"legally dubious and diplomatically problematic" The administration, in a nutshell.
Following some big-time confusion yesterday, a Trump official has confirmed to HuffPo that the United States will not be invading Mexico to build the wall (that Mexico and the Republican Congress aren’t paying for) on Mexican land:
The possibility of such a seizure was raised in vague remarks by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke this week, when he spoke about the difficulty of building a partition between the two countries along the Rio Grande.
“The border is complicated, as far as building a physical wall,” Zinke reportedly said. “The Rio Grande, what side of the river are you going to put the wall? We’re not going to put it on our side and cede the river to Mexico. And we’re probably not going to put it in the middle of the river.”
Democrats argued that Zinke’s remark implied that the administration was actively contemplating building a wall in Mexico, which would be both legally dubious and diplomatically problematic. But Zinke’s spokeswoman Heather Swift said this was a misreading.
“Secretary Zinke was talking about a combo of natural boundaries, fence, wall, towers, surveillance, etc. and regarding the river he was noting challenges that are being looked at,” she emailed. “He wasn’t proposing any policy.”
The Trump regime is already set on kicking Americans off their land, pushing cuts to education and medical research, and slashing Meals on Wheels, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA to build his monument to hate, but it looks like at least Mexicans don’t have anything to worry about for the moment.
However, as we noted yesterday, “the clarification of Zinke’s statement is still newsworthy in its own right”:
Trump, after all, spent the campaign insisting that he would build a big, beautiful wall along the Mexican border that would have a large door to let in legal immigrants and would be entirely paid for by the Mexican government.
Mexico has refused to pay for it. And now, it appears, the administration is conceding that it won’t be an actual, physical wall along huge swaths of the southern border, at least for the Rio Grande portions.
OK, if federal offices are ANYTHING like state offices, I'm thinking this is going to bite congress in the butt.
In 2005, just about the time many of us were finally giving up on fax machines, the ever-hip Congress passed the Junk Fax Prevention Act, severely restricting the use of fax machines for advertising purposes. However, a federal appeals court ruled today — when there are college students who don’t even know what a fax is — that the FCC overstepped its authority in writing the actual regulations tied to this law.
While the law effectively outlaws the sending of unsolicited ads via fax machine, the FCC rule takes the additional step of requiring an opt-out notice on faxed ads, even when the recipient had agreed to receiving these ads.
That may not sound too restrictive to you. After all, a lot of legitimate companies that blast out marketing emails now include links for recipients to unsubscribe.
But some faxed-based advertisers apparently disregarded this rule, and were sued for not giving recipients of their ads the ability to stop using them. When one of these companies asked the FCC to declare that the opt-out requirement didn’t apply to ads where the recipients had explicitly given their permission to receive the ads, the Commission maintained its earlier position, but agreed to retroactively waive application of the rule through April 2015.
The affected faxers — who apparently still exist, though we have no idea who is still getting all these faxes — appealed their petition to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled today [PDF] that yes, the FCC had gone too far in its rulemaking.
“Although the [Junk Fax Prevention] Act requires an opt-out notice on unsolicited fax advertisements, the Act does not require a similar opt-out notice on solicited fax advertisements – that is, those fax advertisements sent with the recipient’s prior express invitation or permission,” explains Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the majority of the three-judge panel. “Nor does the Act grant the FCC authority to require opt-out notices on solicited fax advertisements.”
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Nina Pillard says the majority is taking a too-limited view of the FCC’s authority under the Junk Fax law to prevent “unsolicited” fax ads.
“The FCC reasonably concluded that opt-out notices are needed on all fax ads so that recipients can easily limit or withdraw their ‘invitation or permission,'” explains Pillard. “Regulation of ‘unsolicited’ advertising requires a mechanism for discerning whether someone who okayed fax ads at some point in the past is still willing to receive an advertiser’s further faxes.”
Without this opt-out requirement, Pillard contends that the court has made it more difficult for recipients of these ads to “control what comes out of their fax machines… precisely the sort of anti-consumer harm Congress intended to prevent.”
Lol no. Girls are bitches to each other more often than not. If it isn’t to your face it’s behind your back.
maybe they are mean to you only. everybody in my group is supportive and we share hand cream.
My world changed forever when I stopped looking at other women through the lenses that society had given me.
I learned how easy it is to ask a stranger for a pad.
I learned to share my lotion.
I learned how quick women are to compliment.
I learned how easy it is to make a girl smile.
I learned how to find good sales - hint: compliment an item and you learn where it was purchased and if it was on sale.
I learned how to see fear on a face across a bar.
I learned how to step in.
I learned how to ask for help with my eyes.
I learned about bathroom friendships and how deep they can feel for their short lived lives.
I learned how to signal complex thoughts and ideas through straw placement and head tilting.
I learned how to feel safe and make others feel safe.
Girls are so good.
The world is seriously a better place now that I enjoy the presence of other women. I haven’t had a single catty incident since I stopped hanging out with exclusively dudes and not-like-other-girls.
I am like other girls and other girls are wonderful. You can never have too many sisters.
I’m so glad I learned to love women.
Same. It changed my life. It saved me.
Once you learn that lesson you’re golden, the problem then lies with the women who haven’t learned it The women who make fun of and put down other women, and those who are complacent with this behavior and do nothing to stop it
You can learn to love women and you’ll be changed, but those out there who haven’t, will still be there
“To be blunt: Nazism is democracy’s anti-matter. There is nothing about the ideology or its practice that is anything but corrosive to democratic institutions. Fascism is a cancer that turns democracy against itself unto death. There is no reasoning with it. It was specifically engineered to attack the weaknesses of democracy and use them to bring down the entire system, arrogating a right to free speech for itself just long enough to take power and wrench it away from everyone else.”
One of the greatest memes that Tumblr has provided the world with are short text posts laid over pictures featuring your favorite characters from film, television, and video games. The Star Wars Text Post Twitter gathers them all in one place for you to peruse.
And peruse, and… this might take up the rest of your day. It’s very worth it.
Here are a few of our personal favorites:
And those really are just a very tiny, infinitesimal slice of what’s over there. Some NSFW. So… happy weekend?
This is not to say that all politics is “us vs. them.”
The point is that the GOP declared opposition to anything the Dems were trying to do on the day that Obama got elected, and they haven’t wavered since.
They are now attacking every civil right and human right they can get, and democracy iteself. Of COURSE we’re not going to help them undo our work to benefit ALL members of society, especially in the face of their consistent refusal to partner or compromise.
Chances are, no matter where you live, you live in tick country. These parasitic arachnids love to crawl onto our bodies, explore for a bit, and then settle down and bury their little heads into our skin. They can transmit illnesses like Lyme disease, making them a safety issue in addition to simply being gross. But a…
The woman posted in a follow-up Facebook message that she received a call from the TSA’s civil rights and liberties division that suggested she participate in a three-part plan to help address shortcomings in the security process.
“They have asked me to help collaborate with the TSA in creating a promising practices publication for use with all of their agents across the country in order to improve training in the TSA and its treatment of passengers,” she wrote.
The publication, she writes, would address etiquette and sensitivity in the workplace to help train employees in how to “respond to all passengers in a more sensitive and respectful manner.”
She also said the TSA asked her to join their Disabilities and Medical Condition Coalition to provide the agency with suggestions on possible process modifications.
The TSA confirmed that it reached out to the woman in a statement to NBC News, adding that it “appreciates her feedback and looks forward to continued dialogue.”
“TSA has a long-standing partnership with a coalition of disability advocacy groups, community-based organizations, and individuals, and we welcome Ms. Williamson’s input,” the spokesperson said. “TSA is committed to ensuring the security of travelers, while treating all with dignity and respect.”
The woman’s story came to light earlier this week after she posted about what she called a “horrifying” security screening incident involving her son.
“We have been through hell this morning,” the woman wrote, adding that she believes the agents deliberately kept them from their flight. “We were treated like dogs because I requested they attempt to screen him in other ways per TSA rules.”
Instead, the woman claims the agents conducted a pat-down of the boy, despite the fact he set off no alarms when walking through security detectors.
In the woman’s video, a TSA agent is seen talking to the boy, whose arms are in the air. The agent then pats down the boy’s arms, shirt, and sides before examining his waist band and shorts.
The woman also notes in the message that two DFW police officers were called to the area and flanked the boy on both sides. This is not seen in the video.
At the time the TSA disputed the account, telling the Dallas Morning News that its agents followed procedures.
In the name of fuck and the four apostles... *DEEP breath* Side note, why do Christians all think that the miracle in the loaves and fishes story is a supernatural event?
One lawmaker is citing a godly reference to justify changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Tex.) recently quoted the New Testament to question the strength of current work requirements. [...]
House Republicans have historically cited the verse — “if a man will not work, he shall not eat” — as justification for cutting some adults’ SNAP benefits. Arrington referenced the verse in a discussion about increasing the work requirements for unemployed adults on the food stamp program. But critics say that advances a pernicious myth about the unemployed who receive SNAP.
The verse in question applies specifically to people who can work or otherwise contribute to society but choose not to, said theologians from several denominations who spoke to The Post. There is a perception, among some voters and lawmakers, that many adult SNAP recipients are exactly this sort of “freeloader.”
But policy experts say that is not the case. Many unemployed adults on SNAP simply cannot work, they say. Those include the mentally ill, the borderline disabled and veterans.
“Local surveys of SNAP users have shown that many adults who are not working have recently been released from jail,” notes the Washington Post, “or are homeless, veterans, noncustodial parents, people with undiagnosed mental illnesses and teenagers aging out of the foster care system.” Basically, vulnerable Americans who need the help the most. This is a matter of humanity, dignity, and compassion, because it could be any one of us one day.
But that still hasn’t stopped phony Christians like Arrington from using Jesus to oppose everything from marriage equality to affordable health care, despite the fact that Jesus never once condemned gays or asked a leper for a copay. And when you look at what Jesus actually did say about the hungry, that same New Testament is pretty clear: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.”
But it’s poor people who are the lazy moochers, right? Certainly not popular vote losers who spend every single weekend at a golf club at the expense of American taxpayers.
“The story is ultimately about Princess Leia. If Luke had stayed on Tatooine, he wouldn’t even know the Death Star existed. She is the key; it’s her battle against Darth Vader and the Empire. The boys tag along on her adventure.” – George Lucas
Yup. It’s okay to end things. It’s not your job to carry all the weight, do all the emotional labor, and try to make it all okay; if no one else is putting effort in to a relationship it’s okay - and healthy - to end it. It’s not always easy but it’s a good decision.
Giant tarantulas keep tiny frogs as pets. Insects will eat the burrowing tarantulas’ eggs - so the spiders protect the frogs from predators, and in return the frogs eat the insects. Source
This has blown my mind for years. It’s so unreal. It’s almost the same exact reason humans and cats started living together.
Tiny frogs are tarantula housecats. A science fact seldom gets to sound that much like meaningless word salad.
This is legit, guys. And I’m excited about it.
Someone needs to draw a tarantula person with a tiny pet housefrog now. Please let this be a thing.
How is this?
This entire post is magic. And that is so cool how the Tarantula will protect the frog. :3
For those of you just listening in, our stores do classes and birthday parties. For the week of spring break, we have a class that runs the entire week where little kids can come in and learn how to do a craft each day.
Except…
…the kids that come to these things are usually under the age where spring break is an actual thing. Oldest so far is 7. Our youngest is 3. Average is about four.
Great.
This does, however, lead to some interesting interactions with small children- which I’m willing to do. (It’s almost always the parents I have a problem with.)
The first is a tiny three-year-old to whom English is her second language. This presents a unique challenge, but if you lead by example you can work around language barriers enough to communicate.
We were making monsters out of clay, which amounts to making a pinch pot, turning it on its side, and then decorating it with googly eyes and making teeth, horns, spikes, and whatever else you might decide to put on a monster face.
This little girl…
Three eyes, horns, spikes down the back, a forked tongue, stripes on the tongue, spots on the skin, a lunch pail, and a mustache.
She was so proud of this neon mess of monster that she began menacing people with it. But instead of making ‘monster noises’ like the rest of the class did, she would just creep up on you silently and set it just out of your line of sight. And when you finally noticed that there was a monster there, she would hide behind you, giggling menacing.
Wondering about the Venn diagram between these folks, and the ones who are still hunky-dory about sexual harassment in the workplace?
If you’re straight, you may be unaware that members of the LGBTQ community are still widely discriminated against by their co-workers, unless you’re one of the 31 percent of people actively participating in that discrimination.
There is a famous story told in Chassidic literature that addresses this very question. The Master teaches the student that God created everything in the world to be appreciated, since everything is here to teach us a lesson.
One clever student asks “What lesson can we learn from atheists? Why did God create them?”
The Master responds “God created atheists to teach us the most important lesson of them all — the lesson of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs and act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, and cares for the world, he is not doing so because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that god commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his acts are based on an inner sense of morality. And look at the kindness he can bestow upon others simply because he feels it to be right.”
“This means,” the Master continued “that when someone reaches out to you for help, you should never say ‘I pray that God will help you.’ Instead for the moment, you should become an atheist, imagine that there is no God who can help, and say ‘I will help you.’”
ETA source: Tales of Hasidim Vol. 2 by Mar
I started reading this and was worried it would be something attacking atheists, or bashing religion, but this makes me really, really happy.
imagine that there is no God who can help, and say ‘I will help you.’”
Expo? I know a con when I see one. Do they do cosplay?
Like a lot of people, I have complicated feelings surrounding marriage. Like everybody, I really like free stuff. Where better to explore and indulge all of these emotions than at New York Magazine’s annual New York Weddings Event?
