UPDATE: "President Donald Trump"..."Commander-in-Chief"...."ultimate authority over U.S. nuclear strike decisions"....etc. Does that alarm/distress the 'beejeezus' out of you??

...Someone sane (and in close proximity..possibly armed) better be watching that guy, 24/7.
2018 update: FWIW, I'm occasionally beatin'-on the unpopular 'loser' somehow elevated to the U.S. presidency, HERE. (I.e.,..'offering some critical commentary'..) Join me...https://donaldwontlast.blogspot.com/
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>>11/6/18 update: Dems. forecast to take back U.S. House, provide proper oversight etc. of Trump et al!!! (...Ref.: Song title and chorus, below...)




YT video link. No copyright claimed. Temporarily left on autoplay...


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1/3/18 update:
This blog's general message, content (again) CONFIRMED:

"He's not only crazy, he's stupid". Source 1/3/18 article link. Update: The quotation specified is disputed (link).


via GIPHY



via GIPHY



...More seriously (for a moment)...Is there something wrong with Trump?
Unaffiliated 1/3/18 article link: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/01/trump-cog-decline/548759/


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10/30/17 update....(esp. for Trump trolls everywhere, awaiting new signals from the Kremlin:)

(Video:)"12-counts Manafort"... come on down:↓



YT video link. No copyright etc.

-> "Paul is a great asset and an important addition..." -- Donald Trump, 2016. (Source linked.)

->"...George Papadopoulos. He’s an oil and energy consultant. Excellent guy...." -- Donald Trump, 2016. (Source linked.)


(..New campaign song?)



YT video link. No copyright claimed or intended.


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(YT video link. No copyright, ownership or affiliation. Temporarily left on autoplay.)

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(Previously written:) 12/16 temporary post:

A suggested Donald Trump/GOP inaugural theme-song. (Ref.: The song's refrain..) No ownership or affiliation:



(YT video link)

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.

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12/16 comment: Yeah..↑this (above) ↑is no longer a "joke" (...it wasn't before the "election", either...). If bipartisan leaders and national intelligence agencies conclude Russia (or anyone) meddled with the U.S. election to the advantage of one candidate; re-do the election. Especially if that one candidate or his campaign was somehow involved.

Or, at least demand that the nation's electors do their job(s) as designed, and provide them with the necessary information to do so.

....If the U.S then -- unbelievably -- (re-)installs the Putin puppet -- this 'ain't' America anymore!

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(Previously written:)


11/24/16 update: "Precedent Hillary":


The popular vote winner for president should request a recount. Why? In addition to earning the overall vote lead (...that would constitute "legitimacy"..), requesting a recount may help hold "mandate"-claiming Republicans (somewhat) in check.

Perhaps more importantly, there has been evidence of outside interference during the campaign.

...National votes should be routinely audited -- at least going forward. Set a precedent for modern elections/vote-tallying.

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(Previously written:)11/9/16 commentary: Additional, updated commentary is further below. FWIW: It's little consolation (for many), but Hillary (probably) has narrowly significantly won the U.S. popular vote.....So hate and bigotry did not win-out at least with the national vote for president...Update: ((Go ahead and) 'Spin' that fact or attack it with disinformation (e.g., fake facts) any way desired (..I guess). The 'bottom line' (for many) is that the popular-vote clear loser is being elevated into power. Potentially marginalizing a majority of voters -- particularly if a 'mandate' is (also being) claimed.)

(Update: Excerpt of Sen. Harry Reid's 11/11/16 remarks re Trump's 'winning':)
“...If this is going to be a time of healing, we must first put the responsibility for healing where it belongs: at the feet of Donald Trump, a sexual predator who lost the popular vote and fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate..... “Winning the electoral college does not absolve Trump of the grave sins he committed against millions of Americans. Donald Trump may not possess the capacity to assuage those fears, but he owes it to this nation to try....”

(Link to source.)

11/17/16: Off-site link to a worthy article. No affiliation, new window opens: http://time.com/4575119/electoral-college-demagogues/?

Another one: http://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-harris-trumps-election-bigotry-1117-20161116-column.html

Final comments here (blog is no longer being updated -- it's time to move forward. Remember: 'Question authority'..): Credit to Michael Moore for correctly gauging the "industrial heartland" vote. Blogger alter-ego 'Vere Askey' also had some hazy idea (link) (in March) about what could happen (in general)..


(11/14/16 post-election:) ↓ooohh...You were 'mad'!↓(..In more ways than one.) And scared. You know; much like a petulant, unlearned child is, of some form of change in their life.
You refuse(d) to take a hard look in the mirror first -- at yourself, i.e.; for the source of some of your problems.... ..
So now: What's the (realistic) plan?
Really. We're starting 2017...not 1957. What's the plan?
(..And: 'Who ya gonna call'? (off-site article link))



(YT video link. No ownership/affiliation.)

(↑No affiliation)
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(Commentary:) 11/9/16: OK. It's gloomy here, but I believe that the sun will still rise in the east today. The world still seems to be turning -- at least for now. Those in my life still love me, need ears scratched and tummies, or something rubbed, and all that.

Obviously, I was wrong with my projection below. A lot of people -- smart people -- were wrong.

(FWIW, industrial Midwest states tripped us up here. ..Where steel mills etc. have been losing out to (global) competition for nearly 50 years; it hasn't been a secret. (I'm long-familiar with the area and its industries). I have no idea how Donald Trump is going to significantly reverse all that, without busting the U.S budget wide open, adversely isolating the U.S. economy from the world, "manufacturing" large numbers of old-time high-paying jobs out of thin air (in an era of increasing automation), etc. etc...One possibility: A large infrastructure repair/modernization/upgrade project involving the entire nation. Something Democrats have at times advocated -- only to be blocked by obstructionist Republicans..BTW: Credit to Michael Moore (off-site article link) for correctly gauging dissent and frustration in America's industrial heartland..)

A lot of us are dismayed, worried, angry -- you name it -- right now...It does matter who is elected to the U.S. presidency.
One thing that is crystal-clear is that the U.S. is a deeply divided nation. (The other is that many prominent public polls apparently were unable to accurately gauge the U.S. electorate..)

It's difficult to imagine, but maybe Donald Trump somehow will turn out basically OK as president. The entire nation -- and world -- needs to start praying for that, and doing whatever we can to better ensure it. Some important checks and balances still exist in our system of government -- I hope. We're going to need plenty of strong and smart people to watch President-elect Trump, and to stand up to him as needed.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the upcoming Trump University fraud case. ..What becomes of the numbers of women accusing President-Elect Trump of sexual misconduct. ..What becomes of the ridiculous, expensive wall blocking all of Mexico. ...When/if world markets will recover. ...What influence over the U.S. 'admirable' Vladimir Putin will now have...What happens to U.S. efforts to mitigate burgeoning climate change. On and on..

Great forces and powers of existence: If appeal is possible, please do not forsake our country any further.

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Off-site link to an article (11/8/16) from someone more eloquent (etc.) than I am: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/opinion/election-night-2016/the-unknown-country
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(Previously posted:)11/7/16: ↓This tiny blog's presidential election prediction ('worst case'):

The created electoral map below -- based upon personal analysis of various national polls, recent trends, pertinent news stories, etc -- represents what I believe would be close to a WORST (but winning) case for Hillary Clinton.
...I.e., she loses "battlegrounds" Ohio, North Carolina and Florida -- and also Nevada. (Insert: My own guess? She does not lose all four of those..)

(Continuing:) Note that Clinton still manages to slightly exceed the 270 electoral votes required to prevail. (This scenario also assumes that 3 of Maine's 4 "split" electoral votes go to Clinton.) Also note that this analysis assumes a fair election, with no effective outside interference and no significant vote-related "shenanigans" by Trump fanatics...:



Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com

Please be sure to VOTE.
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(Previously posted:) 2016 national election: "Both are unpopular. Only one is a threat." (Off-site 7/16 opinion article, new window opens. No affiliation:) https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/both-are-unpopular-only-one-is-a-threat/2016/07/10/4d78dce8-4529-11e6-bc99-7d269f8719b1_story.html
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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Notice: This blog has expropriated, annexed and arrogated the word 'ridiculous', and all its variations


Read it: This blog clearly has branded -- and has plans to commodify -- my word.

..Hereby on-notice to pay up the (anticipated, expected, potential future) royalties↓, Dr Pepper:

(MTV show: You're retroactively next...)




(YT video link. No affiliation or association with this website.)


P.S. Today's ridiculousness, one example: Off-site article link, new window opens, no affiliation:
 http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-dunkin-donuts-park-fire-watch-0630-20160630-story.html

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Dear Benghazi-attack partisans:

(Commentary:) 

Acknowledging that the 2012 Benghazi attacks were a tragedy....

...Although it's very likely (ref. below) that all who perform foreign service duties for the U.S. -- especially in unstable regions or countries, such as Libya -- are at least aware of potential dangers associated with their post/position(s).


Two excerpts (off-site sources) for your consideration:

1) Attributed comments (June, 2016) to Dr. Anne Stevens, sister of former U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, killed in the 2012 first Benghazi attack. Related off-site article link, new window opens, no affiliation: http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/chris-stevenss-family-dont-blame-hillary-clinton-for-benghazi.
(Pls. read and understand the excerpt in its entirety:)

"...It is clear, in hindsight, that the facility was not sufficiently protected by the State Department and the Defense Department. But what was the underlying cause? Perhaps if Congress had provided a budget to increase security for all missions around the world, then some of the requests for more security in Libya would have been granted. Certainly the State Department is underbudgeted.
I do not blame Hillary Clinton or Leon Panetta. They were balancing security efforts at embassies and missions around the world. And their staffs were doing their best to provide what they could with the resources they had. The Benghazi Mission was understaffed. We know that now. But, again, Chris knew that. It wasn’t a secret to him. He decided to take the risk to go there. It is not something they did to him. It is something he took on himself...."


2) Every person "..off the deep end" re the Benghazi tragedy  -- and subsequent, protracted 'witch-hunt' "investigation"--  is required to read the following 5/11/14 article. Off-site link, new window opens, no affiliation:
 http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/11/gop-hypocrisy-outraged-over-benghazi-silent-on-iraq.html

Here are the first two paragraphs excerpted for convenience:

"GOP Hypocrisy: Outraged Over Benghazi, Silent on Iraq
...When I heard that the House of Representatives has established a select committee to investigate the attack on Benghazi that left several Americans dead in 2012, I couldn't help but wonder what these same legislators might have done had Barack Obama been president in 2003, and had the audacity of George W. Bush to attack a sovereign country that had no relevant connection to the 9/11 attacks with the result that nearly 5,000 Americans and well over 100,000 Iraqi civilians (many of them women and children) perished. Had Obama’s war in Iraq also cost American taxpayers $1.7 trillion, with another $490 [Ed. note: Amount is missing] in veteran expenses (thus far)—with a total cost of $6 trillion projected—I have no doubt that a select committee would long ago have sent him to the Hague for trial as a war criminal. 
It’s sad to think how in our fury over Benghazi we’ve almost forgotten a recent war that destroyed so many families, nearly bankrupted this country (and may yet), and led to a hugely destabilized Iraq that no longer serves as a buffer to Iran. Needless to say, this terrible war was pursued under false pretenses, with huge amounts of government corruption—Houston-based company KBR alone (a spinoff from Halliburton, where Dick Cheney was chairman and CEO before becoming vice president) racked up charges of nearly $40 billion during the war, making it (by far) the winner in the Iraq sweepstakes. In most banana republics, this would be cause for serious investigation; but not so much here, where our politicians (or their friends) are allowed to profit from armed invasions. Can it possibly be so that the U.S. Congress has ignored such obvious corruption while investigating over and over whether Susan Rice was given some edited “talking points” on Benghazi? Really?..."









(Non-commercial use)

Saturday, June 25, 2016

"Trump campaign official..."??? ..More like Trump campaign official bigot, etc.


More to follow soon, but start off with a link to the 6/24/16 (painfully-) straight news story. Off-site link, new window opens, no affiliation:
 https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-earned-media-headline-strategy-000000915.html


(Hint: This where various commentary-oriented publications like the tiny one you happen to be reading (etc. etc.) come in...)


↓For starters, re Mr Paladino↓...(Off-site link, new window opens, no affilation:) 

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/04/20/3771129/carl-paladino-donald-trump-racial-slur-obama/


↓More: Unaffiliated YT video. No ownership claimed.



(YT video link)

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(Non-commercial use of image)


More: (Off-site link, no affiliation:) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/carl-paladino-leaked-e-mails-called-racist-and-sexist/


And on and on....(off-site link)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/carl-paladino-school-board_us_572a18eee4b096e9f08fd68e

....and on....(off-site link): http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/carl-paladino-admits-doesn-proof-andrew-cuomo-paramours-article-1.191153

.....(off-site link): http://gothamist.com/2010/03/24/palaadino_denies_comparing_health_c.php

Thursday, June 23, 2016

In your heart you know....: U.S. Republicans sell out. Again.

Some recent "CNN/ORC" poll results↓. (Reported 6/20/16) (Excerpt. Off-site source is linked:)

....But support for specific gun control measures was very strong, with 92% saying they wanted expanded background checks, 87% supporting a ban for felons or people with mental health problems and 85% saying they would ban people on federal watchlists from buying guns.... 
(Commentary:)

The poll (above) apparently was taken shortly after the Orlando massacre, so it's possible that emotions are in play, to an extent. The various issues of "gun control" probably are more complex than polls may indicate, but nonetheless -- per the following January, 2016 "Politifact" article link -- public support has (previously) existed, at least for the background-check aspect.
In short, the timing of the 6/20/16 CNN poll does not necessarily "invalidate" its results. (Off-site article link, no affiliation:)  http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2016/jan/05/laura-ingraham/laura-ingraham-say-claim-90-support-gun-background/

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"....What could they be thinking? Whatever it is, they don’t want to tell anybody about it. That’s why they left in the dead of night....”  
-- Minority leader Nancy Pelosi, 6/23/16, on the U.S. House Republicans-led 3 a.m. adjournment. Off-site, unaffiliated source is linked.

↓The top weasel (..with House cameras turned back on), weaseling-out. (Yes; in the dead of night.):↓



(YT video link)

...'Moments of silence' (etc.)...change NOTHING.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Heroes are hard to find

(Comment:) 6/22/16 U.S. House floor sit-in over guns, gun violence:


(YT video link. No affiliation.)

(Related developing news story. Off-site link, new window opens:
 http://www.wcvb.com/politics/lewis-leads-sitin-on-house-floor-over-guns/40172670?

One live video link: http://www.c-span.org/video/?411624-1/house-democrats-sitin-gun-violence-underway-since-1125-et&live=)




#NoMoreSilence

(Something for your consideration. Off-site article link, no affiliation:
 http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article33250299.html)

A 6/22/16 editorial. (Off-site link, new window opens:)
 http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article85364392.html

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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

6/21: 56 senators who subordinated the (majority of) American people to other interests

News item: A recent poll. (Acknowledging that it appears to have been taken shortly after the Orlando massacre:) http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/cnn-gun-poll/index.html


↓Screen image capture of the 6/20/16 Senate roll call vote on S.Amdt.4750 to H.R.2578, ...requiring that a federal background check be conducted before every gun sale in the U.S.

(Commentary:) Make note of the 'nays', please. In heavily-armed America, they -- one way or another -- care about other things than your safety (and that of others). (Image is linked to off-site source):



Expanded info./analysis is available here via this off-site, unaffiliated link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/20/the-senate-will-vote-on-4-gun-control-proposals-monday-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/






(Non-commercial use of image)

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Paul Ryan: I'll be voting for Trump's hate, bigotry, demagoguery, ridiculousness, regressive environmental approach, cutting federal revenue by trillions, lying, etc. etc.

Subject: 6/2/16 off-site news article link, new window opens, no affiliation:
 http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/speaker-ryan-ill-voting-trump-39565160

(Commentary:) Direct translation (with off-site supporting links)

Paul Ryan: I'll be voting for Trump's hate, bigotry, demagoguery, ridiculousness, regressive environmental approach, cutting federal revenue by trillions -- while somehow keeping Medicare, Medicaid, etc. --, LYINGand (yes..) more..and more...and more..


6/7/16 update/comment -- Complete 'disconnect': To his credit (I guess), Speaker Ryan has now spoken out about Donald Trump's racist comments about a federal judge. However, these are hardly Trump's only (or first) racist or bigoted actions. (Also ref. the video at the bottom of the 'endless' post here.)

Republican disconnect: Hillary Clinton is (somehow) "worse" than an avowed racist/bigot? Etc. (ref. my links above..)  Really?  (...'Avow', with definition linked)


...Find a non-racist, semi-sane presidential candidate, 'Mr. Republican' (et al), or behold (the equivalent of) post-general-election 'scorched earth' come early November....(P.S. Maybe prepare for that anyway, even if Trump is somehow re-programmed to change his 'tune'. It's too late for a lot of of us (who have functioning memories)...
P.S. Not really on planet Earth here (link) in yet another 'interview'...)

FWIW, one more 6/7/16 update/comment: As pointed out in the linked article that follows, Trump's 'statement' (..who 'forced' him?) is a contradiction of his recent utterances on the matter. ..Is misdirection (of 'blame'; toward "the media"), ..and essentially is a defense

As noted (article); a humble, sincere retraction might possibly be a start for knocking-down the latest fire-drill with this guy  -- but that would assume (that) sentient beings actually believe what the demagogue says anymore. Off-site link, new window opens:
 http://time.com/4360424/donald-trump-gonzalo-curiel-misconstrued/?

(..Another interesting glimpse...of the 'great businessman'. Apparently can't delegate very well; can't coordinate his "orders" to 'surrogates'...: (Off-site 6/6/16 article link, no affiliation:
 http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-06-06/trump-orders-surrogates-to-intensify-criticism-of-judge-and-journalists)








(YT video link. No affiliation.)

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

This needs to be explained?? Volatile, seething, orange-haired candidate who enjoys 'gaming' others should never be allowed near the nation's nuclear launch codes

(Separate 6/1/16 post:)

Don't take my word, read what others are reporting. All are off-site article links, opening in new windows. No affiliation:

"Trump's heated press conference..."

"Trump games the media..."

"Bernie Sanders: Trump is an 'incredibly dangerous person'..."

"Stephen Hawking: Trump '...a demagogue who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator...'” 


(Commentary:) ...You maniacs!! (↓FYI: Some bad language below.↓)



(YT video link. This is an (independently-) edited film excerpt. No copyright/ownership)



FWIW: Reposting the 5/31/16 ITV Stephen Hawking interview:


(YT video link. No affiliation or ownership claimed.)


P.S. If necessary: The U.S. president is the nation's 'Commander-in-Chief', with constant access to nuclear weapons launch codes...(with ultimate authority to order use of nuclear weapons).