Across The Universe, Cont. -- A Star-Forming Galaxy

(click on image to enlarge)



From NASA/ ESA, May 17, 2018:  This image shows the galaxy NGC 6744, about 30 million light-years away. It is one of 50 galaxies observed as part of the Hubble Space Telescope’s Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS), the sharpest, most comprehensive ultraviolet-light survey of star-forming galaxies in the nearby Universe, offering an extensive resource for understanding the complexities of star formation and galaxy evolution.

The image is a composite using both ultraviolet light and visible light, gathered with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys.

Credit:  NASA, ESA, and the LEGUS team

Trump Wants DOJ To Undermine Mueller Investigation [UPDATED]

A clearly unhinged and raging Donald "Rump" Trump, displaying increasing signs of "consciousness of guilt," issued a "demand" to the Justice Department this afternoon to "investigate" whether his corrupt campaign was "infiltrated" by the DOJ/FBI, i.e. investigate the investigation:

I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2018

This is beyond Nixonian, who was devious enough to get others to do his dirty work. This is banana republic territory. What apparently set him off was the story in the New York Times that linked his con-man son, Donald Jr., to meetings with the Saudis and Emirates, who offered to "help" his campaign.

The counterintelligence investigation that began during the 2016 campaign is getting closer to Rump himself. He's reached a level of desperation to stop it at all costs, including this latest attempt at obstruction of justice.

UPDATE: DOJ has asked its Inspector General to add this matter to their ongoing investigation regarding FISA warrants aimed at Rump campaign associates.

Will Blankenship Be A Spoiler? Let's Hope So (UPDATED)

Admittedly, we had some mixed feelings when convicted felon and bigot Don "Big Shit" Blankenship lost the West Virginia Rethuglican nomination for Senate a couple of weeks ago. On the one hand, he likely would have been the weakest Rethuglican to face endangered incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin. On the other hand, it's always good to see a transparent demagogue get crushed.

Now, we're cheering on reports that an angry Blankenship is prepared to undermine the Rethuglican nominee, Patrick Morrissey, whom Blankenship describes as a "corrupt carpetbagger." A New Jersey native, Morrissey is a former lobbyist for pharmaceutical companies < cough opioids cough > who moved to West Virginia in 2006.

As someone who has deep pockets, Big Shit may decide to run ads in the state opposing Morrissey. Though he can't run as a third party candidate due to the State's "sore loser" law*, if he could manage to persuade the 27,000 voters that cast their ballots for him to stay home or write in his name, that may be enough to swing the election to Manchin in a blue wave year. It's much too early to forecast that, but Big Shit has his sights set on the Rethugs that brought him down in the primary. That's something we can get behind.

*UPDATE:  Looks like Big Shit IS going to run a third party campaign and dare the courts to stop him.
Yesss!

(photo: Bad taste in your mouth? It's you.)

Today's Cartoons

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(Jim Morin, Miami Herald)


(Tom Toles, Washington Post)


(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)


(Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Arab Princes Offered "Help" To Trump

The corrupt links between the Trump crime family and foreign governments extends beyond Russia and China. In recent weeks, we've learned about pay-to-play schemes involving financial leverage exerted by slippery Jared "Mr. Ivanka Trump" Kushner over the rulers of Qatar, who offered, then reneged, on loans to Kushner's real estate company, a decision that the Qataris apparently reversed again. 

Now, the New York Times reports that Saudi and United Arab Emirates royal family members approached greasy con-man-in-training Donald Trump, Jr. with offers to "help" his father's election bid three months before the 2016 election:

"The meeting was convened primarily to offer help to the Trump team, and it forged relationships between the men and Trump insiders that would develop over the coming months — past the election and well into President Trump’s first year in office, according to several people with knowledge of their encounters.

Erik Prince, the private security contractor and the former head of Blackwater, arranged the meeting, which took place on Aug. 3, 2016. The emissary, George Nader, told Donald Trump Jr. that the princes who led Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were eager to help his father win election as president. The social media specialist, Joel Zamel, extolled his company’s ability to give an edge to a political campaign; by that time, the firm had already drawn up a multimillion-dollar proposal for a social media manipulation effort to help elect Mr. Trump. [snip]  

The meetings, which have not been reported previously, are the first indication that countries other than Russia may have offered assistance to the Trump campaign in the months before the presidential election." (emphasis added)

Far-right mercenary mogul and Trump cultist Prince (who is also execrable "Education" Secretary Betsy DeVos' brother) has also been connected with back-channel dealings with Russian officials, using Arab intermediaries and a Seychelles location.

While Russia was busy hacking our elections and providing other support to their agent Donald "Rump" Trump, other shady deals were being worked by Arab potentates. Bribery is endemic in the Middle East, between businesses and government officials at all levels. They apparently found a willing recipient of their corruption in Rump's crime family. Follow the money.

BONUS: Given this reporting, Prince may have perjured himself in testimony to Congress. Surprised?

Thank You, Dumbald -- Melanie

First Lady Ivanka Trump and White House doormat Melania Trump arrived home from the hospital after five days recuperating from surgery to resolve a kidney issue. She was welcomed home by her philandering and ignorant husband, who managed to misspell her name in his tweet, which he subsequently corrected:

He largely ignored her while she was at Walter Reed hospital, which she was undoubtedly thankful for. Also, her stay was unusually long for the type of procedure she had. A little R & R from the orange shitgibbon?

Today's Cartoons

(click on images to enlarge)


(Jack Ohman, Sacramento Bee)


(Darrin Bell, Washington Post Writers Group)


(Matt Wuerker, Politico)


(Stuart Carlson, via gocomics.com)


(Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News)

Mueller Closing In On Degenerate Stone

We know that nothing related to the Mueller investigation has rattled unindicted co-conspirator and Russian supporter Donald "Rump" Trump more than the FBI's search and seizure of documents, telephone and electronic records from his fixer and thug Michael Cohen last month. But that may be about to change. Reports indicate that long-time dirty trickster and Rump confidant Roger Stone, for decades one of the most evil and scurrilous figures in Rethuglican politics, is a major focus of the Special Counsel. A second assistant to Stone, John Kakanis, has been subpoenaed by Mueller's team ostensibly to gain information about Stone's ties to Russian cutout organization WikiLeaks and its founder, the despicable fugitive Julian Assange. From the Reuters report:

"The subpoena handed to Kakanis is the latest development suggesting that Stone, an early Trump backer whose reputation as an aggressive political operative dates back to the Watergate scandal of the 1970s, is being looked at by Mueller. [snip]

Some of Stone’s comments during the elections have prompted questions from investigators in Congress, and others, about whether he had advance knowledge of the Democratic Party material allegedly hacked by Russian intelligence and sent to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who published it." (emphasis added)

Stone is on tape during the run up to the 2016 election as predicting damaging information on Hillary Clinton would be released by Assange's group, which was released shortly thereafter. The link goes directly from Russia's military intelligence arm GRU which hacked the DNC, to WikiLeaks/Assange which received the hacked e-mails, to Stone and the Rump campaign conspiring with them. It's more than smoke, it's fire.

There would be nothing more satisfying, save the removal of the Rump crime family from the White (Supremacist) House, than Stone's indictment and conviction on conspiracy and other charges. He's a cancer on not only politics, but on the things this nation is supposed to stand for.

(photo: A picture's worth a thousand words; swingers Stone and wife.)

Crowds And Love

Our British friends at BBC Three couldn't resist having some fun at the expense of malignant narcissist Donald "Rump" Trump. Well played.

just saying ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/1zoOGFKeU3

— BBC Three (@bbcthree) May 19, 2018

The royal wedding itself was an unusually successful mix of contemporary and traditional, of informality and formality, of British and American cultures. American Episcopalian Bishop Michael Curry delivered an address that spoke of redemptive love with a passion that stood out in the ceremony. The crowds were joyous and loud. Memorable morning even for us cynics.

"Too Cowardly To Do The Right Thing"

Jimmy Kimmel delivers a passionate rebuke to malignant moron Donald "Rump" Trump, the gun humpers and coin- operated Republican politicians for the latest school massacre in Santa Fe, Texas, yesterday.

German Poll: Russia, China More Reliable Than U.S.

Thanks, Trump!

New poll from Germany: 14% of Germans consider the United States to be a reliable partner. In comparison, 36% of Germans think Russia is a reliable partner. Tough to overstate how bad this is. pic.twitter.com/zvZpz4CI4d

— Marcel Dirsus (@marceldirsus) May 18, 2018

We bet you'd see not dissimilar results in Great Britain, France, etc.

Angry Nut Shoots Two Over Kids' Noise

After today's shooting at a Texas high school, it's worth noting that events on a smaller scale like this happen with sickening frequency. For example, an Oregon man is facing attempted murder charges after he became enraged at noisy kids in the apartment above him, shooting and wounding two men with his AK-47 assault-style rifle. The men are expected to survive. The shooter, 59 year-old nut Franklin Tomes, fired roughly 12 rounds from his rifle, wounding the two men in their leg, foot and shoulder:

"Tomes was angry about the noise Gaeta's kids were making, and after an argument with the father in the apartment parking lot, Tomes grabbed the rifle from his car, chambered a round and pointed it at Gaeta and Smith.

Tomes put the firearm back inside, then later retrieved it and opened fire as the two men ran away, the affidavit said. [snip]  

Tomes went back into his apartment after the shooting. He remained there until he surrendered to police about five hours later, police said. The assault rifle was found inside his unit."

There are thousands upon thousands of these raging nutjobs with semi-automatic assault rifles and loads of ammunition in practically every community with blatant anger issues, waiting for someone to cross them. This guy is a walking advertisement for stricter background checks and gun safety laws.

(photo: Lincoln Co. Oregon jail)

Tweet/ Video Of The Day

Heartbreaking moment as Santa Fe High School student is asked if she thought a shooting 'would not happen' at her school:

"It's been happening everywhere. I've always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here too." https://t.co/kymFDSH6D5 pic.twitter.com/0akC5liZn4

— ABC News (@ABC) May 18, 2018

It's being said everywhere:  We've failed our children. Badly. Irredeemably so.

Damn the NRA and all the spineless shitheels who allow gun manufacturers to merchandise mass death year after year after year.  To change the laws, we have to change the people making the laws. This has to be a top voter priority in November.

Multiple Fatalities in Texas School Shooting (DEVELOPING)

A shooter opened fire in a Santa Fe, Texas high school this morning, with reports of multiple fatalities and injuries according to law enforcement. Police have a person in custody, as well as another "person of interest."

There are reports that the shooter may have triggered a fire alarm to expose students to his gunfire.

Sociopath and NRA enabler Donald "Rump" Trump mawkishly and cynically expresses his "sadness and heartbreak."  Spare us the bullshit.

Developing....

UPDATE: Parkland student react to the mass shooting in Texas.

UPDATE II:  The shooter is being identified by some sources as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, a student at the school and, apparently, a Nazi fetishist.

UPDATE III: The weapons of choice for the shooter were a shotgun and a .38 revolver belonging to his father, according to authorities.

(photo: Police converging on Santa Fe High School. HCSO Texas photo.)

Weekend Rainy Music Threefer

We've had a month's worth of rain here in the last few days which, of course, puts us in a soggy mindset. There must be thousands of songs, spanning every generation, with rain as a theme or symbol. We just picked three and headed back in time, with The Eurythmics (1984), Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970), and The Ronettes (1964). Hope you enjoy.