Trump - It's how the poor people perceive "being rich"

Donald Trump is “a poor person’s idea of a rich person,” Fran Lebowitz recently observed at The Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit.

Vanity Fair

I formed my opinion of Trump after one visit to Trump tower, and this article resonates with me.  

It was my first visit to New York.  The guide book listed Trump Tower as one place to visit (alongside Empire State, Chrysler, etc.).

To be honest, I didn't really know who he was.  It was the 90s.  I was surprised he still had a tower, as I'd heard a year or two earlier that he was bankrupt.  How can you still have a tower, if you have no money?  How naive of me!

All I recall is walking in, it was a horrible gold color everywhere - literally everything was gold.  It smelled bad.  There were too many people crammed into it.  The heating was turned up too high.  It felt very claustrophobic.  

There was nothing drawing me in more than 5 feet in from the entrance.  I immediately turned and moved onto the next landmark.

Point is, as the article suggests, it's showmanship.  A circus act, an illusion, a Vegas-style facade.  If you don't know better, maybe it's impressive.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not fancy or rich.  But I've been around the block enough times to see when I'm being scammed!

Fake News or Satire?

...some of the more artistic and comedic creators among the pure click-baiters are speaking out against the "fake" label and calling for a more nuanced approach. Many say they aren't doing fake news — they're doing satire.

   - http://nbcnews.to/2gUuX6b

" ... It's upsetting because you would expect a presidential candidate to fact check and not spread false information," he told NBC News on Monday."

Yeah, you might have expected that ... four years ago!

The Brewers Association reports that the number of breweries in the U.S. just crossed the 5,000 mark. To be precise, there were a total of 5,005 breweries in America at the end of November, a new record high.

Money

Finally, some news that America can be proud of in 2016.

Levi Strauss Weapons Policy

Incredible comments posted on this article by the gun slingers!  This one amongst them:

"Totally disagree with everything he said. My safety depends on my lawful carry of a firearm."

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/open-letter-customers-our-weapons-policy-chip-bergh

Steve Conrad
Infrastructure Specialist I - Intelligrid NOC at Ameren
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=160516498

I have to wonder what kind of a hell hole this guy lives in!  To have to regularly fend off marauders while shopping for pants, it sounds terrible.

I've bought many a trouser over my lifetime - denim and other fabrics.  I've never had occasion to cock a weapon during the transaction.

I think the guy should consider doing his shopping online from now on.