In his ongoing attempt to inject as much hostility as possible into the U.S. culture, paralleling the strategy that Trump himself has found so useful, Rush Limbaugh said on his show yesterday, “I actually think that we’re trending toward secession,  It can’t go on this way. There cannot be a peaceful coexistence of two completely different theories of life, theories of government, theories of how we manage our affairs. We can’t be in this dire a conflict without something giving somewhere along the way.”  Why not incite violence in an already hate-filled society? (more…)

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This raises an interesting question, if I can be pardoned for dabbling in gossip for a moment here.

Given a) the less-than-amorous relationship between Donald and Melania, b) his descent into lunacy, c) his removal from office, d) his exposure to criminal prosecution, and e) the spate of right-wing violence that is almost bound to take place as we approach and move past the inauguration, where will Melania go, and how will she be received when she gets there?

When my wife and I were in Slovenia last year, the people seemed proud that one of their own was the First Lady of the United States.  Will Trump’s humiliating post-election antics make any change there?

 

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From Historic Moments: This is known as one of medicine’s most incredible moments. In 1922, at the University of Toronto, scientists went to a hospital ward with children who were comatose and dying from diabetic keto-acidosis. Imagine a room full of parents sitting at the bedside waiting for the inevitable death of their child. The scientists went from bed to bed and injected the children with the new purified extract – insulin. As they began to inject the last comatose child, the first child injected began to awaken. One by one, all of the children awoke from their diabetic comas. A room of death and gloom, became a place of joy and hope. Thank You Dr. Banting and Dr. Best!

One hundred years later we have anti-maskers, antivaxxers, flat-Earthers, climate deniers, QAnoners, as well as believers in chemtrails, the “plandemic,” and the malice of people and things like Bill Gates, George Soros, fluoridated water, and the Clintons.

Are we headed the right way?  Hard to tell.

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An old friend sent me this piece on the Aptera, an EV “new” to the market and powered by the sun, asking for my comments.

A couple of things: (more…)

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Imagine the duck (goose?) here is American democracy.  Here’s how close it was to the end.

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Actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd says:  Just cracked Crystal Head Vodka’s newest vodka expression, Onyx to celebrate our 95 point rating from Anthony Dias Blue at Blue Lifestyle.  Bar chefs worldwide are loving this new spirit – the first commercially available agave based vodka ever.

Marketing Consultant Craig Shields responds:  Please tell these guys that branding an ethanol product, a chemical that kills 95,000 Americans annually, by selling it in a bottle shaped like a human skull, is by far the stupidest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen in the 39 years I’ve been working in this field.  Thank you.

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I bet this stuff is just flying off the shelves, given the 50% discount.

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Here, IMO, is one of the greatest pieces of thinking ever performed by a member of our species.

Yet I suppose all she’s really saying is that she’s an atheist; an omniscient and omnipotent being doesn’t “miss an opportunity.”

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In her decision to put a spear through yet one more frivolous lawsuit brought by the Trump campaign in an effort to overturn the election results, this one in Michigan, U.S. District Judge Linda Parker pointed out an ugly truth.   In rejecting the attempt, she wrote, “(the suit by six Michigan Republicans, represented by Sidney “Kraken” Powell) was more about the impact of their allegations on people’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government” than it was about actually winning. (more…)

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Insofar as our world needs more trees, it would be good if those celebrating Christmas bought live trees and planted them after the holidays.

It’s hard to overstate the satisfaction to be had in watching them grow.

Out here in California, I recommend redwoods, where one can expect 5 – 6 feet per year in growth, which can be maximized by digging a posthole 3 – 4 feet from the trunk, at least 3 feet deep, sinking a piece of 4″ PVC with perforations (see phot0), filling it with an organic fertilizer, and keeping it wet.

 

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