Americans pessimistic about Trump, country: AP-NORC Poll

http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/am...kDeuFOsxK/

Why are taxes so high? Maybe because we're still footing the bill in Afghanistan

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business...367374.php

DNA bill would keep sample in system even if charges are dismissed

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crim.../95041516/

Farmers concerned about government overreach

http://www.gosanangelo.com/story/money/a.../96082102/

Trump and Obama: 2 sides of the same coin

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opini...story.html

More than a bit ago I had a bunch of disasters hit at the same time.  A benign brain tumor, slow growing, manifested enough pressure to upset balance, hearing, sight and nerves sensing and controlling the left side of my face.  My computer died.  A tropical depression in combination with my loss of balance caused a fall which resulted in significant enough brusing to leave me in the hospital.  They also removed the tumor.  The combination of disasters resulted in an absence from these boards of months.

I'm currently living in my sister's house and using her computer.  The abilities lost are slowly recovering, at least some of them.  I fear I'll be contributing again, though I chose to wait on Apple's iMac Pro to attempt to recover the computer.  Hence, a new account.

Before I was hit by the above, I argued that the government had a role in disaster recovery, and that insurance companies should be forbidden from issuing policies that favored select groups that had favorable odds when what was insured was a right listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  I did so in theory, in abstract.  I characterized both the governments and insurance companies as ideally protecting the unlucky.  All shoud be protected against UDHR rights.  All should be protected.

Today, I'm just happy to live in Massachusetts, to have had good coverage, to have worked with a system that worked.

Yes, there are people who try to bilk the system.  They should be pursued and suppressed.  Yes, the young, rich and lucky could form cliques that would make it easy and cheap to protect themselves.  I prefer so see everyone contribute and everyone protected.  No, Obamacare was not perfect. It is just that Trumpcare does not cover some which I care about.

No, benefits should not be targeted.  Because Texas is red but California is Blue, hurricaines should not be treated radically different than wildfires.  No, beause one has legal ancestors and another US citizen doesn't, that doesn't justify special action.  No, the US population should not divide itself between haves and have nots with those who have thinking themselves superior Americans.

Anyway...  I'm back.

Rhode Island lawmaker to introduce bill to ban sale, use of bump stocks

http://www.thewesterlysun.com/Archive/20...01517.aspx

Arizona legislator wants to ban masks at protests

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/...594311001/

Proposed Arizona law aims to stop bots from buying concert tickets for resale sites

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/pol...945669001/

Frightening ways Trump’s America mirrors Hitler’s Germany

https://www.salon.com/2017/12/19/frighte...y_partner/