Lindsey Graham grew a pair !

I'm one of the last people who would consider leading a parade for Lindsey Graham, but who knew he grew a pair? CNBC: 

The South Carolina Republican lashed out at his Democratic colleagues and accused them of orchestrating an "unethical sham" against the appeals judge to keep a seat on the top U.S. court open. 

The media reports Graham's statements and behavior at today's Kavanaugh hearing as "erupting" or a "bizarre defense" (of Kavanaugh). 

The media reporting on a Liberal politician's behavior, in the same situation, would be instead described as, "passionate", "brave" and "compelling." Graham was exactly those terms. I didn't think he had it in him. Who knew?

Dick Durbin/Walter the Muppet...Water the Muppet/Dick Durbin

Senator Dick "Turban" Durbin (UberLib-Illinois), relying on his usual and over-the-top theatrics , (doesn't Durbin look like Walter the Muppet?), is described by media as "pushing" (read pressing [Kavanaugh]), or as part of a "firey exchange".

Durbin in 2005, we can't forget, compared American Soldiers at Gitmo to "Nazis and Soviet Gulags."  It's acceptable for Turban to say things like this because he's a Lib.

Cali's $110 Million Dollar Senator, Diane Whinestein? No credibility in the past and the same continues today. Fox News: 

"I don't believe my staff would leak it," Feinstein said in response to a question from Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas. "I have not asked that question directly."

After a pause, apparently to consult with her staff, Feinstein told Cornyn: "The answer is no."

She's closing in on 100 years old, isn't she? She hasn't known ass from tea kettle for decades

Based on what I watched today and have read over the past week, my personal opinion and conclusion is some type of physical assault may have happened to Dr. Christine Ford almost 40-years ago. But, for me, it is far beyond reasonable doubt that the offender was Brett Kavanaugh. The evidence, thus far, isn't there.

"Paging Dr. Ford." Dr. Ford answers page.

Well...we're done  with waiting.

Christine Blasey Ford

Ford cites indelible hippocampus: 

Speaking about Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge, Ford spelled it out: “Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter.["]
[.]
When senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee, asked her why she was “so sure,” Ford responded with a technical explanation of how trauma encodes memory. It was down to the level of “norepinephrine and epinephrine in the brain,” she said, and how these neurotransmitters encode memories into the hippocampus. The end result, as Ford explained to the Senate, was that “trauma-related experience is locked there, so other memories just drift.”

Here's an interesting research study  on memory recall and retrieval, including false memory creation.

The hippocampus of other people, I guess, works differently.

Paging Dr. Ford...Paging Dr. Christine Blasey Ford...

This is beyond absurd

World News Links

Paralympic athlete accused of exaggerating impairment. Sydney Morning Herald:

Amanda Reid, who has represented Australia in swimming and cycling at two Paralympic Games, was accused by her former swimming coach this week of exaggerating her symptoms.

- - -
AI algorithms hate the poor and disenfranchised.  The Next Web:

In an age where algorithms are “helping” government employees do their jobs, if you’re not straight, not white, or not living above the poverty line you’re at greater risk of unfair bias.

 - - -

News24 - Gulfstream blows two tires taking off in New Jersey; emergency lands in New York.

The pilot soon realised [sic] what had happened and began circling the airport for about 30 minutes before the jet was diverted.

- - -
News Australia: Argument over mattress leaves one man dead.
(Advisory: graphic video at link).

“If you come within three feet of me, I’m going to kill you,” Mr Miller tells Mr Howard. Seconds later, two gunshots are heard. The chilling clip — shot by Mr Howard’s wife Kara Box — also shows Michael firing the shotgun after the first two shots are fired.

- - -
UK PM Theresa May,"demands respect." MSN:

"Throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it," [said May].
[.]
May will hope that her tough stance against the EU will insulate her from further such criticism, ahead of the Conservatives' annual conference, which begins September 30.

Yeah...good luck on the 'hope', there, Teereeeeza.
- - -

WSTP: More Baby Boomers turning to marijuana, says study.

A new study from researchers at New York University shows the number of baby boomers using marijuana is skyrocketing. And the amount of people age 65 and up is also increasing.

“They’re using it more because it helps,” said Joe Redner, a medical marijuana advocate and owner of Mons Venus strip club in Tampa. A cancer patient, he has been fighting for the right to grow his own medicinal pot.

- - -
Tit: Deutsche Welle - Iran says, "Trump a threat to Middle East."

...[the] threat is the Trump administration's sense of entitlement to destabilize the world along with rogue accomplices in our region," [said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter].

Tat? Islamic Republic News - "Pompeo threatens Iran."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a stark warning to Iran Friday, telling CNN that Washington will take direct action against Tehran for any attacks, even those using proxy forces, against US interests.

- - -
China is updating its military and no one is saying much. The Diplomat:

...Chinese military power has been very good and continues to improve, [with a trend] toward emphasizing new pieces of equipment over upgrades of existing equipment. This is unfortunate for it leads to an underestimation of Chinese military power and a misunderstanding of possible future trajectories.

- - -
Whiny canoeists try to sue Trump for frequent Potomac closings. Washingtonian:

“This is not a personal animosity against the Trump, or any, administration. We’re just trying to paddle our own canoes,”  [said Canoe Cruisers Association chair Barbara Brown].

- - -
AFP: Journalist murdered in Mexico is ninth in 2018.

Mario Gomez, a reporter with El Heraldo de Chiapas [...] was leaving for work when two unidentified men arrived and "murdered him in cold blood" with a series of shots to the abdomen.
[.]
Mexico is the second-deadliest country in the world for journalists after war-torn Syria, according to the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.

- - -
Convicted drug trafficker at the centre of the Australian strawberry contamination scandal. Stuff-New Zealand:

Donnybrook Berries, at Elimbah near Caboolture in the heart of strawberry country north of Brisbane, is owned by [drug trafficker] Pasquale "Pat" Cufari from Mildura, in the Australian state of Victoria.

He was not at the family property on farmland, on the outskirts of Mildura, when Fairfax Media arrived.  Two men came to the front of the home where a red Ferrari was parked in the drive.

1): Would anyone really expect him to be at home?
2): Wouldn't we all be disappointed if anything less than a red Ferrari was parked in the drive?
- - -
See the car on the left...backing-up? Can you guess where it's going? View the video at the New Zealand Herald:

Image-Video: Blair Powell

 "They passed me at speed at first," he recalls, adding that, once they approached Beaumont Bridge, a one-lane bridge, they did not even seem to notice the traffic light was there.

"They went straight through the red light, completely ignored it," [said Blair Powell].

World News Links

Jet Airways loses cabin pressure, flight of horror. Hindustan Times:

...the cabin crew forgot to put on a key switch that maintains cabin pressure. Hathi and other passengers reported screams and cries of fear as the aircraft climbed, with the emergency oxygen masks eventually coming down.

- - -
Kimmy Junior wants to meet with Trump again.  New Zealand Star:

A summary released by the Pyongyang Press Corps noted that Kim Jong Un wants the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Pyongyang to hurry the denuclearization process, as part of which North Korea aims to set up another summit with Trump "as soon as possible."

- - -
First Post: Rite Aid shooter had no one targeted.

"She didn't have a particular target. She was just shooting. She didn't aim. She just shot,"  [said Krystal Watson].

- - -
Winemaker jailed; didn't tell cops about friend's cannabis crop. SMH:

Griffith winemaker Marcello Casella has been jailed for at least six months for failing to tell police about a large cannabis crop grown by a long-time friend.

Casella, 58, pleaded guilty in June to concealing a serious indictable offence after he failed to tell police about the crop of 2750 cannabis plants grown on a farm at Crowther in south-western NSW in late 2013 and early 2014.

He didn't rat on his friend. It's nice to know that honor among...lawbreakers...is still sometimes upheld. :)
- - -
Mummified penguin chicks discovered in Antarctica. Australian Broadcast Corp: 

Scientists said the discovery holds clues to two massive weather-related calamities that wiped out large numbers of birds, one about 200 years ago and one around 750 years ago.

- - -
i News:  Passing Heavy Metal and Mosh-pit etiquette on to the next generation.

Rules include immediately picking up people who had fallen over at a gig and' anyone who is hurt being taken to the bar by the person responsible.

- - -
Ireland vexes the UK and EU in Brexit. Deutsche Welle:

...it appeared that the UK and the EU were no closer to solving the most intractable issues at hand: how to avoid imposing a harder border on the island of Ireland and how to handle future trade.

- - -
Hmmmmmm...Iran removes import limit on gold and foreign currencies. Mehr News:

The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has eased currency rules and ordered the customs to allow merchants to bring foreign currency banknotes or gold into the country in a bid to curb further depreciation of the rial.

 - - -

The rise of the Spying Transit Police. Blacklisted News: 

Today's Public Transit Police Departments offer a frightening glimpse into the future of commuter surveillance.

- - -
France24: Brazil's eccentric presidential candidate Cabo Daciolo says God wants him to win.

Cabo Daciolo, who calls himself a messenger from heaven, says he wants to expel Satan from Congress[.]

- - -
The No Chill: Kanye West is a clone.

Current Kanye is an Illuminati Clone

- - -
Burger King vs a colonial burial ground.  The Day: 

About 40 opponents of a proposed Burger King gathered Thursday evening in the historic colonial burying ground to hear historic preservation advocates express concerns that the project could impact the cemetery and that early burials could exist on the other side of the 19th century stone wall that divides the properties.

Stealing Borrowing Content from Others

I think I'll steal borrow ... Bidenize content from others for an afternoon update.

From Phil. I dunno what this is.

Angry Mutant Crabs Destroying Everything in Their Path

From FOX News:

Angry green crabs from Nova Scotia, angrier than their already ornery green cousins in Maine, are migrating south. They have started to destroy the coastal ecosystem off the shores of Maine, as they eat more than their share of soft-shell clams and wreck native eel grass[.]
[.]
"What we're seeing is this insane level of aggressiveness," [said Markus Frederich, a professor at the University of New England.
[.]
[The damage done by the crabs compares] to that of Edward Scissorhands, as they tried to look for marine organisms to eat.

Tech News

Flamethrower Salmon. Image: Dan Baker/Digital Trends

Warning: This story will make you hungry. The Flamethrower Diet. Digital Trends:

[T]he Flamethrower Diet is the hottest new nutrition trend from Silicon Valley. Rather than forcing you to cut carbs or count calories, this diet gives you the freedom and flexibility to eat whatever you want, whenever you want — as long as it can be cooked with The Boring Company’s new Not-A-Flamethrower.
[.]
Almost immediately, the benefits of cooking via flamethrower became apparent to me. The time savings alone make this diet worth a try. My toast was finished in seconds[.] (Ya know, I do get impatient for my toast. Really, I do. - D.D.)
[.]
I flame-blasted the salmon on a alder plank in an effort to impart the fish with some woody smoke flavors, and also to keep from scorching the pavement in my driveway too much.

Phil, Zack, Mike, Irish, ...anyone? Let me know if you try this method for grilling and how it turns out. 
- - -
TechNews World: Andriod Apps Riskier than ever.
- - -
In other words, it's just a matter of time until multiple, future "patches" are issued? MS Managed Desktop turns device management to Windows. ZD Net:

Via MMD, Microsoft will provide business users with the option of having Microsoft manage their Windows 10 PCs. This means Microsoft will provide users with pre-configured Windows 10 PC hardware; ongoing Windows 10 feature updates, as well as security updates and other fixes; and overall management of those devices for a single, per-user monthly subscription fee.

Uh...oh...so, yeah, it's a matter of time until multiple, future and other fixes  "patches" are issued.
- - -
TechCrunch: "An Intel drone fell on my head..." ...and now I can't get up?

After the crash, I assumed someone from Audi or Intel would be around to collect the lost drone, but no one did, and at the end of the show, I was unable to find someone who knew where I could find the Intel staff. I notified my Intel contacts first thing the following morning and provided a local address where they could get the drone. As of publication, the drone is still on my desk.

- - -
BGR: Samsung's foldable phone unlikely to have Gorilla Glass.

Image from BGR

...we still don’t have a firm idea of when Samsung’s foldable so-called Galaxy F smartphone will finally arrive — whether it will land in November or at some point after that. And now here comes a new rumor about the materials Samsung will use for the handset. Apparently, Gorilla Glass won’t be part of it.

Dear Lord, how will the ardent technophiles survive without Gorilla Glass?
- - -
TechNewsWorld: Google "Death-Watch" begins in EU?

The European Union has been stretching its wings. In the shadow of Brexit, it apparently has decided it has the real enemy of the people in its sights: social media companies and Google.

France is even more aggressive than the EU overall, suggesting that the region's "right to be forgotten" law should apply worldwide.

Who knew I'd one day agree with the EU and France. The exception(s) that prove the rule.
- - -
Neutron Star with Unprecedented Glow is important, say astronomers. Gizmodo:

...scientists have spotted one of these ultra-dense objects emitting infrared radiation far brighter than they’d expect, over a seemingly wide swath of space—larger than our Solar System. They have several ideas as to what they’re looking at, and any of these ideas, if verified, would be important discoveries.

Maybe it's the star's glow of pregnancy? Or, more likely, a holographic Illuminati Plot.
- - -
Digital Spy: Actor Nicolas Cage unhappy about Cage Rage Meme. Pfffft - Champagne problems...
- - -
Images of Google Home Voyeur Home Hub leaked.  ArsTechnica:

The device has a 7-inch touchscreen and basically looks like a 16:9 tablet mounted to Google Home Max.

It's another Big Brother device (Alexa, etc) in your home. And I wouldn't be surprised at all if Teh Google intentionally "leaked" the images. This is The Non-Story Tech Story of the Year. So far, anyway.
- - -
If you use CCleaner, you probably want to read this. CCleaner updating itself against users' wishes.  Beta News: 

According to a growing number of users, and posts on the Piriform Community Forums, CCleaner has been updating itself to the latest version, even if users have turned off updates.

I dunno, this seems weird. Something more is going on, here, although I don't know what or why. Beta News asks,

Do you still use CCleaner, or have you had enough of all of these problems? What do you use instead?

Anyone?
- - -
Got a scratched CD or DVD that won't play right or skips or stalls?  Digital Trends has some advice to try repairing it.

Bert and Ernie are gay?

Bert and Ernie are gay? Really?

It must be true since this is what is being reported. The Sun:

...after decades of speculation, one of the show's writers has lifted the lid on its most famous and beloved characters.

 [.]

Mark Saltzman, who joined the Sesame Street team in 1984, has revealed he did indeed write Bert and Ernie as a gay couple.

They're cloth puppets.

Now...Teletubbies character Tinky Winky ? That's a whole 'nother story.

Any question why I immerse myself in NHL for nine months?

New York Times "regrets" perpetuating their belief that all black people look the same

Thank you, Mr. James Woods (one of my favorite actors).

The NYT "regrets" that they feel all black people look the same. The Wrap: 

The New York Times made quite the mix-up in Tuesday’s print edition, mistaking Angela Bassett for Omarosa Manigault Newman in a caption on its coverage of Monday night’s Emmy Awards.

Minnesota High School Students Reprimanded for Black Face

If you don't know...Black Face.

Some high school students painted their faces black last Friday at a football game. KSTP News:

Two high school students were reported to administration after they painted their faces black at a high school football game in Chaska Friday night.
[.]
... the high school's cheering section was hosting a blackout-theme night at the game. Many high school events participate in themes to encourage school spirit. After the game, Chaska administration was alerted a few students painted their faces black.

I'm sure the Chaska school staff and organizers of the blackout-theme never saw this coming. Never.

The Chaska High School Administration announced it has canceled plans for this Friday night's football game theme of Dress Like A Mohel.

A Catch up note; and Remembering Burt Reynolds (and...the 2018-2019 NHL Season!)

There was about five weeks where I didn't update anything. It wasn't intentional. Everything is okay and I hope all is okay for everyone, too. I didn't get to stopping by as much as I'd wanted to at some of my favorite places, but I tried to get caught-up with what I'd missed over at at Phil,  Irish,  Zack,   Odysseus,   Mike,  Dissecting Leftism and just about everyone and every place else I hadn't hit over the five week absence.   

A couple opportunities knocked at the door and I answered, and it's taking some heavy time investment, but again, it's all good. I suppose, as have others, sometimes I haven't made the best judgment call in answering when opportunity knocks. Sometimes I've made the better decision, other times, after time had passed, I knew I made the dreadfully wrong decision. Other times, I didn't even answer the knock. I try to not do that anymore. I try to find opportunity in everything now. Sometimes it takes a lot of work. But what that is worthwhile doesn't?

It probably turns some readers off, but - sorry folks - the NHL is just around the corner. Yeah, I hear the groans.

But if it is news/politics/hot topic analysis, opinion, insight, wit and just some downright fun, throw a dart (not literally) at any of the fine blogs on my Blogroll on the right sidebar. You won't be disappointed. And I'll try to get back to updating on a more frequent basis.

- - -

I have to mention the death of Burt Reynolds.  It's just my opinion, but I think he was was one of the best, damn, under-rated and under-appreciated actors, ever. He'd easily be in my list of the top ten actors of all time.

Try to search and find The Last Movie Star and watch it. It's available online and maybe on Netflix. It's fantastic.

Rest In Peace Burt.

** Updated September 18, 2018 **

How could I have forgotten The 'X' Files episode "Improbable", with Burt playing the role of God? Well worth watching.

(From the above Wiki link). 

Casting

Burt Reynolds was chosen for "Improbable" after he expressed his desire to appear in an episode of The X-Files to Robert Patrick. [X-Files creator Chris] Carter approved the idea and told Patrick that he would "write something good". He later noted that "as a young man, [Reynolds] meant something to me" and that the chance to act alongside him him was "surreal". After Carter had written the script, he presented it to Reynolds for his approval; Reynolds approved of the script and agreed to be in the episode.[5] Robert Patrick later noted that Reynolds "had a great time, and he loved working with everybody."[3]

Google Mourns Trump Election

Awwwwwwwww...The Google gathered and mourned the election of President Donald Trump. World Tribune:

A leaked video of Google’s internal “all hands meeting” following the 2016 presidential election shows the tech giant’s leadership mourning the outcome, inviting hugs of comfort all around, and vowing efforts correct misinformation [sic] on the Internet that could have contributed to  the success of Donald Trump and the rising populist movement worldwide.

Google Post-Presidential Election Mourning Meeting November 9, 2016

The Google objects being described as mourning the election of Trump and seeks to contextualize their meeting wake bereavement Heaven's Gate moment collective self-pity party.

Oh...the humanity and Tears of Unfathomable Sadness...

On behalf of Google, I've started a GoFundMe page.

Seventeen Years Ago; September 11, 2001

Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate. Just the same as I wrote last year.

I use the image of the Twin Towers as a symbol for representing everyone affected that day; the Twin Towers, the Pentagon; American Airlines Flight 11, United Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flight 93. Remembering everyone, always; those who survived...and those who did not.

Other's writing about September 11:

The Feral Irishman

James Woods 

Tech News

Future of Life Institute - The Pledge Against Lethal Autonomous Weapons:

...we the undersigned agree that the decision to take a human life should never be delegated to a machine. There is a moral component to this position, that we should not allow machines to make life-taking decisions for which others – or nobody – will be culpable. There is also a powerful pragmatic argument: lethal autonomous weapons, selecting and engaging targets without human intervention, would be dangerously destabilizing for every country and individual.

- - -
The Seattle Times - Your passwords have probably been hacked and what to do about it:

An Australian security guru named Troy Hunt spends his days looking in dark corners of the Internet to add hacked data to this free site. It now totals half a billion exposed passwords and 5 billion hacked accounts. Hunt can hardly keep up.

- - -
I love her because Apple and Google hate her.  Gadgets Now:

[Apple CEO Tim] “lectured her on corporate tax”, according to the Wired. Once the decision was out, Cook allegedly in private said that it was “political crap.”

Fuck. Tim. Cook.
- - -
Tech News World - Is your Smart TV spying on you?

Did you know that fancy smart TV sitting in your living room, kitchen, bedroom or bathroom actually may be watching you?
[.]
If you are a marketer, you love it. You can get loads of user data for your marketing. However, if you are a consumer who cares about protecting your privacy, you feel invaded.

 - - -

Naked Security - hacker code leads to avatar gang rape:

...a whole lot of people unfamiliar with gaming rape culture found out earlier this month, when [an avatar] was gang-raped on a playground by two male avatars in the hugely popular, typically family-friendly game [Roblox].

- - -
(MF'g Google. SOBs). C|Net - Google tries to hi-jack DuckDuckGo.com:

Google owns Duck.com, which has been driving rival search engine DuckDuckGo up the wall for over six years. Because when you type "duck.com" into a web browser, you get Google.com. Doesn't make a lot of sense, yes?

- - -
Tech Dirt - India embraces net neutrality. U.S. run in opposite direction:

...the United States walks away from the concept of net neutrality, India just passed some of the toughest net neutrality rules in the world.
[.]
Facebook engaged in some shady behavior, at one point trying to trick Indian citizens into supporting its plans and opposing meaningful net neutrality protections. 

- - -
PC Authority: Game potions are classified as real drugs?

["Joy"] isn’t the first drug-related run-in with the Australian Classification Board that videogames have had. One of the last infamous interactions occurred when Fallout 3 attempted to be classified here, but needed to be altered to remove references to morphine in-game.

- - -

- - -

WccfTech: Vulnerability in Grammarly exposed user details:

To offer you writing assistance, Grammarly requires access to everything you type. From your social media posts to technical reports, everything is accessed by the extension to be able to catch the typos. However, this also means that any security flaw affecting Grammarly puts user data at risk of exposure.

- - -
The Outline - What really scares teens?

I took to Reddit, texted my friend’s younger brother, and enlisted a handful of people under 20 to watch my “favorite” Gen Z horror movies and the trailers for those upcoming films, and then tell me about their experiences.

- - -
The Drive - The $200,000 air-ride Hummer:

...just about everything aside from the H1's original frame saw an upgrade. Mil-Spec put a ton of focus into adding sound-deadening and making the Hummer much more livable than General Motors ever did. Now, the shop has come out with another build that ups the comfort ante by including air-ride technology.

- - -

Threat Post - Airport Ranking by the Most Risky Wi-Fi:

...WiFi security is often sacrificed by airport operators in exchange for consumer convenience, leaving networks unencrypted, unsecured or improperly configured[.]

- - -
HackRead - LabCorp suffers massive data breach:

...cybercriminals have managed to breach the security of America’s leading clinical laboratory and medical diagnostics center LabCorp that can put health records of not thousands but millions of patients at risk.
[.]
[LabCorp] is responsible for performing routine and specialty diagnostic tests including HIV tests, bloodwork and urine analysis.

- - -
WIRED - You can’t sue your way to a solution for global warming.

Facing billions of dollars in climate change-related damage in the coming years, New York was hoping to extract some money from the transnational companies that extract the oil that people burn for energy[.]

States, cities, municipalities - all most overspending and all desperately looking for more revenue money. There's no one else left to sue. May I suggest "drastic budget reductions"?
- - -
Technology Review - Google looking to help speed up quantum computing:

[Google's] Cirq, is a software toolkit that lets developers create algorithms without needing a background in quantum physics.
[.]
For now, developers can use Cirq to create quantum algorithms that run on simulators. But the goal is to have it help build software that will run on a wide range of real machines in the future.

- - -
Info World - Powering AI:

The range of innovative AI hardware-accelerator architectures continues to expand. Although you may think that graphic processing units (GPUs) are the dominant AI hardware architecture, that is far from the truth.

- - -

WHAT are they? Tech E Blog: The coolest cabins ever.

Another Boring NHL Post

NHL's former goalie Ray Emery died last week, age 35. What a shame. CBS News:

Ray Emery was found dead Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario, a victim of an apparent drowning. The 35-year-old Emery was identified by Hamilton Police as the man pulled from Hamilton Harbour. 

According to initial reports, Emery was visiting friends when the group decided to go swimming near the docks of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club around 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Emery plunged into the harbor and never re-surfaced. His body was recovered Sunday afternoon.

"They went out for a swim and unfortunately he did not emerge after diving in,' said inspector Marty Schulenberg[.]

We're all tethered to the thinnest thread.
- - -
Vegas Knights' Marc-Andre Fleury inked a 3-year, $21 million dollar deal. Worth. Every. Cent. CBS Sports:

The veteran goaltender signed a three-year extension with the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. That extension carries a value of $21 million -- bringing an average annual value and cap hit of $7 million -- and will kick in after next season, keeping Fleury under contract through 2022.

His stats for one season are incredible. Same CBS link:

During the Knights' inaugural season, Fleury posted a .927 save-percentage and 2.24 goals against average (both career-highs) and finished fifth in Vezina voting. He was also exceptional during Vegas' improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final, posting a save-percentage of .927 and four shutouts in 20 postseason games.

- - -

- - -

Seattle. Home for a new NHL expansion team?  KIRO: 

"We will be a team that will spend to the (salary) cap so, all things being equal, what would make a player choose Seattle over other cities in the NHL? And it's things like training centers that can make a huge difference," [said Tod Leiweke, CEO of the NHL Seattle organization].

A decision from the NHL on awarding an expansion team could come in September, with a potential first game in October 2020.

More Seattle NHL expansion discussion at Reddit.

I wonder what Phil thinks about getting an NHL Team?

Sporting News lists some possible names for a future Seattle NHL team; a few of many:

Seattle Cougars,

Seattle Whales,

Seattle Kraken[.]

Richmond is being a total sports whore (in a good way), open for business from any professional sports franchise. Richmond Times Dispatch:

Hunden Strategic Partners, the firm hired by Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney to review a proposed replacement for the Richmond Coliseum, has declared the city one of the nation’s best markets for a pro sports team to locate in.

Hunden released the list on Friday, offering a list of the top markets “ready to host a Major League franchise” — a team from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL or Major League Soccer. 

- - -
The Dallas Stars are the first professional sports team to openly oppose a proposed "bathroom bill" in the state of Texas...  Sporting News:

... that would require transgender people to use bathrooms in schools and government buildings assigned to the gender on their birth certificate.

- - -
A good read on hockey legend Lou Lamoriello.  Newsday:

The transition to being the Islanders’ president of hockey operations and general manager did not give him a moment’s pause.

How quickly did he flip that mental switch? “The day you decide,” said Lamoriello, 75.

In other words, always look forward.

Friday Morning Music Video

"Heart of Glass" from Parallel Lines by Blondie

Nancy Pelosi Visits Detroit

My enviro-friendly electric car battery is charging as I write this so I can arrive in time for tomorrow's appearance by Nancy Pelosi visiting Detroit.

She'll be talking about pensions. I'm certain her speech will be most informative. Hopefully she'll avoid attempting to pronounce Lin Manuel Miranda and avoid that crazy First Amendment free speech controversy of yelling wolf in a crowded theater.

Then again, maybe she's visiting Detroit to personally meet RoboCop.

Menacing, Ominous "Baby Hillary Blimps" are appearing all over the world, terrifying onlookers.

Appearance of "out-of-the-blue" threatening and ominous Baby Hillary Blimps are appearing all over the world terrifying onlookers.

From The Eritas County Ledger International Edition:

From populated cities such as London, New York and Tokyo to remote areas such as the Grand Canyon and Area 51, giant, ominous, terrifying Baby Hillary Blimps have been spotted around the world. No one knows when or how they appeared.

"There it was, in the blink of an eye," said London resident Scotwood Havershaam on Wednesday afternoon. I was out on me midday stroll and this huge shadow falls over me and I glance up and there's this enormous Baby Hillary Blimp wearing a diaper on its bum with 'Hillary 2020'. I thought we was being attacked."

The UK Ministry of Defence was flooded with calls from panicked and frightened people fearing the apocalypse had begun. "We are asking people to remain calm and be cautious, until we know more.  Know that authorities are on full alert," according to UK Undersecretary of Security Yorral Dunnisenn.

Baby Hillary Blimps have appeared at various times over the past 24 hours all around the world. No one seems to know how, why, or when the exact time of these sightings began.

Former Democrat presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, reached by telephone, replied, "it's obvious a Trump-Putin Pys Ops hologram designed to make me appear as some maniacal, crazed blimp." Her husband, former U.S. President Bill Clinton could be heard from the background saying, "you got that right," just before the phone call mysteriously ended. Attempts to reach the Clintons since then have been unsuccessful.

Sttevnn Andrrrsnn, of Calgary, was traveling back home on Canadian Air Flight EH9 after a vacation that included sight-seeing trips to the Grand Canyon. He spotted the Baby Hillary Blimp from the window of his plane. "Couldn't say how long it was there, it all happened so fast. I took some pictures with my phone and then the blimp vanished."

Others from around the globe have posted pictures of the Baby Hillary Blimp on their social media pages. The Baby Hillary Blimp has been seen in Washington DC (above), Area 51, the Kremlin, Tokyo, Chicago and New York City.

A high-ranking Pentagon official who spoke only on condition of anonymity said, "if Area 51 exists, and I'm not saying it does or doesn't, but if it does, there have been either no reports of a Baby Hillary Blimp appearing, or reports of a Baby Hillary Blimp appearing somewhere that doesn't exist are inaccurate and the product of someones overactive and wild imagination."

The dooms day clock advanced one minute closer to midnight after Russian Military Commander Sergei Novikinov said, "this unprecedented attack on Soviet air-space is considered a hostile act of aggression and a direct threat to our national security and we will respond with the appropriate force and action."

Traffic came to a standstill all around the Chicago metro area on Wednesday afternoon when the Baby Hillary Blimp floated above the city for over four hours.

"It kept drifting back and forth and up and down," said Chloe Masterson, one of hundreds of people waiting in line to hop onto the Loop. "Children were screaming, 'we scared, we scared', and we all tried to take shelter under something. It was the most insidious things I've ever seen."

Residents in downtown Tokyo ran and took cover in stores, under awnings, anywhere they could. The Tokyo appearance of the Baby Hillary Blimp lasted for six hours, bringing the city to a stand-still.

International, national and local law enforcement agencies urge caution and advise people not to approach the Baby Hillary Blimp. The Baby Hillary Blimp should be considered dangerous, and presumed armed until proven otherwise. Take no action on your own and instead contact your local law enforcement agency, said Adjunct Commander of INTERPOL Lord Calvert Sinclair.

The only comment from the Trump Administration was a tweet from President Donald Trump: "Blimp huh? Busy. ESPN & cartoon net. Need DietCovfefe."

World News - July 18, 2018

Mmmm...yum What could possibly go wrong? Lab-grown meat. CBS News:

A Dutch company that presented the world's first lab-grown beef burger five years ago said Tuesday it has received funding to pursue its plans to make and sell artificially grown meat to restaurants from 2021.
[.]
Environmentalists have warned that the world's growing appetite for meat [isn't sustainable].

Another hyperbolic, environmentalist "alarm." See the entry "Carnivore Free Menu" on yesterday's post.
- - -
Dr Bumbum is on the run.  BBC: 

A celebrity Brazilian plastic surgeon known as Dr Bumbum has gone on the run after a woman died following injections he gave her to enlarge her bottom.
[.]
Lilian Calixto [fell ill during the procedure] to undergo buttock enhancement by Dr [Denis] Furtado (aka Bumbum) on Saturday evening, reports said. 

- - -
Euro News - Our ancestors liked carbs:

Plaque preserved on the teeth of people dead for centuries can be used to reveal what their favorite foods were, an international team of researchers found. This dental calculus shows a diet heavy on carbohydrates[.]

Wouldn't this study, then, also reflect our ancestors didn't brush and floss as often as they should have?
- - -
The New Zealand Herald - Last words of an executed man:

As the lethal injection of the sedative pentobarbital began to take effect, Christopher Young swore twice, he said he could taste it, and it was burning, ABC Eyewitness news reports.

"I taste it in my throat," he said[.]

- - -
The New Zealand Herald: Lottery win brings division within family:

During the cheque presentation, [lottery winner Ms Barbara Reddick] unleashed a shocking attack on her nephew, telling reporters he "didn't deserve" the cash.

"See you in court," the CBC network reported the woman as saying at the event.
[.]
 "I put his name on the ticket for good luck because he's like a son to me — he was. He was lucky, but not for half a million dollars."

Ms Reddick said she was "heartbroken" by the feud.

"He's dead to me," she said.

- - -
New snake species discovered immediately declared in danger of extinction.  The Independent:

Scientists have stumbled upon a previously undiscovered species of venomous snake, but warned it could already be at risk of extinction.

The new subspecies of bandy-bandy, a family of burrowing snakes endemic to Australia, was found by chance by biologists from the University of Queensland, who have quickly applied for it to be given protected status.

When the Zombie Apocalypse occurs, and it will, keep in mind that all snakes are edible. Survival Mastery (including directions how to clean and cook snake. Hey, you'll be thanking me for this during the ZApocalypse): 

The health benefits provided from snake meat far outweighs those of red meats and the good news is that they’re nearly all edible.
[.]
Even after decapitation, the head is able to see and sense you and will lash out and bite if you get too close. It can take well over an hour for the snake to die fully.

Some people report being bitten by a decapitated head several hours after killing the snake. They’re still every bit as deadly as well. 

The Zombie Apocalypse. Eat snakes.

 - - -

Bearing Arms - Guns beat Pepper Spray every time. (As well as beating rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock):

Just how do people think a blast of pepper spray would take out armed attackers?

- - -
Trend News: Oil prices rebound.
- - -
The Independent: Facebook 'leaves graphic content online in order to make money.'

An undercover investigation found that while nudity is almost always removed, violent videos involving assaults on children, racially charged hate speech and images of self-harm by children all remained on Facebook after being reported by users and reviewed by moderators.

- - -
Gulf News - #Talk to a Muslim stirring up a storm:

Hashtag #TalkToAMuslim is kicking up a storm in India[.]

Thousands of Indian tweeps have taken to the social media platform to highlight the seemingly growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

The trend seems to have kicked off after writer Zainab Sikander (@zainabsikander) tweeted: “I’m An Indian Muslim. I’m Human too. You can talk to me. #TalkToAMuslim.”
[.]
Non-Muslims also joined the tirade against communal violence in India and in support of the minority Muslim community.

@ektaa_malik posted: I’m a Hindu. I talk to Muslims... they are humans.

Image: Twitter

- - -
The Independent - Virgin Media apologizes for letters addressed to "pants-wearer."

Virgin Media has apologised "to anyone offended" by an ad campaign which saw letters addressed to the "pants wearer" rather than householder.

It doesn't take much to offend people these days.
- - -
The picture Cluck Schumer DOESN'T want you to see! Horn News: 

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is leading the media’s angry attacks on President Donald Trump over his comments Monday in Helsinki.

But there’s one photo circulating the internet that Schumer doesn’t want getting out.
[.]
The image shows Schumer cozy and smiling with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in 2009 over coffee and donuts[.]

Cluck and Vlad, donuts and coffee.

See - it's different because it's Schumer and Putin.

Portland "Art" Gallery Removes Illustration of Trump with knife held to throat.

Oh those Portland Liberals...and their widdle bookstores art galleries.

From: The Washington Times

An art gallery in Portland, Oregon, has removed a graphic window illustration of President Trump being threatened with a bloody knife at his throat after an angry outcry.
[.]
The One Grand Gallery took down the image entitled “F*** Trump” Tuesday in response to complaints, threats and a request from the landlord, as reported by Fox12.

“The same people offended over a ‘death threat’ are the same people upholding death threats & violence. Irony,” said the gallery in a Tuesday post on Facebook.
[.]
Although the window drawing was removed, the original artwork is still on display inside the studio, which held an open house Friday called “F*** You Mr. President.”

The sketch was displayed in a store window, facing outward. What reaction did the "art" gallery expect?

"...an open house Friday called “F*** You Mr. President.”... - how mature, from the political party of the "enlightened".

And "the gallery" sees "irony" in receiving death threats from people who object to death threats? The irony is the irony of the irony.

If "you're" going to display anything incendiary - and I'm not saying "you" shouldn't - just be prepared to deal with the consequences. Although, Libs don't feel consequences apply to them. Too bad they're wrong.

The now-removed Illustration of the "Art" Gallery

Lesbian Batwoman coming to The CW

Television network The CW is developing a new series with a Lesbian Batwoman. BBC:

A TV adaptation of Batwoman is to become the first live-action superhero series with an openly gay lead character.

The show is being developed for the US channel, the CW, adding to the network's collection of shows based on DC comics characters.

Well, there's only one actor that comes to (my) mind who is talented and skilled enough to really make this character work, and that - you're probably thinking the very same - is the one, the only - Kevin Costner.

A-Lister on tap to play role of Lesbian Batwoman?