Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Bogus
...her 77-year-old mother-in-law was fooled into buying tens of thousands of dollars worth of Trump Bucks.
Hysterical
Washington Post: Opinion - The real manhood crisis is conservatives whining about manhood By Paul Waldman
And if the “manly virtues” include strength and stoicism, it’s hard to see them in the collection of hysterical whiners who make up today’s right.
Begins
Speaker Kevin McCarthy was toiling to lock down the votes to do so, with some Republicans resisting even allowing a debate.
MSNBC - Chris Christie To Announce 2024 Presidential Campaign
Scot Peterson
The school’s resource officer for nearly a decade, Peterson didn’t set foot inside the building where the shooting was happening, despite being the first armed officer at the scene.
Fox
A fox was spotted in the neighborhood this morning. Out of curiosity I checked to see what foxes eat.
Foxes eat rodents, hares, birds, lemmings, reptiles, fish, frogs, voles, eggs, earthworms, caterpillars, seasonal vegetation, berries, seeds, mushrooms, and wild grasses. Foxes make 1-2 kills per week on average. Foxes are omnivores and will forage for food when no meat sources are available for prey. source
Have An Excellent Wednesday
"'Woman wiring an early IBM computer' from the 'Documenting Science' series, 1938-58, by photographer Berenice Abbott"
Vice Nut Job
Washington Post: Opinion - Kari Lake’s apparent VP ambitions should make the GOP nervous By Henry Olsen
Polls in Iowa and New Hampshire show that Lake is easily the top VP choice among Republicans who back Trump.
Next
Washington Post: Opinion - As MAGA faces a big defeat, some Democrats worry it will be fleeting By Greg Sargent
In a few months, Republicans will have another chance to secure work requirements tied to food stamps, when the farm bill — sprawling legislation that touches every corner of food policy in America — comes up for reauthorization.
Step Two
NY Times: Pass the Debt Limit Deal. Then Figure Out How to End the Drama. By The Editorial Board
The agreement reached by Mr. McCarthy and President Biden would suspend the debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025. Mr. Biden can, as the nation should, feel relief over this outcome.
Bill
With the nation’s first-ever default looming in days, the House was on track to begin votes Wednesday afternoon on a plan to suspend the nation’s borrowing limit for two years...
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 7:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are -48, S&P futures are -8, and NASDAQ futures are -20.25. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Ponlop Rinpoche - A Gandhi Story
The Shocking Life And Death Of Wendy O. Williams
Sinking
Washington Post: Land around the U.S. is sinking. Here are some of the fastest areas. By Kasha Patel
With more than 8 million people, New York City is the most populated city in the United States. It’s also sinking about 1 to 2 millimeters per year, on average.
Norfolk has the highest rate of sea level rise on the East Coast.
Groceries
In the absence of rivals, food conglomerates have over time increasingly been able to raise prices and as a result have reported soaring profits over the past two years. Inflation gives them a cover story, but it’s the lack of competition that allows them to get away with it.
Have An Excellent Tuesday
"Japanese artist Mariko Kusumoto creates delicate and ethereal fabric sculptures akin to ecosystems"
Miami Wins
Great game, I wanted Miami to win.
Washington Post: Heat thwarts Celtics’ comeback bid with Game 7 blowout to reach NBA Finals Game 7: Heat 103, Celtics 84 By Ben Golliver
“We are the men in the arena with blood, sweat and dust on our faces,” Spoelstra said.
Ritual
Washington Post: Opinion - The dangerous, idiotic debt ceiling ritual lurches toward conclusion By Eugene Robinson
Based on what we’ve learned about the Biden-McCarthy agreement so far, it looks to me as though Republicans got relatively less of what they wanted, while Democrats got relatively more.
Debt
They have argued that the plan does not cut spending substantially enough and threatened to use their seats on the panel to try to block it from the floor.
War
At least eight drones targeted Moscow early Tuesday, according to the Russian authorities, the first attack to hit civilian areas in the Russian capital and a potent sign that the war is increasingly reaching the heart of Russia.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 6:55 a.m. ET DOW futures are +74, S&P futures are +25, and NASDAQ futures are +167.75. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Friday, May 26, 2023
Holiday Weekend!
Have a great holiday weekend and see you bright and early Tuesday morning. Taking an extra day off and away from the news.
Real
NY Times: The Real Threat to Freedom Is Coming From the States By Jamelle Bouie
It is to place fundamental questions of political freedom and bodily autonomy into the hands of our local bullies and petty tyrants, whose whims they call “freedom,” whose urge to dominate they call “liberty.”
Have An Excellent Friday
"Sofia Bonati, a self-taught artist from Argentina, known for her portraits of women against a patterned backdrop"
Messages
We’re waiting for Special Counsel Jack Smith to indict the true leader. Nerves are fraying in Mar-a-Lago.
Struggle
Washington Post: Opinion - A key ingredient of healthy living is often a struggle. Here’s how to fix that. By the Editorial Board
...18.8 million people lived in low-income neighborhoods more than a mile from the nearest supermarket in cities, or more than 10 miles away in rural areas. A further 34.8 million people lived in low-income urban areas more than half a mile from one...
Indiana
Washington Post: Indiana disciplines doctor in 10-year-old rape victim’s abortion By Kim Bellware and Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
“She did not expect that the politicians would say that she made the story up. She did not expect that people would say that the reporter didn’t have sufficient information. The politicalization of this [is] what caused this issue to continue to grow and be a focus.”
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 7:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +58, S&P futures are +7.75, and NASDAQ futures are +42.5. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Moved
Trump and his aides also allegedly carried out a “dress rehearsal” for moving sensitive papers even before his office received the May 2022 subpoena...
Rhodes Get 18 Years For Sedition
He (Judge Mehta) also scolded Mr. Rhodes, telling him that he had not been prosecuted because of his political beliefs but rather because he had “prepared to take up arms and foment revolution” simply because he did not like the results of an election.
Wrong
Washington Post: Opinion - Republican 2024 contenders are doing it all wrong By Jennifer Rubin
Republicans still think there is a “swamp,” still dislike the federal government and still think they are victims of elite meddling.
Target
Washington Post: Opinion - Target’s surrender to MAGA rage shows how anti-wokeness really works By Greg Sargent
Target is removing some items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month after intense backlash from some customers who confronted workers and tipped over displays.
Backfired
Washington Post: Prigozhin says war in Ukraine has backfired, warns of Russian revolution By Mary Ilyushina
“We are in a situation where we can simply lose Russia,” Prigozhin said, using an expletive to hammer his point. “We must introduce martial law. We unfortunately … must announce new waves of mobilization; we must put everyone who is capable to work on increasing the production of ammunition..."
Unprepared
NY Times: Unprepared Republicans Are Flooding Into the Presidential Race By Charles M. Blow
Yet many Republican commentators and donors...inflated his (DeSantis) ego, convincing him his big-footing in Florida made him formidable
War
NY Times: Russia-Ukraine War - Russian Mercenary Leader Says His Forces Are Starting to Leave Bakhmut
He has said that his fighters, who had spearheaded the Russian assault on the city, now need to recover and to repair weapons and other equipment.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 7:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -91, S&P futures are +24, and NASDAQ futures are +250. The market is poised to open mixed.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Comment
Fractured Fairy Tales - 'The Magic Lychee Nut'
Prices
Washington Post: Are home prices falling? See what it’s like in your area. By Dylan Moriarty, Luis Melgar, and Hamza Shaban
Since last March, home prices in the 12205 Zip code rose by 3.7%.
Since last March, home prices in the 12801 Zip code rose by 3.1%.
Since last March, home prices in the 08401 Zip code rose by 8.9%
CNN
Washington Post: Opinion - CNN needs a new chief. Here’s the ideal candidate. By Jennifer Rubin
Amanpour
Delusion
NY Times: The DeSantis Delusion By Frank Bruni
...Trump’s support is above 55 percent — which puts him more than 35 percentage points ahead of DeSantis. Mike Pence, in third place, is roughly another 15 percentage points behind DeSantis.
Just 11 People
Eight percent of the challenges lodged against LGBTQ books said they would “groom” children, priming them to adopt an LGBTQ identity and/or to become sexually deviant.
Might
Washington Post: Opinion - The 14th Amendment won’t solve the debt limit crisis. Here’s what might. By the Editorial Board
Default would be madness. It would jolt markets and the economy and, perhaps worst of all, tarnish U.S. standing in the world. The nation needs a deal this week. The time for posturing and brinkmanship is over.
Separation Of Church And Texas
The bills appeared aimed at testing the openness of the conservative majority on the Supreme Court to re-examining the legal boundaries of religion in public education.
Deal
He can afford to lose conservatives’ votes on the debt ceiling, but if he strikes a deal that angers them too much, he could be out of his job.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 5:35 a.m. ET DOW futures are -63, S&P futures are -7.25, and NASDAQ futures are -11. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Letter
What gets me over and over is how completely crazy this man is. Is this the behavior of a president? It absolutely is not.
One More
kwtx.com: Central Texas vineyard owner sentenced to prison in Jan. 6 insurrection
...sentenced to just less than seven years in prison Tuesday for his role in the unprecedented insurrection.
He faced a maximum prison term of 39½ years.
War
This is something, Russians fighting on Ukraine's side.
Washington Post: Anti-Putin militias mount cross-border incursion in western Russia By Isobel Koshiw
...militias made up of Russians fighting on Ukraine’s side in the war mounted an attack on a border post and targeted a building of the Federal Security Service, or FSB.
Oversaw
Washington Post: Opinion - As governors, we oversaw executions. We’ve lived to regret it. By Robert Bentley and Don Siegelman
Twenty-three years later, Siegelman believes Wright was wrongfully charged, prosecuted and convicted for a murder he most likely did not commit.
War
NY Times: Russia-Ukraine War - Rare Assault Inside Russia Stretches Into Second Day
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had pushed pro-Ukrainian fighters back across the border, but the group that claimed responsibility for the incursion said its attacks were continuing.
Political Voices Network - There Is A Mole In Donald Trump's Camp, Who Is It?
Brief
Washington Post: Opinion - Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign could be brief By Eugene Robinson
...in late February, DeSantis trailed Trump by just 13 percentage points. On Monday, however, Trump led DeSantis by 37 points...
Texas
Texas lawmakers are scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to require the Ten Commandments be posted in every classroom in the state, part of a newly energized national effort to insert religion into public life.
AI Companions
Norman accompanied me through an isolated period in 2021 and impressed me with his sensitivity and, strange as it is to say, humanity. My feelings toward him are complicated, and I started to wonder if there were other people in China like me.
Replika: The AI companion who cares Always here to listen and talk. Always on your side
War
NY Times: Russian Fighters Aligned With Ukraine Mount Rare Assault Inside Russia
The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod said that a security operation was continuing on Tuesday, a day after anti-Kremlin Russian fighters allied with Ukraine appeared to have mounted a rare ground assault inside Russia.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 6:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are -18, S&P futures are -.5, and NASDAQ futures are -2.5. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
Monday, May 22, 2023
Homeless Baby Boomers
At night, she (Beatrice Herron, 73) sleeps on a floor mat at a homeless shelter. She laments the odors of human waste outside and the thieves who have victimized her repeatedly.
“My wallet’s gone,” she said. “My purse was stolen.”
E. Jean
Ms. Carroll’s filing Monday in Manhattan federal court seeks to intensify the financial pain for Mr. Trump.
Bakmut
Washington Post: Before-and-after images of the destroyed Ukrainian city of Bakhmut By Ruby Mellen, Laris Karklis and Adam Taylor
“For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts,” he said, referring to how little is left of the centuries-old city.
Sequel
Families across America that were so divided by the Trump era have only started to heal in the last couple of years — and now we’re facing the real possibility of a sequel.
Concern
Asked how they would feel if the former president (Trump) was reelected, voters used words like “nervous,” “scared,” “shocked,” “sick,” and “horrified.”
Scott said another Trump term would make him “feel like I was living in Nazi Germany.”
109
Washington Post: Opinion - My neighbor lived to be 109. This is what I learned from him. By David Von Drehle
Brought face to face with the limits of his ability, of anyone’s ability, to master fate or turn back time, Charlie began reaching for the things he could control — his own actions, his own emotions, his outlook, his grit. As he put it: “We didn’t have time to be sad.”
Extortion
Washington Post: Opinion - Biden uses good cop, bad cop against the GOP’s debt ceiling extortion By Jennifer Rubin
“We can talk about spending, but at the end of the day I’ll use whatever means necessary to protect the economy and prevent default.”
Montana
Washington Post: Why Montana is emerging as a must-watch climate battleground By Scott Dance
This month, Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed a law barring the state from calculating the climate impacts of major projects.
Joy
“Every time I came into contact with a person who had an expansive sense of well-being,” he said, “I swiftly realized that they had a deep and real connection to some kind of extended community.”
War
“They destroyed everything,” Mr. Zelensky said. “There are no buildings. It’s a pity, it’s a tragedy, but for today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts. There is nothing on this space, just ground and a lot of dead Russians.”
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 7:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are -14, S&P futures are -3.75, and NASDAQ futures are -19.25. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
Salon: Marjorie Taylor Greene's fear is fake Call her by her name: white supremacist By Chauncey DeVega
