Citation: Ethan Beseris, Steven Naleway, and David Carrier, "for testing the hypothesis that humans evolved beards to protect themselves from punches to the face."

There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home," he continued. "But in their disdain for pluralism, disregard for human life. In their determination to defile national symbols they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them."

"My goal today is to convince you that the court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks." asserted the Justice. the court is defined, she continued, by "judicial philosophies."  

He says conflating the two different things is the wrong way to look at it.  That as long as we are doing what we can, we are, to help poorer parts of the world there is nothing wrong with giving third booster shots.

And he thinks we will.  Soon.

The video of this will be going around I suspect.

However, my thoughts are now that Mr. Garland is not the man for a 2021 Department of Justice. He appears cautious to a fault. And, maybe he is just lining up his ducks, crossing t's and dotting i's as he deals with Trumpian crimes and misdemeanors. I sure hope so. But....

Attorney General Garland did respond to the Texas "Fugitive Uterus" Act, but after much uproar.

 The Republicans in Pennsylvania are seeking information on every voter in the state as part of their Big Lie scheme. Subpoenas for expansive private information such as driver's licenses and partial social security numbers would appear to be an overreach. Without voters consent, it may violate federal laws protecting voter privacy.  Surely, it is intended to intimidate voters as a part of voter suppression. The DOJ should get on the stick.

Trump Attorney General Barr's special counsel John Durham, who was appointed to investigate possible wrongdoing at the FBI and other agencies related to the 2016 election, is not preparing to seek the indictment of attorney Michael Sussmann, for lying to the FBI in 2016. when he raised concerns about ties between a Russia-based Bank and a computer server of Trump's campaign. Charges against

Sussmann's indictment would seem to turn the investigation on its head--arguing that the FBI was the victim of a crime. AG Garland should be wary of this charge, probing to see if there was lying, and if so, was it a material lie. Otherwise, he should not let it proceed. Unless, he is worried that he would not look good, not independent and political.

And, too, there have been questions about the handling of some of the January 6 seditionists.

Debt Ceiling Off-Ramp Closed

September 21, 2021 at 6:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

"One idea that we heard from Senate Democrats is Republicans can let Schumer get onto a clean government funding bill and then let Democrats pass it with 50 votes on their own," Punchbowl News reports.

But Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) ended those hopes: "No. We got members who publicly said that they would filibuster the cloture vote."

It's 30"x20" pencil on illustration board

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hug a dragon

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White Sands National Park, in southern New Mexico, is known for chalk-coloured dunes that stretch for hundreds of square kilometres. But at the height of the last Ice Age, the region was wetter and grassier. Mammoths, giant sloths and other animals walked the muddy shores of shallow lakes that grew and shrank with the seasons. And they had company.

In a landmark study published on 23 September in Science1, researchers suggest that human footprints from an ancient lakeshore in the park date to between 21,000 and 23,000 years old. If the dating is accurate -- which specialists say is likely -- the prints represent the earliest unequivocal evidence of human occupation anywhere in the Americas.

The New Mexico Department of Health said two people in New Mexico have died from Ivermectin toxicity. Not much is known about either patient -- but one of them was battling a severe case of COVID-19.

"We've had cases of seizures, hallucinations, coma, you know it can be very dangerous if you take a high enough dose," said Susan Smolinske, director of New Mexico Drug and Information Center.

Maricopa County
@maricopacounty
BREAKING: The #azaudit draft report from Cyber Ninjas confirms the county's canvass of the 2020 General Election was accurate and the candidates certified as the winners did, in fact, win.
9:29 PM · Sep 23, 2021·Twitter Web App

Boo f'ing Hoo

HowardKurtz
@HowardKurtz
A little sad that when the GOP-commissioned and Trump-ally-funded Arizona audit found Biden got 99 more votes, people attack me & the media. Raising questions about possible errors & fraud is not the same as proving them, and was reported. This is our tribal politics today
2:41 PM · Sep 26, 2021

I would watch just to see Clive Owen play Bill Clinton and Sara Paulson play Linda Tripp.  In a fat suit.

Here's what I found most impressive about FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story -- though Monica Lewinsky is a producer on the show, even she doesn't get out of this tale unscathed.

It's true, Lewinsky fares best among the major characters here. Clive Owen's Bill Clinton is a smooth-talking Jekyll and Hyde with an Arkansas twang - sensitive and caring when they're having secret trysts in the White House, angry and ruthless when she challenges him. Annaleigh Ashford's Paula Jones is an earnestly dimwitted deer in the world's biggest headlights; caught between conservative activists intent on weaponizing her horrifying story of sexual harassment by Clinton and a callous husband hoping to turn any fame reflected from her into an acting gig for himself.

And there's Sarah Paulson's Linda Tripp. Made dowdier by a controversial fat suit and near-impenetrable helmet of blond hair, Paulson manages to evoke both pathos and revulsion playing the frustrated administrative secretary who turned secretly-recorded conversations of Lewinsky venting about her affair with President Clinton over to federal investigators.

Capitol Police Brace for Political Violence Next Week

September 8, 2021 at 4:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 132 Comments

"Law enforcement officials are bracing for potential clashes and unrest during an upcoming right-wing rally in Washington, DC, as violent rhetoric surrounding the September 18 event has increased online and counter protests are being planned for the same day," CNN reports.

I really like it

They seem to have more content than any of the others.  They have everything.  I have tried to beat it searching for things like obscure 20th century composers or Balinese Gamelan music.

They had it.

Biden to Announce Sweeping New Vaccine Mandates

September 9, 2021 at 3:36 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 37 Comments

"President Biden is announcing sweeping new vaccine mandates Thursday that will impact tens of millions of Americans, pushing all businesses with more than 100 employees to require their workforces to be inoculated or face weekly testing," the Washington Post reports.

Associated Press: "The expansive rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans. And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated."

"Biden is also signing an executive order to require vaccination for employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government -- with no option to test out. That covers several million more workers."

CNN reports companies could face thousands of dollars in fines per employee if they don't comply.

It's hangs on the wall.  It's about 1x2 feet.  Not including tentacles.  Which are pose-able.  

what do you think

One of the most anticipated upcoming science fiction shows is Foundation. A new trailer for the Apple TV Plus series landed Thursday, showing Jared Harris leading the cast of this heavyweight adaptation of Isaac Asimov's classic series of novels.

Foundation is slated for release on Apple TV Plus. If you've never heard of the Foundation books, a search of any sci-fi "best of" list will find it near the top. The series is a staple of the genre. I've read it multiple times. The covers by artist Michael Whelan were so influential that I have three signed prints hanging in my office. They opened my mind to what's possible in fiction and writing in general, and in no small part inspired me to write sci-fi myself.

These books are legendary, fascinating and -- as written -- would make really, really boring television.

To put it another way, there isn't much in the way of emotion in Foundation. It's about things. Again, this isn't a criticism. They're brilliant for what they are, but they're books, and by the nature of what they are, converting them to TV is going to be seriously difficult. The very thing that makes them interesting is going to be next to impossible to translate to screen.

A lesser issue, though certainly related to the difficulty, is the wide avoidance of action or direct conflict. "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent," one character says. The problem is, violence makes for great TV. Some form is essentially required in big-budget sci-fi shows. Huge space battles, inherent in the premise of the books, are promised then largely avoided. Remember Battle of the Bastards in Game of Thrones? One of the most epic battle scenes ever put on TV? Now imagine if that had been talked about for six seasons, built up by plot and hype for years, and then right before it begins Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton meet up in a tavern and sign a trade treaty, roll credits. That is Foundation.

As much as I would hate it I would relocate to a blue America.

Most Southern Republicans Support Seceding

September 16, 2021 at 4:11 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 396 Comments

Christopher Ingraham: "A new YouGov survey conducted on behalf of a democracy watchdog group finds that 66% of Republicans living in the South say they'd support seceding from the United States to join a union with other Southern states."

"Secession is actually gaining support among Southern Republicans: back in January and February, 50% said they'd support such a proposal."

Meanwhile, conservative Ben Shapiro floated the idea of a "friendly separation" of certain states away from the union.

FDA Panel Narrows Scope of Booster Shots

September 17, 2021 at 4:29 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

After rejecting widespread Covid-19 booster shots, an FDA advisory panel endorsed booster shots only for Americans 65 and over or at high risk for severe disease, the Associated Press reports.

Instead of everyone who thinks they need one it's everyone over 65 who think they need one.

"The U.S. Capitol Police chief formally asked for 100 armed National Guard members to be on standby for a rally this Saturday at the Capitol in case it turns violent, but withdrew the request at the urging of a top Senate security official who said he had not followed protocol," the Washington Post reports.

"But the change to the chief's original security plans infuriated some Capitol Police officials. They privately argued it was a foolhardy repeat of a central mistake that had left the Capitol so vulnerable during the Jan. 6 protests -- not preparing for the worst."

Susan Collins to Endorse Paul LePage

September 22, 2021 at 4:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 174 Comments

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) will endorse former Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) when he launches a campaign for his old job, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Susan Collins Would Oppose Abortion Rights Bill

September 22, 2021 at 4:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 136 Comments

"As Democrats consider legislation to respond to a new Texas state ban on abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, they have lost the support of one of the few remaining Republicans who support abortion rights," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she opposes the Democrats' bill, which would prohibit states from enacting restrictions on abortion through fetal viability."

Sidney's now making the rounds of the christian-conspiracy outlets and claiming that a Kelly Loeffler political aide was "blown-up in his car"(it was actually a multi-car accident) in order to send a message to the Governor to not conduct a post-election audit.

here's a link

I've been checking this every day fir months.  WTF?

From The New York Times · Last updated: 3 days ago

"Put on your heat shields and buckle up, because this is going to be intense."

-- Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), quoted by the New York Times, on Democrats trying to pass their legislative agenda this week.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) told 60 Minutes that Americans "deserve better than having to choose between" President Biden's "disastrous" policies and former President Trump "who violated his oath of office."

Cheney also said she was "wrong" to oppose same-sex marriage -- a stance that caused a rift with her sister, Mary Cheney.