Title IX - Thank you, America

There is no way that American women would have come so far in soccer and all the international sports without Title IX.

The championships are great, but what Title IX has done for youth development ... character, competition, endurance, confidence, is immeasurable. America (Democrats) once again did the right thing in equalizing money spent on girls.

Now if only we would invest in public school academics with the same enthusiasm we might win the future.

Superficial observations

I react to voices and accents. I just do. Probably more so than looks. Can’t help it.

Julian Castro had a strong voice last night. Maybe the best for a big room, big crowd
Booker ... good sound
My guy, Inslee, has a gravely but strong voice. NW accent a bit Canadian-sounding to my ears, but definitely a voice that could be listened to for 8 years.
Elizabeth Warren ... decent voice, not powerful mixed southern and TV bland ... will hold up. Not her best attribute but so good at content, makes you want to listen

Klobuchar ... good voice/not too Minnesotan for the ears
Gabbard ... good voice little Canadian sounding

Does anyone else react positively or negatively to voices?

Paying online via PayPal versus credit card

Does anyone here have any opinions one way or the other whether PayPal is preferable to credit card payment when buying items on line?

Last few times I’ve made online payments, PayPal popped up as the first choice. One site (I forget what I was paying for)(flowers I think) was really pushing PayPal.

Is one method more secure than another? Any advantages to PayPal?

75 years ago my 20 year old dad was dropped in Normandy

He landed in the water and struggled to get the parachute off before he would drown or suffocate. He pulled it off, looked up, and witnessed his 21 year old lieutenant get shot in the head. My dad was next in command for his squad. Had to scamper around looking for his buddies.

His thoughts on hitting the water: “This is the stupidest thing.”

I learned that war was mostly stupid. And fought by children under the command of old men. And that far better men than my dad (according to him) were slaughtered. That the only thing that made war bearable was the Pax Americana, the Western democratic alliance, NATO, detente.

None of which could be taught to 45. As Mr. Khan told us before November 2016, 45 has sacrificed nothing; he cannot possibly understand loss.

RIP all those of 6/6/44. All 8 of Dad’s children know who you were and what you did.

Open primaries and democracy

I was stopped by my favorite petition guy outside courthouse. Over the years, I have signed many petitions that have become Florida law. One of the few benefits to living in the Sunshine state. This is direct democracy in action.

So I readily signed the petition for raising minimum wage ... too slow of a process but calls for COL increases once implemented.

I did not sign the one for open primaries. I lived in Georgia as a child and I remember the rat-f’g by Republicans that got us Lester Maddox as governor. The petition guy said it would be like the California system ... 2 candidates with most votes would square off.

I am interested in opinions here. Seems it would
1.allow independents to vote in primaries, thus increasing democratic participation
2.allow for party mischief as in voting for the worst candidate in the opposite party.

Please let me know what you think, especially those familiar with the California system.

The most disappointing thing in Mueller report so far?

Absolutely no delving into whether Russian hacking affected the vote. The report brushed aside the question of whether the Florida county that was infiltrated actually suffered real tampering of the votes. The matter is supposed to be under FBI investigation, which means we will never know. To me it’s criminal not to know, more than 2 years later.

Other disappointments ... Alfa bank connection, inability of the feds to read much of the Manafort communications because of encryption. I truly thought mueller knew all. So far, I’ve learned as much of more from News sources.

Pretty disappointed with first 100 pages.

While I’ve consoled myself with the ongoing SDNY investigations, it’s likely the SDNY will not indict Trump because of the same justice department policy of not indicting a sitting president.

The obstruction parts will probably be meatier. I think trump couldn’t get all the people who weren’t with him before he was president to lie for him.

Iran Contra and Watergate hearings - Correct me if I'm wrong

Didn’t these hearings start as just hearings?
Why can’t we hold hearings and see where everything leads? If they lead to impeachment so be it.

Need to line up the witnesses stat and fill the summer with testimony

How do I change from Undecided to Inslee?

Cranberries

"Otherwise blameless life"

Propping up dictators, fomenting revolution, laundering money, tax evasion, spousal abuse (forced participation in group sex), coaching adult children to assist in laundering money ... have I missed something?

Ellis is worse than Manafort. Even the RWers on the jury knew they had to convict.