Very beautiful. I can see why you stay in the area.
RE: Cracker Barrel’s damage control missive, “A Promise to Our Guests”*
If you read this “Promise” I think you’ll find that this is just a bunch of insincere weasel words put together by some corporate PR committee trying to stop the bleeding.
Notice that this Promise doesn’t say that Cracker Barrel will reverse any of the changes which have caused the sharp reaction.
I do miss living there (although I’m not sure exactly where this is — could be a hundred different spots).
Is Russiagate being promoted to distract from Obamagate?
The “Russiagate” story is being pushed, promoted and advanced by every interest aligned with the retention of FISA(702), and every element of the sexy Clinton Trump-Russia storyline is being used as a distraction to stop people from looking back on the issue of where this spying and surveillance originated.
I am increasingly convinced that DC wants people to chase Russiagate, because DC doesn’t want people looking at the Obama exploitation of the NSA database; because every single entity in DC wants to keep people away from contemplating the U.S. metadata capture of all electronic information that now forms the baseline for the national security state.
Just finished up Orthodoxy by Chesterton. Pretty amazing. Released in 1908, much of it seems like it could have been written yesterday.
@Mike Plaiss:Orthodoxy by Chesterton. Pretty amazing.
Try The Servile State by his partner in crime, Hilaire Belloc.
And the “Father Brown” mysteries are excellent, though at times a little far-fetched. Father Brown generally catches the bad guy, but most of the time saves his soul, rather than calling in the secular arm.
There’s another Chesterton novel The Flying Inn, which is also very current, about a British elite seeking to subjugate its people to Islam. And there is a character who delivers hilarious one-liners that summarize decades of local scandal.
A sample:
“..that’s been there since before Waterloo times. Poor old Noyle had it until they put him away. You remember old Noyle, Lady Joan. Still alive, I hear, and still writing love-letters to Queen Victoria. Only of course they aren’t posted now.”
“Ah, my lord,” broke in Pump with a sigh, “I’d rather deal with your great grandfather, I would, though he married a hundred negresses instead of one, than see a gentleman of your family taking away a poor man’s livelihood.”
Selfy on August 26, 2025 at 1:55 pm said:
I’ve been harping on this for some time. The NSA Steller Wind and FISA 702 are very dangerous, and unconstitutional tools. At least Sundance is not happy about them generally as well.
Nobody knows exactly what Mike Rogers said to Donald Trump in that meeting other than the two men, including Sundance. Sure there are timeline issues, but Rogers could have been strongly suspicious of political spying back in April of that year. I certainly don’t think that Rogers was just going to confess to committing a major felony crime. He will protect himself, and like most political operators, lie if it is necessary to do the right thing. Also, he could have dropped hints to Trump without committing the technical felony.
The concluding points in the linked article are about how no one in DC is opposing these invasive tools, for a couple reasons the article elucidates. Actually, the author doesn’t really describe the primary pro-surveillance position which is that most everyone believes it is the only prayer we have in stopping another 9/11, even though it isn’t a cure all there either. And, I’ll bet there are many slippery pols who long to tap into that system for political purposes too.
Another pro-surveillance point is that it is very likely that the FBI had been tapping into it to solve major violent crime cases. We know they were tapping into it for either unauthorized searches or fraudulently authorized searches or both. We just don’t know all the reasons for those searches. So admittedly, there could some considerable positive outcomes from that.
@Tommy Jay:very likely that the FBI had been tapping into it to solve major violent crime cases. We know they were tapping into it for either unauthorized searches or fraudulently authorized searches or both.
Last summer, Reuters revealed how the NSA and other surveillance organizations would share info with the DEA and other law enforcement agencies, but then tell them to reconstruct the evidence via a process called “parallel construction,” so that the surveillance would not then be discussed in court. This is highly questionable, and probably illegal, as a defendant has the right to know all of the evidence being used against him or her, and should also be told how that evidence was gathered, to make sure the collection was legal. But what’s being done with parallel construction, is that the intelligence community is able to give “hints” to law enforcement, allowing them to come up with various pretenses for an investigation, avoiding ever having to reveal that the NSA or others used potentially illegal surveillance efforts. One example given in that Reuters report was how DEA agents would suddenly be given a tip like this: “Be at a certain truck stop at a certain time and look for a certain vehicle.” The DEA would then have the local police come up with some pretense to stop the truck… and then when evidence is found they can claim it was a random traffic stop, when the reality is anything but that.
After the Reuters report, C.J. Ciaramella used Muckrock to request all DEA training material and official policies concerning “parallel construction” and recently received nearly 300 pages of documents, much of it redacted, but still which reveals that this is common practice at the DEA and widely known. Much of it is in the form of PowerPoint presentations, complete with speaker notes, which say things like how careful DEA agents need to be around classified information because “it can screw up your investigation.”
Whadda ya know–
You know the pressure had to be pretty intense for Cracker Barrel management to cave, and revert back to their old, traditional logo.*
Now, if they only revert all the way back, and halt their “modernizing” of the decor at Cracker Barrel.
P.S. Five or so years ago Cracker Barrel stock stood at a high of $147.00 per share, now it’s recent price is $57.00 a share and, during that same time, their prices have reportedly climbed by more than 50%.
I wonder why?
Could this stock decline be the result of changes–i.e. to the reported “modernization” of their cooking methods–leading to a decline in the quality of their food–while, at the same time, their prices have continued to rise?
I understand the Bud Light-like tempest over the Cracker Barrel. I never eaten there, and don’t know where there is one in my area, so I’m not a fan of any kind. That being said, it seems to me that the trademark showing an old man and a barrel is not attractive.
Speaking of Chesterton…
“The Man Who Was Thursday” is a very odd book. I read it years ago and, had I not known it from the cover, I would never have believed it was written by Chesterton.
Twisty. Surreal. Kafkaesque. Looking forward to modern mindf*** thrillers. Chesterton subtitled it “A Nightmare” for good reason.
@Selfy: I never eaten there, and don’t know where there is one in my area, so I’m not a fan of any kind.
A lot of the bloggers who’ve been stirring the pot on this say much the same. Also was true of Bud Light.
I’ve been to Cracker Barrel a few times over the last twenty-five years, almost never because it was my choice. Decor is faux rural Americana and the food’s faux home cooking and nothing to write home about. It’s usually off an interstate exit and it’s got a gift shop. If you’re traveling you know what to expect and that’s what these big chain restaurants are fundamentally about.
I would guess the classic logo appeals to a rapidly-dying-off demographic and doesn’t render well on a phone. Inflation and poor service has been killing the value-to-price ratio of our going to any restaurant these days, and we save our money for something we like a lot better than Cracker Barrel.
We usually go to local places at home and we try local places when we travel, but I think by doing that we average higher enjoyment, despite the occasional bad experience, than if we went to places like Cracker Barrel. In every city we’ve been to we find something we like that we want to seek out again. I think that’s more fun.
@huxley: “The Man Who Was Thursday” is a very odd book. I read it years ago and, had I not known it from the cover, I would never have believed it was written by Chesterton.
You might try “The Ball and the Cross”. It’s a little heavy-handed in spots, but also disturbingly current, regarding the government vastly expanding the definition of “insanity” and forcibly “treating” those who are not Certified Sane. Also has an interesting twist at the end, but the twist is only a twist to those without much faith.
Niketas Choniates:
I can’t speak to “The Ball and the Cross,” but unless it is stranger than you describe, it doesn’t compare with “Thursday” as Chesterton’s strangest book.
I would argue that with “Thursday” Chesterton created the genre of mind-bending thrillers. No small thing. Furthermore I would argue that it is Chesterton’s most influential literary work. (Not including at that level his popular Father Brown series.)
Many top 20th C writers spoke highly of “Thursday” — C.S. Lewis, Jorge Borges, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Kingsley Amis and later, Robert Anton Wilson and Philip K. Dick, all admired it. Several of whom wrote mind-bending fiction of their own.
Keep in mind that “Thursday” was published in 1908 — before Kafka even. A remarkable book. Recommended.
A salute to G.K. Chesterton!
@ Niketas > “we try local places when we travel, but I think by doing that we average higher enjoyment, despite the occasional bad experience, than if we went to places like Cracker Barrel. In every city we’ve been to we find something we like that we want to seek out again. I think that’s more fun.”
In theory, I agree with you; in practice, it’s a good theory.
A couple traveling alone with some time to spare looking around town can do what you suggest, and we have on occasion.
A family with either many kids, or picky eaters, or both (!!), or that is on a tight travel deadline, is usually better served with a known commodity that most of them are at least used to, if not always enthusiastic about.
Seeking out again only works if you go through the same places, but we have occasionally been rewarded, if only by accident.
Literally, in some cases.
Our family car had a tendency to break down at a certain place on our annual drive to grandma’s house, to the point that we expected it to happen. The first time, we located the auto parts store and found a sandwich-and-ice-cream shop on the same town square. Fortunately, we didn’t have really serious break-downs.
Another time, going on a special vacation trip, we were not so lucky, and had to call some friends to come tow us home. We got the truck parked under a tree on a little grass island in the parking lot of the local Pie Shop.
Best pie ever, eaten sitting on blankets in the shade, followed by a nap.
There’s a lot of crummy restaurant food out there.
When I’m on the road, I want to relax and eat something tasty. Not wishing I’d gone elsewhere and thinking I ought to pull off at the next gas station and brush my teeth.
Maybe I’m picky.
@ miguel > LOL is right, but it is Krugman, after all.
The degree of cluelessness is astounding, even for him.
“Normally “for cause” means neglect of one’s job or malfeasance on the job. Yet even Trump’s people have made no claims that Lisa Cook has failed to fulfil her duties at the Fed or done anything wrong in her role as governor.”
Committing crimes is kind of prima facie evidence of unsuitably for positions of trust in the government, or anywhere else.
“Furthermore, there is no evidence that Cook even knew what the security instruments said — she may have done nothing more than promise to make her mortgage payments.”
So, it’s okay that one of the most powerful people in authoritative financial positions doesn’t read her own legal documents before signing them?
“And a claim of mortgage fraud requires both that the borrower make a deliberate misrepresentation — as opposed to making a mistake on a complicated process — and that this misrepresentation caused financial harm to the lender. We’ve seen no evidence at all for either proposition.”
Letitia James, call your office.
“So far, the Justice Department hasn’t even made any formal charges, let alone won a conviction.”
This is true, and one of the few points he makes with any significance, but the lack of charges or convictions never stopped the Democrats from engaging in public mud-flinging, despite their “baseless allegations” made “without evidence.”
However, that is what courts are intended to settle, and Cook deserves to have her case litigated. So notice what Krugman does to pre-bunk (horrible locution) any judgment in Trump’s favor:
“If Powell caves, or the Supreme Court acts supine again and validates Trump’s illegal declaration, the implications will be profound and disastrous.”
Only SCOTUS decisions that support Democrats are valid. Got it.
Dear Paul: If the justices validate Trump’s declaration, then it’s not illegal: he met your challenge to “Show me the legal basis for this action.” — and prevailed.
Bonus points:
(1) Name a recent president who already did something like this:
“The United States will be well on its way to becoming Turkey, where an authoritarian ruler imposed his crackpot economics on the central bank, sending inflation soaring to 80 percent:”
(2) Name a political party that has a standard operating procedure like the following:
“The goal of his attempt to fire her is to replace independent ___ officials with lackeys who will take ______ orders — not just by getting rid of ____ but by intimidating everyone else.”
As [Krugman says he] wrote yesterday, the real message here is “If you get in our way we will ruin your life.”
We’ve gotten that message from the Democrats loud and clear.
I’ll wager witless acts by the last two CEOs of the chain are important vectors in their decline in operating income. I imagine there are others. Lady corporation executives I doubt have much understanding of, or sympathy with, the sensibilities of ordinary people. Why their marketing department (with the blessing of the CEO) wanted to promote homosexuality at the expense of their shareholders is something I understand not.
==
Restaurant chains come and go. Some of them have abiding issues they never do fix. (Perkins was a favorite of ours, but they never could produce a satisfactory cup of coffee) and some have issues with particular franchisees (something we’ve noticed with both Dunkin Donuts and Panera). Megan McArdle offered the argument that chains (especially Mickey D’s) set a quality baseline. Local restaurants have to work above the baseline or go out of business.
Mr. Sailer offered a critique of Lisa Cook’s signature professional paper some time back. It was his thesis the paper was a botch job.
==
Contrary to Krugman’s assertion, the notion that Congress can via legislation grant tenure to federal bureau chiefs (among them commissions and governing boards) is a contested one and there is case law which disputes that).
==
I’d prefer Fed governors to be drawn from bankers and of academics and researchers familiar with monetary economics.
==
The Fed should be making use of the discount rate, the rate paid on reserves on deposit, and open market operations to maintain the growth of major price indices at between 0% and 2% per year.
Perhaps the very strong customer reaction against a “woke” makeover of Cracker Barrel is because, on some very basic, unarticulated level, patrons feel that Cracker Barrel is an oasis of nostalgic sanity in an increasing sea of insanity. *
AesopFan on August 27, 2025 at 3:50 am:
“Trump’s White House trolls the Woke CEOs.”
I love it when a person or other business or organization leverages off of a given stream of branding ads. Helps to make up for having to listen to them in the first place, and then over and over and …. again!
And I think we have to admit that Trump seems to see (at least potential) opportunity almost everywhere he looks. The real source of MAGA.
The makeover of Cracker Barrel apparently includes expansion of their menu.
I suggest that, rather than increasing the number of items their menu, they decrease the number of items, and concentrate on preparing those few items left as they used to, and preparing them fresh, not from frozen.
As an example, their string beans used to taste of what I believe to be ham hocks or something similar—southern down home country cookin’—now it seems that that ham taste is gone.
Better to revert to their original recipes and cooking methods than trying to “modernize.”
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Very beautiful. I can see why you stay in the area.
RE: Cracker Barrel’s damage control missive, “A Promise to Our Guests”*
If you read this “Promise” I think you’ll find that this is just a bunch of insincere weasel words put together by some corporate PR committee trying to stop the bleeding.
Notice that this Promise doesn’t say that Cracker Barrel will reverse any of the changes which have caused the sharp reaction.
* See https://www.facebook.com/crackerbarrel/posts/1217523207071785?ref=embed_post
I do miss living there (although I’m not sure exactly where this is — could be a hundred different spots).
Is Russiagate being promoted to distract from Obamagate?
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/08/26/we-can-now-answer-the-question-did-nsa-director-mike-rogers-warn-donald-trump-on-november-17-2016/#more-275366
Mike rogers did nothing of the kind sadly but it wasnt a crazy assumption
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1960354838086078596.html?utm_campaign=topunroll
My brother’s place on the Maine coast is a two minute walk to the beach. I have seen surfers in wet suits on Thanksgiving.
Lol
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/in-the-matter-of-lisa-cook
Just finished up Orthodoxy by Chesterton. Pretty amazing. Released in 1908, much of it seems like it could have been written yesterday.
@Mike Plaiss:Orthodoxy by Chesterton. Pretty amazing.
Try The Servile State by his partner in crime, Hilaire Belloc.
And the “Father Brown” mysteries are excellent, though at times a little far-fetched. Father Brown generally catches the bad guy, but most of the time saves his soul, rather than calling in the secular arm.
There’s another Chesterton novel The Flying Inn, which is also very current, about a British elite seeking to subjugate its people to Islam. And there is a character who delivers hilarious one-liners that summarize decades of local scandal.
A sample:
Selfy on August 26, 2025 at 1:55 pm said:
I’ve been harping on this for some time. The NSA Steller Wind and FISA 702 are very dangerous, and unconstitutional tools. At least Sundance is not happy about them generally as well.
Nobody knows exactly what Mike Rogers said to Donald Trump in that meeting other than the two men, including Sundance. Sure there are timeline issues, but Rogers could have been strongly suspicious of political spying back in April of that year. I certainly don’t think that Rogers was just going to confess to committing a major felony crime. He will protect himself, and like most political operators, lie if it is necessary to do the right thing. Also, he could have dropped hints to Trump without committing the technical felony.
The concluding points in the linked article are about how no one in DC is opposing these invasive tools, for a couple reasons the article elucidates. Actually, the author doesn’t really describe the primary pro-surveillance position which is that most everyone believes it is the only prayer we have in stopping another 9/11, even though it isn’t a cure all there either. And, I’ll bet there are many slippery pols who long to tap into that system for political purposes too.
Another pro-surveillance point is that it is very likely that the FBI had been tapping into it to solve major violent crime cases. We know they were tapping into it for either unauthorized searches or fraudulently authorized searches or both. We just don’t know all the reasons for those searches. So admittedly, there could some considerable positive outcomes from that.
@Tommy Jay:very likely that the FBI had been tapping into it to solve major violent crime cases. We know they were tapping into it for either unauthorized searches or fraudulently authorized searches or both.
Parallel construction.
Whadda ya know–
You know the pressure had to be pretty intense for Cracker Barrel management to cave, and revert back to their old, traditional logo.*
Now, if they only revert all the way back, and halt their “modernizing” of the decor at Cracker Barrel.
P.S. Five or so years ago Cracker Barrel stock stood at a high of $147.00 per share, now it’s recent price is $57.00 a share and, during that same time, their prices have reportedly climbed by more than 50%.
I wonder why?
Could this stock decline be the result of changes–i.e. to the reported “modernization” of their cooking methods–leading to a decline in the quality of their food–while, at the same time, their prices have continued to rise?
* See https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/08/breaking-cracker-barrel-caves-public-pressure-switches-back/
I understand the Bud Light-like tempest over the Cracker Barrel. I never eaten there, and don’t know where there is one in my area, so I’m not a fan of any kind. That being said, it seems to me that the trademark showing an old man and a barrel is not attractive.
Speaking of Chesterton…
“The Man Who Was Thursday” is a very odd book. I read it years ago and, had I not known it from the cover, I would never have believed it was written by Chesterton.
Twisty. Surreal. Kafkaesque. Looking forward to modern mindf*** thrillers. Chesterton subtitled it “A Nightmare” for good reason.
@Selfy: I never eaten there, and don’t know where there is one in my area, so I’m not a fan of any kind.
A lot of the bloggers who’ve been stirring the pot on this say much the same. Also was true of Bud Light.
I’ve been to Cracker Barrel a few times over the last twenty-five years, almost never because it was my choice. Decor is faux rural Americana and the food’s faux home cooking and nothing to write home about. It’s usually off an interstate exit and it’s got a gift shop. If you’re traveling you know what to expect and that’s what these big chain restaurants are fundamentally about.
I would guess the classic logo appeals to a rapidly-dying-off demographic and doesn’t render well on a phone. Inflation and poor service has been killing the value-to-price ratio of our going to any restaurant these days, and we save our money for something we like a lot better than Cracker Barrel.
We usually go to local places at home and we try local places when we travel, but I think by doing that we average higher enjoyment, despite the occasional bad experience, than if we went to places like Cracker Barrel. In every city we’ve been to we find something we like that we want to seek out again. I think that’s more fun.
@huxley: “The Man Who Was Thursday” is a very odd book. I read it years ago and, had I not known it from the cover, I would never have believed it was written by Chesterton.
You might try “The Ball and the Cross”. It’s a little heavy-handed in spots, but also disturbingly current, regarding the government vastly expanding the definition of “insanity” and forcibly “treating” those who are not Certified Sane. Also has an interesting twist at the end, but the twist is only a twist to those without much faith.
Niketas Choniates:
I can’t speak to “The Ball and the Cross,” but unless it is stranger than you describe, it doesn’t compare with “Thursday” as Chesterton’s strangest book.
I would argue that with “Thursday” Chesterton created the genre of mind-bending thrillers. No small thing. Furthermore I would argue that it is Chesterton’s most influential literary work. (Not including at that level his popular Father Brown series.)
Many top 20th C writers spoke highly of “Thursday” — C.S. Lewis, Jorge Borges, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Kingsley Amis and later, Robert Anton Wilson and Philip K. Dick, all admired it. Several of whom wrote mind-bending fiction of their own.
Keep in mind that “Thursday” was published in 1908 — before Kafka even. A remarkable book. Recommended.
A salute to G.K. Chesterton!
@ Niketas > “we try local places when we travel, but I think by doing that we average higher enjoyment, despite the occasional bad experience, than if we went to places like Cracker Barrel. In every city we’ve been to we find something we like that we want to seek out again. I think that’s more fun.”
In theory, I agree with you; in practice, it’s a good theory.
A couple traveling alone with some time to spare looking around town can do what you suggest, and we have on occasion.
A family with either many kids, or picky eaters, or both (!!), or that is on a tight travel deadline, is usually better served with a known commodity that most of them are at least used to, if not always enthusiastic about.
Seeking out again only works if you go through the same places, but we have occasionally been rewarded, if only by accident.
Literally, in some cases.
Our family car had a tendency to break down at a certain place on our annual drive to grandma’s house, to the point that we expected it to happen. The first time, we located the auto parts store and found a sandwich-and-ice-cream shop on the same town square. Fortunately, we didn’t have really serious break-downs.
Another time, going on a special vacation trip, we were not so lucky, and had to call some friends to come tow us home. We got the truck parked under a tree on a little grass island in the parking lot of the local Pie Shop.
Best pie ever, eaten sitting on blankets in the shade, followed by a nap.
There’s a lot of crummy restaurant food out there.
When I’m on the road, I want to relax and eat something tasty. Not wishing I’d gone elsewhere and thinking I ought to pull off at the next gas station and brush my teeth.
Maybe I’m picky.
@ miguel > LOL is right, but it is Krugman, after all.
The degree of cluelessness is astounding, even for him.
“Normally “for cause” means neglect of one’s job or malfeasance on the job. Yet even Trump’s people have made no claims that Lisa Cook has failed to fulfil her duties at the Fed or done anything wrong in her role as governor.”
Committing crimes is kind of prima facie evidence of unsuitably for positions of trust in the government, or anywhere else.
“Furthermore, there is no evidence that Cook even knew what the security instruments said — she may have done nothing more than promise to make her mortgage payments.”
So, it’s okay that one of the most powerful people in authoritative financial positions doesn’t read her own legal documents before signing them?
“And a claim of mortgage fraud requires both that the borrower make a deliberate misrepresentation — as opposed to making a mistake on a complicated process — and that this misrepresentation caused financial harm to the lender. We’ve seen no evidence at all for either proposition.”
Letitia James, call your office.
“So far, the Justice Department hasn’t even made any formal charges, let alone won a conviction.”
This is true, and one of the few points he makes with any significance, but the lack of charges or convictions never stopped the Democrats from engaging in public mud-flinging, despite their “baseless allegations” made “without evidence.”
However, that is what courts are intended to settle, and Cook deserves to have her case litigated. So notice what Krugman does to pre-bunk (horrible locution) any judgment in Trump’s favor:
“If Powell caves, or the Supreme Court acts supine again and validates Trump’s illegal declaration, the implications will be profound and disastrous.”
Only SCOTUS decisions that support Democrats are valid. Got it.
Dear Paul: If the justices validate Trump’s declaration, then it’s not illegal: he met your challenge to “Show me the legal basis for this action.” — and prevailed.
Bonus points:
(1) Name a recent president who already did something like this:
“The United States will be well on its way to becoming Turkey, where an authoritarian ruler imposed his crackpot economics on the central bank, sending inflation soaring to 80 percent:”
(2) Name a political party that has a standard operating procedure like the following:
“The goal of his attempt to fire her is to replace independent ___ officials with lackeys who will take ______ orders — not just by getting rid of ____ but by intimidating everyone else.”
As [Krugman says he] wrote yesterday, the real message here is “If you get in our way we will ruin your life.”
We’ve gotten that message from the Democrats loud and clear.
I’ll wager witless acts by the last two CEOs of the chain are important vectors in their decline in operating income. I imagine there are others. Lady corporation executives I doubt have much understanding of, or sympathy with, the sensibilities of ordinary people. Why their marketing department (with the blessing of the CEO) wanted to promote homosexuality at the expense of their shareholders is something I understand not.
==
Restaurant chains come and go. Some of them have abiding issues they never do fix. (Perkins was a favorite of ours, but they never could produce a satisfactory cup of coffee) and some have issues with particular franchisees (something we’ve noticed with both Dunkin Donuts and Panera). Megan McArdle offered the argument that chains (especially Mickey D’s) set a quality baseline. Local restaurants have to work above the baseline or go out of business.
Mr. Sailer offered a critique of Lisa Cook’s signature professional paper some time back. It was his thesis the paper was a botch job.
==
Contrary to Krugman’s assertion, the notion that Congress can via legislation grant tenure to federal bureau chiefs (among them commissions and governing boards) is a contested one and there is case law which disputes that).
==
I’d prefer Fed governors to be drawn from bankers and of academics and researchers familiar with monetary economics.
==
The Fed should be making use of the discount rate, the rate paid on reserves on deposit, and open market operations to maintain the growth of major price indices at between 0% and 2% per year.
Trump’s White House trolls the Woke CEOs.
https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1960372066370117729
Perhaps the very strong customer reaction against a “woke” makeover of Cracker Barrel is because, on some very basic, unarticulated level, patrons feel that Cracker Barrel is an oasis of nostalgic sanity in an increasing sea of insanity. *
* For some of that insanity see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNnX4HtFSiY
AesopFan on August 27, 2025 at 3:50 am:
“Trump’s White House trolls the Woke CEOs.”
I love it when a person or other business or organization leverages off of a given stream of branding ads. Helps to make up for having to listen to them in the first place, and then over and over and …. again!
And I think we have to admit that Trump seems to see (at least potential) opportunity almost everywhere he looks. The real source of MAGA.
The makeover of Cracker Barrel apparently includes expansion of their menu.
I suggest that, rather than increasing the number of items their menu, they decrease the number of items, and concentrate on preparing those few items left as they used to, and preparing them fresh, not from frozen.
As an example, their string beans used to taste of what I believe to be ham hocks or something similar—southern down home country cookin’—now it seems that that ham taste is gone.
Better to revert to their original recipes and cooking methods than trying to “modernize.”