1/ Frank Rich with another column - on Trump and chaos.....Rich is definitely one of the remaining wise men of the responsible media....
Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today, the meaning of Trump’s latest foreign policy moves, the Sinclair Broadcast Group backlash, and what to make of the Roseanne reboot.
The president has spent the past week goading China into a potential trade war, threatening to withdraw from Syria, and purporting to be punitive to Russia. Is his focus on foreign affairs an attempt to distract from crises at home?
It is a mistake to assume there is any method whatsoever to Donald Trump’s current madness. I don’t think his chaotic serial upheavals in the arena of foreign policy constitute a strategy to distract from, say, the Scott Pruitt scandals or the Mueller investigation or Stormy Daniels. Sometimes chaos is just chaos.
2/ Bill Maher sticks up for teachers in this "New Rules" segment.....good one, five minutes....
Bill Maher came out fighting for beleaguered school teachers on Friday’s broadcast of “Real Time,” and he managed to mock President Donald Trump’s two eldest sons in the process.
The comedian acknowledged that he wasn’t the biggest fan of children, and joked that him “sticking up for kids” was like Vice President “Mike Pence fighting for gay adoption.”
But children are “the future,” said Maher, who then broke down why educators in various states are currently protesting for increased public school funding.
“There is a revolt brewing in the teachers lounge these days in schools all across this country, and it’s long overdue,” said Maher. “Teachers are tired of being told of what (former GOP vice presidential candidate) Sarah Palin once said of a teacher, that ‘her reward is in Heaven.’ Maybe, but the rent is due here on Earth.”
3/ Seth Meyers with a "closer look" at Trump vs Amazon vs the border....nine minutes....
This has been a week of [President] Trump indulging his various obsessions," Seth Meyers said, and he took a look at two of those on Wednesday's Late Night: the border, and Amazon. Trump has been railing against a "caravan" of Honduran refugees heading toward the U.S., arguing that the U.S. essentially doesn't have a southern border because, he said, former President Barack Obama instituted "catch and release." "That's right, it's called catch and release — or as Trump used to call it, marriage," Meyers joked.
Now, Trump is sending "the military" to "guard" the border. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is "already planning your dumb military parade, and now you want him to guard the border?" Meyer asked. "Why don't you just combine the two and have the parade along the Mexican border? Think about it: Have you ever tried to cross the street during a parade?" Trump settled on ordering the National Guard down to watch the border, but he's openly pining for a U.S.-Mexico DMZ.
Trump is also obsessed with taking down Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos, and he's apparently under the mistaken impression that the U.S. Postal Service loses money from Amazon.
4/ Matt Taibbi nails the Facebook issue - FB is a symptom of our decline, not the cause. Excellent article....
We shouldn't be asking Facebook to fix the problem. We should be fixing Facebook. It's our collective misfortune that this perhaps silliest-in-history supercorporation – a tossed-off hookup site turned international cat-video vault turned Orwellian surveillance megavillain – has dragged us all to the very cliff edge of modern technological capitalism.
We've reached a moment in history where many companies are more powerful than even major industrialized nations, and in some cases have essentially replaced governments as de facto regulators and overseers. But some of those companies suck just a little too badly at the governing part, leaving us staring into a paradox.
5/ Jimmy Kimmel asks Kellyanne Conway about the allegation that she is the big leaker in the White House.....a funny two minutes...
Jimmy Kimmel’s puppet version of Kellyanne Conway just loves spilling the beans about the Trump administration.
On Monday’s broadcast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, the host poked fun at claims made in Ronald Kessler’s new book that President Donald Trump’s counselor was “the number one leaker” of information in the White House.
6/ Paul Krugman with a very good column about Trumpland and the polarization of our society....
These days almost everyone has the (justified) sense that America is coming apart at the seams. But this isn’t a new story, or just about politics. Things have been falling apart on multiple fronts since the 1970s: Political polarization has marched side by side with economic polarization, as income inequality has soared.
And both political and economic polarization have a strong geographic dimension. On the economic side, some parts of America, mainly big coastal cities, have been getting much richer, but other parts have been left behind. On the political side, the thriving regions by and large voted for Hillary Clinton, while the lagging regions voted for Donald Trump.
7/ Trump goes to charm school to smooth out his rough edges......doesn't go well. Anthony Atamanuik plays him perfectly.....
One has to wonder where the president learned his signature brand of manners, from his aggressive “your arm belongs to me now” handshake to his uncanny ability to make any conversation about himself.
On “The President Show” Thursday night, Anthony Atamanuik took his Donald Trump to a few experts on etiquette. They were not prepared.
ttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/
8/ Sinclair Broadcasting is unashamedly right wing, and is now taking aim at the local news around the country....watch this scary montage of synchronized propaganda....2 minutes...
Over the last week or so, local television news anchors across the the country have joined together to paradoxically warn viewers about the “troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” The identical, seemingly earnest editorial messages paid lip service to the importance of fact-checking and unbiased reporting, but they also complained about “false news” and “fake stories.” If that seems to echo the rhetoric of President Trump, it’s probably because the statement was written by one of his allies
The anchors were forced to read the so-called journalistic responsibility messages word for word by their employer, the conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of television stations in the country.
9/ And for an in depth look at this horrible company, John Oliver did his comedic reporting segment on Sinclair Broadcasting, and it's 19 minutes of funny and nauseating facts about this monster....
John Oliver explored the disturbing trend of biased local news on Sunday's Last Week Tonight.
The host showed how Sinclair Broadcast Group – the largest owner of local TV stations in the country – forces stations to air "must-run" segments, which tend to promote conservative viewpoints. One of these segments included a scripted anchor statement that echoed President Trump's derision of mainstream media as "fake."
According to Oliver, Sinclair also feeds its stations other conservative-slanted segments, like one featuring Trump's controversial former aide, Boris Epshteyn.
10/ Ever wonder where the right wingnuts get some of their crazier stories? It's here.....QAnon....
Good column from the Times by Michelle Goldberg...
Last week Roseanne Barr — who, with the hit reboot of her show, has become one of the most prominent Donald Trump supporters in the country — tweeted that the president has freed hundreds of children a month from sexual bondage. “He has broken up trafficking rings in high places everywhere,” she wrote. (The tweet has since been deleted.)
Barr’s tweet, puzzling to the casual observer, was a reference to QAnon, an expansive, complicated pro-Trump conspiracy theory. The theory is fascinating as an artifact of our current political derangement, but more than that, it’s profoundly revealing about the lengths to which some Trump supporters will go to convince themselves that his presidency is going well.
As Paris Martineau explained in New York Magazine, QAnon was born last October, when someone claiming to have “Q” level security clearance started a cryptic thread on 4chan, the online message board and troll playground.
11/ Kathy Griffin is back, this time as Kellyanne on "The President Show".....spot on, scarily so....
Kathy Griffin made her television comeback on Tuesday's episode of The President Show, portraying President Trump's former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway as a shallow, blood-drinking "lady vampire." In the segment, Trump (Anthony Atamanuik) challenged Griffin's Conway to defend "the worst people in history," a task she gleefully accomplished.
https://www.rollingstone.com/t
12/ Absolutely riveting story written by someone immersed in gun culture, but who is also alarmed at the situation we have now....from first hand experience if you sit with conservatives guns have become a test of your attitude towards your tribe....
I recommend this article.....it's thought-provoking....
weeks before Christmas, I had a 9-millimeter pistol concealed in my waistband and a rifle with two 30-round magazines in the passenger seat beside me. I was driving down from the mountains to meet a fellow I didn’t know at a Cracker Barrel off I-40 in the North Carolina foothills. He was looking to buy a Kel-Tec Sub-2000, and I had one for sale. Other than that, I didn’t know him from Adam except for a few messages back and forth on Facebook.
We were both members of a Facebook group where people post pictures of firearms and buyers private-message to ask questions and make offers — sometimes cash, sometimes trade. I needed money to pay a buddy for an old ’70s model Lark teardrop trailer, and that rifle wasn’t doing anything but taking up space in the safe.
What I was doing was perfectly legal. In North Carolina, long-gun transfers by private sellers require no background checks. Likewise, it’s perfectly legal to sell a handgun privately so long as the buyer has a purchase permit or a concealed-carry license. But as I headed up the exit to the restaurant where we agreed to meet, I felt uneasy. I was within the law, but it didn’t feel as if I should have been.
13/ Did you know this? The Republicans in Florida just passed a bill that says you can't sit on the beach if it's in front of someone's house......and Rick Scott, our pond scum of a Governor signed it....
The beach is one of the defining facets of Miami that make this city magic. The white sands are Florida's identity — an oasis that beckons everyone and belongs to no one, not the billionaires in beach chairs or the kids skipping class and sitting on their backpacks in the sand.
But that might change in some places around the Sunshine State. Gov. Rick Scott last month signed HB 631, the Possession of Real Property Bill, which on July 1 will give hotels, condos, and private residences more control over the beachfront they own, all the way to the high-tide line. Critics say the bill will ultimately give private owners more power to kick the public off their piece of paradise.
"I think this bill is ridiculous," says Philip Levine, the former Miami Beach mayor now running for the Democratic bid for governor. "Why would we want to take away one of the most basic rights of our residents and do something that could hurt our tourism economy? People visit Florida to be able to walk the beach freely and without being accosted whether they are on dry sand or wet sand."
14/ We have the misfortune here in Lake County to have as our State Senator the worst, most regressive Republican in a Legislature full of assholes, Dennis Baxley. He hates everyone....Parkland kids, women, minorities but especially people who want sensible gun regulation.
In the days after the Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, a debate erupted over assault rifles, just as it does every time some maniac blasts his way into a school, nightclub, concert or some other crowded venue and murders our loved ones.
And just like every other time, our spineless politicians offered their thoughts and prayers but little more.
The Florida Legislature did pass a school safety bill with tens of millions of dollars in funding for school security, but as we soon discovered, it is a small fraction of what schools statewide actually need to hire resource officers and upgrade security features.
It’s a start, though. At least they did something.
But not our guy. Not Sen. Dennis Baxley.
Perhaps no one in the Florida Legislature supports the gun lobby as ardently as Baxley, who represents Lake and Sumter counties.
We need to get rid of Baxley, and Gary McKechnie is running against him this year....the seat is winnable, but he needs funding folks. I know him - he will do a good job for his district and the State, and the Democrats need this seat to take back the Senate. Please send him some funds!
Todays music video - Keane with an acoustic version of "Somewhere Only You Know".....lovely song, and once it starts you will remember it....
Todays British jokes....
Did I read that sign right?
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW
In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR
CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT
In a London Department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS
In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY
PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN
In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND
STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD
Outside a second hand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC.
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC.
WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?
Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS
Spotted in a safari park:(I sure hope so)
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR
Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT,
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT,
THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR
Notice in a farmer's field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE,
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE,
BUT THE BULL CHARGES
Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ,
IF YOU CANNOT READ,
THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS
On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING.
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING.
(PLEASE KNOCK HARD - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK)
Todays Computer Joke
A Spanish Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike
English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa." "Pencil," however, is
masculine: "el lapiz."
A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?" Instead of giving the
answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female,
and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a
masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four
reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the
feminine gender ("la computadora"), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is
incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for
possible later retrieval;
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending
half your pay check on accessories for it.
(THIS GETS BETTER!)
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be
Masculine ("el computador"), because:
1. To do anything with them, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time
they ARE the problem;
English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
"House" for instance, is feminine: "la casa." "Pencil," however, is
masculine: "el lapiz."
A student asked, "What gender is 'computer'?" Instead of giving the
answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female,
and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a
masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four
reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the
feminine gender ("la computadora"), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is
incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for
possible later retrieval;
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending
half your pay check on accessories for it.
(THIS GETS BETTER!)
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be
Masculine ("el computador"), because:
1. To do anything with them, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time
they ARE the problem;
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
The women won!!!!!!!
Send this to all the smart women you know...and all the men that have
a good sense of humor!
The women won!!!!!!!
Send this to all the smart women you know...and all the men that have
a good sense of humor!
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