1/. Kevin Drum, who wrote the "lose your job to a robot" story in the last DDD, with a follow up commentary on the article......
One thing is certain: The monumental task of dealing with the AI Revolution will be almost entirely up to the political left. After all, when the automation of human labor begins in earnest, the big winners are initially going to be corporations and the rich. Because of this, conservatives will be motivated to see every labor displacement as a one-off event, just as they currently view every drought, every wildfire, and every hurricane as a one-off event. They refuse to see that global warming is behind changing weather patterns because dealing with climate change requires environmental regulations that are bad for business and bad for the rich. Likewise, dealing with an AI Revolution will require new ways of distributing wealth. In the long run this will be good even for the rich, but in the short term it’s a pretty scary prospect for those with money—and one they’ll fight zealously. Until they have no choice left, conservatives are simply not going to admit this is happening, let alone think about how to address it. It’s not in their DNA.
And if you missed it, here it is again.....a must read folks....
2/. Stephen Colbert on Trump and Thanksgiving.....an amusing six minutes.....he's relaxed in this piece, nice to see....
On “The Late Show,” Stephen Colbert revisited a tweet Mr. Trump sent last week, immediately after the players’ release had been secured.
“Imagine Thanksgiving at the Trump house. ‘Let’s go around the table and all say what we’re thankful to me for. I’ll start.’ ” — STEPHEN COLBERT
Then Mr. Colbert jumped to Mr. Trump’s tweet from earlier today responding to Mr. Ball’s comments. The “Late Show” host turned the tables on Mr. Trump with a sidelong reference to the continuing Russia scandal.
And a Happy Thanksgiving from the White House....
3/. A related video to the "robot taking your job" story above that's pretty chilling.....a one minute clip....
Walmart has quietly begun testing an advanced, autonomous floor scrubber during overnight shifts in five stores near the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., a move that has already raised alarm among some employees. Phil Duffy, vice president of innovation at Brain Corp, the company behind the machine, explains that it's meant not as a replacement for humans but as a way to address challenges in the labor market.
4/. The full segment of SNL "Weekend Update", including commentary on Al Franken and a visit from "Jeff Sessions"....a hilarious six minutes.....
After noting Donald Trump's tweets on the subject, Michael Che criticized the president for condemning Franken but not Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore, "who's accused of way worse, by the way."
"Why are Republicans trying so hard to protect Roy Moore from this case? It's not like he wrote the remix to 'Ignition,'" Che said, a reference to similar allegations against R. Kelly.
Kate McKinnon later delivered her beloved Jeff Sessions impersonation to discuss the Attorney General's Russia election meddling congressional hearings, where Sessions frequently answered, "I do not recall."
ttps://www.youtube.com/embed/L
5/. Paul Krugman on the awful Republican tax bill, aka the giveaway to the rich....
Looking at the reactions to Republican tax plans, I found myself remembering what people used to say about former Senator Phil Gramm, whose presidential ambitions never went anywhere but who did help cause the 2008 financial crisis: “Even his friends don’t like him.”
So it is with G.O.P. tax “reform,” especially the Senate version, which would raise taxes on most individuals, especially in the middle and working classes, and add around 13 million Americans to the ranks of the uninsured, all to pay for big cuts in corporate taxes. The general public strongly disapproves — by a 2-1 majority, according to Quinnipiac, although the majority would be even bigger if people really understood what’s going on. But surely at least C.E.O.s like the plan, right?
Actually, not so much.
6/. And an excellent story from New York magazine on the details of the Republicans tax bill.....and it's much worse than you think....
The Trump tax cuts are zipping through Congress at the legislative version of light speed. House Republicans unveiled their plan for overhauling America’s tax code on November 2; they passed it two weeks later. The Senate GOP revealed its (actual) tax bill last Tuesday; Mitch McConnell plans to vote it out of the upper chamber the week after Thanksgiving.
The frenetic pace of the GOP’s tax “reform” push has left some of the party’s own members short of breath. “You’re rewriting a tax code for a generation, and you are doing it in ten days,” Republican congressman Peter King said Thursday. “In [1986], it took two years to put together a tax reform bill.”
7/. Colin Jost [SNL Weekend Update] and Pete Davidson with a very funny riff on Staten Island....it's clever, and human too.....a very good five minutes....
Ah, Staten Island. Often referred to as “the forgotten borough,” it still remains the butt of jokes for many Manhattan and Brooklyn re
And while the island has a countless number of charms, one of its most controversial natives, Pete Davidson, isn't thinking as kindly. On Saturday Night Live’s "Weekend Update," he took fellow Staten Islander Colin Jost to task for his popularity among locals—the same ones who tend to bash Davidson. Why the acrimony? Perhaps it's because Jost appeals to residents of the wealthiest borough with his yogurt-white golfer aesthetic, while Davidson's history with drugs and mental illness makes him less family-friendly.
Or maybe it's because Davidson once said that he "wished that when hurricane Sandy had hit Staten Island, it had finished the job."
8/. Timothy Egan in the Times with a column on Russian hacking and the reason it worked - the stupidity of the American people.....
It would be much easier to sleep at night if you could believe that we’re in such a mess of misinformation simply because Russian agents disseminated inflammatory posts that reached 126 million people on Facebook.
The Russians also uploaded a thousand videos to YouTube and published more than 130,000 messages on Twitter about last year’s election. As recent congressional hearings showed, the arteries of our democracy were clogged with toxins from a hostile foreign power.
But the problem is not the Russians — it’s us. We’re getting played because too many Americans are ill equipped to perform the basic functions of citizenship.
9/. As a follow on from the Egan column above, Jimmy Kimmel sent a team out to ask if Hillary Clinton should be impeached.....we rest our case....three funny minutes....
You would think that by now, people in Los Angeles would know to think very carefully before answering any question from someone carrying a microphone. Jimmy Kimmel has been embarrassing people with his “Lie Witness News” segments for years, and yet somehow the trick continues to work. On Tuesday night, the comedian used the gimmick to expose people who believe, in their heart of hearts, that our country desperately needs to impeach. . . Hillary Clinton.
“Hillary Clinton doesn’t have a job to get impeached from, but did that stop people from demanding she be removed from office? Let’s find out,” Kimmel said. Naturally, the answer was no, it did not stop some people from passionately arguing for her impeachment.
10/. Samantha Bee with a comedic reporting segment on Mike Pence and his wife......quite good, some great zingers.....seven amusing minutes....
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Samantha Bee spent some “quality time” talking about America’s “impending first family” on Wednesday’s “Full Frontal.”
The comedian examined Vice President Mike Pence’s transformation from Democrat to Republican, his anti-LGBTQ stance, views on women and abortion ― and also poked fun at his relationship with his wife, Karen Pence.
In 2002, the Pence revealed that he never eats alone with a woman, other than his wife, and doesn’t attend events where alcohol is present without her.
Bee denied she was “shaming the Pences for their godly marriage,” however.
“I think it’s weird as all hell, but I also think married people should be able to do whatever weird as hell things make them happy. And they seem really, really happy,” she said.
Bee then issued an appeal to the couple:
“I just wish they’d extend the same courtesy to gay people, trans people, women, and all of us out there who seem as weird to them as they do to us.”
11/. Here's a dirty little secret - when you read about flooding in cities [Houston, Jacksonville etc.] the neighborhoods being affected are mostly low income housing.....the rich people stay dry....
Bastiaan Slabbers/Zuma
This story was originally published by CityLab and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Jacksonville’s Northside region was covered with swampland before the 1950s. The floodplain was home to some bait and tackle shops, commercial fisheries, and luxury waterfront homes, but all that changed as the fledgling city grew.
Builders constructed middle-class white suburbs in Northside, at first out of the way of major tributaries that were known to regularly spill over and flood—and then, to keep up with demand, eventually right near the waterways. Home prices in the Northside area began to drop in the ‘70s, as newer suburbs eventually went up in the city’s Southside area. Many lower-income black residents who had been longtime renters jumped at the opportunity to become homeowners in the city’s neighborhoods near the Ribault River. “Like the show, ‘The Jeffersons,’ they were moving on up,” said Lloyd Washington, Grand Park Community Association president.
What these buyers didn’t know—or what they chose to risk—was that these neighborhoods were cheaper because the homes were built in a flood zone without underground drainage or nearby retention ponds, which state law didn’t require until the early ‘80s.
12/. The Times's 100 most notable books of the year so far.....which ones have you read?
The year’s notable fiction, poetry and nonfiction, selected by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. This list represents books reviewed since Dec. 4, 2016, when we published our previous Notables list.
Todays video - a typical Thanksgiving Day on the LA 405 Freeway.....
Todays philosophical jokes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What's a mixed feeling?
A. When you see your Mother-In-Law backing off a cliff in your new car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What's the height of conceit?
A. Having an orgasm and calling out your own name.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What's the definition of 'Macho'?
A. Jogging home from your vasectomy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What's a mixed feeling?
A. When you see your Mother-In-Law backing off a cliff in your new car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What's the height of conceit?
A. Having an orgasm and calling out your own name.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What's the definition of 'Macho'?
A. Jogging home from your vasectomy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What's the difference between a G-Spot and a golf ball?
A. A guy will actually search for a golf ball ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Do you know how New Zealanders practice safe sex?
A. They spray paint X's on the back of the sheep that kick! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q.Why is divorce so expensive?
A. Because it's worth it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What is a Yankee?
A. The same as a quickie, but a Guy can do it alone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What do Tupperware and a Walrus have in common?
A. They both like a tight seal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What do a Christmas tree and a Priest have in common?
A. Their balls are just for decoration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. How do you find a Blind Man in a nudist colony?
A. It's not hard. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: What's the difference between a Girlfriend and a Wife?
A: 45 pounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: What's the difference between a Boyfriend and a Husband?
A: 45 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Why do men find it difficult to make eye contact?
A: Breasts don't have eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Why do women rub their eyes when they get up in the morning?
A. A guy will actually search for a golf ball ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Do you know how New Zealanders practice safe sex?
A. They spray paint X's on the back of the sheep that kick! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q.Why is divorce so expensive?
A. Because it's worth it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What is a Yankee?
A. The same as a quickie, but a Guy can do it alone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What do Tupperware and a Walrus have in common?
A. They both like a tight seal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. What do a Christmas tree and a Priest have in common?
A. Their balls are just for decoration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. How do you find a Blind Man in a nudist colony?
A. It's not hard. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: What's the difference between a Girlfriend and a Wife?
A: 45 pounds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: What's the difference between a Boyfriend and a Husband?
A: 45 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Why do men find it difficult to make eye contact?
A: Breasts don't have eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. Why do women rub their eyes when they get up in the morning?
A . They don't have balls to scratch!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Todays senior golfer joke
Arthur is 90 years old.
He's played golf every day since his retirement 25 years ago. One
day he arrives home looking downcast.
He's played golf every day since his retirement 25 years ago. One
day he arrives home looking downcast.
"That's it," he tells his wife. "I'm giving up golf. My eyesight
has got so bad. Once I've hit the ball, I can't see where it went."
His wife sympathizes. As they sit down, she has a suggestion: "Why
don't you take my brother with you, and give it one more try."
"That's no good," sighs Arthur. "Your brother is a hundred and
three. He can't help."
"He may be a hundred and three," says the wife, "but his eyesight
is perfect."
So the next day, Arthur heads off to the golf course with his
brother-in-law. He tees up, takes an almighty swing, and squints down the
fairway.
He turns to the brother-in-law. "Did you see the ball?"
has got so bad. Once I've hit the ball, I can't see where it went."
His wife sympathizes. As they sit down, she has a suggestion: "Why
don't you take my brother with you, and give it one more try."
"That's no good," sighs Arthur. "Your brother is a hundred and
three. He can't help."
"He may be a hundred and three," says the wife, "but his eyesight
is perfect."
So the next day, Arthur heads off to the golf course with his
brother-in-law. He tees up, takes an almighty swing, and squints down the
fairway.
He turns to the brother-in-law. "Did you see the ball?"
"Of course I did!", says the brother-in-law. "I have perfect eyesight."
"Where did it go?" asks Arthur.
"Can't remember."
"Where did it go?" asks Arthur.
"Can't remember."
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