News and Current Events - 2017 - 2022

[fritzkep]

I think I'll forego the pleasure.

[Gazapete]

I guess thank you for the information? I will blame you for my nightmares, Chuck!

[CellarDweller115]

So, I looked it up now:

Man Pulling BB Gun at Capital Pride Parade Triggered Panic: Police

A man pulled out a BB gun during an altercation during Saturday's Capital Pride Parade, causing widespread panic and mistaken reports of an active shooter, police say. Several people were hurt in the chaos as hundreds fled.

D.C Police Chief Peter Newsham confirmed to News4 that a shooting did not occur at the Dupont Circle festival on Saturday. A police report released Sunday shows that the confusion may have started when a man pulled out a BB gun.

About 7:20 p.m., nearly three hours into the parade, officers ran into Dupont as parade attendees fled, some shouting that there was a man with a gun. Some said that the man had fired.

According to a police incident report, Aftabjit Singh, 38, said he pulled out the fake gun to threaten an unknown person who was hitting his significant other. Singh will appear in court Monday on misdemeanor charges.
____________

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/False-Report-of-Shooting-at-Capital-Pride-Parade-Triggers-Panic-511027152.html

This article has video of people fleeing and running in the streets.

They start their parade late in D.C.  Ours starts at 11am.

Given the current administration, I'm not surprised there is an uptick in the violence at pride events.  Makes me concerned about what may be waiting at NYC Pride,  specifically since it's the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Their venom is potent and can dissolve human flesh.

 

[Lyle (Mooska)]

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Given the current administration, I'm not surprised there is an uptick in the violence at pride events.  Makes me concerned about what may be waiting at NYC Pride,  specifically since it's the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Nothing happened around here all last weekend, except a spike in temperatures...the hottest of the year.  I think they purposely block off roads
and cause so much traffic congestion so that it discourages people wanting to come here unless so inclined. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

Lyle, the June 3 New Yorker had a profile of Beto O'Rourke. Perhaps you've seen it?

Anyway, in the course of the article, the author, William Finnegan, wrote something that reminded me of things I believe you wrote here about why people go to see the Fake President.

Nobody, and I respectfully mean nobody, goes to Trump for the facts. They go for the entertainment, the fun, the inclusion, the angry release. Perhaps they agree with him, perhaps they don't. A Latino activist in El Paso told me that he had gone to hear O'Rourke that night, and was horrified to see his entire extended family, from both sides of the border, go to see Trump instead. He understood, though. You knew what Beto would say. You never knew what crazy shit Trump would say. People go for the transgression.

Unfortunately, those people who "go for the transgression" need to be persuaded to vote against the transgressor.

(In the William Shawn years, nobody, and I mean nobody, would have been allowed to say "crazy shit" in an article in The New Yorker.)

Finnegan also tells us that O'Rourke's birth name is Robert Francis O'Rourke. He got nicknamed Beto while he was still an infant, and that Beto is "the local shorthand for Roberto, Alberto, Humberto." I guess he got the nickname because his first name at birth is Robert, but that still doesn't teach me how to pronounce it.

At least I can say Butt-edge-edge.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

I haven't seen that, Jeff, but I'll check it out.

Yes, very similar to what I've been saying.  Transgression is a good word. It's like people slowing down to see an accident or going to see race car shows. I mean, is there anything much more boring than cars driving around a racetrack for a couple hours...ah...but the promise of an accident could occur.

It's like how Pete Buttigieg describes Trump's appeal: "That's the nature of the grotesque. It's mesmerizing."

Perfect.

Finnegan also tells us that O'Rourke's birth name is Robert Francis O'Rourke. He got nicknamed Beto while he was still an infant, and that Beto is "the local shorthand for Roberto, Alberto, Humberto." I guess he got the nickname because his first name at birth is Robert, but that still doesn't teach me how to pronounce it.

I believe it is pronounced:  bay-toe

At least I can say Butt-edge-edge.

Heh!  His shirts say "Boot"-edge-edge.  Maybe O'Rourke could have Bay-toe shirts!

Pete has been rising nicely in the latest polls. In the first couple caucus/primary states he's in a three way
tie with Sanders and Warren for second place!  The New York TImes has an article today titled:

How Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren Cracked the Code of the 2020 Race
New York Times article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-pete-buttigieg-2020.html

[Lyle (Mooska)]

How Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren Cracked the Code of the 2020 Race
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-pete-buttigieg-2020.html

...or as Fox News put it: "Buttigieg and Warren on Crack."  LOL!

[Lyle (Mooska)]

After eight years of Obama and the Republicans, headed by Mitch McConnell, refusing to do anything that Obama
put forward or the Democratic party, to the point of stealing a Supreme Court appointment, and now even refusing
to bring up legislation from the Democratic house, much less having a vote on any of it, this week Biden says he
thinks that when Trump is gone the Republicans will miraculously come to their senses and will want to work in a
bi-partisan manner.

They weren't doing that BEFORE Trump, so I can't believe he said that. Who could possibly believe it?
What made him think this? People would like to think Congress might work that way, but where's the
clues it might even remotely happen? McConnell keeps going around and making speeches calling
himself the Grim Reaper when it comes to any substantive policies sent to the Senate. McConnell is
more like the Grim Raper, raping the Democracy of all norms and bastardizing the way Government
works. I hate him more than the president.

By the way, have you heard?  Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao, MCCONNELL'S WIFE, has, well
it makes me mad to talk about it any more, here's a couple headlines:

--House to Investigate Secretary Elaine Chao Corruption Allegations

--Chao Corruption Shocking Even for Scandal-Plagued Trump Cabinet

--Chao Streamlined Federal Grants for Husband Mitch McConnell

--Mitch McConnell Shrugs Off Questions of Preferential Treatment

--Ethics Expert on Mitch McConnell and Elaine Chao: "We are now a full-fledged banana republic"

--Chao Secured $78 million in Transportation Projects for Kentucky to Help Husband in Senate Re-Election Bid

--Mitch McConnell and Elaine Chao's Empire of Corruption: Is This What "Normal" Looks Like, Joe Biden?
Joe Biden thinks Republicans "know better." But Mitch McConnell's venality goes back well before Donald Trump

--A ‘Bridge’ to China, and Chao's Family’s Business, in the Trump Cabinet

--Three Sec. of Transportation ELaine Chao Scandals: 1.) DOING BIG, EXPENSIVE FAVORS FOR MITCH
   2.) CONNECTIONS TO CHINESE CORPORATION 3.) FAILING TO DIVEST  (Guess If McConnell or Trump Care)

--The “Little Ditty About Mitch and Elaine” Edition

--Oops: Elaine Chao Caught Pimping Her Family Business with China

Don't you just want to punch them in their smug little rat faces?

[Paul029]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is Out
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is leaving the White House after a tenure defined by lashing out at reporters for critical coverage of Donald Trump while standing by the president’s lies and falsehoods.

Trump confirmed Sanders’ departure in tweets on Thursday, saying the press secretary would be leaving her post by the end of the month and returning to her home state of Arkansas.

—and good riddance. 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sarah-huckabee-sanders-trump-out_n_5b225d19e4b09d7a3d7aa734

[Paul029]

Kellyanne Conway Should Be Removed From Federal Office, Ethics Agency Says
Senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway should be removed from federal service for repeatedly violating a law that prohibits government employees from engaging in political campaigns, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel said Thursday.

The White House adviser has violated the Hatch Act several times and shows “disregard for the law,” the watchdog group said.

The independent federal agency ― which is different from the Justice Department office once operated by Robert Mueller ― sent a report to President Donald Trump on Thursday outlining numerous occasions in which Conway violated the Hatch Act by disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity on TV and in social media.

“Like with other presidential appointees, the President has the authority to discipline Ms. Conway for violating the Hatch Act,” the OSC said a statement. “Given that Ms. Conway is a repeat offender and has shown disregard for the law, OSC recommends that she be removed from federal service.”

—about time, too. 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kellyanne-conway-hatch-act-removed-federal-service_n_5d027337e4b0dc17ef05e5d7

[Paul029]

Ok, I am not sure that's good news, Paul!  Sorry, I think if I found that thing in my house my first reaction would be to look for a grenade launcher.

Not to worry Elena—the composite image released by the expedition is deceptive.

For a start, it not only exaggerates both insects’ sizes, but it also doesn’t include something by which to indicate the actual scale of the image (such as a ruler, a coin etc.), so it’s demonstration of their relative sizes is inaccurate.

While the giant bee is larger than a honey bee, it’s only about 3.8cm long, so a standard aerosol insecticide should do the trick.

First-ever photo of a live Megachile pluto specimen

[Gazapete]

And a hammer, just to be sure

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Kellyanne Conway Should Be Removed From Federal Office, Ethics Agency Says
Senior White House aide Kellyanne Conway should be removed from federal service for repeatedly violating a law that prohibits government employees from engaging in political campaigns, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel said Thursday.

It's become clear that most of our norms, are not LAWS, and are dependent on people, particularly the President, doing the right thing. Our current White House occupant flouts every norm, has no shame, is out for himself and is getting away with everything. He is Rolo Tomassi "the guy who gets away with it." And, by extension, the people in his administration are also "getting away with it." And now defiantly so.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi doesn't want to start an impeachment inquiry. A lot of people consider her a titan when it comes to knowing what she's doing in terms of policy and strategy. People give her the benefit of the doubt in that regard.

But I'm beginning to wonder. Not beginning, I have been wondering.  If she has a plan WHAT IS IT?  I don't see why the Democrats cannot just open an Impeachment Inquiry and then proceed with their fact finding under the umbrella of that committee. Because right now it seems like the Democrats don't know what they're doing. Individual committees are flailing in their attempts to interview anyone because the administration is stonewalling. So the media keeps asking Democrats what they're doing and they have very little to say because nothing is moving forward. The appearance is that the Democrats are being played. No one has any doubt if the Republicans were in the opposite position they'd have called for an Impeachment, much less an impeachment inquiry. If the Democrats aren't careful they're going to turn off enthusiasm amongst their own voters.

The reasoning is that the Republican senators won't vote to impeach the President if it gets to the Senate. The truth is that we don't know what would happen. At the very least the Republicans would have to actually cast a vote in stone which would have them APPROVING of this President. Not even having that vote lets them off the hook entirely. So, when you don't know what will happen, DO THE RIGHT THING. At least you'll be doing something because right now it seems nothing is happening.

Yesterday the President, after months of saying there was no collusion, came out in public and said he would absolutely collude with foreign powers if it helps him win again. Just WHEN is enough enough?

GET ON WITH IT.