1/ The excellent and insightful Frank Rich on the momentous events of the past week...
Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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 military threat to hold on to the White House, what the Democrats can do about the Supreme Court, and New York’s state coronavirus-vaccine plan.
2/ The Lincoln Project has outdone themselves with this ad....call now and put Lindsey Graham out of his misery....
3/ Ron DeSantis is a mini-Trump in every way, slavishly imitating the boss and stunning in his incompetence....
Read this first paragraph, and then think about the logic of opening everything 100%.....
He is the embodiment of Floriduh....when we get back there we are still wearing masks!
Photo: Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images
Florida governor Ron DeSantis is pushing an anti-protest bill that would shield people who use their cars to kill demonstrators from legal liability, among other provisions. The announcement comes two months after his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic left Florida with America’s single-day infection record, with 15,299 new cases on July 12, and the second-highest infection rate of any state today, with 3,184 cases per 100,000 people
4/ The future Supreme Court....
5/ Have you seen "Social Dilemma" on Netflix? It's one of the scariest documentaries out there, because it describes how our entire world has been captured by giant media companies using Artificial Intelligence, and how we have all been reduced to algorithms and shamelessly manipulated .....
This story by Andrew Sullivan on "Social Dilemma" was an epiphany for me, as I realised in our Covid-19 state of interrupted social interaction with friends and acquaintances I was falling into the Facebook trap.....no more. It's off my phone, and I'm signing on only twice a day to post good stuff....like groaners and Trump jokes...
I’ve never felt this way about an election before. For my entire adult life, campaigns could be exhilarating, tedious, crowded with incident or laden with foreboding, but you always felt that, at some point, there would be a resolution. The votes would be counted; the exit polls parsed; a decision made; and both sides would respect it. The one time that didn’t happen — in 2000 — I felt for the first time an inkling of what I feel in every part of my psyche now: a sense that the system itself was buckling.
6/ A Sarah Cooper compilation....very clever, very amusing.....thankfully only 4 minutes of THAT voice....
7/ This lunatic is the next Supreme Court justice....as it is she's on the powerful Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals....
Goodbye women's rights....
This story is about her legal record, but what makes her especially dangerous is her membership in "People Of Praise", a Catholic cult that models itself after "The Handmaid's Tale"....see story below....
WASHINGTON — Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s expected pick for the Supreme Court, has compiled an almost uniformly conservative voting record in cases touching on abortion, gun rights, discrimination and immigration. If she is confirmed, she would move the court slightly but firmly to the right, making compromise less likely and putting at risk the right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade.
8/ The dangerous cult "People Of Praise".....whew, scary.....
Members of the Christian right are lobbying hard for President Trump to tap 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. A current Notre Dame law school professor, 48-year-old Barrett is a devout Catholic and mother of seven children, two of whom were adopted from Haiti and one who is a child with Down syndrome—all attributes that conservatives see as evidence that she will help overturn Roe v. Wade if confirmed. But Barrett brings another resume entry to the table that, while possibly enhancing her appeal to evangelicals, makes her an unusual candidate for the job.
She’s a member of People of Praise, a charismatic covenant community in South Bend, Indiana, that has been criticized by former members for being a religious cult.
9/ Tom Tomorrow.....
10/ I am including Heather Cox Richardson's news summary of Saturday AM because she does a great job of summarising the week's news, including the Trump refusal to leave office. I have to admit Mary and I had a mini-meltdown after Rachel's MSNBC show Wednesday about Trump's statement, but on Thursday she had a great segment putting his treason in perspective.....which HCR does here. There's going to be trouble, he'll do everything in his power to stay in power, but we will prevail in the end....
If you haven't subscribed to her newsletter, I can really recommend it. It's free on FB, and also free by email....
11/ Climate change is here!
12/ This might be an unpopular article, but Benjamin Studebaker is less impressed with RBG's legacy than most, as he looks at some of the cases she decided.....an interesting perspective that no one else is writing about....
Over the past week, there has been a very strong emotional reaction to the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I am not talking about the grief–it is perfectly normal for Ginsburg’s many admirers to grieve her loss. But it has gone beyond grief. There is a climate of intense fear surrounding Ginsburg’s death. Over the past few months, the Democrats have tried to make the 2020 election feel existential. They want us to feel that we have to vote for Biden, because otherwise democracy itself will be destroyed. This has led to a lot of exaggeration. I have been reluctant to write on it, because the reactions people are having are so extreme. But contrary to the increasingly hysterical narrative, there is little reason to think that Ginsburg’s death will have massive political consequences. Here’s why.
13/ Excellent segment from a CNN host on Fox News' misinformation and lies about coronavirus....six minutes....
14/ Remember Stranger Danger? Satanic Panic" A most interesting story about conspiracy theories and how
QAnon is fuelling the latest - "Save The Children".....
For many supporters of the #SaveTheChildren movement, face masks are part of the problem. Rather than saving lives by slowing the spread of Covid-19, proponents argue, letting your child wear a mask makes it harder for them to cry for help, which they will need to do, because there are evil people, right now, coming to kidnap them.
15/ No mask? Here's your reward.....
16/ Jonathan Chait with an interesting [longish] story....for us to believe in the legal system again,
Trump must be prosecuted for his crimes....
In the end, the most salient fact about Donald Trump may simply be that he is a crook. He has been defying the law since at least the early 1970s, when he battled the Department of Justice over his flagrant refusal to allow Black tenants into his father’s buildings. He has surrounded himself with mafiosi, money launderers, and assorted lowlifes. His former attorney, national security adviser, and adviser, and two of his campaign managers, have been arrested on or convicted of an array of federal crimes ranging from tax fraud to perjury to threatening witnesses.
17/ Trump's America....
18/ I'm putting this in again in case you missed it....Dems must, must go nuclear on the RGB replacement....
It’s a popular sentiment on the left: Don’t mourn, organize. But with the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that won’t be enough. Ginsburg, a hero of female empowerment and of the Supreme Court, deserves much mourning. But Democrats and progressives can waste no time prepping for the battle royale that lies ahead.
19/ And it's coming to Floriduh - 100% open.....just wait three weeks....
20/ A little florid, but nicely said!
21/ Laid up cruise ships are now an attraction for the Brits....
As the ferry slowly turned the corner of the Hengistbury headland off Britain’s southwest coast, the passengers on board stood up and gaped at the silhouettes of giant cruise ships moored in the distance, letting out bursts of exhilaration as the vessels came into focus.
22/ This is a pathetic story - Florida's jobless aid program is so bad DeSantis has to reject the
federal funds...beyond sad....
TALLAHASSEE — Florida‘s Republican governor will end a Trump program to boost unemployment benefits to out-of-work Americans because the state’s bare-bones jobless program is too poor to continue qualifying for the federal boost.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, an ally of President Donald Trump, is scrapping the extra $300 in weekly benefits because the state pays its unemployed workers too little to meet a 25 percent matching requirement. Florida appears to be the first state in the nation to halt the program because of its cost.
Today's video - the Ameriquest Mortgage "Don't Judge Too Quickly" commercials.......very amusing, and most are new.....
Today's codger joke
Larry and Bob, two friends, met in the park every day to feed the pigeons, watch the squirrels and discuss world problems.
One day Larry didn't show up. Bob didn't think much about it and figured maybe he had a cold or something.. But after Larry hadn't shown up for a week or so, Bob really got worried. However, since the only time they ever got together was at the park, Bob didn't know where Larry lived, so he was unable to find out what had happened to him.
A month had passed, and Bob figured he had seen the last of Larry, but one day, Bob approached the park and -- lo and behold -- there sat Larry! Bob was very excited and happy to see him and told him so. Then he said, ‘For crying out loud Larry, what in the world happened to you?
Larry replied, 'I have been in jail.'
'Jail!' cried Bob. What in the world for?'
'Well,' Larry said, 'you know Jane, that cute little blonde waitress at the coffee shop where I sometimes go?'
'Yeah,' said Bob, 'I remember her. What about her?
'Well, one day she filed rape charges against me; and at 95 years old, I was so proud that when I got into court, I pleaded 'guilty'.
'The damn judge gave me 30 days for perjury’.
Today's oldies but goodies
"There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL." Lynn Lavner
"Sex at age 70 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope." Camille Paglia
"Sex is one of the nine reasons for incarnation. The other eight are unimportant." George Burns
"Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship." Sharon Stone
"Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps." Tiger Woods
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." Jack Nicholson
" Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex, no matter how bad it is." Barbara Bush (Former US First Lady)
"Ah, yes, divorce, from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet." Robin Williams
"Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place" Billy Crystal
"According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other women. They say that women are too judgmental, where, of course, men are just grateful." Robert De Niro
"There's a new medical crisis. Doctors are reporting that many men are having allergic reactions to latex condoms. They say they cause severe swelling. So what's the problem?" Dustin Hoffman
"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men think, 'I know what I'm doing. Just show me somebody naked !" Jerry Seinfeld
"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time." Robin Williams
"It's been so long since I've had sex, I've forgotten who ties up whom." Joan Rivers
"Sex is one of the most wholesome, beautiful and natural experiences money can buy." Steve Martin
" You don't appreciate a lot of stuff in school until you get older. Little things like being spanked every day by a middle-..aged woman. Stuff you pay good money for in later life." Elmo Phillips
" Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same." Oscar Wilde
Today's golf joke
You may not be aware, but I've been very busy since my retirement putting my thoughts and ideas together in a new book about Golf. I am very proud of the results and in order to market the publication, I am asking friends and family to be the first to own a copy. Below is listed the Table of Contents from my new book, "Winning Golf Strategies"; which I believe gives the reader valuable playing tips and insider information that I've gained through my own years of experience in the observations of my golfing friends.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: How to properly line up your Fourth putt.
Chapter 2: How to hit a Nike from the rough when you hit a Titleist from the tee.
Chapter 3: How to avoid the water when you lie 8 in a bunker.
Chapter 4: How to get more distance from a shank.
Chapter 5: When to give the Course Ranger the finger.
Chapter 6: Using your shadow on the greens to confuse your opponent.
Chapter 7: How to create a fake Handicap card on your home computer.
Chapter 8: Proper excuses for drinking beer before 9 a.m.
Chapter 9: How to urinate behind a 4" x 4" post ... Undetected.
Chapter 10: How to rationalize a 6-hour round.
Chapter 11: How to find that ball that everyone else saw go in the water.
Chapter 12: Why your spouse doesn't care that you birdied the 5th hole.
Chapter 13: How to let a Foursome play through your Twosome.
Chapter 14: How to relax when you are hitting three off the tee.
Chapter 15: When to suggest major swing corrections to your opponent.
Chapter 16: God and the meaning of The Birdie-To-Bogey Putt.
Chapter 17: When to re-grip your Ball Retriever.
Chapter 18: Using a strong grip on the Hand Wedge and Weak Slip on the Foot Wedge.
Chapter 19: Why male golfers will pay $5.00 a beer from the Cart Girl and give her a $3 tip,
but will balk at a $3.50 beer at the 19th Hole and stiff the Bartender.
Chapter 20: Practicing your swing in the living room using a real ball.
If you have any suggestions for additional topics or chapters, I’d love to hear them.
Today's "I wish this were a joke".....
Dear Red States,
We've decided we're leaving. We of the Blue States intend to form our own country.
In case you aren't aware, that will include Hawaii, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and the entire Northeast down to and including Virginia. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Washington D.C.
To briefly sum up:
You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We also get the Statue of Liberty.
You get Trump’s wall, all 3 miles of it that he has managed to get built in almost 4 years. We get Intel and Microsoft. Also Costco.
You get QAnon. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs.
You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the Red States pay their fair share.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, over 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners), 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, and virtually all the best colleges and universities.
With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, and Rand Paul. Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families.
Additionally, 62 percent of you believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you have higher morals than everyone else.
Oh, and you can have all the new Coronavirus cases since you're too dumb and self-centered to wear a mask.
Good luck from the people Blue States
