Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Besotted
NY Times: Trump’s Besotted Republicans By KEVIN BAKER
If it seems remarkable that this thrice-married serial groper, who demonstrated during the campaign that he did not understand the most basic tenets of Christianity, would shout out: “We know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of American life.
Lies
NY Times: 2018 State of the Union Fact-Check
Image
“After years of wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages.”
False.
Wages are, in fact, rising — but at a slower rate than they were at the end of President Obama’s second term.
The Market On Wednesday
At 8:43 a.m. ET DOW futures are +208 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Stock futures rebound; Fed decision; Earnings galore by Alanna Petrof
CNN: Stock futures rebound; Fed decision; Earnings galore by Alanna Petrof
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Beyond Nixon
NBC News: The ‘state’ of Donald Trump? He thinks it couldn’t be better. by Howard Fineman
Trump is even talking to friends about the possibility of asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to consider prosecuting Mueller and his team.
Women In Prison
Guardian UK: Women's prison populations in 35 states 'worse than men's' study says - In a few states, women’s prison populations have even grown enough to counteract reductions in the men’s population
Oklahoma leads the US in the incarceration of women by a dramatic margin. Out of every 100,000 women in the state, 150 are serving time in a state prison – more than twice the national average.
Low And Loathsome
Guardian UK:
Going low: a year of top Trump quotes to rival the White House's list - The White House put out their top Trump quotes – but for everyone else, some other things he said are more memorable
"We are Americans and the future belongs to us ... we are fighting the fake news. It’s phony ... the enemy of the people ... and we’re going to do something about it."
Lindsey
NY Times: The Workout That Saves Lindsey Vonn From Wipeouts ALPINE SKIING Photographs By DINA LITOVSKY, Text by STEPHANIE PEARSON
Vonn holds about 30 pounds of resistance for 30 to 60 seconds twice on each side of her body. ‘‘We call it ‘anti-rotation,’ ’’ Bunt says.
A Softer Gentler A-Hole
NY Times: Some Supporters Fear Trump Will Lose Hard Edge in State of Union Speech By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS
...a soft speech that bends more to the predilections of the political establishment in Washington and less to the populist army that sent him there to drain the swamp
The Market On Tuesday
At 9:20 a.m. ET the DOW is -266 and the price of oil is down. The market will open with a bloodbath.
CNN: Dow slump extends into its second day by Nathaniel Meyersohn
CNN: Dow slump extends into its second day by Nathaniel Meyersohn
I Have A Dream
One half hour into the SOTU address, a select group of FBI and CIA agents, military police, and DC police led by Robert Mueller enter the chamber. Trump is read his rights and is being picked up on charges of conspiracy, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and one other thing I keep forgetting about. The agents force Trump to the floor face down, cuff him, pull him back up, and push him out the door. Devin Nunes, Trey Gowdy, and Jim Jordan are simultaneously arrested and led out on similar charges. When the last agent leaves the chamber erupts into applause, and cheering rings through the chamber and all of America. At that point the healing process begins.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Interference
Gordon Corera - Breaking - CIA chief Mike Pompeo tells the BBC he expects Russia to try and interfere in US mid term elections later this year. He tells me he hasn't seen a significant decrease in its subversive activity in Europe or the US.
Dowd Skewers Trump
NY Times: Trump Hits Alps, but Melania Is Frosty in Florida by Maureen Dowd
When we look in the mirror and try to figure out who we are now, elevating a corporate tax cut over our fundamental values is not going to cut it.
Impeachment
NY Times: An Article of Impeachment Against Donald J. Trump by David Leonhardt
The evidence is now quite strong that Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice.
History Repeats
NY Times: Trump Repeats Nixon’s Fateful Panic by Charles M. Blow
Nixon’s hostility toward the press grew, and the press was emboldened by his aggression. As one reporter then told The Times, “The President has declared war, and the war is on.”
The Market On Monday
At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -65 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Stocks start from record highs; Watching Wynn; NAFTA talks by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Stocks start from record highs; Watching Wynn; NAFTA talks by Alanna Petroff
Wayne, Steve, Sheldon
All Republicans, all living in Las Vegas. Notice anything similar in their appearance.
Friday, January 26, 2018
The Weekend!
Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.
work by Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.
work by illustrator Tatsushi Eto
work by Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.
work by illustrator Tatsushi Eto
Blowhard Extraordinaire
Watch blowhard Hannity do his little on air about face on news of the NY Times exposing Trump's directive to fire Mueller last summer.
Twitter: Hannity's about face
Twitter: Hannity's about face
Here's Hoping
NY Times: McGahn in June, Other Republicans Soon by David Leonhardt
Here’s hoping other Republicans show the same courage as McGahn.
Of Course
NY Times: Of Course the Christian Right Supports Trump by Michelle Goldberg
"Trump’s religious champions, Michael Gerson writes in The Washington Post, are “associating evangelicalism with bigotry, selfishness and deception. They are playing a grubby political game for the highest of stakes: the reputation of their faith.”
The Market On Friday
At 9:25 a.m. ET the DOW is +39 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market will open moderately higher.
CNN: U.S. economy grew faster in 2017, but growth slowed at year's end by Patrick Gillespie
CNN: U.S. economy grew faster in 2017, but growth slowed at year's end by Patrick Gillespie
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Trump, Is Going Down
NY Times: Trump Ordered Mueller Fired, but Backed Off When White House Counsel Threatened to Quit By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMAN
Mr. Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice.
Two Minutes To Bye
NBC News: Doomsday Clock is now just two minutes away from midnight by Corky Siemaszko
“The world is not only more dangerous now than it was a year ago, it is as threatening as it has been since World War II...“In fact, the Doomsday Clock is as close to midnight today as it was in 1953, when Cold War fears perhaps reached their highest levels.”
Malicious And Obnovious
In my opinion, of all the obnoxious things Trump has done, his attacks on the free press are the worst. May he spend eternity in hell because of that.
Guardian UK: How Trump's 'fake news' gave authoritarian leaders a new weapon - By co-opting the term to describe any negative media coverage, Trump helped other countries explain away atrocities
Guardian UK: How Trump's 'fake news' gave authoritarian leaders a new weapon - By co-opting the term to describe any negative media coverage, Trump helped other countries explain away atrocities
Yes It Is, With A Few Exceptions
NY Times: Is the Business World All About Greed? by Nicholas Kristof
...the most interesting people in Davos aren’t the presidents or celebrities, but the social entrepreneurs — those using business tools to address social problems...
Unfit
NY Times: Soul of a Nation by Charles M. Blow
...Trump’s complete unfitness for office based on his character and his unrelenting assault on morality, ethics, truth, norms and decorum.
The Market On Thursday
At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +118 and the price of oil per barrel is significantly higher. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Half the Venezuelan economy has disappeared by Patrick Gillespie
CNN: Half the Venezuelan economy has disappeared by Patrick Gillespie
Facts
From Bill de Blasio NYC Mayor
Some facts Donald Trump should know about his hometown:
•55% of NYC business owners are immigrants.
•45% of NYC’s labor force is made up of foreign-born workers.
•34% of workers in NYC’s tech sector were immigrants in 2016.
•58% of NYC's kids have immigrant parents.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Crime
Seth Abramson - Hate to state the obvious, but, former public defender here, if you're being investigated by the feds for major crimes and you "fight back against it" by trying to get those investigating you fired/arrested, lying to them, hiding evidence, falsely accusing others... it's a CRIME.
Music
Science Daily: Your brain responses to music reveal if you're a musician or not
summary - How your brain responds to music listening can reveal whether you have received musical training, according to new research. By applying methods of computational music analysis and machine learning on brain imaging data collected during music listening, the researchers we able to predict with a significant accuracy whether the listeners were musicians or not.
Chennai
The New Indian Express: Chennai: Ninth edition of Hindu Spiritual Fair starts with ‘mixing’ of Ganga, Kaveri
Rachel Maddow - GOP Tries To Save Trump, Attacks FBI, U.S. Intelligence
Can the GOP go any lower? Oh yes they can.
Seek The Truth
Guardian UK: Pope Francis compares fake news to snake in Garden of Eden - Journalists should make it their mission to seek truth and resist ‘sensational headlines’, he says
The message made no reference to how some public figures, most notably the US president, Donald Trump, often label unflattering or critical reports “fake news” to try to discredit the information.
Sessions
NY Times: Sessions Is Questioned as Russia Inquiry Focuses on Obstruction 查看简体中文版 查看繁體中文版 By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMAN
...Robert S. Mueller III, is increasingly focused on Mr. Trump’s conduct in office and on whether he obstructed the investigation itself, according to two people briefed on the matter.
Hang Tough Schumer
The border wall is an utterly ridiculous idea. It is a 5th Century BC solution to a 21st Century AD problem. It didn't work back in the 5th Century BC either and it sure as hell won't work now. A wall is not an insurmountable obstacle.
NY Times: Border Wall ‘Off the Table,’ Schumer Says, as Immigration Progress Unravels By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and MAGGIE HABERMAN
NY Times: Border Wall ‘Off the Table,’ Schumer Says, as Immigration Progress Unravels By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and MAGGIE HABERMAN
The Market On Wednesday
At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +105 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: GE's fossil fuels disaster gets uglier by Matt Egan
CNN: GE's fossil fuels disaster gets uglier by Matt Egan
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Refusal
Politico:
Biden: McConnell stopped Obama from calling out Russians By EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE
...refusing to sign on to a bipartisan statement of condemnation.
Turmeric
Science Daily: Curcumin improves memory and mood - Twice-daily supplements boosted cognitive power over 18 months
summary - Daily consumption of a certain form of curcumin -- the substance that gives Indian curry its bright color -- improved memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss.
Which Is It
A commitment from McConnell - isn't that an oxymoron.
Guardian UK: Compromise or cave-in? Democrats' deal to end shutdown sows division - After Senate Democrats agree to measure promising to address Dreamers, progressives fear party has been too quick to concede
Guardian UK: Compromise or cave-in? Democrats' deal to end shutdown sows division - After Senate Democrats agree to measure promising to address Dreamers, progressives fear party has been too quick to concede
In a 81-18 vote on Monday, Democrats approved a three-week spending measure in exchange for a commitment from Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, who pledged to bring up legislation that would extend protections to Dreamers, whose status was thrown into chaos when Trump cancelled Daca in September.
Broken
NY Times: The Art of the Broken Deal by Paul Krugman
... Donald Trump — a man who has evident contempt for the rule of law and who, like Louis, sees no distinction between loyalty to the nation and loyalty to himself. The main difference is that Louis seems to have at least tried to understand the issues.
NY Times: A Billionaire Keeps Pushing to Impeach Trump. Democrats Are Rattled. By ALEXANDER BURNS
Mr. Steyer is likely to unsettle national Democrats further in the coming weeks, with a new phase of his campaign aimed at pushing lawmakers in solidly liberal seats to endorse impeachment.
The Market On Tuesday
At 9:15 a.m. DOW futures are -5 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open slightly lower.
CNN: Trump's trade tariffs; Fox-Sky hurdle; Davos kicks off by Rishi Iyengar
CNN: Trump's trade tariffs; Fox-Sky hurdle; Davos kicks off by Rishi Iyengar
Monday, January 22, 2018
Creative
Science Daily: The creative brain is wired differently
summary - Scientists studying brain scans of people who were asked to come up with inventive uses for everyday objects found a specific pattern of connectivity that correlated with the most creative responses. Researchers were then able to use that pattern to predict how creative other people's responses would be based on their connections in this network.
Flawed
NY Times: Shutdown, Showdown, Sure Thing by Charles M. Blow
Donald Trump proved himself both woefully inept at making tough deals and also demonstrated that his yearlong strategy of trying to govern to the exclusion of Democrats and playing to a narrow base is fatally flawed.
The Market On Monday
At 9:20 a.m. ET the DOW is -54 and the price of oil per barrel is slightly up. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: NAFTA is close to falling apart with time running out by Patrick Gillespie
CNN: NAFTA is close to falling apart with time running out by Patrick Gillespie
Friday, January 19, 2018
Breathing
Science Daily: Flu may be spread just by breathing - Coughing and sneezing not required for transmission
summary - It is easier to spread the influenza virus (flu) than previously thought, according to a new study. People commonly believe that they can catch the flu by exposure to droplets from an infected person's coughs or sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces. But, new information about flu transmission reveals that we may pass the flu to others just by breathing.
Trump Love
Guardian UK: Stormy Daniels on Trump: pajamas, unprotected sex and … scary sharks - The porn actor, real name Stephanie Clifford, reveals details of her relationship with the future president in full text of 2011 interview
Clifford also described her sexual encounters with the businessman, saying she did not use protection: “It was kind of in the moment. And I was really kind of upset about it because I am so, like, careful.”
GOP Nonsense
The GOP itself is proof that the American educational system is broken, that propaganda has replaced real information, and that mental health care is woefully broken as well.
NY Times: The G.O.P.’s Doomsday-Machine Politics by Paul Krugman
NY Times: The G.O.P.’s Doomsday-Machine Politics by Paul Krugman
“Give me what I want or I’ll blow everything up.”
Shutdown
NY Times: Showdown Vote in Senate on Friday With Government Shutdown at Stake By THOMAS KAPLAN and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
The Senate is heading toward a showdown vote on Friday on legislation to keep the government open past midnight, and Democrats appear ready to block it, gambling that a weakened President Trump will have to offer concessions in the face of a looming government crisis.
The Market On Friday
At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +26 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Shutdown looms; IBM drops; Schlumberger earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Shutdown looms; IBM drops; Schlumberger earnings by Alanna Petroff
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Dreamers
From Mike Jollett
Trump says immigration should reward the ability to contribute to society.
91% of Dreamers are employed.
US would lose over $400 billion in GDP if they're deported.
If its really about “contribution,” then the Dreamers should stay.
Gorka
The Daily Beast: Hungarian Police Have Arrest Warrant Out for Sebastian Gorka
“firearm or ammunition abuse"
Fun And Fury
BBC: Fire and Fury: Trump exposé to become television series
The rights have been sold to Endeavor Content...
Invisible
BBC: The animals that are almost invisible - These animals’ ability to control light renders them almost invisible
Animals that live in midwater though have neither of these options. This region is known as the pelagic zone, and it also happens to be where most invisible animals live.
The Heart
The dude is literally asking for a heart attack.
NY Times: Trump’s Physical Revealed Serious Heart Concerns, Outside Experts Say By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and GINA KOLATA
NY Times: Trump’s Physical Revealed Serious Heart Concerns, Outside Experts Say By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and GINA KOLATA
The Shitholes
NY Times: What We Can Learn From ‘S-Hole Countries’ by Nicholas Kristof
3. Rwanda may eliminate cervical cancer before America...
The Market On Thursday
At 9:20 the DOW is -6 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open slightly lower.
CNN: China GDP; U.S. shutdown threat; IBM earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: China GDP; U.S. shutdown threat; IBM earnings by Alanna Petroff
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Soiled By Trump
NY Times: Donald Trump Will Soil You. Ask Lindsey Graham. by Frank Bruni
There’s no honor or wisdom in cozying up to Donald Trump — just a heap of manure.
The Market On Wednesday
At 9:20 a.m. DOW futures are +135 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Reagan and Bush economic adviser says stocks are due to fall by Chris Isidore
CNN: Reagan and Bush economic adviser says stocks are due to fall by Chris Isidore
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Gene Therapy
Science Daily: The coming of age of gene therapy: A review of the past and path forward
summary - After three decades of hopes tempered by setbacks, gene therapy -- the process of treating a disease by modifying a person's DNA -- is no longer the future of medicine, but is part of the present-day clinical treatment toolkit. A new article provides an in-depth and timely review of the key developments that have led to several successful gene therapy treatments for patients with serious medical conditions.
Trump Porn
NY Times: The President and the Porn Star by Michelle Goldberg
In any other administration, evidence that the president paid hush money to the star of “Good Will Humping” during the election would be a scandal. In this one it has, so far, elicited a collective shrug.
Senseless And Very Disturbed Minds
NY Times: 13 Siblings, Some Shackled to Beds, Were Held Captive by Parents, Police in California Say 查看简体中文版 查看繁體中文版 By MATTHEW HAAG and LOUIS KEENE
Their parents, David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, were both arrested on nine counts each of torture and child endangerment. They were being held in jail with bail set at $9 million each, the authorities said.
The Market On Tuesday
At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +208 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Dow near 26,000; BP losses; U.S. dollar weakness by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Dow near 26,000; BP losses; U.S. dollar weakness by Alanna Petroff
Monday, January 15, 2018
'Ah! La Barbe'
'Ah! La Barbe' is a French short film from 1906. In the film a man shaves in front of a mirror, tastes the shaving cream he applies to his face, then decides to eat some of the shaving cream. He begins shaving and as a result of eating the shaving cream starts to see frightening hallucinations in his mirror. It's regarded as being one of the first horror films.
The Sanskrit Effect
Scientific American: A Neuroscientist Explores the "Sanskrit Effect" - MRI scans show that memorizing ancient mantras increases the size of brain regions associated with cognitive function By James Hartzell
Most interestingly for verbal memory was that the pandits' right hippocampus—a region of the brain that plays a vital role in both short and long-term memory—had more gray matter than controls across nearly 75 percent of this subcortical structure.
Wolff
Guardian UK: 'It's all explosive': Michael Wolff on Donald Trump - Speaking to the Guardian, author who shook the White House faces down critical fire and presidential fury and says: ‘I got to a truth no one else has gotten’ by Edward Helmore
"...Donald Trump is deeply unpredictable, irrational, at times bordering on incoherent, self-obsessed in a disconcerting way, and displays all those kinds of traits that anyone would reasonably say, ‘What’s going on here, is something wrong?’”
Morally Bankrupt
Trump boasts that no one knows more about bankruptcy than he does. This is true, unfortunately his bankruptcy experience extends way beyond business, he is also morally bankrupt.
NY Times: In Trump’s Remarks, Black Churches See a Nation Backsliding By SABRINA TAVERNISE
NY Times: In Trump’s Remarks, Black Churches See a Nation Backsliding By SABRINA TAVERNISE
“I’ve been involved in the civil rights movement since my college days, and I’m not sure I’ve ever been more confused than I am right now,” said Sterling Tucker, 94, a civil rights leader in Washington.
Racist
NY Times: Trump Is a Racist. Period. by Charles M. Blow
Racism is simply the belief that race is an inherent and determining factor in a person’s or a people’s character and capabilities, rendering some inferior and others superior. These beliefs are racial prejudices.
The Market Is Closed ON MLK Day
Wall Street is closed for the holiday. One thing to notice and keep and eye on though, the price of oil is closing in on $65 per barrel. Gas is pricier. All those folks who bought gas guzzlers when oil was below $40 per barrel are in for some new sticker shock.
'Trumpocracy'
SF Gate: ‘Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic,’ by David Frum - Review By John Diaz
The most important new book about the dangers of Donald Trump’s presidency is getting the least attention at the moment.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Hush
The Daily Beast: Report: Trump Lawyer Arranged $130K Hush Money to Keep Porn Star Quiet
...in an effort to keep her silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
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