I LOVE UNCLE JOHN'S BATHROOM READER And I have been interviewing the creator of this amazing big book of trivia every year for like 15 years now. If you want a PERFECT gift for the not-enthusiastic reader in your life, buy them this. You keep it in the can and learn stuff while you do your business. Buy it here!
ANTI-SEMITISM IS THE MOTIVE IN THE JERSEY CITY SHOOTINGS At least according to police who say one of the suspects had posted anti-Semitic and anti-cop ramblings on his social media. Isn't this where we rush to blame the politicians whose rhetoric could have lead to this? Hey Omar, you must love this, huh? All the Democrats who are advocating for the abolition of police departments this is awesome, eh? I'm being sarcastic and awful here to make the point that politicians are not responsible for a reprehensible act. The dead suspects were. But it's interesting to see how LITTLE of a political football is being made of this when the arrow could potentially go the other way.
SPEAKING OF ANTI SEMITISM, DOES YOUTHFUL ANTI SEMITISM COUNT? I am one to give a bit of leeway when teenagers do really dumb things, as that's what teenagers do. So when I read that a kid has been expelled after sending an anti semitic snap on snapchat, I immediately wonder if he or she should be given SOME grace, depending on what the kid did AFTER the dumb choice. In the case of a Cherry Creek teen who did just such a dumb thing, I am encouraged to see his parents leapt into action and made him learn about the Holocaust, engage with the Jewish community and more to learn just HOW DUMB his choice was. In my mind, that is the best way to handle this. His parents are now fighting his expulsion in court, and I think they have a good case for his reinstatement. We'll see, because this case could lead to more questions about the power schools have to punish things that happen off campus, far from school. And to be clear, although the snap was very distasteful and ugly, no direct threats were made.
TWO BILLIONAIRES WALK INTO A BAR Okay I have no idea if that's how the unlikely partnership between Charles Koch and George Soros began, but it makes a good headline. These two billionaires have teamed up to create a think tank designed to change our foreign policy from one of a militaristic stance to a peace and diplomacy stance. From the article:
Eli Clifton, one of the founders of Quincy Institute says the new think tank is a response to a failed a foreign policy experiment, conducted since the end of the Cold War and accelerated after 9/11, in which the US has pursued endless wars and global military primacy with little regard for the human sacrifices and financial costs.
“Quincy hopes to expand the debate about what a US grand strategy should entail and advocate for advancing American interests and values via diplomatic engagement with military force being the option of last resort,” Mr Clifton told The Independent.
American foreign policy seems to have become detached from an inclusive national discussion about interests and values and Mr Clifton argued that the “War on Terror” allowed for an expansive military campaign that has no borders, time-frame or measures of success.
I agree 100%. Which is odd, because I think George Soros is not a nice man. I have to believe that Charles Koch knows what he's doing on this. I wish them much luck in this endeavor.
REMEMBER WHEN NEW YORK MADE A BIG DEAL OUT OF SUING EXXON MOBIL? Because they said the energy giant lied to consumers about the cost of global warming? They lost. They got their state asses handed to them on a platter. To be clear, the judge said the New York Attorney General didn't come close to having any evidence to show Exxon did anything wrong. But I'm sure you won't hear about this story on MSNBC like you did when the old AG announced it.
WE HAVE A NEW TRADE DEAL WITH CANADA AND MEXICOAndNancy Pelosi is taking a victory lap even though this is a Trump victory as well. It's funny that the Democrats announced their support for one of Trump's biggest domestic issues right after they announced they were impeaching the Bad Man. Must suck to have to be a Democrat right now.
WITH A BEST MAN LIKE THIS, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES? A guy in Wales was apparently none to happy with his brother's choice for bride. He got rip snorting drunk at the wedding, and when the bride said her new husband should go to bed because he was drunk, the best man sprang into action to punch the bride and drag her down the stairs while berating her entire family at the same time. I'm guessing family holidays will be a bit awkward from now on.
UH...ALEX...JEOPARDY GOT IT WRONG On a final Jeopardy question about an Oscar winning movie. They got the year wrong.
THIS IS WHY I SHOP AT INNOMAX And I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the super cheap Chinese mattresses flooding the market, but I'm old enough to remember the wonderful Chinese drywall situation that cost a LOT of my friends a LOT of money a few years ago. I'm not saying these mattresses are full of toxic chemicals WHICH PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING ON TOP OF but I would not be the least bit surprised. You get what you pay for. Just go to Innomax instead.
THE ONE WHO SMELT IT IS DEAD A man has been hired by a bug company BECAUSE HIS FARTS KILL MOSQUITOES. That is all.
THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING EVER it's what happens when a four month old baby hears for the first time.
I MUST KNOW WHO IS MAKING THESE TINY FASHION STATEMENTS Someone in Las Vegas is putting tiny cowboy hats on pigeons and it's magical.
DO POLITICS STRESS YOU OUT? YOU'RE NOT ALONE Eight in ten Americans say politics stresses them out. You know why? Because our government is SO EFFING BIG that you can never avoid it and you can never NOT pay attention to the stupid fights about control that ensue because you know you're going to get screwed somehow.
A CANADIAN BANK DISCRIMINATED BECAUSE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION And it's now what you think. A man sued because he was told he would not get promoted because he wasn't gay or bisexual. The Human Rights Commission blew off the complaint but the Federal Court of Canada ordered them to investigate properly. It's an interesting story, read it here.
THIS KIDS GONNA BE A REAL LOSER IF HE KEEPS QUITTING ALL THE TIME Okay, that might be harsh because the nine year old boy who was studying electrical engineering is mad he won't be able to graduate before his tenth birthday so he quit the program. What a loser.
A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE NOW OPPOSE IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL And this can't be good news to Democrats who really needed this to be a slam dunk.
PLEASE TELL ME AMERICANS ARE NOT THIS STUPID As to believe that Obama was a better President than Washington and Trump is a better President than Lincoln. Oh, it's not ALL Americans, just partisans from each party who are utterly ignorant of history.
GRETA THUNBERG IS PERSON OF THE YEAR According to Time Magazine. She joins the ranks of the person who won last year which was....uh...oh yeah, no one cares.