Mills out, Platner on glide path to the Senate?

I'm happy to see where Mills has pulled out of the Maine race. Maybe I'm over-optimistic, but is sure looks like Platner has a clear path to win against the old lady. Do we have real prospects for 52 Democrats? (Fetterman might as well switch parties at this point... maybe he even will). It's hard to be optimistic about national politics at all, but a majority in the Senate willing to ditch the filibuster could really change things, and at the very least we could have two years of nonstop investigation and revelations of Trump regime corruption. 

 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but 1/137, known as the fine structure constant, α (alpha), a pure, dimensionless number equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles (which is essentially everything we actually see and feel):

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

Why it has this value, very close to the ratio of two integers, and not some other arbitrary value, is a cosmic mystery. 

LBJ's remarks on signing the Voting Right Act in 1965

This is so sad. I honestly cannot imagine ANY of our current politicians saying this, And where is this high purpose in the Democratic Party today? Sure, some of us, but does Schumer or Jeffries talk like this, and are they working on legislation of such import... for when they will have the ability to get it done... which it looks like might actually be happening? We will not reform fascism out of existence unless we can regain this sense of purpose. (And sure, LBJ probably didn't write this and confounded these words himself many times, but that's not the point). 

But what is really sad is that I don't think Johnson could even have imagined that sixty years later the Supreme Court would be voting the last tatters of this reform out of existence as part of a Christofascist agenda that was considered fringe loony in those days. 

 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but 1/137, known as the fine structure constant, α (alpha), a pure, dimensionless number equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles (which is essentially everything we actually see and feel):

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

Why it has this value, very close to the ratio of two integers, and not some other arbitrary value, is a cosmic mystery. 

Hilsrious if not so fascistic

Irrelevant fact: I am no fan of James Comey. Pertinent observation: That the DOJ, after supposedly "investigating" for almost a year, sought and obtained a grand jury indictment against Comey for publilshing a photo of seashells arranged to read "86 47" would be absolutely hilarious if it weren't so fascistic. This is not malpractice. It's  malicious prosecution in gross violation of prosecutors' oaths of office. Obviously the giant toddler demanded some more official harrassment of someone who embarassed him and hurt his oh-so-fragile ego. 

 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but 1/137, known as the fine structure constant, α (alpha), a pure, dimensionless number equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles (which is essentially everything we actually see and feel):

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

Why it has this value, very close to the ratio of two integers, and not some other arbitrary value, is a cosmic mystery. 

Ballroom has NOTHING to do with security

That anyone, MAGA or not, believes 1) the Trump hogwash that the so called Ballroom has anything to do with security; 2) the Trump hogwash that somehow whatever security needs to be restored to the East Wing area after, in usual Trump fashion, he destoryed the former status quo, which was fine; are somehow inseparable from the above ground project; 3) that Trump will not venture out into other "insecure" venues once the East Wing bunker is in place anyway; and/or 4) that there is any rationale for why this issue couldn't be simply brought up in Congress and voted up or down.... just boggles the mind. 

Fortunately, I think common sense will prevail here. Dems and sensible Republicans can say, "Congress will, of course, vote to ensure the security the president. A 90,000 square foot ballroom is an entirely separate matter, and if they want that built, let them put it before Congress as a proposal and we, the peoples' representatives, will decide what to do. That's the way the Constitutional system is supposed to work."

 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but the fine structure constant, α (alpha), equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles:

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

MAGA is toast

On some level most people actually understand Rick Wilson's comment that Biden "had an externality... the pandemic... that explained inflation and high cost of living. Trump has made it worse, but in his case it was a choice."  Harris had this anchor around her neck, made some of her own mistakes, and was in an almost imossible position in terms of timing (not to mention that being a woman probably costs at least 5%, no matter what). But Trump is seen as having chosen to fuck everything up. There is no coming back from this. November will be a wipeout for MAGA. I am increasingly hopeful that we will take the Senate back, despite one of the worst Senate maps in decades. 

 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but the fine structure constant, α (alpha), equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles:

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to John Adams, (after both had left office), 1816

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but the fine structure constant, α (alpha), equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles:

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

Trump Jesus goes viral

This you gotta see

https://youtu.be/tMiZpH3ncEA

 

  

.....

"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but the fine structure constant, α (alpha), equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles:

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

Great images from the Artemis mission

This is absolutely great. Do not miss. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaXRREHVkHo&list=TLPQMTEwNDIwMjZZfHEjnvqL-g&index=2 

 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but the fine structure constant, α (alpha), equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles:

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

We can't be the party of patronizers

It occurs to me that complacency, patronizing and condesenscion  among Democrats in the mediasphere, especially when it borders on or even crosses into smugness, might actually drive away some voters. Especially in places like Arizona, Montana, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, even Maine... where lots of people are realizing that MAGA has screwed them but they don't like the attitude of traditional "wiser than thou" Democrats either. I agree with those who say we need new leadership, especially in the Senate, but we also need to recognize that for the present the Democratic Party just is the only party that actually stands for American ideals, and it needs to act like it. Not by compromising principles, but by communicating straightforwardly the things it stands for: restoration of honest government responsive to the people, real work on the economy for real people, funding the necessary changes to provide health care, job growth, energy inftrastructure, etc. through fair taxes, having an honest immigration policy that enforces fair laws but doesn't demonize immigrants, and perhaps most important, ending corruption. Emphasizing fairness rather than "tax the rich" which has never worked well with traditional conservatives. But the reality is that, issue for issue, Democrats stand for traditional American values much better than the MAGA party, and it's fairly easy to stick to those points. More abstruse "saving (and reforming) democracy" ideas and ideas for Constitutional reform are important, but they have to be brought in at the right time. And every conceivable effort to avoid the "I told you so" "Maghats are so dumb" attitudes will be absolutely crucial. 

 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything isn't 42 (Sorry, Douglas Adams), but the fine structure constant, α (alpha), equal to the proportional strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles:

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137.0

Narrowing the field in California... urgent

I'm guessing Katie Porter, whom I used to admire, will be too selfish to pull out of the gubernatorial race she can't possibly win, but the Democrats in California need to get their act together and narrow the field or the stupid runoff system is likely to give solid blue California a Maghat governor, which would be insane.  And regardless of the outcome, this stupid system needs to be reformed tout de suite.

Face saving surrender

It seems blatantly obvious that Trump is suing for a face-saving surrender in his idiotic war against Iran. Who gained? Insider traders, with information on Trump's communications. Think about it. This man and his family are not just grifters and deeply crooked people who care and know nothing about our culture and civilization, they're traitors. Full stop, no hyperbole. My country has its most dangerous internal enemies in its history in sharge of the place. We will survive this, I truly believe, but to pretend we won't have lost, irretrievably, a very great deal is just magical thinking. 

Blanche

I would venture to say that there is no intention to try to appoint Blanche as AG permanently. Even in this topsy turvy world, openly declaring that you have no intention of operating the DOJ or FBI with respect for the facts and the law without fear or favor (where did I hear that phrase... oh yeah... the oath of their fucking office).... will ensure you cannot be approved by the Senate. Surely! ..... surely?.... oh, never mind. 

   

Casting off the tryant at long last

I admit I did not sit through Trump's speech on the war. I simply saw no reason to subject myself to it. But from the clips I saw, and the reaction of not only the usual "influencers" but former military leaders, historians, and other public figures speaking almost unanimously, we are in a real pickle here. We have a madman, with seriously diminished capacity and a capacious narcissistic ego incapable of recognizing its own incapacity to actually reason, who has, without any real planning, strategy or understanding, committed us to a war with no viable objectives, no plan to achieve them, and a whole raft of serious detrimental consequences to our country and the whole world. We cannot plausibly hope to return to anything halfway as good as the status quo ante... our best hope is that the Mad King will grow bored, cut and run, and leave us with enough of the momentum of our postwar power and industrial and scientific capacity that we can eventually recover. 

If it is not obvious to any given person by now that this foolish old tryant must be removed from office as soon as possible, such person is almost certainly enthralled to the corrupt machine that is this regime. No person of normal perception and intelligence not corrupted by venal motives can fail to recognize that this man is completely unqualified to continue in office. I say this without the slightest shred of hyperbole. 

I flatter myself that I recognized this man as a rotten hearted grifter virtually the moment I ever saw him in the media for the first time, which must have been around 1992. That our country would be virtually destroyed by this man, I admit I could not then have imagined. Some of us never fell for his scams, but we must unite with everyone now ready to cast him off, even if they had formerly been his sycophants. Only by uniting with all who share this common interest do we have any hope of achieving this aim. 

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End the regime!

If speculation that Trump intends to announce a withdrawal from NATO as part of his war rant tonight, all I can say is the following. The president cannot legally unilaterally withdraw our country from Senate ratified treaty obligations. Just as the president cannot legally involve the United States in war without Congressional action. If Trump continues with that, and compounds it with completely unauthorized abrogation of the most successful and important treaty mutual defense organization in history, then the imperative to impeach and remove this madman will have maxed out. We must organize, take to the streets, and demand the END of this insane regime, now. No mealy mouthed "compromise." Impeach and remove now. 

  

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"The answer" to life, the universe & everything... (No, it's not 42, but it is a dimensionless real number): α (alpha), equal to the strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles:

α = ⁠e²4πε₀ħc ⁠≅ 1/137

where 
e is the elementary charge (~1.602×10⁻¹⁹ C);
h is the Planck constant (~6.626×10⁻³⁴ J⋅Hz⁻¹);
ℏ is the reduced Planck constant, ⁠(h/2π⁠ (~1.055×10⁻³⁴ J⋅s);
c is the speed of light in a vacuum(~300Km⋅s⁻¹);
ε₀ is the electrical permittivity of space (~8.854×10⁻¹² F⋅m⁻¹).
As far as anyone knows, having no reason to suspect otherwise, this is and always has been and always will be true everywhere in the universe, but no one really knows why, if there is a why, this number has the value it does. 

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