Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Guardian UK: India prompts protests with unveiling of world's biggest statue - Local groups complain about cost of 182-metre-high tribute to nationalist hero
The 182-metre sculpture of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the Statue of Unity to commemorate his efforts to corral hundreds of princely states into the Indian union after independence, was revealed on Wednesday by the prime minister, Narendra Modi.
President Hate's Constitutional Nonsense
NY Times: Donald Trump’s Unconstitutional Dreams - The president has birthright citizenship all wrong. By Eric Foner
In fact, such an order would undoubtedly be unconstitutional. It would also violate a deeply rooted American idea — that anybody, regardless of race, religion, national origin, or the legal status of one’s parents, can be a loyal citizen of this country.
President Hate Visited Pittsburgh
NY Times: Trump’s Visit to Pittsburgh Divides a City Mourning Victims of Hate By Campbell Robertson, Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Trip Gabriel
But if Mr. Trump’s visit was intended to bring healing, it instead laid bare the nation’s deep divisions. Many protesters in Pittsburgh had no doubt of what one called “the dotted line” between presidential rhetoric and violence, though some people in the city have pushed back on the idea that Mr. Trump had fomented the atmosphere of anger. As the president moved around Pittsburgh, a largely Democratic city, the signs of discord were apparent.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +338 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Facebook results; Airbus delivery issues; Samsung warning By Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Facebook results; Airbus delivery issues; Samsung warning By Ivana Kottasová
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
President Hate
NY Times: Trump Arrives in Pittsburgh as Many Make Clear His Visit Isn’t Welcome By Campbell Robertson, Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Trip Gabriel
...1,000 protesters gathered on a leafy street near the synagogue in opposition to his visit.
Their signs read “Words matter” and “President Hate is not welcome in our state.”
Fascists And Masturbation
Long story short - no masturbating for fascists.
Psychology Today: Is One Sexual Behavior Triggering Certain Groups? Masturbation may well be one of the healthiest human sexual behaviors.
Psychology Today: Is One Sexual Behavior Triggering Certain Groups? Masturbation may well be one of the healthiest human sexual behaviors.
The Proud Boys is a group of young, nationalist males, self-described “Western Chauvinists,” who have recently been connected to numerous hate crimes, including public assaults on gay men. A central tenet of the Proud Boys’ belief system is the value of #NoWanks, claiming that masturbating makes men less likely to get dates and a way to push back against modern liberal culture.
GOP Violence
Guardian UK: Republican congressman: time to 'body-slam' Democrats' midterm hopes - Remarks by Jody Hice come after Trump praised Montana congressman’s assault on Guardian reporter
A Republican congressman has called for the Democratic midterm election campaign to be “body-slammed”.
In a video posted online by Georgia Democrats, Georgia’s Republican congressman Jody Hice begins by telling an audience in Watkinsville that “the time has come” to stop Democrats, who are favored to regain control of the House of Representatives on 6 November.
Hate
NY Times: On Social Media, No Answers for Hate By Sheera Frenkel, Mike Isaac and Kate Conger
On Monday, a search on Instagram, the photo-sharing site owned by Facebook, produced a torrent of anti-Semitic images and videos uploaded in the wake of Saturday’s shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
A search for the word “Jews” displayed 11,696 posts with the hashtag “#jewsdid911,” claiming that Jews had orchestrated the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Other hashtags on Instagram referenced Nazi ideology, including the number 88, an abbreviation used for the Nazi salute “Heil Hitler.”
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are -370 and the price of oil per barrel is way down. The Trump stock market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: GE slashes 119-year old dividend to a penny By Matt Egan
CNN: GE slashes 119-year old dividend to a penny By Matt Egan
Monday, October 29, 2018
ZZ Top With John Fogerty
Pretty sure this was put together as an enticement to attend their concerts. It's still fun.
The Atlantic - Why The U.S. Should Provide Universal Basic Income
"America is the richest civilization in history. Why, then, are our living standards so low compared to those of other wealthy democracies?"
Planets
Scientific American: Which Planets Do Space Scientists Love Most—and Least? As BepiColombo heads to long-neglected Mercury, a look at which planets attract scientific missions, and why By Matthew Warren
Venus’s environment was once a much more Earth-like planet, but it suffered a runaway greenhouse effect that resulted in very hot temperatures and an atmosphere filled with carbon dioxide.
Interactive - Learn About Victims
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Squirrel Hill Synagogue Massacre
Remembering the Victims
'He Just Makes It Up'
Guardian UK: Barack Obama takes aim at Donald Trump for 'making stuff up' - Ex-president joins campaign trail and says ‘the character of our country is on the ballot’
Obama cited a recent Trump comment that he would pass a tax cut before the November election. “Congress isn’t even in session before the election. He just makes it up,” he said.
'Stop The Words Of Hate'
Guardian UK: 'Stop the words of hate,' Pittsburgh rabbi urges US leaders as survivors speak - Rabbi tells of pulling people away from scene - Suspect Robert Bowers faces court on Monday - Opinion: A warning on antisemitism. Then it happened
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who described himself as a victim, survivor and mourner, drew a standing ovation as he told the crowd: “I want to address for a moment some of our political leaders who were here. Ladies and gentlemen it has to start with you as our leaders … Stop the words of hate … If it comes from you, Americans will listen.”
It's On Trump's Head
NY Times: Tree of Life Synagogue Victims Remembered as Guardians of Their Faith By Simon Romero, Jennifer Medina and Timothy Williams
David and Cecil Rosenthal, brothers in their 50s, were almost always in the synagogue, greeting everyone who came with a “Good Shabbos” and a ready prayer book. Joyce Fienberg, 75, prayed there every day after her husband’s death. And Melvin Wax, 88, took on so many tasks — from leading services to changing light bulbs — that one friend described his role there as “everything but the cantor.”
Too Much Evil
NY Times: ‘There Is Still So Much Evil’: Growing Anti-Semitism Stuns American Jews By Laurie Goodstein
So the massacre on Saturday of 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue, by a man who told the police when he surrendered that he “wanted all Jews to die,” was for many a shocking wake-up call.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +146 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: IBM buys Red Hat; HSBC delivers; China opening By Ivana Kottasová
CNN: IBM buys Red Hat; HSBC delivers; China opening By Ivana Kottasová
Friday, October 26, 2018
Unconscionable Trump
Guardian UK: How Trump targeted his biggest critics before they were sent pipe bombs - The president has blamed the media for the ‘bad and hateful’ atmosphere – but has failed to acknowledge his own rhetoric
Maxine Waters has said people have threatened to assassinate, hang and lynch her because of her criticism of Trump.
Florida
NY Times: Pipe Bombs Investigation Turns Toward Florida as More Trump Critics Are Targeted By William K. Rashbaum, Alan Feuer and Adam Goldman
Federal authorities investigating a spate of pipe bombs sent this week to several prominent critics of President Trump have turned their attention to southern Florida, believing that a number of the devices were mailed from there, two people briefed on the matter said Thursday.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are -150 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Nasdaq set to tumble, dragged down by Amazon By Matt Egan
CNN: Nasdaq set to tumble, dragged down by Amazon By Matt Egan
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Premeditated
As if we didn't already know this.
NY Times: Saudi Arabia, in Reversal, Says Khashoggi’s Killing Was ‘Premeditated’
NY Times: Saudi Arabia, in Reversal, Says Khashoggi’s Killing Was ‘Premeditated’
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
A Solipsistic View
solipsism (sŏlˈĭp-sĭzˌəm, sōˈlĭp-)
n. Philosophy - The theory that the self is the only thing that can be known and verified.
n. Philosophy - The theory or view that the self is the only reality.
Gone
Does this portend things to come?
Guardian UK: Hawaiian island erased by powerful hurricane: ‘the loss is a huge blow’ - East Island has vanished after coming into contact with Hurricane Walaka, an intense storm that hit Hawaii earlier this month
Guardian UK: Hawaiian island erased by powerful hurricane: ‘the loss is a huge blow’ - East Island has vanished after coming into contact with Hurricane Walaka, an intense storm that hit Hawaii earlier this month
Scientists have confirmed the disappearance of the 11-acre island after comparing satellite images of the surrounding French Frigate Shoals, part of an enormous protected marine area in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Necessary
NY Times: How to Make America America Again - Elect Democrats and win back the House or the Senate. By Thomas L. Friedman
President Trump has spent two years attacking our best values — truth and trust — and I believe that Democrats getting a lever of power is necessary, but not sufficient, to reverse that.
Khashoggi, Savage Murder
NY Times: Prince and President Escalate Battle Over Khashoggi Killing By David D. Kirkpatrick and Carlotta Gall
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey swept into Ankara’s wood-paneled Parliament on Tuesday to level his most direct attack yet against Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia...
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:14 a.m. ET DOW futures are +22 and the price of oil is up. The market is poised to open modestly higher.
CNN: Bankers' optimism; Trump vs. the Fed; Heineken loves summer By Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Bankers' optimism; Trump vs. the Fed; Heineken loves summer By Ivana Kottasová
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Overly Simplistic
Something tells me this is not going to go over well with the fundamentalists.
Scientific American: Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic - Biologists now think there is a larger spectrum than just binary female and male By Claire Ainsworth
Scientific American: Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic - Biologists now think there is a larger spectrum than just binary female and male By Claire Ainsworth
Halfway through her fifth decade and pregnant with her third child, the woman learned for the first time that a large part of her body was chromosomally male.
Response
This is Bill Palmer's response to the Politico article which suggested that the Mueller report would be nothing but a disappointment.
The Palmer Report: “Prepare for disappointment” from Robert Mueller? Oh give me a break. by Bill Palmer
The Palmer Report: “Prepare for disappointment” from Robert Mueller? Oh give me a break. by Bill Palmer
Saturation
This entire period since the election has been exhausting. I am at peak saturation point x. I'm trying to stay current with the news but even doing that is hard. We need some good news folks.
Intact
Guardian UK: World's oldest intact shipwreck discovered in Black Sea - Archaeologists say the 23-metre vessel has lain undisturbed for more than 2,400 years
The ship is believed to have been a trading vessel of a type that researchers say has only previously been seen “on the side of ancient Greek pottery such as the ‘Siren Vase’ in the British Museum”.
Fear, Falsehoods, And 'Beautiful Ted'
Guardian UK: 'Beautiful Ted': Trump and Cruz bury the hatchet as midterm anxiety mounts - Their bitter 2016 rivalry was all but forgotten at a Houston rally as Trump turns to a narrative of fear and falsehoods to shore up Republican control of Congress
So the toxic relationship of 2016 was forgotten and the man who once coined the phrase “Lyin’ Ted” bestowed a new epithet, “Beautiful Ted”.
“God Bless Texas and God Bless President Donald Trump,” Ted Cruz declared...
Liar
NY Times: Donald Trump Is Lyin’ Up a Storm - Is there an election coming up, or something? By The Editorial Board
...Mr. Trump is not letting reality interfere with his performance. At a rally in Nevada this weekend, the president told the crowd that Californians were rioting to “get out of their sanctuary cities.” (They aren’t.) He also suggested that Democrats will soon be looking to hand out free luxury cars to illegal immigrants. (They won’t.)
Murder Plan
NY Times: Erdogan Says Saudis Planned Khashoggi’s Killing in Turkey By Richard Pérez-Peña
The team of Saudi officials that arrived in stages in Istanbul to carry out the killing included generals, he said, and the Saudis conducted reconnaissance in rural areas outside the city where investigators have been searching for Mr. Khashoggi’s remains.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -429 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is going to severely tank at the opening bell. Someone get the tourniquet.
CNN: The Dow is tumbling again as earnings fears spark selling By Matt Egan and Chris Isidore
CNN: The Dow is tumbling again as earnings fears spark selling By Matt Egan and Chris Isidore
Monday, October 22, 2018
Meltdown
As we know, a poor performance in a debate does not translate into losing an election. I would point to Trump's remarkably poor debate performance versus Clinton as one of many many examples.
The Palmer Report: Donald Trump has meltdown after his candidate Ron DeSantis performs poorly in Florida Governor debate by Bill Palmer
The Palmer Report: Donald Trump has meltdown after his candidate Ron DeSantis performs poorly in Florida Governor debate by Bill Palmer
Black 'Reverse Migration'
Guardian UK: Black 'reverse migration' driving Atlanta and Georgia towards Democrats - Demographic changes could bring success for Democrats and Stacey Abrams - and counter alleged voter suppression against minorities
A “great reverse migration” of African Americans to the US south from the north could turn historically Republican parts of Georgia’s state capital, Atlanta, from red to Democrat blue as early as next month’s midterms, experts say.
The Mob
NY Times: Count Me Among the Mob - If it means people who stand in opposition to Trump’s degradation of the country. By Charles M. Blow
It is true that Donald Trump is not only antithetical to liberal values, he is antithetical to most American values...
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +111 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Stocks soar in China; Ryanair warning; Fiat Chrysler sells parts business By Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Stocks soar in China; Ryanair warning; Fiat Chrysler sells parts business By Ivana Kottasová
Break
Harvard Business Review: I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked. by Sarah K. Peck
Friday, October 19, 2018
Trump Praises An Assailant For His Violence
Guardian UK: 'He's my guy': Trump praises Gianforte for assault on Guardian reporter - President’s comments at Montana rally in praise of violence against US journalist come amid international outcry over Khashoggi
Trump described in glowing terms the physical assault that occurred on 24 May 2017 when Ben Jacobs, the Guardian’s political correspondent, asked Gianforte a question about healthcare policy in the course of a special congressional election in Montana.
Rapists And Abuse
NY Times: Eight Stories Of Men Regrets
Two of my friends and I once took a drive with a girl who lived on my street. We drove to the top of Mulholland Drive and told her she would have to walk home unless she would allow us to fondle her and expose her breasts. This only occurred once when I was in the car, but it was a sort of trick to play on girls that had been “passed down” by one of my friend’s older brothers. As a father of two millennial daughters and one millennial son, I would be horrified today if anything close to that ever occurred. This is the first time I have ever spoken about it.
Catholic Church Pedophile Priests Again
NY Times: Catholic Dioceses in Pennsylvania Face Federal Inquiry Into Sexual Abuse By Campbell Robertson and Elizabeth Dias
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania accused of covering up sex abuse for decades, a significant escalation in scrutiny of the church.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m ET DOW futures are +95 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: China growth slows; Silicon Valley and Saudi Arabia; Euro woes By Mark Thompson
CNN: China growth slows; Silicon Valley and Saudi Arabia; Euro woes By Mark Thompson
Thursday, October 18, 2018
BepiColombo
Scientific American: All Systems Go for Second-ever Mission to Enter Mercury’s Orbit - European and Japanese double probe, BepiColombo, will take seven years to reach the solar system’s innermost planet By Davide Castelvecchi
But in recent years, it (Mercury) has revealed many surprises, from its unusual magnetic field to water-ice deposits found in some of its craters.
Disgrace Upon Disgrace Upon Disgrace
Guardian UK: Revealed: US moves to keep endangered species discussions secret - In a confidential document obtained by the Guardian, Trump officials say releasing records could have a ‘chilling effect’ on their deliberations
The Trump administration is moving to restrict the release of information about its decisions on endangered species, according to a confidential internal document obtained by the Guardian.
Khashoggi
NY Times: Audio Offers Gruesome Details of Jamal Khashoggi Killing, Turkish Official Says By David D. Kirkpatrick and Carlotta Gall
Mr. Khashoggi was dead within minutes, beheaded, dismembered, his fingers severed, and within two hours the killers were gone, according to details from audio recordings described by a senior Turkish official on Wednesday.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -110 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: China's currency falls; Novartis deal; Oil prices slip By Ivana Kottasová
CNN: China's currency falls; Novartis deal; Oil prices slip By Ivana Kottasová
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
She's Gone
The Atlantic: The Conners Frees Itself of Roseanne Barr - The retooled sitcom debuted with an episode that wrestled with the death of its fictional matriarch. by David Sims
The Daily Beast: Roseanne Dies of an Opioid Overdose in ‘The Conners.’ That’s the Wrong Move. As Barr revealed herself, Roseanne is killed off in the spinoff with an overdose. The episode is good. But the optics behind that decision are ugly and problematic. (SPOILERS!) by Kevin Fallon
The Daily Beast: Roseanne Dies of an Opioid Overdose in ‘The Conners.’ That’s the Wrong Move. As Barr revealed herself, Roseanne is killed off in the spinoff with an overdose. The episode is good. But the optics behind that decision are ugly and problematic. (SPOILERS!) by Kevin Fallon
Intrinsic Weird
Scientific American: Our Solar System Is Even Stranger Than We Thought - New research shows a pattern of exoplanet sizes and spacing around other stars unlike what we see in our own system By Lauren Weiss
Yet, despite this wide range of possible sizes, planets tend to be about the same sizes as their neighbors. One of my collaborators decided they looked like “peas in a pod,” and that moniker became our shorthand for the pattern.
Trump's Lame Denials
NY Times: The Saudi Cover-Up Crumbles - Evidence mounts of a ghastly crime in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. President Trump still seems inclined to buy the kingdom’s lame denials. By The Editorial Board
...outrage has been conspicuously absent from the Trump administration in the two weeks since Mr. Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, never to be seen again.
Prince
NY Times: The Jamal Khashoggi Case: Suspects Had Ties to Saudi Crown Prince By David D. Kirkpatrick, Malachy Browne, Ben Hubbard and David Botti
One of the suspects identified by Turkey in the disappearance of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi was a frequent companion of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman...
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -130 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: GE is a confusing maze. Will the new boss cut the complexity? By Matt Egan
CNN: GE is a confusing maze. Will the new boss cut the complexity? By Matt Egan
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