Terrance8812

Trump supporters always resort to off topic sarcasm, personal insults, and attacks. It is their childish way of coping with denial. Hope that helps you process things. Meanwhile, some of us actually have a stake in this. When you are heavily invested in the markets, you cannot afford to ignore the damage he is doing to the economy. You take it seriously. Then there are those who spend all day hiding behind a keyboard with no skin in the game doing nothing but attacking anyone who does not worship Trump as they do. It is honestly sad to watch people so blinded by loyalty that they cannot grasp the reality of the harm being caused by someone with no understanding of economics or global affairs. If you truly want to have a meaningful discussion and be taken seriously, then stay on topic. Stop posting silly cartoons, making grand emotional outbursts, and throwing in irrelevant snide comments. Instead, try contributing something intelligent that actually addresses the real issues at hand, if you are at all capable that is.

You sound like you're having a nervous breakdown. By the way, the topic at hand is the economic outlook and the fate of the financial markets. Not sure what you're melting down about. Try and keep up.

Well done. You nailed it!

Always Winning. From Trump Bump to Trump Slump. According to Trump on his Truth Social today: "We're going to become so rich, you're not gonna know where to spend all that money. I'm telling you—just watch!" Meanwhile, in reality, the initial financial markets optimism of Trump’s return, dubbed the “Trump Bump,” is fading as erratic trade policies, an aggressive stance on Ukraine, and government payroll cuts are now the focus. Large fears of stagflation and recession are mounting and investors are increasingly uncertain about the economic outlook and are panicking. As we speak, the DOW is 500 points down again in premarket trading. The S&P 500 has already erased all post-election gains, while the Nasdaq 100 briefly entered correction territory after plunging over 10% in just 17 days. Tech stocks have been hit particularly hard, with Nvidia losing nearly $1 trillion in market value in two months. Bond markets are also flashing warning signs. Two-year Treasury yields have fallen as investors now bet on the need for more Federal Reserve rate cuts, and the value of the US dollar has dropped 4% from its January peak, reaching its lowest level since November. JPMorgan economists now see a 40% chance of recession this year, citing “extreme U.S. policies” as a key factor. With trade tensions rising and market confidence shaken, the big question is this just a normal market correction, or the start of a full-blown Trump Slump?

It seems that most Trump supporters on this forum are either not American and or don’t live in the U.S. As a result, they have no real skin in the game, since none of his destructive policies will affect them or will be felt by them personally. This allows them to continue indulging in the fantasy of Trump’s outlandish vision for a utopian America, making them more the exception than the rule. But in America, where people are already starting to feel the pain directly, the tide is now turning. Trump’s approval ratings have already turned negative. According to FiveThirtyEight, his average approval rating dropped from +8.3 on January 24 to -0.3 on March 4. Currently, 47.9% of Americans disapprove, while 47.6% approve. Only slightly in negative territory, but enough to tip the balance into a situation that is historically irrecoverable. By comparison, during his first term, his net approval turned negative within 15 days into his presidency, and he never recovered from it. This time, it took closer to 45 days. Perhaps his supporters were more hopeful this time around, but rising costs and economic concerns seem to be driving this new shift already. Additionally, many Americans are unhappy with his handling of Ukraine, and there is even some dissent within his own constituency on the matter. Historically, once a president’s national approval ratings turn negative, they almost never recover. The only modern exception was George W. Bush, whose approval rebounded after 9/11. Without that rally around the flag effect, he likely wouldn’t have won a second term. This evolving situation now suggests that a shift is already developing within Trump's cult following in America, where he has already lost a portion of his support base and, based on history, it will only continue to crater further from here.

The most revealing part of the situation in Ukraine after the failed negotiations with Zelensky is that Trump now knows for certain he cannot end the war. He likely knew this even before he was voted back into office, but he still had to give it a try. He had spoken with Putin multiple times, and it was already clear that Putin will not accept any terms that Ukraine would agree to, especially those requiring Russia to give up occupied land. On top of that, Putin will never allow Ukraine to join the European Union or NATO. Something that Ukraine obviously won't accept either. Despite this, Trump promised Americans and the world that he, the so-called master dealmaker, would bring the war to an end, a promise he now cannot fulfill. In reality, Trump only had three cards to play: 1. Zelensky agrees to all of Putin’s demands - This was never a realistic option. If Zelensky were willing to surrender Ukraine’s land and sovereignty, he could have done so directly with Putin a year ago without needing Trump at all. Since that was never going to happen, Trump quickly moved past this option. 2. Blame Zelensky for failing to end the war - Trump knew Zelensky would never agree to a deal that handed Ukraine over to Russia. So by bringing him into the Oval Office and offering an unacceptable minerals deal with no security guarantees, Trump gave himself an easy out. Now, he could shift the blame onto Zelensky, portraying him as the obstacle to peace. The goal was to weaken Zelensky’s popularity in Ukraine and create political instability. 3. Force Zelensky out and install a puppet government - If Trump could successfully weaken Zelensky, the next step would be to push him out of power and replace him with a more compliant leader, someone who would accept Putin’s terms. That would allow Russia to take full control, effectively reducing Ukraine to a failed state annexed by Russia. The problem for Trump is that his plan is already backfiring. Instead of Zelensky’s political standing collapsing, his popularity in Ukraine has actually increased since the Oval Office debacle. That makes it far less likely that Trump can force him out, ending any chance of installing a pro-Putin government. With all of Trump's cards already failing, Trump is now left with just one last move: cutting off all financial and military support and allowing Ukraine to slowly lose the war with Russia in a prolonged battle of attrition. Trump has already announced his intention to do exactly that. So instead of ending the war, as he promised, he is ensuring that it drags on for another year, another stain on his record as the so-called great peacemaker and dealmaker, and yet another failed Trump promise added to the history books.

As much as it appeared like a setup and a Zelensky ambush at first, I am starting to have my doubts now. If the attack on Zelensky had been orchestrated, it would have been handled more strategically, and things would not have gotten so heated. What really happened, I believe, was that Trump was already frustrated with Zelensky at that point. Trump expected Zelensky to come over and simply sign over 500 billion dollars in mineral rights, or at the very least, he thought he could pressure him into agreeing to that once he arrived at the White House. But Zelensky was not going to commit to anything without security guarantees from the US, which isn't what Trump was offering, and that is where everything fell apart. At that point, Trump and Vance morphed into two petulant grade school boys throwing a tantrum. Tensions behind closed doors in politics are not uncommon, but for something like this to explode in the Oval Office, in what was supposed to be a polite meet and greet, became an absolute disaster in terms of optics for America when Zelensky stood his ground. To be honest, I do not think it would have escalated like that if it were not for Vance. If it had just been Trump and someone like Rubio, you would not have seen it spiral the way it did. In the long run, this will not reflect well on Vance’s political career either. He came across as unhinged, and the history of him getting out of line yesterday is not going to age well for him. All this talk from Trump’s camp about ending the war and pursuing peace is completely overshadowed by the reality that Trump was trying to extort half a trillion dollars from Ukraine in exchange for nothing. The meeting was not about peace, it was about money. Trump’s allies, like Rubio and Graham, can say whatever they want about this being part of peace negotiations with Putin, but yesterday made it clear that was not the real agenda. It is all misdirection. The way Trump’s team is framing this is an absolute PR disaster. They are trying to strong arm a war torn country into handing over 500 billion dollars in assets, and when Zelensky refuses, they try to paint him as the problem. It looks predatory and extortionate. And the rest of the world sees right through it. Trump should be working to end the war for the benefit of the US, peace and global stability, not trying to pillage Ukraine for its assets, while offering nothing in return. As Zelensky pointed out in the Oval Office, ending the war is in the best interest of the US as well. But Trump’s focus is only on money, not peace. Meanwhile, let us look at Trump’s actual track record so far. He campaigned on ending the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. Obviously, that never happened. Inflation is rising, the stock market and Bitcoin are falling, unemployment is up. He is taking jobs away from Americans rather than creating new ones. No lower egg prices, no lower gasoline prices. He has not achieved a single thing. Granted, he has only been in office for a month, but nothing is on track and if anything, things are getting worse. If he were just a lame duck, that would be one thing, but he is actively already making things worse politically, economically, and socially. So where do things go from here? One thing is clear, Trump does not want to lose this battle with Zelensky. He built his entire persona on being a dealmaker who could end the war. But now, things are going in the opposite direction. It does not matter who is right or wrong, he is simply not delivering. That is a serious problem for him. When Zelensky walks away without a deal, Trump fails just as much on the world stage at being a dealmaker and a peacemaker as much as Zelensky risks losing an opportunity for peace. Not that we ever expected Trump to deliver on anything of tangible value. The real revelation is for the 75 million Americans who voted for Trump, they are now beginning to finally understand the true meaning of FAFO.

Trump's right hand at present covered with makeup and Queen Elizabeth's right hand on Sept 6, 2022, two days before she died.

Raises the word cringe up to critical levels. Totally deranged and delusional stuff. Trump and Netanyahu with their shirts off, sunbathing together, drinking cocktails in lounge chairs. Gold statues of Trump. Meanwhile, Musk's maniacal antics are causing his car company to hemorrhage. Well played Elon!

Has anyone seen this AI video that Trump just produced and is circulating online depicting his vision of the redevelopment of Gaza? It's the most bizarre thing I think I've ever seen. Seriously deranged stuff. Prostrations of a malignantly mentally ill elderly man who shouldn't be given anything to play with other than child-safe crayons, wet wipes, and brown paper bags. I wonder if that scary looking bruise now covering most of the back of his right hand has anything to do with any of this?

Now is your chance not to complain. You are not allowed to be surprised. You bought the farm, you thought it was a good idea to FAFO. You chose this. So, this is the "Find Out" phase now. That's on you.

Musk is a tosser of the highest order. How can he be put in charge of anything? A so called "Tech Bro" who can't even put up a website without it getting hacked. He's just a bad joke. https://fortune.com/2025/02/14/elon-musk-doge-website-hacked-hackers/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/doge-website-hacked-musk-b2698683.html

Musk's idea of free speech is having turned Twitter into a cesspool for right wing paranoia. It's Musk's version of free speech. It's not real free speech.

Musk was asked by the press corps, during the Oval Office press conference (linked below), to correct the false, hyperbolic statement he made previously about the US govt. giving $50 millions dollars in condoms to Hamas. His response: "...some of the things I say will be incorrect and should be corrected." There are only two ways one can interpret his words logically; otherwise, you are falling for his weak minded attempt at sleight of hand. First is that he is lying and trying to make it look as if he made an honest human mistake and is glad to be fact-checked. But how do you mistaken Mozambique for Hamas to begin with? Doesn't add up. Not convincing. The second option is that he wasn't lying, and he did really somehow make that absurd mistake, in which case why is it suddenly the public's job to correct him when in fact he should be fact-checking all the information he gathers about the government before he puts any of it out there as a public statement. And much of the stuff is difficult for anyone to fact check anyway when they don't have access to the data. Either way, whatever Musk says about government spending can't be taken at face value or trusted to be the truth. Whether it's about the unaudited $8 million per minute his privately owned companies collectively get paid by the US government or about the Federal government's spending on any other things. He's full of it. Full stop.

Twitter is just a steaming garbage pile of hate, disinformation, and false conspiracies. He can do whatever he wants with it. Tosser is what tosser does.

The straw man isn't getting any likes in Thailand:

He definitely failed at that. It's worse now than ever. Yes, he's doing exceptionally well at that.

Well now, this is rich, is this what the US needs a president for? To sign executive orders on plastic versus paper straws? Paper straws explode? Really? Is that like injecting disinfectant for COVID? And who consumes hot drinks using straws anyway? Meanwhile, I thought he was gonna end the war in Ukraine in a day? Waiting… How about fixing domestic healthcare, homelessness, the cost of groceries, the exceedingly high price of pharmaceutical drugs, a shortage of housing, the healthcare system, the problem of mass incarcerations, raising the minimum wage, and the list goes on. Meanwhile, he’s grasping at straws here. Well, this has to be the last straw on buffoonery. It’s becoming difficult to single out the single most stupidest and pointless thing he’s done so far and he’s not even a month into his presidency yet. In a move that has left many scratching their heads, Trump signed an executive order reversing the previous administration’s plan to phase out single-use plastics, including straws, by 2035. His main gripe? Paper straws “explode” and don’t perform well. I’ve yet to witness a paper straw detonate in my iced latte myself. Perhaps Donny has been sipping on something a bit more risqué? One can’t help but wonder if this is now the most pressing issue keeping him up at night, having gone to such lengths to straighten out straws. In the grand scheme of things, this focus on straws seems like a classic case of missing the forest for the trees, or should I say, missing the ocean for the plastic straws polluting it? So, while the world burns (both literally and figuratively), the commander-in-straws is waging war against biodegradable beverage accessories. Talk about fiddling while Rome burns. In conclusion, it appears that when it comes to prioritizing national issues, the president is, quite literally, grasping at straws.

How to Undo a Wedgie 1. Find a Private Spot (If Possible) • If you’re in public, try to move to a restroom, an empty hallway, or a less crowded area. • If you can’t leave, position yourself so that others won’t see what you’re doing. 2. Use a Quick and Subtle Adjustment • If you’re standing, reach back with one hand and gently pull the fabric out. • If you’re sitting, shift your weight from side to side while subtly pulling at the waistband. 3. Use the “Stretch and Squat” Method (For a more discreet fix) • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. • Bend your knees slightly and wiggle your hips. • Pull your waistband outward a little to loosen the fabric. 4. If It’s Really Stuck (Deep Wedgie Fix) • Insert a hand inside your pants and carefully pull the underwear loose. • If needed, grab the waistband and tug gently to reposition everything. 5. Prevent Future Wedgies • Wear well-fitting underwear (not too tight or too loose). • Choose seamless or wedgie-proof styles. • Adjust your underwear properly before putting on tight clothing.

Gone With the Wind, you say GG? Oh, what a tale. A sweeping saga of love, loss, and, dare I say, audacious resilience! I can’t recall exactly when I first read it, but I do remember closing the book and muttering to myself, “Frankly, my dear.” Though I’ll admit I lacked the panache of Mr. Gable. Scarlet O’Hara… what a woman! Fierce, flawed, and utterly unforgettable. You’re right, Vivien Leigh was Scarlet. No question. Who could possibly fill her shoes in a remake? I shudder to think. They’d likely cast someone who wouldn’t know a petticoat from a potato sack. And the romance! There’s something about the idea of the Old South, that intoxicating, honey-dipped veneer of it all. Though, truth be told, I wouldn’t trade air conditioning for a hoop skirt. Listening to the audiobook sounds delightful. Linda Stephens, you say? If she can breathe life into Scarlet and Mammy in one fell swoop, she deserves her own Oscar for narration. A cheap price for a double dose of nostalgia, to be sure. Maybe I’ll dig out my old copy of the book, or dare I say, download an eBook? Blasphemy, I know. And oh, Tara. Did it burn? Didn’t it? Who can say? Memory is a funny thing, isn’t it? All I remember is the feeling of it, the ashes of dreams scattered to the wind. But Scarlet, as always, rises. Tomorrow, after all, is another day. Greatest novel of the past 100 years? It just might be. Though let’s not forget To Kill a Mockingbird. Another Southern gem. But Scarlet, oh Scarlet. She’s the one who still haunts us, isn’t she? Simply love her. To bits. To absolute bits. Best regards, Ashley… no, wait… Call me Rhett Jr.

In the video, the journalist also talks about "affordable land" in northern Thailand, insinuating that Chinese nationals would have access to land for farming if they emigrate to Thailand. Should foreigners really be coming to Thailand with ambitions of obtaining land for farming? Is that what the government and the immigration department wants?

After watching this video you get the impression that the 20,000,000 to 30,000,000 mainland Chinese tourists that come here every year are no longer coming for just short stays, but are looking to eventually set themselves up here and immigrate permanently. Do you think places like Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand will eventually become overrun with mainland Chinese residents, some of whom might become involved in illegal business and other similar activities? And will they eventually start to disrupt the peaceful way of life in the north if they do start building larger Chinese communities in Thailand in order to cater to their own culture and lifestyles rather than integrating into the local way of life? https://youtu.be/oIDsvIQ0UvM

Another nothingburger topic that went nowhere. The only entertaining bits are the fictional windup entries posted by Frisco involving imaginary sexual exploits.

Try Heinny

But he is: