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memorytile0-blog · 5 years ago

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Cusco Peru Travel Guide

A few weeks ago, Jason and I had the amazing opportunity to visit Cusco, Peru – including a trip to Machu Picchu! Of course Machu Picchu was on our bucket list, but honestly I wasn’t sure when we would get there since we have 2 young daughters…getting to Peru is enough work, but then to Cusco and then to Machu Picchu is quite a journey and test of patience for little ones. So, it just didn’t seem like our Machu Picchu aspirations would be realized anytime soon, so….when the opp presented itself for just to two of us to sneak away for a week, we of course said YES! We had an amazing time (definitely also check out our Peru Highlights on Instagram Stories for more videos, etc!).

If a trip that includes adventure, relaxation, history and great food + cocktails, sounds right up your alley, then Cusco, Peru may just be right for you! While we were there, I was surprised by how many DMs I received on Instagram letting me know of your hopes to someday visit and questions of what exactly you should do when you visit. So, to help those of you with aspirations of visiting Peru, I’ve created a closer look at our itinerary to help you plan for your own travels….I hope this helps!!

When to Visit

We traveled the first week of May and the weather was just perfect as it was mid fall for them, but cooler winter weather had yet to arrive (remember they are in the southern hemisphere, so their seasons are opposite from those of us up north). The weather was in the low 60s and sunny during the day and a bit chilly in the evenings (so do pack layers or plan on picking up some warm Peruvian alpaca clothing to keep you warm when the temps dip!). Overall great weather – except for the rain storm we encountered at Machu Picchu but more on that later! :)

Getting There

Getting here can be a bit of a trek depending where you are coming from. Since we are in Los Angeles, for the trip there, we flew from LAX –> MIA –> Lima – > Cusco. On the return trip we were able to fly from Cusco –> Lima –> LAX . No matter how you cut it, plan on a very full day of travel likely in the range of 12 – 16 hours of flights and waiting at airports. We flew American for the first leg and LATAM for the rest of the legs. Cusco is in the same time zone as Central Time so that was definitely nice, not too much adjustment for those of us from the US.

The Air Up There

The elevation of this city is no joke…. Cusco is 11,200 ft above sea level, which causes many visitors to experience varying degrees of symptoms of altitude sickness, or ‘soroche’ as it is known locally! For reference Los Angeles is at 285 and Denver is 5,280 ft. We had heard a lot about adjusting to the elevation and to be honest, I kind of thought people were overreacting, but it is LEGIT! Definitely prepare to spend the first day adjusting to the altitude.

The gracious team hosting us at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco was really helpful in this department…..as soon as we arrived, they had Coco tea for us in the lobby, then chicken noodle soup in our room and encouraged we take a nap to adjust….turned out to be a great plan. They recommend drinking this tea if you start feeling dizzy from the altitude. A nice bonus of staying at the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco, they pump oxygen into their hotel rooms to help those of you feeling the altitude to adjust!

Where to Stay

We were hosted by the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco (seen above in the first photo) and stayed 5 nights – which I think was the perfect stay. Just long enough to see everything we wanted to see in Cusco and Machu Picchu, but no so long that we ran out of things to do. It was also about the perfect amount of time to adjust to the altitude before heading home ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The JW Marriott El Convento Cusco is a delightful blend of historic grandeur and modern comfort. Housed in a restored 16th-century convent in the heart of Cusco, the boutique hotel also features two exhibition halls with ancient Peruvian artifacts that they discovered when building the hotel! If you stay here, be sure to take a tour to learn of the Incan structures unearthed when as they planned to open this hotel.

The hotel is in a great location – just a short 5 minute walk to Cusco’s main square – the Plaza de Armas.

Above is Panchita! She is the cutest alpaca that spends her weekday mornings in the courtyard of the hotel to greet the guests!

Dining at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco

Breakfast was included each morning with our room…..LOVE that! Otherwise we typically end up wandering around for quite a while to find a good breakfast, it’s so much easier when you can have a tasty start to your day where you’re staying. They had a really great breakfast buffet including: fruit, eggs (made to order any way you’d like!), breads, smoothies, coffee and more. And if you’re anything like us, you’ll be happy to find quinoa and chia everywhere!

There are 2 restaurants at the hotel: Qespi Restaurant and Bar, and the Qespi Bar. We ate at both several times. The Bar is more causal and great for lunch or cocktails. We had the BEST (srsly) empanadas here! I’ve had empanadas a few times before but had never been that impressed….totally changed my mind here and now get what the fuss is! SO GOOD and highly recommend them here if you visit Cusco.

Also LOVED the cocktails here! So creative and delicious. Definitely grab a drink at the bar!

Another fun activity we did at the hotel?

Ceviche making! A chef walked us through the process of making ceviche (they use trout in Cusco!) and we got to eat our hard work, SO tasty! They also offer Pisco Sour cocktail classes that I think would be fun! We ran out of time to try this one but we did drink quite a few Pisco Sours and fell in love with the drink of Cusco!!

Cusco

Cusco is such a lovely town! I loved all the colorful textiles, alpacas around the city and stumbling into cute shops.We took a Walking Tour the second day we were in Cusco which was a great way to see the city. The tour was booked through the hotel and we explored the Qoricancha (seen below) as well as the Cusco Cathedral in Plaza de Armas

Best Market to Explore – San Pedro

One day we explored the San Pedro Market in Cusco. It’s just a quick 15 minute walk from the hotel and you can expect to find a bit of everything here! Lots of food vendors, textiles, art, smoothies and more! I just LOVED all the textiles in Cusco. We bought amazing pillow covers for our patio. Lots of amazing rugs as well! If I had brought a bigger suitcase I think I would have left with a rug as well!!

Must Try Cocktail – the Pisco Sour!

This is THE drink to try here. I’d never heard of it before but we tried one the first night there and I was hooked! I think I had one (maybe even more ;) every day – ha! The Peruvian pisco sour uses Peruvian pisco as the base liquor and adds freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitters.

We went here the last night we were in Cusco. Such an amazing view of the city! It is a bit hard to find in a small alley, but only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We had a Pisco Sour (of course!) as wall as their Cocaine cocktail (Pisco quebranta, coconut cream, pineapple juice, coca syrup, rocoto, and ginger) which I would highly recommend!! That is the cocktail seen below…

Jason + I stumbled into this restaurant (after our first choice of Greens was closed for a private party) and it was the best happy accident! The decor was totally our style – a bit boho, a bit beachy, lots of colorful textiles…..we even asked them to open one in LA!

While the decor and vibe is pretty important to me, food is what makes the experience complete….and this place has AMAZING (and so pretty!) food!! It was a modern take on Peruvian, which I loved since it was totally unique from anything I’ve had in LA. We actually went back again for our last dinner here since we loved it so much! The restaurant has 2 floors – the first time we sat on the top floor at the bar so we could watch the chefs prepare the food (always love doing that!) and the second time downstairs which had a super rad vibe as well.

What To Order

Cocktails – we had the cocktail of the day which had Pisco and Passionfruit and some other things – yum!

Causas – these were so unique and SO GOOD! Seen below….they are whipped Peruvian yellow potatoes layered with different things. We had the Causa Limena (layered with shredded chicken breast and avocado and then topped with olives, eggs and capsicum) and the Causa Andina (this one was topped with crispy fried local trout and avocado and topped with chilli mayo and pico de gallo).

For lunch the first day we also had:

Pumpkin soup (amazing!!)

Beef Anticuchos (Peruvian skewers). Everything was SO GOOD!

For dinner the second night we had:

the causas again (they were that good and so unique!!)

the Lomo Saltado (this is Peru’s famous stir fry!) Beef with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and pisco served over quinoa. Seriously getting so hungry writing this….

Day Trip to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and declared one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World,” according to Frommers. – and it’s easy for me to see why…this was the main reason we decided to take the trip and honestly I was worried we would be disappointed, but we definitely were not. I mean…just WOW…seriously awe-inspiring, especially when you realized how hard it is to get here! You could definitely spend the night in the town right outside Machu Picchu…but if you are looking to keep things easy (meaning you don’t want to deal with moving hotels) and you don’t plan to hike to the top (the 8 hour hike), then a day trip is totally do-able and I would definitely recommend!

I got lots of DMs on Instagram about how we did it. Again, JW Marriott El Convento Cusco was amazing helping us out…..we literally booked everything through them so we didn’t have to worry about anything. Be aware, travel to/from along with a tour is a looong day, but again – worth it! We woke up at 4am to hop a 5am car from the hotel to the train station. Our train left at 6:30am and we took the Peru Rain Line . It was a 3 1/2 hour train ride – which yes, this is long, but the ride was super pretty!!

One of the many gorgeous views from our train on the way to Machu Picchu….

We arrived in Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu) around 10am. Our entrance ticket (which we had bought ahead of time – very important to do this as they have a limited number of tickets for each day as they want to prevent overcrowding there) was for 10:30. You get a 4 hour block from the time on your ticket. From the train station we took a bus up to the Machu Picchu entrance. It’s about a 20 minute ride. (Note for you hard core adventurers, you can opt to hike the Incan trail….but that’s a whole other experience that will add a full da to your Machu Picchu visit) Then you are ready to enter!

When you first enter, you just walk a few minutes and you are greeted with this view…

Seriously awe-inspiring, right?!?!

We had a guide with us who shared more about Machu Picchu as we walked around the mountains. I loved seeing the ruins up close and personal – oh, and there were alpacas just roaming around!! Yep, loved it all :)

Well, then the rain came! A major downpour which was not my favorite, but luckily we had time to walk around and see the majority of Machu Picchu before the rain began and everyone either ran for the exits or huddled in the ancient structures for cover.

The rain was coming down pretty hard – and we had been there already for about 2 hours – so we ran like crazy and made it out just in time for lunch and well deserved pisco sours. We had a late lunch in town there (unfortunately this was our least favorite dining experience of the trip, so I cannot share a recommendation on where to eat after you’re done exploring) but there are lots of options here. Our train ride back was at 5pm and we arrived back at the hotel around 9pm. And…..on the trip back, I’m not really sure how to explain this….but as we were unwinding we were all surprised by Saqra dancers as they danced their way up and down each car and then turned the event into a fashion show of versatile alpaca that was then available for sale. I’ve never experienced something like this before, but if you take the late train from Mach Picchu you might find yourself a unique buy!

Upon returning to the hotel, had a late dinner at the hotel restaurant to reflect on our day and see if we could understand what happened during the Saqra dance and then called it a night!

Another tip: plan a massage at the Spa at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco for the morning after your Machu Picchu excursion! Perfect mellow way to relax. Love travels where there is a good mix of adventure and relaxation and Cusco is SO PERFECT for that!

Day Trip to the Maras Salt Mines and Moray Ruins

The Maras Salt Mines were another spot I was super excited to visit. Comprised of over 3,000 salt ponds, it’s a pretty amazing view to see this unique quilt work of salt ponds spilling into the Sacred Valley. The Salt Ponds can look different colors (shades of tan, cream or white) depending on the time of year…

We again booked a driver with the hotel for 5 hours and he drove us to the Maras Salt Mines, Moray Ruins and then a quick stop in the town of Chinchero. We drove first to Maras – best to get here earlier since this spot was getting pretty crowded as we left.

Hard to tell in this photo below, but that is all 3,000 salt ponds from a distance…pretty crazy to drive up through the mountain and suddenly see these!!

Moray is believed to have been an agricultural microclimate laboratory that the Incans used to test how well crops would grow at various elevations. We really enjoyed walking around here as well…so crazy to see this all in person!

On the drive back to Cusco, we stopped in the town of Chinchero for a short break. Maras is a little over an hour from Cusco, then Moray is about 20 minutes away. I would plan to spend at least 30 minutes in each spot. You could definitely spend more, but that is the minimum you would want to spend in each spot. Chinchero had so many cute alpacas so had to grab some more shots of them!! Can not get enough!!

Weddings at JW Marriott El Convento

You say you’re adventurous and looking to exchange vows in Peru, then JW Marriott El Convento Cusco is where you must do it! We were lucky enough to attend a vow renewal while there! Of course loved that Panchita (the hotel alpaca) was a guest as well :)

The Vow Renewal included the traditional Andean Ceremony which is started by the inaugural cleansing ritual done with incense and floral essences. This cleanse is essential as the couple needs to have open and pure hearts for their union to the Pachamama and to each other to be true and strong to last a lifetime. The Shaman then addresses the couple and explains the importance and significance of the union. Here he will also speak about the commitment of spending life together as a couple and in partnership and blessing of the sacred spirit of the Sacred Mountain (Apu Saqsayhuaman).

An offering to the Pachamama, Mother Earth, is prepared as an act of gratitude for its land, fruits and boundless benefits it grants us. The offering consists of most elements that Mother Earth provides: seeds, sweets, flowers, wool, metal, beans, etc all presented on coca leaves. This ritual allows nature to bless the couple’s union through the customs that our ancestors passed on from generation to generation. The offering is shared with the guests present as witnesses. The Kintu ceremony is culminated with the traditional grouping of 3 perfect coca leaves, done in tribute to all the offering that the Andes convey.

At the end of the ceremony emblematic bracelets woven by hand are given to the couple as a symbol of the ritual and their union. Such a lovely ceremony!!

credits for the wedding photos: photographer: Rebecca Yale Photography // planning + design:MegaWatt Events // linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // paper goods: Fat Cat Paperie — all other photos in this post by Green Wedding Shoes

This was such a fun trip! Thanks again to the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco for hosting us and sharing why Cusco, Peru would be an amazing place to vacation and/or honeymoon!! If you have any questions, please leave in the comments! Have any of you been? Would love to hear your favorite parts of your trip as well!!

Source: https://greenweddingshoes.com/cusco-peru-travel-guide/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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junker-town · 6 years ago

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Monday Morning Pleighbook: Baker Mayfield cooked the Bengals and taunted Hue Jackson once again

The Monday Morning Pleighbook is a collection of the best things in the NFL from week to week.

After Sunday’s 28-16 win over the Bengals, two of Baker Mayfield’s best performances this season have now come against his former coach Hue Jackson and Cincinnati.

Mayfield went 27-of-37 for 284 yards, and three touchdowns on the afternoon. There was also, most notably, one big stare.

At one point in the second half, CBS cameras caught Mayfield locked in on Jackson as he made his way up the sideline after a 66-yard gain to David Njoku:

Baker Mayfield staring down Hue Jackson pic.twitter.com/GIOTBemQF1

— Vikings Blogger (@firstandskol) December 23, 2018

That wasn’t a quick glance, either. That’s a Big Shade stare down from the rook. One that he claims he had no idea about, via ESPN:

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Mayfield said.

Serious?

”Yeah,” the rookie said.

Mayfield has claimed beef with Jackson previously because Jackson joined a division rival after getting fired by the Browns in Week 8.

After the teams’ Week 12 meeting, Mayfield told reporters of his quick handshake with Jackson after the game, “Didn’t feel like talking to him. He was here trying to tell us to play for him. Then he goes to a team we play twice a year. That’s how I feel. We have people we believe in calling the plays now.”

That’s ... not the best reason to be upset with somebody. Jackson was fired, and understandably took other work. It would be an entirely different discussion if Jackson was all “lol going to just go from our team to one of our rivals!” during the middle of the season, and on his own.

Either way, #PettySZN knows no limits, so we’re going to be here for Petty Baker regardless.

The Browns put on more of a dominating performance in that Week 12 matchup. Mayfield completed 19 of his 26 passes for four touchdowns in a 35-20 final where the Browns led 28-0 at one point.

The most ridiculous outcome from this “rivalry” would be both guys sticking it out for the duration of Mayfield’s career. In part because it’s entertaining, and the other part being that it’s kind of silly.

Let’s get to the other things from Week 16.

“Let’s go, boys. I’m back.”

Blake Bortles really thought he was having some kind of inspirational Dreamworks football movie moment when he got put in to replace Cody Kessler, his replacement:

Jaguars WR Dede Westbrook on what QB Blake Bortles said when he entered the huddle to replace Cody Kessler: "Let’s go boys. I’m back."

— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) December 23, 2018

I think Bortles imagined it would go something like this:

BORTLES: [runs up to the huddle, looks everybody in the eyes player by player] Let’s go boys. I’m back.”

LEONARD FOURNETTE: [softly grins, looks to his left and right] “Let’s do this, y’all.”

THE LINEMEN: [start slapping the shit out of each other on the helmet, pumped up] “WOOO LET’S GO BOYSSSSS!!!”

BORTLES: “OK, [the playcall] BREAK!”

The Jaguars won 17-7, taking the lead after Bortles entered the game. But they don’t want you back, pleighboi.

The Steelers’ unsuccessful fake punt and celebration

The Steelers’ season was on the line against the Saints, and Mike Tomlin dialed up the worst fake punt of the NFL season up 28-24 and his defense playing well.

The best part was Roosevelt Nix celebrating afterward, thinking he had gotten enough yards for the first down:

roosevelt nix celebrated so hard even though he failed lmao pic.twitter.com/btMs9uadhV

— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) December 24, 2018

The fake was so bad, it made everybody recall Georgia’s Somehow Even More Atrocious fake punt call in the SEC Championship against Alabama just a few weeks ago. Like Georgia, the Steelers lost too. They ended up losing to the Saints 31-28 after a tragic JuJu Smith-Schuster fumble in the final minute.

The entire Nix sequence should just play on a loop inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Matt Bosher decked Kenjon Barner

The best hit of the NFL season happened, thanks to Atlanta Falcons punter Matt Bosher. He delivered the blow to Kenjon Barner, who now has to retire from football:

IS THAT @MATTBOSHER5 OR @KEANU_NEAL?!?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/JDfly0zSrY

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 23, 2018

The play isn’t incredibly surprising if you’ve ever watched a Falcons game where Bosher is getting good work in. He’s not afraid of contact, which was as evident as ever today.

Bosher said of his flex after the game, “I went to Miami. It’s in me, I guess.”

Ws are being consumed yet again

Remember when Jameis Winston stuck his fingers in his mouth to motivate the Bucs last year by saying they were going to “eat a W” and win a game? I mean, of course you do, because how could you forget that scene.

On Sunday, when the Cowboys beat the Bucs and clinched a playoff berth, Antwaun Woods ate a W in front of Winston:

The Cowboys trolled Jameis Winston today by "Eating a W" in his face pic.twitter.com/sXwuamXchV

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 23, 2018

Just sensational troll work by the lineman.

Of course Rudolph showed up during the holiday season

I’m sorry I made the same joke as everybody else did in some capacity, but ‘Tis The Season.

The Vikings were faced with a third-and-2 from the Lions’ 45-yard line, where Kirk Cousins scraped the ceiling with a Hail Mary that Kyle Rudolph came down with:

Of course it's Rudolph!!!#Skol pic.twitter.com/alVtL1kTYV

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 23, 2018

The best part about that play, is that Rudolph just walked away from the scene of the crime so easily. Usually in those situations everybody hits the deck, whether or not the ball was actually caught or not.

The Vikings never lost the lead after the Hail Mary, and won 27-9.

Jarvis Landry is officially QB2 for the Browns

The Browns had an easy time with the in-state rival Bengals on Sunday. But Jarvis Landry’s deep pass to Breshad Perriman is one of the more improbable plays in Browns history:

LANDRY WITH A PERFECT PASS TO PERRIMAN! pic.twitter.com/onD6U14oUW

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 23, 2018

Perriman has pretty much been a bust since he was drafted No. 26 overall in 2016. So for him to make his way to the Browns, and have his first touchdown reception come from the hands of Jarvis Landry of all people is amazing.

The Browns’ fortune may slowly but surely be changing. They’re now 7-7-1 on the season, and have a chance to finish above .500. Wild, I know.

Deshaun Watson is GOOD

The Texans did their best to beat the Eagles on Sunday, but Nick Foles was able to push the Eagles onward in a 32-30 win.

Prior to the game-winning drive, Deshaun Watson showed why we all fell in love with his game (at the pro level) last year. A few Eagles defenders ripped at Watson, who continued to spin out of the tackles gracefully before firing a pass to Jordan Aikens for the first down:

Deshaun Watson is SPECIAL pic.twitter.com/shv47ym6kG

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 23, 2018

Not a lot of quarterbacks are making that play in the NFL. Watson finished the drive with a perfect touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to give the Texans a 30-29 lead:

YOU ARE RIDICULOUS, @deshaunwatson pic.twitter.com/n1zjlJ7T34

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 23, 2018

None of this ended up mattering since the Eagles won the game, but Watson further proved that the Texans are a team others won’t want to see in the postseason.

Larry Fitzgerald threw a touchdown pass

Larry Fitzgerald’s career is winding down, and Sunday’s game against the Rams could be his last in Arizona. If it was, he ended it well by throwing the smoothest touchdown pass of the day to David Johnson:

.@LarryFitzgerald got an arm too pic.twitter.com/uTTHqnJZyi

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 23, 2018

At one point during the game, Fitzgerald was the Cardinals leading passer, Josh Rosen the leading rusher, and Johnson the leading receiver.

But the Rams won 31-9, because there was just no way the Cardinals were going to beat the Rams in 2018.

Alley oop!

Imagine being the long snapper who delivers the football that drills you in your own ass:

If there’s a better way to sum up this Jaguars season than kicking the ball off of the long snapper’s ass, I haven’t seen it. pic.twitter.com/p4283BhWPG

— Big Sad Country (@BigCatCountry) December 23, 2018

And now...

A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR OUR LOYAL PLEIGHBOOK READERS: AN NFL SATURDAY SPECIAL

This might be the funniest thing to happen during the NFL season, and it was worth the wait.

After the Titans beat Washington on Saturday, Josh Norman got Big Mad at Taylor Lewan, and threw his helmet at him. Lewan then did a version of Norman’s signature bow and arrow celebration, with a twist:

Things got HEATED between Josh Norman and Taylor Lewan postgame. pic.twitter.com/HXCE6zRSzj

— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) December 23, 2018

Lewan 1) stuck his middle finger out instead of holding out the bow and 2) used his index and thumb to portray the smallest of arrows going in Norman’s direction that triggered a bigger reaction:

Lewan reportedly told Norman to “get the fuck out of his stadium” which set Norman off. Now, as bad as Lewan made Norman look, he sounds like an overly confident pickup basketball player at your local gym who just made the last shot of a game for saying that. It’s kind of corny.

The exchange is incredibly petty, and the best NFL gift we could have asked for.

Happy holidays!

See y’all next week.

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investmart007 · 7 years ago

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WASHINGTON | AP FACT CHECK: Trump is having it both ways on border policy

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/idxqhT

WASHINGTON | AP FACT CHECK: Trump is having it both ways on border policy

WASHINGTON | April 7, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) President Donald Trump was having it both ways over the past week, portraying a “crisis” at the Mexico border that demands the use of National Guard troops while boasting of a huge drop in illegal border crossings there. A border crisis is in the eye of the beholder, but his claims about illegal entry into the U.S. were off.

Also in recent days, the president misrepresented his tax package’s place in history and the size of the U.S. trade deficit with China, a number at the heart of an intensifying trade clash between the economic superpowers. “The U.S. is losing $500 Billion a year,” he tweeted Saturday, inaccurately.

A look at some recent statements and the facts behind them:

TRUMP: “For 40 years, they couldn’t pass anything and they didn’t know why. I said, ‘How is it hard to pass tax cuts?'” — remarks Thursday in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

THE FACTS: It’s not even close to true that Trump is the first president in 40 years to achieve tax cuts. Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and George W. Bush and Barack Obama in the 2000s each achieved several rounds of historically significant tax cuts, some bigger than Trump’s. ___

TRUMP: “Because of the Trump Administrations actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low. Stop drugs!” – tweet Thursday.

THE FACTS: Trump’s numbers are dated. He’s taking credit for a reduction in apprehensions at the Southwest border that began before he took office. The numbers have since risen to typical arrest rates seen during the Obama administration.

Arrests tend to follow a pattern. The numbers begin to rise late in winter, peak in the spring and dip as the Southwest heat becomes insufferable.

That pattern broke after Trump’s election. Arrests dipped after the election and plunged after Trump took office. April 2017 logged the fewest arrests in a single month since the Homeland Security Department was created in 2003. Indeed, thanks to that drop, the 2017 budget year logged the fewest Border Patrol arrests in 45 years.

But after April 2017, the numbers ticked up. In the autumn they returned to rates seen during Obama’s second term. New federal statistics show 50,308 arrests in March — a 203 percent increase from March 2017, when there were only 16,588 arrests, and 37 percent more than the previous month.

Trump called the numbers a “point of crisis” in his proclamation seeking National Guard deployment to the Southern border.

Apprehensions at the border are a useful gauge of illegal crossings but an imperfect one because nobody knows exactly how many people cross without being detected. ___

TRUMP: “The United States hasn’t had a Trade Surplus with China in 40 years. They must end unfair trade, take down barriers and charge only Reciprocal Tariffs. The U.S. is losing $500 Billion a year, and has been losing Billions of Dollars for decades. Cannot continue!” — tweet Saturday.

TRUMP: “We are not in a trade war with China, that war was lost many years ago by the foolish, or incompetent, people who represented the U.S. Now we have a Trade Deficit of $500 Billion a year, with Intellectual Property Theft of another $300 Billion. We cannot let this continue!” And: “When you’re already $500 Billion DOWN, you can’t lose!” — tweets Wednesday.

THE FACTS: He overstates the trade deficit with China by $163 billion.

He does this by counting Americans’ purchases of goods from China as a loss for the U.S., while ignoring what China buys from the U.S. He also ignores another big part of the equation — trade in services.

Last year, Americans bought about $505.6 billion in goods from China while China bought about $130.4 billion in goods from the U.S. So the actual trade deficit in goods was just over $375 billion.

Factor in trade in services and the actual U.S trade deficit with China was $337 billion.

As for intellectual property theft, it’s not clear where Trump gets his figure of $300 billion and it’s not possible to be precise about illicit activity such as counterfeit goods, pirated software, theft of trade secrets and so on. But various analyses suggest his estimate is plausible.

An independent bipartisan U.S. commission estimated in 2017 that U.S. interests lost $225 billion to $600 billion from worldwide intellectual property theft, with “thousands of Chinese actors” the main culprits. ___

WHITE HOUSE: “President Trump’s tax cuts are the biggest gross tax cuts in American history, with $5.5 trillion in gross tax cuts over ten years and $4.5 trillion in reforms.” — news release Thursday.

THE FACTS: What’s notable about this statement is that the White House is edging away from Trump’s frequent and false boast that the tax cuts are the largest ever, period. The new statement asserts that the “gross” tax cuts are the largest in history. But that’s still shoddy accounting.

The gross value of tax cuts is only one side of the ledger. The other side consists of “offsets” — various increases in certain taxes and fees, taxes created and reductions or eliminations of current tax breaks — that are used to pay for the cuts.

Economists, historians and lawmakers judge the significance of a tax package by its net effect. They measure or estimate the cost of net tax cuts to the treasury and compare that with the size of the overall economy — the gross domestic product.

By that measure, Trump’s package — “reforms” and all — considerably trails Reagan’s 1981 tax cuts, Obama’s 2013 extension of Bush’s tax cuts, and more.

The estimated cost of Trump’s package is $1.5 trillion over 10 years. In October, before the details were complete, the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget assumed a higher value to the package — $2.2 trillion. Even that more significant plan ranked as only the eighth largest in history as a percentage of GDP and fourth largest by another measure — inflation-adjusted dollars. ___

TRUMP: “In many places like California the same person votes many times. … They always like to say, ‘Oh, that’s a conspiracy theory.’ Not a conspiracy theory, folks. Millions and millions of people. And it’s very hard because the state guards their records. They don’t want to see it.”— remarks Thursday in West Virginia.

THE FACTS: Trump is repeating a claim, without evidence, that 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election, delivering the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump won the Electoral College.

Studies have found only isolated cases of voter fraud in recent U.S. elections and no evidence that election results were affected. Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt found 31 cases of impersonation fraud, for example, in about 1 billion votes cast in elections from 2000 to 2014.

Trump hoped to come up with evidence of widespread fraud when he appointed a commission to study the issue. But he abandoned the effort because of infighting by the panel and lawsuits as states refused to cooperate. More than a dozen states balked at the commission’s demand for reams of personal voter data, including names, partial Social Security numbers, voting histories and party affiliations. ___

It’s going to be very, very different. …You will have a nice simple form. This will be the last year, so take pictures of it and enjoy it. This is the last time you’ll have to file a very complex and big tax form. It’ll be much easier starting next April.” — remarks Thursday in West Virginia.

THE FACTS: There’s no sign that the IRS is planning new filing forms, card-sized or otherwise, for the 2018 tax year. As for the new one-page form that Trump said is coming, there already is one: the 1040EZ has been around for years. It can be used by people with less than $100,000 in taxable income and no dependents, and who meet other criteria.

The tax postcard has been a political gimmick for years.

“The idea of radically simplifying taxes has always been more of a political talking point or sales pitch, more than it’s been part of any reality,” says Joseph Rosenberg, senior research associate at the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

Although many taxpayers will have an easier time filing because of the doubling of the standard deduction, they’ll still have to do legwork to figure out their taxable income and whether they qualify for the deduction or would be better off itemizing. They will also need to figure in the hit they could take from the capping of deductions for mortgage interest and state and local taxes.

So if a shorter form is in their future, so are pages of data and tables to consult.

At any rate, the overwhelming majority of Americans now file their tax returns electronically, which is how they simplify. The idea of dropping a postcard-type paper with personal financial data into the mail seems old-school.

___

TRUMP, on deploying troops to the Mexico border: “We really haven’t done that before, or certainly not very much before.” — remarks Tuesday at the White House.

THE FACTS: The last two presidents did it. So did Rick Perry, Trump’s energy secretary, when he was Texas governor.

Trump plans to send 2,000 to 4,000 National Guard members to the border to help federal officials fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking, a smaller force than George W. Bush deployed in 2006, when he sent more than 6,000. Altogether 29,000 National Guard members participated in that mission as forces rotated in and out over two years.

Obama sent about 1,200 National Guard troops in 2010 to beef up efforts against drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Perry dispatched 1,000 from the Texas National Guards in 2014. The Border Patrol has more than 20,000 agents along the border.

By DAVID BAUDER by Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (U.S)

#Donald Trump #illegal entry #Mexico border #National Guard troops #Politics News #Trump #Trump is having it both ways on border policy #Washington #West Virginia

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twocoursemeal-blog · 7 years ago

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TCM Eats: Cutty’s

Cutty’s (Brookline Village)

Nothing starts off the day like a good breakfast sandwich. The two of us knew that a full day of fair-wandering at the Big E was going to require a good deal of energy, so we made sure to prepare accordingly. Before we set off for the venue, we decided to stop at a (semi) local favorite, Cutty’s, for an egg sandwich that was sure to get us up on the right foot.

We Ate:

Cutty’s Egg Sandwich w/ bacon

Red Flannel Hash Breakfast Sandwich

Angela’s Thoughts

I don’t go to Cutty’s nearly enough. The first time I ever went was very early on when I was dating Matt, for a delicious breakfast sandwich. I still remember it like it was yesterday: it was a breakfast sandwich on special -- bacon and egg on mini waffles, with maple butter. Fantastic. And then, I never went back! At first, I could justify it by saying that I lived too far away, but now that I’ve moved to Brookline, there’s no good excuse. I suggested that we stop there for breakfast before we took a long drive out to The Big E. It was totally worth it.

We stopped in at around 8:30am on a Thursday, and somehow managed to miss any sort of breakfast rush. I was pleasantly surprised; maybe it’s only hectic much earlier in the morning. Either way, we had time to peruse the menu, and take in Cutty’s fancy new digs; I hadn’t been to their location since they expanded, and the new space is quite nice.

The menu has some interesting looking breakfast sandwiches -- the thai sausage sandwich (scrambled eggs, Thai sausage, cilantro, Thai chile mayo, peanuts, shallots, on brioche) really jumped out to me. I decided to be boring and play it safe, however. I went with the basic Cutty’s egg sandwich with bacon, no cheese, no sauce (I know… the only sauces available were ketchup or mayo-based, and I’m not the largest fan of either).

The sandwich was nicely made, with brown griddle marks on the top and bottom. The egg patty was tender and spongy, though it was a little bland for my tastes. The bacon was thicker cut and cooked well. I was pleasantly surprised by the brioche, which had peppercorns interspersed throughout; it was a flavorful addition while staying light and airy. It made for a quick and pleasant eat, though it may have been a little pricey for the size.

Despite the price, I wasn’t mad at it. The sandwich was quite good, and each component pulled its weight. It *tasted* expensive, if that makes any sense. I will admit that it’s no Tatte (I do love their breakfast sandwich dearly), but Tatte is also a $9 breakfast sandwich. I also learned about Cutty’s Super Cluckin’ Sunday during this visit, a once-a-month extravaganza where they serve their special buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches until they run out. If you’ve read some of our other reviews, you may know of my deep love of chicken sandwiches. Cutty’s, I’ll be back.

Matt’s Thoughts

I don’t remember exactly when it was that I discovered Cutty’s. Maybe I had read somewhere about them being an exception sandwich shop with an alarmingly narrow window for weekend breakfast sandwiches. What I do remember is how good every sandwich I’ve ever had from Cutty’s has been. From their exceptional bagels to perfect bacon, masterfully cooked eggs, and a sauce selection that never failed to impress, each sandwich has been a work of art.

This is why Angela and I were so excited to go for breakfast before we headed out on our excursion to the Big E, and this is what I was so deeply saddened by the profound mediocrity that was the Red Flannel Hash.

It sounded good on paper: egg patty (always a killer), plus a hash of beef, potato, and beet, plus cheddar and truffle ketchup. Though I’m not one to put ketchup on my eggs, I was in the market for something a little more substantial than the average breakfast sandwich, and I trusted Cutty’s knew what they were doing with this one.

The sandwich came out, and on the surface it looked great! But a bite in and I felt like something was wrong. Where was the texture? It turns out, this particular version of the hash was minced to the point where it was halfway between a sauce and a ground beef texture. It was also surprisingly underseasoned, and could have used more salt to bring out more of the beet flavor.

If you’ve read our previous Love. Art. Sushi review, then you may be familiar with my habit of ordering dishes that I can tell seem to have something that my palate won’t like, but doing it anyway out of stubbornness. All I’ll say in that topic is that I still am not a fan of ketchup on eggs, but certainly won’t knock Cutty’s (or those who do enjoy it) for putting it there.

The cheese, brioche, and egg patty were all *perfect*, however, and I want to be clear that despite the issues with the hash, these still made the sandwich pretty damn good. I think the fault here rests equally on Cutty’s for this odd take on a breakfast hash, but also on myself for ordering something I thought I might not like.

Regardless, I am still just as excited to go back to Cutty’s again! I’ve yet to find a place that can match the quality or execution of their breakfast sandwiches, and don’t feel any sort of need to go looking for a challenger. I just need to remember that sometimes, it’s best to stick to what you love (and I absolutely recommend if you go, you try their Red Eye Mayo - unf).

Overall:

We’re glad we chose Cutty’s as our morning breakfast spot. They do a great job of putting forth a solid breakfast sandwich, and depending on your toppings and tastes, it can be an incredible experience. This time, between slightly-high prices and an oddly textured, underseasoned hash, we weren’t blown out of the water by Cutty’s, but we’ll certainly be back in the future.

We give Cutty’s 3 hidden peppercorns out of 5.

#food #breakfast #breakfast sandwich #brookline #3 stars

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investmart007 · 7 years ago

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WASHINGTON | AP FACT CHECK: Trump hypes claims on border arrests, taxes,

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/MRgif1

WASHINGTON | AP FACT CHECK: Trump hypes claims on border arrests, taxes,

WASHINGTON|April 7, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) President Donald Trump was having it both ways over the past week, portraying a “crisis” at the Mexico border that demands the use of National Guard troops while boasting of a huge drop in illegal border crossings there.

A border crisis is in the eye of the beholder, but his claims about illegal entry into the U.S. were off.

A look at some recent statements the facts behind them:

TRUMP: “For 40 years, they couldn’t pass anything and they didn’t know why. I said, ‘How is it hard to pass tax cuts?'” — remarks Thursday in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

___

TRUMP: “Because of the Trump Administration’s actions, Border crossings are at a still UNACCEPTABLE 46 year low. Stop drugs!” – tweet Thursday.

Arrests tend to follow a pattern. The numbers begin to rise late in winter, peak in the spring and dip as the Southwest heat becomes insufferable.

Trump called the numbers a “point of crisis” in his proclamation seeking National Guard deployment to the Southern border.

Apprehensions at the border are a useful gauge of illegal crossings but an imperfect one because nobody knows exactly how many people cross without being detected.

___

By that measure, Trump’s package — “reforms” and all — considerably trails Reagan’s 1981 tax cuts, Obama’s 2013 extension of Bush’s tax cuts, and more.

___

TRUMP: “This will be the last time — in April … that you’re going to go with that old fashioned, big, lots of pages, complicated tax form. Because next April, you’re going to in many cases, one page, one card. It’s going to be very, very different. …You will have a nice simple form. This will be the last year, so take pictures of it and enjoy it. This is the last time you’ll have to file a very complex and big tax form. It’ll be much easier starting next April.” — remarks Thursday in West Virginia.

The tax postcard has been a political gimmick for years.

So if a shorter form is in their future, so are pages of data and tables to consult.

___

TRUMP, on deploying troops to the Mexico border: “We really haven’t done that before, or certainly not very much before.” — remarks Tuesday at the White House.

THE FACTS: The last two presidents did it. So did Rick Perry, Trump’s energy secretary, when he was Texas governor.

Obama sent about 1,200 National Guard troops in 2010 to beef up efforts against drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Perry dispatched 1,000 from the Texas National Guards in 2014.

The Border Patrol has more than 20,000 agents along the border.

___

THE FACTS: He overstates the trade deficit by $163 billion.

Last year, Americans bought about $505.6 billion in goods from China while China bought about $130.4 billion in goods from the U.S. So the actual trade deficit in goods was just over $375 billion.

Factor in trade in services and the actual U.S trade deficit with China was $337 billion.

___

By CALVIN WOODWARD and HOPE YEN, By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

___

#Claims on border arrests #Crisis #National Guard troops #President Donald Trump #Taxes #Washington

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