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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Willie McCovey Dies

Yahoo: San Francisco Giants legend Willie McCovey has died

LOL

CNN: Trump attacks Paul Ryan, says he 'knows nothing' about birthright citizenship By Clare Foran and Sarah Westwood

'The Secret Lullaby'

  Calm music from my CD 'Silver'

'Africa'

  Yet another Weezer version

Not What It Used To Be

The Atlantic: Trick-or-Treating Isn’t What It Used to Be - Instead of going door-to-door on Halloween night, many parents are taking their kids elsewhere to get candy. by Julie Beck

Ignoring White Terrorism

The Daily Beast: Homeland Security’ Ignores White Terror, DHS Veterans Say - As far-right terror attacks mount, DHS is concentrating on a migrant caravan 1000+ miles away—and some FBI veterans say the bureau isn't taking white supremacy seriously enough. by Betsy Woodruff, Spencer Ackerman

Last Minute Gambit

Salon: Donald Trump’s last-minute midterms gambit: Will he finally pay the price for bigotry and division? After ignoring hurricane victims, Trump is wasting billions sending troops to the border. Will voters punish him? by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - ‘Take This Grape For It Is The Witch’s Eye, Take This Spaghetti For It Is The Witch’s Brain,’ Says Pope Francis During Halloween-Themed Communion

The Onion: ‘Take This Grape For It Is The Witch’s Eye, Take This Spaghetti For It Is The Witch’s Brain,’ Says Pope Francis During Halloween-Themed Communion

Human Pressures

Scientific American: Human Pressures Have Shrunk Wildlife Populations by 60 Percent - In 40 years, human actions like deforestation have taken a major toll on wildlife, a new report finds By Scott Waldman

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Konstantin Korovin 1862 - 1939





Rachel Maddow - Bumbling President Trump Booster Botches Mueller Smear, Implicates Own Mom

Brian Williams - General Barry McCaffrey - Trump Is Bordering On Unconstitutional Behavior

Colbert - Trump Warns Of 'Young, Strong' Men In The Caravan

Stone

The Palmer Report: Roger Stone flips out after Steve Bannon sells him out to Robert Mueller by Bill Palmer

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.

Who is Crazier, President Hate Or Kanye

Guardian UK: Kanye West says he's distancing himself from politics: 'My eyes are wide open' - The statement likely results from a falling out between the rapper and a rightwing provocateur over the ‘Blexit’ concept

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

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.
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.

Pandering To Zealots

The Daily Beast: Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Stunt Panders to Zealots Like Alleged Pittsburgh Shooter Robert Bowers - Instead of turning down the rhetoric that inspired the deadliest anti-Semitic massacre in U.S. history, the president feeds the nativist fringe that inspired it. by Jay Michaelson

Dirty Tricks

The Atlantic: Mueller Wants the FBI to Look at a Scheme to Discredit Him - The special counsel says a woman was offered money to fabricate sexual-harassment claims. by Natasha Bertrand

Unfair

Salon: Trump complains it’s unfair that Barack Obama was not blamed for Charleston church shooting - The president’s divisive rhetoric has been harshly scrutinized following a bombing campaign that targeted Democrats by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Coleman Unveils New Slowly Leaking Air Mattress For House Guests Who Won’t Take A Hint

The Onion: Coleman Unveils New Slowly Leaking Air Mattress For House Guests Who Won’t Take A Hint

Crooked

Scientific American: What Does a Crooked Election Look Like? In the search for electoral fraud, researchers use forensic tool kits to detect statistical signs of ballot stuffing and voter rigging By David Noonan

Rodney Dangerfield Has Carson Hysterically Laughing

NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Chromeo

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work at André Brasilier



Rachel Maddow - Organization Cited By Synagogue Gunman Sees Outpouring Of Support

Rachel Maddow - White House Should Reconsider Unwelcome Pittsburgh Trip

Colbert - Hate Is Not What America Stands For

Big Three

The Palmer Report: Three big things you can expect to happen after the midterm elections by Bill Palmer

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.

Divided

Guardian UK: Pittsburgh residents and city leaders divided over imminent Trump visit - Mayor asked president to delay visit until after victims are buried while some residents say politics should pause for grief

The Polarizer

NY Times: Trump Can’t Unite Us. Can Anyone? After far-right terrorist attacks, the president sticks to what he does best: polarize. By Frank Bruni and Ross Douthat

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

Monday, October 29, 2018

Venice

  Historic high water levels in Venice.

Yahoo: Deadly storms lash Italy leaving Venice afloat

Vox - Republicans Have Broken Politics

Lazy Do Nothing

NY Mag: Report: President Trump Barely Works at All By Jonathan Chait

Bernie Mac - I Ain't Scared Of You Mutha****!

Lie By Omission

Vox: Trump’s responses to mass shootings are a giant lie by omission - Trump has blamed mental health, video games, and security for mass shootings. But not guns. By German Lopez

Trump Hit With Major Lawsuit

NY Times: Trump Persuaded Struggling People to Invest in Scams, Lawsuit Says By Maggie Haberman and Benjamin Weiser

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?"

Gunman

The Daily Beast: ‘Fox & Friends’ on Tying Alleged Synagogue Shooter to Trump: ‘He Didn’t Even Own a MAGA Hat’ - The president’s cable-news allies say it's unfair to tie Trump’s conspiratorial rhetoric to the synagogue mass shooting because the neo-Nazi alleged gunman wasn’t full MAGA. by Pilar Melendez

Media BS

Salon: After terror comes the media BS: No, lazy pundits, “both sides” don’t do this - It was a week that shocked America. Whatever talking heads and Republicans may claim, the responsibility is clear by Bob Cesca

The Onion - ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens

The Onion: ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens

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

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Alf Rolfsen (Norwegian, 1895 - 1979)

Steve Schmidt - We've Arrived At This Dark Hour Because Of Donald Trump

AM Joy - Synagogue Shooting Comes Same Week As Mail Bomber, Race-Based Kroger Attack

Questions

The Palmer Report: Immunity request raises all kinds of questions about Trump-Russia scandal by Bill Palmer

'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

Friday, October 26, 2018

Weekend!

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

work by Denise Regan

'Wrapped Around My Finger'

Rufus Wainwright and Sting

'Condition X'

from my CD Particle

'That's Just The Way It Is'

Bruce Hornsby

Jerk

The Atlantic: Trump’s Bomb-Scare Response Shows He Can't Ever Stop Campaigning - The president constantly conflates his partisan and presidential roles—even in the middle of a national crisis. by David A. Graham

MAGA

The Daily Beast: Cesar Sayoc Jr. Named as Bomb Suspect As Bomb Count Grows to 12 - Several news outlets named Cesar Sayoc, Jr.—a registered Republican with a van covered in political decals, Trump paraphernalia, and threats against Democrats—as the suspect. by Olivia Messer, Pervaiz Shallwani

Blaming The Victim

Salon: Donald Trump blames the bombing victims: That didn’t take long - Whatever rote condemnations Trump offers, it was inevitable that he’d use the bombs as an intimidation tactic by Amanda Marcotte

The Onion - Study Finds Effectiveness Of Medical Treatment Skyrockets When Doctor Acts Like Condescending Dick

The Onion: Study Finds Effectiveness Of Medical Treatment Skyrockets When Doctor Acts Like Condescending Dick

This

NBC News: Pipe bomb suspect: Cesar Sayoc, Jr., in custody for allegedly sending suspicious packages - DNA evidence played a role in the arrest, the officials said.

Trickle Down


Have An Excellent Friday

work by Frederick Hart 1943 - 1999



Brian Williams - Donald Trump Ditches Unity Message, Blames Rivals For Political Toxicity

Colbert - Trump Won't Stop Using His Phone That's Being Spied On

A Peek

The Palmer Report: Here’s a peek at just how aggressively Robert Mueller is moving behind the scenes by Bill Palmer

GOP Voter Suppression Is Working

Guardian UK: Republicans wanted to suppress the Native American vote. It's working - Voter fraud barely exists, yet laws are being passed in states such as North Dakota that do nothing but strip the civil rights of indigenous peoples by Julian Brave NoiseCat

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.

More Bombs

NY Times: Two More Bombs Found, Addressed to Cory Booker and CNN By William K. Rashbaum and Matthew Haag

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

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Out

People: NBC Cancels Megyn Kelly Today After Blackface Controversy, Sources Say

Steven Wright Part 2

Take Down

The Daily Beast: Saudi Spy Met With Team Trump About Taking Down Iran - Mueller’s investigators examined a series of meetings between an Israeli social media strategist, the general blamed for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, and Trump adviser Michael Flynn. by Betsy Woodruff and Erin Banco

Ism

The Atlantic: Trumpism Is ‘Identity Politics’ for White People - The president’s closing argument in the midterm elections lays bare the logic of his appeal. by Adam Serwer

The Bump

Salon: There is a Kavanaugh bump — but it is for Democrats - A recent survey found the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle is driving more Democrats than Republicans to vote by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Man Just Knows Hillary Clinton Going To Have Opinion On Not Dying In Explosion

The Onion: Man Just Knows Hillary Clinton Going To Have Opinion On Not Dying In Explosion - ‘She Always Finds A Way To Insert Herself Into The Conversation,’ Says Man

CI Tau

Sci News: Astronomers Discover Young Planetary System with Four Gas Giants

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Tashi Norbu



Brian Williams - Donald Trump Holds Rally After Pipe Bombs Sent To Obamas, Clintons And CNN

Colbert - Stephen Reveals A Sketch Of The Serial Bomber

No President

The Palmer Report: There is no President of the United States by Bill Palmer

Nobody

Guardian UK: Bannon holds rally for Republican candidates but none show up - Trump’s former strategist touts his role in president’s success before crowd of 200 in upstate New York

Inhuman Rights

Guardian UK: Trump administration wants to remove 'gender' from UN human rights documents - Exclusive: US diplomats have pushed for rewriting of collective statements to remove language inclusive of transgender people

The Trump Economy

NY Times: Slumping Stock Market Enters Negative Territory for the Year By Matt Phillips

Premeditated

  As if we didn't already know this.

NY Times: Saudi Arabia, in Reversal, Says Khashoggi’s Killing Was ‘Premeditated’

Trump World

NY Times: Bombs Sent to Biden and Robert De Niro, Latest in Wave of Explosives Sent to Trump Critics By William K. Rashbaum, Alan Feuer and Richard Pérez-Peña

It's All Trump


Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Welcome

The Palmer Report: Welcome to Donald Trump’s shithole America by Bill Palmer

'A Day In The Life'

Beatles

Statement


Act Of Terror

The Daily Beast: Act of Terror’: Explosive Devices Sent to Obama, the Clintons, and CNN - The day of bomb scares comes after liberal philanthropist George Soros received a suspicious package at his home. by Andrew Kirell, Spencer Ackerman, Erin Banco, Pervaiz Shallwani, Pilar Melendez

Terrorism

The Atlantic: When the Mail Is Used to Stoke Panic - Officials have intercepted explosive items bound for an array of high-profile targets ahead of next month’s midterm elections. by Kathy Gilsinan

Bombs

NY Times: Pipe Bombs Sent to Clintons, Obama and CNN Offices By William K. Rashbaum

What Could Go Wrong

Salon: Nuke madness: Are Putin and Trump ready to tear up historic nuclear arms agreement? Egged on by John Bolton, Trump and Putin may remove all limits on nuclear missiles. Seriously, what could go wrong? by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Couple Starting To Feel Like They Just Don’t Have Any TV Shows In Common

The Onion: Couple Starting To Feel Like They Just Don’t Have Any TV Shows In Common

Sunshine

NPR: Grandma Was Right: Sunshine Helps Kill Germs Indoors

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.

Alec Baldwin Calls For Trump To Be Ousted

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Filippo Lippi 1406-1469




Knee Deep

The Palmer Report: John Bolton is cowering to Vladimir Putin because he’s knee deep in the Trump-Russia scandal by Bill Palmer

Brian Williams - Two Weeks To The Midterms, Donald Trump Leans In To The Politics Of Fear

Colbert - Trump Paints A False Portrait Of The Migrant Caravan

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
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.

The Caravan

Guardian UK: 'God will decide if we make it': Central American caravan presses northward - Despite Trump’s claims of criminals and ‘Middle Easterners’, the migrants heading north through Mexico tell of lives made impossible by gangs, violence, poverty and corruption by David Agren

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

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

'Etched In Water Blues'

from my new CD Pagliacci

What Else Can He Do

The Daily Beast: Trump Hijacks Cruz's Mega-Rally to Stoke His Own Ego - It was kumbaya on Monday night in Houston. But the president still doesn’t care too much for his former rival and was more interested in hearing his adoring crowd. by Asawin Suebsaeng

Gender Definition

The Atlantic: Why the Trump Administration’s New Gender Definition Worries Doctors - Discrimination against trans people is rife in the medical field, and it could get even worse if sex is defined as unchangeable. by Olga Khazan

The End

Salon: Pulitzer winner Chris Hedges: Donald Trump “is the product of a failed democracy” - Acclaimed progressive journalist on Trump’s mastery of political theater, and the downfall of American democracy by Chauncey DeVega

The Onion - Nation’s Fact-Checkers Confirm They’ll Probably Wrap Up Evaluating Trump’s Statements By 2050 At Latest

The Onion: Nation’s Fact-Checkers Confirm They’ll Probably Wrap Up Evaluating Trump’s Statements By 2050 At Latest

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
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

'People Having A Really Bad Day'

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.

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Christopher Thompson





Rachel Maddow - Republicans Turn To Dirty Tricks As 2018 Election Approaches

Colbert - Ted Cruz Goes From 'Lyin' To 'Beautiful'

Thud

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump and Ted Cruz rally lands with a thud by Bill Palmer

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

Monday, October 22, 2018

Georgia

The Daily Beast: Black Voters in Georgia Fear Brian Kemp Is Rigging the Election - The man running for governor also oversees the election as Secretary of State. He’s also sitting on voter registrations, sparking a wave of skepticism among voters. by Patricia Murphy

Khashoggi

The Atlantic: The U.S. Loved the Saudi Crown Prince. Not Anymore. The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi will likely cloud the world’s perception of Mohammed bin Salman as a reformer. by Krishnadev Calamur

Mitch

Salon: To hell with civility: Enough with the pity party for Mitch McConnell, please - Given all the abuse people of color face, it’s shameful for the media to lecture citizens for raising their voices by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Study Finds Placing One Foot Forward, Then The Other, Remains Best Method Of Walking

The Onion: Study Finds Placing One Foot Forward, Then The Other, Remains Best Method Of Walking

Mars

Scientific American: Oxygen-Rich Liquid Water May Exist on Mars - Brines suffused with the life-giving gas could offer hope for past and even present microbes on the Red Planet, according to a new study By Nola Taylor Redd

Moby

Open Culture: Hear Moby Dick Read in Its Entirety by Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, John Waters, Stephen Fry & More

'My Sharona'

The Knack - live performance

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Willy Verginer - the sculptures are made from wood.





Morning Joe - 'Cautiously Optimistic' Congressman Looks To Novembe

Rachel Maddow - E-Mail Revelation Puts Neat Bow On President Donald Trump FBI HQ Scandal

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

Florida

Guardian UK: Florida: Republican governor candidate flounders over Trump as role model - Ron DeSantis replies to question on children by defending Israel embassy move as Democrat Andrew Gillum shows calm in debate

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 Election

NY Times: House and Senate Latest, Cruz Rally, Florida Debate: 15 Days to Go

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

Break

Harvard Business Review: I Ran 4 Experiments to Break My Social Media Addiction. Here’s What Worked. by Sarah K. Peck

Expect Nothing

Politico: Mueller report PSA: Prepare for disappointment - And be forewarned that the special counsel’s findings may never be made public. By DARREN SAMUELSOHN

Friday, October 19, 2018

Weekend!

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

work by Denise Regan

'Revenge Cowboy Revenge'

from my new CD Pagliacci

In Lock Step

The Daily Beast: Fox News Spent the Past Week Smearing Jamal Khashoggi - The journalist apparently murdered by Saudi agents is being rebranded as a sort of terrorist sympathizer by Fox as Trump drags his feet on punishing his favorite crown prince. by Andrew Kirell

Troll Time

The Atlantic: DOJ Says Russian Trolls Are Interfering Online With the Midterms - A criminal complaint filed Friday charges a Russian national, employed by a firm linked to Vladimir Putin and Russian intelligence, with helping direct interference in the 2018 midterm elections. by Natasha Bertrand

A New Low

Salon: New low for Donald Trump? Now he’s helping Saudi regime cover up Jamal Khashoggi’s murder - Trump and Jared Kushner now want to help the Saudis find someone to blame. They think the world will just forget by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Lottery Ticket Holder Has Already Spent $900 Million In Anticipation Of Winning Big Prize

The Onion: Lottery Ticket Holder Has Already Spent $900 Million In Anticipation Of Winning Big Prize

Acute Flaccid Myelitis

Scientific American: “Poliolike” Childhood Muscle-Weakening Disease Reappears - Researchers have traced some cases of acute flaccid myelitis to a known virus, but treatments remain elusive By Karen Weintraub

Have An Excellent Friday

work by Serhiy Savchenko




Morning Joe - Why Dems Should 'Focus Their Rage' Ahead Of Midterms

Morning Joe - Here's How Dems Can Push Back On 'Mobs' Talk

Stephen Colbert - Trump Goes Out On A Limb, Predicts Khashoggi Is Dead

Scandals Galore

The Palmer Report: Finally, a Donald Trump scandal that even the people in the middle can understand by Bill Palmer

Our Violent President

Guardian UK: Trump praise for attack on Guardian reporter criticised by Downing Street - Violence or intimidation against journalists ‘completely unacceptable’, No 10 says

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.

Khashoggi

NY Times: In Shift on Khashoggi Killing, Trump Edges Closer to Acknowledging a Saudi Role

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

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Read This

Bloomberg: Donald Trump Is Amazing. Here’s the Science to Prove It. The “confidence heuristic” explains why the president’s supporters still find him credible. By Cass R. Sunstein

'I Feel Fine'

Beatles

Untax

The Atlantic: Kamala Harris’s Trump-Size Tax Plan - The California senator is the latest Democrat to propose giving billions of dollars in cash to lower-income families. by Annie Lowrey

Money Laundering And Embezzlement

Guardian UK: Revealed: Russian billionaire set up US company before Trump Tower meeting - Aras Agalarov, who helped arrange the meeting with Donald Trump Jr in June 2016, formed a shell company with an accountant who has had clients accused of money laundering and embezzlement

Unified

Salon: David Lynch has a solution to bring together divided Americans, and it’s extremely Lynchian - Allow Lynch to educate you about the powers of the “unified field” by Zack Sharf

The Onion - New Ted Cruz Attack Ad Declares Beto O’Rourke Too Good For Texas

The Onion: New Ted Cruz Attack Ad Declares Beto O’Rourke Too Good For Texas

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.

Rudy

The Palmer Report: Rudy Giuliani goes berserk by Bill Palmer

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by László Maholy-Nagy 1895-1946




Rachel Maddow - GOP Steps Up Vote Suppression As Democrats Grow In Determination

Chris Matthews - GOP Candidates Resort To Scare Tactics To Turn Out Voters

'Touch Me Not'

Guardian UK: Touch Me Not review – body image quest ends in Euro-hardcore - The Berlin Golden Bear winner determinedly conflates honesty with exhibitionism, so the sex club is its characters’ inevitable destination

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.

Kowtowing Trump

NY Times: A President Kowtowing to a Mad Prince - Trump is providing cover for Saudi barbarism. By Nicholas Kristof

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

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

'Shape Of My Heart'

Sting

'Help'

Beatles

Pinned

The Daily Beast: Saudis Plan to Pin Khashoggi Slaying on ‘Rogue’ General - Sources tell The Daily Beast the Saudis are settling on a fall guy to distance their crown prince from the killing of a dissident. And their cover story appears DOA to observers. by Kimberly Dozier, Spencer Ackerman

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

'Satisfaction'

Devo 1978 live on SNL

Stephen Colbert - Melania Trump - Most Bullied Person In The World

Gee I Wonder Who Blew Up The Deficit

Salon: Now Mitch McConnell wants massive cuts to social programs after GOP blew up the deficit - It’s an old story: Republicans give money to the rich, act surprised about the deficit and vow to slash spending by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Trump - ‘The Only Way To Find Out What Happened At The Saudi Consulate Is To Send In More Journalists One At A Time’

The Onion: Trump: ‘The Only Way To Find Out What Happened At The Saudi Consulate Is To Send In More Journalists One At A Time’

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.

Help

WCMH - NBC affiliate: Study finds surprising number of Americans think chocolate milk comes from brown cows By Andy Long

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Paul Klee




Velshi And Ruhle - How The Rising National Deficit Hits Your Wallet

Ari Melber - Author Alice Walker - Trump Has 'Inferiority Complex, Envied Obama

Stephen Colbert - Trump Gets Mean With Stormy, Stormy Fires Back

The Most Corrupt Senator In US History

The Palmer Report: What did Mitch McConnell just do to himself? by Bill Palmer

Of Course

Guardian UK: Khashoggi: Trump defends Saudi Arabia as Pompeo heads to Turkey - Trump likens case to Kavanaugh confirmation hearings as Turkish president reports evidence of toxic materials at Saudi consulate

Monstrous Police Brutality

Guardian UK: Video shows off-duty Chicago police officer shooting unarmed, autistic man - Sgt Khalil Muhammad shot then-18-year-old Ricardo Hayes in 2017 incident initially described as an armed confrontation

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