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Monday, July 31, 2017

Deadline - 'This Was The President’s Decision'

Inside

Axios: Inside Mooch's firing

Circus Clowns

NY Times: Trump Removes Anthony Scaramucci From Communications Director Role By MAGGIE HABERMAN, MICHAEL D. SHEAR and GLENN THRUSH

Circus Act

The Daily Beast: Trump Screws The Mooch: Scaramucci Out as White House Communications Director - It wasn't the longest tenure of all time. But Anthony Scaramucci's run as White House Comms Director certainly was memorable. by Lachlan Markay, Asawin Suebsaeng

Tweet Tweet

Salon: Is this Trump’s worst-ever Twitter move? Threatening Congress could become an epic disaster - In a new tweet-burst, Trump threatens to cut off health care for Congress and staffers. Let's see how that works! by Bob Cesca

The Onion - Woman Bids Farewell To Former Self Before Beginning New Skin Care Regimen

The Onion: Woman Bids Farewell To Former Self Before Beginning New Skin Care Regimen

Green Tea

Science Daily: Green tea ingredient may ameliorate memory impairment, brain insulin resistance, and obesity - New research identifies potential therapeutic intervention for memory impairment, neuroinflammation, and brain insulin resistance induced by high-fat, high-fructose diet
summary - A new study involving mice, suggests that EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), the most abundant catechin and biologically active component in green tea, could alleviate high-fat and high-fructose (HFFD)-induced insulin resistance and cognitive impairment.

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Fumiko Toda

Morning Joe - Mika Asks, What Will This Week Have In Store?

Morning Joe - Echoes Of Nixon In Trump's Hiring Of Kelly

Reshuffle

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump continues frantically reshuffling his advisers like deck chairs on the Titanic

Circa

Guardian UK: Forget Breitbart: the White House has a new favorite rightwing media outlet - Circa, a video-heavy site aimed at viewers in their teens and 20s, has attracted attention from other outlets for a series of scoops on the Russian investigation
On Thursday night, the MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow examined the way the story played into the administration’s “counter-narrative”. Calling Circa a “pro-Trump conservative media outlet”, she said Sinclair was “emerging as kind of a successor to Breitbart News”.

Kleptocracy

Guardian UK: Trump makes US seem a 'kleptocracy', says ex-ethics chief Walter Shaub - Shaub, who quit job at head of Office of Government Ethics this month, describes ‘embarrassment’ of Trump’s business ties as president
“We can’t know whether his decisions are motivated by his policy aims or his financial interests,” he said, “and that uncertainty alone creates the problem because, whatever his intent, people having to ask undermines the faith in governmental decision-making and puts a cloud over everything the government does.”

Paul Krugman's Latest

NY Times: Who Ate Republicans’ Brains? by Paul Krugman
When they finally got their chance at repeal, the contrast between what they had promised and their actual proposals produced widespread and justified public revulsion.

Charles M. Blow's Latest

NY Times: Satan in a Sunday Hat by Charles M. Blow
This White House is now a jungle of wild accusations, out-of-control egos, lurking bigotry, and slithering strivers

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 68 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with temperatures in the high 80s this afternoon. Looks like we are in for a warm stretch of the summer.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +58 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

  Watching MSNBC as I type, the continued overall sense of disbelief with the Trump Administration is blaring off the screen. It's all about the quality of the person at the top.

CNN: Takeover talk; Watching Venezuela; Earnings season rolls on by Alanna Petroff

Friday, July 28, 2017

Have An Excellent Weekend

  Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by Paul Sérusier

Who Names Their Kid Reince

NY Times: Reince Priebus Pushed Out After Rocky Tenure as Trump Chief of Staff By PETER BAKER and MAGGIE HABERMAN

Protect

NY Times: Sally Yates: Protect the Justice Department From President Trump By SALLY Q. YATES

Please Oh Please

Salon: Will Trump use the August recess to fire Sessions and Mueller? It might be the best thing he could do for the country - If Trump fires both his attorney general and the special counsel before summer's end, it could end his presidency by Bob Cesca

The Onion - Officials Warn Consumers Of Counterfeit Tickets Ahead Of Solar Eclipse

The Onion: Officials Warn Consumers Of Counterfeit Tickets Ahead Of Solar Eclipse

Baby Stars

Science Daily: A tale of three stellar cities: Three different populations of baby stars
summary - Using new observations from ESO's VLT Survey Telescope, astronomers have discovered three different populations of baby stars within the Orion Nebula Cluster. This unexpected discovery adds very valuable new insights for the understanding of how such clusters form. It suggests that star formation might proceeds in bursts, where each burst occurs on a much faster time-scale than previously thought.

Over

AOL News: Political insider claims Trump's presidency is 'effectively over'

Have An Excellent Friday

work by Stasia Burrington

Rachel Maddow - GOP Deploys Counter Narrative Amid Continued Trump Disgrace

Morning Joe - Mika, A Lot Of Failures On This Failure Friday

Save

The Palmer Report: John McCain just saved ObamaCare. There must be a glitch in the matrix.

On Trump's Head

Guardian UK: Trump immigration plans risk more incidents like Texas deaths, experts say - After deaths in a hot truck and drownings in the Rio Grande, border security experts warn migrants likely to take increasingly dangerous routes into US

McCain Comes Through

Guardian UK: John McCain sinks 'skinny repeal' of Obamacare health act - Arizona senator, whose war record Trump mocked, deals major blow to president’s agenda in dramatic late-night vote

Takeaways

NY Times: 5 Takeaways From the Failed Senate Effort to Repeal Obamacare By THOMAS KAPLAN

Rejected

NY Times: Senate Rejects Slimmed-Down Obamacare Repeal as McCain Votes No By ROBERT PEAR and THOMAS KAPLAN

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is 68 degrees and cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a partly cloudy day, maybe some sunshine, with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. Looks like we are in for an excellent sunny warm weekend.

  At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -37 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

  Skinny repeal goes down in flames, and thank GOD for that! All this winning, I can't stand all this winning. What B.S.!

CNN: U.S. economy accelerated during first full Trump quarter by Matt Egan

Thursday, July 27, 2017

War

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump and Senate Republicans erupt in civil war and threaten to destroy each other

Artist's Rendering


ITMFA

Elite Daily: Republican Senator Basically Warns President Trump About Impeachment

Either Or


Lawrence O'Donnell - How Trump Finally Went Too Far, Even For GOP Senators

Eats First

The Atlantic: Donald Trump Eats First - Even prominent right-wing populists are beginning to worry that they invested their faith in an unstable leader. by Conor Friedersdorf

Sign Of The Trump Times

Pro Publica: Amid the Blaring Headlines, Routine Reports of Hate-Fueled Violence - Documenting Hate’s catalogue of incidents captures the seeming ordinariness of many of them. by Joe Sexton

Fascist Thug

Salon: Donald Trump threatens to punish Alaska to get back at Lisa Murkowski because of health care - Donald Trump sent his interior secretary to make a pointed threat against Lisa Murkowski over her health care vote by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Sullen Jeff Sessions Scrolls Through Minority Incarceration Statistics To Cheer Self Up

The Onion: Sullen Jeff Sessions Scrolls Through Minority Incarceration Statistics To Cheer Self Up

Young Galaxies

Science Daily: Dawn of the cosmos: Seeing galaxies that appeared soon after the Big Bang
Astronomers have discovered 23 young galaxies, seen as they were 800 million years after the Big Bang.

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Stasia Burrington

Morning Joe - Don't Underestimate Trump's Raw Power, Says Legal Scholar

Chaos

The Palmer Report: Total Trump chaos: Anthony Scaramucci asks FBI and DOJ to open felony investigation into Reince Priebus

Morgana

Guardian UK: From suburban housewife to porn star at 52: the emancipation of Morgana - Suffering from depression at the end of an unhappy marriage, Morgana Muses found a new lease on life by making body-positive, anti-ageist BDSM films

Antibiotics

Guardian UK: Rule that patients must finish antibiotics course is wrong, study says - Experts suggest patients should stop taking the drugs when they feel better rather than completing their prescription

Grab Your Popcorn

NY Times: Allies Warn Trump of Conservative Revolt Unless He Backs Off Sessions By PETER BAKER and JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Care Less

NY Times: John McCain Gets Best Care, Then Votes to Deprive Others

35%

  How can it possibly be this high?

CBS News: Trump approval rating dips to 35 percent, new poll finds

The Market On Thursday

  Looks like rain today.

  At 10:15 a.m. ET the DOW is up +58 and the price of oil per barrel is flat. The market is forging ahead.

  Skinny repeal? It's called b.s.

CNN: Boeing shares jump nearly 10% to record high by Jon Ostrower

Late On Thursday

I will be running late on Thursday morning. Back around 10 a.m. ET.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Reflect

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn writes -
“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

Farenthold

  Texas GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold, who challenged Senator Susan Collins of Maine to a duel over her no vote on Trumpcare, "wearing duck-print pajamas and standing next to a lingerie model."

  What a guy...

Mobsters

  Trump's really dirty business is coming forward in a mass media way.

NBC News: DOJ: Ex-Manafort Associate Firtash Is Top-Tier Comrade of Russian Mobsters by Tom Winter

Trump Fails

Vox: The latest vote to repeal Obamacare fails in the Senate - But the debate lives on.

Greetings


Their New Cover


Costly

The Atlantic: The Cost of Banning Transgender Service Members - Exclusion leaves the military weaker and the country more divided. by James Hamblin

Colbert - Our President Needs The Validation Of Boy Scouts

Digby's Latest

Salon: Donald Trump turns on Jeff Sessions — and the far right finally begins to see the president they elected - Now that Trump is tormenting his most loyal follower on a daily basis, others around him can only wonder who's next by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Fish Species Not Seen Since 1960s Thinks It Can Waltz Back Into Marine Biologist’s Life Just Like That

The Onion: Fish Species Not Seen Since 1960s Thinks It Can Waltz Back Into Marine Biologist’s Life Just Like That

Solar

Science Daily: Solar scientists rough up silicon panels to boost light capture
summary - Scientists enhance conversion efficiency of crystalline Si solar cells by effectively preventing reflection loss, passivating a submicron silicon structure, and adding a rough nanoscale surface texture using simple and inexpensive processes.

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by August Herbin

Brian Williams - Watergate Prosecutor, Trump 'Has No Regard For The Rule Of Law'

Morning Joe - What Trump risks If He Fires Sessions

Block

The Palmer Report: Thanks to Donald Trump’s big mouth, Democrats have figured out how to block his Attorney General recess appointment

DeVos

Guardian UK: Betsy DeVos: Trump's illiberal ally seen as most dangerous education chief ever - The 59-year-old billionaire is said to be the spearhead of Trump’s agenda, and alarm is growing at her plans for privatization – and her erosion of civil rights

Backwards We Go

Guardian UK: Trump says US military will not allow transgender people to serve - The president tweeted that the military ‘cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption’ of having transgender members

Dominating Trump

NY Times: Donald Trump’s Dominatrix by Frank Bruni
But the other half of that equation is Clinton, and it’s just as remarkable that more than eight months after Election Day, Trump is still hauling his vanquished opponent out for public ridicule and marching her toward the stockade.

Watch

  The GOP regards the replacement of Obamacare as an opportunity to cut medicare and to give tax breaks to the rich. The GOP is the party that works for the benefit of the rich. From that point of view, it is stunning to see that the GOP keeps presenting tax cuts for the rich and cutting medicare over and over expecting a positive receptive result while continuing to produce policy detrimental to the remaining 99% of the population. Not only that but they are doing this badly by not allowing debate, and curtailing input. We are watching an exercise in futility.

NY Times: Senate Health Care Vote: Where the Debate Left Off and What to Watch By THOMAS KAPLAN and EILEEN SULLIVAN
Mr. Trump opened the day by attacking Ms. Murkowski.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 62 degrees and cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts sunshine and temperatures in the 70s this afternoon.The cooler temperatures might be over as the longer range forecast looks like a return to hot summer.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +85 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  Trump's behavior is abnormal; his crazed rant in front of boyscouts is a perfect example of abnormal behavior. His followers have made the unfortunate mistake of associating Trump's abnormal behavior with good characteristics for a leader. It's a stunning and disappointing situation. Trump is crazy. He was a fine as a superfluous TV character wielding imaginary power, but as president he is dangerous. Trump is not in the real world.

CNN: Facebook earnings; Fed decision; Volkswagen meeting by Alanna Petroff

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Fails

10 p.m. Tuesday night

Vox: Senate fails to advance one Obamacare repeal bill, but the debate is still going - Stay tuned.

Stephen Colbert - Stephen Introduces His Anthony Scaramucci Impression

Disgraceful

Think Progress: Senators voting to stop Trumpcare represent 36 million more people than the ones who didn’t - It must be nice to live in a democracy.

Sneak Move

Axios: Schumer to Trump: don't even think about a sneak Sessions move

No Limits

Salon: The Boy Scouts are stunned by Donald Trump’s jaw-dropping speech - Donald Trump uses his speech in front of the Boy Scouts to score political points at a decidedly nonpolitical event by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Documentary About Grisly Murder Inspires Dozens Of Copycat Documentaries

The Onion: Documentary About Grisly Murder Inspires Dozens Of Copycat Documentaries

Remission

Science Daily: Child living with HIV maintains remission without drugs since 2008 - Child treated in infancy
summary - A nine-year-old South African child who was diagnosed with HIV infection at one month of age and received anti-HIV treatment during infancy has suppressed the virus without anti-HIV drugs for eight and a half years, scientists report. This case appears to be the third reported instance of sustained HIV remission in a child after early, limited anti-HIV treatment.

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Christian Schad

Chris Hayes - Sen. Murphy, GOP Secrecy On Health Care Bill Is Bananas

Rachel Maddow - Sen Wyden On What Jared Kushner Didn't Say To Senators On Russia

Firing Sessions

The Palmer Report: DOJ insider thinks Donald Trump’s Saturday Night Massacre is coming within days

Trump's War On The Environment

Guardian UK: Trump proposes scrapping Obama-era fracking rule on water pollution - Bureau of Land Management says it is moving to discard 2015 regulation as it duplicates state rules and ‘imposes unjustified costs’ on oil and gas industry

Trump Diverting Attention

Guardian UK: Trump denounces Jeff Sessions for being 'weak' on Hillary Clinton - On Twitter Trump criticized the investigation into Russian meddling into last year’s US election and slammed the attorney general for not investigating Clinton

Misery Time

NY Times: Senate Health Care Vote: What to Expect By THOMAS KAPLAN

Brave New World

NY Times: Microchip Implants for Employees? One Company Says Yes By MAGGIE ASTOR
...a chip the size of a grain of rice injected between their thumb and index finger. Once that is done, any task involving RFID technology — swiping into the office building, paying for food in the cafeteria — can be accomplished with a wave of the hand.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is a cool-ish 57 degrees and rainy here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts rain and temperatures in the 60s this afternoon. I got on the long pants, it is cool.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +113 and the price of oil per barrel is up the market is poised to open significantly higher.

  Looks like Trump's hatred for Sessions is heating up as he is now shaming him again. Just the fact that a person with the character of Trump has the power to shame anyone at all is obnoxious, distressing, and a sign of trouble in our society.

CNN: Earnings explosion; Michael Kors bags Jimmy Choo; Alphabet drops by Alanna Petroff

Monday, July 24, 2017

Justice

Pro Publica: Has the Moment for Environmental Justice Been Lost? Facing Trump’s proposals for cutting programs that help minorities and the poor, Democrats scramble to make up for missed opportunities to protect them. by Talia Buford

Rudy, No Rudy

Axios: Giuliani says he's not in line for Attorney General

Split

USA Today: Poll: Americans split 42%-42% on impeaching Trump

Approve

Inforum: Trump's approval rating is 59 percent in ND, second-highest in country By John Hageman
...the rollback of federal regulations is keeping Trump popular in the oil, coal and agriculture industries.

Rudy

Salon: Donald Trump may be thinking of replacing Jeff Sessions with Rudy Giuliani: report - Donald Trump once considered Rudy Giuliani for secretary of state; but now might make him attorney general by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Starbucks Unveils $7 Wake-Up Slap

The Onion: Starbucks Unveils $7 Wake-Up Slap

Moon Water

Science Daily: Moon has a water-rich interior
summary - Using satellite data, researchers have for the first time detected widespread water within ancient explosive volcanic deposits on the moon, suggesting that its interior contains substantial amounts of indigenous water.

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Edvard Munch

Morning Joe - ‘I Did Not Collude’ - Kushner Releases Statement

Alex Witt - Clinton-Era Memo Could Hurt Trump In Russia Probe

Vacation!

The Palmer Report: Sinking Donald Trump makes himself even more vulnerable by plotting eighteen day vacation

Trump Attacks Republicans

Guardian UK: Trump tweets tweak of Republicans 'who do little to protect' him - President: some GOP politicians ‘were carried over the line on my back’

Not

Guardian UK: Jared Kushner confirms Russia meetings but insists: 'I did not collude' - Trump son-in-law releases 11-page statement before Senate appearance

Krugman's Latest

NY Times: Health Care Is Still in Danger by Paul Krugman
In fact, on Saturday the tweeter-in-chief, once again breaking long-established rules of decorum, called on the audience at a military ceremony, the commissioning of a new aircraft carrier, to pressure the Senate to pass that bill.

Charles M. Blow's Latest

NY Times: The Kook, ‘the Mooch’ and the Loot by Charles M. Blow
No one is concerned with the truth; they are only concerned with their own trajectories.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 59 degrees and raining here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a rainy day with temperatures in the 60s this afternoon. Looks like we're in for a couple of cooler rainy days.

  At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are -9 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open ever so slightly lower.

  The big talk this morning are the denials from team Trump, they did not collude with anybody. This accompanies a Trump Twitter Dump with the message that Clinton needs to be investigated for her ties to Russia. It's Trump, what else is new.

CNN: German automakers in trouble; Earnings flow; Airline warning by Alanna Petroff

Friday, July 21, 2017

Have An Excellent Weekend

  Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by Paul Sérusier

Bombshell Of The Day

Washington Post: Sessions discussed Trump campaign-related matters with Russian ambassador, U.S. intelligence intercepts show

Digby's Latest

Salon: Donald Trump’s six-month report card: A paralyzed, scandal-plagued presidency — and it could get worse - After six exhausting months of nonstop crisis, this presidency is a catastrophe. And there's no end in sight by Heather Digby Parton

Bye Bye

  Essentially it doesn't make any difference. The fundamental problem is Trump and until he is impeached, resigns, or is thrown out, it doesn't matter. With Trump, the country will continue to get an hourly ration of ineptitude, nonsense, and dangerous lies.

NY Times: Sean Spicer Resigns as White House Press Secretary By GLENN THRUSH

The Onion - National Forest Service Recommends Campers Tie Up Their Food To Avoid Attracting Other Visitors

The Onion: National Forest Service Recommends Campers Tie Up Their Food To Avoid Attracting Other Visitors

Mice

Science Daily: A wolf's howl in miniature: Researchers discover mice speak similarly to humans
summary - Grasshopper mice, rodents known for their remarkably loud call, produce audible vocalizations in the same way that humans speak and wolves howl, according to new research.

Have An Excellent Friday

work by Jean Cocteau

Rachel Maddow - WaPo, Trump Seeks Advice On Pardoning Himself, Family Members

Rachel Maddow - If Trump Wants To Fire Mueller, He'll have To Fire Sessions First

Tax

The Palmer Report: Report: Robert Mueller likely already has Donald Trump’s tax returns

Clueless

Guardian UK: Republicans still can't craft healthcare plan that won't drop coverage for tens of millions - Latest effort on brink of collapse for lack of support after CBO predicts repeal-and-replace plan would see 22 million lose insurance but cut deficit by $420bn

Garbage

Guardian UK: How Trump signed a global death warrant for women - With one devastating flourish of the presidential pen, worldwide progress on family planning, population control and reproductive rights was swept away. Now some of the world’s poorest women must count the cost

Fury

NY Times: Trump’s Fury Erodes His Relationship With Sessions, an Early Ally By GLENN THRUSH and MAGGIE HABERMAN

Garbage

NY Times: Trump Aides, Seeking Leverage, Investigate Mueller’s Investigators By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, MAGGIE HABERMAN and MATT APUZZO

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is partly cloudy and 72 degrees here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a partly cloudy day and temperatures in the high 80s this afternoon. Looks like the rain comes back on Sunday.

  At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -63 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

  The clown show continues. Trump is working in overtime to discredit Mueller and to figure out how to pardon himself and his band of thugs just in case. Get him out of office ASAP.

CNN: Stock market momentum; Euro mania; Underwhelmed by eBay by Alanna Petroff

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Pardon Me


Mannafort

The Hill: Special counsel looking into possible money laundering by Manafort: report

'Heavy'

Linkin Park

Gore 2020?

The Independent: Al Gore's new climate change film raises huge question: Will he run again in 2020? The former vice president hasn't ruled out running again by Clark Mindock

Sessions-Gate

Axios: Why Trump lacks leverage on Sessions

Hate

People Magazine: Inside Trump Family’s Turmoil Amid Russia Scandal: Don Jr. Is ‘Miserable’ and Wants ‘These Four Years to Be Over’ By Sandra Sobieraj Westfall and Tierney McAfee
A friend of the Trump brothers tells PEOPLE they hate their role as First Sons: “Eric and Don, they never wanted this.”

Crossing The Red Line

Bloomberg: Mueller Expands Probe to Trump Business Transactions By Greg Farrell and Christian Berthelsen

The Onion - Historians Find Evidence Of Nation’s Founding Lobbyists’ Campaign To Influence Constitution

The Onion: Historians Find Evidence Of Nation’s Founding Lobbyists’ Campaign To Influence Constitution

Folding Robots

Science Daily: Folding robots: No battery, no wire, no problem - Wireless magnetic fields and actuator 'muscles' allow folding robots to move without batteries
summary - Folding robots based on origami have emerged as an exciting new frontier of robotic design, but generally require onboard batteries or a wired connection to a power source, limiting their functionality. Scientist have now created battery-free folding robots that are capable of complex, repeatable movements powered and controlled through a wireless magnetic field.

Manafort

NY Times: Manafort Was in Debt to Pro-Russia Interests, Cyprus Records Show By MIKE McINTIRE

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Hope Gangloff

Lawrence O'Donnell - Who's Going To Tell Trump It's Over?

Rachel Maddow - Trump, Feeling Heat, Attacks Justice Department Independence

Mentally Unfit

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump brings up Adolf Hitler during interview for no reason, then declares “We’re having a good time!”

Junior

Guardian UK: Donald Trump Jr faces Russia grilling live on TV, but what will they ask? Senate judiciary committee will want to know what happened when the president’s son met Russian individuals with dirt to dish on Hillary Clinton

Clinton Fixation

Guardian UK: Trump supporters still fixate on Clinton as mood darkens - As Trump falters, supporters in a Pennsylvania county that swung Republican in 2016 blame the media for his woes and insist Hillary Clinton would be worse by Tom McCarthy in East Bangor, Pennsylvania

Kristof Offers Deep Sarcasm

NY Times: If Dr. Trump Were Your Surgeon ...by Nicholas Kristof
“Fine!” replies Dr. Trump. “Go ahead and die. Your heart is failing. It’s a disaster. And it’s all their fault.”

Charles M. Blow's Latest

NY Times: Trump Is His Own Worst Enemy by Charles M. Blow
The country may well be saved from some of Trump’s most draconian impulses by some of Trump’s most pronounced flaws: his lack of seriousness, his aversion to tedium and his gnat-like attention span.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is mostly sunny and 77 degrees, the forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with temperatures in the high 80s this afternoon. It's going to be a hot one.

  At 9:15 a.m. the DOW is +4 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open flat.

  We have heard that John McCain is facing an aggressive brain cancer. I hope he gets through it.

CNN: The Trump stock market; ECB tightrope; Brexit talks by Ivana Kottasová

Smaller

NY Times: Why Trump’s Base of Support May Be Smaller Than It Seems

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Here


'The Cartographer'

Jorge Luis Borges
. . In that Empire, the Art of Cartography attained such Perfection that the map of a single Province occupied the entirety of a City, and the map of the Empire, the entirety of a Province. In time, those Unconscionable Maps no longer satisfied, and the Cartographers Guilds struck a Map of the Empire whose size was that of the Empire, and which coincided point for point with it. The following Generations, who were not so fond of the Study of Cartography as their Forebears had been, saw that that vast Map was Useless, and not without some Pitilessness was it, that they delivered it up to the Inclemencies of Sun and Winters. In the Deserts of the West, still today, there are Tattered Ruins of that Map, inhabited by Animals and Beggars; in all the Land there is no other Relic of the Disciplines of Geography.

Right

A lawyer, a spy, a mob boss and a money launderer walk into a bar. The bartender says, "You guys must be here to talk about adoption."

Clueless

The New Yorker: Trump’s Clueless Abdication of Presidential Responsibility By John Cassidy

Single Payer

The Atlantic: Why So Many Democrats Are Embracing Single-Payer Health Care - Vocal support for universal coverage is on the rise among Democrats in Congress, though the party is far from united on the issue. by Clare Foran

Letters To The Editor On Trumpcare

Fascinating.

NY Times: Senator McCain’s Health, and America’s

Inept

Salon: How long till leading Republicans turn on Trump? It’s happening already - After the health care fiasco, leading Republicans are souring on Trump at last — and it's only the beginning by Bob Cesca
The failure of Trumpcare was partly about the president’s lack of even a basic, entry-level sense of how a bill becomes a law.

The Onion - Dive-Bombing Osprey Better Emerge From Lake With Something Awesome To Show For It

The Onion: Dive-Bombing Osprey Better Emerge From Lake With Something Awesome To Show For It

Artificial Sweeteners

Science Daily: Artificial sweeteners linked to risk of weight gain, heart disease and other health issues
summary - Artificial sweeteners may be associated with long-term weight gain and increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, according to a new study.

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Hope Gangloff

Bernie Sanders - Trumpcare Fail Is Victory For American People

Rachel Maddow - What Would Russia Want From A Pliant US Leader?

Collusion

The Palmer Report: Jared Kushner may have told the FBI there were Trump-Russia collusion tapes

Trump's Master

Guardian UK: Trump had undisclosed second meeting with Putin, White House confirms - A White House official has acknowledged the two presidents met again informally after their bilateral talks at the G20 summit in Germany in July

Destroying The Country

Guardian UK: Six ways Trump is 'dismantling' the US after six months in office - Trump has been paralyzed on healthcare and tax reform, but his administration has been active in eroding safeguards and protections elsewhere by Dominic Rushe, Oliver Milman, Molly Redden, Jamiles Lartey, David Smith and Oliver Laughland
The environment

It's A Tragedy

NY Times: Trump as a Novel: An Implausible ‘Soap Opera Without the Sex and Fun’ By MATT FLEGENHEIMER
It’s “The Godfather,” but this time there’s a silent son-in-law in charge of Middle East peace for some reason.

Trump Stripping Away Voting Rights

NY Times: The Voter Purges Are Coming By VANITA GUPTA
The Trump administration’s election-integrity commission will have its first meeting on Wednesday to map out how the president will strip the right to vote from millions of Americans.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 75 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with temperatures in the 80s this afternoon.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +3 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open flat.

  Trump is up to his eyeballs in Russian dirty money. He is willing to throw the world into chaos in order to hide his dirty money connections and all that implies including who he is beholden to. He is inept as president and is fundamentally clueless on history, policy, policy development, everything. As president he is a complete failure. He has one caveat and that is his 35% that would follow him off the cliff. This is perpetrated by FOX News and essentially utterly fake, hateful, and conspiratorial phony news outlets, and that is the fake news. We need to take our country back from this menace. Get on it.

CNN: Spicy takeover; Morgan Stanley earnings; U.S.-China talks by Alanna Petroff

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Prescient


See

 Really, we wore this? Help...

ArtFido: Amazing 1970s Men’s Fashion Ads You Won’t Be Able To Unsee

Third World

The Intellectualist: Study By MIT Economist: U.S. Has Regressed To A Third-World Nation For Most Of Its Citizens
“We have a structure that predetermines winners and losers. We are not getting the benefits of all the people who could contribute to the growth of the economy, to advances in medicine or science which could improve the quality of life for everyone – including some of the rich people,” he laments.

Not

Two monks are sitting on a bench. One says to the other, “Are you not thinking what I’m not thinking?”

Grifters

Esquire: It Was Always About the Money - Russia and the Trumps: A Grift Story. By Charles P. Pierce

A Legacy Of Corruption And Failure

NY Times: Guest List at Trump Jr.’s Meeting With Russian Expands Again By SHARON LaFRANIERE and ADAM GOLDMAN

Seven Years Of GOP Obamacare Repeal B.S.

Had It

Salon: Wall Street Journal hits Trump for bumbling the Russia scandal, calls on him to disclose everything - The Wall Street Journal has had it with Trump and suggests he releases everything, from phone calls to taxes by Taylor Link

The Onion - Grey Parrot Disappointed To Discover Rest Of Aviary A Bunch Of Idiots

The Onion: Grey Parrot Disappointed To Discover Rest Of Aviary A Bunch Of Idiots

Time Vs Calories

Science Daily: Eating at 'wrong time' affects body weight, circadian rhythms
summary - A new high-precision feeding system for lab mice reinforces the idea that the time of day food is eaten is more critical to weight loss than the amount of calories ingested.

Made In China Week


Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Hope Gangloff

Clean The Dirty

New Republic: Trump’s Russian Laundromat - How to use Trump Tower and other luxury high-rises to clean dirty money, run an international crime syndicate, and propel a failed real estate developer into the White House. By Craig Unger

Brian Williams - Russian Mob Money Helped Build Trump Business Empire

Morning Joe - This Is Doubly Humiliating For Trump Today

Side Show Feud

The Palmer Report: Keith Olbermann defeats comically overmatched Eric Trump in Twitter feud

Hypocrite

Guardian UK: Fire trucks, golf clubs and double standards: Trump touts America - Back in spotlight, Sean Spicer is forced to defend president celebrating domestic achievements despite his own company’s overseas manufacturing

Repeal

Guardian UK: Senate will vote to repeal Obamacare without replacement, after new healthcare bill stumbles - Republican Mitch McConnell calls for vote on clean repeal, after senators Mike Lee and Jerry Moran come out against latest effort to replace Obamacare

Logjam

NY Times: In Congress, Obstructionists Are Obstructing Themselves By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
But it is a stunning demonstration of incompetence that, with control of the House, the Senate and the White House for six months, Republicans have not only failed to enact any major bills but have also created a legislative logjam that is bound to get worse.

Failure

NY Times: The Health Bill’s Failure: Resistance Works by David Leonhardt

Let's Start Making Some Sense

  It's time to completely stop caring in the least little bit about the 30% to 35% of voters who are completely behind Trump. Who the f cares. That is a minority of voters and let's be real, a very hostile racist impenetrable bunch of idiots. Let them go. The media needs to stop being concerned about it.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 68 degrees and cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a cloudy day with temperatures in the 80s this afternoon. Hopefully at some point we'll get some sunshine today.

  At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -41 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

  Thank goodness the miserable Trumpcare bill fell apart last night. Americans need to celebrate this fact and while we're at it, let's get this miserable president out of office, impeachment is overdue.

CNN: Health care collapse; Earnings abound; Netflix and thrill by Alanna Petroff

Monday, July 17, 2017

Collapse

NY Times: Health Care Overhaul Collapses as Two More Republican Senators Defect By THOMAS KAPLAN and ROBERT PEAR

Jimi

'Rare Footage of Jimi Hendrix’s Full Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969'

Linked

Rolling Stone: Russiagate and the Magnitsky Affair, Linked Again - Natalia Veselnitskaya being at the center of this week's explosive revelations is the latest indication that Russiagate didn't begin last year – but almost a decade ago by Matt Taibbi

Digby's Latest

Salon: Trump rejects his poll numbers as fake news — but even his voters are starting to notice the scam - Even voters who bought into Trump's reputation as tough-talking deal-maker are starting to glimpse the truth by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - New Study Finds Being On Cover Of ‘People’ Magazine Best Predictor Of Revealing All

The Onion: New Study Finds Being On Cover Of ‘People’ Magazine Best Predictor Of Revealing All

Biodiversity

Science Daily: Climate change: Biodiversity rescues biodiversity in a warmer world
summary - Climate change leads to loss of biodiversity worldwide. However, ecosystems with a higher biodiversity in the first place might be less affected a new study. Scientists found that when they experimentally warmed meadows, the diversity of nematode worms living in the soil went down in monocultures, whereas the opposite was true for meadows with many different herbaceous plant species.

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Hope Gangloff

A.M. Joy - Russian Oligarchs, And What They May Want From The U.S.

Morning Joe - Trump Numbers Down, Obamacare Numbers Up In Polls

Weak

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump heads into the worst week of his life yet

Come On

Mediaite.com: Come On, We All Know That Trump Is Lying About Not Being Told About Russia Meeting, Right? by John Ziegler

Stress And The Brain

Guardian UK: Stressful experiences can age brain 'by years', Alzheimer's experts hear - Child’s death, divorce or job loss linked to poorer cognition in later life, study finds, with African Americans more susceptible
When looking specifically at African Americans, the team found they experienced 60% more stressful events than white people during their lifetimes. Researchers said that, in African Americans, each stressful experience was equivalent to approximately four years of cognitive ageing.

36%

Guardian UK: Donald Trump approval rating at 70-year low as Russia scandal swirls - President’s son ‘scorned by Fake News Media’ over Trump Tower meeting

Charles M. Blow's Latest

NY Times: Trump Savagely Mauls the Language by Charles M. Blow
Listening to Trump speak is a dizzying experience for anyone interested in candor, clarity or concision.

Trumpcare

NY Times: A Top Republican Vows a Vote on Health Care, but Uncertainty Reigns By ROBERT PEAR
Mr. McCain, 80, had a craniotomy — a procedure in which doctors create an opening in the skull — on Friday to remove a blood clot above his left eye, and he is recovering at home in Arizona.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 75 degrees and mostly sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts temperatures in the 80s and maybe even thunderstorms this afternoon.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +1 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the flat area.

  I'm watching TV and the debate seems to be, is Trump Jr. guilty of a crime, with several saying no. The GOP is doing it's damnedest to spin it to look as if nothing happened. It's all fake.

CNN: Earnings season in full swing; China GDP; New market records? by Alanna Petroff

Friday, July 14, 2017

Have An Exellent Weekend

  Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by Paul Sérusier

Light Sails

How we get to another solar system within one lifetime.



Sleeping


Fake


Rinat Akhmetshin

Axios: Meet the ex-Soviet intel officer at Don Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting

Need You Ask?


Defensive

Salon: Jared Kushner is getting very defensive about the Russia investigation now that he’s involved - The president's son-in-law and senior adviser wants the White House to fight back more aggressively on Russia by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Millions Of Policy Proposals Spill Into Sea As Brookings Institution Think Tanker Runs Aground Off Crimea Coast

The Onion: Millions Of Policy Proposals Spill Into Sea As Brookings Institution Think Tanker Runs Aground Off Crimea Coast

Planet Nine

Science Daily: Planet Nine hypothesis supported by new evidence
summary - Last year, the existence of an unknown planet in our Solar system was announced. However, this hypothesis was subsequently called into question as biases in the observational data were detected. Now astronomers have used a novel technique to analyze the orbits of the so-called extreme trans-Neptunian objects and, once again, they point out that there is something perturbing them: a planet located at a distance between 300 to 400 times the Earth-Sun separation.

Colbert - Kellyanne Conway's 'Fun With Words'

Colbert - John Oliver, The Don Jr. Scandal Is Something (If Something Means Anything)

Have An Excellent Friday

work by Kees von Dongen

Lawrence O'Donnell - Trump Says 'Health Care Is Hard' As GOP Bill Flounders

Morning Joe - Another Person In Room During Trump Jr. Meeting

Ongoing Contact

The Palmer Report: Russian lawyer admits Donald Trump Jr. had ongoing contact with the Russians during campaign

Whataboutism

Guardian UK: Like father like son? What conservatives are writing about Donald Trump Jr - Some are aghast at Trump campaign’s almost cartoonish ineptitude, while others offer up parallel universe of distraction and whataboutism

Piranhas

Guardian UK: Trump conflict of interest concerns over links with law firm run by Philippine government official - Exclusive: Donald and Ivanka Trump’s companies pay a firm managed by a foreign government official to secure their trademarks in the Philippines

Enablers

NY Times: Trump’s Pious and Dangerous Enablers

David Brooks' Latest

NY Times: Moral Vacuum in the House of Trump

The Market on Friday

  Good morning. It is cloudy and 64 degrees here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a rainy cloudy day with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. Looks like rain through Saturday; Sunday, maybe we see some sunshine.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +13 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open modestly higher.

  The lies and bullcrap coming from Junior and Senior continue unabated. I can no longer tolerate listening to Trump anymore, his voice itself is irritating. The man does not have one redeeming quality. I just continuously hit the remote.

CNN: Bank earnings; Retail sales; Honda recall by Alanna Petroff

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Conspiracy!

BuzzFeed: How A False Conspiracy Theory About The Russian Lawyer Who Met With Don Jr. Spread To Trump - Pro-Trump media figures have gone as far as to falsely suggest that the Russian attorney may have planted a listening device for the Obama administration.
Right-wing outlets, pro-Trump media personalities, and conspiracy theorists are falsely claiming that the attorney who met with Donald Trump Jr. during the 2016 campaign was a left-wing operative trying to torpedo a future Trump administration.

Krugman's Latest

NY Times: The Cruelty and Fraudulence of Mitch McConnell’s Health Bill

The Wall


A By The Books Pro - Classy Act

Pro Publica: Trump Lawyer Marc Kasowitz Threatens Stranger in Emails: ‘Watch Your Back , Bitch’ - After hearing Rachel Maddow discuss our recent story about Kasowitz, a man emailed the attorney urging him to resign. Kasowitz responded with threats and profanity. by Justin Elliott

For Daddy


Stephen Colbert - Donald Jr.'s Best Defense? That He's An Idiot

Money Laundering

New Republic: Trump’s Russian Laundromat - How to use Trump Tower and other luxury high-rises to clean dirty money, run an international crime syndicate, and propel a failed real estate developer into the White House. By Craig Unger

Digby's Latest

Salon: Russia scandal goes well beyond Trump: GOP leaders definitely knew about hacking — did they benefit too? Leading Republicans knew about Russian hacking long before Trump's nomination. They said nothing and did nothing by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Mosquito Confronts Partner After Testing Positive For Zika

The Onion: Mosquito Confronts Partner After Testing Positive For Zika

The Great Red Spot

Science Daily: NASA's Juno Spacecraft Spots Jupiter's Great Red Spot
summary - Images of Jupiter's Great Red Spot reveal a tangle of dark, veinous clouds weaving their way through a massive crimson oval. The JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno mission snapped pics of the most iconic feature of the solar system's largest planetary inhabitant during its July 10 flyby.

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Kees van Dongen

Lawrence O'Donnell - GOP In Crisis Over Trump Jr.-Russia Email Revelation

Lawrence O'Donnell - Kushner Letting Trump Jr. Take The Fall

Vice Liar

The Palmer Report: Mike Pence may have lied for Michael Flynn to keep it from leading back to his own Russia meetings

The Garbage Administration Of Donald Trump

Guardian UK: Trump election group backs away from its request for voter data after outcry - Commission on election integrity’s ‘repugnant’ request for voter data prompted privacy concerns and numerous legal challenges

Revoke

Guardian UK: Democrats call for Jared Kushner's security clearance to be revoked - Ethics experts describe omission of meeting with Donald Trump Jr and Russia lawyer as ‘consciousness of guilt’ and say it warrants re-evaluation of clearance

Conspiracy

NY Times: Conspiracy or Coincidence? A Timeline Open to Interpretation By PETER BAKER

Kushner

NY Times: All Roads Now Lead to Kushner by Nicholas Kristof

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 70 degrees and overcast here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a cloudy day with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon along with.... thunderstorms.

  At 8:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are +8 and the price of oil per barrel is slightly lower. The market is poised to open slightly higher.

  The plot thickens as people parse Junior's email and find the holes and the misery, the collusion. Junior is in it up to his well coiffed hairdo.

CNN: Trump visits Paris; Yellen round 2; OPEC under pressure by Alanna Petroff

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

'The Dark Night Of The Soul'

St John Of the Cross
On a dark night,
Kindled in love with yearnings–oh, happy chance!–
I went forth without being observed,
My house being now at rest.

In darkness and secure,
By the secret ladder, disguised–oh, happy chance!–
In darkness and in concealment,
My house being now at rest.

In the happy night,
In secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught,
Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart.

This light guided me
More surely than the light of noonday
To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me–
A place where none appeared.

Oh, night that guided me,
Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,
Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover,
Lover transformed in the Beloved!

Upon my flowery breast,
Kept wholly for himself alone,
There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him,
And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze.

The breeze blew from the turret
As I parted his locks;
With his gentle hand he wounded my neck
And caused all my senses to be suspended.

I remained, lost in oblivion;
My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself,
Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.