Trump Impeachment: A Ukraine Smoking Gun Exposes Republicans bloomberg.com The White House knew Bolton’s book was coming, but they let it blindside their Republican Congressional allies anyway.
Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez was suspended after tweeting a link to an article about Kobe Bryant’s rape case, following up with screenshots of the hate mail and death threats she received. vox.com
Is Corona Beer experiencing the AIDS/Ayds effect? [boingboing.net]
Monday, January 27, 2020
Mark Frauenfelder: Ayds was an appetite-suppressant candy popular in the 1930s-80s with the misfortune to have the same name as a fatal disease. The unfortunate nomenclature proved fatal to Ayds.
I feel that song would be POPular.
Seeing reports about a woman physicist who developed a theory of gravity that, if proven, would fundamentally change our understanding of the universe.
If only there were a song to commemorate this event, a Broadway type anthem about female empowerment and defying gravity.
Sound sleeper.
"Spenser Confidential," a movie based on the Robert B. Parker novels, hits Netfllix March 6.
Monday, January 27, 2020
It stars Mark Wahlberg as Spenser and Winston “Black Panther” Duke as Hawk. “It is very loosely based on the novel Wonderland by Ace Atkins, and uses the names of characters created by Robert B. Parker.” Spenser is an ex-cop and ex-con and Hawk is an MMA fighter. wikipedia.org Okaaaaay. What the hell, I’ll watch. I loved the early novels and the later ones are fun. It’s an action-comedy directed by Peter Berg.
📸 Sweetwater River Trail, San Diego
Sunday, January 26, 2020
A beautiful gray afternoon for a hike.
Quiz: Which of these 2020 Democrats agrees with you most? I came out Mayor Pete and Yang, which wow. [washingtonpost.com]
Sunday, January 26, 2020
20 questions on the issues. I do not support Mayor Pete – the best thing I’ll say for him is he’s inexperienced; other days I just hate him. I don’t know much about Yang. On many of these issues, I picked a side but really I don’t know. For example, on health insurance I strongly support a public option. Should we then outlaw private insurance? Don’t know. Let’s see how the public option works first.
Kansas City library via
How is the most unpopular and divisive president on his way to a second term? – theguardian.com
Sunday, January 26, 2020
It’s the economy, says David Smith. Also, unlike 2016, Trump is running a highly organized, well-funded campaign. And Trump’s opposition is split. On that last point: The Republicans are a minority party and, paradoxically, that is their strength. Every Republican is signed on to their agenda of white supremacy, xenophobia, gun fetishization, sex policing, preserving property rights, and their version of Christianity, which conveniently leaves out the bits about loving the stranger and least fortunate.
The Story of Two Monks and a Woman: A parable about letting go of the past. kottke.org
Ode to San Rafael: my unremarkable hometown [Carolyn Jones/SFChronicle.com]
I had a vision recently: I’m at a little market buying cream soda and Ding Dongs. Bathed in luscious, late-afternoon amber light, I head out to the levee and perch on some rocks. Seagulls soar overhead. Somewhere in the distance, a Camaro blasts “Frampton Comes Alive.”
Now and then, I have the same nostalgia for Long Island. Hearing “Frampton Comes Alive” does it.
Scary Sea Monster Really Just Hundreds of Tiny Fish in a Trench Coat [kottke.org]
As a defense against predators, these juvenile striped eel catfish from Jemeluk Bay near Bali organize themselves into an ambling, pulsating sea creature that looks like something out of a Miyazaki film.
Copyright was designed to serve creators, but instead it serves big business against creators [Cory Doctorow/Boing Boing]
Expecting more copyright to help artists beat a concentrated industry is like expecting more lunch money to help your kid defeat the bullies who beat him up on the playground every day.
No more free rides: US seeks to limit emotional support animals on planes [Joanna Walters/The Guardian ]
Some animal lovers and nervous fliers may squawk but the US government wants a definitive “neigh” to the question of passengers bringing rabbits, turtles, birds, miniature horses and other unusual emotional support animals on planes in future, especially free of charge.
The head of ICE says he will deport DREAMers if the Supreme Court ends DACA - vox.com
To Trump and his supporters, cruelty is not an unfortunate by product of his policies. They are the point. These are people who believe government should be putting children in cages.