I'm getting a little bothered by people who keep insisting that Hillary "didn't reach out to them." Be honest. You were NEVER going to vote for her. She reached out by adopting Bernie's platform issues (he admitted this during the convention). She reached out by reversing herself on TPP (which she took no shortage of shit for in the debates). She reached out by being a sane, rational actor in the race. Bernie reached out by cautioning you ad nauseum about the dangers of a Tru mp presidency. Folks complained about fear tactics. They were reality tactics. One person was offering unity. The other was preaching divisiveness and fanning the flames of racist identity politics, climate change denial, fossil fuel praise, slashing government spending, deporting undocumented immigrants, and building a wall. We live in a two-party system. Protest votes didn't change that in 92. They didn't change it in 2000. They didn't change it in 2016. Stop talki...

Bright points: Joe Arpaio was finally defeated. Prop 64 will have an outsize impact on marijuana "offenders", while legalized weed in Nevada, Massachusetts, and medical use in Florida, North Dakota, and Arkansas expand the map on common sense reform. Fingers crossed that Obama pushes the FDA to move the drug from Schedule 1 in the twilight of his administration. Lower points: Where's the Democratic bench for POTUS? Clinton is done, so who will face off against Trump in 2020?  We have nothing to lose in the Senate, but I'm not sure Warren can get it done (even with Sanders). Trump will select Scalia's replacement... And probably Ginsburg... and Kennedy... and maybe Thomas (if he's looking to bounce). Public option is done for a decade at least. ACA is probably toast. Good luck on holding your insurance if you've had to use it. Glimmers of hope: There will be no wall. That will be the biggest promise Trump will break. There's a slim chance ...

Yes. Clinton can lose. Yes. Trump can win. Here's what you can do... 1. Go ahead and vote. I usually like to wait until Election Day, AND I'm in California, so we're going for Hillary anyway, but if you can vote in advance... go ahead and do it. 2. Stop wringing your hands and start ringing some phones. Call banks can use you for Get Out the Vote efforts. Turn out is CRITICAL this year... especially in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Florida...  Your call can make the difference in getting our voters to the polls. 3. MAKE NO MISTAKE, Trump is COUNTING on Black people to stay at home. He doesn't want (or expect) YOUR vote. He wants you to NOT vote against him. Side note: The KKK has OFFICIALLY ENDORSED Donald Trump. They didn't do that because they believe he's actually interested in helping People of Color. Don't let a cult of personality tell you that your vote doesn't count. If the country explodes, Black people ...

So I finally paid to watch BOAN. I can now offer my commentary without being a hypocrite. Full disclosure... After watching the movie, I reread the ACTUAL "Confessions of Nat Turner" (not the Styron novel) to make sure I wasn't trippin'. Before you comment on anything I have to say, please confirm that you have done the same. This movie was over-hyped. It was a ambitious effort at telling an overlooked story. It did have some compelling moments. However, the idea that this is an important film because it tells the ACCURATE story of Turner's revolt is diminished by the innumerable instances of artistic license and outright misrepresentation of facts. A "Based on a true story" title card doesn't mean you get to play Law & Order SVU with the historical record to the extent that you actually twist Turner into something he wasn't. To be clear, there is precious little in the historical record of Turner's life. Consequently, one might argu...

About that Melania "interview" with Anderson Cooper. I know the Trump campaign has positioned her as a polyglot, but the only language that matters in 'Murica is ANGLISH! And her Anglish is what we might gently call "flicted." Side note: Being able to thank a server in four languages doesn't count as fluency. Side note, part deux: In 'Murican Anglish, one does not "hear a lot of STUFFS." Side note, parte tres: Gerontologically speaking, a 59-year old man does not engage in "boy's talk." Side note, tiel vier: Sumner Redstone remarried at 79... Time to pull out that prenup?

You want to build a legit third party for 2020? Convince Bernie Sanders to officially declare as a Reform Party candidate and build a state by state coalition of Bernie Sanders-affiliated candidates in State and local races. The Greens are done. The Reform Party actually placed Jesse Ventura in the Minnesota Governor's mansion AND earned the most third party votes since McGovern. There is NO 2024 bench for the Dems. The GOP is struggling too. If you want to break the duopoly,  you'll need a legit 3rd-partier with media presence, charisma, and real political talent. That can't happen overnight, but the unrest in the country is real. You can't beat the system this year, but if you can find the money, you can get candidates into the game. You need someone like Colin Powell to be a standard bearer. Not for POTUS. He'll be too old after this cycle. OTOH, he's got the chops, he's got the respect and combined with Sanders, you could create a home for people...

It's early. Very early. On Friday, tapes came to light in which the Republican nominee for President of the United States, Donald Trump, describes a penchant for SERIAL SEXUAL ASSAULT. To be unequivocal: Grabbing women's genitals is assault. Forcing kisses on women because one can't "control" oneself isn't boyhood precociousness, it's assault. Insisting that one's celebrity is a de facto blanket consent to sexual assault is the mark of a predator. After an earlier de rigeur Trump non-apology, the candidate issued a campaign-mandated, teleprompter-scripted mea culpa during which his barely contained rage could literally be seen swirling beneath his blotchy complexion. Mental health professionals have likely been busy glancing over copies of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. This is not ONLY an egomaniacal narcissist. This is not ONLY a pathological liar. This is not ONLY a fraud, and a con man. This is not ONLY a person with a delusional s...

At the airport, waiting for my flight. It's been a fulfilling (albeit exhausting) experience. Loved spending time with Mom, Dad, Curt and Toni. Can't believe all the amazing art, architecture, culture, and spiritual energy during the trip. Looking forward to coming back with Kathy and the kids one day. Rome is truly the eternal city. We stayed in a hotel that once housed Michelangelo himself as he created the masterful Sistine Chapel. I'm convinced he slept in our suite, but  don't quote me on that. If you haven't been, the treasures here are OVERWHELMING. The Vatican Museum is a labyrinth of priceless art, cultural preservation and awe-inspiring wonders... and it all leads to the Sistine Chapel (which amusingly advises silence by bellowing commands over a loud speaker). They also prohibit pictures... which is why I only took 40 or so. Hint: No flash and silent shutter are your friends. All the piazzas... all the churches... all the history... all the gelato...

You know that a lot of these hashtag haters tossing the n-word in the direction of good brother Kaepernick for his silent protest of the national anthem and flag ALSO fly the CONFEDERATE FLAG in their homes, trucks, on belt buckles and tee shirts... completely unironically. This is the same flag of folks that seceded from the Union, attempting to shatter the country they claim to hold so dear. He took this stand FULLY AWARE of the possible repercussions. He has announced that  he's NOT BACKING DOWN. He has expanded the dialogue about what it means to be a person of color (especially a high profile person of color) in this country. Some of these vile racists are pretending that Colin was just handed a big check for being Black. NOPE. He busted his ass, proved his skill, and was rewarded by the market for it. I'm not a football fan like that (except for my beloved Rattlers). The 49ers wouldn't be my team even if I were... But that XXL Kaepernick jersey just got ordered ...