Political Venom

Friday, October 11, 2019

Military expert warns support for Trump in the US armed forces is ‘downright cult-like’ — and creating frightening divisions within the ranks

This is fucking scary:

https://www.alternet.org/2019/10/military-expert-warns-support-for-trump-in-the-us-armed-forces-is-downright-cult-like-and-creating-frightening-divisions-in-the-ranks/

Here's why California is experiencing massive power outages and why that should concern us all

Basically PG&E sucks. I'm SO glad I have solar and a battery system:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/10/1891492/-Here-s-why-California-is-experiencing-massive-power-outages-and-why-that-should-concern-us-all

Scientists Thought It Took Thousands of Years for Plastic to Decompose – It May Only Be Decades

Well, at least this is encouraging:

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-thought-it-took-thousands-of-years-for-plastic-to-decompose-it-may-only-be-decades/

Russian Operative Said ‘We Made America Great’ After Trump’s Win

Of course they celebrated. Yet Trump continues to deny Russian involvement because he feels it de-legitimizes his presidency. For once, he's right:

https://news.yahoo.com/senate-intelligence-panel-warns-russian-181600297.html

Trump Escalates Attacks On Fox News After Impeachment Poll

I have to repeat that I LOVE it when Faux News and President Lardbucket fall out:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-attacks-fox-news-impeachment-poll_n_5d9f2f32e4b02c9da045814d

Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all carbon emissions

And just 12 companies are responsible for 20% of the world's emissions:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions

Trump boasts the economy is the best it's ever been. Here are 9 charts showing how it's fared compared to the Obama and Bush presidencies.

For all Trump's boasting about the economy, it's mostly just a continuation of the trends Obama handed him:

https://www.businessinsider.com/9-charts-comparing-trump-economy-to-obama-bush-administrations-2019-9

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Senate Committee: Russian intelligence backed Trump and smeared his GOP opponents in 2016 primary

Even more evidence that Russians helped get Trump elected:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/8/1891070/-Senate-Committee-Russian-Intelligence-backed-Trump-smeared-his-GOP-opponents-in-2016-primary

I Oversaw DHS Refugee Affairs. Here Are 3 Ways the Trump Administration Is Trying to Mislead You

Trump is just plain evil:

https://time.com/5694866/refugee-resettlement-numbers/

Elizabeth Warren’s Climate Justice Plan Aims To Keep Water Public, Study Pollution More

Jay Inslee may no longer be in the presidential race, but Warren has adopted many of his climate change policies:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-environment-climate-justice-plan_n_5d9d02f1e4b06ddfc50ffb77

Monday, October 7, 2019

The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes Than You

Not sure if this will play right on a cell phone, but it shows nicely how dramatically taxes have dropped for the wealthiest people in the US. We need to go back to the 1950 tax rate:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/06/opinion/income-tax-rate-wealthy.html

Elizabeth Warren Has A Plan For Brett Kavanaugh

Another reason to be pro Warren:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-plan-brett-kavanaugh_n_5d9aa9dfe4b03b475f9bb770

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Diplomats angry and afraid as Ukraine controversy embroils Pompeo's State Department

Trump's administration is rotting our institutions from the inside:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/05/politics/pompeo-state-department-ukraine-controversy/index.html

Friday, October 4, 2019

A disease claims another victim; I lost my dad to FOX News.

There has to be some way to make purveyors of false news accountable:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/3/1888983/-A-disease-claims-another-victim-I-lost-my-dad-to-FOX-News

Spiro Agnew's Lawyer: Mike Pence Should Be Worried About Impeachment Too

Oh, this would be SUBLIME!

https://time.com/5692947/mike-pence-impeachment/

Thursday, October 3, 2019

The video clip that's making liddle' Trumpy so cross and fussy

Starting at minute 4:00, Schiff makes it clear what Trump was effectively saying:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/2/1889647/-The-video-clip-that-s-making-liddle-Trumpy-so-cross-and-fussy

Humans Are Disturbing Earth's Carbon Cycle More Than the Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Did

Just in case it hasn't sounded serious enough...

https://www.livescience.com/anthropogenic-warming-like-dinosaur-killing-asteroid.html

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Elizabeth Warren Wants To Tax Corporate Lobbying

This is one of the main reasons Warren is my first choice: she has a plan for everything:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-lobbying-tax_n_5d93c202e4b0019647b05afc

What if the World Treated the US Like a Rogue State

This is our international embarrassment:

https://www.huffpost.com/highline/article/sanctions/

Trump's border ideas: Snakes, alligators, shoot 'em in the legs

Trump truly is a toddler with a gun:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-aea5703c-61dd-4b71-9e7d-cdf1f4893bce.html?chunk=2&utm_term=emshare#story2

Monday, September 30, 2019

Trump's ruthless attacks may come back to haunt him

...or what goes around, comes around:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/28/opinions/trumps-ruthless-attacks-impeachment-dantonio/index.html

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Why Did America Lose Its Religion? Thank the Internet.

This has been my conclusion for many years now: the Internet has been the downfall of religion:

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/09/27/why-did-america-lose-its-religion-thank-the-internet/

Fox News Was Attacking Barack Obama For Using Dijon Mustard At This Point In His Presidency

Take anything Trump has done and ask, "How would conservatives have reacted if Obama had done the exact same thing?" They would have gone ape-shit:

https://www.newsweek.com/barack-obama-donald-trump-russia-investigation-dijon-mustard-scandal-fox-fake-623643

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Opinion: Thank You, Speaker Pelosi. You Played The Orange Occupant Well.

This was my thinking as well:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/25/1887900/-Opinion-Thank-You-Speaker-Pelosi-You-Played-The-Orange-Occupant-Well

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

World’s Ice And Oceans Under Dire Threat, Shocking UN Report Warns

Our oceans are going to be a disaster in our lifetimes:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-oceans-climate-change-un-ipcc_n_5d8acf1be4b0c6d0cef37225

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

These Charts Show How High Sea Levels Will Rise if Antarctica's Ice Continues to Melt

Not a good time to buy oceanside property:

https://time.com/5669021/antarctica-ice-melt-sea-level-rise/

Dictators and mass murders: Understanding 'malignant narcissism'

This explains Trump rather well:

https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/dictator-psychology

Monday, September 23, 2019

2019 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Tied for Second Lowest on Record

HINT:

https://scitechdaily.com/2019-arctic-sea-ice-minimum-tied-for-second-lowest-on-record-video/

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Agog Over Gog and Magog

Just in case you miss George W. Bush...

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2019/09/agog-over-gog-and-magog/

Donald Trump is a deeply stupid man who routinely gets his ass kicked on the world stage

Yeah, this is exactly how I see it. His supporters are either out of touch or in denial:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/15/1885047/-Donald-Trump-is-a-deeply-stupid-man-who-routinely-gets-his-ass-kicked-on-the-world-stage

Health Insurance That Doesn’t Cover the Bills Has Flooded the Market Under Trump

So we're back to people getting scammed into shitty insurance. Thanks Drumpf:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-09-17/under-trump-health-insurance-with-less-coverage-floods-market

Friday, September 20, 2019

'Materialism Will One Day Bring Change.' Why a Senior Defector Believes North Korea's Days Are Numbered

Most interesting from the perspective of the North Korean is how Kim Jong Un played Trump:

https://time.com/5680012/thae-yong-ho-north-korea-kim-jong-un-regime-change/

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Trump Says Cutting Regulations Is Good for Business. But His New Battle on Car Emission Standards Could Hurt the Auto Industry

Cutting back on fuel standards is outright criminal, considering how quickly we're hurtling toward climate disaster:

https://time.com/5680692/auto-industry-cars-california-trump/

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

How do 80-year-old 'super-agers' have the brains of 20-somethings?

Rage, rage against the dying of the light:

https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/super-agers-brain

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Trump voters who 'just want to watch the world burn' (and all of us along with it)

This is why we'll never reach that small core of hateful Trump supporters:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/14/1885332/--The-Trump-voters-who-just-want-to-watch-the-world-burn-and-all-of-us-along-with-it

New Poll Shows Majority of Americans Disapprove of President Trump's Climate Change Views

This is encouraging:

https://time.com/5677474/americans-disapprove-trump-climate-change-views/

Russia Carried Out A ‘Stunning’ Breach Of FBI Communications System, Escalating The Spy Game On U.S. Soil

A long and detailed story of what we're up against:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/exclusive-russia-carried-out-a-stunning-breach-of-fbi-communications-system-escalating-the-spy-game-on-us-soil_n_5d7f73dee4b077dcbd6159b1

Good candidates learn from their mistakes and get better—as Elizabeth Warren has demonstrated

Warren is my favorite so far:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/7/1884064/-Good-candidates-learn-from-their-mistakes-and-get-better-as-Elizabeth-Warren-has-demonstrated

Saturday, September 14, 2019

The U.S.'s handicap in the AI talent race

Trump is right to identify A.I. as critical for development, but per usual he's doing it all wrong:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-future-49777269-c37e-4c5d-8e04-756d72a01c6f.html?chunk=1&utm_term=emshare#story1

Air Force says it sent crews to Trump’s Scottish resort up to 40 times

But of course:

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/12/air-force-trump-scottish-resort-1493624

Trump finally agrees to release military aid to Ukraine after apparent blackmail effort fails

Trump's strategy to avoid impeachment must be to overwhelm the system with his crimes:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/13/1885246/-Trump-finally-agrees-to-release-military-aid-to-Ukraine-after-apparent-blackmail-effort-fails

EPA removes the Clean Water Rule, creating chaos for water regulations—and paradise for polluters

Trump's actions are beyond criminal:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/13/1885294/-EPA-removes-the-Clean-Water-Rule-creating-chaos-for-water-regulations-and-paradise-for-polluters

Why Is the Amazon Rain Forest Disappearing?

This is deeply depressing and distressing, but important to know:

https://time.com/amazon-rainforest-disappearing/

Friday, September 13, 2019

China and the U.S Are Fighting a Major Battle Over Killer Robots and the Future of AI

Yet another reason to dislike China:

https://time.com/5673240/china-killer-robots-weapons/

Trump’s Going to Manipulate the Government to Stay in Power

Nobody would be surprised:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-going-to-manipulate-the-government-to-stay-in-power

'National tragedy': Trump begins border wall construction in Unesco reserve

Reason #5,492 to despise Trump:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/12/border-wall-organ-pipe-cactus-arizona

Thursday, September 12, 2019

EPA Makes Rollback Of Clean Water Rules Official, Repealing 2015 Protections

More irresponsible and childish behavior:

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/12/760203456/epa-makes-rollback-of-clean-water-rules-official-repealing-2015-protections

Hello From the Year 2050. We Avoided the Worst of Climate Change — But Everything Is Different

But here's probably the best we can hope for if we get our shit together (not including any special advancing technologies):

https://time.com/5669022/climate-change-2050/

What It’s Like Living in One of the Hottest Cities on Earth—Where It May Soon Be Uninhabitable

This is scary. Out front of my house temperatures can hit 118 degrees F a few times during the summer. Fortunately it's much cooler out back:

https://time.com/longform/jacobabad-extreme-heat/

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Study Finds Political Conservatives Make the Best Investors

Finally, something good about conservatives! Surprisingly, their investment strategies are not what you'd expect (although I have to say I'm both a progressive and a risky investor):

https://scitechdaily.com/study-finds-political-conservatives-make-the-best-investors/

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Some State GOP Parties Are Canceling Their Primaries. Here's Why It May Not Protect President Trump

I had no idea canceling primaries was a regular thing--for both parties:

https://time.com/5672551/gop-canceling-primaries-trump/

Trump Admin Leading ‘Brazen’ Public Land Liquidation In Alaska, Analysis Finds

A politician who denies climate change needs to be kicked out:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/analysis-alaska-public-lands-trump_n_5d76bffde4b07521023154ce

CIA reportedly removed top spy from Russia over fear of retaliation — and maybe Trump

The CIA couldn't trust Trump not to be a traitor:

https://www.vox.com/2019/9/9/20856915/cnn-trump-russia-spy-putin-cia

Monday, September 9, 2019

Trump's New Math: Inside the Plan to Flip Blue States in 2020

But there IS still the possibility he'll get reelected. Here's his plan:

https://time.com/5669093/trump-election-campaign-democratic-states-2020/

Trump Family Is Building ‘Dynasty’ To Last ‘Decades,’ Says Campaign Manager

Unless Trump becomes a dictator, there's not a fart's chance in a hurricane this will happen:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-family-dynasty-decades-campaign-manager_n_5d75611be4b064513570273b

NOAA Warned Staffers Not To Contradict Trump On Hurricane Dorian

It appears NOAA was forced to support Trump's lie:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/noaa-contradicting-trump-dorian-alabama_n_5d753853e4b07521022e541a

Suicide Rates Soaring in America, Especially in Rural Areas

My take on this is that Republicans are already facing a serious demographic shrinkage, and this isn't going to help them:

https://scitechdaily.com/suicide-rates-soaring-in-america-especially-in-rural-areas/

Sunday, September 8, 2019

'He's losing his s---': Trump's advisers are increasingly worried about his mental state following days of erratic behavior

Schadenfreude!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hes-losing-trumps-advisers-increasingly-202200411.html

Study links lower emotional intelligence to prejudiced, right-wing views

Surprise, surprise....

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/emotional-intelligence-conservative

Friday, September 6, 2019

Donald Trump isn't up to the job

I wholeheartedly agree:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/03/opinions/trump-dorian-golf-twitter-filipovic/index.html

Trump Holds Up Doctored Hurricane Map, Meteorologists Cringe

This is illegal...so I guess it's item #622 of what could take down Trump:

https://www.livescience.com/trump-sharpiegate-doctored-hurricane-map.html

Trump may have committed tax fraud by fabricating a loan to avoid paying income taxes on nearly $50 million

Item #621 for what could take down Trump:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-may-committed-tax-fraud-205751668.html

Thursday, September 5, 2019

These states have the highest and lowest death rates

Notice that the states with the highest death rates are red states, while the states with the lowest death rates are blue states:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/05/health/highest-death-rates-states-cdc-study/index.html

Trump's Energy Department Swoops in to Save Us From the Tyranny of More Efficient Lightbulbs

Trump is SUCH an asshole:

https://earther.gizmodo.com/trumps-energy-department-swoops-in-to-save-us-from-tyra-1837889616

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Media overcorrect for past flubs

To be honest, I won't mind if it's the media who leads us into recession. Whatever it takes to get rid of the most loathsome person to ever hold the office of the presidency:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-2afebae5-bfbd-4a4a-9c35-0bd7adf82d63.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0

Melania’s ‘Einstein Visa’ Was Based on Her Having a College Degree — Which She Lied About Having

Send her back! Send her back!

Turnabout is fair play:

https://www.politicalflare.com/2019/09/melania-trumps-einstein-visa-was-based-on-her-having-a-college-degree-which-she-lied-about-having/

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

The U.S. can slash health-care costs 75% with 2 fundamental changes — and without ‘Medicare for All’

This at least sounds quite effective:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-us-can-slash-health-care-costs-75-with-2-fundamental-changes-and-without-medicare-for-all-2019-08-15

Trump's trade deficits are only growing

Another Trump failure. He promised to reduce the trade deficit; instead, it has increased massively:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-cfd6c9e8-91c9-469c-a553-95e1162d4639.html?chunk=3&utm_term=emshare#story3

Chasing The Methane Dragon That Lurks In The Deep Sea

The melting of frozen methane hydrates in the oceans could lead to a massive increase in global warming:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/methane-hydrate-atlantic-samantha-joye_n_5d681737e4b0488c0d117841

Monday, September 2, 2019

Evangelical Leader Claims Teaching Kids Basic Science Causes Mass Shootings

Evangelicals are among the greatest idiots on the planet:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tony-perkins-mass-shootings-080832225.html

Friday, August 30, 2019

Trump suggests he should have extra time as president, in rant over ‘dishonest fool’ Comey’s leaks

The dictator wannabe wants more time as president:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-suggests-could-serve-more-123946429.html

McConnell to Supreme Court: We won’t let Dems 'pack the court'

McConnell's hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me:

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/29/mitch-mcconnell-supreme-court-1477947

AOC says ad attacking her climate change warning actually helps spread her message

Yeah, this is more like an ad FOR AOC, not against her (except for the word "shallow"):

https://www.indy100.com/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-climate-change-ad-republican-own-aoc-9085126

UN draft climate report warns oceans rising, warming

It's looking bleak....

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/draft-climate-report-warns-oceans-rising-warming-190829132723704.html

Outlook For The Great Barrier Reef Is Now ‘Very Poor,’ Australian Government Says

This is heartbreaking. I remember spending a couple weeks on the Great Barrier Reef as a kid:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/great-barrier-reef-outlook-very-poor_n_5d68a900e4b02bc6bb372c4a

Thursday, August 29, 2019

California joins a handful of other states that provide community college tuition-free

Now this is smart:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/28/us/california-free-community-college-tuition-trnd/index.html

Political Polarization Driven by Chance, Not Ideology

Hmm, not sure I buy this, but here it is anyway:

https://scitechdaily.com/political-polarization-driven-by-chance-not-ideology/

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Trump Tweets ‘Fox Isn’t Working For Us’ After Amicable Interview With DNC Staffer

I guess it's true that Trump eventually turns on everyone, even his closest allies:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-tweets-fox-isnt-working-for-us-after-its-amicable-interview-with-dnc-staffer_n_5d66939ee4b01fcc690d2f5d

Trump suggests pardons for wall action

Trump said "Take the land." That'll go over well with Republicans and Libertarians:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-a0c3e931-4e23-4e15-953c-b5e5bab6c381.html?chunk=5&utm_term=emshare#story5

Climate Change Is Warming Europe Faster Than Expected

Looks like the safest places to be are Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, and a few parts of France, Spain and Germany. Stay away from most of France and Spain:

https://scitechdaily.com/climate-change-is-warming-europe-faster-than-expected/

Amazon Wildfires Are Horrifying, But They're Not Destroying Earth's Oxygen Supply

The fires in the Amazon are destroying biodiversity and producing carbon dioxide, but they are not reducing the oxygen content of our atmosphere:

https://www.livescience.com/amazon-fires-are-not-depleting-earth-oxygen.html

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

After Losing Ten Commandments Battle, NM City Tries Crowdfunding Legal Bills

It's expensive to be stupid:

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/08/25/after-losing-ten-commandments-battle-nm-city-tries-crowdfunding-legal-bills/

Monday, August 26, 2019

Trump Reportedly Discussed Nuking Hurricanes Headed To The United States

I can't keep up with the crazy:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-nuking-hurricanes-axios_n_5d632362e4b02cc97c8fbf9b

Sunday, August 25, 2019

More on America’s Fading Faith

I don't have much problem with more liberal strains of Christianity or other religions than literalist zealots like evangelicals. And this shows that my position is well founded:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2019/08/more-on-americas-fading-faith/