Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Marc Dion: O Say, Can You See, the Flag on My Shoes? (Creators Syndicate)
If you have been wronged, harassed, discriminated against, held down and dehumanized, look up at the flag. That flag says that somewhere, someone is working to make you free and equal and happy. You may not think so, but someone, somewhere, is looking at the same flag, and thinking of your suffering. We are meant to become freer and more equal in every generation, forever striving to meet the promise of that flag.
Ted Rall: The Difference Between Liberals and Leftists (Creators Syndicate)
Living as they do in a bipolar political world where politics consists of Democrats and Republicans and no other ideology is real, media corporations in the United States use "left," "liberal" and "Democrat" as synonyms. This is obviously wrong and clearly untrue - Democrats are a party, leftism and liberalism are ideologies, and Democratic politics are frequently neither left nor liberal but far right - but as Orwell observed, after you hear a lie repeated enough times, you begin to question what you know to be true rather than the untruth.
Mark Shields: Ross Perot, Truly One of a Kind (Creators Syndicate)
It was a different time when - rather than would-be leaders just asking, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" - there was at least one presidential candidate who dared to ask instead: Are we better off? Are the strong among us more just? Are the weak among us more secure? Thank you, Lt. Perot.
Lenore Skenazy: Zero Tolerance or Zero Grip on Reality? (Creators Syndicate)
A Maryland eighth grader was suspended for three weeks and did not get to graduate with his class in June. This was his punishment for appearing in the background of a friend's video in which said friend held a disabled airsoft gun. The eighth grader also posed for a photo with the friend, who held him in a headlock with the fake gun pointing at his head. The picture was shared with 13 other friends on Snapchat.
Susan Estrich: Biden is Still Ahead (Creators Syndicate)
After all the pundits declared him the loser in his first debate, after almost two weeks of backpedaling and explaining, Joe Biden still leads the field among likely Democratic primary voters. At least that's what the latest national polls say. The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, one of the best, was released on Thursday and found that 26 percent of Democratic primary voters support Biden, with 19 percent supporting Elizabeth Warren; Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders tied at 13 percent; and Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 7 percent.
Froma Harrop: Playtime Over for Democrats' Radicals (Creators Syndicate)
It was certainly no slip of the tongue when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cut a small group of her party's radicals to size. "All these people have the public whatever and their Twitter world," she told The New York Times. "But they didn't have any following. They're four people, and that's how many votes they got."
Connie Schultz: The Many Lessons of Megan Rapinoe (Creators Syndicate)
Megan Rapine's message to Trump: "I think that I would say that your message is excluding people. You're excluding me. You're excluding people that look like me. You're excluding people of color. You're excluding, you know, Americans that maybe support you. I think that we need to have a reckoning with the message that you have, and what you're saying about Make America Great Again. I think that you're harking back to an era that was not great for everyone. It might have been great for a few people and maybe America is great for a few people right now, but it's not great for enough Americans in this world, and I think we have a responsibility, each and every one of us, you have an incredible responsibility as, you know, the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone."
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Presenting
Michael Egan
took the day off.
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
from Bruce
Anecdotes
• After unsuccessfully trying to capture Pancho Villa in Mexico, Charles MacArthur and his military outfit returned to America, where they were given a parade in which a drunken Mr. MacArthur steered a car down the street with one hand while he waved an American flag with the other. As he drove, he shouted anti-military slogans such as "Down with Colonel Foreman" - Colonel Milton Foreman being his commanding officer. Mr. MacArthur was punished by being forced to pick up litter at the military base. Because he found that boring, he made some alterations to his blue prisoner suit. He used gold radiator paint for stripes, added epaulets and other decorations, and succeeded so well that visitors to the base thought he was a general - but an oddly acting general, since he saluted each piece of litter before picking it up. Colonel Foreman saw him and gave him his discharge papers that same day. Years later, Mr. MacArthur and his wife, the famous actress Helen Hayes, saw Colonel Foreman and introduced themselves to him. According to Ms. Hayes, as soon as the colonel heard Mr. MacArthur's name and remembered who he was, "The colonel's face turned slowly purple, and his eyes seemed to go out of focus. Then, without saying a word, he stood up and stalked away."
• Screenwriter and playwright Charles MacArthur went on special assignment for the Pentagon during World War II. Because of the nature of the assignment, he was told that he would have to be an officer and was asked what rank he would like. He responded, "I would like to be a fort."
• During World War I, Thomas Beecham wanted to conduct some operas by the German composer Richard Wagner; however, an English patriot who ran a newspaper felt that playing German music when England was at war with Germany was unpatriotic and so he demanded that Mr. Beecham either not conduct Wagnerian opera or face the wrath of the press. Fortunately, Mr. Beecham knew that the patriot had some very fine German paintings, and he offered not to conduct Wagner provided the patriot burn his German paintings in public. When Mr. Beecham made his proposal to the patriot, the patriot was silent for a time, and then he smiled and said, "It is rather silly, isn't it?" Mr. Beecham was thereafter left to conduct Wagner in peace.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an important politician whose son Elliott did not turn out so well. Maury Maverick, Sr., was an important politician who, on his deathbed, called his son, Maury Maverick, Jr., a Civil Rights lawyer, to him. Mr. Maverick, Sr., said to Mr. Maverick, Jr., "Son, I want you to know that you didn't turn out to be as big a horse's ass as Elliott Roosevelt." Years later, when Maury Maverick, Jr. was defending Vietnam War resisters, President Lyndon Johnson had an aide call Mr. Maverick, Jr., up to tell him that his father was wrong - according to President Johnson, he was a horse's ass.
• Ashoka was an emperor in northern India who waged imperialistic wars. After a battle, he wandered among the corpses of the battlefield, feeling miserable, when he noticed a Buddhist monk who appeared to be radiant with happiness. Ashoka pursued the monk and asked why the monk was so happy when he was not. After talking with the monk, Ashoka began to follow Buddhism. He stopped waging imperialistic wars and he made sure the citizens of his country had food. Thousands of years after he died, he is still remembered as a benevolent ruler.
• Ethel Coffman, born 1895, remembers working in a fancy department store in Orange County, California, during World War II. The federal government regulated women's fashions to a large extent to save materials for the war effort. No cuffs or full skirts were allowed. The heels on women's shoes could be a maximum of one and a half inches. In addition, women were encouraged to donate their nylon stockings to the war effort so they could be recycled into such items as parachutes.
• President Abraham Lincoln gave many pardons to soldiers who were accused of dereliction of duty. His sons, Tad and Willie, played with a doll they named Jack. Pretending that Jack was a soldier, the two boys gave him a trial and sentenced him to death for sleeping while on picket duty, and then they asked their father to pardon Jack. President Lincoln wrote on Executive Mansion stationery, "The doll Jack is pardoned. By order of the President. A. Lincoln."
• When the Germans and Italians occupied Athens, Greece, during World War II, one of their rules required the Athenians to remain silent - even in their own homes. The Greeks enjoyed breaking this rule. Maria Callas, then a teenager, used to sing the lead role of Toscawith windows and doors wide open, and across the rooftops the voice of an unknown man responded, singing the role of Mario.
• Leo Slezak spent a short time in the Austrian army, and then he went on to fame and fortune as an operatic tenor. He gave his former commanding officer a photograph of himself as Othello, and inscribed it, "In remembrance of the recruit of the 17th Rifle Battalion, who rose to the command of the Venetian fleet."
• James McNeill Whistler was present during a discussion of the Boer War in which it was claimed that British commander Sir Redvers Buller had retreated across the Modder River in an exemplary manner - "without losing a man, a flag, or a gun." Mr. Whistler added, "Or a minute."
• When some new officers presented themselves to the Duke of Wellington, he looked them over, then said, "I don't know what effect they will have upon the enemy, but by God, they frighten me!"
• "In a condition of war hysteria it is always considered unpatriotic to speak the truth." - Hesketh Pearson.
• "To win 100 victories in 100 battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill." - Sun-tzu.
• "In a battle, the winners and losers both lose." - the Buddha.
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Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
ICE raids aftermath
Government-caused cruelty--a note from a friend in Alabama:
One of her daughter's good friends is director of a daycare in Stone Mountain. She received and posted a letter from the government telling her to be prepared Monday to provide care for any children whose parents may be taken as part of the ICE sweep and who may be left at the center.
Not sure why it's Monday since they are supposed to conduct the sweep Sunday. Also not sure what kind of responsibility they are expecting the center to take for abandoned children.
It sounds like a total mess.
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
JD is on vacation.
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and getting warmer.
'Scarier' Than His Novels
Stephen King
Author Stephen King knows a thing or two about horrifying, terrifying, chilling, and even creepy subject matter. So, for him to say that something or someone is scarier than his work should make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. In a new video from NowThis News the prolific storyteller did just that.
In the video, the author was asked whether he thought the Don-Old Trump (R-Grifter) presidency was scarier than one of his novels, and he replied, "Short answer to that is yes, I do. I do think it's scarier."
King discussed the similarities of his 1979 novel and 1983 motion picture The Dead Zone, a sci-fi/thriller that followed the rise of a "real estate con man" turned political demagogue, to the current occupant of the White House.
King explained how the main character in his story, Greg Stillson, was at first taken as a joke because of the stunts he'd pull at his rallies. The author then spoke of how Stillson used bikers that supported him at his events to "make sure nobody heckled him"-something that is eerily reminiscent to Trump rallies even now.
"I know that American voters have always had a real attraction to outsiders with the same kind of right-wing 'America First' policy," King said. "And if that reminds people of Trump, I can't be sorry because it was a character that I wrote. It was a boogeyman of mine, and I never wanted to see him actually on the American political scene, but we do seem to have a Greg Stillson as president of the United States."
Stephen King
All Those Paintings
Bob Ross
Throughout the course of his 11-year career hosting his PBS show "The Joy of Painting," Bob Ross is estimated to have painted approximately 1,143 paintings - three of the same painting per episode. So where are all those paintings now?
A recent investigation by the New York Times revealed that the majority of Ross' paintings are stored at the Virginia headquarters of Bob Ross Inc. under the watchful eye of Ross' longtime business partner Annette Kowalski and her daughter Joan, the president of the company. Unfortunately for those interested in purchasing one of Ross' famous oil landscapes, the Kowalskis apparently have no intention of selling them, as that "wasn't really Bob's thing."
"It actually has never really occurred to us," Joan told the New York Times during a video interview. "We've never really talked about it."
However, they have donated some of Ross' paintings to the Smithsonian to be part of a permanent exhibit at the National Museum of American History. Ross' paintings will be featured alongside the work of other American icons like Julia Childs and Mr. Rogers.
Ross died on July 4, 1995 at the age of 52 from lymphoma. You can still watch his show every day on PBS.
Bob Ross
Loses Sponsors
Climate Change Forum
A planned forum on climate change for Democratic presidential candidates lost several major sponsors on Saturday in the wake of the left-leaning magazine The New Republic publishing - and later retracting - a vulgar and homophobic story related to gay presidential contender Pete Buttigieg.
The New Republic was slated as a chief sponsor of a September event designed to spark climate change discussion among candidates during a U.N. climate summit. The magazine pulled down what it called "an opinion piece" about Buttigieg soon after its publication on Friday, citing "criticism of the piece's inappropriate and invasive content." But The New Republic as well as three top sponsors bowed out of the climate change event.
The League of Conservation Voters said in a statement withdrawing from the climate forum that the magazine's "offensive piece" about the Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, "and the choice to run it, are inconsistent with our values." The Center for American Progress Action Fund said that while it "strongly supports the idea of giving the candidates a forum to address climate change," remaining a backer of the planned forum "is not possible" following The New Republic's decision to publish its Buttigieg story.
Another sponsor of the summit, Gizmodo Media Group, wrote Saturday that the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund environmental group also had withdrawn from the forum after The New Republic's piece and that the magazine itself had also backed out of the event. The forum is still scheduled for Sept. 23 in New York.
Climate Change Forum
Lawmakers Fail
Alaska
The University of Alaska will consider a rare declaration of financial exigency after lawmakers failed to override Republican Governor Michael Dunleavy's veto of $130 million in funding for the system.
Dunleavy's veto last month drove a nearly 41% cut in state funding, an unprecedented pullback that the University of Alaska warned could result in layoffs and slashed programs. Credit rating companies Moody's Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings had warned the budget cuts could lead to a downgrade of the system of three universities with more than 26,600 students.
As part of the fiscal 2020 budget, Dunleavy had made about $400 million in line-item vetoes, slashing funding for Medicaid and senior benefits, according to his office. He said the cuts would help close the estimated $1.6 billion deficit the state faces.
The University of Alaska Board of Regents will consider declaring financial exigency during a meeting on July 15, the system said in a statement. Such a declaration would allow the university system to rapidly cut services and personnel.
"These cuts are not about balancing the budget -- they're about making sure Alaskans are living in fear and on the edge," said Sara Hannan, a Democratic state lawmaker, who spoke during a joint legislative session on July 10.
Alaska
Inquiry Opened
NRA
The attorney general for Washington D.C. has issued subpoenas to the National Rifle Association and its related charitable foundation as part of an investigation into allegations of financial misconduct inside the powerful gun lobbying organization.
The subpoenas add to a host of difficulties for the NRA, which is facing internal turmoil and multiple external inquiries as it gears up for a 2020 election push in support of President Donald Trump.
Attorney General Karl Racine said in a statement that his office is examining both the NRA and the NRA Foundation.
"We are seeking documents from these two nonprofits detailing, among other things, their financial records, payments to vendors, and payments to officers and directors," Racine said.
Marrisa Geller, a spokeswoman for Racine's office, said the subpoenas were "early investigative" queries that were focusing on "potential misuse of funds" inside the NRA.
NRA
$236 Tax Bill
Arizona
Disabled military veteran Jim Boerner bought his buttercup-yellow mobile home in Mesa, Arizona two years ago, hoping to live affordably into his old age.
Boerner, 49, is unable to work because of spinal and brain injuries he suffered during a training exercise in 1991 at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, he said.
On his limited income, Boerner keeps a cat named Samantha, fixes guitars found at garage sales and brings flowers to widowed neighbors on Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day.
To save money, Boerner says he applied to a Maricopa County program that reduces property taxes for people with disabilities and limited incomes. He thought he had been accepted.
So when a stranger knocked on his door last month claiming to have bought his home at auction because of $236 in late taxes, Boerner said he was floored.
Arizona
Mapmaker's Files Allowed In Gerrymandering Trial
North Carolina
A few dozen computer files recovered from the home of a deceased Republican redistricting consultant can be offered as evidence in next week's partisan gerrymandering trial in North Carolina, state judges ruled on Friday.
The three-judge panel presiding over the trial that starts Monday sided with the election reform group Common Cause, the North Carolina Democratic Party and registered Democratic voters who are suing Republican lawmakers and challenging state House and Senate boundaries drawn in 2017.
The plaintiffs subpoenaed documents from the estranged daughter of longtime GOP mapmaker Tom Hofeller that turned out to be more than 75,000 files from 22 hard drives and thumb drives that she said she came across while looking for personal mementos. Tom Hofeller died last year.
Those who sued told the judges last week they want to offer 35 of those files that they say will show Hofeller used partisanship as a predominant motivation to help create the 2017 districts to maximize advantage for Republicans.
Hofeller's documents came to light under unusual circumstances. Stephanie Hofeller testified she initially contacted Common Cause late last year seeking a legal referral for her mother. She later told Common Cause that she had found computer files they may find interesting. Those documents were formally subpoenaed in March. The plaintiffs' attorneys said they did nothing unethical.
North Carolina
Opens Two Ancient Pyramids
Egypt
Egypt on Saturday opened two ancient pyramids south of the capital Cairo and unveiled a collection of newly found sarcophagi, some containing well-preserved mummies.
Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani told reporters the Bent Pyramid of King Sneferu, the first pharaoh of Egypt's 4th dynasty, and a nearby pyramid would be reopened to visitors for the first time since 1965.
He also said a team of archaeologists had uncovered sarcophagi and the remains of an ancient wall dating back to the Middle Kingdom some 4,000 years ago.
The finds were made during excavation work in the royal necropolis of Dahshur on the west bank of the Nile River, in an area home to some of Egypt's oldest pyramids.
The finds also included funerary masks as well as tools dating back to the Late Period -- which spanned almost 300 years up to Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt in 332 BC -- used for cutting stones, the ministry said.
Egypt
Smash Nesting Records
Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Rare sea turtles are smashing nesting records this summer on beaches in the Southeast, with scientists crediting the egg-laying boom to conservation measures that began more than 30 years ago.
Giant loggerhead sea turtles weighing up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) crawl ashore to dig nests in the sand every summer along the southern Atlantic coast. While nesting typically occurs from May through August, record nest counts set in 2016 have already fallen in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
So far this year, researchers and volunteers in those three states have cataloged more than 12,200 nests left by loggerheads, a threatened species protected under the Endangered Species Act. That's already far ahead of the 11,321 nests in the previous highest count three years ago.
Loggerheads crawling from the surf of the Atlantic Ocean lay roughly 100 pingpong-ball sized eggs per nest. During the nesting season, volunteers from North Carolina to Florida comb the shoreline each day around sunrise to catalog new nests and cover them with protective screens to keep out wild hogs and other predators until the eggs hatch.
The nest counts serve as a key indicator of the overall population's health. Female loggerheads tend to lay eggs only every three to four years, so the numbers often fluctuate. Still, scientists have seen an encouraging leap in the past 15 years.
Loggerhead Sea Turtles
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