#Look at actually shows signs of dementia Trump

[thisismenow3]

A lot of people ignoring the fact that when democracy is at stake you have to REALLY do all you can to stop authoritarians. Will Wheaton almost sounds sensible until you think about how George Clooney ain’t a great medical authority and that there is no alternative. Honestly just that last point is what matters. We’ve seen time and again that the conservative justices will make shit up to create the conservative theocratic oligarchy they crave. Why wouldn’t they speedrun a case lodged tomorrow that wants to say you can’t sub in a nominee for president this close to the election? Actually having merit, following precedent, not going against the constitution in spirit or plain text are all things this right wing court and most federal bench below them don’t give a shit about. Changing Biden out even for Kamala Harris begs this to happen.

And then you get into what previous posters have said; the people with power closest to the top democratic officials mostly don’t want Harris (at least the ones openly trying to dump Biden), the only candidate with track record, with squint and it’s kind of precedent for subbing in, who is a part of or associated with the mostly unsung wins of the last 4 years. So dumping Biden for someone who ain’t Harris is foolish and that’s what getting rid of Biden gets us.

When Republicans wanted to keep packing courts and deregulating business, and killing unions and killings schools, did they drop Reagan before his second term because of his obvious and far along Alzheimer’s? No, cause a president is only as important as the people they surround themselves with through appointments. The lion’s share of things that an administration does is thought up and executed by these people and their subordinates. A second term president can just sit there and have very little to offer other than broad strokes things like “fix economy and climate change but don’t hurt non white people to do it,” and it ends up not too different from a very involved president who doesn’t have experience directly in the related fields. Is it ideal? Obviously not, but we have to resist the urge to shoot ourselves in the foot when fighting authoritarian takeover. Waiting for perfect lands us with worse. If our democracy is to survive we have to bite the bullet and vote for a “Harris behind the throne” presidency at worst, dude with a life long stutter who is also 81 at best. Based upon Biden as he’s presented the last 15 years, neither choice is really that different, especially in regards to fixing what needs to be fixed. George Clooney may not be a news anchor, but he’s acting like one with this stunt attempting to make the Democratic Party act unstrategically cause even a small chance of getting exactly what he believes is better is more important to him than taking no chances and protecting people with less money, privilege, etc. Will Wheaton is being similar frankly in that by being rich he can afford to be moronic about how the media and Supreme Court would fuck this because of his privileges. I don’t believe either are doing this on purpose, they just ain’t the source of strategic wisdom for shit like this. And dems HAVE to win for us to have any chance fixing things for non white people, the climate, our economy for workers, etc.

“Clooney wrote of the “profound moment” the country is currently in, noting how just last month he hosted the “single largest fundraiser supporting any Democratic candidate ever, for President Biden’s re-election.” “I love Joe Biden,” Clooney wrote. “As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.” “But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time,” he continued. “None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “big F—ing deal” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.” Regarding the debate, in which the 81-year-old President stumbled continually, Clooney wrote that “our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw.” “We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before. As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, who we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question,” he wrote.”

—

George Clooney calls on Biden to drop out to “save democracy” — just weeks after hosting fundraiser

George Clooney has nothing to gain and everything to lose, by telling the truth right now. Politicians and their supporters hold grudges for eternity. He’s speaking up and saying this now, knowing exactly what the stakes are for him, and for our country.

This is what I’ve been wanting to know. This is what the campaign has been hiding from us: WE all saw that President Biden had a bad night. The question the demands an answer is: was it a bad night? Or has time and age caught up with the president? Are we going to believe our lying eyes, or clap louder?

We don’t vote for just a president; we vote for an administration. For the most part, this administration has been fantastic, more progressive than I ever dreamed, to say nothing of rebuilding a nation out of the wreckage of four years of Trump.

And all of that is going to be burned to ash if President Biden can’t mount an effective campaign to defeat fascism and its leader. Since the debate, the campaign has kept him behind teleprompters and away from unscripted interactions. That’s alarming, and a tacit admission that he can’t fight like he once did, that the person we saw at the debate is the person he is most of the time.

If we lose this election, America will be plunged into decades of authoritarian, theocratic, christian nationalist fascism. The stakes will never be higher, and President Biden and his team need to do what is best for the country.

We will not win this election by clapping louder and gaslighting ourselves. We need — this crisis demands — a candidate who can clearly and easily refute Trump’s lies, and simply and clearly explain to voters what the stakes of this election are. The 2020 Joe Biden could do that; the 2024 Joe Biden doesn’t seem to be capable of that, anymore, and that puts our entire nation and way of life at risk. George Clooney is telling us that he literally just saw, privately, what we all saw in public, and it was not a one-off. He also reveals that every single elected Democrat he talks to agrees with him, but they are too afraid to speak up. That’s horrifying, and I desperately hope it isn’t true.

But if George Clooney is telling us a hard truth, risking the wrath of countless powerful political players, and we should listen to him; not because he is rich and famous, but because he was literally in a room with President Biden and his supporters, and is now on the record that the President Biden we saw at the debate is not a guy with a cold or whatever, and now journalists can follow up with other people who were there to confirm or deny George Clooney’s observations.

These are tough questions that demand answers, now, because we are four months out and this shouldn’t be close, at all. America hates Trump, and he has lost every election since 2018 as a result.

President Biden and the Democrats need to run up huge margins in Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, and Ohio, to overcome the inevitable MAGA fuckery. We need a candidate who is fifteen points ahead of Trump, not someone who has been in the margin of error for his entire presidency – which is fucking insane when you look at all of Trump’s felonies, judgments, impending trials, and all of his corrupt criminality that the SCOTUS MAGA Majority twisted itself into knots to protect.

This should be a landslide against Trump and MAGA. It’s close because the candidate running against him isn’t – likely can’t – be out there, every day, banging the podium and forcing a change in the narrative. 

Did you see my governor after the debate disaster? He was on fire. That guy would destroy Trump in a debate. Vice President Harris would be laser focused on prosecuting the case against him. President Biden is the only candidate who Trump could drag into a fucking dick waving contest about golf scores when the fucking future of American Democracy is at stake. There is not a single other credible candidate who would take that bait. My god.

President Biden has done so much more than I ever thought possible. He doesn’t get credit for all his progressive achievements, for pulling America out of a economic calamity (caused by Trump and his allies), forgiving student debt, his appointments to the FCC, FTC, and other regulatory agencies that had been captured by industry during the Trump regime.

All of that will be wiped out in a matter of days, if Trump seizes power again.

George Clooney is warning us that President Biden doesn’t have the stamina and focus to win reelection and secure not just his legacy but the future of our country. He is saying out loud and as publicly as possible that we are not crazy, that we really did see what we saw.

This is DEFCON 1 for Democracy. This isn’t politics as usual. This is a moment of tremendous existential danger that only gets worse with each passing day. IF President Biden remains the candidate, I will vote for him, obviously. But I hope that he will fire everyone involved in preparing him for the debate, because they failed him, they failed America, and if Biden is going to take the fight to Trump and MAGA the way he needs to, it he needs a team who understand who they are fighting against, how to punch Trump in the nose, and what the stakes are.

[littleapocalypsekitten]

*Looks in on the American Politics tag and asks self WHY?!" Okay, I am no political expert, but I'm middle-aged, have been politically-aware for American politics and have probably been casting my ballot for longer than half of tumblr has been alive. (I mea culpa for that time I voted for George W. Bush. It happened once and did NOT happen again). I was registered as an Independent until recently, left-leaning since 2004 or so... Yes, I am THAT old. I'd say I've been politically aware even since before 2000 since some of my favorite cartoons liked to make fun of politicians (I was really into Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain and politics was the source of many gags, showing that they were not shows just for children). Urk, anyway, with the election so close and people talking about some very serious issues, I thought it high time to remind people of certain things, things I have observed in every election year. Politicians talk out of both sides of their asses. Party doesn't matter, it's a fact. They will say what they think they have to in order to fetch the most votes. Whether they actually keep their campaign promises when in power is up to them and up to a number of other factors, such as how many other people on their side are elected (as well as how many of them do turncoating). - (I honestly did not expect John Fetterman to become the asshole that he became when I voted for him, but I still suspect he's better than Dr. Oz). This can be good or bad. I suspect, for instance, that the signs pointing to Kamala Harris continuing "Genocide Joe's" policies might actually get reversed once she's done having to play pussyfoot with "yay Israel no matter what" voters who are for the Dems' other policies. I've seen signs that she doesn't entirely agree with everything that Biden is doing (and remember, she's just the VICE President, she doesn't make policy. Her job is twofold: Tiebreaking vote in the Senate if the Senate gets tied on something and "Be there if the President falls down dead." That's it). Policy is such that Bills are proposed in the House of Representatives, are pass / fail in the Senate and if passed, go to the President's desk to be signed into Law or not. Executive Orders are another thing, but I believe there is a sharp limit on them, because we do not have a Monarch. Granted, I think the likelyhood of Harris continuing on Biden's track of supporting an ally-nation with the materials of war when almost any other nation would be getting sanctions is strong, but I do think there's a chance that Harris is pussyfooting for votes and can be reasoned with on the "stop supporting genocide!" thing. Maybe. Hopefully. I also think that "we" have limited power over what other world leaders do, ultimately. Trump would send nukes. American Foreign Policy Always Sucks. That's just the whole of it. We are an empire. There is no moral purity in living in / being born in an empire. I don't have to agree with it, I was just born here and for a variety of reasons, can't get out. Anyone who has the "America is World Police / Superman of Nations / Supposed to be the "moral" nation" was probably taught an idealistic history (as my generation was). Kick American Exceptionalism to the curb! I am planning to vote. It is my personal decision and it's not because I am supporting our horrid foreign policy, it is because I really don't think there's much to be done about it since it's sucked AT LEAST since the Vietnam War and I am concerned with domestic policy primarily (I make no secret about being selfish, concerned about things such as my status as a disabled non-wealthy queerish woman, and with concerns about my family) and I really think as far as foreign policy - either way is going to suck, one guy is going to suck harder (and possibly turn the world into a radioactive wasteland through either evil or dementia - and not the fun kind, like Fallout).

[xanthera]

People are still hung up on Biden's age as a factor in reelecting him. I'm not arguing against the fact that politicians are too old in general, but regardless of our opinions, he's going to be the 2024 Democratic nominee. Like, that's just a fact. No one is going to beat him in the primaries no matter how valid our criticisms of him are, and the sooner y'all accept that, the better. (And no third party candidate is going to win while the electoral college is in place, but that's another post.)

So yeah, it's going to be an Old Man Fight no matter what we do, but aging affects people differently. Different seniors have different levels of cognition and health, and there's a stark difference between Trump and Biden. Let's compare the senility of our candidates, shall we? We're not talking about policy, we're just looking at their cognition.

Note: Biden has had a stutter his entire life; speech impediments do not indicate cognitive ability.

Biden:

Sometimes uses words that are now considered politically incorrect

Makes the occasional gaffe in a speech

?????

Trump:

Goes on incomprehensible tangents

Slurs his speech and mispronounces words

Often fails to form complete sentences

Mixes up the names of his ex-wives and his current wife

Called Melania "Mercedes"

Mixes up Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi

Mixes up Biden and Obama

One of the basic tests in the emergency room to see if someone's cognition is impaired is to ask them who the current president is, and Trump can't even do that. Actual psychologists have said that he's showing clear signs of dementia, and as someone with experience watching the slow deterioration of a senior with dementia, I agree. The man is unwell, and not fit to hold any kind of office. I'd go so far as to say someone else should have his POA at this point.

It's going to be a fight between two elderly men, and I'm not arguing that that's a bad thing, but one of those men is still quite competent, while the other is mentally impaired, and only getting worse. The article I shared sums it up nicely. "Biden's brain is aging. Trump's brain is dementing."

(Again, this is not a post about policy, I have opinions about Biden's shortcomings, but they have no bearing on discussions about his age.)

[suilinbride]

Hello! Glad to see you again, sorry tumblr is so broke! I hope you are well. If I am not too late, may I request a lenormand reading of the general spiritual kind? Trying to work with and around my adhd in this area has been difficult. I didnt see any info request in your post, but I think ive seen you request initials before. Im AM. Thanks! Or if I am late, thanks anyway! Stay safe and well!

Hello there AM! Thank you for the well wishes, I've been a little under the weather this past week but it looks like it's starting to fade out and I'm starting to feel a lot better now, which is always good.

And yes, I'm doing my best to stay safe too. I have a form of Asthma, and I've heard people with any kind of Asthma are especially easy targets for Corona, so I've been sticking inside or at least around my home. I'll probably be sticking in or near home until they figure out a vaccine or things truely start to settle down further.

Of course, it doesn't help that my grandmother is currently going through the moderate stages of Dementia, and we have to constantly keep her from wandering off or attempt to go places during these crazy times. My family and I have our hands full with trying to keep her home and safe for sure. I know it's kept me worried sick on occasions, and I've ended up with some more Grey hairs because of it. It also doesn't help that my grandparents are Republiccan, are super fans of Trump, and my grandmother especially doesn't believe that the Pandemic is something to worry about.

Nope, you're not late at all. Your request came just in time actually. And yes, I prefer initials or aliases for people who send in anonymous requests for divination. I know some people ask for other things like your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs to get a lock on your energy, well I do the same with Aliases, Initials, and the like. So long as it's something you go by that is authentically connected to you in some way enough to allow me to get a proper lock on things to read for you as best as I am able to.

Alright, let's get to your reading then. For your reading, I drew the following cards:

House, Fish, Crossroads, Mountain, and Key.

Okay, first let's look at the individual meanings of the cards that came up for your reading.

House: Home, house, family, family name, real estate. Fish: Business, Independance, freedom, abundance, adaptability, freelance. Crossroads: Choices, options, future paths, fork in the road. Mountain: Block, delay, obsticle, stop, prevension, challenge, isolation, stubbornness. Key: Answer, fate, key, significance, importance, destiny, turning point, solution.

Alright, now that the individual meanings for each card have been laid out, let's take a look at the center card in this reading. The center card for any Lenormand reading is the heart of the reading, the theme for the reading as it unfolds, and the essence of the reading itself in a lot of ways.

In this case, the center card is Crossroads, which is all about choices and options. I can instantly see that there are so many choices around you currently, so many ways for you to progress with your spirituality, and I can only imagine having so many options and choices can be overwelming.

After that, I'll go ahead and look at cards two and three, along with cards three and four, to figure out and summarize the essence of what the cards have to say for you in this reading.

Fish and Crossroads: Multiple paths to obtain abundance, multiple ways to adapt to your situation. Crossroads and Mountain: Delaying or hindering abundance.

Just like I thought, it looks like the multiple paths and choices are only causing you problems by overwelming things. It's the fact that there are so many ways of going about to get where you either need or want to go that is slowing you down, causing you to stop in your tracks.

My first piece of advice is of course take a breather for a few moments, trying to relax. Do you have any specific goals in regards to your spirituality? Is there anything you see for yourself you'd like to obtain or maybe anything that your guides, companions, gods, etc, would like you to obtain or achieve?

Either way, take your time, there is no hurry. Though the more ideas you might have about where you'd like to go, obtain, or achieve, might help you narrow down your options a bit, which will most likely help with the problem you're facing currently.

Now that I finished  looking at the essence of what the cards are trying to tell you, let's take a look at any possible conflicts or problems that you might be facing as part of the situation being read for here. I do this by reading cards one and five, along with cards two and four, by employing a little Lenormand trick called mirroring.

House and Key: Fated family, destined home, significant or important family member or place of residence? Fish and Mountain: Delaying abundance, hindering abundance.

Like I asked before, are there any influences impacting this situation, causing more choices or options to open up and therefore overwelm you even more? I ask this because this part of the reading is telling me that something or someone is specifically causing the many options to occur, the overwelming feeling to compound.

Is there a particular place you feel like you should be or need to be spiritually? A deity or a group of deities reaching out to you? Or a deity or deities that you already have some kind a relationship with who want to deepen their relationship or relationships with you? The same questions can be asked about spirits as well.

Or maybe it's more like there's a place in your spirituality that you feel like you need or want to be, or said deities, spirits, etc, need or want you to be at? Whatever the case may be, regardless of whomever or whatever the source of the desire of things may come from, it's the focus of such that is either directly causing the multiple choices or options about how to proceed to obtain or achieve this that causes all the various choices and options to manifest, thus overwelming the hell out of things.

Alright, now that I finished reading the primary portion of this reading, let's dive straight into things to obtain some more details for you! In my opinion, you can never go wrong with nitty gritty details!

First, I'm going to read the cards as pairs:

House and Fish: Abundant family or home. Fish and Crossroads: Choices or options for abundance. Crossroads and Mountain: Hindering future paths. Mountain and Key: Important or significant delay or struggle.

There is a person or people for that matter, or even a place of being, from a spiritual perspective that is connected to you in some way. Maybe you already know them or that place, maybe you are seeking them or that place, or maybe they and that place is seeking you instead. Either way, regardless of which way it actually is, this person, these people, this place wish to bless, improve, help, aid, or to allow you to further grow or thrive spiritually.

Problem is, however, there are so many ways they can go about doing this. Maybe the choices are in their or that hands, or maybe the choices are in your hands instead. Either way, there's too many to properly get a grip of things at the moment.

All these choices and options, either from their end or on your end, are causing the problem. The various choices and options presenting in front of you are causing major delay to your personal spiritual growth and development that it's causing things to come grinding to a halt in frustration.

The real problem is, however, that whatever may reside beyond the choices is important. It's significant in a number of ways to all involved, and it's understandable that you, and maybe even them and that too, are wanting to figure out the correct path to get to that significant thing or person or place, but the actual significance of whatever it may be, combigned with all the options and choices that lead you to it or that or them, is confusing as hell. It's confusing and overwelming and causing you nothing but problems.

Okay, last but certainly not least, I'm going to dive even further for even more details by reading the cards out in their rows.

House and Fish: Abundant family member, family, or home. House and Crossroads: Multiple family members, families, or homes. House and Mountain: Hindering family member, family, or home. House and Key: significant family member, family or house.

Looking at things further, breaking it down into more details, makes me think that it's more likely a person or people involved than a place or state of being in regards to the house card showing up in your reading. This is good to know and helps clarify some things.

A person or group of people wish to bless, aid, or benefit you. There's actually more than one person involved, though there could one person who is leading or taking charge of things while others realted help with it. However, the current way they are going about doing things, may be what they think is the most efficiant manner, but in reality it's problematic and causing you to become overwelmed with all those choices. That being said, the person and/or the people involved are significant to you and/or the overall situation of your spirituality in some way.

Fish and Crossroads: Multiple ways to be abundant. Fish and Mountain: Hindering abundance. Fish and Key: Important or significant abundance.

There are multiple ways in which they can bless and aid you in your spirituality, but of course, this, as much as the multiple ways of going about getting to where you need or want to go, is causing all kinds of problems. It's slowing things down and causing a lot of the overwelming feeling. But the blessing or aid they are just as important and/or significant as they in-of-themselves are.

Crossroads and Mountain: Hindering the future paths. Crossroads and Key: Significant or important choices or options.

And of course, all of this is doing nothing but hindering your path, whichever path you may want to take or even should take in the first place. And to compound the issue further, there isn't only one important or significant path you can take. Multiple paths are important or significant in ttheir own ways, though I feel like some are more so than others.

Mountain and Key: Important or significant delays, struggles.

And the struggle you are going through, the hinderences that are causing you so much delay to your spiritual growth and development is important significant as well. It's important that you deal with this now, so that you can figure out which way you best determine is suited for you to move ahead on.

And there you go. I'm sorry if this reading didn't really clarify things enough for you, though I hope it does help in some way. Please let me know if you'd like me to try and do another reading to try and determine more about things, especially if you have any specifics you'd like me to try and look into with a second reading after reading this one.

Once again, thank you for giving me the oppertunity to read for you like this. Take care and stay safe yourself!

[morogwen]

"Social terrorism".

This whole diatribe really encapsulates just how wild this conspiracy theory is. Rather than a unified medical theory explaining trans people existing, there's a different reason for every different kind of trans person. Trans women who are lesbians transition to get into women's space, trans women who are "gay men" are just being pathologized, trans men are just trying to escape being "female". Rather than accept the evidence and the fact that every major medical organization supports gender affirming care, transphobes have to explain every different possibility because they outright reject the science. "Who benefits when women can't speak about our cominalitys?" Again, why choose trans people? If this is a conscious effort from some nebulous group of elites, why would they choose such a small and vulnerable group of people? Why would they choose to support a community already hated by voters who oppose abortion, equal opportunities for women, etc? The people that support women's rights overwhelmingly support trans people. This doesn't make any sense.

"Then on top of that they have created a special intrest group that is based in internal feelings that is so over the top that it interferes with all the others."

In what ways? Let's leave out the fact that evidence shows the opposite, if it's manufactured, why go about it this way? If they can lie about the evidence, then why not just lie about abortion? Why not push medical theories, again supported by every major medical organization, that directly harm women? Why use trans people to do this when they're such a small and marginalized group of people?

"It also very conveniently creates a second barrier for any movements for womens liberation and gay rights.. this is observable in real time with the repeal of roe v wade. Protest didn't even get off the ground because trans people suppressed it."

I would love a source on this one. Like an actual source, not from some terf blog or opinion piece. It's also really silly to blame trans people and trans healthcare. Major health organizations didn't have the foresight to know trump would win in 2016, decades after some of this research had been done, and that he would put in place 3 conservative justices in record time to repeal roe v wade. This one makes 9/11 truthers look reasonable.

"All of the "rights" trans people push for are rights that harm already marginalized comunities."

Again, this has never been demonstrated, but let's assume transphobes are correct that all of that evidence is manufactured.

Why Trans People?

There are hundreds if not thousands of other groups of people that the pharmaceutical companies and medical organizations could have targeted that would be much easier to target, and much much more difficult to run into issues politically.

Even if you were to argue that nothing about this is intentional, that all of these scientists, biologists, medical professionals, doctors, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, pediatricians, and others, all of this data captured by a multidisciplinary group of people, that these professionals are just all universally mistaken. The implication here is that you're suggesting all of these professionals are so moronic that the whole of modern medicine is potentially fundamentally flawed.

But again, you aren't outside cancer research centers. You aren't holding up signs saying exercise is bad. You aren't telling dementia patients it's all in their head and to get over it. You're going after trans people.

What gets my goat about the whole anti trans conspiracy, that pharmaceutical companies are creating life long lab rats or life long consumers for monetary reasons, is that you have to believe that the people responsible are both infinitely intelligent to pull it off and yet infinitely stupid to do it to a marginalized group of people that has proven a very easy target to galvanize conservative politicians and voters against. If the evidence is being manufactured, why choose trans people? If the multitude of studies showed a particular form of care working for cancer patients, and every major medical organization supported it, it would be political suicide for any politician to go near it. That and you'd actually be able to reach more than the 1% of the population (people who are trans) that are living in places where gender affirming care is even legal.

But I'm sure such things are "what (((they))) want you to think", huh?

[jobsearchtips02]

Wall Street Set to Open Higher Regardless Of Increase in New Virus Cases: Live Updates

Today

Wall Street was set to rise at its opening, according to futures markets.

Business are reversing pandemic pay cuts for magnates.

As economies resume, companies that cut incomes in the dark days of March and April have already started to reinstate them, notes Michelle Leder in today’s DealBook newsletter

Rollins Inc., the parent company of the Orkin pest-control brand name, recently divulged that it was bring back the executive salaries it had cut by as much as 35 percent two months previously. Rollins is among lots of business that slashed top supervisors’ incomes as sales fell and expenses increased in the early phases of the pandemic.

Darden Dining Establishments, which runs the Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse chains, was one of the very first companies to restore its executives’ wages, which it had actually cut in early April. On Might 28, the company divulged that it was restoring on June 1 the $1 million salary of its president, Gene Lee, along with the incomes of 4 other executives who had taken 50 percent pay cuts.

Other business have actually made a point of maintaining a few of the decreases to magnates’ pay. Penis’s Sporting Product recently stated that in addition to reinstating its dividend, it was likewise ending short-lived pay cuts and furloughs for a lot of its staff members– “except for specific executives.” Another retailer, The Buckle, stated that its chairman and chief executive, who gave up their incomes in late March, would receive 50 percent of their pay in June and July.

Although airline companies are showing some modest indications of recovery, executive pay cuts are likely to stick around for longer. United Airlines, which initially stated that its leading 2 executives would forgo their base salaries through June 30, has now extended that for the rest of the year

Wall Street is set for an upbeat open while worldwide markets drift.

U.S. stock futures increased while European markets fluctuated on Monday, as investors’ hopes for the reopening of economies vied with relentless fret about the ability of worldwide leaders to stop the coronavirus from spreading out even more.

Futures for the S&P 500 were up almost 1 percent, signifying a favorable start to the week on Wall Street. The significant stock exchange in Europe opened lower however then rose through the early morning, ultimately breaking into positive area. Asian markets ended blended.

Prices for U.S. Treasury bonds, normally seen as a financier safe haven, were mixed. Oil prices too were mainly the same.

Financiers were viewing the spread of cases in the United States, where a leading advisor to President Trump stated on Sunday that officials are getting ready for a possible 2nd wave of infections They were likewise enjoying prospective trade stress in between the United States and China, after Beijing stated it was temporarily suspending poultry imports from a Tyson Foods slaughterhouse that has had coronavirus cases among its workers.

It was unclear whether the wave of problem would be enough to deter financiers entirely. There were indications on Monday that governments were taking actions to more ease restrictions. In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stated to be preparing to reveal a relaxation of lockdown guidelines sought by restaurants and other companies looking for to open, and on Sunday, Spain reopened its borders to European travelers.

Stocks have actually risen in recent weeks on hopes of financial recovery as governments around the world stepped up financing and spending to fight the damage from the pandemic. Markets took heavy losses in some weeks, the S&P 500 index is down only about 4 percent year to date.

Here’s business news to watch today.

The International Monetary Fund updates its economic projections on Wednesday. Gita Gopinath, the company’s primary economic expert, stated recently that the numbers were likely to show negative growth rates even worse than formerly approximated.

Albertsons is expected to price its I.P.O. on Thursday, raising approximately $1.3 billion. The grocery chain, which has actually been owned by the personal equity company Cerberus since 2006, ditched a previous effort to go public a few years ago.

Nike is the highest-profile company disclosing incomes this week, with its report on Thursday expected to reveal a steep drop in sales since of store closures all over the world. It may likewise be requested for information on its $40 million dedication to support black communities and other initiatives to improve “variety, inclusion and belonging.”

The annual rebalancing of FTSE Russell stock indexes, which takes place on Friday, is normally among the heaviest trading days of the year. With trillions of dollars connected to the indexes, financiers try to prepare for the comings and goings, with health care and tech stocks anticipated to feature plainly among the stocks winning promotions in the indexes.

Retirement home are evicting susceptible homeowners.

Image

Lakeview Balcony, a nursing home in Los Angeles, forced out RC Kendrick, an 88- year-old man with dementia. Credit … Andrew Cullen for The New York Times

RC Kendrick, an 88- year-old male with dementia, was living at Lakeview Terrace, a retirement home in Los Angeles with a history of regulatory problems. On April 6, the nursing home transferred Mr. Kendrick at an uncontrolled boardinghouse– without bothering to notify his family. Less than 24 hours later on, Mr. Kendrick was roaming the city alone.

According to 3 Lakeview employees, Mr. Kendrick’s ouster came as the assisted living home was informing employee to try to clean out less-profitable residents to include a new class of consumers who would generate more income: patients with Covid-19

More than any other institution in the United States, nursing homes have actually come to represent the fatal damage of the coronavirus crisis More than 51,000 residents and employees of nursing homes and long-lasting care facilities have been eliminated, representing more than 40 percent of the overall death toll in the United States.

However even as they have actually been damaged, nursing houses have actually also been enlisted in the response to the outbreak. They are handling coronavirus-stricken clients to relieve the burden on overwhelmed hospitals– and, at times, to reinforce their bottom lines.

But retirement home nationwide are tossing out old and disabled homeowners– amongst individuals most vulnerable to the coronavirus– and shunting them into homeless shelters, rundown motels and other uncontrolled centers, according to 22 guard dogs in 16 states, along with lots of elder-care attorneys, social employees and previous assisted living home executives.

The Bundesliga’s new TV deal could mark the end of an inflationary bubble.

Image

The Bundesliga’s tv rights offer uses a look into the post-coronavirus market. Credit … Pool picture by Michael Sohn

Germany’s top soccer league returned to action in May after a two-month hiatus, using a design to other leagues pushing forward with their own returns.

Now the league, the Bundesliga, has actually ended up being the very first major European soccer competitors to offer its domestic broadcast rights since the coronavirus break out. The ideas from Germany this time are far less reassuring.

The Bundesliga’s four-year offer, which will be revealed on Monday, produced less than the record 4.6 billion euros ($ 5.1 billion) that the league earned under its current agreements, however not by a substantial amount, according to 2 people with understanding of the sale. The pool of broadcasters narrowed, too.

The modest reduction in the brand-new offer’s value might be encouraging for other leagues and clubs that are going into settlements unpredictable if video games will be used schedule, in front of fans– or perhaps if they will happen at all.

However the decreased cost and smaller pool of interested bidders might also be a sign that a yearslong inflationary bubble for elite-level sports shows may be over, even as superior sports homes are likely to command large fees for the foreseeable future.

China stops some Tyson Foods poultry imports.

Image

The meat section of a grocery store in Beijing, where officials are attempting to eliminate even low-probability threats. Credit … Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

China on Sunday said it was temporarily suspending poultry imports from a Tyson Foods slaughterhouse that has actually had coronavirus cases among its workers.

A public notification by China’s General Administration of Customs supplied the registration variety of a Tyson facility in Springdale, Ark. On Friday, the company stated that 13 percent of the 3,748 employees at its centers in northwestern Arkansas had checked positive for the virus. Practically all were asymptomatic.

Tyson released a declaration stating that it was “looking into” China’s action which it was running in compliance with all government security requirements.

” It is necessary to keep in mind that the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control & Avoidance, U.S.D.A. and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration concur that there is no proof to support transmission of Covid-19 related to food,” the business help.

Safety limitations on food imports from the United States could make it even harder for China to meet its pledge to buy more American products as part of the very first stage of a trade arrangement signed with the Trump administration in January.

Researchers have said that the coronavirus appears to spread primarily through the air, not polluted meat. But China has actually already curbed almost all transmission of the virus within its own borders and is looking to stamp out even low-probability risks

The once-stable U.S. cheese market takes an unstable turn.

Image

Buyers are buying far more cheese at shops than they did last year. Credit … Jeenah Moon for The New York Times

The wholesale market for Cheddar is normally a moderate one. But the vagaries of supply and need during the pandemic have caused sharp swings in cheese prices, which increased to tape highs this month– simply weeks after plummeting to almost 20- year lows.

Customers are buying method more cheese, even as the normally huge demand from restaurants and schools has actually fallen off. Dairy farmers and prepared-food companies, which provide ingredients to cheese makers or buy their items, have seen interruptions in their businesses. Together, these countervailing forces have sustained the up-and-down trading in the market.

” It’s the most volatility that we have actually seen in the cheese market ever,” said Phil Plourd, president of Blimling and Associates, a dairy product seeking advice from company in Madison, Wis.

This month, as restaurants around the nation gradually reopened, companies that supply cheese started to stockpile to make sure an adequate supply. So much so, some cheese factories have actually struggled to fulfill need, as dairy farmers who cut production during the worst of the decline were unable to supply them with sufficient milk.

Consumers continue to purchase 20 to 30 percent more cheese at shops than they did in 2015, according to data from IRI, a marketing research firm in Chicago. The return of need has actually again pressed cheese prices higher, where they hover roughly 3 percent listed below record levels.

” The orders fell off actually in days, and they came back literally in days,” Mr. Umhoefer said. “It was simultaneously, very much a roller rollercoaster.”

The pandemic is expected to bring more claims, and more backers.

Image

Peter Suarez has actually bought lawsuits funding given that2015 His return is 38 percent, however losses can be huge, too. “I’ve just had five losses, but when you lose, you lose everything,” he said. Credit … John Francis Peters for The New York City Times

If there is one thing that is often ensured in a financial downturn, it’s an increase in lawsuits.

Organisations are going to sue services. Occupants are going to sue landlords, who will sue their tenants right back. Insurer will contest claims, and start-ups will try to defend their copyright from more established companies.

Yet in this economic downturn, one industry that was simply beginning during the 2008 downturn has entered its own and is attracting wealthy investors looking for outsize returns.

Meet litigation financing, a mystical, high-risk financial investment technique that lures with the siren song of double-digit returns. It’s a market with a few publicly traded leviathans, but it remains the maintain of private-equity-style funds that invest in cases, back law office and serve as financial intermediaries when settlements have actually been reached.

And the pandemic could be its time to emerge from its obscure niche.

” We have the wind to our backs in this unusual environment,” stated Howard Shams, the president of Parabellum Capital and an early specialist in the industry.

Reporting was contributed by Matt Phillips, Jessica Silver-Greenberg, Jason Karaian, Amy Julia Harris, Michelle Leder, Tariq Panja, Michael Ives, Keith Bradsher, Mohammed Hadi, Gillian Friedman, Carlos Tejada and Paul Sullivan.

Learn More

from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/wall-street-set-to-open-higher-regardless-of-increase-in-new-virus-cases-live-updates/

[opedguy]

Weaponizing Psychiatry

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), April 6, 2019.--When 74-year-old Special Counsel Robert Mueller essentially exonerated 72-year-old President Donald Trump March 22, Democrats looked for any excuse to move the goal posts. After saying for nearly two years they’d accept the Special Counsel’s report, as soon as the results were favorable to Trump House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her lieutenants House Judiciary Chairman Jerold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) doubled down on their assertions that Trump colluded with Russia and obstructed justice.  All three rejected Atty. Gen. William Barr’s March 4 “bottom line” conclusion that the Special Counsel would not indict Trump or his inner circle for Russian collusion or obstruction of justice.  Democrats placed all their hopes for the 2020 presidential election on Mueller finding Trump guilty on collusion and obstruction.

            Democrat strategists hoped they could ride the Mueller Report all the way to the White House.  Now that House Democrats are battling with Barr to get a so-called “unredacted” report, the 2020 election strategy has changed.  Exploiting anti-Trump psychiatrists claiming Trump suffers from a deteriorating mental condition, Democrats hope, once again, to smear Trump, like they did in the 2016 campaign.  Leading the charge against Trump then and now is 48-year-old Yale Psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee.  Lee violated the 1973 American Psychiatric Association Goldwater Rule, named after 1964 Republican nominee Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Az.) who was slammed by psychiatrists as unfit for duty. Bandy ignored the rule claiming Trump suffers from some mysterious mental illness, calling him, among other things, a “malignant narcissist,” the same diagnosis given to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

            Bandy worked with Trump-hating members of Congress, especially Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), to say Trump was unfit for duty, seeking to remove him from office under special circumstances of the 25th Amendment. Lee heads the “World Mental Health Coalition,” holding a conference last month titled, “The Dangerous State of the World and the Need for Fit Leadership,” largely referring to Trump.  “His mistakes are growing more and more bizarre,” Lee said.  “If we match the pattern of his deterioration against pathology, what disease states look like, we can say he’s not well,” said Lee, careful to avoid diagnosing Trump from her Yale office.  When Lee refers to Trump’s mistake, saying his father Fred Trump was born in Germany, she sees this a dementia.  Trump, of course, meant his grandfather, misspoke, referring to his paternal grandfather’s birthplace in Germany.

            Lee takes one mistake on Trump as a sign of dementia, when, in fact, her insistence on crossing the line between politics and professional ethics shows far worse behavior.  “Continually, we have been seeing that his erratic thought and behavior are more consistent with mental pathology than strategy.  Now we are seeing a pattern of cognitive decline,” Lee said, refusing to give examples, other that one error about his father’s birthplace, actually the Bronx in 1905.  Lee edited the book in 2016 called, “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” a collection of partisan articles from Democrat mental health workers looking to smear Trump.  Democrats looking for any advantage in 2020 no longer looking to Mueller but to partisan psychiatrists like Lee, willing to violate professional ethics.  Jumping on Lee’s unethical critiques are Democrats looking to impeach Trump’s fitness for office.

            Lee offers the most vague descriptions of Trump’s mental health, referring to pathology but not specifying a specific diagnosis. “We are talking about the profound danger of the mentally unstable individual who holds the highest office in the country, and most power single office in the entire world,” said Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs, buying Lee’s flimsy arguments.  Sachs is in no position on Trump’s mental health but wouldn’t dare question his performance on the U.S. economy. By anyone’s metrics, Trump has improved U.S. Gross Domestic Product [GDP], something former President Barack Obama couldn’t do in his eight years.  Making an honest mistake at a campaign stop, Trump has been crucified as “demented” by Lee and her anti-Trump network of academics and mental health workers.  Lee’s disgraceful use of psychiatry for political purposes goes unpunished.

            Unable to use the Mueller report as cannon fodder for the 2020 race, Democrats have dealt from the bottom of the deck, exploiting unethical psychiatrists like Lee to defame a sitting president.   Used by Democratic operatives to discredit Trump, Lee has no sense of professional ethics, diagnosing Trump when she has no facts.  Citing campaign gaffes, like the mistake that his father Fred was born in Germany, Lee and others leap to the conclusion that Trump suffers from dementia or some serious form of mental illness.  “He’s rapidly declining,” Lee said in response to Trump misstatement about his father.  “His rallies have been increasingly less coherent, with greater signs of paranoid responses, increasing attraction to violence, increasing espousal of conspiracy theories . . . ,” Lee insisted.  Lee sees nothing other than her partisan blindness impacting her professional judgment.

About the Author  

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

[unrelentingwarrior]

Donald Trump Shows Every Sign Of Dementia By His Constant Lying And The Lunacy World He Lives In. For Trump “FACTS” Are “FAKE.”

 [WAPO] “President Trump’s speech over the weekend along Florida’s Space Coast — effectively a campaign rally staged just one month into his term — served, more than anything else, as an illustration of the extent of the political polarization now gripping the United States.

 Trump had already declared open war on his country's media, describing the mainstream press as the "enemy" of the American people. The 9,000-strong crowd of supporters seemed to agree.

"It was hilarious to see him give it to the media," said Tony Lopez, 28, a car dealer from Orlando who spoke to my colleagues covering the event. "The media's problem is that they keep wanting to make up stories so that he looks bad. It doesn’t work. He’s talking right through you guys."

 Since Trump entered the White House, he has lashed out at supposedly negative stories about his presidency as "fake news." Many of his supporters, who largely subscribe to a steady diet of right-wing talk radio, television and websites, share this assessment.

 "If he hadn’t gotten into office, 70,000 miners would have been put out of work,” said Patricia Nana, a 42-year-old naturalized citizen from Cameroon. She was referring to a bill Trump approved on Thursday that scrapped an Obama-era regulation preventing mines from dumping debris in nearby streams. "I saw the ceremony where he signed that bill, giving them their jobs back, and he had miners with their hard hats and everything — you could see how happy they were."

 Such was her view. Here was the reality: "The regulation actually would have cost relatively few mining jobs," my colleagues explained, "and would have created nearly as many new jobs on the regulatory side, according to a government report — an example of the frequent distance between Trump’s rhetoric, which many of his supporters wholeheartedly believe, and verifiable facts."

 In other words, the rallygoers were the perfect audience for the president, who has continued his campaign habit of insisting his version of reality is the only one that exists or matters.

 Behold some of the problematic falsehoods circulated by Trump just this weekend, from his fear-mongering over immigrant criminals in Sweden to his insistence that he inherited "a mess" in January. (A cursory glance at the numbers reveals that the Obama administration bequeathed Trump a far rosier picture than what it inherited eight years ago. On Sweden, read my colleague Rick Noack below.)”

Donald Trump will be removed from Office, but it is going to take some time for the Republican to do so, because it is self evident Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Mike Spence and many other Republicans are directly connected to Trump’s Treasonous Acts and the Republicans Domestic Fraud of Suppressing and Purging the Minority Votes in Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan and in other States.

 Sooner rather than later, Trump will go to Prison for Treason, but he would not be alone. The Long Arm Of Justice Strikes Even The Most Powerful!

  Twitter @sheriffali

 http://wp.me/p1wG70-1sl

  Open Washington Post Link For Full Article:

 https://wpo.st/Nr-d2

 #ForTrumpFactsAreFake

[morganbelarus]

Doctors want President Trump’s head examined

(CNN)President Donald Trump is "in excellent health," White House physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, said following his physical Friday. But it's not clear whether any mental health tests were conducted, despite urging from mental health professionals.

Jackson received an urgent letter from dozens of doctors and health professionals Thursday urging him to perform basic mental health tests on the President.

While reviews of the past five presidents' physical exams show only a brief mention of mental health and none of the records includes a readout of the mental health tests, this letter points out that mental evaluations are routine during physicals, particularly for patients who are 66 or older. Trump is 71.

Medicare guidelines suggest patients in this age range should be evaluated for cognitive and neural health function.

The White House has dismissed questions about Trump's mental fitness, calling them "disgraceful and laughable." They said, prior to the physical, that mental health testing was not something Trump would undergo. It will be up to President Trump what information he shares with the public.

The letter was written to Jackson, who examined Trump.

"Without performing an evaluation of this kind, President Trump would be receiving care that is inadequate to the standard care regularly administered to millions of Americans covered by Medicare," the letter argues. "Equally important, without this evaluation, the American people will not have a clear understanding about the health and well-being of the President, which is essential for Americans to know of any president."

While a true mental health evaluation can only happen in person, these experts have noted there is some "increasing concern" that the President may be struggling with some mental health challenges and they recommend the President's doctor screen Trump for dementia.

The letter does not explain how these concerns arose.

Problems these experts say they have observed include rambling speech; episodes of slurred speech; failure to recognize old friends; frequent repetition of the same concepts; decreased fine motor coordination; difficulties reading, listening and comprehending; suspect judgment, planning, problem solving and impulse control; and markedly declining vocabulary in recent years, with overreliance on superlatives, according to the letter.

The issue of the President's mental capacity has received significant attention in recent weeks as Michael Wolff's best-seller, "Fire and Fury," has raised concerns about the commander in chief.

Citing people close to the President, Wolff has said the President has begun repeating three stories in conversations in less than 10 minutes, when he used to repeat stories in about a 30-minute window. Wolff told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that "100% of the people around the President believes he's incapable of carrying out the duties of office."

In full damage control, Trump and the White House trashed Wolff and his book as fiction and tabloid garbage while defending the President's mental fitness.

"Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart," Trump said in a tweetstorm earlier this week. He called himself a "very stable genius."

See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter.

While some experts advise doctors to look for early signs or symptoms of cognitive issues that include problems with memory or language changes, the US Preventive Services Task Force concluded that "the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for cognitive impairment."

Among the medical professionals who wrote the letter, at least 15 made contributions to Democrats, and at least two have donated to Republicans, according to FEC records; however, not all have and many are well known experts in their field, from the United States, Canada and Germany.

The letter concludes that a mental health evaluation is a must because "the health of the President relies on it -- as do American lives and the safety of our nation."

More From this publisher : HERE ; This post was curated using : TrendingTraffic

=> *********************************************** Learn More Here: Doctors want President Trump’s head examined ************************************ =>

Doctors want President Trump’s head examined was originally posted by 16 MP Just news

[twomusiciansabroad-blog]

January 27th:

We awoke to a beautiful, sunny day in San Francisco!

The sunrise through our hotel window was gorgeous and we were feeling good. We headed to a cafe about a 10 minute walk away which promised vegan fare and once there Eli got fast talked into ordering a coffee (his first for this entire trip). The food was good and apparently the coffee was quite alright (for American Coffee. God awful for Australian Coffee).

We caught an uber from the Cafe to an area near fisherman’s wharf where there are some little galleries, a book store and a vegetarian restaurant with a beautiful view. We had a nice, long, relaxed lunch while admiring the ocean and wishing we were back at our home beaches, swimming.

After lunch we went for a brisk-ish 40 minute walk to Pier 33. Along the way, stopping to see some old ships and a few tourist traps.

Pier 33 was our pick up location for the Ferry which would take us to the famous Alcatraz. We were there a bit early so we looked at some models of the island they had and then eventually got on our ferry. It’s a short ride to the island, passed some sleeping seals on a floating bouy. The Ferry driver told us some nice anecdotes and then we were on our way. We’d specifically signed up for the “night” tour of the island because it offered a few things you can’t do in the day and they only allow a limited amount of people to be there so we had a lot of space to ourselves.

First we had a short tour up the rather steep incline to the prison. Taken by a very enthusiastic park ranger, we were told of how the island was not only home to the prison but also to a number of families who had fathers working at the prison.  Apparently the smell of home made cookies and the sound of happy families drove the inmates to distraction, wishing that they too were back home.

The prison initially housed 600 inmates but after it was earmarked as a good location for a super-max prison, it was renovated to cater for just 300 inmates.

You might recognise one inmate who spent time on Alcatraz, the infamous Al Capone who was said to have already started to lose his mind to syphilitic dementia by the time he was transferred there.

Alcatraz was thought to be inescapable due to the deep, turbulent surrounding waters and security measures put in place on the island itself but 34 people attempted to. 2 of them attempted it twice. Supposedly no one succeeded but 3 inmates are still unaccounted for and considering the planning and intelligence that went into their escape (making foam replicas of themselves and using spoons to dig their way through a wall!) it is possible they were bright enough to find a way to make a floatation device or were strong enough swimmers to make it to shore. One inmate did actually make it to shore during an escape but was found, exhausted, by military officers on a nearby beach.

Being there ourselves, it was all a bit too real. The solitary confinement rooms you could walk into were especially bleak and foreboding. The inmates unfortunate enough to be stuck in there weren’t even allowed light in their rooms. Pitch blackness was their day in, day out.

We were given an audio tour for use in the prison which regaled us with stories from guards and inmates alike which was very well put together.

After we’d been through everything, we were treated to two talks by researchers who work on the island. One about bank robbing in history and now. And another on all of the daring escapes made from the island. Its always nice to hear someone who is so passionate about something able to talk about that to an interested crowd.

It was all really well done and we left on the ferry, looking at all the twinkling lights of San Francisco, two satisfied tourists.

Also of note from these tours was the fact that after the prison closed in the 60′s, it was occupied forcibly by “All of the Indian Tribes” in the biggest show of unity to that day. They held it for 19 months and made a lot of strides for people of indian descent and their place in the states.

Back on dry land our phones died so we caught a taxi back to our hotel to charge them.

Dinner was indian at a local hole in the wall and we’re now back at the hotel watching more horrifying Trump news.

[terencehawkins]

TRUMP'S POST-PRESIDENCY: YES, IT CAN GET WORSE

If history and the polls are any gauge, 2021 will begin with Donald Trump pulled from the Oval Office like a blood-gorged tick from a cat’s ear—gently, so his head doesn’t break off and cause infection. That assumes, of course, that he hasn’t mobilized the Boogaloo Bois to disrupt the election. Or that his accelerating dementia hasn’t prompted other members of the Oberkommand to invoke the 25th Amendment to allow Pence to run as an incumbent and bring America back to Jesus.

I know. A lot going on there.

Let’s just assume that Trump will leave office voluntarily, if not quietly or with dignity—neither is possible, even his most ardent brownshirts would agree—in January. Let’s further assume that the self-pardon he will surely igrant is legally effective federally, and that it will take eighteen months or so for ongoing state investigations to crank up to the indictment stage. What will his post-presidency look like?

Past presidents, after leaving office, have devoted themselves to good works, like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and GHW Bush. Others have retired to modest lives in heartland America, like Truman. And all have observed the tradition that the former occupant stay out of the limelight and refrain from comment on the current incumbent.

Not gonna happen.

TRUMP TV: MY STOLEN PRESIDENCY

In the few months in which he retains the ability to make word-like sounds, Trump will never admit defeat. He will, rather, protest that he was deprived of victory by “very unfair” means, like votes being counted. In doing so, he will further incite trailerpark magahats, never students of civics, into believing that their man got done in by a coup and that the new administration is illegitimate. Proving that Putin got the deal of a lifetime when he invested in Donnie Ratpaws.

There is little doubt that during the transition, rather than cooperate with the incoming administration in the peaceful transfer of power, Trump will challenge the outcome with the frivolous lawsuits that have long been his weapon of choice. But worse, he with nothing to lose, there is no batshittery he will not tweet—Biden’s Pizzagate pedophilia, QAnon gibberish about Clinton’s cannibalism.

And worst of all, he will unquestionably use the time before he leaves to fire up his own media empire—the ultimate goal behind the stunt candidacy that to his own shock succeeded.

Briefly, he’ll just be a regular guest host on Tucker’s White Power Hour or Frau Ingraham’s Sturm und Drang. But by the time the vans have pulled away from 1600 Pennsylvania with everything that hasn’t been nailed down, Trump will have his own network. Expect his primetime shitshow to feature to feature a crawl showing the day and hour of his stolen second term as he parades a procession of alt.right conspiracists and Aryan wingnuts to discredit and defame the new administration and Congress.

But that won’t be enough. Networks survive on advertising. And no normal corporate PR flacks will want their brand associated with Trump. Oh sure, My Pillow will be there for him. And Depends. But he needs real money, and a lot of it.

TRUMP CONSULTING: GOP POLITICAL BLACKMAIL

It’s widely known that the reason for Trump’s reticence about his taxes is that he is broke. And the reason didn’t divest his holdings is that they’re basically worthless—overleveraged and overvalued. In order to live the elegant understated life of a West Virginia lottery winner, with gilded faucets and silk asswipe, he needs about a million dollars a month, cash money. Where to get it?

He certainly can’t get it from his adoring hardscrabble horde. Or can he?

Trump’s always demonstrated a feral understanding of the power of his base. He’s used it to club the few remaining principled Republicans into terrified submission. So why not monetize it?

It’s pretty simple. All he has to do is sign onto a campaign as a consultant for all the money the candidate can get. In return the candidate gets “advice” and an endorsement. If the incumbent won’t pay, then the primary challenger will. End of story.

Of course the “consulting” won’t stop at the water’s edge. There’s nothing to stop Trump from selling state secrets in the guise of “advising” foreign governments. As in, “I wouldn’t put your missiles there.” Or, “You know I really wouldn’t make Kirilenko Foreign Secretary—loose lips.” And even though our allies as well as our enemies know Trump’s an Adderall-addled idiot with the attention span of an autistic terrier, there’s always the chance that he may have inadvertently learned something of value in four years in the White House.

That’s worth a lot of money.

But there’s something even worse. This would be the time for a drink.

TRUMP: THE CANDIDATE

He can run again.

The Constitution prohibits serving more than two full terms. But there’s nothing requiring those two terms to be consecutive. It’s only happened once, in the case of Grover Cleveland. But it can happen. Trump can run again.

Not can—will. He has to. His malignant narcissism has been validated for four years in which he actually has been the most important man in the world. He can no more do without that than he can bronzer and whores. Witness his Tulsa escapade, in which he gladly will sacrifice dozens if not hundreds of toothless goobers to Covid for for a couple of hours of the adrenaline rush he lives for.

Oh, there’s no chance he’ll get to that second term. None. The only question is whether dementia or New York tax fraud charges get him first. But he can do a lot of damage before then.

And rest assured, he will.

[newagesispage]

                                                            JUNE        2019

 PAGE RIB

***** Catch the new stand up: David Cross: Oh Come On

***** There is no more smoking at Disney.

***** Psilocybin mushrooms have been decriminalized in Denver!!

***** Adam Sandler is touring and he has a new stand up special out: 100% Fresh.

***** The new book, ‘The Castle at Sunset’ is coming. Looks pretty juicy!

***** FORD is cutting about 7,000 jobs.

***** Ben Domenech, Meghan McCain’s hubby did a rant about Seth Meyers after Meyers called her out on his show about some of her comments.

***** Eddie Redmayne is in pre- production on ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7.’ where he plays Tom Hayden.

***** Sexual misconduct news: Alan Dershowitz is being accused by the victim of a former client.

***** Steak n Shake is being sued again. Somebody straighten this out. Will they go out of biz?? It seemed to change when new owners took over.

***** A final rule was issued May 2 by the Department of Health and Human Services that health care workers can’t be compelled to participate in medical care that disagrees with their religion or conscious. Fuck You Patients!

***** Martin Scorsese, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are bringing us’ Once were brothers.’ This will be the telling of RobbieRobertson’s truth about The Band.

***** Is this true? One of the reasons the USPS is struggling so bad is that senators voted to make them pre pay pensions?

***** The NRDC night of comedy with Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Tiffany Haddish, Hasan Minhaj, Sarah Silverman, John Mulaney and others raised 1.7 mil for environmental protection.

***** Edwin Hiatt was arrested for the murder of Barry Crane. Crane was a champion bridge player as well as a director and producer of such shows as Mannix, Dallas, The Incredible Hulk and Hawaii Five-0 among others.

***** Visit the site of The Alliance for lifetime income that is sponsoring the Stones No Filter tour.

***** CBS is shaking it up. Word is that the morning show will be hosted by Gayle King, Tony Dukoupil and Anthony Mason. John Dickerson will move to 60 minutes and Norah O’Donnell will anchor the CBS evening news where she’ll be perfect. What took them so fucking long??

***** Days alert: Stephen Nichols is returning as Patch.** Word is also that Tony and Anna are headed back. Best news ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Kristen may be back. So, more possibly coming back from the dead.. Will, Nicole, Jack.. None of these people are what they seem, they just aren’t quite themselves. Brainwashed? Plastic surgery on others? Fake faces? It could be any old soap opera trick. Was the whole burning building a set up?  What do Rolf and Rex have to do with this? How is it all connected? ** I am really glad that Mel and Haley are gaining story. Keep it coming. Love the pairings going on. JJ and Haley have such chemistry as do Ben and Ciara, of course.** Is Xander really Victor’s son?? Ok.. ! fake face so far with Nicole.** LET’S GIVE RORY A REAL STORY!!!!!

***** So much entertainment is bringing Trumptopia to their universe. People seem so upset and genuinely scared and they have to get it out and put their take on it.

***** Marie Osmond takes Sara Gilberts chair at The Talk.

***** Arnold Schwarzenegger was attacked by a man in South Africa.

***** Chris Hemsworth and Tiffany Haddish will star in Paramount’s buddy movie, Down Under Cover.

***** Support the National Popular Vote Compact for the Electoral College.

***** Country House @ 65-1 won the Kentucky Derby after a historic disqualification of first winner, Maximum Security. There was also much controversy before the race after 23 horses have died at Santa Anita.

***** So to be clear that we are on the same page: Obstruction is impeding or attempting to impede for a corrupt purpose like helping yourself.  Even the parts of the Mueller report that we can see show obstruction. Also, If the statute of limitations are about to run out, an indictment can be made and sealed against a sitting President. The case would be prosecuted after he is out of office. So let’s quit fucking around.** Republican Rep. from Michigan, Justin Amash urges action on our President. He writes that Trump has been engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behavior that meet the threshold for impeachment. He actually read the report.** Why does it seem that the ‘Great again’ and ‘Taking it back’ conservative family value crowd often turn out to be doing the shady stuff behind our backs?

***** Mueller finally spoke and seemed to reinforce both sides. He is leaving his post but the Grand jury investigation chugs along.** A Federal judge ordered all Mike Flynn passages in the Mueller report to be made public.

***** The McCain naval vessel and Japan?? Really??

***** The President is tweeting agreement with North Korea about Joe Biden? That is about right.** Scary Clown also stormed out of a meeting after Pelosi was talking about his cover up earlier in the day. The signs for his little ‘impromptu’ press conference that he ran to were already set up.

***** So the WH seems to be telling everyone not to testify before congress. No more rules. I suppose the time has come that we can do whatever we want and there will be no consequences. It is good to know we can all fight subpoenas till the bitter end, it opens up a whole can of worms. Really this is all about seeing how far they can go, what can they get away with??

***** The Pentagon has diverted 1.5 billion from various defense department funds for his wall. The money earmarked for training troops and equipping our forces is apparently better used for the border. ** Congress has now threatened to take away the defense department’s ability to move money around. There is usually consultation but they are, of course, ignoring it.**

***** Jared wants a merit based system for the illegals. So, we want to bring immigrants into the country that will take all of the good jobs?  I do not understand this family, they want a wall so nobody gets in, they want immigrants to work at Mar A Lago to service them and now they want only people qualified to work high end jobs.** Kushner’s real estate company has gotten about $800 mil in federal loans.

***** At this point Trump’s 225 days of golf have cost us $122 mil and he is making money for his resorts every time.

***** Theresa May is out.

***** Kim Jong Un’s top aide is said to have been put in hard labor.  North Korea also executed Kim Hyok Chol and four foreign ministry officials in March after the Trump summit charged with espionage.

***** Mexico is getting a 5% tariff.

***** Native Americans are being killed by police officers at a higher rate than anybody else.

***** Fuck dementia.. Just TRIP!!

***** Manafort’s condo in Trump tower is being put up for auction as the Government takes possession.

***** The New Haven documentary film fest is running a 7 film retrospective of Michael Moore’s work this month.

***** A new report says that the EPA has been ordered to get thousands of deaths “off the books” by altering the way they calculate the risks of air pollution.

***** Ben Carson will never live down his ‘OREO’ moment. If there wasn’t enough proof that people without a clue have been put in charge, this is it. Supporters have to be pretty stupid to think it is a good idea for the stupid people to be in charge. What is so wrong with smart people, not crafty, slick people, I mean smart people who know how to actually solve problems and come up with good ideas? I can’t help but think of an Uncle in our family called Mort. There was much talk when I was a child of Mort being so smart and quiet. When he came to family gatherings he would sit in the corner and read and learn instead of socializing. I always wondered why they thought that was wrong. I was so envious of him. I realize that isn’t exactly on the same page but smart is good.** One day after Carson’s ‘testimony’ there was a new proposal to HUD’s equal access rule. It would allow federally funded homeless shelters to consider sexual and gender identity, privacy, safety, practical concerns and religious beliefs when deciding if they want to accommodate someone.

***** The Harriet Tubman $20 bill will be delayed for circulation until possibly 2028. Scary Clown has always criticized the move and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says that Andrew Jackson will remain on the bill for now.

***** The costuming on HBO’s The Young Pope is so fucking awesome.

***** Former WH chief of staff John Kelly has joined the board of Caliburn International. This conglomerate operates facilities that hold the detained immigrant children in our country.

***** Matt Smith stars in ‘Charlie Says’ in the latest incarnation of Manson.

***** Hooray for Chobani!! The company is paying off school lunch debt in Rhode Island for students so they don’t have to eat jelly sandwiches.

***** Bill De Blasio is running for President.

***** Gene Simmons of KISS gave a press briefing at the Department of Defense.

***** Citrus farmers are using antibiotics to fight bacteria in crops. Health officials are afraid this could fuel antibiotic resistance in us.

***** Sen. Michael Bennett is running for President.** He said that his Mother found out he was running from the newspaper. There was some talk about Jello when he was interviewed on Seth Meyers.

***** The Chief Pig compared Mayor Pete to Alfred E. Neuman. Pete said he was glad that he inspired the President to make a literary reference, even though the Mayor was too young to know the reference.

***** There is a Variety series : Actors on Actors. See the one with Jason Bateman and Bill Hader. Yeow. oh to be the cream in that Oreo. Can I say that in the Me Too era? Are there reverse problems with that??

***** For Putin, things started off as a mountain and ended up being a _____. He is laughing at this country every day.

***** ‘The Quiet One’, a doc about Bill Wyman is here.

***** Matthew Modine is running for SAG AFTRA president. He is getting endorsements from Ed Asner, Vincent D’Onofrio, Mira Sorvino, Nancy Sinatra, Patricia and Rosanna Arquette, Sean Astin, Ernie Hudson, Alfred Molina and Bill Mumy.

***** The Cool Kids was cancelled. BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF?? Their September debut was the most watched Friday broadcast comedy debut in almost 6 years.

*****Empire will end after season 6.

***** The Daytime Emmys didn’t do much for Days after all those noms. Kyler Pettis was the only winner. I was happy for GH’s Max Gail. CBS Sunday Morning won best morning program. There has been some controversy over some of the regulations and some tv shows threatened to boycott. At one point, Patrika Darbo had an Emmy revoked. There was some stunning fashion. My faves were Annika Noelle, Jaqueline Macinnes Wood, Camila Banus, Lexie Stevenson, Linsey Godfrey, Olivia Rose Keegan, Brandon Barash, Carolyn Hennesy and Victoria Konefal.

***** There is some shady business in Wisconsin with Foxconn. The Taiwanese company made big promises with Scott Walker and Trump. They have since been backing out of the manufacturing side of the deal. Republicans want to blame the new democratic Governor but he was warning them about this company way back when.  Why are these hucksters always blaming others for the kinds of things they do??

***** HB 1633 in Illinois is a bill to, among other things, make a felony of peaceful protests!! Thanks oil lobbyists!** But, Illinois is making some progress in the right direction on some fronts.. House Bill 1438 was approved by the Senate to legalize possession and sale of weed. At the end of May it passed the house. The bad news is that police already have records of those that use medical marijuana and if they pull you over, they can charge you if you have used any that day. ** The Reproductive Health Act passed which states that an egg, embryo or fetus does not have independent rights and the state can’t deny or restrict reproductive rights.

***** After chickengate, the committee voted to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt of congress. Now it moves on but the contempt can be denied by the DOJ. Rep. from Texas, Sheila Jackson Lee made a great speech and broke it down to show that they were only making a simple request of documents and the WH and Barr will not comply.

***** The WH has been revoking press passes from journalists they do not want there, nearly the entire corp. They granted exceptions for the press they like.

***** Amal Clooney helped to free Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe OO from Myanmar. Many other journalists are still being held.

***** A man in Illinois takes old bikes and parts and makes them useable again. He gives them to people in need of transportation. A Morton woman put out a call on the internet to gather old bikes for him and got them beyond her wildest dreams. Way to go!!

***** In Georgia abortions could soon be illegal after 6 weeks. 3 production companies, Blown Deadline productions, Killer Films and Duplass Brothers productions say if that happens they will no longer film in Georgia. Now Alabama has jumped on board with the want to prosecute Doctors. And it goes on with Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Iowa, Louisiana, Utah and North Dakota.  The Reich is chipping away at our rights. Why do we keep putting so many conservative men in powerful  places?? Why are the 1% ruling the rest of us??** Debbie Harry commented at the ASCAP pop music awards, “I think it’s criminal.”** Some states are saying they may even investigate miscarriages. Why not just follow all ejaculations?? I have had a miscarriage and the last thing I would have needed in my pain was someone investigating me. WTF?

***** Did anybody else the owl clock on American Housewife?

***** John Waters has a new book: Mr. Know it all

***** Letterman is back with his Netflix gig where he will interview Tiffany Haddish, Ellen, Melinda Gates and Kanye West. Doesn’t it seem like our world went crazy after Dave left his CBS show? More Dave!  On the talk show rounds he does sort of seem like an old guy holding court but still hot!!!

***** The Wal Mart pick up ad with all the famous rides makes me a little crazy when the lowly Wal Mart employee worker is getting hit by a customer.

***** Liam Neeson will star in The Minuteman.

***** Caterpillar has sent a cease and desist to coffee company Cat and Cloud because of their name.

***** McDonalds is said to be bringing America the best of their international menu this summer for a test drive.

***** The Al Franken podcast is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***** A cancer diagnosis usually ends with 4 in 10 patients depleting their savings.

***** Secretary Amy L. Bedwell was arrested for theft from a parent teacher organization in Illinois. She will go to court for the Riverview grade school incident on June 12.

***** Spielberg’s Amblin tv is severing ties with the show Bull. CBS has paid 9.5 mil to settle harassment claims by Eliza Dushku against Michael Weatherly.

***** The Met Gala was at its best with wonderful camp looks from Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Billy Porter, Janelle Monae, Zendaya , Laverne Cox, RuPaul, Darren Criss, Ashley Graham, Dua Liba, Natasha Lyonne and Lupita N’yongo.

***** August will bring us John Goodman and Danny McBride as part of a televangelist family in The Righteous Gemstones.

***** Cannes person of the year in entertainment award this year is Lorne Michaels.

***** New show, Bluff City Law looks pretty good even though we really don’t need another lawyer show.

***** Mick is back at it and new dates have been set for the Stones tour which will begin June 21 in Chicago!!!!!!

***** The Illinois department of corrections have not been able to account for 3, 568 items in a recent audit.

***** Ava Duverney has made a movie that needed to be made about the Central Park 5.

***** There is a helium shortage.

***** Steve Kroft of 60 minutes is retiring.

***** Director Bong Joon-Ho’s ‘Parasite’ has won the Palme d’or at Cannes.

***** Duff Mcagan has a new solo album with help from Shooter Jennings.

***** Conan has settled a lawsuit over joke theft. A blogger claimed that his writers had stolen 4 jokes from his blog. The jokes were not that unique and there are so many hundreds of similar jokes out there anymore with the crazy news cycle and so many late night hosts and on liners. Conan wrote about hs odyssey in Variety.** Conan also wrote a theme song for NPR news.

***** Mike Pompeo seems happy that when the ice caps melt there will be new, easier to travel trade routes. So, do you think it is a hoax or are they really melting?

***** Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield will pay Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in a biopic.

***** Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost are engaged.

***** Meghan Markle and Prince Harry brought us 7 lb. 3 oz. Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor.

***** R.I.P. Peter Mayhew, 9 gray whales, Kendrick Castillo, Jim Fowler, Doris Day, Sammy Shore, Alvin Sargent , Tim Conway , Ron Hiatt, all the children who keep dying in our custody , victims of the Virginia Beach shooting, John Pinto and Peggy Lipton.

[cvagent2]

Sexbots, Nostradamus and Donald Trump, in this week's tabloids

Nostradamus predicted hurricanes and North Korea missile crisis, claims this week's Globe magazine, which promises to reveal the 16th-century French seer's predictions for what's next!

It's about as plausible and fact-based as anything else in this week's dubious tabloids. The false trumpet concealing madness will cause Byzantium to change its laws, wrote the ancient prognosticator. The false trumpet is an obvious reference to America's president, Nostradamus analyst Louis Lefrevre tells Globe. Wait a second the Trump-loving Globe is calling the President a false trumpet? Sure, he makes a lot of noise and blows a lot of hot air, but then who is the true trumpet? Hillary? Bernie?

The ancient writings continue: The trumpet shakes with great discord. An agreement broken . . .

Lefrevre explains: The broken agreement is Kim's refusal to stop nuclear testing despite his former promises. Well, that seems obvious once you explain it.

So, what comes next?

The next war, says Lefrevre, pointing to this Nostradamus verse: Pestilences extinguished, the world becomes smaller, for a long time the lands will be inhabited peacefully. What could be clearer than that? And should I be surprised that a Google search for what the Globe terms University of Paris expert Louis Lefrevre turns up zero matches?

How about the Globe story that Jennifer Aniston and husband Justin Theroux are having a trial separation? Except she's actually filming in Georgia, and he's at home in New York. That's not a marital split, it's a working couple. How about the Globe finding proof that the coroner had Natalie Wood's autopsy faked! Its proof? You'll have to turn to Nostradamus for that, because the Globe comes up with none, except for a writer's unsubstantiated sensational claim that coroner Thomas Noguchi fabricated" findings to cover up her murder. What was fabricated? That's never explained.

How about fears that actor Bruce Willis is suffering dementia, because he starred on Broadway wearing an earpiece to feed him his lines. Except that performance was two years ago, and wearing an earpiece to receive lines in a show with a script being constantly reworked is hardly a sign of Alzheimer's. Just ask Al Pacino, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, and the many other actors who have worn earpieces for line prompts on Broadway.

The tabloids' Guess-Your-Weight expert, who so accurately pin-points each star's fluctuating heft to the nearest pound, now has a name: Dr. Stuart Fischer, creator of the Park Avenue Diet. Dr. Fischer tells the Globe that Caitlyn Jenner weighs at least 220 pounds, and blames the hormones that the former Bruce Jenner takes to be girly for her added avoirdupois.

Dr. Fischer is there again, in this week's National Enquirer, telling us that Angelina Jolie looks like she weighs no more than 76 pounds, and that she was recently nearly 100 pounds after being as low as 79 pounds. These are remarkably accurate assessments of stars' precise weights, for a doctor who admits never having treated either Jenner or Jolie.

Angelina, it seems, is literally dying of a broken heart following her split from Brad Pitt, claims the Enquirer. As Dr Gabriel Mirkin, who also hasn't treated Jolie, explains, with repeated weight loss you lose so much heart muscle that you can go into heart failure.

Nutritionist Lisa De Fazio also gets in on the act, informing the Enquirer that actress Tori Spelling now weighs 150 pounds, which qualifies her as a plus-size pauper because she was spotted shopping at Target oh, the shame of it! and browsing a yard sale. Oh, and the chunky blonde stuffed herself during a recent family vacation at a pricey $10,000-a-night Mexico resort. So that's the sort of pauper we're dealing with one who can only afford $10,000 for a hotel room? How sad to be so impoverished.

Fortunately we have the crack investigative team at Us magazine to tell us that Selena Gomez wore it best (and who doesn't look good in a pink unicorn sweater?), that Grey's Anatomy star Jessica Capshaw is incredibly humble (What I like most about myself is that I'm kind), that actress Natacha Karam (Who she, Ed?) carries Chanel Coco Noir perfume, poo bags for my dog, boxing gloves, and like, 600 elastics hair scrunchies in her drawstring gym bag, and that the stars are just like us: they play slot machines, eat ice cream, and shop for Halloween. Riveting stuff.

Us devotes its cover to Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie and actor-husband Josh Duhamel as their marriage explodes," blaming baby battles, cheating and the pressures of fame. Supposedly he wanted more children and she wanted to focus on her singing career, but the cheating line seems rather gratuitous, since it refers to unsubstantiated allegations by an Atlanta stripper claiming a one-night fling with Duhamel in 2010.

People magazine gives its cover to Prince William, promising to unveil his life as a dad and future king. The British Royal Family are always big sellers for the celebrity mags, but sadly it's an uninspired romp through old interviews, explaining that he's a great father because he takes the kids to school when wife Kate can't, and that he listens to people he meets. There's a lot of support for each other, and a lot of love, says a mental health activist who met them briefly at an event last year. Well, that's as good as a source inside Kensington Palace, isn't it?

Leave it to the National Examiner to predict that by 2050 sex with robots will be more common than lovemaking for humans only, and that the RealDoll company already markets a line with customized genitalia and interchangeable faces. Because robot sex should be like eating at Burger King: you can have it your way. Intriguingly, most sexbots are female, and the Examiner reports that for whatever reason, women seem less interested in being intimate with androids! Perhaps because most men in the sack perform like mechanized robots anyway?

Onwards and downwards . . .

[hollywoodjuliorivas]

We’ve never been here before

President Trump wears protective glasses as he views the solar eclipse on Monday at the White House in Washington) (Andrew Harnik/Associated Press)

By

Garrison Keillor

 August 22 at 10:28 AM

Anxious times in America. There was a news story a few weeks back, “Interrupted Sleep May Lead to Alzheimer’s,” and next to it, a wine review with the line “Vivacious and well balanced, with chewy tannins and flavors of fresh red fruits.” You know and I know that a vivacious beverage will not compensate for losing your marbles. And now, driving to California, I find that I must enter a password in order to change the time zone on my laptop clock. Evidently, someone is out to mess up my schedule and my clock must be secured.

I go to concerts by old folk singers with long thin ponytails and see burly men in black, “SECURITY” on their shirts, protecting these oldsters from interaction with their aging fans. The only danger the fans present is that when they stand waving their iPhones and singing “We Shall Overcome,” they might fall and break a hip. As the president would say, SAD.

I grew up in an America with no passwords and many fewer warning signs. Now we buy coffee in cups that say, “Caution: Hot Beverage.” Someday I will drive by a sign: “Turn On Wipers In Event Of Rain.”

Read These Comments

The best conversations on The Washington Post

Sign up

Most anxiety is fairly harmless — my fear of water for example, which I inherited from my mother. If you needed a man to ride a horse leaping from a high platform into a water tank at the thrill show, I would not be that man, but I take a daily shower, I drink water, no problem.

We authors experience high anxiety as a book goes through proofreading: You imagine that somewhere in those 150,000 words are “insouscience” and “precosity” and “Her and me went through a lot of anxiaty together.” We 75-year-olds feel the dread of dementia, especially in those moments when the name of the movie Warren Beatty starred in with Natalie Wood escapes us, the movie we saw in our teenage years, the title comes from a poem by somebody, a poem we read in 10th-grade English class — taught by Lois Melby? Helen Story? — and that, young people, is why we are wandering aimlessly through the produce section amongst the lettuce and tomatoes, because we’re waiting for that dazzling moment when (“Splendor in the Grass”!) the name pops up in our brain.

Play Video 2:46‘Trump might be the president, but it’s your country’

President Donald Trump’s reluctance to condemn bigotry suggests he does not want to heal the wounds of racism and white supremacy. Fred Hiatt, head of The Washington Post editorial board, says Americans still have reason to hope. (Adriana Usero, Kate Woodsome/The Washington Post)

And now, a new anxiety that our history has not prepared us for, a fear that we have elected George III to the presidency and we may not survive three and a half more years of his madness. For the first time in our history, we are looking to generals to save us from democracy.

We Democrats bear some responsibility. Hillary Clinton was a symbolic candidate with a nice résumé who lacked the ability to connect with voters. This is a fatal flaw. She was almost beaten in the primaries by an elderly Vermont socialist. The party, bitterly divided, stuck to symbolism and tried to elect the First Woman President, though most women were not enthused about her. The party apparatus assumed she had to win. Who could possibly lose to an invincibly ignorant blowhard New York developer with a peroxide ducktail? As it turned out, she could.

And now we think about the man picking up the red phone instead of Twitter and ordering fire and fury like the world has never seen and the death of 10 million people. We trust the order will be disobeyed, a de facto military coup, and the man will be packed off to Walter Reed and what then?

We’ve never been here before. A fourth of the population will approve of anything the king does, including my cousin, a godly man who believes the king will safeguard Christians against a liberal elite that is out to confiscate their Bibles. On the paranoia spectrum, this is just below the fear that invisible beams from the microwave may force you to eat toilet cleaner. Evidently my cousin is not getting the uninterrupted sleep he needs.

I hope I am wrong. On Monday I was in the midst of people with protective glasses all excited by the so-called solar eclipse, and what they actually saw was a brief celestial dimness. Any Midwestern thunderstorm is vastly more spectacular. Maybe George III is that sort of phenomenon. The mad king turns out to be the Queen of Hearts who is able to believe six impossible things before breakfast. The rabbit is there and a little girl named Alice. Enjoy the show.

Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality.

[houstonlocalus-blog]

Holistic Tips for Surviving Without Healthcare

  Good health is something all people strive for. But unfortunately, in today’s world, access to adequate healthcare to make said good health possible is often just out of reach. Even with Obamacare, which will perhaps not be along for very much longer if the Viagra-popping white walkers of the GOP get their way, premiums are still far too high. It goes without saying that the entire American healthcare system needs a massive reboot, but don’t hold your breath because that’s probably never going to happen. Maybe the best option for all of us is to just forgo traditional healthcare altogether and embrace the many natural medicines for better health that our dear flat earth offers us.

Not to mention, in the age of groundbreaking Internet publications like Goop, traditional healthcare is becoming so passé. Who needs to see a gynecologist when you can just store an energy realigning jade egg in your vagina? And who needs to see a psychiatrist when you can just realign your body’s energy frequency with wearable stickers that promote positivity and healing? Hell, who needs physical therapy when you can just wear a shirt with a positive affirmation on it?

It’s high time for all of us to say goodbye to the American healthcare system for good and embrace Hollywood’s trendy holistic approach to health maintenance. Forget Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, it’s time to join the Kardashians!

Here are some tips for maintaining your health the NATURAL way, at least until your body is destroyed beyond repair in a geopolitical conflict brought on by the effects of climate change.

  A Crystal A Day Keeps the Doctor Away:

For thousands of years people have been using crystals, which work through resonance and vibrations, to treat all kinds of illnesses. Crystals work by helping release spiritual, physical and mental blockages that cause ailments like testicular cancer, dementia and ALS. Every crystal vibrates at its own frequency and has its own unique healing attributes, so why not forgo health insurance altogether and turn the rock and mineral show into your new pharmacy?

I’ve been using quartz crystals, which help clear the mind, to treat my Bipolar Disorder for years, and it’s been working miracles on my delicate psyche! All I do is lube up a quartz crystal with coconut oil every morning and shove it up my anus, where it stays for the remainder of the day (also helps treat IBS). It goes without saying that it’s super hard to have a mood swing when you’re focusing all of your mental and physical energy on clinching your butthole tight enough to prevent the crystal you have shoved up your ass from falling to the floor and shattering into a million little pieces (Note: Do not put it back in if this happens).

Do you have Sickle Cell Anemia? Have you tried treating it with bloodstone, which can be worn around your neck as an amulet, instead of dangerous and unnatural big pharma-produced medications? Bloodstone works by helping to purify your blood, which ensures that your life force remains strong and healthy. This crystal is also a powerful energizer, so even if it doesn’t end up curing your disease it will at least give you the strength and enthusiasm to power through it!

Before you start using crystals to treat the many ailments caused by your inability to access adequate healthcare, it’s important to read up on how to appropriately charge them under the light of the moon. Every time there is a full moon, I place my assortment of medicinal crystals and stones in a bath of organic almond milk and let the moon do its magic to them. If almond milk isn’t your thing, you can also let your crystals soak in a vat of menstrual blood (no vegan option) or artisanal, small-batch kombucha. I’ve also heard of people treating gonorrhea (and super gonorrhea) by slathering their crystals in their discharge and then setting them out to soak up the moon’s healthful beams.

  The Healing Power of Turmeric:

A host of scientific studies have shown that turmeric is just about one of the healthiest things you can put into your system, and that’s why I put turmeric in absolutely everything. And by everything, I mean everything — eye drops, bandaids, enemas, tampons, contact solution, etc. There is literally nothing that a turmeric and apple cider vinegar cocktail cannot fix. Have makeup-induced acne? Try making a foundation out of turmeric and equal parts LaCroix (coconut flavor works best). Not only will you say goodbye to your acne, but you’ll get a healthy, sun-kissed glow to your skin that even Donald Trump will be jealous of. Want to take off that makeup at the end of the day (before inserting your favorite crystal into your butt for some deep REM sleep)? Just make your own makeup remover with equal parts rubbing alcohol and turmeric.

Turmeric can also be used for an amazing full-body cleanse to help with weight maintenance. I’ve only consumed turmeric mixed with natural spring water for the past two months and I’ve lost an astonishing 40 pounds. It works, believe me! I’m so skinny and waif-like now that the only clothes in my closet that I can still wear are my ohm-sign-printed drawstring yoga pants and a t-shirt I stole from an American Girl doll.

Turmeric, as a spice, can also be mixed with any type of food you can imagine. Getting bored with the strawberry chia pudding you eat for breakfast every morning? Try mixing a couple of tablespoons of turmeric into it. Are you totally over the orange and mango smoothie you drink every day at noon for a quick pick-me-up? Try throwing a cup of turmeric into and you’ll never want to miss a day without it again.

Turmeric is the Mother Teresa of spices — albeit without the coerced deathbed conversions — and absolutely everyone could use a bit more of it in their life.

  Coconut Oil For Every Ailment:

I remember watching the presidential election results trickle in on election day last November and wondering the whole time why liberals hadn’t gone out en masse the night before and rubbed coconut oil all over the damn polling stations. Coconut oil fixes everything! But they didn’t do that, hence we’re still here today with a shitty healthcare system and an increase in people being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Coconut oil can be used to treat a variety of ailments, including arthritis and diabetes. If you’re a diabetic, or know someone who is, you probably know that insulin is ridiculously expensive. One cost-saving measure is to cut your insulin with melted coconut oil. Not only will doing so allow you to stretch out your insulin supply, it will also give your pancreas a healthy glow (although you won’t be able to see it because it’s deep inside your body).

Everyone knows about the benefits of oil pulling, but have you tried oil pulling with your butt? I have, and it’s made my butthole much more pink and supple. All you do is douche with some melted coconut oil and then jump around your house for 20 minutes while trying to hold it in. It’s best to start with five minute sessions at the beginning, then start gradually increasing your hold time as your sphincter muscles start to bulk up.

Coconut oil can also be used to treat just about any skin condition under the sun. I suffer from eczema from time to time and treat it by coating my entire body in coconut oil then wrapping myself like a mummy in strips of hemp cloth. And hey, if it’s Halloween no one will even know why you’re doing it!

  The Ancient Art Of Smudging:

Everyone knows that smudging with sage is one of the best ways to rid your home of evil spirits and negative energy, but did you know you can use the method to treat your body as well? Inhaling massive quantities of sage smoke has actually been proven to help treat a variety of respiratory illnesses, including asthma and bronchitis.

And guess what? Sage smoke can also be used to help you quit smoking cigarettes. It actually works! Instead of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, I now just clambake under a hemp blanket with a burning sprig of sage every day for a couple of hours. Not only is this great for your lungs, it also helps you rid yourself of addictive behavior. And according to an article I read in an online anti-vaxxer publication, this is also one of the best way to cure small pox in small children.

Not convinced? You can’t knock it until you try it yourself!

  Nature Is the Best Medicine:

Nature truly is the best medicine. Everyone struggles with depression from time to time, but people often don’t realize that deep, spiraling depression can actually be cured by just walking in a park for about 20 minutes a day. Who want’s to feel sad when there are so many flowers to pick and squirrels to become friends with? Squirrels are so silly and cute to watch! Not to mention, it’s been scientifically proven that looking at trees for at least 10 minutes a day can help rebalance the serotonin levels in your brain. Are you in need of knee replacement surgery? Have you tried just going on a brisk jog every day by a picturesque lake? Have arthritis in your hands? Maybe you should just try painting landscapes every day in a natural forest for a week or so. I’m positive that will fix the problem!

We live in such a big and beautiful world, and it’s a damn shame that sick and housebound people don’t go outside more often to smell the roses. The whole earth is basically a giant Bob Ross painting, so why not go out and explore it more. It’s good for you!

    DISCLAIMER:  This is a satirical article. That being so, please do not attempt any of the actions listed in it. 

Holistic Tips for Surviving Without Healthcare this is a repost

[eekispyykes]

Casting July 3rd's Shadow Over a republican #Sadoxenophilia

by Michael Bench

Racism will remain a problem in the character of republicans and conservatives so long as they're enabled/tolerated to title their periodicals with terms like “National Review”.  Conservative's racism is defended by columnists like Mona Charen “The Myth of Republican Racism”, invented terms like reverse racism, and toddlerish dialog insinuating “ there's racism among democrats too”. The typical response for criticism of  the republican party is “both parties are at fault”, “problems are on both sides”,” they do it too”.. Madlib responses in that the actual allegation is of no concern to recipient. Charen calls republican racism “ a myth” in that by the behavior having a label, its isolated as behaving incorrectly. The strategy of groups like National Center for Law and Policy, American Family Association,Weekly Standard and of course the National Review itself is to come off as uber references while playing partisan gimmicks.

Racism isn't the bottom mud of the republican think tank pit. Its actually xenophobia bigotry that rules their hearts. Strategic xenophobia or even #Sadoxenophilia is a reasonable term for the love of hating 'the other' as created tocomfortably group all critics as a single one enemy. The conservative politic has many enemies. Their dementia of coping mechanism is to label each group indistinct of each other as 'Liberals'. If they had a vendetta against Blacks in particular , the next label they would soil would be Ebony. Republicans are racists through their life work of being thoughtless bigots. Actual government business or debate has no interest for them since forming debate would also necessitate knowing facts. Knowing facts isn't fun nor advantageous for the party squealers like Ann Coulter to flourish with her vitriol.

Issues can be traced to their pundits for a particular type of ingredient. The godless liberal as accused by Ann Coulter is a series of three words that can't be ignored for their #Sadoxenophilia.  She has identified a group and attempted to redefine it 'godless” despite the popularity of nonchristian religions among nonCaucasian Citizens and non Protestant Caucasians. For the active base looking to react to such vitriol , they've stripped away any other belief system as without credit ; First Amendment or not. If an Atheist were pridefully open about their absence of codependence , they wouldn't be listened to anyway. The republican base is programmed with selective hearing, reactionary anger, and a library of rhetoric that keeps them safe from self defeating debate.  The republican base is racist by their inability to think while in defensive crouch against new material they haven't been prepared for. Rush Limbaugh's “grabbing his own ankles' jargon was quite a distaction of  antigay anal rape fearmongering. Crouching isn't at all effective if republican's base is simultaneously grabbing their own ankles.  Pro rape military sects protected by the conservative wing's poor Department of Defense reporting structure could certainly oblige the posture.  

Republican  racism is a fact. An alternatively worded fact is “Bigots are readily represented by conservative planks since they are also zionist (jewish puritan supremacists) friendly. Racism might as well be alternately spelled “Rncism”, so it can feel #PWNED. It  extends to the creation of stereotypes about any member of any race, religion, or general “Liberals”. The conservatives mudpit of self idolatry has a specific fuel of narcissism. Without narcissism the entire remainder of the party would fall apart..

Moderates of the first deviation now keep it together. The second deviation was allegedly shed in theory but not really.  Taboola type campaigns are bought rhetoric and among conservative rhetoric click bait headlines reads “ What did Trump say that has democrats screaming?” “ Liberals are crying about this new republican bill”. The false definitions of the constructed arch nemesis group aren't about informing. Its about insult. Its a critical difference of Liberal and Media criticism of republicans and republican smear of their numerous foes and media critics.

Its about offending and agitating; the immaturity of a 10-14 year old boy.  The media naturally enables this type of vitriol because sensationalizing any controversy sells papers. Know that despite columnists having sensibly taken non republican stances for OP-EDs,heading type news reporting is definitely a benefit to republicans. Not that a republican would read op eds anyway. The Base among republicans has a significant population who see their small gov  allegiance planks abided with the ease of not reading from the 'blasphemous liberal media”.A blasphemy is a dirty word for Liberals because while its accurate to hold republicans for running their party as a cult, there are too many christians of even lower intelligence that would react with empowering gusto.

Conservatives are a religion of self adoration to themselves. Bigots that are racially jewish and racially caucasian each clutch a torah or old testament to vindicate #Sadoxenophilia. No matter much we believe eradicating hate is a good thing, the stereotypes and politics of race shield needed and deliberate criticism of the obsolete religions fomating these hatreds ,classism and segregation. When we say racism/rncism, we are really talking about classism anyway. A classism that's been made palatable by economic numbers game.  Haves and have nots is the same rivalry engineered of republicans gridlocking democrats. Any number of parties below three won't result in Democracy.  No contributable alternative facts exist.

The legitimacy and dignity of the united states government and presidential office is being soured, stained by conservatives;not just Trump. Giving states rights arguments debate fuel starts in exploiting a government toward self aggrandizement as a proof of how flimsy it appears. Lately Trumps use of the Press secretary position has been to complain about policy being criticized on a daily basis. That's what happens. Daily press briefings lead to daily criticism. Poor poor Donald and Huckabee Sanders, (take your lumps and quite whining like a bitch)

Personally I see three press briefings a week a sensible limit. That said, there's no reason to turn the cameras off. The rhetoric and actual assault against the reporters has called me to recommend the media arm itself. A republican party not willing to answer for itself and willing to assault has a bullet to eat. Just know that if the shenanigans by Michael Grimm, Aaron Schock, Gianforte are any summary of conservative accord  an armed press would be killing criminals in their self defense. A fact no red state pundit can deny.

The conservatives applaud a strong police force while for themselves a lawless bunch of bigots and vainglorious corporate puppets. To call themselves supporters of Democracy isn't simply a lie; its mental illness. An identity a republican would take defensively; Killing Kennedy, Lincoln etc. Take all that they do and say and promote:  Nihilism posturing as care for people isn't  a safe candidate disposition worth congress or any other appointment.

It seems if republicans identify with the resurface  of confederacy , it does infact show the Rebel Flag isn't really about racism. The rebel battle flag as republicans adopted is a sign of genocide for those refusing their demented cultism. Its rank-file favor system polluting congress. Everyone is minority without the money to pay a republican congressmen to hear/gratify them. Before, the aggregate limit at least required a more open ears to varied constituents. Without limits on the aggregate campaign donation amount, now the republican and democrat congressmen aren't required to notice much of the market place of ideas at all.. Congress's truth is a bit late in self identity. Donations don't even matter for their shopping pattern for ideas isn't Bricks and Mortar. Congress has shopped for its own ideas from home quite awhile.