1/ One of the uncertainties of the times we are in is how bad can things really get......the answer is "you ain't seen nothing yet" as Naomi Klein tells us in this excellent and most unsettling article in the Guardian.....
She is the author of "The Shock Doctrine", which might have been written for Trumpworld. This is an epiphany story....a must read.
Shock. It’s a word that has come up again and again since Donald Trump was elected in November 2016 – to describe the poll-defying election results, to describe the emotional state of many people watching his ascent to power, and to describe his blitzkrieg approach to policymaking. A “shock to the system” is precisely how his adviser Kellyanne Conway has repeatedly described the new era.
For almost two decades now, I’ve been studying large-scale shocks to societies: how they happen, how they are exploited by politicians and corporations, and how they are even deliberately deepened in order to gain advantage over a disoriented population. I have also reported on the flipside of this process: how societies that come together around an understanding of a shared crisis can change the world for the better.
Watching Donald Trump’s rise, I’ve had a strange feeling. It’s not just that he’s applying shock politics to the most powerful and heavily armed nation on earth; it’s more than that.
2/ John Oliver on the Comey hearings, and how even Fox News had problems spinning this one......four good minutes....
John Oliver kicked off Sunday night’s episode of Last Week Tonightby addressing what he calls “Stupid Watergate” and more specifically last week’s hearing of former FBI Director James Comey.
Oliver rebuked Comey’s claim that President Trump‘s lies are “plain and simple” by comparing it an everlasting gobstopper from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. “You’ll never make it through every layer because it was produced by an insane person who should never be in charge of anything.”
He noted that Comey’s testimony was “pretty damaging” to the Trump White House in the immediate aftermath that “even Fox News was struggling to spin” it.
He then played a montage of Chris Wallace calling the hearing “politically damaging” to Trump, Judge Andrew Napolitano calling Comey’s testimony “damning,” and Charles Krauthammer calling Trump’s credibility a “big loss.”
3/ Thomas Frank visits the hinterlands of England, and draws a parallel between the election of Trump and the anger that produced Brexit.
An intelligent and insightful article....written before the election result of Theresa May being defeated, but almost like he anticipated it.....
One of my favorite writers.....
The Red Shed is a simple, one-storey wooden building in Wakefield that houses a meeting place and a bar. A sign on the front wall informs the world that it has been the meeting place of the Wakefield Labour Club since 1966: “50 Years a Socialist Shed”.
I happened across this unlikely outbuilding in the course of an effort to understand the politics of modern Britain as it hurtles toward the momentous decision it will make on 8 June. Theresa May presents herself as a strong leader who can go toe-to-toe with the big boys in Brussels; if her mandate is big enough, she will be free to seek the most extreme form of Brexit. If her victory is less convincing, she will have to moderate her stance. Either way, the actual details of the deal that will determine the future of this island are anyone’s guess.
And so I have come to this city of 76,000 in West Yorkshire to see how this country on the brink compares to my own. Hanging around in the affluent and cosmopolitan areas of London wouldn’t do. To come to grips with what has been going on here required a visit to the Britannia that is not cool; the regions where people largely exist outside the lustful gaze of the world.
4/ The Handmaids Tale trailer, with Trump dubbed in ......two amusing minutes....
The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu’s adaptation of the dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, has quickly become the go-to cautionary tale for opponents of Trump’s America. Women have dressed up in the show’s iconic red robes and white bonnets, worn by a sect of women who are treated as property under a patriarchal theocracy, to protest anti-reproductive rights legislation around the country. Meanwhile, our current president has a history of sexism that goes back several decades and is currently informing his policies both at home and abroad.
Whether you think we’re headed for the future Atwood described or you believe the comparisons are too ludicrous to be taken seriously, this Funny or Die video that imagines Trump and Melania in Gilead is so well-edited that you still may not know whether to laugh or shudder.
5/ Republicans don't care about policies or governing any more....all they want to do is upset liberals.....
Donald Trump; Stephen Bannon (Credit: AP/Matt Rourke/Reuters/Carlo Allegri)
In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre, there was only one piece of gun control legislation that made it to a vote. The measure, introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., would have closed the gun show and internet loopholes for firearm sales, and — well, that’s it. Nothing else was attached — no gun bans, no gun confiscations, nothing.
Despite the heartbreaking impact of Sandy Hook, this was the most ballsy piece of legislation the Senate could muster — and the amendment failed anyway, even though it enjoyed the support of 86 percent of the voters surveyed in 2013. Only 13 percent of the voters polled opposed the amendment. That last part is crucial. The Republican Senate voted down the legislation despite 86 percent support, including a 74 percent level of support from National Rifle Association members.Why did the Republicans vote against an amendment that enjoyed such overwhelming support? It could have been the piles of cash and influence being injected into to the GOP’s haggard veins by the gun lobby. It could also have been an early indication that the Republican Party is more interested in trolling liberals than legislating based on sensible policy.
6/ A very good Seth Meyers "Closer Look" at Trump's first cabinet meeting and more......well worth 9 minutes of your time....
Donald Trump’s first full Cabinet meeting on Monday was a much creepier affair than expected, with the president kicking things off with some self-praise, claiming that he has “done more things” than many of his predecessors. “With the Russia investigation weighing on Trump and his administration bogged down by allegations that he committed obstruction of justice, the president has been eager to brag about his accomplishments,” said Late Night host Seth Meyers of the meeting. “Even nonexistent ones.”
On Monday night, Meyers pointed out that Trump has literally “touched more glowing orbs” since his inauguration than he has passed significant legislation. (While it’s true that Trump has signed a lot of bills and executive orders since taking office, that doesn’t necessarily mean he is actually accomplishing things.) But not content to just praise himself, Trump then gave his Cabinet members the opportunity to shower him with compliments, which they did, taking turns thanking and flattering him.
7/ The title says it all.....good story from Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone.....
Can Democrats Fix the Party?
Trump's victory exposed the party establishment as utterly broken – now Dems hope to rebuild in time for a 2018 comeback
Illustration by Victor Juhasz
The Obama years sparked a Washington renaissance, transforming the District of Columbia from a jumble of wealth and blight into a gilded capital, one frankly worthy of heartland resentment. Glassy condos rise from a once-derelict warehouse district now called "NoMa." On gentrified 14th Street, brasseries like Le Diplomate cater to the city's elite. Anything that isn't under construction is gleaming – including the Capitol dome, fresh from a $60 million face-lift.
8/ On the same topic, but with his special brand of vitriol, a brilliant piece from Matt Taibbi......
Goodbye, and Good Riddance, to Centrism
Jeremy Corbyn delivers another blow to the defining political myth of our era
Last week, after yet another week of anti-establishment upheavals in Europe, former Bush speechwriter and current Atlantic senior editor David Frum tweetedin despair:
"I think we need a word to describe people broadly satisfied with the status quo & skeptical of radical changes based on wild promises."
Frum was responding to a move by Catalonia to seek independence from Spain. But he might as well have been talking about the electoral successes of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party in Britain, which Frum also denouncedlast week.
Frum was so distressed by all this rejecting of the status quo going on that he proposed that those "broadly satisfied" folks band together to create a political coalition:
"I mean, there have to be a few of us, right? Maybe we could form a movement of some kind or form a political party with that word in it?"
9/ Bill Maher with a "New Rules" where he opines on Jared's apparent muteness.....very amusing, five minutes....
At the end of Friday night’s episode of Real Time, Bill Maher came up with a “new rule” for President Trump‘s top White House advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
“If Jared Kushner is going to be in charge of peace in the Middle East, trade with China, solving the opioid epidemic, reforming the criminal justice system, and reinventing government, he must speak,” Maher began.
He acknowledged that we are six months into the Trump presidency and “we have yet to hear Boy Wonder talk.”
Maher shared the one question he has for Kushner: “How does a 36-year-old who’s never worked a job his daddy didn’t buy become the second most powerful man in the America… right behind Putin?”
He went on to speculate the reason why Kushner doesn’t speak is because “he doesn’t have to.”
“He has never had to ask for anything,” Maher elaborated. “He didn’t have the grades or SAT scores to get into Harvard, but then his father gave Harvard $2.5 million and they suddenly realized that Jared is Ivy League material after all.”
10/ Inequality is the driving force behind a lot of the unrest and anger in the developed countries of the world, and the defining issue of American politics whether or not stupid America realizes it....
Two stories on our unequal society....
This story from the Times is how the gross unfairness of wealth distribution produces tension and anger....
Monkeys were taught in an experiment to hand over pebbles in exchange for cucumber slices. They were happy with this deal.
Then the researcher randomly offered one monkey — in sight of a second — an even better deal: a grape for a pebble. Monkeys love grapes, so this fellow was thrilled.
The researcher then returned to the second monkey, but presented just a cucumber for the pebble. Now, this offer was insulting. In some cases the monkey would throw the cucumber back at the primatologist in disgust.
In other words, the monkeys cared deeply about fairness. What mattered to them was not just what they received but also what others got.
11/ A classic music video - Miley Cyrus on the 40th anniversary of SNL with a most impressive rendition of "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", by Paul Simon......she actually has a great voice!
Miley Cyrus whipped out her impressive vocal range during her performance at "SNL 40" on Sunday night.
The 22-year-old paid tribute to Paul Simon with a sultry rendition of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," captivating the star-studded audience as she belted out the song's soulful notes. It was a far departure from Cyrus' usual onstage antics as she covered up in a white pantsuit and had Fred Armisen back her on the tambourine.
12/ Are you upper middle class? The Guardian says you are doing pretty well compared to the 80% below you.....and you're selfish too!
Todays video - this place looks amazing......."Wunderland" in Hamburg...
Todays kid joke
A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not rung in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with a main computer, he phoned the employee’s home number and was greeted with a child’s whisper, ‘Hello?
‘Is your Daddy home?’ he asked.
‘Yes’, whispered the small voice.
‘May I speak to him?’
The child whispered ‘No.’
Surprised and wanting to talk to an adult, the boss asked, ‘Is your Mummy there?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well may I speak to her, then?’ Again the small voice whispered ‘No.’
Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, ‘Is anybody else there?’
‘Yes,’ whispered the child, ‘a policeman.’
Wondering what the police would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, ‘May I speak to the policeman?’
‘No, he’s busy,’ whispered the child.
‘Busy doing what?’
‘Talking to Mummy and Daddy and the Fireman,’ came the whispered reply.
Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background coming down the phone, the boss asked ‘What’s that noise?’
‘A helicopter’, answered the whispering voice.
‘What’s going on there?’ demanded the boss, now really apprehensive.
Again, whispering, the child answered, ‘The search team has just landed a helicopter.’
Alarmed, concerned, and a little frustrated, the boss asked ‘What are they searching for?’
Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle… ‘ME!’
Todays teenager joke
A woman takes her 16-year-old daughter to the doctor.
The doctor says, "Okay, Mrs. Jones, what's the problem?"
The mother says, "It's my daughter Darla, she keeps getting these cravings, she's putting on weight and is sick most mornings.
The doctor gives Darla a good examination then turns to the mother and says, "Well,I don't know how to tell you this but your Darla is pregnant - about 4 months would be my guess."
The doctor gives Darla a good examination then turns to the mother and says, "Well,I don't know how to tell you this but your Darla is pregnant - about 4 months would be my guess."
The mother says, "Pregnant?! She can't be, she has never ever been left alone with a man! Have you Darla?"
Darla says, 
"No mother! I've never even kissed a man!"
The doctor walked over to the window and just stares out it. About five minutes pass and finally the mother says, "Is there something wrong out there doctor?
"No mother! I've never even kissed a man!" The doctor walked over to the window and just stares out it. About five minutes pass and finally the mother says, "Is there something wrong out there doctor?
The doctor replies, "No, not really, it's just that the last time anything like this happened, a star appeared in the east and three wise men came over the hill. I'll be damned if I'm going to miss it this time!"
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