Interesting Stat

In President Obama's 8 years in office Median Household Income rose a total of  0.3% ... over  8 years! However, in President Trump's first 18 months in office, Median Household Income has risen 4.0%! See: Investors Business Daily. I wonder why we don't see this statistic on the alphabet TV networks? Will this, plus the tax cuts, plus record low unemployment, plus a soaring stock market, plus very high consumer confidence  ... will  they ever make a difference in the November midterms? My guess is that they will ... independent of Mueller's IEDs.

Obvious Truth #9

It is not clear that true racial equality can ever be achieved ... nor should it. Imagine NBA teams with only 13% (2) black players? -- Anon.

Obvious Trith #8

One would think that President Trump was just as happy not to be invited to John McCain's funeral ... not so obvious about Sarah Palin's snub. -- Anon.

Obvious Truth #7

Walls have been used from times immemorial to mark boundaries and control passive movement. Those that deny this obvious truth are just silly Pollyannas. -- Anon.

Headlines

GOP exhales after McSally romp in Arizona

Boom! US economy logs best performance in nearly 4 years

Google CEO refuses to testify at Senate hearing ...

Trump taunts Florida Democrats for nominating 'failed Socialist mayor' Gillum

Clinton lawyer backs Kavanaugh

'I hate them':Locals apparently frustrated with Alphabet's self-driving cars

TWITTER bans more for 'divisive commentary' ...

China claims 'will soon be behind majority of infrastructure projects worldwide'

'The race has tightened': Cruz allies sound alarm over Texas Senate race

US has no plans to suspend future exercises with South Korea amid nuke talks with North, Mattis says

Dozens of employees at FACEBOOK unite to fight bias ...

Venezuela: Maduro proposes paying citizens in gold bars

Obvious Truth #6

Perhaps there is such a thing as "global warming," but after two decades of fudged data, failed computer models, $billions of "green energy" boondoggles and "scientific" navel gazing; the general public has pretty much figuted out that electric cars get their energy mostly from fossil-fuel fed power plants. -- Anon.

Democrat Plarform

From Mostly Cajun blog 

Presidential Ratings, FDR yo DJT

Inspired by my precious distinction between rating Trump by his style versus his substance (what good gets done), I have gone back and rated all presidents in my lifetime by these metrics ... see below:

                 Substance            Style
FDR                6                       8
HST                 7                      4
DDE                8                       6
JFK                  4                     10
RMN                8                       3
GHF                 5                       3
JEC                  2                        5
RWR                9                        9
GHWB             6                       7
WJC                 6                        2
GHB                 4                       4
BHO                 1                       8
DJT                   9                       2

We Americans seem to be quite enamored with style versus substance ... which explains a lot of Trump's "Resistance" problems ... and much of Obama's piss-poor performance legacy.

Obvious Truth #5

Donald Trump's growing popularity is a very rare example of the victory of substance over style. -- Anon.

Headlines

[Ariz. gov.] Ducey aims to please Trump with McCain fill-in

The US-Mexico trade deal may be bad news for China

SAfrica withdraws land expropriation bill for further reconsideration  ...

... [Donna] Brazile: Swamp will drain Trump!

Trump embraces Mexico, threatens Canada with new trade deal

Trump accuses Google of rigging searches in favor of 'bad coverage'

Czech PM calls for no illegals in Europe ...

Chuck Todd wants Paul Ryan to launch impeachment proceedings now

Jerry Falwell Jr. saysmpeachment Sessions has lost evangelical support

Trump orders flags lowered for McCain: 'Despite our differences,' I respect his service

China withholds samples of dangerous flu virus from USA ...

Chinese media: 'Absurd' for U.S. to link trade with NK denuclearizing

Obvious Truth #4

Because faith trumps logic, religion is more easily corrupted than other social institution. -- Anon.

Obvious Truth #3

Politics is an easier path to plutocratic wealth than is entrepreneurship ... particularly for the slow-witted. -- Anon.

Obvious Truth #2

Margaret Sanger

Planned Parenthood clinics and Chicago-style drive-by shootings have become socially-acceptable forms of eugenics. -- Anon.

Obvious Trutth #1

If the world were as persistent in promoting capitalistic freedom as it has been in flitting with authoritative socialism, we would have a far happier and successful citizenry. -- Anon.

Headlines

'Sleeper' case could torpedo Mueller report

China's new currency policy is a dovish signal in trade war, analysts say

Gamer turns killer at tourney

Angel mom to Liz Warren: 'Stop lying to the American people'

Former head of [Obama's] CDC Tom Friedan arrested, charged with sex abuse

US is now 'worse off' on North Korea than before Trump-Kim summit, analyst says

Iran says has full control  of Gulf; U.S. navy does not belong there ...

Update: Credit card companies restore donations to Horowitz

19 foreign nationals charged with voting in 2016 elections

A battered Trump nay escalate US-China trade war before midterms

Mind altering breast milk? New pot study poses that question ...

AP: Cohen pleading guilty to bank, campaign finance fraud

Void Pink Floyd

Lloyd Boyd  deployed an android  that destroyed an asteroid

Dan Aykroyd took an opioid for an old case of paranoid schaden freude

Yet Polaroid employed a celluloid droid

Pink Floyd will avoid a spheroid hemorrhoid with a steroid

So I ate an Altoid

Socialism

"Our good friends in Venezuela" -- Joe Kennedy

Headlines

Atlanta Fed raises GDP forecast to 4.6% ...

Trump's approval  remains stable despite week's political storm: NBC/WSJ poll

2008 NIGHTMARE: Obama beat McCain by a two-to-one electoral college margin ...

... Palin: 'Today we lost an American original' ...

McCain and Trump: A pugilistic relationship to the end

US softens demand for NAFTA 'sunset clause': Mexican official

BOMBSHELL: Pope Francis accused of covering up for an abusive priest ...

Kenesaw State cuts cheerleaders who took knee during anthem

Mueller team shortens estimated length of 2nd Manafort trial

Former president Jimmy Carter lives in a $167,000 house and shops at Dollar General

Lane's rainfall topples records, inundates [Hawaii's] Big Island ...

Left emboldened: Maddow surges in ratings as Resistance takes a victory lap

Martinis

"... three martinis, I'm under the table. Four martinis, I'm under the host." -- Dorthy Parker

Farewell

John McCain's farewell message, taking a glancing shot at Trump, was just read by his friend and former presidential campaign manager in 200 and 2008 Rick Davis ... see: NBC News Story.

Rick Davis has been a Washington powerbroker and lobbyist for many years. He has also had a famous business partner in these endeavors ... Paul Manafort. ... see: Wikipedia Entry.

Headlines

Trump anxiety spreads through South Korea

Elon Musk ends brief flirtation with taking Tesla private, cites belief that company is 'better off'

Kavanaugh argued that the president can be impeached for lies, cover-ups and refusing to testify ...

Ebola spreads to densely populated war zone in Congo

Judge strikes down  Trump's federal workforce executive order

Google, Apple and 13 other companies that no longer require college degree

Dems midterm strategy: Stop talking about impeachment ...

Donald Trump: FBI did not finish Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation

Trump tells Pompeo to cancel Notth Korea trip

I'm 'financially ruined": Cryptocurrency investors are crushed by losses of 70% or more

McCain decides to discontinue cancer treatment ...

Roger Stone predicts Mueller will indict Donald Trump Jr. for a process crime

Just Wonderin'

It just struck me ... without an umbilical cord, how do baby chicks get oxygen inside their shell (through the shell?) ... or, for that matter, dispose of  waste products while still in their shell? I'm sure there are simple answers, but, still, quite a miracle of nature ...

The Pipedream

And a corrupt Special Counsel ...

Forgive Me

Some of you dear readers have noticed an increase in typos in this blog and in my comments (where there is no spell correct). This is due to my failing eyesight (age-related macular degeneration), to Apple's infernal auto-correct ...  and sometimes to my laziness. Please cut me some slack in these matters.

Thank you.
Mr. Radical Right

Headlines

Yet, Jane Fonda lives on ...

Republicans: Sessions gone after midterms

Fed's James Bullard saus he would 'stand pat' on rates for rest of the year

Buchanan: We're in for a hellish year ...

Liberal South African think tank: Trump is right about land reform

Treasury blocks efforts to get around  blue states' cap on state, local tax deductions

U.S. business equipment orders point to firm investment

Hurricane Hawaii ... Up to 40" of rain

Half million Afghan refugees  leave Iran as economy crumbles

'He's unraveling': Why Cohem's betraya terrifies Trump

Jeff Sessions fires back at Trump, says DOJ will remain independent

Bernie accuses DISNEY of dodging fair pay ... Blasts Bezos ...

Netanyahu welcomes airlines' decision not o fly to Iran

Power line Pic

Patoxsyms

Resist the Resistance -- Anon.

I can  think of no better word ... much of this country is experiencing paroxysms of irrational hysteria  over who we are and where we are going. All because Donald Trump has identified and given voice to the unmet cravings of hundreds of millions of Americans. These masses have felt controlled and manipulated by alien forces -- the media, the Washington establishment, the Chamber of Commerce, NAFTA, Wall Street, Hollywood, the UN, George Soros, the environmentalists, professional sports, higher education, the WTO, the tech giants, the Davos poobahs --- and they don't like it ... so they elected Trump.

Ironically enough, these paroxysms are occurring more to preserve these desmal institutions than those wishing their destruction. Donald Trump is the one rethinking and reshaping the world more to their liking. And be not confused ... those that Trump represents are a huge number and growing ... not as sophisticated and vocal and violent as the Resistance or Robert Mueller ... but much bigger ... that "silent majority' of days past.  And now that they have a champion in Trump, they feel that they are being heard ... and they really like it. Their muzzle is off ... so be careful those of you who want them gone.

You have a dangerous task ... one that can only be won by the abrogation of our Constitution. That would truly be the end.

Hradlines

Pelosi: Tuesday was Trump's 'day of reckoning'

New home sales fall to 9-month low

Trump's tweets on SAfrican land seizures draws gov't ire ...

U.S. in longest bull market ever

'Thanks Mr. Trump': Chinese state media mocks the president

Beijing retaliates as $16 billion of tariffs on Chinese goofs kick in

Life expectancy declines in USA ...

Manafort juror: One holdout prevented conviction on all counts

Cuomo: Pardoning Cohen should prompt impeachment

Trump says stock market would crash if he were impeached, 'Everyone would be very poor'

The welfare generation? 52% of kids living in households getting government assistance ...

'Alihu Akbar': Paris mass stabbings, suspect known to police

Bitter Medicine

Prior to November, 2016 this country had many maladies -- surging illegal immigration, a sluggish economy, hugely unbalanced trade, rogue nations threatening nuclear war, a crumbling infrastructure, a drug crisis and a partisan bureaucracy that refused to recognize these problems ... in fact was actively working in many cases to make them worse. The American people saw how sick their nation was and over 63 million of them opted for a promised  remedy, Donald Trump.

Now Donald Trump was the medicine ... although he recognized these diseases and swore to fix them ... he was foul tasting --  serial  brashly insulting, of loose morals, funny looking vainglorious and prone to exaggeration. Nevertheless many American were willing to swallow this bitter medicine if it meant that their country would be cured ... made great again if you will.

But many Americans were not so willing to go along with this cure. You know who they are ... they call themselves the Resistance.  Although they may have sensed some of our ailments, they wanted the medicine to taste like strawberry ice cream. It doesn't work that way people. If we are going to survive and prosper, we need to purge ourselves of the toxins that have accumulated over the last half century. Like grown-ups, we need to take our bitter medicine.

Headlines

Cohen says he paid hush money at candidate Trump's direction

Fed Chairman Powell assured senator he is not swayed by Trump's criticism

7.3 mag quake shakes Venezuela ...

Tom Cotton/ Mollie Tibbits would be alive if immigration laws were 'seriously enforced'

NAFTA 'handshake' deal with Mexico targeted for Thursday

Michael Cohen would not accept pardon from President Trump, lawyer Lanny Davis says

Xi says Internet must be 'clean and rightous' ...

Report: Goldman Sachs loses big in billion-dollar Venezuela gamble

Trump on death of Mollie Tibbits: It 'sloulf have never happened'

Magnitude 6.3 offshore quake hits west of Oregon

Trump-backed candidate loses in Wyoming gov race ...

Omarosa: 'This is the beginning of the end of Donald Trump'

Quotable Quote

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God -- Jesus Christ  

(Christ was clearly not a capitalist.)

Headlines

Why 'Medicare for all' is proving unpopular in Democrat primaries

Sen. Elizabeth Warren's new reform bill would ban members of Congress from owning individual stocks

Israel eases gun controls following lobe-wolf attacks ...

Rand Paul: Brennan's a 'national security risk'

Sentencing reform to test [Tom] Cotton's clout with Trump

China's central bank official rebuts Trump's claim it is manipulating the yuan

Google sued for tracking users when 'Location History' turned off ...

Donald Trump deports 95-year-old Nazi guard

Trump issues rollback of Obama's biggest climate rule

China's biggest risk may be its property values -- not the trade war

Measles cases hit record high in Europe ...

Report: [Trump] 'Not thrilled' with Fed Chair Pwell over tate hikes

DNA Test

Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny for years ... pretty much all the juice has been squeezed out of the Trump lemon. In order to turn things around, I offer the following skit to rejuvenate this once-vibrant weekend entertainment.

Let's start withe the scene: A family dinner of the Farkels ... an attractive vibrant mother, somewhat nerdy father and am attractive  teenage daughter. They are discussing  the day's events:

Mother: We got our DNA tests back today ... I am 73% Swedish, 24% German and 3% Turkish. That figures ... my mother was a full Swede and my father had German ancestors.

Father: I got mine and I am 87%  English' 10% Irish and 3% Italian.

Daughter: Wow! I want to have my DNA tested ...

Mother (visibly chagrined): Oh honey, that isn't necessary. Your  results will just be ta mix otf your Dad's and mine. Besides it costs $90 ... this is money we don't need to spend.

Father: Oh, dear ... what's the harm?

Mother  (flushing):Sweetie, these DNA tests are notoriously unreliable. You can't depend on their results.

Father: Oh, honey ... let our daughter do this test. What's the harm?

Mother (angering):'No, I refuse to allow it. It's a waste of good money on an unreliable test.

Daughter: I'll use my own money. I just want to see how much of my DNA comes from you Dad and from you Mom.

Mother (red faced): I refuse to allow it and that's final!

Father (milquetoasty): Aw, honey .

Mother (storming from the table): That's final!!

Father (clueless, to daughter): Gee, I wonder what's gotten into your Mother?

Headlines

Sex, lies and DUIs: GOP dumps oppo on Dem House hopefuls

JP Morgan is back to predicting a Tesla stock plunge because funding was 'not secutrd'

Shock: #MeToo leader paid off young actor

South, North Korean families reunite decades after war

[Lawyer] McGahn seen as 'undercover operative' in Trump's White House

Trump is the unsung hero of the world economy

SAfrica begins seizing white-owned farms ...

[Newt] Gingrich: John Brennan 'should never have been' Director of the CIA

Shots reported fired outside U.S. embassy in Turkey

Student loan assistance may become as popular as 401(k) plans

CHICAGOLAND: 61 people shot over weekend ...

Bill Maher defends Alex Jones: Liberals should be for free speech

The Werewolf

There was this guy from Rangoon

Who loved to bay at the moon.

His fangs were a beaut!

His body, hirsute,

Which made the she-wolves swoon.

The Price of Perfidy

John Brennan, the former Communist and suspected secret Muslim, has had his security clearance revoked by President Trump to the consternation of most of the chattering class and poison peners. Brennan had been the head of the CIA under Obama and is now one of the vindictive chatters on MSNBC ... clawing Trump has impinged oh his freedom of speech. No, no ... it his on his freedom of listening.

It seems abundantly  clear that Brennan and the others mentioned by Trump as possible losers of security clearance  had formed the core of a cabal opposing Trump in the most pernicious  ways. Had they succeeded in their evil, Hillary would be president and their actions would have been rewarded ... at the country's peril.

We escaped this national disgrace by a whisker ... and the price of this perfidy will likely be that all former intelligence operatives will lose their security clearance (including, hopefully, Hillary and maybe even Obama himself if they can be linked to this plot).

Headlines

'We owe these people': Trump loyalists find soft landings after getting ousted

Used car prices are weirdly spiking, and tariffs may be to blame

8.2 magnitude quake strikes Pacific

Mattis: A security clearance is granted on an 'as-needed basis'

Trump claims he allowed White House counsel McGahn to 'fully cooperate' with Mueller probe

The royal family's wealth could be more than $1 trillion

Xi to make first official visit to Pyongyang ...

California demands Trump, Congress apologize to illegal aliens

Merkel, Putin agree to go ahead with contentious gas deal

Search operation ended in Genoa, bridge death toll rises o 43

Iran to unveil fisghter jet, boost missile capability ...

CNN accused of intimidating Paul Manafort jury

The Trump Paradox

Doing all the right things in all the wrong* ways

* Not illegal or immoral, just unconventional


(Of course, what made Obama so beloved was that he did mostly wrong things in a  smooth and convential way.)

Balloons

Every time the greenies win a battle to circumvent our lives, it only emboldens them to up the ante and try to suppress another of life's small  pleasures. Last month it was plastic straws which wave been outlawed in many of their bailiwicks ... so now they are going after balloons ... which somehow are killing sea turtles and other aquatic life. See:  Money Magazine Article. Now it would seem to this observer that the only rubber balloons that could possible get in the ocean are escape helium-filled ones ... maybe 1 in a hundred. Otherwise, it's landfill for the rest.

However, there is another type of balloon that is much more wisely to be in our waters ... condoms. When I used to row crew on the Potomac and other rivers, we saw hundreds of them floating by ... we called them "white  fish." These prophylactics are far more damaging to our environment ... and yet you cam pick them up for free at many high schools and Plan need Parenthood clinics.

Let's see the tree huggers try to ban condoms ...

Headlines

Mueller recommends sentence up to 6 months for Papadopoulus

US, China plot roadmap for Trump, Xi meeting to resolve trade dispute, WSJ

TURLEY: [Manafort] Conviction will add little to the investigation ...

Populist Swedish leader doubles down on leaving E.U?

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan does at 80

White House's Kudlow says China is 'terrible', numbers paint a murkier picture

New CA bill to mandate only milk, water with kids' meals ...

CNN: ANYIFA,s violence against 'bigots' is 'right'

'We won't let that happen' Trump alleges social media censorship of conservatives

A choked up Elon Musk says his health is terrible and he believes 'the worst is yet to come'

SAfrican land seizures: Terrified farmers plot escape ...

Honeymoon over: Ocasio-Cortez blocks press access to campaign event

Fond Memories

Those were the the days when:

- Commercial breaks were 60- second spots for a single company or product

- Movies caused you to suspend disbelief

- Democrats didn't disparage their country

- Higher education didn't require you to mortgage your future

- There was a "free speech" movement

- Food stamps were actual stamps

- Our immigration system was working

- PBS didn't have "promotional" interruptions

- It was impolite to be on your phone in a social setting

- News stories gave you who, what, when and where

- Schools were safe spaces in and of themselves

- Voters did not outnumber those registered

- Gee, that old LaSalle ran great

Fatalism

If you were born to hang, you won't drown. -- Old Polish saying

Headlines

Super PACs take brash new steps to hide their donors

Trump pushes for end of quarterly earnings reports to help companies do 'even better'

FORECAST: 75% chance Dems win House ...

Robbie Mook: Democrats should stop campaigning with Keith Ellison

DOJ sues Ivanka's ex-business partner for massive fraud

Pentagon says it's postponing Trump's military parade

CDC: 1 in 4 [American] adults has disability ...

Chinese state media: Prepare for 'hardship and crisis'

12 former Intel chiefs criticize Trump for pulling [Brennan's] security clearance

Trump says US 'will pay nothing' to Turkey for release of American pastor

New NAFTA deal with Mex

Iran's supreme leader on Iran nuclear deal: 'I made a mistake'

Offsetting Neuoses

Anorexia Dyslexia

Powerline Pic

The best serial number ever ...

Semi-circular

Fractured definition: An advertising brochure for Mack truck cabs.

Headlines

'If they won the House he wins big': Trump loyalists see upside in impeachment

Sen. Elizaberh Warren: Trade deals help companies not workers

Aretha Franklin dead ... Queen of Soul

Report: SEC subpoenas Tesla

Senior Chinese governmeant delegation to visit U.S. for trade war talks

The way you ger TV and Internet at home is aboit to change dramatically --- for the better

[Andrew] Cuomo: America never that great ...

Fed's take custody on New Mexico Muslim cult leader

Trump pulls security clearance of ex-CIA director , John Brennan

Trump may get his slowdown in [Fed.] rate hikes, but foe rhe wrong reason

Twitter demands 'healthy' behavior ...

Poll: Donal Trump's BlackAapproval Rating almost double that of  last year

Tactic

Fractured definition: A small breath-freshener candy as seen in a mirror.

Headlines

'People are terrified': Trump staffers live in fear of Omarosa's next tape

US retail sales increase strongly in July

More Re publican's seats join toss up column?

London terror suspect revealed to be Sudanese migrant

Leon Paanetta: Omarosa's taped firing breached Situation Room security

Trump's support dips among farmers as trade war wallops agriculture

Measles outbreak [in] 21 states ...

Tunisia seizes 9 jihadists on migrant boat headed for Italy

Omarosa: DeVois said black college students 'lack the capacity' to understand her agenda

Tesla's board of directors scrambles to control chief executive who some board members think is out of control

300 'predatory priests' named in [PA] grand jury report ...

Morning Joe: Trump 'opens the door' to genocide