Archives for September 2019

Since my Twitter thread about this didn’t get any traction, I am going to ask here (rather than the more logical assumption that it’s just not that interesting to most people). I have a hummingbird that comes to my window for some nectar and has been for a while. For most of summer, I have left all of my windows open, but now that it’s getting chilly I only have the window with the flowers it likes open. Anyway, long story short, it got trapped in my apartment, and I couldn’t just scoot it out. So I grabbed some Tupperware and caught it then took it to an open window.

So this morning for the first time in months, I kept the window closed when I went to work. Am I doing the right thing, or should I have risked having it trapped all day?

Trevor: Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey on “She Said” and breaking the Harvey Weinstein story.

Stephens: Sen. Bernie Sanders details his climate change legislation.

The Atlantic: Tree poaching.

Now This: Student fights back at McDonald when a customer told her to “Speak English”.

Jimmy Kimmel: The week in unnecessary censorship.

Today I Found Out: What’s up with the all seeing eye on the dollar bill?.

The Dotard Трамп and Other Impeachable Assholes:

• Bill Maher: America’s traitor
• Chris Hayes: The Dotard Трамп gets mocked by the dictionary
• Stephen: Трамп set to speak at U.N. General Assembly
• WaPo: Unraveling the story about Трамп, Biden and Ukraine
• Mark Fiore: Exclusive audio the Трамп—Zelensky phone call
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Трамп comments to Russians prompted White House officials to limit access
• The Daily Show: Трамп’s Ukraine whistleblower scandal—How will it all end?:

• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп faces impeachment proceedings
• Seth Meyers: Hasan Minhaj was barred from an Indian political rally that Трамп attended
• Ari Melber: Eugene Robinson discusses the Трамп-Ukraine scandal and Republicans’ response
• Liberal Viewer: FAUX News edits out Rudy Giuliani contradicting himself within 30 seconds
• The Late Show: Трамп’s call with Ukraine leader sounds a lot like blackmail
• Now This: The Трамп-Ukraine scandal, explained.
• Stephen: Трамп’s political allies shamble to his defense after whistleblower report
• Jimmy Kimmel: When it Ukraines it pours
• Seth Meyers: Whistleblower alleges Трамп cover-up of Ukraine scandal
• Jimmy Kimmel: Joe Biden on Ukraine transcript, impeachment & defeating The Dotard.
• Now This: Трамп’s potential crimes revealed by Adam Schiff at whistleblower hearing
• WaPo: 2020 candidates react to Трамп accusing whistleblower of treason
• Lauren Mayer: The quid pro quo song
• Stephen: Innocent people don’t do things like this—Трамп’s Ukraine cover-up spills into view
• Reflect: Pelosi schools Трамп on nationalism using JFK’s inaugural address
• WaPo: Rudy Giuliani’s wild week of television interviews
• Trevor: Ukraine whistleblower complaint released
• Robert Reich: Трамп’s economy revealed
• Stephen: Трамп-Ukraine call log clearly demonstrates quid pro quo demand
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп talks to Ukraine about Biden
• Samantha Bee: Ukraine and the Трамп impeachment inquiry (Part 1)
• Samantha Bee: Ukraine and the Трамп impeachment inquiry (Part 2)
• The Late Show: Garmin DNI—The GPS for intelligence official
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Трамп WH limited access to transcripts of calls with Vladimir Putin
• WaPo: What is in the declassified Трамп whistleblower complaint
• Jonathan Mann: Трамп Impeachment Potato and Rice:

• Stephen: Rudy Giuliani is at the center of Трамп’s whirling corrupt-nado
• Now This: Sen. Chris Murphy on why a Трамп impeachment investigation is essential
• Rachel Maddow: Whistleblower’s safety a concern as Трамп makes veiled threats
• WaPo: “You can’t say Трамп didn’t warn us”—Late-night hosts react to release of whistleblower complaint
• Seth Meyers: Трамп pressured Ukraine to meddle in the 2020 election
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп lashes out at whistleblower
• Stephen: Buckle up America—Pelosi moving forward with Трамп impeachment inquiry
• Trevor: Трамп pressures Ukraine to investigate Biden and impeachment looms
• Ari Melber: Former intel official says that Трамп’s aides could face criminal exposure
• The Late Show: More world leaders reveal they were pressured by The Dotard
• Stephen: Sen. Bernie Sanders says the impeachment inquiry needs to move quickly
• WaPo: Impeachment—What happens next
• Seth Meyers: Трамп releases damning Ukraine Memo Amid Impeachment Inquiry

Minute Physics: When it’s OK to violate privacy.

Bill Maher: Former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy on our climate tipping point.

AJ+: How oil-loving Texas is making America green again

Samantha Bee: Greta Thunberg—The GOP’s teenage climate nemesis:

Weird History: Things you may not have known about Nikola Tesla.

Matt Lieb: Why criticism of Israel isn’t antisemitism.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

So. Impeachment. That’s good. On the one hand, I appreciate that Democrats are getting on the same page, on the other, the Judiciary Committee was already doing impeachment hearings, and everyone kind of ignored it. But still, it’s good to see this step. All of the state’s Democratic members of Congress support impeachment, but if you’re Representative is undecided or opposed, it’s probably a good time to give them a call.

Tuesday is Drinking Liberally night in Seattle. Please join us for an evening of politics under the influence at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking liberally.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. Look for us in the back room of the pub beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 265 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, seven in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter for your community!

Over the weekend, I watched the new Molly Ivins documentary. It was as funny and as sad as you think it would be. It’s worth the price of the ticket just for the gang pluck story. It looks like the only place in the Seattle area where it’s playing is the SIFF Uptown theater. But I assume that it will be on the streaming services soon enough.

Today I Found Out: How did the ancient Romans manage to build perfectly straight, ultra durable roads?

Daily Show: Microchipped employees in Wisconsin.

WaPo: Espresso stand featuring shirtless men turns heads in Seattle

Kurzgesagt: What’s hiding at the most solitary place on earth? The deep sea.

Mark Fiore: How to get the US to care about the war in Yemen.

The Dotard Трамп and His Squad of Quacks, Liars, and Grifters:

• Seth Meyers: Whistleblower claims The Dotard made “troubling” promise to foreign leader
• Rachel Maddow: WaPo—Трамп call with foreign leader prompted intel whistleblower
• Now This: 2020 Candidates unite for powerful ad on gun violence
• Stephen: Трамп’s unlikely 2020 victory plan—Wooing Hispanic voters
• Ari Melber: The federal case that can stop Трамп’s immigration plan in its tracks
• Samantha Bee: Full Frontal’s second annual Brett Kavanaugh Remembrance Act:

• Chris Hayes: It’s tough out there for a Трамп propagandist
• The Late Show: $20 bill almost escapes from The Dotard’s back pocket
• Trevor: Mike Pence’s horse bite & Lou Dobbs’s ass-kissing Трамп tribute
• Stephen: Трамп whines to reporters about Obama’s Netflix and book deals
• Jimmy Kimmel: Least favorite character in the Трамп universe
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Laurence Tribe on Трамп’s desperate legal filing and whistleblower.
• Stephen: America’s greatest security risk is The Dotard Трамп’s mouth
• The Late Show: America’s call to arms
• Now This: How Corey Lewandowski tried to obstruct this Трамп obstruction hearing
• Rachel Maddow: New details emerge as Трамп fights to quash whistleblower report
• Jimmy Kimmel: The Dotard rants and raves about Saudi Arabian drone attack
• Stephen: Трамп defends Kavanaugh as new account of sexual assault is published
• WaPo: Lewandowski, “I have no obligation to be honest with the media”
• Now This: Трамп puts Ilhan Omar in danger again with fake 9/11 footage
• Trevor: Will Трамп go to war with Iran to defend Saudi Arabia?
• Ari Melber: Is Трамп hiding from whistleblower? Former prosecutor says he can declassify “anything”
• Stephen: Трамп is in California, raking in cash and rolling back emissions standards
• Rachel Maddow: Adam Schiff slams DOJ for isolating intel community whistleblower:

• Seth Meyers: Трамп threatens war with Iran on Saudi Arabia’s behalf
• The Late Show: Hot Wheels Трамп edition
• Now This: Sean Spicer makes “Dancing With The Stars” debut and worries about discrimination
• Samantha Bee: Dancing around the consequences
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Former NSA inspector general on whistleblower and Трамп
• Jimmy Kimmel: Impeachment will distract Трамп!
• Stephen: Corey Lewandowski testifies at contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing
• The Late Show: The nasty fly responsible for Трамп’s nasty thoughts
• Now This: The Dotard makes new, offensive comment about Hispanics.
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп’s promise to foreign leader exposed
• Stephen: Трамп’s new National Security Advisor worked the A$AP Rocky case

Weird History: What was it like to be a Civil War soldier?

Jim Jefferies: Debunking myths about trans athletes.

Mental Floss: 30 Harry Potter spells and word origins.

WaPo: GM workers go on strike.

Vice News: The fight to save the dying languages of Alaska.

Samantha Bee: The Founding Fathers were not gods

Sky News: School children sue US government over climate change.

Twenty-Twenty Vision:

• Stephen: Elizabeth Warren points out that no President gets to declare war on their own
• Seth Meyers: Andrew Yang on universal basic income and measuring our economic health
• Now This: Elizabeth Warren discusses her vision for America with Ady Barkan
• Stephen: Warren closing in on Biden in recent polls
• Trevor: Warren and Трамп’s dueling campaign rallies
• Jimmy Fallon: Slow jam the news with Senator Kamala Harris
• Stephen: Corn pop was a bad dude, but Joe Biden wasn’t scared
• Mother Jones: Warren supporters on how to win over Трамп voters
• Seth Meyers: Late Night Democratic Presidential debate, round 3
• Jimmy Fallon: Sen. Kamala Harris on women’s health and the climate crisis
• Now This: Julián Castro explains his health care vision to Ady Barkan
• Stephen: Elizabeth Warren points out that a country that elects The Dotard is already in trouble
• Jimmy Kimmel pitches new campaign slogans to Cory Booker
• Seth Meyers: Warren surges as Democrats focus on Трамп’s corruption
• Stephen: Elizabeth Warren tells a crowd of 20,000, “I am not afraid.”

Today I Found Out: In which Teddy Roosevelt makes men everywhere feel a little less manly.

FOD: The Mooer Report press conference:

Adam ruins eating.

Samantha Bee: Meet the rich—The Koch brothers.

Chris Hayes: Exxon knew about climate change long ago.

NY Times: How to disagree better.

Robert Reich: The real political battle in America.

Seth Meyers with some political news.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

All the climate strikers are hella rad. Seattle schools (and other Washington State schools) should give them an excused absence. For goodness sake.

A new restaurant has opened near me. I can’t speak to the quality of the food. But! I can speak to the music. Too goddam loud on the weekend. I could not get to sleep. Should I talk to someone in there? Should I complain to the city? Should I just use ear plugs?

PS this post makes me officially old.

Please join us this evening for some politics over a pint, some civics over a cider, some campaigning with champagne, or some electioneering over…umm…Everclear? Whatever your taste in governing or guzzling, stop by the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. Look for us in the back room of the pub beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 265 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, seven in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter for your community!

I’ve been under the weather for a bit.

Trevor: Big Pharma pays up for their part in the opioid crisis.

Samantha Bee: It’s time to cancel the Electoral College.

The Late Show: We’ve got your back-2-Congress supplies.

Bruce W. Nelson: A mangy fetlocks lullaby for tired adults.

Vox: The gun solution we’re not talking about.

Minute Physics: Protecting privacy with MATH.

The Dotard Трамп and Other Sharpies and Racist Dullards:

• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп wants to ban vaping to protect Melania’s son
• Stephen: The Трамп family—A political dynasty for decades to come?
• Jim Jefferies: Talking to reporters about Трамп’s attacks on the media
• Rachel Maddow: DOJ pursuit of Трамп vendetta against McCabe takes odd turn
• Stephen: Bolton lost Трамп’s support after angering Kim Jong Un
• Lawrence O’Donnell: House Judiciary Committee votes on new rules for impeachment
• Lauren Mayer: It’s Raining Lies:

• Trevor: Трамп fires John Bolton
• Seth Meyers: Трамп faces scrutiny over personal properties and hurricane lies
• Samantha Bee: The well-documented case of Трамп’s undocumented employees
• Stephen: Трамп to rally crowd, “I’m never leaving office”
• Jimmy Kimmel: The Dotard “fires” Bolton & offers more lies
• Seth Meyers: Трамп’s sharpie scandal has triggered multiple investigations
• Stephen: It’s a lot of fun to work for The Dotard
• The Late Show: Bigly shop of horrors
• Samantha Bee: Here’s how taxpayers are funding Трамп’s resorts
• Stephen: Трамп ignores Pence and Bolton, invites Taliban to Camp David
• Trevor: Трамп siphons money for his wall
• Stephen: Pro tip, Mr. Dotard…don’t go after Chrissy Teigen on Twitter
• Francesca Fiorentini: How Трамп plans to keep America white:

• Seth Meyers: Трамп lies about the Bahamas & explains Bolton firing
• The Late Show: The Taliban aren’t the only ones getting invites from The Dotard
• Ari Melber: In legal blow court revives corruption suit against Трамп
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Трамп advisers looking for “escape” from China tariffs
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп cancels Taliban & slams Legend & Teigen
• Mark Fiore: The Sharpie presidency
• Stephen: A stupid President saves us from a smart warmonger

NY Times opinion: Why blaming video games for violence is wrong.

Samantha Bee: What’s up With Rudy Giuliani’s 9/11 tribute video?

Jimmy Kimmel: The week in unnecessary censorship.

Hasan Minhaj testifies at student loans hearing.

Now This: New college student pep talk from Michelle Obama.

The Atlantic: How black Americans were robbed of their land.

Twenty-twenty Vision:

• Stephen: Several Democrats are beating Трамп in head-to-head polls
• Bill Maher: Snap, Crackle and Pop
• Trevor: The Democratic debate
• Now This: Kamala Harris talks about her own Medicare for All plan with Ady Barkan
• NY Times: Best moments of the Democratic debate
• Stephen: Jake Tapper thinks Warren, Biden & Sanders will go all the way to the convention
• Full Frontal: Staffers draw the candidates from memory
• Now This: Why is Beto O’Rourke running for president?
• NY Times: Who are Трамп’s Republican challengers?
• Stephen: Jake Tapper weighs in on Julián Castro’s attack on Joe Biden
• Joy Reid: Beto O’Rourke on how and why to ban assault weapons
• Jimmy Kimmel breaks down the Democratic debate
• The Late Show: Deep in the Heart of Texas:

• Seth Meyers: Eric Holder’s family didn’t want him to run for president in 2020
• Lawrence O’Donnell: The real 2020 lesson from the NC-09 special election
• Now This: Elizabeth Warren’s best moments in the Democratic debate were attacks on corporations
• Stephen: Sparks fly at third Democratic debate
• Samantha Bee: We’re gonna need a bigger vote

Roll Call: Congressional Hits and Misses.

Drunk History: The true story behind the legend of Billy the Kid.

Now This: Alarming map shows sea ice melting since 1984.

Jim Jefferies: Why we should all care about saving the tuna.

Robert Reich: The secret GOP plan to keep power.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Did you watch the debate? It seemed like Governor Inslee was given a more prominent role than when he was on stage. At least people praising him and his ideas for a bit. Nice to see before it fades.

It is the anniversary of 9/11. 18 years ago an unprepared President who hadn’t done the basic work of protecting America ran scared from place to place as thousands of people died in a city he hated. Then everyone pretended that he was brilliant.

It’s Tuesday. And that means the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally meets. Stop by, if you can, and join the conversation.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. Look for us in the back room of the pub beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 265 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, seven in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter for your community!