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Thursday, December 31, 2020

Happy New Year!

  Happy New Year! Have an excellent holiday weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by László Mednyánszky





 


Senator Shaheen - Hawley's Electoral College Challenge Borders On Sedition Or Treason

Weakness

 The Atlantic: The Unbearable Weakness of Trump’s Minions - Senator Josh Hawley isn’t just engaging in civic vandalism—he is an emblem of a weak and rotten Republican Party. by Peter Wehner

They are far more ambitious than they are principled, and they are willing to damage American politics and society rather than be criticized by their own tribe.

Simple Off Grid Cabin That Anyone Can Build And Afford

Frances Carroll And Her Coquettes Featuring Drummer Viola Smith

Hacked

 Washington Post: Microsoft says Russians hacked its network, viewing source code By Ellen Nakashima

Trump - An Unmitigated Disaster

 NY Times: ‘Covid, Covid, Covid’: In Trump’s Final Chapter, a Failure to Rise to the Moment - As the U.S. confronted a new wave of infection and death through the summer and fall, the president’s approach to the pandemic came down to a single question: What would it mean for him? By Michael D. Shear, Maggie Haberman, Noah Weiland, Sharon LaFraniere and Mark Mazzetti

Throughout late summer and fall, in the heat of a re-election campaign that he would go on to lose, and in the face of mounting evidence of a surge in infections and deaths far worse than in the spring, Mr. Trump’s management of the crisis — unsteady, unscientific and colored by politics all year — was in effect reduced to a single question: What would it mean for him?

The Good News

 NY Times: Your Dog Had The Best Year Ever

Shake Up

 Slate: Secret Service Shakes Up Presidential Detail Amid Fears Some Agents Aligned With Trump By Daniel Politi

Pet Food

 ABC News via Yahoo: Pet food recalled after at least 28 dogs die, 8 sickened: FDA by MEREDITH DELISO

MSNBC - Officials Probe Whether Nashville Bomber Believed In 'Lizard People'

Delay

 Politico: Dems delay defense bill over stimulus check fight with McConnell - Waiting until the final hours of this Congress means some military programs would see a temporary freeze. by CONNOR O’BRIEN and ANDREW DESIDERIO

Plan

 Axios: Biden's plan for Inauguration Eve: Lights, church bells for COVID lives lost by Mike Allen

The Onion - The 4 Other Human Beings We Saw This Year

 The Onion: The 4 Other Human Beings We Saw This Year

Insane

 CNN: Lemon rolls the tape on Trump's 2020 'insane reality show'

Have An Excellent New Year's Eve

work by Jessica Roux 






MSNBC - John Heilemann Says We’re Heading Into The ‘Crescendo Of Crazy’

Alexander Vindman - I Was Able To Do My Part To Defend This Nation

MSNBC - ‘Unconscionable’ - Bernie Sanders Reacts To Delay In Passage Of Covid Relief Bill

Network

 The Palmer Report: Everyone piles on after Donald Trump floats Trump News Network by Bill Palmer

Drone

 Guardian UK: Indonesian fisher finds drone submarine on possible covert mission - Navy seizes UUV, likely a Chinese Sea Wing, that experts say could be used to plot routes for military subs by Helen Davidson

Georgia

 Guardian UK: Biden and Harris to campaign in Georgia as Trump calls on its governor to quit - Democrats and Republicans are deploying their big guns for the state’s runoff elections that will decide who controls the Senate - Georgia Senate runoff elections: a guide

Inciting Violence

 Washington Post: Trump is inciting chaos on Jan. 6, both in and outside the Capitol Opinion by Editorial Board

“Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!,” Mr. Trump tweeted earlier this month in an appeal to his supporters to come to the capital to buttress his campaign to overturn the election results. He followed up Sunday, “See you in Washington, DC, on January 6th. Don’t miss it. Information to follow!” And again on Wednesday, “JANUARY SIXTH, SEE YOU IN DC!”

Of Course

 Washington Post: Sen. David Perdue became wealthy outsourcing work to Asia. Now the former CEO stands with Trump, who wants to ‘end our reliance on China.’ By Michael Kranish

Worst Of 2020

 NY Times: The 2020 High School Yearbook of Donald J. Trump - The year’s best, worst and weirdest political players. By Michelle Cottle - Ms. Cottle is a member of the editorial board.

Most Committed Bootlicker - Senator Lindsey Graham - This was a hotly contested category, but at the end of the day, no one could outdo the South Carolina Republican.

That's Senator Jackass To You

 NY Times: Hawley Answers Trump’s Call for Election Challenge - The Republican senator said he would object to certifying the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, a move that is unlikely to alter President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory. By Catie Edmondson and Michael Crowley

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. At 6:40 a.m. ET DOW futures are +15; the market is poised to open slightly higher.

CNN: Watch Boston Dynamics robots dance to 'Do you love me' By David Goldman

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Understatement Of The Year

CNN: Joe Biden is inheriting a huge problem from Donald Trump: America's job recovery is stuck in a rut By Anneken Tappe

MSNBC - GOP Congressman Calls Out Republican Plans To Challenge Electoral College

Virus

NY Times: The State of the Virus: 2020 in Review by Mitch Smith - Reporting on the coronavirus - The year is finally ending. More than 19 million people in the United States are known to have had the coronavirus. More than 338,000 of them have died. And in the final weeks of 2020, we’ve continued to set new records in cases and deaths. Here’s a look back at how the virus spread

Shocker

 The Hill: Georgia signature audit finds no fraud in presidential election By Tal Axelrod

Mary Ann

Yahoo: Dawn Wells, ‘Gilligan’s Island’s’ Mary Ann, Dies of COVID at 82 by Pat Saperstein

MSNBC - McConnell Ties Stimulus Check Increase To Trump Demands

Adventures

 NY Times: When the Pandemic Ends, Don’t Put Off Any More Adventures - The future of travel will involve fewer selfies from Icelandic spas. By Tariro Mzezewa

Violation

 Axios: UN experts say Trump's pardon of Blackwater contractors violates international law by Oriana Gonzalez

Quash Away

Politico: How Congress and coronavirus could quash Trump's Electoral College gambit - Leadership has a potent arsenal to combat efforts to turn the electoral vote counting session on Jan. 6 into a spectacle — if they deploy it. by Kyle Cheney

The Onion - This One’s Just For The Foot Fetishists

  This is a riot.

The Onion: This One’s Just For The Foot Fetishists

Senator Josh Jackass

 Tulsa World: Sen. Josh Hawley to object to Electoral College results

Toxic

NPR: 'Toxic Individualism': Pandemic Politics Driving Health Care Workers From Small Towns

Bach-Vivaldi Concerto For 4 Pianos - Multi Piano Ensemble

Have An Excellent Wednesday

 work by Yuko Murakoshi







MSNBC - 'Loser' - Dem Strategist Says Trump 'Has Nobody' To Console Him, Maybe A 'Hug From Lou Dobbs'

MSNBC - ‘The Art Of The Deal’ President Who Couldn’t Make Deals - Trump’s Record Of Failure

MSNBC - Trump Uses Photo Of Wrong Medal To Falsely Imply He Received Nobel Prize

Desperation

The Palmer Report:  “Nobody can be this stupid” – Donald Trump has complete meltdown as it all goes wrong for him by Bill Palmer

Argentina

 Guardian UK: Argentina legalises abortion in landmark moment for women's rights - Country becomes only the third in South America to permit elective abortions by Tom Phillips

Inequalities

 Guardian UK: Coronavirus sharpens America's already stark economic inequalities - Analysts predict a holiday retail boom even as unemployment hits shocking levels, particularly for Black and brown workers by

Sedition In Plain Sight

 Washington Post: Trump allies launch desperate final efforts ahead of congressional confirmation of Biden win By Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger

January 6

 Washington Post: Sorry, President Trump. January 6 is not an election do-over. Opinion by Edward B. Foley

...these rules were formulated in the 19th century, when there was a realistic risk of counterfeit papers pretending to be official. Thus, the 1887 act requires a state’s governor to affix “the seal of the State” to the certificate confirming the appointment of electors.

Tough

 NY Times: ‘Let’s Talk About “Personal Responsibility”’: A Year of Tough Conversations in the Comments - Opinion writers reflect on what readers had to say in 2020. By The New York Times Opinion

And while Joe Biden certainly isn’t changing the face of the presidency, his choice of Kamala Harris as a running mate means there will be a Madame Vice President for the first time ever. This is another step forward. Our daughters are watching.

Updates

 NY Times: Covid-19 Live Updates: Britain Approves Homegrown Vaccine from AstraZeneca and Oxford - China said one of its candidates was effective. A congressman-elect from Louisiana has died of Covid-19 complications. Long-term symptoms are sending patients back to the hospital. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. At 6:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are +116; the market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Career moves to make in 2021 By Kathryn Vasel,

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Now We're Talking

 Washington Post: N.Y. prosecutor hires forensic accounting experts as Trump criminal probe escalates By Shayna Jacobs and Jonathan O'Connell

It is possible Vance could find evidence that the Trump Organization as a business entity has broken the law, without attaching personal liability to Trump or other individuals at his company. To bring criminal charges, the district attorney must be able to prove there was an intent to break the law — which probably would require the testimony of an insider witness, experts have said.

MSNBC - Trump Performing Well Among People Charged With Voter Fraud In Pennsylvania

A Double Negative Creates A Positive

 Slate: Keep Calm and QAnon - Pro-Trump conspiracy theories may have actually discouraged postelection violence. By Amarnath Amarasingam

Crap

 Washington Post: First case of highly infectious coronavirus variant detected in Colorado By Joel Achenbach, Ben Guarino, Lena H. Sun and Isaac Stanley-Becker

Violent Year

NY Times: Violent Year in New York and Across U.S. as Pandemic Fuels Crime Spike - A time without precedent saw huge increases in homicides and shootings in the city as some other types of crime plummeted. By Ali Watkins

Best

Get Pocket: The Best (And Worst) Ways to Spot a Liar - Forget body language or eye movements. There are much better ways to identify the deceitful.

MSNBC - 2M Votes Already Cast As Georgia Voters Turn Out To Vote Ahead Of Senate Runoffs

Indeed

 NY Times: Will Pence Do the Right Thing? On Jan. 6, the vice president will preside as Congress counts the Electoral College’s votes. Let’s hope that he doesn’t do the unthinkable — and unconstitutional. By Neal K. Katyal and John Monsky

They Do Now

 Axios: Georgia's GOP senators back $2,000 stimulus checks ahead of runoff by Oriana Gonzalez

Sputter

 Politico: $2,000 checks sputter after McConnell blocks Dems Senate leaders sparred on the floor, even as GOP support grows for higher payments. By BURGESS EVERETT

The Onion - Logistics Of Eating Oversized Candy Cane Completely Overwhelming

 The Onion: Logistics Of Eating Oversized Candy Cane Completely Overwhelming

Karen

Guardian UK: The year of Karen: how a meme changed the way Americans talked about racism by Julia Carrie Wong

The Be Good Tanyas - 'Waiting Around to Die'

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Steve Coffey 



MSNBC - Trump Exits With Pardons Backfiring, As Cohen Details Danger Of New Witnesses

MSNBC - The Worst Of All Time? Where Trump Ranks Among Historically Bad Presidents

MSNBC - Absurdity No Obstacle To Republican Effort To Save Trump From Democracy

Leaving

 The Palmer Report: The bus is leaving – and Donald Trump is under it by Bill Palmer

Of Course

 Guardian UK: Biden accuses Trump administration of obstructing his national security team - President-elect says his advisers encountered roadblocks from the defence department and the office of management and budget by David Smith

Override

 Guardian UK: House Republicans join with Democrats to override Trump's veto of defence bill - If, as expected, the Senate follows suit later this week, it will be Congress’s first such rebuke of his presidency by David Smith

Record

 Washington Post: Air travel hits pandemic record amid surging infections and hospitalizations By Brittany Shammas and Reis Thebault

Final Act

 Washington Post: Trump, in his final days, goes full King Lear Opinion by Dana Milbank

But in these final days, we see a defeated president abandoning all things — national security, democratic elections and any pretense of handling the duties of the presidency — as he does anything and everything to keep the spotlight on himself.

Evictions

 NY Times: New York Bans Most Evictions as Tenants Struggle to Pay Rent - The Legislature, addressing hardship caused by the pandemic, convened an unusual special session between Christmas and New Year’s to pass the measure. By Dana Rubinstein

The bill would not only block landlords from evicting most tenants but would also protect some small landlords from foreclosure and automatically renew tax exemptions for homeowners who are elderly or disabled.

The Year

 NY Times: What We Saw This Year: Grief, Love and Stirrings of Hope - In a season of expectation, looking for respite and meaning. Photographs and Text by David Gonzalez

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. At 6:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +54; the market is poised to open moderately higher.

CNN: Stimulus is here. But there are some big caveats By Charles Riley

Monday, December 28, 2020

MSNBC - Presidential Historian On President Trump's Final Days In Office

Cost

 Slate: Trump’s Delay in Signing the Relief Bill Cost Unemployed Americans $300 By Aaron Mak

Optimistic

Washington Post: America isn’t ‘hopelessly divided.’ It only looks that way because of our Constitution. Opinion by Jennifer Rubin

Wear Your F-ing Mask

 NY Times: Small Number of Covid Patients Develop Severe Psychotic Symptoms - Most had no history of mental illness and became psychotic weeks after contracting the virus. Cases are expected to remain rare but are being reported worldwide. By Pam Belluck

Inner

 NY Times: Outside Trump’s Inner Circle, Odds Are Long for Getting Clemency - President Trump has doled out pardons to friends and fellow Republicans. Thousands of others without connections have largely been left out. By Frances Robles

Morning Joe - House Lawmakers Vote Monday On $2,000 Checks

Resolution

 NY Times: ‘I Want to Be at the Table When the Next Donald Trump Shows Up’ - What’s your resolution for the next four years? By Nayeema Raza - Ms. Raza is a filmmaker and a senior producer in Opinion.

Lessons

 Politico: Forget the conspiracy theories — here are the real election security lessons of 2020 - The marked lack of foreign interference was a relief this year. But security professionals have a long to-do list. By ERIC GELLER

The Onion - Inspirational Mugs Your Therapist Doesn’t Want You To See

 The Onion: Inspirational Mugs Your Therapist Doesn’t Want You To See

Increase

Axios: House to vote on increasing stimulus payments to $2,000 per person by Fadel Allassan

Not Serious

 Washington Post: At least we know Trump’s not serious about 2024 Opinion by Jennifer Rubin

Not even he could be so delusional as to imagine this recent flurry of destructive behavior helps him retain plausibility as a future presidential contender.

Fast Food

 CNN: Ancient snack stall uncovered in Pompeii, revealing bright frescoes and traces of 2,000-year-old street food

Have An Excellent Monday

photography by Beth Moon





 

More Countries Detecting New Covid Variant

'The Worst President Ever. Period' - Cuomo Unloads On Trump

MSNBC - 'You Have A President Who Is Increasingly Out Of Touch While Americans Are Dying'

Over

The Palmer Report:  Even the New York Post is telling Donald Trump it’s over by Bill Palmer

Good Riddance

 Guardian UK: Alternative facts, witch-hunt, bigly: the Trump era in 32 words and phrases - His rally speeches and manic Twitter feed conjured new slogans and insults or revived incendiary words by David Smith

Threat

Guardian UK:  Covid poses 'greatest threat to mental health since second world war' UK’s leading psychiatrist predicts impact will be felt for years after pandemic ends by Ian Sample

Identified

 Washington Post: Authorities identify Anthony Warner as Nashville bomber, say his remains were found in the wreckage - Neighbors describe Warner as a “recluse" with an interest in home security. By Michael Kranish, Paulina Firozi, Brandon Gee and Meryl Kornfield

D.C.

Washington Post: For D.C. protests, Proud Boys settle in at city’s oldest hotel and its bar By Joe Heim and Marissa J. Lang

“I am angered and troubled by the violence committed by white supremacists in our city and in Ward 2 over the weekend and last month,” Pinto wrote in a statement to The Post. “Harry’s disregard for public health guidance as these hate groups have gathered in their establishment without masks and without being socially distant before taking to the streets and further jeopardizing the health and safety of District residents is absolutely unacceptable.”

Global Burning

NY Times: A Year of Watching Earthly Beauty Burn From orbit, satellites send tragic evidence of climate change’s destructive power. This film covers 10 days, Sept. 7-16, 2020, a period of intense fires activity in North and South America. By Michael Benson - Mr. Benson, an author and artist, has special interests in planetary imagery and climate change.

Whatever

NY Times: Trump Signs Pandemic Relief Bill After Unemployment Aid Lapses - After calling the measure a “disgrace,” President Trump unexpectedly signed the bill, extending expanded unemployment benefits and an eviction moratorium, and keeping the government open. By Emily Cochrane, Nelson D. Schwartz and Gillian Friedman

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. At 6:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +145; the market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: Biden's post-election stock market bump is easily beating Trump's By Matt Egan

Named

  If you click the link you can see the guy's picture.

 Heavy.com: Anthony Quinn Warner Named as Nashville Bomber By Jessica McBrid

Antonio Vivaldi - 'Concerto In E minor For Bassoon'

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Have An Excellent Holiday Weekend

 Have a great holiday weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning. 

work by Andy Warhol 'Christmas Tree'


 

'Notorious'

directed by Alfred Hitchcock 1946 - full movie

'Iceland 2018'

work by photographer Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir


 

'Madonna'

work by Elizabeth Catlett 1915-2012 


 

Bach Christmas Cantatas

MSNBC - We Need To Adjust Our Institutions To Prevent A ‘Tyrant And An Authoritarian Like Trump In Our Future'

One Can Hope

 Slate: Trump’s Coup Attempt Could Cost Republicans the Senate - Georgians want him to concede the November election. Instead, he’s planning a fight in Congress just as they go to the polls. By William Saletan

Vaccine Conspiracies

Washington Post: The Trump administration wants to take credit for a covid vaccine. Trump supporters are undermining it. Trump has been notably quiet while his allies push misinformation and conspiracies about the vaccine By Elizabeth Dwoskin and Josh Dawsey

Vaccine Lunacy

 NY Times: Hospital Workers Start to ‘Turn Against Each Other’ to Get Vaccine - “I am so disappointed and saddened that this happened,” a New York hospital executive wrote to his staff after workers who did not have priority cut the line for the vaccine. By Joseph Goldstein

Most Disgusting

 NY Times: Trump’s Most Disgusting Pardons Blackwater mercenaries committed a massacre. Now they’ll go free. By Michelle Goldberg

Trump's Former Lawyer Michael Cohen Talks To CBSN About Pardons And Ongoing Investigations

So Unfair, Poor Baby

NY Times: For a Defeated President, Pardons as an Expression of Grievance - President Trump’s grants of clemency to convicted liars, corrupt congressmen and child-killing war criminals are a way to lash out at a system that he believes has treated him and his friends unfairly. By Peter Baker

Orbit

Axios: Celebrating the holidays in orbit by Miriam Kramer

Scramble

 Politico: Congress scrambles to avert shutdown after Trump’s stimulus demands - House Republicans broke with the president over providing $2,000 in stimulus checks to Americans. By SARAH FERRIS, MARIANNE LEVINE and ANITA KUMAR

The Onion - Pope Francis Carves Roast Cherub For Vatican Christmas Dinner

The Onion: Pope Francis Carves Roast Cherub For Vatican Christmas Dinner

Joke

 NY Magazine: The Full(est Possible) Story of the Four Seasons Total Landscaping Press Conference By Olivia Nuzzi

Rachel Maddow - Trump Signals Extremist Supporters With Martial Law Talk; Promises 'Wild D.C. Protest'

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Maxfield Parrish 1870-1966

 



Richard J. Davidson - How Mindfulness Changes The Emotional Life Of Our Brains

MSNBC - MAGA World Turns On Bill Barr Who Resigns As 'The Worst Attorney General'

Chris Hayes - ‘As Corrupt As A Pardon Gets’

Brian Williams - Trump Throws Covid Aid Into Chaos, Issues Pardons, And Skips Town

Ugly

 The Palmer Report: This is about to get very ugly for Donald Trump by Bill Palmer

Conspiracy

Guardian UK:  QAnon and the 'Trump coup' have more in common than you might think by Dan Brooks - Two political fantasies show how many Americans have become frustrated with democratic politics

Like QAnon, a Trump putsch held out the possibility of a righteous cleansing of Republican extremists that would reduce the hard problems of representative governance to the comparatively simple logistics of civil war. Civil war is bad, obviously, but it rewards the winners with one-party rule.

One Can Hope

 Guardian UK: Has Donald Trump finally split the Republican party? With only a few more weeks before Biden takes over, significant segments of the party are finally breaking with the president by Martin Pengelly

GOP Defunds Police

 Washington Post: Republicans just voted to defund the police Opinion by Dana Milbank

GOP leaders over the past week defeated efforts to help states and cities that are facing cutbacks to public safety and other services because of the pandemic-caused budget crisis. They claimed this would amount to what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called a “blue state bailout.” In reality, it was more of a “blue bailout” — and police in blue and red states alike are now on the chopping block.

Biden

 Washington Post: Trump is trashing the government on his way out. Biden is confident he can fix it. Opinion by Karen Tumulty

The Most Corrupt President - Trump

NY Times: Trump Corrupted the Presidential Pardon. Biden Must Repair It. There are clear ways to reform the pardon process to work as the founders intended. By The Editorial Board

Pardons

 NY Times: Trump Gives Clemency to More Allies, Including Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner - It was the second wave of pardons and commutations by the president in two days, showing his willingness to use his power aggressively on behalf of loyalists. By Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. At 6:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +53; the market is poised to open moderately higher. Also, Wall Street will be closing at 1 p.m. today, for the holiday weekend.

CNN: 3 things that could steal Christmas for Wall Street By Julia Horowitz

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

MSNBC - Trump Pardons Paul Manafort, Roger Stone

Mussolini And Cheetolini



 

Disgusting Ass

 Newsweek: Trump Pardons Jared Kushner's Father, Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and 23 Others By Jeffery Martin

Dumbest

 Slate: The Dumbest Moments of the Trump Presidency - For five years, we kept a Google Doc of the most deeply idiotic episodes of this monumentally stupid era. Now it’s time to share our work with the world. By Henry Grabar and Ben Mathis-Lilley

Aug. 4, 2020: Trump introduces Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt by asserting that Bernhardt is “a man who loves the interior.”

MSNBC - Trump Officially Vetoes National Defense Authorization Act

Trump's Legacy

 Washington Post: Trump paved the way for vigilantism Opinion by Kathleen Parker

Vetoes And Pardons

 NY Times: Live Updates: Trump Vetoes Military Bill, Setting Up First Override of His Term -  President Trump also upended an economic relief package shortly after it was passed by Congress, leaving Republicans scrambling.

Defamation

  Fascinating turn of events, let's see how this one plays out.

CNN: Voting machine company executive sues Trump allies for defamation By Veronica Stracqualursi

Rachel Maddow - America's Founders Never Imagined 'Amoral And Selfish' President Like Trump

Big Baby

 NY Times: A President Unhappy, Unleashed and Unpredictable - President Trump remains the most powerful man in the world, but powerless to achieve what he most wants: to avoid leaving office as a loser. By Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt

Jobless

 Axios: 803,000 Americans file first-time jobless claims in week before Christmas by Oriana Gonzalez

Georgia

 Politico: Asian Americans Could Be the Key to Winning Georgia. Are Campaigns Flubbing Their Chance? There's an important, new electorate up for grabs. But the candidates need to do a better job catering to these voters. By JEFF LE

The Onion - ‘Come Home For Christmas Now,’ Whispers Dad As Enraged Mom Rips Stove, Dishwasher From Wall

 The Onion: ‘Come Home For Christmas Now,’ Whispers Dad As Enraged Mom Rips Stove, Dishwasher From Wall

How Indeed

BBC News: How should you talk to friends and relatives who believe conspiracy theories? By Marianna Spring

Reason

CNN: The real reason Trump is failing to overturn the election Opinion by Timothy Frye

Have An Excellent Wednesday

sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein 1923-1997





 

MSNBC - Glenn Kirschner - ‘There Is No Line Donald Trump Won’t Cross’

MSNBC - As Trump Unravels, GOP Representative Blasts 'Lunatics' In Party

Rachel Maddow - Trump Hijacks Pardon Process - Creates System For Personal Favors, Special Access

Terrible

The Palmer Report:  Mitch McConnell is having a really terrible night by Bill Palmer

America's Water Crisis

 Guardian UK: ‘Forever chemicals’ pollute water from Alaska to Florida by Lynne Peeples

A 24/7 Disgrace

Guardian UK:  Pardons sink Trump further into swamp of his own shamelessness - Analysis: President sanctions first federal execution of a woman in 67 years – but war criminals, fraudsters and Russia-linked cronies go free by David Smith

Indeed

Washington Post: Trump’s final month might make the past four years seem calm Opinion by Editorial Board

Insanity

 Washington Post: Republicans plunge into open battle over attempts to overturn Trump’s loss to Biden By Seung Min Kim, Josh Dawsey and Toluse Olorunnipa

“Foreign countries, Big tech, fake news & the Dems worked together to RIG this election against @realDonaldTrump,” Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Tex.), repeating claims for which there is no proof, tweeted on Tuesday.

Pork City

NY Times: Buried in Pandemic Aid Bill: Billions to Soothe the Richest - The voluminous coronavirus relief and spending bill that blasted through Congress on Monday includes provisions — good, bad and just plain strange — that few lawmakers got to read. By Luke Broadwater, Jesse Drucker and Rebecca R. Ruiz

(This is just a sampling) It authorizes 93 acres of federal lands to be used for the construction of the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota and creates an independent commission to oversee horse racing, a priority of Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader.

Disgraceful

 NY Times: Trump Pardons Two Russia Inquiry Figures and Blackwater Guards - The pre-Christmas wave of 20 pardons and commutations are not likely to be the last before Mr. Trump leaves office on Jan. 20. By Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. At 6:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are +79; the market is poised to open significantly higher.

CNN: $900 billion in stimulus is coming. More is needed but isn't guaranteed By Julia Horowitz,

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Disgraceful Abuse Of Power

HuffPo:  Trump Goes On Pardon Spree For Republican Allies, Blackwater Guards George Papadopoulos and Alex van der Zwaan, figures in the Mueller probe, as well as former Reps. Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins, were granted clemency. By Sara Boboltz and Sanjana Karanth

Consequences

 BuzzFeed: Republicans Are Facing Very Real Legal Consequences From Trump’s Voter Fraud Lies - A new lawsuit accuses Trump and the Republican National Committee of conspiring to violate the rights of Black voters. by Zoe Tillman

Ugh...

 NBC New York: Chris Christie Says He's Considering 2024 Run, Would Challenge Trump - The former New Jersey governor recently survived a serious bout with COVID-19 and is launching a national PSA to encourage mask wearing

Law

 Washington Post: Trump loyalists harboring martial law fantasies don’t know their history - Here are the 68 times martial law has been used in the past By Gillian Brockell

Updates

NY Times: Transition Live Updates: Biden Criticizes Trump on Russian Hack and Calls for More Virus Aid - President-elect Joe Biden insisted that more relief will be coming after his inauguration next month. Alex Padilla, California’s secretary of state, was chosen to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Mr. Biden is said to have picked an education secretary.

Washington Post - Biden Defeats Trump - What I Learned - How To Be A Journalist

Morning Joe - How Trump Is Undermining Biden Before He Takes Office

Updates

NY Times: Live Updates: Stimulus Payments May Start Arriving as Soon as Next Week - President-elect Joe Biden has insisted that the bill Congress passed Monday night is only the beginning, and that more relief will be coming after his inauguration next month. Mr. Biden is said to have chosen his education secretary.

LOL

 Axios: Trump turns on everyone by Jonathan Swan

The Onion - ‘Bring Me Some Holiday Cheer, You Son Of A Bitch’ Says Woman Slamming Christmas Tree Up Against Wall

 The Onion: ‘Bring Me Some Holiday Cheer, You Son Of A Bitch’ Says Woman Slamming Christmas Tree Up Against Wall

Sean Patrick

 Politico: New DCCC chair draws diversity warning from colleagues as he names top staffer - The selection by new chair Sean Patrick Maloney is resurrecting concerns about diversity in its top ranks. By ALLY MUTNICK and LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ

Eggs-Actly

 Get Pocket: The Best Way to Fry an Egg - Once you try Spanish fried eggs, you’ll never cook them any other way. by Sheela Prakash

One Can Hope


 

Have An Excellent Tuesday

Vivaldi concerto for two mandolins G

Brian Williams - Trump's Election Theft Schemes Get Desperate As Covid Surges

Rachel Maddow - Feds Probing Giuliani Have Broached Making Legal Request For His Electronic Communication

  Now we know why Giuliani is as desperate as Trump to 'reverse' the election outcome. Giuliani is, like Trump, facing upcoming indictments.

Rachel Maddow - U.S. Mired In '3-Way Split Screen' Of Trump Crises

The Lincoln Project - 'The Dream Still Lives'

LOL

 The Palmer Report: Donald Trump has decided to take Mitch McConnell down with him by Bill Palmer

The Great Conjunction

Guardian UK: Jupiter and Saturn's great conjunction – in pictures

Wingnuts

Guardian UK:  The Trump White House has entered its final stage: complete meltdown by Richard Wolffe - Trump has retreated to the proverbial bunker with an ‘elite strike force’ of wingnuts and lackeys. They’re all he’s got left

Pathetic

Guardian UK:  Infinity culture war: what now for Trump's Hollywood supporters? From actor Jon Voight to Kirstie Alley, Trump’s celebrity fans have declared war on the left – and there is little sign hostilities will end soon by John Bleasdale

Funny Indeed

 Washington Post: Republicans claim to be the party of the working class. They have a funny way of showing it. Opinion by Catherine Rampell

Debate Is Useless, Ban Travel!

 Washington Post: U.S. officials debate travel bans as coronavirus variant spreads in Britain By Joel Achenbach, Karin Brulliard and Michael Laris

Chump Change

NY Times: Congress Passes Huge Coronavirus Relief Bill Lawmakers approved a $900 billion pandemic aid bill that provides a $600 payment for most Americans. By Emily Cochrane

Untangling

 NY Times: Is Trump Really All That Holds the G.O.P. Together? The Republican Party has embraced reality-TV authoritarianism not out of strength but weakness. By Matthew Continetti - Mr. Continetti is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Untangling the party from Mr. Trump will require Republican officials to follow the lead of conservative jurists and the growing number of lawmakers who acknowledge the reality of Joe Biden’s victory.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are -42; the market is poised to open moderately lower.

 CNN: SoftBank joins Wall Street's latest craze in hunt for acquisitions By Michelle Toh

Monday, December 21, 2020

Fraud Found!

Yahoo News: Officials finally found a case of a dead person voting, accusing a Republican of pretending to be his dead mom to vote for Trump by Jacob Shamsian

Ongoing Investigation Into Giuliani

 NBC News: Feds have discussed making a legal request for Giuliani's electronic communications, say two sources - The federal investigation of the president's personal lawyer is ongoing, said two sources familiar with the matter, with one saying it is "very active."

How Scary

Slate: How Scary Is the U.K. Coronavirus Mutation? What we know, what we don’t, and what you should do (masks and distance!). By Aaron Mak

Undercut

 Washington Post: Undercutting Trump, Barr says there’s no basis for seizing voting machines, using special counsels for election fraud, Hunter Biden By Matt Zapotosky

Hit Em Where It Hurts

Forbes: Fox News, Newsmax Walk Back Election Fraud Claims After Voting Machine Manufacturer Threatens Legal Action by Jemima McEvoy

Even Pat

 The Palmer Report: Even Pat Robertson is now telling Donald Trump to go away and never come back by Bill Palmer

Barr

NY Times: Barr Sees ‘No Reason’ for Special Counsels for Hunter Biden or the Election - The outgoing attorney general, William Barr, again broke with President Trump on his unsupported claims of widespread election fraud and the need to appoint a special counsel to investigate the president-elect’s son. by

New Variant

NY Times: Covid-19 Live Updates: New Variant Causes Alarm Around the World - Even though there is much uncertainty about the variant spreading in Britain, countries are barring travelers from the U.K., and Saudi Arabia has banned international travel all together.

Barr Refutes Trump

Axios: Barr refutes Trump on Hunter Biden, voting machines, Russia hack by Zachary Basu

Sedition

Politico: Inside Trump’s pressure campaign to overturn the election - No president has ever made such expansive and individualized pleas. By ANITA KUMAR and GABBY ORR

The Onion - Pope Maintains Divine Buzz By Microdosing Eucharist Throughout Day

 The Onion: Pope Maintains Divine Buzz By Microdosing Eucharist Throughout Day

OK

Ideas.Ted.Com: Don’t have a single purpose or passion? That’s OK

The Beatles - Get Back - A Sneak Peek

Have An Excellent Monday

 work by Horace Pippin 1888 - 1946






MSNBC - Pelosi - Covid Legislation Is First Step, More Needs To Be Done

MSNBC - Schwarzenegger - On What He Calls ‘Banana Republicans'

SNL - A Look Back At Trump’s Presidency

Out

 The Palmer Report: Donald Trump checks out by Bill Palmer

Monday Night - The Great Conjunction

Guardian UK:  How to see Jupiter and Saturn's great conjunction on winter solstice - The last time the planets were this close from our viewpoint on Earth was almost 400 years ago by Stuart Clark

'Nutty And Loopy'

 Guardian UK: Trump attempt to overturn election is 'nutty and loopy', Romney says Utah Republican decries flirtation with Flynn martial law plan - Trump wanted conspiracy theorist Powell as special counsel by Martin Pengelly

Good Luck With That

 Washington Post: How Biden can make us hate each other a little bit less Opinion by E.J. Dionne Jr.

Biden and his aides will need to persuade the country — and especially the media — that the chanters and online ranters do not represent “the voice of the people.” They are a minority that will never be reconciled to his presidency.

Dangerous GOP Fiction

 Washington Post: There is no middle ground between fact and fiction on the election results Opinion by Editorial Board

Trump Justice

NY Times: ‘I’m Haunted by What I Did’ as a Lawyer in the Trump Justice Department - No matter our intentions, lawyers like me were complicit. We owe the country our honesty about what we saw — and should do in the future. By Erica Newland - Ms. Newland worked in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department from 2016-18.

We attorneys diminished the immediate harmful impacts of President Trump’s executive orders — but we also made them more palatable to the courts.

$900 Billion Deal

NY Times: Congress Strikes Long-Sought Stimulus Deal to Provide $900 Billion in Aid - Democrats and Republicans said they had an agreement on another round of pandemic aid, including direct payments to Americans, jobless benefits and funds for businesses and vaccine distribution. By Emily Cochrane

...the agreement was expected to provide $600 stimulus payments to millions of American adults earning up to $75,000. It would revive lapsed supplemental federal unemployment benefits at $300 a week for 11 weeks — setting both at half the amount provided by the original stimulus law.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. At 6:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -666; the market will fall off a cliff at the opening bell.

CNN: Tracking America's recovery - From your job to your home to your groceries, Covid-19 has disrupted nearly every aspect of life. This dashboard shows how the economy continues to change as we grapple with life during the pandemic.

The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 2.67%...

Incompetence

 Bloomberg: America Isn’t Finished Paying for Trump’s Incompetence - Vaccine rollout confusion and the Russian cyberattack are reminders that the president isn’t doing his job. By Timothy L. O'Brien

Grip Falters

 The Atlantic: Trump Is Losing His Mind - The president is discussing martial law in the Oval Office, as his grip on reality falters. by Peter Wehner

The Republican Party has been radicalized, with countless Republican lawmakers and other prominent figures within the party having revealed themselves to be moral cowards, even, and in some ways especially, after Trump was defeated.

New Variant

 CNN: Flights from UK canceled as health minister says new coronavirus variant is 'out of control' By Amy Woodyatt, Taylor Barnes and Tara John

...the discovery of a new variant of Covid-19, said by officials to spread faster than others.

Obituary

The Atlantic: A Political Obituary for Donald Trump -  The effects of his reign will linger. But democracy survived. by George Packer

He leaves behind a society in which the bonds of trust are degraded, in which his example licenses everyone to cheat on taxes and mock affliction. Many of his policies can be reversed or mitigated. It will be much harder to clear our minds of his lies and restore the shared understanding of reality—the agreement, however inconvenient, that A is A and not B—on which a democracy depends.

Friday, December 18, 2020

Weekend!

  Have an excellent weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by Yamamura Toyonari 1885 - 1942




 

 

MSNBC - Trump's Latest 'Con' - Ripping Off MAGA Fans After Losing

Melissa Clark - NYT Cooking - Making The Perfect Black And White Cookie Recipe

Monday

 AP: Jupiter, Saturn merging in night sky, closest in centuries By MARCIA DUNN

MSNBC - Georgia Breaks All-Time Voting Record

MSNBC - John Bolton - Russia Hack Is Huge, ‘Cannot Underestimate Its Significance'

Transition

 Washington Post: 45,000 names, 130 packets of information, and gut instincts: How Biden is managing his transition By Matt Viser

Excessive

 NY Times: An Unprepared N.Y.P.D. Badly Mishandled Floyd Protests, Watchdog Says - “I look back with remorse,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said after a city oversight agency found the department’s tactics “produced excessive enforcement.” By Ali Watkins

...some police officers used aggressive tactics that violated the First Amendment rights of protesters as the department made mass arrests during the demonstrations, which followed the death of George Floyd...

Disturbing

  This is a very difficult article to read and I would suggest that if you are disturbed by descriptions of extreme violence and sexual abuse of children, then you might want to skip this one.

NY Times: Punch After Punch, Rape After Rape, a Murderer Was Made - The execution of Lisa Montgomery would be an injustice on top of an injustice. By Rachel Louise Snyder

Halt

Axios: Scoop: Pentagon halts Biden transition briefings by Mike Allen, Jonathan Swan

Helping

 Politico: Democrats in Georgia: 'Trump is helping our case.' "It’s the craziest thing I’ve seen. If he keeps it up, it’s good for us.” By SABRINA RODRIGUEZ and MAYA KING

The Onion - Remote-Learning Student Praying It Snows Enough To Bring Down Internet Lines To Cancel School

 The Onion: Remote-Learning Student Praying It Snows Enough To Bring Down Internet Lines To Cancel School

Hollow

 Vox: America’s hollow middle class - The cost of living has risen, wages have not, and debt just keeps on accumulating. By Anne Helen Petersen

Jaw Dropping Negligence

  There's a devastating pandemic going on that is killing more than 3,000 people a day in America, there are problems with the government's delivery of the Covid vaccine, Russia has hacked into several US agencies with untold damage, unemployment is through the roof and states are facing crushing fiscal problems. And that's just some of it. Yet, here is Trump's schedule for Friday



Have An Excellent Friday

work by Georgia O'Keeffe 1887-1986 - 'Lake George Reflection'


 

MSNBC - Robert Reich - ‘This Is A Human Tragedy That Is Unfolding’

Brian Williams - Trump Stays Silent On Covid And Suspected Russia Cyberattack

Brian Williams - Trump Allies Gorka And Giuliani Selling Fish Oil And Cigars On TV

Seth Meyers - Trump Threatens Not to Leave White House On Inauguration Day

Not In Four Years

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

Yakutsk

 Guardian UK: Winter in the coldest city on Earth – in pictures Winter in Yakutsk, Located south of the Arctic Circle, in Russia’s far east, Yakutsk is known for its severe climate - by Yevgeny Sofroneyev

Cyber Attack

Guardian UK:  Hacking campaign targeted US energy, treasury and commerce agencies - ‘Significant and ongoing’ cyber attack, suspected to be the work of Russia, poses a grave risk to ‘critical infrastructure entities’ as well - by Kari Paul and agencies

Justice

 Washington Post: With historic picks, Biden puts environmental justice front and center - The selection of the first Native American interior secretary and first Black male EPA chief highlights pollution disparities By Juliet Eilperin, Dino Grandoni and Brady Dennis

Conflicting

Washington Post: Top Republicans offer conflicting messages about Trump’s loss while campaigning in Georgia By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Paul Kane

More GOP Lunacy

 NY Times: Biden Faces Challenge as Congress Drops State Aid to Secure Stimulus - A campaign by conservative activists and disputes over how to divvy up federal assistance have thwarted negotiators. But President-elect Joe Biden will make a new push for such funding next year. By Jim Tankersley and Emily Cochrane

After

 NY Times: How to Reform the Presidency After the Wreckage of Trump - Our post-Watergate laws and practices for the presidency need revamping. By Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith - Mr. Bauer served as White House counsel to President Obama and as senior adviser for the Biden campaign. Mr. Goldsmith served in the George W. Bush administration as an assistant attorney general and as special counsel to the Department of Defense. They are the authors of “After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency.”

These reforms should focus on restoring the integrity of the rule of law, especially to check presidential interventions in law enforcement for self-protection or to harm political enemies.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +8; the market is poised to open flat.

CNN: Tracking America's recovery - From your job to your home to your groceries, Covid-19 has disrupted nearly every aspect of life. This dashboard shows how the economy continues to change as we grapple with life during the pandemic.