare, which would likely be less comprehensive and in which their existing doctors might not participate, but would be less expensive. They are unlikely to qualify for Medicaid. Of course, they could forego health insurance coverage and hope one of them gets hired soon. With a brand new baby, that may not be a risk they would be willing to take.

They are like the other ten million current unemployed: facing tough choices.

It's a bad situation for sure. It appears they are eligible for the ACA and I hope it helps them. Not just because everyone deserves affordable healthcare but it also might help them appreciate the value program unlike their former employer. Programs like that don't matter to some people until the day they need it.

[faberryman]

It's a bad situation for sure. It appears they are eligible for the ACA and I hope it helps them. Not just because everyone deserves affordable healthcare but it also might help them appreciate the value program unlike their former employer. Programs like that don't matter to some people until the day they need it.

When people lose their jobs, they lose their insurance, and have to get a new job with benefits, or continue their existing coverage under COBRA, or get a policy under Obamacare, or privately if not under Obamacare, or if they are destitute go on Medicaid, or go without. A lot of people have to deal with the issue every day. We have something like 10 million unemployed who have had to deal with it in the past few months or are dealing with it now. That's one of the prices we pay for avoiding the scourge of "socialized medicine." Democrats have been trying to do something about the issue for over a decade, but the Republicans aren't having any of it. Maybe Biden can get a public option passed so people, if they want to, can opt in to Medicare, or if they don't, can continue to get their insurance in the private sector.

[Chris Kern]

Trump political appointees' (and presumably other federal employees') healthcare coverage remains in effect for 31 days following termination, so they do have time to make alternate arrangements.

Career federal employees who work long enough to qualify for a pension may retain their government-subsidized group medical insurance in retirement.

[faberryman]

I am thankful daily for the simplicity of my life.

Kanye West Reportedly Moves 500 Pairs of Sneakers Out of Kim Kardashian's House

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kanye-west-reportedly-moves-500-230426547.html

[Robert Roaldi]

I am thankful daily for the simplicity of my life.

Kanye West Reportedly Moves 500 Pairs of Sneakers Out of Kim Kardashian's House

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kanye-west-reportedly-moves-500-230426547.html

I wonder if he kept the original boxes.

[kers]

Kanye West Reportedly Moves 500 Pairs of Sneakers Out of Kim Kardashian's House

She has got  how many feet?

[Robert Roaldi]

This is an odd report of Ms Greene receiving a standing ovation in caucus after apologizing for something, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/537263-greene-apologizes-to-gop-colleagues-and-gets-standing-ovation.

I'm not impressed. I used to see a lot of live theatre and was a bit nonplussed at how many times a performance got a standing ovation. I think standards have dropped a lot. Some of the shows were good, but I didn't think they were worth standing up for.

Something related used to happen at the Ontario Legislature Question Period. Some minister would make an anodyne statement re a policy or other and his party colleagues would stand up and applaud for a very long time. This happened almost daily and became kind of a media joke. I found out later from a politically active buddy that the behaviour was carefully calculated, not just a dumb-ass show for TV. The duration of Question Period is strictly limited so the more time you can eat up with pro forma applause, the fewer questions could be asked in front of TV cameras.

That's the thing about democracy and accountability, something it shares with capitalist market competition, the first-year textbooks treat the concepts as foundational but the practitioners actually hate these ideas and try to avoid them as much as they can.

[faberryman]

I'm not impressed. I used to see a lot of live theatre and was a bit nonplussed at how many times a performance got a standing ovation. I think standards have dropped a lot. Some of the shows were good, but I didn't think they were worth standing up for.

The upside of all that standing ovation stuff is that it gives you a chance to slip out to the parking lot and get your car ahead of the crowd.

[faberryman]

I am watching the news and they have a few clips of Marjorie Taylor Greene making a speech in the House about how she regrets believing in conspiracy theories, which is what everyone has been encouraging her to do. So I ask myself is that how it works? You just get up and say you regret having believed in conspiracy theories and poof you don't believe in them any more and you are back to normal, like maybe it was just a phase you were going through or something? I am certainly no expert on the psychology of all this, but it seems like maybe something else is involved. Don't you have some sort of underlying mental disorder that allows or causes you to believe conspiracy theories to begin with? It seems like admitting you have a problem is just the first step.

https://nypost.com/2021/02/04/marjorie-taylor-greene-regrets-believing-qanon-conspiracy/

Meanwhile, the House Managers have sent a letter to Trump asking him to come testify under oath at the Senate trial next week. Anyone think that will happen? The phrase "snowball's chance in hell" comes to mind.

https://apnews.com/article/house-dems-trump-testify-impeachment-8fd6b9f5724f48cc0f4e045ec8c37000

I also want to note that Kevin McCarthy has taken it up a notch. He is no longer using suntan cream; he is now using sunburn cream, so he has gone from orange to red. It is anybody's guess if this fashion statement will catch on.

[digitaldog]

Anyone think that will happen?

Not a chance. But I'd love to be proven wrong.

[faberryman]

Smartmatic joins Dominion in suing Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani for all that they are worth. I am surprised Trump hasn't been sued. He's the only one with any money.

Smartmatic sues Fox News, Giuliani and Sidney Powell for $2.7 billion over false election claims

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/04/smartmatic-sues-fox-news-giuliani-and-sidney-powell-for-2point7-billion-over-false-election-claims.html

[jeremyrh]

I am watching the news and they have a few clips of Marjorie Taylor Greene making a speech in the House about how she regrets believing in conspiracy theories, which is what everyone has been encouraging her to do. So I ask myself is that how it works? You just get up and say you regret having believed in conspiracy theories and poof you don't believe in them any more and you are back to normal, like maybe it was just a phase you were going through or something? I am certainly no expert on the psychology of all this, but it seems like maybe something else is involved. Don't you have some sort of underlying mental disorder that allows or causes you to believe conspiracy theories to begin with? It seems like admitting you have a problem is just the first step.

https://nypost.com/2021/02/04/marjorie-taylor-greene-regrets-believing-qanon-conspiracy/

But surely it's quite unfair to the electors who chose as their representative someone who is totally batshit crazy and believes that the world is run by satanic Jewish paedophile. If she now has changed her mind, who is to stick up for these poor disenfranchised souls?

[faberryman]

But surely it's quite unfair to the electors who chose as their representative someone who is totally batshit crazy and believes that the world is run by satanic Jewish paedophile. If she now has changed her mind, who is to stick up for these poor disenfranchised souls?

Obviously why we have elections.

I have been turning this over in my head, and thinking about why religion is okay but conspiracy theories aren't. Well, certain religions are okay.

[Robert Roaldi]

I am watching the news and they have a few clips of Marjorie Taylor Greene making a speech in the House about how she regrets believing in conspiracy theories, which is what everyone has been encouraging her to do. So I ask myself is that how it works? You just get up and say you regret having believed in conspiracy theories and poof you don't believe in them any more and you are back to normal, like maybe it was just a phase you were going through or something? I am certainly no expert on the psychology of all this, but it seems like maybe something else is involved. Don't you have some sort of underlying mental disorder that allows or causes you to believe conspiracy theories to begin with? It seems like admitting you have a problem is just the first step.

Maybe a day time TV show can have her on to describe "the cure". This could important information.

I wonder how you can prevent a relapse however.

[Robert Roaldi]

I have been turning this over in my head, and thinking about why religion is okay but conspiracy theories aren't. Well, certain religions are okay.

What follows is a true story. I feel the need to say that before I start.

My ex worked in HR at a company that did all its employees' performance reviews at the same time of year. They had a manager in an accounting department, first year on the job, who caused a minor scandal in his department. What he did was to list the qualifications and aptitudes required for each of the positions reporting to him. He then matched those up with the astrological signs of the people currently in those roles and assigned performance reviews based on how well they matched. The employees smelled something funny when they read their reviews and so complained to HR who took action. The action was to fire the twit. They paid him some severance in lieu of notice and escorted him out the door. He didn't think he had done anything wrong. This was his way of encouraging people to seek jobs that more closely aligned with their star charts, i.e., he was doing it for their own good.

So what I'm saying is, there are lots of weird people around.