Nightshade

Years of brainwashing by conservative media. I know it's a tired defense, but I know so many family members glued to Fox & Friends. It's like Jonestown 2018 over here. And I honestly don't feel bad about the Nazi Germany comparisons anymore. Surely, we are not putting people in ovens, but the vitriol in this nation is only get worse by the day.

Unless the Democrats win the House or Senate (or both) in November, we're fucked. For a long long time. Hell, we might be fucked for a long time as it is.

Yeah, Kennedy leaving won't change much by way of how the SCOTUS sides with big business, but abortion is over as a nationwide practice: https://realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/06/27/cnn_jeffrey_toobin_on_kennedy_retirement_in_18_months_abortion_will_be_illegal_in_20_states.html Gay marriage could be overturned as well, but I think the chances are less likely than the abortion issue. Also, that baker case on serving a gay couple - well, the new court will likely rule outright that you can discriminate against gays based on religion. That is totally coming unless a miracle happens or John Roberts pulls a Souter. Yep, liberal-minded folk are pretty fucked. Especially if they live in a red (or even swing) state.

We've rotted from the inside out. Not because of gay marriage or Medicaid spending, but because of Der Stürmer-like media such as FOX News and the shit pile of right wing talk radio. Stirring citizens up, all the while they don't know that their ever-worsening lives are because those same outlets are paid for by the ultra wealthy neocons who immediately call for tax cuts and then bankrupt education and healthcare. This is going to get worse before it gets better. The right has lost its mind, and it can no longer control the hate wagon. It's happening in my own family. I've disowned half of them already.

A credit score isn't all that different and having a good one affords you benefits that others do not have. Oh yes, technology that was supposed to level the playing field is now being used to develop a caste system.

Well hey, I would gladly take an arena tour before an intimate one, but I think a few things: Madonna has soured a lot of casual fans with her lateness and (until the last tour) relatively light-on-hits setlists. I doubt they are coming back unless she has a big current hit (also not likely) Big productions cost lots of money, and I think she may want something with better profit margins if she has to go smaller These "Lisbon Nights in the Living Room" parties she's been attending are ripe for a stage inspiration. I can see her doing smaller shows just because the energy might be more to her liking now. Plus, a smaller show will attract mostly the hardcore fans and we're more fun than the large masses of lame ass "stand there and smoke a joint" sonsabitches.

I agree with all of this. I suspect M will do a more intimate show (smaller theaters) but the tickets will be pricey as fuck, so she'll likely pull in a hefty haul anyway. I doubt stadiums aside from the occasional one maybe in Europe or Asia.

Hmmmm...I tried watching her response and was so annoyed within minutes, I had to stop. On the one hand, she's obviously a very naive young woman. The older I get, the harder it is for me to completely blame these kids who grew up in such a shitty age of technological transition - however - this is life, babe. School of hard knocks. You live and you learn. You can't expect fame (even in this global piss pot called social media) to be roses all the time. Maybe you need a little bloody nose to feel some humility. Obviously, that isn't the lesson she took from this and thus her life will continue to be a major disappointment to her. And the fact that she starts this video with "I never, ever, feed into drama..." is laughable. Bitch, you don't even know who you are. This has to be one of the most overly dramatic reactions I've ever seen. If she was talking about Syrian refugees dying, it would warrant this level of emotion and disgusted. Your email got released and trolled. You're still sitting in your comfy bedroom with electricity and soft pink clothing. Give it a rest, you idiot.

This is a political era like none other. Welp, let's give Alabama some credit. They came through...barely.

Parts of this country truly disgust me. I will be impressed (and surprised) if Jones pulls it off, but we're talking about Alabama here. And in the era of Trump, the sewage is rising to the top. I'm not going to say "America sucks" because many places are still progressive and we'll be back in power at some point, but man, the idiots are really having a moment in the sun.

I am slowly becoming one of those people that hopes the wheel of karma smites these people good. You deserve all the hell that's coming to you for failing to face reality.

Hillary had sky high approval ratings after serving as Sec. of State. Look what happened. No one even turned the dogs on Bernie yet. The Clinton campaign didn't even try to dredge up dirt on him and believe me, there is some...Bernie release like 1 year of tax returns. For the King of Non-Corruption, he certainly wasn't forthcoming with info about himself. I also don't have much respect for a candidate who did ZERO to raise money for other Democratic candidates down ticket. Nope, he was in and out of the Democratic Party when his lost opportunity was over. I would've had more respect if he had run as an independent. All that said, if he did run as Democrat and won in the 2020 primary, I'd still vote for him. Anything to get this LOON out of office. But make no mistake, Bernie is just another politician. There is nothing magical about him. There is nothing pure or unadulterated about ANYONE who craves that much power. The nature of wanting power corrupts even the best hearts.

For sure, Northam was a moderate but the Bernie crowd's fave (Tom Perriello) did not win that governor primary. And I hate to say this, but if the progressive wing can't even take control of the ridiculously disorganized DNC (Bernie supporter Keith Ellison lost to Clintonesque/centrist Democrat Tom Perez a few months back), then the progressive wing isn't going to be calling the shots in 2020. The only Clinton-aligned (or centrist) Democrats who I can think of that might run in 2020 are Corey Booker, Andrew Cuomo, Terry McAuliffe, or Kirsten Gillibrand. I'd count Joe Biden, but I don't think he's running. They're all business-friendly moderates. Bernie will probably run, but he's has already been out maneuvered: California moved up its primary date in 2020 which means a (likely) moderate Democrat would take the majority of its delegates. It's easy for scrappy up-and-comers to take the small caucus states but California is a behemoth. Even Bernie couldn't beat Clinton there 6 months into the primary and with a huge donor base. California is expensive, diverse, and huge. That's why Clinton won it twice (in the 2008 primary and again in 2016). If someone picks up the early states and gets California, it will be nearly impossible to catch up. I think the Democratic party did this on purpose to discourage Bernie or those like him from infiltrating their party's primary. All that said, I don't necessarily disagree with you. Although I am not sure Trump will finish out his term, Mike Pence is just as deadly (but not as erratic or unfocused). He could win in 2020 unless the Democrats nominate someone who is a true contrast.

Repudiation of the GOP - at last. And congrats to the trans representative! And in a purple state like Virginia!

The new normal: People are killed in mass in America. No one cares enough to do anything.