Farewell to 2020, Welcome to 2021

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A Founding Father's Fear: Why Presidential Pardons Worried George Mason

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The Atlantic posted an article on the following subject the other day and I thought it deserved a little more attention.

"In Order to Form a More Perfect Union"

Back in the summer of 1787, delegates of the Constitutional Convention came together in Philadelphia to draft the Constitution and thereby, address the problems of a weak central government under the Articles of Confederation. There were many vested interests in the crowd of delegates and getting the representatives from each colony to agree was not an easy task. 

  

The Articles of the Confederation had been written under the threat of war, as a means of uniting the colonies against the threat of British retaliation for the declaration of independence. 

It was, in effect, a contractual agreement among the 13 original states of the United States of America a set of clearly written rules for how the states' "league of friendship" would be organized. The Articles had stressed the sovereignty of individual member states, a prerequisite for any agreement. 

Seasons Greetings - 2020

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Here's wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. There's no denying that this has been a hellish sort of year and I, for one, am glad it is coming to a close. We are still facing a few more grim months ahead of us before things settle down. My Christmas wish for all my friends in the community is that you stay healthy and stay positive and that you will be able to find joy and happiness amid these troubled times. 

How a Long-Forgotten Science Fiction Story from 1962 Imagined the Pandemic of 2020

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While floating aimlessly around the Internet, I stumbled across a science-fiction short story written back in 1962 entitled "Pandemic." Obviously, it's a word we have all come to loathe but I was curious how 1962 imagined the 2020 pandemic.

 

The writer, Jesse Franklin Bone, imagines the consequences of a lab accident that releases a "virus pneumonic plague" (called Thurston's virus) which threatens to wipe out humanity. At the moment the story begins, the pandemic is in full bloom, laying waste to civilization. 

Welcome the 46th President of the United States - Joe Biden

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LIVE: Coverage of the 2020 Presidential Election Night

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The moment of truth has finally arrived and with it comes both hope and dread. The question: Will Trump somehow pull off another surprise victory or will there be a much-needed course correction with a Biden win?

LIVE: The Final Presidential Debate of the 2020 Election

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The final presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice-president Joe Biden be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. This would have been the third in the series but is now only the second following the cancellation of the October 15 debate. Nevertheless, it will mark the last time the two candidates will appear on the same stage before the November 3 election.

LIVE: ABC News Town Hall in Philadelphia with Presidential Candidate Joe Biden

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Former Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will be participating in a town hall held in Philadelphia this evening. As per the town hall format, the event will allow voters to ask questions directly to the candidate.

LIVE: Confirmation Hearing for Supreme Court Nominee Judge Amy Barrett

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Today is the first day of the Senate Judiciary Committee Confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett is an American attorney, jurist, and academic who serves as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. 

CNN has called her "a proven conservative with a compelling personal story." 

Barrett, the mother of seven children and a former law clerk to the late right-wing beacon Justice Antonin Scalia, Barrett, now 48, was a finalist for the Supreme Court spot that went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.

Democrats who are in the minority in the Senate allege Barrett's ultra-conservative views on such issues as abortion, same-sex marriage will disrupt the ideological balance of the high court.   

LIVE: The 2020 Vice-Presidential Debate

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Tonight Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris will go head-to-head at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City. USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page will be the moderator for the event which will start at 9 p.m. ET ((8 pm CT, 7 pm MT, 6 pm PT). The debate will run for 90 minutes without commercial interruption.

LIVE: The First Trump- Biden 2020 Presidential Debate

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President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will meet face to face in Cleveland on Tuesday for the first presidential debate. The debate -  the first of three - will start at 6 p.m. Pacific time, (and at 9 p.m. Eastern) on Tuesday. It will last 90 minutes, with no commercial breaks.  

Sanity Sunday: COVID CELLO PROJECT- 10 "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber

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With just 50 days remaining before the election, we are now entering the nail-biting part of the 2020 presidential election. If America gets lucky, in 129 days, we shall be able to start the long and tiresome process of rebuilding the country.

Meanwhile, the pandemic rages on and is expected to get much worse before peaking sometime in early January. The COVID Cello Project has grown from humble beginnings to its present size of 278 cellists from 29 countries. In this their 10th online concert, the cellists pay respect to all those who have passed.

 

How Covid-19 In South Texas Underscores Republican Apathy for Latino Families

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In the Twitter universe, accusations can be made that can never be properly substantiated. With that in mind, I wanted to share a series of tweets from a nurse in Texas, where medical professionals are struggling with the Covid-19 outbreak.

Serving the lower Rio Grande Valley, Doctor’s Hospital Renaissance (DHR Health) is a 500+ bed general acute care hospital, with a medical staff of over 700 physicians covering 75 specialties, based in Edinburg, Texas. In order to deal with the pandemic, a special facility was contracted and converted from a hospice facility into a Covid unit.

Unfortunately, according to this whistleblower, it soon became apparent that the facility was completely inadequate. Medical staff from outside of the area were appalled at the situation.

Shame of the Nation: The Surge in New Cases of Covid-19 Surpasses Our Worst Fears

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The news media is today reporting a third straight day of record-high numbers across the United States with increases in 29 states. With more than 40,000 cases in one day, Vice-President Mike Pence told reporters on Friday:

“We have made truly remarkable progress in moving our nation forward.” 

Pence added that the US had “slowed the spread” and “flattened the curve”. The country, he declared, can “take some comfort” in the declining numbers of COVID-19-related fatalities. 

With 100,000 Dead, The Cost of Trump's Dithering is Both Undeniable and Indefensible

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As the death count from the Coronavirus pandemic in the US exceeds 100,000, we should never forget how President Trump, instead of taking action, attempted repeatedly and consistently to downplay the approaching crisis.

CoVid-19: The Long Road to Recovery or Rush to Disaster?

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Demonstrators take part in an "American Patriot Rally," organized on April 30, 2020, by Michigan United for Liberty on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, demanding the reopening of businesses. - The group is upset with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's mandatory closure to curtail Covid-19. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

As the Corona Spring winds on, the questions on the minds of most Americans are "is this push to re-open the US after the outbreak too soon?" and "Will we be needlessly risking  lives solely for economic fears?"

CoVid-19 Pandemic: The Worst and the Best of Humanity on Display

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Protesters, including Republican Senate candidate Melissa Acksion, left, stand outside the Statehouse Atrium where reporters listen during the State of Ohio's Coronavirus response update on Monday, April 13, 2020 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo: Joshua A. Bickel)

Sanity Break: Seven Days Walking by Ludovico Einaudi

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We all need some relief from the depressing news.

This week I decided to highlight the work of Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi. His album, entitled Seven Days Walking, features Einaudi on piano, Federico Mecozzi on violin and viola, and Redi Hasa on cello.

Released on 19 April 2019. the impressionistic composition was inspired by winter walks in the mountains near Einaudi's Italian home. In the winter of 2018, he walked the same route in the Alps and experienced it differently every time.

A series of meditations based on seven walks on seven different days. (That's something we have somehow taken for granted until the Corona era.)

I hope you find this music calming as we find our own paths through these troubled times.

Covid-19: When the US Became Ground Zero

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A grim milestone came and went at the end of this devastating week. On Friday, the coronavirus killed more New Yorkers than the terrorists who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The September 11 attacks killed about 2,700 people in New York state. In contrast, the coronavirus has so far killed 2,935 state residents of all age groups.

The Covid-19 Crisis and the Unraveling of a President

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As the Covid-19 crisis deepens, President Trump held another press briefing on Sunday in the Rose Garden and it went pretty much as anybody could have predicted. 

Coronavirus Comes to Washington

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US President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House on March 22, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

CoVid-19: Closures, Lock-downs and Panic Buying Around the World

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Around the world, governments have been forced to take drastic measures to slow the spread of the Corona-virus. The graph on the left shows a comparison between the CoVid-19 spread in Italy, the USA and the UK.

As AP reports:

Officials across the country curtailed many elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, with health officials recommending that groups of 50 or more don’t get together and a government expert saying a 14-day national shutdown may be needed.
Governors and mayors closed restaurants, bars, and schools as the nation sank deeper into chaos. Travelers returning home from abroad were stuck in line for hours at major airports for screenings, crammed into just the kind of crowded spaces that public health officials have urged people to avoid.  

2020: The Year of the Virus

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According to the Centers for Disease Control, the current risk assessment:

• For most people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low. This virus is not currently widespread in the United States.
• People in places where ongoing community spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated risk of exposure, with increase in risk dependent on the location.
• Healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at elevated risk of exposure.
• Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 also are at elevated risk of exposure.
• Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure, with increase in risk dependent on the location.

Video of Roger Stone's Deposition Interview Reveals His True Nature

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Politico offers this analysis of the deposition interview given last month by former Trump operator and friend, Roger Stone. Stone, as you probably already know, was convicted last fall of lying to Congress and threatening a witness regarding his efforts for Trump's 2016 campaign.
This deposition, given days before Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison, was, in fact, related to six different civil lawsuits Stone is still facing,

As his demeanor demonstrates, Stone was under extreme stress and struggling to contain pent-up fury.

With no judge on hand, Stone was free to tear into his enemies as he did in an earlier era. He could be combative and hard-charging if he wanted. He could even spout vulgarities as he spared with his inquisitor.

Good News Break: Three Heroes Making a Difference

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I decided to take a much-needed break from the dire news of the pandemic and the stomach-churning saga of the Trump presidency in order to throw a spotlight on three heroes. Hope you will take a moment to watch the videos and read their stories.

Where Kindness is Part of the Curriculum

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Trump's Acquittal: The Ultimate Triumph of the Imperial Presidency

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In 1973, in the throes of the Nixon scandal, author Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. published a book entitled "The Imperial Presidency." in that book, he warned that the office of president of the United States had drifted far from the one envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Less of a servant of the people and into a king without the actual title. He argued that a presidency becomes imperial when it relies on powers well outside those allowed by the Constitution of the United States.

When We Close our Eyes and Ears to the Corrupt

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Surveillance, Suppression and Intimidation: Tools for the Super-Rich?

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If you haven't found time to read Ronan Farrow's latest book, Catch and Kill, it is certainly worth your time. In fact, it reads more like a John LeCarre spy thriller than a journalist's investigation.
Farrow's book actually deals with the story behind his expose of the allegations against media mogul and accused sexual predator, Harvey Weinstein. He reveals each painful step- from unsubstantiated rumors to firm allegation. To his credit, Mr. Farrow was relentless in seeking out women who privately claimed to have been sexually assaulted.

Yet, Weinstein had powerful friends who were willing to shelter him. And he also lots of tools at his disposal to block journalists and silence accusers. After all, sordid things that Weinstein did was pretty much of an inside secret in Hollywood. According to reports, wealthy Weinstein could afford to pay off his alleged victims (with non-disclosure agreements attached). If that didn't work, there was always the power of threats. According to his alleged victims, he could and would apply tremendous amounts of pressure on uncooperative individuals.
And he did just that... over decades. 

President Trump, the Republican Party and the Parrington Question

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Most of you have probably never heard of Vernon Parrington. I know I hadn't until I stumbled upon an interesting quote. That's pretty remarkable because, in our grandparent's time, historian Parrington occupied a special place, particularly among the progressive-minded.

The Parrington Question

This Midwestern educator was also the author of the three-volume Main Currents in American Thought (1927) which went on to win the 1928 Pulitzer Prize for History  As his biography reminds us, for two decades this historical examination and analysis was one of the most influential books for American historians.

Progressive history was a set of related assumptions and attitudes, which inspired the first great flowering of professional American scholarship in history...His progressive interpretation of American history was highly influential in the 1920s and 1930s and helped define modern liberalism in the United States. After receiving overwhelming praise and exerting enormous influence among intellectuals in the 1930s and 1940s, Parrington's ideas fell out of fashion before 1950.

Protests Erupt in Iran After Airliner Calamity

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History Has Shown Us the Dangers of a Weak Congress and Where It Leads

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When the Democratic-led House of Representatives was attempting to investigate the allegations against President Trump in drawing up articles of impeachment, there was no mistaking contempt the president's and his allies had for Congress.

When Congress called key witnesses to testify, the president ordered them to ignore subpoenas. It was, Trump claimed, a witch hunt. Congress quite rightly pointed out it was simply fulfilling its legitimate, constitutional oversight role.
The House could have issued criminal and civil fines, including jail time. Instead, it allowed the president to block the inquiry with impunity. Wasn't this an unequivocal act of obstruction? No, said the administration, it was an assertion of executive privilege.

Goodbye 2019 - Hello 2020

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A Holiday Message to My Wonderful Nomads

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So how are you spending Christmas this year?
Even though I don't celebrate Christmas, I am helping to put together a New Years' "bash" at a local cafe. Looks like this party will be a lot of fun. 

WATCH LIVE: Final House Vote on Articles of Impeachment

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Watch as history is made today.
The full House of Representatives will debate and vote on the articles of impeachment. If at least one of the articles passes, Trump will be the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. If the House decides to impeach, the Senate will hold a trial to consider if Trump should be removed from office.
No matter what the outcome in the Senate, one thing is undeniable: President Trump's lawlessness has caused an unprecedented constitutional crisis.  

Fears that President Trump's Racism is Undoing the Military's Anti-Extremist Policy

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Social media erupted with outrage on Saturday after video footage seemed to show cadets from West Point and midshipmen from the Naval Academy flashing what some claim to be white supremacists hand gestures.
Was it a case of "much ado over nothing"- a harmless bit of horsing around, or yet another case of "everything Trump touches turns to crap"? President Trump had traveled to Philadelphia to attend the annual football game and reportedly received a standing ovation.

LIVE: House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Inquiry Evidence Hearing

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The House Judiciary Committee holds a hearing to hear evidence in the on-going impeachment inquiry against President Trump. Watch LIVE at 9am ET.

LIVE: House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Hearings - Day One

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Today, the House Judiciary Committee will hold its first public hearing in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. With proceedings set to begin at 10 am ET, the hearing will feature several legal scholars who will testify about "the constitutional grounds for presidential impeachment."

According to experts, Trump could be impeached on a number of charges based on his actions, including violating campaign-finance laws, bribery, extortion, obstruction, and misappropriation of taxpayer funds. In an ongoing effort to de-legitimatize the process, the White House has announced that neither President Trump nor his lawyers will participate.

Is Netanyahu's Refusal to Step Down to Face Charges a Foreshadowing for the US?

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What with the impeachment hearings and the non-stop insanity emanating out of Washington, you will be forgiven if you haven't been keeping up with the constitutional crisis unfolding in Israel.  Most of us would agree that we have enough on our plates, especially during Thanksgiving. 

The events in Israel might seem far away and trivial. However, they could well be a portent of what's to come in the US if Trump loses the 2020 election.  

Journalist Chemi Shalev, writing for Haaretz, observes that Israel is currently in a state of chaos with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding his own country hostage in his " unrelenting effort to avoid criminal prosecution"  after being charged with fraud and breach of trust. 

CNN Report: Non-Profit Group Brings Free Healthcare to Those Who Cannot Afford It

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I am not sure whether this CNN story about the current state of healthcare in the US is depressing or inspiring. What do you think?

Second Week of Impeachment Hearings in Full Bloom

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Last week, Democrats launched the public phase of the inquiry with testimony from three career public servants: William Taylor, the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; George Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs; and Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Monday is undoubtedly going to be a day of preparation and behind the scenes action.

Why US Suicide Rates are on the Rise While Western European Rates are Declining

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Hard Cold Facts about a Difficult Subject 

Despite this public reticence, you might be surprised to learn that suicide now ranks in the top ten leading causes of death in the US. 

Each year 44,965 Americans die by suicide. Roughly 16 out of every 100,000 Americans will take their own life.

To put that in perspective, there were a total of 17,250 reported murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases in the U.S. in 2016. In fact, suicide is 250 percent more common than murder.

"A Cheap Soulless Bully"

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During the Kavanaugh hearing when Christine Blasey Ford reluctantly testified about her alleged sexual assault, Trump did not hesitate to mock Ford.
Charles Pierce shared his feeling in a poignant article in Esquire magazine. Here's an excerpt:

"In my life, I have watched John Kennedy talk on television about missiles in Cuba. I saw Lyndon Johnson look Richard Russell squarely in the eye and say, "And we shall overcome." I saw Richard Nixon resign and Gerald Ford tell the Congress that our long national nightmare was over.
I saw Jimmy Carter talk about malaise and Ronald Reagan talk about a shining city on a hill. I saw George H.W. Bush deliver the eulogy for the Soviet bloc, and Bill Clinton comfort the survivors of Timothy McVeigh's madness in Oklahoma City.
I saw George W. Bush struggle to make sense of it all on September 11, 2001, and I saw Barack Obama sing "Amazing Grace" in the wounded sanctuary of Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Nixon and Trump

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Among Independents, Support for Trump Impeachment is Surging

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According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week, there's growing support among political independents for the impeachment for Donald Trump.  

To make matters worse for the president, overall support for impeachment has risen by three percentage points since just last week. Overall, 46% of Americans said they supported impeachment and 40% said they opposed it.

Support for impeachment was relatively steady among Republicans and Democrats over the past week but it surged among independents, a group that includes people who neither identify as Democrats nor Republicans and do not favor either party when they vote. Among independents, 45% said in the latest poll they supported impeachment and 32% said they opposed it, the strongest level of support recorded in more than a year.

For Republicans who have been shielding the president from oversight, the news could hardly be worse. The persuadable independent voter has been called the "difference maker" in the presidential election.
Even Trump campaign spokesman and Deputy Communications Director for the Republican National Committee, Rick Gorka has observed:

“It always comes down to who can convince the independent voter..That is how you win the election.”

Democracy's Darker Side and How It Has Been Exploited By Putin and the Far Right

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"The Tyranny of the Minorities"

The other night, I was talking to a conservative friend about democracy. He has traveled the world and would be considered to be well-educated and successful. The subject turned to politics, something I loathe to discuss with locals given my delicate situation.
I usually prefer to listen in silence.

Former US Diplomat Weighs In on Trump's Controversial Syrian Decision

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The Depreciating Value of American Handshakes

Brett McGurk, Payne distinguished lecturer at Stanford, a foreign affairs analyst as well as former Presidential envoy, had a few things to say about Trump's decision to pull US troops out of Northern Syrian. In short, he was livid.

Before leaving the Trump administration in December, McGurk had served under Bush (as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq and Afghanistan) and Obama ( as Special Advisor to the U.S. National Security Council and Senior Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq).

Sanity Sunday Musical Break - Dire Straits

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Formed in London in 1977 by brothers Mark and David Knopfler, Dire Straits' debut album, Sultans of Swing, reached the top ten in the UK and US charts. By the mid-80s, songs like "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life" made Dire Straits an MTV favorite. 

Despite this welcome exposure, it was apparent that music video directors found it difficult to visually interpret Dire Straits songs. For example, even by 80s standards, Romeo and Juliet is nearly unwatchable. That's a pity because it is, in my opinion, a masterpiece.

Agent of Chaos: Our Sinister Joker in the White House

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What with all the outrageous things going on day after day, you might not have heard of the controversy regarding the upcoming film called "Joker."

Starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips, the film is many steps removed from the superhero genre that provides its source material.
Forget the capes and the spandex tights. Forget the glitzy special effects and the Marvel Comic cliches. This film is closer to "Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy” and "American Psycho." Grim and gritty and full of angst.

The Joker, one of the most iconic and perverse villains of the Batman comics, has been completely "reimagined" as a person who, as Variety critic puts it, "spends every moment trying to twist himself into a normal shape, but he knows the effort is doomed, so he turns it all into a “joke” that only he gets."

The Joseph Maguire Testimony: A Trump Official Under the Spotlight

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This morning, Joseph Maguire will be testifying before the House Intelligence Committee, regarding his decision not to release the whistleblower's complaint about questionable- and possibly impeachable- activities by the president and close advisors.

Maguire is the current Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. He retired from the United States Navy as a Vice Admiral in 2010 after 36 years of military service.

The committee is expected to ask Macquire why he refused to release to congressional intelligence committees the report of the independent inspector general, Michael Atkinson, who deemed it "credible and urgent."

Under mounting pressure from both parties, the Trump administration backed down on Wednesday and handed copies of the complaint to House and Senate intelligence committees.