Cannabis Cookies From Homemade RSO

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Cannabis Cookies From Homemade RSO

I got busy this morning and made 60 Cannabis Cookies with homemade RSO. My friends will be happy.

RSO Delivers Scrumptious Cannabis Edibles

By D. S. Mitchell

When visiting Oregon stop by a cannabis dispensary and check out all the forms of cannabis on the market. If you have time and are interested check out the ‘Pirates of Calamity’, on this website. Currently, the guys are doing a series on how to make kief, bubble hash, tincture, RSO, etc, etc. Possession of all of the above named forms of cannabis are legal in Oregon.

I do not make canna butter. I’m a good cook, but a lazy one, and I will never work that hard to make a batch of edibles. Whether it’s triple chocolate cookies, brownies, or my personal favorite, molasses cookies, I skip all that work and make most all of my cannabis edibles using RSO or edible tincture, mostly RSO, however. I usually pick it up from my local budtender.

So this morning with my homemade RSO (a very unfamiliar situation) sitting unused in a glass jar next to the coffee pot I decided to make molasses cookies for an assortment of associates. If anyone of you have used RSO in your food (many cancer patients) you already know how thick and sticky(!) it is. Quite honestly, it looks and behaves like tar.

There is no need to change your favorite cookie or brownie recipe to make it cannabis friendly. The only two things that are important to remember is that the RSO (or tincture) needs to be treated like an oil and that it needs to be liquified before adding to the recipe.

Begin your recipe prep as usual, when you get to the oil (butter, Crisco, lard ) you want to add your cannabis.  HOWEVER, to be able to do that you will need to liquify the RSO. Do not put RSO directly into the microwave (I’m assuming you have purchased a syringe (plastic or glass) of RSO from your local dispensary). Fill a microwaveable vessel with water. I personally use a Pyrex measuring cup. So, fill the cup with water and heat in microwave until you see the water boil. Sit the cup of boiling water in a safe place, on the counter and drop the syringe into the cup of hot water. Let the syringe remain in the hot water for at least a full minute; by that time the product should be liquid and easy to dispense into the butter (oil) portion of the recipe. Blend well, very well, scraping sides of bowl. Be sure to clean the beaters using a knife edge to make sure you’re not tossing out THC loaded dough or batter.

Happy cookie baking.

***As a reminder, DO NOT DRIVE after INGESTING CANNABIS IN ANY FORM. You will be DUI.

Donald Trump Wants His Daddy Back

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EDITORIAL:

Donald Trump Wants His Daddy Back

Fred Trump came in multiple times and rescued his son from his business mistakes. Donald wishes Fred were here today to clean up after his son at least one more time.

EDITORIAL:

“I Want My Daddy.” “I Want My Daddy.”

Donald’s father, Fred Trump, was an extremely wealthy real estate developer, who supported Donald’s business ventures with hundreds of millions of dollars over his lifetime. Fred Trump died in 1999, but his money has kept Donald Trump and his siblings financially comfortable since the old man’s death. That comfort may now be in jeopardy.

By D. S. Mitchell

Despite 45’s claims of being a self-made man, a NY Times investigation several years ago showed that Fred Trump gave Donald at least $413 million from his own successful real estate business over the years. The Times also reported that Fred transferred some of this wealth through dubious tax schemes. Much of what Fred provided Donald seems to be unravelling as the ex-president battles fraud charges in New York state.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump, the twice impeached former U. S. president, and faux billionaire, was found guilty of repeatedly violating New York fraud laws by New York Supreme Court Justice, Arthur Engoron. In what is known as a summary judgment Engoron, days before the trial, found that Trump persistently participated in business fraud— and that Mr. Trump was liable for his lies and misrepresentations. Next week’s trial will be all about settling the money damages and penalties Trump & Co. will owe.

The civil case, was brought by New York State Attorney General, Letitia James. James is demanding $250 million dollars from Trump and the The Trump Organization for multiple decades of fraud. Engoron ordered the business certificates for all of Donald Trump’s holdings in New York be canceled.

The potential damage to Trump’s New York business empire is staggering. Iconic properties like 40 Wall Street, Trump Tower on 5th Avenue, and his Westchester county estate, Seven Springs, is to be, within 10 days, put into the hands of three independent receivers. The “receivers will manage the dissolution of the canceled” LLC’s associated with Trump and the Trump Organization.

Engoron’s order, according to Trump’s lawyers will be appealed. If the appeal fails Trump will lose all financial authority over Trump Organization properties in New York. A representative for Trump’s attorney, Melissa Cintron, noted that not only could the businesses be placed under the control of a receiver, but “the receiver will sell off the assets of the businesses and wind up affairs” such as paying creditors.

“Without a corporate charter, you can’t operate as a corporation. You can’t get loans, you can’t apply for a government contract,”  financial crimes prosecutor Diana Florence told reporters outside the courthouse. “It’s comparable to once a person dies. A dead person can’t sell property. Only the executor of the estate can do that — or in this case, the receiver.”

From the early 1980’s through today, Donald Trump has been making headlines as a business phenom. Gold towers and blonde beauties, all the glitz and glamour of a rich real estate tycoon, all in one well crafted package. The “reality” TV show, “The Apprentice,” ran for 14 years and cemented the image of  Trump as a successful businessman.

But we see now, it was all a lie. It was make believe. It was a grifter’s slight of hand. Donald Trump’s career was built on his father’s money. Donald has been a daddy’s boy; who has, his entire life, lived off the money his father had made. The only thing Donald knows about money is how to spend it. He especially likes spending other people’s money.

I just want to say to all the small donors who support Trump, think before you write Daddy’s Boy another check.

 

Even Clean People Get Bugs

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Even Clean People Can Get Bugs

Numerous health issues are thought to be related to cleanliness when it has nothing to do with hygiene. Examples such as scabies, bedbugs, fleas, ringworm and head lice.

Scabies, Bedbugs, Fleas, Head Lice, Ringworm Have Nothing To Do With Cleanliness

Lax Hygiene Is Not The Cause Of An Infestation

By D.S. Mitchell

Fleas

I’ve always had a dog and sometimes a kitty. If you have pets you have likely dealt with fleas at some point or another, despite flea collars and systemic barriers. Flea eggs fall off our pets and onto our carpet. After a gestation period, larvae hatch from the eggs and develop into pupae, which emerge as adult fleas when stimulated by the scent of a warm blooded animal in close proximity-such as yourself, or your pet. Motivated by the scent of human blood the hungry fleas attack,  leaving small, itchy red bumps.

Cleanliness has nothing to do with the infestation you are experiencing. Fleas are attracted to warm bodies. These little critters over time have developed genetic adaptations to many of the insecticides we use to kill them.  Although flea bites, in themselves, are not harmful, people scratching the bites with dirty hands or fingernails can cause an infection.  OTC anti-itch cream can usually relieve the itch. Vets recommend spot on flea and tick treatments which usually prevent re-infestation. Vacuuming can help, but it is unrealistic to expect to snare every flea pupa with the vacuum.

Head Lice

When I was a young mother I was on constant alert for head lice which cause regular outbreaks in school. When your little tykes come home and hugs you and other family members you have an infected household.  Head lice are parasitic insects known for clinging to hair and feeding on human blood.  When infected, you will have an itchy scalp and neck. Examine your hair, close to the scalp, and if you are infected, you will see tiny tan or grayish bugs or tiny eggs sticking to the hair shaft, close to the scalp and the blood supply. Although itchy and uncomfortable, head lice are not known to be dangerous. Drugstores nationwide carry treatment kits. Some communities even have lice removal centers to take care of the problem.

Ringworm

First of all, ringworm is not a bug or insect, but instead a fungus. The fungus eats keratin, the dead outer layer of skin. Ringworm is highly infectious. It has nothing to do with cleanliness and can be contracted if you come into contact with infected people or pets. In locker rooms contamination often comes via washcloths or clothing. If you notice a red, scaly rash in the shape of rings that grows over time you probably have ringworm. An infected pet may display a circular rash or hair loss. If the infection is on smooth hairless skin an OTC anti-fungal cream should be all you need. However, if the outbreak is on a hairy area of skin, you should visit your doctor and get an oral medication, because the fungus can travel down hair follicles making the topical cream ineffective.

Bedbugs

Bedbugs infest beds and upholstered furniture and feed on humans as they sleep or rest. Suspect you have an infestation if you have a cluster or “line” of itchy red bumps like mosquito bites on most any part of the body. Suspect bedbugs if any family member has spent a night outside your home.  Bedbugs have been around since the beginning and they are oblivious to clean sheets and hygienic efforts. Bedbugs are hitchhikers and often ride on luggage and backpacks. The bites are irritating but usually an OTC antihistamine will relieve the discomfort. There are several products on the market for use by the homeowner to eradicate the infestation. If you don’t notice a quick drop in the bites you may need to call an exterminator.

Scabies

Scabies are tiny mites that burrow their way under the top layers of skin, laying eggs and excreting feces, sparking an inflammatory reaction in the skin. The “trails” they leave under your skin will be intensely irritated, red, and itchy. The itching may be especially irritating at night. Be particularly suspicious of an infestation if you have been on vacation or have recently come in contact with a new group of people. Scabies are passed through skin-to-skin contact and is in no way a sign of poor hygiene. You’ll probably be seeing your PCP and getting a prescription for a  topical cream. Everyone in the family should be treated. The cream needs to be applied two times, a week apart to be sure it kills mites when they hatch.

Stretch For Life; From A Chair

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Stretch For Life; From A Chair

Stretching is a great way to increase overall fitness and well being. You can stretch anywhere anytime, even from a chair.

Enjoy The Physical Benefits of Stretching 

Stretching Can Be Done Anywhere, Anytime, Even From A Chair. Got tight Muscles? Got Back & Joint Pain? Stretching Can Relieve Chronic Pain. No More Excuses, Str-r-e-etch. 

Stretch For Life

By D. S. Mitchell

Stretching Benefits Young And Old

A regular stretching program will improve your blood flow and make your arteries healthier. Within a couple months of starting a stretching program you could lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction and more. If you stay loose and limber, your muscles respond better to stressors-expected and unexpected-that might otherwise result in injury.  Stretching is not a magic elixir, but if you stretch regularly you will, according to science, feel better and be healthier.

The Benefits Of Starting A Stretching Routine

  1. Improved Flexibility: Essential to overall health. Improved flexibility allows adults, particularly seniors to perform everyday activities with ease and naturally delays reduced mobility issues, common with aging.
  2. Improved Range Of Motion: The ability to move a joint through its full range gives freedom of movement. Essential for healthy aging.
  3. Improved Performance In Physical Activities: Doing dynamic stretches prior to activities is proven to prepare your muscles for the exercise.  It may also improve your performance in the activity.
  4. Increase Blood Flow To Muscles: Improves your circulation, increased blood flow to your muscles, which can shorten your recovery time and reduce muscle soreness or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
  5. Improved Posture: Poor posture is often the result of muscle imbalances. A combination of strengthening and stretching specific muscle groups can reduce musculoskeletal pain and encourage proper alignment, thus improved posture.
  6. Helps Heal And Prevent Back Pain: Tight muscles can lead to a decrease in your ROM. When this happens you increase the likelihood of straining the muscles in your back. Stretching can help heal an existing back injury by stretching the injured muscles. A regular stretching routine can also prevent future back pain by strengthening your back muscles and reducing your risk of muscle strain.
  7. Stress Relief: Stress leads to tense muscles. Muscles tighten up in response to physical and emotional stress. Focus on areas of your body where you tend to hold your stress, primarily the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
  8. Calm The Mind: A regular stretching routine can calm the mind. While you stretch focus on mindfulness and meditation exercises. Give your mind a break.
  9. Reduce Tension Headaches: Tension and stress headaches can interfere with activities of daily living. Stretching reduces the tension and anxiety you feel from headaches.

The best stretches are ones you can do whenever, wherever — including from the comfort of a couch or chair. If you are having trouble getting down on the floor and then back up again I’ve got 10  popular seated stretches to add some beneficial stretches into your daily routine; you’ll notice very quickly the improvement in both mobility and flexibility.   

Suggested Seated Stretches

I suggest you do each of the suggested stretches only once and see how your body responds. Once comfortable with a stretching move incorporate those chosen poses into your daily routine. If each stretch feels good, do each stretch in the order listed below for an effective full-body session.

Ear-to-Shoulder Stretch

How you do it: This simple movement will release neck and shoulder tension. Place your feet flat on the floor and sit up straight in a chair. Your arms are hanging at your sides with your shoulders down and relaxed. Without rotating your head, drop your head to the side. Go as far as you can without straining or lifting your shoulder. For the greatest muscle relaxation, breathe deeply throughout. To deepen the stretch you can use your hand to gently pull your head toward the shoulder. Hold for 15 seconds. Remember to take slow, deep breaths. Switch sides and repeat. Do two, each side, each with a 15 second hold time.

Chin-to-Chest Stretch

How you do it: Keep your feet flat on the floor and sit nice and tall in a chair. Interlock your fingers and place behind your head; then gently lower your chin toward your chest, keeping your hands on the back of your head. Hold the pose for 15 seconds, taking slow, deep breaths. Do four 1poses each with a 15-second hold. The key to the chin-to-chest move is being gentle. 

Shoulder Roll Stretch

How you do it:  The shoulder roll is familiar to most people, with this version of the shoulder roll it is important to actively focus on squeezing your muscles to rotate through the full range of motion. As with the previous positions, sit straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Let your arms hang at your sides. Squeeze your chest to press your shoulders forward, then raise your shoulders up toward your ears. Next, squeeze your upper back to pinch your shoulder blades together, then pull your shoulders down to finish the circle. Repeat, this time moving in the opposite direction. Do four slow shoulder rolls in each direction.  

Rounded Back Stretch

How you do it: Sit straight and tall in a chair with your feet resting flat on the floor. Lean slightly forward and place your hands on your knees with arms extended. The idea is to focus on not just rounding your upper back, but also involving your lower back by tucking your tailbone on the chair’s seat. Now push down on your knees to round your back, now bring your chin toward your chest, tuck your tailbone slightly, imagine your upper body forming the letter C. Take slow, deep breaths, hold for 15 seconds then release. Do four poses, holding each for 15 seconds.

Cross-Chest Stretch

How you do it: If you spend a lot of time hovering over a computer or a book this stretch should help release the tension through the shoulders and upper back.  Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. Cross one arm in front of your chest and place your opposite hand on the arm crossing your chest and brace it at the elbow to support. If it feels good, you can gently apply pressure to your arm to increase the stretch. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch sides and repeat. Do four holds per side. 

Overhead Triceps Stretch

How you do it: We carry tension throughout our bodies, one place that might surprise you is the back of our arms. The triceps stretch will relieve the pressure. Sit straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Raise one arm overhead and bend your elbow to lower your palm between your shoulder blades, as far as you comfortably can. Place your opposite hand on your raised elbow for support. If it feels good, gently press on your elbow to increase the stretch. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch sides and repeat. Do four on each side, hold for 15-second holds per side. Be sure not to let your lower back arch.

Behind-the-Back Stretch

How you do it:  This simple movement is quite effective when done gently and consistently, it helps maintain and improve your shoulder mobility. Sit with your back straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Let both arms hang down at your sides. Keeping your shoulders back and down away from your ears, place the back of one hand on the small of your back. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch sides and repeat. Do four per side.

Spinal Twist Stretch

How you do it: Our spines are meant to move in all directions. This simple twisting pose will improve spinal mobility and release hard to reach muscles in your back. Sit with back straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Place one hand on your opposite knee and the other on the seat behind you. Gently rotate your torso toward your hands. If it feels good, you can gently press on your knee to increase the twist. Hold for 15 seconds, taking slow, deep breaths, then switch sides and repeat. Do four times per side.

Figure 4 Stretch

How you do it: This stretch is good for people suffering from sciatica, it targets lower body tightness and subsequent back pain due to long periods of sitting. Sit tall and straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Cross one ankle over your opposite thigh, just above your knee. Gently press the knee of your raised leg down toward the floor, allowing your torso to lean forward slightly as you do. Hold pose for 15 seconds, then switch sides and repeat. Do four per side.

 Shin Stretch

How you do it:  If your shins are tight this simple movement can relieve the tension and ease shin splits and improve ankle mobility. Sit, back straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Slide one foot in until it’s in line with your hips — either bringing it underneath the seat of the chair or beside it. Point your toes and place the top of your foot on the floor. If it feels good, gently apply pressure to the top of your foot to increase the stretch. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch sides and repeat. Do four on each side.

If you think you would like to try a stretching program go to YouTube and check out the myriad of stretching programs that you can visualize and get your technique perfected. Thank you, Silver Sneakers for this series of suggested exercises. Happy stretching!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transplant Patients Get New Hope

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New Hope For Transplant Patients

In a history making surgery and an amazing 61 days a pig kidney works normally inside a donated cadaver, raising hope for animal to human transplants

Pig Kidney Offers Hope For Dying Patients

A brain dead patient receives a pig’s kidney 

By D. S. Mitchell 

 

OHSU Transplant

As a young RN I worked at University Hospital, in Portland, Oregon. My first assignment was on the Transplant floor. Although it was many years ago, now, it was a great experience, helping those who would die without a donated organ. At that time we did kidney, liver, pancreas, and hearts. It is an amazing program extending life for 1,000’s of patients over the years. One of the hardest things for patient is the seemingly interminable wait if they don’t have a genetic match with a potential family donor. At least a 100,000  people are on the national waiting list, the majority need a kidney, and sadly thousands will die waiting for a donor.

New Hope On The Way

A history making experiment has been underway for the last two months in a New York hospital that offers promise to those waiting for a kidney donation. Xenotransplantation has for decades been nothing more than a dream. The problem is the human immune system, which immediately goes to work to kill the foreign animal tissue. With a new approach scientists are working with genetically modified pigs, so the pigs organs are more humanlike. Some research teams insist on pigs that have up to 10 genetic changes.  The transplant team led by Dr. Robert Montgomery, a heart transplant recipient himself, used in this study, is a pig kidney with only one genetic modification. Importantly, the single gene modification is the removal of a gene that triggers an immediate immune attack.

Maurice “Mo” Miller 

The human recipient, Maurice “Mo” Miller, had collapsed and was declared brain-dead, his family was unable to donate his organs because of cancer. His sister after much consideration chose to donate the the man’s body to the pig experiment. Dr. Montgomery gambled that he could keep Miller’s body on a ventilator for two months to test the transplanted pig kidney. On July 14, 2023, surgeons replaced Miller’s two kidneys with one pig kidney and the pig’s thymus. The thymus is a gland that “trains” immune cells. Two months later at the termination of the experiment, Miller was taken off the ventilator and prepared for cremation. The kidney was still performing perfectly.

The Future

The information gained from this study will be provided to the FDA in the hopes that xenotransplantation may soon be attempted on living humans. Experiments on the dead cannot be predictors of organ transplant success with living subjects. I see years of testing, but this amazing case gives us all hope that someday we will be able to transplant modified animal organs into living humans, saving lives, that would have ended too soon.

 

Prep And Roll; Artificial Turf Coming Soon

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Prep And Roll;

Artificial Turf Coming To A Home Near You

Artificial turf creates a beautiful, natural, low maintenance solution to backyard weeds, watering, and mowing

Prep And Roll

From The Sports Stadium To The Neighborhood 

By D.S. Mitchell

Morning Walks

I usually go for a morning walk. The route rarely changes, so I am particularly aware of homeowner activities in the neighborhood. Recently, I have noticed a lot of changes at a particular address. First, it was a beautiful new concrete ’tile’ roof, then a lovely grey paint job with sparkling white trim, and all new rock walkways. Ahh, all the choices have been just perfect. Last Wednesday, there was a bobcat in the front yard. I could see something serious was about to happen. On Thursday, when I walked by the house, all the sod and weeds had been scraped off; scalping the topsoil down about 4 inches and a sub-base of gravel had been placed and compacted nicely.

Friday Morning

Friday morning, to my surprise, I saw the contractor had laid out rolls of artificial grass on top of the gravel base, like you would carpet, stretching and snugging the pieces together, securing each piece with small yellow spikes. My brain lit up; oh, wow, my neighbor had decided to stop mowing and watering the lawn and was going to join the millions of Americans who are choosing a simpler and more environmentally friendly landscape solution. Saturday morning the new front yard was installed and looking amazing.

Positives For The Homeowner

I’ve been thinking about switching to artificial turf for at least the last year and have done a bit of research on the topic.  I’m pretty much convinced it is a good investment and appropriate for an older single female. I’d love not to be dealing with the damn lawnmower every weekend, spring, summer, and fall.  I’ve spoken to several contractors and I’ve learned that the artificial grass dries quickly after it rains, making it particularly user-friendly. It’s attractive even in problem areas, those shaded pathways, under large trees, and children’s outdoor play areas. The artificial turf saves water, cuts down on dust, weeds, and bugs. And it’s beauty encourages an outdoor lifestyle.

I’ve Also Learned

I had no idea that artificial grass was available in a variety of pile heights and color tones. Here’s notes from my conversations with the experts. First, choose a manufacturer with UV protection and a multi-year warranty. The last thing you want is to pull up a lawn you laid only a year ago. Next, I was told to see what varieties of natural grass my neighbors favored for their lawns. I was told darker-shades of fescue are common in northern yards. In the south, a lighter Bermuda grass is a better choice. Manufacturers also advise their customers to think about what they like aesthetically. For a fresh cut look, try a shorter grass with a firm feel. If you want a rich, luxurious look, a longer, softer, and lower-density grass will provide that.

More Things To Think About

Will your grass see heavy use, moderate use, or little to no use? Are there pets and kids? What about a swimming pool? If the grass will see heavy traffic you will need a denser product to ensure longevity. An 80 ounce product is a good choice for high traffic areas. If traffic is moderate a 62 ounce product will do the job while a 46 ounce product is the most economical for low traffic areas. There are even pet friendly grasses with short dense blades, making turds easy to clean up. If pets are a consideration choose a turf with a “fully permeable backing” which allows urine and other fluids to drain properly. A product with a permeable backing is also recommended for areas around pools and other spaces that water habitually splashes.

Easy Care, Doesn’t Mean No Care

Artificial grass is easy care, but, like with everything, there are some simple steps you can take to keep your new lawn beautiful for years to come. A leaf blower will become a good friend as it is important to remove fallen leaves or branches as soon as possible, before they become ground into the fabric. It is a good idea to rinse the turf regularly with a garden hose to clean off dust, pollen, and debris. Soda and other spills should be cleaned up promptly using a towel to blot the spot and rinsing with a mixture of soap and water. Let solid pet waste dry before picking it up, then rinse the area with water. Pet urine will drain out but it is suggested that such areas should be rinsed off with water. Brushing the grass against the grain in high traffic areas every couple weeks is promised to keep your artificial ground cover beautiful for years to come.

How About Weeds?

Sometimes, when the conditions are just right your artificial turf may nurture moss and weeds. Birds and wind deliver seeds and other plant matter and as such things go, rain and sun cause germination.  If you begin to see unwanted weeds pull the little buggers out by hand or eliminate them with a vinegar and water mix.

 

 

Kamala Harris, An American Story

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Kamala Harris, An American Story

Kamala Harris, fulfillment of the American dream. Vote Blue 2024 Biden/Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris: An American Story

 

By D. S. Mitchell

Preparing For The Challenge

Kamala Harris is a leader. You see it in her demeanor, in her confidence. Her story, her views, and how her education and work have prepared her for the challenges of her job as the first female vice president of the United States should be explored and written about. An attorney,  a fierce prosecutor, California Attorney General, senator, social leader, best selling author, and Vice President of the United States; all by the age of 58.

Early Examples

Harris grew up watching her parents forge ahead into unknown territory, and—by her own admission—her yearning for something meaningful started at a young age. Harris’s mother Gopalan immigrated from Chennai, India, to study at the University of  California-Berkeley for her doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology. She met and fell in love with Donald Harris, a Jamaican-born economics major earning his Ph.D. Rather than returning home to marry someone of her family’s choosing, Gopalan stayed in the United States. Together Harris and Gopalan had two daughters. They raised their daughters immersed in their two combined cultures in a new land and instilled in them respect for activism and academia.

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GOP Eagerly Embraces Trump

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EDITORIAL:

The GOP Embraces Trump

Trump is a criminal. He is dangerous man. Stop him.

EDITORIAL:

Corruption, Bigotry, and Intolerance 

The last thing America needs is another four years of Trump in the White House tweeting crazy ass nonsense 24 hours a day, indicting his enemies, attacking the media, and defaming private citizens from a seat in the Oval Office. Come on America, we are definitely better than this guy.

By D. S. Mitchell

 

The Last Thing America Needs

Donald J. Trump, the last thing America needs in public office, has seen his poll numbers skyrocket among Republicans, as his criminal indictments mount. Trump, the forever grifter, is making millions selling his mugshot on T-shirts. The Grand Old Party of Lincoln has collapsed. What we now have in its place is total acceptance of the unacceptable.  Gun packing white supremacists, torch carrying Neo-Nazi’s, vitriolic officials denying the obvious truth, Joe Biden won the election. When Republican politicians like Liz Cheney, and Mitt Romney can’t talk sense to these crazies, and instead leave the party to become unaffiliated voices; it just proves that today’s Republican Party is not the party of your father-or your grandfather; and certainly not Lincoln.

Against The Trump Plan 

When all the votes for the 2020 presidential election were counted, Joe Biden’s ballot tally totaled 81,283,098 votes, or 51.3% of the vote. Donald Trump only garnered 74,222,958 or 46.8% of the vote. Miscellaneous other candidates captured a meager 1.8% of the vote. In other words, Joe Biden, kicked Trump’s butt, besting the Mango Mussolini by over 7 million plus votes. Go Brandon!

In MAGA World, The Biggest Flag Wins

But, those numbers were obviously out of sync with Trump’s election plan. Trump demanded recount after recount, all the while inflaming his supporters, convincing them, falsely, that he was the victim of voter fraud, mostly in the black and brown big cities of the country.  Votes were counted and recounted and lawsuit after lawsuit brought by Trump challenging the election were dismissed. Everyone from the bloated and lawless Bill Barr to Cybersecurity Director Chris Krebs called Trump’s claims of voter fraud, “bullshit.” But, three years later, I still see signs proclaiming, “Trump Won!” usually accompanied by an oversized American flag.

On A Personal Note

I admit it, I’m angry. The MAGA election deniers have highjacked the American flag, as if it is their private property. Pre-MAGA I would fly the flag in front of my house every President’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day (my son’s birthday), the 4th of July, and Labor Day, I no longer display the flag on the above noted holidays, but instead I now keep my treasured flag in a drawer. The last thing I want is for anyone, at anytime, to assume I’m a Trumpie. I am furious that these MAGA lug nuts have so brazenly, as if they are the patriots, stolen the stars and stripes as decor for their civil disobedience. I am convinced these fake patriots are an existential threat to our democracy. It isn’t a far stretch to imagine Trump using armed militias to implement Bashar al-Assad tactics to hold on to power if he is ever returned to the White House.

As It Plays Out

Because of Trump’s lies, our country has grown even more painfully divided. Instead of the bloated orange fruit fly conceding the election, to Joe Biden, like every other loser before him has, Trump chose to create chaos, dissent, and mob violence. Authoritarians do that sort of thing, call the validity of elections into question. If Trump becomes the Republican nominee in 2024 I am sure we will see more armed election observers,  more lawsuits, more threats of violence, more white supremacist saber rattling, and more talk of Trump as a lifetime president.

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The Trump Crime Family Under Scrutiny

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OPINION:

The Trump Crime Family Under Scrutiny

91 indictments should be enough to stop Trump's re-election, but so far the leader of the Trump Crime Family seems to feel political push back

OPINION:

The Scandal of the Trump Crime Family

The X-Prez has been the head of a crime family operating in full view and in defiance of law enforcement for decades. Time for the Trump Crime Family to be brought to justice. Let’s start with a Senate Investigative Committee; then we can have dueling congressional hearings. Way past time to ask tough questions about Ivanka’s patent hanky-panky in China, the Trump DC hotel, and Saudi Arabia’s billions warming Jared Kushner’s wallet.

 

By D.S. Mitchell

News Alert

Attention! For those in the country that haven’t gotten the news: Trump was voted out of office. Joe Biden kicked his fat, orange, ass. Trump lost by nearly 8 million votes. Period. Dot.

Disqualified

If Trump is allowed to appear on the ballot and potentially gain a second presidential term it will encourage him and others to continue their attack on our democracy, most likely ending the American experiment. Trump has declared repeatedly he will suspend the U. S. Constitution, he has also suggested women should face criminal charges for obtaining an abortion, and his threats to jail his “enemies” is chilling. The unhinged threats of the head of the Trump Crime Family cannot be ignored. The weaponization of the IRS and the DOJ will allow Trump to destroy the lives of anyone he choses. That’s ‘effin scary. Think about what Trump has said about judges, prosecutors, war heroes, and average citizens; seriously endangering the lives of those he targets. WTF? Since when is it okay for a man with the presidential bully pulpit to attack election workers? It’s clear. Trump’s concept of the presidency is similar to the North Korea model.

91 Felony Charges, to date

Holy shit. Trump is the first president of the United States, in 234 years, to be criminally indicted. 34 felony counts in New York, over allegations that he falsified business records to conceal hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, a porn star. 40 felony counts in Florida for hoarding classified documents and obstructing government efforts to collect them. 4 felony counts in D.C. related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In Georgia, the Fulton County DA has indicted Trump on 13 counts of election interference in that state. These are criminal charges, Trump is also facing multiple civil lawsuits. My goodness, folks, Trump is a walking crime wave. He is totally unfit for office and a group of people are trying to keep this lawless king pin off the ballot.

Groups in Multiple States

Groups in multiple states, both Republican and Democrat, are making efforts to block the twice impeached former president from running for office ever again. The basis of the strategy is to use Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to prevent Trump from running for office. The 14th Amendment is post civil war legislation intended to deal with insurrectionists in the aftermath of the Civil War. Insurrectionists and anyone who had given aid and comfort to insurgents were legally barred from running for office.   How fitting for this Twenty-First century insurrectionist.

Conclusion

Stopping Trump should be the major job  of every democracy loving American. We don’t need an indicted criminal running 0ur government for his personal and family profit. No to Trump. No to MAGA. Save Democracy, vote blue, vote Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 2024.