What goes through my my mind when I read the news with my morning coffee. …Or for the Simon's Rockers in the group, this is my response journal.
Longtime trainer stunned over grisly dog mauling: ‘They were very passive dogs’ | WTVR.com
Weird.
I know people love to blame pitbulls and neglected/abused dogs can be dangerous but this story does not add up. If the dogs were guarding her body they did not kill her. Period.
More than 1.3 million people cast ballots in the U.S. Senate election Tuesday, or just over 40 percent of the electorate. Even the county with the lowest turnout — Russell — saw turnout on Tuesday (29 percent) that was far higher than the state average for the Au. 15 primary (18 percent) or the Sept. 26 GOP runoff (14 percent.)
…While Moore won most of rural Alabama outside the Black Belt — often by large margins — turnout was generally lower in his strongest counties than it was statewide.
…African-American voters, who were solid for Jones, also came out. In counties with black populations of 40 percent or higher, turnout was 43.47 percent. In counties where the African-American population was less than 20 percent, turnout was 36.44 percent.
…The former U.S. Attorney took 69 percent of Jefferson County’s vote (47 percent turnout) and 72 percent of Montgomery’s (44 percent turnout). Jones also took GOP-leaning Madison County with 56 percent of the vote (45 percent turnout in total) and 56 percent of the vote in Mobile (38 percent turnout).
…[McCrary]said Jones’ coalition was not dissimilar to the one Democrats put together to secure major wins in elections in Virginia last month.
“Donald Trump serves as an accelerant to Democratic voters,” he said. “That’s anywhere, Alabama included.”
…“At a minimum, it shows a prototype,” said Zac McCrary, a Democratic pollster for the Montgomery firm of Anzalone Liszt Grove. “It shows a path for Democrats to be successful. Nothing is harder for a Democrat in Alabama than a US Senate race.”
Enthusiastic Democratic voters delivered Doug Jones a victory
hmmmm
A United Nations official investigating poverty in the United States was shocked at the level of environmental degradation in some areas of rural Alabama, saying he had never seen anything like it in the developed world.
“I think it’s very uncommon in the First World. This is not a sight that one normally sees. I’d have to say that I haven’t seen this,” Philip Alston, the U.N.’s Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, told Connor Sheets of AL.com earlier this week as they toured a community in Butler County where “raw sewage flows from homes through exposed PVC pipes and into open trenches and pits.”
Economic inequality and racial discrimination have also been linked with civil rights abuses, particularly in Alabama and other states across the South. Police shootings of unarmed black men and women are also of deep concern to the U.N.
…the U.S. “has been very keen” on other countries being investigated by the U.N. for civil and human rights issues.
“Now, it’s the turn to look at what’s going on in the U.S.,” Alston said.
…“Politicians who say, ‘There’s nothing I can do about that’ are simply wrong,”
Alabama Has the Worst Poverty in the Developed World, U.N. Official Says
Sigh….
Moore in 2011 interview: Scrapping amendments after 10th would ‘eliminate many problems’ | TheHill
It was thoughtful of his campaign staff to lie on his behalf but the man specifically said that getting rid of the constitutional amendments after the Bill of Rights, “would eliminate many problems,” and then he doubled down and said that these amendments – again, that’s everything after the first ten – and one would imagine the people who support them, “have completely tried to wreck the form of government that our forefathers intended.”
A refresher course on all of the amendments the man was referring to:
11th – lays the foundation for soveriegn immunity
12th – revises presidential election procedures
13th – abolishes slavery and makes (non-penal system related) involuntary servitude illegal
14th – establishes US citizens as having the right to due process and equal protection
15th – prohibits the denying people the right to vote based on race
16th – allows for a federal income tax
17th – establishes that US Senators are eleted by popular votes – as opposed to being chosen by other elected officials
18th – no booze
19th – gives women the right to vote
20th – establishes the current calander for congress and presidential terms
21st- just kidding abou tthe 18th, booze is back
22nd – limits the President to two terms
23rd – allows DC to particpate in the electoral college
24th – makes poll taxes illegal
25th – clarifies the order of succession.
26th – establishes the voting age as 18 (down from 21)
27th – makes it so US PResentatives can’t give themselves a raise for the current term they are serving
Did you get all that? Moore thinks ending slavery; giving 18-20 year olds, women, black people and other minorities the vote; ending poll taxes; and protecting due process and equal protection for all citizens are “problematic.”
Champion of civil rights, my ass! What a fucking prize this pedophile guy is….
[Dukakis is] in the midst of one more big push, his current obsession, and something he’s been working on for a long time: getting the city’s North and South stations connected by an underground rail line. “It would be transformative,” he will gush—in how much congestion would be relieved, in how many polluting cars would be taken off the road, in how much time would be saved for commuters, and in the economic boom that would result.
We walk the 2 miles to Northeastern, where Dukakis has taught public policy and management for 27 years. It’s a walk he makes most weekdays, winding along the Emerald Necklace. [As] always, Dukakis carries a plastic bag, because as he walks he must pick up trash.
…Dukakis’s obsession with connecting the North and South stations stretches back as far as he can remember. He has been riding public transit—streetcars at first—by himself since he was five years old, in 1938. It gave him freedom to go downtown as a boy in the city he loved, to wander. To stare up at the home of Paul Revere on North Square, to imagine that he was Johnny Tremain, the fictional acolyte of the great silversmith. Dukakis loved history. Or to go to baseball games. All his life the T has been his preferred mode of travel, especially for the dozen years when he was governor: taking the Green Line to Beacon Hill, talking to people also heading to work or school about how their lives were going, about what he should be doing better.
…[Weld and Dukakis] have joined together on this, in an effort to persuade the guy in the governor’s office that this is the project he ought to be focusing on, and not wasting time spending—are you ready for this?—$2 billion to add seven tracks to South Station. Absolutely crazy, folks! Seven tracks. Two billion dollars. When they fill up, then what? And what about the folks on the north side, who come down from the North Shore, Merrimack Valley. Bam, hit North Station, then two trains, three changes, walking, running, trying to get to work. It’s crazy! I have colleagues who come from the North Shore, you ought to be able to get on a commuter train and come to Ruggles, the Northeastern station. Can’t do it. So what do they do? They drive!” Which is causing terrible gridlock.
…“What I want to know is why we’re spending money on this interchange. We’ve got about 200 bridges in the state in desperate need of paint.”
In the dark car, Michael Dukakis shakes his head, because it simply doesn’t make any sense.
Michael Dukakis’s Last Stand for the State of Massachusetts
hmmm
Golden Krust founder commits suicide in Bronx factory – NY Daily News
R.I.P maker of delicious goodies, innovator, and inspiration. You did good during your time here. You did lots and lots of good.
The Florida Democratic Party chairman resigned Friday in shame. A Republican state senator faces possible expulsion for sexual harassment. The state Senate’s top Democratic leader abruptly stepped down after admitting an extramarital affair with a lobbyist.
Even amid the flood of sexual misconduct revelations that have rocked state capitals across the country, the nation’s biggest swing state has lived up to its reputation for political drama and excess over the past month, with major implications for next year’s contested U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections — and the next presidential race.
‘Florida is on fire’ – POLITICO
Oh, Florida….
This comes as a surprise to many constituents, because Goodman has consistently spoken about “natural marriage” being between a man and a woman. His campaign website, which is now offline, outlined his views on family: “Healthy, vibrant, thriving, values-driven families are the source of Ohio’s proud history and the key to Ohio’s future greatness. The ideals of a loving father and mother, a committed natural marriage, and a caring community are well worth pursuing and protecting.”
A Republican ‘Family Values’ State Legislator Quits After Having Sex With a Man in His Office
Gotta love it when a hater is exposed a hypocrite.
If those results held, it could signal a big win for Democrats in Virginia. In another closely watched race, in Prince William County, Democrat Danica Roem became the first openly transgender person to win a seat in Virginia’s House of Delegates. She beat longtime Republican incumbent Robert Marshall by a wide margin. At least four other Republican incumbents lost their seats.
That was part of a wave of apparent victories for Democratic candidates, including what looked like a sweep of statewide offices. Democrat Justin Fairfax appeared headed to win as lieutenant governor over Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel, and incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring was headed for re-election over Republican challenger John Adams.
Live updates: Ralph Northam defeats Ed Gillespie – The Washington Post
hmmmm
Donald Trump received a bit of karma on his first trip to Hawaii as president, with protesters greeting the president with mocking signs that read, “Welcome to Kenya.”
…[Trump had pressed] Obama to the point that the president released his long-form birth certificate, showing he had been born in Hawaii.
…During the 2016 campaign, Trump [finally!] backed away from his birtherism after coming under scrutiny, saying that Obama was indeed born in the United States and that the matter was closed.
…Hawaiian islanders also greeted Donald Trump with other mocking signs, including one that read, “Hawaii 3, Trump 0,” in reference to the state’s record in blocking Trump’s travel ban from Muslim-majority countries.
‘Birther’ Movement Leader Donald Trump Arrives In Hawaii, Mocked By Signs Reading ‘Welcome To Kenya’
Heh
White nationalists were overwhelmingly outnumbered by counterprotesters in Murfreesboro.
About 800 to 1,000 counterprotesters gathered in Murfreesboro to oppose the rally, chanting “Murfreesboro loves,” “refugees are welcome here” and “this is what democracy looks like.” About 30 white nationalists showed up at the rally in the square in downtown Murfreesboro.
Murfreesboro rally canceled as counterprotesters overwhelm White Lives Matter activists
Go, go, gadget Tennessee!
While Maine supports the Amtrak Downeaster, New Hampshire supports commuter buses.
Some Mainers Fault N.H. For Not Doing More To Support New England Rail | WBUR News
hmmmm
Montanans are debating the motives of two candidates allegedly running for the United States Senate seat currently held by Democrat Jon Tester. “James Dean” says he is running for the Republican nomination. “Sarah Dean” says she is running for the Democratic Party nomination. The two claim to be married. But neither seem to be who they say they are. The bizarre tale was uncovered by longtime Billings Gazette reporter Tom Lutey.
WTF????
Nearly 100,000 Granite Staters head to Massachusetts, a number that’s grown from nearly 75,000 in 1990.
Census: 1 in 5 Granite Staters head elsewhere for a paycheck | New Hampshire
hmmm
The White House’s response to the island’s emergency stands in stark contrast with the aid it provided to Florida and Texas.
The sad suspicion about Trump’s shameful treatment of Puerto Rico – The Washington Post
sigh…
During the trial, each of the three took the stand and detailed the effects of being accused of crimes such as drug dealing, money laundering and gun running. Gill played out the accusations on a radio show, electronic billboards in high traffic areas such as South Willow Street, and social media that logged views in the thousands, sometimes millions.
“This was never about the money,” said Anagnost. Gill went after politicans, judges and people without the resources to fight back, Anagnost said. But he and his co-plaintiffs could afford the fight, and the verdict saves future victims from any slanders by Gill, Anagnost said.
All three said most of the money they collect will go to charity.
Both Anagnost and Crews said the verdict could have far reaching effect in the world of social media. Crews hopes the allegations will change the social media habits of someone who accuses people of crimes.
“As a Marine Corps vet I’m very serious about First Amendment rights, I believe in them, but I also believe that as a human being, the Golden Rule should come first,” Crews said. Everyone has the responsibility to not make false accusations they can’t back up, he said.
A judge has already ordered that the electricity be cut to Gill’s electronic billboards, and Pulse 107.7 has halted Gill’s paid radio program. Next up, Anagnost said, lawyer Steve Gordon will seek an injunction ordering Facebook and Twitter to darken Gill’s accounts.
“We become the aggressor now,” Anagnost said.
Update: Jury awards businessmen defamed by Michael Gill $274.5 million, most in NH history | New Hampshire
hmmm
Nashua aldermen are considering entering into a memorandum of understanding with Boston Surface Railroad Company.
Boston Surface Railroad Company of Rhode Island is in the early stages of planning to bring privately funded passenger rail service from Bedford to Worcester, Mass., with potential stops in Nashua and Lowell, Mass.
City officials will be presented with a proposal on Tuesday to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the railroad company and the other communities to promote and facilitate the plan.
Privately funded passenger rail pitched for southern NH | New Hampshire
hmmmm
Democrats on Tuesday flipped two seats in special state elections in Florida and New Hampshire.
…In New Hampshire, Kari Lerner won a special state House election in a district President Trump won by a significant margin.
Earlier this month, Democrats flipped state House seats in New Hampshire and Oklahoma, replacing Republicans in two districts ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Since Trump’s election, Democrats have flipped eight GOP-held seats at the state level, and Republicans have yet to flip a seat in 27 special elections.
Democrats flip two seats in state special elections | TheHill
hmmmm
One of the country’s up-and-coming leaders in the “alt-right” movement opened his playbook to KyCIR, offering a window into his recruitment tactics and to-do list. His grand plan to spread neo-Nazi beliefs across Appalachia starts in southern Indiana.
Good lord… Have those miscreants become inbred enough to die off like the dinosaurs they are yet?
U.S. Senate Democrats blasted President Donald Trump’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity earlier this week in a 90-minute hearing focusing on voting rights.
…[Shaheen] noted commission vice chairman Kris Kobach’s allegation in a Brietbart opinion piece that out-of-state voters were probably responsible for Democrat Maggie Hassan being elected to the Senate in 2016 and for Hillary Clinton winning the state’s four electoral votes.
“He clearly did not understand our election laws,” Shaheen said.
She charged that the “real objective” of the Trump commission is “to lay the groundwork for voter suppression laws.”
NH Primary Source: Democratic committee hits Trump election panel
hmmmm
A federal judge permanently struck down provisions of an Indiana law passed last year that would have banned abortions sought due to fetal genetic abnormalities and required that aborted fetuses be buried or cremated.U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt’s decision, issued Friday, found that those two provisions and a third one are unconstitutional. She granted an order permanently blocking all three from being enforced and granted summary judgment in favor of Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, which had sued the state in April 2016 after then-Gov. Mike Pence signed the provisions into law.
Federal judge permanently blocks Indiana abortion limits | WGN-TV
hmmmm
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