Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

And another spooky day comes to a close:

“‘Cause this is thriller, Thriller night. And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike.” -- Michael Jackson


Vote for democrats. All of them.

Trump has claimed the US is the only nation that grants birthright citizenship -- but some three dozen countries around the world currently recognize it.

Trump attacks Paul Ryan, says he 'knows nothing' about birthright citizenship

Trump Shut Programs to Counter Violent Extremism. The administration has hobbled the infrastructure designed to prevent atrocities like Pittsburgh.

An environment where conspiracy theories flourish feeds anti-Semitism because anti-Semitism is itself a conspiracy theory: one that claims Jews have too much power and are secretly in charge of our culture, the government and the world.

Washington State Republican legislator Matt Shea privately distributed his “manifesto” called “Biblical Basis for War” where he literally called for killing non-Christians. He has been elected to the state legislator four times and is now running for a fifth term. WTF?

Washington special needs students disciplined more than twice as often as general education students.

On Nov. 6, Washingtonians will vote on whether to impose the nation’s first state tax on carbon pollution, which could create a model for reining in greenhouse gases.

'Don't be taken in by anti-vaccine myths on social media'.

1 in 5 Americans meet the criteria for depressive disorder, but many are undiagnosed. Mental health experts weigh in on how to know if and when you need treatment.

The price of cable has gone up 50 percent since 2010.

The most prolific planet-hunting machine in history has signed off. NASA's Kepler space telescope, which has discovered 70 percent of the 3,800 confirmed alien worlds to date, has run out of fuel.

Reese's created a "candy converter" machine that allows people to trade in the candy they don't want for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Um, yeah!

RIP Willie McCovey. He was 80.

“Some people are born for Halloween, and some are just counting the days until Christmas.” -- Stephen Graham Jones

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, October 29, 2018

Monday, October 29, 2018

And another day of shootings, “caravans,” and name calling (to name only a few things that happened today) comes to a close:

“This is ourselves...under pressure.” -- Queen with David Bowie

8 (But vote early if your state allows it.)



Press Secretary Sanders today declined to rule out suspension of habeas corpus in effort to repel “invasion” at US/Mexican border. In addition, she also refused to rule out suspension of “posse comitatus” restrictions on deploying US military to enforce laws within, you know, American borders. If you don’t vote blue, this shit is coming. His powers must be put in check, and the Republicans have shown they are not going to do it.

Trump, rather than taking on the traditional task of unifying the nation after a deadly shooting rampage, reverted to his usual rhetoric Monday morning, attacking the media as "the true Enemy of the People" and stirring up fear of immigrants. He’s such a horrible person.

"The apparent spark for the worst anti-Semitic massacre in American history was a racist hoax inflamed by a U.S. president seeking to help his party win a midterm election.” The president and his supporters insisted that several thousand Honduran migrants were a looming menace—and the Pittsburgh gunman took that seriously. Words matter.

The New York Times reports Trump had to be begged to make strong synagogue statement.

Critics accuse Fox of allowing language that fuels antisemitism.


However the Midterms Go, the Republican Party Is Going to Get More Extreme. And those that continue to support it will not be forgiven.

Year after year, decade after decade, anti-Semitism proves to be among the most entrenched and pervasive forms of hatred and bigotry in the United States.

Pentagon sending 5,200 troops to the border in 'Operation Faithful Patriot' amid Trump condemnation of migrant caravan. That’s about as many troops as the US has in Iraq and Syria. Trump’s xenophobia knows no bounds.

Armed militia groups prepare to fight off migrant caravan at the Mexico border. This could get ugly.

Oh yeah, the “caravan” will have to cover 100 miles a day to get to the border by midterms. That shit ain’t gonna happen. It’s all bluster to scare you into voting for Republicans--the party of hate.

Shep Smith on FOX: "The migrants are 2 months away if they make it here at all. Tomorrow is one week before the midterm election, which is what all of this is about. There is no invasion. No one is coming to get you. There is nothing to worry about." The only voice of sanity on that entertainment channel called Fox News.

Student dies after shooting at North Carolina high school. Classes remained in session after the shooting. Because, well...America.

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro has a history of racist, sexist, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and ran on a "law and order" platform.

Merkel's long goodbye will be severe test for troubled continent. Europe’s political stability is at greater risk than at any time since Second World War.

Billy Graham's magazine claims Christians will be 'open targets' if GOP loses Congress. Apparently they’re just going to ignore what the late Billy Graham had to say about becoming entangled with political leaders.

Four shots fired into a Republican Party office in Florida.

Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say everything possible should be done to make it easy for every citizen to vote (84% vs 48%). Because Republicans know if that happens, they will lose because they have such a shitty platform.

Trump calls Florida's Andrew Gillum a 'thief' in tweet supporting Ron DeSantis, a “Harvard/Yale educated man.” I love how he’s doing that “unity” thing he spoke about the other day.

“I’m not saying he’s racist. I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.” -- Andrew Gillum

The Supreme Court has rejected a bid by Republican legislators in Pennsylvania to reinstate a congressional district map struck down by that state's top court as unlawfully biased in favor of Republicans.

Americans have been protesting family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border, but this practice isn't new. In states like Oklahoma, mothers are being separated from their kids at unprecedented rates by the criminal-justice system.

Wisconsin’s $4.1 billion Foxconn boondoggle. Gov. Scott Walker promised billions to get a Foxconn factory, but now he’s running away from it. Scott Walker is a horrible person.

Venice hit by high tide as Italy buffeted by winds; 6 killed.

More than 90% of world's children breathe toxic air, a new report says. Think about that.

Republicans and Democrats Don’t Just Disagree About Politics. They Have Different Sexual Fantasies. “While self-identified Republicans and self-identified Democrats reported fantasizing with the same average frequency—several times per week—I found that Republicans were more likely than Democrats to fantasize about a range of activities that involve sex outside of marriage. Think things like infidelity, orgies and partner swapping, from 1970s-style “key parties” to modern-day forms of swinging. Republicans also reported more fantasies with voyeuristic themes, including visiting strip clubs and practicing something known as “cuckolding,” which involves watching one’s partner have sex with someone else. By contrast, self-identified Democrats were more likely than Republicans to fantasize about almost the entire spectrum of BDSM activities, from bondage to spanking to dominance-submission play. The largest Democrat-Republican divide on the BDSM spectrum was in masochism, which involves deriving pleasure from the experience of pain.” Well that was a fascinating read.

“No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgements are wrong. Only racists make them.” -- Elie Wiesel

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Sunday, October 28, 2018

And another day of the planet “going off the rails on a crazy train” comes to a close:

“The problem is that my generation was pacified into believing that racism existed only in our history book.” -- Chance The Rapper

"Crazy, but that's how it goes. Millions of people, living as foes." -- Ozzy Osbourne

These days are some of the darkest moments in our nation’s history. Stay strong, my friends. We will prevail.


To recap the previous week: A neo-Nazi murdered Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue; a white supremacist murdered two black people in Kentucky; and a Republican sent bombs in the mail to Trump critics.

Trumpism Is Bent on Creating a Police State. Trump continues to argue that his casual bigotry and xenophobia, his exhortations of extralegal measures against political opponents, and his delegitimization of the media are inconsequential to the violence. Instead, Trumpism demands that violence be solved by local militarization: increased security at schools, the arming of teachers, and now, the adoption of guns in places intended quite literally to be sanctuaries from the scourges of the world. Taken altogether, what Trumpism seems to intend is the creation—or perhaps the expansion—of the machinery of a police state.

Stop Trying to Understand What Trump Says and Look at What His Followers Do.


The Conspiratorial Hate We See Online Is Increasingly Appearing In Real Life.

Jewish leaders tell Trump he's not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism.

How many mass murders happened when George Bush was in office, when Obama was in office and now Donald Trump in office? 27 since Trump’s inauguration, 21 months ago. 35 in the 8 years that Obama was president. 13 during George W Bush’s 8 year presidency. And 18 during Clinton’s eight year term.

Trump Just Called a Bomb Recipient a “Crazed & Stumbling Lunatic”.


The surge in anti-Semitic incidents in the US between 2016 and 2017 was the highest increase in incidents on-record since the Anti-Defamation League started reporting on them in 1979.

Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins presidential election in Brazil. Hatred and Fascism infect another democracy.

The US just revealed more families were separated. Here's why that matters.

Younger Americans are better than older Americans at telling factual news statements from opinions. So much for “age brings wisdom.”

Some online trolls and bots have evolved into more sophisticated, stealthy threats that social media companies and security researchers are finding increasingly difficult to spot.

A journal has finally retracted a long-debunked article about the spurious link between vaccines and autism, a full eight years after the bogus research on which the paper was based was pulled from the scientific literature.

New research shows women internalize criticism, while men let it roll off their backs.

Teen anxiety and depression more likely in kids who don't trust or communicate with parents, a new study shows.

“All racism is wrong, and denying that it exists does not make it go away.” -- Roger Ross Williams

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Saturday, October 27, 2018

And another sad day to close out a very depressing week comes to a close:

"Extremism has been present in America for a long time. But Trump is applying a match to the kindling." — Max Boot

Words matter.

11 people killed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

72% of Democrats say gun violence is a very big problem facing the U.S., compared with 29% of Republicans. Because Republicans make their own reality.

The many right-wing memes covering the suspected mail bomber’s van. Trump stokes violence. You know it’s true. Some of you choose to condone it.

Here is a list of far-right attackers Trump inspired. Cesar Sayvoc wasn’t the first—and won’t be the last.

From ad campaigns to social media, here’s how Republicans are using immigration to scare voters to the polls. Republicans have no shame.

No other Senate committee has been holding hearings during the current recess. But for judicial nominees, the Senate confirmation train keeps on running. And we all will pay the price.

George Papadopoulos Wants Immunity From the Senate. The former Trump-campaign adviser may be worried that his testimony could implicate him in a crime, according to legal experts.

Texas Warns Voters That Some Voting Machines May Switch Their Ballots If They Try To Vote A Straight-Party Ticket.

Facebook discovered fake Iranian accounts spreading disinformation less than two weeks before midterms.

"The idea that a person's sex is determined by their anatomy at birth is not true, and we've known that it's not true for decades." But some people (Republicans) want to hate.

32% of Americans say it is very important for a person to be a Christian in order to be considered truly American. In other news, 32% of Americans are hateful morons.

It's A Chick! Sydney's Same-Sex Penguin Couple Welcome Baby. Finally, some happy news today.

Biohackers Are Implanting Everything From Magnets to Sex Toys. This is fascinating.

“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” -- Buddha

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Thursday, October 25, 2018

And another day of them saying the truth is whatever they say it is comes to a close:

“Have you heard what they said on the news today; have you heard what is coming to us all?” -- Iron Maiden

12

Trump’s Plea for Unity Didn’t Last Long. At the start of a campaign rally in Wisconsin, the president said he wanted Americans “to come together in peace and harmony.” Minutes later, he was attacking immigrants and Democrats.

The GOP mailed wrong information to voters in a Senate battleground. They say it was a mistake. There are no accidents in politics.

In another explanation shift, Saudi Arabia’s attorney general said Thursday that evidence shared by Turkish officials suggests that the killing of Jamal Khashoggi was “premeditated.”

Democrats probing President Trump's tax returns would show if the "Kavanaugh fight was worth it," former Speaker of the House and Trump ally Newt Gingrich says. And now you know why they fought so hard to get Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. To protect Trump. Thanks everyone who supports Republicans.

"The racists believe he’s a racist": Andrew Gillum calls out his opponent for Florida governor.

Trump's policies could take away health care protections from 15 million Americans.

The NRA is accused of engaging in an "elaborate scheme" to evade campaign finance law. The NRA is a terrorist organization.

US plans to send 800 troops to border as caravan travels through Mexico.

A gunman who shot two in a Kroger in Kentucky allegedly told one man, “Whites don’t kill whites.” And he killed two black people. Fucker.

Trump tweets 'I rarely use a cellphone' from his iPhone. Of course he did.

Kansas voters receive strange texts, purportedly from Trump.

New voters in Kansas town sent notices with wrong polling site.

Ethiopia now has its first female president.The United States? Apparently too afraid to have a woman president. Let’s change that.

Investigation finds that hospitals in more than 30 countries refuse to let patients leave if they cannot pay their medical bills.

The US Air Force has found itself in a brewing scandal after it emerged that the service has been spending more than $1,000 to replace high tech coffee cups with fragile handles.

In 1979, Sweden became the first country to ban the corporal punishment of children. New research suggests such bans make a difference in reducing youth violence.

LGBTQ characters at all-time high on TV, new study says. And we’ll wind down with some good news.

'Liquid gold': students make world's first brick out of human urine.

The oxygen-deprived depths of the Black Sea preserved a Greek trading vessel that's been dated to 400 BC -- making it the oldest intact shipwreck ever discovered. That’s cool.

“We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.” -- Will Rogers

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

And another day of Trump and the GOP stoking fear in the weak-minded comes to a close:

“The biggest threat to our democracy is indifference.” -- Barack Obama

Trump: 'I'm a nationalist'. He just left out the word “White.” Or was it “Russian?” In any case, Nationalism is a cancer. It leads to atrocities.

Trump calls U.S.-bound migrant caravan a national emergency, cuts aid. He went all fear factor yesterday morning, saying the caravan contained criminals and Middle Easterners. He also called it an “emergy” but you know, I don’t want to sound picky.

A counterterrorism official contradicts President Trump: No sign of ISIS or "Sunni terrorist groups" in the migrant caravan.

Trump admits 'there's no proof' of his 'unknown Middle Easterners' caravan claim. Bastard.

Trump stokes fear and racial division ahead of midterms. He’s running the same playbook from two years ago. Don’t fall for it.

"You're seeing a national effort by the Republican Party to try to restrict voting rights, and it's playing out in states all across the country.” They’re targeting minorities.

Democrats are seizing on a report detailing a nearly dollar-for-dollar balance between two decades of tax cuts benefiting the wealthiest one percent and proposed GOP spending cuts to the nation’s social safety net programs. We all lose when you vote Republican.

Trump claims GOP is protecting people with pre-existing conditions. Evidence says otherwise.

Republicans trumpet pre-existing condition protections—despite votes to repeal Obamacare. You’ve seen their actions, so their words are meaningless. They’re just trying to fool you.

At a get-out-the-vote event on Tuesday, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz joked that his Democratic challenger, Rep. Beto O’Rourke, should be thrown in jail with Hillary Clinton. There are no jokes in politics. This was calculated. Republicans are horrible people filled with hate.

Trump says he's terminating a major nuclear treaty with Russia.

Older white voters say they fear Democrat Andrew Gillum in Florida governor’s race: “He scares me.” They claim it has nothing to do with race, but, well, you know.

Sandra Day O'Connor announces dementia diagnosis.

The number of unvaccinated children in the U.S. continues to rise, new report finds. Because some people are stupid.

It's not just the ocean. Microplastics have been found in human stools for the first time in a multi-country study, suggesting they may be in our food chain.

A group of high schoolers e-mailed Stephen King to ask if they could adapt one of his stories. He said yes, with two requests: $1 for the rights, and a DVD copy for himself. There are still good people in the world.

“Start every day off with a smile and get it over with.” -- W.C. Fields

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Sunday, October 21, 2018

And another day of definitions, rigging the system, and measles comes to a close:

“Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.” -- Oscar Wilde

16

Midterms: Poorest states have Republican legislatures, and richest have Democratic ones. If America’s poor states remain Republican at the bottom, so will our Electoral College and the Republicans’ growing ability to win the presidency and control the Senate with a minority of the national popular vote.

The rigging of American politics. Political systems depend on legitimacy. In America, that legitimacy is failing. How long will a Democratic coalition that has more voters but less political power accept a system where the cards seem increasingly stacked against them? And what will happen when they fight back?


As border restrictions have tightened, the journey for migrants has become more expensive and dangerous, increasing incidences of extortion and human trafficking. A professor says migrants have begun banding together in caravans for protection. You should be ashamed if you still support the Republican Party.

Russia fires back at Trump's plan to pull U.S. out of nuclear arms treaty.

These 32 Republicans voted to kill Obamacare. Now they say they'll protect preexisting conditions. And they think you’re dumb enough to believe them.

Trump Administration Eyes Defining Transgender Out of Existence. The Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, the most drastic move yet in a governmentwide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law. Republicans no longer even try to hide their hatred and prejudice.

It will take 3 to 7 million years for mammals to recover all the evolutionary diversity that humans have destroyed—and that's at least 10 times longer than we have even existed as a species.

Measles outbreak raging in Europe could be brought to U.S., doctors warn. “People are dying from measles. This was unbelievable five or 10 years ago.” Get your kids vaccinated, people.

Prostate cancer: radiotherapy could extend thousands of lives, study finds.

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” -- Thomas Paine

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Saturday, October 20, 2018

And another day of lies, idolization, racism, and mathematics comes to a close:

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” -- Malala Yousafzai

Saudi Arabia says journalist killed in fight. And if you believe that...

World Reacts With Skepticism To Saudi Confirmation Of Jamal Khashoggi's Death.

Um, who brings a bone saw to a “discussion”?


“People say that I'm anti-Trump.

“That isn't the real story.

“I'm pro-humanity.
“I'm pro-diversity.
“I'm pro-decency.
“I'm pro-equality.
“I'm pro-compassion.

“That this almost always leaves me in direct opposition to this President is simply a sad by-product.” — John Pavlovitz (Please Stop Saying I’m Anti-Trump)

Sen. Dean Heller to Trump: "Mr. President, you know a little bit about gold. In fact, I think everything you touch turns to gold." Dean Heller is a horrible person.

Mueller report PSA: Prepare for disappointment. And be forewarned that the special counsel’s findings may never be made public. “That’s just the way this works.” Too pissed off to say anything.

Russian national charged with attempting to interfere in 2018 midterms.

Iconic Dodge City moves its only polling place outside town. Access to the ballot box in November will be more difficult for some people in Dodge City, where Hispanics now make up 60 percent of its population. It’s one polling place for 27,000 residents, and it’s being moved outside the city limits to a facility more than a mile from the nearest bus stop, citing road construction that blocked the previous site. Mmm, hmmm. There is so much wrong with this picture.

GOP candidate improperly purged 340,000 from Georgia voter rolls, investigation claims.

Employees at Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of television stations in the U.S., say that the company orders them to air biased political segments, and that it feeds interviewers questions intended to favor Republicans. You probably watch a Sinclair owned station.

Border patrol arrests of migrant family members hit all-time high of nearly 17,000 in September.

Migrant caravan: Mexico sends police to southern border.

Thousands gather in London for anti-Brexit protest.

From "BBQ Becky" to "Golfcart Gail," the list of white people calling 911 to report black people seemingly going about their normal lives continues to grow. God damn, racists.

South Carolina is lobbying to allow discrimination against Jewish parents.

Police officers in the US were charged with more than 400 rapes over a 9-year period.

The US Supreme Court changes course on a climate change lawsuit by young activists. The effort to hold the government accountable for a warming world is on hold.

The choices we make in the next couple of decades, writes astronomer and author Martin Rees, will likely determine the fate of life on earth.

No one correctly picked all six numbers in Friday night's Mega Millions draw, setting up a record-breaking jackpot of $1.6 billion on Tuesday. The odds of winning are 1 in 302.5 million. Play responsibly. Remember, lotteries are taxes on the mathematically challenged.

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” -- Peter Drucker

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Thursday, October 18, 2018

And another day of rapidly accelerating the decline of Western civilization comes to a close:

“There are few things easier to do than vote.” -- Chris Matthews

19

Jamal Khashoggi's Last Column Before Disappearance Calls For Free Expression.

Trump praises a US congressman's assault of a Guardian journalist, as the world watches for US response to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump has zero redeeming qualities, and those that still support him should never be forgiven for taking the country down this road to Hell.

Conservatives mount a whisper campaign smearing Khashoggi in defense of Trump. There’s not a single decent person in the GOP. Those that still support the Republican Party should never be forgiven for allowing their leaders to pave the before mentioned road to Hell.

Flashback. December 2016: Saudi Arabia bans journalist for criticising Donald Trump. That journalist was Jamal Khashoggi. Hmmm.


In apparently ordering the grisly killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman wagered that the world would not miss another murdered journalist. So far, he has been spectacularly wrong.

Pat Robertson is a horrible person.

Watch out, they need a distraction. Look for it. Be aware of it. But don’t fall for it.

Trump just threatened to send the military to the US-Mexico border — again. Here’s what the US military can do at the US-Mexico border.

The biggest lie Trump tells is that he’s kept his promises.

New Interior Dept IG report says Secretary Zinke sought to designate his wife an agency volunteer to obtain free, taxpayer-funded travel and that he neglected to get permission from ethics officials when he took campaign donors on a boat trip.

GOP lawmaker condemns ad warning black voters Dems will bring back 'lynchings'.

Hate in Maryland: From racist taunts to swastikas to a campus stabbing, bias reports up sharply in state.

Louis Farrakhan compared Jews to insects, but Twitter says they will not suspend him.

Sentencing Minors to Life Without Parole Is Declared Unconstitutional in Washington State.

An Indian government minister who has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 20 women has stepped down from his post in the foreign ministry Wednesday.

Trump blames wildfires on California forest policy, threatens to withhold funds from state.

Rihanna Declined Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show Offer in Support of Colin Kaepernick. That’s good, but really, stop watching the NFL.

U.S. customers can now download their data from Apple. Here's how to do it.

Huge alien planets detected around baby star for first time ever. The unprecedented discovery challenges long-held ideas about how planets form.

Scientists have invented a new extra-slippery self-lubricating condom for better safe sex.

“People say satire is dead. It’s not dead; it’s alive and living in the White House.” -- Robin Williams

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

And another day of name calling, chocolate milk, and horrible people comes to a close:

“The world is a terrible place right now, and that’s largely because it is what we make it.” -- Wil Wheaton

21

Mitch McConnell, who last year assured voters that sweeping tax cuts would not add to the country’s growing deficit, expressed concern today…about the federal budget deficit. Mitch McConnell is a horrible person.

Mitch McConnell blames the poor for Trump’s trillion-dollar deficit. He’s looking to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security (just like you were all warned he would do). Again, Mitch McConnell is a horrible person.

Top GOP Senate allies join the President in mocking Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren over her attempt to refute Trump's attacks on her ancestry. Because there is not one decent member of the GOP.

Ted Cruz is a horrible person. I just wish I could trust that Texas won’t let the country down by voting for him again. Vote Beto.

3 key moments in Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke’s last Senate debate.

A Georgia county is throwing out absentee ballots from minority voters. The GOP know they can’t win on their message of hate, so they have to resort to cheating.

Black senior citizens ordered off Georgia bus taking them to vote.

Trump, who has a history of derogatory remarks about women's looks, calls porn star Stormy Daniels "Horseface," prompting Daniels’ lawyer to say Trump’s comments are “outrageous.” Donald Trump is a horrible person.

Over 1,500 Honduran migrants join growing caravan to Guatemalan border. The caravan formed a day after Vice President Mike Pence urged the presidents of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to tell their citizens to stay home.

Arkansas kicks another 4,000 off Medicaid rolls because of work requirements.

Stephen Hawking’s latest, posthumously published book is ultimately a verdict on humanity’s future. There's a ton of doom, but dig deeper and there's still faith in human innovation too.

U.S. experts are being kept away from the front lines of the latest Ebola outbreak.

Brain-eating amoebas are spreading—and that’s just as bad as it sounds.

Study finds 16.4 million Americans think chocolate milk comes from brown cows. FFS. No wonder Trump won and people support the current version of the GOP.

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” -- Thomas Berger

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Sunday, October 14, 2018

And another day of rambling, threats, and other things comes to a close:

“The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.” -- Unknown

23

5 key moments from Donald Trump’s rambling 60 Minutes interview.

Trump vows 'severe punishment' if Saudis killed Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia rejects 'threats' after Trump comments on missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Immigrant Teens Are Stuck In An Expanding Tent City In Texas. Trump’s concentration camps have been normalized.

Behind the Senate deal to confirm scores of conservative judges. The Senate this term under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has far surpassed the number of judicial confirmations of any Senate during the five past administrations. Trump’s nominees now fill (you ready for this?) 15% of the circuit court seats. That’s insane. His plan all along, because McConnell is a horrible person.

Jared Kushner 'likely' paid little or no income taxes for years. Sadly, some of you admire that behavior.

Someone bought the domain bearing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's name and turned it into a site dedicated to helping survivors of sexual assault.

Pope Francis defrocks two Chilean former bishops for the alleged sexual abuse of minors, after a meeting between the pontiff and the president of Chile.

As many as 240,000 people marched in Berlin today to protest against xenophobia and the rising influence of the far right. Organizers had only expected about 40,000.

A small all-black high school football team has started kneeling during the national anthem at their games. They say they are protesting against police brutality — both what they see on social media and what they've faced in their lives.

Male, female and 'X' – these are the choices people born in NYC will have on their birth certificates.

Facebook Says 14 Million Accounts Had Broad Array Of Personal Data Stolen.

Typhus zone': Rats and trash infest Los Angeles' skid row, fueling disease.

Gay penguin couple have been given an egg to look after.

“Recovery begins from the darkest moment.” -- John Major

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Thursday, October 11, 2018

And another day of WTF? comes to a close:

“Standing up to bullies is the hallmark of a civilized society.” -- Robert Reich

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts transfers Justice Brett Kavanaugh's misconduct complaints to the 10th Circuit.

It took 28 minutes for a judge to grant Alexa's foster parents temporary guardianship. Alexa's mother and the little girl's immigration attorney were not notified about the proceedings. Octavia Butler warned us.

Democrats have grown increasingly concerned about election security while Republicans have grown more confident.

Crazy, horrible people attract crazy, horrible people.

Turkey tells U.S. officials it has audio and video recordings that prove Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Saudi Consulate.

"My instincts say that there is no question that the Saudi government did this, and my instincts say that they murdered him," Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. Chairman Bob Corker told reporters at the Capitol.

Trump would rather downplay Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance than jeopardize $110 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

International Day of the Girl: Here's everything you need to know and how to help.

Washington state abolishes death penalty.

Runner makes history by becoming the first professional athlete with cerebral palsy to sign with Nike.

Ancestry sites could soon expose nearly anyone's identity, researchers say.

Latest Boston Dynamics video proves the robot uprising will be shockingly nimble.

Amy Winehouse's hologram will tour with a live band in 2019.

“How I long to fall just a little bit, to dance out of the lines and stray from the light.” -- Dar Williams

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

And another day of the GOP flouting their hatred comes to a close:

“Lying is the greatest of all sins.” -- Alfred Nobel

Emails link Michael Flynn to person involved in GOP operative’s hunt for Clinton emails.

Trump Administration Seeks to Stifle Protests Near White House and on National Mall. The proposal would close 80 percent of the White House sidewalk, put new limits on spontaneous demonstrations, and open the door to charging fees for protesting. Fee requirements could make mass protests like Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington and its “I have a dream” speech too expensive to happen. The public has until October 15 to comment on the plans. Ah, the move of a dictator.

Georgia’s Republican Candidate for Governor Is Blocking 53,000 Voter Registrations. Seventy percent of the registrations placed in limbo by Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s office are from African Americans. The Republican playbook.

GOP official in Kansas about Democrat running against the Republican incumbent: “Your radical socialist kick boxing lesbian Indian will be sent back packing to the reservation.”

It’s World Mental Health Day. Men won't talk about mental health and it's literally killing them. Men are less likely than women to discuss mental health issues and far more likely to attempt suicide. Can mobile apps help men save their own lives?

Pope Francis compared abortion to a mafia-style killing, saying it's the equivalent of hiring a hit man to "take out a human life to solve a problem." Christ on a cracker, what a ridiculous statement.

Punishing women with the death penalty would cut abortions, Idaho candidate says.

New study finds that African-American women, and women of other minority groups, are far more likely to experience severe, life-threatening complications related to giving birth than white women.

Australia has a plan to keep immigrants out of Sydney and Melbourne.

China just legalized "reeducation" camps for Uighur Muslims.

Illinois and Colorado report cases of acute flaccid myelitis, a polio-like illness that affects a person's nervous system, including the spinal cord.

US public school teachers are often forced to use sick days as maternity leave.

“I don’t think many people would disagree that the world is fractured.” -- Richard Quest

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

And another day comes to a close:

“The very important thing you should have is patience.” -- Jack Ma

Deported parents may lose kids to adoption. This is unacceptable.

"The extremism that many Republicans of goodwill had been trying to push to the fringe of their party is now its governing ideology. That’s why I can no longer be a Republican." — Max Boot, ex-GOP strategist.

Rand Paul: I'm worried that "someone is going to be killed" because of political climate. People already have, Captain Observant.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says he will introduce a bill to fully fund Trump's border wall this week.

World must take 'unprecedented' steps to avert worst effects of global warming: U.N. The planet doesn’t need us. It’ll go right on along after we’re gone. It’s up to us to decide if we want to remain on it or not.

That sign telling you how fast you’re driving may be spying on you.

Gene editing in human embryos takes step closer to reality.

Virginia city threatens trick-or-treaters over the age of 12 with jail time to thwart Halloween mischief.

Instagram is using AI to detect bullying in photos and captions.

Google to shut down Google+ after failing to disclose user data breach.

Mothers who used a donor's eggs were more likely to express a lack of confidence in their own parenting ability, a new study says. Changes were not detected in fathers.

Scientists may have found a genetic risk factor for erectile dysfunction.

Would a BDSM sex robot violate Asimov's First Law of Robotics?

“History repeats itself. So you might wanna pay attention.” -- Quavo

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Sunday, October 7, 2018

And another day of wondering if the hokey pokey is really what it’s all about comes to a close:

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” -- Thomas Jefferson

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Trump says “It’s a very scary time for young men in America.” But it’s always been a very scary time for women and girls in this country, not to mention young men of color. That will continue, of course, fueled in part by this false equivalency promulgated by the GOP.

This election isn't a contest between Democrats or Republicans. It’s a contest between the bullies and the bullied. It’s about the power of those who are rich, white, privileged or male — or all of the above — to threaten and intimidate those who aren’t.

Trump set to shuffle top generals.

Cristiano Ronaldo rape allegations: New 'victim' appears to add to the controversy.

Jerry Brown limits prosecution of minors to ‘work toward a more just system’. CA has passed a new law barring the prosecution of children under 12 years and eliminated the possibility of trying kids under 16 years as adults. “Children are not pint-sized adults. Instead, they should be cared for with an emphasis on rehabilitation.”

Jehovah's Witnesses "use the Bible to victim-shame,” sex abuse survivor says. The elders "basically told me that it was my fault. They told me that I wasn't sorry enough to God for what I had done.”

Six cases of rare 'polio-like' illness diagnosed in children in Minnesota.

Panthers' Eric Reid takes a knee during first game back.

Thirty years after his death, legendary rocker Roy Orbison is going on a national tour. The hologram’s 65-minute show is among the first full-length concerts to feature a holographic dead singer.

Yale Study: People Who Read Live Longer Than Those Who Don’t.

“Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it’s just the opposite.” -- John Kenneth Galbraith

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

The Question

The question we should be asking ourselves, particularly GOP supporters, is not whether Kavanaugh is a good man or not, but rather why he, or anyone for that matter, needed to be rushed through so quickly? Why was it fine for the Supreme Court to be down a justice for ten months at the end of one President's tenure (more than ten percent of his entire time in office), but at this moment, this man (and it does appear that it had to be this particular man) had to be confirmed despite his low public approval rating and the severe allegations brought against him?

Unfortunately, your answer will probably depend on which side of the aisle you're on.

Yes, the midterms are less than a month away, and I have no doubt our political leaders used that fact to rush through this man's confirmation for fear of not being able to do so afterwards, but these are questions that should bother us. They should gnaw at our insides and keep us awake at night, pondering if these are the people who deserve to represent us and run our country. Do these people truly represent who we are, or are we content to just let such people be in power because at least it's not the other side?

If it's the former, then they are a reflection of us and we should be ashamed of who we turned out to be.

If it's the latter, then that's an emotional way to be involved in the political direction of this country.

And emotion mixed with politics leads to atrocities.

So again I ask you to ponder why Kavanaugh's confirmation had to be rushed through despite the many concerns about him that surfaced. They are questions that may make us uncomfortable, but they need to be thoughtfully considered. It is worth our time to do so.

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

Until next time, my friends.


Saturday, October 6, 2018

Saturday, October 6, 2018

And another day of the GOP again giving the middle finger to sexual assault victims comes to a close:

"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it." — Abraham Lincoln

Kavanaugh confirmed.


Today is a “great day for America”— if you view women as second-class citizens who should be seen, felt-up, but definitely not heard. 


Kavanaugh classmates ignored by the FBI speak out, reveal new text message. But you people who think Kavanaugh is the perfect, all-American boy wont give a shit. 


The American Bar Association Just Made An Unprecedented Announcement On Kavanaugh’s Future.


Kavanaugh once said a president who interferes with a special counsel should be impeached. Bet he wouldn’t say that now.


“Of the 5 justices picked by Republicans, including Kavanaugh, 4 were nominated by presidents who first took office after losing the popular vote. And the senators who will vote to confirm Kavanaugh represent vastly fewer Americans than those voting no.” — Laurence Tribe

Yep, the Senators voting to confirm Kavanaugh represent less than half the U.S. population. White privilege at its most damaging.

31 days out, midterms voting has already begun.

A leading Holocaust historian just seriously compared the US to Nazi Germany. “If the US has someone whom historians will look back on as the gravedigger of American democracy, it is Mitch McConnell.”

Grassley explains all-male, all-white Senate Republican judiciary panel: Women don’t want to do the work.

Here are the science-related cases that are on the Supreme Court’s docket, and others that are likely to advance to the highest court in the land.

“I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone.” -- Robin Williams

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Friday, October 5, 2018

Friday, October 5, 2018

And another day of...ah, screw it. It’s been a crappy day that finally comes to a close:

“I think these are very precarious times for women, it seems. So many of your rights are under assault.” -- Richard Hanna

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You are not alone. Take your anger to the polls and vote this November 6th. And vote these old white men out of office.

The GOP approves, even supports, sexual assault. They refuse to take the crime seriously, preferring to pass it off as boys will boys or some other similar bullshit. If you support the GOP, then you, too, approve of this behavior.

GOP members didn’t call victims of Kevin Spacey or Harvey Weinstein liars or proclaim they were “mistaken.” No, they saved that stupid shit for Ford.

More importantly in all this was Kavanaugh’s demeanor at his hearing. He is the typical white-privileged male that believes he’s entitled to whatever he wants. And he’ll probably get it on Saturday.

I sure hope this is the last gasp of old white men clinging to power. They need to go.

Kavanaugh Has The Votes To Be Confirmed To The Supreme Court.

Here are 10 Kavanaugh scandals that have nothing to do with sexual assault.

Susan Collins’ Senate speech was a cruel attack on Christine Blasey Ford. Susan Collins is a horrible person––as well as the other five GOP women in the Senate.

Susan Collins’s Kavanaugh speech wasn’t moderate at all. She sounded like Trump.


Joe Manchin is a horrible person. No, he doesn’t get off in all this. He’s horrible. Don’t forget it.

“As you lament the Merrick Garland outrage never forget that McConnell and Republicans did not fill lower court seats for YEARS. Those are the seats being filled now. Use the rage of today to get people out to vote and be rid of these people. Your voice matters. Your vote counts. VOTE!” -- Eric Holder

GOP leaders, including President Trump, have waged what amounts to an aggressive anti-#MeToo campaign in Kavanaugh’s defense, not only rejecting the charge that he behaved improperly but more broadly arguing that men in America are in peril. No, men in America are not in peril. Don’t fall for the bullshit.

There Have Always Been Protests On Capitol Hill. This Is Different.

This Texas Republican would really prefer you don't ask him about the Violence Against Women Act. Vote this guy out.

Vice President Pence Accuses China Of Trying To Interfere In U.S. Elections.

How Pissed Off Parents and Teachers Could Expel Scott Walker From Office. He slashed education funding. Now Wisconsin’s governor is in the race of his life against the state’s education superintendent. Scott Walker needs to go. He is a horrible person.

Texas rejects 2,400 online voter registrations as Oct. 9 deadline looms. If you registered through Vote.org you will need re-register.

Leon Lederman, an experimental physicist who studied subatomic particles, has died at 96 after selling his Nobel Prize for $765,000 at an auction to help pay medical bills. Think about that. He had to sell his Nobel Prize in order to pay his medical bills. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

Adults Up to Age 45 Can Now Get the HPV Vaccine. Get it. You don’t want to deal with what I had to deal with.

Amazon raised its minimum wage -- but it also eliminated bonuses and stock awards for hourly workers.

High school official apologizes for saying girls "ruin everything". This is the kind of misogynistic bullshit that needs to stop. Your apology is meaningless.

“You don’t lead by hitting people over the head--that’s assault, not leadership.” -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

And another day of sacrificing the country because you wanted to ban abortion comes to a close:

“Putin’s winning.” -- Anonymous

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has set a crucial threshold vote on Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination for Friday. Mitch McConnell is a horrible person.

Trump fine-tunes his campaign attack on the #MeToo movement. Because attacking victims is the alpha-male thing to do? Fucker.

"A very old, boring and often told hit piece on me," President Trump tweets Wednesday morning of the new NYTimes' in-depth investigation about questionable tax schemes used by the now-president in the 1990s.

“This is like the 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers.' All these people that I knew and respected have had their brains sucked out and replaced with Trumpian mush." -- Max Boot, formerly a “right-winger.”

Inspectors found nooses hanging in cells at an ICE detention facility. A surprise government inspection found nooses hanging in cells, misuse of solitary confinement and delayed medical care at a privately run California ICE detention facility -- findings that investigators warn pose significant health and safety risks for immigrants held there.

Retailers like Target and Amazon have been fighting for the right to not accept certain credit cards, citing high “swipe fees” they may have to pay when rewards credit cards are used.

3 scientists sped up evolution in a lab. Their work just won a Nobel Prize.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” -- Plutarch

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

And another day in the Trumpocalypse comes to a close:

“If you’re a Republican, you’re in the right place. If you’re a Democrat, you’re in the right place. If you’re an independent, you’re in the right place. We’re all human beings, and we’re going to start treating one another that way.” -- Beto O’Rourke

The Anger Is Real. Let’s Do Something With It. "Rage has become the defining principle of one part of the political spectrum. Don’t let it become yours. Turn it into something better."

Trump-Supporting Friend—This Really isn’t About Donald Trump. "It's about my sadness at seeing you make a million tiny concessions—and how easy it now is for you to sanction actions, that only two years ago you'd have told me fully disgusted you."

If it is, as Trump says, “a very scary time for young men in America,” imagine how utterly terrifying it must be for young women.

Text messages suggest Kavanaugh wanted to refute accuser's claim before it became public. A former classmate of the Supreme Court nominee has reached out to the FBI but hasn't received a response. Witness tampering?


Mitch McConnell is a horrible person. Vote him out.

US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh called himself and his friends "loud, obnoxious drunks" in a 1983 letter — and signed it "Bart," The New York Times reports.

The New York Times just published a damning report about Donald Trump's finances. Trump Wealth Largely Based on Tax Scams and Bailouts From Dad. Long story short, the Times tells us that both Donald and his father, Fred, were engaged in massive tax fraud for decades. And it won’t faze his supporters.

Trump taxes: New York authorities examine president's tax affairs.

Trump to woman reporter: "She's shocked I picked her, she's in a state of shock”
Reporter: “I'm not, thank you Mr. President”
Trump: "I know you're not thinking, you never do”
Reporter: "I'm sorry?"
Trump: "Go ahead"
Damn you if you voted for this asshole.

Trump openly mocked Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault testimony at a rally. He is such a waste of human flesh.


The Trump administration will deny visas to same-sex domestic partners of diplomats and U.N. officials. The new policy will insist they be married—even if they're from countries that criminalize gay marriage.

Are Evangelical Adoption Agencies Stealing Children?

Adopted daughter of military family will have to leave the country, court rules. A federal court in Kansas has ruled that the adopted daughter of a now-retired Army officer — who missed a key immigration deadline for her while he was deployed to Afghanistan — will have to leave the U.S., her father confirmed Monday.

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law that bans automated accounts, more commonly known as bots, from pretending to be real people in pursuit of selling products or influencing elections.

Russian trolls stoked ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ fan outrage, study finds.

Indonesia tsunami: Death toll rises to nearly 1,350.

Former Miss Iraq fears she will be the next high-profile woman to be killed in the country following murder of Instagram model and three others who defied Islamic conservatives.

US confidence in Pope Francis plummets amid sexual abuse scandal.

Children subjected to abuse may carry the physical hallmark of that trauma in their cells, scientists say, in research that could help criminal investigations.

This amazing chart shows how much women have saved under Obamacare. Out-of-pocket costs for contraception plummeted. Wow.

First woman Physics Nobel winner in 55 years. Only the third woman in history ot win the award.

Amazon raises minimum wage to $15, urges rivals to follow.

Why Social Security’s annual increase doesn’t actually keep up with cost of living.

This summer California became the largest state to abolish money bail. But many of those who pushed for bail reform say this new system might be worse than the old one.

Red tide likely spreads in Florida, causing breathing problems for beachgoers.

The hunt for Planet X has turned up an extremely distant object dubbed "the Goblin." Its elongated orbit suggests that it is shepherded by a massive planet, researchers say.

“It is during our most darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” -- Aristotle

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.