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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Truth

Seth Abramson tweets -
A "newcomer unfamiliar with appropriate conduct" is how GOP leaders describe Trump's attempts to obstruct justice last summer. Do you know how many black/brown men, and how many poor people, have not been afforded that excuse for similar conduct?

State Of Trump

NY Times: Psychiatrists Warn About Trump’s Mental State
We are currently witnessing more than his usual state of instability — in fact, a pattern of decompensation: increasing loss of touch with reality, marked signs of volatility and unpredictable behavior, and an attraction to violence as a means of coping. These characteristics place our country and the world at extreme risk of danger.

Good Story

Huff Po: Dad’s Sweet Comics Promote Empathy, Tolerance And Love - Chris Grady draws comics about being a force for good in an often dark world. By Caroline Bologna

$1 Trillion

Axios: Even with economic growth, Senate tax bill adds $1 trillion to deficit

Misconduct

Newsweek: Future of Trump Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit Could Be Decided Next Week at Summer Zervos Case Hearing By Julia Glum

First Rate

The Daily Beast: Trump Bragged: ‘Nothing in the World Like First-Rate P**sy’ by Brandy Zadrozny

Impunity

Vanity Fair: Forget the Pivot: Trump’s Abnormality Is Getting Worse - A year into his presidency, Trump reportedly feels he can “largely operate with impunity.” by Tina Nguyen

Unstable

Salon: Trump’s inner circle is worried about his mental state: reports - Amid Trump’s recent actions, many have raised questions about Trump’s mental stability to hold office by Charlie May

The Onion - Alex DeLarge Forced To Step Down As Leader Of Droogs Amidst Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct

The Onion: Alex DeLarge Forced To Step Down As Leader Of Droogs Amidst Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct

Computing Ring

Science Daily: Wearable computing ring allows users to write words and numbers with thumb
summary - With the whirl of a thumb, researchers have created technology that allows people to trace letters and numbers on their fingers and see the figures appear on a nearby computer screen. The system is triggered by a thumb ring outfitted with a gyroscope and tiny microphone. As wearers strum their thumb across the fingers, the hardware detects the movement.

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Tom Thomson

Impeachment

Vox: The case for normalizing impeachment - Impeaching an unfit president has consequences. But leaving one in office could be worse. Updated by Ezra Klein

Rachel Maddow - Trump Campaign Had At Least 19 Russia-Connected Contacts

Morning Joe - Impeachment Is Something We Should Be Talking About, Ezra Klein

Hmm

The Palmer Report: Roger Stone apologizes, admits he’s been lying about Trump-Russia the entire time

Concerns

  We are in a scary period. Trump is quite literally out of his gourd. His behavior is becoming more and more erratic and dangerous, the man is not well.

Guardian UK: UK ambassador conveys concerns over Trump retweet to White House - Government reveals Sir Kim Darroch has formally raised concerns after US president tweeted videos posted by Britain First

Of Course

Guardian UK: Donald Trump attacks Theresa May over her criticism of his far-right retweets - In rare clash between allies, US president tells May to focus on terrorism rather than on him – but sends tweet to wrong person
The angry tirade, crowning one of the most wayward days yet of Trump’s presidency, earned a swift putdown from the US senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who met May at Downing Street last week to discuss terrorism threats to both countries. He tweeted: “PM @theresa_may is one of the great world leaders, I have incredible love and respect for her and for the way she leads the United Kingdom, especially in the face of turbulence.”

Corruption

NY Times: We’re All Part of Trump’s Show by Bret Stephens
...Donald Trump’s presidency is systematically corrupting the American mind...

Unfit

NY Times: Trump, Proxy of Racism by Charles M. Blow
Donald Trump is completely unfit to be president of the United States.

The Market On Thursday

  At 9:20 a.m. DOW futures are +126 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Goldman Sachs warns markets haven't been this pricey since 1900 by Matt Egan

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Flynn

  This is big. There is the appearance that Flynn is negotiating a deal and that deal would only be accepted if a bigger fish were in Mueller's view.

CNN: Special counsel delays grand jury testimony amid signs of Flynn deal talks By Kara Scannell, Elise Labott and Michelle Kosinski

Flipped

HuffPo: Sean Hannity Flips Out After Seeing His NY Times Magazine Cover Photo - He’s not happy. By Ed Mazza

 

Rift

Salon: GOP doomsday is coming: How the dreadful tax bill exposes a Republican rift - Public opinion and the Virginia election suggest the GOP is losing college-educated whites. Without them, it’s done by Heather Digby Parton

Praised By Duke, Condemned By May

The Daily Beast: Trump’s Day: Praised By David Duke, Condemned By Theresa May - Wednesday’s digital outburst was so unhinged, even the conspiracy-mongers at InfoWars were left shaking their heads. by Lachlan Markay, Asawin Suebsaeng, Spencer Ackerman

Waste

ProPublica: A Hospital Charged $1,877 to Pierce a 5-Year-Old’s Ears. This Is Why Health Care Costs So Much. An epidemic of unnecessary treatment is wasting billions of health care dollars a year. Patients and taxpayers are paying for it. by Marshall Allen

A Mad Man

Salon: Donald Trump’s unhinged Islamophobic tweetstorm suggests he may be divorced from reality - Trump complained of “fake news” online, then retweeted a misleading video by Charlie May

The Onion - New GOP Plan Offers Tax Breaks On All Contributions Tucked Into Congressmen’s Suit Breast Pocket

The Onion: New GOP Plan Offers Tax Breaks On All Contributions Tucked Into Congressmen’s Suit Breast Pocket

Optogenetic Studies

Science Daily: Innovative microscope poised to propel optogenetics studies - New microscope has more than 100 times larger field of view for studying brain activity
summary - A newly developed microscope is providing scientists with a greatly enhanced tool to study how neurological disorders such as epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease affect neuron communication.

Garrison Is A Goner

  Society is having a beneficial upheaval sparked in part by Trump, yet Trump is still in office.

USA Today: Garrison Keillor fired for alleged improper behavior by Minnesota Public Radio

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Mario Carreño

Morning Joe - Eugene Robinson, The President's Nihilism' Is Dangerous

Rachel Maddow - List Of Trump Campaign Russia Contacts Continues To Grow

Confused

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump is confused

Democracy Fails Under Trump

Guardian UK: US government uses Project Veritas video in trial of anti-Trump protesters - Footage from the far-right group is being relied on as evidence against protesters arrested at Trump’s inauguration, raising criticism from activists

'Lady Bird'

Guardian UK: An antidote to Trump culture: no wonder Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird is the best reviewed film ever - The coming-of-age-comedy starring Saoirse Ronan has broken the Rotten Tomatoes record for the longest unspoiled run of positive reviews. But why is it such catnip for critics?

Jimmy's Down

  Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel are all going after Trump hard. Fallon is not and people are less interested in his product.

NY Times: A Sharp Decline for Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’ By JOHN KOBLIN

Matt Lauer

NY Times: NBC Fires Matt Lauer Over Sexual Misconduct Allegation By JIM RUTENBERG

Of Course

NY Times: Trump Shares Inflammatory Anti-Muslim Videos By EILEEN SULLIVAN and MAGGIE HABERMAN

The Market On Wednesday

  At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +82 and the price of oil is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

CNN: Janet Yellen touts economy before stepping down by Patrick Gillespie

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Me


Juxta Pose


Decode This


Oopsie

MSNBC: McConnell caught fibbing while trying to admonish Democrats By Steve Benen

Digby's Latest

Salon: Mueller hones in on Michael Flynn: How much did Trump know? Trump’s former national security adviser was previously one of America’s top military spies. Just how dirty is he? by Heather Digby Parton

The Borowitz Report - 'Pocahontas' Not A Racial Slur, Says Prominent White Expert

New Yorker: “Pocahontas” Not a Racial Slur, Says Prominent White Expert

Flies

BBC: Flies more germ-laden than suspected By Helen Briggs
The house fly and the blowfly together harbour more than 600 different bacteria, according to a DNA analysis.

Many are linked with human infections, including stomach bugs, blood poisoning and pneumonia.

America's Darkest Hour

Real Clear Politics: Trump Has Ushered in America's Darkest Hour By Richard Cohen

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Mario Carreño

Chris Hayes - Trump Calls Warren 'Pocahontas' At Native American Event

Morning Joe - President Trump Revives Pocahontas Slur For Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Screwed

The Palmer Report: Congratulations, Donald Trump advisers, you’re all screwed now

Resist

Guardian UK: The Resistance Now: activists plan to protest the Republican tax bill - Indivisible, which has thousands of groups across America, is planning a ‘national day of action’ on the Senate’s first day back in session after recess

James O’Keefe - Ass

Guardian UK: Washington Post catches woman in apparent rightwing sting, paper reports - Jaime Phillips, who falsely told paper Roy Moore had impregnated her, had ties to conservative activist James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas, Post says
O’Keefe was convicted in 2010 as part of a scheme to illegally make recordings at the office of the then Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu, a Democrat.

Owned

NY Times: Odds Are, Russia Owns Trump by Michelle Goldberg
His campaign of racial and religious grievance drew on the darkest currents of American history. At most, Putin appears to have recognized an opportunity that American political dysfunction created.

Krugman's Latest

NY Times: The Biggest Tax Scam in History
One way or another, the bill would hurt most Americans. The only big winners would be the wealthy...

The Market On Tuesday

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +63 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

CNN: Powell confirmation; Oil slides; U.K. stress tests by Ivana Kottasová

Monday, November 27, 2017

Russia

Politico: Trump’s Russian Schizophrenia - There are two approaches to the Kremlin inside this administration: the president’s and everyone else’s. By SUSAN B. GLASSER

The Deal

From June 2016

CNN: Here's the deal with Elizabeth Warren's Native American heritage By Gregory Krieg

White House Paranoia

Bloomberg: White House Weighs Personal Mobile Phone Ban for Staff By Jennifer Jacobs and Justin Sink

The World's Most Boorish Man

The Hill: Trump calls Warren 'Pocahontas' at event honoring Native American veterans By Jordan Fabian

Idiot

Trump tweets -
"We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!"

Vast

Salon: Roy Moore claims a vast conspiracy against him in new ad - An ad for Rooy Moore claims that Mitch McConnell is working with Democrats to stop him

Backlash

Salon: The backlash against the bullies: Why the resistance is slowly working - The days of Trump and the bullying he represents are numbered by Robert Reich

'Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us'

Alison Krauss

Rick Wilson On Roy Moore

The Daily Beast: Roy Moore Is Deplorable, and Donald Trump Condoning His Sins Is Unforgivable - The judge’s behavior is unforgivable, no matter what your ideological leanings and party identification may be. by Rick Wilson

The Onion - Comedy Cellar Holds Night For Male Comedians To Workshop Sexual Harassment Apologies

The Onion: Comedy Cellar Holds Night For Male Comedians To Workshop Sexual Harassment Apologies

Coffee

Science Daily: Three to four cups of coffee a day linked to longer life - Three or 4 cups a day confers greatest benefit, except in pregnancy and for women at risk of fracture
summary - Drinking coffee is 'more likely to benefit health than to harm it' for a range of health outcomes, say researchers.

Stop The Persecution


Have An Excellent Monday

work by Mario Carreño

Morning Joe - Everyone Must Condemn Trump's Press Attacks

Distance

MSNBC: Flynn puts new distance between himself and Trump’s White House By Steve Benen

New Meaning

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump’s “People will die” threat takes on a whole new meaning

Mount Agung

Guardian UK: Mount Agung: 100,000 told to evacuate as Bali volcano spews huge ash cloud - Heightened seismic activity, mudflows and confirmation the volcano is shifting into magmatic phase prompts warnings and airport closure

Consumer Bureau

Guardian UK: Trump's fight over consumer bureau with two directors 'may end up in court' - Democrat Durbin: Wall Street hates CFPB ‘like the devil hates holy water’ - GOP’s Thune: Trump pick Mulvaney will run things but battle will continue

Shrinking

NY Times: Jared Kushner’s Vast Duties, and Visibility in White House, Shrink By SHARON LaFRANIERE, MAGGIE HABERMAN and PETER BAKER

No More Separation

NY Times: In Tax Debate, Gift to Religious Right Could Be Bargaining Chip By KENNETH P. VOGEL and LAURIE GOODSTEIN
For years, a coalition of well-funded groups on the religious right have waged an uphill battle to repeal a 1954 law that bans churches and other nonprofit groups from engaging in political activity.

Among the changes in the tax bill that passed the House this month is a provision to roll back the 1954 ban...

The Market On Monday

  At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +4 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the flat area.

CNN: Cyber Monday; Dollar under pressure; Time Inc. sold by Ivana Kottasová

'When It's Sleepytime Down South'

Louis Armstrong

Friday, November 24, 2017

Enjoy

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

work by Albarrán Cabrera

Portrait


Save


Pie

‘Song To Pie’ by Roy Blount Jr.

Pie.
Oh my.
Nothing tastes sweet,
Wet, salty, and dry
All at once so well as pie.

Apple and pumpkin and mince and black bottom,
I’ll come to your place every day if you’ve got ‘em.
Pie

Don't Bother

Salon: Forget the holiday advice: Don’t bother debating with Trump-supporting family members - It’s a good idea to share a family meal with Trump-supporting relatives, but don’t try to understand them by Sophia A. McClennen

The Onion - Papa John’s Comes Under Fire For Cruel Treatment Of The Bulbous, Deformed Creatures That Lactate Pizza Sauce

The Onion: Papa John’s Comes Under Fire For Cruel Treatment Of The Bulbous, Deformed Creatures That Lactate Pizza Sauce

Smart

Science Daily: Smart people have better connected brains - In intelligent persons, some brain regions interact more closely, while others de-couple themselves
summary - Differences in intelligence have so far mostly been attributed to differences in specific brain regions. However, are smart people's brains also wired differently to those of less intelligent persons? A new study supports this assumption. In intelligent persons, certain brain regions are more strongly involved in the flow of information between brain regions, while other brain regions are less engaged.

It's Trump

Newsweek: Trump Is Mueller’s ‘Primary Target,’ And Flynn Coordination Is A ‘Scandal,’ Legal Expert Says By Greg Price

Indeed


Have An Excellent Friday

work by Henrik Simonsen

'Black Friday'

Steely Dan

I'm sure every knows this by now but just in case, 'Steely Dan' was the name given to a dildo in a particular segment of William Burrough's salient book 'Naked Lunch'. It's a great book, I've read it several times. Any band that referenced Burroughs was okay with me.

Rachel Maddow - Trump SoHo Hotel Owner Pays Trumps To Leave As Business Flounders

Lawrence O'Donnell - Trump And “The Nationalist’s Delusion”

Sold Out

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump’s pathetic response after learning Michael Flynn has sold him out

Roll Over

  I just can't get enough of this feel good story. Last night I posted the NY Times original, now the news is spreading.

Guardian UK: Michael Flynn breaks ties with Trump's lawyers over Russia investigation – reports - Move suggests former national security adviser could be seeking a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller over election interference

'Women Are Pissed'

  This is the best news I've read in a while.

Guardian UK: 'Women are pissed': Trump rage turns to action – and surge in female candidates - In the presidential race, some women stayed at home because they didn’t want to vote against their husbands. Now they have had enough by Tom McCarthy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Canyon

NY Times: Bridging the Canyon Across the Holiday Table by Timothy Egan
But here’s one bright spot in the Divided States of Trump: In a strange way, he has also brought many of us together. Trump brings out the worst in his supporters, dragging them down to his adult day care center. By contrast, his opponents have become more inclusive. Because he is so singularly coarse and vulgar, so ill informed and small-minded, he has made people see the better side of those they had long written off.

Krugman's Latest

NY Times: On Feeling Thankful but Fearful
Meanwhile, everything this president and this Congress are doing on economic policy seems designed, not just to widen the gap between the wealthy and everyone else, but to lock in plutocrats’ advantages, making it easier to ensure that their heirs remain on top and the rest stay down.

The Market On Friday

  At 8:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are +54 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

CNN: Black Friday; Oil up; German optimism by Ivana Kottasová

Thursday, November 23, 2017

The Turkey Is Cooked


The Growing List

Newsweek: Trump Impeachment Articles: Here Are All the Ways the President Has Been Accused of Violating the Constitution By Jason Le Miere

Yes It Does

Salon: GOP insider Bruce Bartlett: “The Republican Party needs to die” - Onetime Reagan White House aide Bruce Bartlett on the media’s massive failure and his own party’s living death

Disgrace

Esquire: What a Disgrace - This week might have been the low point in an administration full of them. By Charles P. Pierce

Violation, She Must Be Fired

CNN: Former ethics director: Kellyanne Conway violated Hatch Act with Roy Moore comments By Miranda Green
Walter Shaub, who served as ethics director under the Obama administration, said Conway likely violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits White House officials from advocating for or against candidates, even in media interviews.

Happy Thanksgiving

work by Henrik Simonsen

Colbert - Thanksgiving And Trump's Lack Of Giving

Truth Be Told


Nothing

The Palmer Report: Confirmed: Donald Trump did nothing to get LaVar Ball’s son released from China by Bill Palmer

Change

Guardian UK: Too right it's Black Friday: our relentless consumption is trashing the planet - Growth must go on – it’s the political imperative everywhere, and it’s destroying the Earth. But there’s no way of greening it, so we need a new system by George Monbiot

Golf, Tweet, Eat Ice Cream, Repeat

Guardian UK: Trump touts busy day of meetings – then appears to play golf - The president’s Thanksgiving trip to Mar-a-Lago seemed to take a recreational turn, despite his staff’s insistence he had ‘a full schedule of meetings and calls’

Resist

NY Times: Thankfully Recommitting to Resistance by Charles M. Blow
Donald Trump, I thought that your presidency would be a disaster. It’s worse than a disaster.

Exposed

NY Times: Joe Barton, Senior Republican, Caught in Storm Over Explicit Photo By NICHOLAS FANDOS and JONATHAN MARTIN

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Treasonous Trump

Vanity Fair: Exclusive: What Trump Really Told Kislyak After Comey Was Canned - During a May 10 meeting in the Oval Office, the president betrayed his intelligence community by leaking the content of a classified, and highly sensitive, Israeli intelligence operation to two high-ranking Russian envoys, Sergey Kislyak and Sergey Lavrov. This is what he told them—and the ramifications. by Howard Blum

Cheerleaders

Huffington Post: Police Were Told To Keep Roy Moore Away From High School Cheerleaders, Retired Officer Says “I didn’t realize it until some time later that when they said he liked young girls — I just thought he liked young ladies, you know, younger than him, maybe in their 20s.” By Marina Fang

Turn

  As we have all lived through the 2016 presidential debacle, even though this type of article seems positive, it's the actual election day results that will count. Do not bank on Alabama voting against Moore. There's a generations deep culture and way of thinking in Alabama, and Moore is just another good old boy right in the thick of it.

The Daily Beast: Republican Women in Alabama Begin to Turn on Roy Moore - The GOP Senate candidate was always divisive. Now he’s grown toxic. by Patricia Murphy

Pure Nonsense

Salon: Alabama pastor: Roy Moore dated “younger ladies” because of their “purity” - With an endorsement from Trump, don’t expect Roy Moore to go anywhere, anytime soon by Charlie May

The Onion - Tearful Trump Puts Down Ladle, Walks Out Of Soup Kitchen After Learning Charitable Foundation Shutting Down

The Onion: Tearful Trump Puts Down Ladle, Walks Out Of Soup Kitchen After Learning Charitable Foundation Shutting Down

Methane

Science Daily: Worldwide increase in methane bubbles due to climate change
summary - Due to climate change, including rising temperatures, more and more methane is bubbling up from lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands throughout the world. The release of methane -- a potent greenhouse gas -- leads to a further increase in temperature, thus creating a positive feedback loop (also known as a 'vicious circle').

The 2016 Conversation Paul Ryan Wanted To Keep Private

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Henrik Simonsen

Morning Joe - Robert Mueller Investigating Jared Kushner's Foreign Contacts

Morning Joe - Trump's Support Of Roy Moore A Big Gift For Dems

Bill Is Onto Something Here

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump’s sons are in a race to out-idiot each other

Flat Earth Here We Come

  This isn't a joke. He just nuts.

Guardian UK: Self-taught rocket scientist plans launch to test flat Earth theory - ‘Mad’ Mike Hughes, 61, plans to reach an altitude of 1,800ft over California in his home-made steam-powered rocket
Hughes has stated that once he lands at the weekend, he intends to announce that he is running for the governorship of California.

Flat Earth theory has seen a resurgence in recent years, fuelled by online message boards and some high-profile endorsements from celebrities. The Flat Earth Society, founded in 1956 and relaunched online in the 2000s, currently boasts of having over 500 members, although the group has splintered into two separate factions with competing websites.

Rabid Vile Trump

Guardian UK: Trump's judicial picks: 'The goal is to end the progressive state' - Donald Trump is radically reshaping the same federal courts that have been the biggest bulwark against his agenda – by picking mostly white, conservative men

Defending The Indefensible

  This proves, once again, that Trump is along with his massive array of deformities, also morally bankrupt. This is disgusting.

NY Times: Trump Defends Roy Moore, Citing Candidate’s Denial of Sexual Misconduct By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and ALAN BLINDER

Bye Bye Neutrality

NY Times: F.C.C. Plans Net Neutrality Repeal in a Victory for Telecoms By CECILIA KANG

The Market On Wednesday

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +37 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open modestly higher.

CNN: Uber hack; Oil jumps; U.K. budget by Ivana Kottasová
U.S. crude futures were 2% higher following disruptions caused by a spill earlier this week on TransCanada's Keystone Pipeline.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Trump World

CBS News: U.S. votes against anti-Nazi resolution at U.N.

Low

Newsweek: Donald Trump Can’t Escape His Low Approval Ratings—Even During Thanksgiving By Julia Glum

Sugar

The Daily Beast: Researchers Publish Bombshell Report That Suggests Sugar Industry Conspiracy - In 1965, research funded by the Sugar Research Foundation found sucrose was linked to heart disease. That research was never published.

With Russia Since 1987

This should be Trump's logo - "Russian Made Since 1987".

Politico: The Hidden History of Trump’s First Trip to Moscow - In 1987, a young real estate developer traveled to the Soviet Union. The KGB almost certainly made the trip happen. By LUKE HARDING

Backfire

Salon: Roy Moore’s preposterous threat against an Alabama news publisher backfires spectacularly - The company basically dared the spiraling candidate to sue by Chris Sosa

The Onion - Study Finds Humans Crave Sweet Foods Because They’re Weak—They’re Weak And They’re Small

The Onion: Study Finds Humans Crave Sweet Foods Because They’re Weak—They’re Weak And They’re Small

Artists Technique Revealed

Science Daily: Imaging technique unlocks the secrets of 17th century artists
summary - The secrets of 17th century artists can now be revealed, thanks to 21st century signal processing. Using modern high-speed scanners and the advanced signal processing techniques, researchers are peering through layers of pigment to see how painters prepared their canvasses, applied undercoats, and built up layer upon layer of paint to produce their masterpieces.

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Henrik Simonsen

Paul Butler - The Russian 'Smoking Gun' Admission From Trump

Lawrence O'Donnell - McMaster Called Trump An 'Idiot' At A Private Dinner

Reza Zarrab

The Palmer Report: Key witness against Michael Flynn and Donald Trump has vanished

Oumuamua

Guardian UK: Mysterious object confirmed to be from another solar system - Astronomers have named interstellar object ’Oumuamua and its red colour suggests it carries organic molecules that are building blocks of life
...it could be one of 10,000 others lurking undetected in our cosmic neighbourhood.

Broke

Guardian UK: 'You'll never work again': women tell how sexual harassment broke their careers - Actors, writers, assistants, comedians and journalists speak out about the toll that sexual assault and harassment in the workplace took on their futures

What Happened

NY Times: Whatever Happened to Trump’s Populist Agenda? By HENRY OLSEN
Instead, Republicans push tax plans that overwhelmingly benefit their donor and executive class. It’s as though Jeb Bush or Ted Cruz won after all.

Sex Scandal

NY Times: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Sex Scandal By GAIL COLLINS and BRET STEPHENS

The Market On Tuesday

  At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW Futures are +115, and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Goldman Sachs: Unemployment will drop to lowest since 1969

Monday, November 20, 2017

Is That About Right


Got It

Seth Abramson tweets:

Trump wants:

1) NFL to suspend Marshawn Lynch for a year for a peaceful pregame protest;

2) China to imprison 3 U.S. teens for 5 to 10 years unless one of their dads is nicer to him;

3) DOJ to prosecute and imprison Mrs. Clinton;

4) Alabama to vote for a pedophile.

Got it.

Yes It Is

HuffPo: The White House is run by the worst CEO in America

Embarrassed

The Daily Beast: ‘He’s Embarrassed Me’: In North Carolina, Trumpists Start to Turn - The group doesn’t bring up the Russia probe at all. But they have a lot to say about the opioid crisis, and health care. by Eleanor Clift

Page

ABC News: Trump campaign adviser Carter Page held high-level meetings with Hungarian officials in Budapest By Matthew Mosk

Digby's Latest

Salon: Is Ivanka Trump a target of investigation now? It seems inevitable - More than a lifestyle brand, Ivanka Trump is deeply implicated in her family’s involvement with foreign corruption

The Onion - Roy Moore Refusing To Withdraw From Alabama 13-Year-Old

The Onion: Roy Moore Refusing To Withdraw From Alabama 13-Year-Old

Dog

Science Daily: Dog ownership linked to lower mortality rate
summary - A team of scientists have used national registries of more than 3.4 million Swedes aged 40 to 80 to study the association between dog ownership and cardiovascular health. Their study shows that dog owners had a lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease or to other causes during the 12-year follow-up.

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Henrik Simonsen

Morning Joe - Alabama's Biggest Newspaper Calls On Voters To 'Reject' Roy Moore

Trouble

MSNBC: Mueller’s latest request suggests trouble for Trump’s White House By Steve Benen
“The latest move suggests the Special Counsel is still actively digging into, among other matters, whether Trump or any other administration official improperly tried to influence an ongoing investigation.”

Rigged

The Palmer Report: Rigged election: Steve Bannon and Paul Manafort “knew” which swing states Donald Trump would win

The Real Trump Disaster

Guardian UK: Environmental justice in America - A civil rights 'emergency': justice, clean water and air in the age of Trump - There is a growing urgency around the struggle for environmental justice as the Trump administration peels away rules designed to protect clean air and water, say political leaders, academics and activists by Oliver Milman

No Moore

Guardian UK: Roy Moore sexual assault accuser tells of struggle to regain self-esteem - Leigh Corfman, who accused the Alabama Senate candidate of attack in 1979 when she was 14, said: ‘It took years for me to regain confidence in myself’

Disheartening Reality In India

NY Times: Why Do So Many Indian Children Go Missing? By SONIA FALEIRO
According to the country’s Ministry of Women and Child Development, 242,938 children disappeared between 2012 and 2017. But according to TrackChild, a government database, nearly that many children — 237,040 — went missing between 2012 and 2014 alone.

Man

I highly recommend the reader's comments to this article.

NY Times: This Is a Man Problem by Charles M. Blow
It is impossible to say too often or loudly how important a moment this is, when many women feel brave and empowered enough to speak up about being sexually assaulted or harassed by powerful men.

The Market On Monday

  At 9:30 a.m ET DOW futures are +27 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market opened modestly higher.

CNN: Fear & Greed Index beta - What emotion is driving the market now?

2018 Earthquakes

Guardian UK: Upsurge in big earthquakes predicted for 2018 as Earth rotation slows - Scientists say number of severe quakes is likely to rise strongly next year because of a periodic slowing of the Earth’s rotation

Friday, November 17, 2017

Enjoy

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

work by Albarrán Cabrera

Riddled

The Daily Beast: Report: Trump Panama Tower ‘Riddled’ With Drug, Mob Money

80 Percent

Salon: Trump’s presidency may present “the greatest psychiatric disaster in history” - Johns Hopkins psychologist John Gartner suggests an “80 percent chance” that Trump will push the nuclear button
I think there is an 80 percent chance he’s going to push that nuclear button. Why? Number one, Trump is a malignant narcissist. As far as I know, I cannot recall a single malignant narcissist in history who did not start a major war.

The Onion - Paul Ryan Announces New Congress Sexual Harassment Training Will Create Safe Work Atmosphere, Plausible Deniability

The Onion: Paul Ryan Announces New Congress Sexual Harassment Training Will Create Safe Work Atmosphere, Plausible Deniability

Disgust

Science Daily: What grosses out a chimpanzee? The origins of disgust
summary - Chimps show increased latencies to feed, and tendencies to maintain greater distances from possible contaminants and/or outright refusals to consume food in test conditions, hinting at the origins of disgust in humans.

Have An Excellent Friday

work by André Lhote

Morning Joe - In Latest Poll, Doug Jones Leads Roy Moore In Alabama

Trump And Keystone

MSNBC: After spill, Trump’s Keystone XL assurances appear ridiculous By Steve Benen

Ari Melber - Kushner Withheld WikiLeaks, Russia Emails

Jared

The Palmer Report: Legal expert says Jared Kushner will end up “doing hard time”

What We Eat

Guardian UK: Just 12% of Americans eat enough fruit and vegetables, CDC study finds - Only 5.8% of West Virginians eat recommended daily amount - Women and wealthier people more likely to consume enough fruit and veg

Head

Guardian UK: No, there hasn’t been a human 'head transplant', and there may never be - Neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero is in the news again, claiming to have performed the first successful human head transplant. But even cursory analysis reveals that he hasn’t. And scientific logic suggests he never will
So, it was a successful procedure, if you consider paralysis, lack of consciousness and a lifespan of less than a day as indicators of “success”.

Graduate Student Decimation

NY Times: The House Just Voted to Bankrupt Graduate Students
Republicans in the House of Representatives have just passed a tax bill that would devastate graduate research in the United States.

Krugman On The Tax Plan

NY Times: Everybody Hates the Trump Tax Plan by Paul Krugman
And with that realization, the rationale for this tax plan, such as it is, falls apart, leaving nothing but a scheme to make the rich — especially those who rake in investment income rather than working for a living — richer at everyone else’s expense.

The Market On Friday

  At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are -51 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

CNN: Fox hunt; Tesla unveils Roadster; TransCanada trouble by Alanna Petroff

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Keystone

CNN: Keystone Pipeline leaks 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota

Moore Kellyanne

Salon: Kellyanne Conway loses it on “Fox & Friends” after hosts ask about Roy Moore - You know it’s bad when you’ve lost Fox News

Al

NY Times: Senator Al Franken Accused of Groping a Woman in 2006 By NICHOLAS FANDOS

The Onion - Hollywood Removes Statue Of Louis B. Mayer Beckoning Judy Garland To Sit On His Lap

The Onion: Hollywood Removes Statue Of Louis B. Mayer Beckoning Judy Garland To Sit On His Lap

Whole Milk And Prostate Cancer

Medscape: Researchers to Men With Prostate Cancer: Avoid Whole Milk

Online Library: Milk and other dairy foods in relation to prostate cancer recurrence: Data from the cancer of the prostate strategic urologic research endeavor (CaPSURE™)
High-fat dairy, particularly whole milk, in healthy men may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer. However, data are limited regarding dairy after prostate cancer diagnosis.

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Mondrian

Chris Hayes - Democrats Introduce Articles Of Impeachment Against Trump

MSNBC - Expert On Dictators, Trump On A Path Of Despotism

Puppet

The Palmer Report: New details reveal Donald Trump Jr is even more of a Russian puppet than his father

Compare

Guardian UK: Moore v Trump: the sexual misconduct allegations – and the responses - The sexual misconduct allegations against Roy Moore have revived interest in accusations against Donald Trump, made before last year’s election

Read This

Guardian UK: Heroes of Las Vegas: the hospital staff called to action after the mass shooting
All available gurneys and wheelchairs were taken out to the ambulance bay, where non-ER staff would wheel patients in. They set up and waited. “At about that time I was out on the driveway,” Menes recalled. “You could hear it in the distance. You could hear the sirens coming soft initially, then getting louder and louder. The first cars that came were police cruisers. They can run red lights and had filled up with as many patients as they could.

Charles M. Blow's Latest

NY Times: Moore, Trump and the Right’s New Religion
Trump is clearly not a religious man, unless you believe being compulsively devilish is a form of religiosity. He is mean and surly. He is a bully. He is a pathological liar. He cheats. He is an adulterer.

No Moore

NY Times: 4 More Women Accuse Roy Moore of Misconduct By ALAN BLINDER

The Market On Thursday

  At 9:20 a.m. DOW futures are +91 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Tax bill crunch time; Markets rebound; VW plan in China by Ivana Kottasová

Frank!

NY Post: Frank Ntilikina’s game is growing around his suffocating defense

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Showdown At The OK Corral

Politico: Hannity gives Moore '24 hours'

Politico: NRSC poll: Moore trails Jones by 12

Any


More On PSA

  Last week I wrote about my prostate biopsy and finally learning that I do not have prostate cancer. I wanted to share things that I’ve learned in this process specifically about the PSA test. If you’re pushing the middle to older age area, you need to get your PSA blood test, prostate cancer screening for men is imperative.

  Obviously I’m not a doctor, so I’m sharing information to the best of my understanding. Docs like to see the PSA number between 0 and 4. Above 4 is considered high.

  Now this is important. The PSA number does not tell you that you have cancer or not, it’s only another tool the docs have to see if you might be at risk for cancer. The keyword is might.

  Follow me here. My PSA went above 4 about ten years ago. The docs were not so concerned in my case and the alarm bell went off when my PSA went above 6 earlier in January 2017. It was little spike so to speak. Now here’s the deal, I had a biopsy and it came back clear. Having said that, I know of a guy who had a PSA about a point and a half above mine and he had very aggressive prostate cancer with hard complications. On the other hand I spoke with a guy who had a low PSA below 4, and he had prostate cancer which was taken care of through radiation. So you see, the PSA is only an indicator, maybe a decent indicator but not a definitive one. I also know a guy who has a PSA of 12 and he does not have cancer, he's clear. There's four scenarios to compare.

  One more thing, prostate cancer is graded on the Gleason scale. Prostate cancer that is low on the Gleason scale is the less aggressive, whereas cancer that is high up on the Gleason scale is very aggressive. When somebody says something like you can live a long time with prostate cancer, well that is only half true. You can, but that’s because it’s probably lower on the Gleason scale if not the lowest number. Check out the Gleason scale on your own. It’s good to know this stuff as we get older.

  If you know more, write about it in the comment section.

On A Roll

Salon: Democrats record another surprise win in a very red state - A 26-year-old lesbian wins a state legislative seat in an Oklahoma race. Democrats are on a roll

The Borowitz Report - Trump Warns That Dumping Roy Moore Could Start a Dangerous Trend of Believing Women

New Yorker: Trump Warns That Dumping Roy Moore Could Start a Dangerous Trend of Believing Women

Inside the Brain

Science Daily: Take a fantastic 3-D voyage through the brain with new immersive virtual reality system - Put your head inside a brain!
summary - A new immersive virtual reality (VR) experience now offers a unique way to visualize and interact with large volumes of 3-D anatomical brain data. The system has applications in neurotechnology development, research and surgeon training.

Joy Reid - Senators Worry About Trump And Nuclear Weapons

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Mondrian

MSNBC - Trump Says WikiLeaks 141 Times In Month Before Election

Joy Reid - Trump Biographer, Trump Deeply Would Like To Be A Dictator

Deranged

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump’s latest deranged tweet might be his most offensive yet

Braxton Winston

Guardian UK: His act of defiance went viral. Now elected, Braxton Winston aims to fix the system from within - His clenched-fist to riot police became an emblematic image – now ‘It will be interesting to see what happens when the dog actually catches the car’

The 3%

Guardian UK: The gun numbers: just 3% of American adults own a collective 133m firearms - Facts show owning more than 40 guns is actually fairly common in the United States, and violence falls most heavily on the country’s poorest neighborhoods

Of Course

NY Times: Republicans May Target Entitlement Programs to Reduce Deficit By ALAN RAPPEPORT
...ultimately be financed by gutting entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

How To

NY Times: This is How Grown-Ups Deal With Putin by Andrew Rosenthal
It is seeking to weaponize information, deploying its state-run media organizations to plant fake stories and Photoshopped images in an attempt to sow discord in the West and undermine our institutions.

The Market On Wednesday

  At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are -120 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.

CNN: Blockbuster aircraft deals; Markets slump; Japan's winning streak by Ivana Kottasová

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Another Take

The Palmer Report: Did Vladimir Putin just take down Donald Trump Jr?

Solved

Five Thirty Eight: Two Stars Slammed Into Each Other And Solved Half Of Astronomy’s Problems. What Comes Next? By Rebecca Boyle

Lying Liars

Salon: Mike Pence gets tangled in another lie: This time it’s Don Jr. and WikiLeaks - Supposed straight-shooting VP looks foolish again after misstatements about Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks by Sophia Tesfaye

The Onion - Jared And Ivanka Holding Each Other At Gunpoint In Kitchen After Simultaneously Revealing Undercover Identities

The Onion: Jared And Ivanka Holding Each Other At Gunpoint In Kitchen After Simultaneously Revealing Undercover Identities

Warning

Science Daily: 15,000 scientists in 184 countries warn about negative global environmental trends
summary - Human well-being will be severely jeopardized by negative trends in some types of environmental harm, such as a changing climate, deforestation, loss of access to fresh water, species extinctions and human population growth, scientists warn.

The Hair Color, The Hair, The Face


Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Mondrian

Chris Matthews - Atlantic, Trump Jr. Was In Contact With Wikileaks

  This is the story of the week, so far. Moore must go, but this is about the Trump administration and how it was directed by Russia.

Lawrence O'Donnell - The Courage Of Roy Moore’s Accusers

Alabama

The Palmer Report: Roy Moore, Jeff Sessions and an increasingly disturbing Alabama Senate race

1%

Guardian UK: Richest 1% own half the world's wealth, study finds - Credit Suisse report highlights increasing gap between the super-rich and the remainder of the globe’s population

It Continues To Unravel

Guardian UK: Donald Trump Jr communicated with WikiLeaks during final stages of election - President’s son exchanged direct messages with WikiLeaks Twitter account weeks before election day, a new leak of private correspondence shows

Less Is Moore

NY Times: Mitch McConnell Believes the Women. Good for Him. By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Pure Vicious Trump

NY Times: Justice Dept. to Weigh Inquiry Into Clinton Foundation By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMAN

The Market On Tuesday

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -55 and the price of oil per barrel is down.

CNN: Central bankers meet; Venezuela default; Wild Wings flying high by Alanna Petroff

Monday, November 13, 2017

Barbie

CNN: Barbie's first hijab: Meet the new Ibtihaj Muhammad doll by Julia Horowitz

130/80

CNN: Nearly half of Americans now have high blood pressure, based on new guidelines By Susan Scutti

Repercussions

New Yorker: The Weinstein Moment and the Trump Presidency - The producer and other powerful men are facing repercussions for their alleged abusive behavior. Will the President? By David Remnick

Secret

The Atlantic: The Secret Correspondence Between Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks - The transparency organization asked the president’s son for his cooperation—in sharing its work, in contesting the results of the election, and in arranging for Julian Assange to be Australia’s ambassador to the United States. by Julia Ioffe

Abuse

ABC15: A second woman says Roy Moore abused her when she was a minor - Beverly Young Nelson is 5th woman to allege abuse

Mueller

Politico: What Mueller's org chart reveals about his Russia probe - Workload for the special counsel’s team — now 17 prosecutors — shows how he’s conducting the probe and what may come next. By DARREN SAMUELSOHN
That Clinton investigation — most famously led by independent counsel Kenneth Starr — ballooned over the course of eight years to include more than 225 employees from DOJ and other federal agencies, including at least 65 consultants and outside advisers, according to a final report released in 2002.

Rock Bottom

Rolling Stone: If Roy Moore Isn't Rock Bottom for Republicans, What the Hell Is? A Moore win in Alabama would signal a level of hypocrisy and hyper-partisanship that bodes poorly for America

Propping Up Moore

Salon: Breitbart tried to help Roy Moore, but bolstered Washington Post reporting instead - Steve Bannon’s publication is doing whatever it can to save Moore’s troubled candidacy

The Onion - Fox News Struggling To Attract Younger 60-75 Demographic

The Onion: Fox News Struggling To Attract Younger 60-75 Demographic

Ayahuasca

Science Daily: Traditional Amazonian drug linked to improved sense of wellbeing, study suggests
summary - A psychedelic drug traditionally used in South America improves people's general sense of wellbeing and may offer a treatment for alcoholism and depression, new research suggests.

Moore

FiveThirtyEight: How Roy Moore Could Lose Alabama’s Senate Race

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Mondrian

Morning Joe - Barnicle, World Leaders Are Laughing At The US

AM Joy - Alabama Republican Roy Moore Rejects Misconduct Claims

Jeffrey

The Palmer Report: This is probably the week we say goodbye to Jeff Sessions

Trump Cowers Before Duterte

Guardian UK: Trump hails 'great relationship' with Philippines' Duterte - US president offers no public rebuke of Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal drugs crackdown as he nears end of 12-day Asia tour

Block Moore Already!

NY Times: Yes, the G.O.P. Can Block Roy Moore By RONALD J. KROTOSZYNSKI Jr.

Charles M. Blow's Latest

NY Times: Siding With the Enemy
(Trump on Putin and Russian meddling in our elections) “He just — every time he sees me, he says, ‘I didn’t do that.’ And I believe — I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it. But he says, ‘I didn’t do that.’ I think he’s very insulted by it, if you want to know the truth.”

The Market On Monday

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -90 and the price of oil per barrel is flat. The market is poised to open significantly lower.

CNN: Changes at GE; Pound under pressure; Oil in focus by Ivana Kottasová

Friday, November 10, 2017

Enjoy

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

work by Albarrán Cabrera