Election Time
Floridians, but more specifically Lake Countians - the primary elections are on August 30th, and the last day to register so you can vote in the primary is July 31st......and that includes changing your registration from [D] to [R] or the other way round as well. Since Florida is a closed primary state, here in Lake County the races for County Commission, Sheriff, School Board and others are basically decided in the Republican primaries.
What this means is that if you are a registered Democrat, you have no voice in voting for most offices as Lake's results are mostly decided by a margin of 55% Republican and it wouldn't matter if Jesus was running for [say] County Commission as a Democrat, he would lose by at least 10 points to whomever the Republican was. I know I will get some flak from some of you, but unfortunately it's true......
You see, dear Lake reader, we live in one of Floriduh's stupid counties......so if you are a [D] and want your local vote to count change your registration and do it before the end of July.....there are normally reasonable Republicans running in these races against the religious whackadoodles like Jennifer Sullivan, your State Representative.....
Let's start this DDD with a cartoon from an Australian paper......
By David Rowe of Financial Review
And our favorite American cartoonist Tom Tomorrow....."The Incredible Trump"......
1/ Great column from Paul Krugman about Trump's knowledge [or rather the lack of it] of economics....but unfortunately he's just repeating Republican Party mantra about debt and it's importance.....all BS.....
Truly, Donald Trump knows nothing. He is more ignorant about policy than you can possibly imagine, even when you take into account the fact that he is more ignorant than you can possibly imagine. But his ignorance isn’t as unique as it may seem: In many ways, he’s just doing a clumsy job of channeling nonsense widely popular in his party, and to some extent in the chattering classes more generally.
Last week the presumptive Republican presidential nominee — hard to believe, but there it is — finally revealed his plan to make America great again. Basically, it involves running the country like a failing casino: he could, he asserted, “make a deal” with creditors that would reduce the debt burden if his outlandish promises of economic growth don’t work out.
The reaction from everyone who knows anything about finance or economics was a mix of amazed horror and horrified amazement. One does not casually suggest throwing away America’s carefully cultivated reputation as the world’s most scrupulous debtor — a reputation that dates all the way back to Alexander Hamilton.
2/ A two minute homage to Ted Cruz from Samantha Bee.....we'll miss you!
One of the funniest bits Bee has ever done.....
“Full Frontal” host Samantha Bee mourned Ted Cruz’s departure from the GOP primary.
After a thorough loss to Donald Trump in the “must-win” state of Indiana last week, Cruz finally decided to put a fork in his campaign.
“We were all blindsided by Ted Cruz suspending his campaign,” Bee said. “No one more than me. I think you know what that man meant to ‘Full Frontal.'”
She then rolled a montage of descriptors for Cruz she’s used in past episodes (e.g. “The world’s only unlikeable Canadian,” “America’s Newman”).
3/ This is really interesting....and scary.....in less than a minute you see how fast the planet is warming up.....and look at 2015/16!
This is one of the clearest visualizations of global warming I've ever seen. Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, recently made this mesmerizing (and now-viral) GIF showing world temperatures spiraling upward over time between 1850 and 2016:
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(Ed Hawkins)
Each point on the spiral shows how a given month's average temperature deviates from the long-term average between 1850 and 1900 (the period before industrial activity really took off in the 20th century).
4/ Given the alarming trends in the above GIF, most Americans don't give a shit about climate change, and no one understands why. But as this story in the Times says, a lot of people like the way the weather is changing......
Just wait 20 years till it's way too late folks, it won't be so nice.....
CHRISTMAS in New York was lovely this year — especially for those who prefer to spend the day working on their tans. It was the city’s warmest ever, with temperatures peaking at 66 degrees.
Record-breaking temperatures are occurring with alarming frequency in the United States, but Americans are reacting with a collective shrug. In a poll taken in January, after the country’s warmest December on record, the Pew Research Center found that climate change ranked close to last on a list of the public’s policy priorities. Why?
In a paper published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, we provide one possible explanation: For a vast majority of Americans, the weather is simply becoming more pleasant. Over the past four decades, winter temperatures have risen substantially throughout the United States, but summers have not become markedly more uncomfortable.
Of course, people’s preferences about weather vary widely.
5/ One of the funniest characters SNL has ever has was Church Lady, and this week Dana Garvey was back with the schtick, interviewing Trump Ted Cruz with a very amusing results.....seven pretty good minutes.....
Dana Carvey as Church Lady on "Saturday Night Live"(Credit: NBC)
“Saturday Night Live” alum Dana Carvey returned for last night’s cold open and brought back an old favorite character, Church Lady, to opine on “the exciting presidential match-up between a godless liberal Democrat and Hillary Clinton.” After tsk-tsking at the “strumpets, street walkers and sluts” of the Met Gala, including digs at Madonna and Beyoncé, Carvey brought Ted Cruz (Taran Killam) on to claim that his whole disastrous campaign, down to dropping out after his last primary defeat, was “God’s plan.”
“Was it God’s plan to get humiliated by an orange mannequin?” Carvey inquired. “Tell me, Ted Man Walking, what are you going to do now?”
6/ Jonathan Chait with a new slant on Trump's success - no one in the media can quite believe how stupid Republican supporters of Trump are.....a challenging premise, but read the column - it's pretty convincing.....
Of course it's not the whole story - there are real and valid reasons why older white people are angry, but Trump? Seriously?
Why did almost everybody fail to predict Donald Trump’s victory in the Republican primaries? Nate Silver blames the news media, disorganized Republican elites, and the surprising appeal of cultural grievance. Nate Cohn lists a number of factors, from the unusually large candidate field to the friendly calendar. Jim Rutenberg thinks journalism strayed too far from good old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting. Justin Wolfers zeroes in on Condorcet’s paradox. Here’s the factor I think everybody missed: The Republican Party turns out to be filled with idiots. Far more of them than anybody expected.
7/ A Paul Krugman column on the media, and how the next six months of irresponsible election coverage will hopefully be better than the last.....but don't hold your breath.....
Insightful as usual [except when he's writing about Bernie].....
How will the news media handle the battle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump? I suspect I know the answer — and it’s going to be deeply frustrating. But maybe, just maybe, flagging some common journalistic sins in advance can limit the damage. So let’s talk about what can and probably will go wrong in coverage — but doesn’t have to.
First, and least harmful, will be the urge to make the election seem closer than it is, if only because a close race makes a better story. You can already see this tendency in suggestions that the startling outcome of the fight for the Republican nomination somehow means that polls and other conventional indicators of electoral strength are meaningless.
The truth, however, is that polls have been pretty good indicators all along. Pundits who dismissed the chances of a Trump nomination did so despite, not because of, the polls, which have been showing a large Trump lead for more than eight months.
Oh, and let’s not make too much of any one poll.
8/ A two minute Bill Maher on Trump......good one again, he's on form......
During his monologue Friday night, “Real Time” host Bill Maher trashed Donald Trump’s supposedly cleaned-up act.
Following his double-digit victory in New York, Trump called Ted Cruz “Senator Cruz” instead of “Lyin’ Ted.” And his new team of advisors, headed by Paul Manafort, is now trying to market Trump as a well-intentioned performance artists.
“So let me get this straight: the last 30 years as the world’s biggest douchebag,” Maher said, “that was just to get us ready?”
9/ Samantha Bee is getting into comedic reporting, this six minute segment on how pregnancy crisis centers [funded by some Republican states] are set up to trick women into not having an abortion and keep the baby, thereby ruining their lives.....
It's a little goofy, but with Patton Oswalt she gives us some laughs as well as some facts.....good one....
On Monday night's Full Frontal, Samantha Bee took on "crisis pregnancy centers" — fake pregnancy clinics whose real purpose is to try to dissuade women from having abortions.
Aided by Patton Oswalt, channeling Orson Welles from the 1973 film F for Fake, Bee discussed how these clinics use taxpayer money to deceive women. As Oswalt put it, they are "the ultimate hustle — a conception deception."
You might have noticed these facilities without realizing it. They run ads on billboards that say things like, "Pregnant? Scared? Need Help?" They also used to run online ads alongside internet searches for the word "abortion" — at least before search engines like Google and Yahoo agreed to take those ads down due to concerns about false advertising.
Crisis pregnancy centers look a lot like clinics that provide abortions, but the difference is in their tactics. Staff members — often people with no medical training — may wear white coats and give women what appears to be medical advice, and provide free ultrasounds, but the ultimate goal is to dissuade (or scare) women from having abortions.
10/ And following on, the religious crazies are in retreat which makes them angry and dangerous - defeated on gay marriage by the Supreme Court AND public opinion they are concentrating on abortion and the latest bullshit cause de jour - trans women in your bathroom.....
Good story from Michelle Goldberg in Slate.....
The battle over trans people in bathrooms will show us whether the religious right has any power left. Above, a gender-neutral bathroom at a coffee shop in Washington, D.C.
Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
In 1964, the first national advocacy group devoted to sex education was founded: the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States. At the time, it seemed—at least from elite vantage points—that America was reaching a consensus about the need for sex education in schools. “The organization was as much a part of the zeitgeist as hula hoops,” Janice M. Irvine writes in Talk About Sex: The Battles Over Sex Education in the United States. In 1966, an article on sex education in Lookmagazine reported, “Backwardness is succumbing as surely as snow to spring.”
11/ Samantha Bee had a good show this week - here's a shoutout to millennials - want to stop BS like North Carolina's Bathroom Bill? Get out and vote!
Five informative and amusing minutes....
Want to avoid laws like North Carolina's anti-LGBTQ measure in the future? Full Frontal host Samantha Bee has a suggestion: Take state and midterm elections more seriously.
"I know state elections aren't fun. They don't have cool concerts or dank memes. But voting in them is important," Bee said. "Just think of it like a mammogram. It's painful and inconvenient, but you gotta do it — because early prevention hurts a lot less than late-stage treatment."
North Carolina's anti-LGBTQ law bans local nondiscrimination ordinances that include sexual orientation and gender identity, and prevents transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity in schools and government buildings. It has drawn a national firestorm, fueling business boycotts and even a federal lawsuit.
"Boycotts are a powerful tool," Bee said. "But you know what's an even more powerful tool? Not electing a bunch of transphobic numbnuts who are going to wreck the state economy to catch a nonexistent predator."
12/ An lovely video of one of the most magnificent horses ever.....they were originally bred as "war horses" in the days of knights and armour. As armour got heavier, bigger horses were needed and the Friesian almost became extinct.They are back and are one of the most beautiful of all horses with a unique stature and gait.They are native to the Netherlands......four beautiful minutes....http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Y5XJbSqwriM?rel=0
13/ Are you rich? In the top 5%? Businesses are catering to you big time, from cruise lines to airlines to hotels.....if you pay, it's much easier for you.......no lines, incredible service, reserved seats etc. etc.
This article from Times Business is "Behind The Velvet Rope".....
The Norwegian Cruise Line ship the Escape contains a private area for the very rich called the Haven.
MIAMI — Behind a locked door aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship is a world most of the vessel’s 4,200 passengers will never see. And that is exactly the point.
In the Haven, as this ship within a ship is called, about 275 elite guests enjoy not only a concierge and 24-hour butler service, but also a private pool, sun deck and restaurant, creating an oasis free from the crowds elsewhere on the Norwegian Escape.
If Haven passengers venture out of their aerie to see a show, a flash of their gold key card gets them the best seats in the house. When the ship returns to port, they disembark before everyone else.
“It was always the intention to make the Haven somewhat obscure so it wasn’t in the face of the masses,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s former chief executive, who helped design the Escape with the hope of attracting a richer clientele. “That segment of the population wants to be surrounded by people with similar characteristics.”
With disparities in wealth greater than at any time since the Gilded Age, the gap is widening between the highly affluent — who find themselves behind the velvet ropes of today’s economy — and everyone else.
14/ A very good Seth Meyers "Closer Look" on how Trump has changed his positions over the months, almost at random......
Meyers is getting good at comedic reporting.....about 7 minutes, informative and amusing.....
“Late Night” host Seth Meyers last night took a “Closer Look” at Donald Trump’s alleged flip-flopping on “some of the biggest economic issues of the 2016 campaign.”
Trump has faced scrutiny for recent claims he made regarding proposed tax hikes for the wealthy, seemingly at odds with earlier campaign trail promises of indiscriminate tax cuts. The presumptive GOP nominee has since walked back his contradictory new platform, saying, “If I increase it on the wealthy, that means they’re still going to be paying less than they are paying now. I’m talking about increasing it from my (original) tax proposal.”
15/ If you like good blues this clip is for you.....two parts....Beth Hart and Jeff Beck do "I'd Rather Go Blind", and part 2 - Bonnie Raitt leads an ensemble version of "Sweet Home Chicago", in front of a VIP audience. It's the same show that had Heart do the amazing version of "Stairway To Heaven" in front of Led Zeppelin.....
A wonderful six minutes.....
Beth Hart is one of those singers you’ve probably heard, even if you’re not aware of it. She’s had a long career that includes an adult contemporary hit titled ‘LA Song (Out of This Town)’, from her critically acclaimed album 1999 album ‘Screamin’ For My Supper,’ as well as a slew of work she’s done with such high-profile artists as Slash, Joe Bonamassa, and Jeff Beck.
Hart gave a breakout performance at the Kennedy Center Honors in Dec. 2012, performing ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ with Beck in tribute to Buddy Guy. Their rendition earned a standing ovation from the assembled crowd, including President Obama and the First Lady.
16/ An excellent as usual Carl Hiaasen column on our putrescent abcess of a Governor's trip to California to steal jobs......
Gov. Rick Scott went to California last week to steal some jobs.
Guess how that brilliant idea turned out.
Scott urged California businesses to pack up and move to Florida because the minimum wage here is only $8.05 an hour.
That was actually the thrust of his selling point: Why are you paying your workers $10 an hour? Floridians will work dirt cheap!
Scott spent lots of taxpayer money to carry this dubious offer to the Golden State, where it went over like a lead balloon.
In a caustic retort, Gov. Jerry Brown wrote: “If you’re truly serious about Florida’s economic well-being, it’s time to stop the silly political stunts and start doing something about climate change – two words you won’t even let state officials say.”
Todays video - Will Ferrell the wild animal expert on the Colbert show....I've watched this three times, and it just gets funnier.....
Todays Polish joke
Peter Olivesky worked in a famous Polish pickle factory. For many years hehad a powerful desire to put his penis in the pickle slicer .Unable to stand it any longer, he sought professional help from the factorypsychologist.After six months, the therapist gave up.He advised Peter to go ahead and do it or he would probably neverhave any peace of mind.The next day Peter came home from work veryearly. His wife, Mary, became alarmed and wanted to know what hadhappened.Pete tearfully confessed his tormenting desire to put hispenis in the pickle slicer. He went on to explain that today he finallywent ahead and did it and was immediately fired.Mary gasped and ran over to her husband.She quickly yanked down his pants and shorts only to find a normal,completely intact penis.She looked up and said, "I don't understand. What about the pickle slicer?"Pete replied, "I think she got fired, too."
Todays British joke
Sometimes it does take a rocket scientist!
Scientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch standard 4 pound
Dead chickens at the windshields of airliners, military jets and the space
Shuttle, all traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the
frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of
the windshields.
British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the
windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and
a gun was sent to the British engineers.
WHEN THE GUN WAS FIRED, THE ENGINEERS STOOD SHOCKED AS
THE CHICKEN HURLED OUT OF THE BARREL, CRASHED INTO THE
SHATTERPROOF SHIELD, SMASHED IT TO
SMITHEREENS, BLASTED THROUGH THE CONTROL CONSOLE,
SNAPPED THE ENGINEER'S BACK-REST IN TWO, AND EMBEDDED ITSELF IN THE BACK WALL
OF THE CABIN, LIKE AN ARROW SHOT FROM A BOW.
THE HORRIFIED BRITS SENT NASA THE DISASTROUS
RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT, ALONG WITH THE DESIGNS OF THE WINDSHIELD
AND BEGGED THE U.S. SCIENTISTS FOR SUGGESTIONS.
NASA RESPONDED WITH A ONE-LINE MEMO :
"DEFROST THE CHICKEN."
(TRUE STORY)
Scientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch standard 4 pound
Dead chickens at the windshields of airliners, military jets and the space
Shuttle, all traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the
frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of
the windshields.
British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the
windshields of their new high speed trains. Arrangements were made, and
a gun was sent to the British engineers.
WHEN THE GUN WAS FIRED, THE ENGINEERS STOOD SHOCKED AS
THE CHICKEN HURLED OUT OF THE BARREL, CRASHED INTO THE
SHATTERPROOF SHIELD, SMASHED IT TO
SMITHEREENS, BLASTED THROUGH THE CONTROL CONSOLE,
SNAPPED THE ENGINEER'S BACK-REST IN TWO, AND EMBEDDED ITSELF IN THE BACK WALL
OF THE CABIN, LIKE AN ARROW SHOT FROM A BOW.
THE HORRIFIED BRITS SENT NASA THE DISASTROUS
RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT, ALONG WITH THE DESIGNS OF THE WINDSHIELD
AND BEGGED THE U.S. SCIENTISTS FOR SUGGESTIONS.
NASA RESPONDED WITH A ONE-LINE MEMO :
"DEFROST THE CHICKEN."
(TRUE STORY)
Todays kiddie joke
A 6 year old and a 4 year old are raking the yard.
The 6 year old asks, "You know what? I think it's about time we started learning to cuss.
"The 4 year old nods his head in approval.
The 6 year old continues, "When we go in for breakfast, I'm gonna say something with hell and you say something with ass."
The 4 year old agrees with enthusiasm.
When the mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6 year old what he wants for breakfast, he replies, "Aw, hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios.
WHACK!
He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear with every step.
His mom locks him in his room and shouts, "You can stay there until I let you out!"
She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4 year old and asks with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man?"
"I don't know," he blubbers, "but you can bet your fat ass it won't be Cheerios!"
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