July 31, 2016

These videos on Seattle just burned me up. And they have great production value.

http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2016/07/29/24395035/take-2-minutes-and-watch-one-of-these-pop-culture-infused-viral-videos-about-local-politics

I have a longtime friend—a programmer who's a big Bernie Sanders fan—whose eyes just completely glaze over every time I talk to him about local, Seattle-level politics. He'll get worked up about national news, but he can't bring himself to engage locally even though there's so much important, often cool stuff happening right here in his own city. (He wants me to fill out his August 2 primary ballot for him.)

Maybe these videos from Matt "Spekulation" Watson—a barista, hip hop producer, and rapper—can change that. Spek came in for some well-deserved praise from our hip hop writer Larry Mizell Jr. last week:

I want to shout out the guy Spekulation for his most recent productions, his best and most effective work to date. My favorite stuff of Spek's was his Beast Mode tribute "Bout That Action," but his recent viral videos breaking down important local stories—just little things like the Seattle Police Department's secret contract negotiations with Mayor Ed Murray... have quickly taken the top spot.
Have you seen these yet? Spekulation's last video, about how North Seattle NIMBYs are making it impossible for poorer residents to afford to live in this city, has racked over 30,000 views. This time, it's arguing in favor of the mayor's policies, not slamming them, and it's attracted the ire of the NIMBY crowd in its comment section. Check it out:

https://www.facebook.com/spekulationmusic/videos/10154353006158967/

https://www.facebook.com/spekulationmusic/videos/10154343735008967/

https://www.facebook.com/spekulationmusic/videos/10154366635868967/

July 30, 2016

Trump sued twice by Justice Dept for not renting to black people. And other examples of Trump racism

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-racist-examples_us_56d47177e4b03260bf777e83

The Justice Department sued his company — twice — for not renting to black people

When Trump was serving as the president of his family’s real estate company, the Trump Management Corporation, in 1973, the Justice Department sued the company for alleged racial discrimination against black people looking to rent apartments in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

The lawsuit charged that the company quoted different rental terms and conditions to black rental candidates than it did with white candidates, and that the company lied to black applicants about apartments not being available. Trump called those accusations “absolutely ridiculous” and sued the Justice Department for $100 million in damages for defamation.

Without admitting wrongdoing, the Trump Management Corporation settled the original lawsuit two years later and promised not to discriminate against black people, Puerto Ricans or other minorities. Trump also agreed to send weekly vacancy lists for his 15,000 apartments to the New York Urban League, a civil rights group, and to allow the NYUL to present qualified applicants for vacancies in certain Trump properties.

Just three years after that, the Justice Department sued the Trump Management Corporation again for allegedly discriminating against black applicants by telling them apartments weren’t available.

July 27, 2016

Mother Jones has a page with a compiled list of Trump's bad acts over the years. Sports fans will be

interested in this one. From here you can get to all of these other ones.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/07/trump-files-how-donald-screwed-you-out-your-football-tickets

Read the rest of "The Trump Files":

Trump Files #1: The Time Andrew Dice Clay Thanked Donald for the Hookers
Trump Files #2: When Donald Tried to Stop Charlie Sheen's Marriage to Brooke Mueller
Trump Files #3: The Brief Life of the "Trump Chateau for the Indigent"
Trump Files #4: Donald Thinks Asbestos Fears Are a Mob Conspiracy
Trump Files #5: Donald's Nuclear Negotiating Fantasy
Trump Files #6: Donald Wants a Powerball for Spies
Trump Files #7: Donald Gets An Allowance
Trump Files #8: The Time He Went Bananas on a Water Cooler
Trump Files #9: The Great Geico Boycott
Trump Files #10: Donald Trump, Tax-Hike Crusader
Trump Files #11: Watch Donald Trump Say He Would Have Done Better as a Black Man
Trump Files #12: Donald Can't Multiply 16 and 7
Trump Files #13: Watch Donald Sing the "Green Acres" Theme Song in Overalls
Trump Files #14: The Time Donald Trump Pulled Over His Limo to Stop a Beating
Trump Files #15: When Donald Wanted to Help the Clintons Buy Their House
Trump Files #16: He Once Forced a Small Business to Pay Him Royalties for Using the Word "Trump"
Trump Files #17: He Dumped Wine on an "Unattractive Reporter"
Trump Files #18: Behold the Hideous Statue He Wanted to Erect In Manhattan
Trump Files #19: When Donald Was "Principal for a Day" and Confronted by a Fifth-Grader
Trump Files #20: In 2012, Trump Begged GOP Presidential Candidates to Be Civil
Trump Files #21: When Donald Couldn't Tell the Difference Between Gorbachev and an Impersonator
Trump Files #22: His Football Team Treated Its Cheerleaders "Like Hookers"
Trump Files #23: The Trump Files: Donald Tried to Shut Down a Bike Race Named "Rump"
Trump Files #24: When Donald Called Out Pat Buchanan for Bigotry
Trump Files #25: Donald's Most Ridiculous Appearance on Howard Stern's Show
Trump Files #26: How Donald Tricked New York Into Giving Him His First Huge Deal
Trump Files #27: Donald Told Congress the Reagan Tax Cuts Were Terrible
Trump Files #28: When Donald Destroyed Historic Art to Build Trump Tower
Trump Files #29: Donald Wanted to Build an Insane Castle on Madison Avenue
Trump Files #30: Donald's Near-Death Experience (That He Invented)
Trump Files #31: When Donald Struck Oil on the Upper West Side
Trump Files #32: When Donald Massacred Trees in the Trump Tower Lobby
Trump Files #32: When Donald Demanded Other People Pay for His Overpriced Quarterback
Trump Files #33: The Time Donald Sued Someone Who Made Fun of Him for $500 Million
Trump Files #34: Donald Tried to Make His Ghostwriter Pay for His Book Party
Trump Files #35: Watch Donald Shave a Man's Head on Television

July 26, 2016

Hundred of liens, judgments and lawsuits found by USA Today against Trump for not paying his bills.

At least 60 lawsuits, along with hundreds of liens, judgments, and other government filings reviewed by the USA TODAY NETWORK, document people who have accused Trump and his businesses of failing to pay them for their work. Among them: a dishwasher in Florida. A glass company in New Jersey. A carpet company. A plumber. Painters. Forty-eight waiters. Dozens of bartenders and other hourly workers at his resorts and clubs, coast to coast. Real estate brokers who sold his properties. And, ironically, several law firms that once represented him in these suits and others.

Trump’s companies have also been cited for 24 violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act since 2005 for failing to pay overtime or minimum wage, according to U.S. Department of Labor data. That includes 21 citations against the defunct Trump Plaza in Atlantic City and three against the also out-of-business Trump Mortgage LLC in New York. Both cases were resolved by the companies agreeing to pay back wages.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/09/donald-trump-unpaid-bills-republican-president-laswuits/85297274/

(This is part of the same page about the hundred of employees that Trump has not payed. I believe it needs its own thread)

July 26, 2016

Crooked Trump ripped off hundred of employees.

USA TODAY exclusive: Hundreds allege Donald Trump doesn’t pay his bills


During the Atlantic City casino boom in the 1980s, Philadelphia cabinet-builder Edward Friel Jr. landed a $400,000 contract to build the bases for slot machines, registration desks, bars and other cabinets at Harrah's at Trump Plaza.

The family cabinetry business, founded in the 1940s by Edward’s father, finished its work in 1984 and submitted its final bill to the general contractor for the Trump Organization, the resort’s builder.

Edward’s son, Paul, who was the firm’s accountant, still remembers the amount of that bill more than 30 years later: $83,600. The reason: the money never came. “That began the demise of the Edward J. Friel Company… which has been around since my grandfather,” he said.

Donald Trump often portrays himself as a savior of the working class who will "protect your job." But a USA TODAY NETWORK analysis found he has been involved in more than 3,500 lawsuits over the past three decades — and a large number of those involve ordinary Americans, like the Friels, who say Trump or his companies have refused to pay them.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/09/donald-trump-unpaid-bills-republican-president-laswuits/85297274/?hootPostID=ecf5e5ccb4ab0b691e80c8e98759e0c8&siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-aDYdueyOSWTKJ83Q.oQF2w

July 20, 2016

This asthma drug used to really help me. Then they switched it. And now I find THIS out!

http://hsionline.com/2014/10/21/cromolyn-sodium/

Why is this safe and effective asthma drug no longer available?

Five years ago when the Intal inhaler was discontinued, many asthmatics were shocked.

It wasn’t discontinued for any safety reasons, complaints, or issues with the product.

Last week I told you about some frightening findings that the FDA just released about the asthma drug Xolair.

So asthmatics can’t get a safe med that we know works, but they can get one with reams of side effects and little benefit.

Just wait until you see why…

Cromolyn sodium, which was sold under the brand name Intal, had been on the market for a very long time, since 1968. Its use goes back to the old-fashioned “spinhaler” days. And it was safe and effective.

<snip>

The “story” was that Intal was being discontinued because King, couldn’t come up with a CFC-free inhaler device.

CFCs, or Freon, are gasses that were used as aerosol propellants, in air conditioners and refrigerators that were banned. And King said it wasn’t possible to come up with an alternative.

(I remember taking it as a pill that contained powder. When you put it into this little device it would put a tiny hole in the capsule which allowed you to then suck in the powder)

Could this be the real reason?

Shortly after King stopped making Intal available, the company was purchased by Pfizer. And all Pfizer would say about it is that Intal had been “discontinued.”

Pfizer probably didn’t want this safe and highly effective medication — one that asthmatics had used for decades — out there competing with its blockbuster patent drugs that are rife with side effects.

(The new asthma controllers have a lot of side effects that cause you to be more likely to die from an asthma attack)



Sources:
“Pfizer to acquire King Pharmaceuticals, Inc.” October 11, 2010, Pfizer press release,

There is a special kind of evil that does this sort of thing

July 15, 2016

I've got about an hour to come up with a reliable, easy to understand source or explanation

that I can print out and give to my climate denier brother before he heads back up north.

I watched a documentary last night, (The brainwashing of my Dad) and they had information something like 24,000 scientists believe in global warming and only 4 do not.

I hate it when I can't provide proof. Can anyone help me with the statistics and perhaps what business the other scientists are in?

Thanks!

July 8, 2016

A quick primer on systemic racism in US. Sad to say I think too many people here don't understand

July 8, 2016

Some police officer on TV was just saying how shocked they all are that this has happened.

(EDIT) It is true, as people have said below, that we do not know if the shooter is black, (although I did not say that) or why he shoot. I have assumed it is someone retaliating for all of the police shootings of black men, especially with that picture of Alton Sterling and the video of Philando Castile's girlfriend and him dead in the car. The fact that all the shots were aimed at the police just led me here and I still believe this is the case.

2nd EDIT: Reported: Brown (police) said the suspect told negotiators "the end was coming," that he's "going to hurt and kill more of us" (meaning law enforcement), and that there were bombs planted all over the garage and downtown.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personally I am surprised that this is the first time it has happened. You cannot beat a group of people down over and over and not expect them to ever retaliate.
I think these type of things are going to continue to happen as long as white cops kill black men with a serious lack of restraint.

And though it remains to be seen, I think that this tactic might be the only one that may work. How many hundreds of peaceful protests have their been? How much good has it done?

I think the police force first needs to teach all their personnel about the systemic, surreptitious racism toward the black community that has been going on for years and has rendered this country so ill. I did not know how a ghetto was really formed until this year when I watched a video about how black people were refused US backed mortgages that were given to white people after WW2. Owning a house and creating equity over the years is the main way people have acquired any wealth and it was refused to black people. All members of our police force should know these things and how they effect other things like education if they are going to work with the public. Because THIS is our public.

Black people in this country have been set up to fail by the most ignorant among us, the racists. They need to be recognized and called out.


And I think every police force AND school needs to teach real statistics. The kind of statistics that allows you to find out why the crime rate of the black community is so high. The kind that takes away your justification for treating any person differently than another.

I don't feel very hopeful though. Maybe because I just saw this tweet that is going around that is blaming President Obama for tonight. smh

July 6, 2016

So a week ago I visited with 2 friends who just had to tell me how dangerous my medications were.

I take an opiate for chronic back pain from damages to my spine.

I don't know why I felt like I had to defend myself but it didn't matter because nothing I said was good enough. I told them how I try not to take them, (because I know how quickly they lose their effect so if I am OK I don't take them. )

The one insisted on telling me how "these medications will tell your body to stop breathing"

I felt so attacked! And I don't feel like they did it out of concern because they know on a recent trip overseas I had to be pushed around in a damn wheel chair because my back was so bad and yet they never even asked about my back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I just found out I've got a fracture on top of all the other mess)

I do not think this type of behavior is really caring and concern. Especially since one gave me the bad news, "You're going to go through withdrawal" (I swear she had a smile on her face! But maybe it just smugness)

I did send them both an email afterward about the different medications. I also informed them about the new drugs that block opiates and how they lessen or stop the withdrawal, (just because of what the one said to me), and I told them about Narcan and how it can bring someone out of an overdose. I don't know why I was just wanted them to know that they knew ...... not so much.

So the one friend wrote back and said something like "If our expressing concern for you came across wrong then I apologize" So I said, "Thank you. And now that you have all this information you can make better decisions about where and when concern is warranted and when it may just cause a problem"

I am a bitch.

I can't be wrong about all of this though. Someone has had to have a similar situation.