Kevin Schwarm

@kevinschwarm.bsky.social

I'm a photographer, observer, writer, and traveler with a free-spirited and honest perspective on life, travel, work, and the media. kevinschwarm.com

Both Senators Tillis/Cornyn now agree to vote for Blanche as US Attorney General. When they initially said a "No" vote on Blanche, was that just political grandstanding? Given that their terms expire in Nov., do they want to remain in good standing w/ the Republican Party so they can begin lobbying?

T claimed the election of 2016 was being rigged even though he won. A democrat was president at the time. T claimed the 2020 election was stolen, even though he was president. In all of 2024, T claim about illegal voting & the election might be stolen. Even though he won, & a democrat was president.

Cognitive Dissonance When new facts directly clash with your core beliefs, the brain experiences psychological distress. To resolve this, the mind often rationalizes, ignores, or dismisses the new information to restore mental comfort.

Apparently Trump is growing impatient with the Ukrainian peacemaking process and might move on to “other priorities.” Like golfing, harassing universities or getting into trivial matters such as the proposed Indian name change controversy.

This is what Masha Gessen said (in the NY Times) recently about her experience in Russia years ago about Americans not engaging in politics: As we say in Russian, people prefer not to engage with politics until politics engages with them.

With tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and Europe, fewer of these residents are expected to visit the US this year. Also, many Americans are nervous about the economy, as consumers account for about 67% of the economy, and are starting to buy less. Is there a good chance of a slowdown/recession by summer?

Is anyone else annoyed by the numerous news articles behind paywalls, such as those found on Google or Bing News? Many require a subscription/registration, even if the news site is obscure or not well-known. How about requiring readers to view a 30 or 45-second ad (a few do) instead of a paywall?

Walz: I think they hate public education because it’s easier to run an authoritarian government if you don’t have a population that knows.

The CEO of Jack Daniels is upset because after T put a 25% tariff on alcohol, Canada removed all American alcohol from their shelves. It's not fair and a disproportionate response according to the CEO. T pissed off the Canadians so much that they're no longer going to be kind to American business.

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The funniest comment I heard about Trump’s speech to Congress was: “We’ll land a man on Mars before we balance the budget.” In other words, regardless of party, we’ll never balance the federal budget.

Why did Trump get angry with Zelensky on Friday? Trump said that he could end the war in one day, Z makes him look bad and weak Trump is controlled by Putin Trump wants each NATO country to contribute more Trump wants to destroy NATO Trump is not mentally equipped to be Commander in Chief

How should Democrats handle the State of the Union tonight? All Democrats walk out together once he opens his mouth. Hold up signs that say, “You lie.” Hold up signs that say, "Don't Believe Him." Make a "thumbs down" gesture when he makes a point. Do nothing.

Over these last six weeks, I’m reminded of 1956 when Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union bragged that defeating America said, “We will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the US. We will destroy you from within.”

perhaps this is an “uh, no shit” comment, but the Eagles really need to blow out the Chiefs. It cannot be close. Do not get into some one-score dark magic affair with Mahomes & KC. They have a better overall roster & for 2024 alone, the single best player. It can happen. It needs to happen.