Denver’s mayor is out to lunch – but
he might be the only one
Posted By: Big Bopper, 3/4/2025 5:41:01 PM
Have you seen the Denver restaurant scene? Me neither. It’s dead and gone. In a one-year period, the number of restaurants in Denver declined by 183. Of all the restaurant closures in Colorado last year, 82% were in Denver – a place that has only about 12% of the population of Colorado. Average profits at the few surviving Denver restaurants are only 3-5%. Anyone who dines out knows that this isn’t because prices are down. It’s because costs are up. Restaurant wages in Denver are up 89% since 2019. The main reason is Denver’s minimum wage of $18.81/hour for ordinary workers and $15.79 for tipped workers. For comparison, in New York City
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Have you seen the Denver restaurant scene? Me neither. It’s dead and gone.
In a one-year period, the number of restaurants in Denver declined by 183. Of all the restaurant closures in Colorado last year, 82% were in Denver – a place that has only about 12% of the population of Colorado.
Average profits at the few surviving Denver restaurants are only 3-5%. Anyone who dines out knows that this isn’t because prices are down. It’s because costs are up. Restaurant wages in Denver are up 89% since 2019.
The main reason is Denver’s minimum wage of $18.81/hour for ordinary workers and $15.79 for tipped workers. For comparison, in New York City
Trump v. Zelensky cage match: Whaaaat?
14 replies
The White House event “Trump and Zelensky Meeting Staged for Media” somehow turned into “Trump v. Zelensky Cage Match.”
How did that happen? My theory is that it wasn’t exactly an accident, but it didn’t play out the way either side intended.
Bear in mind that both leaders are experienced actors – Trump as a reality TV host and Zelensky as a stand-up comedian. (Yes, Trump really was a reality TV host!) Both saw the meeting as a stage. They intended to communicate not with one another – that could have been done better in private – but with millions of viewers.
It’s amusing to see them pose the question to themselves. It’s not really a question; rather, it’s rhetorical. Posing the question, “Why aren’t we marching in the streets?” is their way of saying that they really should be.
But even after considerable angst, self-incrimination, and rhetorical excesses about not marching, they’re still not marching.
As for why, there’s a simple answer and a complicated one. The simple answer is, because it’s cold outside.
Remember the “protest era” of the 60s and early 70s? College kids would organize protests and sometimes riots with two goals in mind:
Ending the Vietnam War (or, really, just ending the draft); and
Ending Spring finals.
Light-skinned Neanderthal Europe was conquered
by dark-skinned modern humans 40,000 years ago 8 replies
by dark-skinned modern humans 40,000 years ago 8 replies
When fossilized Neanderthals (or “Neandertals” if you prefer) were discovered in caves in Europe back in the mid-1800s, it was assumed that they were stupid, ape-like brutes. Indeed, they did possess compact, muscular bodies with short legs.
We’ve learned in the past few decades that our stereotype of Neanderthals was wrong. These were fully human creatures who hunted with spears, created art, made boats, fished, ceremonially buried their dead, and almost certainly spoke to one another. They were as advanced as any other hominid of the time period.
Trump is thinking outside the Ukrainian box
12 replies
Inside the box, and the Beltway, the thinking all along has been that we must draw a line at Ukraine, else Putin and the barbarians will soon be on the steps of Warsaw and then Berlin and Paris.
Besides, Russian aggression and aggressors are morally bad. We owe it to posterity and civilization not to crumble before them.
Those are valid points. On the other hand:
We are where we are. Where we are, is Vladimir Putin make some understandable miscalculations.
One, he miscalculated America’s willingness to support foreign countries. After all, he had witnessed Joe Biden’s Afghanistan surrender debacle.
Wolves roamed Colorado for millions of years. At the end of the last ice age, they managed to survive the mass extinctions of megafauna such as mammoths, mastodons, sabertooth tigers, giant cave bears, and huge sloths, an extinction event that was probably caused in part by the arrival of humans from Asia at about the same time.
Until the much later arrival of Europeans, those early Americans were living in the stone age. Their weapons were stone-tipped spears and arrows. They didn’t even have horses. But they hunted in a way that was deadly to large herding animals and the predators of the herds: They used fire.
In determining citizenship, the United States has a very unusual approach. You’re a citizen if you were born here. (You’re also a citizen if you were born abroad under certain circumstances, but that’s a different issue.)
That’s a bit crazy, because it means that if a woman (aren’t you glad we don’t have to refer to them as “child-birthing persons” anymore?) makes it into the United States, legally or illegally, in time to give birth – right on the north bank of the Rio Grande, for example – her baby is an American citizen.
The mother doesn’t magically become an American citizen by giving birth in America,
The Trump-is-Hitler crowd dismisses the 77 million Americans who elected Donald Trump to the Presidency, for the second time, as a cult.
They aren’t suggesting that these 77 million people are a cult because they were opposed to another four years of Joe Biden’s drooling corruption. Rather, they’re suggesting that these people are card-carrying, Kool Aid-drinking Trump worshippers.
Let’s put this in context. One of the defining characteristics of cults is that they idolize a charismatic, authoritarian leader. Such leaders get away with a lot.
“Hitler” was their favorite. Trump was “just like Hitler,” they warned us. Forget about the fact that Trump has close relatives who are Jewish and was a staunch supporter of Israel in his first term – and also before and after.
And forget the fact that it’s the Democrats who proudly exhibit sympathy for barbarians who mass-murder, mass-behead and mass-rape the Jews.
Democrats’ proof that Trump was Hitler despite the facts we are supposed to forget was that Trump wanted to disallow the illegal immigration of Latinos into America, just like Hitler wanted to disallow the illegal immigration of Jews into Germany.
Er, no, that’s not it.
Anywaaaaay, you get the point.
Was Michelle Obama a DEI bride?
15 replies
I have nothing against Michelle. The media tells us that she’s pretty, she’s smart, she’s accomplished, and I’m sure she’s charming. As her husband said about Hillary Clinton, she’s “likable enough.”
OK, I’ll admit that I didn’t particularly like her comment that the first time she was proud of America was the night Barack was elected. Surely there was a time in her first 45 years before then that she felt some pride in America. How about when the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team beat the Russians? How about when we put a man on the Moon? How about when we passed the Civil Rights Acts?
Democrats are still owned by their hate
4 replies
It was predicted that the changing demographics of America – specifically, more racial minorities – would deliver permanent control of the government to the Democrats by now.
Instead, over the past few years the Democrats have lost the Presidency, the Senate, the House, a majority of governorships, a majority of state legislatures, and the Supreme Court.
This isn’t just about Donald Trump, though his approval ratings are higher than ever while Joe Biden’s (who?) are lower than ever. It’s broader than that. The approval ratings of Democrats are at historic lows in general, while the approval ratings for Republicans are near all-time highs.
Democrats in the Federal government the past few years sent a couple hundred billion dollars to the teachers’ unions the schools to help them fund teacher vacations recover from the needless and destructive COVID lockdowns.
I shouldn’t be so cynical about the COVID lockdowns. After all, they did apparently prevent the pandemic from spreading to children, along with preventing asteroid strikes and on-campus bear maulings, all three of which were notably absent in 2020-2021.
Oops, I’m being cynical again.
OK, I’ll admit that, as an educational tool, the lockdowns were not entirely wasted. For example,
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
During Donald Trump's big speech on Tuesday night, the Democrats proved more than ever that they hate this country and do not wish to see it succeed. They refused to clap for common sense things like lowering taxes and removing dangerous criminals from the streets. Even worse, they failed to applaud for everyone from the mothers of young girls who were brutally murdered to foster dads and foster children. But one of the most disgusting moments of the evening came when they refused to acknowledge a young boy with brain cancer for something that was about as far from partisan as you can get.
President Donald Trump was “actively trying to destroy” the United States because it’s possible he “hates” the country.
When asked how Democrats should react to Trump’s upcoming speech, Carville said, “This man is actively trying to destroy the United States, and I think we ought to treat this moment with real gravitas. I think we’ve got a very good selection in Senator Slotkin to deliver the rebuttal. But my advice is either don’t go or go and sit on your hands and look grim, because the country is in a grim position right now. I hope the Democrats act like that.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote a message directed at President Trump on Tuesday after the US paused military aid to Ukraine, saying, “It is time to make things right.”
“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive,” Zelensky wrote on X.
The Ukrainian president had come to Washington on Friday expecting to sign a minerals deal with the US, but left the White House with no deal
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a strong rebuke of President Donald Trump's decision to level punishing tariffs on their country.
He cited the Wall Street Journal to criticize Trump, and call his decision 'dumb.'
'Donald, they point out that even though you are a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do,' he said angrily at a press conference on Tuesday.
Imports from Canada will now be taxed at 25 percent as Trump's tariffs went into effect on Tuesday.
'Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, and their closest friend,' Trudeau said. 'At the same time they're talking about
On Wednesday morning, in a 5-4 emergency decision, the Supreme Court upheld a decision from U.S. District Judge Amir Ali that essentially says that Donald Trump can't withhold $2 billion in USAID money from existing contractors. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with the three liberal members of the court. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh voted in favor of Trump, with Justice Alito writing the lengthy dissent that begins with: Does a single district-court judge who likely lacks jurisdiction have the unchecked power to compel the Government of the United States to pay out (and probably lose forever) 2 billion taxpayer
Democrats continue to flounder as President Trump’s Days of Thunder transform the United States of America from the broken Biden years into a secure, prosperous, and responsible nation ready to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Already, the Trump administration has shut down the open border with Mexico, something Biden refused to do. Trump and DOGE has save the American taxpayer billions of dollars lost by previous administrations. Trump continues to eliminate waste and fraud in government. And, this week, President Trump cut funding to the unending War in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Democrats continue to flounder with policies that are insane and unpopular. Their approval rating is at a dismal 36 percent!
If you watched Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening, you know that Democrats behaved like children, and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was so disruptive that House Speaker Mike Johnson had him forcibly removed from the chamber.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Green doubled down on his disruptive behavior and, of course, defended his childish actions.
“The president said he had a mandate, and I was making it clear to the president that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green said. “I have people who are very fearful. These are poor people, and they have only Medicaid in their lives
The Social Security Administration (SSA) said in a release that it has identified more than $800 million in savings or “cost avoidance” for fiscal 2025 among information technology, grants, property and payroll.
The SSA stated that it froze hiring and “drastically” cut back on overtime, saving about $550 million.
The government agency that administers the Social Security program said it cut back $150 million from the information technology systems (ITS) budget by canceling “non-essential contracts and identifying reductions in other ITS contracts.”
Acting SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek said Monday evening the agency has “operated on autopilot” for far too long.
‘Plays Into His Hands’: Dems Plan
to Disrupt Trump Speech With Noisemakers,
Posters, and Props 23 replies
to Disrupt Trump Speech With Noisemakers,
Posters, and Props 23 replies
Some congressional Democrats are planning ways to disrupt President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night Capitol Hill speech with a variety of props and theatrics, Axios reported Tuesday.
While Democrat leadership has suggested that members bring guests who have been affected by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the speech, some of the party’s more aggressive anti-Trump lawmakers are thinking of ways to go above and beyond to demonstrate their distaste for the president, according to Axios. Tactics under consideration include possible walk outs, using “noisemakers,” bringing eggs or empty egg cartons to bring attention to elevated egg prices and carrying pocket-sized copies of the Constitution
Former NBC "Meet the Press" anchor Chuck Todd delivered a brutal opinion about former President Biden, calling him a "craven political animal" who was more concerned about his political career than his own family.
During an appearance Sunday on Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt's "The Warning" podcast, Todd delved into why the Democrats lost the 2024 election and what he perceives as the media's relationship with the second Trump administration.
After decrying older politicians remaining in the leadership of the Democratic Party, Todd returned to Biden's role in the November election loss.
CBS’s Stephen Colbert stayed up for a live show on what turned out to be Wednesday morning after President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. Colbert spent his monologue praising Rep. Al Green for getting kicked out of the House chamber and attacking Trump on everything from transgender issues to shipbuilding. Later, he would welcome former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to wonder, “Where is the soul of our nation headed?”
Democrats have long used Trump’s speeches as a chance to engage in eye-roll-inducing theatrics, but Colbert was a big fan of Green,
A transgender-identifying male athlete won a 400-meter women’s race in Staten Island, New York, on Saturday after two teenage girls opted out of competing against him.
Camden Schreiner, 21, who uses the name “Sadie,” came in first place in the Women’s 40o-meter dash open at the USA Track and Field Open Masters Championships with a time of 56:74, according to The Blaze. Schreiner won the race after his opponents, Anna Vidolova, 17, and Amaris Hiatt, 16, did not compete.