1/. Is Trump a monster? Chauncy DeVega argues Trump is an evolution of our unequal society
that created the circumstances where such a "monster" could prevail....
In a recent New York Times column, Maureen Dowd describes Donald Trump as an "American monster." This is an entirely reasonable view, but American society is mired in such a state of malignant normality that this monster has tens of millions of followers, who worship his greed, criminality and cruelty.
2/. Coming distractions.....
3/. For an opposing viewpoint to #1, Andrew Sullivan argues Trump is unique, and we discount
the power of an individual to shape our society.....
“Frankly there is no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president,” - former veep Mike Pence.
There is a tendency, and I understand it, to view the crisis of democratic legitimacy in this country as multi-determined. The rank failure of elites this century, the intellectual barrenness of the pre-Trump GOP, the ever-further radicalization of the left, along with the cultural impacts of mass immigration and free trade, all count as contributing factors. You can tell the story in many different ways, with varying emphases, and assignations of blame.
4/. Bill Maher with "Democracy Dies In Dumbness"....excellent, excellent.....watch this one.....
5/. We need to get rid of the old fearful Democraticelites who are stifling change....
If you want a sense of what separates much of the leadership of the Democratic Party from many of its supporters — of what illustrates their profound disconnect from younger cohorts of liberal and progressive voters — you could do much worse than to read this recent statement from Senator Dianne Feinstein of California.
6/. This is your DDD History lesson!
7/. Bernie debated Lindsey Graham on Fox News, and it went well for Bernie.....one might imagine a future where Bernie wasn't
screwed by Hillary's campaign and got the nomination, along with the future when we had President Gore in 2000...
Bernie Sanders with Lindsey Graham and Fox host Bret Baier after the debate. Sanders wasted no time before diving into a signature issue – universal healthcare. Photograph: Josh Reynolds/APF
ox News is, to put it mildly, not known for indulging progressive politics – but the rightwing news channel gave it a go on Monday, when Bernie Sanders appeared in a debate on the network’s sister channel, Fox Nation.
8/. John Oliver on Tech monopolies......good comedic reporting as usual...
9/. Umair with a pretty good take on what the Jan. 6th Committee is really trying to do......just read the first few paragraphs, you'll get the gist...
Image Credit: J. Scott Applewhite
A woman walks under an orange smoke-filled sky in San Francisco. Photograph: Brittany Hosea-Small/AFP/Getty Images
The Hyundai Seven concept vehicle appears revolutionary, but it builds in features most EV designers are aiming at. Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Zuma/Rex/Shutterstock
Image Credit: J. Scott ApplewhiteImagine a crash cart. Ever watch a medical show? Charging…3…2…1…bzzzt. The patient’s back suddenly arches. Their limbs flail. A thousand volts surge through their nervous system. Did it work?
Now you check. Sinus rhythm.
American democracy’s dying. It’s a patient who suffered a violent attack on its life. And then it was kicked and beaten while it was down. Now it’s in the hospital. Its hemmorhaging. Its heart has stopped. Want to understand why the January 6th Committee and its findings matter? They’re the crash cart.
10/. Tom Tomorrow.....hmm....these aliens sound familiar!
11/. Paul Krugman went to Europe....and was impressed....
I’ve just finished a long European tour. No, I wasn’t playing Very Important Pundit, interviewing political and business leaders (although there were a few conferences along the way). Mostly I was visiting friends, biking in Portugal, hiking in the English countryside, strolling around Berlin, etc. By the way, I had forgotten that Berlin has a massive monument to the Soviet Army:
12/. Any takers?
13/. The Times answers your questions about Covid immunity.....
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who have already had Covid-19, you may be wondering how long you will have immunity from the coronavirus. Earlier in the pandemic, most people assumed that getting infected had at least one upside: that you would be protected against future encounters with the virus. But as the latest wave heads toward the Western region of the countryand the virus shows no signs of easing up, reinfections seem to have become common. Already, many people are reporting second or even third infections with newer variants.
14/. The housing crisis, summarised in a toon.....
15/. Why have I never heard of this plant.....amaranth....
For thousands of years, the first Americans cultivated a blood red plant that supported their entire civilization. They grew it along with corn, beans, and squash for most of their food.
The Aztecs used it in human sacrifice rituals, mixing it with blood to make small, edible statues of the sun god Huitzilopotchli.
https://jessicalexicus.medium.
16/. Inflation is up to 8%, and the blame is falling on the Ukraine war - but a new book argues persuasively
it's climate change driving prices higher globally....
A woman walks under an orange smoke-filled sky in San Francisco. Photograph: Brittany Hosea-Small/AFP/Getty ImagesForget Ukraine, coronavirus, corporate greed and “supply chain issues”, when it comes to inflation the climate crisis is the real, lasting, worry, according to a new book, and one that’s only likely to get worse.
Climatenomics, by former White House reporter and director of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) Bob Keefe, is a narrative account of how the climate crisis is fundamentally altering not just the US but global economies.
17/. Doug Mastriano [a really evil bastard] is running for Governor of Pennsylvania.....here's an ad from the Lincoln Project....
18/. Jessica Wildfire is not happy.....
19/. The Guardian looks at electric cars....
The Hyundai Seven concept vehicle appears revolutionary, but it builds in features most EV designers are aiming at. Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Zuma/Rex/ShutterstockT
ake any petrol car sold today and show it to a mechanic working on a Ford Model T 100 years ago and there is a fairly good chance they would understand roughly how it works. An internal combustion engine at the front turns the wheels, carrying a driver behind a steering wheel, some passengers and luggage.
20/. Best movies of 2022 so far....
The film industry is still getting back on its feet after so many pandemic disruptions, but plenty of good films have managed to make their way to screens both big and small this year. From period drama to contemporary techno thriller, these are the best movies I’ve seen in 2022, in alphabetical order—and with some links to where to watch them.
21/. And best TV....
We all agree that it’s nigh on impossible to keep up with every TV show we’re told we simply must watch. But there are some that are just too good to miss—15 in total, according to V.F.’s staffers, who joined forces to select the best TV shows of 2022 so far. These are our favorite TV and streaming comedies, dramas, and specials from the first half of the year, listed in alphabetical order—with links to where to watch them.
22/. "This Is Going To Hurt" is a rave reviewed British show....
But the thing is, it’s true. You’re going to love the new series This Is Going to Hurt, which got across-the-board rave reviews from British critics and, now, is coming stateside.
The series is now airing on AMC+, which is a streaming service that I learned existed when trying to figure out how to watch this show. (Sorry to the people at AMC, I love you and I’m sure this streaming service is great.)
Today's Military joke....
Years ago, a young Navy Pilot was injured while ejecting from his A-4 Skyhawk
due to engine failure during a catapult shot from the carrier. Due to the heroics
of rescue helicopter crew and the ship's hospital staff, the only permanent
injury was the loss of one ear.
He remained on flight status and eventually became an Admiral.
However, during his career he was always sensitive about his appearance.
One day the Admiral was interviewing two Navy Master Chiefs and a Marine
Sergeant Major for his personal staff. The first Master Chief was a Surface
Navy type and it was a great interview. At the end of the interview the Admiral
asked him, "Do you notice anything different about me?"
The Master Chief answered, "Why, yes, Admiral. I couldn't help but notice that
you are missing your starboard ear, so I don't know whether this impacts
your hearing on that side."
The Admiral got very angry at this lack of tact and threw him out of his office.
The next candidate, an Aviation Master Chief, when asked this same question,
answered, "Well yes, Sir, you seem to be short one ear."
The Admiral threw him out as well.
The third interview was with the Marine Sergeant Major. He was articulate,
extremely sharp, and seemed to know more than the two Navy Master Chiefs
put together. The Admiral wanted this guy but went ahead with the same
question. "Do you notice anything different about me?"
To his surprise, the Sergeant Major said, "Yes Sir. You wear contact lenses."
The Admiral, impressed thought to himself, what an incredibly tactful
Marine. "And how would you know that?" the Admiral asked.
The Sergeant Major replied: "Well, sir, it's pretty hard to wear glasses with
only one fuckin' ear. "
Today's farmer jokes....
Farmers can be really wise. They learn a lot by making their living from the land, or from raising livestock on their property. Here is some wisdom from the farm.
- “Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.”
- “Keep skunks, lawyers and bankers at a distance.”
- “Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.”
- “A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.”
- “Words that soak into your ears are whispered…….not yelled.”
- “Meanness don’t just happen overnight.”
- “Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.”
- “Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.”
- “It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.”
- “You cannot unsay a cruel word.”
- “Every path has a few puddles.”
- “When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.”
- “The best sermons are lived, not preached.”
- “Most of the stuff people worry about, ain’t never gonna happen anyway.”
- “Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
- “Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.”
- “Live a good and honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.
- “Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.”
- “Timin’ has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.”
- “If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.”
- “Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
- “The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.”
- “Always drink upstream from the herd.”
- “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.”
- “Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.”
- “If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.”
- “Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.” “Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
Today's golf joke
This threesome is at a public course and the starter comes over and says, “Do you mind if this rabbi plays with you?” They say, “No problem.” The rabbi walks up on the tee with banged-up clubs, a tattered golf bag and a yarmulke instead of a golf hat — but then proceeds to shoot a 69.
At the end of the round one of the other players asks, “Rabbi, how did you get so good?”
“You have to convert to Judaism,” he answers. So, a year goes by and the same three guys arrange to play with the rabbi again. He shoots another 69, but they all still shoot in the 90s. At the end of the round, one says: “Rabbi, I don’t get it. We all converted like you said, but you still shot 69 and we all still shot in the 90s. What’s wrong?”
“What synagogue did you get converted at?” the rabbi asks earnestly.
“Temple Beth Shalom,” they answer in unison.
“Oh no,” says the rabbi. “Temple Beth Shalom? That’s for tennis!”
No comments:
Post a Comment