BREAKING NEWS:
Michael Beschloss @BeschlossDC
Hope you’re sitting down before you hear this shocker: Trump’s purported Monday press conference intended to rebut charges in Georgia indictment may reportedly not be happening, after all.
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Apparently, something happened (AGAIN!) to Donnie while I was away?
So, as I understand it, the leading Republican candidate for president of the United States is now under 91 (NINETY-ONE) felony indictments.
Isn't that some sort of hideously embarrassing record for the party of "law and order" and "family values?"
The strategy included having Vice President Michael R. “Mike” Pence count only half of the electoral votes from certain states and then return the remaining electoral votes to state legislatures. The request was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy." --Vanity Fair
"Dave DubyaAugust 16, 2023 at 12:01 PM
Another FACT that a cult must deny. They are a minority and want minority rule.
NEW AP-NORC POLL:
Only 35% of Americans have a favorable view of Donald Trump and 62% have an unfavorable view of the corrupt former president.
The poll also found that 64% of Americans say they definitely or probably would not vote for Trump in the 2024 general election."
Monday, August 14, 2023
P.E. WILL BE AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS
Off to beautiful Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Be excellent to each other.
Sunday, August 13, 2023
Friday, August 11, 2023
"I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth." --W. Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2
Florida under DeSantis is the laughing stock of America and the world.
Remember when a Florida teacher lost her job because she had her students see a photograph in a book of Michelangelo's David? -- a world heritage treasure was just too raunchy for Florida's delicate students, and because that teacher didn't warn the parents of the students who were about to see A PHOTO! not a real nekkid man, a PHOTO of a STONE SCULPTURE! that teacher lost her job.
It's beyond stupid and right up there with some sort of deranged 15th century prudish sensitivity about the human body.
Now the state of Florida is bowdlerizing* SHAKESPEARE! Yes, you read that correctly. The "Moms For Liberty" cranks are at it again, and they and DeSantis's education department have decided that Shakespeare is too sexy and raunchy for the delicate minds of Florida's students.
And there you have it.
Shakespeare and Michelangelo: BANNED AND BOWDLERIZED IN FLORIDA!
*
bowd·ler·ize
Teachers in a Florida county are preparing to use only excerpts of works by William Shakespeare, rather than whole plays, as part of an attempt to conform to hardline rightwing legislation on teaching about sex.
Actually, if you think about it, this stupid censoring of Shakespeare in the classroom may entice the students to go through Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, to find all the juicy naughty parts that the "Don't Say Gay" act wants Florida teachers to leave out when the play is presented in school.
"What fools these mortals be!"--W. Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III, Scene 2.
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Good News!
Ohio Voters Reject Constitutional Change Intended to Thwart Abortion Amendment
Ohio voters reject higher bar for altering constitution, a win for abortion rights supporters
"Ahead of a November vote on abortion rights, Republicans had wanted voters to make it more difficult to amend the state constitution. Voters said no, and constitutional amendments will continue to need just a simple majority to pass."
70+% of Americans favor abortion rights. What you'll hear the far right scream after this vote:
"THE BABY KILLERS GOT THEIR WAY!"
Disregard that hysteria because that's nowhere near the truth. Pregnancies are fraught with all sorts of dangers, as we've witnessed since the SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade last June. A decision about stopping a pregnancy should always be left to the girl or woman and her medical team. They know best, not the state or federal governments.
The "small government" Trumpublicans are now governing girl's and women's reproduction organs.
Forced state pregnancies are as evil as forced state abortions.
***************************************
Nancy Davis suffered ‘unspeakable pain’ due to poorly worded law that meant hospital in home state refused to terminate pregnancy
A Florida woman, unable to get an abortion in her state, carried to term a baby who had no kidneys.
Deborah Dorbert’s son Milo died in her arms on March 3, shortly after he was born, just as her doctors had predicted he would.
The same surgical procedure that is used to treat a miscarriage is also used for terminating pregnancies. New Texas anti-abortion laws have doctors nervous to perform procedures for miscarriages, forcing this woman to carry her dead fetus in her womb for two weeks.
Kylie Beaton's doctors agreed mom was at risk but said their hands were tied legally.
She’s Suing
“I was told that if I tried to discharge myself, or seek care elsewhere, that I could be arrested for trying to kill my child”
"It's Deja Vu all over again!"
Rep. Dan Goldman is right. The Republicans on the Oversight Committee are expecting their loyalists won’t read it.
***************************************Devon Archer openly said he had nothing on President Biden.
So, the House Trumpublicans investigating the allegations against President Biden and his son have essentially come up with bupkis; therefore, their next step is to go forward with an impeachment inquiry, so that the focus will be on President Biden instead of Trump and HIS actual felony charges and the trials that will ensue.
It's BENGHAZI! BENGHAZI! BENGHAZI! all over again, and the same cynical idiot, Kevin McCarthy, in charge:
“The House established the Select Committee on Benghazi to investigate what happened before, during, and after the terrorist attack in Benghazi, and to ensure that justice is finally served,” outgoing House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement Thursday morning as McCarthy’s words continued to draw Democratic fire. “This investigation has never been about former Secretary of State Clinton and never will be.”
On Tuesday, McCarthy bragged to Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi Special Committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping.”
"In his roughly five hours behind closed doors last week with committee investigators, Archer told the committee that Hunter Biden was selling the “illusion” of access to his father, according to the interview transcript. In particular, Archer said there were some 20-plus calls where Hunter Biden placed his father on speakerphone while in the presence of foreign business partners, something Republicans say is clear evidence of potential impropriety even as Archer also said business was not discussed in those interactions."
[SKIP]
"Republicans also have not provided evidence to corroborate unverified allegations that Joe and Hunter Biden were each paid $5 million in bribes from a foreign business official. Archer told the panel that he was not aware of any $5 million payment to Hunter or his father from the foreign official.
That’s one reason why Republican sources have told CNN that they do not expect the bribery allegation to be a focal point of any impeachment inquiry because it remains unsubstantiated."
[SKIP]
Chasing the money
"In the weeks ahead, Republicans plan to continue to probe the money that went to Hunter Biden as part of his business arrangements.
The panel has already subpoenaed six banks for records of Biden family members, associates and their related companies, but has yet to tie any of the payments they presented as being directly connected to the president."
[SKIP]
"They also have pored over suspicious activity reports to suggest potential wrongdoing by the president’s family members, but such reports are not considered conclusive.
While Republicans say these payments substantiate allegations that Biden family members have enriched themselves off the family name and raise questions about Hunter Biden’s business activities while his father was vice president, their work has not uncovered any illegality about the payments from foreign sources, demonstrated that Joe Biden has been improperly influenced by the financial dealings or shown evidence that the president directly received any of these payments."
Monday, August 7, 2023
ON TRUMP'S SOCIAL MEDIA...
HE THREATENED WITNESSES IN HIS UPCOMING TRIAL.
Trump is a menace to American democracy.
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Saturday, August 5, 2023
And now for something completely different...
Laurent Formery of the United States captured this global-award-winning image. It shows the nervous system of a juvenile sea star (Patiria miniata). (Laurent Formery/Evident)
This winning image in the materials science category was taken by Shyam Rathod of India. It shows crystal of a topical medicine for wart treatment. (Shyam Rathod/Evident)
Honorable mention also went to Liu Ruming of China who captured pistils of dandelion that had been collected and made into slide samples. Different fluorescence patterns of its parts were observed using confocal microscopy. (Liu Ruming/Evident)
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
"You're too honest."
"At the very center were Mr. Trump’s efforts to pressure Mr. Pence to stop Mr. Biden from being certified as the winner in the Electoral College on Jan. 6, 2021. Mr. Pence had a ceremonial role that day, and Mr. Trump pushed him to exploit it to stay in power.
The pressure included a Christmas Day phone call, according to the indictment, in which Mr. Pence, an evangelical Christian, called Mr. Trump to say 'Merry Christmas.' The president used the call as an opening to ask him to reject the electoral vote. Mr. Pence pushed back: 'You know I don’t think I have the authority to change the outcome,' he said, according to the indictment.
They spoke again on New Year’s Day, when Mr. Pence again said that he had no constitutional authority to stop Mr. Biden’s ascent and that the effort was 'improper,' according to the indictment.
'You’re too honest,' Mr. Trump told him."
*************************************
Trump told VP Pence,"You're too honest," because Pence would NOT go along with Trump's request to break the law.
Well, we know what Trump thinks of honesty and following the rule of law. He believes in neither.
Now comes a typical Trump cultist who's angry at Pence for following the rule of law:
"aaaannnd, Pence loses ANY voter who was tired of Trump’s personality and the legal problems and had considered voting for Pence…..
Good job, Pence. You deserve no votes."
These people exist and continue to admire an ex-POTUS who has demonstrated again and again that he does not respect the US Constitution and the oath of office he took to "protect and defend" it. In fact, Trump betrayed it, and, in turn, us -- the American people.
The person who wrote the above admires the man who was faithless to the Constitution of the United States. She admires a man who is, IMO, a traitor to all the good things this country has stood for for the last 247 years.
"However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
TRUMP INDICTED AGAIN!
INDICTED BY SPECIAL COUNSEL IN CONNECTION WITH EFFORTS TO OVERTURN THE 2020 ELECTION.
THE MOST SERIOUS INDICTMENT TO DATE.
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FRAUD AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.
18 U.S.C. § 371: Conspiracy to Defraud the United States
18 U.S.C. § 1512(k): Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding
18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2): Obstruction of and Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding
18 U.S. Code § 241: Conspiracy Against Rights
Monday, July 31, 2023
ARKANSAS TRIED TO PASS A LAW CRIMINALIZING LIBRARIANS WHO SUPPORT ACCESS TO BOOKS AND MATERIALS ARKANSAS' LAW MAKERS DON'T LIKE
UPDATE BELOW
"Decision comes as lawmakers in conservative states are pushing for measures making it easier to ban or restrict access to books"
[skip]
"The lawsuit comes as lawmakers in an increasing number of conservative states are pushing for measures making it easier to ban or restrict access to books. The number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the U.S. last year was the highest in the 20 years the American Library Association has been tracking such efforts.
Laws restricting access to certain materials or making it easier to challenge them have been enacted in several other states, including Iowa, Indiana and Texas.
"The executive director of Central Arkansas Library System, Nate Coulter, said the judge’s 49-page decision recognized the law as censorship, a violation of the Constitution and wrongly maligning librarians."
****************************
From what I remember when I read history, one of the first things a totalitarian government does is ban or burn books and imprison citizens who support the free access to books and materials the totalitarian government opposes.
It appears our fellow Americans in the state of Arkansas have never read any history. Either that, or they're embracing anti-American ideals in service to their ignorance of history and their desire to exert authoritarian control over American citizens.
UPDATE:
Let me repeat:
Alabama's AG, Steve Marshall, explicitly threatened providers with felony charges for assisting Alabamians to leave the state for a federally legal medical procedure.
So the states that have essentially banned abortion want to keep girls and women from freely traveling to another state that does not ban abortion. How will they do this? Will they have state troopers stop every car at their borders and check to see who's pregnant and who's not?
Remember when people laughed at those who warned that the religious right would not stop just with banning abortion in their own states, but would do all in their power to stope girls and women from freely traveling to other states. This was always their plan.
And do not for one minute think they won't try this with birth control. Justice Thomas himself stated that Griswold vs Connecticult needs to be reconsidered as well as same sex marriage.
I remember when JFK was running for the presidency and many people were afraid he would be too much influenced by the Pope/Vatican in his presidency. JFK gave an important speech allaying those fears, and the RCC did not interfere in our secular laws.
Not anymore.
What the far right Catholics on the Court are doing is playing into the doctrinal hands of far right Catholics and will likely codify Catholic doctrine into American secular law, if they can get away with it. And it appears, so far, that they will.
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Saturday, July 29, 2023
SATURDAY NIGHT DANCING...
in the starlight.
He just celebrated his 80th birthday!
"It's simply based on lying on the beach on a starry night, watching the stars reflecting on the water."
Mick Jagger, 2001
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL????
LOL!
THE STUPIDEST DAMN THING ON THE INTERNET
From time to time I'll choose to post something mind-numbingly dumb that I find in surfing the intertubz.
" Something else that’s never brought up. During the slavery years of the 1800’s life was a whole lot tougher for EVERYONE, not just slaves. They didn’t have electricity, much less cars and roads to travel on. Homes were mostly cabins heated with a fireplace, no A/C, no plumbing, pipes, running water, super markets or malls. I’m old enough to remember when refrigerators first came in, then freezers. Before that, we had ice boxes with the ice man delivering big blocks of ice he’s carry on his shoulder, which was covered with a leather blanket so he wouldn’t get cold or wet. Tough. Crude. However, we didn’t think so ’cause it was an improvement over what preceded it. Folks have too much time on their hands today so they come up with crazy notions instead of having to take care of themselves because they have it too easy. Maybe what is needed is another Great Depression to bring everyone back to reality."
This group was discussing slavery and how, well golldern it!, slavery was practiced by Black people too! And slaves on American plantations DID learn skills that helped them when they were no longer slaves.
However, if these people had read any history, they'd have understood that freed slaves were giving NOTHING to start their freed lives -- a majority of them had no reading or writing skills, no money, no land, no families, since their children had been stolen from them. But other than that, they were free to use the few skills they learned from being a beaten and tortured slave.
But...but, according to the person who's quoted in the text above, EVERYONE had it bad in the 1800s, not just the beaten, tortured, landless, homeless, moneyless, familyless, orphaned, recently freed slaves!
NOTE TO THE UNINFORMED GROUP ABOVE:
Enslaved Africans were already skilled!
Decades of research — slave ship manifests, plantation ledgers, newspaper articles, letters, journals and archaeological digs — by dozens of scholars supports this, much of it compiled in the 2022 book “African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Freedom,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Hackett Fischer.
[SKIP]
Thursday, July 27, 2023
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME...
to watch this, even if you have to stop and come back to it:
Never thought in my lifetime I'd hear this!
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Giuliani Concedes He Made False Statements About Georgia Election Workers
Giuliani was once called "America's Mayor." Now he's just another Donald Trump failed lackey who sold his honor and decency to a Liar, Cheat, Fraud, and Rapist. ETTD!*
*Everything Trump Touches Dies
The suit accused Mr. Giuliani and others of promoting a video that purported to show Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss — who are mother and daughter — of manipulating ballots while working at the State Farm Arena for the Fulton County Board of Elections.
In a two-page declaration, Mr. Giuliani acknowledged that he had in fact made the statements about Ms. Freeman and Ms. Moss that led to the filing of the suit and that the remarks “carry meaning that is defamatory per se.” He also admitted that his statements were “actionable” and “false” and that he no longer disputed the “factual elements of liability” the election workers had raised in their suit.
************************
“Do you know how it feels to have the president of the United States to target you? The president of the United States is supposed to represent every American. Not to target one. He targeted me. A proud American citizen who stood up to help Fulton County run an election in the middle of a pandemic.”
"Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are true patriots.
Nothing will ever repair the damage Donald Trump & Rudy Giuliani did to those two women.
Their lives were ruined.
Their lives were threatened.
All in the pursuit of a lie.
A disgusting, democracy destabilizing lie."--JoJofromJerz
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