Election Hijinx A-Brewin' in Alabama

This is not just conjectural.  Following the link below will take you to a Greg Palast investigative report on nine methods of vote suppression being used by Republicans in Alabama.  And, yes, this the new Republican party of accused -- well -- you know what.  


Is the Fix In -- In Alabama?

Hundreds Support Net Neutrality in New York

Protest in New York

Other locations also see protests


Hundreds of peaceful protestors gathered at a VER-uh-zon* store in New York City to decry plans to end the Internet super highway as we know it.  The article below is from Huffington Post** and informs us that the new head of the FCC is a former counsel for the telecommunications giant.




Protestors Meet Verizon Customers



* this is my preferred pronunciation for Verizon.   Not having television, I never did see the introductory campaign for the latest name of the former New York Bell Telephone.  Looking at this weird word I decided that if it were spelled with two "o's" it would rhyme with the word "horizon."   therefore I decided it must be VER-ih-zon.   The pronunciation stuck.


** The article also admits that VER-uh-zon owns the parent company of Huffington Post.  I did not know that. 


Photo courtesy Huffington Post

Senator Franken Announces Coming Resignation

Sen. Al Franken has announced that in coming weeks he will resign from the U. S. Senate.  This is tragic news for America.  Whatever the circumstances (and there has not been any trial), this is a tremendous loss for the country.   Sen. Franken was a tireless advocate for the average citizen and the underprivileged.  He will be missed.

Music and the Internet: A Challenging Combination

Quick Link --


The book referenced here is largely about the Internet as we know it and its effect on everyday life.  It also reviews the relationship of the World Wide Web to music and other creative human pursuits.

A very taking perspective. 

See more here:
Music and the Internet 
Reference to Amazon.com

Staying Afloat

I continue to stay abreast of the news at a pace which I believe will help me retain my sanity and still keep me informed adequately as a citizen of this great country.  For those reading from abroad I can assure you we in the United Stares are overwhelmingly the same friendly and open people you have always known.  We are not publicly, or even privately, purposely insulting people of other races and religions.

Of course, there is always a minority who have opposite intentions.  And with Our Military Leader (OML) encouraging them sometimes their actions have become emboldened.  This is very concerning and regrettable.

Having said this, news stories relating to OML's administration continue to come fast and furious.  For me, the problem has to do mostly with the lying which has come out of this White House, and -- saliently -- the Oval Office.  The total rush of events, however, does cause one to lose one's balance, if not indeed, one's stomach.  This, it seems to me, is part of the plan.  Such a method has been described by Naomi Klein for one. 

So -- I will endeavor to keep up with things.  Not everything deserves comment.  And some things require so much research the day is over before I can even begin.  For the immediate future I plan to continue writing about what I regard as the most important and/or interesting matters -- things which surprise and delight, as well as things which are critically important.  Under the current trying circumstances it can be difficult to parse the news and write in a way which is complete yet at the same time fits the timely nature of a web log. 

Still I shall do my best, even if quantity suffers.  If it comes to it, better to have quantity suffer, and quality remain high.  

Some Cities Offer More than Tax Abatements to Corporations...

Some seem to be practically giving away the keys to the city itself.


The Seattle Times reports that plans for Amazon's second headquarters is being treated as an opportunity to bargain away democracy itself -- at least to a dangerous extent.  With a company already having done such great damage to brick-and-mortar retailers (such as J. C. Penney), this is not the right way for cities to go.  Read more here:

This City Hall Brought to You by -- Amazon!


Coming Soon:  At least one city is taking an entirely different tack.  

Why Vaccines Are So Important

Answer in three words:  to relieve suffering

 

There are legitimate concerns about vaccines.   However, a resulting autism is not one of them, according to scientists.  And even though many illnesses are treatable with today's medicines, once contracted, certain diseases can cause great suffering and even death.  This is particularly true in parts of the world where access to medical care is distant or expensive.  Vaccines, which can be made available at low cost, can prevent the appearance of dread diseases such as pneumonia before they are ever contracted. 

Yet, the main program supporting low-cost vaccines in these "Third World" countries is considered temporary until such time as a country raises its living standard enough to be able to afford a higher cost.  Yet this cost, lower than that paid in First World countries, can still be prohibitively expensive to an emerging nation.  

As I said last night, much more needs to be done in this area to make needed vaccines available to children around the world. 


Why Vaccines Are Important


Photo courtesy WHO

Update: Vaccines

from Friday --

 Clarification:

What I wrote Friday about vaccine manufacturers was in fact true -- but in the past.  I am still researching this matter.   But in the same issue of National Geographic (November 2017), a public-private partnership has been able to make available to countries such as Bangladesh vaccines for pneumococcal virus at a much-reduced cost.  Thus while the history of the high cost of this particular vaccine remains, currently there has been significant improvement.  I regret any impression left about current conditions.

Of course there continue to be many problems related to the profit motive in medicine, including needless deaths.  We remain in a national and international emergency with ever so much work left to be done. 

The Horror of Our Time; The Regret of the Future

The current issue of The National Geographic magazine is notable for its numerous interesting and useful stories.  Tonight I have been reading about vaccines -- their usefulness and necessity.  So much good has come from vaccines, simply in terms of alleviating suffering. 

Yet, in recent years countries (such as Bangladesh) desperately needing the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (for juvenile pneumococcal virus infections), were unable to afford the price the manufacturers had decided to charge.  That pharmaceutical companies could demand high prices for something which could mean life or death to children is simply a horror.  It will be the great regret of the future.

The Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy

Here is the link to an important website devoted to understanding the legal status of corporations in America, especially as they affect democracy.  I have been aware of the Program on Corporations, Law, and Democracy (POCLAD), for over twenty years and have found the group to be very useful in understanding the history of corporations and how they came to have so much power in America.

Most every great nation in history has struggled in some fashion with the powers of accumulated wealth.  America is no different.   POCLAD helps understand the "how."  What America needs most is to understand is the "why."  I have found it is possible to develop a beginning understanding of why corporations have had so much power accrue to them.  While it is difficult to deal in-depth with this here, I am happy to share what I know on an individual basis.  I may be reached through the commenting function below each post. 


http://www.poclad.org/

Voter Suppression Appears to Affect Results: Research

As recently as this week, pundits and columnists such as Kathleen Parker in The Washington Post continue to refer to "the people" electing Donald Trump, or words to that effect. But this simply isn't true.


Research Shows Crosscheck Program Purges Legitimate Voters

Issues I Am Watching Now

Here are issues I am watching and researching now.  In coming days I plan to bring you news and views on these matters:

• The beginning of a wave?  Democratic wins on November 7
• The vast incompetence of the media regarding the general election of 2016
• Surprising Democratic Socialist gains in the off-year elections this month
• The tragedy of mass shootings made simpler

Please visit in coming days to see posts on these important subjects.

Your interest in this blog is, as always, greatly appreciated.

Yours,

T M P  

Republicans Enter Troubled Waters after Off-Year Elections

Late Afternoon Link --

The Republican Party finds itself in deep water after failures in New Jersey and Virginia elections yesterday.  Party operatives are said to be worried about 2018

I'll have more on this subject later. 


Republicans: Major Fail in Virginia

Mueller Alleges Manafort Link to Organized Crime

Quick Link --

Buried deep  inside the Mueller indictment of Paul Manafort is an allegation that Manafort avoided paying taxes on money that was then used to purchase expensive items such a Mercedes-Benz. 

Mueller Indictment Alleges Manafort Link to Russian Organized Crime

Move Fast and Break Things -- New Book Purports to Reveal How to Undermine Democracy through Technology

This book by the director emeritus of the Annenberg Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California promises to show how the culture of Silicon Valley and other "Valleys" has significantly effected our democracy and even our way of life and culture.  I am just now starting to peruse this important-looking book.

A few books I am aware of have already been published on this general topic, and there are numerous magazine articles available as well.  It is long past time for a major review of the effects of new social media technologies on both the body politic, and simply the society. 


Move Fast and Break Things -- book review