UNC students honor Parkland victims, rally against gun violence | News & Observer

This is all BS as the students would say. Action!

Free Speech and the Necessity of Discomfort - The New York Times

Bravo!

Why Americans Could Believe the Worst From Russian Trolls - The New York Times

We can fix it and the job started yesterday and days previous. It is tomorrow's tasks that most need doing, today if we can.

Guns in America

Looking forward to reading this.

Hundreds of Durham high school students walk out of class to demand stronger gun laws | WNCN

Elect better people.

Where the N.R.A. Speaks First and Loudest - The New York Times

Answer awful speech with good speech.

42 U.S. Code § 4321 - Congressional declaration of purpose | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

How I would start the National Firearms Policy Act, based on the National Environmental Policy Act:

"The purposes of this chapter are: To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and firearms; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate injuries to people and property and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the risks to health and safety posed by firearms and their misuse; and to establish a Council on Firearms Policy."

I would continue to say the following:

"It is the policy of the United States that firearms are inherently dangerous and should be available only to, and capable of being used by, qualified members of US military forces, national guards, police forces, and private, licensed security personnel. All other uses are discouraged in the interest of protecting national health and safety. Towatrd this end, no person under 21 should be permitted to own, carry, or use in any manner any firearm unless a specfic finding is made in the case of each by a panel of experts."

"Anyone alleged to have owned, carried, or used any firearm in violation of this law shall be subject to exclusive prosecution in federal court."

The Common Good - Kindle edition by Robert B. Reich. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

We need a National Firearms Policy Act!

MCCROW

What happened to this site?

Get Out of Facebook and Into the N.R.A.’s Face - The New York Times

Those of us older than most students need to help in any way the strudents want us. Off Facebook and on the street, for example.

After Florida School Shooting, Russian ‘Bot’ Army Pounced - The New York Times

And TRUMP sits on his cheeseburger, oblivious or complicit.

TRUMP the PETULANT

Yes!!!

Technology is the enemy

We need to learn to be grown-ups and not narcisistic nabobs of nothing.

Russian Meddling Was a Drop in an Ocean of American-made Discord - The New York Times

So much work to be done to fix this mess before it fixes us.

Letting American Kids Die - The New York Times

The way it is and we have to change it!

Whatever Trump Is Hiding Is Hurting All of Us Now - The New York Times

Code red it is. FRIEDMAN has it just right, alas. Bull's eye.

Florida students plead with Congress: It’s about the guns - The Washington Post

It surely is about the guns.

Florida students plead with Congress: It’s about the guns - The Washington Post

It surely is about the guns.

What Explains U.S. Mass Shootings? International Comparisons Suggest an Answer - The New York Times

We need to change the course of our aircraft carrier from saluting a perceived inherent right to have a gun to a widely supported policy that only law enforcement should have guns of any kind. Thet requires stupendous leadership and we are tragically not even in sight of that.

Why Does Trump Ignore Top Officials’ Warnings on Russia? - The New York Times

There has to be a better answer to this question.

ms 13 huntington high - Google Search

Yikes, my high school!

Durham’s Best (OK, Only) Rare Tuba Museum Opens to the Public | Arts Feature | Indy Week

I love it! Another piece on this 8/30/16 on Morning Edition NPR.

Trump Mocks ‘Little Adam Schiff’ as House Democrats Push to Release a Rival Memo - The New York Times

There is no point in tossing garbage back at the thrower. Instead, it is a time to thank Rep SCHIFF for his steadfast support of the truth and the American people. That's the right response.

Katie Roiphe on the #MeToo thought police - CBS News

Bravo!

A Democratic Ticket for 2020? - The New York Times

Political egos will be the death of all of us.

'Nas Daily' Creator Trades High-Paying Tech Job For Viral Travel Vlog | Here & Now

Neat.

Rep. Joe Kennedy Discusses The Democratic Agenda Going Forward : NPR

Super impressive performance last night.

Rep. Joe Kennedy Discusses The Democratic Agenda Going Forward : NPR

Super impressive performance last night.

Transcript: Trump’s First State of the Union Speech, Annotated - The New York Times

I hope the Times will continue to flesh this out. It is a good first draft of history, but let's get more of it right.

Museum Told White House: No Van Gogh, but Here’s a Gold Toilet - The New York Times

Parfait!

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" No Good Reason (TV Episode 2017) - IMDb

Everyone should watch this episode, especially the last 10 minutes.

Save the Children Is Attacked in Afghanistan; ISIS Claims Responsibility - The New York Times

What a grotesque distortion of humanity. These people are sub-human or an entirely different form of life, such as it is.

Undocumented Irish Caught In Trump's Immigration Dragnet : NPR

Laws are laws. Right is right. How do we rationalize this?

Interview: Harold Evans, Author Of 'Do I Make Myself Clear?' : NPR

Good for him!

The Post

After watching The Post today, I began to wonder whether reporters today - and their organizations (or lack thereof) - are working hard enough to dig out facts for us. Take Donald TRUMP's tax returns. Why has no one been able to turn up copies of these? I am sure Special Counsel MUELLER has had no trouble getting them. I think too many reporters, and their paymasters, have gotten really lazy. God forbid they might burn some shoe leather, non?

Our Mission | Urban Sketchers

This would be fun if I could draw!

What Comes After the Media Men List? ‘A Lot of Hard Work’ - The New York Times

Good for her!

2017 Was One of the Hottest Years on Record. And That Was Without El Niño. - The New York Times

The future is getting much scarier.

Rule

I keep thinking of something I heard Jon MEACHAM say not to long ago - something to the effect that we are in the midst of a national experiment in narcissistic rule. Wow. 

Merit

The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that the idea of allowing in only the best and brightest is an awful idea. It is veiled racism and as I have written elsewhere at least elitism in a place where it should not be. 

Sens. Cotton and Perdue are outed for lying on Trump’s behalf - The Washington Post

They ought to resign. There is no place for people like this in the US Senate.

Jimmy Fallon Sings James Taylor-Inspired Trump Parody - Rolling Stone

Love it!

Donald Trump & Immigration: Merit-Based System Is the Solution | National Review

The more I think about merit-based immigration, the more discriminatory it seems. The only fair system is one that does as we are supposed to do in the US treat everyone equally and put all the names in hat. For those who like the merit idea, how would you feel about limiting tourists and other visitors from overseas using the same test? This is its own form of racism or at least elitism.

Dutch Reporters Show How to Keep American Officials Honest - The New York Times

This ought to be on the front page. And reporters need to stick with important questions, and no others, until they get answers.

To: CNN Re: Apples, Bananas and TRUMP

The wonderful CNN promotion on an apple always remaining an apple and can never be a banana ought to be justification for them to do this: Announce publicly that CNN will create an arbitration process to get closer to the truth of who is lying about what President TRUMP may have said at the meeting last week about Haiti, Africa, and elsewhere. The people in the meeting have taken irreconcilable positions on what happened. There was an apple there and other cannot turn it into a banana. So, CNN, announce that you will commission a rapid process to get to the truth. Imagine that. To get there, CNN will name one highly regarded person to be their member of the arbitration panel. Republicans present at the meeting and Democrats present can each nominate two more arbitrators, and the President can nominate a fourth. Each entity can do so, or decline by a deadline of three days. At that point, whoever has been named can meet and select together one more arbitrator. That means a maximum of 5 on the panel. They will be given a week to carry out the arbitration process and to render an opinion on what the President said or did not say. Imagine actually coming as close to the truth as anyone could hope to come on this matter.
With that decision in hand, the rest of us can then turn to convincing the respective houses of Congress to censure and remove whomever turns out to be a liar on this matter, trying to transform fruits and screw with our democratic process.  

To the editor of Le Soleil in Dakar, Senegal

"Cher Monsieur,

Je suis americain. J’habite aux Etats-Unis dans l’etat du Caroline du Nord.

Il y a Presque cinquante ans, j’ai fait ma premiere visite en Afrique et c’etait le Senegal ou je suis arrive premierement.

J’etais immediatement accepte par tous les Senegelais, et j’ai trouve le pays et surtout le people comme les gens spectaculaire dans tous les aspects.

Pendant ma visite, j’ai visite les bureau de Le Soleil parce que en commencant ma carriere a cet epoque, j’avais decide de poursuivre la presse avec la loi. J’ai devenu avocat americain pour la presse americaine et international.

Mais, je vous ecrit a ce moment ma tristesse, parce j’ai un niveau de la honte plus grand que je peux jamais imaginer.

Le President des Etats-Unis a dit aujourd’hui qu’un grand morceau de la population mondiale est simplement les gens au plus bas imaginable.

Je vous ecrit pour dire qu’a ce moment, nous sommes tous Senegelais, Africain, Centre-Americain.

Pour moi, je partage les mauvais mots de notre President avec tous et toutes la-bas, parce que pour moi, c’etait vous ET moi qui etait le cible de ces mots.

Je suis avec vous et pas de tout avec lui.

Nous allons trouver dans notre pays democratique le moyens legaux de remplacer ce President avec quelqu’un d’autre. Nous chercherons les autres qui sont avec vous, avec moi, dans cet effort.

Le moment va revenir quand je peux visiter le Senegal avec un souris sur ma face et fiere de se presenter mon passeport americain a l’entrée.

A ce moment, j’ai seulement ma honte a vous presenter.

Sincerement,
Terry MAGUIRE

Chapel Hill, NC Etats-Unis"

TerryMaguire (@TerryMaguire) | Twitter

Will try to get better at this!

Trump provoque un tollé mondial après ses propos sur les "pays de merde" - Le Point

It really is a tragedy for everyone.

Maybe Trump Is Not Mentally Ill. Maybe He’s Just a Jerk. - The New York Times

So let us get him tested!

Whether Trump used crude language at meeting depends on who is talking

The US is indeed so much better than TRUMP and we need to focus on a really US plan to deprive him of power and the Presidency in the shortest amount of time. Let's all redouble our efforts to show the world than our President serves at the pleasure of the people and compliance with the law. We must make the political process work its will to reduce his power base, seek psychiatric analysis and diagnosis, and move as fast as we possibly can to the next President.

Is Mr. Trump Nuts? - The New York Times

An extremely poorly-reasoned editorial. The point of many psychiatrists is not an assertion that the President is crazy, but rather that he appears unstable enough to cause real harm to us and to him. What I want to know is what a psychiatrist would recommend as a next step if presented with a patient exhibiting all of the actions noted in this editorial. Do a poll of psychiatrists, commissioned byThe New York Times, and then tell us what you learn. Let's get that one done and move wherever THAT might lead us.

Oprah, Don’t Do It - The New York Times

He has been out of the country too long.

Paroles France Gall - Résiste - Paroles.net (clip, musique, traduction)

We lost her today, but not these words that surely need to be sung a lot today in the US.

5 things you need to know to stay healthy and fit

This sounded like good advice.

FRANKEN

I agree with her.

Hawaii and Puerto Rico: Different Paths, Different Economies - Puerto Rico Report

Would like to work more on this.

Tom Brokaw: You Can Find the Entire World Inside Your Hospital - The New York Times

Wonderful piece!

North Carolina Symphony - Meet a Musician

This looks like a nice feature. But where are the ones that have been posted already? Do these musicians simply go away after their moments of fame on the home page of the orchestra?

North Carolina Symphony

We attended the New Year's Eve concert. Why is it that the orchestra removes any trace of that event the next day, except for a promo video, now of no use? Is there no history? What happened to Aundi Marie MOORE who was featured to sing as recently at 23 November 2017? No explanation. Does no one care?

Taking Out the Trash? That’s Still a Man’s Job, Even for the Liberal Coastal Elite - The New York Times

Sure rings true for me!

Kick Ass: Dump Trump

Why are we not seeing signs like "Kick Ass: Dump Trump" everywhere? At least on a few lawns and windows?

Trump, the Insurgent, Breaks With 70 Years of American Foreign Policy - The New York Times

Sickening.

The 2017 AGC Women's Player of the Year: Leona Maguire

Brilliant!

Counties covered by US District Court Eastern District of North Caorlina

The counties a potential Judge FARR would serve https://democracync.org/farrout/

Tell the Senate Judiciary: Oppose Thomas Farr for Federal Judge

Take action! And go beyond the committee with targeted messages to Senators who may have someone close to them who could make the better argument.

Thomas Farr, Trump judicial nominee for NC, questioned on Jesse Helms postcards | News & Observer

More on this nominee.

William Barber II: Trump’s Terrible Choice for Judge - The New York Times

These are lifetime appointments and we all need to put in much extra effort in North Carolina and with the rest of the US Senate to defeat him.

About Us – Maguire Foundation

We share a number of things with far less money and no involvement with the Roman Catholic church. James MAGUIRE and my grandmother were born in the same part of Philadelphia (Germantown), probably 50 years or so apart.

Why Trump isn't getting the credit he thinks he deserves - CNNPolitics

This is an excellent analysis of where the nation stands with the Trump administration.

What I Was Wrong About This Year - The New York Times

Very well presented!

As Trump Rages About Immigrants, They Go to the Ivy League - The New York Times

Bravo to all five of them!

'Exciting times ahead' - Maguire looking to pro ranks

You go!

2017 44th Annual Merry Tuba Christmas at Rockefeller Center at Rockefeller Center | Rockefeller Center

Wonderful!

Spectrum

Why don't you convene community meetings all over NC to explain how you plan to use your newly-won freedom from the TRUMP FCC?

Sens TILLIS and BURR

Why don't you agree - for whatever time you continue to serve in the US Senate - to forego all health coverage there for you and your family so that you can speak with knowledge about what it means to lose health care? Now, that would be impressive and that's why you will not do it!

How other countries can help us understand America's mass shooting crisis | Public Radio International

We need a lot more of this kind of reporting!

Beemster Cheese

This is very good stuff!

The Limits of ‘Believe All Women’ - The New York Times

Thank goodness for this!

The Coast Guard’s ‘Floating Guantánamos’ - The New York Times

This reflects so poorly on the Coast Guard, where I spent 3 years and 4 months of my life as an officer.

U.S. threatens to close Palestinians' D.C. office amid renewed peace push - NBC News

The Palestinians are so undervalued.

Food — Delicious Science | Shows | PBS Food

Neat.

Franken Should Go - The New York Times

If ever you need an example of rash judgment, this is one of the best I've ever seen.

Just say too many!

The Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC refuses to say there are too many guns in Chapel Hill and urge citizens to reduce the number. When you see a story like this one, it makes her refusal even more irritating, disappointing and risky.

puce suede - Google Search

Inevitable!

What Explains U.S. Mass Shootings? International Comparisons Suggest an Answer - The New York Times

About as compelling as anything could be for making the case that we simply have too many guns in America.

Say it!

We have too many guns in America.

Partir - L’Irlande Express… - France 2 - 03-11-2017

Nice.

Manhattan Attack Is Called Terrorism. What About Vegas? - The New York Times

I'll settle for heinous crime.

John Kelly: 'Lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War'

Repulsie is too kind a word.

(2) CNN - "This is an Apple" ad - YouTube

Super!

Nice

This is one of the views from the hill on which our Nice home sits. The photo is not mine; it comes from the local newspaper, Nice-Matin.
Nice is my most special place not because of beaches, tourists or the vague notion of a ritzy French Riviera. No, my Nice is, as I have often told others, a real place full of wonder, problem, beauty, challenges, and diversity from the mind to the stomach.

TO BE COMPLETED.

Honor the Truth, John Kelly - The New York Times

This is despicable and he owes us all an apology and perhaps a resignation.

The Lancet Commission on pollution and health - The Lancet

We have to work so much harder on this.

US warnings

People need to be warned about coming to a country that could have elected such a putrid president.

Texas City Gives Hurricane Aid If You Don't Boycott Israel | Time.com

Texas is so often a place a bad things like this one.

Germany Sees Drastic Decrease in Insects | The Scientist Magazine®

How can we not pay attention to this?

Psychiatrists Can’t Stop Mass Killers - The New York Times

This makes sense, and I completely agree on the firearms argument. Where I have some uncertainty, however, is to imagine someone committing one of these awful crimes who does not have a mental incapacity of some sort. Surely, those flaws are detectable somewhere along the line?

A German Who Explains Trump - The New York Times

Not sure what to make of this, but I think it is good to read the piece.

Comparing the Las Vegas Attack With Daily Gun Deaths in U.S. Cities - The New York Times

Every death is a tragedy.

Preventing Mass Shootings Like the Vegas Strip Attack - The New York Times

We have too many guns in the US and we need politicians to start both saying so and setting gun number reduction objectives and meeting them. Surely, if we can bar cigarettes from the hands of some because it might kill them and others, why cannot we do the same for guns. It took a long while to get "here" on tobacco and let's not keep delaying what we need to do to start the graph headed down on number of guns in the US. The US has three times the guns per capita than where I am now in France. THREE TIMES. Why don't we set a goal to beat France? I would be a skeptical we can push Tunisia out of first place. Their gun ownership per capita is ONE ONE THOUSANDTH of what it is in the US. Yes, One One Thousandth of what it is in the US.