Network News Headlines spread Trump trash talk, again!!!

Sometimes a headline is all some people read.

Believer it or not, an entertainment magazine ended up writing the more accurate headline:

Why has Wisconsin Media Covered up for Scott Walker?

Below is an excerpt from Jake’s TA Economic Funhouse about flip flopper Scott Walker. It should be read by everyone, including conservatives, in its entirety. But...

...having said that, what I’ve re-posted here is something that Wisconsinites and the media of this state should take a closer look at: Why do news media sources around the country and world see a much different Scott Walker than our own statewide media has for years? Outside coverage has painted an ugly picture of a career politician that one Iowa Republican voter nailed down by saying, "He's been on all three sides of every two-sided issue.” 

It's not like the national media has been stellar uncovering phonies like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. But Scott Walker's jaw-dropping obfuscating non-answers were even more intolerable than the media was used to, and that in turn prompted the avalanche of well deserved criticism.  

Jake points to a dramatic media problem here in Wisconsin that has lead to the state being dangerously divided:

“But in addition to the excellent schadenfreude you may feel at Walker being made into a punchline, you may also have gotten disgusted as you read those articles, and with good reason. The shallowness, racist dog-whistles, flip-flopping, spinning, excuse-making, and lack of connection to reality has been apparent with Walker for years. So why did the Wisconsin media cover up for him, and refuse to call him out on it, allowing this doofus to embarrass the state again and again on the national stage? Was it really worth all of that campaign money and company-paid trips out-of-state to sell your integrity out and allow the state to be run into the ground?

… And there still needs to be actions taken against AM hate radio stations … You covered up, deflected and spread countless hours of propaganda for this bum, and violated the public’s trust for throwing away any shred of objectivity and decency you may have had. We are still long overdue for the “balance in media” rallies that need to happen in this state.

Because not only has Scott Walker been exposed as a foolish fraud on the campaign trail, so has most of the Wisconsin media. And while Scotty seems to be finally getting some accountability for his pathetic act, shouldn’t Wisconsin’s corporate media also pay a price for what they’ve done, and are still trying to do, in promoting this disgusting fraud?

I thought Christian Schneider's totally clueless opinion proved Jake's point. Republicans in Wisconsin only know the fake, media created governor:

Sorry, we're now seeing the real Scott Walker.

I supported Planned Parenthood and all I got was this great T-Shirt.

Okay, I will probably get one or two of the t-shirts, to wear depending on my mood.

The Superhero Cup Head Kids!!!

Amazing what one dad could do with his collectors coffee cups:

Tribute to Nimoy's Spock....

Liked this story a lot:

On Saturday, American astronaut Terry Virts tweeted this photo while aboard the International Space Station: The simple Vulcan salute, flashed back at earth from so many miles away, speaks to the impact that Nimoy and “Star Trek” had on American space exploration.

“Leonard Nimoy was an inspiration to multiple generations of engineers, scientists, astronauts, and other space explorers,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. “As Mr. Spock, he made science and technology important to the story, while never failing to show, by example, that it is the people around us who matter most. NASA was fortunate to have him as a friend and a colleague.”

Democurmudgeon will return after this special report...

Loved this from an old Letterman show...

No Fan of Apple iPhones? You'll love this...

My high schooler is just going to love watching the video below over and over. He hates Apple so much, and for all the right reasons; its bland proprietary features and obnoxious rabid fan base pictured below.

The crowd reaction is mind numbing. What is wrong with these people?

'It's all good,' he tells an onlooking crowd.

Check out this tech writers look at the latest crop of Apples. You'll laugh, you'll cry:

The Guardian-Charlie Brooker: Apple’s software updates are like changing the water in a fish tank. I’d rather let the fish die.

First they were implicated in the stolen celebrity nude photo disaster. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the iPhone is generally marketed as a diabolical timewasting device with the potential to wreak a grotesque and devastating invasion of your personal privacy. They tend to focus more on all the cool colours it comes in.

Then they launched the horrible-looking Apple Watch, which does everything an iPhone can do, but more expensively and pointlessly, and on a slightly different part of your body. Only an unhealthily devoted Apple fanatic could bear to wear a Apple Watch, and even that poor notional idiot would have to keep putting their iPhone down in order to operate the damn thing.

 It’s not a watch. It’s a gaudy wristband aimed at raising awareness of Chinese factory conditions. Or a handy visual tag that helps con artists instantly identify gullible rich idiots in a crowd.

Apple also unveiled the all-new bigger iPhone 6. By releasing two differently sized rectangles, which in turn differ from its previous range of differently sized rectangles, Apple has selfishly exhausted the global supply of differently sized rectangles. Wars will be fought to decide which dimension becomes the standard. And when mankind finally settles on a compromise, Apple is going to start on ovals.

But the other new development – the launch of iOS 8 – is impossible for iPhone users to ignore. But if I hold out, gradually nothing will work on my existing phone. They’ll freeze me out by degrees. Cut me out of the club. Plus I’ll miss out on great features such as slightly different icons and a terrifying new form of predictive text that precisely mimics the sensation of talking to an idiot who keeps finishing your sentences for you. 

All you want to do is watch TV and rot in your own filth. Part of the problem is that smartphones are so horribly addictive, as moreish as smoking. The difference between smartphones and cigarettes is this: a cigarette robs 10 minutes from your lifespan, but at least has the decency to wait and withdraw all that time in bulk as you near the end of your life – whereas a smartphone steals your time in the present moment, by degrees. Five minutes here. Five minutes there. Then you look up and you’re 85 years old. 

Prosthetic Superhero Hands make Kids feel Special, instead of Different.

A newer generation of prosthetic hands are controlled by simple back and forward wrist movements to open and close the mechanical hand. With the help of cheap 3-D printing plastic material, these devises can now take on superhero qualities, and make a child feel "special, instead of different."

The amazing feel good story of the week. Huffington Post:

Prosthetic hands are great. Prosthetic Wolverine claws are even better -- especially when you're designing and building them for children in need, as Aaron Brown has done. Brown, a 3D printing enthusiast in Grand Rapids, Michigan, volunteers for a global organization called Enabling the Future, which designs and prints prosthetic fingers and hands for people in need.

Brown modified Enable's free prosthetic hand plans, building an edition with Wolverine-inspired "claws" he thought would appeal especially to children. "People’s faces just lit up!" Brown told Enable in an interview. "The kids went crazy over it. And don’t worry ... the claws aren’t sharp! They are rounded plastic and just stick on and off with velcro."

The positive response inspired him to consider designing other superhero-themed prosthetics, he says, potentially transforming children in need into Batman, Iron Man or Captain America.

It wouldn't be the first time a child missing a hand was transformed into a superhero, Nerdist points out. Earlier this month, Hawaii's KHON2 reported the story of “Bubba” Kahae, a 3-year-old boy who received a custom Iron Man prosthetic, printed and sent to him for free by an Enable volunteer.

Here's another report, from CBS News:

Sharknado the Second One and Birdemic get big Audience....

SyFy went over the top with their great followup, Sharknado the Second One. Cameos all over the place and the dumbest dialogue ever. And this time, it's pretty much nonstop.

With Birdemic, the trailer was a hit, and now...the movie is out. From The Soup on E, here's what you would be missing if you decided to take a pass...after watching this:

Magic: Desktops with no wires!

By 2016, we might not have to cluster our scanner or printer somewhere near our desktop anymore. It’s a dream come true:

PC World: Intel wants your next PC to have no wires: Intel wants to eliminate all wires from desktops with WiGig technology, which is three times faster than the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology.

The WiGig wireless connection will connect desktops to displays, and also enable wireless keyboards and mice ... Intel is developing WiGig modules for laptops, desktops and high-resolution displays. WiGig has the potential to replace HDMI and DisplayPort technologies, and wireless modules could be integrated in PCs as early as next year.

Cat Body Tackles Dog attacking little Boy on Bike.

Sure it's a slow news day in the state, and I'm subject to a few distractions...like the following video.

Having been a cat owner (allergic now), I found the cat in the video below amazing, heroic even.  When a neighbors dog attacked a little boy on a bike, the cat body slammed the dog. It even went back to see if the boy was alright. What a cat. Home security cams caught all the action and the boys father edited everything together from multiple angles:



UPDATE: This is getting even better....can you say Toonces?

Cut Scene from "Gravity" changes whole movie...

The wonders of computer technology:

Hard to believe, but Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron ("Children of Men") originally shot an opening scene for Gravity that would have radically changed the film. Too bad the brass at Warner Bros. rejected this version.

The Dark Side of the New Ballots and Optical Scanners! Where were the poll watchers?

I wish I'd seen this brief promotional video from the Dane County Clerks office before I went to the poll today, because there were changes...and a celebrity voter:

Here's Madison's own dark Syth Lord, Chad Vader:

Will Spider-Man be able to defeat the Republican attack on the U.S. Postal Service?

Will Stan Lee get his package on time?

Solidarity Wisconsin Video

Nicely produced part of Wisconsin history...we're continuing to write...

Cap Times: The solidarity singers who gather daily at the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison have a pair of surprise guest musicians joining their chorus — Pussy Riot.

Two members of the notorious Russian female rock group known for their outspoken protests, Nadya Tolokonikova and Masha Alyokhina, make a surprise appearance in a new video extolling Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to drop the state’s prosecution against the singing protesters.

 

Iced Over Great Lakes and the Polar Vortex!!!

A way to remember this winter:

The Polar Vortex

Iced Over Great Lakes

Asteroid Disaster HD TV Ad Campaign.

What a great idea; a candid camera like ad by LG proving how life-like their HD video pictures are.

First, people being interviewed for a job believe they're looking out of a window witnessing the end of the earth. Second, a men's room urinal wall is fixed up with video screens that distract guys from try to do their business.

Executive Order Debate? Has Cable News Gone Mad? And what about Bush's mind boggling "Unitary Executive" idea?

If you ask any Republican if they remember the Bush/Cheney argument for the "unitary executive," where Bush would have had ultimate power over everything...they don't remember. I remember it well, and so did Barney Frank in this rare public mention. From Al Sharpton yesterday:



Another phony issue, another major distraction; despite the history of Republican presidential executive orders that should have stopped this media driven debate cold, the conservative low information voter welcomes just one more thing to bash our socialist, undocumented first black Kenyan born president. Of course it has nothing to do with racism or their inability to tolerate another biracial Cheerio's ads.

BloombergNews: In the aftermath of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, there is a lot of confusion about the phrase “executive actions.” “Executive orders,” issued by the president personally, often involve large-scale, government-wide matters.

Executive orders are nothing new. In his first five years, Obama issued 167 executive orders -- a lower rate than George W. Bush (291 over eight years), Bill Clinton (364 over eight years), George H.W. Bush (166 over four years), Ronald Reagan (381 over eight years), or for that matter Dwight Eisenhower (486 over eight years). 

In the general category of “executive action,” much of the most important work comes from “regulations,” which typically have the force of law.

Before they are finalized, significant regulations are subject to careful scrutiny within the executive branch, and also to a process of public comment. They must also comport with the law. For this reason, it is misleading -- a kind of rhetorical trick -- to suggest that they are “bypassing Congress.” On the contrary, Congress has previously authorized them through legislation. Most of them are not subject to serious legal challenge.

Ice Fishing Setback: Drone attack on thirst blocked by FAA.

The question I have about the viability of delivering beer through drone filled skies; how do you know your precise co-ordinates, and what about mid-air collisions? 

Like a half conscious mouth drooling alcohol induced fantasy, this video may disappoint ice fishing enthusiasts everywhere....

FoxNews: The Federal Aviation Administration has put the brakes on a brewery's plan to deliver cases of beer to ice fishers on lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Wisconsin-based Lakemaid Beers recently adopted its own version of a delivery drone … the Lakemaid Beer Drone, has been tested on several frozen lakes. The company recently posted a video on YouTube that shows a shop keeper getting a call for a delivery, writing down co-ordinates and strapping a case of beer to a drone. The drone then delivers the beer to ice-fishermen on a nearby lake.

Lakemaid Beer Company’s president, Jack Supple, told the Star Tribune the Lakemaid Beer Drone is grounded for now. 

Thank Republicans for Internet Toll Roads!!!

It’s important to establish right away who will be at fault for skyrocketing internet bills: the Republicans.

What’s the point of GOP cut taxes when those cuts are gobbled up by higher cable bills? You can thank Republican inaction on net neutrality and their irrational hatred for the FCC! Hey, you gotta love the “free market,” right?

Could it be Americans really aren't fed up with skyrocketing cable bills after all?

PC Mag: The easiest route would be for Congress to pass a law addressing this issue. But since it is split down party lines, and this Congress is not exactly known for getting a whole lot done, that also seems rather unlikely. Republicans dislike the FCC rules, while Democrats are in favor of them.

Has anyone seen a shortage of online innovation, or a stifling of entrepreneurial freedom with our current internet business model? Of course not, but that’s not stopping Republicans from fabricating a list of excuses written by corporate interests:

The GOP argues that net neutrality rules will stifle competition, with broadband providers hesitant to try out new technologies lest they run afoul of the FCC's rules. The market will regulate bad behavior, as ISPs won't do anything to drive customers away, the argument goes.

We saw how that exact business model worked on Wall Street just before the Great Recession. Republicans said banks would never risk hurting their costumer’s with risky schemes. This is the basic argument for the free market. So, how’d that work out?

Democrats want to Save Americans Money, Keep the Entrepreneurial Spirit Alive: Democrats, however, say that the rules simply provide recourse to consumers who believe their ISPs are treating their customers unfairly.

Cable providers could slow down smaller business access, and speed up big business interests. Providers could limit or slow down Netflix, or charge you more for access to the service. So who’s costing you more money? Is paying a toll on the internet your idea of freedom?

So higher internet bills are on the way. Who will you blame for your higher cable bills that may have priced you out of the marketplace?