Tuesday, May 31, 2022
And Now Something From Flat Earth World
I was listening to a talking head tonight on Ari Melber, going on about learning from conservatives, attempting to keep the dialogue open and to stop with the disregard and disgust liberals have for conservatives. But then you get this, I mean, seriously. I'm supposed to not get all hey this is just plain old crazy bullshite here.
Newsweek: Marjorie Taylor Greene Predicts Straight People Will Soon Be Extinct By Gerrard Kaonga
Still
Washington Post: Opinion - Senate candidate Oz shows how Trump still threatens democracy By the Editorial Board
CNN reported that Trump acolytes across the country are pressing to ditch voting and vote-tallying machines, based on the false conspiracy theories about election equipment that Mr. Trump has promoted.
Acquitted
“I told the truth to the F.B.I., and the jury clearly recognized that with their unanimous verdict today,” he said, adding: “Despite being falsely accused, I am relieved that justice ultimately prevailed in this case.”
Vows
“The folks who were victimized, their families, they spent three hours and 40 minutes with me. They waited all that time. Some came two hours early,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “The pain is palpable. I think a lot of it is unnecessary. I’m going to continue to push.”
Heart
“This will require collective action,” she said. “And part of the problem is we are very divided right now.”
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 6:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are -213; the market is poised to open significantly lower.
Friday, May 27, 2022
Like
He calls it an unaddressed moral stain like segregation, yet it is also provoked by the same people.
NY Times: Gun Violence Is Like What Segregation Was. An Unaddressed Moral Stain. By John McWhorter
Broken
NY Times: America May Be Broken Beyond Repair By Michelle Goldberg
It will be impossible to do anything about guns in this country, at least at a national level, as long as Democrats depend on the cooperation of a party that holds in reserve the possibility of insurrection.
Now
Washington Post: These people did not have to die White crosses marking the deaths are pictured in front of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Tex. By the Editorial Board
Congress needs to act. Now.
The Onion - ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens
This is the only headline on the Onion this morning.
The Onion: ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens
Comment
It's been a hard week to say the least. We can try to understand, try to dissect the different elements that go into American violence, and yet we keep coming to a brick wall as we see the same scenario of mass murder enacted all too frequently. For me I see three major poisons that run through society's veins. The first is the unbelievably high number of guns in American society. We rank number one in guns by a mile, no other country comes close to the number of guns held by private citizens in the USA. In addition this is encouraged, we are encouraged to buy them and to buy assault weapons, rapid fire weapons. The second thing is the proliferation of hate. This is everywhere, it's as if we are at war with each other all the time. We see it on FOX every single day, there's internet communities, comment sections, all built on a hate model. Just listen to Tucker Carlson for 5 minutes, hate is his number one go to card. The third is the complete unwillingness of GOP politicians to do anything about it whatsoever. The GOP has made its choice, they prefer guns to the lives of children. Children are sacrificial beings to the god of guns. There's nothing on the horizon either except our hopes. Rest up this weekend, do what I do, stay away from the news. Enjoy life, appreciate what you have.
Have An Excellent Friday
Jimmy Kimmel - Ted Cruz Vows to Stop Gun Violence by Abolishing Doors and More Terrible Ideas from Terrible Leaders
Research
Washington Post: What research shows on the effectiveness of gun-control laws Image without a caption Analysis By Glenn Kessler
Christopher S. Koper, an associate professor of criminology at George Mason University, said in a 2020 study that LCMs enable rapid spray fire that gives shooters the ability to wound higher numbers of victims in public settings. So restrictions on LCMs can have an effect.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 6:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are +24; the market is poised to open moderately higher.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Sculpture
sculpture by "Manuel Oliver whose 17-year-old son Joaquin was murdered by a gunman who stormed into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School."
Have An Excellent Thursday
Ali Velshi - Progress Is Possible On Gun Safety Despite Republican Obstruction
BBC News - Hundreds Attend Vigil For Texas School Shooting Victims
It's a horrible thing to say but this will happen again.
Chances
Washington Post: Opinion - Why Trump’s 2024 chances are even worse than Georgia suggests By Jason Willick
Even without consulting polls or primaries, it’s clear that the internal Republican Party conditions that enabled Trump’s 2016 rise are no longer in place.
Reforms
NY Times: These Gun Reforms Could Save 15,000 Lives. We Can Achieve Them. By Nicholas Kristof
If we say that teenagers can’t buy a beer, isn’t it worth having a conversation about whether they should be able to buy Glock 19 handguns and AR-15-style rifles?
Budge
“It is hard to say no to someone, to groups, who are principal suppliers of campaign funding, and that’s where they are trapped,” Mr. Markey said of Republicans.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 6:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +115; the market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Apple boosts starting pay for US workers to $22 per hour By Reuters
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Not Today
CBS News: Rep. Tony Gonzales on debating gun control after Texas shooting: "Not today" By Analisa Novak
Gonzales told "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday that right now, the focus shouldn't be on gun control policy, but instead should be focused on the families of the 19 children and two adults who were shot and killed at Robb Elementary School.
Characteristics
Yesterday when I got home around 4:30 in the afternoon, I was completely shocked reading about this horrendous shooting in Texas. I began to look through the articles and the reporting on various news sites. Eventually I got around to looking on Breitbart and they did report on the shooting. Then it was off to the comment section on the shooting, this is still Breitbart. The top comment was something like this, I paraphrase, "They (sic) probably sent him down there to turn the area blue." Interpreting this I get, Democrats or some 'deep state' democratic leaning entity deliberately sent a willing person into this elementary school to shoot children in order to change the political leanings of that district from GOP to Democrats, because as we know, Democrats want gun laws and Republicans want gun sanctuaries, places where guns grow on trees in paradise.
Initially I was pretty angry because right off the bat we've got a new conspiracy theory about the shooting, a theory that is harmful to put it politely. Expect to read about more of these conspiracies in the upcoming days, weeks,and months. Listening to an expert on conspiracy theories today, I came to recognize that people who lean towards the conspiracy world have what seems to run up to, and gets real close to a type of mental health issue.
Psychology Today: The Characteristics of the Conspiracist - Why conspiracy theorists’ need to feel unique. By Steven Caldwell Brown
Lawyers
...election officials in seven key swing states put forward formal lists of pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College on the grounds that the states would be shown to have swung in favor of Mr. Trump once their claims of widespread election fraud had been accepted. Those claims were baseless, and all seven states were awarded to Mr. Biden.
Kerr
Washington Post: Steve Kerr slams senators after Uvalde school shooting By Ben Golliver
“I ask you, Mitch McConnell, and ask all of you senators who refuse to do anything about the violence, the school shootings, the supermarket shootings, I ask you, ‘Are you going to put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of our children, our elderly and our churchgoers?’ Because that’s what it looks like.”
Number One Is Cruz
Axios: The GOP lawmakers who get the most cash from gun rights groups By Gonzalez and Will Chase
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) received the most money from gun rights supporters. On Tuesday, he received major backlash for responding to the shooting by saying that gun control will not help and that "we need to devote far more law enforcement resources to stopping violent criminals."
Have An Excellent Wednesday
It is a hard day to feel optimistic or to even pay attention to the attrocities we are witnessing. The news can be unbearable. So let it go. Renew yourself, do something that makes you feel healthy and whole, and always deeply appreciate what you have.
'Spiegel im Spiegel' composed by Arvo Pärt
'Spiegel im Spiegel' composed by Arvo Pärt
Gunman
In middle school and junior high, Ramos was bullied for having a stutter and a strong lisp, friends and family said.
Massacre
NY Times: Texas Massacre Is the Second-Deadliest School Shooting on Record By Lazaro Gamio and Shawn Hubler
The Uvalde attack, the second mass shooting at a school this year, is at least the 188th since 1970, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the K-12 School Shooting Database, which is compiled by the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
Reject
Mr. Trump picked losers up and down the ballot, most strikingly missing the mark on a third governor’s race in three weeks. The dismal record, particularly for chief executives, illustrates the shortcomings of Mr. Trump’s revenge tour.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 6:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are -37; the market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Analysis: Media coverage of Texas school massacre invokes Sandy Hook By Oliver Darcy
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Texas
Despite a swift response from local law enforcement, it took about an hour and a half for police to take the suspected shooter into custody.
Endorsed
Have yourself a good laugh and cry as you listen to the acceptance speech of the new GOP governor candidate in Massachusetts. The GOP is not coming to its senses after Trump's insane presidency, it is getting nuttier by the day.
Abuse
Washington Post: Opinion The report on Southern Baptist abuses is a portrait of brutal misogyny By Michael Gerson
According to the “Report of the Independent Investigation,” credible accusations of sexual abuse that came to Southern Baptist leaders were routinely ignored to avoid legal liability or were referred back to unprepared local congregations.
War
Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Putin “made a big strategic mistake” in invading Ukraine...
Joy
If you can get access to this please do. It's a short workout program that is designed to elicit joy, and man oh man can we use that!
NY Times: The Joy Workout By Kelly McGonigal
Researchers have identified several movements like this that are recognizable in many cultures as inspired by joy: reaching your arms up; swaying from side to side, like concertgoers losing themselves in the music; other rhythmic movements, such as bouncing to a beat; or taking up more space, like dancers spinning, arms outstretched.
War
And in a sign of strength, Ukrainian counterattacks have retaken ground outside Kharkiv, diverting Russian forces and threatening their supply lines.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 6:35 a.m. ET DOW futures are -221; the market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Airbnb is closing its listings business in China By Sahar Akbarzai and Michelle Toh
Monday, May 23, 2022
Glenn Kirschner - As Insurrection Hearings Set To Open On June 9, Reasons For Optimism That Trump Will Be Indicted
I'm liking this guy, I've seen him as a commentator/talking head on MSNBC. Of all the solo indie liberal news people, he's my favorite so far.
Artillery
The United States, France, Slovakia and other Western nations have been rushing in heavy artillery and support systems — such as drones, counter-battery radar and armored vehicles for towing guns...
Yes
Do you think a 14 year old teen should be legally allowed to adopt a bay? Well, no, that doesn’t sound like a good idea at all.
Do you think a 16 year old teen should be legally allowed to adopt a bay? No, 16 is obviously too young.
How about 18, should an 18 year old teen be allowed to care for and adopt a baby? No 18 is too young and the financial demands of a new baby are beyond what an 18 year old person could handle.
Do you think a 20 year old young woman should be allowed to legally adopt a baby? No, that’s still rather young and the pressures including financial pressures that woman would face are too high.
Do you think that if a 14 year old teen girl was raped by her uncle and that she as a result became pregnant, that she is legally obligated to have that baby and not have an abortion?
Putin
Washington Post: Opinion Putin is starving millions of people around the world By the Editorial Board
Right now, Mr. Putin is preventing Ukrainian grain from leaving the port of Odessa and along other key Black Sea routes. The result is dire: Global food prices are at an all-time high, and 276 million people are food insecure — more than double the numbers from 2019.
Russia
For Mr. Putin, the people in his ward are his property: He can do whatever he wants with them. From time to time, he feeds them — never generously — to ensure his approval ratings remain high.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +191; the market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Global economy faces 'its biggest test' since WWII By Julia Horowitz
There It Is
“But they’re also terrified of a Republican base that’s become increasingly radicalized,” he continued. “That actually does believe that people who politically disagree with them are a threat to the nation and therefore violence could be necessary to fight them off, and that’s what we saw in this social media post.”
Friday, May 20, 2022
Double Down
Washington Post: Opinion After Buffalo massacre, Republicans double down on ‘great replacement’ By Paul Waldman
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went on Fox News to say that Democrats want to “bring in millions of people into this country illegally” to turn them into "voters so they can control the country.”
Tesla
NY Times: Tesla’s Aura Dims as Its Plunging Stock Highlights the Risks It Faces By Jack Ewing
But Tesla’s shares have declined more than 40 percent since April 4 — a much steeper fall than the broad market, vaporizing more than $400 billion in stock market value.
Ginni
Washington Post: Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court justice, pressed Ariz. lawmakers to help reverse Trump’s loss, emails show By Emma Brown
...Thomas urged the lawmakers to “stand strong in the face of political and media pressure.” She told the lawmakers the responsibility to choose electors was “yours and yours alone” and said they have “power to fight back against fraud.”
Angst
“They think doing this (suicide) will galvanize people, and maybe it will a few people, but my first thought with Wynn was that no one on the supreme court will care. It will just be this passing thing in the media. It’s tragic.”
Evidence
Washington Post: Opinion Jan. 6 panel just dropped a big hint. They’d better have the goods. By Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman
Regardless, all this again suggests that the committee appears to be going big in its efforts to establish that the insurrectionist plot reached far beyond Trump and his inner circle and into the Republican Party.
Chat
They include Owen Shroyer, the right-hand man of the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones; Enrique Tarrio, the onetime chairman of the Proud Boys; and Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia.
Aid
The bill passed Thursday allows President Biden to authorize the transfer of an additional $11 billion in American weapons, equipment and defense supplies to Ukraine, and allocates $9.1 billion to replenish that stockpile.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 6:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are +286; the market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Mercedes just sold the world's most expensive car for $142 million By Peter Valdes-Dapena
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Hung Up In My Face
“She was yelling at me, saying, ‘Why are you whispering? You don’t have to whisper,’” Ms. Rogers told The News, “and I was telling her, ‘Ma’am, he’s still in the store. He’s shooting. I’m scared for my life. I don’t want him to hear me. Can you please send help?’ She got mad at me, hung up in my face.”
Steal, Scowl, Snear
NY Times: Republicans Are Officially the ‘Stop the Steal’ Party Now By Frank Bruni
The Republicans in the foreground today are foundationally resentful. Recrimination, rage: Those are the fuels they run on. Those are the emotions they till.
Monkeypox
Washington Post: What is monkeypox, the rare virus now confirmed in the U.S. and Europe? By Meryl Kornfield and Hannah Knowles
Outbreaks of monkeypox have typically been small, with patients in the single digits, said Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “So I think the risk to the general public at this point, from the information we have, is very, very low.”
Deniers
NY Times: Midterm Stakes Grow Clearer: Election Deniers Will Be on Many Ballots By Reid J. Epstein
In Pennsylvania, Republican voters united behind a nominee for governor, Doug Mastriano, who helped lead the brazen effort to overturn the state’s 2020 election and chartered buses to the rally before the Capitol riot, and who has since promoted a constitutionally impossible effort to decertify President Biden’s victory in his state.
Russia
The stock of supplies and spare parts that are keeping businesses humming will run out in a few months, Ms. Solanko said. At the same time, a lack of sophisticated technology and investment from abroad will hamper Russia’s productive capacity going forward.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 6:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are -428; the market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Global markets slide after a tough day on Wall Street By Laura He
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Masks
NY Times: U.S. health officials say a third of people live in areas with so much virus they should consider masks indoors. By Sharon LaFraniere and Sheryl Gay Stolberg
Dr. Jha called the current increase in infections “very substantial” and warned that if Congress fails to grant the administration’s request for $22 billion in new Covid funding, the government will not have enough vaccines and treatments to combat a renewed surge of the virus expected this fall.
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