First Looks category archive

The Inky reports that Donald Trump’s tariffs, if enacted, are likely to destroy the last U. S. company making kegs and making them with American steel to boot. A nugget:

“Tariffs will inadvertently drive the price of American steel higher,” said Czachor. “Within a year, we might have to raise our prices so our kegs cost 30 percent more than an import. That puts the whole business in jeopardy.”

This will be a pivotal year for American Keg, which Czachor said is losing between $50,000 and $100,000 every month.

But if the price of imported steel is inflated with a defacto tax, shouldn’t that make American-made products more competitive?

No. And the reason is counterintuitive, said Czachor. He believes the cost of American steel will rise while “American businesses will suffer,” he said.

“If there were no tariffs, that would keep the domestic steel prices lower,” Czachor said. “We understand the administration is trying to solve a problem, but it is not holistically getting addressed.”

Off to drink liberally.

Creep frolics.

When fellowship is needed, join us . . . .

When: Thursday, March 8, 6 p.

Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)

Sign up to have your inbox flooded with one or two emails a month here.

Jay Bookman calls BS on Georgia Republicans and their attempt to punish Delta Airlines by taking away an (unneeded–Delta is quite profitable) tax break. A snippet (emphasis in the original):

(Georgia Lt. Gov.–ed.) Cagle also writes:

“Being a conservative in America today means being ridiculed and belittled by many elements of the news media, Hollywood, and – increasingly – corporations who feel the need to take positions on social issues.”

Cry me a river, snowflake.

VSO.

Off to drink liberally.

PoliticalProf.

Southern Beale cuts to the bone on Donald Trump’s desire to play with tanks to have a USSR-style military parade. A snippet:

This parade isn’t about honoring the military, it’s about honoring Trump. Get real.

Follow the link for the rest.

Peter Cooper:

A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts are the result of sudden impulse and accident than of that reason of which we so much boast.

When fellowship is needed, join us . . . .

When: Thursday, February 8, 6 p.

Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)

More here.

Will Bunch watched the State of Union Address so I didn’t have to (actually, I never those things when I can watch reruns of the Jack Benny show). He points out that Donald Trump promised all those things he’s promised before, just like the guy on the phone who promised me he was calling from Microsoft:

This, he called this “a New American Moment” — but it sounded like an old American moment. In his speech to Congress in 2017, after all, Trump also vowed to work for an immigration deal, saying “I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.” Two paragraphs later in that 2017 speech, he declared solemnly that “I will be asking Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure of the United States.”

To quote the late great John Lennon: We’d all love to see the plan.

Follow the link for the rest.

Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do. Learn how to use GNU/Linux and its plethora of free and open source software to get stuff done with computers.

It’s not hard; it’s just different.

When: Monthly TWUUG meeting at 7:30 p. m. on the first Thursday of the month (February 1, 2018). Pre-meeting dinner at Chicago Uno, JANAF shopping center, 6:00 p. m. (map)

Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.

Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room (map). (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.

Thom and Congressman Pocan discuss the Nunes memo and conclude that there’s no there there, as well as the Republican schism over a budget.

Jay Bookman has more.

Update 2018-02-14: I am advised that the problem accessing this site has been resolved, but I will leave this sticky post in place until I am certain.

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