Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Coal on Trial in Oct: West Virginia. Maybe 30 years in prison for the King of Coal.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/09/blankenship-trial-king-coal-west-virginia

Blankenship cultivated an image as a Mingo County son made good—a good ol' boy who ran a multibillion-dollar company from a double-wide trailer. And he saw himself as a heroic figure who brought jobs to the depressed enclaves of his native West Virginia. But with his gaze fixed on the bottom line, Blankenship crushed the mine workers union that was baptized in his backyard. Voluminous court records and government investigations show that he presided over a company that padded its profits by running some of themost dangerous workplaces in the country. Massey polluted the waterwaysthat had sustained Blankenship's forebears, rained coal dust on the schoolyards where his miners' children played, and subjected the men he grew up with in southern West Virginia to unsafe working conditions.
A mascot of the coal industry's worst excesses, Blankenship pumped millions of dollars into West Virginia's political system to promote an anti-regulatory agenda and curry favor with state lawmakers and officials. But Massey's pursuit of profits at any cost ultimately proved to be Blankenship's downfall


Hillary talks about the Beghazi politics of the GOP. It is just a means to get at Hillary.

http://americannewsx.com/politics/boom-chris-matthews-exposes-another-pathetic-gop-scam-video/

Matthews and company go on to recall how republicans have done this before. When Mitch McConnell admitted that his number one priority was to ‘make Obama a one term President” being one example. Another was Mitt Romney’s ’47 percent’ speech. Also included was a GOP chairman who owned up to the strategy of voter suppression to help GOP candidates.

Snowing in the village. It is 34 degrees and snowing.

We have half an inch on the ground.  A lot of snow has been blown around by the wind.

I was just told that by Halloween, we will have feet of snow.  'It always snows on Halloween'  I was told.

I am looking forward to getting out my winter down jacket.  It needs to be colder to wear it or I burn up.

Benghazi hearings nothing but Political Theater to make Hillary Clinton look bad. (A rare admission by the GOP)

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/09/rep-kevin-mccarthy-admits-that-point-of.html



Rep. Kevin McCarthy admits that the point of the Benghazi hearings was to damage Hillary Clinton politically. Well there goes that Speaker of the House job.



Bernie Sanders: It took too long for President Obama to realize how much the Republicans hated him.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/bernie-sanders-it-took-obama-too-long-to-fully-appreciate-how-much-republicans-hated-him/#.VgxNSsKOFk4.facebook

Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont whose policies are left of mainstream liberals, told David Axelrod that Obama made a "mistake" by expecting he could easily charm the other party into negotiating with him. “He thought he could walk into Capitol Hill and the Oval Office and sit down with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell and the Republicans and say, ‘I can’t get it all. You can’t get it all. Let’s work out something that’s reasonable,’ because he’s a reasonable guy. He’s a pretty rational guy,” Sanders said on the debut episode of “The Axe Files with David Axelrod” podcast.

Rep Elijah Cummings evicerates the GOP for the extreme WAR ON WOMEN displayed in the Planned Parenthood hearing.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/29/1425917/-Rep-Elijah-Cummings-eviscerates-GOP-Chairman-for-Planned-Parenthood-salary-hypocrisy?detail=facebook

The hypocrisy ran rampant during the congressional hearing on Planned Parenthood funding. The disrespect shown to Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards bordered on misogyny.
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chair Jason Chaffetz should be ashamed of the entire hearing. The congressman's attacks on Cecile Richard illustrated that, in fact, his party'swar on women is real. It is not made up.
Rep. Chaffetz attacked Cecile Richards for her salary. Richards is the president of a very large organization that services over 2.6 million citizens every year. She travels extensively throughout the country, ensuring that those that would attempt to bring down Planned Parenthood based on false premises are kept in check.

US is a Superpower, The ONLY SUPERPOWER! Why the US is so paranoid? - explained (money, money, money)

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/3-reasons-america-totally-paranoid-despite-being-only-superpower-earth?akid=13532.294211.9XRSP4&rd=1&src=newsletter1043246&t=10

NEWS & POLITICS

3 Reasons America Is Totally Paranoid Despite Being the Only Superpower on Earth

Boogiemen lurk around every corner, as do high crimes and dark conspiracies.


Tuesday, September 29, 2015

When America Was GREAT: Taxes were high and unions were strong. The good old days - Lets's bring them back.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/when-america-was-great-taxes-were-high-unions-were-strong-and-government-was-big/407284/

When America Was 'Great,' Taxes Were High, Unions Were Strong, and Government Was Big

The bygone nation Donald Trump’s supporters yearn for looks awfully liberal, at least in terms of economic policy.


Food Storage Tips - very good for small farmers

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/garden-planning/food-storage-zm0z12aszcom.aspx?PageId=2

Food Storage: 20 Crops That Keep and How to Store Them

Garden writer Barbara Pleasant provides detailed instructions for food storage, including curing and storing onions, potatoes, leeks, cabbage, apples, squash and other produce that will last all winter.

Elizabeth Warren: Why Black Lives matter, really matters. Excellent speech

http://www.vox.com/2015/9/28/9408329/elizabeth-warren-black-lives-matter



The first civil rights battles were hard fought. But they established that black lives matter. That black citizens matter. That black families matter. Half a century later, we have made real progress, but we have not made enough progress. As Sen. Kennedy said in his first floor speech, "This is not a political issue. It is a moral issue, to be resolved through political means." So it comes to us to continue the fight, to make, as John Lewis said, the "necessary trouble" until we can truly say that in America, every citizen enjoys the conditions of freedom. Thank you.

1792: George Washington blasted the Religious Zealots

http://ringoffireradio.com/2015/09/in-1792-george-washington-blasted-the-problem-with-religious-zealots-gop-read/

Separation of Church and State

The GOP is now run by extremists - but why?

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/09/salon-warns-us-that-republican-party-is.html

This is really quite a comprehensive and informative article, but I wanted to draw your attention to this part here: 

By the time of the George W. Bush administration, Movement Conservatives controlled the Republican Party, and they abandoned reality in favor of their simple story line. A member of the Bush administration famously noted to journalist Ron Suskind that “the reality-based” view of the world was obsolete. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” this senior adviser to the president told Suskind. “When we act, we create our own reality.” 

FREE MARKET PHARMA: A cartoon which explains the high cost of pills

http://www.alternet.org/comics/alternet-comics-brian-mcfadden-martin-shkrelis-free-market-pharmacy?akid=13528.294211.BT3YYr&rd=1&src=newsletter1043186&t=12

COMICS

AlterNet Comics: Brian McFadden on Martin Shkreli's Free Market Pharmacy

The infamous businessman is expanding his operation.

Testing of Special Needs Students is getting crazier

http://www.alternet.org/education/do-we-really-need-test-special-needs-children-more-we-already-are?akid=13528.294211.BT3YYr&rd=1&src=newsletter1043186&t=18

The new rule reduces the number of students taking modified tests from two percent to one; now, only students with “the most significant cognitive disabilities “ are exempt.
In short, the DOE believes more children with special needs should be held to the same educational standards and take the same proficiency tests as their typically-abled peers. Why? Because unnamed “new research” has evidently convinced the Secretary and his team that “students with disabilities who struggle with reading and math can achieve at grade-level standards if provided appropriate instruction, services and supports.” (Emphasis mine.) Those last five words are a critical piece of this puzzle; I’ll return to them in a minute.
It’s not clear precisely where the “new research” Duncan’s team refers to comes from, but the language promoting the new paradigm seems to echo the principles of the One Year Plus Policy implemented in Baltimore in 2013 byAndrés Alonso, the former CEO of Baltimore schools who is now Professor of Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Bullet Wounds: THE DAMAGE THEY CAUSE - AR15 and AK47 cause the worst damage.

http://www.thetrace.org/2015/09/bullet-injuries-wounds-trauma-surgery/

A trauma surgeon talks about the damage caused inside the body by bullets.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Moon Eclipse - 2015, Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ZAPhVmSxQ&feature=youtu.be

A 3 minute video of the eclipse

8 Amazing Photos of the Super Moon

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/8-amazing-photos-the-supermoon?cid=sm_fb_msnbc

Skywatchers had something to howl about on Sunday: a supermoon total eclipse. Not only was it the best and last opportunity of the year for Americans to witness any kind of eclipse, but this particular phenomenon is extremely rare, happening perhaps five times a century. The last supermoon eclipse was in 1982, and there won’t be another until 2033.

Capitalism can be reformed but the wealthiest will fight like hell to keep their enormous power.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/robert-reich-capitalism-can-be-reformed-americas-wealthy-class-will-fight-it

Robert Reich: Capitalism Can Be Reformed, But America's Wealthy Class Will Fight It

The American economy is once again dominated by monopolies. New rules are needed.

Boehner leaving: The GOP will get worse.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/paul-krugman-why-republicans-dc-are-about-get-much-much-worse

John Boehner was awful, or as Paul Krugman writes in Monday's column, "a terrible, very bad, no good speaker of the House. Under his leadership, Republicans pursued an unprecedented strategy of scorched-earth obstructionism, which did immense damage to the economy and undermined America’s credibility around the world."
The trouble is, Boehner was merely a symptom of a far worse strain in the Republican party that, with his exit, will be unleashed on us with even fuller fury.

The Sun was bright - clouds hid the eclipse

The sun was super bright when it broke through the clouds.  I never did see the Lunar Eclipse.

I hear Phoenix and Tacoma, WA had good views.

We are NOT a Christian Nation. A Historical Perspective.

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/09/youtube-video-from-counter-arguments.html

Ya gotta love it when Sarah Palin is used to demonstrate the wrong side of an argument.

As you can see the video is ten minutes long, but it is ten minutes well spent in complete undermining the argument from the Religious Right that this country was based on Christianity and therefore laws must be based on the Bible.

This is one of the videos that you favorite and send to that obnoxious family member who simply cannot accept the fact that the country they live in was not based on the teachings of the religion they practice.

(H/T to the Friendly Atheist.)

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Kim Davis - Parody, Very Good

http://americannewsx.com/politics/hilarious-check-out-this-funny-and-spot-on-parody-of-kim-davis-the-modern-fundamentalist-video/

The modern fundementalist

5 Facts about the Super Moon Today.

http://themindunleashed.org/2015/09/5-facts-about-sundays-total-lunar-eclipse-including-how-it-could-affect-your-relationships.html

Dr Kelly Neff; The Lucid Planet
Here are five facts about the Total Lunar Eclipse taking place on Sunday September 27th/ Monday Sept 28th,  (Scroll down to #5 to learn about what this one means for your relationships!)
  1. Lunar Eclipses Happen When the Moon is Full… This One Will Be Visible In Many Parts of the World
Just as solar eclipses always happen at the new moon, lunar eclipses always happen at the full moon. During a lunar eclipse, the moon passes directly behind the Earth into its shadow (called the umbra). This can only happen during a full moon because the Earth, Sun and Moon must be aligned exactly (also known as in syzygy, the coolest word ever!)

The 1`% don't want you to have a retirement when you are old. They want your Social Security.

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/04/1253085/-What-the-1-percent-thinks-about-you?detail=emailclassic

It's all so easy if you're part of the one percent.
(Reuters) - I asked a financial services executive recently how our retirement saving system can be considered a success, considering that all but the highest-income households are approaching retirement with next to nothing saved.
His reply: "They don't have any money while they're working, so why would they have any money in retirement?"
It's just that simple. If, like 45 percent of Americans, you're of working age and you don't have a retirement plan, well that's your problem. You can just eat cake when you get old. Because the only the rich deserve to have comfortable retirements.

Bill Nye - STOP Telling Women What to do with their bodies. A woman and her DR only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IPrw0NYkMg&sns=em

This is well worth the time to see.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Colbert says goodbye to Speaker John Boehner

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/watch-colberts-epic-sendoff-for-john-boehner-zippity-doo-bye-video/

Bye Bye

The Working Poor: 12 Things they understand about the reality Poverty

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/human-interest/12-things-that-only-the-working-poor-truly-understand/

Republicans LOVE to hate the poor. They see them as inferior, lazy moochers who just bask in their poorness and enjoy all of the happiness being poor brings them. They tell America that poor people could stop being poor if they just work hard enough.
What they forget to mention when they paint this fictional portrait of happy poor people are the struggles the roughly 50 million Americans who live below the poverty line face. Normal, everyday things that cause someone with little or no money to weep in frustration.

Here are twelve struggles that only the working poor can truly understand:

12.  The car maintenance struggle:

17 comments from people who used Planned Parenthood

http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/people-on-why-theyve-visited-a-planned-parenthood#.vpY8Zkw9x

Anti-abortion activists are saying Planned Parenthood is an unscrupulous and profit-seeking organization and the House of Representatives recently voted to defund it. The group and its allies have made the case that abortion is only a small part of its contact with American women: 3%. We asked BuzzFeed staffers why they’ve gone to Planned Parenthood, and these are their answers.

Bill Maher - Monologue - Very Good

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/bill-maher-i-know-why-youre-happy-because-the-pope-came-to-washington-and-cast-john-boehner-out/

 In a freewheeling monologue that mocked outgoing Speaker of the House John Boehner, Donald Trump and ‘pharma bro’ Martin Shkreli, Real Time Host and atheist Bill Maher lavished praise on Pope Francis.
Maher began by telling his audience, “I know why you’re happy — because the Pope came to Washington and cast John Boehner out,” before cautioning liberals to not get too happy about it.
“Don’t be so happy. This is the Republicans — it always gets worse,” He explained.” We thought Bush was the worst, and then Sarah Palin came along. Then Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. The new speaker is gonna be, you know, Representative Hillbilly Quasimodo and his platform of permitting guns in maternity wards and and rescinding the ‘no shoes, no shirts’ rule in Congress.”

New Rules: Bill Maher - He has a lot of good stuff this week.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/26/bill-maher-blasts-kim-davis-right-wing-instant-heroes-in-hilarious-new-rules-segment-video/

On Friday’s “New Rules” segment, Maher set his sights on what he calls right-wing “instant heroes.” We all know who they are — the people who become famous for being hateful bigots or self-righteous religious zealots, only to embody some incredibly questionable traits once they are put under the microscope of the 24-hour news cycle. First, Maher listed off a number of these people who the right-wing has rallied behind, only to find out that they are of dubious character:
“Republicans have to stop being surprised when their instant heroes turn out to be embarrassments. They’re so anxious to buddy-up to the forgotten good people that when a Kim Davis or a ‘Joe the Plumber’ or a  Cliven Bundy come along, they rush to say ‘Now here’s a real American’ when they should be saying ‘What’s up with this asshole?’”

CBO talks about the enormous cost of defunding Planned Parenthood

http://samuel-warde.com/2015/09/cbo-reveals-staggering-government-cost-defunding-planned-parenthood/

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) crunched the numbers and according to a new September report, defunding Planned Parenthood would cost the government $130 million over ten years.

Pope Francis is telling the elite to deal with the poor and environment. (Quit destroying our world and the poor people in it.)

http://www.alternet.org/environment/pope-francis-un-environment-and-social-exclusion-are-linked?akid=13522.294211.XC_viX&rd=1&src=newsletter1043033&t=2

Pope Francis Castigates World Elite at U.N., Links Environmental Destruction and 'Social Exclusion'

"The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion," the pontiff said.

Friday, September 25, 2015

How Big Pharma is Price Gouging You

http://www.alternet.org/economy/how-big-pharma-price-gouging-you?akid=13517.294211.TpLhGJ&rd=1&src=newsletter1042974&t=20

How Big Pharma Is Price Gouging You

We pay roughly twice as much for our drugs as the average for other wealthy countries.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

GOP: Hypocrites on Pot.

http://truthinmedia.com/reality-check-bush-fiorina-views-on-marijuana/

The GOP being against Marijuana so strongly is very hypocritical.

POPE: 10 things he said that may lead to the Right Wing Crazies demise

http://theantimedia.org/10-things-pope-francis-said-that-may-signal-dark-sides-demise/

He has consistently attacked crony capitalism and revealed how greed has corrupted the global economy.

He challenges Monsanto science and supports funding independent research to study the dangers of GMOs and pesticides.

Pope Francis labeled the military-industrial-complex the industry of death.

Our Founding Fathers were fine with Islam

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/05/our_founding_fathers_included_islam/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Our Founding Fathers included Islam

Thomas Jefferson didn't just own a Quran -- he engaged with Islam and fought to ensure the rights of Muslims

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Colbert Trolls Trump

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/watch-colbert-politely-smiles-as-he-humiliates-trump-on-every-single-talking-point-video/

Stephen Colbert spent so much time pretending to be a conservative that he may have just fooled Donald Trump. As he sits in the face of utter stupidity, Colbert manages to not only dig into The Donald with a smile but allows the bloviating blowhard to take the humiliation ball and run with it.
Trump really thinks he’s being genuine when he says he has nobody to apologize to. He thinks people are cheering for him when they laugh as he states (again) “we’re gonna build a wall.” Colbert was a master of the conservative character, now he’s becoming a master troll for the good guys.
Trump has dominated the news cycle with his blatantly hateful speeches and racist tirades. He disrespects women whenever he has the chance. He loves it when white supremacists and Islamaphobes come to his rallies, beat people up in the name of Trump and spread his message of intolerance to the backwoods of America.

5 year old becomes the face of immigration and gets to see the Pope.

http://ringoffireradio.com/2015/09/5-year-old-becomes-face-of-immigration-after-busting-security-to-get-to-pope-francis/

The Pope is a real Christian.  I approve of what he is doing.  This is a good story.

Priest calls out FOX re: Pope and his speech

http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/09/23/fox-contributor-calls-out-hosts-absolutely-asto/205741

Fox Contributor Calls Out Host's "Absolutely Astounding" Selective Hearing On Pope's Call To Action On Climate Change

Father Jonathan Morris: It Is The Pope's Job To Say "Climate Change Is A Moral Issue Because It's Going To Affect Mostly The Poor

They raise a life saving drug 5000% Cancer doctor is upset and says so.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/22/cancer-doctor-and-cbs-reporter-shred-greedy-pharma-ceo-who-raised-drug-price-5000-percent-video/

The pill went from $7.50 per pill to $700.00 per pill - to make more money for the CEO who bought the rights to the drug.  Because of the backlash, he is considering lowering the price.

Colbert schools Ted Cruz on Ronald Reagan's legacy

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/09/stephen-colbert-beautifully-schools-ted.html

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert confronted GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz over the legacy of Ronald Reagan on Monday night, pointing out that the former president was less conservative than Cruz and others often suggest. 

“Reagan raised taxes. Reagan actually had an amnesty program for illegal immigrants. Neither of those things would allow Reagan to be nominated today," Colbert said, drawing cheers from his audience. "So to what level can you truly emulate Ronald Reagan?" 

When Cruz deflected, Colbert pressed him on the specifics. 

"Raising taxes and amnesty for illegal immigrants," Colbert said. "Could you agree with Reagan on those two things?" 

"No, of course not," the senator from Texas admitted, but added that Reagan signed the largest tax cut in history. 

MIDDLE EAST MESS: It was started by US interventions

http://fair.org/home/military-intervention-in-the-middle-east-started-this-crisis-in-the-first-place/

So much of the middle east is unstable and the US military has had a hand in most of the mess.




Pope and the GOP Right Wing Hatred of him: The Crazy Gets Crazier. Hypocrites

http://www.alternet.org/gops-venomous-pope-tirades-are-ultimate-example-hypocritical-right-wing-rage?akid=13508.294211.qUBmQM&rd=1&src=newsletter1042842&t=18

The GOP’s Venomous Pope Tirades Are the Ultimate Example of Hypocritical Right-Wing Rage

As the Pope heads to the east coast, it's worth examining just why Republicans are so angry


Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Krugman: Why Bankers are different than you and I. (It makes them LOTS of money.)

http://www.alternet.org/paul-krugman-rips-americas-big-banks-new-one

The banks are pushing for changes which will cost you and I while making bankers wealthier.

Kim Davis, HYPOCRITE OF A CHRISTIAN

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/watch_kim_davis_tells_abc_news_what_hurts_her_the_most

Her feelings are hurt because discriminating against people who love each other is not  going over well with the masses.

Israel: Gun Companies from Israel are killing thousands in Africa

http://www.alternet.org/world/israeli-arms-fuel-atrocities-africa?akid=13496.294211.A7pIzT&rd=1&src=newsletter1042682&t=18

Israel makes guns and sells them to third world countries to make MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

Many thousands of innocent people are being killed because of Israel selling guns to whomever has the money to pay.

What People around the world think of America after Trumps bewildering rise.

http://www.alternet.org/what-people-around-world-think-america-after-trumps-bewildering-rise?akid=13505.294211.wBH7-q&rd=1&src=newsletter1042811&t=2

when it comes to Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, we may have outdone ourselves. The GOP frontrunner is a woman-hating reality TV star whose campaign has mostly focused on his lust for ethnic cleansing. The global reaction to Trump mania has been a sense of disgust; Trump is the native son of a country that worships selfishness above empathy, corporate interests over justice and notoriety over prestige. As French author Marie-Cecile Naves put it to Politico, “Trump represents the America we love to hate…He is our negative mirror image, a man we see as brutal, who worships money and lacks culture — someone who lets us feel a bit superior about being European."
In short, the rest of the world seems as flabbergasted about Trump’s rise as we should be. Here’s how seven other countries have reacted to his befuddling popularity. 


Monday, September 21, 2015

Sunday, September 20, 2015

History of the Universe in 10 Minutes - well worth watching

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-history-of-universe-in-ten-minutes.html

from the immoral minority blog


Amazing isn't it?

Of course this is only for those who are willing to accept the brutality, beauty, and unpredictability to nature.

For everybody else the go to explanation is, God did it.

I feel badly for those people.

President Obama talks about the GOP Budget Shutdown threat. He uses facts to make his case.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/20/obama-uses-his-economic-record-to-blast-gop-for-shutdown-threat-and-its-glorious-video/

With the notable exception of Abraham Lincoln, President Obama might just be dealing with the most obstructionist Congress in all of American history. How bad is it? Well, as Obama himself pointed out, this is the second time in just two years that Republicans are actively considering shooting the country’s own foot vis-a-vis a completely self-inflicted government shutdown over an unrelated issue that they can’t possibly win one way or the other.
In his weekly address on Saturday, President Obama started by going through some of the massive economic successes America has achieved while he has been president. The economy is growing. Unemployment has plummeted. The stock market has hit all-time highs. The deficit has returned to pre-Great Recession levels. However, all of that is being threatened by a group of Republican lawmakers who want to prevent women from having access to abortions. What does one have to do with the other? Nothing – which is why the GOP’s plan to derail all of that economic progress over Planned Parenthood has Obama visibly furious.

Forest Fires now consume 50% of the Forest Service Budget. More funding is vital.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/349/6254/1263.full?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebook


With just over 3 months remaining, it looks like 2015 could be a record-breaking year for wildfires in the United States. So far this year, more than 8.5 million acres have burned and severe fires often happen in October. For the first time, the U.S. Forest Service will spend over 50% of its budget on fire management. Ironically, this is directing resources away from projects and research that would reduce the risk of forest fires. This must be fixed.
Not surprisingly, firefighting costs have soared. Indeed, federal appropriations for fire suppression and fire operations zoomed from about $600 million in 1995 to nearly $3 billion in 2014. State fire-suppression expenditures doubled from 1998 to 2014, to $1.6 billion. So far, available appropriations this year for firefighting are $700 million less than actually spent, so non-fire funds have been borrowed to cover these emergency needs. This season, the U.S. Forest Service spent as much as $243 million per week fighting wildfires. Fire-related costs take up over 50% of its budget, up from 16% in 1995. If changes are not made, fire management will consume 67% of its budget by 2025.

Jon Stewart chases down a Senator and makes her shake hands with 9/11 first responders.

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/watch-jon-stewart-chases-down-a-senator-makes-her-look-911-responders-in-the-eye-video/

Jon Stewart is the man!!!

Bill Maher on the GOP Doomsday Prophesies - This is great!!

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/19/maher-gop-prophecies/

Republicans love to prophesize doom. They take any action or proposal that the left offers and regurgitates it as a sermon predicting the coming apocalypse of the United States. Of course, just like the doomsday prophecies of any religious cult, they never pan out. Those failed prophecies were the subject of a hilarious segment on last Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher. Maher skewers the GOP’s failed prophesies and their “political religion.”
Maher points out some of these failed predictions from the right, saying:
“During the last election Mitt Romney said, ‘If President Obama is elected you will not be able to get a job.’ But unemployment is now lower than it ever was under Reagan. It’s Romney who can’t get a job. Mitt also said if we bailed out the car companies you could kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. But we did bail them out, and it’s doing better than ever.
Donald Trump said Obamacare would be a job killer. But it didn’t kill jobs. It didn’t result in death panels. It didn’t bankrupt the states. It didn’t bankrupt the nation. It didn’t bankrupt Medicare. It didn’t bankrupt the insurance industry. Here’s what actually happened. Insurance companies got richer; some black kids got inhalers, and John Boehner had to pay more taxes on his tan.”

Hillary Clinton calls out Carly's Planned Parenthood Lies!! Great

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/20/hillary-clinton-calls-carly-fiorinas-planned-parenthood-lies.html

During an interview on CBS’s Face The Nation Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton didn’t mention Carly Fiorina’s name, but it was clear who she was talking about when she called the misleading and inaccurate statements made about Planned Parenthood at the Republican debate.

African Wars fueled with Israeli Guns and Ammunition - Wars are: money money money

http://www.alternet.org/world/israeli-arms-fuel-atrocities-africa?akid=13496.294211.A7pIzT&rd=1&src=newsletter1042682&t=18

Israeli weapons are fueling atrocities in South Sudan, according to a United Nations report that sheds new light on the secretive Israeli arms trade in Africa.
Authored by an investigative team assembled by the UN Security Council, the report cites photographic evidence of automatic rifles made by Israel Military Industries (IMI) being in the arsenal of South Sudan’s army and police. Known as Galil ACE, the guns have particularly been used by bodyguards of high-ranking politicians and by senior army officers.

Life's not fair: But why do we let it get more unfair with little complaint or protest?

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/lifes-not-fair-so-why-do-we-assume-it?akid=13496.294211.A7pIzT&rd=1&src=newsletter1042682&t=14

Income inequality in America has been growing rapidly, and is expected to increase. While the widening wealth gap is a hot topic in the media and on the campaign trail, there’s quite a disconnect between the perceptions of economists and those of the general public.
For instance, surveys show people tend to underestimate the income disparity between the top and bottom 20% of Americans, and overestimate the opportunity for poor individuals to climb the social ladder. Additionally, a majority of adults believe that corporations conduct business fairly despite evidence to the contrary and that the government should not act to reduce income inequality.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Bernie Sanders with Stephen Colbert - Great Stuff

http://bluenationreview.com/bernie-shines-while-defending-progressivism-on-stephen-colbert/

Short and sweet.

In a Godda da Vita - by Iron Butterfly. The long version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCkHanF4v1w

This is a must hear.  The writer of this song was thinking of the Garden Of Eden but was afraid to tell his band mates so thus the name.  (That is the story I heard anyway.)

The past week - A summary (There was a lot of GOP Stupidity)

http://www.dailykos.com/?detail=action

Open thread for night owls: Rubio, Cruz (and Trump) pick Planned Parenthood board member for the $10


Best Final Two Years Of Being President - EVER: Barack Obama is ending well.

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/opinion/its-official-barack-obama-is-having-the-best-final-two-years-of-any-u-s-president-ever/22462/


What do you call a guy who spends the first six years of his Presidency laying out carefully crafted long term goals while racking up a long list of solid accomplishments, and then in his final two years comes out swinging for the fences? Apparently you call him Barack Obama. This week he took the latest in a series of unbridled moves in which he swiftly and decisively took what he thought was the best action for the nation without worrying about the political ramifications, a departure from his more calculated approach in his earlier years. I’ve gone back and studied every two-term President on the book, and this is behavior never before seen by U.S. President.


Bill Maher slams GOP Debate with facts - exposing the lies

http://egbertowillies.com/2015/09/19/bill-maher-slams-delusional-gop-debate-as-he-highlighted-obama-success-facts-video/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=EgbertoWillies.com&utm_content=Bill%20Maher%20slams%20delusional%20GOP%20debate%20as%20he%20highlighted%20Obama%20success%20facts%20(VIDEO)

Bill Maher described the Republican debate as “an amazing conspiracy of delusion among the people on that stage.” He said that the Republican candidates spoke about the world as if it was on fire and that the United States was in the toilet.
Bill Maher took exception to Trumps “we have to make America great again” which is articulated by other candidates even if  using different words. They all claim that we have to restore things to the way they were before. Bill Maher then went on to itemize the successes of the Obama administration contrasted with what George W. Bush left him.
  • Unemployment went from 7.2% to 5.1 %.
  • Gas prices went from $3.24 to $2.31.
  • Percentage of uninsured went from 15% to 9.2%.
  • Oil imports went from eleven million barrels per day to 4.5 million.
  • Teen pregnancy went from 40.2 birth per thousand to 26.5.
  • Iran went from 19,000 centrifuges to under six thousand.
  • GDP growth went up from -.3% to 3.7%.
  • The Dow Jones average went from 10,365 to 16,000.

Dozens of Walrus found with Heads Cut Off in Alaska

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20288060/ns/us_news-environment/t/dozens-headless-walruses-found-alaska/

I am in a village in Alaska.  The people here hunt whale, walrus, seal, fish and caribou as a food supply to last through the winter.

People here are very upset that walrus are being found dead with their heads cut off.  It is a blatant attempt to get ivory.  The meat and fat are left to waste.

The native people of the village need the meat to survive during the winter months.  I am told that below zero is the norm starting in Dec through March.

This is a travesty.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a dead walrus and the head was off.  Most of the meat was left to rot.

It appears as if someone (natives believe it is white men) is just killing for ivory.  There is great hope in the village that the people who did this will be caught and brought to justice.

The GOP debate summarized in a 25 second sound bite

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/watch-trevor-noah-reduce-the-entire-3-hour-gop-debate-into-one-hilarious-meaningless-25-second-soundbite/

Thanks for nothing, Trevor Noah.
The incoming “Daily Show” host could have saved us all a lot of time with his spot-on, 25-second impression of the Republican presidential debate.
The South African comedian told “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert that he “unfortunately” watched the entire debacle — which featured awkward physical contact between the candidates, xenophobic rants, religious pandering and wildly false claims.
“That was one of the moments of regrets, Stephen,” he said. “It was three hours — three hours, 10 minutes, 15 minutes — and no one said anything.”
He challenged Colbert to ask him a question about policy or anything else, setting up his impersonation of a rambling, bloviating politician.

Elizabeth Warren on Why the GOP wants to defund Planned Parenthood. Excellent

http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/05/1408946/-Sen-Elizabeth-Warren-To-GOP-Did-You-Fall-Down-Hit-Your-Head

“Do you have any idea what year it is?” Warren asked them. “Did you fall down, hit your head, and think you woke up in the 1950s or the 1890s? Should we call for a doctor? Because I simply cannot believe that in the year 2015, the United States Senate would be spending its time trying to defund women's health care centers. You know, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. The Republicans have had a plan for years to strip away women's rights to make choices over our own bodies.”
Warren reiterated there is, indeed, a Republican War Against Women.

Road Rage Karma in Florida: Quite good

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/18/road-rage-instant-karma-as-man-shoots-himself-after-pointing-assault-rifle-at-family-video/

A “responsible” gun owner driving his Mercedes in Florida (of course it’s Florida) like he owned the road was deeply offended that another driver honked her horn at him after he tried to cut her off. But instead of yelling out of the window like a normal person, “Alex” as he later identified himself, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Melissa Drake and the three teens she had with her:
A moment later, the driver was in the right lane beside her and Drake said he pointed a gun at her 17-year-old son. Drake had her teenage daughter and a friend of her daughter in the back seat.
“My son and I looked at each other right at the same time and said, ‘Is that a gun?’” Drake said.
It was.

Colbert: The greatest ReCap of the GOP Debate so far

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/18/stephen-colbert-delivered-the-greatest-recap-of-the-cnn-republican-debate-so-far-video/

In case you were at all worried about whether Colbert could deliver the comedy goods on The Late Show, those concerns should be entirely wiped away by now, especially after his killer Thursday night segment recapping the CNN Republican debate.
Cutting right to the chase, Colbert gave us arguably the three funniest Trump insults of all time, describing the GOP frontrunner’s appearance as:
  • a microwaved circus peanut.
  • a honey-glazed tiger testicle.
  • a catheter bag filled with candy corn.
Colbert punctuated the insults with, “See you on the 22nd, sir!” Indeed, Trump will be Colbert’s guest next Tuesday. Elsewhere, Colbert discussed CNN’s rules for the debate in which if a candidate mentioned another candidate’s name, that candidate got to speak next. And if the next candidate mentioned yet another candidate, that candidate got to speak after that. From there, Colbert cut to a clip illustrating the game of telephone order of succession through the debate — Trump mentioning Fiorina; Fiorina mentioning Chris Christie; Chris Christie mentioning Marco Rubio; and so forth. The sequence ended with Trump invoking Abraham Lincoln, followed by a quick clip of Daniel Day Lewis in Spielberg’s Lincoln movie.
Colbert also noted the length of the debate the fact that somehow, at 10:12 p.m., while the debate was still going on, Jeb Bush “joined Vine.”

Friday, September 18, 2015

It's the Income Inequality Stupid

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph

There are 12 charts total that make a strong case for income inequality and shows the richest getting away with all the money made the last 20 years.

OUT OF BALANCE

A Harvard business prof and a behavioral economist recently asked more than 5,000 Americans how they thought wealth is distributed in the United States. Most thought that it’s more balanced than it actually is. Asked to choose their ideal distribution of wealth, 92% picked one that was even more equitable.

Paul Krugman: The Debate proves GOP are liars and living in a fantasy world.

http://www.salon.com/2015/09/18/paul_krugman_gop_debate_proves_candidates_are_liars_living_in_world_of_fantasy_and_fiction/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Paul Krugman: GOP debate proves candidates are liars living in “world of fantasy and fiction”

The "candidates went beyond expounding bad analysis and peddling bad history to making outright false assertions"

Hillary Clinton talks to Donald Trump - on Late Night. Very Good

http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2015/09/hillary-clintons-charm-offensive-goes.html

I think it is good for people to see Hillary laughing and interacting with people in a relaxed manner.

After all most of the time we see her giving speeches or responding to charges from the Right Wing.

Actually Fallon did address the email "scandal" last night as well:  

“What’s in the emails?” he asked. “Can you just say what’s in the emails? That’s all we want to know! If you’d tell us what’s in the emails, we’ll get over it!” 

Clinton explained that thousands of her emails from when she served as Secretary of State are already out in the open, adding, “Most people have gotten bored after really, you know, like 10 or 12, because they’re boring!” She joked that the “most significant” email to come to light was the one about getting gefilte fish into Israel.