jaywalker2

The populists, all caught sitting at the table of Wall Street Exec Omeed Malik at Mar-A-Lago

Jimi died at 27. Who knows what he would have done had he lived? Jeff Beck didn't go full instrumental (and pickless) until he was in his 30's. The early Jeff Beck group featured Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, a genuine supergroup, but it always had a difficult time and never produced all that much because of internal squabbles.

Musk is a smart businessman. His grasp of politics and human relations is infantile. He himself admits that he suffers from Asperger's.

An interesting book, by the way, with an insightful explanation of what is occuring in the political sphere right now is "Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path to Political Disintegration" by Peter Turchin. "The lessons of world history are clear, Turchin argues: When the equilibrium between ruling elites and the majority tips too far in favor of elites, political instability is all but inevitable. As income inequality surges and prosperity flows disproportionately into the hands of the elites, the common people suffer, and society-wide efforts to become an elite grow ever more frenzied. He calls this process the wealth pump; it’s a world of the damned and the saved. And since the number of such positions remains relatively fixed, the overproduction of elites inevitably leads to frustrated elite aspirants, who harness popular resentment to turn against the established order."

He's not a populist and he doesn't care about the working man. In a way, he's like Thaksin, a rich elite who sets himself up as an alternative to the existing power structure by appealing to the working class. The people backing him are also outside that structure. They're using Trump to achieve their own agendas, which looks to be a neo-conservative libertarian society with few restrictions on their activities.

What they were already getting. They didn't want any major changes to the status quo. And most importantly, they didn't want Trump, a wild card that they couldn't control.

No, they're not okay. But that's why people turned against the Democrats and ran straight into the arms of Trump. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. HURRAH for revolution and more cannon-shot! A beggar upon horseback lashes a beggar on foot. Hurrah for revolution and cannon come again! The beggars have changed places, but the lash goes on.'

It means, loosening whatever restrictions remain on the rich elite controlling society. If "the people" happen to benefit from their policies but it will be accidental not intentional. These guys see the lower classes as serfs to do their bidding.

Do any of you realize how horrible these people are? Especially Peter Thiel, the so called libertarian who believes tech monopolies should be given free reign, who opposes Medicare and Social Security, who calls himself a corporate Nietzchean, and complained in 2009 that democracy suffered when the vote was given to women. Adelson, an uncompromising Zionist. Musk, of course, decried unions as "monopolies" that need to be squashed and now has free reign to use the government to bolster his business. Plus, he's nut. I think he wants to establish a white colony on Mars. Oh, well, maybe you live in interesting time, as the Chinese say.

Gabbard as head of intelligence oh, my God. Trump really doesn't care about any qualifications besides loyalty. I wonder what the intelligence agencies think of this (since they labeled her a Russian agent).

The problem is nobody in the military is going to take him seriously. Just as the bureaucrats in the intelligence agencies won't take Tulsi Gabbard seriously (they already think she's a Russian agent). The question is whether Republicans will confirm them.

That's my whole point. Bubble, bubble, everywhere. The rich are grabbing while the grabbing is good. It's musical chairs now. The question is what happens when the music stops.

But I wonder what he's going to do with Bobby Kennedy. My feeling is that he'll try to dump him as soon as possible or at least marginalize him. But Bobby won't take that lying down.

This is what you're going to see in the new Trump administration: all in support for Israel, no more government anti-trust suits against big tech, no meaningful financial market reform, pressure from Trump on Powell to lower interest rates, big tax cuts for corporations and the rich partly paid for by increased tariffs, which means increased prices for the middle class, further consolidation of tech monopolies, more and bigger subsidies for Elon Musk companies, further worker suppression (no increase in the minimum wage, no support for unions), a possible cut in social security, greater wealth inequality. Trump will continue to support Ukraine, as his Cabinet is stuffed with war hawks, but sanctions will ease on Russia. And the Deep State will thrive.

Politically, Trump is a creature of the billionaire class. His major backers are billionaire technocrats (Musk, Peter Thiel), Israeli supporters (Madeline Adelson), old money (Peter Mellon), and Paypal exec David Sacks -- all of whom have extensive ties with the "Deep State," the military, the financial class. What do you think these people want for their money?

No, he's not credible at all. One of the original anti-vax conspiracy theorists who claimed millions have died. Lives in Maui, I think, where he seems to spend his time ruminating on the apocalypse.

I need to have some documents notarized pertaining to the sale of a condo in Florida, which my sister and I inherited from my mother. I was wondering if anyoone has done this at the US Embassy. In particular, the documents require two witnesses, which might be a problem for me. The Embassy indicates on its web page that it might be possible to find witnesses in the waiting room (I wonder how feasible that would be). Has anybody ever done this ((of course I would compenste)? The last time I went there the waiting reoom was fairly empty. Otherwise, I have to find two witnesses on my own (presumably US citizens) and then they each have to make their appointments, which seems cumbersome and time consuming. I'm wondering about the best way to go about this. Any thoughts, advise, experiences welcome.

I still listen to Hendrix not so Beck. Jimi wasn't just a great guitarist. He was a singer, song writer, and a dynamic performer. Jeff Beck had no charisma and unless you were into long guitar solos, he didn't have that much to offer. There was a story about Jimi after he moved to London. One night Cream asked him to perform at one of their concerts. After the song was over, Eric Clapton left the stage shaking and said, "Nobody told me he was that Effing good."

Huge egos

Yeah, it's not going to get any better, that's for sure. Start working out now, exercise vigorously, take creatine, change your diet, fast intermittenly, do yoga, tai chi, qi gong, wake up in the morning with a smile on your lips, throw open the curtain and welcome the sun...Then slip on a bar of a soap and you're done for. Tough luck!

Actually, a body double was supposedly used for the nude scenes.

You have to interpret it. It means they arrested somebody for these crimes, not necessarily the person who committed them.

As part of the continuing series of old ladies doing action movies, we now have Kate Beckinsale, 52, playing a covert CIA agent in Canary Black. Beckinsale starred in the Underground series of movies a couple of decades ago, where she played a vampire hunter. Decked on in spandex, she was a feast for the eyes at that time. She still looks good and I have to commend her plastic surgeon but the movie is ridiculous. She goes around wearing platform shoes with 5 inch heels, which doesn't impede her at all (or her stunt double anyway) from engaging in martial arts mayhem, including defeating trained agents twice her size and somehow striking them with a closed fist in the face without breaking her hand. The plot, such as it is, sees her husband kidnapped so she can blackmailed to turn over a file that contains blackmail material on all the agents in the CIA. Ladies, please, it's time to put these movies to rest.

Bob Smith has a new account?

I've just started the new Inspector Rebus book by Ian Rankin, "Midnight and Blue." Rebus is in prison now for his alleged involvement in the death of Big Ger Cafferty and when a murder occurs in one of the locked jail cells, it's a given he's going to take upon himself to investigate. Meanwhile Siobhan Clarke and her new partner are investigating the disappearance of a missing teenage girl in the outside world. Great stuff as usual. It's good to have John back. Rankin keep threatening to end the series but something keep drawing him back in.