Timely question. Just got back from 19 days in Europe. We stayed at a VRBO mid trip to be able to do laundry. And my wife washes undies in hotel sinks.
On every trip pack only quick drying clothes, which are lighter, allowing you to bring more clothes, wear everything at least twice, and wash them in your hotel room.
I hate doing laundry on a trip. I pack lightweight clothes and wear my jeans and heaviest shoes on the plane. I will wash out underwear in the sink if I have to. So I guess I am a 2/3 hybrid.
I just went for an overnight visit to celebrate my Mom's 87th. She lives 4 hours away and it was an overnight trip. (Gone for less than 24 hours). I packed 3 extra pairs of socks and underwear, an extra pair of jeans (wore sweats for the drive) and 2 extra shirts. I hate to be unprepared in case of spillage or ripping cloths. It all fit in one duffel bag so it's no big deal, I was taking the duffel anyway.
A few years ago I spent 12 days in Vegas. It was a vacation tacked on to the end of a convention. I found a service that would launder my cloths so I wouldn't have to pack as much.
On every trip I will wear the same pants more than 1 day unless I spill something noticeable. Even on my most recent trip to Mom I ended up staying in my sweats since we didn't go out except for a car ride. All food was takeout since I brought my pup. My Mom may have been happier to see the dog than me. :)
It's very situational. Packing totally depends on the length of the trip, the planned activities, and the mode of transportation.
The break point on duration is about four or five days; more than that I plan on doing laundry. Almost all our longer trips involve stays with relatives or in houses with laundry facilities.
The day's activities might only require one set of business casual for the day, or we might be doing some sweaty dancing where I need several changes of tee shirts along with a business casual outfit for dinner in a restaurant, or I might need several warm layers for a daytime winter hike in Alaska and casual for the evening meal. I also consider the likelihood of needing a change due to mud, spilled food, falling in a lake, and so forth.
I can bring more changes on a road trip than on a plane trip.
1 and 2. I mostly travel alone and on casual trips. But when I think there is a chance of doing something nicer, then I take dress slacks, shirt, jacket, shoes. I don't like doing laundry on a trip, but if it is more than a week, I assume there will be at least one.
Word on the street is that President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren -- by the way, aren't those titles essentially the same thing? -- has been ignoring advice from lobbyists who know how to navigate Illinois politics.
He's also the reason Harbaugh isn't our Head Coach, which I think is a good thing.
President and CEO aren’t always the same person, especially in larger, more bureaucratic organizations. For example, you can have a conglomerate where each division has a president, but then have a CEO who they report up to. The CEO might report up to the board of directors which would be run by the chairman. In smaller companies you might have one person with all three titles.
not so sure about whether warren is ignoring - or whether that's a bad thing, if he is. he got a stadium built in Minne,with beaucoup taxpayer $$$ [i have friends up there, incl'g well-to-do friends] who are still kvetching about that.
but since warren is not a Chgo guy, i'm not sure he gets the implications of moving the Bears out of IL.
i also read [in the Trib?] that IL legislators are working on some sort of Payments In Lieu of Taxes [PILOT - you can google it] to address Bears [stated] concerns about 'tax certainty' at the Arl Hts site.
if i were a bettin' man [i'm not, other than for small change at bridge & golf], i'm guessing the Bears end up in AH.
Very appropriate. I was, myself, about to start a separate thread about Warren's inexperience in Illinois politics. He came here with a reputation for building concensus in Minneapolis to get a new stadium done. He is discovering this is not Minnesota. Illinois is unique. Even in a state with super party, one party rule, it often operates in two party warfare, due mainly to it often being Chicago against the world.- especially since the death of King Richard the First.
I have been against the Bears being in Soldier Field from the start. The rebuild was a disaster with taxpayers still picking up the tab. I have never liked the idea, in general, of large stadiums in congested downtown areas. I have been to many in various cities. Getting in and out is a mess and fans pay downtown prices for everything. I have also been in places where cities have been much smarter and creative about location. Places like Arlington, Texas, and Marietta, Georgia have done great jobs with new stadiums. SoFi Stadium in California was built in a former industrial area in Inglewood. It's a gorgeous stadium with plenty of parking and access to freeways and was built without taxpayer funding. Chicago and Illinois are always years behind everyone else while politicians play grabass and "Where's mine?" As far as concerned, Indiana can have them and I will still be a Bears fan- more so than Illinois politicians.
Why isn't the blatant and highly-lucrative pervasive corruption of the Trump family, page 1 news every morning? The head of the gang makes $$billions from crypto scams. The sons make $$billions from foreign entities seeking the gang's favor and from government contacts awarded to their shell companies. Mr. Ivanka is a billionaire from money received from MIddle Eastern governments. All reported in scattered reports. Perhaps Mr Tapper would like to write a book about it all and the nation would pay attention to it for 36 hours. Meanwhile, that's the way it is folks, nothing to see here, move along please. This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a grift.
Why do I have to read Heather Cox Richardson and other Substack journalists for comment on this befuddled prez's mental state. That should be front page news on mainstream media.
My dentist told me I've started grinding my teeth. Now I have to wear a mouth guard at night. Thanks Trump.
Because no one opposed to the orange stain knows what to do about him. His inept, unqualified but loyal Cabinet members do nothing but kiss his rump. The Republican toadies in Congress keep making noises like dogs that growl and then immediately retreat when confronted. The Republicans on the Inferior Court keep kissing his rump. His supporters show him a lot more loyalty than they do Jesus. He takes illegal actions and his toadies in the federal courts let him do it. Hopefully, this will be at least partially fixed in November. Until then, I'm open to suggestions. You know, we here in our comfy dens on our keyboards are getting pretty at going after journalists that not doing enough. What are we doing? Yeah, before someone here busts my chops, I don't know either. I have written my thoughts here. I have written the letters to the editors. I have no intention of running for office at my old infirm stage. I have donated to causes. No media outlet is about to do a live interview with me and I don't blame them. So, I'm not going to sit here in my comfy chair and bust the chops of those ar least making stabs at the orange stain.
It’s their job to report the news. But that means there has to be be news to report. You know what I think about Trump. His mind? I thought he was around the bend long before he got to the White House. But I’m not a trained medical professional.? The media people aren’t, either. Remember when Biden was in office, many of us got our knickers in a twist because of the way Biden’s mental state was treated with no professional evidence. So what’s the actual evidence on Trump? My unprofessional diagnosis of Trump is a lot worse than Biden. His mental state shows not only disorganization. It shows extreme paranoia. His feelings of self doubt are off the charts, thus the need for constant reassurance that he is great. He is a walking textbook on mental issues. But remember- I said I am not a professional. His supporters can disagree.
As one who seldom cites either I’m not the one to ask. Christians do this, yes, but do some Jews use that expression as well? My wife is of the Tribe, as they say, but I don’t think I’ve heard her use either term in 41 years of marriage.
Actually Jews refer to the Hebrew Bible as the תנ״ך, pronounced in English as “ Tanach”, which is a Hebrew acronym for the Torah, the words of the Prophet’s, pronounced Navim in Hebrew, and Cotvim the Hebrew word for the writings about minor Jewish sages like the Book of Esther or the Maccabees
I think you've answered you own question -- clarity in communication. Most people, probably even most cultural Jews, wouldn't equate Tanach, Navim or Cotvim with the Old Testament, of which the Torah is only part according to this Reddit link
Or as the president quotes, "For the words of the profits were written on the studio wall. The concert hall. And echoes with the sound of salesmen. Of salesmen. Of salesmen..."
I think the answer is that the term "Old Testament" has been in common use in the Christian dominated world (the "West", if you will) for as many as 1,800 years. We are part of the "West". I'm sure in other parts of the world the usage of the term, or lack thereof, is different.
Most people I know think of the scripts as before and after Jesus. But I'm not sure how much most people I know have studied on the meanings. They know there's a right way to act and a wrong way, at least loosely based on the Bible.
Off-topic and stolen (and paraphrased) from Social Media: Nothing commemorates Pride Month better than half-naked guys wrestling on the White house lawn.
I imagine a certain segment of Trump’s base likes the irreverence of using the White House lawn for a UFC spectacle, along with debasing our monuments and historic symbols because they don’t actually care about our country. The same people who thought it appropriate to storm the Capitol and smear shit on the walls. I realize these people are still Americans, but to me they’re Americans in name only.
Maybe instead of MAGAts we should call Trump's base AINOs - Americans In Name Only. It wouldn't hurt that some might misunderstand and think we're calling them Anals or A-holes...
I have never claimed to be one of the smarter people around. Perhaps someone here can explain to me what a UFC fight at the White House has to do with the 250th birthday of the country, despite the orange stain constantly trying to tie them together. Yes, I know it also has something to do with the old man's birthday. Yes, I know Dana White is a big supporter. Yes, I know Trump is always trying to prove what a macho guy he is and there is no better way than watching others knock the crap out of each other. And of course, there are braindead MAGAs that actually believe this is a perfect show of American strength- despite top cage fighters coming from all over the world. Other than that, I fail to grasp the sense of this shit show.
And also here's a compilation of a tik-toker hilariously lip syncing actual Trump quotes that kind of make that attraction more apparent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6_gblB-0KQ
I think Trump is actually a traditional superior male. It's the way he was raised. He wants them as his sex slaves. He wants them in the kitchen, cleaning house, and raising the children. I suppose MAGAs will argue by pointing out the women he has hired. More than a few have also been fired. How about what's going on in the military as I type this with women either being fired or not promoted? Why any woman would vote for him is beyond me unless there are too many women with not enough respect for themselves and their roles in society. I know what all my sisters, all retired professionals, think about him. It's not printable in a family forum.
The Judaeo-Christian god's genitals are only vestigial remnants of pagan chief deities of earlier belief systems. In an ideal world public policy decisions would not factor in sexual attributes ascribed to any characters in ancient texts.
Also - great visual jokes again this week, but I'm sad my favorite - the Toto reference - is lagging so far behind in the voting. The Merriam Webster social media is always very witty and helpful.
I like the Toto reference best as well. I did have to think it out for a couple moments. but I like to exercise my brain. I need to at my age. And once I got it, I found it to be very clever and humorous.
I love the song! To the point of learning the bass part of it (at least until the crazy noodling at the end). I don't think it's few people that like it, apparently it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in February 1983. People poke fun at it because it's so popular (and also because its depiction of Africa is questionable), but it's a great song. There is a nice cover of it by Weezer too.
The Tower Chorale sang it at one of our pops concerts. It was fun because we had to rub our hands together to make a raining sound and stomp on the risers for thunder (in addition to our singing).
The story trotted out every Christmas says God impregnated (sounds male to me!) a woman in order to have a son. (Why He couldn't have created Jesus on his own, as He purportedly did with Adam and Eve, is never explained; maybe God is above changing diapers?) So Mary was absolutely essential, but God got most of the credit. Figures.
I have always considered God to be without gender. If one wishes to use the term non-binary, I don't object. God is a being or spirit beyond human understanding, a human frame of reference is used because we know nothing else. God was referred to as male when the Bible (OT and NT) was written because God was in a position of authority and at that time those in authority were always assumed to be male. Many of the hymns in the UCC hymnal have been edited to remove gender from references to God (parent for father, etc) but we still use "Our Father, who art . . . " for the Lord's Prayer. I appreciate references to Mother God occasionally in prayers or sermons. After all, who but a mother creates life in this world? Mr Talarico is not off-base, IMO.
Could an entity be neither binary nor non-binary? If God is a personification of the sum total of laws of physics and inherent sense of right and wrong that runs through humans and connection between living things, then I do no think that needs a gender identity.
Too much for my limited intellect. I have always heard that God is beyond our understanding. Of course. When one can't see or touch something and their presence is described in a book of questionable origins written by humans, of course He can't be understood. But reading this forum, we keep trying.
"God is beyond our understanding" is something the apologist will throw out when they are losing an argument. It means that can't explain it and it doesn't make sense, but we are to believe anyway. So, an all knowing, all powerful god couldn't create a being that would be capable of understanding a book that was inspired by him and is supposedly the "word of God"? I call B.S.
I heard owner flack Mark Ganis on WSCR talking about how this is all the dysfunctional State electeds fault. The Bears could pay up and build in Arlington, how about that for a solution. I believe there was some nogotiation with AH to reduce taxes from tge original estimate but I searched and could not find that information.
Cook County collects the property taxes, but for the Bears property in Arlington Heights only 4% goes to the County. As in most places, the school taxes dominate. These are the bodies that stand to lose the most (or not gain as much, if you look at it that way). From the Cook County Treasurer web site, the 2024 tax bill for the property (02-25-202-011-0000) was.
Good points. Several weeks ago, I also made the point about ordinary schmucks that would love to know the exact amount of their taxes for the next 40 years and that they won't go up.
I get your point. It reinforces points I have made. Why are so many fighting a potential move to Hammond? Illinois citizens could watch Indianans pick up the tab. Most of them will never see the inside of the new stadium, no matter where it gets built.
I'm with you. But keep in mind that they will get your dime no matter what. They will get police, fire, water, sewer, and other government provided things. I suppose you could tell me that it will be the responsibility of the local government units and municipalities and the local taxpayers. But guess where they will go for help.
I’m a lifelong Bears fan but somebody has to draw the line here to stop billionaires from getting handouts from us, the huddled masses. Call their bluff and send them packing to that promised land of low taxes and unwoke leaders. Hey can we require that they move their headquarters from cushy Lake Forest to downtown Hammond? That once-thriving city actually needs the glorious economic benefits promised by the team. And heck let’s go all the way: Bear down, Hammond Bio-solids!
Maybe those mocking a potential move to Hammond should show more sympathy to neighborhoods in Chicago that have put up with such conditions for years. Bears ticket holders would need to put up with it one day a week. There are city residents that deal with it 24-7. I pointed out a few weeks ago, dealing, as a kid, with the lovely aroma from the Sherwin Williams paint plant. Need I point out that humans have been using the area for years with parks and a golf course.
Driving back to town on the Indiana Toll Road* last week, and crossing Wolf Lake entrance route to the toll plaza, I was reminded that the Indiana side of Wolf Lake is thisclose to the Chicago city limits. Traffic on game days is going to be be hell for everyone in the lakefront neighborhoods from Sputh Shore to the Indiana border. (* I'm neither rich nor a fan of Richie "Parking Meter & Skyway Sell-off" Daley. Of COURSE I got off at Indianapolis Blvd and took surface streets into the city.)
Thanks for the reminder about the parking meters. To me that ranks among the great boondoggles of Chicago history, along with Jane Byrne's snow removal, King Richard's selling 2 blocks of city property cheap so he could get the Sears Tower, and the destruction of the neighborhood that gave us UIC, higher taxes and almost got his royal majesty booted out of office by voters. AL Capone would have been proud.
Things I don’t understand about the Bears stadium issue: Are the Bears currently making tons of money now, which means there’s no pressure to leave Soldier Field? Is Soldier Field aging and will need a lot of renovation in the near future? Will the State of Illinois lose significant revenue if the Bears move to Indiana? Can the Bears simply build a stadium in Arlington Heights, or will the Bears have to appease various (possibly competing) suburban entities?
The Bears want 20,000 more seats to sell & get 100% of the money from parking & concessions. They get nothing from parking now & the Chicago Park District gets the concession money other than the Bears merch that's sold, which the Bears make a bundle on.
The operating word here is greed, the McCaskeys are hopelessly greedy, always have been. Inheriting a money making business apparently wasn't good enough for them, they need to make even more.
I really don't get it, if I was a part owner of a business I inherited & did nothing to build could sell off for over $10 billion, I'd take it in a second!
That is the crux of the problem. The McCaskeys are inept. The family inherited the billion-dollar business and they have shown they have no clue on how to operate it. They have shown they do not understand Illinois politics. They have certainly shown they can't hire a person who does. They are known to be cheap and perhaps a person who has the skills to operate the maze of this was deem too expensive to hire. I believe the number last year was 480 million! This is their share from the television revenue. That number will go up this year and next year and the year after that. They have always been hesitant on spending money; they don't seem to realize they're rich. This is not the 70s nor the 80s nor even the 90s where money was not being brought in by the truckload. It's a disease that many who have had little then make money have, including Tiger Woods.
I believe they get the entire TV money paid to them on the day the first actual game is played. that money alone can pay for the team's yearly operations, with much left over & then they also get the local radio contract money, the merchandise money & the money from the tickets.
Each family member easily gets enough each year to not have to ever work at an actual job, plus of course the free tickets to games & the ability to travel on the team plane for free to away games, which are also free.
I think you hit it right on the nose, they don't understand this state & can't hire a competent exec to run the money side of the team.
They also hired a lot of bad coaches & general managers over the years, apparently due to matriarch Virginia McCaskey's rule that only nice people be hired! So they ended up with nice but incompetent people running the team.
Never forget when the Bears made as their boss, oldest grandson of George Halas, Michael McCaskey, who was some sort of business professor at a large university.
he was a disaster, always making weird pronouncements & spewing jargon that everyone laughed at. Even the sportswriters, who had to deal with him, hated him!
The Bears want US, you and me - the taxpayers, to build them a stadium in Arlington Heights and for it to be publicly owned so it pays no property taxes. They want out of Soldier Field because they want to host a Super Bowl. Soldier Field doesn't have enough seats to qualify for a SB and has no dome - a must for a Northern team to host a SB.
I wrote about this last week. Soldier Field was a condemned dump when the Bears moved there. Thus, the overpriced ugly rebuild, leaving them with the smallest stadium in the NFL.. it would still have Lake Michigan to the east and the commuter rail tracks to the west, meaning inconvenient traffic and parking. The city's plan is to build one to the south, on what presently is parking. I wonder what that does to parking and traffic around McCormick Place. Would the state lose revenue? The Bears aren't paying much, if anything, now, since the stadium is owned by the Park District and doesn't pay property taxes. Cook County gets something from entertainment taxes, but that comes from fans. If people get in their cars and drive home after games or hop on Metra, downtown businesses aren't making anything. A move to Arlington Heights? Who knows before all the nonsense in the General Assembly is settled along with the negotiations with all the government and other taxing groups? No matter where a new stadium is located, there will be costs. Police and fire. Security. New street construction. Water and power lines, Sewers. Garbage pickup. Local property value increases. There will be the usual opposition. In Hammond, the nature lovers will be in court to protect nature preserves around Wolf Lake. Can the Bears simply build in Arlington Heights? Of course they can! All they need to do is sell more ownership stakes in the team, which many teams have already done. I wrote about other cities which did creative financial deals to avoid dinging taxpayers. If they want to abate taxes needed by local entities such as school districts, they should be expected to pitch in.
Okay I know the world is a sh*tshow right now but a very important question for the commentari:
when you travel for X days, do you:
1) pack for X days,
2) pack some extra clothes or
3) figure that some clothes can be worn more than once so you only pack extra socks and underwear?
2 for me
Timely question. Just got back from 19 days in Europe. We stayed at a VRBO mid trip to be able to do laundry. And my wife washes undies in hotel sinks.
On every trip pack only quick drying clothes, which are lighter, allowing you to bring more clothes, wear everything at least twice, and wash them in your hotel room.
3 for me. I try to pack as light as possible, hopefully fitting everything in a carry-on.
I hate doing laundry on a trip. I pack lightweight clothes and wear my jeans and heaviest shoes on the plane. I will wash out underwear in the sink if I have to. So I guess I am a 2/3 hybrid.
I always try to wear the heaviest clothes/shoes on the plane (e.g., hiking boots & heavy denim.)
I do all three depending on the trip.
I just went for an overnight visit to celebrate my Mom's 87th. She lives 4 hours away and it was an overnight trip. (Gone for less than 24 hours). I packed 3 extra pairs of socks and underwear, an extra pair of jeans (wore sweats for the drive) and 2 extra shirts. I hate to be unprepared in case of spillage or ripping cloths. It all fit in one duffel bag so it's no big deal, I was taking the duffel anyway.
A few years ago I spent 12 days in Vegas. It was a vacation tacked on to the end of a convention. I found a service that would launder my cloths so I wouldn't have to pack as much.
On every trip I will wear the same pants more than 1 day unless I spill something noticeable. Even on my most recent trip to Mom I ended up staying in my sweats since we didn't go out except for a car ride. All food was takeout since I brought my pup. My Mom may have been happier to see the dog than me. :)
It's very situational. Packing totally depends on the length of the trip, the planned activities, and the mode of transportation.
The break point on duration is about four or five days; more than that I plan on doing laundry. Almost all our longer trips involve stays with relatives or in houses with laundry facilities.
The day's activities might only require one set of business casual for the day, or we might be doing some sweaty dancing where I need several changes of tee shirts along with a business casual outfit for dinner in a restaurant, or I might need several warm layers for a daytime winter hike in Alaska and casual for the evening meal. I also consider the likelihood of needing a change due to mud, spilled food, falling in a lake, and so forth.
I can bring more changes on a road trip than on a plane trip.
I like the question. I think we are all driving ourselves up the wall with the latest Trump or Brandon atrocities.
1 and 2. I mostly travel alone and on casual trips. But when I think there is a chance of doing something nicer, then I take dress slacks, shirt, jacket, shoes. I don't like doing laundry on a trip, but if it is more than a week, I assume there will be at least one.
A mix of 2 and 3. Non-cotton active wear is easily washed in the sink and air dried, but I always pack a day or 2 of extra "good" clothes.
Word on the street is that President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren -- by the way, aren't those titles essentially the same thing? -- has been ignoring advice from lobbyists who know how to navigate Illinois politics.
He's also the reason Harbaugh isn't our Head Coach, which I think is a good thing.
President and CEO aren’t always the same person, especially in larger, more bureaucratic organizations. For example, you can have a conglomerate where each division has a president, but then have a CEO who they report up to. The CEO might report up to the board of directors which would be run by the chairman. In smaller companies you might have one person with all three titles.
amen on 'not harbaugh'.
not so sure about whether warren is ignoring - or whether that's a bad thing, if he is. he got a stadium built in Minne,with beaucoup taxpayer $$$ [i have friends up there, incl'g well-to-do friends] who are still kvetching about that.
but since warren is not a Chgo guy, i'm not sure he gets the implications of moving the Bears out of IL.
i also read [in the Trib?] that IL legislators are working on some sort of Payments In Lieu of Taxes [PILOT - you can google it] to address Bears [stated] concerns about 'tax certainty' at the Arl Hts site.
if i were a bettin' man [i'm not, other than for small change at bridge & golf], i'm guessing the Bears end up in AH.
Very appropriate. I was, myself, about to start a separate thread about Warren's inexperience in Illinois politics. He came here with a reputation for building concensus in Minneapolis to get a new stadium done. He is discovering this is not Minnesota. Illinois is unique. Even in a state with super party, one party rule, it often operates in two party warfare, due mainly to it often being Chicago against the world.- especially since the death of King Richard the First.
I have been against the Bears being in Soldier Field from the start. The rebuild was a disaster with taxpayers still picking up the tab. I have never liked the idea, in general, of large stadiums in congested downtown areas. I have been to many in various cities. Getting in and out is a mess and fans pay downtown prices for everything. I have also been in places where cities have been much smarter and creative about location. Places like Arlington, Texas, and Marietta, Georgia have done great jobs with new stadiums. SoFi Stadium in California was built in a former industrial area in Inglewood. It's a gorgeous stadium with plenty of parking and access to freeways and was built without taxpayer funding. Chicago and Illinois are always years behind everyone else while politicians play grabass and "Where's mine?" As far as concerned, Indiana can have them and I will still be a Bears fan- more so than Illinois politicians.
Why isn't the blatant and highly-lucrative pervasive corruption of the Trump family, page 1 news every morning? The head of the gang makes $$billions from crypto scams. The sons make $$billions from foreign entities seeking the gang's favor and from government contacts awarded to their shell companies. Mr. Ivanka is a billionaire from money received from MIddle Eastern governments. All reported in scattered reports. Perhaps Mr Tapper would like to write a book about it all and the nation would pay attention to it for 36 hours. Meanwhile, that's the way it is folks, nothing to see here, move along please. This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a grift.
Trump learned from all the mobsters he was in bed with back in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He’s running our government like a crime syndicate.
Like the country run by his idol, Putin, Trump's administration is a criminal enterprise disguised as a government.
Why do I have to read Heather Cox Richardson and other Substack journalists for comment on this befuddled prez's mental state. That should be front page news on mainstream media.
My dentist told me I've started grinding my teeth. Now I have to wear a mouth guard at night. Thanks Trump.
Because no one opposed to the orange stain knows what to do about him. His inept, unqualified but loyal Cabinet members do nothing but kiss his rump. The Republican toadies in Congress keep making noises like dogs that growl and then immediately retreat when confronted. The Republicans on the Inferior Court keep kissing his rump. His supporters show him a lot more loyalty than they do Jesus. He takes illegal actions and his toadies in the federal courts let him do it. Hopefully, this will be at least partially fixed in November. Until then, I'm open to suggestions. You know, we here in our comfy dens on our keyboards are getting pretty at going after journalists that not doing enough. What are we doing? Yeah, before someone here busts my chops, I don't know either. I have written my thoughts here. I have written the letters to the editors. I have no intention of running for office at my old infirm stage. I have donated to causes. No media outlet is about to do a live interview with me and I don't blame them. So, I'm not going to sit here in my comfy chair and bust the chops of those ar least making stabs at the orange stain.
It's kinda their job.
It’s their job to report the news. But that means there has to be be news to report. You know what I think about Trump. His mind? I thought he was around the bend long before he got to the White House. But I’m not a trained medical professional.? The media people aren’t, either. Remember when Biden was in office, many of us got our knickers in a twist because of the way Biden’s mental state was treated with no professional evidence. So what’s the actual evidence on Trump? My unprofessional diagnosis of Trump is a lot worse than Biden. His mental state shows not only disorganization. It shows extreme paranoia. His feelings of self doubt are off the charts, thus the need for constant reassurance that he is great. He is a walking textbook on mental issues. But remember- I said I am not a professional. His supporters can disagree.
Toto should've included the dog from the Wizard of Qz!
I didn’t get the joke until I read the explanation in the vote. So I couldn’t vote for it.
I thought it was clever, but my brain was chafing at it not including "tutu."
i LMAO at 2 of the VQotWs this week - chinese market & seagulls 😂
To answer the question above the fold, “Will this Bears stadium story never end?”
Not anytime soon, apparently.
Eric, Abba is also the Hebrew word for father. And why do you and others persist in calling the Hebrew Bible “The Old Testament”?
As one who seldom cites either I’m not the one to ask. Christians do this, yes, but do some Jews use that expression as well? My wife is of the Tribe, as they say, but I don’t think I’ve heard her use either term in 41 years of marriage.
Actually Jews refer to the Hebrew Bible as the תנ״ך, pronounced in English as “ Tanach”, which is a Hebrew acronym for the Torah, the words of the Prophet’s, pronounced Navim in Hebrew, and Cotvim the Hebrew word for the writings about minor Jewish sages like the Book of Esther or the Maccabees
I think you've answered you own question -- clarity in communication. Most people, probably even most cultural Jews, wouldn't equate Tanach, Navim or Cotvim with the Old Testament, of which the Torah is only part according to this Reddit link
https://www.reddit.com/r/Judaism/comments/kqhbe/is_the_torah_the_same_thing_as_the_christian_old/
Or as the president quotes, "For the words of the profits were written on the studio wall. The concert hall. And echoes with the sound of salesmen. Of salesmen. Of salesmen..."
Whenever a dive into the nuances of Biblical esoterica can be clarified by quoting a bit of Rush, I say go for it!
I appealed to a higher authority LOL
Because the vast majority of Americans are at least nominally Christian...?
I think the answer is that the term "Old Testament" has been in common use in the Christian dominated world (the "West", if you will) for as many as 1,800 years. We are part of the "West". I'm sure in other parts of the world the usage of the term, or lack thereof, is different.
Most people I know think of the scripts as before and after Jesus. But I'm not sure how much most people I know have studied on the meanings. They know there's a right way to act and a wrong way, at least loosely based on the Bible.
Do you really not know why Christians use the term "The Old Testament"? Or are you just trying to be provocative?
Off-topic and stolen (and paraphrased) from Social Media: Nothing commemorates Pride Month better than half-naked guys wrestling on the White house lawn.
I imagine a certain segment of Trump’s base likes the irreverence of using the White House lawn for a UFC spectacle, along with debasing our monuments and historic symbols because they don’t actually care about our country. The same people who thought it appropriate to storm the Capitol and smear shit on the walls. I realize these people are still Americans, but to me they’re Americans in name only.
Maybe instead of MAGAts we should call Trump's base AINOs - Americans In Name Only. It wouldn't hurt that some might misunderstand and think we're calling them Anals or A-holes...
I have never claimed to be one of the smarter people around. Perhaps someone here can explain to me what a UFC fight at the White House has to do with the 250th birthday of the country, despite the orange stain constantly trying to tie them together. Yes, I know it also has something to do with the old man's birthday. Yes, I know Dana White is a big supporter. Yes, I know Trump is always trying to prove what a macho guy he is and there is no better way than watching others knock the crap out of each other. And of course, there are braindead MAGAs that actually believe this is a perfect show of American strength- despite top cage fighters coming from all over the world. Other than that, I fail to grasp the sense of this shit show.
I will say this without implying any offense to the LGBT community, but I think Trump has some repressed attraction to men. Here's a recent Atlantic article kind of exploring it (paywall-free link) https://archive.is/20260528161448/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/05/donald-trump-gay-icon/687332/
And also here's a compilation of a tik-toker hilariously lip syncing actual Trump quotes that kind of make that attraction more apparent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6_gblB-0KQ
Hah! That tiktok guy is good!
I think Trump is actually a traditional superior male. It's the way he was raised. He wants them as his sex slaves. He wants them in the kitchen, cleaning house, and raising the children. I suppose MAGAs will argue by pointing out the women he has hired. More than a few have also been fired. How about what's going on in the military as I type this with women either being fired or not promoted? Why any woman would vote for him is beyond me unless there are too many women with not enough respect for themselves and their roles in society. I know what all my sisters, all retired professionals, think about him. It's not printable in a family forum.
It’s societal Stockholm syndrome.
There is so much close contact, I've always thought "MMA" should stand for "Man-on-Man Action."
The Judaeo-Christian god's genitals are only vestigial remnants of pagan chief deities of earlier belief systems. In an ideal world public policy decisions would not factor in sexual attributes ascribed to any characters in ancient texts.
Also - great visual jokes again this week, but I'm sad my favorite - the Toto reference - is lagging so far behind in the voting. The Merriam Webster social media is always very witty and helpful.
I like the Toto reference best as well. I did have to think it out for a couple moments. but I like to exercise my brain. I need to at my age. And once I got it, I found it to be very clever and humorous.
I'm one of the few people in the world who really likes that song.
I love the song! To the point of learning the bass part of it (at least until the crazy noodling at the end). I don't think it's few people that like it, apparently it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in February 1983. People poke fun at it because it's so popular (and also because its depiction of Africa is questionable), but it's a great song. There is a nice cover of it by Weezer too.
The Tower Chorale sang it at one of our pops concerts. It was fun because we had to rub our hands together to make a raining sound and stomp on the risers for thunder (in addition to our singing).
The story trotted out every Christmas says God impregnated (sounds male to me!) a woman in order to have a son. (Why He couldn't have created Jesus on his own, as He purportedly did with Adam and Eve, is never explained; maybe God is above changing diapers?) So Mary was absolutely essential, but God got most of the credit. Figures.
As with most religious myths, it makes sense if you don't think about it.
I have always considered God to be without gender. If one wishes to use the term non-binary, I don't object. God is a being or spirit beyond human understanding, a human frame of reference is used because we know nothing else. God was referred to as male when the Bible (OT and NT) was written because God was in a position of authority and at that time those in authority were always assumed to be male. Many of the hymns in the UCC hymnal have been edited to remove gender from references to God (parent for father, etc) but we still use "Our Father, who art . . . " for the Lord's Prayer. I appreciate references to Mother God occasionally in prayers or sermons. After all, who but a mother creates life in this world? Mr Talarico is not off-base, IMO.
Could an entity be neither binary nor non-binary? If God is a personification of the sum total of laws of physics and inherent sense of right and wrong that runs through humans and connection between living things, then I do no think that needs a gender identity.
Too much for my limited intellect. I have always heard that God is beyond our understanding. Of course. When one can't see or touch something and their presence is described in a book of questionable origins written by humans, of course He can't be understood. But reading this forum, we keep trying.
"God is beyond our understanding" is something the apologist will throw out when they are losing an argument. It means that can't explain it and it doesn't make sense, but we are to believe anyway. So, an all knowing, all powerful god couldn't create a being that would be capable of understanding a book that was inspired by him and is supposedly the "word of God"? I call B.S.
What do you think you understand? What's the evidence?
I heard owner flack Mark Ganis on WSCR talking about how this is all the dysfunctional State electeds fault. The Bears could pay up and build in Arlington, how about that for a solution. I believe there was some nogotiation with AH to reduce taxes from tge original estimate but I searched and could not find that information.
The property taxes would still be Cook County, and I imagine that’s the one the Bears organization is most interested in reducing.
Cook County collects the property taxes, but for the Bears property in Arlington Heights only 4% goes to the County. As in most places, the school taxes dominate. These are the bodies that stand to lose the most (or not gain as much, if you look at it that way). From the Cook County Treasurer web site, the 2024 tax bill for the property (02-25-202-011-0000) was.
School District C C 15 $976,962.40
Arlington Heights Twnshp H S 214 $640,436.36
Park District $265,732.55
Village of Arlington Heights $261,934.56
Harper Community College $107,857.00
Arlington Heights Libry Fund $101,636.71
County of Cook $97,137.67
Metro Water Reclamation District $84,693.11
Forest Preserve District $17,062.76
Palatine Township Road and Bridge $12,900.81
Palatine Township Corporate $12,212.21
Mosquitop Abatement District $2,617.33
Palatine Township General Assitance $1,503.33
Good points. Several weeks ago, I also made the point about ordinary schmucks that would love to know the exact amount of their taxes for the next 40 years and that they won't go up.
Why "I bless the rains down in Africa"? (For the emoji meme of to, two, too, Toto.)
Lyrics from the song Africa by the band Toto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQbiNvZqaY
Ahhh THAT Toto. D'oh!
About the Bears' location decision: I'm with the Governor -- not one dime of my tax dollars to this. Not one.
It’s a bit like when people complain about high player salaries, but then also complain when a team refuses to pay them.
I get your point. It reinforces points I have made. Why are so many fighting a potential move to Hammond? Illinois citizens could watch Indianans pick up the tab. Most of them will never see the inside of the new stadium, no matter where it gets built.
I'm with you. But keep in mind that they will get your dime no matter what. They will get police, fire, water, sewer, and other government provided things. I suppose you could tell me that it will be the responsibility of the local government units and municipalities and the local taxpayers. But guess where they will go for help.
I’m a lifelong Bears fan but somebody has to draw the line here to stop billionaires from getting handouts from us, the huddled masses. Call their bluff and send them packing to that promised land of low taxes and unwoke leaders. Hey can we require that they move their headquarters from cushy Lake Forest to downtown Hammond? That once-thriving city actually needs the glorious economic benefits promised by the team. And heck let’s go all the way: Bear down, Hammond Bio-solids!
"they're the pride and joy, of a landfill, oy!..."
We’ll never forget the way your dome was squalid
Due to biosolids
Maybe those mocking a potential move to Hammond should show more sympathy to neighborhoods in Chicago that have put up with such conditions for years. Bears ticket holders would need to put up with it one day a week. There are city residents that deal with it 24-7. I pointed out a few weeks ago, dealing, as a kid, with the lovely aroma from the Sherwin Williams paint plant. Need I point out that humans have been using the area for years with parks and a golf course.
Driving back to town on the Indiana Toll Road* last week, and crossing Wolf Lake entrance route to the toll plaza, I was reminded that the Indiana side of Wolf Lake is thisclose to the Chicago city limits. Traffic on game days is going to be be hell for everyone in the lakefront neighborhoods from Sputh Shore to the Indiana border. (* I'm neither rich nor a fan of Richie "Parking Meter & Skyway Sell-off" Daley. Of COURSE I got off at Indianapolis Blvd and took surface streets into the city.)
en route, not entrance
Thanks for the reminder about the parking meters. To me that ranks among the great boondoggles of Chicago history, along with Jane Byrne's snow removal, King Richard's selling 2 blocks of city property cheap so he could get the Sears Tower, and the destruction of the neighborhood that gave us UIC, higher taxes and almost got his royal majesty booted out of office by voters. AL Capone would have been proud.
Let human waste make the case
To stay tax-free!
My band in high school was called Biosolids
I thought you called yourselves Aerial Tramway.
That little cynical voice in my head whispers that the Bears stadium story will end once everyone that wants a finger in the pie gets theirs.
Love your response! ! Mike Rokyo would have been proud.
Things I don’t understand about the Bears stadium issue: Are the Bears currently making tons of money now, which means there’s no pressure to leave Soldier Field? Is Soldier Field aging and will need a lot of renovation in the near future? Will the State of Illinois lose significant revenue if the Bears move to Indiana? Can the Bears simply build a stadium in Arlington Heights, or will the Bears have to appease various (possibly competing) suburban entities?
The Bears want 20,000 more seats to sell & get 100% of the money from parking & concessions. They get nothing from parking now & the Chicago Park District gets the concession money other than the Bears merch that's sold, which the Bears make a bundle on.
The operating word here is greed, the McCaskeys are hopelessly greedy, always have been. Inheriting a money making business apparently wasn't good enough for them, they need to make even more.
I really don't get it, if I was a part owner of a business I inherited & did nothing to build could sell off for over $10 billion, I'd take it in a second!
That is the crux of the problem. The McCaskeys are inept. The family inherited the billion-dollar business and they have shown they have no clue on how to operate it. They have shown they do not understand Illinois politics. They have certainly shown they can't hire a person who does. They are known to be cheap and perhaps a person who has the skills to operate the maze of this was deem too expensive to hire. I believe the number last year was 480 million! This is their share from the television revenue. That number will go up this year and next year and the year after that. They have always been hesitant on spending money; they don't seem to realize they're rich. This is not the 70s nor the 80s nor even the 90s where money was not being brought in by the truckload. It's a disease that many who have had little then make money have, including Tiger Woods.
I believe they get the entire TV money paid to them on the day the first actual game is played. that money alone can pay for the team's yearly operations, with much left over & then they also get the local radio contract money, the merchandise money & the money from the tickets.
Each family member easily gets enough each year to not have to ever work at an actual job, plus of course the free tickets to games & the ability to travel on the team plane for free to away games, which are also free.
I think you hit it right on the nose, they don't understand this state & can't hire a competent exec to run the money side of the team.
They also hired a lot of bad coaches & general managers over the years, apparently due to matriarch Virginia McCaskey's rule that only nice people be hired! So they ended up with nice but incompetent people running the team.
Never forget when the Bears made as their boss, oldest grandson of George Halas, Michael McCaskey, who was some sort of business professor at a large university.
he was a disaster, always making weird pronouncements & spewing jargon that everyone laughed at. Even the sportswriters, who had to deal with him, hated him!
The Bears want US, you and me - the taxpayers, to build them a stadium in Arlington Heights and for it to be publicly owned so it pays no property taxes. They want out of Soldier Field because they want to host a Super Bowl. Soldier Field doesn't have enough seats to qualify for a SB and has no dome - a must for a Northern team to host a SB.
I wrote about this last week. Soldier Field was a condemned dump when the Bears moved there. Thus, the overpriced ugly rebuild, leaving them with the smallest stadium in the NFL.. it would still have Lake Michigan to the east and the commuter rail tracks to the west, meaning inconvenient traffic and parking. The city's plan is to build one to the south, on what presently is parking. I wonder what that does to parking and traffic around McCormick Place. Would the state lose revenue? The Bears aren't paying much, if anything, now, since the stadium is owned by the Park District and doesn't pay property taxes. Cook County gets something from entertainment taxes, but that comes from fans. If people get in their cars and drive home after games or hop on Metra, downtown businesses aren't making anything. A move to Arlington Heights? Who knows before all the nonsense in the General Assembly is settled along with the negotiations with all the government and other taxing groups? No matter where a new stadium is located, there will be costs. Police and fire. Security. New street construction. Water and power lines, Sewers. Garbage pickup. Local property value increases. There will be the usual opposition. In Hammond, the nature lovers will be in court to protect nature preserves around Wolf Lake. Can the Bears simply build in Arlington Heights? Of course they can! All they need to do is sell more ownership stakes in the team, which many teams have already done. I wrote about other cities which did creative financial deals to avoid dinging taxpayers. If they want to abate taxes needed by local entities such as school districts, they should be expected to pitch in.