Good morning everybody.
I was asked to give the Good News Round-up a shot, which is amusing seeing that I am really a depressed angry cynic masquerading as a positive, happy go lucky guy. Oh well, here goes. Brace yourself.
The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
-Albert Einstien
Russia, yeah, those guys…
Mr. Mueller, Please proceed.
Van der Zwaan—the son-in-law of Russian oligarch German Khan, who is suing BuzzFeed News over its publication of the Trump-Russia dossier—pleaded guilty in February to lying to the special counsel. According to the sentencing motion filed Tuesday, van der Zwaan’s lies “were material” to the special counsel’s investigation, and directly involved communications with Gates and “Person A,” a former GRU officer.
“That Gates and Person A were directly communicating in September and October 2016 was pertinent to the investigation,” the special counsel argued in its sentencing memo. ”Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agents assisting the Special Counsel’s Office assess that Person A has ties to a Russian intelligence service and had such ties in 2016.”
I guess they really thought none of these things would ever see daylight. I hope Gates has bodyguards.
The special counsel says Rick Gates was "directly communicating" with a former GRU officer in the fall of 2016.
According to Mueller’s office, Rick Gates — a longtime associate of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort — was “directly communicating” with a “Person A” who Gates identified to associates as “a former Russian Intelligence Officer with the GRU.” Those contacts occurred “in September and October 2016” and are “pertinent to the investigation.”
Well this seems wildly important. This ties it all together even more, they’ve got proof of conspiracy RIGHT HERE!!!
YeeHaaaa!!!
Democrats keeping the heat on Cambridge Analytica
according to an information request by two House Democrats, data firm Cambridge Analytica may have broken American law when working for the Trump presidential campaign in 2016.
Yea! Go Dems!
Uh-oh Cadet Bonespurs is havin trouble lawyerin up.
On Monday, I bumped into GOP super-lawyer Ted Olson. Last week, the Washington Post reported that Trump’s legal crew had asked Olson if he would join its ranks. His law firm quickly shot down the possibility of Olson riding to Trump’s rescue, noting that there were too many potential conflicts of interest. Then attention turned toward Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, lawyers and conservative Fox-favorite conspiracy theorists who are former Justice Department officials. It was announced that they would be joining Team Trump. Two days later they were un-announced.
Preet Bharara explains; "The simplest reason is he’s a terrible boss, he’s a terrible client"
(Video included)
When republican attorneys who represent (literally represent!) the gop/corporate interest over the interests of our people and common good, when those amoral attorneys will not take your case, you may have a real problem, donnie. lol!
Is Donald Trump Gonna Wind Up With A Public Defender?
Donald Trump has the best lawyers! Like, so many lawyers want to represent him, you do not even know. Right now he has this awesome new lawyer who went to the best school and looks just like Ivanka! Unfortunately, she lives in Canada and is shy, so you won’t be able to meet her. But don’t worry, ’cause she totally exists and soon she’ll prove that this whole Russia thing is a WITCH HUNT!
This is a hilarious take from Wonkette. I'm not even going to attempt to compete with their snark.
Speaking of attorneys, looks like recently departed Dowd may be liable for obstruction too, color me surprised.
Dowd, who quit last week, reportedly raised the possibility of pardoning former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
“Does it suggest any legal exposure for Mr. Dowd?” anchor Nicolle Wallace asked. “Could he be someone who is now of interest to the special counsel? Would they be interested in knowing if he was dangling these potential pardons in front of known witnesses … Does Mr. Dowd have anything to worry about legally?”
Wonkette does not disappoint with their analysis on this.
Why I just cant believe my lying eyes, no one in this administration would obstruct justice, its simply not possible they want only whats best for our country. Bless their hearts.
Oh My!!! Poor poor Julian Assange, sentenced to a fate worse than death!
Ecuador has cut Julian Assange’s communications with the outside world from its London embassy, where the founder of the whistleblowing WikiLeaks website has been living for nearly six years.
The Ecuadorian government said in statement that it had acted because Assange had breached “a written commitment made to the government at the end of 2017 not to issue messages that might interfere with other states”.
Hope they have him on suicide watch, I want him alive for Mueller to question and then imprison.
Maddow on Bolton; He’s already found himself in legal hot water.
Bolton’s PAC, which was also funded by Republican megadonor Robert Mercer alongside Cambridge Analytica, is a small piece of the story surrounding the British group’s involvement in American politics. Because they receive so much money from the Mercers, Maddow explained, they can charge relatively little for their services — thus making the case that their data work for American campaigns counts as in-kind donations from a foreign-based entity.
Oh nooooz not John Bolton too? Obliviously this is just more liberalz libelz...
(now with nutritious video)
-intermission-
-intermission is over now, please return to your seats-
The right wing thinks they are invisible. (newsflash they're not)
Brother of slain DNC staffer Seth Rich sues right-wing activists, newspaper over conspiracy theories
The 62-page lawsuit was filed nearly two weeks after Seth Rich’s parents sued Fox News and Butowsky over a retracted story that touted a conspiracy theory about their son’s death, claiming the network “intentionally exploited” the tragedy for political purposes.
Removing the cloak of invisibility is fun. It doesn't just expose the rightwing’s criminally, it exposes their hubris, ignorance, and selfishness. We see you, and we are coming for ya.
NYT columnist Charles Blow explains exactly how fake attack on Parkland’s Emma Gonzalez is a ‘big backfire’
The Times columnist suggested that young activists are able to easily see through dirty tricks like doctored images.
“What you’re doing when you’re doing false images of people who literally spend all day doctoring images and putting Facebook filters on things, they can spot a fake image a mile away — much better than we old people can,” Blow noted. “So it just makes your argument feel much more hollow, that you don’t have anything real to say, so you’re going to the fake stuff.”
I think that these guys are so out of touch with reality that they really believe they can pull one over on the kids that grew up on the internet (bwahahahaha). I bet those kids will just keep their mouths shut about all those fakery shenanigans too? Right? Am I right or what? I guess you can never misunderestimate the shortsightedness of today's so called “values” conservatives. Peek-a-boo we see you!
What have we here? More unintentional transparency.
The National Rifle Association acknowledged that it accepts foreign donations but says it does not use them for election work — even as federal investigators look into the role the NRA might have played in Russia's attack on the 2016 election.
-snip
While the NRA claims it does not receive foreign money for election purposes, the movement of its money among accounts could make it difficult, if not impossible, to track how the money is spent since it is not isolated or sequestered.
The NRA has a variety of accounts, and the NRA Political Victory Fund is its official political action committee and must report all of its spending to the Federal Election Commission.
I hope it takes them down.
Peak-a-boo NRA.
May we have some forced transparency too? Yes, why yes we may!
A lawyer for Stormy Daniels has requested in federal court to take a deposition from Donald Trump, in a legal battle over an agreement to keep the porn star quiet about her allegation that they had a sexual relationship.
Attorney Michael Avenatti also asked to depose the president’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, whom Daniels is suing for defamation, a motion filed in US district court in the central district of California showed on Wednesday.
More on this from CBS legal analyst Rikki Klieman (Watch here)
OMG this is gonna be so fun! *rump under oath, its the umpossible oxymoron.
Trump Loses First Skirmish in Suit Over D.C. Hotel Profits
President Donald Trump will have to contend for now with a lawsuit brought by the District of Columbia and Maryland claiming he’s improperly profiting from his posh downtown Washington hotel.
Lord Dampnut just cant catch a break… Sad.
Other things that seem good.
#BestSchoolDay 2018: Every Project Funded!
DonorsChoose.org
We make it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.
Wonkette's take is lovely as usual.
About DonorsChoose.org from the horses mouth.
I love these guys and I only just met them. There are so many thoughtful and caring people in the world.
Study: wind and solar can power most of the United States
Some people doubt how much wind and solar can supply to a country’s electricity grid. This is a particularly challenging question to answer in part because both solar power and wind power fluctuate in both space and time. We all know solar panels work well during the day, when the sun shines – they don’t work so well at night. And wind turbines only send electrons when the wind is blowing.
Fortunately, these two sources of energy fluctuate in ways that complement each other. For instance, solar power generation is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. Wind power is greatest in the spring and fall. Wind turbines work at night when solar panels are dormant. So, can these complementing variations help balance out the power that the two technologies can provide?
File that under things that you have always known. Still its good news because it is a major study and that helps empower the message of feasibility and sustainability for communities in peoples minds.
Side note; With the hacking of our electrical grid its clear that a solar wind combo allows a decentralized grid that is less vulnerable to attack.
Heck call your wingnut, gun loving, security hawk of a congress critter RIGHT NOW and complain that he/she is weak on national security.
Big Auto Freaks Out as Tesla Model 3 Deliveries for Q1 Track Toward 8,000 to 10,000
Robert Scribbler’s Blog.
During the fourth quarter of 2017, Tesla’s factories pumped out a record number of electrical vehicles. In total, it delivered 29,870 zero tailpipe emissions cars. These included 15,200 Model S, 13,120 Model X, and 1,550 of the new Model 3s. This was the highest production quarter for Tesla and it was enough to propel its total sales for the year to over 101,000.
This is great news. The more quickly we move towards a sustainable society the more secure we are individually and as a whole. e pluribus unum.
#Peoplescarbontax: Judge acquits Pipeline Protesters on Moral Grounds
Peter Sinclair’s Blog.
Independent:
More than a dozen protesters who clambered into holes dug for a high pressure gas pipeline said they had been found not responsible by a judge after hearing them argue their actions to try and stop climate change were a legal “necessity”.
This verdict makes me happy.
Parents are signing contracts promising their children they’ll vote for pro-gun control candidates
A new website is giving parents the chance to sign a contract with their children to help vote in lawmakers who advocate for commonsense gun control measures.
You can download a contract from the Parents Promise to Kids website here.
It is impossible to win an argument with kids that's about their desire to avoid getting shot. Its like arguing they should go play on the freeway.
Some Sacramentans say they've heard the teens from Parkland, Florida, and are similarly determined Clark's death lead to change.
SACRAMENTO — They didn’t know Stephon Clark, but they came anyway Wednesday from all around this capital city, and parts beyond. They came because they said the 22-year-old could have been their brother, or son or grandson and they wanted to try to make sure that the way he died — unarmed and innocent, as far as they could tell — will never happen again.
We are only going to get louder. Listen up, or we vote you out.
Once he was at the microphone, Clark repeatedly asked the audience, "Do you love me?" to shouts of "Yes!"
"If you really love me ...," he said before stopping for a moment. Then: "My brother just got shot."
"The mayor and the city of Sacramento have failed, you hear me?" Clark continued.
More on this; California AG Launches Investigation Into Stephon Clark Shooting
Like parkland, a tragedy, but in both communities people are now (more than ever) standing up and standing tall together, that is good news.
New York to lead states in suing over citizenship question on census
New York will lead a coalition of Democratic states in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 US census.Go
Mother Jones's take.
Go Schneiderman, give em hell.
This is so cool. These homes cost about 4K, sign me up.
With conventional building techniques, erecting a simple home can take months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. But New Story co-founder Matthew Marshall told NBC News MACH in an email that with help from a giant 3D printer called “The Vulcan,” a basic three-room, one-story concrete home can be built in a single day — and for a cost of only $4,000.
Ok ok Ill wait till all the homeless have a home, but then sign me up…
EXTRA EXTRA
-Shower Cap's Blog from Monday just in case you missed it.-
Though the Cap covers the good, bad, and, the ugly, he writes in such a way that incites laughter in many. Only the best snark at his blog. -Warning- he does address bad news but, I bet he will make ya laugh the whole way through. Laughter is the antidote to the Orange Von Assclown.
(That may be the answer, we all just show up at the White House and have a laugh in.)
Its a privilege to dairy good news for you.
One thing about the good news that is strange to me is prospective. I mean we all agree (or I hope we do) the #metoo and #neveragain movements are f-—ing awesome. Sadly bad stuff is what ignited people to take action in both cases. That is the paradox. If there had been no Parkland shooting to ignite the #neveragain movement then what?
Oops, I think I just broke my brain.
The key IMHO is warding off complacency so people can remain “woke”. The million dollar question (using Parkland as one example) is how do you keep people awake WITHOUT it costing 17 lost lives?
This is my first “real” diary, at least one that is more than a few words long. First time Ive played with the formatting tools to this extent too. I hope you like. I’m always open to feedback, nameste.
Have a beautiful day,
-WWAM
P.S. This;