Rule of Claw

Rule of Claw https://www.dailykos.com/user/Rule of Claw/rss/index.xml News Community Action Copyright 2005 - Steal what you want Thu, 06 May 2021 07:52:19 +0000 Thu, 06 May 2021 07:52:19 +0000 Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) If This Isn't Toxic What Is? Accused of Jurorin' While Black. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/5/4/2028917/-Jurorin-While-Black My fellow humans:  <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-george-floyd-race-and-ethnicity-death-of-george-floyd-2e3c8cb4878b808ddb6886a6fb956fe1" target="_blank">apnews.com/...</a> <blockquote> One of the jurors who convicted <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chauvin-jurors-george-floyd-c35cff601d97deb328c0fcafe121367b">Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd </a>on Monday defended his participation in a protest last summer in Washington, D.C., following online speculation about his motives for serving on the jury and whether it might be grounds for appeal. A photo, posted on social media, shows Brandon Mitchell, who is Black, attending the Aug. 28 event to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-race-and-ethnicity-ny-state-wire-dc-wire-ahmaud-arbery-e99f9bfcca9cb388054486fa41192194">commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech</a> during the 1963 March on Washington. Floyd’s brother and sister, Philonise and Bridgett Floyd, and relatives of others who have been shot by police addressed the crowd. </blockquote> Mitchell is black.  He likes Dr. King.  He prefers not to be killed by law enforcement.   Did I mention Mitchell is black?  He is black.  The AP said so.  But this in no way presupposes his blackness makes him biased.  Not at all.  But be real, it’s not like white people go to Black Lives Matter rallies, so it is fair to “question” his impartiality right? <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Protestors for "Black Lives Matter" stand in Tulsa, Oklahoma where Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at the BOK Center on June 20, 2020. - Hundreds of supporters lined up early for Donald Trump's first political rally in months, saying the risk of contracting COVID-19 in a big, packed arena would not keep them from hearing the president's campaign message. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/835512/large/GettyImages-1221533143.jpg?1595538813" title="Protestors for "Black Lives Matter" stand in Tulsa, Oklahoma where Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at the BOK Center on June 20, 2020. - Hundreds of supporters lined up early for Donald Trump's first political rally in months, saying the risk of contracting COVID-19 in a big, packed arena would not keep them from hearing the president's campaign message. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> It is believed that in voir dire Mr. Mitchell was completely honest and transparent about his participation.  He answered “no” to two questions:   1.  “Did you, or someone close to you, participate in any of the demonstrations or marches against police brutality that took place in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death?” 2.  “Other than what you have already described above, have you, or anyone close to you, participated in protests about police use of force or police brutality?” This was specifically set up to be a rally to celebrate Dr. King.  It is not surprising that at a rally for Dr. King the subject of police brutality would come up, but the AP’s approach is shocking here.  Somehow, they found a lawyer to say Chauvin may not have received a fair trial, and seemed to, in my opinion, present a juror on the defensive. All of this points to a double standard of behavior here.  Courts have held over and over again than without bias does <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/2003/06/22/jurors-must-be-impartial-they-shouldnt-be-clueless/efa21572-1c16-43f0-9e9b-4b6436052138/" target="_blank">not presuppose without knowledge</a>. <blockquote> Such a procedure would be consistent with the constitutional standard set by the Supreme Court in Mu'Min v. Virginia, a 1991 case involving a Virginia inmate who murdered a store owner during a prison furlough. In Mu'Min, eight of the 12 jurors who heard the case admitted to reading or hearing media reports about the case. Dawud Majid Mu'Min argued that these admissions meant that his right to trial by an impartial jury had been violated, even though each of the seated jurors had said that he or she could make a fair determination of Mu'Min's guilt or innocence despite the pretrial publicity. In rejecting Mu'Min's appeal of his conviction, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the purpose of the jury selection process is to find impartial, not ignorant, jurors. </blockquote> Realistically juror impartiality is a standard complaint in many defense appeals.  Especially in today’s age, with the ready availability of social media and photos of almost everyone publically accessible, if a court were to apply a standard the AP even implies is possible in this case, it would make juror selection, and thus the trial process nearly impossible. So what is really going on here?  We have a black man forced to defend his choice of political expression.  We are being served the “open question” of whether or not said black man could have expressed his admiration for Dr. King without later developing a bias against a defendant. I can’t emphasize this enough:  By all accounts I have read he answered the voir dire truthfully according to the specifics of the title of the rally. This sort of post trial quarterbacking is exactly why everyday citizens, myself included, do not relish the idea of jury duty.  And the so called mainstream press has become in many cases nothing but a megaphone for ever more extremist propaganda. Here is a satirical, hopefully, example of what I am talking about.   Facts as presented.  1.  999,999 social psychologists agree black Americans are fully genetically human.  2.  1 social psychologist has questions. Media headline:  Experts Not Unanimous That African Americans Are Fully Human. Or, and I love this rancid gem from just yesterday:  “Breakthrough Infections Reported Among Vaccinated.” Yes.  200,000,000 vaccines distributed.  5800 infections.  74 deaths.  A more appropriate headline is “Covid-19 Vaccine Efficacy Sets Record In Vaccine History.”   For those of you keeping count, that is 1 in 34,483 cases getting demonstrably sick.  That isn’t just effective.  That is a miracle.  The death rate?  1 in 2,702,703.  Getting my mail is more statistically dangerous. It sometimes seems media is not so much reporting news as keeping the pot stirred.  I am beginning to question if they actually prefer chaos, a nation embroiled in riots and strife in order to procure clicks and ratings. When I think of the numerous all white juries condemning black defendants to death throughout history, this story makes me want to chew through a drill bit. Also, read this about Gary Graham, and how this trial was conducted, the flimsy threadbare evidence that condemned him to the death penalty, and how much differently the law has historically been applied.  <a href="https://capitalpunishmentincontext.org/cases/graham/trial" target="_blank">capitalpunishmentincontext.org/</a>…  That case was prominent during my childhood and still sticks with me.   But getting back to Brandon Mitchell.  That the AP would spill ink on what is clearly a common defense tactic allows for deflection and continued cognitive dissonance among those who claim to be of the law and justice, who have long since abandoned any pretense of caring about either, and could not describe the difference if called upon. A key phrase in the opening paragraph is this “following online speculation about his motives for serving on the jury.”  How does that do anything other than give credibility to the whispers?  Not to mention that to my knowledge, the state of Minnesota does not advertise juror spots like a Craigslist gig, I do believe they are randomly chosen to select.  Just that one phrase makes it sound like he treated the case as if it were The Voice and he were auditioning. Which redneck wingnuts probably already believe, because their echo chamber told them, because it fits in with their world view of their superiority in every instance.  The AP giving voice to online speculation offends me.  The idea that a black juror has to defend their right to have a political opinion nauseates me.  That many of my white neighbors would raise funds to fix the damage to Chauvin’s knee caused by the “assault” of George Floyd’s neck infuriates me. And then there is this:  That the press would invite the debate on the idea that somehow it was Chauvin treated unfairly is eliciting an emotion I can’t describe.  I don’t know what it is doing to me. But it isn’t good. -ROC Hey Friends!  As you know I have done what I could to help my friend Bobby.  Sadly my own situation has become very concerning.  The truth is, pretty much all my energy allows for anymore is writing.  I can’t drive much, can barely stay awake, and have to go back for more tests and procedures.  But until I am returned to health, earning potential is very limited.  Aside from helping new friends, I also help support my disabled Mom (not currently approved for disability payments) and autistic brother, who is an awesome kid but can’t quite hold down a job without more help from therapy, which also costs, which I also pay for through their deductibles and Obamacare.  I will be doing a newsletter soon as I can figure out the technical aspects so I am trying to use what energy and talents I have left to earn. I am asking for your help.  I don’t want to do that, but my health has pinned me down.  My full story is here:  <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-todd-rule-of-claw-rebuild-life?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1" target="_blank">www.gofundme.com/…</a> Anything is appreciated and will be paid forward.  rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) BlackLivesMatter BrandonMitchell DerekChauvin GeorgeFloyd _2028917 Tue, 04 May 2021 19:26:27 +0000 Your Human Rule of Claw Has A Plan To Earn Living Post Pandemic, Needs Advice. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/5/3/2028744/-Your-Human-Rule-of-Claw-Has-A-Plan-To-Earn-Living-Post-Pandemic-Needs-Advice I am going to do a newsletter.  Yes I have researched it.  I am aware nothing is easy and there are challenges, as all projects present challenges.  This would focus on four cores:  1.  Original reporting.  2.  Stories that got lost in shuffles.  These would be important stories, however, not always glamourous ones.  Nuts and bolts stuff.  3.  Pooties and wuzzles.  Memes, heroism, inspiration.  4.  The future.  Each week would contain stories about progress and how we can create a cleaner world. My thought is to charge $3.99  per month, for one newsletter per week.  I am not sure.  Some do free newsletters then try to affiliate for products, but to me, that does not seem fair to the reader.  The newsletter would be the product, I don’t love advertising, and I want you to be assured that if you communicate with me, you are only communicating with me.  So of course I would focus on email compliance and privacy.  I want it to be enjoyable, informative, inspiring, and even comical in appropriate spots.  I don’t want it to be dour and depressing. But I am out of ideas and need to earn again.  So I am soliciting advice on template design, what you want to read, what you believe a fair price is for four issues per month, and anything else you believe would help. Thanks in advance. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Environment Newsletter Pooties wuzzles _2028744 Mon, 03 May 2021 15:27:08 +0000 Gender Reveal Party Creates Cracks In New Hampshire Homes So I Developed A Test https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/4/23/2027279/-Gender-Reveal-Party-Creates-Cracks-In-New-Hampshire-Homes-So-I-Developed-A-Test So.  First off it is not a gender reveal party.  It is a biological sex reveal party and it is a narcissistic trend.  But these people apparently decided to rent a quarry and detonate 80 pounds of tannerite, which as it turns out, makes for a might strong boom. <a href="https://www.wmur.com/article/explosion-heard-across-several-towns-believed-to-be-from-gender-reveal/36192892#" target="_blank">www.wmur.com/…</a> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=qNz9w9HC1bA" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qNz9w9HC1bA" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> <blockquote> Kingston police are investigating an explosion that shook homes in neighboring towns and was apparently part of a gender reveal party. Police said the explosion happened at about 7 p.m. Tuesday on the property of Torromeo Industries on Dorre Road. Residents of Kingston and neighboring towns said they were startled by the blast. "To have something like this occur outside normal business hours, and, of all of the blasts that we have experienced, nothing was as loud as we experienced on Tuesday night," said resident Sarah Taglieri. The sound was captured on a home surveillance system miles away in Plaistow. For some, it knocked pictures off the wall. Others told police that cracks formed in their home's foundation. </blockquote> At times like these, aside from the obvious social distancing concerns, what is it about the appearance of a genital on an ultrasound that makes people jump to any activity requiring the word “detonation?” So in order to screen my friends, I have developed the “How Important Are You Test?” If you score too high on this test, we are no longer friends. 1.  Do you think the sex of your baby is so important that State Farm needs to put extra adjusters on call? 2.  Have you ever looked at a quarry and thought, “That would be a good place to detonate something in honor of my Y Chromosome.” 3.  Does the concept of “memorable moment” in your mind necessarily involve earplugs and hiding under a desk? 4.  Have you ever contacted the Mythbusters to try to contract them as party planners? 5.  Has TLC ever approached you to do a reality show? 6.  Is your last name Kardashian? 7.  Has your party invitation ever included  a map with a location called, “Blast safety zone?” 8.  Has one or more of your family members ever died at one of your parties due to a projectile? 9.  Are you banned from Party City? 10.  Would your party cake fail to get through a metal detector? If you answer yes to even one of these questions, nope we can’t be friends.  Good luck, Earth. You’re welcome. -ROC Thanks to your help, Robert and his pooties and wuzzles are eating and not thrown out of their home.  He is in the process of doing an ultrasound to look at his heart, and it is so crucial for him to keep his insurance.   Tito the dog is resting comfortably, but after explaining that the dog is probably not a candidate at his age to deal with brain surgery, he has decided to focus on palliative care.  Most of all he is trying to navigate life in a town with little to no jobs and no interest in a server in his mid 50’s with severe mobility issues and a potentially failing heart. In the coming days I intend to release a series of diaries about  the deficit in assisting those physically challenged.  Any other questions just ask.  He is always on the brink of homelessness if their home is condemned, and he is trying to get the repairs done to prevent that. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a>? To send him immediate assistance <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still giving. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) genderrevealparty kingstonnh Narcissism Tannerite _2027279 Fri, 23 Apr 2021 15:00:04 +0000 Dealing With Anti-Maskers At A Supermarket.. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/4/22/2027158/-Dealing-With-Anti-Maskers-At-A-Supermarket In times of stress, we are supposed to be united as one people.  One of the biggest detriments to fighting this pandemic has been the idiots determined to ignore it or put others at risk. We have mask mandates.  I wear my mask.  But I more frequently encounter people not wearing theirs.  Here is what I do: Not a thing.  Nothing.  I avoid them, I leave, I go home.  I have specific training to protect myself.  This is not a scared thing.  This is a “worth it” thing.  As in its not.  If I approach them, I am violating my own code of social distancing.  Plus there is the Grandpa advice. Like many Grandpas, he made sure to let me know there is always someone bigger, stronger, tougher.  No matter how experienced and street tested I might be, someone can come along and gift wrap my ass with a bow on it.  He taught me to box, so one day he saw me in action and I thought he would be proud.  To an extent he was, but he also made sure I understood the difference between self defense and elective engagement. See the lesson is that regardless of how tough and trained you are, if you run up against someone who is meaner then you had better bring your lunch box.  Some of these guys will give up teeth or even an eye to take a piece from you. In a way, I treat these people as if they are armed.  They are walking around unmasked, presenting themselves as a threat unconcerned about the welfare of others.  Their spittle is no less than a weapon if they are infected.  And they probably don’t care if they are. I can’t accomplish anything in a fight with these people.  I can’t teach them a lesson, I can’t protect the public.  I can’t even set an example to others if I lower myself like that. And still I feel guilty.  We as a society should have made mask violations have real teeth, but instead we have Republicans all over this country making us compliant considerate folks out to be the bad guys. So screw it. Don’t confront these people.  If they get Covid, if they die, they had ample information they chose to ignore to worship their Orange god.  Walk away.  Go home.   Then seriously consider how much outside contact you really need to make with a world losing its mind. -ROC Earlier I published a diary about the Ma’kiah Bryant case and had someone accuse me of intellectual dishonesty.  I disagree but I unpublished the post to review in further detail the specific videos I cited as examples of alternative policing. Update on Robert:   This began on Christmas Eve night.  My Wife and I have a tradition of donating through her work to Toys for Tots, but because of Covid, her work was not organizing it as normal. So after buying a lot of toys at Target, we decided to drive around and look for someone.  But we did not know exactly who.  You see some time ago my Mother had to work on Christmas Eve at a convenience store.  So did my Grandfather.   For those of you who don’t know, Christmas Eve is a strange night to work convenience stores.  I decided then that I would make this right; both to my Mom and in the future for other single Moms.  So it was on this night we were searching for a specific person. We happened upon a Circle-K and started talking to the workers.  A young woman came up in uniform and we asked her if she had kids.  She had three.  12, 10, and 3.  The latter one I believe she said was a baby girl.  I asked her what the situation looked like, you know, for “Santa.”  She teared up.  Her children had not a single toy to open. We had found our person.  We gave her the toys while this lady cried for 10 minutes in sheer joy and she promised to pay it forward someday. Feeling good, on Christmas morning I decided to do a random Twitter giveaway to those I saw who posted about being hungry or hopeless on Christmas.  I met Robert.  His story was heartbreaking, and his awkward but refreshing manner touched my heart.  So I decided to help.  And oh boy.  You are so awesome. Thanks to your help, he and his pooties and wuzzles are eating and not thrown out of their home.  He is in the process of doing an ultrasound to look at his heart, and it is so crucial for him to keep his insurance.   Tito the dog is resting comfortably, but after explaining that the dog is probably not a candidate at his age to deal with brain surgery, he has decided to focus on palliative care.  Most of all he is trying to navigate life in a town with little to no jobs and no interest in a server in his mid 50’s with severe mobility issues and a potentially failing heart. In the coming days I intend to release a series of diaries about  the deficit in assisting those physically challenged.  Any other questions just ask.  He is always on the brink of homelessness if their home is condemned, and he is trying to get the repairs done to prevent that. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a>? To send him immediate assistance <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still giving. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Anti-maskers Anti-vaxxers Covid Recommended SocialDistancing _2027158 Thu, 22 Apr 2021 19:29:24 +0000 Not Bill. Not Barack. Not JFK. Not Even Joe. It Was Fritz. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/4/20/2026740/-Not-Bill-Not-Barack-Not-JFK-Not-Even-Joe-It-Was-Fritz I was born a defender of the underdog.  There is no other explanation.  The four Presidents I mention above were and are still iconic, and my love and respect and appreciation for them knows no bounds. And it goes without saying that I dearly love President Biden.  Yet, when it comes to a hero- A lot of people will tell you their favorite player is Mike Trout, their favorite movie star is George Clooney, their favorite food is pizza.  I was a different kid.  My favorite baseball players were Jose Cruz and Ozzie Smith, my favorite food was the Whopper, and my favorite movie star was Roger Moore. In other words, I deviated from popular opinion.  So it was as a child on a November evening when I saw the aftermath of an absolutely anti-climatic Presidential election.  Reagan had simply clobbered Mondale.  Earlier that year I watched VP Mondale’s acceptance speech at the DNC and decided I loved that man.  He was warm and caring, open and honest, and far too authentic for a nation steeped in polyester and shoulder pads. He would lose.  Deep down I might have known that.  The kids at school, in Texas, made fun of him and generally me as well for liking him.  I didn’t care. On this night, the worst of his professional life, the vanquished former VP came up to the podium and spoke these words: <blockquote> My loss tonight does not in any way diminish the worth and importance of our struggle. The America we want to build is just as important tomorrow as it was yesterday. Let us continue to seek an America that is just and fair. Tonight, tonight especially I think of the poor, the unemployed, the elderly the handicapped, the helpless and the sad, and they need us more than ever tonight. Let us fight for jobs and fairness, let us fight for these kids and make certain they have the best education that any generation ever had (applause). Let us fight for our environment and protect our air, our water and our land. And while we must keep America strong, let's use that strength to keep the peace, to reflect our values, and to control these weapons before they destroy us all. </blockquote> Other kids I suppose were into Joe Montana or Magic Johnson, or Reagan, the winner.  I stuck by my guy.  I wanted him to eventually go for it again, maybe when he could win in a country not so seduced by rhetoric.  Of course that is not what I thought as a grade-schooler-what I thought was “Why didn’t the good guys win this?” But I heard those words that would forever stick with me.  He cared.  He genuinely cared.  He was not slick like Gary Hart, or charming like Bill Clinton.  He was not a rise from your seat orator like JFK or Barack.  (Although he was no slouch in this department.)  He was pure.  He had a sense of dignity.  He would have been a fantastic President. More than anything, he did it his way.  He did not back down or turn his back on his values.  He surely knew for some time the race was over.  But his messaging was not.  It lived on.  In one election that saw a tremendous numerical defeat, he planted a seed in a child of love and benevolence and determination that lived on. It lived on through the pain of 2000, through the heartbreak a young man felt watching a nation truly debase itself with the Iraq debacle.  It lived on when his attempt to hold Senator Wellstone’s seat came up short for reasons i still don’t understand.  It lived on when I stood up to my very own committeepersons and announced my support for the black Senator from Illinois with the funny name. It lived on when I watched this nation walk to the edge of a democratic ledge and put a narcissist in charge.  It lived on in me when I found out I had cancer.  It lived on when I gave my best effort to now President Joe Biden with an IV in my arm. It lived on. Walter Mondale is my political hero.  He taught me that the message, the movement, the long game is the thing, not just the one moment.  He taught me that elections serve as mere checkpoints in a nation’s progression, not a penultimate deciding factor.  What he showed me is what VP Mondale believed in, was more important than his ultimate place of power. He believed in a kid like me from a broken home, in poverty, struggling to survive.  He believed in civil rights, he believed in equality and justice, and peace.  He believed in a country called America and he believed that we would eventually hear, and heed his message, even if he knew it would not be him to run the controls. He believed someday someone who believes like he did would be President.  Someday the voiceless would would be heard, the poor would be raised up, the minority would be equal and the peace would be secure. It takes a true hero to look me in the eye and say, “Not this day, but someday.”  He did not ask me to merely accept his defeat on November 6th, 1984.  He asked me, he asked all of us, to take the baton of progress and run and follow our own vision, and plan our own battles, and achieve our own victories. No Fritz did not lose that evening, he merely stopped running is all.  The race never stops, and from that day on, I have been running with that political baton in my hand. I have stumbled.  I have scraped my knees.  I have been bloodied and bruised, and heartbroken at various times.  But all these years later my legs still churn and my grip remains. <blockquote> “Tonight, tonight especially I think of the poor, the unemployed, the elderly the handicapped, the helpless and the sad, and they need us more than ever tonight.” </blockquote> And I will be there to help them Mr. Vice President.  Because you asked me to- Because you meant it. Love, -ROC  Attn fellow Kossacks:  My friend Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles.  Now Tito, his dog, is having seizures.  On top of this the insurance company is threatening to drop coverage on his home if repairs are not made. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a>? To send him immediate assistance <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) CivilRights Liberal Minnesota Recommended WalterFrederickMondale WalterMondale _2026740 Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:00:12 +0000 How I Look At The Transgender Issue https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/4/19/2026564/-How-I-Look-At-The-Transgender-Issue Years ago a ballplayer had a huge clutch hit in the World Series for my birthplace team, The St. Louis Cardinals.  It tied game 6 for a second time with two outs and eventually led to the Cards winning the game and the Series.  That player’s name was Lance Berkman.  At that time, he was hero to me. In 2015, he publicly opposed a Houston Equal Rights Ordinance guaranteeing protections against discrimination over sexual orientation and identity.  <a href="https://www.outsports.com/2015/9/29/9412857/lance-berkman-gay-trans-video-prop-1" target="_blank">Here is his quote:</a> <blockquote> "Who knows what the intent of that person might be. They truly might think they're a woman, which is a little strange to me. But they could be a child predator. They could be somebody that's in there who likes to look at women and just claims to be a woman. ... If we're going to go down to the zoo, I just want to be able to live life without having to have an extra thing to worry about when it comes to protecting my family. ... It's crazy. It makes me want to say... 'wake up, America!' And that's what I want to scream at people because, what are we doing here? We have the potential for men going into a woman's bathroom. The very few people that this could be slanted as discriminating against, is it worth putting the majority of our population at risk... to appease a very small minority of the population? I don't think so. I think it's crazy, and it's unbelievable that we're even talking about this. ... We have to try to rise up against this threat, and the only way we can do that is go and vote 'No' against Proposition 1." </blockquote> This was not some drunken rant; no, he actually filmed videos drumming up support against the ordinance.  Whatever the case, it worked, as the ordinance was repealed by a 22 point margin. Now at the time, I thought it “sounded dumb” to try to repeal such an ordinance.  But I will not sit here and tell you it was keeping me up at night at that point, because it was a relatively new political hot potato in a world full of singed fingers.  That and I was monitoring the Political Tropical Depression in the Electoral Ocean that would eventually become a four year hurricane.  That is my own fault, because I should have paid more attention. Now certainly in more enlightened parts of the country, we have made progress on Trans rights.  Often still, and this is usually men over 50, I will hear rants about “trannies” and “predators” and locker rooms.  There is this image of America burned into my brain, and angry bald graying white guy, out of shape, with a constantly balled up fist.  They pretty much despise everything unlike them. These are the men, sadly, primarily making up the blue collar industries we need to thrive.  Go to a car dealer and listen to the conversations in break rooms.  Slurs, invectives, talks about how things used to be better, and you will see similar in construction and anything that does not involve a formal education, or heightened emotional IQ. These are wannabe tough guys.  I will tell my friends in the LGBTQ community this:  They legit hate you.  Do not confuse this for ignorance, this isn’t like racism without malevolence.  These people for real hate. They would have to in order to pass a law in Florida allowing genital inspections of children.  But this is again, sheer ignorance.  We who care about human rights understand that biological sex is a physical manifestation of reproductive organs.  Gender is a personal identity.  But they don’t care.  They will never care. And so after all of this, and disavowing my fandom of Berkman, and being involved in the professional baseball world as a close friend to some pros, I can tell you I am no longer that close friend.  Too many ignorant rants, too much thinking they know something, too much hate.  These guys are deep into macho culture, UFC, cars, bodybuilding, competitive drinking, and although I can not speak to any personal experience with Berkman himself, because i have never met him, the ones I know are mostly the kind of slime you would not leave want your children to attend a frat party with. So why did I know them?  I played sports, and I drank beer.  I rarely drink beer, and I no longer play sports at any competitive level.  But what opened my eyes were the tragedies.  Suicides.  Beatings.  The fact that transwomen  were actually being murdered and somehow, nobody was being charged.   This hurt me.  It also called out my inaction and my own ignorance on the subject. But all of this, while a personal evolution towards being a better person, is insufficient as the subject itself is not about me.  I am not the important part of this story.  I can get to that better person place but it is meaningless without actually helping the community that is oppressed.  So I took some advice by starting to study the policies that would make the world safer for the community. But in studying this, and I have spent some time reviewing the Leelah Alcorn case, the tragedy of Daphne Dorman, and numerous other cases involving assaults, murders, suicides, I found myself getting angrier over one term.  “Issue.” The bubble heads in the media kept referring to Trans-rights as an “issue.”  Issues are debatable, they are discussed in the context of policy development.  A bridge that needs repaired is an issue. When you frame something as an issue, you automatically set it up for false-equivocation.  You set it up to be debated as something to be ignored, as something that can be disallowed. I will not set foot in the state of Florida until which time this awful bill is defeated, repealed, disavowed, and apologized for.  Not going to Disney, not going on a cruise, not even visiting family. I can not.  It turns my stomach.  The right wing turns my stomach.  And all of this circles back to my main point.  You might remember that the title of my post was, “How I Look At The Transgender Issue.” I don’t. I don’t look at it as an “issue” at all.  I don’t view someone’s existence as an issue.  I view their existence as sacred and as something I am morally required to defend. There is no issue here. There is only love and human rights and whether these United States means what it says. The very existence of a human being as they see themselves, can’t be an issue, it can’t be a “point of contention” or a debate. That human being must be what all human beings are supposed to be: Equal. Out of many we are one, but if we exclude any of that many- We are nothing. -ROC Attn fellow Kossacks:  My friend Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles.  Now Tito, his dog, is having seizures.  On top of this the insurance company is threatening to drop coverage on his home if repairs are not made. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a>? To send him immediate assistance <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Florida Floridaanti-transbill LGBTQ Rescued Trans-rights Transgender _2026564 Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:48:08 +0000 Mass Shooting At FedEx Facility In Indianapolis, IN. Eight Dead. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/4/16/2026163/-Mass-Shooting-At-FedEx-Facility-In-Indianapolis-IN-Eight-Dead Late Thursday evening an armed assailant entered the Airport Fed Ex facility and killed eight people, possibly including themselves. <blockquote> The shooting was reported at the FedEx facility shortly after 11 p.m. and officers arrived to an active shooter incident, police spokeswoman Officer Genae Cook told reporters. She said the gunman killed himself at the scene. A search found eight people deceased with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds, she added. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Many casualties in shooting incident at FedEx facility in US city of Indianapolis, police say &lt;a href="https://t.co/D7H0SMEgza"&gt;https://t.co/D7H0SMEgza&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1382955434013822980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 16, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Many casualties in shooting incident at FedEx facility in US city of Indianapolis, police say <a href="https://t.co/D7H0SMEgza">https://t.co/D7H0SMEgza</a>— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1382955434013822980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote> </div> <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;IMPD says they will be investigating at this scene for hours. Employees should reach out to their supervisors; the building is closed.&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Courtney Crown (@CrownJournalist) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/CrownJournalist/status/1382955286315606016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 16, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">IMPD says they will be investigating at this scene for hours. Employees should reach out to their supervisors; the building is closed.— Courtney Crown (@CrownJournalist) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrownJournalist/status/1382955286315606016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote> </div> This person is helping another lady who is beside herself, because she is desperately trying to get information about her daughter.   If you have information her DM’s are open on Twitter. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;PLEASE help this mom from Tennessee who has a daughter who was working at the FedEx Incident&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ISPIndianapolis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@ISPIndianapolis&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/uNyjkENWij"&gt;https://t.co/uNyjkENWij&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; @OneJurorMatters (@OneJurorMatters) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/OneJurorMatters/status/1382939066795229186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 16, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">PLEASE help this mom from Tennessee who has a daughter who was working at the FedEx Incident<a href="https://twitter.com/ISPIndianapolis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ISPIndianapolis</a> <a href="https://t.co/uNyjkENWij">https://t.co/uNyjkENWij</a>— @OneJurorMatters (@OneJurorMatters) <a href="https://twitter.com/OneJurorMatters/status/1382939066795229186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote> </div> <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#BREAKING&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;⤵️CURRENT 3:17am/E&lt;br&gt;⤵️UPDATE&lt;br&gt;8️⃣DEAD&lt;br&gt;7️⃣INJURED&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;📻Police Scanner📻&lt;br&gt;Suspect Shot &amp;amp; Killed Himself&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indianapolis?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Indianapolis&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indiana?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Indiana&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;⛔MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;🔘INCIDENT @ FedEx Facility&lt;br&gt;8951 Maribel Rd&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;🔘FAMILY REUNIFICATION&lt;br&gt;Holiday Inn Express&lt;br&gt;8555 Stansted Dr&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;⛔SHOOTER ➡️ DEAD &lt;a href="https://t.co/nY5bIoTJgy"&gt;pic.twitter.com/nY5bIoTJgy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; @OneJurorMatters (@OneJurorMatters) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/OneJurorMatters/status/1382956158961516546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 16, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> ⤵️CURRENT 3:17am/E ⤵️UPDATE 8️⃣DEAD 7️⃣INJURED 📻Police Scanner📻 Suspect Shot & Killed Himself<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indianapolis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indianapolis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indiana?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indiana</a> ⛔MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT 🔘INCIDENT @ FedEx Facility 8951 Maribel Rd 🔘FAMILY REUNIFICATION Holiday Inn Express 8555 Stansted Dr ⛔SHOOTER ➡️ DEAD <a href="https://t.co/nY5bIoTJgy">pic.twitter.com/nY5bIoTJgy</a>— @OneJurorMatters (@OneJurorMatters) <a href="https://twitter.com/OneJurorMatters/status/1382956158961516546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote> </div> My fellow humans, I am doing Instacart and Amazon Fresh and severely curtailing any public gatherings because of viruses. Not just Covid-19. Viruses AR-15, Glock 22s, AK-47, .45 Magnum, to name a few. Eight more human beings lost.  And Republicans act like they are cord wood to keep the fires of “freedumb” burning. Yet somehow, with the forced symbolism, the entrenched propaganda, copaganda, and useful rubes, I am feeling anything but warm. Below is my effort on behalf of a suffering friend.  Nevertheless, here is information on the National Compassion fund, an organization that helps victims of mass casualty incidents. <a href="https://nationalcompassionfund.org/faq/" target="_blank">nationalcompassionfund.org/…</a> I am now out of words.  Be safe humans and animals.  Love, -ROC Attn fellow Kossacks:  My friend Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles.  Now Tito, his dog, is having seizures.  On top of this the insurance company is threatening to drop coverage on his home if repairs are not made. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a>? To send him immediate assistance <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC </blockquote> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Fedexshooting Indianapolis NRA OneJurorMatters Recommended _2026163 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 10:30:21 +0000 F This. No Really. F The Effing F Out of This. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/4/13/2025715/-F-This-No-Really-F-The-Effing-F-Out-of-This Every day.  Every ever loving day.  Day after day, it is something else that this country could find a solution to if it just had the will. 1.  If it is a day that ends in “Y” a black person is probably threatened or worse by an overzealous cop. 2.  Every day people risk their lives by..going to school or shopping or watching a movie because some maniac with unfettered access to firearms may be there. 3.  Every day some Republican responds to said crises by making them worse.  Have an epidemic of violence?  Pass a law saying anyone over 21 can buy a handgun with no background check, no permit, or training.  Have an issue with police brutality?  Clearly the answer is to criminalize protesting, or in Florida’s case, immunize people from the vehicular manslaughter of them. 4.  Did your citizens nearly freeze to death en masse because utility deregulation ran amok?  Make the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks sing the National Anthem by state law.  (Protip:  Mark Cuban will probably sue and win because you can’t make someone sing a song.)  Then of course, degregulate further. 5.  Do you have a major outbreak of a virulent disease in your state?  Remove the power to issue restrictions from the Governor.  Then blame said Governor when predictably, the situation spirals out of control.  You know, for not doing anything. 6.  Does a vaccine cause less blood clots than is found in normal population?  (Hat tip to Laura Clawson.)  Moan on right wing media until the Government is forced to pause it thereby making an already stressed situation even worse.   7.  Do you think as a woman you have the right to decide who does and does not have physical relations with you, even if you are inebriated?   Well the Minnesota Supreme Court would like to tell you something. 8.  Do you have a homeless epidemic in your city?  Pass a law criminalizing helping them then arrest them for vagrancy. 9.  Are only 18 percent of your citizens vaccinated against Covid?  Have a baseball stadium full of people gather that ignore the mask request.  Then wonder weeks later if watching the Texas Rangers was worth what might end up causing a trip to see Uncle Venty.  For reference, the Texas Rangers probably have the worst team of their franchise history. 10.  Have you done literally nothing, zippo, not one motherhubbarding thing to assist the new President in saving the country?  Cry because he does not Tweet unhinged enough. Look, this is just a sample.  The west may dry up because of climate changes, and anytime I pull out of our garage I see mostly SUV’s and minivans on the road.  In fact, Americans are so enamored with SUVs that many car companies are thinking about discontinuing sedans. Americans, it seems just don’t care.  They are only interested in immediate gratification and show no interest, at least in high enough numbers, to actually create real change.  Sure they vote for it.  President Biden is change.  But he is one very good man who surrounded himself with competence who is challenged at every turn by malevolent narcissists looking to liquidate their own nation. And what do Americans do?  What do they do when asked to be intelligent, to conserve, to be more respectful, and to protect each other?  They do this: <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="TRGM.jpg" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/936849/large/TRGM.jpg?1618336595" title="TRGM.jpg"> <figcaption>Texas Rangers Home Opener April 5th, 2021.  </figcaption> </figure> Several things stand out with this picture, notably, how much they all look alike.  Mostly overweight, who probably do nothing to protect their health or anyone else’s. Then they likely drive home in an obnoxious SUV. If Americans don’t start caring, what exactly do they think will happen to our “empire” in time? We can’t sing a song or stand for a flag our way out of this. We will have to take actions that result in those symbols actually meaning something, other than a chance for fat bald men to cough on each other in an expression of “freedumb.” And then comes tomorrow.. -ROC <div> <div> <div> <div> <div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div> Attn fellow Kossacks:  My friend Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles.  Now Tito, his dog, is having seizures.  On top of this the insurance company is threatening to drop coverage on his home if repairs are not made. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a>? To send him immediate assistance <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) ClimateChange Covid-19 policeshooting Recommended TexasRangers _2025715 Tue, 13 Apr 2021 18:18:19 +0000 Protip: A Taser Weighs About Eight Ounces. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/4/12/2025565/-Protip-A-Taser-Weighs-About-Eight-Ounces We are told the Brooklyn Center shooting of Daunte Wright was accidental.  Ok.  In order to assess that, we need to examine a few physical elements of the case.  First, we know that the officer’s sex was female.  This is relevant in a moment.  Second, a taser weighs about eight ounces. Eight ounces is a large bag of chips, two thirds of a soda, a bowl of cereal with milk.  In physical terms, picking up a weapon that weighs eight ounces, would take 3.57 newtons of force.   A standard police issue 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a full magazine, weighs about 2.6 pounds.  A loaded Glock .22 about the same.  This takes 11.57 newtons, or a bit over three times the amount of force. As mentioned earlier, the officer is identified as a female, at least physically according to statements.  Assuming she possesses the average grip strength of a female of 29kg, vs. 46kg for a male, not only would the more than five times greater weight be more noticeable, she would likely have had more time to think about it if she is moving it slower. So then I am expected to believe that this officer accidentally picked up an item weighing more than five times a taser, aimed, and pulled the trigger believing this to be a taser. Let’s try frozen food terms.  If a burrito weighs eight ounces, and the largest frozen pizza you can find is 42 ounces, would you notice the weight in the bag.  Depending on your physical characteristics, would you feel the weight on your forearm picking it up from the self checkout lane? Is it realistic to believe, with no immediate threat, that her adrenaline was so amped she simply forgot which side of her holster the taser was on, completely lost track of the weight difference, did not notice the sight on the weapon, undid the safety (if applicable) and pulled the trigger, “tragically”? Look I will give you those standard disclaimers:  Was not there, not been in that situation, context, blah blah.  But I know the difference between a Starbuck’s Doubleshot can and a baseball bat the weight of Babe Ruth’s.   Even so, as an accident, this reads as a potential manslaughter charge, but I have my doubts a jury will be able to get past the physics and buy that. And even after all this, maybe after the trial I accept that story.  Say I do.  What number of excuse is this?  1,009?  There is always some excuse when a person of color is executed by a cop.  “I was scared,” “I thought he was armed,” “I thought it was a taser,”  “He ran,”  “She was lying in bed suspiciously.”  “He was jaywalking,”  “She was playing video games in her own bedroom past midnight,” and on and on it goes. This 20 year-old young man had a son.  He had a right to be detained, arrested, charged for fleeing, convicted if the evidence warranted it, pay his dues, and mature.   Rarely does even a week go by without a police involved killing of a black person. And yet every sporting event we are asked to stand for a song. Here is a song for ya-make this the National Anthem.  At least it would be more honest. (Yes I have released a single, but this one is more appropriate for my point.) <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=bWXazVhlyxQ" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bWXazVhlyxQ" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Attn fellow Kossacks:  My friend Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles.  Now Tito, his dog, is having seizures.  On top of this the insurance company is threatening to drop coverage on his home if repairs are not made. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a>? To send him immediate assistance <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) BrooklynCenter DaunteWright policeshooting sayhisname _2025565 Mon, 12 Apr 2021 21:14:32 +0000 Ignorance and The CDC https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/31/2023770/-Ignorance-and-The-CDC President Biden has focused on placing professionals of unparalleled competence in positions of leadership.  CDC Director Wallensky did undergrad at Wash U in St. Louis, was medically trained at Johns Hopkins and received her public policy Masters from Harvard.  Nevertheless, there is a guy who received his Epidemiology degree from a social media group, constantly whining about vaccines, constantly complaining about his inability to cruise.  Actually there are about a million of these “guys” constantly posting, constantly feeding misinformation into the minds of readers. As a social experiment, I tried something.  I logged into Facebook and looked through posts from my friend’s lists with comments disparaging the administration, the CDC, or the vaccines.  It took two scrolls.  Meanwhile findings of an objective nature were much harder to accumulate. But in my corner, the trends were disturbing.  Aside from a few white Trumpers most of the posts questioning the vaccine were from minorities.  They were prone to conspiracy theories, and they exhibited distrust against government.  In other words, these posters were not altogether different from their Confederate Flag adversaries. To be fair, unbiased information is hard to get.  Actual research is time consuming, requires critical thinking, and quite frankly, solitude.  Research requires reading and absorbing information.  The problem is, and we mostly have all done this, is a propensity to start spitting out opinions before we have truly understood the information.  People go off half knowledgeable starting to spread “the word” out of context and without a true understanding.  Some do it for nefarious reasons.  Others are just surrounded by lemmings, and it is too tempting not to be the leader. But the truth is, answers take time.  Those demanding answers right now do not understand how science works.  In fact, science is not so much about finding one single answer as much as a tedious process of eliminating the wrong ones.  For example, I have friends who are cruisers, in fact, my Wife and I have done over 20 ourselves.  It is not for everybody.  It is also true that on return from several cruises I have developed a cold, or worse, bronchitis and the worst flu I have ever had despite vaccination.  Cruises are a fantastic vacation if you can avoid illness.  But their very nature, being social, close quarters, can create favorable environments for viruses. So the cruise industry already needed to do much more to keep ships clean and prevent illness.  Filtration systems will help.  But right now the cruise industry is pressuring the CDC for answers. The CDC does not have those answers.  The CDC does not know if the variants will weaken the vaccines, it does not have repatriation agreements in place, it does not have protocols established, it does not have children immunized.  The largest bulk of unknowns is just now in the process of being discovered, yet DeSantis and Abbott, and Facebook “experts” say we should make our own decisions. The problem is, your decisions might become my illness.  Your recklessness of going to a baseball game with 50,000 people might reseed a dangerous variant.  It is likely vaccines will protect against a variant but not guaranteed.  Can’t we wait just a tiny bit longer to have more information?  If a virus spreads like wildfire on a cruise ship, and passengers come home, guess what?  We have reseeded virus.  This is nothing like a motorcycle helmet debate, where if you decide to not wear one it is likely only you that will suffer the consequences.  This is a team effort.  My willingness to be careful is not just about my health.  It is also about yours.  We have to think about each other.  Going to a non-socially distanced baseball game, or a cruise, is foolish right now, even with a vaccine.  We have not stomped this thing down to negligible levels.  Yet you have a guy on Youtube, someone who hosts a channel called La Lida Loca, saying he believes the President will rescind the health emergency in April.  This is a fantasy. It won’t likely even be this year. Now am I considering, post vaccination, a socially distanced outdoor game?  Yes.  Considering.  Weighing the options, researching variants, establishing a foundation made up of solid data not rumor.  But the majority of the country?  It seems not.  And a over a year into this pandemic, Americans are impatient, undereducated, unknowledgeable, and brash.  This is a bad combination. Ignorance acknowledged is a threat to oneself.  Ignorance ignored is a threat to us all. Attention Dear Friends: The sad fact is cancer treatment is expensive, and the pandemic has made my business a black hole.  I need to now figure a way to cover all kinds of diagnostics and treatments but did not want to go a route where I did not at least attempt to use my skills or creativity to earn. <a href="https://dashboard.teespring.com/listings/108749347/admin" target="_blank" title="">dashboard.teesp</a> <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="UNITY.png" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/932642/large/UNITY.png?1617215354" title="UNITY.png"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> <a href="https://dashboard.teespring.com/listings/108749347/admin" target="_blank" title="">ring.com/...</a> This is my solution, such as it is.  I am not a genius or anything like, but I like the colors and the design.  Mostly I think the message is clear-don’t abuse Asians, don’t marginalize people of Asian descent and don’t stereotype them.  I hope you like it. Half goes to Asian Americans For Equality.  Yes I will provide proof of such contributions.  I appreciate your help and hope you enjoy the shirts. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) CDC Covid-19 DrRochelleWallensky PresidentBiden _2023770 Wed, 31 Mar 2021 18:31:43 +0000 I Want To Raise $$ To Get Medical Treatment I Want To Help Protect Asian Americans, So I Did This: https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/29/2023470/-I-Want-To-Raise-To-Get-Medical-Treatment-I-Want-To-Help-Protect-Asian-Americans-So-I-Did-This The sad fact is treatment is expensive, and the pandemic has made my business a black hole.  I need to now figure a way to cover all kinds of diagnostics and treatments but did not want to go a route where I did not at least attempt to use my skills or creativity to earn. <a href="https://dashboard.teespring.com/listings/108701489/admin" target="_blank">dashboard.teespring.com/...</a> This is my solution, such as it is.  I am not a genius or anything like, but I like the colors and the design.  Mostly I think the message is clear-don’t abuse Asians, don’t marginalize people of Asian descent and don’t stereotype them.  I hope you like it. Half goes to Asian Americans For Equality.  Yes I will provide proof of such contributions.  I appreciate your help and hope you enjoy the shirts. <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="UNITY.png" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/932642/large/UNITY.png?1617215357" title="UNITY.png"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) AsianAmericans Racism StopAntiAsianviolence Teespring _2023470 Mon, 29 Mar 2021 19:21:19 +0000 Just Got The Covid Shot-A Love Story https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/26/2022981/-Just-Got-The-Covid-Shot-A-Love-Story On Monday I was perusing Democratic Underground when I saw that Walgreen’s was offering Covid-19 vaccinations.  Fantastic.  I signed up as an essential worker because my company qualified based on what we produce.  So did my Wife because she is an officer with my company.  Two hours later on, it literally became moot because Governor Doug Ducey opened up vaccinations to everyone over 16. So awesome, finally have a shot at the, uh, shots.  But I wanted to get my Mom and Brother to sign up too, so we woke up at 3 a.m. the next day to walk them through getting signed up.  Luckily we found spots thirty miles away at the same location.  This is ok.  It was not the same time.  Ok.  Do what you have to. Yesterday my Wife and I take off at about 8:15 for a 10:30 appointment.  Yes I know it is only 30 miles, but this is one appointment you do NOT want to miss.  We arrive early.  We decide to get some breakfast at a friendly and tasty local taqueria.  It was good.  We then got some cheesecake and grape juice at a local bakery and the cheesecake was the best I have ever had.  We walk into the Walgreen’s at approximately 9:30.  This was wise because they immediately sign us up.  Even though we got there early, we did not finish very early. A lady walks in with a rollator.  This is a walker you can sit in.  Awesome.  Light bulb goes off!  My Mom has mobility difficulties, probably from Covid-19 over a year ago, it is like her body aged ten years in a month.  So we stand, and stand then finally they call us up.  First me, then my wife.  The shot is no thing painwise, not at all.  Easy peasy.  Then we wait our 15 minutes, get our cards, and off we go back to our side of town.  (I must say Walgreen’s. at least this one, seems much friendlier than any CVS I have ever been to.) But first, a trip to Wal-Mart.  I decide we need to stop and get a rollator and some chips to go with lunch.  then we head back, we stop for cheeseburgers, fuel,  I drop my Wife off so she can work, and I head to my Mom’s by 12 noon.  I hand them lunch and begin to assemble to rollator. “Easy assembly.”  That is what it says on the box.  Thanks to the out of focus poorly worded instructions, it only took me twice as long to put it together as it should have, but I got it done.  Pro-tip:  whenever anything says easy assembly, just go ahead and set the DVR.  Everything at IKEA is easy, they say, and I believe I might have blacked out the completion after eight hours with a bedroom set once. So off we go at about 2:35 p.m. to their appointment, same place, more driving.  We arrive about 3:15, one hour early for her appointment, with my Brother’s being 15 minutes later.  There were no chairs, although the lady earlier promised in no uncertain terms my Mom would have a chair if needed.  I stood for 90 minutes.  So did my Brother.  I have degenerative disk disease so this was difficult.  But we all persevered, and we got it done.  We left around 5 p.m. I drove them home, then picked up some Chipotle and came home at 6:17.  I was exhausted. Impressions: Walgreen’s was very professional and friendly.  Dedicated to getting people vaccinated. Neighborhood:  Extremely friendly, and as we try to never miss an opportunity to enjoy something new we tried the food. No reactions so far. This is a team effort. I thank God every day that Joe Biden is now the Head Coach. -ROC The good news below is that Robert needs just a bit more help.  The stimulus he received allowed him to keep his home, but he still needs some food.  Anything is appreciated. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/..</a> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) COVID-19Vaccination JoeBiden Pfizer Walgreens _2022981 Fri, 26 Mar 2021 16:32:18 +0000 Update On My Cancer: Spots On My Liver And A Crossroads https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/8/2019968/-Update-On-My-Cancer-Spots-On-My-Liver-And-A-Crossraods I had to take some time with this news before I updated.  I did my ultrasound to find my original cancer concern, my kidneys looked good, but they found spots on my liver.  Hyperechoic is the term used.  In a normal circumstance these might be considered fatty liver, however given my history now I have to do more tests.  And I am so tired. I am fatigued nearly constantly.  Do I think the cancer spread?  I know it is possible.  I know due to Covid I had no opportunity to easily monitor my progression and my Dr. kind of flew by instruments, so to speak.  My back is burning, and sometimes I look pale. I don’t know.  If it were on my liver that is pretty much a wrap.  I am not being a downer, I know the statistics as well as anyone.  I have seen people go down to cancer in miserable fashion;  actually I have even seen the treatment be fatal before the cancer.  So I have so much to wrap my head around.  And I just don’t seem to have the same juice as a while back. It is like you reach back to accelerate, and there is no fuel, no power, a once sleek sports car is barely making it up hills.  I used to play basketball with professionals in pickup games, I was fairly good I suppose.  Good enough to be asked to try out for teams.  But I saw a couple of kids playing just yesterday and cringed in agony from just the thought of the basic motions. Some people will say to continue and fight, and so much blah blah.  I am not saying I won’t, but I don’t know what is left in the tank. I have found that the insidious nature of cancer is to wear one down mentally, to shave someone to the nub so that when the symptoms are to start it you are an already half chopped tree ready to tip without extreme mental strength.  And I mean extreme. The surgical pain was brutal, so much so to know you never want to do that again.  The disease knows it too.  It knows a person can only do so many major surgeries before in my case, my already weak heart conks out.  The recovery and rehab was weeks of pain, then months of soreness, then continual weakness.  I hope it has not spread.  I hope I have the fortitude to keep battling if it does. But it is like big talk about what you would do if you found yourself in a store being robbed. You just don’t know if truly, no matter the training, if you would run or be the hero.  You can’t know.  You can’t know until you face that level of unprecedented stress how you will react.  All I can do is hope, both for there to be no spread, and for there to be strength to fight it if it has. I have friends here, so I want to point out that I have been trying to help a man get on his feet.  The system has been unkind, and he has struggled, both to fix his house, which is in near condemnable shape, and keep his utilities on.  City government can be merciless.  But mainly, I feel a need for this guy to retain hope. Hope for a better future, hope for a more benevolent society.  I want to believe my presence in the world has left it at least a slightly better place.  At this point that is what keeps me up at night.  Not so much will I be missed, or cried over, but have I done my part to try, try to help, try to bring light.   So this fellow, he is someone I am working with determined to help.  Many of you have helped already and I appreciate it.  So if you can find it in your heart to help, or share his story, that would do wonders for both his situation and my spirit.  I thank you for all of your friendship.   I am at a crossroads.  And the road ahead, particularly the visibility is fuzzy.  I don’t know how much longer it stretches for me.  I suppose nobody does, but to me, I think to that interview question of “Where do you see yourself in five years?”  I am just trying to envision myself being here in five years.  Try as I might to dial in that image, it stays blurry. Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. He now has no water. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/..</a> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) kidneycancer Pooties Recommended wuzzles _2019968 Mon, 08 Mar 2021 16:10:02 +0000 Exactly How Badly F----- Is This Country? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/6/2019717/-Exactly-How-Badly-F-Is-This-Country Today I woke up to seeing a rejoicing over the relief bill.  That is a lot of spin.  I am thrilled for President Biden, yes, because he is doing his absolute best.  I am happy for those that will receive help so desperately needed.   But boy there is a sense with me that we have reached the, “good bedside manner doc, palliative care stage, economically.”  I mean, it isn’t like we have not been down this road before.  I am not sure if this bill represents, at this stage, a full treatment plan or some high quality dilaudid for a pained patient. And again, this isn’t some sort of screed against our President or even really our leadership.  There is the best they can do and I suspect, in the end, the bill started at $400 per week so it would go no lower than $300 for unemployment.  Yes he got most of what he wanted. And old Joe Manchin, steadfast in his willingness to at any cost, save 2.5 percent on a bill, to a country, whose fiscal irresponsibility horse is so far out of the barn news helicopters are covering its gallop on the interstate, had, to JUST HAD to trim $100 a week from it.  He just had to.  He had to be responsible, or some such.  So what exactly did he trim? Well, it was about in total, $3000 per person in need of relief.  Overall some $51 billion dollars.  What is $51 billion dollars?  It is right about a quarter of Jeff Bezos’s worth. Now we get to the economic critical condition part of this rant. Some 17 million Americans had relief, in terms of unemployment help, trimmed by 25 percent.  Bills could have been paid, food bought, meds ignored but needed could be ordered. But no.  And what I wrote last night wasn’t percolating correctly in the ol’ noggin until this morning.  I don’t dislike Mr. Bezos.  He might be a nice person.  But what I really meant to point out is that when one man could chip in to cover almost an entire nation’s emergency line item, and still be worth billions, that nation is sick.   It is dealing with greed, selfishness, with the pace of the infection spreading at a horrifying clip.  If you are paying attention, it is easy to see that.  It is easy to compare this to a relative you saw get more ill with sepsis, which each passing day efforts indicative of massive flapping in the end propelling the cure kayak nowhere. We had our own Marie Antoinette impersonator cast a vote yesterday.  Not Joni Ernst.  Not Cindy Hyde-Smith.   We have people desperate for a raise being shown, literally, a LuLuLemon full of cake.  And two days after I complain about defeatism, I pronounce that yes, this helps us in 2022.  It preserves great re-election chances in 2024.  We are the favorites in both, and please, save the incumbent midterm talk because this is different. But in the long term, what becomes of a nation when a man, by 2040, has accumulated wealth that will approach the entire Federal budget? How long will any minimum wage represent one third of what is truly needed to even break even? What happens when people one out of hours to work these jobs?  Will the Republicans say go make more hours? We can celebrate a bill that is some high quality pain killer.  We can celebrate a bill that will keep our Doctor (President) in charge of the hospital. But at some point we have to ask what it will take to do more than make the patient feel better.  What will it take to cure the patient?  And why is that a bridge too far for the bean counters in hospital accounting. Is this depressing? Good. <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Transit Alliance Miami on Twitter: " src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EVB8JGLWkAABJKe.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div>P.S. Someone in another diary asked for a roadmap to higher wages.  <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/26/2018278/-I-Have-A-Plan-To-Get-Americans-To-12-Per-Hour?_=2021-02-26T13:31:14.822-08:00" target="_blank">I gave you one</a>.  It got like 100 views.  TMZ type diaries do well.  But ya gotta read PBS ones to flesh out policy.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. He now has no water. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/..</a> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) ChuckSchumer covidrelief dilaudid manchin _2019717 Sat, 06 Mar 2021 19:16:40 +0000 The House Accepting This Garbage Manchin Compromise Effectively Makes Him Co-President https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/5/2019643/-The-House-Accepting-This-Garbage-Manchin-Compromise-Effectively-Makes-Him-Co-President Look I am sorry.  I know how badly a bill is needed.  But if the Speaker tries to get the Squad or more progressive Reps to go along with this, she might fail.  I believe we have to negotiate some of this back.  If we don’t, the House is essentially rendered powerless under the Manchin reign and essentially, irrelevant. As it stands now, we need to negotiate some of what we lost back unless you want to be held politically hostage for nearly the next two years. I would support it at the original Carper amendment, or if they put the $400 back through September 6th.  But this bill started at $400 through September then it was through August, then even that was cut back. He whined until he won. Sound like anyone we know? Because it came in so close to the middle of the Carper and Portman amendments it almost seems like he was the GOP point negotiator.  Or backchannel. I never thought Manchin would stoop to this. I was wrong. If the House says no, then the bill dies, but the truth is, if we don’t get more control of the Senate now, Biden could be defeated in 2024. We should call his bluff. The House should add something, anything back in if nothing else just to demonstrate Manchin is not in total control. If he won’t play ball, then let the whole world know who caused this. I am sorry. I am a no without at least trying to extract more.  If this is absolutely the best we can get, I would reluctantly support it.  But not without at least trying in conference. My pragmatism has finally reached its limit. Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. He now has no water. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/..</a> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) 50votes covidrelief manchin Stimulus _2019643 Sat, 06 Mar 2021 03:21:27 +0000 When Will Defeatism Be Declared A Bannable Offense? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/4/2019309/-When-Will-Defeatism-Be-Declared-A-Bannable-Offense I am fed up with certain posters on this site.  Enough to consider leaving?  No.  I don’t have to leave, I don’t have to post, I don’t have to do anything.  But I am seeing outright defeatism about everything, from the filibuster to 2022 to 2024.  First, if the Republicans do control the House and Senate in 2024, after the elections, the Republican candidate will likely have won anyway.  In case you didn’t notice, the general election percentages for President and House have matched almost exactly since 2000. Second in the event our nominee wins and after the new Congress is sworn in in 2025, that Congress is still Republican, our nominee will still become President.  Of this I have no doubt, but this is because of the Senate.  We will talk about that later on. Third some of you mean well, but absolutely have no clue about the workings of real politics. If goobers go around saying “Manchin and Sinema” until you grow corn stalks out of their ears, even though it takes 51 votes to get rid of it, who do you think will be blamed for it?  Why do you think Manchin is so emphatic?  You could easily say the same about Shaneen of Feinstein or other moderates, but no, you keep putting the spotlight on two vulnerable incumbents. You are guaranteeing ads political progressive purity can’t overcome.  Ads like “Left wing Manchin betrays West Virginia, opens door to radical socialist agenda.” Don’t put the spotlight on people who don’t want it.  Sinema and Manchin don’t want it, and it doesn’t help them or us. And if you knew politics, then you would understand that the Senate is what prevents legislation from becoming a zero sum game.  That said there are options, I suppose they will be utilized and some progress will be made.  Enough to suit the impatient?  Doubtful. But this incessant doom, the constant drumbeat of “This better happen or else” is having the opposite effect of presumably, what you are hoping to achieve.  It is depressing, it is nauseating, it is infuriating.  Most worryingly, is is disengaging.   You want what you want right now.  I want Kos to make changes to this site.  I want outright doomism flaggable.  Will I get that wish?  Who knows?  And if I don’t so what?  I can move on.  No big thing.  A lot of good people post on this site, but a lot of people talk about things they don’t understand, and vent their paranoia making certain issues worse.  I am not here for what we can’t do. Tell me what we can do, and whatever it is, sell it to the electorate like an electric razor to a man with tissue all over his face. Shaving will always suck, but it doesn’t have to make you bleed. Politics, especially in America, is much the same way. But some of you continue to post with dull blades, when a perfectly good, if not great, electric shaver is within our grasp. Plug it in. Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. He now has no water. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/..</a> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Doom doomtrolls kos Meta Optimism _2019309 Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:55:26 +0000 Update on The Covid and Persimmon Theory https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/3/1/2018745/-Update-on-The-Covid-and-Persimmon-Theory About a year ago, maybe a bit less than, I proposed a theory found here:  <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/8/1925690/-Might-I-Have-Stumbled-Onto-A-Potential-Coronavirus-Piece-of-the-Puzzle" target="_blank">www.dailykos.com/…</a> Some listened, some ridiculed, some of you can’t even agree on drinking water.  A key section: <blockquote> This is from Mirai Clinical-this company claims that persimmon extract does more than mask 2-nonenal, it eliminates it. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Persimmon2.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/775260/large/Persimmon2.PNG?1583715651" title="Persimmon2.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> What is particularly interesting about this is that the lowest mass tested vs. fatality death rate in this battle against Covid-19 is South Korea.  For the years 2007-2010 South Korea had a persimmon consumption rate of 300 plus times that of the USA-and China, eight times that of South Korea. Is it just possible, that 2-nonenal, as it does permeate the environment around it, creates a sort of oxygen pathway for this virus to travel on, and in doing so, also allows for a super replication enhancement thereby making the virus more potent to the elderly, not because of age or immune systems, but what older people naturally produce?  If so would it then be possible to counteract that with some kind of persimmon exposure or intake, and can we test 2-nonenal levels on the really sick vs. the barely affected? </blockquote> I proffered the theory, here is what they found in Japan. <a href="https://www.nippon.com/en/blog/m00155/" target="_blank">www.nippon.com/…</a> <blockquote> Professors Itō Toshihiro and Yano Hisakazu of NMU announced at a press conference on September 15 that the research team they lead was able to neutralize the coronavirus in samples of human saliva by adding high concentrations of persimmon tannins. In tests, researchers found that after 10 minutes, the concoction had reduced the virus to one ten thousandth of its original potency, rendering it nearly harmless. The pair were quick to warn that the findings do not imply that people can ward off COVID-19 merely by eating persimmons and are planning more research to determine the exact mechanisms and amount of tannins needed to suppress the coronavirus inside the human mouth. However, they hope their research will lead to preventive medicines that can be incorporated into products like gum and lozenges. </blockquote> Sometimes theorists are crackpots.  Sometimes they mean well.  Sometimes they are worth listening to.  Too many here think they have cornered the market on intelligence, as exemplified by the drinking water debate.  Do you really think every human being has the same fluid intake needs?  Of course we all need water.  Do you think we all need the same exact amounts? At any rate in your efforts to learn more about Covid, the key thing to study from this post is “tannins.” I am going to pour myself a glass of tea.  With tannins.  And lots of water. Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. Now they want to shut down the water yet again, and the city is threatening to condemn his home if he does not do repairs. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Covid persimmon Tannins Teas _2018745 Mon, 01 Mar 2021 18:56:48 +0000 I Have A Plan To Get Americans To $12 Per Hour. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/26/2018278/-I-Have-A-Plan-To-Get-Americans-To-12-Per-Hour First of all I want to point something out:  Every American worker making under $12 per hour could get an extra two dollars per hour funded completely out of pocket by Jeff Bezos, and he could still be left with a cool $27 billion.  (Update: forgot about his divorce.) So we are asking the wrong questions.  A minimum wage is a necessity but there are cases where it will cost jobs so that has to be priced in.  Small businesses are not Saints.  Nevertheless I do understand realities of businesses that run small margins.  My plan considers all of this.  First of all as an expenditure, $15 per hour is something that will be phased in.  But my plan gets people to $12 now.  How? First off we waive FICA for low income workers.  We will offset by removing or raising the cap on high earners.  This puts an 7.65 percent back in the pockets of workers instantly.  Second we fund a wage subsidy program.  Put simply, the average worker must garner another $5,824 yearly to get to $12.  FICA is worth roughly $11-1400 of that.  A relatively inexpensive, (compared to economy destroying poverty,) subsidy would run about $100,000,000,000.  The rest is made up through the employer burden, which is around $1.25 per hour.   We are not asking employers to do nothing here.  But FICA, while necessary, and under this plan, facing a shortfall, would need to recoup $58 billion to recover it.  Doable with sane policy.  That is roughly $527 per higher wage worker, and of course, the extra burden would be top loaded.  (Looking at you, Jeff!) Now this isn’t $15.  But this makes $15 more plausible both financially and politically.  From here we need some common sense escalators in both the program and the employer requirement:  Raises equal to inflation at a minimum should be Federally required, for example. And this is just one idea.  Some might say good, some not, but it is an idea based on good intentions.  Maybe some elements are workable, however, this is not a magic wand process.  We have a very slow working government. But let me get back to the earlier point:  We are asking the wrong questions. What is it, 2 percent of the people own 80 percent of the wealth?  We now have such choking individual wealth that entire state and local budgets could be funded by one man.  How is it the government is checking the couch cushions  trying to cobble together relief for the other 20 percent of America? Because America’s government is part of that 20 percent.  It is underfunded due to lunatics making tax policy, and it is over leveraged, due to its refusal to make cuts into sacred cows like the Pentagon. Let me put it like this:  Jeff Bezos is worth over five percent of our entire 2019 Federal budget. So ya, he can afford to pay a full minimum wage.  So can most corporations.  Maybe my local baker can, maybe he can’t, or maybe he won’t without cutting employment.  The Feds can’t know that until a raise is implemented. But here is what we do know; we know that we will spend in 2021, on welfare, something like $460 billion dollars.  We know this.  I haven’t figured out a method by which to project this, but it seems like the welfare spend would go down dramatically if people knew any work, ANY work at all, would be worth a minimum of $12 per hour.  These are all reasonable policy questions.  If we had reasonable people in both parties, instead of, with rare exception, one, sitting down to craft policy for the greater good, like a sane country is supposed to have, we might could do some “winning” ourselves. But no, a few days past a month into President Biden’s term, we have Cuckoos at CPAC fighting the next election, long before we have even scratched the surface on our desperate backlog of needs to govern.  Thanks to the press, politics has become a sporting event rather than a process.  On balance, were I Arizona’s senior Senator, I would unquestionably vote for the minimum wage.  Would not question it.  I would let the chips fall where they may. But what I am proposing here is something I feel could actually pass.  Which is kind of the point, right? Which leads to this question: At our current rate of wealth inequality, will it really be the year 2330 that Brawndo is able to purchase the FDA? Because by my calculations, it might be closer to 2030. <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Brawndo_has_electrolytes.gif" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/797381/large/Brawndo_has_electrolytes.gif?1587861260" title="Brawndo_has_electrolytes.gif"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. Now they want to shut down the water yet again, and the city is threatening to condemn his home if he does not do repairs. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) 15 covidrelief KyrstenSinema MinimumWage _2018278 Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:31:14 +0000 I Was Given A Chance To Sue Stomach Drug Makers For $500k. But I Chose Not To. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/23/2017700/-I-Was-Given-A-Chance-To-Sue-Stomach-Drug-Makers-For-500k-But-I-Chose-Not-To For those of you following my cancer saga, I recently happened upon a referral to a lawyer in Florida suing a drug maker.  Apparently, they are accused of causing certain sorts of cancers, including mine.  I was curious so I call and give information.  Next thing I know they send a contract over. But let me back up;  over the years I have had GERD and ulcers and whatnot, so at some points I have had all kinds of meds. I can’t say exactly how much of what when, but I lots of medicines are being investigated. I won’t sue any of them.  Here is why: I don’t know what caused my cancer.  I grew up near refineries, I lived in a house with some asbestos, I once helped my Mom pull up floor tile without proper masks, I mean I don’t know.  So I ask the lawyers, “Do you have an investigatory procedure by which you can somehow trace the cellular composition of my cancer to (medicine)?  My answer was “Kidney Cancer has been medically linked to (medicine).  We will just file and procure a mass tort settlement.”  In other words, I sign the contract, accuse (medicine), they throw me in a pile and negotiate said pile to get me a check.  “It’s easy,” she said.  We just take a depo (deposition) from you and in a few years, we expect half a mil or so.” I am not rich.  It isn’t like it isn’t a lot of dough we are talking about.  But what am I supposed to say?  “I took (medicine).  Eventually I got a cancer said to be linked to (medicine).  Pay me.”  No.  I cannot do that.  For one, I do not know, and they were making no effort to definitively conclude, if my particular cancer composition was legitimately linked to the medicine.  I was trying to ascertain if their are certain patterns of growth or spiking or something that, like a fingerprint, could realistically identify a culprit.  They said it was tied to it, I guess, statistically.  Maybe through studies. Not good enough.  Look I am no fan of big pharma, nevertheless, to me this is no different than saying, “The victim said black male, 5’ 10” with a white T-shirt and jeans.  Anyone that matches will do.” Also, these people are making vaccines to end the pandemic, and there were a whole list of pharma companies involved in this mass tort, so it is a fair possibility these suits could adversely affect vaccine production, if as they say, they exceed the Roundup settlement.  Not only that some makers give free experimental meds to people who need them, and what if this claim causes those innocents to lose their help?  Not with my name on it, nope. Now I am not saying there is no fault here, and I am open to the possibility that someone can truly prove a direct relation to their cancer.  The law can address and compensate for that.  But it all seemed so unseemly.  This law firm was collecting claims.  My claim would have been that I took the meds, and eventually, came down with cancer. I also drank liquor.  I also boxed, lived in an old house, drank tap water, I am sure you see where I am going with this.  I am not going to take their settlement for my illness without 100 percent confidence they are to blame. <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kidney-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352664" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic lists these</a> as risk factors for Renal Cell Carcinoma: <ul> <li>Older age. Your risk of kidney cancer increases as you age.</li> <li>Smoking. Smokers have a greater risk of kidney cancer than nonsmokers do. The risk decreases after you quit.</li> <li>Obesity. People who are obese have a higher risk of kidney cancer than people who are considered to have a healthy weight.</li> <li>High blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure increases your risk of kidney cancer.</li> <li>Treatment for kidney failure. People who receive long-term dialysis to treat chronic kidney failure have a greater risk of developing kidney cancer.</li> <li>Certain inherited syndromes. People who are born with certain inherited syndromes may have an increased risk of kidney cancer, such as those who have von Hippel-Lindau disease, Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, hereditary papillary renal cell carcinoma or familial renal cancer.</li> <li>Family history of kidney cancer. The risk of kidney cancer is higher if close family members have had the disease.</li> </ul> Any number of things could have caused it.  It could still kill me.  But I want to put it behind me as well, not just sit and stew while I battle someone I am not even sure is responsible.  If the maker is at fault, people who have much stronger claims can get a bigger share.  But I can’t prove it, I know I can’t know for sure, and because of that, it would be wrong to haul in the first matching suspect I see, especially if I am not even going to look at the surveillance video before I file charges. I don’t think lawyers who take flimsy claims do a favor for their clients with stronger claims.  And I don’t think they solve problems, either.  We need to know, if this did cause cancer, how, and what indicators exist to prove it, and what people with specific genetic predispositions are most vulnerable. This isn’t cancer lotto.  We need to do real research that unearths the evidence.  This is one Quick Pick no one wants to play. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) drugmakers GERD kidneycancer stomachmeds _2017700 Tue, 23 Feb 2021 19:53:42 +0000 Had A Ministroke Last Night. Could Use Help https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/22/2017514/-Had-A-Ministroke-Last-Night-Could-Use-Help Went to hospital and as it turns out, they refused to tell me if my insurance would cover my visit.  The ER registration even went so far as to tell me they have to see me by law, but could not tell me if they were in network.  So I had to drive around to find some care.  According to tests and symptoms I had a Trans Ischemic Attack.  This basically means that I am a candidate for a full blown stroke in potentially days, maybe not, not sure.  Resting now, but worried about bill. What happened is I was carrying pizza, got lighted, huge pressure on my left temple, and just went sideways.  Flat sideways.  Like someone just pushed me to my right side.  I wasted three slices of MOD pizza, which I feel terrible about. I have not been doing a lot of work but I have tried to use my platform to help others.  That doesn’t change here. So I am asking you to use this as an open thread to post your causes, needs, or concerns in the comments and discuss why oh why it is so hard to get even one straight answer from a medical organization. Anyways the help I need is if anyone has dealt with this, just how big of a train coming at me could I be looking at?  Anything to eat, or lifestyle changes that worked for you?  Thanks in advance. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) deductible ministrokes outofnetwork Tia _2017514 Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:55:48 +0000 Tens of Thousands of Texas Homes May Be Worthless Soon. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/17/2016615/-Tens-of-Thousands-of-Texas-Homes-May-Be-Worthless-Soon We had a house in Texas.  A mass builder, and oh, let’s say we learned how not to do it.  Did you know that a house could have brick, then foamboard, then drywall?  No plywood.  Yes.  And most of the McMansions in Texas, the newly built resource dragging unsustainable “boom” so often talked about, are what we call crackerboxes. If we ever build a house again, it will not be through a developer.  It will be custom.  One of the big problems with these houses, hundreds of thousands of them, is the plumbing.  The pipes run through exterior walls.  Why?  Cheaper, and it doesn’t get cold there often.  But if it does get cold, here is what HGTV says to do: <blockquote> If the water pipes are freezing inside the exterior wall, cut an opening in the wall to expose the pipes to the home's warm air. Place fiberglass insulation behind the pipes, between the pipes and the home's exterior wall. The hole in the wall can be covered later with a hinged door or a panel that can be removed during cold spells. </blockquote> Fantastic.  So just keep my house at 70 or so, and it should be no problem, because the walls will stay warm. Good to know. Perfect. So as long as the electric stays on- But if doesn’t, Houston, and Texas, has a problem. So the electric is off.  The gas heat our former home had needs electric to start.  This is sort of like a faucet with a lock on it, and no key.  Which we also had to have, because the geniuses who built these houses keep the outdoor faucets in front of the fence, and neighbors would steal water. So, I checked.  Our old subdivision is completely unpowered.  On and off, but lately, almost all off.  The exterior pipes are frozen, water is not going to run, because, the pipes are frozen.  The pipes will likely burst.  What we have here is a perfect storm: Cheaply built, overpriced housing. Cheaply run, overpriced electric. No winterization on anything, houses, the grid, nada. Inefficient clearance of roads. Lack of supplies. Angry, angry Texans. But not us.  We left.  We sold after I realized just how poorly that house was built.  It looked nice.  It wasn’t going to last. And almost all homes in Texas have no underground pipes, except for perhaps the Panhandle. So to review:  15 million without power. The death toll, is previously unimaginable.  It could run into the tens of thousands I fear. Is that hyperbole?  I hope so.  I hope it is wildly inaccurate speculation, but if half the state has no power, and north Texas is below freezing until Friday, hotels are overbooked, and roads are shut down, uh..you do the math. Shortages will persist.  And as the state thaws, tens of thousands of homes are likely going to be flooded from burst pipes, which by the way, might not be an insured peril.  Why?  Because insurance companies require homes to be kept at a minimum temperature to cover burst pipes. Clearly these homes have not been heated to a minimum temperature.  Also clearly, this is not at all the fault of homeowners.  But let me ask you this, in a nightmarish scenario, where insurers realize they cannot cover 2 million claims, they ask you a simple question: Does your policy say “Your home must be kept to a minimum temperature or your home must be kept to a minimum temperature except when circumstances beyond your control prevent it? It says the former, or most likely, “all reasonable efforts to maintain temp.”  Define reasonable efforts.  And before you scoff, I just want to say, I have seen insurers, both good and bad, and I have to think if this ends up in anybody’s lap, it will be ERCOT’s, but nevertheless, get your claims in early, because sooner or later, when reality hits, loopholes will be searched out. Believe that. But you know, it doesn’t really get cold in Texas. Except when it does. And yearly, without fail, Texas is treating us to blockbuster Hollywood scripts, be it Harvey, excessive heat, droughts, ice, all related to climate change and all continuously ignored by people too stupid to tie their shoes but somehow able to navigate a voting booth. And if a state has been treated like a petty cash account for thirty years by its dominant political leadership, there is only one question left to ask: Who plays the lead in the movie? Some might say Gerard Butler however I think Richard Madden has a lot of appeal. Or maybe Ryan Reynolds. Or Emma Stone, and I have to think Alexa Vega would be great as Lina Hidalgo, and.. -ROC <blockquote> Austin Mutual Aid is <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/kick-the-cold-austin-mutal-aid" target="_blank" title="">raising funds</a> to book hotel rooms for residents living outside without water or shelter. </blockquote> <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/kick-the-cold-austin-mutal-aid" target="_blank" title="">www.gofundme.com/</a>… <blockquote> And one of our own is still in need in Texas, Dem and Fluffy the Great, as seen here <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/15/2016232/-Dem-and-Fluffy-the-Great-are-Trapped-with-No-Heat-and-Little-Food#comment_80280679" target="_blank" title="">www.dailykos.com/…</a> And please feel free to list anyone you know in need in the comments. My friend Bobby is always grateful as well. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank" title="">gofundme.com/...</a> </blockquote> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) BetoORourke ERCOT GregAbbott Recommended texasfreeze _2016615 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 19:15:03 +0000 In Honor of Our Kitty Xena, A Shout Out To Help Dem and Fluffy The Great! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/15/2016263/-In-Honor-of-Our-Kitty-Xena-A-Shout-Out-To-Help-Dem-and-Fluffy-The-Great Our kitty Xena crossed the rainbow bridge some time ago.  But some days it seems like yesterday.  I wrote a poem for her and I am using it here to amplify help for Dem and Fluffy the Great.   <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">Purr Kitty Purr</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">Kitty cat,</div> <div style="text-align:start">Where you at</div> <div style="text-align:start">Where’s my meow</div> <div style="text-align:start">My furry tao</div> <div style="text-align:start">My calico yin and yang</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">You were just here</div> <div style="text-align:start">Trying to steal my beer</div> <div style="text-align:start">Purring your peace on my lap</div> <div style="text-align:start">Now you’re gone and I fear</div> <div style="text-align:start">Part of me left with you in a snap</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">Purr kitty purr</div> <div style="text-align:start">My black pants need your white fur</div> <div style="text-align:start">Purr kitty purr</div> <div style="text-align:start">Our couch is too clean </div> <div style="text-align:start">and nothing jumps at the vacuum's whir</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">Emptiness without my pet</div> <div style="text-align:start">Where oh where went my furry jet</div> <div style="text-align:start">Blue eyes shut my who my what</div> <div style="text-align:start">I feel no playful paws at my feet</div> <div style="text-align:start">I throw my sock at the clock</div> <div style="text-align:start">That ticks til the day we meet</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">Purr kitty purr</div> <div style="text-align:start">My black pants need your white fur</div> <div style="text-align:start">Purr kitty purr</div> <div style="text-align:start">Our couch is too clean </div> <div style="text-align:start">And nothing jumps at the vacuum's whir</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">My sadness lies to my eyes</div> <div style="text-align:start">When I see the pic of you in my arms</div> <div style="text-align:start">Though deep the loss my tears I’ll toss</div> <div style="text-align:start">Cause I’ll always smile when reminded of your charms</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">Purr kitty purr</div> <div style="text-align:start">Purr kitty purr</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div> <div> <div> The original story is here.  <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/2/15/2016232/-Dem-and-Fluffy-the-Great-are-Trapped-with-No-Heat-and-Little-Food" target="_blank">www.dailykos.com/</a>… How to help is Paypal,  PayPal address: robertallenproctor4 at gmail dot com All donations are gratefully received — even $5 will help. Recs, tips, comments, words of support are all ways of helping too! Thanks so much. </div> <div></div> <div></div> </div> <div></div> </div> <div> <div> <div> <div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Dem Family FluffytheGreat Texassnow _2016263 Mon, 15 Feb 2021 23:08:29 +0000 It Is So Good To Be White https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/11/2015385/-It-Is-So-Good-To-Be-White Chocolate marshmallow on a biscuit it is good to be white. It is so good to walk through a store and never be followed. It is so good to be able to walk to an Organic Salad Shop. It is so good to be unlikely to be harassed for walking to said salad shop. It is so good to be given the best tables. It is so good to be given the best jobs. It is so good to be waved at by strangers smiling. It is so good to have 90 percent of the radio stations dedicated to white friendly music. It is so good to be able to complain incessantly about the 1 in 10 that aren’t. It is so good to hold 90 percent of elective office. It is so good to never be told “sorry, no vacancy.” It is so good to be courted by the Chamber of Commerce. It is so good to be less likely to die of heart disease. It is so good to be less likely to die of (for most white men) kidney disease. It is so good to be less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. It is so good to have longer life expectancy. It is so good to be given lighter punishments for similar transgressions. It is so good to not “get it.” It is so good to never have to “get it.” It is so good to think learning how to make real mac n’ cheese makes one enlightened. It is so good to have no family members ever have to travel in a separate part of America approved in a Green Book. It is so good to have reached 42 years of age and never have needed to learn that. It is so good to be taught a history that never existed. It is so good to pretend to care every February. It is so good to never get death threats. It is so good to never have people burn a cross in my yard. It is so good to drive in any neighborhood I want. It is so good to open carry freely. It is so good to be able to go to Mexico anytime one wants, even if one happens to be charged with multiple Federal crimes. It is so good to be able to hang out at bars and clubs and roam freely even if standing accused of gunning down innocent protesters. It is so good to have your best friend be the Sheriff, especially since you bought the rope together forty years ago.   It is so good to be the first to get the lifeboats. It is so good to have never had a knee on my neck until dead. It is so good to have the ability to watch African American athletes perform for my entertainment then dictate to them that they must listen to a song that musically sweeps the plight of their brethren under the rug. It is so good to be able to look the other way. It is so good to have known no other way. It is so good to never have needed to. It is so good to have it so good and be able to deny it is this good. What is white privilege again?   Explain it to me. -ROC Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"></figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) GeorgeFloyd NationalAnthem NBA WhitePrivilege _2015385 Thu, 11 Feb 2021 19:35:18 +0000 Is This Ok? This Doesn't Feel Ok. The NBA's Devin Booker Portrayed As "Whited Up." https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/4/2013989/-Is-This-Ok-This-Doesn-t-Feel-Ok-The-NBA-s-Devin-Booker-Portrayed-As-Whited-Up This is a parody of Step Brothers, saying that he and Chris Paul are “brothers” on the court.  Now I am no Rachel Nichols fan, and I don’t know who did this, but those are white hands.  Devin’s Mom is Latina and his Dad is ex-Mizzou guard Melvin Booker, a nice baller in his own right.  It just feels off.  Putting him in Will Ferrell’s hair, using his pasty white hands, then having Chris take the role of John C. Reilly, I just don’t like it.  It is like they said, “Devin is light-skinned, we can get away with it.” Why the white imagery anyway from ESPN?  Is this ok?  This doesn’t feel ok. It feels like an attempt to “sanitize” for white fee-fees.  Like they could get better ratings if only a tad less black.  Maybe I am wrong.  I am in a mood today anyways.  Maybe Jupiter crossed Mars. -ROC <figure class="image-captioned width-xl"><img alt="Image" class="width-xl" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EtZhaCFVcAAfv3z?format=png&name=small"> <figcaption>Screenshot utilized under fair use.</figcaption> </figure> Original video with context here: <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content">x</div> <div class="dk-editor-embed embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9 center-block"> <div class="remove-embed-content"><a class="new_iframe_placeholder" href="#">x</a></div> <a class="iframe_placeholder youtube dk-embed" href="//youtube.com/watch?v=G-YDGHV0PAU" title="" data-frameborder="0" data-height="281" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G-YDGHV0PAU" data-width="500">YouTube Video</a></div> </div> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"></figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) DevinBooker ESPN RachelNichols whiteface _2013989 Thu, 04 Feb 2021 17:54:57 +0000 28 Years On And It Still Festers.. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/2/2013478/-28-Years-On-And-It-Still-Festers <div> <div style="text-align:start"> As it pertains to my high school,  there are few if any places I despise more on this earth. It doesn't mean that my friends from there I feel that way about.  And I am grateful for my Wife.  But I should have never been told by students, by teachers, that a girl I liked, I had better not ask out. Not in 1992.  Not ever.   Why?  She is black.  Now black, or more accurately, dark brown is a color.  It is a pigmentation difference caused by genetic variance.  But black is a culture, it is different food, and innovative music.  It is beautiful.  This girl was and still is beautiful.  And as I get nearer to the end of my life, whenever that is, my resentment, and my willingness to call people out, grows stronger.   At 15, you give in.  As an adult, you push back.  But I didn't want a burning cross in my backyard.  And there are people from there, that I love dearly, who associate with friends and cousins that would not be worth the effort to spit on. Thing is I am many different ethnicities, mainly Irish/Italian.  White?  What is white?  I am not a ghost, I don't look like sour cream.  I am slightly apricot, with some native hue in my cheeks. This isn't some diatribe about "my black friends."  With all due respect, I am not some Karen from the burbs who because I bought a black kid a snow cone can talk about how not racist I am. I really liked this girl.  I was fascinated by her brilliance and delighted by her humor.  To me, audacious and open-hearted as I was, she was simply an individual, like all of us, with beautiful idiosyncratic charms and unique personality characteristics.   I can’t present myself as some white savior who knows all about African Americans and their struggle.  Truth is what I know is pathetically miniscule in comparison to what there is to learn.  But then again, being castigated by those who look like me for merely wanting to learn is a big part of the problem. I liked things she liked.  It didn't make me less, what exactly?  Less white?  We discussed that.  Less Aryan?  Who cares?  I shoot invisible chills into people with my blue eyes, but that doesn't make me a Nazi, either.  I was just a kid that saw a lovely girl with a fun personality and happened, as it was pointed out to me, to be off limits, if I knew what was good for me. I was threatened by a kid over being a "n----- lover."  I had none of it.  But my own teacher, sitting me down and explaining what was best for me, that got to me.  It made me wonder how it was for another girl, very popular, who was dating a black classmate.  I wondered how she got away with it.  Popularity?   But it wasn't until these kids drove by my house, such as it was, and my Mom was threatened that I relented.  In fact, I left.  I moved away and tried to forget.  But I couldn't.  I would find a Wife, that is my rock, and love immeasurably, but even now, the anger, the guilt, it resides deep inside of me. And there are people from that school I love dearly.  But there are more I loathe resolutely.  The second part is my problem.  That is something I have to resolve as I center my spirit and prepare to move on, whenever that is. But I will say this to those bigots-at least you don't front.  No.  They let this world get a good strong whiff of their rancidness.  They are not like Karens who cross the street when a kid in a bandana approaches.  They don't regale me with smoke in my ears about "good schools."  They don't talk to me about property values.  They don't talk to me about following police instructions. See I have found I like my racists nice and visible.  I want them out where I can see them where I can challenge them head on, and particularly, where I can use them as a cautionary tale when I deal with youth on the verge of falling to the siren song of hate. We both found spouses.  We rarely talk.  And when she reads this it will be for the first time she learns the truth of my past feelings. Life is too short to put up with scumbags.  It is too fragile to trust it in the hands of the misanthropic.  Should I have stayed?  I might have died.  But that happens eventually anyway. So I want the younger ones on my page to read this and hear this very carefully:  For humans death is inevitable. But don't let the guilt of giving into evil allow you to die more than once. <div> <div style="text-align:start"> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"></figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC </div> </div> </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Interracial mixedmarriages Race townsfolk _2013478 Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:36:32 +0000 Missouri Dems Like Me Let David Hogg Down From The Day of His Birth. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/2/1/2013311/-Missouri-Dems-Like-Me-Let-David-Hogg-Down-From-The-Day-of-His-Birth David Hogg gives me hope.  To think that a 20 year-old can be this stunningly intelligent, and self-aware, courageous, and adjusted after everything he has been through is hard to imagine.  But he deserves his plaudits.   I however, don’t.  Not on the gun issue at least.  You see when I was David’s age and slightly older, I was obsessed with winning.  Part of that obsession led to making compromises we Democrats never should have made.  We never should have given into the gun lobby. We never should have said words like, “It takes the issue off the table!”  What so called smarties failed to understand is that when you take an issue off the table, you take steam out of the base. True, in Missouri, many Democrats carry firearms, and many Democrats, particularly in Jefferson County, switched to the Republicans over guns and abortion.  In fact nowhere is the collapse of the yellow dog Dems quite as pronounced as Missouri.  Now I knew I didn’t like guns, and I certainly did not want idgits walking around with AR-15s in a coffee shop, but it was so easy to to listen to my elders. At the party HQ in Webster Groves, as we were trying, and failing, to elect VP Gore, it was said over and over we can’t go after guns and win Missouri.  Have to win Missouri.  The gun issue is not worth losing the state.  We would later of course make similar statements about women’s and LGBT rights, to the point where the Missouri Democratic party had no enthusiasm at all. But on this issue, I thought about my own friends, and the area’s passion for guns.  OK.  Fine.  We have to win. But, we didn’t win.  And this left me with both a bad taste in my mouth and guilt for the violence that would come later.  I didn’t foresee such violence; perhaps I lied to myself.  But then shooting after shooting came and went and we could not get so much as increased background checks passed. Toddlers, TODDLERS, were massacred like so much livestock by a deranged young man in Sandy Hook, and all of Barack’s heartfelt tears could not move Congress to do anything more than offer empty rhetoric. PARKLAND WAS PREVENTABLE And so it went, from Aurora to Sandy Hook to San Bernardino, on and on nationwide.  And each time we were told, “guns don’t kill people.”  NRA lobby puppets masquerading as Congresspeople went so far as to suggest the solution was arming teachers.  NOT taking away access to weapon with the capacity for 700 rounds per minute, no, arm the Home Ec teacher.  Give her a glock, they said. Finally on a Florida Valentine’s day in 2018, a  demonstrably and historically documented deranged young man, Nikolas Cruz, with a history of behavioral and racial issues, including making previous threats, took a legally purchased AR-15 into Building 12, where after a several minute rampage, 17 people were dead. This goes back to that moment in Webster Groves for me.  “Have to win Missouri.”  We didn’t win Missouri.  Just a bit more compromise, a little more give, take it off the table, FOR YEARS, literal years I heard that claptrap.  And for years we lost more and more ground to the point where Missouri has more in common with Kentucky electorally than Illinois.  It was wrong for me to refuse to stand up and fight for gun reforms.  The previous year Prop B, a ridiculous proposal that would have allowed police to issue concealed carry permits narrowly lost.  But that was the end of any real efforts to stem the pro-gun tide.  Claws firmly entrenched in the backs of legislators in both parties, by 2003 the legislature would pass the law, and it has become so bad where some clowns outstate want to actually require gun ownership by law. Now our failure to stand up led to even worse losses in 2004, when the gun ban expired and hooboy, was that a mistake.  But by now, the NRA had too much control.  It was over. Now I see a young person, with more courage at his age than me, and certainly more self-awareness.  He does not work for campaigns so perhaps his version of “win” is much more unencumbered than mine, but nevertheless, where I was trying to help us win an election he is trying to make schools a safe place to learn. We are out west now, in a much more enlightened state.  Highly educated, diverse, and more tolerant, Arizona is living up to its maverick history by electing not just Democrats, but unapologetic Democrats. And I suppose that is what was missing the most-we could have won the gun argument, sure we might have lost some elections, but we did anyway, but we could have stood up and held to the value of our convictions and educated the electorate, rather than just pander to them. But, we didn’t.  So in 2000, when a kid named David is born who depended upon people like me to think about him, to do something over the course of Aurora, Sandy Hook, and so many more, over the course of nearly 18 years to fund mental health, to keep weapons out of the hands of the psychologically unfit, to make some kind of progress that would prevent his nearly being killed, the permanent psychological scarring, well, I, and we, failed to do that. He was on his own.  We threw up our hands after toddlers were slaughtered and mused about so many midterms, and the next election, and the polls, and..these people never made it home that day. <ul> <li>Alyssa Alhadeff, 14</li> <li>Scott Beigel, 35</li> <li>Martin Duque, 14</li> <li>Nicholas Dworet, 17</li> <li>Aaron Feis, 37</li> <li>Jaime Guttenberg, 14</li> <li>Chris Hixon, 49</li> <li>Luke Hoyer, 15</li> <li>Cara Loughran, 14</li> <li>Gina Montalto, 14</li> <li>Joaquin Oliver, 17</li> <li>Alaina Petty, 14</li> <li>Meadow Pollack, 18</li> <li>Helena Ramsay, 17</li> <li>Alex Schachter, 14</li> <li>Carmen Schentrup, 16</li> <li>Peter Wang, 15</li> </ul> So what does he do?  What does this 17 year-old kid do?  He leads a movement.  He stands up to bullies.  He takes charge of his life and he fights for reform.    I am much older now.  I see the boldness of Stacey Abrams, the strength of Katie Hobbs, the persistence of President Biden, the audacity of Lucy McBath, another profile in courage.  This woman rose to Congress after her son Jordan was shot by a Florida man over music.  But she persists. The cowardice of our party netted us exactly what we deserved:  zippo.   The words still echo in my ears. “Have to win Missouri.” No, we have to win hearts and minds. We have to be true to our values, we have to pursue justice and policies that protect.  We right now have the opportunity to move forward and prevent the next Parkland type of incident.  You know, David might be President one day-he is brilliant and courageous, so it would not surprise me in the least.  Maybe in one form or another he will share a ticket with Amanda Gorman, which would be energizing. But if they reach such heights it will not be because of a propensity to be politically expedient but to be true to their values.  These two Gen Zer’s are showing this X’er that it does not take courage to win, it takes courage to be willing to lose. We weren’t willing to lose, we lost anyway, and countless lives were taken senselessly. There is a list of 17 names above in this diary.  They are gone.  They are never coming back. I’m sorry, David.  You deserved better from me back in 2000.   “Have to win Missouri.” No. We have to change Missouri.   We have to change America. Like my writing?  I am putting together a weekly newsletter with stories of hope, humor, progressive news and information on what you can do to elect more and better Democrats!  Just $4 per month, tell me if you are interested! In the meantime, my ongoing assistance to Robert continues, and we are so grateful for your outpouring of support.  I am still matching.  Immediate help to him through Paypal here:  <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/…</a> Robert is someone I came across doing a Twitter outreach to help those in need over Christmas.  I have, and YOU have, helped turn on his water and feed himself, his pooties and his wuzzles.   If you want to learn more about his need for help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) Love, -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) DavidHogg MarjoryStoneman NRA Parkland _2013311 Mon, 01 Feb 2021 20:02:55 +0000 Deleted Facebook Video Of Greene Appearing To Threaten Speaker Pelosi With Execution https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/29/2012667/-Deleted-Facebook-Video-Of-Greene-Appearing-To-Threaten-Speaker-Pelosi-With-Execution THIS.  WOMAN.  IS.  ON.  THE.  EDUCATION.  COMMITTEE.  I have no words.   Open thread. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;You would be wrong to think Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is ashamed. She’s simply doing the bare minimum to obfuscate her history. &lt;a href="https://t.co/Tt2KM2xgbc"&gt;https://t.co/Tt2KM2xgbc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1354996278661312515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;January 29, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You would be wrong to think Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is ashamed. She’s simply doing the bare minimum to obfuscate her history. <a href="https://t.co/Tt2KM2xgbc">https://t.co/Tt2KM2xgbc</a>— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) <a href="https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1354996278661312515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2021</a></blockquote> </div> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank" title="">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"></figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) EducationCommittee Insurrection Jan6th MarjorieTaylorGreene _2012667 Fri, 29 Jan 2021 14:21:42 +0000 I Have A Problem. I Love HGTV. Men Not So Much. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/28/2012412/-I-Have-A-Problem-I-Love-HGTV-Men-Not-So-Much This might be one of oh, the more bizarre posts you have ever read.  For the truth is, I am a male.  Man, Y-chromosome dominant homosapien, human being with masculine features, eh, and so on. I know what the term regarding men who do not like women is;  misogyny. My issue is that I don’t generally like men. What is a male who dislikes males called? As in I have had it with my sports obsessed, UFC wannabe, gun toting, truck driving environment polluting, low IQ, poor mannered and proud of it brethren. Had it. Now this is not to claim I have no male friends, but they are usually younger or much older, sexually confident but not projecting it, well dressed, some would say metrosexual, into the arts and not into beer. Most of that describes me.  I am educated but not on a high horse about it, I love live theatre, I am into travel and culture and different foods from around the world. I used to love sports.  I pretty much loathe them at this point.  Maybe it was the salaries I think.  Nope.  Maybe as I just got older the body pain started to take the fun out of them.  Somewhat.  I don’t even think it is the athletes themselves.  I am friends with professional athletes.  No it is the fans.  It is the proliferation of sports bars, the endless television screen crawls, the breathless hot takes. It is the obsession with something that has no real bearing on your north south heading whatsoever. But you know what it mostly is?  My wife.  I love her.  A while back I realized that I had two choices:  I could watch sports all weekend long, drown myself in nachos and beer, while she sits in the living room watching HGTV or Food Network.  I calculated it.  If I watch two ballgames a week, every week, say, for seven hours every Sunday, one of her only two regular days off, whatever sport it might be, I would be giving up up 364 hours per year with her.  If we are lucky and live long enough to be married 50 years, that comes to roughly two full years of our marriage plus a bit. But that does not really cover it. See I calculated it differently:  if she only has two free days a week we match up in time off, then as a percentage of available time with her, then that means over the course of our life together I would be giving up 14.5 percent of our life shared in time we could spend with each other. Right about this point some males reading this would scoff, call me whipped or the P word, and laugh about how much more manly they are and how they are tougher, stronger, better endowed, and so on. They would ask me why I don’t just ask her to watch sports with me.  Sometimes, for a big game, she does.  She might watch the Super Bowl for the commercials.  I might not.  But they want to know if she can be converted into the a sports obsessed woman for my convenience. The answer is I never tried to do that.  The point is that she should not have to give up things she enjoys with me never compromising.  When I was younger I found this more difficult.  Less educated, more unrefined, lacking intellectual curiosity, I ignored her when the ballgame was on.  As time passed I spent time “with the boys” because that “was normal” and I was expected to.  And I was a fool. Some years ago, I hurt myself very badly playing basketball.  It was one of those “Heart says yes body says didn’t you get my retirement email?” moments.  I shattered my ankle.  It required a lengthy healing process.  Not being able to play sports, I decided I didn’t feel like watching them.  It was a watershed moment.  I walked into the living room and started to watch something on HGTV with her. Still immature, I remarked, “Gonna need a steak after watching a design show.” But then the strangest thing happened:  I enjoyed it.  No-I loved it!  I loved watching this couple make beautiful homes.  I loved learning about color choices and patterns, understanding concepts like mid-century modern and being introduced to the knock down genius of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Not only that, admitting that felt freeing. When I told my friends about this experience a couple of things happened.  Some of them questioned if I was “turning fruit.”  Others just cut off contact with me, assuming something was wrong with me.  So not liking me, I well, did not like them either. IT TOOK A PANDEMIC.. I thought about it, made my calculations, and decided my wife was more important than watching grown men give each other concussions.  This is my opinion.  I do not look down on people who watch football, but caution against an addiction to it as well.  Since I am science minded, since we have science, and tragedies to base my opinion on this is not a cultural judgment so much as a medical one.  Other non-contact sports I find no ill will towards, I am just bored by them compared to turning a shack bungalow into a million dollar coastal paradise.  But I digress.. Last year it all crystallized.  The politics, the mindlessness, the toxic masculinity, the masks, the sports bar culture.  It all came to a head.  Seeing the outright hostility towards masks, the attitude that a mask makes you a “P” word, and almost always finding it in pubs, sports bars, and the like, I began to understand what was going on.  I didn’t like men.  They seemed programmed by masters of toxic masculinity, glued to a television waiting for the next score, the next crawl.  It was like they needed a fix. As I am wont to do, I did some research.  I looked at Trumpers’ FB pages, which is something like deliberately researching raw sewage, and saw several commonalities. 1:  They went to school at something called “The University of Hard Knocks.”  Meaning uneducated and somehow deluded into thinking they are better than me for it.  I am college educated, so they must be able to beat me up.  Spoiler alert, bad assumption.   2.  Sunglass profile pictures. 3.  Sexist rock band infatuation.   4.  Pictures of guns, trucks, scantily clad young women, American flags, eagles, and other neo-patriot paraphernalia.   5.  Obsession with some kind of sport.  Might be football, might be hockey, could be UFC or boxing.  almost without fail some kind of attraction to the spectacle that is WWE. 6.  Anti-marriage memes, even when married. 7.  A loathing of science. 8.  Plaid or some kind of obnoxious camouflage, along with it the idea of gaining superiority by killing animals.  Now I eat meat, but I take the more Native approach of respecting the food, not treating it like a trophy. All of this is part of my own maturation.  I was enveloped by this world as a kid, it was the dominant culture.  Yet I was never satisfied.  In my early 20’s, a bunch of us boys and girls were at a party and the boys went into the living room to play video games.  I stayed in the kitchen with the girls.  This went on all night.  Suffice to say I had myself a time playing cards and drinking Boone’s.  In the morning, the guys came in laughing about how I was a “queer” (not the term used) because I wouldn’t play video games. I was like, “Which one of us spent their night with playing grab ass in a sausage fest video game session and who was with, you know, the actual GIRLS?”  But then I stopped.  Even then I said, screw it.”  Let them think what they want, that I am gay, whatever.  No shame in it if I were.  (minority opinion back then.)  All the more fun when the idiots come stumbling in and find their ignored female in my company.  Even more fun when they become my girlfriend, wife, and so on. I knew I did not like most men then. Now what am I left with?  Yes I have some male friends.  A few.  But they are mostly dedicated to their wives and truly don’t care about sports.  Some are performers.  Others are blue collar but reserved and open-minded. But most of my old block of friends have gone their separate ways from me.  Going forward however, my problem is that I can no longer pretend, nor do I care to, fit in their world.  I don’t care to carve a corporate path for myself that involves “company seats” or barbecues, or competition picnics.  I don’t have time.  The pandemic, along with cancer, taught me that time spent with people you don’t respect is time you spend disrespecting yourself. But it is a hard road to take being a man, and a large, outwardly masculine man, inviting other men to watch Christina Anstead redesign a property for reasons other than she is pretty.  That is not even why I watch, it is because she is brilliant and I learn something valuable. It is hard to fit in that egotistic world of male narcissism being myself, so I choose not to.  It makes it hard to advance though.  Makes it hard to close a deal or feel involved. But that is ok I suppose.  That decision will end up netting me 14.5 percent of my wife’s free time if she chooses to spend it with me, and will make me smarter and more useful in the long run. I don’t like most men it seems. But as it turns out, I love a herringbone backsplash. Thanks for reading. -ROC Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"></figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) maledominance ToxicMasculinity Women ychromosone _2012412 Thu, 28 Jan 2021 14:00:07 +0000 Dear GOP: Greene Is Who You Are Unless You Prove Otherwise https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/27/2012289/-Dear-GOP-Greene-Is-Who-You-Are-Unless-You-Prove-Otherwise I happened across quite a video today.  It was to say the least, stunning.  It was of what appeared to be Marjorie Taylor Greene harassing Parkland survivor and activist David Hogg: <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;.&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@mtgreenee&lt;/a&gt;, is this you harassing &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/davidhogg111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@davidhogg111&lt;/a&gt; weeks after the Parkland shooting, that my daughter was killed in &amp;amp; he was in? Calling him a coward for ignoring your insanity. I will answer all of your questions in person. Get ready to record again.&lt;a href="https://t.co/aQjL74x7kh"&gt;pic.twitter.com/aQjL74x7kh&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1354420542678441986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;January 27, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mtgreenee</a>, is this you harassing <a href="https://twitter.com/davidhogg111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidhogg111</a> weeks after the Parkland shooting, that my daughter was killed in & he was in? Calling him a coward for ignoring your insanity. I will answer all of your questions in person. Get ready to record again.<a href="https://t.co/aQjL74x7kh">pic.twitter.com/aQjL74x7kh</a>— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1354420542678441986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2021</a></blockquote> </div> This man lost his daughter in what has been alternately called, a hoax, a scam, the ever popular “inside job” and the woman pursuing him seems to be only concerned about the 2nd Amendment. This is on top of finding out that numerous Facebook likes, including that which have been construed as threats against Secretary Clinton and President Obama, were on her account.  To which, she claims, multiple people were responsible for her account, and not all views were hers. K.  Well here is the thing-I too have a Facebook account.  I too have at times have endured various levels of notoriety.  I never outsourced my opinions.  Had I outsourced my opinions, and such vile words had been endorsed by my account, the publicist responsible would be in court, sued to oblivion by yours truly. But let me digress for a moment. The year was 1991.  I was a teen, in Texas, at a time where it was turning from purple to blood red.  Guns is what I blame that on.  Gun obsession to me is at its core, a phallic analog, a “boys with their toys” validation affliction that unchecked can have devastating consequences.  Such as consequences the afternoon of October 16th, 1991 in Killeen, TX, the home of Fort Hood. Things were different then.  A family treat was to go to the cafeteria and order up hearty, but affordable meals.  For a time from the 1950’s to just past the turn of the century, cafeterias were quite popular.  The two big ones in Texas, Wyatt’s and Luby’s were among my favorite places to eat, as at that time, eating out was not as prevalent. But to continue with the recitation of a nightmare, on this Fall day a man named George Jo Hennard, 35, drove his Ford Ranger through the restaurant, and opened fire with two pistols.  He wounded 27 killed 23 people.  Now I want to note something here, about the 2nd Amendment: He used pistols.  Had he had access to an AR-15, which is a click and a credit card away in today’s America, the death toll among the roughly 150 people inside might have been double or more. For my part, not knowing at that age how to digest such horrors, nor grasp the motivations, I did not return often to Luby’s.  It was not Luby’s fault mind you, but it was just so jarring, we stopped going. In fact I might have taken my then fiancee to one in 2003.  But the warm feeling, those memories with my family were replaced by scenes of brutality I did not then, nor can I now, comprehend. Fast forward to a moment in time, where today’s Republicans are so off the rails, the party has more wannabe conductors than passengers.   So imagine getting to a point where a person can achieve political success megaphoning the most noxious conspiracy theories, victimizing victims, and endorsing what to many observers can be perceived as threats. Imagine then the gall it takes to claim she is out of your party’s mainstream then not ask her to step aside.  With each political generation the extremism worsens, and the concern so many have is that the political cancer plaguing our country is not cured but merely, in remission.   Take a look at this, a picture you might have seen: <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="Shaun on Twitter: " src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6cpWg9WwAEyic0.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> These are pictures of Trump supporters.  They are almost all in a vehicle, probably a truck, and wearing sunglasses.  They fairly well look alike.  Your run of the mill male Trumper is about 50 ish, white, with a paunch masquerading as muscle, bald, with sunglasses.  You can spot them a mile away.  Female supporters for reasons I don’t understand, seem to be about ten years or more behind in hairstyles. They want to project strength, however above all, they need to be seen as tough.  Children massacred in a high school?  Where you and I see that as life scarring, they see it as the occasional set of broken eggs necessary to preserve their gun humping omelet.  But why? Economics?  That is a cop out.  What drives these people to electoral madness?  Much of it stems from angry white male syndrome.   They are not succeeding, these types of people.  Sure some of them might have trucks with small business decals, they might feign to be a big time operator, but most of them are in debt to their eyeballs.  They drink.  They might be on prescription medications.  They are often domestically violent, however for these purposes, the conspiracy boon, I feel that people like Greene speak for these types because a conspiracy for why there are failing, for why they have not turned out to be the superhero, tycoon, country star, athlete, whatever, is what appeals. A conspiracy that entails Soros, Obama, immigration, and insert national emergency: shooting, pandemic, terrorist threat, climate allows them to absolve themselves of failure.  Sure they drank their youth away, sure they got their “gal” preggers at 18, sure they have the intelligence of a rotted lemon peel. But its the “blacks, gays, lesbians, Mexicans, (I love it when they talk about those Mexicans from South America) and so ons’ fault.  It isn’t their fault.  Couldn’t be. I mean, how could a life of Budweiser and muddin’ go wrong?  How could even attempting to educate oneself being perceived as being “one of them” have negative consequences? And of course, these people feed themselves.  They become their only source of news, of growth, or regression, of worldview.  It is a crisis of emotional IQ.  Much of that can be solved through mental health focus or education, but that would not be profitable to the party of ignorance, now would it? And so as people like Boebert, and Greene, and the like continue to market and benefit from a complete lack of knowledge, we further divide but rarely conquer our problems. Eventually progress prevails, we have faith in this, but as their ranks dwindle they will become even more angry, more unhinged, more..capable. What happened in 1991, sadly, as we know, was not a one-off.  It is becoming more common to the point it does not even warrant a break-in to programming.  An aggrieved young white man snapped and killed 23 people. Today, with social media, a lunatic can call millions of other lunatics to arms with the tap of a button, and get them to show up ready to maim, torture, and in some cases, willing to kill elected officials. The type now in Congress is the ultimate what-if?  Whereas Trump spent his career playing to a base too stupid to know he reviled them, now they are starting to see their own ascend. The true believer is now a force.  Now the GOP has to decide, is this who they are?  Have they so thoroughly devolved that any intellectual argument for conservatism has been sacrificed to the altar of the stupid and falsely aggrieved?  They are being politically eaten from the inside out. They are being threatened with something called the “Patriot Party” which would likely be nothing more than a politically mutually assured destruction, good for us lefties but still, risky to the country overall, as if they choose to drive off of a political cliff, innocents are still trapped in their car. And I ponder this, as traffic passes by, and I think to myself “Self, macaroni and roasted chicken sure sounds good.” And then I remember the same chill I felt nearly thirty years ago, when thinking about 23 people who might have thought the same thing. Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Conspiracies DavidHogg MarjorieTaylorGreene Parkland _2012289 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 22:19:06 +0000 K.C. Star Talks Warning Signs: Young Josh Hawley's First Instinct After OK Bombing? Defend Militias https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/24/2011591/-K-C-Star-Young-Josh-Hawley-s-First-Instinct-After-OK-Bombing-Defend-Militias Clearly showing himself to be nowhere near the mainstream of politics in this country with recent antics, the Kansas City Star delved into some writing of a then 15 year-old Hawley after the horrific crime perpetrated by Tim McVeigh.  Apparently, extremism is not new to Mr. Hawley. <blockquote> Hawley warned against depicting all militia members as domestic terrorists after the Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people, including 19 children. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who carried out the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, had ties to the Michigan Militia. </blockquote> <div> <blockquote> <div>“Many of the people populating these movements are not radical, right-wing, pro-assault weapons freaks as they were originally stereotyped,” Hawley wrote two months after the bombing.</div> </blockquote> </div> <blockquote> He argued that middle class Americans had gravitated to anti-government organizations out of genuine concerns about federal overreach and a disillusionment with mainstream politics. </blockquote> Much more <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article248663695.html" target="_blank">can be found here</a>, I just highlighted a few key passages under fair use.  He appears to carry water for defenders of Mark Furhman, and in one of the great socio-political tragedies of the 20th Century the use of MLK’s incrementalist approach as a pass for racist false equivalencies, says Dr. King “must be rolling over in his grave,” over affirmative action and Jesse Jackson’s promotion of it. Piece of work does not describe this guy.  Investigate and take steps to expel if the evidence is found to warrant it. <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I am still matching.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:center"></div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) JoshHawley KansasCityStar Militias MurrahBuilding _2011591 Sun, 24 Jan 2021 19:31:14 +0000 BREAKING NEWS-Keith Olbermann Tweets That Trump Funded The Coup. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/22/2011275/-BREAKING-NEWS-Keith-Olbermann-Tweets-That-Trump-Funded-The-Coup Consider this an open thread.  Obviously if this is proven this crosses the boundaries of from merely impeachable to stone cold criminal.  My guess is his intermediaries and cohorts have phone records and receipts enough to send them away for a long time.  Will update this as I receive further news. -ROC <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Well, here it is.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Trump funded the coup via his campaign.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Literally: the receipts. &lt;a href="https://t.co/H34XAajcJZ"&gt;https://t.co/H34XAajcJZ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1352722880732295171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;January 22, 2021&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Well, here it is. Trump funded the coup via his campaign. Literally: the receipts. <a href="https://t.co/H34XAajcJZ">https://t.co/H34XAajcJZ</a>— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1352722880732295171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2021</a></blockquote> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Coup DonaldTrump Insurrection KeithOlbermann _2011275 Sat, 23 Jan 2021 00:07:28 +0000 A Man Named Joe, A Nation Called America. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/20/2010797/-A-Man-Named-Joe-A-Nation-Called-America <div> <div style="text-align:start">Those who live in the past are doomed to stumble in the dark.  But the tragedy of that situation is not itself the inevitability of the circumstance, but rather the conscious choice to halt progress.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">America is so unique to world history in ways unmeasurable, but those who understand her purpose, her overriding destiny know that we are merely stewards of a journey forward, we are not meant  to halt her train into the future.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">We are not meant to decide for others what their thoughts must be, we are not to force abdication of moral authority.  We are not meant to be the singular definition of her doctrine, but merely, the caretakers of her ability to ever more broadly declare it.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">There is no party more vital, there is no ideology that ascends above.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">We the people write our history precisely because the very nature of our brilliant pillars of self-governance allow it.  Who then would we be if to wrest the pen of progress away, so that one can toil in the obscurity of comfortable ignorance?</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">Yes change can be disquieting.  It can be disorientating.  It can also be enlightening, and invigorating.  We can learn from our opponents, yet we can also choose to do, as Lincoln suggested, something so incapacitating that their capitulation is fated:  We can make them our friends.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">There is a delicious naivete to that notion, that one can use magnanimity, rather than force to achieve their goals.  But that presupposes three conditions for such tactics to work.  The first is that the enemy is rational.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">The second is that the goal is noble.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">The third, and perhaps most striking truth of our recent turmoil, is that the enemy, is not yourself.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">Those that would castigate and cast aspersions against President Biden do so while stumbling in the dark.  They do so while married to a past, to a nostalgia of a history that never existed buttressed by a false memory propagated by a salesperson.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">They scoff, and fret that their privilege, that their supremacy will be cast to the wayside, and that shall be so, but they forget that the Bible teaches us that we must set aside the supremacy of our selves in service to the ascendancy of others.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">They live in a tunnel, with vision ever darkening, complaining about being outnumbered, in fear of an oncoming train, that has long left them behind.  And they miss perhaps the biggest point of all, that in their dedicated opposition to Joe and his alliances, they fail to understand that the reason he has so many allies is because those who support him know that his alliances go beyond us.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">Today, a man reached a lifelong goal and did so not with selfish pride and egotism but with gratitude and humility.  A man took office who understands that the office does not serve him;  he serves the office.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">A man spoke to those very allies, to those with so much hope and relief and joy but he did not speak just to them, because he did, as he has always promised he would, pledge to be President for ALL of us.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">Today a man named Joe, a kid from Scranton, chose, before he took his seat as Conductor of America's path forward, not just to yell, "all aboard," but to exit the train, walk down the platform and enter the tunnel of our past, where so many toil in darkness and fear and offer them light.  He offered them a path forward.</div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">He offered them a seat on America's train to the future if only they will open the gates of their past, that trap them in the present.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">He offered a chance to participate in America's trip forward.  He offered a chance to make an enemy, his friend.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start">He offered an opportunity to no longer stumble in darkness.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">And if you truly know what it means to be an American, to have studied history, to have seen the wages of war, the depravity, the blood spilled and the tears shed, then you also know the goodness within our the soul of our new President was apparent, that his light was abundant, and that his path forward was clear.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">And you know that as he walked into that tunnel, shining his light, he was not asking his opponents to walk in his luminescence;</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">He was inviting them, to walk in their own.</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start">-ROC</div> <div style="text-align:start">January 20th, 2021</div> <div style="text-align:start"></div> <div style="text-align:start"> Attn: fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC </div> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Joe46 JoeBiden socks Unity _2010797 Thu, 21 Jan 2021 03:06:52 +0000 Sorry Joe. Not Sorry. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/19/2010434/-Sorry-Joe-Not-Sorry Today I had the distinct honor of watching a video of President-Elect Joseph Robinette Biden Jr’s. speech in Delaware as he prepares to go to Washington for his Inauguration.  I think the thing that so stands out about him is his humility.  His sadness is evident in that he seems to have regret it is him, not his late son Beau, taking the Oath. We all regret the loss of Beau. But sorry, Joe. Some things I’m not sorry for. I’m not sorry I defended your honor as an 11 year-old after you exited the 1988 Presidential race. I’m not sorry I argued with my idiot of a teacher about politics, your kindness and our nation’s need for a man with your wealth of empathy to be President.  (Yes I knew that word at age 11!) I’m not sorry I canvassed my area for you and Barack 20 years later.  I’m not sorry I stared down the barrel of a gun from a racist who could not tolerate the idea of a black man as President. I’m not sorry I got blisters on my feet from canvassing. I’m not sorry you led us when it came time to get the votes for the stimulus. I’m not sorry I went a town hall and literally stood toe to toe with right wingers to bring us Obamacare. I’m not sorry I jettisoned friends toxically politically contaminated by whatever virus Trumpers suffer from. I’m not sorry I trusted that the bow would hold and that the ship of Democracy would maintain buoyancy.  You told us to believe in America, not those that would rip it away from us, not to believe them when they said it was over. I’m not sorry I stood in line to vote for a man that brought pride to my heart. I’m not sorry you were trusted by Barack to get the votes for Obamacare. I’m not sorry you are about to take the Oath of Office.  I very much wish that someday Beau would have had that chance to as well.  That I am sorry for. But sorry Joe.  I’m not sorry that a loving, empathetic, gentle soul with a fierce love for his country and us is about to become our President. As many of you know, I have fought cancer for nearly a year and we hope it is gone, but I would likely not be here were it not for Obamacare. So sorry Joe, we disagree.  I do not believe there is a better, nor bigger person for this crucial moment in history. I do not trust anyone more to lead us.  I do not see you as merely good enough. I see you as great. If God grants me tomorrow, I will wake up to the Inauguration Day of the 46th President of the United States of America. That I have a chance to wake up, that I did not die from undetected, untreated cancer, is largely due to the man who is poised to become the 46th President of the United States of America. We all wish Beau were here, Joe. But with all my heart, I thank you, for me being here. I’m not sorry that the gentleman who did so much to make that possible is our next President. I’m only sorry Joe, that I have not done more for you. With the extra time your efforts have bought me, I promise you, I will. -Love, ROC  Attn fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches, along with donations to others in need:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) endofanerror Inauguration Joe46 JoeBiden _2010434 Tue, 19 Jan 2021 22:49:41 +0000 I Propose This Needs To Be Bannable. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/16/2009679/-I-Propose-This-Needs-To-Be-Bannable I am not tenured here.  I do feel I have been here long enough to make some statements about the direction of the site however.  I have contributed, flagged, I have waded through the trolls, and made friends and found support from the community.   I have also pointlessly argued, encountered posters with obvious delusions, and been given even more stress. Last night was my “That’s it,” point.  Dunzo. I found a post that in length, described a series of events so improbable individually, that collectively, they represented a “Doomlusion” of medicateable proportion. Enough. Look, reality has been just about all the fun most of us can handle. But lately, Doomlusion has become viral, especially here, and is doing nothing to help the rest of the poster’s stress. It usually goes like this: Poster: “Look I know this sounds crazy but..” At this point I know what comes next: Insert Fantastical World of Doomlusion. ________ “is more powerful than _______ or than you think.” ________ “is not going away.” “They say”  “Battleships are being sent” “Blah________ “Russian blah blah blah won’t let ________blah blah ________Putin, blah” And my personal source of I wish I didn’t need technology for my business so I could just make money each time a dolphin smiled quote:  “I heard.” Yes.  I heard. “I heard that Trump has enough military to stay in power.” GIJOES don’t count. “I heard he is planning something.” When does he plan? “I heard he wants to make Ivanka President.” Perhaps.  I want a fleet of Ferraris too.  That probably happens first. “I heard Don Jr. is next in line.” The Presidency is not a monarchy. “I heard Eric is going to sue DeBlasio.” And? “I heard he won’t leave White House.” The President can live in Wilmington if so desired. And my personal favorite,  “He is planning for ‘24.” Actually it could potentially be 20 per count if he is charged. Look.  Doomlusion is poisonous.  It drives me from the site, it makes me disinterested in participating.  It falls somewhere under DBAD, conspiracy, and Republican talking points and I think that in many cases, given the verbiage repetition it is pernicious and coordinated. It is like the Russians or somebody in Trump’s orbit have decided if you can’t beat em’, make em’ think that the apparent victory is illusory and will be taken away. So I think that doom, obvious doom posts, not rational discussion of current news, needs to be evaluated, disciplined, and summarily banned if not stopped.  You know it when you see it, you roll your eyes, grit your teeth, raise your blood pressure, and maybe even yell.  Listen: It is real. Joe Biden is President-elect. No need for Doom. Just a Hail to the Chief. Attn fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story is here <a href="https://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank" title="">gofundme.com/...</a> and how to help immediately can be found here:  (GoFundme is not immediate access to funding.) <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will AGAIN match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match.  Here is a pic of previous matches:   <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/906609/large/Help.PNG?1610819062" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) bannable Conspiracies DBAD Doomed JoeBiden Meta _2009679 Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:49:46 +0000 Update on My Carlos Case Study, Not Good, And Being Ghosted By Old Friend Kelly https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/11/2008227/-Update-on-My-Carlos-Case-Study-Not-Good-And-Being-Ghosted-By-Old-Friend-Kelly <figure class="image-captioned width-xl align-right"><img alt="Help.PNG" class="width-xl" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/904605/large/Help.PNG?1610388817" title="Help.PNG"> <figcaption>My donations I have made in recent days.</figcaption> </figure> A few days back I wrote two case studies, one that included my friend Carlos, well, ex-friend.  We go some ways back, almost nine years, but politics has brought that to a close. After I wrote the story I checked on my Facebook to find this message: “You still wanna fight?” “Fight what?” I responded. “Over the election.  You think I’m stupid because I don’t want ANTIFA leftists destroying my country.” I told him that sounded unfriendly and reminded him of our history. He said, “F that.  You are no better than any of them I can’t trust you and you don’t want to push me.” I explained to him I carried absolutely zero fear of him or anyone else from the 154th Regiment of the Washer on the Front Porch, Momma’s Basement Division and that he needed to not make threats to me. He then proceeded to explain it was not a threat, it was a promise to defend his country and I was no better than a “Commie Pig” who had not yet decided “what to do with.” BLOCK. No more conversation.  No more access.  BLOCKED. For this to happen-I mean we went to ballgames together-heck I helped him eat when he was drinking himself broke, did my best to get him therapy, and in doing so about saved his job. So that is that-a lost friendship forever because of destructive sophistry at a pernicious, seditious level. But one person I failed to mention was another now ex-friend: His name is “Kelly.” (Again name changed for privacy.) We were super close.  We would come and stay with him and his now Wife when visiting his state. We played ball together, we shopped together, we even planned cruising trips. He knew about my cancer.  He also knew about my politics. He knew my surgery date. We have not spoken since April. It is a tragedy at scale what Trump and his minions have wrought upon this nation, not just in terms if violence, but in terms of interpersonal and familial relationships.  Most are not repairable. What is there left to do now but retreat to the comfort and security of trusted tribes? Although, that is not very United, it might be the only thing that calms the Divided states. Attn fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, how to help can be found here: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/RGilfillan744" target="_blank" title="">www.paypal.com/...</a> I will match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC Thanks to those who have helped! rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) BrothervsBrother capitolriots Facebook parler _2008227 Mon, 11 Jan 2021 18:17:49 +0000 I Just Saw On Reddit What Appears To Be Video of The Murder of Officer Brian Sicknick https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/10/2007914/-I-Just-Saw-On-Reddit-What-Appears-To-Be-Video-of-The-Murder-of-Officer-Brian-Sicknick I do not know how to handle this.  Obviously many thousands on Reddit have already seen it.  I suppose if the people involved are recognized justice will be served.  But it appears he was beaten while unconscious with a flagpole.  He was repeatedly and with malice struck about the head while prone, while other beasts are chanting “Get him, drag that motherf---— out!”  There is no doubt had this mob been more penetrating the literal continuity of government by virtue, as AOC says, of half the House potentially having been murdered by these miscreants, would not only have been possible, but probable. I spent a good portion of yesterday on Twitter.  Apparently their goal was not to change minds, but leave behind in their wake a majority in both Houses of Republicans to vote to overturn the election. Of course I do my best to report.  But Twitter is slow and they get so many reports it takes time. My Wife and I ran some errands around town yesterday, town being metro Phoenix, and saw numerous biker types, an angry young white man driving a beat up truck with a torn American flag, saw people randomly yelling in parking lots..we came home, locked the doors, and do not intend to go out for a while. I have the link but I do not want to glorify violence.  I have decided that since it is readily searchable it does not have to darken the server of Daily Kos.  This is my own personal editorial decision. But I am now forever changed.  Angry in a way that will never fade, mistrustful of my fellow of Americans in a way that will forever scar. I can only hope that babies born today will grow up in a world where this behavior ends before their memories and formative years are also so scarred. It is too late for me.  For the rest of my life I will be making threat assessments.  Bikes, beards, bald and beer bellies=Danger. The four B’s. Potentially even, Killer B’s. Attn fellow Kossacks:  Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank" title="">gofundme.com/...</a>? I will match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) AlexandriaOcasio-Cortez capitolriots Insurrection sicknick _2007914 Sun, 10 Jan 2021 18:18:54 +0000 MUST READ!! My Personal Window Into Two Facebook Friends Descent From Blue TO MAGA https://www.dailykos.com/story/2021/1/9/2007612/-MUST-READ-My-Personal-Window-Into-Two-Facebook-Friends-Descent-From-Blue-TO-MAGA As a kid growing up in Missouri, there were two kinds of voters-the ones that supported the rich, and the ones that backed the little guy.  Republicans and Democrats.  It was that simple.  And for years I worked in and alongside campaigns with tons of angry, but loyal blue collar voters working for team Blue. We might have taken them for granted.  I don’t know, maybe we underestimated how vulnerable they were to messaging.  At any rate in 2016 when I began the process of trying to do my part to help elect Secretary Clinton, I called on some of them. The responses from multi-decade Dems was shocking. “F— that b--—.”  “Lying c-—.” These were not fence sitting indies off in Chesterfield.  These were union Democrats. “Trump sounds like the REAL Democrat!”  “He wants to stop these trade deals!” As I said this was in 2016.  I knew we had a problem.  But I chalked that year up to bad messaging and let it go. Was I wrong?  Ya. Case Study 1-”Jocelyn” Jocelyn is not her real name.  But, Jocelyn is what i will use for these purposes.  At the time, in 2018, this young woman was a professionally presented, articulate and coherent leasing agent. She was very liberal. Her Facebook was full of laments about Hillary’s loss, the sexist treatment she had to put up with, how the right wing had mainstreamed misogyny, and similar.  She was solid.  So we became Facebook friends. It was about early 2019 I began to notice an increasingly obsessive pattern posting about missing kids.  Any missing kid.  I mean anywhere.  This puzzled me.  I could see how one would repost missing kids in their area.  We read news reports that capture our attention and re-post them, sure.  But how does someone out west post about a missing child in Philly?  It made no sense.  How would she even come across it?  Nevertheless I chalked it up to childhood trauma or such and decided not to pry. Was I wrong? Ya. As I would later find, Facebook can serve up anything it wants in its algorithm.  Apparently because Jocelyn had shown an interest in missing children posts, Facebook gave her all she could handle.  Soon her feed was nothing other than posts about children or exploitation and eventually, QAnon style conspiracy theories about celebrities and Epstein and islands and private planes. Oh boy. In the fall of 2020, before the first debate, she made perfectly clear what she had become.  A frothing at the mouth, vulgar, some sort of drug addled mouth breather who had more in common with a flea market with literal fleas than her old career. She was now bouncing between menial bar job after another, blaming everyone, accusing Latinos of being predators. This was not the same person.  She posted a video of her in full Trump regalia smoking a cigar slurring Joe and Kamala.  Something had been almost, it seemed, programmed. I will pause here.  I abhor conspiracy theories.  So I use the word programmed carefully, as that is just what it seems like.  But it is clear something, somehow triggered something lizard in her brain that completely took over, something that we need to get to the bottom of.   Case Study 2-Carlos Carlos’s (name also changed for privacy) progression down the MAGAT hole was much more subtle, and in some ways more predictable. Obsessed with sports to an unhealthy degree, in 2012 he began to involve himself in UFC (Ultimate Fighting) culture.  Almost nothing good comes of this.  Nothing did.  One day he was convinced he was so skilled his 150 lb frame could disable me, a 225 pound ex-athlete, he put me in something called a rear naked.  This would make me submit he said.  Instead I stood up and used my massive leg strength to shake him off my back like so much water from a gyrating labrador. This was just roughhousing and nobody got hurt.  But over time his posts became more violence oriented, more extreme, more as he put it, “masculine.”  A clear and notable “Napoleon Complex” became apparent.  I knew we would lose Carlos to the Magats.  I just didn’t know when or how. I discussed this with my Wife and she agreed.  It would be BLM.  And indeed, it was.  An aggrieved Puerto Rican American, Carlos sees blacks as the problem in Chicago.  This was not always apparent.  But as time went on I saw more and more false equivalencies coming from Carlos.  This culminated on Wednesday with “How is this different from burning down a Wendy’s?  Do you think that is ok?  ANTIFA is just as bad, or worse.”   For one thing, I absolutely do not condone burning down buildings to get a point across. For another thing, as sad as it may be to lose that block’s delicious Pretzel Bun Pub Burger, the loss of such does not affect the continuity of Government.  That I had to explain this to Carlos represents the end of my association with Carlos, hard as I tried to get him back on Team Blue. So what happened? The first thing I noticed in my research was that original postings virtually ceased.  Almost everything posted were re-posts.  Timelines filled with reposts of conspiracy theories, nutter ideas, and gun talk. For Jocelyn it was all about children.  There was a soft spot in the psyche being exploited here.  But how? Last night I perused Youtube to watch tributes to Tommy Lasorda.  Just.  Tributes.  What YouTube served up to me was this: ”Tommy Lasorda dead at 93 in ritual sacrifice for Dodgers rigged World Series over Tampa Bay Rays”   I will not link it.  If you want to verify it just search that title.  Currently it has 2,940 views. What the ever-lovin?  Who believes this?   And why did YouTube’s algorithm, not only not ban this video, but promote it? But the purpose is to show how easy it is to be served this stuff up.  I did not ask for it.  Such ridiculousness did not even cross my mind.  The man was 93 and suffered a heart attack.  Call Ripley’s! But if you do click on it look at the comments.  They go further.  Praise and piling on.  There is an epidemic of mental illness in this country that is not the lunatic with a chainsaw kind.  It is the cashier at the store kind, the person administering your vaccine kind. Truly it is something Rod Serling could have written. But back to Facebook.  I tested my theory that if I clicked on just one link or liked one sketchy post, a slew of “sponsored” posts would come my way. Boy howdy.  Of course I blocked such insanity.   Now how many don’t?  And in what way does the algorithm work that it knows just how to feed just the right posts? And why, no matter how much I tell YouTube not to serve up Terrence K. Williams does it continue to do so? These two cases are not exceptional.  Sadly, they are not even rare.  I therefore call on Congress to do a full examination on what, if any, possible experiments may have been done by social media companies to mess with heads. I am left with many questions. If this was coordinated did they know who to target or was it a spaghetti on the wall thing?  Or did they somehow know by the tone and pattern of their posts who was susceptible? If this was not coordinated, if this was somehow a twist of technological fate, an unwitting perfect storm, then how do we put this Genie back in the bottle? Can we? Facebook continues to bombard me with posts from “friends” that offend if not outright disturb.  It is as if these people just become vacuous middle-persons for whatever pernicious messaging the right wing wants to spread. They show no original thought.  They repeat talking points.  Their entire feed is just a wall of other people’s seemingly, programming. Is Facebook completely at fault or innocent?  That is why I want to have an investigation.  I am neither accusing nor exonerating any social media firm.  Something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Jocelyn went from an articulate well-mannered young woman to a raging frothing zombieesque character from a B-movie. Carlos rode the train of toxic masculinity to Bigot Town. How do we get others to jump back on the rails? Or have we already culturally, derailed? If you want to show appreciation for my contributions here, please help me help a man in desperate need. Robert has been living in abject poverty for some time, and has no food even for his pooties or wuzzles. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here: <a href="http://gofundme.com/f/ya8s2w-god-first" target="_blank" title="">gofundme.com/...</a>? I will match the first $100 donated and will update this post with receipts of proof of my match. In any case thanks for reading and be well. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Experiments Facebook MAGA YouTube _2007612 Sat, 09 Jan 2021 21:18:54 +0000 Kicked Out For Being Gay, Sleeping On Moldy A Bed-Can You Help Me Help? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/12/30/2004919/-Kicked-Out-For-Being-Gay-Sleeping-On-Moldy-A-Bed-Can-You-Help-Me-Help The need, oh the need.  Recently I started a movement to help those in need and I have spent and spent.  That is fine, and I don’t want credit, but I do want help.  I have fought cancer hard this year and am trying to stave off heart failure.  But these projects are not about me.  I have had great emotional support from you all and am appreciative.  But I need people to help me help.  So many of my friends have any excuse under the sun, it is so much of a letdown.  If you can find it in your hearts to give a dollar or two, or whatever you can, here are just a few of the people I am personally donating to and verified. This young person was abandoned by her parents for being gay. <a href="https://twitter.com/Elanajayyy_" target="_blank">twitter.com/…</a> This young woman is a college student trying to eat. <a href="https://twitter.com/xXCookieKilla" target="_blank">twitter.com/...</a> Paypal link highlighted <a href="https://paypal.me/RGilfillan744" target="_blank">This poor man has</a> a moldy bed, needs eyeglasses, little food, and we just recently got his water turned on.  THIS ONE is the one I have really been focused on.  He is on blood thinners, is unable to pay for them, and as you may know, it can be dangerous to stop blood thinners once on them. And on it goes.  I know everyone is inundated with requests, but anything helps these people.  I swear I would donate to millions if I had that much.  I don’t.  But just so we are up to date on the inequality situation, I leave you with this stat: Jeff Bezos could fund the entire $600 stimulus and be left with $39 billion. We must do better. Thanks in advance. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Covid-19 JoeBiden Stimulus Unemployment _2004919 Wed, 30 Dec 2020 18:26:42 +0000 The Democratic Party Needs LOTS More GUTS! https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/12/12/2001522/-The-Democratic-Party-Needs-LOTS-More-GUTS It isn’t like the party deserves respect. It isn’t like Lucy McBath responded to the death of her only son, at the hands of a white man, by picking up the pieces and becoming a U.S. House Representative. It isn’t like Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, externalized his anger positively at the violence against his wife and rose to U.S. Senator, and in my view, will very likely be President one day. It isn’t like Stacey Abrams, a talented young woman responded to an at best, dubious count in her Gubernatorial race by leading the charge to turn the state blue for our nominee. It isn’t like Andrew Cuomo made tough decisions and led New York, and continues to lead New York, through this pandemic. It isn’t like Cori Bush decided to take on an entrenched legacy incumbent, much too comfortable with the status quo, and beat him. It isn’t like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, a highly educated ex-bartender toppled a high ranking but politically milquetoast member of the House. It isn’t like Jeff Jackson, a member of the N.C State Senate, is not a member of the National Guard who will likely win the open U.S. Senate seat in 2022. It isn’t like 81 million plus Americans voted to save this country. It isn’t like tens of thousands of Democratic volunteers sacrificed time, blood, sweat, and tears to win this election. It isn’t like John Lewis bled on that bridge, or left us one last message of inspiration before he left this world. It isn’t like we passed Obamacare, something that has saved perhaps millions of lives, I believe mine included. It isn’t like Nancy Pelosi stood up and led the impeachment of a rogue President. It isn’t like a little girl from Oakland, who went to and graduated from an HBCU, could rise to Vice-President elect. It isn’t like a 77 year-old man, once Vice-President, who once perhaps thought the 2021 Inauguration might be of his son Beau, eschewed a well-deserved retirement, overcame the grief of the loss of that same son, only to win what may be the most consequential election in our nation’s history. We hear a lot about guts. You know what takes guts? To stare at a Category 5 Hurricane, bearing down on democracy itself, looking at the craftmanship of the ship our founding fathers and mothers built us, and say, “We will not abandon ship.  She’s gonna hold!” Democracy’s fate does not depend on the winner.  It depends on the concept of a gracious loser. It depends on the good will of people who run campaigns for the right reasons, and therefore, recognizes the will of the people as supreme. One party still does.  One party still comports itself with dignity and honor, and respect for our institutions. Some might say, in the face of that storm, maintaining that poise is the gutsiest act of all. Except for maybe, a Grandfather who lived through the losses of two children, a wife, a man who worked thirty-two years to win the Presidency, running one more time, and then, only did so not because he thought he was so important us. No.   Joe Biden became President-elect on November 7th, 2020 because WE were so important to him. Now, please, talk to me about guts. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) DemocraticParty JoeBiden KamalaHarris NancyPelosi _2001522 Sat, 12 Dec 2020 09:54:57 +0000 Assuming This Is A Misunderstanding: Story Suggesting Biden Could Sacrifice Unemployment Boost? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/11/21/1997428/-Assuming-This-Is-Not-Real-Story-Suggesting-Biden-Could-Sacrifice-Unemployment-Boost <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/politics/biden-reportedly-could-sacrifice-unemployment-benefit-boost-to-secure-relief-bill/ar-BB1beLG7" target="_blank">www.msn.com/…</a> Biden's camp is <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/21/biden-coronavirus-relief-fight-438895">reportedly focused on</a> ensuring Black-owned businesses receive loans they had trouble securing following the first relief bill, getting funding for state and local governments, and extending enhanced unemployment benefits. The latter issue is where Biden "may have to give something up to McConnell that we really don't want to give up to get" a deal, "but we simply have to do this," another person close to the transition team <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/21/biden-coronavirus-relief-fight-438895">said</a>. I am assuming this is a misunderstanding.  I am also assuming this person close to the transition team is speaking out of school, out of touch, and if this story is accurate, ABOUT TO BE FIRED. 1.  They could not be so stupid as to frame it as black owned businesses vs. unemployment desperately needed.  Nobody on the team would allow even an inkling of a chance for it to be framed racially.   2.  The only part of Coronavirus aid that matters politically is the unemployment boost. 3.  If this is a real quote, “this person” is dumber than poprocks in a straw. 4.  If this were even halfway true the party would be politically sunk outside of a metro loop for the foreseeable future.  2022 would make 2010 look like a political sneeze. This needs to be rebutted. There would be very likely no relief bill without an unemployment boost, period, because I don’t believe the House would vote for it. So where is this person and this story coming from? rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) covidrelief Democrats HeroesAct JoeBiden _1997428 Sun, 22 Nov 2020 00:14:32 +0000 Putting The GOP Legislator Elector CT Theory To Bed For Good https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/11/19/1996921/-Putting-The-GOP-Legislator-Elector-CT-Theory-To-Bed-For-Good The House only votes on an Electoral College tie.  Ridiculously, one vote per state delegation, completely nullifying the point of a House.   Nevertheless, there should be no scenario that leaves Joe with 269.  What I see in most circles is a concern about the GOP sending their own electors in MI WI and PA. Read: “If there is more than one submission of electoral votes from a state, the question ultimately is whether the chambers agree on which slate to accept. If the chambers agree to accept a particular slate, those electoral votes count. If the chambers agree to reject a particular slate, then those electoral votes do not count. If the chambers disagree as to which slate to accept, then the prevailing votes are those that were cast by electors certified by “the executive of the State.”37 This provision, known colloquially as the governor’s tiebreaker, operates as a “fail-safe to prevent state disenfranchisement.” <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e70e52c7c72720ed714313f/t/5f59223d94b21d2ebe8e6957/1599676990875/Electoral+Count+Act.pdf" target="_blank">static1.squarespace.com/...</a> This means that a Dem House will not accept fraudulent electors.  In the end I doubt even the Senate would either.  (Sasse, Collins, Romney, Murkowski.)  But even if they managed to deadlock it- Tell me what Gretchen Whitmer Tony Evers and Tom Wolf have in common?  The are Governors, all Democrats, and most importantly, the only ones who can send “safe harbor” electors to Congress. The idea that the SCOTUS would unilaterally throw its weight behind a capricious legislature requires it to not only subvert the will of people but throw out a 143 year-old law in the Electoral Count Act.  Because that would be the only way the Governor’s slate could be invalidated.  Highly improbable. P.S.  I will flag every fear mongering CT I see.  Every last one.  People who are posting fear-laden garbage out of malevolence or ignorance are speaking with pretend authority on subject matter out of their depth.  It needs to be addressed as I would like to see instant banning of these kinds of posters.  They fool nobody, and are nearly universally low post count with syntax that leads to suspicions of dubious connections.  (Run-on sentences, declarative phraseology spewing misinformation, and trigger words used repetitively. ) rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) ElectoralCollege ElectoralCountAct GSA JoeBiden _1996921 Thu, 19 Nov 2020 19:02:36 +0000 A Favor To Ask Directly of Markos https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/11/9/1994362/-A-Favor-To-Ask-Directly-of-Markos I should be happy. I’m not.  Some of us are content to believe Trump had more missing vote the pollsters “missed.”  Good pollsters too.  The best, actually.  Siena, Monmouth, Marist, WSJ.  These are as good as it gets. What I would like is a post election poll.  Specifically I want to poll people on their vote in electronic voting machine areas vs. paper ballot areas and in areas with undelivered mail.  Look I am not into conspiracy theories.  (I am accusing nobody.  Trusting but verifying seems fair to me.) We are told Russians hacked into our hospitals.  Are vote machines that big of a stretch? If I really thought Civiqs missed Florida by 10 points I would suggest he ask for a refund. If this really was an election day surge, fine.  Work to do.  But as of right now we are being asked to believe that exit polls in WI missed by 8 percent, (before the inevitable “change as the vote comes in garbage:) four in PA, 5 in MI.  Is polling this far off?  We need to know.  Did Trump surge in the last literal day? Look I think Civiqs is a good pollster.  I think PPP is a good pollster.  I think Marist is top of the line and they all missed by a polling error of greater than five, as did the gold standard, WSJ.   And I am really curious why Selzer in IA was most accurate with her poll when nobody in the business I could find would endorse her methodology. How was she the only one to find flipping independents, in IA’s case, 30 points?  What is her secret sauce that breaks the code?  Not weighing for education?  Thought we needed to. I will contribute and lead the effort to crowdfund but we need a full investigation into our election security.  How secure are voting machines, what counties use them and how accurate were they relative to polls?  Just how much mail went missing in FL?  Philly?   And somebody really needs to explain FL to me.  They outvoted us by registration some 200k R to D, but exit polling shows 37 R to 30 D, but at 4.2m Rs, 4m Ds and 2.5 m NPAs Trump would have had to carry well over 58 percent of NPA’s to win by three.  Am I supposed to believe that 25 percent of registered Florida Ds identified themselves to an exit poll as R? I see no data point that suggests that.  I wonder if 29 electoral votes are stuck in a sorting machine somewhere. Because right now I question if the only reason Joe won is because his leads were outside the Margin of Terror. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Election PA Polling WIS _1994362 Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:37:18 +0000 My State By State Projections With Brief Explanations https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/10/28/1990405/-My-State-By-State-Projections-With-Brief-Explanations I’ll get right into it, with this note; using my own turnout model which is in line with demographic trends but heavily influenced by Patrick Ruffini’s model. First PA: Almost every poll from there shows Joe at 45 percent of the white vote.  Blowout territory.  53-45 Joe. FL:  Similar phenomenon-the recent Latino Decisions poll shows him at 43 with whites, were that to hold he would win the state by 9 points.  They have it at three because pollsters continue to underestimate minority turnout.  There is no reason to think it will be 73 percent white.  62-64 is more likely, and at 41 percent white the state goes to Joe 52-47. N.C.:  There is a trend here.  In a state where Hillary received 32 percent of the white vote Joe is around 40.  He likely only needs 36-38 to win the state.  Joe 52-47. GA:  Interesting one.  The electorate is about 33 AA and 60 percent white.  He needs 30 percent white to win the state if he holds the AA base, which polling shows he is.  Latest Monmouth poll had him at 31 with a few undecided.  Also 52-47, but if the suburbs really break, 53-46, Joe. AZ:  Not a lot of suspense here.  As Maricopa Co. goes, so usually goes AZ.  Joe is winning Maricopa by more than five and Democrats are over-performing in the early vote, and almost 70 percent of the vote is in.  He should clear 52 percent, but because of a Libertarian streak here, 52-46, Joe. WI:  Is being hammered by Covid.  MU sees Trump losing by some ABC sees him losing by a lot.  Most polling shows it plus 9.  Call it 55-44 Joe. (Of note-if Joe is winning the rust belt by close to ten, likely OH and IA go with it though I have not looked extensively at those states.) MI:  It has more AA vote, more radical whites.  Nevertheless, no legitimate polling has this competitive.  Also 54-45, Joe. MN:  Looks like a complete blowout in favor of Joe.  56-43. SC:  If there is one state where people will wake up 11-4 and be gobsmacked it is this one.  Not nearly as enlightened as its northern neighbor, nevertheless demographic trends have been in a Democratic direction for some time.  I think Trump holds it 51-48.  But would not be surprised in a national tsunami to see it sweep Trump and Graham out. TX:  The ultimate white buffalo.  The tease.  The tantalizing prize that would confirm this to be a realigning election.  You might recall I tend to advise only looking at toplines-this is why:  The latest polling has whites at 35 percent for Joe.  33 is the cutoff to win the state if he holds his traditional bases.  Yes those polls tend to show a small Trump lead but also an electorate more white by 3-5 points than 2018. I don’t believe that for a minute.  This is the struggle with polling the Sunbelt.  You simply can’t get a hold of enough minorities to gauge it, indeed Dave Wasserman noted polls were off 3-4 percent in TX and this region in general.  In other words, it is likely that any poll of AZ and TX will undershoot the total.  If TX is tied in polls Joe will win it.  Yes the Latino Decisions poll was designed to specifically poll Latinos and did so, but we can’t draw conclusions from 100 AAs sampled.  If AAs go 88-90 percent, and I believe they will- I have it 51-48, Joe.  Add in NE-2 and I feel Joe wins a popular vote margin of 55-44, with 413 EVs. But Joe does not need to go to TX to win it-most of the vote is banked. If it were me, I would do a run up and down the rust belt.  WI-MI-PA-MN.  Seal the blue wall. Fun fact-the last time a Presidential candidate crossed the 400 EV threshold was 1988, by Vice President George Bush with 426. That was also the last time, until last night, the Los Angeles Dodgers won a World Series. (For those who enjoy omens.)   Thanks for reading, -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) BlueWall Election2020 JoeBiden LandSlide _1990405 Wed, 28 Oct 2020 18:50:02 +0000 Let's Talk About Trump Rally Sizes Shall We? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/10/27/1989934/-Let-s-Talk-About-Trump-Rally-Sizes-Shall-We <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/03/us/mondale-attracts-big-crowd-to-his-rally-in-boston.html" target="_blank">www.nytimes.com/…</a> I love this part- <blockquote> In the final days of his uphill campaign, Mr. Mondale is campaigning strenuously in industrial states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, where his aides say Mr. Reagan's margin is narrowing. Don Sweitzer, Mr. Mondale's state coordinator in Ohio, said the race in that state seemed to be close, with Mr. Reagan's lead down to ''the high single digits.'' The Mondale staff has been told not to discuss national polls. Like the candidate, staff members are maintaining an optimistic, almost light-hearted, demeanor </blockquote> Estimated size of crowd?  100k. He would lose NY and 48 other states four days later.   Look there are a lot of both bad and nefarious pollsters.  But polls don’t shift ten points, or even five, absent some massive scandal or black swan event, in the last week.  Not nationally, not in a state.  Fracking is not even supported by PA.  52 percent are against.  And in the Philly suburbs that have swung?  Likely even moreso against.  20k total jobs directly supported in a state with 6.4 million voters. Ipsos has Joe by five, at 50, in PA, with a sample four points more GOP than the state registration as a whole.  The pollsters are overcompensating for Trump vote, and he is still losing. Don’t let them fool you.  Don’t let them worry you, and don’t let them steal your optimism. There will be garbage polls, as always, the equivocating Mr. Silver will breathlessly tell you nothing you don’t already know,  dramatically, as always, and as always the press will try to invent a horserace, but here is the deal, in Joe vernacular: Folks, half this vote is banked or in the mail.  By election day 100 million votes are in the cooler.  We lead by ten or more, and folks, if we finish strong, and get out our vote, this could be a realigning election. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Election JoeBiden rallysizes WalterMondale _1989934 Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:00:08 +0000 Let's Talk About That Miami Dade Turnout https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/10/26/1989632/-Let-s-Talk-About-That-Miami-Dade-Turnout What you need to know is that the partisan breakdowns  in the county are 42 D, 31 R 27 I.  Among all votes returned the breakdowns are 44 D 30 R 26 I. Democrats are overperforming their registered vote totals by three percent.  I can link to the numbers, <a href="https://www.miamidade.gov/global/elections/voter-registration-statistics.page" target="_blank">www.miamidade.gov/...</a>there.   <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Miami-Dade&amp;#39;s yesterday numbers:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Vote-By-Mail (22,281)&lt;br&gt;Dem: 9,288 (+3,145)&lt;br&gt;NPA/Other: 6,850&lt;br&gt;Rep: 6,143&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;In-person Early (33,199)&lt;br&gt;Rep: 12,633 (+1,321) &lt;br&gt;Dem: 11,312&lt;br&gt;NPA/Other: 9,254&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;CUMULATIVE MIAMI-DADE &lt;br&gt;Dem: 265,249 &lt;br&gt;Rep: 186,218&lt;br&gt;NPA/Other: 157,058&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Total: 608,525&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; UMichVoter (@umichvoter99) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/umichvoter99/status/1320376840549208070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;October 25, 2020&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Miami-Dade's yesterday numbers: Vote-By-Mail (22,281) Dem: 9,288 (+3,145) NPA/Other: 6,850 Rep: 6,143 In-person Early (33,199) Rep: 12,633 (+1,321) Dem: 11,312 NPA/Other: 9,254 CUMULATIVE MIAMI-DADE Dem: 265,249 Rep: 186,218 NPA/Other: 157,058 Total: 608,525— UMichVoter (@umichvoter99) <a href="https://twitter.com/umichvoter99/status/1320376840549208070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> I don’t know why people keep reporting early in person voting as different from vote by mail.  Oh ya, maybe I do.  But the point is this buries the lede anyway.  Joe will probably squeeze out another 50k in margin from Broward and Dade as compared to 2016.  But that does not tell the story of how this goes. The CBS YouGov poll has Joe at 50 percent with 71.4 percent of the electorate being white.  Patrick Ruffini shows a very detailed model here-<a href="https://medium.com/echelon-indicators/america-is-headed-for-record-turnout-heres-what-that-looks-like-3432deb9fe05" target="_blank">medium.com/...</a>predicting it to be 64.1 percent white. What does that mean?  A net 4.14 points in Joe’s favor making this poll under that weight 52-46 for Joe.  Should we weight it like that?  That isn’t really the point.  In 2012 the electorate was 67 percent white.  So unless FL is going to party like it is 1999, this very demographically favorable poll to Trump still shows Trump losing with Joe at 50. In other words the vaunted turnout issue the right is crowing about is already factored into this poll and Joe still leads. A turnout issue that is hype, not reality. I project FL to Joe at 52-47. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Election Florida JoeBiden Recommended Turnout _1989632 Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:19:27 +0000 JUST DISCOVERED-Amy Coney Barrett Implies Brown v. Board Is Public Opinion Not Constitutionality https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/10/23/1988871/-JUST-DISCOVERED-Amy-Coney-Barrett-Implies-Brown-v-Board-Is-Public-Opinion-Not-Constitutionality Amy Coney Barrett said she believed Brown was Superprecedent.  Ok.  But in her own writings she attributes Superprecedent to public opinion, not what I would call constitutional cement.  This means everything is up for debate to this woman, everything.  She goes into this role, if she gets it, with no preconceived notion about the inviolability of civil rights. CALL YOUR SENATORS! Disturbing words.  <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2291141" target="_blank">Did the Senate even read what she wrote</a>?   <blockquote> <div> <div style="text-align:left">Once a case like Brown v. Board of Education achieves</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:left">superprecedent status, its vitality is out of the Court’s hands for as long as the</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:left">widespread buy-in continues. Public support does not immunize these cases</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:left">from overruling; it immunizes them from being challenged in the first</div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align:left">place.148 </div> <div style="text-align:left"></div> <div style="text-align:left">https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2291141</div> <div style="text-align:left"></div> <div style="text-align:left">Member DGE also has an excellent diary on the matter here.  <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/10/14/1986388/-Barrett-believes-Brown-v-Brd-of-Educ-Vitality-Depends-on-Public-Buy-in" target="_blank">www.dailykos.com/…</a></div> <div style="text-align:left">Please share and amplify this.  This woman is wholly unsuited to the nation’s highest court.</div> </div> </blockquote> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) AmyConeyBarrett BrownvBoard LindseyGraham SupremeCourt _1988871 Fri, 23 Oct 2020 10:53:42 +0000 What Appears To Be Mr. Bobulinski's (Hunter's Alleged Business Partner) Phone Service Provider https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/10/22/1988732/-What-Appears-To-Be-Mr-Bobulinski-s-Hunter-s-Alleged-Business-Partner-Phone-Service-Provider A guy named Tony Bobulinski claims to be a partner of Hunter Biden and released some text messages.  Now I was going to ignore it until Trump invited him to the debate.  So game on.  That in mind the possibility exists that those messages were somehow sent from California on a Russian phone service.  I remember Lee Atwater.  Now THAT was a pro.  These guys suck at this. <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block" data-twitter-content="&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;&lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Hey &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@FoxNews&lt;/a&gt;, what&amp;#39;s this? &lt;a href="https://t.co/7oSSoyzsPd"&gt;pic.twitter.com/7oSSoyzsPd&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Soviet Sergey (@SovietSergey) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/SovietSergey/status/1319396796372865026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;October 22, 2020&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; "><div class="remove-embed-content">x</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a>, what's this? <a href="https://t.co/7oSSoyzsPd">pic.twitter.com/7oSSoyzsPd</a>— Soviet Sergey (@SovietSergey) <a href="https://twitter.com/SovietSergey/status/1319396796372865026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Bobulinski giuliani RussianDisinformation trump _1988732 Thu, 22 Oct 2020 22:10:31 +0000 How Did Amy Coney Barrett Not Know Blackstone Was ADF If This Was The Logo The Week She Spoke? https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/10/1/1982561/-How-Did-Amy-Coney-Barrett-Not-Know-Blackstone-Was-ADF-If-This-Was-The-Logo-The-Week-She-Spoke Flash quick diary.  One link. <a href="http://drbrianmattson.com/journal/2011/6/8/law-culture.html" target="_blank">http://drbrianmattson.com/journal/2011/6/8/law-culture.html</a>   Note the logo. Please screenshot it in case he deletes it. It appears ADF has wiped every video off of YouTube. But at the time she accepted the speaking role she did not know that ADF sponsored Blackstone. She testified to that. Under penalty of perjury. I broke my cat image streak <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="EihMLA4XkAUmRpH.jpg" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/863250/large/EihMLA4XkAUmRpH.jpg?1601576971" title="EihMLA4XkAUmRpH.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> so here are some kitties. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) AmyConeyBarrett Election RBG SupremeCourt _1982561 Thu, 01 Oct 2020 20:55:55 +0000 ABC Polls in FL and AZ: Potential Random Sampling Error in Polls Showing Joe 47-51 in FL, 48-49 AZ https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/9/23/1979867/-ABC-Polls-in-FL-and-AZ-Potential-Random-Sampling-Error-in-Polls-Showing-Joe-47-51-in-FL-48-49-AZ While I will say that I do not believe in re-weighting partisan ID in a likely voter screen, my beef is not with the LV screen.  In FL they have the thing at 28 D, 31 R, 35 I.  <a href="https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reportsxlsx/voter-registration-by-county-and-party/" target="_blank" title="">Real FL registration is 37 D, 35 R, 26 I</a>.  Now again we are not talking about the LV model, we are talking about the original random sample, which is what the LV screen is based upon. 9 POINTS light on D?  9 points heavy on I?  4 points light on R?  That just appears to be an off sample. Similar but less influential phenomenon in AZ.  But let me allay your fears-Joe is outperforming Hillary with whites by a point in FL, and 3 in AZ.  So a proper extrapolation, not an unskewing, has AZ at about 52-47 which sounds right, and FL at 50-49, which in FL, is about always the case. So what can account for errors in LV model?  Undersampling minorities maybe.  ABC does not give a readout of black support.  And in AZ, he is matching Hillary with 61 percent among Latinos. Let’s look at AZ, shall we? In 2016 the electorate was 75 percent white.  Hillary won 40 percent of that.  In THIS poll, the electorate is 64 percent white and Joe is winning 43 percent of it. Do the math.  43 times .64 is 27.52.  61 percent of 21 Hispanic is 12.6.  That is 40.12.  Black vote at say 90 percent is 3.6 that is 43.72.  So does Joe win over 60 percent of remaining non white vote?  He certainly wins more than 50, which is what you would have to believe for these numbers to work. The problem with polling is simple-demographics rarely shift.  The story this year is Joe is moving his numbers with whites, mainly college educated, by 5 points.  The rest you can pretty much historically rely upon.  90-95 with black vote, 60-65 with Hispanics, 65 with Asians, though more recently that has pushed into the 70s in some places. But this is the problem-out of 701 likely voters in AZ, 28 in this poll are AA.  28.  So if you get a flat out weird sample, and plug in, 50-50 instead of 90-10, you get a three point swing ON THE WHOLE POLL.  Polls need to be re-evaluated. The best thing you can do is take wide swaths of data of every conceivable demographic, THEN project who is turning out based on an LV screen.  We know the black community is not magically more conservative to that extent in AZ.  And ABC’s own numbers show a win in FL, because Hillary lost by 1.2 points there and Joe is doing better with whites with less white turnout in this poll than 2016, and all other demos about the same.  How?  Crucially, he is doing better with whites than previous polls showing mid-single digit leads. At 38 percent with whites in FL, and 43 percent in AZ, Joes wins AZ handily and FL narrowly. Remember-base your projections from demographics, not partisan ID. Whenever you see a panic inducing poll look at the white support percentage.  Anything 43 and up pretty much anywhere is a win for Joe. But going forward we have to make progress on the economic message.  Not sure how Trump has solidified position after Woodward-it is almost like people enjoy being lied to.  Our job is to make them want the truth, then ensure they believe it when they hear it. -ROC rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) ABCpolls Az FL JoeBiden _1979867 Wed, 23 Sep 2020 11:17:27 +0000 I am Home. He is Confident Margins Were Cleared. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/9/3/1974833/-I-am-Home-He-is-Confident-Margins-Were-Cleared It hurts to sit up so this is real quick.  Unfathomable amounts of pain but hopefully it pays off with a total clearance of cancer.  Thanks for your support will talk soon when I can type more.  Just too many incisions for me to sit up very long. rss@dailykos.com (Rule of Claw) Cancer clearedmargins Recommended Recovery Surgery _1974833 Fri, 04 Sep 2020 00:47:19 +0000