My community is blaming the Dems for the shutdown...quick...what can I say?

They are totally spewing the Republican meme, that it's the Democrats' fault.

I responded that

Trump spends more time tweeting than doing one of those marvelous deals he'd promised;
That there had been an agreement on the Dreamers, but the Republicans reneged;
That the Repubs are in total control of the government...THEY are doing a shutdown; the Dems don't have the power to shut it down.
The buck stops at the top, as Trump said in 2013.

True? What about "it's the fault of the 9 Democrats who won't vote with the Republicans"?

You MUST see the movie The Post!

I went to see the newly released movie The Post. Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and a host of actors you'll know when you see 'em.

The subject is so timely that I wonder if it was planned, or is it by chance? Very moving. And to consider how different things might be if the events and decisions in that series of events had gone differently.

This is a must-see. A very interesting look at the issues involved in publishing govt secrets, and when going too far is really too far, and does the govt have a say-so in what is published, or a right to preview and agree to publishing parts?

The plot moves quickly, it doesn't drag, the script is good, the acting is,well, the caliber you'd expect with this gang. It's not quite as exciting as All the President's Men, I think. But it's exciting in a different way.

Very timely, given the "The press is the enemy of the people!" meme from the current President.

You think the Repubs are going to try for a healthcare overhaul again?

I just wonder if the Repubs are going to try to overhaul healthcare again, given that it's an unpopular thing to do (but so was the tax bill, and that didn't stop them).

I'm guessing not, because of the midterms?

Trump used global warming as reason for getting a seawall constructed for his golf course

Poll: 71% of Democratic Minnesotans Don't Think Franken Should Resign

Anyone know about Facebook?

I have a Facebook account, but only so that I can participate in some FB groups. I don't "do" Facebook. Which is to say...I don't post anything on my FB pages. No pictures, no messages to other FB people, no "friends." Nothing.

So I don't know how to do FB very well (the settings and all), since I don't "do" FB. But I keep getting Friend requests. I don't ever accept them, because there's nothing on my FB page for them to see. And I don't know them, so there's no reason for me to keep up with their FB pages. I ONLY do those FB groups.

My question is this: Can I turn off the ability for others to request being a "Friend" on my FB page? Or should I politely respond to these people to let them know why I won't accept their request? I just leave the requests sitting there, open.

Is there an established way to handle this?

The Drifters...White Christmas

23 Democratic Party Senate seats up for re-election in 2018, but only 8 Repub seats. Yikes.

Much is made of the 2018 re-election, but I was shocked to see that 23 Dem seats are up for grabs in 2018, and 2 independents, while only 8 Repub seats are.

Even in a Democratic Party favored year, those are some really tough odds to overcome. Are we making too much of the favored status for 2018? Of course Dems should fight for all those seats, no matter what. But I had thought the seats up for grabs was more equal.

All the House of Rep seats are up for re-election in 2018, I believe, which gives the Dems some leverage, IMO.

Merry Louisiana Christmas!

Merry Christmas from my home state. Do YOU have a video from YOUR home state? Vermont? Montana? Seattle?

Calculator to see how the "tax cut" bill will affect you.

My taxes are going UP because of the tax "cut" bill, it looks like. Very depressing.

I was wanting to move, if I could afford this. This may force my hand, to move to a lower-tax state.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/13/politics/calculate-americans-taxes-senate-reform-bill/index.html