1/ Andrew Sullivan with an extremely good column on two topics - Trump and Brexit. His assessment of Trump's strength is scary, as in the real world we tune out the right wing news machine but it's infecting 40% of the country and it's powerful. On Brexit he explains what is happening in simple terms because 99% of people have no clue what's going on, even Brits.
Good readin'!
The greatest president ever, according to a third of Americans. Photo: Andrew Spear/Getty Images
Every day, the evidence piles up that Trump’s presidency is a failure on its own terms, let alone anyone else’s. And every day, it becomes clearer that this really doesn’t matter at all.
A politically successful policy catastrophe? That’s one way of putting it. Let us count the ways. On trade, we have a record deficit in goods — precisely the opposite of what Trump promised. On immigration, we are facing the biggest crisis since the Bush years — a huge jump in migrants from Central America that is now overwhelming the system. Trump, for his part, is now enabling what he calls “catch and release” on a massive scale. On economic growth, the huge tax cut for the rich has failed. It will not boost growth to levels of 4 or 5 percent — even the president’s own advisers think it’s likely to be a shade less than 3 percent this year and will decline thereafter. The Fed thinks we’ll be lucky to get a little more than 2 percent.
2/ The wonderful Tom Tomorrow....and after reading #1 this will seem so true....
3/ A very good Seth Meyers on Trump and whining! Nine funny minutes....
4/ Michelle Goldberg with a good column from the Times.....she discusses the Barr cover up letter....
The Mueller investigation is over, and the only people close to Donald Trump who have been criminally charged are his former campaign chairman, former deputy campaign chairman, former personal lawyer, former national security adviser, former campaign foreign policy adviser and Roger Stone, the president’s longtime friend and strategist. The report written by the special counsel Robert Mueller, according to a quotation in a brief summary issued by Attorney General William Barr, says that “while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” Naturally, the president and his allies are claiming, as one of Trump’s tweets said, “Complete and Total EXONERATION.”
I won’t pretend that the weekend’s news was not very good for Trump and dispiriting for those of us who despise him.
5/ Stephen Colbert with three minutes on Trump's "Collusion Delusion".....most amusing....
6/ Most interesting analysis on why America's heartland is in irrevocable decline.....and the flyover states are going to become poorer and angrier....
The death of the American middle class and, with it, large swaths of the American interior, is no secret. Globalization, technological change and other factors have decimated the heartland of the country at the same time as demographic, economic and other trends are beginning to concentrate the country's economic wealth and political influence along the coasts. With the traditional core of the United States no longer carrying the weight it once did, the country as a whole has lost a largely unified center in geographic, economic and social terms. Today, many of the country's growing economic hubs share a similar type of geographical location — a coast — yet they remain geographically, culturally and economically diverse. In this most basic sense, diversity breeds drivers that divide rather than unify, meaning that the continued shift in the U.S. economic core away from its geographic center, alongside other technological and demographic factors, will inflame the nation's social, political and generational divides for some time to come.
7/ John Oliver with an excellent piece on public shaming.....amusing as always, but it also includes an interview with Monica Lewinsky
that is moving and revealing....she is a wonderful person. Well worth watching, even at 24 minutes....
8/ Matt Taibbi on the financial cesspool that is the Pentagon - waste, corruption and incompetence....excellent article....
A retired Air Force auditor — we’ll call him Andy — tells a story about a thing that happened at Ogden Air Force Base, Utah. Sometime in early 2001, something went wrong with a base inventory order. Andy thinks it was a simple data-entry error. “Someone ordered five of something,” he says, “and it came out as an order for 999,000.” He laughs. “It was probably just something the machine defaulted to. Type in an order for a part the wrong way, and it comes out all frickin’ nines in every field.” Nobody actually delivered a monster load of parts. But the faulty transaction — the paper trail for a phantom inventory adjustment never made — started moving through the Air Force’s maze of internal accounting systems anyway. A junior-level logistics officer caught it before it went out of house. Andy remembers the incident because, as a souvenir, he kept the June 28th, 2001, email that circulated about it in the Air Force accounting world, in which the dollar value of the error was discussed.
9/ A most amusing if a little yucky piece from SNL with John Mulaney.....two funny minutes....
10/ Sometimes one is forced to the conclusion that the US is a very stupid country because we keep electing Republicans who immediately trash the economy.....read this and tell yourself it isn't true....
The Neverending Story of Republican Economic Incompetence
Here's the standard Republican Economic Playbook ever since Reagan took office in 1981:
Step 1: Republicans get into power and then cut taxes as much as possible on the rich and big corporations.
Step 2: Republicans brag about how the economy has improved on essentially borrowed money since reduced tax income means that more money must be borrowed to offset the loss in taxes. Interest will then have to be paid on that borrowed money for a long, long time, thus reducing the ability of the government to invest in people and programs.
Step 3: Republicans suddenly notice that less tax money is coming in, and cut government spending on programs for the poor and middle class.
11/ Are you a snowplow parent or grandparent? You might be.....but read this and find out!
College has been on their radar since her son was in diapers. “We’ve been working on this since he was 3 years old,” she said. To apply, she said, “I had to take him on 20 auditions for musical theater. But he did it with me. I don’t feel like I did this. I supported him in it. I did not helicopter parent him. I was a co-pilot.”
Or was she, perhaps, a … snowplow parent?
Helicopter parenting, the practice of hovering anxiously near one’s children, monitoring their every activity,
is so 20th century. Some affluent mothers and fathers now are more like snowplows: machines chugging ahead,
clearing any obstacles in their child’s path to success, so they don’t have to encounter failure, frustration or lost opportunities.
12/ Trevor Noah and "Wokeness", and how it's going too far....a very good four minutes...
13/ Time magazine and CBD oil....there's not much meat in this article because there has been minimal research on CBD or any hemp related products but it's a good general guide to what it does.
From personal experience two drops of CBD oil on the tongue every morning has brought both Mary and my blood pressure down 20 points....so if the medibusiness has you on blood pressure meds you might want to try this.
You might have seen it in your neighborhood health store, your local spa or your corner coffee shop. CBD, aka cannabidiol, is getting mixed into cocktails, lotions and drinks.
But what is CBD, exactly? Does it have real health benefits? Is it even safe?http://time.com/5516745/
And if you are concerned about your blood pressure or are being forced to take their drugs read this.....
up until the 70's an acceptable level was your age plus 100....
14/ Love her....Helen Mirren!
15/ Are you a boomer? Do you have a really big house and are looking to downsize? Read this story from the WSJ and start worrying...
Robin and David Saltman moved to this house after selling their custom-built home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. BETSY HANSEN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
A Growing Problem in Real Estate: Too Many Too Big Houses
Baby boomers and retirees built large, elaborate dream homes across the Sunbelt—only to find that few people want to buy them.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/
16/ Most of us will go through the heartbreak of losing a pet.....excellent story on when to let them go....
Nearly 14 years ago, my daughter and I were grieving the death of my mother, and it seemed nothing could lift our spirits. Then we got Fluffy, a bouncing bundle of gray and white puppy, and everything changed.
Fluffy kept us busy with pee pads and squeaky toys. She made us laugh in spite of our sadness, and the gray clouds of grief began to recede.
Over the years, our 10-pound fluff ball was a constant in our lives.
Todays video - the tipping scene from Quentin Tarantino's great movie "Reservoir Dogs", with Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink, who doesn't believe in tipping.....a classic.......
Todays Cabbie joke
A man walked out to the street and caught a taxi just going by.
He got into the taxi, and the cabbie said, "Perfect timing. You're just like Brian"
Passenger: "Who?"
Cabbie: "Brian Sullivan. He's a guy who did everything right all the time. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happened like that to Brian Sullivan, every single time."
Passenger: "There are always a few clouds over everybody."
Cabbie: "Not Brian Sullivan. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you should have heard him play the piano. He was an amazing guy."
Passenger: "Sounds like he was something really special."
Cabbie: "There's more. He had a memory like a computer. He remembered everybody's birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out. But Brian Sullivan, he could do everything right."
Passenger: "Wow. Some guy then."
Cabbie: "He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Brian, he never made a mistake, and he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good. He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too. He was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure up to Brian Sullivan."
Passenger: "An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?"
Cabbie: "Well, I never actually met Brian. He died. I'm married to his f-king widow."
Todays retiree joke
Yesterday I was at my local Publix buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Jake, the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.
What did she think I had an elephant?
So because I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.
I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)
Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me.
I told her no, I stopped to pee on a fire hydrant and a car hit me.
I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.
Publix won't let me shop there anymore.
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