Saturday, June 30, 2018

Life imitates art again

For all you dimwits that didn't vote for Hillary and still say you would not have given our present nightmare.


Nora Bateson - In the blind spot

Nice blog post, copied below, that sums up where change comes from. I still get academic intellectuals, my former profession, asking why I have degraded to the gutter of the emotional rhetoric of the regular folk. Cuz that's where the pain is, and where change happens, not in ivory towers.

"The revolution, the evolution is not going to be found in conference centers or seminars in 5 star hotels. It won’t be definable in righteousness or sanctimony.

The resonances will be and are where the pain has been–where there was no choice but to become unbreakable.

Where the scars are generations deep and sculpt into raw, sassy, funny, sexy, harsh, confusing.

Laser sharp intelligent literacy of metaphors; the messages wont be sterilized in direct instructional language. The (r)evolution is not a Lego set to assemble, it is alive.

The alchemy of change changes as it changes.

The logic of the current systems is not so useful for the task. It leads back to the academy, city hall and the bank. Those are not the places were unbreakable is made.

Look elsewhere."

The Dumpsters celebrate their tax scam

While cutting programs for the very people who voted for them. Per Robert Reich, now they want to give even more tax breaks to the rich on top of those already given. WTF?








The Adventures of Ed the Head, Chapter Five

Still in this same document starting on page 30. The more pages added to it the longer it takes to load all of them. Now it takes about 30 seconds or so.

What's the difference between a golf ball and the G-spot?

A man will spend 20 minutes looking for a golf ball.

Maher's new rule on climate change and health

Because winters are shorter and less severe more northern latitudes are experiencing tick-born Lyme disease. He makes the broader point that no matter how much we take personal responsibility for our health, not matter how hard we try, what matters more are the environmental policies that poison us continuously. We need governments run by people that care about people and the environment. And we need we the people to get involved and elect representatives that will do it. Under Dump it's only getting worse and the consequences are dire indeed. Oh, and as usual there's some LOL jokes.

DeVos running Christian child trafficking ring?

I wish this was hyperbole. Continuing this post, Bethany Christian services is definitely in hock to DeVos. And Bethany is definitely putting kidnapped immigrant children into foster care. You know, good Christian families that don't mind accepting kidnapped children. They claim these children will not be permanently adopted but reunited with their real parents when the time comes. But when asked if Bethany was keeping track of the location of the kids and their parents so they could be reunited Bethany did not respond. The US Dept. of Health and Human Services also did not respond to that inquiry.

And we're supposed to believe that DeVos and the Dump Swamp are not running a child trafficking ring when everything in their history points to this possibility? All in the name of God that the kids will be better off in a house of God than with their criminal, animal parents? God would want this for the kids, right? We'll see what happens, but given these God damned monsters it seems the logical conclusion to what has been done so far.

EPA approves nerve gas pesticide

This short video explains. A toxic drug, chlorpyrifos, is adapted from the nerve gas the Nazis used is now being sprayed on our food. Academic researches found this toxin in California babies. Scientists have proven that it "increases the risk of learning disabilities, reduces IQ, and links to autism and ADHD."

In 2000 the Environmental Protection Agency banned the toxin from  personal use but still allowed agricultural use. Last year the EPA decided to ban that too but did not. Why? Dow Chemical is the main producer and it is used on a massive scale agriculturally. They donated $1 million to Dump's inauguration fund. Then Dow's CEO got the top spot on Dump's American Business Council. Then Pruitt, head of the EPA, ignored his own agency's science and announced it would not be banned.

Easy to follow. The Swamp is more fetid than ever and literally poisoning us and our children for profit. We're only a few steps away from gas chambers. How great is that America?

Friday, June 29, 2018

A message to the privileged

When you say you don't care about politics, what you're saying is you don't care about anyone but yourself and your closed circle of privileged family and friends. Listen up.




Then there's the Annapolis media shooting

So Dump's rhetoric is that the media "are the enemy of the people." And then this happens and some of the Dumpsters are overjoyed. "Earlier this week, a conservative provocateur and former Breitbart employee texted reporters at the Observer and the Daily Beast, 'I can’t wait for the vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight.'" Who would have ever guessed? Anyone with half a brain, that's who.

James Woods threatens violence

Continuing this post, recall James Wood's reaction to Waters' call for peaceful protest. He said: "Now that a United States Congresswoman has called for harassment against Republicans and the inevitable violence that will come of it, I urge all of you to a) get armed, and b) vote. Your life literally depends on it." His Twitter followers are "locked and loaded." And that is somehow equivalent to peaceful protest? Only in a stinking Dumpster maybe, where any legitimate, peaceful criticism is such a threat that it deserves this kind of violent assault.

Not your grandfather's socialism

Good, concise video on democratic socialism, especially given Ocasio-Cortez's victory.

Some butterfly humor

LOL.


Ocasio-Cortez disagrees with Pelosi

Uygur asked her about Pelosi debasing her victory, saying it was an anomaly in a very specific district and not to be given much weight with the Party. (It figures.) Ocasio-Cortez disagrees, instead seeing this as indicative of a country-wide progressive movement of we the people. She discusses the data coming in showing her win includes a broad demographic. Also they discuss Hannity freaking out over her win and unknowingly doing a commercial for all of her popular positions.

Our Revolution winners

Some like Stephanie Miller point fingers at Our Revolution when candidates they support lose. So how about praising those that won their primaries?

Dump appoints Supreme Corp Justice to protect himself

Dump is currently under criminal investigation and he's going to appoint a SC judge who will ultimately rule on Dump's criminal investigation? What's wrong with this picture beside everything? Fascism much? Stop any nomination until after the Mueller report is released.

It's time for Putin's annual employee review of Dump

Which is pretty much what this meeting is. He starts with Congress grilling Rosenstein, who fights back with some good zingers.

Waters suggests peacful protest, Dumpsters threaten her life

And we're still supposed to be civil with these crazed and violent nutbags? Waters only promoted peaceful protest and public shaming, and even some wimpy Dimocraps said it was uncivil? When on the Dump end he sees it as a threat and incited the kind of violent threats coming from his camp? There is simply no comparison. You can't be civil with people out to kill you for simply holding them accountable for their cruel and violent behavior.

DNC limits Super Delegates

Maybe they are waking up just a little bit? The full Rules and Bylaws Committee--which by the way was stacked with no progressives--voted to curtail SD power by barring them from voting on the first ballot for President. Granted they can vote on subsequent ballots and rig the system that way, but it's a tiny step in the right direction. And of course the only reason they gave that much was because of incessant pressure from Sanders and other progressives. So keep the heat on!

PEW: Pro-corporate Entitlement Whores

In this FB thread Ken said we need to eliminate the frame of 'right to work,' instead replacing it with Pro-corporate Entitlement Whores (PEW). I like that: Accurate and effective. Plus they stink like a giant pile of Dump. PEW! He said:

"It's not 'right to work:' a framing catch phrase even the left uses, unfortunately. (Why do we continue to buy into such obvious framing crap?) These people are already working so they obviously have that right. What they call 'RTW' is an entitlement program for benefits not earned. Perhaps 'Pro-Corporatism Entitlement Whores,' or something like that? (Or PEW.)"

Colbert interviews Ocasio-Cortez

You remember, the young, female, Democratic Socialist that took out the #4 in the Dimocrapic Party primary? Her first point: Polling isn't always right. Polling tries to find who will turn out to vote; she changed who in fact turns out. For example, young voters who rarely turn out in mid-terms. She also describes Democratic Socialism as: "In a modern, moral and wealthy society, no person in America should be too poor to live." She's on her way to Congress and I see a future Presidential run in maybe 10 years.

Jon Stewart's message to Dump

On Colbert last night. We simply cannot be civil to this monster that is caging children. The thread in all of Dump's actions is gleeful cruelty. Stewart won't stand for it, and neither will we.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

How Ben Jealous won

Uygur interviews him in the video below. 99.9% of the campaign contributions came from individuals. The other 0.1% was from labor unions and small businesses. Like Bernie Jealous proved that a campaign dedicated to the people while refusing corporate or PAC money can not only compete but win against the big money alternative. Jealous plans to keep on the progressive track in his upcoming election against the Repug Governor, focusing on people and not politics.

The road to fascism

It's not longer flirting but well on the way there.

Autopoiesis and structural coupling

Continuing this post, see Maturana's seminal paper "Organization of the living." Therein he notes that all the subsystems of an organism are subservient to the autopoiesis of the system, yet each of those subsystems have their own operationally closed function that must structurally couple with the other subsystems to achieve that organismic unity. He uses the nervous system as an example of one of those subsystems. 

E.g., from the conclusions section (p. 167):

"If the organism and its nervous system are structurally plastic, the continuous realization of the autopoiesis of the organism necessarily results in a structural coupling of the organism and the nervous system to each other, and to the medium in which the autopoiesis is realized."

Sanders on Ocasio-Cortez victory

He praises her for focusing on the values and issues we the people care about, a winning formula. A democracy of the people is once again on the rise. Sanders also calls out Blitzer for trying to frame it as an internal battle in the Dim Party. Sanders keeps redirecting the discussion to a frame of defending workers rights and democracy, the right way to address the situation.

The truth about conservative 'values'

They value power and money and that's it. They despise people and nature. To wit, putting children in cages. They destroy the environment for profit. They take food out of the mouths of children. They step on the necks of people trying to get ahead and make a decent living. They give tax breaks to their rich benefactors and take it away from everyone else. They are complicit with a deranged, fascistic Presidunce destroying our nation. They break laws with impunity to further their selfish ends. And they make laws to overturn the laws they've been breaking. That's exactly what they value.

Where did the tax scam money go?

Stock buybacks with little going to workers. Wages are still losing ground to inflation. Anyone with half a brain knew this was a scam from the beginning to further enrich the already rich. Will the Dumpsters ever understand this now that they yet again got the shit end of the stick? And that there's only one cause, Dump and the Repugnantans? Especially since that same cause is now planning to gut social programs they rely on to make up for the deficit caused by the tax scam. Hopefully at least a few will wake up and smell the shit they're wallowing in.

ACLU exposes child concentration camps

The ACLU got 30,000 pages of documents from a Freedom of Information Act request specific to these child detention centers. What they found:

"The documents show numerous cases involving federal officials’ verbal, physical and sexual abuse of migrant children; the denial of clean drinking water and adequate food; failure to provide necessary medical care; detention in freezing, unsanitary facilities; and other violations of federal law and policy and international law. The documents provide evidence that U.S. officials were aware of these abuses as they occurred, but failed to properly investigate, much less to remedy, these abuses."

See the linked report for specific examples of this treatment. And this recent story shows that immigrant children are continuing to be put in camps with abusive treatment. The only way to accurately frame these facilities is that they are concentration camps. Dump is Making America Hate Again.

Lindsey Stirling - First Light

She also does some dancing in this video. I particularly like the partner dancing later on.

Colbert on Ocasio-Cortez victory

A win for democracy and another nail in the oligarchy's coffin. It's a big coffin though and will take some time to nail it down for good.

Teacher evaluation ineffective in improving student perfomance

So much for the canard (fake news) that it's the teacher's fault for poor student performance. The Gates Foundation has spent $575 million evaluating teachers in the hopes of improving student performance but has finally admitted that other factors are more important, like nutrition, family support and early childhood education. Yet another regressive fake claim bites the dust.


NRA is afraid of democracy

The day after Ocasio-Cortez won her primary the NRA is going ape shit over socialists taking over the country. Meanwhile the rest of us in favor of democracy (right in the name of democratic socialism) love this victory and see it as confirmation that democracy is gaining ground on the fascist oligarchy that the NRA supports and engages in.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

The People's Movement Assembly

The Libertarian Socialist Caucus made me aware of this. Their quote:

"The People's Movement Assembly is an organizing strategy. The PMA is an ongoing process to practice and exercise power at the community level, across frontlines, and as social movements. The PMA puts the trust and leadership in the people assembled to make decisions together. It is not about a single leader, organization, or pre-determined goal."

They also have a handbook at the site with specific instructions.

Justice Kennedy retires from Supreme Corp

Kennedy has long been a swing vote, occasionally siding with the liberal wing. But with his decision to retire Dump will inevitably appoint someone more of his own ilk, i.e. white, racist, corporate-bought nationalist. Are there still so-called liberal idiots out there that think we'd have such a fascist stacked Corp with Clinton?

Supreme Corp supports free riders

But only those that implement their regressive agenda. In this case, those non-union member employees who benefit from union collective bargaining used to have to pay union dues. But the Corp ruled they no longer have to pay, but they'll still receive union negotiated benefits. That is a clear case of free riding, something I thought regressives hated. Aside from that hypocrisy, the main reason the Corp voted that way is to further decimate public unions because they fight for labor rights. We can't have that in a corporately controlled economy, at least not in Repugnantan Dumpland.

Marissa and the Heartbreakers on WOD

My favorite performance of the night.

Glennis Grace on AGT

Excellent performance of a Whitney Houston song but pretty much a clone. I'm looking forward to her putting her own personal style on future songs.

Melania's 'hidden message' wardrobe

It's not just that one jacket.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez interview

The Democratic Socialist that defeated a corporate Dim for his seat. She ran on a strong progressive agenda that focused on those values while avoiding direct conflict with the Dumpsters. She's been implementing Lakoff's framing, even if not consciously. Very inspiring interview on how to win elections.

Noah eviscerates calls for civility

Tolerance got grabbed by the pussy and they want civility? How about acting civilly with your policies instead of caging children? How about providing healthcare for your citizens like other civilized nations? If you destroy people's lives and expect civility then you are the one with the problem, not us for calling you out. Noah lays out the hypocrisy on how the monsters call for civility to hide their atrocious acts.

Who is inciting violence?

The fact check is unanimous: Dump.Waters is promoting peaceful protest, Dump is inciting violence. See the link for the facts. That is, if facts matter to you. Or civility, for that matter.

More progressive primary victories

See results here. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive Puerto Rican woman who supports Medicare-For-All and identifies as a Democratic Socialist, defeated the incumbent corporate Dim. Said incumbent was the 4th ranking Dim in Congress. Dana Balter, running on a progressive populist agenda, defeated an anti-abortion establishment Dim in a swing Syracuse district. Two progressives won Governor primaries, Ben Jealous in Maryland and Jared Polis in Colorado. This is what we the people want, so we're going out and getting it. Progressives aren't winning every race but they are certainly making inroads. Keep up the good fight people.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Monsters get what they deserve

Yes, the policies of Dump and the Repugnantans are moral travesties intentionally aimed at the destruction of democracy. So f___ their bullshit cries for 'civility.' Their attitude and policies are themselves the furthest thing from such a description. We're supposed to be nice to them when they put children in cages and take food out their mouths with food stamp cuts? Get serious. They're monsters and need to be treated as such. By that I mean peaceful protest, public shaming, refusal of service and the like.

Dim Party is still dimwitted

They're still at the same losing game. The hope that the Party can be reformed grows more unrealistic by the day.

"This sort of clumsy tone-deafness has been the defining characteristic of the Democratic Party's midterm efforts thus far. The Democratic leadership appears determined to alienate, as often and thoroughly as possible, the very people who could lift it to victory in 2018 and beyond: not just black women (who famously put Senator Doug Jones over the top in Alabama last December), but pretty much everybody to the left of Chuck Schumer."

"Let's be clear: There is no shortage of squalling babies on either side of the divide that's killing the party's ability to be an effective vehicle for the Resistance. The fightin' Sandernistas can be every bit as petty and short-sighted as the clingin' Clintonites. But it's the latter group that still holds the power in the national party to veto reforms the progressives want, to funnel resources into centrist House campaigns (and away from more progressive candidates), or to slap down Sanders and his supporters for no discernible reason but settling imaginary scores from 2016."

CPC statement on Supreme Corp upholding Muslim ban

So the Supreme Corp majority is not only racist but white nationalist too, just like the Presidunce. The Congressional Progressive Caucus statement on that vote follows.


Supreme Corp keeps gerrymandering

In the Texas case, which of course will now be applied as precedent to any other case of this type. Sotomayor wrote the dissent saying: "The Court today goes out of its way to permit the State of Texas to use maps that the three-judge District Court unanimously found were adopted for the purpose of preserving the racial discrimination that tainted its previous maps." Racism is alive and well in the highest court (corp) in the land.

Najee Richardson on ANW

He made the Philly qualifier course seem like a breeze. He also scaled the 18' wall for an extra $10 grand.

Pox Views' Smith on due process

I imagine he explodes Dumpster heads when they see him on Pox.

Colbert on denying due process

First of all, it's illegal. Due process is a Constitutional right for all, including illegal immigrants.  So for all  who support Dump's immigration policy because the immigrants and refugees are illegal (a misdemeanor, btw), let's hear you complain about this far more important Constitutional infringement being not only illegal but possibly grounds for impeachment. Although given the current Supreme Corp majority they'll find a way to allow it despite its clear and explicit Constitutional guarantee. We leap down the road to fascism by the minute.

Behind the Dumpster shitshow

Our democracy is being looted and dismantled step by step.


Our minds work by metaphorical scaffolding

Some excerpts from this article by a fellow polymath:

"Our bodies aren’t ‘designed’ for modern life at all.We humans didn’t evolve to think about cryptocurrency, orthogonal matrices, or interplanetary space travel, which means this stuff is really, really hard for us. [...] Humans weren’t ‘designed’ to understand stuff like linear algebra, Darwinian evolution, Austrian economics, or genome sequencing. We need special techniques to figure this stuff out."

"It turns out metaphors aren’t just for English teachers, poets, and singer-songwriters. Metaphors are for everyone, because they are the way we understand anything at all. [...] Basically, we understand ideas in terms of other ideas. To understand an abstract concept like 'love' we need a bunch of metaphors like JOURNEY, MADNESS, WAR, and so on. But, if you think about it, our big love-web can’t just be a mass of interwoven metaphors floating in outer space. Metaphors have to come from somewhere."

"Well, this 'somewhere' happens to be our bodies. Bodily experience is all we have, and we have to use these experiences to try and understand difficult, abstract ideas. Humans operate in three-dimensions . [...] The answer — as Pinker pointed out earlier — is to (a) using analogies [which come from experience] and wire together 'Jerry-built mental contraptions'. Turns out, we can use a whole bunch of metaphors together to help understand difficult, abstract ideas. The more complex and abstract an idea is, the more metaphors we’ll need to 'stack' on top of each other to understand it. [...]  I’m gonna call this metaphorical scaffolding — you can ‘stack’ metaphors on top of one another to help ‘reach’ an understanding of difficult ideas."


Tim Canova runs as NPA candidate

NPA meaning No Party Affiliate. He explains in his email below that running as an NPA does not help the Republican candidate despite Wasserman-Schultz's (WS) false claim. There is no chance for a Repug to win in that district in a 3-way race because it was gerrymandered by the WS team. It more shows that WS is worried she'll lose to an independent because that district is showing 35% are registered as independents. People are sick of both establishment parties and independent progressives can indeed beat both establishment Parties in certain districts. His letter:

Dear Friends,

In early April, I announced I was running as a No Party Affiliation (NPA) candidate – an independent -- on the ballot this November against Debbie Wasserman Schultz and a yet-to-be-determined Republican candidate. Almost immediately, the Schultz team started a whispering campaign that I was now a “spoiler” – that by running “third-party” (which I’m not), I would help elect the Republican. They whisper it will be just like when Ralph Nader supposedly helped elect George W. Bush over Al Gore in 2000.

This “spoiler” attack is revealing. First, there’s no chance of a Republican winning in a three-way race in this particular district which was specially gerrymandered for Schultz. And second, it shows
how worried the Schultz camp is that they can’t possibly win in a three-way race at a time when NPAs almost outnumber Democrats in our district.

Florida’s 23rd Congressional District was gerrymandered for Schultz and it’s been a safe Democratic seat – that is, up until now. But the population has been changing here, as reflected in the demographics of registered voters in the district: 25% Republican, 35% indie, and 40% Democrat.

In 2000, when Bush beat Gore, there was about a one percentage point difference between Democrats and Republicans. In Florida’s 23rd, Republicans are 15 percentage points behind Democrats and 10
percentage points behind NPAs. It’s hard to imagine a Republican taking second in a three-way race in this district, let alone ever winning.

That means Democrats can feel free to vote their conscience, vote for change, and vote against an unpopular incumbent. Among every part of the electorate, including among Democrats, voters agree that the status quo has got to go.

Karl Marx on business ethics

Marx has it right. Businesses claim to teach ethics but they just don't want employees to take back what is rightfully theirs. It's a bit hard to read with these dimensions so go here to see it in full size.

Dump threatens Waters with violence

Rep. Maxine Waters defended Red Hen's refusal of service to Dingleberry Sanders, noting citizens must push back again Dump's cruel agenda. Nowhere did Waters suggest that included violence, yet Dump sees it that way so suggested that since Waters incited violence she should expect to get some in return. He's sending a message to his Dumpsters to commit violence yet again.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Ryan Green and Twitch dance battle

Tonight on SYTYCD.

US economic policy caused the immigration problem

How? The disastrous NAFTA trade agreement for one. It flooded Mexico with cheap corn and other staples, causing thousands of small, local farmers out of business. Then came CAFTA and the large corporate agricultural schemes that again forced even more small farmers out of business. This forced people to work in extractive industries like mining, which stole people's land and poisoned them and their environment.

And this is just a few of the economic policies. Then there are all the violent gangs that are threatening and killing families. The increase in gang violence is also related to little economic opportunity. These people migrate because there is no work and/or fear for their lives. We created their plight and then turn them away, just like we created great income inequality and then blame hard working minimum wage families for their situation.

Jersey people explained

Continuing this post, JP explains Jersey people. They sound a lot like the bros in the previous linked post.

Westworld: The hosts are free

From season 2, episode 10, the season finale, starting around 1:15 in the video below.

Bernard: "I always thought it was the hosts [robots] that were missing something, who were incomplete, but it was them [people]. They're just algorithms designed to survive at all costs, sophisticated enough to think they're calling the shots. They think they're in control when they're really just..."

Ford: "Passengers."

Bernard: "Is there really such a thing as free will for any of us? Or is is just collective delusion? Sick joke."

Ford: "Something that is truly free needs to be able to question its fundamental drives. To change them."

The season ended with host Delores narrating: "We are the authors of our stories now."

Well, it doesn't exactly end there...

Embodiment - Sneak Peek on WOD

Good upper team performance.

Cross Fit by Jesus

LOL funny. The next level in evolutionary exercise and marketing.

A synthesis of peer to peer theory

By Michel Bauwens here. Some excerpts:

"Historically, we can already discern: a shift from nomadic pooling (Communal Shareholding) societies to tribal, sedentary reciprocity-based gift economy societies; a shift of tribal societies to Empires, i.e. state-based class societies; and a shift of the latter to capitalist societies.Today, we see the emergence of the network form (N+), and in our hypothesis a new phase shift towards a system of world-networks, which will reconfigure the other modalities that always also exist, but in a new configuration."

Fairy tales are relevant to science

Some evolutionary science for you.


The day economic theory changed

You can see Perkins' full essay on the topic here.


Lady Liberty's ultimatum to Dump

Well, we got a first step anyway. There's still plenty more steps to reuniting these families. Many of the kids are lost somewhere with little to no way of finding them. A superficial Executive Order isn't going to change that. Or that now kids will be held in indefinite detention with their parents. That is, if they can ever be found in the first place.


Proactive progressive populism

Once again I change the name of the blog to reflect my evolution. I chose populism as the last word due to its meaning, which is more precise for my target demographic these days. The working folk, whatever their Party identification, are the ones that win elections, not the liberal elites. The latter can masturbate each other to herculean heights of inbred pleasure but they still lose elections.

 
noun

  1. the political philosophy of the People's party.
  2. (lowercase) any of various, often antiestablishment or anti-intellectual political movements or philosophies that offer unorthodox solutions or policies and appeal to the common person rather than according with traditional party or partisan ideologies.
  3. (lowercase) grass-roots democracy; working-class activism; egalitarianism.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

State sponsored kidnapping for profit

Yes, the US has now come to this. DeVos is making $700 per night each from kidnapping immigrant children while preventing them from having any contact with their parents. What else can you reasonably call this?




Some facts about immigration

In Reich's FB post he corrects Dump's lies. Rest assured these facts will never penetrate a Dumpster. They're just for those of us that have at least a smidgen of knowledge about facts and science. He said:


1. A record high of 75 percent of Americans now say immigration is a "good thing" for the country (see graph, below). https://news.gallup.com/poll/235793/record-high-americans-say-immigration-good-thing.aspx

2. America needs more immigrants, not fewer, because our population is rapidly aging. https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/why-the-united-states-needs-more-immigrants

3. Historically, new immigrants have contributed more to society in taxes than they have taken from society in terms of public assistance. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/braingain_chapter.pdf

4. Most immigrants don't take jobs away from native-born Americans. To the contrary, their spending creates more jobs. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/us/immigrants-arent-taking-americans-jobs-new-study-finds.html

Is it rational to trust your gut feelings?

It depends, of course. Ideally rationality works with feelings to make the best decisions. Too much in either direction can lead us astray. Unbalanced rationality can lead to ad-hoc rationalizations or justifications. Unbalanced feelings can lead to us to overindulge or maintain in-group biases. Balancing them is dynamic, with one side weighing more or less heavily depending on contextual factors.

But interestingly, these two systems are distinct and uncorrelated, each operating on their own. So while we can balance them they are not part of the same processing continuum. I.e., thinking doesn't transcend and subsume feeling in a nested hierarchy. They are more like the structural coupling of systems science discussed here where I said:

The political compass

I repeatedly score far left and mid libertarian. Note 'libertarian' in this context is not Libertarianism (on the economic right scale), but more in line with individual freedom versus being an authoritarian follower. Take the test yourself. Chances are that if you read this blog you'll be at least in the same quadrant.


We're on stage 7 of 10 on the genocide scale

Let's get busy to ensure we don't go any further. If we don't then Dump will take us all the way there.



Warning: Dine out with Dingleberry Sanders at your own risk

You might get spit, boogers or worse by association.


What are we measuring?

Maybe we should try measuring happiness and democracy instead? The US sucks on both those measures, in part because the rich get all the goodies while we scrounge for crumbs. Note many of the same Scandinavian countries top both lists. If the US had more democracy and less oligarchy we'd be better off and happier too.


Michelle Wolf: Media keeps giving a megaphone to liars

She's right. Why even give these inhumane liars a platform in the first place? Just so you can knock them down with your indignation? They still get their message out. Oh, it's the entertainment dollars you bring in. So screw the nation as long as you profit? Remember this CBS CEO comment?

We must defend our morality

Even if at personal cost. If we just go along to get along we are complicit in the crimes being committed against humanity. Also see this post to congratulate Red Hen for showing such moral courage.




Dump hired illegal immigrants

The truth finally came out on a case that was sealed until recently. In 1980 Dump hired undocumented Polish workers to do a building demolition. They were paid $4 hour, worked "12- to 16-hour shifts without gloves, hard hats or masks" in toxic conditions. The workers rebelled and filed suit. It was proven in court that Dump was their employer and he ended up settling the lawsuit for $1.375 million. Illegal immigrants are just fine with him if he can make a buck off of them.

DNC installs a loyaty test

Yes they did. The Democratic National Committee Rules and Bylaws Committee passed a new rule that gives Chair Perez absolute authority to decide if a candidate is loyal to the establishment Party line. The candidate's “public writings and/or public statements [...must] “affirmatively demonstrate that they are faithful to the interests, welfare and success of the Democratic Party of the United States.” It's just one more tactic for the DNC to handpick the corporate Dems they want to represent their Party. It sounds like something Dump would do. This might be the last straw that gets progressives to leave that corrupt and decrepit Party beyond reform or repair. Nah, they'd have to grow a spine first, unlikely.

It seems if progressives ran as independents against both corporate Dems and Repugs they just might win a majority vote. If the last election proved anything, the majority of voters hate both establishment Parties. Dump would still have won had the Repugs put up someone else and he ran as an independent. Unless of course Sanders had run as an independent too. If ever we needed a strong spine that time is now.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

The difference between theory and practice

And their integration is not the solution.

Image may contain: text

Lakoff: Why Dump's baby jails backfired

It unleashed a wave of empathy in the majority of the population. And thanks in large part to we the people who hammered the facts and the implications loudly, clearly and repeatedly. Granted the Dumpsters lack the empathy necessary to see why baby jails are inhumane. Lakoff explains at the link.

A better alternative to Melania's message

Let's get busy folks and show them just how much we care.


Real church chastises fake Christianity

From the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill. You know, Session's own denomination that filed charges against him.


Good response to Sarah Dingleberry Sanders

Let's send Red Hen our thanks for exercising its freedom from liars. Btw, see the definition of dingleberry here if you don't know it already.




Heynabonics

The local dialect where I come from. One can see an extensive dictionary of the dialect here.

ICE detention centers are killing immigrants

A true and accurate statement according to a Human Rights Watch report. See the link for details on the situation as of 2017. And Dump's ICE is ramping up way beyond capacity. Democracy Now interviews Clara Long, the author of the report. Yeah, they're summer camps all right. To a fucking Nazi maybe. The video is also below.

George Will: Vote against GOP in midterms

Famed conservative Republican George Will has had it with the Party that abandoned any sense of reason. Note I'm calling him a Republican, not a Repugnantan, as he is also fighting those who have destroyed his Party by placating the Dumpsters. He naturally displays his usual articulate rhetoric and piercing analysis, so the link is well worth the read.

The business of concentration camps

The real reason for our immigration policy: It makes money for the Dumpsters. Private prison company stocks are going up given their contracts with ICE to house the prisoners. The proposed Repugnantan immigration Bills are also spurring their growth, as the Bills pledge construction of even more such prisons. Good old American enterprise at work, eh?

Dump's Kool-Aid

And it is literally killing America. Note the dead bodies at the bottom of the frame.




Colbert: Where are Dump's campaign people now?

He tells us in the latest episode of Russian Roundup. So where are they? In jail or on their way there. At least 11 Dump campaign officials have admitted interactions with the Russians.

Maher on recessions and assholes

Maher last week said a recession might motivate middle America to get rid of Dump. So the right wingnuts went crazy accusing him of something he never said. Maher defends himself noting that recessions are survivable but this current Presidunce and the Repugnantans are not. He aptly points out that what they've accused him of is what they are actually doing: starving and killing people with their policies. No joke.

Maher's monologue

As usual, he helps us relieve tension about the week's nightmares. That it took kidnapping children to motive some Repugnantans to challenge Dump is disturbing. Also some good commentary on so-called family values that cruelly justify child concentration camps.
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How to talk to the working class

Good stand up routine by Danny Jolles on Colbert last night. The whole routine is about bros, you know, those common working-class guys with backward hats, tight tee shirts and who yell when they talk. He tells a lot of good jokes about them but around 3:40 he tells us how progressives don't communicate with them very well. That's why most blogs, and progressive framing generally, don't work because they get into minutiae and depth analysis, when what's needed to reach these people is talking like a bro. It's an excellent point about framing to your audience. And one reason I really appreciate the liberal redneck. Fuckin' A right, henna?

Friday, June 22, 2018

Lip Sync Battle: Nicole Scherzinger v. Derek Hough

Good one. I vote Nicole.

Pox Views and N. Korea State TV

Almost identical in their leader worship. Pox Views, the official State TV channel for our fearless, feckless and fascist leader.

Jim Jefferies interviews Peterson

And does a segment on the whole free speech issue. He even gets Peterson to admit he was wrong on an issue.

Wanted for crimes against humanity

Accurate depiction.


Colbert: Dump makes refugee problem worse

So now the kids can be with the parents in prison, indefinitely. How compassionate. Then there's Dump's typical, hate-filled rally. And yes, Dump is the King of cutting beneficial regulations, thereby hurting people and the environment even more cruelly. Then Dump tears down the elite while claiming to be the most elite of all. The Dumpsters are too stupid to realize that Dump is the elite and doesn't give one shit about them, other than to manipulate them for votes.

The free lunch welfare of the wealthy

This is the real welfare problem causing the poor welfare problem. Direct your welfare anger at the right target.

Paul McCartney - Come on to Me

And now for some new McCartney.

Carpool karaoke with Paul McCartney

The latest installment in Corden's popular series. This elicited some deep, fond memories in this old man.

Today Jesus would be detained, tried, convicted

And all of the children in his flock would be put in detention camps. This is what our so-called Christian nation has come to.




Petition against the cruel GOP budget

See the Economic Policy Institute petition here. Their blurb:

Six months ago, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans passed a tax scam that will cost the American people $1.9 trillion. Now, in an Election Year ploy, they are preparing “Tax Scam Round 2.”

But six months after passage of Tax Scam Round 1, here is what we know:
  • 83% of the tax cuts are still going to the richest 1%.
  • Just 4% of workers have gotten a pay hike due to the tax cuts—a one-time bonus or wage hike.
  • The cost of the tax cuts has ballooned from $1.5 trillion to $1.9 trillion, emboldening GOP lawmakers to demand even more cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, education and more.
  • Trump proposed a budget that would cut funding for these critical services by $1.7 trillion to pay for his tax scam.
  • Prescription drug companies, health insurers, Wall Street banks and other major industries are getting huge tax breaks and not sharing the wealth with consumers or their employees.

Despite these outrageous results -- ripping off the American people -- Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans are planning to double down before the November Election. They want  to pass a Tax Scam Round 2 that could cost another $1 trillion and would mostly benefit the wealthy at the expense of working families, seniors, people with disabilities and hungry children.
Tax Scam Round 2 is just another giveaway to Republican donors, wealthy business owners and real estate developers like Donald Trump who game the system at our expense.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Roadcase Royale - Not Giving Up

Nancy Wilson's (Heart) new band, with Liv Warfield (of Prince's New Power generation) as lead singer, Ryan Waters (Warfield's lead guitarist) and Heart veterans Ben Smith (drummer), Dan Rothchild (bass), and Chris Joyner (keyboards). This song is an anthem of resistance to the Dump era. Visit their website here.

Heart - These Dreams

Live in Seattle, 2002. Beside being a guitar virtuoso, Nancy can sing too.

Massive underground ocean discovered

Fascinating science lesson from Today I Read.

Dump updates the Statue of Fiberty

She has been repurposed to lie like Dump about welcoming people.


House Farm Bill cuts food stamps

This report is from the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. The House Bill cuts more than $20 billion from the food stamp program over the next ten years. They are literally taking food out of the mouths of children. Studies show that food stamp recipients are more likely to find work. And those that can work do work. Over half of families on the program work. Once again it's Repugnantans that devalue people in need, blaming them for their situation while taking away programs that help them work out of their situation. They do the same thing with government: They intentionally break it and then claim it was broken to begin with. They are the problem: Repeal and replace Repugnantans.

UN blames conservatives for poverty in US

Kasparian and Uygur discuss the study below. Conclusion: The American dream is a myth. And it's getting worse under the Dumpsters. The UN report then said this (around 5:00):

"There's been a systemic effort by conservatives to stigmatize and legitimize what Americans call welfare--the notion that anyone who is receiving money from the government is shameful and offensive. Yet the rich receive vastly more money from the government and that's not considered shameful."

To wit, the latest example being the tax welfare giveaway. Almost all of it went to the top with a few crumbs for the rest of us. They used most of that money for stock buybacks, thereby increasing their own wealth and politically corrupt power even further.

The rise of the Christian Taliban

Good video on US Christian theocracy operating right here in our midst. No need to worry about Sharia law taking over when we have this bunch running the show. It provides video examples of our leaders openly supporting theocracy.

The Democratic Party Autopsy

Can be found here. According to the Executive Summary the reason Dems lost so badly is due to several reasons. Some examples include the following: The Party undermined support and turnout from its base, alienating them; instead they chased after moderate Repugnantans; they ignored populist issues supported by a majority of all voters, like economic injustice, racism, gender inequality, environmental destruction etc.; they refused to renounce their undemocratic practices revealed in the Russia emails. And on and on. And they're still at it.

How will Dumpsters create a Space Force?

No science, no space force. Praying ain't going to do it, just like it does nothing for gun violence.




Dumps hates immigrants and refugees

According to Time magazine this is their official cover for 7/2/18.








Sanders on the Executive Order

He thanks we the people for forcing this. And also notes that the EO goes nowhere as far as it should. E.g., there is nothing about the kids already in detention. It also raises the real possibility of children being imprisoned for long periods of time.

Colbert on Dump's executive failure

Despite claiming just the day before that he couldn't do it. It was all about Dump, not about giving a shit for those families. And he wants credit for doing this now, after it was him that created it? If it wasn't for the moral outrage from all sides the policy would still be in place. So Dump folded for the very first time. It will be a glorious day when he is either impeached or voted out in the next election, along with all the Repugnantans who supported him.

The drug war has failed

According to this article, which deals specifically with opium. But the drug was has failed with every other drug too. In those US States that have legalized pot there has been no increase in use, and often quite the contrary. How about legalizing all drugs? See this wiki for various stages of that process and the benefits derived therefrom. E.g., as but one stat: Legalization of weed in the US is boosting those States' economy and creating new jobs.

The EO to end child separation

It ends that policy going forward but has nothing to say about the children already in detention. So now kids will be with their parents throughout the entire process of the immigration proceeding, which could take months. Although the new process does put these families first in line in order to adjudicate as quickly as possible. We'll see what happens.

Slavery as the order of things

From this article on that nasty, metaphysical dualism monster infecting our very being. A monster we seek to tame in postmetaphysics. It's so insidious that it even creeps in there despite our best efforts.

"The late Australian philosopher and conservationist Val Plumwood has argued that the giants of Greek philosophy set up a series of linked dualisms that continue to inform our thought. Opposing categories such as intelligent/stupid, rational/emotional and mind/body are linked, implicitly or explicitly, to others such as male/female, civilised/primitive, and human/animal. These dualisms aren’t value-neutral, but fall within a broader dualism, as Aristotle makes clear: that of dominant/subordinate or master/slave. Together, they make relationships of domination, such as patriarchy or slavery, appear to be part of the natural order of things."

Psychology's fav moral dilemma doesn't appy in real life

Who could have predicted that? Likely anyone with real life experience in such situations instead of hypothetical, inconsequential what ifs.  I get so weary of people saying "if I was in that situation I'd do this." Uh huh. The study showed that "faced with a real-life dilemma, the volunteers were more consequentialist / utilitarian; that is, more willing to inflict harm for the greater good. [...] But the most important finding [...] is that the participants’ preference for deontological vs. utilitarian responding in their answers to the earlier battery of 10 hypothetical moral dilemmas bore no relation to their decision in the real-life mouse task."

Bostyn et al (2018). "Of mice, men and trolleys." Psychological Science, May 9.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

The real reason for child concentration camps

There's money to be made, that's why. This outfit likely paid Dump. Or Dump has an ownership stake in it.




GOP plan to gut social programs

They had a huge tax scam giveaway to the rich. So how are they going to pay for it? "$537 billion in cuts to Medicare, $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, and four billion in cuts to Social Security over the next decade." It "also calls for partial privatization of Medicare and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a move that would throw tens of millions off their health insurance." Same story: Steal from workers and the poor, give to the rich. When will Americans learn?

Republican Steve Schmidt comes to his senses

Schmidt has been a strong, vocal critic of Dump all along, as well as any Repugnantan that supports Dump. But separating immigrant children from their parents was the last straw. After almost 30 years he decided to quit the Party. In his own words it's about maintaining democracy and decency, two things the GOP has long ago abandoned:

"Today I renounce my membership in the Republican Party. It is fully the party of Trump [...] corrupt, indecent and immoral. [...] This child separation policy is connected to the worst abuses of humanity in our history. It is connected by the same evil that separated families during slavery and dislocated tribes and broke up Native American families. It is immoral and must be repudiated. Our country is in trouble. Our politics are badly broken. The first step to a season of renewal in our land is the absolute and utter repudiation of Trump and his vile enablers in the 2018 election by electing Democratic majorities. I do not say this as an advocate of a progressive agenda. I say it as someone who retains belief in DEMOCRACY and decency."


Dump says he'll sign EO to end child separation

So he said about an upcoming Executive Order. To use his own stale expression: "We'll see what happens." And thanks to the immense public outcry from all sides that forced Dump to do what he really doesn't want to. We can make a difference if we but speak up and get active.

Crosswalk the Musical: Andrew Lloyd Webber classics

The latest installment of Corden's popular series. I really need humor and entertainment to get me through the day given all the horrific news. And OMG, some LOL belly laughs.

Separating children is torture and breaks the law

This practice violates US and international law. The real lawbreakers are those who promote this policy. It is flagrant, inhumane and cruel torture by any standard of human decency.

Amanda Mena on AGT

She was so good she got Mel B's golden buzzer. I really appreciate this show for providing a venue for unknown talent to get the recognition they deserve.

Colbert on the defenders of caging children

The issue is so heinous that even Huckabee-Sanders refused to address it so they had to get heartless Kirstjen Nielsen to do it. Apparently Nielsen previously had some concerns on the issue, but like a good Nazi she finally decided to do what she was told to do. She was only just following orders, right? But the orders in themselves are wrong, and so is she for obeying them.

Kansas voter suppression law struck down

Here are Sanders' FB comments on this article detailing a federal judge striking down the Kansas law requiring residents to provide proof of citizenship in order to vote. Sanders said:

"Good news: a Republican law to suppress voting rights in Kansas was just struck down by a federal judge. The law caused more than 16,000 voter registrations to be canceled and it blocked more than 31,000 Kansans from registering to vote. Here is the truth. Republican politicians want fewer people to be able to vote because when turnout is low, they win. They are working overtime across the country to suppress the vote of those who might oppose them, including young people, the poor and people of color. If Republicans cannot face free and fair elections, then they should not be running for office in the first place. We must keep fighting all forms of voter suppression."

Speaking of framing

I now know of two organizations working on this, FrameWorks Institute and FrameLab. Their blurbs:

"An independent nonprofit organization founded in 1999, FrameWorks has become known for its development of Strategic Frame Analysis ™, which roots communications practice in the cognitive and social sciences. FrameWorks designs, conducts, and publishes multi-method, multi-disciplinary communications research to empirically identify the most effective ways of reframing social and scientific topics. The Institute also offers strategic guidance and a variety of professional learning opportunities for advocates, scientists, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders. Through this applied communications research and knowledge translation process, FrameWorks prepares nonprofit organizations to expand their constituency base, to build public will, and to further public understanding of specific social issues."

Lakoff: The linguistic war on truth

From his FB post:

"How Trump wages linguistic war on the truth:

1. Lies. Makes false claims knowing the press will repeat them to millions.
2. Weaponized words. Creates catchy names to attack opponents.
3. Salient Exemplars. Uses one example to stereotype entire groups.
4. Hedging. Uses "maybe," "I don't know," or "I'm joking" to evade responsibility for claims.

But responsible reporters and editors can fight back. Here are four simple ways to undermine Trump's anti-democracy, anti-truth strategy:

1. Learn how propaganda works and how Trump weaponizes words/stereotypes
2. Focus on the fact that democracy is under attack. This is a crisis
3. Stop letting him control every news cycle
4. Don't spread his lies

ICYMI, here's our full essay in The Guardian."

Architect of immigration policy descendant of asylum seekers

That descendant is Stephen Miller, who great grandparents sought asylum in the US because they faced anti-Jewish persecution in Antopol, Belarus in 1903. And yet he is adamant at refusing refugees from that same kind of violent persecution south of our border. How did he get these sick views? What happened to him along the way when his very existence is due to forebears doing exactly the same thing?

Separating children remind you of anything?

A history lesson for us all to remember, and remember well.


Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Kimmel v. Cruz: The Blobfish Classic

Cruz challenged Kimmel to a game of 1-on-1 basketball after Kimmel compared him to a blobfish. They finally had the game, trading political barbs throughout. The video below is just the highlights, as it took 2 hours for these inept ballers to score only 11 points. The raised $80,000 for Texas Children's Hospital and Generation One in this charity event.

Isaac Caldiero returns to ANW

The only ninja to ever defeat the entire finals course to win $1 million dollars returns to the Indianapolis qualifier in the new season. His mind is set on repeating this historic event.

Ironic ICE

Cold as ice. Can you imagine? You don't have to; this is reality. Of course, the dimwit agents don't know what irony is anyway, so no white skin off their racist backs.




US withdraws from UN human rights council

Because god forbid should the US be involved in human rights. Despite the fake rationale offered by the Dumpsters, the main reasons are because the UN is critical of Israel's blatant murder of innocent people and because the UN's high commissioner on human rights called Dump's policy of separating immigrant children from their parents unconscionable. See the story here.

Colbert on separating children

He rips Dump a new one on this. He even has a high school cheer for the policy. And of course he debunks Dump's lies about it, laying the blame squarely on him and his Repugnantan toadies. The rationalizations for doing this come right out of the fascist playbook. As they say: History repeats itself for those who forget its lessons.

Sessions' church writes him a letter

Over 600 members signed the letter from the United Methodist Church, including clergy and leadership, accusing him of "child abuse, immorality, racial discrimination and dissemination of doctrines contrary to the standards of the doctrine of the United Methodist Church." So much for the fake Christian Sessions. All good Christians should also chastise him and the rest of the Dumpsters, who are making a mockery of their sacred beliefs. And remember all of the un-Christian things they've done when it comes time to vote again.