Dr. Oz used to sell useless weight loss pills on TV, in spite of how he was a qualified surgeon in times past. What is he doing now? Helping Trump and: Mehmet Oz, the former TV talk show host and heart surgeon known as “Dr. Oz” who now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, revealed that he works beneath a portrait of Donald Trump. Oz proudly displayed the painting, which he said is a replica of one that hangs at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
…………………………..
Dunno if any of you younger folks recall, but years ago there were a series of ads on TV that began by showing a guy in a white, doctor’s frock, and he said: “I’m not a real doctor, but I play one on TV.” Then he proceeded to tell you why you should buy some health product. It was not satire.
…………………………..
From MSNBC on Sept. 4th (re: our blowing up a boat in the Caribbean): The Trump administration is ramping up the tension, instead of toning it down. History shows how quickly moments like this can escalate. The Maine in 1898, U.S. troops in the Dominican Republic in 1965, Grenada in 1983, Panama in 1989 — each framed as defensive, each ending in military intervention. This week’s strike carries the same risk, wrapped in similar justifications. – History shows, for example, that the Maine blew up due to a coal explosion, all too common in those days (ships eventually switched to oil as a fuel), and not because Cuban or Spaniard terrorists did it. We went to war over it anyway.
(Gee, Gulf of Tonkin Vietnam, or Iraqi weapons of mass destruction?).
So, none of us likely care about this “narco boat” or its crew. But let’s say it happens again, a boat speeding away from Venezuela, and we blow it up, only to learn later that it was carrying refugees fleeing that country, including children. Okay, then?
………………………..
It’s difficult to know what to believe with all that Epstein stuff, but this I want to:
BREAKING: DOJ Deputy Chief Admits Government Will “Redact Every Republican” While “Leaving All the Liberal, Democratic People” on the Epstein Client List; Says Ghislaine Maxwell Was Moved to a Lower-Security Prison As “A Benefit… to Keep Her Mouth Shut” – Well, they have had a long time to get names out of the files . . . wait, did Hillary have anything to do with all this?!! She went to Trump’s wedding, after all.
………………………
Dad Joke:
Why can’t you trust stairs?
They’re always up to something.
……………………….
And no, it is not legal for Trump to rename the Dept. of Defense – Congress created it. And, yes, I think he will do it, or try, anyway. Vote Vets says the renaming will cost over one billion dollars.
………………………
From CNN: The price of electricity is rising faster than inflation and giving Americans sticker shock. It has a lot to do with the rise of power-sucking AI, which uses more energy than, say, a Google search. Some data centers require the same amount of power as 800,000 homes.
……………………..
The claim of more than one property as a primary residence has been the basis for Bill Pulte’s accusations against Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor Trump fired. First, there is no evidence of this, and:
Turns out that members of the wealthy Pulte family have done the same thing, as well as at least three members of Trump’s cabinet – that is, declare more than one home as a “primary residence.” Someone should tell them the meaning of “primary.” Or maybe it’s like John McCain, when he said that he didn’t know how many homes he owned (hint: he had his wife’s family money, for which he ditched his first wife and kids).
……………………….
I can believe this: There’s even a psychological phenomenon known as “euphoric recall,” which says we have a tendency to remember past experiences, especially negative ones, more positively than they actually were at the time. Is that like “the good ol’ days?”
…………………………
Trump is truly deranged: President Donald Trump posted a meme on social media Saturday saying that Chicago “will find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” as the city’s officials brace for an immigration crackdown. “I love the smell of deportations in the morning … (a ‘quote’ from the movie Apocalypse Now) Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” the post reads.
…………………………….
What does gun violence cost us? One estimate here: Ted Miller, an economist with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, says that when accounting for much broader direct and indirect societal costs, gun violence costs an astonishing $557 billion a year.
…………………………….
Useless fact for today: Humans stand alone as the only mammals that drink the milk of another mammalian species. – I guess they mean on purpose? Can’t you feed, say, a kitten, some goat’s milk?
……………………………
And more from SCOTUS: Chief Justice John Roberts has let Trump remove a member of Federal Trade Commission, the latest in string of high-profile firings allowed for now at the Supreme Court. And: Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for President Trump’s administration to resume sweeping immigration enforcement stops (i.e., not for any cause, just “because” or with racial profiling) in the Los Angeles area for now as part of the president’s campaign to carry out mass deportations of people in the U.S. unlawfully. — See why I worry about the S. Court?
…………………………….
Good news if you like coffee, from Interestingfacts: Researchers have found that people who drink moderate amounts of coffee — about two to five cups — have lower risks of developing Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and some cancers. Both regular and decaf coffee offer these perks; it’s not the caffeine that helps, but likely the polyphenols, a plant compound found in coffee that works as an antioxidant.
……………………….
I thought this was a joke when I first read it: Approximately 37% of dog owners believe vaccination can lead to autism in their pets, which is unequivocally false. – Gee, I wonder how many of these folks are Trumpers?
………………………
Ok, you know that The Star-Spangled Banner was originally a poem – do you know its original title?
A: “The Defence of Fort M’Henry”.
………………………….
You don’t need to be a Constitutional expert to know that this is wrong: Chief Justice John Roberts is letting the Trump administration withhold $4 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid funds. – Trump always acts like the government funds are his to use how he sees fit (see “I’ll do whatever I want!” Trump quote). The problem is him getting away with it, and Congress, controlled by the R’s, surrendering more power.
……………………
Too bizarre to make up Dept.: New Zealand’s police say they will investigate how a father vanished into forest with his three children for approximately four years without detection, even as law enforcement expanded a search for them. – The kids, now 9,10 and 12, were rescued, but the dad was shot dead by police.
……………………
The Charlie Kirk killing. Terrible. Like many others. Like the Dem woman legislator who was killed in her home, as well as her husband. No outrage then, though.
Ah, and it’s the rhetoric? Lessee, like Steve Bannon saying “we are at war now?” Like that?
And no outrage over how easy it is to get a high-powered rifle like the one used . . .
…………………….
Sometime in the past, someone must have explained to Trump what “divide and conquer” means, because that is what it seems his goal is. And it is working with too many people. Even pitting rural vs. urban Americans. Cities are bad, doncha know.
……………………….
All for now — bye . . .
All take care,
Kevin
Blog: If I understand this 
You must be logged in to post a comment.