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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:22:02 GMT -8
I Don't Know If This is a True Story, But ...
So after landing my new job as a Wal-Mart greeter, a good find for many retirees,
I lasted less than a day......
About two hours into my first day on the job a very loud,
unattractive, mean-acting woman walked into the store with her two kids,
Yelling obscenities at them all the way through the entrance.
As I had been instructed, I said pleasantly, 'Good morning and welcome to Wal-Mart.
Nice children you have there. Are they twins?'
The ugly woman stopped yelling long enough to say,
'Heck no, they ain't twins. The oldest one's 9, and the other one's 7.
Why would you think they're twins? Are you blind, or just stupid?'
So I replied, 'I'm neither blind nor stupid, Ma'am,
I just couldn't believe someone slept with you twice.
Have a good day and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart.'
My supervisor said I probably wasn't cut out for this line of work.
DeathSentence Is Creating Job Openings In Florida
New College of Florida, which in recent months has been taken over by allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is facing major staff shortages as faculty members are fleeing for other jobs.
In fact, the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that the school has lost more than a third of its faculty in the last few months, a churn rate that Provost Bradley Thiessen described as "incredibly high."
DeSantis and his allies may welcome the departures given that their stated goal is to transform the university into an "anti-woke" learning establishment.
Nonetheless, it's causing big headaches for school administrators who are now scrambling to ensure they have enough faculty to teach classes.
IN OTHER NEWS: 'Any attorney that represents me is either a fool or a Great American Patriot': Trump posts head-scratching claim
Biologist Liz Leininger, for one, told the Tampa Bay Times that she felt guilty for leaving the school behind but said she felt she had little alternative, and she has since taken a job as chairperson of neuroscience at St. Mary's in Maryland.
However, this is cold comfort for third-year cognitive science major Alaska Miller, who tells the Tampa Bay Times that her diploma has now been put on hold indefinitely.
"Either I don't graduate on time or I'd have to abandon my major," she explained to the newspaper. (That would be one less person out there looking for a job.)
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:24:42 GMT -8
Kyrsten Sinema, Tulsi Gabbard, and Cash. It Has to Be Sleazy.In February, is was reported that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) paid over half-a-million dollars to the sister of her former ally and colleague Tulsi Gabbard for security -- an arrangement that raised red flags in regards to transparency that Sinema never fully addressed. Now, according to The Daily Beast, her latest federal campaign finance filing "offers a clear answer to the question of whether the senator has reconsidered her security arrangement or her obligation to be more transparent about it." Sinema’s campaign was reporting itemized payments to Gabbard's sister Vrindavan Bellord''s TOA Group for travel expenses. But after the Beast's story was published in February, her campaign changed how it reported the expenses, making it impossible to determine what expenses of Bellord’s were covered by Sinema’s donors. Sinema’s campaign paid TOA Group a total of over $450,000to provide security, and over $310,000to cover Bellord’s travel or other expenses since 2021. “Since [the initial Daily Beast] story, there’s been more spending and less transparency, and that is very concerning,” said Brendan Fischer, executive director of the watchdog group Documented. “Over the last two reporting cycles, fully 20 percent of Sinema’s campaign spending has gone to a single firm run by a close associate. I’ve never seen anything like that.” Kyrsten Sinema Is Still Paying Tulsi Gabbard's Sister a Fortune for SecurityWhile it’s normal for high-profile politicians to spend heavily on security these days, many contract with reputable third-party companies or work with a roster of personnel to meet their needs—not a single entity with no other political clients.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:28:49 GMT -8
He's a Veteran LiarAlthough Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has exalted himself as a tireless supporter of veterans, he has been a major source of aggravation for the U.S. military in 2023. The MAGA senator has held up the confirmation of more than 250 military officers because of the Biden Administration's policy of reimbursing women in the U.S. Armed Forces for travel expenses incurred when seeking abortions. And his critics, including Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois (a U.S. Army veteran) and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, have slammed him for endangering the United States' national security in order to score brownie points with the Religious Right. In a Fact Checker column published on July 19, the Washington Post's Glenn Kessler examines promises that Tuberville has made to veterans but not lived up to. READ MORE: Abortion, the military and white nationalism have put Tommy Tuberville in the hot seat "As senator," Kessler reports, "Tuberville has made veterans one of his key issues. The former football coach serves on both the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee…. Yet there is no evidence that Tuberville has kept a key pledge he made when he ran for Senate three years ago — that he would 'donate very dime' he made in Washington to Alabama veterans." In a campaign video posted on Facebook on March 9, 2020, Tuberville declared, "I stand with our veterans, and I'm going to donate every dime I make when I'm in Washington, D.C. to the veterans of the state of Alabama. Folks, they deserve it. They deserve it a lot more than most of us." Where's the Beef?Kessler continues, "In the past decade, Tuberville has made contributions to veterans via a charitable organization, the Tommy Tuberville Foundation, that he established in 2014 after he was hired as football coach at the University of Cincinnati…. But a review of IRS filings made by the Foundation show that very little has been spent on charitable causes — especially since he became a senator…. In 2021, the foundation reported it had $74,101 in revenue and spent just 12 percent of that, or $9000, while $32,000 went to administrative costs — including nearly $12,400 to pay off a truck the charity purchased in 2018 for $27,369." Tommy Tuberville pledged to ‘donate every dime’ to veterans. He hasn’t.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:30:40 GMT -8
QANON Ron Isn't Making An Overt Effort. So It Must Be a Covert Effort.
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is leaving open the possibility that he could continue to pay himself back for millions of dollars in loans he made to his prior Senate campaigns — something he began to do in May despite claiming he had "no intention" of recouping the money from donors.
"Again, I'm not making an overt effort," Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Tuesday, when asked if he planned to continue to pay himself back for loans from his successful 2010 and 2016 campaigns.
Asked if that meant he might indeed recoup the money from donations, Johnson shrugged as he got onto an elevator from the Capitol basement to the Senate floor. He did not respond before the elevator doors closed.
The multi-millionaire Oshkosh Republican on May 3 repaid himself $400,000 for prior loans to his campaigns, according to documents filed with the Federal Elections Commission. Those payments from his campaign account included $210,000 in loans to his 2010 campaign and $190,000 in loans he made to his 2016 campaign.
The repayments are legal. The Supreme Court ruled in its May 2022 Ted Cruz v. FEC decision that federal candidates are entitled to use an unlimited amount of cash raised after an election to repay loans that they had previously made to their campaign. Federal lawmakers had previously placed a $250,000 cap on the amount of money that candidates could raise after their election to repay old campaign loans.
But two weeks after Johnson repaid himself the $400,000 for the old loans, he told Insider, Inc. that he had "no intention" of seeking any of the $8.4 million in outstanding loans he claimed his campaign owes him. "I don't have any expectation to get paid back," Johnson said on May 16.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:31:56 GMT -8
That's One. Who's Next?
Wesleyan University, an elite US liberal arts college, says it will no longer grant preference to student applicants with family or donor ties.
The Connecticut institution said it was "important" to end legacy admissions, which have long been criticised as a perk for the white and wealthy.
It cited the Supreme Court's recent ruling that race could no longer be considered as a factor in admissions.
A vast majority of Americans are against legacy admissions.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:37:33 GMT -8
Delta Isn't Really Ready When You Are
A Delta Air Lines flight out of Las Vegas was canceled Monday after several passengers and at least one crew member fell ill amid "uncomfortable temperatures" on the plane as they waited for it to take off during an unrelenting heatwave, the airline said.
Multiple customers on Flight 555, which had been bound for Atlanta from Harry Reid International Airport, were seen by first responders, including a passenger and a flight attendant who had to be transported to a local hospital, according to Delta.
“We apologize for the experience our customers had on flight 555," the airline said in a statement. "Delta teams are looking into the circumstances that led to uncomfortable temperatures inside the cabin and we appreciate the efforts of our people and first responders at Harry Reid International.”
The airline said customers were accommodated on other flights and received a direct apology and compensatory gesture for their experience.
Video shared online by a social media user who said they were on the plane showed someone being wheeled away on a stretcher.
Krista Garvin, a field producer for Fox News, said she was on the flight when the incident unfolded, calling it an "INSANE experience." She said a number of passengers passed out due to the heat.
In a series of tweets, Garvin said the flight was initially delayed and then once passengers were finally able to board, they were left sitting for "almost 3 hours on a hot plane in 111 degree weather" awaiting takeoff.
The plane ultimately had to head back to the gate because people were "passing out," she said.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:39:29 GMT -8
Being Constipated Can Really Cause You to Have Shit for BrainsNew research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam highlights a growing body of evidence linking people’s microbiomes to their brain health. One study found that chronic constipation was tied to worse cognitive abilities — the equivalent of three years of aging — while two other studies found that certain gut bacteria were associated with dementia risk. All three studies, which haven’t yet been published in peer-reviewed journals, point to a possible role that a buildup of “bad” bacteria in the gut could play in cognitive health. “We know that it is essential for overall good health to regularly eliminate waste from the body. If that does not happen, we may retain toxins that negatively impact our health in a variety of ways,” said Christopher Weber, the director of global science initiatives with the Alzheimer’s Association, who wasn’t involved with the research. “Although more research is needed, it’s a fascinating start.” How constipation may be linked to cognitive decline, and other ways gut health is linked to brain health
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:40:44 GMT -8
Why the Actors Are Striking
Mandy Moore says some of her paychecks for her role on “This Is Us” after it went to a streaming platform were for less than $1.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:43:52 GMT -8
How Does the Michigan QOP Want to Seize Power? I Can't Recall.
Conservative activists just launched recall campaigns against five Democratic members of the closely divided Michigan House, though they face steep challenges in qualifying for the ballot. But don't expect complacency from Democrats, who haven't forgotten that Republicans successfully used recalls to wrest away control of the state Senate in 1984—and then held it for the next four decades.
The targeted Democrats are Reps. Betsy Coffia, Jennifer Conlin, Jaime Churches, Sharon MacDonell, and Reggie Miller—five women who were all elected for the first time last year and helped power their party to shocking upset that resulted in a 56-54 majority. Except for MacDonnell, who sits in bluer turf, all represent swingy districts and all won by single digits last year. The most marginal is Church's 27th District in the southern Detroit suburbs, which voted for Donald Trump by a 51-47 margin, while the rest backed Joe Biden to varying degrees.
Petitions filed with the secretary of state's office state that organizers are seeking to recall the lawmakers in question for their votes in favor of a bill expanding hate crimes that is still pending in the Senate and a new red flag law that allows courts to remove firearms from the possession of those who might pose a danger to themselves or others, but the potential partisan ramifications are unmistakable. However, supporters would need to gather a daunting number of signatures, equal to 25% of the vote in last year's election for governor in each district, in order to actually force a recall.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:45:24 GMT -8
It Only Took 2.5 Years For Someone to Notice
Michigan attorney general charges 'false electors' over efforts to overturn the 2020 election
Sixteen people forged documents and claimed to be "duly elected and qualified electors" for Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
Presidents are technically voted in by slates of electors from each state who cast their votes for the candidates selected by their states’ popular votes. In December 2020, as Trump tried to overturn the results of the election, his allies readied alternative slates of electors in several states.
They appear to be the first charges filed against fake electors.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:47:16 GMT -8
They Are Feeling Bregret
Most Brits reckon Brexit has failed, new poll finds
Arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage thinks Brexit has failed. Almost two-thirds of Brits seem to agree with him.
According to a YouGov poll released Tuesday, 63 percent of Britons now consider Brexit to have been more of a failure than a success — the latest piece of research which points to anti-Brexit sentiment in the U.K. three years on from the country’s formal exit from the EU.
Just 12 percent of those asked see Brexit as more of a success than a failure, while 18 percent said it was neither.
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:48:20 GMT -8
Exactly!
Here's Another Example of What's Wrong With It
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:52:53 GMT -8
The Perfect Campaign Ad ... Starring ... WHO??
Joe Is Still At It
Renters should soon be able to expect more transparency on what they'll pay for their apartments, as some major online real-estate marketplaces agree to include hidden costs — like application and convenience fees — in their upfront advertised pricing.
Companies including Zillow, Apartments.com and AffordableHousing.com have agreed to heed the administration's call for clarity about how many additional charges – sometimes adding hundreds in fees – renters will face when applying for and finalizing rental agreements.
And once renters have secured apartments, the White House noted, they may be slapped with convenience fees for online rent payment, fees for sorting mail, or what the administration referred to in its fact sheet as "January fees" that are tacked on for no discernible reason beyond the fact of a new year.
A January Fee? Really?
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Post by mhbruin on Jul 19, 2023 8:54:20 GMT -8
Phoenix is Buring. Will It Rise from the Ashes?
A dangerous 19th straight day of scorching heat in Phoenix set a record for U.S. cities Tuesday, confined many residents to air-conditioned safety and turned the usually vibrant metropolis into a ghost town.
The city’s record streak of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) or more stood out even amid sweltering temperatures across the globe. It reached 117 degrees (47.2 Celsius) by 3 p.m.
I Have Never Understood Why Anyone Would Want to Move Into the Desert.
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