No, I say that because he posted an ignorant comment. Again, there are several socio-economic issues which play into whether a person can climb out of poverty and the difficulty to do so. I will not take this any further for obvious reasons and forum rules. Have a good day

I guess we are looking, or interpreting the data differently because the graphs show the opposite from what I am looking at.

Don't rest quite yet Steve, this is a more accurate and up to date graph and info: COVID-19 map: Tracking the United States coronavirus cases and deaths (usatoday.com)

Well, it's obvious you were not the sibling who got the masters degree, nor the bachelors

Not sure where you are getting your info from but that is not true at all. Hospitalizations and deaths are indeed up all across the nation and rising, plus the delta variant is more deadly and infectious, especially for the 12-30 year old cohort. Experimental vaccine? Tell that to Vermont, you know, the state with the highest number of vaccinated people and the lowest amount of COVID cases per capita in the nation. Meh, I am sure its just a fluke right? Oh wait, its a "government conspiracy" that's what it is. Yawn

Love Montauk. When I lived in Rocky Point we would drive there every other weekend. Hang out in the Hamptons en route to Montauk and the glorious Lobster Roll. Those were the days 🙂

Um, what was that about COVID being on the decline? Oh well, maybe when the other 50% of the nation grows a brain cell and gets vaccinated we can have this discussion again. Until then, enjoy the upcoming lockdown v2.0

Counter-counterpoint: Oh to live in your overly simplistic world and god I wish it were that easy. They used to say the same things 70 years ago and I will tell you what my father told me: Kinda hard to get that HS diploma when your family is relying on you and your siblings to quit school and get a job to help support the family. Kinda hard not to have children when the religious institution you were brought up under, with the full support of your family, expects you to get married by 25 and pop out at least a couple of kids. The point is you are pretty close to being correct however only if you remove societal & religious expectations within those poverty stricken communities. I don't get your statement about high taxes though unless you mean the taxes on the middle class which I agree are high, however the wealthy and corporations are paying somewhere between zero and 8% in taxes due to loopholes and write-offs not available to the average Joe & Jane. That metric needs to flip. The middle class should get a tax reduction while the corporations and wealthy should have their loopholes and write-offs eliminated so they too pay their fair share. Anyway, who knows. If things keep going as they are the Epsilon variant of COVID will wipe out the unvaccinated and then the Zeta variant will finish off the rest. I say its time humanity started over anyway, we have cocked up the world so badly we no longer deserve it.

Keeping it classy as usual.

Ok, whatever you say if it makes you happy. BTW, I really don't care if someone has COVID because I am not an idiot and got vaccinated. Only the morons who will not get vaccinated have to worry. IMO its culling the heard of the stupid. Unfortunately its the children of the stupid who will suffer. BTW, why are you so disrespectful toward women? You seem to have a real problem with that which is both sad and unfortunate. Open borders, sure, whatever you say chief

Yep, spot on. Currently around 90% of all COVID patients are un-vaccinated. I really don't understand the hesitancy here. Vermont has the highest vaccination rate in the nation and the lowest reported COVID infections. Seems pretty obvious to me the vaccines both work and are safe. When I had my two Moderna vaccines the first one was easy, no side affects. The second dose gave me COVID-lite for 24 hours then fit as a fiddle. So far my junk has not fallen off, neither legs or arms have withered, nor has my head exploded. Unfortunately I am getting "system updates" from Microsoft now as they keep messing with the software in the vaccine microchips. I would not mind if my brain was not required to reboot every time this occurs. Oh well 😉

I have to disagree with you as those stats do not reflect illegal immigration and are comparisons from country to country. Further, if the wages are affected in any way by this that is a clear and obvious sign of serious corruption within the system. A system which is not corrupt would not be affected in any way by a migrant workforce insofar as wages are concerned. Lastly, you really cannot compare third world nations to the US which is a first world developed nation. Especially since it was US policy which turned Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua into third world countries in the first place with our combination of drug policy and using military coups to remove rightfully elected officials. and what is with the open borders? The US does not and never has had open borders. When was the last time you traveled from Mexico to the US? Last time I went from Tijuana to San Diego I waited three hours to get through and if I did not have my passport, my backside would have been climbing that wall amigo 🙂 Ps. Just for laughs, show any Millennial the Genesis video for Illegal Alien. I will give you $20 if they don't completely loose their shit and try to cancel you. BTW I love that video and song, its hilarious.

Exactly, look what happened with Prohibition from 1920-1933 and the crime it created. Legalize it at the federal level and all of those problems will disappear.

I used to feel the same way until I travelled extensively, talked to people all over and heard their stories. Most people have no clue how it is nearly impossible in the US to climb out of poverty. Most people in the US are also not aware that it is also near impossible to move from the middle-class to the upper-middle class much less wealthy. Currently, the US ranks 20th in the world for upward mobility which is insane and just shows how badly the system is rigged in favor of those with money.

Many times these things are a blessing, uncovering major health issues before they become a cause of death. Speedy recovery Bob, you whacky comedy genius

NM is high due to Roswell & ABQ. Roswell is the destination hub for most drugs coming out of Nuevo Laredo & El Paso for distribution to the rest of the country by way of ABQ. Honestly, most people are not aware but Roswell is a seriously scary place and it ain't the aliens doing the disappearing of people, its the cartels.

Understandable, however the majority, and I mean the vast majority of homeless are so due to mental illness or basic poverty without familial support and not drug addiction. COVID has only made the situation worse and no one in this country who is doing the right thing, working hard, spending conservatively should ever be living paycheck to paycheck yet that is exactly the situation for around 60% of the American population. So what that means is 60% of the population can literally become homeless with the loss of a job. That is absolutely insane in the wealthiest country in the world. That is the real issue, the cost of living just keeps going up while wages have stagnated since the early 80's. Our whole system is corrupt and badly broken and eventually, the center will not hold.

Huh, go figure. It's almost as if those vaccines actually work. Hmmmm, who knew???? NAH!!!! This is obviously a deception by the socialist-marxist lefties to trick people into getting the Bill Gates Microsoft microchip vaccine. In reality they are just as infected in VT as everywhere else

An old friend of mine had his throat slashed by a mugger in NO back in the 90's. He lived but has one hell of a scar. It was a miracle he survived. NO, America's oldest large city & port city, some very beautiful architecture and culture but the crime. Fugetaboutit.

Just an FYI, and this is very important, all four signatures must be on the same side for display purposes. If even one signature is on the opposite side as the others the value goes down exponentially. Good luck

The only gun control any liberal politician has called for is registration enforcement, stopping straw purchases and gun show purchases without background checks. Along with banning assault weapons (you know, just like Ronald Reagan did), large capacity magazines, and silencers. However, if you can cite a reference to an elected member of congress or the President calling for abolishing the 2nd amendment (taking away yer guns) or even stopping handgun sales please do as I do not recall anyone having such an extreme position. As a gun owner myself I believe in common sense gun regulations (which were common pre-1992 SCOTUS ruling) such as registering and comprehensive background checks, not allowing crazy people or those busted for domestic violence to have guns. You want your guns, good for you, just be a responsible gun owner. Personally, I do not want loonies to have guns and I do not think anyone needs to own an assault weapon but that is not up to me. So please, stop saying libs are coming to take yer guns because if they truly wanted to they would have passed legislation when they had super-majorities in the past. Left, right, its really the same dog & pony show to distract the punters. They are akin to the hot ladies that come up to you in Barcelona, flirting like crazy and then disappearing, only to find out five minutes later your wallet and passport were lifted by her boyfriend while you were looking at her, um, attributes. That is the very nature of politics, distract the population with divisive nonsense while you steal them blind.

Neighboring cities have different demographics, populations, saturation, economic status etc. and are not comparable to an inner city. In fact it is absolutely apples to avocados. I also lived and grew up in Chicago so I know the lay of the land and how different the suburbs are from the city and the changes over time. Chicago has always been the most racially divisive city north of the Mason-Dixon line and still is. Everything is divided into neighborhoods based on ethnicity and they were redlining and blockbusting well into the 80's. Blacks, Mexicans, & Puerto Ricans are all condensed in the same general areas of poverty within the city due to these practices. In fact, check out John Oliver's latest Last Week Tonight show from this past Sunday as they talk in great detail about how the practice of redlining and blockbusting is to this day affecting where these people of color live on a generational basis and lack of opportunity. Last time I was in Chicago (2015) white people were still calling blacks the N word and telling me if a black person walked down their street they would not make it to the end of the block alive. Steve, I am rather surprised you would make such a nonsensical comment being an intelligent, well read individual. I guess everyone has an off day.

Regarding rock guitar I have to agree, Blackmore was the first. That being said though, check out some of Glen Campbell's live playing from the late 60's & 70's. Now THAT is fast playing, as in crazy, super fast, clean playing. Glen Campbell was one hellofa guitar player.

They could do what they did in Hawaii and build homes for the homeless, give them mental health care (when needed) and job training. So far it is a resounding success and has saved the Hawaiian taxpayers millions. Turns out if you treat them like humans they will act like humans. Interactions with police are down significantly, the use of the ER as the primary health provider is way down, social services in general are way down as a result of this program. I will not take a moral stand on this because the numbers speak for themselves. These programs save lives and save money, the only reason not to implement them is simply because people hate the homeless. It is simply amazing how governments will literally cut their own throat financially before they help in an instance they believe is caused by a lack of discipline and basic obligation on the part of a segment of society.

There is no such thing as enforceable gun control when these cities are a few short miles away from areas where guns can be purchased legally. Chicago has strict gun control but just outside the city limits are more gun shops then just about anywhere (opportunity knocking) as there is no gun control outside the city. NY, well, just drive the three miles to NJ of 15 miles to PA. Then there is how a person, in any state, can buy guns and have them delivered. Most legitimate dealers will not deliver to cities that have gun laws but that is an easy work around, just get a PO box outside of that town. The fact is, gun control and regulation can only really work at the national level and I doubt that would ever happen. No President has ever had the balls to even suggest that yet these gun lobby's keep pushing that silly narrative just to drive up gun sales. Did Clinton take yer guns? Did Obama? Nope, nor will it ever happen because the gun lobby is just too strong and dems like that sweet money just like the republicans. Never let a law get in the way of profit, both the Ferngi 117th Rule of Acquisition and the psalm of most politicians.