foxbat

West Point set to graduate its largest Black female and Hispanic female classes ever. While a nice accomplishment, it still has a ways to go. Black women make up almost 7% of the population, but this largest graduating class only represents just under 3.6% of the cadet class. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/15/us/west-point-largest-graduating-class-of-black-women-trnd/index.html

I might qualify as Patient Zero.

Black Mirror Season 5 is coming ... due out June 5 https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-mirror-season-5-see-150945919.html Three episode installment featuring the likes of Miley Cyrus, Mackie, Topher Grace, and Andrew Scott.

Speaking of red hat modifications, this was in the news a few days ago. Guess it was missed by the "millinophiles"/"capellophiles." https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/445548-artist-banned-from-facebook-for-turning-maga-hats-into-symbols FTA: An artist who redesigns President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hats into recognizable symbols of hate speech says she was banned from Facebook for violating the platform's standards. Kate Kretz of Mount Rainier, Md., rips apart the iconic red campaign hat and resews it to look like other symbols, such as a Nazi armband or a Ku Klux Klan hood, WUSA 9 reported. "The arm band is actually titled, 'Only the Terrorized Own the Right to Name Symbols of Terror,' and so if people are afraid of people that are walking around with MAGA hats, because they’re afraid of violence," Kretz said. "It’s not really up to the wearer to say 'oh you shouldn’t feel afraid of me.'" The artist said Facebook took down an image of the reimagined Nazi paraphernalia for "violating community standards." She appealed the decision and labeled another image with text clarifying that the photo was of a piece of art, but her entire account was later disabled.

And another one today ... showing up in my news feed since I'm in Ireland. https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2019/0524/1051500-everest-nepal/ Apparently there's another Irishman, not GID's @Irishman, who had fallen earlier after reaching the summit last week and they just called off the search for him today. Certainly not an activity for the faint-of-heart or the risk-averse.

Wasn't referring to Trump, but interesting that you went there. I was talking about Manafort and Cohen to start with. As for the numbers, I don't think I'm off. Again, going with what the investigation has done so far ... as of December 2018's accounting: http://fortune.com/2018/12/14/mueller-investigation-cost-tax-cheats/ FTA: Though the investigation comes with a hefty price tag, it may have actually paid for its own investigation, with its probe leading to monetary estimated gains of up to $48 million for the government through the tax evasion the investigation has revealed. Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, was sentenced for conspiracy and obstruction of justice in September. As part of his plea deal, Manafort agreed to forfeit assets that amount to between $42 million and $46 million, including about $22 million in property, CNBC reports. The case revealed how Manafort avoided paying more than $15 million in taxes by laundering $60 million from pro-Russian Ukrainians, CNN reports. Manafort reportedly violated the conditions of his plea deal, and last month prosecutors said that he could face more charges. Earlier this week, Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to financial crimes including paying hush money to a porn star and Playboy model. As part of his deal, Cohen agreed to pay $1.4 million in unpaid taxes and hand over $500,000 in assets as well as pay $100,000 in fines.

And it's still an extremely dangerous climb to make, even when successful. Two climbers died Wednesday ... one from India in descent and one, an American, just after reaching the summit. https://www.yahoo.com/gma/utah-man-donald-lynn-cash-reached-seven-summits-172600555--abc-news-topstories.html

And it appears that it's going to get some $45 million+ in gains for the government for tax evasion that it revealed ... so far. That means it actually made money. The question is whether it will be Trump's own folks or someone else doing the leaking. Want to find leakers? Look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-declares-tillerson-secretary-of-state-totally-ill-prepared-and-ill-equipped-for-the-job-133422542.html FTA: President Trump on Thursday lashed out at Rex Tillerson after the former secretary of state reportedly told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Russian President Vladimir Putin out-prepared Trump for their first meeting in Germany. Trump responded by calling Tillerson incompetent. “Rex Tillerson, a man who is ‘dumb as a rock’ and totally ill prepared and ill equipped to be Secretary of State, made up a story (he got fired) that I was out-prepared by Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Hamburg, Germany,” he tweeted. “I don’t think Putin would agree. Look how the U.S. is doing!” If Tillerson was “totally ill prepared and ill equipped” to be the nation’s top diplomat, Trump himself would be to blame: He appointed the former ExxonMobil CEO to be secretary of state shortly after his inauguration after interviewing multiple candidates, including now-Sen. Mitt Romney. Tillerson was confirmed by the Senate eight days later. Those "best people" that were hired, including those fired, jumped ship, indicted, convicted, "transferred," etc. continues to grow. A CEO making these types of decisions would have been removed by the Board of Directors or investors fairly quickly. A CEO as president, not so much. Seriously, if Tillerson is "dumb as a rock" as Trump puts it, why on God's green Earth would Trump have ever even considered him for such a position? And by the way, whether you are a Trump fan or not, it is dangerous as all-get-out to somehow or another believe that Putin went into any meeting with any foreign leader and wasn't heavily-prepared. Fault him for his authoritarianism, his ruthlessness, his arrogance, etc., as a former KGB member, one thing that Putin has to be given credit for is his prep work and understanding of adversaries.

One of the origins of Sesame Street ... https://www.thedailybeast.com/chester-pierce-the-forgotten-tale-of-how-a-black-psychiatrist-helped-make-sesame-street Interesting article concerning the role of Dr. Chester Pierce and the Black Psychiatrists of America to utilize the influence of the growing media of TV to address institutional racism.

I often come across items, somewhat like the "Something Uplifting" items that catch my attention as interesting, but probably don't warrant starting an entire thread just to share the interest. With that in mind, I'm creating a new thread for one-off items that folks would like to share with others.

Yeah, I post Family Guy videos too, but it doesn't mean that I support Stewie enslaving the world and dogs dating women.

How do you come up with support? I merely pointed out that the quoted meme sounded an awful lot like Ryan's screed ... and Bioshock fans know how well that turned out. As for the entire quote, sounds a lot like a politician trying to convince folks that the other folks are evil, or perhaps more civilly, misguided. In the end, it tends to be much more about the implementation than the rhetoric.

Very simply answered by Ryan.

Found this item of interest in reduction ... Want to Limit the Number of Abortions? Make Men Pay Child Support. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/want-limit-number-abortions-men-215224363.html

It's not a question of post-Roe ... with some of the actions of some of the states, for example, Texas, that's a reality that's already here. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/the-rise-of-the-diy-abortion-in-texas/373240/ https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2014/03/state-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-state-texas-cautionary-tale

Appears that neither of Indiana's overturned abortion-related laws was taken up for action by the Supreme Court yesterday. https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-supreme-court-takes-no-action-indiana-abortion-154955308.html FTA: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday took no action on appeals seeking to revive two restrictive Republican-backed abortion laws from Indiana, even as debate rages over a new measure in Alabama that would prohibit the procedure almost entirely. Neither Indiana case was on the list of appeals on which the court acted on Monday morning. The court could next announce whether or not it will hear the cases on May 28. If the nine-justice court takes up either case, it would give the conservative majority an opportunity to chip away at the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide and recognized a right under the U.S. Constitution for women to terminate pregnancies. One of the Indiana laws requires fetal remains to be buried or cremated and bans abortions performed because of fetal disability or the sex or race of the fetus. The other law requires women to undergo an ultrasound examination at least 18 hours before they undergo an abortion. Both Indiana measures were signed into law in 2016 by Vice President Mike Pence when he was Indiana's governor and were struck down by federal judges the following year. The state of Indiana is appealing to the Supreme Court.

This seems like a failure of the hospital's general admittance policy. If that info is given to someone in the employee of the hospital as part of the admittance/triage then all subsequent folks are responsible for that info and it should be noted in the file. I would hope that assumptions are the last thing a hospital would be doing.

And in other news: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/republican-congressman-destroys-arguments-trump-210644955.html FTA: Amash wrote that the president “engaged in impeachable conduct,” and that Attorney General William Barr deliberately misrepresented the contents of the report filed last month by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. “Mueller’s report identifies multiple examples of conduct satisfying all the elements of obstruction of justice, and undoubtedly any person who is not the president of the United States would be indicted based on such evidence,” Amash wrote.

I don't think that's the most quoted though ... it is just one of many issues that tend not to be considered when laws tend to be passed by folks that are more absolutist in the approach. It has often been in response to more absolutist approaches that are then met with "but what about in cases of X?" It's like attacks on defunding Planned Parenthood based on abortion procedures which run somewhere between the 3% of services and the 12-13% of people-served range. Even at 13%, there's some 87% of patients, or more, that benefit from non-abortion services. As such, a person who says that PP should be defunded based on abortion services will likely be met with a response about things like men's breast cancer, pap tests, etc. The most common reasoning that I've heard is "their body, their call." When you look at it from that reasoning, everything on that list fits.

Looks like Switzerland's in the news on gun control ... https://www.yahoo.com/news/switzerland-votes-strengthen-gun-control-141152587.html FTA: Swiss voters on Sunday approved a measure to tighten the Alpine nation's gun laws, bringing the country in line with many of its European partners despite the objections of local gun owners, Swiss media reported, citing official results. Switzerland's public broadcaster said more than 63% of voters nationwide agreed to align with European Union firearms rules adopted two years ago after deadly attacks in France, Belgium, Germany and Britain. The vote Sunday was part of Switzerland's regular referendums that give citizens a direct say in policymaking. It had stoked passions in a country with long, proud traditions of gun ownership and sport and target shooting. Switzerland, unlike many other European nations, allows veterans of its obligatory military service for men to take home their service weapons after tours of duty. The Swiss proposal, among other things, requires regular training on the use of firearms, special waivers to own some semi-automatic weapons and serial number tracking system for key parts of some guns. Gun owners would have to register any weapons not already registered within three years, and keep a registry of their gun collections.