[evandyk]

I went to Niagara Falls not that long ago and noticed it. There aren't many Arbys around any more! I've only been to Arby's once, and it must have been in 2001 or 2002.

 

[evandyk]

To be fair I have eaten stupidly high priced foods.

When in Hungary I usually visit Gerbaud Cukrászda (Confectionery)

They make the most delicious and high class desserts but they are also stupidly expensive. I think I paid $110 CAD for 5 pieces of cake.

In London, I visited Harrods and bought a £20 coffee in their dining hall

You can spend that kind of money on pastries right here in Toronto. La Genie at College Park (in the Aura building, but facing the park) has a Paris-Brest that costs over $20.

 

[PinkLucy]

Let’s get back to the topic at hand. There is plenty to discuss

 

[evandyk]

Let’s get back to the topic at hand. There is plenty to discuss

True, but this topic is so depressing that it makes you want to talk about pastries and sandwiches instead.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

True, but this topic is so depressing that it makes you want to talk about pastries and sandwiches instead.

We can always talk about his penchant for McDs - the true symbol of American gastronomical prowess - instead.

AoD

 

[evandyk]

 

[PinkLucy]

Maybe the 70% decrease in flight bookings is getting to him https://www.thestar.com/business/tr...more-tariffs-if-they-work-together-to-harm-u/

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

View attachment 639646

Cla$$y as always.

AoD

 

[Towered]

To be fair I have eaten stupidly high priced foods.

When in Hungary I usually visit Gerbaud Cukrászda (Confectionery)

They make the most delicious and high class desserts but they are also stupidly expensive. I think I paid $110 CAD for 5 pieces of cake.

In London, I visited Harrods and bought a £20 coffee in their dining hall

To celebrate the defeat of Rob Ford, I treated myself to a then 22 dollar bottle of beer called Westvleteren at the Town Crier pub on John Street.

As for staying on topic, I offer a summary of Trump's (or general Republican) "style":

"That didn't happen.
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault.
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did, you deserved it."

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

When the Rethuglicans have their own Stasi at their disposal...

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/27/us/rumeysa-ozturk-detained-what-we-know/index.html

/bleh

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

From RBC, https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/what-is-the-impact-of-tariffs-on-the-us-economy/

How much revenue could tariffs generate for the U.S.?​

Based on 2024 import data from Canada, Mexico, and China, the announced tariffs could boost total U.S. tariff revenues by about $300 billion, assuming demand remains unchanged. This would amount to roughly one-third of the annual cost of Trump’s proposed extension to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. However, this doesn’t take into account the fact that demand for imports from regions affected by tariffs is likely to shrink as producers attempt to source products from non-tariffed countries. This could be particularly acute for consumer-related sectors as U.S. consumers continue to be squeezed by inflation and look to reduce their demand for goods with rising prices. The ultimate boost to revenue is likely to be smaller than the $300 billion noted above, considering reduced demand and potential substitution effects.

Trump expect "revenue" to come from the tariffs. I think there will be a loss of revenue, putting the US into debt and recession. Some domestic products will end up going up in price as the supply goes down.

How easy is it for the U.S. to “reshore” the most impacted sectors?​

Reshoring is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, in the short term, reshoring is very difficult as significant levels of capital investment take years to plan and execute. The ability to produce goods domestically requires investment in land, factories, and machinery equipment and those decisions are challenging in a high-interest-rate environment. In the medium term, new supply chains would need to be established, adding to operating costs. In the longer term, the U.S. is facing labor supply constraints, limiting the production capacity of any new factories. The aging population is resulting in a record number of retirements. In particular, 26% of workers in manufacturing are over age 55. Added to this, the decline in immigration and notable geographic and skills mismatches in the manufacturing sector suggests reshoring activity may need to be capital intensive and could result in limited job creation.

Expect to see product shortages in the short-term for everyone, not just the States. In other words, companies, stores, and people will have to build up their inventory.

 

[Richard White]

View attachment 639801
From https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A97cM8j5d/

I hate to say it but this is an apt metaphor for the current state of the US.

The USA at the moment reminds me alot of WW2 era Germany without the forced labour and murdering. The only difference is the US sees immigrants as undesirable because they are not one of their own.

The sad part is, the GOP and Right Wing America don't see it. We are one staged terrorist attack away from a mass crackdown and deportation.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

^...at this rate, I am not sure they will even be bothering with that. /bleh

 

[Northern Light]

When the Rethuglicans have their own Stasi at their disposal...

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/27/us/rumeysa-ozturk-detained-what-we-know/index.html

/bleh

A couple of notes here.

So this is another high-profile foreign student being detained. Her profile being associated with the divestment (in Israel) movement et. al.

She was detained, walking alone down the street, going to attend a dinner, by six, plain-clothes officers, wearing full facemasks, who did not identify as law enforcement until she was on the ground.

She was immediately moved out of state, from Massachusetts to Louisiana.

****

My comments

While I think, irrespective of one's take on matters middle east, her time was wasted advocating for something that even if she achieved it would have made no difference.....
It is nonetheless expressly her right, not only to hold such views, but express them. The U.S. Supreme Court has, in the past, held that First Amendment rights in the U.S. apply to non-citizens legally in the United States.

Two, I am never comfortable with non-uniformed law enforcement making arrests, even if those arrests were otherwise lawful, unless there are exigent circumstances. Even then.....what's the deal with full face coverings? I can't fathom any moral or lawful excuse. Had she resisted violently, I think she would have been within her rights to do so. Not that that was advisable in the circumstances.

Finally, the quick move to shift her out of State was to remove her both from legal oversight, (a judge ordered that ICE not remove her, but she was already gone), and to remove her from her support network and lawyer.

This last bit is incredibly problematic. Its clearly an intentional move to thwart due process.

If the U.S. wanted to revoke her VISA, that may have been lawful; however she ought to get due process, in open court, and be given a summons to appear, not faced with what reads as black ops abduction.

 

[PinkLucy]

And this is what is going on … no due process. It’s terrifying.