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Harris vs Trump Debate: A Viewer's Guide
Chris replied to Twin Tiers Living's topic in Election 2024
Didn’t watch it and don’t care. I don’t intend to vote for either one. -
Okay, that’s funny!! 😆
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Quite irrelevant but very funny, a comment from some time in 2016: Look on the bright side of life. If either one (Trump or Hillary) should become President it will mark the first time an oligarch moves into public housing vacated by a black family
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My opinion: The emerging house hunting demographic is Gen Z. Millenials are pretty much established in the housing scene but they can be characterized by the following thoughts too. These generations are not really looking for that white picket fence, that ownership responsibility, the stay at a job for 30+ for the sake of loyalty and the retirement at the end where then they will travel and see the world. These generations are looking for someplace affordable to live in an area that calls to them on a different level. It isn't work/live/play as it was in my parents generation and mine to an extent. But it has become play/live/work. They are looking for areas where they can travel to and enjoy life now. They see the fleetingness of life and want to enjoy all there is to offer. They go to work to have money to spend on the fun. Yes, the needs but mainly they work for the weekend. If they find a location that they love to be at for the "play" then they might decide they want to live there and then find a job to go along with it. Rather than basing where they are going to live on the work they do, they base the work on where they decide to live based on loving to be there. With this in mind, affordable/market rate housing is what they are looking for as a "starter" home. These "kids" (anyone younger than me is a kid. I've gotten old lately) are also carrying with them some crazy college debt. My generation (I JUST make the Gen X generation category and I'm very happy for that) was one that was greatly pushed into college. That was the only way to go and you were throwing your life away if you didn't go (words spoken to me when I chose not to go to college after highschool but instead got married at 19 and started my family). The millenials to follow me and early into the Gen Z generations greatly continued that trend (thankfully the country is waking up to the great need of skilled trade workers). The credit worthiness and generational ties to the community that my fellow legislator aspires to have as a benchmark for how we do housing, simply does not speak to those entering the housing market search. They just want someplace they can lay their head that isn't going to cost them the opportunity to travel. They might not be able (nor want) to go to the bank and get that 30 year mortgage because they have the student loans coming along with them. 30 years ago....wait....that was 1994.....50 years ago, a 30 year mortgage was as much as these kids are carrying with them from college. They also are not looking for housing in the community they grew up in. The generational ties are not a driving force for them. I speak from the standpoint of having 2 children head off to college (they had very specific career goals that aligned with getting a college degree) and while I would love to think maybe my eldest will come back in the next couple years, she and her fiancee are looking at locations all over the country. They are looking for the place they WANT to live based on what it has to offer and then going to find the job. The ties of coming back home are not as strong as they use to be. Travel is easy. Keeping in touch with family is easy. There's no reason to simply come back to the ties because of nostalgia. We as a community have to rethink our approach. We have to build a community that draws people in and gives young adults and families things to DO. Once they find the area attractive, they then have to be able to find those affordable housing areas and fullfilling jobs. If we want our kids to stay/come back, we have to give them a solid reason. Building these affordable housing complexes is not a bad thing. (There are always going to be residents that don't want "X Y or Z in my back yard" no matter what is proposed.) Affordable housing does not mean crime ridden tenants or scum landlords. It can mean quality community members who are wanting to contribute to the area by being productive laborers and volunteers and board members and promoters. Its all about how WE present the community. If we provide the quality community to live in, we will attract the quality relocating neighbors.
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10 minutes in and I’m tagging out ! The thing is this , when a speaker chokes on their words or has to swallow on key words , that is a signal to me that that person is lying or is really trying to actually believe the shit they are spewing . And she is really choking out those words so early in the game . Plus she has been schooled on how and when to poke the bear … I’ll catch the highlights in the morning .
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September 1964 And September 2024
Ann commented on Carol Bossard's blog entry in Home, Garden, & Other Wonders
Happy Anniversary to you both, 60 years is amazing. - Yesterday
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It cracks me up how stuck in the 50’s his mentality is. In his brain, multi-unit housing means those “undesirables” or something. As if a young family wouldn’t maybe decide to take up residence in an apartment while they save up for that house and white picket fence Joe seems to think should be the only thing allowed.
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This is a nightmare 😠
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Going to be the same uproar that those folks over off Gardner Road made about that new apartment complex. To the best of my knowledge nothing they complained of ever happened and I know people who live there as well. All you here from every town and village is "more affordable housing" and yet when they try to put some in, then this. It was on the news Friday with actual real info involved. Multi-unit housing buildings could be coming to Big Flats (mytwintiers.com)
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😪
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Boy am I glad I found a way to see his page despite Joe blocking me:
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Russia-Ukraine War Thread
Twin Tiers Living replied to Twin Tiers Living's topic in World News & Events
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By Frank Donatelli Leslie C. Francis September 10, 2024 Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will soon meet in a high stakes nationally televised debate, perhaps the only one of this campaign. In previous elections – 1960, 1976, 1980, 2000, and 2020 come immediately to mind – the election contests were heavily influenced by such encounters. This year, for sure, it is “high risk, high reward.” With an election so close, we believe this debate will be important – maybe even decisive – in determining the winner. Having been involved in debate strategies in previous cycles, we have some idea of what the campaigns are thinking about just days before Tuesday’s showdown. And there are a few things viewers might keep in mind, as well. Good debate preparation should emphasize three things more than anything else. First, focus on two or three issues, themes, or personal qualities that the campaign hopes will resonate with the electorate. Second, that focus should underscore or strengthen the main message of the campaign. This is not a time to freelance. Third, memorable phrases or “zingers” are welcome, but not if they are canned, forced, or nasty. For Trump, this means: He needs to control himself. The former president simply talks too much for his own good. He likes to talk over his opponent. (Note: The microphones can be controlled by the moderators this year.) He also frequently goes off message and launches personal attacks, as he will want to do against Harris. The result is a candidate who seems undisciplined and turns off persuadable voters. He should focus on the question asked and avoid tangents or personal attacks. This is a low bar, but he needs to clear it to have any chance of winning. Next, he has to settle on a coherent critique of his opponent. Traditional Republicans such as Lindsey Graham and Nikki Haley have urged Trump to focus more on policy. Although Trump has always scored points with his base when attacking his opponent, the criticisms must be credible to work on undecided voters. His attacks on Hillary Clinton as one too tied to the establishment and questions surrounding her private email server (remember that?) helped him win the 2016 election. Maybe he can try labeling Harris as a “San Francisco liberal” or an “issue flip-flopper,” but his attacks on the vice president have been scattershot and way too personal. He has boasted about being restrained in his fateful June 27 debate with Joe Biden. Can he do it again? Finally, the former president must talk beyond his base. His reluctance to do so is why his polling seems to have a ceiling in the mid-to-high 40s. There are only so many disenchanted white males out there. Trump had his best opportunity to grow his support after the attempt on his life and a rather good Republican convention, but his acceptance speech was a squandered opportunity. Is there anything he has to say that might appeal to undecideds or non-MAGA voters? And can he dial down the sarcasm and insults? If so, the debate is the time to do so. For Kamala Harris: The vice president should not attempt to “untoss” Trump’s word salads. He throws a lot of stuff into each of his answers, and any effort to pick them apart is wasted effort. Harris should spend the bulk of her time on offense. She should also answer the questions asked by the moderators – something neither Biden nor Trump did on June 27, which only added to the perception that they are both too old. Harris is the candidate the public needs to hear more about. No press conferences and one interview doesn’t send a message that this is a confident candidate. Harris can lay that to rest Tuesday night. She should spend her time filling in the blanks on the resume and issue positions to the broader electorate. Her main goal is to pass the “chief executive” test. As the non-incumbent, the public must feel comfortable with her as president. Kamala Harris is 59. Donald Trump is 78. Her tagline, “We’re not going back,” is an artful phrase that can mean different things to different people. But one thing it’s meant to convey: the future belongs to the 59-year-old Democratic Party nominee, not the 78-year-old Republican. She should double down on that. It also separates her from the Biden administration while giving her room to define herself. Can she persuasively and credibly explain where her positions differ from Biden’s and why? The future is normally a winning message for Americans. The Veep must stay there as much as possible. Finally, Harris is more than a candidate. In her narrative, she represents an ideal, a new generation of leaders, a new hope for people and groups that have not previously been represented. To her, inclusion will be a crucial part of moving the country forward. She has been elected in the nation’s largest and most diverse state, and she seeks to lead an increasingly diverse America. This makes her uniquely qualified to lead the nation forward into the next chapter of the American Experience – with a large dose of hope and expanded opportunity. A cautionary note here: Harris must avoid going too far on “identity” matters lest she lose support from moderate and independent voters who resist such classifications. Debates are not a perfect way for voters to learn about candidates, but they are far preferable to thirty- or sixty-second ads on TV or on social media. Televised presidential debates represent the best chance for the voters to see the candidates up close, answering questions about the future of the country and how they will handle the many challenges we face. Having the public make informed choices should be the goal of this great democracy we call America. This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.
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Toxic dust hung in the air around ground zero for more than three months following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Anthony Correia/Getty Images by Roberto Lucchini, Florida International University The 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York resulted in the loss of 2,753 people in the Twin Towers and surrounding area. After the attack, more than 100,000 responders and recovery workers from every U.S. state – along with some 400,000 residents and other workers around ground zero – were exposed to a toxic cloud of dust that fell as a ghostly, thick layer of ash and then hung in the air for more than three months. The World Trade Center dust plume, or WTC dust, consisted of a dangerous mixture of cement dust and particles, asbestos and a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants. These include cancer-causing dioxins and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are byproducts of fuel combustion. The dust also contained heavy metals that are known to be poisonous to the human body and brain, such as lead – used in the manufacturing of flexible electrical cables – and mercury, which is found in float valves, switches and fluorescent lamps. The dust also contained cadmium, a carcinogen toxic to the kidneys that is used in the manufacturing of electric batteries and pigments for paints. One of the haunting images from 9/11: Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York after they were hit by two hijacked airliners. Robert Giroux via Getty Images Polychlorinated biphenyls, human-made chemicals used in electrical transformers, were also part of the toxic stew. PCBs are known to be carcinogenic, toxic to the nervous system and disruptive to the reproductive system. But they became even more harmful when incinerated at high heat from the jets’ fuel combustion and then carried by very fine particles. WTC dust was made up of both “large” particulate matter and very small, fine and ultrafine ones. These particularly small particles are known to be highly toxic, especially to the nervous system since they can travel directly through the nasal cavity to the brain. Many first responders and others who were directly exposed to the dust developed a severe and persistent cough that lasted for a month, on average. They were treated at Mount Sinai Hospital and received care at the Clinic of Occupational Medicine, a well-known center for work-related diseases. I am a physician specializing in occupational medicine who began working directly with 9/11 survivors in my role as director of the WTC Health Program Data Center at Mount Sinai beginning in 2012. That program collects data, as well as monitors and oversees the public health of WTC rescue and recovery workers. After eight years in that role, I moved to Florida International University in Miami, where I am planning to continue working with 9/11 responders who are moving to Florida as they reach retirement age. Remembering 9/11: As the north tower of the World Trade Center collapses, a cloud of toxic gas chases terrified residents and tourists. Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora via Getty Images From acute to chronic conditions After the initial “acute” health problems that 9/11 responders faced, they soon began experiencing a wave of chronic diseases that continue to affect them 20 years later. The persistent cough gave way to respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and upper airway diseases such as chronic rhinosinusitis, laryngitis and nasopharyngitis. The litany of respiratory diseases also put many of them at risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which occurs at a higher rate in WTC survivors than in the general population. This condition occurs when stomach acids reenter the esophagus, or food pipe, that connects the stomach to the throat. As a consequence of either the airway or the digestive disorders, many of these survivors also struggle with sleep apnea, which requires additional treatments. Further compounding the tragedy, about eight years after the attacks, cancers began to turn up in 9/11 survivors. These include tumors of the blood and lymphoid tissues such as lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia, which are well known to affect workers exposed to carcinogens in the workplace. But survivors also suffer from other cancers, including breast, head and neck, prostate, lung and thyroid cancers. Some have also developed mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer related to exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was used in the early construction of the north tower until public advocacy and broader awareness of its health dangers brought its use to a halt. And the psychological trauma that 9/11 survivors experienced has left many suffering from persistent mental health challenges. One study published in 2020 found that of more than 16,000 WTC responders for whom data was collected, nearly half reported a need for mental health care, and 20% of those who were directly affected developed post-traumatic stress disorder. Many have told me that the contact they had with parts of human bodies or with the deadly scene and the tragic days afterward left a permanent mark on their lives. They are unable to forget the images, and many of them suffer from mood disorders as well as cognitive impairments and other behavioral issues, including substance use disorder. Remembering 9/11: A distraught survivor sits outside the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack. Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora via Getty Images An aging generation of survivors Now, 20 years on, these survivors face a new challenge as they age and move toward retirement – a difficult life transition that can sometimes lead to mental health decline. Prior to retirement, the daily drumbeat of work activity and a steady schedule often helps keep the mind busy. But retirement can sometimes leave a void – one that for 9/11 survivors is too often filled with unwanted memories of the noises, smells, fear and despair of that terrible day and the days that followed. Many survivors have told me they do not want to return to Manhattan and certainly not to the WTC. Aging can also bring with it forgetfulness and other cognitive challenges. But studies show that these natural processes are accelerated and more severe in 9/11 survivors, similar to the experience of veterans from war zones. This is a concerning trend, but all the more so because a growing body of research, including our own preliminary study, is finding links between cognitive impairment in 9/11 responders and dementia. A recent Washington Post piece detailed how 9/11 survivors are experiencing these dementia-like conditions in their 50s – far earlier than is typical. The COVID-19 pandemic, too, has taken a toll on those who have already suffered from 9/11. People with preexisting conditions have been at far higher risk during the pandemic. Not surprisingly, a recent study found a higher incidence of COVID-19 in WTC responders from January through August 2020. Honoring the 9/11 survivors The health risks posed by direct exposure to the acrid dust was underestimated at the time, and poorly understood. Appropriate personal protective equipment, such as P100 half-face respirators, was not available at that time. But now, over 20 years on, we know much more about the risks – and we have much greater access to protective equipment that can keep responders and recovery workers safe following disasters. Yet, too often, I see that we have not learned and applied these lessons. For instance, in the immediate aftermath of the condominium collapse near Miami Beach last June, it took days before P100 half-face respirators were fully available and made mandatory for the responders. Other examples around the world are even worse: One year after the Beirut explosion in August 2020, very little action had been taken to investigate and manage the physical and mental health consequences among responders and the impacted community. Applying the lessons learned from 9/11 is a critically important way to honor the victims and the brave men and women who took part in the desperate rescue and recovery efforts back on those terrible days. Roberto Lucchini is Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at Florida International University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Read more here.
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by Carol Houssock, photos by Clayton Vargeson (Chemung, NY) Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better on Flynn Energy Championship Night at Chemung Speedrome, presented by Jim Bronson and Ferrario Auto Team of Sayre, PA. While the Speedrome family mourned the unexpected loss of Robin Potrzebowski 10 days prior, in some sense she was still there. Her husband, TJ, won everything thrown at him – the Buckley’s Automotive Modified heat, feature, and ’24 championship. Earlier in the evening her son, Mike Nichols, won the Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stock heat and feature. Two other family members won track championships in the Super Stock (Tim Gullo) and Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock (Anthony Gullo) divisions. Other race winners included Kalysta DeMark (Hobby Stocks), Gene Purvis (Gene’s Automotive 4 Cylinders), and Easton Houghtaling (JRC Cleaning Bandoleros). Other division champions include Greg Moldt (4 Cylinders) and Leevi Sharpsteen (Bandoleros). Fans in attendance saw the heart of a champion play out in the Buckley’s Automotive Modified division. Just 10 days after his wife’s untimely death, TJ Potrzebowski had a 48-point advantage over Lee Sharpsteen for title. “I knew she’d want me to be here, so I came,” he said. Sharpsteen’s car broke after qualifying so he borrowed a ride for the scheduled 35-lap feature to gain as many points as he could. Nick Morich took the early lead and held it through the rocky start that had the field slowed for four cautions. With 13 laps in, the front row was Morich and Jesse Kent, the most recent feature winner. Morich prevailed, but Potrzebowski was on the move and took the lead on lap 16. The caution-plagued race, already past curfew, forced a five-lap distance reduction to 30 laps. Morich fell to fourth after drifting high in turn two and opening up the inside lane for Keith Youngs and Teddy Bowen. Potrzebowski got the win, followed by Bowen, Youngs, Morich and Sharpsteen. When it was over, and TJ Potrzebowski pulled into victory lane, the crowd reaction was tremendous. He had won the battle and the war. Surrounded by family and friends, he climbed from the car smiling and then had to speak. “I knew I had to be here, for Robin. I know she was with me tonight,” he stated. Joined in victory lane by his sons, TJ, Jr. and Mike Nichols, their emotional hug said way more than he could have verbalized. TJ Potrzebowki about to be drenched by Mike Nichols after his huge win The Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stock title boiled down to a two-man battle between point leader Tim Gullo and defending champion Nick Robinson. Separated by just 17 points when the 25-lap feature started, fans of both were concentrating on the pair. They were also watching Mike Nichols, who had won his heat earlier, get around pole-sitter Charlie Sharpsteen and lead the opening lap. That was all she wrote for the others, as Nichols built up a sizeable lead in the caution-free race. Heat winner Robinson ran second, with Gullo right behind him in third. As the race neared its final lap, Nichols had a full straightaway lead, hoping the race stayed green. It did, and he picked up his third win but first since late May. Robinson was second, with Gullo, Geary Rinehimer, Jr. and Sharpsteen completing the top five. An emotional Mike Nichols looked upward and said “she was riding with me the whole night.” Tim Gullo also celebrated in picking up the track championship. “It feels good but I’m glad it’s over even though we had a good time with the fans. But I’m mostly proud of my boy (Devin) winning last week.” Tim Gullo picked up the Super Stock championship Kalysta DeMark had won elsewhere, but not at her home track. She put it all together in the Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stock division and earned a sweep after she, Anthony Gullo, and Mark Taylor won the heats. While she started from the pole for the 20-lap race, she had to work for her career-first victory. The first of five cautions came almost instantly when Gullo, who had wrapped up the 2024 championship pulled into the pits and was finished for the night. DeMark held off Taylor on the restart, but Gil Sharpsteen and Dave Yehl were on the move, and up to second and third by lap six. While DeMark boosted her lead Yehl, Mike Nickels and Ajay Potrzebowski, Sr. got around Sharpsteen. Kalysta DeMark earns a career-first in the Hobby Stock division On the last two restarts Yehl was right there but she kept the top spot. DeMark had come close before, but this one didn’t get away. “I want to thank everyone here, I couldn’t have done it without you, and I couldn’t do life without my Dad,” she said. A division-leading five feature wins vaulted Anthony Gullo to the track title. “I came up short last year. I’m elated, and happy to get my first championship,” he told the crowd. Greg Moldt put together a season with 4 feature wins and 5 runner-up finishes in the Gene’s Automotive 4 Cylinders. Mathematically, no one could catch him in points, but the 20-lap race was for bragging rights. He and the 2023 champ, Joey Bevacqua, won the heats while Jason Peck and Ryan Purvis made up row one for the feature. Purvis led the first two laps before watching his brother, Gene, make what turned out to be his race-winning pass in the caution-free feature. Moldt was third initially but got around Mike Nichols for second and he stayed there. Gene ran just three races in the division this year and in all three he parked in victory lane. “It’s fun to jump in one every once in a while, and have some fun,” he said. Moldt thanked his daughter and crew for supporting his championship run. Two young drivers in the JRC Cleaning Bandolero division, Easton and Levi Houghtaling, proved to be quick studies and won their respective heat races the first time at the track. The battle for the track championship, however, involved two track regulars. Kamden Wheeler and Leevi Sharpsteen were tied going into the final points race. Easton and Leevi took off at the drop of the green in the 8-lap race that was also run caution-free. Easton went on and got the overall win as an Outlaw, while Leevi was the best of the Bandits. Young Sharpsteen, at age 7, is now a track champion whose celebration with spray string was a perfect touch in victory lane. Leevi Sharpsteen, age 7, earns the Bandolero championship Mark Tychoniewicz swept the night in the visiting Classic Modified Asphalt Series. He easily won the heat race but winning the 15-lap feature boiled down to a late-race nail-biter between him and early leader Dave Shay. “This Ford Pinto was originally run in New Jersey, and Ray Evernham ran it some,” he explained. “I kept overdriving it in turn three and held on.” It all came down to a front stretch drag race. During the nightly drivers’ meeting, track Promoter Ray Hodge said “...effective October 31st I will no longer be involved with the Chemung Speedrome.” He offered no reason and wished everyone a good night of racing. While points racing has concluded, the Speedrome has one remaining event. This Saturday, September 14th , the track presents the ROC Sportsman, ROC Super Stock, and ROC Four Cylinder divisions, plus the Hobby Stocks. The annual ‘Night Before the Glen’ will start at 6:30 PM. For detailed information, including times and pricing, watch the track’s official Facebook page: Chemung Speedrome – Racing at the Drome or website: Chemung-Speedrome.com.
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Hopefully that was a wake up call for him to be more careful out there.
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I've never met Rufus, I'm not sorry to say. 😄
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Thankfully, it looks like Amazon must have received enough negative feedback to realize the automatic chat launch isn't popular. Rufus is now available only when summoned. As it should be.
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Same. Just hope he's really OK
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Oh and let’s not forget this awesome touchdown by Khalil Shakir!
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I’m really tired of the nastiness that is more and more common on social media. When did it become okay to take peoples’ pictures in public and then post them for others to make fun of or joke about? It’s disgusting.
