1/ Paul Krugman with an excellent column - Trump IS the Republican Party now, and they can't walk away from him....
The presidential campaign is entering its final weeks, and unless the polls are completely off, Donald Trump has very little chance of winning — only 7 percent, according to the Times’s Upshot model. Meanwhile, the candidate continues to say disgusting things, and analysts are asking whether down-ballot Republicans will finally repudiate their party’s nominee.
The answer should be, who cares? Everyone who endorsed Mr. Trump in the past owns him now; it’s far too late to get a refund. And voters should realize that voting for any Trump endorser is, in effect, a vote for Trumpism, whatever happens at the top of the ticket.
2/ It's not just Trump - it's the 35% of the country that feed from him......but as this story says how do you deal with people you know who support him? Good question.....
(Credit: Getty/Chip Somodevilla/Photo montage by Salon)
Like so many Americans, I am sick and tired of talking about Donald Trump. At first his presidential campaign was entertaining. It was Andy Kaufmann’s alter ego Tony Clifton mixed with professional wrestling. Trump then amplified the hate and ugliness.
His sick behavior later reached a crescendo with “Pussygate” and the leaked video recording of his admitting to being a serial sex offender. And now Trump’s presidential campaign is like a balloon filled with hot noxious gases that’s catching fire as it falls back to Earth, soon to be found discarded like a used condom on a rain-spattered road. The greatest show on Earth is all but over. Only Donald Trump and his minions are in denial of this fact.
But where do we go from here?
3/ Bill Maher in reporter mode.....some jokes, but a lot of wisdom as he takes millennials whining about the election to task.....
Bill Maher ended his show tonight by going on a rant to young people caught up in the “false equivalency” between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
He first pointed out stats showing Trump is a far bigger liar than Clinton is, comparing Clinton to a good quarterback who’s “deflated a few balls in her time.”
But he went on to say, “I am so tired of hearing… Hillary doesn’t seem genuine.
4/ I'm not going to put in a story about the email non-event generated by FBI Director Comey....just the headlines from HuffPo Sunday morning........it's looking more and more like a political dirty trick....
Comey Under Fire From All Sides... ‘A Thumb On The Scale’... ‘Damaging Our Democracy’... Knew The Risks Of His Letter — Trump Just Showed Them... No Chance Of Resolution Before Election...FBI Still Doesn’t Even Have A Warrant!... Clinton Camp Scrambles... MYSTERY: Huma Doesn’t Know How Emails Got On Weiner’s Computer... Here Are The Really, Really Simple Questions The FBI Needs To Answer Fast...
5/ SNL was off this week, but here is one of their funniest skits, Kate McKinnon on alien abduction.....watch the cast break up....
If there was one true breakout sketch from the first of half of this season of Saturday Night Live, it was "Close Encounter," from the Ryan Gosling episode. Sure, it was great when Larry David granted everyone's wish by playing Bernie Sanders, but that was nothing compared to Kate McKinnon talking about getting her knockers gently batted around — especially when the telling gets everyone else in the sketch, most notably, Ryan Gosling, to break.
6/ Excellent, passionate column from Nicolas Kristof in the NYT.....
3 TVs and NoFood: Growing Up Poor in America
The presidential candidates should be talking about poverty. Here’s why.
PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Here’s the kind of person whom America’s presidential candidates just don’t talk about: a sweet, grinning, endangered 13-year-old boy named Emanuel Laster.
Emanuel has three televisions in his room, two of them gargantuan large-screen models. But there is no food in the house. As for the TVs, at least one doesn’t work, and the electricity was supposed to be cut off for nonpayment on the day I visited his house here in Pine Bluff: Emanuel’s mother deployed her pit bull terrier in the yard in hopes of deterring the utility man. (This seemed to work.)
The home, filthy and chaotic with a broken front door, reeks of marijuana. The televisions and Emanuel’s bed add an aspirational middle-class touch, but they were bought on credit and are at risk of being repossessed. The kitchen is stacked with dirty dishes, and not much else.
“I just go hungry,” Emanuel explained.
If Emanuel were in Aleppo, Syria, maybe we would — briefly, ineffectually — fret about his plight or discuss it in a presidential debate. But he inhabits the rubble of our domestic no man’s land of poverty, narcotics and hopelessness, and so he is invisible.
7/ Tom Tomorrow with his unique take on the orange one......
8/ Just went to see "Trumpland" by Michael Moore, and it's really good. It's not the usual MM, but rather a healing Michael Moore who tries to win over Trump supporters to listen to the other side of the story, and he overall succeeds. Our group found it thought provoking, and in places hilarious.....
It's not bi-partisan by any means, but he tries to be fair to both sides.....decent review from Fortune Magazine....
Michael Moore’s new documentary, Michael Moore in TrumpLand, is winning over a surprising online fanbase: Trump supporters.
At least part of the movie is, anyway. Even conservative site Breitbart has written about a particular passage from the film, a clip where Moore talks about the appeal of voting Trump: “[He’s speaking] to people who are hurting, and it’s why every beaten down, nameless, forgotten working stiff who used to be part of what was called the middle-class loves Trump,” Moore says. “He is the human Molotov cocktail that they’ve been waiting for.”
And indeed, Moore’s colorful closing lines in the clip sound like a call to action: “Trump’s election is going to be the biggest f**k you ever recorded in human history—and it will feel good.”
And the good news is it's on Amazon for $4.99....recommended you watch it before the election.....
9/ If this story from the Times doesn't give you chills about the dangers of eating "Big Food" and just eat organic, nothing will. It says the growth of GMO seeds hasn't produced any volume benefits at all, and the crops are still being sprayed with nasty, cancer producing chemicals.
Don't look to the gub'mint to fix this, because the regulatory agencies are owned by Big Ag.....only you can protect yourself, and yes it costs more money.....
LONDON — The controversy over genetically modified crops has long focused on largely unsubstantiated fears that they are unsafe to eat.
But an extensive examination by The New York Times indicates that the debate has missed a more basic problem — genetic modification in the United States and Canada has not accelerated increases in crop yields or led to an overall reduction in the use of chemical pesticides.
The promise of genetic modification was twofold: By making crops immune to the effects of weedkillers and inherently resistant to many pests, they would grow so robustly that they would become indispensable to feeding the world’s growing population, while also requiring fewer applications of sprayed pesticides.
Twenty years ago, Europe largely rejected genetic modification at the same time the United States and Canada were embracing it. Comparing results on the two continents, using independent data as well as academic and industry research, shows how the technology has fallen short of the promise.
GRAPHIC
Broken Promises of Genetically Modified Crops
About 20 years ago, the United States and Canada began introducing genetic modifications in agriculture. Europe did not embrace the technology, yet it achieved increases in yield and decreases in pesticide use on a par with, or even better than, the United States, where genetically modified crops are widely grown.
An analysis by The Times using United Nations data showed that the United States and Canada have gained no discernible advantage in yields — food per acre — when measured against Western Europe, a region with comparably modernized agricultural producers like France and Germany. Also, a recent National Academy of Sciences report found that “there was little evidence” that the introduction of genetically modified crops in the United States had led to yield gains beyond those seen in conventional crops.
10/ John Oliver with one of his excellent comedic reporting in-depth looks at Big Pharma, and their role in the opiod crisis.....and guess who caused it? No prizes for the answer....
In HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver ripped into the pharmaceutical industry for years of shady and deceptive practices that he said got Americans hooked on drugs. In a clip played during the show, one industry expert claimed the addiction was really “pseudo-addiction,” where patients weren’t actually addicted to the drug but just seeking relief.
“Wow, that is so convenient,” Oliver said. “That is like Chipotle going, ‘Have you heard of this fascinating new thing called pseudo-diarrhea? It looks a lot like diarrhea but it’s not diarrhea and the cure may actually be more tacos.”
Part of the problem, an expert in the segment said, was that alternative options for pain weren’t always available or covered by insurance.
“Alternative pain treatments should be at least as easy to find as Waffle Houses,” Oliver said. “Which, like heroin, are both hazardous to your health and dangerously addictive.”
11/ A passionate declaration of Trumpism....he's pretty articulate and although it's tongue in cheek it's still worth reading....
I’m as old as you. I’m as educated as you. I’m as upset as you. Put yourself in my shoes.
I run a small business. I’ve been breaking even since 2008. I’ve paid my share and other people got bailed out. I’ve built my business but you want me to pay more for insurance? No one in DC knows how to run a machine shop or a gardening service or an insurance office. They don’t know what I do all day and why I do it. I used to want to retire early. Now I just want to retire on time. I’ve done right by my employees and they go work for competitors. Nobody will help me so why should I help anybody else?
12/ Phil Collins is making the rounds of the late night talk shows promoting a new collection of singles, but here he is from an earlier time, with Genesis playing live at Wembley Stadium in 1986 - "Abacab"......electrifying is the word for this track....
13/ Donald Trumps concession speech, ghostwritten by a Canadian writer.....amusing....
In a fractious campaign, there’s one thing all Americans can agree on: Donald Trump’s concession speech is going to be a doozy.
So I just phoned Crooked Hillary to congratulate her on stealing the election. “Good for you,” I said. “Nice going. You are the worst.”
Actually, I didn’t want to hear her stupid voice so I just texted her. Sent her the one that’s a picture of a poop. She got the message, right? She got it.
It was rigged, people. Many, many people are saying it, and they’re right to say it, because the thing was totally fixed. Rigged. Massive voter fraud. Illegal immigrants voting. Probably twice, three times. Non-citizens voting, too. Three little Mexican kids stacked inside a trench coat, the whole deal.
14/ The best political ad of the year.....one minute.....
In what’s probably the funniest campaign ad this year, Charlyn Daugherty pleads with voters to re-elect her husband as a Travis County commissioner, because he’s driving her crazy by incessantly yammering about constituents’ concerns.
15/ The President reads nasty tweets about him on Jimmy Kimmel....three minutes....
Obama
With the end of his presidency in sight, Barack Obama returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday to take advantage of one of his last chances to read "mean tweets" as Commander-in-Chief.
16/ A six minute commentary on not just the election but what has happened to this divided nation, from "Politics Girl".....she is wonderful, full of passion and fire.....
Leigh Elliot McGowan is a Canadian-born photographer and writer living in California who writes a blog called In Case I’m Gone, which she uses to chronicle her work, her thoughts on all things, and her life as a mom.
In addition Leigh has been writing about the US Presidential race, trying to provide a balanced and informed analysis of this election. But with each twist in this bizarre contest doing so has proved difficult — so Leigh has created a YouTube channel called “Politics Girl”, where she says finally says, ‘Enough!’
We appreciate Leigh’s informed, passionate summation on what’s becoming a race to the bottom, and know you will too.
17/ Some common sense tips on how to save money with car rentals....from the Times....
Why is it that a car rental might cost you as much as $300 one weekend and just $50 the following one with the same company? Such price variations are common in the car rental industry, according to Gary Leff, the founder of the travel deals site viewfromthewing.com. “Car rental prices constantly go up and down in big leaps,” he said.
Here, he shares his tips for getting the better end of the bargain:
DON’T BOOK A PREPAID RENTAL. Some car rental companies offer a small discount if you prepay, but Mr. Leff advises not going that route because you’ll lose the opportunity to save money if rental prices drop before your trip starts, which they usually do. Upon making your reservation, he suggests going to AutoSlash.com, a site that tracks car rental prices, and adding your reservation details. The site will keep track of price changes on your rental and also scout competitors’ prices. Users will get an email when a lower price for the same rental becomes available and will have an option to rebook their reservation.
RENT LONGER TO SAVE MORE.
Todays video - One that makes you think, with beautiful images and some truths we don't often take the time to appreciate......
A lovely two minutes.....
And the images are from a truly mysterious and enigmatic movie "Tree Of Life".....
Todays Australian joke
A very nice, innocent Australian woman wanted to get married, but she is only willing to marry a man if he has never had sex with another woman. After several unsuccessful years of searching, she decides to take out a personal ad.
She ends up corresponding with Scotty Greer, who is an average golfer and who has lived his entire life in the Australian Outback and he has no experience with women. They meet and she is very happy with him; she feels that they are perfect for each other. Eventually they end up getting married.On their wedding night, she goes into the bathroom to prepare for the evening. When she returns to the bedroom, she finds her new husband standing in the middle of the room, naked. All the furniture from the room is piled in one corner."What happened?" she asks."I've never been with a woman" he says, "But if it's anything like a kangaroo, I'm going to need all the room I can get!"
Todays Trump joke
While stitching a cut on the hand of a 75-year-old farmer, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.Eventually, the topic got around to Donald Trump and his role as the Republican Nominee for President.The old farmer said, " Well, as I see it, Donald Trump is like a 'Post Tortoise'.''Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post tortoise' was.
The old farmer said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a tortoise balanced on top, that's a post tortoise."The old farmer saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, he's elevated beyond his ability to function, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there to begin with."
Todays golf joke
Lee Trevino: a true story; you gotta love him.....
One day, shortly after joining the PGA tour in 1965, Lee Trevino, a professional golfer and married man, was at his home in Dallas, mowing his front lawn, as he always did.
A lady driving by in a big, shiny Cadillac stopped in front of his house,
lowered the window and asked, "Excuse me, do you speak English?"
Lee responded, "Yes Ma'am, I do."
The lady then asked, "What do you charge to do yard work?"
Lee said, "Well, the lady in this house lets me sleep with her."
The lady hurriedly put the car into gear and sped off.
