Monday, August 6, 2018

And another day of damning testimony, “agreements” with Russia, some whacked out conspiracy about California diverting water into the Pacific Ocean, a Trump endorsement in Kansas, and oh yeah, the banning of Alex Jones comes to a close:

“Who did you think I would be? Ha, well you got me instead.” -- Concrete Blonde

Rick Gates, former right-hand man to Paul Manafort and former deputy chairman of the Donald Trump campaign, testified today that he repeatedly broke financial and tax laws on Manafort's orders. Like you do.

Gates says he and Manafort didn't report 15 foreign accounts, knew it was illegal.

Paul Manafort’s former business partner Rick Gates admits conspiracy, falsifying tax returns and bank docs.

Rick Gates became first member of the Trump campaign to admit to crimes on the witness stand. He testified at his former boss, ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's trial.

I'm sure many would be happy to help them pack.

HIV-positive shelter worker sexually abused 9 teen immigrant boys.

Kids who can't tie their shoes are being traumatized in immigration court.

Sen. Rand Paul says he has "secured an agreement" from Russia "to send members of the Russian Federation to Washington." The announcement follows Paul's meeting with Russian lawmakers in Moscow. Hmmmm. Was part of that deal to release Maria Butina?

Senators urge arming more Texas teachers, counseling more students — but fall silent on gun control.

In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration shifted the federal seasonal worker program — known as H-2B visas — from a first-come, first-serve model to a lottery system, making it difficult for businesses to access temporary foreign workers.

No, President Trump, California Isn’t Diverting Its Water Supply Away From Wildfires into the Pacific Ocean. He’s just trying to distract you from the Manafort case.

Apple Kicked Alex Jones Off Its Platform Then YouTube And Facebook Rushed To Do The Same. Spotify followed next. The removals, including the removal of “InfoWars,” are one of the largest crackdowns on conspiratorial news content by technology companies to date. Alex Jones is a horrible person. And no this isn’t a First Amendment issue.

CNN’s Brian Stelter airs C-SPAN caller threatening to shoot him and Don Lemon. Trump’s words have consequences.

Trump endorses voter restriction enthusiast Kris Kobach in Kansas gubernatorial primary. Kris Kobach is a horrible person.

Randy Moss’ tie at his Hall of Fame induction reminds everyone why NFL players are protesting. Stop closing your eyes to what is happening. Oh, yeah, and stop watching the NFL.

My respect for LeBron James continues to grow.

If you didn't buy the FCC's claims that its comment system fell prone to a DDoS attack when it was soliciting net neutrality comments, investigators have just validated your suspicions. An imminent report from the agency's Inspector General has revealed that there's no evidence of such an attack. To put it another way, the comment system's problems were more likely due to large-scale opposition to the net neutrality repeal (helped by Last Week Tonight's John Oliver), not an untimely hacking campaign. Ajit Pai is a horrible person.

A new study reveals a jarring truth for baby boomers. Instead of retirement and relaxation, many are facing bankruptcy. More than 12% of those who filed for protection are over 65.

With the election over, Trump doesn't care about vets anymore. Suckers.

Domino-effect of climate events could push Earth into a ‘hothouse’ state. Leading scientists warn that passing such a point would make efforts to reduce emissions increasingly futile. Some of you need read Nightfall by Isaac Asimov.

Sam, a 17-year-old diagnosed with epilepsy, used to suffer through 100 seizures a day. But thanks to a marijuana-based pharmaceutical, he hasn't had a seizure in over two years.

Girls admitted to hospital for self-harming nearly doubles.

The Mendocino Complex fire is now the largest wildfire in modern California history, scorching more than 283,000 acres.

Meteor Explodes with 2.1 Kilotons of Force 26 Miles Above US Air Force Base in Greenland.

“Seize the day, and put the least possible trust in tomorrow.” -- Horace

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Sunday, August 5, 2018

And another day, the day Trump admits to lying, collusion, and a coverup regarding the Russia investigation, comes to a close. Really, there’s not much else to say.

“Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.” -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

And yet you've done nothing but lie about it since the beginning.

The Day Trump Told Us There Was Attempted Collusion With Russia. “What do we do when a President has openly admitted to attempted collusion, lying, and a coverup?” We know what must be done. Will we do it?

He was on a roll today.

No, Trump did not Donate His Entire $400,000 Salary to Rebuild Military Cemeteries.

In less than 7 hours, 40 shot, 4 fatally as violence rips Chicago.

At least 82 people were killed when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's resort islands of Bali and Lombok.

Omega-3s are useless for you and terrible for the environment.

“We leave traces of ourselves wherever we go, on whatever we touch.” -- Lewis Thomas

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

And another day of insults, premeditated evil, and possible witness tampering comes to a close:

“Who’s the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages?” Don Lemon responding to Donald Trump.

Parents Were Targeted Under "Zero Tolerance," A New Analysis Of Immigration Data Finds. The Trump administration chose to prosecute parents with children over adults without kids, according to a new analysis of immigration data, in another sign that the "zero tolerance" policy was manipulated to target families at the border. It was always the plan. These are evil people in charge of our country.

Judge upholds ruling that DACA must be restored.

“Enemy of the people" is an incendiary phrase. It's been uttered by some of history's most vicious thugs — Robespierre, Goebbels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao — to vilify their opponents; who were often murdered.

Trump Insults LeBron James’ Intelligence After CNN Interview. And then tried to cover his racism by saying he liked Mike—a reference to Michael Jordan. Of course a white person can like watching a black person play a sport and still be a fucking racist.

Hope Hicks spotted boarding Air Force One. Can you say “witness tampering”? I knew you could.

Actor Steven Seagal appointed Russian ministry's 'special representative' to improve relations with the US. Jesus, the world we live in.

Mom says that before daughter died, paramedics asked whether she could afford $600 bill.

White Americans say they want diversity. But they don't always want it on their street.

The former head of South Carolina's Republican Party told police that he killed his mother's dog because God told him to, authorities say. Oh, it’s so easy to scapegoat a “god” for your crimes.

“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” -- Michael Jordan

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Friday, August 3, 2018

And another day of shirking responsibility for a mess they created, data showing college campuses aren’t what you may have thought, and the NRA might be running out of money all comes to a surprisingly quiet close:

“The future ain’t what it used to be.” -- Yogi Berra

Trump administration argues ACLU and various charities should carry burden of finding 410 migrant parents deported without their children, according to court papers. Seriously? You’re deflecting responsibility? Shocker, I know. Judge says otherwise.

Maria Butina, the Russian national charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of Russia within the US, interacted with a former Trump campaign aide in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Data sheds light on how Russian Twitter trolls targeted Canadians. Russian trolls sought to sow discord among Canadians with tweets about topics including asylum seekers, the Quebec City mosque shooting and the Keystone XL pipeline. All hot-button issues.

The NRA Says It’s in Deep Financial Trouble, May Be ‘Unable to Exist’...or ‘pursue its advocacy mission.’

Despite Strong Economy, Federal Deficit Soars. “Let me be 100 percent clear about one thing: The tax cuts are never going to pay for themselves," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Data shows a surprising campus free speech problem: left-wingers being fired for their opinions. We've been led to believe that college campuses are a dangerous place for conservatives, overrun by mobs of social justice warriors who would attack them for speaking their minds. The data suggests otherwise.

An Ohio judge ordered a defendant's mouth taped shut during a courtroom hearing, and a media outlet's video caught the scene of an officer duct-taping the man's face to silence him.

A Japanese medical school allegedly rigged exams to keep women out. One source claimed the alleged practice stemmed from a belief that female doctors would leave the profession to get married or give birth.

This School District Is Eliminating Snow Days And Replacing Them With Online Classes For Students. And some people aren’t happy about it.

Rat lungworm may be more common in U.S. than people think. People could become infected by the parasite by eating snails or vegetables out of home gardens, the CDC says.

“The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.” -- Hubert H. Humphrey

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

And another day of creeping fascism comes to a close:

“It is legal because I wish it.” -- Louis XIV

If Trump supporters liked facts, they wouldn’t be Trump supporters.

New York judge says the government was applying its "zero tolerance" policy toward illegal entry in a "thoughtless and cruel" manner. Except they did think it through. It’s just that this is what they wanted.

Worker charged with sexually molesting eight children at immigrant shelter, new records show.

Senators: Trump 'not paying attention' to Russian threats in 2018. “While the President has been inconsistent in his tweets, and some of the messaging that he's put on it, he's the only one in the government that hasn't been paying attention to this."

Trump national security team says Russia behind effort to meddle in U.S. elections.

Alleged Russian agent's infiltration of GOP circles anything but subtle.

Trump says Sessions should end Mueller investigation 'right now'. Hmmm. Obstructing justice?

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday refused to say the media is not the enemy of the people.

Acosta after clash with Sanders: White House has lost sight of the fact that media, Americans aren't enemies.

Donald Trump Jr. says the Democratic Party platform is similar to the Nazis'. Oh look, another Trump that, at best doesn’t know history, and at worst is lying to you to stoke your anger and fear.

Sanders claim about Osama bin Laden's phone use and journalists is untrue. In other words, she lied.

GOP Illinois state lawmaker allegedly used nude photos of ex-girlfriend to catfish men. It’s like the worst humans gravitate toward the GOP.

More Schools Are Buying ‘Active-Shooter’ Insurance Policies. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Texas school district where 10 died in shooting accepts donations of guns.

France outlaws sexual harassment on the streets after viral video of recent attack. French lawmakers approved a bill that outlaws cat-calling, allowing fines of as much as hundreds of dollars to be handed out on the spot to street harassers.

The leader of one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania has released a list identifying 71 priests, deacons and seminarians accused of "substantiated" sexual misconduct over the past seven decades.

Study: most wealthy countries aren’t religious. Then there’s the US. 55% of Americans say the pray daily. If true, then that’s a statistical anomaly.

Black man wears 'Caucasian' shirt to expose the hypocrisy of white privilege. And some white people missed the point. Shocking, I know. The shirt mimicked the logo for the Washington Redskins.

Apple becomes first-ever company valued at $1 trillion. A little math lesson: at one dollar per second (that’s $3600 an hour), 24 hours a day non-stop, it would take about 32,000 years to have $1 trillion. Yes, that’s 32,000 years.

Bacteria are learning to beat alcohol-based hand sanitizers too.

“Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.” -- Josh Billings

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

Until next time, my friends. Good night.

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.