Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

And another day of grappling with the word ‘suggest,’ admitting to not reading the most important political document in modern history, and all kinds of wow comes to a close:

“There is absolutely nothing in this world that will provide more comfort and happiness than a testimony of the truth.” -- Thomas S. Monson

Senator Harris is all kinds of wow in her questioning of Barr. All. Kinds. Of wow.

Bill Barr's testimony was deeply misleading. Here are his most brazen statements. It just gets better. Another wow.

Barr, Mueller trade barbs as Russia probe rift goes public.

For Republicans at the Barr hearing, it's all about Hillary Clinton. It’s all they’ve got. Their policies suck, and they support and promote hatred toward others. It seems they need Russia.

Emails show Trump admin had 'no way to link' separated migrant children to parents.

Alabama House passes a bill that would make abortion a felony. The pro-birthers are anything but pro-life. This law was designed to challenge Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court.

We Asked All Of The 2020 Presidential Candidates Their Thoughts On Vaccines. Here's What They Said. How depressing.

Washington State Republican lawmaker Matt Shea and ally urged crowd to prepare for civil unrest. Robertson – who aired fantasies of extreme violence against liberal activists in the leaked chats – told the audience at the 2018 event that they should be prepared for civil war.

Knock Down the House, which starts streaming on Netflix today, is about more than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It’s about hope in American politics.

Trump fired off dozens of retweets early on Wednesday over the firefighters union supporting Biden. Fifty-eight retweets? He is terrified of Joe Biden.

A 16-year-old unaccompanied migrant boy died at hospital in Texas while in US government custody, officials say.

Tension grows between US and Russia over Venezuela standoff.

Florida teachers can arm themselves under new gun bill.

A school administrator in Pearland, Texas was placed on leave after forcing a Black student to color in his new haircut with a permanent marker.

Women in prison are forced to use cotton balls & rags as substitutes for tampons & pads. Most states do not provide them with free tampons, & the pads they provide are such poor quality, officials say no one would use them willingly if they had a choice.

A Proposed Texas bill would ban food stamp recipients from buying junk food, soda, energy drinks.

The number of perfect ACT scores nationwide has more than doubled since 2015.

After getting "vampire facials," two people were infected with HIV from the same New Mexico spa. Can’t make this shit up.

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Monday, April 29, 2019

And another day suing, molesting, and strange things in the sky comes to a close:

“I’ve got passion, and for people who don’t, I make them see how trite their lives are.” -- John Singleton

President Trump's team sues Deutsche Bank and Capital One to keep them from turning over financial records to Congress. The actions of someone trying to hide something.

Trump on Monday evening announced a plan for sweeping immigration changes that take direct aim at migrants seeking asylum.

Even as a record number of women seek the party's presidential nomination, many Democratic women worry about whether the country is ready to elect a female president. How true can that be? The last election more people voted for the Democratic woman candidate than the Republican Bizarro World fuckwad that won.

"The baby is born; the mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby. They wrap the baby beautifully. Then the doctor and mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby." — Donald Trump, April 27, 2019. Another lie on abortion from a disgustingly poor excuse for a human being. Words matter. This can certainly lead to violent attacks on doctors and nurses.

Beto O'Rourke releases plan to fight climate change with $5 trillion investment and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Indonesia announced today that it's moving its capital because Jakarta is sinking into the sea.

Abuse By Boy Scout Leaders More Widespread Than Earlier Thought. The Boy Scouts of America's own records show that more than 12,000 children have been sexually assaulted while participating in the organization's programs.

A team of scientists in Chile say they've found a human footprint that dates back more than 15,000 years -- the oldest one ever found in the Americas.

Just Don’t Call Them UFOs. The U.S. military wants pilots to report strange sightings in the sky, but doesn’t want any of the stigma that comes with it. Hmmm...

RIP John Singleton. He was 51.

“I try to keep focused on the things that really make me happy and just do those same things.” -- John Singleton

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Saturday, April 27, 2019

And another day of meddling, infighting, investigating, and of course, a shooting, comes to a close:

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

One of the nation's top law enforcement officials said Moscow's meddling in the past has been a 'dress rehearsal' for the 2020 presidential contest.

NRA President Oliver North stepping down as infighting roils the gun-rights group. The NRA is s terrorist organization.

New York Attorney General investigating NRA finances amid group's internal dispute.

Shooting at Chabad synagogue near San Diego kills one, injures three; suspect in custody.

“Executives Are Very Worried Fox & Friends Will Be Next”: After Taking Over Fox, Lachlan Murdoch Is in a Trump Trap. When advertisers rebelled at outrage anchors like Jeanine Pirro and Tucker Carlson, Trump called Lachlan’s daddy, Rupert Murdoch, to keep them on the air. Inside the battle for the future of the network.

Looking to the Future, Public Sees an America in Decline on Many Fronts. There’s a lot here worth checking out.

Trump pulls out of arms control treaty opposed by NRA.

GOP-led states move the war on voting to a new front: voter registration. Bills in Texas and Tennessee could create new criminal and civil penalties for errors on voter registrations. A GOP scare tactic to keep some people from voting.

The Kansas Supreme Court Ruled That The State's Constitution Protects The Right To Abortion.

New York Archdiocese names 120 clergy with "credible and substantiated" sex abuse allegations against them. A list includes 115 priests and five deacons accused of either sexually abusing minors or possessing child pornography.

Kyler Murray, a black man, was the number one NFL Draft pick. Trump congratulated the number two pick, who is white, instead.

Gay-friendly towns in red states draw LGBTQ tourists: 'We're here to be normal for a weekend'.

This video game can detect early stages of Alzheimer's better than medical tests, researchers say.

35 more lots of heart and blood pressure medication recalled for possible carcinogen.

PepsiCo is suing four farmers in India, claiming they were growing a variety of potatoes registered by the company for exclusive use in its Lays potato chips. But farmer unions and activists are fighting back.

Administrators got bigger pay raises than faculty members did in 2018-19.

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” -- Robin Williams

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Thursday, April 25, 2019

And another day of non-committals, instructions, and announcements comes to a close:

“Master of puppets, I’m pulling your strings.” -- Metallica

Mueller report shows Trump campaign left itself wide open to Russians, officials say.

Trump campaign won't commit to staying away from hacked material. The campaign's refusal to rule out using hacked information is in contrast to Democratic presidential candidates who have promised not to.

Kirstjen Nielsen was instructed not to talk to Trump about Russia targeting the 2020 elections.

After Mueller report, Twitter bots pushed 'Russiagate hoax' narrative.

Why Won’t Twitter Treat White Supremacy Like ISIS? Because It Would Mean Banning Some Republican Politicians Too. Republicans: the White Nationalist Party.

Pipe bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc describes Trump rallies as 'new found drug'. And all you Trump supporters are junkies.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has announced that he will run for president in 2020.

Joe Biden’s long record is both an asset and a liability. He'll highlight his years of experience, but during his time in the Senate, he:
• Voted for the Iraq War
• Supported “tough on crime” policies
• Voted to allow states to overturn Roe v. Wade

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte wants Canada to come get the shipment of trash that was wrongly sent to his country –– even threatening war if Canada doesn't clean up the situation. "I will not allow that kind of shit," he said.

Canada's new gay coin riles opponents — and some supporters — of LGBTQ rights.

Nearly 300 quarantined in measles scare at 2 Los Angeles universities.

U.S. measles cases reach highest level since elimination nearly 20 years ago, according to CDC. Way to go anti-vaxxers.

Millions of Americans are breathing unsafe air and it's getting worse.

Chinese scientists insert human brain gene into monkeys, spark ethical debate.

How quiet headphones and fidget spinners help patients with autism get better health care.

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

And another day of a bunch of crap comes to a close:

“Law and order are the medicine of the body politic and when the body politic gets sick, medicine must be administered.” -- B. R. Ambedkar

White House tells official who gave Kushner security clearance: Don't comply with subpoena. Trump takes our country down further into hell. Damn all of you that voted for this asshole.

Trump snapped at former national security adviser for taking notes during meeting. Authoritarians don’t like having a documented record of things they say or do.

The US Says Immigrants Can Be Denied Citizenship Over "Marijuana-Related Activities," Even In States Where It's Legal.

A leader of an armed militia that has held hundreds of migrants at the border previously claimed the group was training to assassinate Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, according to court documents. “The leader of United Constitutional Patriots was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he had been previously convicted of at least three felonies then, including criminal impersonation of a peace officer in Oregon in 2006, according to the criminal complaint.” Yes, you read that correctly.

The “incel” community began as a open-minded, virtual support group where people with dating trouble could commiserate & work to overcome shyness in the real world. But over the past two decades, it’s devolved into a breeding ground for misogynistic rage.

In 19 of 27 surveyed nations, people with more education are more likely to favor increased diversity in their country.

Coming to store shelves: Cameras that guess your age, gender and mood.

Surprise medical bills: Two babies, two very different price tags. I’m reminded of the Joe Pesci line from Lethal Weapon 2: “They fuck you at the drive-thru, okay?” This is ridiculous.

The world's first malaria vaccine will go to 360,000 African children.

One in five U.S. kids don't drink water—but they do drink a lot of sugar.

Killing Migratory Birds Has Been a Crime for Decades. Not Anymore. Ah, the Trump administration.

“There is nothing more dangerous than a resourceful idiot.” -- Scott Adams

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, April 21, 2019

Sunday, April 21, 2019

And another day of “nothing wrong” comes to a close:

"What one man calls God, another calls the laws of physics." — Nikola Tesla

Trump tampered with witnesses. These 14 Senate Republicans voted to oust Bill Clinton for doing just that.

President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani: “There's nothing wrong with taking information from Russians”. Shut up, Rudy.

From "total exoneration" to "total bullshit": Trump lingers on damning report.

House Democrats subpoena for full, unredacted Mueller report.

More than 200 killed as Easter Sunday blasts hit churches, hotels in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka blocks social media after deadly Easter explosions.

Donald Trump’s veto on Yemen war Is a sign that the strongmen in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are winning.

Yemen war death toll reaches at least 70,000.

The suit alleges that Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard professor and lawyer for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, "was also a participant in sex trafficking, including as one of the men to whom Epstein lent out Plaintiff for sex."

The U.S. tax code allows orgs to make independent expenditures on politics while concealing their donors’ names — as long as politics isn’t the org's “primary activity.” This is called “dark money.” The IRS is charged with policing. Spoiler: It’s not.

DHS wants to use facial recognition on 97 percent of departing air passengers by 2023. CBP has been implementing this program, which photographs passengers at their airport gates before they board their flights, in 2017. By 2018, the agency had unveiled the program at 15 U.S. airports.

Two Florida middle school girls are facing charges that they planned to kidnap and kill nine people. WTF?

Nine years later, the BP oil spill's environmental mess isn't gone.

Notre Dame fire pledges inflame Yellow Vest protesters. Demonstrators criticise donations by billionaires to restore burned cathedral as they march against economic inequality.

Antivax parents sue over mandatory vaccination order in New York (which has a major measles outbreak). You can’t fix stupid.

Schools keep teaching slavery and civil rights history in ways that traumatize black students.

A German auction house is helping return Nazi-looted art to their rightful owners.

Prince had a unique vision of a perfect world, one that challenged gender and sexual norms, one where love was the only rule. He died three years ago today.

Half of UK consumers willing to pay more to avoid plastic packaging.

Thirty-five percent of Americans say they’ve tried cannabis at some point, and of those who haven’t, 25% say they’d consider it. Who are these other 65%?

Tell your anesthesiologist if you smoke weed.

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Thursday, April 18, 2019

And another day where just nine words should end it all comes to a close:

“This is the end of my Presidency. I’m fucked.” -- Donald Trump, May 17, 2017

Clearly the words of an innocent man.

Here are 11 key lines from the Mueller report.

When he learned a special counsel had been appointed to investigate his campaign and Russia, Donald Trump feared “the end of my presidency.” At the moment two years ago when Donald Trump learned a special counsel had been appointed to investigate his campaign and Russia, the president responded with profane fury — and something resembling panic.

Mueller had everything he needed to charge Trump with obstruction, but didn't.

Mueller report shows Russians, Trump camp were friends with benefits. Collusion by another name?

Mueller discovered new ways Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 election.

Here's a breakdown of what the Mueller report says on collusion, issue by issue and page by page.

Trump said he could not recall, remember or recollect more than 30 times in his answers to Mueller. But he brags about having one of the “greatest memories of all time.”

Mueller report found Trump directed White House lawyer to 'do crazy shit.’

Here’s Everyone Robert Mueller Charged. Mueller indicted more than three dozen individuals for a variety of crimes during his investigation, including top Trump campaign officials and members of Russian intelligence.

Mueller Said He Would Have Exonerated Trump On Obstruction If Evidence Supported It, But They Couldn't.

Robert Mueller’s report shows William Barr’s statements were incomplete at best. The attorney general clipped quotes and left out context.

Trump called some Russia scoops "fake news" but the Mueller report shows they were very real. And to think, a president was once impeached because he lied about sexual relations with an intern.

What the Mueller report says about Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

In case you missed it: Here's the Mueller report.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she'll sign on to impeachment proceedings after reading the Mueller report.

Facebook says it 'unintentionally' uploaded email contacts of up to 1,500,000 users. They were Instagram passwords. Change ‘em folks.

On big Mueller day, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell targets raising the age for tobacco. God, I feel all dirty agreeing with Mitch McConnell. I need a freaking shower now.

Former EPA chief Scott Pruitt registers as lobbyist in Indiana. Forgot about that waste of flesh, didn’t ya?

Source code of Iranian cyber-espionage tools leaked on Telegram. The hacking tools are nowhere near as sophisticated as the NSA tools leaked in 2017, but they are dangerous nevertheless.

Half of England is owned by less than 1% of the population.

“Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.” -- George Bernard Shaw

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.