1/. There's the Biden age issue, and now the Gaza disaster.....Newsom is looking better and better.
Can't wait for his debate with Ron DeSantis on Nov. 30....
One of the strongest candidates for US president in 2024 may be one who’s not yet in the race. There’s growing evidence that Gavin Newsom, the charismatic and energetic Democratic governor of California, is running something of a shadow campaign to Joe Biden and ready to step up if, or when, the incumbent is out of the running.
Several developments in recent days suggest Newsom, who romped to re-election a year ago without really campaigning, is ready to bring forward what was already expected to be a strong run for the presidency in 2028
2/. Thomas Friedman from the Times with a sad column....
People warned me before I came to Tel Aviv a few days ago that the Israel of Oct. 7 is an Israel that I’ve never been to before. They were right. It is a place in which Israelis have never lived before, a nation that Israeli generals have never had to protect before, an ally that America has never had to defend before — certainly not with the urgency and resolve that would lead a U.S. president to fly over and buck up the whole nation.
After traveling around Israel and the West Bank, I now understand why so much has changed. It is crystal clear to me that Israel is in real danger — more danger than at any other time since its War of Independence in 1948. And it’s for three key reasons:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/09/opinion/israel-hamas-war.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
3/. The SNL cold open.....Trump crashes the Republican debate.....quite amusing with
some brutal assessments of the "losers"....
4/. Are you a mature adult [over 60]? Then you need to read this disturbing story about long term care.....
There's not much you can do about it though, except be aware of what might be your situation in the future....
Margaret Newcomb, 69, a retired French teacher, is desperately trying to protect her retirement savings by caring for her 82-year-old husband, who has severe dementia, at home in Seattle. She used to fear his disease-induced paranoia, but now he’s so frail and confused that he wanders away with no idea of how to find his way home. He gets lost so often that she attaches a tag to his shoelace with her phone number.
Feylyn Lewis, 35, sacrificed a promising career as a research director in England to return home to Nashville after her mother had a debilitating stroke. They ran up $15,000 in medical and credit card debt while she took on the role of caretaker.
5/. An excellent Heather Cox Richardson blog on the extreme danger of a second Trump Presidency.....
In a speech Saturday in Claremont, New Hampshire, and then in his Veterans Day greeting yesterday on social media, former president Trump echoed German Nazis.
“In honor of our great Veterans on Veteran’s Day [sic] we pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, Racists, and Radical Left Thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our Country, lie, steal, and cheat on Elections, and will do anything possible, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America, and the American Dream…. Despite the hatred and anger of the Radical Left Lunatics who want to destroy our country, we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
The use of language referring to enemies as bugs or rodents has a long history in genocide because it dehumanizes opponents, making it easier to kill them. In the U.S. this concept is most commonly associated with Hitler and the Nazis, who often spoke of Jews as “vermin” and vowed to exterminate them.
6/. Andrew Sullivan with a contentious story on the Gaza war.....he challenges the calls for ending the Palestinian genocide by
listing the actual genocides happening around the world. There's no easy answer to this disaster.....
The word “genocide” may be the one rendered most meaningless in our discourse. It has some steep competition, of course. “White supremacy” now means asking someone to show up on time. “Trauma” means being referred to with the wrong pronoun. And “genocide” can, among other things, mean debating experimental sex reassignment procedures for children. (Go look up #transgenocide on Twitter and weep.) But the supporters of Hamas and of the Palestinians have seized the g-word with particular zeal. And who can blame them? There’s a real, adolescent frisson in accusing the victims of the worst genocide in modern history of being genocidal themselves. “Israel, we charge you with genocide” is a common chant in many of the pro-Palestinian protests. “Genocide Joe” has been trending on Twitter. Eight hundred artists signed an open letter calling the Israeli counteract in Gaza “a genocide.” Yale professor Zareena Grewal channeled much of the “decolonizing” left: “Israeli [sic] is a murderous, genocidal settler state and Palestinians have every right to resist through armed struggle.”
7/. Tom Tomorrow nails it.....unfortunately....
8/. Fascinating and horrific story about Hamas and their tunnels...wow.
How did they build these so quietly?
The Gaza Strip has all the harrowing pitfalls soldiers have learned to expect from urban warfare: high-rise ambushes, truncated lines of sight and, everywhere, vulnerable civilians with nowhere to hide.
But as Israeli ground forces inch their way forward in Gaza, the bigger danger may prove to be underfoot.
9/. Heidi Gardner plays your co-worker who's always busy on Weekend Update.....amusing....
10/. The interesting premise in this story is that Trump/Biden running in 2024 gives us
all a clear choice - democracy or a dictator.....
Joe Biden versus Donald Trump is not the choice America wants. But it is the choice we need to face.
Yes, both men are unpopular, remarkably so. Only a third of Americans view President Biden favorably, and two-thirds of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters want to nominate someone else for the presidency (no one in particular, just someone else, please). Trump is the overwhelming favorite to become the Republican nominee for the third consecutive time, but his overall approval rating is lower than Biden’s. And while 60 percent of voters don’t want to put Trump back in the White House, 65 percent don’t want to hand Biden a second term, either. The one thing on which Americans seem to agree is that we find a Biden-Trump 2024 rematch entirely disagreeable.
11/. This is what they're all thinking!
12/. You know we all love reading these......"The Week In Collapse".....
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter bringing together some of the most important, timely, useful, soul-crushing, ironic, astounding, or otherwise must-see/can’t-look-away moments in Collapse.
This is the 98th newsletter. You can find the October 29-November 4 edition here if you missed it last week. Thank you for subscribing to the Substack.Upgrade to paid
The last 12 months were the hottest on record, according to a 15-page report from Climate Central. Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Indonesia are particularly hard hit by rising temperatures. The implications are dire.
13/. The stories about MAGA Mike keep getting worse.....
He’s also a dyed-in-the-wool Christian conservative, and there’s a flag hanging outside his office that leads into a universe of right-wing religious extremism as unknown to most Americans as Johnson was before he ascended to the speakership.
14/. Bill Maher on the teaching profession and how bad it is for the teachers, sometimes even physically.
Good comedic reporting....
15/. If you live near us you will have got updates on my friends Hugh and Lisa's blueberry crop, coming normally in April.
You also may not realise quite what you are getting from them if you have had their delicious blues, which are blueberries grown in soil which
taste a lot better than fruits grown in plastic.
Yes, plastic. Organic fruit grown in plastic can be labelled Organic.
Hugn is active in the Real Organic movement, and here he gives a fascinating talk to their group with slides.
If you want to find out the truth behind the USDA organic label, watch this videowhich is 20+ minutes but goes very quickly.
BTW - what Hugh says about his crop also applies to most of the fruit and vegetables sold in Supermarkets, so if there
is a real farmer at your local farmers market they need your support.
And you need their food - much better for you, full of nutrients.
16/. "The Sound of Silence" by Disturbed, joined by Myles Kennedy - live.....
During a Disturbed concert in Houston the band put on an extra special performance of their incredible "Sound Of Silence" cover when they were joined by Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge. The raw, raspy, haunting quality of David Draiman's voice melds and harmonises beautifully with Myles Kennedy's. It adds a totally new dimension to the song and somehow makes an already wonderful cover even better. It's like Simon and Garfunkel's darker twins are singing. A video taken of the concert instantly went viral on YouTube as Disturbed fans flocked to watch this unique live cover.
And here is the original, one of the most powerful music videos ever.....
17/. Great analysis of why Trump is still the King of the Republican party....
Donald Trump is a confidence man, a charlatan, an unrepentant liar whose deceits have cost at least a half-million Americans their lives.
When Dustin Thompson was hauled before US District Judge Reggie Walton for assaulting the Capitol police on January 6th, his defense lawyer, Samuel Shamansky, argued about Trump:
18/. Bob Lefsetz likes a series....."Ferry", on Netflix....
It’s a modern-day “Sopranos.”
For those playing the home game, you know I’ve written rapturously about the three seasons of the Belgian-Dutch production “Undercover,” about the travails of Ferry Bouman, and law enforcement’s effort to nail him.
Bouman is an antihero, just like Tony Soprano. Someone who can kill on a whim, yet be warm and affectionate moments thereafter.
However, Tony Soprano comes from a long line of Mafiosi, whereas Ferry Bouman is a self-starter, making it up as he goes. Starting with nothing, and climbing his way up the ladder on his wits.
19/. A new movie from Ridley Scott [Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner and many more] is a biggish deal, so
watch for his "Napoleon", coming in a month or so.....
Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott, which is due in cinemas on 22 November. Photograph: Album/Alamy apoleon Bonaparte is probably the most famous Frenchman of all time and is, according to academic sources, second only to Jesus as the most filmed figure in cinema history. Napoleon is a complex subject whose aura, monstrosity and genius is a perfect fit for great cinema and who is therefore an irresistible challenge for any serious film-maker. Little wonder then that Ridley Scott, who is now 85 years old, and whose long and prolific career includes many big, sweeping movies, has finally succumbed to the lure of the “little corporal” from Corsica.
Today's video - a rerun but a classic - the Tug Toner from Jimmy Kimmel.....
Today's Mailman joke....
It was John's last day delivering the mail.
He had been doing so for 40 years and was about to retire.
Most of the families greeted him warmly and handed him an envelope presumably with a small monetary gift inside.
But when he arrived at the Jones' house the woman there pulled him inside and they made passionate love.
Afterwards he showered and went downstairs. There Mrs. Jones had prepared a fine array of foods: eggs, sausages, waffles, etc.
To top it all off was a freshly made cappuccino with a small origami crane folded from a single dollar bill.
Still reeling a bit from the shock of the morning John said "This has been simply amazing but I really must ask, why the dollar bill?"
Mrs Jones replied "Last night I told my husband that today was your last day and asked him what we should get you."
He replied.."Fuck the mailman, give him a dollar or something."
She smiled, "Breakfast was my idea...
Today's joke for the ladies
A woman was complaining to her friend about the recent state of affairs with her sick husband.
They have been married for 50 years and she started neglecting him.
One morning he said " Sarah if you don't take better care of me, when I die I will dig myself out of the grave and come back and haunt you".
He did die a few days later and she buried him.
She said to her friend "now let him dig, I buried him upside down"
Today's Polish joke
Everyone seems to be in such a hurry to scream 'prejudice' these days...
A customer asked, "In what aisle can I find the Polish sausage?"
The clerk asks, "Are you Polish?"
The guy, clearly offended, says, "Yes I am, but let me ask you something. If I had asked for Italian sausage, would you ask me if I was Italian? Or if I had asked for German Bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German? Or if I asked for a kosher hot dog would you ask me if I was Jewish? Or if I had asked for a Taco, would you ask if I was Mexican? Or if I asked for some Irish whiskey, would you ask if I was Irish?"
The clerk says, "No, I probably wouldn't."
The guy says, "Well then, because I asked for Polish sausage, why did you ask me if I'm Polish?"
The clerk replied, "Because you're in Home Depot."
Today's redneck jokes
You know you're an EXTREME redneck when...
1. You let your 14-year-old daughter smoke
at the dinner table in front of her kids.
2. The Blue Book value of your truck goes up
and down depending on how much gas is in it.
3. You've been married three times and still
have the same in-laws.
4. You think a woman who is out of your league
bowls on a different night.
5. You wonder how service stations keep their
rest-rooms so clean.
6. Someone in your family died right after saying,
"Hey, guys, watch this!"
7. You think Dom Perignon is a Mafia leader.
8. Your wife's hairdo was once ruined by a ceiling fan.
9. Your junior prom offered day care.
10. You think the last words of the Star-Spangled
Banner are "Gentlemen, start your engines!"
11. You lit a match in the bathroom and your house
exploded right off its wheels.
12. The Halloween pumpkin on your porch has
more teeth than your spouse.
13. You have to go outside to get something
from the fridge.
14. One of your kids was born on a pool table.
15. You need one more hole punched in your
card to get a freebie at the House of Tattoos.
16. You can't get married to your sweetheart
because there's a law against it.
17. You think loading the dishwasher means
getting your wife drunk.
And in closing....
Two good ol' boys in an Alabama trailer park
were sitting around talking one afternoon over
a cold beer after getting off work at the local
Nissan plant.
After a while, the 1st guy says to the 2nd, "If'n
I was to sneak over to your trailer Saturday
and make love to your wife while you was off huntin'
and she got pregnant and had a baby, would
that make us kin?"
The 2nd guy crooked his head sideways for a
minute, scratched his head and squinted his
eyes thinking real hard about the question.
Finally, he says, "Well, I don't know about kin,
but it would make us even!"
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