Please Pardon my brevity. I want to finish in time for a nap before it’s time to go prison. I won’t return until late tonight, so please expect no more than a Personal Update tomorrow.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:01 (average 5:12). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Me: Our Next First Lady
Since yesterday, I showed you what kind of nekkid first lady Rump Dump would bring to the White House, it’s only fair that I do the same for Hillary.
From Daily Kos: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals began hearing a case Tuesday on the legality of the Texas voter ID law. It’s viewed as the most restrictive such law in the nation and the circuit court’s ruling could have impacts well beyond the Lone Star state…
…To prove how twisted it is: If all you have is a college student ID, that’s not acceptable for voting. But if you’re a college student with a gun permit, they will happily give the nod to that and let you cast your ballot.
So for voting in Texas, having a gun is more important than having a brain.
From NY Times: A bitter divide over the Middle East could threaten Democratic Party unity as representatives of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont vowed to upend what they see as the party’s lopsided support of Israel.
Two of the senator’s appointees to the party’s platform drafting committee, Cornel West and James Zogby, on Wednesday denounced Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and said they believed that rank-and-file Democrats no longer hewed to the party’s staunch support of the Israeli government. They said they would try to get their views incorporated into the platform, the party’s statement of core beliefs, at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has been relatively quiet this campaign season. I suspect she thought she could do more to promote progressive positions by remaining neutral on the Democratic side. That disappointed me, because Jeff Merkley (D-OR) could sure use some company! But since Rump Dump Trump became the presumptive Republican Nominee, Liz has been all over him,.
Elizabeth Warren continues to carry her torch for the Democratic Party as both a Massachusetts senator and party super delegate. After engaging in a brutal Twitter war with the Republican “presumptive nominee” Warren is taking on the Republican billionaire every chance she gets.
“Donald Trump was drooling over the idea of a housing meltdown because it meant he could buy up a bunch more property on the cheap,” Warren said Tuesday night at a Washington, D.C., gala for the Center for Popular Democracy.
“What kind of a man does that?” Warren asked rhetorically. “Root for people to get thrown out on the street? Root for people to lose their jobs? Root for people to lose their pensions? Root for two little girls in Clark County, Nevada, to end up living in a van?”
Progressive Warren warned the crowd that Trump’s economic policies would not only make America less great—they would throw the country into a recession…
I’m running late, because Julie was here. I invited her to lunch after our session. I’m fluffed, buffed and stuffed. Both she and killer dawg like γέεννα chili. Tomorrow, i should have time to post, before my volunteer session at OSP. It’s an annual banquet for the second half (> 50) of my guys. However, I will probably have only an Personal Update on Friday.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 5::25 (average 5:58). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Well there you have it… He thinks he is King of the World and she poses like she in an auditon for a James Bond movie. The NRA endorsed Trump.. HA. totally classless and they call themselves conservative. Hypocritical right wing trashed our First Lady because she bared her arms differently.
That’s nothing. It took me 30 seconds to Google this one.
Typical Republican family values.
From Bloomberg: House Speaker Paul Ryan has begun telling confidants that he wants to end his standoff with Donald Trump in part because he’s worried the split has sharpened divisions in the Republican Party, according to two people close to the lawmaker.
Ryan aides say nothing has been decided about a possible Trump endorsement. But Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, told a small group of Republican lawmakers Thursday that he expects Ryan to endorse the party’s nominee as early as this week, according to two people in the meeting.
If Ryan were to endorse Trump, the move would end a nearly unprecedented standoff between the House speaker and his party’s presumptive presidential nominee, and remove the biggest remaining obstacle to Trump’s efforts to unite Republicans around his campaign.
What can I say? Lyin’ Ryan and Rump Dump are a match made in hell.
From YouTube: Progressive platform wins big in DNC
The 2016 primary season is almost over, and looking back, my most honest reaction is to scratch my head and say ‘WTF?!!?’. When it’s over, both parties will have chosen the worst presidential nominees in my lifetime. That said, the presumed Republican nominee is so much worse than the Democratic, that electing her is imperative for the survival of this nation, and perhaps this earth. John Oliver satirizes ten ways in which the system is broken.
Presidential primaries and caucuses are, according to comedian and explainer John Oliver, “the electoral foreplay that we’ve been engaging in since February which will culminate in the mass ball ejaculations of this summer’s convention.”
He does have a way with words.
"Both parties nearly have their nominee and it looks like the two parties will be choosing between Donald Trump, America’s walking, talking brushfire and Hillary Clinton — the woman who exhibits either too much or too little of every human quality depending on who you ask," Oliver stated. But there’s still a lot that can be improved in our primary and caucus processes.
Oliver explained in one of his more brilliant and clearminded rants:
1. It’s possible for winners to take fewer delegates.
In the Wyoming Democratic Caucus Bernie Sanders won Wyoming but took only 7 delegates to Clinton’s 11. And in Louisiana, when Trump beat Cruz by 3%, “he was upset to find out that Cruz could potentially get as many as 10 more delegates.”
“We have voting booths for the same reason that Friendly’s has restaurant booth – so that we can have relative privacy while we choose from a deeply unappetizing menu," Oliver said.
That’s the first of ten. Either watch the video or click through for the other nine.
Not only is he funny, but also, he’s spot on.
However, I do have to say that the Republican Party deserves Rump Dump Trump. Starting in the seventies, they have courted, embraced, and provided a platform for an ever-widening assortment of people who hate one group or another, and who endorse violence. They thought they could control those people, but this time, in their lust for individual power, they fielded seventeen serious presidential candidates. The most extreme hate mongers all rallied around Rump Dump, and to a lesser extent, TRUS pervert Cruz. The rest split about half the electoral pie fifteen way, and none survived.
I had a rough night last night. I was awakened by an intermittent sharp stabbing pain in my left ankle, and it remains. What make it particularly difficult, besides ruining my night’s sleep and my morning nap, is that my left ankle is made of titanium and is about three feet away from me. On the plus side, I called my medical equipment company and told them to come pick up my O2 tanks and concentrator, because my Pulmonologist told me that he doesn’t think I need them anymore. I really needed that good news. My turn for some was overdue.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:51 (average 4:45). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Think Progress: Climate education in Oregon just took a big step forward.
Last week, the Portland Public Schools board voted to eliminate the use of any textbooks or other materials that are “found to express doubt about the severity of the climate crisis or its root in human activities.”
“A lot of the text materials are kind of thick with the language of doubt, and obviously the science says otherwise,” Bill Bigelow, a former Portland public school teacher, told the Portland Tribune. “We don’t want kids in Portland learning material courtesy of the fossil fuel industry.”
In his testimony to the board, Bigelow quoted from the book Physical Science, published by Pearson.
“‘Carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles, power plants and other sources, may contribute to global warming,’” he read. “This is a section that could be written by the Exxon public relations group and it’s being taught in Portland schools.”
Other books have also been found to cast doubt on climate science: A review of sixth-grade textbooks in California, for instance, found that the books “framed climate change as uncertain in the scientific community — both about whether it is occurring as well as about its human-causation.”
No doubt the problem of Republican skience replacing science in many of our nation’s textbooks stems from the influence Texas exerts on the publishers. Kudos to the Portland School Board. Oregon leads the way!
From American Bridge PAC: Donald Trump Profited From Companies He Blasted For Outsourcing
Barf Bag Alert!!
Rump Dump Trump remains Republican in all the ways that count. What he says bears no relationship to what he does.
From NY Times: Palestinians, settlements and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rendered him effectively unwelcome in Washington and toxic to Palestinians. Yet to shore up his coalition in the Israeli Parliament, Mr. Netanyahu has now offered Mr. Lieberman the office of minister of defense — widely considered to be the second most powerful position in the Israeli government, with a critical role in dealing with the United States and the Palestinians.
Mr. Netanyahu may think his political needs are more important than relations with the soon-to-end Obama administration, relations that are already severely strained by the nuclear agreement with Iran. But the administration had at least established a working relationship with Moshe Yaalon, the tough but pragmatic defense minister who resigned once the offer to Mr. Lieberman became known. The timing of this changing of the guard is particularly sensitive because a critical 10-year defense agreement establishing new levels of American military aid for Israel is in the final stages of negotiations.
All US military aid to Israel should be suspended, as long as Bibi the Butcher continues to slaughter Palestinians, while ignoring Israel’s treaty obligation to pursue a two-state solution.
I have stayed true to my promise to be good to myself and I have been relaxing this Victoria Day long weekend. The sinusitus is definitely almost gone! Woo Hoo!!! It has been cloudy today with temperatures around 14 C (58 F) and intermittent rain. This week is another busy one so I'll have to remind myself not to do anything stupid to re-aggravate the sinusitis. The babies have been napping around me all day, but as soon as I announce "bikkies", they will be fully awake and running downstairs to their food dish. I can smell my neighbour's bar-be-que, probably fired up for steaks, which is making me hungry. Chicken and salad for me tonight. Enjoy the rest of your week.
Short Takes
Daily Beast — Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe is reportedly under investigation by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for $120,000 worth of campaign donations from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang. …
Wang, the individual at the center of the investigation, also contributed $2 million to the Clinton Foundation. The investigation is ongoing.
This investigation along with the SCOTUS decision on gerrymandering in Virginia has brought Virginia into the fore. It will be interesting to see what happens with the DOJ investigation and how it impacts Democrats in this federal election year. Also of concern is the perceived influence of Wang Wenliang, a Chinese businessman, on Hillary Clinton with his contribution to the Clinton Foundation. I hope this does not turn normally blue voters away from the polls in November.
NYTimes — Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees on Wednesday as part of an effort to quell concerns that he would not select conservative jurists.
The unusual move comes as Mr. Trump is looking to unify the Republican Party behind him and win over critics who remain skeptical about his candidacy. While some Republicans who oppose Mr. Trump have considered supporting Hillary Clinton or sitting out the election, he has regularly reminded them that the future of the Supreme Court is at stake. …
… but Mr. Trump has previously said that he was seeking guidance from conservative groups such as the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation.
Mr. Trump’s selections consisted of six federal appeals court judges appointed by President George W. Bush and five state supreme court justices appointed by Republican governors. All are white, and eight of the 11 are men.
"All are white, and eight of the 11 are men." Indeed, the future of the Supreme Court is at stake. A decidedly conservative court would affect generations to come, and not in a positive way. Along with a Republican White House and Congress, the US will regress socially and economically.
Politico — … President Barack Obama on Monday signed the dissolution of the nearly 50-year embargo on selling arms to Vietnam, ending one of the last vestiges of the Vietnam War.
But what Obama had to say and do about open democracy here was as sparse as the turnout in polling places here just hours before Air Force One landed — despite, of course, government numbers putting nationwide turnout for the National Assembly elections at 98.77 percent.
Suspicious election results don’t usually come together with presidential visits, especially within hours, and especially when the president is arriving with a huge and much desired gift in the form of opening up arms trade.
Hanoi had been pushing Washington for years, as both a point of pride and out of desire for American weapons. The change is potentially huge for American interests, empowering pro-Western forces internally and sending a very charged signal to China, long Vietnam's regional adversary. …
"I made it clear that the United States does not seek to impose our form of government on Vietnam or any nation … at the same time, we will continue to speak out on human rights.”
It seems that there is a contradiction here . . . selling weapons to Vietnam while at the same time speaking out about human rights. In a time when the world should be coming together, weapons only serve to divide and destroy. And the US, like all countries, has troubles with its own human rights record.
ThinkProgress — Donald Trump vowed to get rid of “gun free zones” during the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Louisville Friday, going a step further than his frequent promise to allow guns in schools and military bases.
Despite the fact that many Trump hotels and the convention center where he spoke on Friday are all gun-free zones, the presumptive nominee said he went off his telepromter to promise the NRA members in attendance that he would eliminate gun-free zones altogether. Trump also earned the NRA’s endorsement at the event.
“The Second Amendment is under a threat like never before,” Trump said, repeating the NRA leadership’s claim that Hillary Clinton will dismantle the Second Amendment. …
This is the most basic human right of all, and Hillary Clinton wants to strip it away,” Trump said. “I’m going to guarantee that law-abiding citizens have the right to self defense, 100 percent.”
Amazing how many times Trump flip-flops on his positions . . . pro choice now pro life; pro gun-free zones now eliminate gun-free zones; irreligious now religious; and there are more. Trump is an opportunist, changing his stance to suit his goal of becoming POTUS. I believe the expression is "whatever it takes" or the end justifies the means".
CBC — "I want to be out. I want, want, want, want — please God! — let us be out."
This is Yvonne Stevens, a local councillor for the U.K. Independence Party or UKIP. Its roots date back to the 1990s and British opposition to the signing of the Maastricht Treaty enshrining key tenets of European integration.
It's also a party that's played heavily on anti-immigrant sentiment, and immigration is one of the key issues motivating those who want Britain to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23. Stevens is no exception.
"Let's say, 'No, let's stop,'" says Stevens, referring to unfettered immigration of EU citizens entitled to live and work in any EU country of their choosing.
The discussion of UK membership in the EU is known as "Brexit". Whether the UK stays within the EU or opts out, there will be global repercussions. In another CBCreport, Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has urged the UK to remain within the EU. He said
"More unity is a path toward greater prosperity. We have a great relationship with a strong and united Europe and certainly hope that that continues," Trudeau said in an interview with Reuters. "Britain is always going to have clout, it's just obviously amplified by its strength as part of the EU."
You can read a short history of the UK's participation in the EU at "Brexit".
I’m about to leave for my appointment with my pulmonologist. It’s routine, and I already know the CAT Scan was favorable. The CAT knows!! Thursday is probably my last prison-volunteer day until October. Then, after Memorial Day, medical mayhem kicks in again. Hugs!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:10 (average 5:16). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Almost every week, Republicans join a competition to see who can say the most outlandish things, and in the process, they push the envelope on just how awful InsaniTEA can become. I trust that you will believe it, when I tell you that last week was no exception.
Stuart Varney is so happy about that plane crash.
For Stuart Varney, the more plane crashes the better. Plane crashes are good for Donald Trump. They get people scared, and they also kill people, and that is just great.
Fox and Friends invited Fox Business' Stuart Varney [Faux Business Noise delinked] on to discuss the crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 and how it would affect the stock market, which is already cold-blooded enough. But Varney made his craven indifference to human life even more apparent by casting the tragedy in terms of what it does for Donald Trump’s potential presidency.
“I also think this may be good politically for Donald Trump,” Varney said, first commending the presumed GOP nominee for irresponsibly declaring the crash the work of terrorists before anything at all was known about it.
“He’s already tweeted out saying this is probably terrorism. I believe that's the nature of his tweet. He’s the guy who is saying, hands off, keep Muslims out temporarily whilst we figure out who comes in. An incident of this type is surely a plus for Donald Trump.”
Does he hear the words as they issue from his mouth?
If it actually was terrorism, Rump Dump Trump made a lucky call, aside from how dangerous such purely speculative guesses are. Varney's Trump Rump licking is only the fourth of six awful Republican moments listed for last week alone. Click through for the other five.
Elizabeth Warren continues to carry her torch for the Democratic Party as both a Massachusetts senator and party super delegate. After engaging in a brutal Twitter war with the Republican “presumptive nominee” Warren is taking on the Republican billionaire every chance she gets.
Thursday is probably my last prison-volunteer day until October. Then, after Memorial Day, medical mayhem kicks in again. Hugs!!
