I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Linkee-poo, standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams, telling myself it's not as hard as it seems

Stephen King's PBS Book View interview at the 2016 National Book Festival. Also, there's a PBS Book View? Good advice on outlining versus panting (hint, most people do a combination), and where stories come from. (Grokked from Wesley Chu)

"Dus believes a diet high in sugar actually changes the brain, so it no longer does a good job of knowing how many calories the body is taking in. She thinks there are persistent molecular changes in the brain over time – changes that pave the way for excessive eating and eventually, obesity." I, for one, know if I break my "diet" and start including sugary foods I crave more sugary foods. If I don't break my diet, I'm good. But that first one leads to wanting more.

PSA, if you're hauling a trailer, know proper weight distribution. And if it needs to be uneven, put the heavier weight near the latch (also why most trailer designs suck).

"The world’s richest university sits on a $35 billion endowment, and the people who serve its students breakfast are asking for $35,000 a year." And a better healthcare plan. (Grokked from Kelly Link)

"Don Blankenship declared himself an 'American political prisoner'… blaming others for the 2010 mine explosion that killed 29 men and landed the former West Virginia coal operator in federal prison." Dear Don, political prisoners don't get 1 year in minimum security, they get life in solitary. Suck it up, buttercup, at least they didn't force you to work in your own mines.

"A Colorado mother said that supporters of Donald Trump harassed her and her disabled 7-year-old daughter at a rally this week." Basket of deplorables indeed. Although the mother said that some people were nice. (Grokked from Jim Wright)

A field report from the 2004 election concerning the disposition of the "undecided voter." "Kerry, by mere dint of being on the ballot, was somehow tainted by Bush's failures as badly as Bush was." Among other things, that one is easy to see in reverse this time. But, yes, even in this election year that are throngs of undecided voters and my guess is they don't vary too much from this description (although I have a gut feeling many were draw to the Trumpster from early on and this is what you saw with reports about "people who never voted before (in a primary or just ever)" voting for him). (Grokked from Ferrett Steinmetz)

"With a month to go until Election Day, no major editorial board has endorsed Trump in the general election." (Grokked from Justine Larbalestier)

The Trumpettes and why the support the Trumpster. Rationalization. Here's the thing, this is the kind of thing I hear Trumpster supporters throwing back at Clinton supporters of how they "believe" and support their candidate no matter what. This really points out the level of projection going on in this election. "God, Jesus, Trump." Yeah, this idea of re-education camps is looking very, very attractive to me.

And then there's this guy holding up a 1488 sign and is then asked what it means and why he's holding it. Yep, no racism here. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

"Fox News’ Jesse Watters went to New York’s Chinatown to ask people what they thought of Donald Trump and Chinese-American relations for The O’Reilly Factor… What Watters was really doing was making fun of the people he encountered with the broadest, dumbest Asian stereotypes imaginable — making it clear they were there as props for him and his viewers for what he clearly considered a hilarious joke, rather than to actually give their opinions." (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

Jack Mitnick, Trump's former account, disputes the Trumpster's claims about his knowledge of the tax code (as we all suspected).

In an interview with a local TV station in Las Vegas, the Trumpster was asked about starting a trade war with China. "Trump supported his comments saying, 'It will actually help, we're just talking about fairness, not like tough like we're not going to do business. Just tough so the US can make something.'" And then the reporter asked "'But what if China said no more visas to go to Las Vegas and stay at Trump Tower,' pressed (a reporter). 'If China ever did that, and we cut off relationship with China, China would go bust so fast,' said Trump." Well, that's presidential. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

So, what would the world be like with the Trumpster in the White House? "If Donald Trump is elected president and Republicans hold onto Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan is bluntly promising to ram a partisan agenda through Capitol Hill next year, with Obamacare repeal and trillion-dollar tax cuts likely at the top of the list. And Democrats would be utterly defenseless to stop them." Budget reconciliation rears it's head again. Currently held in check by President Obama, that wouldn't happen with Trump. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

"In Indiana, an investigation into alleged voter registration fraud intensified rapidly Tuesday when state police reportedly raided the Indianapolis office of a voter registration group and confiscated computers, personal cell phones and paperwork, according to a report from the Intercept." Here's the thing, people running voter registration drives can not throw away voter registrations because they believe them to be fraudulent. It's against the law. It's a felony. They must submit every registration the receive. Just like the war on Acorn, this is straight up voter intimidation.

"GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, showing he’ll say anything to win a vote, had this message for America’s terminally ill people on Wednesday: Stay alive long enough to cast a vote for him next month." Ahh, can you feel the empathy? The warmth? (Grokked from John)

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