Tuesday, August 06, 2019

Truest statement of the week

America’s unflagging global gunboat crusade of foisting democracy and human rights to the uninitiated begins with a barrage of propaganda under the auspices of the MSM , whose actions have long ceased to honor their calling of holding power to account.  Instead, they have now assumed the burden of steadily eroding democracy, subtly falsifying facts, or lending them luster to benumb an already stupefied public. Journalistic outputs are no more than flip sides of official narrative and lie coins.  To languid and credulous minds, fictitious symbolisms and exceptionalist good news may be just what the doctor ordered.
Nothing will veer the public away from their cell phones, gadgets and football games, or make them pay attention to the war crimes and crimes against humanity that are committed in their name.  A critical and reflective citizenry might see their rulers for what they are: merciless plutocrats and incorrigible war criminals.

The seductions of phantom Russian conspiracies provide perfect fodder for the brain dead.  The display of maimed, battered, crippled, bleeding and mutilated bodies of innocent men, women and children on screens that are intended to amuse and distract will not be permitted to ruin the calm of middle class White America.

-- Dr. Kweli Nzito, "Descent into Barbarism: Silently Killing the Vulnerable" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT). 






Truest statement of the week II

A great deal has been written about the style of Beto O’Rourke, his personal mannerisms and so on. He has a penchant for a stream-of-consciousness type of rambling one would expect from a motivational speaker or cult leader.

-- Ed Hightower, "Beto O’Rourke: The incredible shrinking empty suit" (WSWS).







A note to our readers

Hey --

Tuesday night.


Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:


The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen, Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.


And what did we come up with?

Dr. Kweli Nzito gets a truest.
As does Ed Hightower.  
It's time for Tulsi to go.  She's destroyed herself by becoming an apologist for Joe Biden.  Her inability to hold the War Hawk accountable demonstrate she's all talk and no action.
Ava and C.I. take on THE ROOK, Don Lemon, TCM and more.
Not Trump is not enough.
It's science, Paul! (We're quoting from the STRANGERS WITH CANDY film.)
Who doesn't love Ruth, June and Anita's great vocals?
Congress should have their wage tied to minimum wage.
What we listened to while writing.
Green Party member running for their presidential nomination.
Press release from Senator Patty Murray's office.
Green Party Tweets.
Green Party press release.
Tulsi is dead in the water.  
Mike and the gang wrote this and we thank them for it.




See you next week.


Peace,


-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.







Editorial: Bye Tulsi

After last week's debate, "Bye, Tulsi" should be the new "Bye, Felecia."

For any who missed last Wednesday's debate, tough posing Tulsi dropped to the floor like a bad can of ravioli.

She had the chance to hold Joe Biden accountable and she didn't.  She spoke platitudes and then Joe spoke lies.  Moderator Jake Tapper gave her a chance to speak again and she offered nonsense.

You either call out a War Hawk or you don't.

Tulsi didn't.  She played pathetic little girl on the stage.

She has raised money off speaking out against the forever wars.  She has raised money calling out the politicians who start and continue these wars.

Wednesday night, she was on stage with one and couldn't and wouldn't say a word.

She choked?

She choked or she showed her true colors.

On Thursday, she was telling THE HILL that Joe Biden said he was wrong to vote for the Iraq War and that was good enough for her.

Is she unable to manage cognitive thought or is she just a whore?

The only "wrong" Joe has offered was that he was wrong to have trusted Bully Boy Bush.

Tulsi is a fake ass.

People donating to her campaign -- people, we're not talking about her donations from the defense industry -- have done so at times not because they thought she stood a chance at becoming president or even the nominee but because they thought it was important to have a strong anti-war voice on stage.

Last Wednesday night, she made clear that wasn't her.

So why the hell is she still on the stage?

She's offering nothing and she's doing nothing and despite all the publicity she got from defending Joe Biden and going after Kamala Harris, nothing changed for her in terms of support.

This afternoon, the latest Quinnipiac University National Poll was released.

She's still at 1%.

Repeating, she's still at 1%.

Still.  At.  1%.

Only 1% of Americans support her.

She's a joke.  She's a dirty joke and she made herself that by refusing to hold Joe Biden accountable in the debate and by then lying for him to THE HILL.

There are real candidates fighting to deliver the United States a better future -- Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are two examples.  And they shouldn't have to share time with losers who have no support and who have no shot at getting support.

Tulsi got a tidal wave of attention because of her whoring in the debates -- the media will always shine a spotlight on you if you don't call out war.  It didn't do a damn thing to boost her pitiful poll numbers.

She's a fake ass and she exposed herself.  It's time for her to go.  She should focus on her being re-elected to Congress before it's too late.

TV: Swindling the audience

In a chess game, rooks are considered major pieces and that may have confused the people behind STARZ's new program THE ROOK because it's a minor and underwhelming series.

3 JESS

A drab and fun free look at a secret agency and superpowers?  It's as though Terrance Young decided to direct DR. NO in the style of John Osborne's DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER.  Who's to blame?

Not the cast.  Joely Richardson, Oliva Munn, James D'Arcy and others do everything asked of them and then some.  It's not their fault that so little is asked and so little is delivered.

A suspense show can be many things, however, dull is not one of them.

So little happens and what does happen you really don't care about.  Somewhere in all of this, there was a story worth telling but along the way, coinciding with Stephanie Meyer being forced out as executive producer, everything fell apart.

Is anyone watching this show?  No, the audience drops each week.

It's appalling that it even made it to air but considering how much STARZ shelled out for it, we're guessing their attitude was it had to air regardless of how many viewers it ran off.

So much this summer hasn't made sense.

Take TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES programming for pedophiles on Sunday.  What else do you call that day long salute to Shirley Temple?

For those who don't know, Shirley was one of the biggest stars of the depression.  She could dance and sing and, most of all, seeing her onscreen made people feel good -- she had the warmth of a true star.  This allowed her to be the number one star in the nation for several years despite the fact that she was a young child.

Shirley had real talent and, yes, she could act.

Devoting a day to her is not a bad decision.  But how TCM programmed that day was.  Throughout the daylight hours, they aired one bad film -- in terms of box office and critical appraisal -- after another, films people avoided in real time and, most importantly, films Shirley made as an adult.  Her big hits were when she was a child.  That's not fair.  Her blockbusters were when she was a child.  Blockbusters because she was the biggest ticket in town as a young child.

So where did these movies -- cherished and adored -- show up on the schedule?

Well, at eight p.m. EST, REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM (1938) kicked off the series of blockbusters.  At 9:30 EST, it was time for 1937's WEE WILLIE WINKIE, 1939's SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES showed up at 11:30 pm, 1936's POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL at one in the morning, 1937's HEIDI showed up at 2:30 in the morning and, at 4:15 a.m., 1937's THE LITTLE PRINCESS.

Were they programming for pedophiles?

They weren't programming for families because no kid was going to want to watch the daytime offerings like THAT HAGAN GIRL (1947) -- in fact, no one wanted to watch it which is why it bombed.  As an adult, Shirley had three real hits -- not blockbusters like her early work, but hits -- and if TCM had mixed those in, it might have made sense (FORT APACHE, SINCE YOU WENT AWAY and THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER).  If.


Because there was never any real reason to mix those in.  Starting with 1934's LITTLE MISS MARKER, there are more than enough of Shirley's blockbuster films that there's no reason to even offer up her so-so efforts as an adult.

LITTLE MISS MARKER, BABY TAKE A BOW, NOW AND FOREVER (with Carole Lombard and Gary Cooper co-starring with Shirley), BRIGHT EYES, THE LITTLE COLONEL (with Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson and Hattie McDaniel), CURLY TOP, THE LITTLEST REBEL (again with Bill Robinson), CAPTAIN JANUARY, POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (with Alice Faye and Gloria Stuart), DIMPLES, STOWAWAY (again with Alice Faye), WEE WILLIE WINKIE, HEIDI, REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM, LITTLE MISS BROADWAY (with Edna May Oliver), JUST AROUND THE CORNER (with Bill Robinson), THE LITTLE PRINCESS and SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES.

Those 18 films were all blockbusters that she starred in.  You could have done a full day of programming just focusing on those 18.  You could include THE BLUE BIRD which was not a blockbuster but has been a critical favorite for years.  Or a movie like OUR LITTLE GIRL which came during the run of Shirley's blockbusters but somehow wasn't one itself.

But she has 18 blockbusters from her child acting career.  And it's really sad and sort of sick that TCM chose to program her blockbusters after the sun went down and the kids went to bed.

THAT HAGAN GIRL and the other crap is not memorable and doesn't belong in a salute to a great star.  But the real point is that her films as a child should not have been buried in the late night hours unless TCM was attempting to cater to pedophiles.

It makes no sense.  Nor does Ben Mankiewicz.

Someone needs to explain to Ben that he's not Trevor Noah.  First off, he's not a comedian.  Second off, no one needs him to be 'topical.'  We watch TCM -- and we wouldn't purchase any cable deal or streaming service without TCM -- for the movies.  We watch because we love movies.

We don't need to know what Ben thinks of Barack and Michelle Obama, what he feels about Brexit or anything else.  He needs to shut his damn mouth or take that commentary over to his YOUNG TURKS.  TCM is not about politics.  It is about movies.  If he can't stay on that topic, he needs to go.

It's not like he's good looking or easy on the eyes.  He's an ugly, little troll.  Yes, since we've attacked his bad wardrobe, he's finally stopped showing up on camera in suits that appeared to come from the Salvation Army.  But, even better dressed, he's still an ugly troll.  If he can't focus on movies, show him the door.  Nobody gives a sweet s**t which dead person Ben was related to.

Dave Karger, Alicia Malone and even Eddie Muller live up to the standard set by the late Robert Osborne.  You're supposed to share the excitement of movies, share the love of the form and the three of them do.

But then along comes Ben who apparently is bored with movies and forever needs to interject his notion of humor (he's not a funny person) by offering political asides that don't belong on TCM.

Politics and real events do belong on CNN.  As confused as Ben Makiewicz is about TCM, Don Lemon is about CNN.


He grabbed a pair of glasses to co-moderate the Democratic Party presidential debates last week on CNN.  Too bad he couldn't grab a clue.

One day, when his career is over, Don may grasp that he should have done more than pose -- that may be one day very soon since he's not delivering an audience on his own and he's become such an embarrassment for the networks.

Last week, another co-moderator, Jake Tapper, brought up foreign policy and the wars.  Jay Inslee desperately wanted to speak.  And should have.  Before he was a governor, he was a member of Congress and he voted against the Iraq War.  As the ridiculous Tulsi Gabbard was defending War Hawk Joe Biden, America needed to hear from Jay.

Joe's lie these days is that he was tricked by that clever Bully Boy Bush.  That's why he supported the Iraq War, he insists today.  Of course, Joe didn't just vote for it, he sold it, he silenced critics of the illegal war (both before it started and afterwards), he declared in April 2008 in an open hearing that Iraq did not have an actual government but went on to back that non-government going so far in 2010 as to overturn the vote of the Iraqi people (via The Erbil Agreement) and much more.

But just on the being tricked to vote for it aspect, it required that Jay Inslee speak.  He was in Congress at the same time as Joe.  He saw the same information that Joe did.  And he made the decision to vote against the war -- a decision that history shows was the right decision.

So Jay should have been allowed to speak.

But Don didn't care about that.

He was eager to move on to a different topic: Impeachment.

He needed to know what these candidates, candidates who want to become president, would do about impeachment.

As everyone knows, Article II, Section Four of the US Constitution gives the power of impeachment to a sitting president and --

Huh?

Oh, that's right.  It doesn't do that.

The power of impeachment is a power of the US Congress.

So there was no real reason for this nonsense topic.

MSNBC managed to do two debates in June with these same candidates and never wasted America's time with a question about impeachment.  But Don Lemon refused to let Jay Inslee speak about the Iraq War because he wanted to rush over to this inappropriate topic.

There are real issues in this world.  Mayor Bill DeBlasio attempted to raise one at last week's debate: War on Iran.  He demanded to speak and to speak out against any efforts for war with Iran.  This is a very serious topic.  He was not allowed to speak.  Guess who talked over him?

Don Lemon.

Don is the epitome of trash TV.  In an earlier incarnation, he would have been called Sally Jessy.  He does not belong on CNN -- as his ratings demonstrate (the latest ratings had his program as the 35th most watched cable 'news' program).


A lot of things this summer haven't made sense.  Don Lemon is just one more example of a non-important and underwhelming offering.  It's as though summer is programmed to rook the audience.  Those tired of being burned should check out TNT's ANIMAL KINGDOM (new episodes each Tuesday) as well as use the time to revisit I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON on NETFLIX.






Joe Biden is not the answer

Donald Trump is crass.  He is also embarrassing and brusque.  And people mistake that as "worse than anyone before."

He's not.

He is like too many candidates who have come before including Bully Boy Bush.  To his credit, Donald hasn't started an Iraq War or Afghanistan War yet.

Reality is in short supply these days because Donald offends the delicate sensibilities of some creeps and crooks.  People who have done great damage to this country and to the American people -- people like Bill Kristol.

And idiots like Alyssa Milano reTweet Bill Kristol and praise him -- they normalize him.

Bill Kristol is no friend.

For years he and his cohorts declared war on the American people.

Rewriting history because Donald Trump offends you is not a valid reason to rewrite history.

Which brings us to Joe Biden.  Joe benefits from revisionary history and he uses revisionary history.

feet


Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "The Feet Of His Master" went up Sunday.  It is the real Joe Biden, appeasing his political opponents, caving in, selling out.

If you think Donald Trump is hideous and that we need better why would you settle for a little less hideous?

That's all Joe is.  Only measured against Donald Trump does Joe look better.

America deserves so much better than Joe Biden who appeases the right constantly and sells out his own party over and over.

The crowded field is allowing Joe to seem like a real possibility.  That and the elderly which is where Joe's real support comes from.  He can afford to be against Medicare For All when his core audience already has Medicare, for example.

The 1%-ers need to drop out now.

They are not getting traction.  Some have had two debates to try to make an impression and have failed.

The failures are Tulsi Gabbard, Julian Castro, Amy Klobuchar and Andrew Yang.  1% after participating in the June debates and the July debates?  No one cares about you, move on.

You're hurting America by stealing focus from real candidates like Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

The less than 1%s need to go as well.  That's Kirsten Gillibrand, Jay Inslee, John Hickenlooper, John Delaney, Marianne Williamson, Seth Moulton, Tim Ryan, Michael Bennet, Steve Bullock, Bill de Blasio, Joe Sestek, Tom Steyer and Wayne Messam.

It's time for them to do like Eric Swalwell and withdraw.

We thought Eric made a real contribution to the June debates and we were actually considering him as a candidate.  Marianne Williamson and Jay Inslee, to cite just two at less than 1%, have been real candidates as well.

But you aren't gaining traction.  And you're a distraction that muddies the differences between a neoliberal like Joe Biden and a real candidate like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren.

"Better Than Trump" is not a slogan that'll lead America into the future.  We need the best candidate possible, the one who will fight for America and for what America needs.  That's not Joe Biden with the collapsible spine.  It's time for those in the crowd who are not standing out to get off the stage so that the needed and real conversation can take place.





Tweet of the week statistics



In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings. On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose… 500 to Medical errors 300 to the Flu 250 to Suicide 200 to Car Accidents 40 to Homicide via Handgun Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.






10 Great Songs by the Pointer Sisters

The Pointer Sisters are one of the great vocal groups of the 20th century.  Back in 2016, "STILL SO EXCITED (Ava and C.I.)" reviewed Ruth Pointer's STILL SO EXCITED.  We love the group and here are ten of their singles that we love best.


1) "Jump For My Love."





2) "I'm So Excited."



3) "Slow Hand."




4) "He's So Shy."





5) "Automatic."




6) "Fire."



7) "Dare Me."




8) "Neutron Dance."




9) "Freedom."





10) "Should I Do It."










Tweet of the week














This edition's playlist


judy garland alone


1) Judy Garland's ALONE.


2) James Blake's ASSUME FORM.


3) Drake's CARE PACKAGE.


4) The Pointer Sisters' BREAK OUT.




5) Sam Smith's THE THRILL OF IT ALL.


6)  Chaka Khan's HELLO HAPPINESS.




7)  Cat PowersWANDERER.


8) The Mamas and The Papas' THE PAPAS AND THE MAMAS.


9) The Beatles' ABBEY ROAD.


10) Patti Smith's HORSES.




-------------

8/14/19 the above has been corrected.  Thank you to reader Joy for e-mailing to explain there were eleven albums listed not ten.









Meet Dario Hunter

Dario Hunter is seeking the Green Party's 2020 presidential nomination.




"You don't live in this world as a Black, gay, Jewish, son of a Persian immigrant without growing a tough skin. Diversity and adversity have taught me how to build bridges - but they've also taught me how to fight the good fight.

Born April 21, 1983 in Livingston, New Jersey USA. Raised in Jersey City and in Newark, New Jersey.
I was born in New Jersey to an African-American mother and Persian father. We were a working poor family and for us life was a constant struggle to make ends meet. I held on to my goals, getting into Princeton and through three law degrees. I know what it’s like to come from a hard life, but I also know what it’s like to make good on little more than faith and hard work.
I've previously taught as a high school English teacher, served as a K-8 school administrator and as a community college instructor. I enjoy giving back through education and I believe that it is the key to our advancement as a country, just as it has been key to my own personal upliftment. I formerly practiced law in Canada and more recently as an international environmental lawyer at a firm in Israel-Palestine. [There are links below to some of my published articles on environmental law.]
Here in Youngstown, OH, I serve as a member of the Youngstown Board of Education, fighting the predatory effort of the State of Ohio to take over our district and trap our children in a CEO-run corporate failure. I have fought to ban fracking and successfully taken on local and state government in court to uphold the public's right to public records.
I also serve as a rabbi, providing religious services to the Youngstown, OH community.
I am a proud homeowner (and school district taxpayer) in Youngstown’s Sixth Ward.


ELECTED EXPERIENCE

Board Member, Youngstown Board of Education (Youngstown, OH) - 2016-Present

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Chair, Mahoning County OH Green Party
Green Party National Committee Delegate (on behalf of the Lavender Caucus)
Member of the following organizations:
  • T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
  • Shomrim Breishit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth
  • Jewish Voice for Peace


EDUCATION

B.A., History - Princeton University
LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) - University of Windsor
J.D. (Juris Doctor) - University of Detroit Mercy
LL.M. (Master of Laws) - Wayne State University


PUBLISHED ARTICLES

Hunter, Dario, and Tzvi Levinson. “The Impact of the Recasts of the RoHS and WEEE Directives.” Practical Law Company Cross-Border Environment Multi-Jurisdictional Guide 2012-13 (2012)
Hunter, Dario, and Tzvi Levinson. “New State-Level Legislation on Lawn Fertilizer: A Double- Edged Sword for Toxic Tort Litigation.” ABA Environmental Litigation and Toxic Torts Committee Newsletter 13-2 (July 2012): 12. Print.
Dror, Gil, Dario Hunter, and Tzvi Levinson. “The Regulation of Nanomaterial Products.” Practical Law Company Cross-Border Environment Multi-Jurisdictional Guide 2011-12 (2011)










Senator Murray, Local Leaders Applaud Federal Housing Investments in Northwest and Eastern Washington State


pm

Senator Patty Murray's office issued the following on Friday:

Aug 02 2019
Bellingham, Spokane County, Vancouver, and Walla Walla to receive a combined $9 million in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program awards
These awards come from Community Development Block (CDBG) Grants and the HOME program, which Senator Murray fought to protect funding for in 2015
Senator Murray: Federal grants a “helping hand” for people across WA facing housing insecurity


(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined local leaders in celebrating the announcement of more than $9 million dollars in housing awards for Spokane County and the cities of Bellingham, Vancouver and Walla Walla. The funding comes from two Department of Housing and Urban Development grant programs—the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the HOME program—which fund the acquisition and construction of secure, affordable housing for people and families in need. The awards include more than $1.3 million for the city of Bellingham, more than $2.2 million for Spokane County, nearly $1.9 million for the city of Vancouver, and nearly $400,000 for the city of Walla Walla.

“Programs like CDBG and HOME provide more than federal grants—these investments are a vital helping hand for families facing housing insecurity in Washington state and across our country,” Senator Murray said, “That’s why time and again I’ve fought to save and strengthen these critical programs, to combat the growing crisis of homeless across our state and to help ensure quality housing for those that need it most. I’m excited to see what communities across our state are able to accomplish with this funding.”

See a full breakdown of federal awards going to Washington state below. 

State
Grant
Recipient
Amount
WA
CDBG
BELLINGHAM
$ 805,312
WA
HOME
BELLINGHAM
$ 511,743
WA
CDBG
SPOKANE COUNTY
$ 1,583,493
WA
HOME
SPOKANE COUNTY
$ 687,374
WA
CDBG
VANCOUVER
$ 1,240,677
WA
HOME
VANCOUVER
$ 646,431
WA
CDBG
WALLA WALLA
$ 394,643


As a senior member of the Senate subcommittee responsible for housing appropriations, Senator Murray has been instrumental in continuing the CDBG and HOME programs, fighting not only to save the HOME program from near elimination, but successfully working to increase its funding in a 2015 spending bill and protect that funding from attacks from the Trump Administration in spending bills over the past two years. The funding from these grant programs is distributed on a formula basis.
Local leaders joined Senator Murray in applauding these vital awards.

“This is great news for Spokane,” said Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, “We have an affordable housing crisis and these Federal dollars will help us alleviate the housing issues that many people are experiencing right now. We’re grateful to our Federal legislators for all they do to help us locally.”

“This annual entitlement grant is essential for providing a wide range of services for our community, from supporting our local homeless shelter for kids to Meals On Wheels for seniors,” Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville said, “These funds help our community leverage our Bellingham Housing Levy and other funding by up to twenty times, and it’s crucial in making our local projects viable. We are so happy to be receiving additional funding this year, and thanks to Sen. Murray for always being an advocate for our community.”

“We are so pleased to hear about this award,” said Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, “CDBG and HOME funds are used throughout our community to make a lasting difference in the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents.”

For a full list of awardees, more info available HERE.
 ###





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