Wonder if I can still quote Shakespeare?

I mean he's male and I'm female, so any admiration I claim to have for him is suspect, right?

Plus he's dead and I'm (still) alive - so there's that.

But maybe I can quote the female characters from his "Histories, Tragedies and Comedies"? I do have Yale's excellently foot noted publication of the Complete Works. Except what if the female character is not white? Cleopatra? And I am not currently in a mixed race relationship or marriage. So dare I even be reading or thinking about, let alone commenting on Anthony & Cleopatra? Othello and Desdemona?

Oh, it's just so confusing. I must needs repair to my fainting couch. Where are my pearls? I must have my pearls!

Salon: Hillary Clinton and the ISIS Mess (by Jeffrey Sachs)

The author of this Salon article is Jeffrey Sachs. Who is he?

Jeffrey D. Sachs is a world-renowned professor of economics, leader in sustainable development, senior UN advisor, bestselling author, and syndicated columnist whose monthly newspaper columns appear in more than 100 countries. He has twice been named among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders. He was called by the New York Times, “probably the most important economist in the world,” and by Time Magazine “the world’s best known economist.” A recent survey by The Economist Magazine ranked Professor Sachs as among the world’s three most influential living economists of the past decade.

Professor Sachs serves as the Director of The Earth Institute, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University. He is Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Millennium Development Goals, having held the same position under former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He is Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He is co-founder and Chief Strategist of Millennium Promise Alliance, and is director of the Millennium Villages Project. Sachs is also one of the Secretary-General’s MDG Advocates, and a Commissioner of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Development. He has authored three New York Times bestsellers in the past seven years: The End of Poverty (2005), Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (2008), and The Price of Civilization (2011). ). His most recent book is To Move the World: JFK’s Quest for Peace (2013).

Professor Sachs is widely considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on economic development and the fight against poverty. His work on ending poverty, promoting economic growth, fighting hunger and disease, and promoting sustainable environmental practices, has taken him to more than 125 countries with more than 90 percent of the world’s population. For more than a quarter century he has advised dozens of heads of state and governments on economic strategy, in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Sachs is the recipient of many awards and honors, including membership in the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Society of Fellows, and the Fellows of the World Econometric Society. He has received more than 20 honorary degrees, and many awards and honors around the world. Professor Sachs is also a frequent contributor to major publications such as the Financial Times of London, the International Herald Tribune, Scientific American, and Time magazine.

Prior to joining Columbia, Sachs spent over twenty years at Harvard University, most recently as Director of the Center for International Development and the Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Sachs received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/

Here are excerpts from his longer and very detailed article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/hilary-clinton-and-the-is_b_8627042.html

Post-Gazette's Rob Rogers wins national editorial cartoon award!

Pittsburgh/southwestern PA is fortunate to have an editorial cartoonist of his caliber commenting on our local as well as state, national and international goings on. And I'm proud to be one of his FB friends! He certainly keeps our county and state politicians on their toes!

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2015/11/22/Post-Gazette-s-Rob-Rogers-wins-national-editorial-cartoon-award/stories/201511220146

Rob Rogers, the Post-Gazette’s editorial cartoonist, has won this year’s Berryman Award for Editorial Cartooning. Given by the National Press Foundation, the prize is named for Clifford K. and James T. Berryman, the father-son team of editorial cartoonists for The Washington Star.

The winning portfolio included cartoons about police facing cellphone video cameras, the Charlie Hebdo killings in Paris, the campaign between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination, the stand of Pope Francis on climate change and the proliferation of gun sales in the United States.

The judges said, “Rogers has a vivid visual style that invites you in. He tackles really heavy issues with a light-handed visual touch. He leaves no confusion about his point of view; he knows what he wants to say.”

The Berryman award carries a $2,500 prize. Mr. Rogers will attend the NPF awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., in February. The Post-Gazette cartoonist received the 2000 and 2013 Thomas Nast Award from the Overseas Press Club and the 1995 National Headliner Award. In 1999 he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

HRC will depress hell out of Dem.turnout;destroy down ticket D candidates.

I'm a lifelong Democrat with tons of political & social connections in my urban community. I'm both an elected and an appointed official (Judge of Elections and member of building code appeals board). I'm an officer of my local American Association of University Women branch. I'm a retired staff attorney for the state legislative Dem. caucus who keeps in touch with my former colleagues. I do not know a single man or woman who supports Hillary. When her name comes up in political discourse, people get pained expressions on their faces. Negative things are said about her and Bill.

If she is at the top of the ticket in the general election, Dems up and down the ticket, from local school board to state legislators, to federal offices, will be victims. As many pundits are predicting, it will be a combination of (1) depressing the vote turnout of those who see no significant difference between her and whomever the GOP puts up, and (2) generating a high turnout of those who distrust her and/or will relish the opportunity to vote against her.

Very powerful post,

As witnessed by the repetitively bitter and predictably fact free responses you've provoked.

As a SEIU member since 1993, I have never been polled about any political endorsements.

And our SEIU pensioners/retirees haven't had a COLA since 2002. Up until then there were Cost of Living Adjustments every 4 to 6 years.

'68, '74, '79, '84, '89, '94, '98, '02.
http://sers.pa.gov/members-COLAs.aspx

Now it has been 13+ years without a COLA. And our wimpy state SEIU website advises:
"You should plan that your pension payments will never increase in retirement."


And what have we seen during those 13 COLA-less years? A huge fucking transfer of wealth to the One Percent.

What an amazing coincidence that those are the exact years in which the Clintons increased their wealth from being "flat broke" to quote Hill, to have a personal net worth of over $80 million.
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-politicians/presidents/bill-clinton-net-worth/

http://www.therichest.com/celebnetworth/politician/president/bill-clinton-net-worth/

PA Senate candidate Sestak Discusses Paris Terror Attack, ISIS, & Needed Strategic Changes

Interviewed this morning on MSNBC
Published on Nov 15, 2015

Former Admiral and Congressman Joe Sestak discusses the terror attack in Paris and the needed strategic changes to defeat ISIS. http://JoeSestak.com

Fred Thompson - ex U.S. Senator and film actor dies

Source: BBC News

Former US senator Fred Thompson - who mounted an unsuccessful bid for the presidency as well as acting in films and TV - has died at the age of 73. His family said he had been suffering from lymphoma.

As a lawyer, he served as chief Republican counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee that investigated President Richard Nixon. The son of a used car salesman first achieved fame as a young lawyer for a Senate committee during the Watergate hearings in the 1970s.

His questioning of former Nixon aide Alexander Butterfield uncovered the president's secret tape recording system. He asked the vital question: "Mr Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the president?"

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world/us_and_canada

Shocked to get robocall from Franco Harris for a GOP Sup. Ct. candidate.

Franco, a Penn State alum, is shilling for a candidate ranked unqualified by the state bar association, apparently because in a lower court case she walked back some of the NCAA sanctions against Penn State arising out of the Paterno/Sandusky cesspit.

This robocall is in tandem with an ad he filmed for GOP state Supreme Court candidate, Anne Covey.
Franco Harris Films TV Ad for Anne Covey (VIDEO)

Franco Harris was part of the legendary 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers that won four Super Bowls. Perhaps more importantly, at least when it comes to his ability to sway voters, he is a Penn State alumni.

Harris has filmed a TV ad for GOP State Supreme Court nominee Anne Covey. Despite the fact that Harris appears to be a Democrat, he did not appeal across party lines but rather provided testimony as a well-known Nittany Lion.

The running back mentioned the Penn State appeal that Covey heard and how her actions led the NCAA to walk back some of their sanctions on the university.

With this spot, Covey is appealing to PSU alumni throughout the state who feel they and their alma mater was wronged by the NCAA punishments resulting from the Sandusky scandal.
“Get on our team!,” Harris and Covey exclaim in unison at the ad’s conclusion.

Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Bar Association did not recommend Covey, a Commonwealth Court judge, for the Supreme Court post, citing misleading campaign advertising in her 2011 campaign. She rebuked the group and went on to earn one of three GOP nominations in the primary along with Michael George and Judith Olson. All three are party-endorsed candidates.

Yup!Very rich like HRC are totes different from the 99%

My fave example: I wash and blow dry my own hair. Get a $30 hair cut about every 6 weeks. Before retiring onto a fixed income - I'd add a $15 manicure out of sheer hedonistic indulgence.

Let us consider Mrs. Clinton, for whom only the best is barely good enough.
Bottom line, as detailed and cited below: $600 for a cut & blow dry; $600 for the dye job; 20% tip adds up to $1440. And I'll bet cash money she got a mani-pedi & eyebrow shaping/tinting as well. Plus, the whole rest of the high end salon was totally shut down for the several hours she was there. Well, thank god that none of the salon's other wealthy clients were able to sneak a FREE iphone snap of Hillary and avoid the $2700 "donation" required to have a picture taken with her at one of her "Conversations with Hillary" gated-estate soirees. I hope she actually paid from her personal wealth for her cut & dye job. Since the whole salon was closed down for several hours, who made up the difference in income for all the other salon stylists/shampoo givers/manicurists/masseuses, etc.?

Also for your consideration - no waiting in line for Black Friday specials for Hill. She expects and receives the very special treatment of having an upscale store like Bergdorf's open early to provide her with exclusive private access for shopping. If Bergdorf's was in the UK, it would have a Purveyors to the Crown/Royal Warrant logo in all its' advertisements.

Hillary Clinton goes on private shopping spree at Bergdorf’s

Hillary Clinton went on a private shopping spree at Bergdorf Goodman early Tuesday morning, sparking further speculation that she’s suiting up for a 2016 presidential run.

Hillary was spotted entering the posh department store by a side entrance at 9 a.m., with a small entourage of security and assistants. . .Bergdorf Goodman opens to the public at 10 a.m.

What a difference her $1,200 cut & dye job makes!

So $600 for the cut & blow dry; $600 for the dye job; 20% tip adds up to $1440. And I'll bet cash money she got a mani-pedi & eyebrow shaping/tinting as well.

http://cleburnepress.com/2015/07/30/hillary-clinton-closed-part-of-bergdorf-goodman-in-new-york-for-600-haircut-daily-mail-online/

Hillary Clinton closed part of Bergdorf Goodman in New York for $600 haircut | Daily Mail Online

Part of Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue was put out of action on Friday
Would-be Democratic presidential nominee arrived with large entourage
Entered by side entrance before heading for exclusive John Barrett salon
Entire elevator bank shut down so Clinton could see regular hairdresser privately

Headline: Hillary Clinton closed part of a swanky New York department store so she could have a $600 haircut.

The article reports that a cut & blow dry at the John Barrett salon costs $600 and getting your hair colored can cost as much again. It also points out it is not known whether she actually paid for services, and if so, how much. If money did change hands, was it a "campaign cost"?

Part of Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue was put out of action on Friday while the would-be Democratic presidential nominee arrived with her large entourage. The former Secretary of State and her group were seen entering the building by a side entrance before heading for the exclusive John Barrett salon, according to the New York Post.

The salon is on the ninth floor of the department store. A source told the paper: ‘Staff closed off one side of Bergdorf’s so Hillary could come in privately to get her hair done.’ An elevator bank was shut down so she could ride up alone, and then she was styled in a private area of the salon. The store has four elevators close to the 58th Street exit that go to the salon. ‘Other customers didn’t get a glimpse.

Clinton is a regular client.