https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/011818zr1_b97c.pdf
Does SCOTUS support entrenched dictatorships?

•Supreme Court blocks court order to undo gerrymandering in North Carolina•

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a lower court’s order for North Carolina to rework its congressional map because Republicans violated the Constitution by drawing electoral districts intended to maximize their party’s chances of winning.

The conservative-majority court granted a bid by Republican legislators in North Carolina to suspend the Jan. 9 order by a federal court panel in Greensboro that gave the Republican-controlled General Assembly until Jan. 24 to come up with a new map for U.S. House of Representatives districts.

Under current North Carolina congressional boundaries, Republicans won 10 of the 13 House districts in 2016, despite getting just 53 percent of the statewide vote.

In the Wisconsin case, Democratic voters are challenging Republican-drawn legislative districts. In the Maryland case, Republicans are claiming Democratic lawmakers drew a congressional district in a way that would prevent a Republican candidate from winning.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/supreme-court-blocks-court-order-redraw-n-congressional-map-article-1.3765812

Dismissing the intellectual obtuseness of one side just attacking the other. 'Gerrymandering' is a normal practice for both sides.

The November elections will be very interesting.

---

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
--- George Santayana

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
--- Lord Acton

Oh, my tax cuts means ...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/deals-shopping/fl-bz-sams-club-free-3-month-membership-extensions-refunds-store-closings-20180118-story.html
It the economy tRump!

I thought that you might like South Island, all those mountains and snow.

Not when I can drive 150 miles and see this from my sister's back door........(and have the freedom to target shoot if we so choose).

---

"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

Ok Mr Trump who wants skilled immigrants and investors. Think again.
For These Young Entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley Is, Like, Lame

https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-these-entrepreneurs-silicon-valley-is-like-lame-1516270601
China’s startup founders used to see a pilgrimage to tech’s mecca of innovation as a rite. Now, not so much.

Report of more Russian interference in the 2016 election.
McClatchy DC Bureau - FBI investigating whether Russian money went to NRA to help Trump

By Peter Stone And Greg Gordon

January 18, 2018 05:00 AM
Updated 1 hour 22 minutes ago

WASHINGTON

The FBI is investigating whether a top Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin illegally funneled money to the National Rifle Association to help Donald Trump win the presidency, two sources familiar with the matter have told McClatchy.

FBI counterintelligence investigators have focused on the activities of Alexander Torshin, the deputy governor of Russia’s central bank who is known for his close relationships with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the NRA, the sources said.

It is illegal to use foreign money to influence federal elections.

It’s unclear how long the Torshin inquiry has been ongoing, but the news comes as Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s sweeping investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including whether the Kremlin colluded with Trump’s campaign, has been heating up.

Americans, if you or someone you know, with high skill sets want a better life, then New Zealand is targeting US talent.
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/usa?utm_source=nznow.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=nznow.com

They should recruit heavily in California..............they're used to catastrophic earthquakes every few years..........

I thought that you might like South Island, all those mountains and snow.

And sailing along the coastline where there are no earthquakes and not noticing any tsunamis if any.
Sir Peter Blake's Steinlager 2 that I have actually seen here in Stockholm with Peter at the helm showing off setting the huge spinnaker in our small harbour:)

Americans, if you or someone you know, with high skill sets want a better life, then New Zealand is targeting US talent.
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/usa?utm_source=nznow.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=nznow.com

They should recruit heavily in California..............they're used to catastrophic earthquakes every few years..........

I thought that you might like South Island, all those mountains and snow.

Americans, if you or someone you know, with high skill sets want a better life, then New Zealand is targeting US talent.
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/usa?utm_source=nznow.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=nznow.com

They should recruit heavily in California..............they're used to catastrophic earthquakes every few years..........

---

"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

Americans, if you or someone you know, with high skill sets want a better life, then New Zealand is targeting US talent.
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/usa?utm_source=nznow.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=nznow.com

Those two ARE 'US companies'.

With the ubiquity of both companies products and employement worldwide it could be posited they are US based pan-world companies.

A true US company to my mind is an Amazon or Walmart, etc. And I believe Amazon will be the 1st company in the history of the world to be capitalized at over $1 Trillion(that's a capital 'T'). Many national economies would like that value.

The US under conservative policies(and we're not there quite yet), is an unstoppable juggernaut of an economy. We just lost our way for a few decades of inspecting our navels.....

---

"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

Those two ARE 'US companies'.

In fact Facebook have also a affiliated company, Facebook Sweden AB, where Facebook US get the profits without paying tax to us Swedish taxpayers.
Facebook Sweden AB Registred tax information to Skatteverket, Swedish IRS.
Employer: Registered as an employer
F-tax: Registered for F-tax
VAT: Active in VAT register
https://www.ratsit.se/5567626782-Facebook_Sweden_AB
Still we Swedish taxpayers have to pay taxes for the infrastructure necessary to build Facebook's server hall in Luleå!!!

As for Ireland.
Seems that Apple will pay their taxes at last.
What Apple's €31bn tax bill means for Ireland
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/explainer-what-apples-31bn-tax-bill-means-for-ireland-36502404.html

Is that an American company?

Yes.
I might add that it is not one of those places seeking to pay less tax etc.
It designs and develops products for the American company and its worldwide clients.

Except of course it doesn't, there are not enough green cards, so my youngest works, with about another 100 people, in a building in SE England. Receiving high rates of pay and paying UK taxes. The profits they go straight back to head office to pay the bosses their bonuses. Those bosses occasionally visit, most frequently in the two weeks after the 3rd Monday in June.

Is that an American company?

How Facebook operates in Sweden.
https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.svt.se%2Fnyheter%2Fgranskning%2Fug%2Ffacebook-tjanade-miljarder-pa-sverige-ser-till-att-pengar-inte-nar-svenska-skattkassan&edit-text=
How Apple operates in Ireland.
https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.svt.se%2Fnyheter%2Fgranskning%2Fug%2Fapple-vi-ar-inte-beroende-av-skatte-tricks-har-pengar-i-skatteparadis-1&edit-text=
Despite that Sweden has a corporation tax of 20% and Ireland 12.5% those companies manage to get a "deal" to pay hardly any tax at all in the countries they operate in!
How can the US compete with that?

By doing the exact same thing...

In fact....

Facebook is an American online social media and social networking service based in Menlo Park, California.

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

And

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.

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

Those two ARE 'US companies'.

---

https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

Except of course it doesn't, there are not enough green cards, so my youngest works, with about another 100 people, in a building in SE England. Receiving high rates of pay and paying UK taxes. The profits they go straight back to head office to pay the bosses their bonuses. Those bosses occasionally visit, most frequently in the two weeks after the 3rd Monday in June.

Is that an American company?

How Facebook operates in Sweden.
https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.svt.se%2Fnyheter%2Fgranskning%2Fug%2Ffacebook-tjanade-miljarder-pa-sverige-ser-till-att-pengar-inte-nar-svenska-skattkassan&edit-text=
How Apple operates in Ireland.
https://translate.google.se/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.svt.se%2Fnyheter%2Fgranskning%2Fug%2Fapple-vi-ar-inte-beroende-av-skatte-tricks-har-pengar-i-skatteparadis-1&edit-text=
Despite that Sweden has a corporation tax of 20% and Ireland 12.5% those companies manage to get a "deal" to pay hardly any tax at all in the countries they operate in!
How can the US compete with that?

No Wall, No Dream.

Dreams don't have walls, nightmares do.

Time for the Republican majority to act like it has some leverage.

Yes, because they will wear the shutdown if they don't!

Except of course it doesn't, there are not enough green cards, so my youngest works, with about another 100 people, in a building in SE England. Receiving high rates of pay and paying UK taxes. The profits they go straight back to head office to pay the bosses their bonuses. Those bosses occasionally visit, most frequently in the two weeks after the 3rd Monday in June.

Is that an American company?

There would be a lot more green cards available for qualified workers and even room on the legal immigration lists, if Congress would do their job and quit whining about about words and clicking their heels together and wishing to be back in Obummers 'Kansas'.

No Wall, No Dream. Time for the Republican majority to act like it has some leverage.

If the Dim Schumerlosis want to shut down the Government.....let them take the blame. Nothing vital will be closed and the irregulators will not be around for a few days.

One thing for sure, if a shutdown does occur, Trump won't pull an unpatriotic BS stunt like his predecessor, B. Hussein Obummer, and close monuments to our fallen warrior heroes .............that was a slime move by a slimy worm.

Don't Fear The Walking Dead.

---

"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

I've seen the story about Apple. Left wondering where they are going to get 20,000, presumably most will be highly qualified, employees from. As the US is already needing to look outside its borders to fill present high tech positions. e.g. my youngest.

And that's the other beauty...........competition for those individuals drives wages and benefits upwards resulting in higher consumer spending and increasing tax revenues despite a lower rate(or because of it).

Just another one of those 'crazy conservative ideas'.

Don't Fear the Walking Dead.......

Except of course it doesn't, there are not enough green cards, so my youngest works, with about another 100 people, in a building in SE England. Receiving high rates of pay and paying UK taxes. The profits they go straight back to head office to pay the bosses their bonuses. Those bosses occasionally visit, most frequently in the two weeks after the 3rd Monday in June.

I've seen the story about Apple. Left wondering where they are going to get 20,000, presumably most will be highly qualified, employees from. As the US is already needing to look outside its borders to fill present high tech positions. e.g. my youngest.

And that's the other beauty...........competition for those individuals drives wages and benefits upwards resulting in higher consumer spending and increasing tax revenues despite a lower rate(or because of it).

Just another one of those 'crazy conservative ideas'.

Yes, take the education away from the future workers to the point they can't even push the picture buttons and ask; "do you want fries with that?" Export the good jobs to China and India were the tech workers get less than the fast food workers in America. Sextuple the profits for the oligarchs and lower their tax rates too boot while they fire Americans. I just love those 'crazy conservative ideas'! They MAGA.

Remember 'crazy conservative ideas' come from minds that can't operate on a state diagram with more than two points.

I've seen the story about Apple. Left wondering where they are going to get 20,000, presumably most will be highly qualified, employees from. As the US is already needing to look outside its borders to fill present high tech positions. e.g. my youngest.

And that's the other beauty...........competition for those individuals drives wages and benefits upwards resulting in higher consumer spending and increasing tax revenues despite a lower rate(or because of it).

Just another one of those 'crazy conservative ideas'.

Don't Fear the Walking Dead.......

---

"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>