35 Comments
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Jill Dennison's avatar

Only a fool would buy a Trump phone ... or anything with Trump's name on it! But then, there seem to be a whole lot of fools around these days. Sigh.

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Paul Davis's avatar

Trump is probably being told that getting into a MidEast war is a guarantee of high poll numbers.

Is the American public stupid enough to fall for that twice? Under these circumstances? Low as my opinion of the general public is, given who they voted for, I have to doubt it.

BTW, Iran has been warned and threatened and bombed for 40 years and for all that time, they've been preparing for war against the USA. And they got a lot of practice during the Iraq mess. They will not be the pushovers Iraq initially was. Getting into that is going to cost a lot of lives. And Bibi will be giggling at what a "dealer" Trump is the entire time.

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Paul Davis's avatar

PS - the reason so many phones are made in China is because the Chinese don't lock up the technology like they do here. Yes, IP gets taken in China. The result is the sort of ferment the founders envisioned when they limited IP rights to seventeen years. China is full of experienced smart phone engineers. Everyone is making phones or has been.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_phone_brands_by_country

Count how many brands are made in China for Chinese, then look at everyone else. Keep in mind, the Chinese don't mind setting up factories abroad when it makes sense.

Do Chinese companies have factories in the USA? Sure do:

https://www.tzstreetwear.com/top-10-clothing-manufacturers-in-atlanta/

Yes, they brag on themselves. Doesn't everyone?

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April Wilber-Griest's avatar

I can’t believe I didn’t make the $47.45 connection! 🤦🏼‍♀️ And I do hope that “we” don’t get dragged into Israel’s latest war. I’m not even sure most MAGAs will support that.

Enjoy your beach time! I’ve gotten as far west as Las Vegas, and I still hope to see the Pacific Ocean one of these days.

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Peaceful Mary T.'s avatar

You need to get out this way, April! We have some of the prettiest beaches ever! Northern and Southern Cal. beaches are very different - No. Cal beaches are cold, rocky, and rough - but beautiful. So. Cal has much warmer water, lovely sandy beaches, and they are just as gorgeous in a different way.

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April Wilber-Griest's avatar

😊

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Susan Johnson's avatar

Brilliant toon! The ear diaper and sippy cups...and his hair is not attached again...poor Pizza Rat. The blog was extremely educating and entertaining. Scary shit.

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Ada Bab's avatar

Poor Pizza Rat has an absolutely panicked expression on it face!!!! How could you put PR in the hair???!!! UGH.

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Peaceful Mary T.'s avatar

Oh, lucky you to be so close to that beautiful beach! :) I hope you enjoy your time there, despite the unfriendly dog. What did you do to piss it off?? ;)

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Gracie44's avatar

Ahhh, the beach. I’m on the Atlantic side, but love the Pacific with a little California Dreaming by Jose Feliciano, George Benson or Wes Montgomery!

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Joan Eisenstodt's avatar

Do you have CA friends who live where there are no steps to the beach? I’m great with animals but most cool, steps & beach access mobility scooters are outta my price range. I digressed from all the idiocy and flip-flop-flip-flop on every g d [is that less “ugly” than “m-fing”] issue.

Told my spouse & friends that for my 79th ALL I want is a coup to get them all out - or a Bake Peace by Timmy rhubarb-strawberry pie. I know what it will be…sooo I’ll ask for both; cheaper than $45 mill. Aaaaargh.

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Nancy Goody's avatar

Enjoy the beach, Clay. Well deserved!

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Lisa Hauck's avatar

How many times does this make that the Cheeto has profited from his "office"?????? All his sentences better be concurrent cos the voters will never see the end of it, literally.

I hate the Eagles, too.

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Alexandra's avatar

Gosh, and I thought I was the only one who wasn't fond of the Eagles. Nice to know I have company.

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Lisa Hauck's avatar

Yeah, it's not the songs, it's the pitch of their lead singer. Like nails on a blackboard to me.

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Clay Jones's avatar

Are you sure you're thinking of the Eagles? If so, which lead singer?

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Lisa Hauck's avatar

Hotel California, Take it to the Limit, etc? Just something about the music. I like most everything, but there are some that get the mute treatment every time.

Now, the Beach Boys I can listen to for hours...!

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Scott Schrader's avatar

Also a difference in pickups between a Gibson and an Epiphone. As for me, after 50 years, straight fingers, no A chord. Also, both amps on the repair bench. Got to get crackin… the Ep calls.

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Clay Jones's avatar

The pickups on my 2002 Epiphone (made in Korea) are actually very good. There has never been a need to replace them.

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Scott Schrader's avatar

Same

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Richard's avatar

It would be bad enough if he was just grifting from his loyal followers.

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Karyn Milos's avatar

I like the Eagles all right, but the song that's been going through my head today is, "It's the end of the world as we know it..." Do I feel fine? Outlook uncertain.

Nice beach and ocean photos. 🙂 Post more tomorrow, if you have them.

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Clay Jones's avatar

I don't, but who knows what else will pop up.

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Karyn Milos's avatar

As long as it's not DJT, I'm sure we'll all look forward to seeing the pics.

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FelineFan55's avatar

This is kind of freaky, but Barry McGuire's Eve of Destruction literally just started playing! OY

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David Yohalem's avatar

R.E.M. was a Georgia-based band, so it's not appropriate to Clay's needs. However, in lieu of the insipid nature of most of the bands listed, I'd suggest Los Lobos, The Mothers of Invention - indeed, any Frank Zappa music, The Turtles (vastly underrated), The Blasters, Captain Beefheart, Randy Newman and Warren Zevon. All true sons of the Southern California scene. Queens of the Stone Age and the Meat Puppets, too. Lana Del Ray for a bit of more contemporary music. I first heard Los Lobos at a UFW rally when Cesar Chavez asked: "why are we striking against Gallo? They don't use grapes in their wine."

(the Mamas and the Papas were founded in NYC and moved west; Tom Petty was from Gainesville, Florida as were most of his bandmates; the Eagle, although distinctly a S. CA sounding band were from all over; The Beach Boys were, indeed, from Southern California. X was formed in LA, too, but John Doe is from Baltimore. A more suitable song for you might be "The End" by the Doors.

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Karyn Milos's avatar

DUDE. 😳 It was the song going through my head. It fit the current zeitgeist. It had nothing to do with Clay being in SoCal or which bands someone else might like better.

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Celeste  Copeland's avatar

Carlsbad looks nice. I never got up quite that far when I was living in San Diego, but my bf at the time lived in Del Mar. As beautiful as it was out there, I'm glad to be back on the Right Coast. I hope you enjoy your stay. I could use some beach time this year but it looks like I'm not gonna get it. Great blog as usual. I am somewhat ignorant about international events and so it's good to hear your perspective.

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Judy the Lazy Gardener's avatar

Good mug notes. Looks like it was a perfect beach day.

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Lizard-Bro's avatar

“Eric Trump (the stupid one) said on a podcast “

Clay, I usually respect your wishes that we send typos to your email, not the Comments, but in this case I gotta put it right here:

“(the STUPID one)” should be “(the STUPIDER one)”… or maybe “(the STUPIDEST one)”

BTW…

🥳 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! 🥳

#🏴 #🏴 #🏴

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Lizard-Bro's avatar

“It’s really hard to focus when every woman who walks by is in a bikini top.”

In that case, you oughta move to one of the beaches in the South of France.

No bikini tops there.

BTW…

🥳 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! 🥳

#🏴 #🏴 #🏴

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