Kentucky Fried Politics: A Colonel Sanders Timeline
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PNWKing
Banned
Port Arthur. I hope that f**** is dead.
Colonel Sanders was of Irish and Dutch descent.
Well said. Although something good did happen as a result of it which was gun control here in Australia.
Martin Bryant died in that 1992 car accident he survived. The Martins causing trouble for his father lost money during the early 1990s recession, allowing him to purchase property elsewhere instead of committing suicide. Australia's gun laws are reformed somewhat due to the assassination of Iacocca over in the US, but over a longer period of time (during the tenures of PMs Ignatieff and Williams).
He did say he had political aspirations - well, the character did in (at least) one episode.
Thanks for noticing that little detail!
Huh, I could have sworn Rahall was Republican. Whoops. I should go back and fix that.
I'm glad you like the Trump/Wiseau stuff!
I mean, be my guest. But after doing that, the country (and mainly, the old people of Basque Country) will tell you just a word and a year that will make the worst adversiting for US in decades:
Guernica, 1937
As an old song say: "Forgive, but never forget"
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PNWKing
Banned
I personally think Harley Brown should f*** off before he gets dropped from the ticket in 2016, and replaced with someone. I think it would be funny if Kelsey Grammer picked Hillary Rodham-Clinton just for the irony of her greatest achievement happening on the same day of her greatest defeat OTL.
Well, I just spent the last couple of weeks catching up on this timeline, to the exclusion of most other interests in my spare time. Never thought I'd be this invested in a story with such a specific POD.
Anyway, loving the timeline overall. A few questions I have, though, and please forgive me if some have already been addressed elsewhere, as I skipped over most of the non-story posts:
1) With all the serial killers who were butterflied away, what's become of serial killer pop culture (slasher films especially)?
2) Speaking of which, what happened ITTL to Aileen Wuornos, Danny Rolling, BTK, the Night Stalker, and the Unabomber?
3) Were ASOIAF, Harry Potter, or The Dresden Files still written ITTL?
4) What happened with the following cartoons? Avatar, Ben 10, Danny Phantom, Fairly Oddparents, Billy & Mandy, Invader Zim, Jackie Chan Adventures, Steven Universe, W.I.T.C.H.
5) What happened with the following TV shows? Charmed, Hercules, Xena, Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone
6) What happened with the following anime/manga? Attack on Titan, Berserk, Bleach, Dragonball, Naruto, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh
Anyway, loving the timeline overall. A few questions I have, though, and please forgive me if some have already been addressed elsewhere, as I skipped over most of the non-story posts:
1) With all the serial killers who were butterflied away, what's become of serial killer pop culture (slasher films especially)?
2) Speaking of which, what happened ITTL to Aileen Wuornos, Danny Rolling, BTK, the Night Stalker, and the Unabomber?
3) Were ASOIAF, Harry Potter, or The Dresden Files still written ITTL?
4) What happened with the following cartoons? Avatar, Ben 10, Danny Phantom, Fairly Oddparents, Billy & Mandy, Invader Zim, Jackie Chan Adventures, Steven Universe, W.I.T.C.H.
5) What happened with the following TV shows? Charmed, Hercules, Xena, Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone
6) What happened with the following anime/manga? Attack on Titan, Berserk, Bleach, Dragonball, Naruto, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh
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Chapter 109: February 2015 – June 2015
Chapter 109: February 2015 – June 2015
“Never spend money before you have it.”
– Thomas Jefferson (OTL)
“And in the southeast Asian country of Laos, Vong Savang, King of Laos, has suffered but survived a minor heart attack at the age of 83. Born 27 September 1931, Von Savang has served in the somewhat-figurehead role of King since his father’s death in 1992...
– BBC World News, 1/2/2015 broadcast
…Grammar decided to give the Laotian King the red carpet treatment before it was too late… With luck, the invitation and subsequent tour of America’s greatness would rub off on the King’s son and heir apparent, Crown Prince Soulivong Savang, who was an avid anglophile but was less-than-enthusiastic about America over the continuing perception of the US’s foreign policy being “imperialistic” in nature.
The President had that US Ambassador make the arrangements with Laotian PM Khamphoui Sisavatdy to ensure the trip was well planned out ahead of the royal tour…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
…The 2 February 2015 referendum was meant to defy the Euro-sceptics and allow the UK to fully embrace the European Union. Creagh staked her political future on the notion that the voters would surely agree to abandon the pound and adopt the Euro. Undoubtedly, the past two years highlighted the ramifications of a disunited financial front; unquestionably, the UK voters would understand this logic and reasoning.
The UK citizens voting down adapting Euro by a margin of roughly 10% was a fatal blow to the Creagh administration, upending perceived indications of the citizens’ understanding of the financial situation and damaging Creagh’s reputation. The failure exhausted Creagh of her remaining political capital, and when faced between the options of either leading to party to defeat in the next generation election, or stepping down to let a more satisfactory Labour party member take the helm, Creagh went with the latter option. She announced her resignation on the fifth, specifying that it would not become effective until roughly one month later…
– Hanspeter Kriesi and Takis S. Pappas’ In The Shadow of The Great European Recession, ECPR Press, 2021
…In space-related news, former NASA Director John McAfee, at the center of a congressional investigation, has been indicted for security violations, with prosecutors alleging that McAfee failed to disclose contents that he smuggled onto the I.S.S. last year…
– ABC News, 2/7/2015 broadcast
“OUTRAGEOUS!”: Major Ohio-Based Trucking Company Has Slowly Laid Off Half Its Workers Since 2010!!!
– The Columbus Dispatch, 2/10/2015
GRAMMER IS FIGHTING WITH CONGRESS OVER SPENDING BILL
[pic: imgur.com/wOlLiF7.png ]
Above: Grammer during a political trip to New Mexico last month
…the President is reportedly unsatisfied with the bill’s handling of cuts to federal income taxes and wants a passage addressing the raising of some tariffs to be removed due to “lingering Iacocca-era issues,” according to the reliable source…
– The Chicago Tribune, 2/15/2015
COBAIN TALKS MUSIC, HEALTH AND AGING IN EXCLUSIVE NEW INTERVIEW
[pic: imgur.com/TikI5GF.png ]
…“I never would have thought that I would live for this long. Twenty, thirty years ago, honestly, I honestly thought I’d be dead by now. That the drugs or my stomach problems would have done me in,” the singer-songwriter explains as he reflects on the fact that he turns 48 on February 20. “At least I still look good” he says before getting serious and beings discussing what it has been like raising his three daughters amid his tumultuous on-again, off-again marriage to their mother, Courtney Love. “Parenthood had been a roller coaster ride. Sometimes it’s bad, worse than any headache or stomachache, but thankfully, more often, being a dad is better than anything found in a needle or syringe”…
– Tumbleweed Magazine, mid-February 2015 issue
“…In light of the Prime Minister of Spain’s economic investments into the region through their national bailout implementations, the people of the Basque autonomous provinces have voted against independence in tonight’s regional referendum. With a margin of just 4%, the results are very close, even requiring a recount in more than one village, but the results are nevertheless very clear – the nation of Spain is in a period of economic recovery that is beneficial to more than just those at the top, and so tensions in the Basque region and Catalonia are at last starting to simmer back down to their pre-recession levels…”
– ITV3, UK TV channel, 22/2/2015 broadcast
AMERICAN EX-PAT SELECTED AS “INTERIM” PM!
…Lawrence “Larry” Sanders was born in New York City in 1935 and moved to London in the late 1960s after “falling head over heels for the beautiful future Mrs. Sanders.” To the left of the party, Sanders, the older brother of American media mogul Bern Sanders, was elected to Parliament from Oxfordshire in 2000 after joining the Labour party in the 1980s and working his way up the political latter under the administration of PM John Lennon, whom Sanders found to be an “inspiration.” …He will assume the office of Prime Minister on the third of March…
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 26/2/2015
List of Heads of State of Bulgaria
[snip]
Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria
1/5/1985-1/5/1995: 1) Zhelyu Zhelev (UDF) – term-limited
1/5/1995-1/5/2005: 2) George Ganchev (BBB) – term-limited
1/5/2005-1/5/2010: 3) Reneta Indzhova (DPS) – first female President; lost re-election
1/5/2010-present: 4) Angel Marin (Socialist) – incumbent
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa, c. February 2015
“…It has, yes, it is now confirmed that the leader of Bulgaria, President Angel Marin of the Socialist party, has been deposed in a coup led by opposition leader Volen Siderov of the Patriotic Nationalist party. The coup, which has seen several hundred military officers storm the nation’s capital, is the first of its kind in Bulgaria since the 1992 coup attempt perpetrated by Foreign Minister Petar Mladenov. That endeavor to overthrow the people’s choice, however, was of a much smaller scale – dozens have been shot and killed in this bloody siege on the President’s residence, and the whereabouts of both Marin and the Prime Minister, both of whom were in the city at the time, are still currently unknown…”
– BBC World News, 27/2/2015 broadcast
TAMPA MAYOR GRECO RE-ELECTED
…Greco, age 82, won a second term (and third term overall) with 71.2% of the vote, meaning a runoff will not need to be held on March 14…
– usarightnow.co.usa, c. 3/1/2015
10/1/1963-10/1/1967: 49) Nicholas Chillura “Nick” Nuccio (D, 1901-1989) – city’s first Italian-American mayor; former mayor from 1956 to 1959; previously served on the city council from 1929 to 1937 and on the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County from 1937 to 1956; unseated incumbent in a race that saw both candidates oppose the Governor’s handling of Cuban refugees, leading to many anti-refugee voters sitting the election out in protest; moderate; criticized for his handling of flooding along the Hillsborough River; lost re-election
9/24/1963: Julian B. Lane (D, 1914-1997)
10/1/1967-10/1/1975: 50) Richard Attilio “Dick” Greco (D, b. 1933) – media-savvy civic activist and former businessman; city’s youngest mayor, having entered office at the age of 34; his election was considered a moment of “generational change”; addressed crime rates by improving social programs via taxation reform; was both praised and derided for having several city employees investigated for sexual pestering during the 1970-1971 Ark Wave; retired; later worked for an urban development company
9/26/1967: Nick Nuccio (D)
9/14/1971: Nick Nuccio (D), Armando P. Valdes Jr. (I) and Sam Capitano (I)
10/1/1975-11/11/1982: 51) William F. “Bill” Poe Sr. (R, 1931-2014) – former realtor and insurance company chair; Air Force veteran; conservative; aggressively combated crime and strongly supported city police; sought to revitalize the city’s downtown area to curb rising unemployment rates in the immediate aftermath of the Economic Crash of 1978; won a second term, albeit very narrowly, due to dropping unemployment rates; resigned after winning election to the U.S. House, where he served from 1983 to 1987 (as he lost election to a third term in 1986); later worked in the insurance industry
9/2/1975: Joe Kotvas (I)
9/4/1979: Robert “Bob” Martinez (D, b. 1934)
11/11/1982-4/1/1983: 52) Charles Miranda (D, b. 1940) – former criminologist; previously served on city council from 1974 to 1982; appointed by city council to complete Poe’s second term; adjusted term length and shifted election date; lost election to a full term
4/1/1983-4/1/1991: 53) Rosemary Barkett (D, b. 1939) – city’s first female and first Arab-American mayor; born in Mexico to Syrian immigrants; former attorney; previously served as a state circuit court judge from 1975 to 1983; strongly supported by city’s Latin-American and immigrant communities; retired; later appointed US Circuit Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
3/1/1983: Charles Miranda (D)
3/1/1987: Helen Chavez (R)
4/1/1991-4/1/1995: 54) Faye B. Culp (R, b. 1939) – former teacher; previously served on the city council from 1987 to 1991; conservative; lost re-election; later served in the state House from 2006 to 2014
3/1/1991: Guy Spicola (D) and Charles A. Eidson (I)
4/1/1995-4/1/2003: 55) Jan Platt (D) – former city council member; previously served as county commissioner from 1987 to 1995; retired
3/1/1995: Faye B. Culp (R)
3/1/1999: Edward T. Young (R)
4/1/2003-4/1/2011: 56) David Richardson (D, b. 1957) – city’s first openly Blutago-American mayor; previously worked as an accountant and previously served in the state House from 2009 to 2015; retired; later founded a large accounting firm
3/1/2003: Frank Sanchez (D, b. 1959)
3/1/2007: Marion Serious Lewis (I) and Aria Ray Green (I)
4/1/2011-4/1/2019: 57) Richard Attilio “Dick” Greco (D, b. 1933) – city’s oldest mayor, having left office at the age of 86; retired due to old age
3/1/2011: Rose Ferlita (R, b. 1945)
3/1/2015: Harry Cohen (D, b. 1970), Ed Turanchik (D) and Becky Rubright (I)
4/1/2019-present: 58) Carlos Guillermo Smith (D, b. 1980) – openly Blutago-American; former community activist; originally from Fort Lauderdale; previously served in the state House from 2012 to 2018; incumbent
3/1/2019: Jennifer Necole Webb (D, b. 1979) and Edwin Aubron “Ed” Narain (D, b. 1976)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
JACK FRENCH KEMP DIES AT 79
…the former US President was in poor health for the past many years, battling a form of cancer kept private by him and his family, with his official diagnosis and prognosis never being publicly disclosed... Kemp’s administration from December 1986 to January 1989 can be viewed as one of transition between the scandalous final years of the conservative Denton Presidency and the policies of the progressive Bellamy years. The Kemp years was best known for being energetic and relatively scandal-free, and is responsible for ZEDs, short for Zones of Economic Development, improving living conditions in urban areas across the country… After declining to run for President again in 1992, 2004 and 2008, Kemp served as a senior advisor for the Grammer campaign…
– The New York Times, 3/2/2015
[pic: imgur.com/lGZWKC1.png ]
– clickopedia.co.usa
OLIVIA CHOW WINS LEADERSHIP ELECTION
…With the Progressive Liberal’s first use of a Ranked Choice Voting system for their leadership elections, MP Olivia Chow of Ontario has won the PL leadership post, making her the leader of the opposition and the person that PM Rogers will face in the next general election. Chow won the position over Darrell Dexter of Nova Scotia, Jean-Yves Duclos and Guy Caron of Quebec, Charlie Angus of Ontario, Glen Murray of Manitoba, and Nathan Cullen of British Columbia…
– The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 3/3/2015
FORMER FLG CEO MARY LOLITA STARNES HANNON DIES AT 83
…Finger Lickin’ Good Inc.’s current CEO, Adrien McNaughton, issued a public statement today, describing her as a “smart, witty and kind” leader, and praising her dedication to expanding the company, modernizing its business practices and upholding the Colonel’s dedication to cleanliness and the original recipe…
– The Louisville Courier, Kentucky newspaper, 3/4/2015
…The decline of the recreadrug cartels in Mexico are most often attributed to the Cartel Wars of the 1990s, similar to the intensity of the Yakuza during this same time period. However, many scholars tend to downplay the impact of recreadrug legalization during this period as well. Furthermore, it is very arguable that the decriminalization of recreation drugs at the federal level during Jesse Jackson’s second term played a vital role in recreadrug cartels failing to regain their old footholds in US cities following the American stock markets entering recession in 2013…
– Novelist, researcher and former journalist John Clay Walker’s Recreadrug Lords And The Cartels of Today, 2019
GRAMMER SIGNS TRADE PREFERENCES EXTENSION ACT INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 3/6/2015
…After the conclusion of the rent moratorium, the city had a clearer understanding of how renters prioritized their income and, more importantly, how renters capitalized from it. McMillan’s partially-transferrable rent caps were picked up by other cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Charlotte, North Carolina, but the policy of rent control found in NYC had its been based on earlier rent control models. For example, in 1986, San Francisco voters reacted to President Kemp’s ZED proposals by passing a ballot initiative to expand the city’s existing rent control laws to include small multi-unit apartments with four or less units built prior to 1980 (which comprised roughly 30% of the city’s rental housing stock at that time), amid fears at the time that ZEDs would lead to racial-discriminatory gentrification trends for the city. While this led to only marginal success, a 1994 pilot program in Reno, Nevada yielded much more positive results both immediately and in the long term.
These earlier endeavors saw the natural formation of two main types of rent control – vacancy control, where the rent is controlled irrespective of whether the tenant remains in the unit or not, and vacancy decontrol, where the rent level is controlled only while the existing tenant remains in the unit. Studies focused on California show that the policy of vacancy control protects existing tenants but discourages investors from building new rental housing units. [1] Thus, McMillan was encouraged to offer tax breaks to real estate developers starting in March 2015. This led to MLB pitcher-turned-real estate developer-turned-filmmaker/actor Donald Trump go from being one of his most harsh critics to being his most avid supporter at a time when Trump was beginning to shift his career’s main focus back into real estate…
– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021
WELD SAYS HIGHER TREASURY YIELDS SIGNALS RECOVERY, NOT INFLATION
[pic: imgur.com/SHFnHDv.png ]
Washington, D.C. – US Treasury Secretary Bill Weld announced earlier today that recently higher long-term Treasury bond yields are a sign that “market participants are anticipating a continuation of our strong recovery,” and not a rise in inflation, as has been claimed ontech is recent days…
– Reuters, 3/9/2015
GRAMMER WELCOMES PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL AT THE START OF A FIVE-DAY TOUR OF THE U.S.
– The Miami Herald, 3/11/2015
JOINT HONG KONG-M.I.T. PROJECT MAKES BREAKTHROUGH IN BIONIC EYE RESEARCH
…Engineers have published a paper on the trials of a bionic eye they have developed. The eye could restore sight to an estimated 285 million blind people and is hypothesized to become available in 5 years if early trials continue to yield positive results. This visual prosthetic could change the lives of sufferers of macular denigration and victims of eye accidents. The Electro-Chemical Eye’s design is based on that of the human retina, by mimicking the domed shape of the retina. Scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with MIT developers, made the breakthrough by placing photoreceptors inside aluminum oxide pores… [2]
– scientificamerican.co.usa, 3/15/2015
HOST: “And we are back with professional dietitian Cory Booker, here to show us his latest breakthrough in the field of healthy eating.”
BOOKER: “That’s right, ma’am. I call it – ‘mangonnaise,’ a mayonnaise-substitute vegan spread made primarily out of mangoes! Now available on my ontech store…”
– The Food Network, TV channel, 3/17/2015 broadcast
HOUSE PASSES LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS SUCCESSION MODERNIZATION ACT WITH WIDE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT; Grammer To Sign It Into Law “Soon”
– The Washington Post, 3/18/2015
BOB ROSS INSTITUTE OF ART OPENS, CELEBRATING FAMOUS SOUTHERN ARTIST
...While living for much of his life in Alaska, Bob Ross was born and raised in Florida, where he worked as a carpenter before serving in the Cuba War. In 1994, Bob Ross told talk show host Phil Donahue that his paintings would likely never hang in the Smithsonian, but it looks like the famous PBS painter may have spoken too soon. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. acquired four authentic Bob Ross paintings in March along with his original easel made from a step stool, paint brushes, and the palette used on The Joy of Painting, the now-classic public television show he hosted from 1974 to 1988, says Sarah Strohl, executive assistant at Bob Ross, Inc., the company started by Ross that now manages his brand. When Strohl stumbled upon Ross’s quote about his work never hanging in the Smithsonian, she was inspired to land at least one of his paintings there. “It was through a love of Bob and also being like, ‘No Bob, you’re wrong. You need to be in the Smithsonian.’ Stroll reached out to the former Vice President in 2013… [3]
– The Miami Herald, 3/22/2015
…Several tense weeks in Washington, D.C. came to a close today when President Grammer signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 into law…
– CBS Evening News, 3/25/2015 broadcast
“…As calls for Scottish independence subside, the leader of Scotland’s parliament, who has been a fiery vocal advocate for the waning Scottish independence movement, has announced his decision to step down from his current position amid political backlash to several incendiary comments she made last year, which are being described as ‘unprofessional,’ ‘divisive,’ and even ‘treasonous’…”
– BBC News, 29/3/2015 broadcast
NEMTSOV CLAIMS OPPONENTS ARE “CORRUPT,” THEY COUNTER AND CALL HIM “INEPT,” IN LATEST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
– Kommersant (The Businessman), Russian newspaper, 4/2/2015
“We will prove to this court that Mr. McAfee willingly took actions that were not only illegal, but were also reckless and irresponsible. We will prove to the court that Mr. McAfee was, prior to the April 12, 2014 launch of the Shuttleplane dauntless to the International Space Station, briefed about the properties of fire in zero gravity, and how ash and smoke can contaminate air, instruments and experiments. We will prove he was informed of the high level of difficulty involved in ridding the I.S.S. of the smell of smoke. We will present evidence such as trace elements of cocaine found on the space suit Mr. McAfee wore on the date in question. And we will present audio recordings in which Mr. McAfee confessed to smoking a combination of cocaine and marijuana with a custom pipe carved in his likeness while experiencing zero gravity.”
– Head of NASA’s legal team, Potomac Court, 4/4/2015 hearing
28-YEAR-OLD ELECTED MAYOR OF MADISON
– The Post-Crescent, Wisconsin newspaper, 4/7/2015
Mayors of MADISON (Wisconsin)
1969-1971: 50) William D. “Bill” Dyke (R, 1930-2016) – fiscally and socially “hard-c” conservative; former TV/media personality and political interviewer; aggressively opposed shoutniks; lost re-election; later appointed to a circuit court seat
1969 (blanket primary): Robert L. “Toby” Reynolds (I, 1930-1994), Adam Schesch (I) and Edward Ben Elson (I, 1941-1983)
1969 (runoff): Toby Reynolds (I)
1971-1983: 51) Paul R. Soglin (D, b. 1945) – progressive; former student organizer; previously served on the city’s common council from 1968 to 1971; one of the youngest mayors in the country at the time of his inauguration, shortly after turning 26 years old; resigned to serve as Governor from 1983 to 1995; unsuccessfully ran for President in 1988 and 1996; later worked as a political commentator, as a public speaker, as a columnist, and as an advisor and consultant for various progressive organizations
1971 (primary): Bill Dyke (R), Leo Cooper (I, 1919-2001) and Alfonse Reichenberger (I, b. 1941)
1971 (runoff): Bill Dyke (R)
1973 (primary): Leo Cooper (I), David Stewart (I) and R. Whelan Burke (I)
1973 (runoff): Leo Cooper (I)
1977 (primary): Henry Reynolds (I)
1977 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Soglin winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1979 (primary): Anthony “Nino” Amato (R)
1979 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Soglin winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1981 (primary): Jim Rowen (I) and George Wiesner (I)
1981 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Soglin winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1983-1983: 52) Joel Skornicka (I, 1937-2019) – previously worked in academia; selected by common council to complete Soglin’s term; retired and later returned to academia
1983-1994: 53) Frank James “Jim” Sensenbrenner Jr. (R, b. 1943) – previously served in the state assembly from 1971 to 1975 and in the state senate from 1975 to 1983; conservative; won in 1985 over his second cousin; resigned after winning election to the U.S. House, where he served from 1995 to 2021
1983 (primary): Alex Cunningham (D) and Lucille Berrien (Farm and Factory)
1983 (runoff): Alex Cunningham (D)
1985 (primary): Frank Joseph “Joe” Sensenbrenner Jr. (D, b. 1948) and Mary Kay Baum (Farm and Factory)
1985 (runoff): Joe Sensenbrenner Jr. (D)
1987 (primary): Eugene Parks (D) and Richard Berg (Farm and Factory)
1987 (runoff): Eugene Parks (D)
1989 (primary): Dennis Amadeus de Nure (I), Rich Bogovich (I) and Carnell Adams (I)
1989 (runoff): Rich Bogovich (I) (de Nure died on the night of the primary election in a freak accident; Bogovich, demanding he advance to the runoff, took the matter to court, which ruled in his favor, resolving the “crisis” situation)
1991 (primary): Toby Reynolds (I) and Mary Kay Baum (Farm and Factory)
1991 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Sensenbrenner winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1993 (primary): Terry Turnquist (I) and Rich Bogovich (I)
1993 (runoff): Terry Turnquist (I)
1994-1995: 54) Wayne Bigelow (I) – previously served as Common Council President; selected by the common council to complete Sensenbrenner’s term; lost election to a full term; later returned to the common council
1995-1997: 55) Al Matano (Progressive) – former aide to Governor Soglin; previously served on the common council from 1991 to 1995; failed to get much done due to opposition from a majority-moderate common council; lost re-election
1995 (primary): Wayne Bigelow (I), Philip John Schumacher (D) and Todd Hunter (R)
1995 (runoff): Wayne Bigelow (I)
1997-2005: 56) David M. “Dave” Travis (D, b. 1948) – previously served in the state assembly from 1979 to 1997; almost lost in 2003 over his handling of multiple issues including SARS and police precinct reform; retired amid low popularity
1997 (primary): Ray Allen (R)
1997 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Travis winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
1999 (primary): John Hendrick (D)
1999 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Travis winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2001 (primary): Bert G. Zipperer (Progressive) and Will Sandstrom (D)
2001 (runoff): Bert G. Zipperer (Progressive)
2003 (primary): David J. “Dave” Cieslewicz (D, b. 1959) and Will Sandstrom (D)
2003 (runoff): Dave Cieslewicz (D)
2005-2015: 57) Mary Lang-Sollinger (D) – city’s first female mayor; previously served on the common council from 1997 to 2003; moderate; retired
2005 (primary): Dave Cieslewicz (D), Eugene Parks (D)
2005 (runoff): Dave Cieslewicz (D)
2007 (primary): Ray Allen (R), Davy Mayer (I), Peter Munoz (I) and Bridget Maniaci (I)
2007 (runoff): Ray Allen (R)
2009 (primary): Peter Munoz (I)
2009 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Lang-Sollinger winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2011 (primary): Christian Hansen (Green)
2011 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Lang-Sollinger winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2013 (primary): Satya Rhodes-Conway (D, b. 1971), Kyle Szarzynski (I) and Peter Munoz (I)
2013 (runoff): Satya Rhodes-Conway (D)
2015-2017: 58) Scott J. Resnick (D, b. 1986) – co-founded netsite development company; moderate technocrat; previously served on the common council from 2011 to 2013; entered office at the age of 28; lost re-election; later elected to the state House
2015 (primary): Richard V. Brown Sr. (I) and Nick Hart (I)
2015 (runoff): Richard V. Brown Sr. (I)
2017-present: 59) Kelda Helen Roys (D, b. 1979) – city’s second female mayor; progressive; former tech entrepreneur, business owner, and attorney; previously served in the state assembly from 2009 to 2015; incumbent
2017 (primary): Scott J. Resnick (I)
2017 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Roys winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
2019 (primary): Zachary Wood (D), Raj Shukla (I) and Nick Hart (I)
2019 (runoff): Zachary Wood (D)
2021 (primary): Maurice S. Cheeks (D) and Nick Hart (I)
2021 (runoff): not held; unnecessary due to Roys winning more than 50%+1 in the blanket primary
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
TONIGHT’S SNL CASTS PITT AGAINST TYPE IN SEVERAL COMIC SKETCHES
…Recurring Guest Star Brad Pitt demonstrated his comedic acting abilities in tonight’s episode of Saturday Night Live, portraying actor-turned-politician Kelsey Grammer as a professional man surrounded by affable idiots and malicious morons… Guest star Nick Offerman’s spot-on depiction of Vice President Harley Brown is also worthy of praise, given its hilarious accuracy…
– variety.co.usa/tv/reviews, 4/11/2015
Portrayers of the US Presidents on NBC’s Saturday Night Live
Walter Mondale – Chevy Chase (1975-1977), John Belushi (1977-1979), Bill Murray (1979-1980), Patrick Weathers (1980-1981)
Jeremiah Denton – Chevy Chase (as Presidential candidate, 1980), Tim Kazurinsky (1981-1984), Christopher Lee (guest, 1984), Jon Lovitz (1984-1986)
Jack Kemp – John “Tooz” Matuszak (1987-1988), John Belushi (guest, 1988)
Carol Bellamy – Jane Curtin (guest, as Presidential candidate, 1988), Jan Hooks (1989-1993)
Lee Iacocca – Phil Hartman (as Presidential candidate, 1992, and as President 1993-1995)
Larry Dinger – Jim Brewer (1995-1999), Bob Newhart (guest, 2000)
Jesse Jackson – Eddie Murphy (guest, as Presidential candidate, 2000), Tracy Morgan (2002-2003), Kenan Thompson (2003-2009)
Paul Wellstone – Ronald “Horshack” Palillo (guest, 2001), Fred Armisen (as VP, 2002-2009, and as President, 2009-2013)
Kelsey Grammer – rotating guest star lineup (Heath Ledger 2013-2014, Matthew Bomer 2014-2015, Brad Pitt 2015-2016, Woody Harrelson 2016-2017)
– James A. Miller and Tom Shales’ The Comedy Wars: SNL vs. CSTV, Vanguard Publishing, 2016 edition
France, UK, Germany Sign S.P.A.C.E. Accord In Response to McAfee’s “Stardust” Incident
…The multinational “Scientific Planning for Aerodynamic Celestial Exploration” Accord aims to set specific guidelines for establishing international collaborative procedures for all manned outer-space vehicles and satellites. Prominent leaders in the modern Space Age, such as the heads of the space agencies of Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, Japan and Iran, have all called for the U.S. to sign onto the accord…
– The Houston Chronicle, 4/13/2015
…KFC was not the only company concerned about the increasing dominance of Culver’s on the culinary landscape of the Midwest. The fast food restaurant chain has a little bit of competition for everyone. Their butter burgers went up against McDonald’s, Wendyburger, Burger Chef and Whataburger, and their poultry selections put KFC and Popeyes on alert, but places like SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine was also threatened by a siphoning-off of customers due to Culver’s fish menu items, prompting SBUC executives to better strategize where they opened new locations in tandem with new Culver’s locations…
– Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Sunrise Publishers, 2021
“Watch: Henry Paulson Testifies Before Congress (Highlights Reel)”
Run Time: 15min, 3secs
Description: The US House Commerce Committee hearing concerns allegations that both former Federal Reserve Chair Henry Paulson and former US Commerce Secretary R. Severin Fuld sought to hide the signs of the recession by downplaying its seriousness, and cause it to be worse than it could have been by not doing anything at all to minimize its impact.
– video uploaded to OurVids.co.can, a video-sharing netsite, on 4/15/2015
I met up with my contact in the backroom a blacksmith shop in Moroka, seedy and sweaty little bush-country town, clinging for dear life on the edge of the Tati River five miles away from the Zimbabwe border. I gave the password to the guards, who nodded approvingly and stepped away from the door. With not too much haste – never make sudden moves around jumpy idiots with submachine guns – I slipped in to greet ol’ Vik. “Good to see you’re still alive.”
“That cop’s bullet had my vest’s name on it,” he shrugged off his most recent near-brush with law enforcement. In his defense, it does come with the job, after all. But Viktor was much than just your typical everyday gun smuggler. Viktor Anatolyevich Bout was one of the most prominent Russian arms dealer of the post-FARC era. Born in 1967 in Tajik SSR, this big fish had earned the nickname “The Merchant of Death” by operating his own air transport companies for both legal and illegal services. He had been involved in smuggling ever since he was 17, when the USSR collapsed; he made a living smuggling local weapons out to places like Africa and North Korea before moving his base of operations to post-Volkov Russia and expanding his business from there.
“I hear you’re getting around the embargoes from the capital,” I said to the former “kingmaker” for the Colombian Civil War. Smuggling arms to FARC had turned out to be the apex of his career, as the success of the peace process cost him millions and caused him to look for purchasers elsewhere.
“You now smuggling diamonds?” He asked inquisitively.
“No, but diamond smugglers often need protection.”
He nodded, “Some of my friends may need guns. How many do you think they’ll need.”
We talked price; I started high. “Ten?”
“Two.”
“Seven.”
“Six.”
I hesitated, “Six-point-five.”
He tilted his head up while keeping his eyes on me, “Need the money that bad, huh?”
“You know how it is, Vic. What do you say. For old times?”
“Six-point-five, and throw in some uzis for half their price.”
“Deal.”
Just as we were about to shake on it, we heard two foomp-like sounds outside the door, like someone had simultaneously dropped two buckets full of laundry. Then we heard the door unlock. I asked, “Were you expecting someone else today?”
“Not until 2:30.”
“It is 2:30.”
“I work on Russia time. I’m an hour ahead of–”
The next sounds were heard were the crashing cacophony of the door swinging wildly out and the shouting of several armed officers filling up the room. They ordered us down on the ground, hands up and behind our heads. Just before a group of the hellhounds swarmed onto me to force me to taste the dusty floor, I exchanged a glance with Viktor. He looked surprised, a bit disappointed in his guards – which we later learned were 'tranqed' out by snipers – and scared that, this time, in this place, this third-world country still at war with itself, partially thanks to people like us, we were not going to get acquitted no matter how much bribing was done. Judging by the way he looked at me, he saw the same expressions wash over my mug as well.
It was only after being handcuffed and blindfolded did I realize that these officers were not local, but were from the group of authorities that I had feared the most since the beginning of my career – they were INTERPOL!
– Tommy Gun Thompson’s With Cold, Dead Eyes: A Gun Runner’s Confessions, Borders Books, 2015
The Cairo Protocol is an international treaty which extends regulations and procedures originally laid out in the 1995 Kiev Protocol, which aimed to combat Global Climate Disruption via its signatories committing to a years-long plan to reduce greenhouse gas (/carbon) emissions. This protocol reinforced the commitment, adjusted timetables and regulations, and reestablished international cooperation. It was adopted in Cairo, Egypt on December 10, 2014, and was opened for signature four months later…
…The US signed the Protocol on April 22, 2015, during the Grammer Presidency. In order for the treaty to become binding, it had to be approved by the US Senate, which was split evenly between the Democratic and Republican parties, 52-52, with Vice President Brown’s vote breaking ties in favor of the latter party. Most Senate Republicans joined the Vice President in strongly opposing ratification on the grounds of it possibly harming America’s independence, with Brown stating that “America is mature enough to handle its own problems; we don’t need people on a whole other continent telling us how to run our own country!” A majority of these Senators, and the VP, publicly stated that they believed that greenhouse gases/carbon emissions wee, at least, “contributing factors” to the record-breaking worldwide temperature increases, but behind closed doors, many of those same politicians expressed doubt, with Brown allegedly once stating “I’ve driven all over this country and it still amazes me how so enormously huge it is. How can human activity have such major effects on something so vast?”
With 69 (2/3rds of 104) votes being needed, Grammer broke with his party yet again to join the 52 Senate Democrats in calling for 17 Republicans to vote in favor of ratification. Soon, nine Republican Senators (Snowe, Woods, Heinz, Fortuno, Marriott, Granger, Cafferata, Stenberg and Williams) announced their support for the treaty. By April 2015, the main talking point for anti-treaty Republicans was China’s open reluctance to sign onto the treaty. Grammer’s retort (“So you think we should be just as bad and just as wrong as the Chinese?”) was allegedly said to Senators Hatch, Holloway and Bachus at a private White House meeting in mid-April. Soon after said meeting, Grammar gave a short speech at a White House press briefing on April 16th, not to denounce Republican Senators holding back the treaty, but instead to denounce China for leading the world in pollution rates. The biting critique satisfied the conservatives in the party, and is credited with encouraging 9 more Republican Senators (Hatch, Holloway, Bachus, Wold, Dole, Gatsas, Bilirakis, Rammel, and Bilbao) to announce their support for the treaty, making for 70 Senators in total. Grammer signed onto the Cairo Protocol six days after the press speech.
– clickopedia.co.usa
Reporter Marilyn WALLMAN: “As you can see by the closed offices behind me, the parliamentary squabble over the latest funding bill is impacting even the tourism department. Prime Minister Varvaris swears he will reach an agreement with the opposition soon, but without a passed budget, this office can’t afford to stay open indefinitely. For further insight into this, here with me is the floor manager for Australia’s Trafalgar Travel, a travel agency that is not run by the government, Mr. Morrison. So, Mr. Morrison.”
Manager Scotty MORRISON: “Please, call me Scotty.”
WALLMAN: “Alright, Scotty. What do you think about the government needing to close allegedly extraneous departments? Do you think this crisis will last longer than just a week, like the Prime Minister has promised?”
MORRISON: “Well, first off, I think Varvaris is trying not to be booted out of office by his party, that’s why he’s promising a week, to buy himself some time. But now that he’s done that, he’s locked into it, so he’s probably going to have to concede someone to break it, else he could face a leadership challenge or something, because this is ridiculous. I mean, it’s good for some business, but given the shutdowns here and elsewhere of certain government parks, this is got to be costing us more and more money every day. And let me say this, I’ve lived in Australia all my life – my family roots go back to the First Fleet, in fact – and I’ve worked in the tourist industry for most of my life. I never made to the top, not yet anyway, but I’m a good manager because I pay attention to things, and I have to say this – never have I ever seen something as irresponsible as this.”
– Nine News, Australian TV service, 4/23/2015 broadcast
THE GAME-CHANGING RAMIFICATIONS OF THE MCAFEE TRIAL
…Because NASA is headquartered in Potomac, and McAfee traveled to the I.S.S. in a shuttleplane owned by NASA, the case falls under Potomac jurisdiction, regardless of McAfee’s official residence being in Tennessee. The case is being presided over by Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield…
…This case is unprecedented in that it centers on the first-ever alleged crime to occur in space. A US criminal jurisdiction applies to the case because space, much like the high seas, is considered “res communis,” or “common to all” – belonging to all and to none. Thus, no country can claim it, but governments can hold their own citizens accountable for actions in space. Entering new legal territory, this case could establish a precedence for future protocols ahead of space tourism and increased military and commercial activities in space, trends which are projected to begin to occur in the next few decades...
…Disagreeable or offensive smells may nauseate astronauts and put missions at risk because smells are intensified in the confined space and heat of the I.S.S.’s closed environment, making it difficult to eliminate odors once they are introduced. Furthermore, by McAfee getting high during his visit, he jeopardized his own ability to properly operate his space suit, putting the life of himself in danger as well as risking the lives of others on board…
– popularmechanics.co.usa/space/news, 4/24/2015
25 April 2015: on this day in history, a severe earthquake strikes Nepal, killing roughly 8,100 people; rescue operators save the lives of 40 people in the hours that follow as collapsed buildings are dug out from snowy avalanches triggered by the seismic activity.
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
MEDGAR EVERS DIES AT 89
…the prominent Civil Rights activist was the progressive mayor of Decatur, Mississippi during the 1970s, and ran for the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat in 1984; had he won that nomination, it would have pitted him against future VP James Meredith. …Medgar publicly clashed with his more conservative brother, former mayor of Fayette, MS and 1980 presidential candidate Charles Evers, on multiple occasions in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s over political philosophy. However, both put their political differences aside during family gatherings, a friend of the Evers family tells us anonymously… Medgar is survived by his wife Myrlie and their five children, all of whom were reportedly at his bedside when he passed away from natural causes…
– The Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi newspaper, 4/29/2015
IRAQI VOTERS ELECT AL-SHAHRISTANI, REJECTING DIVISIVE INCUMBENT
…Iraq elected its Presidents by a Council of Representatives by a 2/3rds majority until the implementation of an Electorate College election system based indirectly on US presidential elections via 1990-1991 reforms. Earlier today, that process was on full display as the incumbent President, the controversial Nouri al-Maliki (b. 1950), lost his bid for a second term by a margin of almost 15%. Said election’s winner, and thus the man who will be sworn into office on the eighth of May, is Hussain al-Shahristani (b. 1942) of the ASU (“Pro-West” faction). He defeated al-Malik exceptionally, while Ali al-Adeeb of the Dawa Party only received 5.1% of the vote…
…After winning the Presidency in 2009 over Ayad Allawi of the ASU’s “Pro-West” faction and Rafi Hiyad al-Issawi of the National Gathering Party, the conservative politician al-Maliki immediately began trying and failing to reverse several popular social programs and regulations. Under al-Maliki, Iraqi relations with Israel were at their worst in over 40 years, which caused problems for the nation’s economy during the Unlucky Recession. While the outgoing President has not conceded and has announced that he is contesting the results, most political analysts in Iraq believe that little will come from the queries due to the sheer size of Al-Maliki’s his “landslide” loss...
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 1/5/2015
…seven years after their last manned moon mission, the Middle East has still hesitant to venture back out into the stars. The Saudi Arabian space agency was lacking self-confidence through most of its personnel. Successfully sending people a mission to the moon was one thing, but the death of one crew member and the serious injury of the Crown Prince onboard upon re-entry was another matter altogether. The scene had been understandably shocking, and the leaders of the Saudi Arabian space agency believed that indefinitely suspending manned travel was the right call. NASA, meanwhile, offered an olive branch in order to make up for openly questioning the validity of their lunar mission, then-Governor Harley Brown even openly stating his belief that the mission was a “publicity stunt” of sorts. Due to this, and due to Chinese public interest in space exploration beginning to rise, NASA offered to let the Iranians and Saudis space agencies make major contributions to the construction of a Sustain Orbital Gateway, which would be, essentially, a drone hub for robots on the Moon and a pit stop” for Marstronauts passing by on their way to the Red Planet. Both the Iranians and Saudis space agencies agreeing to the construction proposal gave hope to the possibility that US would soon return its gaze to the stars...
– Madawi al-Rasheed’s The History of Modern Saudi Arabia, Sunrise Books, 2019 edition
MCMILLAN SIGNS LANDMARK “REASONABLE CAUSE” EVICTION BILL INTO LAW!
– The New York Times, 5/5/2015
VARVARIS OFFICIALLY SIGNS OFF OF ON 2015-2016 BUDGET, ALLOWING SEVERAL FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS TO RESUME AT FULL CAPACITY
– The Canberra Times, Australian newspaper, 5/8/2015
…As Botswana’s Revolutionary War began to wind down, temporary tribal alliances helped to unify the revolutionary forces dismantling the country’s corrupt system from the ground up, with one military leader, a diamond mine worker-turned-lieutenant commander, famously saying “more evil blood than good blood is being spilled here today” on May 9… Meanwhile, the reeling government forces lost unity, territory, and foreign backup as the days and weeks of fighting continued on. The apparent success of the government overthrow made congressional war hawks like Milton Wolf (R-KS) bitterly criticized President Grammer for not doing more to defend the capitalist and pro-American government, once saying in a speech on the floor of the US House “corruption alone cannot make a government worthy of being overthrown. You do not throw out the baby with the bathwater!”…
– Walter Allen McDougall’s The Promise And Potential of US Foreign Policy In The 21st Century, Dove Books, 2019
GRAMMER SIGNS REVISED SPENDING BILL
[pic: imgur.com/o4aqIdU.png ]
– clickopedia or The Boston Globe, 5/10/2015
Former Deliberation Committee member Chris PETHERICK: “The Electoral Trust is reviewing several petitions and proposals, but Electoral College reform is dominating the civilian efforts. And it seems the EC Reform movement is slowly shifting in favor of Ranked Choice Voting, but it’s very likely that it won’t be fixed in time for the 2016 election.”
Panelist Ana NAVARRO: “Okay, interesting, now why is that?”
PETHERICK: “It’s just how the system is set up, right, Senator Gravel.”
US Senator Mike GRAVEL (D-CA): “Yes and no. Yes, because the process is designed to avoid flavor-of-month ideas to be passed in the heat of the moment, allowing the idea to stick around long enough for everyone to gather a clear understanding of its positive and negative attributes. No, because the processed could be sped up by congress simply passing a law reforming the EC upon viewing the Hearing Records and Deliberation Committee reports. But since they won’t do that, you’re basically right, Chris.”
NAVARRO: “So, the pace of this it’s a good thing.”
GRAVEL: “Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how forgetful people are. The farther we get from the 2008 and 2012 elections, the higher the number of people that simply forget about them.”
PETHERICK: “Oh, I agree. This relatively slow process could hurt the momentum of the EC Reform movement because tend to focus more on the present than on the past. People are already starting to forget about the 2012 election and already many people have forgotten about the 2008 election because people move on. But we’ve got to remind them to fix the EC before they do so, and before it happens again.”
NAVARRO: “Well, maybe the Electoral College will be reform in time for 2020 election.”
GRAVEL: “Maybe. Remember, before UHC was passed in 1990, we had been discussing it since the early 1970s, so if a new voting process gets implemented in time for the 2020, it will actually be impressively fast, relatively and contextually-speaking.”
PETHERICK: “Yeah, I agree, but I also think we can keep it in public discourse until that time comes, though. Even if it takes until 2020, we can keep it relevant by continuing to discuss the importance of utilizing the N.I.A. to bring attention to it, and by discussing it on important, major, wide-reaching platforms such as this one.”
GRAVEL: “Was that a shameless plug?”
PETHERICK: “It wasn’t shameless.”
NAVARRO: “Ha-ha, well, um, this Ranked Choice Voting idea certainly is getting attention on the technet, where many are claiming that RCV is far too complicated for under-educated Americans.”
GRAVEL: “Possibly, but that’s why people have to access all voting literature and helpful voting material that’s out there on the technet in the first place.”
PETHERICK: “Yeah, and besides, RCV is still much better than a direct popular two-round system or a congressional delegation allocation system because the RCV would not fundamentally change voting habits in a negative way. And its instant-runoff ability is superior to the second round repeat system because its less costly in regards to both time and money!”
GRAVEL: “And don’t forget about the other glaring problem with the CDA system – gerrymandering. If politicians didn’t work tirelessly to choose their voters before, under a CDA system the gerrymandering would be taken up to eleven!”
NAVARRO: “But don’t the Democrats oppose gerrymandering?”
GRAVEL: “Only when they aren’t the ones gerrymandering, Ana.”
– Kennedy News Network, roundtable discussion, 5/11/2015
12 May 2015: on this day in history, a major earthquake strikes Nepal, merely weeks after a severe one struck the region. Due to prior evacuations, houses still damaged, cleanup and emergency personnel still working, and a less severe magnitude, the seismic activity only kills 92 people.
[pic: imgur.com/MMrFMAn.png ]
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
List of Monarchs of Nepal
[snip]
1972-2014: Birendra Bir Bikram Shah (1945-2014, aged 68) – oversaw the nation shift to being a constitutional monarchy in 1990; defeated a Maoist coup attempt in 1998; died from heart failure
2014-present: Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah (b. 1978, age 37) – was next in line to the throne after his older brother Dipendra committed suicide in 2002
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2015
GRAMMER SIGNS SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS’ RIGHTS BILL INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 5/18/2015
JULIETTE PARKER ELECTED MAYOR OF COLORADO SPRINGS: Former Homeless Person Unseats Incumbent In Stunning Political Upset
– The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado newspaper, side article, 5/19/2015
Mayors of COLORADO SPRINGS
1975-1979: 36) Lawrence “Larry” Ochs (I, 1924-2003) – former businessman; began serving on the city council in 1967; became Vice Mayor in 1970; the last mayor to be elected by City Council rather than popular vote; worked aggressively to expand business opportunities for the city; retired
1979-1985: 37) Robert Michael “Bob” Isaac (R, 1928-2008) – of Syrian Christian descent; former math teacher and law firm partner; previously worked as an assistant district attorney for the Fourth Judicial District of Colorado in 1965 and 1966, as a judge for the Colorado Springs Municipal Court from 1966 to 1969, and as a city councilman from 1975 to 1979; city’s first-ever popularly-elected mayor; “during his tenure, KVUU radio aired a daily drive-time segment called ‘Stump Mayor Bob,’ in which the DJs would call the mayor's office and ask him trivia questions” [source: his wiki article!]; resigned for a higher-paying position in the Denton administration’s Justice Department
1979: Myron H. “Mike” Pike (I) and Ken Curtis (I)
1983: Frederic J. “Fred” Weber (I) and Thomas C. “Tom” Fisher (I)
1985-1985: 38) Leon Young (I) – city’s first African-American mayor; selected by city council to succeed Mayor Isaac; lost election to complete the 1983-1987 mayoral term
1985-1991: 39) Cheryl D. Gillaspie (R) – city’s first female mayor; conservative; former business owner and political donor; known for carrying a pistol in public; lost re-election
1985 (special): Mary Ellen McNally (I), Leon Young (I) and Frederic J. “Fred” Weber (I)
1987: Joseph Jones (I)
1991-2003: 40) Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Makepeace (R, b. 1940) – city’s second female mayor; previously worked as a caseworker and non-profit director; previously served on the city council from 1985 to 1999; promoted child rights, elder care, and beautification projects; known for her open, innovative, and unifying leadership; term-limited by an opposition-led city referendum in 2001; ran for Lieutenant Governor as an Independent in 2006 despite not officially leaving the GOP to oppose the “Goetzite” Republican nominee that year; later served in the U.S. House from Colorado’s 3rdd district from 2017 to 2021
1991: Cheryl D. Gillaspie (R)
1995: Jeff Valdez (I)
1999: Will Perkins (R)
2003-2011: 41) Sallie Clark (R) – former business owner; previously served on the city council from 1999 to 2003
2003: Ted Eastburn (I)
2007: Mike Coletta (I)
2011-2015: 42) Charles Fowler (R) – former businessman; previously served on the city council 2005 to 2011; was a close ally of Mayor Clark; conservative; lost re-election in an upset
2011: Kenneth Paul Duncan (I)
2015-present: 43) Juliette Parker (I) – former “army brat” and former homeless person; previously worked as a small business owner and as a nonprofit organizer; supports fiscal responsibility and vocational education; ran a successful grassroots campaign against an “establishment” incumbent; currently working to combat the root causes of homelessness; incumbent
2015: Charles Fowler (R)
2019: Brian Bahr (R) and Lawrence Martinez (I)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
…Spurred on by Marin cutting funding to the military in the midst of the 2013-2014 economic recession sweeping Europe, many within the military junta soon found its civilian leader to have an unrealistic understanding of their nation’s military capabilities. Blaming Marin’s socialist policies and the nations of Greece, Turkey and Romania for Bulgaria’s economic woes, Volen Siderov wanted to send jets bomb Thessaloniki, Bucharest and Ankara “as a trilogy of warning shot.” This military leaders knew this would lead to those three nations quickly mobilizing of forces, bringing them to war. Only some of them, however, were aware of just how truly outdated their firepower was, and found Siderov’s notion to “use a lot of ammo to compensate for any problems” to be absolutely ridiculous. The plan to have other cities being hit by Bulgarian fighter jets was soon leaked to certain members of the nation’s parliament…
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
“…We can now confirm reports that the Bulgarian military junta that took control of that nation’s capital earlier this year has been overthrown in a counter-coup lead by prominent technocratic members of the Bulgarian National Assembly and several anti-Siderov soldiers within the military…”
– BBC World News, 25/5/2015 broadcast
…Marin was reinstated, Siderov was sentenced to life in prison for treason, and a massive crackdown on the military began to sniff out everyone in the armed forces who had particiated in or had supported the February Coup…
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
BROWN APOLOGIZES FOR HIS LATEST “HARLEYISM”
…The Vice President told the joke, “Jewish men get circumcised because Jewish women won’t touch anything that’s not at least 20% off” [4] to a gathering of reporters outside the US Senate Chamber two weeks ago, shortly after Brown casted a tie-breaking vote that in favor of a Republican bill to extend federal regulations but lower fines for littering in national parks… In today’s statement, Brown announced “sometime a joke of mine may be construed by those of a gentle nature, a sensitive disposition or the young, to be offensive, shocking, or even obscene. To them, I apologize. To the rest of my fellow citizens who understood that the comment was in jest, the backlash highlights the need for us all to be more honest and straightforward with one another instead of deceiving each other and ourselves. Dishonesty in any of its forms and any encroachment whatsoever upon our sacred right to free speech is nothing more than bondage to fear. I believe that this or any other form of unwanted bondage is repugnant and do hereby announce that I hold it in great contempt. [5]”…
– The Boston Globe, 5/30/2015
“Your majesty, I hope everything was to your satisfaction,” President Grammer said the royal visitor upon the completion of dinner. The dishes of the stately meal had all been rooted in Laotian tradition, but given an American spin her and there to highlight the theme of the trip – the strengths of close US and Laotian relations. Naturally, KFC was also served.
At 83, King Vong Savang of Laos had no time for lengthy monologues, and so responded bluntly, “I was. I again thank you for welcoming us into your home.”
“It was pleasure, sir, but the White House is not my home. I may live here, but its true owners are the 328 million citizens of America.”
“I see. Well, then you can tell the landlords that I enjoyed the visit,” the octogenarian ruler smiled with sincere glee.
As Grammar had wanted, the visit had taken the President and his VIP visitor beyond the Beltway. Over the span of three days, the two had traveled across the US, starting in Seattle to speak before the Laotian-American community there, complete with a trip to the “Little Laos” district and media outlets joking that Dr. Frasier had again returned to his home town. Next, the two visited Wichita Kansas, impressing the King with the sheer vastness of the Great Plains and the electric, wind and solar power systems strewn across it over the past several years, and allowing Grammer to check in on a state that had almost voted Democratic in 2012. Then the tour came to New York City to inspect the latest opportunities capitalism has to offer people and businesses, and partake in more American culture and cuisine. The tour came to a close in D.C. with a welcomed “sleepover” stay at the White House.
At the end of the trip, Grammer turned to his second-in-command Harley Brown and said, “And that is his how you make an ally.”
Indeed, Grammer and Laos’ Prime Minister would sign a major trade deal three months later…
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
POTUS SIGNS CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT INTO EFFECT
– The Washington Post, 6/4/2015
…The company’s decision to expand farther into Africa did not stop at South Africa and Morocco. KFC’s CEO decided to be even bolder, and offered to open one small dine-in outlet in the capital of the new nation of South Sudan. The country’s leaders saw the notion as an offering of goodwill, and as an opportunity to develop the new nation’s struggling economic markets in a way that did not “threaten our national identity” given that this particular KFC would be donned in the local colors instead of its iconic red-and-white stripes, marking the first time in 55 years that a standalone KFC waived the uniform look. This shake-up in building appearance would later be replicated in KFC outlets in other nations as well; in fact, at the time of this book’s publications, roughly 20% of KFC outlets found outside the US maintain building facades closer to local designs than to the standard one… KFC-South Sudan opened in Juba on June 5, 2015…
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
DRUMSTICKS AND DEMOCRACY: Northup’s Latest Studies How The Colonel Still Effects The Nation Today
…Anne Meagher Northup’s Chicken and Politickin’: the Rise of Colonel Sanders and Rational Conservatism in the Republican Party, examines and analyzes Colonel Sanders’ impact on fast food culture, the US Presidency, the Republican Party, and world trends during his life, and how those impacts still reverberate is modern times...
[pic: imgur.com/TS3vidz.png ]
– The New York Times, book review section, 6/6/2015
“..The totals were astounding to these researchers: no more than 10% of all applicants had been approved for state-level welfare programs in the state of Mississippi. The state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program had rejected most welfare applicants under former Governor Hudson Holliday, and incumbent current Governor Martha Rainville, a Republican. Governor Rainville isn’t running for a second term amid low approval ratings, which are only getting lower in the midst of this growing scandal…”
– KNN News, 6/7/2015 report
MILLS: Republican politics often sing the praises of not just President Saunders but the company he founded as well. Did has led to the occasional news story about some KFC employee posting some controversial and wildly partisan comment ontech. These have in turn led to claims that KFC harbors a cult-like workplace environment. Does KFC have a cult problem?
YOHE: I don’t think so. Low-key, there is a connection to the GOP, but it is the opposite of what those ex-employees have professed. That particular party loves us more. For example: ever since the days of the Colonel Sanders Presidency, in nearly every Republican administration, nearly every time there is a major celebration at the White House, KFC is served or offered somewhere. Kemp, Iacocca, Dinger, and now Grammer. So KFC has affected White House planning but the GOP does not affect KFC’s actions as a business.
MILLS: But does the GOP impact the company workplace-wise?
YOHE: We often enjoyed working with any administration, gubernatorial or federal-level regardless of political party, but workplace culture? Maybe. I mean, most who work for us are simply not political; they aren’t into politics because it’s not a part of the job to be political. We serve anyone and everywhere. But, I have to say, I worked at that company for decades, starting at the bottom even though my Dad was a big player in the company even then, and I worked up to middle and to the top. And, I’ve got to say, of those who were openly political during my time there, nearly all at the very top were Republican. I’d say half didn’t care; they cared about the food – you know, the whole point of the company – more than about who liked us more than others. About a quarter of my branch of the KFC family, for example, were independent, about 20% of them were Republican, most of which were avidly Republican, and about 5% were openly Democrat.
MILLS: So were Democrats intimidated into not espousing their views, or do most Democrats simply not apply at FLG because they are discouraged from working there?
YOHE. No, there’s a difference between affiliation and the reality of things. Yes, KFC has become associated with the GOP. It has become as much a symbol of their party as the elephant, similar to how a painted tree has become a symbol for Democrats thanks to the ascension of Bob Ross. But I worked at the top for ten years, and we didn’t care if you were a Democrat because half the country is Democrats, and shutting out half a country is never good for business. Why ever would any company shy away from so many potential customers?
– Former CEO of FLG Inc.’s Smoky Mountain Bbq Steakhouse (2005-2015) David Yohe and a Reporter, Tumbleweed Magazine, 6/8/2015 interview
…In the early summer of 2015, Vice President Harley Brown began calling for the US to pull out of the World Court, also known as the UN International Court of Justice. Initially, the US refused to ratify its protocol, but still had a jurist on the bench, until President Jesse Jackson got the US into it thanks to the huge to Democrats controlling the US Senate 63-37 in 2005. In private discussions with his VP, Grammer seemed supportive of the notion that the UN should not influence the US’s handling of judicial affairs…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SAYS PRESIDENT SHOULD RESIGN
…Speaker of the Vietnam National Assembly and unofficial opposition leader Dang Thi Ngoc Dung of Saigon, b. 1978, is joining the voices calling for President Viet D. Dinh to step down amid corruption claims…
– Tuoi Tre News, United Vietnam newspaper, 6/10/2015
BEZOS’ BOLD PLANS FOR BOT HUB
…NASA Director Bezos has just taken us one step closer to building a robot hub on the moon by obtaining for the administration a $25million donation from South African ore mining billionaire Elon Musk. …Shuttleplanes and the I.S.S. will play vital roles in the launching of a lunar orbiter. …Once operational, the S.O.G.’s robots can potentially carry out long-term experiments on the moon, explore its poles and Dark Side, and even dig deeper than ever before in order to learn more about Earth’s sole natural satellite...
– popularscience.co.usa, 6/14/2015
“I know the Demowusses have got a new talking point lately, they’re complaining about how expensive military uniforms are: gloves, rifle mags, helmets, night vision on helmets, plates and plate carriers, rifle, scope, camo clothing, pouches, it all adds up in the end. But you know what? You pay for what you get – it’s either expensive gear to help our soldiers, or cheap gear to help an enemy’s soldiers. But to their credit, I have always supported the libertarian proposal to have it so that a state’s militia reports exclusively to that state’s governor, and that all of their material, supplies and equipment falls under state jurisdiction, away from the fingers of the feds, so they can’t charge taxes for them. That would certainly lower federal taxes.
But, then again, Democrats love taxes. Their motto is basically ‘Work hard, chumps – millions on welfare depend on it!’ Yeah, the Democrats complain about our tax policies, then come this close to violating the BBA and creating a constitutional crisis. They’re hella confused – a lot of ’em need Jesus. They need to reject stupidity and embrace the glory of God. Yeah, that’s why it’s so important to keep up good relations with the people of the Middle East. Jesus was born there. He wasn’t born elsewhere. He wasn’t born in some place like India or China or Poland. We definitely know for a fact that Jesus was not born in Poland because nobody has ever found three wise men or a virgin in Poland” [6]
– Vice President Harley Brown at a televised political fundraiser hosted by the Family Research Council, 6/19/2015
“You really messed things up this time, Harley,” the White House Chief of Staff shook her head with a tired look of disapproval. The administration’s staff had gone into overtime trying to minimize the fallout to Brown’s comments the previous day, calling up news stations to keep track of how fall the comments were spreading and cling on firefighter as two hearings ago..
“I was just trying to liven up the room. Ralph Reed is such a stick in the mud. And that Dobson fella looked like he was dead,” Harley defended himself, “It was just a joke!”
“To you, yes, but to others it struck a nerve. There are 38 million people in Poland and if Polish social media and all the Polish officials denouncing you ontech are any indication, you’ve just upset all of them.”
“Not to mention all the Christians in this country complaining that you were insulting and belittling Jesus,” Grammar slowly exhaled as he flexed his fingers around a stress ball, squeezing it at a quickening pace.
“What?” That’s ridiculous. Don’t they know me? I’m one of God’s biggest fans!”
“Alright, that’s it!” President Grammar spoke up, slamming the ball against his desk as he rose from his chair to stand in front of Brown.
“Harley, oh, my dear Harley, you know I support people being themselves, but do you think you can try to not offend large swaths of the world population? I mean, for God’s sake, man! You are the Vice President of the United States, you’re not some semi-sentient simian from the sticks.”
Grammer’s Chief of State pressed her counterpart, VP Brown’s Chief of Staff “Viper” Kelly, to give the two politicians some room.
“I don’t filter, Kelsey,” answered Brown. “I don’t do fancying modern etiquette-type things like censoring myself.”
“This isn’t just about you, Harley! It’s about common courtesy, and about what one’s actions indicate about their own self-respect. And it reflects poorly not just one you, Harley Davidson Brown, but on this whole administration. Don’t you realize that you are causing so much damage sullying our reputation that party leaders are saying I should find a different running mate?”
To this, Harley was surprised, as he had apparently not heard of the recent discussions. “What?”
“Party leaders are saying that if I had to drop you from the ticket, replace you with someone just a religious but way less self-destructive, this White House’s approval ratings would skyrocket faster than the Milestone and Seeker!”
Harley thought for a moment before proclaiming firmly, “I won’t change who I am. And if I did decide to change, I don’t think I’d be able to.”
Grammar groaned, “You don’t have to change who you are. You just clean up your act. It’s not censorship, its common sense. You don’t swear at other people’s children, you don’t cry ‘fire’ in a fire-free place, and you don’t crack off-hand religion jokes about the Polish at a religious event. What next, you’re going to make fun of Jewish people at the Holocaust Museum in New York?!”
“No, no,” the Vice President crinkled his brow and shook his head; for the first time in his life, with the threat of being dropped from the 2016 making the situation very real for the VP, Harley felt a bit frightened of Kelsey Grammer.
“Just, please, Harley, just go out there and do your best to apologize. Fix this burnt bridge. And just…cut the crap already.” [1]
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
[pic: imgur.com/auVGHSh.png ]
– VP Harley Brown speaking to reporters outside Number One Observatory Circle, the official residence of the VP of the US, apologizing for past remarks while trying to keep the moment lighthearted, 6/21/2015
Helloooo, fellooow technetters! Hizzy McHugh coming at you with the word on the latest fast-food phases and crazes. And in this video, we’re lookin’ at the reasons behind the surprisingly intense connection that some NBA teams have with certain Pizza brands.
You ever notice that, ever since the late 1990s, the NBA has been increasingly sponsoring up with various pizza companies? There’s a reason for it, and it actually has to do with something we’ve covered in series many times before – a little thing called health science. But don’t click away, friends – as always, I’m bringing it to ya bit by bit and in a fun way.
See, back in 2004, as part of a series of articles covering the NBA in the post-pandemic era, Business Insider let out a little secret. According to the article, the bromance between the teams of the National Basketball Association and various Pizza brands – ranging from prominent names like Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, Boston’s, Domino’s Pizza, Figaro’s, Pizza Corner, Eatza Pizza, Sbarro, Marco’s Pizza, and Toppings Galore, to smaller chains like Pizza Haven, Pizza Shack and Papa Murphy’s – began during the 1994-1995 NBA season, when Malik Sealy of the Indiana Pacers got to craving some extra cheese pizza right before the start of the Conference Semifinals. Convincing the team to order a pizza before the game, the team performed better than expected, resulting in fellow teammate Reg Miller demanding they start a habit of eating pizza before every game that season. And as it turned out, that season was their best in over a decade, as they made it not only all the way to the Conference Finals, but they won the NBA Finals that season as well! This surprise success bolstered the rising rumor that pizza was the key to better player performance.
Ever since that season, more and more NBA teams have begun to swear by the combination of cheese, bread and sauce, claiming the slices boost player performances on the court. Some teams reportedly even have their staff order pizza and have them on stand-by for when they start losing a game, and some teams even compare their performances against the pizza brands they eat before each game. No joke! Or...is it? Because if pizza equals mad court skills, how come my pimple-covered adolescent self was terrible at Phys Ed no matter how many pepperonis I stuffed into my face?
Maybe it’s just typical sportsball superstition, like the claim that the curse from a goat kept the Cubs from winning the World Series until 1984, or the Curse of the Colonel Sanders Statue. But the placebo effect – as previously covered in this video here – is well known for giving competitors an edge time and again. So maybe this is all just in their heads? Because from a dietary standpoint, pizza just can’t be the optimal food choice for million-dollar basketball players, right? It just can’t be. Right?
Well, let’s find out. Let’s break it down, and if there is merit, let’s find out quickly, before everyone is eating pizza, which would make the playing field even again and make this entire video be pretty much moot and pointless.
First off, according to this source here, NBA players, due to muscle mass and energy exuded, most often consume roughly around 3,750 calories a day, practically and basically double the amount an average person consumes, so let’s work the math from there. According to financialwizard.co, the average plain cheese pizza has around 250 calories. According to Malik Sealy in a 2005 interview, and according to a 2010 report found here, the most popular pizza chains among NBA players are Pizza Hut (which offers up 240 calories in its 12-inch plain cheese medium pan pizza), Little Caesar’s (which has 148 calories per slice of plain cheese), Boston’s (with its 200 calories per plain cheese slice), and Domino’s Pizza, which is most popular among the Pacers. An entire 10-inch cheese pizza from Domino's has 1,140 calories if you opt for the standard hand-tossed pizza. If you get a thin crust pizza, calories drop down to 800 for the whole pizza. A regular slice of cheese pizza has 190 calories [7]. So consuming three whole pizza from Domino’s would make up 100% of a typical NBA player’s daily calorie intake – which is a hypothetical for these calculations on the screen here, I’m not saying their downing entire pies over in the NBA – but then again, I’m not in the NBA, so I can’t personally verify that.
Anyway, here’s a breakdown of what exactly they would need so much off-court pizza for – these athletes need protein to help their muscles recharge between games, and they need energy for bursts of movement on the court.
But, as you can see by the chart here, not all pizzas are created equal. It may be possible that consuming a pizza can improve game performance, but it depends on the pizza – more specifically, the ingredients, not so much the brand. What you need is the right bread, the right tomato, and the right cheese – and possibly even certain toppings can help, too.
Now, bread has carbohydrates, and the body’s main source of energy is carbs. White bread, though, is a high glycemic index food, meaning it raises blood glucose levels quickly because the body can break down their type of carbs very quickly, absorbing them into the bloodstream and giving you energy pretty much immediately. So bread equals energy, which may explain why the Boston Celtic’s Reggie Lewis said in a 2011 interview that he hates stuffed crust, telling the interviewer, ‘You need that extra bread for energy, don’t you hollow it out.’ You heard the man – Reggie Lewis has spoken! Anyway, my point is that if you want to get a quick burst of energy, eat bread high on the glycemic food chart, such as white bread and these types of bread on this chart here.
Meanwhile, low glycemic index food means the food takes longer to digest, so the energy you need to get from it shows up later than the energy from the bread – such as, say, later on in a basketball game.
Furthermore, the ingredients found in a plain cheese pizza contain enough protein to help you with muscle recovery and can help you to replenish the sodium, which athletes lose a lot of from all the sweating they do on the court. To sum it up, pizza has the carbs to give you energy on the court, protein content to help your muscles, and sodium make up for sodium lost from sweating.
Huh. So I guess there really is something to the partnerships between certain NBA teams and certain pizza chains. It’s not just the mutual financial profits that has led to the Chicago Bulls and Pizza Hut, the Milwaukee Bucks and Figaro’s, and the Boston Celtics and Boston’s Pizza pairing up.
But like these charts show, it depends on what kind of pizza it is. And the quest to determine the best pizza has seemingly become an obsession for some teams. It certainly explains why the entourage for the NJ Nets make sure they have a pizza buffet ahead of every game, and I mean they have a massive operation: a decked-out layout of pizzas – gluten free, vegan, whole wheat, you name it, they’ve got it – and they even offer players pizza-flavored pancakes, oatmeal, powershakes and even custom-made pizza burgers as well. But what fascinates me is the rumored topping bars – a multitude of toppings ranging from the typical to the obscure and highly unusual, almost as if they’re trying to figure out the exact right combination of toppings to maximize their slice.
But which topping is the best one for their pizza? And which pizza chain is the right one for NBA players? Well that’s all coming up in the next video, so stay subscribed and I’ll see you next week, same time, same channel. This is Hizzy McHugh saying to you have a great day, check out my site if you haven’t already, and if there’s anything concerning the latest fast-food phases and crazes out there that you would like me to cover, please let me know. Bye-ya!
– transcript of video essay, “NBA Pizzas: Food Fact or Food Fantasy?,” uploaded to Ourvids.co.can on 6/24/2015 [8]
“…wage theft occurrences are increasing nationwide, according to an official report by an independent investigation…”
– CBS Evening News, 6/26/2015 broadcast
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] These italicized bits for from Wikipedia’s article on rent control
[2] Basically all of this was pulled from here: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/bionic-eye-sensitive-as-a-human-retina-may-give-sight-to-millions/
[3] Italicized passages are all from the 9/10/2019 gardenandgun.com article by Jessica Giles “Bob Ross Gets The Recognition He Deserves”
[4] Joke found on the “Harleyisms” page of his 2014 website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[5] Passages in italics were pulled from the “warning” page of his 2014 campaign website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[6] A variation of this joke was found on the “Harleyisms” page of his 2014 website, too: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119015916/http://www.governorharley.com/default.htm
[7] This part in italics was pulled from here: https://www.livestrong.com/article/302169-how-many-calories-are-in-a-10-inch-dominos-cheese-pizza/
[8] August 5, 2021 EDIT: Went back and added this write-up after being inspired by this OTL article: https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/presents18931717/the-nba-secret-addiction and by this video I recently came across (and lifted much of the transcript’s structure (and maybe, possibly, unintentionally, even a few lines, ngl) from for said write-up): youtube / cNVjXRFf5ag
And, finally, to @President Eternal’s previous queries:
Thank you for the compliments!
1/2) Serial Killer pop culture still has that same sense of morbid curiosity. There’s no real way to really change that, given that it goes back to primitive times, when studying how a fellow caveperson died helped us better understand how best to avoid that same fate. Morbid curiosity is a natural instinct that is part of our collective senses of self-preservation. With that in mind, though, while the genre is pretty much thematically the same, many of the people studied are not. The Zodiac Killer, whoever they were, got taken down at the start of things; John Wayne Gacy killed Jeffrey Dahmer in a kerfuffle that alerted the cops to his murders, making Dahmer a protagonist-like tragic character in most adaptations of Gacy’s murders; with Ted Bundy getting killed by a bomb meant for Lieutenant Governor Arthur Fletcher back in the 1960s, the most famous serial killers from the U.S. are Gacy, Ed Gein, Andrew “Koo-Koo Drew” Cunanan (who murdered 17 people in the late 1990s before finally being captured after contracting SARS from a victim in 2002), and Kristen Heather Strickland (a nurse who injected SARS-tainted blood into patients she disliked, from 2002 until her arrest in 2009). Thus, while specific slasher films many not exist here, the genre still does.
Aileen Wuornos – after her brother died of esophageal cancer, Wuornos traveled back to Michigan to receive the $10,000 from his life insurance; she spent the money paying off fines and buying luxuries such as a new car, which she then drove off a bridge while drunk, wrecking the car and killing her; as she was 20 years old, she was one of several cases cited in arguments for the drinking age in Michigan to be raised to 22, which occurred in the 1980s under Denton.
Richard Ramirez – I actually mentioned him in the notes/sources section of Chapter 50 (late 1983). Essentially, with his disturbed cousin Miguel dying in Vietnam during the 1967 Invasion of Hanoi, he was much less messed up ITTL, but still had issues from his abusive father. He joined the Army at age 18, was stationed in Libya during the war there. In early 1984, he and several other soldiers attacked a village and callously shot and killed several unarmed women and children. A subsequent combat action report did not specify this, and continued vagueness over the incident and the charges pressed against Ramirez in 1985 led to some media outlets investigating the incident. Journalists breaking the story were overshadowed by the Packwood Diaries revelations coming out on the same day. In late 1986, amid talks of Denton being impeached in 1987, a court-martial charged Ramirez and 12 other officers, with only Ramirez and 2 others being found guilty after the rest testified against them. Found guilty of premeditated murder, Ramirez was sentenced to life in prison, beginning in 1987. He was paroled in 1997, but, after roughly five years of working in Mexico for recreadrug cartels, and reportedly killing three prostitutes over the years, died from SARS complications in 2003.
Danny Rolling – TTL’s equivalent to Ted Bundy, as he claims here that he killed for the fame that came from it; his murders (5, from late 1989 to early 1990) still inspire Kevin Williamson to pen the script for Scream, but that movie gets a different director and so not become popular enough to merit its own franchise, or even its own parody film. Instead, the Wayans Brothers TV show lasts for five complete seasons!
BTK – other than being called the BTR Killer (Bind, Torture, Rape, because “the Bind, Torture, Kill Killer” is sort of redundant, no?) he’s nearly same as OTL, sadly; he still kills, but is finally caught in 1990, having killed 8 people from 1974 to 1987.
I was actually planning on mentioning the Unabomber in the 2017 chapter! Here’s a bit of a spoiler: TTL’s equivalent to him is Joseph “Captain Chaos” Konopka. Born in 1976, Konopka was IOTL a hacker who committed various acts of arson and vandalism; here, after failing to get a job with the military upon graduating from high school in 1994 and dropping out of college in 1997, his actions were more extreme and chaotic, and he played a major role in California’s efforts to strip technet sites of anonymous users; Konopka was captured in 2001 after causing computers at a chemical factory to malfunction, almost leading to a major and potentially-deadly chemical spill.
Also: California’s controversial restrictive mental health laws have been either praised or criticized by writers in the slasher genre since their implementation in the late 1990s.
3) George R. R. Martin contracted SARS during the 2002 pandemic, leading to him developing complications that ultimately killed him in 2005. His demise is similar to that of Octavia E. Butler, an African-American Sci-Fi author, in that both died before completing their stories, but their respective stories were turned into TV shows anyway. ASOIAF, or IAF for short, ran on TON from 2007 to 2011, while Butler’s show, NBC’s Earthseed, based on her incomplete Parable trilogy, runs from 2014 to 2016 (three seasons, one each summer) and was modeled after the “miniseries” presentations of the 1990s, with each season covering the events of one book. Both Martin and Butler are equally famous ITTL.
Harry Potter – I’m not sure. The idea for the books likely still came into existence because the author born in 1964 (close enough to the POD that it likely would not have been butterflies away) and thus had a similar life and upbringing; thus, idea of a child not knowing they’re magic until being invited to a school for magic may still “fall into her head” at some point like it did in OTL’s 1990 – I really think you should contact, I want to say, @Joshua Ben Ari for further details, since he’s like the Harry Potter expert around these parts.
The Dresden Files were made into TV series starring Patrick Dempsey and co-starring Jared Padalecki and Laura Prepon, with writer Eric Kripke being a major contributor to the series (essentially picking up many elements from OTL’s Supernatural, which isn’t made here). The series began airing on NBC in 2009 and is still around in early 2021.
4) Avatar The Last Airbender was conceived in 2001 to people born in the mid-1970s, so it’s very possible it doesn’t come into existence; those two creators probably come up with something similar instead at the very least. Avatar the James Cameron film series is made, though, because Cameron wrote a treatment for it in 1994 that pulled from all the Sci-Fi books he read growing up; after directing Alta: Battle Angel (2004) technological advancements allowed him to finally make the movie, which came out in 2008; two sequels are scheduled for release in 2017 and 2018; due to the success of Dances with Wolves, though, TTL’s version of Avatar has a less similar plot focusing more on the Navy culture and on the technology of both worlds. I’ve never seen Ben 10, so I have no idea what happens with it here; odds are it either doesn’t exist or is much different than how it is in OTL given the time difference between this TL’s POD and when that show first came out. Elmer “Butch” Hartman worked for The Cartoon Network on shows like Dexter’s Laboratory and Mina And The Count, and ended up working closely with his friend Seth McFarlane on the TV show Larry & Steve before finally making his own cartoon series in 2003 (Fairly Oddparents) the show ran for ten seasons before ending unceremoniously in 2014 via cancellation, as other, newer TCN shows grew to be more popular. After this, he worked with McFarlane on some other projects before creating the fantasy/Sci-Fi/comedy animated series “Elf Detective” (2018-present (2021)). Billy & Mandy (2001-2003) was cancelled after two seasons because parents voiced complaints about their children watching a show featuring the Grim Reaper at a time when many were dying from SARS; an plague-themed episode made before the pandemic didn’t help, and the series was not picked up for another season in late 2002. Invader Zim developed differently, being semi-syndicated in that certain plot lines and developments carried over into each next episode while the main plot of each episode was usually self-contained; Warner Bros’ Nickelodeon almost cancelled the season at the start of season 2 (January 2002) over its grim imagery, and came even closer to being cancelled later that year due to a germaphobia episode that seems insensitive during the SARS pandemic, but the series creator relented to the executives and introduced more “hopeful” subplots for Dib in Season 3; the series finished after Season 4 with a made-for-TV movie because the creator believed the story had reached a “satisfying unnatural conclusion.” Steven Universe may be too far from the POD to have still been made given when the creators were born, but rest assured that some similar series likely came into existence during these alternate oughts/2010s. Do the shows Jackie Chan Adventures and W.I.T.C.H. still exist in some capacity? Eh, sure.
5) The heavily pro-Christian/family values Presidency of Jeremiah Denton (the culmination of the Religious Right and the Satanic Panic of the 1970s) led to a major cultural backlash in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Not only did it contribute/indirectly lead to the progressive Carol Bellamy being elected President and to the rise of Riot Grrl, as covered in previous chapters, it also led to the OTL 1990s obsession with witches being cranked up to 11, and a few years earlier to boot. Teen Witch began the cultural phenomenon’s mainstream presence, followed by Disney’s Hocus Pocus in 1993, and reboots of the 1960s characters Casper and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the latter of whom was portrayed by future First Lady Melissa Joan Hart. Practical Magic was a TV series ITTL, lasting from 1998 to 2001, while The Craft became a cult classic in 1996. Joining this wave of “feminist” works was Buffy The Vampire Slayer and WBTB’s answer to question of how to cash in on all this, Charmed (a cult classic lasting from 1998 to 2002). But as SARS dominated the news and a new millennium came underway, witches declined in popular culture prominence. But like how some were nostalgic for the sci-fi pop culture of the 1980s during the 2010s, the people of the 2020s are most likely going to be nostalgic for the 1990s…
In November 1997, Kevin Sorbo suffered a fatal brain aneurysm, leading to Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ending with an inconclusive final episode in 1998; most of the writers and actors from that series moved over its spinoff, Xena: Warrior Princess, and that show ended up running from 1995 to 2006.
The Walking Dead comic books weren’t made because nobody was in the mood for mass deaths after the SARS global pandemic of 2002-2005, not even Robert Kirkman, who instead focused more on his comic book Tech Jacket, which was turned into a TV show that lasted from 2005 to 2007; however, the small goth-like and steampunk-like subcultures that grew out of people wearing masks did lead to many zombie-themed and plague-themed films and TV shows, (including a 2018-2020 alternate history TV show about the Spanish flu mutating into a zombie virus in 1918), just none as huge and as long-running as OTL’s The Walking Dead TV series. Seinfeld ran from 1989 to 2005, with the final six seasons being considered the worst; Jay Scott Greenspan (who goes by the stage name “Jason Alexander” IOTL) left the show halfway through its run to work on other projects while Wayne Knight’s character got his own spinoff (2005-2008).
The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 to 1964 like in OTL, with Serling attempting to make a similar show years later that would have been called Night Gallery, but due to finding the writing subpar he cancelled the project to instead write episodes on various TV shows as a guest writer, including for a few episodes of the fifth and final season Star Trek: The Original Series, kindling a friendship between Serling and Roddenberry that lasted for the rest of the former’s life. Even with the Sanders Administration’s Scranton Report on smoking in 1967, Serling failed in his repeat efforts to quit the habit, and he passed away in 1977, age 51, just as talks were beginning for a renewed Twilight Zone series. The first TZ revival series aired from 1979 to 1981, but failed to capture the charm of the original. A second revival was made in the late 1990s and was more successful, lasting from 1997 to 2001, and included more adaptations of famous Sci-Fi/Pulp Fiction stories such as Lone Star Planet and The Nine Billion Names of God, both of which had already been parodied on Futurama. A third revival aired for one season from 2012 to 2013.
6) I have no idea. Not a clue. I have never seen any of those shows. Given that Japan’s economy does not collapse here until about a decade later than IOTL, I imagine some are affected by that difference in timelines. Maybe @ajm8888 has some ideas?
Thanks for the inquiries and thanks again for the compliments! I really appreciate them!
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: Soon!
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Chapter 110: July 2015 – November 2015
Chapter 110: July 2015 – November 2015
“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all”
– John F. Kennedy (OTL/TTL)
LATEST COLONEL SANDERS BIOPIC DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!
…After nearly 10 years in development, the long-await Steven Spielberg production “The Colonel” finally premiered today. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as Harland David "Colonel" Sanders, the massive 3.5-hours-long project covers The Colonel’s entire life, from his childhood to his deathbed, instead of just a section of his life like previous films have done. The biopic covers him caring for his siblings as a young lad, his various pre-KFC enterprises and the trials and tribulations of them and his two marriages, his meteoric rise to fame in the 1950s, the trials and successes of his Presidency, and his post-POTUS years in a cinematic vessel that gives a real sense of just how much of a busy and complex life this storied American icon lived, and the changing eras through which he lived. Opening the film in 1890 with his father’s death and ending it with The Colonel’s own in 1990 was a poignant touch the emphasized the film's “circle-of-life”-like theme. The film’s use of the latest state-of-the-art CRI photovid-manipulation technology and other special effects to age down Philip Seymour Hoffman is also very impressive, allowing him to play a ten-year-old child without it falling into the Uncanny Valley as many who worked on the film reportedly feared it would…
– Variety, film review section, 7/4/2015
WORLD BANK ORDERS AUDIT OF HONDURAN PALM OIL ACTIONS
…the country has been plagued with government corruption for decades…
– The Boston Globe, 7/7/2015
GOVERNOR BARRY NORMAN "BIG TASTY" GOLDBERG ANNOUNCES BID FOR U.S. PRESIDENT!
– The Philadelphia Enquirer, 7/8/2015
BOB ROSS REITERATES: “I’m Still Undecided” On A White House Bid
– The New York Times, 7/12/2015
HOUSE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE WAGE THEFT PROTECTION BILL PROPOSAL
– The Washington Post, 7/16/2015
THIRD TRUMP-WISEAU FILM HIGHLIGHTS RIFT BETWEEN TWO ODDBALL FILMMAKERS
[pic: imgur.com/a6D5p8J.png ]
Above: the official poster for Americana Overdrive, Vol. III
…the plot alone undercuts the behind-the-scenes fighting that unfolded between Donald and Tommy, with Wiseau withdrawing from the remainder of the project over creative differences and Trump taking over production after ordering multiple rewrites from Wiseau. The film follows Trump’s character as he fights an evil clone twin of himself, plus an army of android Trumpbot assassins, in order to stop a cheap Godzilla knockoff from wreaking havoc on the world…
…and the film does have its fair share of memorable moments, such as one scene where the creator of the Trumpbot army, Donald’s character’s evil twin, Dlanod, says to a priest (who is failing miserably to get him to reform), declares “If Jesus wants to be my friend he can visit me in hell!” in an incredibly hammy way before leaping into a lake of poorly-generated CRI lava…
…the film loses all senses of reality and dives into the campy and surreal fever dream of sorts that can be either an atrocity or a marvel, depending on what kind of moviegoer you are…
– Variety magazine, film review, 7/20/2015
The 2015 NDRR Presidential Election was held in the National Democratic Republic of Russia (Natsional’no-Demokraticheskaya Republika Rossiya) on July 27, 2015. Incumbent President Oleg Malyshkin, endorsed by the National and Iron Fist parties, was term-limited and facing scrutiny abroad for his abrasive relationships with other world leaders, but saw consistently above-50% approval ratings at home. This meant that the race was wide open and without a clear favorite until Malyshkin endorsed a candidate.
Candidates (8):
Kaadyr-ool Bicheldey, b. 1950 (Protectionist) was a Tuvan philologist, politician, and director of the Tuvan National Museum “Aldan-Maadyr” calling for greater autonomy for the nation’s political subdivisions and for the national government to do a better job protecting the rights and privileges of ethnic minority groups in the NDRR.
Vladimir Fyodorovich Chub, b. 1948 (Democratic), a centrist-leaning politician of Ukrainian ancestry who was born in Belarus, took a strong stance against illegal political activity while serving as the Governor of Rostov Oblast from 1985 to 2000, prior to entering the National Assembly in 2000, where he maintain a consistent, almost predictable voting record.
Sergei K. Kirkalev, b. 1958 (Green) immediately received national attention upon announcing his candidacy in 2014 due to his fame; the retired engineering commander and rocket scientist was one of the ten marstronauts onboard the Milestone and Seeker mission to Mars; the experience made him a national hero, and lead to Russia’s Green party successfully drafting him into the race after several other political parties and organizations failed to do so; he ran on a platform calling for massive tech projects to lower unemployment.
Boris Nemtsov, b. 1959 (Progressive) was most prominent during the 1990s as the Leader of the National Assembly, but had left politics in 2000 to instead lead St. Petersburg University, which subsequently led to him being praised for his help in overseeing that city’s response to the SARS Pandemic; a physicist during the 1980s, he returned to academia in the 2000s, only to announce a liberal reformist Presidential bid in 2013 in opposition to Malyshkin’s “awful and dangerous” foreign and domestic policies.
Vladimir Nikolayev, b. 1973 (National) was the scandalous Mayor of a large growing city and became the race’s frontrunner after being endorsed by Malyshkin; accused of being a member of the Russian Mafia, Nikolayev was a businessman elected Mayor of Vladivostok in 2004 after “his opponent for the position ‘tripped’ on a grenade left outside his office, killing him” [1]; he won re-election in 2008 in a landslide, and won re-election in 2012 unopposed.
Ratmir V. Timashev, b. 1966 (independent) was a technocratic political activist, businessman and IT entrepreneur who had contributed to the financing of Russia Tower being built, and believed Russia was better off embracing technological innovation and gradually adapting “green” technology/infrastructure.
Victor Vodolatskiy, b. 1957 (Strong Arm), with an iconic mustache and a lifetime in the Russian military, this high-ranking decorated veteran is closely tied to the Cossacks, and ran on an economically isolationistic platform of repealing several trade agreements and implementing high tariffs in order to promote domestic products, while also calling for a more “aggressive” foreign policy to “prove our might” on the World Stage.
Irina Yarovaya, b. ’66 (Motherland), a member of the National Assembly since 2005, ran on a platform that backed Malyshkin’s toughening of immigration laws and crackdowns on rallies, but went further by calling for the centralization of banks and the transportation industry; considered by some to be a reactionary, she often accused the seven other candidates in the race of being sexist against her.
Campaign:
Prior to Malyshkin endorsing Nikolayev, Kirkalev dominated technet discussions while Chub, Yarovaya and Vodolatskiy were neck-and-neck-and-neck in the polls. Between then and the debates, Kirkalev was the candidate to beat due to his connections and impressive “war chest,” but after the May debates, Vodolatskiy and then Yarovaya lost momentum, while Nemtsov’s numbers improved.
Results:
In the July 13 “primary round,” Nikolayev came in first place with 25.7%, while Kirkalev came in second place with 21.2%, causing the two men to advance to the runoff round. The results for the remaining candidates were as follows: Chub (third place, 19.5%), Nemtsov (12.4%), Vodolatskiy (7.5%), Bicheldey (6.4%), Yarovaya (4.2%) and Timashev (last place, 3.1%); these results were a blow to the Democratic and Strong Arm parties, but not to the Green party.
With two of the “hairy” candidates advancing to the runoff round, the hairy-bald voting pattern would continue regardless of whom won. The subsequent two-candidate debate saw Kirkalev, a political outsider, fail to answer certain questions on administrative capabilities and limitations, while Nikolayev more expertly deflected questions concerning alleged corruption during his time as mayor. On July 27, Nikolayev secured the Presidency by receiving 52.4% of the vote to Kirkalev’s 47.6%. Low turnout highlighted the uncertainty and dissatisfaction that many Russian voters felt about the two runoff candidates.
– clickopedia.co.usa
“Ha! Oh no, no-no, no. I’d never run for President. And for four fair reasons. Number one – it would lead to an invasion of privacy for myself, my family and my friends. Number two – it’s a dangerous job. Do you how many Presidents have died in office? About like 10% of them. If you came across a job with a 10% mortality rate, would you take it? If yes, then you’re braver than I am. Number three – the strain that I hear that job puts on relations, because of the time spent away from family and friends. And number four – congressional gridlock. Getting stuff done in D.C. is too slow-moving of a process. It’s not at all like the top-down governance found in a business, a company or a corporation. No, no, I support certain policies, but I think I could help more, and get more stuff done to help the country from my current position making good food and educational commercials that promote, uh, said food.”
– Spongebob’s Undersea Cuisine co-founder and CEO Stephen Hillenburg, to a reporter asking him if his past calls for labor reform and his recent endorsements of several progressive congressional candidates indicates a planned White House bid of his own, 7/29/2015
CEO Sneed Out, Easterbrook In At McD’s
…Cara Carlton Sneed, the CEO of the fast-food giant McDonald’s has been dismissed by the trillion-dollar corporation’s Board of Directors. Announcing the dismissal at a press conference earlier today, the board – in a move meant to likely minimize stock market value downturn brought about by the leadership shake-up – also announced that Sneed’s successor will be Executive Steve Easterbrook, in charge of financing at McDonald’s.
The daughter of US Supreme Court Justice Sneed, Cara Carlton Sneed had previously served as the COO of AT&T from 1991 to 1997 before serving in the Dinger Administration as the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) from 1997 to 2001. After Dinger lost re-election, Sneed left government work and was hired by PepsiCo to serve as its CEO, holding the office from 2003 to 2007. Sneed stepped down to unsuccessfully run for the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat from her birth state of Texas in 2008. After than battling and surviving a cancer diagnosis, Sneed found work at McDonald’s as its CEO, only to soon find herself in the situation of guiding the corporation through the Unlucky Recession of 2013.
The maintain rising profits and keep stockholders and shareholders satisfied, Sneed oversaw mass layoffs in the chain’s least profitable regions. Additionally, in a move she described as an “innovative” way of “preparing for future recessions,” Sneed greenlit in 2014 an extensive research project to determine how to automate “up to” 40% of the global chain's job positions by 2030. Both major actions have received noticeable backlash, especially ontech, where labor organizers were quick to mobilize activists to condemn Sneed for her actions. And it seems that the bad press coverage that soon followed – combined with a reported drop in stockholder confidence in Sneed – may have finally convinced the Board of Directors to comply with calls for Sneed to either change her policies, step down, or be dismissed.
Sneed’s replacement, Steve Easterbrook, is originally from Britain and began his career as an accountant in the UK. He began working for McDonald’s in 2007 and has quickly worked his way up through the company…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 7/30/2015
EXPERTS AGREE WE NEED A “I.S.S. 2.0” IN TV INTERVIEW
…John McAfee may be right: the International Space Station may need to be replaced soon. McAfee’s time battling his former employer in court has led to his “stardust” incident highlighting an early comment the director made in the infamous radio interview, a comment about the International Space Station – that it may be time for a new ISS, one with a better ventilation system. The notion may have found support in a trio of French scientists who work for their nation’s spacey agency… [snip] …Around for decades now, there is a growing need to build a second, larger, newer ISS, preferably before the older one becomes too outdated and damaged to be worth keeping as the launching point for astronaut training and research projects...
– Reuters, 8/1/2015
…and over in Asia, the voters of the nation of Indonesia have elected Alwi Shihab to become their fourth President. Mr. Shihab won the election over media mogul Surya Paloh by a margin of roughly 10%. Incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri retired due to high unpopularity ratings, having barely won re-election in 2010 over Prabowo Subianto despite the latter’s connections to the nation’s famous Suharto family…
– BBC World News, 2/8/2015 broadcast
GREENPEACE GIVES DIRE WARNING!: Proposal To Strip 1000s Of Hectares Of Cameroon Land Will Release “Up To 10million Tonnes” Of Carbon!
– tumbleweed.co.usa, 8/3/2015
KINKY FRIEDMAN DECLINES WHITE HOUSE BID
…In a Shermanesque statement to a gathering of Texas Democrats, former Governor of Texas Kinky Friedman today shot down state-level calls to draft him into the 2016 election, with some TX-DEM members even calling for the launching of a write-in campaign for the Democrat Presidential primary for the stateof Texas next year... Friedman, who served as the Justice of the Peace for Kerrville, Texas from 1987 to 1991 as a Republican, joined the Democrats in 2001 and was elected Governor in 2002 in an upset, but lost re-election in a landslide to the current incumbent, conservative Republican Governor Bill Owens…
– The Houston Chronicle, 8/6/2015
…In international news, Cameroon is at the center of a debate over bio-fuel land grabs, as foreign enterprises bid for over 70,000 hectares of land on the edge of the Congo Basin rainforest to use for palm oil production... However, locals in the area do not trust the companies and their promises of compensation for lost land and covering costs for relocations, nor do they have faith in their claims of creative jobs and improving the quality of life for locals, due to past experiences and similar promises made and then broken by the Italian company Unigra in another land use dispute from not too long ago…
– BBC World News, 8/11/2015 broadcast
GO GOLDBERG GO!
...along with a successful record of addressing state-level healthcare concerns and tax reform, no other Democrat would bring the amount of witty and inspiring energy that Governor Barry Goldberg can bring to a one-on-one debate with President Grammer…
– The Philadelphia Enquirer, 8/12/2015 endorsement
“I think Kelsey’s chances of winning re-election are very good. The economy’s doing better, we have no major enemies abroad, and there are no major waves of civil disobedience to anything, so I’m not sure what exactly Democrats are going to be running on apart from the typical, standard calls for bigger government and higher taxes.”
[pic: imgur.com/nqTfyFA.png ]
– Former US President Jeremiah Denton (1924-2017), THN interview, 8/14/2015
“I have very strongly agree with many of the more populist policies from the Grammer administration just because of how destabilizing they have been. Refusing to bail out the big banks in 2013 worsened and extended the recession and its effects, his refusal to intervene in Botswana has led to that nation falling to a socialist regime, and his tax cuts are going to damage the economy!”
– Lawrence Summers (D-NY), neoliberal economist and former President of Stanford University 1999-2007, KNN interview, 8/15/2015
…Increasingly concerned that America’s gradual conversion away from domestic fossil fuel production would lead to greater dependence on foreign oil, the President began to call for US consumers to “buy American.” This call, however, actually meant that the President was indirectly backing electric plants, solar plants, wave tribunes, wind farms and experimental hydrogen projects as those technologies improved, because materials for those plants and farms’ machines could be dug up by mining operations out west. Working with western governors and scientists to ensure Native American rights and natural animal migration patterns were not violated and significantly impacted, respectively, Grammer encouraged the alternative fuels industry to decrease their reliance on China’s own mining sector operations. Many materials for some project, for example, could only be found almost entirely in China; but the breakthrough development of solar panels requiring less tungsten allowed US-made solar panels to be made differently than those made in China. With a slightly different design, and with different materials being used in the designs, Grammer hoped that the US could wean off its dependence of foreign nations for supplies for both fossil fuel infrastructures and alternative energy endeavors…
– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022
“Our re-election plan of attack has some very key fronts to it – our record on economic recovery, our plans for combating GCD without inhibiting the independent nature of businesses, decentralizing the federal government’s involvement in education, allowing religious involvement in education when called for by the local people, and sensible police reform. Those last two strategy point will be headed yours truly!”
– VP Harley Brown, TON, radio call-in segment, 8/17/2015 broadcast
PENNY FOOLISH, POUND WISE?: With Europe Quickly Getting Back Into Its Feet, Is Now The Best Time To Invest?
– Business Insider, 8/18/2015
PHIL GRAMM TO CHALLENGE GRAMMER IN GOP PRIMARIES
…former US Representative Phil Gramm (R-TX) has announced his decision to challenge incumbent President Kelsey Grammer for the 2016 Republican nomination for President. The former lawmaker’s decision comes after months of speculation concerning who, if anyone, would attempt to primary the President. An allegedly pro-big business billionaire, Gramm was one of several potential candidates, with others either being rumored to be contemplating a run or publicly expressing interest in running including US Sen. Helen Chenoweth, Gov. Lindsey Graham, 1990s National Security Advisor John Bolton, and US Sec. R. Severin Fuld. Gramm, who launched his bid in Austin, Texas appears to plan on running primarily on the claim that bailing out the big banks back in 2013 would have improved the economy much quicker and would have prevented “so much suffering” from taking place during the post-recession recovery period…
– The Houston Chronicle, 8/19/2015
NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK ON CRUSISE SHIP SICKENS 209 PASSENGERS
Nassau, THE BAHAMAS – The Grand Horizon Floating Maiden cruise ship of Grand Horizons Cruises is cutting its journey shore after over 200 passengers and crew members became infected with a norovirus, GHC announced yesterday, two days after announcing that only 25 customers had fallen ill. Originally scheduled to travel from New York to Puerto Rico, crew members and customers began reporting symptoms similar to food poisoning on the third, off the coast of Virginia. GHC also announced that the ship has been told by the CDC to stay at portside upon returning to New York, but as a quarantine measure, nobody on board will be allowed to leave for two weeks, in accordance with procedures implemented amid the global SARS pandemic of 2002-2005.
Norovirus is an infectious disease that is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US last year, surpassing salmonella and SARS-02 in frequency. Germs such as these pose a great threat to the customers and crew members of cruise liners, which are prime targets for the spreading of germs. Nevertheless, cruise liners saw a large resurgence in popularity after SARS, and resumed business activities soon after safezoning measures were lifted. Similarly, the Unlucky Recession impacted cruise line customers, even those people who can afford to take cruises, due to their sudden financial woes.
“This industry will always be hurt by recession,” says one member of the GHC Board of Directors...
– abcnews.co.usa, 8/23/2015
On August 24, Acting President of Botswana Steve Biko declared the internal warfare to be over, claiming “the true people of Botswana have decisively prevailed.” The alleged victory was announced because that nation’s capital was firmly secure, and most of the rest of the country had also fallen to the new “socialist” regime. However, the victory declared despite several areas still holding out, with anti-Biko forces continuing to fight back. Their resistance to major domestic changes, such as corruption crackdowns and the redistribution of land ownership, which were all dubbed socialist despite Biko rejecting the terminology, highlighted who was stubbornly funding the opposition…
– Walter Allen McDougall’s The Promise And Potential of US Foreign Policy In The 21st Century, Dove Books, 2019
F. WINFORD BOOZER III RETIRING FROM THE SENATE
…the longtime Senator is the current Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee F. Winford Boozer III is dropping his bid for another term in the US Senate... Throughout his tenure, Boozer used his influence to benefit our state’s interests, getting schools, ports and military manufacturing spots built in Arkansas, and playing a key role in bringing an FBI training campus to our state as well as part of his efforts to oppose military bases being shut down by the Jackson administration. His success in allocating funds for state projects and interests makes his retirement shocking and saddening, but, given his recent health issues, understandable as well...
– The Southwest Times Record, Arkansas newspaper, 8/28/2015
[pic: imgur.com/A0M30k4.png ]
– US President Kelsey Grammer endorsing fellow Republican Hal Heiner's campaign for governor of Kentucky, 8/29/2015
BREAKING NEWS: Aaron Sorkin Says He Is Running For President!
Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter, director, producer, and playwright best known for creating the hit TV show “The West Wing,” today announced in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that he is attempting to get into the Democratic Presidential primary debates in a “deadly serious” run for President. The announcement comes just a few months after briefly cameoing as a fictional US President in the Paramount Pictures action thriller Yesterday’s Tommorrow…
[snip]
Comments section:
Comment 1:
That man just hasn’t been the same since they cancelled “The Desk” on him back in 2010, has he?
Reply 1 to Comment 1:
It was a good show! Who cares that it was a clear and obvious rip-off of The West Wing? It deserved a second season!
Comment 2:
So. This is what happens when a cocaine addict suffers from writer’s block for too long. Huh.
– usarightnow.co.usa, 8/30/2015
DANGEROUS PLANET
Television Series, HBO
Premiered: September 1, 2015
Genre(s): sci-fi/horror/thriller/wildlife/adventure/comedy/educational
Cast:
Jerry O’Connell as John Middlename Baker
Donald Glover as Gen. Fanga Bantu
Tom Frost as Abin Hopewsfo
Eleanor Bron as Glel Haskerb
See Full List Here
Synopsis:
Aliens invade Earth and easily enslave humanity, but are repeatedly unable to conquer the wildlife due to their lack of any information about or experience with wild animals. In an episodic, semi-syndicated format, John Middlename Baker and General Bantu lead the internally divided resistance movement while an assortment of different guides (a different guest star, such as LeVar Burton, Steve Irwin, and Jeb Bush, for each episode) must lead their alien captors (also guest stars) through harsh terrain, only for the inept aliens to be defeated when coming face to face with rhinos, cheetahs, hippos, snakes, and other dangerous creatures.
Reception:
The series premier received positive reviews from audiences, while critics, who praised the show’s educational angle, still criticized its utilizing of many “alien invasion” clichés.
– mediarchives.co.usa
THE BRIGHT STAR RESTAURANT IS A BRIGHT SPOT ON ANY VISIT TO BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Greek cuisine decades in the making can be found in Birmingham, Alabama. The Bright Star is Alabama’s oldest restaurant, having opened in 1907. It is owned and operated by the descendants of the original family of Greek immigrants who founded it, and combining regional delights with Mediterranean flavors to make a unique and enjoyable culinary experience for customers near and far.
When I visited this quit location, I was greeted with positive and welcoming customer service. I gladly tried their recommendations, and enjoyed the food that they have been serving generations of customers, such as its specialty Greek-style snapper and steak, signature seafood gumbo, luncheon specials, and famous pies. It is of no surprise to me that this restaurant, which is technically located in Bessemer, Alabama, has a regional following and draws patrons from throughout the Southeast as well as nearby Birmingham.
The Bright Star's 104 year old existence results from one family's continued commitment to excellent food and service. Family patriarchs Bill and Pete Koikos immigrated from Greece in 1923 and two years later purchased an ownership interest in the restaurant from founder Tom Bonduris. Since 1966, Bill's two sons, Jim and Nick Koikos have owned and operated the business. The Bright Star has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from a 25 seat café to a 330 seat restaurant, all without sacrificing quality. In addition the Restaurant was recognized in the United States Congressional Record in 1996 by U.S. Senator Albert Lee Smith Jr. (R-AL) due to its longtime status as an Alabama landmark and its service to the community. [2]
The Bright Star restaurant also won the “American Classic” James Beard Award in 2010 and 2014.
With exceptional service and uniquely delicious cuisine, I give this restaurant a rating of Five Stars out of Five!
– wanderlust.co.uk, ontech travel magazine, review section, 9/2/2015
[pic: imgur.com/vQcdm7F.png ]
– An official logo of the 2016 Presidential campaign of former Governor Richard Codey (D-NJ), unveiled 9/3/2015
“Now I’m interested in the Codey candidacy because I keep seeing such a small roster on the moderate side of the Democratic party, the side that is most likely to win over Republicans. In fact, just the other day I was saying, ‘Whatever happened to the party of Walter Mondale?’ There was left-leaning moderate who served as President for eight successful years, and yet he rarely received the accolades he deserves…”
– Larry Summers, KNN roundtable discussion, 9/4/2015
“…A strong supporter of organized labor and immigrant workers, Governor Bustamante and the Attorney General of California have most recently gone after sweatshop operators and those accused of wage theft. Whether Bustamante’s record in California will win over Presidential primary voters in early primary states such as New Hampshire, Georgia and Nevada may all depend on how his Presidential campaign goes in the weeks and months ahead…”
– “Who is Cruz Bustamante?,” The Daily Conversation video, uploaded to OurVids 9/5/2015
LUJAN CAMPAIGNING HEAVILY IN NEVADA
– 273toWin.co.usa, 9/6/2015 e-alert
…Only this year did we learn how strong a hold the diamond industry had on certain people and institutions in the West. According to leaked documents, in August or early September 2015, Francois Leotard, the President of France at the time, tried and failed to have Acting President Biko overthrown, or possibly even assassinated, before Biko could sign onto the Bloemfontein Protocol on September 8, an international accord aimed at doing away with Blood Diamond by demanding that all diamond sellers show proof of their products’ origins. Furthermore, according to the leaked documents, Leotard called off a second attempt to unseat Biko in some capacity after coming to believe that the accord was weaker than initially thought. Indeed the Bloemfontein Protocol has proven to be much more difficult to enforce than most originally thought it would be. Nevertheless, the landmark accord it still very detrimental to the Blood Diamond industry…
– Davi Kowe and Roy Sesana’s Vulture, Trees And Blood: The Botswana Revolution, Borderless Books, 2020
MCAFEE FOUND GUILTY OF VIOLATING I.S.S. REGULATIONS BUT FINED $200K IN LIEU OF JAIL TIME
…this case may have established a legal precedence regarding drug use in outer space, which could have huge judicial ramifications for future space travelers…
– The Miami Herald, 9/9/2015
…In his latest effort to give freedom back to the American people, our great Vice President, Mr. Harley Davidson Brown, is speaking with US Senators in his bid to oppose a move to make motorcycle helmets necessary across all 52 states in a clear violation of the tenth amendment…
– THN, 9/12/2015 broadcast
PALMIERI: “The Democrats campaigning this early tells us that either one of two things is happening. Either the President is so popular that Democrats believe they have to begin to develop support for themselves this early in order to have gathered enough momentum to win 14 months, or that the President is so unpopular that Democrats believe they have to begin to develop support for themselves this early in order to beat out other Democratic candidates in a crowded primary season.”
HOST: “But current approval rating averages suggest Grammer is not exactly in a vulnerable position.”
PALMIERI: “Not at the moment, but there have been signs of weakness. Moments when his approval rating dipped below 50%. Democrats seem to think that this means he can be defeated in November, which explains the many candidates this time around, and makes me think that this earlier-than-usual activity is in fact tied closer to the Democrats duking it out amongst themselves in the primaries and not such much to the general election.”
– Political media strategist Jennifer Palmieri and Host, CBS roundtable discussion, 9/14/2015
“High taxes on the wealthy does not punish the American dream of success, it punishes the abuse of the American dream. When someone’s dream crushes into oblivion the dreams of thousands of others, that person is abusing the American dream, and they do so out of greed, not patriotism!”
– Presidential candidate Gov. Shirley Franklin (D-GA), 9/16/2015
MOTHER-POST: Poll: Who here thinks they should bring back the SpongeBob TV show?
So I was thinking of starting a petition for this because SpongeBob was a phenomenal show. Five seasons and pretty every episode was hilarious and/or charming. It was good wholesome fun and I think the restaurant chain CEO guy, Stephen Hillenburg, made a mistake in deciding to have it conclude in season five with a finale episode. It should have kept on going – it’s so popular that they still play reruns of the show in some places, and videos of clips from the series always get lots of views and likes on places like OurVids. So here’s poll, and tell me what you think – should they bring back this show?
>REPLY 1:
I want the SpongeBob TV show to be brought back, but I don’t think they have to be, because the modern cartoon advertisements are just like little cartoon shorts! Most ads for fast food places run for thirty seconds, but SB’s usually last anywhere from 30 seconds to a Superbowl-length 120 seconds!
>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1:
Nah, a commercial is no substitute for an actual show!
>>REPLY 2 to REPLY 1:
The most recent one I saw showed Mr. Plankton use a drone to steal from the restaurant, and it was hilarious!
>REPLY 2:
I voted yes because I miss that show.
>REPLY 3:
I dunno, I have a feeling that if they made it again nowadays it just would not have the charm of the original batch. I say let it stay the wonderful nostalgic show it is and not ruin a good thing by trying to keep it around.
>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 3:
But its been well over a decade, surely they could can come up with some good ideas during that?
– euphoria.co.usa, a public pop-culture news-sharing and chat-forum-hosting netsite, 9/21/2015 posting
IMPRISONED GUN RUNNER PUBLISHES EXPLOSIVE TELL-ALL BOOK
…Tommy Gun Thompson’s book functions as both a hastily-written collection of memoirs and as a confession to police…
– The New York Times, book review section, 9/23/2015
CHANGES AND CHALLENGES FOR CHIK-FIL-A: Filling Truett’s Shoes
…September 8 marked the one-year anniversary of the demise of S. Truett Cathy, the founder of the billionaire chicken sandwich chain Chik-fil-A, who passed away at the age of 93... Truett’s son, Daniel T. Cathy, started out as operations director for over 2,000 outlets before working his way up to second-in-command and his father’s chosen successor… The major franchise is struggling to return to the heights of popularity it felt during its “golden age” of the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time when their biggest competition – KFC – was vulnerable on domestic sales, and the feeling of optimism was found throughout company leadership. Today, the feeling is much more pessimistic in nature, as doubt continues to plague shareholder confidence under the company’s new management. …“We’re revamping the Fish-Fil-A specials and the $15 Fil-Up Menu,” says Bubba Cathy, second-in-command of the company under CEO Dan Cathy. Though primarily in charge of burgers, Bubba seems to be expanding his influence over other parts of the company. …“My brother’s got a game plan. We’re going to see a resurgence in consumer confidence real soon.”…
– Newsweek, late September 2015 issue
[pic: imgur.com/RPSerUk.png ]
– Bob Ross at a "meet-and-greet" with supporters, after participating in a Democratic political "town hall"-style discussion forum, 9/26/2015
“There are roughly 3.8 million empty homes in the United States right now. And with over 300,000 homeless people being in the US in a given week, that means we have roughly 13 empty homes for every homeless person. 13 per person. What are we doing, people? Even with the stock collapse, worker production is still on the rise, but worker wages are falling behind productivity. Under Jackson and Wellstone, unions and CBAs helped to narrow the gap, but under Grammar that gap has only widened. The Democrats are inept and the Republicans just don’t give a damn! If the Democratic nominee next year isn’t running on a platform to address homelessness and rent control, you might just see my name somewhere on your November ballot.”
– NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan (I-NY), NYC radio discussion, 9/29/2015
MP ED BALLS WINS LABOUR LEADERSHIP ELECTION!
…Balls is set to take over as PM on the 10th of October, replacing the retiring incumbent PM Larry Sanders of Oxfordshire…
– The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 1/10/2015
DINGER ADMITS: “I Was Wrong” About Recreadrugs
…In an enlightening 60 Minutes interview, former US President Larry Miles Dinger has confessed that his opinions on recreational narcotics such as marijuana have “evolved” in the 15 years that have passed since the conservative politician left the Oval Office...
– tumbleweedmagazine.co.usa, 10/3/2015
“…As anticipated, even more Democratic politicians are now entering the race for President, with Senators Suozzi and Raoul both launch official campaigns earlier with next, and former Governor Sarbanes scheduling what he’s calling a major announcement, and is most likely a White House bid, for later today…”
– Wolf Blitzer, KNN News, 10/6/2015 broadcast
NY-NJ STORM BARRIER PROJECT UPDATE: Progress Slow, Funding Moves Stalled
…finding funding for the major bi-state proposal was ground the project to a virtual halt, a situation worsened by the economic uncertainty left in the immediate aftermath of the Unlucky Recession. …Noted real estate developer, independent filmmaker, and former MLB pitcher Donald “Donnie” Trump has recently expressed interest in contributing to the construction of barriers to protect his birth city from rising sea levels during the next major hurricane to hit the region, telling The New York Post, “we have to protect New York City, okay? We just have to! …We are going to build a wall, a great, big, beautiful sea wall, even if I have to pay for it myself!” However, Trump seems to be preoccupied with his current work on other projects, as he has not dedicated anything to the proposed engineering endeavor outside of a few positive comments on radio spots where he primarily promoted his films, hotels, and stadiums...
– The Associated Press, 10/7/2015
A BETTER LEADER FOR A BETTER AMERICA
– Michael Moore for President ’16 slogan, first used 10/9/2015
COLONEL SANDERS' GRANDSON DIES AT 72
[pic: imgur.com/bKIouUR.png ]
...Florida businessman John Foster Ruggles III, who often went by the nickname “Red,” passed away from heart failure yesterday evening at the age of 72, a spokesperson for his family announced earlier today. Born on November 13, 1942 in Buncombe County, North Carolina, Ruggles was the husband of Vivian Rickman Whalen Ruggles, and the father of Elizabeth Ruggles Murl. John was also the son of John F. Ruggles Jr. and Mildred Sanders Ruggles, the grandson of Josephine King Sanders and KFC founder-turned-US President Harland David “Colonel” Sanders, and the grandson of John F. Ruggles Sr. and Nell Hendrickson. An admirer of his maternal grandfather, even going so far as to style his facial hair based on The Colonel’s, Red worked as a sales manager for KFC-Florida, and also served on the bard of other local businesses in Florida. He was reportedly in declining health in the last few years of his life, which he spent with friends and family, primarily at his home in Broward County, FL, where he died peacefully in his sleep. The Ruggles’ family spokesperson also announced that funeral arrangements will be disclosed in the days ahead...
– The Louisville Times, Kentucky newspaper, 10/10/2015
…In political news, Australia’s Labour party has adopted the Australian Greens’ Foreign Land Ownership Register proposal in the wake of rising concerns of Australians losing control of food production and resources in their own country. This development could put the party at odds with China, which is investing heavily in land deals in Australia – in the last year alone, the PRC has paid over 80 million pounds for over 50,000 hectares of farmland for grain production in the Great Southern and Wheatbelt region of the country, stirring up concern from local Australians who hope to see some of the benefits of such foreign land ownership deals…
– BBC World News, 11/10/2015 broadcast
EARN MORE, KEEP MORE, DO MORE, LIVE MORE
– Re-Elected Grammer ’16 unofficial slogan, first used 10/12/2015
RALPH NADER, 82, DECLINES PUSH BY SMALL BUT STRONG GROUP OF SUPPORTERS TO ENTER THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
…While his campaign speeches are often considered prosaic, they are always impressively detailed and come off as sincere, which may explain Nader’s appeal to a niche group of Democrats yearning for a candidate who will forego the frills and get down to brass tacks…
– The Boston Globe, 10/15/2015
“An election as important as this only scones around once in a while, and when it does it puts ones priorities into perspective and that always puts the incumbent right in the hot seat. But this time around, with the heavy weight of the tax burden being lifted off of your backs with each passing year, with the tight grip of government red tape being peeled away with each passing year, and with individual rights being increasingly protected and supported and encouraged with each passing year, I sort of have a small feeling the incumbent is going to win this thing!”
– US President Kelsey Grammer, stump speech, 10/18/2015
OUTSOURCING TO MEXICO: Terrific or Treasonous?
…the number of American businesses relocating to Mexico from California has reached a five-year high. …Businesses headquartered in Mexico having far less “protections” from the government outside of background checks to ensure that your business is in no way connected to any lingering recreadrug cartels. Furthermore, Mexico’s taxes and tax rates are far different from those found in California, while their current President’s focus on eliminating poverty and homelessness has created a new pool of low-skilled workers to hire...
– Business Weekly, mid-October 2015 issue
FARMERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS AIMS TO BEEF UP USDA POWER, ADDRESS UNFAIRNESS IN MEAT PRODUCTION
by Dan Nosowitz
Des Moines, IOWA – The head of the National Farmers Union is “thrilled” with the latest new rules established by the latest federal law signed by President Grammer yesterday morning… The Farmer Protection Bill, colloquially known as the Farmers’ Bill of Right aims to address “undue preferences” and alleviate the suffering of small farmers. The bill was passed by minority Democrats in the House and Senate thanks to several Republicans voting across the aisle. The libertarian-minded President Grammer signed it into law after arguing that the bill does more to protect the individual freedoms of small farmers more than it does to regulate and oversee the activities of corporate giants. To actually establish some ground rules to make the poultry and pork system fairer for chicken farmers contracted by large corporations had been a goal of the N.F.U. for years, and it seems that all of their hard work has finally paid off, and in an important way, too… [3]
– modernfarmer.co.usa, 10/22/2015
[pic: imgur.com/DZR5AvD.png ]
– A Colonel Sanders quote, on display at a KFC outlet in New York City, c. October 2015!
MCAFEE LAUNCHES PRIMARY BID AGAINST PRESIDENT GRAMMER!
…the former NASA Director is seeking to get onto the Republican primary ballots in a “deadly serious” primary challenge, with McAfee claiming that the President has “abandoned true libertarian principles” concerning individual rights…
– ballotaccessnews.co.usa, 10/24/2015 e-bulletin
…As the primaries neared, it began increasingly apparent that the four living former Democratic Presidents – Walter Mondale, Carol Bellamy, Jesse Jackson and Paul Wellstone – could play huge roles in the composition of the candidate lineup. An endorsement or two here or there could influence certain voters if they came from certain mouths. Mondale, for example, was considered the most conservative of the four given how greatly the Overton Window had shifted since he left office on January 20, 1981. An endorsement from him would go far for a more moderate candidate like Bart Gordon, possible even more so than how far such an endorsement would go for a fellow Minnesotan like Sharon Sayles-Belton. Bellamy, the martyred idol of many feminist leaders could dictate swaths of female followers to throw their support toward any candidate the former UN leader preferred. Similarly, Jackson, despite the controversies of his second term, was highly favorable among Black Democratic primary voters, and had the potential to play a vital role ahead of the Georgia and Maryland primaries; Wellstone, meanwhile was the man that all candidates concerned about their chances in New Hampshire look to in the hope of receive the lifeboat in the form of an unofficial endorsement…
– Elaine Kamarck’s Primary Paths, Borders Books, 2020
WILL WE FINALLY GET ANOTHER FEMALE PRESIDENT IN 2016?
…Let’s get real here – Bellamy did not win by relying on the cliché of dragging your children out onto the stage with you. She won because she didn’t have the family image – she was single and childless. Because of this, her campaign had to keep focus on bread-and-butter issues, which appealed to more people than the wholesome family imaging. Thus, in order for a woman to be elected, she has to focus on her children only as much as any male candidate does…
– The Atlantic, 10/27/2015 op-ed
GUN SMUGGLER TELLS ALL IN EXPLOSIVE NEW AUTOBIO
…this riveting exposé by a man being tried for various crimes works both as a compilation of memoirs and as a helpful rap sheet for several smugglers still “currently at-large”…
– The New York Times, books section, 10/28/2015
ROMANIA OPENS EUROPE’S LARGEST NATIONAL PARK
…The Dambovita Valley National Park, nestled in the Southern Carpathian Mountains of Romania’s interior, is the nation’s most ambitious conservation effort. The massive project, overseen by Prime Minister and avid conservationist Tibor Kalnoky (b. 1966), aims to rival the Yellowstone National Park found in the United States…
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 29/10/2015
“UNBELIEVABLE!”: The Padres Win The World Series For The Second Year In A Row!
– The San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/1/2015
“Well, ma’am, a politician without a platform is like a sailboat without a sail. You can try it, but you won’t get far without it.”
– Former US President Jesse Jackson to a reporter, deflecting a query into whom he supported in the Democratic primary season so far, 11/2/2015
HEINER WINS ELECTION FOR GOVERNOR!
…Hal Heiner has won tonight’s gubernatorial election by a margin of roughly 7%, meaning that he will succeed incumbent Darryl Owens and become the 59th Governor of Kentucky upon being sworn into office in December… Hal Heiner, a Republican born on October 31, 1951, has been the Mayor of Louisville since 2007, being elected to that position in 2006, 2010, and 2014. Before that, he was a county metro councilman (2003-2007), a civil engineer (1973-2007), and a real estate agent and salesman (1985-2007). …Heiner lead several public works projects across Louisville, and plans to do the same for the rest of Kentucky, enhancing and modernizing the roads built under Governors Lawrence Wetherby and the late, great Colonel Sanders…
– The Louisville Courier, Kentucky newspaper, 11/3/2015
“So we’ve got some big news coming out of Mississippi, where another African-American Democrat has taken the Governor’s seat. I think this marks the third time the state’s gone for the Black candidate, and given how many Blacks live in that state, for this to only be their third Black Governor, that, uh, it really shows how racially divided that state is and how hard the Blacks and the Democrats have to work to win over both the white and moderate Republican voting blocs, but it looks like they’ve done, uh, again, uh tonight. The winner is Robert Gray, a state senator and former truck driver who has experienced a meteoric rise in state politics. The same can be said about his running mate, Jelani Barr. Now, I think what tipped the scales in favor of Gray in this race was the debate performance the Republican nominee, Michael Watson. That guy, man, I mean, yeah, he’s 38, but he seemed to know less about politics than a college freshman – at Julliard! I mean this guy tanked in the debates so badly, man, it was embarrassing to watch, even for me, and if you pay attention to this program and to my political views and thoughts and opinions, you’ll know that that’s saying something!”
– Disabled rights activist and political commentator Alexander E. “Alec” Jones, 11/3/2015 podcast, uploaded to Ourvids 11/4/2015
LOCAL ELECTIONS:
City Council, NYC, Bronx:
Winner: Alessandra Biaggi, 85%
– The Bronx Press-Review, local NYC paper, 11/3/2015
PEAVEY-DERR WINS BOISE GOVERNORSHIP
Boise, ID – …Judy Peavey-Derr (R), a conservative politician supportive of Vice President Harley Brown, will be the first democratically-elected female Mayor of Boise, Idaho, upon being sworn into the office in January…
– The Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Idaho newspaper, 11/3/2015
Mayors of BOISE (Idaho)
1966-1975: 49) Jay S. Amyx (R, 1923-2014) – conservative; expanded term lengths; deregulated business restrictions to quickly develop the city’s downtown area; resigned to become Governor
1965: Eugene Whitney Shellworth (D, 1912-1997)
1967: William Onweiler (I)
1969: Herbert Weirich (I) and Richard Shaw (I)
1971: Ralph Frazer (R)
1975-1996: 50) Richard Roy “Dick” Eardley (R, 1928-2012) – former journalist and newscaster; previously served on the city council from 1969 to 1975; selected by city council to succeed Amyx; city’s longest-serving Mayor; was initially highly popular for cutting taxes and improving city government transparency, especially during the scandals that plagued the Denton White House during the 1980s; lost re-election in an upset over rising local environmental issues that had was slow to respond to and ultimately handled rather poorly; retired from public life soon after leaving office
1975: Marjorie Ewing (I)
1979: Fred Kopke Jr. (I)
1983: Dirk Arthur Kempthorpe (R, b. 1951) and Jeremy Maxand (I)
1987: Rod Beck (R)
1991: Tracey Anders (D) and Ron McMurray (R)
1996-2004: 51) H. Brent Coles (R, b. 1951) – reformed the city’s laws on pollution and oversaw urban renewal efforts to encourage local business growth and in turn lower unemployment; faced public scrutiny for raising taxes to keep city “in the black” during the late 1990s recession; lost re-election amid a lingering political scandal; later lost several bids for other offices
1995: Dick Eardley (R) and Matthew Shapiro (I)
1999: John Patrick “Pat” Bieter (D, 1930-2020)
2001 (recall): 55% No, 45% Yes
2004-2007: 52) Harley Davidson Brown (R, b. 1954) – motorcycle enthusiast, bike club leader, Navy Sea Bees and KW2 veteran, former taxi driver, and populist political activist; elected by a 31% plurality; focused on deregulation and cutting taxes; expanded hunting seasons and scrutinized the Boise Police Department for allegedly wasting funds; worked with the often-recalcitrant city council to slash funds for all city departments in order to keep the city budget in the black; resigned to become Governor
2003: Carolyn Terteling-Payne, H. Brent Coles (R), David H. Bieter (D), and Mohsen “Max” Mohammadi (I)
2007-2008: 53) Carolyn Terteling-Payne (R, b. 1937) – previously served on the city council from 1993 to 2007; selected by city council to succeed Brown; city’s first female Mayor; launched Idaho’s first public preschool program; retired and later elected back to the council in 2008 special election (is still serving)
2008-2016: 54) David Harold “Dave” Bieter (D, b. 1959) – previously served on the city council from 1997 to 2007; city’s first Basque Mayor; responded to calls for decreasing funding for the Boise Police Department by increasing funding for social services instead; “expanded the purchase of open space and easements” in Boise’s northern foothills to protect wildlife habitats, water quality, and recreation opportunities without needing to raise taxes; elected and re-elected via plurality vote; reformed city government in 2012, implementing a runoff system for all municipal elections, and establishing mayoral term limits; retired; later lost a bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2018 and a bid for a third non-consecutive Mayoral term in 2019; currently works for a non-profit promoting Basque culture and a political NGO promoting various center-left policies
2007: Charles L. “Chuck” Winder (R) and Jim Pratt (R)
2011: Vaughn Killeen (R) and Jim Tibbs (R)
2016-present: 55) Judy Peavey-Derr (R) – previously served in the state senate from 2012 to 2015; conservative; incumbent; currently supports efforts to combat Global Climate Disruption by backing statewide investments in nuclear, thorium, wind, and solar energy efforts
2015 (primary): Seth M. Holden (D) and David B. Hall (I)
2015 (runoff): Seth M. Holden (D)
2019 (primary): Dave Bieter (D), H. Brent Coles (R), Lauren Stein McLean (D), Adriel Martinez (I), Rebecca Arnold (R), and Cortney Nielsen (I)
2019 (runoff): Dave Bieter (D)
– clickopedia.co.usa, 7/4/2021
NBA FORWARD HENRY JAMES ELECTED MAYOR OF FORT WAYNE
– The Indianapolis Star, Indiana newspaper, 11/3/2015
Mayors of FORT WAYNE (Indiana)
1980-1984: 39) Winfield C. “Win” Moses Jr. (D, b. 1943) – unseated incumbent Mayor; previously served on the city council from 1972 to 1979; lost re-election amid being investigated for violating campaign finance laws in 1979 and was convicted on such charges in 1985
1979: Robert E. Armstrong (R, 1925-2008)
1984-2000: 40) Cook Olin Pierre "O.P." Lougheed (R, 1922-2008) – previously served on the Allen County Council; former entrepreneur, civil leader, and philanthropist; one of the city’s longest-serving Mayors; retired
1983: Winfield Moses (D)
1987: Cosette Renee “Cosy” Simon (D, b. 1953)
1991: Graham A. Richard (D, b. 1937)
1995: Charlie Belch (D), Thomas Essex (Independent D), and William Kempf (Liberty)
2000-2012: 41) Winfield C. “Win” Moses Jr. (D, b. 1943) – previously served in the state House from 1992 to 2000; ran on the campaign slogan “A Mayor of Conviction” and on his first-term accomplishments; lost re-election
1999: W. Paul Helmke Jr. (R, b. 1948)
2003: Linda Buskirk (R)
2007: Matt Kelty (R) and Teresa L. Licari (Liberty)
2012-2016: 42) Timothy Goeglein (R, b. 1964) – previously served as Chair of the Indiana GOP from 2008 to 2011, as a conservative lobbyist, as an advisor and special assistant to the Governor of Indiana, and as Deputy Director of the White House Office of the Public Liaison from 2000 to 2001; lost re-election
2011: Winfield Moses (D)
2016-present: 43) Henry Charles James (D, b. 1965) – former NBA player; re-elected after opponent faced scrutiny for racist remarks; incumbent
2015: Timothy Goeglein (R) and Paula Hughes (Independent R)
2019: Patrick M. Byrne (R) and David Christopher Roach (Liberty)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
HARTFORD MAYOR ELECTION: Feltman Unseats Airey-Wilson
…Feltman will take office early next month…
– The Connecticut Post, 11/3/2015
Mayors of HARTFORD (Connecticut)
1967-1971: 60) Antonina P. “Ann” Uccello (R, b. 1922) – city’s first female Mayor; resigned to be appointed to the U.S. Senate; is still alive (as of July 4, 2021) at the age of 99
1967: George B. Kinsella (D)
1969: Ann Lucille Matarese (D)
1971-1978: 61) George A. Athanson (D) – ascended; previously served as deputy mayor; resigned after being appointed to a position in the Governor’s administration
1971: Michael T. McGarry (R)
1973: Michael T. McGarry (R)
1975: William E. Glynn (I)
1977: Joseph P. Mozzicato (R)
1978-1979: 62) Nicholas R. Carbone (D) – ascended; previously served as deputy mayor; retired
1979-1985: 63) Thirman L. Milner (D, b. 1933) – city’s first popularly elected African-American Mayor; previously worked as a hospital orderly, drug store clerk, insurance salesman, anti-poverty worker, and civil rights activist; previously served in the state House from 1975 to 1979; temporarily cut taxes and worked with the city council to issue a "rent halt" in order to encourage consumer spending in the wake of the economic recession of late 1978; increased funding for public schools; retired to successfully run for a U.S. House seat in 1986, a good year for Democrats, and served from 1987 until retiring in 1995
1979: Michael T. McGarry (R) and Donna C. McDonald (Labor)
1981: W. Ross Hatch (R)
1983: Donald B. LaCroix (R)
1985-1991: 64) Eunice Groark (R, 1938-2018) – previously served on the City Council from 1981 to 1985; implemented tax reform to encourage local business investments and developments; oversaw rising economy and lowering crime rates due to supporting local police and encouraging local entrepreneurialism; resigned to become Governor
1987: Robert F. Ludgin (D)
1989: Robert J. Jackson (D) and Phil Steele (Conservative)
1991-1991: 65) Richard P. Lawlor (D) – ascended; previously served as deputy mayor; retired and returned to serving on the city council
1991-1999: 66) Carrie Saxon Perry (D, 1931-2018) – city’s first female African-American Mayor; ran in 1991 on an anti-establishment platform; oversaw gradual growth in the aftermath of the early 1990s recession; took a moderate stance on recreadrugs, emphasizing focusing on the root causes of its use and working with experts to combat addiction by establishing help hotlines, promoting Addicts Anonymous, and supporting the teaching of addiction prevention in high schools and college; sought to reform prison sentencing and the city's private prison system during her second term, only to receive pushback from conservatives on the city council; retired due to exhaustion but continued to comment on local politics from time to time
1991: Rosemary Z. Cardwell (R) and Michael P. Peters (I)
1993: Kenneth A. Mink (I)
1995: Elizabeth Horton Sheff (Green)
1997: Juan Morales (I)
1999-2010: 67) William A. DiBella (D, b. 1943) – previously served as a state senator from 1983 to 1996; openly considered running for Governor in 2002 and again in 2006; was removed from office by the city council following his conviction on racketeering and criminal conspiracy charges connected to his role a fraudulent investment scheme that also took down Mayor Eddie Perez of San Juan, Puerto Rico earlier that same year
1999: W. Michael Downes (I)
2001: Lewis B. “Lew” Rome (R)
2003: Richard Lion (Liberty)
2005: I. Charles Mathews (I)
2007: James Stan McCauley (R)
2009: Frances Winfield (R)
2010-2011: 68) Minnie Gonzalez (D) – ascended; previously served on the city council from 2000 to 2007 and as deputy mayor from 2007 to 2010; city’s first Puerto Rican Mayor; lost election
2011-2015: 69) Veronica Airey-Wilson (R) – city’s first Jamaican Mayor and second Black female Mayor; previously served on the Hartford Court of Common Council; won on an anti-corruption platform; lost re-election amid job losses and worsening life-quality conditions linked to the Unlucky Recession of 2013
2011: Minnie Gonzalez (D)
2013: Raul DeJesus (D)
2015-2020: 70) Art J. Feltman (D, b. 1958) – previously served on the city council from 1995 to 1998 and in the state House from 1998 to 2006, and in the state Senate from 2006 to 2015; focused on rehabilitating housing by reforming property tax relief and organizing clean-up drives to create new parks and refurbish residential areas; resigned for a position in the Governor’s administration
2015: Joel Cruz Jr. (Working Families) and Veronica Airey-Wilson (R)
2017: Edwin Vargas (Working Families) and Theodore T. Cannon (R)
2019: Edwin Vargas (Working Families), Theodore T. Cannon (R) and Aaron Lewis (I)
2020-present: 71) Brandon McGee (D) – ascended; previously served in the state House from 2012 to 2016, as a Special Advisor to Mayor Feltman from 2017 to 2019, and as deputy mayor from 2019 to 2020; incumbent
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
“…There’s the Presidential hopeful there now, getting a photo-op here at the local ‘Stop-to-Shop’ supermarket, and now she is shaking hands with what seems to be an enthusiastic crowd for the Governor of Georgia. …But how people feel today may not reflect how people feel in March, when the primaries truly begin. And with so many candidates to pick from, a lot of primary voters seem to be uncertain which one to choose [L1]…”
– KNN, 11/7/2015 news report
Co-Host AMANDA VANSTONE: With bushfires in the Adelaide Hills having destroyed dozens of homes and outbuildings, the delayed emergency responses has renewed criticisms of the leadership of Prime Minister Nickolas Varvaris.
Co-Host BARRIE CASSIDY: For more on this subject we turn to the expert portion of this political forum program. Joining the panel today is three former MPs. To the left of me is Bob Hawke of Wills, who ran to be the leader of the Labor party in 1981 but lost to Manfred Cross. To his political right but physical left, we welcome Paul Keating of Blaxland, who was elected to Parliament in 1969 at age 25 but was repeatedly backbenched in Labor governments until leaving parliament to head the largest trade union in Australia. And finally, next to Amanda, we have John Howard of Bennelong, who lost the 1983 liberal leadership race to Sir Billy Snedden. Misters Hawke, Keating and Howard, welcome back to the program.
HAWKE: Thank you for having us on again.
KEATING: Good to be back.
HOWARD: Happy to be here again.
VANSTONE: So let’s get to go around, starting with Mr. Hawke, right away with the first question: is Varvaris doing a decent job as Prime Minister?
HAWKE: Well his indecisiveness is becoming a sore spot for many in the Liberal coalition, and I myself find it discouraging that this is his second leadership crisis he’s faced in less than a year. Now I’m also disappointed in his waffling on other issues, and that habit of resisting taking a side of certain things, it appears, should have been an indication of his leadership skills.
KEATING: I agree, he has shown himself to be a terrible PM. It’s the reason why so many people ontech want to move up the date of the next federal election, which is scheduled for 2018.
HOWARD: Well, hold up, I think we’re overlooking something here. Varvaris rose to power very quickly, and he’s still a very young lad at the age of 41. He still hasn’t learned the ropes of how the position of Prime Minister truly works. That doesn’t mean he’s terrible; it means he’s still not experienced enough. And Bob, about his waffling, he didn’t start that until he became PM. Beforehand he was consistently conservative on several social and fiscal issues.
HAWKE: But that’s exactly my point, John. He moved to the center when he got the top job and it seems that now he doesn’t know where to go or what to do to appease both the coalition and general populace.
HOWARD: Which highlights his inexperience!
KEATING: Well then he should have gotten some experience before running for this spot. Doing so was irresponsible.
HOWERD: I disagree with that. He was a candidate, the coalition voluntarily chose him.
VANSTONE: Alright, alright, so let’s see if have this straight – you all think the Prime Minister is, at the very least, underperforming?
HOWARD: Yes.
KEATING: Definitely.
HAWKE: Somewhat, yes.
– Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 11/8/2015 broadcast
WENDY’S TO MAKE “MAJOR CHANGES” TO THE RECIPE OF THEIR MENU’S MOST UNHEALTHY DISH
…The Spicy Pretzel Bacon Pub, per sandwich, contains 810 calories, 41 grams of fat, and a whopping 1,650 milligrams of sodium. A chicken breast marinated and breaded in a powerful blend of spices and peppers, the sandwich is topped with a warm beer cheese sauce, Applewood smoked bacon and a smoky honey mustard sauce, along with crispy fried onions, juicy pickles, and a slice of fresh Muenster cheese. With all of those ingredients, its high sodium content and caloric levels are not surprising. Given health concerns, the company will “redesign” the sandwich so it has less calories “but the same delicious taste,” which will likely not be an easy feat, given the richness of this culinary concoction. However, Wendy’s is taking things one step further by planning on releasing the current recipe for this product in order to maintain business transparency and to keep the recipe from being “lost to the ages,” as the company spokesperson described it. “It’s a way of getting kitchen-savvy technetters to test and try out their own /201healthier versions of it,” notes food critic Morgan Spurlock, “so it’s a most likely marketing ploy to promote buying the new version of the Bacon Pub sandwich. Which is very clever, I will admit. I suspect that the next time a questionable menu item gets pulled from some fast food franchise somewhere, they too will try to drum up support for their own company in this same sort of way”…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/10/2015
CAMEROON LAND USE CONFLICT RESOLUTION DECLARED
…amid local backlash and calls for the nation’s government to give more local control to local land use, the major company involved in a deal to convert 70,000 hectares of forestry into farmland has been reduced to a smaller deal concerning only 20,000 hectares…
– The Daily Telegraph, side article, 11/11/2015
NYC CITY COUNCIL APPROVES POLICE REFORM PACKAGE BILL ENDING QUALIFIED IMMUNITY FOR OFFICERS
…the move comes two weeks after a court ruling found the NYPD’s application of the policy to be illegal… the package aims to address continuing claims of police brutality and “hold police precinct accountable,” as the Mayor has put it, by making it easier for civilians to sue an officer for violating their rights …the package also changes the method for determining police precinct salaries – it will now be based on the number of emergency calls coming from the district instead of being based on number of arrests made by that precinct and its jurisdiction. …Police unions are claiming the new laws will make it more difficult for law enforcement officers to carry out the duties of their occupations. “This will encourage more people to commit crimes,” says retired NYPD officer Angela Marconet…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/15/2015
“THEIR SUFFERING CAN’T BE OVERLOOKED”: Former US Agriculture Secretary Calls For UN To “Do More” To Combat Betel Nut Addiction
…comparing it to chewing tobacco, the former Secretary explained further how betel nut use is a “woefully neglected global public health emergency affecting millions” of people worldwide, and especially in several countries in Asia… Risk factors for using these Asian areca palm seeds include cancers of the mouth and esophagus…
– The Houston Chronicle, side article, 11/16/2015
L.A. CITY COUNCIL APPROVES VOTING PROCESS CHANGE: City Will Now Use Ranked Choice Voting!
Los Angeles, CA – With support from the Mayor and a clear majority of the city’s residents, the L.A. City Council today approved on the reforming of the city’s process for electing statewide officials, including Mayor… Ranked-choice, or instant-runoff voting, allows voters to choose multiple candidates and rank them by order of preference. In New York City, primary and special-election voters will have the choice to rank up to five. “For example,” explains former Mayor of Los Angeles Nicolas Patsaouras (D-CA), “let’s say you like Candidate C the best, but you also like Candidate A and to a lesser extent Candidate B. You can rank Candidate C as your first choice, Candidate A as your second and Candidate B as your third. You don’t have to rank all five – in fact, you can just choose one candidate. But the option is there for you to voice your support for multiple candidates. For the voter, that’s basically all they have to think about when going to the ballot box – which candidates to choose and how to rank them.” [4]
Ranked Choice Voting is gathering momentum nationwide, and is currently the leading proposal for reforming the Electoral College via the process laid out by the National Initiative Amendment of the US Constitution…
– The Los Angeles Times, 11/18/2015
“Look, this administration’s attitude toward warfare is actually very smart and very simple. We stop trouble before it starts, but if somebody, some country or some terrorist, wants to fight us, we’ll fight them where they are on, in their country, not in our country, and we make ’em regret ever messin’ with us.”
– Vice President Harley Davidson Brown, THN radio call-in segment, 11/19/2015 broadcast
…regarding continued debate over the construction of a protective storm barrier system to keep New York City and its surrounding areas from major flooding in the near future: the National Institute for Coastal and Harbor Infrastructure has endorsed a comprehensive plan designed by the US Army Corps of Engineers and its latest New York-New Jersey Stormer Barrier Feasibility Study…
– NBC, 11/20/2015 broadcast
WHERE DID THE TERM “A NIXON-KENNEDY ELECTION” COME FROM?
…On November 21, 2015, the state of Louisiana’s gubernatorial election had come down to two candidates. The Republican nominee was Joseph M. Nixon, born in 1956 and a former Texan who served one term in the Texas state House of Representatives, starting in 1995, before moving to Louisiana son after and winning a state senate seat in 2011. His opponent was the conservative Democratic former US Congressman John N. Kennedy. The race was too narrow to be declared on election night, and ultimately proved close enough to trigger a series of recounts in several parishes. Controversies and conspiracy theories filled the political airwaves in the weeks that followed, ending only after Nixon was declared the winner, and Kennedy failed to challenge the election results in court. Nevertheless, because of the election’s difficulties and controversies, a “Nixon-Kennedy election” entered the English language lexicon, as shorthand for any election that is so narrow that it leads to recounts and/or controversies…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 2022 article
…In a one-on-one debate held between McAfee and Gramm on November 22nd, the two candidates disagreed sharply on foreign and domestic policy. McAfee promoted dismantling all tariffs and trade deals in order for businesses to have “complete control to determine for themselves who they do business with and how,” while Gramm proclaimed that “most trade deals are naturally beneficial to businesses by design.”
[pic: imgur.com/rfXkesA.png ]
Above: McAfee (left) and Gramm (right) were both challenging President Grammer for the 2016 GOP nomination. Both suffered from poor polling but believed that they could gather momentum ahead of the summer convention.
McAfee’s trenchant remarks over Gramm’s wealthy backers were polemical in nature, saying cuttingly “This debate is between me and fifty wimpy billionaires.”
Astringently, Gramm responded with the tart remark “John, unlike you, I’ve never been arrested and I’ve actually been elected to and have served in public office before. …I’m surprised you’re even a considered qualified candidate.”
To his credit, the debate’s moderator, TV consumer journalist and libertarian pundit John Stossel from ABC News, did his best to keep the conversation civil… Ultimately, the overall negative debate was considered a draw for both candidates…
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
…And in the curious case of Tommy Gun Thompson, there seems to be some legal developments complicating the publication of his tell-all book, which could potentially help investigator put several high-profile smugglers behind bars for life. In main problem with that, though, is that if everyone can read about these crimes, than so can the criminals. Because TGT may have revealed too much about his illegal activities, the mysterious smuggler has reportedly entered a plea deal in exchange for helping officers arrest other smugglers via information not included in the book because it did, not quote, ‘make the cut,’ unquote…
– TumbleweedTV news clip, 11/23/2015
“I think drones have the potential to be used for positive things – pollinating crops, applying pesticides, putting out fires, run security. But they could also be used to stalk and spy, so I think if we are going to have these things, they should be very noticeable – make ’em loud so they can’t sneak up on people and whatnot.”
– Richard Codey (D-NJ), campaigning for President in Atlanta, GA, 11/24/2015
…Amid a rising wave of controversies concerning her handling of finances for multiple jobs program and accusations of neglecting or even promoting a toxic workplace environment at the capital, Governor Steph Herseth has dropped out of the Democratic Presidential primaries. In most polls, she had been polling at roughly 1%...
– CBS Evening News, 11/28/2015 broadcast
POTUS WELCOMES SOUTH AFRICAN PM MOSIUOA LEKOTA TO WHITE HOUSE
…While Grammer’s approval ratings at home continue to hover at around 55%, his popularity abroad has improved considerably since the start of his Presidency…
– The Washington Post, 11/29/2015
DEMOCRATS STILL IN DISARRAY AS CROWDED FIELD YIELDS NO CLEAR FRONTRUNNER [5]
…according to DNC Chair Antonio Villar, “at this point, it’s very hard to tell who has the advantage. Some candidate are better funded, others have a stronger presence ontech than others, and the strength of grassroots organizing varies candidate-to-candidate. It’s very possible that we won’t know who the primary voters want, uh, to be their nominee, uh, until the primary voting actually begins.”…
– NPR, 11/30/2015
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Quote is from his wiki article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Nikolayev_(politician)
[2] Italicized pieces taken from here: http://www.birminghamoriginals.org/thebrightstar
[3] This italicized passage is pulled from here: https://modernfarmer.com/2020/01/after-a-decade-the-usda-addresses-unfairness-in-meat-production/
[4] Italicized segment is pulled from here: https://www.cityandstateny.com/arti...ed-choicd-voting-will-work-new-york-city.html
[5] But you can help! Ahead of the 2016 Democratic primaries, here’s a preference poll for y’all!: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3519816xAb49a3D1-106
And here’s a quick breakdown of all 25 candidates, both officially running and likely to run, found on the poll:
US Sen. Sharon Sayles-Belton of Minnesota, age 65 – Relying on her record in the Senate and as the Mayor of Minneapolis during the 1990s to back her energetic campaign, this African-American “trailblazer” is focusing primarily on racial equality, protecting BLTUAG-Americans, community and neighborhood development, women’s rights, combating sexual pestering, helping at-risk youth, and “reigniting” President Jesse Jackson’s police precinct reform efforts. The Midwest is her campaign's "safe" area due to regional appeal, but she is focusing on the Rust Belt as well as the south as part of her campaign's strategy of forming a coalition of white and non-white middle class voters.
Mr. Bob Beckel of New York, age 68 – This moderate-to-liberal political commentator started his political career by working on the Jack Kennedy Presidential campaign of 1968 (being the young man holding a "I Back Jack" in an iconic photo from said campaign) before serving in the US Peace Corps; Beckel then became a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Mondale Administration, allowing him to work with US Secretary of State Jimmy Carter on the 1978 Atlanta Peace Treaty; after heading the southwestern division of the Scoop Jackson Presidential campaign of 1980, he worked on several campaigns of candidates for governor and US Senate seats, but after more losses than wins, he joined The Overmyer Network as a political correspondent; Beckel is running because he is dissatisfied with the current crop of candidates. He believes he can win by appealing to voters "tired of the status quo and politics-as-usual."
Gov. Cruz Bustamante of California, age 64 – The career of this liberal Mexican-American politician took a bit of a nose-dive when he gave up serving as Speaker of the State Assembly to unsuccessfully run for Governor in 1998 amid that year’s backlash to Dinger’s Cartel Wars, but after serving as the state’s Attorney General from 2003 to 2011, Bustamante successfully mounted a bid for Lieutenant Governor in 2010, leading to him ascending to the governorship in 2012; his campaign calls for better schools, cleaner neighborhoods, tighter regulations to protect public health, and improving the FGJ program. Bustamante believes he can "rekindle" the energy of the Jesse Jackson 2000 campaign and put together "another Rainbow Coalition" of Hispanics, African-Americans and whites to sweep the early primaries.
US Sen. Hansen Clarke of Michigan, age 59 – Serving in public offices since 1991, this liberal Bangladeshi-American’s work in the Senate has resulted in millions of dollars being award to his home state to improve nutrition for families, child literacy, and housing for veterans; he is best known for opposing foreclosures and rent hikes during the worst months of the Unlucky Recession, winning him accolades from homeowners and NYC’s Jimmy McMillan. Clarke is focusing on the Midwestern states and the early primary state of New Hampshire in an effort to win over blue-collar voters.
Fmr US Sec. of Transportation Richard J. "Rick" Codey of New Jersey, age 70 – An “old school” moderate politician known for his temper and for serving as the Governor of The Garden State on four separate occasions, Codey believes that his campaign’s focus on urban development, blue-collar employment, improving mental health research (a personal issue to him, given his wife's years-long but successful battle against depression and alcoholism, along with breast cancer) and combating systemic corruption will win over the Rust Belt and suburban voters, both in the primaries and in the general election.
US Rep. Oletha Faust-Goudeau of Kansas, age 57 – A state lawmaker from 2003 to 2011 and a federal lawmaker since, this African-American “firebrand” is pro-family, sponsoring legislation to protect rights and services for seniors, the disabled and children; policies such as voting in favor of eliminating a food sales tax in 2011 highlights her occasional tendency to side with Republicans on some issues, in a reflection of her district’s moderate-to-conservative views. Faust-Goudeau hopes to win the early primary states of Maryland and Georgia or, as an alternate route to the nomination, sweep the early primary clusters.
Gov. Shirley Franklin of Georgia, age 71 – The progressive African-American leader of the Peach State since 2011 has made a name for herself in recent years, overseeing the implementation of a new public water system and new sewer systems alongside urban redevelopment programs to turn the state “green,” all efforts that have improved her state’s quality of life; her handling of the state’s budget after the Unlucky Recession, though, led to job losses that nearly cost her re-election; nevertheless, the recent improvement in state employment and in education reform has led to her approval ratings rebounding as of late.
Fmr US Sec. of State Harvey Gantt of North Carolina, age 74 – With America’s first Black President redefining “Jacksonian Democrat,” the progressive Harvey Gantt is running on a platform similar to the one Jesse Jackson ran on in 2000; while Gantt’s last run for public office (a 1996 US Senate bit, after serving as Governor from 1989 to 1997) ended in failure, his diplomatic positions in the Jackson administration and his recent teaching gigs have renewed interest in his policies; Gantt’s mixed results as Secretary of State, and some missteps taken while Governor, though, could hurt his candidacy. Nevertheless, he is attempting to appeal to all voters by espousing populist-leaning talking points such as creating more jobs, protecting consumers from fraud, raising taxes on billionaires and maintaining a strong national defense, among other issues. He also hopes to be seen as a potentially "bipartisan" nominee, noting his ability to work well with Republicans such as Rocky McCain and Jim Meredith in the past.
Gov. Barry Goldberg of Pennsylvania, age 47 – A “Wellstone Democrat” progressive with blue-collar appeal, Goldberg was born in Philadelphia and grew up with an older brother and three younger sisters; he began his career as a radiologist, and worked tirelessly to help diagnose patients during the SARS pandemic, an experience that convinced Goldberg to become politically active; he won a US Congressional seat in 2008 before successfully running for Governor in 2010; with a somewhat “zany” personality and avidly supporting regional sports teams and cuisine, Goldberg could be an impact candidate.
Fmr Gov. Bart Gordon of Tennessee, age 67 – While vilified by some Democrats for running against Wellstone in the 2012 primaries (and, allegedly, weakened the President's candidacy heading into the general election), this moderate politician last won an election in 2002, and served as the centrist Governor from 2003 to 2007; Gordon is running on his record, touting his leadership during the SARS pandemic and his prior time serving in the US House (where he served for 18 years, from 1985 to 2003), to make the case that his candidacy is the one most likely to win over key independents and undecided voters in the November election season.
Fmr Gov. Muliufi Francis “Frank” Hannemann of Hawaii, age 62 – Previously going by the nicknames “Mufi” and “Murphy,” this 6-ft-7 Mormon businessman, liberal former US Representative, and former Honolulu Mayor of Samoan descent is focused on education and health, claiming Grammer’s libertarianism pose a serious threat to the US’s federal social “safety net” programs, even though he and the President agree on some (but not most) financial issues.
US Sen. Denise Juneau of Montana, age 49 – An openly BLUTAGO-American elected to the US Senate in 2012 in an upset, this descendant of the Native American Blackfeet Tribe served as her state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2009 to 2012; a populist progressive with potentially libertarian appeal, Juneau has focused on education, community development, and justice since entering the Senate, and is focusing on these issues during this run.
US Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, age 70 – After more than thirty years in Congress, the progressive Kaptur would be an experienced candidate; strongly opposing free trade, which President Grammer’s post-recession policies lean toward, she supports passing a new “supercharged” version of the Glass-Steagall Banking Act of 1933, along with centralizing the nation’s power grids and overall increasing the size and role of the federal government.
Mr. Gary Larson of Washington, age 66 – The cartoonist who created the single-panel cartoon series The Far Side, which began in 1980 and ended in 1999, has been working with Conservation International on several projects in recent years; a naturally shy individual currently living in Seattle, he is mounting a campaign primarily concerned with environmentalism, promoting policies considered to be “extreme” even among many progressive members of the party.
US Senate Min. Leader Gary Locke of Washington, age 66 – The Taiwanese-American leader of the Senate Democrats and would emphasize on commerce, jobs, eldercare, education, and protecting victims of sexual pestering should he become the nominee; a potentially unifying candidate, he has served in the Senate since 1993 and has developed an overall liberal voting record that has shifted around since ascending to his current role in 2005.
US Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, age 44 – A liberal US Congressman since 2009 and a former blackjack dealer, Lujan strongly backs cancer research, combating Global Climate Disruption, and requiring all 52 states to diversify their energy supplies to include solar, wind and electricity alongside fossil fuels supplies, which he wants to phase out entirely by 2040 despite voting against a ban on hydraulic “fracking” in 2009; he believes he can wrestle western states away from the Republican column through his support for Native American rights and by emphasizing his links to Catholicism and Latino Americans.
Gov. Michael Moore of Michigan, age 62 – A critic of globalization, large corporations, and American intervention abroad, this longtime politician is often described as a populist liberal; focused on jobs and community development since becoming Governor, he has taken credit for Michigan’s recent unemployment drop and for improving sanitation, though has been criticized for an “aggressive” handling of police precinct reform and for accusing all of the past four Presidents (Dinger, Jackson, Wellstone, and Grammer) of maintaining “imperialist” foreign policy during their respective times in office.
US Sen. Kwame Raoul of Illinois, age 52 – A rising star in the party since being elected a Chicago city alderman in 1995, the charismatic Raoul is best known for giving a stirring keynote speech at the 2012 DNC; Raoul, the reformist progressive son of Haitian immigrants, is also known for advancing civil justice measures like police precinct reform, and combating negative stigmas concerning substance abuse to help addicts find and receive the assistance they need.
Fmr US Vice Pres. Bob Ross of Alaska, age 74 – Just when he thought he could retire in peace, the “Draft Bob” movement has risen yet again; Ross supporters believe that if he makes in candidacy official, he will automatically become the frontrunner due to his reputation as a unifying figure with a wide range of appeal; despite being a cancer survivor who has not won an election on his own since 1990, many are convinced that it takes a painter to best a thespian.
Fmr Gov. John P. Sarbanes of Maryland, age 54 – A progressive Greek-American and the son of former US Senator Paul Sarbanes (which is pronounced "Sahr-BAYNZ"), this subjectively successful former Governor is mounting a bid eclectic bid for the White House that is currently focusing on renewable energy, commerce, and environmental education; his signature policy is campaign finance reform, promising to reduce the influence of money in politics, create new ethics rules for federal officeholders, and limit partisan gerrymandering.
US Navy Admiral (ret.) Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, age 65 – After a lifetime in the military, Sestak retired from the Navy in 2011, served as an advisor to the US Department of Defense from 2011 to 2014, and joined the Democratic party in 2015 after having an overall apolitical career; a left-leaning moderate focused on helping small businesses and increasing federal funding for autism care and research, along with issues relating to veterans, Sestak differs from other Democrats by being supportive of Grammer’s handling of foreign policy issues, but is heavily critical of his hands-off approach to many domestic issues.
Gov. Lisa J. Simpson of Washington, age 60 – A liberal lawmaker devoted to environmental protection, higher healthcare quality, and anti-corruption efforts, Simpson has already been endorsed by US Senator Norm Rice (D-WA); Simpson believes her education centralization proposals will make America “smarter and more successful” [note: as mentioned previously in Chapter 96, this is OTL’s Lisa J. Brown, who ITTL married Arnold Simpson in 1979, after he had moved to Washington State in 1970 to go to college; also, BTW, TTL’s Futurama has no “Lisa Simpson” character, F.Y.I., so, yeah, this is basically an in-joke]
Mr. Aaron Sorkin of California, age 55 – The famous Hollywood screenwriter, director, producer and playwright best known for making The West Wing and several other political dramas has decided to enter politics for real, mounting a progressive campaign promoting police precinct reform, Ranked Choice Voting for Presidential Elections, and the legalization of all drugs, calling the federal decriminalization laws passed under Jackson “weak and unambitious.”
US Sen. Tom Suozzi of New York, age 54 – An eloquent speaker who has had his eyes on the White House for some time now, this energetic Italian-American liberal is campaigning mainly on supporting the domestic policy issues of urban revitalization measures, hydrogen power projects, better healthcare programs for veterans and sexual pestering victims, and using Congressional Delegating for the Electoral College in all future US Presidential elections.
Fmr Gov. W. Richard West Jr. of Wyoming, age 74 – A libertarian-leaning moderate proud of his Native American roots and his successes during his two terms as the Democratic Governor of one of America’s most Republican states, West is devoting his campaign to community development in rural and urban areas, the preservation of all American cultures, and better land use/utilization in order to ensure an environmentally friendly energy sector.
Also, since I’m curious how popular Grammer is, here’s a preference poll for y’all for the 2016 Republican primaries!: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3519782xfd984780-106
And here’s a quick breakdown of all 10 candidates, both major and minor, found on the poll:
Fmr state Lands Dir. Walter L. “Walt” Bayes of Idaho – Born c. 1938 and looking it, this constitution-loving conservative diehard has been dubbed a “religious radical,” a term that he now proudly boasts; in 2007, then-Governor Harley Brown appointed this perennial candidate to the state position of Director of the Idaho Department of Lands; Bayes retired from that position in 2011 to unsuccessfully run for congress; he is running for replace Grammer but not Brown.
Fmr US Rep. Phil Gramm of Texas – The 74-year-old billionaire lost millions in the Unlucky Recession, and blames Grammer’s “irresponsible” actions for it; despite having not won an election since 1984, the deep-pocketed and well-connected businessman believes he can unseat Grammer by focusing on his signature proposal for a nationwide bailout of all banks big and small in order to encourage consumer spending and improve the health of the economy.
US Pres. Kelsey Grammer of California – with rising approval ratings, the incumbent (b. 1955) is currently the clear and obvious frontrunner for the 2016 nomination; Grammer appears satisfactory to the moderates, “Colonel” Conservatives and libertarians in the party, and while his support among more established political leaders has dimmed, his approval among populists, former Goetzites, and the pro-Harley Brown “Country” Conservatives has improved.
Mr. Tom Hoefling of Iowa – A conservative perennial candidate (b. 1960) who boasts hosting a radio show, being married with 11 children, and previously serving as Alan Keyes’ Presidential campaign manager, you can find the name of this pro-business, pro-banks Country Conservative activist on some primary ballot (for positions ranging from state senate to governor) every other year (beginning in 2006), and this year, it is on several GOP primary ballots.
Mr. Walter N. Iwachiw of New York – This registered nurse is a mysterious figure, as very little is known about his personal life or his political positions; balding, bearded, and nearly Chris-Farley-esque in appearance but timid and soft-spoken in a nearly introvert-like way, this former anthropologist and former candidate for the GOP nomination for Mayor of New York City in 2013 is running a campaign that is focused on healthcare reform, making college more affordable, and “what we’re going to do about space,” a statement that stands out among his several other vague quotes and comments.
Pstr. Terry Jones of Florida – Born in 1951, this right-wing activist pastor of a “small but fiery” nondenominational Christian church ran for President in 2012 under the “Salvation” party banner; Jones was investigated in 1994 for allegedly forming a cult but was not charged, though the negative attention did cause him to lose church members and later lead to claims that Jones was behind the Iacocca assassination; however, Jones did not catch national attention until 2003, for burning an effigy of then-President Jesse Jackson and accusing him to creating SARS in a science lab; he is currently running on a platform of ending all immigration “period,” withdrawing all US troops from abroad, improving healthcare for KW2 veterans, and reducing corporate tax rates.
Fmr. US Rep. Andy Martin of Illinois – This vexatious litigant of Greek and Italian descent disagrees with the term “perennial candidate,” given that he served the remainder of one congressional term back in the early oughties via a special election that ended in a major upset; born in 1945, Martin, also known as Martin-Trigona, has altered between being a semi-practicing lawyer is several states and being a candidate for various political offices in various states since the 1970s, and has been in hot water in the past for allegedly racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric, comments and legal actions.
Fmr state rep. Mary Maxwell of New Hampshire – This 69-year-old has been active in state politics for decades; inspired by Maureen Reagan’s 1988 nomination, Mary become politically active in the early 1990s, and ultimately served in the state House of Representatives from 1996 to 1998, losing re-election after expressing doubt that Lynwood Drake was Iacocca’s assassin and calling for his brain to “checked for brainwashing residue;” mainly focused on winning her state’s primary, this anti-corruption, pro-family widow upholds a libertarian interpretation of the US Constitution she claims is “100% accurate.”
Fmr NASA Dir. John McAfee of Tennessee – A millionaire hard-core libertarian technocrat with a strong band of loyalists based primarily on the technet, some say he is Grammer’s most prominent foe; born in 1945, McAfee worked for NASA since the 1960s, first as a computer programmer focused on antivirus software, before finally becoming Director, only for “draconian policies” concerning a major incident to lead to his dismissal; McAfee, focused on space exploration and technet innovation, claims that, as President, he will modernize the US and “make us the most technologically-advanced nation on Earth.”
Ms. Samm Tittle of New Mexico – A businesswoman and hard-core constitutionalist and fan of western paraphernalia who is best known for hosting a vlog series on the social blogging site FriendLink.co.usa, which has a modest number of followers, Tittle is highly critical of Grammer’s “image…he’s weak and embarrassing;” he campaign is focused on restoring “the image of strength” to the White House and “going after the worst aspects” of American Universal Healthcare and the high-popular Negative Income Tax Rebate, which she believes is “the true cause” of the Unlucky Recession.
Please vote!
(Also: Interesting observation I just recently made about the polls: they usually wouldn’t get that many replies in the past, but looking back at previous polls it looks like some were replied to after the chapters covering the respective results were posted. And maybe some votes were removed? (Because I don’t get it – Gravel did very well in the 1984 poll, but if you click on it now, it shows him doing poorly. Same for Mondale in 1972 and Reagan in 1976. I just don’t get it!))
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: March 25 (hopefully…)
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Thanks for answering my questions.
Nice lineup of candidates. Can't wait to see who wins.
Nice lineup of candidates. Can't wait to see who wins.
Just a heads-up - the strawpolls won't let me see the results. Great update, though! I can't wait to see how things play out.
I apologize if this has been asked before (which it likely has), but who exactly is Barry Golberg? Just curious.
Hmm, very few good picks for the Democrats. While an Aaron Sorkin presidency could be interesting, I’d imagine he’d have the exact same problem as Grammer did of appearing too intellectual and distant. Lisa Simpson becoming president is also fun but I think Backing Bob is the best choice this time around. I imagine getting a running mate with strong energy might help overcome his soft spoken appearance and bleed support/attention away from VP Brown.
Is Walter N. Iwachiw another Lee Harvey Oswald anagram situation?
Very worrying developments in Russia. Let’s hope it Nikolayev doesn’t become a Putin or gets kicked out before he does something too damaging.
And regarding the issue of the Harry Potter books, why not have the Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman take up that position in pop culture. Might need some slight alterations to have it be capable of standing alone from the rest of the DC universe but it would be interesting for the bespectacled boy wizard of this timeline to be Timothy Hunter. And it helps keep Rowling and TERF views from becoming well known
Is Walter N. Iwachiw another Lee Harvey Oswald anagram situation?
Very worrying developments in Russia. Let’s hope it Nikolayev doesn’t become a Putin or gets kicked out before he does something too damaging.
And regarding the issue of the Harry Potter books, why not have the Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman take up that position in pop culture. Might need some slight alterations to have it be capable of standing alone from the rest of the DC universe but it would be interesting for the bespectacled boy wizard of this timeline to be Timothy Hunter. And it helps keep Rowling and TERF views from becoming well known
ATTENTION TO ALL WHO VOTED IN THE POLLS!
I had to go back and replace the polls with new ones because the results were not visible on my end, either! Thank you very much to those who pointed this out to me, but it does mean that if you want your vote to count, you now have to vote in the new polls:
GOP: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3519782xfd984780-106
Dem: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3519816xAb49a3D1-106
I added these to the previous chapter
I do apologize for this, having to vote again because I failed to see that the poll wasn't working prior to posting. I don't know why strawpoll isn't working right. I just feel terrible about this, sorry everyone
@TheHedgehog
Nope, Mr. Iwachiw is a real (but very obscure) person!:
We'll see what happens with Russia...
Interesting! But then what becomes of JKR? Maybe she works her way up to the top of Amnesty International, where she was working at before publishing HP!
I had to go back and replace the polls with new ones because the results were not visible on my end, either! Thank you very much to those who pointed this out to me, but it does mean that if you want your vote to count, you now have to vote in the new polls:
GOP: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3519782xfd984780-106
Dem: https://www.poll-maker.com/poll3519816xAb49a3D1-106
I added these to the previous chapter
I do apologize for this, having to vote again because I failed to see that the poll wasn't working prior to posting. I don't know why strawpoll isn't working right. I just feel terrible about this, sorry everyone
@TheHedgehog
I hope you voted in the new, correct poll I just edited in to that chapter!
Nope, Mr. Iwachiw is a real (but very obscure) person!:
We'll see what happens with Russia...
Interesting! But then what becomes of JKR? Maybe she works her way up to the top of Amnesty International, where she was working at before publishing HP!
A description of him ITTL can be found in the candidates-in-the-poll section; IOTL, he remained a radiologist.
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