Tuesday, July 31, 2018

And another day of nothing illegal going on, a stupid rally, and what turns out to be a bargain for Medicare-for-all comes to a close:

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.” -- Vernon Law

For months, Trump had repeated there was "no collusion" between his campaign and Russia. Now, he and his lawyers are saying collusion isn’t illegal.

The Trump administration was repeatedly warned by Health and Human Services that separating immigrant families would be horrific for the children. They did it anyway.

Trump at Tampa rally tonight:

No, you idiot, you don’t need to show ID to buy groceries.

"It's a lot easier to act presidential than to do what I do. Anybody can act presidential." -- Donald Trump

Bernie Sanders’s $32 trillion Medicare-for-all plan is actually kind of a bargain. The federal government would spend a lot more money on health care, but overall US health spending would be about the same as otherwise projected. When you consider a universal single-payer program would 1) cover every single American, eliminating uninsurance and 2) provide much more robust benefits, covering more services than get covered right now, then it starts to look like a good deal. More people covered. More services covered. Same price, more or less.

Facebook has found evidence of influence campaigns targeting U.S. midterms.

U.S. judge blocks release of gun blueprints for 3-D printing.

The Trump administration says people would drive more and be exposed to increased risk if their cars get better gas mileage, an argument intended to justify freezing Obama-era toughening of fuel standards. WTF? No, really. W.T.F?

How LeBron James’ new public school really is the first of its kind. NBA star LeBron James has opened a public school to serve at-risk kids in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. The I Promise School will feature longer school days, emphasize STEM studies and offer counseling and services for kids struggling with issues at home.

Uptick in Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease has doctors sounding alarm.

These shape-shifting materials are pushing the limits of 3D printing.

“Change is the end result of all true learning.” -- Leo Buscaglia

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, July 30, 2018

And another day of horrible people (I capped it at four), collusion, conspiracy, cover-up, whatever, and other WTF moments comes to a close:

“The noises Russia makes on the world stage are deeply misogynist, homophobic and racist.” -- Timothy Morton

99

Remember: Mueller has already indicted 32 people and 3 Russian companies. He has also already secured 5 guilty pleas. Seems there might be something going on here.

Hmmm. Trump’s defense has gone from “no collusion” with Russia to “collusion is not a crime.”

Giuliani: Trump tweets have 'laid out his defense very clearly' against obstruction claims, suggesting he may not need to testify in Mueller’s investigation because so. Seriously? WTF? Wow. So commit a crime and then repeatedly tweet out that you are innocent and, well, then you won’t have to testify. What a brilliant defense!

Dana Rohrabacher Says Anyone “In This Town” Would Meet With Russians Peddling Political Dirt; And, says “Putin’s favorite congressman,” the Maria Butina case is “B.S.” Dana Rohrabacher is a horrible person.

Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it's a bad idea, but President Donald Trump still says he's willing to close the government over border security issues, including money he wants to build a promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Trump accuses migrant parents who cross the US-Mexico border with their sons and daughters of using these children to further “their own sinister purposes.” Donald Trump is a horrible person.

Giuliani once praised Michael Cohen as 'honest,' but now says Cohen has 'lied all his life'. Do they really think we’re this stupid?

How Russia Persecutes Its Dissidents Using U.S. Courts. Russia’s requests to Interpol for Red Notices—the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant—against Kremlin opponents are being met with increasing deference by the Department of Homeland Security.

Rand Paul backs Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. Of course he does.

The Trump administration is considering acting unilaterally (in other words, bypassing congress) to institute a $100 billion tax cut that will largely benefit the wealthy. 86% of the benefit would go to the top 1%.

Jim Jordan denies that his Ohio State colleagues knew about sexual abuse. The evidence says they did. Jim Jordan is a horrible person.

3D-printed 'downloadable' firearms could reshape U.S. gun control. On August 1st, homemade plastic 'ghost guns' could be as accessible as a 3D printer.

Trump escalates attack against media after NYT publisher warned of violence against journalists. He’s radicalizing his followers to violence.

Jeff Sessions announces ‘religious liberty task force.’ Jeff Sessions is a horrible person. This has nothing to do with “religious freedom” and everything to do with oppressing LGBTQ people and those of religious beliefs different from those currently in charge of our government. In essence, it’s about creating a regressive Christian white ethnostate. If your religion requires you to hate other people, then you need a different religion. Or better yet, no religion at all.

The number of Americans with no religious affiliation is rising. There is still hope for this country.

The newest trend in modeling? Not being an actual human being.

Belgian museums are uniting in protest against Facebook over artistic nudity ban. It’s just nudity, people. It’s not a big deal.

Largest-ever survey of Americans' sexual fantasies looks at what we want, “what we really, really want.” It’s just sex, people. Talk about it. Explore it. Have more of it.

“I must study politics and war so that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.” -- John Adams

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

And another day with another shooting, an EPA reversal, and a new addition to the horrible people list comes to a close:

“We have, I fear, confused power with greatness.” -- Stewart Udall

Federal judge says Trump administration may have added citizenship question to census out of racial animus.

"Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly?" he told a handful of big Republican funders. "Because Janet Reno is her father." — John McCain

Why Trump’s attacks on preexisting conditions are an attack on women. It’s almost hard to remember now, but in the days before the Affordable Care Act was in place, health insurance companies routinely charged women in America more than men. Some women were deemed uninsurable because they had preexisting conditions like pregnancy or a breast cancer diagnosis. Now Obamacare makes that illegal — but Donald Trump’s election endangered those protections. Yet he still has women supporters. WTF?

Gun control advocates can't stop a group from posting instructions to 3-D print a gun. It’s like they want us to kill each other off.

Five dead, including gunman, in Texas nursing home shooting.

The United Nations has verified 7,000 cases of children either killed or maimed in Syria's seven-year war, but says unverified reports puts the number "way beyond 20,000."

High-ranking US cardinal resigns from Catholic Church amid sexual abuse allegations.

The blanket message seems to be that any Dallas Cowboy who protests during the national anthem — regardless of whatever policy the NFL and union craft — will be out of a job. Jerry Jones is a horrible person. Stop watching the NFL. You are getting entertainment from watching men permanently damage their brains.

EPA reverses Pruitt-era rule on diesel emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency will now enforce an Obama-era rule that limits diesel truck emissions, reversing one of the final decisions made under former agency chief Scott Pruitt. In case you forgot, Scott Pruitt is a horrible person.

Trump admin to roll back Obama-era rule requiring large companies to report workplace injuries.

Teen infected with hookworms after being buried in sand at Florida beach.

“The secret to happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible.” -- Bertrand Russell

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Friday, July 27, 2018

And another day of Russians, abuse of immigrants, and sexual harassment comes to a close:

“Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets.” -- Donald Trump, Jr.

Nineteen months into his presidency, there is no coherent Trump administration strategy to combat foreign election interference — and no single person or agency in charge. And that sure looks like it’s by design.

“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing” -- candidate Donald Trump, exactly 2 years ago today.

And here we are now.

Evidence Shows Hackers Changed Votes in the 2016 Election But No One Will Admit It.

Tangling with Mueller, Giuliani may have to face his past words. When Ronald Reagan was in the White House, one of the nation's top law enforcement officials advised Congress that if serious allegations were ever lodged against a president, the Justice Department would have no choice but to call upon a special investigator to look into the matter. “Any attorney general that did the opposite of that would not be acting sensibly and would be subject to severe public criticism," the U.S. associate attorney general told a Senate panel. That associate attorney general was Rudy Giuliani.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher met with alleged Russian agent Maria Butina in 2015, her emails reveal.

Vladimir Putin says he is ready to go to Washington and has also invited Donald Trump to Moscow. Hmmm...distraction from Cohen allegations?

A 6 year old girl was sexually abused at this Southwest Key detention site in Glendale, AZ, where ICE put kids separated from their families under Trump's zero-tolerance policy. They made the child sign a form promising no contact with her abuser. If this happened to a white kid Republicans would be raising all kinds of hell—but it’s not. So they’re not.

Separated Parents Were "Totally Unaware" They Had Waived Their Right To Be Reunified With Their Children.

North Carolina Republicans pass yet another law to throw state Supreme Court race to a Republican. [They] rushed to pass a bill during a special session that will retroactively strip a judicial candidate of his party affiliation. The move is plainly designed to shield the incumbent from Republican competition that could split the GOP vote.

Six women tell The New Yorker that CBS chief Les Moonves sexually harassed them.

Twitter share price tumbles after it loses 1m users in three months.

'Menstrual equality': House passes measure allowing women to buy tampons, pads with health spending accounts.

It's not just you. Making close friends as an adult gets increasingly more difficult.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” -- Peter Drucker

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

And another day of “Holy Cow! Where’s my popcorn!” comes to a close:

Cohen claims Trump knew in advance of 2016 Trump Tower meeting, and is willing to tell Mueller. You remember, the meeting in which Russians were expected to offer his campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton.

But remember, Trump Jr. claimed the Trump Tower meeting focused on “adoption,” and that it was dictated by Trump himself after Trump talked with Putin.

Shit. Meet fan.

Now the attacks on Cohen will ramp up. Here we have Rudy, ugh, explaining that Cohen has done nothing his entire life but lie and therefore can not be believed. Um, much like your client, Trump, you moron?

The Giant Timeline of everything Russia, Trump and the investigations.

Recent polls suggest Trump and the Republicans may not have suffered much lasting political damage in the wake of family separations. In fact, polling indicates that Republicans have emerged more unified and motivated by immigration than they were before the policy was publicized. Because Republicans relish their “white privilege.” They have chosen to think of these parents and their children as “lessers,” not quite human enough to warrant being treated with dignity and respect.

American white people really hate being called “white people”. “In fact, they want their America, the America where white dominance is so ubiquitous as to be unremarkable, back. They keep saying so.” This is an interesting article.

“A typical scenario...was that ICE officers told the parents that in order to see their children, they had to sign the form that was presented in front of them" — but the form could actually deport the parents without their children.

We have the first documented case of Russian hacking in the 2018 election.

Trump ally and super-conservative Jim Jordan is running for House speaker. Because the GOP doesn’t have a decent human being to run? Jim Jordan is a horrible person.

The White House press corps shows unity after a CNN reporter was barred from a Rose Garden event. The press is not our enemy.

When students return to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in three weeks, they won't have to use see-through backpacks. Instead, there will be metal detectors, 52 new cameras, fences, new locks, and other additional security measures. Oh, like prison.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he should have brought up presumption of innocence during a recent "lock her up" chant from a group of conservative high schoolers. Jeff Sessions is a horrible person.

Practically all Republicans ages 65 and older who say higher education is on the wrong track (96%) say professors bringing their views into the classroom is a major reason why. Because that age group knows what’s going on with higher education? WTF? Check out the article and see the second, more detailed chart.

Facebook just had the biggest single-day loss for any public company in US history — about $119 billion in market value.

The U.S. is "most dangerous" place to give birth in developed world.

Amazon's Facial Recognition Tech Falsely Matched 28 Members Of Congress With Arrest Mugshots. The false matches were disproportionately people of color, said the ACLU, which released the new report.

While the ninja profession pays $85,000 in Japan, there’s a shortage of them due to the low unemployment rate. In case you’re looking for a job.

When no one is looking, many women are watching gay porn. Heterosexual porn is designed for men, and a researcher finds that it often makes women uncomfortable. Everyone should just have more sex. Just saying.

“Hope is but the dream of those who wake.” -- Matthew Prior

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

And another day of articles of impeachment, saving face, vandalism, a call back to the wild west, and yes, fascism, comes to a close:

“Waiting in line for the ending of time, if eternity should fail.” -- Iron Maiden

Republican lawmakers introduce articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the Associated Press reports. He oversees the Mueller investigation.

Trump delays proposed Putin meeting until 2019, citing Mueller investigation. Putin had already sent signals that the White House meeting wasn't going to happen. Trying to save face, apparently.

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Second Amendment protects the right to openly carry a gun in public for self-defense. Fear sells. Many are buying.

The Head of the FCC Told Congress Why It Isn’t Caving to Trump’s Demands.

White House bans network pool reporter from Rose Garden event. The White House took retaliatory action against Kaitlan Collins, a White House reporter for CNN, after Collins asked President Trump questions at an Oval Office photo op on Wednesday. Fascism.

Speaker Paul Ryan: "It is no longer just that our passions are getting the best of us. More and more, our politics is enabling the worst in us...We are no longer seeing our opponents as sort of the other side, but as the others, as targets, as someone who is not fundamentally like us.” And you, Paul Ryan, are partly to blame for it getting to be this way. Paul Ryan is a horrible person.

Senate Republicans clash with Democrats over access to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's White House records. What are Republicans afraid of?

States purged almost 16 million voters from the rolls between 2014 and 2016, four million more voters than removed from 2006 to 2008, new report finds.

YouTube issues warning to Infowars founder Alex Jones, takes down four videos. Infowars and Jones have become a flashpoint as platforms have pledged to crack down on users who push outlandish conspiracy theories.

“Stand your ground” laws give white citizens the kind of impunity that’s usually reserved for police. I wonder if that’s the point.

President Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was destroyed by a man with a pickax earlier today.

At least 18 college football assistant coaches will make $1M in 2018. Because that’s an important occupation. Stop watching football.

Evidence detected of lake beneath the surface of Mars.

Toxoplasma, found in cat feces, makes mice unafraid of cats, and it could give people the courage to start their own businesses. You read that correctly.

“The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them.” -- Abraham Lincoln

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

And another day of disinformation, bailouts, and the release of the first tape comes to a close:

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist.” -- Hannah Arendt, "The Origins of Totalitarianism"

“Just remember: what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.” -- Donald Trump. Just like all authoritarians, he wants you to ignore what your eyes see. Orwell rolls in his grave. 

Then we got the following from him today: a tweet setting him up to blame Russia if the Democrats take control of Congress after the midterms. It's bullshit, of course. But besides that, the tweet speaks volumes as to how desperate he is to distract from his and his administration's connections to Russia. That last line in the tweet is hysterical!

The White House has suspended the practice of publishing public summaries of President Donald Trump's phone calls with world leaders.

New evidence suggests Trump’s border crackdown isn’t just cruel — it’s likely ineffective.

Trump wants $12 billion in aid to U.S. farmers suffering from trade war. Wait. He creates mess, then asks for a $12 billion bailout to help some of those he hurt? WTF?

Trump-Cohen tape shows Trump discussing whether to pay cash or check to suppress McDougal affair weeks before election.

Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand is closing. “After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington."

Jeff Sessions just accused colleges of creating “sanctimonious, sensitive, supercilious snowflakes”. Jeff Sessions is a horrible person.

A Waiter Who Said A Customer Left A Receipt Calling Him A "Terrorist" Made The Story Up. Asshole.

At least 74 dead in Greece as 'killer' wildfires rage. Wildfires sweeping through a Greek resort town killed at least 74 people, including families with children found clasped in a last embrace as they tried to flee the flames.

A petition to cancel the "fat-shaming" Netflix series has gathered 100,000-plus signatures.

Pepperidge Farm voluntarily recalls Goldfish Crackers on salmonella risk. The Goldfish Crackers are being recalled for the same reason Ritz Crackers were pulled from shelves Monday: Possible whey powder contamination.

Optician's eye test 'could spot early dementia signs'.

“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” -- Henry Ford

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, July 23, 2018

And another day of tapes, threats of annihilation, Russians hacking US utility control rooms, immunity, dropping pants, breastfeeding, a presidential enemies list, and of course, homosexual discrimination, comes to a close:

“While the world outside my window goes insane. You’re here to remind me, a few good things remain.” -- Kathy Mattea

Twelve Michael Cohen audiotapes released to federal investigators. We’ll start things off with a little good news today.

Donald Trump Threatens to Annihilate Iran But No One Really Cares. “This is how seriously people take the United States of America these days. This is what our country has come to.”

Trump returns to 'Witch Hunt' tweets against Mueller probe.

Russian Hackers Reach U.S. Utility Control Rooms, Homeland Security Officials Say

Maria Butina and her colleagues guessed that guns would be their ticket into Republican politics. They were right. Man, Republicans sure were played.

Americans increasingly believe Russia meddled in the 2016 election.

Judge grants immunity for five witnesses in Manafort case; trial delayed until July 31.

Sarah Sanders suggests Trump will revoke the security clearance of any former official who criticizes president. Such the authoritarian wanna-be creating an enemies list like that.

Rotten meat. Chicken pox. Tearful separations. Migrants describe their experience in federal custody. In more than 1,000 pages of new court declarations from children and adults in federal custody, several hundred migrants who crossed the border seeking asylum describe long waits for medical care, outbreaks of chicken pox and untreated diaper rashes. The documents detail minimal access to legal services, with obstacles like language barriers and confusion about their own rights. Some migrants say they are told they aren’t welcome in the United States; others are told it doesn’t matter what they try, they’ll be deported in a matter of days.

U.S. says 463 migrant parents may have been deported without their kids.

US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said back in 1999 that the landmark Supreme Court opinion that ordered President Richard Nixon to turn over White House recordings toward the end of the Watergate investigation might have been "wrongly decided." Brett Kavanaugh is horrible person.

Gun control advocates worry Brett Kavanaugh's previous opinions on gun control laws — in which he argued assault weapons bans are unconstitutional — could fundamentally change the way the Supreme Court considers gun control. I’ll say it again: Brett Kavanaugh is a horrible person.

Trump calls Washington Post 'expensive lobbyist' for Amazon.

Georgia lawmaker Jason Spencer is under fire after dropping his pants and yelling the "n-word" on the Showtime series "Who Is America?" He’s blaming his “fear” for his actions. Like that’s a legitimate excuse.

Voter purges are on the rise in states with a history of racial discrimination.

Cops called on women nursing their kids at pool, so dozens of breastfeeding moms show up to protest. Fantastic!

Charlottesville-based wedding photographers refuse to serve same-sex couple.

A 15-year-old girl in Indonesia has been imprisoned for six months for having an abortion after her brother repeatedly raped her. A foreshadowing of things to come in America?

Cuba's draft constitution opens path to same-sex marriage.

By almost every measure, the U.S. economy is booming. But a look behind the headlines of roaring job growth and consumer spending reveals how the boom continues in large part by the poorer half of Americans fleecing their savings and piling up debt.

Seasonal cycles in Colorado's Rocky Mountains are changing. Flowers are blooming before there are bees to pollinate them. Some plants and wildlife have been able to adapt. Others are being left behind. Hmmmm. Evolution in action?

HPV: The gender-neutral killer in need of prevention among men. Get your boys vaccinated before they become sexually active.

Officer helps homeless man shave so he can apply for McDonald's job. And now we’ll end the day with some more good news.

“Go out and chase your dreams no matter how crazy it looks.” -- Shanice Williams

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

And another day of silence, sanctions, and meetings comes to a close:

“There are no unbeatable odds. There are no believable gods. There are no unnameable names, shall I say it again, yeah.” -- Ozzy Osbourne

The NRA Is Awfully Quiet About Maria Butina. Why won’t the NRA comment on the arrest of the gun rights activist and accused Russian agent?

Senators push sanctions to send Putin message on election interference.

Trump says his campaign was spied upon illegally, offers no evidence. A desperate man.

Accused Russian agent Butina met with U.S. Treasury, Fed officials.

Russian bots are using #WalkAway to try to wound Democrats in midterms.

It's a billboard in Indiana

Sanders' wing of the party terrifies moderate Democrats. Here's how they plan to stop it. Party members and fundraisers gathered for an invitation-only event to figure out how to counteract the rising progressive movement.

Trump says stock market gains since election give him opportunity to wage a trade war: 'We’re playing with the bank's money'.

Netflix series "Insatiable" accused of fat-shaming as stars defend the show.

Banning straws might be a win for environmentalists. But it ignores us disabled people. Listen to disabled people about why this is a problem.

Look at this incredible new armored dinosaur found in Utah.

Why 'getting lost in a book' is so good for you, according to science. “Transportation” — or the act of losing yourself in a book — makes you more empathetic, more creative and (hello!) it’s an escape. Maybe if more people read books the world would be a better place.

“Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.” -- Albert Camus

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

And another day where a picture says a thousand words comes to a close:

“Spying has always gone on since ancient times.” -- Vladimir Putin

FBI makes public FISA warrant for former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The FBI believed Carter Page was a Russian agent.

In the two pictures below, Trump looks like he knows how owned he is by his master, while his master knows how well he's the one in control.

Florida man fatally shoots another over a parking space. Deputies say it was legal. The “stand your ground law.” The reaction by the man who is a lawful concealed carry permit holder seems excessive. Anger can lead one to commiting atrocious acts they normally wouldn’t do. The “stand your ground law” allows one person to kill another on the sole belief, or the stated belief, that they are in harm. Hmmm, seems there might be people out there looking for fights not to retreat from.

Florida man jailed for failing to unlock his phone.

Trump Suggests Season Suspension as Punishment for NFL Players Who Protest During Anthem. He’s such a fucking racist.

Boston Dynamics says it can build 1,000 robot dogs a year by mid-2019. Hmmm, don’t see this ending well. If you haven’t yet seen these “dogs” in action, you should.

“History is a vast early warning system.” -- Norman Cousins

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Friday, July 20, 2018

And another day secret recordings, old tweets, homophobia, and firings comes to a close:

“Stop playing those eyes, if you want me to keep, your little secret.” -- Melissa Etheridge

8 months before the 2016 election, Alexander Torshin, who has connections to the Kremlin, tweeted the following:

House GOP votes against renewing election security funding as Democrats fume. Republicans are not really concerned about national security and Russian tampering with our elections. They’re in on it.

Cohen secretly recorded Trump discussing payment to ex-Playmate. Hmmm, I bet there are more tapes Cohen made that are about more important issues than a Playmate.

A top Bernie Sanders adviser has been named in the evidence list for Paul Manafort's trial. And the net gets wider.

Mueller team plans to subpoena 'Manhattan Madam' Kristin Davis. And it gets more interesting.

14% of migrant children reunited in US. In case you forgot the US government kidnapped a bunch of children.

What a month this week has been. This is a good, quick roundup of stuff you may have missed. The child immigrant stories are just horrific. “One lawyer said adding up all the accounts “amounts to a picture not just of forcibly separating thousands of children from their parents, but on a much broader level of a program of forced hunger, forced thirst, forced sleep deprivation, coupled with routine insults, threats, and physical assault...”

Men are sticking with the Republicans as women move away, buttressing a party that would otherwise be falling over. It will be the women that save this country.

James Gunn fired as 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' director following resurfaced old tweets.

ACA Increases Would Be About Zero in California … If Not For Republican Sabotage.

Home Depot fires 60-year-old black man after Trump supporter screams racist abuse at him.

Fossil fuel industries outspend clean energy advocates on climate lobbying by 10 to 1. “Public opinion is pretty much a minor factor in deciding what Congress is going to do.”

400,000 scientists all over the world have been published in fake journals.

After the Miami Dolphins said they would suspend players for protesting the National Anthem, the NFL is reexamining their rules.

Texas residents plant trees in potholes to protest poor street conditions. That’s funny.

Arizona is one of six states that allows pharmacies and pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription on religious or moral grounds. This story is disgusting.

U.S. Soccer sold out its LGBTQ fans and players for a better shot at the Women’s World Cup. Jaelene Hinkle may be a good soccer player, but she’s a homophobic person who uses religion to justify her bigotry. There are bigger issues in the world than a game.

Star wrestler loses scholarship after using homophobic slur at Trump rally. Sure, you can believe whatever you want. But the world will stand against you and your hatred if you choose to display it.

“I don’t see any reason to discriminate against homosexuals.” -- Yitzhak Rabin

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

And another day where we learn just about all Congressional Republicans are in on it, that the NRA wishes it would just go away, and that from the very first day he’s been trying to cover it all up comes to an exhausting close:

“If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.” — David Frum

“The Summit with Russia was great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media.” -- Donald Trump, July 19, 2018

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” -- George Orwell, “1984”

From the Start, Trump Has Muddied a Clear Message: Putin Interfered. Two weeks before his inauguration, Donald J. Trump was shown highly classified intelligence indicating that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had personally ordered complex cyberattacks to sway the 2016 American election. He’s been lying since day one.

Rand Paul blocks Sanders measure on Russian interference, calls it "crazy hatred" of Trump.

Republicans block Democrat attempt to subpoena Trump interpreter.

Trump invites Putin to Washington for fall meeting.

The NRA Has Deep Ties to Accused Russian Spy Maria Butina. Here is the years’ worth of evidence.

What’s Scott Walker hiding? Scott Walker can’t seem to get his facts straight about Russian agent, Maria Butina.

John Bolton's Curious Appearance In A Russian Gun Rights Video.

Donald Trump Tries to Excuse His Disgraceful Behavior by Posting a Video Clip of Hillary — From Russian State TV. Can’t make this shit up. He tweeted out a propaganda video clip from Russian state TV.

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” -- Heather Heyer

Brett Kavanaugh’s legal opinions show he’d give Donald Trump unprecedented new powers. And that is the plan.

Democrats are deliberately holding off meeting with President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a senior Democratic Senate aide says.

GOP senator defects, sinks Trump judicial nominee with history of racist writings.

Trump's immigration policies were supposed to make the border safer. Experts say the opposite is happening. Trump has said that he wants immigration policy that secures the border. But his aggressive policy has instead resulted in organized crime groups preying on droves of desperate asylum seekers who have been turned away by US authorities.

Immigrant infants too young to talk called into court to defend themselves. America, 2018.

Trump’s Tax Cut Hasn’t Done Anything for Workers. And that’s by design. “Wages were supposed to rise. Instead, they’ve fallen.”

New York is investigating whether the Donald J. Trump Foundation violated state tax laws.

You are paying for the Trump brothers to travel the world on Trump Organization business.

Ex-CIA Official Michael Scheuer Calls For Killing of Trump’s Political and Media Opponents.

Internal documents show Facebook’s own marketing strategy was influenced by what it learned from its valued customer, the Trump campaign. In the days following Trump’s election, Zuckerberg placed a secret, previously unreported call to the president-elect congratulating the Trump team on its victory and successful campaign which, of course, spent millions of dollars on advertising with Facebook.

Facebook must adhere to German Holocaust denial laws, says Berlin. Holocaust denial is actually nothing more than the dissemination of “fake news.”

“Condemning supremacy and hate shouldn’t be this hard.” -- Representative Joe Kennedy III

Gun-rights activists have reached a settlement with the US government that will allow them to post 3-D printable gun plans online starting August 1.

The White House Says America Has Defeated Poverty. That’s Absurd.

Modern slavery in developed countries more common than thought. A new report estimates there are 403,000 modern slaves in the United States. That’s 1 in every 800 people in the US.

Miami Dolphins players who protest on the field during the national anthem could be suspended for up to four games under a team policy. Stop watching the NFL. Some things are far more important than a game.

Arizona’s new frozen embryo law is terrible news for couples thinking about IVF. For infertility advocates, the Arizona law is less a Solomonic decree than a portent of a borderline-dystopian future wherein the government can compel people to become parents long after they decide they don’t want to be. WTF?

Democrats 'less inclined to cheat on spouses than Republicans'. The results highlight an apparent paradox where those with more conservative views and supposedly stricter attitudes towards sex seem happier to hop into bed with someone outside their relationship than more liberal types. Some of us are not shocked by this.

0.03% of ocean plastic comes from straws. 46% comes from fishing nets. In other words, skipping a plastic straw in your next Bahama Mama may feel conscientious, but it won't make a dent in the garbage patch. So what will?
The Trump administration has proposed new rules on endangered species that include potential limits on habitat protections and ending automatic protections for threatened plants and animals. Wildlife advocates say the changes will speed extinctions.

The Trump administration announced that it is relaxing rules for the disposal of spent coal used to fuel hundreds of power plants nationwide. Of course they are.

Health insurers are using your online shopping cart and zip code to determine your rates.

Synthetic cannabis products such as K2 and “spice” are being contaminated with a rat poison ingredient that threatens not only people who use them, but also the blood supply as a whole, the Food and Drug Administration says.

Women who have given birth five or more times may be 70% more likely to develop Alzheimer's later in life than those who have fewer births, a new study finds. Stop breeding.

California Supreme Court rules voters won't decide whether to divide state.

Russian warship discovered with an estimated $130 billion in gold on board.

12 new moons have been discovered around Jupiter, bringing the planet's total number of known moons to a whopping 79.

A new study finds that therapy dogs get as much joy from their jobs as they give.

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” -- Charles R. Swindoll

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

And another day of the country slowly being annexed by Russia comes to a close:

“They promised me Heaven, I was hoping for so much more.” -- The Milk Carton Kids

Trump’s Embarrassing Note Caught On Camera: 'There Was No Colusion'. He had to have a reminder? And holy shit, he misspelled the word collusion? See the note for yourself.

Cambridge Analytica's Facebook data was accessed from Russia. Well now, isn’t that interesting?

Democrats want Trump's interpreter to testify before Congress.

Former FBI Director James Comey called on Americans to vote for Democrats in the wake of President Trump's summit with Russian President Putin, slamming Republicans for not pushing back against the president. “Policy differences don't matter right now," Comey said. "History has its eyes on us."

Trump Supreme Court pick: I would 'put the nail' in ruling upholding independent counsel. Judge Brett Kavanaugh two years ago expressed his desire to overturn a three-decade-old Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of an independent counsel. Brett Kavanaugh is a horrible person. 

Prosecutors say Russian used sex to infiltrate Republican Party, NRA.

FBI Director Says Russia Still Seeking To Interfere In U.S. Democracy. Of course Trump contradicts this statement.

Trump says he holds Putin personally responsible for election meddling. He does nothing but spout contradictions. The purpose: to hide the truth.

Trump says new Air Force One to get red, white and blue makeover.

A Honduran father is back with his son — but the 3-year-old is not the same.

Facebook will not ban Holocaust denial 'because people get things wrong', says Mark Zuckerberg. WTF? This isn’t about misspelling a word, Mark. It’s about millions and millions of people being systematically murdered.

Facebook Announces New Policy Banning Misinformation That Leads to Violence

A quadrillion tons of diamonds lie deep beneath the Earth's surface.

“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.” -- Charles Richards

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

And another day of connecting the dots comes to a close:

“Our cultural diversity has most certainly shaped our national character.” -- Julie Bishop

Russia. Brexit. Trump. It’s all connected.

President Trump calls European Union "a foe" of the United States ahead of meeting with Putin.

Trump's top national security adviser said he finds it "hard to believe" Vladimir Putin didn't know about top Russian military intelligence officials' extensive efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Russian Influence Campaign Sought To Exploit Americans' Trust In Local News. Russia spent years building up Twitter accounts that posed as sources for Americans' hometown headlines. The accounts posted real local news, building trust and readership for some future, unforeseen effort.

The Trump administration’s policies on family separation and abortion are driven by one view: A woman’s pain is fitting punishment.

MAGA hats made in China to increase in price because of Trump tariffs. All of that is freakin’ hysterical.

Trump's 2020 reelection campaign has spent nearly $340,000 in legal fees in the last three months ($1.2 million this year), according to the latest fundraising reports filed quarterly with the Federal Election Commission. The campaign's spending on legal fees has dropped since the beginning of the year.

Trump says white supremacist terror is fake news. But at least 15 chilling attacks and 2 bomb plots since his campaign prove otherwise. His name is becoming synonymous with racism and white supremacy. Way to go all you people that voted for him.

Elon Musk makes unfounded accusation against Thai cave rescuer. He called the British caver a “pedo.” Elon Musk is an asshole.

Congratulations to France for winning the World Cup.

“The beauty of the World Cup is that while thirty-two countries get to cheer for their respective teams, the event also affirms a global pluralism - it is as much a festival of cultural multiplicity as it is a competition featuring some of the best athletes in the world.” -- Clint Smith

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

And another day proving that no, the two parties are not the same comes to a crazy close:

“I have the utmost respect for Congress in its oversight role, but I strongly believe today's hearing is just another victory notch in Putin's belt and another milestone in our enemies' campaign to tear America apart.” — Peter Strzok

The Peter Strzok Hearing Was a Total Fiasco, but One Moment Was Particularly Unreal.

Republicans finally got their chance Thursday to publicly question senior FBI agent Peter Strzok about his politically charged text messages with Lisa Page, a former FBI attorney he was personally involved with. It did not go exactly as the lawmakers hoped.

“Do you need your medication?” — Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman said to Representative Louie Gohmert after he brought up Strzok’s affair.

So today we learn the GOP is back to believing infidelity says something about one’s character. I’m sure it’s only because the person they attacked, Strzok, did something they didn’t like. Or they’re hypocrites. Or they’re just horrible people that prove the GOP has gone off the rails on the crazy train.

No one gives a flying fuck, Representative Gosar, that you’re a dentist.

Jose and his young son (age 3) made a claim for asylum when they got to the border, the “legitimate” route for families to take if they didn’t want to be separated under Trump's zero-tolerance policy — they were still separated for almost 3 months.

The Trump administration is implementing a new asylum policy at the border that will result in potentially thousands of asylum seekers being turned away before they can plead their case in court.

Obama Tops Public’s List of Best President in Their Lifetime, Followed by Clinton, Reagan. While not perfect by any stretch, the Obama presidency was a good one.

"O'Rourke, who has sworn off money from political action committees, also was able to outraise Cruz in the first three months of the year". Ted Cruz is s horrible person. Go Beto!

Ted Cruz campaign runs into issues with FEC. Federal campaign regulators have three times in the last year sent notices to the Cruz campaign - more than any Senator running for re-election this year - for taking tens of thousands of dollars more than legally allowed from dozens of donors. Three times. Ted Cruz is a horrible person. Go Beto!

Kushner cut off from viewing sensitive information because he doesn't have highest level security clearance. Jesus. Christ. Really? It took this long?

Records obtained by the Miami Herald suggest that during the tenure of former chief Raimundo Atesiano, the command staff pressured some officers into targeting random black people to clear cases. “If they have burglaries that are open cases that are not solved yet, if you see anybody black walking through our streets and they have somewhat of a record, arrest them so we can pin them for all the burglaries.” Absolutely disgusting.

A man, whose harassment of a woman wearing a Puerto Rico flag shirt was captured on video, has been charged with two felony counts of hate crime, a spokesperson for the Cook County prosecutor’s office said. Good.

John Schnatter is an asshole. He may have resigned, but I still encourage you to not eat at Papa John’s.

Stormy Daniels was arrested for allegedly allowing a customer to touch her while she was performing — her lawyer calls the arrest a “setup” that “reeks of desperation”.

"Mistake was made" in Stormy Daniels' strip club arrest, Ohio police chief says.

Miss Massachusetts contestant resigns her title over pageant’s MeToo mockery. A sexual assault survivor, Maude Gorman took a stand over a joke about the cancellation of the Miss America swimsuit competition. Apparently there are still a few people that have morals in this country and stand up for what is right.

Trash piles up in US as China closes door to recycling.

Is DEA Being Forced To Reschedule The CBD Compound? It has been said that 2018 will go down in history as one of the biggest years in the grand scheme of cannabis reform.

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” -- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

And another day of backroom deals, quiet confirmations, and no family reunifications comes to a close:

“Well maybe I'm the faggot America. I'm not a part of a redneck agenda. Now everybody do the propaganda. And sing along to the age of paranoia.” -- Green Day

White House doesn’t deny report Trump made secret deal with Kennedy over retirement, replacement. The report was that Kennedy made a backroom deal with Trump that he’d retire now if Trump nominated Kavanaugh (one of Kennedy’s former clerks) for the position. The whole thing has sounded shaky from the start. If true, then wouldn’t that be bribery by the President of the United States?

Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Nomination is bad news for an open internet. His history reveals a judge who is more sympathetic to the handful of companies that control the internet—and to the government agencies that sometimes use it to surveil—than to the hundreds of millions of Americans who use it.

Kavanaugh’s track record on climate change and the environment is worrisome.

This week, Republicans are trying to quietly confirm the man who could end up leading the Russia investigation if Trump fires Rosenstein. He has virtually no criminal law experience but has worked for a bank with ties to Putin. Keep in mind that in one year, the Mueller investigation has resulted in 23 indictments, 5 guilty pleas, and 1 prison sentence. The current form of Republicanism is a mental disorder.

The Trump administration falls short on its first family reunification deadline. Shocker, I know.

The Trump administration is once again slashing funding for a program that helps Americans sign up for the Affordable Care Act.

Since NATO countries agreed to boost defense spending in 2014, the U.S. has cut back and other countries have increased their commitments. But most still fall short of the target level of 2% of gross domestic product.

Trump Pardons Oregon Ranchers Who Inspired the Federal Wildlife Refuge Standoff in 2016. Because pardoning white, American terrorists is part of his agenda?

Former Gen. Michael Flynn has joined a consulting firm as he awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI. Because these are the times we’re living in.

The NFL Players Association has filed a grievance challenging the league's new national anthem policy.

Protesters Follow Up Weekend of Protests With Another Weekend of Protests.

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” -- Mark Twain

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, July 9,2018

And another day of screwing over the American people comes to a close:

“In particular, Congress might consider a law exempting a President--while in office--from criminal prosecution and investigation, including from questioning by criminal prosecutors or defense counsel.” -- Brett Kavanaugh

A president under federal investigation should not be allowed to nominate anyone for the Supreme Court.

If confirmed, Kavanaugh will solidify the Supreme Court's conservative majority and continue Trump's push to shift the federal bench to the right.

More than half of separated children under 5 will not be reunited by court deadline.

Pregnant Women Say They're Being Mistreated In Immigration Detention, Despite The Administration's Claims.

Scott Pruitt gave “super polluting” trucks a gift on his last day at the EPA. These trucks "can spew upward of 55 times the amount of pollution of trucks that use the current generation of pollution controls". Scott Pruitt is a horrible person.

Even conservatives are sympathetic to immigrants who earn citizenship through military service. Which may explain why Trump is putting a stop to it.

Six months after the Republican tax bill passed, the people who wrote it are cashing out.

Trump has given trolls the last thing they wanted: respectability.

‘Self-induced abortion’ searches on Google reflect a dark reality for many women.

Decriminalize all drugs for personal use, Toronto Public Health recommends in new report. If approved, city's board of health would push Canadian government for major change.

The love drug: can marijuana improve our sex lives? Yes it can!...um, a friend told me one time.

Testing: A Great Leveler, or Just Another Racial Injustice?

RIP Tab Hunter. He was 86.

“I don’t care whether people like me or dislike me. I’m not on earth to win a popularity contest. I’m here to be the best human being I possibly can be.” -- Tab Hunter

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

And another day of threats, trade wars, rainfall, and freaked-out Americans comes to a close:

“In a fascist system, it’s not the lies that count but the muddying. When citizens can’t tell real news from fake, they give up their demands for accountability bit by bit.” -- Naomi Wolf

Kids as young as 1 in US court, awaiting reunion with family. Read that again: As young as 1.

GOP Enthusiasm Fueled By Trump Could Undercut Democrats' Midterm Hopes.

The Trump administration made trade threats to Ecuador over…breastfeeding. The United States threatened to hit Ecuador with retaliatory trade measures and to pull military aid over the South American country proposing an international resolution that encouraged breastfeeding. The US eventually agreed to the resolution — when Russia backed it. You read all of that correctly. Health of its citizens is not important to this administration.

U.K. woman dies after exposure to same nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy and his daughter earlier this year.

Freaked-Out Americans Desperately Seek to Escape the News. Camping trips, home renovation shows and even a film about Mr. Rogers help citizens tune out what most are calling the nation’s lowest point in history. Yep. Sometimes even I have to walk away for a little bit.

Trump’s trade war is wreaking havoc on the dairy farmers he says he wants to help.

Within a 72-hour period, 93 locations in Japan reported record rainfall. Millions of people were advised to evacuate their homes.

An 11-year-old girl from the Czech Republic was born with genes that came almost entirely from her father, instead of half from each parent. Only about 25 people in the world — all girls — have been reported with this genetic syndrome.

Uranus Has Experienced A Colossal Pounding. Seriously? You couldn’t come up with a better headline? Regardless, the information is pretty cool.

“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” -- Robin Williams

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Good night.