Trump Won't Divide Us

Click here to support Is this the end of the road?! organized by Mikeal Allen

gofundme.com I've been homeless for just over three months now, living in a 94 square foot "cottage" that has no insulation, no electricity and a simple wood burning stove for heat that I also use for "cooking." (My meals have been beans, grilled cheese sandwiches and hot dogs since the first of August!) On...

In reading various accounts of the services in both Arizona and Washington honoring the memory if the late Senator John McCain, I'm touched most by the tributes and eulogies by men and women that held fundamentally opposite views than his but who still came to a place of common ground. It occurred to me finally that the trait so prevailing in his memorials and so lacking in the Trump administration is simply this: RESPECT.

Presidential Report Card

quibblo.com So how do you think the President is doing? Be honest and give credit where credit might be due. Take this survey! Do you think Special Council Robert Mueller's investigation into President Trump's 2016 campaign will result in a finding of... All things considered, would you say President Trump is.....

Trump Told Friends ‘You All Just Got a Lot Richer’ From Tax Bill: Report

I do generally find the reportng on Huffington Post to be credible, well-sourced and overwhelmingly believable. I also find it take no stretch of the imagination whatsoever to envision the President, after swearing for more than a year his tax plan would be so harsh on his wealthy peers, would then boast about making them richer. He must feel so witty and clever, having "pulled one over" on the working stiffs yet again...that he does it whilst spending the holiday in the middle of his "luxury" "resort" where memberships will set you back $200,000, just makes him look even slimier than he did last week....or the week before that....or the week....well, you get it.

huffingtonpost.com He made the comment at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to CBS News.

Trump’s Dutch ambassador confronted with clip of him talking ‘no-go zones’ after calling quote ‘fake news’

Sadly, this just typifies the inherent danger to the very integrity of our Republic when an elected leader such as President Trump repeatedly labels indisputable TRUTHS as "Fake News." In so many ways it reminds me of the antics of the average 4 year old child caught with one hand in the cookie jar, the other hand holding a half-eaten cookie, his cheeks looking like those of a chipmunk because they're so stuffed with cookie goodness. Still, he stares back at mom, eyebrows raised to emphasize his innocence, a literal spray of cookie crumbs spewing from his mouth as he tries to say, "I fifn't eaf any foofkies! I pwomiff!" Unfortunately, our elected President is not a 4-year old child and his "antics" are inflicting damage upon our country and its place in the world; damage that will take years to repair. (Assuming his tantrums haven't by then gotten us all blown off the face of the map!)

thehill.com The U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands pushed back against a Dutch news station for confronting him with past statements he made about “no-go zones" in the country, calling it “fake news.”

Democrats Stage Filibuster As GOP Plans To Go Nuclear

As Democrats stand united this morning in Washington, holding strong to their convictions and honoring that decidedly American political tactic of Filibustering, the GOP Majority is calmly taking aim at a few mere words of our English language that, when the dust settles this weekend will have been re-arranged or replaced in what amounts to a wholly partisan effort to do what we all were taught in our Kindergarten year that we, as civilized humanity simply could not do: The Republicans in their efforts to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch to the vacant seat on the bench of the United States Supreme Court over the objections of what has almost always been a number of “Nay” votes too great to allow the confirmation to take place and instead just change the rules midstream and confirm President Trump’s pick for the High Court with a simple 51% majority. A travesty so huge that it directly contradicts the very clear blueprints left for us by our Founding Fathers. Those noble and honorable men that understood such a choice--especially given their broad-reaching powers over the American Life we live and over just a potentially long period of time, was not something by which a simply 50% majority would suffice but rather a full 2/3 of the representatives elected by us all to protect and serve our best interests against any single party and the views they hold so contrary to the other.

And as if this controversy wasn’t already so evenly split down the middle of the aisle, it’s said that Vice President Pence is expected to be the tie-breaking vote in the end which means, now stay with me here and really think about the gravity of what I’m saying....it means that essentially out of the millions of hard working, culturally, economically and spiritually diverse Americans that proudly call this Country our own will have 1/9th of the final say in the laws by which we live decided by the choice--the single vote on ONE SINGLE MAN.

I can’t be the only one who is not okay with this. Let us hear your thoughts with your comments below...

Stephen King on Donald Trump: ‘How do such men rise? First as a joke’

I've never been a huge Stephen King fan. I admit, however, this opinion is possibly based mostly on the three and a half weeks I spend when I was 12 sleeping with the lights on and a fear of clowns that lives on to this very day! Nonetheless, as I was intrigued when I noticed this article in The Guardian and gave it a read and found it delightfully insightful even if it is a work of fiction. His character development is superb and it didn't take long before I was able to forget that I was reading the comments of his imaginary panel of respondents and not reading the transcripts of any of the hundreds of focus groups I've facilitated over the years. Of particular interest, I might add, is how this cast of imaginary Americans expressing their theoretical reasons for having voted for President Trump really makes me stop and re-assess the assumptions I tend to make about the President's supporters, but also those of us who supported Mrs. Clinton and some of the things we might have done differently had we known there was even a chance of Mr. Trump having an opportunity to walk through the doors of the most respected office in the land.

Do I think this new compassion for the albeit imaginary Trump Supporter will change my opinion of the man, his character or the job he is doing? Of course not. I tend to make those assessments based on things I know to be factual and wherever possible have seen for myself. Many of the theories Mr. King puts forth in this piece ring true and I hope other readers will use the "insight" in future election cycles as they're campaigning for whichever side they support. Mudslinging, dishonorable campaigns are something we all need to finally stand up against and no longer allow. This was not the first election in which the lies that were tossed about were ultimately held as truths by enough people to affect a vote but we--all of us whether Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Independent, Tea Party or the Undecided--we AMERICANS have the power and the integrity to demand that it NEVER be allowed to happen again.

theguardian.com He’s written novels with eerily similar plotlines – but how did Trump become president? The only way to find out: inject a panel of fictional voters with truth serum...

U.S. House sanctions killing hibernating bears, wolf pups in their dens on federal refuges in Alaska · A Humane Nation

This is truly egregious treatment of wildlife that WE THE PEOPLE would expect to be fully protecting in the SANCTUARY of a FEDERAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. PLEASE contact your senators IMMEDIATELY to urge them NOT to allow this to happen!

blog.humanesociety.org What the U.S. House of Representatives did today – actually a very narrow majority of the House – was shameful. Cruel. Callous. Venal. The vote in favor of H.J. Resolution 69, authored by Alaska’s Rep. Don Young, was 225 to 193. Those 225 members voted to overturn a federal rule – years in the works...

Trump’s faux-pas diplomacy

I foolishly hoped that if I took a day away from the Trump Train, Bannon, Spicey-Cons-us-all Three Ring Circus for a full 24-hours I might decompress. I might even find upon my return that perhaps I was just being too critical, too dramatic in my assessments of the foolishness of this man and his embarassing levels of incompetence and egomaniacal fits of narcissistic blunders. I truly hoped it was my own flair for the dramatic and I'd come back to my newsfeeds and discover nothing was nearly as bad as I had convinced myself. Well, hope springs eternal! I was wrong in my assessments, this is looking to be a certainty--but I was wrong in that he is far worse, far more a laughingstock than I thought possible. With a singular ability to be the exact person we all thought he was from the beginning, he is offending allies we are sure to need sooner than later and this puts the entire country in grave danger of the very terror attacks he claims to be attempting to thwart. Most frightening is that sociopaths and psychotics alike tend to truly believe their own nonsense and soon can no longer remember which was truth and which was manufactured to cover a lie or a crime. Soon Tricky Dick will pale in comparison to the damage and disgrace Trolling Trump will have brought upon us all.

politi.co The State Department is struggling to contain the fallout as Trump goes off topic in calls with foreign leaders.

You Voted for Donald Trump

Save for my periodic episodes of creativity and sarcasm which often result in an almost-humorous meme or two, I really have no intent of this page or our website as being the source of side-splitting bellylaughs. Still, I can't see the following meeting with anything less than just that. It's from a site whose content truly IS the epitome of Real Fake News. Or is that Actual Fake "Real" News. Alternative facts posing as real news yet nothing BUT fake news? Oh, for crying out loud, it's one of those sites not even convincingly dressed up as a "News" site yet also one that seems to be quoted with alarming frequency. Whatever it's calling itself, whatever it claims to report, yes, whatever shade this pig's lipstick might be, it's just trash. Think "Tabloid under the Enquirer" You know--the one that has photos of 7 headed farm animals, proof of aliens at long last, of regular interviews with Elvis (from his island home shared with Ann Margaret, donchaknow.)

I hesitate to use its name just on the off chance someone could end up there thinking it's genuine journalism, but on the other hand, it's my duty to warn you all! It's called "BEFORE it's NEWS" I guess implying the content they serve is SO up-to-the-minutes, it hasn't actually happened yet? (Only a guess, mind you, as I"ve not read their mission statement!) Anyway, into my mailbox this morning came their weekly (or maybe it's daily) newsletter--an email that gives me a good 3 seconds of laughter as I scan the day's "headlines" before sending it to Spam-Heaven forever. Today, however, I had to do it...I was compelled to click on just one teaser, risking hours of distraction as I clicked on more with each page I read--not believing a single word, of course, but as riveted to the fodder as my dear departed mother once was to Supermarket Tabloid stories promising undisputable proof of the Lochness Monster and LuckyLotto Numbers that were Psychic-Certified to be WINNERS!

What was it, you wonder, that finally took me from condescending amusement to being an actual click-through? What headline grabbed my attention and my bandwidth? Here ya' go...

(BTW, I've painstakingly recreated this entire "news" item from scratch, removing all live links etc, hopefully rendering it less dangerous to curiosity seekers, disbelievers and/or crackpots thinking they've found the replacement for all the Fake News on CNN) NOTE: I am unsure at time of publication whether the link at the bottom of the story, literally BEGGING readers to donate to "The Common Sense" show is tongue-in-cheek or not. I'm afraid if I were pressed for my best guess, I would venture to say it's sadly, "real," (But still inherently fake or alternative...damn that Kellyanne Conway!)

Timeline Photos

Our so-called leader, Mr. Trump is seriously calling into question the very safety of WE THE PEOPLE and the great nation we call home. More and more it is becoming clear why someone with ZERO experience in politics, diplomacy or compassion should not be allowed to govern a rural school board, much less be considered the "Leader" of the Free World. His actions are drawing grave criticism from both sides of the aisle and it is time to contact your representatives in both the Senate and the House and let them know you are outraged by the danger Mr. Trump is putting our freedom in. The only realistic way to protect ourselves in the short-term is for my representatives and yours to recognize the gravity of this situation, and begin a bipartisan effort to BLOCK his INSANITY ANY FURTHER! I am not a and I agree with almost nothing the stand for, I am, however for their help and cooperation in a UNIFIED effort to say loud and clead

http://tinyurl.com/trumpinsanity

Inquirer Editorial: Trump's first days resemble those of a dictator

Finally! We are starting to say the things we are all thinking and let's face it: SEEING. This editorial from the Philadelphia Enquirer says all the things that people and politicians and many journalists have been thinking and even implying. The scary part? This was apparently written before the shameful and UNCONSTITUTIONAL treatment of refugees began, and PRIOR to the last of the Career Professionals having been replaced on the National Security Council with more Trump Cronies willing to support whatever he wants without regard to ACTUAL facts or any other opposing opinions being expressed. What better way than to surround yourself with yes-men is there to eliminate the voice of reason when you're getting ready to hit the button on the USA's nuclear arsenal? Please, like our page and watch for updates this week with sample letters, emails and faxes you can send with only a few clicks to the people in Washington that are there to represent YOU and your viewpoints.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20170126_Inquirer_Editorial__Trump_s_first_days_resemble_those_of_a_dictator.html

philly.com President Trump has shown a keen obsession with TV ratings and crowd size. But during his visit to Philadelphia today, it is fervently hoped that he will pay attention to the expected thousands of protesters who fear he is undermining the democratic process and threatening his own presidency.

Trump Won't Divide Us's cover photo

Trump Won't Divide Us