1/ Frank Rich with his thoughts on the news - of course his first story is about Trump.....
Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Trump’s media dodging, the fight over Obamacare, and Megyn Kelly’s move from Fox News to NBC.
Last weekend, despite the U.S. intelligence community having already weighed in on Russian election interference, Donald Trump promised that he would reveal “things that other people don’t know” by “Tuesday or Wednesday.” After tweeting some support for Julian Assange, it now looks like — just as with earlier promises to address his business conflicts and clarifyMelania’s
2/ A rather sombre but realistic column from Paul Krugman.....we are now a "Stan" state.....
o
In 2015 the city of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, was graced with a new public monument: a giant gold-plated sculpture portrayi
Americans used to find the antics of these regimes, with their tinpot dictators, funny. But who’s laughing now?
3/ Comic with bite from Brian McFadden in the Times.....
4/ A corporate media failure is the reporting on Israel where the only views ever quoted are those of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, due to the overwhelming power of the Israeli lobby [AIPAC] and the Republican support for the Isareli right wing.....but as this story in the Times shows Israel is polarized too, and half of Israel is opposed to the settlements and the crazy religious groups inside the State......
Really interesting, and it's about time we got a balanced view of this country....
JERUSALEM — The two front-page headlines told very different stories about Secretary of State John Kerry’s lengthy address about Middle East peace.
In the view of the right-of-center Jerusalem Post: “Kerry exits locked into failed assumptions.”
For the left-of-center Haaretz: “A very Zionist, pro-Israel speech.”
As it turns out, the choose-your-news phenomenon is not unique to the United States.
5/ A five minute tribute to Peter Sellers' character "Inspector Clouseau"......wonderful....
6/ Very good story from the Times on why rural America voted for Trump.....they think he represents their tribe...
Knoxville, Iowa — One recent morning, I sat near two young men at a coffee shop here whom I’ve known since they were little boys. Now about 18, they pushed away from the table, and one said: “Let’s go to work. Let the liberals sleep in.” The other nodded.
They’re hard workers. As a kid, one washed dishes, took orders and swept the floor at a restaurant. Every summer, the other picked sweet corn by hand at dawn for a farm stand and for grocery stores, and then went to work all day on his parents’ farm. Now one is a welder, and the other is in his first year at a state university on an academic scholarship. They are conservative, believe in hard work, family, the military and cops, and they know that abortion and socialism are evil, that Jesus Christ is our savior, and that Donald J. Trump will be good for America.
They are part of a growing movement in rural America that immerses many young people in a culture — not just conservative news outlets but also home and church environments — that emphasizes contemporary conservative values.
7/ Heather Digby Parton with an illuminating article on why the media and the general public will find it very difficult to deal with Trump....he's slippery as an eel....
No solution, but she lays out the problem....
President-elect Donald Trump listens to a question as he speaks to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)(Credit: AP)
Now that the smoke from the election is finally clearing, the challenge facing the Trump opposition is becoming obvious. It is immense. If anyone thought that the Trump campaign was some kind of a show or simply a means to an end and that Trump would “pivot” to a more presidential bearing and attitude, enough time has now passed to put any such hopes to rest. He is as unstable as ever.Unlike other president-elects, Donald Trump has held no press conferences and is mainly communicating through Twitter. But his choices for his staff and his Cabinet tell some of the story. He remains dependent on his children and close campaign advisers, which were culled from the dregs of the GOP consultant class and right-wing fringe. And his cabinet choices mainly hail from the constituencies of Wall, Big Business and the extremist edge of the conservative movement.
But lest anyone think there’s ideological rhyme or reason for his choices, The Washington Post reported that his main concern is simply that they look the part.
8/ Really interesting story on why life in Scandinavia is better than almost everywhere else in the world......written by a journalist who lives there, and tried to move back to the US....
The village of Fredvang in Lofoten, Norway. (Sveter/Wikimedia Commons)
This post originally appeared at TomDispatch and in print in slightly shortened form at The Nation.
Some years ago, I faced up to the futility of reporting true things about America’s disastrous wars and so I left Afghanistan for another remote mountainous country far away. It was the polar opposite of Afghanistan: a peaceful, prosperous land where nearly everybody seemed to enjoy a good life, on the job and in the family.
It’s true that they didn’t work much, not by American standards anyway. In the US, full-time salaried workers supposedly laboring 40 hours a week actually average 49, with almost 20 percent clocking more than 60. These people, on the other hand, worked only about 37 hours a week, when they weren’t away on long paid vacations. At the end of the work day, about four in the afternoon (perhaps three in the summer), they had time to enjoy a hike in the forest or a swim with the kids or a beer with friends — which helps explain why, unlike so many Americans, they are pleased with their jobs.
9/ The wonderful Dave Barry does a "Year In Review" story every year for the Miami Herald, and this one is as funny as usual.....
In the future, Americans — assuming there are any left — will look back at 2016 and remark: “What the HELL?”
They will have a point. Over the past few decades, we here at the Year in Review have reviewed some pretty disturbing years. For example, there was 2000, when the outcome of a presidential election was decided by a tiny group of deeply confused Florida residents who had apparently attempted to vote by chewing on their ballots.
Then there was 2003, when a person named “Paris Hilton” suddenly became a major international superstar, despite possessing a level of discernible talent so low as to make the Kardashians look like the Jackson 5.
There was 2006, when the vice president of the United States — who claimed he was attempting to bring down a suspected quail — shot a 78-year-old man in the face, only to be exonerated after an investigation revealed that the victim was an attorney.
And — perhaps most inexplicable of all — there was 2007, when millions of people voluntarily installed Windows Vista.
Yes, we’ve seen some weird years. But we’ve never seen one as weird as 2016. This was the Al Yankovic of years. If years were movies, 2016 would be “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” If years were relatives, 2016 would be the uncle who shows up at your Thanksgiving dinner wearing his underpants on the outside.
Why do we say this? Let’s begin with the gruesome train wreck that was the presidential election.
10/ Led Zeppelin live in 1973 with "Stairway To Heaven".....if the quality of the video looks surprisingly good it's because it's footage from a movie......
11/ This is scary stuff - Carnival are introducing the ultimate privacy intrusion with their new wristband which tracks you all over the ship, giving Carnival data about you, your habits and spending patterns.......intrusive to say the least, butyou could look at it as "at least it's not the gub'mint"....
12/ The joys of living in Montreal.....they call this "Car Curling".....two painful minutes.....
13/ Matt Taibbi with an article on the "Russia Hacked Our Election" story....you may or may not agree with him, but he makes some valid points....
Something About This Russia Story Stinks
Nearly a decade and a half after the Iraq-WMD faceplate,
the American press is again asked to co-sign a dubious intelligence assessment
And on the same subject.....
14/ Thinking of getting a dog? Please, please read this story from Rolling Stone so you don't buy your pet from a puppy mill....
Todays video - the funniest commercials of 2016 from around the world.....
Todays guy joke
This is a conversation between a man and a woman. Please note that she asks 5 or 6 questions which he answers quite simply and she is speechless - after answering only one question. Critical Thinking At Its Best!Woman:
Do you play golf ?
Man: Yes
Woman:
How many times a week?
Man: Usually about 3
Woman:
How much do you pay per round?
Man: Usually about $35.00 which includes lunch. (This is where it gets scary!)
Woman:
And how long have you been playing?
Man:
About 20 years, I suppose.
Woman:
So a round costs $35.00 and you play 3 rounds a week, which puts your spending each month at about $450.00 .In one year, it would be approximately $5400.00, correct?
Man:
Correct
Woman:
If in 1 year you spend $5400.00, not accounting for inflation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000.00, correct?
Man:
Correct
Woman:Do you know that if you didn't play so much golf, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a Ferrari?
Man:
Do you play golf?
Woman:
No.
Man:
Where's your Ferrari?Todays Italian joke
The church held a "Marriage Seminar" and the Priest asked Luigi, as his 50th wedding anniversary approached, to share some insight into how he managed to stay married to the same woman all these years.Luigi replied to his audience, "Well, I tried to treat her well and spend money on her. But the best thing I did was take her to Italy for our 20th anniversary."
The Priest said "Luigi, you are an inspiration to all husbands here today. Please tell the audience what you plan for your wife for your 50th anniversary."Luigi proudly replied "I'm gonna go and get her."
Todays appropriate political joke
While walking down the street one day a Corrupt Senator was tragically hit by a car and died.
His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."
"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator..
"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."
"Really?, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Senator.
"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.
The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.
Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.
They played a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.
They played a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.
Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.
They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.
Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, "Now it's time to visit heaven.."
So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."
The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful,
but I think I would be better off in hell."
but I think I would be better off in hell."
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell..
Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends,
dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.
dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.
The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.
"I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster
and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.
What happened?"
and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.
What happened?"
The devil smiles at him and says,
"Yesterday we were campaigning ...
"Yesterday we were campaigning ...
Today, you voted.."
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