June 26, 2017

Democrats suppress Republican votes in Maryland

That is the claim behind this article in The Atlantic. If accurate, it's just more reason to by cynical about politics as a whole. It doesn't make Democrats "just as bad" as Republicans in every way, but it reinforces that we should not stoop to their level when given the opportunity. Two wrongs don't make a right.


How Democrats Gerrymandered Their Way to Victory in Maryland

New documents show how when given the opportunity, the Democratic Party was as ruthless as their GOP counterparts in trying to redistrict their rivals out of existence

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/how-deep-blue-maryland-shows-redistricting-is-broken/531492/?utm_source=atlfb

June 23, 2017

Do you know anyone who has been shot?

According to this poll, 44 per cent of Americans know someone who has been shot. I would imagine the percentage would be higher on a forum like Stormfront, but there are many random victims of shootings too. Curious how many DUers know someone who has been shot...


Pew Research released a new report Thursday, finding that 44 percent of American adults polled said they know someone who's been shot, whether it be accidental or on purpose.

Twenty-five percent also said they or a family *member* *have* been threatened with a gun on at least one occasion.

When it comes to support for more gun control, 89 percent of those polled believe people with a mental illness shouldn't be able to obtain guns.

Eighty-four percent want background checks for private gun sales and firearm shows, and nearly 70 percent of people support an assault weapons ban.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/06/22/poll-44-percent-of-americans-know-someone-who-has-been-shot/22583590/

June 23, 2017

Most U.S. terrorists are right-wing extremists, not Islamists, says report

Funny how we don't hear Donny "Travel Ban" Trump talk about this...


A joint project by the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, a nonprofit media center, and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting has found that within the past nine years, right-wing extremists plotted or carried out nearly twice as many terrorist attacks as Islamist extremists. Of the 115 right-wing incidents, police only foiled 35 percent. Compare this to the 63 Islamist terrorism cases, where police foiled 76 percent of the planned attacks.

Right-wing extremists were not only more successful, they were often more deadly, too. From 2008 to 2016, a third of right-wing attacks involved fatalities, compared to 13 percent of Islamist attacks. It should be noted, however, that Islamist extremists killed more people overall, with a death toll of 90 people compared to 79.

In a statement pointing out the higher rate of successful, right-wing terrorist attacks, the Investigative Fund said: “This project quantifies just how irrational Trump and the GOP's fixation on 'radical Islamic terrorism' as the greatest security threat is.”

“Fixation” might be the right word. The president has yet to acknowledge the problem of right-wing violence, remaining uncharacteristically silent after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in London that left one man dead. (Trump tweeted about the three incidents of Islamist terrorism that have hit the U.K. capital in recent months.)

http://www.newsweek.com/right-wing-extremism-islamist-terrorism-donald-trump-steve-bannon-628381

June 22, 2017

Just another police officer beating a black man, in Minnesota this time

The extent of the offence by the motorist? Allegedly tailgating, which has led to charges of "assault with a deadly weapon." Perhaps there's something more to this story, but the officer's conduct is highly unprofessional, to say the least.

The American Civil Liberties Union is calling for an investigation after releasing dash cam video of a Worthington, MN police officer pulling a motorist out of a car and beating him.

According to the ACLU, the incident happened in July 28, 2016 and is one piece of evidence of what is says is as systemic problem racial profiling and police brutality in the Worthington Police Department, Nobles County Sheriff’s Office, and the Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force. According to the ACLU, the video shows Agent Joe Joswiak of the Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force opened the door of Anthony Promvongsa car. Agent Joswiak then yells “Get the fuck out of the car, motherfucker!”. He punches and knees Promvongsa repeatedly before another officer assists in pulling him out of the car, putting him face down on the road and handcuffing him.

The pretext of stopping Promvongsa’s car, says the ACLU, was for tailgating. In a post about the incident the ACLU says

“It turns out the agitated motorist Anthony encountered before being assaulted by Agent Joswiak was an off-duty police officer who called Joswiak to go after Anthony for tailgating him. The officer reports regarding the incident make no mention of any suspicion that Anthony was committing a drug offense. The police have charged Anthony with various offenses, the most serious being fleeing in a motor vehicle and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon — his car. ”

http://theuptake.org/2017/06/22/aclu-video-shows-worthington-police-beating-motorist/

June 22, 2017

Derek Carr just became the highest paid player in NFL history

The Raiders signed him to a 5-year deal worth $125 million! That puts Carr above Andrew Luck, who is raking in $24.6 million per season.

Carr was amazing before going down with the broken leg, but it was really his "breakout" season. I wonder if he's going to be the best QB in the league over the next five years?


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2674596-derek-carr-signs-raiders-contract-qb-reportedly-is-nfls-highest-paid-player

June 20, 2017

Daniel Day Lewis retires from acting

THERE WILL BE BLOOD!




Daniel Day-Lewis is to retire from acting, according to his spokeswoman.

The 60-year-old British actor, who has won three Oscars, will make his final screen appearance in Phantom Thread, a fashion drama that reunites him with Paul Thomas Anderson, director of There Will Be Blood.

“Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor,” a statement to Variety from his spokeswoman Leslee Dart read. “He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject.”

The star has previously taken extended breaks from the industry, including a late-90s stint as an apprentice shoemaker in Florence. “My life as it is away from the movie set is a life where I follow my curiosity just as avidly as when I am working,” he said in a 2008 interview with the Observer. “It is with a very positive sense that I keep away from the work for a while. It has always seemed natural to me that that, in turn, should help me in the work that I do.”



https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/20/daniel-day-lewis-retirement-acting

June 14, 2017

It's official: Floyd Mayweather coming out of retirement to box against mixed martial arts champion

Mayweather is making a return to the ring at age 40 in search of his 50th professional boxing victory as he takes on Conor McGregor, a title holder in multiple weight classes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The fight will take place in Vegas on Aug. 26.

Mayweather is a -1,000 favorite at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, with McGregor paying back +650.

http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19637155/floyd-mayweather-conor-mcgregor-megafight-finalized-aug-26

June 12, 2017

"You can't hear this story and not see God in it," says woman who lost her arm to a shark

I'm glad this lady survived her terrifying encounter, but she invites comments by attributing her survival to god. The same god who allowed her arm to be swallowed by this ferocious beast...


The North Carolina woman whose arm was bitten off by a shark while on vacation last week is speaking out about the terrifying encounter. Tiffany Johnson, a mother of three from Charlotte, was in the Bahamas with husband when the incident happened, WSOC reports.

“I wasn’t in pain, it just felt like I had bumped into something so I just casually turned to my right to look to see and that’s when I was face to face with the shark,” Tiffany said. “He had my whole arm in his mouth and he was just floating there, just staring at me.”

When she tried to pull her arm out, the shark clamped down. Eventually, she was able to get free, but not until her arm was completely off.

<snip>

“I’m thankful to be able to share this story and I hope, and I know, that it’s going to change people’s lives because you can’t hear this story and not see God in it,” she told the station.

http://myfox8.com/2017/06/12/nc-woman-who-lost-arm-in-shark-attack-he-had-my-whole-arm-in-his-mouth/

June 11, 2017

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you hate this picture?

June 11, 2017

Kitty cat helps recreate famous movie scenes

The Shining:




ET:




Ghost:




American Beauty:




Alien:






http://www.boredpanda.com/movie-cats-recreate-famous-movie-scenes/