The hidden danger of anti-vaxxers-unknown exposure

Darla Shine-dumbest of anti-vaxxers

They're everywhere, but we don't know who they are. I am talking about anti-vaxxes in business healthcare and education. Here's the scenario. You walk into your favorite retail location, picking up items as you shop to look at. What you don't know is the fact that the sales clerk that just put several of these things on display has an unvaccinated kid at home with the measles, and mom has been touching her all morning. Bingo, you are exposed to the measles.

The same plot is carried out in a doctor's office or hospital, then at the university or in the library. My point is that you simply don't know when you have come in contact with one of these anti-vaxxer individuals that might be carrying all sorts of diseases. It happened to me, in a doctor's office. The receptionist was bragging that she didn't vaccinate her kids, in front of the rest of the staff, and I, of course, was telling her how wrong she was. We no longer go to this doc.

Like I said, these anti-vaxxers are everywhere and of course in the Donald Trump administration. The wife of former Trump White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Bill Shine, is one of these dimwits. Wife, Darla Shine, came up with this absurd idea, and keep in mind it is during the period when new measles cases were breaking out daily...

"she said that not being vaccinated and actually contracting the measles or mumps was a huge advantage, a hardiness builder that could help a person fight off cancer down the line."

I have heard the statements of a lot of anti-vaxxers, but this one takes the cake for inherent stupidity. And this is what the world of these freak propagandists listen to and then go viral with it in social media. Facebook, at least, had the sense to curb what appeared to be complete damaging misinformation. But there is nothing like word of mouth and these morons are out there in force spreading their diseases both verbally and physically.

The terrible truth is these spreaders of calamity are here to stay, says Scientific American. So, the only thing we can do is shun them like the plague and BEWARE!

Trump has much more baggage than just Mueller Report

T-rump definitely in a squeeze

Aside from himself, there is his business, and his family is in jeopardy from many other investigations and lawsuits. This should be a classic example of 'when you do the deed, you do the time.' Unless the Donald Trump legal ensemble can pull this whole mess out of the fire. Many hope that he and his family get their just desserts from using the U.S. government to lie their way through scenario after scenario and connive their way to federal positions of power.

 But the big news is something uncovered in a lawsuit filed against Felix Sater, a Russian-born mobster and government informant who worked closely with Trump for years. Get that, a 'mobster" compounded by the fact he "worked closely with Trump for years." We've had questionable presidents over time , but there is no doubt in my mind that none of them can beat Donald Trump's corruption. Here's what Salon says...

"The bureau should have intimate knowledge of business dealings between the mobster and Trump, who despite being cut off by every major bank except one, was flush with cash after a few years of working with Sater. The one bank that kept loaning Trump money was Deutsche Bank, which has been fined more than $600 million for laundering money for Russians."

Vox mentions a few of Trump's continuing problems: The hush money investigation; The Trump inaugural committee investigations; New York state-based investigations (a biggie!); and miscellaneous Lawsuits. If Mueller can't bring T-rump down, political pundits feel like the above, particularly the New York action, will. Sater's testimony yielded...

"that between Trump, when he was a private citizen, and a host of Russian criminals and a North Korean nuclear weapons materials trafficker there is only one degree of separation: Sater."

I don't believe Al Capone and John Gotti combined had this much dirt in their corner and they didn't wiggle out. 

2nd Amendment 'Sanctuaries' sounding like anti-vaxxers

Here's the definition of a Second Amendment Sanctuary...

"also referred to as Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance or Second Amendment Protection Act, refers to resolutions adopted by some jurisdictions in the United States to not expend resources to enforce certain gun control measures perceived as violative of the Second Amendment."

In other words, gun sanctuary cities are those where gun nut law enforcement has chosen to break the law and not protect its citizens from gun violence. Kinda like anti-vaxxers who have decided to break social traditions that protect the health of this country. Salon reports...

"In some cases, county sheriffs have publicly said they will not enforce the new laws"

This has happened in at least six states: Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Illinois. Sounds like sedition to me, an outright act of huge illegal proportions by law enforcement that is bound by the Constitution to uphold the laws of this country. And it's gaining momentum throughout the U.S. Although inspired by efforts to establish immigration and marijuana sanctuaries, it is the new Red Flag Laws that move these groups today...

"A red flag law is a gun violence prevention law that permits police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves."

Now that seems reasonable enough to most people who prefer to keep their lives intact rather than die from gun violence. Monument, Colorado is one of those bastions of gun nuts who favor their weapons over the life of the innocent citizens they are supposed to protect. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to proclaim Monument as a “Second Amendment Preservation Town. Police Chief Jacob Shirk doesn't like the red flag bill, probably won't enforce it.

Brookline, Mass. frowns on its firearm licensing policies, and is attempting to take its case all the way to the Supreme Court. These 2nd Amendment morons are going to go too far soon that the American public will tire of the gun violence and vote to repeal the 2nd Amendment. This all ties in with the spate of loose gun laws across the country that allow these cowboys and cowgirls to take their guns anywhere they want to. This sloppy gun control just puts more guns in the hands of the bad guys.

Measles has competition...A 'Super Bug'

Famous new 'Superbug'

There were 100 more cases of measles last week. Keep in mind this is a disease that was considered eradicated in the U.S. twenty years ago. The total number of cases reported is 465, all thanks to the stupidity of anti-vaxxer parents that refuse to vaccinate their children. The irony of all this is the fact that some of these parents probably had their vaccinations years ago from parents who were sane. Fortunately, those parents didn't have social media to lead them astray.

Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable respiratory illness characterized by a rash of flat red spots. Symptoms may include fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, according to CNN. The disease is widespread throughout the U.S. as federal and state lawmakers stand by while this issue reaches epic proportions in...

The states of Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts and Nevada. Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

If your state isn't in there, it will be soon. But now the CDC has confirmed 144 cases of the 'superbug' in Illinois...

The cases of Candida auris, a serious and sometimes fatal fungal infection that has been called a "superbug," have been identified in Illinois and 11 other states across America, according to the CDC.

The sane majority of people in this country are going to want to know if this has anything to do with the idiot anti-vaxxers who have spread measles, mumps and chickenpox. New York has 309 cases and the bug so far seems confined to the big apple, New Jersey and Chicago. It has been reported that...

"Globally, Candida auris has been reported in eight other countries, including two with more than 30 patients each, the 2016 report added."

New York schools were ordered to prohibit unvaccinated children in December. It is time for lawmakers to step in and stop this issue from reaching an uncontrollable state.

West of Tombstone, the shootouts continue

You can't get much further west than Manhattan Beach. Calif., one of the state's premiere beach communities that attracts the moneyed young. Gunfire started in the Manhattan Gateway shopping center with one police officer down almost immediately. Several cops then opened fire on the suspect. No information yet on the injured officer. A bike rider commented...

“This is just a trip,” said Hawthorne resident Chavita Medrano, who was out for a bike ride. “You hear about all these things horrible happening in the world, but you don’t expect it right in your backyard.”

Precisely. We expected this sort of action in the old days of Tombstone, but not in an upscale community of Los Angeles. It started with a guy chasing a woman through the lobby of a hotel and then he took off running into a shopping center. The cop shot was hit in the leg and taken to a hospital. The suspect was eventually captured and a female, also chased by cops, was apparently OK, but her relationship to the suspect was unknown.

Sounds like a great day for a walk around the beach and then all hell breaks loose and there is a shooter on the loose. There are 393 million guns owned by Americans. There are 857 million firearms owned worldwide, meaning the U.S. gun nuts are in possession of almost 46% of total guns owned in the world. And one of these characters just happened to be in Manhattan Beach, Calif. on Sunday, deciding to shoot up the community.

Police announced "the gunman was armed with 'some sort of assault rifle or a TEC-9-type high-powered or high-capacity weapon.'" Assault rifles seem to be the weapon of choice when a deranged individual decides to go out and kill a few people. In this case the police officer should be fine, but the next time the guy could take out 10, 15, up to 20 or more victims in yet another mass killing.

And ladies and gentlemen, all thanks to Wayne LaPierre and his misguided National Rifle Assn. (NRA).

Do we really care about these people?

To begin with, I could care less. And what is even more frustrating is the fact that the media gives it such high profiling. I did one blog post on the news that some top TV and movie stars could be prosecuted for their involvement in an admissions scandal for their children at the U. of Southern California. USC is a bastion of higher learning and should be quick to deal with those school officials involved. But I am really sick and tired of hearing bout it.


These people made their beds so now they must sleep in it, a term Hollywood is quite familiar with. Apparently Lori Loughlin and her husband bought their kids way into USC because they felt they were too dumb to do it on their own. From what I have seen so far from kid Olivia Jade Giannulli, the parents were right in their mental assessment. And Olivia now says she also fears prosecution, but recently blaming her lost career on her mother. What lost career?

While this freak daughter screams over her persecution, People Magazine said, "The 19-year-old knew about the alleged scheme and would have stopped it if she thought they’d get caught." Now that shows real character and is why this whole thing should go to court soon if this case is prosecutable. There's talk of some of the culprits making a deal and in tinsel town that is done regularly. But no matter what happens, these people will always carry with them their involvement in a petty scam.

Mick Mulvaney Trump taxes statement just...stupid

Mick Mulvaney

The release of Donald Trump's taxes, its legality, and whether he was elected in spite of the fact he refused to release the information is not the point here. Newly elected Presidents normally release their tax returns as a matter of transparency, and Donald Trump did not. Mike Mulvaney is either just dumb or he thinks the American public is dumb and will buy his bullshit over the issue. He said the Democrats would never see T-rumps's taxes, then added...

"Nor should they (obtain the documents)" Mulvaney told "Fox News Sunday." "Keep in mind, that's an issue that was already litigated during the election. Voters knew the President could have given over his tax returns, they knew that he didn't and they elected him anyway. Which, of course, is what drives the Democrats crazy."

Don't you just love the reasoning of these idiot Republicans, their arrogance, and how they attempt to protect the Oval Office lunatic. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Donald Trump is trying to hide something. The question is why, and if his constituency doesn't care, then they are dumber than Mike Mulvaney. Trump's attorney said...

"that the requests for Trump's tax information 'are not consistent with governing law, do not advance any proper legislative purpose, and threaten to interfere with the ordinary conduct of audits.'"

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff responded that, "there is no legal ground for them here." And the beat goes on.

WARNING: To those using home blood pressure monitors

Sphygmomanometer

If you have a home blood pressure monitor you need to read this post. In my experience they are erratically inconclusive and could be so misleading as to cause the person using it either think their BP is too high, or too low. In my case it was registering an unusually high reading, when, in most cases, it was normal. I had purchased an Omron meter because they were highly touted, using it for a while but always getting readings higher than a normal BP.

When contacting Omron customer service, they were of no help at all, a woman telling us their machine was not adjustable, of which we inquired, that my BP was probably correct on the Omron and that I should check with my doctor. I did and learned the Omron was wrong (over 20 points higher than by actual BP) when compared to the doctor's office sphygmomanometer. Let me emphasize, it is the latter that you should always compare your home unit with.

Checking with my primary care doc, I found their office used a Welch Allyn sphygmomanometer, so I purchased their home model. Same problem, but great customer service with WA. They even went so far as to replace their product free, even after I purchased it from Amazon. But it's all for naught since I recently learned the Welch Allyn was off an average of 34 points too high. The doc took the BP several times and in both arms.

The scary part of this is that for at least three years now I have been fooling myself thinking my blood pressure was significantly high. It isn't, but it is high enough to require some BP medication to keep it under control. Based on my experience, the only way I would use one of these home BP meters is to first check its accuracy with your doctor, then proceed based on those results. In my case with the Welch Allyn, I will simply subtract around 34 points from each reading.

Weekly opinion wrap up...

I started the week out with a post about a black man who was brutally murdered by a white man; the latter shot the other three times from his apartment balcony after the black man had simply mistakenly knocked on his door. It rings loud and clear of racial hatred that was supposed to be improving gradually over the years but, in fact, is seething in the minds of many.

It was around this same time that we found out that measles are at the 2nd highest level since elimination was declared in 2000. For this we have that new screwed up group of Anti-Vaxxers to thank. As of March 28, there are 387 individual cases of measles that have been confirmed in 15 states. Folks, that's after science eradicated the disease. Pathetic!

With the above in mind, a terminally ill child was exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers at the U. of California Davis Jackson Souza Bell Medical Center. The mother wasn't told for two days after her child had been exposed. It's bad enough that these maniacs are passing their disease around on the street, but there should be some level of security in a hospital.

Later, the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) was fighting the extension of a law that would make it a crime to abuse a date, stalking him or her, after they break up. There are federal domestic violence laws protecting spouses, but if you're not married, the NRA considers you fair game. But it has always been the NRA that is the problem in getting gun control done. Yet there is a host of gun owners who think gun ownership standards should be raised. It all comes down to one man, Wayne LaPierre, head NRA gun nut.

I ended the week with Robert Reich's statement: "Mitch McConnell is destroying the Senate – and American government." This has been my position on Mitch McConnell for years, expressed regularly in this blog. But there's more: "No person has done more in living memory to undermine the functioning of the US government than the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell." Robert Reich agrees with everything I have ever felt or said about Mitch McConnell.

ROBERT REICH: Mitch McConnell is destroying the Senate – and American government

I have been saying the exact same thing in this blog for years that Robert Reich is saying in the above headline. Reich goes on...

A smug Mitch McConnell

"The majority leader cares only for winning, not rules or democracy itself. He is doing more damage than Trump"

Bingo, my thoughts replayed, and maybe with this international utterance (source is the UK's Guardian) coming from a leading political figure of the past (served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton and was Secretary of Labor from 1993 to 1997) a witless Senate will realize what a jerk they have leading this body. More from Reich...

"No person has done more in living memory to undermine the functioning of the US government than the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell."

He compares Donald Trump's stupidity in the Oval Office with Senate Head Mitch McConnell but qualifies his statement with the fact that McConnell is, "actively and willfully destroying the Senate."

It remains to be seen just how far Robert Reich's comments go, or if they just fall on deaf ears. If it's the latter, we're back to a half-baked Senate that does nothing.

My favorite post on Mitch McConnell. 

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

And now a New York Judge joins the anti-vaxxers...Can Trump demean Mueller Report enough to convince the uninformed?...If Barr's credibility tanks, what happens to release of Mueller Report?...Obama worries about Progressives' "rigidity" - he could have used more in his administration...New York wants to end religious vaccinations exemptions with new law

What we need are "inferences" on Trump tax returns

As the Democrats draw closer to getting the tax returns of the Oval Office lunatic, there is a federal law protecting them and him...

"it is a felony, punishable by up to five years, to improperly disclose private tax information."

Okay, then we have to plan our strategy something like, 'My cat paid more taxes than Donald Trump.' That would nail it on the head if he is avoiding paying personal taxes. Or, 'Sounds like something John Gotti would have done.' This tells us there is definitely something illegal in T-rump's tax filings. And I am sure the Dems can come up with a host of approaches that will reveal the personal side of the most corrupt president this country has ever experienced.

However, this is apparently not a done deal, getting Trump's taxes, that is...

"Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) demanded this week that the administration turn over six years' worth of Trump’s individual and business tax returns, giving them a deadline of April 10."

The potential hassle of obtaining Trump's taxes has been kinda downplayed so far but Democrats do have a card up their sleeve...

"They are relying on a statute that allows the heads of Congress’s tax committees to examine anyone’s confidential taxes. Advocates of the effort emphasize that the law says the Treasury Secretary 'shall' hand over any requested returns."

We can only hope that all this effort will be worth it.

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

God forbid, there are more NRA gun nuts on the street...This is where terminally ill child was exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers...Terrifying fact: "more than 20% of deaths of people aged 15 to 24 involved guns"...Trump continues to fight releasing tax returns-WHY?...Salon says the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) is an "international menace...Oh by the way, the NRA is expected to draw 80,000 gun nuts to its annual convention in Indianapolis Apr. 26-28 to talk more gun violence on the streets

If Michael Cohen drops the other shoe, will it be on Trump's head?

Michael Cohen wants to stay out of jail as long as he can, so one can only hope this new information is credible and damning to Donald Trump. Cohen's attorneys Lanny Davis and Michael Monico have contacted Congress alerting them that...

"Cohen has discovered substantial files on a hard drive that might be helpful to investigators."

Cohen not only has to worry about Congress but also the Southern District of New York trying to persuade them to postpone reporting to jail in order to review the files in question. It would appear that Cohen was only recently able to access the information that he proposes to Congress and prosecutors. He claims the new hard drive he found "contains millions of additional files."

New York prosecutors say "that Cohen shouldn't be considered a cooperating witness. Cohen did assist the special counsel's investigation but he...

"repeatedly declined to provide full information about the scope of any additional criminal conduct in which he may have engaged or had knowledge."

He has already been sentenced to three years in prison, but as the noose tightens, who knows what Michael will do, and it can't be good for T-rump.

Mueller team says AG Barr definitely withholding info

He said, they said. The "he" is Wm. Barr, Atty. Gen. who said about the Mueller Report, "evidence was not sufficient to prove that the president obstructed justice." The 'they' are members of Mueller's investigative team saying, "their findings on obstruction were alarming and significant." Don't know about you but I'm inclined to believe "they said." They're also concerned that, "the summaries they had prepared for different sections of the report for quick discharge, "were not released by Barr.

The Mueller team is pissed, and rightfully so. Barr makes a piddly number of pages available from a 400-page report that is purported to prove Donald Trump's part in some collusion with Russia in his win of the 2016 presidential election, and his part in the obstruction of justice, like firing James Comey. Barr said...

"Mueller did not reach a conclusion “one way or the other” as to whether Trump’s conduct in office constituted obstruction of justice."

But the Mueller team countered...

“It was much more acute than Barr suggested."

If when this is all over and the shit hits the fan as Donald Trump is tried for treason and obstruction of justice, will his double-digit followers then admit just how stupid they have been? Probably not. Pathetic!

NRA SAYS: Put guns in the hands of convicted felons

This slimy pile of gun nuts continues its march toward annihilating the American public with its gun violence policies. It's a matter of federal law that someone convicted of  "physically abusing his spouse, ex-spouse, live-in lover, or co-parent" cannot own a gun. But if it's a date, stalking him or her, after they break up, the other is fair game. The NRA is well aware of the latter but still fights for the right of the perpetrator to keep or buy his or her gun.

Well, here are the numbers...

"About half of all female homicide victims are killed by intimate partners — and about half of intimate partner homicides are committed by casual dating partners."

So the NRA was no doubt forced into the legislation that bars abusive husbands from having guns, but they fight the above scenario. It is more clear evidence that Wayne LaPierre, head NRA gun nut, and a certain portion of his membership value their weapons over human life, even someone close to them. Until this sick mentality can be driven out of this country, children and innocent citizens will continue to die by gun violence in schools and on the streets.

NRA has always been problem getting gun control done

Here's a recent article headline from The Hill...

"Gun control advocate: 'Surprised' at how many gun owners agree gun ownership standards should be raised"

I'm not, and when I see a header like this there is no doubt in my mind that, if gun owners want reasonable gun control, it is definitely the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) that is standing in its way and has for many, many years. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's head gun nut refuses to listen to any legislation that limits access to guns. Even reasonable background checks, the banning of assault rifles which is the weapon of choice in most all gun massacres.

There are three people in this country today the American public could do without: Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and Wayne LaPierre. All three fly in the face of anything that is good for this country, and seem hell-bent on dragging the United States to the bottom of the barrel. Each has his own agenda, a combination of twisted ideas and philosophies, all of which point back to the pariah in question. What this nation needs is a clean sweep of this trash.

Facebook data gone postal again

Here's the lead sentence in the Bloomberg article...

"Facebook Inc. user data is still showing up in places it shouldn’t."

Almost fifteen years ago when I started my privacy blog, The Dunning Letter, we were talking about how loose personal data was becoming, and predicting events just like what has happened with Facebook. When I realized how things were progressing in the private information field, I realized two things:1) People don't care if their personal data is kept private and; 2) Companies that collect this information don't care what these people think. Tragic but true!

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made a career of using your personal data to make zillions of dollars, placing the man in a perpetual state of apology for the mismanagement of FB user data. Now he's calling for Internet regulation, sounding like the guy who is desperate and needs help to stop gambling. I spent 35 years in the junk mail industry, where your name and personal information were flaunted as if you had no say whatsoever. You didn't.

And now there is the "Cloud," where trillions of pieces of data can be stored...forever. That's correct, whatever you said on Facebook today is shot right up to that colossal database in the sky, can be retrieved in seconds and it will never be deleted. It's been said before, 'You have no privacy.' So, you might as well go on your merry way throwing everything that is private about you to these data mongers. They probably already have it anyway.

Looks like Bernie's on right path this time

Early on Bernie Sanders is taking advantage of his record-breaking grassroots army, picking out volunteers and hiring people with the right experience. Campaign aides report that more than 1 million people have signed up to volunteer for his campaign, and they will be asked to host house parties around the country again. In an email to supporters he will say...

"we need to create an unprecedented grassroots political movement."

Sounds familiar, as does a lot of Bernie's rhetoric. But stop! is this the kind of individual we need in the White House, one we know exactly where he stands, with pretty much no change in the issues of his platform since he first ran for Senator in Vermont? NPR has done a good job of illustrating them here. If you like the issues, get on Bernie's bandwagon. We're all keeping our eyes on the polls because that is just as important to Bernie's campaign as money.

Terminally ill child exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers

Jackson Souza Bell

This 7-year old young man already doesn't have very long to live. Jackson Souza Bell hasd been "diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis at 4 months old, has around 100 small tumors and a few very large ones on his brain." His mother took him to the University of California Davis Jackson Souza Bell Medical Center for care and...

"Days after the two arrived at the hospital, doctors told Bell that during his stay, Jackson had been exposed to measles."

Welcome to the new world of horrendously stupid people. Because Jackson's condition is so critical, Rayna Bell has tried to surround him with a plastic bubble to keep him alive as long as possible. He will eventually die. Enter the latest morons...anti-vaxxers with the following scenario...

"Bell claims doctors told her the source of the disease was a child whose parents had not vaccinated her. She had caught the measles while overseass."

Apparently these doctors who finally gave up the anti-vaxxers did not know they had a hot kid with stupid parents until after the fact. The boy had to be quarantined at the hospital for 18 days for measles. The mother cited the irresponsible parents that chose not to vaccinate their child, and in this case, the parents idiocy could shorten Jackson Souza Bell's life.

McConnell rebukes Trump on healthcare

The two pariahs of politics have locked horns over healthcare, and so far the Senate leper is winning. McConnell said flatly...

"that the Senate will not be moving comprehensive health care legislation before the 2020 election, despite the president asking Senate Republicans to do that in a meeting last week."

McConnell is afraid to screw with Obamacare before the 2020 election after so many failures in trying to repeal the act. Then it sounded like he blindsided Trump in a Tweet saying that...

"he would be developing a plan that he would take to the American people during the 2020 campaign.”

McConnell is no fool, at least politically, and would love to get the upper hand on T-rump in this issue. Don't know if he hates Trump as much as he hated Obama, but at least Donald Trump is white so for the Senate dullard, that is at least in his favor.

Your political Parody of the Day

PARODY ON POLITICS

The phone rang in the Oval Office and Donald Trump answered it on the second ring. "Hello, this is the most magnificent president of the United States to ever sit in this chair."

"Don't bullshit me Donny, this is your father who knows you're the dumbest bastard on the block. Ya don't even know where I was born you idiot."

"I'm sorry, daddy, I just forgot."

"Three times, you dimwit? If you'd listened to the fake news, you'd know where I was born, in fucking New York, not Germany. Where the hell did that come from, you got something going with Angela Merkel?

"Naw, daddy, she called me a wacko, could you loan me the money to sue her?"

"Hell no, you are a wacko and how's Melania? God, she's got a great rack. Ok, that's enough of this stupid palaver but don't you forget where I was born."

"No, daddy, I won't," and Fred Trump hung up.

The next morning Donny was asked where his father was born and he replied to the media, Keokuk, Iowa

UPDATE: T-rump exclaims his father was German, born in Germany...AGAIN!

New disease anti-vaxxers will probably spurn

It's called AFM, which stands for Acute flaccid myelitis that is affecting children. It is a "rare, mysterious and sometimes deadly paralyzing illness that seems to ebb and flow on an every-other-year cycle." Here's even worse news...

"Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it may bear similarities to polio, which smoldered among humans for centuries before it exploded into fearsome epidemics in the 19th and 20th centuries."

Other countries have experienced it, but AFM is more prevalent in the U.S. where more than 550 Americans have been struck this decade, the oldest 32. In some cases, it started with a cold, got better, but the,n took a turn for the worse when the patient "descended into paralysis." The virus was discovered over 55 years ago, and, although not yet proven, may have mutated to become more dangerous. So far there is no cure but a vaccine is hopeful for the future.

If a vaccine is perfected and placed on the market, will we have to fight once again with these double-digit anti-vaxxers to keep them from killing their children with a new scourge of polio-like illness?

Bernie tops $18 million from 500,000 donors

Bernie Sanders 

The above number comes from the period when he declared his presidential bid in February, topping all other declared candidates. Newcomer Pete Buttigieg has raised $7 million and Beto O'Rourke raised $6.1 million. Yet I read a Wash. Post article recently that implies Bernie Sanders isn't electable. Apparently 500,000 people don't agree. First of all, they think he's too old and spouts the same platform over and over. And, oh yes, he's a Socialist.

There are millions of progressives that believe the above qualities are good enough to put him in the White House. The question remains whether certain other factions will agree, like Independents, young people and the female vote. In comparison with Bernie's $ numbers, the Trump campaign has only about $19 million cash on hand. There are also around a $6 million in legal fees against the campaign. Should it come down to Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, I believe Bernie can take him, if those above factions kick in.

Sci-Fi used to normalize Trump admin.

Geo. Orwell-Donald Trump

Sci-Fi publishers are doing their bit to fight the Donald Trump administration by encouraging manuscripts from their freelance writers, "to try to imagine some new futures that might help us figure out how to get back to normal from here.” Anthologies like Resist: Tales From a Future Worth Fighting Against and If This Goes On. Very appropriate titles when one considers the road to destruction Donald Trump has taken this country on since his administration took office.

There are also a number of books about Trump that aren't science fiction, but still read like it in some cases. There's Fire and Fury, Fear, Unhinged, A Higher Loyalty and The Trump White House, to name only a few. I have read most of them and can attest to the fact that, in some cases, it feels clearly like you are in another world. When The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy is written for 2020, the Donald Trump administration is certain to be the lead story.

NRA flagrantly opposes womens' rights

Women against the NRA

Just when you think this gang of gun nuts has hit the bottom of the barrel--they taught Aussies "How to Sell a Massacre--they come up with a new profound reason to get rid of the organization. The National Rifle Assn. (NRA) will oppose Democratic legislation that will reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which expired in February. Here's why...

"The group opposes provisions that could lead to firearm confiscations over misdemeanor domestic violence or stalking convictions."

Once again, the value of their guns over human life!

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants House Republicans to consider an alternative VAWA bill, which would "provide a one-year extension to continue funding services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence while Congress works on a bipartisan reauthorization of VAWA." After the introduction of this bill in Congress in 2019, it had one sponsor, the NRA. By the way, this GOP alternative bill was submitted by a woman, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who touts an A rating from the NRA.

Here's what the NRA says about domestic violence...

“The NRA opposes domestic violence and all violent crime, and spends millions of dollars teaching countless Americans how not to be a victim and how to safely use firearms for self-defense.”

BULLSHIT! The truth is that the NRA promotes domestic violence, as well as gun violence against children and in general by putting as many guns on the street as it can. 

Is someone in the White House selling security clearances?

Trump-Kushner

Here's the scenario. With the White House run by a maniac, everybody wants to get a front row seat for the performance. But government policy says you must have a security clearance which is: a determination by the United States Government that a person or company is eligible for access to classified information. No problem, the Trump family has used this administration to promote everything from beauty products to Trump Towers, why not security clearances? Let's see, they should go for at least 500 big ones.

OK, here's the real scenario...

"An 18-year White House employee told congressional investigators that she and other career staffers denied security clearances for 25 Trump administration officials, including three 'very senior' officials, only to see most of those recommendations overturned."

The employee was Tricia Newbold, and she was interviewed by the staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Here's a summary of her interview. The leading suspect seems to be Jared Kushner, and here is what Newbold said...

"in the case of one official, named only as Senior White House Official 1, staff denied the security clearance request after a background investigation revealed 'significant disqualifying factors, including foreign influence, outside activities ... and personal conduct.'"

And at that point, Ivanka said, 'Don't worry, hon, Daddy will fix it,' and he did.

Who is Pete Buttigieg?

Pete Buttigieg

Right now, he is a long shot to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but is turning a lot of heads with his issues. Even with low name recognition, Pete Buttigieg raised $7-million since January. Now that's right up there with the leadin' contendas, if he can get an act together soon, things could improve. He is currently the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. 37, gay, and literally has come from nowhere. Early polls have him in 7th position of declared candidates.

Buttigieg has raised enough money to qualify him for the summer Democratic debates, which requires contributions from at least 65,000 donors to make it to the debate stage. His issues include, "Medicare for all who want it, believes in "addressing or reversing harm and inequities" through policy, supports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and a path to citizenship, openly pro-choice, strong gun control advocate, and more in the above article.

He's a Progressive's kind of person. But while sitting mayors haven't had much luck in the past, Buttigieg plans to change that. 

FACT: Measles at 2nd highest level since elimination

Here's the actual headline from CNN: "US measles cases at second highest since disease was eliminated in 2000." This is unheard of for the leading industrialized nation in the world. And it is all thanks to the anti-vaxxers who refuse to vaccinate. It's like these parents said, 'we're not killing enough of our kids with guns, let's kill 'em now with measles.'

"A total of 387 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 15 states from January 1 to March 28, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the second-greatest number of cases reported in the United States since measles was declared eliminated in 2000."

The following states have reported cases: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington. There are six outbreaks, which are defined as three or more cases, in California (Santa Cruz and Butte County), New Jersey, New York (Rockland County and New York City) and Washington.

"Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that can spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or if a person comes into direct contact or shares germs by touching the same objects or surfaces."

Which means the anti-vaxxers are not only sending their kids off to school today to learn, but also to spread their disease around. Pathetic!

Senate lowlife at it again

McConnell-Pelosi

There will come a day when Senate head Mitch McConnell will do something that no one, Democrats or Republicans, can stomach. The Senate floor will open in a chasm that will devour this contemptible despot and the country will be rid of the worst politician it has ever experienced. McConnell is at it again, fully blocking everything House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brings to the floor. A health care package, proposals on gun safety, climate change and voting reforms.

“I’m not sure that anything we do is going to reach the floor of the Senate,” said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). “That’s the reality.”

McConnell is up for reelection in 2020--he barely made it last time--and I hope the people of Kentucky have the guts to force him out. This man has single-handedly wreaked more havoc in the Senate than any other politician has in years. As a confirmed racist, McConnell hated Barack Obama and blocked all of the programs he proposed. Maybe we won't have to wait for 2020, perhaps that Senate floor chasm is in the making as we speak.

Witless Sheriff in Colorado won't enforce law to save lives

The headline refers to Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams, clearly the epitome of a gun nut, saying...

"he would refuse to enforce a proposed state law that would permit family members, roommates or law enforcement to ask a court take away firearms from a person deemed a potential danger to themselves or others."

In other words, he will stand by, observing, as a person displays clear tendencies  to cause harm to someone with a gun. He would not take the person's firearm as a new Colorado law would allow him to do. He said he'd rather go to jail and hopefully he does when and if the law passes, and this idiot fails to perform his sworn duties. This numb nuts added: "It's a matter of doing what's right." And this is the problem with these people...

They value their guns, weapons, firearms over the lives of human beings, including children.

The sponsor of the bill state Rep. Tom Sullivan (D), says he won't lose sleep over Reams comment. He did add...

"What I'm going to lose sleep over is, if that's the choice that they make and someone loses their life, someone in crisis goes on a shooting spree, (or) someone commits suicide" because a firearm wasn't taken from someone."

Sullivan's son was killed in the 2012 shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

Shoot black man first-Ask questions later

RACISM: Confront it-It's still rampant

This is the epitome of racism with the end result a completely innocent person's death. The victim was black. Not sure but think shooter was white. In the scenario a black teenager knocked on what he thought was his and his girlfriend's door at 12:30 AM, receiving no answer. Darryl Bynes, 32, inside the apartment,
didn't open the door, grabbed a gun and went onto his balcony to confront Omarian Banks, 19. After a short conversation, Bynes shot him and then told Police he shot Banks in self-defense.

Banks girlfriend, Zsakeria Mathis explained what she had heard while talking to Banks during the incident on FaceTime...

"I just hear faint voices and a gunshot, and then I hear him yell. And I heard all the fear in his voice and he was just, 'I'm sorry! I'm at the wrong door!' The man was like, 'No, you're not at the wrong door!' And he shot two more times and then it was silent."

 Darryl Bynes had not even been confronted face-to-face with Omarian Banks at this point. The latter was downstairs in the parking lot headed to his car, posing absolutely no threat to Bynes, but the gun nut shot the young man from his balcony in what appears to be cold blood. And it was all a huge mistake when Lyft let Banks off at the wrong apartment entrance and he was confused because he and his girlfriend had just moved in.

This all happened in Atlanta and Darryl Bynes is charged with murder.

Anti-vaxxers identified by area-SEE

Merit badge of anti-vaxxers

These uninformed, mentally challenged people are spread all over the U.S., unfortunately, but NBC has nailed down the most prolific geography. Nassau-Suffolk is the highest concentration with 14.2% with at least one parental vaccination refusal. The national refusal rate is 3.3 percent. Bloomington, IL. is the lowest with 5.3%. In between are Texas, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, more New York, Washington state, Arizona and Oregon.

It would be horrendous if a regional epidemic of measles, mumps and chickenpox broke out in the northeast with the density of its population. As an example, there are 26,403 people per square mile in New York City compared to 3,165 people per square mile in Phoenix. AZ. In New York, they are continuously bumping into each other spreading germs, which would also apply to New Jersey and up and down the East coast.

The CDC reports that more than 310 cases of measles have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, compared with 372 for all of 2018. If you crunch the numbers, based on the results so far, we could have 1,240 total. Crude but possible when you consider the stupidity of these parents that refuse to immunize their children. The most terrifying part of this whole scenario is, the science community had virtually wiped out all these diseases.

Until a gang of idiots saw fit to reintroduce them to the world. Pathetic!These uninformed, mentally challenged people are spread all over the U.S., unfortunately, but NBC has nailed down the most prolific geography. Nassau-Suffolk is the highest concentration with 14.2% with at least one parental vaccination refusal. The national refusal rate is 3.3 percent. Bloomington, IL. is the lowest with 5.3%. In between are Texas, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, more New York, Washington state, Arizona and Oregon.

It would be horrendous if a regional epidemic of measles, mumps and chickenpox broke out in the northeast with the density of its population. As an example, there are 26,403 people per square mile in New York City compared to 3,165 people per square mile in Phoenix. AZ. In New York, they are continuously bumping into each other spreading germs, which would also apply to New Jersey and up and down the East coast.

The CDC reports that more than 310 cases of measles have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, compared with 372 for all of 2018. If you crunch the numbers, based on the results so far, we could have 1,240 total. Crude but possible when you consider the stupidity of these parents that refuse to immunize their children. The most terrifying part of this whole scenario is, the science community had virtually wiped out all these diseases.

Until a gang of idiots saw fit to reintroduce them to the world. Pathetic!

U.S. could be so lucky if Democrats shut down NRA

Who else? Wayne LaPierre

Wayne LaPierre, National Rifle Assn.'s head gun nut is whining that the group may be"shut down forever" thanks to Democrats. Nothing could make millions of Americans happier than if this gang of gun violence perpetrators bit the dust, and all of their trash propaganda with them. But I don't really believe they are this close to tanking, rather, LaPierre is simply appealing to his double-digit gun nut minions who apparently believe anything he says and will give up their money.

There is some concern from the fact that...

"New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who last year directed state regulators to 'urge insurance companies, New York State-chartered banks, and other financial services companies licensed in New York to review any relationships they may have with the National Rifle Association.'"

And Cuomo isn't giving up, with more good news from LaPierre...

“Cuomo’s tactics are already working. One by one, more and more banks and insurance companies across the country are knuckling under to Cuomo’s threat — and telling NRA they won’t do business with us — because they don’t want to be targeted and crushed by Cuomo’s strong-arm tactics and the vast power of thousands of New York bureaucrats.”

Gun control advocates should be dancing in the streets, but, with caution. I wouldn't trust Wayne LaPierre under any circumstances, nowhere, not never. But cutting into the NRA's finances is an excellent start as LaPierre commented further...

“The attack on the NRA is unprecedented. This call to action is real. If left unchecked, the actions of Gov. Cuomo would damage the NRA’s ability to access certain financial and insurance services—hurting its financial position and impacting its ability to advocate for members..."

We can only hope. 

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Trump's "no collusion" on Mueller Report a flop, thanks in part to T-rump's Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney...Sandy Hook families proved "Congress Lied to Pass One of the NRA’s Favorite Bills"...Will Trump succeed at repealing Obamacare?...Wm. Barr plans redactions to Mueller Report-Better have good reasons for each one...Another loss for gun control-CA Judge blocks ban on high-capacity magazine for 2nd Amendment gun nuts.

Radical right will always be radical...just not too bright

Many of the radical right are basically fanatics. You can tell who they are by the fact that when all of the info is there proving that they are wrong, they see only what they want to see. Like anti-vaxxers, and Donald Trump supporters. It's hard to tell if they have lost their way or are just too dumb to see the truth. The philosopher George Santayana had this thought...

"Fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim."

Both categories, above, have probably lost sight of their original aim but have been caught up in the stupidity of their movement, and keep plodding ahead in a futile bliss that seems to keep them going until they literally destroy themselves plus those close to them. And the sooner we get rid of them, the better.

Don't want no stinkin' Electoral College

The above is the decision of the American public, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll. 50% want a popular vote, 34% still prefer the Electoral College. This is how the Electoral College works...

"a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the United States. ... When voters head to the polls, they do not vote for the presidential candidates directly, in a popular vote. Instead, they vote to elect specific people, known as “electors” to the college."

And there is the "stinkin'" part, turning our vote over to another body. Because Hillary Clinton wasn't watching the store in 2016, Donald Trump was elected to the White House by the Electoral College. This fact, on its own, should be enough to demand an end to the College before 2020. Republicans prefer the EC 2 to 1 over the popular vote, in my estimation because they can manipulate this body, just like they do in gerrymandering.

This all came about in the Constitution to ensure that smaller states would get equal representations in elections. There has been such a huge increase in population since then, it is time to bid the Electoral College goodbye.

Your political bullshit of the day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

Gun control advocates concentrating on gun nuts AR-15 attacking the glorified advertising used...Parents charged with money laundering in college admissions cheating scandal...Bernie Sanders Medicare for all Plan losing public support but Dems have another idea...Lori Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade had trademark denied because she couldn't punctuate correctly-guess she was too dumb to get into USC on her own...Biden up one point in polls, Bernie down one...

Arizona anti-vaxxer couple deny feverish son medical care

It's stupid enough when you refuse to vaccinate your kid when the scientific community has both proven and made its findings public to substantiate the need for vaccinations. Then it is doubly dumb when these same parents wouldn't take this sick child to the hospital, especially after a doctor had recommended it. The police had to force their way into the home to remove the kid. Arizona law...

"allows officials to take custody of a child for his or her safety and gives police the ability to 'use reasonable force to enter any building' to do so."

One Arizona politician exclaimed, "If you make the parental decision to wait 'til the morning to get medical care, you risk losing your child." Now there is a reasonable statement from a Republican state legislator that is contrary to what we expect to hear from these people from the radical right in this state.

The boy's parents, Sarah Beck and Brooks Bryce, have each been charged with a count of child abuse, by the Chandler Police Department.

From one dimwit (Sen. head) to another dimwit (Oval Office)

Trump makes McConnell look like the dolt he is

Congress' leading lowlife, Mitch McConnell, has told this country's leading despot, Donald Trump, you're on your own when it comes to health care adding, “I am focusing on stopping the ‘Democrats’ Medicare for none’ scheme.” Cute, considering McConnell couldn't give a damn if any American has access to health care. But when the GOP controlled both houses of Congress, they couldn't repeal Obamacare and both T-rump and McConnell are still pissed.

McConnell is running for reelection, and I would do anything and will do, to keep this reprehensible person from going back to the Senate. A Senate without McConnell and without a Republican majority is the goal of all Progressives and Democrats. In 2020, the GOP will be defending 22 Senate seats to the Democrats' 12. In the last cycle, Democrats were defending 26 Senate seats compared to just nine for the Republicans.

Some pundits call it political instincts, but my opinion of Mitch McConnell is
one where this sleazebag doesn't make a move unless he feels relatively sure he will win, and that whatever he is pushing, it has to be GOP oriented. This man cares nothing about this country, only himself and his Party. To all this Trump stated...

“The Republican Party will become the Party of Great HealthCare!” Trump tweeted on Thursday afternoon. “Moving forward in Courts and Legislatively!”

There is no way any Republican will propose a health care bill that is in the best interest of the American public.   

The stupid twins skewer each other

Trump-DeVos...Still confused

Donald Trump and Betsy DeVoss, one supposedly in charge, one appointed, with probably not 100 IQ points between them. First DeVos says she will cut the Special Olympics drastically (272,000 kids affected), then spends several says defending her decision, until the Oval Office lunatic realizes it will look bad for him and his base and disavows Special Olympics cuts. DeVos, the idiot she is, just dangles out there until her tyrant boss tells her what to do.

But, DeVos told Senators...

"on Thursday morning that she was not personally involved in the decision to propose eliminating funding for the Special Olympics, but continued to defend the cut included in her department's budget."

And then T-rump stepped in "saying that he had 'overridden' DeVos' plans." DeVos' plans.

Next, "DeVos issued a statement saying that she and the President agree."

On what, that the Trump administration is in total chaotic confusion?

I posted on this earlier when it wasn't clear who had made this decision. Apparently, it still isn't.