In spite of Regressive claims that it would not happen, I did expect Bernie to endorse Hillary this morning. To be truthful, however, I expected a weak endorsement, and that concerned me, because of the extreme importance of unifying the left in opposition to Rump Dump Trump. I was pleased that Bernie’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton was very strong and even included a promise to campaign for her throughout the campaign.
Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid here Tuesday, ending a primary campaign that defied expectations and tested the notion that Clinton’s claim to the Democratic nomination was inevitable.
The Vermont senator, appearing with Clinton at Portsmouth High School, thanked his supporters and contributors for showing the world that a campaign could be run with small contributions.
"I have come here today not to talk about the past but to focus on the future," he said in prepared remarks released as he took the stage. "That future will be shaped more by what happens on November 8 in voting booths across our nation than by any other event in the world. I have come here to make it as clear as possible as to why I am endorsing Hillary Clinton and why she must become our next president."… [emphasis added]
Here’s the complete video of Bernie’s magnificent speech.
Did he put it all out there, or what? His endorsement could not have been more complete.
After that speech I have no doubt that all true Bernie Sanders supporters will join him in unity. Those, who continue to campaign for Trump by attacking for Hillary Clinton are not authentic Bernie Sanders supporters and never were.
It’s a muggy day, as it was yesterday, so I’m really looking forward to Wendy’s return tomorrow. It did interfere with my sleep last night, so I’ll be brief.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:48 (average 4:26). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: President Obama will travel to Dallas on Tuesday to mourn the deaths of five white police officers gunned down by a black Army veteran, his latest effort to help bridge one of the starkest divides in American society.
He huddled with his speechwriters for much of Monday, hoping to find words that would not only console the officers’ grief-stricken families but also reassure a nation fearful that racial divisions are worsening after the Dallas slaughter and the killing days before of black men by the police in Louisiana and Minnesota.
Mr. Obama approached the effort with the frustration of a man who has poured his heart and soul into similar speeches, only to later feel that nothing has changed and no one is listening. This will be the 11th time in his presidency that he has sought to comfort a city after a mass killing, and the second time in a month that such a killing grew out of bias.
“The president recognizes that it’s not just people in Dallas who are grieving, it’s people all across the country who are concerned about the violence that so many Americans have witnessed in the last week or so,” Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said on Monday.
Republicans have criticized Obama for not leaving Europe to go to Dallas sooner. For the record, Obama asked the Speaker of the House to accompany him. Lyin’ Ryan is too busy with bogus investigations and spreading hate to go to Dallas. Hypocrite!!
From Alternet: Election lawyers in academia are wringing their hands over comments Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made to the New York Times about how she doesn’t want to consider what America—and the Court—would be like under a President Trump.
“I can’t imagine what this place would be—I can’t imagine what the country would be—with Donald Trump as our president,” Ginsburg told the Times. “For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be—I don’t even want to contemplate that.”
The Washington Post, which is perpetually infected with a self-assigned puritanical streak, was quick to question whether Ginsburg had “crossed a very important line,” because it’s possible the 2016 presidential election could end up before the Court in a vote count dispute.
“Generally, though, you don’t hear a Supreme Court justice talking like this,” wrote WaPo’s Aaron Blake. “In fact, you generally don’t hear a Supreme Court justice talking at all—much less about the big political issues of the day.”
I agree that it is certainly uncommon for a Justice to weigh-in, but for a monster like the presumptive Rectum of the Republican Party to be in such a position is unprecedented. Ginsburg actually went even further, saying that she would consider relocating to New Zealand, if Rump Dump wins the White House.
From Politicus USA: This is that time that Republicans stopped Americans from getting protection from the Zika virus because they feel they must first have the right to fly the Confederate flag over cemeteries.
I wish I were kidding. But behold. Yesterday, Senator Harry Reid excoriated Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for his cowardice after McConnell stabbed the American people in the back by allowing House Republicans to ruin the bipartisan MilCon-VA-Zika conference report.
You see, after Senate Republicans and Democrats hashed out a compromise on Zika funding that was less than what scientists asked for and thus less than what Democrats wanted but more than Republicans wanted, they sent that to the House. What came back?
Oh, sorry an American died from Zika and so sorry to the nearly 3,700 people in the U.S. (and territories) who have it, but Republicans will only fund the Zika emergency if they can fly the Confederate flag, create more abortions by refusing to fund birth control provided by Planned Parenthood, poison more water by exempting pesticides from the Clean Water Act, cut veterans funding and more.
Republicans care nothing for protecting the American People. We need protection from the Republican Party!
The past few days have been busy with my brother and SIL, and their friends, in town for a few days before boarding a cruise ship for Alaska. We had a chance to spend Friday afternoon with my mother and then go out for a great dinner. Even my 3 furbabes got in on the action eating prime rib leftovers which they very much enjoyed! Although the weather was supposed to be rainy, we lucked out with clear skies at all the right times. I certainly was tired and sore from a lot of walking, but it wasn't as bad as I had feared. I wanted to take them to the Britannia Mine Museum but an auto accident on the highway brought that activity to a screaming halt, and the plan B was Stanley Park. I have several meetings, a haircut and a teaching session with Lucia during the rest of the week.
Short Takes
Alternet — Blame abounds in the wake of the brutal slaying of five police officers in downtown Dallas. But while most people place the responsibility for this tragedy squarely in the hands of the man who shot the police officers (who were by all accounts monitoring and protecting protestors), some on the right believe other people are to blame.
Here's a roundup of some of those (besides the gunman himself) who are being blamed for the Dallas shooting.
2. President Barack Obama
As expected, the annals of Twitter were immediately inundated with charges that “Barack is smiling his smug little smile.” Unfortunately, the notion that President Obama bears any responsibility for the Dallas shooting was hardly limited to the fringes of the internet.
“3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded,” former Illinois GOP congressman-slash-ostentatious-right-wing-radio-host Joe Walsh wrote on Twitter. “This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black loves matter punks. Real America is coming after you.”
Walsh has since deleted the tweet, but he continued posting video of the chaos in Dallas throughout the night.
“10 Cops shot. You did this Obama. You did this liberals. You did this #BLM. Time to defend our Cops. Wake up,” Walsh posted.
He later added that Obama “stoked the flame” and “defends Islam.” Eric Trump, son of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, reportedly retweeted a post by Walsh accusing Black Lives Matter of calling for the death of police officers.
Walsh later clarified he “wasn’t calling for violence, against Obama or anyone.”
William Johnson, the executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, also blamed Obama, taking issue with the president’s completely accurate statement that “when people are armed with powerful weapons, unfortunately it makes it more deadly and more tragic, and in the days ahead we are going to have to consider those realities as well.”
"The Obama administration is the Neville Chamberlain of this war,” Johnson told Fox News. “I think their continued appeasement at the federal level with the Department of Justice, their appeasement of violent criminals, their refusal to condemn movements like Black Lives Matter, actively calling for the death of police officers, that type of thing, all the while blaming police for the problems in this country has led directly to the climate that has made Dallas possible.”
Other GOP groups took issue with a statement Obama gave Thursday addressing the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of police. “To be concerned about these issues is not to be against law enforcement,” Obama said. ”When people say black lives matter, it doesn’t mean blue lives don’t matter.”
“Obama lectures nation on racial disparities hours before assassination of Dallas police officers,” the conservative group GOPUSA said in an email.
“It was bound to happen,” the email reads. “It was a Daily Beasttime bomb. Every time Barack Obama speaks on race, things get worse.”
For his part, Obama spoke out forcefully against the Dallas shootings Friday morning.
"I believe I speak for every single American when I say we are horrified over these events, and we stand united with the people and the police department in Dallas,” Obama said, calling the assault a "vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement.”
"We will learn more, undoubtedly, about their twisted motivations, but let’s be clear: There is no possible justification for these types of attacks," Obama said. "Anyone involved in the senseless murders will be held fully accountable. Justice will be done.”
This is the second of 4 absurb right wing reactions to the killing of 5 Dallas police officers. Click through for the other three. As is usually the case, this is totally insaniTEA!
Daily Beast — Donald Trump is all about branding, and here’s a striking irony: while his political brand is built on Muslim-bashing, Hispanic-bashing, and, not least, China-bashing, his hotel brand appears to be thriving here in Asia.
Last October, well after Trump’s xenophobic and sinophobic presidential campaign got under way, Trump’s man in China, Eric Danziger, told Chinese state-run media that the Trump Hotel Collection is actively seeking expansion opportunities in Asian metropolises, including Chinese cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen. …
A former Chinese public servant who acquired a green card through the EB-5 program told The Daily Beast that he never expected a profitable return on his $500,000 investment. This is common, as many projects funded via EB-5 become inactive or are poorly managed. For Trump, who has had four businesses file for bankruptcy, the program is perfect.
In fact, during the application process, details of the investor’s previous employment were never called into question—how did a low-level official accumulate half a million dollars to burn, with plenty to spare? The former public servant never had to provide an answer.
Congressional overseers and the Department of Homeland Security have pointed out the vetting process for EB-5 is lacking, and could be a portal for dirty money and those who possess it to enter America.
So, let’s be clear: Trump-branded procriminal enterprisejects have ignored concerns raised by government overseers and might be actively creating channels for money laundering.
Is this the kind of POTUS that Americans want . . . one that indulges in criminal enterprise for his own profit? So if elected president, what will come first . . . the country or his profit? I still really like Huffington Post's disclosure on Trump articles:
Dear Huff Post, I think you need to add some more descriptors for Drumpf like 'criminal' and 'narcissist'.
Think Progress— G.T., who escaped from Eritrea due to political and economic turmoil, works as a steward at a Washington, D.C.-area Hilton hotel. He cleans and washes dishes among other tasks, makes $14.85 an hour, and saves up a portion of his paycheck because he aspires to go to college one day. His life is far different from when he left Eritrea to escape a lifetime of forced military conscription.
Now, G.T. earns a steady paycheck and has become a success story of a controversial refugee resettlement process in the United States that some politicians want to restrict on fears that terrorists could come into the country through this manner. …
Last year, U.S. politicians began tearing into the refugee resettlement process, claiming that terrorists could potentially come into the country disguised as refugees because the country lacks a rigorous refugee application process. As testimony to their fears, as many as 31 state governors rejected refugee resettlement in their states after the terrorist attacks in Paris, France. Roughly 800,000 people have been resettled in the country since 9/11, but not one refugee has been arrested on terrorism charges.
In spite of these vicious claims against refugees, G.T.’s successful integration into U.S. society stands out as an example of the reciprocal, beneficial relationship that refugees and local communities can have on one another. Some local politicians see refugee resettlement as a way to revitalize their cities and to harness talent and skills for entry-level jobs that many native-born Americans may not necessarily want to do.
So what is the Republican line . . . shiftless, lazy, uneducated, thieves, and terrorists? All refugees are not alike but the vast majority are honest, hard working people who want nothing more than safety and the opportunity to properly provide for their families. Properly supported, refugees will add to the community making it a more vibrant place to be.
My Universe — OK, equal time for all the dawg lovers out there!
In about forty minutes, I have a telephone interview scheduled with a Providence pharmacist for my annual prescription review. After that I have a week free of medical mayhem for the first time in God only knows! I think it’s time to sneak up on Lona the Napster and filch a couple hi grade naps!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:27 (average 5:30). Top do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: BERNIE SANDERS: Former student organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Led the first ever civil rights sit-in in Chicago history to protest segregated housing. One of only 2 sitting US Senators to have heard MLK’s "I have a Dream Speech" in person in the march on Washington, DC. Former professor of political science at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and at Hamilton College. Former mayor of Burlington, VT. Elected by the state of Vermont 8 times to serve in the House of Representatives. The longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history. He was dubbed the "amendment king" in the House of Representatives for passing more amendments than any other member of Congress. Ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee. Author of 2 books, and co-author of 3 others. Has recorded and released a folk music album. Self-described Democratic Socialist. Married to a woman named Jane, who is a former president of Burlington College.
~In a stunning upset in 1981, Sanders wins the mayoral race in Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, by a mere 10 votes. Running as an independent, he shocks the city’s political establishment by defeating a six-term, local machine mayor.
~During his tenure as mayor, he balanced the city budget, drew a minor league baseball team to Burlington, turned the formerly industrial waterfront into a mixed-use district featuring housing, parks, and public space. Burlington is now reported to be one of the most livable cities in the nation.
~In 1991, he was the first independent elected to the House in 40 years. He will be re-elected by the people of Vermont to serve eight terms.
~Votes against a measure providing President George H. W. Bush with authorization to use military force in the Gulf War. "I have a real fear that the region is not going to be more peaceful or more stable after the war," he says at the time.
These are the last seven of 28 listed things that Bernie Sanders has done for America. I’ll add two more He has won every party platform battle except trade, and he has moved to unify the party by stressing that we must elect Hillary Clinton. Thank you Bernie!
From NY Times: The awkward dance between Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, her top Democratic primary opponent, is set to conclude on Tuesday, with Mr. Sanders appearing alongside her at a rally in Portsmouth, N.H.
The event, confirmed in a news release put out by the Sanders campaign on Monday morning, could do much to appease Sanders supporters who remain skeptical of Mrs. Clinton as she heads to the party’s convention July 25-28 in Philadelphia. Mrs. Clinton has secured enough delegates for the presidential nomination but is not yet officially the nominee.
The rally, which will be held at Portsmouth High School, in a state where Mr. Sanders defeated Mrs. Clinton by 22 percentage points in a hard-fought February primary, is the result of weeks of private negotiations and policy debates between the Sanders and Clinton camps. While the endorsement event is widely expected to happen, Mrs. Clinton had to reschedule two recent events, one with President Obama and the other with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., because of the shootings in Orlando, Fla., and Dallas.
I look forward to it. I just hope his so-called supporters listen to him then.
From CNN:Republican Party leaders, donors and important delegates will flock to Cleveland this week for a series of meetings and negotiations that will determine whether or not Donald Trump can be stopped.
The anti-Trump forces will make their last stand — fighting to alter party rules that would free up delegates bound to Trump and potentially block the presumptive presidential nominee from actually winning the nomination.
The long-shot challenge will also be the first major test for the somewhat tenuous alliance for Trump and Republican Party loyalists led by chairman Reince Priebus.
If the Dump Trump fascists are successful, the Rump Dump Rectumites will stage an armed conflict that is likely to destroy the Republican Reich. If The Dump Trump fascists are not successful,. Rump Dump and his Rectumites are likely to destroy the Republican Reich by faithfully representing Republican beliefs and policies. without hiding behind Dog Whistles. Let the festivities in Cleveland begin!
I’m running quite late, as today was a long day for Wendy. Dang!! She certainly is a good worker. I let her go a half hour early, as I couldn’t find anything else for her to do. She polished and shined the TomCat, did the dreaded task, changed the sheets, cleaned the countertops, swept and mopped the floors, dusted, and reorganized the kitchen drawers and cabinets. The place is so clean I’m afraid to pass gas!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:37 (average 6:12). To do it, click here. How did you do?
In the Mail:
Yesterday I received a gift from a friend, who shall remain nameless. Here it is.
Here it is again in a more appealing environment.
Thanks Nameless!!
Short Takes:
From The Southern Illonoisan: U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth outraised Illinois Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk for the sixth consecutive quarter, giving her a multimillion-dollar cash advantage in a race that could help determine whether Democrats retake control of the Senate.
Kirk’s campaign said late Friday he raised more than $1 million between April and June, finishing with $3.1 million in his campaign fund.
Duckworth raised $2.7 million during the same period and ended the second quarter with $5.5 million cash on hand, her campaign said earlier this week.
Sad as this is, fundraising is more predictive that polling this early in the race. Go Tammy Go!!
From Vox: On Saturday morning, Hillary Clinton released a new health care policy proposal that emphasized several major progressive priorities, including a public option and increased funding for community health centers.
To give Americans in every state a "public option" health insurance plan
To let Americans as young as 55 years old opt in to Medicare
And to double funding for primary care services at community health centers
Now, these aren’t really new ideas for Clinton. She said at a campaign event in May that she supported "the public option, so that people can buy into Medicare at a certain age." And she’s long supported community health centers.
But the fact that she’s formally backing these progressive priorities at this moment — rather than pivoting to more centrist ideas as the general election contest approaches — is a testament to the influence of Bernie Sanders’s campaign. And it may be a prelude to an endorsement from Sanders as soon as next week.
Sanders: "The Clinton campaign and our campaign are coming closer and closer together"
That’s encouraging. All three are steps in the right direction.
From PoliticusUSA: Megyn Kelly, sometimes the voice of reason on Fox News, switched into full-blown stupid mode again Friday by saying that “Especially in the days of iPhones…and social media where, you know, every encounter gets caught on camera. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s happening more.”
She appeared with racist Ex-LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman, who is frequently trotted out by Fox News to cover racially-charged events, like when Freddie Gray was shot in Baltimore and Fuhrman (again appearing with Kelly) called blacks “these people,” and was told by liberal guest Richard Fowler that “I really think you live in an alternate universe.”
Well, hello, Fox News.
Watch the most recent alternate reality segment from Friday’s The Kelly File, courtesy of Media Matters for America:
Barf Bag Alert!!
Not all people that support Black Lives Matter think that all cops are racist. I for one have said many times that the majority of police are professionals just doing their jobs. Here, these racists from the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, are conflating all Black Lives Matter protestors with the Dallas murderer. How vile!
Please pardon my brevity. I’m just all the way tired out. I heard from Julie yesterday. She hit the road here in Portland on late Tuesday morning and drove all the way across the country to WV in just three days. I can only surmise that she must have let Killer Dawg drive.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:19 (average 4:22). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Raw Story: Michael Strickland, the right-wing agitator and Trump supporter seen in this video brandishing a gun at a peaceful Black Lives Matter rally, has been charged with two class A felonies after being arrested and initially released Friday morning on his own recognizance without bail.
At his arraignment today at the Multnomah County Courthouse in downtown Portland Strickland was hit with two felony counts of “unlawful use of a weapon,” as well as misdemeanor charges of menacing and disorderly conduct.
The hearing took place on the same block where Strickland pulled a Glock 27, swept the gun at the crowd while yelling “Get the hell back!” He subsequently outfitted the gun with a large capacity magazine.
At the scene, Strickland said he was only armed in self-defense. But the Multnomah County District Attorney revealed in court that Strickland had six magazines of ammunition on him… [emphasis added]
Sadly, there are even Republicans like this Trump Humper here in Portland. I think that releasing him OR was a very stupid move by authorities. Kudos to the peaceful protestors who kept the situation from escalating, while waiting for police to intervene.
From Politico: Sen. Bernie Sanders has claimed victory in the fight for $15.
The Democrats’ platform committee late Friday approved an amendment that formalizes the party’s commitment to a $15 minimum wage, with indexing for inflation.
The language of the position reads: “We should raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over time and index it, give all Americans the ability to join a union regardless of where they work, and create new ways for workers to have power in the economy so every worker can earn at least $15 an hour.”
Thank you Bernie for helping to change the Democratic Party the ONLY way it can be changed: one issue at a time from within.
From Alternet: The mainstream media in the U.S. and abroad badly botched the reporting of the Dallas police shooting that killed five officers Thursday, egged on by speculation by police sources that a team of snipers was bent on avenging the killing of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana by white cops the day before.
Even after the Dallas Morning News changed its headline Friday afternoon to read, “Dallas sniper was loner, Army vet with stash of arms, bomb parts at home,” the article’s second paragraph said, “Four Dallas police officers and a DART officer were shot and killed in a coordinated sniper attack that followed a Thursday night protest."
The incorrect sniper meme was repeated internationally, such as this headline from the British Mirror, “Dallas police shooting: ‘Black Power group’ claims responsibility for police killings and warns of more assassinations to come.”
Yesterday, I repeated the false report that there were a team of snipers working together. I was wrong not to assume that Dallas Police Chief Brown was playing fast and loose with the facts, as I should have expected from a Republican appointee. Apologies!! When I’m wrong, I say so.
I started the day very tired, because of my exertions for the last two days, and because my sleep has been intermittent due to muggy weather. The day did not begin well. My vision stinks, so I broke an egg on the floor. For someone in a wheelchair, that's a very difficult cleanup, as all I have is a grab stick, paper towels and a foot. Twenty minutes later, I finished cleaning and immediately broke ANOTHER egg on the floor. ARGH!! Cooking and eating breakfast took over two hours!. I'm leaving for an appointment with Courtney, my Physical Terrorist, in about an hour, so I'll finish this when I return, and this is today's only article.
Later: My Lift bus was an hour late, so I'm late getting this up. The PT session went well, except that Georges new ankle went wobbly again, do I have to go bath to Sarah, my Prosthetist.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today's took me 3:56 (average 5:01). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: Many are going to miss seeing political humorist Jessica Williams on The Daily Show. Her ‘Williness” has delighted audiences for years, first beginning with Jon Stewart and then Trevor Noah. Williams has tackled homophobia, racism, and other social issues, while bringing us a laugh or two to help audiences stomach some of the most ridiculous American culture.
For her last segment, Williams asked a group of Bernie Sanders supporters who say they are voting for Donald Trump — how they can go from supporting a Left socialist like Bernie Sanders to a Right racist like Republican nominee Donald Trump. One young man started off saying , “Trump has diarrhea of the mouth, but a lot of what he says are what a lot of people might think.” Williams retorts, “You mean “racist things?” He says, “Yeah.”
Dang! If only I had realized Hillary is a Leprechaun!! Scheesh!! Did Jessica show them for what they are, or what? Those regressives, who put their hatred for Hillary above all else, are idiots!!
From NY Times: At least one sniper, who said he wanted to shoot white police officers, killed five officers and wounded seven others in a coordinated ambush at a demonstration in Dallas on Thursday night against police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, officials said. The sniper was killed, and three other people are in custody, officials said.
During an hourslong standoff after the attack, in which two civilians were also wounded, one suspect told police negotiators that “he was upset about Black Lives Matter,” the Dallas police chief, David O. Brown, said on Friday.
“He said he was upset about the recent police shootings,” Chief Brown said. “The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
The police killed that suspect using an explosive delivered by a robot, he said, and arrested three other people. The chief said the snipers had worked together, firing rifles from triangulated positions, some of them looking down from elevated posts in downtown buildings… [emphasis added]
We shouldn't be surprised. This was bound to happen because Black after Black have been murdered by police, and the criminal cops have walked away unpunished. This, however, is not the answer. As easy as it is to understand why, the surviving Dallas shooters should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, except for the death penalty.
Correction 7/9: There were no other shooters. The Chief's statement about multple snipes triangulating targets was not honest.
Shame on Matt Drudge for that headline when no one knows yet who committed the horrible crimes in Dallas last night. Shame on him for assuming the shooters were Black people when there are no reports yet as to the race or even genders of the suspects. [There weren't then, but there are now.]
But the real walk of shame belongs to former Representative and Deadbeat Dad Joe Walsh, who tweeted threats to the President of the United States along with a stream of racist hate.
Republicans are going to have a field day misrepresenting this incident. I'm surprised I haven't seen any regressive lefties blaming it on Hillary.
I have a bit of time before my brother and his wife and friends arrive for a very short visit and then a cruise up the Alaska coast. They fly in today and I will take my brother and SIL to see my mother who they have not seen in almost 3 years tomorrow. And speaking of mum, I had her out to the specialist for another botox treatment. I left my house at 10:30 and did not return until 17:00 so I was very tired. For me, it is more an emotional tired. On Saturday, which is my brother's 39th wedding anniversary, all 5 of us (not mum) will travel up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to the Britannia Mine Museum for a tour. The mine buildings were used a lot in movie and television filming over the years, a second life so to speak, but have now been restored to being a museum. If you want to see a bit more, check out THIS. Thanks for your rain Napster! We have had quite a bit the past few days which has helped with the Burns Bog fire (see below) but has made kids house bound and a bit crazy. As luck would have it, my physio therapist told me that my walking is much better, almost normal. I told him to be ready on Monday after my museum visit as I'll likely be very sore.
Short Takes
1130news.com — Eliza Olson, president of the Burns Bog Conservation Society, is expecting impacts to the wildlife living in one of North America’s largest peat bogs. “I hope most of the birds have fledged and left their nests. If they haven’t, they’re going to be burned. The deer and mammals can move,” she says.
As for the fire retardant being dropped by water bombers, Olson says “one of the ironies is some of the stuff they use actually encourages vegetation to grow.”
“In a peat bog, you want things to grow slowly. Any nutrients added to the bog encourages invasive plants because a bog is naturally nutrient-poor and acidic,” she explains.
The fire has also caused “legacy carbon” stored deep within the ground and peat for more than a thousand years to burn and release into the atmosphere, according to McMaster University earth sciences professor Mike Waddington.
“We see over 200 tons of carbon per hectare is lost in a fire of these sizes,” he says.
Olson said a bog can store carbon 10 times more efficiently than a tropical rainforest and will also release methane if disturbed.
The major characteristics of Burns Bog is that it is wet, acidic, and peat-forming.[4] It is a wetland ecosystem with a diverse array of plant, animal, and insect species. A major component of Burns Bog is sphagnum moss, which is able to hold about 30 times its weight in water. Sphagnum moss can grow under wet and acidic conditions and it is the major building block of peat in Burns Bog.
Breakdown of organic matter in the bog progresses slowly due to low oxygen content and high acidity of the water.[4]
Burns Bog plays a major role in climate regulation. It helps to maintain the health of nearby creeks, which are critical salmon-bearing sites. The peat in the bog does this by cooling and filtering rainwater that comes in. This water then leeches into these salmon-bearing creeks. Burns Bog is also a major carbon sink. Since organic matter decomposes at a very slow rate in the bog, carbon stays in the bog. High acidity and the waterlogged conditions of peatlands such as Burns Bog prevent complete decomposition of fixed carbon.[4] This prevents the carbon from escaping into the atmosphere. …
Dry peat can catch and spread fire rapidly. Thus, fires in Burns Bog can burn underground for months in methane-rich peat. Large fires occurred in Burns Bog in 1977, twice in 1990, 1994, 1996, 2005, 2007, and 2016. …
Another fire broke out on September 11, 2005 in Burns Bog. The fire broke out near the south eastern edge of the bog. Smoke and ash covered the entire Lower Mainland and spread all the way to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The fire expanded to 200 hectares (490 acres) hectares after three days. Large-scale fighting methods were used to combat the blaze. This included firebreaks being bulldozed and dikes to raise the water level in the hopes of extinguishing any of the fire burning underground. BC Fire Service's Air Tanker Centre dispatched a fleet of air tankers to assist in putting out the blaze. This included four Firecats, two Convair 580s and the Martin Mars water bombers, which are the world's largest air tankers. Eight days after the fire first set blaze, Delta municipality announced that the fire was in "mop-up" stages.
Although this is a local Greater Vancouver story, the effects of bog fires has global ramifications for the environment. As humans drain bogs to get at the peat or make them ultimately more "useful", ancient carbon and methane are released into the atmosphere which contributes to global warming. Even though Burns Bog is on the other side of Metro Vancouver from where I live (about 40 – 50 km away) and the prevailing wind was south-east, I could still see and smell the smoke in the north-east. Last night, the city of Delta announced that the Burns Bog fire was contained but it is still not out. The rain and cooler temperatures have helped.
Media Matters — New York Magazine’s Gabriel Sherman reported that the sexual harassment/retaliation lawsuit filed by former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes could give 21st Century Fox executives, Lachlan and James Murdoch (sons of Rupert Murdoch) a way to oust Ailes.
Sherman quotes executives who believe 21st Century Fox’s hiring of outside counsel to investigate the allegations made against Ailes indicate “a coup” inside the network and that “this could be curtains for Ailes.” Sherman reports that “there are signs that the 76 year-old’s luck may have finally expired”: …
Executives I spoke with over the past 24 hours said the hiring of an outside lawyer is also an indication that Murdoch’s sons may be capitalizing on the Carlson scandal to achieve a long-held goal: forcing Ailes out. “It’s a coup,” one person close to the company told me. If the investigation into Ailes’s management confirms Carlson’s account, or turns up additional episodes of harassment with other Fox women, it stands to reason the Murdoch children would have the leverage they need to push Ailes aside and install a less-right-wing chief. “This could be curtains for Ailes,” another person close to the company said. Indeed, several months after NBC hired an outside counsel in 1995 to investigate Ailes’s alleged anti-Semitic slur, he left NBC.
Well, isn't this just the cat's pajamas! Why didn't arlson do this long ago instead of putting up with it? I suspect she would say she was worried about her career. Here is a petition from Ultra Violet which reads in part:
But Ailes, a serial sexual harasser who has offered promotions for sex and requires female news anchors to display their legs, has yet to face any consequences.
If Fox News does not suspend Ailes, they're sending a message that sexual harassment and the abuse of women is OK in their workplace. All people, regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum, deserve to work in a safe and harassment free workplace and Carlson needs our support.
Public pressure, starting with your signature, will push the network to get rid of Ailes–sending a powerful message that sexism anywhere won't be tolerated.
I was amused by the speculation that this might give the Murdoch's the"leverage they need to push Ailes aside and install a less-right-wing chief." That might mean (heavy on the 'might') a lot of firings at the network. I guess we wait and see. There is also an excellent Alternet piece on this story which TC has covered in his Open Thread. That piece is more about Carlson and the length of time it has taken her to take action.
CBC — Bassel Mcleash's long journey from Syria to Toronto and finally to Sunday's Pride parade was anything but smooth.
It was a road filled with war, hatred and hardship, which is why the chance to participate in his first Pride parade was so special.
"To be honest, I'm totally speechless," he said as he moved towards the start of the parade. "The excitement and the emotion that's happening, it's overwhelming. It's too much to handle."
Moments later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped in front of the large group of politicians and supporters that Mcleash had joined. At most, Mcleash had hoped to capture a glimpse of Canada's celebrity prime minister.
Standing 5-foot-1, it was easy for the 29-year-old Syrian refugee to work his way to the front of the group and next to the leader of his new country — a spot he didn't surrender for the entire parade route.
Bassel McLeash with the broad smile and the big Canada/Pride flag walking next to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"Not in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought about having a day like this, marching next to the prime minister or marching in a Pride," he said.
Read more in the article about Bassel McLeash's journey out of Syria and the additional challenges he has faced as a member of the LGBTQ global community. Rainbow Railroad is a Canadian organisation helping LGBTQ refugees from around the world. Read more about Rainbow Railroad at the link provided. I am repeating the words of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 01/07/2016: "This is who we are. This is what we believe in. This is Canada!"
Think Progress — Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is in a bit of hot water.
The trouble started in June, when the Associated Press reported that Bondi “personally solicited a political contribution from Donald Trump” in 2013 — right around the time she was deciding whether or not to investigate alleged fraud at Trump University. Trump University, of course, is the controversial for-profit school owned by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
It was only four days after Bondi announced she might join an investigation into Trump University when a Trump family foundation gave $25,000 to a political group supporting Bondi’s re-election. After that money came in, Bondi said she would not pursue a lawsuit against Trump University. Two years later — one day before Florida’s crucial primary election — Bondi endorsed Trump for president.
Bondi has so far denied impropriety, calling the AP’s story “false and misleading.” But the situation is not going away, and calls to investigate Bondi over the donation are piling up.
Oh my!As Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble." I wonder when Republicans are going to take Trump's firey, bubbling caldron — his business acumen, his lying, his xenophobia etc — seriously. It is already bubbling over and threatening to infect US politics so deeply that the Republican Party is at risk of death. IMO, as Republicans stand today, no great loss at all.
My Universe —
There is something about watching kittens play infront of mirrors that makes one giggle and yes, feel good!
