i think this blog remains a bit of a sanity oasis in the roiling sea of insanty we are all now living in.

No hurricanes on the horizon, but the big storms are pouring off the Sahara desert and diving down to the equator for their round the world trip.  It's when they move up to the 15 degree latitude that we start to worry.  We are experiencing the eye burning effects of the SAL, Sahara Air Layer ever so slightly.  Some friends in the lower Caribbean islands say they get about a quarter inch of this sand daily.  Quite amazing that it travels so far across the Atlantic Ocean to us.  No self starting storms are spinning down around the Yucatan either.  New fuel is needed in my portable generator, just in case.

The political fight is not only about Trump, but also, about those Republicans who see this Administration as their opportunity to dismantle and destroy the progress of the past. The country's nightmare, but their dream come true, albeit, a Faustian bargain.

 The policy fight is illustrated by the instant example of health care:  taking away millions of Americans' health care so as to give tax cuts to the wealthiest.  A con to be sold by trickery and deceit.

And, while damage will be inflicted in the domestic area, much is likely to be reversed if and when the electorate comes to its senses. But, in matters of foreign affairs,  damage may be serious and irreversible.

Talk Left is but one voice and one community, but it needs to continue to do its part.  While it may be that Trump will see through his term, any and all opposition that reveals his incompetence, ignorance, and ethical challenges may ameliorate the damage.

I hope you do what makes you happy.  If blogging is still a passion don't give it up because of the current political situation.  You know what I prefer to read and talk about so maybe the new TalkLeft won't be for me.  That's OK.

My other two suggestions would be to...

• stay away from your least favorite person and focus on rising stars in the DNC.
  
• mix in a few dumbed down American TV shows even if you hate them.  Tell us why they aren't as good as what other countries offer.  

Less well known but far more important than his role as James Bond was Sir Roger's work in his emeritus years as UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador and later as its special ambassador, having taken up the cause that was nearest and dearest to his dear friend, the late Audrey Hepburn. She had first introduced him to the organization and like her, he became a tireless advocate for children's rights the world.

I only read a few blogs regularly, and over the years, yours is the one I have always come back to.

I have disagreed with you many times, sometimes as a commenter, and often just in my own head.  This is perhaps a sign of respect and appreciation, as you are someone whom I feel is worth debating with, arguing with, considering carefully what is said and how and why.

More often, I do agree with what you are saying, and probably I have not said so as often as perhaps I should.

I have learned a great deal from Talk Left and have grown from it.

From your post, it would appear that at least in part, you do want to continue, as you have mentioned plenty of topics to write about.

I hope you do continue.  I also hope that multiple views can be expressed here without being slammed and without dominating the conversations.  I hope very much this can be accomplished without actual banning.  (We have been there, done that, and it wasn't pretty.) Perhaps "doing time" as in extended time out, and "probation" rather than a complete ban? For your consideration.

The FBI used an unreliable intelligence document in the Clinton email probe
The FBI used an unreliable intelligence document to defend former FBI director James B. Comey's handling of the Clinton email probe. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
By Karoun Demirjian and Devlin Barrett May 24 at 3:02 PM
A secret document that officials say played a key role in then-FBI Director James B. Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation has long been viewed within the FBI as unreliable and possibly a fake, according to people familiar with its contents.

In the midst of the 2016 presidential primary season, the FBI received what was described as a Russian intelligence document claiming a tacit understanding between the Clinton campaign and the Justice Department over the inquiry into whether she intentionally revealed classified information through her use of a private email server.

The Russian document cited a supposed email describing how then-Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch had privately assured someone in the Clinton campaign that the email investigation would not push too deeply into the matter. If true, the revelation of such an understanding would have undermined the integrity of the FBI's investigation.

Current and former officials have said that Comey relied on the document in making his July decision to announce on his own, without Justice Department involvement, that the investigation was over. That public announcement -- in which he criticized Clinton and made extensive comments about the evidence -- set in motion a chain of other FBI moves that Democrats now say helped Trump win the presidential election.

But according to the FBI's own assessment, the document was bad intelligence

here is an AVClub review of the movie

The idea behind the film is not bad on paper. While the usual targets of geopolitical satire are stuffed shirts, weasels, and smooth talkers, the butt of the joke here is McMahon, an undiplomatic, gut-instinct soldier's soldier who runs his office like the head coach of a over-budgeted college football team, assisted by a team of lackeys, played by the likes of Topher Grace (as his sleazy public-relations guru) and Anthony Michael Hall (as a character based on Mike Flynn). Michôd does manage to wring some solid laughs early on out of the American military presence's failures at improving its image with the people of Afghanistan. (As one local translator helpfully explains to McMahon and his team, "They call us `motherfvcker' all the time, and it is considered in our culture a very bad thing to fvck your mother.") But as War Machine inches closer to McMahon's downfall, it becomes more ham-fisted. Perhaps a more deftly made film would have made more than a self-satisfied observation out of the arbitrary circumstances of its main character's ouster. Michôd's previous two films have been skillful and grim thrillers produced on low budgets in his native Australia; here, he ironically parallels his subject by planting his foot on unfamiliar ground with no exit strategy.

here is a DailyBeast review of the book

It's impossible to read The Operators, Michael Hastings's new book about the Afghanistan War, without contemplating the amount of adoration and contempt it is going to generate in the coming weeks. It's a polarizing book about a polarizing war for a polarized nation. Despite that, it demands to be read by both audiences and everyone in between. Its origins reside in "The Runaway General," Hastings's 2010 Rolling Stone article about Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his inner circle, which led to the general's very public resignation from the top position in Afghanistan. Like it or not, this is a book of great consequence, not a pop-culture puff piece, which some of its deriders claim it is. The Operators seems destined to join the pantheon of the best of GWOT literature, not just for its rock-and-roll details, but for its piercing chronicles of a world gone mad.

looking forward to 16 more hours in weekly doses of Lynch directed insanity makes me feel the opposite of warm and fuzzy.  but its a good opposite.  a very good opposite.

this in the Daily Beast made me laugh too:

There is a rumor about Twin Peaks that goes up to the highest levels of government.
In the book Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks, Jules Haimovitz, a TV executive at Aaron Spelling Productions--which produced the original series--recounted a story about a strange call Spelling received one night from Carl Lindner, the co-owner of Spelling Productions, demanding to know who killed Laura Palmer. Haimovitz brought the query to David Lynch, who, as is his wont, refused to divulge his secret. So Haimovitz phoned Lindner back, asking him who wanted to know. "President Bush," Lindner replied.
Yes, Lindner was apparently good pals with then-President George H.W. Bush, who called in the favor on behalf of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev--an apparent fan of the show.
"What happened was Gorbachev called Bush, who called Carl, who called Aaron, who called me," recalled Haimovitz. "So I called David back and I said, `This isn't going to go anywhere, it'll be a secret. You have to tell me who Laura's killer is.' That's when I realized David had no idea who killed Laura Palmer."
When I mention Haimovitz's story to Lynch, he lets out a hearty laugh. "I never heard that one!" he says, cackling away.

What is your take on his latest admission regarding Set Rich?

He obviously cannot even hint at admitting to handling documents that were likely illegaly obtained, especially if they are classified, without fear of arrest.

"Why not?" the officer shot back. "When they asked the late [Israeli] Prime Minister Menachem Begin in the Iraq-Iran War in the 80s, who does Israel stand for, Iraq or Iran, he said, `I wish luck to both parties. They can go at it, killing each other.' The same thing is here. You have ISIS killing Al Qaeda by the thousands, Al Qaeda killing ISIS by the thousands. And they are both killing Hezbollah and Assad."

She is the one who made me aware of the injustice and persecution he faced.

Sheesh.

Googling at work for more information, I found you. iirc, you wrote that some bloggers would not link to the video, but would and had good reasons to do it. At least, that is my memory. Am I confusing TL with another site?

Anyway, TL has changed a lot over the years, and I think more so since the November election. From my perspective its commenters/contributors have since dwindled substantially.

I have always been impressed with the time that you devoted to the blog, as many of your posts must have taken hours to research and compile.

TOKYO--Imagine a world in which the Nazis and Imperial Japan won the second world war--that's the premise of the critically acclaimed TV series The Man In The High Castle, which is science fiction. But as a matter of fact, the grandson of a war criminal, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seems intent on turning that dark fantasy into something more like a reality TV show. The premiere is scheduled for 2020, and he's drawing on some classics for the scenario: Mein Kampf recently was approved for Japanese classrooms, and the suggestively titled Hitler's Election Strategy is popular with some members of the Abe Cabinet.

"Trey Gowdy should have his ass kicked"

Administration sources had previously described former Sen. Joe Lieberman as the leading prospect for the high-profile job, but he ran into resistance from Democrats who questioned the wisdom of installing a former politician as FBI director, particularly as the agency grapples with a politically sensitive probe into possible ties between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign.

Lieberman is no longer considered the frontrunner, an official said. CNN first reported that Trump was resetting his search for someone to replace Comey, who was fired as he led the probe into Trump's associates.

Testimony by a single witness linked him to the scene of the crime, but it was later recanted. Thomas was sentenced to life in 1993.

Washington Post | May 24, 2017
How a dubious Russian document influenced the FBI's handling of the Clinton probe - "In the midst of the 2016 presidential primary season, the FBI received a purported Russian intelligence document describing a tacit understanding between the campaign of Hillary Clinton and the Justice Department over the inquiry into whether she intentionally revealed classified information through her use of a private email server. The Russian document mentioned a supposed email describing how then-Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch had privately assured someone in the Clinton campaign that the email investigation would not push too deeply into the matter -- a conversation that if made public would cast doubt on the inquiry's integrity. Current and former officials have said that document played a significant role in the July decision by then-FBI Director James B. Comey to announce on his own, without Justice Department involvement, that the investigation was over. That public announcement -- in which he criticized Clinton and made extensive comments about the evidence -- set in motion a chain of other FBI moves that Democrats now say helped Trump win the presidential election." (Emphasis is mine.)

As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm starting to agree with Dick Cheney's assertion that Russia's meddling in our election ought to be rightly considered an act of war.

awsum

Reporter alleges Greg Gianforte `body slammed' him in Bozeman

Dani Mathers, 30, was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to complete 30 hours of graffiti removal service. If the case had gone to trial, the model could have faced up to six months in jail.
The 2015 Playmate of the Year was criticized for "body shaming" the 71-year-old woman after secretly snapping the photo in the locker room of a Los Angeles area gym last July. Mathers posted it on Snapchat along with the text: "If I can't unsee this then you can't either." She also posted a selfie covering her mouth.

And he was charged with misdemeanor assault.

They're fed up with public lands, lazy no-good indians, and liberal troublemaker reporters..