We need more young nerds like Gabe. We need more adults like Gabe too. And we need far more kids like the little girl that flipped off that Info Wars Nazi.
I’m running late today. I overslept, and have more to share than I can fit in my normal two articles. Wendy thanks you for your support for her proud but empty nest syndrome.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:44 (average 4:35). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (GQ Channel): How the Pittsburgh Penguins Became Trump’s Political Pawns
Before I can say whether or not I agree with Keith, I need to know what the players’ position is here. If any wish to attend, given the clear statement that it implies no support of the Fuhrer and his deplorable ways, that must be their choice, even though I disagree. If any wish not to attend in protest against the Fuhrer and his deplorable ways, that must also be their choice. RESIST!!
From Exposed by CMD: A new study of registered voters in Dane and Milwaukee Counties who did not vote in the 2016 presidential election found that approximately 17,000-23,000 eligible voters in those counties were prevented or deterred from voting by Wisconsin’s voter ID law. Due to financial constraints, the social scientists were only able to do a study of two of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, but the authors say that extrapolating statewide as many as 45,000 people stayed home because of the law.
Donald Trump won the state of Wisconsin by only 22,000 votes, the first GOP presidential victory in the state since Ronald Regan in 1984. The shocking upset garnered national attention and helped deliver the electoral college to Trump as the popular vote went to Clinton.
Republicans plan to establish a permanent, fascist Republican Reich in which elections exist for show only, because Republicans would control who may vote, and who may not! RESIST!!
Here is the ninety-seventh article in our Republicans on Parade series, featuring individuals who personify what the Republican Party has become. Today’s honoree is Republican Senate Nominee Roy Moore. He is so honored for his proven Ammosexual, White Supremacist and Dominionist stances on virtually every issue.
Roy S. Moore, a firebrand former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, overcame efforts by top Republicans to rescue his rival, Senator Luther Strange, soundly defeating him on Tuesday in a special primary runoff.
The outcome in the closely watched Senate race dealt a humbling blow to President Trump and other party leaders days after the president pleaded with voters in the state to back Mr. Strange.
Propelled by the stalwart support of his fellow evangelical Christians, Mr. Moore survived an advertising onslaught of more than $10 million financed by allies of Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader. His victory demonstrated in stark terms the limits of Mr. Trump’s clout…
Since Trump abandoned Strange while appearing on his behalf and seemed so pleased that Moore won, I have to suspect that the only reason he supported Strange at all was because Bought Bitch Mitch didn’t want another Senator he can’t control.
I owe you all an apology for never having put Moore on parade before. He combines all the worst traits of Trump and Pence, making him a most representative Republican, who certainly deserves his parade. If he wins in December, Ted "Uranus" Cruz will no longer be the most insane Republican in the Senate.
With 85° forecast, I expect a high near 90°, but after tomorrow, several cool days will follow. Store to Door delivered my groceries, and I just finished lunch, after putting them away. Fantasy football players, set your lineup by tomorrow evening. Wendy is now returning from Seattle, where she took her son to the airport. He is spending a year in Spain, as an ESL teacher. I am very sticky and ready for my shower. I figure she’ll need a hug, because, as proud as she is that her chick is leaving the nest, she’s still a mother hen.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:37 (average 5:14). To do it, click here. How did you do.
Monday’s national outcry against the Fuhrer’s criminal inaction prompted his handlers to send a hospital ship and other tokens of relief, but way short of the need. We need to deploy thousands of US troops to establish communications, rescue and evacuate those who need it, allocate and direct resources to where they are most needed, and keep order. RESIST!!
The racist Republican War on Voting Rights must be opposed. RESIST!!
From The New Yorker: Saddened and more than a little wistful, Senate Republicans acknowledged on Tuesday that their long-standing dream of keeping poor people from living longer was at its end.
Choking back tears, Senator Lindsey Graham admitted that his crusade to halt the longevity of the poor had turned out to be a quixotic one at best.
“We made a solemn promise to the American people that we would do everything in our power to keep the poor from living so darn long,” he said, his voice quavering. “We didn’t get it done.”
Andy is reporting straight news again. That bill was a death panel on steroids. RESIST!!
I find myself in the highly unusual situation in that I am on the same side of an issue as Paul Manafart, who is currently in Iraq, lobbying for Kurdish independence. However, there is a difference. Manafart believes what he’s paid to believe. I decided that I supported partitioning Iraq, shortly GW ChickenHawk, attacked that nation in his Republican war for oil and profit. Republicans gave us no oil. Republicans gave us no profit. What Republicans did give us is ISIL.
As jubilant Iraqi Kurds celebrated their vote Monday on independence from Iraq, shooting off fireworks and parading in cars festooned with Kurdish flags late into the night, their neighbors conducted military exercises on the region’s borders, raising the threat of military intervention if it secedes.
The vote played out on a historic day for several million Kurds in northern Iraq, and was a pivotal moment in the Kurdish dream of a politically independent state.
While officials said the vote would not be tabulated until at least Tuesday, it was expected to be overwhelmingly in favor of independence for Iraqi Kurdistan, the semiautonomous region in northern Iraq.
Despite the celebrations, the vote may come at a steep political cost to the Kurds.
It proved highly provocative for Turkey, Iran and Iraq, whose responses are likely to roil the region in the coming days, stirring the very turmoil that the United States hoped to avoid when it pressured the Kurds to call off the vote.
The White House has warned that a Kurdish move toward independence could set off ethnic conflict, and that it could fracture Iraq and undermine the American-led coalition against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. “We hope for a unified Iraq to annihilate ISIS, and certainly a unified Iraq to push back on Iran,” the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said Monday.
The vote has strained Iraqi Kurdistan’s relations with the United States, which relies heavily on Kurdish fighters to assist the American-led coalition against Islamic State militants. The region, which is landlocked, is vulnerable to growing threats of sanctions along its borders…
One reasons I have supported partition is that Iraq is an artificial country, created by Western powers in the aftermath of WWI. It is made made up of three mutually hostile factions. Forced together, there will be no lasting peace between them. Another is that for years the Kurds were oppressed by the Sunni, and barring independence, they face oppression by the Shia. Finally, I believe in the rights of all peoples to self-determination.
I fully believe that, if the US does not oppose them, they will support us against ISIL, as it is in their self-interest to do so.
The sun has returned, and it hit the wall this morning, so I had to button up and turn on the AC again. Starting tomorrow, we have a two day heat wave, but a couple 85° days is a lot more bearable than a couple weeks at or near 100°. I tried a Quicken replacement. It screwed the pooch.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:07 (average 4:34). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Fantasy Football Report:
Here’s the latest from our own fantasy football league, Lefty Blog Friends.
Scores:
Can anyone spare some Vaseline?
Standings:
Congrats to Pam for leading the league. And look at Wendy go! Also, congrats to our beloved Sasquatch for getting some underfooting. I’m speeding toward her.
I could not have said it better. In a wheelchair, nobody asks me to stand anymore, but I would put my hand on a shoulder, or if I had someone to help me back up, I would take a knee. RESIST!!
From The Rachel Maddow Show: Trump dangerous bellicosity raises nuclear war risk with N. Korea
Joe Cirincione, MSNBC nuclear security analyst, talks with Rachel Maddow about how Donald Trump’s insult-comic threats against North Korea have only escalated the threat of war with North Korea.
We are closer to nuclear war than we have been at any time since the Cuban Missile Crisis, because the greater idiot took a break from tweets applauding Nazis and tweets demeaning women to provoke the lesser idiot. RESIST!!
So, at face value, a tweet he published on Sept. 20 probably wasn’t all that surprising.
"This gender morphing is really getting absurd," Bernardi said, linking to a story about a school in South Australia holding a "Wear a Dress Day."
The first problem with Bernardi’s tweet is that it’s wildly transphobic. The second problem is that it … sort of totally missed the whole point of what "Wear a Dress Day" actually is.
"Wear a Dress Day" has nothing to do with any sort of LGBTQ awareness campaign like Bernardi’s tweet suggests. It’s about girls’ education.
Student leaders at Craigburn Primary School near Adelaide had chosen to support One Girl’s Do It in a Dress campaign on their last day of term — a day in which students are typically allowed to wear casual clothes to class.
Students who want to wear casual clothing can certainly still do so. But, in recognition of the campaign, students of all genders are also allowed to wear dresses — only if they wish to do so — to boost awareness of girls’ lack of access to education globally, a blog post by the school points out.
Condolences to my Oz friends, because you clearly have Republicans on your side of the world too. RESIST!!
I and others have said that it’s not enough to oppose Putin’s Puppet and his Republican Reich. We must also present a solid program of ideas to meet the needs of the American people. A group of progressive Democrats has done exactly that. In fact, I think Freya was involved in this, and I’m sure she’ll let us know. Summer for Progress has collected The People’s Platform.
Applauding Democratic members of the U.S. House for their support of a slate of bold and progressive bills, a coalition that mobilized a grassroots campaign is calling their "Summer for Progress" a success in terms of pushing an agenda that goes beyond simply saying "no" to the agenda of President Donald Trump and the Republicans who control Congress.
"Our leaders need to stand up for everyday Americans by addressing a platform that speaks to their immediate needs. We know that there are more Members in the House who support raising the minimum wage, combatting climate change, and taxing Wall Street. While the summer is over, our work to get all Democratic Members to sign onto these bills will continue."
—Shannon Jackson, Our Revolution
Releasing a scorecard of congressional "champions" on Friday, the groups behind the "People’s Platform" summer lobbying effort—including Our Revolution, Food & Water Watch, and Progressive Democrats for America—said the 25 lawmakers highlighted, all Democrats, should be commended for co-signing legislation designed to "directly address the needs of working and middle class families." See if your congressperson made the cut here.
Members of Congress, said Mark Schlosberg, organizing co-director for Food & Water Watch/ Food & Water Action Fund, "must do more than just resist Trump’s reactionary agenda."
As part of their months-long organizing drive, backers of the People’s Platform declared their support for transformative policies contained in specific pieces of legislation that already exist. Local groups met with nearly two dozen lawmakers and held more than 100 petition delivery events in district offices…
Here are the issues and corresponding Bills in the People’s Platform
Health Care for All: H.R. 676 Medicare For All Act, introduced by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich).
College for All: H.R. 1880 College for All Act of 2017, introduced by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
Workers’ Rights: H.R.15 – Raise the Wage Act, introduced by Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Keith Ellison (D-MN).
Women’s Reproductive Rights: H.R.771 – Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2017, introduced by Rep. Lee, Barbara (D-CA).
Voting Rights: H.R.2840 – Automatic Voter Registration Act, introduced by Rep. Cicilline, David N. (D-RI).
Criminal Justice and Immigrant Rights: Justice is Not For Sale Act of 2017, introduced by Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
Tax on Wall Street: H.R. 1144 – Inclusive Prosperity Act, introduced by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN).
Protecting the Environment: H.R. 2242 – Keep It in the Ground Act, introduced by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA)
Unfortunately, only four US Representatives have signed onto all eight. My Representative, Earl Blumenauer is one of them. Oregon also leads the way, in that Senator Jeff Merkley is deeply involved in the Keep It in the Ground Act.
I fully support The People’s Platform and urge you to contact your Rep and Senators to encourage them to support it.
I have another busy day. My interface with my banks via Quicken is not working properly. I have hated that program for years. Is anyone using a good Quicken alternative for PC?
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:03 (average 4:57). To do it, click here. How did you do?
The writers sure understand Republican tax policy, but they made one major mistake. Because they had the idea, we can expect to see overpriced Trump Vodka on the shelves, as soon as Chinese factories can mass produce it. RESIST!!
From US Magazine: As previously reported, McCain, 81, was diagnosed with cancer during the summer. "Sen. John McCain underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix," a statement from his family and the Mayo Clinic read on July 14. "Subsequent tissue pathology revealed that a primary brain tumor known as a glioblastoma was associated with the blood clot."
The Arizona senator underwent surgery in July for the brain tumor and has completed his first round of chemotherapy treatment. He told CBS that he asked doctors to "tell it to me straight" when they updated him on his condition.
"As you know, doctors are interesting," he said on 60 Minutes. "Some say 3 percent, some say 14 percent. You know it’s — it’s a very poor prognosis. So I just said, ‘I understand. Now we’re going to do what we can, get the best doctors we can find and do the best we can, and at the same time celebrate with gratitude a life well lived.’"
I think the time has come to retire the nickname, McConJob, which I gave McCain, at the time he abandoned most of his ethical principles, as required to win the Republican nomination for President. Thank you, Senator McCain, for refusing to goose-step with the Reich and opposing RepubliCare. Thoughts and prayers to you and yours. RESIST!!
From Media Matters: The Associated Press (AP) just published a report that looked at the first few weeks of Media Matters’ Stop Hannity effort and discussed the effect it’s having on Sean Hannity’s advertisers.
In August, Media Matters launched a Stop Hannity advertiser education effort. Hannity isn’t just a partisan talking head with a television show. He’s a full-blown propagandist and has been exposed for actively coordinating with the Trump administration to promote President Donald Trump’s interests, even if that means lying to his own audience. Hannity aggressively promoted the conspiracy theory about the murder of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich — which happened to help deflect attention from a negative storyline about Trump — even after Fox had retracted its own story…
…Media Matters said some dozen advertisers have told the organization they will not purchase commercials in Hannity’s show in the future; some have current contracts and are staying put until those commitments are completed.
That’s a start. Tell Hannity’s advertisers that, as long as they support him, you won’t support them. For the advertiser list, click here. RESIST!!
Roy S. Moore, a firebrand former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, overcame efforts by top Republicans to rescue his rival, Senator Luther Strange, soundly 
