Anti-Trump billionaire will hand deliver a copy of Michael Wolff's book to every member of Congress.

.@TomSteyer tells @KQEDNewsroom he’s bought 535 copies of the Trump expose #FireAndFury and will have them hand-delivered to every member of Congress. Hear our entire interview tonite at 7 pm w/ @thuy Vu, who also talks w/ @DarrellIssa & @RepZoeLofgren. pic.twitter.com/KJnWd8p4RB

— Scott Shafer (@scottshafer) January 5, 2018

Courtesy of The Hill:

Democratic mega-donor Tom Steyer says he purchased a copy of author Michael Wolff's controversial new book on the Trump presidency for each member of Congress to read. 

Steyer plans to hand-deliver 535 copies of "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" to each member of the House and Senate, he told California's KQED radio station.

I am not sure if this makes Tom Steyer the greatest troll ever, or just a great patriot.

I'm leaning toward the latter.

The author, Michael Wolff, is convinced that his book will end Trump's presidency:  

Michael Wolff told BBC radio that his conclusion in "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House"-- that Trump is not fit to do the job -- was becoming a widespread view. 

"I think one of the interesting effects of the book so far is a very clear emperor-has-no-clothes effect," Wolff said in an interview broadcast on Saturday. 

"The story that I have told seems to present this presidency in such a way that it says he can’t do his job," Wolff said. 

"Suddenly everywhere people are going 'oh my God, it’s true, he has no clothes'. That's the background to the perception and the understanding that will finally end ... this presidency."

If that ends up being the case Michael Wolff will become a national hero. 

If you did not watch John Oliver's report on the immigration crisis in Europe well you need to drop everything and do so right now.

Courtesy of Mother Jones: 

On the latest Last Week Tonight, John Oliver took on the current migrant crisis in Europe to call out the troubling way some world leaders, including "noted swine fellatio enthusiast" David Cameron, and the media choose to characterize the situation. 

"When you're dealing with a mass of people that large, you really want to be a little careful with how you describe them," Oliver said. 

"Here in the US, some in the media have chosen to reduce the migrant population to one single stereotype," he adds, before showing a Fox News clip featuring the misleading caption, "Terrorists Inbound? Taking refugees could open door to jihadists."

Now I know what you're thinking, "Holy crap this video is almost 18 minutes long! That is an eternity in internet time, I can sit still long enough to watch this whole damn thing!"

I both hear you and understand your hesitance.

So I will promise you that if you watch this entire video you will have a warm feeling at the end that will make your evening just that much better.

It has to do with an amazing young woman named Noujain Mustafa, and it is well worth your time to see.

I promise.

Paper handed in by 2nd grader with Autism.

Well, he's not wrong.

Actor Patrick Stewart wins the ALS ice bucket challenge.

Damn that is classy.

If you are on the internet for any amount of time, you cannot help but to see numerous ALS ice bucket challenges from....well from EVERYBODY.

In fact I really cannot think of anybody who has NOT done it yet.

Some of them are very entertaining, but after awhile there is this terrible redundancy to the whole thing.

So seeing the video of Patrick Stewart, of whom I am a great fan anyway, just made me smile.

And I thought it might help you to smile as well.

P.S. By the way Sarah Palin did the ice bucket challenge as well.

You know, maybe THAT'S the best one.

Coolest video you will watch all day.

Pretty impressive wasn't it?

I'm a huge Superman fan so that kind of blew my mind.

If you want to destroy the fantasy and find out how they really pulled this off just click here.

That is the problem with possessing critical thinking skills, we can never simply accept that a man can fly.

Might just be the greatest selfie ever!

Screw Sarah Palin and her talk about taking pictures with cold fish, I would much rather have my picture taken with any of these amazing men.

President Obama chooses openly gay delegates to send to the Olympic games in openly homophobic Russia. We'll call this "Putting it to Putin."

Courtesy of HuffPo:

President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced his delegates to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. And, in what may be a thumb in the eye to Russian President Vladimir Putin over his crackdown on gay rights, two of Obama's delegates are openly gay. 

Billie Jean King, the tennis legend, and Caitlin Cahow, an Olympic medalist in women’s ice hockey, are both part of the U.S. delegation. Both are out lesbians. 

Another member of the U.S. delegation, figure skating Olympic medalist Brian Boitano, routinely declines to answer questions about his sexuality, saying "everybody's got their own path" to discovering who they are. 

Others in the delegation include University of California President Janet Napolitano, the former Homeland Security secretary; U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul; White House Deputy Chief of Staff Rob Nabors; Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, and speed skating Olympic medalists Bonnie Blair and Eric Heiden. 

In what may be another slight to the Russian president, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama will not attend the opening ceremony. This marks the first time since the 2000 Summer Olympic Games that a president, vice president, first lady or former president won't be part of the opening ceremony.

God I love this President!

My daughter and I had quite the giggle about this yesterday. 

However she said that a lot of her friends were simply planning to boycott watching the Olympics and wish the US had done the same.

I argued that by doing so all we do is punish our own athletes who have been training for years to compete, and reminded her of my own personal frustration as a young gymnast when our incredible male gymnastic team of 1980, was denied their shot at the gold due to the Russians invading Afghanistan. (Ironic isn't it?)

I also reminded her that in1936, when Adolph Hitler was attempting to use the games to demonstrate the supremacy of the Aryan race, that America did not boycott, but rather sent their best, whihc resulted in this iconic photograph.

I said that showing up and forcing Russia to deal with their prejudice during an event heavily covered by the national media was far better than simply hiding at home, and cowering in fear while LGBT Russians were being attacked on the streets.

She asked what would happen if gay athletes, or their supporters, were assaulted while in Russia, and I said then they would tell the world and that is how change is brought to a society that does not want to be left behind by the rest of the world.

A video to lift your spirits.

Today has been a day filled with sad, bad, and disappointing news, so I thought that ending with a video of the Ohio State University Marching Band's  "Hollywood Blockbuster Show" would be more than appropriate.

I am blown away by this band's precision.

Do you understand String Theory? No? Want to have it explained to you in a rewritten Freddy Mercury song? Of course you do.

Okay THIS is how I think all complicated scientific theorems should be explained.

And that is guy is pretty talented don't you think?. If I try to hit some of those high notes these days I get light headed and have to sit down.

The Daily Show hysterically points out that the deal to have Russia help deal with Syria crisis was not originally John Kerry's OR President Obama's. It was a Roger Ailes idea.

Click image to play video.

Roger Ailes "Putin is angry, he thinks the United States doesn't take him seriously or treat Russia like a major player. Okay, fine, that's how he feels. If I were President, I'd get in a room with him and say, 'Look at the slaughter going on in Syria. You can stop it. Do it, and I'll see to it that you can get all the credit. I'll tell the world that it was you who saved the innocent....'"

Jon shows this right after playing video of Fox News pundit, after Fox News pundit, ripping into the President for being weak and for allowing Putin to "take his lunch money" and "castrate" him.

At this point I just have to sit back in awe at the President's ability to manipulative these idiots. It is like using a laser pointer to trick a house cat into running into a wall.

By the way USA Today got a source who helped lay out the timeline as to HOW this whole negotiation thing came down:

The idea of coming up with a plan to secure Syria's chemical weapons dates back more than a year, when President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin first discussed the matter on the sidelines of an economic summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. 

At the time, the two — as they've been for much of the 2½-year Syrian civil war — remained far apart in their views on the conflict. During their talks in Los Cabos, Obama complained to Russia that its arms sale to Syria perpetuated the bloody conflict, while Putin argued that the sales were part of a longstanding relationship with the Bashar Assad regime, according a senior administration official, who was not authorized to discuss the deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity. 

The administration official, who offered a detailed timeline of U.S.-Russian exchanges on how to best contain the chemical weapons stockpiles, said Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavarov first discussed the concept when Kerry visited Moscow in April and then again the following month over a long dinner at the Russian ministry of foreign policy on the eve of Russia's Victory Day, the anniversary of Nazi Germany's capitulation to the Soviet Union. 

The two spoke of looking at the dissolution of Libya's nuclear program — Moammar Gadhafi dismantled the program under international agreement in 2003 and 2004. 

"At the time, it was more aspirational and less urgent and the regime was not under pressure to cooperate because the world had not yet turned on them," according the official.

But then that latest gas attack happened, the world did turn on Assad, and.....well the rest is soon to be history.

Holy crap!

Okay for the rest of the day I suggest that we only talk positively about the President. I think we may be in the presence of a Jedi master, and I want to make sure we give him the credit he deserves. 

He actually used an idea from Roger Ailes, and then sat back while his minions attacked him for it.

That is fucking awesome!

Republican Congressman gets fact checked by audience during town hall and told to "stop lying" about Obamacare. Oh, this is good!

"Wait, how did you get a hold of actual facts about the Affordable Care Act?"

Courtesy of Think Progress:  

Things got heated for Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) during a town hall question-and-answer session in Winter Haven, Florida on Thursday. His constituents called him out over his multiple votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, as well as misleading claims that the law’s consumer protections are being dismantled by the Obama administration. 

Webster was responding to several constituents’ questions about the consequences that repealing Obamacare — which House Republicans, including Webster, have voted to do on 40 separate occasions — would have for the people in his district. Attendees asked Webster if he had any plans to replace consumer protections included in Obamacare, such as guaranteed insurance coverage for Americans with pre-existing medical conditions and free preventative health screenings for seniors: 

QUESTIONER: What happens to us when Obamacare is repealed? What happens to people with pre-existing conditions that can’t get health care? What happens to those of us who finally have access to health insurance for the first time in nine or ten years? What happens to us? And you want to make this local, I’ll make this local. I’m a constituent, right now I can’t get health care. I’m waiting for this [insurance marketplace] to open and I’d like to know why we keep repealing [Obamacare]? 

The congressman defended his repeal votes by saying the law would drive up Americans’ health care costs by requiring insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions. He then claimed that President Barack Obama himself thinks his signature law is unworkable. As evidence, Webster implied that the law’s protections — such as its cap on consumers’ annual out-of-pocket medical costs — were being dismantled by the Obama administration. That prompted an outcry from the audience, as people booed and countered Webster’s claims. 

An event official interrupted at that point, asking the audience to be respectful and give Webster a chance to speak. One audience member replied by saying, “Well, tell him to stop lying!”

And THAT my friends, is how the tide starts to turn.

It's a boy!

Prince William and Kate have just had a boy.

Here is the announcement: 

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm. 

The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz. 

The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. 

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news. 

Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in hospital overnight. 

I am not much of a royal watcher myself but I know that this will top the news for the rest of the day.

I send them my warm thoughts and best wishes.

After all I am a big fan of babies myself you know.

New documentary "Dear Mr. Watterson." If you already know what it is about simply from the title, good for you.

Courtesy of Slate:

On New Year’s Eve of 1995, Bill Watterson published the 3,150th and last Calvin and Hobbes strip. Since then, we’ve seen a host of good-to-very-bad takes on the comic: cartoons, apps, bizarre live-action reboots—even a search engine. 

Now there’s a documentary, Dear Mr. Watterson, which explores the impact the boy and his anthropomorphic tiger had on both readers and Watterson’s colleagues. The film began as a pet project for director Joel Allen Schroeder, who started interviewing fans of the strip in 2007; his Kickstarter project, created in 2009, then raised more than twice his initial $12,000 goal. The movie’s been picked up by a distributor, and the first trailer has just hit the Web. 

Calvin and Hobbes was initially viewed as too literate for kids and too fantastical for adults, but instead the strip’s subtle riffs on loneliness, friendship, and adolescence bridged the gap between the two. It’s unclear if Dear Mr. Watterson will delve into Watterson’s complex artistic ambitions or stick with praise for his obvious achievements. Either way, it’s probably a must-see for diehards. It’s scheduled to arrive in theaters Nov. 15.

I am not sure if I have already shared this or not, but I am a huge comic strip fan. And I mean HUGE! 

This is only a portion of my collection.

It started with Charles Schultz's Peanuts of course, and I always made sure to check the box by at least two pocket books every time the Scholastic book pamphlets were handed out in my elementary school.

From there my interest spread to B.C, The Wizard of Id, Hagar the Horrible, and the irascible Andy Capp. (Also my father's favorite.)

Before I left for college in Hawaii, as a young adult, I bought to paperbacks by G.B. Trudeau to read on the long flight from Anchorage. By the time I landed I was a HUGE fan of Doonesbury and made it my mission to purchase every single pocketbook that the bookstores carried.

I actually never stopped discovering new strips and buying their anthologies. Even into my middle age.

I currently have Dilbert, Foxtrot, Zits, Herman, Bloom County, and of course Calvin and Hobbes in my collection.

As much as I loved other comic strips Calvin and Hobbes quickly replaced them as my favorite, and in my opinion it remains in a category all by itself.

The strip seemed, if I might put my atheism aside for a moment, magical.

And it did not hurt that I connected with Calvin on a very fundamental level. There were many times as a child that I too spent huge blocks of time taking up residence in my fantasy world, where animals could talk, ghosts haunted every dark corner, and my wishes could come true if ONLY I could be the well behaved little boy that my mother so wanted me to become.

I am looking forward to this documentary, perhaps for no other reason then to see so many people paying homage to a man that I believe is a true genius. A man who remembered to never let the little boy inside grow up, and then brought him out of his subconscious for all of us to enjoy.

I literally could have chosen any C&H  strip to close out this post and it would have been awesome, so I chose the one below randomly.

And of course, it's awesome!

Evidence discovered which just might prove the existence of multiple universes. "All that I know, is that I know nothing."

Courtesy of the Mail Online: 

Laura Mersini-Houghton, theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Richard Holman, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that anomalies in radiation existed and were caused by the pull from other universes in 2005. 

Now that she has studied the Planck data, Dr Mersini-Houghton believes her hypothesis has been proven. 

Her findings imply there could be an infinite number of universes outside of our own. 

She said: 'These anomalies were caused by other universes pulling on our universe as it formed during the Big Bang. 

'They are the first hard evidence for the existence of other universes that we have seen.' 

Although some scientists remain sceptical about the theory of other universes, these findings may be a step towards changing views on physics. 

The European Space Agency, which runs the £515million Planck telescope, said: 'Because precision of Planck’s map is so high, it made it possible to reveal some peculiar unexplained features that may well require new physics to be understood.' 

Cambridge professor of theoretical physics Malcolm Perry told the Sunday Times that the findings could be real evidence of the existence of other universes. 

While George Efstathiou, professor of astrophysics at the university, told the newspaper: 'Such ideas may sound wacky now, just like the Big Bang theory did three generations ago. But then we got evidence and now it has changed the whole way we think about the universe.' 

Multiple universes. Just imagine how amazing it would be to learn that we are all just a vibration away from entire universes lurking just outside our ability to perceive, and waiting to destroy our concept of reality and our place in the cosmos.

I cannot help but wonder if after such a discovery were to be universally accepted it would signal the final death throes of religion, or if the need to cling to a faith would force a chameleon like metamorphosis that would allow religion to survive and adapt to the new information?

It would seem impossible for the Abrahamic religions to evolve past the outrageously egotistical idea that the planet, the stars, and the sun itself had been created by a God for the human creatures crawling across this tiny orb to encompass the idea of multiple universes. But then again I walked away at seven years of age, so what do I know?

For myself all I can say is that I hope that we learn more about this as soon as possible, because I would hate leave this life with so little understanding of the reality in which I once existed.

Perhaps the coolest cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" that you will ever see.

This is Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station doing a rather amazing, and genuinely good, rendition of Space Oddity.

So much awesome in this video.

Mr. Spock's amazing 1968 letter to a young biracial fan who felt isolated and all alone.

In 1968 Leonard Nimoy received a letter from a young fan, that he thought not only required a response but that the response be reprinted in a teen magazine called FAVE so that other bans dealing with similar problems could read it.

Here is how that letter appeared in FAVE in 1968:

Click here if image fails to enlarge.

Click here if image fails to enlarge.

You know I am ALWAYS more impressed by individuals who stood up for equality when it was still risky to do so. In 1968 Leonard Nimoy certainly ran the risk of turning off certain fans who were not yet ready to treat all people the same, but clearly he did not care.

He felt this young person's pain and responded to it like a human being. (Despite being half Vulcan of course.) And that is admirable on ANY planet.

I have always been a fan of Star Trek, and Spock was always my favorite, this just reinforces that I have good taste in TV shows and the actors who work on them.

(H/T to My Star Trek Scrapbook)

Westboro "God Hates Fags" church decides to protest Santa Monica High School. School responds by protesting them back, with hilarious results.

Courtesy of Americablog:  

Rev. Fred “God Hates F-gs” Phelps was protesting Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California this morning. 

The Phelps’ made the trip to California for the Oscars, but since they were already there, they decided to picket a high school too.

So the kids decided that two could play that game and came out onto the sidewalks to do a little protesting of their own.

 They clearly had superior numbers on their side, but they also had some things the Westboro folks lacked completely, youthful energy, creativity, and a sense of humor.

Have I mentioned yet how much I admire the youth of today?

Well I do. I do indeed.

Future Kentucky Senator Ashley Judd responds to Karl Rove ad attacking her. WTF, isn't it still only 2013?

Courtesy of the Washington Post: 

In a new Web ad, Karl Rove-affiliated American Crossroads dings the actress with soundbites from her own speeches and interviews unlikely to play well in conservative Kentucky: One where she vows “I will go wherever the president wants me to go,” another where she proclaims herself “a radical”; she also sings the praises of Obamacare. 

But possibly most damning? The clip where the possible Mitch McConnell challenger tells an audience: “It just clicked: Tennessee is home.” 

Indeed, the Kentucky native and UK grad’s primary residence is currently near Nashville. The quote comes from a speech she gave to the Tennessee delegation at the Democratic National Convention in September, where she explained at greater length her family roots and growing up on both sides of the border. 

In an emailed statement, a publicist for Judd responded: “Ashley thanks Senator McConnell, Karl Rove, and their negative allies for all the attention as she considers her future political plans, although a decision hasn’t been made yet.” 

An American Crossroads rep told us they’re spending $10,000 to place the video via Web advertising.

Oh hell now Rove and his cronies are doing Judd's pre-election advertising for her! How accidentally helpful of them.

As I have explained before this possible matchup between Ashley Judd and the turtle-like Mitch McConnell may turn out to be my FAVORITE political face off in 2014.

And I have to say that the fact that Karl Rove and McConell are concerned enough about it to shoot their wad THIS early tells me that they are scared spitless about the possibility of watching Judd in a political debate with McConnell.

I think I will buy some shares in Orville Redenbacher this morning.

Final humbling thought for the day.

My daughter posted this on Facebook today.

But you know the truth is that few of us actually recognize the precariousness of our situation, instead believing that we are somehow protected by more than just a thin layer of gases that surrounds the Earth.

Personally I find the idea that we are hanging in space, surrounded by a life giving bubble, and orbiting a giant ball of fire kind of exhilarating. Looking at it from that perspective sort of changes us from boring humans comfortably living out our lives on a mother earth, to courageous cosmonauts hurtling through space at blinding speeds, surrounded by potentially deadly planetary bodies, and with nobody at the helm.

Oh yeah, that is TOTALLY how I am going to think of us from now on!

Possibly one of the greatest Fox News interviews EVER!

Courtesy of Mediaite:

 Author Tom Ricks was brought on Happening Now to discuss how several GOP lawmakers are backing off their criticism of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice‘s handling of the September terror attacks that left four Americans dead in Libya. 

Asked why lawmakers like Sen. John McCain seem to be backing off Rice a bit lately, Ricks replied: “I think Benghazi was generally hyped by this network especially. And now that the campaign is over, I think he is backing off a little bit. They aren’t going to stop Susan Rice from being Secretary of State.” 

Co-anchor Jon Scott pushed back, asking “When you have four people dead, including the first U.S. ambassador, for the first time in more than 30 years, how do you call that hype?” 

“How many security contractors died in Iraq? Do you know?” Ricks shot back. 

“I don’t,” replied Scott. 

“Nobody does because nobody cared,” Ricks said. “We know several hundred died but there was never official count of security contractors in Iraq. When I say this focus was essentially on a small fire-fight, I think, number one, I’ve covered a lot of fire-fights and it is impossible to figure out what happens in them sometimes.” 

Ricks then took another open shot at Fox News: “I think the emphasis on Benghazi has been extremely political, partly because Fox is operating as the wing of Republican Party.” 

At that point, Scott cut the interview short: “Tom Ricks, thanks for joining us today.” 

Ricks smirked and replied: “You’re welcome.”

Okay can I just tell you how awesome it is to see this actually happen ON Fox News?

Well you know that Tom Ricks will never been invited back for an interview, but what an amazing way to get banned.

I think I have a new hero.