Friday Potpourri: 25 October 2024

Let’s start with voter fraud.

Earlier this month, the wall along the roof of the Darrah School Apartments in Philadelphia collapsed. Many of the 911 calls referred to something sounding like an explosion. There was debris all along the street, and cars were crushed. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Full deets.

Why this collapse? Because the building’s owner, SBG Management Services, hadn’t bothered with inspections. SBG has been found deficient in the past regarding their properties, and has paid large fines.

SBG is owned by Philip Pulley, a Republican registered to vote in Huntington Valley, PA, Broward County, FL, and Philadelphia, PA. How do we know this? Because he was investigated by the FBI, charged by DoJ, and pleaded guilty last month. VOTER FRAUD!!!! And, unsurprisingly, it was once again a Republican.

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Because it’s Friday, and we look for fun on Friday, did you know that the magazine with the 3rd highest circulation in the US is Costco Connection, which is sent to their Executive members? Their circulation is 15.4 million monthly.¹ Print magazines are a dying breed, but for those of us (like me) who love magazines, we still get them. People tend to love the Costco. Jimmy Kimmel loves the Costco.

How about you?

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It is possible that we lose the Senate and re-take the House. If this happens, where the two chambers change to opposite parties simultaneously, this will be the first time this has ever happened in the history of the United States.

I am confused about why Jon Tester is losing in Montana. Tim Sheehy’s great claim to fame is that he’s a successful businessman (honest, in the Convicted Felon mode) with Bridger Aerospace. It’s a fire-fighting company. It’s insolvent. They got the locals to fund a $160 M bond to hire people, but instead spent $134 M on debt it owed to Blackstone. You would think that people would come out and vote in favor of the Montana abortion protection amendment, and while there, vote for the Democrat who would protect abortion rights, as opposed to someone who wants a national ban, not to mention vote against a liar, but most people are stupid.

If Senator Tester loses, that makes 49 seats we’d have, assuming we hold every other seat we have in contention. To get to 50, we would need to win in Nebraska or Texas, and they both look possible. As I’ve mentioned before, Dan Osborne is running in Nebraska against Deb Fischer and very well might win AS AN INDEPENDENT. I’ve heard him say that, if elected, he would not align with either party.

It’s things like “I won’t align” that make me want to scream “THIS IS WHY ‘US SENATOR’ SHOULD NEVER BE AN ENTRY LEVEL POLITICAL OFFICE.” You can talk all you want about how the parties don’t represent everyone, and we need independents, and potential viable third parties, and I could then lull you into a deep sleep (or potentially even somnambulism) with a tirade on ballot access and how we are not a parliamentary system. Bottom line on the US Senate - if a Senator doesn’t align with a party, he/she cannot be on any committees, cannot submit legislation (which must first go through committee) and potentially lose other rights. You don’t have to believe me. Read Robert Byrd’s collected speeches on the Senate. All four volumes.

If you don’t know about him, Senator Byrd was the longest-serving US Senator in US history (51 years). He started out as a member of the KKK, and voted against the Voting Rights Act in 1964. However, in 1959, he hired one of the first Black Congressional aides, and fought for the integration of the Capitol Police. After his grandson was killed in a car accident, he decided that “black people love their children as much as white people” and apologized (in the early 70’s) for his prior positions. He knew more about the Senate and its arcane rules than anyone before or since.

Texas? Vice President Harris will be holding a rally in Houston tonight. She will be speaking about reproductive health care and will be joined by Colin Allred, Willie Nelson, and Tina Knowles (Beyoncé’s mother) AND Beyoncé. While the speech is intended to get her position out to the entire country, it may be just enough to get Congressman Allred over the hump, and into the Senate.

The House? It’s looking like we’ll end up with the majority: it will be thin, but we should still take it back. My final guess is 219- 216. Hello, Speaker Jeffries.

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Grab Bag:

Could the ground game in Mecklenburg County hand North Carolina to Vice President Harris? Info.

Could energizing 18-year-old high school seniors in Philadelphia offset the local idiots? Info.

If you eat any frozen waffles other than Eggo, it’s time to throw them out. There are also some pancakes on the list. The problem is listeria. Full list here. I was shocked to read that the list spanned most of the supermarket chains, all the way to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s, along with brands like Kodiak. Amazing that one company supplies to them all. “They” always say “buy the store brand, it’s the same as the premium brands without the price.” I say L’eggo my Eggo.

55% of investors believe the results of next month’s presidential and congressional races will have a bigger impact on their retirement plans that the market’s performance, according to a Harris Poll survey. Source.

It’s an interesting article, although it has fallen prey to a certain amount of “both-sides-er-ism”, and it’s mostly pro-Convicted Felon. (I mourn for what used to be the actual press.)

And finally - I like doing Friday potpourri because it gives me an opportunity to learn things I didn’t know before. This week, I learned about creep Philip Pulley, as well as Jimmy Kimmel’s love for the Costco. How about you?

1. In case you’re curious, the only two magazines with larger circulations are the two put out by AARP.